Cui Xingzhou wished he could sleep more soundly, but every night as he lay alone on his military cot, just as he was about to drift off, he’d imagine the fragrance of orchids and a soft voice asking, “My lord, would you like some water?”
When he’d mumble “Yes” in his half-asleep state, he’d suddenly jolt awake, all traces of sleepiness vanishing.
Poor sleep led to a foul temper. As a result, the barbarian troops in the Northwest suffered greatly, hounded mercilessly by the almost possessed Prince of Huaiyang. The court frequently received reports of victories from the Northwest.
Suddenly, Prince Cui’s reputation soared among the common people. They hailed him as the Yue Fei of Great Yan, with the talent of Wei Qing! Both officials and commoners eagerly discussed the impending victory in the Northwest.
However, in the imperial palace, the thoughts of those in the highest positions differed greatly from those of ordinary people.
As the Vice Ministers of War reported on military affairs, Empress Dowager Wu reclined on her luxurious couch, smoking a pipe. This was a prized item from a vassal state. She filled the jade bottle with tobacco and packed it into an intricately carved ivory pipe. As a palace maid held the slender pipe for her, she took a light puff, as if the loneliness of her young widowhood dissipated with the rising smoke.
She had only discovered this comforting item among the tributes after the newly promoted General Shi told her about it.
With her phoenix eyes closed, exhaling smoke, she spoke softly, “When you initially proposed sending the Prince of Huaiyang to lead troops in the Northwest, you claimed it would kill two birds with one stone, eliminating the threat of an unrelated prince in Zhen Prefecture for His Majesty. But now look – Cui Xingzhou had only a few tens of thousands of troops in Zhen Prefecture, and now he commands over a hundred thousand! When he returns victorious, all the troops under your Ministry of War combined won’t match the prestige of this single unrelated prince! Instead of eliminating a source of concern for His Majesty, I’ve listened to you all and nurtured a great threat! General Shi, you dealt with the Prince of Huaiyang daily when you were in Qing Prefecture. Do you have any ideas to alleviate His Majesty’s worries?”
Shi Yikuan, known for his smooth manner, had risen quickly since coming to guard the capital. Now a Right Vice Minister of War, his sweet tongue and ability to please had quickly won him Empress Dowager Wu’s favor, with a promising future ahead. As a new favorite at court, he was well-connected, and even his son-in-law, a pardoned commoner, had become a darling of the capital…
Hearing the Empress Dowager’s question, Shi Yikuan quickly responded, “Your Highness is compassionate and wise, a woman whose capabilities rival any man’s. You’ve repeatedly steered the Great Yan through dangerous waters. Isn’t it due to Your Highness’s great fortune that the Prince of Huaiyang can resolve the situation in the Northwest?”
Empress Dowager Wu looked at General Shi, raising a delicate eyebrow. “Spare me your oily flattery, or I’ll send you to the Northwest to be neighbors with the Prince of Huaiyang again!”
Shi Yikuan hastily prostrated himself, saying, “Your servant meant that Your Highness’s benevolence and authority are far-reaching. Why worry that the princes won’t submit willingly? Everyone knows about the Prince of Huaiyang’s vow of celibacy before going to battle. Since he has no official wife, why doesn’t Your Highness choose a suitable princess for him? Once he becomes Your Highness’s son-in-law, he’ll surely submit to your sacred authority as readily as your servant does…”
Empress Dowager Wu narrowed her eyes. She had one son and one daughter; her daughter, Princess Wuhua, was now fifteen and of marriageable age.
However, not just anyone could become His Majesty’s brother-in-law. With only one daughter, she naturally wanted to choose carefully.
In the past, the Prince of Huaiyang would have been merely a local feudal prince, unworthy of becoming an imperial son-in-law. But now, with his strong army and the merit of pacifying the Northwest, it wasn’t so easy to reduce his power or control him.
To do so would invite comparisons to traitors like Qin Hui, earning the scorn of the people. If she couldn’t suppress him forcefully, perhaps she could win him over with kindness.
