Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Du Chengfeng had always been proud of this disciple and even entertained the idea of marrying his daughter to him at one time.

If only there weren’t a complete lack of such feelings between the two children.

He had never seen Du Ruan so out of line, to utter such seditious remarks in front of so many people—servants all around attending to them.

Du Ruan, with his head hung low, his pale face showing a trace of a grim expression, said, "Ruan acknowledges his mistake."

Du Chengfeng, considering the young man had just been released from the imperial prison and was undoubtedly stricken, sighed and said, "Ruan, your father knows you have been wronged. But you must understand, instead of resenting His Majesty, you need to find out who is plotting against you."

"This person knows the location of your secret chamber and how to come and go without notice. You must be vigilant, and guard against being trapped again, understand?"

There was no need to investigate; it was Xue Fu Guang—this thought spun in Du Ru'an's mind before he swallowed it.

He could not let his father know it was Xue Fu Guang.

He said, "Father, Ru’an realizes his mistakes."

He was not at fault.

"In the future, I will not speak such treasonous words again, nor do I harbor any resentment towards His Majesty."

Why should the imperial family stand so high above, and everyone else must yield to them?

"Ru’an has been confused by too much time in prison; father, please don't take offense."

He had never understood so clearly and so sharply what he truly wanted.

He wanted Xiujin.

For Xiujin, any concession could be made.

If the Crown Prince sought Xiujin, he would contest him; if imperial authority weighed upon him, he would show it irreverence; if Xue Fu Guang could aid him, he would collaborate, despite any disdain he felt.

Du Ru’an was quiet and submissive, bowing his head as a storm of emotions surged within him, upending everything.

Three days after his release from the imperial prison, while Du Ruqing was leading him through the streets to distract him, he received a slip of paper from a beggar.

He read the note with a bowed head and impassive expression, then immediately crushed it to dust.

That night, a memorial was sent to the emperor's desk.

The emperor, having a close attendant read the memorial, paused upon hearing Du Ru’an’s name, pressing his temple as he pondered. Then he said, "Tomorrow... let Du Ru’an be reinstated and attend the court. For the sake of Gao Deshen, a second-rank official was sent to prison; I have given sufficient face to Gao He. Besides, take something from the treasury to pacify Du Ru’an."

The chief eunuch noted the emperor's words, turning to dispatch someone to carry out the decree.

When Xue Fu Guang received this news, he was still bedridden, unable to move.

Mu Jian Shu's wounds had crusted over by the third day, and he left his room, hiding away on his own. By the fifth day, he was back in good health, resuming his duties as a shadow guard at Xue Fu Guang’s side.

Despite sustaining much heavier injuries than Xue Fu Guang, his rapid recovery aroused both envy and irritation in Xue Fu Guang.

His own body was embarrassingly weak.

Mu Jian Shu, standing beside him, noticed his troubled expression and asked softly, "Does the master wish to go out?"

Xue Fu Guang set down his brush: "Go? Of course we'll go."

Du Ru’an had been out of the imperial prison for some time now; it was only proper that he should offer his congratulations personally.

Mu Jian Shu bent to lift him but was restrained by Xue Fu Guang gripping his arm.

He called out to Shao Jing, "Tell the gatekeeper to prepare the carriage."

Now that Du Ru’an had seen the light, it would be unfortunate if Xue Fu Guang did not stir up some action.

Mu Jian Shu lowered his head, his ears reddening as he averted his gaze from the light dancing in the other's eyes.

Xue Fu Guang raised an eyebrow and reached out to touch his ear, teasing, "Why are your ears red?"

Mu Jian Shu cast his eyes down, unable to meet Xue Fu Guang's gaze, his lips sealed shut without a word.

The soft and cool tips of fingers pinched the burning hot earlobe, seemingly to cool it down, yet it only grew hotter and the redness threatened to spread.

Xue Fu Guang fixed his gaze on Mu Jian Shu, probing, "What exactly is making your ears so red?"

Mu Jian Shu's lips parted as he felt Xue Fu Guang was too close, and he couldn't help but step back a bit, "I—I get like this when I'm nervous."

Shao Jing stepped over the threshold and announced cheerfully, "Young Master, the carriage is ready. Where shall we go?"

Xue Fu Guang withdrew his hand, saying, "To the Du residence, to invite Miss Du for an outing."

A shadow crossed Mu Jian Shu’s eyes suddenly.

He reached out to embrace Xue Fu Guang.

This time, Xue Fu Guang did not resist.

