The Reincarnation of a Powerful Minister Chapter 334

Seventh day of the fifth month, clear skies. Auspicious deities present: Tiande, Minri, Chushen. Suitable for sacrifice.

It was the death anniversary of Emperor Xianzu. The seven-day nationwide public memorial ceremony began simultaneously in the two capitals and the prefectural cities of the thirteen circuits of Great Ming.

The Ministry of Personnel under Su Yan, together with the Ministry of Rites, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had completed all preparatory work for this memorial, whose true purpose lay elsewhere. Now all that remained was to proceed step by step and wait for the results.

At the busiest intersection of East Market Street in the capital, a large open space had been cleared, and an open-air memorial hall had been set up in advance. At the central main site hung a massive oil portrait of Emperor Xianzu; at the side site, portraits of Emperor Jinglong and the Qinghe Emperor were hung on the left and right.

The ritual procedures were no different from ancestral precedent, but because the new emperor had specially permitted gentry and a portion of the common people of the capital to participate, this unprecedented honor stirred great excitement among the populace. Everyone rushed to register, but the slots were limited and the threshold rather high. After a month-long registration period that screened out many, those fortunate enough to attend were mostly respected elders of the neighborhoods, eloquent scholars, and well-connected ward heads, village chiefs, and the like.

According to Su Yan’s arrangements, after the officials of the Ministry of Rites completed the ritual procedures, these gentry and commoners would line up to step forward, gaze upon the portrait of Emperor Xianzu, kowtow and offer incense, then proceed to the side site to perform kowtows before the portraits of the late emperor and the current one.

Because there were far too many onlookers, soldiers of the Five City Military Command set up cordons at the perimeter to maintain order, while numerous secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, dressed in plain clothes, mingled among the crowd to observe public reactions.

The ceremony was presided over by the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Su Yan did not appear publicly; dressed in plain clothes, he entered a teahouse in East Market and sat in a private room with Shen Qi and Jinghong Zhui, drinking tea while looking down at the square through the window. They saw only a vast sea of people encircling a pale expanse in the center, just a mass of moving heads, impossible to discern clearly.

Fortunately, Jinghong Zhui’s martial skill had reached perfection, and his eyesight and hearing were extraordinarily sharp, so he relayed what he saw and heard.

“…You’ve seen the imperial visage? Brother, you must have accumulated great virtue over eight lifetimes! Tell us, what did Emperor Xianzu look like? The elders say he had a high nose, long eyes, and prominent ears, a dragon-like visage. Is it true?”

“Dragon-like… who would dare say it isn’t? But… that portrait is incredibly lifelike. They say it was painted by a Western artist, painting people as if reflecting them in a mirror. It felt as though the living Emperor Xianzu was sitting right before me, I broke out in a cold sweat from the tension!”

“As for his appearance, truly heroic, like… ah, yes, like the emperor. At least sixty to seventy percent alike!”

“What are you saying! That is the emperor!”

“No, I mean the current emperor resembles Emperor Xianzu. From the portrait, they look exactly like a pair of grandfather and grandson!”

“Who knows whether the portraits by Westerners are accurate…”

“How could they not be? Two years ago, this old man was fortunate enough to behold the late emperor’s imperial visage, it was almost identical to the portrait in the memorial hall.”

“Now that’s interesting. The current emperor doesn’t resemble the late emperor, but looks strikingly like Emperor Xianzu. Speaking of which, I have a cousin like that, he doesn’t resemble his parents at all, almost like he was picked up off the street. But guess what? He looks exactly like his grandfather when he was young! A few days ago, I heard a storyteller mention in a teahouse that this is recorded in ancient texts, it’s called… what was it… oh, ‘generation-skipping inheritance.’”

“What does that mean?”

“It means the father doesn’t pass it to the son, but to the grandson, skipping a generation in between.”

“Then… is the son still the father’s son?”

“Are you stupid? If the son weren’t the father’s son, how could he produce a grandson who resembles the father? Even if it was conceived through some scandal with the daughter-in-law, the grandson would still carry the father’s bloodline, wouldn’t he?”

Su Yan nearly spat out his tea, laughing uncontrollably at the table. “What kind of people are these, hahaha… but being a bit vulgar is fine, it’s grounded. I wonder which one here is a Embroidered Uniform Guard agent, quite capable.”

