Chapter 202 The Crown Prince

Chapter 202

The Crown Prince

Although Jun Wang was once the Mu family’s sole hope, after being poisoned and left physically weakened, he could no longer serve as the family’s pillar. The leaders of the Mu family had to find a new choice, and that choice was Kang Wang. The Mu family had always adhered to one principle: those who could benefit the family were of utmost importance and would receive full support. Conversely, when someone lost their usefulness, they would no longer be regarded. Such was the reality of the world, a harsh truth that every descendant of the Mu family understood.

Jun Wang had several children, but the hope of supporting one of his heirs to ascend the throne was slim. Not to mention the numerous princes who were not born to the Empress or other first-tier consorts. The elders of the Mu family were unwilling to risk their resources on such a faint hope. At least Kang Wang was connected to their esteemed granddaughter, Mu Rongying. Even though she appeared to have severed ties with the Mu family in the eyes of others, they believed she had not completely broken off from them. Having a strong ally she knew well, such as her original family, was a far more secure guarantee than relying on support from other factions.

The events between Rui Wang and Jun Wang caused the Emperor much grief, and his health deteriorated as a result. An Le knew well how her father felt, so she visited him daily to ease his mind. Now that she was pregnant, it brought him some comfort. The Emperor would listened to his daughter speak about how the baby moved in her womb each day, and when it was due date, he would have a new grandchild.

Now, the Emperor realized that he was growing older. It was time to relinquish some of the power he held. One beloved son had been exiled, never to be seen again, and the other was gravely ill from poison. Mu Guifei was in charge of the investigation into the poisoning, and she used the opportunity to relentlessly pursue the Empress. Jun Wang, her intelligent son, had been reduced to such a pitiful state, and no mother could accept such a fate. Despite the overwhelming evidence against her, the Empress argued that Mu Zhao Yi, being from the Mu family, would never have followed her orders. As a result, the Empress received only a light punishment. Mu Zhao Yi, however, was forced to drink poison—a final act of mercy granted by Mu Guifei.

At this time, the border was calm. General Song had established a strong foundation during his years of service, setting firm regulations in place. Despite his military victories, Song Qilin never sought personal recognition for his achievements. The Emperor, knowing that General Song now had a family, decided it was time for him to return home. He issued a royal decree appointing him as the guardian General of the capital, allowing him to reside in the city.

As people age, it’s natural for feelings of loneliness to surface, and the Emperor was no exception. He often thought of his distant son, Kang Wang, in Huangjing City. Kang Wang was not one to compete with others, and the thought of him brought the Emperor comfort. Looking around the royal palace, there was no one else as capable and suited for leadership. For the sake of stability of the region and to prevent any unforeseen conflicts, the Emperor decided to appoint Kang Wang as Crown Prince. The royal decree was announced in the throne room and sent to Kang Wang in Huangjing.

With this decision, Kang Wang could no longer remain in Huangjing. He had to return to the capital to attend his official appointment ceremony and would thereafter reside in the Eastern Palace. Local officials and townspeople were overjoyed upon hearing the news, believing that Kang Wang was truly blessed with great fortune. Yet, at the same time, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of sadness. For years, Nan Fang province had enjoyed peace and prosperity, and Huangjing had become the wealthiest central city in the southern part of region. The royal court would soon have to appoint another official to govern this prosperous land.

During this time, Nie Ying gave birth to a daughter, bringing immense joy to Kang Wang, who had longed for a daughter. Upon seeing the beautiful baby, who resembled her mother, he was instantly smitten and named her Ye Rongji. Not wanting to leave his wife and newborn behind, Kang Wang postponed their departure until both mother and child were healthy and strong enough for travel.

Kang Wang and Nie Ying held a farewell banquet, attended by local officials, merchants, and scholars from the academy. The gathering was grand, as many lamented the departure of Kang Wang. The only thing left that would remind people of his presence was the Xiangyun Tea House, a place of memories where he had once visited, both to taste tea during product launches and while reviewing petitions in the afternoon. The tea house, now a family symbol of Kang Wang’s princess consort, had become an iconic part of Huangjing City.

Now Taizi Fei[1], Nie Ying had to relinquish her responsibilities over the tea house to Manager Wang. Fortunately, by this time, the tea house was staffed with skilled new personnel. Wang Dongpo followed the Lady Boss’s advice and trained trustworthy individuals to handle various important duties, allowing him to simply oversee operations without feeling overwhelmed. The Shen Nong Protection Agency, managed by Yan Zhan, also ran smoothly.

