Chapter 82
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Li Yi never thought that he would return to the Eastern Palace after more than ten years of separation, let alone in such a situation.
The morning was slightly chilly, and the red leaves in front of the Wenhua Hall were falling all over the front yard. Several young eunuchs from the palace were cleaning, and the brushing sound of the tree leaves dispelled the silence of the palace.
Li Yi walked over, and the people sweeping the yard quickly stepped aside to bow to him. Li Yi smiled at the group of ten-year-old children.
As if all the flowers of the four seasons were blooming at the same time, the cold autumn turned into warm spring in an instant, and the fragrant wind blew, making everyone’s minds wander.
Li Yi was about to turn around and leave when a young eunuch called out anxiously to warn him to watch his step.
The left path, surrounded by pine and cypress, had not been walked on for a long time, and fine green moss had grown on both sides of the road.
The world goes on even if people change.
They only walked around in the Eastern Palace and did not leave the palace gates. The emperor did not make things difficult for Li Yi and even instructed his subordinates to treat him with respect, providing him with everything he needed just like the imperial concubines.
However, Li Yi could no longer live in his old sleeping quarters and was temporarily staying in a chamber on the west side of the palace.
As Li Yi returned to his residence, he saw several eunuchs standing in front of his door. When he approached, a small official with a clear voice announced, “Announcing His Majesty’s arrival.”
Zhao Heng saw Li Yi walking towards him, with a few strands of morning dew on his temples. His jade-like face was cool and collected, which made his deep and clear eyes resemble a pool of autumn water even more.
“Professor, I noticed that you have some fermented golden osmanthus tea on your table. Let them brew some for me to taste,” said the emperor.
Li Yi bowed and stood beside him. The emperor still referred to him as “Professor,” just as he did in Pan Palace.
Li Yi replied in a gentle tone, “I thought of some old times and made some myself. Your Majesty, if you like it, I can have them bring the rest.”
“The fragrance is refreshing, and it warms my cold body. I really like it. But a gentleman should not deprive others of their talents. Let them make another batch for me. The one you have here tastes different when drunk in this courtyard,” said the emperor.
Li Yi did not speak further and personally refilled the emperor’s tea.
The emperor took a few more sips and sighed, “These past few days, the Regent Prince has been urgently asking me for someone. And the other day, Wei Che suffered a lot.”
From the princes to the Shen family, now to offend Wei Che, he even provoked the emperor’s trusted subordinates? Zhao Yuan’s bold move made Li Yi worry for him, but he couldn’t respond immediately. He quietly listened to the Emperor’s words.
“It was actually Su Wang who studied together with the Professor in Pan Palace.” The Emperor suddenly spoke, hoping to see some surprise in Li Yi’s eyes, but he found that Li Yi remained calm.
“So it seems that Professor has known this all along. I thought Su Wang would definitely deny it.”
Li Yi smiled lightly and said, “Li Yi also refuses to acknowledge it.”
Zhao Heng, who had never heard Li Yi mention Zhao Yuan before, became curious. “Oh, why is that?”
Li Yi pondered for a moment and said, “Does Your Majesty know how the virtuous Crown Prince of the previous dynasty met his end?”
Li Yi continued, “I have heard that there are several types of peculiar poisons in Dian Nan. Those who are poisoned appear completely lifeless, and even the most skilled doctors cannot detect any trace of it.”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng remained silent, simply lowering his head and continuing to drink his osmanthus tea. Li Yi didn’t delve further into the topic and changed the subject, asking, “Has Your Majesty ever known who almost rendered me handicapped?”
Zhao Heng didn’t need to look to vividly recall the gruesome scars between Li Yi’s wrists. The depth of the wounds was as if a pair of flawless jade hands had been shattered and reattached. He couldn’t help but ask, “I’ve always wanted to ask Professor how you managed to regain your skills afterward.”
“Miracle. Surviving that day was probably just a stroke of luck,” Li Yi replied with a self-deprecating smile.
After becoming a commoner, he practiced diligently every day, unwilling to give up. Three years later, he picked up a paintbrush for the first time and took another three years to regain his fluency.
“In truth, I rarely paint intricate flowers and birds anymore. Nowadays, I prefer to paint with a freer, more expressive style, and there have been quite a few changes in my brushwork and strokes.”
