Chapter 21#

The court officials related to the Eight Houses were suddenly struck as if by frost, frozen stiff in place.#

Their first reaction was not fear, but rather an expression that could be called bewilderment—the most ridiculous and absurd of all was that the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shi Yuan, was among them. His valiant posture from earlier, kneeling to report the leaked chess manual, was still fresh in memory.

As the bewilderment faded, they finally snapped back to reality, realizing they had chosen the wrong side, said the wrong words, and followed the wrong person.

Thus began a chaotic scramble for self-salvation—

“Your servant is guilty! Your servant should not have recklessly discussed the prince. I beg Your Majesty for mercy!”

“Your servant is also guilty, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”

“Though I am a man of the Eight Houses, I am truly wronged. I did not speak a single word earlier!”

“I… I merely studied chess with the Eight Houses, with no deep ties to any of the noble families. Your Majesty, please investigate clearly!”

“Your Majesty, why are you arresting us? I do not understand!”

“Losing to Nanping was never the wish of the Eight Houses. It was all Nanping’s treachery, Your Majesty! I beg you to investigate clearly!”

…

Emperor Shunyuan was already blazing with rage, and the clamor only made him more irritable. He slammed his hand on the imperial desk, his dragon countenance erupting in fury: “Whether you are wronged or not, we will know after the trial. Drag them out!”

At his command, the Imperial Guards rushed in like tigers and wolves, swarming forward to roughly pin the arms of the Eight Houses officials behind their backs. Iron chains clattered loudly as they forcibly dragged the men out of the hall.

Xie Langyang, a junior member of the direct lineage of the Xie family, naturally could not escape this calamity. For the first time in his life, he was treated like a prisoner, with Imperial Guards rudely pressing his shoulders and pulling him along by force. His brocade red official robe was twisted askew, his hair bun disheveled, and he was dragged across the hall in a messy and ridiculous posture.

No matter how noble his status in the past, at this moment there was not a shred of dignity or grace left.

Shame coiled around his heart like a poisonous vine, gnawing at his self-respect. He trembled, bewildered and incredulous.

How had it come to this?

Just as he was being dragged out of the hall, he looked up and saw Wen Zhuo walking slowly into the chamber.

Still dressed in that red robe like a lotus flower, its hem washed clean and spotless, with his sleeves lightly rolled up to reveal a section of slender, graceful wrist, he seemed as unattainable as an immortal descending from heaven.

Wen Zhuo glanced down at him, his gaze not resembling pity, but rather the enjoyment of a long-anticipated spectacle.

Watching him fall from a high-ranking official to a prisoner, watching him appear utterly disheveled before his former colleagues, watching him shatter the pride and dignity he had painstakingly built over the years in this very court.

Xie Langyang never imagined that, having been back in the Shunyuan court for barely a month, he would experience so thoroughly the humiliation Wen Zhuo had suffered in his previous life.

He knew Wen Zhuo must have secretly pulled some strings, but he could not figure it out.

Why had Emperor Shunyuan, contrary to his usual nature, unconditionally believed Shen Zhi, and instead angrily imprisoned the men of the Eight Houses?

As Wen Zhuo watched Xie Langyang’s staggering figure recede, he realized that this was exactly how his own eyes must have looked when he was impeached in his previous life.

But Xie Langyang certainly could not have felt as humiliated, lost, or desolate as he had.

Not even close.

Wen Zhuo concealed the coldness in his eyes well, turning around with an innocent smile, his tone gentle: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. What has happened?”

Emperor Shunyuan pressed his forehead with his hand, clearly furious: “Wanshan, you do not know.”

A third of the court officials had already been taken away, and the remaining two-thirds, like Wen Zhuo, were equally puzzled.

But although the Emperor was enraged, he had not lost his reason. This scandal was too monumental, and he had not yet decided how to handle it.

Gong Zhiyuan and Bu Zhangyi were not considered men of the Eight Houses, so for now they remained in the hall. Both seemed frozen, not daring to make the slightest move.

Gong Zhiyuan’s mind raced, replaying everything to figure out where the leak had occurred. Why had Xie Langyang’s scheme of framing collapsed so utterly?

Bu Zhangyi, meanwhile, kept glancing at Gong Zhiyuan in panic and suspicion, wondering if he had fallen into Gong’s trap and dragged the men of the Shi faction down with him.

But Gong Zhiyuan’s expression suggested otherwise—who would sacrifice their own people just to take down a political opponent?

