CH 83: Parting Conversations

Inside and around the Marquis’s manor, lanterns were hung and streamers were tied, all in preparation for New Year’s Eve. Yang Fang delegated all major and minor affairs to the Manor Clerk and the manager of accounts He Yi, choosing instead to hole up in his room in deep thought.

There were many matters to ponder over, both from the past and the future, but Yang Fang preferred to contemplate the future.

The knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. “Come in,” Yang Fang said, feeling somewhat grateful for the interruption. If he kept on thinking, he feared he would not be able to bear it.

A maid entered the room. Yang Fang recognized her as one of the palace maids who had chosen to leave the palace, but he could not remember her name.

The maid stopped at the door to pay her respects, “The Lady asks if Steward Yang has some free time. She wishes to speak to you.”

Yang Fang was taken aback, unable to come up with a reason to refuse, “Eh… I am free. Please ask the Lady to wait a moment, I’ll be right there…”

“The Lady is just outside the door.”

Yang Fang quickly got up and came to the door, sure enough, the Lady of the manor was standing outside.

“The Lady could have just sent a maid to call me, why trouble yourself to come in person?”

Cui Xiaojun smiled, “I wanted to take a walk too. The manor is so big, there are many places I have not been to yet.”

Of course, the Manor of the Weary Marquis was not as large as the Cui estate, but in the Cui household she was a young miss and her living area only occupied a small part. In the Manor of the Weary Marquis, she was the mistress, possessing every inch of the land here.

Yang Fang ushered the Lady inside, looking a bit awkward. The Weary Marquis was young, and the Lady was even younger, which made Yang Fang unsure of how to treat her.

“Did the Marquis go out again?” Cui Xiaojun asked.

“The Marquis went out to buy New Year goods,” Yang Fang replied.

“He has been going out often recently, and each time he brings back a lot of things. Sometimes, even if I just mention something casually, he insists on searching the whole city for it.” Cui Xiaojun glanced around the room, “The Weary Marquis is so silly, buying all these things for me without thinking of other people.

Gui Lan, go and fetch some of the tea, fruits, cloth and other things that the Marquis brought back.”

Before Yang Fang could decline, the maid had already taken her order and left.

Yang Fang’s room was not large and was furnished very simply. Cui Xiaojun walked around casually, then turned around and asked, “I heard that you are leaving the manor?”

The news had already spread, and Yang Fang had nothing to hide, “Yes. After the end of the first lunar month, I will be taking up a post in the Northern Army.”

“Congratulations. While the post of Adjutant of the Northern Army is not a prominent position, it still holds great potential for the future.”

“I am a eunuch, son it’s already exceptional for me to serve in the army, I will not have a greater future.”

“Why are you leaving the Marquis then?” In an instant, Cui Xiaojun revealed her true self. She was no longer the elegant Lady of the Weary Marquis, but an unhappy little girl.

The awkward feeling in Yang Fang’s heart finally disappeared, he smiled and said, “Because there is not much for me to do here.”

Cui Xiaojun realized her lapse, tried to regain her previous demeanor but couldn’t. Her cheeks turned red involuntarily, she lowered her head and spoke in a low voice, “The Marquis greatly admires you, Lord Yang, and regards you as his mentor… Are you leaving because you are disappointed in him?”

“Disappointed? Why would the Lady say so?”

“Since leaving the imperial palace, the Marquis hasn’t done anything. He just practices martial arts and often goes out to wander around. He brings back some useless things, but I can’t blame him for that, it’s all my…”

Yang Fang bowed to the Lady, “Lady, you worry too much. My taking up a post in the Northern Army is precisely because I hope help the Marquis more. An Adjutant in the Northern Army can offer more help than a mere steward.”

“So that’s how it is. I was overthinking, please don’t mind my rambling, Lord Yang.”

“Lady, your concern for the Marquis only makes me happy. How could I mind?”

Cui Xiaojun’s face turned even redder. She bit her lip and thought for a moment before raising her head to ask, “What should I do to truly help the Marquis?”

