After arranging the wounded’s journey, Su Yan and Jinghong Zhui planned to head to the capital ahead of them.
“You mean, no canal route, no horseback?” Su Yan asked. “Then how are we traveling?”
Jinghong Zhui smiled: “With qinggong.”
Traveling light, they only brought essential official documents, seals, and two meals; nothing extra.
While packing, Jinghong Zhui pulled out a silk document: “Lord, see if this is useful?”
Su Yan saw he casually handed it over, and without much thought, took it. Opening it, he was shocked: “Isn’t this… the imperial edict recalling the Crown Prince to the capital? How is it in your hands?”
Jinghong Zhui explained that last month, he had rescued a drowning courier by the canal and took him to the county office.
The courier claimed he was sent by the court. The county magistrate had gone home for a wedding, and the deputy in charge didn’t realize the truth, thinking the courier a liar and chased him away.
The courier couldn’t wait for the magistrate’s return and had developed lung illness from the water. Jinghong Zhui couldn’t let him die, so he arranged a barefoot doctor.
The matter was urgent, and the courier, trusting Jinghong Zhui, told him about the mission to deliver the edict to Nanjing and hired him as escort.
At that time, Old Ghost Wei had just passed. Jinghong Zhui initially wanted to refuse, intending to return to Su Yan. But hearing that the Crown Prince was in Nanjing and that Su Yan had been reassigned there, their paths converged. They set off together.
The courier was unfortunate, if he’d recovered in the small county first, he might have survived. But knowing the importance of the edict, he pressed on, and his lung disease flared before reaching Nanjing. He entrusted Jinghong Zhui to deliver the edict to the Crown Prince, promising rewards from the court.
Jinghong Zhui had no interest in rewards, but the mission was critical. Since Su Yan was protecting the Crown Prince, he might be involved; escorting the message was trivial for him, so he agreed.
He arrived at Zhong Mountain Mausoleum, saw local officials burying many brocade guards, and felt something was wrong. Learning that the Crown Prince had already left Nanjing with a guard ten days prior, he tracked the trail, found traces of the Blood-Eye assassins near Tangyi, and arrived at the Forest in time to save Su Yan.
Su Yan was moved, carefully sealing the edict in a box, and said: “I’m starting to believe in ‘fate’, perhaps it’s the most pervasive form of causality.”
Jinghong Zhui didn’t understand “causality,” but he felt that returning to Su Yan and being accepted again was his best fate.
—Then he realized he had spoken too soon.
After learning the truth of the past, Su Yan appeared to forgive his sudden departure, spoke to him politely, even showed good face, but repeatedly refused his hints or advances. Their relationship seemed back to the start, merely the closeness of master and attendant.
The reason remained the same.
Jinghong Zhui, holding him, activated qinggong. With their bodies so close, he couldn’t resist brushing against him, but Su Yan refused: “I really… can’t get used to this.”
Stopping their meal, he looked at his moist lips, itching to kiss him, but Lord Su refused: “I really… can’t get used to it.”
Even when Jinghong Zhui tried to straighten his sideburns or smooth his clothes, Su Yan rejected it: “I really… can’t get used to it.”
Jinghong Zhui had taken several blows in a row, feeling like he was about to cough up blood, almost straining himself internally. Frustrated and helpless, he asked Su Yan, “Lord, when will you ‘get used to’ your subordinate again?”
Su Yan looked at the sky, then at the ground, and replied: “I’m a person with a strong sense of responsibility. I don’t want to trouble others. Even for those closest to me, if I think something is for their good, I keep it from them and make decisions alone. So your question… I’d rather not answer you either. Why don’t you take a year or two and figure it out yourself?”
Jinghong Zhui: …
The resentment and implication behind those words, if he couldn’t pick it up, he’d be a fool.
But what could he do? He couldn’t just force Su Yan. After all, the fault lay with him; this situation was the result of his own actions. All he could do was coax slowly, grind patiently, and wait for Su Yan’s trust and sense of security to return to its former height. What else could he do?
Jinghong Zhui could only hide his frustration, pack away all his untamed desires, and put on the appearance of a dutiful, obedient attendant, taking the employment philosophy of “sincerity can move even metal and stone” to heart as he returned to his duties.
—
In the capital, late at night outside Yu Wang’s mansion, the Jinwu Guard sent by the Five Military Command Office’ Commander still stood heavily posted.
Their commander conveyed the Empress Dowager’s orders: “Recently the Emperor has been unwell and court sessions are suspended. Some with ulterior motives may try to disrupt the situation, but Cheng’er need not be affected. I have specially dispatched the Jinwu Guards to reinforce protection of the mansion so you may focus on selecting consorts and talents in peace.”
Yu Wang accepted the edict with thanks, appearing outwardly compliant. In secret, he summoned several trusted aides and attendants to the study for a private discussion.
