spoiled brat

Chapter 114 113. It’s hard to calm down (13)

The minor official had been kneeling from morning till night, his face already bluish from the cold. He forced a smile and said, "Your Highness, even with your precious body, is suffering from the frost and snow. How can I, a lowly official, presume to enjoy such comforts?"

These words were somewhat flattering, yet he said them in a way that was utterly pleasing to the ear.

Yi Xing glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and, never expecting it to be this person, said, "Lord Li."

Calling a minor official like him "Your Excellency" is far too much of an honor.

"Greetings, Your Highness." Li Qingwen raised his frozen hand and trembled as he performed the full curtsy: "I am so honored that you have remembered my name."

"Lord Li has already gained fame by winning the favor of Miss Jiang; everyone in the capital knows him," Yi Xing said casually. "Why isn't Minister Jiang here?"

"My master's leg ailment has relapsed, making walking difficult, therefore—"

"So you're asking me to do it?" Yi Xing glanced at the officials who were huddled together for warmth; almost all of them were members of the Jiang faction.

Li Qingwen nodded, reluctantly agreeing: "...Yes."

“Lord Li, there is no need to be afraid,” Yi Xing said. “Although Minister Wu is my maternal grandfather, this defeat was due to the incompetence of the generals he recommended. Although the evidence of Wu’s faction’s crimes circulating in the capital does not directly point to him, it all originated from him—the court and the public are furious, and there are constant calls for his dismissal and execution. Even if I am reluctant, I will not let the bond between grandfather and grandson override the greater good of the country.”

Suddenly, the wind and snow intensified, and the officials below the steps trembled incessantly. Li Qingwen cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness's filial piety and brotherly love do not overshadow the balance of justice; you are truly a wise and just ruler. We can endure the wind and snow here, but how can your precious health be harmed?"

After saying this, he got up and went to persuade the crowd to disperse. No one knew how he managed to persuade the officials who were determined to remonstrate to the death with just a few words.

He Wang touched his nose and said awkwardly, "Your Highness, this person is very different from the rumors."

Yi Xing withdrew his gaze: "They're more clever than I thought."

In a short while, the officials left in twos and threes. Once everyone had left, Yi Xing slowly stood up. A swollen face peeked out from behind a pillar. It was Li Fu, who was smiling and bowing at him.

Yi Xing gave He Wang a wink, and He Wang immediately ordered the other attendants: "Your Highness pays respects to the Emperor, you all wait outside."

"Yes." The attendants lined up on either side.

As Yi Xing ascended the steps and passed through the corridor, he saw Li Fu, who was leading the way, swaying his hips and lazily saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Elder Li."

Li Fu's right cheek was swollen and missing a front tooth, making her speech slurred: "How dare this servant bear such a title... It is an honor I could never ask for to serve Your Highness."

Yi Xing smiled, and He Wang, observing Li Fu's expression, slipped a silver note from his sleeve and handed it to him: "This is a gift from His Highness, take it."

Li Fu awkwardly accepted the gift, pushed open the side door, and bowed as he invited it in.

The night was deep, and the palace was dim and empty. Yi Xing covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve, passed through the wisps of smoke from the burning candles, and stopped in front of a large bronze cauldron under the watchful eyes of the statues. He warmed his hands with the embers.

Two young men in Taoist robes stepped out from behind the curtain and bowed respectfully, saying, "Your Highness."

Yi Xing tossed a piece of charcoal into the cauldron, and the divine water used for alchemy boiled again. The rising steam obscured his face: "How many pills did Father Emperor take today?"

"Five."

Suddenly, several sobbing sounds were heard, and it seemed as if a figure was struggling and trembling behind the banner.

Yi Xing became interested and spread out his hands: "Where's Dan? Get it, I'll go feed her."

Two servants carried a sandalwood box containing a dozen or so rusty red pills.

Yi Xing stepped behind the curtain and smiled at the emperor, who was tied to the dragon bed and glaring angrily: "Father."

The emperor's mouth was stuffed with a wad of cotton cloth, his hands and feet were tied to the bed frame, deep bloody marks appeared on his wrists, his face was as thin as rotten wood, and his bloodshot eyes were filled with hatred. He struggled with all his might, but could only make muffled noises.

