Chapter 5: A Visit to Apologize
From the age of tribal civilization, one word has permeated human civilization: gamble.
Just like when the young men of a tribe picked up their spears and stone clubs to surround a giant mammoth, what was on everyone's mind was nothing more than the word 'gamble'.
—I bet it's not me who dies.
—As long as I survive until the mammoth falls, I'll have more meat than I can eat.
It was the same in the era Liu Rong lived in.
And in the feudal era, the 'gamble' with the biggest stakes and the highest returns was nothing more than betting on the Crown Prince.
—As long as I can last until the day my chosen candidate inherits the throne, I will enjoy endless glory and wealth!
With Lu Buwei as a successful precedent, even though the Gui Qi knew that this act was extremely taboo, they still couldn't resist being attracted by the huge returns and were willing to gamble their lives and fortunes on it.
Since it's a gamble, especially one involving one's life, fortune, and family legacy, it's natural to prioritize stability and choose the option with the highest probability.
In the past, the most worthwhile potential stock was undoubtedly Liu Rong, who was the Imperial Eldest Son and had no legitimate brothers blocking his path, making him almost certain to become the Crown Prince.
But after the news spread that 'Guantao Princess came to propose marriage but was sternly rejected by Consort Li,' the 'odds' of this gamble began to show some extremely subtle changes...
"Consort Li is already old and faded, and she's also tyrannical and overbearing, having fallen out of favor with His Majesty;"
"Now, because of the Guantao Princess incident, she has also offended the East Palace Empress Dowager..."
"—It's hard on the Crown Prince~"
"Even if the Crown Prince has the makings of an enlightened ruler, Consort Li is certainly not a suitable choice for a virtuous empress."
"And having lost the support of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince..."
Almost on the very day the rumors began to ferment, the court and the public quickly reached a consensus: regarding betting on the Crown Prince, it was best to wait and see.
Thus, those court officials and Gui Qi who had originally planned to pledge their allegiance to Liu Rong as soon as the national mourning period ended, tacitly ceased their activities.
At the same time, countless gazes from various corners of Changan were cast upon the Crown Prince Liu Rong in the Phoenix Hall of Weiyang Palace.
For a time, Liu Rong seemed to be pushed into the spotlight, every word and action meticulously scrutinized by the entire city of Changan under a magnifying glass.
It was amidst this widespread attention that Liu Rong's figure appeared outside the Eastern Palace wall of Weiyang Palace, in Shangguan Lane, a noble residential area separated from the Imperial Palace by just a wall.
The moment Liu Rong, led by his paternal aunt Liu Piao, stepped into the Tangyi Marquis Residence, the attention of the entire city of Changan was also drawn to this not-so-luxurious Marquis Residence...
...
...
"Why bring things when you visit?"
"Every time it's like this, it makes me, your aunt, too embarrassed to accept them anymore..."
Though Liu Piao said this, her face was beaming with joy, and her gaze never left the sparkling pure silver hairpin crown in front of her for a moment.
Liu Rong had obviously anticipated his paternal aunt's greed and hypocrisy, and he naturally smiled and humored her with a few words, but his heart was bleeding with pain...
In the stereotypical impression of later generations, gold is more valuable than silver, and silver is more valuable than copper;
But in the Han Dynasty where Liu Rong was located—before the Age of Discovery had begun, and before European pirates had dumped large quantities of silver plundered from the Americas into China—silver was a rare commodity much more valuable than pearls or jade.
Thanks to the diligent governance and benevolent rule of the late Tai Zong Emperor Xiaowen: currently in Han, a stone of millet is priced at only sixty coins;
And in the Changan markets, the exchange rate between gold and copper coins is roughly one catty (about 250 grams) of gold for ten thousand four-zhu coins (about 27 kilograms).
As for pearls and beautiful jade, although there is no precise pricing standard, their approximate value range can still be determined based on their quality.
Only silver;
Especially exquisitely crafted silver ornaments, their value is almost whatever the seller asks, you have to pay.
Forget about bargaining—if you don't want to be intercepted with a higher bid, you might not even be able to get it without gritting your teeth and adding thirty to fifty percent!
How could Liu Rong not feel pain to give away such a priceless treasure, a rarity in the world, as an apology?
But since it had already been given, no amount of heartache would help, so he stopped thinking about it and didn't even look at the silver crown again.
"Speaking of this matter, it cannot be entirely blamed on Consort Li."
"After all, the national mourning period had just ended, and His Majesty's imperial couch hadn't even warmed up, yet I was busy scheming about the Crown Princess, which was truly inappropriate."
"In the past, there were also some disagreements with Consort Li;"
"Even if it was to propose marriage, shouldn't I have first resolved Consort Li's knot and reconciled our past grievances?"
Although the words were pleasant, Liu Piao's hands did not delay at all;
—In just a few sentences, the silver crown had already been placed back into the gift box by Liu Piao and taken away by a servant.
