The Grandmaster Strategist

In the spring of the thirteenth year, three armies received orders from the Emperor to cross the Yangtze River. Jing Chi’s army and Pei Yun’s army would join forces to take Jianye. The Southern Chu king was terrified and led the concubines and maids of the palace and his bodyguard to Dangtu.¹ When the royal guard heard of the turmoil, they torched, killed, and pillaged. Officials and commoners alike suffered in Jianye, so they opened the gates and begged to surrender.

The Prince was part of the advance guard of Jing Chi’s army, the unit only five thousand strong, who might have advised him to wait for the commanding general to arrive, but the Prince declined, having everyone enter the city. He first dispatched troops to guard the ancestral shrines, then personally led his unit into the city under his orders. All undisciplined troops who caused harm were killed. Thus was Jianye pacified, the Prince’s reputation abuzz throughout the land.

Due to the Prince of Jia’s brilliant achievement, he was ordered to lead his own army. The Prince swept through Jiangnan, capturing the regions of Yuzhang,² Yichun,³ Luling,⁴ Poyang,⁵ and Linchuan.⁶ Each was a great achievement, and all in the army praised him for being a rising star. The Prince of Jia was solemn and strict by nature, his military orders harsh, decisive in war. The people of Chu were terrified. However, he was rather fond of the loyal and outstanding, unable to bear hurting them. Even though it was a transgression, he only sent them to Jianye in prisoner carts. At the time, Crown Prince Jun was garrisoning Jianye. When he saw, he smiled at and pardoned all of them.

In the fourteenth year, the world was slightly stabler. Taizong wished to dispatch a high-ranking minister to govern southern Fujian. Fujian had many wild territories, the roads challenging and cut short. Nobody wished to go, but the Prince of Jia personally requested to oversee Fujian, sounding very honest. He hoped to build ramparts on the Southern Sea. Taizong approved, appointing him the military commissioner, permitting him to establish a security force, and allowing him to create his own secretariat with all the honors of the Three Excellencies.⁷

The Prince of Jia governed Fujian for nine years, repairing trade routes, dredging rivers, encouraging mulberry farming for sericulture, and frightening bullies. All of Fujian believed wholeheartedly in him.

In the twenty-second year, he got betrothed to the daughter of Lu Can, the former Grand General of Chu, taking her as his princess. Taizong dispatched an envoy to arrange the marriage, decreeing special permission for the Prince to use ceremonial weaponry.

The following year, Taizong ordered the Prince to return to the court. All citizens, including the elderly and children, saw him off for some thirty-odd li.—Yong Dynastic Records, Biography of the Prince of Jia

Outside of following the crown prince’s order to check on Li Lin, Huo Cong had another reason for coming to Zhongli, which was Shi Yujin and Lu Mei. Back when Dong Que obeyed Jiang Zhe’s order to rescue those two individuals, Jiang Zhe planned to wait for Jing Chi to attack to dispatch someone to take them to Xuzhou. Unexpectedly, before Jing Chi was able to take full control of the region of Huaixi, Jiang Zhe received news from Dong Que that after Shi Yujin gave birth, she was unwilling to stay any longer after not two months of recovery. Once she learned of the world’s situation from Dong Que, she wanted to send Lu Mei and her beloved son to Tingzhou. Afterwards, she would return north to search for Lu Yun’s whereabouts.

Dong Que had presented himself as a wandering Daoist priest when rescuing the two women, so he didn’t have a good way to stop Shi Yujin from acting in that fashion. He could only relay the information speedily to Xuzhou.

Huo Cong had come on orders this time. If a clash broke out between Shi Yujin and the Yong army, he might as well deal with it on the inside. Now that Li Lin fell in love with Lu Mei at first sight, Huo Cong no longer needed to worry. After delivering the provisions and fodder, he gave some clues to Jing Chi on the sly and gave Li Lin some instructions. Early the next day, he set off for Xuzhou.

Because Huo Cong was hurrying back to Xuzhou, he brought just four Stalwart Tiger Guard on the trip. The four of them were all old friends who’d protected him during his time in Dinghai. They had all interacted for many years and knew each other extremely well. Knowing he was anxious, they whipped their horses faster during the journey, not stopping until high noon, the sunlight glaring, men and horses exhausted. At this moment, Huo Cong spotted a neglected temple by the road. He raised his whip and said, “It’s almost noon. Let’s rest up ahead.” The four bodyguards agreed in unison.

This used to be a place travelers often rested at, but Great Yong and Southern Chu had been deadlocked in Huaixi for the past few years, so it became dilapidated. However, it could still provide shelter from the wind and rain. The five men reached the temple and hopped off their horses, then tied their horses to the temple entrance. One man retrieved the cask under the porch and went to the clear brook in the woods behind the temple to fetch water. The other three bodyguards attended to the horses and prepared lunch at the foot of the stairs.

Huo Cong saw that the others were busy and began pacing outside the temple, trying to loosen his muscles. Seeing the bodyguard bring water back, he also heard the sound of babbling water coming from the woods. It sounded vaguely like a zither imitating gurgling water, and he couldn’t help but get the idea of exploring. He notified his bodyguards and walked towards the woods.

One of the bodyguards stood up to go with him as protection, but Huo Cong stopped him. The current situation in Jianghuai was different from last year’s. Ever since Lu Can died, the Southern Chu army in Huainan holed up, not coming out, much less dispatching scouts to penetrate Yong territory, so Huo Cong didn’t have any concerns about assassination attempts. Besides, he had some martial skills. If it were a standard Southern Chu scout, he wouldn’t be killed at will, so after a bit of hesitation from that bodyguard, he didn’t follow.

When Huo Cong walked dozens of zhang away, he saw a brook and a clear spring in the words. The spring water was so limpid he could see the bottom. Fish were still swimming in the water. A feeling of leisure arose within him. He sat on a rock next to the brook and watched the fish in the water. It was a delight.

While Huo Cong was reclining on the rock, falling asleep, letting the warm sunshine hit his body in the grassy meadow, a mocking voice reached his ears. “Young master Huo had a meteoric rise. He has presumably forgotten about avenging his father and his hatred for his country being conquered.”

Huo Cong felt himself shudder. He pressed his lips together into a tight line, resisting the urge to shout for help. It was not only because of the sharp blade pressed against his back; it was also because of that person’s words.

The person behind him picked up on it and said with a laugh, “Young master Huo is as clever and bright as expected. When the Head of the Embroidered Union, Huo Jicheng, died to the enemy, with even his name stolen, it’s doubtful he would think his beloved son would live like today.”

A harsh light glinted in Huo Cong’s eyes, and he frostily said, “What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t understand what you mean.” Before he finished speaking, he felt the blade against his back move away.

Someone sat on the bluestone next to him and calmly said, “I wonder, does young master Huo still remember me, Li Ming? In the past, I transported both young master and Lady Huo to Chang’an. Over the past several years, young master’s appearance hasn’t changed much, your red birthmark between your eyes still the same. Back then, a physiognomist said it was a ‘pearl hidden in the grass,’ indicating intelligence and wisdom. Your bad luck would turn into good. It now seems like that face reader truly made an accurate, marvelous prediction.

“Who could have imagined that the son of Huo Jicheng, a wanted criminal by both Great Yong and Southern Chu, would become a disciple of Jiang Zhe, an important minister of Great Yong? Furthermore, you earned Crown Prince Li Jun’s respect. You are sure to reach the highest rank in the future, possessing both riches and honor. Truly, like master, like disciple—making armies betray Chu and submit to Yong. Young master Huo has adopted a thief as his father,⁸ surpassing his master.”

