As soon as Emperor Qingping arrived, the banquet officially began.
Xu Zonglun had seen all manner of grand occasions since childhood and had always been able to handle himself with ease. Although his subordinates did not openly say so, every one of them looked to him for direction. As a result, the banquet was lively, with toasts and exchanges flowing back and forth.
Emperor Qingping had already been intent on seeing Xu Zonglun, so he paid little attention to the commander who had been temporarily appointed in his place. After exchanging a few brief pleasantries with him, the emperor devoted himself to chatting with Xu Zonglun.
Xu Zonglun had spent the past four years at Qinmen Pass. Despite being so close to the capital, he had not returned to Chang’an even once. Emperor Qingping knew that Xu Zonglun had a poor relationship with his father and elder brother, so he was well aware that the affairs that had unfolded in the capital over the past few years had nothing to do with Xu Zonglun.
For that reason, he treated Xu Zonglun with particular warmth.
What he did not know was how many letters Xu Zonglun had secretly exchanged with his father and elder brother.
Xu Zonglun’s biological father was an unremarkable man. Even with the protection afforded by his own father’s influence, he had amounted to little more than a local wealthy landowner. Xu Zonglun, however, had been raised at his grandfather’s knee from childhood, carefully nurtured and educated by him. Naturally, their relationship was as close as that between a father and his own son.
From the time Xu Zonglun was young, Chancellor Xu had already mapped out his future path. He also understood that civil officials and military commanders rarely worked well together. Thus, from the moment Xu Zonglun was old enough to understand things, he knew he had to put on an act with his father and elder brother. On the surface, their family ties appeared weak; in reality, they were exceptionally close.
It was precisely because of this arrangement that Xu Zonglun had been able to enter the military and retain command of substantial forces for decades.
The officers under his command were all loyal to him, too. Even though the commanding general had now been changed, they still followed Xu Zonglun’s orders alone.
As for the arrow he had taken for Emperor Qingping all those years ago, that too had been done at his father’s instruction.
The young emperor had been inexperienced and impulsive. All it had taken was a little goading from his subordinates for him to lead an elite unit in pursuit of the retreating enemy, chasing them deep into territory occupied by the Turks. With the way he fought, he was bound to fall into an ambush. Xu Zonglun had simply waited at a distance until Emperor Qingping was surrounded on all sides before moving in to rescue him.
The arrow had naturally been fired by one of his own men. It had never been intended to strike a vital spot.
He had “taken” the arrow on Emperor Qingping’s behalf, then put on a convincing performance of being gravely wounded, suffering from a high fever for several consecutive days. After such an elaborate act, Emperor Qingping naturally remembered his sacrifice forever. From then on, the Xu family had reaped considerable benefits.
Xu Zonglun and the Xu family prospered and suffered together. As the Xu family grew more powerful, his own position rose along with theirs.
Now, his carefully cultivated disguise as a loyal subject devoted to his sovereign and country was proving useful once again.
Seeing Emperor Qingping’s attitude toward him, Xu Zonglun knew that although his father and elder brother had made mistakes, the emperor still had no suspicions about him.
When he judged that enough time had passed, Lingfu left and returned. Xu Zonglun knew the moment had arrived.
He nudged General Hu beneath the table.
He had previously told General Hu that he was worried the man might act too rashly and present his gift at the wrong time, thereby displeasing Emperor Qingping instead.
General Hu was a rough soldier from the frontier. He understood nothing of these things and had a mind as straightforward as a single line. For Xu Zonglun, deceiving him was far too easy.
Sure enough, General Hu took his advice to heart and nodded repeatedly.
“I’ll have to rely on your guidance, then. When should I present it?”
At the time, Xu Zonglun had smiled faintly.
“I can’t say for certain just yet,” he had replied. “How about you wait for my signal during the banquet? When I give you a reminder, you can present the liquor. How does that sound?”
General Hu had nodded enthusiastically once again.
Now, when Xu Zonglun nudged him, General Hu immediately straightened in his seat, understanding that Xu Zonglun was reminding him.
As it happened, Emperor Qingping had already drunk enough to feel pleasantly tipsy, and he was in a good mood. General Hu hurriedly seized an opportunity, rose to his feet, and spoke with a smile.
“Your Majesty, when I returned to the capital this time, I brought you a rather humble gift. I rarely have an opportunity to present it to you, so I thought I would take advantage of today. I hope Your Majesty won’t mind its humble nature.”
He spoke with such straightforward sincerity, scratching his head as he did so, that Emperor Qingping became interested. Resting one hand on his knee, he looked at General Hu and asked, “Oh? What have you brought me?”
General Hu bowed and lifted a jar of liquor from beside his table.
“This liquor is a specialty of the military camp at Yumeng Pass. I’ve been drinking it for decades and have grown accustomed to its taste. Now that I’ve returned to Chang’an, I was afraid I’d miss it, so I brought a few jars back with me. I’d like to give Your Majesty one of them, so you can try some of Yumeng Pass’s fine liquor.”
Emperor Qingping’s interest grew.
“Oh? General Hu, you’ve certainly been thoughtful. I’ll have a taste today,” he said. “Yumeng Pass is guarded by my beloved subject Shen Yihong, is it not? It hasn’t suffered any major disturbances in over twenty years. He has helped me eliminate a great source of concern!”
Shen Yihong was Jun Huailang’s maternal uncle.
