SEHE Chapter 103

Preparation 

When Pei Yanci came out from the imperial city, it was already close to noon. Having not eaten a single grain of rice in the morning, he was dizzy and seeing stars from hunger. Upon coming out and seeing Wuli, he asked, “Is there still food left?”

“How did you know I ate scallion pancakes?” The chubby boy confessed without being pressed, his eyes revealing shock.

Pei Yanci slapped the back of his head with one palm. “There are still oil spots and scallion bits at the corner of your mouth, and you’re asking me how I knew? You didn’t even know to save some for your big brother, and you still complain that I always take Wushu out but not you.”

“I’m so thoughtful. Knowing you just recovered from illness and can’t eat oily things, I tasted it for you. Here, let me let you smell it.” As he spoke, he opened his mouth wide and breathed at him.

“Get lost.” Pei Yanci was amused to laughter by his shameless manner and slapped his round face askew with one palm before getting on the carriage.

“How about we go out for a feast now to celebrate your promotion!” Wuli said excitedly. “Your Uncle Wu will treat you.”

“We’ll talk about that later. First go to the Zheng residence.”

Wuli’s mung bean eyes rolled around. “Can you introduce me to some minor official position too?”

“What kind of official do you want?”

“I was thinking that being a Buliangren wouldn’t be bad.”

(TL: 不良人 (Bùliáng Rén) = A title for a rogue, outlaw, or secretive martial/espionage figure in ancient times.

Literally: “unrighteous person” or “villain,” but often used in names of organizations, secret sects, or groups of antiheroes.)

“Those are all positions for reformed bandits and ruffians.”

“How about a night watchman? Only need to stroll around two circles at night—easy, and no one would know if you slack off.”

“You want to use connections with a fourth-rank official for a night watchman position?” Pei Yanci didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“You’re not bigger than the Crown Prince, are you?” Wuli scoffed. “When you become emperor, then I’ll ask you for a position in the Jinwu Guard.”

“You want to be in the Jinwu Guard?” Pei Yanci pondered.

“Not really that much. It’s tiring work. Mainly those uniforms are imposing and handsome.”

“Wouldn’t the Elu Bureau be even more imposing?” Don’t look at how sinister Tang Xizhui seemed when chasing people—his aesthetic taste was quite good.

“Oh right, you have a good relationship with that old eunuch.” Wuli’s dough-like face wrinkled up as he pondered whether he should ask for an official position in the Jinwu Guard or a position as a Qianhu in the Elu Bureau.

After pondering the whole way without figuring it out, Pei Yanci had already gotten off the carriage and was walking toward the Zheng residence.

There were other guests in the residence.

Gu Yueqian was kneeling on the right side below Prime Minister Zheng, her cardamom-dyed bright red nails placed beside her mouth to conceal her laughter. “My, everyone happened to come at the same time today—great minds think alike.”

As she spoke, her phoenix eyes looked toward Gu Jiuqing across from her with a smile that was not quite a smile, while the latter minded his own business drinking tea.

Pei Yanci bowed to the several people and knelt in the seat next to Gu Yueqian.

On the Zhaolu Terrace, light gauze fluttered on all four sides, and the bamboo curtains were half-rolled up.

After exchanging pleasantries, Pei Yanci said he had just gone to the palace to express his gratitude, then heard Prime Minister Zheng say, “This position of yours didn’t come easily. In the future, properly manage your subordinates and don’t cause major chaos. If you feel your abilities are insufficient, you can ask Chen Sihong, and I can also send a few people to help you.”

“Thank you, adoptive father.” Pei Yanci bowed, accepting without hesitation.

Right now he was short of manpower—as for whose people they were, it didn’t really matter.

“Since we’re all family, we naturally all pull in the same direction. Fourth Brother, show that document you had earlier to Imperial Academy Chancellor Pei again.” Gu Yueqian said.

How could Gu Jiuqing not know his sister’s nature of stirring up trouble and watching the excitement? He lifted his eyelids and only now seemed to notice there was one more person, looking toward Pei Yanci.

“This doesn’t concern the Imperial Academy.”

