When assisting Shen Zhen, Gong Zhiyuan only regarded Wen Zhuo as a solitary official who didn't involve in the party strife. But now, he learned from Shen Chen that this person had long submitted himself to Shen Zheng.
Previously, he always kept a respectful distance from Wen Zhuo and didn't want to offend him. However, now that they were on opposite sides, there was nothing to hold back.
He only said ten words, yet it made Xie Langyang and Shen Chen's hair stand on end and sent chills down their spines.
Just at this moment, a sudden shower lashed against the window lattice, drowning out all the terrified sounds in the palace hall.
Shen He had only walked halfway. Just as he caught a glimpse of the glazed tile eaves of the Palace of Gathered Elegance, the downpour came crashing down, drenching him to the skin like a drowned rat.
The eunuchs panicked and shouted for someone to fetch umbrellas. They also used their sleeves to shield the prince's head, but the rain was so fierce and urgent that this little bit of shelter was no more effective than trying to put out a fire with a cup of water.
Shen He frowned and brushed aside the dirty sleeves in front of his face. He simply let the cold rain pour down on his head. Looking up at the sky, he thought that this really wasn't a good omen.
Then he thought that he was bound to receive a scolding from Consort Zhen later, which made his heart feel heavy, and he sighed helplessly.
When he was five years old, he was sent by Emperor Shunyuan to be raised by Consort Zhen.
His biological mother was originally a maid beside Emperor Shunyuan. One time, Emperor Shunyuan was scolded by Liu Changbai for "being unfit to be a king". He was so annoyed that he drank alone.
The maid boldly stepped forward to comfort him a few words and caught the emperor's favor, so she was left in the harem.
After being favored by Emperor Shunyuan, the maid was promoted to a talent.
The talent was well - aware of her humble birth. In the harem, she always acted with caution and prudence. She just silently followed Cao Xiruo, neither competing nor being over - humble, as if she was an invisible person.
At that time in the palace, the only one who could truly show sympathy and protect these low - ranking concubines was Cao Xiruo. Moreover, she came from a prominent family and had the power to rival Empress Liu.
On Empress Liu's birthday night, she intended to spend a wonderful night with Emperor Shunyuan. However, Emperor Shunyuan was irritated by the sight of her. He only sat in her palace for a short while and then left with a flick of his sleeve.
That night, Emperor Shunyuan got drunk in the imperial garden and muttered the given name of Consort Chen, Xingluo.
The talent happened to pass by. Seeing the emperor in such a distraught state, she felt pity in her heart and finally walked over to comfort him, saying, "Your Majesty, please go back to the palace and rest. Consort Chen in the afterlife surely wouldn't want to see you torturing yourself like this."
In fact, she had never seen Consort Chen before, and these words were just the most feeble consolation.
But Emperor Shunyuan was so drunk and muddle - headed that he held her hand and went straight to her palace.
At that time, the talent knew that something terrible was going to happen. Before dawn, she rushed to Cao Xiruo for help.
Cao Xiruo took pity on her and immediately sent people to guard outside her palace. She also added four strong young eunuchs to watch over her day and night. Even so, they still couldn't prevent the talent from being drowned in the deep well in the palace.
Everyone knew that it was Empress Liu who did it, but due to the lack of evidence and the low - ranking talent being thought unworthy of pity, this matter was left unsettled.
Now Shen He had already blurred the memory of his mother's appearance. He only remembered that his situation was extremely dangerous after his mother's death. Empress Liu was bent on clearing the way for her son and wished to eliminate all the princes.
It was Consort Zhen, bold and meticulous, who outmaneuvered the schemes and protected him.
Later, when Empress Liu died suddenly, he was truly out of danger.
In fact, he was grateful to Consort Zhen. Unfortunately, ever since Zhaoyue was born, Consort Zhen had suddenly become extremely strict with him. She demanded that he study hard all night, show his talents in front of the emperor, and strive for the position of crown prince.
He really wanted to satisfy Consort Zhen, but he truly didn't have the ability.
Moreover, he was naturally lazy and fond of good food. He only wanted to stay with his beloved concubine, close the door, enjoy the flowers and plants, and savor delicious food, living a carefree life. As for national affairs and the sufferings of the common people, he had absolutely no interest.
He had a clear self - awareness that he was by no means a candidate for the throne, but Consort Zhen lacked such self - awareness.
"Your Highness! Hurry up and take shelter from the rain! If you catch a cold from getting soaked, what will happen!" A young eunuch chased after Shen He and advised.