“Well… regarding the art of managing a household…”

“No, not that. Not about managing a household. I mean real help.”

“I do not understand what the Lady means…” Yang Fang understood, but did not want to admit it.

“The Marquis… He should be the Emperor. The Chu Empire also needs such an Emperor, doesn’t it?” Cui Xiaojun mustered the courage to speak her thoughts.

“Lady, do you know that such words are high treason?”

“Even if it means losing my head, I must say it. I understand the Empress Dowager. She does not wish to choose a qualified Emperor at all. She only wants an obedient puppet. If her wish comes true, the Chu Empire is doomed. The senior officials only want to keep the power they already have, they actually don’t care who the Emperor in the palace is. The only enemy of the Marquis is the Empress Dowager…”

Yang Fang walked to the door and looked outside. His room was rather secluded and there was no one outside. He turned around and said, “Does the Lady wish to be Empress again?”

Cui Xiaojun was taken aback, “Whether or not I become the Empress doesn’t matter to me, I just…”

“Then I would ask the Lady to refrain from speaking such words in the future. As far as I know, the Marquis is content with his current life. This is also why I am at ease leaving. In the future, my help for the Marquis will involve ensuring that he is not bullied, not to help him regain the throne.”

Yang Fang was very good at lying. Even when facing a young wide-eyed girl who had just turned thirteen after the New Year, he spoke calmly and smoothly, “To be honest, the Marquis does not have the power to become an emperor. Helping him would be less useful than helping Han Shi, the Grand Marshal of the Northern Army. He is the orphan of Crown Prince Ju, and among the children of the Han imperial clan, he is the most eligible to succeed. He can manage the army and has the support of a large number of civil officials. The only regret is that he was unlucky and did not draw the right lot in the Ancestral Temple.”

Cui Xiaojun stood still for a while, then lowered her head and said, “Han Shi is not unlucky, but too lucky. Although his parents are dead, his maternal uncle is still alive, and the wife he married is also the daughter of a senior official. He is widely supported. Therefore, he is not favored by the Empress Dowager. On the other hand, the current crown prince, who is about to become emperor, has no roots or support in the capital, and his maternal family is all in the southern border provinces, which is exactly what the Empress Dowager wants.

Even the senior officials are happy. On the surface, they miss Crown Prince Ju, but in fact, they do not want to see the emergence of strong imperial in-laws again. The fact that Empress Dowager’s brother, Shang-guan Xu, has not been reappointed to a position of power is also a move by the Empress Dowager to please the senior officials.”

Yang Fang was very surprised. Although these matters all came from public information, no one dared to discuss them openly. It was extraordinary that the Lady, living in a secluded household, had such insights.

But he still shook his head. It was enough for the truth to be spoken to one person only. Even Han Ruzi kept it a secret from his wife, and he would not reveal it. “All this is meaningless to the Marquis. He has already distanced himself from the contention for the throne. Does the Lady hope for him to make a desperate attempt, or does she want him to live a peaceful life?”

“I… of course, I hope for peace and safety, but… I know the Marquis has something on his mind. He worries greatly.”

Indeed, it’s hardest to hide one’s thoughts from the one who shares your bed. Even though Han Ruzi was tight-lipped, he still let slip a bit. Yang Fang smiled and said, “Then find a way to resolve his worries and let him forget the life he had in the palace. You are both young and have many years ahead.”

“Can he really forget?” Cui Xiaojun showed her innocent side again.

Yang Fang felt a bit reluctant to deceive her, but he nodded nonetheless, “He will.”

These words were not entirely a deception. Yang Fang himself had a bit of doubt: the Weary Marquis was too young. After he got used to the leisurely life he had now, would he still be willing to step into the perilous struggle for the throne?

Yang Fang never liked to help those who did not help themselves. His move to the Northern Army was also to observe how long the Weary Marquis’s ambition could last.

Cui Xiaojun revealed a sweet smile, “If he doesn’t want to be Emperor, then I will accompany him till we grow old. I’m just afraid that the imperial court… Lord Yang, you will really protect him in the future, won’t you?”

