Wen Zhuo clearly still did not understand what Shen Zheng truly meant by “settling accounts.”
He remained silent, thinking to himself: If you knew who I was and what I had done, you would not be angry that I had injured myself. You would hate me for not making the wounds hurt more.
But with Shen Zheng’s temperament, perhaps he would not kill him. Perhaps he would treat him as Li Shimin had treated Dang Renhong, one of the founding heroes—taking into account his meritorious assistance and merely demoting him to return to his hometown.
At most… at most, he would make him remain in the capital as a commoner.
But the days of riding the same horse like this, speaking with their ears pressed close together, would certainly be over.
In any case, all Wen Zhuo sought in this life was revenge against those two beasts, Shen Chen and Xie Langyang, and the chance to give the people of Da Qian an enlightened emperor. That would be enough.
He had never hoped for anything more.
On the way back, the horse’s hooves continued to pound at a hurried pace. Shen Zheng held him tightly, while the cold night wind sliced past his cheeks and swept away every sound around them.
Wen Zhuo felt only that his eyes had begun to sting. He had even forgotten the panic brought on by the jolting of the horse.
They galloped all the way back and finally entered the city before the Hai hour. The sound of the bells rang out behind them as the heavy city gates slowly rose, then slammed shut with a resounding boom.
The area near the city gate tower was normally secluded, and at this hour of the night there was no one around. Only distant, indistinct points of lamplight flickered in the darkness, their glow like clusters of dandelions suspended in midair.
A red-lacquered sedan chair was waiting at the mouth of the alley, and the servant had been waiting for quite some time. Shen Zheng carried Wen Zhuo down from the horse. After riding for so long, Wen Zhuo was still uncomfortable and could barely stand, so Shen Zheng supported him until the numb ache in his legs eased.
By coincidence, a married couple in a small gray-tiled house beside them had begun quarreling. The husband angrily climbed out of bed and lit a lamp, cursing under his breath, while his wife sobbed and scolded him for being a blockhead.
By the faint light, Shen Zheng suddenly saw that Wen Zhuo’s eyes were red. Looking down at his palm, he found that the pressure and friction along the journey had caused it to bleed again.
Wen Zhuo stood motionless, lips pressed together, leaning lightly against Shen Zheng’s shoulder. He had not noticed that the lamplight had exposed his emotions.
“Your Highness, the palace gates should already be locked. You should return to Marquis Yongning’s residence tonight. Tomorrow, you can—”
“Does it really hurt that much?” Shen Zheng interrupted him abruptly.
Wen Zhuo froze for a moment before following his gaze down to his own palm.
Oh. It was bleeding again.
But no—it was not because it hurt. It was because he could no longer allow himself to hope.
“…No.”
“Wanshan, you can trust me. I will never hold you back.” Shen Zheng let out a soft sigh, his voice utterly sincere.
The couple in the tiled house continued to argue. Their child, awakened by the noise, joined in with loud bawling and shrieking. The quiet street instantly became as raucous as beans popping in a pan.
Yet even amid such chaos, Wen Zhuo clearly heard that form of address.
Why was he calling him that again?
He had already told His Highness last time that he was not allowed to call him that!
“You’ve rubbed your hand raw until it’s bleeding. How pitiful. Let me blow on it, and it won’t hurt anymore.” Shen Zheng suddenly bent down, took Wen Zhuo’s palm in his hand, and gently blew across it through the coarse linen cloth.
Wen Zhuo’s eyes widened, but not a sound escaped his lips.
The Thousand Gold Prescriptions never said that blowing on a wound would help. His Highness had clearly never read that book. I have read it.
His fingers felt cool from the breeze, but the wound still burned fiercely. Your Highness, folk remedies can be harmful.
That couple inside is arguing so loudly. And here we are, listening in on them. How improper.
His Highness… has a rather handsome profile.
The moment he realized his thoughts had wandered somewhere strange, Wen Zhuo abruptly turned his head and quickly curled his injured hand into a fist.
“Your Highness, this teacher is no longer in pain. My legs are simply a little weak.”
The burning sensation seemed to have drifted from his palm to his face. Fortunately, it was deep into the night, and fortunately, there were few people about.
The servant hunched his shoulders against the cold, hands tucked into his sleeves, and stood on tiptoe to peer in their direction. He had no idea what great affairs of state his lord and His Highness were discussing.
Still, was it really appropriate to stand beneath someone else’s wall? Perhaps they should invite His Highness into the sedan chair?
