Meanwhile, Gu Yun immediately went on alert. He hastily pulled on the outer robe he had been wearing earlier, lifted the bamboo curtain, and looked outside.
The door had been smashed open. Several men in coarse hemp clothing, with their heads and faces covered, were fighting Lin Yue. Some held choppers for cutting firewood, others gripped wooden cudgels.
Lin Yue appeared to be losing ground. The back of his head had been struck by a club, blood pouring freely down.
Gu Yun’s mind exploded with a buzz. Without time to think, he immediately snatched up the kitchen knife beneath the washstand and rushed forward to help.
Lin Yue said, “Get out!”
Gu Yun froze.
Lin Yue stared directly at him, his gaze brooking no argument. “Get out!” Gu Yun noticed the shape of his mouth. He was saying: Don’t become my weakness here. Remember to lock the door.
Gu Yun gritted his teeth. Taking advantage of the struggle, he dashed outside. Someone tried to stop him, but he brandished the kitchen knife and forced them back.
Gu Yun shot out of the room, then slammed the door shut with a bang. Immediately afterwards, he grabbed the lock and fastened the door. By now, everyone in the courtyard had been woken by the commotion. They all crowded over, asking what had happened.
Gu Yun said, “Someone’s trying to kill us!”
At once, everyone was stunned speechless. The landlord remained comparatively calm. First, he sent someone to fetch the neighbourhood head for help, then went to check on his dog, only to discover it had been poisoned to death. Swearing furiously, he demanded the attackers compensate him for the dog.
Gu Yun’s entire mind was fixed on worrying about Lin Yue. Just then, the noise inside suddenly ceased. He was about to run to the window and look when knocking sounded from inside the room.
“Open the door.” Lin Yue’s voice rang out.
Gu Yun said, “You bastard?”
Lin Yue replied, “Don’t force me to deal with you.”
Gu Yun thought to himself: Looks like he hasn’t been taken hostage by the attackers.
He hurriedly opened the door, never once considering the possibility that Lin Yue’s martial prowess might simply be absurdly high.
Lin Yue walked out reeking of blood. His hair was dishevelled, his clothes somewhat untidy, and in one hand he casually tossed aside a blood-dripping chopper. He accepted the handkerchief Gu Yun handed over, folded it neatly, and pressed it against the wound on the back of his head. The injury was still bleeding, though only slightly now. The handkerchief had been a complimentary gift from the ready-made clothing shop owner.
He looked towards the landlord and asked whether the neighbourhood head had been summoned. The landlord had never seen such a ferocious individual before. A chill ran through him. Steadying himself, he replied, “Called, called already.”
Lin Yue thanked him.
The landlord pointed at the attackers sprawled crookedly across the room, bleeding all over the floor, his face pale as ashes. “They’re not all dead, are they?”
“No,” Lin Yue answered.
The landlord let out a huge sigh of relief. He had thought his house was about to become a murder house.
Lin Yue assured the landlord that he would restore the house to its original state and would also compensate him for the dog. After obtaining the landlord’s forgiveness, he addressed everyone:
“I sincerely apologise for disturbing everyone tonight. In a few days, I’ll treat everyone to drinks. Please all go back and rest. Everything’s fine now. If anything has been damaged, inform my wife and we will compensate you as promised.”
Everyone repeatedly said, “It’s fine so long as everyone’s safe,” before returning to bed.
At that moment, the neighbourhood head arrived.
The landlord watched as the neighbourhood head and his men carried the unconscious and gravely injured attackers out of the courtyard and towards the yamen before finally returning to rest himself.
The neighbourhood head knew Lin Yue’s status was no ordinary one, so he handled matters with exceptional diligence.
Gu Yun had not had a chance to speak with Lin Yue throughout all this. Only after the neighbourhood head left did he finally get the opportunity.
By now, he had already wiped all the blood from inside the house clean.
He took out the last remaining handkerchief from the room, folded it neatly, and handed it to Lin Yue. The earlier handkerchief had already been soaked through with blood.
“I’ll fetch a doctor for you. Keep pressure on the wound and wait inside.”
Lin Yue agreed and replaced the blood-soaked handkerchief.
