After he returned to Su Manor, Mei Changsu immediately retreated to rest, because he knew he would not have a whole night"s sleep this evening.
Sure enough, just after the third watch of the night, Fei Liu flitted to the side of his bed and said, “Knocking.” He got up quickly and tidied his appearance, and then coaxed Fei Liu to remain outside while he hurried into the tunnel.
Prince Jing sat in his usual spot in the hidden chamber, his head lowered in deep thought. He only raised it when he heard Mei Changsu"s footsteps, and his expression was calm, although there was a conflicted look in his eyes.
“Your Highness,” Mei Changsu bowed slightly. “You"ve come.”
“It seems that you have antic.i.p.ated my coming.” Prince Jing raised a hand and gestured for him to sit. “Mister Su"s performance in the sky prisons today was marvelous indeed. Even a person such as Xie Yu can be held completely at your mercy, like a toy in the palm of your hand. Your qilin prodigy"s reputation was not in vain.”
“Your Highness is too kind.” Mei Changsu continued, “But it is also rea.s.suring to me that the truth has been forced out of Xie Yu. I was worried at first that Xia Jiang also harboured intentions to protect the Crown Prince, because he would be a difficult opponent, given his position as the Head of Xuanjing Bureau. But now we can be sure that he has no such intentions or biases in the fight for the throne, and there is already internal conflict between him and Xia Dong, so we will not have to spend further time or energy worrying about this person in the future.”
Prince Jing did not speak, but continued to gaze at him solemnly for so long that Mei Changsu felt a little uneasy.
“What is it, Your Highness?”
“How can you only think about this?” A flash of rage pa.s.sed across Xiao Jingyan"s gaze. “Are you not shocked by the truth Xie Yu revealed today?”
Mei Changsu thought for a moment, then said slowly, “Is Your Highness referring to old affair of Nie Feng"s murder? Many years have pa.s.sed and the situation in the court has changed drastically, so there will be no meaning to pursuing this case further. Besides, Xia Jiang is not our enemy, and a wise man would not take up arms against a powerful enemy for a meaningless cause.”
“A wise man?” Prince Jing laughed coldly. “Did you know Nie Feng was the cause of the treason case against the Chiyan Army all those years ago? And now even this source of everything was false, so who can know what kinds of dark secrets are hidden within the folds of this great case that shook the nation, and what kind of injustice was dealt to Eldest Brother and the Lin family? And you……you think this is just some old affair?”
Mei Changsu met Prince Jing"s gaze and said plainly, “Your Highness is not just discovering today that Prince Qi and the Lin family were wronged, are you? If I remember correctly, I think you have insisted all along that they never rebelled against the crown?”
“I…” Prince Jing faltered slightly at his questioning. “I used to believe in Eldest Brother and Commander Lin because of what I know of their persons, but today….”
“Today, Your Highness discovered this thread of truth, and many things that you could not understand in the past are now becoming clear, is that right?” Mei Changsu"s expression was still calm. “Then, what does Your Highness wish to do about it?”
“To investigate, of course, until the whole conspiracy of how they framed Eldest Brother and Commander Lin is revealed!”
“And then?”
“And then…and then….” Prince Jing suddenly discovered that he could not continue, and finally, he understood Mei Changsu"s meaning. His face paled, and his breathing quickened.
“And then, will you bring the evidence you have uncovered before the Emperor and ask him to turn over this treason case, starting a new trial and sentencing all those found guilty in the process?” Mei Changsu pushed on coldly, “Does Your Highness truly believe that Xia Jiang, Xie Yu, even the Empress and Consort Yue along with their sons – that these people alone were enough to murder the talented and righteous eldest son of the Emperor, and to uproot and overturn the house of an ill.u.s.trious and mighty commander general?”
Prince Jing"s shoulders fell, his expression dejected as his fingers dug so hard into the desk that they threatened to leave impressions in the wood. His voice was low when he answered, “I understand your meaning……but why? Why? Even if the power Eldest Brother possessed at the time were enough to threaten the throne, and he and Father Emperor had numerous disagreements on the way the court was run, he was virtuous and kind by nature, and never so much as harboured the slightest dream of rebellion, so how could Father Emperor"s suspicions of him have grown to such a state……they were still father and son, after all….”
