Chapter 24#

In May, the irises flourish, fitting for dispelling insects and warding off evil.#

This sensational Spring Terrace Go Gathering case, which had shaken the entire capital, was finally concluded.

Among the more than eighty aristocratic officials, over thirty were executed, over thirty were exiled, a dozen were dismissed and never rehired, and in the end, only seven men walked out of the Court of Judicial Review unharmed.

The full story of the Eight Factions’ secret dealings with Nanping was summarized by Wen Zhuo, the Chancellor of the Hanlin Academy, personally approved by the Emperor’s imperial brush, and proclaimed to all subjects of the Great Qian.

On the day of the executions, the court fell into a deathly silence, everyone cowed. But outside the Western Market, the commoners stood on tiptoe, craning their necks, unable to contain their fury. As the cold gleam of the blade flashed, cheers and applause rang out without cease. Some even prostrated themselves toward the imperial palace, tears streaming down their faces, crying out loudly for the Emperor’s sagely wisdom.

For the moment, the people’s hearts were pacified, and Emperor Shunyuan gained the reputation of being “one who discerns right from wrong and makes wise judgments” in his old age. Only within the deep palace walls, several princes who had been entangled with the Eight Factions were left feeling as if struck by frost.

Nearly a third of the court officials were purged. The vacant positions needed to be filled with new trusted confidants. A decade of careful management crumbled in a single morning, with their power and influence reduced by more than half.

Originally, they had resorted to this desperate measure to gain the upper hand, but in the end, whoever reveled most lost the most.

Inside the Eastern Palace, Crown Prince Shen Zhen gripped the hand of Grand Secretary Gong Zhiyuan, weeping bitterly: “Ten years of a hidden dragon in the abyss, ten years of painstaking scheming, all gone in an instant, all gone in an instant, Grand Secretary! How utterly pathetic my position as Crown Prince has become!”

Gong Zhiyuan’s temples were streaked with gray, his mind and body exhausted, yet he still forced himself to comfort the prince: “Your Highness, do not grieve. It is merely a loss of some personnel; our foundation remains unshaken.”

“But I have lost so much more, I have lost so much more!” Shen Zhen shook off his hand, his sleeve knocking over a tea cup on the table. Shards of porcelain flew everywhere, leaving the floor a mess. “Father has made me Crown Prince, so why does he give the eldest such power? Why does he allow him to contend with me! Since ancient times, has there ever been a Crown Prince as terrified as I am?”

Gong Zhiyuan sighed inwardly.

In history, there were plenty of Crown Princes who lived in fear. Shen Zhen clearly had not studied his history well, but at this moment, Gong Zhiyuan could not bear to point out the prince’s mistake.

Suddenly, Gong Zhiyuan recalled a matter: “Hengze once said that this affair bore the mark of Chancellor Wen.”

The Crown Prince, wiping his nose and tears, said urgently, “Absolutely impossible! It was all his rotten idea that led to the execution of the entire family of the Commissioner of the Transmission Office and the punishment of the rest by three degrees. He must be jealous that Wen Zhuo surpassed him in the palace examination rankings yet now enjoys a flourishing official career, so he wants to use me to get rid of him! I am not stupid; why would I fall for such a petty trick? At this moment, I absolutely must not make an enemy of Chancellor Wen and drive him over to the side of the Worthy Prince!”

“…”

Gong Zhiyuan hesitated, swallowing his words. “Your Highness, actually, regarding the palace examination of the sixteenth year of Shunyuan…”

Seeing the Grand Secretary’s unsettled expression, the Crown Prince held back his tears and leaned in to ask, “What does Grand Secretary wish to say? Was there a problem with the examination of the sixteenth year?”

Before he could finish, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, and a servant knelt to report: “Your Highness, Grand Secretary Gong, Vice Minister Xie has been released from prison, but he did not return to his residence. It seems he is heading toward the palace.”

Xie Langyang was one of the seven who managed to escape unscathed. Since he truly had not participated in the secret dealings with Nanping—and because he was not part of the Crown Prince’s faction, he could not even be accused of concealing or failing to report the matter—and with Xie Pingzheng taking the blame for framing the prince, he became even more innocent.

