When he returned to the room, the young woman behind the curtains had fallen asleep with her head tilted, her black satin hair spread out. Her slender white arm lay outside the blanket, revealing her poor sleeping posture.
Fortunately, she had put her inner garments back on… Cui Xingzhou couldn’t tell if he felt relieved or somewhat disappointed.
Mian Tang didn’t know he wasn’t her husband; he couldn’t just take advantage of her confusion.
Cui Xingzhou wasn’t adhering to gentlemanly principles, but rather to male pride. He wasn’t a street ruffian who needed to deceive women to sleep with them.
If he were to take advantage of her while she knew nothing, it would truly damage Cui Xingzhou’s pride.
Because Mian Tang was sensitive to cold, he sat by the bed for a while until his body warmed up before getting in.
When the young woman habitually leaned towards him in her sleep, her fragrance was still intoxicating. Cui Xingzhou took a deep breath, frowning as he closed his eyes… After a while, he couldn’t help but embrace her, and they slept intertwined…
Ancient health practices all have their origins.
Such self-torturing behavior of practicing martial arts and drinking cold water in the middle of the night was too much even for an iron constitution to bear.
The next morning, having slept poorly, Cui Xingzhou woke up feeling dizzy.
Mian Tang noticed her bedmate’s unusual state and reached out to touch him, feeling a burning temperature.
Despite being so ill, he still wanted to go out to meet some chess friends. Mian Tang pushed him back onto the bed, saying, “Even if the Emperor himself were looking for you today, you’d have to stay put in bed!”
She then placed a cool towel on his forehead.
Cui Xingzhou rarely fell ill. Now, with a high fever and aching joints, he felt lethargic and complied with the young woman’s wishes, lying down on the bed.
Seeing her husband finally obey, Mian Tang felt relieved. While tying up her hair, she called out the window for Mo Ru to find a doctor.
To the young servant Mo Ru, it didn’t seem right to call just any street doctor for Wang Ye’s illness. But if he were to summon the usual doctor from the Wang’s mansion, wouldn’t news of this “outside residence” reach the ears of Tai Fei and upset her?
Mo Ru, being resourceful, thought it over and decided to ask the Marquis of Zhennan to step in.
Recently, however, the Marquis of Zhennan had grown somewhat distant from the Prince of Huaiyang. Hearing that this fellow was ill on North Street, he suspected it was just an act to gain sympathy from his young wife, and inwardly cursed.
But after Mo Ru’s persuasive words, he finally changed clothes and set out with the medical box from the Marquis’s mansion.
When Zhao Quan used to come here before, he always felt the North Street residence was cold and uninviting. It was just a setup, essentially a base for luring people. He had pitied Liu Mian Tang then, imagining her eating dried radishes meal after meal, wondering how she could endure such hardship.
Since then, he hadn’t visited North Street for a long time, and even when he did, Mian Tang wouldn’t let anyone open the door for him.
Now, as he entered the courtyard, Zhao Quan was struck by the unmistakable scent of everyday life.
The first thing he saw was several washed men’s robes hanging alongside women’s undergarments on a nearby clothesline, fluttering in the wind and basking in the sun.
Under the eaves hung strings of chili peppers and dried persimmons. On a rattan rocking chair lay a kitten that looked like it had just been weaned, curled up into a small ball, warily watching Zhao Quan, the outsider.
For some reason, Zhao Quan felt that this place no longer had the perfunctory coldness of his previous visits. Instead, it looked like a place meant for a long-lasting life together…
When Mian Tang saw that Mo Ru had brought Zhao Quan, she quickly retreated to the small kitchen to help Nanny Li brew ginger soup for her husband. She left Zhao Quan in the room to examine Cui Xingzhou.
Zhao Quan roughly pulled up Cui Xingzhou’s sleeve to check his pulse. After a while, he said irritably, “Cuddling with a warm beauty every day, pretending to be a husband taking advantage of his wife, how did you end up with such internal heat and blood agitation?”
Cui Xingzhou ignored his friend’s sour words and simply closed his eyes, saying, “Is there a faster-acting prescription? Tomorrow, high-ranking officials from the court are coming to the camp, and I need to entertain them.”
