MSW Chapter86

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When the Emperor bestowed this residence, servants had already been assigned to it, acting as eyes and ears for various factions. Neither of them had any desire to lay bare their lives for others to see. Mu Peixuan was no longer the cautious, enduring little hostage of the past; all forces now feared him, and he naturally had no need for apprehension. Within a few days, Duan Linzhou efficiently cleared the residence, replacing all the servants inside and out with his own people, creating an impenetrable fortress that blocked any prying eyes.

 

The weather in Yu’an hadn’t been good these past few days; it was overcast. One day, while Mu Peixuan and Duan Linzhou were handling administrative tasks in the study, they heard Fen Mo announce from outside the door that the young master from Marquis Yongyi Mansion had arrived.

 

Mu Peixuan had Fen Mo invite him into the study. This was the first time Li Chengyi had appeared before Mu Peixuan since the day he got heavily drunk. Today, he wore a blue robe, with jade hanging from his waist and a sandalwood folding fan in his hand. His every movement exuded a certain refined elegance, unlike his disheveled appearance that day when he cried his eyes out from drunkenness.

 

Upon seeing Duan Linzhou, Li Chengyi curiously asked, “Second Mu, who is this?”

 

Mu Peixuan replied, “This is Master Zhou Lin, my strategist.”

 

Li Chengyi wasn’t foolish; seeing Mu Peixuan treat Duan Linzhou with courtesy, he knew this person was Mu Peixuan’s confidant. He smiled and bowed, saying, “Master Zhou.”

 

Duan Linzhou quickly returned the bow, saying, “Young Marquis.”

 

After all, he was just a strategist, so Li Chengyi didn’t pay him much mind. He casually swept his robes and sat down, saying to Mu Peixuan, “I made a fool of myself drinking that day. You must have laughed at me.”

 

Liu Guang, understanding the cue, served tea. Mu Peixuan said, “It was just an uncontrollable moment. Have you been feeling better these past couple of days?”

 

Li Chengyi rubbed his nose and chuckled, “Much better. If not, my father would have brought out the family disciplinary stick again. You wouldn’t believe it, after I got home that day, my father gave me a good beating. If I hadn’t rested for two days, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of bed.”

 

Mu Peixuan smiled slightly, “You didn’t tell him you were out drinking with me?”

 

Li Chengyi slapped his thigh. “I forgot! I was so drunk and muddle-headed, I just focused on yelling for my mother to save me after I got beaten—” As the words left his mouth, he suddenly remembered that he and Mu Peixuan weren’t the only ones in the study. He awkwardly stopped, glancing at Duan Linzhou, but saw the strategist smiling at him gently, with an unperturbed, calm, and mild expression.

 

Li Chengyi lightly coughed, “Actually, I came today to thank you.”

 

“Thank me?” Mu Peixuan was surprised.

 

Li Chengyi said, “I’ve thought it through these past two days, and you’re right. Daliang hasn’t fallen yet. Since I’m alive, I can’t just muddle through life like this forever.”

 

“Instead of dwelling on those things, it’s better to actually do something concrete.”

 

Mu Peixuan looked at Li Chengyi deeply and asked, “What made you suddenly come to this realization?”

 

Li Chengyi tugged at the corner of his mouth, saying, “You haven’t experienced such things, so you wouldn’t understand. Ever since I moved to Yu’an, although I’ve been drowning my sorrows in drink every day, I’ve always felt like I was living under someone else’s roof. In my dreams, it’s either the distant scene of Miaoran and Mingxiu sacrificing themselves for the nation or the prosperity of Liangdu, which then instantly turns to ashes in a sea of fire, with the long spear of the Northwest Army at my throat.”

 

“We were all terrified, afraid to think about Liangdu again, so we could only drown ourselves in wine and women,” Li Chengyi continued. “It felt like a nightmare, and when we woke up, we’d still be riding our horses proudly down Zhuque Street in Liangdu, with no city collapse, no martyrdom, no capital relocation, no desperate escape.”

 

“How glorious we once were in Liangdu! But now that we’re in Yu’an, even a mere illegitimate son of a Yu’an administrator dares to be impudent in front of me. I know they all look down on us, and the people of the world hate us. I understand it all in my heart, but I can only pretend not to know. If I didn’t play dumb and deaf, I wouldn’t be able to survive.”

 

“I originally thought I’d just live my life like this. I was never meant to be someone important, but…” But what? He was unwilling. When he learned that Jiang Miaoran and Mingxiu had stayed behind to defend Liangdu, Li Chengyi’s mind heated up, and he almost rode back. But his father stopped him, having people tie him up and force him into a carriage.

