Once Empress Xiao Rui and her entourage left, LinHuaichu sprang to his feet, excitedly saying, "This is great! With the Emperor backing the tutor, the Empress can't openly oppose him. Now, no one can take Mr. Li away from us."
"Are you alright?" LiLuoning asked, examining ChengSangJY's injuries.
Upon closer inspection, ChengSangJY had distinct red, swollen handprints on both sides of his face, with a scratch from the finger guard on his left cheek.
"Hiss~ I'm fine. This is wonderful. Now that you have an official position, we don't have to worry about Mother's people causing trouble," ChengSangJY said happily.
"JY, you were really brave today. It's the first time I've seen you stand up to the Empress, and all for Mr. Li. You're a real man; I admire you," LinHuaichu said, patting ChengSangJY's shoulder.
ChengSangJY smiled bitterly and shook his head. Although he was glad to keep the tutor, he felt uneasy. The conflict with his mother would likely lead to unforeseen complications, knowing the Empress wouldn't let this slide easily.
"Enough talk. Let's treat your wounds first," LiLuoning said, pulling ChengSangJY back to the room.
The next morning at court, Xiao Yongnian, along with several ministers, opposed LiLuoning's appointment as Grand Tutor.
"Your Majesty, LiLuoning was just a commoner. Making him the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor seems hasty. This matter requires careful consideration," the Minister of Personnel said.
"Oh? What do you suggest?" ChengSangKing asked, displeased.
"I believe the Crown Prince's education is of utmost importance. Such a significant role should be entrusted to the nation's finest scholars. LiLuoning, a mere commoner without any significant literary achievements or official exams, seems unfit for this position," the Minister continued.
ShangGuan Jinshuo immediately rebutted, "Your Majesty, LiLuoning's ability to treat salt poisoning and save the people, and later cure the Empress's illness, shows his exceptional skills. He was a disciple of the renowned scholar Sima DaRen, known nationwide. His literary and martial prowess make him a fitting tutor for the Crown Prince. Moreover, his medical expertise is unparalleled, and he has saved the Emperor twice. Such a person should serve our court."
ChengSangKing nodded, "You see clearly."
Xiao Yongnian stepped forward, "Your Majesty, while LiLuoning may be capable, appointing him as a first-rank Grand Tutor seems premature."
ShangGuanCY snorted, "Lord Xiao, don't forget that Empress Xiao was almost struck by lightning, but LiLuoning saved her. He also cured the Emperor's nightmares. Two life-saving acts deserve a high rank. Can you find another like him?"
Xiao Yongnian sneered, "Superstitious tricks, nothing more."
ShangGuanCY rolled his eyes, mocking, "Jealous because he's now your equal in rank? Need I remind you, when the Rakas threatened us, it was LiLuoning who resolved it, while you did nothing?"
"You!" Xiao Yongnian, a military man, often found himself speechless against ShangGuanCY's sharp tongue.
"Enough. The decision is made. No further discussion. ShangGuanCY, your candidate list for the Ministry of Rites has been reviewed. Proceed as suggested. Also, let this person handle my birthday banquet," ChengSangKing ordered.
With the Emperor's birthday approaching and the Ministry of Rites' position vacant, many arrangements were pending.
In the secret chamber of MoLan Prince's residence:
"Is everything settled?"
"Yes, Your Highness. The northern message confirms that Lord Zhu and his family have joined our people and are hidden among commoners. They shouldn't be easily found," a guard reported.
"And Li Sanye?"
"Investigated. The city gate official was bribed by Xiao Yongnian's nephew, Xiao Shikai, who abuses his family's influence. During his patrols on the western route, he extorts from the people. We send him gifts to avoid detection. This year alone, he has taken ten thousand taels from us. The locals are fed up with him," the guard continued.
"And the grain depot?"
"We have gradually replaced the guards with our people," the guard replied.
ChengSangMo pondered, playing with an arrowhead, muttering, "Xiao Shikai?"
