Chapter 33: Uncle and Nephew

After Li Jianheng threw everything around, he covered his face and sobbed.

Xiao Chiye knelt down amidst the broken objects. After a while, when Li Jianheng had calmed down, he said, "Get up! There's no need to kneel like this. We're brothers; such actions only make things awkward."

Xiao Chiye stood up and said, "Prime Minister Hua is merely an upright man."

Li Jianheng was gloomy. He covered his face for a long time before saying, "… They come every other day asking for payment, and I've always given in. The money flows out like water, but I haven't complained. These days, I'm constantly on edge and have lost my appetite. It's been terrible. Now that Hua Siqian is dead, Ji Lei will be executed too. Can't I just beg for a few more days? Cezhi, you don't know, they're very dissatisfied with me sitting here. If there were any other options in this world, they would never choose me."

When he spoke to this point, he became sad again.

"But who wants to be an emperor? They were the ones who pushed me here, and now they're the ones cursing at me! The censors from the Board of Discipline keep a close eye on me. Even when I go out to appreciate flowers, they write memorials to criticize me in flowery language! A eunuch can just be killed, but why couldn't Hai Renshi spare me some face? I'm still the emperor of Great Zhou!"

The angrier Li Jianheng got, the more there was nothing left to smash on the table. So, he angrily pounded his thigh.

"He called Mu Ru a lowly person, but what are they, noble souls? Back when we drank on East Dragon Street, weren't all of them pretending to be righteous? In the end, they were all scoundrels! Mu Ru was originally chosen from an honest family. If it wasn't for Xiao Fuzi, that bastard, getting in the way, how could she have ended up in Pan Zhai's hands? My heart is breaking!"

Li Jianheng vented all his grievances, and Xiao Chiye listened without a word. By the time he stopped, Li Jianheng's anger had mostly subsided.

"Should they truly regard me as the emperor and show me respect, I would be diligent in my studies. Brother Jianheng has entrusted this vast realm to me, and I aspire to be a prosperous ruler," Li Jianheng complained, "... but Hai Renshi simply looks down on me."

Xiao Chiye then said, "On the contrary, Lord Hai's stern demeanor stems from the high hopes he has for His Majesty. Your Majesty must not bear a grudge. You must understand that Lord Hai is equally strict with the unpolished gem, Yao Wenyu."

Li Jianheng was skeptical yet hopeful. "Is that true?"

Xiao Chiye replied, "If not, why would Lord Hai have ordered the execution of Shuang Lu today?"

Li Jianheng pondered for a moment before saying, "… That does make sense."

If Hai Liangyi didn't value him, why would he seek his opinion on everything?

Recalling the days after his ascension, when the Empress Dowager sent him desserts, Li Jianheng remembered how Hai Liangyi had specifically instructed him to use silver spoons and chopsticks.

Hai Liangyi was a rigid man who rarely smiled. Unlike Hua Siqian, he had no disciples; he only had Yao Wenyu as a student. To avoid suspicion, despite Yao Wenyu's remarkable talents, he had yet to enter the civil service. Hai Liangyi never formed factions within the cabinet, and it was only him who risked everything at the Southern Forest Hunt to save Emperor Xiande.

He was the kind of loyal official described in books, a towering cliff with no branches, standing tall and solitary.

As Li Jianheng reminisced, Xiao Chiye was also deep in thought.

Li Jianheng made it clear that if there were any other options in this world, he, Li Jianheng, would not be the one sitting on the dragon throne today. Yet even Emperor Xiande had no choice; Li Jianheng might very well be the only viable candidate in this universe.

Having supported him, they must now guide him. The Great Zhou Empire was in dire straits, and though Qui Capital seemed peaceful on the surface, the turmoil had already resurfaced beneath.

Faithful officials like Hai Liangyi looked to Li Jianheng. He might appear as a piece of rotten wood in their eyes, but Hai Liangyi raised his hands, supporting Li Jianheng with his aging back, urging him to persevere, to return to the right path, and to become an emperor worthy of remembrance.

Xiao Chiye had always clashed with the literati due to their fears of border military power. These people were both the invisible cage that trapped him here and the backbone that kept the Great Zhou staggering forward.

