Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The banks of the Yi River were blanketed in white snow, and the Xianyou Palace was adorned with jade trees and crystal branches.

This tour had been very fruitful, especially the rapid progress in the cultivation of fields near Zhao Du.

However, the atmosphere inside the palace was not relaxed.

Outside the Liuyun Hall, even the officials coming to deliver reports instinctively slowed their steps.

……

The dark-colored canopy, adorned with gold patterns, hung from the wooden frame, creating a secluded space around the bed.

Beside the three-meter-square low couch, a bronze Boshan incense burner quietly burned soothing spices.

Illness strikes as suddenly as a collapsing mountain.

Jiang Yuxun didn't know how long he had been asleep.

He groggily opened his eyes, looking confusedly at the bird patterns on the top of the canopy.

...Where is this again?

Jiang Yuxun's head felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead.

He blinked blankly, trying hard to recall the recent events, when suddenly a soft rustling sound reached his ears.

The canopy was gently pulled open by someone.

A ray of sunlight slipped through the gap, and Jiang Yuxun instinctively frowned, struggling to look outside the tent.

A swathe of dark-colored clothing appeared in his view.

"...Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Jiang's fever has not subsided, and he remains in a semi-conscious state this afternoon."

"Uh, but Lord Jiang has been cooperative with his medication. We expect that by tomorrow, or, perhaps, the fever may subside."

The voice of the imperial physician sounded distant and indistinct.

The scene before Jiang Yuxun's eyes was doubling and blurry.

After a few moments, Jiang Yuxun's fever-clouded brain finally realized—the person before him was Ying Changchuan.

The next second, someone leaned over and gently touched his forehead.

The coolness spread from there, and the feverish Jiang Yuxun, as if recalling something, weakly lifted his hand to lightly reach towards the other person.

"...Cough, cough, Your Majesty... my sword..."

His voice, hoarse from the prolonged fever, was muffled and unclear.

As soon as Jiang Yuxun spoke, he startled the imperial physician standing by: "Your Majesty, although Lord Jiang is still delirious, he is much better than this morning."

After speaking, the physician couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

After uttering that sentence, Jiang Yuxun felt drowsiness overcoming him again.

But he still forced himself to keep his eyes wide open, blinking and looking at the Emperor as if waiting for a response.

His eyes and the tip of his nose were still red, and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed due to discomfort.

To Ying Changchuan, he looked like a wilted plant drenched in frost and rain.

The Emperor, dressed in dark robes, paid no heed to the imperial physician and softly said to Jiang Yuxun, "Alright, I understand."

Eh...

Whatever Lord Jiang said, His Majesty understood?

The imperial physician was momentarily puzzled and looked into the tent.

Having received a satisfactory answer, Jiang Yuxun once again closed his eyes heavily.

Before his consciousness became blurry, he finally remembered... at this moment, he seemed to be lying in a side hall of Ying Changchuan's bedchamber.

A few moments later, the Emperor slowly rose and walked out of the room.

The imperial physician faintly heard Ying Changchuan summoning the Xuan Yin Monitor, instructing them to find a light sword.

So, Lord Jiang was looking for his sword!

Hearing this, the two imperial physicians guarding here exchanged glances.

Could the Emperor really discern such a faint voice?

-

Meanwhile, at the Lingtian Platform.

On the snowy paths of Mount Yueshe, the white snow, trampled by horse hooves, turned dark and mottled, losing its ethereal charm of yesteryears.

The snow had not yet stopped, but hundreds of people were coming up from the base of the mountain, surrounding the Lingtian Platform.

They huddled in small groups, quietly discussing the recent events.

After speaking, they turned their gaze toward the Lingtian Platform not far away.

"Is the Lingtian Platform really going to execute the sorcerer today?"

"It's the talk of the town in Zhaodu; it must be true..."

"Of course, it's true! Soon, the soldiers will bring out their heads for public display. Just wait and see!"