Before Nie Ying departed for the capital with Kang Wang, she asked Chunmei,

"Do you wish to stay here with your brother in Huangjing, or will you follow me to the capital? Once we leave, we may not return."

"Wherever you go, I go, Miss. Since childhood, we have never been apart. Now that you are Taizi Fei, living in the inner palace, how could I abandon you?"

Though Chunmei responded without hesitation, others could see sadness in her eyes.

"Chunmei, I see you as my sister. If you do not wish to follow me, I will not force you. We have shared both joy and hardship, but all feasts must come to an end. While I wish to spend every day with you as we always have, life paths inevitably diverge. I want you to choose what is truly best for you."

Hearing this, Chunmei began to cry, feeling torn inside.

In truth, since their return from the capital last time, Wang Dongpo’s behavior had been different. She didn’t know what had happened, but he no longer joked with her as before, and the warmth in his eyes seemed to have disappeared. Most notably, he had stopped calling her A’You.

At first, Chunmei thought he was merely troubled by something, but whenever she tried to speak with him, he appeared uncomfortable. She didn’t know who to talk to about this matter, so she kept it to herself.

Perhaps her third brother no longer needed her, even though she had hoped to remain his little sister forever...

She didn’t discuss her decision about entering the palace with Wang Dongpo. After spending three days reflecting, Chunmei finally informed her mistress,

"Miss, I have made up my mind. No matter what, I will follow you for the rest of my life."

Nie Ying let out a deep sigh and began to cry, startling Chunmei.

"I asked you that question, and it made my heart sink. I don’t want to part from you, but I couldn’t bring myself to force you to leave your brother. Now that this is your decision, I’m truly happy. Honestly, going into a place like the inner palace, if I didn’t have you by my side to help me think things through, I’d be terrified. Chunmei, since you’ve decided to stay with me, I promise no one will ever dare to bully you."

The two women embraced each other in tears. For Nie Ying, they were tears of joy, but for Chunmei, they were tears of longing for someone else.

At the Yong An Hou Manor, there was great excitement. Princess An Le had given birth to two little ladies. The Emperor was so overjoyed that he personally named them and even sent experienced wet nurses and Gugu to help with their care. However, now that she had her long-desired twins, Princess An Le seemed to have abandoned any thoughts of having more twins. She thought to herself that if she ever saw Sister Nie again, she would surely complain—why didn’t Sister Nie warn her how exhausting it would be to raise the children?

On Nie Shuang’s side, she successfully opened a branch of Xiangyun Tea House in Hubei City the following year. She spent the half-year she was there training Qing De and Yu Zhen until they became highly capable. When the time came to return to the capital at the end of the year, Song Qilin received the news that the Emperor had appointed him as the guardian General of the capital, meaning he no longer had to be stationed at the border. He thought his wife would be overjoyed, but instead, she told him:

"Wherever you are, it’s all the same to me. Even if I have to follow you to the border, I don’t feel troubled at all. In fact, the children and I enjoy traveling. To be honest, the kids like Hubei quite a bit. They’ll probably miss the long journeys we used to take each year."

Hearing his wife’s response, Song Qilin felt warmth in his heart and hugged her as he said,

"If you and the children enjoy it, when I have time, I’ll take you all on trips every year, how does that sound? That way, you can visit the business here more often as well."

Naturally, Nie Shuang was more than pleased with this plan and praised her husband.

"Come to think of it, the older triplets are growing up. It’ll be good to return to the capital so we can start planning their education. Didn’t you say the Emperor wanted them to study with the princes?"

"Mm, but I don’t think there are any princes of a similar age. The Emperor is quite advanced in years now, and there haven’t been any new princes born in the last few years. There are only the young Wangs. Kang Wang and the Princess Consort are returning to the capital for his appointment as Crown Prince. It’s possible that the twins might end up studying with Young Wang Tianpeng."

Hearing this, Nie Shuang was delighted. She was especially happy to know that she would soon reunite with Nie Ying and began to plan how they could discuss their daughters’ education. Nie Shuang was determined to train her daughters to be just as capable as any man. Seeing the sparkle in his wife’s eyes and her smile, Song Qilin couldn’t help but ask,

"Shuang Shuang, what are you planning? Can you tell me?"

"Of course, I’m thinking of creating my successor."

She replied with a smile. Song Qilin, already guessing her thoughts, glanced lovingly at their two daughters."The next Lady Boss, is it? They will surely learn a lot from you."

[1] Taizi Fei means the title of the crown princess of imperial China; the primary wife of the crown prince.