Shen Zechuan said, “Oh.”
Xiao Chiye did not get the response he had expected. He turned back to look at him again and said, “Why didn’t you argue back?”
Shen Zechuan raised his hand and opened his umbrella. “There’s no father or elder brother in my household, no familiar faces either. What would I go back for?”
Xiao Chiye lifted a handkerchief and wiped the water from the back of his neck, then stood up. “That’s right. The Jianxing Prince’s residence of Dunzhou has already been dismantled. With your identity, even if you went back, you’d just be cursed by ten thousand mouths.”
“So that’s fate.” Shen Zechuan looked quietly at Xiao Chiye. After a long pause, he said, “If you’re born into the wrong lot, suffering is all there is.”
Xiao Chiye did not look at him. He lifted his arm to wipe the rain from his brow and said, “Then why are you still alive?”
Shen Zechuan smiled faintly. “Millions want me dead. If I let everyone have their way, wouldn’t that make me terribly uncomfortable?”
“You should have stayed in the Temple of Atonement,” Xiao Chiye said. “That was your way to survive.”
Shen Zechuan took a few steps, skirting around a puddle on the ground. He said, “If I stayed in the Temple of Atonement, you would think that execution was my proper end. Xiao Chiye, even if you try your best to hide it, you are already used to looking down from above. You are no different from those who now look down on you. Layer after layer of gazes—now they make you suffer just as badly.”
He laughed, then lightly slapped a palm against Xiao Chiye’s back.
“I seek life, you seek death. The Xiao family once trapped me; the Li family now traps you. Isn’t it strange how things turn out? A caged bird longs for the old forest; a pond fish yearns for its former depths. Your fatal weakness has always been exposed. If you can’t go back, you’re nothing but a useless man with lofty ambitions. The most regrettable thing in this world is taming a wolf into a dog. In Que Capital, how long can your fangs stay sharp?”
“During the autumn hunt, you followed me,” Xiao Chiye turned his head to look at him. “Saving my life—was it all just for this moment of satisfaction?”
“I’m nothing more than an insignificant ant,” Shen Zechuan said softly. “Even if I hadn’t appeared, you would have lived.”
“You,” Xiao Chiye said, the drunkenness now gone from his voice, “what exactly do you want to do?”
“Repay a debt.” Shen Zechuan stepped closer, the rim of his umbrella covering Xiao Chiye. He was so close. “Repay the debt for not killing me.”
Xiao Chiye suddenly grabbed Shen Zechuan by the collar. “I thought you’d truly turned over a new leaf, that you wanted to live properly.”
“What crime have I committed?” The light in Shen Zechuan’s eyes was colder than the autumn rain. He even stepped closer, nearly pressing against Xiao Chiye as he asked, “What crime have I committed?”
“When you crawled out of the Tea Stone Sinkhole, did you not look back at the cities of Duanzhou?” Xiao Chiye’s fingers tightened. “Eight cities slaughtered to the last. When the horses charged through the gates, what splashed up was human blood.”
“Shen Wei was defeated in battle.” Shen Zechuan finally tore off that mask of pretense, revealing searing hatred beneath. “Forty thousand people of Zhongbo were buried in the Tea Stone Sinkhole! On that day I lost my elder brother and my shiniang. What crime have I committed?”
“Shen Wei deserved to die!” Xiao Chiye lost control as well. He slammed Shen Zechuan against the wall. “The Shen clan deserved extermination! You’re also surnamed Shen—how can you say you’re not guilty?!”
The oil-paper umbrella rolled onto the ground. Shen Zechuan crashed into the wall, hoisted up by Xiao Chiye so that his toes barely touched the ground. He raised his leg and stomped a foot into Xiao Chiye’s chest. Xiao Chiye staggered back a few steps in pain, yet did not release his grip. He dragged Shen Zechuan by the collar and hurled him to the ground.
The fine drizzle abruptly turned into heavy rain, pounding down in a clatter. In the dark alley, the sounds of collision rang out; toppled clutter was trampled underfoot.
The courtesans waiting inside Xiangyun Workshop were startled. They lifted their wooden clogs and leaned out of the doorway to look.