"Don't bother. Isn't Mother Concubine waiting?" Shen He muttered and quickened his pace, not even bothering to enter the corridor.
Coincidentally, just as he stepped into the threshold of the Palace of Gathered Elegance, the heavy rain suddenly stopped. The sun still hung in the sky, and a colorful rainbow stretched across the horizon.
"Mother Concubine, I'm here." Shen He hung his head and stepped into the inner hall, soaking wet.
Hearing his voice, Consort Zhen immediately rushed forward quickly. When she saw him looking like a drowned rat, she couldn't help but be stunned: "Why are you soaked like this?"
"I encountered a sudden shower on the way." Shen He replied in a low voice.
In the midsummer, getting caught in the rain wasn't a big deal. Seeing that he still looked as carefree and plump as ever, Consort Zhen felt relieved. Then, suddenly changing the topic, she frowned and said sharply, "I heard that Shen Zheng stole the show again in the court today. The emperor not only approved his proposal but also entrusted him with the important task of opening up sea transportation?"
The court session at the Hall of Martial Valor had just ended, and Consort Zhen immediately received the news. Shen He suddenly froze.
Seeing his dazed look, Consort Zhen said impatiently, "What are you looking at! After all, I'm one of the emperor's favorite concubines. Do you think I don't have any informants?"
Shen He scratched his nose and replied guiltily, "Yes. Currently, it's the best time to open up sea transportation. Although many officials in the court oppose it, I think Father Emperor seems quite willing."
Consort Zhen paced back and forth, extremely agitated: "Do you know how much resistance there has been in previous dynasties when trying to change the canal transportation system? Even the late Emperor Kangzhen couldn't achieve it. If Shen Zheng manages to pull this off, it will be an unparalleled feat and will be recorded in history books for thousands of years. Even if your father doesn't want to pass the throne to him, he won't be able to withstand public opinion!"
Shen He stammered: "Well... Fifth Brother is indeed willing to take on responsibilities. He was the one who voluntarily went to Nanping as a hostage back then. I think he's really amazing."
Consort Zhen was so angry that her voice trembled: "Why can't it be you who takes on this responsibility! There is only one throne. The emperor is the supreme ruler above all. Don't you have any desire for it at all!"
Shen He didn't dare to refute and just nodded repeatedly: "Your son desires it! Your son will surely work hard and perform well in front of Father Emperor!"
Seeing that his attitude was quite submissive, Consort Zhen barely managed to suppress her anger.
She turned around, walked to the couch, picked up the teacup, and took a sip of the fragrant tea: "Isn't the Fire Festival of the Long River not far from the anniversary of Consort Chen's death?"
Shen He didn't dare to say a word.
Consort Zhen slowly stroked her slender fingers: "Since Shen Zheng wants to shine in the court, then I'll have to deal with Jun Mulan."
-
After the court session ended, Wen Zhuo headed straight for the duty room of the Grand Secretariat.
Currently, he held the positions of both the Director of the Hanlin Academy and a member of the Grand Secretariat, which led to a sudden increase in his workload. He was so swamped that he could hardly cope.
The memorials sent to the Grand Secretariat were either about the grain - shipping on the canals or the Fire Festival on the Long River. Occasionally, there were also a few meaningless ones from local officials just to pay their respects.
Once Wen Zhuo got busy, he would be completely absorbed in his work. After he finished all the tasks on his desk and got up to step out of the duty room, he noticed the wet marks on the ground and suddenly realized that he had once again avoided the discomfort of the damp and cold.
As evening approached and the twilight descended, he could finally go home.
When he reached the outer wall of the imperial city, he spotted his small red - lacquered sedan chair at a glance.
The young servant saw him and quickly came forward, winking and making strange expressions.
Wen Zhuo was puzzled and didn't understand what the servant meant. Just as he stepped onto the footstool in front of the sedan chair, the curtain of the sedan chair was suddenly lifted, and an arm reached out. With considerable strength, he was yanked inside.
Wen Zhuo couldn't stand steadily and fell headlong into Shen Zheng's arms. Still in a state of shock, he couldn't help scolding, "Your Highness, stop fooling around!"
"Giving my 'beloved concubine' a hug, how can that be considered fooling around?" Shen Zheng said with a smile as he tapped on the wall of the sedan chair and instructed the servant, "Go to the Long River."
The servant whipped the horse and headed towards the Long River.
"What are we going to do at the Long River?"
Wen Zhuo was wearing a black cap, with all his black hair tied up inside the cap, revealing a section of fair and soft earlobe, which gave Shen Zheng an opportunity.
