Ashes to Crown

Chapter 70: Chapter 33: Yanfang

Her younger cousin had been brilliant since childhood. In truth, she hadn’t become the Crown Princess Consort because of the Xie family’s influence, but because of Xie Yanfang.

The matter of the Crown Prince’s marriage had originally been a contest between the Yang and Zhao families. Though the Empress had passed away, the Emperor’s affection for her remained, so the Yang Family wanted to strengthen their ties to the throne through another marriage. However, the Imperial Concubine had been by the Emperor’s side for many years, and his favor toward her was at its peak, so the Zhao Family also hoped to secure a marriage alliance.

Although the Dongyang Xie Family was a major clan, they were only a regional power, not an Aristocratic Family with influence spanning the entire empire. In the eyes of the Yang and Zhao families, and even the Emperor, they were insignificant.

The Xie family had never dreamed of marrying into the imperial family.

By a stroke of fate, the Crown Prince, who loved riding and archery, often traveled for sport. On one such occasion, he came to Dongyang.

But the Crown Prince was an arrogant man. He refused to meet with any of the powerful families of Dongyang, attend their banquets, or accept their gifts. He even drove away the local officials, instead leading his entourage to camp in the wilderness, where they spent their days riding, hunting, and feasting.

No one dared to disturb him; they could only watch from a distance.

Unexpectedly, Xie Yanfang snuck into the Crown Prince’s hunting grounds all by himself. Standing atop a hill, he fired a single arrow and snatched the Crown Prince’s prey right out from under him.

At the time, Xie Yanfang was thirteen years old.

Trespassing while armed with a weapon—the young boy could have been surrounded and killed on the spot. The Xie family, and indeed every official and noble in Dongyang, would have been unable to escape punishment.

But when he was surrounded, the young Xie Yanfang showed not a trace of fear. He simply held up the kill and said with a laugh, ”So, the Crown Prince’s archery is no match for mine.”

The Crown Prince was a man of martial prowess; how could he allow this boy to die reveling in the satisfaction of having bested him?

And so, the two of them competed in archery and horsemanship. The slender Xie Yanfang even dared to have a go at lifting the stone locks.

After a series of competitions, their conversation could hardly be called friendly, but they had an exhilarating time.

In the end, the Crown Prince held a long saber to him and asked if he would submit. If he submitted, he could die.

Still, Xie Yanfang was not afraid.

”I was born to a life without worry, I am agile and intelligent, and I can learn anything I set my mind to. Whatever I desire, I seek it out.” The thirteen-year-old boy smiled with an open heart. ”I heard that the Crown Prince excels at riding and archery and possesses great strength, so I came to witness it for myself. Now that I have, I have no regrets. As the saying goes, ’If I learn the Way in the morning, I can die content in the evening.’”

The Crown Prince was both exasperated and amused. ”Then it seems punishing you would only be granting your wish.”

Xie Yanfang thought for a moment. ”If Your Highness truly insists on punishing me, then you should marry my older sister.”

This was even more ridiculous. Marrying the Crown Prince was the most glorious and magnificent honor in the world. The bride’s family would become the future Empress Clan, and countless Aristocratic Families were fighting for this very position.

For this boy to call it a punishment was a truly outrageous and disrespectful thing to say.

”Of course, marrying the Crown Prince is the greatest honor in the world, and my Xie family will be thrust into the spotlight along with her. But for me, that spotlight will be a searing blaze. Any praise I receive will be credited to Your Highness’s reflected glory. If my conduct strays in the slightest, I will be accused of tarnishing that glory. For the rest of my life, I will never again be able to live as I please.”

The Crown Prince roared with laughter. He disliked scholars, especially treacherous ones like the Third Prince who hid their cunning behind a false veneer of untamed eccentricity. This boy from the Xie family was just as cunning, but his cunning was as frank and open as a warrior’s.

’He’s right. Life as my Crown Princess Consort would be far from easy. By snatching that position, the Xie family would inevitably infuriate the Yang and Zhao families. They would have to bear their wrath and would be dragged into the conflict. The Xie family would either have to crush the Yang and Zhao families or be crushed by them. A two-way contest would become a three-way free-for-all.’

’And that was precisely the situation he wanted.’

’But the Aristocratic Families in the Capital City were all afraid of the Yang and Zhao families and refused to contend with them. In a way, that was a slight against him, the Crown Prince.’

He hadn’t expected a young boy from the Xie family to be so daring as to come forward and volunteer for the role. The Crown Prince valued valor and martial spirit above all, and he admired those who possessed it. So, he allowed Xie Yanfang to depart as silently as he had arrived. The very next day, the Crown Prince granted an audience to the local officials and Aristocratic Families, making a point to speak with the Head of the Xie Clan.

