About twenty to thirty miles south of the capital lay Red Maple Mountain. The mountain was covered in red maples, and now in late autumn, the cold wind rustled through the leaves, creating a susurrating sound. It was the time just before dawn, and everything was shrouded in darkness.
Cui Liang moved swiftly along the south-bound official road. The cold mist had left a frosty white tinge on his brows, and his hot breath dissipated instantly in the chilly wind.
He looked back towards the north and muttered softly, “Your Excellency, your ambitions are too grand. I dare not get involved. This lowly life of Cui Liang only wishes to travel the world and experience jianghu. I won’t participate in your dangerous game anymore.”
He quietly called out “Xiao Ci” once more, sighed lightly, and finally turned back to continue his journey.
The north wind howled past his ears, carrying with it the faint sound of iron hooves. Cui Liang’s expression changed slightly. He took a deep breath and slipped into the maple forest by the roadside. Climbing a maple tree, he concealed himself in the darkness, peering through the branches at the road below.
The hoofbeats intensified, breaking the night’s silence. The familiar neigh of “Jade Flowered Dapple” grew closer, and Pei Yan’s light shout became audible. Cui Liang’s face darkened as he held his breath, barely daring to open his eyes to a slit.
“Jade Flowered Dapple” galloped past on the official road. Cui Liang relaxed slightly but still didn’t dare to move. He inwardly marveled at Pei Yan’s cunning, having correctly guessed that he would head south through Red Maple Mountain and give chase through the night. It seemed he would have to hide in the forest for a while.
Time ticked by slowly. Cui Liang lay on the branches, looking up at the cold moon and stars in the sky, feeling the chilly night breeze on his face. His mind flashed between his master’s earnest instructions on his deathbed, Pei Yan’s elegant smile, and Jiang Ci’s innocent grin. His emotions were complex and indescribable.
The sound of hooves returned. He turned his head and squinted. On the hazy night, Jade Flowered Dapple slowly passed by on the official road. The rider’s face was indistinct, but from the posture, he seemed dejected, lacking the urgency and anger from before, appearing disappointed.
Cui Liang watched the lone rider pass by the foot of the mountain and slowly disappear towards the capital. He felt lucky but remained cautious. After resting a while longer in the tree, he opened his eyes, estimating it was now dawn and that Pei Yan must have returned to the capital. Only then did he slide down from the tree.
He dusted off the tree debris from his clothes, looked once more towards the capital, paused silently for a moment, then shouldered his bag and headed south.
After traveling a few more miles, he reached Yao Wan. This was a three-way intersection with two main roads heading south. To the east of the intersection was a tributary of the Xiao River – the Willow Leaf River, which curved around Red Maple Mountain like a willow leaf, forming a bay, hence the name Yao Wan (Kiln Bay).
On the western peak at the intersection stood a pavilion called Departing Pavilion. Its exact age was unknown, but the plaque bore an inscription by the great scholar Gao Tang from the previous dynasty – “Capital-Viewing Pavilion.” The wooden pavilion stood on the peak like a solitary eagle poised to fly from a cliff, lofty and detached.
Cui Liang hesitated at the intersection for a moment before stepping towards the ferry dock. He knew that if he could hide there until dawn and find a boat to sail south, he could escape danger. But after just a few steps, his heart jolted, and he stopped, looking at the dark figure under a tree by the road.
Pei Yan slowly emerged from beneath the tree, his hands clasped behind his back. He smiled and said, “If Zi Ming wanted to leave, why didn’t you tell me directly? I could have prepared a farewell drink for you.”
Cui Liang’s eyes dimmed slightly. After a moment of silence, he said softly, “I apologize for making Your Excellency wait so long and for having someone else ride away on Jade Flowered Dapple.”
Pei Yan laughed, “Just to see Zi Ming once more, I would gladly give up a thousand Jade Flowered Dapples!”
