SFL Chapter 6

Mu Yunfeng and the Eldest Prince are both Royal Princes, but the Eldest Prince is older than him. They also received similar teachings. Is it because the Eldest Prince’s qualifications are not as good as Mu Yunfeng’s?

No, from the perspective of courtiers and the Emperor, it can be seen that there isn’t much difference between the Eldest Prince and Mu Yunfeng. At least, Mu Yunfeng’s status as the Legitimate Prince is not highly regarded by them.

If there was no hope at all, why would the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince persist on becoming the heir to the throne? And why would so many courtiers choose to align themselves with them?

The reason for this is simply because their backgrounds have limited their perspectives. It’s like expecting a pampered rich kid, who grew up in luxury and opulence, to understand the mindset of a destitute beggar struggling to survive with barely enough to eat and wear.

All these insights and understandings are something Emperors acquire after ascending to the throne because their position changes. They broaden their horizons. However, for the Princes, they often cannot afford to consider these broader perspectives because they have competitors. Their focus remains fixed on defeating their rivals. Only when they’ve triumphed over all their opponents can they afford to think about other matters. The reason Emperors can embrace diverse perspectives is that they have no competitors left.

And yet, Mu Yunfeng, surrounded by numerous enemies, can still see the world with open eyes. How can that not astonish the Emperor? The obligations and responsibilities that a person should have may be easy to talk about, but very few can truly live up to them. It’s precisely because they are so rare that they are all the more precious.

The Eldest Prince felt that Mu Yunfeng’s intellectual realm was overwhelming him, and when he saw the Emperor’s admiration for Mu Yunfeng, a sense of unease crept over him. He felt that something was slipping from his grasp. However, he also remembered the many imperial relatives and officials that Mu Yunfeng had offended recently. During this time, most of them had turned to him for protection. This was a substantial force, one that gave the Eldest Prince renewed confidence.

Seeing that the Eldest Prince hadn’t made a clear statement, the Emperor waved for him to leave. The Eldest Prince’s eyes dimmed for a moment, hesitating as he left the Emperor’s palace. He knew what the Emperor wanted him to say, but he also understood that he could never become a person like Mu Yunfeng. Mu Yunfeng could make bold promises and follow through, but he couldn’t do the same. He wouldn’t willingly sacrifice his principles just to gain the Emperor’s favor.

Upon seeing the Eldest Prince turn to leave, the Emperor’s eyes revealed a barely noticeable hint of disappointment. After the Eldest Prince had completely departed, the Emperor turned to Mu Yunfeng and said, “You have thought things through, but have you considered that your actions may offend many people?” At least from what he knew, the Eldest Princess and other Imperial relatives were already making secret contacts with the other Princes.

“Father, as a member of the Royal family and a Prince, my status and identity are already prestigious enough. If even I were to retreat in front of those people, where would our Royal family’s dignity be? This world belongs to our Royal family, and if our own people don’t care, can we really expect outsiders to take care of us?”

“I don’t need to and won’t be afraid of them. It should be them who are afraid of me,” Mu Yunfeng replied firmly.

The Emperor felt relieved upon hearing this, and his somewhat gloomy mood from the departure of the Eldest Prince lifted. “If your brothers were all as insightful as you…”

However, having just one like this was already good enough. Everyone understood the reasoning, and it was difficult for him as the Emperor.

The relationship between the royal family and court officials had never been hostile, but certain officials were like leeches on the Empire, causing it to gradually decline.

Regarding those parasites, the Emperor naturally wanted to take action. However, like Mu Yunfeng’s approach, doing so would offend many people. As an Emperor, he had to protect his own interests, and few cared about his reputation after his death.

Mu Yunfeng’s current position was ideal. Firstly, he was a Prince, and aside from the Emperor, there was no one who could restrain him. In other words, as long as the Emperor didn’t tire of him, no one could touch him.

Secondly, the Emperor rarely acted personally, so even though many knew that he supported Mu Yunfeng from behind, these matters wouldn’t be attributed to the Emperor in the history books a hundred years later.

For an Emperor who cared about his image and substance, this was undoubtedly perfect.

Moreover, the fact that his own son took action made the Emperor even more pleased.

While the other Princes were also his sons, they had chosen to stand against the Emperor, and they could never be on the same side as their own father.

Mu Yunfeng’s insights made the emperor, who had spent many years in a high and lonely position, feel a slight warmth in his heart.

As an Emperor, he instinctively guarded against offspring who could threaten him, but as a father, he hoped for the growth of his sons. The Emperor’s thoughts were indeed complicated.

