Luminous Pearl 8
Because they had been delayed for so long, it was already getting light when Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen left, and the breakfast stalls selling steamed buns were already set up.
"Why don't you eat something before you go back?"
Xiao Congzhi was indeed a bit hungry. As he pushed Xie Mowen along, he said, "I think you've gotten tired of all the delicacies you've been eating these past few days."
Xie Mowen replied with a smile, "Indeed... but neither of us gets tired of it."
"You speak without thinking." Xiao Congzhi used the handle of his fan to cover Xie Mowen's mouth, and then took the opportunity to tell him about Physician Xu.
"What medicine do you want to take?" Xie Mowen asked, his smile fading.
"It doesn't matter."
"How can this not be important? It's my fault, I didn't know that."
"I should be fine, I don't feel uncomfortable."
"Even the imperial physicians could spot the problem; you just didn't pay attention. Ask about it when you get back to the palace."
How should I ask that?
“Your royal uncle will definitely come and ask you. Just tell the truth... no, just say that I am not feeling well and ask Physician Xu what medicine to use.”
"Isn't this just too obvious a cover-up?"
"But you can't not say it."
"Fine, I'll arrange for you to deal with him."
"..."
It was now the height of summer, and dawn broke early. As Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen sat down, the morning light shone through the clouds and mist, revealing the warmth of ordinary lamplight amidst the rising heat.
"Boss!" Xie Mowen called out, "One basket of steamed buns and two bowls of soy milk."
"Okay~"
"Eating so much?"
"You'll be going to jail when you get back, so you'd better eat more."
Xiao Congzhi chuckled: "The Ministry of Justice prison is still cold and damp. How about we buy a couple more warm clothes on the way back?"
"Hahaha, two thick clothes aren't enough, why not buy a blanket?"
"So are you going to jail or camping? And how are you going to tell Sun Rang that you escaped from Xuanhe Palace just to buy some warm clothes?"
Xie Mowen smiled and accepted the soy milk from the shopkeeper, then placed a pair of chopsticks on Xiao Congzhi's bowl. "Getting back to the point, you haven't told me your plans either."
"You'll find out when you get back, it's alright."
"..."
The early starters at these shops make their soy milk fresh before dawn and their steamed buns the night before. The taste might not be the best, but they have a real, down-to-earth charm.
Xiao Congzhi and Xie Mowen joked and chatted as they ate. As dawn broke, Xiao Congzhi spotted a familiar figure sitting down at the table in front of them.
"Xiao Sizhao..."
Xie Mowen followed Xiao Congzhi's gaze.
A very young man, dressed in simple clothes and holding a book, turned to look at them when he heard Xiao Congzhi's voice.
"Do you know me, sir?"
I saw you while listening to storytelling at a teahouse a while ago.
Xiao Congzhi's words immediately made sense to Xiao Sizhao, since he had only been to a teahouse with storytelling once during this period, and that time was not pleasant.
"Did you hear what I said? And you don't agree?"
Xiao Congzhi glanced at Xie Mowen, then gestured for Xiao Sizhao to sit down.
“It’s not that those people don’t approve of you, it’s just that they don’t like to hear you say that the person in charge is a puppet.”
Upon hearing this, Xie Mowen glanced at Xiao Congzhi with some surprise, as he rarely saw Xiao Congzhi so gentle.
"That's the truth. In my hometown of Jiang... the Jiang family doesn't have a good reputation, but in Yidu, everyone praises them. They even think it's good that way and don't want the emperor to rule personally."
Xiao Congzhi got a bowl and chopsticks for Xiao Sizhao and said, "It's not that they don't want the emperor to rule personally; they also feel that he should. It's just that the one above is weak and has never been interested in it."
“How could he be indifferent to this? As the emperor, he should fulfill his responsibilities as emperor.”
"Yes. I heard the other day that you were a scholar who passed the county-level exam? And you didn't try again after failing?"
"If the exam paper gets read by the Prime Minister, he will see it. Even if I write something nice against my will, the Prime Minister will probably recognize my handwriting. I was too naive a couple of years ago."
Xiao Congzhi hadn't expected Xiao Sizhao to actually understand, so he asked, "Then why are you still staying in Yidu?"
