By the third watch of the night, most households in the capital had already gone to sleep, leaving the city shrouded in darkness. Yet the Ye residence remained brightly lit.
Steward Li carried a lantern at the front, accompanied by Deng Yun, the Fang brothers, and more than a dozen others waiting at the gates. The moment the carriage stopped, they immediately rushed forward.
The curtain was lifted, and Ye Jinghua’s face emerged from the darkness. His gaze swept across Steward Li’s anxious expression, and before the man could speak, he said: “Where is he?”
Naturally, Steward Li knew who he meant. “He already left the city three hours ago!”
After speaking, he nervously watched Ye Jinghua’s expression.
Ye Jinghua paused. In less than a breath’s time, he coldly gave the order: “Deng Yun, Fang Li, you each take ten men out of the city to pursue him.” Ye Jinghua’s expression was severe. “He should not have reached Nanyang yet.”
Deng Yun and Fang Li, whose names had been called, froze for a moment before immediately turning to fetch horses. But Zhao Yan, standing behind Ye Jinghua, suddenly stepped forward and blocked them. “No! You cannot go!”
Fang Li and Deng Yun frowned deeply, just about to rebuke him, when Steward Li anxiously cried out: “Young Master, absolutely not!”
Cold sweat covered his forehead as he urged Ye Jinghua: “Baozhu took an imperial decree with him to assume office! I personally examined it, the seals were all complete. It absolutely cannot be forged! Obstructing an official from taking up his post is a capital crime! We absolutely cannot do such a thing, Young Master!”
Hearing this, Fang Li and Deng Yun were both stunned. Once they understood, cold sweat instantly broke out across their backs. Neither had considered that angle. That was right, the current dynasty greatly valued civil officials. To prevent incidents such as officials being abducted by bandits while traveling to their posts, a law had specifically been established. If they pursued Zhao Baozhu and were seen by someone with ill intentions who reported them to the authorities–-
That was a crime punishable by execution.
The two men’s faces paled as they looked toward Ye Jinghua.
He stood there expressionlessly, his jade-like face utterly devoid of emotion, his starry eyes dark as deep pools.
Two breaths later, his tightly clenched jaw shifted slightly. Suddenly, he turned and grabbed the reins hanging from the horse’s neck.
“I’ll go myself.” Ye Jinghua said.
He had suppressed himself to the limit, but at the end of his sentence anger finally leaked through beyond his control.
The scene fell silent for a brief instant, then exploded like water poured into boiling oil.
Zhao Yan was the first to rush forward, grabbing the horse’s reins with both hands and forcibly resisting Ye Jinghua’s strength as he shouted: “Second Young Master, you must not!”
Ye Jinghua seemed to have lost all reason. Sweeping a cold gaze over him, he barked sharply: “Let go!”
Deng Yun, Fang Li, and the others rushed forward a step later. Forgetting all propriety, they all grabbed hold of Ye Jinghua together. Steward Li dropped heavily to his knees with a thud, clutching Ye Jinghua’s robe hem with both hands. The moment he looked up, tears streamed down his face.
“Young Master, Young Master, even if this old servant’s worthless life means nothing, I beg you, for the sake of Master and Madam, do not go! What Baozhu carries is an imperial decree! If it truly was His Majesty’s order sending him there, then if we rashly pursue him, that would be defying an imperial edict!!”
Steward Li had served the Ye family for many years and had personally witnessed the court’s open and hidden struggles back in earlier days. His political instincts far surpassed those of the other servants.
The moment he saw the imperial decree in Zhao Baozhu’s hands, countless implications had flashed through his mind. It was already unusual for the Ministry of Personnel to assign posts at this time, yet among all the newly graduated jinshi, only Zhao Baozhu alone had been assigned one, and to such a barren, remote, miserable place!
Unless someone blind within the Ministry of Personnel had committed some dirty scheme, then the only explanation was that the emperor had deliberately singled Zhao Baozhu out and dispatched him there.
Although the emperor had always doted upon Ye Jinghua, imperial favor was impossible to predict. Steward Li feared that Emperor Yuanzhi was displeased over Ye Jinghua previously refusing to sit the examinations, or perhaps even more dissatisfied by his preference for men, and had therefore intentionally sent Zhao Baozhu far away.
If that were truly the case, then there was likely also an element of testing involved. Steward Li did not dare imagine what would happen if Ye Jinghua truly defied the imperial will and chased after Zhao Baozhu,
Even if he had to throw away his own life, he would stop him today no matter what!!
