It was nearly a month after Xie Jing returned to the capital that he found an opportunity to meet with Grand Tutor Zhang alone.
According to Lu Lingcong, Zhang Yan had not been very active in the court since the late emperor’s death and the misfortune of the Xie family. Apart from continuing to instruct Lu Shuqing, he only occasionally exchanged poetry and essays with colleagues or younger scholars and refrained from discussing politics entirely. This was likely partly due to lamenting the fate of the Xie family, feeling sorrow for their demise, and partly because a new emperor brings new officials. Given his personality, he neither could nor care to compete with Wang Chu’s faction, so he simply retired gracefully at the height of his career.
Zhang Yan had the grace to promote Xie Jing, who always addressed him respectfully as “Teacher.” But to be honest, during the ten years he lived in the capital as Princess Consort Zhao, his role before Grand Tutor Zhang was primarily to accompany the elder in enjoying leisurely pursuits and helping him alleviate the strain of official documents with little intersection in their official careers or court affairs. When it came to the bond between master and disciple and mutual learning, he was not as close to Zhang Yan as Lu Shuqing was.
Therefore, when Xie Jing met Zhang Yan, he was not overly surprised to see Lu Shuqing by his side.
The location of their chance meeting was quite awkward: it was the place in the palace that housed classical documents and legal texts, known by the ancient name “Orchid Terrace.” During the day, officials from various departments often gathered there, burying their heads in piles of paper to draft proposals according to regulations. In short, it was crowded with people; officials of all ranks, from minor to major, were present. Xie Jing had come to look up old regulations and precedents to reorganize the remaining eight thousand Tiger Division troops now under his command.
His entrance Into the Orchid Terrace alone was enough to draw attention, but then Zhang Yan and Lu Shuqing walked out from the depths of the bookshelves, conversing, and they met by chance in the narrow aisle right in front of everyone. Now, all eyes were glued to the three of them as if they were brushed with glue.
After all, the scene of Prince Zhao’s heir “sacrificing kinship for righteousness” outside the city gate was still vivid, and who wouldn’t be looking forward to watching this spectacle of the mother and son and the three master-disciple figures encountering each other?
What was most astonishing was how similar Xie Jing and Lu Shuqing looked. Although one had a slightly older-than-teenage appearance and the other a slightly younger-than-teenage appearance, when those two pairs of apricot-shaped, round eyes looked at each other, even their distant expressions were identical.
The room was filled with dead silence. After a long time, the son finally called out softly, “Uncle Xie.”
The minor officials hiding nearby quietly put their astonished jaws back in place. They had expected Lu Shuqing to ignore Xie Jing and leave directly, or at most, if he were more cutting, stop and call him “Lord Xie.” Who would have thought that he would open his mouth with such an extremely subtle address as “Uncle Xie,” which was playfully polite yet subtly hinted at that messy, undeniable blood relationship?
After a long pause, the mother bowed and said, “This humble minister, Xie Jing, greets Your Highness.”
The surrounding onlookers suddenly came to their senses, realizing that Lu Shuqing was the person of highest status in the room, and greetings immediately sounded one after another.
However, Xie Jing did not wait for Lu Shuqing to speak again, nor did he look at Zhang Yan, who was standing to the side and seemed hesitant to speak. Instead, he lowered his left arm, and while seemingly adjusting his attire, he casually fiddled with the jade pendants hanging from his waist, producing two rhythmic, crisp sounds. Then he stepped forward and continued toward the inner room.
Half an hour later, during the change of shift for the palace attendants, Xie Jing waited for Zhang Yan, who came alone, in the side office south of the Orchid Terrace.
He stepped forward and was about to kneel down as he called out, “Teacher!”
Zhang Yan immediately grasped both his arms and stopped his movement: “No need for formalities.”
Xie Jing glanced toward where Zhang Yan had come from and said softly, “Qing’er isn’t with you?”
“As soon as he left the Orchid Terrace, he was intercepted by people from the Linhai Hall, who said the Empress Dowager invited His Highness over for a chat. I could only say a few extra words to him by using the pretext of advising him on his studies. He told me that your last two gestures meant ‘South.’ I watched for the shift change when no one was around, then quietly came in.”