Xiao Sizhao stared at his bowl of soy milk for a long time before saying, "I had a falling out with my family when I left home two years ago, and now I have nowhere to go."
"Then why don't you go with him?"
Xie Mowen suddenly looked up. What did this mean? Who was this person? Was he going to take someone back to the Demonic Sect?
Xiao Sizhao glanced at Xie Mowen, unsure of his meaning, and asked, "And who is this?"
"He's from the Imperial Guard, in charge of guarding the palace. If you follow him, you might get to meet some officials and gain their favor."
Xie Mowen: ??? He had never heard of such a thing!
Will this work?
"It's alright. He has an excellent relationship with the Right Commander, and you're not officially part of the establishment, so there's no problem."
"This...that's wonderful!" Xiao Sizhao seemed to have suddenly realized something, and excitedly grabbed Xiao Congzhi's hand, saying, "I can't thank you enough. Well then, I still have some luggage to pack. Why don't I come find you at the yamen gate at noon?"
"Just contact him when the time comes."
"good."
After saying that, Xiao Sizhao hurriedly ran away.
“Xiao Congzhi, when did I go to the Imperial Guard and have such a good relationship with Yan Hong?”
Xiao Congzhi suppressed a laugh and said coldly, "In a moment."
After the meal, Xiao Congzhi took Xie Mowen to Yan Hong's residence.
Yesterday, under the orders of Prince Rong, Yan Hong was released from confinement and allowed to continue his duties. As soon as he stepped out, he bumped into His Majesty the Emperor who was walking towards him.
"!" Yan Hong was about to bow quickly, but Xiao Congzhi was even faster and pulled him into a side alley.
"Your Majesty! What's wrong! I... Your Majesty..."
The day before, Xiao Congzhi told Yan Hong that if he fell into a coma, he should immediately go and capture the Xiongnu royal family. Therefore, Yan Hong did not know that the emperor was not pretending to be unconscious.
"I have a request for you."
Seeing the emperor's serious expression, Yan Hong immediately straightened his back and obeyed.
“He…” Xiao Congzhi pulled Xie Mowen, who looked utterly hopeless, closer to him, “You should arrange a minor official position for him in the Imperial Guard.”
Yan Hong: ???
He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Your Majesty, isn't this man the prime suspect in your coma?"
"This is a long story. In short, you make the arrangements first. After noon, he will bring another person. Make arrangements for that person as well. But don't reveal who that person is."
"And this one..."
"His surname is Mo and his given name is Huan."
Yan Hong digested the information and solemnly agreed. Just as he was about to say something more, he saw the man named Mo Huan, in a very disrespectful manner, tug at the emperor's sleeve and pull him to a corner.
"Xiao Congzhi, is this what you meant by 'you'll know when we get back'?"
“Hmm.” Xiao Congzhi said righteously, “It’s definitely not appropriate to keep you as a male concubine in the harem now. If I put you in the Imperial Guard, even if many people recognize you as that male concubine, as long as I deny it, everyone will pretend they don’t know anything.”
Xie Mowen deeply regretted not wearing a veil while walking around the palace these past few days! Those people might pretend not to know, but they all knew in their hearts.
"Never mind," Xie Mo asked, "that man from just now?"
"His name is Xiao Sizhao."
"Which Xiao?" Xie Mowen's ears twitched.
"How can it move?" Xiao Congzhi rubbed it.
Xie Mowen pulled Xiao Congzhi's hand away and looked at him helplessly.
"Ahem, Xiao as in Yunxiao, but his original surname is Xiao as in Xiaosuo, so he's my cousin."
"No wonder." Xie Mowen recalled what Xiao Congzhi had told him about the Xiao family in Jiangnan.
“My mother’s family cannot be exposed. Rather than letting him run amok in Yidu, it would be better if you kept an eye on him for me.”
Xie Mowen agreed, but something still felt off.
While Xie Mowen was lost in thought, Xiao Congzhi reached out and rubbed Xie Mowen's ear before rushing back to the palace.
Around noon, Xiao Congzhi slowly woke up from his bed. Ge Yun, who was guarding the door, heard the noise and immediately came in to see what was happening. He saw that Xiao Congzhi had already sat up and was excitedly calling out to fetch the imperial physician, the prince, and the empress dowager.
