The Residence of Lotus After Rain… Su Yan thought. That name sounds so familiar. Ah, could it be that the “Painting of Lotus After Rain” His Majesty once drew for me has come to life? That the world within the scroll has birthed its own realm, like the story ‘The Painted Wall’ from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?
I might as well enter and see for myself.
He followed the path toward the courtyard. The door was slightly ajar, so he pushed it open and stepped in.
Beyond the door, there was no yard, no corridor, only a vast expanse of green lotus leaves crowding over a rippling pond, layer upon layer like a sea of umbrellas. Looking around and finding no boat in sight, Su Yan gingerly tested one of the leaves with his foot. It seemed to bear his weight. Carefully, he stepped upon it and began to cross, one leaf after another.
As he went on, a white mist rose from the surface of the water. Fearing he might slip and fall in, he hesitated and stopped.
When the fog dispersed, he found himself standing before the grand gates of a princely mansion. On the plaque above the gates were three bold characters: “Qin Wang’s Manor.”
This… was once the residence of His Majesty and Yu Wang’s Royal Father, the late Emperor Xianzhu?
He recalled Yu Wang saying that, back then, their Royal Father had still been Qin Wang, often away on campaigns in the Northern Steppe with the founding emperor, seldom home.
Their mother had been Qin Wang’s principal consort, constantly at odds with Side Consort Mo, a rivalry so fierce it ended in tragedy. Enraged, Qin Wang investigated and unleashed a bloody purge, during which many perished within the manor.
“Did you hear? About that affair…”
“Tsk tsk, if it’s true, what debauchery indeed…”
A group of maidservants passed by, whispering to each other. Su Yan tried to step aside, but to his surprise, they seemed not to see him. He followed quietly to listen.
“Not just debauchery, reckless beyond belief! If this were exposed, the entire household would lose their heads!”
“They say Wangfei had relations with a commoner and gave birth to two impostor princes?”
“She conceived both the second and fourth princes while His Highness was away at war, returning only occasionally. Doesn’t that timing seem suspicious?”
“It is odd indeed. The second and fourth princes both resemble the Wangfei, but neither bears much likeness to His Highness.”
“And if ‘a son mirrors his true Father,’ wouldn’t that give her away immediately?”
Su Yan’s brows furrowed. So this must be the ‘great scandal’ Yu Wang once mentioned at the Wutong Pavilion. The rumor was vicious, it would doom not only the Wangfei but also her two sons to eternal disgrace.
The second and fourth princes… that would be Zhu Jintang and Zhu Jincheng.
The maids turned a corner and vanished. Su Yan stood there in thought, until he noticed two children in fine clothes standing under a nearby corridor, a boy of about eight or nine, handsome despite his youth, holding the hand of a toddler barely a year or two old.
At first glance, Su Yan recognized the elder boy, it was the young Zhu Jintang! And the little one must be Zhu Jincheng.
He wondered how much of the maids’ cruel gossip the young Zhu Jintang had overheard, it must have cut deep. Heart aching, Su Yan wanted to go to him, but then remembered that no one in this painted world could see him. He could only stand silently under the eaves, gazing at the two children.
Zhu Jintang’s expression was somber as he stared toward where the maids had gone, lips pressed tight. One small hand clenched at his side, but the other still held his brother’s hand gently.
Zhu Jincheng tugged at him. “Sugar hawthorns! Sugar figurines! Second Brother, come on, let’s go!”
Su Yan thought dazedly, He looks just like Ah Wu… no, Ah Wu is practically the very image of Yu Wang as a child.
Zhu Jintang bent down and picked up his brother. “Fourth Brother, remember this, only eat the food given by Royal Mother, me, or Qiong Gu. Anything anyone else gives you, don’t touch it. Understand?”
Zhu Jincheng nodded vaguely.
Zhu Jintang hugged him tight and whispered, “We are Royal Father’s sons, not b*stards.”
Su Yan’s heart clenched painfully. He crouched down and reached out, wanting to pull the two children into his arms. But they passed through him like mist and ran off into the distance.
The white fog rolled in once more.
When it cleared, the lotus pond reappeared beneath his feet. Dazed for a moment, Su Yan continued forward.