He looked up at the Capital-Viewing Pavilion halfway up the mountain. “Why don’t we go up there to enjoy the view and the breeze? I have a few words I’d like to share with Zi Ming before you leave.”
“After you, Your Excellency,” Cui Liang stepped aside slightly, following behind Pei Yan as they ascended to the Capital-Viewing Pavilion.
Pei Yan stood in the pavilion, hands behind his back, gazing at the vast sky. His usually smiling face was now calm and expressionless.
Cui Liang stood beside him, looking out at the misty night, listening to the howling wind through the maples. He yearned to shake off all the dust of the world and merge into this clarity. Yet the man beside him was like a shackle that had bound his steps for two years. On this frosty night, he had pursued him again, finally causing his plans to fail and plunging him into a storm of troubles.
He sighed inwardly and said softly, “Your Excellency, my ambitions do not lie in the capital. Why do you go to such lengths to keep me here?”
Pei Yan turned to face Cui Liang directly: “Hasn’t Zi Ming also gone to great lengths, using Miss Jiang as a decoy to deceive me? If An Chen hadn’t been astute enough to notice something amiss when you went to Hong Xiao Pavilion and reported back after careful investigation, wouldn’t we have lost the chance to meet again?”
“How did Your Excellency know I would take the Red Maple Mountain route?”
“Zi Ming laid false trails. You’ve been surveying the terrain of Red Maple Mountain these past two days, intending to make me think you wouldn’t come this way if I discovered you had left. You even had the sedan chair from Hong Xiao Pavilion go southwest. An Chen was almost fooled by your ploy.”
Cui Liang gave a bitter laugh. “Your Excellency still sees through me.”
Pei Yan sighed, “Zi Ming, ah Zi Ming, why do you go to such lengths? My feelings for you are truly sincere. Over the years, I, Pei Yan, have recruited widely and treated talented individuals with respect. Among them are contemporary great scholars and renowned masters, yet none have received the care and attention I’ve given to you.”
Cui Liang couldn’t help but laugh coldly, “Your Excellency has indeed been attentive, having people watch me constantly for two years. But you’re only interested in me because I’m Master Yu’s disciple and can read the ‘Map of the World’s Geomancy.’ You want me to recreate that map so you can realize your ambitions, stirring up storms across the nine provinces and changing the course of the world!”
Pei Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, “Zi Ming indeed knows my heart well. But let me be honest with you – the one who wants to obtain the ‘Map of the World’s Geomancy’ and find the mineral deposits isn’t me, but my uncle.”
“The former Marquis Zhen Bei, Pei Zi Fang?!”
“Correct.” Pei Yan sighed, “Zi Ming, even if I wanted to obtain this map, why do you avoid it so desperately as if I were going to kill you to silence you?”
Cui Liang shook his head, “I’m not afraid of Your Excellency silencing me. It’s just that this map is of great significance. I dare not let it reappear in the world lightly, lest it harm the common people and ignite endless wars.”
Pei Yan was silent for a moment, then said, “It’s not as serious as Zi Ming makes it out to be.”
Cui Liang laughed coldly, “Your Excellency, let’s speak today, without the pretense and concealment of the past two years. May I ask, what use does the old Marquis Pei have for going to such lengths to obtain this map of the world’s geomancy? He’s a disgraced marquis exiled to Youzhou. Why would he seek a map of the empire’s terrain and the locations of Hua Dynasty’s mineral deposits, if not to serve Your Excellency’s future grand ambitions?”
He grew increasingly agitated, “Your Excellency, in times of war, whoever knows the terrain has the advantage. But now, the Hua Dynasty is politically stable with no wars. What use is this map? Moreover, the gold, silver, and copper mines are of great importance. The significance of gold and silver mines is obvious. You once managed the Ministry of Revenue, so you know best how copper affects the lives of common people. Opening copper mines and minting coins – if the circulation of copper coins becomes imbalanced, it will disrupt the flow of goods and currency, harming the people, endangering the treasury, and even military pay, ultimately threatening the foundations of the state. May I ask, Your Excellency, you or the old Marquis Pei might be able to use the convenience of minting to turn copper into silver or silver into copper coins, reaping enormous profits, but who ultimately suffers?”