Huo Cong went deathly pale, not gazing at the man, merely staring at the brook before his eyes, silent. He wasn’t usually this easy to cow, but the man spoke to what had been on his mind for many years, causing him to display this behavior.

Li Ming coldly said, “Union Head was determined to restore the state and didn’t hesitate to give his life for the cause. However, people all had selfish motives, so when he got married, he kept it secret. After young master came into the world, he had family members send you to Chang’an. This was the painstaking effort of Union Head. Although Chang’an is the Yong capital, it is safer than ordinary places and wasn’t ravaged by war. As long as Her Ladyship’s and young master’s identities weren’t leaked, they could live in peace for a long time. Although the world believed Union Head died in the first year of Longsheng, during the Prince of Qing’s rebellion in the Hanzhong region, you and I both know that Her Ladyship had lost contact with Union Head ever since the twenty-fourth year of Wuwei. But I wasn’t part of the Embroidered Union, and Her Ladyship didn’t have a way to get in touch with a trusted aide of the Union Head, so we never knew who exactly the person using the title of Union Head and doing as they pleased throughout the world was.

“At the start of the twenty-fifth year of Wuwei, Her Ladyship died of illness. Young master suddenly ran away after burying Her Ladyship. I looked into it in secret, but I didn’t expect young master to enter the Prince of Yong’s residence. Now that I think about it, young master was probably trying to investigate the whereabouts of Union Head at the time. If misfortune had befallen Union Head, then the most likely assailant was a Yong agent. However, it could have been the Prince of Yong, Li Zhi, or the Crown Prince, Li An, who did it. You did nothing wrong by placing yourself in the Prince of Yong’s residence. It’s just that riches and honor compel a person, and glory and splendor jumble the will. Young master has long since forgotten about his parents’ vendetta, correct?”

Huo Cong was clenching his jaw. Blood had, at some point, begun spilling out from the corner of his mouth. Li Ming saw and laughed grimly. “I didn’t have any prospects and later landed in Southern Chu and followed Head Wei’s commands. Although the Fengyi Sect were featherless phoenixes, old institutions still die hard, so they didn’t let me learn many secrets. For the past several years, Head Wei had been mulling it over and concluded that in the twenty-fourth year of Wuwei, the Embroidered Union fell into the hands of the Yong emperor, Li Zhi.

“The disposition of that Jiang Zhe, he was most fond of helping from behind the scenes. Nobody but Jiang Zhe could truly be in control of the situation. Viewed this way, it’s obvious who Union Head died to the hands of. Allegedly, Jiang Zhe loves young master greatly. Could young master truly not figure out who the foe who killed his father is?”

Fire blazed in Huo Cong’s eyes as he glared daggers at Li Ming. But the man didn’t seem to notice in the slightest. Taking a jade vial out of his bosom, he placed it in front of Huo Cong and said, “Inside this vial is the secret medicine Head Wei bought from the Poison King. It’s no hindrance to normal people who take it, but if a gravely ill and injured person takes one, they become weaker and weaker. In just a few months, it can make the patient die soundlessly. Young master is Jiang Zhe’s beloved disciple. As long as you mix this item into a decoction for a meal, you can get revenge for your family and country. Young master need not worry. That man may be a divine physician, but poisoncraft is enigmatic. Shen Ruhui has skill without peer in poisons. Not even a medical sage personally attending could discover this drug. Moreover, this drug isn’t highly toxic, strictly speaking, as it’s a tonic that strengthens the body. However, it’s unsuitable for the sick.”

Seeing Huo Cong still silent, Li Ming knew Huo Cong was unmoved, so added, “If young master refuses to act, Li Ming should warn you that within half a year, if that man doesn’t die, I’ll leak young master’s history. It’s just that I don’t know if Jiang Zhe will show you mercy at that time. He refused even to let his youthful friend-cum-beloved disciple who was as close as flesh and blood off the hook when they became enemies. To say nothing of you, an orphaned child. Even if he can’t bring himself to kill you, I’m afraid your career will end. You’ll never be trusted by the Yong court again. At that point, young master would be better off dead. Better to have fought for your life.

“If young master is willing to kill Jiang Zhe, I’ve long since been willing to give my life, to be honest. I don’t want to rot away for the rest of my life. I’ll be sure to go down to the underworld and report the good news to Union Head Huo and Head Wei. I absolutely won’t continue to live in the world above and be a thorn in your side, making young master brood. If young master is uneasy, you can go to the Halcyon Inn in the city of Shouchun to visit me. Presumably, Shouchun will have been captured by Great Yong by then. If I die in front of young master, young master should be able to rest easy, yes?

“However, young master, don’t think about silencing witnesses before accomplishing the task. I’ve already left a letter in a confidant’s hands. Without my personal token, he’ll open the letter this same time next year and obey my dying wish to spread young master’s history through the world. I’m afraid it’d be too late for young master to have regrets then. If young master kills Jiang Zhe, I’ll tell you about the token and that person’s identity. Young master can forever destroy the roots of future trouble. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”

Stunned, Huo Cong gazed at the jade vial. At some indefinite point in time, a bodyguard’s voice came from behind him. “Young master, the food’s ready.”

Huo Cong subconsciously stored the jade vial in his sleeve and looked up. Li Ming was nowhere to be found. He said woodenly, “I’m coming. Wait for me.” Then he walked over to the brook and dunked his head into the water instead of cupping water into his hands. The brook was especially cold. After a moment, Huo Cong lifted his head out, stood up, and looked back with a smile. “This brook is freezing.” Pearls of water trickled down in straight lines from his hair and face, but he didn’t cut a sorry figure. Instead, he seemed free and unreserved.

That bodyguard had followed him for many years and knew Huo Cong would occasionally act in this unrefined fashion, so he didn’t notice the storm in Huo Cong’s mind. He humored him with a smile, “This brook is cold in the first place. And since it’s late spring, it’s bound to be chilly. Please wipe the water off, young master, as getting a cold would be awful.”

Huo Cong smiled and wiped the water off with the sleeve of his robe. Talking and laughing like nothing had happened, he walked out of the woods with the bodyguard to the front of the temple. He saw the field stove at the foot of the stairs steaming hot. Merely pottage and flatbread, yet a sumptuous dish. Huo Cong dined with his bodyguards, eating and laughing without revealing any emotion. Nobody knew Huo Cong was eating without tasting anything. After eating lunch, they rested for an hour, after which the five men got on the road again. They said nothing during the journey.

Early in the morning on the fourth day, the five men arrived at the city of Xuzhou. Having traveled all through the night, dew had nearly soaked through their clothes, and they were eager to enter the city to change clothes. Seeing the dawn strike the towering Xuzhou, all five men whipped their horses harder without discussion, galloping towards the gates. Before they reached the gates, they were surprised to see the flags fluttering before the city. Huo Cong was suspicious and reined his horse to a halt on the side of the road, focusing on the flags.

The pennants bright yellow, emblazoned with the dragon and the phoenix; the distinct armor of the Rising Dragon Guard; the magnificent ceremonial weapons of a princess—all of this clearly indicated the identity of the convoy exiting the city. Before long, Huo Cong saw the golden carriage of Princess Changle.

Huo Cong was curious. Princess Changle had gone to Xuzhou due to Jiang Zhe’s serious illness. Jiang Zhe shouldn’t have recovered yet, by his calculations, so why was the princess returning? Dazed on the side of the road, Huo Cong forgot he could go up and ask her. The conversation in the woods by the brook had hit him hard. His calm and placid exterior absolutely could not conceal it.