He walked past battlefields and saw the young Zhu Jintang riding beside Emperor Xianzhu on campaign;
Past the eve of the enthronement ceremony, where the grown Zhu Jintang swore before the ancestral tablets to be a benevolent ruler who would shelter all his people;
Past countless sleepless nights, seeing how Zhu Jintang was bound to the throne by endless memorials, state, family, people, duty, all entwined around him, year after year, from the age of twenty to thirty-eight, through every day they met and every day they parted.
He walked past fireworks bursting over the city gate; past the farewell fields outside the capital; past the high terrace where they once sat side by side, watching the sunrise over the imperial city.
At last, he came to a courtyard so familiar it hurt, the old peach-blossom yard of the Su residence, before its expansion. Under the window, in a reclining chair, sat Zhu Jintang, calmly reading an ancient text with a pot of freshly brewed tea beside him.
He wore no dragon robe, only a simple Daoist robe that made him look like a refined recluse. Looking up from his book, he saw Su Yan and smiled gently.
“Qinghe, come here. Sit on my lap.”
Su Yan’s eyes burned. He stepped quickly toward his Jinchang.
The white mist once again swallowed everything. Su Yan groped about helplessly, calling out into the void, and through the thinning haze, he vaguely saw a figure lying upon a couch, head wrapped in white gauze, the side profile sharp and striking: brows like inked peaks, nose straight as a blade’s edge, lips pale and thin as fallen petals.
That person slowly opened his eyes.
—
“Zhu Jintang!” Su Yan shouted aloud and jolted awake, immediately breaking into a fit of violent coughing.
The three who had been keeping vigil rushed to his side, patting his back, channeling internal energy, bringing water and medicine.
“Qinghe…” Zhu Helin said sorrowfully, “Royal Father has already passed. If you go on thinking of him day and night like this, you’ll only destroy your own body.”
As Jinghong Zhui’s internal energy soothed his lungs, Su Yan began to breathe easier, his coughing gradually subsiding.
“I dreamt of His Majesty,” he said hoarsely. “He didn’t die after the craniotomy… he woke up.”
In that instant, fragments of memory flashed through his mind, the flicker of eyes outside the treatment room, his and Zhu Helin’s sudden collapse, the hasty encoffining overnight, the sealed funeral palace where not even a final glance was permitted… All the scattered doubts strung together into a single thread.
Su Yan sat upright, clutching the sleeves of Shen Qi and Jinghong Zhui, his voice rasping: “You two, what are you hiding from me? Speak! Or I’ll have Xiaobei and Xiaojing beat you both out of the Su residence with sticks!”
Jinghong Zhui immediately pointed at Shen Qi. “I was coerced! He’s the mastermind, let him speak!”
Both Su Yan’s and Zhu Helin’s gazes snapped toward Shen Qi.
Shen Qi sighed silently and began recounting everything from the beginning.
“Two months ago, after the ‘Kneeling at the Palace Gates’ memorial incident, His Majesty purged a large group of officials from the Crown Prince’s faction. Not long after, when the Empress Dowager came to question him, His Majesty suddenly fell unconscious.”
“The Empress Dowager then learned how severe his head ailment had become and summoned Chen Shiyu for questioning. Chen told her the illness could no longer be cured by medicine, only a craniotomy might save him, but he had no confidence to perform it.”
“When His Majesty awoke from that first coma, he ordered Chen Shiyu to prescribe fierce medicines just to prolong his life, and at the same time issued an edict recalling the Crown Prince.”
“After that, His Majesty fell unconscious several more times, yet insisted on continuing the medicine, saying he had to hold out until the Crown Prince returned. During that period, he secretly summoned me to the Imperial Study.”
“His Majesty feared the Empress Dowager might intercept the edict summoning the Crown Prince, so he ordered me to take the Embroidered Uniform Guards and personally go to Nanjing to bring him back.”
“Then, he gave me this secret decree.”
Shen Qi took out a small box from his robes. Su Yan, still coughing, pulled out the scroll and read carefully.
It stated: Once the Crown Prince returns to court, We command Chen Shiyu to perform the craniotomy. Immediately after the operation, Zhen’s death shall be announced. All subsequent arrangements are to be handled by the Embroidered Uniform Guard officer Shen Qi. All involved parties shall obey his orders and may not disobey.
