GD Chapter 15

This battle over the most worthy childhood friend was a war without smoke, with the Crown Prince being the only one calculating things from start to finish. Su Xinghe felt there was no need to compare closeness, while Lou Yueting from the Jinyi  Right Guard, was completely unaware. If we were to talk about friendship, she would admit that she and the Crown Prince were indeed friends. However, most of the time, this friend’s actions weren’t enough to make her drink a pot of bitterness; she couldn’t handle his overwhelming enthusiasm.

 

She bowed respectfully and thanked him, “Your Highness is truly compassionate; I’ve never eaten this much since I entered the palace.”

 

The Crown Prince hearing her say this, did not care whether her words were true. “If that’s the case, you will be in charge of my meals from now on.” He then looked her up and down. “Is it because of the female officials’ food that I haven’t seen you gain weight all these years?”

 

For a young woman, who would want to gain too much weight? Su Xinghe replied, “I eat and don’t like to overindulge. Your Highness said you want me to handle your meals in the future. I appreciate your trust, but I’m afraid I can’t take this duty. A lot is going on at the Yamen as the year ends, and I always have to help out here and there. I can’t just rely on your favor to take the position and become an idle manager who doesn’t do any real work. I have to make you proud, don’t I? Besides, there are only a few days left in the year, and the case at Princess Xialing’s manor wasn’t finished yet. If the Emperor asks, it would be difficult to explain. So, as you can see, I can’t serve you at every meal. I will likely have to make do at the Yamen. You’re busy with state affairs too, so let them serve you carefully. After the New Year, when things are less hectic at the Yamen, I’ll have time to attend to you again.”

The Crown Prince set down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and sighed, “I gave you a task, but instead, it made you so busy that you can’t even look after the Eastern Palace. Today, the Emperor has ordered the revocation of your authority to review and comment on documents. It’s nothing serious rules are rules. It’s not just you; even I have to follow them. From now on, you don’t need to go to the Yamen anymore; just focus on your duties at the Ministry of Military Control, regarding the case of the assassination attempt on Prince Consort Gao Yang, present me with a report by the end of this month. Report it as it is. After all, a life is at stake. Prince Gao cried until he was in tears; it was truly pitiful to see.”

 

Su Xinghe bent at the waist to acknowledge, feeling relieved discussing official business was indeed simpler. She preferred things to be clear-cut, even if she made a mistake and got scolded; she would rather deal with a master who played mind games. This lord had a competitive streak that was often incomprehensible, like in this matter of who his childhood friend was; it seemed absurd to be so particular about it. He insisted that everything must be unique and singular; it seemed exhausting to live like that.

 

Because it was the first snow of the season, there was an unwritten rule in the Dayin Dynasty that was starting today, it was officially winter. On the first day of winter, all the Yamen associated with the palace and the outer court were given a day off. Even the Emperor and Empress could go outside to stroll. The Crown Prince had his affairs to attend to this afternoon. As the heir apparent, even the most ordinary social interactions carried a hint of political undertone. The Emperor had instructed him to visit the homes of several veteran ministers who had served through three reigns, as they were getting on in years. The concept of powerful families had existed throughout the dynasties; their influence had waned by the time of the Dayin Dynasty, but there were still a few families with generations of high-ranking officials.

 

Strictly speaking, the Su family also counted, given they had a period of glory during their great-grandfather’s time. Later, Lord Shenzhai’s disciples and former officials were spread throughout the country, but unfortunately, he passed away, and the family gradually fell into decline. However, the court still showed them preferential treatment, allowing their descendants to benefit from their ancestors’ influence, which is how Su Xinghe received the favor to enter the Eastern Palace.

 

He had his schedule, and Su Xinghe had her official duties to attend to so she couldn’t follow him around delivering greeting cards like in previous years. She stepped out of the warm pavilion to ask who would accompany him, repeatedly reminding them to take good care of him, and only after everything was properly arranged did she head to the Ministry of Military Control.

Ye Chinchun, as usual, was standing guard at the palace gate. It was bitterly cold, and he was positioned in a drafty corridor, his lips turning a dark purple from the cold. Su Xinghe glanced at him, and he forced a stiff smile, barely able to unclench his chattering teeth. Shivering, he said, “Are you heading to the Yamen, ma’am? Please get in the sedan chair; it’s warm inside. I’ve prepared a hand warmer for you.”

 

Most eunuchs in the palace lived rather miserably. Luxurious clothing was a privilege reserved for the royal family. The eunuchs on duty, like Ye Chinchun, wore sunflower-embroidered round-collared robes on the outside, but underneath, they were stuck with thick, heavy, old cotton-padded jackets that failed to keep out the cold. On sunny days, they would hang these jackets outside to air them for three days straight, yet they would still be dense and heavy. When it was rainy or overcast, the jackets would absorb moisture; if they weren’t hung over a brazier at night, they could freeze stiff by morning.