Such a common cold was naturally no challenge for Zhao Quan. He skillfully wrote a prescription and then prepared to use acupuncture to release the excess heat.
While inserting the needles, Zhao Quan casually said, “Yesterday, relatives from the capital came to my house. They say the northwest is in chaos now. The barbarians have torn up the peace treaty from the previous emperor’s time and even killed Princess Jing’an, who was sent for a political marriage ten years ago, leaving her body in the wilderness. Our Great Yan’s face and reputation have been trampled underfoot. Court officials who advocated for peace now can’t leave their houses without being pelted with rotten eggs by the people. So, assignments like coming to inspect southern military camps have become desirable posts. Officials are eager to leave the capital to lie low! So this inspection is probably just a formality. You just need to entertain them with good food and wine.”
Cui Xingzhou was already aware of what Zhao Quan was saying. According to his spies in the capital, the actual situation at the border was even worse than what the common people knew.
The Great Yan army, pampered for many years, was no longer the fierce fighting force it had been during the previous emperor’s time. From top to bottom, they were embezzling military funds and skimming off the top. It was said that even the weapons weren’t made of pure iron anymore; they would crack when struck with force. The border had already lost five prefectures. The Golden Armor Pass they were desperately defending now was only holding out due to its natural terrain advantages.
Once the Golden Armor Pass was breached, Great Yan would be like an opened oyster, at the mercy of the barbarians to devour its flesh as they advanced…
Thinking of the still-living orphan of the Crown Prince, and the unpredictable Prince Sui, Cui Xingzhou felt that Great Yan was truly in a precarious situation, facing both internal and external troubles.
But the prosperity and splendor created during the previous emperor’s reign had blinded people’s eyes, like frogs being slowly boiled alive, unaware of the need to struggle.
Thinking of the former Consort Xi, now the high and mighty Empress Dowager Wu, still focused on dividing land and consolidating power, Cui Xingzhou couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh.
If the day of the city’s fall and the country’s demise were to come, he wondered what fate would befall the once-favored Consort Wu if she fell into the hands of the barbarians.
After Zhao Quan wrote the prescription and performed acupuncture, Cui Xingzhou’s headache was greatly relieved. Mian Tang had Fang Xie wrap some silver as payment for Zhao Quan’s house call.
Zhao Quan glared at the package of silver in his hand, angrily tossed it back to Fang Xie, and craned his neck to speak to Liu Mian Tang, who was hiding in the small kitchen: “His cold symptoms haven’t fully subsided. You should keep your distance to avoid catching it… If you’re ever wronged in the future, you can come find me. Although I’m friends with Cui Jiu, I’m not like him…”
Mian Tang hadn’t expected this doctor to speak so recklessly while her husband was still at home. She immediately became angry and went to grab the pot of boiling water from the stove. Nanny Li, quick-witted, snatched it away just in time, or else the pillar of the Marquis of Zhennan’s household would have been scalded bald.
After Zhao Quan left, Mian Tang was still flushed with anger. As she fed medicine to Cui Xingzhou, she said, “How can that man be like this? Is there something wrong with his brain?”
Cui Xingzhou smiled gently and said, “He’s just a spoiled only child. Just ignore him.”
Mian Tang glared at her husband for the first time: “Not only should I ignore him, but you shouldn’t associate with him either. What good can come from being friends with someone like that?”
Cui Xingzhou smiled slightly: “I don’t expect to learn anything from him. It’s just easy-going companionship.”
Mian Tang felt this was just an excuse her husband had made up. As she continued to feed him spoonfuls of medicine, she said, “There’s plenty to learn from him: how to be glib-tongued, how to flirt shamelessly with other men’s wives, and how to be so arrogant that you’ll eventually say the wrong thing and get beaten to death in the street…”
Cui Xingzhou frowned as he took another sip, and finally couldn’t help but say calmly, “Are you feeding me this medicine spoonful by spoonful because you’re upset with me?”
Mian Tang suddenly realized what she was doing and smelled the medicine, finding it indeed very bitter.
Cui Xingzhou snatched the bowl and drank the remaining medicine in one gulp. Strictly speaking, this young woman was no better than Zhao Quan. If she were a servant in Wang’s mansion, she would have been dragged away and beaten to death.
