Chapter 1395: Wei Guangwei

"Third Uncle… at this point, stop hiding things," Qi Wang said with utter seriousness, even shedding much of his usual deference. "Tell me — what is really going on?"

"What are you talking about?" Liu Songping still looked completely baffled.

"Third Uncle! You watched me grow up — can you still not trust me?!" Qi Wang stamped his foot in agitation. "Is there something you can't bring yourself to tell me?"

Under that gaze, Liu Songping's bewilderment slowly faded.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"How would I know what you're hiding from me? But you're definitely hiding something." Qi Wang spoke with absolute certainty. "Third Uncle, I may not be the cleverest, but I'm not blind either. You've been far too strange this whole journey. I… no matter how slow I am, I'd notice, wouldn't I? You're nothing like your usual self…"

"How am I different?" Liu Songping countered.

"That… I…" Qi Wang suddenly began to stammer. He wanted to say something, but somehow couldn't find the words.

"You saw Third Uncle suddenly display divine might, so you found it strange, right?" Liu Songping smiled. "Third Uncle ought to be as listless as usual, right?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Qi Wang grew anxious. "Seeing Third Uncle so full of vigor, I… I'm truly happy. But… Third Uncle, you know what kind of man Wei Zhongxian is — he's a treacherous villain who brings ruin to the state and calamity to the people. Why go from arrogance to groveling before him? Why protect him with your very life…? Even if you took his money, was there any need to go that far?"

"You think Third Uncle protected him like that just for money?" Liu Songping furrowed his brow.

Qi Wang was once again at a loss for words.

"I… I didn't mean it that way," he muttered in defense.

In truth, that was exactly what he meant, but the man was his elder, so he dared not say it outright.

"Think what you will." After a long silence, Liu Songping patted Qi Wang on the shoulder. "Alright, whatever else, the assignment we've been given is to deliver Eunuch Wei to the imperial tombs. We needn't concern ourselves with anything else. So this task must be done well!"

"But…" Qi Wang still wanted to speak, but under the look in Liu Songping's eyes, he ultimately could say nothing at all.

"Forget it. You're still young, and there's much I can't explain to you. In any case, just follow Third Uncle's lead." Liu Songping sighed. "Do you think Third Uncle would harm you?"

"No, never…" Qi Wang answered reflexively.

"Then that settles it." Liu Songping waved his hand, signaling Qi Wang to go back to sleep.

Then, paying him no further mind, Liu Songping walked straight over and stood at the doorway.

My good nephew, I am already old. Life and death, wealth and poverty — all are but drifting clouds before my eyes. I only hope you can keep yourself safe in these chaotic times! Watching his retreating figure, Liu Songping sighed inwardly.

That night, Qi Wang's mind was heavy with cares. He tossed and turned in bed, utterly unable to sleep. Only when the night was deep did he finally sink into a groggy slumber, and when he awoke at daybreak, he was stunned to find that Liu Songping had not come to call him for the shift change.

"Third Uncle!" He hurriedly changed clothes and rushed before Liu Songping, finding him still standing at the doorway, his face weary and haggard, his spirit seemingly drained.

"Ah, good, you're up." Liu Songping nodded toward Qi Wang.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I saw I was managing the watch well enough last night, so I didn't call you." Liu Songping spoke calmly.

Then he waved his hand, signaling Qi Wang to say no more. "Alright, now that you're awake, I'll eat something first. Wake me at noon, and we'll set out and press on!"

Qi Wang was anxious at heart, but hearing Liu Songping's firm instructions, he could only stifle his feelings and agree.

That group from the Eastern Depot never came again. At noon, the party bid farewell to the post station and once more set out on the road.

Because they deliberately sought to bypass the Grand Canal and the territory controlled by Zhao Jin's forces, they did not go south through Tongzhou toward Hejian Prefecture, but instead chose to enter Baoding Prefecture via Zhuozhou.

The further south they traveled, the further from the capital, the more the grandeur of the metropolitan region faded. However, since Baoding Prefecture had suffered little in the recent military disasters, it had at least preserved some vitality, and the market towns were not entirely desolate.

They pressed on through the late-autumn chill, along roads overgrown with withered grass. The realm nowadays could hardly be called peaceful, and along the way they often glimpsed ill-intentioned figures spying on them.

Still, Qi Wang and Liu Songping both looked brawny and formidable, and they wore the official uniforms of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so in the end they encountered no real trouble.

Even so, traveling in such constant apprehension soured everyone's mood, and so they spoke little on the road, simply pressing onward.

Just as night was about to fall, they found an inn in a sizeable market town outside Baoding Prefecture and settled in.

Not long after they had gotten settled, a middle-aged man dressed like a scholar, leading several attendants, also hurriedly arrived at the inn.

Their manner was peculiar. From the moment they entered the inn, they kept glancing furtively around. They did not seem to be looking for lodging, but instead kept questioning the inn's serving boy about something.

After a while, they went upstairs and headed toward the rooms Qi Wang and the others had taken.