But he was still connected to the Xie family, so he inevitably suffered some repercussions. He was demoted from a third-rank vice minister to a fifth-rank director of the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of Personnel.

However, this was not a major issue. After some time, when his performance improved and the Emperor’s anger subsided, there would be ways to restore his original rank.

Gong Zhiyuan adjusted his court robes, understanding the situation: “He must be coming to see me. Perfect timing—I will introduce him to Your Highness.”

But Xie Langyang did not enter the palace. Instead, he turned toward a secluded flower shop near the palace, avoiding crowds as much as possible, and knocked on the back courtyard’s private room door.

Inside, Shen Chen, dressed in black robes, strode quickly to greet him and locked the door behind them.

Two eunuchs in plain clothes stood guard at the entrance, blocking any unwelcome visitors.

“Vice Minister Xie, you have suffered these days!” Shen Chen looked at the gaunt Xie Langyang, tears glistening in his eyes. He sighed painfully, “I am powerless at this moment; I could not visit you at the Court of Judicial Review. I was anxious day and night, unable to eat or sleep in peace.”

Xie Langyang had indeed lost weight. The once handsome and spirited young nobleman now appeared sallow-faced, his robes wrinkled, and he had not even bothered to tidy his appearance.

He knelt, his voice hoarse: “Your Highness, it has been many days since we last met.”

Shen Chen helped him up with a firm grip, comforting him, “I told you, there is no need for such formalities between ruler and minister. Now that things have come to this, we must look forward. Those who achieve great things should not dwell too much on the past.”

Xie Langyang nodded slightly, but felt no comfort at all.

Ever since he learned of his uncle’s family’s fate, he had not eaten a single grain of rice for days, surviving only on broth.

The blow was still too heavy for him.

In his previous life, he had hardly lost anything and could rise to become a premier, illuminating mountains and rivers. So he had never realized the cruelty of this struggle for the throne.

In this life, karmic retribution had struck. He had lost his relatives, violated his original intentions, and shouldered the burden of human lives.

“Having failed to accomplish what Your Highness entrusted to me, I am ashamed.” Xie Langyang was so weak from hunger that he could barely stand, leaning against the wall for support.

“I am not the one who lost the most in this matter. Although I lost the support of the Marquis of Yongning, the Crown Prince, the Worthy Prince, and even the Third Prince have all been weakened. Now that the court urgently needs fresh blood, it gives me a chance to catch my breath.” Shen Chen stood with his hands behind his back by the window, a flash of sinister ruthlessness passing through his eyes, but he carefully concealed the murderous intent in his words: “While you were in prison with limited information, do you know how Wen Zhuo pulled this off?”

Xie Langyang shook his head: “I haven’t figured it out yet.”

Shen Chen said: “The day after the trial at the Court of Judicial Review, the Grand Tutor knelt outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation to plead for leniency. Father was nearly ready to relent. But at dawn, suddenly the populace beyond the palace walls erupted in fury. Tens of thousands of commoners knelt, begging for severe punishment of those involved in the secret dealings with Nanping. The momentum grew stronger and stronger. So the hundred officials were shaken, the Emperor was alarmed, and everything turned out as it did.”

Xie Langyang’s eyes shot up in surprise. He had not imagined that while he was enduring such bitter cold and loneliness in prison, the world outside had changed several times over.

Shen Chen turned back: “Originally, this matter was a secret within the court; the common people should not have known. But on the final day of the gathering, Gu Weizhi, the Controller of Bozhou, stole three game records from the residence of the Nanping envoy. They happened to be the three final games. He brought those records to the Eastern Tower on Chess-Watching Street. Thousands of people there saw the complete game records before the matches even ended.”

“What does this mean?” Shen Chen suddenly forced a smile, but his eyes held no warmth: “The games hadn’t finished, yet the records had already leaked. Xie Qian, Shi Qingjiu, and Helian Qiao must have colluded with the Nanping players in advance—they were playing fake games! The scions of the Eight Factions and court officials themselves were cheating. Which player in the realm could tolerate that? No wonder it took only a single day for popular fury to take shape.”

