Thousand Verdant Mountains – Chapter 28 Part 1
Chapter 28 Part 1
The two of them quietly walked out through a corner door along the wall of the hall, passed through the hall corridor, and turned to a deserted place. Chengping couldn’t wait to grab Pei Xiaoyuan’s arm and shouted: “Did you see it? Did you see it just now? There is a painter in front of the Crown Prince, it’s her! I won’t make a mistake even if she is burned to ashes! God! How is this possible? Why did she come to Chang’an? It’s fine if she came to Chang’an, but she actually came to the palace to be a painter? How dare she!”
After he finished shouting, he noticed that his friend’s clear face was as calm as usual, and he didn’t respond, completely unlike his own startled reaction. Puzzled, he asked, “Why are you…?”
Suddenly, he came to his senses.
“Did you know about this before today?” he asked suspiciously.
Pei Xiaoyuan nodded.
Chengping was momentarily stunned, then immediately became angry: “Well, isn’t this just great! You knew where she was all along and didn’t even bother to tell me? What’s the meaning of this?”
He had always been an indulgent person, but he still felt guilty for his frivolous and reckless behavior that day. Pei Xiaoyuan was naturally aware of this.
In fact, after Pei Xiaoyuan and Miss Ye had an unhappy parting that night, he not only immediately sent a letter to Pei Ji in the East Capital, but also thought about informing Chengping of the matter as soon as possible. Firstly, to reassure him, and secondly, Miss Ye did not listen to his advice and insisted on entering the palace as a painter. Chengping, as the lieutenant general of Zuowu Guard, would inevitably encounter her as he when in and out the palace. It would be better to remind him early not to behave inappropriately and cause trouble for her.
But for some reason, he subconsciously didn’t want to think about what happened that night. Plus, the two of them hadn’t met, and he was busy with government affairs from morning to night. He was too lazy to go find him to talk, so it got delayed until now.
Today, he knew that Chengping would come to Shenshu Palace, and he had planned to talk to him after the meeting, but he didn’t expect that Miss Ye was also there, and she was summoned to face the crown prince. As soon as he saw her, he quietly retreated, intercepted Chengping on the spot, and brought him out.
“It’s indeed my fault.”
Pei Xiaoyuan apologized.
“I wanted to tell you today, but I didn’t expect you to meet her first. I only knew she came to Chang’an a few days ago. I didn’t hide it from you on purpose.”
Chengping’s anger came and went quickly. He was completely confused and asked, “What’s going on? I’m really confused! Don’t keep me in suspense. Tell me now!”
Pei Xiaoyuan said that Qingtou saw her by chance in the West Market, and he went to look for her and finally found her. Naturally, he omitted the twists and turns of the process.
“It’s fine to come to Chang’an, but why did she enter the palace to be a painter? Is she crazy? She really thinks she’s a man——”
“Be quiet!”
Pei Xiaoyuan frowned and scolded Chengping in a low voice, interrupting his words.
Chengping paused, looked around, and lowered his voice: “…If her identity was discovered, it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor! You are her sworn brother! Why didn’t you stop her?”
“I did, but she seemed to have other ideas.”
Pei Xiaoyuan said this briefly. Deep down, he really didn’t want to say any more about this matter. He looked at Chengping with a serious expression.
“Just keep this to yourself, and don’t tell anyone else.
“Also, if you don’t have anything necessary in the future, you’d better not bother her. She doesn’t want to interact with others.”
After a pause, Pei Xiaoyuan gave another instruction.
Chengping did not respond immediately. He stood there motionless, his eyes in trance, his mind wandering, it was unknown what he was thinking.
“A Suan’er!” Pei Xiaoyuan called him by his real name again.
“Do you remember what I said?”
Chengping let out an “Oh” as he came to his senses, meeting Pei Xiaoyuan’s gaze. He hurriedly nodded, saying, “Got it, got it!” Just then, a few faint sounds from the palace eunuchs preparing for the procession drifted over from the direction of the main hall, signaling that the crown prince was about to finish his inspection and leave the palace. Chengping quickly turned and said, “Let’s go, let’s go. I remember now, don’t worry!”
The two returned to the front hall together. As expected, the crown prince walked out of the Chongtian Hall accompanied by Wang Zhang, Liu Ceye, Cui Daosi and other old ministers, ready to set off. Pei Xiaoyuan and Chengping each quietly returned to their original ranks.
Before leaving, he turned his head slightly and looked back at the location where the figure was.
It was deserted.
She had already retreated along with the painters around her and disappeared.
Suddenly, at this time, the crown prince who was walking in front called out, “Lord Cui!”
That was Cui Daosi.
Everyone looked up and saw Cui Daosi hurriedly stepping out of the line, bowing and saying, “Your Highness flatter this minister too much. This minister is just an old man, unworthy of such praise from Your Highness!”
