Chapter 2018: Surprise

In the early morning, just as dawn was breaking, the early-rising birds and insects were already chirping and chattering away. The old Emperor didn't find it annoying—having spent so long in the deep palace, having witnessed too much deathly silence, this kind of vitality and liveliness was truly rare.

Within the temporary residence, the old Emperor was behaving unusually, rising early in the morning. What was even more unusual was that he was indulging in some refined amusements. Four palace maids, each one beautiful, with bright eyes and white teeth, graceful figures, all in the tender bloom of youth like flower buds, and moreover possessing talent and excellent bearing—they were all carefully cultivated products of the Inner Music Bureau.

One sat upright at the zither table, calmly plucking the strings, producing melodious music; one sat elegantly, expression serious, delicate hands moving nimbly through changing gestures, attentively tending to the tea; one held a round fan, gently sending cool morning breezes at a steady rhythm, helping the old Emperor dispel the midsummer heat.

Though the old Emperor's "equipment" was no longer functional, that didn't stop him from appreciating beauty and enjoying feminine charms through other means.

The zither music drifted softly, incense smoke curled upward, and the remaining palace maid—the most stunning of them all—walked toward the old Emperor with graceful steps, swaying her enchanting figure, carrying a wooden tray in her hands.

She knelt gracefully beside the old Emperor, her exquisite face adorned with a sweet smile, her voice especially pleasant and refreshing: "Humbly requesting His Majesty to partake of tea."

The rich aroma of tea permeated the air, stimulating one's taste buds. Having arrived in Xinyang, how could one not taste "Maojian"? What was served to the old Emperor was naturally the finest green tea from the Nanwan Lake production area.

Well, strictly speaking, this didn't count as a tribute of local products—it was specially supplied by the Shenzhou government office as a "daily" beverage, and thus couldn't be said to violate the old Emperor's edict against offering local tributes.

Glancing at the rosy-cheeked beauty beside him who was as docile as a kitten, the old Emperor wore an expression of utter calm, picking up the tea bowl and examining it. At this moment, the tea was undergoing some marvelous changes—the surface patterns formed by the special techniques of striking and stirring resembled several flower petals, in the midst of blooming.

Looking at this tea full of exquisite craftsmanship, the old Emperor, like a cow chewing peonies, blew on it to cool it, then took a gentle sip. Smacking his lips, he said: "The taste isn't anything special! This pot of tea is awarded to you!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" The palace maid hurriedly kowtowed in gratitude, wearing an expression of utmost honor.

It was clear that since the southern inspection tour began, the old Emperor's mood had been improving day by day. Today, he even had a smile on his face—that was truly rare.

It was precisely because the old Emperor seemed to be in good spirits that Hu De hesitated—should he report that inauspicious matter now? It was rare for His Majesty to have such leisure and refinement; what if he disturbed him? Better to wait for another time.

However, the old Emperor seemed to have sharp eyes and a clear mind, catching Hu De's little expression. He asked leisurely: "What has happened? Do tell."

Hu De glanced at the old Emperor, his expression growing even more hesitant, looking as if he wanted to speak but held back.

"Hm?"

Hearing that sound, Hu De immediately jolted with a start. Before the old Emperor had even finished his "hm," he hurriedly said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the Marquis of Peace, Li Yu, passed away last night at his lodging."

"Oh—" The old Emperor's reaction was somewhat slow; the news took a moment to process through his mind before he reacted: "Hm?"

"When did this happen!" The old Emperor suddenly perked up: "How did he die?"

Carefully observing the old Emperor's expression, which seemed to show no displeasure, Hu De secretly breathed a sigh of relief and answered: "Approximately at the Chou hour last night!"

Saying this, Hu De's expression was also somewhat strange: "According to reports, before retiring last night, the Marquis of Peace was seized by a whim, drinking freely in the pavilion of his residence, laughing loudly from time to time. He drank to excess and died suddenly."

"Drank himself to death?" The old Emperor wore a look of "bizarre amusement," as if hearing an interesting anecdote: "Now that's a strange affair! I've long heard that Li Yu was a talented drinker—whether at home or traveling abroad, no wine meant no joy. Dying this way is certainly a testament to his devotion to alcohol!"

After a few teasing remarks, the old Emperor couldn't help but sigh: "What a pity. With Li Yu gone, how many magnificent poems and lyrics will the world lose! Though I don't particularly care for Li Yu's ci poetry, those verses are indeed beautifully written and moving, beloved by those sentimental men and women."

"Let his family collect his body and send him back to his hometown for burial!" After a moment's thought, the old Emperor instructed: "The weather is already turning hot—bestow some ice packs and herbs for preserving the corpse!"

"Yes!"

After granting these two favors, the old Emperor said to Hu De in a joking tone: "Among contemporary poets, Li Yu counts as a master of his school, with considerable fame. To depart so suddenly, to die so unexpectedly—it truly gives one pause for reflection.

I hear that besides writing poetry and lyrics, Li Yu was also skilled in fine brushwork. His works will greatly increase in value from now on. If you have any, keep them well—in a few decades, they'd make fine heirlooms to pass down."

The old Emperor was clearly speaking casually, but Hu De grew serious and answered solemnly: "This humble one is a man without roots, with no descendants either. My heart and mind are wholly devoted to the palace—how could I speak of heirlooms? However much the Marquis of Peace's works may be treasured by others, they hold little value to this humble one, for I do not understand their artistry and cannot appreciate them!"

