What hardship.
Yao Wenyu could not answer. Today he had not come to answer this “what hardship” either. He knew what Qu Du’s actions were meant to accomplish. The whole world was watching him—admiring turning into pity. Everyone was willing to look down from above and pity him, as though the loss of his legs meant he had lost the courage to stand before others again.
Living was far more painful than death.
Yao Wenyu had already seen through the life that lay ahead the day he lay down. This kind of gaze was not the first time, nor would it be the last. As long as he remained in this world, he would forever face such pity. This was suffering he could not share with anyone—no one at all.
The oil-paper umbrella was strung with rain like a curtain, hiding the blue robe within it. Yao Wenyu looked as distant as if seated among clouds. He had fallen, yet remained clean and unstained.
“There is one state in life that is the hardest to attain,” Shen Zechuan said from the watchtower to Qiao Tianya beside him. “To not rejoice because of external things, and not grieve because of oneself. If one can reach such openness, then one is not far from enlightenment. When I first met him, I thought he was such a person, but later I realized he was not.”
To attain enlightenment is to be without emotion—without emotion toward oneself.
Yao Wenyu could not. Within him were countless forms; within him were still “others.” He appeared to be a worldly recluse far removed from mortal affairs, having spent his first twenty years roaming freely on a donkey—alive, not mistaken.
Qiao Tianya looked into that trace of blue, as though gazing at green willows and bamboo at the horizon. He set down his flute, picked up wine, took a sip, and replied as if half drunk, “I understand him.”
The rain continued.
Yao Wenyu’s voice was clear and bright like jade striking stone. “Sir, there is no need to worry for me for now. I see Qu Du as a trapped beast, using all seven cities’ strength to fight our lord to the death. This is a poor strategy, not worth following.”
“If Shen Zechuan truly intended to, he should have surrendered long ago instead of establishing himself as a ‘lord.’ You stationed troops in Dan City, threatening Qu Du, causing panic among the people of the world.” Cen Yu had also come today to persuade surrender. He could not help stepping forward and said across the distance, “If Yuan Jue is willing to persuade him to submit today, based on his acts of benevolence in Zhongbo’s six prefectures, I would even stake my own head to guarantee him.”
“The situation is clear now, the overall situation is already decided. Sir, why deceive yourself further?” Yao Wenyu said. “Our lord, to avoid suffering for the civilians in the city, has remained in Dan City and refused to advance. In truth, the 120,000 Zhongbo garrison is fully prepared; Qu Du can be besieged at any moment. Methods of siege are only used when unavoidable. If the Empress is willing to open the gates and surrender for the sake of tens of thousands of civilians, I too would stake my head to guarantee her safety.”
“You and I are old acquaintances, why make such bold claims against me? Zhongbo only has twenty thousand usable troops. Shen Zechuan is already exhausted from holding the grain supply of Ci Prefecture alone. Now Tea and He Prefectures have both submitted, showing he has lost popular support and cannot establish trust among the people. Qu Du now has seven cities assisting it, and Qiandong as a shield, with 300,000 garrison troops in total. Shen Zechuan wishing to seize the Li dynasty’s throne—no one will submit.” Cen Yu pointed toward Qu Du. “Outside Qu Du’s gates are refugees everywhere. At night one can hear infants crying, in daylight one can see widowed mothers selling their daughters. If you truly are an army of righteousness, how can you turn a blind eye?”
Yao Wenyu did not respond.
A student beside Cen Yu bowed to Yao Wenyu, cleared his throat, and said, “Not only that, Shen Zechuan rebelled without cause, bringing disaster upon Qu Du. Even if he can break the city with force, he cannot win people’s hearts through force. The current Empress is the rightful ruler, the undisputed Son of Heaven. With countless deaths on both sides, why not turn weapons of war into jade silk today? If Zhongbo is willing to sincerely surrender, His Majesty will forgive past transgressions with a sage’s heart.”
They spoke beautifully, but what would truly happen after laying down arms—let alone Cen Yu, even Kong Qiu could not guarantee it.
Yao Wenyu was about to speak when wind swept through the rain, forcing him to cover his mouth and cough briefly.
Cen Yu felt pity, but the student beside him, believing victory was within grasp, saw Yao Wenyu’s frailty and stepped forward again, speaking loudly: “I know ‘Jade Yuan Wenyu’ is known as unmatched in Qu Du. I also know you are from the Yao clan, a disciple of the Grand Secretary. It is lamentable that you waste your talents serving Shen’s faction and betray your ancestors’ will! Yao Yuanjue, even an old horse still has ambition of a thousand miles, yet you can only stoop to bandits. I pity your talent, and I pity that the Grand Secretary’s trust was misplaced. Now seeing your sickly broken body, no longer your former brilliance, I advise you: turn back from your wrong path!”
Rainwater splashed onto the railing. Shen Zechuan’s sleeve was soaked. He tucked his folding fan into his sleeve to keep it from the rain. From the watchtower, looking at the green bamboo, Yao Wenyu was already half hidden.
When Shen Zechuan was still in Qu Du, he once told Xiao Chiye that if he had to choose, he would rather choose Xue Xiuzhuo than Yao Wenyu. Because Yao Wenyu was too aloof and detached—he could not do the things that required rolling in filth. He was born so pure that even his pain became unbearably difficult.
The students grew increasingly excited, crowding the high platform, all eager to lecture Yao Wenyu.
Yao Wenyu’s coughing had stopped. His expression remained unchanged, as though he had already anticipated this situation. Shen Zechuan did not lack capable people; Kong Ling had once been a master of argumentation in the academy, yet Shen Zechuan still allowed Yao Wenyu to come. This was mutual understanding between confidants. Yao Wenyu did not need pity—not even a trace of it.