“Our Zheng family now only has Yanci walking in official circles. In the future for my affairs, I’ll still have to rely heavily on him.” Zheng Qinglai said with a smile, as if the father-son relationship between them had been this good from the start.

“This prince cannot attend court sessions, and Uncle is idle at home. Fourth Brother, how can you not use your own people and just rely on a few outsiders to speak for you?” Gu Yueqian’s smile became increasingly graceful and noble.

Gu Jiuqing’s cold, indifferent eyes swept around him in a circle before he flicked his hand and tossed the document on the table to him.

The document rolled off his body and fell beside his leg. Pei Yanci didn’t pick it up, didn’t speak, only looked at him expressionlessly.

The atmosphere on the Zhaolu Terrace became tense.

“Even if there were some conflicts before, at least the results were good, and Yanci sat in the Chancellor position as he wished.” Gu Yueqian’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly as she said, “Yanci, don’t hold it against Fourth Brother. He was just worried you were too young, having only done menial work of lower-class people in the residence before, unable to suppress those people. He wanted you to gain more experience for a few years, just right to read more books in the Imperial Academy and get rid of your vulgar airs.”

“Alright, what’s past is past. Yanci, open the document and take a look.” Zheng Qinglai said.

Only then did Pei Yanci softly respond “yes” and pick up the document.

Under the table, Gu Jiuqing’s hand resting on his thigh and hidden in his wide sleeve clenched tighter, his expression growing increasingly frosty.

The person who used to put him first in everything, who considered everything for him, who only had him in his eyes and heart—now in front of him, he only listened to others’ words and did things others instructed him to do.

The person he had cherished in the palm of his hand was being used like a dog by Zheng Qinglai, occasionally tossed a meal when there was nothing else to do, yet he accepted it gladly.

Pei Yanci, how can you be so cheap!

Pei Yanci hurriedly looked through the document once and said, “Why did adoptive father, the Princess, and Your Highness think of investigating the old accounts of the Ministry of Works’ Water Department Director?”

Listed above were charges that five years ago, when he approved the construction of river channels in Wuzhou, he embezzled ten thousand taels of silver.

“I was previously Minister of Personnel. This matter should have been reported upward during my tenure, but alas, other matters came up and it was shelved. I intended to deliberate on it at length in the future, but the Crown Prince cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes. River channels and water conservancy—if done well, benefit one region; if there are any deficiencies, it becomes a man-made disaster, and who knows how many common people would lose their lives.”

Zheng Qinglai spoke with righteous indignation, but ten thousand taels of silver, while a lifetime’s worth of wealth ordinary people would never touch, wasn’t worth these three people making such a big fuss over.

The Ministry of Works was Tang Xizhui’s one-acre-three-fen territory.

He absolutely didn’t believe Tang Xizhui was clean—in fact, he very likely embezzled more than just ten thousand taels. Nor did he believe the Zheng faction making an issue of this was any righteous act.

If it were truly righteous, the river channel had been dug five years ago and had been put into canal transport use a year ago—why only bring it up now?

He probed, asking, “At tomorrow’s court session, should I submit this document?”

“Naturally. Among others, I trust you the most.” Zheng Qinglai said, “We need to catch the eunuch faction off guard.”

“Understood.” Pei Yanci put away the document.

Having him, a fourth-rank titular official, deal with a fifth-rank official with real power—that could be considered matching status.

His seat wasn’t even warm yet, and they were already starting to order him around. It wasn’t in vain that Zheng Qinglai greeted those faction members on his behalf and helped lift him into position.

After the four reached an agreement and saw it was noon, Zheng Qinglai invited them downstairs for a meal to also celebrate Pei Yanci’s promotion. After the other two left first, he called out to someone.

Pei Yanci walked a few steps slower, falling back alongside him.

“What the Crown Prince did wasn’t very proper. I’ve already spoken to him about it.” He said, “Don’t take it to heart. After all, the result is good.”

“I understand what’s important.” Pei Yanci revealed a shallow smile that put people at ease. “No matter how we clash and attack each other, in the end it’s all family matters.”

If I don’t perform this act for you to see, you’ll become suspicious again.

