Half a Spoiler Chapter 116

Under house arrest, Chu Sui was immensely bored.

Dian Wue wished to recruit Chu Sui for his own purposes, so he ensured she never lacked for food or clothing – but that was all. For a scholar of Great Zhou, material necessities were not enough; there had to be some fulfillment of the spirit as well. Yet in this place, there were no books or paper she could use to express her thoughts. Even if there had been, Chu Sui would not have felt safe using them – she feared that Dian Wue and his men might use her handwriting and writings to deceive the imperial court.

At this thought, Chu Sui inwardly mocked herself. When she had been forcibly taken, her manuscripts had fallen into the hands of Yu Gao and others. If they intended to use those writings to mislead the world, they had likely already done so by now.

Just as Chu Sui was lost in thought, she suddenly spotted a flicker of lantern light approaching from outside.

Few had the privilege to visit the place where Chu Sui was held under house arrest. When the door swung open, it was indeed Yu Gao who stepped inside. He cupped his hands respectfully toward Chu Sui and greeted her politely, “How has Your Excellency been faring here?”

Chu Sui forced a cold smile. “Have you come just to ask about that?”

Yu Gao chuckled, tucking his hands into his sleeves with an air of casual conversation. “In your former days at Jianping, you had access to the court. Tell me, what kind of temperament does our current emperor truly possess?”

“…”

It was not out of reluctance or deliberate concealment, but rather, Chu Sui truly did not know the answer to this question.

As a descendant of the main line of the Chu family, she had indeed spent some time in Jianping and had mingled with members of the imperial family in the past. However, back then, Wen Yanran – the Ninth Princess – had barely made any impression. Based on her demeanor at the time, she seemed low-key and reserved. Yet, upon ascending the throne, she had displayed such sharpness and decisiveness, which was truly difficult to believe.

Yu Gao remarked, “The present emperor is deep and cunning. Before her accession, she never revealed her true self. Now, having assumed the throne, she concentrates all power in her own hands. For ministers at court, having such a suspicious and ruthless sovereign is far from ideal.”

“Suspicious and ruthless” was a common assessment many held of Wen Yanran. When Chu Sui left the southern lands, it was after news of the death of Great Master Xuanyang arrived. Xuanyangzi had been a renowned Daoist master – even Wen Jinming had treated him with respect. Even during the reign of Emperor Li, while he might not have won the Emperor’s full trust, he would still have received some favor. Yet, upon encountering Wen Yanran, he was directly executed within the residence of the Marquis Dong. Reflecting on it now, it was truly unexpected.

“Since you have already risen in revolt, regret now is far too late. Whether the Emperor is ruthless or not holds little relevance for you.”

Yu Gao could hear the subtle mockery in Chu Sui’s words.

She was right – those in Hengping County were now rebels. If the young emperor in Jianping emerged victorious, almost everyone from Dian Wue downward would likely lose their heads. Key figures like Yu Gao, in accordance with imperial law, would not only be executed themselves, but their entire clans would face public disgrace. There was indeed no need to dwell too much on Wen Yanran’s temperament.

Yu Gao smiled faintly. “Do you think I am worrying for myself?” He shook his head slightly. “You remain here in the eastern lands, delayed in your return. Given the young emperor’s character, she has likely already conceived some cruel intentions toward your family.”

Chu Sui’s composure was generally steady, but upon hearing these words, her expression involuntarily shifted.

Yu Gao carefully observed the change in her demeanor and continued, “Your uncle has always been loyal to the Marquis of Quanling. His service to the so-called false emperor now is merely a temporary expedient…”

Before he could finish, Chu Sui cut him off impatiently, “Whether Her Majesty is a false emperor or not – others may not know, but surely you and I do?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Gao withdrew the faint smile from his face and replied coolly, “The distinction between true and false depends on victory: the victor is true, the vanquished false.” He then added, “Could it be that you genuinely do not wish for the eastern lands to succeed? If the young emperor wins, the Chu clan will most likely be convicted and imprisoned, and even your family’s young ones would suffer misfortune. On the other hand, if the Heavenly Might General gains the throne, even if only to put on a show of magnanimity, he would treat your family with favor.”