Gu Yun ran outside. Just as he reached the doorway—
Bang.
He turned his head and saw Lin Yue collapse unconscious onto the floor.
—
“By Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:
‘We, inheriting Heaven’s mandate and governing all beneath the skies, remain vigilant day and night, never daring to forget for even a moment the peace of the ancestral altars and the stability of the realm. Of late, the position of heir has remained vacant, leaving both court and commonwealth uneasy. We have long sought a worthy successor to bind together the hearts of the people.
‘The Ninth Prince, Chao Yan, possesses extraordinary bearing and Heaven-bestowed talent. Pure and excellent by nature, filial devotion and brotherly affection are innate to him, while his benevolence and virtue accord with the hopes of the people. In serving Us, he attends morning and evening without fail, fully discharging a son’s duty. In governing the people, he is measured and humane, repeatedly demonstrating sound governance. Civil and military officials alike praise his worth, while the common people universally extol his grace. Truly has Heaven favoured the ancestral altars by granting such material for a pillar of the state.
‘Now, in accordance with ancient custom and public sentiment, We respectfully announce to Heaven, the ancestral temple, and the spirits of soil and grain: We bestow upon him the golden register and precious seal, and establish him as Crown Prince, rightful occupant of the Eastern Palace.
‘You shall reverently uphold this great foundation and faithfully fulfil the duties of heir apparent…’
…
‘Let this be proclaimed throughout the realm, that all may know.’
Respect this.”
“The sixteenth day of the fourth month, thirtieth year of Anqing.”
A shrill voice, neither male nor female, echoed through the surroundings.
Half-conscious, Lin Yue felt as though his head were splitting apart.
He discovered himself kneeling upon incomparably hard golden bricks. Barely managing to lift his head, he saw black leather boots embroidered with golden cloud patterns around the tops.
Above them came into view a pale crimson lower robe embroidered with the Four Symbols representing the earth bearing all living things.
Lin Yue had no chance to look further upwards before everything plunged into darkness.
Boundless darkness. It swallowed all sense of direction.
Again and again came the sensation of stepping into empty air, of falling weightlessly. Somewhere in the unseen, he felt there must be something capable of steadying him.
So, guided purely by instinct, he reached around in the dark.
The more he moved, the fiercer and more frequent the sensation of falling became. After fumbling for what felt like an eternity, he finally grasped hold of that existence.
“Hiss—”
Gu Yun was hugging a book, dozing beside the bed, when suddenly his shoulder was gripped painfully hard.
The sharp pain startled him fully awake.
He was just about to scold the other man when he realised Lin Yue was still unconscious, frowning deeply and struggling on the bed, drenched in sweat.
Gu Yun swallowed his unkind words back down.
Setting aside the book, he picked up the kettle from the floor, poured half a cup of warm water, pried open Lin Yue’s mouth, and fed him a little.
Afterwards, he picked up the cloth set nearby, soaked it in cold water, wiped the sweat from Lin Yue’s face, then rinsed it again, wrung it dry, folded it, and laid it across his forehead.
“Sleep. Hurry and sleep.”
Gu Yun spoke softly, imitating what his mother used to do whenever he was ill, gently patting him.
Whether it was the water, the cool cloth, or simply his mother’s method, in any case, after a while Lin Yue stopped struggling. His tense body gradually relaxed, and his hand dropped limply to the side.
Gu Yun let out a sigh of relief. Anxiety filled his face as he looked at Lin Yue.
The doctor had already come and examined him. It was the same physician who had treated Gu Yun previously.
The physician had said Lin Yue’s skull had not been damaged by the club strike. He had only suffered flesh wounds. However, as for why he had suddenly fainted, even the doctor could not say. He could only assure Gu Yun that Lin Yue would definitely wake up eventually, and that his brain had not been harmed.
This physician was already among the very best. There was no finding anyone more skilled, so Gu Yun could only trust him.
If Lin Yue failed to recover afterwards, then… then he could support him.
There was enough money at home now to cover several months of expenses. As long as he concentrated on his studies, he could surely find work before the money ran out and support both himself and this bargain-bin husband of his.
Gu Yun picked up his book again, rested his chin on one hand beside the bed, and continued reading.
