Chapter 23: Those Past Events
Not sure if it was because the past was mentioned.
Mo Zheng also had a dream.
She had not dreamed for a long time.
She was even soberly aware in the dream that she was dreaming.
Because she dreamed of Zhang the Eunuch.
Zhang the Eunuch was still wearing clothes from the Imperial Palace, panting heavily, stumbling forward.
And she was held in Zhang the Eunuch’s arms.
She looked around, tall palaces with flying eaves, cries and sounds of fighting echoing in her ears.
This was when she was taken out of the Imperial Palace at two years old, right?
Does one have memories at two years old?
Anyway, when she was awake, she never remembered it.
Even if there were memories, they should be the same as the ones she remembered later, just being locked up and hidden away from daylight.
Although her father was the Emperor.
But in this Imperial Palace, under Heaven, the one in charge was the Emperor’s grandfather, Zhao Tan.
She almost wasn’t born.
Zhao Tan married his ten-year-old granddaughter to the Emperor. The Empress was too young to bear children, and Zhao Tan forbade the Emperor from favoring other women in the harem, lest he father an Imperial Heir not of Zhao blood.
However, the Emperor was a man in his twenties. Though raised as a waste from childhood, he occasionally had thoughts of breaking free from control, so he still favored other women.
A musician who played the zither.
The musician became pregnant and knew she would die if discovered, so she hid until she was about to give birth and was found.
Zhao Tan was furious and wanted to beat the musician to death, then cut open her belly and smash the infant too.
Zhao Tan’s strategist stopped him.
Because the situation under Heaven was bad, more and more people were secretly contacting the Emperor, inciting him to get rid of Zhao Tan.
The Emperor was an adult after all, increasingly hard to control. The strategists suggested preparing an Imperial Heir to better control things.
So she was allowed to be born.
But unexpectedly, she was a baby girl.
However, Zhao Tan did not kill her, because he could no longer tolerate the Emperor. With a newborn Imperial Heir, he could give the Emperor poisoned wine.
Although he had decided to usurp the throne and become Emperor himself, he still had to put on a show for the people under Heaven, so holding this Imperial Heir, he put on a play of the Emperor dying and entrusting the child, abdicating the throne, saying nice words like returning the Imperial Throne when the infant grew up.
So she, this Princess, had to be a Prince.
Zhao Tan said she was, and no one dared to check her gender.
After Zhao Tan ascended to the throne, her usefulness ended, but Zhao Tan did not kill her immediately. He raised her alone in one place, hidden from daylight, waiting to be forgotten by the world.
She did not even have a name.
The name Mo Zheng was one she gave herself later; Mo was the surname of the Great Zhou Emperor, and Zheng was from her birth mother, the musician who played the zither.
When she was locked in the Imperial Palace until two years old, the Capital City was breached, and Zhao Tan fled with the remnants of his soldiers.
Everyone in the Imperial Palace was fleeing for their lives.
The palace maid who raised her also wanted her to escape. She threw her out from under the floor, right in front of the unlucky Zhang the Eunuch who happened to run by.
“Please, please save her.”
In the dream, Zhang the Eunuch seemed to fall. Mo Zheng felt herself being pressed down, but was quickly turned over.
“Oh, dear, don’t cry.” Zhang the Eunuch rocked and cooed her.
Mo Zheng couldn’t help laughing: “Grandpa Zhang, why did you save me?”
Zhang the Eunuch was hunched over on a stool, busy carving a little wooden horse for her to play with. Hearing the question, he looked up.
Mo Zheng looked at this aged face: “Was it loyalty to the sovereign? Reverence for my blood as the Son of Heaven?”
Zhang the Eunuch smiled, his face full of wrinkles: “If I were truly loyal to the Son of Heaven, I should have killed myself to follow the previous Emperor when Zhao Tan claimed the throne.”
Instead of continuing as Zhao Tan’s eunuch, serving this thief who plotted to usurp the throne.
“Your Highness, don’t overthink it. I have no grand ideas, I just wanted you to live a few more days, enjoy a few good days.”
Zhang the Eunuch placed the carved wooden horse on the ground; it wobbled.
“Being reborn as a human and not enjoying a few good days would be such a pity.”