“They’re fighting!” Xiangyun hurriedly threw on her clothes, slipped into her clogs, and rushed over. “Sirs! If you have words, speak them—why resort to blows?”
Shen Zechuan straddled him, throwing a punch that snapped Xiao Chiye’s head aside. Xiao Chiye seized Shen Zechuan’s wrist, yanked him brutally closer, licked the blood knocked loose between his teeth, and said, “Neither of us is getting out of this unscathed!”
Xiangyun had already called out the servants, who together dragged the two of them apart. Xiao Chiye shook his arm, and the burly servants felt their hands go numb. But Xiao Chiye did not lunge again. He raised a finger to wipe the wound on his face and said, “Get lost.”
Seeing things were going badly, Xiangyun signaled the servants to hurry and summon people from the Prince’s residence.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Chiye said, “Whoever dares alert my father—I’ll break his legs!”
Xiangyun softened her voice and went along with it. “What’s all this? Second Young Master is usually so gentle with women—why scare the girls like this tonight? Gentlemen drink and spar now and then; once it’s over, it’s over. Let’s laugh it off and bury old grudges.”
Xiao Chiye stood up, stripped off his filthy outer robe, tossed it to Xiangyun, and said, “Go inside.”
Xiangyun hugged the robe and urged, “Second Young Master, it’s so cold outside—”
She gradually fell silent, quietly waving the courtesans back and retreating inside with them. This time, though, the door was not shut tight. A crowd of girls pressed up against the doors and windows to sneak a look.
Shen Zechuan picked up his umbrella. He was filthy from head to toe. Rain plastered his hair against his cheeks, making his complexion look even paler.
“Next time,” Shen Zechuan said, “if you want to find me, go straight to my door. I might not walk through this alley even once in eight hundred years.”
“If I’d known you were passing through here,” Xiao Chiye said, “I’d rather throw up inside than come out.”
Shen Zechuan laughed derisively. “Then it really is a narrow road for enemies.”
“From now on, I’ll keep a close eye on you,” Xiao Chiye said, stepping toward him.
“You can barely take care of yourself, yet you’re so concerned about me.” Shen Zechuan raised his umbrella to keep some distance. “A centipede dies but doesn’t stiffen. You think one autumn hunt is enough to crush the Hua family so they can never rise again? That’s pure delusion.”
“You’d better think about how to stay alive.” Xiao Chiye pressed his chest against the umbrella, eyeing him sidelong. “Without the Empress Dowager backing you, how long do you think you can live?”
“The throne has changed hands,” Shen Zechuan said. “Shouldn’t those assumptions of yours change with it?”
“You can’t kill anyone,” Xiao Chiye said. “Those who owe you are the frontier cavalry and Shen Wei.”
“Whatever you say,” Shen Zechuan draped himself once more in that gentle façade. He lowered his umbrella and said softly to Xiao Chiye, “I’ll listen to you, all right?”
Xiao Chiye’s nameless anger flared up all at once. “Fine. Then tonight you stay with me.”
“Lying beneath warm, fragrant curtains,” Shen Zechuan said. “Do you have a habit of sharing a bed with others? Sorry—I don’t.”
Now, however Xiao Chiye looked at him, Shen Zechuan seemed ready to cause trouble. He said, “What are you hiding from? Didn’t you say whatever I say goes?”
“Are you,” Shen Zechuan pointed at his own head, “out of your mind?”
“The idle men of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have all been folded into the Imperial Guard,” Xiao Chiye said. “So who exactly is the one out of his mind?”
Shen Zechuan paused briefly, then said, “What does the Governor want me to do?”
Xiao Chiye still had red marks on his cheek. The ferocity between his brows dissipated, replaced by the lazy air of a ruffian. He turned and sat beneath the eaves, pointing at his boots.
Shen Zechuan slowly tugged at the corner of his lips and said, “All right.”
The next morning at dawn, Chenyang came to fetch him and saw Shen Zechuan at the entrance of Xiangyun Workshop, holding the Wolf Fang Blade. He froze.
Shen Zechuan straightened from where he leaned against the door and bowed to Chenyang.
Chenyang instantly felt something was wrong. “Commander Shen… why are you here?”
