After roughly half an hour, Xu Zijin finally set down his wolf-hair brush and carefully folded the several pages covered in strategic plans.
“Princess, it’s done.” Xu Zijin handed over the sealed letter with both hands.
Xu Qinghuan reclined against the tiger-skin-covered couch. She reached out and took it, glancing over the contents by the candlelight before nodding in satisfaction.
“Xu Fu.”
The door hinges creaked softly. Steward Xu lifted the thick felt curtain and entered, standing respectfully below the dais.
“Take this letter to Prince Jing’s residence tonight.” Xu Qinghuan handed it over, her voice cool. “Remember, you must place it directly into Xiao Jingyan’s hands. No one else is to touch it.”
“This servant understands!” Xu Fu tucked the letter close against his body, tightened his rain cape and cloak, then turned and disappeared into the swirling snow.
Xu Zijin stood beside the window, watching through the narrow gap as the figure in the courtyard was gradually swallowed by the falling snow. Only then did his tightly drawn back finally relax.
Xu Qinghuan lifted her teacup and skimmed away the foam, teasing him, “You’ve stayed up until this hour tonight. I’ve truly put you through it.”
“Yunwan is still waiting for you in the west courtyard. Go keep her company. If you arrive too late, it will make me, her host, look inconsiderate.”
The tips of Xu Zijin’s ears immediately turned red. He bowed repeatedly. “Ziqin takes his leave.”
He pushed open the door and hurried along the covered corridor toward the west courtyard.
The situation in Jiangning, Jiangnan, had already been turned upside down. Overnight, the Chen and Fang families had gone from prominent clans to prisoners.
Grand Secretary Xie had not minded in the slightest. Taking advantage of the excuse that she was “accompanying the Princess,” he had directly arranged for Xie Yunwan to reside at the Chengyi Earl’s estate.
Not only had he offered no objections, he had even sent several carts laden with precious local delicacies and gifts…
Xie Yunwan had been puzzled when she heard about it.
When she had gone to ask for an explanation, all she received was a knowing smile.
Xu Zijin gently pushed open the door to the warm room.
By the purple sandalwood embroidery stand near the window, Xie Yunwan was sitting with her head lowered, reading a history book beneath the light of a bright covered lamp.
At the sound of the door opening, she immediately raised her head. Her eyes shimmered with unconcealed delight.
Xu Zijin strode over and took her hand without a word. The chill in her fingertips made his heart tighten.
“It’s late, and the night air is heavy. Why didn’t you go rest in the inner room?” His eyes were full of concern as he wrapped her hand in his palm and rubbed it to warm her. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Xie Yunwan set down her book and shook her head. “It’s all right. The wind outside is so strong. I knew you were still in the study, troubling yourself on behalf of Commandery Princess Xu. How could I sleep?”
The two of them walked hand in hand to the couch and sat down beside each other.
Xie Yunwan lifted the little kettle warming over the clay brazier, poured a cup of steaming ginger tea, and handed it to him with both hands.
Looking at his tired face, Xie Yunwan sighed. “You must take better care of yourself.”
Xu Zijin accepted the cup and drank a large mouthful. The tea immediately drove away most of the cold that had seeped into his limbs.
He clasped Xie Yunwan’s wrist and replied gently, “The situation has reached a critical juncture. At least I haven’t failed to live up to the Princess’s guidance. This bit of exhaustion is nothing.”
Xie Yunwan lowered her lashes. She remained silent for a moment, but in the end, she could not suppress her curiosity and asked in a small voice, “The secret letter you had the steward send to Prince Jing’s residence just now… what exactly did you write? If it concerns court secrets, then pretend I never asked.”
Seeing her apprehensive expression, Xu Zijin reassured her, “There is no need for secrecy between us.”
He explained everything to her in detail:
“His Majesty has laid out such a vast game in Jiangnan because he wants Jiangning to make a smooth transition. He absolutely does not wish to see the princes tear one another apart and lose all dignity before the Golden Hall.”
“So I advised Prince Jing to go along with His Majesty’s wishes and fully support the Emperor’s plan to move the capital south, thereby demonstrating his loyalty and his willingness to put the greater good first. By refusing to contend, he will actually be contending.”
Xie Yunwan listened, her thoughts turning rapidly. “That really is the best strategy.”
Xu Zijin shook his head and told her honestly, “Such brilliant calculations all come from the Princess’s mind. I merely put her ideas into words.”
Xie Yunwan changed the subject, her brows drawing together slightly. “But… at heart, the First Prince opposes the move south. If Prince Jing follows His Majesty’s wishes, the two of them will inevitably confront each other before the Emperor. Can Prince Jing truly handle it properly?”
Xu Zijin’s gaze burned with confidence as he decisively uttered two words:
“He will win.”