According to the code of etiquette, a Great Yong princess should have traveled in a carriage adorned with pheasant feathers. Only the Princess of Ning, Princess Changle, was given special imperial permission to use the golden carriage. This was by the good grace of the Yong emperor, but Huo Cong’s thoughts were spinning. He had thought through today’s events. Before he went to Zhongli, he learned from Crown Prince Li Jun that an imperial censor had put forth a remonstration, accusing Princess Changle of being away from the Yong capital for too long. He thought it had to be the emperor ordering the princess to return. Looking at the golden carriage again, a shadow fell over his heart.

At this moment, Huo Cong saw Roulan and Shen’er riding their own steeds next to the imperial carriage of Princess Changle. While Shen’er was wearing casual traveling garments, Roulan was wearing a light yellow, youthful robe. She didn’t at all look like she was in a hurry, head down, talking to Princess Changle through the window with bead curtain drawn high, reluctant to part. He speculated to himself that Princess Changle was leaving Roulan behind in Xuzhou.

Both Princess Changle and Roulan saw Huo Cong on the side of the road at this time and stopped the imperial carriage. Princess Changle said in a gentle voice, “Cong’er has returned. If you had returned slightly later, you couldn’t have bade farewell to Us.”

Only now did Huo Cong step forward and pay his respects. Somewhat melancholic, he asked, “Are you returning to the capital, Madam?”

Princess Changle sighed softly, sadness appearing on her lovely face. “Mother Empress has taken ill and ordered Us to return to the capital. I will leave Lan’er to take care of her daddy. It’s just that she’s still young and doesn’t have perfect control most of the time. If you’re by Suiyun’s side, you must bear more responsibility. Although Suiyun has improved a good deal, I still can’t rest easy.”

On the other side of the golden carriage, Jiang Shen leaned out and urgently spoke, “Big brother Huo, you must tell Daddy that it’s not that I didn’t want to copy the Classic of Poetry ten times; rather, His Imperial Majesty asked for me to return as well. He said my maternal grandfather and grandmother really missed me. Master also wanted me to return to practice martial arts, so I left. At worst, once Daddy returns to the capital, I’ll give him the completed copies of the Classic of Poetry.”

Roulan had been on the verge of crying, but when she heard what Jiang Shen had to say, it turned tears into laughter. “Shen’er, don’t try to have someone copy your handwriting. Daddy’s perception is amazing. You can’t trick him.”

Jiang Shen was stunned. His clear, perspicacious, black eyes whirled round and round, trying to determine whether his older sister was lying or telling the truth.

Princess Changle laughed, “Yes, Shen’er, your older sister got caught before. Originally, she just had to copy the Analects five times, but she ended up copying it an additional ten times.”

Jiang Shen’s jaw dropped, and he froze in place, forgetting he was still riding a horse. He nearly tumbled off. Fortunately, he had achieved preliminary success in his martial arts, so he reined in the horse with some scrambling.

Huo Cong also snorted a laugh. The distress and gloom he’d felt for the past few days was nearly swept away. Roulan alone blushed scarlet, pouting even more in irritation.

This minor interlude diluted the sorrow of parting. By the time Princess Changle’s imperial carriage disappeared from sight, Huo Cong still grinned from ear to ear until Roulan muttered within earshot, “His Imperial Majesty is a real piece of work. Wasn’t it just someone submitting an accusation? Yet he recalled Mother to the capital. If I were Daddy, I’d simply return with them to avoid working my heart out without good cause.”

Huo Cong’s heart quivered with fear. His glee died, and he coolly said, “Lan’er cannot speak rudely. If word of this gets out, I fear it’ll lead to trouble. How could His Imperial Majesty suspect Sir? It’s mostly to still the tongues of those censors; that’s all.”

Unconvinced, Roulan replied, “Daddy also said something similar, but I refuse to accept it. If I learn who accused Daddy, I’ll pull his beard off.”

“All right, stop messing around,” Huo Cong said with a smile. “I’m going to see Sir. If you don’t want to return, I won’t wait for you.”

Roulan turned her eyes to him. “Big brother Huo, please ask a favor for me. Daddy won’t allow me to go to Chuzhou again, and he told me to learn how to properly cook and sew. I’m not fond of those troublesome activities. Daddy dotes on you the most. If you say something, Daddy will definitely agree.”

Even sharper pain stabbed Huo Cong in the heart, and he forced himself to say, “Okay, I’ll bring it up to Sir. However, if Sir doesn’t agree, I can’t do anything about it either.”

The two of them rode toward the Dark Green Courtyard where Jiang Zhe was convalescing. Hearing the clamor on both sides of the street, Huo Cong slowly calmed down for some reason. He was no longer sinking into misery. Past event after past event flooded into his mind. He knew many untruths lay in the words of that man. His father wasn’t a patriot restoring the state and sending his mother and him to Chang’an to live in secret wasn’t entirely to keep mother and son safe. Although he was young at the time, he still remembered many events, especially his mother frequently pouring the bitterness in her heart out to him. However, that man did get one thing right. His dad did die to the hands of his master, and he had indeed forgotten about getting revenge for family and country.

He had never considered himself a man of Shu. When he was born, the Kingdom of Shu had long been conquered. He had spent his childhood in Chang’an, and afterwards, he had matured in the Cold Courtyard. Thoughts of avenging his country had never come to mind. However, he never forgot the hatred for his family being destroyed.

Back when he rammed into the Prince of Yong’s carriage, he had planned to use this method to enter the Prince of Yong’s residence. At the time, his wish was just to find out whether his father was alive. Then he would tell his mother, who had already passed away. Who could have known this chance of fate would lead him to becoming a disciple of Jiang Zhe? This was the beginning of his quandary.

Jiang Zhe’s trust and respect for him allowed him to learn many secrets, and he even teased out the cause of his father’s death from tiny hints. However, Jiang Zhe’s teachings and love let him experience the fatherly love he never received. In his heart, he’d long since treated Jiang Zhe like a close relative, yet he was the man who killed his biological father.

Ultimately, he decided not to face this fact. As long as he didn’t obtain conclusive evidence, he didn’t have to think about Jiang Zhe being his father’s killer. Later, he was most afraid of his identity leaking. Once Jiang Zhe knew of his background, Jiang Zhe would tell the truth, based on his personality. He wasn’t afraid of Jiang Zhe expelling him from the Cold Courtyard or of Jiang Zhe putting him in a plight worse than death. He wasn’t even scared of Jiang Zhe killing him. He feared not knowing whether to choose between gratitude or revenge. He was afraid that he would have no path to take, outside of taking his own life.

However, the secret he’d done his utmost to conceal had been uncovered. In the end, he couldn’t deceive himself and others.

They finally reached the Dark Green Courtyard, and Huo Cong dismounted from his horse, following Roulan step by step to Jiang Zhe’s quarters. He felt like he was treading on cotton bolls, wholly unsupported. His gaze landed on the unlatched door. Huo Cong suddenly felt an unprecedented calmness. When he was facing things for real, it turned out it wasn’t as scary as he imagined it. Jiang Zhe’s indifferent voice drifted out from the room. “Has Huo’er returned? Please come in. Lan’er, I quite liked yesterday’s soup. Tell the kitchen I want that same soup for dinner tonight.”

Giving a small, wry smile and listening to Roulan’s footsteps fall more distant, Huo Cong plucked up his courage, opened the door, and walked in. His vision flickered, and he froze. In his mind, Jiang Zhe would still be as depressed as he was a month ago. To his surprise, as far as he could see, Jiang Zhe was sitting in a chair, wearing only the middle layer of clothing with a baggy robe draped over his body. He was holding a cup of tea whose fragrant aroma permeated the room and admiring the copybook on the desk. He looked relaxed and composed, not a line of worry on his face.

