DUMBSTRUCK, Grand Mentor Qi pulled his hands out of Ji Gang's grip. He turned his face away, refusing to look at Shen Zechuan. This man had been mad for twenty years, imprisoned in this hall and despising everyone outside it. Yet, all of a sudden, he had to convince himself not to hate the son of his enemy.
"Who…" Grand Mentor Qi's voice was woeful. "Then whom should I kill?"
The snow fell in silence; the crows in the courtyard abandoned their branch. The tattered drapes in the main hall fluttered in the blowing wind. Grand Mentor Qi staggered to his feet and raised his arms high, the picture of utter devastation.
"The die is cast! He who triumphs is redeemed, and he who fails is damned. His Highness's virtuous name has been blackened, and you and I will be condemned to posterity as traitors! Whom should I kill? I should turn my blade on the ignorant and foolish heavens! Twenty years ago, His Highness's blood spilled on these floors. What crime did we commit, that the emperor in his ruthlessness deemed we must die?"
Tears and snot poured down the grand mentor's face. He dropped to his knees, trembling, at the entrance of the hall and banged his head on the floor again and again. "Kill me as well!"
The snowy night was miserable and cold; in the desolate old temple, no one answered his cries. Slumped on his knees, Grand Mentor Qi resembled the decrepit Buddha statue, buried under a shroud of cottony snow in the brilliantly illuminated Qudu night.
An hour later, Ji Gang supported a calmer Grand Mentor Qi by the arm as the three of them sat in a circle before the altar.
"Much of what we speak of tonight happened because of me. Allow me to explain everything." Ji Gang rolled up his sleeves. "Grand Mentor, Chuan-er was born of the Shen Clan. He is Shen Wei's eighth son of common birth. Eight years ago, the conflict between the lawful and common branches in the Prince of Jianxing's manor was as volatile as fire and oil. Shen Zhouji, the Heir of Jianxing, won his father's favor and sent his brothers of common birth out of the manor. Chuan-er was only seven years old; he wasn't fit to join the army in Duanzhou, so he lived in an auxiliary courtyard, raised by his late mother's handmaid. However, the woman was greedy and often skimmed the child's rations for herself. Pingting had known the boy's mother when she was alive. When she learned of this, she bade me take Chuan-er home so we could look after him."
"Shen Wei himself was of common birth and suffered his share of injustice in his childhood, yet he ended up putting his own sons through the same." Grand Mentor Qi sneered. "How ludicrous, to favor his children of lawful birth when it was his own lechery that led him to beget so many children. What a disgrace!"
"We sent several letters to the Prince's Manor, but not once did Shen Wei reply. Among the Eight Great Clans of Qudu, even for sons of common birth, such blatant neglect is unheard of." Ji Gang furrowed his brows. "This is how Chuan-er came to be raised by us. Mu-er was fifteen then, and he was delighted to have a little brother. Our family of four settled down in Duanzhou. It took a lot of effort just to get our names into the military register."
Grand Mentor Qi was silent for a moment. "You left the capital bearing the mark of a criminal," he said. "It would naturally be difficult for you to register your household. Back then, His Highness strictly enforced the Yellow Register system that recorded all households to suppress bandits and prevent civilian unrest."
"I understood his reasons," Ji Gang said. "But Grand Mentor, what happened in Qudu after I left? How did His Highness the Crown Prince meet such an end?"
Grand Mentor Qi dragged over a tattered curtain and wrapped it around his shoulders. "After you left," he began gloomily, "Ji Wufan fell out of favor with the emperor. At the same time, Pan Rugui became a favorite of the empress and rose to the post of Director of Writ at the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs. The Embroidered Uniform Guard fell into decline, and its Twelve Offices existed only in name. After Ji Wufan's death, Ji Lei took up the mantle. From then on, the eunuchs in the Eastern Depot13 lorded over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who ceased working with the Eastern Palace.
"Later on, when the emperor fell ill and was confined to his bed, the daily affairs of the court were to be jointly managed by the Grand Secretariat and the Eastern Palace. But the Hua Clan exploited the empress's sway over the emperor to install numerous incompetent officials in the court. The Six Ministries became riddled with corruption. At that point, the threat posed by the empress's kin could no longer be ignored. His Highness the Crown Prince submitted many appeals to His Majesty, but he didn't anticipate that Pan Rugui would leverage the authority of his office and join forces with the empress to seize control of the court—none of the prince's written appeals reached the eyes of the emperor. On top of that, after His Majesty fell ill, the empress turned away all visitors from the Grand Secretariat and the Eastern Palace whenever they sought after the emperor's health."