She remembered seeing Cui Xingzhou as a youth when he met the late emperor in the capital. She was a favored consort then and had seen him a few times at palace banquets – a handsome young man. Now that he was grown, his appearance likely hadn’t suffered… Would he be a suitable match for Wuhua? Would her daughter be willing?
Shi Yikuan’s suggestion was indeed a good remedy. Cui Xingzhou was a fierce tiger – if she could leash him and use him for her purposes, what part of the Great Yan’s realm would be beyond her control?
Empress Dowager Wu took another puff of her pipe without speaking, then waved her hand, dismissing everyone.
As Shi Yikuan left the palace, he initially planned to return to his office. Halfway there, someone suddenly tossed a note into his sedan chair.
Shi Yikuan frowned as he read it, initially intending to ignore it. But after some thought, he ordered his bearers to change course for a quiet teahouse in the city.
When he arrived with his servant, a waiting attendant led General Shi along winding corridors to the back of the teahouse.
There was a secluded small courtyard, landscaped in the previous dynasty’s style with rocks and sand, quite elegant.
Shi Yikuan lifted the bamboo curtain and entered a room, bowing respectfully to a figure seated at the tea table: “This humble official is late, making Prince Sui wait.”
Prince Sui, having completed his mourning period, had recently returned to secular life. With his hair tied up and beard trimmed, he looked rather handsome. He waved his sleeve dismissively, inviting Shi Yikuan to sit, and poured him a cup of tea. “Well? What did the old woman say?”
Shi Yikuan sat down without ceremony and said, “I mentioned it briefly, as you suggested, Your Highness. She seemed interested. But wouldn’t this be giving that Cui fellow more face? He’s already causing you so much trouble, extorting like a bandit. If he becomes the imperial son-in-law… won’t he become even more unrestrained?”
Prince Sui chuckled. “General Shi, do you think everyone is as gentle and considerate towards women as your son-in-law? Don’t you know Cui Xingzhou’s horrible temper? And how spoiled the old witch’s daughter is? If they marry, it’ll be quite a spectacle. Do you think the Prince of Huaiyang will be grateful to the Empress Dowager?”
Shi Yikuan gave a thumbs up in admiration. “Your Highness is truly brilliant. You kill without drawing blood! But… what about the iron mine issue in the Northwest? Is it settled?”
Prince Sui drained his teacup, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Those who needed to die are mostly dead. Cui Xingzhou got what he wanted, so he has no reason to expose my involvement. However, if I don’t repay him somehow, wouldn’t that be underestimating him?”
Shi Yikuan poured tea for Prince Sui, saying, “Your Highness has lofty ambitions. Someone like Cui Xingzhou is merely an irritating gadfly, not worth Your Highness’s concern.”
Prince Sui looked at Shi Yikuan with amusement. “Such a sweet tongue is truly worth more than a thousand troops. I see that while Cui Xingzhou sheds blood and sweat on the front, you, General Shi, fare much better with your flattery in the capital… Now that you’ve attached yourself to the Empress Dowager, I suppose you no longer value your old master… It’s quite an effort for me to even see you these days…”
Shi Yikuan hastily replied, “Your Highness overthinks. How could I be so ungrateful as to forget Your Highness’s patronage?”
Prince Sui smiled slightly, revealing a row of white teeth. “General Shi, we’re in the same boat now. I’m not worried about you betraying me… After all, you might become the Emperor’s father-in-law in the future. I’ll need your support then.”
Shi Yikuan’s heart skipped a beat as he looked warily at Prince Sui, hesitating before saying, “Your Highness… you’re drinking tea, not wine. How can you speak so recklessly?”
Prince Sui feigned surprise, widening his eyes at Shi Yikuan. “What? Your son-in-law hasn’t told you the truth about his real identity?”
Shi Yikuan, uncertain, asked, “What identity should he have?”
Prince Sui waved him closer, whispering in his ear for a moment.
