Chapter 212

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

"Forgot to mention it." Shaowei sat cross-legged on the mat spread in the courtyard, before the low table, the autumn pear in her hand having just taken one bite, now taking another, while saying: "But there's no need to bring it up specially either; they'll hear about it naturally."

Qingwu was startled by this light unconcern, then heard Shaowei add with a touch of showing off: "But I wrote down the whole process of A Jie taking the Liang Prince hostage."

Some people in the Capital only knew that a certain family's son had distinguished himself in the operation to capture the Liang Prince, but few knew what this family's son was called, and moreover it was under Xiangzhi's alias; Ji Jin could not naturally learn of A Jie's valor as an achievement. Fortunately Shaowei's skillful pen had already narrated the matter in detail, showing it off.

Qingwu had long suffered from a condition of being ashamed when praised; her face reddened slightly: "This is precisely the sort of thing that shouldn't be mentioned. It's nothing, just a moment's luck..."

Shaowei: "How could it be nothing? What A Jie did deserves to make their eyes pop out—"

Jiang Fu, lying on the bamboo mat on the other side of the low table basking in the moonlight, eyes closed, pillowing a white jade pillow, listened to the two girls talking and couldn't help remarking casually: "The place the little brat chose to settle his family truly is a treasure land... troubled times produce heroes, and where Heaven's Mechanism falls to nest, heroes emerge in youth."

She lay quietly, her whole person as if draped by moonlight in a layer of luminous, translucent gauze, voice drifting ethereally: "The little brat entered the game to save his master, drawing out the Liang Prince's plot; Qingwu kept this thief... If Shan Gu and the Ji-surnamed youth can afterward pacify the Liang State's chaos, in days to come when the world is at peace, you Taoxi Township Four Heroes will have a share of great merit."

Heaven's Mechanism's merit is accounted separately; now there is an additional merit of the Taoxi Township Four Heroes, and compared to the former, the latter actually makes Shaowei feel even more proud and smug. Because she liked this sudden title, even her bearing while chewing the pear became more spirited and solemn.

And when her gaze turned to Mo Li on the side, chewing rock candy in her mouth, still intently polishing carriage parts, she immediately proposed: "Five Heroes, must count Mo Li too."

"Zhan Zhan, Zhan Zhan!" Zhan Zhan landed beside Jiang Fu's head, flapping wings in protest, snowy white feather powder flying in disorder.

Jiang Fu waved a hand lazily to shoo it away while sighing: "Should add the Green Ox too; if not for avenging the Green Ox, how would Heaven's Mechanism have had proper reason to enter the world? — This should be the Taoxi Township Seven Heroes."

Recently, due to good temper control, the Green Ox, specially permitted to roam free, lay now in the moonlight, eyes narrowed, seriously ruminating.

The Taoxi Township Heroes list had only just been established, yet was already quite crowded and full of species. Seeing Shaowei look over generously and eagerly, the household slave sitting nearby drinking water declined in a hoarse voice: "This is a youth heroes organization; I'm too old to participate."

The team expansion thwarted, Shaowei scavenged in her mind for any other candidates or non-human choices. As the pear crunched crisply between her teeth, she saw a kite hawk spreading its wings fly past the edge of the blue-black night canopy overhead.

Shaowei watched that large bird gradually disappear.

She thought somewhat absently: Uncovering the Liang Prince's plot in time also owed a great merit to Liu Qi.

Thinking further, Liu Qi was also very dedicated during disaster relief, accomplishing many practical things.

And those returning armies that had failed in the campaigns against the Xiongnu earlier—

Many in that Northern Expedition Army were former Ling Family Army troops. Due to the Emperor's erroneous decisions they had fought bitterly for years, were defeated and returned, and originally a severe punishment awaited them.

Internal troubles and external threats, precisely a time when men were needed; the Emperor might not truly wish to punish, but had no choice but to punish. Fortunately the army on its return pacified several disorders, and even detected and nipped the Jizhou Governor's treasonous plot early, averting a major war.

