Chapter 55 You Look Just Like Yama, the King of Hell
It was ten days later when they returned to Chang'an.
This is a spacious room in the imperial prison, a place for interrogating prisoners, and it is also secluded.
The only ray of light came from a tiny, tall window, piercing down at an angle like a sword.
Amidst the rising steam of tea and countless specks of dust, there was a figure dressed in black robes.
The clanging of chains and the shuffling of footsteps echoed at the doorway.
Xiao Xun knelt before the tea table without turning his head to look.
"sit."
Qu Yang did not bow, but sat down opposite him as instructed.
"Whose death has Your Majesty brought to this old minister today?" Qu Yang said leisurely. "However, the first month has just passed, all things are reviving, and to draw swords and draw blood is an ominous sign."
"In the second month of spring, the relevant officials should be ordered to inspect prisons, remove shackles, refrain from indiscriminate looting, and cease all lawsuits."①
Xiao Xun ignored the sarcasm in Qu Yang's words, poured himself another cup of tea, pushed it in front of him, and slightly raised his hand.
"Have some tea. I've come today because I have something I'd like to ask the Grand Marshal."
"consult?"
Qu Yang did not move. "Your Majesty has manipulated the Qu family at will, step by step, with perfect understanding and calculation. This old minister is now nothing more than a prisoner. What is it that Your Majesty would need to personally come to consult? Or perhaps you are here to personally send this old minister on his way?"
He looked at the teacup in front of him and snorted coldly, "How thoughtful of you, it's my favorite Silver Needle tea."
"It's all thanks to the Grand Marshal's excellent teaching; his insight has always been sharp, seeing through everything." Xiao Xun calmly poured some tea into his own cup, took a sip, and a slight smile curved his lips. "Why don't you guess who sent this tea?"
Qu Yang's brow twitched suddenly.
He was described as withered; his former composure had been replaced by a palpable turmoil.
Xiao Xun didn't wait for his reply: "Zhaotai Palace. Qu Qingru sent it."
He looked at Qu Yang with a half-smile, "I am not so meticulous, nor do I have the leisure to investigate what kind of tea the Grand Marshal usually likes to drink."
The shackles on his hands rattled slightly, and Qu Yang's face was half-buried in the steam: "Qingru, she..."
She probably realized that asking was pointless, or perhaps she already had the answer in her heart. Deposed and confined to the cold palace, her family destroyed and her daughter a traitor, how could she possibly be alright?
At least she was still alive, so Xiao Xun wouldn't be stingy with her food and clothing.
Qu Yang twitched his lips, lowered his eyes, picked up the ear cup with both hands, and said nothing more.
The cup slowly emptied.
"What does Your Majesty wish to ask today?"
"I would like to ask about the tenth month of winter in the third year of Tian Shou," Xiao Xun said slowly, his gaze sweeping over Qu Yang's face.
The tea mist has dissipated.
Qu Yang kept his head down, staring at the tea dust that had sunk to the bottom of the cup.
His hair was combed neatly, without a speck of grass, just like always, and a black wooden hairpin adorned his hair, which made his prison uniform appear thin and dirty.
Unable to discern his expression, Xiao Xun picked up the teapot and poured tea into the cup.
The leaves, like silver hairs, suddenly tumbled and rolled, and the words fell with the sound of water, "You led the Changshui Xuanqu Hu cavalry and met the army of the late Crown Prince Xiao Heng on the long street. What did you say to him?"
Why does Your Majesty want to know the answer to this question?
Xiao Xun smiled and said, "Winning without bloodshed, without fighting—what a wonderful lesson! Sun Tzu once said, 'To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence.' It's a rare lesson in history. Yet the Grand Marshal has been reluctant to share his wisdom."
"Your Majesty has surpassed your predecessors, and I am but a defeated and dying man. In this state, what advice can I offer? The great achievements and accomplishments of the past are not worth mentioning. In the end, weren't they all for naught?" He laughed provocatively.
Xiao Xun pushed the teacup that had just been filled in front of him: "Grand Marshal, think it over carefully, and then tell me when you've made up your mind."
The tea mist condensed into water vapor, trembling on Qu Yang's eyelids.
He restrained his expression out of consideration for Qu Qingru.
After a moment, his eyelids lifted slightly, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Has Your Majesty never asked this question before?"
Xiao Xun paused, then suddenly laughed: "Yes, you asked about it not long after you ascended the throne, didn't you?"