Having anticipated Liu Piao's reaction, Liu Rong had no doubts, only exchanging a few polite words like 'it's all my mother's fault' and 'aunt, don't take it to heart'.
He originally thought there would be no other conversation with Liu Piao today and was considering whether to take his leave when he saw Liu Piao mysteriously dismiss the servants, then lean her upper body towards Liu Rong, striking a pose as if to say, 'come closer, I have a secret to tell you'.
Seeing this, Liu Rong naturally had no choice but to lean in obediently, only to hear Liu Piao whisper softly, "I heard that last night, His Majesty stayed in Jiaofang Palace!"
"—Over all these years, the times His Majesty has spent the night with the Empress can be counted on one's fingers."
"In the Crown Prince's opinion, what does His Majesty mean by this...?"
Upon hearing Liu Piao's words, Liu Rong understood what Liu Piao was trying to express.
—My dear nephew~
—Your father, he wants a legitimate son, doesn't he?
—Are you panicking?
—Are you afraid?!
But Liu Rong's attention was drawn to the astonishing methods revealed in Liu Piao's words.
"Something that happened last night, and she could receive the news as soon as the palace gates opened this morning..."
"My paternal aunt, even in my imperial father's palace, actually has such extensive connections?"
Secretly noting this down, Liu Rong seemed to finally finish his 'thinking', and smiled faintly, shaking his head.
"Aunt, you know best whether Imperial Father will have a legitimate son."
"—Ever since Marquis Zhi Bo Zhao had an accident, Grand Empress Dowager Bo has been living in seclusion in Changle, no longer concerning herself with court affairs."
"And it was precisely from that time that Imperial Father never again slept on the same couch with Imperial Mother."
"Even if he occasionally visited, it was mostly out of consideration for Grand Empress Dowager Bo's dignity..."
...
"After the late Emperor passed away, Imperial Father immediately ascended the throne, and Grand Empress Dowager Bo, as the Grand Empress Dowager, immediately gave up Changxin Hall to Royal Grandmother, secluding herself in the deep palace."
"When the late Emperor was alive, Imperial Mother served as the Crown Princess for so many years, backed by the East Palace Empress Dowager, yet still failed to bear any children;"
"Now that Imperial Father has ascended the throne, and the Eastern Palace has changed hands..."
Regarding Liu Rong's theoretical mother, Empress Bo, and the Grand Empress Dowager Bo who lived in seclusion in the deep palace, Liu Rong stopped short and did not make his words too explicit.
But someone as intelligent as Liu Piao clearly understood: Empress Bo had absolutely no chance of giving birth to a royal heir.
From the time Marquis Zhi Bo Zhao was collectively 'cried a living funeral' by the court officials and Bai Guan, eventually losing heart and committing suicide in front of the mourning hall personally set up by the late Emperor, this woman, also from the Bo clan, no longer had the possibility of bearing descendants for the imperial family.
Currently, Grand Empress Dowager Bo's seclusion in the deep palace can still ensure her grandniece's position as Empress is secure;
Once this Grand Empress Dowager passes away, Empress Bo, let alone bearing offspring, even whether she can continue to live in Jiaofang Palace will be a big question mark.
As for Liu Piao's intentions, they naturally did not escape the Crown Prince's discerning eye.
—Liu Piao had clearly given up on Liu Rong as a son-in-law and had thoughts of supporting someone else as the Crown Prince, yet she still wanted to use the carrot of the Crown Prince to string along Liu Rong, this 'stupid donkey', to make Liu Rong grind a few more rounds for her.
Understanding this, and knowing that he had become a 'resentful person with only exploitable benefits left' in Liu Piao's eyes, Liu Rong did not stay any longer and immediately rose to take his leave.
His visit today was originally to apologize and clean up the mess his foolish mother had made.
He had not expected to reconcile with Liu Piao, so maintaining a semblance of friendliness on the surface was already a goal achieved for Liu Rong.
However, Liu Piao, seeing that Liu Rong wasn't falling for it, still unwilling to give up, mentioned, "The King of Liang's Crown Prince is also about the age for marriage;"
"If A Jiao can't be the Imperial Crown Princess, then being a Royal Crown Princess shouldn't be too bad, should it?"
Unexpectedly, at Liu Piao's words, Liu Rong's expression immediately changed drastically!
Fortunately, he had already stepped towards the mansion gate, his back to Liu Piao, so Liu Piao didn't see his loss of composure;
"Aunt, stay here..."
Adjusting his expression, he turned back to bid farewell again, then Liu Rong walked quickly towards the outside of the residence without stopping.
Watching Liu Rong's departing back, Liu Piao only stomped her foot unwillingly, then secretly pondered the feasibility of doing so.
"King of Liang's Crown Prince..."
"Royal Crown Princess..."