Liu Songping had his eye on this group the moment they came upstairs. Though outwardly he remained impassive, continuing to eat, his gaze had been circling around them all along.

Just as he had sensed, this group had indeed come for them.

The middle-aged scholar at their head first swept his eyes around, and then, spotting Liu Songping, walked straight toward them.

"Might I ask, are you two officers of the Embroidered Uniform Guard the ones escorting Eunuch Wei?"

Instinctively, Liu Songping gripped the hilt of his blade.

"Please, officer, do not misunderstand! I mean absolutely no harm!"

The middle-aged scholar spread his hands, first signaling his lack of ill intent, then clasped his hands and bowed toward Liu Songping.

"Who are you?" Seeing that the man indeed seemed to harbor no malice, Liu Songping slowly loosened his grip on the blade.

"I am merely an old acquaintance of Eunuch Wei. Learning that the eunuch was passing through this area, I came specifically hoping to pay him a visit…" The scholar evaded his question, instead intently studying him. "Since you two are indeed escorting the eunuch, then… he should be here, yes?"

"And if we are?" Liu Songping remained highly vigilant.

"Then may I ask… would it be possible for me to have a word with the eunuch?" The middle-aged scholar smiled. "I have associated with the eunuch for many years. Our present circumstances are none too good. Today, having this chance, I wondered if I might take the opportunity to see him once more."

As he said this, a trace of desolation flickered across his face. "After all, the eunuch and I will likely never have another chance to meet."

Liu Songping and Qi Wang exchanged a glance, but in the end decided not to let this man of unknown origins gain an audience with Wei Zhongxian.

"Eunuch Wei is still resting. It is inconvenient for him to receive guests." Liu Songping refused him.

The middle-aged scholar's expression stiffened.

In that instant, both Liu Songping and Qi Wang sensed the atmosphere shift. Though the middle-aged scholar still appeared refined, cultured, and gracefully composed, his entire bearing had changed, as if he were the sort of man long accustomed to high office and to issuing imperious commands.

After a frozen moment, the middle-aged man suddenly sighed, then reached into his robes and produced a visiting card, which he respectfully handed to Liu Songping.

"Since Eunuch Wei is resting, it would be improper of me to force a disturbance. Might I trouble you, officer, to pass this visiting card to the eunuch? Whenever the eunuch is done resting, let him see it. Until then, I shall wait here."

Though his tone remained gentle, his attitude was resolute. It was clear he was determined to see Wei Zhongxian, no matter what.

Liu Songping accepted the visiting card, studied the man with some hesitation, then lowered his head and glanced at the card.

"Wei Guangwei?" The moment he saw the name on the visiting card, Liu Songping's expression changed drastically.

No wonder he was so shocked — Wei Guangwei was the son of Wei Yunzhen, a renowned minister of the Wanli reign, a standard scholar-official of the court! Even he himself had passed the imperial examination in the thirty-second year and had served as a grand secretary in the cabinet.

No wonder he had that kind of bearing when he was turned away just now!

Since he was Wei Guangwei, it was no longer strange that he had come seeking an audience with Wei Zhongxian.

Ever since he fell out with the Donglin faction in the early Tianqi years, he had thrown in his lot with Wei Zhongxian and become one of the chief pillars of the Wei Clique. Not long after joining the Wei Clique, Wei Zhongxian had placed him in the cabinet, making him his main aide there. After Wei Zhongxian fell from power, naturally he too scattered like monkeys fleeing a falling tree and was expelled from the capital along with him.

"Could… could you deliver my visiting card for me?" Seeing Liu Songping still in a daze, Wei Guangwei could not help but urge him.

"Alright, wait a moment." Liu Songping no longer hesitated and immediately nodded his agreement. Then he shot Qi Wang a look, signaling him to keep an eye on these people here, while he himself turned and walked along the corridor to a room.

"Wei Guangwei?" When he saw the visiting card, Wei Zhongxian was also taken aback. "He actually knows I'm here, and even wants to seek an audience with me?"

Back in the early Tianqi years, when he had dominated the court and built up his own power, Wei Guangwei had contributed enormously. He had always regarded Wei Guangwei as his capable right-hand man. Moreover, both of them were from Northern Zhili, and their hometowns were not too far apart, so he had always held Wei Guangwei in especially high regard.

Only… now that he had fallen to such a state, his power vanished like smoke, his followers long since scattered in all directions, no longer able to bring benefit to anyone — why would Wei Guangwei still risk coming to see him?

He could think of no reason, which only deepened his curiosity.

"Very well, bring him to see me."

Wei Guangwei was quickly brought over by Liu Songping.

The moment he entered the room, this middle-aged scholar and Wei Zhongxian sized each other up, and each saw in the other boundless desolation and loneliness, as well as dejection and bleakness.

Infinite sighs of emotion welled up to their lips, yet neither could utter a single word. In the end, all they could do was smile bitterly.

We'll talk tomorrow.