The autumn rain had stopped at some point without a sound, leaving the sky washed a clear blue. Gentle daylight streamed through the upturned eaves and into the room, meeting the steam rising from the hot spring pool and refracting into dazzling halos of color.
“It’s wet, then let it be wet.” Shen Zheng wrapped his robe more tightly around him. Through the thick fabric, his palm gently rubbed Wen Zhuo’s hollow stomach, the corners of his lips curved in a smile. “Stay and have something to eat with me before you go, Teacher.”
Wen Zhuo lowered his eyes, watching helplessly as that broad palm made a slow circle over his abdomen.
Yet he said nothing and did not pull away.
Shen Zheng led him to sit beside a small stone table. Warm, murmuring water flowed around their feet, and beside them stood a branch of plum blossoms covered in tightly closed buds.
Before long, the attendant returned with warmed tea and pastries, then added two bowls of hot noodles. Sitting across from each other, the two of them finished every last bite.
As expected, Shen Zheng did not ask about the burn scars again, as though he had never stumbled upon Wen Zhuo’s secret.
But his moist eyes, gentle voice, and tender movements told Wen Zhuo at every moment that he was being treated with painstaking care.
After the meal, Wen Zhuo rinsed away the medicinal scent of the hot spring in the washing pavilion, then obediently sat down and allowed Shen Zheng to take a cloth and dry his long hair.
He ought to have stopped such a reversal of the proper hierarchy between teacher and student. But when he turned his head, he saw how focused Shen Zheng was as he dried his hair. Every movement of his fingertips was precise and meticulous, like a painter carefully outlining a prized work, unable to tolerate the slightest distraction.
And whenever Shen Zheng wore that expression, Wen Zhuo once again felt that this disregard for Confucian propriety made him look very much like Emperor Taizong from the history books.
After drying Wen Zhuo’s hair, Shen Zheng quickly wrung out his own. The two of them put on their linen caps, changed their clothes, and went outside.
The air was filled with the freshness of rain. More and more pedestrians were beginning to appear on Guanchqi Street.
The two of them discreetly squeezed into a small red-lacquered sedan. The attendant cracked his whip and called out, and the sedan’s wheels rolled over the puddles left on the road, creaking toward the Wen residence.
The wind stirred the curtain. Through the gap, Wen Zhuo gazed out at Guanchqi Street. The cries of the street vendors on either side were bright and cheerful, while the sweet fragrance of rice cakes drifted on the breeze. Inside the Eastern Pavilion, the usual hubbub continued unabated.
Shen Zheng’s legendary chess game, “Opening the Door of the Meng School,” still hung proudly outside the Eastern Pavilion for passing players to admire and study.
Although he had come here with Shen Zheng every day at the beginning of spring, seeing it now stirred feelings utterly different from those he had held before.
The red sedan traveled all the way to the entrance of the Wen residence. Wen Zhuo pulled off his linen cap, and his dark hair spilled over his shoulders in smooth, even waves.
Shen Zheng got down afterward. Almost instinctively, he caught a lock of Wen Zhuo’s curling hair, lightly rubbing it between his fingers as he teased with a smile, “Wavy curls.”
Wen Zhuo merely turned his head to glance at him. He let Shen Zheng play with his hair and said softly, “Your Highness should return quickly, lest Consort Noble grow worried.”
Only then did Shen Zheng release him, letting the lock of hair slip from his palm.
The servant had already led Ta Baisha over. Wen Zhuo instinctively stepped forward and rummaged through the saddlebag for a moment, pulling out a carrot.
He was just about to hold it to the horse’s mouth when he suddenly remembered that he was not riding today. He withdrew the carrot—which already bore a bite mark—and handed it to Shen Zheng instead.
Ta Baisha turned his eye toward them in confusion, looking back and forth.
Suppressing his laughter, Shen Zheng took the carrot and fed it to him. Then he swung himself onto the horse, flung his still-damp hair back over his shoulder, and urged the horse onward. As he rode away, he kept turning his head to look back at Wen Zhuo.
Only now did he understand the feelings of those couples outside university dormitories who, after being apart for a single second, wished they could cling to each other again the very next.
Wen Zhuo did not hurry inside either. He leaned beneath the gatehouse eaves and quietly watched him until his outline gradually blended into the bustling crowd.
Across the street, in a private room by the window of the Shuyin House, the vermilion window was half closed. Excitement was impossible to conceal in Shen Chen’s eyes as he turned and pointed for Gong Zhiyuan to see.
“Did you see that, Chief Minister? Gong Weide was deceived by Wen Zhuo. He wasn’t secretly assisting me at all—the person he was truly assisting was Shen Zheng!”