At Zui Xian Lou, third floor:
"Lord Xiao, please enter," a maid led Xiao Shikai into a room and seated him at a table laden with food.
Xiao Shikai, visiting the third floor for the first time, marveled at the elegant decor and eagerly examined the unfamiliar dishes. Excited, he sampled everything, praising the food and drinking copiously until he passed out.
MuJinling emerged from behind a screen, disdainfully kicking Xiao Shikai off the stool.
The wine had been spiked with a sedative unique to the Chasing Moon Pavilion, ensuring Xiao Shikai would remain unconscious for hours without the antidote.
Watching the unconscious Xiao Shikai, MuJinling ordered, "Get a few girls to handle him. I need to go out."
After leaving instructions, MuJinling departed, his mind already on the next steps of his plan.
As night fell upon the ShangGuan residence, ShangGuanCY was in his study, reflecting on the day's court affairs. He was still troubled by his inability to uncover the mastermind behind the incident at the inn, leaving him uneasy.
"Tap... tap..." The sound of small stones hitting the window broke his concentration.
Puzzled, ShangGuanCY wondered who would be seeking him so late at night using such a childish method. He opened the window and saw MuJinling, dressed in white jade-colored robes, his hair tied with a jade hairpin, playfully smiling at him while gently waving a water-ink bamboo fan.
The bright moonlight made MuJinling's white attire look particularly striking. His usually loose hair was neatly tied up today, giving him an elegant appearance.
Seeing MuJinling dressed this way, ShangGuanCY's thoughts drifted back to many years ago, when they were both at the academy...
"Brother ChunYi, are you going to the poetry gathering in the capital tomorrow?" A younger, slimmer MuJinXB, with hair ribbons fluttering in the wind, ran up excitedly to ask.
ShangGuanCY, flicking his bangs with his fan, shook his head disdainfully, "I'm not going. It's so boring. Isn't listening to the teacher all day enough for you? And now you want to join the crowd there."
"I heard from my father that many famous scholars and poets are coming to this year's poetry gathering. It would be a shame not to see them. But I don't want to go alone. Brother ChunYi, could you...?" Young MuJinXB pleaded with a smile.
ShangGuanCY rolled his eyes, suddenly closed his fan, and lifted MuJinXB's chin, looking at his delicate and youthful face with a mischievous smile, "If you call me 'good brother,' I might consider it."
MuJinXB pushed away ShangGuanCY's fan in annoyance, rolling his eyes, "Forget it then. I'll ask Mo to go with me."
ShangGuanCY quickly chased after him, calling out, "XB, just say it once, and I'll go with you."
Their playful banter and laughter faded into the distance.
At the poetry gathering the next day, MuJinXB, initially engrossed in the event, noticed someone in the crowd who seemed out of place. Unlike the other scholars, this person's demeanor was odd, as if he were looking for someone. MuJinXB dismissed it, thinking it was just a servant searching for his master, and continued enjoying the gathering.
As dusk approached, the two were on their way home when they were suddenly blocked in an alley. MuJinXB immediately recognized one of them as the odd man from the poetry gathering.
"Young Master ShangGuan, my master orders me to take your head for some wine money," the leader said.
"Let's see if you have the skill!" Young ShangGuanCY retorted fearlessly.
"Attack!" The leader commanded, and two black-clad men charged forward.
ShangGuanCY, though skilled in martial arts, was no match for four opponents, while MuJinXB, being a gentle scholar, was of no help.
Soon, ShangGuanCY was injured, kneeling on one leg, as a black-clad man raised his blade to strike. ShangGuanCY instinctively raised his arm to block.
The sound of metal piercing flesh echoed through the night. Just as another black-clad man swung his blade at ShangGuanCY, he closed his eyes, bracing for the end, only to hear the sound of a blade cutting into flesh and feel warm blood splatter on his face. Opening his eyes, he saw MuJinXB's body collapsing.
"What are you doing!" LinMuchuan's voice came from the alley entrance.
Recognizing LinMuchuan, the attackers fled.