Meanwhile, Xiaoshunzi was sitting at a weiqi board, an ancient book in his hands. He was setting the board state according to the manual, occasionally grasping stones and placing them on the board. Both master and servant were carefree and contented like the dark clouds of the past several months had vanished without a trace.

Seeing Huo Cong enter, Xiaoshunzi didn’t even lift an eye. But Jiang Zhe raised his head and said with a smile, “Cong’er happened to run across my wife, right? In reality, she’s worrying too much. I’ve gotten a good deal better. Even if she isn’t by my side, there won’t be any problems. It’s rather better for her to return to the capital, lest those fossilized scholars gossip.”

Seeing Jiang Zhe’s affable expression, Huo Cong felt relieved. He instinctually cast aside his distress and asked, “What joyous occasion has made Sir this excited?”

“A joyous occasion? No, the four armies marched simultaneously, but only here in Huaixi was it smooth sailing,” I replied with a smile. “Ba Prefecture’s Yu Mian had planned to surrender, but someone sent Lu Can’s sword to him. That Yu Mian vowed to the Heavens he wouldn’t surrender. I’m afraid that if one wants to capture Ba Prefecture, it’ll take a lot of effort.”

Seeing Jiang Zhe speak of Lu Can without any grief showing on his face, Huo Cong was surprised. He probed with a question, “Is Sir no longer sad about matters related to Grand General?”

Xiaoshunzi lifted his head at the question, unhappiness shining in his eyes. Huo Cong lowered his head, also feeling like he shouldn’t have prodded at the internal agony of his master. However, he heard Jiang Zhe say in a subdued and gentle voice, “Alas, I was, in fact, prepared for these events. I was just confused for those past few days. The dead are gone. Even if I’m sad, what can I do? Even if the friendship between Lu Can and me was deeper, it couldn’t have withstood the word ‘loyalty.’ If Lu Can had killed me, he probably would have suffered untold anguish as well. If circumstances were different, he would still be leading troops into battle and killing foes.

“Since I don’t regret my actions that day, why should I still be all knotted up? Disciple simply saddened his friends and gladdened his enemies. Although he died for a just cause, he presumably wouldn’t like to see me this upset. There are some things one must face in the end. What is right and wrong? What is loyalty, filial piety? As long as one’s mind is at peace, why concern oneself with the views of the world?”

When Huo Cong heard the second half of Jiang Zhe’s response, he felt like he was filled with wisdom. Everything became clear all at once. An opportunity to live appeared once more. Silent for a moment, he stated with a smile, “It’s good that Sir has figured things out. No wonder your esteemed wife returned to the capital as ordered. It’s because Sir is already fine. This disciple has come bearing good news as well. If Sir hears it, I believe he’ll become even happier.”

Fascinated, I said, “I know you already resolved that issue with how quickly you returned. Tell of the good news.”

Huo Cong related in great detail Li Lin falling in love with Lu Mei. I beamed with animated joy as I listened. I couldn’t help clapping and laughing, “’Tis truly like father, like son. Going after the Princess of Jiaping, His Imperial Highness, the Prince of Qi, made a fool of himself so many times and went through so much trouble to finally marry the beautiful woman. I’m afraid that kid, Li Lin, will have to go to ten times the effort of his father to achieve his wishes. However, it’s best to facilitate this situation at all costs. Although, in a manner of speaking, those kids have grown up. Lan’er also reached marriageable age last year, fifteen, and a good husband should be picked out for her. Even though I want to be with her for a few more years, I cannot delay her destined marriage.”

Huo Cong had made up his mind. He stepped forward, prostrated, and declared, “Sir, this disciple has a matter he’d like to request of Uncle Shun and asks Sir permit it.”

Gently arching a brow, I rested my gaze on Huo Cong for a moment, then warmly replied, “You can ask him yourself. If Xiaoshunzi agrees, I won’t have any problems with it.”

Huo Cong kowtowed again, then stood up and walked over to Xiaoshunzi, his eyes shining, but he lowered his head in silence. Xiaoshunzi put down the weiqi manual and laconically said, “Let’s go.” With that, he walked toward the door, and Huo Cong followed after him with head lowered. Although his back was to Jiang Zhe, he could feel Jiang Zhe’s gaze staying on him. Only once the door closed behind him did the scorching gaze get blocked by the thick wood door.

The two men walked into the center of the courtyard. Xiaoshunzi stood before a pond of blue water with his hands clasped behind his back. He emotionlessly asked, “What’s the matter?”

“This disciple would like to request Uncle Shun murder someone,” Huo Cong answered coolly.

Slightly taken aback, Xiaoshunzi asked, “Who do you want to kill?”

Huo Cong retrieved the jade vial from his bosom and fiddled with it for a moment. Upon placing it on the ground, he took a step back and replied, “This disciple would like you to kill a person named Li Ming. You should be able to find him in the Halcyon Inn in Shouchun. If Uncle Shun acts, success should be guaranteed, thus this disciple can rest easy.”

Xiaoshunzi didn’t ask who Li Ming was. He sternly questioned, “Do you not worry that killing him alone won’t be of any use?”

Huo Cong smiled. “The Fengyi Sect has vanished into thin air, and the North Star Hall was wiped out on the Xianxia Mountains. Presumably, Li Ming doesn’t have any confidants left. Most of what he said was threatening, but I don’t believe him. What’s more, even if rumors spread, it’s of no concern. I never cared about high status and great wealth. The fewer bonds, the less responsibilities. I won’t become like Sir, always unable to free himself.”

Xiaoshunzi looked back, eyes full of frost but also some faint hope. He asked, “Have you decided already?”

Huo Cong nodded. “Yes, one must face some things in the end. Since my heart has told me how I should choose, I won’t feel troubled any longer. Who cares if I’ve adopted a thief as a father? And what if I gave up on avenging my father? Huo Cong only knows it’s impossible to forget the life he spent in the Cold Courtyard. Sir, Madam, Uncle Shun, Lan’er, and Shen’er are my family.”

A hint of joy flickered in Xiaoshunzi’s eyes, but he speedily restrained himself and said in a solemn tone, “I will take care of this matter. Please play a game of weiqi with him. He lost to me again yesterday and is very unhappy. When it comes to throwing a game, you do a perfect job. In this aspect, I can never be as good as you.”

Smiling, Huo Cong replied, “This disciple shall obey. And I will have to trouble Uncle Shun.” With that, Huo Cong turned around and walked toward Jiang Zhe’s bedroom.

Behind him, Xiaoshunzi took a piece of hemp paper out of his sleeve. It was full of tiny handwriting that read:

Xiaoshunzi smiled. With a slight flick of his fingers, the paper turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Huo Cong walk back into the room, I put down the copybook in my hands. Since he had walked in again, nothing needed to be asked. The boulder on my chest lifting, I gazed at Huo Cong with eyes full of joy and indulgence. Reminded of a wonderful event I had planned for a long time, I said with a smile, “Cong’er, I’ve been thinking of something for a long while. Lan’er is the apple of my eye. I have never had the heart to marry her off, but men and women all must marry upon coming of age, after all is said and done. I cannot delay her life. You are my disciple as well as like family. I intend to betroth Lan’er to you. What do you think?”

After speaking, I eagerly looked at Huo Cong. If he agreed, I wouldn’t have to marry off Lan’er. I had assumed Huo Cong would ecstatically say yes, but to my surprise, Huo Cong was taken aback for a moment. He asked in an odd tone, “Sir, have you asked Lan’er’s opinion?”

What is the meaning of this? I knitted my brows tightly. “I haven’t asked yet, but you two are childhood sweethearts. And you are a talented character. I presume Lan’er won’t reject it.”

