Chapter 111: Preparing A Generous Gift
Snow fell on the small palace path.
Wang Yan led the way, bowing and saying, “It is my great fortune, old servant, to accompany General Xiao to Xu Prefecture to welcome the Emperor.”
Xiao Yi replied, “If Eunuch Wang has the intention, the new Emperor’s enthronement will surely bring great merit.”
“General, you flatter me. Adding a public official to another public official, I am too ashamed to accept such praise.”
As they spoke, they saw two palace maids standing ahead, who were attendants of An Yuanzhen.
They were likely waiting for Xiao Yi. Their faces were red from the wind and snow. They stepped forward and bowed, saying, “Since General Xiao has entered the palace, it is fortunate. The Empress has something to ask you. Please follow us.”
Xiao Yi knew An Yuanzhen would only want to discuss returning to Xiangzhou. He hadn’t even seen Guo Xin or Li Zhaoning, and had no mood to see her.
“Your subordinate still has military affairs to attend to. Please ask the Empress for her understanding.”
“Ah? This is an imperial summons from the Empress. How dare you disobey?”
Xiao Yi dared. He bowed and signaled Wang Yan to lead him out of the direct gate, leaving the two palace maids behind, stomping their feet in anger.
Upon returning to the Two Corridors Guard Room, Wei Renpu had already sent word for him to go to the Ministry of Personnel to meet the Minister of Personnel’s Vice Minister Zhao Shangjiao and the Direct Scholar of the Bureau of Military Affairs Wang Du. Xiao Yi then went with Wang Yan.
They arrived at the ministries, where everyone met amicably. Zhao Shangjiao was appointed Chief Envoy, with Wang Du, Wang Yan, and Xiao Yi as Deputy Envoys. Of course, these were merely nominal positions; Xiao Yi was the actual leader of the delegation.
Furthermore, Wei Renpu had selected an official, a clerk from the Left Treasury, who would be the one to assist Xiao Yi and provide intelligence.
“Greetings, General. I am Zhang Mei, courtesy name Xuan Gui. I am from Qinghe County, Beizhou, and am skilled in calculation.”
Zhang Mei appeared to be in his early thirties, slightly stooped, with rounded shoulders and squinting eyes, likely from spending years buried in paperwork, making him somewhat near-sighted. His face was gaunt, giving him a shrewd and capable appearance.
“Brother Xuan Gui, do you understand Xu Prefecture?”
“I dare not claim such. General Xiao is too polite.”
Zhang Mei bowed and said, “I worked at the Xu Prefecture market for three years as a clerk. I have a basic understanding of officialdom, trade routes, and local customs.”
“If that is the case, Brother Xuan Gui, I will trouble you on this journey. What should be prepared?”
“Generous gifts,” Zhang Mei said, squinting slightly and pondering, “Liu Yun is indecisive. General should try to buy off the people around him. His wife, Madam Dong, is the niece of the former Military Governor of Pengmen, Dong Zhang. She is fond of luxury and vanity. I heard she often buys luxury goods. If the General can win over Madam Dong, half the task will be accomplished.”
Xiao Yi thought that to prepare generous gifts, he would need to request funds from the Commander’s Mansion and ensure they were spent wisely to impress Madam Dong.
“In Brother Xuan Gui’s opinion, what gifts can be prepared?”
“Xu Prefecture is prosperous, and trade flows to Jiangnan. Ordinary items may not catch Madam Dong’s eye. To appeal to her tastes, it is best to have palace treasures, things rarely seen outside the palace.”
As he spoke, Zhang Mei’s gaze, as if by chance, swept over Wang Yan, who stood nearby.
Xiao Yi understood and beckoned him.
“Eunuch Wang, could you please select a treasure from the palace stores for Madam Dong of Xu Prefecture?”
Wang Yan immediately looked troubled and replied earnestly, “Are there any treasures left in the palace? The Empress Dowager already gave the General the last one.”
Xiao Yi then said to Zhang Mei, “Since that is the case, please brother Xuan Gui take the trouble to select some generous gifts from the East Market, and get the funds from the Commander’s Mansion.”
“That is the only way.”
The plan was made. They agreed to meet at East City Cao Gate at a quarter past the Chen hour tomorrow for their departure.
Returning to Xuanwu Gate, before he could even bid farewell to Wang Yan, Zhang Mantun strode over, shouting loudly as he walked.
“How did the General offend the Empress again? She sent an eunuch to scold us…”
Xi Hou caught up from behind, hopped twice, and nimbly leaped onto Zhang Mantun’s shoulder, covering his mouth. The two then began to tussle.
Xiao Yi had to step over and stop them.
“What are you two up to?!”
Xi Hou said mysteriously, “General, don’t worry. I didn’t let Tie Ya mess around. What the General and the Empress… is not something to be discussed.”
“The Empress summoned the General, what is there not to discuss? I’ll beat you to death.”
Xiao Yi ignored these two jesters. Going to see An Yuanzhen would be for no good reason and bring no benefit, so it was better to think about what generous gifts to send to Madam Dong.
No, the Empress herself had the generous gift.
“Eunuch Wang, may your subordinate request an audience with the Empress?”
“…”
It was late afternoon, and not much time remained before the palace gates would be closed.
Passing through layer after layer of vermilion gates, in front of Kunning Palace, the palace maids on guard were yawning. Seeing someone approach, they stepped forward and bowed.
The current dynasty was founded by the Shatuo people, and the rules were not strict to begin with. With the loss of the ruler, the palace servants had become even more lax.
Wang Yan stopped and said, “This is General Xiao, summoned by the Empress. Your subordinate will wait here. General, you must be out within a quarter of an hour.”
