Before Xiao Chiye entered the palace, Shen Zechuan was already granted an audience with Li Jianheng at the Hall of Illuminating Principle. He was bestowed the rank of Fifth-Rank Embroidered Guard Zhenfu. Accordingly, his waist badge was replaced with a lacquered gilt-bronze plaque stamped with the xiezhi amid coiling clouds. One side bore the word “Guard”, the other “In Attendance.”
Han Cheng received only some rewards this time. He felt displeased, knowing full well that Shen Zechuan had used him as a stepping stone. Still, he also knew that Shen Zechuan was now basking in imperial favor, and under no circumstances could he afford to fall out with him.
Back at the office hall, colleagues came to offer their congratulations. Shen Zechuan acknowledged them one by one. When most people had dispersed, Han Cheng finally said, “It’s your first time wearing the gold badge. There are some things you probably don’t understand yet, right?”
Shen Zechuan lowered his posture and said, “I ask for your guidance, Commander.”
Han Cheng found this very satisfying. He said, “When you’re on duty, the Guard gold badge must be worn at your waist. During rest days, it must not be displayed. Normally, when accompanying the emperor, you’ll still be stationed in the Twelve Offices, but you can’t behave like before. You must speak more cautiously now. You may have carried out missions in the past, but this is different. From now on, if there’s a mission and it’s an ‘Arrest Order,’ don’t rush to seize anyone. You must first go to the Criminal Division and get the attending secretary’s signature. If it’s a ‘Regional Order,’ meaning you’re leaving Que City to investigate locally, you must first go to the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate to complete the necessary endorsements.”
Shen Zechuan listened humbly.
Seeing that his attitude remained respectful, no different from before his promotion, Han Cheng couldn’t help developing a bit of fondness for talent and continued, “In the past, the Eastern Depot stood over our heads. Whenever we went out and saw an Eastern Depot eunuch, we had to bow and scrape. But now the Twenty-Four Offices are vacant, the Eastern Depot is effectively defunct. They should be bowing to us. There’s no need to give eunuchs a pleasant face. Still, there’s one thing you must remember: although the Embroidered Guard answers directly to the emperor, we still deal with the Three Judicial Offices. When handling affairs in the provinces, we often work together with Censorate officials. On the surface, our powers are separate, but in truth we rely on one another. When carrying out duties, you must maintain good relations with officials of the Three Judicial Offices. Never clash with them. If you leave a knot unresolved, later assignments will be hard to manage.”
All of this Shen Zechuan knew by heart, but on his face he looked as though hearing it for the first time, listening intently.
In the end, Han Cheng did him a favor and said, “If you want to build your own staff, go to the Assignment Records Office and pick from the roster.”
Shen Zechuan thanked him. Leaving the hall, he walked along the corridor, not in a hurry to choose people. When he exited the palace gate, Xiao Chiye was already waiting, seated in a carriage.
Shen Zechuan halted and was about to turn back.
Xiao Chiye lifted the curtain halfway and drawled lazily, “You got promoted, your stipend went up too. You’re not going to be so stingy that you won’t even treat me to a drink, are you?”
Seeing Ding Tao and Gu Jin standing guard on either side, eyeing him like tigers, Shen Zechuan exhaled a breath of cold air and answered calmly, “I can afford it. I was just looking for you.”
The two of them went to the residence where Xiao Chiye entertained his teacher. Inside, the tables and chairs had been cleared away. Low relief folding screens divided the space into four seating areas, with a dragon-tooth, upturned-head table set in the center. It was simple and elegant—a fine place for drinking and conversation.
The room was warm, and both men removed their cloaks.
Xiao Chiye sat cross-legged, casual and loose. By contrast, Shen Zechuan still sat properly on his heels, composed and upright. Xiao Chiye laughed and said, “Judging by your manners, you look more like someone from a noble house. Did Master Jigang teach you all this too?”
These habits had been beaten into him with a ruler by Grand Tutor Qi, but Shen Zechuan didn’t answer that. He only said, “You waited for me at the palace gate. What is it?”
Xiao Chiye watched the maids bring in the wine and dishes. Only after the door was closed did he say, “Weren’t you looking for me anyway? You go first.”
“I saw you didn’t enter the palace to see the emperor,” Shen Zechuan said after drinking a few mouthfuls of hot tea to warm himself. “You were busy all night—must have stayed in the prison. Fuling was easy to investigate, right?”
“Very,” Xiao Chiye said, pouring himself wine. “So easy it doesn’t seem like someone you would use.”
