Chapter 88 |
The head of the Eastern Depot was named Cui Rong, with a pale, beardless face and hair half-grey.
Emperor Chongzhao preferred not to let eunuchs meddle in state affairs, choosing to personally review every memorial in detail, even if it meant exhausting himself, rather than delegate the task.
The Eastern Depot existed solely by the grace of imperial authority, functioning entirely as a blade in the emperor's hand.
The Depot had only one Head, also called the Superintendent. Under him were two Deputy Superintendents, each managing three team-leading eunuchs and several errand-running eunuchs.
The power within the Eastern Depot was held by the eunuchs. The rest of its personnel were initially drawn from a batch of Imperial Guards, and later supplemented by another batch from the palace guard contingent, thus forming the Depot.
Directly subordinate to the emperor, they had the authority to arrest people outright, and many dirty tasks were handled discreetly by them.
Cui Rong said, "Must I still invite myself in?"
Creeeak—
The door opened.
Yu Ruo said, "I am currently recuperating from illness. May I ask the purpose of your visit, Sir Eunuch?"
Cui Rong's mouth twitched. "Prince Yu Ruo, let's not waste words. We both know why I'm here." He beckoned. "Go, take Duke Lu into separate custody. 'Treat' him well and inquire how exactly he managed to injure a prince of our dynasty."
"Let go of me! Let go!"
"You dare lay hands on me! I am a Duke, a Duke!"
Yu Ruo did not intervene. Leaning weakly against the doorframe, he asked, "And what does His Majesty of your esteemed nation intend to do?"
Personnel from the Inspection and Transport Office had brought several horse-drawn carts from the rear courtyard, slowly stopping them in front of the compound where Yu Ruo resided.
These contained precisely the items the Nanning envoys had brought from their own country: food, clothing, many personal belongings, state gifts, and so on.
Wen Xiaochun said, "Alright, we're here. Stop."
He turned and cupped his hands towards Cui Rong. "By His Majesty's command, to inspect all items belonging to the envoy delegation."
The fingers Yu Ruo had resting on the doorframe tightened slightly. "Sirs, this is hardly proper etiquette, is it?"
Inspecting belongings, many of which could be considered personal items, was already an insult.
Cui Rong: "We are all merely following orders. You may proceed. I will observe here."
"Yes," Wen Xiaochun turned his head to look at Yu Ruo. "And did your esteemed Duke consider what was 'proper' when he injured a prince of our dynasty? Furthermore, this Superintendent's duty is to inspect for any prohibited items, such as Madness Leaf Fruit, entering Great Zhou."
"I hope Your Highness understands."
He raised his hand. "Fine, fine. Proceed with the inspection."
"Yes!"
The ten skilled men brought by the Inspection and Transport Office immediately set to work with practiced efficiency: opening chests and cabinets, tearing clothes to check for hidden items, cracking open and smashing nuts and dried fish before tossing them to the ground, and even breaking apart boxes to see if the wood contained hidden compartments.
Cui Rong's cheek twitched.
He hadn't seen the Inspection and Transport Office in action for years; had their methods become so...brutal?
Of course, he maintained his composure, his expression suggesting such inspections were utterly commonplace.
The Nanning envoys, having heard the news, rushed over. Seeing the scene, they angrily shouted, "What are you doing?!"
"Stop smashing! Stop rummaging!"
They tried to pull away the hands of the Inspection and Transport Office personnel.
"Stop!"
Wen Xiaochun narrowed his eyes. "Do not stop."
A young man, seemingly unable to bear this humiliation, glared venomously at Wen Xiaochun, strode over, and pointed a finger that nearly touched Wen Xiaochun's nose. "You—"
Wen Xiaochun swiftly grabbed his wrist, turned with fluid motion, pulled the arm, and flung him.
The young man spun a full three hundred and sixty degrees before crashing to the ground. "Aiyo!"
Wen Xiaochun bent his arm behind his back, his thumb and forefinger gripping the back of the man's neck. "Someone! An envoy has been suddenly taken ill. I have subdued him. Quickly take him for treatment. Do not delay his condition, lest they later accuse Great Zhou of discourtesy."