Shi Yikuan’s eyes gradually widened, and his teeth began to chatter. He stammered, “You… you’ve known his identity all along? Then why did you let me marry my daughter to him?”
Prince Sui’s smile faded, his eyes turning cold. “Such a good opportunity, of course, I had to save it for my people. What’s wrong, General Shi? Don’t you think this is a good thing? Fortune favors the bold. Look at how the Wu family thrives as imperial in-laws. If your son-in-law succeeds, it’ll be the Shi family’s turn to shine!”
Shi Yikuan’s eyes were nearly bursting with blood vessels. However, as a seasoned official, even such a shock couldn’t completely throw him off balance.
As his emotions settled, Shi Yikuan realized that Prince Sui, having elevated him to his current position, would naturally want to keep a tight leash on him. The prince’s arrangement of the amnesty affair from the shadows had been a trap all along.
However, Prince Sui was right about one thing: “Fortune favors the bold! If Zi Yu’s identity is really… for him, Shi Yikuan, it all depends on how he uses this information…”
He had indeed been neglecting Prince Sui lately, so it was no wonder the prince chose to give him this thunderbolt just as he was riding high.
Therefore, Shi Yikuan knelt and backed up a few steps, saying respectfully to Prince Sui, “This lowly one was raised by Your Highness’s hand. I am Your Highness’s loyal servant. Whatever glory or riches I have are all bestowed by Your Highness.”
Prince Sui smiled, feeling that he had indeed shown foresight in cultivating such a flexible talent.
Small men often lack loyalty, and he feared this General Shi might serve multiple masters in the future. However, for now, the leash was in his hands, and he doubted Shi Yikuan would dare to betray him.
As for that Cui Xingzhou… if there came a day when he could hold the leash of that mad dog, using the Prince of Huaiyang at will, how satisfying would that be?
As Prince Sui contemplated controlling the mad dog Prince of Huaiyang, the man himself was whipping a sandbag under the scorching sun.
His iron fists, wrapped only in simple cloth strips, rained down on the swaying sandbag like raindrops. Sand leaked steadily from a torn spot.
Cui Xingzhou shook his head, his muscular shoulders and back glistening with sweat. He wiped the sweat from his brow and ordered a nearby soldier, “Go, bring another one!”
Mo Ru stood by with a towel and water bottle, carefully attending to his lord. Seeing the prince pause, he cautiously approached and said, “Your Highness, this is the fourth sandbag you’ve destroyed in three days. Perhaps… you’d like to rest a bit?”
Cui Xingzhou took the water bottle, drank from it, and then asked casually, “Any news from Wuning Pass?”
Mo Ru, unsure of his lord’s mood, cautiously stretched his neck and asked, “Your Highness… what kind of news should there be?”
The prince shot him a fierce glare, then wordlessly resumed beating the newly hung sandbag.
Feeling his master’s displeasure, Mo Ru felt dejected. There wasn’t any news from Wuning Pass, was there?
However, his master kept sending him back to the compound at Wuning Pass to fetch various items of clothing, never all at once. One day he’d remember a jacket, the next day an undergarment, always having Mo Ru run back and forth.
So Mo Ru was quite familiar with the situation in that small courtyard: Recently, Miss Liu hadn’t even been going to the pharmacy. She spent her days accompanying her uncle as he walked around the courtyard, exercising his injured leg. The rest of the time, she was either in the small kitchen learning to make nourishing soups from Mama Li or in her room practicing calligraphy for hours…
In Mo Ru’s eyes, his master had always been calm, self-possessed, and mature beyond his years – a wise prince. But ever since he became involved with Miss Liu, the prince had gradually started to deviate from his usual behavior.
Mo Ru dared only think to himself that his master now resembled a love-struck youth, trying to maintain his pride while being tormented day and night by thoughts of a girl, his moods swinging wildly. He wouldn’t dare say this aloud, and could only stand respectfully by, watching the prince destroy one sandbag after another.