Huo Cong didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he was afraid to open up, so tactfully said, “Sir, Lan’er; His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince; and the Prince of Jia all grew up together. Has Sir not considered them before?”

“Lin’er need not be mentioned. First, he’s a year younger than Lan’er. What’s more, if that child gets with Lan’er, they’ll probably kick up a row to the Heavens,” I answered with a smile. “Besides, he already has a true love. Father and son have personalities similar to the extreme. I do not hold out hope he will fall in love with someone else. It’s even less worth mentioning the Crown Prince. That’s wholly impossible. When Changle came to Xuzhou this time, she said the Empress was ready to pick a wife for the Crown Prince. What possibility is there between Lan’er and him? What’s more, even if the Crown Prince is interested, I cannot agree. Even if you marry Lan’er, you’re not allowed to take a concubine or maid in the future. You must be dedicated to Lan’er.”

Huo Cong internally celebrated at being compared to Li Jun as a foil. If not, he still probably wouldn’t know about his master’s intentions. With some slight hesitation, he stated, “Sir, His Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, will certainly select a beautiful lady from an influential family when choosing a good match for a wife. Lan’er is also a princess, so she should be in the running.”

“That’s no bother,” I replied uncaringly. “I’ve already written the memorial. If you agree to the marriage, I’ll send a petition explaining the matter. Presumably, the Emperor will allow me this. Lan’er has always been pampered by the Empress Dowager and the Empress, so it shouldn’t be a problem. By the way, what exactly do you mean? Could it be that you feel Lan’er is unworthy of you in some area?”

Huo Cong nearly complained to the Heavens. In this moment, he most wished Xiaoshunzi had disposed of him just then. It would have allowed him to avoid this difficult question. Setting aside whether he had the bravery to compete for a lover against His Imperial Highness, the crown prince, for the moment, the issue was that Lan’er and the crown prince were clearly deeply in love. How could he hijack their love?

Upon some thought, he delayed for the time being. He knew Jiang Zhe’s temper. If he messed up, Jiang Zhe might betroth Roulan to him immediately. If news of this got out, it’d be quite difficult to get any leeway for redemption. As such, Huo Cong thought some more, then diplomatically said, “Sir, if this matter is decided now, I’m afraid Lan’er will be resentful and will dare not stay in Xuzhou any longer. It would be better for Sir to tell her once hostilities calm a little. As long as Lan’er is willing, Huo Cong will take her as his wife.”

I didn’t notice any bit of the subtlety in Huo Cong’s words. I was only thinking I should also restrain Roulan, not let her get too close to the crown prince anymore to avoid jealousy from the future crown princess and to avoid annoyance from Cong’er. Because I had never considered my beloved daughter would compete with others for a husband, I had cast any possibility between Roulan and the crown prince out of my mind long ago. I had no idea I had broken up a pair of young lovebirds. I picked up the memorial I had written, saying, “Send the memorial in tomorrow, lest the Crown Prince’s wife selection affair drag in Lan’er. Just put it together with the military report. It’ll be faster and prevent Changle from wasting her breath.”

Huo Cong grew even more troubled, thinking, I have no way to steal the memorial. Should I send a message to the Crown Prince and have him petition the Emperor for help, or should I send a message to Shen’er and have him think of a way to intercept the memorial on the journey?

Glancing at Jiang Zhe, Huo Cong hated himself for giving up on revenge, as he wouldn’t be facing this dilemma otherwise.

***

In the Halcyon Inn in Shouchun, a solitary lamp’s flame was dying, the night rain chilly, and in the miserable conditions, the water clock used to mark the night watches sounded. Reckoning he was having even worse trouble sleeping, Li Ming draped a robe on and got out of bed, turning the lamp on the table a little brighter. Afterwards, he poured a cup of cold wine and slowly drank it, his set of bloodshot eyes growing a bit hazier.

While he was contemplating pouring another cup of wine, the warm room abruptly became frosty for no reason at all, the dripping water seemingly freezing into ice. Li Ming shuddered, but he appeared not to perceive any anomalies, continuing to pour to the bottom of the jug, but all he received was half a cup of unfiltered rice wine. Lifting the wine goblet, he languidly drank the alcohol and thinly said, “Will sire wait for me to say a few words before acting?”

An icy voice came from behind. “I’m in no rush. If there’s anything you want to say, you can speak slowly. All the time before dawn is yours. As long as you don’t try to struggle to survive, I won’t act.”

Li Ming turned around and saw a young man with an emotionless face clean as the frozen snow standing in front of the door with his hands clasped behind his back. Although he was merely attired in servant clothing, his lofty disposition made Li Ming unable to ignore his radiance. He couldn’t help saying with a smile, “So it is the Demonic Shadow, Lord Li, who has personally come to take care of this one. I am deeply honored. Why not allow this one to request another jug of wine? Drinking on a spring night is a pleasure of life. Just, this insignificant one wonders, can he have this honor?”

A little gentleness appeared in Xiaoshunzi’s eyes, and he lightly said, “You have the right. Come, bring wine.” Once he gave the order, the door quietly opened, and two employees carrying a stove, charcoal, a large bronze pot, and a jug of first-class wine entered. They placed the items under the window and withdrew after saluting.

Li Ming rolled up his sleeves and began to warm the wine. His clumsy behavior was truly embarrassing, and Xiaoshunzi became glum at the sight. He coldly said, “Let me do it. This fine wine in your hands will most likely be a waste of valuable resources.”⁹ With that, he started adding charcoal with a practiced hand.

Smiling at the sight, Li Ming said, “If I knew Lord Li would lower himself, I would pretend not to know how to warm wine even if I had known.”

“You’re that brave? But seeing as you’re about to hurry off to the underworld, I won’t bicker with you,” said Xiaoshunzi grimly.

Contented, Li Ming replied, “How many people in the world, outside of Marquis Jiang, have had the Demonic Shadow warm wine for them? Based solely on this rare honor, this one’s courage would increase…”

Xiaoshunzi skillfully controlled the heat and examined the wine in the pot. He spoke, “If you were a normal individual, I wouldn’t have given you the chance to prattle on, but you are an interesting person. According to what I know, you first served Huo Jicheng, then became a confidant of Wei Ying. After Huo Jicheng died, you still supported his wife and child until Lady Huo passed away. After Huo Cong went missing, you finally left Chang’an. It can be said you did everything one may be called upon to do. After Wei Ying died, you also carried out his dying wish. First, you went to Ba Prefecture and presented the sword, then you went to Huaixi to compel Huo Cong to harm my young master.

“You should realize that either of these two affairs could make you die horribly, but you had the bravery to do so. Neither Huo Jicheng nor Wei Ying are great men of any sort, and they also used you more than treated you with kindness. Why do you still risk your life to be loyal and true to them?” With that, he poured a cup of warmed fine wine and handed it to Li Ming.

Li Ming took the cup and downed it in one gulp. “I am a foreign son of the Li family of Shu. I was born clumsy, and my parents died prematurely. Even the ordinary sons of the clan with different surnames were brave enough to make fun of me. Others looked down on me. Only senior apprentice brother Huo kept me by his side and took care of me. Although it was mostly to prompt me to do some trifling matters, he also gave instruction on my martial arts on most days. He was fair to me.

“Later, he rebelled against the clan and left, founding the Embroidered Union. I thought it would be pointless to stay with the Li family, so I followed him. However, my martial arts were inadequate, and he disdained me, only allowing me to serve as an attendant. However, he soon met Her Ladyship for the first time. Her Ladyship was the daughter of an influential family. But because of the war, they were forced to take refuge in the countryside. Senior apprentice brother Huo said Her Ladyship perfectly resembled his fiancée he abandoned, so he compelled Her Ladyship to marry him.