He picked up his teacup and took a small sip: "It was a morning. At that time, you didn't answer me, but pointed to the book on my desk and asked an unrelated question. You asked, 'Does Your Majesty know what the three things are when Confucius says, "I examine myself three times a day"?'"
"Really? Your Majesty has a good memory." Qu Yang smiled slightly.
"It's not that I have a good memory. It's a pity. I've always wanted to know the answer. You two met on the long street, each ordering your soldiers to retreat three zhang. In addition, it was winter and the wind was strong, and there were sounds of horses' hooves, armor, swords, and spears, so no one heard what you two said. Only you can tell me the answer. Unfortunately, I asked, but I didn't hear the answer."
Xiao Xun sighed softly, "Because of the regret, I will always remember."
"I didn't answer back then, probably because I forgot. It was just a few insignificant words. I'm not as learned as Your Majesty. Now, more than a decade has passed. How could I possibly remember exactly which month and day I said what I said more than a decade ago? Your Majesty probably won't hear the answer."
"Is that so?" Xiao Xun sneered, looking at Qu Yang.
The face was half-lit and half-shadowed in the scornful light.
"Since Your Majesty has summoned me to this place of torture, you must be planning to interrogate me by torture." Qu Yang raised an eyebrow. "If you don't believe me, you may use torture as you see fit. Let's see if the Five Punishments and the capital punishment can remind me of anything."
"Why bother? Grand Marshal, you're exaggerating. As you say, it's just a trivial matter from years ago." Xiao Xun scoffed, but his eyes grew cold. "Besides, torture should only be used on those who deserve it. Back then, the Grand Marshal endured a knife thrust into his chest by a Xiongnu, yet he remained unfazed and commanded the army in pursuit for a hundred miles. Can the five punishments force the Grand Marshal to tell the truth?"
Qu Yang scoffed, "That's not necessarily true. In this day and age, I am no longer what I used to be."
Xiao Xun glanced at Qu Yang's emaciated figure, which resembled a bamboo pole. "Now, can your body withstand the five tortures? If you are tortured, you will probably die within two breaths. Wouldn't that satisfy the Grand Marshal?" He chuckled. "Then my question will remain unanswered forever."
"If the Grand Marshal is too old to remember, I can help you think of it. Didn't you say that I can guess everything and make accurate predictions? Then you see, this time, am I right or wrong?"
Before Qu Yang could answer, Xiao Xun leaned forward and spoke slowly.
"I examine myself three times a day. What are those three times? At that time, I thought you were talking about 'Is it not good to practice what I've learned?' You were implying something to me. I was only eight years old then, and I certainly wasn't a diligent student. Su Taifu's lessons were dry and boring, which I didn't like. Besides, they were too simple. 'Isn't it a pleasure to learn and practice what you've learned?' But to review something so simple that you already know it by heart over and over again is just foolish. It's a waste of time and there's no enjoyment in it."
Xiao Xun smiled and continued, "I also remember that when the Grand Marshal said those words, his expression was very serious, just like the late Emperor. I didn't say anything then, but silently picked up my book again."
"After so many years, I have only now come to understand the Grand Marshal's good intentions, and I deeply agree." Xiao Xun's smile faded. "The Grand Marshal is right. I examine myself three times a day. I examine myself more, and I think more. Even the simplest book, the simplest sentence, if read several times and pondered more, will bring different insights."
He changed the subject, his voice turning somber: "Actually, what you wanted to tell me back then was 'Have I been disloyal in my dealings with others?' and 'Have I been untrustworthy in my interactions with friends?'"
Xiao Xun's gaze was intense, sharper than the light filtering through the narrow window, like a sword blade, as he approached Qu Yang. "Is that right?"
"These are the teachings of a sage, but hearing Your Majesty say them, I don't quite understand." Qu Yang frowned slightly, his voice calm. "For whom do you plan? With whom do you associate?"
"Xiao Heng."
Qu Yang stared at Xiao Xun, then suddenly chuckled, "Think more, reflect more, but Your Majesty thinks too much, too excessively, to the point of being absurd. Did I forget to teach Your Majesty one thing: that a ruler's thoughts and actions should be based on facts? It seems the Grand Tutor didn't teach Your Majesty that either?"
"Absurd?"
Xiao Xun looked at him.
"This is the most absurd joke I've ever heard," Qu Yang said disdainfully. "Didn't Xiao Heng die at my hands? He was intimidated by my power and feared the might of the Hu troops at Changshui Xuanqu, and he was defeated without a fight."
