SEHE Chapter 47

Wang Family 

When Pei Yanci returned to the Crown Prince’s Mansion, it was already the afternoon of the second day. As soon as he entered through the back courtyard’s small gate, he heard the servants who greeted him quietly complaining.

“Chief Steward Pei, where have you been? His Highness looked for you last night, and we haven’t seen you this morning either. That person’s expression was particularly frightening.”

Yesterday he had told the other stewards he was going out, originally planning to return by evening, so he didn’t inform Gu Jiuqing. The Crown Prince wasn’t one to closely monitor his subordinates’ whereabouts, but last night he encountered those chaotic matters and was delayed.

“Where is His Highness now?”

****

When Pei Yanci entered the study, Gu Jiuqing was splashing ink to paint.

Light and shadow filtered through the window, casting shimmering reflections on his frost-cold jade-carved face, creating a translucent glow. The Qingming Festival had just passed, and sunny days were becoming more frequent. His clothing had begun to grow lighter as well. At this moment, he wore only a casual wide-sleeved white silk robe with diagonal patterns, his sash not even tied, the loose collar faintly revealing his strong, angular collarbones.

“Your Highness.” He bowed, and when he raised his head, he saw Gu Jiuqing still looking down at his painting, his full head of black hair scattered over his shoulders and back, with only the hair at his temples bound behind his head.

The Crown Prince kept his head lowered, the loose strands before his temples obscuring half his face. His distinct finger joints steadily gripped the brush, moving across the paper without a trace of hesitation. Before long, two white orchids with golden stamens and blue hearts wildly broke free from their constraints in the rocky crevices, growing with abandon.

He regarded it with indifference, not particularly satisfied. Having looked at it too much bred disgust in his heart, and lacking that much patience, he set down the brush, unwilling to continue. But his hand was caught.

Pei Yanci had somehow already moved to stand beside him.

“How careless Your Highness has been.”

He grasped Gu Jiuqing’s hand, taking out the clean handkerchief that Tang Xizhui had used yesterday to wipe blood stains—there had been extra—and cleaned the green paint that had splattered on his hand.

Gu Jiuqing looked down, seeing how earnestly he wiped, and the sullen mood in his heart inexplicably dissipated considerably.

The silky softness of the handkerchief brushed across his palm, the fingers resting against his wrist were warm and smooth, the neatly trimmed nails tinged with pink, resembling congealed ice dipped in sunset glow—nothing at all like the hands of a servant.

“Where have you been these past two days?” His originally intended interrogative tone had softened considerably. “Are you perhaps not living comfortably in the mansion?”

Pei Yanci continued wiping his hand with downcast eyes. It was normal to ask about his whereabouts, but why would he ask if he was living comfortably in the mansion? Ordinarily, if a master found a servant missing, they would ask what business they had been attending to.

“Yesterday this humble one went to buy a house.”

“Buy a house?” Though Gu Jiuqing’s tone was questioning, his eyes showed no surprise whatsoever.

Indeed, this person already knew and was deliberately asking, just wanting to see if he would conceal anything.

“You want to move out?”

“This humble one is the chief steward of Your Highness’s mansion—where could I move to live? I was merely thinking that having finally obtained some money from my subordinates, rather than let a sum of dead money rot in my hands, I might as well buy a house to rent to others and collect rent in the future.”

Yesterday he and Jiang Yi had run all over the city. If Gu Jiuqing wanted to know his movements, it would certainly be easy to discover. As for whether he had found out about him being with Tang Xizhui, Pei Yanci felt somewhat uneasy—did Gu Jiuqing know or not, or was he waiting for him to confess voluntarily?

For a moment, he remembered what Tang Xizhui had said—that he felt like they were having an affair.

He had to admit, it really was rather like that.

Going behind the back of his nominal master to get entangled with his political enemy—how was that not stealing?

“You’re quite fond of money.” Gu Jiuqing’s expression inevitably relaxed somewhat, carrying a few traces of helpless teasing, but then gradually grew serious again as he asked with apparent concern, “Last night several districts near West Market were quite tumultuous. You weren’t in that area, were you?”

