Chapter Twenty-One: The Pretentious Young Master Shen
“Father, the Crown Prince did not mean any harm,” Li Qingyao quickly pleaded upon seeing the situation.
“Silence! Let him speak!” Emperor Xuande was truly furious.
The Crown Prince’s usual mischievousness was one thing, but now, he had watched passively as his sister was unfairly treated by the ministers without uttering a single word. Instead, he had distracted himself with poetry in the court.
As both a brother and the Crown Prince, he was utterly unfit for his role.
But the Crown Prince paid no heed. Immediately, he recited four poems.
Perhaps because they were so stunning, the entire court fell into a hushed silence. Even Li Qingyao, who wanted to intervene, couldn’t help but widen her eyes in surprise.
Who was this person who could elevate plum blossoms and snow to such heights?
Even the enraged Emperor Xuande was silent for a moment, taking several breaths before emerging from the exquisite beauty of the poems.
Duke Yang quickly spoke up: “Your Majesty, congratulations on possessing these four magnificent poems. The author could rightly be called a Sage of Poetry.”
“Since Your Majesty’s ascension, literary giants have frequently emerged, proving that under Your Majesty’s reign, the capital thrives, and the nation enjoys peace and prosperity.”
“It is only natural that the Crown Prince would be captivated by such poetry.”
“Even this old minister was enchanted upon first hearing these four poems, unable to pull himself away.”
Emperor Xuande’s expression softened considerably before he asked, “Crown Prince, who is the grand scholar behind these four poems?”
The Crown Prince hurriedly replied, “Father, I do not know the exact identity. It is said many talented individuals refer to him as Master Shen.”
“Master Shen, the aesthete.”
“I simply hoped to make the acquaintance of a genius from our great capital, which distracted me just now. I beg your forgiveness, Father.”
Emperor Xuande stared at the Crown Prince for a long time.
The Crown Prince broke out in a cold sweat.
The other civil officials dared not utter a word, clearly aware the Emperor was still angry. Speaking now would invite trouble.
“Such a talent would be of no harm to know,” the Emperor finally said.
The Crown Prince’s expression relaxed, a hint of joy appearing on his face, only to hear Emperor Xuande continue, “Since you are so fond of poetry, copy those four poems a thousand times.”
“If you fail to finish, no dinner for you tonight.”
“Qingyao, stay behind.”
“Dismiss the court!”
The Crown Prince frowned, frozen in place. He had thought his father’s anger had subsided, but it seemed punishment was still in store.
The other ministers, seeing the Emperor’s wrath, dared not cause further trouble and quickly departed.
Several senior officials exchanged helpless glances upon seeing the Crown Prince’s predicament.
---
In the imperial harem, at the Phoenix Harmony Hall:
Emperor Xuande asked, “Qingyao, is that aesthete Master Shen the same Shen Hao who proposed the disaster relief plan?”
Li Qingyao shook her head. “Father, I am not certain. I have already sent someone to investigate.”
“It is unlikely that two great talents surnamed Shen appeared simultaneously. Most likely, it was Shen Hao’s work.”
“Very well, very well. I had no idea he possessed such poetic talent,” Emperor Xuande mused, which was why he had kept Li Qingyao behind.
At present, only the two of them knew Shen Hao’s name.
Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan repeatedly read the four poems aloud, clearly pleased.
To elevate plum blossoms and snow to such a level was worthy of the title Sage of Poetry.
Soon, the servant who had conducted the investigation returned.
When Li Qingyao learned it was indeed Shen Hao’s work, a pleased expression crossed her face.
She had seen through him—Shen Hao was truly a man of great talent.
However, upon hearing that these four poems had been composed for a courtesan, her expression immediately darkened, and she returned to the Phoenix Harmony Hall in a huff.
“What is it, Qingyao?” Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan asked, noticing her daughter’s mood.
Li Qingyao recounted all the information she had just learned.
The good news: the author was confirmed to be Shen Hao.
The bad news: Shen Hao was sending these poems to a brothel as a token of his refinement, hence the title “Master Shen, the aesthete.”
Empress Dowager Xiaoyuan’s expression twisted oddly.
