Chapter 37 Storm Brewing

Chapter 37: Winds of Change Stir

In the Congzhou garrison camp in the northern city, Feng Qi was drinking with the Commander's deputy.

Both were having a great time. After three rounds of drinks, they were already calling each other brothers, hitting it off so well they were practically ready to become sworn brothers on the spot.

Just as they gulped down another bowl, a red signal firework shot into the sky from the eastern part of the city, trailing a long, sparkling tail across the pitch-black night, beautiful and lively.

The deputy, thoroughly drunk, looked up and let out a hiccup. "Wh-who's setting off fireworks?"

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a chill and a heavy weight against his neck—a cold blade was now pressed to his throat.

Feng Qi, reeking of alcohol but not the least bit intoxicated, was one of the more spirited bodyguards. He grinned at the deputy.

"My master's fireworks, are they pretty?"

Without waiting for a reaction, he dragged the drunkard out. Holding the knife in one hand, he snatched the deputy's waist token with the other. Amidst the clamor of seven hundred soldiers drawing their blades, he shouted loudly:

"The Prefect of Congzhou and the Garrison Commander are suspected of involvement in a major court case and have been arrested by the Crown Prince. The patrol and defense of Congzhou is now under the Eastern Palace's command. Anyone who disobeys will be treated as rebels and may be executed on the spot!"

Harming a prince and harming the Crown Prince were different matters, especially when this Crown Prince was carrying out imperial duties under an edict. The charge of rebellion could indeed be applied.

Having all two thousand-plus garrison troops concentrated in one place made it convenient for the Congzhou officials to deploy them, but it also made it even more convenient for Xiao Yunlang to take control in one fell swoop.

If the Commander or his deputy were still in charge, these men might have followed them. But now, looking closely: well, their superiors had all been captured!

They were just ordinary soldiers trying to make a living, with families to support. Why would they suddenly take on the heavy charge of rebellion?

Moreover, the other side had drawn their weapons. Although they were fewer in number—seven hundred against two thousand—if a real fight broke out, the garrison side would still suffer casualties.

With the garrison leaderless, those who understood the situation knew to follow the new orders. They all indicated they would obey whoever was in charge now.

Multiple smaller units were dispatched to station themselves outside the residences of various officials, keeping close watch over the gentlemen.

Some of the Crown Prince's men also dispersed to accompany the garrison troops, ostensibly to assist, but in reality, also to supervise.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards patrolled, ensuring any news could be relayed promptly.

Overnight, the political landscape of Congzhou changed completely.

The five hundred garrison troops stationed at the Prefect's residence were still listening to the tunes drifting from the courtyard when they were suddenly bombarded with orders. They found themselves turned into the ones searching the Prefect's home.

The guards paid the three performers, who, with tired voices, took their money and left happily.

After all the screens were removed, it became clear that only Sui Yedao was sitting at the banquet table—there was no trace of the Crown Prince at all.

"Ah—" Sui Yedao stood up and stretched, commenting, "Actually, I prefer the elegant tunes of Jiangnan. I'm really not one for brothel songs, truly."

His subordinate smiled and handed him his sword. Wei Wuyou and Liu Hexuan came around from outside. Sui Yedao took his blade. "Time to work, time to work."

Only the Vice Minister of Justice remained confined to his small courtyard, forced to recuperate from his "illness," completely in the dark.

After the signal firework exploded, its smoke gently dispersed over the eastern city manor. Jiang Yanzhou sat by a stone table in the courtyard, slowly drinking a bowl of soup.

In the past, the nights were too cold, and his health was poor, so he had never dined in an open courtyard like this before. Eating while enjoying the night scenery was a novel pleasure.

He had actually finished his meal earlier; only this final nourishing soup hadn't been served yet. Feng Lan had it sent directly to the rear courtyard.

Shortly after, Xiao Yunlang strode along the corridor, the hem of his robe cutting a sharp arc through the air. As he walked, he untied the saber from his waist and tossed it aside.

A bodyguard hurriedly caught it. Xiao Yunlang sat on the stone stool, drawing his long legs in. "What soup is that? It smells wonderful."