Shen Qi smiled faintly. “Which one isn’t important, as long as they can stir things up.”

Su Yan laughed so hard he nearly doubled over. Jinghong Zhui patted his back to help him catch his breath before he finally stopped choking on laughter and said, “This little spark is burning quite well. If all the prefectural cities are like the capital, then just wait and see what it means for a single spark to start a prairie fire.”

After finishing a pot of tea, the three stood and left the private room. As they passed another half-closed room, Su Yan caught sight of a familiar figure through the crack in the door and suddenly stopped.

“Qilang, Ah Zhui, you go ahead. I’ll chat with someone and come back later.”

Shen Qi also glimpsed the person inside and said after a moment’s thought, “Alright, take your time. I’ll go walk around the square below.”

Jinghong Zhui said, “I’ll meditate on the rooftop. Call me if you need anything, my lord.”

The two left decisively. Su Yan knocked on the door, pushed it open without waiting for a response, and shut it behind him. The person inside turned to look at him, clearly startled. “You…”

Su Yan said softly, “Brother Pingshan, long time no see.”

The surprise on Cui Jinping’s face turned to indifference. He did not rise, only cupped his hands in greeting. “Su Gelao is occupied with countless affairs daily, having no time to see a small fry like me is only to be expected.”

Su Yan did not mind the sarcasm in his tone and sat down across from him. “Busy, yes, but not so busy that I can’t spare time for a cup of tea and a chat with you. I know you’re resentful. You contributed to the enthronement of the new emperor, yet didn’t receive the corresponding reward.”

“Oh, so you know.” Cui Jinping poured himself another cup of tea, hesitated, and did not offer any to Su Yan.

Su Yan only wanted to resolve this knot between them and had no desire to drink tea. Nor did he want to tell Cui Jinping that Zhu Helin did not value him because he had already labeled him an “opportunist” back in Nanjing, judging him to have talent but no virtue.

Su Yan felt that assessment was somewhat excessive, no one is perfect; how many truly virtuous people are there? Having selfish motives is not a problem, as long as one can accomplish things and keep within the bounds of principle and law, that is enough. Like the Emperor Emeritus, who deeply understood that “if the water is too clear, there will be no fish.” Thus, those standing in court were not necessarily good men, but none were mediocre.

But Zhu Helin was still young, his spirit pure, and he could not tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. Because Cui Jinping had once shown signs of wavering, he disliked him. Even if he used him reluctantly due to Su Yan’s recommendation, he would never place him in an important role.

If Cui Jinping were to learn this, the blow would likely be worse than anything else, it might even turn into resentment that “a wise lord fails to recognize talent,” and, given his proud temperament, he would likely voice it openly. At that point, his career would truly be finished.

After a moment’s hesitation, Su Yan said, “Rewarding merit is not wrong, but have you truly thought through why you want to be an official, and how you should be one?”

Cui Jinping did not answer, instead asking, “Do you remember the first time we met alone? It was also in a teahouse.”

“I remember, Chengqing Ward, Taibai Tower.”

“At that time, I was distressed at having talent but no avenue to serve the country. You said a hometown saying to me: ‘Being an official takes no skill, it all depends on how thick your connections are.’ Do you remember?”

Su Yan felt a bit embarrassed. Back then he had been a reckless youth aiming to be a dandy; those words were indeed inappropriate. “That was my slip of the tongue, I misled you, Brother Pingshan.”

Cui Jinping let out a faint sneer. “You didn’t mislead me, you enlightened me. You made me understand that to thrive in officialdom, ability alone is not enough, what matters more is backing and connections.”

“That’s not the case…”

“That’s exactly the case! Over the years, my friendship with you, Su Qinghe, I wouldn’t say ten parts, but at least eight parts were for you as a person, not your position. To speak frankly, even after you became Grand Secretary, I never thought of you as a ‘connection.’ I only hoped you’d give me an opportunity, and I would do my utmost to share your burdens and get things done. But what about you? You look down on me!” Cui Jinping stared at Su Yan, his tone growing more agitated. “Lately I’ve been thinking it over again and again, what exactly is lacking in me, Cui Pingshan, that I don’t deserve a second glance from you, Su Gelao? Even Lord Xie, who has no prior acquaintance with me, is willing to recommend and promote me, yet you, who call me a friend, treat me this way, it makes no sense. Now I finally understand.”

