SEHE Chapter 64

Birthday 

The theater’s attendants were running up and down the stairs serving customers, so Pei Yanci, the owner, and Jiang Yi, the shareholder, had to go to the kitchen themselves to order a pile of food for the attendants to deliver when they had time.

The three returned to the small garden, and Jiang Yi called out to Wuli, seeming to have something to say to him privately, and sat to one side. Pei Yanci looked around and saw that only the seat beside Gu Wanchong was still empty.

He didn’t think much of it, walked over, bowed, and sat down.

“What ingredients do you like to add to your tea?”

“Hmm?” Pei Yanci was concentrating on watching the puppet show, thinking about improvements to make later. Hearing the deep voice beside him suddenly, he was startled and only then looked at him.

Beside Gu Wanchong was a small red clay brazier. His gaze was fixed on the small kettle on the stove, his rough, powerful hands holding a delicate bamboo ladle—the contrast was somewhat comical.

“How can Your Highness do this work himself?” As he spoke, he moved forward to take the bamboo ladle from his hand, but Gu Wanchong dodged by turning sideways.

“I’m used to doing things myself.” He urged, “The water is about to boil.”

“Whatever pleases Your Highness is fine.”

“I’m used to not adding any ingredients. What about you?”

This was the first time Pei Yanci had heard of anyone in Great Yu drinking tea this way, and he became interested. “This humble one doesn’t like them either—I just like drinking the tea broth.”

Gu Wanchong’s eyes brightened. “The tea leaves don’t need to be ground so fine either. It looks good when they’re still in whole leaves. Just steep them directly in boiling water. The tea broth is hot and strong, and drinking a full cup is very satisfying.”

His method of drinking tea was almost identical to his previous life, which instead made Pei Yanci suspicious. He looked at the person who kept showing him only his profile. “Your Highness’s tea-drinking method is novel and unique. I wonder where you learned it from.”

“A friend.” Gu Wanchong’s expression dimmed, his thick eyebrows lowering. He looked unwilling to mention that person, and instead asked him, “You find it novel? You also wanted to drink it this way like me—how did you figure it out?”

Pei Yanci shook his head, not really wanting to say. His gaze drifted toward the stage, where he saw five or six puppets holding ruyi scepters and gold and silver props, singing birthday wishes loudly as if presenting treasures.

He remembered that the stage had been performing Song Suixi’s script earlier, and there was no such scene in it at all.

Wuli and Wushu were snickering to the side.

Yue Ting came out from backstage carrying longevity noodles and red eggs, lifting the curtain. “Your own seventeenth birthday—did you really forget?”

Pei Yanci had indeed forgotten.

He only learned of his true identity after turning eleven. The only birthday banquet he’d ever had was at twenty, and the political significance of that banquet far outweighed the birthday itself.

The original body’s birthday was actually the same as his.

Gu Wanchong and the others were also extremely surprised and stood up to offer congratulations.

“Haven’t even reached my coming of age yet, and you’re throwing me a banquet at such a young age—aren’t you afraid of shortening my life?”

“Bah, bah, bah.” Wuli spat on the ground several times. “Where’s the big celebration? It’s just a few of us gathering for a meal. It’s a rare occasion that also coincides with the theater opening. You could have had two good meals, but we’ve already saved you one. You’re getting a great deal.”

“That’s right. Because your birthday is close to yours, Brother Wuli and Mister Yue are shameless and always trying to save trouble, saying let’s do it all today. I don’t care—today I want to eat ten chicken wings.” Wushu said indignantly.

Pei Yanci didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but warmth welled up in his heart.

When Wuli brought out a large longevity peach, that touch of warmth instantly extinguished.

“Take it away right now!”

He was seventeen, not seventy!

****

Half a month after the theater opened, it had earned one thousand two hundred taels of silver.

Excluding the small courtyard that Tang Xizhui had gifted to him, after deducting the eight hundred taels for buying the tavern plus the money for renovation, furniture, servants, and food and drink, there was still a profit of one hundred taels.

