Chapter 55 One of the chess pieces: You can inspect it beforehand; if you can get along with one of them...
I could only catch a glimpse of half a face; the chin was pointed, and the profile was hidden in the shadows, making it difficult to see clearly.
Huan Xun glanced at it lazily, then looked away as if chewing wax.
As Xiao Chengyan rode past Chongyue Tower, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing by the carved window lattice. He tightened the reins, and his horse took a few small steps in place.
He raised his hand and waved, his voice rising as it drifted upstairs: "Brother Huan..."
Having spent most of his time in the border regions and in the capital, Huan Xun had few people he could remember, but Xiao Chengyan was one of them.
Although the two were not particularly close, Xiao Chengyan, being slightly older, greatly admired Huan Xun, who had achieved remarkable military exploits at a young age, and sincerely wanted to befriend him. When Huan Xun returned to the capital from Huaiyuan to take up his post, no one in the entire Jian'an City was happier than Xiao Chengyan.
Xiao Chengyan often visited the Jiheng Mansion for casual chats, but Huan Xun was not very enthusiastic towards him and always remained indifferent.
Xiao Chengyan didn't take it to heart, always thinking that his position as the Crown Prince's tutor was deliberately keeping his distance from him because he was concerned about public opinion in the court.
Since ancient times, rulers have been most wary of their officials having too close a relationship with the imperial family and relatives, but his status was indeed special.
His mother was Princess Chang Le, the second daughter of the Empress Dowager, who was the late Emperor's half-sister. Princess Chang Le and the Crown Prince of Nan Yin met during a period of friendly relations between the two countries, and they fell in love at first sight. Their marriage, witnessed by envoys from both nations, became a celebrated story. As a symbol of this alliance, the princess's eldest son, Xiao Chengzun, was immediately made Crown Prince.
Who would have thought that such beauty would be so short-lived? Princess Chang Le contracted tuberculosis shortly after giving birth to him, and despite all medical treatment, she passed away.
The Empress Dowager was devastated upon hearing the tragic news. She was also deeply worried when she learned that her infant grandson was weak and had contracted a cough. She feared that he would suffer from the same illness as his mother.
Under these circumstances, the Empress Dowager believed that the damp and cold climate of Nanyin was most likely to trigger lung diseases. At the same time, she asked a minister to write a letter, saying that she was old and had no other request but to be able to personally take care of her grandson to comfort the spirit of her second daughter, Chang Le, in heaven.
After repeated discussions between the envoys of the two countries, it was finally decided that entrusting the second son to his maternal family for upbringing would not harm the foundation of the state, and that the Imperial Medical Bureau of Beiye was skilled in treating lung diseases, so Xiao Chengyan was brought to Beiye for recuperation. The Crown Prince of Nanyin, grieving the loss of his beloved wife and deeply depressed, immediately agreed.
Who knew that this separation would last for more than ten years, and Xiao Chengyan had long since grown from that frail infant into a young man about to come of age.
Seeing that he was about to go to Chongyue Tower, Zhao Yuntuan hurriedly grabbed his sleeve: "You're going to find Huan Xun again? Why can't you listen to anything I say? The Emperor summoned him back to the capital. Don't you understand the deeper meaning behind it?"
Xiao Chengyan laughed loudly: "Hostages, of course I know. Isn't that what everyone in the court is saying? He is the emperor's hostage, and I am the 'hostage' in the mouths of the officials. In that case, aren't we in the same boat? We should be drinking and laughing together, and cherish each other's friendship."
Zhao Yuntuan refuted his "absurd" remarks: "How can you compare yourself to him? He is just a military man from a humble military family, while you are a genuine member of the royal family."
"So what if he's a military household?" Xiao Chengyan said indifferently. "He has no family to rely on; he earned his current fame entirely through his own abilities. Isn't such extraordinary talent even more admirable?"
“But…” Zhao Yuntuan wanted to say something more.
