“You taught me not to contend, and today, by drinking that bowl of porridge, I managed to preserve my life.”
With that, he turned his head slightly, his gaze settling on the empty space beside him as he began recounting, one by one, the scattered incidents that had taken place in the imperial garden’s warm pavilion during the day.
He started with the bowl of coarse millet porridge bestowed by the Emperor, then moved on to the old struggle in which the eldest, second, and third princes each held their own ground.
Yet when he mentioned the Regulations on Shipbuilding Materials, the Third Prince’s voice grew noticeably heavier. He explained in detail how Xiao Jingxing had seized control of the court discussion and proposed that the imperial government take over the registration and management of shipbuilding materials.
Xu Qinghuan held a black jade chess piece between her fingers, lightly rubbing its smooth surface with her knuckles.
She said nothing, listening quietly to his hurried account, her eyes fixed on the crisscrossing chessboard before her.
When Xiao Jingyan reached the end, he said in a low voice, “Filial piety is indeed the foundation of one’s standing. But defense alone cannot win this game. If I want to contend, I must attack. The problem is, I don’t even have a proper means of attack.”
“I just don’t know whether I’ve understood things correctly…”
He let out two cold laughs. “How ridiculous. During the day, I actually thought the ‘Office for Balancing Prices’ was an exceptionally thorough policy proposal. I even considered using funds from the imperial treasury to make up the deficit in exchange for a word of praise from Father. Looking back now, the idea was hopelessly clumsy! I only ended up paving someone else’s road to heaven.”
With a soft click, Xu Qinghuan placed the black stone firmly on a star point of the board.
The deadlocked game suddenly took on a clearer, more promising shape.
Only then did she raise her eyes—and see the faint redness at the corners of his eyes.
Damn! Xiao Jingyan was actually this prone to tears?
Xu Qinghuan gave Xiao Jingyan a thoughtful once-over.
That was fine. It was a good thing!
She spoke coolly. “You were able to see through this much? Not bad. You’re getting smarter.”
Xu Qinghuan pushed the chess basket aside and continued, “I was even worried you wouldn’t know how to adapt and would keep relying on that idea of ‘showing filial respect to your father’ until the very end.”
At those words, Xiao Jingyan’s throat tightened, and his face began to burn.
Keeping his voice low, he said, “The First Prince’s Regulations on Shipbuilding Materials are ostensibly meant to establish rules, but in reality, they bind the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works together so tightly that neither can move independently. If he succeeds, he’ll be able to decide with a single word whose documents get approved. He intends to seize control of the Six Ministries and every merchant in the empire.”
Xu Qinghuan picked up the purple-clay teapot beside her. Steaming tea streamed into the cup.
She poured herself a cup as well, then pushed his toward him across the desk. “The first prince was able to see through the situation in an instant and then use it to launch an open stratagem. His ability and confidence are indeed formidable. He also understands the habits of the civil and military officials throughout the court. Tell me, Your Highness—would you have dared to make such a move today?”
Xiao Jingyan’s body shuddered. The hand reaching for the teacup froze in midair.
His mind flashed back to his first reaction upon hearing that a large number of merchants had bought up all the available timber.
It had been to smooth things over—to use the Office for Balancing Prices to calm the situation.
He truly had not dared to provoke the great clans of the empire at such a time, much less take sole responsibility for stirring up such a massive burden of power.
That instinctive retreat made his breathing falter.
Seeing his dejected expression and the fingers that had remained stiff and motionless for so long, Xu Qinghuan suddenly changed direction.
“But he was too overbearing.” Her tone softened. “The Regulations concern far too much. The authority of the Six Ministries could never easily be placed in one man’s hands. In the end, didn’t His Majesty hand the matter over to the Grand Secretariat instead of allowing him to take direct control?”
The instant those words fell, Xiao Jingyan’s eyes lit up.
His hand, which had been frozen in midair, finally descended, and he seized the cup of hot tea.
