Chapter 1386: Men Laugh at My Folly, I Laugh at Them Too

But what use is there in saying all this? The court has fed and kept us for so many years; we just need to do our duty loyally. Besides, didn't you say it yourself just now? A sage Son of Heaven sits on the throne today, and the chief ministers governing the court are upright and honest — there will always come a day when the Great Ming's sky clears again. It's fine to speak such disheartening words to me, but don't go saying them to anyone else..."

"Alright, Uncle, I understand..." After Liu Songping had consoled him like this, Qi Wang's mood finally lifted a little.

He picked up the wine pot, intending to pour himself another cup, only to find there was nothing left inside, so he dejectedly tossed the pot aside.

"Out of wine? That's just as well..." Liu Songping's eyes were already bleary with drink, but his spirits actually seemed much improved. "Wang boy, we'll be setting out in a few days. Make your preparations in the meantime. It looks like this will be a long road, and we'll be traveling for quite a while. Though the local authorities will look after us along the way, we still need to be careful, lest anything go wrong..."

"You're right — that's exactly what worries me!" Qi Wang nodded. "This time it's just the two of us, so we absolutely must be careful. You should lay off the wine for now too... Other things I'm not afraid of, but Wei Zhongxian, treacherous as he is, knows court affairs like the back of his hand, and who knows how many remnant followers are waiting for his comeback. But if we lose Wei Zhongxian on the road and let him fall into Zhao Jin's hands, then death ten thousand times over wouldn't redeem us!"

This was indeed no idle worry. Wei Zhongxian had held such high status before, wielding power at the very center of the Great Ming for so long — naturally he knew the inner workings of the dynasty inside out. If he fell into Zhao Jin's hands and switched his allegiance to serve Zhao Jin, then Zhao Jin would become even more like a tiger that had grown wings.

"Of course." Liu Songping nodded again, then stepped down from the kang bed, took his clothes from the wardrobe beside it, and began putting them on piece by piece. "But don't you worry — with the bond I shared with your father, I'd stake my old life to see you through safely."

"Third Uncle, what are you saying? I'm your nephew — it should be me risking my life to see you through safely." Qi Wang grasped Liu Songping's shoulder. "At your age, it's obvious I should be the one looking after you!"

This came from the bottom of his heart. After so many years of dealings between the two families, he had long come to regard Third Uncle as his own kin. Now he was utterly alone in the world, with only this one kinsman left — if he lost Third Uncle too, who else could he be close to?

He also knew the times were far from peaceful. A journey of a thousand li, just the two of them looking out for each other — heaven only knew what else might happen along the way.

Liu Songping was moved in his heart, but he did not say it aloud, merely patting him on the shoulder in return.

"Wang boy, there's nothing else I worry about with you — only that temper of yours..." He let out a long sigh. "You're upright, and that's not wrong, but don't let your uprightness drag you down too! Take your uncle's advice: on the road, show Eunuch Wei a bit of respect, and don't curse him out at every turn."

"But... that Wei Zhongxian brought calamity to the nation and the people. I only hate that my duty binds me and I can't make him taste suffering with my own hands — how could I ever flatter him?" Qi Wang couldn't help but retort. "Uncle, back when Wei Zhongxian's arrogance blazed to the heavens, we endured it and that was one thing. But now, why should we still have to watch his moods?"

"Why not now? Eunuch Wei has fallen, it's true, but in all the years of this dynasty, how many who fell have risen again? If he were thrown into the prison of the Northern Suppression Office, then he'd be a convict, and you could be a bit rough with him. But..." Liu Songping shook his head, clearly unconvinced by Qi Wang's attitude. "Right now he's no convict — he's merely been banished by imperial decree to be held under guard at the Fengyang Imperial Mausoleum. Who knows when he might rise again?"

"Rise again?" Qi Wang blinked. "How is that possible?"

"It's not very likely." Liu Songping merely smiled. "But in all the years of this dynasty, what hasn't happened? Even if it's unlikely, who's to say it won't come true one day? So, Wang boy, we'd best err on the side of caution..."

Qi Wang fell silent too. He knew Third Uncle was speaking sound sense.

Never mind that Eunuch Wei hadn't been thrown into the imperial prison — even by the Embroidered Uniform Guard's long-standing rules, unless the eunuchs had given prior instructions, a high official who actually did enter the imperial prison would still be well looked after and not cursed at will. The court had always been a place of turmoil — heaven knew when someone you had bullied might suddenly become a minister in the great hall once more?

It was just... toward Wei Zhongxian, he truly found it hard to swallow that anger.

Liu Songping opened the window and looked out. The sky was already nearly dark.

"Alright, we've had enough wine for today and said enough words. You head back first." Then he twisted his waist and stretched out his arms. "You said it well yourself — Uncle really does need to train his muscles and bones now. If I don't train, these old bones won't be able to move anymore! I can't end up being a burden to you, can I!"