Yi Xing tilted his head, as if looking at a dying dog. Under his intrigued gaze, the emperor gradually grew weary and turned his head away, no longer looking at him.

"Father, please don't be angry."

Yi Xing spoke gently, but his hand gripping the emperor's chin was surprisingly strong. With a snap, he dislocated the emperor's neck.

The emperor was in excruciating pain, trembling all over. The cotton cloth in his mouth was ripped out, and he stammered, "...traitor... villain..."

Yi Xing smiled and poked the emperor's dislocated neck with his finger.

The emperor's emaciated body jerked violently, only to be pulled back by the ropes binding his hands and feet. He was about to scream in agony when a cold hand gripped his throat tightly, preventing even the slightest cry from escaping.

His son, whom he had neglected for over a decade and whom he had personally appointed as crown prince, innocently raised a finger and said, "Shh."

The emperor remembered that it was on a snowy night like this that a eunuch came to announce that a concubine in the cold palace had frozen to death.

He thought for a long time but couldn't remember who she was, as if she were a lonely soul that appeared out of nowhere in the harem.

Only after being reminded by the eunuch did she realize that she was a lowly palace maid who had been favored by him while he was drunk. When she became pregnant, she used witchcraft to pray for a child, and was thrown into the cold palace, where she gave birth to a prince who was not recognized.

The emperor didn't care about her life or death, but he wanted to see the child he had never met.

He walked through the snow late at night and entered the gloomy, cold palace. The place was not as dirty as he had imagined; Yi Xing had cleaned it up very well.

The little child sat silently by the decaying bed, and even when he saw the emperor's bright yellow dragon-patterned robes, he remained seated and did not bow.

The emperor, mindful of Yi Xing's mother's death, forgave his rudeness. Just as he was about to call his name, he saw Yi Xing raise a small, childish finger and whisper, "Shh, don't disturb me, my mother is sleeping."

The attending eunuch thought Yixing was talking nonsense because he was in too much pain, but the emperor was stunned by his gaze. This child had a pair of dark and gloomy eyes, with a suppressed gloomy fire in his eyes, but a fawning smile on his lips, stiff as if two paper cutouts were pasted on.

Just like now.

"Father."

Yi Xing smiled and stuffed pills into the emperor's mouth, one, two...

"You've been in seclusion recently, focusing on spiritual cultivation; you really need some nourishment."

About 15 minutes later, Yi Xing stepped out of the side door. He Wang handed him a hand towel, which he used to wipe his hands clean. He then casually instructed, "Add another pill starting tomorrow."

"Yes," He Wang replied, then couldn't help but ask, "...Isn't it too fast?"

Yi Xing gave him a cold look but said nothing. After they boarded the carriage and bounced on the shoulders of the attendants for a while, he said, "You're right, let's go slower. He's still useful."

He Wang nodded and was walking along when he suddenly saw a person squatting in the snow ahead of him. He frowned and shouted, "Who's up ahead?"

The man was stunned for a moment, then quickly knelt before the carriage and respectfully said, "Your humble servant greets Your Highness."

Yi Xing lifted the curtain and peeked out, then smiled: "The officials have been gone for a long time, but Lord Li is still here?"

"I lost something due to carelessness and have gone back to look for it."

"Oh, what did you lose?"

"It's nothing valuable..."

“Since it’s nothing valuable, then I won’t look for it.” Yi Xing interrupted with a smile, “You can chat with me until we reach the East Palace. If you need anything, just ask He Wang.”

Li Qingwen politely declined, and his attendants began to lift the carriage again.

Yi Xing lifted a corner of the curtain and saw Li Qingwen walking briskly alongside, his clothes and hat perfectly in order. He asked, "I've heard that Lord Li has failed the imperial examinations for ten consecutive years?"

"Your Highness is too kind. My learning is shallow, and it is only natural that I have failed the imperial examinations many times."

"After ten years of depression, does Your Excellency harbor any resentment?"

"There was never any injustice."

"Oh?"

"If God wants to test my heart, I'll let him do it."

These words slipped out without even a humble expression. Li Qingwen realized his rudeness, but when he looked up, he saw Yi Xing's eyes full of smiles:

"What kind of precious sword or divine weapon are you, worthy of being forged by the heavens?"