Xiao Yi quickened his pace, and the palace maid on guard had to trot to lead the way.
Ahead, at the turn of the corridor, conversation could be heard.
“He is a traitor and a rebel, of course he doesn’t take the Empress’s orders to heart. He’ll probably bully you later.”
“I’m not afraid of him. That day during the funeral procession, I watched him the whole way. It’s a good thing Blackie wasn’t on duty, or it would have been so boring.”
“What are you looking at him for?”
“I think, hmm, I think he likes me. He’s so particular. He never makes an ugly posture in front of me. He stands like this, leaning to the side, and his eyes are so bright when he speaks to me. He walks handsomely, and rides a horse handsomely. I just love to see him quickly leap onto his horse.”
“If you ask me, you want him to leap onto you.”
“Ew, get lost! You’re embarrassing me.”
“What’s there to be shy about? What kind of handsome men haven’t I seen? Hou Kuangzan, Guo Yunming, they are so handsome! Haha, my taste is the same as the Emperor’s. Guess who holds the halberd when they play? I heard Li Ye is also joining. He’s just the right age, handsome and imposing.”
“Stop talking, the Empress will hear and get angry.”
“The Empress isn’t angry, she’s happy to have some peace and quiet.”
Xiao Yi turned the corner of the corridor.
Hearing footsteps, two palace maids turned around. One of them was startled and quickly covered her face and fled. The other hurried into the hall to report.
After they left, there was no one to stop him outside the hall.
Xiao Yi stepped directly over the threshold and entered.
“Empress, General Xiao…”
“Hmph, don’t mention him again, and don’t call me that anymore. He has angered me to death.”
“Yes, yes, General Xiao has arrived.”
“Ah? Don’t press it. Go down, where are my shoes and socks?”
The hall was filled with a faint scent of fragrance. Beyond the screen, An Yuanzhen could be vaguely seen reclining on a couch, having her feet massaged by two palace maids. Afterward, they bustled about.
Xiao Yi found it inappropriate to look too much. He turned to the side and saw a large bronze mirror in the outer hall, remarkably clear and reflective, capable of showing the full body.
This was the first time since arriving in this era that he had seen himself so clearly. He couldn’t help but examine himself carefully.
The timid aura of the original owner was completely gone. His posture was upright, and he seemed to have grown a bit taller in the past two months. His shoulders and back were much broader, making him fully capable of wearing this armor. From a distance, he looked heroic and extraordinary. Coming closer, his features were quite good. Most importantly, his eyes were still his own, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, full of spirit.
In the mirror, a beauty emerged from behind the screen and approached gracefully. After admiring herself in the mirror for a while, a look of satisfaction appeared in her eyes as well.
Xiao Yi didn’t pay much attention to An Yuanzhen. He had seen many beauties, but it had been too long since he had appreciated his own eyes.
An Yuanzhen suddenly became annoyed and huffed, “Why are you looking at my mirror?”
“Your subordinate apologizes for his impoliteness.”
Xiao Yi took a few steps back. Only then did he glance around. The hall was quite luxurious, with a floral patterned carpet on the floor, light silk curtains hanging on the walls, and a silver-plated rouge box on a sandalwood dressing table… Which of these would be suitable to give to Madam Dong?
A palace maid came out from behind the screen carrying a silver basin filled with milk.
He thought about how long it had been since he last drank milk and couldn’t help but look at it again.
“Still looking,” An Yuanzhen spat. “This is what I use for my foot bath, and you dare to look at it.”
Prompted by a palace maid, she slowly sat down on a chair, adopted an empress’s dignified posture, and changed her tone, saying, “General is busy with military affairs, how can you have time to enter the palace for an audience?”
“Your subordinate has come specifically to inform the Empress that the Lord has dispatched an envoy to Xiang Prefecture to enfeoff your esteemed father as the King of Nanyang.”
Upon hearing this, An Yuanzhen immediately stopped acting. Her eyes lit up, and she asked, “Is that true? Then when can I return to Xiang Prefecture? Will you escort me?”
“It depends on your esteemed father’s wishes. If he is willing to help the Lord stabilize the situation, the Empress will naturally return home.”
“Hmph, isn’t this a threat?”
“Does the royal title not sufficiently demonstrate the Lord’s sincerity? If the Empress is still concerned, she may write a letter to inquire of your esteemed father’s intentions.”
“Alright,” An Yuanzhen smiled and said, “You have handled this matter quite efficiently. I will let this pass.”
Xiao Yi had little time and wasted no words. “Your subordinate wishes to borrow something from the Empress.”
“Oh? What is it?”
“A Phoenix Crown.”
“How dare you!” An Yuanzhen stood up abruptly, angered, “I praised you just now, and you dare to have designs on me. Don’t even think about it.”
“…”
Before the palace gates were locked, Xiao Yi, holding a wooden box, hurried out of Kunning Palace, ignoring the angry scolding from behind.
Wang Yan was already pacing anxiously outside the gate. Seeing him arrive, he stepped forward and said, “Is this the palace treasure you wanted to give to Madam Dong?”
“Precisely.”
“Such a precious item, and the Empress was willing to give it up?”
“Of course, the Empress is wise and understands righteousness. She believes that the new Empress entering the harem should not lose face.”
“General Xiao, you truly have a way with words…”
Thus, the personnel for the eastern journey were settled, and the necessary gifts were prepared.
Xiao Yi slept soundly for a night, rejuvenating himself. The next morning, twenty people gathered at Cao Gate and, with the Emperor’s ceremonial escort, set off for Xu Prefecture to deceive Liu Yun.
