After much hesitation, Cui Jinping ultimately did not immediately submit Yu Chezhi’s military report to the Grand Secretariat.
Ever since the night of his promotion to Tongzheng of Transmission, when he stepped into Xie Shiyan’s residence to thank him for recognizing his talent and to express his willingness to align himself with him, he had vaguely realized in his heart, this was the beginning of his parting ways with Su Yan.
Looking across the entire court, it was indeed Su Gelao who currently enjoyed the greatest imperial favor, standing alone in brilliance. But this tree was too tender, too solitary, its roots not yet deep enough. It was unlike those old groves with tangled roots, though they looked dull, low, and mediocre, their very ordinariness made them hard to uproot in a storm.
If this outstanding tree had been willing to give him a chance to climb alongside it, he would have been willing, within his limits, to weather storms together with it. But Su Yan looked down on him, preferring to associate with the hawk-clawed agents of the secret police and to favor a madman who only knew how to offer aphrodisiacs, rather than extend him more support.
So it was Su Yan who first wronged him, who betrayed their friendship.
Since you are unkind, don’t blame me for being unjust… Cui Jinping gritted his teeth and locked the memorial in a drawer.
After the memorial had been withheld for two days, new military news arrived from Daming Prefecture:
Yu Chezhi submitted another report to the court, stating that he had dispatched troops to search for and support Qi Jingtang. Along the way, they found traces of battles between the two sides and heard many local rumors, some said the government troops had been defeated and fled; others said their commander had been captured and surrendered… the rumors varied, but none were good.
Yu Chezhi suspected that the Left Army of the Five Armies Camp under Qi Jingtang had suffered defeat due to underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. Its commander had yet to return to camp to report, he was either dead, captured, or had fled to escape punishment.
Cui Jinping delivered this second memorial to Xie Shiyan as well.
Xie Shiyan was overjoyed. On one hand, he instructed Cui Jinping to continue withholding the information and absolutely not let Su Yan learn of it and make preparations; on the other, he intensified efforts to contact officials of his own faction and court ministers dissatisfied with Su Yan, including another Grand Secretary, Jiang Chunian.
At present, the Grand Secretariat had five members.
The Grand Chancellor Yang Ting had longstanding ties with Su Yan and shared a connection through Li Chengfeng, so Xie Shiyan had given up on winning him over from the start.
Yu Chezhi was out leading troops in battle; regarding Qi Jingtang, he was likely already full of anger. Even if he did not personally attack Su Yan upon returning to the capital, he would not hinder their impeachment efforts.
Jiang Chunian, though somewhat of a stammerer and usually low-profile, not drawing attention, was known by Xie Shiyan to be unwilling to remain beneath Su Yan in rank. With a bit of persuasion, he could become an ally.
In this way, among the remaining three Grand Secretaries, two could be turned into support. Only Yang Ting, who leaned toward Su Yan, had a mild temperament and was not much of a concern.
After calculating everything, Xie Shiyan felt that the chances of success this time were not small. Even if they could not remove Su Yan from office, they could severely damage his position within the Grand Secretariat, even push him out of the core of the court. Once he fell from his near-prime-minister status, what awaited him would be repeated blows from all sides and the carving up of his interests, after that, making a comeback would be difficult.
After three consecutive nights of secret plotting, within this “anti-Su” faction led by Xie Shiyan, among the six or seven core members, Grand Secretary Jiang Chunian turned out to be the most impatient. He pressed, “The impeachment memorial is already drafted, when do we act?”
After a moment of thought, Xie Shiyan said, “Let’s wait a little longer.”
“Wait for what? Be careful not to let things drag on. Don’t forget, the spies of the Embroidered Uniform Guard aren’t amateurs.”
“…We’ll wait for Grand Secretary Yu’s third memorial.”
Submitting multiple memorials in quick succession was very much Yu Chezhi’s style. Back when he led troops against bandits, the most he’d ever submitted was nine memorials in just half a month, either demanding military provisions or denouncing officials who were dragging their feet. Fortunately, Emperor Jinglong was tolerant and never took offense. As a result, Yu Chezhi became known as the civil official who commanded troops yet had the temperament and conduct most like a military general.
Xie Shiyan was certain Yu Chezhi would never tolerate subordinate commanders disobeying military orders. There would undoubtedly be another memorial.
Sure enough, two days later, the third memorial arrived.