Neither of them could think of a countermeasure. Shen Chen was even more confused; he had prepared numerous arguments to deepen his father’s suspicion of Shen Zhi—for instance, saying he had overheard Shen Zhi and Consort Liang whispering about missing Nanping, how Nanping had treated him well, and so on—but now he dared not speak them.

Could it be that Wen Zhuo had already informed the Emperor about the infighting among the Eight Houses and their secret dealings with Nanping?

No!

If Emperor Shunyuan truly knew, he would never have allowed the Spring Terrace Chess Meet to proceed to the final round and end in disgrace.

Or perhaps Shen Zhi had become different in this life, earning the Emperor more favor and sympathy?

Even more absurd.

All his other sons served him daily with filial piety, yet none had received such trust from the Emperor, let alone a son who had been away for ten years.

Suddenly, a voice rang out clearly from outside the hall: “Your servant thanks Your Majesty for trusting the Fifth Prince! The Fifth Prince spent ten years as a hostage for the nation, unwavering in his loyalty. He is truly a hero of the Great Qian Dynasty. He would never do anything to harm the state!”

All eyes turned to the source of the voice—it was none other than the Marquis of Yongning, who had been absent for some time.

The Marquis knelt down, his tone resolute. This old general, having experienced countless disappointments and frustrations, could no longer tolerate this rotten court.

Emperor Shunyuan quickly raised a hand: “Marquis of Yongning, please rise. I naturally trust my own son.”

Shen Chen: “?”

Why, oh why, was this happening!

Emperor Shunyuan suddenly beckoned the Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Liu Quan, and whispered a few brief instructions in his ear.

After hearing them, Liu Quan gave a slight bow and hurried out of the hall.

Gong Zhiyuan, Bu Zhangyi, the Crown Prince, the Prince Xian, and Shen Chen all stared intently, wishing they could pry open Liu Quan’s ear and extract the Emperor’s words from his mind.

Only Wen Zhuo remained still, his gaze forward, as steady as a mountain.

Meanwhile, in the eastern building of Guangi Street, Gu Weizhi pushed his way out of the agitated crowd, bowed, and climbed into the waiting carriage, heading straight for Huiyang Gate.

In less than half an incense stick’s time, the carriage arrived. He immediately spotted the anxious pacing Nanping envoy, Wukan, and three chess players standing with hands at their sides, their expressions peculiar.

Gu Weizhi jumped down from the carriage, smoothed his plain robe, and walked up with Liu Qiyin and Jiang Mannü accompanying him.

His face was full of smiles, as warm as a spring breeze, and he already had his hands clasped in greeting before speaking: “This must be Envoy Wukan from Nanping, am I right? I am Gu Weizhi, a staff member under Wen Zhuo, Head of the Hanlin Academy. Today, I am here on behalf of the Head to pay a visit.”

Wukan looked at this stranger with suspicion.

If it had been just anyone saying this, Wukan would not have even let him finish. But he recognized Liu Qiyin and Jiang Mannü behind him—Wen Zhuo had kept them close during their time at the embassy.

Wukan let out a sneer: “What trick is your Great Qian up to now? Is this how you treat the winner of the Spring Terrace Chess Meet? Are you sore losers trying to weasel out of acknowledging the outcome?”

Gu Weizhi, hearing the sharpness in his words, was not offended. He continued politely: “The envoy is joking. My purpose here today is to discuss a transaction on behalf of the Head.”

With that, he extended his left hand, and Liu Qiyin deftly placed two red pills into his palm.

Gu Weizhi held them up and said slowly: “These were found in the envoy’s room. After crushing them and having a physician analyze them, we discovered they contain highly toxic substances such as cinnabar, realgar, arsenic, red stone, and lead dan. While these pills can induce mental excitement and enhance memory, they severely damage the body. Prolonged use is likely to shorten one’s lifespan.”

His tone then shifted, becoming sharper: “To defeat Great Qian, your country may have righteous men willing to pay such a price. But if the garrison soldiers on the border or the common people in Nanping learn of this, they would surely feel disheartened. If it were for the sake of a city or a territory, perhaps it could be understood. But for nothing more than a chess competition, your court is willing to sacrifice the lives of three youths? Truly…”

In truth, Gu Weizhi had put it mildly; the reality was far more terrifying. If such a desperate, addictive drug existed, would Nanping only administer it to Mu Yi, Mu Er, and Mu San?

Most likely, this drug had already become widespread on the southern battlefields. And the commanders would never inform the soldiers of its dangers, not when not everyone entered battle with a death wish.