Warriors were not afraid of death because they could not escape it.

Scholars were not afraid of death because they refused to compromise.

Li Jianheng, accustomed to fawning and servility, desperately needed a mentor like Hai Liangyi who could criticize the times candidly.

"Spatial Lady Mu has no official status, so if His Majesty truly cares, it would be better to have a heart-to-heart talk with the grand councilor," Xiao Chiye said in conclusion. "The Great Zhou needs its imperial lineage to continue. As long as His Majesty is sincere, the grand councilor will not offer mere platitudes." He added, "As for Ji Lei and Pan Rugui, I heard the Board of Punishments hasn't reached a verdict yet?"

Li Jianheng, preoccupied with Hai Liangyi's virtues, absentmindedly nodded and said, "The accounts don't match, so we need another trial…"

* * *

The pearl was hollow, and by the time Shen Zechuan retrieved the cloth strip, the ink had already blurred from the moisture. He burned it to ashes.

Every move Xiao Chiye made the previous night replayed in his mind. Perhaps the man had touched the pearl but could not read its contents. But Xiao Chiye must have harbored suspicions, for Shen Zechuan had answered incorrectly on Maple Mountain. Xiao Chiye had even divulged the origins of the Imperial Guards' accounts, waiting for Shen Zechuan's confession, yet he had denied everything with such conviction.

Shen Zechuan boiled the medicine and drank it all at once. The bitter taste lingered in his mouth, a torment that reminded him of the pain he relived each day and night. In the end, he gave a mocking smile, wiped his mouth, and fell asleep.

He dreamed again.

In the dream, the Tea Stone Pit was still swept by icy winds. This time, he did not lie at the bottom but stood alone on the edge, overlooking the 40,000 soldiers struggling for survival like ants below.

Border Sand cavalry circled the pit like a dark tide in the night, engulfing the life force of the Central Bohai garrison and turning the place into a slaughterhouse.

From amidst the rolling bones emerged a hand, and Ji Mu, like a puppet, stretched out his upper body riddled with arrows, calling to Shen Zechuan through sobs, "Brother, it hurts so much..."

Shen Zechuan was frozen, unable to move or cry out. His breathing quickened, cold sweat poured down like rain, and he gritted his teeth.

The leader of the Border Sand cavalry wore a helmet, and his fluttering hair, now crimson in Shen Zechuan's recurring nightmare, rose as he lifted his arm and pointed gently towards the pit. The arrows behind him descended like a swarm of locusts, embedding themselves densely in human flesh, piercing through skin and spurting blood.

Even the falling snow turned red. Shen Zechuan watched as Ji Mu sank into the bloody mud, swallowed by the thick red tide.

His hands were cold, as was his blood.

Shen Zechuan had awakened.

He sat up as if nothing had happened, his back against the window's bright light. After a moment of silence with his head bowed, he got out of bed and dressed himself.

The guards hiding in the courtyard watched Shen Zechuan leave his room, have a meal, and then head to the bathhouse.

Half an hour later, the guard who had been keeping a close eye on him frowned and asked his companion, "Why hasn't he come out yet?"

Both of them exchanged worried glances. When the guard rushed into the bathhouse, all he found were neatly arranged clothes; Shen Zechuan had already vanished.

Xi Hongxuan had booked the entire No. 2 Pavilion and invited guests for tea. When he needed to use the restroom, he stood up and left the room. As he walked down the corridor, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.

Xi Hongxuan turned around, almost stepping back. Then he exclaimed, "How... How did you sneak up on me like that!"

"Too many things have been happening lately," Shen Zechuan casually poured cold tea over the floor. "The Third Examination at the Board of Censors, Ji Lei and Pan Rugui's delayed verdict – it's because neither Hai Liangyi nor Xue Xiuzhuo could extract what they wanted from these two, right?"

Xi Hongxuan looked around cautiously and whispered, "If you plan to kill Ji Lei, how will you do it with everyone watching? The Flower Gang case implicates many, and there are too many people who fear being dragged down by the pair. That's why Hai Liangyi has ordered strict surveillance on them to prevent any sudden deaths. You won't be able to make a move."