Xie Langyang murmured: “How is that possible! Xie Qian and the others were clearly—”

Clearly fighting with all their strength.

Shen Chen watched Xie Langyang’s trembling gaze and slowly revealed the truth: “Why did the Emperor believe Xiang Wang Shen Zheng over all his other officials? I suspect that Shen Zheng had already shown the Emperor those three game records in advance. Aside from you and me, who else could explain this matter?”

A loud crash echoed in Xie Langyang’s mind. He tasted something metallic in his throat. The anxiety that had built over many days reached its peak at this moment. That unease he had felt before the Cooling Breeze Hall was now surging toward him, swallowing him in a vivid, tangible form.

In a daze, that resolute, crimson figure seemed like the true descent of the Wenchang Emperor, coming to the mortal world to punish those who had committed betrayal.

Was this truly something a mortal could accomplish? How had he never noticed that Wen Zhuo was so meticulous in his methods, so chillingly capable?

“Wanshan… memorized those three game records completely!”

“Not a single move wrong,” Shen Chen said, word by word. After a light sigh, he continued, “I have no memory of those three games at all. I don’t even remember who the players were on the other side. Do you recall, Vice Minister Xie?”

Xie Langyang said bitterly: “Your humble servant is not worthy to compare.”

Shen Chen said: “In this round, we lost to those four words: ’taken for granted.’ We believed he could not turn things around. We believed that once the Spring Terrace Go Gathering began, the outcome was already sealed. So we copied his plan without changing a single thing, and he turned our own scheme against us, catching us in his net. This is actually good—it has woken me up. We can adapt his strategies and use them differently.”

“Your Highness intends to…”

Shen Chen’s figure was fragmented by the window’s light and shadow: “Hasn’t he chosen Shen Zheng? But in this world, who truly has no weaknesses?”

Outside the window, a bird stepped on a branch, causing a fruit to fall from the tree. It landed with a thud on the green bricks, its skin splitting open, juice splattering like flowing blood.

On the day the case report was submitted, the last peach blossom petal in the capital had just fallen.

Wen Zhuo and Xue Chongnian walked side by side into the Cooling Breeze Hall. Inside, there were no ministers of the cabinet—only Emperor Shunyuan seated on the dragon throne, his expression greatly pleased.

The Spring Terrace Go Gathering case had been handled cleanly and decisively. It had not only purged the court but also pacified the people. To show his commendation, Emperor Shunyuan bestowed many gifts upon them. Wen Zhuo received a little more than the others.

Before leaving, the Emperor told them that when they had time, they could draft a list of names to fill the vacancies in the court.

Coming out of the Cooling Breeze Hall, Xue Chongnian could no longer suppress his curiosity. He caught up to Wen Zhuo and asked, “Chancellor Wen, how did you know the people’s fury would certainly erupt?”

Over these past days, the more he thought about it, the more amazed he became. He even suspected that Wen Zhuo could foresee the future or possessed divine powers.

Wen Zhuo pinched his sore neck and smiled lightly: “Lord Xue, don’t overthink it. Lord Gu Weizhi, the Controller, once served alongside me. This time, he accidentally discovered clues in the Nanping envoy’s residence and informed me in advance. That was how I was able to prepare myself mentally.”

Xue Chongnian suddenly understood: “So that’s it. Indeed, we must thank Lord Gu. If not for him, things might have gone in a different direction.”

Wen Zhuo’s eyes held a hint of amusement: “Lord Gu is bold and resourceful, with a heart full of patriotism. In the past, when he was with me in Bozhou, he performed exceptionally well in collecting taxes and managing expenditures.”

Xue Chongnian suddenly thought of something and stopped in his tracks: “Ah.”

Wen Zhuo, puzzled: “What’s wrong?”

“Just now, the Emperor asked us to help draft the list of officials. The Ministry of Revenue has a vacancy, doesn’t it?” Xue Chongnian’s eyes gleamed with barely concealed excitement.

Having just received a new task, and already having an idea, he naturally felt exhilarated.

Wen Zhuo frowned lightly, uncertain: “My memory isn’t great; there are over eighty officials. Was there a vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue?”

