By the time Zhen Jun’s convoy arrived outside the walls of Puyang, the sky had turned pitch black and the city gates had long since been shut tight.
The convoy found a sheltered clearing outside the city and stopped there, and the servants began to light fires and prepare food.
“Sir.” Ji Huan finally seized the moment when Zhen Jun was no longer present. “Are you really going into the city? I may be a crude fellow, but even I know that this trip is likely to be more ill than auspicious… Have you thought of a plan?”
Song Chuyi laughed. “If I lacked even this much courage, how could I ever talk of maneuvering across the realms?”
These days, aspiring scholars all had to harbor the ambition to toy with the realm as though it were a plaything in the palm of their hands, and at the same time they had to be prepared at any moment to sacrifice their lives and shed their blood for that ideal. That was why they could remain composed.
A scholar must sometimes live on even if it meant fighting dogs for food, sometimes take blame and end his own life over a single ill-chosen word, and sometimes, simply because spirits clicked, swear a pact of life and death with another…
Hence the saying: A scholar dies for one who understands him.
“Sir…” Ji Huan had never feared death, and he understood the free-spiritedness of scholars, but he found it remarkable that a woman could be so free of spirit as to hold her own life so lightly.
The warm, leaping firelight cast a layer of warmth over Song Chuyi’s face, and the dancing flames were reflected in her eyes, sweeping away all her usual laziness.
No matter how casual she might be ordinarily, when it came to matters that demanded seriousness, she would never be the least bit negligent.
“Master Song, come try the roast mutton. This sheep is one I brought from Yiqu – it’s very plump and fine.” Zhen Jun personally carried over a clay plate bearing a large, golden-brown lamb leg glistening with fat, its savory aroma wafting up and instantly whetting the appetite.
Song Chuyi cut off a piece with a knife and put it in her mouth, praising, “Delicious.”
“What are your plans after entering the city, master? I have a fair amount of wealth, and my courtyard is decent enough. If you don’t mind, why not come stay as a guest at my home?” Zhen Jun filled a cup of wine for her.
From their brief time together, Song Chuyi had formed a good impression of Zhen Jun. Many great merchants liked to befriend scholars and were generous with their patronage, because if a scholar later took office in any state, he could show them some consideration in their business affairs. Zhen Jun probably had this aim as well, but he made friends with sincerity, so it did not put people off.
“You treat me with such warmth, and I would not have wished to decline, but once I enter the city, I’m afraid I will not be free to act as I please.” Song Chuyi took a sip of the warm wine, feeling comfortable all over, and raised her cup to Zhen Jun. “When my business is done another day, I will certainly call on you at your home.”
“Since that is so, I will not press you. I wish you all the best.” Zhen Jun tilted his head back and drained his cup in one go.
Song Chuyi did the same.
The night wind rustled, and after a hearty bout of drinking, Song Chuyi climbed into the carriage and slept soundly through the night.
The next morning, after entering the city along with the convoy, she and Zhen Jun parted ways.
After that, Song Chuyi did not head straight back to Longgu Residence. Instead, she found a tavern to sit in and first inquired about the news within Puyang.
Had she not asked, she would not have known – and what she heard was alarming. She and Ji Huan had barely sat down for long when Ji Huan grew restless. Truly, there was no end to the rumors, and every one of them was words unfavorable to Song Chuyi.
Under such circumstances, was there still a chance to turn things around?
Song Chuyi’s brows gradually drew together as well. By now she had confirmed who had set this in motion. She remembered that Min Chi most loved to make use of connections; he had stayed in Puyang for so long that he must have had many resources at his disposal. Still, that he could employ such methods at such a young age truly gave her a “surprise.”
The situation was more serious than she had imagined, so Song Chuyi decided not to return to Longgu Residence for the time being. Outside, she still had some room to maneuver; if she were truly put under watch, she would be at others’ mercy.
Outside the tavern, the morning sunlight shone brightly and the strong wine was mellow, yet neither could drive away the chill.
In Handan of Zhao, after many days of freezing, there was now the warmth of spring. Outside the city, corpses piled up like mountains, giving off the stench of blood and decay, and some soldiers were clearing the battlefield.