"You say that my plan for Xiao Heng is the same as the plan to seize a traitor? And that my association with Xiao Heng is the same as the association to wage war?"
Xiao Xun took a sip of tea and slowly began to speak: "On the day of Gengyin in the tenth month of the third year of Tian Shou, the Grand Marshal met the late Crown Prince on the main street. After exchanging a few words, he dismounted and bowed to the late Crown Prince again."
Qu Yang's lips twitched almost imperceptibly: "What? Did His Majesty see it?"
Xiao Xun scoffed: "The Hu soldiers from Changshui Xuanqu who were present that day were ordered to retreat three zhang away. They couldn't hear it, but they still saw it. If you don't want people to know, then don't do it in the first place, Grand Marshal."
As he spoke, he put down his teacup and subtly raised the corners of his lips: "You bowed to him, performing the rites of a subject."
Qu Yang chuckled, "So what? What does a simple bow represent? At that time, His Majesty had not yet deposed the former Crown Prince. Wasn't it only right for a subject to bow to the Crown Prince of the Imperial Family?"
"Yes. When I was a child, I heard many different accounts of this worship."
"Some say that this bow was a provocation. You intentionally reminded the Crown Prince that the etiquette between ruler and subject cannot be abandoned. Before the late Emperor, a Crown Prince who has not yet ascended the throne, even if he has been the Crown Prince for forty years, will always be a subject."
"Some say that Grand Marshal Qu is very hypocritical, still performing these empty formalities at such a critical moment. It is precisely because of his caution and careful planning that the late emperor trusted you, believing that you would never plot rebellion and would always be loyal to the Xiao family's empire, and thus entrusted me and the country to you."
"Some people even say that if the ruler of the underworld had a face, it would definitely look like Grand Marshal Qu."
Qu Yang let out a cold laugh, and said in a sinister tone, "That last sentence, was it His Majesty who said it?"
Xiao Xun lowered his eyes and replied with a light laugh, "Yes."
Qu Yang scoffed lightly: "Once this old minister enters the underworld these two days and meets the King of the Underworld, he will definitely appear in Your Majesty's dream and tell Your Majesty whether he really looks like this."
Xiao Xun's smile froze on his face, and he remained silent for a long while.
"No need."
"I'm afraid I won't be able to fulfill the Grand Marshal's wishes for the time being."
Xiao Xun sighed, "That day, after you performed the rites of a subject, the late Crown Prince also bowed to you, performing the cupped-hand salute between peers."
"Does Your Majesty mean that the late Crown Prince's return of a cupped-hand salute signifies that he considers me a friend?"
Qu Yang chuckled a few times, "In that case, all rulers and ministers in the world who are courteous and respectful are friends. The land of Huaxu and the world of Great Harmony are far away yet right before our eyes. They are actually right here on the land of our dynasty."
His laughter grew louder and louder, so loud that the shackles on his wrists rattled and tapped crisply against the ear cup.
Xiao Xun smiled too, her eyes crinkling as she looked at him, and said leisurely:
"In the land of Huaxu, there is no ruler or ministers; in the era of Great Harmony, they bow down and submit. In such a state, how could a Grand Marshal or General-in-Chief, a regent, have any room to exert their influence? Isn't that a pity?"
As Xiao Xun spoke, he rose to his feet, "After all, the Grand Marshal did so much after receiving the late emperor's dying entrustment."
As he spoke, he slowly paced around the humble room, recounting the details:
"Schools were set up throughout the prefectures and counties, ensuring that children had access to education. The system of recommendation and selection was implemented. Commoners could also enter the imperial court and wear official robes. Agriculture was emphasized, commerce was suppressed, cruel officials were reduced, and wealth was stored among the people."
Qu Yang's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he gripped the cup tightly with both hands, causing the tea to swirl slightly.
“A few days ago, I went to Huaiyang. The county and state schools there are well-organized and beautifully built. Even seven- or eight-year-old children can sing, ‘Rain and snow fall gently, adding to the abundance. So plentiful and moist, so refreshing and sufficient. Giving birth to my hundred grains.’②”
Xiao Xun stopped and sighed, "It's beautiful, absolutely beautiful. The Grand Marshal should also listen to it. Dozens of children singing together, it's truly like a crane crying in the marsh, its voice heard in the heavens."
He stood beneath the narrow window, a smile playing on his lips, bathed in the soft light and shadow.
"Xiao Heng, your spirit in heaven must be able to hear this."
His tall figure blocked the only light, looming heavily over Qu Yang's shoulders and back.
