Xie Jing slipped into the main hall of Qinhuai Chun, breathing in white mist, and drew the hand warmer from his sleeve to press against his cheeks, which were slightly reddened by the wind, rubbing them gently back and forth. The young servant behind him closed the umbrella, keeping the rain outside the warmth, and took the fox fur coat Xie Jing removed. He usually wouldn’t wear such thick clothing until the depths of winter, but this year, before the Winter Solstice, the continuous cold rain forced him to put it on.
A waiter came forward to greet him, “Lord Xie, please come upstairs; we are just waiting for you.”
Xie Jing casually asked the young servant, “Don’t you need to pay your respects to your Second Madam?”
The young servant didn’t conceal his origin from the Prime Minister’s Mansion either. He stopped by the counter, “The Second Madam never gives us a pleasant face. This servant dares not court that bad luck and will just ask for a cup of hot wine here while waiting for My Lord.”
Xie Jing said no more and followed the man upstairs to the second floor. The waiter led him to the door of the private room facing the street, announced his arrival, and then quietly withdrew.
The one who answered the door was Cui Shushi. She lifted her eyes and looked behind Xie Jing to confirm that no one was following. Xie Jing then said, “No one is following. They’re terrified of you.”
Cui Shushi sneered and turned sideways to let Xie Jing into the private room. There were two other people inside: one was Lu Lingcong, and the other was Cui Shushi’s younger brother, Cui Jishi, who was currently the External Assistant Commander of the Yulin Guards. There were only four seats without wine or dishes. Xie Jing sat down. Lu Lingcong poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him, saying, “Matters succeed through secrecy. Therefore, I have only invited the two of you today. Even if nothing is ultimately decided, please act as though you have never entered this room; it must not be spoken of to outsiders. This humble one thanks you both in advance.”
Cui Jishi remained silent, looking only at his older sister, clearly waiting for her to state her position. Cui Shushi nodded, “Since the spring hunt at Mount Tang, you and I have both held quite a few pieces of leverage over each other. If they were exposed, neither of us would fare well.”
Lu Lingcong smiled and nodded to her in greeting, “Madam is the most perceptive person, so I won’t beat around the bush either. The Wang clan is pulling the strings and dominating everything, which is not a good sign. Prince Zhao’s Mansion has not been smooth sailing these past years, and neither the Xie clan of Chen Commandery nor the Cui clan of Qinghe retains its former glory. We are willing to cooperate fully with you, Madam, and with your noble house, to cleanse the grit from this court.”
Cui Shushi seemed unsurprised to hear these words. She asked as if she had already prepared for it, “How do you intend to clean it? The current court shows no outward turbulence, but inwardly it is deeply corroded. Does Your Highness intend to merely patch things up, or are you planning a fundamental restructuring?”
After sitting down, Xie Jing had been staring absently at the sunlight filtering through the bamboo curtain. At this moment, he answered softly, “Naturally, tear it down and build a new, taller structure.”
Cui Shushi asked again, “Which structure do you want to tear down? Is it the Prime Minister’s Mansion, or Shenlong Hall?”
Lu Lingcong said, “During the spring hunt, it was thanks to His Majesty’s deployment of the Yulin Guards that Qing’er was able to escape smoothly, and Zhiwu was able to continue gaining the trust of the Prime Minister’s Mansion, ensuring that our efforts were not wasted. Prince Zhao’s Mansion is apprehensive, and even if we take action, it is only in the name of ‘clearing the sovereign’s side[mfn]Basically to remove corrupt officials.[/mfn]’. I beg Madam to clarify: what exactly are His Majesty’s true intentions toward Prince Zhao’s Mansion?”
Cui Shushi was silent for a moment, then sneered, “You are certainly confident that I must know the Imperial intention.”
“Madam has a clever mind; how could you stake all your fortunes on one side?” Xie Jing said slowly, “If you had not fully confirmed the imperial intent, Madam would likely not have intervened so readily to save our mother and son during the spring hunt. After all, if the Dragon Throne were ultimately to change hands, the terms the Cui family negotiated with His Majesty would become void. If, however, the throne did not change hands, and the Cui family risked aiding Prince Zhao’s Mansion only to incur the emperor’s displeasure, they would likewise not come to a good end.”
Cui Shushi paused and said indifferently, “My interactions with His Majesty are not frequent, and the transactions I make concern the private affairs of the Cui clan, which I cannot reveal to the two of you. However, His Majesty truly has no intention of making things difficult for Prince Zhao’s Mansion.”
“That settles it, then.” Lu Lingcong smoothly took over the conversation. “Imperial grace is vast, so Prince Zhao’s Mansion will naturally be respectful and grateful toward Shenlong Hall and absolutely will not overstep its bounds.”
