Chapter 753: Never the Same

The King's coming to Yingtai Isle permitted officials to bring their families; following the imperial carriage to escape the heat was a welfare for high-ranking officials, and they could uniformly reside in the gardens near Ningwu Gate, which were called the Outer Province.

The scenery and architecture of the Outer Province were incomparable to their residences in Youzhou City. Although not as imposing and grand as the Inner Province, it was orderly and neat.

The Xie family's residence was extremely spacious; as the head of all officials, Chancellor Xie naturally had the best spot, and Xie Yuan and Xie Tu had come, though their families did not accompany them.

During the morning audience, the King retained the Grand Commander and the military officers to discuss matters; Xie Yuan also didn't have time to ask the King where his reading activity at the Wei hour was arranged, and after his afternoon rest he intended to go into the Inner Province to inquire.

Before he even left the door, he met Xie Tu, who was about to go out; uncle and nephew met, and Xie Tu knew his uncle wanted to go find the King, showing an indescribable expression.

He glanced at the blazing sun outside and inquired, 'Uncle, do you know where His Majesty resides?'

Xie Yuan was puzzled, 'I don't know. Isn't it just a matter of going into the garden and finding someone to pass along the message?'

The uncle and nephew stood under the eaves, and Xie Tu pointed to the highest small mountain peak in sight. 'That peak is the highest peak of Yingtai Isle, called Liuyun Peak; the tall tower on its summit is called Plucking Stars Pavilion. I've heard the Emperor's sleeping quarters are on the seventh floor. The sixth floor is for resting and dining, the fifth floor for reading and handling government affairs.' In other words, to find him you'd have to climb at least to the fifth floor.

Xie Yuan: ……

Xie Yuan couldn't fathom it—with countless palaces at the mountain's base, why must one climb the mountain each day to return to the sleeping quarters?

'There is a temple on Liuyun Peak for the imperial family to worship Buddha, perhaps to demonstrate sincerity, so the mountain path is especially steep.'

Xie Yuan couldn't believe it: 'Does he have to climb the mountain and then the tower every time he comes and goes?'

Xie Tu: '……I asked Steward Zhao; His Majesty rides that… Little Gold for transport.'

Upon hearing that, Xie Yuan turned and headed toward the official offices, deciding to block the King again after tomorrow's court.

Even if he climbed up today, the Emperor might not be there; who knows which way they'll descend the mountain? What if the guards down below didn't see them? Chancellor Xie seemed to envision his own sorry sight of clambering up in disgrace, only for the King to descend from another direction.

Xie Yuan was also overthinking; the King had a new antic each day, never repeating.

Today's issue isn't settled, and tomorrow there will be another new one—you simply can't keep up with yesterday's.

The next day, they heard at court that the King wanted to establish a unit—of Xiongnu cavalry who served him.

The court exploded.

The old-timers from Chang'an jumped up in opposition—not just one or two, but all of them.

Perhaps they thought the law doesn't punish the many? Seeing everyone oppose, the opposition grew large, and they gradually became righteous and indignant. Could the Emperor really dismiss them all? After serving so long in Youzhou, they knew the new dynasty lacked personnel! They hadn't even looked before aiming their scheme at the foreigners' heads.

Cheng Lao Tai Chang tried to keep himself calm; his main point was: 'A lifelong enemy, a feud as deep as a sea of blood—how could one trust a wolf's cub?' The other elders held similar views, and the opposition was chiefly led by those from Chang'an.

As for the King, when each person spoke he seemed to be listening attentively, and everyone unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Good news—this time he actually seemed to listen to advice?

After everyone had taken their turn and finished speaking, the King calmly spread his hands and said innocently, 'But, Zhang Tu has already gone to handle this.'

The officials couldn't catch their breath, nearly vomiting blood.

Chancellor Xie feared that some incident might cause all officials to die of anger, leaving a dark, conspicuous mark in the new dynasty's history.

He began to mediate between the two sides, balancing the water.

At this point in time, no dynasty had ever seen such a precedent; the Jin people, unlike Dong Fu who had witnessed such scenes, found the King's idea genuinely avant‑garde for them.

Xue Lin'an also didn't quite agree, but he remained restrained, knowing that no one could interfere in military affairs.