The decree was written in Emperor Jinglong’s own hand, but bore no imperial seal, likely to prevent Shen Qi from taking an imprint for his own purposes.
“His Majesty prepared two paths for himself—”
“First path: if his body failed before the Crown Prince returned, there would be no chance for surgery, and this decree would remain unused. My duty then would be to contact Gelao Yang Ting, Minister of Rites Yan Xing, and Commander Longquan of the Tengxiang Guard, and together with Qinghe, assist the Crown Prince’s ascension.”
“Second path: if he held out until the Crown Prince returned, he could entrust the empire from his sickbed. Chen Shiyu would perform the craniotomy, and whether it succeeded or not, His Majesty’s death would be announced immediately.”
Zhu Helin frowned. “Why would Royal Father do that?”
Shen Qi replied, “Because within that second path, he prepared two possible outcomes,
“First outcome: the surgery fails, and he dies on the spot, then the decree remains unused.
“Second outcome: the surgery succeeds. He may wake soon, or much later, but at that point, the decree would be needed… to stage his death.”
Su Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “His Majesty wanted to fake his death, to deceive whom?”
Shen Qi answered quietly: “The Player.”
After a pause, he continued, “We’ve clashed with the Player several times. His style of ‘playing chess’ is to move pieces east and west, each line supporting the other, while he himself stays hidden behind the board, never revealing his face. That’s what makes him so hard to trace or catch.”
Su Yan nodded. “Indeed. Those factions we’ve seen, the Hidden Sword Sect, the Seven Kill Camp, the Void Sect, each has been crippled one by one. Even Mister He is now a wanted fugitive. And yet, as for the Player himself, who he truly is, what cards he still holds, we know nothing.”
Shen Qi said, “That’s precisely why His Majesty decided to use his own ‘death’ as bait, to lure the Player into the open.”
“How?” Zhu Helin demanded. “What bait?”
Shen Qi gave him a wry smile. “—You.”
“What better time to rebel,” Shen Qi asked softly, “than when a new emperor ascends, young, unsteady, and with the realm uncertain?”
Young, unsteady, realm uncertain?
Zhu Helin’s face darkened by degrees. “You insolent dog! You dare insult this master, when I return to the palace, I’ll have your—”
Before he could finish, Su Yan reached from behind and covered his mouth, coughing so hard his body doubled over, almost tumbling from the bed.
Alarmed, Zhu Helin caught him and tucked him back under the covers.
Taking the chance to steer the topic, Su Yan asked between breaths, “So His Majesty believed… the Player would move when the young lord ascends the throne?”
Shen Qi’s gaze softened. “Most likely. The Player has many lines of play. Even with several already destroyed, his strength remains. I suspect that at the moment of the new emperor’s coronation, he’ll reveal his final hand, sending all his forces into motion. And when that happens, his true identity will finally surface.”
Everyone nodded grimly after a long silence.
Zhu Helin then asked, “So the imperial coffin, it’s empty, isn’t it? Otherwise they wouldn’t have forbidden anyone to view it. How did you manage to fool everyone so completely?”
Shen Qi replied, “It’s not as difficult as it sounds. Before the operation ended, I went to find Physician Chen with the secret decree, and we discussed it privately, ”
“—In the latrine,” Jinghong Zhui interjected dryly.
Shen Qi shot him a glare. Jinghong Zhui glared right back.
“Keep talking!” Zhu Helin urged impatiently.
“Doctor Chen recognized His Majesty’s handwriting,” Shen Qi said. “After receiving the order, he went back to talk with Jinghong Zhui. But that man’s like a stone in a latrine, stinking and stubborn, wouldn’t budge. So Doctor Chen came to me and asked me to persuade him.”
Jinghong Zhui suddenly interjected coldly, “He threatened me with Lord Su’s life. And he even spouted nonsense about ‘merit’ and ‘ambition.’”
Shen Qi could bear it no longer and rose with a hand on his sword. Seeing the tension rise, Su Yan began coughing so violently he couldn’t breathe, forcing others to rush to feed him water and wipe his sweat.
After the flurry of movement, the mood naturally eased.
Zhu Helin, still eager to hear the rest, tapped his knuckles irritably on the bedside. “Go on!”