"Those castrated dogs are a blight on the empire." Ji Gang sighed deeply. "If I'd known Pan Rugui harbored such ambitions, I never would have urged Father to spare him!"
"Kill a Pan Rugui, and there will be some Pan Ruxi or Pan Ruyi to take his place! The inner palace meddles in state affairs while their kinsmen accumulate power. You don't understand, Ji Gang. These are deep-rooted maladies of the Eight Great Clans. As long as the clans in Qudu are allowed to do as they please, history will repeat itself! How can the empress so deftly manipulate court affairs when she has lived for so long in the inner palace? Because of the long-amassed influence of the Hua Clan! Even if the empress wasn't a Hua, if she hailed from one of the other eight clans, this consolidation of power would still be inevitable."
Shen Zechuan couldn't help but cut in. "But wasn't the crown prince born of the empress herself?"
"No." Grand Mentor Qi bowed his head. "His Highness's birth mother was an imperial concubine. The empress has no children of her own. His Highness was taken into the inner palace at a young age and raised by the empress. Even a tiger will not eat its young, but there is no such kinship in the imperial clan."
The hall fell silent again.
Ji Gang huffed in the cold air and croaked, "It was because of my excessive drinking that my father fell out of favor with the emperor. If not for that, His Highness would never have found himself in such a predicament."
"I didn't anticipate that Ji Lei would turn on us, for the sake of you and Ji Wufan if nothing else." The grand mentor clutched the tattered curtain tighter. The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Who would've thought that he…"
"Grand Mentor, there's something you don't know." Ji Gang looked at Shen Zechuan. "And neither does Chuan-er. My father, Ji Wufan, was the chief commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and had weathered life-and-death situations with the late emperor. They were very close. His first wife died young, and he had no intention to remarry, so he adopted three sons. Our eldest brother couldn't stand to participate in the heinous cruelty of the Imperial Prison. He left the capital in his youth for Tianfei Watchtower to be a common soldier. Ji Lei and I served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard and remained by our father's side, where he taught us Ji-Style Boxing and Ji-Style Blade. Later, my father came to believe that Ji Lei harbored some ill intent. He suspected he had political ambitions, so I was the only one to whom he taught the Ji Clan's techniques of mental cultivation. But this only deepened the rift between us. After Father's death, Ji Lei performed a thorough cleansing of those under his command; many veteran guards were sent from the capital and stationed elsewhere. From then on, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was no longer what it once was."
"Such is fate," Grand Mentor Qi murmured. "The Eastern Palace's subordinates did everything in our power, yet still failed to save His Highness. His Majesty suspected the crown prince of plotting a coup with the Eight Great Battalions, even though the reins of these forces were ever in the hands of the Eight Great Clans. Under Ji Lei, the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovered incriminating documents; they insisted these were connected to His Highness. Our men were taken into the Imperial Prison, and many of them died there. Some who couldn't withstand the torture finally crumbled, admitting to a crime they'd never committed. The emperor, still on his sickbed, flew into a rage. With Pan Rugui whispering slander in his ears, His Highness was trapped with no way out."
Tears streamed down the grand mentor's face, and the madness seemed to overtake him again. "His Highness was right here, with no way out! Why didn't they kill me? Why am I left here to drag out this wretched existence? A life like this is worse than death, yet I still can't speed my steps to the grave."
He fixed his gaze on Shen Zechuan, his tone turning frenzied. "I won't take this lying down! Years of strategy and planning, down the drain! Countless compatriots serving the Eastern Palace are dead, and the injustice His Highness suffered is yet to be redressed. I won't accept it!" He grabbed Shen Zechuan's arm again. "You are so young—you still have a chance!"
"Grand Mentor…" Ji Gang rose to stop him.
"You can protect him now. But can you protect him forever?" Grand Mentor Qi tightened his grip on Shen Zechuan. "Today I set aside my grudge out of respect for your fatherly affection, but will everyone in this world do the same? As long as his surname is Shen, there will be those who seek his life! Is prowess in martial arts enough to give him peace of mind? Your father was a master of these arts, Ji Gang, yet did he not die ill and alone? In Qudu, where the tides of power ebb and flow, it is the invisible hand that kills. Will you throw him naked to the wolves?"
