WK Chapter 88

The Director of the Eastern Depot was named Cui Rong, with a pale face, no beard, and half-white hair.

 

Emperor Chongzhao didn’t allow eunuchs to interfere in state affairs, preferring to tire himself out by personally reviewing every memorial, no matter how large or small.

 

The Eastern Depot existed as an extension of imperial power, completely a blade in the emperor’s hand.

 

The Eastern Depot had only one Director, also called the Superintendent, overseeing two Deputy Superintendents, each of whom managed three lead eunuchs and several runner eunuchs.

 

The power of the Eastern Depot was controlled by eunuchs, while the rest of its personnel were initially drawn from the Imperial Guards, with another batch later recruited from the palace guard, forming the Eastern Depot.

 

Directly under the emperor, they could arrest people directly, and they handled many dirty tasks in private.

 

Cui Rong said: “Do I still need to come in and invite you?”

 

Creeak-

 

The door opened.

 

Duke Lu supported Yu Ruo as they came out.

 

Yu Ruo said: “I am recuperating. May I ask why the Director has come?”

 

Cui Rong’s mouth twitched: “Prince Yu Ruo, we both know what’s going on, so let’s not waste words.” He beckoned, “Go, detain Duke Lu separately, treat him well, and ask him exactly how he injured our prince.”

 

“Let go of me! Let go of me!”

 

“You really dare to touch me? I am a duke, a duke!”

 

Yu Ruo didn’t stop them, supporting himself on the doorframe, looking quite frail. “What does your esteemed country’s emperor intend to do?”

 

The people from the Inspection and Transport Department pulled several carriages from the back courtyard, slowly stopping in front of the yard where Yu Ruo was staying.

 

These contained the items the Nanning envoys had brought from their country, including food, clothing, and many personal items, national gifts, and so on.

 

Wen Xiaochun: “Alright, we’ve arrived. Stop here.”

 

He turned and bowed to Cui Rong, “By His Majesty’s order, we are to inspect all items belonging to the delegation.”

 

Yu Ruo’s fingers gripping the doorframe tightened slightly: “Gentlemen, isn’t this against protocol?”

 

Inspecting items, especially many that could be considered personal belongings, was already an insult.

 

Cui Rong: “We’re all following orders. You just do your job; this one will watch here.”

 

“Yes,” Wen Xiaochun glanced at Yu Ruo, “Then when your country’s duke injured our prince, did he consider protocol? Besides, this superintendent is here to check whether prohibited items like wangye fruit have entered Great Zhou.”

 

“I hope the prince understands.”

 

He raised his hand, “Good, good, search.”

 

“Yes!”

 

The ten skilled workers brought by the Inspection and Transport Department immediately began expertly opening boxes and cabinets, tearing apart clothes to check for hidden items, breaking open and smashing nuts and dried fish, throwing them on the ground, and smashing boxes to see if there were hidden compartments in the wood.

 

Cui Rong’s face twitched.

 

It had been many years since he’d seen the Inspection and Transport Department’s style become so violent.

 

Of course, he maintained his expression, acting as if this kind of inspection was completely normal.

 

The Nanning envoys rushed over upon hearing the news, and seeing the situation, angrily said: “What are you doing?!”

 

“Stop smashing! Stop searching!”

 

They pulled away the hands of the Inspection and Transport Department personnel.

 

“Stop!”

 

Wen Xiaochun narrowed his eyes: “Don’t stop.”

 

A young man, probably unable to bear such humiliation, glared at Wen Xiaochun, strode over, his finger about to poke Wen Xiaochun’s nose: “You-”

 

Wen Xiaochun grabbed his wrist with a backhand motion, turned around extremely smoothly, and threw him with a twist of the arm.

 

The latter spun 360 degrees and fell to the ground: “Ouch!”

 

Wen Xiaochun bent his arm behind his back, gripping the back of his neck with the web of his hand, “Someone come, an envoy has suddenly fallen ill. I have subdued him; quickly take him for treatment. Don’t delay his condition, or they’ll blame our Great Zhou for being discourteous.”

 

Cui Rong’s interest was piqued by Wen Xiaochun’s display of skill. He called two people to take the envoy away.

 

“You’ve trained?”

 

Wen Xiaochun: “I know a little.”