If Mu Yunfeng excelled in politics and gained the support of many court officials, even if he truly belonged to the Emperor’s faction, the Emperor might not feel entirely comfortable. However, since Mu Yunfeng had offended so many court officials and members of the Royal family, and they were hostile towards him, the emperor felt both relieved and angry, as he believed they were disrespecting Imperial authority.

Thinking of this, the Emperor’s heart softened, and he said to Mu Yunfeng, “Would you like to transfer to another department? Don’t stay in the Ministry of Justice.” If Mu Yunfeng continued to take action as he did, even if the Emperor agreed, the court and the members of the Royal family wouldn’t.

Mu Yunfeng frowned, feeling very dissatisfied with the feeling of stopping halfway through his work. Unfortunately, things couldn’t go the way he wanted. Until he made the Emperor become vigilant, the Emperor was still a father who didn’t want to see his son become a target in court.

The Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of War were already overseen by the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince, respectively. Apart from the Ministry of Justice, there were three other ministries: the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Rites.

The emperor asked Mu Yunfeng to choose one of the remaining three ministries. Mu Yunfeng lowered his gaze and said, “Father, please choose for me. It’s starting anew to me no matter which one I enter.”

Not every department welcomes Mu Yunfeng like the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry has offended too many people and is fundamentally unpopular. The other five ministries, on the other hand, have a high status in the capital, with countless admirers.

Mu Yunfeng is a Royal prince, so while he won’t be openly slighted, he will be ignored and neglected, and no one can find fault with it.

Even his status as a Royal prince won’t help when it comes to vested interests.

“In that case, Yunfeng, you should go to the Ministry of Revenue,” the Emperor thought for a moment and said. The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of finances, from the national treasury to the taxes collected from the people.

The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for projects, which involve technical work, and the Emperor doesn’t believe that his son is suited for that. The Ministry of Rites is responsible for the imperial examinations, which are important but only happen every three years, keeping officials busy for only a few months. The rest of the time is mostly idle, and the Emperor naturally doesn’t want Mu Yunfeng to waste his time.

After receiving funds from the Ministry of Revenue, Mu Yunfeng would return to the Ministry of Justice to wrap up his work there.

When they learned that Mu Yunfeng was about to leave, the Minister of Justice and the others felt reluctant. “During this time, we thank the Prince for his support to our Ministry of Justice. I, on behalf of the Ministry, thank the Third Prince.”

The officials of the Ministry of Justice had long been mentally prepared for Mu Yunfeng’s departure. Not to mention that those who couldn’t do anything to the Third Prince would not tolerate him staying in the Ministry of Justice and using his authority to continue their persecution.

“Let’s not talk about these polite words for now. During my last few days here at the Ministry of Justice, hurry and bring those people over. Deal with as many as you can while I’m still here. Once I’m gone, you won’t be able to handle them anymore,” Mu Yunfeng said.

The Minister was deeply moved. He didn’t expect Mu Yunfeng to still be concerned about them at this time. “Your Highness, rest assured, we at the Ministry of Justice will support you…”

“Cough, let’s not talk about that for now. Let’s continue with our work,” Mu Yunfeng said. For him, taking the righteous path was still the best course of action.

After a period of time, he had roughly understood the Emperor’s intentions. Since the Emperor didn’t have a favorite son, he could rise without any constraints.

At the very least, he needed to distance himself from those brothers, both in terms of ideology and achievements. He didn’t want to end up like the original owner, remaining a Prince from beginning to end without any progress.

The news of Mu Yunfeng’s transfer to the Ministry of Revenue was not kept secret and quickly spread. Those who had been offended by Mu Yunfeng couldn’t help but rejoice. Why could the Third Prince deal with them so harshly? They had made mistakes, but another reason was that the Ministry of Justice had the authority to handle people, whether it was applying punishment or apprehending criminals. All of that fell within the jurisdiction of the Ministry, so even if Mu Yunfeng had killed many of their loved ones, they couldn’t do anything about it.

But the Ministry of Revenue doesn’t have the authority to execute anyone. They heard that after Mu Yunfeng was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, many people were eagerly preparing to give him a hard time.

The Ministry of Justice didn’t quiet down as outsiders might have imagined. Instead, they fought back rapidly in the final moments, arresting those who needed to be arrested, imposing fines, and carrying out executions. For a while, the entire capital was filled with turmoil.

The Eldest Prince, the Second Prince, and even the young princes who had not yet grown up suffered significant losses in manpower, which was quite distressing for them.

But fortunately, Mu Yunfeng won’t stay in the Ministry of Justice for long, which is currently the most comforting thing for them.

