SEHE Chapter 109

The Art of Imperial Governance 

“How am I shameless?” Tang Xizhui put on an innocent expression. “Xiao Pei’er, be reasonable.”

“You’re telling me to be reasonable?” Pei Yanci made a show of laughing menacingly, cracking his knuckles. Before his fist could land on a certain someone’s face, a wet kiss was planted on the corner of his mouth.

The Nine-Thousand-Years really wasn’t playing fair with tactics like these.

That surge of energy in Pei Yanci’s heart dissipated, his gaze drifting about, suddenly unsure of what to do.

“I knew Xiao Pei’er wouldn’t have the heart to be reasonable with me.” Tang Xizhui acted coquettishly, pulling him into an embrace, his nose tip lightly nuzzling against his face intermittently.

“Are you a dog? Let go already.” Though Pei Yanci said this, his temper had completely evaporated inside. He let Tang Xizhui hold him as dense, layered kisses fell upon his temples and brows.

Being this close, Tang Xizhui’s cold fragrance mingled with the earthy scent and the solemn metallic smell of weapons—his nose captured it all crystal clear.

Dugong Daren certainly wouldn’t personally tend flowers and plant trees in his own mansion.

Saying he secretly slipped out from the mansion to find him—who was he fooling? Previously, when confined to his estate, Tang Xizhui still managed to slip into his room in the dead of night. By the looks of it now, he had only just returned to the city this morning, dusty from travel.

This time he must have received secret orders from the Emperor. The house arrest was merely to cover up the fact that he wasn’t in the capital.

Pei Yanci sensed the suffocating silence before the storm.

“You’re holding too tight.” He patted the hands at his waist, signaling to loosen up.

Tang Xizhui pressed close to his ear, the sharp teeth in his mouth faintly breaking through his lips, wanting to climb onto that fair earlobe and tear it bloody. “Xiao Pei’er seems to have noticed something rather remarkable.”

“You haven’t told me anything, how could I possibly know?” Pei Yanci bloomed with an innocent, naive smile amid the dangerous killing intent.

Sometimes knowing too much wasn’t a good thing.

“Don’t worry, what you should know, you’ll find out sooner or later.” Tang Xizhui also smiled, his long, narrow eyes curving into two thin crescents. His ice-cold, deathly pale fingers reached toward his collar, like a nimble little snake coiling and climbing, tugging at his collar. With just a gentle pull, Pei Yanci’s collar would come completely undone.

“Or, you could exchange it for something.”

“That’s truly a pity. I have no intention of doing such things with someone in broad daylight and public view.” Pei Yanci’s breath brushed past his nose as he stood up from his lap.

The waiter brought in the soup and dishes. He turned and sat down across from him.

Tang Xizhui had chosen a window seat. Opening the window revealed the Yuechong River—no need to worry about anyone seeing his face.

“How heartbreaking. If it were here, it would definitely be thrilling.”

“The court struggles of the previous dynasty were far more thrilling than this.” Pei Yanci rolled his eyes. Who was like him, constantly thinking about such things?

“Is Xiao Pei’er so eager to be rid of me, to watch me be executed by a thousand cuts? Tsk tsk, truly heartless.”

“I’m a member of the Zheng family, so naturally I must act from his standpoint.” Pei Yanci took a bite of food, and after swallowing said, “Besides, the things you’ve done—executing you by a thousand cuts ten times wouldn’t be enough to repay your sins. You’ve never had any intention of concealing them, never bothered with covering your tracks. Who’s to blame?”

“If they truly have the ability, let them come and take what’s theirs. I might even look upon them more favorably.”

“You should still restrain yourself a bit.” Pei Yanci chewed the food in his mouth—it had no flavor at all.

“Are you concerned about me?” Tang Xizhui’s eyes instantly brightened.

That look made Pei Yanci’s chest feel stuffy. Not wanting to go against what was in his heart, he gave a soft “Mm,” then added worriedly, “Even if you get through this now, when Gu Jiuqing ascends the throne in the future, the first thing he’ll do is take your life.”