“At the time, things were getting more arduous for the Embroidered Union. Her Ladyship had just given birth to young master, and she was quite unwell, so senior apprentice brother Huo had me feign death, then take young master and her to Chang’an to live in secret. Since then, I’ve lived in Chang’an, looking after Her Ladyship and young master. In the year senior apprentice brother Huo and Crown Prince Li An conspired together, he even secretly came to visit Her Ladyship. However, he suddenly stopped sending messages. Although the Embroidered Union still ran amok through jianghu, Her Ladyship and I both knew he was dead.

“Before long, Her Ladyship fell gravely ill, never to recover. In reality, ever since arriving in Chang’an, Her Ladyship was always ill. After she passed away, I took the little young master to bury Her Ladyship. I had planned to take the little young master back to Sichuan, but who could have known he would suddenly disappear. I didn’t look for him afterwards. Huo Cong is intelligent to the extreme. I thought he surely knew what he should do.”

Xiaoshunzi poured another cup of wine, but this time for himself to drink. “Huo Jicheng was cold-blooded in disposition. He simply treated you as a servant, and he didn’t fear you would betray him, so he entrusted his wife and child to you. If he needed to, he definitely would have sacrificed you without hesitation. You making it this far is truly doing everything one may be called upon to do.”

Li Ming also poured a cup of wine. After drinking it, a bit of a blush appeared on his face, and he said, “I’m not good at anything. In the past, I did whatever senior apprentice brother Huo told me to do. After senior apprentice brother Huo died, I drifted through jianghu alone. It was very arduous, and I later was reduced to a bandit. However, I’m neither heartless nor vicious and frequently suffered. If I wasn’t letting go of cash cows as usual, others were taking advantage of me. Fortunately, under senior apprentice brother Huo’s guidance, my martial arts were passable, which allowed me to survive until now.

“Later, someone plotted against me, and Chief rescued me. He saw I was well-behaved, so he allowed me to stay by his side. In terms of skill in martial arts, many people in the North Star Hall are better than me, but Chief made me a confidant. He permitted me to take care of many matters. Even if there were some mistakes, Chief would often cover them up. Chief was extremely strict with his subordinates. If someone else made a mistake, they would most likely be severely punished, but he always granted me clemency. I won’t forget this kindness for the rest of my life.

“This time, he wanted to go to southern Fujian and told me he wouldn’t return alive. Before departing, he entrusted me with two tasks. One task was to deliver the sword and letter Grand General left behind to General Yu. Chief said this task was the most important and made me promise to do it. If I accomplished this task, he wanted me to find young master Huo and force him to assassinate Marquis Jiang. Originally, I was very worried about involving young master Huo, but I had repaid senior apprentice brother Huo’s kindness and hadn’t yet repaid Chief’s kindness, so I had no choice but to agree. The words I used to impel young master Huo were the ones Chief had me memorize. Sure enough, they were very useful.”

A sharp light glinted in Xiaoshunzi’s eyes. “You knew that once I discovered this affair, not only would Huo Cong die, you couldn’t flee from my pursuit either. How could my young master, with his status, allow you people to plot to stab him in the back?”

Sadness flickered in Li Ming’s eyes. “Chief said this task had a sixty percent chance of success. Since Lord Li has come here today, the poisoning definitely failed. However, Chief said that if young master Huo failed, Marquis Jiang wouldn’t necessarily kill him. Chief said that although Marquis Jiang is cruel, he’s sometimes as soft as a woman. Otherwise, with the two nations at war, why care about the friendship between master and disciple when killing the enemy’s grand general? Chief also said that regardless of success or failure, I cannot live either way, so if I wasn’t willing, he wouldn’t burden me. However, as I kept thinking about it, I realized I couldn’t betray Chief’s trust, so I agreed to it. I don’t know whether young master Huo is dead or alive.”

Xiaoshunzi’s eyes twinkled for a long time. “That poison truly is powerful, but it cannot be hidden from young master’s sight. However, Huo Cong is not dead; young master did not kill him. Speaking of which, I truly admire Wei Ying’s stratagem, provoking Huo Cong into assassinating young master. If it had succeeded, that would naturally have been the best. If it did not succeed, it would make the disciple and the master, young master, fight each other, and he would achieve his objective.

Stunned, Li Ming said, “You also knew Chief thought this way? Back when I told Chief that the young man with Marquis Jiang was the child of Union Head Huo, Chief thought hard for a long time to come up with this plan. Chief said Marquis Jiang’s arteries and veins were weakest, as he had cheated death. When Chief saw Marquis Jiang offering sacrifices to the Grand General, Chief saw that his arteries and veins had suffered serious damage again. The seven emotional states have injured people since time immemorial. As a result, Chief didn’t expect young master Huo would succeed, but as long as Jiang Zhe learned his beloved disciple would actually try to assassinate him, it would undoubtedly worsen his illness. Even if it didn’t damage Marquis Jiang’s life, it would take ten years off his lifespan. Chief also said it would be best to use this stratagem after he died. Marquis Jiang is thoughtful, and as long as Chief is alive, he won’t relax his surveillance on the North Star Hall. But it would be different after Chief died. A person dying is like a lamp burning out. Who would take precautions against a dead man? As such, he had me take care of the matter in Ba Prefecture before acting.”

Compassion appeared in Xiaoshunzi’s eyes, as well as a hint of admiration. “Wei Ying is as formidable as expected. He still had a postmortem plan. Young master presumably did not think Wei Ying’s hatred would not be dispelled even after dying.”

Li Ming laughed at the words, the austere expression on his face softening a little, replaced with a bit of magnanimity. Pouring another cup of wine and drinking it, he said, “Presumably, even Chief would die a worthy death to obtain praise from the Demonic Shadow. I won’t inconvenience sire either. I haven’t told anyone else about Huo Cong’s life experience. Since he’s alive, tell him that no matter what, I also received senior apprentice brother Huo’s grace in the past and will always give him a chance to survive. Otherwise, even if Marquis Jiang doesn’t wish to kill him, the foe of Union Head Huo absolutely won’t let him go free.” As he spoke the last few sentences, his voice grew graver, and his complexion started to darken.

Xiaoshunzi’s eyes hardened, and he walked over to him, checking his pulse. He realized the man had ingested poison after seeing him, but only now was it poisoning him to death. Just now, he’d been indulging in wine to catalyze the poison into reacting. He knew a little about this type of poison. When it acted, it was rather painful, but there would no external indications. Once someone else made the discovery, it would be impossible to rescue the patient. He couldn’t help sighing, “It won’t be long until dawn. Why are you in such a rush to die?”

Strenuously, Li Ming replied, “I’m just an ordinary man. I fear death, and I also fear being humiliated, so I asked Chief for a poison to commit suicide long, long ago. When I saw Lord Li had personally come to Shouchun, I was terrified, so I took the poison ahead of time. If I knew Lord Li would be this congenial, I would have waited for dawn before dying.”

Xiaoshunzi rapidly asked, “Do you know where Lu Feng is? My young master knows he’s in Wei Ying’s hands.”

Relief appeared in Li Ming’s eyes, and he exerted himself to answer, “You wanted to ask about this? Chief had him live in the Cruel Dragon Lake, but after Chief died, I went to look for him, but he’d already disappeared. However, he shouldn’t be dead.” The last few words were almost inaudible, and the light in his eyes was slowly fading.

Xiaoshunzi knew he couldn’t get anything else out of him and sighed. “I advise you drink another cup of wine as you travel to the underworld where many old friends await. You’re also a hero. Be well.” Not wishing to see Li Ming struggle any further, he sealed acupoints with one finger, cutting off blood flow from his heart. Li Ming’s breathing finally stopped, and a hint of a smile remained on his dark blue and contorted face.