In just half a month, the invested capital had been recovered.

The theater’s profits mainly came from admission fees and the food, drinks, and tea served at tables. When the audience was excited, they could also give tips. Pei Yanci himself hadn’t expected the theater to be so profitable.

Now the theater was gradually getting on track. For the remaining days, as long as he arranged for the scholars to write scripts from time to time, even if each person only wrote one per year, it would be enough to keep the theater’s puppet shows fresh enough to attract large audiences and generate continuous profits.

Pei Yanci wrapped ten strings of coins in red cloth for Wuli to deliver to Jiang Yi, and also wrapped several strings of coins for Yue Ting. Then someone started calling his name outside the door.

The Dragon Boat Festival was approaching.

Before the festival day arrived, the breeze from the fan in his hand already carried the fragrance of rice and bamboo leaves.

Street vendors had long since laid out colorful longevity cords and various five-colored woven bands, painted beauty fans, mugwort tigers, and calamus wine. The fabric shops were bustling with business, making the neighboring stores envious. People of Great Yu were accustomed to buying winter clothes during the New Year to bring new prospects, and summer robes during the Dragon Boat Festival to ward off the five poisons and misfortune.

(TL: “五毒” == refers to the “five poisons” (snake, scorpion, centipede, toad, and spider) symbolizing harmful forces.)

The current emperor loved polo. In his early years, before becoming obsessed with Daoist cultivation, after watching the dragon boat races from Qinzheng Tower every Dragon Boat Festival, he would lead his ministers to the imperial polo grounds outside the city, hold grand banquets, watch three days of competitions, and then return in high spirits.

These past few days, Pei Yanci had been busy preparing luggage for Gu Jiuqing, while also having to store the hemp robes, sash belts, and painted fans gifted by the emperor in the storeroom.

The biggest difference this year from previous years was that some court officials would also come to the Crown Prince’s Mansion to present fans and hundred-cord rice dumplings.

What those people sent was a bit more refined than what commoners sold outside, though not particularly valuable. It was just for festivity and liveliness, and a rare opportunity to visit the Crown Prince’s Mansion under a legitimate pretext to assess the abilities of this newly emperor-approved crown prince.

Pei Yanci had just seen off a group of people when he noticed a familiar face getting off a carriage.

Hu Erlai had been living in Anjing for many years and had long since integrated into Great Yu customs. At this moment, his face was full of joy, followed by two attendants holding gift boxes, and he greeted Pei Yanci.

“Zhongyun Daren looks very well. It seems good fortune has come your way recently.” Pei Yanci bowed to him, stepped aside, and made a “please” gesture.

“That’s also thanks to the Chief Steward’s blessing,” Hu Erlai eagerly grasped his hand and secretly slipped him an ingot of silver. “In less than two months, Hu Daren’s body has been exhausted, and he needs to rest at home for a while.”

“Because of the tax law?”

“The Chief Steward truly keeps a bright mirror in his heart.” Hu Erlai smiled. “Previously, when there was talk of major tax law reform, Hu Daren always advised His Highness to proceed cautiously with this matter, not to be used by others. Even if reforms were necessary, he advised His Highness to know his limits and make only minor adjustments based on the current tax law.”

Pei Yanci agreed with this. It wasn’t that the current tax law was good—it was already showing signs of disrupting the dynasty—but the ground for reform hadn’t been prepared yet. The timing wasn’t right. Proposing major reforms now would certainly bring out a large group of opponents, and even getting past the emperor would be difficult.

Since the Crown Prince was doing this, he had to achieve outstanding results. Small actions would be better left undone. How could he possibly listen to Hu Minlai’s words?

