Xiao Cheng turned Yunyang Prefecture into his own stronghold. The officials of Yunyang, whether knowingly or unknowingly, were working for him. Some of these officials were remnants of the previous dynasty. Through decades of effort, they had integrated themselves into Dayong, allowing Xiao Cheng to operate more freely in Yunyang.
In this respect, Xiao Cheng’s methods were strikingly similar to those of Xie Subai.
Upon closer inspection, it was terrifying. Dayong was riddled with holes from within, and people’s loyalties were not aligned with the same master, despite them facing each other daily.
Xiao Cheng was clearly a smart man, smart enough that for many years, no one noticed his true nature. He hid himself under the most treacherous eunuch, Zhao Yong. Everyone could see Zhao Yong, but not him.
However, in the process of patching one thing by taking from another, he ultimately left himself vulnerable.
He used a cruel and ruthless war to cover up the cause of Huo Jue’s death, but this incident attracted the court’s investigative officials. He then used the wealth of the Qiao family to deceive everyone, yet this brought the relentless pursuit of Ji Yuluo seven or eight years later.
A plan that should have been seamless was interrupted midway.
This gave others an opportunity to exploit.
But if it weren’t for so many coincidences, if Xie Subai hadn’t been secretly plotting for so many years, and if Huo Xian hadn’t prearranged things in the Ning Prince’s mansion, according to Xiao Cheng’s original plan, this great Dayong, already weakened and battered by the treacherous eunuch Zhao Yong, could have been easily conquered by him.
Then there wouldn’t have been the opportunity for them to sit down and talk calmly as they were now.
The hall was deathly silent. Huo Xian and Xie Subai didn’t speak; they were contemplating a more severe issue. After the battle of the mountains, was this matter truly over?
The only one serving them was Ao Zhi, Xie Subai’s most steady maid, but even she trembled and spilled a couple of drops of tea while pouring.
Of course, it wasn’t over.
If so, it meant there was still a massive, hidden organization behind Xiao Cheng and Zhao Yong. The tens of thousands of soldiers lost outside Shunde Prefecture had indeed dealt them a heavy blow, but they could resurface at any time.
As long as the leader wasn’t dead, they remained a constant threat.
Huo Xian was determined to pursue this to the end, to cleanse and rid the root of Dayong of these parasites, at least ensuring they couldn’t cause trouble for decades to come.
But decades were a long time.
For Xie Subai, this was a thankless task. He didn’t care what future risks Dayong might face; he didn’t even care if Dayong would still exist after his time.
He lowered his eyes, a faint smirk playing at his lips. “You’re more diligent than the emperor, but unfortunately, you weren’t born into the royal family.”
Ignoring his sarcasm, Huo Xian replied, “If you can’t find Zhao Yong and Xiao Cheng, you won’t be able to give the court an explanation.”
Xie Subai wiped his tea-stained finger with a handkerchief. “Now that Zhao Yong has escaped from prison, who is the most suspicious?”
He slowly looked at Huo Xian, his gaze gentle but his tone playful, “Lord Huo, the Commander of the Jinyiwei, aren’t you my explanation?”
****
In October, Jiangnan was cold and damp. Looking out the window, one could see the thin mist enveloping the sky. The bamboo forest surrounding the area blocked out any bright sunlight, making it seem like it was perpetually dusk, the sky neither fully dark nor light.
This was a simple yet fully equipped bamboo house. Biwu was pounding medicine under the corridor outside, and Lou Panshun came over from the kitchen, holding a live centipede, which she threw into the medicine bowl. “Grind it up with the medicine; it’s good for nourishment.”
Biwu shuddered but then closed her eyes and pounded it as if she was used to it.
Lou Panshun called up to the roof, “Little girl, let’s go to the market.”
Chaolu’s injuries hadn’t fully healed, but she could now move around energetically. She looked down and said, “No, Miss will wake up soon.”
Lou Panshun grabbed a bamboo hat from the rack. “Not yet, it’s not time.”