The coachman drove the carriage to the Du residence.

Du Ruqing was indeed easy to invite and seemed not to fear the rumors that might tarnish her reputation from being seen with a man outside her family.

She even boarded Xue Fu Guang's carriage without hesitation.

Upon entering, she saw Mu Jian Shu and curiously inquired, "Who is this?"

Xue Fu Guang replied, "My guard."

Du Ruqing nodded in understanding, saying, "That makes sense." With all the misfortunes Xue Fu Guang had encountered, it was only natural to have a guard accompany him.

Unaware of the guard's look, she sat down and remarked on Xue Fu Guang's injury, "I heard about your leg at home, that it was quite serious, and you were bedridden every day, not even attending the academy... How come you can go out now?"

Xue Fu Guang nodded, "That's true. But lately, my elder brother has been busy every day, and my father hasn’t had time to tend to me..."

Before he could finish, Du Ruqing interjected excitedly, "What about Sister Wan Xi? Doesn’t she take care of you? Or is she too busy with something else to attend to you?"

"My eldest sister..." Xue Fuguang paused, "went out with Miss Zuo and a few others."

Du Ruqing was initially shocked and realized that Xue Fuguang in front of her knew nothing. She quickly composed herself and cleared her throat, "Alright. Then what brings you to me?"

Xue Fuguang smiled, lying with ease, "I have a notorious reputation. Apart from you, who gets along fairly well with me, there's no one else."

These words delighted Du Ruqing, who patted her chest with a generous laugh, "After all, we grew up together. If you had realized earlier that those fair-weather friends were unreliable, how could you have ended up with such a tarnished reputation?" She spoke quite frankly.

"But now that you've confided in me, as a friend, it's my duty to help you. Don't worry, I'll make sure to speak well of you to others from now on!"

Xue Fuguang took a sip of tea and chuckled, "I appreciate it. Name what you'd like to eat, and it shall be yours."

Du Ruqing's eyes lit up at once!

Xue Fuguang was indeed wealthy, not stingy like her father.

She was unapologetically eager: "Then let's go to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. I want to try everything I've never had before!"

Those in the know understand that she is the precious daughter of the Prime Minister, but those unaware might mistake her for the daughter of a city gate guard, someone unacquainted with the finer things.

Xue Fuguang nodded, continuing to sip his tea casually before inquiring, "Your brother has been released from prison and restored to his position, a cause for celebration indeed."

At the mention of Du Ru'an, Du Ruqing's expression turned peculiar for a moment before she suddenly asked Xue Fuguang, "I heard from my father that you visited my brother in prison before?"

Xue Fuguang simply replied, "Hmm."

She pondered for a moment and then questioned, "Don't you dislike my brother?"

Xue Fuguang shook his head, "It's not that I dislike him to that extent. If you don't believe me, you can ask your brother. Compared to others in the capital, we get along quite well."

Why would Du Ruqing ask her brother?

Even if she did, Du Ru'an would certainly not tell her.

...Forget it, worrying about the conflict between her brother and Xue Fuguang was less important than worrying about Xue Fuguang being at a disadvantage with her brother. After all, with her brother's intelligence, he could outsmart even the tricksters and false friends Xue Fuguang could deceive.

Xue Fuguang continued, "How is your brother's relationship with General Qin's youngest son?"

Du Ruqing replied, "Why do you ask? They've only met a few times, practically strangers, so there's hardly any relationship to speak of."

Xue Fuguang laughed, his narrow eyes shining with a brilliant light, "General Qin is the only one in the nation whose name can stand alongside my brother's. I was just curious."

The mention of Xue Hongwen made Du Ruqing’s cheeks suddenly flush with color. In a soft voice, she said, “How can one compare? General Qin's eldest son is even older than brother Hongwen. That brother Hongwen is as renowned as him at his age surely means he is the more formidable.”

Her demeanor drew an intrigued glance from Xue Fuguang.

...So, it turns out Du Ruqing harbors affection for her elder brother?

The words of Du Ruqing were indeed those of a decent person.

It's just unfortunate that she has Du Ru'an as a brother.

Xue Fuguang no longer initiated conversation, leaving the rest of the time to Du Ruqing's animated chatter. Her solitary joy occasionally received brief responses from Xue Fuguang, which was far from dull.

At dusk, Xue Fuguang escorted her home.

Another carriage clattered to a stop in front of the gate.

It was Du Ru'an.

Xue Fuguang lifted the curtain, greeting him with a smile, "Congratulations on your reinstatement, Master Du."

