Chapter 84

After the Grand Tutor helped the newly appointed King of the Southern Frontier resolve her internal strife, it was not out of obligation that he sent troops.

Since the Southern Frontier was a vassal state of Great Wei, they were expected to show some gesture of gratitude for the blood and sweat shed by Great Wei’s soldiers.

The Grand Tutor, however, was not overly harsh with the somewhat impoverished vassal state.

He simply said that gold and silver could be waived, since they could not provide them anyway.

Instead, he asked for more rice from their three annual harvests, and requested that Southern Frontier send some masters skilled in rice cultivation, along with the seeds, to Jiangnan for experimental planting.

After the famine brought by the grain shortage, the Grand Tutor deeply understood the importance of improving food production.

Fortunately, with the large shipments of rice from the Southern Frontier, the people of Great Wei were able to get through the winter with their bellies mostly full.

Compared with last year, the state treasury was not completely empty, though it was still strained.

Yet the Grand Tutor’s birthday was approaching, and the ministers began to worry.

Would he once again insist on simplicity and cancel the banquet altogether.

In truth, the Grand Tutor had indeed planned to keep it simple this year.

But several ministers, skilled in flattery, strongly opposed this.

Their reasoning was convincing.

Just last year, the young Emperor’s coming-of-age celebration had been extravagantly lavish, consuming “the resources of the entire nation.”

With such a precedent, even if the Grand Tutor wished to uphold his image as a virtuous and austere statesman, the extravagance would be concealed under that shade of the imperial example.

While the ministers were still trying to persuade him to change his mind, the young Emperor, who had just entered the study to learn statecraft from him, happened to overhear part of the discussion.

“The Grand Tutor’s birthday is coming. Then We must prepare a fine gift for Lord Wei,” the young Emperor said, recalling how grandly the Grand Tutor had arranged her own coming-of-age ceremony, and felt a strong urge to repay the favor.

The ministers’ hearts immediately flared with hope, but the Grand Tutor remained resolute: “I appreciate your kind intentions. But the war has only just ended. It is not suitable to indulge in extravagance. Everything shall be kept simple.”

The ministers’ faces fell.

If the Grand Tutor refused to hold a birthday banquet, then the capital would once again go a year without the singing and dancing they longed for.

Alas, after ten bitter years of study, what was the point of becoming an official if not for such pleasures.

Once the ministers had left, the Grand Tutor caught hold of the Emperor’s soft hand.

“What gift is Your Majesty preparing for me.”

Nie Qinglin was slightly surprised.

“Did you not just say you would not celebrate your birthday.”

The Grand Tutor narrowed his phoenix eyes.

“What joy is there in celebrating with a group of old men. But since Your Majesty has already expressed the wish to reward your minister, such words cannot be taken back. Then I shall reluctantly celebrate my birthday with Your Majesty.”

As he spoke, he lifted the Emperor’s smooth chin with his finger.

“I wonder, how will Your Majesty celebrate my birthday.”

Hearing this, Nie Qinglin’s face fell, much like the ministers earlier.

People said the Son of Heaven was powerful, yet they did not know that the Son of Heaven had pockets emptier than her face.

The Grand Tutor forbade her from keeping any private treasury, so as a penniless Emperor, how was she to prepare a grand gift for such a powerful minister.

Would her two clumsy paintings be enough to capture the Grand Tutor’s peerless bearing that outshone all others in the palace.

All she could do was stammer, “Why not let the Grand Tutor first grant me some silver, so that I may prepare more properly.”

The Grand Tutor raised his thick brows.

“The Son of Heaven prepares a gift for her minister, yet asks the minister to first provide the money. What kind of reasoning is this. If the imperial treasury is truly too poor and silver cannot be spared, then there is another way. Lend me your priceless self, show me something rare and delightful, and let me glimpse another side of Your Majesty’s elegance. What do you say.”

Shameless.

Nie Qinglin could think of no other words.

The Grand Tutor’s meaning was obvious.

The other night, when the Grand Tutor stayed in Fengchu Palace and applied medicine to his injured leg, she had asked why that wound had yet to heal.

After all, the deep scar on his face left by iron nails had miraculously vanished overnight after a kiss from Princess Qi Ke, so why did this injury remain stubborn.

She should never have asked.