They had traveled from the capital to Jiangnan half a month ago. Because of Ji Yuluo’s head injury, which hadn’t healed, they took the water route and traveled slowly, arriving at this lodging three days ago.
Lou Panshun secretly doubled the amount of calming medicine in Ji Yuluo’s prescriptions, so she woke up later and stayed awake for shorter periods.
Chaolu waited here and, as expected, waited another two hours.
Having lain down for too long, Ji Yuluo felt dizzy when she woke up. She blinked her eyes, and her surroundings gradually became clear.
For the past few days, her mind felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Although her body injuries were no longer serious, her head remained foggy. Lou Panshun said it was due to unabsorbed blood clots in her brain.
Speaking of Lou Panshun…
On the way south, Ji Yuluo had a hazy memory of waking and sleeping intermittently. She remembered that when she first opened her eyes, she was already on the boat.
She didn’t see Huo Xian when they set off, but Nanyue was there and briefly explained the situation to her.
He said that the Jinyiwei were currently weak and the Huo residence was not safe. Lou Panshun was worried about her safety, so he took her away to take care of her. Huo Xian was busy pursuing Zhao and Xiao and would arrive in Jiangnan soon.
Since Lou Panshun was also present, Ji Yuluo didn’t think much about it and believed them, then drifted in and out of sleep for several days.
In the gloomy winter days, she couldn’t tell the time when she woke up, only knowing it was daytime. Now, looking at the twilight sky, she gradually realized something was amiss. She was waking up later each time.
Biwu handed her the medicine, and Ji Yuluo listlessly took it.
She stirred the medicine with a spoon and asked, “Is there any news from Nanyue?”
Biwu lowered her head and shook it. “Old General Lou hasn’t mentioned it. He went to the market. I’ll ask him when he returns? But there’s no news from the capital, so I assume nothing has happened.”
Ji Yuluo responded with a hum and then said, “Get me some honey water.”
Biwu replied with an “alright” and went to get it.
Taking the opportunity, Ji Yuluo poured the medicine into a potted plant by the window. When Biwu returned, she ate the honey candy and closed her eyes for a nap.
Seeing that she looked well, Biwu quietly closed the door.
Not having drunk the medicine, Ji Yuluo didn’t fall asleep again.
She lay with her eyes open, faintly hearing the maids whispering outside the door. In the past half month, she had never been this clear-headed.
Supporting her sore and weak body, Ji Yuluo got out of bed and pushed open the window. The cool air rushed in, clearing her muddled thoughts.
These bamboo houses were built by Lou Panshun for himself. He rarely stayed with Xie Subai and did not involve himself in the affairs of Cui Xuelou, spending his days here planting flowers and tending to plants. Whenever Ji Yuluo had minor illnesses or injuries, she would often be taken here to recuperate, under the pretext that she needed peace and quiet for a faster recovery.
At first glance, her presence here seemed quite reasonable, especially with Nanyue’s claim that “the Huo residence is unsafe” as a premise.
But, how far was the capital from Jiangnan?
She was so severely injured; why would Lou Panshun go to the trouble of taking her so far from the capital? If it was just a matter of the Huo residence being unsafe, they could have easily found another house nearby. Was that really so difficult?
Moreover, with the Jinyiwei supposedly weakened, why would the task of capturing Zhao Xiao be entrusted to them?
Ji Yuluo lightly tapped the window twice and lowered her voice, “Chaolu.”
Almost instantly, a figure descended from above.
Chaolu exclaimed with delight, “Miss, you’re awake?”
But in the next moment, she restrained her smile, awkwardly saying, “I, I’ll go call Uncle Lou!”
“Come back,” Ji Yuluo stopped her. “Why do you need to find Master?”
Hesitantly, Chaolu turned back, pausing before she spoke, “I thought you might want to talk to Uncle Lou…”
Chaolu was straightforward and never good at hiding her feelings. Seeing her fidget like this, how could Ji Yuluo not understand?
Someone must have instructed her not to speak carelessly.