……

Not just the common folk, but today there are also many soldiers stationed outside the Lingtian Platform.

This is the first time in its centuries of existence.

Hundreds of candles illuminate the altar at the deepest part of the Lingtian Platform.

The bloodstains and disarray on the altar are starkly visible.

"...Pah! Shang You, if you dare, step out of the altar and see," the blood-soaked sorcerer, laughing wildly and cursing furiously, said, "The Lingtian Platform is surrounded by soldiers inside and out. Every word and deed of yours is under the Emperor's watch! After all these years of yielding, is this the situation you've brought yourself to?"

Ying Changchuan not only used the excuse of "Jiang Yuxun being captured" to indiscriminately slaughter at the Lingtian Platform.

He even brazenly stationed soldiers there afterward, claiming it was to "help" the diviners maintain stability and prevent others from harboring dissent.

The sorcerers originally on Shang You's side within the Lingtian Platform knew this was just a pretext.

Yet, hearing these words, they couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Facing imminent death, the sorcerer on the altar spoke more boldly: "Shang You, oh Shang You, now even I can't help but wonder, are you really using this incident to eliminate dissent with the power of the court!"

Shang You remained silent, simply wiping the ritual instrument in his hand.

Below the altar, there were several other sorcerers, trembling on their knees.

They kept muttering, "Spare us, spare us..."

After a while, Shang You finally raised his head slowly, speaking calmly, "Honorable Sorcerer, have you finished speaking?"

As soon as the words fell, a bell tolled outside the altar.

Hundreds of sorcerers in light grey robes filed in.

As usual, they circled the altar and, to the sound of the bell, donned their masks and began the Nuo dance.

This time, their steps were unusually heavy.

The lights by the altar flickered incessantly.

Holding the ritual instrument, Shang You walked slowly onto the altar, raising the jade sword with both hands as per Ying Changchuan's decree.

On the altar, the old sorcerer’s body shook heavily, his face turning ashen in an instant.

Moments later, he let out a wail filled with a strong scent of blood: "The Heavens are blind—"

The Nuo dance at the edge of the altar paused for a moment.

The wails in their ears and the smell of blood at the tip of their noses constantly reminded them: even a sorcerer might be sent to the altar.

The Lingtian Platform had unknowingly changed.

-

Half an hour later, Shang You, clad in lead-white robes, emerged from the passageway.

He carried a heavy scent of blood with him.

As soon as he stepped out, the gazelles in the courtyard scattered.

"Master Diviner, be careful not to catch a cold." A sorcerer quickly stepped forward, draping a deer skin cloak over him.

After speaking, he cautiously raised his eyes to glance at Shang You.

Seeing his grave expression and the restlessness in his brows, the sorcerer immediately began muttering curses about Jiang Yuxun.

Unbeknownst to him, Shang You's steps halted at that moment.

The jasmine, not yet brought indoors, had already frozen to death in the snow.

Shang You looked down at the dead branches, eventually closing his eyes gently.

The Lingtian Platform has come to this point.

Not only because of Jiang Yuxun, but also due to Ying Changchuan's cooperation.

Shang You couldn't help but recall the day the Chief Diviner died.

The Yuyang Palace was heavily guarded, every rustle of grass under Ying Changchuan's watchful eye.

As the person involved, Shang You knew all too well—

If the court had moved against the Chief Diviner, it would not only have provoked dissatisfaction and backlash but also made it difficult to receive the donations from the Lingtian Platform.

That day in Zhaodu's Yuyang Palace, it was Ying Changchuan who deliberately gave him the "opportunity" to kill the Chief Diviner.

Beyond that... he also wanted to use the incident to divide the Lingtian Platform.

Looking at it now, Ying Changchuan's goal has long been achieved.

Unable to restrain himself, Shang You snapped off a dead branch and continued walking forward.

Passing the soldiers' station, the sorcerer beside Shang You instantly shut his mouth.

The two walked forward in silence under the watchful, vigilant eyes of the soldiers.

It felt like thorns pricking their backs.

