Hot flashes

Zhou Heng turned his head and looked at him.

"You..." Zhou Heng's voice was a little dry, "Why did you say that?"

Xiao Jue looked at him.

"What did you say?"

"It's...it's your idea."

Xiao Jue's lips curved slightly.

"It was originally my will."

Zhou Heng shook his head: "No. Killing Zheng Mingyi was my decision; I didn't discuss it with you—"

"I know," Xiao Jue interrupted him.

Zhou Heng was stunned.

Xiao Jue looked at him with a deep gaze.

"Aheng," he said, "do whatever you want. And if anything happens afterward, I will take responsibility."

Zhou Heng opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't say anything.

Xiao Jue pulled him into his arms, hugged him briefly, and then let go.

"Let's go," he said, "back for dinner. The imperial kitchen has prepared some new Jiangnan dishes; you should try them."

He took Zhou Heng's hand and led him outside.

Zhou Heng was pulled along by him, step by step, out of the main hall and into the sunlight.

After that day, the political climate in the court changed.

Zhou Heng himself didn't feel anything.

He still went to the Hanlin Academy every day to perform his duties, still reviewed the backlog of documents, and still exchanged nods and pleasantries with his colleagues. However, he noticed that the way his colleagues looked at him had changed.

On several occasions, when he went to the cabinet for meetings, those old ministers who were usually arrogant and aloof actually offered him their seats.

Zhou Heng was caught in a dilemma: whether to sit or not. He could only pretend he hadn't seen anything.

On the third day after Shen Yu resigned due to illness, Zhou Heng went to the Shen residence.

Xiao Jue sent him.

"Go visit him." Xiao Jue was reviewing memorials without looking up. "And while you're at it, see if he's really sick or faking it."

Zhou Heng stood by the table, looking at his calm profile, and remained silent for a while.

"What if he's faking his illness?"

Xiao Jue paused for a moment, then continued writing.

"Then ask him how long he plans to stay sick."

Zhou Heng did not ask any further questions.

He changed into casual clothes, took Chen Shen, and left the palace.

The Shen residence was located in the east of the city; it was a grand three-courtyard mansion. With vermilion gates, bronze rings, and stone lions guarding the entrance, it was quite imposing. The gatekeeper, upon seeing him, paused for a moment, then quickly went inside to announce his arrival.

A moment later, Shen Qing came out to greet them.

He still had that refined and gentle demeanor. Upon seeing Zhou Heng, he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Lord Zhou, it is an honor to have you here. Please forgive me for not welcoming you sooner."

Zhou Heng returned the greeting: "Mr. Shen, you are too kind. How is Prime Minister Shen feeling? His Majesty sent me to visit him."

Shen Qing's smile faltered for a moment before returning to normal: "My elder brother's health... is alright. Lord Zhou, please."

The two entered the mansion one after the other.

Shen Yu lay on the sickbed, his face pale and his lips chapped, clearly quite ill. Seeing Zhou Heng enter, he struggled to sit up, but Zhou Heng held him down.

"Prime Minister Shen, there's no need for such formalities." Zhou Heng sat down on a chair beside the couch. "His Majesty sent me to see you. Have you had the imperial physician examine you for your illness?"

Shen Yu sighed: "I've seen it. They said it's from overwork and he needs to rest."

Zhou Heng nodded.

He sat there, looking at Shen Yu, without rushing to speak.

Shen Yu remained silent.

The room was quiet for a moment. Birds were chirping merrily outside the window. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting dappled shadows on the floor.

Zhou Heng spoke up: "Prime Minister Shen, do you still remember what happened at court that day?"

Shen Yu's expression changed.

Zhou Heng looked at him, his gaze flat.

"I don't blame you for impeaching me. You are a subject; if you think I've done something wrong, you should impeach me—that's your duty." He paused. "But you've feigned illness; are you trying to let His Majesty know that you're dissatisfied?"

Shen Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

He looked at Zhou Heng, and the weariness and weakness in his eyes slowly faded, revealing something he had never shown to anyone before.

"Lord Zhou," he said, his voice still gentle, but his tone had changed, "you are a smart man. I won't beat around the bush with you."

Zhou Heng waited.

Shen Yu slowly sat up, leaned against the headboard, and looked at him.

"What I resent is not you," he said. "What I resent is Your Majesty."

Zhou Heng's brow twitched.

Shen Yu continued, "Zheng Mingyi deserves to die. I know that. What you did in Jiangling was a good thing. I also know that. But do you know why I still impeached you?"

Zhou Heng remained silent.

Shen Yu looked at him with a deep gaze.

"Because of the rules," he said. "A country has its laws, and a dynasty has its regulations. Zheng Mingyi deserves to die; he should be tried by the Ministry of Justice, sentenced by the Court of Judicial Review, and executed by His Majesty. You, Zhou Heng, may have felt good killing someone in Jiangling, but where do you put the rules of the court? Where do you put His Majesty's laws?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word he spoke was like a stone, crashing down heavily.

"You can kill Zheng Mingyi today, Wang Mingyi tomorrow, and Li Mingyi the day after. You think you're doing the right thing, but who gave you that power? It was His Majesty. His Majesty gave you that power because he trusts you. But do you know how many people are afraid of that trust?"

Zhou Heng listened without saying a word.

Shen Yu took a breath and continued, "Why did those people in the court impeach you? It wasn't because Zheng Mingyi was so important. It was because they were afraid. Afraid that His Majesty could make an exception for you today, but could make an exception for someone else tomorrow. Afraid that if he could kill Zheng Mingyi today, he could kill them tomorrow. Afraid—that from now on, there will be no rules in this world."

After he finished speaking, he leaned against the headboard and looked at Zhou Heng.

Zhou Heng remained silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Prime Minister Shen, I understand everything you've said."

Shen Yu looked at him.

Zhou Heng continued, "But have you ever thought about how those who have no rules live?"

Shen Yu was stunned.