Chapter 33: Jinling City (10)
“By today?” The literary master was utterly shocked. “That’s impossible—no, I can’t do that!”
Xiao Fu looked at him in confusion. “Why not? You’re a scholar. Even I, someone who doesn’t study, can write a thousand characters in one hour. You’re a proper scholar—should be able to write three thousand characters per hour. That’s thirty-six thousand characters in twelve hours. It’s more than enough.”
The man turned pale. “According to what you’re saying, I wouldn’t be able to eat, drink, or sleep at all!”
Xiao Fu nodded calmly. “Exactly.”
The literary master truly couldn’t handle it—until he saw the burly, rough-featured man beside him draw a curved blade and glare at him with a fierce expression. With just a menacing “Hmm?”, the scholar caved.
“Alright… I’ll write. No, I’ll dictate—you write.”
Xiao Fu immediately perked up, sitting a little straighter.
With the materials Xiao Fu provided, the scholar began reciting slowly. It didn’t take long before he got to the part Xiao Fu cared most about—the wedding night.
“So on the wedding night, by candlelight, the scholar was drunk. On the bed, he discovered the general was actually a man disguised as a woman. Shocked and unable to accept it, he kicked the general out. The general knelt outside, as wind and snow raged…”
Xiao Fu interrupted. “Wrong. They got married in the spring—there was no snow. And the scholar wouldn’t have kicked him out. He’s not that kind of person.”
“…Alright, spring then. Let’s change it to a thunderstorm outside the door. The general willingly knelt at the threshold and poured out his heart all night, tragically and with great emotion. The scholar then…”
Xiao Fu interrupted again. “What if it wasn’t raining? Try something else. Make it a romantic night under moonlight and flowers. They consummated the marriage smoothly.”
“…Fine,” the scholar grit his teeth. “The scholar discovered the general was actually a man. He was shocked and saddened, but too drunk to resist. The general took advantage and forcibly—”
Xiao Fu cut in again. “The general’s not that kind of person either. No, redo it.”
This literary master truly lived up to his title. All the dilemmas Xiao Fu had been agonizing over were resolved—he received dozens of different possible scenarios and solutions. No matter what happened, Xiao Fu now knew exactly how to respond.
He asked Yuanqing, “Did you get it all down?”
Yuanqing replied with a blank face, “All of it.”
“Very good,” Xiao Fu turned his head and called out, “Yuanwu, give the gentleman one hundred taels of silver.”
One hundred taels! The scholar was overjoyed. “Then may I go now?”
“No, not yet. Write a few more stories. I just really enjoy reading your work. How are your drawing skills? Add a few illustrations. Can you finish them today?”
“…………”
While Xiao Fu was exploiting a man to write him love stories, Lin Zikui was still memorizing his texts. After so much studying, his mind felt foggy—he no longer had a clear sense of the date.
Once the fifteenth passed, he would need to report to the examination hall.
On the day of the Lantern Festival, Lin Zikui thought to himself: the provincial exams would take nine days, and the palace exam would follow next month. At the very least, he’d be gone for two months.
“Bringing so much silver to the Huainan Provincial… it’s too easy to get robbed.”
Mo Liu, “Then how about we leave the silver at Lord Tang’s residence instead?”
Mo Liu still didn’t know what Tang Mengyang had done to Lin Zikui. Lin Zikui had never told him. As for the eye treatment, Lin Zikui only said it was according to Divine Doctor Xie’s instructions.
Now that Mo Liu mentioned Tang Mengyang, Lin Zikui shook his head. “Lord Tang and I have cut ties completely. We’re nothing to each other now. This silver…”
“What silver?” came Xiao Fu’s voice from outside the room. The snow from the Lantern Festival had long melted, and the cold plum blossoms were blooming. A few delicate petals had fallen on Xiao Fu’s deep black cloak. Even in his dark hair, a few plum blossoms nestled, making his starry black eyes shine brighter than anything on earth.