At noon, a guard from Wuning Pass hurried to report: “Your Highness, Miss Liu and her party left at dawn yesterday… Mama Li found a box of deeds and banknotes Miss Liu left behind while cleaning today. She wasn’t sure how to handle it, so she sent me to ask for your instructions…”
Cui Xingzhou, who had been eating, slowly put down his chopsticks and raised his head, grinding his teeth as he asked, “Gone? When did they leave? Why wasn’t I informed until after they left?”
Terrified by the Prince of Huaiyang’s expression, the guard fell to his knees, carefully reminding him, “Your Highness, don’t you remember? The last time you visited Wuning Pass, you ordered that once Mr. Lu had recovered, they were free to go. We were to escort them to Xi Prefecture without troubling you… So we didn’t dare disturb you yesterday.”
The last time? Cui Xingzhou had left in anger and couldn’t remember what he’d told the guards.
Learning that Mian Tang had left the night before, he immediately stood up, rushing out of the tent and mounting his horse to ride straight to Wuning Pass.
Arriving at the familiar courtyard, Cui Xingzhou dismounted and burst in. But there was no longer a smiling face to greet him, saying, “Husband, you’re back! Are you hungry? Dinner will be ready soon…”
Mama Li saw the prince rush into the house, and then slowly emerge. She approached, offering him the box of deeds and a letter.
Cui Xingzhou ignored the box, slowly taking the letter. Unfolding it, he saw the handwriting was passably elegant – the style he had taught her.
“This humble woman doesn’t know if Your Highness will find time to read this in your busy schedule, but I presume to write these parting words. Reflecting on the past year, thanks to Your Highness’s protection, Mian Tang survived a life-threatening ordeal and can now fulfill her filial duty to her grandfather. I will never forget this life-saving kindness and will seek to repay Your Highness one day. As for other matters, they were fate’s cruel joke. I harbor no resentment. I return all deeds and banknotes. I sincerely wish Your Highness good health and a swift, victorious return.”
Though the letter was short, Cui Xingzhou read it word by word for a long time. He searched the few characters for any hint of reluctance to part, or even anger at their separation…
But she said she had no resentment. Did that also mean no love?
These past days, he had been waiting for her to calm down, remember their previous sweetness, and change her mind.
He never expected her to leave without a word. Cui Xingzhou had always been certain of Mian Tang’s love. But this woman, who had sworn to follow him in life and death, left more decisively than any other woman, leaving no room for reconciliation!
Mama Li, being older, understood the prince’s thoughts from his expression.
Liu Mian Tang was so beautiful and had wholeheartedly treated the prince as her husband. How could a man not develop feelings after spending time with such a beautiful woman?
But that charming girl had a strong will!
In Mama Li’s view, Miss Liu was capable and resilient like a weed, able to thrive anywhere.
But if she entered the prince’s household, she might not fare well. It would be fine before the official wife arrived, but after?
Mama Li couldn’t imagine Miss Liu bowing and scraping, smiling, and calling someone else “Madam.”
Though Mama Li had been a servant in the prince’s household all her life, she was the unquestioned matriarch in her own home. If she had to be a servant at home too, she’d never have a moment’s peace.
If Miss Liu became jealous, with her cunning and skill, even the vicious concubines from the old prince’s time might not be enough for her to play with. The prince’s household would never know peace.
But these were women’s concerns. One couldn’t expect a man in a high position to understand. Although Mama Li felt for Mian Tang, her primary consideration was still from the prince’s perspective. Miss Liu might be fine as a mistress, but if she entered the household officially, she would cause upheaval and unrest…
So it was better that Miss Liu had left. With her beauty and abilities, she’d surely find someone who truly cherished her. As for the prince, he was a man destined for great things. Even if he had developed some romantic notions while bored in the Northwest, it wouldn’t last long. After some time passed, they’d both forget.
As Mama Li was thinking this, the prince had already mounted his horse and left.
Mama Li initially thought he was going to chase after Miss Liu and was about to remind him that they had left early yesterday and couldn’t be caught up easily.