Shen Zheng leaned over and took the small earlobe into his mouth, sucking it until it turned crimson. "Fourth brother's suggestion. Take my 'beloved concubine' to the Long River to have roasted meat."
In fact, having food and drinks with Wen Zhuo was one thing. On the other hand, he also wanted to see the spectacle of the Long River Fire Festival with his own eyes. After all, the historical records only had a description like "Both officials and common people gathered. Boats lined the shore. The blue flames flickered, lighting up the long night. The witches and shamans danced as if welcoming the gods", which left endless imagination for later generations.
As it was said, Wen Zhuo's ears were extremely sensitive. Once swept by the warm tongue, his eyes were filled with mist, and he could only squirm.
"Who's your beloved concubine!"
"Whenever it is, I'm first and foremost Your Highness's teacher."
"How can Your Highness be so presumptuous in broad daylight!"
"It won't happen again."
"Well... Don't go too far this time either!"
Shen Zheng indulged himself in the taste until he was satisfied. When he let go, Wen Zhuo's poor earlobe was covered with tooth marks, but the person himself was still stubbornly arguing.
The sedan chair stopped under the shade of a tree by the Long River. The two of them tidied up their clothes and got out one after another.
Wen Zhuo had already taken off his black cap and let his long black hair loose, which just covered his red - tinged ears. He just had a calm and fair face, looking a bit stiff.
He couldn't help thinking, how could he have thought that Shen Zheng was a normal person at the beginning? Clearly, Shen Zheng was even more "sick" than he was, and the "condition" was developing too fast!
At this moment, Shen Zheng looked like a respectful and well - behaved student, speaking in a soft tone, "Teacher, let's rent a small black - awning boat. I've never been boating before."
Surfboards didn't count.
Wen Zhuo glanced at the boatman who had already come forward with a beaming face, and then at Shen Zheng who quickly took out the silver. He squinted his eyes slightly and said, "Do I still have a chance to refuse?"
Before long, the two of them boarded a rather neat black - awning boat.
The boat's hull showed a pale color from years of being soaked in water. There were two dark - blue cloth curtains hanging outside the cabin. When lifted, they just revealed a small window, which was suitable for enjoying the scenery.
The cabin was quite spacious, large enough for two people to lie side by side. There was a soft cattail mat on the floor, and a small wooden table was placed above it. The table was full of fruits, vegetables, and dishes. A plate of roasted meat was shiny and still emitting wisps of steam, standing upright in the center.
The boatman slapped his chest and assured them with full confidence that it was definitely the pinewood fire from the Yankou area. The roasted meat had a natural flavor of fruit wood.
Actually, the government only allowed the common people to use this fire to burn paper boats to appease the anger of the deceased souls. But there were always some opportunists who took advantage of the fact that the Wucheng Military Police couldn't manage everything and tried to make a profit.
The Long River was a major living - water artery running through the entire capital city. It meandered down from the Qingping Mountains and flowed all the way to the Jinhai Sea. The moat outside the Forbidden City was diverted from the Long River.
The place where the two of them boarded the boat was the narrowest and slowest - flowing section of the Long River. The common people loved to gather here. Some would light paper boats and offer incense to pray, some would beat drums and dance to ward off disasters and pray for good fortune, and there were also those who took the opportunity to do some small business.
Shen Zheng picked up a piece of roasted meat with both fat and lean parts, drizzled it with pepper and salt seasoning, and then wrapped it in a soft pancake. He handed it to Wen Zhuo and said, "Teacher, have a taste."
Wen Zhuo reached out to take it but didn't rush to take a bite. He just stared fixedly at Shen Zheng and said, "Your Highness is in quite a good mood. You still have the mind to eat, drink, and enjoy the scenery here. Do you know why His Majesty so readily agreed to your proposal to open up sea transportation?"
Shen Zheng also wrapped a piece of roasted meat for himself and casually stuffed it into his mouth. Then he calmly spit out two words: "I know."
Wen Zhuo nodded and said, "Since you know, you should understand the key point. Earlier, the Emperor was hesitant to make changes to the canal transportation because he was afraid. He was afraid that the officials of all ranks who made a living from the canal transportation and the millions of canal workers would resent the monarch and cause unrest in the local areas. Now that someone is willing to take on this heavy burden, bear the infamy, and endure the hatred for him, he naturally couldn't be more pleased. If this matter succeeds, it will be a sign of his wisdom and bravery and his good upbringing of his son. If it fails, it will be because of your poor implementation and misinterpretation of the imperial edict."