"Third Uncle, it's wonderful that you feel this way!" Seeing Liu Songping's spirits rekindled, Qi Wang finally broke into a smile again. "As long as you're willing to get moving, how many of those Han Generals today could even compare to you!"

In that instant, a thought arose in his heart: If Third Uncle can pull himself together again, then this mission might not be such a bad thing after all.

Liu Songping only kept smiling without a word, watching Qi Wang leave. Once Qi Wang was gone, he shut the door again, and his expression turned grave once more.

He strode quickly back into his house, then opened a meticulously tidy chest and drew out an Embroidered Spring Saber. Unlike the filthy surroundings, this saber had clearly been kept in excellent condition. Under the dim oil lamp, the blade showed an ink-black hue, its edge gleaming with a dark, lacquered sheen.

Liu Songping remained silent the whole time, just quietly studying the saber.

After a long while, he chuckled, then took the saber and walked back out the door. In the courtyard, he began to move through his forms.

The night wind was even colder than by day, but he seemed not to notice, dancing with the saber under the moon with vigor, his movements swift and powerful — nowhere to be seen was his usual numbness and dullness.

And now, his eyes were wide open, and within them there was no longer any trace of the earlier dejection and apathy.

A few days later, the day finally arrived for Qi Wang and Liu Songping to escort Wei Zhongxian on the road.

Early that morning, a large group of Embroidered Uniform Guard escorted Wei Zhongxian out from the residence where he had been confined and brought him up to Yongding Gate.

Today, like the recent weather, was still cold.

Wind mixed with sand drifted through the air, stinging every face it blew against.

Though it was broad daylight, the sun hid feebly behind dark clouds. The black, heavy sky pressed down upon the earth, offering little light — it was more like an ordinary dusk.

On just such a day, the once illustrious and terrifyingly powerful Wei Zhongxian, Eunuch Wei, finally greeted the day of his departure from the capital.

The old man, surrounded by a crowd of fierce, grim-faced Embroidered Uniform Guards, was slowly carried along by the throng to beneath the city gate, then came to a halt along with them.

He did not know why they had stopped, and he knew that even if he asked, no one would answer. So he remained silent as before, merely lifting his head to look at the magnificent, splendid city gate behind him.

This will be the last time I ever see the face of the capital... A sudden, indescribable feeling welled up in his heart.

Decades ago, unable to scrape by any longer in his hometown, he had endured unimaginable pain to castrate himself, then come here bearing the dream of one day rising to glory and wealth, passing through this very city gate into this peerlessly majestic capital.

He did not know how many others had come here with the same dream as his, nor did he know what exactly he had to do to make that dream come true. All he knew was that he had no path of retreat left. No matter how great the price he had to pay, he could only press forward relentlessly — there was no turning back anymore.

Wasting decades of time, exhausting a lifetime's heart and soul, and drawing on who knew how many lifetimes' worth of luck, through hard work, endurance, fawning flattery toward his masters, and ruthlessness toward his rivals, he had at last, bit by bit, won recognition, slowly crawling out from the lowest, most wretched corners of the palace to become a figure of standing within it, and ultimately winning the Son of Heaven's favor as well.

In the Great Ming, what did it mean for a eunuch to win the Son of Heaven's favor?

Indeed, it meant glory, wealth, and rank, it meant monstrous power, it meant that everything he had never dared dream of in this life could be had at will... Beyond that, he also knew that he had to become the Son of Heaven's vicious dog — to think what the Son of Heaven thought, and to do what he wished to do but could not openly say.

He did it, and so the Son of Heaven made him the man above ten thousand and below only one in the entire Great Ming.

Within the palace, relying on the Emperor's favor and trust, though he was not the Senior Brush-holding Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, he was the undisputed authority there. Even when he left the palace, he was surrounded by a great retinue of attendants — how dazzling it was back then!

And now, it had all turned to nothing.

He had come decades ago with nothing, and decades later he was leaving with nothing. Everything had been bubbles and fleeting dreams — only the man had grown decades older.

No matter what, every person is only given so many years in life. As long as one had those years of glory, wasn't that enough? Wei Zhongxian thought to himself.

A great crowd had gathered by the city gate — poverty-stricken commoners in tattered clothes, scholars in refined dress, and even richly attired wealthy merchants... Every one of them was craning their necks to look his way, as if expecting to see some fine show from him. On some faces there was even a look of indignant, vindicated glee, as if mocking him for having finally fallen to such a state.

Yet Wei Zhongxian's expression remained unchanged. He gazed around leisurely, as if not the least bit sad or dejected.

Laugh, go on and laugh. Since I have fallen, I deserve to be laughed at by you.

You laugh at me, but I'll laugh at you too!

Without his noticing, a smile had also spread across his face.