SEHE Chapter 34

Zhang Huairu 

Pei Yanci took the luminous pearl, and after receiving Wushu’s message in the evening, he went to find Gu Jiuqing, presenting it with both hands like offering a treasure.

“This humble one thanks Your Highness for the reward.”

“You know gratitude.”

“That’s because Chief Steward Zhang and the others taught me well. Your Highness frequently rewards Yunsheng and the others, and Chief Steward Zhang – yesterday you rewarded him with so many things, he surely came to express gratitude today.” Pei Yanci said, “Chief Steward Zhang has always respected Your Highness and values proper etiquette greatly. If this humble one didn’t come, wouldn’t that be arrogant and disrespectful? A mere servant at others’ beck and call – if not for Your Highness’s benevolent and loving nature, rewarding precious items that don’t match my station, this humble one probably would never have touched such things in my lifetime. How could I truly consider myself a master? If I did so, Chief Steward Zhang would have come to discipline me long ago.”

Gu Jiuqing felt uncomfortable inside, his expression remaining indifferent.

“Those who came from the palace, how could they not know proper etiquette.”

With this reminder, he remembered that those stewards used to come express gratitude, but gradually, receiving rewards became taken for granted.

What a pack of ungrateful wolves he had raised.

Every one of them listened to Zhang Huairu, and when he rewarded them with things, they never showed grateful appreciation.

Looking closely, wasn’t it Zhang Huairu who set this bad precedent!

“When this humble one came just now, I saw Steward Yunsheng waiting outside. During the day he escorted Chief Steward Zhang to settle outside the city, and just returned to the mansion without rest. He must be concerned about Your Highness, worried that Your Highness might be wondering about Chief Steward Zhang’s living conditions there, wanting to come in and report.”

Pei Yanci had timed his arrival at the courtyard perfectly – just as Yunsheng returned to the mansion and was about to seek an audience with Gu Jiuqing, he got there first. Now Yunsheng was waiting outside.

“Call him in,” Gu Jiuqing said.

Pei Yanci bowed and withdrew, letting Yunsheng and several others waiting outside enter.

Before long, he saw Yunsheng and his group come out with dejected expressions.

Seeing that Pei Yanci hadn’t left after delivering his message earlier and was still standing there, Yunsheng immediately suppressed his despondent mood, the corner of his mouth twisting into a cold smile.

“Waiting here to watch my humiliation? Fortune turns in cycles – today’s me is tomorrow’s you. The sovereign’s favor is unpredictable. You’re isolated and without allies in this mansion; sooner or later you’ll meet with great misfortune.”

“Who says so?” Pei Yanci replied casually. In line with Gu Jiuqing’s increasingly cold demeanor, his speech was also becoming more regal – he had learned to speak in riddles.

He leaned close, speaking in a voice only the two could hear. “Your foster father is about to die.”

The expression on Yunsheng’s face completely froze. After a moment of stunned silence, he said with contempt and anger, “Stop spouting nonsense here!”

“What His Highness said just now – wasn’t it clear enough?” Pei Yanci smiled, giving him one arrogant glance before turning to leave.

****

Night had fully fallen.

Pei Yanci ate a simple dinner to fill his stomach. The Great Yu dynasty was just beginning to develop the custom of eating dinner – previously only commoners doing hard labor ate dinner, but now the upper circles were slowly adopting this practice too.

Taking the leftover food to the kitchen, he chatted briefly with the cook, when Steward Zhao came in.

“Aunt Peng, Steward Qi is looking for you.”

Upon hearing this name, the cook became as if facing a great enemy, bustling around aimlessly in circles before finally untying her apron and hurrying out.

But Steward Zhao didn’t rush to leave.

Pei Yanci looked at him with interest. “Steward Zhao has something to say?”

“Mm.” He scratched his rheumatic joints, seeming to find it hard to speak.

Actually, he wasn’t clear on the whole situation and didn’t know how to bring it up.

“Tight on money recently, wanting Nephew to show some filial piety for medicine money?”