Xie Jing nodded and smiled, “He still remembers the Tiger Division Command signal. His father and I didn’t waste our efforts.”
The two closed the door and sat down in the compartment. Zhang Yan said, “Time is short, so I won’t ask in detail about your situation over the past three years. But just one question, what are your plans for the future?”
Xie Jing pondered slightly: “For me, clearing the injustice is paramount, and power and position are secondary. If the true culprit isn’t among the few currently above everyone else, then I will seek only personal revenge, leaving the rest to Zifeng’s judgment; but if it is one of them, I will inevitably have to shake the very foundation of the state.”
Zhang Yan was silent for a moment, “You must understand that if it truly was the Wang family’s doing, even if you presented the evidence and the culprit to the Court of Judicial Review, not a single person would dare take up your case. It is true that Wang Chu wields power, but he governs according to his position; his political achievements over these years are obvious to all, and he has the people’s support. If you wish to win based on public justice, it is akin to an ant trying to shake a tree.”
“I am well aware of that,” Xie Jing said. “Therefore, I only want to clarify all the truths of that year one by one right now. I only need to conclusively prove to myself who is truly behind the scenes, and that alone will be enough. I don’t need the Ministry of Justice or the Court of Judicial Review to overturn my case; I will be the executioner myself.”
Zhang Yan then asked, “In your estimation, how likely is the Wang family to be the real culprit?”
Xie Jing thought for a moment: “Rather than how likely, it’s better to ask how much effort they put in. Before Zhong Zhao died, he revealed to Zifeng that the order for the Imperial Guards to enter Wuyi Lane and raid the Xie family was verbally dictated by the late Emperor. Three days later, the late Emperor passed away, yet the decree for the death sentence was written on the same paper as the imperial edict appointing the new Emperor as his successor, and both were issued simultaneously.”
Zhang Yan interjected, “In that case, did the late Emperor first decide to put the Xie family to death and then hastily conceive a crime for them?”
“It is possible,” Xie Jing said, “but there is another possibility; the late Emperor passed away suddenly only three days after ordering the arrest of the Xie family, and he did not have time to leave behind a final disposition for the Xie family. The imperial edict only contained the arrangement for the heir, and that arrangement—would have led to an outcome for the Xie family completely opposite to the current one.”
Zhang Yan instantly understood, “Had His Highness Prince Zhao succeeded to the throne, the Xie family would naturally be unharmed.”
Xie Jing met his gaze for a moment and said, “In fact, whether the imperial edict was falsely delivered or tampered with, you know me as well as Zifeng do, we don’t care at all. Prince Zhao’s Mansion never cared who the late Emperor truly intended to pass the throne to in the edict he personally wrote.”
He paused: “What Is important is that the person behind the scenes reached the imperial edict before us, so the fate of the Xie family was sealed. Once it was written in black and white and proclaimed to officials and common people alike, the Xie family could not escape the fate of execution, and Zifeng could not escape being the execution supervisor either.”
Zhang Yan asked doubtfully, “If that’s the case, if the person behind the scenes merely intended to eliminate the Xie family, they would only need to ensure the present Emperor’s succession, there would be no need to specifically include a line directing the disposal of the Xie family.”
Xie Jing nodded, “It was an unnecessary addition, and this is what I don’t understand.”
“Unless that person had absolute certainty that even with the present Emperor in power, the Xie family might still survive.”
“The present Emperor being in power means the Wang family is in power. How could the Xie family possibly survive?”
Zhang Yan, however, looked reserved. After thinking for a moment, he asked, sounding both like he was questioning Xie Jing and himself, “Is the present Emperor being in power truly the same as the Wang family being in power?”
Hearing the implication in his words and recalling Lu Lingcong’s attitude when he asked him, “How dare you rest assured about raising Lu Shuqing in the palace?” Xie Jing subconsciously asked, “Have Teacher noticed something being outside of court affairs all these years?”
Zhang Yan shook his head: “Since I am outside of court affairs, everything is merely suspicion. It’s just that the phrase ‘The imperial family is ruthless’ is a constant truth, everywhere, and throughout all dynasties.”
The imperial family is ruthless. Since there can be estrangement between father and son and between brothers, then perhaps it is the same between mother and son, as well as between maternal uncle and nephew.
Xie Jing said, “I understand.”