“Right in the vicinity. I even encountered the Second Princess and Tang Xizhui.” With so many people he had run into last night, the matter of seeing Tang Xizhui couldn’t possibly be hidden from others.

Gu Jiuqing looked at him deeply. “Why would the Second Princess be in the capital?”

“I don’t know. This humble one was looking at houses perfectly well when I encountered these two groups of people. They were fighting and struggling, but instead this humble  one and Young General Jiang suffered for it.” Pei Yanci looked thoroughly annoyed. “It seems there were also people acting under the Zheng family’s orders mixed in. The Princess took me hostage, probably thinking that out of respect for Your Highness’s face, Minister Zheng’s people would tactfully withdraw. Who would have thought those people didn’t care at all.”

He had been taken hostage as someone from the Crown Prince’s Mansion. The Zheng family’s people not taking him seriously meant they weren’t giving Gu Jiuqing face.

Never mind the Zheng family’s people—looking at it this way, Gu Yueqian also hadn’t taken him, the Crown Prince, seriously.

In just a few sentences, Pei Yanci had caused Gu Jiuqing to harbor some resentment toward both the Zheng family and Gu Yueqian.

But it was only slight dissatisfaction.

“Were you injured?” Gu Jiuqing’s expression showed some nervousness.

The scene last night had been chaotic, and he obviously only knew the general situation. He didn’t doubt his words at all, instead being more concerned about his injuries.

“This humble one is fine.” Only now did Pei Yanci feel that this person’s concern for a servant was somewhat excessive.

Even if he now barely counted as Gu Jiuqing’s confidant.

Previously when he had been injured by Tang Xizhui, the Crown Prince had been very nervous, constantly inquiring and sending medicine, which could be explained as guilt. But what about this time?

Seeing the person’s hand was now clean, he moved to withdraw his deliberately created display of flattery and concern.

Gu Jiuqing instinctively tightened his grip on his hand.

Pei Yanci glanced down, and when he raised his head again, he saw a flash of embarrassment and bewilderment in Gu Jiuqing’s eyes.

Clearly he hadn’t expected himself to act this way either.

Gu Jiuqing’s lips moved slightly, as if wanting to offer some explanation, but then felt this would be trying to cover up, and stiffly relaxed the force in his hand.

Something immediately slipped away from his palm.

He lowered his hand, and beneath the wide sleeves where no one could see, his fingers trembled spasmodically.

Pei Yanci withdrew his hand. Seeing the atmosphere had become somewhat awkward, he changed the subject, smiling. “This painting has sharp, vigorous brushstrokes. The orchids’ posture is steady and elegant, proudly upright. Best of all are these orchid leaves—they contain some anger, which instead makes them more wild and unrestrained.”

When Gu Jiuqing was painting, he still carried some dissatisfaction with Pei Yanci in his heart. Now this negative emotion in his eyes had instead become the finishing touch. He couldn’t help but curve his lips. “Didn’t expect you to actually understand painting.”

Chatting with Pei Yanci was always so pleasant.

Thinking of something, he said, “Shall this prince paint a portrait of you?”

This suggestion left Pei Yanci somewhat stunned.

“This wouldn’t be appropriate. This humble one is only…”

“This prince doesn’t think so, so why must you worry about such things?” Gu Jiuqing became excited by his spontaneous notion. “I happen to have some matters to discuss with you. Sit there and don’t move—just listen to what this prince has to say.”

Pei Yanci could only slowly make his way to the long couch by the window, sitting sideways on his knees, looking up at him.

“What does Your Highness want this humble one to do?” he asked curiously. “Is it Eastern Palace business?”

“Your posture is too stiff. Don’t be so constrained in this prince’s presence—just act as if you’re chatting with a friend.”

This Crown Prince is rather difficult to serve.

Pei Yanci felt unwilling to cooperate with this in his heart, so he simply stopped caring and made himself comfortable however he pleased, supporting his head with his hand and leaning against the cushions, lying on his side as he looked toward him.

Seeing him so relaxed, Gu Jiuqing was quite satisfied. He began to lay out paper and take up his brush, sometimes gazing at him with glass-like pure brown-black eyes devoid of any impurity, sometimes lowering his lashes in concentrated focus.