Yu Chezhi had captured a group of “righteous army” foot soldiers. Under interrogation, they confirmed that Qi Jingtang’s forces had indeed clashed with them several times recently, and had been defeated every time, retreating in complete disarray with the remnants of their troops. Madman Liao had personally led his men in pursuit. As for the final outcome of the battle, even these captured soldiers didn’t know.
That was ironclad proof.
Finally reassured, Xie Shiyan slapped the table and declared, “It’s settled! At tomorrow’s morning court, we’ll concentrate all our firepower on Su Twelve. We won’t stop until we’ve blasted him out of the Grand Secretariat!”
***
“What did they discuss… at tonight’s secret meeting in the Xie residence?”
Night had fallen, and the oil lamps cast flickering shadows across the main hall of the Northern Surveillance Bureau of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
With his legs propped up on the desk, Shen Qi absentmindedly twirled a brass torture awl in his hand as he asked the question.
The secret agent cupped his fists apologetically. “The Xie residence was heavily guarded. Our brothers couldn’t get close. We only know that six or seven people gathered there. We couldn’t identify them or learn what they discussed.”
That old fox Xie Shiyan…
Last time, he’d formed a grudge against Qinghe because of Qi Jingtang’s presentation of the Rejuvenation Pill. Could this clandestine meeting also have something to do with Qinghe?
Shen Qi dismissed the spy with a wave of his hand. Just as he was considering personally investigating the Xie residence, Gao Shuo hurried in. Stopping before him, Gao Shuo looked as though he were about to speak, only to hesitate.
“What?” Shen Qi raised an eyebrow. “Done something guilty and afraid I’ll deal with you?”
Gao Shuo forced an awkward smile. “My conscience… whether it’s clear or not, surely you know better than anyone, my lord.”
“Then stop standing there looking like some timid little bride.”
Gao Shuo immediately straightened his expression into his usual cold, emotionless face. Oddly enough, that made him feel much better. “I have something to report, my lord. I didn’t want to say it… but I have no choice. At the same time, I’m afraid you’ll fly into a rage once you hear it.”
Shen Qi resisted the urge to throw the awl at him. “Out with it already. Stop wasting my time.”
Gao Shuo pulled a bundle of red gauze from inside his robes and handed it over with a stiff expression.
Shen Qi stabbed the fabric onto the tabletop with the awl. It unfolded into the torn sleeve of a bright scarlet gauze garment.
“This was found by palace servants while they were cleaning Fengtian Hall. Seeing it was torn and useless, they tossed it into the storage room with other discarded items, intending to dispose of it later. One of the palace servants happened to be friends with a duty officer. While the two were chatting in a corridor, Fubao Gonggong, His Majesty’s personal attendant, arrived with several men and demanded to know who had thrown away the red gauze garment. He said the Emperor had become furious and insisted it be found immediately. The servant was terrified. He hurried to retrieve the garment from storage and handed it over to Fubao Gonggong.”
Shen Qi frowned deeply. “Whether the Emperor’s anxious over the Imperial Seal or some ragged piece of cloth, what does it have to do with you? Or with me? Why are you wasting my time with this trivial nonsense?”
Gao Shuo quickly continued. “Please hear the rest, my lord. After Fubao Gonggong left, the servant realized he’d been in such a hurry that he’d overlooked half of one sleeve. He asked the duty officer to deliver it for him. When that Embroidered Uniform Guard officer brought over the torn sleeve, he accidentally overheard two palace attendants responsible for dressing and preparing His Majesty’s robes chatting privately. They said… they said that this red gauze garment had been worn by Lord Su while staying overnight in the palace. That’s why His Majesty cared so much about recovering it.”
The moment Shen Qi heard the words “Lord Su,” his mind exploded with a deafening buzz. All he could see before his eyes was a fluttering sea of crimson, thin as cicada wings. His expression twisted. Through clenched teeth, he forced out the question: “…Which Lord Su?”
“Grand Secretary Su, Lord Su.”
Shen Qi drew a long, shuddering breath. Inside him, it felt as though glowing charcoal had begun smoldering, threatening to burn a hole straight through his lungs and heart. His grip tightened around the brass awl. Even as the sharpened tip pierced his own palm, he didn’t notice. “…Continue.”