 

Within just a few nights, most of his father’s hair had turned white. His father pointed at him and said, “If you wanted to stay and be loyal, you should have stayed earlier. What’s the point of going back now? Forget returning to Liangdu, you’ll die under the iron hooves of the Northwest Army before you even get through the city gates.”

 

Later, on the road, they heard that the entire Jiang clan had perished for their country.

 

Li Chengyi arrived in Yu’an in a daze. He spent countless days just getting by, immersing himself in the luxuries of Yu’an, treating Liangdu and the sights he’d witnessed along the way—families separated, wives and children scattered, corpses strewn across the land—as nothing more than an old dream.

 

Li Chengyi said, “Yesterday, I saw my parents praying towards the north in the garden, and only then did I remember it was my grandfather’s death anniversary. The Li family’s roots are in Liangdu, but at their age, they have to live in a foreign land. I can’t bear it.”

 

“My mother says my father calls out for Liangdu every night, Liangdu… I want to go home, and I want to take them home too.”

 

These words were spoken with such sincerity that Duan Linzhou unexpectedly looked at this aristocratic young man several times. Frankly, Duan Linzhou didn’t have a good impression of these noble scions who had fled Liangdu. Li Chengyi spoke pitifully, but they were still alive, even if they were displaced, they still lived in luxury. There are tens of millions of people in the world, and many of them are living in fear of their future.

 

These aristocratic scions were born superior, enjoying their ancestral privileges, yet they brought no benefit to the people nor to the nation. For Daliang to have reached its current state, these myriad nobles and officials might well have played a part in its downfall.

 

Mu Peixuan looked at Li Chengyi and said, “If you can think this way, Marquis Yongyi will surely be very comforted.”

 

Li Chengyi smiled sheepishly. In truth, Marquis Yongyi felt both comfort and wistfulness about this. If they were still in Liangdu, he would undoubtedly be deeply reassured. However, times had changed. This was not Liangdu; the imperial court was a place of turmoil, and if Li Chengyi rashly entered, he might well be crushed to dust. But Li Chengyi seemed to have finally sobered up, and Marquis Yongyi couldn’t bear to disappoint him. Thinking that no egg remains unbroken when the nest is overturned, he still agreed.

 

He said, “I plan to have my father seek a position for me.”

 

Mu Peixuan said, “That’s good. The court is currently in a state of recovery, and it’s precisely the time when talent is needed. If you are willing, you will surely be able to achieve great things and make a difference.”

 

Li Chengyi asked, “Really?”

 

Mu Peixuan looked at Li Chengyi and nodded with a smile, “Of course.”

 

Reassured by his words, Li Chengyi breathed a sigh of relief. Mu Peixuan then said, “However, the current situation is not like before. You must be cautious in your words and actions, and even more careful.”

 

Li Chengyi listened to his advice, his expression becoming more sincere, and he nodded, “I understand.”

 

After finishing their official business, they chatted for a while longer before Li Chengyi took his leave. Before departing, he said to Duan Linzhou, “Master Zhou, another day, I’ll invite your prince to drink, and you should come along too.”

 

Duan Linzhou covered his lips and coughed lightly, smiling, “Alright, thank you for your kind invitation, Young Marquis.”

 

The two watched Li Chengyi leave. Mu Peixuan then said to Duan Linzhou, “Although Marquis Yongyi is not the most favored by His Majesty among the nobility, nor has he held important positions, his household has remained as stable as a rock throughout these years, no matter how treacherous the court situation became. This shows he’s extraordinary.”

 

“Now that Marquis Yongyi has permitted Li Chengyi to go before His Majesty, he must have made a decision and is no longer merely trying to protect himself.”

 

Duan Linzhou thought to himself that Li Chengyi entering the political arena was a good thing. Mu Peixuan had a deep friendship with him, and having Li Chengyi in the imperial presence would add another layer of connection.

 

Unknowingly, Duan Linzhou and Mu Peixuan had been in Yu’an for half a month already. This half-month was originally a period of various trials and probings, yet it had been relatively peaceful. In the blink of an eye, it was already the end of the first lunar month. The weather this year was erratic; it was late winter, and there was no sign of warming. For Duan Linzhou, this was a bit difficult to endure. Yu’an was near the sea, damp and cold, even colder than Ruizhou. His health was poor; he couldn’t withstand the wind or cold. Mu Peixuan worried about him and declined many social engagements, simply stating that he was unwell due to the change of climate upon first arriving in Yu’an.

 

As soon as he claimed illness, the young emperor bestowed many gifts and even sent imperial physicians to personally examine him, showing great warmth and affection.

