Chapter 111

 

Chengping was completely unfazed by the hint of displeasure in his friend’s question. Without another word, he grasped Pei Xiaoyuan’s arm, glanced around to confirm that no one was nearby, and forcibly dragged him to the spot where he had been hiding earlier. Only then did he release his grip and speak in a low voice, “I want to ask you something, but I haven’t seen you for a few days. I asked around and found out that you and the Princess were staying here for a while. I couldn’t wait, so I came to ask you myself.

“Does His Majesty have other plans for the ancestral worship ceremony this time?”

Chengping asked without any pause.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the treetops, imprinted on Chengping’s eyes, causing his gaze to flicker slightly.

Pei Xiaoyuan looked at him for a moment and said, “Isn’t it an imperial custom to offer sacrifices to ancestors on the first day of Eleventh Month? It’s the same every year. You were once a hostage who lived in Chang’an and came here again a few years ago. You should know this. Why are you asking this?”

Cheng Ping smiled and said, “You were not at the court meeting a few days ago, but you must know what happened. The Imperial Counselor Su Shiming and others first impeached Wei Juren for indulging his relatives in seizing land and homes from common folk. Then, they accused Liu Ceye’s grandson of having beaten a man to death in the street over a dispute, resolving the matter with mere monetary compensation. These were old cases, long buried and forgotten. Yet now, out of nowhere, the victims suddenly came forward to file complaints, and the censors caught wind of it, openly speaking for them in court—”

That alone would be one thing, but the most intriguing part was His Majesty’s reaction.

He assigned Liu Ceye himself to investigate these two matters and ordered him to report back at the next court meeting—right after the imperial ancestor worship ceremony.

Not only that, those people also impeached Xue Mian, the Military Commissioner of Liangzhou and the governor of Shannan Circuit, accusing him of using illness as a pretext to delay his departure from Chang’an, implying that he must have ulterior motives. The emperor’s response was even more unexpected—he immediately dispatched imperial physicians to Xue’s residence for an examination. When they arrived, however, Xue Mian was dead drunk from an all-night banquet. His family couldn’t wake him up no matter how much they called him, and in the end, he had to be carried into the palace, where cold water was poured over his head to wake him up. Although he made all kinds of excuses, claiming he suffered from qi obstruction, which caused severe pain in his lower back and legs, and he stayed in Chang’an because the climate here was suitable for him to recuperate, His Majesty did not believe a word of it. He flew into a rage, and if not for his consideration of Xue’s ancestors’ merits and the pleas of some officials, he would have stripped him of his rank and thrown him into prison on the spot. Though the emperor’s anger eventually subsided, he still ordered him to be flogged thirty times in open court, leaving his skin and flesh torn, a sight unbearable to witness. Finally, he was given three days to leave the capital. By today, he had already left.

From the previous incident of the prince consort being assassinated, which everyone was suspicious of, to the Liu family, the Wei family, and the Xue family, all three families were attacked on the same day.

Not a single sentence was directed at the crown prince, but everything was clearly directed at the crown prince.

After the court meeting that day, during these days, the officials in the Southern Court seemed to be doing the same as usual. However, everyone had a feeling that something big might be about to happen.

“His Majesty has really made up his mind to depose the Crown Prince, right?”

After Chengping asked, he stared at Pei Xiaoyuan closely.

“I really have nothing to say about this matter.” Pei Xiaoyuan answered him.

“How could His Majesty tell me what he’s thinking? Besides, no matter whether he has any thoughts about this, it’s not your business. From beginning to end, it has nothing to do with you!”

Chengping pursed his lips slightly.

Perhaps it was Chengping’s reaction that made him realize that his tone was too serious, so Pei Xiaoyuan eased up.

“A Suan’er!”

He spoke again, and his voice, calling Chengping, became gentle, just like the look he gave Chengping at that moment.

“Listen to my advice. Don’t worry about these court affairs, and don’t interfere. Don’t you always say to enjoy life while you can? There are so many leisure places in Chang’an—surely there’s more than enough to keep you entertained? If you fancy any beauty, just go and make her your paramour. Gambling is fine too. If you lose and can’t pay up, just put it on my tab. Do whatever you like—just don’t meddle in matters that have nothing to do with you!”

Chengping raised an eyebrow.

“In the past, you always told me to behave properly and stay away from those places. Yet now, the moment I ask you a single question, you’ve changed your tune and are actually encouraging me to do those foolish things?”

“Those foolish things can only lead to loss of morale. But this matter can cost your life.”

Chengping was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed.

“Forget it. How could I not know why you’re saying this? It’s just that everyone in the court has been speculating privately recently. I asked you out of curiosity, that’s all. Don’t worry, I’m an outsider and insignificant, who am I to interfere?”

He returned to his initial smiling expression and urged: “I have nothing else here. I shouldn’t have come today. You should go back. Don’t let the Princess wait for too long.”

