"The court’s Spy Bureau and various family spies have spent considerable resources looking for this young lord over the years, but none have been successful. Hiding one person among three hundred thousand others is truly like finding a needle in a haystack."
"Indeed, a few years ago, there were rumors that the young lord of the Earl of North Border’s family had died, possibly from an illness or perhaps killed in a conflict with the Desert Barbarians. This meant that the Earl of North Border’s family line would be severed. Furthermore, the fact that my sister-in-law, the Princess, has clearly begun managing affairs in recent years only deepened the speculation from all sides that the young lord was dead. With no male heir in the household, it fell to the women to hold things together."
"So, this time, the young lord has reappeared?"
"It hasn’t been officially announced, but the spies various families have in the Earl of North Border’s residence have received word that the young lord has indeed appeared."
"Do you know what this means?"
"It means the three hundred thousand strong North Border Army now has a young master, and the Earl of North Border’s house has an heir."
"Yes, it’s like the principle that the Crown Prince is the foundation of the state. No matter how great the enterprise, without an heir, people’s hearts cannot be united. Because following someone without a future leads to uncertainty and confusion."
"The great clans and aristocratic families originally thought that with the Earl of North Border himself still in the capital, whatever the North Border Army did would merely be posturing. Now, they are completely panicked."
"With the young lord’s appearance, regardless of whether the Earl of North Border is alive or dead in the capital, the three hundred thousand strong North Border Army has someone to follow. If the young lord gives the order, it’s not impossible for the North Border Army to march on the capital and seize the throne, don’t you think?"
"Who knows how excited those soldiers will be? This is... supporting a new dragon—no, it’s the merit of founding a new dynasty."
"So, how will those great clans respond?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
"Conferring the title of King."
The Sixth Prince bit out these two words.
According to the ancestral laws of Yan, enfeoffment for those of non-imperial blood stops at Marquis. Only an imperial prince can be made a King.
"The great clans are truly terrified. They fear that if war breaks out, the entire Yan State will become a battlefield, and they’ll be forced to choose sides. They don’t want to gamble, nor do they dare to. Maintaining stability is what they desire most."
"This conferment of kingship... they won’t limit it to just one person, will they?"
"Didn’t my letter already tell you that Jin State and Qian State are already stirring things up, asserting that Lord Jingnan is now Prince Jingnan? Do you think that’s just baseless rumor?"
"So, it turns out there’s no smoke without fire."
"Tsk, another witty saying. A bit too common, perhaps?"
"The great clans’ idea is for my father to confer the title of Lord North upon the Earl of North Border, allowing him to continue guarding the northern frontier for Yan for generations. Simultaneously, to maintain balance, they propose enfeoffing Lord Jingnan as Prince Jingnan, responsible for guarding the southern frontier. Furthermore, they propose adding ’hereditary and perpetual’ to Prince Jingnan’s title."
Previously, "Lord Jingnan" sounded like a noble title, but it was, in fact, more akin to an official post—managing the Jingnan Army in the southern frontier on behalf of the Yan Emperor. If he is made a King and granted the ’hereditary and perpetual’ status, it would mean his position is solidified, allowing him to establish his own administration and court.
"Is the Tian Family also involved in this?"
"Although the Tian Family isn’t one of the Four Great Clans, the most powerful in Yan, they are certainly a prominent force following them. They are considered among the major clans. What do you think?"
"Moreover, a King’s title—a hereditary and perpetual King’s title! Even though the Tian Family are currently imperial in-laws, that status is not destined to last. They might manage for a few more years after my Second Prince ascends the throne, but what happens when my Second Prince’s child succeeds him?"
"A King’s title, hereditary and perpetual... Honestly, if I were the old master of the Tian Family, I wouldn’t be able to resist either."
"This way, the country would effectively be partitioned, wouldn’t it?"
"Your perspective on this is indeed far-sighted."
Yan State, possessing the most formidable iron cavalry among the four great eastern nations, has suppressed the Desert Barbarians for a century. Yet, due to internal politics among the great clans, the Yan Emperor has been unable to launch a war of unification south against either Qian State or Jin State.
If Kings are indeed enfeoffed in both the north and south, imperial power will undoubtedly be further weakened. The current Yan Emperor has been working to consolidate power since his accession, but it seems the more he tries, the more it slips away, almost reverting his efforts.
"How has your father been recently?"
"Do you want the truth or a fabrication?"
"Let’s hear the truth first."
"He’s furious. In the Imperial Study, he’s had over a dozen erring eunuchs and palace maids beaten to death. He hasn’t held court for ten days. And these past few nights, he’s been staying with several ’Beauties’ he hadn’t touched before."
Here, ’Beauties’ refers to a rank among female court officials.
"And the fabrication?"
"The fabrication is just my personal take. Those ’Beauties’ were presented to the palace a few years ago. It was said that since the Qian Emperor had the three daughters of Lady Yang, how could our great Yan Emperor fall behind?"
"Are they also from Xiahang?"
"Precisely. From Xiahang."
"Go on, let’s hear your personal take."
"I, on the other hand, suspect Father has been laboring so diligently these days because he wants to produce a few younger siblings for me who carry half-Qian blood. Heh, a personal take, naturally, is a fabrication."
As his words fell, the Sixth Prince and Zheng Fan exchanged a glance, smiles touching the corners of their lips.
"The Tian Family has an exceptionally lavish manor outside the capital. It’s said that six months ago, my father promised Her Majesty the Empress that she would be permitted to visit her maternal family after her birthday. The Tian Family then intentionally demolished their old residence and rebuilt it into a grand ’Visitation Garden’ for her."
"It boasts mountains and water features, pavilions, and terraces. Even in winter, the grass grows, and orioles fly—a scene of overwhelming beauty, in no way inferior to the West Garden where the Earl of North Border currently resides, which was originally built with assistance from the Qian people."