Dawn was approaching now. He had stayed awake the entire night and was exhausted. After reading only a short while, his eyelids stuck together once more.
This time he was so sleepy he did not even close the book. Hugging it loosely against himself, he collapsed atop the open pages and drifted into sleep.
Inside the bean-oil lamp, the oil slowly melted away.
Time ticked steadily onwards across the land.
At the edge of the dim grey sky appeared a sliver of white, yet in the blink of an eye it was overtaken by magnificent purple-pink and violet-gold rays, rapidly spreading in every direction.
The countless mountain ridges stretched like dragons across the earth, yet even they could not halt the advancing glow. Very quickly, it reached the regions approaching the capital.
A group rode swiftly upon fine horses, hooves pounding across the broad packed roads as they galloped towards the capital city.
Recently, the capital had suffered continuous gloomy rain.
The white poplars lining the roadside stood tall and thick-trunked, their clean-cut branches layered with dark green leaves. Cold drizzle tapped softly against the foliage, casting the entire city into bleak desolation.
The riders presented their travel permits at the city gates, underwent identity inspection, and entered the capital directly towards the residence of Chancellor Meng.
At the founding of the Xuan Dynasty, the government had established the system of the Three Departments and Six Ministries.
The Three Departments referred to the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Department of State Affairs.
The Six Ministries referred to the Ministries of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, War, Punishments, and Works.
Later, because of an incident that endangered the very foundations of the nation, the Three Departments were abolished. Their responsibilities were redistributed amongst the Six Ministries and newly established institutions. The Six Ministries thereafter answered directly to the Emperor, while the office of Chancellor was simultaneously abolished as well.
During the Anqing era, however, the current Emperor collapsed from overwork. Accepting Prince Yan’s proposal, he reinstated the chancellorship. Furthermore, there was no set limit to the number of chancellors appointed. They jointly oversaw the Six Ministries and assisted the sovereign in governance.
Outside Chancellor Meng’s residence, numerous officials queued awaiting audience.
The mounted party arrived at the residence and dismounted. Their leader approached the gatekeeper and presented his calling card. The gatekeeper opened it, took one look, and immediately ushered him inside to see the Chancellor.
The attendants of the residence guided the rest of the group away to rest while the exhausted horses were taken for feeding and care.
The gathered officials exchanged glances and whispered behind their sleeves.
“Who’s that? To gain an audience with Chancellor Meng so easily?”
“Doesn’t even look like anyone important.”
—
Chancellor Meng was handling official business in his study.
He had already reached sixty years of age. He was stout, with completely white hair and beard, age spots upon his cheeks, heavy eye bags, and deep shadows beneath his eyes.
When the leader arrived outside the study, Chancellor Meng stopped writing and ordered that he be brought in.
“My lord.” The man bowed deeply, then withdrew a letter from inside his robes and respectfully handed it over.
Chancellor Meng accepted the letter. The moment he opened and read it, he burst out laughing, slapping the desk repeatedly.
“Good! Good! Excellent!”
He tossed the letter straight into the brazier.
“No one followed you on the road?”
“My lord may rest assured. We acted with utmost caution.”
Chancellor Meng nodded. “You may withdraw.”
The man retreated.
Chancellor Meng then instructed an attendant, “Fetch the eldest young master and Ning Fu.”
Meng Zhao and Ning Fu entered the study.
“Father, what did you summon us for?”
Chancellor Meng said, “His Highness has been found. You and Ning Fu will take men to escort His Highness back. Remember, this matter must not be publicised. If you encounter obstacles on the road, you may mobilise local troops. These are the tiger tally and imperial decree personally bestowed by His Majesty. Put them away carefully.”
He opened a hidden compartment beneath the desk, took out the tiger tally and decree, and handed one to each of them.
The pair acknowledged the order and were about to depart when Chancellor Meng called them back again.
Watching the letter slowly burning to ashes in the brazier, he paced the study for a few moments before sitting back down. Taking up his brush, he swiftly wrote another page, folded it, sealed it within an envelope, and handed it additionally to Meng Zhao.
“Take this as well.”
“Father?”