Xue Chongnian, seeing that Wen Zhuo hadn’t caught his train of thought, slapped his thigh in frustration: “There is! Vice Minister Helian Ying of the Ministry of Revenue! The one who was exiled!”

“Oh… now I recall. There was such a person.” Wen Zhuo spoke softly, fiddling with the tassel on his jade belt, as if not particularly engaged, his expression bland.

Xue Chongnian analyzed: “Just look at Gu Weizhi. His abilities have your endorsement, his character is impeccable, and he rendered service in the Spring Terrace Go Gathering case. He is also deeply loyal to the Great Qian and its people. A Controller is a fifth-rank official, while a Vice Minister is third-rank. He has been a Controller for many years now—this promotion is quite fitting.”

Having heard this, Wen Zhuo’s eyes brightened slightly, and he finally couldn’t help nodding: “When you put it that way, it does make some sense. But I am fairly acquainted with him, and I don’t want him to owe me any more favors. How about leaving this good deed for you, Lord Xue?”

If this really worked out, Xue Chongnian would have the merit of recommendation, and Gu Weizhi would owe him a great favor. He would surely remember his kindness.

In the court, it was all about intertwined relationships: you help me up, I give you a push, and only then can you stand firm.

Making friends with an official who came from afar with a clean background and no entanglements behind him would save Xue Chongnian a lot of trouble. Moreover, the position of Vice Minister of Revenue was only one step away from the Minister’s seat—a future full of promise.

A surge of warmth rose in Xue Chongnian’s heart. He bowed deeply, grateful, and said, “Ah, Chancellor Wen, you already gave me your full support during the trial. Now you have generously yielded this opportunity to me. I accept this goodwill!”

Wen Zhuo reached out and patted his hand, his fingers gentle: “We have shared a common cause now. This is nothing, Lord Xue, don’t give it another thought.”

Although Wen Zhuo was being polite, Xue Chongnian was not foolish enough to take it lightly: “I must! I will remember your favor, Chancellor Wen!”

From the Cooling Breeze Hall to outside the palace, they chatted the whole way. Wen Zhuo declined Xue Chongnian’s dinner invitation several times in various ways before finally managing to take his leave.

As soon as he returned to the Wen residence, he saw Shen Zheng waiting under the pear tree. Wen Zhuo’s tense nerves suddenly relaxed, and before he could speak, he collapsed from exhaustion, true to form.

Fortunately, Shen Zheng reacted quickly—thanks also to a month of diligent practice—and managed to catch him before he could hit the doorstep.

“Wanshan!” Shen Zheng supported him and immediately checked the pulse at his neck. His hand found warm skin, but the pulse was racing like a drum. “Teacher, are you all right?”

Not caring that he was touching that smooth neck, he called out toward the house: “Liu Qiying! Jiang Man!”

The two were in the kitchen preparing food. Hearing Shen Zheng’s shout, they hastily dropped their firewood and ran out.

“What did you just call me?” Wen Zhuo frowned, his face pale, his head too dizzy to open his eyes, his limbs weak and floating.

But he heard the word “Wanshan” very clearly.

Many people had called him “Wanshan” in this world: his tutor who taught him as a child, his fellow students, his colleagues in officialdom, and his seniors of higher rank.

But Shen Zheng was his student. Calling him by his courtesy name sounded strange.

“…Don’t call me that.”

“…I forbid you to call me that.”

How rude.

Shen Zheng pretended not to hear. Seeing that Wen Zhuo was still capable of thinking and his ears were sharp, his anxious heart eased a little.

He reached up to feel Wen Zhuo’s forehead. Finding no fever, and just as Liu and Jiang arrived, Shen Zheng asked: “He fainted just now. Should we call a doctor?”

Liu Qiying studied him with an anxious expression for a moment, then sighed: “It’s a condition of overwork and exhaustion—depletion of qi and blood, malnutrition of the internal organs. The doctor said this illness commonly affects people who sit at their desks for long periods, work excessively, or overthink. The Master suffered several episodes back in Bozhou, and each time he recovered only after getting acupuncture.”