“What matter does Your Highness wish to discuss?” Seeing him remain silent for so long, Pei Yanci pressed him with questions.

Don’t you know that important business comes first?

Though Gu Jiuqing somewhat didn’t want to bring up governmental affairs at this time, he still spoke, “Have you looked at the roster of Eastern Palace officials?”

“Glanced at it a few times.”

First and foremost were the Three Instructors and Three Junior Tutors—all sinecures concurrently held by old court officials about to retire. That day, before leaving with Tang Xizhui, he had taken a few glances—these people hadn’t even bothered to show up.

Next were the Crown Prince’s guests, the Bureau of the Heir Apparent, and officials from the Left and Right Spring Chambers. The highest chief official could reach the senior third rank, though of course how much real power they wielded depended on the Crown Prince and the Emperor.

Wang Gu, whom Tang Xizhui had revealed to him, was the senior third-rank Chief of the Bureau of the Heir Apparent, someone who counted as quite influential before Gu Jiuqing.

That such a person secretly took orders from Tang Xizhui—Pei Yanci found it amusing just thinking about it.

“There’s one person among them you should pay particular attention to. It would be best if you could help this prince visit his residence in the next few days.” Gu Jiuqing said.

“Who?” The first person Pei Yanci thought of was Wang Gu.

“Wang Lingche.”

An unfamiliar name.

Pei Yanci recalled: “That Crown Prince’s close attendant?”

(TL: 舍人 (shèrén) was an official title in various dynasties, usually meaning a close aide, attendant, or secretary serving a high-ranking person (like the emperor or crown prince)

A Right Spring Chamber Attendant of the Crown Prince—a minor sixth-rank official, a dime a dozen in Anjing.

“Yes.” Gu Jiuqing’s voice was gentle yet carried an air of decisive authority. “At the same time, he’s also the eldest legitimate son of the main branch of the Langya Wang family, the future head of the Wang family.”

Pei Yanci grew serious. “Does Your Highness wish to gain the Wang family’s support?”

“Exactly.” Gu Jiuqing curved his lips. “The Wang family has old qualifications among the great families, and their strength is in no way inferior to the Zheng family. If this prince could gain the support of both the Zheng and Wang families, the other great families would naturally follow suit. At that time, why would this prince fear the eunuch faction?”

The eunuch faction and the great families had always had conflicts of interest and never got along well. But supporting the next emperor’s ascension carried great risks. For great families that had already existed for several generations with foundations so deep that even the imperial family couldn’t easily touch them, remaining neutral was more profitable—unless they were like the Zheng family, wanting to climb even higher.

“This humble one will prepare over the next few days.” Pei Yanci readily agreed.

“But there’s one problem.” Gu Jiuqing had been painting for quite a while, and only when he dipped his brush in ink again did he continue. “The Wang and Zheng families are somewhat at odds.”

…He knew it.

“How much at odds?”

“Mortal enemies who won’t rest until the other is dead.”

“……” You’re delusional.

But as an excellent and capable confidant, one should never question any decision of one’s superior.

Even if it’s an utterly foolish idea.

Not hearing any opposition or questioning from him, Gu Jiuqing set down his brush and looked with satisfaction at the person in the painting on his desk.

“Yesterday a court official memorialized requesting reform of land taxation. This measure would benefit both the nation and the people, yet it met with fierce opposition from the eunuch faction of the Elu Bureau. This prince observed that His Majesty originally intended to reform, but couldn’t withstand Tang Xizhui’s aggressive pressure. This prince wishes to use this matter to dampen the eunuch faction’s sharp edge. What do you think?”

“Your Highness thinking of the world’s common people is a blessing for all under heaven.”

“The Wang family’s thoughts align perfectly with this prince.”

“This humble one will certainly convey Your Highness’s thoughts to Attendant Wang.”

Gu Jiuqing smiled, like the most sacred mountain spring newly melted from snow-capped peaks.

“Take today’s mountain orchid painting with you when you return. In due time, bring it along with other gifts to Wang Lingche.”