“The Prefect of Nanling has sent word that His Highness is presently safe and unharmed. Since he is safe and unharmed, yet remains hidden away in some insignificant place without sending any message or making any move towards the capital, something is clearly wrong. There is likely some unforeseen complication. After you arrive, do not act rashly.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Chancellor Meng watched them leave the study and sighed deeply. He was just about to resume handling official business when an attendant hurried over.
“My lord, Grand Eunuch Huang requests an audience.”
Chancellor Meng went to the main hall.
Grand Eunuch Huang sat upon the left-hand side. He was one of the Emperor’s most favoured attendants, ranking second amongst the eunuchs, surpassed only by the Director of Ceremonial himself. Even Chancellor Meng was obliged to show him some courtesy.
The two exchanged greetings.
Chancellor Meng asked, “What brings Grand Eunuch Huang here today?”
Grand Eunuch Huang replied, “His Majesty’s dragon body is unwell. An imperial order has been issued summoning you immediately to the palace to attend upon him.”
Chancellor Meng frowned. “What do the imperial physicians say?”
The eunuch replied, “Surely Your Excellency already knows? The same old ailment. His Majesty ordering you into the palace to attend him is a mark of immense trust. This makes the fourth time this month already. No one enjoys greater imperial favour than you. I’m envious beyond measure!”
Chancellor Meng thought: If you envy this imperial favour so much, then you can bloody well have it!
I’m already worked to death, and His Majesty still insists on making trouble for me. The slightest discomfort and he thinks he’s about to die, becoming anxious and demanding trusted ministers stay by his side. Staying by his side would be one thing, but he also insists on rambling endlessly and seeking reassurance, so every time I return from attending him I have to work through the night.
At this rate, His Majesty won’t die first. I will.
He was already sixty-three years old.
“Chancellor Meng, please hurry and prepare yourself. The carriage is already waiting outside,” Grand Eunuch Huang urged.
Chancellor Meng replied lifelessly, “Wait a moment.”
Unhurriedly, he finished tidying himself up. Then, supported by attendants, he carefully stepped onto the stool, boarded the carriage, and entered the palace together with Grand Eunuch Huang.
.
Lin Yue woke up; it was already daylight.
He was thinking about the contents of the dream he had not forgotten.
—“Proclaimed to all within and beyond the borders, let all hear and know.”
—Black leather boots, the boot shafts embroidered with golden cloud patterns…
Why would he dream of such strange things? Analysing it carefully, he seemed to have been kneeling in the dream, receiving an imperial edict.
Dreams arise from waking thoughts. Could this be related to his desire to obtain academic honours?
Lin Yue subconsciously felt something was off. After a moment’s thought, he opened his eyes.
Bright daylight stabbed into his vision, making him want to cry. He raised his hand to shield his eyes, adjusting to the light, then lowered it and pushed himself up from the bed.
The back of his head throbbed faintly, still within tolerable limits. However, the front of his forehead felt heavy. He reached up and touched it; it was damp and soft. Lifting it away, he discovered it was a handkerchief.
Lin Yue turned his head and saw the person who had placed the handkerchief on his forehead.
Gu Yun was slumped messily by the bedside, sleeping deeply, his left cheek pressed against a book. His face was squashed and flushed red, yet the book beneath him remained perfectly neat and flat.
Lin Yue found this amusing. He got dressed, got out of bed, put away the handkerchief, moved aside the basin and other items placed by Gu Yun at his feet, then bent down and lifted him up, placing him onto the bed and covering him with a blanket.
Gu Yun was startled awake and mumbled groggily, “Husband.”
Lin Yue knelt with one knee on the bed. Hearing this, his thoughts shifted slightly. He reached out and stroked Gu Yun’s cheek. The warm, delicate sensation made him momentarily forget the other’s gender. His fingertips traced the corner of his lips, rubbing lightly twice, then he leaned down, bringing his face closer to Gu Yun’s.
“Lin-niangzi!” The homeowner knocked from outside.
Lin Yue had already noticed Gu Yun’s steady breathing. Instantly snapping back to awareness, he withdrew. He pressed his lips together, walked to the door, opened it, and looked at the homeowner.
“What is it?”
