spoiled brat

Chapter 85, Section 84: The Lost Boat (Part Four)

The setting sun was like blood, and the evening wind was fierce.

Yi Xing sat atop the high city wall, the sounds of the marketplace below fading into his ears. Three copper coins landed on the table; the last hexagram was the Old Yang, and He Wang beside him muttered, "The Gen hexagram."

The lower-middle hexagram indicates that one should stop when necessary.

Yi Xing gathered the three copper coins together and cast the divination again. He Wang had served in the emperor's court and had learned a little about the principles of divination from his surroundings: "Your Majesty, His Majesty says that divination can only be performed once."

When his father and the emperor were mentioned, Yi Xing showed little respect: "Don't listen to his nonsense."

Another hexagram was cast, the Dispersion hexagram. It was clearly an unfavorable hexagram, yet a faint smile appeared on Yi Xing's face.

They disperse first, then gather together.

He Wang then realized that what he was referring to was a knot in his heart, not the events of today.

A man who is obsessed with love cannot achieve great things. He Wang could not stand Yi Xing's infatuation. He liked the gloomy fire in Yi Xing's eyes, the way he played with the universe with a half-smile. That was the look of a ruler of the world.

“Master,” He Wang said, pointing to the wooden box that was no longer dripping blood, “should we continue to wait?”

"Wait," Yi Xing said. "The young master is very busy, we'll just wait."

The wind was strong on the city tower. He squinted and looked north. The barren wasteland, devoid of fields and forests, resembled a stretch of sand, its yellow hue a mournful sight.

He Wang clicked his tongue: "In such a poor place, I don't know how they managed to extract oil."

"It's only the common people who are poor. You've been checking the correspondence between officials quite a bit, haven't you? What do they call Yunzhou?"

“Call it…” He Wang thought for a moment, “The Ladder to Immortality.”

“Yunzhou is the most suitable place to return to the border regions. No matter who it is, if they serve as the prefect here for a few years, they will be adorned in red robes and gold belts when they return to the capital,” Yi Xing said, his smile fading, half of his face glowing crimson in the setting sun. “Why do you think that is?”

He Wang knew, yet dared not know. He touched his nose and said, "Anyway, the emperor is far away, and even if the people cause trouble, it won't affect anything in the capital."

As darkness fell, only the setting sun lingered at the horizon, its last rays fading into darkness. The darker the surroundings, the more vividly the grand camp within its embrace appeared... Though they were far apart, the scene within the camp flashed before Yi Xing's eyes: torches fluttering in the wind, gleaming and sharp swords, and 80,000 men with burning ambition and desire in their eyes, all gazing at Prince Ning, who had spent half his life on the battlefield, beneath the great banner.

Night finally fell, engulfing the setting sun. He Wang lit the lamp on the tea table, and in the candlelight, Yi Xing's face was gloomy: "He Wang, what do you think of Father's move?"

The Prince of Ning was enfeoffed in the remote and impoverished Yunzhou.

He dared not speak recklessly about matters of national importance, but since Yixing had asked, he replied, "Heaven's will is wise and enlightened."

Wise?

Yi Xing raised his hand and pointed to the towering mountains hidden in the night, saying, "This place is poor in resources and has a fragmented terrain. It is indeed not a royal capital where dragons and tigers roam. But Father only knows one side of the story and not the other."

"Master means..."

"The people here are too poor and miserable, and they hate the imperial court too much," Yi Xing said quietly. "It's all thanks to people like Xu Feng that we've amassed a whole province of rebels for our Great Zhou Dynasty. They used to be afraid of soldiers and swords, but if someone were to rise up in rebellion in the future, wouldn't they be able to get a hundred responses with just one call?"

He said with disgust, "Father is senile."

He Wang immediately became cautious and said in a low voice, "Master." He glanced at the two rows of Imperial Guards standing not far away, "Be careful what you say."

Yi Xing looked self-deprecating. As a subject, he dared not offer advice; as a son, he could not speak recklessly. He could only try to guess the emperor's mind and flatter him like a sycophant.

"Master!" He Wang suddenly shouted. Yi Xing looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a group of people carrying torches walking slowly through the murky night.

Yi Xing took the binoculars from He Wang and looked at the group of people. He saw that the leader was He Bi, who was tilting his head and chatting and laughing with the woman in the cart: "Your junior brother has been away from the palace for many years, and his bandit-like nature has become more and more pronounced."

"I gave him a dog when he left the palace. I wonder if it died," He Wang muttered.

Why look back? The guards holding torches, the refugees in the carts... Some people's nobility cannot be concealed, even if they are dressed in inconspicuous plain clothes. Yi Xing found Xiu Yi and thought that the brother and sister really looked alike, with the same indifference and arrogance: "Your Majesty burned that painting?"

It was a painting by the emperor himself, created when he was young. It depicted a person dressed in white, holding a silver bow. Because the full face was never revealed, no one dared to determine who the person in the painting was. But the answer wasn't hard to guess; everyone knew it was someone absolutely forbidden to mention.