“The number of emperors throughout history who have killed their own sons is surely not worth counting, is it?” Mei Changsu took a deep breath, reminding himself to control his own emotions. “And this thin skin of our Emperor"s is nothing new. It is my belief that he was suspicious and jealous, but given Prince Qi"s influence at the time, he did not dare restrict his power lightly. Xia Jiang saw this, and with his loyalty to the Emperor, how could he not take it upon himself to ease his lord"s worries?”
“You mean Father really believed it?” Prince Jing"s expression was pained. “He believed that Eldest Brother was rebelling, and the Chiyan Army was commiting treason?”
“With the Emperor"s highly suspicious nature, he probably did believe it at the beginning, which is why he dealt with them so harshly.” At this point, Mei Changsu was silent for a moment. “And from how desperately Xia Jiang is trying to silence Xie Yu now, the Emperor at least did not know the truth of Nie Feng"s death, which was the start of everything.”
Prince Jing gazed into the light of the oil lamp on the desk, shaking his head as he sighed, “No matter what else, if it were not for the suspicions already in Father Emperor"s heart, these kinds of false rumors could be dealt with by bringing the suspects back to the capital for investigation, why would we have to resort to…… It is only a shame I was not in the country at the time….”
“It was great fortune that Your Highness was not in the country, or you could not have avoided calamity by a.s.sociation.” Mei Changsu"s expression was indifferent. “Although this case was initiated by Xia Jiang, it was handled in the end by the Emperor, so it will not be easy for Your Highness to overturn it. Your Highness would do better to take this advice: let it go, and refrain from further investigation.”
Prince Jing stood and paced around the room. When he finally stopped, his face had cleared and resumed some semblance of calm. “Mister"s advice is not wrong, but if I were to truly let it go here, what friendship, what loyalty would remain on this earth? What Xie Yu has revealed is only the beginning, and I fear I could never rest until I understand clearly how the whole affair unfolded step by step until that ending. I know well Mister is a meticulous and thorough thinker who sees into the hearts of men. I pray you lend me your a.s.sistance in overturning this old case and clearing the names of all those involved.”
Mei Changsu raised his head and looked him in the eye, his voice soft. “Is Your Highness aware that if the Emperor discovers that Your Highness is investigating the old case of Prince Qi, it will mean disaster for you?”
“I am.”
“Is Your Highness aware that, even if the details of the case are revealed, they will have no relation to the matters Your Highness is planning now, and will be of no help in any way?”
“I am.”
“Is Your Highness aware that, so long as His Majesty sits the throne, he will not admit to wrongdoing, nor clear the names of Prince Qi and the Lin family?”
“I am.”
“Your Highness is aware, and you still insist on investigating?”
“I insist.” Prince Jing looked at him steadily, a hint of icy steel in his gaze. “I must know how they were persecuted and killed, so that I can clear their names when I take the throne. To ignore the wrongful deaths of my brother and my friend and only focus on my own selfish gains – this is not something I can do, so I ask Mister Su not to advise me to do so.”
Mei Changsu swallowed the rush of warmth that had risen in his throat, and sat quietly in the light of the lamp for a moment before slowly getting to his feet and kneeling in a bow before Prince Jing, his voice low as he said, “Since I have taken Your Highness as my lord, I will follow Your Highness" wishes as my command. Although many years have pa.s.sed and there are few remaining now who know the truth, I will spare no effort in uncovering the truth of this case for Your Highness.”
“I must trouble Mister on this account.” Prince Jing raised his cupped hands to receive the bow. “It is Jingyan"s fortune to have met Mister"s great talent. Xie Yu"s fall from grace was truly remarkable to behold, and though I was not present to witness it in person, I can imagine the tension and excitement of that night. The Crown Prince has lost his greatest support, does Mister plan to have Prince Yu take advantage of the confusion?”
Mei Changsu shook his head. “No, I will advise Prince Yu to hold back.”
“Oh?” Prince Jing thought for a moment, and then understood. “It is a pity Prince Yu will not listen.”