It made his already hunched figure even more bent.
Qu Yang's hand, which was holding the teacup, was splattered with a lot of green tea.
"These are all Your Majesty's wild guesses. On what basis does Your Majesty say that Xiao Heng's policies are related to me? Or that my actions are a continuation of Xiao Heng's will? I have worked hard for the country for many years, so why should I attribute it to Xiao Heng? What a joke. A huge joke."
Qu Yang gritted his teeth and said, "The Imperial Academy and the prefectural and state academies were already being implemented during the reign of the late emperor. The system of recommendation and selection was also an evolution of the system of recommending filial and incorruptible individuals within the prefectures and states. This had precedents when Emperor Taizu established the dynasty and selected virtuous and capable individuals..."
"Yes. Without any evidence. These political measures are nothing but coincidences."
Xiao Xun readily agreed, “As you said, the prefectural and state schools were first implemented in the second year of the Zhengshuo era of the late emperor, when the crown prince was in charge of the state. By the first year of the Tianshou era, within thirteen years, fifty-nine schools had been built in Sili, Yu, Yan, Qing, Yizhou and other places. By the fourth year of the Tianshou era, there were still fifty-nine schools.”
Why isn't it being built anymore?
"Oh, in the first year of the Tian Shou era, the late emperor decided to conquer Dayuan, mobilizing 80,000 troops and raising 100 million in money and provisions. His Majesty originally intended for you to lead the troops, but unfortunately, General Qu's old wounds recurred, and he was unable to don armor and fight. Therefore, Zhao Yan, the Imperial Guard and a protégé of Grand Marshal Qu, had to take his place. In the end, it took nearly ten months, at the cost of 12,000 of our soldiers dying and more than 20,000 wounded, but we captured more than 30,000 enemy soldiers and pushed the border of Longxi fifty li to the west."
"In the third year of the Tian Shou reign, the late emperor intended to train the navy at Kunming Pool and first build more than a hundred tower ships, each over ten zhang high, to deal with the Baiyi tribes of Nanyue. Before the imperial edict was issued, more than a thousand craftsmen from Yue were conscripted and arrived in Chang'an. They built one tower ship—or rather, half a ship, because before it was completed, war broke out in Chang'an, and the shipbuilding project had to be put on hold."
"This half of the boat is still on Kunming Lake, now a three-story pleasure boat, also known as the Crane Cry Boat."
Xiao Xun spoke slowly and deliberately, his footsteps rustling softly on the muddy ground of the imperial prison. "To be honest, when I was a child, I boarded a boat to tour the lake and didn't understand why such a large boat had to be named after a boat. Now that I know the reason, it's not hard to understand and it's not surprising."
He shook his head with his hands behind his back, giving a mocking smile. "Yes, half a boat."
Qu Yang frowned deeply, and his breathing gradually became heavy.
"Did I say something wrong?" Xiao Xun stopped and asked abruptly. He drew out his words and sighed softly, "These are all records from the old imperial historians. These memorials and draft edicts from the third year of the Tian Shou era were never made public. Many of them were burned by order of the late emperor after the old case of the Crown Prince's rebellion in the third year of the Tian Shou era. The remaining scrolls are stored in the Shiqu Pavilion, pressed at the bottom of a box. They are almost rotten, and some of the characters are illegible. It hurts my eyes to look at them."
He pretended to rub his temples, saying, "If I have remembered or said anything wrong, please correct me, Grand Marshal."
"So what?" Qu Yang said hoarsely, his teeth chattering. "What His Majesty said was all speculation. How is that any different from a fabricated charge?"
Xiao Xun glanced at Qu Yang, and after a moment, a smile returned to his lips. "The Grand Marshal is naturally unwilling to admit it. However, I have already received the answer from the Grand Marshal."
"What?" Qu Yang looked up in disbelief and met his gaze.
"Sometimes, being cautious your whole life towards outsiders, enemies, and things that are far away can actually hurt people. It's the easiest way to hurt people."
"Yes, it's Qu Qingchuan, it's him!..."
The shackles struck the ear cup with a resounding thud, like jade shattering.
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The author's note: ① The Book of Rites, Monthly Ordinances
②《The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, Xin Nan Shan》: It means: Snowflakes fall in a flurry. In addition, the drizzling rain is so abundant and plentiful that it nourishes the earth and irrigates all directions, allowing our crops to grow vigorously.
③The Book of Songs, Minor Odes, "The Crane Cries"
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