Seeing her husband drink all the medicine, Mian Tang frantically searched through her snack box, pulled out a few preserved fruits, and put them in her husband’s mouth. Then she said carefully, “I’ve forgotten how I used to help my husband take medicine before. Please don’t be angry. Next time you’re ill, I’ll know what to do…”
Cui Xingzhou pinched her nose: “You’re hoping I’ll fall ill again?”
Mian Tang snuggled coyly in his arms: “Not too seriously ill, just enough that you don’t have to go out and can stay home to keep me company…”
During this time, she hadn’t gone out much, unlike before when she was always busy with work and minding the shop. Suddenly having so much leisure time made her feel a bit uneasy.
Cui Xingzhou understood her boredom these days, so he hugged her and lowered his head to comfort her: “…Once I’ve taken care of my current affairs, I’ll take you out of town for a trip to lift your spirits…”
This North Street residence was too small. After some time, when he revealed the truth to Mian Tang, he sent her to the villa outside Zhen City.
That villa was built by his father for summer retreats. It was near the mountains, complete with pavilions and towers, and had many servants and maids. The villa also came with an estate that grew many fruits and vegetables.
She loved to manage things, so she would have plenty to keep her busy there, and the amenities would be no worse than those in Wang’s mansion. Most importantly, the villa wasn’t far from Wang’s mansion, so he could visit anytime and wouldn’t neglect her care…
Cui Xingzhou felt this arrangement was better than leaving her alone in Lingquan Town after their marriage, rarely visiting.
With this in mind, when Cui Xingzhou left the next day, he instructed Mo Ru to inform the steward of the Zhen City villa to install more floor heating in the main hall and master bedroom.
Mian Tang was sensitive to cold, so more floor heating would make her more comfortable.
When he returned to the military camp, he found that the special envoy from the capital had arrived early and was inspecting the camp, accompanied by several participating commanders.
Only when Cui Xingzhou met the person did he realize that the one who had come down this time was the younger brother of the former Consort Xi, now Empress Dowager Wu – the current Grand Commandant Wu Junqing.
When Cui Xingzhou saw that the visitor was none other than the Emperor’s brother-in-law, he suspected the visit wasn’t for pleasant reasons. However, compared to the aggressive imperial edicts demanding military cuts, the Imperial Envoy’s tone was surprisingly cordial this time.
He lavished praise on Prince Huaiyang for his strict military discipline and strategic command, calling him a pillar of the Great Yan Dynasty and an indispensable talent for the nation’s stability.
Cui Xingzhou listened with a smile, but inwardly felt uneasy, suspecting the envoy’s visit would lead to an unreasonable demand.
Sure enough, after three cups of wine at the banquet, the Imperial Envoy brought up the barbarian unrest at the border. He stated that the court had no capable generals to send. With years of constant warfare, experienced commanders were scarce, and Prince Huaiyang was unquestionably the best. If the prince would fight for the country this time, he would surely achieve immortal glory and be recorded in history for generations to come.
Cui Xingzhou hadn’t expected the court to have such intentions. Not only did they want to weaken the power of non-imperial princes, but they also wanted to use their troops on the frontlines. It was a fool’s dream.
However, Wu Junqing came fully prepared. The northwest was in crisis, and Jinjia Pass couldn’t hold out much longer. The court had sent three waves of reinforcements to reclaim the lost five prefectures, but those troops were useless, lured into a trap by the barbarians’ tactics and cut off from supplies.
In desperation, the Emperor adopted the strategy of the elderly minister Geng, deciding to send Cui Xingzhou, known for his success in suppressing bandits, to the frontlines. If he could help defend Jinjia Pass, it would alleviate the urgent crisis. Even if he couldn’t win, his troops would be greatly diminished, which was beneficial for the court either way.
But Cui Xingzhou wasn’t an ordinary military official; he was a hereditary prince. Asking him to leave his domain wasn’t a simple matter.
Wu Junqing, however, had made thorough arrangements during his journey through the Hui and Qing Provinces. The late Emperor, fearing the power of non-imperial princes, had stationed heavy troops around Zhen Province. If the prince remained loyal, all would be well. If not, he would be like a mouse in a wine jar, surrounded with no escape.