Steward Zhao hadn’t expected him to bring this up directly. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Pei Yanci pull out a small cloth pouch from his narrow sleeve.

Untying the drawstring, he saw copper coins jingling with silver gleaming among them – at least five or six taels.

“Why are you carrying so much money around the mansion? It’s easy to lose. Let Uncle keep it safe for you.” Steward Zhao tightened the pouch and stuffed it directly into his own pocket.

“I don’t usually carry this much money on me – Uncle, your timing is perfect. If you still need more medicine money, just tell me. Around Qingming Festival there’s so much rain – you must take good care of your health.”

Seeing that Pei Yanci didn’t care about so much silver and casually gave it away, Steward Zhao suddenly felt he had been narrow-minded. The other party simply didn’t care about using this small amount to feed him, and probably didn’t take his previous veiled threats to heart at all.

For a moment, he felt both satisfied at gaining such a windfall and jealous of Pei Yanci’s good fortune – receiving so many bribes without punishment.

Thinking that he should guard this treasure trove that was Pei Yanci and understand not to drain the pond to catch fish, that their relationship couldn’t sour too much at present, he took out the pouch again, poured out half the silver, and returned the rest to Pei Yanci.

“Medicine doesn’t need this much. Young people should save – you’ll need it when you marry.”

“Uncle, just keep what I gave you,” Pei Yanci said indifferently. “I can get more from my room later.”

“This late at night, why are you carrying so much silver?” Steward Zhao asked puzzled.

“Small matter, small matter.” Pei Yanci evaded, “Some inconvenient business requires spending some silver.”

“I see.”

Steward Zhao didn’t probe further. Tonight he had come with a mission, approaching worriedly and asking quietly, “I heard that this evening you went to the main courtyard?”

“Yes,” Pei Yanci answered honestly.

“What did His Highness tell you?” Steward Zhao asked nervously.

Yunsheng was simply worried about Zhang Huairu’s inconvenient condition, went to settle things outside the city, and upon returning was inexplicably reproached by the Crown Prince.

Hearing what Pei Yanci said at the door made his heart even more unsettled.

He absolutely didn’t believe the Crown Prince would disregard years of loyalty and try to harm Zhang Huairu, but these past few days the Crown Prince had grown dissatisfied with these eunuchs. Just for embezzling some silver, he made such a big fuss about banishing his foster father to the estate.

He couldn’t be certain if this was real, but from Pei Yanci’s manner, he clearly knew something. Knowing that Steward Zhao was closer to Pei Yanci, he asked him to sound things out.

“Well…” Pei Yanci hesitated.

“What can’t you tell Uncle? What’s our relationship – why be so formal?”

“This mainly concerns His Highness’s affairs. How can we servants gossip carelessly?” Pei Yanci said with difficulty. “I usually attend His Highness, so I must be especially careful about these things.”

“Let’s just chat privately. The mansion is so dull, I’m just curious. I won’t tell anyone else.” Steward Zhao said amicably. “If a third person found out, we’d both be punished. You know this importance, and don’t I know it too?”

“You’re right.” Pei Yanci relaxed his expression. “Actually it’s nothing major – just that yesterday His Highness sent so many things to Chief Steward Zhang, but the Chief Steward didn’t personally come express gratitude, which made him particularly displeased.”

“Just this?” Steward Zhao didn’t believe it.

Yunsheng knew about this too. When Gu Jiuqing saw him come to report and remembered Pei Yanci’s proper behavior earlier, he mildly criticized them.

“His Highness didn’t tell me this directly, but I think aside from this recent matter, there’s nothing else.” Pei Yanci said. “This matter could be big or small. Looking at it small, the master-servant relationship is good, so not expressing gratitude isn’t much. But if you take it seriously, then Chief Steward Zhang doesn’t regard His Highness, and feels resentful about being sent out of the mansion.”