“This silver…” Lin Zikui didn’t dare admit it was a gift from Lord Xiao, so he explained, “It’s… my personal belongings…”
“Just this one trunk?” Xiao Fu glanced at it and said, “I have a residence in Jinling. I’ll have Yuanwu load it onto the carriage later. Once we get to Jinling, I’ll convert it into silver drafts for you.”
Silver drafts were light and easy to carry. Gift-givers often used actual gold and silver to show the weight of their generosity.
“If we can exchange it into silver drafts, that would be ideal.” Lin Zikui followed him onto the carriage. But Xiao Fu got off again shortly after. Soon, Jinzun walked out from Xingzhi Temple.
Xiao Fu lowered his voice and asked, “Did you get it?”
“Yes, Marquis,” Jinzun handed him a box.
Xiao Fu opened it and took a look. He muttered, “Looks like the old man doesn’t really want to see the empire fall into chaos and the people suffer.” He shut the box. “Jinzun, you and Yuanqing take the back route. Guard Young Lord Zhao carefully. Not even the slightest mishap is allowed. As long as Yuwen Zhou is in our hands, his father won’t dare act rashly.”
On the way back to the capital, there were two carriages—front and back. The attendant was too embarrassed to sit with his young master, so only Lin Zikui and Xiao Fu were in the front carriage. The countryside roads were extremely bumpy.
Lin Zikui leaned against the side of the carriage and said, “This year, there are four or five thousand examinees. They’ve probably all arrived in the capital by now. I wonder if the Huainan Provincial is already full…”
“Why don’t you stay at my place? There’s no one else in my household anyway.” It might have been because he practiced martial arts, but Xiao Fu was particularly fond of Lin Zikui’s hands—those delicate fingers used for writing and reading.
His fingers were like jade, his wrists delicate, his skin finer than the best porcelain—so smooth and soft to the touch.
Whenever they were alone and had nothing else to do, Xiao Fu liked to grab Lin Zikui’s hands and toy with them.
At first, Lin Zikui wasn’t used to it, but he couldn’t stop him. Eventually, after some half-hearted resistance, he got used to it.
Right now, he said nothing, but in his heart he was thinking—it wasn’t proper to live at Zhao Ling’s place.
His palms itched. Lin Zikui tried to pull his hand back but failed. He muttered quietly, “If the provincial hall is full, I can just stay at an inn.”
Xiao Fu neither agreed nor disagreed. He only said, “Tonight is the Lantern Festival. Let’s take a painted pleasure boat down the Qinhuai River. The boat is ours—if you find it comfortable, you can stay there until it’s time to report to the examination hall.”
Lin Zikui thought for a moment and replied, “The Qinhuai River is full of revelry every night—music and dancing. It would be better to stay at an inn. It’s quieter.”
He really didn’t take advantage of anything—not even the smallest offer. He was completely unmoved by temptation. Xiao Fu couldn’t help but grab his palm and tickle it. Lin Zikui yanked his hand back with a jerk of his shoulder. “Zhao Ling, that tickles…”
“Oh, it tickles, does it? Then that’s good. How do you know the Qinhuai River is full of music and dancing every night? You’ve been there before?”
“Three years ago… I went once. I joined a poetry contest on a pleasure boat. There were songstresses performing in every direction. It sounded lovely, but it was rather distracting.”
Xiao Fu chuckled at that. “Soon, there won’t be anyone singing. You won’t be disturbed while reading.”
After all, the Emperor was already dead—who would still be singing?
Staying on the boat was safer for Lin Zikui.
This bustling Lantern Festival night, far away in the northwest, Prince Zhao had secretly brought ten thousand troops close to Jinling. Xiao Fu had received the news two days ago and compiled it into a report, which he handed over to Taoist Ze Wu.
Compared to Emperor Wen Tai, who was utterly useless, Prince Zhao was far more suited to be a proper emperor. Unfortunately, Xiao Fu didn’t dare repeat past mistakes. Emperor Wen Tai, a coward who was easily manipulated by eunuchs, had even dared to send assassins after Xiao Fu out of suspicion.
