Chapter Seven: The Imperial Tutor

The Imperial Tutor Qi was speechless, his gaze lingering before he reluctantly withdrew his hand and turned his head away from Shen Zechuan. Imprisoned here for two decades, his mind had wandered in madness, filled with hatred for all those outside. Yet, on this very night, he had to convince himself not to hate the son of his nemesis.

"Now..." Prince Qi's tutor spoke with a melancholic tone, "Who can I possibly kill now!"

Snow fell silently, and the crows in the courtyard took flight from their perches. The tattered curtains within the palace hall swayed with the wind as Qi Taifu, trembling, struggled to his feet, raising his arms unsteadily, overwhelmed with sorrow.

"The grand order of the realm is now set! The victor reigns, the vanquished fades; Your Highness's virtuous reputation henceforth overturned, both you and I destined to be remembered as treacherous villains for eternity! Who do I slay? I defy this blind and senile Heaven itself! Twenty years past, Your Highness shed blood here, three chi deep—what grave error did we commit that has driven His Majesty to such relentless annihilation?"

Tears streaming down his face, Qi Taifu knelt at the entrance of the palace hall, his body trembling as he repeatedly banged his head against the ground.

"Kill me now as well!"

Amidst the snowy night's chill, the empty ancient temple echoed with no reply. Qi Taifu knelt there like a dilapidated Buddha statue, buried beneath flurries of snow that resembled shredded cotton, silent amidst the brightly lit capital's deep night.

Half an hour later, Ji Gang supported Qi Taifu as the three of them sat around an incense table.

"Many events of this night have unfolded because of me. Taking this opportunity, I'll speak my mind," Ji Gang said, rolling up his sleeves. "Taifu, Chuan'er was born into the Shen family and is the eighth illegitimate son of Shen Wei. Eight years ago, in the Jianxing Prince's residence, the factions of the legitimate and illegitimate children were at odds. When Jianxing's heir, Shen Zhouji, won favor, he expelled his illegitimate siblings from the estate. At seven years old, Chuan'er was sent to be a soldier in Duanzhou but failed to pass, so he lived in a separate courtyard under the care of his mother's maid. However, that woman was greedy and extravagant, often cutting corners on the child's food rations. Pingting had some acquaintance with his mother and, upon learning of this, requested that I bring Chuan'er back to be properly raised by us."

Master Qi sneered and said, "Shen Wei was a concubine's son in his family and suffered many injustices in his youth. All those grievances were eventually transferred to his own son. It's ironic that he prefers his legitimate offspring yet is so fond of women, resulting in this multitude of children. Truly a karma-filled outcome!"

"We have repeatedly sent letters to the princely estate, but Shen Wei has yet to respond. Grand Tutor, in this Qidu, the Eight Great Families, even a concubine's son, has never heard of such neglect," Ji Gang frowned. "Chuan'er just followed us like that. When Mu'er was fifteen, he was overjoyed to see his younger brother. Since then, our family of four settled down in Duanzhou. It took great effort to register as a military household in the yellow registry."

Viceroy Qi fell silent for a moment before he replied, "After your disgraceful departure from the capital, it would indeed be challenging to regain an official status. His Highness implemented the Yellow Register system to control bandits and strictly prevent civil unrest."

Ji Gang replied, "I understand. Tutor, what happened in Qidu after I left? How did His Highness the Crown Prince end up in such a predicament?"

QiTaoFu pulled aside the tattered curtain, draping it over his shoulder, and spoke with a somber tone, "… After you left, Ji Wufan lost the emperor's favor. Pan Rugui, serving the Empress, gained great favor and was appointed as the Chief Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department. As a result, the Jingyiwei declined, and its twelve bureaus became mere nominal entities. Following Ji Wufan's death, Ji Lei took charge alone, turning the Dongchang into the Jingyiwei's protector, severing ties with the Eastern Palace. Later, the Emperor suddenly fell ill and started spending most of his time in bed, leaving the daily affairs of the court to the Cabinet and the Eastern Palace. Little did we expect that the Huas, relying on the Empress's favor, would fill the court with incompetent officials, reigniting the corruption within the Six Ministries. The influence of the imperial relatives has become a formidable force. The Crown Prince has submitted numerous memorials, but unfortunately, Pan Rugui, abusing his power in red-inking, colluded with the Empress to control state affairs, preventing the Prince's memorials from reaching the emperor's desk. Furthermore, after the Emperor's illness, the Empress prohibited the Cabinet and the Eastern Palace from paying their respects."

