Chapter 107: Grand Finale (Beginning)
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Shen Chu’s nose felt a bit sore.
“I’m going to be reborn. I will choose to be reborn in that world.”
“Okay.”
The late summer breeze carried a hint of heat, rustling the leaves of the banyan tree overhead.
“From now on, you are Shen Chu, and I am Chu Xie.”
The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face. Leaning against the tree trunk, he gently closed his eyes, gradually relinquishing control of his body, allowing himself to sink into the familiar darkness.
“Host, you have completed the mission and exchanged for one rebirth opportunity. Are you sure you want to be reborn in Great Wei?”
“Yes.”
His answer unexpectedly sounded light, as if he had just unloaded a heavy burden.
I will start my new life there, for real.
“Good.”
The system’s prompt sounded in his ears: “Please note that the countdown to rebirth is now starting, three, two…”
Faintly, he heard the wind rustling through the green leaves and the chirping of birds.
He felt somewhat confused, as if he were still at the entrance of the hospital. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and saw that he was indeed sitting under the corridor, withered branches of a pear tree, and falling leaves. It was deep into autumn, and the wind was bitterly cold.
Fortunately, the sun was warm.
Chu Xie adjusted his cloak.
He raised his right hand, clenched and then opened it again.
He also heard the eunuchs outside, whispering, “Don’t go in first; the Zhangyin is inside.”
He’s back; he’s really back.
But where is Jiang Yanchi?
He immediately thought of this.
His heart unexpectedly thumped loudly.
Having died in front of Jiang Yanchi should have caused him immense trauma. Could he endure it? Would he… Would he not have even fought against Su Mingan? What time was it now, and how many years had passed?
Approaching the tightly closed vermilion door, he looked back at the desolate barren branches.
Suddenly, he realized. This place was the Cold Palace.
Something seemed off.
Before his hand touched the door, the door creaked open.
A strand of sunlight shone through the crack, piercing into his eyes and causing them to ache.
A familiar figure stood backlit in front of him, making him completely stiff.
***
The night was cool.
Jiang Yanchi stood outside the Cold Palace door, hearing some movement inside.
Creak—The door was pushed open by his hand.
Last night’s rain and wind had caused the pear blossoms on the tree to fall, and no one had cleaned them up. The melting frost outside dripped from the eaves onto the green tiles, sounding crisp, like playing the zither.
The empty corridor was covered with fallen flowers.
It reminded him of when Chu Xie came to find him with a mask on a night like this, the pear blossoms in full bloom.
Back then, he played the zither for him.
Now, the Cold Palace was empty.
Underfoot, there was only dust and mud.
He sat in the corridor, holding a pot of clear wine, drinking it slowly.
“Your Majesty.”
A familiar voice called from behind, “It’s late at night.”
Jiang Yanchi didn’t turn around. “Didn’t I say you’re not allowed to follow?”
Little Xizi dared not enter but bowed and lowered his head, waiting outside.
Jiang Yanchi bent down, brushing away the chessboard under the eaves covered in dust.
“There may be a light rain tonight. Your Majesty should rest early.”
However, Jiang Yanchi looked at the remaining flowers on the branches. “The pear blossoms have all fallen. Could it be that winter has passed again this year?”
“Yes, it’s spring in full bloom.”
His fingers, uniform and steady, held a silver wine pot. Tapping his fingertips twice, he replied slowly, “Oh.”
“Tonight, Marquis Xu is returning to the Northern Territory. Doesn’t Your Majesty want to send him off?” Little Xizi mentioned Marquis Xu, and only then did he notice Jiang Yanchi’s gaze seemed distant.
“The palace gate is closed; let him leave tomorrow.”
“Marquis Xu said that at this time, it’s not suitable for him to stay in the capital for too long. If he stays for a few more days, he’s afraid it will affect…”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Jiang Yanchi knew that Marquis Xu was referring to the reopening of the old Shen family case more than thirty years ago. “It’s just those old guys, taking advantage of my tolerance for imperial censors, they just won’t let me have peace.”