Just then, the young wife inside the house seemed to notice that someone was outside. She sprang from the bed and shoved the window open with a bang, then shouted in a shrill voice, “You shameless pair of degenerates! How dare you lurk beneath my wall and eavesdrop! If you don’t get lost this instant, I’ll take a fire poker and gouge your eyes out!”
Wen Zhuo had not heard such vulgar language in a very long time. It was one thing for the woman to insult him—he had heard far worse—but insulting an imperial prince was punishable by death!
Wen Zhuo’s heart tightened, and he immediately looked at Shen Zheng’s expression.
To his surprise, Shen Zheng was not angry in the least. Instead, he placed both hands on Wen Zhuo’s shoulders and cheerfully shouted back at the woman, “Who would want to listen? We shameless degenerates are leaving right now!”
“…”
Wen Zhuo was rendered utterly speechless.
His Highness’s talent for sarcasm was so poor. Why had he insulted himself as well?
The woman inside grabbed a wooden basin and hurled it outside. It struck the tiled wall with a resounding clang. She continued to wail and curse, “You useless coward! You’re going to let people bully us right at our own doorstep? Get out there and chase them away!”
The bolt on the tiled house’s door rattled loudly, as though someone were about to come out.
Wen Zhuo no longer had the luxury of worrying about his weak legs. He hurriedly gathered up his official robes, covered his face with his sleeve, and began hobbling toward the red-lacquered sedan chair.
How humiliating! How utterly humiliating!
Shen Zheng held back his laughter and followed behind him, calling out with concern, “Teacher, are your legs better already? Why are you walking so quickly? Don’t be afraid. If he dares come after us, I’ll cover your face for you.”
Ta Baisha had just swallowed the carrot it had been holding in its mouth. Seeing its master abandon it and run, it hurriedly kicked up its hooves and followed.
This time, Wen Zhuo did not linger on the little stool for even a moment. He swiftly climbed onto the sedan chair’s shaft, lifted the curtain, and slipped inside.
He poked his head out, pretending to be composed. “This teacher is returning to the residence now. You should head back early as well. There’s no need to see me off.”
Then he hurriedly ordered the servant, “Go! Quickly!”
The servant bowed to Shen Zheng, efficiently picked up the stool, jumped onto the shaft, and urged the sedan chair forward. Its wheels rolled away with a rumble.
Indeed, great matters of state were best discussed at home.
The man from the tiled house came chasing out with a grimace, only to find Shen Zheng standing alone at the mouth of the alley.
“You—you… You and your wife were eavesdropping on us quarrel! What do you mean by that?”
Judging from the man’s manner of speaking, he seemed to be a scholar. He was certainly much more refined.
Shen Zheng savored the words for a moment, unable to keep the corners of his lips from lifting. Then he reached into his robes, pulled out a silver liang, and pressed it into the man’s hand.
“You and your wife put on quite a good quarrel. Take this silver as compensation.”
That was a whole silver liang. The man stared blankly at it. For a moment, he could no longer bring himself to lose his temper and could only watch as Shen Zheng mounted his horse and rode away.
—
The next day, just as dawn was beginning to break, the bells at Guang’an Gate rang, and the gates were lowered. Before long, the orderly clatter of armor drew near.
Jun Dingyuan wore shining silver armor, a long whip hanging from his waist. He urged on a powerful, spirited steed and led the elite troops into the city in full armor.
The people of the capital had received the news and crawled out of bed one after another. Without even bothering to wash or comb their hair, they seized their robes and crowded along both sides of the road, vying for a glimpse of the jade-faced general returning in triumph.
Jun Dingyuan’s army enforced discipline with an iron hand. Every general stood straight as a pine, their steps perfectly uniform. Not one of them cast a sideways glance or exchanged a whisper.
Someone cried out excitedly, “Look! That’s General Jun! He truly is an imposing and magnificent figure!”
The crowd immediately chimed in.
“The Jun family has served with loyalty for generations, guarding the borders of Da Qian for us. Naturally, they should possess such heroic bearing!”
Another man squeezed to the front row and eagerly shared the news he had gathered. "I heard that General Jun went to the southern border this time and specifically retrieved the remains of his old comrades in arms from ten years ago. He personally escorted them back to their hometowns, fulfilling the wishes of the families of those soldiers. Such an act of righteousness really brings tears to one's eyes!"
Hearing this, many commoners' eyes welled up with tears, and they all sighed with emotion. "Having a good general like General Jun guarding our country is truly a blessing for the people of the Great Qian Dynasty!"
...
Today was originally the day for the regular court session. At this moment, various official sedan - chairs were lined up on the street outside the imperial city. The officials stood in line in the emerging dawn light, watching the colorful silk ribbons flutter among the red walls and green tiles.