“Understand what?” Su Yan asked.

Cui Jinping said, “I understand that you’re jealous of talent. You’re afraid that if I rise, I’ll take your imperial favor and overshadow you!”

Su Yan fell silent, then let out a long sigh. He extended a finger and tapped Cui Jinping lightly on the chest. “What kind of person I, Su Yan, am, those who understand me need no explanation; those who don’t, explaining is useless. Whether you understand me, ask your own heart.”

Cui Jinping sat there blankly, not avoiding his touch.

Su Yan stood and cupped his hands in farewell. “I have yet to congratulate you on your promotion to the Office of Transmission. No matter who recommended you or for what purpose, now that you hold the position, you should plan for its duties and fulfill them, remain uncorrupted by wealth, unbent by power. Don’t forget the poem you once wrote to express your aspirations, ‘Though rain beats upon the lotus, its color does not fade,’ ‘The dragon will one day leap, its golden scales revealed.’”

Cui Jinping watched his figure disappear beyond the door. After a moment, he came back to himself and said bitterly, “I don’t need your reminder!”

Su Yan stepped out of the teahouse and took a deep breath of the warming May air.

Jinghong Zhui drifted down from the rooftop to his side and said softly, “Everyone has their own aspirations, and their own path. Those who once walked the same road may not walk it to the end. My lord need not feel regret over this. The one who will walk to the end with you has always been by your side.”

Su Yan turned to look at him seriously, looking until Jinghong Zhui was almost blushing, before finally smiling slightly. “Is the one who will walk to the end with me, you, Ah Zhui?”

In front of the passersby coming and going, Jinghong Zhui took hold of the fingers of Lord Su, whom he loved and served. “What does my lord think?”

Su Yan clasped his hand in return and said, “My answer has always been the same, though I don’t know what lies at the end of this road, if you do not abandon me, let us walk on together.”

I am very fortunate that I picked you up beneath a bridge.

I am also very fortunate that, no matter how many hardships you encountered, no matter how much confusion and conflict you felt inside, you still chose to remain by my side.

I am grateful that you chose my path in life as the road you would walk from now on.

Ah Zhui, I do not know what lies at the end of this road. If you do not abandon me, let us walk on together.

This was Lord Su’s promise, and also his true heart and full measure of affection. At this moment, Jinghong Zhui no longer minded what kind of composition Su Yan’s love for him held, nor how it compared in weight to others. He clearly felt that unless he himself chose to leave first, to give up first, Su Yan would never leave or abandon him, and that was enough. Truly enough.

Before the eyes of all, Jinghong Zhui tightly embraced his lord, drawing a few low exclamations and soft laughter from those around them, yet for once he stubbornly did not let go.

Su Yan, who usually cared about face, did not push him away either, returning the embrace with a smile. “Luckily I’m not wearing official robes today, otherwise tomorrow’s court bulletin headline would be ‘The Unspeakable Forbidden Romance Between a Grand Secretary and His Guard.’”

Jinghong Zhui released him, smoothing the creases in his clothes as he did so. His gaze passed over Su Yan’s temples and landed on the Embroidered Uniform Guard commander standing under a canopy not far away, his expression dark.

He sent a message directly into Shen Qi’s mind: “The road is wide. If you’re willing to walk side by side, I won’t stop you. But if you start thinking of underhanded tricks to push others out, be careful you don’t dig your own grave.”

Shen Qi wanted to kill Jinghong Zhui, even knowing he couldn’t. He even wanted to kill Zhu Jintang, though during the man’s coma he had honored their agreement and done what he was supposed to, those were two different matters.

Because he knew that these two men who had entered Qinghe’s heart had already been acknowledged as partners.

His overwhelming killing intent toward Yu Wang in the past had instead diminished, because Qinghe had forgiven him but had not fallen in love with him.

As for Zhu Helin, who had harbored delusions since youth, so long as he did not touch Qinghe, Shen Qi could still be the “Embroidered Uniform Guard who serves only imperial orders” that he claimed to be. But if he truly crossed that line… Shen Qi lowered his gaze to the dark beast patterns on the scabbard of his embroidered spring saber. Whether the Ming dynasty lived or died, flourished or declined, what did it have to do with him? The peaceful, prosperous realm Qinghe desired, perhaps it could be achieved under another emperor, another dynasty.

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