“The officer knew the matter was highly confidential. He didn’t dare listen further, nor did he dare return the sleeve. He quietly hid it away and pretended nothing had happened. More than half a month passed without incident, so he gradually relaxed. Tonight, while drinking with me, he let it slip after getting drunk. That’s how I learned of it. My lord! I’ve already warned him to take this secret to his grave and never drink again. If he can’t keep his mouth shut, I won’t even wait for your orders, I’ll deal with him myself.”
The moment Gao Shuo saw Shen Qi’s eyes, he knew disaster was coming. But the officer was his cousin. He couldn’t simply stand by and watch him die. At the very least, he had to save his life first.
Slowly, Shen Qi unclenched his hand. Blood welled from his pierced palm. Using his fingers, he deliberately smeared the blood across the crimson sleeve. His voice was hoarse. “Only this once. Transfer him out of the capital and make sure he never again appears before my eyes… or reaches my ears.”
Overjoyed, Gao Shuo thanked him repeatedly.
“As for those two attendants from Fengtian Hall…” Shen Qi continued, “question them thoroughly tonight. Then make it look like an accident.”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Leave.”
“…My lord…” After a brief hesitation, Gao Shuo quietly withdrew.
Shen Qi hooked the bloodstained strip of red gauze with the brass awl and held it over the candle flame. The dancing firelight illuminated his face in shifting light and shadow. Without moving, he stared at the gray ashes drifting down onto the tabletop.
“What did I tell you?” Feng Que’e’s shadow leaned out from the darkness. His blood-caked fingers ground the ashes into powder as his hoarse, eerie voice whispered: “You endured the old one… now you have to endure the younger one too. When will it ever end? Still haven’t made up your mind?”
Shen Qi remained perfectly silent, utterly motionless. Only when those bloody fingers reached toward his throat did he suddenly thrust the brass awl violently behind him. The phantom vanished without a trace.
“…I handle my own affairs. I don’t need anyone telling me what to do.” With a sharp breath, Shen Qi blew out the candle on the desk, plunging the room into darkness.
***
—
Su Yan startled awake from a light sleep, abruptly sitting up and calling out, “Ah Zhui!”
Jinghong Zhui, who had been meditating on the couch in the outer room, flashed to his bedside in an instant and responded, “I’m here. What’s wrong, my lord?”
With his long hair loose and clutching the thin quilt, Su Yan frowned. “I feel a bit uneasy, like something is about to happen…”
Jinghong Zhui knew that Lord Su was not someone weak-willed or prone to baseless suspicions; such a sudden palpitation must have a cause. He sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. “Did something come to mind, my lord? Sometimes things overlooked or dwelled upon during the day will surface in a hazy dream.”
Su Yan felt the same and thought hard for a moment before saying, “The atmosphere at court these past few days has been strange. Especially at the last court assembly, I felt quite a few gazes secretly watching and scrutinizing me, yet I couldn’t detect anything unusual about the officials. I even thought perhaps I’ve been overworked lately and grown a bit sensitive. But thinking back now, something really does feel off… I just can’t quite put my finger on it. Oh, right, I had Xiaobei go to the gatehouse to look for visiting cards. Did he find them?”
“Three drawers full, all from officials and gentry requesting an audience. Ever since my lord entered the Grand Secretariat, too many people have wanted to come build connections or freeload. Su Xiaojing couldn’t be bothered dealing with them and just stuffed them all into drawers like trash.” Jinghong Zhui got up, walked to the table, picked up a card, and handed it to him. “This one is Cui Jinping’s.”
Su Yan took it and looked at it, then sighed. “If I had realized Pingshan’s thoughts earlier and communicated with him more, perhaps it wouldn’t have come to the point of friends turning against each other.”
Jinghong Zhui said instead, “Even saying it earlier might not have helped. Sometimes a person has to take a fall and suffer a loss before they learn, especially those who think too highly of themselves.”
Unable to fall back asleep, Su Yan got up, tied up his hair, and put on an outer robe. “Ah Zhui, come take a walk with me.”
On a late May spring night, there was already a hint of early summer warmth in the breeze. Su Yan and Jinghong Zhui left the house, turned past two alley corners, and strolled slowly along Chengqing Street.
When they stepped onto a stone bridge, Su Yan pointed beyond the railing and said, “Back then, this is where I found you, in that bridge opening.” It was also on this bridge that he had first met Shen Qi.
“At the time, you were half-floating in the water like a corpse. Those wide-open eyes frightened me, but also piqued my curiosity.” Su Yan smiled. “Thinking back, I was really lucky.”