“Your Majesty, there’s no need to rush this matter.” Little Xizi, seeing him speak for a long time, cautiously approached. “The new policy reform three years ago caused quite a stir as well. It took two years of argument, but it was still implemented. Your Majesty, please relax and take your time with this…”
“Three years ago?”
Jiang Yanchi hesitated as if lost for a moment. Lowering his head in thought for a moment, he glanced sideways at the dark figure under the tree, “The new policy reform has been three years ago already.”
“Your Majesty, you seem a bit drunk.”
The wind carried a hint of frost, blowing through the endlessly cold night.
Drops of dew fell from the branches, hitting the newly sprouted green leaves.
“Oh, yes, it’s already the ninth year of Jinghe.”
Little Xizi remained silent for a long time, rubbing his sleeve, correcting carefully, “The New Year has long passed. It’s already the tenth year of Jinghe.”
Feeling the night rain falling on his forehead, Little Xizi advised again, “Your Majesty, it’s raining. You should go back. Your recent cold hasn’t fully recovered, and if you stay out like this, the Crown Prince will worry.”
Crown Prince Jiang Ye.
If you mention someone who can truly enter Jiang Yanchi’s ears now, it’s probably this eight-year-old Crown Prince.
Jiang Yanchi turned over the railing, seemingly falling, frightening Little Xizi with a jump. He saw the emperor sitting steadily at the stone table, carefully wiping the chessboard with his sleeves.
“How is the Crown Prince’s studies?”
“Grand Tutor Zhao personally teaches him, so it’s good. Just the other day, he wrote a lengthy essay on Changhuafu, and although the wording is still a bit green, the meaning is excellent. He received praise from several scholars.”
Jiang Yanchi’s expression eased slightly.
In fact, when the emperor brought up the old Shen family case at the end of last year, due to the intense wording of the imperial censors, he fell ill for half a month. From then until now, two full months had passed, and Little Xizi always felt that he seemed excessively absent-minded.
The case involving the Shen family was significant.
It was related to Yongan, the two emperors Xuanhe. It implicated the tragic national disaster more than thirty years ago.
Now those brutal memories had gradually faded as the older generation aged and passed away. Aside from the invasion by the Northern Xiongs ten years ago, there had been almost a decade without warfare.
People were forgetful. If something was forgotten, it stayed forgotten. Unless dug up, it would naturally cause a huge uproar.
If the Shen family case was reopened, who would bear the shame of the death of Emperor Yongan, the disgrace of the late prince’s head rolling down the long steps?
Jiang Yanchi knew.
But he was going to reopen it.
Little Xizi knew that he had an unsolvable knot in his heart, and it was related to Empress Xiaoyuan.
Last winter, the emperor began to bring up this old case again.
His mind seemed absent-minded, and it continued until now.
It was because that person died in the winter.
Fortunately, the pear blossoms had bloomed.
This winter had finally passed.
Little Xizi reached out to pick a pear blossom branch and handed it to Jiang Yanchi. “Your Majesty, it’s good to clear the Shen family’s name, but if you forcefully pursue it and cause unrest in the country, I’m afraid this is not what Empress Xiaoyuan would like to see. As long as Your Majesty governs well and takes care of yourself, he will naturally understand.”
Jiang Yanchi took the pear blossom, and just as a few drops of water fell from the eaves, scattering a few petals, it gently fell on the cold chessboard.
“I believe he never wanted Your Majesty to reopen the Shen family case. Your Majesty could have been more gradual.”
Yes.
What he wanted back then was only for Xu Chunmu to live.
To permanently rid himself of the identity of the Shen family and live on as a descendant of the Xu family.
The rain was indeed getting heavier, making a crackling sound on the eaves, staining the stone table with dark spots.
Suddenly, the wind rose, blowing off all the fragrant flowers from the tree.
“People need to leave some spare energy when living in the world. Your Majesty should plan for the long term. Don’t always be as willful as you were back then.”
However, Jiang Yanchi remained silent.