"Silkie chicken stew," Jiang Yanzhou replied. As for the other ingredients, he couldn't identify them all; some small medicinal herbs were finely chopped. "Would Your Highness like to try it? Things were urgent tonight. Have you eaten? If not, you could have something here?"

"I've eaten, but I'll have a bowl of soup to taste."

Feng Lan went to serve the soup. Xiao Yunlang then said to Jiang Yanzhou, "No more 'Your Highness,'" he corrected. "It's 'you.'"

Jiang Yanzhou's eyelashes fluttered almost imperceptibly. He silently held his bowl, pretending to be very busy drinking his soup, unable to respond.

When he didn't know what to say, he always had various little ways to retreat.

After that stormy night, if Xiao Yunlang had been beside him when he opened his eyes the next day, Jiang Yanzhou might have exploded with more redness than tonight's firework. Fortunately, Xiao Yunlang wasn't there, giving him enough time to dispel the awkwardness.

Xiao Yunlang took the soup bowl. "We've sent men to several official residences and the Song family. The Song estate is too large, with too many people. It will probably take all night to search."

The cook had tried a new recipe for the stew. The broth was clear like amber, with the savory aroma of chicken and the sweet aftertaste of ingredients like goji berries and longan all melted into this golden liquid. It wasn't greasy or heavy. Taking a sip, warmth rolled from the tip of the tongue to the stomach, and a comfortable feeling spread through his whole body.

The entire courtyard was filled with a warm, rich fragrance.

Xiao Yunlang had initially only wanted a taste, but the soup was indeed good. Before rushing here tonight, he had only hastily eaten a few bites, so he had another bowl.

Jiang Yanzhou had finished eating. Watching Xiao Yunlang stir the spoon to scoop up meat, he remembered that whenever they ate together, Xiao Yunlang would always serve him food.

Jiang Yanzhou ate slowly and couldn't manage with his hands, so he was always the one being fed.

His heart stirred. He lifted the lid of the tureen, used the soup ladle to pick out a piece of meat, and placed it in Xiao Yunlang's bowl.

Xiao Yunlang paused and looked up. Jiang Yanzhou had already quickly replaced the lid, properly placed his hands on his knees, lowered his eyes, and seemed to be earnestly admiring the patterns on the stone table.

Only the pearl in his hair trembled uneasily, betraying the young master's inner turmoil.

A smile flickered in Xiao Yunlang's eyes. He picked up the piece of meat, chewed it, and felt he might actually be a bit hungry. Otherwise, why did the soup taste so flavorful?

Jiang Yanzhou felt Xiao Yunlang was looking at him. He even had the illusion that the Crown Prince was using him as a side dish.

His fingertips, resting on his knees, touched each other, once, then again. He had to find some serious matter to divert his attention, or else Xiao Yunlang's unavoidable gaze would burn him to a crisp. "That member of the Song family, who openly revealed the family's secrets in the hall..."

"Song Yicun."

Xiao Yunlang already knew this man's name. He finished his soup and set down the bowl. "Bring him up."

Compared to the Song family head's disheveled and struggling state when taken away, Song Yicun appeared neat and tidy, his clothes not disarranged. Only his eyes remained bleak and dull.

Although they had a rough idea of his intentions, given his prior attempt to attack with a hairpin, the bodyguards, fulfilling their duty, had still placed shackles on his wrists and didn't let him get too close.

Jiang Yanzhou turned his head to look at him and suddenly asked, "Was it you who arranged the assassin to attack me at the relay station?"

Song Yicun had been too deferential during the banquet to dare look directly at the royal figures. Now, however, he calmly looked ahead. He glanced at Jiang Yanzhou, then at Xiao Yunlang, and understood something.

"Even the Jiang family is not of one mind," he said, referring to the Jiang family but in a self-mocking tone. "It was me."

Jiang Yanzhou: "Why?"

Song Yicun's hands hung with the shackles, pulling his shoulders down. Yet he seemed finally relieved. He raised his head and looked at the clear, washed night sky. "Where should I begin? From... when those students went to the capital to appeal to the emperor?"