Seeing Steward Li go so far, the servants outside the residence immediately dropped to their knees in waves. Pages and maidservants kowtowed frantically. Deng Yun, Fang Li, and Fang Qin all rushed forward to kneel before Ye Jinghua as well, pleading with one voice for him to stay.
Ye Jinghua stood before the kneeling crowd with one hand gripping the reins. Veins bulged on the back of his hand, and gloom clouded his entire expression.
While kowtowing, Deng Yun accidentally glanced at Ye Jinghua’s eyes and instantly felt as though he had fallen into an ice pit. A thought flashed through his mind.
He actually felt that Ye Jinghua wanted to kick aside everyone blocking his path.
Immediately, Deng Yun lowered his head. As his forehead touched the icy flagstones, he shivered.
…Why had he thought that?
The Young Master had always treated servants extremely well and never beat or cursed them.
Yet for that brief instant, Deng Yun had truly believed Ye Jinghua wanted to strike someone.
Outside the Ye residence, the sounds of kowtowing and desperate pleading became endless. Ye Jinghua stood in the center of a sea of kneeling servants, his face beneath the moonlight cold as carved jade. Watching everyone before him, his tightly set jaw shifted slightly.
But at that moment, a sharp female voice suddenly rang out: “What madness are you causing now?!”
Deng Yun paused mid-kowtow and turned, bloodied forehead raised. He saw Madam Ye approaching like a storm, jewels in her hair jingling brightly, a richly embroidered cloak draped over her shoulders and a pomegranate-red gauze skirt swirling around her as she led a crowd of servants forward.
The moment Steward Li saw her, it was like seeing the stabilizing needle of the sea. “Madam–”
He collapsed weakly to the ground.
Madam Ye strode over and rapidly surveyed the situation. Her willow brows rose sharply as she glared furiously at Ye Jinghua and shouted: “Let go at once! The city gates have long since been locked for the night. If you are not afraid of being shot dead by patrolling guards in a hail of arrows, then go ahead! I’ll simply pretend I never gave birth to a son like you!”
Only then did Ye Jinghua’s gaze fall upon her.
Even Madam Ye, furious as she was, froze upon meeting his eyes. It was as though a bucket of icy water had been dumped over her head, halting the anger in her expression.
The cries of the kneeling servants abruptly stopped. Everyone held their breath anxiously as they watched the two facing each other.
Madam Ye’s beautiful eyes blazed with fury, reflecting Ye Jinghua’s incomparably handsome face. Her lashes trembled slightly, and tears unexpectedly gathered at the corners of her eyes as she said in a shaking voice: “If you insist on going today, then step over your mother’s corpse first!”
At those words, Ye Jinghua’s brows trembled violently.
After a long while, he slowly closed his eyes, as though suppressing some overwhelming emotion. His lashes quivered several times.
At last, he finally released the reins clenched in his hand.
***
At the same time, the palace banquet had reached its end as the music and dancing concluded.
The zhuangyuan had left early. The tanhua lacked the emperor’s favor. Chang Shouguang, burdened with important responsibilities, had no choice but to accompany the emperor in drinking several more cups.
His alcohol tolerance was excellent. Even after finishing an entire jar of strong liquor, his face did not redden in the slightest. Emperor Yuanzhi, however, was already past fifty. His cheeks were flushed red from drink, and when Eunuch Xia supported him back to Jinluan Hall, even his footsteps drifted unsteadily.
After sitting down and drinking sobering soup served by Eunuch Xia, Emperor Yuanzhi held his forehead and let out a long sigh. “I’m old, old. I can’t compare to those young fellows anymore…”
Eunuch Xia immediately replied: “Your Majesty is in the prime of life, how could you possibly be old?”
Emperor Yuanzhi rubbed his temples and waved a hand.
“No good anymore. Look at that boy from the Chang family, even after half a jar of wine his eyes didn’t so much as blink. I’m no longer useful.”
Eunuch Xia laughed and leaned closer teasingly. “Oh, Your Majesty, among everyone in the banquet hall just now, who could compare to Young Master Chang’s drinking capacity? This old servant watched carefully, among all the younger officials, not one could drink like him!”
The emperor laughed at that and scolded jokingly: “They’re all drunken hooligans raised among old soldiers.”
Then he frowned again, still seeming uncomfortable. Seeing this, Eunuch Xia softly asked: “In that case… should this old servant invite Consort Chen over?”
At those words, Emperor Yuanzhi paused mid-motion. After considering briefly, he said: “Forget it. It’s too late to disturb her. Besides, she dislikes the smell of alcohol.”