“She has an elderly mother and a soft heart. Too many weaknesses—easy to control, but also easy to turn,” Shen Zechuan said with a smile. “You’re right. If it were me, I wouldn’t use someone like that.”
“But you, Shen Lanzhou,” Xiao Chiye said, drinking as he looked at him, moistening his throat before continuing, “whatever kind of people you use wouldn’t surprise me.”
“I’m still human,” Shen Zechuan said, taking the wine pot from him. “I do have some feelings.”
“But you didn’t give me even a shred of that feeling,” Xiao Chiye said regretfully.
Shen Zechuan poured the wine slowly. “You’re not much different.”
“I’ve reached out more than once,” Xiao Chiye said gently. “You ignored me every time. You’re determined to go head-to-head with me?”
“If tossing out some inconsequential information counts as reaching out,” Shen Zechuan said, setting down the pot and looking at him, “then this alliance is far too cheap.”
“So you turned around and mixed with Xi Hongxuan,” Xiao Chiye said. “What kind of thing is he? Better than your Second Young Master?”
“The Second Young Master was far more imposing when he was suppressing me than he is now,” Shen Zechuan said. “Those with ability rise. No one else is to blame.”
“How could I bear to blame you?” Xiao Chiye said through the steam rising from the hot pot. “You must’ve been pretty annoyed last night, not getting to stomp on me with your foot.”
“No,” Shen Zechuan said, smiling.
“Your gaze can be vicious sometimes,” Xiao Chiye went on without waiting for a reply. “Of course, it only has flavor when it’s vicious.”
Shen Zechuan endured for a moment before saying, “Then your tastes really are special.”
“You’re not bad either,” Xiao Chiye said with double meaning. “This is the first time I’ve met someone who likes being bitten.”
“Back to the point,” Shen Zechuan said. “Why did you want to see me?”
“To drink,” Xiao Chiye said, draining his cup. “And to chat. East Dragon Street’s brokerage has a powerful backer. They’ve always kept to their own lane with me, so we’ve coexisted peacefully. But this time they tried to frame me. I have to check who’s backing them.”
Shen Zechuan fished vegetables out of the pot.
Xiao Chiye continued, “Once I started checking, all I dug up was Xi Hongxuan. Very strange. Last time, right here, you specifically told me the Eight Great Houses were going to unite against me. Yet you turned around and stepped on me together with them. I couldn’t figure out what you meant. But when I reversed the order, I understood your goal.”
Shen Zechuan ate fish like a cat—cleanly and neatly. He didn’t look up, only hummed to show he was listening.
Xiao Chiye rotated the wine cup on the table. “I should put the plan of ‘stepping on me’ before the ‘Eight Houses uniting.’ Then it makes sense. Your real target was never me. You instigated Xi Hongxuan to act, pushing him to seek alliances with other houses. At the same time, you leaked the news to me, forcing me to react, using the real authority of the Eight Garrisons to lure the other houses away from Xi Hongxuan. What is this called—horizontal and vertical stratagems? All with words, stirring things up. Preventing the Eight Houses from forming an alliance is a minor thing. Leaving behind mutual suspicion—that’s the real beginning of what you wanted.”
Shen Zechuan glanced at him. “Just because you found Xi Hongxuan behind the East Dragon Street brokerage, you came up with all this?”
“Traces,” Xiao Chiye said. “You didn’t wipe them clean. When Xi Gu’an was in prison, Xi Hongxuan sold that man’s life to obtain an appointment. That must’ve been your idea too. Otherwise Xi Hongxuan wouldn’t listen to you so obediently.”
Shen Zechuan wiped his hands with a handkerchief and thought for a moment. “The person who makes him obedient isn’t me.”
“I originally thought you were rushing upward just to make it easier to investigate the Zhongbo defeat,” Xiao Chiye said, pouring more wine. “Who knew your appetite was this big. What good does splitting the Eight Great Houses do you? You know Que City is ringed by eight cities—they’ve existed far longer than the Li imperial clan. Look at Hua Siqian. A case as huge as plotting rebellion at the hunting grounds, yet the Empress Dowager is still perfectly safe. How can you imagine splitting them apart with the power of one person? Tear away the mist over Que City and look carefully—they’ve already intertwined underground, standing firm for centuries.”
Shen Zechuan set down his chopsticks completely. When he sat upright like this, it was the posture of someone about to discourse. He wasn’t angry—he was very calm.
“I’ll only ask you one thing,” he said.
Xiao Chiye paused. “Go ahead.”
“Ever since the beginning, the Hua family and the Xiao family have checked each other,” Shen Zechuan said. “The South Forest hunting grounds pushed the Hua family into decline, and the Xiao family gained the upper hand. But did you really win?”