Zhao Yuan’s methods of using bloodline power to save Li Yi were unknown to Zhao Heng, and considering his anger towards Zhao Yuan for injuring Wei Che, he naturally wouldn’t defend Su Wang.
Why was Su Wang able to return to Dian Nan? Even though all the evidence from back then had been destroyed, who didn’t know that it was exchanged for Li Yi’s life?
The Zhao family first conspired with Qin Wang to kill the virtuous Crown Prince, and now they wanted to kill Li Yi. Everything was set in stone. Anyone who had experienced all this would find it difficult to face Zhao Yuan again.
Zhao Heng couldn’t help but recall the words of Su Wang. Li Yi had some unresolved issues.
A thought suddenly occurred to Zhao Heng. He wanted to test the strength of Li Yi’s unresolved issues. “Once Uncle has taken care of everything, if I promise to let you leave and explore the vast world outside the palace… If you wish to go elsewhere, I may be able to lend a helping hand.”
Li Yi looked at the Emperor, confirming that he was being sincere. “Li Yi thinks the Bao’en Monastery would be a good place.”
“Neon lights emerge from distant hills, and flying birds are silent in empty mountains.” The Emperor casually recited two lines of poetry and sighed, “Indeed, it’s a good place. I’ll have the time to listen to your teachings there.”
As Zhao Heng prepared to leave, Li Yi respectfully accompanied him to the front of the Wenhua Hall. The Emperor looked back at the desolate grand hall, seemingly lost in thought, and asked, “Do you have any regrets?”
Li Yi, dressed in a simple blue robe and adorned with a jade hairpin, stood there with a faint smile.
Despite the dilapidated palace behind him and the autumn wind sweeping through the scattered leaves, Zhao Heng inexplicably thought of the resplendent colors and flying eaves of the Eastern Palace, and the person before him wearing the crown and dragon robe, symbolizing the pinnacle of power.
He heard Li Yi softly say, “No regrets.”
For several days in a row, there were officials making accusations in the Golden Hall. Those who were observant could tell that they were all people from the regent prince’s side.
The imperial censor had just finished reporting that the garrisons in the capital region had not restrained their subordinates who occupied the fertile fields in the suburbs, and there were also commanding officers in the northwest reporting the number of heads they had collected, which was all an embezzlement of public funds.
This was not a big deal on the surface. The cavalry in the northwest suffered from severe cold, and the navy in the southeast, except for fighting against pirates, also perished in storms. The commanders of these most bitter guard posts would take a certain portion of the embezzled funds to subsidize their subordinates, which was originally an unspoken rule.
The officials paced around, not knowing what kind of storm would come from above. Let’s see how the regent prince would respond.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Yuan did not say a word. He let the Ministry of War rebuke and penalize those who were supposed to be rebuked and penalized, and demote and transfer those who were supposed to be demoted and transferred.
With such an attitude, many people became emboldened, especially those who were enemies of the princes and the Shen family. They would not miss the chance to bite the Regent Prince.
In the end, even local officials sent memorials, reporting absurd things like the commanders of the guard posts competing for official courtesans out of jealousy.
As the winter solstice approached, the emperor personally went to the Altar of Heaven to offer sacrifices. Unlike previous years, the regent prince was ordered to stay in the capital and did not accompany the emperor. Only the emperor, accompanied by officials of rank four or above, went to the suburban temple.
Many people noticed the difference. Sure enough, on the day of the great sacrifice, the emperor held the jade tablet and the imperial crown, prayed to the nine heavens, and offered sacrifices to the sun, moon, stars, clouds, rain, wind, and thunder. He ordered the civil and military officials to work hard, and he had repeatedly dreamed of his late father’s entrustment.
The decree stated that the Regent Prince had worked tirelessly and had fulfilled the late emperor’s unfulfilled wishes while preparing the crown prince for the throne. Now that the emperor had reached an appropriate age, it was appropriate for him to personally manage all affairs and not to avoid them.
Despite the grandiose language, when this decree was issued, it signaled the end of the Regent Prince’s regency. By the next year, the emperor would ascend the throne without even having his great wedding.
This is no different than a thunderbolt out of the blue. The emperor’s reign began unexpectedly in the late winter, a year earlier than anticipated, when he was only fifteen years old.
As soon as this news broke, the entire court was abuzz with rumors, and even fools could understand what was going on.
The dense fog covered the sky in Miyun, and during the major festival, the Regent Prince’s palace was covered with white snow, making it difficult to see where it began or ended. The ground was also covered in white, but fortunately the pillars were painted red and the eaves and corners were decorated with colorful paintings and door gods, which added some festive cheer.
