Chapter 42: Jinling City (19)
Xiao Fu’s words seemed to ignite a faint, deep yearning in the eyes of the Second Prince. He stared at Xiao Fu in disbelief. “Royal Father, how could I possibly…”
Xiao Fu gazed at him steadily, his eyes dark and unreadable.
The Second Prince faltered under that gaze, his voice catching. He changed his words. “Your son… wishes to. But the court officials will surely object.”
“As long as you wish for it, what do the officials’ objections matter? To be emperor is to live under the scrutiny of the people. As long as you don’t disappoint Royal Father’s expectations…” He crouched down and gently ruffled the boy’s hair, revealing a rare softness. “Royal Father will be your pillar of support.”
Tears filled the Second Prince’s eyes. He knelt down and kowtowed hard, the sound echoing. “Xuan’er will not fail you! Royal Father, please rest assured—your son will heed your every word, and become a wise and just emperor!”
“Good. Liang Hong,” Xiao Fu called to the head eunuch. “Take the Second Prince to bathe. Send word—His Majesty has passed.”
The emperor’s death brought immediate lockdown to the capital. No bells or drums were sounded.
After the city of Jinling finished its collective mourning, thirty thousand strikes of ceremonial bells rang out from all the temples in the capital.
Lin Zikui sat on a boat, able to hear the tolling from all around—some near, some distant.
Mo Liu said, “Young Master, the people on the streets are all saying—the emperor has passed.”
“He has?”
For most commoners, perhaps there was little real sorrow.
Lin Zikui felt the same. His emotions were untouched. All he thought was: with Emperor Wen Tai dead, would the one to ascend be the young prince—or Prince Zhao?
He recalled the year Emperor Wen Tai ascended the throne. The stele at the Protectorate Temple had been struck and shattered by lightning. Emperor Wen Tai sought guidance from a great master, who told him to find a new national treasure to stabilize the realm. The emperor dispatched governors to scour the land for rare artifacts, plunging the people into suffering.
Four years ago, when Lin Zikui came to take the imperial exams, he befriended a teacher who served as a censor. That teacher had submitted a memorial to the throne, saying: “The Ye Dynasty has no need for a ‘national treasure.’ What a ruler must possess is a heart that cherishes the people!”
Enraged and humiliated, Emperor Wen Tai ordered the old censor to be flogged forty times. That very night, the teacher died. Lin Zikui rushed to the residence to pay his respects. The old man’s wife was sobbing, cursing the foolish emperor through tears. She fell ill from grief and passed within a month.
Lin Zikui thought to himself—how lucky he was to never serve under a foolish ruler like Emperor Wen Tai. It was a blessing.
Looking out over the city, Jinling was awash in white.
With the emperor’s passing, concubines and civil and military officials were required to observe mourning for twenty-seven days.
Spring had arrived, and the weather was warming. Incense burned in Emperor Wen Tai’s mourning hall, but it couldn’t mask the stench of the corpse. Everyone smelled it, but they all pretended not to.
Monks from the Protectorate Temple were chanting sutras, while Lord Pang sorrowfully read the eulogy. Civil and military officials knelt in mourning—some cried sincerely, others only put on a show. Soon after, the imperial edict was read aloud. In front of the coffin, the Second Prince was proclaimed emperor. The Eldest Prince knelt nearby, his cold gaze piercing through his younger brother.
The Third Prince didn’t show much reaction—perhaps he was too young and lacked the ambition. He held the hand of the confused Fourth Prince, joining him in mourning. The Fourth Prince looked around at everyone crying, a little lost.
The newly crowned emperor, Yuwen Xuan, remained silent. As he watched the officials wail, his heart was heavy with sorrow. His mother had died without even a proper coffin. Rumor had it she was given a white silk rope to hang herself and was thrown into a paupers’ grave. While he was confined in the Cold Palace, he hadn’t even seen her one last time.
Some senior officials pounded their chests in protest. “Prince Regent! The Second Prince is the son of the disgraced Madam Xu. His character is flawed! He cannot be chosen!”
Xiao Fu stood above them all, speaking coldly, “Lord Chang, this is the late emperor’s decree. Do you all not accept it? Proclaim the edict of the former emperor—‘The Second Prince is virtuous and upright. He is to be made Crown Prince and succeed the throne upon my death. I hope all ministers will give him their full support.’ This is the order to all royal princes—they are to mourn where they are and are forbidden from coming to the capital to pay respects.”
Everyone knew the truth—there was no such decree. The emperor had been dead nearly a month. This was a fabricated will, agreed upon by the Regent and the Empress Dowager.
But it was too late to object—no one dared speak the truth.
Xiao Fu’s voice turned cold. “Lord Chang, since you have such strong opinions about the late emperor’s decree, why don’t you go advise him personally? Shall I help send you on your way?”
Lord Chang’s eyes widened in shock.
Xiao Fu softened slightly, giving him a way out. “Or will you accept the decree here and now, and support the new emperor?”