The crown prince smiled and said, “Lord Cui, why should you be so modest? The Cui family has been a renowned noble lineage for hundreds of years. Your household has accumulated great achievements through generations in our dynasty. Lord Cui is a distinguished minister of the court, and this is well known to all. Moreover, your nephew, the second son of the Pei family, is also extraordinarily talented. Three years ago, during the Western Campaign, he made great achievements at the age of twenty. At that time, I was the commander-in-chief of the march and knew that he was a young hero. Now that he has returned to the court, the current Supreme Saint has noticed his talent and entrusted him with an important task. I am really happy for Lord Cui!
“Pei family’s Erlang is here today too, right?” the crown prince asked calmly.
Cui Daosi immediately looked at Pei Xiaoyuan, who was standing in the middle of the group at the back, and gestured for him to step out.
Under the gaze of many eyes, Pei Xiaoyuan walked up and kowtowed to the crown prince.
The crown prince personally helped him to stand up when he was halfway through the salute, not allowing him to complete the ceremony, to show his great favor.
“Your Highness is absolutely right. His Majesty has a keen eye and employs people according to their abilities. I heard that this boy from the Pei family has been riding into battle and slaying enemies since he was about fifteen or sixteen years old. His accomplishments three years ago were the result of years of accumulated experience. Given more time, he will surely become a great asset to the country.” Grand Chancellor Wang Zhang was the first to respond and praised him highly.
The late Concubine Feng’s father, the Minister of Writing, Feng Zhenping, was beside him. He hesitated for a moment when he heard those words, but then he agreed.
“I have long heard that the son of the Pei family is a man of exceptional talent, a dragon among men, and it seems the rumors were not exaggerated. Such a fine young man—one wonders which family will be fortunate enough to have him as a son-in-law in the future,” remarked the white-haired Minister of Ceremonies, who was presiding over today’s sacrifice, while stroking his beard in admiration.
The son of Pei family was wearing a scarlet robe with a golden belt, and dark black suede boots. He stood solemnly on the sky-blue platform in front of the hall. His posture was as sharp as a sword, his bearing noble and spirited, making people unable to help but take a second look at him.
All the officials agreed. Grand Chancellor Liu Ceye and General Chen Sida, who were close to the Crown Prince, did not speak at first, but soon they nodded one after another, and the whole place was filled with praise.
Cui Daosi hurriedly bowed to the crowd on behalf of his nephew and said, “My nephew’s accomplishments are nothing more than a stroke of luck. During the Western campaign, it was all due to the supreme blessings of His Majesty, and with the Crown Prince remotely commanding and overseeing. He was just working hard with the other soldiers! Now that heavy responsibilities is placed on him, how could such a young man possibly bear them on his own? He must continue to rely on the guidance of His Majesty and Your Highness, so that he can have more opportunities to study and improve himself, then maybe one day he can truly become a useful instrument.”
The prince nodded upon hearing this, his eyes full of praise: “Experience well, accumulate merits and build a career, and do not disappoint His Supreme Majesty!”
Pei Xiaoyuan bowed again: “This minister will do his best, work hard day and night without fail, and will not let down the great kindness of His Supreme Majesty and Your Highness the Crown Prince.”
After seeing and giving him some encouragement, the crown prince chatted with the other ministers for a while about the new palace, ended today’s affairs, walked down the platform of the hall, and left.
After leaving the Shenshu Palace and seeing off the Crown Prince, all the officials also dispersed. Cui Daosi called Pei Xiaoyuan and went to a quiet place near the palace gate, and ordered his followers to wait and look around.
He thought about how the crown prince had just praised his nephew in front of all the officials for no reason, how Wang Zhang was the first to praise him, and how Liu Ceye followed in the others’ praise, but clearly with a slight sneer on his face. He couldn’t help but feel worried, and whispered, “Prince Kang will be sixteen soon, and Wang Zhang has a granddaughter. I heard that the Grand Empress Dowager intends to arrange a marriage.”
Over the years, everyone in the court knew that although the crown prince was popular, the emperor did not seem to be very satisfied with this eldest son. As the crown prince’s uncle, Liu Ceye knew very well that Wang Zhang wanted to support Prince Kang. He hated it and was extremely vigilant.
Today, the Eastern Palace had the reputation accumulated over the years, supported by powerful clans within the Pass, with the Liu family at the forefront, and backed by influential military leaders like Chen Sida. On the surface, it seemed unbreakable, but Prince Kang’s power was actually not much inferior.
The Wang family was a great clan, and although the Liu family and the Empress Dowager were also cousins, the Empress Dowager’s surname was Wang, so it was obvious which family she favored more. Prince Kang’s grandfather, Feng Zhenping, also made great contributions during the rebellion. In terms of family background and strength, he was not much weaker than the Crown Prince.
For Cui Daosi today, what worried him most was not which family to make friends with, but what the emperor really wanted.