In fact, during the late Emperor’s reign, the number of troops non-imperial princes could maintain was strictly controlled. Cui Xingzhou had already exceeded the ancestral regulations by expanding his forces under the pretext of bandit suppression.
If he obediently went to the front lines, that would be fine. If he refused, such cowardice would be spread among the people, who would curse the prince for not protecting the country. Then the court would have justification to act. Qing and Hui Provinces had also given guarantees to make the prince’s life difficult.
So even though Cui Xingzhou didn’t respond, Wu Junqing wasn’t afraid of him refusing. He continued to smile while delivering veiled threats to the prince.
After the banquet dispersed that day, the prince didn’t go anywhere but walked along the river all night.
Zhen Province was now stable, and the completion of the Grand Canal was imminent, which would bring even more prosperity to the local towns. Every blade of grass and tree here was the result of two generations of the Cui family’s efforts. How could he bear to see the surrounding hundred li fall into a sea of fire?
But the court now treated him like a fattened pig ready for slaughter, eager to kill and carve him up. At the banquet, Wu Junqing’s words were full of veiled threats. If he could, Cui Xingzhou would have overturned the table and slaughtered the old traitor Wu Junqing right there.
But he knew his time hadn’t come yet. If he turned against the court now, both the late Crown Prince’s orphan in Yangshan and the Prince of Sui in Hui Province would step over his corpse to seize power. He would be attacked from both sides with no chance of victory.
Moreover, if he stayed in Zhen Province, he would inevitably be dragged into the rebellion plot between the Crown Prince’s orphan and the Prince of Sui.
If he informed the Wu family about the truth about the Yangshan rebels, he might be able to stay and be used by the Wu family to eliminate the Crown Prince’s orphan. But once Liu Yu’s identity was revealed, Cui Xingzhou would be labeled as an accomplice of the evil consort who harmed the former Crown Prince’s flesh and blood…
For a moment, Cui Xingzhou considered all possibilities and suddenly realized that leading troops to the northwest might not be the worst outcome.
Looking at the distant stars, he recalled his recent private conversation with his mentor, the Elder Statesman: “Chaotic times create heroes. Let’s see if you have the fortune and ability for it.”
Now the “chaotic times” were beginning to show, but how to demonstrate his ability… it all depended on his choice.
Wu Junqing had made it clear that the imperial edict appointing Cui Xingzhou to suppress the barbarians in the northwest would arrive soon. Now, Zhen Province was surrounded by turbulent forces, and it remained to be seen whether he would obediently accept the edict…
Cui Xingzhou stood motionless by the canal bank until dawn, when he finally made a fully considered decision.
Two days later, the imperial edict arrived at the Prince of Huaiyang’s mansion. The entire household knelt to receive it.
When the court envoy read out the edict appointing Cui Xingzhou as the Commander-in-Chief of the western expedition, the Dowager Princess was shocked to hear that her son would be heading to the northwestern battlefield. She nearly fainted and would have fallen if not for the support of her maid.
However, Cui Xingzhou remained calm and composed, graciously accepting the edict and expressing gratitude for the imperial favor. He then instructed Manager Gao to distribute red envelopes with reward money to the eunuchs, following all the proper protocols.
The eunuch who delivered the edict observed Cui Xingzhou’s reaction and nodded with satisfaction. Empress Dowager Wu had instructed that if the Prince of Huaiyang showed any sign of displeasure or refusal to accept the edict, they were to immediately report to the Huaidong Military Camp ten li outside Zhen Province.
In just one night, Zhen Province could have been surrounded!
By then, even if Cui Xingzhou wanted to accept the edict, he wouldn’t have the chance!
After the court envoys left, Dowager Princess Chu was crying inconsolably. Their princely household received news much faster than ordinary people. They knew how dire the situation was at Jinjia Pass. It was a bottomless pit devouring human flesh!
It was said that the fierce general Jiang Kang had recently died at Jinjia Pass. Initially, General Jiang had been successful, avoiding the loss of one prefecture thanks to his experience. But it turned out to be a trap set by the barbarians with a false surrender. Later, the barbarians ambushed his command post, dragging the sleeping general out of his tent. They hooked his stomach with a golden hook and dragged him around Jinjia Pass three times before he died.
