Chapter 106 I never wanted Jingchuan to die. ...
Chapter 106
Yizhu Garden was as quiet as ever; you could hear a pin drop.
Perhaps because of the New Year, Xie Chang's usual students were all away, and even his little doorman named Jinji was nowhere to be found. In the large courtyard, there was only Xie Chang, with a long wooden table set up and a paintbrush in his hand.
There were sketches all around his feet. Xie Chang loved to paint bamboo. Looking around, the ground was covered with bamboo. In the whole capital, Xie Chang's bamboo paintings were the best, and they were priceless. Shen Suining had seen a small fan that Shen Yan had given her at his residence. It had a few bamboo leaves drawn on it, and Shen Yan treasured it like the back of his hand.
Shen Suining doesn't understand painting, but she just inexplicably felt that Xie Chang's back seemed straighter today than when she first came to the capital last year.
"You've arrived."
After adding the last leaf, Xie Chang picked up the drawing paper and looked at it again and again, still seemingly dissatisfied. So he tore the paper to shreds and muttered to himself, "I'm getting old. I can't even paint plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums properly after a lifetime of painting them!"
“No way! I had dinner at my father’s place the other day, and he reminded me that when I come to pay my respects to Mr. Xie for the New Year, I must ask you for a piece of your calligraphy. He’s the most picky person, and in the whole capital, only your work can make him remember it so fondly. He says that your bamboo painting is the best bamboo painting ever made.” Shen Suining’s voice was light and cheerful, entirely in the tone of a junior praising an elder.
It's been more than half a year since Shen Suining came to Huadu, but she has only met Xie Chang a handful of times. Most of the time, she is with Shen Yan or He Hansheng, and they have hardly ever met in private.
She heard from others that Xie Chang was an extremely arrogant person, even aloof, looking down on everyone equally. Otherwise, he wouldn't have remained unmarried and childless his entire life. His usual warm treatment of her was probably because she was the daughter of his old friend Shen Yan, or the wife of his beloved disciple He Hansheng.
Whatever the reason, it wasn't because of Shen Suining herself. Xie Chang valued the Confucian ethical rules of respecting elders and juniors, and the distinction between superiors and inferiors, and the relationship between ruler and subject and father and son. He probably didn't like her casual and undisciplined nature, and her ability to treat all elders as equals. His favorite student was probably like He Hansheng on the surface: obedient, self-disciplined, gentle, polite, and tactful.
Xie Chang asked her: Do you know anything about bamboo?
Shen Suining said she didn't understand; the bamboo she drew was worse than bamboo trampled by chickens. If she had to make a connection, it was that when she was a child, she practiced swordsmanship and the first sword she used was a bamboo sword.
Xie Chang remained silent for a long time before saying that he didn't really understand either, because it wasn't him who liked bamboo, but He Changxin. The first thing he liked to paint was actually plum blossoms. It was only after He Changxin passed away that Xie Chang inexplicably began to like painting bamboo, and only bamboo.
Xie Chang said that among the Four Gentlemen of Plum Blossom, Orchid, Bamboo and Chrysanthemum, he disliked bamboo the most, just like among his old friends, he disliked He Changxin the most.
He Changxin came from humble beginnings and hadn't read many books before entering officialdom, while Xie Chang was a proper scholar. He had participated in the imperial examinations and served as a minor official in the previous dynasty. He usually spoke in a refined and slow manner, sometimes going in circles, and He Changxin still couldn't understand what he was trying to say.
He Changxin was a straightforward person, and sometimes he would get impatient. He often said that Xie Chang had read too many books and made him stupid, so he couldn't even speak clearly. Xie Chang couldn't stand such words. But his usual upbringing prevented him from uttering any insults. He would only blush and angrily retort: "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect."
At first, He Changxin didn't understand this sentence either. After he understood it, he called Xie Chang "winter worm," which made Xie Chang very angry. He wrote a two-page article to scold him, which was full of literary language. At that time, everyone in Huadu thought that Xie Chang and He Changxin were not on good terms, but that Prime Minister Xie was good-natured and maintained a facade of respectability.
Despite their bickering, during the years they worked together, as Li Bo's right-hand men, each wielding both civil and military power, they ushered in the first golden age since the founding of the Dacheng Dynasty. Although He Changxin was impatient, he wasn't reckless. He knew he wasn't very well-educated and might not be able to make some decisions, so he would always consult Xie Chang on crucial matters. Although Xie Chang was unhappy that He Changxin, who was almost a decade younger than him, acted like a brother to him, he also knew He Changxin's loyalty. Sometimes, when He Changxin spoke out against Li Bo and was punished, Xie Chang would lend a hand and say a few good words for him.
When He Changxin proposed to reform the military system, Xie Chang disagreed, but when Li Bo was truly enraged, he still chose to protect him without hesitation.