Once this secret leaked, the Nanping garrison would fall into chaos, and the losses would be incalculable.

Wukan’s face darkened, and a trace of sweat appeared at his temple. He asked coldly: “What does Head Wen want?”

Gu Weizhi smiled: “Head Wen hopes that if His Majesty summons you privately, you will inform him of all the names of the Great Qian officials colluding with Nanping. As for things you have not done, you need not admit to them. I believe this should not be difficult for the envoy.”

Wukan sneered: “So Head Wen has also joined the internal strife of Great Qian. Is he not afraid that I will tell your Emperor what you have said today?”

Gu Weizhi tucked his hands into his sleeves, his expression calm: “Then the envoy would be unable to explain why the chess game of the final round appeared on our Emperor’s desk before it even ended. This chess scandal will either be blamed on the Eight Houses or on the envoy. Surely the envoy would not choose to sacrifice his own life in Great Qian to protect these moths?”

“What did you say?!” Wukan’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

The game had not even ended—how could it have appeared on the Emperor’s desk? That was impossible!

Gu Weizhi said flatly: “I have already provided the envoy with a way to break free from this predicament. I believe you will not disappoint Head Wen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a troop of Imperial Guards came down the street, their horses’ hooves thundering against the stone road.

Gu Weizhi promptly retreated into the crowd, watching as the Imperial Guards escorted Wukan and his party away under “protection.”

Outside Huiyang Gate, only the bewildered soldiers of the Five City Military Command remained, rooted in place.

The Spring Terrace Chess Meet had ended in a way that was both shocking and anticlimactic. No one knew what would happen next.

Though the sky was still overcast, it seemed as if the sun had shone into Gu Weizhi’s eyes. Looking at the retreating backs of the Imperial Guards, he sighed with heartfelt admiration: “The Head truly foresees everything as always. It has been four years—I genuinely miss the days when we fought side by side!”

Liu Qiyin asked: “Master Gu, what do we do next?”

Gu Weizhi’s face reddened slightly: “The Head said that my task is complete. He also said that Miss Liu must be carrying quite a bit of silver. He instructed you to take me sightseeing and eating around the capital. I am ashamed, but I must trouble you two ladies.”

Liu Qiyin: “…”

Emperor Shunyuan was naturally suspicious.

Although Shen Zhi’s complete recitation of the chess game from memory was inexplicable, the Emperor was also unwilling to believe that the court had become so corrupt and inept.

Perhaps there was some prophetic secret art that allowed Nanping to predict today’s game?

Soon, Liu Quan returned and whispered to Emperor Shunyuan: “They have been brought to the Qingliang Hall.”

Emperor Shunyuan paid no further attention to the ministers in the hall. He swayed as he stood up, flicked his sleeve, and left, leaving only one sentence: “Wait here. No one is to move without permission!”

The ministers exchanged bewildered glances. Xue Chongnian, the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, edged closer to Wen Zhuo and asked for advice: “Head Wen, could you analyze this for me? Why is His Majesty so furious?”

A third of the court officials had been sent to his court for imprisonment, including key members from various ministries, all tangled in complex relationships. Xue Chongnian’s heart was filled with anxiety.

How was he supposed to try this case? To what extent? Whom to go easy on, whom to punish severely? Who belonged to the Crown Prince’s faction, who to the Prince Xian’s? Every single issue made his head spin.

The only person who could guide him was Wen Zhuo, since Wen had no connection to the matter, did not lean toward any faction, and was a completely isolated minister who was also trusted by the Emperor.

Wen Zhuo tilted his head, showing a troubled expression: “Chief Xue is joking. I came here from Huiyang Gate along with you. I know nothing about this matter either.”

Xue Chongnian sighed: “Alas, tell me, what did we do to deserve being dragged into this muddy water? It’s truly miserable!”

In the Qingliang Hall.

Emperor Shunyuan took the cool tea handed to him by Liu Quan and drank a few sips to suppress his anger.

He stared darkly at Wukan, who was kneeling on the ground: “So you are the Nanping envoy.”

Wukan knelt with his head bowed, his eyes darting around: “I am the foreign envoy Wukan, paying respects to the Great Qian Emperor.”

Emperor Shunyuan slammed the imperial desk, causing the porcelain bowl to clatter violently.

All the eunuchs in the hall knelt down in unison. A bead of sweat rolled from Wukan’s nose and dripped onto the floor.