Zhang Yan, however, looked up at him: “Do you truly understand?”
Xie Jing was puzzled, so he listened as Zhang Yan continued, “Zhiwu. There are some things I wanted to ask you three years ago. Was the matter of secretly maintaining the Tiger Division done by His Highness alone or did you and His Highness do it together?”
“…It counts as together, I suppose. I was aware, provided some of the funds for supporting the troops, and found a way to cast weapons in Chen Commandery. He was responsible for selecting and training the men.”
“Why did you two make the decision to secretly raise private troops?”
Xie Jing was somewhat confused by the question: “Zifeng proposed it. At the time, the late Emperor’s chronic illness was incurable and the court was unstable, so it was to prepare for a rainy day.”
Zhang Yan nodded, confirming, “So, by all accounts, you have the authority to control this unit, correct?”
Xie Jing nodded hesitantly. Zhang Yan then asked, “Then, do you know whether the Tiger Division had the capability to storm the capital and fight a battle with its back against the wall after the Xie family was imprisoned three years ago?”
Xie Jing was stunned. After thinking for a moment, he slowly said, “The Tiger Division was still operating secretly at that time and was far from its later size of thirty thousand men. If Zifeng had led the troops into the capital to openly rebel, Consort Dowager Wu and the Eldest Princess in the palace would have been executed first.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yan was silent for a moment, then suddenly looked into Xie Jing’s eyes: “But if that battle could have been won, your kin could have been spared a violent death.”
He said no more, but Xie Jing instantly grasped the hidden meaning. Zhang Yan meant that although he confirmed that he and Lu Lingcong did not care about the throne, they each cared about their respective kin.
“I am an outsider, but Zhiwu, you must have a measure in your heart. Seeking advantages and avoiding harm is human nature. Have you weighed whether His Highness’s action was a case of ‘could not save’ or ‘did not want to save’?”
Xie Jing froze. He lowered his eyes and said nothing more after a long while.
To be honest, he had no way to verify which of the two Lu Lingcong truly intended in his heart.
When the late emperor breathed his last, the imperial edict was issued, Lu Lingzhang then ascended the throne and all military power in the capital region was concentrated in the hands of the Wang family. Given the capability of the Tiger Division at the time, the probability of a forceful success was too low, and it would inevitably be accompanied by bloodshed, massacre, and sacrifice.
Lu Lingcong must have understood this perfectly, and even Xie Jing himself could grasp this logic when he calmed down.
But the crux of the matter is that people cannot always remain calm. An ordinary person made of flesh and blood, with emotions and desires, facing the threat of execution for their entire family, would not possess the benevolence and righteousness to consider whether it would cause sacrifice.
Human lives are not divided into high or low, noble or humble; soldiers should not die innocently, but loyal officials should not perish unjustly either.
If this matter had been left to Xie Jing that day, he admitted that he might have impulsively made an irrational choice. But what about Lu Lingcong? Supposing the Tiger Division was elite enough and stationed in the suburbs of the capital, capable of storming the imperial prison and saving the entire Xie family with a single order from him. What would he choose? Would he, because of this, put his mother and younger sister in harm’s way?
Xie Jing thought that he might never know whether Lu Lingcong ever entertained the idea of saving the Xie family’s lives at such a cost even if it was just a thought.
“The past is the past. It is meaningless to speculate and criticize him based on an unrealistic hypothesis. I have neither the right to demand that he do so, nor do I doubt the sincerity of his feelings for me.”
Zhang Yan smiled: “I never said His Highness’s choice that day was wrong. I only want you to seriously consider how you should handle yourself if such a situation arises again in the future.”
Xie Jing looked at Zhang Yan with some confusion: “Teacher, what exactly are you trying to say?”
“The sun and moon are the highest and brightest; husband and wife are the closest and yet the most distant.” Zhang Yan stood up. “The imperial family is ruthless. There are some things you must hold in your own hands.”
Xie Jing sat in the chair, resting his head on one hand, the other unconsciously tapping a rhythm on his knee while staring blankly into the empty space before him.
He and Lu Lingcong hadn’t seen each other for some days, firstly because he was tied up with camp trivialities and living on Mufu Mountain, and secondly because the low tide recently occurred during the day, making the route impassable at night, preventing them from meeting.