Everything seemed to silently declare the inevitable decline of the Lingtian Platform.

……

"Shang You! Are you really content with this?!"

"You think to endure for now, hoping to restore the Lingtian Platform in the future! Little do you know, in the Emperor's eyes, the world has long had no place for Lingtian Platform. Any further retreat leads only to a dead end—"

The angry roar of the sorcerer before his death once again echoed in Shang You’s ears.

His breath hitched, and his heartbeat skipped a beat at that moment.

-

The soldiers paraded the sorcerer's head through the streets for public display.

At the same time, Xing Zhi, who had been detained in the Xuan Yin Monitor’s residence in Zhaodu for several months, was finally brought to the Xianyou Palace.

The Xiangtai Hall, doors and windows tightly sealed.

As soon as he entered the hall and saw the various torture instruments around, Xing Zhi immediately knelt and started kowtowing: "…Mercy, my lord, mercy! I admit my wrongs, I will never again deal in counterfeit liquor!"

He was delicate and pretty, with slender, slightly upturned eyebrows and eyes, indeed quite handsome.

But he exuded an air of dissipation, appearing like a good-for-nothing.

As Xing Zhi spoke, he couldn't help but lift his head, pleadingly looking at the people of Xuan Yin Monitor: "Also, my father is a high-ranking official, you know that, right? I'm the only son in my family. Please go to my father, he will definitely redeem me, no matter the cost!"

The Xuan Yin Monitor beside him couldn't help but frown, involuntarily glancing at Xing Zhi.

"...This young master Xing is indeed just as rumored, a good-for-nothing wastrel."

The Great Zhou Dynasty allowed the avoidance of punishment through the payment of hefty fines, which was the only lifeline Xing Zhi could grasp at now.

The Xiangtai Hall was already echoey, and Xing Zhi's crying and shouting made the shrill sounds reverberate over and over.

Although he had been detained for several months, the Xuan Yin Monitor, having received the Emperor's orders, had not tortured him. Why was he overreacting so?

Seeing him like this, someone from the Xuan Yin Monitor finally couldn't help but shout sternly, "Quiet!"

"Yes, my lord..." Xing Zhi immediately shut his mouth.

Meanwhile, the doors of the Xiangtai Hall were finally pushed open from the outside.

Qi Ping Sha, the leader of the Xuan Yin Monitor, walked in slowly.

After coming to a stop, he turned and said, "Bring the items in."

"Yes, Lord!"

Following Qi Ping Sha, members of the Xuan Yin Monitor entered in a line, carrying large porcelain jars.

Xing Zhi, kneeling on the ground, suddenly twitched his nose and sniffed the air vigorously.

That smell... it was wine!

Xing Zhi's eyes lit up instantly, and he couldn't contain his excitement as he looked behind him.

The porcelain jars were placed on the ground by the Xuan Yin Monitor.

One of them stood up and handed a bowl to Xing Zhi, "We've heard that young master Xing is fond of and appreciates good wine. Today, all these wines are yours."

Having said this, he casually picked up a wine jar and, without blinking, filled Xing Zhi's bowl to the brim.

Instantly, the fragrance of wine filled the air.

Xing Zhi was momentarily stunned, holding the bowl in his hands in a daze.

Fine liquor was valuable and hard to come by, even with money.

Now, as a prisoner, how could he be worthy of such wine?

Xing Zhi felt utterly bewildered.

He even suspected that the wine might be poisoned.

Though Xing Zhi had not been tortured, he had seen many die before his eyes these past months.

He knew... the Xuan Yin Monitor could kill anyone they wished.

If the wine was poisoned, Xing Zhi knew he would still have to obediently drink it all.

"...Yes." Xing Zhi swallowed nervously, his trembling hands lifting the bowl of wine.

Finally, he closed his eyes and resignedly downed it in one gulp.

The rich flavor, smooth as silk, slid down his throat, revitalizing his numb taste buds with its long, intensely rich aftertaste.