At once, the Grand Tutor’s face had darkened as he recalled that nightmare in the forest—his legs spread apart, watching his beloved general clumsily crawl between them, feeling the rough stubble scraping against the tenderest skin of his thighs, stroke after stroke…

How could such nightmares be dispelled.

Naturally, he urgently needed the Emperor’s noble lips to deliver salvation.

But Nie Qinglin would never consent.

Her cheeks burned with shame, and she refused to speak to him the entire night.

In the end, it was the Grand Tutor who demonstrated first, showing her the entangling skill of lips and tongue until the silent young ruler was coaxed into tears, gasping for mercy…

Seeing the Emperor’s face flushed like the evening glow, the Grand Tutor knew she had understood his true meaning.

Smirking, he leaned forward and drew the sovereign into his embrace, first indulging in another deep kiss.

When that soft fragrant mouth was reddened and swollen from his attentions, and his own body burned with heat, he prepared to carry the Emperor into the bedchamber, press her onto the couch, strip off the dragon robe, and enjoy midday pleasures.

Just then, a eunuch’s voice called from outside: “Minister Qiu requests an audience with the Grand Tutor.”

Nie Qinglin felt as though she had been saved from drowning, thanking the heavens for Prime Minister Qiu’s timely arrival.

She quickly rose, excused herself, and hurried back to Fengchu Palace to rummage through her chests, hoping to find something suitable for Nanny Shan to pawn outside the palace.

After all, she had to prepare some presentable gift.

As she left, she happened to encounter Minister Qiu.

Startled, she looked up and was taken aback.

She had not looked closely at him for quite some time.

How was it that his once handsome and refined face now bore such heavy dark circles under his eyes.

Had another rebellion broken out somewhere, leaving him so troubled.

When Minister Qiu saluted her and looked up, his ears thundered like the trampling of ten thousand iron hooves.

The Emperor’s smile remained calm and gentle as always, yet those exquisitely shaped lips were faintly swollen, clearly from having been thoroughly kissed not long ago…

Minister Qiu entered the study stiffly and saw the Grand Tutor sitting upright in full dignity.

Yet on his lips, there seemed to be the mark of teeth.

The Grand Tutor was reading a memorial, but when his trusted protégé entered and said nothing for a long while, he raised his head in mild surprise but only to see Qiu Mingyan’s vermilion birthmark gleaming bright on his forehead, and those wide eyes staring fixedly at him.

“Yanjing, have you not seen enough of me lately, that you came here today just to feast your eyes.”

The Grand Tutor narrowed his phoenix eyes and suddenly spoke.

“Yanjing” was the courtesy name bestowed upon Qiu Mingyan by the Grand Tutor.

When Qiu Mingyan had changed his surname to Wei after his family’s downfall, the Grand Tutor had said, “From this day, you shall be called Wei Yanjing. When the ink of the inkstone is exhausted, there will come a day when I restore the Qiu family’s innocence.”

It was those very words that had helped him endure the torment of his family’s destruction.

Even after reclaiming his original name, he deliberately kept this courtesy name, never forgetting the Grand Tutor’s grace.

Hearing the Grand Tutor’s words, Qiu Mingyan froze in alarm and hastily withdrew his reckless gaze.

No matter how his heart thundered like ten thousand hooves trampling, he dared not bluntly ask before the long-feared Grand Tutor, “Are you entangled with His Majesty in a cut sleeve affair?”

He quickly changed the subject.

“Reporting to the Grand Tutor, our spies in the northern frontier bring word that the Xiongnu have fallen into turmoil. It seems the Great Prince, who previously failed in seizing the throne and fled, has returned. He has occupied the western corridor and is gathering troops, appearing intent on a decisive battle with Chanyu Xiu Tulie.”

Lord Wei Lenghou nodded.

The Xiongnu falling into chaos was wholly advantageous for Great Wei.

If the princes fought until none could stand, so much the better.

All that was needed was to keep close watch on the situation.

There was no need to intervene.

Thinking this, he ordered, “Send more spies into the northern frontier. We shall watch from afar, like tigers across the mountain.”

Then he lowered his head to continue reviewing memorials, only to notice Qiu Mingyan still had no intention of leaving.

“The Grand Tutor,” Qiu said cautiously, “I dare to propose that now that the Southern Frontier is unstable, this is truly the time for your great enterprise to succeed. Why not take advantage of the northern strife to depose the Emperor? What is your view?”

