Chapter 54

The favor the Grand Tutor had shown this time was no easy thing to accept.

When news reached the Sixth Prince, Nie Qingxuan, in his secluded residence, it struck him like a thunderclap from a clear sky.

Ignoring his mother consort’s tearful pleas, he flew into a rage and cursed straight out: “That dog Wei Lenghou better die a wretched death!”

Nie Qinglin knew all too well her Sixth Brother’s stiff-necked temperament.

She sighed inwardly, this move by the Grand Tutor was nothing short of brilliant.

After mulling it over, she decided she had no choice but to go see the Grand Tutor.

Today, the lotuses by Mingyue Lake in the palace were blooming in full splendor.

The Grand Tutor had given instructions early in the morning to dine with the princess at the Jinyue Pavilion by the lakeside, enjoying a midday meal amidst the sun-dappled lotus blossoms.

Seizing the time before lunch, she used the excuse of waiting to go to the pavilion with the Grand Tutor and arrived early at his study.

Picking a topic casually, she skillfully steered the conversation in the right direction.

Finally, she earnestly pleaded, “Grand Tutor, please grant me permission to go and try persuading my Sixth Brother.”

She was dressed in women’s clothing as she said this, but the Grand Tutor heard the deeper meaning in her words that she intended to go as the Emperor to persuade her brother to change his surname.

The Grand Tutor was seated in his study, holding a teacup, gently blowing away the tea foam.

After taking a small sip, he spoke slowly:

“Your Highness has always been one to sweep only the snow before your own door. What’s gotten into you today, showing such concern for your brother?”

At this moment, Wei Lenghou had shed the usual carefree air he wore when alone with Nie Qinglin.

His face was now impassive, as calm as still water.

Nie Qinglin’s thoughts turned slightly.

She bit her lip and replied slowly,”Though Sixth Brother is stubborn, he’s the most harmless among all our royal siblings. A man who’s buried in books too long becomes rigid. His worldview can’t compare to someone like you, Grand Tutor, who’s conquered lands and led campaigns.”

“The other day in court, I heard the memorials from Elder Wu and the rest, I agree with them. What you proposed is the best way forward. If you would permit it, and I can get my brother to bend, then it’s a win-win. Why not go for it? Otherwise, if Elder Wu keeps making a scene and it all ends with both sides destroyed and that’s a nasty mess, isn’t it?”

The Grand Tutor slowly rose, walked past the Princess standing on the floor, and his phoenix eyes gleamed like torches.

His voice turned cold:

“Since Your Highness has come to this decision, this humble servant won’t stand in your way. Just remember this, Your Highness is still in mourning. I’m the one handling state affairs in your place. From now on, best not to meddle in matters of court!”

With that, he didn’t spare the princess another glance.

He strode straight out of the study, completely ignoring the lunch arrangement.

He ordered Eunuch Ruan to ready the horses and left the palace.

Nie Qinglin was left standing in the study, sunlight pouring in, a faint smile on her lips.

The Grand Tutor really was angry this time.

Well, makes sense.

Power is like tender meat in a tiger’s mouth and how could one tolerate others reaching for it? Even a pampered little cat, if it crosses the line and tries to pull something out of a tiger’s jaws, would get its head swatted off in an instant.

She had, indeed, crossed the line today.

Better thank the Grand Tutor for not giving her a beating on the spot!

Since she had braved the storm and earned herself a shot, it would be a waste not to use it.

Nie Qinglin changed into her dragon robe and, with Eunuch Ruan by her side, headed to the secluded residence.

The residence lay in the most remote corner of the palace.

Even before her carriage entered the courtyard, she could feel the desolate, dying air of the place.

The Sixth Prince and Consort Shu were confined in the innermost room of the residence.

The small room was thick with the stench of bitter medicine.

When Nie Qinglin, dressed in the bright yellow dragon robe, entered the room, Consort Shu, who had been squatting by the stove boiling medicine, froze in place.

Then she quickly knelt down:

“This concubine greets Your Majesty. What… why have you come here…?”

Nie Qinglin hurried to help her up.

“No need for formalities, Consort Shu. We heard Sixth Brother’s not doing well, so We came to see for Myself.”

It had been many days since they last met, and Consort Shu looked like she had aged considerably.

Her hair, once carefully adorned with pins, now showed strands of silver at the temples.

Though imprisoned in the secluded residence, Consort Shu was well aware of the current situation.

She knew how hard things must be for the Emperor under someone like Grand Tutor Wei, a cold and ruthless snake of a man.

The thought pained her, and her eyes welled up, tears falling without warning.