A click of a lock sounded behind him. Lu Lingcong walked around to face Xie Jing, and seeing him dazed, he half-squatted and looked up at his expression. “Are you meditating?”
Xie Jing turned his eyes away. “We are going to Mount Tang for the spring hunt Tommi. There will be many eyes and ears, making it inconvenient to speak, so I thought I should come tonight.”
“What happened? Is there trouble in the camp?”
Xie Jing gently sighed and shook his head: “Not really trouble, it’s just that those old subordinates of yours are too upright and fiercely loyal. It makes my job as the villain difficult.”
“Did they say something unpleasant?”
Xie Jing raised an eyebrow: “I wouldn’t dare complain to you here. It’s just things like ‘heartless and unrighteous’ and ‘acknowledging a thief as father.’ I’ve heard it all before.”
Lu Lingcong grasped his hand and said seriously, “Since you know in your heart that this isn’t you, you don’t need to take it to heart. The truth will eventually come out one day; your painstaking efforts will be evident to the world and what is right and what is wrong will be clear then.”
Xie Jing was momentarily speechless. He stared at him, paused, and then squeezed Lu Lingcong’s hand in return. “I know. It wasn’t anything important; I hadn’t planned to mention it. I only spoke because you asked.”
“Then you came over for…”
“I just wanted to see you.” Xie Jing shifted his gaze again, avoiding their shared look. “I feel uneasy.”
Lu Lingcong was momentarily stunned, immediately sensing Xie Jing’s abnormality. However, he didn’t ask anything more, he just leveled his tone and said, “Would you like to go home for the night?”
Xie Jing looked at him with slight confusion. Lu Lingcong then explained, “I mean the Prince’s Mansion. No one will notice at this hour. I’ll bring you back before dawn tomorrow; it won’t delay your departure. And you don’t need to worry about me losing sleep either. I’ll send a message to the palace saying I woke up late from a hangover and will leave after noon. It won’t affect anything.”
For Xie Jing, “going home” was truly a luxury. With no family left in Wuyi Lane, it was merely an ancestral house, while the home at the Prince’s Mansion remained both desirable and out of reach for him. His children were still confined in the palace, and tomorrow he had to pretend he had nothing to do with any of them. Even if he went back tonight, what good would it do? It would only be drinking poison to quench thirst, merely adding to his grief.
“Forget it.” Xie Jing pulled Lu Lingcong up before stood up himself. They stood facing each other. He reached out to smooth the creases on Lu Lingcong’s lapel, stroked the tassel on the jade pendant hanging from his waist, and finally let his gaze rest on Lu Lingcong’s face.
They were too young when they met, one at the start of sixteen and the other at the end of sixteen. Every detail of how they had grown from half-grown children into their current selves was etched into each other’s memory. They truly grew up together.
“I ran into Teacher in the palace this morning,” Xie Jing carefully chose his words. “He seems… not entirely in favor of our marriage.”
Hearing this, Lu Lingcong laughed while pinching Xie Jing’s earlobe, “I’d think we just got married yesterday judging by the way you say that. The old man cherishes you, his favorite disciple, and resents that marrying me ruined your future, he’s been displeased for over a decade. It’s not the first day you’ve known this.”
Xie Jing knew Lu Lingcong hadn’t grasped his true meaning. “Not approving of their marriage” and “telling him to guard against Lu Lingcong” were two completely different attitudes. Even though Zhang Yan had believed for over a decade that Lu Lingcong was not a suitable match for him, he had never explicitly warned him the way he did today either.
“Zifeng, I want to hear an honest word from you,” he said. “Have you ever doubted me over the years? In any matter, have you ever thought, even once, that what I did appeared to be for you but was actually for myself?”
Unexpectedly, Lu Lingcong answered without thinking or the slightest hesitation: “I have.”
Xie Jing froze in place, opened his mouth to speak, but found himself momentarily speechless. However, he heard Lu Lingcong continue, “But that is not called ‘doubting you.’ You married me, not sold to me. We are, after all, two people with vastly different temperaments. If we were entirely without self-interest or personal desire, we wouldn’t be an earthly couple.”
“I am your husband. I only want you to live smoothly and happily. I would love for you to put yourself first in everything and plan a prosperous future for yourself.”
