Chapter 46 I’m Not Who You Imagined

Chapter 46: I'm Not Who You Imagine Me to Be

After changing their clothes, they proceeded to the main hall, where Cui Shao had been waiting for some time.

"Marquis, Your Highness," the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard saluted with cupped hands, treating both men with utmost courtesy.

Xie Xiao didn't inquire about the purpose of the visit to the Northern Prison, but instead cautioned Yan Weichu, "Go back to your room and rest; don't wander off."

Yan Weichu took a cloak from a servant, draped it over Xie Xiao, and tied the fastenings securely: "It's cold at night; don't catch a chill."

Cui Shao silently averted his gaze, consciously avoiding the sight of such a devoted Young Emperor.

Yan Weichu saw Xie Xiao off, watching him board the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s carriage. He stood for a moment in the darkness, and as his gaze withdrew, his expression hardened. He gave an order: "Return to the Western Garden."

A quarter of an hour later, Yan Weichu’s carriage arrived back at Yaotai, where Wan Xuanju awaited him, ready to beg for forgiveness.

Today’s operation had indeed been mishandled by the Eastern Depot. As the supervising director, his failure to personally oversee it had nearly led to a major disaster. Fortunately, the timely arrival of the Five Cities Patrol and the capital guards had contained the situation. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had the chance to apologize, but would instead be preparing for execution.

Though Yan Weichu’s face was cold, he surprisingly showed no anger or blame: "Neither you nor I anticipated such audacity from them. Very well, you will enter the palace later to help me resolve one matter, and then depart for your mission in the south."

Wan Xuanju breathed a sigh of relief. It was a blessing that His Majesty did not hold him accountable.

As for the matter to be resolved, he understood it implicitly, even without explicit instructions from the emperor. He respectfully accepted the order and withdrew, intent on atoning for his failure.

The candle flame on the candlestick crackled, flickering unsteadily until it finally extinguished, as if foretelling something.

Yan Weichu watched it, then let out a soft scoff before returning to the rear hall.

With Xie Xiao away, he wouldn't need to return to the marquis's residence for the next few days.

Around midnight, as Yan Weichu was drowsily drifting off to sleep, someone rushed in to report: "Your Majesty... Empress Dowager Xie has passed away."

Yan Weichu’s drooping eyelids twitched, slowly opening as he responded flatly, "Hmm."

On this night, when countless people were eagerly anticipating the emperor’s downfall, the empress dowager’s sudden death caught everyone off guard.

The funeral bells tolled, their mournful sound stretching on and on.

What followed were the complex funeral rites, with all officials entering the palace to mourn and pay their respects.

During the period of national mourning, all gatherings, banquets, and assemblies were strictly prohibited. The secretly brewing turmoil came to an abrupt halt, and rumors lost their platform to spread.

Schemes and plots were thus dissolved without a trace.

Three days later.

Yan Weichu, dressed in mourning attire, leaned sideways in the imperial throne, closing his eyes to rest. He had stayed in the palace these past few days to observe mourning for that old demon, and after several sleepless nights, he had a headache.

Cui Shao reported to him from below the dais: "All the merchants who caused trouble on West Street have been arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. As expected, the matter is connected to those powerful families in the capital. We arrested a group, but they are merely patsies put forward—hardly consequential."

"The only one with a special status is the Marquis of Dingbei," Cui Shao said cautiously, "but the Marquis, of course, denies having instructed them to do these things."

Yan Weichu sneered, "Do they believe I would hesitate to move against the Marquis of Dingbei, deliberately using him as a shield, or does someone harbor such hatred for the Marquis of Dingbei that they wish to frame him?"

Cui Shao bowed his head and whispered, "Around the new year, the Marquis’s uncles were invited to a banquet at the Duke of Ning’s residence. Many noble houses and dignitaries were also present. The matter was likely planned by them, but..."

But the evidence was insufficient. Those people had already found scapegoats and were not afraid of being implicated, unless the Embroidered Uniform Guard arrested them all and subjected them to intensive interrogation.

However, doing so would inevitably make the Marquis of Dingbei the first to suffer. The emperor had just appointed him as the Capital Garrison Commander to stabilize the chaotic situation in the capital, so he would inevitably have reservations.

Moreover, this matter arose from the emperor’s competing with the people for profit. Wouldn’t taking drastic measures appear as a guilty conscience?

Yan Weichu’s eyes darkened as he pondered. After a moment, he asked, "What about the Gathering Clouds Pavilion literary conference? Have you found out who was behind those scholars spouting their nonsense?"

Cui Shao replied, "The Gathering Clouds Pavilion literary conference has always been jointly hosted by several major academies in the capital... To investigate thoroughly, we would have to detain all the scholars who participated and the responsible persons from their academies. I fear this could cause even greater chaos."

