"The officials at the Observatory have greatly neglected their duties, even the calendar they follow is unreliable, let alone their words," the Emperor said deliberately, "I haven’t taken Dai Li’s words to heart, and neither should you—"
Dai Li, the Spring Officer of the Astronomy Bureau, is the one who issues the Fire Virtue decree.
The Ministry of Revenue has already submitted a list of nas that match the decree to the court, yet the Emperor claims he never took Dai Li’s words seriously.
"Just after the earthquake in Xingzhou, marriages are still banned among the people. As the Crown Prince, he should set an example. The matter of taking a bride should not be rushed," he said earnestly.
So officials opposed this view: "The sooner His Highness the Crown Prince has an heir, the more secure the nation’s foundation will be."
The Emperor smiled and was about to speak when Li Mu, who stood beside with lowered eyes, interrupted coldly: "The marriage ban is lifted on Winter Solstice Day, making it an opportune ti to issue a decree to take a concubine—" He glanced up at the Emperor, his dark eyes suddenly revealing a bloodthirsty glint, "As the year-end approaches, it’s either a ti for joy or calamity."
His tone was quiet and indifferent, but his eyes were extrely fierce.
The Emperor was suddenly chilled, temporarily unable to refute.
"What do you think, Your Majesty?" Li Mu pressed on, his gaze still sharp as a hidden blade.
The Emperor suddenly recalled the day the Crown Prince revealed his identity, the look in his eyes when speaking privately behind the hall, a threat of mutual destruction.
He knew the Crown Prince valued Tang II, but not to this extent.
It seed that without a satisfactory answer at this mont, it would also end in mutual destruction.
The Emperor certainly did not wish for that fish-to-net-break outco, but easily compromising would also weaken the imperial authority.
The Emperor slowly released the tension in his knuckles, which had suddenly tightened, and said blandly: "If it’s for the sake of an heir, the Duke of Yan’s second daughter is younger, perhaps take her as the Crown Prince’s concubine as well!"
...
"I knew it!" Tang Xiaobai was angry, "If you can’t impose a Crown Princess, then impose a concubine!"
"I didn’t agree." Li Mu imdiately distanced himself from the decision.
Tang Xiaobai shot him a sideways glance: "Does it matter if you agree? Would such a trivial matter require your consent?"
The rank of the Crown Prince’s concubine was not low, but incomparable to the Crown Princess, and didn’t need the entire court to decide.
"I don’t agree, and no one can enter the Eastern Palace," Li Mu replied lightly.
Imdiately, a faint aura of dominance spread around.
Tang Xiaobai laughed softly and pinched his face, saying, "How cute!"
Li Mu did not know what was cute about him, and it was slightly undignified to be pinched on the face, but... as long as it made her happy.
The young lady played for a while, then suddenly smiled slyly: "The Taiji Palace does not want you to have an heir so early!"
Li Mu understood this point, but seeing that she seed to have so idea, he obediently waited.
Her clear eyes twinkled briefly, and she tugged at his sleeve, asking, "Do you still rember when you handwrote the Ten Strategies for Flood Control in Hedong on the ground at the Huntian Academy’s entrance?"
Li Mu nodded: "Yes, I rember."
Tang Xiaobai looked at him thoughtfully and asked, "Can you still do it now?"
Li Mu was puzzled: "Still do what?"
"You know... bending over to write on the ground."
Not to ntion bending to write, even standing to write would be taxing on the waist.
Li Mu thought for a mont: "I can." He didn’t usually bend over to write on the ground, but it wasn’t that difficult of an action.
"Really?" Tang Xiaobai was not assured and scrutinized his waist again.
It still had the youthful slenderness, but also appeared resilient and upright, quite attractive.
Tang Xiaobai couldn’t resist pinching it.
Quite firm...
Looking up, she saw the young man’s calm deanor, but the tips of his ears were turning red at a rate visible to the naked eye.