Marquis Xu did not leave the city overnight but stayed in the capital for a few more days under Little Xizi’s persuasion.
Unexpectedly, some changes occurred, and after getting soaked in the rain that night, Jiang Yanchi fell ill again. A few days later, he didn’t even get out of bed.
Now, the palace was in chaos.
When Little Xizi sent someone to invite Marquis Xu, his expression was anxious. Marquis Xu rushed with him, not even having time to change into morning court attire. Little Xizi reminded him, not to Chaoyang Hall o but to the Chengluan Hall.
“Why is it the Hall of Chengluan?”
“I don’t know. These days, His Majesty has been going out alone at night, wandering for a couple of hours and returning to Chengluan Hall by himself. He doesn’t sleep in the sleeping hall but stays in that side hall on a small couch, squeezing to sleep…”
Little Xizi’s worried expression seemed unabated. He approached a bit, raised his hand to whisper a few words near Marquis Xu’s lips, “In the past few days, there was a late spring chill, and it snowed. This is life-threatening. His Majesty always says, ‘Don’t go in, and if you come in, it would make a fuss.’ Eighty percent is troubles by nightmares. Marquis, should we invite a monk from Lingyu Temple to come and perform a ritual in the palace?”
“I’ll go check on His Majesty first.”
Marquis Xu felt uneasy listening to this and stepped into Chengluan Hall. Indeed, he saw Jiang Yanchi huddled on a small couch in that corner. His hands were still twisting the bedding, half of his face buried in the quilt, his crown and hair still unkempt, and a faint smell of alcohol wafting from him.
“Your Majesty.”
He called out to him gently, not daring to overstep, but the man couldn’t be awakened. The imperial physician, who had been kicked out by Jiang Yanchi earlier for making too much noise when entering, was now kneeling outside, unsure whether to stay or leave.
Marquis Xu had no choice but to ask Little Xizi to invite the Crown Prince and then decided to let the imperial physicians come in to check the emperor’s pulse.
Jiang Yanchi woke up, and with a glance, he saw Marquis Xu.
He still had a inch-long stubble on his chin, clearly in his early thirties, but he always looked like an old man full of vigor.
“Marquis Xu, why are you here?”
“Your Majesty, let’s return to Chaoyang Hall.” Marquis Xu respectfully saluted, getting straight to the point.
Marquis Xu guarded the room, and Jiang Yanchi, in a rare good mood, waited for the physicians to finish examining him before driving them out. The room was quiet and empty, leaving only him and Marquis Xu.
“Your Majesty, there’s no need to rush to reopen the Shen family case. This matter will shake the foundation of the country and only make Your Majesty bear the crimes of impiety and disloyalty. Moreover, the person has been dead for more than ten years. Your Majesty doesn’t need to hold on like this.”
He spoke straightforwardly, without any detours.
Jiang Yanchi felt a faint pain in his chest, but he heard the wind passing through the pearl curtains, making a delicate tapping sound.
Like the sound of a zither.
It was strange; lately, he seemed to hear zither music often.
“Has it been ten years?”
Jiang Yanchi coughed twice, his face showing a high feverish flush. He motioned for Marquis Xu to come closer, but the man remained motionless. “Probably, I can’t remember very well.”
“Royal Father!”
A child’s cry came from the door, interrupting their conversation. Marquis Xu restrained himself, no longer mentioning the matter, but Jiang Yanchi invited the Crown Prince to come over, sat up, and even hugged him.
“Royal Father, you’re sick. You should go to Chaoyang Hall to rest.”
Jiang Yanchi’s voice was very gentle, with a touch of vicissitudes. “Royal Father is fine, cough…”
“Royal Father, is there anything urgent you want to discuss with Marquis Xu? Ah Ye will wait outside for now.”
Jiang Yanchi, however, did not let go of his hand.
Speaking in a low voice, glancing at Xu Chunmu with his peripheral vision, he said, “You are my Crown Prince, the future emperor of the nation. What can you not hear.”
