Chapter 14: Delivering A Message
After the first month of winter, social visits at the Shi Residence became frequent.
On the third day of the eleventh lunar month, Shi Deyu went out, leaving Xiao Yi, who was already capable of handling affairs independently, to manage the miscellaneous matters in the mansion.
In the afternoon, when Xiao Yi saw Shi Deyu returning, he immediately reported, “Prefect Liu is here. He didn’t present a calling card. The Marshal is busy, so the butler arranged for him to wait in the West Side Hall. I sent him a pot of wine to warm him up.”
This was precisely where his diligence lay, proactively noting who was important to Shi Deyu.
Shi Deyu nodded with satisfaction and said as he walked inside, “I will change my clothes first. You go to the storeroom and get a brocade robe and a jade belt to present to Liu Zhu.”
“I presume there’s a reason for this?” Xiao Yi asked, following him.
“A good question. Tell him they are imperial gifts,” Shi Deyu continued without stopping. “The Emperor enjoys music and dance and bestowed brocade robes and jade belts upon the performers. My father saw them at the imperial banquet yesterday and ordered them to be taken off.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yi secretly thought that Shi Hongzhao had essentially slapped the Emperor in the face.
He felt a faint sense of unease but knew that neither the Shi father nor son were receptive to advice, so he didn’t dare to speak further.
Shi Deyu felt nothing improper about the matter, his voice even carrying a touch more pride as he said, “My father said, ‘Officers and soldiers guard the borders for the nation, enduring hunger and enduring the cold, yet they do not receive such honor. What merit do actors have to receive such rewards?’ It is most satisfying! You can also convey this statement to Liu Zhu to acknowledge his contributions.”
“Yes,” Xiao Yi replied, unfazed and with a calm expression.
Shi Deyu sensed his concern, stopped, and smiled, “Don’t worry, this is a move by my father to assert his authority.”
Xiao Yi thought that Zhao Gao pointing to a deer as a horse was about identifying political enemies, but the Shi family repeatedly asserted their authority without any subsequent actions.
Perhaps it was simply that military men nowadays were accustomed to being overbearing.
Upon reaching the West Side Hall, Xiao Yi was stopped outside the door by several of Liu Zhu’s attendants, who asked him to deliver the brocade robe and jade belt directly to the carriage outside.
He took the opportunity to glance into the side hall and saw a man with a grim expression sitting there with his eyes closed, resting. He decided not to disturb him further.
Outside the Mansion Gate, Liu Zhu’s carriage was quite impressive, pulled by eight fine horses. At the rear was a compartment specifically for items, fully equipped with armor, weapons, food boxes, and wine pots. It even housed a Buddha statue, and in the corner lay several lanterns and kites, as if prepared for the festival.
After handing over the brocade robe and jade belt, Xiao Yi turned to leave. As he reached the Side Door, the gatekeeper stopped him.
“Yi Lang, someone is here to see the Marshal. He looks like an official, but he won’t present a calling card or give his name. He refuses to leave, and if I kick him out, I’m afraid I might offend some deity. Give me an idea?”
Xiao Yi turned to look. A person stood in the Alley Corner, wearing an inconspicuous grey sable cloak, head bowed, his entire face buried in his scarf as if from the cold.
“I’ll go take a look.”
As he approached, Xiao Yi recognized the person.
“Master Yan?”
“Hush.” Yan Jinqing shivered and made a shushing gesture, whispering, “Could you take me to see the Grand Tutor?”
His gaze was earnest. Fearing Xiao Yi would refuse, he quickly added, “I have something of utmost urgency.”
“Master Yan, please follow me.”
Xiao Yi did not make a scene. He led Yan Jinqing through a small alley, entering the mansion through a side door and finding a secluded Side Room.
He noticed that Yan Jinqing kept his head down the entire way, only occasionally looking up with eyes full of vigilance.
“Master Yan, please wait here for a moment. I will go inform them, but the Marshal and the Young Master are both busy and may not be able to spare time for a while.”
Yan Jinqing said anxiously, “I arrived before noon and have been waiting… Please convey to him – it is of great importance, of great importance!”
Xiao Yi glanced at the sky and knew Yan Jinqing had likely been lingering in the cold wind for over an hour.
This made him curious: would this matter present an opportunity or a danger for him?
He did not ask Yan Jinqing to explain directly. Instead, he said unhurriedly, “Even so, the Marshal probably still won’t see you.”
“Why?” Yan Jinqing asked, looking crestfallen. “I have come to visit many times and have never been granted an audience. I clearly wish to serve sincerely, but I don’t know why the Grand Tutor refuses to accept me?”
“Do you truly not know the reason, Master Yan?”
“Yi Lang knows?” Yan Jinqing quickly bowed and said, “Please tell me directly. I would be immensely grateful.”
Xiao Yi knew that once he spoke, Yan Jinqing would likely give up. So he said, “Master Yan, could you first tell me why you came so early today?”
“This… I’m afraid I cannot.”
“If Master Yan does not trust me, then please wait here.”
This time, Xiao Yi didn’t say “please wait” but “wait here,” and his tone also changed to a more distant one. He turned to leave.
“Yi Lang, wait!”
Yan Jinqing quickly called out to him, but he still hesitated, beating his hands together, unwilling to speak.
Xiao Yi did not urge him, waiting patiently.
After much hesitation, Yan Jinqing finally spoke, his voice hoarse with anxiety.
“Let’s make a gamble. I’ll tell you.”
Xiao Yi closed the doors and windows, invited him to sit, leaned forward slightly, and assumed an attentive posture.