Pei Yan spoke slowly, “Zi Ming, you underestimate me. Am I one to seek such petty gains?”
“Indeed, Your Excellency may not be after small profits, but grand ones—the entire world. However, I, Cui Liang, wish to prevent upheaval in the realm and spare the common people from suffering due to my actions,” Cui Liang’s speech quickened. “Take mining, for instance. Since ancient times, it has been strictly controlled by the court. Public mines use convicts, while private mining leads to silencing through murder. My master once told me, ‘One mine, ten thousand souls,’ ‘One pit, countless bones.’ How could I put pen to paper, knowing that each mine I mark on the map would lead to countless deaths?!”
Pei Yan remained silent. Cui Liang, calming slightly, sighed, “I only regret revealing my background to Your Excellency during our engaging conversation that day. For two years, I’ve been under your covert control, unable to leave the capital. Alas, what a waste of time!”
“So Zi Ming feigned interest in Miss Jiang to lower my guard and pretended to yield to my pressure, agreeing to draw the world’s geomantic map. Then, once I withdrew my surveillance, you planned to flee the capital under cover of night?”
Thinking of Jiang Ci, Cui Liang felt guilty and spoke softly, “It was a desperate measure. Your Excellency has watched me closely these two years, preventing me from leaving the capital. Seeing your plans nearing fruition and danger approaching, I had no choice. I only regret wronging Xiao Ci. My heart—”
The mist thickened, and a hint of gray-white appeared on the horizon.
The two fell silent, the world around them hushed save for the wind rustling through the maple forest. Pei Yan gazed at the distant, barely visible outline of the capital and finally spoke, “Zi Ming, you’ve been honest today, so I’ll be equally frank. You say you don’t want to see war, but during your time at Fang Shu’s, with your intelligence, you must have realized while organizing court memorials that the conflict between the Yueluo tribe and our dynasty is intensifying.
Their establishment as a nation is inevitable, and war is unavoidable. In a few years, when the dams on the upper Tongfeng River in Dingzhou are completed, we’ll seize the opportunity of Huan Kingdom’s famine to subjugate them. As for the Yue clan in the south, if His Majesty decides to abolish their feudal power, it will require at least 100,000 troops. These three wars in the next decade will shape the world’s future, beyond our power to prevent.”
Cui Liang sighed inwardly, also looking north. From this vantage point, the majestic capital appeared like a celestial chessboard in the faint dawn light. He smiled bitterly, “Your Excellency speaks the truth, which I cannot deny. But these are inevitable trends, not wars we deliberately instigate. We can only submit to fate and hope the conflicts don’t escalate, sparing the common people from too much suffering.”
“Wrong!” Pei Yan turned abruptly, his piercing gaze penetrating Cui Liang’s heart. “Let me ask you, Zi Ming, if our Hua Dynasty’s power were so great that all nations paid tribute and submitted if our armies could sweep across the world unimpeded if our righteous culture could subdue barbarians and unite all ethnicities, would these three wars be necessary?
“If our national strength were formidable and our military mighty, forget the Yueluo tribe—the Huan Kingdom would have submitted long ago. How could the Yue clan have manipulated the court for so many years, maneuvering between us and the Wuliu Kingdom?
“If our internal governance were exemplary and we promoted Confucianism, the Yueluo tribe wouldn’t have to humiliatingly offer singers and boys as tribute, their internal conflicts wouldn’t have escalated, the Xingyue Cult wouldn’t have rebelled, let alone concerns about Yueluo establishing a nation.
“If our Hua Dynasty could extend its virtue to all people, winning hearts across the four seas, and if the northern and southern ethnicities could coexist harmoniously, why would we need to station hundreds of thousands of troops on the northern border for centuries, depleting our national strength with minor skirmishes, appearing strong but internally weak, leading to ever-increasing taxes and growing burdens on the people?!”