Li Qingwen nodded and said, word by word, "This humble official can save the people and the nation." The attendants laughed when they heard this, not at his arrogance, but at his foolishness; all bookish idiots are like this.

Yi Xing tapped the wooden edge with his finger, and the laughter outside the carriage stopped abruptly, leaving only the silence of the wind and snow.

"I also heard that after the list of successful candidates was released, the messenger came to deliver the good news. Lord Li calmly expressed his gratitude, calmly accepted the imperial decree, and stood silently in front of the courtyard gate for a long time."

The messenger thought that Lord Li was too happy and had lost his mind. But Lord Li shook his head and said calmly, "It's just a second-place scholar, it's not that serious."

"Having traversed so many mountains and endured so many hardships, is Lord Li truly unmoved?"

Li Qingwen paused for a moment before replying, "Your Highness is wise enough to know, how could I not? I was just putting on a brave face. After the messenger left, it started raining heavily, and I wandered aimlessly all night. I caught a cold and had a high fever for several days, and I cried in my dreams several times, but I couldn't remember anything when I woke up. The suffering of the past has flowed away like water, silently and without a trace."

Yi Xing stopped speaking, but He Wang saw that he was lost in thought and knew that he was thinking about the bitter days of the past.

And with that, one will recall a certain blunder, or a person who is unattainable.

Upon arriving at the Eastern Palace, the carriage stopped.

Yi Xing stepped down and saw that Li Qingwen was dressed in a bleak green official robe, so he ordered, "Escort Lord Li out of the palace."

Li Qingwen was caught off guard and curtsied, saying, "Your Highness's golden carriage is too much for this humble subject to accept."

Yi Xing smiled and said, "Lord Li is probably afraid of getting involved with me, which would make it difficult for him to face Minister Jiang."

"..."

Just as Li Qingwen was wondering how to answer, a hand landed on his shoulder, long and pale, and patted him lightly.

"Your clothes are torn."

Li Qingwen turned his head and noticed that a gap had appeared on his shoulder, from which strands of stiffened silk floss flew out.

“Since you are unwilling, I will not force you,” Yi Xing said. “It’s just that this green robe is very ugly. When will Minister Jiang change you into a different one?”

These words carried a veiled meaning, and Li Qingwen dared not respond openly. He raised his hand to wipe the snow off Yixing's boots and said softly, "...This humble servant respectfully sees Your Highness off."

Having said all he could, Yixing stepped into the palace gate.

He Wang quickly followed up, mocking, "You're Jiang Shangshu's betrothed son-in-law, how come you can't even afford a decent robe?"

The veranda was deserted. Yi Xing tucked his hands into his sleeves and said, "If I wear fine robes, how can I go on stage and fool those pedantic scholars? What I want is poverty."

"So, in a way, his approaching his master tonight was a gamble?"

“There’s no such thing as gambling,” Yi Xing said. “It’s just about having a clear understanding of the situation.”

Before they had finished speaking, they had arrived outside the warm pavilion, and a palace maid announced that a guest had arrived.

Yi Xing pushed open the door and saw that the room was extremely dark, with no candles lit and only a faint light coming from the charcoal stove.

It was vaguely visible that the person seated on the throne was an official dressed in purple robes and gold belt, who had been waiting for a long time and had already fallen asleep with his eyes closed.

“Grandfather,” Yi Xing called softly.

In the shadows, Wu Huan opened his dim eyes, his left eye alone, his right eye covered by the gauze wrapped around his head, and said in a hoarse voice, "Your Highness is back."

To avoid suspicion, the two had not seen each other for half a month. His coming late at night in formal attire clearly indicated that he had something to ask of him.

Yi Xing sat down at the opposite table, set out the utensils and began to brew tea, asking with a hint of concern, "When was Grandfather injured?"

Wu Huan sighed: "A few days ago, I was riding in a sedan chair to the yamen when a group of troublemakers suddenly appeared on the road, threw stones at me, and ran away. I didn't catch a single one of them."

Yi Xing handed over a cup of hot tea: "It's right that we can't catch it."

If the subordinates aren't allowed to vent their anger, who knows what kind of chaos will ensue.

He then asked, "I heard Xiao Si hasn't come back?"

"Don't mention that good-for-nothing." Wu Huan slammed down his teacup. "He couldn't even handle the smallest things; he deserved to die!"