Shen Zheng highly agreed and nodded repeatedly.
Wen Zhuo frowned even more tightly and questioned, "Then why did you rashly propose to open up sea transportation today without even discussing it with me?"
Only then did Shen Zheng put down the bamboo chopsticks in his hand. He carefully moved to Wen Zhuo's side, wrapped his arms around him, and gently held him firmly in his arms. He said in a soft voice, "I know that the teacher cares about me and has my best interests at heart. But this matter benefits the country and the people. Delaying one more day means one more day of delay. If I don't do it, who else can we count on?"
Wen Zhuo was stunned.
He wanted to say that the most important thing at present was to seek stability as he had mentioned. Everything should be discussed after ascending the throne. Making a hasty move at this moment and completely offending the canal - transportation officials and their network was by no means a wise move.
Of course, this was the consideration that a counselor should have.
But as a subject of the Great Qian Dynasty, how could he not hope that the one he whole - heartedly assisted and placed high hopes on was a king who was not afraid of difficulties and dared to take on heavy responsibilities?
If one shrank back for personal gain, why did he choose Shen Zheng in the first place?
Suddenly, Shen Zheng showed a bright smile, and his eyes were as clear and bright as torches. "Teacher, don't worry. As long as the sea transportation is opened up and the economy of the Great Qian Dynasty becomes more and more prosperous, those canal workers will surely find better livelihoods in the future, and their lives will be many times better than now. By then, today's opposition voices and the infamy will all disappear. Before that, I still need the teacher to carefully plan for me and help me implement the sea - transportation project."
A sudden surge of emotion welled up in Wen Zhuo's heart.
In his previous life, he was constantly on the go, devoting all his thoughts to eliminating political opponents and amassing wealth. It was truly exhausting and torturous. However, in this life, he could accompany the person in front of him to create a great cause and give full play to his ambitions in his chest. He actually felt that life had taken on a different meaning.
Perhaps this was what all scholars pursued: an everlasting and noble reputation.
He turned his face and gently pressed his fingertips on the Adam's apple on Shen Zheng's neck. His breath was warm and moist as he said, "Actually, I'm very happy that Your Highness could say those words in the court."
The person who claimed to be unrestrained but was actually quite conservative seldom showed his true feelings. There was a gentle and lingering look in his eyes, which made one feel a tickling sensation like being brushed by a small paintbrush.
As the waves hit the boat, it swayed. Taking advantage of this swaying momentum, Shen Zheng brought Wen Zhuo down onto the soft and thick straw mat.
His palm landed on the jade belt around Wen Zhuo's waist, and his fingertips unconsciously wandered downward. "The grilled meat doesn't taste good. It must not be roasted with pine wood. The shopkeeper is a liar."
"I guessed it long ago," Wen Zhuo said, looking down at him with his eyelashes drooping. His black hair flowed down on Shen Zheng like a waterfall, and his fingertips were still fondling the Adam's apple.
His palm slipped inside along the side seam of the clothes, and with a faint touch on the center of the chest, he could clearly feel the muscles of the person on top of him tensing up. Desire was clashing with feudal ethics. However, in just a moment, desire was defeated.
Wen Zhuo rolled his eyes upwards and stared at the ceiling of the cabin as if he wanted to bore a hole through it.
After starting the fire but being unable to endure it himself, he intended to escape rudely.
How could Shen Zheng let him go? He clenched his palm and caught hold of something soft. Smiling, he pressed for an answer, "Is your finger tastier?"
Wen Zhuo bit his lip and kept silent. The boat was still swaying, as if Shen Zheng was shaking it.
"Tell me and I'll let Teacher go. Hurry up and say it," Shen Zheng half-scolded and half-coaxed.
"If you continue to bully Teacher like this, Teacher will..."
Suddenly, his voice was swallowed back into his throat. A loud and booming shout came from the shore. The sound, riding on the raging current of the river, spread far along the riverbank, scaring the crows and sparrows resting on the branches into fluttering flight.
There, they saw a man wearing a Taoist robe, holding a jingling bell in his hand. His head was shaking like a rattle as he pinched a spell with two fingers and mumbled incantations:
"I, the Taoist priest, am Iron-Crutch Li, born with divine skills. When the curtain is hung high and the candle flames are lit, thousands of ghosts come to pay their respects. No matter if it's a fierce ghost or the King of Hell, with a gentle wave of my whisk, they all submit to me."
