Early April · the Starlight Empire · the Imperial Capital Star.
"As for the news that the Chu family have developed a T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser — have we gotten any solid intelligence on it?" the Second Prince, Qin Ming, looked toward the crowd of trusted confidants before him.
Marshal Huang Zhixiong stepped forward, and said doubtfully, "Up to now, we've obtained no solid word regarding this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser. I suspect… it may well be a smokescreen the Chu family have put out. For, after all, to develop and manufacture a T4-grade interstellar warship is no easy matter. Our Starlight Empire, up to now, has developed only two classes of T4-grade interstellar warship — and both have their problems. Take, for instance, the Chu family's T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship: strong in combat power, true, but costly to build, long in its build-cycle, and consuming vast resources and energy all the while. It's not a T4 interstellar warship that can be mass-produced. And turn to look at our own T4 Starlight Emperor-class Medium Carrier Starship: on account of a technological barrier, the matter of the hull size has all along been a difficulty we cannot overcome. We can't build it into a heavy carrier starship, and the interstellar fighters it carries are somewhat flawed in performance too — they can't bring into play the level a T4-grade interstellar fighter ought to have; and then there's the interstellar-drone master-control system, besides."
No small number of others chimed in one after another, holding that this was merely a piece of false news the Chu family had put out to overawe them.
The Azure Governor rubbed at his chin, and said with some worry, "Though at present we've obtained no solid, proven word regarding this interstellar warship, still — one can't say it's entirely false either. For, as everyone knows, the Chu family's investment in the field of starship development has always been large; apart from the royal house, their investment within the Starlight Empire may be called the greatest of all. The Northstar Academy has, besides, a long-standing cooperative relationship with them. They possess a complete starship military-industrial system of their own. And so we cannot take this lightly."
"I hold that, for the moment, we needn't fret over this matter too much. For, after all, even if they truly do have a T4 interstellar warship, then in so short a time, how many could the Chu family produce? Three? Five? Or 10? At that order of magnitude, it counts for nothing whatever before our vast interstellar fleet. We need only go on sending people to investigate. The most important matter at present is still the Purple Perilla Star Region! With mid-May drawing near, the Third Prince's wedding date grows ever closer. I hold that we can now begin preparing the matter of the Third Prince's going to fetch the bride. So long as we can draw the Purple Perilla Star Region's Su family over to our side, then His Highness Qin Ming will truly have planted his feet firm within the Empire."
"As for the matter of my younger brother's marriage-match, I'll need to settle the time with my imperial mother. But you may begin your preparations first; this is, after all, a royal wedding — there can be not the least carelessness in it!" the Second Prince, Qin Ming, handed down the command.
"Yes."
After the meeting ended.
The Second Prince, Qin Ming, walked out of the great hall, boarded a luxurious hover-car, and made his way to the palace's rear courtyard to see his mother.
That was the residence that had originally belonged to the Empress.
But because the Empress had all along been lodging temporarily at Chu Changhe's manor, Consort Zhen had simply played the dove that seizes the magpie's nest[1], and moved straight in to take the principal palace for her own!
This intent was, already, a hint dropped to one and all.
"His Highness the Second Prince comes to pay his respects to Her Ladyship Consort Zhen." A maidservant's summoning call came from outside the chamber.
In a little while, the palace's great doors opened.
Qin Ming walked within; a faint, delicate fragrance suffused the air.
He saw his mother seated by the tea-table, rubbing at her temples.
"Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
Consort Zhen shook her head, and said, "It's nothing; only that I likely didn't rest well last night, and my body's a bit weary. Ming'er, you're pressed with affairs just now; what matter brings you to my palace?"
"It's on account of my younger brother's marriage; the ministers are asking when my brother is to go and fetch the bride." the Second Prince, Qin Ming, inquired.
Consort Zhen thought it over a moment.
"This matter is indeed important — it bears upon the firmness of your power in the days to come. We can't let the Su family think we slight them. Though that Su Lan is only the Su family's illegitimate daughter, at the least her standing, on the face of it now, is that of the Su family's 'pearl in the palm.' And Hu'er is fond of her, besides. So the ceremony must, without fail, be prepared complete. Set the departure time for the middle of April — that will serve well to have Hu'er, along the way, call upon the important nobles of the various regions on your behalf. This, too, is to make ready for that grand game of chess of ours later on."
"Yes; your child will go at once to arrange it. Mother, do mind your rest." The Second Prince, Qin Ming, took his leave and departed.
The palace's great doors closed.
Consort Zhen seemed to let out a breath of relief — and at this moment, a pair of large hands came to rest upon her waist from behind.
"You didn't rest well last night?"
Consort Zhen rolled her eyes.
"Whether I rested well last night — don't you know that well enough, you wicked thing?"
"Ho, ho, ho — and who told sister-in-law to be so alluring." The Prince of Yan, a whole lecherous look upon him, sniffed at the jade of Consort Zhen's neck.
Consort Zhen's cheeks flushed crimson.
"Stop your fooling; Ming'er has only just left. Were Ming'er to find out, there'd be bitter fruit for you to eat."
"And what if he did find out? I'm now half a father to him, am I not," the Prince of Yan said with a wicked grin, his body pressing nearer against Consort Zhen's back.
"You wicked thing!" Consort Zhen shot the Prince of Yan a glare, shamed and vexed; toward these little maneuvers of his behind her, she'd long since grown inured.
"But in all seriousness — this time, you're to help Ming'er, and help him well! Ming'er is at a critical juncture now; it bears upon whether, after he inherits the throne in future, he'll be able to bring the situation smoothly under his control!" Consort Zhen looked at the Prince of Yan gravely.
The Prince of Yan's expression did not change; he bent his head down and murmured low, "Of course. I've said it already — he's half a son to me, so his affairs are, naturally, my affairs; if I don't help him, whom would I help? And you're the treasure of my very heart, besides. Now I, and my Snow Swallow Star Region, are the staunchest backing at your shoulder!"
Consort Zhen rolled her eyes.
"So long as you help Ming'er hold his grip on power firm, I promise you that, in the days to come, I'll never treat you unfairly! You can go on being your carefree prince. And I… will still be your…" Consort Zhen's eyes were bewitching as threads of silk.
"Then I'd rather like to see this sincerity of yours," the Prince of Yan said with a wicked grin.
Taking his meaning, Consort Zhen leaned herself down over the table, her back to the Prince of Yan, and, turning her head, looked at him with a light bite at her red lips; at such a sight, in such a moment, the Prince of Yan turned, on the spot, into a fierce tiger charging down the mountain!
For one must bear in mind — this tea-table had, originally, been the very place where the Starlight Emperor conducted his work.
At the thought of that, the two eyes of the Prince of Yan grew all the fiercer, all the more a tiger's.
These spring-tide goings-on within the palace — were the outer world to learn of them, they'd likely be startled clean out of their wits.
That Consort Zhen who'd spread the rumor of the little Princess's mother, the Empress, keeping an illicit lover — that she herself should be carrying on so ugly a scandal.
And so, it let no small number of people understand, too, just why the Prince of Yan should so resolutely support and uphold the Second Prince, Qin Ming.
It turned out that his mother had talked round this younger brother-in-law of her husband's.