“It was burned.” He Wang lowered his voice. “The Empress was there at the time and watched His Majesty throw the painting into the incense burner. When it was halfway burned, she pretended to comfort him, saying how the Princess Ning used to be… His Majesty saw through her at a glance and coldly told her to stop pretending.”

Yi Xing said disdainfully, "He's utterly muddle-headed when it comes to important matters, but he's quite obsessed with romance."

He Wang nodded repeatedly; he had long disliked Consort Wu's behavior: "That's right, that's right, Her Highness—"

Yi Xing coldly glanced sideways: "I was referring to His Majesty."

He Wang quickly shut up, thinking to himself, "How are you any better than him? Once it's light, you won't even remember the rain you got soaked in under the steps last night."

As they spoke, the troop outside the city drew closer. Yi Xing raised his binoculars again and saw Xiu Yi. He chuckled, then his gaze shifted to the girl sleeping on the horse's back.

Judging from their appearance and attire, they were no better off than the refugees in the boxcar. How come they had a horse and were able to follow Xiu Yi around?
Yi Xing put down the binoculars: "Please invite them up."

He Wang accepted the order, glanced at the refugees in the rows of boxcars, and asked, "What about the people in the back..."

"Close the city gates," Yi Xing said decisively. "Don't let a single one in."

The wind was strong at night, causing the city lights to flicker and sway, which inexplicably made people feel uneasy.

From afar, He Bi spotted a row of people standing on the city wall. They weren't soldiers; they must be someone else. He said to Xiu Yi, "Master, it seemed like the person on the city wall was looking at you through binoculars."

Xiu Yi noticed it.

The visitor is not good.

Before the crowd could even get close, a thunderous drumbeat resounded from the city tower—sixteen drumbeats in total, the order to close the city gates. The ten-zhang-high city gates slowly closed, the rumbling sound seeming to come from underground, sending shivers down everyone's spines.

The refugees in the boxcar looked around in panic. Someone tugged at Zhao Zhao's sleeve and asked, "Girl, why are we locked up outside the city?"

Immediately, someone else asked, "Isn't this guy someone important? How come he can't even get through the city gate?"

Amidst the commotion, the people who had gathered began to disperse again. Just as Zhao Zhao was wondering how to explain, several light cavalry suddenly emerged from the gaps in the unclosed city gate, riding the night wind and dust, and stopped in front of Xiu Yi's horse.

The leader, He Wang, dismounted and knelt to pay his respects: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

His shout was so loud that He Bi rubbed his eyes after hearing it, making sure he wasn't mistaken. He then dismounted and helped He Wang up, exclaiming in surprise, "Why are you here!"

He Wang grasped his hand, but his gaze was fixed on Xiu Yi on horseback.

Xiu Yi coldly asked, "Did Seventh Brother order the city gates closed?"

This was too direct and blunt, so He Wang replied, "Yes." He respectfully invited, "Your Highness requests that you come up for a chat. Today..."

Before He Wang could finish speaking, a gust of wind brushed past his face, and Xiu Yi spurred his horse forward. He Bi quickly followed, and the group arrived at the city wall one after another.

The wind was strong at night, and the tea set, which had been prepared all day, was inevitably covered in dust. Yi Xing washed it with clean water and then dried it with a towel. Just as the golden teapot on the stove was bubbling, Xiu Yi appeared. Yi Xing pointed to the gold-threaded cushion opposite him and said, "You've come, have a seat."

Although it had been a long time since we last met, the intimacy in his tone was like that of a good friend we had parted ways with just yesterday.

Xiu Yi sat down, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the wooden box behind Yi Xing. The smell of blood hadn't dissipated yet, and he guessed that it contained a human head.

As to who it belongs to.

Xiu Yi looked eastward towards the city and, sure enough, the Xu residence had become a ruin, and the meticulously arranged scenery of the garden had become Xu Feng's burial goods.

Yi Xing asked with a smile, "What kind of tea do you want?" There were three gold-locked lacquer boxes next to him, which showed he had put thought into it.

"Jade Pavilion for Pure Appreciation".

Yi Xing took out the tea ball, opened the seal, and crushed it through the paper before grinding it into the gold.

Xiu Yi watched him grind the tea and thought that the other two boxes of tea should be Longyuan Shengxue and Guzhu Zisun, both of which Xiu Ning liked to drink. Yi Xing originally wanted to invite the tea not to himself: "Why don't you go into the Prince's mansion?"

“I’ve already been there,” Yi Xing said calmly. “She doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t want to stay and get in her way.”

The golden teapot on the tea stove was constantly boiling, and steaming white vapor spread between the two of them. With this layer of moisture, the bloody smell emanating from the wooden box not far away became more and more obvious.

"It takes at least half a month to get from the capital to Yunzhou. When did Seventh Brother set off?"

Yi Xing swept out the crushed white tea dust and gently sifted it with a sieve: "I heard that Xiu Ning was seriously ill."