"Eunuchs are the ruin of the nation!" Ji Gang sighed repeatedly. "If only I had known of Pan Rugui's such aspirations back then, I wouldn't have pleaded for my father to spare his life!"

"Slaying a Pan Rugui will only give rise to Pan Ruhui or Pan Ruyi!" Qi Taifu said numbly. "The interference of the harem in politics and the dominance of the royal family's kin—these are deep-seated ills within the Eight Great Families. As long as the Eight Great Families of Khudu remain unuprooted, this cycle will continue! The Empress has been confined to the inner palace for too long; how could she possibly manipulate state affairs? It is all because of the accumulated power and influence of the Huas. Even if the Empress didn't bear the surname Hua and was replaced by another from one of the Eight Great Families, this incident would still have transpired."

"Yet," Shen Zechuan couldn't help but inquire, "isn't His Highness the Crown Prince a legitimate child born from the Empress?"

"Not at all," the Grand Tutor Qi lowered his head. "Your Highness's birth mother is a concubine within the palace. The Empress has no children of her own and has never given birth. However, Your Highness was taken into the palace by the Empress herself and nurtured with her own hands. As they say, even a tiger does not devour its own cubs... In the imperial family, there is no true bond of father and son."

Silence descended upon the chamber once more.

Ji Gang exhaled a breath of icy air and said in a hoarse voice, "Due to my excessive drinking and neglecting responsibilities, I caused my father to lose the emperor's favor. If not for that, Your Highness would never have ended up here."

"I thought with Ji Wufan and you preceding him, Ji Lei wouldn't turn against us," Qi Taifu tugged at the torn curtains, his heart filled with unspeakable pain as he reminisced. "Who knew he would..."

"Taifu, you don't know this," Ji Gang looked at Shen Zechuan. "Even Chuan'er doesn't. My father, Ji Wufan, was a close friend of the former emperor and also the commander of the Imperial Guards. But after his first wife passed away early, with no intention of remarriage, he adopted three sons. Apart from Ji Lei and myself, there was an older brother. He left the capital years ago due to the atrocities in the imperial prison and joined the army at Tianfei Gate. Ji Lei and I served under the Imperial Guards, together paying respect and filial piety to our father. These Ji Family martial arts, both the fists and the sabers, were taught by our father. Later, because of many incidents, Father believed Ji Lei had a crooked heart and was prone to flattery. Hence, he only passed on the Ji Family's inner techniques to me. From then on, our brotherly bond was completely severed. After Father's death, Ji Lei purged his subordinates, sending many old guards away. The Imperial Guards... they are no longer the same as before."

Qi Taifu murmured, "This is fate. Despite the unity of the East Palace officials, we still couldn't protect Your Highness. The emperor suspected Your Highness of plotting rebellion, but the key positions in the eight garrisons of Qidu were already held by the Eight Great Families. The Imperial Guards found evidence of the conspiracy and insisted it was Your Highness's doing. Many of our people were thrown into the imperial prison, and many died under torture. Those who couldn't endure the punishment confessed. The emperor, already ill, flew into a rage, and believing the slanderous words of Pan Rugui, Your Highness had nowhere to turn."

His face was streaked with tears, and he seemed to be descending into madness.

"Your Highness, there's no escape from this place! Why not slay me? Why let me cling to life in such agony? I've delayed my journey to the underworld for far too long," he exclaimed, fixing his gaze on Shen Zechuan with growing intensity.

"I refuse to accept it! Years of planning, all for naught! So many lives lost among the Eastern Palace officials, and Your Highness's injustice remains unavenged. I will not resign myself to this!" He seized Shen Zechuan's arm again. "You're so young, you still have a chance!"

"Prime Minister..." Ji Gang rose, intending to intervene.

"You can protect him for now, but can you shield him for a lifetime?!" Qi Taifu gripped Shen Zechuan tightly. "I may forgive his fatherly love today and not hold a grudge against him, but can you expect the world to do the same? As long as he bears the Shen name, there will be countless who seek his life! Martial arts and skills may provide temporary safety, but can they truly guarantee a peaceful existence? Ji Gang, your own father was a master warrior, yet he still ended up dying alone and sickly! In this silent capital, amidst the shifting tides of power, unseen assassins are the most lethal! How can you bear to leave him vulnerable before the wolves and tigers?"