“Ji Lei is still awaiting judgment in prison,” Shen Zechuan said. “The Embroidered Uniform Guard are temporarily serving as the Imperial Guard, under the Governor’s supervision.”
Looking at Shen Zechuan’s calm face, Chenyang felt his scalp prickle. He nodded slightly and hurried upstairs.
Shen Zechuan watched him go. Xiangyun came down the stairs, lifting her skirt hem, and said with concern, “You haven’t eaten yet, have you? And you didn’t even change out of those dirty clothes. Lingting—”
Upstairs, a courtesan with a weary face leaned on the railing and said, “Mama, why are you still calling Lingting? You always forget that girl’s already been redeemed and left.”
Xiangyun came to her senses and said, “Old habits! Bring some food for Commander Shen.”
When Chenyang entered the room, he saw Xiao Chiye still sprawled on the couch asleep, with no attendants at his side. He stepped forward and called softly, “Governor? Governor?”
Xiao Chiye buried his face, slept a bit longer, then suddenly sat up. “Why is it you? Where’s Shen Lanzhou?!”
“He’s downstairs keeping watch, Governor… what happened to your face?” Chenyang asked in shock.
“Hunting,” Xiao Chiye said, getting off the couch and stretching his shoulders. “Did my elder brother send you to call me?”
“It was the Prince,” Chenyang said. “A report arrived early this morning. The Shiqiu mutual market was raided last night by the frontier cavalry. We’ll be entering the palace shortly to discuss it in detail. Elder Hai has summoned the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue—Libei will be going to war again.”
Xiao Chiye splashed water on his face and immediately strode out. Going downstairs, he saw Shen Zechuan standing close beside a courtesan. He took several long strides, snatched the plate from behind, and stuffed the pastries into his own mouth.
Shen Zechuan looked at him and said, “Eat slower. If you choke, there won’t be time to save you.”
Xiao Chiye swallowed everything, grinned at him, slung an arm directly over his shoulder, and dragged him outside. “Lanzhou…”
Shen Zechuan looked at him.
With a flippant tone, Xiao Chiye said, “Why hold grudges overnight? I slept and forgot all about it. Come on—Second Young Master will take you out for some fun.”
Shen Zechuan knocked his hand away with the scabbard and said, “Second Young Master, don’t take advantage of the moment to touch the back of my neck.”
The Hall of Bright Principle was filled with people.
Li Jianheng stayed frozen on the dragon throne, first gauging Hai Liangyi’s expression, then shifting his gaze to others, doing his best to look solemn.
“At present, the position of Grand Eunuch Holding the Brush in the Directorate of Ceremonial is vacant,” Hai Liangyi said to Li Jianheng first. “When the accounts from the various ministries reach the cabinet, before they are signed, this old minister must first present them to Your Majesty. What does Your Majesty think of last night’s accounts?”
Li Jianheng had spent the night holding a beauty and listening to the pipa. When Hai Liangyi kowtowed, he immediately felt guilty and shifted his seat. “Fine, fine!”
Behind them, Xue Xiuzhuo had worn a neutral expression, but hearing this, his brows slowly knit together.
Hai Liangyi waited a moment. Seeing that Li Jianheng had nothing more to say, he continued, “With autumn cold and heavy frost upon us, if Libei is to deploy troops, it will certainly require advance payment of military funds from Que Capital. Prince, how much will be needed this time?”
Xiao Fangxu smiled. “I’ve been ill and withdrawn for a long time. Matters of military urgency have long been entrusted to Jiming. Jiming, however much silver is lacking, you may tell Elder Hai.”
Xiao Jiming kowtowed. “The twelve tribes of the frontier sands are raiding the market now because winter snow is approaching and their grain stores are exhausted. They have no choice but to loot the mutual market. In past years, Libei’s military farms were self-sufficient and required no logistical support. But this year, with the late emperor’s passing, the twelve tribes likely wish to take advantage of the situation. If we deploy troops, we must not only drive them back across the border but also station forces to guard against them. I have already submitted the required amount to the Ministry of Revenue.”
The newly appointed Minister of Revenue produced a memorial, which Shuanglu passed up to Li Jianheng.
Li Jianheng read it for a while and said, “One million two hundred thousand taels—what’s so hard about that? As long as the soldiers don’t freeze or go hungry.”
