Chapter 237

C237 – Incident

“Disobedient child! Disobedient child!” King of South Jin vented his fury by overturning everything in the study. A line of quivering eunuchs knelt, enduring his wrath.

“Soldiers!” King of South Jin bellowed. The guards outside promptly entered, paying no heed to the disorder on the floor as they knelt. “What are the king’s commands?”

“Convey my orders and summon the Crown Princess to the palace! Also, fetch State Duke Ann and Yueyang Marquis. I intend to inquire who empowered the Crown Prince to clandestinely mobilize ten thousand soldiers. Where did he find the audacity?”

The guard remained silent, retreating after receiving the directive, leaving behind a group of eunuchs on the verge of tears.

Since the King’s hour-long seclusion in the Imperial Reading Room this morning, his rage had persisted. Not only had he laid waste to the entire study, but he also dispatched two insignificant eunuchs who displeased him. The identity of the disloyal son remained unknown.

The First Prince had maintained a low profile for years, confined to the ancestral temple in prayers for the nation’s prosperity. Permission for his return hadn’t been granted, and there was still no trace of the Third Prince, as if he vanished into thin air.

Apart from the Crown Prince, the others seemed inconsequential, overshadowed by his aura. Under the protection of the Crown Prince’s influence, the other princes appeared feeble and inept.

Hence, the only individual capable of provoking such wrath from the king was likely the Crown Prince.

Yet, the nature of the Crown Prince’s transgression remained a mystery, leaving the old eunuch, who had served the King for decades, baffled. The last time he witnessed such fury was when the King discovered Madam Ying’s infidelity.

When Tang Yue received the imperial decree, he was at home preparing the next batch of herbs for purchase.

For the past five years, he had been accumulating medicinal herbs for treatments and remedies. Those with short shelf lives were recycled or converted into plasters and oils. Today, half of their storehouses were filled with medicinal stock.

However, these supplies were fast depleting, and considering the soldiers’ consumption rate, his stockpile was insufficient.

“Young master, the king has summoned you to the palace,” the steward informed.

“Understood. Who brought the message?” inquired the steward.

“It was Imperial Censor Miao. I inquired about it. Rumor has it that the Great King erupted in the Imperial Reading Room, apparently due to an issue involving His Highness.”

“Ah, the time draws near. What must come will come,” Tang Yue thought, mentally prepared, yet uncertain how to confront the enraged King of South Jin.

Even as he readied himself, he harbored doubts about emerging from the Palace unscathed.

Handing his written list to the butler, he instructed him to deliver it to the manager of Huian Hall before changing attire and proceeding into the Palace.

At the Palace entrance, he encountered State Duke Ann and his father, Yueyang Marquis. In their silent exchange, they tacitly acknowledged the situation.

“Let me handle this. Both of you, remain silent,” Tang Yue asserted.

“Yet, wars require manpower and weaponry. The Crown Prince lacked both. How could he emerge victorious? After much deliberation, he conceived a novel approach to train an elite force.

“Had he proposed this plan in court, Your Majesty, you might have been the first to oppose it. Moreover, he harbored doubts about its feasibility. He merely wished to test his theory.

“Hence, the Crown Prince sought the cooperation of select families from the State Duke’s Mansion and the Marquis Ducal Palaces to loan soldiers from their estates for training, aiming to validate his strategy.”

He assembled this group and tirelessly trained them, instructing in military formations and the utilization of new weaponry. Only witnessing their daily advancement bolstered his confidence.”

“Enough! I don’t buy a single word of your tale. How could I remain ignorant of the ethical standing of a prefectural soldier? If the Crown Prince truly honed them into elite troops, why didn’t he inform me beforehand, choosing instead to clandestinely bring them to Qinyang City?”

Tang Yue sighed, persisting in his deception, “You may not be aware, but the Crown Prince is a man of great dignity. If this endeavor had succeeded, all would be well, but if it failed, he would answer to you. Isn’t that a blow to his own reputation?”

Therefore, for the sake of caution, His Highness deliberately kept this operation concealed from the public, awaiting its success before unveiling the cavalry to the world. Firstly, for his own prestige, and secondly, to deal a decisive blow to North Yue.

If this force were prematurely exposed, North Yue would undoubtedly receive wind of it, preparing countermeasures in advance, thus severely compromising the cavalry’s effectiveness.

“You’re quite adept at sophistry. By your logic, not only are the Crown Prince’s actions not condemnable, but he deserves commendation?”

“I wouldn’t dare to claim as such. His Highness is a scion of South Jin and the Crown Prince of our nation. It is his duty to repel formidable adversaries. Presently, he is solely dedicated to fulfilling his duty. No reward is necessary.”

“Hah, his duty entails mustering his private soldiers against such adversaries? Who granted him that authority? Who instilled such audacity?” The King of South Jin bellowed furiously.

Tang Yue composed himself and continued, “Your Majesty, I find your words disagreeable. Had the Crown Prince sought your approval beforehand, would you have consented to recruit ten thousand soldiers for the training of heavily armored troops?”

The King of South Jin shook his head. He wouldn’t have entertained such a brash request. Ten thousand soldiers and three elite troops—how could he permit them to be under the Crown Prince’s command?

“Heavily armored troops? Was this also the Crown Prince’s scheme? How did he armor the warhorses? Where did he procure so many arms and armor? Could it be... the Crown Prince not only covertly assembled elite troops but also clandestinely forged arms and armor?”

The King of South Jin’s ire began to subside slightly. Tang Yue blinked innocently, “You misunderstand. Even if His Highness desired to construct them, he lacked the funds. These arms and armor were provided by me.”

“You?” The King of South Jin was stunned. Outfitting ten thousand soldiers with top-tier equipment would have entailed considerable expenditure. Tang Yue had actually provided them free of charge?

“Indeed. Given my ample dowry, they were of no use to me. Thus, I commissioned arms and armor for the soldiers of various prefectures, contributing to the nation.” Tang Yue spoke with righteous fervor, though the King of South Jin remained skeptical.

Ultimately, every utterance from Tang Yue aimed to absolve the Crown Prince of blame.

The King of South Jin seethed with fury. He felt manipulated by the collusion of others, kept in the dark about such a significant matter. If they dared to conceal this today, what other audacious deeds might they undertake in the future?

“Men, escort the Crown Princess to the Jade Glow Hall. Without my explicit consent, she is not to set foot outside the palace!”

At the King of South Jin’s decree, State Duke Ann and Marquis Yueyang could no longer maintain their silence.