Prince Ning’s Residence.

The guards at the gate looked at the people standing before them, unable to quite believe what they were hearing — for these people had the audacity to call themselves envoys of Dachu.

When entering the city, travelers naturally had to register their information at the gate post. If someone had truly entered Yuzhou under the title of an imperial envoy, word would have reached Prince Ning’s residence long ago.

So there were only two possibilities: either these people were impostors, or they had entered under a different identity.

If it was the latter — if they had only dared to reveal their true identities once inside the city — then the only explanation was that they had made the journey with extreme caution.

The gate guards dared not delay over something like this, and hurried inside to report.

About two quarters of an hour later, Hong Shirui and his party were already seated in the reception hall of Prince Ning’s residence.

However, Prince Ning Li Chi did not see them himself. The one speaking with them was the current Yuzhou military governor — Senior Official Yan Qingzhi.

After about two quarters of an hour of conversation, Hong Shirui and his party rose to take their leave. Yan Qingzhi invited them to stay for a meal, which was politely declined.

Hong Shirui said that he truly wasn’t yet prepared to sit and drink with them.

Yan Qingzhi said there was no need to apologize — offering wine was the host’s duty, and if the guest didn’t drink, the host had no right to compel them.

Yan Qingzhi invited them to lodge at the official guesthouse. This, they did not refuse. Having revealed their identities openly, it made no difference where they stayed — there was no longer any need to plan an escape route. With the Ning Army standing guard over the official guesthouse, they could rest more soundly than anywhere else.

Another two hours passed. Back at the trading house courtyard.

Yang You knelt on one knee before Prince Wu: “Your Highness, Prince Ning did not receive Grand Official Hong. They remained in Prince Ning’s residence for only two quarters of an hour before taking their leave.”

Prince Wu nodded. He had anticipated this — Prince Ning would not rush to receive envoys sent by the court.

And even without seeing them, Prince Ning, sharp as he was, would surely have guessed what purpose the court’s envoys served at this moment.

Since he could guess it, why bother with the back and forth?

“Who did you meet?”

Prince Wu asked.

“The Yuzhou military governor. Surnamed Yan.”

Prince Wu asked again: “What did you make of him?”

Yang You thought for a moment before answering: “His learning and bearing were… truly admirable.”

Prince Wu smiled slightly: “Do you know why every person you encounter in the Ning Army seems to carry that kind of bearing?”

Yang You pondered longer this time, then answered: “Because of confidence.”

Prince Wu made a sound of acknowledgment: “That you could see this much already puts you ahead of a great many senior officials at court, who to this day still believe that everyone on Prince Ning Li Chi’s side are just a rabble of mud-footed peasants — a contemptible, lowly class of inferiors.”

Yang You said: “After entering Prince Ning’s residence, every person I encountered carried a kind of bearing that I felt I should have found offensive — but simply could not.”

Prince Wu said: “What you call ‘should have found offensive but couldn’t’ — it is because in your daily lives you are accustomed to looking down on others. Now that you must meet people’s eyes as equals, you feel unsettled. Perhaps before long, you will find that you can no longer look at them as equals — but will have to look up.”

Yang You found himself at a loss for how to respond. When he had set out, the image of Prince Ning he had conjured in his mind was of someone reveling in petty triumph — and the image of Prince Ning’s officials had been the same: small people intoxicated by sudden success.

“Is it frightening?”

Prince Wu asked.

Yang You nodded: “It is. They… are actually able to look at us with complete indifference.”

Prince Wu said: “You see it clearly. I have always said that Li Xionghu is nothing to fear, and that Yang Xuanji is no great threat — precisely because both of them carry a certain smugness about them. But the people on Prince Ning Li Chi’s side look at us, look at them, look at anyone — with complete calm.”