“Later, when the new tax policy was drafted, Hu Daren advised His Highness to decisively abandon the version drafted by Prime Minister Zheng, saying that since reforms were to be made, they should be thorough. Being afraid of wolves ahead and tigers behind would only result in neither showing His Highness’s abilities to His Majesty nor avoiding offending Prime Minister Zheng—gaining nothing on either side. Who wouldn’t be angry hearing such words? Yesterday His Highness told him to rest at home. Tell me, isn’t this sowing discord between His Highness and Prime Minister Zheng?”

The relationship between Gu Jiuqing and Prime Minister Zheng naturally couldn’t be disrupted by a Hu Minlai alone—it was a conflict of interests.

If Gu Jiuqing wanted to achieve merit for the emperor to see, he inevitably couldn’t avoid damaging aristocratic family interests. He also knew he still needed aristocratic family support, so he deleted from the legal policy Pei Yanci had given him all measures unfavorable to aristocratic families—turning a blind eye and tacitly allowing what the aristocratic families did.

But Prime Minister Zheng wanted far more than this. Pei Yanci didn’t know why he agreed to the reforms, but since he decided to reform, with such a major action, he naturally had to elevate aristocratic family power and interests to an even higher level. Otherwise, after all that trouble, if things were barely different from not reforming, why would he take the risk to reform at all?

As long as a national policy could still maintain a country’s basic operation, the cost of reform far exceeded maintaining the status quo, even if problems were already emerging.

“Hu Daren has sown discord between His Highness and Prime Minister Zheng. His days ahead will be difficult.” Pei Yanci said.

“But if His Highness can ease relations with Prime Minister Zheng, even if he suffers somewhat, it’s another way of showing loyalty to His Highness.” Hu Erlai said.

They both knew full well that some time ago, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Zheng had a major conflict over this matter, but they couldn’t break completely. To ease relations, someone had to concede a step, and someone had to take the blame for this matter.

Gu Jiuqing ultimately lowered his head first and attributed all his recent actions to Hu Minlai’s instigation.

Whether this suggestion came from Hu Erlai to Gu Jiuqing, or from Wang Gu, remained unknown.

Or perhaps from Gu Jiuqing himself.

As they were about to reach the small courtyard where Gu Jiuqing received guests, Hu Erlai affectionately patted his shoulder. “In the future, I’ll have to rely on the Chief Steward to put in many good words before His Highness. With Hu Daren on leave, Eastern Palace affairs can’t be delayed. His Highness is probably pondering who to replace Hu Daren.”

“Temporarily replace, Zhongyun Daren.” Pei Yanci gently pointed out the impropriety in his words.

Hu Erlai had a character flaw: impatience.

Back then, he had been eager to visit late at night and complain before Gu Jiuqing. Now, before Hu Minlai had even stepped down from his position as Left Vice Director, his desire to replace him was already blatantly obvious.

“Yes, temporarily replace.” Hu Erlai didn’t care about the distinction, because there was hardly any difference anymore.

“Awaiting the good news from Daren.” Pei Yanci stood at the courtyard entrance.

Hu Erlai entered the courtyard, and he took the servant holding gift boxes nearby to the storeroom for registration.

After he returned to the main gate to receive other officials for a while, he saw Hu Erlai finally emerge.

Except his expression momentarily stiffened when he saw him.

Pei Yanci’s demeanor was the same as before, respectfully seeing him off.

“The Crown Prince didn’t scold him, did he?” Wuli followed behind, curious. “It’s almost the festival—he should be more harmonious.”

“Scolding wouldn’t be necessary. Perhaps there was just a gap between reality and what he had in mind.” Pei Yanci said, reaching into his sleeve and tossing over an ingot of silver.

Wuli caught it hastily—at least five taels—and said with surprised delight. “This is for me?”

This was equivalent to more than a year’s wages.

“Mm.” Pei Yanci gave Wuli what Hu Erlai had casually tipped him earlier.

The battlefield involved real combat with swords and spears, where the blood spilled was visible.

In the political arena, some people might not even know how they lost or where they lost.

Like Hu Minlai, like Hu Erlai.