“The turmoil of Yongan did not arise because of the Shen family. In the end, this sin should not be borne by the Shen family… cough, cough, I just want to give the General’s Mansion justice for a hundred years. Do you also think that I am wrong?” Jiang Yanchi’s lips turned pale, and he looked at Xu Chunmu’s side profile with his eyes raised. Under the moonlight, long eyelashes covered those clear and poignant eyes.
“You are not seeking justice for the Shen family’s innocence.”
Xu Chunmu’s jaw tightened, never meeting the emperor’s gaze. “You are pursuing a personal wish.”
“He is already dead. And now, I belong to the Xu family. The matter was settled ten years ago. Even if you reopen the case, who will care?”
“I care.”
Jiang Yanchi tightened his teeth, responding word by word, “I want him to live in this world with an open and clear conscience.”
“But he is already dead!”
Xu Chunmu’s voice was sharp, shaking Jiang Ye, who shrank into the emperor’s embrace. Xu Chunmu’s face tightened, he calmed his breath before saying, “Reopening the case is unnecessary. It will disturb the court and the common people, only creating uncertainty. Ultimately, it is fulfilling your personal desires, Your Majesty, please be more cautious.”
“You are from the Xu family, raised by them. But he, until his death, was a member of the Shen family.”
Xu Chunmu couldn’t make Jiang Yanchi understand these reasons.
Just as he stepped out of the hall, he unexpectedly stepped into a thin layer of snow.
He looked up and saw the vague sight of snow falling in the night sky.
This should be the last snowfall of the year.
The door was pushed open, and Jiang Yanchi, through Xu Chunmu’s figure, saw the falling snow outside. Suddenly, his coughing worsened.
Xu Chunmu didn’t leave immediately.
Listening to the urgent coughing, he eventually turned around and re-entered the hall, closing the door behind him.
Jiang Yanchi smiled and rubbed the little prince’s head to comfort him. He said to Xu Chunmu, “You and him always put on an unfriendly appearance. But in the end, your hearts are soft.”
The emperor instructed Little Xizi to relay a message to keep Xu Chunmu from leaving the capital. He naturally understood the purpose of this.
However, he had not inquired about court affairs for ten years, nor had he participated in any factional views.
He was content with his life in the northern border and didn’t care about the storms in the capital.
Now, Jiang Yanchi was at odds with the courtiers, and Grand Tutor Zhao remained neutral. They needed someone to break the deadlock.
“Alright, I will take charge of this last court session.”
Jiang Yanchi smiled, “Okay, then I’ll trouble Marquis Xu to act as the scoundrel for a while.”
Xu Chunmu furrowed his brows tightly for a while before seeming to exhale deeply from the depths of his heart. “Your Majesty, there’s really no need.”
“Ah Ye, Ah Ye, it’s late. Go to sleep.”
The Crown Prince turned around, saluted respectfully, bowed to Xu Chunmu, and then withdrew from the hall, escorted by Little Xizi, returning to his own sleeping quarters.
Watching the figure leisurely descending the steps, Jiang Yanchi asked, “What do you think of the Crown Prince, this child?”
“Crown Prince is gentle and filial, quite different from someone like Silan. Since Your Majesty is willing to adopt him, you must know him well. At the age of seven, the young prince is talented. Given time…”
Jiang Yanchi didn’t mention anything else but instead questioned about the phrase “given time,” directly putting Xu Chunmu on the spot.
He felt something was amiss and asked, “Has Your Majesty been feeling unwell recently?”
“Just casually asking. After all, there is only this child under my wing. If he turns out to be mediocre and succeeds the throne in the future, it will be up to you, Marquis, to guard the eight directions for him and take care of this nation.” Jiang Yanchi’s eyes were slightly intoxicated, and his speech sounded like a series of drunken ramblings.
Whether the fever came from drinking or an actual illness was unknown.
The conversation seemed subtle, and Xu Chunmu couldn’t quite fathom the deep meaning behind it.
However, he heard the emperor ask, “So, what do you think of Chu Xie as a person?”