Xiaoshunzi thought, Although this man was of mediocre ability, he was always sincere. No wonder he gained Wei Ying’s trust such that he entrusted postmortem affairs to him. With that thought, Xiaoshunzi took pity on him. If Li Ming had known Wei Ying’s plan failed, he would probably blame himself even as he drew his last breath. Xiaoshunzi had come to eliminate everything, to investigate if others knew of Huo Cong’s background, so he didn’t tell Li Ming the truth. Although he’d come for nothing, it wasn’t bad that he could let Li Ming die in peace.

Having accomplished what he’d set out to do, Xiaoshunzi still thought he was lucky. Wei Ying’s postmortem stratagem was truly vicious to the extreme. If not for Huo Cong himself thinking things through, Jiang Zhe likely would have been forced to truly face the tragedy of infighting between master and disciple. It wouldn’t have been a problem in the past, but Jiang Zhe’s arteries and veins had been heavily wounded again during this time. It truly was taking one’s life while they were ill. This method of rubbing salt into the wound would probably injure his master half to death, if he didn’t die, if it actually succeeded. Taking ten years off his life was even an underestimation by Wei Ying.

Letting out a long sigh, Xiaoshunzi walked out of the guest room and saw two bellhops still waiting in the hallway. He briefly said, “Please prepare a proper burial for that man.” With that, his figure dissolved into the rain, vanishing in the blink of an eye. The two men exchanged a look of consternation, both wondering if they’d just met a demon.

Without stopping to rest, Xiaoshunzi traveled through the night back to Xuzhou. No matter how many experts were around Jiang Zhe protecting him, Xiaoshunzi could never rest easy unless he was by his side. As he was swiftly journeying, he suddenly remembered the time six years ago when he followed his master to pay a formal visit to the sovereign of the Devil Sect. Jing Wuji told him, “If you wish to understand the ultimate truth, you must first let go. If you cannot let go of your preoccupations, you are just the frog at the bottom of the well in the end.” He may have been unconvinced, but when he thought of Jing Wuji’s vast, unfathomable martial arts, which had advanced an untold number of times since they met years ago and clashed opinions, it was probably due to abandoning the disputes of the mortal realm.

He easily exerted his body, becoming windborne dust, and skimmed over hundreds of zhang of countryside in the blink of an eye. Xiaoshunzi smiled. If not for that man, it would be nothing to let go of everything. However, he was now wholly unwilling to let go.

A journey of hundreds of li was quite normal for Xiaoshunzi. Before dawn broke, he reached the exterior of the Dark Green Courtyard. Focusing his gaze, he saw many bodyguards at the entrance sticking their heads out and looking around. Some had anguish written all over their faces, while others were exceedingly anxious. He was surprised. Could it be that something strange had happened in the mere day he’d left?

Suspicion filled him, but he determined there wasn’t any sense of grief or lamentation in the air. Xiaoshunzi let go of his worries a little. He walked to the door and sternly asked a few of the bodyguards, “What happened? You all ran out. If you allowed an assassin to sneak in, are you trying to die?”

Everyone felt like their vision blurred, then saw Xiaoshunzi standing before the entrance with hands clasped behind his back. One of the higher-ranking Stalwart Tiger Guard hastily approached Xiaoshunzi and hurriedly reported, “You have returned, Lord Li. Young master Huo ordered us to ask you to advise the Marquis once Lord Li returned.”

Xiaoshunzi was a little taken aback. He sprinted into the Dark Green Courtyard to see that all the bodyguards in the courtyard had been expelled. He became quite upset. Huo Cong had always handled matters in a way befitting the occasion, so what had happened today? When he walked up to Jiang Zhe’s quarters, he focused his gaze and saw two people kneeling at the door. One of them wore bright yellow robes—Crown Prince Li Jun. The other wore yellow robes with jade-green sleeves—Roulan. Xiaoshunzi immediately understood. It was no wonder Huo Cong drove everybody out. If people saw this situation, not only would the crown prince lose all respect, even Jiang Zhe would inevitably get in trouble.

Walking up behind them, he asked somewhat helplessly, “Your Imperial Highness and Roulan, what is going on? If this spreads, it’ll be disgraceful.”

When the two of them heard Xiaoshunzi’s voice, it was like they heard an imperial edict. Roulan was the first to try to stand up, but her knees gave out, likely because she’d been kneeling for so long. She nearly fell flat on the ground. Li Jun helped her up, and the two of them turned around. A fountain of tears gushed from Roulan’s eyes when she saw Xiaoshunzi, and she started weeping loudly. Then she threw herself into Xiaoshunzi’s arms and choked out, “Uncle Shun, you’ve always loved Lan’er the most. Could you go and ask a favor of Daddy? Lan’er doesn’t want to get married to big brother Huo.”

Only now did Xiaoshunzi remember Jiang Zhe betrothing Roulan to Huo Cong a few days ago. But wasn’t Huo Cong steadying his master for the time being? Why did these two learn about it now?

Seeing suspicion appear on Xiaoshunzi’s face, Li Jun said in embarrassment, “It’s my fault. I received Huo Cong’s letter and couldn’t restrain myself in the moment, so I hurried through the night from Chuzhou. I tried to beg Uncle to betroth Lan’er to me, but Uncle flatly refused and also bade me return to Chuzhou immediately. I, I took it to heart and have been kneeling at Uncle’s door. In the end, I disturbed Lan’er, and Lan’er also came to request it, but Uncle was unwilling to agree.” Li Jun had never been brave enough to put on airs as the crown prince before Xiaoshunzi. It was uncertain if he had ever thought the current affair would occur.

Xiaoshunzi was somewhat hesitant. He, of course, knew the couple, Roulan and Li Jun, were in love. However, he didn’t consider it all that important. Further, Roulan, Huo Cong, and Li Lin were rather close, so after he learned of Jiang Zhe’s plan, he didn’t try to persuade him otherwise. In his view, he could never disobey his master’s orders.

Besides, Huo Cong and Roulan getting engaged was rather more appropriate. He didn’t realize a controversy would get stirred up. If nothing else, Li Jun going absent without official leave was a major crime. And making the future emperor kneel for this long was also unexplainable. Giving it some thought, he ignored Li Jun and let go of Roulan. He lightly asked, “Lan’er, young master loves you, sees you as the apple of his eye. He was also agonized over betrothing you to Huo Cong. If you become the Crown Princess, you’ll compete with other women for affection in the future. If you get married to Huo Cong, he will never dare to desire concubines. What’s more, you and Cong’er grew up together since childhood. You should be well aware of his character and behavior. If you pass over a good man like him, you won’t get another chance like it.”

When Roulan heard Xiaoshunzi also speaking like this, she sobbed, “Uncle Shun, I know big brother Huo is great, but I’ve always regarded him as a true brother. I’ve always liked big brother Jun. If I actually agree with Daddy and get married to big brother Huo, wouldn’t that be unfair to him?”

Li Jun added rapidly, “Uncle Shun, Li Jun can vow to the Heavens that he will absolutely never betray Lan’er. If I do, let the Heavens and the Earth combine to strike me dead.”

“Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, you will become the Emperor. In accordance with etiquette, the positions of the four consorts and nine concubines must be filled out, no matter how you yourself think,” Xiaoshunzi sternly said. “Our Roulan is precious as jade and pearl and always spoiled. How can she compete with other women for affection?”