Leaning forward, he nearly stretched halfway across the large desk. His voice was urgent. “Since he failed to accomplish everything, how should I contend from here on?”
Xu Qinghuan did not immediately answer. She merely stared at him.
Their gazes met in the air. Several breaths passed before she finally spoke.
“What do you have to contend with?”
Xiao Jingyan’s gaze faltered. He opened his mouth, but no words came.
A faint smile touched Xu Qinghuan’s lips. “You have no foundation at court. You can’t interfere in the affairs of the Six Ministries, and you have no way to suppress the century-old clans entrenched in Jiangnan. At present, you have no advantage at all.”
Her words were utterly merciless, tearing away the veneer of dignity surrounding the Third Prince of Great Qian.
Xiao Jingyan’s lips moved. He seemed to want to offer some defense, but in the end, he merely swallowed.
His body, which had been leaning forward, slowly withdrew until he was sitting back against the chair.
“Your only advantage,” Xu Qinghuan said as she looked at him, “is that the Chengyi Earl’s residence stands on your side. If we play this game according to my strategy, victory is guaranteed.”
Xiao Jingyan’s eyes immediately burned with eagerness. He no longer cared about maintaining the limits of their supposed relationship as lord and subject and hurriedly asked, “How should I proceed?”
“The first prince wants to stand at the forefront and establish the rules. Let him go tear into the wealthy merchants of the empire. He can play the living Yama, while you keep your head down and behave properly.” Xu Qinghuan gathered the documents on the desk and set them aside. “Hold your own faction firmly. Stop listening to those foolish suggestions from your advisers. Don’t take even half a step into that muddy water stirred up over the maritime trade silver. Don’t touch money, and don’t meddle with power. That is the bottom line.”
As she spoke, she pulled several old books with yellowed pages from the corner of the desk and slid them across to Xiao Jingyan.
He lowered his head. The top volume was a history book, its worn cover frayed along the edges.
“In court, you do nothing but mention the Office for Balancing Prices and recite those sour, hollow essays written by your advisers. You have no substance of your own,” Xu Qinghuan said bluntly. “Instead of trying to puzzle out schemes you can’t control, go home and read a few more volumes of history.”
“Learn the true skills of governance—the rises and falls, the successes and failures of the dynasties throughout history—and engrave them into your bones. It will be far more useful than listening to those pedantic scholars prattle on about empty theories.”
Xiao Jingyan looked at the old books beside his hand. The warm air in the pavilion stirred their pages, making them flutter softly.
He stood there in silence for a long while. The resentment and frustration on his face gradually faded.
He took two steps back, then bowed deeply to Xu Qinghuan.
“Thank you for your instruction,” he said solemnly.
He reached out and took the books, gripping them so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.
By then, the night had grown deep, and the faint sound of the water clock drifted from somewhere in the distance.
Xiao Jingyan turned and prepared to leave. After taking half a step, however, he stopped.
His brows drew together once more. Turning back, he fixed his gaze on Xu Qinghuan, his voice filled with profound confusion.
“There is one more matter. Before Father left today, he suddenly issued an edict ordering that all the examination papers from this year’s autumn examinations in the capital be sealed and stored in the Court of Judicial Review. Though this is an old precedent, this time he has placed the First Prince in charge of the entire affair.”
“The matter of maritime trade is still hanging in the balance, and we urgently need people to sort through the tangled situation. Why would Father suddenly choose this moment to investigate the imperial examinations?”
Xu Qinghuan was just about to gather the scattered stones from the chessboard and return them to their baskets when the movement of her wrist abruptly stopped.
Two slender, pale fingers held a white stone suspended above the chess box, remaining motionless for a long while.
After a moment, Xu Qinghuan looked up at him, her brows drawing together slightly as she said, “I’d guess they’re all there for Xu Zijin.”
Xiao Jingyan’s pupils contracted sharply, and his breath caught for an instant.