“The atmosphere in the palace and court these past two months reminds me of an old saying, ” Yu Wang tapped the table with his finger, “When something is abnormal, there must be a demon.”
Commander Hualing of the palace guards nodded: “My five hundred trained guards are sufficient to protect the entire mansion. The Jinwu Guards is unnecessary. Given the current strange circumstances, I’m not afraid of losing my head, so forgive my impertinence, but the heavy guards outside this gate… is it protection or house arrest?”
Yu Wang did not reprimand him, instead asking the Right Zhangshi of the mansion: “Mr. Zong, what is your opinion?”
Mr. Zong, a scholarly man in his fifties, had been a clerk in the Jingbei Army, later reassigned as Zhangshi in the mansion. Stroking his beard, he thought for a moment and said: “I have three oddities, Your Highness. Permit me to speak—”
“One: Rumors have spread that His Majesty’s health is precarious and he intends to recall the Crown Prince, yet the cabinet claims they have not received such an edict. Strange indeed.”
“Two: The Empress Dowager claims the harem does not interfere in politics, yet has repeatedly summoned senior court ministers. Another oddity.”
“Three: The Wei family has been weak and inactive for two years, but now suddenly they are keen to discuss state affairs, crowing loudly like a morning rooster, as if the world must hear them. A third oddity.”
Yu Wang knew he could not speak too plainly as a subject, so he only hinted, but the meaning was clear.
First, if the Emperor truly wanted to recall the Crown Prince, the inability to deliver the edict shows he has lost control.
Second, the Empress Dowager is intervening and begins to dominate the situation. Considering the first point, the Crown Prince’s inability to return may relate to her.
Third, the Wei family’s greatest leverage, aside from the Empress Dowager, is another crucial figure, the Second Prince. If the Crown Prince cannot return, the Second Prince becomes the only heir apparent. The Wei family has sensed something intoxicating, so their ambition stirs.
Yu Wang arched an eyebrow, smiling slowly: “My royal mother… still so worried about me even though I’m grown. And yet she lets the Second Prince, still a boy, take the spotlight?”
Hualing hadn’t caught the implication and thought Yu Wang was complaining about the Empress Dowager’s indulgence. Mr. Zong, however, understood, his expression shifting slightly.
Yu Wang looked at Mr. Zong: “What do you think?”
Mr. Zong seemed torn, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, finally he clenched his teeth and cupped his hands: “As a subject, I should fully assist my lord. I wonder, has Your Highness made a decision…. or is this just a test of words?”
Yu Wang’s smile faded, brows furrowed: “To be honest, I am hesitant. I feel this is a great opportunity, perhaps my only chance in life to control my own fate, but…”
Hualing’s mind clicked, and he suddenly realized what they were discussing. His hair stood on end.
The fleeting doubt in his mind was quickly suppressed by his desire for achievement. He cupped his hands: “Your Highness, opportunity knocks but once!”
“Explain,” Yu Wang asked.
“I am blunt, less articulate than Mr. Zong, but every word is heartfelt. After you hear me, even if you want to cut off my head, I accept it!”
Yu Wang smirked: “Speak then. You are my old subordinate, and cousin to Han Ben; how could I execute you?”
Hualing threw caution to the wind, daring to say: “Since when does a three-year-old sit on the dragon throne? Clearly a regent is needed. If that regent is Your Highness, I have no complaint. If someone else, then I am one hundred percent dissatisfied!”
Yu Wang half-smiled: “If it’s regency, why do you say you have ‘no complaint’?”
Hualing’s face remained serious: “A regent is merely standing in for a child who doesn’t understand affairs. When he grows up, he may not thank Your Highness; he may even find it hard to relinquish power. Historically, how many regents were truly trusted or met a peaceful end despite their utmost loyalty?”
Mr. Zong wanted to kick him under the table, then thought: Didn’t I have the same thoughts? Hualing just spoke them bluntly.
Yu Wang fell silent. After a long pause, he asked: “You all think I have such ambitions?”
Hualing said, “In my opinion, if the Emperor were still on the throne, Your Highness might not have gone to contest or thrown a heavy stone into a stable situation. But now the circumstances have changed… refuse what Heaven offers, and you bring the blame upon yourself, Your Highness!”
Yu Wang replied calmly, “You’ve all forgotten the Crown Prince? He is the successor most in line with ritual and propriety.”
Hualing was momentarily stunned, opening his mouth but saying nothing.
Zong Zhangshi spoke: “The Crown Prince has been pushed out of the capital and is now a marginal figure in court politics. If he advances further, there may still be hope; but if he retreats, he will be completely left on the cliffside. At that point, even the tallest peak is irrelevant to him.”
Yu Wang’s expression was as calm and immovable as a mountain, yet edged with a sharp, warlike intensity, as if he might rise with a spear at any moment. Yet if you looked longer, he remained seated, poised and still.