The Emperor gained this face-saving pretext; the north-returning army redeemed merit for crime, escaping a severe punishment. Commander Lifeng and the two deputy generals Yueyang and Yan Tian, along with their subordinates, were all preserved.

This happened just months ago; no one in the Capital was unaware.

But few knew that behind this matter, it was actually Liu Qi who secretly sent messages and strategies to Yueyang and Yan Tian, and that Guo Ye, the Wei Commandery Governor who first detected the Jizhou Governor's abnormal movements, was Liu Qi's man—

Valuable advance intelligence has always been a political blade. On Liu Qi's orders, Guo Ye first leaked the news to Yue and Yan, which enabled this redemption of merit for crime.

Ever since the Northern Expedition's defeat, the court had been endlessly debating the handling of the returning army. Under the Sovereign Father's silent scrutiny and waiting, Liu Qi never once opened his mouth to plead for mercy, but protected those people in a way no one knew.

Shaowei learned of this because that night she went to visit Liu Qi, and when she agreed to help him take revenge, he mentioned the clue that had been severed on the previous Wei Commandery Governor—

Already knowing that the previous Wei Commandery Governor, who had hanged himself in his own family graveyard, was killed by Liu Qi, Shaowei couldn't help speculating: would the succeeding Wei Commandery Governor be Liu Qi's man?

Sure enough, she guessed right. Liu Qi always made full use of everything in his actions, never letting any opportunity slip.

Perhaps due to the Marquis of Changping's act of preservation before his death, this life's Liu Qi gained some more usable things. He used the guise of a startled bird, but in secret never stopped repairing and extending the root tendrils of the tree veins beneath his feet.

But the Marquis of Changping's choice must also have left him some other things, buried deep in his heart, letting him pave a road back to the Capital that turned the tables.

Returning to the Capital was a shortcut, yet also fraught with danger, extremely easy to become a trapped beast. Shaowei thought and thought, and concluded his heart surely held more than hatred.

All his actions, though containing calculations for his own use, simultaneously considered the common people, considered the state's military affairs.

Only one thing: he would even throw aside calculations, throw aside his life — striving with all his strength to protect her intact.

Whether public or private, at this moment Shaowei could without hesitation stamp her seal and determine: Liu Qi is also a youthful hero.

The difference is: the Taoxi Township Seven Heroes' heroic spirit rings loud and clear; his heroic spirit is quiet, unknown to people.

He is a sneaky, mysterious knight-errant. This life he personally pushed so many positive changes, yet he never knows it himself.

Shaowei then thought of facing Liu Cheng's confession, that sense of fate driving her, as if fate was telling her what path Heaven's Mechanism ought to walk.

Fate still seems not to advocate letting Liu Qi live. He is like a pawn influenced by Heaven's Mechanism, very suitable to become a fate's discarded pawn, used then erased.

But no matter.

Shaowei bit another large mouthful of pear flesh.

Even if fate doesn't want him, she won't not want him.

This time, she won't let Liu Qi die in the mountains and forests as a treacherous minister and rebel whom all would execute. She won't kill him again, nor will she help others kill him. She will supervise him to grip that three-foot sword tight to the end, do what he ought to do, live the life he ought to live.

The youth's retreating figure in the corridor, those smiling eyes seemingly holding misty tears, flashed before her eyes. Shaowei, who hadn't had time to speak then, now suddenly felt a blunt impulse: she should tell him face to face that no matter who offers what benefit in exchange, she will not not want him, will not abandon him.

Would such a guarantee make him feel a bit more at ease and happy?

Toward those by her side, Shaowei even in relative scarcity never stinted on reciprocation, giving, favoritism — treated Jiang Fu so, treated Qingwu, Ji Jin, Shan Gu so. Yet for some reason, now thinking of telling Liu Qi face to face that she won't not want him, and imagining his reaction, she actually felt her heart thumping in advance, anticipating, leaping with joy, extremely satisfied.