Xing Zhi's eyes brightened extraordinarily, forgetting everything else in that moment.

"Excellent wine, truly excellent!"

The Xuan Yin Monitor took the empty cup from Xing Zhi's hand and asked him, "What does young master Xing think of this wine?"

As he spoke, he picked up another jar of wine and filled Xing Zhi's porcelain bowl.

He was generous in his movements, so much so that a good amount of wine splashed onto the ground.

Xing Zhi spoke honestly, "The aroma is captivating, a hundred times better than the wine I used to steal from my father's stash! Even if this is my last drink, I have no regrets after tasting such a brew."

Hearing this, the members of the Xuan Yin Monitor couldn't help but laugh.

Then they handed the wine bowl back to him, "Try this one!"

"Yes—" Xing Zhi immediately took it and drained it in one go, then began to comment after a few seconds, "This wine is much stronger than the last. The first sensation is its spiciness, but the aftertaste is even richer and smoother."

As he spoke, Xing Zhi’s fingers began to tremble slightly, involuntarily.

This time, it wasn't out of fear, but excitement.

Xing Zhi had only tasted annual harvest wine before and had no idea that the palace harbored such a variety of strong liquors with distinct flavors.

The Xuan Yin Monitor officials standing beside Xing Zhi exchanged glances, then finally asked him, "If we give young master Xing a chance to price these wines, how would you do it? Which would be expensive and which cheap?"

"...Price them?" Xing Zhi was momentarily stunned.

He instinctively said, "In my view, the strength of the wine does not determine its quality. The key depends on whom you sell it to."

Suddenly, the Xiangtai Hall fell quiet.

This time, Qi Ping Sha, the leader of the Xuan Yin Monitor, personally came over and filled a bowl of strong wine for Xing Zhi.

Finally, looking into his eyes, Qi Ping Sha lowered his voice and asked, "What if it were sold to Zhe Rou?"

"Zhe Rou?!"

Qi Ping Sha's words gave Xing Zhi quite a shock.

"Zhe Rou" was a name renowned throughout the Great Zhou, often associated with terms like barbaric and uncouth.

As a true wastrel, Xing Zhi couldn't help but recoil and instinctively wondered if Qi Ping Sha was just playing a joke on him.

However, when Xing Zhi looked up, he saw that everyone in the Xiangtai Hall was extremely serious, with not a hint of jest.

Hesitating for a moment, Xing Zhi tremblingly took the strong wine from Qi Ping Sha's hand, "…What does my lord mean?"

"This is not my idea," Qi Ping Sha stood up straight, telling Xing Zhi seriously, "This is Lord Jiang's idea."

Xing Zhi's eyes widened in surprise.

After a few cups of strong liquor, the frivolous air about him surprisingly diminished a bit.

While Xing Zhi was still dazed, another member of the Xuan Yin Monitor looked down at him, "Young master Xing's crime of producing and selling counterfeit goods is not minor." His tone was somewhat threatening.

The strong liquor had only recently appeared, and it bore the imperial mark everywhere.

Xing Zhi's actions, in a broader sense, could be seen as severely damaging the interests of the court.

He couldn't help but bite his lip, "Yes..."

"To be honest, young master Xing, you have already been spared by Lord Jiang during the southern tour. There is no longer any threat to your life. If you do not wish to stay, you may leave after finishing this bowl of wine. However, if you are still interested in these wines, you might consider staying here to discuss further plans."

Xing Zhi gripped the empty bowl in his hands tightly.

Under the influence of alcohol, his face gradually reddened, and his heartbeat quickened.

Logically, as the son of a high-ranking official, twenty-one-year-old Xing Zhi should have already entered the court to serve as an official.

But until he was apprehended by the Xuan Yin Monitor, Xing Zhi remained nothing more than an idle, extravagant young man.

He occasionally engaged in buying and selling for some pocket money.

People in Zhaodu said that the Zong family was doomed to ruin in his hands, a man unwilling to engage in any serious work.