Prince Zhao’s methods would be even more ruthless.
The carriage moved slowly, and by the time they reached Jinling, it was already dusk.
Just half an hour earlier, Xie Laosan and the others had still been in the palace, pretending to cure the Emperor of his Gu poison: “Your Majesty, the poison has been fully purged—congratulations, Your Majesty!”
Emperor Wen Tai stood up, indeed feeling physically refreshed, a lightness spreading through his body. Overjoyed, he said, “Excellent! A reward! Divine Physician Xie! I shall appoint you as Imperial Teacher!”
Xie Laosan only wanted to get out of there quickly. He glanced at the sky and said, “I’d rather—”
“Oh, Minister Xie, it’s just a ceremonial title. Come, someone! Draft the decree! Divine Physician Xie, with miraculous hands that revive the dying and a heart that brings peace to the world, shall be appointed as Grand Imperial Teacher of the Ye Dynasty! Reward him with three thousand taels of gold, a preceptor’s mansion, and one hundred bolts of silk—!”
With no choice, Xie Laosan accepted the decree. Citing the Empress Dowager’s need for treatment, he hurried off to the Cining Palace.
Relieved from the Gu poison, Emperor Wen Tai recalled the matter of Concubine Hui placing the curse and finally felt at ease. No longer hesitant, he immediately ordered the eunuchs to draft three imperial edicts.
One ordered Concubine Hui, daughter of Grand Secretary Xu, to be thrown into the Cold Palace and stripped of her title.
One sentenced Xu Zhuojun to death—execution at the Meridian Gate.
The third summoned Eunuch Tang Mengyang and listed out, one by one, the crimes committed by his foster father, Grand Secretary Xu, compiling them into an official document. Among them: poisoning the emperor and conspiring to overthrow the throne—crimes punishable by extermination of the entire clan.
Xu Zhuojun could be easily executed, but Grand Secretary Xu was deeply entrenched and difficult to uproot. Taking him down wouldn’t be easy. So this third edict was not issued immediately—it was sealed and stored away for the time being.
After leaving the imperial study, Xie Laosan went to Cining Palace, where four young princes were seated before the Empress Dowager. From left to right: the eldest prince, son of Concubine Shu; the second prince, son of Concubine Hui; the third prince, son of Madam Ning; and the fourth prince, son of Liang Zhaoyi.
The eldest was already nine years old, while the youngest—the fourth prince—was just over two, still a chubby and adorable toddler.
Xie Laosan saw that the Empress Dowager was testing the older princes on their lessons, while the little fourth prince sat off to the side munching on fruit. He thought, Emperor Wen Tai isn’t even that old, but he sure is… productive.
The Empress Dowager wasn’t really ill. She simply wanted to ask about Xiao Fu and the emperor.
“Suyi, the princes are tired.” She motioned for the palace maids to escort the children away.
Then she turned to Xie Laosan and said, “Divine Physician Xie, you are Xiao Fu’s senior brother. Could you help me deliver a family letter to him?”
That wasn’t a problem. Xie Laosan nodded in agreement.
“The Emperor’s Gu poison is finally cured. A heavy weight has finally been lifted from my heart,” the Empress Dowager said, still in thought. “I must reward you… What shall I give you…”
Xie Laosan quickly interjected, “There’s no need for the Empress Dowager to reward a commoner like me. His Majesty already bestowed rewards just now—he wants to appoint me as Imperial Teacher. And while His Majesty’s Gu poison is said to be cured…”
The Empress Dowager’s face turned anxious. “But what?”
“But… there’s still some residual poison, however, it’s not serious! Please rest assured, Your Majesty—His Majesty will no longer suffer as he did before! I told him he’s fully recovered. While it may be deceitful, it was for his own good,” he spoke confidently. “Think about it, Empress Dowager—if His Majesty starts suspecting he’s still unwell, won’t the illness only worsen with worry? As long as he doesn’t dwell on it, he’ll gradually recover. The residual poison will fade in time.”