Nie Qinglin offered a few words of comfort, then looked over.

Her Sixth Brother lay on the wooden bed, wrapped in a tattered blanket, barely managing to open his eyes.

Seeing the Emperor arrive, he tried to rise, but couldn’t.

Nie Qinglin sat on the edge of the bed and said gently:

“Sixth Brother, you’re ill, so don’t get up. We just came to see how you’re doing.”

The Sixth Prince lay on the sickbed, skin and bones, and the moment he saw her, tears brimmed in his eyes.

“Your Majesty, this brother… I probably won’t last much longer. But that damn dog Wei Lenghou is too arrogant, and he’s actually trying to force me to change my surname. Truly… truly a traitorous minister, a scoundrel… cough, cough…”

Nie Qinglin lightly patted his hand and spoke slowly, “This time, We came precisely to persuade Imperial Brother to take on your maternal grandfather’s surname and to uphold the household name for  your Grandmother’s sake…”

The moment the Sixth Prince heard that, his eyes widened in disbelief.

He actually struggled upright, and his pale face flushed red from fury.

“Your Majesty! How… how could you say such a thing? Don’t tell me… don’t tell me that dog Wei forced you to come and threaten me…”

Nie Qinglin shot a glance at Eunuch Ruan standing at the doorway, knowing she had to stop her Sixth Brother’s loose tongue quickly.

“Don’t jump to conclusions, Brother. We came of my own accord. But now that We’ve seen you like this, so sickly, and even Concubine Shu looking so worn and We have to say it’s not a wasted trip. As for the Grand Tutor’s proposal, We truly don’t see what’s so bad about it. It both preserves the Shen family’s standing and lets you take Concubine Shu out of the palace, so she can fulfill her filial duties by her own mother’s side…”

“Enough! Say no more!” the Sixth Prince roared, cutting her off.

“Looks like even you’ve knelt under that Wei scoundrel’s tyranny! You’ve completely thrown away the dignity of the royal Nie clan—completely! All just to survive! What kind of heir are you? Our late emperor father must be rolling in his grave! To think he left behind a successor like you, spineless and disgraceful!”

Nie Qinglin slowly stood up.

She, too, felt weary.

The thick stench of medicine in the room was making her eyes sting.

With a faint tone, she said, “Seems We have said too much. Matters of this weight should indeed be decided by you. But what the dignity of the royal Nie clan truly means—on that, We fear We differ from you, Brother.”

“The dignity of our royal house was forged by our ancestors who rode into battle, overthrew the rotten, impotent old dynasty, and carved out a new empire with blood and iron. On horseback they fought, and in court they served the people. That legacy wasn’t built in a day.”

“But Father only reigned thirty-two years, and in that time, he took the rare prosperity of Great Wei and ran it into the ground. We wonder, Brother, have you ever even left the palace? Have you ever seen the refugee camps on the outskirts of the capital, where starving beggars crawl like ants? Have you ever heard the wails of women and children thrown into the canals by soldiers? Have you ever gone to the borderlands, where not a single soul was left alive after Xiongnu raids wiped entire villages off the map?”

“We haven’t seen most of this myself either. But even just hearing about it is enough to make the royal Nie ears burn with shame. If you really want to uphold the dignity of the imperial house, then Brother, you’ve got your work cut out for you. If you don’t want to leave the palace, that’s your choice. But if you step outside with that grand Nie surname and no guards to shield you, We afraid the common folk might pelt you with rotten eggs until you stink from head to toe!”

The small, shabby room instantly fell into silence.

Concubine Shu and the Sixth Prince both stared, wide-eyed.

In their minds, this Fourteenth Prince had always been the quiet one and never drawing attention to himself, never stirring waves.

In the study hall, he was plain to the point of being boring.

Even when mocked, he would just smile calmly and never bite back.

This quietude had long made the righteous Sixth Prince sigh over his lack of ambition and had led him, in secret, to protect and look after this Fourteenth Brother more than once.

Who would’ve thought, today this so-called soft persimmon suddenly spoke with such sharp words, every sentence hitting the nail on the head and this really wasn’t something taught by anyone else… That stern face of his, for once, actually had a bit of imperial majesty to it…

“Y-Your Majesty… how could you speak of Father Emperor in such a way…”

The Sixth Prince stammered.

“The most upright stroke of the historian’s brush,” said Nie Qinglin, “is actually written in the hearts of the common folks beneath the fields. What kind of person our Father Emperor was—it’s already nailed shut with the coffin lid. It’s not something this so-called golden mouth of Mine can finalize or slander.