This wondrous, perfectly fitting feeling made her even more determined to tell him without fail. Shaowei set down the pear core, nodding to herself as if making a pact.

The Palace is naturally inconvenient to speak; must wait for him to squeeze out time, come to her residence. Coincidentally she had entrusted Jiang Fu to help check his leg injury.

The lying Jiang Fu glanced askance at the little brat nodding to herself, a few parts curious in her heart, wondering what wondrous decision this little brat had made now.

Qingwu handed Shaowei the damp cloth. Shaowei had just wiped the pear juice from her hands when Qingwu passed over a piece of pastry, feeding her quite densely.

Shaowei was already full, held it in her hand eating slowly. Qingwu then spoke to her again about the contents of Ji Jin's letter. Ji Jin wrote in the letter: when the Court's merit-rewarding edict arrives, if he can obtain an official post, he will certainly set about memorializing, requesting the Court to order water disaster management.

Across these few lines in the letter, Shaowei could already imagine Ji Jin's solemn expression as he repeatedly pondered and drafted.

Regarding this matter, Shaowei replied with six characters: "Useless effort, don't write."

At the same time, hearing Qingwu speak to this point, Shaowei gnawed the pastry and began drafting her own reply.

The Green Ox ruminated on the side; Qingwu and Shaowei also ruminated like this, only lacking chewing Ji Jin's letter to pulp over and over.

Listening to the boys talk about boys' matters, Jiang Fu sighed, narrowed his eyes to look at the stars, and murmured: "The youthful spirit pierces the clear autumn; once the boat leaves the shore, it rushes forward. Why need spring mornings with flowers like brocade? This body now stands atop the azure heavens……"

The house slave savored it for a moment, then nodded: "Yes, I feel the same."

At this moment, Xiao Yu suddenly ran out from the house, joyfully reporting: "Young Master, Head of Household, Que'er has woken up again!"

Recently Jiang Fu had been using medicine on Que'er, because forcibly sorting out the qi within his body often caused Que'er to fall into a death-like coma; this process was extremely difficult to endure and depended greatly on luck, so every time Que'er woke up, Xiao Yu had to report it loudly.

After finishing the report, Xiao Yu ran back into the house and chattered incessantly at Que'er, who had turned awake on the bed: "Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? You must take the medicine first!"

"By the way, now the two mansions on either side of Jiang Zhai all belong to us; the court will, according to regulations, break through and repair them to create the Ling Shu Hou Fu!"

"But the Young Master said, our residence will still remain, and absolutely will not be moved." Xiao Yu said, spreading both arms to draw a large circle: "By then we will build a high outer wall, and Jiang Zhai will be enclosed within it all at once; the residence plaque need not be taken down…… You rest assured and recover from your illness, do not worry that one day you will open your eyes to find yourself in a strange place!"

Que'er weakly nodded his head, and his eyes also flashed with rare anticipation—that was anticipation for life in the future, and for continuing to live.

Some look forward to tomorrow with hope, while others worry anxiously about tomorrow and cannot sleep at night.

Four days later, the news that Liang Guo was mobilizing troops indeed reached the Capital, and Liu Cheng was anxious about the matter of increasing troop deployment.

Raising military funds and grain was the foremost difficulty; besides that, regarding where to dispatch troops from, the ministers' opinions differed. Some believed that the upheaval in Liang Guo would inevitably indirectly incite other vassal states or rebels of different surnames; if at this time the heavy troops in the Jing Shi Nan Ying were sent away, causing the defense of Jingji to become weak, it was feared that traitors would seize the opportunity to invade.

If the Capital troops were not moved, then from where should troops be dispatched? Liu Cheng heard many proposals, only feeling that opinions were in great confusion; yet once discussed in detail, implementation always brought difficulties and drawbacks.

Rui Ze had not fought in battles, but he was on guard and extremely vigilant that ill-intentioned people would use this matter to mislead the Heir Apparent into making mistakes; therefore he was everywhere on guard and suspicious, and the matter of increasing reinforcements still had no specific details.