Emperor Shunyuan was ill, so Prince Xian led the officials to greet the returning troops outside the imperial city.
When Jun Dingyuan arrived at the imperial city, he dismounted from his horse and presented the victory report. Prince Xian's eyes were filled with tears as he choked out Emperor Shunyuan's consoling imperial edict, and then helped Jun Dingyuan up with both hands.
This slight anomaly did not escape the eyes of the officials. They exchanged glances with each other but remained silent. However, everyone had their own judgment in mind. There was still a crown prince in the court, yet the emperor had ordered Prince Xian to greet the general on his behalf. It seemed that Shen Zhen, who had been the crown prince for seven years, was not far from the end of his reign.
The members of Prince Xian's faction were all extremely satisfied and arrogant at this moment. The wrinkles on their faces seemed to have increased as they smiled. On the contrary, the former members of the Crown Prince's faction all had long faces, and the coldness they exuded seemed to be able to freeze their political enemies to death.
At the edge of the crowd, several junior officials in the capital who were not qualified to attend the court session couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks. "They say that in our Great Qian Dynasty, there are 'Liu in the south and Jun in the north'. Now, the south also belongs to the Jun family. The Liu family is really on the decline."
A colleague beside him nudged him with an elbow. "Hey, Duke Liu is standing right next to us. How dare you say such things?"
The man was rather open - minded. "Well, so what if he hears it? Can Duke Liu still go to the battlefield in armor now? He has no worthy successor."
"That's true. If it weren't for Liu Kangren's disastrous defeat back then, the Fifth Prince wouldn't have been held hostage for ten years. It was this sense of anger that drove Jun Dingyuan to carve out a territory for himself in the southern border."
"This is really the end of hardships and the beginning of good times. In my opinion, the best days for the Jun family are yet to come."
Jun Dingyuan took the imperial edict with both hands and thanked the emperor for his grace.
After that, there were the ceremonies of offering sacrifices in the ancestral temple and setting up an altar to pay homage to the ancestors and announce the peace on the border.
By the time all these procedures were completed, it was already past noon.
However, Jun Dingyuan still couldn't rest. He had to go to the Qingliang Hall in person to thank Emperor Shunyuan face - to - face.
A victorious general was allowed to enter the palace in armor as a sign of the emperor's favor, but Jun Dingyuan insisted on removing his armor outside the Forbidden City. He didn't take a sedan - chair either and walked humbly all the way to the Qingliang Hall.
This action of his was quickly reported to the Directorate of Ceremonies by the imperial guards. Liu Quan, the chief eunuch, received the news and bowed his head as he walked to Emperor Shunyuan's side. He smiled and said, "General Jun insisted on removing his armor outside the palace gate, saying that the ancestral rules should not be violated, which caused the delay."
Emperor Shunyuan was reclining on the dragon throne, eyes closed, resting. Hearing this, he slowly opened his eyes, and a faint smile appeared on his serious and weathered face. "The Jun family has indeed been loyal to the court for generations, working hard for our Great Qian Dynasty. Back then, when I wanted to take back the military power, it was Marquis Yongning who was the first to support me... Come to think of it, I do feel a bit ashamed towards the Jun family."
"Your Majesty, please don't say such things. Marquis Yongning and General Jun are both reasonable people. They understand your good intentions," Liu Quan comforted.
However, Emperor Shunyuan's expression dimmed a little. "I and Consort Liang lost a child after all. For these ten years, she has resented me in her heart."
"Consort Liang has always been a sensible woman. She has never quarreled with you in all these years. Now that the Fifth Prince has regained his wits and is protected by the gods, Consort Liang can finally enjoy a happy life," Liu Quan bowed with his eyes down, keeping an appropriate distance from Emperor Shunyuan.
Emperor Shunyuan was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a long sigh. "I gave Zheng the courtesy name 'Bulv' back then, which means stubborn and lawless. I really blamed Consort Liang for giving birth to an unpromising son for me. But I never thought that after ten years in a flash, on the contrary, it's him..."
Emperor Shunyuan paused, and his eyes fell on the stack of memorials piled up on the imperial desk.
The red - inked approvals were untouched. The impeachment memorials from the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and various officials in Qianzhou were stacked one on top of another. Every word and line pointed directly at the Cao faction and the Eastern Palace.
Seeing this, Liu Quan immediately pretended to be deaf and dumb and stopped talking.
He knew very well that Emperor Shunyuan was still hesitating. Deposing the crown prince was a major national event that would affect the whole situation.