Pei Xiaoyuan thought that Prince Kang should have finished talking by now. Besides, Lu Wenjun was nearby. If she ran into Chengping and got upset again, the princess’ original intention of inviting her here to relax would be in vain. So he nodded and said, “Then I won’t see you off. You should leave quickly. If you are seen by others, just say that I invited you here.”

Chengping smiled and agreed, watching Pei Xiaoyuan leave. When Pei Xiaoyuan disappeared from his sight, he turned around. At this time, the smile on his face also disappeared. He played with a bone whistle hanging on his waist with his fingers, while walking slowly forward on the weed-covered forest path under his feet, absent-minded, obviously pondering over something.

Suddenly, behind him, accompanied by the rustling sound of boots stepping on the grass, someone was walking towards the woods.

Chengping immediately stopped, turned his head and glanced quickly behind him. He saw Prince Kang and one of his confidants walking towards this direction. He frowned and immediately hid behind a cluster of dense branches nearby.

Prince Kang walked to a secluded spot deep in the forest and came to a stop, standing still as if waiting for someone. His face was dark with anger, his brows tightly furrowed. His confidant, observing his expression, spoke in a low voice, attempting to soothe him: “Your Highness, please quell your anger. You must listen to Minister Feng’s words. Now is the most critical moment, and you must not be negligent. For the sake of your future, what harm is there in calling her ‘Sister’ a few more times and speaking a few kind words? Once the world belongs to you, and she no longer has the emperor to rely on, won’t she be completely at your mercy? Compared to Han Xin’s humiliation of crawling between the legs of one’s adversaryexplanation bellow, what Your Highness endures today is nothing?”

Prince Kang frowned even more.

“Do I need you to explain this? I just feel aggrieved! It’s bad enough that she holds power over me—but that man surnamed Pei, relying on my sister’s favor, has now climbed above me as well! I will definitely get rid of this person in the future! And that Hu barbarian—they are as thick as thieves, no doubt scheming something in the shadows. He absolutely cannot be allowed to live either!”

When mentioning Chengping, or perhaps due to the involvement of Lu Wenjun, Prince Kang’s tone unconsciously revealed a hint of jealousy.

“Don’t worry, Your Higness. Minister Feng will have his own considerations for the future. For now, nothing matters more than securing the Crown Prince’s position. It won’t be long—just wait and see.”

Prince Kang thought about what happened in the last court meeting, and finally felt a little relieved. Then he turned around and looked in the direction he had just come from, with a bit of impatience on his face. His confidant knew what he was thinking and hurriedly said, “Your Highness, please wait here, I’ll go take a look.”

In the dark, Chengping watched Prince Kang’s confidant leave in a hurry. After staring at Prince Kang in a daze for a moment, his eyelids suddenly twitched slightly, and a strange and fierce look flashed across his eyes.

The rustling of autumn branches and the sound of boots pressing against the underbrush startled Prince Kang. He turned around and saw who was coming. He was surprised at first, but suddenly, he thought of the harsh words he had just said. If this person heard them and told the princess and Pei Xiaoyuan, it would be very bad.

His heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. He tried his best to calm himself down and said in a cold voice, “Why are you here? Do you realize the crime of trespassing into the imperial forbidden grounds?”

Chengping, all smiles, stepped forward, bowed deeply, and repeatedly offered apologies. “It’s entirely my fault! Your Highness, please do not take offense! And please rest assured, I didn’t hear a word you said just now—”

This statement seems to be fine at first, but if you think about it again, it was clear that it has another meaning.

Prince Kang was startled and his expression became extremely ugly: “Ashina, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to use this to threaten me?”

As Chengping performed his bow, he bent so deeply that his body curved like a drawn bow, his hands nearly touching the tips of Prince Kang’s boots.

He smiled and said, “Your Highness misunderstands me. How would I dare do such a thing?” After speaking, he lifted his face and suddenly let out a “Hmm?”, pointing behind Prince Kang. “Look, there’s someone behind you.”

Prince Kang subconsciously turned his head, and actually saw a tall figure flash out from the shadow of the trees behind him.

He was a member of Ashina’s clan, named Shiduo, famous for his bravery and strength. He now serves as the deputy leader of the imperial guards.

Prince Kang was taken aback again. Before he could react, he felt a sudden chill in his chest, and then a sharp pain as if his heart was smashed to pieces.

He quickly turned his head and saw that Ashina had stood up. There was a dagger in his hand, and the blade of the dagger was deeply inserted into his own heart.

His eyes widened in disbelief, staring at Ashina’s face. With a smile still on his face, Chengping came closer and said softly without blinking, “Everyone will die sooner or later. Since we have met today, I will send Your Highness off early.”

The blood slowly flowed out from the hole in Prince Kang’s chest, staining the surrounding silver clothes red. He endured the excruciating pain, struggled to support his body that was about to fall, and opened his mouth to call for help. However, Chengping would not give him a chance. He raised his other hand and quickly covered his mouth. At the same time, he twisted the hand holding the dagger.