Minister of Revenue Qian Jin looked awkward. “Your Majesty may not be aware… last year’s deficit has not yet been made up, and the treasury does not have that much money on hand.”
Li Jianheng said, “Then one million taels should be fine, right?”
Qian Jin kowtowed. “Twenty-three thousand taels were spent mobilizing the Eight Great Garrisons for the autumn hunt, and the late emperor… fifty-four thousand taels. The remaining funds in the treasury must still be used to pay the overdue salaries of officials in Que Capital. The end of the year is approaching; the civil officials must celebrate the New Year as well. One million taels is certainly impossible, Your Majesty. There are only six hundred thousand taels that can be allocated to the Libei Iron Cavalry.”
Li Jianheng truly had not expected that even as emperor, he could be poor. He had wanted to show goodwill toward Libei and placate Xiao Chiye, but who knew there would be no money? The awkwardness made him want to crawl under the table. He mumbled a few vague sounds of assent.
The Hall of Bright Principle fell silent for a moment.
Xue Xiuzhuo suddenly spoke. “Your Majesty, this humble minister has a method.”
Li Jianheng looked at him as if at a savior. “Speak, speak.”
Xue Xiuzhuo said, “When the Hua faction held sway over the court, they openly priced idle posts and accepted all comers. The ‘ice respect’ they collected each year was a considerable sum. Pan Rugui, too, used procurement as a pretext to amass wealth on a grand scale. Now that these two are imprisoned, it would be better to confiscate the Hua and Pan households to supplement military funds. Yesterday, Second Young Master of the Xi family, Xi Hongxuan, already bore a thorn on his back to plead guilty, submitting testimony to the Court of Judicial Review accusing Xi Gu’an of secretly raising personal troops. He has even leased out the Xi family’s residence in Que Capital, all to repay the missing accounts from Xi Gu’an’s tenure over the Eight Great Garrisons.”
At the mention of confiscation, Li Jianheng’s interest was instantly piqued. He leaned forward eagerly. “Good! I… I have long thought the same!”
Hai Liangyi pondered for a moment. “This is improper. The Court of Judicial Review has not yet completed its reexamination. How can we pass judgment beyond the law?”
“In extraordinary times, there is no choice,” Xue Xiuzhuo said. “Que Capital can wait for reexamination, but the frontier cavalry will not. We cannot let the Libei Iron Cavalry go to war on empty stomachs.”
Hai Liangyi was still hesitating when Li Jianheng had already slapped the table and approved it.
Afterwards, Xiao Jiming said to Qi Zhuyin, who had not spoken throughout, “How are the border commanderies?”
Qi Zhuyin lifted his head, looking at the rain beyond the eaves. “Lu Guangbai is still in the border commanderies. The twelve frontier tribes naturally will not move. With Libei lacking its chief commander, things are bound to be difficult.”
Xiao Jiming stood there for a moment and sighed. “Talented generals are hard to come by.”
Qi Zhuyin said, “No matter how Que Capital’s winds and clouds change, a general’s duty is always to defend home and country. Jiming, capable commanders are rare and difficult to cultivate. Libei is the Great Zhou’s crucial frontier defense. If you do not choose successors, it will only harm Libei.”
To be a fierce general guarding one region, to become the Great Zhou’s wall of bronze and iron—this had been every one of their original intentions. But a man grows old. To tie the lives of an entire army to one person may be acceptable for a few years, but for ten, twenty, even decades, the Libei Iron Cavalry would become inseparable from Xiao Jiming alone.
If one day the Libei Iron Cavalry were to lose Xiao Jiming, what would become of this army that had dominated the battlefield for decades without its fame ever dimming?
“I know you place great hopes on Aye,” Qi Zhuyin stepped down the stairs and slowly turned back. “But he is destined never to fly out of Que Capital. You’ve placed your gaze on him all these years—do you think he hasn’t sensed it, even if you never spoke? For every measure you expect, he suffers that much more. Libei is not his wings; it is his cage. Jiming, you and I have been friends for many years. Let me advise you—choose someone else.”
In the distance, the palace eaves were all shrouded in mist. A lone crow cried hoarsely a few times, then fell silent once more.