The issues of virtue and obsession held no interest for Steward Cai; he only cared about people.
“One troublesome matter after another, each one claiming to be brave and martial.” He looked at the letters on the table. “Didn’t Xie Yanlai claim to be recuperating from his injuries? How dare he still issue orders? When the enemy threatened to use civilians as a human wall, he actually ordered the troops to retreat a hundred li and handed over an entire city. What kind of bravery and martial prowess is that?”
Xie Yanfang laughed. “Ah, now that’s what you’d call virtue—quite reminiscent of Duke Xiang of Song’s legacy.”
Duke Xiang of Song wasn’t exactly virtuous either. Steward Cai found it somewhat amusing, but thinking about the current situation wiped the smile from his face. “The Xie family doesn’t need his virtue.”
Having said this, he couldn’t help but pace back and forth.
“The war with Xi Liang has been settled. Although Zhong Changrong didn’t die, he lost an arm and can be sent to recuperate.”
“But now all those capable of competing for power and authority have left.”
He looked at the letters on the table and gave a cold laugh.
“For military merit, for glory—with Her Majesty the Empress present, when would it ever be their turn for military merit?”
Xie Yanfang smiled. “Being able to fight alongside the Empress is itself the greatest military merit.” He leaned against the armrest, hand propping up his chin, his gaze drifting leisurely toward the window. “I would very much like to go as well.”
“Young Master, you are already fighting alongside the Empress. If you weren’t in the capital, how could the Empress go to meet Xiao Xun in battle without any concerns?” Steward Cai said.
Xie Yanfang shook his head. “It’s not the same. Different distance, different feeling.”
What distance and feeling—was he actually taking this seriously? Steward Cai said helplessly, “Young Master, please don’t joke.”
Xie Yanfang smiled, gently pinching his forehead and sighing. “No matter how thoroughly one plans matters in this world, the outcome may not necessarily be as desired.”
Steward Cai also set aside his helplessness and returned to the previous topic, though a thought still flashed through his mind—the Young Master had become increasingly fond of joking these past two years.
“They truly believe themselves omnipotent and can act on their own authority.” He looked again at the pile of letters on the table. “They don’t consider that their current position is merely because someone lifted a hand and gave them a push.”
A hand raised can lift someone up; turned over, it can also strike them down.
Xie Yanfang sighed softly. “It’s understandable—even ants cling desperately to life.”
He smiled faintly, looking at the chess game on the table.
“People are still different from chess pieces, after all.”
Turning people into pieces like chess wasn’t easy.
This was the chess game of the human world.
“Enough, things are already as they are. Don’t dwell on it. Let’s talk about the matters at hand first.” He sat up straight, waved his hand to end the topic, and looked at the map hanging nearby. “Let’s help our Empress achieve victory soon.”
Steward Cai was somewhat displeased. “The Empress should suffer some setbacks; otherwise she’ll truly believe herself omnipotent.”
Xie Yanfang said with a smile, “The Empress doesn’t need to suffer setbacks. As the Empress, she must be omnipotent.” He pointed to the scattered and piled letters on the table, each bearing different markings. “Tell our friends over there that now is the time for them to repay me.”
Steward Cai acknowledged with a “yes,” then added, “The Young Master has done so much for the Empress, yet the Empress doesn’t even know.”
Whether influenced by Xie Yanfang or not, he suddenly felt like joking as well.
Xie Yanfang laughed heartily, the smile gleaming with soft light at the corners of his mouth.
“No, she doesn’t need to know,” he said.
Once all those unnecessary, branching, tangled people were eliminated, with only him remaining by her side, his will would be her will.
Just as the conversation reached this point, Du Qi pushed the door open and entered.
“Young Master,” he said in a low voice, “we’ve lost contact with Yu Shang.”
Steward Cai looked at Xie Yanfang. “Seems the border commandery is quite perilous.” He then asked Du Qi, “Is anyone inquiring about Yu Shang’s whereabouts?”
Du Qi glanced at the intelligence report in his hand, nodding then shaking his head. “There are inquiries from Yunzhong Commandery, but they’re from several of his regular clients. They say Yu Shang owes them some goods that haven’t been delivered and they can’t find him, so they went to the authorities to file a report.”
This was quite normal and didn’t seem problematic. Steward Cai looked at Xie Yanfang.
Xie Yanfang’s gaze remained on the map without moving. He made a sound of acknowledgment and said, “I see. No need to inquire further. Just take good care of his family.”
A person’s closest ties are with family. Severing contact with family erases traces of existence in this world. Steward Cai acknowledged with a “yes.”
Xie Yanfang picked up a letter from the table and walked out. “I’m going to the palace to see A’Yu.”