 

Cui Rong: “Your movements look very solid.” He lightly tapped the soft whip at his waist and suddenly said, “Come to the Eastern Depot sometime for a sparring match.”

 

Wen Xiaochun was stunned for a moment, then smiled: “How could I refuse?”

 

Neither spoke further, one making friendly conversation with Prince Yu Ruo, the other supervising the smash- inspection of the carriages.

 

The atmosphere was exceptionally harmonious.

 

–

 

The Seventh Prince was injured, and the Nanning embassy was surrounded.

 

This incident occurred in the afternoon, and winter days darkened early.

 

After sending Qu Dubian back to the palace, Xia Fuyang waited for a while at the North City Gate. He watched as people from the Inspection and Transport Department hurriedly went to the temporary embassy where the Nanning delegation was staying, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop them.

 

He could only walk around in circles here.

 

He didn’t even know what he was waiting for.

 

Only when it got dark did he return home.

 

After returning home, he still couldn’t calm down, so he took a broom and dustpan and went to sweep snow in the courtyard.

 

The icy cold wind made his knuckles turn red.

 

“Xiaoyang.”

 

Xia Fuyang looked up: “Mother? It’s cold tonight, why did you come out?”

 

Madam Wang entered carrying a lantern, “I heard from the nanny that you hadn’t eaten, and knowing about today’s events, I guessed you had something on your mind. Want to talk to your mother about it?”

 

In the Xia household, his mother, Madam Wang, managed the household, handling all daily necessities and social interactions with the wives of officials, taking her adopted daughter to social engagements.

 

Madam Wang had followed Xia Hong all the way from Jizhou, and her experience was not shallow. Xia Hong treasured and loved her, and would confide in her when faced with indecision.

 

Xia Fuyang leaned on the broom, “Hmm… sigh, I can’t really express it.”

 

“I’m good friends with the Seventh Prince, and he’s injured, so I’m worried about him. But besides worry, there’s something else… when he stood up to confront Duke Lu, I felt my blood boiling!”

 

His eyes were bright as he used the broom like a sword, gesturing to Madam Wang: “I wanted to make him take back his words and let me speak instead! Usually, he likes to joke around and play, and he’s vengeful, sometimes even stingy. He wouldn’t give me mooncakes, so I had to climb over the wall to Uncle Tingfeng’s house to get some.”

 

“But today was very different. It’s just… Mother, I can’t explain it, do you understand?”

 

Xia Fuyang was troubled.

 

Madam Wang smiled lightly: “You’re not like your father at all; he’s much more steady.”

 

Xia Fuyang: “He’s refined on the inside; I’m refined on the outside.”

 

Madam Wang ignored his nonsense, “Do you remember what your father said before he left?”

 

“Our family’s current situation, with everyone in the capital currying favor, seems like a flourishing scene, but it’s actually full of dangers. Over these years, how many people have we avoided who openly or secretly asked us to take sides? I’ve told you all about this.”

 

Xia Fuyang: “Yes, that’s why I don’t get particularly close to anyone.”

 

Madam Wang: “From the standpoint of the Xia household, you should do this, but from your own standpoint?” If you were destined to take a side in the future, whom would you choose?

 

Madam Wang didn’t say the second half, nor did she need to; Xia Fuyang understood.

 

He was silent for a while, then said: “Before today, I purely considered him a good friend.” He had never thought about following him in the future.

 

Madam Wang: “Among the royal family, the only friend who makes you forget his identity is already quite special. Xiaoyang, you should think about how to proceed in the future, whether siding with someone or remaining neutral.”

 

Whether leaning toward someone or staying neutral, each had its own advantages and disadvantages.

 

She knew her child had wanted to gallop across battlefields like his father since childhood, otherwise he wouldn’t have endured the hardships of martial arts training, gritting his teeth without making a sound.

 

Someone who has had his own ideas since childhood, even if beaten to death with a stick, would die on the path he had chosen.

 

Xia Fuyang hugged her: “Thank you, Mother.”

 

“I understand your meaning. You should go to sleep now; it’s already so dark. Go on, go on.”

 

He personally escorted Madam Wang back to her bedroom.

 

Just as Xia Fuyang was about to organize his thoughts, the mansion gate was knocked on, and a servant came to report that Xi Zixing had come to visit.

 

Xia Fuyang had him invited in.