Torn by grief, Lord Chang cried out in anguish, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This humble official accepts the decree!”
At once, the sound of chanting and mourning resounded together.
Xiao Fu had been standing, but when he glanced at Yuwen Duo’s pale, bloated corpse, it was as if he could smell the stench of rotting flesh. It turned his stomach.
He endured it for a long time, but in the end, couldn’t bear it anymore. He pretended to faint from grief. “Your Majesty… this subject will give his all to assist the new emperor…”
Liang Gonggong saw the Regent collapse from crying and exclaimed in alarm.
The Empress Dowager was even more startled. Xiao Fu, strong in martial arts and robust in health, had fainted from grief—it must be that state affairs had worn him down. He hadn’t slept in days. His body must not be allowed to collapse. The dynasty still needed him! She hurriedly ordered Liang Gonggong to help the Regent go rest.
As Liang Gonggong helped him up, Xiao Fu grew impatient with how slowly he moved and strode away with long steps, dragging him along.
Liang Gonggong noticed, but dared not say a word. He turned his head and saw the Regent’s profile—handsome beyond compare—and not a single tear on his cheek.
During the twenty-seven days of mourning, Xiao Fu absolutely could not leave. He had someone bring a message to Lin Zikui, conveying his longing. Lin Zikui replied with a letter, saying he was well and that Xiao Fu should focus on handling family matters without worrying about him.
Prime Minister Xue, now advanced in age, had also come to the capital to attend the mourning.
This trip inevitably led to him meeting Xiao Fu—the once unruly brat who used to stir up trouble at the Xue residence had now become the Regent.
Xiao Fu summoned him privately to the imperial study. Prime Minister Xue assumed he was about to discuss something of great importance—perhaps regarding the new emperor, or inviting him to return to assist in court affairs. He had already mentally prepared a tactful refusal. His heart simply couldn’t handle the strain anymore.
To his surprise, Xiao Fu merely said, “Prime Minister, may I trouble you to take Lin Zikui back to Huainan with you? There’s too much chaos in Jinling right now—better to take him far from here.”
“Lin Zikui?” Prime Minister Xue frowned. “I was planning to stay in Jinling for another two months. The Spring Examinations have been postponed, but no later than May, I assume. With so many vacancies in court, there may even be a special examination next year. If he returns with me now, he’ll have to come back soon anyway.”
Xiao Fu replied, “Does the Prime Minister not know? The schedule of the imperial exams—isn’t it up to me to decide?”
“This…” Prime Minister Xue was rendered speechless. It was true. But was this how the Regent was supposed to use his power?
If not like this, then how else?
Xiao Fu’s tone was matter-of-fact. “Naturally, I’ll wait until his eyesight has recovered before announcing the exam. He’s a man of talent—destined to serve the nation. I hope you’ll continue to teach him with all your heart.”
“That goes without saying. Since I’ve taken him as my student, I’ll teach him to the best of my ability. But—he still doesn’t know who you are, does he? Now that you’ve become the all-powerful Regent, what will he think when he finds out during the final palace exam?”
“As for the palace exam, we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
Lin Zikui returned to Huainan and went first to Fengtai County to pay respects at the family graves. Xiao Zhaoling had sent Jinzun to accompany him and ensure his safety.
Prime Minister Xue’s hometown was also in Huainan, just a two-hour carriage ride from Fengtai County. Upon returning, Lin Zikui first cleaned up his house, and neighbors from all around came flooding in—asking about the situation in Jinling and the upcoming exams.
Lin Zikui answered honestly, “The imperial exams have been postponed. I’ve come home this time to sweep the ancestral graves. Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and changed the reign title to Wanxuan, it’s now the first year of Wanxuan. As for the exam date—we must await an imperial decree.”
After tending to the graves, Lin Zikui also went about repairing and cleaning every corner of the house. This place would soon serve as the wedding residence, so it needed to be spotless—neat and beautiful. Even if they wouldn’t be sharing a room, it had to be comfortable enough for Zhao Ling to stay in.
During the national mourning period, weddings were suspended for a hundred days among officials, and for a month among the military and civilians. The wedding Zhao Ling had scheduled—March 15—happened to fall exactly one month after the emperor’s passing.
Mo Liu, familiar with court protocol, knew that during national mourning, weddings couldn’t be publicly celebrated, especially considering that their Young Master held a graduate title. What if someone grew jealous and reported it to the authorities?
He helped his Young Master pull out all the bedding in the house to sun it, replaced the cotton quilts with new ones, and even purchased a festive wedding quilt. Lin Zikui needed to make a wedding robe. When he walked into the fabric shop, he suddenly realized—he had no idea what Xiao Zhaoling’s exact measurements were.
But he had held Zhao Ling before.
Using his hands to approximate, he gave detailed instructions to the shop tailor. “About this much shoulder width—he’s about this tall—and his shoe size is around this big…”
His memory was good—he got about eighty to ninety percent of it right.