Du Ru'an fixed his gaze on him, his expression gentle as he said to Du Ruqing, “No need to wait for me; go on inside. I have a few words with the heir.”

Du Ru'an turned to Xue Fuguang at the side of the carriage, "I wonder if the heir’s word is his bond?"

Xue Fuguang’s smile was captivating, "That depends on whether Master Du is clear about what he wants."

Du Ru'an asserted, "Brocade repairs."

"Then that's good," Xue Fuguang’s eyes twinkled with amusement, like a radiant blossom poised to ensnare, "Master Du and I must each present our evidence before we can proceed, right?"

Du Ru'an nodded, "I will do what I must, and I hope you won't disappoint me."

Having said this, he turned and entered the Du residence.

Xue Fuguang let down the curtain and ordered the coachman to drive back to the royal residence.

He was in good spirits when he felt a gaze upon him. Turning his head, he caught Mu Jian Shu's unguarded look.

It was exceptionally dark.

Xue Fuguang's eyebrows quirked slightly, but he wasn't particularly surprised.

He regarded it as nothing more than the expected hostility a spy from an enemy state would harbor towards Du Ru'an.

Mu Jian Shu appeared quite amiable in his presence, yet one could guess that a spy capable of deep cover for many years was no saint.

For all one knew, he might be constantly scheming how to slaughter the entire court of Jingguo.

He lifted his arm, propping up his chin. The wide sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of his slender, snow-white arm that dazzled in the dim light of the carriage.

His casual voice floated to Mu Jian Shu's ears: "Our goals are aligned."

Mu Jian Shu had adopted an almost entirely candid demeanor, and though the matter wasn't explicitly acknowledged, both were acutely aware of it.

When Xue Fuguang suddenly mentioned it, Mu Jian Shu instinctively glanced at Shao Jing by his side.

That glance bewildered Shao Jing.

What did it have to do with him?

After a moment of silence, Mu Jian Shu lowered his gaze, his voice deep: "My life belongs to my master. Whatever the master wishes to do, I... will accomplish it for him."

Knowing that Mu Jian Shu had been thoroughly won over to his side, Xue Fuguang felt pleased and generously offered promises. Switching the hand under his chin, he lazily responded, leaning on a soft cushion: "Hmm. So, you may ask for a reward. Whatever you desire, you can tell me."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mu Jian Shu's Adam's apple involuntarily bobbed, his voice unexpectedly hoarse: "May I ask my lord, truly... anything I desire?"

After a moment's consideration, Xue Fuguang lifted his hand to remove the jade hairpin that held his hair in place, offering it to Mu Jian Shu: "Take this as a token of trust. When you've decided what you want, bring the hairpin to me. Once my goal is achieved... whatever you desire, I should be able to grant it."

To overthrow the Ming family, he would ascend to the throne himself.

No matter how the plot protected the embroiderer, it wouldn't matter.

By then, with the power of the world in his hands, no matter how the plot twisted, it could not hinder him.

Everyone would be his blade to protect the Xue family, bring down the Crown Prince, and eradicate the Ming clan.

An involuntary chill surfaced in the depths of Xue Fuguang's eyes, followed by a fiery ambition that burned hot.

Without reaching the highest position, he could never rest easy.

Mu Jian Shu reached out, taking the hairpin, gripping it firmly yet gingerly, and tucked it into his bosom.

The sight of Xue Fuguang stirred a subtle warmth in his blood.

Anything at all… a promise personally made by the Crown Prince himself.

*

The hunt for the assassin in the capital took more than half a month before finally culminating in an arrest.

Three individuals.

All were spies from the state of Ying.

The imperial court was shocked, and both civil and military officials petitioned unanimously that Ying must pay a price for this incident.

Ying and Jingguo, being neighboring states riddled with contradictions, were well known for their longstanding issues.

However, with the Xu clan eyeing Jingguo from the north and the Qiang tribes ready to strike from the northwest, and considering that Ying was a match in power to Jingguo, even slightly superior, outright war was rare between the two great states.

Small nations to the south similarly coveted Ying.

This deadlock sustained a delicate balance between the two powers.

No one had anticipated that the spy incident would ignite such public outrage.

The Emperor was greatly troubled.

With the Crown Prince gravely injured, his ire was naturally profound.

But in the matter of covert investigations, Ying too had leverage over Jingguo.

More crucially, with Jingguo currently plagued by banditry and facing internal strife as well as external threats, rashly attacking Ying and sparking a war would not be a wise move.