Thinking of this, Xing Zhi couldn't help but clench his fist.

It wasn't that he was unwilling to work; since childhood, he had only been interested in commerce.

However, in this era, "commerce" was considered the lowest of professions.

His father, being one of the "Nine Ministers", would rather have him be a wastrel than allow him to pursue trade and tarnish the family's reputation…

For this, Xing Zhi had suffered many beatings since childhood.

Seeing him clenching his fist and his breathing growing rapid, the Xuan Yin Monitor couldn't help but remind, "Young master Xing?"

"Alright," Xing Zhi suddenly turned back to face the Xuan Yin Monitor, "Since Lord Jiang dares to vouch for me, I will definitely not let Lord Jiang down!"

Xing Zhi's words were firm, resonating with confidence.

As he spoke, he involuntarily straightened his back, and the frivolous air about him vanished in that moment.

"With young master Xing's word, we are reassured!"

During the conversation, the Xuan Yin Monitor filled another bowl with new wine for Xing Zhi: "Try this and see, how does it taste?"

At the same time, they pulled him up from the ground.

Surprisingly, this time Xing Zhi didn't hurry to take the wine, first stretching his limbs after kneeling for so long.

Then, scratching his head and looking somewhat embarrassed, he asked, "I would like to meet Lord Jiang, my savior. Is it convenient?"

The atmosphere in the Xiangtai Hall suddenly became tense.

The members of the Xuan Yin Monitor exchanged glances, and after a moment, spoke in a lowered voice, "Lord Jiang is... currently it's not quite convenient. Perhaps in a few more days."

"Yes, yes!" Xing Zhi nodded repeatedly, not asking further, and promptly finished the wine in his hand.

-

The next morning, Jiang Yuxun seemed to have recovered a bit.

Although he was still somewhat groggy, he was awake for a slightly longer period.

"Lord Jiang, please be careful—"

The eunuch cautiously helped Jiang Yuxun sit up and handed him a bowl of medicine.

At the same time, he asked uncertainly, "Perhaps it would be better if I assisted?"

The bowl was filled with a bitter fragrance, making one frown at the smell.

"...Cough, cough, no need."

Although Jiang Yuxun was still groggy, as a modern man, he was reluctant to let a eunuch feed him the medicine.

After speaking, he carefully held the bowl of medicine and closed his eyes, taking a small sip.

The next moment, bitterness spread across his tongue.

Jiang Yuxun frowned involuntarily and placed the bowl on a tray beside him.

He muttered, "Let's leave it here, I'll drink it later," then leaned back on the cushion, closing his eyes heavily once again.

"That won't do," the eunuch immediately became anxious, "Good medicine tastes bitter but is beneficial to health. My lord, you should drink it quickly."

However, Jiang Yuxun, with his eyes closed, did not respond anymore.

It was unexpected that Lord Jiang, usually so amenable when awake, became so willful when delirious.

He was almost like a child who hadn’t grown up.

As the eunuch was at a loss, footsteps suddenly sounded from outside the hall.

——Why has His Majesty come again?

The eunuch was startled and quickly set down the medicine bowl to bow.

"Dispense with the formalities," Ying Changchuan said as he walked in slowly, "You may leave for now."

"Yes, Your Majesty..." The eunuch gently placed the tray and medicine bowl on the table, retreated backward, and on his way out, he also closed the hall doors.

In a blink, only Jiang Yuxun and Ying Changchuan remained in the room.

The Emperor didn’t look at the medicine bowl but gazed down at the couch.

Jiang Yuxun's cheeks were flushed with a sickly pallor.

But his eyelashes were still trembling slightly, indicating he was not yet asleep.

"What is my beloved minister doing?"

Curled up in the blankets, Jiang Yuxun honestly mumbled, "I am pretending to sleep."

After falling delirious, Jiang Yuxun seemed even more assertive than usual.

Ying Changchuan couldn't help but smile lightly: "Why pretend to sleep?"