“In that case,” Cui Shushi said, “Prince Zhao’s Mansion and the Cui family are walking the same path.”
“People worry not about scarcity but about inequity. The dissatisfaction among the aristocratic families north and south of the Yangtze regarding the overweening dominance of the Wang clan of Langya has been long-standing. I believe that, relying on the century-long reputation of the Cui and Xie clans, winning the support of most noble families will not be difficult.”
Cui Shushi, however, sneered, “Even if the Cui clan is in decline, it still retains a kind of useless integrity. But the face of the Xie clan has now been utterly ruined by Lord Xie. The remaining distant relatives and collateral branches probably shun you, so where would we pick up that so-called reputable standing?”
Xie Jing was not offended by her words. Cui Shushi had stated an awkward truth: the most glorious branch of the Xie family was severed in the unjust case four years ago, and upon his return to the capital, Xie Jing immediately switched allegiance to the Prime Minister’s Mansion, treating his clan members as strangers. His reputation, both within the clan and among the aristocracy, was in precarious shape.
He looked at Lu Lingcong. What Cui Shushi had asked was precisely what he himself had wanted to ask. Xie Jing had previously been entirely focused on clearing injustices and seeking revenge; he had never planned a way out for himself, nor had he considered what would come after. He did not know what kind of face or identity he should use to stand in this world once the dust had settled and the blood debt had been repaid.
Lu Lingcong looked back at him and said without hesitation, “You don’t need to worry about that; I already have a plan.”
Xie Jing was startled and was about to say something, but Lu Lingcong had already continued, “Winning people’s hearts—or, to put it more crudely, dividing the spoils—is about securing the realm, and that is a matter for later. Today, I requested this meeting with Madam and Lord Cui primarily to first discuss the matter of ‘winning the realm itself’.”
Cui Shushi glanced at her younger brother. Having received instruction, the latter said, “The Cui family has contacts and complex relationships, but since my father’s death, real power has gradually been eroded by the Wang clan, especially military power. Although I am in the Yulin Guards and my brothers all hold military posts, we have no troops at our disposal; every one of us is an empty figurehead.”
“This is why I chose to conspire with your esteemed family. Inside the capital, Prince Zhao’s Mansion does not lack soldiers and horses, but countless eyes are watching me. I cannot personally command these people, nor can I openly recruit support under the banner of Prince Zhao’s Mansion. What I lack is trustworthy talent. Therefore, I need to rely on the reputation and boldness of the Cui clan to recruit capable men, find someone to replace me in commanding these forces, and then use them for our uprising.”
Cui Jishi asked in surprise, “Where does Your Highness get soldiers and horses under His Majesty’s nose? The Tiger Division is now fractured…”
Lu Lingcong smiled, “The Tiger Division is indeed fractured, but it has been divided amongst the Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Great Camps, which is exactly what I desired.”
The Cui siblings, coming from a military family, instantly grasped Lu Lingcong’s calculation—“A thousand trained men can train ten thousand; ten thousand trained men can train an entire army.” These former Tiger Division soldiers, having been embedded at the lowest levels of the Four Great Camps, had both the opportunity and the capability to subtly influence, or even reshape the thinking of, their colleagues who originally belonged to the capital garrison forces. Compared to the Wang family merely replacing the commanders of each camp, this kind of indoctrination was more likely to lead to a fatal consequence—defection in battle. But this required two conditions to be met.
First, the former Tiger Division soldiers needed to possess absolutely resilient characters; second, they needed to have unquestionable loyalty to Lu Lingcong—to Lu Lingcong himself, not to Prince Zhao’s Mansion, nor to Great Qi.
The Tiger Division’s track record spoke for itself, so the first condition was clear. The second condition, however, was very subtle. Cui Shushi thought for a moment and then asked, “I heard that quite a few people in the Tiger Division were enlisted by Your Highness during the Huaibei rebellion.”
Lu Lingcong nodded, “The nascent form of the Tiger Division, the initial three thousand men, were armed bands roaming the Huai and Si regions. They possessed some skill but were not yet a unified force. Most of them were lone individuals, having lost their parents early and with no wives or children. Later, after the suppression of the Huaibei rebellion, those willing to join the Tiger Division were largely people forced onto this path because they could not make a living otherwise. Over the years, their dependents have been consistently provided for and protected by Prince Zhao’s Mansion and the Wu family.”
Cui Shushi narrowed her eyes upon hearing this, “Whether it’s protection or coercion, isn’t it all just dependent on Your Highness’s word?”
Lu Lingcong did not explain, “As long as these elderly, weak, women, and children are well provided for, the name doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t matter if Your Highness tries to brush me off,” Cui Shushi said calmly, “It’s enough if the Tiger Division soldiers acknowledge it.”