Xie Chang said, "Jingchuan's temperament is like bamboo, unyielding and extremely upright. To put it nicely, you could call it integrity. To put it bluntly, you could call it stubbornness. For a while, we would argue every time we met. At that time, the world was actually at peace, and the various lords had all submitted to the court. Only the bandits in the south were still causing trouble. Jingchuan insisted on sending troops to resolve the issue in his own way. But at that time, Dacheng had just pacified the northern border and had gained a brief respite from the shadow of war. The national treasury was tight and simply not enough to support our conquest by force. He said that we officials should tighten our belts and save money for the war so that the people could live a good life after the war. What an absurd suggestion! But he didn't think there was a problem with it. The civil and military officials strongly opposed it, and His Majesty didn't support it either. He was so stubborn that no matter what we said, we couldn't convince him. At that time, I looked at him the same way he looked at me, and I couldn't stand anything about him."
Shen Suining had heard her father talk about this. The rebellions in Xiaoxiang and Lingnan were quelled by Lord He. Although both were in the south, the people there had different customs from those in Jiangnan. They lived by the mountains and were surrounded by waterways. The terrain was complex and easy to defend, but difficult to attack. In addition, the land of fish and rice had abundant food and supplies. It would not be something that could be accomplished in just a few months. If it took three to five years, the court at that time could not afford to wait.
Of course, it was He Changxin who eventually led his troops south to quell the rebellion. Regardless of how he secured this opportunity, at least in terms of the outcome, he fulfilled his promise. The Xiaoxiang region was indeed peaceful for a long time afterward, until the last two years when rebellious thoughts began to emerge again.
She thought for a moment and said, "It has always been this way throughout history. Civil officials advocate peace, while military generals advocate war. There is no right or wrong in this, it's just a difference in how we think about things."
“You’re wrong, young lady,” Xie Chang said with a smile and shook his head. “Standards and methods are all matters for us ministers. In the Emperor’s eyes, what he thinks is right is right, and what he thinks is wrong is wrong. Jingchuan insisted on his own opinion and repeatedly offended His Majesty, which was a major taboo. Even if he won the Battle of Xiaoxiang, in His Majesty’s eyes, he was still wrong, and it was an unforgivable mistake.”
"What you just said is true. It has always been so throughout history. When the birds are gone, the bows and slings are put away. Since ancient times, many good generals have died in the court. The people the emperor relies on most in times of chaos are also the people the emperor fears most in times of prosperity. The emperor's suspicion is more terrifying than the swords that kill on the battlefield. Jingchuan is completely unaware of this and continues to do as he pleases, as if there is no one in the whole country he dares not offend."
That day, Xie Chang talked a lot, from recalling the discord between him and He Changxin when they first met, to their mutual support when they worked together, and their arguments when they disagreed on political views. It was as if he wanted to lay out their entire lives for others to see.
In the end, all he wanted to say was: Look, that's just He Changxin's personality. I've tried to persuade him every time, but he won't listen. So be it, let him do whatever he wants.
Shen Suining sighed quietly. Just as Xie Chang was about to begin his reminiscences again, she finally interrupted him, asking the crucial question: "So you knew about Lord He's trip to Yunzhou, didn't you? You knew the Emperor had long been wary of him, you knew He Bufan had long coveted the Yong'an Marquis's mansion, and you knew there was no rebellion in Yunzhou at all. It was all a calculated move, a trap set to lure Lord He into a trap. You knew all along, because of the person who wrote the letter to Lord He in Yunzhou—"
Shen Suining said slowly and deliberately, “Liu Chunying was once your student. Although your master-disciple relationship lasted only a few days, you exchanged letters several times during his years in Yunzhou. You know the situation in Yunzhou better than anyone else.”
This information had obviously been deliberately erased, but it was still discovered by Wei Zhao of Qianji Pavilion.
Xie Chang froze, as if his fig leaf, which he had always kept hidden, had been suddenly ripped off and torn to shreds. He even looked at Shen Suining in disbelief, his lips trembling uncontrollably. His eyes held confusion, shock, fear, and even... unspeakable shame. Finally, he hunched over and leaned against the wooden table, a tear falling onto the drawing paper. The ink that spread out looked like a tumor growing on a straight bamboo stalk.
What kind of person is Xie Chang? Shen Suining asked Shen Yan.
He thought for a moment and said that Xie Chang was a kind-hearted man and their elder brother, but sometimes he was too rule-abiding and even overly cautious.
Back then, these young people were at an age where they didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Xie Chang was like an old mother, worrying about this and that. When Li Bo ascended the throne and they met for the first time as proper ruler and subject, Xie Chang pulled them all together and rehearsed each of their words and actions like a play, afraid that they might make a mistake or overstep the proper etiquette between ruler and subject.
Shen Suining was a little curious and asked, "Are you cooperating?"
Shen Yan said of course not. At that time, they all felt that although Li Bo had become emperor, they had gone through thick and thin together and were like brothers. There was no need to draw a line as Xie Chang suggested, which was too deliberate. He Changxin was even more so. After learning Xie Chang's purpose, he ignored him completely, which made Xie Chang so angry that he jumped up and down and cursed him as an incorrigible child.