“Of course, I will not insist either. I will only give a word of advice, and if he does not listen, then so be it.” Mei Changsu smiled mischievously, his gaze sharp.
“When everything is going well, it is difficult not to let success get to one"s head. The Crown Prince has lost so much recently, Father Emperor must give him a little support and protection. If Prince Yu does not hold back now, he will only fall into a trap of his own making.” Prince Jing tilted his head in thought. “Father Emperor has delayed for so long without sentencing Xie Yu, this is not only because of Xia Jiang"s interference, am I correct?”
Mei Changsu smiled. “Your Highness has come a long way ever since you started putting effort into observing the affairs of the court. Perhaps in a year or two, you will no longer have need for this strategist of yours.”
“Mister jokes well. Schemes and strategies are not my strength, at least I have enough self-awareness to be sure of that.” Prince Jing waved a hand carelessly and asked, “Does Mister truly mean to ensure Xie Yu"s survival?”
Mei Changsu answered indifferently, “I only mean to protect him against Xia Jiang"s men, anything else is not my responsibility.”
“Anything else?”
“Xia Dong is not to be underestimated¹, and she will not let go of this enmity of her murdered husband easily….”
“But this enmity cannot be laid entirely on Xie Yu alone.” There was sympathy in Prince Jing"s expression. “And Xia Jiang is still her shifu, so who is to say how this debt will be paid….”
“She has been a Xuanjing Officer for many years, and is subtle in her own way. She is not nearly as brash as she appears on the surface. The more she believes Xie Yu"s words, the less likely she is to confront Xia Jiang openly. My greatest hope is that she will keep the matter in her heart, and become a great help to Your Highness in the future.”
Prince Jing understood the meaning behind his words and nodded. If a day truly came where he could clear Prince Qi"s name, Nie Feng"s widow crying for injustice would be the perfect opening.
But before all of that, the most important thing was to gather his strength and seize the throne.
Prince Jing calmed his mind, suppressing the grief that had arisen over learning the truth of Nie Feng"s death, and began discussing the latest affairs of the court with Mei Changsu.
Because he had been in the military for many years, one of Prince Jing"s great weaknesses was his lack of familiarity with civil administration. Because of this, Mei Changsu had sought out many experts in this political field, and he created opportunities for Prince Jing to meet and befriend them, and to learn from them how to rule and govern the people. Every time they met in the secret chamber, the two would have thorough discussions using recent events as concrete examples, and they often talked in this way until dawn without realizing it.
Or, in other words, after a certain period of adaptation, the relationship between Prince Jing and Mei Changsu had reached a peak.
Yesterday, the court had been discussing the iron ores in different parts of the country as well as the war horses of the military. Prince Jing was a military general, and his knowledge of both the forging of weapons and warhorses was deep, but he had to remain low-key in his appearances in the court, and so, as a rule, he kept his contributions short rather than impressive. But now he was freed from any such inhibitions and could express his views freely, and what was even more impressive was that Mei Changsu kept up with his thinking, and there were some ideas they seemed to share without having to need to explain. Prince Jing did not seem to notice at first, but as the discussion drew to a close, he finally realized and asked, “Although Mister is widely known as the qilin prodigy, you are nonetheless a man of jianghu, so how is it that you are so familiar with military topics, as if you yourself have experienced warfare….?”
Mei Changsu was taken aback for a moment, and scolded himself for his momentary carelessness, though he showed none of his emotions on his face, and only smiled nonchalantly as he answered, “One may not have eaten pork, but have we not all seen a pig walk? There are many members of my alliance who are veterans of war, and do not underestimate these soldiers of a hundred battles – they all have different perspectives, and one can learn much from talking to them. After I arrived in the capital, Fei Liu was fortunate enough to make the acquaintance of Commander General Meng, and we have forged an unexpected friendship, I have gained much knowledge from his teaching as well. But to tell the truth, my learning in this subject is fragmented and incomplete, and I fear there are aspects that must be laughable in Your Highness" eyes.”
Prince Jing had only asked out of curiosity and was not thinking very deeply about the question, and at this self-depreciation, he replied hurriedly, “Not at all, Mister"s knowledge is deep and insightful. I see that Mister"s talent is extensive indeed. You have truly earned Jingyan"s respect.”