That was truly an unfortunate child. Because of his humble origins, he was raised outside Beijing and did all the dirty and hard work, never basking in the glory of the Wu family.

Perhaps because they had similar experiences, Yi Xing felt a sense of pity for him, staring at the nonchalant Wu Huan, and smiled without saying a word.

Wu Huan sensed what he was thinking, a chill running down his spine. He stammered, "Your Highness..."

"It's good that he died. He's nowhere to be found, which saves the Prince Ning's mansion from having another case to investigate." Yi Xing said lightly, "Grandfather should be very happy, right?"

"Your Highness!"

Wu Huan suddenly knelt down and began kowtowing repeatedly. He had a head injury, and blood seeped out after only a few kowtows, staining half his face red, making him look both pitiful and terrifying.

Yi Xing sipped her tea lightly, too lazy to even look at him, and casually got down to business: "Given the current situation, does Grandfather have any solutions?"

“…Your subject is foolish and dull, and that is precisely why I have come here,” Wu Huan replied, kneeling.

Yi Xing said calmly, "If the Prince of Ning's mansion can impeach you for misleading the country, why can't you?"

"...What does Your Highness mean?"

"The border region is bitterly cold, and the soldiers face great hardships in battle. The imperial court sends grain to the Prince of Ning's residence, but why is only one-tenth of what is requested in the north?"

However, the grain transported to the front lines was clearly sufficient.

Wu Huan was taken aback: "...We also use the will of the people?"

"It's common knowledge that you and the Ning Prince's Mansion are sworn enemies. Who would believe that they could be selfless and put aside their factional strife? As long as you stick to your story, they will never be able to clear their name." Yi Xing smiled and said, "At that time, I will step in and order the Ning Prince to lead his troops north. With the country in crisis and accusations looming behind him, do you think he would refuse?"

He bent down and patted Wu Huan on the shoulder: "It's just that it will be hard for my maternal grandfather to go to the front line and stand up to Prince Ning, so that he can not become too powerful and also to clear your name."

Wu Huan looked up at him and asked, "If he achieves greater fame than I do, how should I conduct myself after the war?"

After pondering for a moment, Yi Xing said, "Among the pieces of evidence that Xu Feng leaked, the biggest crime is embezzling public funds for river repair, right? Then let a few people go out and confess, and let them say that many high-ranking families in Yunzhou were involved, doing all sorts of dirty things and reaping all the benefits."

Wu Huan asked in a daze, "Could this possibly harm his family?"

"First, let's confirm the rumors, then convict all the wealthy and powerful families under investigation. At that time, I will issue an edict ordering Prince Ning and his son to go north to fight the enemy, and the military pay will come from their family assets."

Yi Xing closed his eyes and calmly said, "His family had previously raised grain to transport north, so they must be empty now. With the national crisis imminent, what room for maneuver do they have? They can only follow the path I have chosen."

A vicious scheme.

These prominent families all had relatives serving as officials in the imperial court, and their kinship ties were so strong that a single move could have far-reaching consequences.

The Ning Prince's Mansion had previously purged the Yunzhou officialdom and converted the convicted property into royal land, which had already aroused dissatisfaction among officials and nobles.

If we were to embezzle funds again on such a large scale, we would be severing ourselves from the gentry. Even if we returned victorious, what good would it do?

Wu Huan kowtowed to accept the order and hurriedly took his leave.

The warm pavilion was quiet, except for the teapot on the stove still boiling, the steam rising like smoke in the candlelight.

Yi Xing raised his finger to touch it, and it turned red in an instant. He seemed not to feel any pain, and his peach blossom eyes were full of lifelessness.

The boiling water in the kettle gradually evaporated. He lowered his numb hands and sat silently in the shadows.

Hearing footsteps behind him, he knew who it was and ordered, "Go and send a letter to Lord Li, inviting him to the Eastern Palace for a chat in a few days." He paused, then added, "Go immediately."

He Wang wondered, "At this hour, he's probably already asleep."

"He won't sleep tonight."

He Wang still hesitated: "He's, after all, Minister Jiang's betrothed son-in-law... Would you dare to come?"

“Even if my Eastern Palace is a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire, he will definitely dare to come.” Yi Xing smiled, picked up his pen and wrote a line, then handed it to He Wang: “Go.”