Ji Gang clenched his fists but said nothing. Grand Mentor Qi went to his knees. Tugging at Shen Zechuan, he said in a quavering voice, breaking with sobs, "I am Qi Huilian of Yuzhou! You don't know who I am, but I will tell you. I-I was the top scholar in all three levels of the civil exams in the fifteenth year of Yongyi. Since the founding of Great Zhou, only five have emerged first in all three levels of the examination. I was a subordinate of the Eastern Palace, and at the same time the Minister of Personnel and the Deputy Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat. I taught the crown prince, and now…now I will teach you! I will impart my lifetime of knowledge, all of it, to you—what do you say?"
Shen Zechuan stared into Grand Mentor Qi's eyes, unnaturally calm. After a brief silence, he dropped heavily to his knees and kowtowed thrice to Grand Mentor Qi.
"If Xiansheng14 will be my scroll, I will be his sword."
Just before dawn, Ge Qingqing headed off to the Temple of Guilt. The wind was brisk, and the snow still drifted down in flurries. He huffed into his hands and looked for a steamed bun stall as he walked.
He was surprised to hear someone call him from afar. A red silk umbrella floated through the snow, swaying as the person under it stumbled toward him. In Qudu, only those of the fifth rank and above were permitted to carry red silk umbrellas. This was someone of considerable wealth and power.
Ge Qingqing stepped to the side of the road, bringing his hand to his scabbard to pay his respects. The stink of alcohol hit him as the stranger staggered closer.
"The Scarlet Cavalry." The man stopped and reached out to pluck off the authority token hanging at Ge Qingqing's waist. Studying it for a moment, he said, "And where is Company Commander Ge going in this freezing cold?"
Ge Qingqing fixed his eyes on the man's black boots. "Your Excellency, this humble subordinate is on duty at the office today and heading for the palace."
Xiao Chiye had been drinking all night. His clothes were in disarray. He lifted the token and said, "This doesn't seem to be the way to the palace."
Ge Qingqing lifted his head with a sheepish smile. "Er-gongzi leads a privileged life and knows not how the messy common alleys snake around. From here, you need only make a few turns and you'll emerge onto Shenwu Street, which will take you straight to the palace gates."
"You know me?" Xiao Chiye smiled and tossed the token back to him.
Ge Qingqing caught it and said fawningly, "The Armored Cavalry of Libei are brave and skillful warriors. Both the Heir of Libei and the second young master have rendered meritorious service in coming to His Majesty's aid. How could anyone in Qudu not recognize you? Are you heading to your manor, Er-gongzi? The road is slippery. May this subordinate be so bold as to ask if you require an escort?"
Xiao Chiye raised an eyebrow. "Do I look drunk? You may go."
Ge Qingqing bowed again and left.
When Zhao Hui arrived, Xiao Chiye was tapping the red silk umbrella against the ground and nagging the steamed bun stallkeeper to hurry.
"Breakfast is prepared at the manor. Why is Er-gongzi standing around here for it?"
"Too hungry to walk back," Xiao Chiye replied.
Zhao Hui shook open an overcoat. "Wine and lust will lead you astray. Let's go back, Gongzi."
Xiao Chiye draped the cloak over himself but stayed where he was. He took ravenous bites of the steamed bun, paying no heed to the looks of those around them. "Can one reach Shenwu Street from here?" he asked Zhao Hui.
"Theoretically, but it's not an easy path. Common alleys follow the routes of the public sewers. The narrower the alley, the more wastewater and excrement back up in it. The public sewers in Qudu haven't been properly maintained for years, and this area is rotten beyond recognition. Once the weather warms up, with snowmelt and rainfall, wastewater will flood the streets. What do you think, is such a path smooth?"
"I only asked you one question," Xiao Chiye said. "What's with the speech?"
"I only mean you must be sure to take the proper path," said Zhao Hui. "Drinking can wait, Gongzi. You will get there faster in the end if you take the long way around."
"How very strange. Go ask around and see if someone named Ge Qingqing is on duty in the Twelve Offices today." Xiao Chiye wiped his hands and motioned for Zhao Hui to pay. "Hey old man, better find a new line of work; your buns taste horrible."