Jinghong Zhui brushed away the drifting fluff from his shoulder, took his hand, and continued forward. “The lucky one is me.”
At the end of the street, Taibai Tower was still lit. As Su Yan passed the entrance and caught the scent of wine, he was suddenly in the mood. He said to Jinghong Zhui, “Come, let’s go upstairs and have a couple of drinks.”
“In another two or three hours it’ll be morning court. Is it alright for my lord to drink?”
“It’s fine, just two cups.” Su Yan walked onto the second-floor corridor, then suddenly stopped, a look of surprise appearing on his face. “Cui Jinping?”
At a window-side table, cups and dishes were in disarray, the table covered in spilled liquid. Cui Jinping lay slumped over the edge of the table alone, motionless, as if drunk.
Su Yan stared blankly, suddenly recalling that this very seat was where they had first met and drunk tea together at Taibai Tower.
He walked over, gently nudged Cui Jinping’s shoulder, and called, “Brother Pingshan?”
No response.
“Brother Pingshan, you’re drunk. Let me take you home?”
Cui Jinping shifted his posture, murmured a few incoherent words, and then went still again.
Helpless, Su Yan said to Jinghong Zhui, “He’s drinking alone to drown his sorrows. I can’t just ignore him and leave him here. Not only would he miss tomorrow’s court, but if some rogue robs him, what then?”
From the bottom of his heart, Jinghong Zhui didn’t want to bother with Cui Jinping, he disliked that even after falling out with Lord Su, the man still occupied his concern and time. So while helping him up, he quietly forced a strand of true qi into Cui Jinping’s meridians to stimulate him to sober up.
Cui Jinping let out a muffled sound, hazily opened his eyes to glance at Su Yan, then closed them again and muttered, “Don’t come into my dreams… go out, go out!”
Su Yan chuckled. “Brother Pingshan, this isn’t a dream. This is Taibai Tower.”
“Tai… Taibai Tower… Brother Qinghe speaks frankly and directly, perfectly matching my temperament. To gain such a friend, how joyful… how joyful…”
Su Yan vaguely remembered, those were the words Cui Jinping had said to him when they first became acquainted here. After a brief pause, a sense of loss welled up in him.
“…You are unkind, I am unjust… Su Qinghe, you shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have either… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Cui Jinping clutched Su Yan’s collar, his whole body going limp as he lost consciousness again.
Now not only Su Yan, but even Jinghong Zhui sensed something was wrong. In a low voice, he said, “My lord, this man seems to have something on his conscience. Otherwise, why would he come here late at night to drown his worries in drink right before court?”
After a brief thought, Su Yan said, “How about this, you quietly take him back. Don’t alert his family for now. Then check his bedchamber and study to see if you find anything.”
“Alright. But what about you, my lord?”
“You move swiftly and silently, I’d only slow you down. I’ll wait here. How about that?”
Jinghong Zhui was a bit uneasy, but it was not yet the hour of Hai, and Taibai Tower was lively and well-lit, so it should be safe. Besides, he couldn’t treat Lord Su like a child to be watched every moment. He nodded. “I’ll go and return quickly. My lord, have a late-night snack while you wait.”
Su Yan paid for Cui Jinping’s wine, had Ah Zhui take him away, then ordered a few stir-fried dishes and slowly ate them with sweet rice wine.
In less than half an hour, Jinghong Zhui returned. Su Yan poured him some wine and invited him to sit and eat together.
Jinghong Zhui had no mind for food or drink. Leaning in, he said in a low voice, “I left him at his doorstep, as if he had muddled his way home drunk. Then I searched his bedchamber and study. I found a desk drawer locked, when I opened it… I didn’t take anything for fear of alerting him, so I came back first to report to you, my lord.”
Su Yan’s expression turned grave as he listened, his brows knitting in shock and doubt.
“How could this be? It shouldn’t be, Qi Jingtang is…” Su Yan abruptly fell silent. Qi Jingtang was recorded in the history books as a famed general with almost no defeats in his lifetime, how could he suffer a setback right at the start of his career?
Could the historical records be wrong? Or in this parallel world, the same person had a different fate? Or had he interfered too early, causing a butterfly effect? Su Yan grew somewhat agitated, his fingertips tapping incessantly against the edge of the table.
Jinghong Zhui said, “This matter will likely be used by others to deal with you, my lord. Otherwise, Cui Jinping wouldn’t be so guilty and uneasy. How does my lord plan to respond?”
