Chapter 74 A Eulogy for the Loyal Souls (Part Two) First published on Jinjiang! ...
Before they even reached the study door, the sounds of arguing pierced through the tightly closed carved wooden door, splashing out like boiling water.
"The nursery rhyme spreads throughout the streets and alleys, every line pointing directly to the empress's interference in politics and the emperor's indulgence in beauty! Your Majesty, the people's will is the will of Heaven, and we must not ignore it!" This was the voice of Zeng Wenbai, the Imperial Censor, old yet sharp.
"Bullshit!" Zhou Xie, the commander of the Palace Guard, shouted in a loud voice, "The enemy is besieging the city, and instead of thinking of ways to break through their defenses, you have the leisure to gossip about nursery rhymes? That stuff is clearly a trick sent by Chu Xi to spread and sow discord among our troops!"
"Commander Zhou, what a show of power! If it weren't for you military generals holding onto your troops and hesitating to come out of the city to fight, would Chang'an be in this state?"
"Leave the city? Zeng, do you know how many rebels are outside the city? You want me to lead the garrison out to their deaths so that Chu Xi can enter the city sooner and chop off your head, is that it?"
Ye Yixiang stood under the eaves. The chill after the rain seeped up the stone slabs, causing her already thin body to shiver slightly. Pei Hong stood beside her, his face ashen, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
“Your Majesty,” Pei Hong lowered his voice, “the situation inside… is not quite right. Would you please wait a moment?”
She shook her head, about to speak, when a new argument broke out from inside the door.
"Wasn't that nursery rhyme clear enough?" another civil official's voice joined in. It was Duan Mingyuan, the Vice Minister of Rites. "'Old fragrances are hidden in the corner of the palace, a single branch entwines the emperor's robes'! You all know who these 'old fragrances' refer to! Consort Ying was originally a princess of the previous dynasty, and she was once married to the Lu family, but now..."
"You surnamed Duan!" Zhou Xie roared, followed by a loud slam of his fist on the table. "How dare you speak ill of the Empress! If you dare utter another word of nonsense!"
"As a civil official, I would rather die speaking out than live in silence. This old minister speaks out for the people of the world! What, Commander Zhou, do you intend to use force in front of His Majesty? Come, come, strike here!" Duan Yuan's voice was provocative. "Let the world see what our Great Chu's military generals can do besides throwing punches at their own colleagues!"
Pei Hong could no longer contain himself and hurriedly bowed to Ye Yixiang: "Your Majesty, please forgive me!" He then turned around and pushed open the study door.
The scene inside was appalling. A dozen or so civil and military officials were divided into two groups. The civil officials had their sleeves rolled up high and were spitting as they spoke; the military officials were all red-faced and had their hands on the hilts of their swords.
Chu Huaili sat in the main seat, his face eerily calm, but the knuckles of his hands gripping the armrests were white from clenching them.
"Keep arguing! Keep arguing!" Pei Hong strode in, his voice shaking the dust that fell from the rafters. "The enemy is right outside the city, and you have the leisure to bicker among yourselves! Lord Zeng—"
He walked straight up to Zeng Wenbai, the old censor who had been shouting the loudest earlier, but now, when Pei Hong glared at him, he subconsciously took a half step back.
"You just said that military generals are ruining the country?" Pei Hong said, emphasizing each word. "Then I would like to ask, who led the soldiers to clear the roads and transport grain during last year's snow disaster in the northern frontier? Who was the first to jump into the floodwaters to drive piles to plug the breach when the canal collapsed the year before last? It was us 'ruining the country' military men! And where were you, a 'loyal' civil official, at that time? In your warm chambers writing memorials accusing us of 'arbitrarily mobilizing laborers and disturbing the local area'!"
Zeng Wenbo's face turned a deep shade of liver: "You, you're trying to twist the truth..."
"I'm distorting the truth?" Pei Hong suddenly laughed, a laugh full of malice. "Then let's settle this today!"
Before he could finish speaking, he threw a punch.