The attendant was very sensible and presented a nanmu box at the right time, placing it beside Xiu Yi: "Your Highness, my prince left the capital on the nineteenth of last month. He first went to Wuji Mountain in Changzhou to ask Physician Li for this medicine, and then came to Yunzhou."

This nanmu box is an old item, with gold foil decorations on it, but its luster has faded over the years.

These are items that Xiu Ning used in the palace when she was young.

Xiu Yi looked away and said calmly, "Isn't Seventh Brother here on the Emperor's orders to come and wish Xu Feng a happy birthday?"

With a bang, the gurgling kettle fell off the tea stove, spilling scalding water all over the floor.

The white smoke that had filled the space between the two dissipated, and the attempt to cover it up was no longer obvious. Yi Xing saw the coldness in Xiu Yi's eyes clearly, and he calmly instructed his attendant, "Fetch water and boil it again."

After the attendants had made the arrangements, he carefully took his leave.

The cool water slowly boiled, and Yi Xing brushed the tea powder off his clothes: "Whatever you want to say, let's talk after we finish our tea. You've been busy in the deep mountains and forests all day, aren't you tired?"

Xiu Yi bluntly said, "Saving people isn't tiring, killing people is."

Yi Xing smiled and said, "Xiu Yi, you're still as youthful and spirited as ever."

The rich soup in the golden broth bottle was brought to a boil again. Yi Xing selected a Yao Bian Tian Mu oil-spot teacup and slowly poured hot water over it, saying to himself:
"I still remember the days when we drank wine under the moon and brewed tea in the snow. Every day was warm and cozy then, the gentle sun and moon rose and set quietly, and the years flowed by. Occasionally, I would get drunk and sleep for ten thousand years. The flowers that were still in bud before I got drunk would have withered when I woke up."

The words were hurtful, but he was only in his early twenties.

Xiu Yi remembered that the former crown prince was also twenty years old when he was executed. He stood alone in front of the Taichang Palace, facing hundreds of arrows without changing his expression, only saying, "I accept this fabricated charge." Upon hearing this, the emperor under the eaves of the palace waved his sleeves and left, unwilling to look at the scene of him being pierced by ten thousand arrows.

"Seventh Brother, I truly admire you," Xiu Yi said coldly. "You feel no remorse whatsoever when you think of the brothers and friends you personally eliminated."

Yi Xing smiled and said, word by word, "Xiu Yi, no man is without poison."

As for his conscience, it had long been worn away. The little kindness he had left was only enough for one person.

The teacup was warmed, and Yi Xing began to pour water, prepare the tea paste, and brew the tea. The fragrant steam filled the air, but it couldn't mask the stench of blood in the wind. After seven infusions, he presented the teacup to Xiu Yi with both hands and said with a smile, "It's pitiful, I've been serving the Emperor for three years, and I've never tasted tea brewed by His Majesty himself."

Xiu Yi couldn't refuse, so he took a small sip and put it down. "Give me a straight answer, Seventh Brother." He looked at the refugees below the city wall, who were as insignificant as ants. "What do you want them to do?"

"You wanted Xu Feng dead, so I'll kill him for you." Yi Xing smiled. "The matter is settled, so what's the point of keeping these people around?"

Below the city gate.

Why follow Xiu Yi? The remaining guards all remained silent. The refugees, with nowhere to vent their fear, surged toward Zhao Zhao.

They asked Zhao Zhao anxiously, "Miss, what's the explanation now? The young master has been summoned up, but we're being kept outside the city gate... How strange!"

Zhao Zhao was also feeling uneasy, but she forced a smile and said, "The person who called the young master up just now spoke with a strong Beijing accent. It seems that a big shot from the capital has come to stand up for us."

The crowd exchanged glances, sensing something was amiss. Someone shouted, "Although I've never been to the capital and don't know what the high-ranking officials there are like, I know that if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too! The officials in Yunzhou are corrupt, and the people from the capital aren't much better!"

These words only intensified the refugees' fear. To risk their lives to rescue Wang Liuer was one thing, but to be manipulated and killed was quite another. The crowd erupted in commotion, turning their anger towards Zhao Zhao. Some even pointed at her and said, "Were you just making up stories to lure us here?"

Zhao Zhao's face turned cold: "If you wanted to harm you, you should have done it long ago. Why wait until now?"

"Still lying!" someone immediately shouted, pointing at the city gate behind Zhao Zhao. "Look at this!"

Zhao Zhao turned around and was instantly stunned. She saw that more than a dozen crossbows had been set up on the city wall at some point, and the sharp arrows gleamed coldly in the moonlight, aiming directly at the refugees, including her.

"Seventh Brother, this is Yunzhou."

Xiu Yi closed the wooden box, stood up, and looked at Yi Xing: "I want them to live."

A chilling killing intent spread out, and the Imperial Guards behind Yi Xing surrounded him. One of the guards shouted, "Insolence! Your Highness is the Crown Prince's deputy. Does the young master intend to disobey orders?!"

Xiu Yi remained silent, his hand slowly resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist, his face as cold as ice: "I will not accept such an order."