ChengSangCY gripped MuJinXB's collar fiercely, his knuckles turning white with the force, his eyes piercing like daggers, as if trying to see through the person in front of him. He clenched his teeth, suppressing the anger raging within him, the veins on his forehead bulging, his breath heavy, as if he might throw the person in front of him at any moment.
The person in front of him seemed unperturbed, merely lifting a hand slowly to brush aside a strand of hair falling over the forehead, and with a faint smile, remarked, "After five years apart, is this how CY treats his old friend upon reunion?"
ChengSangCY steadied his emotions, releasing MuJinXB's collar and stepping back two paces, asking, "Why did you come back?"
MuJinXB casually straightened his wrinkled collar, lazily glancing at ChengSangCY, walking barefoot to the window seat, where he sat down, playing with the chess pieces in his hand. Half-jokingly, he said, "Just bored, came back to take a look."
"You!" ChengSangCY was so infuriated he nearly grabbed a teacup to hurl at him.
Five years ago, the entire family of Minister of Rites, MuJin, was accused of treason, executed, with their extended family punished. ChengSangCY kneeled outside the palace for five days and nights, barely preserving his own life by invoking MuJinXB's past kindness to him. Yet, to humiliate the MuJin family, Empress Xiao relegated MuJinXB to serve as a court entertainer. Thus, MuJinXB became the first male court entertainer since the founding of the ChengSang Kingdom.
Even so, the Xiao family had no intention of letting MuJinXB off. To ensure MuJinXB's safe escape from the capital, ChengSangCY had to find a body identical to MuJinXB's, faking his death to smuggle him out. They thought they would never meet again, yet here he was, brazenly returning to the capital and even becoming the star entertainer at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Now that someone had recognized his distinctive mark, this news would soon reach the ears of the Xiao family in the palace.
"ShangGuan Young Master, my stage name now is Ling." MuJinXB softly stated, emphasizing each word, then pulled out a token from his sleeve, gently placing it aside.
Seeing the crescent symbol on the silver token, ChengSangCY couldn't help but gasp, thinking, "This is the token of the Moon Chasing Pavilion!"
"Where memories hang like the moon's reflection, where else but in pursuit?" MuJinXB recited slowly.
The Moon Chasing Pavilion was known for trafficking in information, engaging in paid assassinations, divided into two factions, Gold in the South and Silver in the North. The pavilion was divided into ranks: Ling, Yue, Feng, Hua, and Ying. Ying was the shadow guard, responsible for intelligence gathering. Hua was the messenger, responsible for conveying messages. Feng was the assassin, responsible for assassination tasks. Yue was the leader, responsible for deployment and management. And Ling was the master of the pavilion.
"You've become the master of the Moon Chasing Pavilion?" ChengSangCY relaxed slightly upon seeing MuJinXB's token. With the protection of the Moon Chasing Pavilion, it seemed no one in the country could touch him. While the pavilion usually stayed out of politics, if they wanted to stir up some trouble, it would be as easy as flipping a palm.
"It's just a fortunate coincidence, a little luck." MuJinXB chuckled softly.
"So, you came back prepared. What exactly do you want?" ChengSangCY asked.
In the study of the Crown Prince's residence, the scent of jasmine lingered lightly. It was still some time before morning classes, and ChengSangJY had already arrived at the study. Various books and scrolls were scattered on the table. LinHuaichu, yawning beside him, complained, "JY, the Empress has found you another tutor. This makes it the fifth one in three years. She truly fears you having any moment of idleness, doesn't she?"
ChengSangJY flipped through a book of strange and monstrous tales, delighting in them, replying, "All parents hope their children will excel, especially since I am her only son. Naturally, she hopes I will mature early to ease the burdens on my father. Besides, Mother says other noble sons have much heavier studies than mine. As a prince, I should strive even harder, to be able to lead the courtiers in discussing state affairs in the future."
"Oh, come on. Other noble sons spend most of their time in the mornings attending classes and then indulge in hobbies like listening to music, drinking tea, playing the zither, admiring flowers, or catching crickets. None of them are like you, studying year-round, day and night. Furthermore, other parents wish for their children to excel because they are not of royal blood. But you, born into the imperial family as the future ruler, why torment yourself like this, burying yourself in books every day? If I were you, I'd have long smashed my head against these mountains of books and poems." LinHuaichu sighed helplessly.
"I do wish to be a carefree prince, but as the future pillar of ChengSang, I must diligently study and work hard. Mother wouldn't deceive me; I can't disappoint her," ChengSangJY responded with a faint smile.
"You've been deceived by the Empress more than lightly. You never wanted to be an emperor, yet you study the ways of governance daily. Why couldn't they just have another prince and let you live freely as a carefree prince? From childhood to now, they've never done anything that truly aligns with your desires. Everything is forced upon you, whether you like it or not, all in the name of your good." LinHuaichu sat down heavily on a nearby chair, feeling indignant.