Shen Chen had stationed men here for many days, but there had been no results for an entire month. Shen Zheng apparently did not often come to see Wen Zhuo, and compared with his previous life, he seemed far more distant.
But patience had finally paid off. Today, he had caught the two of them going out together!
He had hurriedly invited Gong Zhiyuan and Xie Langyang, and the three of them had gathered in the private room to wait by the entrance.
They had endured three pots of hot tea for two whole hours and made four trips to the latrine. At last, they had finally managed to wait for Wen Zhuo and Shen Zheng to return.
Now that Gong Zhiyuan had witnessed it with his own eyes, Shen Chen could both clear himself of the suspicion that he had exposed Gong Weide and seize the opportunity to win over this former member of the Crown Prince’s faction.
Gong Zhiyuan narrowed his hawklike eyes and stared fixedly at the street below, remaining silent for a long while.
Although he had seen Wen Zhuo and Shen Zheng sharing a sedan and behaving intimately, Emperor Shunyuan had indeed publicly instructed the Jun family last month to properly thank Wen Zhuo.
With such a favor between them, it was entirely understandable that their relationship had gradually grown closer.
He suspected Shen Zheng, but that did not mean he fully believed Shen Chen.
Shen Chen’s deception of Gong Jinjin had rankled him from the beginning.
Besides, he had treated Shen Chen coldly for many years. He did not believe Shen Chen could truly harbor no resentment.
What shocked him even more was that Xie Langyang—the son-in-law he had always valued most, a man who had always revered teachers and respected the proper order—had actually been colluding with Shen Chen behind his back.
On the surface, the man appeared upright to the point of being pedantic. Apparently, he had his own ambitions after all. The thought was deeply unsettling.
Xie Langyang, however, paid no attention to Gong Zhiyuan’s suspicions. His brows were tightly drawn, his gaze fixed on the closed gates of the Wen residence, while an indescribable restlessness churned in his heart.
The intimacy between Shen Zheng and Wen Zhuo far exceeded his expectations.
He remembered that in his previous life, after Shen Chen had taken Wen Zhuo as his teacher, Wen Zhuo had always maintained the proper distinction between ruler and subject. Whether offering Shen Chen advice or teaching him, his tone had always kept an appropriate distance.
When Consort Yi gifted Wen Zhuo the arm guard, Wen Zhuo had also expressed endless gratitude without taking credit or seeking praise.
But in this life, that boundary between him and Shen Zheng seemed to have vanished.
The two of them had squeezed into the same red-lacquered sedan, and when Shen Zheng reached out to play with his hair, Wen Zhuo had not even tried to avoid him.
Such indulgence left Xie Langyang with a hard stone lodged in his chest—heavy, rough, and abrasive. It made him all but forget the presence of Shen Chen and Gong Zhiyuan beside him.
Seeing that Gong Zhiyuan remained silent, Shen Chen did not grow angry. He raised his hand and poured himself a cup of tea. The tea shimmered gently in the cup, and his face still wore that innocent, sweet smile, though the words he spoke were sharp enough to carve flesh.
“Shen Zhen is confined to Fengyang Terrace. He will never have a chance to rise again in this lifetime. Why don’t you make your plans sooner, Father-in-law? At present, the only way to fight for a chance in the struggle over the succession is for you to join forces with me.”
Gong Zhiyuan’s eyes abruptly narrowed as he looked toward Shen Chen.
Sure enough, Shen Chen had long coveted the position of Crown Prince. His former cautious smiles, his innocent and harmless manner—all of it had been an act.
He knew perfectly well that if Shen Chen ever ascended the throne, his son-in-law, Xie Langyang, would inevitably hold him down. Not only would his position as Chief Minister be in jeopardy, but the prospects of both his sons would also suffer greatly.
“Prince Xian has always regarded you as a thorn in his side. Even if you bury the hatchet today, he will surely turn against you without mercy in the future,” Shen Chen continued in the same mild tone, patiently coaxing him.
“Your Third Brother has the support of the Helian family, and the great aristocratic clans are entrenched as firmly as an iron barrel. If you want to insert yourself into the struggle now, I’m afraid it won’t be easy.”
“Your Fourth Brother has no desire whatsoever to contend for the throne. You may exhaust yourself doing everything for him, but in the end, he may not even show you the slightest gratitude.”
“As for Shen Zheng, surely Father-in-law hasn’t forgotten how the disciples of the Eight Branches framed him back then? You played a part in that as well, and Shen Zheng has kept it all in mind.”
“Your seventh son is still an immature boy. I’m afraid you won’t live to see him grow up.”