“It’s just a pity about Great Scholar Shen’s painstaking efforts. The book he compiled, We flipped through it just the other day when We was idle in the study. Though his commentary was insightful, it seemed rushed toward the end and wasn’t fully completed. One can’t help but feel regret. We had originally thought that with Sixth Brother’s talents, you could fulfill Grandfather’s unfinished wish and leave behind a timeless classic. But alas, Sixth Prince is dead set on defending the royal surname, willing to be a filial son to our Father Emperor who’s already ascended to the heavenly realm, without sparing a single care for your Grandmother and Mother Consort who are still struggling bitterly in the mortal world…

“But Sixth Brother, don’t overthink it. Even if you do die of illness in this side courtyard with your spine stiff as iron, at most the history books will only say: ‘The sixth prince of the dim-witted emperor of the Wei Dynasty passed away in some monkey year horse month.’ That’s just one line. The word ‘integrity’ is far too extravagant for a prince who’s lived pampered in the palace all his life and done nothing for the people…”

With that, Nie Qinglin couldn’t be bothered with his sixth brother’s face that flushed red and green from anger and shame and turned to leave the room.

For a head that stubborn, you had to hit it with a strong dose of medicine.

This was all she could do for this royal brother.

But judging from the result, although it did offend the Grand Tutor, it still didn’t manage to get through that blockheaded royal brain!

Just as she reached the door, Consort Shu tugged at her sleeve, eyes brimming with tears.

“Your Majesty’s painstaking heart, this concubine fully understands…”

Nie Qinglin gave a faint, bitter smile and slowly stepped out.

She hadn’t even sighed yet when Eunuch Ruan subtly gestured with his chin toward the little courtyard gate.

Nie Qinglin looked up and saw a tall, upright figure standing with his back to the courtyard, hands clasped behind him, beside the moon gate.

That tall, commanding presence, that black robe threaded with gold, it was unmistakably the Grand Tutor Wei, who should’ve already left the palace.

The courtyard wasn’t big, and the walls were thin.

It was clear he had heard every single word from the conversation just now.

Why so uneasy? Afraid Eunuch Ruan would go back and parrot things wrong, missing the key points?

Nie Qinglin felt a bit helpless but still walked over and smiled, asking, “Didn’t the Grand Tutor already leave the palace? Why double back, was there something you wished to pass on to Us?”

But the Grand Tutor lowered his eyes to look at her delicate face for a while, then calmly said, “Didn’t we agree to go to Jingyue Pavilion together to view the lotus and taste Longjing shrimp? I’m here to fetch Your Majesty.”

Since the Grand Tutor was willing to give her such a grand gesture of affection, naturally Nie Qinglin didn’t push back and obediently followed him to Jingyue Pavilion.

Along the way, the Grand Tutor walked steadily beside her, but didn’t say a single word.

By the time they arrived at the pavilion, the lake’s surface was covered in a carpet of lotus leaves stretching to the horizon, glistening with a jade-like glow under the sunlight.

Though the lotuses were in full bloom, they had the habit of “opening in the morning and closing by noon.”

The two of them had both been busy the whole morning and missed the most beautiful moment.

But perhaps a bit of regret was a good thing.

This half-blooming, half-closing state left more to the imagination, making one long even more for the day they would see the flowers in their full glory once more.

In the pavilion, the jade stone table had already been neatly set with dishes and bowls.

As soon as the emperor and Grand Tutor entered, Eunuch Ruan gave the signal to serve the meal.

Though in his heart he thought: Wasn’t it originally said that the princess would come? How did it become the emperor instead? For the Grand Tutor to show favor to both siblings equally—it’s quite the delicate balancing act! The Grand Tutor’s skills, truly, are masterful!

Today’s dishes leaned toward the light and elegant flavors of Jiangnan cuisine, perfect for complementing the flourishing lotus pond.

The Dongpo pork in the purple clay pot was richly flavorful.

The Longjing shrimp was exceptionally refined, the shrimp snowy white and tender, the tea leaves a vibrant green and aromatic.

Before even tasting it, the fragrance already filled the mouth.

A bowl of lotus root and ham soup made for an excellent appetizer, and the other small dishes were all delicately prepared and refreshing.

As the dishes were being served, Nie Qinglin instinctively waited for the Grand Tutor to place food on her plate.

The Grand Tutor had a habit called “stacking the mountain” and he liked to pile up food into little mounds based on what he thought she liked.

If she dared add any more to her plate herself, her stomach would end up bursting.

But today, even after waiting a long time, the Grand Tutor didn’t lift his chopsticks.