At least, the flames of war could not be ignited until the eradication of the bandits in Dingzhou was assured.

Once the Emperor’s stance was made clear, his close officials immediately petitioned to decide on the commander for the campaign against the bandits in Dingzhou.

The focus of the court swiftly shifted from initiating war to who would be the suitable general for Dingzhou.

Among the current military leaders, only Qin Wuyun and Xue Hongwen were worthy of the title of war deity.

One guarded the north, holding back the incursions of the Xu clan, and the other protected the northwest, keeping the Qiang tribes at bay. The roles these two played in securing Jingguo were irreplaceable.

However, the bandits of Dingzhou are quite troublesome, which is different from the garrison at the frontier.

The two of them were skilled in different military marching and combat tactics; it was difficult to determine who would be more capable of subduing the bandits of Dingzhou.

The court officials argued back and forth all day long without reaching any conclusion.

Amidst the undercurrents of the court, Du Ru'an bowed his head, standing behind the chief counselor, occasionally glancing at Xue Hongwen through lifted eyes.

After the court session, Xue Hongwen did not return to his own mansion but instead headed to the royal residence.

Given the proximity of the two residences, he mostly spent his time at the royal residence.

However, his destination this time was quite clear as he made his way directly to Prince Gong's study.

Xue Hongwen, being the eldest son in the family, had grown increasingly steady, especially after the death of his mother shared with Xue Wanxi and Xue Fuguang. His relationship with Prince Gong no longer resembled that of father and son but was more like that of colleagues.

He seldom approached Prince Gong's study and rarely discussed matters of warfare with him.

His sudden visit took Prince Gong by surprise.

Upon entering the study, Xue Hongwen ordered his personal guards to secure the courtyard, forbidding anyone from approaching.

Observing his grave expression, Prince Gong frowned and asked, "What brings you here in such a serious mood?"

Xue Hongwen replied in a calm voice, "The court's deliberation on the matter of Dingzhou."

Prince Gong's frown deepened: "Did His Majesty send for you?"

The complexity of the situation in Dingzhou was something Prince Gong was well aware of.

But that alone should not have been enough to cause Xue Hongwen to burst into his study and even surround the courtyard.

As expected, Xue Hongwen shook his head: "It has not been decided yet, but seven out of ten officials believe General Qin is the most suitable choice."

This statement made Prince Gong pause for a moment.

He was aware of the movements within the court.

The issue with the bandits of Dingzhou had been causing trouble for over half a year, and a candidate had yet to be finalized. However, the Emperor and the Crown Prince both preferred Xue Hongwen for the task. But with the military campaign in Xiu Nation pending, they needed to consider carefully.

Now that the situation was critical, and they had a reason, were those astute people in the court really going against the Emperor's wishes?

Seeing that Prince Gong understood the crux of the issue, Xue Hongwen continued, "The first to speak up was Du Ru'an."

He said, "Once Du Ru'an had spoken, the rest of the court officials quickly followed his lead, proposing General Qin. Even several of the old ministers, who seldom speak up in court, made rare utterances this time, unanimously pointing towards General Qin."

Who isn’t aware that Du Ru'an is a close confidant of the Emperor?

At such a young age, he assumed the position of Second Rank in the left wing of the bureau, adept at discerning the Emperor's will.

Because of this, the Emperor particularly favors him. To call him the Emperor’s mouthpiece would not be an exaggeration.

Father and son shared a silent exchange of looks.

After a long pause, Prince Gong sighed, resettled into his armchair, and uttered the name of the manipulator: "Fuguang."

Xue Hongwen pressed his lips together: "He has been particularly sensitive about my involvement with the bandits of Dingzhou since a few days ago. When Du Ru'an was in the imperial prison, no one visited, only he did... He had a terrible relationship with Du Ru'an in the past. He knows the Xue family must not get involved with an imperial confidant."

He paused, then continued, "These days, while I was investigating the assassin, I also came across some of A'ru's actions."

Xue Fuguang used to heed his family's advice, never associating with those in power. This is why he had a bunch of fair-weather friends; Prince Gong would curse him for it yet never really stopped him.

But now, he had obviously crossed that line, even displaying a hint of ambitions that emperors most dread.

Xue Hongwen felt that the brother he had watched grow up under his eyes had suddenly become unrecognizable overnight: "He shouldn’t, and couldn’t possibly have this capability."

"Father, I want to know what exactly happened to A'ru that day at the Fengyue Tower."

He had asked Xue Wanxi, but Xue Wanxi did not tell him.