The tailor listened, dumbfounded. “Wait a moment, Young Master Lin… your bride has shoulders this broad? Feet that big? She’s taller than you? Is that even possible?”
Of course, it wasn’t really “possible.”
Lin Zikui smiled. “My wife is taller than me. Just make the wedding robe according to these measurements. He likes wearing red and prefers white plum blossom embroidery. Besides the usual dragon and phoenix motifs, please add some white plum blossoms to the cuffs and collar. Use only the finest fabric.”
The tailor gave him a strange look. This delicate-looking scholar was marrying someone so large and brawny? What kind of taste was that? So many nice young ladies would’ve been willing to marry a graduate like him…
After placing the order for the wedding robes, Mo Liu added, “By the way, Young Master, we also need to buy some rouge, powder, and jewelry for the bride, don’t we?”
“Well… that…”
According to custom, yes—it should be prepared.
But did Xiao Zhaoling really need all that?
“…Buy them. Just a few,” Lin Zikui finally said. He picked out some simple rouge and powder, and selected elegant, understated hairpins and jewelry. He figured, even if Zhao Ling didn’t use them, they could always be melted down and made into a hairpiece instead. With just these items, two hundred taels of silver were gone in an instant.
And this wasn’t even considered extravagant—just a wedding robe and a few pieces of jewelry for the bride. In Fengtai, aside from the wealthiest households, few ever treated a son-in-law coming into the family with such generosity.
Meanwhile, back in his hometown, Prime Minister Xue kept thinking about his student, muttering to himself, “Why hasn’t he come to see me yet?”
On the way back from the capital, Prime Minister Xue and Lin Zikui had shared a carriage. Along the journey, the teacher and student had talked about everything from the creation of the universe to dreams of a peaceful world. The conversation had been delightful—meeting each other so late in life almost felt like a regret.
He truly was a good student, a good child. With talent like that, he was sure to achieve something great in the future.
“Sigh!” Prime Minister Xue let out a long sigh. “Why did he have to already be engaged? Who snatched away such a good future grandson-in-law from me!”
His little granddaughter was still unmarried, and the more he looked at Lin Zikui, the more satisfied he felt.
“Master,” the old servant hesitated before speaking, “when I returned, I overheard Young Master Lin’s attendant say that… he seems to be getting married in mid-March.”
“Mid-March? That’s just half a month from now!” Prime Minister Xue leapt to his feet. “This won’t do. Why didn’t he tell me? His parents are both gone—who’s going to preside over the wedding for him?”
“Young Master Lin is a man of few desires, indifferent to fame or fortune. Perhaps he didn’t want you to know because he feared you’d give him a wedding gift. He didn’t want to owe you any favors,” the old servant quickly offered up a plausible explanation.
Lin Zikui had hesitated. He’d wanted to say something several times, but held back.
Xiao Zhaoling had once said that he, too, had been a student of Prime Minister Xue, even if it was only for fifteen days.
Which meant Prime Minister Xue must already know that Zhao Ling had a woman’s heart in a man’s body.
To be honest, Lin Zikui still wasn’t completely sure himself, and he held on to a sliver of wishful thinking.
But how could he ever explain that to the Prime Minister…?
Once Prime Minister Xue heard the news, he couldn’t sit still. “No, I need to make a trip to Fengtai County. Prepare the carriage, and go to the storeroom to pick out a wedding gift—get a pair of jade ruyi scepters, a pair of double-handled vases, and a fine red porcelain dining set. I want to see for myself who’s taken away my future grandson-in-law! Must be someone incredible, for Lin Zikui to give up marrying into the Xue family.”
Fengtai County was small, and the neighbors all knew each other. Lin Zikui had grown up here. At first, he tried to keep his marriage a secret, but as word got out, people began showing up at his door to congratulate him, asking who the bride was: “Graduate Lin, she’s not from our county, right? You came back from Jinling—could she be the daughter of some rich Jinling family?”
“If she’s some noble lady from Jinling, then Lin Zikui must be marrying into her family. Why would he come back here for the wedding?”
“Just tell us already, Graduate Lin!”
Lin Zikui could barely keep up. His doorstep had practically been trampled down. He steadied his bamboo-green hat and said, “Dear elders and neighbors, I’ll send out invitation cards when the time comes. The wedding isn’t for another two weeks, so please don’t crowd…”
“But who is she? What’s her name?!”
Lin Zikui hesitated for a moment and finally said, “He’s from Yunnan. His surname is Xiao, and his name is Xiao Zhaoling.”
Just then, Prime Minister Xue arrived at the gate and—
“…………”
He slipped at the doorway and nearly fell, his heart sinking to rock bottom as he turned to his servant and asked, utterly defeated, “Did he say who I think he said?!”
Author’s note:
Prime Minister Xue: I need to see just how stunning this person is, stealing my grandson-in-law!
Old servant: Our young miss is a peerless beauty—who could be better than her… Wait, it’s Marquis Xiao? Oh. Never mind then.
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