Mei Changsu bowed in thanks, but he had grown cautious, and did not wish to continue the topic, and so he said, “It is late, and Your Highness must attend court in the morning, perhaps it would be best to retire for some rest. It is true that you are a military man in training, but it would not do to push yourself beyond endurance.”
Prince Jing was not yet tired, but he saw the shadows beneath Mei Changsu"s eyes and knew that he could not continue much longer, and so he immediately stood and bid him farewell, then walked swiftly out of the secret chamber towards the stone door to his own chambers.
When Mei Changsu returned to his bedroom, the sky outside was still dark. Fei Liu had lit a lamp and was sitting quietly, but when he saw Mei Changsu emerge, he leapt across the room to him.
“So long again!” The youth pouted unhappily.
“Sorry, sorry,” Mei Changsu patted his back, smiling. “Let"s go and have a good sleep while it"s still dark out.”
“Awake!”
“You"re awake, but Su gege is tired.”
Fei Liu pushed him towards the bed and said loudly, “Sleep!”
“If Su gege is sleeping, what will Fei Liu do?”
“Draw!”
Mei Changsu laughed in spite of himself and patted him on the head, then took off his outer robe and laid down to sleep. Fei Liu sprawled over the head of the bed and watched him for while. Then he went outside, found paper and ink, and began to draw idly.
After the Spring equinox, the days were long and the nights were short. It had been near dawn when Mei Changsu returned, and so Fei Liu had not finished his second drawing when the sky outside the window began to lighten.
Mei Changsu turned over to face away from the window. Fei Liu, who had been trained for this, got up and went to the window to draw the curtains. He had one hand on the bamboo rod when the dim sound of a ringing bell drifted from a distance. He c.o.c.ked his head to listen.
Almost instantaneously, Mei Changsu leaped up from the bed and rushed out to the outer courtyard without putting on his outer robe or even his shoes.
“Su gege!” Fei Liu, greatly frightened, chased after him into the courtyard, where he saw him standing on the green paved path in his white stockings, his face lifted to the sky, listening intently.
By this time, Li Gang and the rest of the household had heard the commotion and come running over to stand around their chief, but seeing his expression, none dared to call out to him.
“Fei Liu, how many times did it ring?” Mei Changsu asked softly when the bell had stopped.
“Twenty-seven!”
Li Gang"s thick brows jumped. “When the golden bell rings twenty-seven times, it is the toll of great mourning. There is no Empress Dowager in the palace any more, so it must be….”
Before he could finish, Mei Changsu, his face pale, had closed his eyes. He seemed to struggle for a moment, but could not suppress the stream of fresh blood that erupted from his mouth onto his robes.
“Chief!”
“Su gege!”
The circle around him dissolved into frenzy. Someone ran off to find Physician Yan, while Li Gang hurried over to pick him up and carry him inside, where he placed him gently into his bed. Physician Yan arrived with astonishing speed to take his pulse, and he was just about to insert his needle when Mei Changsu sat up and waved a hand, saying in a low voice, “Don"t worry, you may all leave, let me have some quiet.”
“Chief…” Li Gang pleaded, but Physician Yan raised a hand to stop him and stood up first himself, gesturing for everyone else to follow as he left the room. Only Fei Liu refused to move, and so they let him stay.
When the room had finally quieted, Mei Changsu slowly lifted his head and opened his eyes. His eyes were red and shining with tears.
“Fei Liu,” he murmured, gently patting the youth"s head. “In the end, my great grandmother couldn"t wait for me to return…”
¹literally: “is no vegetarian” LOL
Translator"s Notes:
Drinking game: take a shot every time MCS lies through his teeth while taking about Xia Jiang. (It"s frank irony in retrospect lol.)
In case you didn"t cry during this scene, take a moment to read it again and remember that this is xiao Shu talking to Jingyan. There you go.
P.S. Here, have some to counter the angst. It"s weibo banter between w.a.n.g Kai (the actor who played Prince Jing) and Hu Ge (the actor who played MCS) and it honestly made me lol.)
P.P.S. This chapter came THIS CLOSE to needing a rain check. In my defense, it has actually been raining a lot here this week….