When Wei Zhao returned from Xiaojing River, it caused a stir in the imperial court. The subsequent arrest of Liu Ziyu, a Cabinet Official and Grand Scholar, along with his entire family, sent shockwaves through both the court and the common people.
Liu Ziyu hailed from a prestigious family in the western regions and was known for his integrity. Although his brother-in-law had once been a general under Bo Gong, he wasn’t part of Bo’s inner circle, having been assigned to the position through normal court procedures. After Bo Gong’s attempted coup, when the court arrested all the generals stationed in his army, Liu Ziyu remained unaffected. Wei Zhao’s accusation that Liu was a spy for Bo’s faction in the court caught everyone off guard.
However, after Liu Ziyu’s arrest, the Emperor didn’t order the Ministry of Justice to conduct a joint trial, nor did he implicate the entire Liu clan from the western regions, which left many people puzzled.
Wei Zhao’s injuries were severe, so the Emperor had him moved to the Yanhui Palace chambers where he usually resided, to personally oversee his care. After two days, of seeing the constant flow of imperial physicians and attendants disrupting the Emperor’s daily routines, Wei Zhao requested to recuperate at his residence. After careful consideration, the Emperor granted his request and ordered the Imperial Medical Academy to dispatch several chief physicians to the Wei residence.
Concerned that the Wei household might lack maidservants and that the young male servants might not provide adequate care, the Emperor offered to send some palace maids. Wei Zhao simply smiled, and seeing the tender, amorous look in his eyes, the Emperor smiled back and dropped the subject.
The Wei residence was renowned in the capital. Its back garden bordered Xiaoxiu Mountain, where a crystal-clear stream flowed through a peach orchard, bringing vibrant life to the trees. It was the height of peach blossom season, with petals fluttering everywhere, creating a scene reminiscent of a celestial realm.
Wei Zhao stood motionless in the morning light, eyes closed, listening to the stream flowing past him. When his inner Yuan Power returned to his dantian, he opened his eyes and glanced at Jiang Ci, who was loosening the soil and removing weeds around the peach trees with a flower hoe. He said flatly, “Boring.”
Without turning around, Jiang Ci replied, “Your peach orchard may be beautiful, but it’s neglected. If you want peaches, this won’t do.”
Wei Zhao smiled. “Why should it bear fruit? I only love watching the peach blossoms. They bloom brilliantly, then turn to mud. Why worry about peaches?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to have both blossoms to admire and peaches to eat? Your servants are too lazy, not even tending to the garden.”
“They dare not come here.”
“Why not?”
Wei Zhao’s lips curved into a slight smile as he said slowly, “Because, without my orders, anyone who enters this garden ends up buried beneath these peach trees.”
Jiang Ci let out a startled cry, jumping back a few steps, her face pale.
Wei Zhao stood with his hands behind his back, watching her frightened expression with amusement. “So you’d better behave and not leave this garden. Someone might mistake you for a vengeful spirit and exorcise you.”
Jiang Ci grew even more alarmed. After Old Lin had deposited her at the inn with her acupoints blocked, she had been secretly brought to this small wooden cabin in the peach garden half a day later. Besides Wei Zhao’s daily morning and evening visits, she saw no one else. Fortunately, every morning, someone pushed food and supplies through a small hole in the garden wall, allowing her to prepare her meals. Knowing Wei Zhao’s methods, she dared not act rashly, and the peach garden suited her temperament. She didn’t feel lonely, spending her days tending to the flowers and plants.
Hearing Wei Zhao’s words now, she felt a chill run through her body, and the garden suddenly seemed filled with a sinister aura.
Wei Zhao turned away, his white robes as pure as snow, his long hair floating in the breeze. He squinted at the peach blossoms filling the garden. Observing his expression, Jiang Ci suddenly understood. She picked up her hoe again and said with a smile, “Third Young Master is joking.”
“Oh?”
As she continued hoeing, Jiang Ci explained, “If the Third Young Master doesn’t allow others into this garden, it must be because he loves this peach orchard dearly. How could he possibly bury people underneath it?”