“Luo Mu set this trap to kill Yuan Jue,” Shen Zechuan said slightly turning his head, jade beads by his ear reflecting cold water light. “He must also be worthy.”
To underestimate Yao Wenyu was to underestimate Shen Zechuan. Shen Zechuan’s staff were all talented, yet Yao Wenyu remained first among them. Two years ago, Yao Wenyu left Qu Du in disgrace—that was two years ago. The lord he served was Shen Zechuan, the overlord of Zhongbo.
The platform grew noisy, voices merging into the rain and sinking into the bamboo waves. The wind was cool. Yao Wenyu lowered the handkerchief covering his mouth.
“Since you advise me to turn back from the wrong path, I instead advise you to return from the edge of the cliff.” His voice remained clear, as though the earlier cough had been only a pause in the rain. “Let me ask you, what was my teacher striving for when he exhausted his efforts in court?”
Cen Yu replied, “To intimidate the wicked and uphold hierarchy.”
With a sudden edge, Yao Wenyu said, “Completely wrong. My teacher exhausted himself for the people’s livelihood, seeking stability and peace, placing people first in all things. Yet now you invert order and disregard the people, acting for your own selfish gain. Cen Xunyi, Kong Polan, Xue Yanqing—what face do you have to face my teacher?”
He rarely showed such severity. His words were like blades, cutting Cen Yu back several steps until he was speechless.
Yao Wenyu continued, “Let me ask again. The so-called curing corruption, returning land to the people, stabilizing livelihoods, and correcting hierarchy—how many of these four have you achieved?”
Cen Yu’s momentum weakened. “Dan City, Chuan City, Wu City, and Di City’s land taxes have all been returned. The four cities have restored land to the people and reduced taxes, a time of recovery.”
“Helen Hou, in order to fill the tax gap in Chuan City, ordered local gentry to forcibly squeeze the land. The land was returned, but barren deserts were passed off as fertile fields. Refugees from all four cities continue to appear endlessly. Ci Prefecture is already overcrowded. Your so-called curing corruption, returning land, and stabilizing livelihoods is nothing but taking the light and leaving the heavy. The grain you use for relief was all granted by our lord.”
Cen Yu had not expected Yao Wenyu to be so sharp. The Chuan City land issue indeed existed, but due to external pressure, investigation had been temporarily halted. Now it had become Yao Wenyu’s blade!
A student beside Cen Yu reacted quickly and said, “Nonsense! You betrayed the ruler and dishonored your teacher. You are nothing but a dying cripple clinging to life. What have you done? What can you do at all?”
Yao Wenyu’s donkey stepped slightly forward. “As a strategist, how could I overstep my position?”
The student laughed loudly. “Just excuses! You have done nothing at all! Xue Gong severely criticized the aristocratic clans and restored the Li dynasty. He is beloved in Dan and Chuan prefectures! You dare ask what face we have to see the Grand Secretary? I think the one with no face is you, Yao Wenyu!”
The oil-paper umbrella in Yao Wenyu’s hand swayed slightly. He also smiled—but there was no trace left behind; it passed without lingering. “Each man performs his duty in his position. Should those who eat the ruler’s salary not act for the people? Xue Yanqing governs Qu Du and manages the realm; I admire him greatly. He is a court official, I am a strategist.”
His eyes darkened, the starlight within extinguishing, leaving only a heavy night. “My lord dominates among chaotic heroes of the world. He first pacified bandits in Tea and Ci, then swept away troubles in six prefectures, opened north-south trade routes, spared no effort in supporting cavalry against external threats. In two years he recovered lost lands, stabilized all directions, restored livelihoods, and created tens of thousands of fertile fields across three prefectures. Barren lands in three regions no longer exist. He promoted household registries, implemented population records, opened channels of speech to gather talented people from all over the world, not restricting heroes by lineage or past, and even personally wielded his sword to defend the gates of Duan Prefecture!”
Rain hammered the umbrella like urgent war drums—deafening.
“Serving a worthy lord, I am but the wind between heaven and earth, gathering and dispersing at will. I may have no name, no virtue, no praise—but my lord,” Yao Wenyu stood steady as a mountain, enunciating clearly, “will surely be immortal in history.”
A strategist!
Both strategists and court ministers serve rulers, yet Yao Wenyu dared to diminish himself while elevating Shen Zechuan because he was Shen Zechuan’s strategist—he was plotting the realm and reputation for Shen Zechuan, not for himself. Every word he spoke was a question to Qu Du’s officials: what has Li Jingtian done? A ruler without achievement is proof of incompetence among his advisors.
Cen Yu forced himself to speak. “Even if you are eloquent, you cannot cover Shen Zechuan’s illegitimacy. His father Shen Wei lost the six prefectures. If you let them enter the city, the world will one day worship that shameless traitor Shen Wei!”
Yao Wenyu said, “Then is Li Jingtian legitimate?”
“You are insolent!” The student’s face flushed red. “How dare you question His Majesty—”
In the rain, Yao Wenyu suddenly raised his voice again. “Who can prove today that Li Jingtian is legitimate? You? Xue Yanqing? You worship her as sovereign, kneel in homage, yet cannot even distinguish truth from falsehood. What a joke of the world!”
“The Xue Gong holds the former emperor’s sealed writing…” the student was already panicking. “When the emperor was born there were omens, it cannot be wrong, cannot be wrong…”
“If you cannot prove it,” Yao Wenyu suppressed a cough, “then I can.”
Cen Yu suddenly felt a chill. Watching Yao Wenyu’s blue robe sway in the wind, he felt that this was no longer Yuan Jue—this was an enemy from Zhongbo.