CH 49: Gazing upon Fate

Two people sat across from each other at separate tables. Apart from the current Chancellor, Cui Hong had never shown such courtesy to any other courtier or official. At this moment, he was not a Rank One Grand Tutor, nor was he a general leading hundreds of thousands of soldiers. He was just a traveller seeking shelter in the rain, still dripping with rainwater.

Neither was he the cautious minister who had trembled before the Empress Dowager in the Hall of Diligent Administration. He was highly alert, with one hand on the table and the other hand gripping the hilt of his waist sword.

The door was closed tightly, and Cui Hong’s dozen or so guards stood outside, ensuring that no one could eavesdrop.

The rain had lessened, leaving only the patter of raindrops occasionally quickening as the accumulated rainwater poured from the eaves.

“Is Lord Yang not pursuing the remnants of the rebels in Qi? Why are you here?” Cui Hong decided to listen to what the eunuch had to say but had no intention of revealing his own secrets.

Yang Feng stared at Cui Hong as if he were a minor official. “Let me get straight to the point. When did you first befriend Chunyu Xiao?”

Cui Hong gave a wry smile. “Lord Yang must be joking. Chunyu Xiao is the ringleader who incited Prince Qi into rebellion. As the General of the Eastern Expedition to quell the rebels, how could I have befriended him?”

Yang Feng thought for a moment. “That’s right. During the campaign, you couldn’t have met Chunyu Xiao again. So it must have been before Prince Qi’s uprising. But at that time, Chunyu Xiao was still in Qi and had no chance to come to the capital. Hmm… Chunyu Xiao had many disciples. I wonder which one of them caught your attention?”

Cui Hong’s face darkened.  “Whose backing are you relying on to slander me like this? I may lack talents, but I know how to keep myself clean.”

Yang Feng clasped his hands together. “Grand Tutor, don’t be angry. I’m just speculating. But I must advise the Grand Tutor that fate seeing is not reliable. Chunyu Xiao and his disciples spread malicious rumors, with great ambition. The Prince of Qi has already fallen. If you are not careful, you will be next.”

“Hmph, have you made up your mind to brand me a rebel’s accomplice? Fine, let’s go to the Capital together and clear things up before the Empress Dowager.”

Yang Feng smiled faintly. “Before the Empress Dowager? Have you been summoned back to the Capital by imperial decree?”

As the Grand Tutor who had just put down a rebellion, Cui Hong should have remained stationed in the north with his army. However, he brought a small number of guards to head back to the Capital and did not report his true identity when checking into the waystation. So of course, his return to the Capital was not by imperial decree. Cui Hong coldly stared at Yang Feng, seriously considering the consequences of “spilling blood here and now”. The door was guarded by his men, and he had weapons on his person.

Yang Feng could guess what the Grand Tutor was thinking. He loosened his collar to reveal the armor inside, indicating that he was prepared and that any spilt blood would not just be his own.

Outside the door were the Grand Tutor’s guards, but further away were Yang Feng’s followers, who outnumbered them. If they came to a stalemate, Cui Hong would not gain any advantage. So he smiled and said, “Lord Yang, you are both intelligent and brave. I respect and admire you. Alright, let’s suppose that I know Chunyu Xiao, and that I have returned to the capital without permission. What would you like to say to me?”

“I wish to show you some confessions.”

“Confessions?”

The guards outside the door could be heard raising their voices in admonition, but Yang Feng said, “That’s my man, and he has brought the confessions.”

Cui Hong hesitated for a moment, then said loudly, “Let him in!”

The door opened, and one of Yang Feng’s followers came in with a wooden box, followed closely by two guards. The follower placed the box on the table, bowed to the Grand Tutor and the eunuch, and then left the room. The guards did not leave immediately, but waited until Yang Feng had opened the box and revealed a thick stack of papers inside. Only then, at Cui Hong’s signal, did they turn and leave the room, closing the door behind them.