At these words, the Grand Tutor slowly set down the memorial.

What Qiu Mingyan said was indeed reasonable.

Recently, that little Guo’ er, the Emperor, had grown even more radiant, and some young ministers at court often lost themselves staring at the sovereign’s beauty.

This greatly displeased the Grand Tutor.

Better to lock the youth away in the harem, where only he could admire her alone.

“Yanjing, you are familiar with the sentiments among the common folk. What does public opinion say?”

“If the Grand Tutor ascends the throne, it will be the will of the people.”

Qiu Mingyan, seeing his master’s heart waver, grew excited and hurried to respond.

Lord Wei tapped his fingers lightly, pondered for a moment, then said, “In that case, Yanjing, make the arrangements as you see fit. Spread word that the Emperor has recently fallen gravely ill. Furthermore, my enthronement and wedding ceremony shall be held together. Princess Yong’an, the Emperor’s younger sister, will be the bride. A wedding cannot be handled carelessly. Even if we do not yet make the news public, all the items for the ceremony must be listed and prepared in advance.”

Qiu Mingyan bent low, listening to every instruction, but inside he was utterly shaken.

For so long he had puzzled over the Grand Tutor’s decisions after the incident on the Swallow Lake road.

But recent events seemed to peel away the layers of mystery.

Surely the Grand Tutor had developed cut sleeve affections for that aloof and proud young Emperor, and by extension pitied the princess who so closely resembled him.

That princess, who knew nothing but dressing up, eating, and frivolous play, was no threat.

Borrowing her name for marriage, the Grand Tutor’s rise would seem all the more justified. But the Emperor was a youth with deep schemes and hidden stratagems. How could he willingly submit beneath the Grand Tutor’s power? Judging by the Tutor’s indulgent favor, there was no guarantee that one day the imperial siblings would not join forces against him.

At this thought, Qiu Mingyan’s face tightened.

No matter the cost, he would never allow anyone to endanger the Grand Tutor’s eternal enterprise.

Even if it were that boy, the one who always smiled so serenely, he would not permit it.

Leaving the study, he happened to pass the entrance to the imperial garden.

There he saw the young Emperor strolling about, gently waving a folding fan, seated in a wicker chair while dabbing at Nanny Shan’s face with a handkerchief.

From afar, it looked like some romantic tale of the Son of Heaven chancing upon a beauty in the imperial garden, moved to show tenderness to a fading blossom.

Looking closer, Nanny Shan, once the awe inspiring female general, was blushing scarlet, yielding herself to the Emperor’s teasing caresses.

He had thought that Lu Yuda’s tastes were already outlandish enough, but to his shock the young Emperor was no less unrestrained.

To actually trifle with the coarse featured, battle worn nanny by the princess’s side.

Could it be that he had discovered General Shan Tiehua’s secret, and meant to seduce her through lust to make her betray the Grand Tutor?

At this, Qiu Mingyan felt a fury surge within him, impossible to suppress.

As a court official he could not intrude into the garden, so he waited outside for Shan Tiehua to emerge.

Nie Qinglin, meanwhile, recalling the Grand Tutor’s promise to take her boating later, had no wish to move about or return to her palace.

She lingered in the imperial garden, admiring the flowers her Sixth Brother had cultivated.

They never lost their charm, and were even practical.

The chrysanthemum called Sudden Snowfall produced the finest pollen, which when ground yielded powder more delicate than any cosmetic.

Applied to the face, it clung without flaking and left the skin smooth as silk.

Since it was not native to the Central Plains, its annual yield was meager.

Even the most favored concubines of the harem received only one or two sticks of it each year, too precious to waste except on the grandest occasions.

But her Sixth Brother, through grafting, had filled an entire plot of his garden with it, then spent lavishly to hire a famous rouge artisan from Jiangnan, who carefully extracted enough to make four boxes.

He sent them all as gifts, two to Princess Yong’an, the Emperor’s sister, and two to Empress Xiao Shen.

Nie Qinglin had recently been practicing the art of cosmetics.

What noble concubines had been reluctant to use, the prodigal princess squandered within days, using up half a box.

She not only painted her own face, but also those of her maids and nanny.

Nanny Shan was the foremost among them.