…
The second watch had already passed, and the wind and snow had grown fiercer.
The First Prince’s residence was ablaze with lamplight, especially the study.
The broad huanghuali desk was piled high with intelligence sent by carrier pigeons from every part of Jiangnan, copied records from the Jiangning hearings, and summaries of the movements of all the various factions.
The chief adviser and several trusted strategists stood on either side, every one of them pale as death and scarcely daring to breathe.
Silence filled the room. The only sound was the steady drip of the clepsydra, striking against everyone’s nerves.
After a long while, Xiao Jingxing finally moved.
He rubbed his stiff cheeks hard, his voice thick with exhaustion and unwillingness. “This time, I’ve lost the Jiangnan game completely.”
“The Chen and Fang families have been destroyed. That fool Zhou Mingxiu took three million taels in silver, yet not only did he fail to accomplish anything, he personally handed the knife hilt to Xu Youde!”
Xiao Jingxing slammed his fist onto the desk, sending the brush rack rolling to the floor.
“And now, the northern foundation I painstakingly cultivated for twenty years is on the verge of collapse as well! Father’s determination to move south has become impossible to shake!”
Seeing his master’s fury, the chief adviser hurried forward to offer consolation. “Your Highness, although we suffered a defeat in Jiangnan, our military power and connections in the north remain intact. So long as we stabilize our position, there may still be a chance!”
“Stabilize?” Xiao Jingxing threw back his head and let out a shrill, bitter laugh. “With what? Since Father has decided to strike hard and clean up Jiangnan at this very moment, it proves that his determination to move south cannot be disputed! If I forcefully oppose the move now, I will only hasten my own downfall!”
The strategists exchanged glances, all of them at a loss.
Xiao Jingxing rose abruptly and paced back and forth around the study.
After walking for the time it took an incense stick to burn, he stopped and turned around sharply.
“Although the greater tide is difficult to reverse, I absolutely cannot sit here and wait for death!” His eyes narrowed, their depths gleaming with the ferocity of a beast making a final counterattack.
“Father has decided on the general direction of moving south, but the specific timetable and arrangements have not yet been finalized! Building a new capital is hardly something that can be done overnight. I still have room to maneuver!”
He suddenly turned to stare at the chief adviser, his voice heavy and ominous. “At tomorrow’s court assembly, I will make one final attempt!”
The chief adviser shuddered and hurriedly asked, “How does Your Highness intend to break this deadlock?”
“Advance by retreating.” Xiao Jingxing clasped his hands behind his back. “I will submit a memorial citing the troubles along the northern frontier and the threat from the grasslands, and humbly request that the move south be delayed.”
“I will urge Father to preserve the northern command center and military strength in order to suppress the various grassland tribes! I will use the greater cause of national security to buy myself time and room to maneuver, then rebuild our position in Jiangnan!”
Upon hearing this, enlightenment dawned on the strategists’ faces, and they nodded one after another.
One of them stepped forward and cupped his hands. “Your Highness’s strategy is excellent, but it will require solid evidence to support it. Otherwise, if His Majesty sees through the fact that you are acting for your own interests, it will amount to the crime of deceiving the Emperor!”
“Exactly!” Xiao Jingxing swept out his broad sleeve and issued his order—
“Go now and compile a detailed account of the Helian royal court’s military strength, the movements of the various tribes across the grasslands, and the vulnerabilities in the border defenses!”
…
Xiao Jingyan wore a plain-colored robe and was reading through a yellowed military treatise.
The guards inside the residence knocked softly on the door twice and reported in a low voice, “Your Highness, Steward Xu of the Chengyi Earl’s residence requests an audience. He is carrying a secret letter.”
Xiao Jingyan’s heart jolted. He immediately set down the military treatise and ordered in a deep voice, “Quick! Bring him in!”
Before long, Xu Fu stumbled inside, his entire body covered in snow.
He did not even have time to remove his cloak. Taking two hurried steps toward the desk, he respectfully presented the letter sealed with red wax.
Xiao Jingyan accepted it with both hands, then turned and instructed the guards, “Take Steward Xu to the rear quarters first and let him warm himself.”
Once the door had been firmly shut again, Xiao Jingyan walked over to the candle stand and broke open the wax seal.
He drew out the sheet of Xue Tao paper and read it line by line in the candlelight.
The further he read, the more tightly his hand clenched around the letter, while a sharp gleam lit up his eyes.
A moment later, Xiao Jingyan was overjoyed. Unable to contain himself, he burst into laughter. “Hahahaha!”
Let us see how Xiao Jingyan will remain steady amid these raging winds and crashing waves, calmly sitting upon the riverbank and waiting for the perfect moment to strike!