His tone was unusually relaxed, not at all like when speaking with court officials.

Jiang Yuxun's voice, heavy with nasal sounds, gradually softened as he spoke: "I don’t want to take the medicine right now."

This morning, the snow finally stopped, and the sun shone brighter than usual.

The sunlight melted the snow on the eaves into droplets that fell to the ground with a 'pitter-patter'.

The still feverish Jiang Yuxun was especially informal.

Yet, the Emperor showed no sign of anger.

On the contrary, Ying Changchuan’s voice grew gentler, very patiently asking, "What would make my beloved minister willing to take the medicine?"

"What would make me…" The fever rising again, Jiang Yuxun repeated the words before gathering his strength, "There is a request I made earlier that Your Majesty hasn’t yet agreed to."

"What request?"

As Jiang Yuxun spoke, his voice became softer, as light as a breeze brushing past Ying Changchuan’s ear: "I said that the three-year salary penalty is too harsh, not having a single day off in a month is too exhausting, and the official quarters are too small to live in..."

Ying Changchuan hadn’t expected the man before him to remember these concerns even while ill.

As he finished speaking, Jiang Yuxun mustered his energy, opening his eyes slightly to look at Ying Changchuan: "The last item, Your Majesty hasn’t yet agreed to."

The conditions in Xianyou Palace were excellent, but that was only in the Emperor's areas.

After returning from the southern inspection tour, Jiang Yuxun realized a severe problem — his official quarters, although close to the Liuyun Hall, lacked the luxury of heated walls.

At night, it was so cold it was hard to fall asleep.

When lucid, Jiang Yuxun, as a subject, had to endure.

But now, he spoke his mind: "This side hall has always been empty. Could I stay here from now on and share some of Your Majesty’s warmth?"

Jiang Yuxun spoke earnestly, but his still-ill eyes struggled to focus.

His eyelashes fluttered gently like butterfly wings as he tried hard to keep his eyes open.

There was always a sense of haziness and vulnerability about him.

Gazed upon by these eyes, Ying Changchuan was inexplicably reminded of a faint, tickling sensation.

For a moment, he even couldn't resist the urge to reach out and gently touch those trembling eyelashes.

After a pause, Ying Changchuan averted his gaze.

Seeing this, Jiang Yuxun thought he was going to be refused.

"Your Majesty—"

Instinctively, Jiang Yuxun reached out and gently grasped Ying Changchuan's sleeve.

Delirious from the fever, he thought he was being clever in changing his approach: "Then I… cough, cough… will move out as soon as I recover?"

His words said one thing, but his eyes were filled with hope and anxiety.

Alone with Jiang Yuxun, Ying Changchuan, realizing his thoughts, felt a mischievous urge.

He pondered for a moment and then softly said, "Alright."

Jiang Yuxun: "???"

Wait a minute, Ying Changchuan actually said "okay"!

After all, I am a key minister of the court.

Don't I even have the right to warm up here?

...Can I take back everything I just said?

Jiang Yuxun incredulously widened his eyes, looking carefully at Ying Changchuan: "Shouldn't Your Majesty insist on keeping me here?"

The Emperor pretended to ponder for a moment, then seriously asked: "Then how should I persuade you to stay, my dear minister?"

There's hope!

Seeing this, Jiang Yuxun's eyes immediately lit up.

He struggled to move out from under the blankets, cleared his throat, and while thinking, earnestly said: "Your Majesty should say, Zhaodu is bitterly cold, and the conditions in the official quarters are even worse. Now that Jiang is a Minister, a key figure of the court, it is more appropriate for him to stay here."

Ying Changchuan couldn't help but laugh.

And under Jiang Yuxun's expectant gaze, he slowly repeated: "Zhaodu is bitterly cold, and the conditions in the official quarters are indeed poor."

Jiang Yuxun immediately nodded in agreement.

After a pause, Ying Changchuan finally raised an eyebrow and gently said: "Minister Jiang is indeed better off staying here."