Upon hearing these words, a flicker of complex emotion crossed Chu Sui’s face, followed by a heavy silence.

The Great Zhou governed the realm through loyalty and filial piety. The principle of loyalty to the sovereign prevented Chu Sui from hoping for rebels to seize the throne. Yet, as a scholar, she could not calmly accept the prospect of her entire family being slaughtered.

After a long pause, Chu Sui finally spoke, “Whether it is Her Majesty who triumphs, or Dian Wue, in the end, it makes no difference to us.”

If the Emperor won, the Chu clan would face a dire fate. But if Dian Wue emerged victorious, they could not genuinely pledge allegiance to him either.

For Chu Sui, who still upheld the integrity of a scholar-official, a clear distinction existed between loyalty to other members of the Wen clan and loyalty to a mere rebel.

Yu Gao suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, “It makes no difference to you – but does it make no difference to your uncle either?”

At these words, Chu Sui swayed slightly, her face abruptly draining of color.

She knew all too well the depth of Chu Fu’s loyalty to the Marquis of Quanling. He would never willingly serve a rebel, yet if it were for the sake of avenging the Marquis of Quanling…

Seeing the look on Chu Sui’s face, Yu Gao formed some suspicions in his mind. After all, the two had once been colleagues and shared some degree of rapport. He sighed inwardly before cupping his hands in farewell.

Learning that Chu Fu’s loyalty to the Marquis of Quanling was unshakable was, of course, welcome news for Dian Wue and his faction.

For a man as loyal as Chu Fu to suddenly begin serving the court was far too abnormal. If his only goal had been to dispel the young emperor’s suspicions, he could simply have chosen death. His decision to flee to the eastern lands now surely meant he had some scheme in mind.

Upon receiving the results of Yu Gao’s probing, Dian Wue couldn’t help but chuckle a few times. “I doubt the little emperor has any real understanding of Chu Fu’s temperament and genuinely believes he has submitted.” He then turned to his advisors and said, “Since Chu Fu presents an opening for us to exploit, I must trouble all of you to put your minds to work on this.”

The advisors naturally agreed. After some discussion, they decided to first send someone to sound things out.

The following morning, a squad of light cavalry set out from Hengping County and raced under the stars toward Gu Province.

Located in the eastern region, Gu Province lay relatively far to the west and was now largely recovered by the imperial court. If Dian Wue sent a large force there, it would surely be intercepted midway. However, a small contingent still stood a chance of breaking through the enemy’s defensive lines.

Halfway there, the cavalry all changed into civilian clothes. When questioned by others, they claimed to be a local wealthy household on a journey. Considering that in this era, anyone with means would indeed travel with a sizable entourage of guards, they faced little suspicion.

The man the rebels were so preoccupied with, Chu Fu, was currently in Yudan City within Gu Province. After being dispatched there, he had originally intended to contribute his efforts within the army. Not long before, however, official documents had arrived from the court, granting permission to use the newly delivered six thousand metric tons of grain for the relief of the local commoners. Aware that distributing supplies entirely through local officials would inevitably lead to layers of exploitation, he had no choice but to stay behind to ensure matters were properly settled before leaving.

As dusk fell, after a long day’s work, Chu Fu finally arrived at his temporary residence. A servant approached to report that someone claiming to be an old friend had come to visit him.

Hearing the term “old friend,” Chu Fu’s eyes flickered slightly. He promptly instructed the servant to invite the visitor in.

As a former subordinate of the Marquis of Quanling, it was natural for the other party to refer to themselves as an old friend, yet the choice of words was clearly suggestive.

The visitor wore a hooded cloak. Upon seeing Chu Fu, he requested a private conversation. After a moment of silence, Chu Fu led him to a secluded chamber, during which all servants in the residence were instructed to keep their distance.

At first, the conversation between them remained restrained, and outsiders had no way of knowing what was being discussed. However, after the time it took for an incense stick to burn, a sudden, loud noise erupted from the room. The door to the private chamber swung open from within, and Chu Fu emerged with a stern, cold expression. Without a word, he pointed decisively outward, making his intention to dismiss the guest unmistakably clear.