"I won't lay a hand on him," Shen Zechuan smiled mockingly at Xi Hongxuan, "but I have a way to make Ji Lei speak."

Xi Hongxuan studied him for a moment before pouring tea for him and asking, "What method?"

Shen Zechuan sipped his tea and replied, "Let me see Ji Lei."

* * *

Ji Lei had been subjected to continuous torture. Shackled and barefoot, he lay in the prison with disheveled hair. Hearing footsteps approach, followed by the creak of the cell door, a hood was pulled over his head, and he was dragged out.

Thrown into a carriage, Ji Lei was later pulled out and unceremoniously dumped on the ground. It was eerily quiet around him, except for the dripping sound of water from a corner.

Struggling to his feet, Ji Lei, still hooded, asked, "Who's there?"

The droplets splashed loudly, but no one answered.

A chill ran down Ji Lei's spine. He propped himself up and ventured, "... Minister Hai?"

Still, there was no response.

Ji Lei's throat convulsed as he crawled forward, bumping into the iron bars. He fumbled to regain his balance and shouted, "Is it Elder Hai or Xue Xiuzhuo? What new torment do you have in store for me today? Bring it on!"

"... Speak, why aren't you speaking?! Who are you? What do you want... Do you think I'll be afraid just because you're not talking? I'm not afraid... I'm not afraid!"

Lowering his head, Ji Lei rubbed against his arm, dislodging the sack. Squinting, he saw Shen Zechuan sitting directly in front of him on a chair.

Shen Zechuan was dressed in moon-white robes, leaning against the armrest with an expressionless face, staring intently at Ji Lei.

A laugh escaped Ji Lei's throat. Gripping the bars, he contorted his face and whispered sinisterly, "It's you... A stray dog of Zhongbo. What brings a mongrel like you to your uncle? Seeking revenge for Ji Gang, or for yourself?"

Silent, Shen Zechuan's expressive eyes lost their amusement, replaced by a heavy, dark gaze.

In that stare, Ji Lei couldn't detect any "hatred." It felt as if the person seated there wasn't flesh and blood but a ravenous wild dog, ready to devour human flesh.

Ji Lei's eyes darkened as he spat out hatefully, "The Ji family has no future, and you're the one who severed Ji Gang's lifeline. Why are you looking at me? Shen Zechuan, it was your Shen family who killed Ji Mu, and also your family who defiled Huapi Tingting. How have you lived with yourself all these years? You're a malevolent spirit beneath thousands of vengeful souls, a continuation of Shen Wei's miserable existence. You deserve to be sliced into a thousand pieces..."

Ji Lei laughed softly, verging on madness.

"Do you really think I would fear you? A discarded mongrel, clinging to Xiao Er's legs for a better life? Haha!"

Shen Zechuan also laughed.

Ji Lei's laughter faded, and he spoke coldly, "Amusing, isn't it? The situation I'm in today will be yours tomorrow."

Shen Zechuan lowered his leg and leaned back in the chair, contemplating, "I'm so scared."

His words carried a subtle, mocking tone from the very start.

"Evil spirit, mongrel, stray dog, abomination." Shen Zechuan rose and crouched outside the railing, gradually breaking into a mocking laugh at Ji Lei. He said, with madness restrained by reason, "You're right, that's all me. I'm the evil ghost that crawled out of the Tea Stone Pit, the bastard left behind by Shen Wei's self-immolation, the homeless stray, and the creature despised by a thousand. You know me so well, Shifu, I'm overjoyed."

Ji Lei trembled uncontrollably.

Shen Zechuan gazed at him with a gaze colder and more sinister than before, as if a person had died beneath this captivating facade, leaving behind an unknown beast.

"Five years ago," Shen Zechuan leaned closer to the railing, studying Ji Lei's fear, and whispered softly, "It was me kneeling here. What did you say to me on the day you sent me to the Temple of Confession?"

Ji Lei's throat constricted. He wanted to answer, but words failed him.

"With utmost sincerity, I harbor deep gratitude for each and every one of your kindness," Shen Zechuan said piously, "In every day and every night."