At the time, the Head of the Xie Clan had no idea what had transpired. Not until a month later, when the Crown Prince petitioned the Emperor to issue a decree naming the Dongyang Xie Family’s Daughter as the Crown Princess Consort.

’Only then did our family learn what had happened. Grandfather, Father, my uncles... everyone was nearly scared to death.’

The Crown Princess Consort couldn’t help but purse her lips in a smile.

As the eldest daughter of the main branch of the Xie family, she had been the only possible choice. She had gone from being the young lady of a mere Aristocratic Family to the Crown Princess Consort, and one day, she would be the Empress of Great Xia—the most honored woman in the world.

’When I was little, no fortune teller ever told me I was destined for greatness, and no one ever treated me as special. My status today was won by my younger cousin, who gambled with his own life for it.’

’At just thirteen, he was able to make the Xie family famous throughout the land with a single gamble.’

’Now that he is twenty-three, Xie Yanfang can certainly ensure the Xie family remains secure.’

”You have a good handle on these matters, so I won’t worry myself over them,” the Crown Princess Consort said with a smile.

Xie Yanfang nodded. ”Sister, I told you when you were married: you only need to be a good wife and a good mother. That is enough. You don’t need to concern yourself with other matters.” He glanced at the Crown Princess Consort. ”Like you and the Crown Prince trying to select an official post for me. Don’t do that again.”

The Crown Princess Consort feigned annoyance. ”The Crown Prince and I are close. He asked me a casual question as my husband, and I gave him a casual answer as his wife. Is that not allowed?”

But upon seeing Xie Yanfang’s unreadable, half-smiling expression, she waved her hand dismissively.

”Alright, alright, your sister understands. Don’t you worry, little brother.”

Xie Yanfang simply smiled and said no more.

”Is everything alright at home?” the Crown Princess Consort asked. ”I heard that this Yanlai is extremely disobedient, causing trouble all day and damaging the family’s reputation. When that woman showed up at our door with the child all those years ago, we should have just had him beaten to death and been done with it. After all this time, who can even say if he’s truly of our blood.”

”Whether or not he’s of our blood is for our family to decide,” Xie Yanfang said. ”As for our reputation, Sister, you needn’t worry. Others being disobedient and causing trouble won’t harm the Xie family’s prestige. In fact, it will only make it stronger.” He paused, then smiled. ”Because the Xie family has me.”

Looking at the serene smile on the young man’s face, the Crown Princess Consort sighed inwardly. ’The women of the Xie family are all born rather plain, but the men are all strikingly handsome.’

’Though I’ve never met that illegitimate son who was acknowledged so late, the letters from home describe him as exceptionally good-looking, not the least bit inferior to Xie Yanfang.’

’But what does being handsome matter? The only one I truly see as my brother is Xie Yanfang. Not even my own full-blooded brothers compare.’

”You must marry a wife of exceptional beauty,” she said.

So that your children will be beautiful, too.

Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. ”An eldest sister is truly like a mother. Even after leaving our home in Dongyang, I feel like I’m still standing before my own mother.”

The Crown Princess Consort gave him a playful glare.

A Palace Maid hurried over and said in a low voice, ”The Crown Prince requests your presence, Young Master.” She added, ”He is at the training grounds.”

Xie Yanfang acknowledged with a sound and rose to his feet. The Crown Princess Consort stood up with him, admonishing, ”Don’t compete in strength against His Highness anymore. His stone locks are getting heavier and heavier; they’ve already crushed and killed several people. You can’t afford a single scratch.”

”A man only has one life to gamble. Once is enough,” Xie Yanfang said with a low laugh. ”Besides, Sister, you’re the Crown Princess Consort now. I no longer need to risk my neck.”

’That’s right.’ As long as she was the Crown Princess Consort, and the future Empress, no one in the world would dare to provoke the Xie family, even if they held no real power. The Crown Princess Consort pursed her lips into a smile and patted his shoulder. ”Go on, now.”

As Xie Yanfang turned to leave, the Crown Princess Consort called out again, ”Don’t be in a rush to leave after you’ve spoken with the Crown Prince. I’ll have Yu’er come back. He’s at his studies, and you, his maternal uncle, haven’t even met him yet.”

The legitimate son of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess Consort was six years old. The Emperor himself had bestowed upon him the name Yu.

Xie Yanfang smiled and agreed.

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Dressed only in a thin robe with his arms bare, the Crown Prince dropped the stone lock. He took the towel offered by an attendant and watched Xie Yanfang approach as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Xie Yanfang circled the stone lock, a look of eagerness on his face.

”Want to give it a try?” the Crown Prince asked with a smile.

Xie Yanfang shook his head. ”I couldn’t even lift Your Highness’s stone lock back in Dongyang. I certainly can’t do it now.”

The Crown Prince’s expression turned hostile. ”Is that so? Does this mean the Xie family has lost all its mettle? So much so that you refuse to even carry out a task I assign you?”