After they finished laughing, both of them fell silent for a moment, looking at each other with solemn and calm expressions.
The wind rustled the treetops, and the leaves of the phoenix trees rustled for a while. Frogs croaked by the pond. In the midst of this eye contact, Huo Xian rubbed his ring and said slowly, “It can’t be said to be smooth, nor can it be said to be unsmooth. While you were in Cuixue Tower, how much did he tell you about the court situation?”
Ji Yuluo lowered her eyes. Before coming to the capital this time, she didn’t even know Xie Subai’s identity. He had never revealed anything about the court.
But she had investigated what needed to be investigated. She said, “The court is roughly divided into three factions. One faction is led by Zhao Yong, who is aligned with the Jinyiwei; another is led by Xu He and other cabinet ministers, known as the Clean Stream, who aim to eradicate corruption and are more willing to support the emperor; the remaining faction is like Xiao Cheng in the past, standing on neither side, maintaining their independence.”
Huo Xian nodded. “That’s right. Although it’s called political struggle, it’s essentially a tug-of-war between the Jinyiwei faction and the Grand Tutor’s faction. But the Jinyiwei have remained undefeated all these years because Zhao Yong has too many cards up his sleeve, not just empty talk.”
Ji Yuluo said, “You mean military power, the Forbidden Army?”
She had learned that Zhao Yong had risen to power when Emperor Xianzhen ascended the throne. He had been serving in the Eastern Palace since Emperor Xianzhen was still the crown prince and had gained the emperor’s deep trust.
Back then, when Emperor Xianzhen ascended the throne, he also went through a period of turmoil. During the early stages of the power transition, there were few people he could use, so he heavily relied on eunuchs to monitor the harem and the court. As Emperor Xianzhen tasted the benefits, he gave more and more power to the eunuchs. In several battles, eunuchs were sent to supervise the army. As a result, the eunuchs could directly influence military affairs, not just court politics.
Zhao Yong developed his influence during this critical period.
Huo Xian tapped his index finger lightly on the stone table twice. “Indeed, Emperor Xianzhen became increasingly suspicious in his middle age and distrusted the courtiers, relying more on so-called pure ministers like Zhao Yong. He handed over the important military defense of the capital to the Eastern Depot. It was only in his later years that he realized his mistake and gradually stripped the Eastern Depot of its powers, returning them to the original Wen family.”
Ji Yuluo continued, “Wen, the empress of Emperor Xianzhen?”
She hadn’t been idle. Huo Xian smiled, got up, and sat on the stone table, plucking a small white flower from a branch nearby and placing it in her hair. His gaze lingered on her frosted flower hairpin for a moment. “Yes, the capital’s defense at that time was in the hands of the empress’s nephew.”
This was also a mistake made by Emperor Xianzhen.
Early on, to prevent the empress’s family from interfering in politics, he had suppressed them heavily. Later, he returned the stripped powers unchanged. Would the Wen family be grateful?
Of course not. The Wen family only harbored deeper resentment, which allowed Zhao Yong to seize the opportunity. Even now, although the Wen family had changed heads several times, they were still colluding with Zhao Yong.
Ji Yuluo slightly tilted her head and squinted, saying, “The capital’s defense is no small matter, especially now. You can’t touch him.”
If anyone else moved, it would be a problem. But now, with the Prince of Xingnan threatening to attack the capital, it was already a time of panic. If the Forbidden Army had any accidents, it would be adding fuel to the fire.
But they couldn’t just leave it alone and let it become Zhao Yong’s weapon.
Ji Yuluo was calm; she knew Huo Xian must have a plan.
Because there was a subtle smile at the corner of his eyes, like a wolf baring its teeth at its prey.
He said, “I cannot move the capital garrison, but who said the capital garrison has to be him?”
After a moment, he added, “But there’s one thing I still need your help with.”
Ji Yuluo looked at him, and at this moment, she realized more clearly that Huo Xian had come prepared. Today’s purge of the Zhao faction was not because Xie Subai had forced him into a corner, but something he had been planning for a long time.
During those endless years, it wasn’t only Xie Subai who had been plotting; Huo Xian had his strategies too.
But she didn’t know what kind of escape route he had prepared for himself within his plans.
As she was deep in thought, a rumbling stomach broke the silence of the night.
Ji Yuluo’s concentration was interrupted, and she glanced at Huo Xian’s stomach. “You haven’t eaten?”
Huo Xian’s expression changed slightly, pretending to be nonchalant as he said, “Wasn’t I waiting for you? Who knew you’d be out enjoying yourself and not come home at night?”
Ji Yuluo was suddenly taken aback.
