Support or Opposition

Superstition had always been about choosing to believe what one wanted to believe and doubting what one did not.

Prince Zhou had already been superstitious to begin with. Pan Yun had demonstrated her abilities, and what she said had struck right at his heart. He had only believed it sixty percent at first, but after turning it over in his mind, that became ninety percent.

Prince Zhou became convinced that Zhu Zijin was his son. He just did not know why Zhu Zijin had been born into his second son's household. Anxiously, he said, "Go invite the Princess Consort. She must be told about this."

The Attendant accepted with a smile and went to invite the Princess Consort.

When Princess Zhou heard what Prince Zhou relayed, her face filled with surprise. She smoothly picked up the thread, saying, "So that was how it was?"

Clenching her handkerchief, she said, "Now that Your Highness mentions it, I remember. When Zijin was born, I even had a pregnancy dream. So he should have been our child..."

Prince Zhou said, "Yes, yes, I remember too. You had many dreams then and always woke startled in the night."

How could she not have had many dreams?

The former Prince Zhou's most hated son had given him his eldest grandson, while his most beloved eldest son had shown no sign of producing an heir. Princess Zhou had been under tremendous pressure then, dreaming nearly every night.

As for whether they had been pregnancy dreams or not, was that not hers to decide?

With Princess Zhou echoing him, Prince Zhou became even more certain that Zhu Zijin was the child fate had destined for him. Talk of incompatible fates was utter nonsense.

Taking the opportunity, Princess Zhou said, "The emperor dislikes Zhu Youxian. Will there be people in court who oppose having Zijin entered under our names?"

"I'll write to the rest of my brothers and nephews and have them urge the Imperial Clan Court along," Prince Zhou said. "This is my family matter. Even if someone must handle it, it should be the Imperial Clan Court. They all have sons to show filial devotion to them, so why should I be denied mine?"

Naturally, Prince Zhou could no longer write these letters himself. He could barely hold a brush steadily now, so he found a clerk in the prince's mansion to write them.

More than twenty letters were written in succession and sent to the brothers, cousins, and nephews with whom he had closer dealings.

Everyone in Old Zhu's family except him was remarkably fertile.

The clerk wrote until his vision swam, spending the night directly in the main courtyard. It took another full day of writing before he finished.

Once they were done, Prince Zhou had the Attendant sort them out and sent people to deliver them.

Zhu Youjue had also learned what Elder Brother's letters said. His heart and entrails burned like fire. "How had he suddenly become so determined after only half a day? He insisted on having the name entered?"

Previously, he had merely sent Zhao Yuansong to grease the wheels at the Imperial Clan Court. There had been plenty of room to maneuver there.

They could grease palms, and naturally so could he.

Accomplishing something was harder than scaling the heavens, but sabotaging it was easy.

As long as he stalled things a little and there was no progress before Elder Brother died of illness, Zhu Zijin would have neither name nor standing. He could keep him off the Imperial Genealogy, make sure he was not even recognized as an heir.

With a birth father like Zhu Youxian, he had countless ways to prevent him from becoming Heir.

That was why he would never do something as foolish as intercepting and killing Zhao Yuansong halfway.

That would be like personally handing Prince Zhou the handle to use against him.

As long as he made no fundamental mistake, and as long as Zhu Zijin was not formally entered under Prince Zhou's name, he remained the most likely candidate for the succession to pass from elder brother to younger brother.

But if Prince Zhou could persuade those Princes of the Imperial Family to speak for him...

The Imperial Clan Court was the institution that managed the imperial clan. Eight out of ten people within it bore the surname Zhu. To put it plainly, it was the family handling its own affairs.

Yet the Imperial Clan Court hardly handled affairs anymore. Most matters had been transferred to the Ministry of Rites. Perhaps he could start there...

Prince Zhou was also discussing the Ministry of Rites with Zhu Zijin. "Since Emperor Taizong's time, many of the Imperial Clan Court's affairs have been handed over to the Ministry of Rites. But for matters such as entering names into the Imperial Genealogy, the Imperial Clan Court still has considerable authority. I have asked quite a few imperial clansmen to plead the case. Later, make a note of their names. If they help us, remember to return the favor in the future."

Zhu Zijin agreed.

Prince Zhou said, "Tomorrow, I'll have all the estate stewards summoned. You should meet them."