“I know.”

Between his brows was painted a deep indigo five-petaled plum blossom. When he turned his head slightly to look at him, he appeared bewitching and coldly alluring. His deathly pale face, devoid of any vitality, showed a somewhat inhuman transparency under the autumn sunlight streaming through the window. His crow-black, thick curled lashes trembled with bright, scattered light. His eyelids half-closed, unable to conceal the threads of sorrow beneath his eyes.

Pei Yanci was momentarily dazed, then silently cursed himself for caring too much and losing his composure. Anyone serving in the court was waiting for the new emperor’s ascension, waiting to watch this all-powerful Dugong be executed by a thousand cuts and left without a burial place.

“Do you want to persuade me to stop?” Tang Xizhui was hurt for a moment, then returned to his previous nonchalant demeanor.

“Even if you wanted to stop, you can’t anymore.” Pei Yanci drained his cup in one gulp.

With this person here, it was a good opportunity to drink more and practice his alcohol tolerance.

“The Fifth Prince doesn’t seem to have a very good relationship with you either.” He recalled what Gu Wanchong had mentioned earlier. “Tell me, why did you arrest his maternal family and throw them in prison for no reason?”

“The Zheng family, as external relatives, has meddled too much in politics. They even dare to interfere in the matter of the imperial succession. If a new emperor ascends in the future, must we repeat the same mistakes?”

“Won’t His Majesty resent this?” Pei Yanci clicked his tongue.

Gu Wanchong’s maternal family could at least form a source of support. With them around, he wouldn’t be as he was now—constrained by the Eunuch faction alone, utterly stifled.

“My intentions are His Majesty’s intentions.”

“I know you wield overwhelming power.” Pei Yanci said irritably. But thinking it over, if one day the Eunuch faction successfully helped Gu Wanchong ascend to the throne, would that person remember Tang Xizhui’s kindness?

Absolutely not.

His maternal family was persecuted, he was forced to remain in Anjing and get swept into the political vortex. In his name, the Eunuch faction could legitimately attack the Zheng faction. Tang Xizhui’s methods were too dirty, his reputation too foul. No matter who sat on the throne, the first thing they’d do was use him to establish authority and harvest a wave of popular support.

Even an outsider like him could see it clearly—Tang Xizhui couldn’t possibly not know.

Pei Yanci silently sighed in his heart.

“If you used the matter of the external relatives to cleverly reconcile with the Fifth Prince, survival isn’t impossible.” His heart had already grown biased, thinking on Tang Xizhui’s behalf. “External relatives interfering in politics—this isn’t something you should be worried ab—”

Halfway through his words, he set down his chopsticks and looked at the person across from him.

Even if the Eunuch faction wanted to support a new emperor’s ascension, Gu Wanchong’s currently weak external relatives posed no threat whatsoever to their position.

The one who truly feared such things had always been the Emperor alone.

The Emperor worried about external relatives interfering in politics, worried that after Gu Wanchong ascended the throne he would vigorously support his maternal family and repeat the current dynasty’s mistakes. Better to strangle this possibility while it hadn’t yet gained momentum.

“The Fifth Prince’s maternal family—must they die?” He probed with this question.

Seeing his expression, Tang Xizhui knew he had already understood. He smiled. “They must.”

Only this smile carried a few traces of predestined bitterness and desolation.

The premise for thinking this far was that the Emperor had long ago chosen the next successor in his heart—Gu Wanchong.

He had Tang Xizhui secretly provide protection and support, rally court ministers and subordinates, eliminate the external relatives who might in future constrain the imperial clan’s decisions. Meanwhile, openly he made Gu Jiuqing serve as Crown Prince, having him compete with Gu Wanchong to temper his character and master the art of imperial governance.

The Zheng faction, the Eunuch faction, Tang Xizhui, Gu Jiuqing, the Three Departments and Six Ministries, all the old foxes in the entire court—no matter how fiercely they fought now, their final fates had long been arranged clearly by the current emperor.