“Indeed, what family doesn’t have some quarrels? But if it gets out, we become a laughingstock. Considering the big picture is more important.” Zheng Qinglai lightly glossed over this matter with a few words.

Or rather, in his eyes, this was just a small matter of two people being stubborn with each other. Qi Xiang’s death—he had never taken it to heart at all.

Pei Yanci felt inexplicably irritated.

After lunch, the three people took their leave from the Zheng residence.

Before leaving, Gu Yueqian called out to Pei Yanci.

“I heard Lan’er invited you to come sit at the Princess Mansion, and you refused.” When the Second Princess smiled charmingly, she immediately became alluringly fragrant, her voice also soft and melodious, quite pleasing to hear. “What are you afraid of? You’ve already taken revenge for that slap back then. Don’t tell me you’re afraid this princess will stab another arrow into your arm?”

“Yes.” Pei Yanci said, “I’m quite frightened by Your Highness’s straightforward character of avenging every grievance.”

“Who could have thought you would become this princess’s cousin? Let’s forget that grudge.” The Second Princess glanced behind him, saying softly and weakly, “This princess is easy to talk to, but others may not be. The Gu family is famous for retaliating over the smallest slight. Cousin, you’d better be careful.”

Without allowing any argument, she stuffed an invitation into his hand before getting on her carriage, satisfied.

He had just opened the invitation when a black shadow appeared beside him, then a hand reached out to snatch what he was holding.

Pei Yanci’s eyes and hands were quick—he first stepped aside to avoid it. “Your Highness, isn’t it undignified to try to snatch without even giving warning?”

“I advise you not to try playing both sides.” Being looked at by those crescent moon-shaped eyes with a smile that was not quite a smile, Gu Jiuqing’s expression stiffened as he warned stiffly.

“So, this subject is now only on the Zheng family’s boat.”

Hearing this, Gu Jiuqing’s sharp, bright profile and jawline became even more defined.

“The previous lesson wasn’t enough? You must make this prince angry again?”

“This subject also has something to say to Your Highness,” Pei Yanci said. “Your Highness was rash in this matter. It was simply a foolish move that killed a thousand enemies but lost eight hundred of your own. Offending the Zheng family and losing face for Minister Chen aside, forcing a veteran official to publicly crash into a pillar—this loses the hearts of scholars throughout the realm and chills the hearts of other veteran officials at court. In the future, besides relying on aristocratic families, who else can Your Highness rely on?”

“Are you concerned about this prince?” Gu Jiuqing’s expression paused.

Pei Yanci was somewhat puzzled. Wasn’t he making a show of force?

For Gu Jiuqing to deal with him, to think of such foolish moves—in his view, there was faintly an attitude of wanting to destroy everything.

How unwise and irrational this was.

At the same time, it defied all logic.

In his eyes, the Crown Prince who did such things was like a petulant child. Because his face was contradicted, he simply flipped the table so no one could have a good time.

But such a situation shouldn’t appear in an imperial prince who had endured and laid low for more than twenty years. Because everything they obtained came at enormous cost.

He suddenly realized—this Crown Prince’s conduct was unpredictable, his cold, severe face forever carrying a chilling sense of intimidation that made one’s heart tremble.

Previously he hadn’t taken Gu Jiuqing seriously. Now, he was beginning to find this opponent inscrutable.

“This subject is not concerned—I’m just warning Your Highness to conduct yourself properly. Don’t let everything painstakingly obtained ultimately go down the drain because of one or two impulsive decisions.”

Pei Yanci’s words were coldly indifferent. He detested official court madmen.

Gu Jiuqing watched him board the carriage, staring without blinking as his figure finally disappeared from view.

In his heart, he repeatedly chewed over those two sentences Pei Yanci had grudgingly bestowed upon him, tasting deeper meanings within them.

His Highness the Crown Prince was absolutely certain—Pei Yanci was concerned about his situation.

Just as he had been when he was at the Crown Prince’s Mansion before.

In a corner no one paid attention to, Gu Jiuqing’s frosty eyes and brows softened, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.

All of this was worth it.

As long as he was willing to look at him one more time.