"Do you think these two matters are related?" he asked.

Cui Shao thought for a moment and answered, "If it were only the merchants causing trouble, even if it escalated, few would truly sympathize with them. But once the matter was spread by those scholars and literati, its nature changed. In their words, the court’s imposition of additional commercial taxes was seizing the people’s profits and losing benevolence. The common people are easily swayed, and by then, it would be difficult for Your Majesty to silence the endless criticism."

Yan Weichu nodded slowly and deliberately. Indeed, he could not easily arrest all those scholars, and stopping the Gathering Clouds Pavilion literary conference required a legitimate reason. As it happened, Empress Dowager Xie’s death served her purpose.

With the old witch dead, the entire nation mourned, and the literary gathering naturally could not continue. Those who were restless would have to think twice about causing trouble. Anyone daring to cause trouble during the period of national mourning would not be spared.

However, the person behind this, capable of mobilizing both noble families and scholars, was undoubtedly skilled.

"Among the capital academies you mentioned, is Yunshan Academy in the western suburbs included?" Yan Weichu thought of something and asked another question.

Cui Shao said, "No, but Yunshan Academy also sent representatives to participate."

Yan Weichu naturally knew this—he had seen it with his own eyes. Su Ping was a student of Yunshan Academy—the son of a military noble, associating with other noble descendants, yet enrolled in Yunshan Academy. He was indeed a useful pawn for those with ulterior motives.

After some thought, he issued a stern order: "Among those who attended the banquet at the Duke of Ning’s residence, detain some and release others. Let them suspect each other and turn on each other. After the empress dowager’s mourning period, find an excuse to close down the Gathering Clouds Pavilion. Since those scholars are so restless, the literary gathering will not be held there again."

Cui Shao cupped his hands and accepted the decree.

After discussing official matters, Yan Weichu finally asked, "How has the Marquis of Dingbei been these past few days?"

Cui Shao answered carefully, "The Marquis has been eating and sleeping normally in the prison. He is very quiet and only asked us for a few books to read. He is fine."

Yan Weichu instructed uneasily, "Give him whatever he asks for. The prison is cold and damp, so make sure he has adequate warm clothing, bedding, charcoal, and hot water."

Cui Shao respectfully accepted the order: "Your Majesty need not worry. I will have people see to his comfort."

After dismissing him, Yan Weichu was distracted. He casually picked up a memorial from the desk, read a page, and then set it down.

After staring into space for a moment, he said to Zhao Anfu beside him, "When I was young, I studied daily in this study. At that time, only you and Grand Tutor Mr. Zhang were by my side. Now, only you remain."

The Young Emperor’s vacant eyes held no extra emotion, as if he had merely uttered a casual sigh.

Zhao Anfu bowed, not daring to speak.

After a moment of silence, Yan Weichu said softly, "I remember that Mr. Zhang’s grandson, Zhang Xujie, is a Hanlin Reader-in-Waiting. Issue an order for him to begin service in the Grand Secretariat starting tomorrow."

After giving these instructions, Yan Weichu seemed to find it uninteresting. He stood up and signaled, "Help me change clothes. I am going to the prison."

*

At night, Xie Xiao leaned against the head of the bed, holding a casual book in his hand, reading by lamplight to pass the time.

That night, he had been taken to the Northern Prison by Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard Cui Shao. After routine questioning, he was placed in this prison. Today was the third day.

After the initial discomfort, he soon relaxed.

There were none of the brutal interrogation methods rumored among outsiders here. In fact, the prison had everything he needed, and the treatment was surprisingly good. He was somewhat puzzled about what the emperor truly intended.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside. Xie Xiao listened casually and realized they were heading toward his cell. He set down the book in his hand and looked up, suddenly stunned.

Yan Weichu, dressed in plain mourning clothes, his brow looking frost-covered, had come under the stars and moon.

The jailer unlocked the door and showed him in respectfully. Yan Weichu turned and signaled, "All of you, leave."

He looked around the cell—the most spacious and cleanest in the entire imperial prison, complete with a window, a bed, chairs, and a desk.

The charcoal brazier kept it warm, and lamps were lit in all four corners. Aside from the lack of freedom to move around, the place didn't feel oppressive at all.

With the jailer gone, Xie Xiao came back to himself and stood up to greet him.

Yan Weichu took him by the arms, examining him from all sides. "Cousin, they didn’t torture you, did they?"

Xie Xiao held him still. "No. What are you doing here?"

"I told His Majesty I wanted to see you, and he agreed," Yan Weichu said like it was nothing. "Cousin, the night you were brought here, the Empress Dowager passed away. His Majesty was too busy to deal with your matter, so you’ll have to put up with a few days here."

