The competition was merely a pretext; Emperor Changwu's true intention was to showcase Gu Yanchen before several noble ladies.
Gu Yanchen's performance pleased Emperor Changwu greatly. Observing the expressions of the four ladies, he found himself glancing at Zhao Siyue more often. The Prime Minister's daughter, with a good family background, but her disposition seemed a tad too direct.
After announcing the competition results, Emperor Changwu bestowed upon Gu Yanchen a jade cabbage as large as a baby's arm. Gu Yanchen, who had been on the verge of a frown due to the tedious competition, instantly perked up. If the prizes were always this generous, he could endure five hundred more matches. Though imperial gifts couldn't be sold, this cabbage was so large and lustrous; even if it couldn't be sold, it could be kept as a family heirloom.
Thus, Gu Yanchen, clutching the jade cabbage, happily left the palace.
As for the furtive glances Zhao Siyue secretly sent his way, he didn't notice them at all.
Lu Nianfu also took a liking to the cabbage, her fingers caressing its glistening green leaves with affection. "This cabbage must be worth a fortune, right? His Majesty is truly generous."
Gu Yanchen scoffed, "Look at you, so easily impressed. The palace is filled with treasures; what's a single cabbage to His Majesty?"
"Hmph, wasn't it you who told me yesterday that the treasury was severely depleted due to years of warfare, and His Majesty was even leading by example in practicing frugality?"
"Exactly, have you ever seen an emperor who eats only eight dishes for a meal?"
"Then His Majesty is indeed too generous to you." Lu Nianfu's inner strategist emerged. "As the saying goes, 'Unsolicited kindness often conceals ulterior motives.' What does His Majesty want from you?"
Gu Yanchen pondered, "Could it be that he wants me to guard Jiangnan again? Speaking of which, Fu Chuan has been in Yangzhou for a month now. Could he have suffered a defeat as well?"
"Changing generals every few days, it would be strange not to lose battles. What does the military treatise say? This is called shaking the morale of the troops."
Gu Yanchen chuckled and pinched her nose. "My dear wife, you speak the truth. Perhaps when His Majesty truly brings this matter up, I must have a good talk with him. Such actions that shake the morale of the troops are unacceptable."
Alas, he waited and waited, but the imperial decree to send him to Jiangnan never arrived.
Instead, a memorial from the Minister of Justice reached the court.
The mutiny in Yangzhou finally had a conclusion. As the morning court began the next day, Emperor Changwu tossed a memorial onto the hall, gesturing for the officials to read it themselves. These were all seasoned veterans, honed to a fine edge; after reading it, they remained impassive, not even a twitch of their eyebrows.
Gu Yanchen was different. When the memorial reached him, he scanned it with a glance, almost exclaiming aloud.
In this mutiny, the protagonist responsible for the excessive actions leading to bloodshed was no longer Situ Jue, but the Sixth Prince, Situ Lang.
Attached to the memorial was Situ Lang's signed confession, which was explicit and filled with sincere remorse. Had it not been for his trusted confidantes bringing him the truth, Gu Yanchen might have actually believed it.
For a moment, he was unsure whether to praise Situ Lang for his brotherly affection or curse Situ Jue for his depravity in pushing his brother forward as a scapegoat.
After the memorial had been circulated, Emperor Changwu rapped his desk. "What are the opinions of my esteemed officials regarding this case?"
The Marquis of Qiying's mansion was the first to express its agreement, but how could the Duke of Cao's mansion allow them to have their way? This was no minor offense. If it were attributed to Situ Jue, the Crown Prince would be essentially assured of his succession. But if it fell upon Situ Lang, how much damage would it truly inflict on Situ Jue?
Thus, the two factions clashed fiercely once more in the imperial court.
Emperor Changwu had already learned the truth from his secret guards, and his disappointment in Situ Jue reached its peak. The Sixth Prince had always followed the Fifth Prince, contributing greatly over the years, yet the Fifth Prince could discard him so readily. How could this not be disheartening?
Such selfishness, and yet he dared to covet that position. If his wish were granted, Emperor Changwu dared not imagine what would become of this vast empire. Furthermore, if he treated the Sixth Prince so heartlessly, what good end could the other princes expect?
The Marquis of Qiying, holding Situ Lang's confession, argued with full confidence. In contrast, the Crown Prince's faction, led by the Duke of Cao's mansion, was caught completely off guard and could only resort to baseless arguments. After an hour of heated debate, the Consort's faction emerged victorious. Emperor Changwu watched with a cold gaze and ordered Situ Lang to be escorted to the capital and guard the imperial mausoleum for five years as atonement.
This would also give him ample time to reflect on what he had been loyal to all these years. Simultaneously, he issued an edict admonishing Situ Jue, ordering him back to the capital for reflection. As the commander, failing in battle was one thing, but not even being able to control his own men was another. Even if the fault lay with Situ Lang, he could not escape responsibility.
The position of Commander was given to Fu Chuan, who had also gone to Jiangnan.
Thus, the Duke of Cao was content. Since Situ Jue could not be definitively implicated, there was no point in relentlessly pursuing the unfortunate Situ Lang. Moreover, with this incident, unless Situ Lang was foolish, he would never again assist Situ Jue. It was therefore unnecessary to kill him.
Perhaps keeping him alive could create another enemy for Situ Jue.