He was quietly sipping soup.

Seeing that the emperor hadn’t started eating, he finally asked, “Are the dishes not to Your Majesty’s taste? Why haven’t you picked up your chopsticks?”

Nie Qinglin said softly, “I’m waiting for the Grand Tutor to pick the dishes for Me.”

Her voice was soft and sticky like a spoiled kitten, which made the Grand Tutor break into a rare smile.

“When I first met Your Majesty, you were still just a child, frail and delicate. Ever since then, I’ve always thought of you as someone who needs looking after. Your meals, clothes, daily needs—all of it had to be handled by me.

“But now that Your Majesty has grown up and has your own ideas, if I keep meddling too much, I’d just make you unhappy. So whatever you like to eat, just decide for yourself.”

With that, he started eating on his own.

Nie Qinglin couldn’t quite read what he meant by that.

Seeing that he didn’t want to say more, she lowered her head and quietly continued eating.

She stole glances at him a few times.

The Grand Tutor was calmly eating the whole time.

His long, slender fingers held the gold-inlaid ivory chopsticks; his thin lips quietly chewed without showing his teeth.

His phoenix-like eyes, dark and deep, gazed out toward the half-bloomed lotus flowers on the lake.

A gentle breeze came by and lifted the gold-threaded ribbon tied at the back of his head.

He really looked like a painting come to life, an immortal out of a dream…

Nie Qinglin felt that saying anything now would just disturb the immortal’s thoughts, so she held her breath and stayed quiet.

The whole meal was eaten in silence, the only sounds being the occasional clink of dishes, which somehow felt overly loud in the stillness.

After the meal, the Grand Tutor rose and took his leave.

He accepted the handkerchief offered to him, wiped his hands, and said, “It’s getting late. I’ll be taking my leave from the palace now. May Your Majesty rest early.”

Then he walked out of the garden.

Nie Qinglin let out a long sigh.

She hadn’t even eaten that much, so why was her stomach acting up again?

A few days later, word came from the Sixth Prince’s side: he had agreed to change his surname and carry on the Shen family’s ancestral line.

There had been cases of adoption within the royal family before, but they were always among those with the same surname.

For a full-grown prince to drop the royal surname and take up a commoner’s name, this really was unheard of.

This Sixth Prince, Nie Qingxuan, had opened up a brand new path!

Public opinion among the common folk was mixed, with praise and criticism both.

But one thing was certain: even if he were to return to using the surname Nie in the future, the weight of his royal title would be gone for good.

Nie Qinglin let out a small sigh of relief.

She knew her sixth brother’s future would now be smooth sailing, safe from danger.

The Grand Tutor probably figured, since they were already going to save face for the scholars, they might as well go all the way.

He even sent top physicians from the Imperial Medical Bureau to help treat the Sixth Prince.

Word had it his health had indeed improved.

On the day the Sixth Prince left the palace, he wanted to bid the Emperor farewell.

When Nie Qinglin heard Eunuch Ruan’s report, she thought for a moment and said, “We have been feeling under the weather these past few days. Just send word for Me: ‘May Shen Qingxuan be filial to his elders, and may his household be peaceful and harmonious.’”

Eunuch Ruan complied and went to deliver the message to Shen Qingxuan.

Nie Qinglin gazed out the window and sighed again.

While she was a bit envious of her sixth brother’s good fortune, she also knew that the bond between them as siblings had reached its end.

Meeting again would only bring unnecessary awkwardness and trouble.

Besides, if she saw him now, she might upset the Grand Tutor again.

She’d already made enough of a mess recently and there is no need to make it worse.

Ever since that day at the lakeside, when they’d admired flowers and shared a meal, the Grand Tutor hadn’t returned to court even once.

Lately, it was the fake prince attending morning court.

As for her, she’d been enjoying a rare spell of leisure inside Fengchu Palace, wandering around without much to do.

If it hadn’t been for Eunuch Ruan coming today to relay the Sixth Prince’s farewell, she wouldn’t have rushed over to her audience hall either.

After brushing off that court engagement, she took the hidden passage back to Fengchu Palace and had just changed into fresh clothes when another visitor came, a social call this time.

It turned out to be a post from the Princess Consort of Yonghe Prince’s Manor, asking for an audience with the princess.

Apparently, she was still feeling guilty about what had happened during the Dharma Assembly and the incident where the great turtle had eaten the princess’s koi.

After much reflection, she realized she was deeply in the wrong and hoped to come into the palace and apologize in person.

Nie Qinglin skimmed a few lines of the message.