Yang Feng took out the first confession and pushed it slowly towards Cui Hong. “Chief Censor of the Right, Shen Mingzhi, and I have paid the feudal lords of Guan-dong a visit. He delivered the imperial edict, while I was responsible for searching for signs of rebellion. This is a confession from several people in Prince Linjiang’s manor. Around Year 31 of the Zhongmiao era, a fate seer known as Fang Zisheng was once a guest of the Prince Linjiang’s manor. But Prince Linjiang died early, so Fang Zisheng withdrew without accomplishing anything.”

“Year 31 of the Zhongmiao era? That was more than ten years ago.”

“Mm.” Yang Feng took out another confession. “Year 34 of the Zhongmiao era, Prince Jiyang invited a fate seer called Lin Qianfeng. A year later, Prince Jiyang’s rebellious nature was exposed, but the Martial Emperor granted mercy, and only removed his titles. The prince remained loyal from then on, and held no rebellious thoughts for the rest of his life. Lin Qianfeng disappeared from then on, and he name has never appeared since.”

Yang Feng took out one confession after another, in chronological order. They were all confessions of various feudal lords coming into contact with some fate seer. Every one of the confession was handed over to the Grand Tutor, but Cui Hong did not read any of them. He kept a steady gaze on Yang Feng. Suddenly, he pressed his hand on one of the confessions and said, “Year 40 of the Zhongmiao era, Prince Bohai and Prince Jiujiang met with fate seers at the same time.”

“My guess is that from that moment on, this fate seer started to gain many disciples. Some places did not require him to visit personally.”

The last confession was from Prince Qi’s men. Fate seer Chunyu Xiao appeared in Prince Qi’s manor on Year 41 of the Zhongmiao era, which was the year the Martial Emperor died. Four years later, Prince Qi rose in rebellion.

“Lord Yang has left the Capital for only one to two months, and yet you are able to get so many confessions? From lords in the north to lords in the south, almost nobody was left out.”

“If you remember, when the Graceful Emperor ascended to the throne, he once issued an edict ordering that local governors conduct an investigation into pugilists in their domains.”

Cui Hong nodded. Of course he remembered, but this was not a big deal at the time. Almost every Emperor would issue a similar edict — some people would be killed, some would be exiled, as a deterrent to others. This would prevent local pugilists from banding together to form a formidable force, but that was all.

“That was my suggestion to the Graceful Emperor. But I got the target wrong. Only until Chunyu Xiao’s incitement of Prince Qi was exposed, did I realize where I had gone wrong. The problem was not with the pugilist fighters, but the sorcerers of the pugilist world. Hence, I asked that the Empress Dowager issue an edict, requiring official investigators to ask only one question: whether a fate seer was ever a guest in the lord’s manor.”

“What would that say? There are many fate seers around, including in the Capital, perhaps even more there.”

Yang Feng laughed and pointed to the confession in front of the Grand Tutor. “You may take a look. At least four feudal lords welcomed a fate seer with surprisingly similar features — eight feet tall, white hair and a white beard, a squarish face, a red mole atop the left eyebrow. Do you find that familiar?”

Cui Hong remained silent for a moment. “Whether or not these fate seers were the same person, what would be his purpose? To incite the lords into rebellion, and then gain some rewards?”

Yang Feng shook his head. “The fate seer is not motivated by rewards, nor does he wish to help someone claim the throne. He wants chaos. The more chaos the better.”

Cui Hong fell silent again.

Yang Feng continued, “Chaos is a ladder. Only in times of chaos, is it possible for dynasties to change. Grand Tutor Cui, if the skin does not exist, what would hair grow on? If the Empire of Chu falls into chaos, the Cui clan will be destroyed.”

Cui Hong finally loosened his lips. “The fate seer I know is called Bu Hengru. He is forty-one years old, with very black hair.”

Yang Feng said, “It might be a different person, but the words spoken would be the same. Basically that some place holds the aura of the Son of Heaven, but the aura is trapped by some black qi, unable to rise. If decisive action is taken and assisted by some noble person, then the aura of the Son of Heaven will shoot to the Heavens; if trapped by indecision, then the aura of the Son of Heaven would be suppressed and never see the light of day.”