Zhu Zijin looked at Prince Zhou in surprise. He had been back for half a year, and this was the first time Prince Zhou had mentioned family affairs. Before this, Zhu Zijin had only had two duties.

Taking care of Prince Zhou's daily needs, and searching for his son.

Prince Zhou looked at him gently and said, "Qie'er has been found. You should also put your energy into the other household affairs. The prince's mansion will need you to hold it up in the future."

With reddened eyes, Zhu Zijin agreed.

After glancing at the time, he said, "Father, let me help you settle down for the night."

Prince Zhou waved him off. "Let the servants handle such things."

Zhu Zijin said nothing. He went out to bring in warm water, dismissed all the servants, then personally wrung out a cloth and carefully washed Prince Zhou.

He knew Prince Zhou disliked having servants wash his body. Though they dared not reveal anything on their faces, their hands moved sometimes heavily, sometimes lightly, and inwardly, they found it disgusting.

It was not only Prince Zhou. Zhu Zijin knew they did not like serving Prince Zhou either.

Filled with gratitude, Zhu Zijin settled Prince Zhou properly. He changed the water twice, helped him into clean inner robes and trousers, supported him as he lay down, then felt the quilt to make sure it was neither too cold nor too warm before finally withdrawing.

Under the dim yellow lamplight, Prince Zhou let out a faint sigh. There was no mistake. Zijin had been born to be his son.

His second son was the one whose fate clashed with his, the one incompatible with him.

Pan Yun and the other two temporarily stayed in Prince Zhou's Mansion. Every day, they visited Prince Zhou, played with Zhu Tongqie, and the days quickly slipped by.

Pan Yun spent more than half of each day cultivating. Every time she visited Prince Zhou, she came back with some reward.

She was happiest when she received real gold and silver. She did not mind jade pendants or gemstones either, but what she hated most was receiving items marked with royal insignia.

They were valuable, certainly, but unfortunately could not be readily converted into cash.

It was not entirely impossible, merely difficult. Such items could probably be sold on the black market, and the blame would not trace back to her.

Pan Yun put all those items away, counted her money, and planned to find a time to send some to her father.

Xuan Miao seemed to see through her intentions. "If you want to send something, wait until after we leave Prince Zhou's Mansion."

After a brief thought, Pan Yun understood. "You fear someone is watching me and might trace me to my father, then suspect my identity and drag the Imperial Guards matter into it?"

Xuan Miao said, "There are many people in this world who want to curry favor with Wang Zhen. Your father offended him. Even if Wang Zhen has forgotten him, people will keep bringing him up in front of Wang Zhen and keep suppressing your father.

"Was that not why they searched the Pan household before, and why you accidentally killed an Imperial Guard?"

"And now, the struggle for power within Prince Zhou's Mansion is fierce. We brought Zhu Tongqie back and snatched away the meat that had reached someone's mouth. How could he not hate us?" Xuan Miao said. "We are inside Prince Zhou's Mansion now, but once we leave, forget being watched—our lives may well be lost."

Nothing feared cracks more than anything; nothing feared association more than anything.

Xuan Miao was formidable. Pan Yun decided to listen to her.

During this time, she had long noticed that although Xuan Miao spoke little and remained silent whenever she could, her calculations were precise and her plans far-reaching. She was vastly superior to that foolish, simple-minded Tao Ji.

Pan Yun had grown up secluded in the inner quarters. Her understanding of the outside world came solely from her father and brother, and differed greatly from reality. So she decided to listen to Xuan Miao.

Prince Zhou, whom the mansion physician had declared should begin preparing for his final affairs, held on for another two months under Tao Ji's care. Even Zhu Youjue could not help returning to Xiangfu County first.

But few people knew that after two months, Prince Zhou's body was nearing its limit.

Tao Ji seriously discussed matters with Prince Zhou. In the end, he used needles to put him into a deep sleep, preserving his bodily functions until definite news came from the Capital City, when he would wake him again.

Zhao Yuansong ran about the Capital City carrying Prince Zhou's memorial and letters. Yet let alone requesting that Zhu Zijin be invested as Heir, even getting his name entered proved difficult.

From the emperor at the top to the Ministry of Rites officials below, all remembered how crazed Zhu Youxian had been back then in fighting to seize Prince Zhou's title.