 

“Are you really sick?” Upon hearing of his illness, Li Chengyi also sauntered over. He and Mu Peixuan got along well, naturally both preferring martial arts, which is why Marquis Yongyi had placed him in the Sanqian Camp of the Imperial Army, serving in the imperial palace. Li Chengyi looked at Mu Peixuan’s complexion and said, “You were a few years younger when you came to Liangdu back then, and you weren’t even this delicate, you say you’re sick, but you don’t look it?”

 

Mu Peixuan was a Tianqian, strong and healthy, so he couldn’t feign a frail illness. If anyone looked sickly, Li Chengyi glanced at “Master Zhou”, who was beside Mu Peixuan; he looked like a weak person.

 

Mu Peixuan took a sip of tea and said, “Does unaccustomed to the diet not count as being ill?”

 

Li Chengyi pouted, “That absolutely counts! When I first arrived in Yu’an, I almost starved to death. Why do the chefs in Yu’an make everything so sweet? It’s fine once or twice, but more than that and it loses its flavor.”

 

As he spoke, he realized something, narrowing his eyes and teasing Mu Peixuan, “You’re doing this to avoid social engagements, aren’t you?”

 

Mu Peixuan casually acknowledged him. Li Chengyi then said, “Actually, while Yu’an’s food isn’t great, it certainly has plenty of beautiful women—” He gave Mu Peixuan a knowing smile. Mu Peixuan cleared his throat and instinctively glanced at Duan Linzhou, saying, “What nonsense are you spouting?”

 

Li Chengyi didn’t notice and continued, “Seriously, if the kunze of Liangdu are fiery, then Yu’an’s kunze are truly like jade; they are gentle, considerate, and very charming. It’s a rare trip for you, it’d be such a pity not to take a look—”

 

“Chengyi,” Mu Peixuan interrupted him, stating solemnly, “Why would I take a look? I’m not interested in such things.”

 

Li Chengyi blinked. “You were young back then, so it was understandable if you weren’t into romance, but aren’t you married now?”

 

Mu Peixuan said indifferently, “Precisely because I am married, I should uphold my virtue even more.”

 

Li Chengyi’s eyes widened as if he’d heard something outlandish. He scrutinized Mu Peixuan from head to toe, muttering, “I vaguely heard that your princess consort is… a zhongyong, right?”

 

“Much older than you, and I hear he won’t even live much longer as well. A sickly, elderly zhongyong…”

 

“Li Chengyi,” Mu Peixuan frowned, “The person you’re talking about is my princess consort.”

 

Li Chengyi didn’t expect Mu Peixuan to be so protective of a Zhongyong. He gave an awkward laugh and said, “Alright, alright, it was my slip of the tongue, my slip of the tongue. Don’t be angry.”

 

Seeing the atmosphere become somewhat stiff, Duan Linzhou suddenly spoke up, changing the subject, “The Spring Plowing Festival is in a few days, isn’t it?”

 

The second day of the second lunar month, “Dragons Raise Their Heads,” was also the Spring Plowing Festival. The founding emperor of Daliang valued agriculture and weaving, so every year on the second day of the second month, the emperor would personally lead civil and military officials in plowing, offering sacrifices, and praying for blessings.

 

Li Chengyi gave Duan Linzhou a grateful look and said, “Exactly. The court has been preparing for this these past few days. Although the capital has moved, the Spring Plowing Festival and its rituals are a major event and an ancestral custom.”

 

He asked Mu Peixuan, “Ah Xuan, are you going?”

 

Mu Peixuan replied, “I’m still ill.”

 

Li Chengyi gave him a speechless look and then said to Duan Linzhou, “Master Zhou, if your prince is going to pretend to be sick, he should put some white powder on his face and whiten his lips. Ideally—like Master Zhou here, then it would look convincing.”

 

Duan Linzhou smiled, saying, “Alright, thank you for the reminder, Young Marquis.”

 

Later, Li Chengyi secretly asked Duan Linzhou, “Master Zhou, tell me honestly, is your princess consort a peerless beauty, captivating enough to topple cities?”

 

Duan Linzhou responded, “Hmm?”

 

“If he doesn’t have such devastating beauty, how could a zhongyong make Xiao Junwang stay so chaste and—virtuous?!”

 

The words “chaste and virtuous” were practically terrifying for nobles and high officials.

 

Duan Linzhou burst out laughing, and Li Chengyi said, “Don’t laugh, Master Zhou.”

 

Duan Linzhou cleared his throat and said, “Our princess consort is just an ordinary-looking person.”

 

Li Chengyi pressed on, “Then how did he get Xiao Junwang to be so devoted?”

 

Duan Linzhou pondered for a long time, then profoundly stated, “Perhaps it’s because he’s rich.”

 

Li Chengyi: “……”