The implication could not have been clearer. Other than Shen Chen, Gong Zhiyuan had no choice at all.
That was why Shen Chen no longer concealed his ambition.
When he finished speaking, he frowned and swept a glance at Xie Langyang.
They had originally agreed to persuade Gong Zhiyuan to assist them together, but when it came to the crucial moment, Xie Langyang seemed distracted.
Shen Chen raised a hand to his lips and coughed meaningfully, finally snapping Xie Langyang back to his senses.
Xie Langyang quickly concealed the complicated emotions in his eyes and forced himself to speak calmly. “Teacher, there is a way to deal with both Prince Xian and Shen Zheng at once. But it will require your assistance.”
Gong Zhiyuan was deeply displeased by the predicament in which he had no other choice. Yet hatred lasted longer than love. The moment he heard that there was a way to deal with Prince Xian, his interest was piqued.
“What way?”
This was the absolute advantage Shen Chen and Xie Langyang held in their hands.
In his previous life, Wen Zhuo had been imprisoned early on and had no idea what scandalous secret the two of them had uncovered.
Xie Langyang did not want to make Wen Zhuo suffer. He only hoped that Wen Zhuo would give up on Shen Zheng as soon as possible and retreat beneath his protection.
In this life, he would devote himself to raising Wen Zhuo by his side.
Xie Langyang leaned forward and lowered his voice. “The locust plague in Mianzhou.”
—
The bells announcing the start of court had just finished ringing, yet the Hall of Martial Valor was already filled with a biting chill. Emperor Shunyuan sat upright on the dragon throne, a stack of memorials beside him. His expression was so dark it seemed water might drip from it.
The civil and military officials stood with their heads bowed and their voices hushed, all thinking the same thing: Something major was bound to happen today.
A cold wind slipped through the crack beneath the hall doors. Caught off guard, Emperor Shunyuan inhaled it and immediately doubled over, coughing violently.
The retching coughs reverberated through the vast hall. Only after a long while did they gradually subside.
“This is Heaven punishing me,” Emperor Shunyuan said with a long sigh, his appearance haggard and aged.
“...We are all guilty,” the officials said as they bent down and knelt.
The moment Wen Zhuo saw the stack of memorials on the imperial desk, he understood. The disaster that would affect the lives of countless common people had officially begun.
In the twenty-third year of Shunyuan’s reign, locust plagues broke out one after another in Xing and Jing Prefectures during the first month of winter. Crops were devoured, leaving the people without a single grain to harvest. The local officials had no choice but to request aid from the imperial court.
These two prefectures had suffered the worst losses. Several surrounding prefectures had been affected to varying degrees as well, though they could barely endure it.
Humanity had been battling locusts for thousands of years, yet there had never been a particularly effective way to deal with them. They came in huge numbers, moved with incredible speed, and caused astonishing destruction. Worse, they often appeared without warning, catching everyone off guard.
All the imperial court could do was save as many victims as possible after the locusts had passed.
Wen Zhuo still remembered that in his previous life, after Emperor Shunyuan received the report of the disaster, he had sent Prince Xian to Xing and Jing Prefectures to oversee relief efforts on behalf of the imperial court, demonstrating the Son of Heaven’s concern for the victims.
But now, Prince Xian had lost the emperor’s favor because of the matter involving the crown prince’s deposition. Emperor Shunyuan would never give him another opportunity to prove himself. In the end, the responsibility would fall to Shen Zheng.
Shen Zheng had already earned an excellent reputation as a chess master, but he still lacked genuine achievements. If he could shoulder the immense responsibility of managing this relief effort and save countless commoners from misery, then the scales in the hearts of the officials would truly begin to tip in his favor.
By then, there would be no need for them to do anything deliberately. The people’s hearts would naturally gather around him.
Sure enough, Emperor Shunyuan slowly spoke. “There are as many as nine prefectures suffering from locust plagues this year, with Xing and Jing in the most serious condition. The people there have already run out of food. Bu Zhangyi!”
“Your Majesty!” Bu Zhangyi answered as he stepped forward.
Emperor Shunyuan asked, “How much silver does the Ministry of Revenue have in its accounts? How much can be allocated to provide relief for Xing and Jing?”
Bu Zhangyi’s face filled with worry. “Your Majesty, natural disasters have followed one another in recent years, and the people in every prefecture are struggling. Your Majesty has practiced benevolent governance, exempting them from taxes. Your virtue has spread throughout the land and will be praised for generations. However, between disaster relief and tax exemptions, the Ministry of Revenue’s treasury is nearly empty. We have no surplus funds to spare. Even the Ministry of Justice’s request to renovate the prisons had to be rejected because of our financial difficulties.”