 

Su Xinghe had always treated those who served her closely well. Noticing the fresh frostbite sprouting on the tips of Ye Chinchun’s ears, she said, “Go to the storage room later and collect a new padded jacket. Tell them it’s on my orders.”

 

Ye Chinchun was taken aback; he hadn’t expected this usually stern official to be so considerate. His face immediately filled with gratitude, and he stammered, “Lady Su… you have such a kind heart! Thank you, ma’am.”

 

She said nothing further and got into the sedan chair, lowering the curtain.

 

The sedan chair moved slowly. The snow was heavy, and as soon as a layer of snow on the road was shoveled away, another layer quickly accumulated. The sedan carriers’ black boots crunched and slipped on the snow, making the journey loud and treacherous. What normally would take the time of two cups of tea now took nearly half an hour. The blue woolen curtains of the sedan chair blocked out the light, and with the gloomy weather, the inside was dark and dim. Su Xinghe, sitting holding a hand warmer suddenly remembering something, called out through the window, “Did the Crown Prince summon you for questioning today?”

 

Ye Chinchun replied that he hadn’t, “I’ve been waiting outside the palace gate the entire time, unsure if you would need the sedan chair, so I didn’t dare to leave. I’ve been here since the early morning, waiting until now.”

She slowly let out a breath. How foolish of her, there was no way the Ministry of Military Control didn’t have his spies. Whatever he wanted to know, nothing could be kept from him.

 

The sedan chair swayed as it finally arrived at the palace entrance. Ye Chinchun lifted the padded curtain and extended his arm to help her down. She casually used his arm for support as she dismounted and ascended the steps. As she stepped through the main gate, she saw someone kneeling on the open ground beside the halberd rack with a brick on his head. He had been kneeling there for some time; his hair and eyebrows were covered with snow. At first glance, he looked like one of the stone lions outside.

 

She exclaimed, “Who is that?” As she approached, she was surprised and said, “Commander  Nan Yushu… what are you doing?”

 

Commander Nan Yushu following the Crown Prince’s remark about “carrying a brick on your head,” had indeed come to the Yamen to do just that. Several thousand households stood under the main hall’s eaves, all looking worried. But since it was an order from the Crown Prince, no one dared to go up and persuade him. From the time the matter was discussed in the warm pavilion until now, it had been nearly two hours. Two hours in this icy, snowy weather was no joke, if he weren’t a trained martial artist, he would have collapsed from the cold long ago.

 

Su Xinghe, however, found it amusing. She squinted at the group of thousand households under the eaves. Usually, they were all right-hand men, following Commander Nan Yushu in raiding homes and arresting people, reaping considerable benefits. Yet, in a critical moment, while their superior officer was out in the wind and snow with a brick on his head, they stood far away as if watching a performance, at most frowning to show a bit of sympathy. Not a single one stepped forward to offer him an umbrella.

 

She took the oiled silk umbrella Ye Jinchun handed her and held it above Commander Nan Yushu to shield him from the snow, speaking softly, “Why do this, Commander Nan Yushu? The snow is heavy, you’ll catch a cold.”

 

Commander Nan Yushu, feeling trapped by her, was filled with unspoken bitterness. He gritted his teeth and did not reply to her.

 

Su Xinghe, helpless, turned her head and asked Su Xinghai, “Is this the Crown Prince’s order?”

Thousand households Su Xinghai shook his head. “I don’t know. As soon as Commander  Nan Yushu returned, he punished himself. We tried to persuade him, but it was no use.”

 

Ah, who would dare disobey an order from the master? Even a man like Commander  Nan Yushu had to comply. Reflecting on it, she realized her earlier meal service duty wasn’t a big deal. When comparing miseries, there is always someone worse off than you.

 

She spoke in a gentle tone to console him, “Commander Nan Yushu, please don’t do this. Earlier, when the Crown Prince mentioned yesterday’s events, I didn’t sense much anger in his tone. He only said that your handling of matters was somewhat inappropriate, that you acted hastily regarding the affair at Fang Youlin’s manor, and didn’t express any strong dissatisfaction with you. Even if he was upset and scolded you a couple of times there’s no need to be so hard on yourself. With this wind and snow, while you’re here punishing yourself, the Crown Prince may not even know it. Perhaps he just said it offhandedly, and you took it seriously. Please get up. Your suffering is one thing, but it’s not good for the master to bear a reputation for being harsh.”