Unfortunately, the emperor seldom attended court in the past two years and lived in the Taoist palace. He could truly be said to be “ruling the world from behind”, and it was really impossible to know what he was thinking.
“You have just arrived and many people are watching you. No one dares to act rashly. But if my prediction is correct, the Crown Prince and Prince Kang will take action in some time. Whether it’s testing or showing goodwill, you should neither offend nor make friends with them. You should act according to the circumstances and wait for a while, at least until the His Majesty’s birthday, and then make a decision based on the situation.” Cui Daosi earnestly advised his nephew.
If they could understand the intention of their superior, it would be great. However, it was not clear now. The two sides were evenly matched. The wisest way was to wait and watch for the opportunity to act.
For example, for Cui and Pei, these first-rate noble clan and aristocratic families, no matter which imperial heir would take over the throne in the end, as long as they have not been too deeply involved, at worst, they have not done the merit of following the dragon, but their foundation would not be shaken.
Back then, the Pei family just did not know how to turn around and withdraw from the situation early, which led to such a result in the end.
Cui Daosi also knew that the Cui family had done something terrible back then.
In fact, ever since he took over the family affairs, he had considered reestablishing contact with Pei Ji. However, whenever he thought of the emperor’s dark and unpredictable nature, along with the fact that Linghu Gong, the Military of Ganliang, and Pei Ji’s previous superiors, regardless of their personal relationship with Pei Ji, were undoubtedly monitoring this former court minister’s actions in secret, a chill would run down his spine. As a result, he never dared to take that step.
Knowing that his nephew must have some resentment in his heart, he did not dare to say too much about these things. He only mentioned a few points, thinking that he should be able to understand.
“This nephew thank Uncle for the advice.” Pei Xiaoyuan responded.
Cui Daosi smiled and changed the topic to family matters: “Your aunt mentioned to me a few days ago that if you’re too busy, she can send someone to clean up your house in Yongning Lane so that you can move in anytime. I heard from the steward at home that the place you live in is quite cramped, so I’m afraid it will be inconvenient.”
“It’s more convenient for me to live in the government quarter. I won’t be using the old house for the time being, so there’s no need to go through the trouble of cleaning it up. Uncle, please convey my gratitude to Aunt.”
Cui Daosi himself also quite disliked Wang shi‘s action, so he could not fail to hear his nephew’s tactful refusal. He had no choice but to say a few more words asking him to visit more often when he had time, and finally said, “There’s one more thing. Uncle has been asked by Prince Ning.”
The former of Eastern Capital, Prince Ning, the emperor’s clan brother, returned to Chang’an from Eastern Capital not long ago to recuperate.
Although the resident regent had no real power, this position was special and the official title was noble. Those who had held this position had always been confidants of the imperial family.
Prince Ning had been closer to the current emperor than any other brothers since their youth, even before the emperor ascended the throne. Later, due to his talent, he was assigned to a real position. When the rebellion occurred, he was serving as the Governor of Yuan Prefecture, and when the emperor, responding to Pei Ji’s call, rushed to the front lines to lead the troops, Prince Ning used his official position to secure provisions for the imperial forces across the southern provinces. Moreover, he even sent his eldest son, who had just recently married, to serve under Pei Ji. Unfortunately, his son was captured by the rebel forces, and, refusing to surrender, was tragically executed. This made Prince Ning a noble of the imperial family who made real contribution.
It was not a big deal for him to resign and retire, after all, he was already old, ten years older than the current emperor, but the successor who stayed in the East Capital was Pei Ji. After the news spread a few days ago, the ripples caused could be imagined. And when he returned this time, in order to thank his old friends, Prince Ning would hold a flower-appreciation banquet in Qujiang Garden.
“In addition to those old friends, the Old Highness also wants to see what the young men in the court are like now. Moreover, he had close contacts with your uncle in his early years and they have been old friends for many years. He’s very happy to know that you have returned to the capital now, and repeatedly reminded me to let you attend the banquet if you are free.”
As he spoke, he pulled out a gold-stamped invitation card with an apple blossom pattern from his sleeve and handed it over.
“No matter how busy you are, you still have to go. Now inside or outside the palace, if there is anyone who can speak a few words in front of His Majesty, it’s Prince Ning. It will be of great benefit to you to get closer to him. Besides, I see that he thinks highly of you and has told me several times.”
Pei Xiaoyuan accepted the invitation.
After Cui Daosi finished speaking, he left in a hurry.
Pei Xiaoyuan walked out of the palace gate alone, and the guards led their horses to greet him. He mounted his horse and had already walked out of a street. Slowly, for some reason, he slowed down his horse and finally stopped. He looked back in the direction of the palace, hesitated for a moment, turned his horse back to the palace gate he had just come out of, and asked the guards if they had seen Prince Ashina leave the palace. Hearing that it seemed that they had not seen him, he no longer hesitated, immediately entered the palace gate, and returned along the same route.