The Empress Dowager was convinced. “Yes, yes, that’s true. Tell him not to overthink things. He’s already overwhelmed by the affairs of state. Ah, Divine Physician Xie, you did the right thing. I must reward you nonetheless.”
After just one visit to the palace, he had become a first-rank Imperial Teacher, granted a mansion, gold, treasures…
Yet Xie Laosan wasn’t particularly happy about it.
After leaving the palace, he met up with Xiao Fu. Aboard the boat, he changed Lin Zikui’s medicine and rinsed his eyes. Finally, he cleaned and rebandaged the area—this time, only covering his right eye.
Xie Laosan said, “Open your left eye and take a look.”
Lin Zikui’s lashes trembled. He wasn’t quite used to opening them like this after such a long time.
Xiao Fu stood nearby, bending slightly as he watched him.
Lin Zikui’s eyelashes were long, fluttering a few times before he slowly opened his eye. The scene before him gradually became clear, though still slightly blurry. Perhaps he could see the person in front of him.
“Miss Zhao Ling…”
Xie Laosan shot a glance at Xiao Fu, the corner of his mouth twitching.
Xiao Fu leaned in closer. “Lin Lang, can you see me?”
“Mm-hmm, I can see.” Keeping one eye open and the other closed felt quite uncomfortable, but the light before him, and the person standing in it, made Lin Zikui’s eyes instantly well up.
“Eh?” Xiao Fu’s expression froze slightly. “Why are you crying? Does it still hurt? Third Master, check him again.”
“No, it’s fine,” Lin Zikui raised his hand to wipe his eye. “I just haven’t opened my eyes in a while—it’s a little sore.”
Xie Laosan pushed Xiao Fu aside to examine Lin Zikui. “Your eyes are sensitive—don’t expose them to strong light. You can keep the left one open at night. As for the blurry vision, it’ll gradually get better. The right eye will take longer, but in a few months, it should recover to the same state as the left.”
“Thank you, thank you… Mr. Xie!” Lin Zikui immediately stood up, lifted his robe, and knelt down. Before Xie Laosan could react, he was already kowtowed to.
“Mr. Xie, I will never forget this life-saving grace!”
“Alright, alright, get up. What’s your relationship with that Zhao Ling rascal? I’m his senior—how could I not save you?”
Zhao Ling… rascal?
Lin Zikui thought, Does his senior not know that he likes to dress as a man?
But I’ve called him “Miss” many times—surely he knows.
He figured it was probably because Xiao Zhaoling often appeared in male attire, so no one addressed him as a woman outside. Otherwise, people would definitely find it strange.
Once Lin Zikui sorted it out in his mind, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with the male disguise anymore. On the contrary, it was a good thing. Miss Xiao’s appearance was stunning, a beauty beyond compare. If she wore women’s clothing in Jinling, those powerful families would likely want to tear her apart.
With Jinling so crowded, Lin Zikui thought about avoiding trouble and called out, “Zhao Ling…”
“Hmm?”
“You often wear men’s clothes, and I’m worried I might slip up in Jinling. How about I just call you… Young Master Xiao?”
“Young Master Xiao?” Xiao Fu raised an eyebrow. “That sounds a bit distant. How about calling me Xiao Lang, hmm?”
“…Xiao Lang…” Lin Zikui blurted it out instinctively. He smiled brightly and clapped his hands. “Xiao Lang it is, then.”
When Lin Zikui smiled, his lips were red and his teeth white—Xiao Fu loved looking at him like this.
“Say it again.”
Lin Zikui’s voice was gentle. “Xiao Lang.”
Xiao Fu replied, “Ah, say it once more—I love hearing it.”
“Xiao Lang…”
Xie Laosan couldn’t take it anymore. He turned away with his hands behind his back and muttered, Ugh! Makes me want to jump off this boat!
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