Hearing the emperor praise his former superior, General Hu became even more enthusiastic. He also remembered Xu Zonglun’s advice that he should personally pour the liquor for His Majesty.
With that thought, he deftly removed the clay seal from the jar.
“I’ll fill Your Majesty’s cup!” he declared.
Emperor Qingping had been about to invite all the generals present to drink together, but he had not expected this fellow to be so quick to act. Looking at the towering, burly man holding an enormous jar of liquor, the emperor felt his temples begin to throb.
How uncouth.
He glanced sideways and signaled Lingfu with his eyes.
Lingfu immediately understood.
After serving Emperor Qingping for so long, he could tell what his master wanted from even the slightest glance.
Such an understanding could only be developed through years of close observation and companionship. After serving the emperor for so long, it would have been a lie to say Lingfu felt no affection for him.
But what good was affection? The most important thing was to preserve his own life.
Lingfu silently glanced at Emperor Qingping, then turned and fetched a golden cup. Carrying it in both hands, he approached General Hu.
General Hu could probably tell that the emperor was not like the soldiers in the military camp, who casually threw their arms around one another’s shoulders. Naturally, he could not simply walk up and pour the liquor for His Majesty himself. Seeing Lingfu approach, he stepped forward and began pouring directly from the jar into the cup.
His eyes were sharp enough to notice what looked like a thin layer of something at the bottom of the cup.
But his hands were already moving. While he was still wondering about it, the liquor had flowed into the cup.
“Hey, Eunuch, this cup…” he began hurriedly.
Lingfu held the cup and looked at him without revealing anything.
“General, what is it?”
General Hu took a closer look.
Even if there had been some kind of medicinal powder, it could not have dissolved completely so quickly. Besides, the liquor was cold, making it even less likely that anything could have been washed away instantly.
He looked into the cup. The liquor was clear and pristine, and there was nothing at all in it.
He thought he must have been seeing things.
How could anything in the imperial palace be so poorly maintained that a cup had dirt stuck to its bottom?
Holding the jar with one hand, he waved the matter away to indicate that nothing was wrong.
Lingfu gave him a faint smile and carried the cup back.
“What was General Hu saying just now?” Emperor Qingping asked casually as he accepted the drink.
Lingfu smiled. “This servant doesn’t know. Perhaps General Hu has spent so many years at Yumeng Pass that he has never seen such a golden cup before?”
He spoke in a joking tone. Looking up at General Hu, he saw the man scratching the back of his head.
“That’s true. The cup is so dazzling that it’s practically blinded me!”
The assembled officers burst out laughing, and Emperor Qingping laughed as well.
“Once you win the battle, I’ll reward you with a set of golden cups to take home and use,” he said, then drained the liquor in his cup.
The drink was scorching and fiery, burning its way down into his stomach.
Emperor Qingping could not help exclaiming in satisfaction.
“This frontier liquor really is different from what we drink in Chang’an!” he said. Then he instructed Lingfu, “Go and fetch General Hu’s jar. Pour a cup for each of my beloved subjects here, so everyone can have a taste!”
Lingfu acknowledged the order, took the jar, and began pouring for the assembled guests.
Before he had finished pouring, no one had touched their cup. Everyone was waiting for the emperor to give the word.
Holding the jar, Lingfu moved slowly from table to table, pouring liquor as he went.
He continued until he reached the second-to-last table.
The clear liquor trickled from the mouth of the jar into the jade cup. Just then, a sudden thud rang out across the hall, immediately throwing the entire room into an uproar.
Lingfu’s hand froze. The jar tipped sharply downward, and liquor spilled all over the table.
He paused for a moment, then mechanically raised his head.
He saw Emperor Qingping, seated at the head of the hall, slumped forward onto the imperial throne, unconscious.
The palace attendants immediately panicked. Some rushed to support the emperor, while others hurried off to summon the imperial physicians. In an instant, the entire hall descended into chaos.
The officers present erupted in commotion. One of them suddenly sprang to his feet, drew his sword, and pointed it straight at General Hu.
“What did you put in the liquor? Why did His Majesty collapse after drinking it?”
Everyone immediately turned to look at General Hu.
General Hu was at a complete loss for words.
“I… I didn’t put anything in the liquor!”
But every gaze fixed on him was full of suspicion.
With no one else to turn to, General Hu looked around in panic before his eyes finally landed on Xu Zonglun.
The idea of presenting the liquor had come from Xu Zonglun. He knew better than anyone why General Hu had offered it and whether he had really intended to poison the emperor. Surely Xu Zonglun would step forward and speak on his behalf!
But Xu Zonglun was looking at him with a complicated expression, too.
“General Xu…”
“Everyone present has eaten the other food,” Xu Zonglun said slowly, his expression grave. “Only Your Majesty has drunk from General Hu’s jar of liquor.”
“But I…”
Xu Zonglun did not listen further. He waved his hand and issued an order.
“Take him into custody for now. Seal up the jar of liquor as well.”
“General Xu!”
“Wait for the results of the palace investigation,” Xu Zonglun said, looking at General Hu. “If you truly are innocent, the Office of Judicial Punishments will clear your name.”
Listening to these words, General Hu felt that perhaps he ought to trust him.
Yet the unease in his heart only grew stronger.
Xu Zonglun’s expression was clearly complicated and grave, but his eyes seemed to glimmer with a shrewd light, as though he could see through everything.
As though… he had known what would happen from beginning to end.