Xie Xiao had already heard about the Empress Dowager’s death from the jailers. Though she was his biological aunt, he didn't feel anything about it—after all, aside from one or two childhood encounters, she was basically a stranger to him.

Hearing Yan Weichu repeatedly refer to "His Majesty," Xie Xiao said pointedly, "The Empress Dowager’s death was quite timely, solving His Majesty’s urgent problem just in time."

Yan Weichu played dumb. "Cousin, what do you mean by that?"

To say more would be overstepping and disrespectful, especially in the imperial prison where walls had ears. Xie Xiao wasn't about to push his luck. He shook his head, guided Yan Weichu to sit, and took his cold hands. "It’s cold outside. Why bother coming here so late?"

Besides, with the Empress Dowager’s passing, officials were busy with daily mourning rituals—no easy task. In contrast, being detained here allowed him to dodge all that fuss.

"I wanted to see you."

Yan Weichu said straight out. "It’s been three days since we last met. I was worried about you, afraid someone here might give you trouble, so I asked His Majesty to let me come."

Xie Xiao felt himself soften. "I’m fine. His Majesty probably just wants to shut up the critics by detaining me for a few days. He doesn’t actually intend to harm me."

Yan Weichu held his face, looking him over. He felt his cousin had lost weight and grew displeased. *What is Cui Shao doing? Has he been taking proper care of him?*

Xie Xiao remained expressionless. "Seen enough?"

Yan Weichu let go with a pout. "It’s all His Majesty’s fault, throwing you into a place like this for no reason. Really…"

Xie Xiao watched his vivid, lively face in the flickering light, and the low-grade worry he’d felt since arriving here settled into calm.

He warned Yan Weichu, "Be careful what you say. The walls here really do have ears."

But Yan Weichu shrugged it off. "I didn’t say anything wrong."

He blamed himself too. Putting Xie Xiao here served two purposes: to intimidate those scheming behind the scenes, and to avoid exposure during the elaborate funeral ceremonies requiring his presence. Still, it had made things hard for his cousin.

"But His Majesty has it hard too," Yan Weichu took the opportunity to stick up for himself. "You’re right—the Empress Dowager’s death was timely. His Majesty never saw eye to eye with her. He saw her poison his birth mother, Empress Dowager Zheng, with his own eyes. Mmm—"

Xie Xiao covered his mouth. *This kid has no filter. Even if it’s true, you can’t say it here.*

"Keep your voice down," Xie Xiao hissed.

Yan Weichu pulled his hand away, whining. "Fine, I won’t say more. So, cousin, can you let go of your prejudice against His Majesty and treat him better? I wouldn’t mind if you liked His Majesty too."

Xie Xiao gripped his chin, applying pressure as he raised his voice. "You wouldn't mind if I liked His Majesty?"

Yan Weichu grinned. "Not in the way you’re thinking—more like a subject’s reverence, admiration, and loyalty to their sovereign…"

"None of your concern," Xie Xiao cut him off. "Worry about yourself."

Yan Weichu tsked. "So possessive."

Xie Xiao didn’t want to hear it. "It’s late. You should go back. His Majesty made an exception allowing you here—don't overstay your welcome. We’re in a national mourning period, after all."

Yan Weichu refused. "Cousin, are you sending me away because you don’t want to see me?"

Before Xie Xiao could respond, he added, "Actually, I was in a funk today, which is why I wanted to come see you."

Xie Xiao paused. "Down?"

Yan Weichu pursed his lips. "It’s nothing, really. I just suddenly realized not everything can go exactly as I wish."

Xie Xiao asked, "Why do you say that?"

Yan Weichu sighed. "When I was young, I had a tutor. He was a father figure to me—taught me many things and helped me a lot. But he had his own agenda. We’re not on the same path. I wanted to pretend not to know, but it seems I can’t. In the end, he won’t be as I hoped."

Xie Xiao roughly understood but didn’t press further. "A Li, are you really so sentimental? If you’re not on the same path, then each goes their own way."

Yan Weichu lowered his head, silent for a moment, then snorted. "Cousin, you’re truly cold-hearted."

Xie Xiao said, "What else would you suggest?"

What would he do? He was the emperor. In this world, those who obeyed thrived; those who opposed perished.

Yan Weichu gazed at Xie Xiao, his eyes lingering on his face. Softly, he asked, "Cousin, if one day you discover I’m not what you imagined—not as you hoped—would you go your own way too?"

Yan Weichu’s expression was too earnest. Xie Xiao asked uncertainly, "Are you?"

Yan Weichu met his eyes, slowly leaning against him. He closed his eyes and whispered, "Of course not. I like you best, cousin."