Unexpectedly, the Prince of Huaiyang turned his horse towards Jin Jia Pass.
Mama Li sighed in relief, then sighed again. Looking at the now-empty courtyard, the old woman’s heart was heavy.
Meanwhile, the Lu family caravan, which had set out yesterday, reached the Jin Tuo River after a day and night of travel. Once they crossed the river, they wouldn’t be far from the interior.
As they prepared to board the ferry, Mian Tang slowly descended from the carriage. She turned to Fan Hu, the head of their escort, and said, “Captain Fan, you can turn back here. The iron mine case is closed, and all the officials my uncle knew are dead, leaving no witnesses. Prince Sui has no reason to pursue my uncle anymore. Once we cross the river, the official roads will be bustling, and nothing unexpected should happen.”
Fan Hu, his face tense, respectfully offered a sword to Mian Tang and said honestly, “Miss Liu, His Highness ordered me to ensure you and your party reach the Lu family in Xi Prefecture safely. If I return halfway, His Highness will have my head. If you find us bothersome and want to send us away, or if you’re planning to lose us, it would be better to use this sword to cut off my head now. Dying before you, His Highness might show mercy to my family, considering my loyalty.”
Fan Hu spoke with utmost seriousness, even stretching his neck to help Mian Tang find the right spot between the bones, to avoid damaging the blade.
Mian Tang asked Fan Hu seriously about his monthly salary. When he answered honestly, she nodded, “It’s not a small amount, but not worth exchanging for your life. You’re too dedicated!”
Fan Hu informed Miss Liu that it wasn’t about money, but about honor and a man’s dignity. During their journey to the Northwest, his dignity had been left behind on the wooden cart. This escort mission back was his last chance to regain his manly pride.
Hearing this, Mian Tang abandoned her idea of losing them, realizing that Fan Hu seemed ready to slit his own throat at a moment’s notice.
Mian Tang had now reverted to her girlish attire, her hair unbound from its previous style and simply braided, with loose strands tied back with a blue cloth. She wore ordinary cotton clothes.
It was the attire of a common girl, but with Fan Hu and his men following closely, the caravan would be too conspicuous. Mian Tang negotiated with Fan Hu, suggesting that since they claimed to be covert guards, they should remain hidden, separating from the Lu family caravan and not traveling on the same road.
Once she returned to Xi Prefecture and Fan Hu had sufficiently regained his pride, he could quietly return. This way, they wouldn’t interfere with each other.
Mian Tang had her reasons for this request.
Previously, when they all traveled together and Bi Cao prepared meals, she inevitably had to cook for these guards too. They were big eaters, always asking for seconds…
Mian Tang felt that with her current finances, she couldn’t afford to feed them.
She hadn’t accepted any of the shop deeds or banknotes from the Prince of Huaiyang, otherwise she would have been like his kept woman.
But preserving her pride meant that both she and her uncle were now somewhat strapped for cash.
When her uncle had fled his pursuers, he hadn’t brought much money, and the men from Shen Wei Escort Agency needed to eat too. So before leaving, Mian Tang had shamelessly used up all the rice and flour in the small courtyard, steaming several large pots of buns to take with them.
She still had the banknotes from her dowry that she had kept on her person when she was rescued. But she didn’t want to use them for travel expenses yet, so she economized wherever possible.
Once they got rid of these high-salaried prince’s guards, their travel funds and dry rations would be just enough to last until Xi Prefecture.
However, Fan Hu didn’t realize that Miss Liu’s request was because she found them too expensive to feed.
He knew she had broken ties with the prince and assumed that she found his presence and that of his men irritating. So Captain Fan immediately agreed, and within moments, the twenty-odd guards vanished without a trace.
Lu Xian also felt more at ease without these guards following closely. He said to his niece, “At this pace, we’ll reach Xi Prefecture in less than half a month. Won’t your grandfather be overjoyed to see you return?”
But Mian Tang didn’t want to return so soon. She had important matters to attend to.