Cui Jishi asked, “So, Your Highness intends to use the Cui family’s influence to contact mid-level subordinate officials in the Four Great Camps who can be used by Prince Zhao’s Mansion?”
Lu Lingcong nodded, “The Commanders of the Four Great Camps all belong to the Wang family faction and cannot be easily shaken. If the Commander of the Central Guards and Inspector-in-Chief of the Central Army below them can be swayed, that’s naturally best. If not, then the subordinate officials below them, such as Chief Secretary, Colonel, Commander, and so on, can still be utilized. This is the first matter.”
Cui Jishi frowned, “Is there a second matter?”
Lu Lingcong said, “The second matter requires utilizing Lord Cui’s connections within the Yulin Guards.”
The Yulin Guard originated in the former Han Dynasty, commanded by the Colonel of Yulin Guards, and was the forbidden army guarding the Palace City and the Imperial City, distinct from the Four Great Camps stationed in the capital region. Taichu Palace was demarcated by the Gongche Gate: within it lay the Palace City, while outside; including the corner towers, city walls, and moat, belonged to the Imperial City. The Yulin Guards were accordingly divided into the “Central Guard” and the “Outer Guard.” The Central Guard was stationed within the Palace City, while the Outer Guard was responsible for the area extending from the Gongche Gate to the moat. These two forces were commanded by the Yulin Inspector-in-Chief and Yulin Outer Guard Inspector, respectively. These two officials each had a deputy, the Central Military Aide and the Outer Military Aide, Cui Jishi being the latter.
Xie Jing recalled meeting at the Jade Terrace a few months ago, where Cui Shushi used the opportunity of “matchmaking” for Lu Lingcong and her niece to discuss personnel changes within the Yulin Guards. That day, he was dizzy from drinking too much wine and didn’t listen closely. Thinking back on it now, it must have been because, during the spring hunt at Mount Tang, the previous Yulin Guard Colonel had followed Lu Lingzhang’s instructions and failed to station troops at the entrance cave needed for Xie Jing and Lu Shuqing’s escape. This aroused Wang Chu’s suspicion, giving him the pretext to remove the man and replace him with a more trusted and favored subordinate.
But Wang Chu probably only disliked the man’s incompetence and did not know that Lu Lingzhang was behind it; otherwise, he wouldn’t have glossed over it so lightly.
“We won’t move against Shenlong Hall, but we cannot leave Linhai Hall untouched. As long as the Empress Dowager stands, the Wang family will always have a legitimate reason to act as regent. Only by issuing a forged edict from the Empress Dowager by ordering the Wang clan to resign their offices and accept the blame, followed by conviction and exoneration, can we avoid giving the court and the public any opportunity for criticism. To move against Linhai Hall, there must be coordination within the Yulin Guards.”
Cui Shushi remained silent for a while, then said, “You all must be very clear about your justifications and must gauge the limits of advance and retreat by incolvinh Linhai Hall. Removing corrupt officials near the sovereign and engaging in rebellion are separated by only a single step.”
Xie Jing smiled, “One must take risks to achieve anything. That is why we are speaking so openly with the Madam today. If Madam considers the stability of the Cui clan and rejects Prince Zhao’s Mansion, we have nothing more to say. However, a ready-made lesson sits before Madam’s eyes. The noble families of Jiangnan, though seemingly connected and sharing honor and disgrace,” he pointed to himself, “under a collapsed nest, how can any egg remain whole?”
The Cui siblings exchanged a look. Cui Shushi pressed her lips tightly together and said sternly, “The Cui clan naturally harbors an irreconcilable hatred for the Prime Minister’s Mansion. Why would we fear ruin or death? But Your Highness and the Princess Consort must also provide sufficient convincing power. If we sign a life-and-death pact with Prince Zhao’s Mansion, what percentage of success can the Cui clan expect?”
Cui Jishi, being a man of the military and, like Lu Lingcong, having real battlefield experience, followed up on his elder sister’s question, “Planting personnel in the Four Great Camps and the Yulin Guards is a dangerous move. But Your Highness is skilled at chess and must know that no winning game is achieved solely by courting danger.”
Lu Lingcong naturally understood that such life-and-death cooperation required revealing some genuine cards. Thus, he said, “I will disclose three things. Madam, you can weigh their importance yourself.”
“First, the Eldest Princess has engaged the Northern Desert several times recently. The troops she commands are not the Yongzhou garrison, but her personal army, the Hewei Guard, numbering over a thousand men. Their individual combat capability surpasses that of the Tiger Division;
“Second, in the first year of Jingyu, I led the Tiger Division and was stationed for several months across Huai and Si as well as Yinzhou. This was not solely to suppress the rebellion, but also to position Prince Zhao’s Mansion’s contingency forces throughout the prefectures and counties surrounding Jinling. Be aware that if any upheaval occurs in the capital, aside from the Yulin Guards and the Four Great Camps, the forces that can be mobilized into the capital most swiftly and conveniently will come from these prefectures surrounding the capital region.”