Xiao Congzhi covered his ears and said, "Ge Yun, keep your voice down, I'm a little dizzy."
Ge Yun stepped forward to support Xiao Congzhi and massaged his forehead.
Physician Xu, who was guarding the side courtyard, was the first to arrive, and Xiao Congzhi's face immediately went blank upon seeing him.
Physician Xu was quite at ease and reached out to take the patient's pulse.
"Your Majesty, your pulse is normal. Is there anything wrong with your body?"
Xiao Congzhi felt that the question had a deeper meaning, so he coughed and replied, "I felt a little dizzy when I first woke up, but I feel better now."
"I will prescribe some nourishing and restorative medicine; Your Majesty will feel much better after taking it."
"Thank you for your trouble."
As Physician Xu was walking out, he happened to run into Lin Shuo, who was traveling with great speed and was stopped by the physician.
"Prince Rong, about what I mentioned yesterday..."
"I remember, I remember."
Xiao Congzhi: ...
After exchanging coded messages with Physician Xu, Lin Shuo walked heavily to the bedside and asked with concern, "Your Majesty, are you feeling alright?"
"It's nothing serious."
What exactly happened yesterday?
"I don't remember much about what happened before I fell into a coma."
"Yesterday, I placed the Xiongnu royal family under house arrest. My original intention was to arrest the one in Xuanhe Palace, but he escaped. I am currently having Sun Rang conduct a secret search throughout the city. Now, Your Majesty also needs to deal with the matter of Commander Yan."
"Uncle, I don't quite understand." Xiao Congzhi began to feign ignorance.
"Commander Yan went to arrest the Xiongnu royal family yesterday without orders..."
“That’s not it,” Xiao Congzhi interrupted. “Yesterday, when I received the brocade box, I joked with Commander Yan that if anything happened, I would go and capture the Xiongnu royal family. I guess Commander Yan took it seriously.”
"...What does Your Majesty mean?"
"Xuanhe Palace".
"I was just about to say that when I sent Sun Rang to Xuanhe Palace to arrest the person yesterday, the person had already disappeared. I suspect that he caused Your Majesty to fall into a coma."
“He…I met him during my travels, there’s no need for Sun Rang to go through the trouble of looking for him, he probably has nothing to do with me.”
"Your Majesty...this..." Lin Shuo hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Your Majesty, Physician Xu told me before..."
This was too difficult to say, and Lin Shuo hesitated for too long before asking the question, at which point the Empress Dowager arrived.
The Empress Dowager first offered a few perfunctory words of concern to Xiao Congzhi, and then discussed with Lin Shuo how to deal with Yan Hong and the Xiongnu.
With the Emperor vouching for him, Yan Hong is safe for now.
But the Xiongnu remained a problem. Lin Shuo appeared calm, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, unconsciously began to rub the hem of his sleeves.
During the discussion, the Prime Minister and Sun Rang arrived.
A group of people chattered incessantly, completely oblivious to the fact that this was the emperor's palace.
Xiao Congzhi's lips curved gently into a smile. Listening to the group's chatter, he finally interjected, "Why don't we just let it all go?"
Lin Shuo raised an eyebrow and asked, "What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
"We've imprisoned the fourth son of the Xia Emperor for many days, but we still can't get any information out of him. That's it. The Xiongnu will be even more stubborn. In a few days, the time for paying homage will be over. We've suffered no losses here, so it's not appropriate to detain them."
The Empress Dowager looked at the Prime Minister, her eyes flickering. She was undecided. The Emperor's words were exactly what she wanted to hear, and indeed, they were the kind of thing a puppet emperor who believed in "it's better to avoid trouble" would say.
But for such a momentous matter, they need to follow the emperor's wishes...
Lin Shuo wanted to retort immediately, since handling things lightly would only embolden others, but upon reflection, his nephew's words made sense. He looked around and lowered his hand.
Sun Rang sat to the side, head down, seemingly lost in thought.
The group of people, each with their own agendas, pretended to discuss things for a few more minutes before happily settling on a solution that would please everyone.