Death without a burial place!

All to clear the path for Gu Wanchong!

They were nothing more than chess pieces in the Emperor’s hand.

Pei Yanci found this notion so absurd he laughed aloud.

“My intentions have always been His Majesty’s intentions.” Tang Xizhui repeated the phrase, elegantly holding a spoon, scooping up a mouthful of almond milk custard and gently taking it into his smiling mouth, then scooping another spoonful into the bowl and eating it.

He was smiling.

He seemed to be discussing today’s fine autumn weather, seemed to be watching others’ life and death with amusement.

He wore black silk robes with golden thread embroidered along the edges and cuffs, dazzling and brilliant in the sunlight. The ruby wide ring on his index finger was even more glaring. Those slender hands, comparable to the world’s finest jade, yet emanated an aura of death.

A vision of prosperity—a body of withered bones.

Such an intelligent person, even if the Emperor had never revealed any of his thoughts, had long ago deduced everything from past scattered words and phrases.

He had spent seven years going from the Cold Palace to the Chief Overseer’s Mansion, thinking he had finally risen to prominence. But in the end, he was still laughably manipulated by fate.

Since a fatal ending was already predetermined, why should he confine himself to worldly constraints?

He wanted to enjoy the world’s finest things, live the most unrestrained life. At least for now, he had the Emperor’s protection. As for everyone else’s lives in the world—except for the supreme ruler—he could trample anyone beneath his feet and grind them down mercilessly.

“Tell me, will His Majesty finally be willing to punish me for my crimes now?” Tang Xizhui looked at him with a smile, asking softly.

He was already tired.

Pei Yanci gently shook his head. “It’s still far too early.”

Tang Xizhui committed all these crimes so brazenly, acting as if no one else existed, because he knew full well that someone sitting in the highest position turned a blind eye, tacitly granting him such privileges.

As long as Gu Wanchong hadn’t yet matured, Tang Xizhui could never fall.

Feudal dynasties governed the world through law, but there was one person who could stand above all laws—the Son of Heaven.

So there would always be injustice.

“Seems worrying about you was completely unnecessary.” Pei Yanci shook his head and resumed eating his food with gusto.

“That’s different.” Tang Xizhui gathered his thoughts and immediately disagreed. “Without Xiao Pei’er’s concern, I would be heartbroken.”

“……You got along just fine before without my concern. Why are you becoming more delicate now?” Pei Yanci didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

“Now I know you can worry about people.” Tang Xizhui peeled a shrimp and placed it in his bowl, wiped his hands clean, and cut roasted lamb chops for him. “If you were still like before, not knowing hot from cold, then I’d have doted on you for nothing.”

“You’ve never even come inside, how does that count as doting on me?” Pei Yanci couldn’t help but laugh, nearly choking himself.

These words were exactly what he had thrown back at the youth earlier.

Tang Xizhui shot him a reproachful glance. “Eat properly, don’t be cheeky. The pittance you earn from the theater still has to support all those idle people—what good food could you afford for yourself?”

Pei Yanci picked up the roasted lamb chop from his bowl and chewed on it, looking at the face across from him, unconsciously breaking into a smile.

“What are you grinning at me for?” Tang Xizhui pretended to be angry.

Pei Yanci shook his head and picked up the deboned fish meat from his bowl.

He had just thought of a word: virtuous.

His father emperor had told him, “Marry a virtuous wife”—those words weren’t wrong.

“Tang Xizhui.” He swallowed the food in his mouth, took a napkin to dab his lips, and looked at him seriously.

“The Great Yu court has more than just the two paths of Gu Jiuqing and Gu Wanchong.”

“Do you want to choose to support me?”

Tang Xizhui was stunned.

“The first time we met, you treated my words as wind past your ears, but I was serious.”

“I want this ten-thousand-li empire to all bear the surname Pei.”

“And I can also give you a peaceful and safe future.”

He reached out his greasy hand toward the person across from him.

“Do you trust me?”