Emperor Shunyuan was as clear as a mirror in his heart. This wave of impeachment against the Eastern Palace and the Cao faction was entirely driven by Prince Xian, Shen Bi, behind the scenes.
Back then, he had no intention of making Shen Bi the crown prince because Shen Bi was too ambitious. He had cultivated his own faction in the court early on to plan for the future.
With his father still alive, he was so impatient and out of line, which was really intimidating.
At that time, Emperor Shunyuan was still in good health and thought he could stay on the dragon throne for many more years. Naturally, he couldn't tolerate this son who was coveting the throne.
However, since Shen Bi was the son of the late Empress Liu, he just couldn't bear to send him to a desolate place.
While Emperor Shunyuan was deep in thought, from afar, he saw Jun Dingyuan in a white robe, with a xiexiedai around his waist, striding towards the Qingliang Hall.
Seeing this, Emperor Shunyuan immediately put aside his gloomy thoughts, and even the air seemed to lighten up a bit.
"Huaishen!" Emperor Shunyuan propped himself up on the imperial desk and surprisingly stood up excitedly.
But then, Jun Dingyuan stepped into the hall. There was no trace of joy from his victory on his face. Instead, his expression was solemn. Suddenly, he lifted the corner of his robe and knelt in front of the emperor. "Your subject, Jun Dingyuan, is here to plead guilty!"
Emperor Shunyuan was taken aback.
Outside the hall, the branches and leaves of several hundred - year - old arborvitae trees were shaken by the wind, making a "rustling" sound. The cicadas on the trees were chirping so loudly that it was extremely annoying.
Not long after, the hall door slowly closed behind Jun Dingyuan, mercilessly cutting off the last ray of light. The little eunuchs walked out of the hall in a hurry one after another. The only one left to serve was Liu Quan, the chief eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonies.
The hall door remained closed for a whole hour. No one knew what was being discussed inside. It wasn't until the door opened again that Jun Dingyuan's robe was already soaked. His last words were, "Your Majesty, I'm worried about you."
Emperor Shunyuan didn't respond. He neither answered nor refuted. After a long time, he slowly waved his hand, indicating that Jun Dingyuan could leave.
Jun Dingyuan always maintained a humble posture and bowed as he walked out of the Qingliang Hall. It was not until he stepped down the steps that he couldn't help but look up at the dazzling sun in the clear sky.
After he left, Emperor Shunyuan sat alone on the dragon throne and didn't call for anyone to serve him for a long time. It was not until the outline of dusk began to appear that he slowly said, "... Nanping."
Liu Quan's eyelids suddenly twitched, and he tried to keep his breathing as quiet as possible.
However, Emperor Shunyuan didn't let him off easily. His eyes suddenly glanced over and he asked, "Grand eunuch, do you believe what Jun Dingyuan said?"
Liu Quan secretly glanced outside the hall with his peripheral vision. The unfinished words of Emperor Shunyuan, "on the contrary, it's him", reappeared in his mind. When he withdrew his peripheral vision, he had already made a decision in his heart.
He pretended to think for a moment. "Your humble servant remembers that when Wu Kan left, he was very arrogant. He was completely different from his defeated appearance at the special banquet. He even tried to bribe your humble servant to find out the truth about the mysterious treasure. Now that I think about it, it really seems that he had received some extraordinary news."
Emperor Shunyuan suddenly waved his hand, sweeping all the memorials on the table to the ground. He coughed violently, his eyeballs getting bloodshot, his gaze sinister.
"Your Majesty! Calm down, Your Majesty!" Liu Quan quickly stepped forward to support him. In the chaos, he happened to pick up the drawing that Jun Dingyuan had presented earlier and seemingly casually placed it back in front of Emperor Shunyuan.
Then he quickly rolled up his sleeves and anxiously patted Emperor Shunyuan on the back. "Your Majesty, the general is thoughtful. Exchanging the spy for the bones has actually turned out to be a good thing. It's the blessing of heaven for our Great Qian. It's still not too late to mend the situation now."
Emperor Shunyuan coughed so badly that it took him a while to gradually stop. He wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and there was a streak of blood mixed in the phlegm.
He composed himself and then saw the drawing spattered with saliva. He couldn't help asking in a hoarse voice, "Do you think this thing can really help me regain my former mobility in my feet?"
"Your Majesty is blessed with boundless good fortune. It is said that the reason why Cao Fangzheng was able to embezzle three million taels of silver was that he got advice from someone of the Mohist school. But he was too greedy and even cut corners, which led to problems with the river embankment six years later. This shows that the Mohist school indeed has extraordinary skills."
The problem unexpectedly circled back to the Cao faction.