 

Xi Zixing had walked all the way, and his nose and cheeks were bright red.

 

Xia Fuyang glanced at him, pulled him into the study, gave him a hand warmer, and poured him some hot water.

 

“What brings you here?”

 

Xi Zixing: “Nonsense, my father went into the palace and hasn’t come out yet, so I can’t get any news. Of course I came to ask you how Xiao Qi is doing.”

 

Xia Fuyang: “I don’t know.”

 

Both had their own thoughts, and they looked at each other in silence.

 

After a long while, Xia Fuyang sighed worriedly: “I finally understand why your ‘choosing a wise master or defending’ criteria, I think that’s what it’s called, has ‘good health’ as the first requirement. Indeed, good health is important.”

 

Xi Zixing: “Oh? Are you thinking of observing in secret like me?”

 

Xia Fuyang mentally rolled his eyes.

 

Observe my ass.

 

But anyway, Xi Zixing wasn’t considering Xiao Qi, and while Xi Zixing wasn’t considering him, he certainly was.

 

That meant he and this guy might become rivals in the future… thinking this way, Xia Fuyang decided not to tell him anything more.

 

He was quite shrewd, quietly drawing a line of defense in his heart.

 

–

 

After inquiring about Qu Dubian’s situation and warming up, Xi Zixing returned to his mansion.

 

He sat in the lamplight, visibly conflicted and struggling.

 

After a long time.

 

He began cutting out small booklets again.

 

After cutting and binding them, he again struggled with indecision, then picked up his brush and wrote on the booklet: Seven

 

The Seventh Prince confronting Duke Lu had moved him, he knew.

 

Anyway, the First Prince’s score was so low he was almost eliminated… adding one more, one up and one down, would maintain overall balance.

 

–

 

Shunning Palace.

 

Imperial physicians were crowded in the Seventh Prince’s bedchamber.

 

They had tried various methods, but he just wouldn’t wake up.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “It’s been half a day with no conclusion. What’s going on?”

 

Imperial Physician Yang bowed: “His Highness’s pulse is very chaotic,” chaotic as if dancing, “…but overall, his breathing is deep and calm.”

 

Concubine Xuan: “Then why won’t he wake up?”

 

Imperial Physician Yang pondered: “It might be related to the cultivation method His Highness has been practicing. I remember the young prince has always practiced martial arts and found a cultivation method himself. The prince’s current state is more like his true qi broke through the dantian point without his knowledge, and he can’t organize it for the time being, leading to his unconsciousness.”

 

“He, this boy, broke through his dantian point?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao suspected he had misheard, but after receiving confirmation from the imperial physician, anger suddenly flared in his heart, “Such a dangerous thing, and the little brat dared to make the decision secretly!”

 

Concubine Xuan frowned: “Didn’t you hear the imperial physician say Xiao Qi didn’t know himself? It’s late at night; why are you being so fierce?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao held back his breath.

 

“I’ll settle accounts with him when he wakes up.”

 

“Imperial Physician, is it true qi turmoil?” Compared to Emperor Chongzhao who didn’t understand, Concubine Xuan clearly knew more.

 

Imperial Physician Yang: “It is… but His Highness’s true qi is gentle, only his pulse is chaotic. It’s not as dangerous as true qi turmoil.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “So there’s no problem?”

 

Which doctor would dare say an unconscious patient had no problem? Especially when it was a prince. Imperial Physician Yang said: “Not at all. Precisely because the Seventh Prince’s condition is unpredictable, we should pay special attention.”

 

The half-grown child lying on the bed had a peaceful expression, his left hand wrapped in thick bandages, looking like a little pig’s trotter.

 

“And His Highness still hasn’t awakened. When he will wake up, and whether there are other dangers… it’s hard to say, hard to say.” Imperial Physician Yang shook his head.

 

The bedchamber fell silent for a moment.

 

Head Eunuch Yu came in from outside and said softly: “Reporting to Your Majesty, the ministers of the Six Ministries have asked the palace servants to find you. They want to know if they can leave now?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “…”

 

Oh no, he had completely forgotten about that.

 

He looked at his young son on the bed and said to Concubine Xuan: “I trouble you to watch over him. I’ll return to Zichen Hall for a while.”

 

Concubine Xuan nodded.

 

Qu Dubian’s sleep lasted for three days.

 

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