Yan Jinqing said, “I have been reinstated as Director of the Imperial Household Department. This post is nothing more than ‘reception of guests,’ so I often go back and forth within and outside the Imperial Palace, welcoming and seeing off envoys, assisting with ceremonies, and providing for the imperial carriage. My ears and eyes within the palace are therefore more informed than others.”
Xiao Yi nodded slightly to show his agreement and waited for him to continue.
This gave Yan Jinqing a desire to confide, and his speech became smoother.
“Recently, there have been whispers within the palace. The Emperor often suspects there are sounds of troops and weapons in Da Ning Palace at night, making it difficult for him to sleep, and he is filled with worry and unease.”
Xiao Yi understood the gravity of this statement; it meant the Emperor suspected a rebellion. This was the premise.
“And then?”
“This morning, I entered the palace to verify the list of festival rewards with the Empress Dowager. I happened to encounter the Emperor paying his respects to the Empress Dowager. I retreated to the East Wing to wait. After the Emperor left, I noticed the eunuchs standing by the palace gate had strange expressions, appearing fearful. I then sought an opportunity to question one of them…”
Yan Jinqing took a deep breath, as if the words he was about to speak weighed more than a thousand pounds. He swallowed before continuing.
“At first, the hushed whispers in the hall were inaudible. Later, the Empress Dowager became angry, vaguely saying, ‘How can this matter be easily initiated?’ The Emperor also grew increasingly enraged, and the words ‘usurping power and shaking the sovereign will inevitably lead to chaos’ were clearly audible.”
Xiao Yi asked, “Who was being accused of usurping power?”
Yan Jinqing replied, “It was definitely not Su Fengji.”
“Why?”
“As the Emperor left the hall, the Empress Dowager asked him to reconsider, saying that such important matters could be discussed with Su Fengji. The Emperor angrily rebuked the Empress Dowager, saying she was within her women’s quarters and knew nothing of state affairs, and left in a huff.”
After speaking, Yan Jinqing seemed to have been drained of all strength. He leaned on the side table, as if he could barely remain seated.
Xiao Yi waited for a long while, realizing he had finished speaking, and began to ponder silently.
The whole affair, on the surface, was a quarrel between mother and son in the palace, with the Emperor wanting to undertake a major task and the Empress Dowager forbidding it. Yan Jinqing was certainly not here for Shi Hongzhao to mediate. Therefore, it must be concern about the Emperor’s intended major undertaking.
What was it?
The answer was obvious.
– To eliminate Shi Hongzhao!
Currently, the one “usurping power and shaking the sovereign will inevitably lead to chaos” was Shi Hongzhao.
The Emperor’s harsh reprimand to the Empress Dowager showed his resolve to kill was set, with no room for negotiation.
At this thought, Xiao Yi felt a chill down his spine. He had recently killed members of the Empress Dowager’s clan… If the Shi family were eliminated, the Empress Dowager would have no need to settle scores with him.
However, he could not readily believe Yan Jinqing.
Xiao Yi suppressed the turmoil in his heart and spoke, his voice still steady, “Master Yan, why are you willing to risk death to tell me this?”
“To be frank, Yi Lang, I have learned this secret, and my fortune and disaster are unpredictable. One wrong step could lead to eternal damnation. I have been contemplating that all the troops and horses, both inside and outside, are under the Grand Tutor’s command. I fear the Grand Tutor is completely unprepared and will fall into the schemes of… into a trap.”
This was said quite directly. Yan Jinqing felt that Shi Hongzhao was more powerful and wanted to pledge his allegiance to gain significant merit.
Moreover, Yan Jinqing was even more afraid that if the Emperor failed, Shi Hongzhao would also deal with him.
As for his complete lack of mention of loyalty and righteousness, only looking at military strength and power, it could be considered a characteristic of the era.
Xiao Yi then asked, “What specific plan do you think the Emperor has?”
“This… how would I know?”
“And the timing? When does he plan to act?”
“I don’t know, but based on what I understand, when the Emperor decides to do something, he does it immediately.”
Xiao Yi nodded and fell into deep thought.
Yan Jinqing reacted and asked, “Yi Lang, you don’t believe me?”
“I do,” Xiao Yi replied. “But there is no tangible evidence. How will you gain the Marshal’s trust?”
Yan Jinqing said urgently, “I truly don’t know any more. Whether the matter is true or false, the Marshal can find out with a simple investigation. How dare I deceive you with my life?”
Xiao Yi looked closely into his eyes, knowing he had elicited all that Yan Jinqing knew. Only then did he stand up.
“Master Yan, please remain seated here. Do not go out, and do not let anyone else in. Wait for me to return.”
“Alright.”
Just as Xiao Yi was about to leave, Yan Jinqing suddenly grabbed his sleeve and asked, “You still haven’t told me why the Marshal won’t accept me?”
“Don’t worry, the Marshal will treat you well, Master Yan.”
Xiao Yi patted Yan Jinqing’s hand and turned to leave.
However, he knew that given Shi Hongzhao’s character, even if Yan Jinqing risked his life to deliver the message, he would not be highly valued. This was because Shi Hongzhao could not tolerate someone named Yan being by his side.
It seemed Yan Jinqing had not yet uncovered the hidden circumstances of the Yan clan from years ago; otherwise, he should have sided with the Emperor.
The snow and wind intensified. Xiao Yi wrapped his Blue Sable Cloak tighter and strode towards the most bustling area of the Shi Residence.
The accumulated snow made a crisp sound under his feet, like ice about to shatter, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.