Cui Liang listened silently, his expression growing increasingly complex.
Pei Yan stepped forward, pointing towards the distant capital, “It’s laughable that those within the city, including that supreme being, can’t see this point. Even if they do, they’re only concerned with protecting their vested interests and positions.
“His Majesty’s ascension to the throne was ambiguous. To protect his power, he’s played a game of balance and checks for years. He uses the Yue clan to check Prince Qingde, Prince Qingde to check the Gao clan, and further north, there’s Duke Bo, with the Huan Kingdom beyond him. And these factions? Each has its agenda, fighting endlessly. Has anyone considered that if imperial power were unified, military power concentrated in the emperor’s hands, how trivial would the Huan Kingdom be? Why would the Yueluo tribe’s minor ailment have persisted for so many years? How could the Yue clan have grown to such an unmanageable size?
“Zi Ming says he doesn’t want to see lives lost due to mining, but does he know that for years, those corrupt officials in the Ministry of Revenue have controlled copper mines nationwide, manipulating coin production? They alternately make copper more valuable than coins, then coins more valuable than copper, melting coins to sell back to the court, or skimming multiple layers when minting coins, reaping enormous profits. The various factions usually fight tooth and nail, but on this, they show rare tacit agreement, keeping it from His Majesty alone—though perhaps he knows and turns a blind eye to balance the factions. But who suffers? The millions of common people undermine the dynasty’s foundation.
“If the court had sufficient copper mines, controlled the supply of copper well, and there was no factional struggle, copper coin circulation would be smooth, silver and goods would be balanced, and people could live in peace and prosperity. What’s there to pity about the few convicted criminals who might die in mining?
“Zi Ming says he doesn’t want to see the world engulfed in war, but how can he be certain that my desire for this geomantic map of the world is definitely to ignite war?! If we could gain geographical advantages in subduing Yueluo, pacifying the Huan Kingdom, and abolishing the Yue clan’s power, ending wars earlier, reducing military casualties and civilian suffering, wouldn’t that be desirable? Creating a powerful army to deter potential rebels and reduce the likelihood of war, isn’t that worthwhile?
“As Zi Ming said, the world’s geomantic map can bring calamity and endanger lives, but it can also stabilize the world and benefit the people—it depends on how those who obtain it use it. Just like my Changfeng Cavalry of 100,000 men—you say it could stir up trouble across the nine provinces, but it could also quell chaos in the world. At the very least, it currently keeps Duke Bo’s 100,000 troops in check, preventing them from acting rashly, and pressures the Huan Kingdom’s iron cavalry from invading and plundering our lands!
“If Zi Ming sees me, Pei Yan, as one of those greedy and cruel individuals, naturally you would rather die than let me have this map. But if Zi Ming could understand the grand ambitions in my heart, you would know that this map in my hands would be a thousand, ten thousand times better than wasting away in Fang Shu’s secret chamber or falling into someone else’s hands!”
Dawn was breaking, but the mist grew thicker, enveloping the entire capital in the distance, making it hazy and ethereal.
In the sky, an unknown bird flew by, cutting through the heavy white mist, leaving a faint gray shadow before disappearing into the thick fog.
Cui Liang watched the bird disappear, listening to the sound of the maple waves, his emotions surging. Finally, he stepped back and bowed deeply, “Your Excellency’s ambitions are grand, encompassing the world. It is Cui Liang who has underestimated Your Excellency. I hope Your Excellency can forgive me!”
Pei Yan quickly stepped forward to raise Cui Liang, smiling, “Zi Ming, please don’t say such things. The fault is mine for never daring to voice these thoughts, let alone confide in you, leading to your misunderstanding.”