……
……
As Xie Yanfang approached, he heard the sound of commotion from afar before the hall.
In the warm sunlight of an early winter afternoon, a chair was set before the sleeping quarters, covered with felt cushions. Xiao Yu, dressed in dragon robes, sat upon it, hands resting on the armrests, face bearing a smile as he watched the excitement before the hall.
Two young eunuchs were grappling with each other. Their collars were disheveled, faces bearing injuries, yet despite this, they hadn’t stopped.
The palace attendants standing around also watched quietly.
“What’s happening here?” Xie Yanfang walked over and asked with a smile.
Xiao Yu smiled. “Uncle has arrived. We need an ink-grinding attendant for our study. Both of them want the position, so for fairness, we’re having them compete to determine the victor.”
Xie Yanfang nodded. “Excellent. Using one’s own ability to obtain what one seeks—this is very fair.”
A nearby attendant brought over a plate of pastries. “Your Majesty, the peach cakes you requested.”
Xiao Yu reached out and took one, gesturing to Xie Yanfang. “Uncle, try one. Freshly made, especially delicious.” He also had someone bring a seat for Xie Yanfang. “Who knows when they’ll finish fighting. Sit and wait.”
Xie Yanfang also took a piece of peach cake but declined the seat, saying with a smile, “The victor will be decided very soon.” He pointed for Xiao Yu. “That one is more formidable—”
As his words fell, one of the attendants grabbed the other and violently smashed his head against the ground. The attendant cried out, limbs trembling and struggling for a moment, then went still.
Blood spread across the bluestone pavement.
“I won, I won!” The remaining attendant, completely oblivious, shouted with joy.
Xiao Yu nodded. “You’ve won. From now on, our study is entrusted to you.”
The attendant was ecstatic, kowtowing repeatedly. “This servant thanks Your Majesty.”
His forehead was covered in blood—whether from being injured earlier or stained by the blood on the ground was unclear.
Xiao Yu swallowed the peach cake and stood up from the chair. “Clean this up.” With that, he walked inside.
The kowtowing attendant thanked the Emperor’s grace once more. As he tried to rise, his steps faltered, but he didn’t fall. Instead, three or four attendants surged forward to support him.
“Careful.” “Don’t move, we’ll help you.” “Tend to your wounds first.” “I’ll go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to summon someone for you.”
The attendant who had previously been ignored was now escorted away surrounded by people.
Other attendants dragged away the dead eunuch lying on the ground, then splashed water to wash away the bloodstains.
“Your Majesty,” Xie Yanfang followed Xiao Yu into the hall. “Don’t do this again in the future.”
Xiao Yu glanced back at him, expression somewhat uneasy. “Uncle, we did wrong.”
But there wasn’t a trace of unease in his eyes.
Xie Yanfang didn’t expose the child, smiling instead. “Your Majesty may do as he wishes, but don’t provide reasons—let them find the reasons themselves.”
The unease on Xiao Yu’s face dissipated, replaced by thoughtfulness. “We understand. We shouldn’t have made them compete; rather, they should have wanted to compete for us on their own.” He sighed at this point. “Yes, doing it this way really isn’t good—it would let people discover that we’re bored and amusing ourselves with others.”
Xie Yanfang asked, “Then what should Your Majesty do?”
“We observe, then reward the victor of the struggle. That would suffice,” Xiao Yu said. “This time the sequence was reversed.”
This child now showed no restraint in revealing the evil aspects of his nature before him. Xie Yanfang smiled without speaking.
Xiao Yu put the last bite of peach cake in his mouth and didn’t continue the topic. “Uncle, did you come today with news of Sister Chu?”
Xie Yanfang took out a letter. “It’s not exactly good news. Recently, Sister Chu hasn’t achieved any victories; instead, she’s lost two cities.”
A smile bloomed on Xiao Yu’s face as he reached out to receive the letter. “As long as there’s news of Sister Chu, it’s good news.”
However, he sighed softly again, eyes showing a trace of regret.
“In that case, Sister won’t be able to return to celebrate the New Year with us.”
……
……
When the cold wind blowing against one’s face felt like sand and dust striking painfully, the first snow of the third year of Xingping’s winter arrived.
Chu Zhao pulled up the hood that had been blown off by the wind and saw a contingent of troops galloping toward her in the distance.
Through the wind and snow, the first thing to enter her vision were the flying banners—among them the familiar border army banner, and another banner bearing the character “Liang” that was both familiar and strange.
Someone beside her coughed heavily.
“Your old acquaintance has arrived.”
Chu Zhao turned to look at Xie Yanlai beside her, wrapped tightly in a cloak with only his eyes visible.
“Our—” She smiled, correcting herself. “Old acquaintance.”