Zeng Wenbai screamed in pain as blood gushed from his nose. Several civil officials nearby were stunned for a moment, then erupted in uproar: "Rebellion! A military man is assaulting an imperial censor in court!"
"That's exactly the kind of trash like you who only know how to talk!" A young military officer, who had been holding back his anger, immediately rolled up his sleeves, revealing his thick arms, when he saw Pei Hong make a move. "I've had my eye on you guys for a long time!"
"Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!"
At first, some people tried to break up the fight, but in the shoving and pushing, someone stepped on whose foot, someone tore whose official robe, and soon, those trying to break up the fight became fighters themselves. The study was completely turned into a marketplace brawl, official hats rolled off, belts came undone, and the normally dignified ministers wrestled together.
That's enough.
The voice was not loud, and could even be described as calm.
But the moment those two words were uttered, the entire study seemed to freeze. Everyone stood there, frozen in their ridiculous wrestling poses, slowly turning their heads.
Chu Huaili had already stood up.
His face was expressionless as his gaze swept over the faces that were bruised, battered, or terrified. His eyes were cold, as cold as a knife blade dipped in ice in the twelfth lunar month, chilling one to the bone.
"Finished?" he asked, his voice still steady.
No one dared to answer.
"It seems you all have plenty of energy." Chu Huaili slowly stepped down from the main seat, his boots rustling softly over the torn memorials on the ground. "Very well. The northern border defenses are weak, and the western barbarians are making frequent disturbances. Once the matter in Chang'an is settled, all of you who acted here today will go to serve on the frontier. Imperial Censor Zeng!"
Zeng Wenbo covered his bleeding nose and shivered.
"Since you are concerned about the affairs of the country, go to Yanmen Pass as a military supervisor and see for yourself how the soldiers defend the land."
"Commander Zhou."
Zhou Xie knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate is here."
"Go to Lianglongxi. Bandits are rampant there, and they need a fierce general like you to suppress them."
He called out names one by one, his tone unhurried yet sending chills down everyone's spines. This wasn't punishment; it was exile! They were being sent to the most arduous, dangerous, and likely places to die on the battlefield.
The study was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing.
Just then, the door was gently pushed open.
Ye Yixiang stood at the doorway, her figure thin and frail, against the light from the corridor, as if it might shatter at any moment. Her gaze calmly swept over the mess in the room, over the disheveled courtiers, and finally landed on Chu Huaili.
Then, she lifted her skirt and slowly knelt down.
The bluestone slabs were icy cold, yet she knelt upright.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to make peace with the Northern Barbarians in exchange for their troops to lift the siege of Lintong and save the lives of the people and soldiers in the city."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the room was astonished.
Chu Huaili's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. He looked at her lowered eyes and her slender figure kneeling on the cold stone ground. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, slowly clenched, his nails digging deep into his palms.
In the deathly silence, Duan Yuan was the first to react. Ignoring his scalded lip, he rushed forward: "Your Majesty is truly wise and righteous! The Northern Di cavalry are valiant; with their assistance, the crisis at Lintong will be resolved immediately! Moreover, a marriage alliance between the two countries can guarantee ten years of peace on the border, it is truly..."
“Lord Duan,” Zhou Xie, the commander of the Palace Guard, interrupted in a hoarse voice, “Before Lord Nie died for his country, he sent messages to various prefectures in code. The troops to come to the aid of the emperor will arrive soon, and the Northern Barbarian reinforcements may not be needed.”
“But what if the Northern Di take advantage of the chaos and join forces with Chu Xi?” Duan Yuan retorted. “Then we will be attacked from both sides, which would be a true dead end! Her Majesty’s willingness to marry into the Northern Di is the best policy, as it not only resolves the military crisis but also strengthens diplomatic relations!”
"The best course of action?" Zhou Xie sneered. "Sending a royal concubine to marry a foreign ruler is the best course of action? Lord Duan, have you, the Vice Minister of Rites, wasted all your knowledge of the classics?"
"you……"
"Shut up, all of you," Chu Huaili finally spoke.