Xiao Chengyan raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder, saying, "I know all about how good Yun Tuan is to me. You can put your mind at ease. I don't discuss politics with him; we're just friends."
After saying that, he instructed him, "I'm going to find Brother Huan for a drink. You go back to your residence first, and we'll visit your imperial sister another day."
Zhao Yuntuan had barely uttered the word "Cheng" when Xiao Chengyan leaped into the air. He didn't even use the main gate; his boot toes touched the saddle, and he soared into the air. With a flurry of robes, he had already leaped to the second floor of Chongyue Tower, braced himself against the window frame with one hand, and his agile figure disappeared through the window.
With no one left, there was no point in Zhao Yuntuan saying anything more. He looked at the empty window, shook his head, smiled bitterly, and then left.
Huan Xun had already returned to his desk while the two were talking, and poured himself a cup of tea.
Hearing the sound of black boots landing by the window, he merely raised his eyelids slightly, his teacup remaining untouched as he took another small sip.
Xiao Chengyan strode in, sat cross-legged on the table without any politeness, snatched the white porcelain cup from Huan Xun's hand, brought it to his nose and sniffed it, teasing him: "Everyone in the city knows that Chongyue Tower's Qionghua Yu Niang is a masterpiece, yet Brother Huan comes to a restaurant and drinks this bland soup. Brother Huan is truly an extraordinary person."
Huan Xun slowly took a new teacup, picked up the pot and poured himself another cup: "Your Highness Prince Guangning is joking. I dare not call myself an extraordinary person. Drinking too much wine will lead to trouble. Although the wine from Chongyue Tower is good, I still have a pile of memorials from various departments on my desk, waiting for me to review them."
He didn't pour tea for himself, but Xiao Chengyan wasn't annoyed. He picked up the teapot, poured himself a cup of tea, and drank it with relish.
"No wonder Brother Huan didn't go to the city gate to greet me today; it turns out he was preoccupied with state affairs."
If he truly cared about government affairs, why would he come to a restaurant to listen to music and watch dances?
He was clearly just teasing him.
Huan Xun said casually, "Whether I go or not is irrelevant to me, a mere Vice Minister of the Chancellery. With princes and high-ranking officials in front of me, I will just do my duty."
Although the Vice Minister of the Chancellery was only a third-rank official, he was in charge of important documents and, moreover, he also served as the Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, ranking among the Eastern Palace's teachers and guardians. Such a prestigious and important position, described as "insignificant," seemed to be deliberately downplayed.
Xiao Chengyan was full of enthusiasm, but he didn't care at all about the coldness that Xiao Chengyan seemed to be deliberately trying to avoid suspicion.
“Brother Huan is right. Too many people will make it pointless. Today, the crowd welcoming the emperor was so dense that I couldn’t even get a glimpse of Princess Shunhe’s face from the very back. However…”
He changed the subject, recalling what he had just witnessed, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes: "It's strange, Princess Shunhe was raised in the quiet of a Buddhist temple since childhood, so I thought she would be gentle and docile. But just now, her whole demeanor showed that she was not one to easily lower her head."
Huan Xun casually replied, "What makes you say that, Your Highness?"
Seeing that he seemed interested, Xiao Chengyan put the teacup on the table and told him everything that had happened at the city gate.
In closing, he praised, "If Brother Huan were here, he would be as astonished as I am. There are many spoiled noble ladies in the royal family, but to dare to completely disgrace a prince in front of everyone, this princess is truly one of a kind."
After listening to the accounts of those before him, Huan Xun had no interest in these matters to begin with.
Xiao Chengyan, however, was quite enthusiastic and invited him, saying, "Tomorrow I plan to go to Hongzheng Pavilion with Yun Tuan to visit Princess Shunhe. Would you like to come along, Brother Huan?"
Huan Xun refused without hesitation: "As an outsider, it would be impolite for me to go."