Emperor Shunyuan took a handkerchief from the eunuch’s tray and wiped his lips, impatience showing in his eyes. “Just tell me how much you can produce!”
Bu Zhangyi hesitated, but in the end, he steeled himself and said, “...At most, one million taels.”
One million taels for the disaster in two prefectures was no more than a drop in the ocean. Emperor Shunyuan’s face immediately turned livid, and he slammed his hand against the desk.
“When did Great Qian become so impoverished?”
Bu Zhangyi repeatedly knocked his head against the floor. “This subject is incompetent!”
But if there was no money, there was no money. Even if Emperor Shunyuan cursed Bu Zhangyi into a thousand different shapes, he still could not produce any relief funds.
Wen Zhuo knew that Bu Zhangyi was creating an opportunity for Prince Xian.
If anyone else went to administer relief without sufficient silver to support the effort, they would most likely return without accomplishing anything. But if the achievement belonged to Prince Xian, and the people remembered his kindness, then somehow, the money would appear out of thin air.
Just then, Gong Zhiyuan suddenly stepped forward and bowed with clasped hands. “Your Majesty, the disaster in Xing and Jing brooks no delay. This subject believes we must act according to the circumstances. Since the Ministry of Revenue’s treasury is depleted and relief supplies cannot be sustained, why not temporarily borrow from neighboring prefectures? Mianzhou is prosperous, its merchants and trade flourishing, and its granaries overflowing. It borders Xing and Jing, making transport convenient. We can first requisition Mianzhou’s stored grain to provide relief, then have the Ministry of Revenue arrange repayment once the disaster has passed.”
The moment these words were spoken, Prince Xian’s expression changed dramatically. His eyes turned so sinister they seemed ready to spit fire, and he wished he could rush over and clamp a hand over Gong Zhiyuan’s mouth.
Bu Zhangyi was equally stunned, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.
How could Gong Zhiyuan have suddenly brought up Mianzhou?
Emperor Shunyuan’s eyes lit up. “The Grand Secretariat Chancellor is right. Mianzhou has not reported any disaster this time. Moreover, I have heard that the area has extensive fertile fields. Since it is currently harvest season, its stores of grain must be abundant. Yes... Exactly!”
He narrowed his eyes and surveyed the officials, rapidly calculating whom he should appoint to oversee the relief mission.
At that moment, Tang Guangzhi hurriedly knelt and stepped forward. He exchanged glances with Prince Xian and Bu Zhangyi, silently asking whether they should proceed according to plan.
But Prince Xian and Bu Zhangyi were likewise unable to determine how matters would develop. All they could offer him was an uneasy look in return.
Tang Guangzhi had no choice but to force himself to make the proposal. “Your Majesty, this subject believes that the disaster is severe and the people are terrified, awaiting reassurance. It would be best to send a member of the imperial clan to the disaster-stricken region to proclaim Your Majesty’s benevolence and personally supervise the distribution of relief grain, thereby displaying the Holy One’s compassion—‘Your Majesty’s boundless grace clothes and shelters all the people.’”
A member of the imperial clan naturally meant Prince Xian.
Prince Xian was now renowned and widely supported. Sending him to oversee disaster relief would be entirely reasonable, and officials at every level of the local government would show him some deference, allowing the matter to proceed swiftly.
Yet before Emperor Shunyuan could speak, Eunuch Liu Quan suddenly crouched beside him and said softly, “Oh dear, Your Majesty, the waist strap of your exoskeleton has come loose. Allow this servant to tighten it for you.”
Emperor Shunyuan lowered his head and watched as Liu Quan carefully fastened the strap around his waist.
When he looked up again, his gaze instinctively shifted toward the princes attending the court session. At a glance, he spotted Shen Zheng, tall and straight-backed, with handsome, well-defined features.
A sudden inspiration struck Emperor Shunyuan.
Shen Zheng’s recent performance had been quite pleasing. He had resolved the crisis at the Spring Terrace Chess Gathering and treated his brothers with generosity and restraint. Furthermore, the wondrous device had been presented by his maternal uncle and his men.
Thus, Emperor Shunyuan raised his hand and pointed toward Shen Zheng. “The fifth prince, Shen Zheng, shall be appointed Imperial Commissioner for Relief. He will go to Mianzhou to requisition grain and provide relief to Xing and Jing!”
The officials aligned with Prince Xian were left utterly dumbfounded. The situation had taken a completely different turn from what they had planned!
Wen Zhuo glanced at Eunuch Liu Quan, who had retreated to one side and stood as motionless as a pine tree, the corners of his lips curling into an almost imperceptible smile.