It turned out that news of Xu Wenzhi and the others going to the capital to appeal had leaked. The County Magistrate and the Vice-Prefect hired people to ambush and kill them. Somehow, Song Yicun also learned of this.

He, however, wanted to lure capital officials to investigate Congzhou, so he also hired a group of people to pursue and deal with those assassins.

However, even so, only one student survived: Xu Wenzhi.

Of course, the men Song Yicun hired did not know their employer's purpose; they only knew they were there to kill, and there were two targets. After dealing with the assassins, they were to lie in wait along the road from the capital to Congzhou to continue killing.

This time, the one they were waiting for was Jiang Yanzhou.

And the reason Song Yicun did this was because of—the disaster relief in Jiangbei.

Jiang Yanzhou was stunned: "Disaster relief in Jiangbei?"

Song Yicun was still young, but his eyes had already aged. When he smiled, there was a desolate air to it. "Your Highness, are you aware that the Jiang family wanted to embezzle and resell the disaster relief grain from Jiangbei through the Song family's hands? But the scheme to tamper with the grain carts was discovered too quickly, far too quickly."

Thus, this deal was not completed by the Jiang family.

Jiang Yanzhou, of course, knew, because it was he who had given Xiao Yunlang the information, cutting off this lucrative scheme for the Jiang and Shangguan families.

In the original timeline, the disaster relief case had not been exposed so swiftly. The lost grain could not be recovered, forcing the court to allocate new funds and gather more grain to make up the difference.

Although the Shangguan family was still brought down, during the time lost in re-gathering the grain, people in Jiangbei died of starvation.

In the official histories, the unrecovered grain turned into money that filled the Jiang family's coffers.

But that didn't happen this time. The grain reached Jiangbei, stabilizing the disaster situation. After the spring hunt, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue turned on each other, bringing down a Director from the Ministry of Revenue. To make sure the investigation stopped there, the Jiang family had to spend money to plug a hole in the Ministry of Revenue.

One business deal failed, and they had to pay out another sum in their fight with the Wei family. Naturally, the Jiang family was unwilling; they needed another big payday.

Where would that money come from?

This year's land tax in Ningzhou couldn't be messed with again, so they turned their gaze back to Congzhou.

They pressured the Song family to move another shipment of smuggled tea.

"Our family has been selling tea since our ancestors' time. Although we inevitably had to grease the palms of officials, everything else was done properly. But after my uncle took over, something changed. Then, Zhong Qingfu arrived to take up his post in Congzhou."

"He forced us into the illicit tea trade."

Song Yicun gazed deeply at Jiang Yanzhou. "He was backed by the Jiang family. If we refused, he could make it impossible for us to survive in Congzhou."

Jiang Yanzhou did not avoid his gaze, saying softly, "The Jiang family would absolutely do that."

Song Yicun wearily took a deep breath.

The current head of the Song family was himself greedy and hit it off with Zhong Qingfu immediately. As for others in the Song family below him, including Song Yicun, they were dragged into it to protect their families and friends.

Song Yicun wanted to raise a hand to rub his face, but halfway up, the shackles pulled it back down. His body swayed, his voice hoarse. "Smuggling tea is no easy task."

There are two most profitable routes for tea: one inward, to the capital; the other to the borderlands, where it's always in demand.

Illicit tea must bypass the Tea and Horse Office. The inspections are tight on the road to the capital, and the route to the borderlands is too long. Both are difficult.

But the illicit tea business must be handled personally by trusted individuals; you can't hand it off to outsiders. Song Yicun's elder brother died a year ago on the journey to the borderlands smuggling tea.

"Now the Jiang family is desperate for money, forcing us to risk transporting another batch soon. This time... it's my turn."

The head of the Song family couldn't bring himself to risk his own son, so he sent Song Yicun. Although he had never shortchanged him on silver after tasks were done, what use is money when the person is gone, when one is about to be gone?

Though spring scenery already blankets the Central Plains, at this time of year, traveling to the borderlands, you could still freeze to death if you're not careful.