"If it weren't for Brother Mo's injury back then, the position of crown prince wouldn't have fallen to me," ChengSangJY's eyes dimmed considerably as he spoke.
Although he had a decent relationship with Mo previously, after that hunting accident where Mo nearly lost his life, rumors had it that Empress Xiao was behind it all. Since then, his relationship with Brother Mo had plummeted. The elder brother who had once showered him with affection now treated him with coldness and hostility. This hurt ChengSangJY deeply; there were few people in the palace he could speak truthfully to, and now there were even fewer.
LinHuaichu waved his hand and said, "Even if it weren't for that incident, MoLan prince wouldn't have been able to inherit the throne."
"Brother Mo is talented in both civil and military affairs, with outstanding knowledge. Why couldn't he inherit the throne?" ChengSangJY asked with some confusion.
LinHuaichu shook his head helplessly, then explained, "MoLan prince's mother is Princess LanShi of the North Mo. If it weren't for my father's folly, leading the Scarlet Cavalry to massacre the city overnight, Princess LanShi wouldn't have ended up hanging herself on the city wall as a gesture of apology. The Emperor, in consideration of his favor, spared the Lin family's death sentence and stationed my eldest brother on the border all year round. Even if the Emperor agreed, do you think the courtiers would allow a person with half Northern Mo blood to inherit the throne? Even if the Emperor agreed, I'm afraid the courtiers wouldn't."
ChengSangJY pondered for a moment, nodding in agreement, "Actually, when you put it like that, it does make sense..." Before he could finish, voices were heard outside the door.
"The morning sun is just right, is the Crown Prince sulking in the study so early?"
As the voice fell, LiLuoning stepped into the study, wearing his usual ancient jade-colored light robe, his hair tied up with a simple wooden hairpin, exuding a soft and approachable aura that was unlike the typical court officials.
ChengSangJY and LinHuaichu, hearing the newcomer, hurriedly tried to tidy up the scrolls on the desk. In their haste, they accidentally flung the strange and monstrous tales book, which had been brought into the palace to entertain JY, onto the floor, right at LiLuoning's feet.
"Oh, no... this is bad," LinHuaichu murmured, covering his face. According to past experiences, if ChengSangJY was caught with such unrelated study materials, both he and LinHuaichu would receive punishment. This book was brought in secretly to entertain JY, deliberately hidden in the study.
Seeing those familiar eyes and that unique iris color, memories flooded LiLuoning's mind, causing him to momentarily zone out.
ChengSangJY, seeing the new tutor holding the book of strange and monstrous tales, obediently picked up a ruler from the shelf and walked up to LiLuoning.
LiLuoning snapped out of his daze, looking at the ruler in front of him, momentarily stunned before gently accepting it.
Seeing ChengSangJY's fearful expression, LiLuoning couldn't help but chuckle softly, thinking, "It seems I'm right; even this gesture is exactly the same."
ChengSangJY, fearful, closed his eyes and extended his hands, palms up. LinHuaichu, behind him, couldn't bear to watch either.
After waiting for a while and not hearing the ruler fall, ChengSangJY cautiously opened his eyes a crack to observe.
LiLuoning saw the still-healing marks on ChengSangJY's palms, some areas still swollen and scabbed over, and couldn't help but furrow his brows, his eyes full of pity. "Crown Prince, are you often punished?"
ChengSangJY slowly lowered his hands, bowing his head and murmuring, "This student is foolish and fails to meet the teacher's expectations, so punishment is only natural."
Noticing his small gesture, LiLuoning couldn't help but smile softly, thinking, "I shouldn't be wrong; even this gesture is exactly the same."
Immediately, LiLuoning took ChengSangJY's hand and sat down beside him, pulling out a jar of ointment from his robe and gently applying it to ChengSangJY's palm.
LinHuaichu opened his eyes, seeing LiLuoning's gentle demeanor as he applied the ointment to ChengSangJY's hand, and asked with some confusion, "Sir, aren't you angry?"
LiLuoning raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he asked, "Why should I be angry?"
ChengSangJY was also very surprised. In the past, if he had been caught reading such books, his hands would have been beaten to a pulp long ago. But today, this teacher not only did not punish him but also carefully applied ointment to the wounds on his hands and even blew gently, making the cool sensation on his palms quite comfortable.
"Sir, these books... have nothing to do with my studies. Aren't you angry?" ChengSangJY murmured softly.
LiLuoning, with an indifferent expression, lifted his head to look at the young Crown Prince before him, his eyes full of tenderness.
LiLuoning asked, "Then, in the Crown Prince's opinion, what books are related to your studies?"