It seemed the fox fur and exotic fruits he had sent last time had not gone to waste. Liu Quan had casually given them another generous gift.
Though, admittedly, this gift had also been within Wen Zhuo’s expectations.
In Wen Zhuo’s memories, the disaster relief effort had been arduous but free of danger. The crisis would likely subside within about a month, and whether they drew on the silver reserves of the Ministry of Revenue or local stores, there would be more than enough to deal with it.
So he was not worried about leaving the matter to Shen Zheng.
However, he did not remember Gong Zhiyuan mentioning Mianzhou in his previous life. It seemed that, after racking his brains, he had decided to trip up Prince Xian.
But Shen Zheng, who had received the imperial order, wore a grave expression entirely at odds with Wen Zhuo’s ease.
Because he had just remembered that the History of Qian recorded how nine prefectures had suffered locust plagues that year. Mianzhou, situated among them, had concealed the disaster and failed to report it, leaving the people so desperate with hunger that an atrocity of unimaginable proportions had occurred.
Yet during the Shunyuan era, this matter had somehow been concealed. It was not exposed until Emperor Shengde ascended the throne and the faction of Prince Xian was destroyed.
By then, however, the people of Mianzhou who had died had no chance to receive justice.
A heavy weight settled in Shen Zheng’s heart. He feared that even Wen Zhuo did not yet know that the situation in his hometown was far worse than it appeared.
From the corner of the palace hall, Shen Chen watched the scene with a chilly gaze. Such a lucrative assignment had fallen into Shen Zheng’s hands—it was truly infuriating.
But then another thought occurred to him. This would surely cause Shen Zheng and Wen Zhuo to break with each other even more completely!
Shen Chen cast a sidelong glance at Xie Langyang and gave him a meaningful look.
Waiting for the right moment to step forward, Xie Langyang did not dare raise his head to meet Wen Zhuo’s eyes. He hunched his back deeply, making his voice sound muffled as he said, “Your Majesty, I and Lord Wen passed the imperial examination in the same year and have known each other for many years. I have heard that Lord Wen’s ancestral home is Mianzhou, and that his father is a prominent member of one of the local gentry families. Since the matter of transporting grain is urgent, ordinary officials may find it difficult to grasp the situation in Mianzhou fully. With Lord Wen’s assistance, we would surely accomplish twice as much with half the effort, delivering the money and grain to the disaster victims as swiftly as possible.”
As soon as he said this, everyone’s gaze turned toward Wen Zhuo. Everyone knew that he was lazy, disliked taking on responsibilities, and usually did little more than coax the emperor. He had no real sense of duty. Surely he would avoid this matter like the plague.
To everyone’s surprise, Wen Zhuo turned around and looked at Xie Langyang.
Shen Chen smiled, utterly unable to conceal the delight in his heart.
Only he and Xie Langyang knew that Mianzhou had no grain to be transported at all!
Once Wen Zhuo arrived, he would discover that the four great incense merchants of Mianzhou had long since colluded with the local authorities, devouring all the rice paddies and planting them instead with suhexiang trees, which could bring enormous profits.
And his father, Wen Yingjing, was the greatest vermin among them all!
Shen Chen was certain that this time, Wen Zhuo had no chance to prepare in advance and escape blame. With the lives of his parents and siblings on one side and Shen Zheng’s achievements on the other, he wanted to see how Wen Zhuo would choose.
The moment Wen Zhuo showed even the slightest favoritism and tried to exonerate his family, a rift would surely arise between him and Shen Zheng.
Shen Chen was still gloating over this thought when he saw Wen Zhuo narrow his eyes slightly. The surprise that flashed across his refined features vanished in an instant, replaced by a silent, icy sneer.
So that was it. During the month he had spent in prison, these two beasts had dug up some dirty dealings in Mianzhou. Now they were waiting for him to walk straight into a dilemma with no way out.
What a pity.
Before anyone could react, Wen Zhuo stepped forward of his own accord. Lowering his lashes, he said in a solemn voice, “Your Majesty, I am willing to go to Mianzhou. I will ask my father to give away the family fortune, purchase whatever surplus grain remains, and assist the court in providing relief to the disaster victims. I have long enjoyed Your Majesty’s favor and have no other way to repay it. Though I have not seen my family for seven years, I believe they will surely share my devotion!”
Emperor Shunyuan was both astonished and overjoyed. He actually rose directly from the imperial throne. Looking at Wen Zhuo, he was so moved that his voice trembled.
“Good! Wanshan, you have not disappointed My expectations! You have not disappointed the people of this world!”
Shen Chen: “?”