The great battle had already come to an end. Gongzi Fan had taken the royal city, and the Marquis of Zhao had been forced to flee.
Although the military tally and the state seal were still in hand, Gongzi Fan could never feel at ease without having captured the Marquis of Zhao. So while suppressing the news, he sent men to pursue and capture him. A secret order was issued: whoever could cut off the Marquis of Zhao’s head, regardless of birth or station, would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households.
On the other hand, he began to coerce the court officials into installing Gongzi Ke as ruler.
In the lavish and solemn great hall, Gongzi Fan wore a dark brown brocade robe of rich embroidery, with a high crown and broad sash, and had a seat set up three meters directly in front of the ruler’s throne. Leaning slantingly against the armrest, he extended his hand for a serving maid to buff his nails, and said in a lazy voice, “Installing Gongzi Ke as ruler – does anyone still object?”
The great hall fell into complete silence. Fine beads of sweat broke out on the forehead of the serving maid buffing Gongzi Fan’s nails, because the only sound in the entire hall was the scrape-scrape of the nail buffing.
“Look how you’ve frightened my little beauty.” Gongzi Fan withdrew his hand and pulled the serving maid into his embrace, reaching out to stroke her pretty face, and said softly, “Since none of you have any objections…”
“Scum!” A general slammed the table and rose to his feet, saying coldly, “If Zhao falls into the hands of scum like you, it won’t last three years. I will never submit.”
“A true man of spirit.” Gongzi Fan nodded and smiled faintly. “Men, drag him out and find a dozen or so men to service this fine fellow.”
“Service,” of course, could not mean finding catamites – but rather…
The faces of everyone present turned even uglier. This Gongzi Fan was truly vicious. What he was doing was a thing to cut off descendants and end bloodlines. If he wanted to kill, then kill – a chopped-off head was just a bowl-sized scar – yet he would humiliate a man like this.
“Shameless wretch!” The general struck a posture of fighting to the death.
All the military officers’ weapons had been taken away, so he could only fight bare-handed.
More than ten swordsmen entered, and the two sides faced off for a moment before the general took the initiative to attack. Gongzi Fan had considered the day’s circumstances: those guards were simply no match for the general, so to save time and make the fight more entertaining to watch, he had specially prepared swordsmen of superb skill.
Gongzi Fan propped up his head with one hand and watched this hand-to-hand struggle with a smile on his face.
The general also realized that he was being toyed with like a monkey in a show. Unwilling to endure the humiliation, he gritted his teeth and, seizing the moment when a swordsman swung his blade in attack, suddenly surged forward. The blade passed through a gap in his armor, its force weakened, and the general actually seized the swordsman’s hands with both of his own and viciously pushed the sword into his own chest.
Blood immediately sprayed out like rain.
No one dodged; all squeezed their eyes shut, unable to bear the sight.
Gongsun Gu stared at this scene, secretly gritting his teeth. That faithless petty man Song Huaijin’s promises were not even as loud as a fart.
“Tsk, what a pity.” Gongzi Fan looked around the hall. “Who else has objections?”
As he spoke, he looked toward a certain silent chancellor, Gongsun Pi. “The old chancellor is the head of the hundred officials. Shouldn’t you express your stance?”
Gongsun Pi retorted expressionlessly with mockery, “Does the young master also intend to find a dozen or so strong men to service me?”
Gongsun Pi’s retainers and students were spread across the various states, and he himself was highly esteemed by many scholars, so Gongzi Fan naturally did not dare to do something that would incur the condemnation of scholars throughout the realm. He therefore smiled faintly and said, “What are you saying? How about I prepare a dozen or so beauties instead?”
“Hmph.” Gongsun Pi would no longer entangle himself with him on this matter, and said coldly, “Since a new ruler is to be installed, why have we still not seen the face of the new ruler to this very day? Gongzi Ke is already seventeen – no longer a child. Does this matter still require the young master to handle everything on his behalf?”
With these words, Gongsun Pi directly pushed Gongzi Fan out of the picture, showing him not the slightest bit of courtesy.
In his heart, Gongzi Fan wished he could hack this old fellow to pieces, yet on the surface he still wore a warm and genial air. “The old chancellor is indeed perceptive.”
He raised his voice and said, “Go invite Gongzi Ke.”