“From the moment I brought the Marquis out of his home, it has been my duty to ensure his safety.” Yang Fang was glad he could tell the Lady this truth.

Cui Xiaojun took her leave, and shortly after, maidservants brought in various packages large and small, all of which Yang Feng accepted.

Han Ruzi returned home, bringing with him more food and trinkets. He cheerfully headed to the rear of the manor to see his wife. Later, he came to see Yang Feng, wanting to share a farewell drink with him.

Zhang Youcai brought in the wine and dishes, not forgetting to introduce the dishes, “Stewed meat from Dacheng Restaurant, roast chicken from Xing’an Tower, pickled goose feet from Laojia Alley… tsk tsk.” Before he could finish, Zhang Youcai’s mouth was watering.

“Go get some food from the kitchen for yourself,” Han Ruzi chuckled and shooed Zhang Youcai away, personally pouring wine for Yang Feng.

Yang Feng picked up the wine cup and drained it in one gulp. Han Ruzi only took a small sip, then filled Yang Feng’s cup again.

“Did the Lady send you here?” After downing his third cup, Yang Feng asked.

“Mhm, she said after we enter the New Year, she will be too busy to come and send you off.”

“You sure are obedient.”

Han Ruzi scratched his head, “What she said makes a lot of sense. The new Emperor will ascend to the throne on the first day of the New Year, followed by visits to the Ancestral Temple and various imperial mausoleums to pay tribute. There will also be rites to the sun, moon, earth, sky, and mutual greetings among the imperial clan… It seems like the Manor Clerk doesn’t plan on letting me rest.”

“This is a good thing. Participating in these ceremonies will show everyone that the Empress Dowager indeed does not intend to harm you. You will be safer. But still, be careful. The Empress Dowager has only temporarily stabilized the situation, the power dynamics of the imperial court is even more complicated than before. The tension between the Empress Dowager and the Cui clan is very high. Everyone is cautiously walking on a tightrope. No one wants to provoke suspicion in such times, so you are safe. But once someone wants to break the balance…”

“Killing the deposed emperor would be the simplest and most effective way to stir up trouble.” Han Ruzi understood this. Now, he always took Du Chuanyun with him when he went out. “You should also be careful. Now that you’re taking up a military position, everything would be conducted according to military law. If the Grand Marshal wants to kill you, it would be easy.”

Yang Feng let out a cold laugh. “Han Shi pretends to be savvy, but inside he’s still just a naive young man. He is very afraid, even more so than you when you first entered the palace. He doesn’t know who can be trusted, yet he is desperate for help. To me, this is just an opportunity, not a danger.”

Han Shi’s appearance revealed no weaknesses, but Han Ruzi could understand the predicament of this orphan of a crown prince: the Empress Dowager’s intentions were inscrutable, the senior officials were two-faced, the Cui clan lurked threateningly from outside, and there are covert battles within the imperial clan… It made sense that he was afraid and nervous.

“You sure like assisting emperors.”

“Because only emperors can deal with that secret gang.” Yang Feng looked at Han Ruzi, understanding the young man’s concerns. “Please understand, if the Grand Marshal of the Northern Army is indeed a capable figure worthy of seizing the throne, I will go with the flow and lend him a hand. When the time comes, I hope that you will also go with the flow and live peacefully within this manor.”

Han Ruzi drank the remaining wine in his cup. He could hardly imagine that just half a year ago, he was still a spoiled child who was unwilling to get out of bed. His brief career as an emperor changed everything. Although he hadn’t tasted the true flavor of power, he had smelled its aroma from the closest distance.

“He is not a capable figure.” Han Ruzi said affirmatively, “His desire for the throne is even less than that of Prince Donghai. The reason why the civil officials in the court have not fully supported him must be this. Hesitation is worse than having no ambition.”

Yang Feng poured a full glass for the Weary Marquis. The Weary Marquis was young and lacked the necessary experience and tactics, but there was one thing Yang Feng appreciated about him: he could always guess the simplest and most essential answer.

“I’ll leave another question for you: Between the Empress Dowager and Cui Hong, who will make the first move? And what will their move be?”