"Governing principles, military strategies, famous literary works, um... Buddhist scriptures... and..." ChengSangJY pondered before responding.
LiLuoning felt a bit helpless. Even a child who hadn't reached adulthood found these books dull and tedious, let alone him. Looking at the strange and monstrous tales book in his hand, he said, "Since the Crown Prince is interested in this book, why don't we start today's lesson with it?"
"This book is about monsters and ghosts. How does it relate to state affairs?" LinHuaichu asked in confusion.
LiLuoning just smiled lightly, pursed his lips, and said, "Who said matters of monsters and ghosts have nothing to do with state affairs? Does the Crown Prince know how many emperors throughout history have been assisted by ghosts and monsters? Why did they attract these ghosts and monsters? Do you know the origin of the word 'Emperor'? The so-called Emperor, he who rules over all living beings, the progenitor of prosperity..."
In the imperial study, a senior eunuch walked up to ChengSangKing's ear with a cup of tea and whispered, "Your Majesty, General Lin has arrived."
ChengSangKing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and took the tea cup, saying, "Let him in."
Not long after, heavy footsteps were heard from outside the door. A man in his mid-twenties, tall and imposing, with sharp eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, walked in. His armor shimmered, and a dark green waist plaque hung from his sword.
"I, LinMuchuan, pay my respects to Your Majesty," he said, kneeling and bowing with clasped fists.
"Rise," ChengSangKing said.
Looking at the man in front of him, ChengSangKing felt as if he were seeing the former General Lin. The Lin family had served the ChengSang Kingdom for five generations, making significant contributions to the expansion of its territory. LinMuchuan's father, LinYuan, had grown up alongside ChengSangKing and fought side by side with him for decades.
"Chuan, it's been a long time. You seem even stronger than before. Are you accustomed to staying at the border?" ChengSangKing asked.
LinMuchuan responded, "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am well."
"I called you back this time for no other reason. I thought you had been stationed at the Northern Mo border for decades, with few visits home. Now that the border is peaceful and there have been no incidents for many years, there is no need for you to be stationed there constantly. I heard that your mother hasn't been well in recent years, so I want you to stay in the capital and accompany her more," ChengSangKing said.
Under the late Emperor's knee, there were two daughters and a son. The eldest princess, JiaYun, was betrothed to the then Minister of Rites, ShangGuanJS, while the youngest princess, YangQi, was promised to General LinYuan. Therefore, LinMuchuan should have addressed ChengSangKing as his uncle by blood relation. However, he was always straightforward and upright, adhering strictly to the Lin family's rigorous principles and military background, unlike ShangGuanCY's easygoing personality.
Upon hearing that the Emperor wanted to transfer him back to the capital, LinMuchuan naturally agreed. However, when he thought of leaving the border unattended, he couldn't help but feel uneasy, saying, "Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty, but the border is a crucial defense line. The people of the Northern Mo are ambitious and must not be taken lightly."
In the imperial study, ChengSangKing issued his instructions with a composed demeanor.
"You need not worry about this matter. I have already dispatched a unit from the Ministry of War to replace your Lin family's Crimson Phoenix Cavalry. You may later send a message to your family's troops, instructing them to return to the capital. The Northern Wasteland has been a defeated nation for many years, and with no royal blood left, there should be no further disturbances. Most of the cavalry under your command are likely nearing middle age. I cannot, in good conscience, allow the bloodline of your army's distinguished commanders to be severed in the name of guarding the border. Summon them back to the capital. For those who wish to marry and start families, I shall reward them with one hundred taels of gold, in recognition of their years of hard work," ChengSangKing instructed.
"Your Majesty, on behalf of all the officers and soldiers, I express our gratitude for your benevolence," LinMuchuan expressed his thanks.
Observing his somewhat unfamiliar demeanor, ChengSangKing felt a twinge of displeasure. With a hint of reproach, he remarked, "I've watched you grow up, and you've always been like this. Though I am the emperor, I am also your uncle. When will you learn to show the proper respect, unlike your brother Chunyi, who doesn't adopt such a distant attitude when meeting me?"
"I will bear your teachings in mind, Uncle Emperor," LinMuchuan scratched his head in response. As a military man, he was well-versed in military strategy and combat, but he lacked finesse in matters of human relations and courtly etiquette.
"You may go now. Huaichu should still be with JY at this time. I've heard that the Empress greatly favors this new Grand Tutor appointed to JY, and both children are fond of him as well. Though he hails from a background in medicine, he spent some time at the Southern Academy. Take this opportunity to assess him. If he possesses talents beyond poetry and literature, it may not be appropriate for him to remain by the Crown Prince's side. I have already summoned Chunyi to the palace; you may find him and go together. Also, inform JY that he has been granted a day off today. You brothers should take this opportunity to gather and bond," ChengSangKing instructed before waving his hand, signaling LinMuchuan to leave.