Prince Kang fell to the ground immediately, struggled for a while, and then died.

Chengping squatted down, put his finger under Prince Kang’s nose to feel his breath, and when he was sure he was dead, he drew out his dagger, stood up, lifted up the sole of his boot, and wiped the blood stains back and forth on his body.

At this time, the confidant of Prince Kang who had walked not far away had actually turned back. He was caught off guard and met Chengping’s two cold gazes. Horrified, he turned around to run, but was caught up by Shiduo, and was killed cleanly.

Ashina put the blood-stained dagger back into his boot, glanced at the two corpses on the ground, frowned, and said in a low voice, “Find a place deep in the forest and bury them first.”

Shiduo complied and called two other men who were still hiding nearby. They dragged the body to an even more remote place, dug a shallow ditch, pushed the body down, and were about to bury it when Chengping suddenly came close, reached out, pulled off a jade pendant from Prince Kang’s waist. After looking around, he threw it into a nearby patch of grass.

Soon, the ditch was filled in, and it was covered with some dead branches and weeds. It seemed to have completely merged with the surrounding area without any flaws.

Chengping summoned Shiduo and the two other men, whispered a few instructions, then ordered them to disperse from the Forbidden Garden. He was about to leave when suddenly, a sound like a dead branch breaking could be heard nearby.

Although the sound was very subtle, it still reached his ears. He stopped and glanced at Shiduo. Shiduo understood, bent his body, and walked quietly in the direction of the movement. Soon, his voice was heard from behind an old ginkgo tree nearby: “Young Master! It’s her!”

Chengping ran behind the tree and saw that the person coming was Lu Wenjun. His face couldn’t help but changed slightly.

Lu Wenjun’s face was deathly pale, completely devoid of any color. She had already collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. When she saw Chengping appear, her eyes filled with terror, as if she wanted to cry out for help. However, the next moment, her throat seemed to be strangled by something, and she could not make a sound.

Shiduo ordered two of his men to go to the nearby area to check the situation and see if anyone else was approaching. Then he turned to Chengping.

“She must be killed!”

He spoke to Chengping in his tribe’s language, and without waiting for Chengping’s reply, he took action and grabbed Lu Wenjun’s throat with his five fingers.

Under the merciless grip of the Wolf Court man’s five fingers, the young girl was like a lamb awaiting slaughter. The only thing she could do was widen her eyes in terror, kick her legs desperately, and shake her head with all her strength. In her struggle, her hair came loose, a jade hairpin tumbled askew, and one of her embroidered shoes flew off.

But it was all in vain. Soon, the girl’s face turned red. The great pain of suffocation made her eyes start to wander, and her hands and feet slowly stopped moving.

“Let her go!”

Suddenly, Chengping, who had been watching quietly, spoke in his tribe language.

Shiduo was startled and loosened his grip slightly but refused to withdraw.

“Young Master! We can’t let go! Don’t forget, the person we just killed was the son of the Emperor of the Holy Dynasty! If anyone find out, we’ll all be finished!” He responded in the same tribal language, and then continued to exert force with his hands.

Chengping closed his eyes, and opened them again, and saw the girl on the ground who had regained her breath fell into pain again. The gorgeous skirt she was wearing had been lifted up to her knees, and her thin neck, as white and flawless as jade, seemed to be about to break. She had completely stopped struggling, and only tilted her head with disheveled black hair, looking at him empty-eyed, with a tear running down her cheek and slowly flowing into her hairline.

Chengping clenched his palms and ordered again: “Let her go!”

“Young Master—” Shiduo still refused to obey.

He took a few steps forward and kicked the stubborn Shiduo away.

Shiduo was sent rolling by his kick. Sitting up, he met the other’s gaze and heard him said coldly in their tribe’s language: “Leave her to me. I have my own way to stop her from talking. This is no place to linger. Disperse immediately!”

With that, he bent down, picked up the embroidered shoe and jade hairpin at his feet, then scooped up the girl from the ground. Without another word, he strode swiftly into the depths of the dense forest, his figure vanishing into the shadows.

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Translator’s note:

Han Xin was a Chinese military general and politician who served Liu Bang during the Chu–Han Contention and contributed greatly to the founding of the Han dynasty. Growing up, he was incredibly poor, even had to relied on others for his meals, and people looked down on him. A youngster from a butcher’s family in Huaiyin would humiliate Han Xin, making fun of him by saying that despite Han Xin being tall and carrying around a sword, Han Xin was actually a coward. He said in front of a crowd: “If you do not fear death; stab me. If you fear death; come crawl between my legs.” Han Xin gave it some thought, and eventually decided to crawl between the hooligan’s legs. Because of this, he was mocked by all the town for his cowardice. Later on, crawling between the legs of one’s adversary become idiom that describe a talented person who can endure humiliation before they become famous.

And just like that, Prince Kang is dead!