Cui Hong’s eyes widened, showing obvious signs of shock. “You…”

“There is no such thing as aura of the Son of Heaven. When the current Emperor was staying in his humble lodgings before his ascended to the throne, did anyone see his aura?” Yang Feng stood up and spoke sternly, “Let alone Prince Donghai, who does not have any Heavenly Aura. If you do not see the errors of your way, the Prince Donghai shall die, and the Cui clan would be ruined by your hand!”

Cui Hong was shocked and stood up as well. He looked down and saw a dagger in the wooden box, its cold blade gleaming in the light. He could not help but be shocked again.

“Just in case.” Yang Feng said blandly, playing the confessions on the table back into the wooden box, covering the dagger.

“What should I do?” asked Cui Hong.

“You may change directions and immediately return to the north. Pretend that nothing has happened, and leave things in the Capital to me. With you leading an army, Prince Donghai and the Cui clan would come to no harm. Alternatively, you may return to the Capital with me, and round up all the rebels hidden in the Capital, rendering great meritorious service.”

Cui Hong thought for a moment, his face pale. “Things in the Capital are in motion. I must return personally to put them to a halt. If… I make it in time.”

“You gave authority to act to that Bu Hengru?”

Cui Hong nodded, beginning to regret his past choices. “Not just Bu Hengru, but Luo Huan-zhang as well. He was the one who introduced me to the fate seer. I trusted him very much.”

“Luo Huan-zhang,” Yang Feng recited the name to himself, his eyes squinting slightly. He did not say much but listened to the sounds outside. “The rain has stopped. Grand Tutor, let us return to the Capital as quickly as we can.”

Cui Hong suddenly grabbed Yang Feng’s arm. “Lord Yang, you would not throw me under the carriage once we return to the Capital right?”

“From now on, I will stay by your side. When we capture the fate seers, you shall have complete say over whether to kill them or not. Once matters are settled, we shall say that it was I who asked you to return to the Capital. I shall explain everything else to the Empress Dowager. Prince Donghai will not be implicated, but neither will he become Emperor.”

Cui Hong finally made up his mind. He had secretly returned to the Capital to push his nephew onto the throne, but now he had to stop it. “Alright, let us go.”

With Cui Hong in front and Yang Feng at the back, the walked out. A few steps later, Cui Hong stopped, turned around and said, “Bu Hengru and Chunyu Xiao may be conmen, but fate-sight is not a lie. There are some who are able to gaze upon fate with accuracy. The current Emperor…”

Cui Hong did not speak further, but pushed open the door.

Yang Feng did not believe such superstitions. He believed only in one principle: things happen when men act.

The rain had stopped, but there was quite a lot of accumulated water on the ground. But those in a rush did not care about that. Cui Hong and Yang Feng separately ordered their men to get ready to ride. Cui Hong’s horses were exhausted, so Yang Feng handed some over, and some were levied from the waystation.

The station chief was shocked. It had just gotten dark, and the travellers would reach Hangu Gate in the middle of the night, so the gate would not be opened. But he did not ask questions. He did not recognize the Grand Tutor, but he knew that Yang Feng was a eunuch of the palace. Perhaps he had a permit to pass through the gate.

Yang Feng kept his promise and remained by Cui Hong’s side. During that time, he returned the wooden box to a follower, who asked after taking the box, “What about those three?”

Du Motian, Du Chuanyun, and Ironhead Hu San’er, were tied up in some corridor. Three followers bearing blades stood behind them; only an order was needed for them to be killed.

Yang Feng said to the three prisoners loudly, “It shall take us half a day to get to Hangu Gate. Within this time, if any of your companions come to rescue you, I shall let you off the hook. If not, then you can only blame yourselves for being blind to the human heart. Rather than living as a pointless failure, you would be better off dead.”  

The three men were shocked. Cui Hong did not recognize them, and found matters strange. He found that he truly did not understand this eunuch.

Yang Feng got on horseback, with a calm expression. But in actual fact, he was burning with anxiety. Luo Huan-zhang was one of the Emperor’s teachers, and had the authority to enter the palace. This meant that the situation in the Capital was more dangerous than he had expected. Would the young Emperor be able to survive?