Xiao Chiye tightened his grip on the cup.
Outside the window, dusk had fallen. No lamps had been lit yet. Shen Zechuan sat by the window, his silhouette thin. He said, “You’ll soon realize that what you face isn’t just one Hua family. Perhaps at first you comforted yourself that they only wanted the Eight Garrisons. But think about the six prefectures of Zhongbo, and you’ll understand they want far more than that.”
“The Zhongbo defeat still hasn’t reached a conclusion,” Xiao Chiye said after a moment of silence in the darkness. “You’re this certain it was them?”
“It’s a rotten account,” Shen Zechuan said. “We’ve turned the Zhongbo defeat over again and again, trying to pin blame on someone. But this was never something a single person could decide. And there’s one thing in that defeat that no one has ever been able to understand, even to this day.”
“Why?” Xiao Chiye asked.
“Yes—why,” Shen Zechuan said. “When Border Sand crossed the border, everyone was badly injured. Tens of thousands died in Zhongbo—that was only the immediate problem. What followed were even greater difficulties: years of missing tax revenue from the six prefectures. How would the population return? How would farmland be redistributed? How would razed cities be rebuilt? The treasury couldn’t afford it. Zhongbo became a gaping hole in the state. The hardest part was rebuilding the garrison army. Without sufficient troops, Zhongbo would be breached again. How long could reinforcements from Libei and Qidong hold out? This directly concerns the safety of Que City. Did no one think of these issues before Zhongbo fell—or did they think of them and still do it? The Eight Great Houses may not be the masterminds, but without their power, this couldn’t have been done.”
“Every upheaval in Great Zhou has been inseparable from them. Twenty-five years ago, during Emperor Guangcheng’s reign, that was the turning point of the Hua family’s rise—the Empress Dowager, to consolidate power, killed the virtuous and rule-abiding Crown Prince. Eighty years ago, during Emperor Yong’an’s reign, the court belonged to the Yao family. One high gate produced three pillars of state; the Grand Secretariat was even called the ‘Yao Hall.’ A hundred years ago, when Yongyi Harbor opened in Juexi, the Xi family became the key to Great Zhou’s granary. They seized the bay salt fields facing the Western Void Sea and became the richest family under heaven—so rich that even Li clan nobles had to borrow money from them to marry. None of these things were caused by personal grudges. Through each change of emperors, they took turns leading. Not one family has ever truly fallen into ruin.”
“There are no noble sons born of humble gates. Among the famous ministers who can sway the court of Great Zhou, very few come from poor origins. How many years does it take to produce a Qi Huilian? How many years a Hai Liangyi? They’re like a hastily drawn stroke— even if they make it through, they pass in a blink.”
“If you must name someone who could stand firm within this iron net of noble families, that person is someone you know all too well.”
Shen Zechuan looked at Xiao Chiye, every word clear.
“Prince of Libei Xiao Fangxu rose from nothing, born at the foot of Hongyan Mountain. At fifteen, he enlisted at Luoxia Pass. At twenty, he was promoted to garrison commander of Luoxia Pass. At twenty-three, he suffered defeat beneath Hongyan Mountain. At twenty-six, he built the Luoxia horse grounds. At twenty-eight, he formed the Luoxia cavalry. At thirty, he fought the Border Sand Viper Tribe again. At thirty-two, he crossed Hongyan Mountain. At thirty-five, he trampled across the eastern Hongyan range. From then on, the Luoxia cavalry was dissolved and became the Libei Iron Cavalry. He was no longer a garrison commander. He received three imperial rewards and was enfeoffed as the non-imperial Prince of Libei. From that moment, the scale of the Libei great commandery was fixed, and Great Zhou occupied the entire Hongyan range.”
“Your Xiao family’s struggle with the Eight Great Houses isn’t just a fight for power—it’s a war between noble and common. The one who broke through that threshold and stepped onto the summit was Xiao Fangxu. You were already irreconcilable with the Eight Great Houses long ago.”
Shen Zechuan lowered his eyes slightly, neatly arranging the bowls and chopsticks before him. “If you want to form an alliance, at the very least you need to show sincerity on my level—not just toss out a few words about the Imperial Guards’ accounts. That kind of thing isn’t worth anything to me.”
The small folding screens filtered the sound of the wind. In the darkness, the two men sat facing each other, each with his own bearing. By the faintly bright window, snowlight glimmered along their profiles, reflecting the chill of the black night. Langli Blade and Yangshan Snow lay facing each other. Though neither had left its sheath, a cold gleam of steel filled the room.