The more troublesome the situation, the calmer one must be. Su Yan took a deep breath, stopped tapping the table, and pinched the wine cup, handing it to Jinghong Zhui. “Ah Zhui has worked hard, have a drink first to quench your thirst.”
Seeing him calm down so quickly, Jinghong Zhui let out a low laugh. “Will my lord feed me?”
Su Yan chuckled, and truly fed him a cup of wine.
After Jinghong Zhui finished the cup, Su Yan also thought of something. He placed two pieces of broken silver on the table and pulled Jinghong Zhui out of Taibai Tower.
“Come, let’s go to the Northern Surveillance Bureau!”
“What for?”
“To find Qilang. He said he’d be interrogating a case at the yamen tonight.”
“Does Shen Qi know about this?”
“He probably doesn’t yet. I just remembered, back when I recommended Qi Jingtang to the court, because he wasn’t yet well known, I was worried the recommendation wouldn’t convince others, so I specifically had Qilang investigate his past achievements and compile a report to present to the Grand Secretariat. That gave grounds for the recommendation. So Qilang should have collected all his past battle records…”
***
“Are these battle records useful?” Shen Qi handed Su Yan a simply bound booklet.
Late at night, Su Yan’s sudden visit to the Northern Surveillance Bureau with Jinghong Zhui caught Shen Qi somewhat off guard. He subconsciously brushed away the ashes on the table and rose to greet him.
Su Yan briefly recounted the events of the night to Shen Qi. Shen Qi immediately ordered someone to retrieve the previously collected materials from the document room.
“When the Emperor once taught me chess, he said something like this…” Su Yan sat at the table, carefully flipping through the booklet as he spoke without raising his head. “He said every chess player has their own style, some open wide and sweep across the board, some take unconventional paths and favor surprise moves, some are conservative, some aggressive, some brimming with killing intent… A person’s chess style generally doesn’t change much in a short time. So I think a general’s combat style should follow the same principle.”
When the words “the Emperor” left his mouth, Shen Qi’s gaze flickered coldly for a moment, and he lowered his eyes.
Su Yan pulled over a sheet of paper, comparing it with the text in the booklet, sketching and scribbling as he sighed, “If Yu Wang were here right now, that would be great. He’s extremely skilled in warfare, a master at deploying troops. Analyzing battle cases and drawing tactical diagrams would be nothing for him. It would save me a lot of time.”
This time, Jinghong Zhui’s face darkened as well. He reached for paper and brush, tore off the latter half of the booklet, and said, “I can draw too. Leave these to me.”
Su Yan took a look, it was actually quite decent, far more reliable than his own random scribbles.
Sheets of paper soon covered the table as the three of them gathered around to study.
Shen Qi said, “Qi Jingtang joined the army at sixteen. It’s been eight years now. He’s gone through sixty-five battles of various sizes, mostly against bandits and ronin.”
Jinghong Zhui said, “These, and these few, were all won very beautifully. It seems he excels most at siege assaults, relieving sieges, engaging head-on, and pursuit.”
Su Yan pondered over one of them. “This battle, how did he turn defeat into victory? There are some parts I don’t quite understand.”
Shen Qi picked it up and examined it closely, saying in a low voice, “Advancing deep alone, putting himself in a position of death to find life…”
“Like a move in swordsmanship called ‘Reversing the Dipper and Returning the Pivot,’ using one’s own vital point as bait. If the opponent falls for it, then when their offensive force is spent, that is when they are defeated,” Jinghong Zhui explained.
Su Yan seemed to gain some insight.
At twenty-five, Qi Jingtang was still an unknown youth from Dengzhou. After his life trajectory had deviated from its original course in this timeline, whether this battle would end in life or death, victory or defeat, Su Yan had no absolute confidence…
“Don’t let me misjudge you, Little Qi,” Su Yan murmured. “Come back alive. Come back victorious… whoever you want to give the Spring-Returning Pill to, just give it.”
Shen Qi and Jinghong Zhui exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words, the medicine could be accepted, but the person must disappear from Qinghe’s sight.
***
Su Xiaojing stood by the bed, looking at the sleeping Su Xiaobei, and silently said: Goodbye, Brother Xiaobei.
Su Yan was not home, Shen Qi was not around, and Jinghong Zhui was also absent, tonight was the best opportunity.
The door creaked softly open and then gently closed again. Su Xiaobei, having drunk the drugged wine, did not wake.
