"You may withdraw for now."
Although the Eldest Prince was seething with frustration, he understood full well the importance of General Wei Yuan's continued support. No matter how irritated he felt, this was not the time to sever ties. After dismissing his strategist, he turned back with furrowed brows and fixed General Wei Yuan with a heavy gaze.
"What exactly did you mean by that earlier, General?"
"I meant nothing of consequence."
Wei Yuan's face was taut with restraint. Though he tried to hold it in, his temper simmered just beneath the surface. For a moment, neither spoke. The silence stretched, thick and stifling.
Just as the Eldest Prince's patience was about to fray, Wei Yuan suddenly muttered in a low, suppressed voice.
"My wife cried yesterday."
The Eldest Prince blinked.
"What? Your wife cried… and that gives you the right to storm about and make a spectacle in front of this Prince?"
"She cried after reading the latest issue of the Capital Weekly."
Unaware of the Eldest Prince's rising irritation, Wei Yuan pressed on, his tone steady but earnest.
"At first, I had no idea what had upset her. I was even preparing to storm off to confront the Crown Princess for supposedly stirring up trouble. But my wife stopped me.
She said she was crying from joy. Not sorrow, but joy mixed with regret. Regret that no one like the Crown Princess had existed in her youth, someone who would stand and speak for women like her.
The world often says she has a wild temper. If not for marrying me, they say she might never have found a husband in this life. But they do not know—she was forced into becoming that way.
Though she was the legitimate daughter of a minor noble family, her mother had no sons. Her father and grandmother doted only on males and showed nothing but disdain for daughters.
As a result, my wife and her mother lived in constant hardship. Even a concubine, having borne a son, dared to rise above them and throw her weight around as if she ruled the household.
In such a home, if a woman did not harden her will, she would be trampled into dust.
Ever since she was a child, she longed to be born a man. As a man, she could have studied, entered court, and brought pride to her mother.
But yesterday, for the first time, she realized—she never needed to be a man. The things she had yearned for all her life... a woman could now achieve them too."
The Eldest Prince's lips thinned.
A man with multiple wives and concubines, who had always viewed women as playthings, could never grasp the weight behind Wei Yuan's words.
To him, the only conclusion he could draw from such a statement was—
"So now, you intend to side with Yun Shu?"
"That is not what I mean."
Wei Yuan rubbed his face, clearly exasperated.
"I only wish, Your Highness, that when you oppose the Crown Princess, you do not also trample upon all women in the process."
—
Leaving the Eldest Prince's residence, Wei Yuan lifted his head and gazed up at the vast, cloud-scattered sky. After a long moment, he let out a deep sigh.
To speak plainly, setting aside all other factors, just for the innovations like the horseshoe and the padded winter garments alone—if he were to follow merit alone, then his heart would naturally favor the Crown Princess.
But some debts could not be ignored.
Back at the borderlands, had it not been for the Eldest Prince, his son might have long perished in some unmarked trench of frozen earth.
A life owed. A life still unreturned.
—
In order to cause a major disruption on the day the Tian Sheng Academy officially opened enrollment, the Eldest Prince began his preparations at once. Every arrangement was made with meticulous urgency, the operation spinning forward like a well-oiled wheel.
At the same time, Yun Shu was equally busy—so busy, in fact, that she was practically spinning like a top herself.
She went door to door, visiting every high-ranking household.
Today she would appear at the residence of the newly appointed Right Prime Minister, formerly the Left Prime Minister. Tomorrow, she would show up at the home of the Minister of Rites.
Strictly speaking, someone of her status should not have such frequent private interactions with officials of the court. A Crown Princess, visiting ministers one by one? To any reigning monarch, such behavior reeked of factionalism.
But Yun Shu was not just anyone. She came and went as she pleased, with her chin high and steps light, as if such concerns were beneath her.
And if that were not enough, she would sometimes drag along the eunuch Li from the Emperor's own side, offering only the flimsiest of excuses for her visits.
At first, the officials she sought out were understandably nervous. Seeing the Crown Princess appear at their gates with eunuch Li beside her, many feared they were about to be interrogated for some unseen misdeed.
Yet once she was seated, she would peer up at them with those bright, wide eyes and ask in all apparent innocence:
"This Princess heard a rumor that you intend to plot something in secret on the day of the Tian Sheng Academy's enrollment. Something meant to cause harm to This Princess. Is that true?"
The targeted minister would blink in confusion.
"Your Highness, whatever do you mean? This humble official has never harbored such vile intentions."
"Then swear it."
"Pardon?"
"You heard This Princess. Swear an oath."
Yun Shu leaned forward, face grave.
"If you hold any ill intent toward the Tian Sheng Academy, and act upon it, then may you be struck down by lightning. May your descendants never be allowed to set foot in a school, nor serve in court for as long as your bloodline endures."
The poor minister stared in stunned disbelief.
Li Dehai was speechless.
And when Emperor Xuanwu caught wind of this absurd practice not long after… he too fell silent.
"What new performance is this little fox putting on now?"
He did not understand, but he chose to trust her regardless. So long as she did not cross a line, he would let her be.
With no reprimand from the throne, Yun Shu only grew bolder.
Within a month, she had visited every major household of power in the capital.
When the Eldest Prince heard of this, he could scarcely believe his ears. He ordered his people to confirm the matter not once, but three times.
And once it was confirmed that Yun Shu had truly visited each family just to demand oaths from them, the Eldest Prince fell silent for a long time.
"Has Yun Shu truly lost her wits… or has she simply run out of better options?
Does she actually think that forcing everyone to make a vow will be enough to ensure the Tian Sheng Academy opens smoothly?"
"Perhaps she only seeks peace of mind," the young eunuch ventured cautiously, having just returned from his errand.
"The curses she made them swear were rather harsh. Even for those who do not believe in such things, the words would still leave a bitter taste."
The Eldest Prince sneered.
"Do you think those who have climbed to such heights in court care a whit about oaths?
If all it took to resolve a crisis was a simple vow, then what problem under Heaven would remain unsolved?"
He gave a soft, disdainful laugh. Then, as if recalling something else, his gaze sharpened.
"If she has already visited all the senior officials, then today… is she still within the palace?"
"Your Highness, the Crown Princess visited the residences of the Third Prince and the Fourth Prince today."
The Eldest Prince froze.
So even her fellow princes are being made to play along with her oath-swearing antics?
It seemed his fifth younger sister truly had been frightened this time.
He could not fathom what Imperial Father was thinking. How could such a timid fool be entrusted with the position of Crown Princess?
"It would seem tomorrow is my turn," he murmured coldly.
The timing was almost too precise. With the Tian Sheng Academy scheduled to begin formal enrollment the day after tomorrow, she had arranged her visits to end just beforehand—ensuring that not a single person was left untouched.
A mocking smile pulled at the Eldest Prince's lips.
"Pass on my orders. When the Crown Princess arrives tomorrow, make sure everyone is on their best behavior. Serve her well."