Here he paused, looking at Steward Zhao. “In the end, before His Highness, no matter how powerful Zhang Huairu is in the mansion, he’s just a servant. Now everyone in and outside the mansion flatters Chief Steward Zhang – he’s become the real master of this mansion. Where does this put His Highness? Do you think His Highness can still tolerate him?”

“But this is absolutely impossible,” Steward Zhao said in panic. “Chief Steward Zhang has always thought only of His Highness’s welfare – this is plain for all to see.”

“See, even now you’re still speaking for Chief Steward Zhang.”

Steward Zhao panicked more. “What should we do now?”

“His failure to express gratitude gave His Highness an extremely bad impression. As for how to remedy this, why ask me? You should ask him.” Pei Yanci walked toward the kitchen exit, muttering to himself, “I’m still busy arranging people. Tomorrow we act – His Highness is being too hasty. Anyway, he’s seriously injured, so ordinary people won’t know why he died suddenly.”

Steward Zhao followed him out, growing more frightened as he thought. Connecting this to how Pei Yanci carried so much silver late at night, obviously planning to do something after dinner.

Bribing people to act against Zhang Huairu?

Was he carrying out Gu Jiuqing’s orders?

Tomorrow, tomorrow!

He gasped, then hurried to Yunsheng’s quarters, fearing that if he was late by even a moment, his patron would fall.

****

Gu Jiuqing had recently developed a habit of morning sword practice – not to become particularly skilled in martial arts, but at least to barely protect his own life at critical moments.

Just as dawn was breaking, lights came on in the main courtyard. He washed his face and was drying the water droplets when someone outside reported that Zhang Huairu had come.

He had just gone to the estate yesterday – why was he back today?

“Let him in.”

Zhang Huairu wore a gray coarse cloth thick jacket with soft-soled cloth shoes, looking like an elderly man who had just traveled back from the countryside.

He firmly pushed away those who wanted to help him, walking step by painful step but steadily into the inner hall, where he knelt down with a “thud.”

“What’s this about? Whatever the matter, get up first.” Gu Jiuqing felt uncomfortable.

“Your Highness, this old slave was confused yesterday. Only after leaving the city did I wake from my stupor, wanting to bid Your Highness farewell, but it was too late. I could only have Yunsheng do it on my behalf. Your Highness cared about this worthless old body, not forgetting to send so many precious treasures. This old slave’s heart was troubled by this all yesterday, unable to sleep all night. I felt that not coming personally to express gratitude would truly betray Your Highness’s deep affection.”

He spoke through tears, his choked words not affecting his intended meaning at all.

Yesterday’s failure to express gratitude was because he was unconscious from severe illness. When he awoke, the carriage was already outside the city – this couldn’t be blamed on him. Afterward he had Yunsheng thank His Highness on his behalf, but this still wasn’t enough. After reaching the estate he remained anxious about this, unable to sleep, so he traveled through the night without rest to return to the mansion early to express gratitude again.

He adopted an extremely humble posture, clearly like a lowly old slave afraid of displeasing Gu Jiuqing in the slightest.

A flash of anger and disbelief crossed Gu Jiuqing’s previously calm face, gone in an instant.

“Chief Steward Zhang, do you distrust this prince so much?”

He had only spoken a few words against this man to Yunsheng yesterday – casual remarks, unintentional. Yet today at dawn he appeared before him. Yunsheng had been serving at his side until he went to sleep last night. What did this indicate?

Setting aside his foster son, there were many others in the mansion who were Zhang Huairu’s informants.

At his slightest movement, Zhang Huairu could receive news that very night. The speed was bone-chilling.

“Your Highness was raised under this old slave’s watch – how could this old slave feel at ease?” Zhang Huairu said with deep concern, trying to evoke the former bond between him and Gu Jiuqing.

But these words reached the Crown Prince’s ears with a different meaning.

“Zhang Huairu, Chief Steward Zhang,” Gu Jiuqing’s eyes welled with sadness, “This prince is no longer the Cold Palace prince who could be manipulated at will.”

Zhang Huairu looked up in confusion, not understanding.

“This prince has grown up.”