Eunuch Xia nodded, inwardly marveling again at the depth of Consort Chen’s favor. The emperor sat quietly for a while longer. Just as palace maids approached to help him change clothes, he suddenly opened his eyes.
“Tell me… didn’t Huiqing seem somewhat unhappy today?”
Hearing this, Eunuch Xia’s heart abruptly skipped a beat. Only after a brief pause did he raise his head in surprise. “This… this old servant’s eyes are dull. Young Master Ye has always been like that, so… so I truly couldn’t tell anything.”
This was not a lie. Ye Jinghua was ordinarily an extremely composed person and possessed an exceptionally subtle mind. Even in the face of tremendous joy, his expression barely changed. Though he had spoken somewhat less during today’s banquet, that was hardly unusual. Eunuch Xia genuinely had not noticed anything.
Hearing this, Emperor Yuanzhi neither agreed nor disagreed. Though traces of wine lingered on his face, clarity, and a faint sharpness, still remained within his tiger-like eyes. After a moment of silence, he turned to Eunuch Xia and said: “Send a few people to take a look.”
Eunuch Xia bowed in acknowledgment and slowly withdrew. Once outside the hall, he immediately summoned several apprentices and instructed them: “Go to the Ye residence later, and bring a few good medicinal ingredients along. If they say Young Master Ye is already asleep, just say you’ve come to deliver medicine.”
Watching them disappear into the darkness, Eunuch Xia slowly exhaled.
Serving a ruler is like serving a tiger…
He silently repeated the phrase ten times in his heart.
In recent years, Emperor Yuanzhi had grown older. With an outstanding legitimate son like the Crown Prince, countless beauties in his harem, and a beloved youngest child cherished beyond measure, his temperament had softened far beyond what it had been in his youth.
Living under such peaceful days for too long had dulled even Eunuch Xia’s instincts.
Closing his eyes, Eunuch Xia shook his head and recalled the emperor decades earlier when he had first ascended the throne, what thunderous methods he had used as a mere youth to secure his footing amidst the tiger-and-wolf-like scrutiny of uncles and brothers alike.
Thinking this, Eunuch Xia suddenly raised a hand and slapped himself.
He truly had to sharpen his vigilance again!
***
Meanwhile, the Ye residence remained brightly illuminated. All the servants, including the Fang brothers and Deng Yun, were kneeling outside the room. Inside, only Steward Li and Yueqin remained to attend.
Madam Ye paced anxiously back and forth through the room, the ornaments in her hair chiming continuously. Every so often she would stop to glance at Ye Jinghua, who sat silently beside the table, sigh deeply, then resume pacing.
Yueqin hardly dared breathe. After serving tea, she stood silently at the side.
Steward Li knelt on the floor, face full of guilt. Seeing Ye Jinghua seated with one hand supporting himself against the table, half his face hidden in shadow, Steward Li could only vaguely make out the tightly furrowed brows and the faint trace of dejection hidden in his posture.
Steward Li’s eyes reddened. At last unable to endure the guilt in his heart any longer, he slammed his forehead heavily against the ground and cried out mournfully: “It was all this old servant’s fault for ruining everything! Please punish me, Madam, Young Master, even if you take this old servant’s life!”
Hearing this, Madam Ye paused mid-step and frowned. “Steward Li, what are you saying? How could this possibly be blamed on you? Quickly, get up.”
But Steward Li refused to rise. Keeping his forehead pressed to the floor, he said in a muffled voice: “Failing to recognize Baozhu’s identity was this old servant’s negligence; afterward, privately switching the Young Master’s letters only added another grave offense. I committed an unforgivable wrong, if I do not die, I cannot atone for my crimes!”
He raised his head, eyes bloodshot, and looked toward Ye Jinghua seated above. “This old servant’s worthless life is not worth pitying. I only hope Young Master and Madam will not grieve because of my mistakes. If my death could ease Young Master’s anger, then even dying ten thousand times, this old servant would willingly do it!”
After speaking, Steward Li heavily kowtowed once more. Prostrating himself on the floor, he truly looked like a man calmly awaiting death.
Seeing this, even Yueqin, standing to the side, could not help but feel moved. Her eyes reddened slightly, and she hurriedly lowered her head, hiding her expression behind a handkerchief.
Madam Ye looked at him and let out a long sigh. Things had become such a mess that it was impossible to say whose fault it truly was. Who could ever have imagined that a casually picked-up little beggar would turn out to be a juren scholar? And not only that, he had properly passed the metropolitan examination and become a jinshi.