Shen Suining had asked He Hansheng the same question.
That was his mentor. When He Changxin was away fighting, he spent most of his time at Xie Chang's house because his mother was too strict with him and there were too many rules for studying in the palace. Only at his teacher's house could he catch his breath.
In He Hansheng's eyes, his teacher fulfilled all his fantasies about a scholar who was honest and upright. Because Xie Chang was neither as quick-tempered as his father nor as strict as his mother, he taught him with gentle guidance and great patience.
The only downside is that he's a bit too concerned about saving face.
Talented people are also proud. Xie Chang couldn't stand hearing anyone say anything bad about him, and he couldn't tolerate his clean life being tainted in the slightest.
Thus, He Changxin's death became a thorn in Xie Chang's heart, a stain on his life that he could not forget day and night and that kept him tossing and turning.
Xie Chang wept bitterly.
He covered his face and choked back tears as he told Shen Suining, "I never wanted Jingchuan to die."
If others said this, Shen Suining might find it hypocritical, but Xie Chang said she believed it.
“Jingchuan… I know his temperament. He’s stubborn and won’t turn back until he hits a brick wall. Every time I try to persuade him, he argues with me. Once, when we were arguing, he called me old-fashioned, a pedantic scholar, a scholar who ruins the country, and a selfish person who only cares about fame and fortune and doesn’t care about the lives of others. At that time, I knew that His Majesty’s tolerance for Jingchuan’s family was almost exhausted. Anyone with eyes could see that, even Yun Chu could see it, but Jingchuan just wouldn’t believe it.”
“I also know what He Bufan is plotting. I heard it all clearly when he presented Liu Chunying’s letter of appeal to the Emperor. Yunzhou is Jingchuan’s hometown, which he knows very well. Moreover, it is close to the border and a strategic location. Even the slightest trouble there would affect the capital. It’s too obvious that Jingchuan would not remain inactive upon hearing this news. As soon as I heard it, I knew that this was a trap set for Jingchuan, waiting for that fool to jump in. His Majesty knows this even better, but he needs someone else to be the knife. He wants to get rid of Jingchuan, but he can’t dirty his own hands.”
"I was also acting out of spite. I knew Jingchuan wouldn't listen to me, so I thought, 'Fine, then go ahead and go to Yunzhou with your stubborn, blockheaded attitude. Once you're involved, you'll know whether what I said is right or wrong.' I considered countless possibilities. Even in the worst-case scenario, as long as he lived, even if His Majesty really ordered his execution, I could at least save his life while I was in the capital. But I never expected..."
At this point, Xie Chang was already sobbing uncontrollably and unable to continue speaking.
"You didn't expect this scheme against Lord He to be so cruel and ruthless, you didn't expect him to actually fall into the ambush and die in Yunzhou, without giving you any chance to plead for him, did you?" Shen Suining clenched her fists, struggling to make her voice sound calm. At this moment, she felt a tightness in her chest, unable to let go, feeling suffocated.
She didn't know Xie Chang's character, but Xie Chang's actions perfectly matched her stereotype of aloof and cultured people.
She once met a scholar when she went down the mountain. His wife was a pig butcher who had no opinions of her own. Whenever she had a problem, she liked to ask the scholar for his opinion. Every time, the scholar would pretend not to hear her. After his wife made a mistake, he would clean up the mess and then look down on her, saying, "See? I have to teach you."
Of course, Xie Chang wasn't so blunt, but presumably He Changxin's long-standing disrespect had finally taken root in his heart. When he deliberately concealed it, was he also thinking that when the truth came out, he would personally step in to solve the trouble He Changxin had caused to prove that he was right, so that the rough and tumble general who had always been unconvinced by him would look at him with more respect?
This was Shen Suining's speculation. As for whether Xie Chang thought the same way, she didn't want to delve into it. That was a feud between their elders, and as a junior, she had no right to interfere. What she wanted to know now was—
"That secret order summoning my father to the capital was also suggested to His Majesty by you, wasn't it?"
Xie Chang said yes.
Shen Suining asked him why, and Xie Chang murmured for a long time, saying that he didn't know why either. He just felt that He Changxin had died unjustly, and the only person in the world who could pull him out of the dark cave was Qin Yanzhi back then.
Indeed, this was the case. Shen Suining saw that Xie Chang, after breaking down in tears, seemed to finally have a sense of relief on his face.
Shen Suining had a bad feeling at the time.
"Good boy, you reacted even faster than your father," Xie Chang composed himself, his aged face showing more relief and appreciation. "With you by Yun Chu's side in Hua Du, I can rest assured."
Before Shen Suining could react, Xie Chang slammed his head against a pillar in front of the door. His body slid slowly down the pillar, leaving a shocking pool of blood on it. Next to the pillar hung a painting of orchids and bamboo that he had made, with four large characters inscribed on the plaque beside it: "Refined Breeze and Elegant Charm".
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