Thus everyone turned their eager eyes to the Grand Commander, and the Grand Commander fully supported it.

The stubborn old‑timers grew even more desperate; at that moment the King rose nonchalantly and announced the end of court, letting them go back to think it over.

They still hadn't finished thinking about yesterday's ten‑year corvée! They also disagreed with that! How could they be so merciful to the steppe barbarians!

Xie Yuan still wanted to follow up and tell the King about moving him down the mountain, but the officials instantly surrounded him, letting the just‑arrived and silver‑tongued Chancellor Xie speak for them.

Xie Yuan: …… 'Things are already underway; no matter how much you oppose, it's futile.'

He felt it would be better to persuade the King to move down the mountain.

The garden was huge, and only the King was happy about it; Xie Yuan simply couldn't catch him for several days straight. The King went out early and returned late, and with Little Gold's aid he was untraceable in the vast garden.

If you blocked him in the morning at Qianyuan Hall, the King would obediently promise to consider it. But if you went back in the afternoon to ask, you couldn't find him at all!

Today's inquiry seemed to indicate he had descended from the north slope of Liuyun Peak, though the details were unknown; tomorrow's inquiry said he had gone to Lake Center Island, which is half‑hidden in mist even in broad daylight, appearing very distant; the day after, it seemed he might have gone to Pine Ravine Listening to Springs—Chancellor Xie, unfamiliar with the terrain and having only two legs, faltered at just hearing the name.

Thus the King loitered for two days, and the slow‑moving imperial carriage procession finally arrived.

The King finally learned that 'he' had also been assassinated once, and this fellow immediately went to console the Imperial Consort and his sister.

To the King, assassination was nothing special. He uttered less than two sentences before beginning to show off his Yingtai Isle, sharing with relatives which spots had nice scenery and which were cool. Seated below, Bai Li Hu felt ever more that the Jingzhou martyrs were not worth it. Look at this careless attitude—striking stone with an egg, dying for nothing!

The King's heart had been running wild these days. Now seeing his sister arrive, he was enthusiastic, urging Ning Guo and Chang Chun to take the lead in organizing a garden party, lively and lively.

'…Just invite the officials' families. Young officials without families can also post notices; let everyone gather to admire the garden and compose poetry—how wonderful!' Having said that, he lifted his head and exchanged a glance with Consort Wei. They never see each other day after day; when will my elder sister and that Lu Liu become acquainted!

'…Just seize the time to observe that Lu fellow more closely; if there's any fault, we can still replace him in time.'

Ning Guo: ……

The King was happily envisioning the bustling scene when a report came that the Guangling delegation had arrived at Yingtai Isle.

Li Xu and the imperial carriage arrived one after another, and the King immediately had no mind for the garden party.

"Have Liang Ben make the arrangements; I'll be free tomorrow afternoon." This fellow, as he was leaving, casually pulled Bai Li Hu along. "Old Four, you go tomorrow too; let's go together and see what Old Two really intends to do!"

Bai Li Hu stood under the eaves, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes.

"I won't! Unless, this time that… assassin, you also spare their lives—the Jingzhou are only worried about my safety, after all they're in vain……" Those warriors each cost a fortune to train; constantly throwing themselves like moths into a flame pains him. After signing that ridiculous notice last time and exchanging terms, this time Bai Li Hu brought up the request, feeling a bit guilty.

The King thought, 'I haven't even killed the Xiongnu prisoners of war; what could I not pardon among the surrendered Jin people?'

However, 'Tomorrow we'll see your performance. Only by working together to settle Old Two will there truly be peace under heaven.'

Bai Li Hu remained silent; he didn't buy it.

In the south, raising rebel flags with great fanfare involved only those few, but in fact many more harbored dissent. Eliminating Old Two wouldn't bring peace either.

The crafty King certainly knew what he was thinking; he himself was aware. Seeing that Liang He, who oversees the mines, hasn't returned yet, he also knew. The situation in the south… might be more complex than he imagined.

But.

"Who cares?! They're not even my blood brothers. Annoying, and it's the underground ancestors who should be annoyed. Descendants aren't filial—they all want to rebel~"

Bai Li Hu: ……