The defending soldiers on the city walls witnessed it all – a trail of blood, a truly horrific death!
It was precisely because of General Jiang’s gruesome death that shocked the court and the people. Those with connections refused to go. But now, they were sending her son Xingzhou to repel the barbarians – wasn’t that a one-way trip?
Dowager Princess Chu had only this one son. He hadn’t even married to continue the family line. If he died on the battlefield, wouldn’t she be left all alone? The Dowager Princess wept uncontrollably.
However, Cui Xingzhou gently consoled her, saying that the situation wasn’t as terrible as she had heard.
The Dowager Princess wouldn’t listen to her son’s explanations and send for her sister, Lian Chu. She then poured out her sorrows to her sister: “Sister, we can’t delay any longer. Let’s quickly arrange the marriage between Siyan and Xingzhou. If Heaven is merciful, it will bless Siyan with a quick pregnancy to continue the Chu family line. Otherwise, if anything happens to Xingzhou… wouldn’t the Cui family’s direct bloodline be cut off?”
The Dowager Princess cried sincerely, and her sister Lian Chu listened with shock.
What kind of situation was this? Oh, the Cui family might continue their lineage, but wouldn’t her daughter end up a widow?
Lian Chu, being shrewd, didn’t show her true feelings. She merely comforted the Dowager Princess, telling her to think positively, but didn’t agree to the early marriage.
She then excused herself, claiming to feel unwell, and hurriedly returned home by carriage.
She told her husband Lian Hanshan, her son, and her daughter Lian Siyan about Prince Huaiyang’s impending journey to Jinjia Pass.
Lian Hanshan, who had recently returned from serving in the capital, had heard colleagues discuss this matter. They said the court had prepared to negotiate peace and pay tribute. But to avoid appearing weak by surrendering without a fight, which would be bad for public morale, they were sending a commander as a sacrificial offering, unlikely to return.
Upon hearing this, the Lian mother and daughter collapsed into their chairs.
Lian Siyan’s eyes reddened as she trembled, asking, “If that’s the case, why doesn’t cousin feign illness to avoid this assignment?”
Her elder brother Lian Xuan frowned and said, “With the nation in such urgent peril, how could the Prince of Huaiyang refuse an imperial order? Wouldn’t that tarnish his reputation for all time?”
Lian Chu looked at her son, who was as rigid as his father, and angrily scolded him: “There are no court censors here. Your display of loyalty won’t earn you any praise! Think of a way to help your sister instead. The Dowager Princess wants to arrange their marriage in the next few days. Your sister’s widowhood is imminent.”
Lian Hanshan was also concerned for his daughter but felt his wife was being a bit dramatic. He said, “Listen to yourself. You’re talking as if he’s certain to die in battle. If others heard this, wouldn’t they accuse you of being selfish?”
Lian Chu glared at him, “How many people have died at Jinjia Pass already? You’ve just returned from the capital, how can you not know? Now, when soldiers depart for Jinjia Pass, their families see them off in white mourning clothes, crying from the city gates to the crossroads ten li away. Is Cui Xingzhou some kind of three-headed, six-armed god? He’s only killed a few mountain bandits, and suddenly he’s proclaimed a great war hero! If Jinjia Pass falls, even if he manages to return alive, His Majesty will charge him with incompetence. By then, it won’t just be my daughter becoming a widow – your careers as father and son will be over too!”
This struck a chord with the Lian father and son. The family sat in silence, listening to Lian Chu’s endless elaboration on the gravity of the situation.
By nightfall, Lian Siyan finally spoke. Thinking about her cousin possibly dying in battle, her eyes were sore from crying. But the Dowager Princess’s wish for her to hastily marry into the prince’s household was truly inappropriate.
The Cui family had only one legitimate son, Cui Xingzhou. If she entered the family and couldn’t immediately conceive, and if something were to happen to her cousin, Dowager Princess Chu would surely choose a grandson from one of the concubines’ sons to adopt as the legitimate heir under her name, cutting off Siyan’s chance to remarry.
By then, she would still be in the prime of her youth but forced to remain a widow raising someone else’s child… What use would all that wealth and status be in such a life?