Over these past days, Wen Zhuo had barely slept. He had overseen trials, composed documents, manipulated hearts, and schemed—all while staying in the Court of Judicial Review, a place that still made him uneasy. He had been holding on purely by willpower until today.

Now the illness hit him like a falling mountain. His body refused to obey him. He struggled a few times but ultimately could not overcome that sense of weakness and fell ungracefully into Shen Zheng’s arms.

“There’s no need for acupuncture… I’ll just sleep for a day.”

He had always been deathly afraid of acupuncture. Those rows of fine needles hidden in a cloth wrapping made him shudder.

The icy pain as the needles pierced his skin made him want to flee.

Liu Qiying disagreed: “Master, have you forgotten how long it takes your ‘robust constitution’ and ’excellent qi and blood’ to shake off an illness?”

Wen Zhuo turned his head toward Shen Zheng’s collar, plugging his ears and refusing to comment.

Liu Qiying: “…”

Shen Zheng had been full of worry, but seeing Wen Zhuo like this, he felt a claw-like grip in his chest and couldn’t help but laugh.

The little cat, that loyal schemer, was quite stubborn and had a tendency to avoid seeing a doctor.

“Fine, no doctor then. Chronic fatigue syndrome really does require rest on one’s own.” Shen Zheng took the opportunity to steady Wen Zhuo and carried him toward the bedroom.

Jiang Man asked as she followed: “Your Highness, do you know this illness as well?”

Shen Zheng let out a long sigh, seeming grievous: “In Nanping, it’s a common ailment, especially during exam weeks. Students pull all-nighters for their grades, hanging from beams and piercing their thighs—truly a miserable sight.”

Liu Qiying clicked her tongue: “Life in Nanping is so harsh?”

Shen Zheng nodded emphatically.

Once inside the bedroom, Wen Zhuo seemed to regain a bit of strength. He broke free from Shen Zheng’s hold and began to undo his official robes, muttering: “The Spring Terrace Go Gathering case is settled, but we can’t let our guard down. I duped Xue Chongnian into recommending Weizhi to the Emperor as Vice Minister of Revenue. Tomorrow, you can let Weizhi know and have him pretend to pack his things, preparing to return to Bozhou. He absolutely must not show that he is aware of this.”

“And… there is one more thing…” Wen Zhuo pressed his palm to his forehead, struggling to remember.

There was something crucial, pressing like a burr on his heart, right at the edge of his mind—why couldn’t he recall it now?

A matter after the Spring Terrace Go Gathering, concerning Shen Zheng, something dangerously imminent…

The court, the Crown Prince, the Worthy Prince, Shen Chen, Xie Langyang, Gong Zhiyuan… none of them. What was it?

A sharp pain struck, disrupting his thoughts. He clutched his chest, feeling nauseated.

“Stop thinking.” Shen Zheng interrupted him sternly, grabbed his elbow, tossed the half-removed official robe to Jiang Man, pulled him to the bedside, and pressed him down onto the bed. “You must lie down and rest now.”

Wen Zhuo instinctively lifted the blanket and slipped underneath, and the pain on one side of his head eased slightly.

But he suddenly realized that this posture seemed somewhat disrespectful. After all, Shen Zheng was a prince. What was he doing undressing and sleeping in his presence?

Wen Zhuo was about to prop himself up, but then he saw Shen Zheng naturally sit on the edge of the bed and reach out to tuck the blanket around him.

“…”

Wen Zhuo couldn’t help recalling that day when Shen Zheng had tucked his hand under the blanket. His mind was muddled for a moment, then he stopped worrying about etiquette and slowly settled down.

Shen Zheng added: “We don’t need acupuncture. You two steam an egg custard with a few red dates and a handful of goji berries. I’ll massage a few acupressure points for him later; it’ll make him more comfortable.”

Liu Qiying raised an eyebrow in surprise: “Your Highness knows acupressure points?”

Shen Zheng replied with a straight face: “I know a little. Back when I studied tomb raiding, I once looked into human anatomy. You can never have too many skills, right?”