Xu Chunmu’s eyes flickered, and after a while, he replied, “Your Majesty seems to have been fond of mentioning the past recently.”
“Well, do you think he has ever harbored feelings for me?”
The candle flame crackled, and shadows intertwined.
When asking this question, Jiang Yanchi’s tone was relaxed, as if he didn’t care much.
It even carried a bit of childishness.
But Xu Chunmu couldn’t withstand the gaze and the faint smile at the corner of his lips. He always felt there was something profound behind them.
“I do not know.”
Amidst the falling snowflakes, Xu Chunmu left the palace. Looking back after a long time, he felt the vast night sky, with the Chengluan Hall empty, and only a candle lit in the sleeping quarters, emitted the only light.
Several days later, Xu Chunmu attended court again.
As a border marquis, he had no decree to enter the court, let alone interfere with internal court decisions. However, for some reason, he clearly expressed his stance on re-examining the Shen family’s case. Qi Sui, who held the position of Minister of Rites, did not look pleased and stared at Marquis Xu for a while.
After the court session, Qi Sui caught up to him, mocking, “I thought Marquis Xu was enjoying a prosperous and carefree life. It turns out you are eager to please His Majesty as well.”
Qi Sui’s words were quite disrespectful.
However, Xu Chunmu neither felt ashamed nor denied it.
He even remained unabashed.
“If the Shen family is truly innocent, should they bear the stigma forever?”
“And what about the cost? Have you considered the cost of reopening the case? If the foundation of the country is shaken, causing our two emperors to lose face and become a laughingstock throughout the ages, with the state and the hearts of the people in turmoil, is this the result you want?” Qi Sui sneered, “His Majesty’s love for his wife is hard to blame, but could it be that you are too?”
Qi Sui didn’t know Xu Chunmu’s true identity and was aware of some rumors from back then. He didn’t care whether he offended someone.
“The nation losing its radiance, the hearts of the people in turmoil, and losing face to become a laughingstock throughout the ages.” Xu Chunmu repeated these words, and when Qi Sui frowned, he responded with conviction, “This is not the cost of reopening the case.”
“This is the cost of Emperor Xuanhe, the price he paid for plotting to seize the throne.”
Qi Sui’s gaze froze.
He stood there motionless.
Xu Chunmu’s expression was stern. “It wasn’t your entire family that was killed. Otherwise, how could you, standing here, speak to me so self-righteously about the foundation of the country and the nation?”
“Shen family has been loyal and brave for a century. Is it worth sacrificing the entire clan for the ambitious son of a humble birth? Why?”
With determined steps, Xu Chunmu walked away, his hand firmly placed on the cold hilt of the sword.
Qi Sui seemed to still be trapped in Xu Chunmu’s gaze and couldn’t snap out of it.
Half a month later, due to the strong pressure from Marquis Xu Chunmu, the case of Shen’s rebellion was reopened.
This case, involving the royal family, foreign nations, the northern border, and the capital, was finally brought to light. Alongside it, evidence of collusion between the Zhao family Duke Yueguo and the Xiongnu was also unearthed. The entire clan was sentenced, except for Grand Tutor Zhao Xuan, who had already severed ties with his family and received a personal pardon from the emperor.
New willows drooped, creating ripples on the lake.
It was a beautiful spring.
Marquis Xu Chunmu had stayed in the capital for seven or eight months. Now that the case was closed, he was truly preparing to return to the Northern Border.
However, he suddenly heard news of the emperor falling seriously ill.
At that moment, he was practicing swordsmanship in the courtyard when the deputy commander rushed in, looking pale, to report this news. Xu Chunmu almost didn’t grasp the long sword in his hand. It was just over a month ago that he had seen Jiang Yanchi with his own eyes. The man was in good spirits, so how could he suddenly fall seriously ill?
Xu Chunmu immediately entered the palace.
When he saw Jiang Yanchi again, he realized that he indeed looked like a dying man.
“Your Majesty?!” Xu Chunmu walked closer in astonishment, only to hear the Crown Prince beside him choking up and calling him Father. He was asked to take the little prince away first. “What is going on here?”