Emperor Shunyuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Cao Fangzheng, the Cao faction. I trusted what they said and ordered the extermination of the entire Mohist family!"
"Exactly. Your servant guesses that the reason why Mo Shu is willing to present the drawing to Your Majesty is that he understands that every wrong has its culprit. The fault of what happened back then lies not with Your Majesty but with the Cao faction." Liu Quan replied unhurriedly.
As the sky was about to get dark, Emperor Shunyuan suddenly felt unwell and postponed the victory celebration banquet in Fengtian Hall tonight to tomorrow.
The officials waiting outside the palace looked at each other in confusion, but none of them dared to say a word.
The crowd gradually surged out, and the sound of footsteps echoed on the long street in front of the imperial palace.
Xie Langyang quickened his steps and caught up with Jun Dingyuan's back.
First, he swallowed the pain welling up in his heart, raised his sleeve, and performed a standard ceremony of a scholar. "General, please wait. I'm Xie Langyang. May I have some of your time for a detailed discussion? For the great victory in the southern border this time, the general has made outstanding contributions. Our Ministry of Personnel needs to check the list of meritorious officials and confirm the vacant positions in the court so that we can make reasonable arrangements. I hope the general can understand."
Xie Langyang was tall and upright, with a square face. His eyes showed the magnanimity of a gentleman. Moreover, he always handled things rigorously and properly without any omissions. So three months after the Spring Terrace Chess Tournament case, Emperor Shunyuan remembered that he had been wrongly implicated and reinstated him to his original post.
Jun Dingyuan turned around, and the tassels on his waist swayed gently.
His gaze was clear, seemingly having no defense against Xie Langyang. Hearing this, he nodded and replied, "It's proper. Thank you, Deputy Minister, for caring about the soldiers in the southern border. Please come to the Marquis Yongning's Mansion with me for a detailed discussion."
"Please." Xie Langyang's Adam's apple rolled. He felt as if he had swallowed a jagged boulder, and he numbly and painfully uttered a single word.
For the struggle for the crown prince position, he actually had to personally persecute a good general who had just returned from the bloody battle in the southern border and had numerous military achievements.
He was a bit dazed. When Wen Zhuo wanted to take action against Duke Liu in the previous life, he had slapped the table and stood up. What did he say at that time?
—Why not look for a win - win solution instead of doing such a vicious thing?
—You are so different from before. I really can't tolerate it!
Xie Langyang closed his eyes, suppressing the pain, and staggered to catch up with Jun Dingyuan. The two of them went straight to the marquis's mansion one after another.
Seeing that Jun Dingyuan left Qingliang Hall safely, without any armored soldiers following and no news of an imperial edict for arrest, Wen Zhuo knew that the first step was steady.
Fortunately, he had nothing to do in the afternoon and had finished dealing with all the official documents piled up on the desk in the Imperial Academy one by one. In the evening, an oral edict came saying that today's victory celebration banquet was postponed to tomorrow.
Wen Zhuo stretched lazily, enjoying the moment. The scratch on his palm from yesterday had healed after a night's sleep. Since the scratch was not deep, there was only a light red mark left, neither painful nor itchy.
It was as if being blown on by someone last night really worked.
Gong Weide saw his relaxed expression and asked, "The Dean seems to be in an especially good mood today?"
Wen Zhuo retracted his hand, and a lazy smile curled up on his lips. "I'm spared from the social drinking tonight and free from some mundane affairs. Naturally, I'm in a good mood. I've been so busy these days that I haven't had time to go to the music - entertainment houses to listen to music for a long time. I think there should be many new works."
Gong Weide smiled bitterly. "At this time, only the Dean can be so leisurely."
Wen Zhuo held his black hat, patted the dust on it, and smoothed the wrinkles on his sleeves. "It's getting late. I'll go back first."
Just as he stepped out of the gate of the Imperial Academy, he bumped into a thin figure head - on. The person looked preoccupied, with a calculating look in his eyes. It was Shen Chen, who was returning from the imperial city to the princes' quarters.
Their eyes met, and all their disguises were shed. Wen Zhuo stood on the high steps, his official robe fluttering in the cool wind, coldly staring at Shen Chen below the steps.
A look of pride suddenly appeared in Shen Chen's eyes. Like a cat playing with a mouse, he showed rare teasing and pleasure.
There happened to be no one around. He stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at Wen Zhuo, and gave a cold and heartless smile as he did on the long street in front of the imperial palace in the previous life.
He slightly moved his lips, two dimples appearing at the corners of his mouth. Slowly, one word after another, he made two lip - shapes -
"Mo Shu."