Cui Rong, intrigued by the skill Wen Xiaochun had just displayed, called for two men to take the envoy away.
"You've trained?"
Wen Xiaochun: "I know a little."
Cui Rong: "Your movements look very solid." His fingertips lightly tapped the soft whip at his waist. Suddenly, he added, "If the opportunity arises in the future, come to the Eastern Depot. We can spar."
Wen Xiaochun paused for a moment, then smiled slightly. "How could I refuse such an offer?"
Neither spoke further. One engaged Prince Yu Ruo in polite conversation, while the other supervised the men smashing... inspecting the carts.
The atmosphere was remarkably harmonious.
-
The Seventh Prince was injured, and the Nanning embassy was surrounded.
This incident happened in the afternoon. In winter, darkness fell early.
After escorting Qu Dubian back to the palace, Xia Fuyang waited for a while at the North City Gate. He watched the personnel from the Inspection and Transport Office hurry towards the temporary Nanning embassy but felt it inappropriate to stop them.
He could only pace back and forth there.
He didn't even know what he was waiting for.
Only when night had fully fallen did he return home.
Back home, he still couldn't settle his mind, so he took a broom and dustpan to sweep snow in the courtyard.
The icy cold wind turned his knuckles red.
"Xiao Yang."
Xia Fuyang looked up. "Mother? It's cold at night, why have you come?"
Madam Wang entered carrying a lantern. "The maid said you hadn't eaten, and I heard about today's events. I guessed you had something on your mind. Will you tell your mother?"
The Xia household was managed by his mother, Madam Wang. All matters of food, clothing, expenses, and social interactions with the wives of officials were handled by her, who also took her adopted daughter to social engagements.
Madam Wang had followed Xia Hong all the way from Jizhou. Her experience was not narrow, and Xia Hong cherished and loved her, often confiding in her when faced with indecision.
Xia Fuyang leaned on the broom. "Well... sigh, I can't really put it into words."
"I'm good friends with the Seventh Prince. He's hurt, and I'm worried about him. But besides worry, there's something else... When he stood up and confronted Duke Lu, I felt all the blood in my body heat up!"
His eyes were bright. Using the broom as a sword, he gestured animatedly for Madam Wang. "I almost wished I could shove the words back in his mouth and say them myself! He usually loves to joke and play around, holds grudges too, and can be a bit stingy sometimes—he wouldn't even give me a mooncake; I had to climb the wall to Uncle Tingfeng's place to get one."
"But today was very different. It's just... Mother, I can't explain it. Do you understand?"
Xia Fuyang was troubled.
Madam Wang chuckled softly. "You're nothing like your father in this regard. He is much steadier."
Xia Fuyang: "He has inner refinement, I have outer brilliance."
Madam Wang ignored his nonsense. "Do you remember what your father said to you before he left?"
"Our family's current situation—everyone in the capital curries favor. It looks like a bed of flowers, but in reality, dangers lurk everywhere. I've told you how many overt and covert attempts to get us to pick a side we've avoided these past few years."
Xia Fuyang: "Mm. That's why I haven't gotten particularly close to anyone."
Madam Wang: "From the standpoint of the Xia household, you should act that way. But from your own personal standpoint?" If you are destined to choose a side in the future, who would you choose?
Madam Wang didn't voice the latter half, nor did she need to. Xia Fuyang understood.
He was silent for a moment. "Before today, I purely considered him a good friend." He had never thought about the possibility of following him in the future.
Madam Wang: "Within the imperial family, the only friend who makes you forget the other's status is already quite extraordinary. Xiao Yang, you should think about which path you will take in the future. Whoever it may be, or even remaining neutral."
Whether leaning towards someone or remaining neutral, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
She knew her child had dreamed since childhood of galloping across battlefields like his father, which was why he had endured harsh martial arts training without complaint.
A person who has had a strong sense of agency since childhood would die on the path of their own choosing, even if beaten to death with a stick.
Xia Fuyang hugged her. "Thank you, Mother."
"I understand what you mean. You should go to bed now, it's so late. Go on, go on."
He personally escorted Lady Wang back to her bedroom.
Just as Xia Fuyang was about to sort out his own thoughts, the manor gate was knocked upon. A servant entered to announce that Xi Zixing had come to visit.