“Third, the leader of the Xuanshi has maintained contact with me for several years. She holds the complete authority to mobilize the Xuanshi and can be heavily relied upon.”
The third point clearly surprised Cui Shushi as the Xuanshi had vanished without a trace for nearly twenty years, “You two have connections with the Xuanshi?”
“This is also inconvenient to elaborate on to Madam.” Lu Lingcong merely smiled and brushed it aside. “Doesn’t the Cui clan also have connections with His Majesty? Everyone keeps their own backup plans; that is the normal state of cooperation.”
What shocked Xie Jing the most was the second point. Lu Lingcong had never even told him that in the first year of Jingyu—the first year they were separated, the first year after the Xie family’s misfortune—he had already harbored the intention of overturning the verdict and had deliberately prepared this preemptive move.
What was he doing at that time? When facing overly painful memories, people subconsciously choose self-protective forgetting. Xie Jing could no longer clearly recall what was on his mind during that first year after leaving the capital and wandering north.
Perhaps it was just the three words: “Live on.” His father and elder brother told him to live on when they bid farewell in prison. Lu Lingcong whispered his name into his ear when he was delirious with fever, telling him to live on. When he walked out of Prince Zhao’s Mansion, Yin Chou, Steward Zhou, and all the servants and maids told him to live on.
At that time, he was utterly despondent and had lost all will to live. If it weren’t for his children, he might not have survived alone. These repeated calls of “live on” sounded too hollow in his ears, only making him feel isolated and hopeless.
It was only now that Xie Jing truly grasped the meaning of those old sentiments, belatedly realizing that all these people genuinely wanted him to live and genuinely never gave up on helping him survive.
Cui Shushi’s question pulled his attention back, “What about the timing?”
Lu Lingcong said, “Next Spring, the war will temporarily ease, the Eldest Princess will return to the capital, and the people will gradually recover from the natural disaster. Depending on the situation within and beyond the capital at that time, we can seize the opportunity to act.”
Cui Shushi said nothing more, her brow slightly furrowed in thought. Seeing this, Cui Jishi stood up and said, “The Cui clan is deeply grateful for the trust placed in us by Your Highness and the Princess Consort. My elder sister and I will discuss this in detail upon our return and reply as soon as possible. We shall take our leave now.”
Lu Lingcong also rose and returned the courtesy, “Please also trouble Madam Cui to convey the sincere loyalty of Prince Zhao’s Mansion to His Majesty.”
Xie Jing watched Cui Shushi leading, followed by Cui Jishi, descending the stairs from the side corridor. They left through the back door of Qinhuai Chun and took their separate carriages for the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Cui’s Mansion. Only then did Xie Jing lean back into his chair and say:
“Judging by the conversation just now, it’s clear that Madam Cui now manages the Cui clan internally. Even her younger brother has to wait for her to make the decision.”
Lu Lingcong finished the cooled tea, “I just don’t know what deep enmity exists between the Prime Minister’s Mansion and the Cui family; Madam Cui was unwilling to say. I suspect it’s inextricably linked to the deaths of Grand Commandant Cui and Ah Huang.”
“She will agree. The integrity of the Cui clan of Qinghe, her courage, her spirit, the hardships she has endured over these years… she will agree.”
Xie Jing murmured to himself. By the end, he didn’t know if he was expressing Cui Shushi’s resolve or articulating his own sentiment. Everyone caught in this web helplessly shared a similar life trajectory: he, Cui Shushi and Xiao Yao seemed to have merely changed names, surnames, or prestigious prefectures, yet they were all striving in the same way to preserve a wisp of glory for the declining aristocratic families, not for the sake of restoring family prestige, but simply for peace and stability.
He slowly closed his eyes. A wave of exhaustion suddenly swept over his entire body. In fact, there were many things Xie Jing had to ask, such as the influence Prince Zhao’s Mansion had cultivated in the prefectures bordering the capital, which he had just learned about. But at this moment, he just wanted to set it aside for a while, to rest quietly, even if only for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.
Lu Lingcong did not disturb him, merely resting his hand at the nape of Xie Jing’s neck and along his shoulder blades to massage lightly. Xie Jing made no effort to steady himself, his body swaying slightly with Lu Lingcong’s movements, the jade set into his hair ribbon striking the back of the chair with a clear, crisp sound.
After a long time, he sighed silently and said faintly, “When I was dressing this morning, I noticed in the mirror that I had grown a strand of white hair.”