Seeing this, the visitor’s face darkened with displeasure. He sneered twice, flicked his sleeves, and left. Yet once he was outside Chu Fu’s residence, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appeared on his lips.

Before coming, Yu Gao and others had analyzed that, given Chu Fu’s temperament, even if Dian Wue himself were to visit, Chu Fu would not necessarily agree to join immediately and might still maintain a certain aloofness. To discern his true intentions, one would have to read between the lines of his actions.

Dian Wue’s advisors believed that as long as Chu Fu did not immediately have them, these rebels from the east, arrested, the situation was already one-third secured. If he was still willing to meet with them afterward, their confidence would rise to fifty percent.

Subsequent developments unfolded just as they had anticipated.

Two days later, the lobbyists from the east came knocking again. Although Chu Fu maintained a stern attitude, he neither prevented them from entering his home nor reported them to the authorities. While his words remained carefully measured, his actions alone revealed that he was already wavering internally.

What the lobbyists from Dian Wue’s side did not know was that from the moment they first arrived, Chu Fu had already sent messages to his colleagues in the eastern region to discuss the situation. His letters even reached the main army. Upon learning of this, Ren Feihong specifically made time to return to Yudan City to confer with Chu Fu on their next steps.

Inside the temporary residence borrowed by Chu Fu.

Ren Feihong, dressed in the guise of a servant, smiled and said, “…In fact, Her Majesty had once considered how we should act if anyone on our side were captured by the enemy. However, the military campaign has been progressing smoothly, and there has been no such opportunity yet.”

Chu Fu gave a slight bow and said, “I would like to hear the details.”

Ren Feihong replied, “The foremost priority is naturally to preserve oneself – only then can one continue to serve Her Majesty in the long term.”

Chu Fu nodded. Though he did not know Ren Feihong well, hearing the phrase “preserve oneself” convinced him that these words must have come directly from the Emperor.

Ren Feihong continued, “However, should one find themselves in a situation where action becomes unavoidable…”

Her voice grew softer. To avoid drawing attention, Ren Feihong pretended to be grinding ink for the master of the house. She leaned slightly forward, deliberately lowering her tone so that even someone listening outside the door would be unable to make out their conversation.

As Chu Fu listened, he continuously offered his own opinions while also writing something on paper. Half an hour later, a servant exited the study carrying a bronze basin filled with ashes – the remains of papers the master had discarded and burned after writing.

About ten days later, finally “persuaded,” Chu Fu left his residence on a misty morning. Accompanied by Dian Wue’s lobbyists, he rode toward the Right Camp. After rounds of negotiation, he finally agreed to assist them with their plans, but he also made his own demand: should they succeed, they must enthrone a descendant of Wen Jinming as emperor.

In this era, the transmission of news relied almost entirely on human effort. Unaware of Chu Fu’s “defection” to the eastern faction, the court in Jianping was bustling with preparations for the New Year celebrations.

The Emperor publicly stated that since the war in the east was still ongoing, all celebratory matters should be kept simple. Furthermore, departments related to the war effort would have to endure extra hardship this year, taking fewer days off. On this matter, she was more than willing to lead by example.

Regarding this, Lu Yuanguang, the Minister of Revenue, had no objections. Meanwhile, Huang Xu, the Minister of Works, wore a look of numb exhaustion.

To reassure her subordinates, Wen Yanran summoned key officials from various ministries to personally offer encouragement and consolation. To many, this scene felt familiar, as if they had witnessed it before. Some of the senior ministers soon recalled a similar occasion during the reign of the late emperor – only at that time, the Emperor had been the one being persuaded. Now, the ministers found themselves actively urging Wen Yanran not to be too austere on herself. Even for the sake of the realm, the Emperor’s expenditures should not be overly frugal; after all, the majesty of the imperial house needed to be displayed.

Had it not been for Yuan Yanshi expressing similar sentiments, Wen Yanran might have mistakenly believed she had successfully cultivated a large group of ministers with the potential to become sycophants.

However, since these were the words of loyal ministers, Wen Yanran paid them little heed. She casually brushed them off with a few remarks, instructing only the Imperial Household Department to prepare accordingly, reducing all ceremonial utensils by thirty percent compared to previous years.

It was at this moment that the court received urgent intelligence from the front lines.