Jiang Man had a sudden realization. Out of respect for the deceased, she lowered her voice and said cautiously: “I heard that when nobles in Nanping die, they stuff their bodies with gold, silver, and jewels worth a fortune. Experienced grave robbers can tell exactly where they are. But if a novice who doesn’t know his way goes in and pokes the wrong spot, the trap triggers and explodes. Is that why you studied acupressure points, Your Highness?”

Shen Zheng nodded. “Something like that. Go fetch a brazier so he doesn’t catch a chill.”

Wen Zhuo opened his eyes slightly, looking at him with a complicated expression.

Sure enough, one only studies what one loves.

Liu Qiying hesitated: “Your Highness, why don’t let me do that? You are of noble birth…”

“There’s no need to be so particular. You girls would find it inconvenient.” Shen Zheng rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.

Liu Qiying opened her mouth as if to speak but stopped.

Your Highness, for our Master, you are the greatest inconvenience!

Soon, the brazier was brought in, warming the room. Since the weather in the capital was not cold at this time, there was no need to worry too much, so Jiang Man opened two small windows.

Shen Zheng said in a low voice: “I originally bought some date cakes for you, but now is not the time for hard-to-digest foods. You need more protein and iron to nourish your qi and blood and adjust your routine. The records didn’t mention that your constitution could be this weak.”

He thought to himself: With such a fragile body, how had he endured that month of torture in the Court of Judicial Review’s prison?

Once, this piece of history had been nothing more than a cold line of text in Shen Zheng’s eyes. It told the story of that treacherous minister’s end, giving posterity a satisfying conclusion.

He had never needed to think about how terrified, how pained, how desperate that person had been at the time. Whether the brutal pain of torture had broken his will. Whether his last words to the world were regret or unwilling submission.

He only knew that when that page was turned, it heralded the complete end of Emperor Shunyuan’s era and the beginning of the era of Emperor Shengde, who would consolidate power and silence the populace.

Shen Zheng reached out and touched Wen Zhuo’s cheek. Feeling his warm breath, he suddenly found that line of text had come alive. It leaped off the page and seized his heart, making him understand what kind of pain it represented.

Shen Zheng took a deep breath, his movements becoming particularly gentle. He pressed his fingertips to Wen Zhuo’s temples and slowly massaged.

Feeling the warm, dry fingers, Wen Zhuo stiffened. He tried to push Shen Zheng’s hand away: “Your Highness, you need not…”

“Your Highness need not, but Shen Zheng can.” Shen Zheng would not accept refusal. He simply leaned down and buried a few fingers deep into Wen Zhuo’s hair, as smooth as silk. “Close your eyes. It’ll only take a moment.”

Wen Zhuo hesitated for a few seconds, then finally let go of his resistance.

Was it his imagination? Shen Zheng’s pressure was just right, and he really did feel less pain.

He gradually relaxed, his breathing evening out. Just as he was getting used to the rhythm of the massage, Shen Zheng’s fingers suddenly slid backward, parting his collar, and probing toward the back of his neck.

Wen Zhuo shuddered violently and opened his eyes, staring at him in astonishment with eyes full of weariness and moisture, his breath almost inaudible.

Shen Zheng was very close to him, his dark eyes holding Wen Zhuo’s reflection, that brow and eye socket seemed to be filled with deep affection.

For a dizzying moment, Wen Zhuo felt as if he might lean in and kiss him.

Wen Zhuo scorned himself for having such dirty thoughts. He bit his lips until they hurt: “Your Highness?”

“This is the Jianjing acupoint. Pressing it might be a little sore, but it’s very suitable for people who sit at desks for long hours.” Shen Zheng smiled, his expression open, as he leaned closer to Wen Zhuo’s delicate nose. He applied more pressure with his fingers. “What are you afraid of, Teacher? Right now, I just feel sorry for you; I can’t think of doing anything else.”

Wen Zhuo winced in pain, shrugging his shoulders slightly to dodge, but his heart suddenly cleared.

He realized he had misunderstood. All the princes of the Great Qian detested men who loved men. Shen Zheng’s features were merely naturally passionate, making him look deeply affectionate toward anyone—there was no way he intended to kiss him.

He turned his face toward the inside of the bed, exposing a small patch of pale skin on his back: “Your teacher just wanted to say… a little softer.”