"XB! XB!" ShangGuanCY shouted, holding the unconscious MuJinXB.
Back in the present, ShangGuanCY stared at MuJinling under the moonlight, lost in thought.
"What's wrong? Don't you recognize me with different clothes, Brother ChunYi?" MuJinling teased with a rare playful smile.
"MuJin, why are you here so late?" ShangGuanCY asked, stepping out of the study despite his irritation.
Tonight, MuJinling was unlike his usual gentle and cold self, resembling more a playful nobleman. He fanned himself as he walked toward ShangGuanCY, saying, "As the saying goes, a dark and windy night is perfect for murder and arson. Care to join me for a sight?"
On the western route of the capital, a loud explosion signaled a raging fire in the grain depot.
"Fire! Fire!" The blaze grew larger, lighting up the night sky of the western capital.
From a distant rooftop, two figures watched the fire.
Growing tired, ShangGuanCY lay down, looking at the night sky, and joked, "Aren't you too old to be playing with fire? Aren't you afraid of wetting the bed?"
MuJinling lay down beside him, replying, "Not afraid. I rarely sleep in a bed anyway."
ShangGuanCY didn't ask further, falling into a quiet contemplation of the stars. He couldn't remember the last time he and MuJinXB had looked at the night sky, discussing poetry and philosophy.
"ChunYi, how long do you plan to protect that little Crown Prince?" MuJinling suddenly asked.
Mentioning ChengSangJY, ShangGuanCY's expression softened. "Until he can protect himself and stand on his own."
MuJinling snorted, turning to look at ShangGuanCY, "By coddling him like this, when will he learn to protect himself? Are you planning to protect him forever?"
ShangGuanCY blinked slowly, a wistful smile forming. "Then I'll protect him forever. Though we are cousins, in the future, we will only be sovereign and minister. For now, I can ensure he grows up safely. When he ascends the throne, I will help him safeguard the kingdom."
MuJinling shook his head, turning back to the night sky, sighing, "If he doesn't want the throne, don't force him. You care about him, and you should see that he has no desire for it. Why place him on such a lonely pedestal?"
ShangGuanCY snorted, "Easier said than done. ChengSang only has one prince. The Emperor refuses to take concubines, and ChengSangMo has half-northern blood. Do you want the Empress to have another child at her age?"
MuJinling was silent for a long time, thinking deeply. Finally, he stood up, looking down at the tiles beneath his feet, and whispered, "The throne can be taken by anyone with royal blood. What matters is a benevolent and wise ruler who can govern well. Apart from the Emperor and the Xiao family, no one really cares who sits on the throne."
ShangGuanCY sensed something in MuJinling's words and sat up, asking seriously, "What are you trying to say?"
MuJinling took a deep breath, turned to ShangGuanCY, and said seriously, "Why not take the throne yourself?"
"Are you crazy? That's treason! Punishable by death for our entire clan!" ShangGuanCY exclaimed angrily.
MuJinling shook his head with a bitter smile and asked, "CY, everything I'm doing now is already in opposition to the Xiao family. How is this any different from treason? Do you really intend to watch JY become a puppet controlled by the Xiao family?"
ShangGuanCY was momentarily speechless. Although the royal family bore the ChengSang surname, the real power was firmly in the hands of the Xiao family. Even though his family controlled the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Rites, four out of the six ministries were under Xiao family's control, with Xiao Yongnian holding significant military power. If the Xiao family wanted to manipulate the royal family, it would be easy.
Seeing ShangGuanCY's silence, MuJinling continued, "The little Crown Prince doesn't want the throne. Why force him into a life he doesn't desire? You claim to protect him, but all you're doing is enlarging his cage. Your mother was a princess; you have royal blood. Taking the throne would be legitimate. Are you willing to watch your cherished brother live his life as a puppet?"
MuJinling's words made sense. Compared to Empress Xiao's oppression, ShangGuanCY's protection was just a larger cage, never considering what JY truly wanted.