He walked up to Ye Yixiang and stopped. She could see the cloud patterns embroidered in gold thread on the hem of his black robe and smell the faint scent of ebony and sandalwood on him.
“Look up,” he said.
Ye Yixiang slowly raised her face.
Their eyes met. She saw many things in his eyes: surging anger, suppressed pain, and a bottomless emotion that seemed to devour her. It wasn't the look of an emperor looking at a concubine; it was more like…
Like a trapped beast staring at the only exit.
"Do you know," Chu Huaili's voice was very low, so low that only the two of them could hear it, "who is currently in power in the Northern Barbarians?"
Of course she knew. Geshulin, that ambitious new Khan. Also... Geshuche's elder brother.
"I know," she replied calmly.
Chu Huaili's lips curled up very slightly, but the smile did not reach his eyes; instead, it revealed a hint of coldness: "So, is it for Lintong, or for..." He paused, not finishing his sentence, but his eyes said it all.
Or was it so that I could have a chance to see him?
Ye Yixiang felt a sharp, persistent pain in her heart, as if pricked by needles. She lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his overly sharp gaze: "I do this for the sake of the country, the people, and all its inhabitants."
After a long while, Chu Huaili chuckled softly.
The laughter was soft, yet it sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.
“What Minister Duan said is not without reason.” He turned around and walked back to the main seat step by step. His voice regained its usual composure, as if his momentary loss of composure was just an illusion. “If the Northern Barbarians are willing to send troops, it can indeed solve the immediate crisis. Moreover, a marriage alliance between the two countries can strengthen the border defenses.”
He sat down slowly, his hands gripping the back of the chair, his knuckles still pale.
"This matter," he raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below, finally settling on Ye Yixiang, who was still kneeling on the ground, "allow me to consider it."
Ye Yixiang's heart sank little by little.
She thought he would rebuke her, refuse, or even just utter a dismissive "absurd" to save face for his imperial authority. But he didn't. He was simply weighing the pros and cons, calculating the gains and losses, just as a true emperor should.
"Your Majesty is wise!" Duan Yuan led the way by kneeling down, followed closely by several civil officials.
The generals exchanged bewildered glances. Zhou Xie gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, but ultimately remained silent.
Chu Huaili waved his hand and closed his eyes wearily: "All of you, step back. We'll discuss this again tomorrow."
The crowd, as if granted a pardon, bowed and withdrew. As they passed Ye Yixiang, some cast pitying glances, while others wore smug expressions. She remained kneeling, motionless, like a jade sculpture that had lost its soul.
The door closed as the last person left.
Chu Huaili remained with his eyes closed, leaning back in his chair. The flickering candlelight cast swaying shadows on his face.
"Aren't you getting up?" he suddenly said.
Ye Yixiang remained silent for a moment, then slowly stood up. Her knees ached from kneeling for so long; she staggered and had to steady herself by holding onto a nearby pillar.
"come over."
She hesitated for a moment, then walked over and stopped three steps away from him.
Chu Huaili opened his eyes, his gaze falling on her pale face for a long time. So long that she could barely bear the weight of his gaze, he finally spoke, his voice terribly hoarse:
"You really want to leave?"
Ye Yixiang choked up, unable to answer.
He suddenly stood up, took a step in front of her, reached out and pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her head. The action was not gentle, even somewhat rough.
"Look at me," he said, staring into her eyes, enunciating each word clearly, "Is my beloved consort reminiscing about the past?"
His fingertips were icy cold, but his eyes were burning hot, so hot that she almost burst into tears.
But in the end, she simply lowered her eyelashes and whispered:
“Your Majesty is the sovereign, and I am but a concubine. If the sovereign commands me to die, I have no choice but to die. Moreover… as Your Majesty’s bedmate, it is my duty to relieve Your Majesty’s urgent crisis.”
Chu Huaili's fingers trembled slightly.
He released her, turned around, his back to her, his shoulders and back taut like a fully drawn bow.
“Fine,” he said, something breaking in his voice, “a fine ‘the ruler commands the subject to die’ statement.”
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