With the conclusion reached, Xiao Congzhi didn't say much. He wore an obvious smile and watched the group leave one after another. Once the Zichen Palace was quiet, he collapsed back onto the couch as if all his strength had been drained. He stared at the curtains for a long time, then tilted his head and stared blankly out the window.
The sun was high, and the cicadas were chirping incessantly. Dappled shadows fell through the trees onto the windowpane. Xiao Congzhi felt inexplicably tired, his eyes half-closed. Before plunging into darkness, he gently raised the corners of his mouth.
After leaving the Zichen Palace, Lin Shuo rushed to the embassy to deal with the matters between Xia and the Xiongnu, with Sun Rang following behind.
Just as they were about to step out of the palace gate, they caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of their eye.
Who else could that man standing guard at the side gate be but Xuanhe Palace's male favorite?
Lin Shuo hurriedly turned around and walked forward, looking aggressive. Sun Rang almost called for help and hurriedly started to run.
Their composure kept them from making a scene; they simply asked, "What are you doing here?"
How did you get here?
Xie Mowen also found it a coincidence. He had only been in office for a short while when he encountered a familiar face. However, he should not be familiar with them, so he replied respectfully, "Prince Rong, Lord Sun, this humble official should not know you two."
“Even if you turn to ashes, I… no.” Sun Rang almost bit his tongue. “Weren’t you with that male prostitute by His Majesty’s side?”
Xie Mowen looked surprised and quickly shook his head: "No, I am an officer in the Right Army of the Imperial Guard, named Mo Huan. Maybe we look alike."
Lin Shuo refused to believe this nonsense, the man in front of him had the exact same features as that male concubine.
Just then, Yan Hong walked over.
Actually, Yan Hong was worried about Xie Mowen and had been feeling uneasy for a long time. Finally, he couldn't help but come over to investigate and happened to run into Prince Rong and Lord Sun.
"Commander Yan."
"Prince Rong, Lord Sun."
"This person...this person..."
Yan Hong straightened his expression and tried to exonerate him: "He looks somewhat like the one His Majesty had with him recently, but he is not. He is a guard from my Right Army." After saying that, Yan Hong's lips twitched.
"..."
"..."
Since Yan Hong had already said it so shamelessly, Lin Shuo certainly couldn't press the matter further. However, on the way to the embassy with Sun Rang, Lin Shuo said with absolute certainty, "I'm absolutely certain that was that male concubine!"
Sun Rang didn't answer, and Lin Shuo looked at him in confusion: "What's wrong?"
"Your Highness, I have made up my mind. Even if they hand me the knife to kill me, I will still go."
Lin Shuo stopped in his tracks, frowning: "Why all of a sudden..."
“Your Highness.” Sun Rang looked at Lin Shuo, his eyes shining with determination, “That male concubine, or rather, that man, is probably not a male concubine at all, but how could His Majesty move him from Xuanhe Palace to the Imperial Guard in half a day, while he himself is lying in Zichen Palace?”
Although Sun Rang had made his decision, it was not easy for him, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, to find a reason to enter the Zichen Palace. After all, no matter what he found out, he should report to Prime Minister Jiang first.
So after Prince Rong had resolved all the miscellaneous matters at the embassy, Sun Rang expressed his wish to accompany Prince Rong to the palace.
Lin Shuo: ……..
"Lord Sun is trying to drag me into this mess..."
Sun Rang bowed respectfully and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Your Highness."
Lin Shuo hesitated and struggled for a long time before finally making the decision to bring Sun Rang into the palace at noon the next day.
The journey was silent, save for the increasingly noisy cicadas and the dizzying sunlight. The air was sweltering under the blazing sun, so tight that it seemed devoid of any moisture, yet sweat soaked through the embroidered official robes.
Finally stepping into a shady spot, Lin Shuo looked up and saw the eaves of the Zichen Palace. He paused, not turning around, his voice barely audible: "Lord Sun, beneath the prosperity of this dynasty, decay is already evident. Yet, ignoring it may allow it to last for a hundred years. To expend so much effort may only lead to nothing."
"I only ask that I have a clear conscience."
Lin Shuo turned around and saw Sun Rang still standing under the blazing sun, his bright red official robes looking like they were about to catch fire.
Lin Shuo looked at the Zichen Palace again. The carved railings and jade steps were lifeless, and the majestic and domineering atmosphere was desolate.