Song Yicun had been haggard lately, his health broken, unable to withstand the hardships of a long journey.

He had no wife, no children; his parents died early. His brother, whom he depended on, was dead. Now he might die too. What did he have left to live for?

Song Yicun laughed, the shackles on his wrists clanking dully. "Then why not let everyone die together? My uncle, Lord Zhong, and Lord Jiang far away in the capital—why should they sit atop the mountains of gold and silver we exchanged our lives for, enjoying peace and comfort!?"

Song Yicun spat fiercely. "Pah! This Tenth Master is done!"

"I know my own death is unavoidable, but their crimes are even more unforgivable! This world! This world that devours people!" Song Yicun shouted to the sky. His eyes were bloodshot, but there were no tears. "They forced me into becoming a monster. Then kill them all, bring peace to everyone!"

The courtyard fell silent for a moment. Besides the echo of Song Yicun's shouts, only the desolate clanking of shackles remained.

Jiang Yanzhou finally understood how this historically non-existent assassination attempt came to be.

The Jiang family's urgency became the last straw that broke Song Yicun. He was unwilling to endure any longer, ready to bring everyone down with him.

Thus, this time, as long as Xiao Yunlang came to Congzhou, Song Yicun was determined to blow the lid off the illicit tea operation.

The impact and changes brought about by the Jiangbei disaster relief were far greater than anyone—Jiang Yanzhou, Xiao Yunlang, the Jiang family, and others—had anticipated.

Thus, in the affairs of this world, no plan survives contact with reality.

Jiang Yanzhou's merit was even greater, but looking at Song Yicun, he couldn't muster a smile.

Song Yicun seemed finally unburdened. He poured out all the guilt and secrets accumulated over the years, as if a weight had been lifted.

At the tail end of the fading echoes, dragging out his tone, his voice hoarse and soft, he asked, not knowing for whom he asked: "When officials lack benevolence, and the people have no recourse, though I was forced by circumstances, I have already become a villain. Your Highness, when will it ever end?"

Xiao Yunlang looked at him gravely.

After a moment, the Crown Prince said, "I will end such a world."

He sat there, but not alone. "Not just me, but also Young Master Jiang."

Jiang Yanzhou's eyes rippled slightly.

Xiao Yunlang's gaze was clear, without the slightest waver. "And officials like Official Liu, pillars of the court who still hold the world in their hearts, and the common people who still have hope for the Qi Dynasty. Together with all of them—we will end such a world."

Where the Way lies, tread simply in plain shoes.

Xiao Yunlang used his own body as a blade to cleave through this murky world. He wanted heavenly principles to be clear, people's hearts to be at peace, and the roads under heaven to be broad and open.

The heart of an emperor—he did not conceal it. And he was not the only one willing to dedicate himself to this world.

In the face of such unwavering conviction, Song Yicun's lips trembled, but in the end, he said nothing more. He only slowly raised his shackled hands and performed a deep, solemn bow.

Waves form from tiny ripples. A bit of wind from Jiang Yanzhou, a ripple from Song Yicun—both could stir up stormy waves in the distance, capsizing certain massive and rotten ships.

Song Yicun was led away by the bodyguard, the clanking of iron chains incessant. Jiang Yanzhou gazed thoughtfully in the direction he left. Xiao Yunlang's gaze also fell there, but his words were for Jiang Yanzhou.

He asked, "What are you thinking?"

Jiang Yanzhou pursed his lips.

"...Back then, regarding the Jiangbei matter, I—"

"Young Master Jiang's contribution in Jiangbei is even greater than I originally thought." Xiao Yunlang, now able to grasp a bit of Jiang Yanzhou's train of thought from his tone, did not hesitate to interrupt at the right moment.

He did not let the atmosphere continue to sink and congeal. "It seems my previous thanks were insufficient. Is there anything else you want?"

Before Jiang Yanzhou could think much further, his thoughts were successfully diverted.