He let out a slow breath: “If there were an opportunity, I would truly like to sit down face-to-face and have a conversation with Prince Ning Li Chi. I want to see for myself what kind of man he is — that he has influenced so many people… When I look upon this world, I see the full spectrum of humanity: half monsters lurking in the dark, half oxen and horses toiling in silence. To cut down the monsters and save the oxen and horses — to bring equality to all living things — this is their belief. It is the belief Prince Ning Li Chi has given them.”

Yang You grew uneasy: “Your Highness should leave Yuzhou as soon as possible. If something were to go wrong…”

Prince Wu made a sound of acknowledgment: “I know. Go back, and simply take good care of Grand Official Hong… In the court today, Hong Grand Official is one of the few truly upright officials left.”

—

The official guesthouse.

Someone delivered an invitation card to Hong Shirui. Without even opening it, he could already guess it would be an invitation from one of Prince Ning’s senior officials.

Prince Ning would not receive him so casually, but he would certainly arrange for senior officials to meet with him first — to give both sides the chance to take each other’s measure.

Yet he had no desire to go. He had to maintain the court’s posture.

He tossed the invitation card onto the table without another glance, and sat there lost in thought for a long time, considering how, as an envoy of Dachu, he would maintain what Prince Wu had charged him with when he finally faced Prince Ning — those four words: the court’s dignity.

After a long while, he glanced at the invitation card, picked it up idly, opened it — and after only two lines, his expression changed. He immediately told his attendants to prepare the carriage.

Shortly afterward, at the Songhe Tower.

Stepping down from the carriage, Hong Shirui immediately spotted the elderly gentleman standing at the entrance waiting for him. He quickened his pace at once, and while still some distance away, bowed in greeting: “Please forgive me, teacher — your student has arrived late.”

Academy Head Gao looked at the student before him, now already white at the temples, and felt a momentary trance come over him.

“You too… have grown so old.”

Hong Shirui approached Academy Head Gao, bowed deeply with great formality: “Teacher, it has been many years. Are you well?”

Academy Head Gao steadied him by the arm: “Quite well. Come inside, let’s talk.”

Before long, in a private room, Hong Shirui dismissed his attendants. When only two people remained in the room, he swept his robe aside and knelt: “I pay my respects to Teacher.”

In front of others, he would not kneel — because he was a high official of the court, and Academy Head Gao was his benefactor and teacher, yet Academy Head Gao was on the side of the rebel army. To kneel in public would disgrace the court.

Now, with no outsiders present, to kneel was to honor his teacher.

Academy Head Gao waited until he had finished bowing, then reached out and helped him up: “Come, sit and talk. How is your family? Is Tingxiu well?”

He was asking about Hong Shirui’s wife — and their marriage had come about with Academy Head Gao’s matchmaking.

So for Hong Shirui, Academy Head Gao was not merely a teacher and benefactor — he was also his matchmaker.

Thinking along those lines, Gao Xining must have inherited something — but not entirely, for she had never once succeeded.

“All well, all well.”

Hong Shirui’s eyes grew a little wet: “Teacher looks in fine spirits and good health.”

Academy Head Gao said: “When life is contented, the body follows.”

He looked at Hong Shirui — more than twenty years younger, yet already stooping.

“I hadn’t thought it would be you who came.”

Academy Head Gao sighed: “Before I left Daxing, you had already resigned and returned home. When I left the city, you didn’t come to see me off — I assumed you had likely already gone far away yourself.”

Hong Shirui said apologetically: “Your student had indeed already resigned from office at the time and didn’t know Teacher was leaving Daxing. The eunuch faction had taken control then — the court was a place of corruption and foul air. I could no longer serve.”

Academy Head Gao asked: “When did you return to office?”

Hong Shirui was silent for a moment, then answered honestly: “Just before coming here.”

Academy Head Gao heard those three words, and his expression became troubled, his heart heavy.

Just before coming… The emperor had again found himself a loyal official, a righteous official, and sent him to enemy ground to die for the cause?

When the right time came, no thought was given to using such a man. Only when someone needed to go to their death did the emperor think to call upon those upright, principled officials.