The morning breeze picked up, pressing Wei Zhao’s plain robe against his body. Seeing Jiang Ci dump a basket of soil and weeds into the stream, he frowned slightly. “What are you doing?”
Jiang Ci used some branches and mud to block off most of the small stream. The morning sun cast a soft glow on her. Finding her long skirt cumbersome, she hitched it up to her waist and removed her embroidered shoes. Standing in the stream, she placed a bamboo sieve at the opening she had created and smiled. “There are many small fish and shrimp in this stream. It’s too troublesome to catch them one by one, but this method is efficient. Wait a while, and when I lift it, the sieve will be full of fish and shrimp.”
After securing the bamboo sieve, she straightened up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She noticed Wei Zhao staring intently at her bare legs, causing her face to flush as she quickly lowered her skirt.
Wei Zhao snapped out of his daze and turned to leave, but the image of those fair, slender legs kept flashing before his eyes, making his steps unsteady.
Just as he was about to exit the peach orchard, Jiang Ci called out, “Third Young Master!”
Wei Zhao stopped but didn’t turn around.
Jiang Ci hesitated for a long moment, finding it difficult to speak. Seeing Wei Zhao about to leave again, she called out desperately, “Third Young Master!”
With his back still turned, Wei Zhao coldly said, “Speak.”
Jiang Ci said in a low voice, “Third Young Master, could you please send a maidservant to bring me some things?”
Wei Zhao replied impatiently, “Aren’t people already delivering things to you every day?”
Jiang Ci stammered, “It’s not those things. If you could send a maidservant, I could ask her for what I need.”
“There are no maidservants in my household, only young male servants.”
Jiang Ci didn’t believe him. “Third Young Master must be joking. How could the grand Wei residence not have a single maidservant?”
A faint blush crossed Wei Zhao’s snow-white face, but his eyes flashed with a fierce light. He slowly turned around to see Jiang Ci’s smiling lips, as alluring as the peach blossoms behind her, yet as heart-piercing as droplets of blood.
Seeing his alarming expression, Jiang Ci took two steps back. Wei Zhao said coldly, “What do you need? I’ll have someone deliver it through the doorhole.”
Jiang Ci’s cheeks turned crimson, but she had no choice but to explain. Lowering her head, she said in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz, “It’s… women’s things. The young male servants wouldn’t know about them. Only maidservants would understand.”
After a long silence from Wei Zhao, she looked up to find that the white-robed figure had vanished.
Wei Zhao stood motionless at the back garden gate for a long time. Yi Wu approached him, saying, “Third Young Master, Prince Zhuang has arrived.”
Wei Zhao walked a few steps, then turned to look at Yi Wu. “Little Five.”
“Yes?”
“You’re… not married, are you?” Wei Zhao asked hesitantly.
Yi Wu smiled, but the movement aggravated the sword wound in his side. Wincing, he said, “As Third Young Master knows, Little Five follows you and has no thoughts of marriage.”
“Then…” Wei Zhao said slowly, “Do you have a sweetheart?”
Confused, Yi Wu followed behind Wei Zhao and said with a smile, “I wouldn’t call her a sweetheart. I occasionally visit the ‘Red Sleeve Pavilion,’ where the—” Noticing Wei Zhao’s strange expression, he quickly swallowed the rest of his words.
Prince Zhuang was standing in the East Flower Hall when he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he saw Wei Zhao slowly entering with Yi Wu’s support. He quickly went to hold Wei Zhao’s hand but shuddered involuntarily. Forcing a smile, he said, “How did Third Brother get so badly injured? It pains one’s heart to see.”
Wei Zhao smiled faintly. Prince Zhuang continued, “Why did you come out? I could have gone in to see you.”
“I was uncomfortable lying in bed, so I came out for a walk,” Wei Zhao said, leaning against a chair as Yi Wu hurriedly placed a brocade cushion behind him.
The heavy, wide sandalwood chair, combined with the brocade cushion, framed Wei Zhao’s plain robe and dark hair, accentuating his snow-white complexion and giving him a delicate, ethereal beauty. Prince Zhuang found himself staring for a moment before averting his gaze with a smile. “When news came of your injury and fall into the river, I was so worried I couldn’t eat properly. Next time, please don’t take such risks.”