He released Cui Liang’s hand and sighed lightly, “It’s more my fault for being too cunning. Unable to honestly share my true thoughts with you, yet unwilling to let you go, I resorted to this low tactic of having you monitored, causing your misunderstanding to deepen and our differences to grow, resulting in tonight’s situation!”
Seeing Cui Liang lowering his head in silence, Pei Yan continued, “Zi Ming, these past two years, you must have seen me as cold-hearted and manipulative. But do you know, coldness and power-play are not my true nature.
“The official world is a battlefield, and the actual battlefield is a hair’s breadth from death. If I’m not ruthless, others will be ruthless to me. I’ve always faced life-or-death struggles. If my methods were even slightly ordinary, my schemes a bit shallower, I would have been devoured long ago, bones and all.
“Take this embassy case, for instance. Others see me as deeply scheming and cruel, but if I hadn’t solved it, war would have reignited, harming the people, and I would have lost my position as Chancellor. The court’s power would have been reshuffled, resulting in countless deaths and civilian suffering!
“Yet solving this case has brought trouble upon myself. His Majesty is now suspicious of me. Recently, troop movements have been frequent, aimed at me. Zi Ming, tell me, in such a situation, is it wrong for me to use some tactics and schemes to protect myself and realize my ambitions?!”
Seeing Pei Yan growing agitated, his handsome features tinged with desolation and hidden pain, Cui Liang sighed softly, “Your Excellency, sometimes the world’s situation is beyond one person’s control. Why not let it all go and live a different life?”
Pei Yan smiled bitterly and shook his head, “Can I let go? I fear the day I let go will be the day I perish!” He turned to Cui Liang, speaking sincerely, “Zi Ming, you think I coerced you just for that geomantic map of the world. You’re wrong! Your talent far exceeds what can be measured by a single map.
“Zi Ming, imagine that one day I could realize my ambitions and establish a unified, powerful nation. If you were to lead the Imperial Academy, you could help me promote Confucian orthodoxy, nurture talent, set an example for hundreds of generations, and establish a model for tens of thousands of years. If you were to lead the Ministry of Revenue, you could help me ensure the smooth circulation of silver and currency, securing people’s livelihoods. If you were to lead the Ministry of Works, you could help me improve water conservancy, manage floods, and bring peace to rivers and seas. We could even dig canals to divert water from our Hua Dynasty to the Huan Kingdom, benefiting their people and solving their centuries-old drought problem, truly allowing both countries to cease hostilities and cultivate friendship.
“Your abilities far exceed just creating this geomantic map of the world, and you’re more than just my strategist and companion. I want you to be a capable minister in governing the world, a great talent in stabilizing the nation! To join me, Pei Yan, in creating a unified empire and establishing immortal achievements!”
Cui Liang listened silently, a bitter smile on his lips, gazing long at the thick morning mist before him.
Pei Yan also fell silent, looking out at the vast plains and mountains shrouded in mist. The two stood quietly, their robes fluttering in the cold wind with a soft rustle.
As dawn brightened, faint human voices could be heard from the foot of the mountain. Cui Liang startled awake, shifting his slightly numb legs, and walked in front of Pei Yan, bowing deeply, “Your Excellency, after today’s heartfelt conversation, Cui Liang is truly ashamed. I should repay Your Excellency’s sincerity with my humble, useless self, but my master left a dying wish that I must not involve myself in court struggles or enter officialdom. Cui Liang dares not violate my master’s last command. I hope Your Excellency can understand my predicament.”
Pei Yan stepped back, disappointment visible on his face. He helped Cui Liang up, holding his right arm for a long while, finally sighing, “My words today are enough to condemn nine clans to death, yet they still can’t keep Zi Ming. Alas, it seems to be heaven’s will. Enough, enough. Since Zi Ming’s ambitions lie elsewhere, forcing you to stay would be pointless and only make me, Pei Yan, seem narrow-minded. Zi Ming, you may leave. Rest assured, I won’t have you followed again, nor will I coerce Miss Jiang because of you. I will provide the antidote for the poison she’s under.”