 

As she spoke, she signaled with her eyes to the thousand households under Commander Nan Yushu, “What are you still standing there for? Quickly, help Commander  Nan Yushu up.”

 

After kneeling for so long, his knees likely weren’t responding well. Su Xinghe gave him some dignity by not standing around to watch him struggle to straighten his legs. She turned and walked into the Yamen. Commander Nan Yushu’s officers finally rushed forward, realizing they needed to help their superior. Meanwhile, her men had already prepared a brazier for her, and a steaming bowl of tea was handed to her.

 

She sat upright in the armchair, with eight thousand households standing solemnly on either side, Having recently collaborated on a major case, a strong sense of understanding among them. Their expressions remained unchanged, but they all knew what each subtle look meant.

 

Commander Nan Yushu, almost like a cripple, was helped into the hall. Even as a mighty military officer, he maintained his dignity despite the situation. When he reached Su Xinghe, he pushed away the others, trying to straighten his back even though he was limping. To Su Xinghe, every step he took seemed exhausting. Fortunately, the distance wasn’t far and he almost broke out in a cold sweat, he finally reached his seat and sat down.

One of his men brought him tea, but he raised his hand and gently waved it away. First, he cupped his fists towards her and said, “I, Commander Nan Yushu, am not as skilled as others and have caused Lady Su to laugh at me. Earlier, when I came out of the warm pavilion, the Crown Prince asked me to thank Lady Su. I, Commander Nan Yushu, am straightforward and don’t know how to say flowery words, so I will use tea instead of wine to offer Lady Su a toast.”

 

None of them were fools; they could hear the sharpness in his words. The underlying meaning was that if the Crown Prince hadn’t asked him to express his thanks, he might have been inclined to bite a piece of flesh off her. “Not as skilled as others” he had realized she had set him up. No matter; if he is still clueless about this earlier, he would deserve to die on the job. However, the Crown Prince was unpredictable. For him to mention, thanking her likely implied that he appreciated her holding back a bit.

 

Commander Nan Yushu raised his teacup towards her and she had no choice but to lift her cup in return. “Luckily, there was no real danger. I knew that the Crown Prince there you would surely come out unscathed. It’s just that when the master returned, he scolded me, blaming me for secretly passing on old regulations from the Eastern Palace to you. When I heard about the trouble at your office, I thought this was the only method that came to mind, so I didn’t consider all the consequences. Only later did I learn that His Majesty almost blamed you for it, which made me break out in a cold sweat. If I had known it would turn out like this, I wouldn’t have gone to trouble.” As she spoke, she leaned forward sincerely and asked, “Commander Nan Yushu… you must have a great deal of resentment towards me, right?”

Commander Nan Yushu’s expression was as overcast and gloomy as the weather outside. He placed the lid back on his teacup and said, “What are you saying? Lady Su helped me out; otherwise, with such a big commotion last night, I wouldn’t have been able to explain it to His Majesty. As for the old regulations, amid the chaos, there was bound to be some oversight. None of us are gods who can do everything perfectly. If I was reprimanded by the Crown Prince today, it was because I was indeed reckless in handling the matter and deserved to be punished.”

 

Su Xinghe listened and slowly allowed a slight smile to appear on her face,  She didn’t believe for a second that he was being sincere. This superficial compliance with hidden resentment was even more intriguing than an angry outburst. She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of tea. “The matter has passed, and His Majesty didn’t pursue it further. From now on, we need to strictly interrogated Fang Youlin.”

 

Commander Nan Yushu grunted, “The Crown Prince gave instructions on this matter, saying Lady Su should also participate in the interrogation.  She feared I might overlook something, especially after the recent trouble. Lady Su is meticulous, and with you there Fang Youlin, won’t be able to find any loopholes.” After saying this, he gritted his teeth, each word seeming to be squeezed out through clenched jaws. “I’ve never understood how Fang’s family was prepared before we arrived. Could it be he is a spy within the Ministry of Military Control? This time, during the interrogation, I must dig out his guts. I want to see exactly where the leak occurred. Since this concerns the purging of our Yamen, as Vice Commissioner, Lady Su, you have every reason to be involved in the questioning.”

 

He probably already had his suspicions about who the spy was! Unfortunately, those who executed the operation were all fresh faces and had already withdrawn from the capital after the incident. It’s difficult for him to find any clues before he is dismissed.

 

Su Xinghe nodded faintly. “Since we need to interrogate, we should also re-summon the guards involved that night.” She glanced at the men under Commander Nan Yushu’s command. “Would one of you thousand households kindly go to the Jinyi Right Guard and notify General Lou Yueting? Tell him that Commander Nan Yushu and I are awaiting him at the Ministry of Military Control’s and ask him to designate those on night patrol that night for a court hearing.”