As the saying goes, “One doesn’t slap a smiling face.”

Since it was the wife of the Grand Tutor’s old mentor, she decided to give her some face and allowed the Princess Consort of Yonghe to enter the palace the following day.

Now as for that Princess Consort, she had originally been dead set on egging her illegitimate niece’s husband into filing a complaint against the princess, thinking that in these lean times when even the Great Wei’s imperial coffers were scraping the bottom, the Grand Tutor would surely scold the princess, maybe even strip her of her airs as some temple-raised nun playing at being royalty!

But the old Princess Consort had badly miscalculated and ten thousand times over, even.

She never in her wildest dreams thought the Grand Tutor would really get angry, yet instead of chastising the princess, he went and directly stripped her niece’s husband of all his official titles, sending him packing to the weaving workshops!

But what truly left her feeling panicked and on edge was this: right after morning court that day, a squad of imperial guards marched straight to the lakeside.

Ignoring the monks’ protests, they boarded several fishing boats and dropped large nets into the water.

With a good sweep, they actually dredged up that old turtle sunk at the bottom of the lake.

Pitiful thing—it had lived over a hundred years, only to get itself into trouble by eating a few dumb koi.

Right on the shore of the lakeside, it was pinned down by the neck and cleanly sliced in half, blade falling without pause.

Then its body was tossed right back into the lake to feed the fish and shrimp.

The temple’s abbot was, after all, an old hand at handling worldly matters.

He tread the fine line between the luxury of the mortal world and the tranquility of Chan Buddhism with ease.

The moment he saw that the intruders were wearing the Inner Court’s imperial guard uniforms, he quickly stopped the monks from speaking out of turn.

Chanting “Amitabha” under his breath, he quietly recited a roll of the Vajra Sutra to send off the turtle’s soul and let the matter rest.

By the time the Princess Consort heard all this, her face was already green and yellow with dread.

She had thought her husband once did the Grand Tutor a favor, and with that to lean on, the Grand Tutor would at least show her some courtesy.

But she’d forgotten what kind of fearsome demon that Grand Tutor was! Even the late emperor couldn’t keep his head when the Grand Tutor drew his blade and what did one turtle matter to a man like that?

From start to finish, the Grand Tutor didn’t utter a single rebuke against her for scheming in the background.

But the way he killed the turtle in broad daylight, right from the Release Pond no less, if that wasn’t a warning with blood and blade, what was?

In no time, the Princess Consort of Yonghe had become the biggest laughingstock among the capital’s noble families!

That princess—what kind of vixen’s charm did she work? Barely a few days back in the palace and she already had the stone-faced Grand Tutor wrapped around her finger like he’d lost his soul! No matter how much the Princess Consort fumed and hated, she still couldn’t make sense of it.

But the Grand Tutor had clearly made his point and she had no choice but to head into the palace and apologize properly.

The Princess Consort was a woman who knew how to read the room.

No matter how much indignation she was swallowing, she still had to go through the motions and go into the palace, bite her tongue, bow her head, and say her apologies.

Might as well see just how cocky that little hussy from the temple really was.

Nie Qinglin, however, had no idea that the Grand Tutor had sent someone to kill the turtle.

She only felt the Princess Consort’s etiquette was a bit much, why apologize again after several days? Still, she had to play along for form’s sake.

So she changed into formal court dress, tidied herself up, and sat in the palace hall waiting for the Princess Consort’s arrival.

Meanwhile, the Princess Consort brought her daughter along to meet the princess.

The moment she stepped off the carriage, she was secretly shocked.

She had visited Fengchu Palace before and it had already been the height of luxury then.

But now, it had clearly been renovated again.

Luxurious was a given, but it now carried a new air of refined elegance.

Every blade of grass, every tree in the palace grounds exuded wealth.

Not even the most favored consort in the late emperor’s time had such splendor!

As for Lin Miaosheng, when she saw this rarely seen opulence, her heart turned heavy with resentment.

Because of the Grand Tutor’s earlier verbal promise to her father, she’d long considered herself as the future main consort.

In her mind, everything was ready and all she needed was a timely breeze to set sail.

Who’d have thought that breeze would turn into a storm and blow her dreams to pieces?

First, her cousin’s husband got sacked.

Then the prized spirit turtle her mother bought with a small fortune died miserably at Release Pond.

Now she and her mother were reduced to crawling into the palace to apologize to that temple-bred vixen…

The bitterness in a young girl’s heart was impossible to put into words.

And when she finally saw that Princess Yong’an again, her jealousy and hatred nearly cracked her skull open from the pressure inside.