The person guarding outside the Zichen Palace was not Ge Yun, but a young, unfamiliar eunuch who stood at a distance. He had spotted Prince Rong early on, but hesitated to approach.
Lin Shuo approached and asked, "Is Steward Ge serving inside?"
The young eunuch was startled by the sudden question and quickly knelt down to bow, respectfully replying, "Your Highness Prince Rong, may you be well. Earlier today, His Majesty ordered that no one should serve us, so Chief Eunuch Ge has gone to rest."
"Why can't I be served?"
"His Majesty said it was because it was too noisy."
"Fine, then you can go and announce it."
After giving the order, the young eunuch didn't move, but looked up at Prince Rong, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.
"how?"
"His Majesty has ordered that no one is to disturb him."
"..." Lin Shuo glanced at Sun Rang. He had already been ostentatious by bringing Sun Rang into the palace today. If he went back and came again in the future, it would inevitably arouse suspicion. So he said, "Never mind, I will go in directly."
The young eunuch dared not stop him; he simply prevented him from going in to deliver the message.
Xiao Congzhi threw a tantrum and dismissed the palace maids who were serving him because Xie Mowen had said he was coming to have an affair.
That's right, that's the word they used. Xiao Congzhi guessed that Xie Mowen was holding back his anger and was going to do something outrageous, so he sent everyone away early to avoid embarrassing himself.
In addition, earlier today, the Empress Dowager discovered that Xie Mowen was on duty with the Imperial Guards, so doing so now would not arouse suspicion.
Everything is ready.
Therefore, hearing Lin Shuo's voice in the Zichen Palace was completely unexpected for Xiao Congzhi.
I was stunned for a moment.
Lin Shuo bowed through the screen: "Your Majesty, it is noon, and I thought Your Majesty had not yet rested. The eunuch at the door did not dare to announce my arrival, so I came in directly. I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."
"..."
Xiao Congzhi said helplessly, "Why didn't you give me a heads-up beforehand that you were coming, Imperial Uncle? It's alright, please come in."
Lin Shuo entered the house, followed closely by Sun Rang. Only then did Xiao Congzhi realize that there was more than one uninvited guest.
Although he knew that Prince Rong and the Vice Minister of Justice were on good terms, he still couldn't understand why the two of them had come for no reason. Xiao Congzhi sat upright on the soft couch, observing them calmly, and said with a smile, "No need for formalities, rise and have a seat."
Lin Shuo sat down on a soft chair on the side without hesitation, while Sun Rang remained kneeling in place.
Xiao Congzhi's eyes flashed, his eyelids twitched slightly, and he looked at Lin Shuo with a slightly stiff smile, but Lin Shuo only returned his smile, which was quite bitter.
“Minister Sun…” Helpless, Xiao Congzhi could only ask himself, “Is there anything you want to say? If it concerns state affairs, you can bring it up at the morning court tomorrow.”
Sun Rang knelt upright, looking directly at the emperor's face, each word spoken with force and conviction.
"I have served in the Ministry of Justice for 16 years, and now, ten years later, I have been appointed as a Vice Minister, in charge of the penal laws and regulations of the country. After reviewing the case files, I feel ashamed before the people."
A warm breeze blew in from the window, blurring his vision, and the expression of the emperor on the throne could no longer be clearly seen.
Xiao Congzhi didn't respond, quietly waiting for Sun Rang to continue.
"Ten years ago, when I first entered the Ministry of Justice, the new laws were being implemented throughout the country, the people were law-abiding, and society was harmonious. Ten years have passed in the blink of an eye, and this year the number of cases in a neighboring county of Yidu is comparable to the total number in the entire region ten years ago."
Xiao Congzhi spoke slowly, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger: "The new law was created by the late emperor. Ten years ago, when the prime minister implemented this law to commemorate the late emperor, it was indeed harsh."
Sun Rang took a deep breath, knelt down, and said frankly, "The current system is not perfect. Prime Minister Jiang has used this method to amass wealth over the past ten years, but I have observed and allowed it to continue without any results."