While talking earlier, she had been pressing a peanut under her fingernail, and now she finally crushed it. Her fingernail jabbed into her flesh, causing a sensation that was neither painful nor itchy, just slightly tingly.
She rubbed her fingertip, glanced around, and indeed saw Chaolu holding some fresh fruits at the corner of the corridor, about to get up. Huo Xian stopped her: “Forget it, those few bites won’t fill me up.”
With that, he walked straight towards the kitchen.
Ji Yuluo hesitated for a moment, then followed.
The bamboo grove was lush and green, partially concealing the low, black-tiled houses. When she pushed open the door, the stove was clean, and all the kitchen utensils were in place.
This was the back kitchen, a place Ji Yuluo rarely visited. Chaolu and Biwu, however, often hid here to experiment with new recipes.
She watched as Huo Xian deftly boiled water, picked up a cutting board and knife, grabbed some vegetables from a basket, chopped them up, and skillfully pulled out some noodles from somewhere. He raised an eyebrow at her: “Want a bowl?”
“Not hungry.”
Ji Yuluo had no appetite at the moment. She just stood by, watching, gradually relaxing as she leaned against the edge of the stove with her arms crossed.
She wasn’t surprised that Huo Xian could cook. Someone like him, who had climbed his way up through the ranks of the Jinyiwei, should be capable of almost anything. Moreover, given the dangers around him, every morsel he ate had to be meticulously tested for poison. It stood to reason that he would prefer to handle it himself when necessary.
People who are overly suspicious have this kind of tendency. Ji Yuluo was no exception, but her cooking skills were quite lacking, and she always kept a respectful distance from the kitchen.
Before long, Huo Xian set a bowl and chopsticks for himself.
He seemed genuinely famished, standing in the kitchen and diving into his meal.
Though he was wolfing down his food, his eating manner was surprisingly refined, almost enjoyable to watch.
The sound of his swallowing, combined with the aroma of the noodle soup, even made Ji Yuluo feel a pang of hunger.
Halfway through his meal, Huo Xian noticed Ji Yuluo’s gaze, so he paused and picked up some noodles with his chopsticks, offering them to her.
Ji Yuluo hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and actually opened her mouth to accept the food. Huo Xian, a bit surprised, raised his eyebrows slightly.
Seeing her swallow and her expression relax, he offered her another bite.
While eating, Ji Yuluo remembered something and said, “One of the concubines in the West Courtyard, named Ye Linlang, came to see me a few days ago and mentioned Sheng Lanxin. Do you have many like her in your manor?”
Huo Xian grunted in response, drank some soup, and said, “Ignore them. They’re all insignificant people.”
He took another sip of soup and handed the bowl to Ji Yuluo. She took it without hesitation and picked at the vegetables inside, asking, “What about Sheng Lanxin?”
Huo Xian replied, “You don’t need to be wary of her.”
After a pause, he added, “Her original surname isn’t Sheng. Have you heard of the Shen family from Pingbo Manor?”
–
In the hour of Si (9–11 a.m.), “Court dismissed—”
The eunuch’s shrill voice echoed in the Hall of Supreme Harmony. The ministers bowed and retreated. Emperor Shun’an, slumped in his dragon throne, wiped his forehead and leaned back, exhausted but relieved that the court session was finally over.
A sharp-eyed minister glanced back, shaking his head, “The Emperor still…”
Can’t be helped.
The Marquis of Xuanping, accustomed to this, smiled and said, “These days, it’s good enough that he can sit through morning court. We’ll take it step by step.”
The minister sighed again.
Huo Xian walked straight down the steps, the Marquis of Xuanping’s gaze flickering over him before looking away. His mood plummeted, and after bidding farewell to his colleagues at the palace gate, he boarded his carriage.
His legs had developed a chronic ailment. He used to be able to ride his horse to court, but now it hurt if he walked for too long.
The carriage traveled for a long time, passing through noisy streets before the clamor gradually faded. The Marquis of Xuanping frowned slightly and lifted the curtain. Something was off…
He opened the carriage door, “Where are we going?”
The young servant driving the carriage didn’t look back. The Marquis of Xuanping sensed something amiss and shouted, “How dare you! Who are you to deceive me?”
As a former military general, he drew his sword as he spoke. The young servant calmly replied, “My lord, please don’t be angry. My master has important matters to discuss with you, and had no choice but to resort to this method.”
The Marquis of Xuanping’s question, “Who is your master?” got stuck in his throat because he noticed the emblem on the servant’s waist.
It was the Jinyiwei.
It was Huo Xian.
Yet, he had just watched Huo Xian walk past him moments ago.