"Or do you really want to see the ChengSang kingdom fall into the hands of a northern descendant?" MuJinling sighed.
Hearing this, ShangGuanCY was taken aback, furrowing his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"
MuJinling asked, "Did you really think I came here tonight just to enjoy a fire?"
"So, you burned the western city's grain depot not just because it was under Xiao's control?" ShangGuanCY questioned.
MuJinling shook his head. "Don't you think the fire at the grain depot spread too quickly?"
ShangGuanCY realized the fire was indeed more intense than usual. "What do you mean?"
"Do you really think ChengSangMo has been a docile, sickly prince all these years? Chasing Moon Pavilion discovered three years ago that he smuggled a small amount of flammable 'Mengshui Oil' into the capital under the guise of importing jade. Though the quantity was small, over time it accumulated enough to set the entire palace ablaze."
"Mengshui Oil!"
MuJinling nodded. "Over the years, he's used his jade mining business to find and smuggle Mengshui Oil into the capital, hidden among the grain supplies. Now, it's enough to burn down the entire inner palace."
ShangGuanCY's expression grew serious. He had always thought ChengSangMo was merely a weakened prince after the spring hunt, but he had overlooked the ambition expected of a royal.
"You blatantly destroyed his stash?" ShangGuanCY asked.
MuJinling, looking at the receding flames, said, "I returned intending to eliminate the Xiao family. But if ChengSangMo wants to use my efforts to seize the throne, I can't let that happen. My family was wronged, but I won't become a traitor to ChengSang. If ChengSangMo, with his northern blood, takes the throne, it won't just be a few lives at stake."
The next morning at Zui Xian Lou, Xiao Shikai woke up groggily, his head pounding, unable to recall the previous night.
"Lord Xiao, I've prepared some tea to help with the hangover," MuJinling's voice came from behind the screen.
Seeing his disheveled clothes and the marks on his chest, Xiao Shikai assumed what had happened and walked over smugly, teasing, "I thought you only liked poetry and tea, not realizing you had such a taste."
MuJinling didn't refute, calmly preparing the tea. "Lord Xiao, you were insistent last night. As the nephew of Lord Xiao Yongnian, I couldn't refuse."
"Good," Xiao Shikai said, satisfied, gulping down the tea.
Suddenly, a servant burst in, "My lord, something terrible has happened!"
Annoyed, Xiao Shikai shouted, "What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost!"
The servant, trembling, knelt and stammered, "Last night, the grain depot... it caught fire."
Meanwhile, ShangGuanCY rushed to the Crown Prince's residence after the morning court session, "JY! JY!" he called, only to be stopped by the head eunuch.
"Lord Yunqing," the eunuch greeted.
ShangGuanCY, in a good mood, smiled, "Good morning, Eunuch Duo." He tried to enter but was blocked again.
"Lord Yunqing, the Crown Prince is not well and has ordered no visitors," the eunuch said.
This was the first time ChengSangJY had refused him entry, making ShangGuanCY suspicious. "Is this another of Empress Xiao's tricks?"
"I'm not an outsider. If JY is unwell, I must see him," ShangGuanCY insisted.
"The Crown Prince has specifically ordered no visitors today. Please come another day," the eunuch reiterated.
Growing more anxious, ShangGuanCY peeked into the courtyard, seeing LinHuaichu emerging from the study.
"Huaichu! Huaichu!" ShangGuanCY called.
LinHuaichu, initially delighted, walked over, "Brother CY?"
Realizing the situation, LinHuaichu turned and ran back, just as ChengSangJY stepped out.
"Huaichu, where are you going? Hey, stop!" ShangGuanCY ignored the eunuch and entered the residence, calling after LinHuaichu.
ChengSangJY saw LinHuaichu rushing over and asked, "What's wrong?"
LinHuaichu, unable to explain, pointed behind him.
ChengSangJY looked up and saw ShangGuanCY striding in, quickly turning to leave.
"ChengSangJY, stop right there! Now!"