A heart like that was worse than a beast’s.

Now that Academy Head Gao no longer gave the so-called imperial authority of Dachu his unconditional reverence, all he could see was the cruelty of human nature.

“Tell me everything.”

Academy Head Gao said: “What stance does the court hold, what is the emperor’s intent — if I cannot reason with you here, then there is no need to see Prince Ning at all. I will arrange for someone to escort you all safely home.”

In front of Yan Qingzhi, Hong Shirui had said nothing — again, to preserve the court’s dignity.

But before Academy Head Gao, Hong Shirui could not remain silent. This was his old and honored teacher.

“His Majesty’s meaning is that… if Prince Ning is willing to send troops out to restrain the rebel Yang Xuanji — to press him so he does not dare attack the capital — His Majesty is willing to… is willing to divide the realm with Prince Ning. The lands north of the Red River, His Majesty will yield to Prince Ning.”

“Yield?”

Academy Head Gao looked at Hong Shirui: “How do you interpret this word, yield?”

Hong Shirui let out a sigh. What interpretation was there? The more one tried to explain, the more undignified it became.

Academy Head Gao said: “It sounds as though the emperor has made a monumental decision, and shown remarkable humility, in yielding to Prince Ning…”

He looked at Hong Shirui: “But I know the nature of what you speak of — and I know your own principles as well. So I will not urge you to submit to Prince Ning. But these words are truly laughable.”

Academy Head Gao said slowly: “The emperor no longer has the standing to yield anything. Prince Ning has no need to accept anyone’s terms.”

Hong Shirui smiled bitterly.

“Teacher, for your student to be willing to come at a time like this — Teacher should already understand what is in your student’s heart. So these words that Teacher finds laughable, I must still speak before Prince Ning with the utmost gravity and sincerity.”

He looked at Academy Head Gao: “Whatever duty a man ought to uphold — it was Teacher who taught me that. Has Teacher forgotten?”

Academy Head Gao shook his head: “I have not forgotten.”

He reached for the wine vessel. Hong Shirui immediately rose to pour for him, but Academy Head Gao refused: “You have come from afar — I ought to be hosting you. Sit down.”

He poured two cups, then raised his: “I drink to your sense of duty.”

Hong Shirui held the cup in both hands, eyes growing red: “Thank you, Teacher.”

Both men drank, then fell into silence.

After a long, long pause, Academy Head Gao asked: “How is the child doing now?”

Hong Shirui replied: “Farming at home. He should have been serving in office by now — I was the one who stopped him.”

Academy Head Gao said quietly: “Give me an address. When the time comes… I’ll look after him.”

Hong Shirui froze, then rose and stepped back two paces before kneeling once more: “Your student… is deeply grateful, Teacher.”

Academy Head Gao helped him up: “Think back to those days — it was even I who presided over your wedding. And in the blink of an eye, decades have passed…”

He patted Hong Shirui on the shoulder: “I am your teacher. I taught you that even a common man’s will cannot be taken from him. You are a principled official, a loyal servant — all the more reason your will cannot be taken. I will make the arrangements. Tomorrow, Prince Ning will see you — even if what you have to say is laughable.”

Hong Shirui finally could not hold it in: “But Teacher… you were once a subject of Chu.”

Academy Head Gao looked at him: “Then let it be three days before you see Prince Ning. These three days, go and walk around, look about you. Then you will understand… I was once a subject of Chu and held a position of great rank — and yet I have never felt, as I do now, a pride in being a traitor to Dachu.”

Academy Head Gao smiled: “Let’s eat. The dishes will go cold soon.”

Hong Shirui made a sound of acknowledgment, though inside him, it was like waves crashing over one another.

“When you were still in Daxing, did you ever imagine what tomorrow would look like?”

Academy Head Gao asked.

Hong Shirui answered honestly: “I never did. Tomorrow does not belong to your student.”

Academy Head Gao looked out the window: “I never imagined it either. Because I have seen it.”

—