Inside the Crown Prince's study,
the atmosphere had shifted from the usual drowsy recitations of poetry to a lively exchange between the young ones.
"LinHuaichu, just admit defeat. You don't read enough normally, so you definitely won't be able to solve this," ChengSangJY declared confidently.
"Don't nag, don't nag. I'm sure I can solve it. Stop rushing me," LinHuaichu remained fully focused on the question on the table, as if trying to see through the paper, yet still unable to put pen to it.
On the side, LiLuoning held a book in her hands, reclining in her chair with a gentle smile as she watched the two children quarrel.
"I'll count to ten. If you don't start writing by then, you've lost," ChengSangJY urged.
"ChengSangJY! You're being too difficult. Even if I can't solve it, nobody else can either. You're just being unfair," LinHuaichu decided to play the petulant card.
"Who said I can't solve it? The teacher said that if I win three rounds in a row, today's handwriting practice will be all yours. LinHuaichu, are you afraid to lose?" ChengSangJY teased, feeling quite pleased with himself.
"Well, if you can solve it, then I'll have to copy the characters ten more times," LinHuaichu retorted defiantly.
"Fine, I'll make you admit defeat wholeheartedly. Witness!" ChengSangJY said without hesitation.
"Alright, it's a deal!" LinHuaichu handed the pen to ChengSangJY.
Taking the pen, ChengSangJY quickly wrote on the paper,
"Under the window, the cat plays with the pearl curtain; it complains to the palace wall about the falling flowers. The east wind blows away the still water in the flat corridor, and the autumn night's frost is unknown to anyone."
LinHuaichu read it word by word.
On the side, LiLuoning discerned the meaning of the poem and frowned slightly, setting down her book.
"You... You clearly prepared this in advance. It doesn't count, it doesn't count. Give me another question," LinHuaichu began to protest.
ChengSangJY, unwilling to accept defeat, retorted, "Why doesn't it count? You said it yourself. If I write it, you'll copy ten more times. Why should it not count?"
"I don't care. You obviously memorized it beforehand. 'In the scorching heat of summer, where does the autumn moon's cold come from?' It doesn't count," LinHuaichu insisted.
"LinHuaichu, you just can't accept defeat. I've already written it out, so stop being so stubborn. Why don't we let the teacher decide?" ChengSangJY, seeing LiLuoning approach, sought support.
Not wanting to embarrass the young crown prince, LiLuoning spoke up, "LinMuchuan has just returned from the border. It's likely been a long time since he last saw the Crown Prince. Let's end today's lesson here. The Crown Prince can discuss military matters with LinMuchuan later, and tomorrow, he can share some insights with me. It's also an opportunity for the Crown Prince to learn more about the border situation through LinMuchuan."
"Your Highness, the Prince of Yunqing and General Lin seek an audience," the voice of the steward came from outside.
"Oh? Has Brother MuChuan returned to the capital already? Huaichu, why didn't you tell me?" ChengSangJY asked.
"I didn't know. Besides, you know my brother. He always prioritizes national affairs. He must have gone straight to report to the emperor as soon as he returned to the capital. You've known him for so long, so why are you surprised?" LinHuaichu didn't find it surprising at all.
"But I'm still in class right now. If they're seeking an audience at this time, could it be urgent?" ChengSangJY looked at LiLuoning, about to refuse, but was interrupted by her.
Not wanting to ruin the mood for the young prince, LiLuoning spoke up, "General Lin has just returned from the border. It must have been a long time since he last saw the Crown Prince. How about we end today's lesson here? The Crown Prince can discuss military matters with General Lin later, and tomorrow, he can share some insights with me. It's also an opportunity for the Crown Prince to learn more about the border situation through General Lin."
"As you wish, Your Highness. His Majesty has ordered a feast to be prepared today, for you to gather with your brothers," the steward reported.
"That's wonderful! No more studying!" LinHuaichu's face
lit up at the news.
ChengSangJY quickly tugged at his sleeve, reminding LinHuaichu not to get too carried away.
LinHuaichu remembered LiLuoning was still in the study and awkwardly explained, "Um, um, Teacher Li, I didn't mean anything else. It's just, it's been so long since I've seen my brother, I'm a little excited, a little excited, hehe."
Seeing the two children so happy, LiLuoning didn't want to dampen their spirits. She smiled and said, "Then let's end today's lesson here. I'll come back tomorrow to continue teaching you, Your Highness."
After bowing to ChengSangJY, LiLuoning took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back to LinHuaichu, "Young Master Lin, don't forget about the extra writing." With that, she left.
"Sigh, Teacher... I mean, I..." LinHuaichu was helpless. Wasn't this indirectly admitting that ChengSangJY had won today?