The four poems had once seemed pure and elegant in her mind, but now they were sullied by the earthly and vulgar, a jarring contrast.
“An interesting fellow,” Emperor Xuande chuckled. “Such fine poems wasted on a brothel.”
“Father, I will go back immediately and give him a stern lesson. Such talent should not be squandered on that kind of woman!”
Li Qingyao couldn’t bring herself to smile, her anger barely contained.
Is that how you use your talent?
Emperor Xuande stopped her. “No need. A talented rake is still a talented man. As long as he is not a pedantic scholar, we need not bind him.”
“You should focus instead on how to keep him here, so that those ministers do not snatch him away.”
Hearing this, Li Qingyao grew even more irritated.
Those ministers were shameless, openly attempting to poach him.
No, they must never discover that Shen Hao was the man behind the disaster relief strategy.
Otherwise—
A man both talented and capable of action like Shen Hao would be snatched up by the civil official faction by any means.
If Shen Hao were turned into a pedantic scholar, he would become one of the most formidable enemies the generals could face.
“Father, Mother, I shall take my leave,” Li Qingyao said, rising to depart.
---
Outside the palace:
Li Qingyao had barely stepped out when she was stopped by someone.
It was Duke Yi, who had lingered since court.
As one of the founding elders of the regime change, Duke Yi’s status was supreme.
Yet here he was, waiting outside the palace for Li Qingyao for half an hour.
“Duke Yi, why didn’t you have someone notify me?” Li Qingyao quickly disembarked and hurried over.
“Greetings, Princess,” Duke Yi smiled warmly.
Li Qingyao hurriedly said, “You honor me, Old Duke. You were my grandfather’s sworn brother and helped found the Great Capital Dynasty.”
“And you usually call me Qingyao. Today, addressing me this way feels strange.”
“Just call me Qingyao.”
Duke Yi laughed heartily. “Qingyao, you always think of the border soldiers. You deserve my respect.”
“As for why I waited, I wanted to meet the great talent who has been advising you.”
“First, his disaster relief plan saved tens of thousands of taels of silver in military funds. I must thank him in person.”
“Second, I want to hear this young man’s views on civil officials and generals.”
“If such a talent favors the civil officials over the military, then generals may never see their day of glory. Alas.”
Li Qingyao pondered his words.
Indeed, she was curious about Shen Hao’s stance on civil and military officials.
If he favored the civil faction, then it would be unwise to promote him too quickly.
---
At the residence of the Princess:
“Your Highness,” Shen Hao bowed slightly before Li Qingyao and the elderly man beside her.
Duke Yi was somewhat surprised that Shen Hao did not perform a grander salute.
But seeing the Princess say nothing, he let it pass.
“This is Duke Yi,” Li Qingyao introduced.
“Greetings, Duke Yi,” Shen Hao responded with a scholar’s courtesy.
“Hmm, a man of talent, just a bit thin,” Duke Yi observed approvingly.
“Today, Duke Yi wished to meet you and thank you for devising such an excellent disaster relief strategy that saved the northern troops tens of thousands of taels of silver,” Li Qingyao explained calmly, outlining Duke Yi’s purpose.
Shen Hao was somewhat bewildered.
Disaster relief strategy? He had indeed drafted something, but hadn’t the Princess only asked him to do it as a formality?
Could such a simple plan really save tens of thousands of taels?
If a basic method could save so much, how backward must the previous dynasty’s relief strategies have been?
Despite his surprise, Shen Hao showed no sign of it on his face.
Instead, he said calmly, “Duke Yi, you flatter me. Princess Qingyao has been kind to me. I am only doing my utmost to fulfill her instructions.”
“Moreover, without the Princess elevating the disaster relief method to the throne, no matter what method I had, it would have been powerless.”
“As for the results, they were more of a fortunate accident.”
Li Qingyao felt quite pleased by Shen Hao’s gentle flattery, her gaze upon him growing considerably warmer.
Duke Yi, a straightforward man, chatted briefly before getting to the point.
“Shen Hao, what is your view on civil officials and generals?”
“Do you think civil officials are more important, or generals?”