The carriage wound its way through several turns before arriving at a secluded, shabby residence.
Nanyue was already waiting outside. He reached out to help the Marquis of Xuanping down from the carriage, but the Marquis brushed his hand away. Nanyue, accustomed to this, kept a respectful smile on his face and said, “Marquis, our master is waiting for you inside.”
The Marquis of Xuanping flicked his sleeve and snorted, “What exactly are you scheming? Now you dare to hijack my carriage? Are you under secret orders to take my life? Doesn’t the Northern Zhenfu Office always act openly and honestly?”
Nanyue bowed his head and pushed open the door, repeatedly saying he wouldn’t dare.
Tsk, that temper. Who would believe his master didn’t learn it from him?
Entering the main hall, Nanyue hurriedly quickened his pace and ran up the steps, “Master, the Marquis is here!”
Huo Xian, with his back turned, turned his head at the sound, meeting the Marquis of Xuanping face to face.
Both were still in their court robes, making the cramped hall feel even more awkward.
Conscious of his role as host, Huo Xian invited the Marquis to sit and ordered tea to be served, “Marquis, don’t take offense. Let me finish what I have to say.”
The Marquis of Xuanping detested his way of using strong-arm tactics while pretending to be polite. He sneered, “How dare I refuse a summons from the Zhenfu Office? Since I’m here, why not get straight to the point, Lord Huo?”
In recent years, they had never spoken kindly to each other.
No, in fact, they never had, from the beginning.
As a child, Huo Xian was unruly, and the Marquis was very strict with him. Later, when Huo Xian joined the eunuch faction, even the fragile bond of father and son was severed.
Their mutual attacks in court, with the apparent intent to destroy each other, initially left the ministers in fear but eventually became routine.
Barbed comments and veiled insults were their norm, and any conversation would inevitably end in discord.
Huo Xian smiled, “Very well, I won’t beat around the bush.”
He looked at the Marquis, his expression slightly serious, and said, “The current capital garrison commander Wen Hui has a brother, Wen Bin, in your army. Unlike his brother, Wen Bin has some integrity. I want him to replace his brother in commanding the imperial guards. I ask you to persuade him.”
The Marquis of Xuanping’s expression froze momentarily.
He had never expected such a request, and it left him momentarily stunned, “What… what scheme are you up to now?”
“You know, there have been many conflicts between the Jinyiwei and the imperial guards. While Wen Hui and I appear to have some superficial camaraderie, we haven’t gotten along for a long time. But Zhao Yong supports him. Is it so hard to understand why I want to replace him? But soldiers recognize their commanders. Replacing him with an outsider might cause unrest and disrupt the city defenses. Wen Bin, however, is different. He is from the Wen family. This matter would be like a pie falling from the sky for you. Marquis, you dislike the Zhao faction as much as I do, so let’s not pretend otherwise. Give me a clear answer.”
“You—”
The Marquis of Xuanping took a deep breath, “You said Wen Bin has integrity and despises the ways of the imperial guards, which is why he joined my command. How do you know my persuasion will work?”
“It will work. Wen Hui was always wary of Wen Bin splitting his power and targeted him at every turn. Their brotherly relationship plummeted, and when Wen Bin was at his lowest, you took him in and gave him a place to stand. He has always followed your words.”
The Marquis of Xuanping was startled.
Wen Bin was usually very low-key. Despite being from the Wen family and having a brother who commanded the capital garrison, he never mentioned it. The military camp was different from the court, and someone who never appeared in court—how did Huo Xian notice him and know these details?
What the Marquis didn’t know was that it was Huo Xian who had sown discord between the two brothers, leveraging his superficial camaraderie with Wen Hui. This led to Wen Bin being marginalized within the Wen family. Huo Xian had then intentionally guided Wen Bin to the Marquis’s mansion, creating the current situation.
A situation and a contingency plan.
The Marquis of Xuanping fell silent.
Indeed, this outcome was tempting.
For him, it was a beneficial, risk-free proposition.
He asked, “But replacing Wen Hui would also harm Zhao Yong. How does that benefit you?”
Huo Xian sneered, “How doesn’t Zhao Yong’s downfall benefit me?”
The Marquis immediately understood and found it reasonable.
Nothing Huo Xian did surprised him anymore. This rebellious son, born to him, had never been willing to be second to anyone, so how could he now be content with being overshadowed by the Eastern Depot?
He was like an ambitious wolf.
The kind that devours people without spitting out their bones.
The Marquis tilted his head, pondering, “It might be easy for Wen Bin to compete for the position, but why would Wen Hui willingly give it up?”
Huo Xian replied slowly, “You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll make him willing.”