If Zhao Baozhu had merely remained in the residence as an innocent servant, then at most they could have prepared generous gifts to apologize for their mistreatment. But her son…
After this incident, Madam Ye had originally intended to separate the two for a while, let Ye Jinghua cool down, and then slowly make plans afterward.
Yet now this had happened instead.
The moment she heard Zhao Baozhu had been dispatched to Qingzhou as an official, she knew matters had turned bad. A few days ago, merely knowing where Zhao Baozhu was had already driven Ye Jinghua into such a state, now the man was being sent somewhere so distant,
With three parts anger and seven parts caution in her eyes, Madam Ye raised her gaze to examine Ye Jinghua’s expression.
Only after a long pause did Ye Jinghua seem to fully process what Steward Li had said. Tilting his head slightly, his gaze rested briefly on the steward.
After a while, he slowly spoke: “Yueqin, escort Steward Li back.”
Yueqin froze, then instinctively looked toward Madam Ye. Seeing her nod, she stepped forward to help Steward Li up and guide him toward the doorway.
Steward Li was truly overwhelmed with guilt and grief. His leg was twisted as well, and leaning on Yueqin, he limped awkwardly toward the threshold. Just as they reached it, Ye Jinghua’s low voice sounded from behind them: “There is no need to mention this matter again in the future.”
Steward Li halted mid-step, his heart violently shaken. He abruptly turned back, but could not clearly make out Ye Jinghua’s expression. His eyes reddened further, the deep wrinkles at the corners trembling faintly. Countless words clogged his throat, impossible to speak aloud.
In the end, he merely shut his mouth tightly, trembling, and turned away as Yueqin slowly helped him lift his leg over the threshold.
Ye Jinghua knew Zhao Baozhu’s official appointment had nothing to do with Steward Li.
And Steward Li himself knew clearly that once he stepped out this gate today, he would never return again.
Switching the Young Master’s letters and concealing Zhao Baozhu’s identity had already been crimes deserving death. Ye Jinghua’s decision not to pursue the matter and instead allow him to remain in the residence had been a chance to redeem himself by properly caring for Baozhu.
Yet in the end, he had failed even to keep watch over the man.
What Steward Li had said earlier about dying to atone was no empty statement. He had truly prepared himself for such an ending.
Fortunately, Ye Jinghua still retained a trace of mercy.
Limping out of the residence, Steward Li raised his head for one final look at the plaque hanging above the gates behind him.
Then, at last, he turned away.
He feared he would never return to the Ye residence again.
***
At last, only mother and son remained inside the room.
Madam Ye stopped pacing. Her gaze settled on Ye Jinghua’s slightly lowered shoulders and back, and she let out another long sigh. She did not even know how many times she had sighed today, all because of this disappointing son of hers.
Within the silence filling the room, Madam Ye slowly walked over and sat beside Ye Jinghua.
For a time, neither spoke.
Calming incense burned within the room. Fearing Ye Jinghua might try to leave again, they had burned it somewhat too heavily, making the air slightly stifling.
The tea Yueqin had brewed half a quarter-hour earlier sat quietly upon the table between them, already cold.
Red candles illuminated Madam Ye’s face, her makeup slightly faded. Though she remained strikingly beautiful, faint traces of age had begun to gather at the corners of her brows and eyes.
At this moment, tears shimmered within her eyes as she sat beneath the candlelight, dignified as a jade Guanyin statue.
“From the moment I gave birth to you, I knew this day would come sooner or later.”
After a long silence, Madam Ye finally spoke slowly. “Since childhood, you have possessed more wisdom than others. The entire family supported you, His Majesty favored you, and everything in life went smoothly for you. You came to believe that all things lay within your control.”
Under the candlelight, Madam Ye tilted her head slightly. With helplessness and pity mingled in her gaze, she looked at Ye Jinghua and slowly continued: “You are so intelligent, and you taught him to study every day. How could you possibly fail to see the depth of his learning?”
Ye Jinghua suddenly paused and slowly turned his head toward her.
By candlelight, Madam Ye caught sight of the faint redness hidden in his eyes, and her heart ached again. Yet no matter how much pain she felt, there were words she had to say as a mother.
Meeting the icy, star-like eyes of her youngest son, she said clearly, word by word: “You are such a genius, yet you failed to notice all the doubts surrounding him. You had already become confused.”
Madam Ye gazed steadily at her youngest son, and her voice unconsciously softened: “And in this world, there is only one thing capable of making people lose their clarity.”
“Love.”
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