The hall was practically deafening. Surrounded by a crowd of bickering voices, Prince Rong finally lost his temper.
"All day long, all you know is to make a racket! You're all well past childhood, yet you still act like squabbling brats. Her Highness the Crown Princess is younger than Hong'er by a full year, and she's already accomplished more than half the men in court. Meanwhile, your son doesn't even dare to set foot on a countryside estate. And you still have the nerve to shout?"
He jabbed a finger toward another.
"And you! Others your child's age are already attending the Imperial Academy, yet because you can't bear to let Hui'er live outside your sight, he's already nine and still confined to the residence!"
He turned again.
"Lan'er too! In two more years, she ought to be preparing for marriage, yet she still clings and sobs every day like an overgrown infant!"
His voice grew sharper.
"And you, what are you laughing at? You think your children turned out any better?"
He didn't even finish the thought before launching into a full barrage, scolding each of them without exception. One blow after another, no pause between attacks. By the time he was done, the entire room was dead silent. The crowd stood deflated, heads drooping like wilting vegetables.
Seeing them all struck dumb at last, Prince Rong finally felt a sliver of satisfaction. But just as he took a breath, the Princess Consort mumbled under her breath, full of resentment:
"You talk as though they aren't your children too."
Prince Rong: "…"
Right. They were all his children.
A rush of blood surged in his chest, making it hard to breathe.
That only made him more furious.
He wanted to vent, but he had already said everything there was to say. There was no new insult left unspoken.
He stood there fuming for a long while before his gaze locked onto a servant boy loitering near the crowd. He flared up again.
"You! Why are you still standing there like a fool? Go find out what's going on outside. Who are all those people pacing back and forth outside the gates?"
"Ah… yes, yes!" The servant snapped to attention and scrambled off. He quickly grabbed two more servants and snuck into the back courtyard. From there, they scaled the wall and slipped out unnoticed.
Originally, they had planned to use the side entrance. However, for some reason even that lane outside the side gate was crawling with commoners, all "passing by" far too frequently to be a coincidence.
Fortunately, while getting out had been a hassle, it was easy enough to blend in once they joined the crowd. Dressed as commoners, they weaved among the curious onlookers.
The first servant soon circled back to the front gate of Prince Rong's manor. Spotting a kindly looking old woman setting up her stall nearby, he put on an air of innocent curiosity and asked:
"Granny, it seems like everyone's watching Prince Rong's residence today. Did something happen here?"
"You don't know?" The old woman raised an eyebrow, surprised.
"Don't tell me you haven't read today's issue of the Capital Weekly?"
"Capital Weekly?" The servant's heart skipped a beat. He had a sinking feeling.
Could it be… another incident involving Her Highness the Crown Princess?
"What did the paper say?" he asked, voice tight with anticipation.
"I knew it!" The old woman gave him a knowing look and shook her head with a sigh.
"Young man, you really ought to keep up with the times. What if something important happens and you miss it?"
"Yes, yes, you're right," the servant said with a forced smile. "But what exactly was in today's paper?"
"Ah, these crowds aren't here for nothing. It's all about the smallpox vaccine!"
As she spoke, the old woman calmly tidied her stall, rearranging her two cabbages with practiced ease.
"These past few days, His Majesty had notice boards set up around the city, calling for volunteers to go to the countryside and receive the vaccine. But apart from Her Highness the Crown Princess showing up personally yesterday to register, not a single other noble volunteered.
So, His Majesty issued an edict. He decreed that several of the princes, as well as the younger generation among the imperial clansmen, must accompany Her Highness to the estate and receive the vaccine themselves."
"That part I've heard." The servant nodded slowly, recalling how the Crown Princess had gone out of her way to make sure her visit was seen by all.
She had donned her bright yellow robe, mounted a tall steed, and ridden at a leisurely pace through the busiest streets before stopping at the registration site. It was impossible not to notice her.
Within hours, every household with any degree of influence had heard of it, and Prince Rong's residence was no exception.
"But… what does that have to do with Prince Rong's manor?"
The old woman gave him a look like he was hopeless.
"Are you dense? What's the one thing everyone wants to know right now?"
"Um…" The servant scratched his head. "Whether the vaccine really works?"
"Exactly!" She slapped her thigh, then nodded toward the manor's main gate.
"We don't know the answer. But these nobles surely do.
If there were truly something wrong with the vaccine, wouldn't Prince Rong be rushing into the palace to beg His Majesty to rescind the order?"
The servant's face went pale.
It was over.
His Lordship couldn't even go plead with His Majesty now. The young masters and mistresses of the household were really going to the estate to receive the smallpox vaccine.
His vision darkened as dread surged in his chest. He could already picture the storm he'd face once he delivered the news.
The wrath of Prince Rong.
The wailing of the Princess Consort and those concubines.
He shuddered.
But dread was no excuse. He had to report back.
Muttering his thanks, the servant trudged back the way he came. He circled around the neighborhood, returned to the empty corner of the rear courtyard, and huffed and puffed until he finally climbed back over the wall.
Without wasting a breath, he rushed straight to Prince Rong and recounted everything he had just heard.
"What? That old woman actually said that?" Prince Rong blanched. "Good thing We were cautious and turned back the moment We sensed something strange…"
Had he actually gone to the palace and disrupted His Majesty's plans, the common people might have assumed His Majesty was using the vaccine test as a ploy, fooling the masses into serving as guinea pigs.
In that case, forget being a cousin to the Emperor.
Even if he were the Emperor's own brother—
No. His Majesty's real brothers had already been dealt with.
Even if he were His Majesty's own son, he would have been doomed!
Prince Rong patted his chest nervously, still shaken. But before he could settle, the Princess Consort and the rest were already weeping and crowding around again.
"My Lord, what are we to do now? Even if Hong'er is flawed, he is still your son!"
"Your Lordship…"
Prince Rong closed his eyes. He had truly had enough.
"The decree couldn't be rescinded. Couldn't His Majesty just issue another one and send this whole group of wailing women to the estate as well?"
…
Thanks to Yun Shu's clever maneuver of using the situation to her advantage, not a single member of the imperial clan who had received the edict dared to enter the palace to plead for leniency the next day.
On the contrary, within the five-day preparation period, each family was forced to repeatedly drill their children.
Even if they could not appear joyful and eager on the day of departure, they were strictly forbidden from showing a trace of fear or reluctance in front of the common folk.