Jiang Yanchi’s eyes had dark circles, and he laid in Chaoyang Hall. The morning dew was heavy, and the sunlight shone brightly on him.
Looking at the royal physician next to him, the physician only shook his head at Xu Chunmu and sighed.
Xu Chunmu didn’t know how a person could deteriorate so rapidly. Upon careful consideration, since the winter of the previous year, His Majesty’s health had not been good. That’s why he hurriedly proposed to reopen the Shen family’s case.
But how could it have come to this?
He was only twenty-eight years old, in the prime of his life.
“Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is still young…”
“Mm, I will trouble you to assist him well.”
“But Duan Niang Niang…”
“Send her out of the capital, to the Northern Border or the Western Border. In fact, she doesn’t like the capital much…”
Suddenly, Xu Chunmu understood.
Jiang Yanchi’s body and mind had long been depleted. For so many years, he had been waiting for the reopening of the Shen family’s old case, the moment when the dust settled.
Because of the death of the Empress, for so many years, Xu Chunmu had almost never shown Jiang Yanchi a good expression. Yet, he had always been gentle, calm, and seemingly without blame.
He originally thought it was guilt.
Even assumed that Jiang Yanchi wanted to reopen the case out of guilt.
In his heart, he was secretly angry. The person was already dead, so what did it matter now?
But he never thought that it wasn’t just simple guilt.
His heart had long died with the person who disappeared on that quiet snowy night so many years ago.
So, for so many years, he feared seeing the snow.
So, every winter, he would inevitably fall seriously ill.
Xu Chunmu was aware that he was somewhat slow in this regard, and only now did he understand the urgency of the situation. However, the emperor’s condition was deteriorating day by day.
“Injustice, it’s all injustice.”
The Marquis couldn’t help but sigh deeply, and unusually, a hint of rosy color appeared in his eyes.
“You and him, look quite alike.” Jiang Yanchi looked at Xu Chunmu’s eyes and sighed softly. “Why couldn’t I see it back then?”
“Let it be, let it be.”
Jiang Yanchi’s voice gradually lowered.
“There was something.”
Abruptly, a voice rang out in Chaoyang Hall, disturbing the emperor who was about to close his eyes.
His eyelids lifted, hollowly half-open.
“He had feelings for you.”
Those eyes moved for a moment, finally looking at Xu Chunmu beside the bed, and the eyelashes trembled slightly. “What… what did you say.”
The Adam’s apple moved up and down, and Xu Chunmu, who never spoke empty words, was already in his forties and had experienced the vicissitudes of life. At this moment, he couldn’t help but choke up and said softly, “Puyang County, my grandfather rebelled that time.”
“The messenger who reported it from the Prince of Yubei’s mansion was not sent by Jiang Silan at all, but by Chu Xie. At that time, we could have avoided alarming my grandfather and let him escape. However, he insisted on testing Prince Yubei’s attitude at the city gate, persuading the Prince Yubei’s mansion guards to report to the capital… We were discovered by the Xu family’s secret guards because of this, chased along the way, and even fell off a cliff…”
“Your Majesty could take the initiative back then, seize the opportunity, and take over in the chaos, it was Chu Xie who helped you. He transmitted the message to the capital. He never abandoned you. In every turmoil, he did his best to help you.”
When these words were finished, when Xu Chunmu looked up again, the person in front of him had already closed his eyes.
His face looked peaceful.
—Time passed, and the hall was incredibly quiet.
Emperor Jinghe, passed away in the summer of the tenth year of Jinghe, at the age of twenty-eight.
His heir, Crown Prince Jiang Ye, who was adopted from another branch of the family, ascended to the throne in his youth. With the assistance of Grand Tutor Zhao Xuan and Marquis Xu Chunmu, after fully implementing Emperor Jinghe’s political reforms, reducing taxes, and lightening penalties, the shadows of the Yongan Rebellion thirty years ago were finally swept away.
The Great Wei finally ushered in an era of revival.
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