Ji Gang clenched his fists without a word.

Qing Emperor Qi dragged Shen Zechuan along but knelt down on both knees. He looked at Shen Zechuan, his voice trembling with sobs, "I am Qi Huilian of Yu Prefecture! If you don't recognize me, let me tell you, I am the champion of the Three Examinations in Yongyi Fifteen. Since the establishment of the Great Zhou, only five people have achieved this feat. I've served as a counselor in the Eastern Palace and concurrently held the positions of Minister of Personnel and Deputy Prime Minister. I taught the crown prince before, and now, now I teach you! I will impart all that I've learned in my life to you—will you let me?"

Staring into Qi's eyes, Shen Zechuan was abnormally calm. After a brief silence, he suddenly knelt on the ground and bowed three times to Qi.

"You taught me literature and poetry, so I'll avenge your old enemies for you."

* * *

At dawn, Ge Qingqing left for Zhaozui Temple. The air was chilly, and snow was still falling. He rubbed his hands to keep warm while searching for a steamed bun shop along the way.

From afar, he heard some calls. A red silk umbrella appeared in the snow, and the person holding it swayed slightly towards him. Only those of the fifth rank or above could afford such a red silk umbrella.

Ge Qingqing stood aside on the road, supporting his saber in a salute. As this person passed by, the strong smell of alcohol hit his nose.

"This is an imperial guard," the man said, stopping and reaching out to grab Ge Qingqing's waist badge. After studying it for a moment, he asked, "Where is Inspector Ge going in such freezing weather?"

Ge Qingqing stared at the man's black boots and replied, "To His Excellency, I am on duty at my office today and should be heading to the palace."

Xiao Chiye had been drinking all night and was dressed untidily. He dangled the waist badge and said, "This path doesn't seem to lead to the palace."

Ge Qingqing lifted his head, revealing a shy smile. "Second Young Master is of high status and might not be familiar with the chaos in these alleys. A few turns through these alleys will lead straight to the Divine Martial Avenue and eventually the palace gates."

Xiao Chiye chuckled upon hearing this and tossed his identity badge back to him. "You recognize me?"

Ge Qingqing caught the badge and flattered, "The Northern Iron Riders are renowned for their bravery and prowess. The prince and Second Young Master have saved the emperor's life. Who in Qidu wouldn't know you? Are you returning to your residence, Second Young Master? The roads are slippery. If I may be so bold, allow me to escort you back?"

Looking at him, Xiao Chiye said, "Do I look like a drunkard? Go on then."

Ge Qingqing bowed once more and left.

When Zhao Hui arrived, he saw Xiao Chiye leaning on his red silk umbrella, urging the steamed bun shop to hurry up. As he approached, he asked, "Breakfast has been prepared at the residence. Why are you standing here to eat?"

Xiao Chiye replied, "I'm hungry, and I can't walk back anymore."

Zhao Hui unfolded his cloak. "Lust and alcohol are one's downfall, Young Master. Let's go back."

Xiao Chiye draped the cloak over himself but remained rooted to the spot. He took two bites of the steamed buns without caring about the gazes around him and asked Zhao Hui, "Can we get to the Divine Martial Avenue from here?"

"It's possible, but it's not an easy route," Zhao Hui explained. "These alleys also double as drainage channels. The narrower the alley, the more likely it is to be clogged with filthy water. Qidu hasn't maintained its drainage system in recent years, so this area is in terrible condition. Once the weather warms up, when the snow melts and the rain falls, the sewage will flood the streets. Do you think it's a pleasant walk?"

Xiao Chiye remarked, "I only asked one question. Why did you give me such a lengthy answer?"

Zhao Hui replied, "What I meant was that you should take the righteous path. My lord, there’s no rush to drink. It would actually be quicker if we just go around."

Wiping his hands, Xiao Chiye signaled for Zhao Hui to pay up. "That’s strange. Go inquire if there’s someone named Ge Qingqing on duty at the Twelve Bureaus of the Imperial Guards today—Uncle, it’s better to find something else to do. These buns are inedible."