"Um... not bad..." Tang Xiaobai said awkwardly.
Li Mu brushed the spot she had pinched absentmindedly and said, "Writing is still not a problem."
After saying this, she suddenly tip-toed closer.
The girl’s sweet fragrance overwheld him, causing him montarily to lose focus, missing the first half of her words and hurriedly asking: "What?"
"The Winter Solstice is coming soon..."
...
The Winter Solstice is treated like a major holiday.
At this ti, both the Winter Solstice and the Spring Festival had a seven-day holiday.
On the day of the Winter Solstice, there were many major events, such as the Heaven Worship at the Round Hill, court congratulations, and palace banquets.
Among them, the court congratulations were held multiple tis, including subjects offering congratulations to the Emperor, the Empress receiving congratulations, the Crown Prince offering congratulations to both the Emperor and Empress, and so on.
Of course, the Empress Dowager also had to receive congratulations.
But this year, the Empress Dowager was bedridden and unable to appear, so the officials who ca to offer congratulations could only offer verbal blessings from outside the Zhaoqing Palace.
Except for the Crown Prince.
"The Empress Dowager’s health is poor, and I regret that I cannot personally attend to her. I vow to handwrite a volu of the dicine Buddha Sutra, praying for her wellness!"
Then, an enormous scroll was spread out before the Zhaoqing Palace, and he took up a brush, dipped it in ink, bent his waist, and silently began to transcribe the dicine Buddha Sutra.
The entire dicine Buddha Sutra contained over six thousand words.
The Crown Prince wrote not in hasty cursive or semi-cursive script, but earnestly in formal small script.
Since bending down, he wrote continuously without pause.
Upon finishing the last word, he slowly straightened his back.
His face showed no sign of strain, his steps not at all faltering.
Raising his hand, the brush flew out, neatly landing on the tray held by a palace attendant.
When countless watching eyes moved away from the Crown Prince, so praised while others lanted quietly, saying, "Youth truly is splendid."
However, Tang Shigong did not say that.
Once he returned ho, he called his youngest daughter to him, talked about the event in front of the Zhaoqing Palace, and said, "Why did the Crown Prince suddenly seek such attention? Did you put him up to this?"
Tang Xiaobai, with a guilty conscience, dared not admit: "I did know..."
Tang Shigong scrutinized her suspiciously.
Tang Xiaobai quickly composed herself and said, "What erodes ambition more than ti is a rival’s youthful vigor. The Crown Prince rely wants to show off his vigor, to provoke the Taiji Palace."
Her gaze was clear, and she appeared entirely innocent.
Tang Shigong studied her for a while longer and then shook his head with a smile.
Perhaps it was just a coincidence. How could his thirteen-year-old daughter conceive of such masculine insinuations? Even the Crown Prince probably hadn’t thought of it.
"You needn’t worry about the matter of the Crown Prince’s concubine." Tang Shigong stated.
Tang Xiaobai was surprised.
Such quick effect?
"Actually, the Taiji Palace proposing a concubine was rely a negotiation tactic with the Eastern Palace."
Tang Xiaobai understood: "The Observatory?" The Observatory was the Qingzhou sect’s propaganda platform; to have it directly dismantled would be too disgraceful; the Emperor still wanted to salvage it.
"And the new calendar." Tang Shigong added.
The officers at the Observatory couldn’t clear themselves of negligence; the errors in the old calendar were easy to prove. Yet, there remained much to balance when reforming the Observatory.
To this, Tang Xiaobai felt they could not rush: "If the water is too clear, no fish can survive. Completely overturning the Observatory is not too practical."
Tang Shigong nodded: "I also advised the Crown Prince to allow the Observatory officials to participate in assessnts and selection at the Chongwen Hall."
"But... what if we can’t recruit experts from the public?" Tang Xiaobai fretted.
After all, how many experts could there really be out among the populace?
Two hours after saying this, a "folk expert" delivered a note directly to Tang Xiaobai.
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