Before every major battle, he had this same expression, leaving the two men present unsure of his thoughts.
After a long silence, Yu Wang said in a low voice, “Last night I quietly left the mansion to scout the situation in the capital. By chance, I saw Yang Ting of the Cabinet and Yan Xing, Minister of Rites, meeting privately in a teahouse. Curious about what they were up to in secret, I eavesdropped on their conversation…”
Hualing and Zong Zhangshi waited for him to reveal the content of Yang and Yan’s private discussion, but Yu Wang suddenly pressed his lips tight and fell silent.
“…You two may withdraw for now. I will consider further,” Yu Wang said.
Though Hualing and Zong had many questions, they could only obey and leave.
Silence returned to the study.
Yu Wang heard his own breathing in the darkness, deep and long, like a beast slumbering.
—Should he awaken this beast, at this chaotic moment when opportunity is ripe?
Yu Wang sat quietly for a while longer, then suddenly stood and pushed open a hidden door in the bookcase, entering a small secret chamber.
The chamber was tiny. Weapons hung on the walls; a few sets of armor draped over racks, old items he had once used, but all polished clean. The scratches were still visible; pressing an ear close, one could almost hear the echo of clashing swords from past battles.
He opened a cabinet, revealing two helmets: one inlaid with golden plates, the Emperor’s battle helmet; the other a silver phoenix-winged helm, worn by a commanding general.
Thirteen years had passed; time seemed to have dusted the helmets with an unremovable frost, yet Yu Wang still remembered how they looked fresh from forging.
He studied the familiar damage on the helmets, tapped the golden one with his knuckle, and whispered, “Second Brother, are you still holding up?”
The golden helmet gave no reply.
Yu Wang asked again, “Yang Ting and Yan Xing obtained your true will. But I don’t know what you said in it. Did you instruct your son, once he succeeded, to continue keeping me caged?”
The golden helmet remained silent.
“If I help your son, I may well be harming myself.
“You spent your life calculating, always guarding against others. And now, at this critical moment, you leave me a puzzle!”
“Yes, I cursed my mother, even though we share the same one. But she is not necessarily reliable, for you or for me.”
“A few days ago, I snuck into Yangxin Hall late at night. The security was tight, and qinggong is not my specialty.”
“I waited nearly half an hour; you still didn’t awaken. Were you expecting me to make the decision myself?”
“Well, don’t regret it…”
Yu Wang took a deep breath, closed the cabinet, and walked out of the secret chamber.
After leaving the study, he changed into night attire, intending to find a secluded spot to scale the walls and leave the mansion. Hualing hurried over, whispering, “The Crown Prince has returned to the capital!”
“What?” Yu Wang was surprised, but then recalled that a month ago, Shen Qi had quietly left the capital with the Imperial Guards, perhaps under orders to fetch the Crown Prince.
…Seems my elder brother had also set several precautions against the Empress Dowager. He mused, then asked, “Was he escorted back by the Imperial Guards?”
“Only Shen Qi accompanied him. The two were mounted, covered in injuries, clearly having suffered much. At the city gate, they were almost mistaken for imposters by the guards.”
Yu Wang asked urgently, “Only Shen Qi? Where is Su Yan?”
“No sign of Lord Su. Perhaps still in Nanjing?”
Yu Wang shook his head. “Impossible. With his mother-hen nature, how could he let the Crown Prince return alone? Perhaps they met danger along the way and fell behind… Those two b*stards, only worrying about themselves, leaving Qinghe halfway? I’ll beat them to death! Where are they? Let’s go check!”
—
As night fell, Su Yan caught sight of the towering city gates of the capital, illuminated by two rows of blazing fire basins.
Jinghong Zhui held him tightly, lightly gliding with his inner skill: “The guards are closing the city gates. We’ll scale the walls to avoid identity checks, less trouble.”
They skirted the wall to a secluded corner and climbed over under cover of darkness.
Because of Jinghong Zhui’s extraordinary qinggong, even carrying another person over the wall did not alert the guards.
After landing, they sprinted along the street beside the outer wall, suddenly hearing a commotion ahead, as though a few people were in a quarrel.
Just as they tried to avoid it, a figure was struck and thrown toward them.
Not wanting complications, Jinghong Zhui leapt to protect Su Yan, ready to evade, when Su Yan’s sharp eyes caught the flying fish-style armor in the firelight. He grabbed Jinghong Zhui’s arm and exclaimed, “That looks like Shen Qi!”
Jinghong Zhui stopped on the rooftop, squinting, and scoffed, “Dog bites dog, hair everywhere.”
Seeing the scene below clearly, Su Yan frowned: “The one in black must be Yu Wang. Why is he fighting with Qilang and the Crown Prince at the city gate? And they’re injured! Quick, Ah Zhui, let’s go break it up!”