Li Jun was stunned for a while before saying, “You’re right, Uncle Shun; I can’t say that Lan’er will be the only one in the future. No matter how sincerely I treat Lan’er, once I ascend the throne as emperor, I am bound to have consorts and concubines. This is the law of rites as well as the custom. However, Li Jun is willing to swear an oath that in this lifetime, no other woman can possibly steal my heart, and I will not let other women give birth to my heirs either. I cannot speak of future events, but Imperial Father is in the prime of his life. I can stay as the Crown Prince for another twenty to thirty years. Before I take the throne, I will never take another wife.”

If Li Jun pledged a solemn vow to never take another consort, not only would Xiaoshunzi not believe him, even Roulan would grow suspicious. However, by speaking this way, the two of them believed in his sincerity.

Although tears were still streaking down Roulan’s face, she couldn’t hold back a smile. She became as exquisitely and delicately beautiful as a lotus flower breaking the water’s surface. Li Jun was astonished by the sight. Only once Roulan avoided his gaze with a blushing face did he return to his senses and seek out Xiaoshunzi again. He knew that if this man didn’t intercede, Roulan would likely get married to Huo Cong before his father, the emperor, could try to help.

Xiaoshunzi let out a sigh. “Pass this matter on to me then. I can convince young master. As long as young Miss Roulan is unwilling, he won’t force her to marry. However, Your Imperial Highness, the Crown Prince, do not be in a hurry to propose. Roulan is still young. It will not be too late to talk about marriage in two years. Your Imperial Highness, Crown Prince, you bear a heavy burden. It would be better to return to Chuzhou sooner. If word of today’s events spreads, I’m afraid all hope will be lost for your marriage with young Miss Roulan.”

Li Jun grew fearful, immediately realizing his crime of being absent without leave. Although nothing should be happening in Chuzhou, if something changed, his father, the emperor, would certainly blame him. The number of people eyeing the crown princess position wasn’t growing smaller. If Roulan became known as a “source of calamity,” the marriage would become truly hopeless. Although love was blinding his better judgement, he still wasn’t an idiot. Glancing at the firmly closed door, he said through clenched teeth, “We will return to Chuzhou, but Huo Cong has traveled with Us for the past several days. If he isn’t Our advisor, We can never be at ease. Let him return with Us to Chuzhou.”

Xiaoshunzi and Roulan were both taken aback, then understood. If Huo Cong stayed with Roulan, Li Jun likely couldn’t rest easy, and Huo Cong had already been serving Li Jun. Li Jun made sense. Even if Huo Cong didn’t want to go, he had no choice.

While Xiaoshunzi and Roulan were hesitating, undecided, the door opened. Huo Cong walked out with an anguished face and said, “Sir told me that one must put the affairs of state above all else as a minister and ordered Huo Cong to follow Your Imperial Highness wherever you go and to depart immediately.”

Li Jun rejoiced. He went up and took Huo Cong’s hand. “Don’t worry, brother Huo. If not for brother Huo’s letter, We’re afraid We would have regretted it for the rest of Our life. We have no ill intent; We merely need to rely on brother Huo’s great talents. Please don’t hesitate to assist me, brother Huo.”

Huo Cong smiled wryly to himself, thinking, Why must I suffer? I had wanted to help you accomplish great things, but I got myself caught up in things. If you weren’t this impatient, success might’ve occurred in due time without any effort with the right conditions. You could’ve avoided creating this much quarreling.

Having appropriately arranged all matters on the outside, Xiaoshunzi finally withdrew to see Jiang Zhe. Entering the bedroom, he saw Jiang Zhe sitting on the couch with an indignant expression in his eyes. Black and white stones had been scattered to the floor, and several books lay haphazard on the floor. They had clearly gotten caught in the crossfire. Unable to stop himself from grinning, Xiaoshunzi asked, “Young master making a small mistake at matchmaking provoked this much trouble. However, does young master have a solution already?”

“That rascal, Huo Cong, is the worst,” I replied, annoyed. “It would’ve been fine if he weren’t willing to marry Lan’er. If he told me bluntly, it wouldn’t have been an issue. Yet he insisted on sending a letter to Li Jun, causing this many problems. He truly is horrible to the extreme. Have him go to Huaidong with Li Jun this time. I want to see just how that rascal, Li Jun, deals with his romantic rival.”

Xiaoshunzi laughed in spite of himself. “It is understandable that Cong’er did not speak up. If young master knew a few days ago that Roulan and the Crown Prince were in love, I fear there would have been the possibility of young master forcing the two lovers to immediately get formally married. However, Cong’er probably did not think the Crown Prince would lose his cool to this degree. In reality, young master, the Crown Prince is also wholehearted, and Lan’er is passionately devoted to him too. Why must you block them?”

With a shake of my head, I answered, “Let’s put aside Li Jun’s status for now. I may not wish for Lan’er to marry into the Imperial Family, but I have another reason. Although physiognomy is a shot in the dark, it’s not without merit. That child, Li Jun, is smart and clever, and he possesses a merciful heart. That would be superb, but he sadly lacks luck. I treasure Lan’er, my child, so I truly cannot bear to see her suffer in the future.”

Xiaoshunzi saw the look of determination in Jiang Zhe’s eyes. He knew it would be incredibly difficult to change Jiang Zhe’s mind this time, so he said, “About the issue I just agreed to for the Crown Prince, young master won’t make me go back on my word, correct?”

“How could I dare to? If I make Demonic Shadow break his promise, I’m afraid I would suffer endlessly,” I replied with a smile. “All right, Roulan’s marriage can wait for now, but there’s already few young men in the world who are suited for Lan’er. Besides Cong’er, I truly haven’t favored anyone. If Lan’er doesn’t want to marry Cong’er, I won’t force her to, but if she wants to marry someone else, I’ll have to approve first. However, Li Jun is unacceptable.”

Xiaoshunzi shook his head helplessly. If Jiang Zhe became stubborn, he couldn’t do anything either. It was hard enough to get him to make concessions. Unwittingly, he remembered Jiang Zhe already submitted an imperial edict asking for an arranged marriage. He couldn’t help but ask, “Young master, your petition has already been handed up the line. What should be done about this?”

I was getting weary and thinly answered, “What’s so important about that? If the Emperor decrees a betrothal, then we won’t have gone back on our word. If Li Jun wants to marry Lan’er, he can resolve it himself. We don’t need to worry. What’s more, with said memorial, the Emperor cannot establish Lan’er as the Crown Princess as he pleases. Isn’t this great?”

The last few words were spoken in an extremely feeble tone of voice. Xiaoshunzi noticed Jiang Zhe’s breathing was deepening into the pattern of drowsiness. When the crown prince was kneeling outside, he presumably felt terrible as well. Giving a soft smile, Xiaoshunzi covered Jiang Zhe with a fur quilt and noiselessly cleaned up the scattered weiqi stones and books, then sat in a chair and began meditating. Perhaps he too was a little fatigued after dashing all this way.

Footnotes:

当涂, Dangtu – a county in modern-day southeastern Anhui Province豫章, Yuzhang – an ancient commandery and county that is now Nanchang, Jiangxi宜春, Yichun – formerly a commandery, nowadays a prefecture in northwestern Jiangxi庐陵, Luling – an ancient commandery that is now Ji’an, Jiangxi鄱阳, Poyang – Poyang County in Shangrao, Jiangxi临川, Linchuan – an ancient commandery and county that is now a district in Fuzhou, Jiangxi三司, San Si – more formally, the 三公 (San Gong – Three Ducal Ministers or Three Excellencies), they were the emperor’s closest advisors responsible for different areas of government, holding the three highest offices认贼作父, renzeizuofu – lit. acknowledge a thief as one’s father; fig. complete betrayal, sell out to the enemy焚琴煮鹤, fenqin-zhuhe – lit. burn zithers and cook cranes; fig. offense against culture, wantonly destroy something beautiful or valuable