Xia Fuyang had him shown in.
Xi Zixing had walked all the way, his nose and cheeks flushed a bright red.
Xia Fuyang glanced at him, pulled him into the study, fetched him a hand warmer, and poured him some hot water.
"What brings you here?"
Xi Zixing: "What do you think? My father entered the palace and hasn't come out yet. With no news, of course I came to ask you. How is Little Seven?"
Xia Fuyang: "I don't know."
Each lost in their own thoughts, they fell silent.
After a long while, Xia Fuyang sighed worriedly. "I finally understand why the first requirement of your so-called 'Rules for Selecting a Lord' or whatever it's called, is that the candidate must be in good health. It's true, good health is very important."
Xi Zixing: "Oh? So you're thinking of observing from the shadows like I do?"
Xia Fuyang rolled his eyes inwardly.
Observe my foot.
Anyway, Xi Zixing wasn't considering Little Seven. Even if Xi Zixing wasn't, that didn't mean he wasn't.
Then he and this fellow might become opponents in the future... Thinking this, Xia Fuyang decided not to tell him anything.
He was shrewd enough to quietly draw a line of defense in his heart.
-
After inquiring about Qu Dubian's situation, Xi Zixing waited until he warmed up and then returned to his own residence.
He sat under the lamplight, his face a visible picture of conflict and struggle.
A long time passed.
Only then did he begin cutting and assembling the small booklet again.
After finishing the binding, he once again fell into conflict and struggle. Then he picked up his brush and wrote on the booklet: Seven.
The Seventh Prince confronting Duke Lu... he knew about it, and it wasn't without its impact on him.
Anyway, the First Prince's score is so low he's almost eliminated... Adding one more, one increase and one decrease, keeps the overall balance.
-
Shunningning Palace.
The imperial physicians were crowded into the Seventh Prince's bedchamber.
They had tried every method, but the boy simply wouldn't wake up.
Emperor Chongzhao: "It's been half a day with no conclusion. What is the situation exactly?"
Physician Yang bowed. "His Highness's pulse is very chaotic," chaotic as if dancing, "...but overall, his breathing is long and calm."
Consort Xuan: "Then why is he still unconscious?"
Physician Yang pondered. "It might be related to the internal cultivation method the young prince practices. I recall the young prince has always practiced martial arts and even found a manual on his own. His current state seems more like his qi forcefully opened the dantian acupoint without his own awareness, and he is temporarily unable to regulate it, leading to this coma."
"He, this little rascal, opened his dantian acupoint?"
Emperor Chongzhao thought he had misheard. After receiving the physician's confirmation, a sudden surge of anger rose within him. "Such a dangerous thing, and the little brat dared to make the decision secretly!"
Consort Xuan frowned. "Didn't you hear the physician say Little Seven didn't even know himself? What are you shouting about in the middle of the night?"
Emperor Chongzhao held his breath.
"I'll settle accounts with him when he wakes up."
"Physician, is it a qi upheaval?" Compared to the bewildered Emperor, Consort Xuan clearly understood more.
Physician Yang: "It resembles one... but the young prince's qi is gentle, only his pulse is chaotic. It's not as dangerous as a true qi upheaval."
Emperor Chongzhao: "So he's fine?"
What physician would dare say a comatose patient is fine, let alone a prince? Physician Yang said, "Not exactly. Precisely because the Seventh Prince's condition is unpredictable, he requires extra attention."
The half-grown child lying on the bed looked peacefully asleep, his left hand wrapped in thick bandages like a little pig's trotter.
"And His Highness still hasn't woken up. When will he wake? Are there other dangers... It's hard to say, very hard to say." Physician Yang shook his head.
The bedchamber fell quiet for a moment.
Eunuch Yu entered from outside and said softly, "Your Majesty, the Ministers of the Six Boards have sent servants to find you. They wish to inquire if they may leave now?"
Emperor Chongzhao: "..."
Oh no. He had completely forgotten about that.
He glanced at his youngest son on the bed and said to Consort Xuan, "I'll trouble you to watch over him. I must return to the Zichen Hall for a while."
Consort Xuan nodded.
Qu Dubian slept like this for three days.