The princess noticed her stern expression and war weathered complexion, her skin rough and darkened from years on campaign.

Yet despite nearing forty, she had few fine lines, and her bold brows and large eyes gave her a striking appearance.

This inspired Princess Yong’an to improve her companion’s looks.

Nanny Shan dared not disobey, and thus submitted daily to the princess’s artistry.

But while cosmetics suited the princess herself, her natural beauty shining whether painted thick or light, on others her heavy hand often led to disaster.

That very morning, Nanny Shan had been made to wear an overly ruddy face, and had spent the entire morning busy in Fengchu Palace.

When Nie Qinglin suddenly remembered her plan to pawn off household belongings, she summoned Nanny Shan to ask whether Fengchu Palace’s allowance had any savings, if the belts could be tightened further.

But under the bright sunlight, she was startled.

Today’s rouge was so thick that Nanny Shan’s entire face looked fevered, as if cooked.

Startled, the little princess quickly waved her fan, trying to hide her guilty sweat.

She ordered Nanny Shan to squat, then took a handkerchief to spread and soften the rouge on her cheeks.

Both mistress and servant were so used to this routine that they forgot she was dressed in dragon robes at that moment.

But through Qiu Mingyan’s eyes, it was the sight of a wanton Son of Heaven, fresh from seducing the Grand Tutor, now turning to toy with a widow nanny.

Truly the son of the late Emperor, inheriting the same debauchery and boundless appetite.

At this thought, Qiu Mingyan grew cold with rage.

At last, when Nanny Shan emerged from the garden, he stopped her with a harsh voice.

“General Shan, please stay.”

Shan Tiehua turned and saw that it was her old acquaintance from the army, Qiu Mingyan.

Her expression softened at once.

Remembering that he had already risen to the rank of prime minister, she quickly bowed deeply in respect.

“Greetings to Prime Minister Qiu.”

Qiu Mingyan did not reply.

He looked her up and down with a cold gaze.

She was dressed in a dark blue jacket patterned with bamboo leaves, paired with a pleated skirt embroidered with auspicious clouds.

Her hair was combed into a tight coil, pinned with a coral and turquoise flower ornament.

Her face was painted with powder and rouge, white and red in contrast.

She no longer bore the rough and unkempt appearance of the fierce she-devil of the battlefield.

No wonder young Lu Yuda had spoken with such a bitter tone the other day.

Qiu Mingyan had once admired Shan Tiehua’s chastity, believing she had the resolve to refuse someone as young as Lu Yuda.

Yet who would have thought that her ambitions reached even higher.

Not only must her man be young, he must also be handsome.

Compared with the elegant young Emperor, the bearded and rugged Lu Yuda indeed fell short.

At this thought, the prime minister’s words came out edged with sharpness.

“General Lu once told me that you had grown more refined in recent years. I did not believe him then, but now I see that his clumsy tongue still failed to capture half your grace. Still, General, do not forget why the Grand Tutor sent you into this palace. Do not let your mind wander and busy yourself with clinging to lofty branches of men while forgetting your true purpose.”

Qiu Mingyan’s words carried hidden meaning, but to Shan Tiehua they sounded quite different.

She recalled the drunken insults Lu Yuda had once muttered.

Who knew what lawless nonsense that loose-tongued fool might have spilled at a wine table to their old comrades.

She assumed Qiu Mingyan was now repeating such indecent jests to mock her.

Her face flared crimson without the aid of rouge.

The she-devil nature long restrained in the palace could no longer be contained.

She glared fiercely at Qiu Mingyan.

“Say one more word of nonsense and I will knock your teeth out so thoroughly you will never find them again.”

With that she snapped her handkerchief and stormed away in fury.

Qiu Mingyan, a strategist unaccustomed to the battlefield, had never witnessed the famous wrath of the army’s she-devil.

For a moment he was left standing stiff, struck dumb, his mouth unable to close.

Ever since he had entered the army his rise had been smooth, his youthful talent unmatched.

It had been a very long time since anyone dared treat him with such insolence.

Yet Shan Tiehua was usually disciplined and proper.

She must have been stung at some hidden sore to be driven to such a furious outburst.

What kind of intoxicating spell had clouded her judgment so thoroughly?

That Emperor, he truly was a sorcerer.

Anyone who drew close to him would lose their senses and forget themselves.