“How dare you, Wukan! Your Nanping has colluded with my court’s high ministers, cheated in the Spring Terrace Chess Meet, and attempted to undermine the prestige of Great Qian! Guards! Drag Wukan and the three chess players out and execute them!”

Wukan felt as though lightning had struck his mind, a flash of white before his eyes, and his back was instantly soaked with sweat.

In his panic and helplessness, he could only grit his teeth and board Wen Zhuo’s ship.

“Your Imperial Majesty, I am willing to provide a complete list of all Great Qian officials who have connections with Nanping. I beg Your Majesty for leniency!”

These men had merely sold some chess manuals to Nanping, not betrayed any military secrets. It was not worth sacrificing his life to protect them. He had no intention of becoming cannon fodder in Great Qian’s factional strife!

Emperor Shunyuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, confirming in his heart that what Shen Zhi had said was true.

His court had harbored too many rats, and he had been kept in the dark.

Emperor Shunyuan waved his hand, and the Imperial Guards sheathed their blades and stepped back.

“Speak.”

Wukan breathed a slight sigh of relief, his twitching muscles finally calming. But he still did not dare to raise his head, pressing his forehead to the ground as he spoke profusely: “About half a year ago, General Jun Dingyuan won a great victory over my Nanping. Many officials in my court were indignant but unwilling to exhaust the people and treasury further, so they devised this method to boost morale.”

“With Nanping’s foundation, it is no easy task to defeat Great Qian. But someone in my court knew of the severe infighting among the Eight Houses in Great Qian, which could be exploited. So we sent several undercover agents to make contact with members of the Eight Houses. Things went very smoothly. We paid them, and they stole chess manuals from other houses and handed them over to us, even personally teaching us how to break their strategies. This greatly improved my country’s chess players’ skills.”

“Among the Xie House were Tongzhengshi Xie Pingzheng, Senior Drafter Xie Dongtan, and Secretary Xie Chenggu. From the Shi House were the Court of Judicial Review Deputy Minister Shi Yuan, Chejia Department Secretary Shi Tong, and Military Instrument Bureau Director Shi Changping. From the Helian House were Vice Censor-in-Chief Helian Song and various Supervising Secretaries…”

Wukan confessed everything in one breath. The eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial wrote furiously, filling twenty whole pages with his testimony.

Emperor Shunyuan asked coldly: “Is that all?”

Wukan: “That is all I know!”

Emperor Shunyuan sneered: “What about the final match? Were Xie Qian, Shi Qingjiu, and Helian Qiao colluding with you from the start? Did they deliberately lose the game? Did Nanping buy them off with money?”

Wukan knocked his forehead against the floor, making dull thumping sounds: “It is true that Nanping stole chess manuals and techniques of the Eight Houses from Great Qian. However, in the final match, Nanping won fairly. We did not bribe our opponents. I will never admit to something Nanping did not do.”

“You used the infighting of the Eight Houses to steal our techniques and still have the nerve to claim fairness! How despicable!” Emperor Shunyuan was so furious he laughed, wanting nothing more than to tear Wukan apart.

But the war between the two countries had just subsided. If he executed an envoy over a chess match and provoked another conflict, plunging the people into more suffering, Emperor Shunyuan could not bear that reputation.

His threat to behead Wukan was merely to frighten him into revealing the truth quickly.

“I dare not lie. On the chessboard, it was indeed my country’s player who won,” Wukan insisted.

“Bastard! Escort him back to the embassy and guard him strictly. Without my permission, he is not to take a single step outside!”

The Imperial Guards dragged out Wukan, whose legs had gone weak and whose forehead was bruised from knocking.

Emperor Shunyuan clutched his chest and began to cough violently.

Liu Quan quickly ordered a basin and hot water to be brought, helping the Emperor catch his breath and massaging his back.

After downing two large cups of water and spitting a few mouthfuls of filth into the basin, Emperor Shunyuan finally recovered.

He leaned on his tired body and asked: “Do you believe the last thing he said?”

Liu Quan held the basin steady, but his eyelids twitched imperceptibly. After a moment, he replied: “I do not believe it much. Perhaps Envoy Wukan is unwilling to admit that Nanping is inferior to Great Qian, so he insists the final match was fair. Otherwise, how would we explain the Fifth Prince’s situation?”

Emperor Shunyuan snorted: “He is indeed loyal to Nanping.”

Liu Quan’s words were exactly what Emperor Shunyuan wanted to hear.

Even if they had obtained the chess manuals and studied the techniques of each house, how could Nanping possibly defeat Great Qian?