"Heh heh!" The old Emperor laughed upon hearing this, and rare as it was, offered a word of praise: "Those words please me!"

His smile gradually faded, and the old Emperor's expression turned somber again. Though on the surface he had treated Li Yu's death with a joking attitude, this matter had still stirred something in him.

After a moment of deliberation, the old Emperor sighed: "Li Yu is gone too. I find myself faintly reluctant to let him go! People like Gao Baorong, Meng Chang, Li Yu, Qian Hongchu, and Liu Chang—they all once carved out their own territories, proclaiming themselves kings and overlords.

Though they were unworthy to be my opponents, they did indeed play an important role in the process of unifying the realm. They were truly obstacles to the court and caused me no small amount of trouble.

For that alone, shouldn't they be shown some measure of respect?"

The old Emperor murmured, then suddenly said: "To die drunk in the middle of a southern inspection tour—if word gets out, I doubt anyone would believe it. Who knows what stories will circulate out there."

Turning his head toward Hu De, the old Emperor raised a finger and instructed: "I hear the fish from Nanwan Lake in Xinyang are quite good. Prepare a full fish banquet and summon Meng Chang and Liu Chang. I shall entertain them personally—consider it a way to calm their nerves!"

"Yes! This humble one will make arrangements at once!" Seeing the old Emperor's attention swiftly shift, Hu De dared not be the least bit negligent and immediately acknowledged.

The melodious zither music still lingered, the beautiful palace maid still tended the tea, and the old Emperor slowly closed his eyes. In this pleasant atmosphere, his old face was nonetheless tinged with bitterness—that was the truest reaction beneath his relaxed exterior.

From Xinyang city to Jigong Mountain there were still several dozen li. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the imperial procession once again set out southward. However, this time the number of attendants was considerably reduced—most officials remained at Nanwan Lake, a portion of the imperial army was stationed in Xinyang city and its surroundings to protect the temporary palace from the outside, and fewer than ten thousand people actually accompanied the imperial carriage into Taikang Palace.

The official road heading south was the main thoroughfare to Wuchang. The further south one went, the closer to the mountains, and the more difficult the road became—and this was after the local government had spent considerable resources to expand it.

When the procession turned onto the road to Jigong Mountain, the old Emperor had no choice but to abandon his grand and ornate ceremonial carriage, switching to a smaller vehicle to enter the mountains. No sooner had they entered the mountains, before he could even properly appreciate the beautiful scenery and lush forests, another surprise arrived.

On the bumpy mountain road, the carriage was already struggling along, the axles creaking, when it suddenly came to a halt. Even from inside the carriage, one could hear commotion outside—even a bit of minor disturbance, which for the strictly disciplined imperial escort guards counted as a lapse.

The old Emperor's brows furrowed slightly. He picked up a small mallet, knocked on the carriage door, and asked in a displeased tone: "What's going on?"

"This humble one will investigate at once!" Hu De's tense voice came through.

Not daring to keep the old Emperor waiting long, Hu De quickly returned and said in a grave tone: "Reporting to Your Majesty, the matter has been investigated. Before Princess Jincheng's carriage, two people had descended the mountain on ropes and blocked the procession to cry out for justice."

"Is that so!" The old Emperor's eyes narrowed slightly: "Where are they now?"

"For daring to breach the procession, they were decisively executed by the guards!" Hu De answered.

"How is the Princess? Was she frightened?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Her Highness the Princess is unharmed!"

The imperial carriage fell into silence. Hu De felt the pressure in the air drop, then added: "Your Majesty, the guards also found a blood-written petition on one of them!"

No sound came in response. The small window opened, and a withered old hand extended out. Seeing this, Hu De hurriedly presented the blood petition with both hands. Neither the guards nor he had dared to examine its contents closely, but Hu De knew in his heart that this matter was far from trivial.

At the same time, he cursed inwardly—where had these base commoners come from, choosing this moment and this method? Weren't they spoiling His Majesty's mood? They'd lost their lives, and if they angered His Majesty, people like him would suffer the consequences too.

After a long while, the old Emperor's cold, quiet voice emerged: "Move out!"

The temporary palace had only just been put into use, and before anyone had even set foot inside, such an "incident" had occurred. Even the old Emperor himself hadn't expected that within just two days of arriving in Xinyang, these "surprises" would come one after another.

Everything about the imperial procession attracted attention, and the incident of the procession being breached naturally couldn't be hidden. For a time, speculation ran rampant and everyone looked askance.

Breaching the imperial procession was an extremely serious matter, fully deserving to be regarded as a grave political incident. On the surface, it was two commoners breaking through to cry out for justice—but what if there had been more people, with other purposes? An assassination attempt, for instance—the consequences of that would be hair-raising. Nothing concerning the Son of Heaven's safety was trivial.

Even setting aside such severity, the act of breaching the procession to cry out for justice was itself enough to provoke endless speculation. For what matter would one risk death to cry out? What was written on that blood petition? What corruption had occurred in Shenzhou? Or was it related to the construction of Taikang Temporary Palace...

The world had never lacked clever people. Regarding this matter, even if many couldn't see the whole picture, from the many subtle signs they could discern five or six parts of it, and the rest they could guess another two or three parts. They were simply playing dumb along with the old Emperor.

However, the fact that the procession had been breached, and in such a manner, clearly meant someone was no longer willing to play dumb...