Wei Zhao spoke in a low voice, “There’s no other way. If we let Bo Yunshan cross the Xiaojing River, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Prince Zhuang nodded and sighed, “Bo’s rebellion has truly caught us off guard. Gao Cheng sent a secret report yesterday. His fifty thousand troops are now deployed west of Lou Mountain. Ning Jianyu’s forces at Lou Mountain can’t withstand Zhang Zhicheng and are retreating step by step. I fear Gao Cheng might have already engaged with Zhang Zhicheng by now.”
Wei Zhao calmly replied, “Gao Cheng hasn’t experienced any major battles. It’s good to let him gain some experience. If we keep coddling him, I’m afraid his noble family’s temperament will only grow stronger.”
“I just hope he’s smart enough not to clean up all of Ning Jianyu’s messes and preserve some strength,” Prince Zhuang leaned in and whispered, “Third Brother, is Liu Ziyu Bo’s man?”
Wei Zhao shifted his body slightly, glancing sideways at Prince Zhuang, “Why does Your Highness ask this?”
Prince Zhuang smiled, “Didn’t I see you vigorously recruiting Liu Ziyu recently? With Pei Yan seriously injured and in seclusion, you became anxious and started recruiting anyone you saw. If Liu Ziyu is truly Bo’s man, how will you be able to hold your head high?”
Wei Zhao frowned, “Prince Jing’s reputation for respecting and recruiting talented people is well-known. Even if he’s close to Liu Ziyu, His Majesty won’t fault him for that.”
“Yes, but why did Father delay for several days before issuing an edict this morning to have the Ministry of Justice thoroughly investigate Liu Ziyu’s case?” Prince Zhuang pondered.
Wei Zhao looked up, “His Majesty has ordered an investigation into Liu Ziyu?”
“Yes.” Before Prince Zhuang could elaborate, Wei Zhao said, “Your Highness, I need to enter the palace. Please excuse me.”
Yi Wu helped Wei Zhao into the carriage. Wei Zhao took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and swallowed a pill. Yi Wu, looking distressed, knelt and said, “Third Young Master, please take care of yourself.”
Wei Zhao gave a cold laugh but said nothing.
Seeing Wei Zhao’s pale complexion, wrapped in a wide-sleeved white robe and carried by sedan chair, Eunuch Tao hurried forward to greet him, “Lord Wei, His Majesty was just asking about your injury. Why aren’t you resting at home? Why have you come to the palace?”
Wei Zhao smiled, “Knowing His Majesty is concerned, I’ve already improved a lot. I’ve come to let His Majesty see for himself and ease his mind.”
The Emperor, having overheard their conversation from inside the chamber, called out, “Third Brother, come in quickly. Don’t catch a chill.”
Wei Zhao pushed away the eunuchs’ support and slowly walked into the chamber. The Emperor tossed aside the memorial he was holding and came over to feel Wei Zhao’s hand, frowning, “This time you’ve truly injured your Yuan Power.”
Wei Zhao said softly, “To be injured for Your Majesty, this subject is overjoyed.”
The Emperor was pleased to hear this and habitually moved to embrace him. Wei Zhao’s body stiffened, and he immediately shuddered, clasping his shoulders with both hands. The Emperor carefully felt his pulse and frowned, “It seems the Imperial Physician’s prescription isn’t working.”
“It’s not that the prescription isn’t effective. This subject was just a bit impatient and made a mistake while cultivating this morning,” Wei Zhao’s snow-white face flashed a tinge of red. The Emperor, knowing his breath was somewhat disordered, quickly grasped his hand, channeling true qi into his body. Only when Wei Zhao’s complexion improved did he release his hand.
Wei Zhao lay down on the dragon couch, burying himself in the yellow silk quilt, and muttered, “At this crucial moment, to suffer such an injury and be unable to share Your Majesty’s worries, this subject is incompetent.”
The Emperor shook his head, “You should focus on recovering first. I still have tasks to assign you.” He picked up a memorial from the table and smiled, “To find you, the people below have gone to great lengths. Ning Jianyu, not knowing you’ve returned to the capital, has sent a large number of people to search for you along the Xiaojing River. He says they’ve vaguely discovered your trail and have hurried to submit a memorial to ease my mind.”