Fearing she might slip up, Chaolu didn’t even dare enter the room, spending all day on the roof. When Ji Yuluo occasionally woke up, she could only hear the rustling above but couldn’t see anyone.
Ji Yuluo got straight to the point, “Tell me, why did Master hurriedly take me away from the capital?”
Chaolu bit her lip, “To take care of you, Miss…”
Ji Yuluo asked, “Before we left the capital, where was Huo Xian?”
Chaolu shook her head, “I didn’t see him.”
From her expression, it was clear she truly hadn’t seen Huo Xian.
Ji Yuluo frowned and changed her question, “Before we left, was there anything unusual at the Huo residence?”
Chaolu paused, then quickly shook her head.
Ji Yuluo stared at her until Chaolu had to lower her head under the pressure.
She hung her head heavily, a look of grievance on her face. After a while, she confessed, “Just after we left, a group of soldiers arrived. They confiscated all the money and treasures, sealed the mansion, and took away the servants and concubines. It was Young Master Shen who sent a message in advance, allowing us to leave first… Later, Uncle Lou came…”
Ji Yuluo was stunned. Xie Subai…
She didn’t speak. Her hand on the windowsill clenched into a fist, and the pain in her not-yet-healed shoulder flared up.
Closing her eyes, Ji Yuluo felt a throbbing in her temples. After a moment, she said with little emotion, “Since there is no war in the capital, have someone bring Shen Lanxin back.”
That night, Lou Panshun’s horse, which was tied in the woods, disappeared.
Ji Yuluo and Chaolu headed north. Even with urgent travel, it would take five to six days. After two days and nights, the horses were exhausted and refused to go on. Ji Yuluo had no choice but to find a tea stand along the mountain road to rest and feed the horses.
The tea stand was filled with travelers discussing recent court events.
From Emperor Chenghe to Emperor Shun’an, and now to the current new emperor, it had only been ten years, spanning three reigns. The rapid changes in the court were astonishing.
Amidst the discussions, someone said, “Who knows where Zhao Yong has fled to? Will they ever catch him?”
Another replied, “It must be his godson who helped him escape. Otherwise, how could someone vanish from the heavily guarded prison of the Ministry of Justice without inside help?”
“Exactly, exactly…”
“But whether they catch that dead eunuch or not doesn’t matter much. The Zhenfu is already doomed, unable to stir up trouble! I traveled all the way from the south just to witness the execution.”
“Ah, I share your sentiments!” Another person laughed and then snorted coldly, “My family ran a small business in the capital, ruined by the Jinyiwei, forcing us to move! Now that the Jinyiwei are overthrown, isn’t it delightful?”
“Me too, me too, I feel the same way!”
…
…
The people around them raised their cups, cheering with tea instead of wine, their faces beaming with joy. It was as if they were not going to watch an execution but to attend a once-in-a-century grand celebration.
For them, it indeed was no less than a grand celebration.
Perhaps even more so.
As they continued north, passing numerous taverns and tea houses, they encountered similar scenes and conversations. The downfall of the Huo residence and the arrest of the Zhenfu were the hottest topics. Even commoners chimed in with remarks like, “Heaven has eyes!”
At the same time, the new emperor’s reputation spread far and wide.
Huo Xian and Xie Subai were like two extremes, one demoted to the sewers with snakes and rats, the other a bright moon in the sky.
Amid the noise, Ji Yuluo remained silent, walking and stopping intermittently. She roughly pieced together the current situation in the capital.
Zhao Yong had fled, but the court needed to explain this to the people.
You see, isn’t one Huo Xian enough to stabilize the people’s hearts?
Suddenly, Chaolu slammed her teacup down heavily.
With a loud “bang,” the dishes trembled, and the tea stand fell silent.
All eyes turned towards them. Someone was about to speak when they saw the little girl with braids slap her sword on the table, instantly swallowing their words.
Ji Yuluo, however, remained silent, staring at the tea leaves floating in her cup. Her calm expression was like the snow water of a high mountain, with a hint of coldness that required careful consideration to detect.