YuChi Rui came out of his study from the outside and was unusually downcast, his face full of anger. He was about to burst out in frustration, and his servants avoided him from a distance.
Zhou Yi caught up with him from behind and patted him on the shoulder.
“Rongde, why are you so angry?”
“Do you think I’m angry for no reason? The emperor didn’t even consider his loyal subjects when he made this decision. You know very well that the imperial censors have been bothering us every day! Not only me, but every general under his command has been affected. They won’t get any rewards after this year is over, even though we have shed blood for him!” Yuchi Rui shouted.
Zhou Yi advised him, “Rather than wait for the emperor to take action against you when he ascends to the throne, why don’t you take advantage of Master’s current power and arrange a secure place for yourself and your men? Don’t you know the saying ‘retreat to advance’?”
Yuchi Rui shouted, “I’m just angry that the emperor, who is nothing but a spoiled brat, can sit on the throne whenever he wants, without regard for who really controls the world. If I had known this would happen, I would have done something differently in the beginning…”
Zhou Yi quickly took Yuchi Rui into an empty room, closed the door, and scolded him, “Do you want to risk the emperor’s wrath? Don’t implicate Master and me in your words!”
Yuchi Rui, who was overwhelmed with emotion, didn’t specifically mention anyone, but he knew he had said too much. He just turned his head and remained silent.
“The Master has his own plans. Do you really want to betray him?” Zhou Yi tried to persuade him patiently. “Next year, when you take up your new post, you’ll be in a remote mountainous region, far from the emperor’s reach, and you’ll have your own soldiers and resources. Won’t that be good enough?”
“I’m not the kind of person who only seeks personal wealth and comfort. The Master has treated me with great kindness, and even if I have to sacrifice my life for him, I will not allow him to suffer any harm. If the Master wants me to go anywhere, I will go, but he should not have cut off my arm and made me a pawn in his game!” Yuchi Rui, who was eight feet tall, was on the verge of tears as he spoke. Zhou Yi was moved and amused by his words.
“Rongde, do you think I don’t know how you feel about Master? You’re underestimating him. Will Su Wang just sit and wait to be captured?”
“You all have left, but I’m still here. I won’t let anything happen to the lord. In the future, if there really is an issue, I’ll inform you promptly. I will be with the troops, so what is there to fear? At that time, I can always summon more soldiers and horses.”
In the fourth year of the Qi Yuan era, in January, Yuchi Rui was appointed as a high-ranking official in the southwestern governor’s office.
Since then, Su Wang has lost all his generals. Some have gone to establish new flags and stationed in other areas, some have joined other generals, and many have retired and given up their armor.
On the twentieth day of the first month, at the first grand court session held after the opening of the court, many small sedan chairs and horses from all over the capital rushed towards Zhuque Gate before dawn.
Several high-ranking officials in charge of the ceremony were wearing beast-patterned brocade robes and had their mouths filled with fragrant tongue jujubes, waiting at the front of the hall.
The Milky Way was hanging in the sky, the earth was flowing with golden water, and amidst the bright and dark morning stars, the drums began to sound heavily. Officials entered one after another through Zhuque Gate, crossing the imperial bridge. In the light of the lamps, they wore their official hats and robes, their accessories jingling as they walked. The sounds of carriage and horse whinnies could be faintly heard from outside the palace gates.
As the golden rooster heralded the dawn, the sky grew faintly illuminated. The palace music played in unison, from the Fengtian Hall to the Dacheng Hall, and the Wuying Hall… Majestic and towering, as the sun and moon shone together, the gates of the Fengtian Gate, Chengtian Gate, and Daming Gate opened in succession. Each department and bureau carried out their duties, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites fulfilled their respective roles.
On this day, the throne of the Golden Hall was placed on the Vermilion Steps, so that all the officials could see and hear.
The emperor donned his twelve-chapter crown and ascended the throne, and the officials bowed several times before kneeling on the ground. The Chamberlain then opened the casket and presented the imperial seal to the regent prince, and Su Wang presented the grand imperial seal to the emperor, proclaiming the return of governance to the world.
In the spring of the fourth year of Qi Yuan, with the virtue of the sun, moon, and heavens, and the imperial residence of mountains and rivers, a new era of peace and prosperity began.
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