Wei Zhao looked up and said coldly, “If they found me, Liu Ziyu’s people would have found me too. I might not have had the chance to return and see Your Majesty.”
The Emperor nodded, “Yes when Ning Jianyu submitted this memorial, he didn’t know you had already returned to the capital. I’ve already issued an edict ordering him to recall the search party and focus on guarding the Xiaojing River.” He continued, “Liu Ziyu has enjoyed a good reputation for many years and has many disciples. It’s quite thorny indeed.”
Wei Zhao said, “In this subject’s opinion, Liu Ziyu’s case shouldn’t implicate too many people. Bo has had dealings with many court officials over the years. If we implicate too many, I fear it will destabilize people’s hearts.”
“Seeing the unease among the people these past few days, I know we can’t implicate too many. Sigh, nothing is going smoothly. There’s a problem with the granary, Yue Jinglong has already fled back, and I fear the Yue clan’s rebellion is just a matter of days.”
Wei Zhao sighed softly, “Your Majesty must take care of your dragon body. These traitors can be dealt with slowly.”
The Emperor, while reviewing memorials, said, “Gao Cheng’s fifty thousand troops might not be enough. Ning Jianyu is struggling hard. Wang Lang’s troops haven’t arrived yet, and we can’t move the troops from the southwest. I can’t possibly send the few battalions from the capital region.”
“Naturally, those battalions need to protect Your Majesty’s safety,” Wei Zhao said slowly. “However, with the natural barriers of the Xiaojing River and Lou Mountain, we should be able to hold off Bo. The worry is that Huan might take advantage of the situation. If Ning Jianyu has to fight on two fronts, it could be quite troublesome.”
The Emperor was already worried about this and stopped writing, “If Ning Jianyu can guard the Xiaojing River, he won’t be able to look after Cheng Prefecture. And Young Lord Shao hasn’t recovered from his injuries—”
He felt quite vexed and threw down his brush, “You and Young Lord Shao, both indispensable, and both injured at such a time!”
Wei Zhao looked up at him, his expression seeming somewhat aggrieved and self-reproachful. The Emperor felt remorseful and changed the subject.
After finishing with the memorials, the Emperor saw that Wei Zhao had fallen into a deep sleep on the couch. He quietly left the inner chamber, gesturing to Eunuch Tao to keep quiet, and led everyone towards Hongtai Hall.
Wei Zhao woke up after sleeping for over two hours and left the chamber. An eunuch came forward and said softly, “His Majesty has gone to Hongtai Hall to discuss matters with the ministers. He said if Lord Wei wakes up, you should return home to rest.”
Wei Zhao gave a soft “Mm” and still sat on the sedan chair to leave the palace gates. Yi Wu came up to help him into the carriage. Wei Zhao took another pill and let out a long breath, saying coldly, “Let’s go back.”
Due to Bo’s rebellion, a curfew was imposed in the capital. As soon as night fell, the crowds in the East Market dispersed.
At the northern entrance of the East Market was a rouge and powder shop. Seeing today’s business was slow, the shopkeeper felt somewhat dejected, but knowing the country was in crisis, he could only glumly instruct the powder girl to put up the shutters. Just as the last shutter was about to close, a black shadow squeezed in.
The candlelight in the shop was dim, and the shopkeeper couldn’t see the person’s face. He only felt a cold air sweep in with him and saw that the person was tall and sturdy. His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, “Sir, our shop only sells women’s items. Are you perhaps—”
The man in black slapped something onto the counter. The shopkeeper’s eyes blurred, and after a while, he saw clearly that it was several silver ingots. He quickly put on a fawning smile and said, “Whatever you need, sir, just say the word.”
The man in black’s face was hidden behind a wide-brimmed hat with a blue veil. His voice was as cold as ice, “Everything a woman uses, whether you have it in stock or not, prepare it all for me.”
The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, pulling the silver into his arms and smiling, “Understood, sir. Please wait, I’ll prepare everything for you right away.”