If they won, it must be false.

Liu Quan set the basin aside and cleaned the filth from the Emperor’s lips: “Fortunately, Great Qian also has a loyal Fifth Prince, his body in the enemy camp but his heart with us, thus foiling Nanping’s scheme.”

“Old Fifth has indeed worked hard, and I am gratified. Let us go.”

Emperor Shunyuan rested for a while, then returned to the Hall of Martial Valor. By now, the sun was setting. The clouds that had blocked the sky all day had quietly dispersed, leaving a stretch of brilliant gold that bathed the pavilions and towers of the Forbidden City as if they were a fairy palace.

“Edict! Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Xue Chongnian shall preside over the trial of the Eight Houses’ treason case. Wen Zhuo, Head of the Hanlin Academy, shall assist on my behalf. Within three days, I want to know the ins and outs of this affair! If any of the Eight Houses’ testimonies do not match the Nanping envoy’s, they shall be executed immediately!”

Xue Chongnian knelt trembling: “Your servant obeys!”

But he also breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The Emperor ordering Wen Zhuo to assist was essentially sending him a backer. Otherwise, as a mere Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, he could not afford to offend the Crown Prince, the Prince Xian, or the ministers of the Grand Secretariat. The case would be impossible to try.

Wen Zhuo, who had been acting aloof, seemed quite surprised by this.

“Your Majesty, I have no experience in conducting trials. I have never even seen the inside of the Court of Judicial Review. I am afraid I will not live up to Your Majesty’s trust.”

“Wanshan, the court is in chaos. You need to start taking on more responsibilities for me. Besides you, I trust no one else.” Emperor Shunyuan’s gaze swept coldly over the grim-faced Gong Zhiyuan and Bu Zhangyi.

He was not foolish. He knew that the struggle among the princes had intensified. In the court, everyone was either on the Crown Prince’s side or the Prince Xian’s. Only Wen Zhuo never formed any faction.

He calculated that since this incident had already occurred, he might as well use it to clean up the court’s chronic problems and curb the power of the princes and the noble families.

Wen Zhuo did not refuse again: “Very well. I thank Your Majesty for your trust. I will do my utmost.”

Emperor Shunyuan advised: “You are too soft-hearted. There are many among the Eight Houses who were your fellow jinshi graduates, such as Xie Langyang. You must not deliberately go easy on them or fail to investigate thoroughly!”

Wen Zhuo’s lips curled slightly: “I will keep Your Majesty’s teachings in mind.”

Go easy? I’m afraid I won’t be able to finish them off!

The thrilling storm had finally subsided for the time being.

Emperor Shunyuan returned to his palace to rest. Xue Chongnian immediately latched onto Wen Zhuo to discuss the interrogation of the Eight Houses officials. With only three days and over eighty officials to try, Xue Chongnian calculated that even if he worked himself like a donkey, he could not finish grinding this mill.

“Chief Xue, don’t worry. Allow me to visit the prison tonight to see them and assess the situation before making a decision.”

“Very good, very good. I appreciate your trouble, Head Wen. If I were not of such low rank and influence, you would not have been dragged into this troublesome matter.” Xue Chongnian nodded repeatedly, his face full of gratitude.

“Chief Xue, we serve the same court. There is no need for such formality.”

“With you here, I have a backbone. When this case is closed, I will invite you to a gathering at the Music Bureau. Let us have a few good drinks. From now on, if there is anything I can do for you, just say the word.”

“Chief Xue, it is too early to say that. For now, let us return to our residences and rest a while. These three days will be sleepless.”

After dealing with that, Wen Zhuo stepped outside and finally noticed that the setting sun had seeped through the palace doors and spilled onto the hall’s floor. A rosy glow caught the hem of his robe, drawing him out into a brilliant sea of sunset clouds.

He had not seen such dazzling, magnificent light in a long time, and he felt a hint of timidity, raising his hand to shield his eyes as he squinted.

But there, at the end of the golden splendor, stood Shen Zhi, tall and straight, dressed in a dark blue robe with a jade belt around his waist. He had his arms crossed and was smiling lightly at Wen Zhuo.

A breeze brushed his sleeves, revealing a corner of an oil-paper package. His long, slender fingers pinched the package and shook it, as if beckoning, as if seducing. The sweet, sticky fragrance of pastries seemed to drift along with his deep gaze.

Wen Zhuo did not stop walking, passing right by him.

The moment their shadows intertwined, Wen Zhuo murmured softly: “I want it. Send it to my residence immediately.”