Naturally, Xue Fuguang would be even less likely to.

But everything seemed to stem from that incident.

Prince Gong looked at his eldest son, his voice filled with a sense of weary age: "Your brother was wronged outside."

Xue Hongwen's face was expressionless, but his eyes were steeped in worry: "I know. Ever since he came back from that ordeal, his temperament has changed a lot. He wasn’t like this before."

Prince Gong sighed, revealing to Xue Hongwen the connection between Xue Fuguang’s taking of the Chinese medicine and the Crown Prince: "This prince is unaware of how the Xue family offended that scion of the Ming family, to be subjected to such a venomous scheme. Fuguang, fearing it would implicate you, has been somewhat sullen since that day. Although he has tried his best to conceal it, how could I not know what he is like?"

Xue Fuguang has been without a mother since he was very young, and often ill.

Since he was very small, Prince Gong has been worried day by day whether he would be able to raise him to adulthood.

The child he had raised with great difficulty had suffered a grievous injustice outside, even coming close to losing his life. Having narrowly escaped death, his temperament has drastically changed.

He believes he has not wronged the Ming imperial family in the slightest, and his children have been loyal to the royal house. They even deliberately kept their distance to avoid any suspicion from the royals.

Yet, this is the outcome he has received.

Xue Hongwen’s face was somber and he remained silent, but his thoughts were no less numerous than those of Prince Gong.

Xue Fuguang was raised by his very own hands.

As a child, he was so well-behaved and obedient that Xue Hongwen never had the heart to utter a single word of reprimand.

No one could subject him to such indignity.

Father and son sat in silence for a long while before Prince Gong said gravely, "No matter what he turns into, he is still a child of the Xue family. His grievances, even unspoken, are known to me. In the past, I always thought that loyalty to the emperor would suffice for a life of peace and prosperity for the Xue family. Little did I expect the Ming family to be so oppressive! I once conquered this kingdom with my cavalry, and now my son defends it. If the Ming family is entitled to sit on the throne, my Xue family has an even greater right!”

……

Unless there is a significant matter, Xue Fuguang, not holding an official position, would find it difficult to be aware of the movements within the court.

A letter from Du Ru'an arrived in his hands, and learning of the Emperor's intentions to exploit his elder brother's situation in Dingzhou, he couldn't help but sneer.

Truly a chip off the old block, he and the Crown Prince — their scheming minds are cast from the same mold.

Du Ru'an used the incident as proof, deftly stepping on the needs of Xue Fuguang.

However, General Qin would certainly not go to Dingzhou; such assignments would only trickle down to military officers other than his elder brother and General Qin.

Perhaps... he could be of use.

Xue Fuguang pondered throughout the night.

The next morning, Du Ru'an encountered a young eunuch on the official road within the palace grounds, who bumped into him, clutching a slip of paper.

After repeatedly apologizing, the eunuch hurriedly ran off.

Du Ru'an glanced at the retreating figure of the eunuch, somewhat surprised.

It seems he had vastly underestimated Xue Fuguang in the past, to the extent that even within these palace walls, he had his own people.

After reading the note, Du Ru'an crushed the paper in his palm, grinding it into fine dust, scattering it by the roadside where even the remnants were whisked away by the wind, leaving no trace.

It was another day of incessant arguing over the matters of Dingzhou in the imperial court.

Xue Hongwen and Qin Wuyun, representing the leading military officers, one aged and one young, remained taciturn, their gazes lowered in a harmonious silence.

Neither intended to intervene in this affair.

Qin Wuyun had an even stronger reason to abstain; citing his age, the bitter campaign of Dingzhou was certainly not his burden to bear.

Strangely, Du Ru'an, who had been the first to voice his opinion yesterday, adopted their stance today, remaining as quiet as if the matter bore no relevance to him, prompting the Emperor at the high seat to glance at him repeatedly.

As the clamor in the great hall intensified, the Emperor frowned and commanded silence, singling out Du Ru'an: "What does Master Du think?"

All eyes turned to Du Ru'an, curious if he would make another startling statement as he had the day before.

Du Ru'an straightened his posture and stepped forward from the midst of his colleagues, respectfully saying: "In my humble opinion, although the bandits of Dingzhou are so named, they are in essence still subjects of our Jing Kingdom. Before resorting to military subjugation, we might attempt persuasion to surrender, bestowing imperial grace. Let General Xue escort the civil officials tasked with this persuasion. Such a combination of grace and might is the best course of action."