The emperor loathed him, while the Ministry of Rites officials and the Imperial Clan Court did not wish to invite trouble.

If they followed Prince Zhou's final wishes now and Zhu Youxian emerged again later to disgust everyone, the emperor would place blame. Prince Zhou would be dead and free of all worries by then, but what would happen to them?

Thus, no one was willing to risk doing this.

Only after other imperial princes and commandery princes wrote letters pleading the case did the Imperial Clan Court relent somewhat, though there were still opponents among them.

Thus, the matter continued to drag on.

Zhao Yuansong knew that if Zhu Zijin was to be invested as Heir, his status as an adopted heir had to be restored first. Only then would it be justified and proper.

He took out the prince's final letter. Gritting his teeth, he still requested an audience with the emperor, intending to personally present this letter to him.

The little emperor grew irritated the moment he saw Prince Zhou's Mansion's chief secretary, and his expression darkened.

Prince Zhou had supposedly been about to die long ago, yet after all these years, he still had not died.

Zhao Yuansong knelt on the ground and wept. "Your Majesty, word has come from Kaifeng Prefecture. The prince has fallen unconscious and cannot wake. The mansion physician says it will happen within these next few days. This is the prince's final letter."

The little emperor looked toward the Imperial Guards at his side, and they quietly withdrew.

A young eunuch took the letter from Zhao Yuansong's hands and offered it to the emperor. As the emperor opened it, he said sympathetically, "Prince Zhou has fallen unconscious again?"

Before long, the Imperial Guards returned and quietly reported into the emperor's ear.

The emperor froze, then became more serious. Frowning, he opened the letter.

Pan Yun had ghostwritten it, while Prince Zhou had copied it out. He had already written one letter at the time, and the handwriting in this second one was even more scrawled and trembling.

The emperor felt stifled after reading it. He asked, "Princess Zhou has no children. Does Prince Zhou cherish Princess Zhou greatly?"

Zhao Yuansong answered, "Yes." He vaguely caught hold of something and hurriedly described how Prince Zhou and Princess Zhou loved one another in daily life, clinging together through hardship like fish sharing the same water.

The emperor said, "Since Prince Zhou and Princess Zhou are so deeply bound in love and righteousness, why is Princess Zhou unwilling to accompany Prince Zhou in Martyrdom Sacrifice?"

Zhao Yuansong's entire body shook. Bowing his head deeply, he said, "Princess Zhou is naturally willing, but Prince Zhou cannot bear it. Moreover, the adopted heir is still young and ignorant and needs Princess Zhou's support, so the prince is even more unwilling for Princess Zhou to be buried with him."

The emperor was moved upon hearing this. He thought of himself, of his father's devotion to his mother, then of his mother's love for him. The fifteen-year-old little emperor finally said, "Since it is Prince Zhou's final wish, let it be handled according to his wishes."

Overjoyed, Zhao Yuansong repeatedly knocked his head against the ground. "Thank you for Your Majesty's boundless grace! Thank you for Your Majesty's boundless grace!"

With the emperor's word, the Ministry of Rites began to act. The deadlocked Imperial Clan Court ceased its arguments as well, and everyone watched Zhu Zijin's name be entered once more under Zhu Youdun and Consort Gong.

With this document from the Imperial Clan Court, Zhao Yuansong seized the opportunity during court to raise the matter of establishing the Heir of Prince Zhou.

For the past two months, the emperor had been thoroughly vexed by them. Since Zhu Zijin's name had already been entered again, when a father died, the son succeeded—it was ordained by heaven and acknowledged by earth. Once the emperor relented, the court agreed.

Taking the opportunity, the Ministry of Rites proposed issuing an edict at the same time exempting Consort Gong and the others from being buried with Prince Zhou.

Someone in the Imperial Clan Court immediately objected. "You speak as though Prince Zhou has died. He is not even dead yet, so why bring up burial sacrifice?"

"Exactly. Martyrdom Sacrifice is an ancestral institution left behind by our forebears. How can it be changed whenever someone says so?"

The emperor frowned. "This is Prince Zhou's final wish. It changes only his household and concerns no other family. If his own family is willing, that is enough."

The ten lucky numbers for this chapter were numbers ending in 9. A screenshot was provided as proof, valid until the next chapter was updated.