“It was I who implicated you back then, Uncle.”
“It was merely an empty reputation. What is there to speak of being implicated? When disaster befell the Xie clan, had you not risked returning to the capital and shouldered the blame alone, there would be no Xie lineage left in Yingchuan today.”
“But you lost a leg.”
“…”
Xie Cheng turned with the aid of his cane, his expression calm. “And it was that leg that taught me an empty reputation is just that—empty. Far better for the Xie clan to hold real power.”
“In a way, we should thank this little emperor. Had he not become notorious for his ignorance and incompetence, Lady Qin would never have invited me to serve as imperial tutor to silence public criticism. Only then could I bargain for your safe return to the capital, so you would not die of illness on the frontier. Only then could you become the Prince Regent you are today.”
“Ciyun, remember this.”
Xie Cheng looked at him earnestly. “The imperial house of Chen cannot be trusted. Whoever sits upon its throne is even less trustworthy. Your parents and half our clan are proof written in blood.”
“Ciyun remembers.” Xie Yun lowered his eyes, then raised them to his uncle again. “You said earlier that you returned to the capital for my sake. Is that true?”
Xie Cheng paused, but ultimately chose not to conceal it. “…Someone asked me to save the Jiang clansmen.”
Xie Yun closed his eyes. “Uncle.”
“I was careless. I let myself become someone else’s tool and nearly dragged you into the struggle between the little emperor and Lady Qin.” Xie Cheng sighed. “The little emperor must have seen through it.”
“He isn’t stupid. Of course he saw through it,” Xie Yun blurted out.
Xie Cheng gave him an odd look. “Didn’t you always call him stupid before? You even said that with him on the throne, the Chen dynasty was doomed.”
“…”
Xie Yun looked away. “You have seen for yourself, Uncle. Since returning from Hanshui City, he has seemed like a different person. His cunning, methods, and ability to conceal his intentions are far from ordinary. Lady Qin underestimated him, which is precisely why she has ended up where she is today.”
Xie Cheng’s expression immediately grew grave. On his journey here, he had indeed heard a great deal about the little emperor. First came the proposal to auction invitations to his birthday banquet to fund irrigation works, then the creation of a governor-general’s post to divide the authority of the Five Military Commissions, the seizure of the Twelve Guards from the Grand Empress Dowager, and the ruthless bloodshed accompanying their reform. All of it revealed his strategic intelligence and decisive willingness to kill.
“He doesn’t merely seem different. They might as well be two different people. Anyone capable of hiding his abilities and enduring so much is no ordinary man.” Unease gripped Xie Cheng, and he immediately turned to ask, “What exactly did he come to see you about today? Surely a mere sworn younger brother cannot be important enough to warrant trespassing in your residence.”
“And those things he said when he pushed the door open—why did he ask whom you were meeting? And his tone was…” Xie Cheng’s aged face creased as he struggled to find the words. “So peculiar.”
Xie Yun: “…”
The more Xie Cheng considered it, the more troubled he became. “Could he be planning to use those rumors outside as a pretext to pin a crime on you?”
“…”
Xie Yun’s lips shifted slightly. “…He only has the Twelve Guards. He does not yet dare move against me.”
“Then why did he come here in person today?” The old man looked utterly bewildered. “Surely he wasn’t truly here merely out of concern for your health?”
Xie Yun remained silent.
Outside the door, Cen Huan answered inwardly: Why not? He’s already come several times.
Even he could not understand what that emperor was thinking. The matter of the Suyun stationery had already been exposed, and their prince had seen through his false affection and attempts to exploit him. Yet he could still behave as though nothing had happened and brazenly barge into the residence. Was he really not afraid their prince would rebel on the spot? Or did he truly believe their prince would spare him?
Naturally, Xie Cheng knew nothing of his thoughts. He only cautioned his nephew anxiously, “The little emperor hides his thoughts well and harbors great ambitions. Sooner or later, he will move against you. You must be very careful.”
Xie Yun nodded. “Ciyun understands.”
“I thought my old acquaintance had sought my help for a righteous cause. It seems I was the naive one.” After a moment’s silence, Xie Cheng heaved a sigh. “I will have no further part in this matter.”
With that, he walked out on his cane. Xie Yun remained where he was, watching him leave, then said, “Investigate that old acquaintance of my uncle’s, along with the rumors circulating lately.”
Cen Huan nodded. He would have looked into those matters even without being told.
“Then… what about these medicinal ingredients?”
“…”
Xie Yun’s steps faltered slightly. “Have Yunzhang examine them. Use whatever is suitable and put the rest in storage.”
“Yes.”
After leaving the prince’s residence, Song Liang stopped by Juxian Teahouse to meet Helan Ze and heard plenty of gossip about himself along the way.
Just as Old Master Xie had said, everything he had done inside and outside Zhaoyang Palace had spread beyond its walls. Not a single detail had been spared, and the embellishments were so vivid that one might think eighteen surveillance cameras had been installed at the scene.
But surveillance cameras clearly could not exist in this world. The only possibility was that the stories had come from people who had been there that day.
3085 found this surprising. 【Humans really are complicated. You practically killed until you saw red at Zhaoyang Palace that day, and some of them still dare betray you?】
“Loyalty comes from shared interests within a set of rules, and from dependence on the benefits those rules provide. I haven’t yet established a system entirely my own, because I don’t control enough benefits to make them depend on me. Naturally, their loyalty to me is limited too.”
Sipping his new tea, Song Liang continued casually, “That’s why I keep saying loyalty is the hardest thing to come by.”
【Then what are you going to do?】
“Nothing. If my enemy can only use rumors against me, it means he doesn’t dare confront me directly. I have the advantage. All I need to do is wait for his next move.”
【…】
3085 was speechless. At times, it truly admired its host’s unwavering confidence, which seemed to accompany him everywhere.
It could not help asking, 【What would it take for you to feel despair?】
“Despair isn’t in my dictionary. Either I live or I die. If I can live, there’s no reason to despair. If I must die, despair serves no purpose. I might as well face death calmly.”
3085 had no answer. The logic was sound, but its host, a human being, actually lived by it. Even an AI like itself could not help feeling admiration.
【Even so, I still have to remind you: if public opinion of you in this world becomes too negative overall, the system will classify you as a tyrant even if you aren’t one. Your ending could be even worse than the original owner’s.】
“Don’t worry. I’ll deal with the rumors.”
3085 was just about to ask how when Helan Ze pushed open the door. Its host, Song Liang, remained perfectly at ease with his teacup in hand and immediately said—
“Heir Helan, your teahouse has been spreading rumors about me lately. You’re putting me in a difficult position.”
3085: 【…】
Helan Ze: “…”
All the accusations Helan Ze had prepared about the many things this man had done recently without informing him stuck in his throat. He could only force a stiff smile and reply, “…I’ll find out who is responsible and put a stop to it at the source.”
Song Liang nodded. “Good.”
“…”
Helan Ze tried his best to make his smile look less strained. Approaching Song Liang, he remarked with a teasing air that might or might not have been deliberate, “Those rumors really are absurd. They even claim you slaughtered every last Jinwu guard in public and cut off Jiang Wei’s head. Back in Huai City, you couldn’t even beat the beggar who stole your steamed bun. How could you possibly dare kill anyone?”
“Exactly. I only have two hands. How could I slaughter several hundred Jinwu guards?” Song Liang smiled. “I only killed seven or eight.”
Helan Ze’s smile faltered.
As though he had noticed nothing, Song Liang continued, “But I did cut off Jiang Wei’s head myself. Took some effort to hack through, too.”
Helan Ze’s expression froze completely.
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