“Live a few more days, enjoy a few more good days.”
“Nothing else matters.”
He lifted his head and smiled at Mo Zheng, extending hand.
“Your Highness, I’ve been a waste my whole life, good for nothing, but I saved you, kept you alive longer…”
His skinny fingers spread out, as if calculating her age.
“…kept you alive ten more years. Worth it.”
Mo Zheng smiled slightly.
Taken out at two years old.
When Zhang the Eunuch died, she was twelve; that was ten more years.
But now, another five years had passed.
“Grandpa Zhang.” She looked at Zhang the Eunuch’s withered, somewhat blurry face and extended hand to correct his fingers. “Now it’s fifteen more years.”
Mo Zheng suddenly opened her eyes, feeling the boat rocking, the sound of water, the night wind.
She lifted her hand and made a fifteen.
Yes, fifteen more years.
Her lips curved slightly. Not bad; she stayed sober even in the dream.
Mo Zheng glanced at Yang Luo sleeping soundly on the small bed nearby. Yang Luo slept quietly, no longer struggling in a nightmare.
She already knew from this girl’s prophet visions that she should have died.
But before death arrived, keep striving to live.
She placed her hand in front of her and closed her eyes.
……
…….
Night enveloped the land; on the land, fire snakes slithered, soon arriving before a city.
“Open the gate!”
“Embroidered Uniform on official business!”
Hearing the shouts from the troops below the City Gate and seeing the robes and tallies in their hands, the Gate Guard dared not slack and opened the City Gate.
Dozens of Embroidered Uniform Guards escorted Wei Jiao charging in, leaving the Gate Guard terrified, not knowing whose family in the city would face annihilation.
However, to the relief of the prefectural officials woken in the middle of the night, the Embroidered Uniform were not here on official business but to borrow lodging.
Camping in the wild was impossible, and they were too lazy for the Post Station. Knocking open the nearest city and staying in the Government Office was Wei Jiao’s habit.
The Government Office was brightly lit; officials great and small stood respectfully, watching Wei Jiao seated in the prefectural hall.
Wei Jiao raised his sleeve and yawned, eyes narrowing.
“I’m just borrowing a place to stay. No need for formalities, my lords; go rest.” He said smilingly.
If they really showed no courtesy, he would smash their doors and drag the officials out of their homes.
“His Majesty pacified under Heaven, bringing peace to the myriad people, salaries and official positions to you all. Seeing His Majesty’s tally and acting so disrespectfully—do you intend to rebel?”
Though it was their first time seeing this Captain Wei, the officials had long heard of his notorious reputation and wild ways.
Hearing Wei Jiao speak, the officials finally withdrew.
Tonight would be sleepless too.
Who knew if Wei Jiao might suddenly inquire about someone while sleeping.
The group gathered at the Prefect’s residence, discussing the Embroidered Uniform.
“They don’t even need evidence; they say who’s guilty and it’s done.”
“Wei Jiao went to Fuyang to arrest someone. The Governor just asked if there was evidence, and he was charged with bribery, favoritism, and disrespect to His Majesty, arrested along with the others.”
“He casually accuses others of disrespect to His Majesty. Him? If he were truly handling cases, it might be tolerable, but he treats the Government Office like his own home to sleep in.”
“When handling cases, he stays away from the Government Office and sets up private prisons instead.”
“In the end, are we the ones disrespecting His Majesty, or is it him?”
The Prefect listened to the complaints and waved his hand: “Who shows respect is for His Majesty to decide.”
And in these years, His Majesty had never rebuked the Embroidered Uniform.
The officials exchanged glances, expressions helpless.
They dared not speak ill of His Majesty.
“This Wei Jiao has a good father.” An official snorted softly. “A few years ago, Shu region was in turmoil; Wei Cui stepped in to suppress it and reclaim it, but there were still tribal threats. It was Wei Cui’s assistance in garrisoning that stabilized the southwest. They say His Majesty will enfeoff Wei Cui as a King of a Different Surname, so naturally his son Wei Cui’s Son receives much favor.”
Hearing this, one official hesitated but finally couldn’t hold back and whispered: “I heard this Wei Jiao might not actually be Wei Cui’s Son.”