“Lord Huan, you are mistaken.” He earnestly invited him to join him: “You are the Crown Prince’s tutor, and it is your duty to teach His Highness the Crown Prince. Now that the princess has returned to the palace, it is proper for you officials of the Eastern Palace to pay your respects according to the rules.”
Fearing he might refuse, he offered every reason he could think of: "Princess Shunhe is extremely beautiful. Brother Huan, wouldn't you like to see her divine beauty? Moreover, I heard that His Majesty wants to choose a member of the imperial family to marry you. Other noble ladies will also be there tomorrow. There are only a few eligible women in the imperial family. If you can make your choice in advance and find one of them to be mutually attracted, wouldn't that be wonderful?"
He had vaguely heard rumors that the emperor intended to betroth him to someone else.
Arranged marriages are simply the easiest and most effortless way to appease and expand alliances of interests.
His Majesty has only recently ascended the throne, and the four great aristocratic families occupy key positions in the court, challenging the imperial authority. This selection of a son-in-law for a member of the imperial family is ostensibly a marriage alliance, but in reality, it is a means to reshape the court structure through marriage and consolidate power within the imperial court.
It was not surprising to Huan Xun that the emperor had such thoughts.
He lowered his eyes and drank the pre-rain Longjing tea from his cup.
Seeing that he was still hesitating, Xiao Chengyan made the decision directly: "Brother Huan, don't think about it anymore. I will come to your residence to find you at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."
As if afraid he might change his mind, Xiao Chengyan finished his tea in one gulp, stood up, and patted his shoulder: "It's settled then. See you tomorrow."
The beaded curtain rustled softly as the footsteps of the person who had just been beside her faded into the distance.
The pipa played a melodious tune, and the incense in the three-legged dragon-ear incense burner on the table wafted with fragrant smoke. The dancers twirled and turned gracefully, their gauze dresses like a summoning spell, captivating all who saw them and stirring their hearts with their enchanting beauty.
Huan Xun paid no attention to any of this. He stroked the rim of the cup, the tea inside reflecting his thoughtful expression.
Lu Jinshi entered from outside, his steps hurried. Only when he saw that his master, who was sitting safely in front of the sandalwood table, did his tense expression relax slightly.
He hurried to the desk, and when he bowed, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He bowed and clasped his hands in apology, saying, "This subordinate has failed in his duty and was unaware that His Highness Prince Guangning had entered the private room. Please punish me, sir."
Huan Xun's fingertips remained on the rim of the white porcelain cup. Hearing this, he looked up, his eyes filled with an inscrutable expression.
"It's alright." His voice was light and cool: "The Prince of Guangning is not someone you can stop anyway."
As a member of the royal family, Xiao Chengyan's personality meant that if he insisted on forcing his way in, Lu, as a close attendant, would have no choice but to back down.
Although he disliked the Xiao family, there was no need to make things too ugly with Xiao Chengyan at this time. Now that he was in Jian'an, having one more pawn was better than having one less.
After these past few days of probing, Xiao Chengyan has visited him repeatedly, yet he remains unperturbed despite being treated coldly. This is quite different from those arrogant scions of noble families; in the case of ordinary princes and nobles, they would have already turned on him and started cursing.
Xiao Chengyan, however, remained the same as before.
As the saying goes, it's better to make enemies than to create them.
Before making a move, one should first consider the overall situation; even seemingly insignificant pieces should be carefully nurtured. In the game of power, turning enemies into friends is far better than making many powerful adversaries.
In his opinion, Xiao Chengyan was a capable person, and as a member of the Xiao imperial family, while there was no need to deliberately win him over at the moment, it was still worthwhile to leave him some room for maneuver. When the situation changed in the future, this hidden agent might be able to help him achieve his goals unexpectedly.
Thinking of this, he realized that the appointment at Hongzheng Pavilion tomorrow was worth making.
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Author's note: My dear readers, I'll be resetting my daily update schedule.
Also, this activity update is really toxic; the more favorites I have, the more I lose [laughing and crying emojis]. I'm never coming back again.
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