At home, hearing that Mu Yunfeng is being transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, Su Qianluo is somewhat worried. “Husband, I’ve asked around and found out that many officials in the Ministry of Revenue have connections with the criminals who died at your hands. If you go to that Ministry, they may make things difficult for you.”

“This city is full of family connections and complex relationships. Some things can’t be rationalized. We don’t need to worry about it.”

“I heard that those noblewomen are avoiding you. You might as well not attend banquets in the future.” It’s understandable that Mu Yunfeng feels unhappy when his wife goes to someone else’s house and sits on a cold bench.

“It’s alright, they can’t do anything to me. Besides, they’ve already sent formal invitations specifically for me. It wouldn’t look good if I don’t show up.” Su Qianluo smiled.

While being ignored and ostracized at social gatherings was uncomfortable for her, Su Qianluo felt less irritated knowing that those noblewoman’s husbands couldn’t do anything to Mu Yunfeng.

“Don’t trouble yourself. In the future, go if you want to, and don’t go if you don’t want to. There’s nothing fun about those banquets anyway. If you feel like staying at home, you can take people with you for a walk outside. It’s better than sitting with those people.” Mu Yunfeng frowned, not wanting to see Su Qianluo compromise herself.

Hearing Mu Yunfeng’s concern, Su Qianluo’s heart warmed. As a woman, she didn’t care about what others thought, she only cared about Mu Yunfeng’s opinion.

Looking at Mu Yunfeng, Su Qianluo’s brows and eyes dimmed visibly, her eyelashes quivered lightly, and her small hand grabbed Mu Yunfeng’s sleeve as she said, “I don’t like attending banquets either. They always think I come from a humble background and don’t deserve to be the Third Prince’s Princess. Although they haven’t said anything offensive, their glances make me feel uncomfortable.” After speaking, Su Qianluo leaned against Mu Yunfeng’s chest and shed a few tears.

Mu Yunfeng blinked his eyes. As a straight man, he didn’t notice Su Qianluo’s pitiful appearance. Instead, he directly understood the hidden meaning in Su Qianluo’s words. She was trying to manipulate him.

If she was only just a married woman, would Su Qianluo be uneasy about being a Princess?

“Women only need to rely on their fathers before they get married. After marriage, they rely on their husbands. You don’t need to associate with those people in the future.” Mu Yunfeng said.

Not hearing what she wanted, Su Qianluo’s eyes darkened. After Mu Yunfeng left, she put away her soft demeanor, and her face became expressionless.

“How do you think His Highness treats me?” Su Qianluo asked her accompanying maids.

The two senior maids exchanged glances and replied, “Naturally, His Highness treats the Wangfei very well. Compared to the concubines and illegitimate children in other courtyards, the Third Prince’s Mansion is exceptionally clean, with only two masters in total, and our young miss is one of them. What’s not to like?”

“Yes, the Third Prince treats me well, so that’s why those people shouldn’t have unrealistic ideas about me,” Su Qianluo whispered, recalling the derogatory comments she had heard at the banquet, both overt and covert, about her background. They praised her runaway cousin while trying to belittle her, the Third Wangfei.

Those noblewomen might not hold Su Qianhuan, the runaway bride, in high regard deep down, but that didn’t stop them from using her to undermine Su Qianluo’s position as the Third Wangfei.

They couldn’t control the resentment they felt towards Su Qianluo, and they vented it all on her.

After Mu Yunfeng’s investigation outside, someone quickly brought news.

The Su family had found Su Qianhuan.

The somewhat naive and ignorant young lady from a prominent family had suffered quite a bit outside after leaving her comfort zone. Due to Mu Yunfeng’s timely intervention, she couldn’t adapt to the outside world and ended up losing all her money. She had gone hungry for several days and, unable to bear it any longer, used the family heirloom to contact the Su family’s people and voluntarily returned home.

However, the Su family didn’t take any action upon Su Qianhuan’s return. After all, Su Qianluo had already become the Third Wangfei, and Su Qianhuan’s return couldn’t change that fact.

The ones who took action were the noblewomen and officials in the court. Many of them felt that Su Qianluo’s lowly background made her unworthy and began preparing to send women to the Mu Yunfeng Residence.

While they didn’t have many first-ranked official’s daughters like Su Qianhuan, there were still many daughters from families with second-ranked officials. These connections could be established or severed as needed.

Just like Su Qianluo had married Mu Yunfeng, if he succeeded, the Su family’s status would naturally rise through Su Qianluo. If he failed, the Su family wouldn’t mind sacrificing a second-ranked official’s daughter as well.

These officials and noblewomen had one idea in mind: Su Qianluo’s background gave them hope that they could snatch the position of the Third Wangfei.