He was someone who, when asked for a wish before, couldn't come up with a single one, but upon hearing these words, this time his heart wasn't just empty and devoid of desire. Instead, a thought immediately popped into his mind:

*I want you to stay with me during the next thunderstorm night, is that okay?*

For the first time, he actually wanted something.

However... though the thought emerged, Jiang Yanzhou still couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.

Beneath his sleeves, his fingers intertwined and clenched into a fist. Under Xiao Yunlang's gaze, he moved his lips: "I... haven't thought of anything yet."

Xiao Yunlang: "Then consider it a debt for now. Whenever you think of something, come and ask me."

Only then did Jiang Yanzhou snap back to reality, realizing he had misspoken, and quickly corrected himself: "Wait, no—I meant to say I don't want anything. What I just said doesn't count!"

"A gentleman's word is his bond," Xiao Yunlang curved his lips, giving no chance for regret. "Anyway, I keep my promises. You can tell me whatever you want."

Jiang Yanzhou's fingers tightened within his sleeves once more.

Xiao Yunlang stood up: "It's getting late. You should sleep. Tomorrow we'll return to the prefectural office together. The South Courtyard at the prefect's residence has also been tidied up—it was originally cleared for you. You'll stay there for the next few days; it's closer and more convenient."

Jiang Yanzhou rose as well: "Starting tomorrow, I'll also help review the documents."

With both the exam fraud and private tea smuggling combined, the account books, documents, and case files to be examined could pile up an entire room. Liu Hexuan and Wei Wuyou certainly wouldn't refuse an extra pair of hands, and Xiao Yunlang nodded in agreement.

Jiang Yanzhou wasn't one to idle around. As long as it didn't overtax him, if he wanted to work, Xiao Yunlang wouldn't stop him.

Jiang Yanzhou let out a slight sigh of relief only after Xiao Yunlang agreed.

Asking someone to stay with him—and having it be Xiao Yunlang—was something he truly couldn't bring himself to say now, nor... did he know how to phrase it appropriately.

This was the first time he had interacted so much with someone, gotten this close. He never made demands on others, fearing that those who treated him well might feel burdened and turn away.

Xiao Yunlang... Xiao Yunlang definitely wouldn't.

Jiang Yanzhou believed in him.

Even though he believed in him, he still didn't dare.

For him, asking was harder than giving.

Just having such thoughts made him uneasy; he wanted to offer something more in return.

Jiang Yanzhou glanced at the sky, thinking to himself, it's still early, no need to sleep yet: "How much longer will you all be busy tonight?"

"Busy until..." Xiao Yunlang paused mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes warily. "It won't be too long. The items seized from their residences won't arrive until tomorrow. Your health hasn't fully recovered yet—don't even think about staying up all night."

Jiang Yanzhou muttered guiltily under his breath: "I wasn't planning to."

Xiao Yunlang looked him up and down: "Then go to sleep. I'll have some soup and take a stroll in the courtyard to walk it off. I'll leave only after I see the lights go out in your room."

Jiang Yanzhou's tentative plan to stay up a bit longer ended before it even began. He could only return to his room and obediently lie down.

As he clutched the blanket, he thought, maybe waking up early tomorrow would work too.

His health had improved a lot; he couldn't keep sleeping in like this forever.

"Feng Lan," Jiang Yanzhou said, "wake me at mao hour tomorrow. From now on, I'll rise at mao hour."

Feng Lan, who was about to extinguish the candle, trembled and turned around in surprise. The words reached his lips, but after a moment's thought, he swallowed them back and instead said: "Young Master, the physician advised that you need proper rest. It's best to wake up naturally each day. How about this: I'll check on you at mao hour. If you're already awake, I'll assist you with washing up. How does that sound?"

Invoking medical advice was the most effective way to persuade him, and Jiang Yanzhou couldn't argue. But to wake up at mao hour on his own—there were no alarm clocks in ancient times.

So, roughly rise when he hears the rooster crow?

Under the influence of the calming medicine, Jiang Yanzhou let out a soft yawn. Just before closing his eyes, his drowsy final thought was: In the mornings, had he ever heard a rooster crow?