Shen Qi continued, “I used a secret edict to persuade the Imperial Medical Institute’s head physician, Wang Chunfu, to take His Majesty’s pulse and then announce that the Emperor had passed away. Then Lan Xi came with palace attendants to move the still-unconscious Emperor into a coffin, which they carried overnight to Renzhi Hall. Lan Xi personally changed His Majesty’s clothes and filled the coffin with several dragon robes to make up the weight of a human body. Jinghong Zhui guarded the hall, keeping idlers away.”
Jinghong Zhui picked up the story. “At dawn, when the palace gates opened, I quietly moved His Majesty into a carriage and had Doctor Chen take him out of the palace. Doctor Chen claimed publicly that he was too ashamed by his failure to treat His Majesty and had requested to leave the palace. It was convincing enough.”
“The carriage was a prototype made by the Ministry of Works, fitted with the newest ball bearings and hollow tires, and lined with thick cotton padding to minimize jolting. It was originally Yu Wang’s carriage, later gifted to Doctor Chen. Since the guards recognized the carriage and Doctor Chen’s familiar face, they didn’t search it.
“I secretly escorted the carriage to a villa on the outskirts of the city, where we settled the Emperor.”
Su Yan suddenly recalled the villa from his dream and blurted out, “Is it called ‘After the Rain, Wind Among Lotuses’?”
Jinghong Zhui looked at him in surprise. “Yes. How did you know, my lord?”
…Because that’s the painting he gave me! Su Yan covered his mouth, pretending to cough. “That villa must have been purchased by His Majesty.”
Shen Qi nodded. “Indeed. It was secretly acquired last June, under the guise of a merchant buying property out of town. No one knows it’s connected to the royal family. I thought His Majesty meant to use it as a private summer retreat.”
June… that was his birthday. So this villa, was it meant as a gift for him? Su Yan drew a long, shaky breath and asked the most important question: “Has His Majesty woken up? I want to see him.”
“The latest message yesterday said he still hasn’t woken,” Jinghong Zhui replied, swallowing the words “fever under treatment.” “Doctor Chen is taking meticulous care of him. My lord need not worry.”
Shen Qi’s expression softened slightly. “You’re still ill yourself. Focus on recovering first; there’s no need to rush.”
Zhu Helin said, “Then I’ll go see Royal Father in your place.”
Shen Qi objected immediately. “The new Emperor has only just taken the throne. Every move is watched. If the villa’s location or His Majesty’s condition were exposed, the enemy would be alerted, it would be disastrous.”
Though eager to see his Royal Father, Zhu Helin put safety first and agreed. “Then tell Doctor Chen someone must watch over him day and night. Treat him with all available means. Whatever rare medicine or resources are needed, request them freely.”
Seeing Su Yan still downcast, Jinghong Zhui promised, “Once you’ve recovered, I’ll take you there myself.”
***
With hope and something to look forward to, Su Yan’s health improved rapidly. But a cough like his was hard to cure, it took half a month before it finally subsided.
That night, Jinghong Zhui carried him in his arms and used qinggong to leave the city silently, arriving at the Lotus After Rain Residence.
Su Yan finally saw Zhu Jintang lying unconscious, just like in his dreams. The scene gave him a haunting sense of déjà vu. No matter how softly he called, the man didn’t open his eyes.
“When will His Majesty wake?” Su Yan asked Chen Shiyu anxiously.
Chen Shiyu consoled him, “He hasn’t woken yet, but his condition is stable. He’s had several bouts of fever, but each time it broke. The drainage tube has been removed, and the scalp wound is healing nicely.”
Su Yan pressed further. “Then why hasn’t he woken?”
“After all, a piece of his brain was removed,” Chen said frankly. “As Lord Su himself once said, ‘the human brain is the most intricate organ of all.’ Even I cannot say for certain why His Majesty hasn’t regained consciousness. But the attendants feed, clean, and massage him daily; I handle his medicine and acupuncture. Over time, I believe he’ll wake.”
Su Yan stayed by Zhu Jintang’s side all night and only left before sunrise. Before he went, he hooked his finger around the Emperor’s and whispered beside his ear, “Your Majesty, please wake soon. When you do… wherever you tell me to sit, I’ll sit there.”
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