The joy of "an auspicious sign at the very beginning of the Heir Apparent's regency" brought by Huaiyang Guo's great victory passed in a flash; the complex and heavy trials were the true subject of the regency to come.

And on this day, returning from the Imperial Palace, Rui Ze suddenly heard a piece of news that made him feel annoyed.

"……The Qu family's daughter is betrothed? When did this happen? How is it that this Marquis had not heard of it before?" Rui Ze frowned and asked the Steward before him.

The Steward lowered his head and answered: "It is said that the two families had privately exchanged birth slips as early as after the Dragon Boat Festival; it is just that, with the drought occurring, there had been no announcement……"

Rui Ze had to ask again: "Which family is it with?"

"The Zhuang family." The Steward said: "The Advice Daifu Zhuang Yuanzhi, who was previously demoted to the South, is precisely the second son of this family, named Zhuang Mei……"

"Zhuang Yuanzhi……" Upon hearing this first cursed god's name, Rui Ze's brow furrowed even tighter, as if he had already been splashed in the face by the other's flying spittle from afar, lacking only the habitual reaction of reaching out to wipe his face.

He had intended to select an unmarried young daughter from the household of the Sili Xiaowei Qu Bai for his nephew as the Crown Princess.

Qu Bai, as a descendant of Empress Qu, had always not formed factions, was proper and Gao Ming, and served the Son of Heaven with utmost loyalty; to this day he was still trusted by the Emperor as a close maternal relative. If he could form a marriage alliance with such a Qu family, he would neither be suspected by the Emperor, nor would it add kinship upon kinship, thoroughly securing Cheng Er's position as Crown Prince.

Previously Rui Ze had been unwilling to consider it, fearing that once the Qu family controlled the Heir Apparent, they would suppress and overshadow the Rui Clan…… Now he had finally made up his mind to focus on the present, who knew he would be a step too late; the Qu family's young daughter's marriage was already settled!

"This Qu family really knows how to choose people; they chose a man full of loyalty and integrity, unafraid of power, a clean minister currently being summoned back to the Capital……" Rui Ze said sarcastically: "This Zhuang Yuanzhi being able to return to the Capital was because his teacher Tai Yan kowtowed to Your Majesty again and again."

Tai Yan was the Yushi Daifu, holding the position of the Three Dukes, and already had the intention of retiring; everywhere it was said that he intended to bring his student Zhuang Yuanzhi back from the South to prepare to succeed his position.

"I have also inquired; it is said that the Qu family's daughter has a tyrannical temperament, and the family cannot easily force her; this marriage was chosen by her personally through entreaty……" The Steward said in a low voice: "Given the Qu family's cautious manner, they must have secretly inquired about Your Majesty's intentions…… Since Your Majesty has agreed, then this time Zhuang Yuanzhi returns to the Capital; as long as he restrains himself and follows the rules, he will surely be heavily employed."

How could Rui Ze not understand this principle? He suppressed the vexation of his thoughts coming to nothing, and said: "Speaking of which, this Zhuang Yuanzhi should have reached the Capital by now; once he appears, we still need to probe this man's current thoughts."

Suddenly thinking of something, he said in a low voice: "I vaguely recall that this man was previously one of the factions of officials who were not on good terms with the Ling family siblings……"

The candle flame flickered slightly, and the autumn insects outside the window chirped in waves, making a racket until daybreak.

Accompanied by the faint light of dawn, the gates of Chang'an City opened wide, and a simple carriage drove in from outside the city, carrying a travel-weary returnee, rolling over the slightly damp stone slab road in the early morning.

The carriage proceeded slowly all the way, stopping in front of a residence in Chengdong; the door plaque hanging above the courtyard gate bore the two characters "Zhuang Zhai".

?? Thank you everyone for the monthly tickets, rewards, and comments.

? Good night.

? Today returning from outside the region, the temperature suddenly dropped sharply; I held my cat tightly. Everyone, please keep warm.