Xiao Congzhi knew about this. The late emperor passed away suddenly, and the new laws were not perfect. Prime Minister Jiang personally revised them for two years before they were implemented in various counties. However, there were some selfish motives and loopholes in them. The government could use these loopholes to collect money from the people, and a portion of that money would eventually flow to Prime Minister Jiang.
However, after Sun Rang was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, this phenomenon was curbed, and Prime Minister Jiang no longer dared to extend his influence too much into the Ministry of Justice.
Why should Sun Rang evaluate himself in this way?
Sun Rang continued, “When Prime Minister Jiang was in power, his methods of accumulating wealth were countless, and the ills of the people were already evident. I have felt this deeply in recent years, but I do not know why.”
Now, however, all is clear. We only implore Your Majesty to assume personal rule, abolish the corrupt practices of Chancellor Jiang and his cronies, rectify the court's corruption, reform the laws and implement new regulations, alleviate the people's suffering, and restore peace to the nation.
After he finished speaking, the room fell silent.
Sun Rang remained prostrate on the ground, while Lin Shuo hung his head, lost in thought.
After a long silence, Xiao Congzhi uttered, "Imperial Uncle, Minister Sun, you should be glad that Ge Yun is not here today."
Lin Shuo suddenly looked up at the throne and saw the emperor supporting his forehead, looking exhausted.
Before Sun Rang and Lin Shuo could say anything more, Xiao Congzhi said, "I am tired. Imperial Uncle and my dear minister, you may return first."
This is a statement that cannot be refused.
After Xiao Congzhi finished speaking, he got up and went into the inner room, where Xie Mowen was sitting on the bed waiting.
After hearing Sun Rang and Lin Shuo walk away, Xie Mo asked, "What happened to them?"
Xiao Congzhi sat on the bed, leaning against Xie Mowen, without saying a word, clearly deep in thought.
Xie Mowen didn't disturb him, but put his arm around him and patted him gently.
"It was unexpected that the Imperial Uncle and Sun Rang would do this."
According to Xiao Congzhi's original plan, as long as Lin Shuo and Sun Rang didn't have any ulterior motives, they just needed to be suspicious and afraid of him.
But now, the two of them have come of their own accord for the sake of the people of Shengchao.
"Then what's next..."
"If the Imperial Uncle and Sun Rang can help me, that would be great. I have made many arrangements beforehand, but I am always short of people in this court."
"You don't believe them?" Xie Mowen could tell that Xiao Congzhi wasn't very interested.
Xiao Congzhi shook his head, then nodded, and subconsciously snuggled closer to Xie Mowen: "Over the years, my uncle has tested me in many ways, always very subtly. I have responded with a mix of truth and falsehood. To be honest, I don't really trust him. But Lord Sun has served as an official for ten years and is truly concerned about the country and its people."
Xie Mowen replied, "I think today, it's mainly Lord Sun who's there, with Prince Rong seemingly accompanying him."
"He probably wanted to see my reaction, but he had already made up his mind to come."
"Did you make that final decision?"
Xiao Congzhi turned his head and chuckled at Xie Mowen: "What did I say at the end?"
Those words were exactly the same as before, a mixture of truth and falsehood, making it impossible to discern their true meaning. It was up to Sun Rang and Lin Shuo to go back and ponder them deeply in order to establish the emperor's authority.
Xie Mowen pondered for a moment and then conceded defeat: "Fine, I can't see through the intricacies of court politics. I'm just a little worried that their trip might arouse the Empress Dowager's suspicion."
"It shouldn't be. The Empress Dowager's people noticed you this morning in the Imperial Guard. You should have been detained by Sun Rang in the Ministry of Justice. This gives me an excuse to have some contact with Sun Rang."
"I really did play a huge role in this."
"Thank you for your trouble, Master Xie."
"No need for thanks, let's put it into practice."
"..."
Xiao Congzhi smiled and put his arm around Xie Mowen's shoulder, reaching out to gently brush his eyelashes across the man's face. The man's eyes were beautiful, and when he was aroused, they glowed with a seductive red.
Xie Mowen turned his head to kiss Xiao Congzhi's wrist, gently pecking upwards...
"Hmm..."
Are you feeling unwell?
Xie Mowen's question was insincere, and Xiao Congzhi was unable to respond.
That night, someone was exceptionally excited.
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