Wish You All the Best - Chapter 80
Chapter 80
The Emperor's command was like a mountain, immovable.
The following day, the Ministry of Personnel issued an official document: the Emperor had rescinded the period of mourning and resumed Pei You'an's official duties, appointing him as the Commissioner of Southwest Pacification to oversee the resettlement of displaced people in the Jingxiang region. He was to depart for his new post within days.
As news spread, colleagues who regularly associated with Pei You'an came one after another to see him off. After two days of endless visiting and leave-taking, the time for his departure arrived. On this evening, Pei You'an rode out of the city alone, arriving at the foot of the mountain where Ci'en Temple stood. Accompanied by the encroaching twilight mists of the mountain, he climbed the stone steps by himself and knocked upon the temple gates.
It was the hour for the temple’s evening prayers; the bells rang out in waves, carried away by the wind.
Pei You'an arrived at the Genben Hall attached to the east of the temple, entering the courtyard that housed the spirit tablets of the Pei ancestors. The elderly servant couple who guarded the courtyard were surprised to see him appear and hurriedly came out to welcome him. After a few words, Pei You'an asked about Yuzhu’s current situation.
The Old Mistress had passed away less than a year prior. Her spirit tablet had not yet been returned to its final resting place, but was kept in a separate spirit pagoda here to ward off disasters and expiate sins; it would only be returned to the Genben Hall after a full year had passed.
When the Old Mistress was alive, she had not only arranged for the family to split into two households but also made plans for Yuzhu, who had served her for nearly a decade. She had returned Yuzhu’s deed of servitude, left her enough money to sustain her for the rest of her life, and even given her a courtyard, telling her that if she found a suitable man in the future and wished to marry, she could be wed from the Pei family. After the initial period of mourning, there had been countless matchmakers coming and going, both openly and secretly. Yuzhu had declined them all, choosing instead to follow the Old Mistress’s spirit tablet to this place. Now, in the blink of an eye, more than half a year had already passed.
Hearing Pei You'an’s query, the old woman hurried to say: "For these past six months and more, Yuzhu has spent every day reciting scriptures for the Old Mistress to alleviate her karmic burdens. Before the Great Mistress left, she instructed me to take good care of Mistress Yuzhu, and this old woman has kept that in mind."
Pei You'an nodded and walked to the room where the Old Mistress’s spirit tablet was housed alone, pushing open the door.
Yuzhu was kneeling on a green-leaf cushion beside the altar, silently reciting scriptures. Hearing the door push open behind her, she turned, hurriedly stood up, and performed a greeting to Pei You'an, pleasantly surprised: "Master, why are you here? Are you not accompanying the Great Mistress back to Quanzhou?"
Half a year later, she was indeed, as the old woman had said, much thinner.
Pei You'an bowed to the Old Mistress’s spirit tablet and, upon finishing, rose and said: "I only returned to the capital a few days ago. The Emperor has rescinded my mourning to put me back to work; the Great Mistress remains in Quanzhou."
He looked at the dimly lit room, pondered for a moment, and asked: "Yuzhu, what are your plans for the future?"
Yuzhu lowered her head slowly and was silent for a while.
"Once I have guarded the Old Mistress’s tablet for a full year and repaid her kindness toward me, I will seek out a nunnery to settle down."
Pei You'an said: "Yuzhu, I would like to ask you for a favor."
Yuzhu was startled.
"Please speak, Master. I was once the Old Mistress’s maidservant; although the Old Mistress has passed, I am still a servant of the Pei family. As long as it is something I can do, I would not hesitate to go through fire and water!"
Pei You'an replied: "You are no longer a bondservant of the Pei family. I wish to ask you to go to Quanzhou and take care of the Great Mistress on my behalf."
Yuzhu was stunned again. She hesitated and asked: "Master, what do you mean? I don't quite understand..."
Pei You'an smiled faintly: "With this mission the Emperor has given me, I fear I will not be able to return for a year or more. Those regions are full of dangerous mountains and treacherous waters, and the Great Mistress is of delicate health; it is not suitable for her to be brought there. Now that her grandmother’s health is failing, although there are reliable servants in the household, her mother is fragile and her brother is still young and immature. She has always gotten along well with you, and you are attentive and capable. Would you be willing to go there and be her companion?"
Yuzhu stared fixedly at the man standing with his back to the twilight, his figure shrouded in heavy dusk. She knelt slowly before him and kowtowed: "It is Yuzhu’s blessing to be able to accompany and serve the Great Mistress. Yuzhu is willing."
Pei You'an nodded: "Someone will come to pick you up in two days. Pack your things and prepare to depart."
Yuzhu agreed, sent him across the threshold, and watched his figure gradually disappear into the deepening evening gloom.
Pei You'an stayed at the temple that night. Early the next morning, before the eastern horizon had even begun to pale, he left the temple, descended the mountain, and returned to the city.
At the fifth watch, as the dawn light began to turn white and thick mists drifted across the fields, a heavy and ancient creaking sound resonated. The city gates of the Imperial City, which had been closed all night, slowly opened. A contingent of heavily armed troops emerged from within. With guards in front and behind, in the center was a small, green-felt-covered carriage. It rattled and swayed, piercing through the misty dawn, heading toward the outside of the city.
This was the contingent ordered to escort the deposed Crown Prince back to the ancestral lands of Longqian to guard the tombs and repent in his father's stead. The commander of the Imperial Guard, a General of the Great Han, was riding on horseback. Seeing a figure leading a horse coming from the side of the road, he did not pay attention at first, but as they drew near, he recognized that it was Pei You'an. He hurriedly ordered the team to pause, called out "Lord Pei," and dismounted to perform the proper courtesies.
Pei You'an smiled and nodded at the General, then led his horse, continuing to walk along the roadside toward the city gate. As he passed by the felt-covered carriage, the carriage body suddenly shook violently. From within came the sound of chains clashing forcefully against iron bars, as if someone inside were struggling desperately. Then, a voice pierced through the green felt and carried out: "Pei You'an, do not think that you have won! The omens of heaven are fickle; the outcome is not yet decided. This is certainly not my end! Even if the heavens lead me astray and I cannot return for the rest of my life, you will never meet a good end either! In his eyes, there is only the world and this throne. Do you think he will give you a peaceful finish?"
Every word and every sentence entered his ears like bone-deep resentment. The surrounding guards all turned pale, looking at one another in shock, but Pei You'an seemed not to hear. With his eyes fixed ahead, his footsteps never wavered. He continued leading his horse, walking forward and passing the green carriage.
Seeing that Pei You'an had already passed, the General immediately ordered the entire troop to move forward, never to linger for even a moment longer.
With the sound of hooves striking the earth and wheels turning, the group resumed their march after their brief pause.
Inside the carriage, a cold laugh began to emerge—at first, it was just a low, rattling sound, but it soon transformed into maniacal laughter. The laughter grew louder and louder, louder and louder, until the troop had gradually disappeared into the morning mist, leaving the sound to finally dissipate completely.
...
That night, Xiao Lie asked about Pei You'an.
Li Yuangui replied: "Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Pei left the capital today. This slave personally escorted the Lord out of the city. Cui Yinshui has also followed along and will certainly serve the Lord’s daily needs with care; please do not worry, Your Majesty."
Li Yuangui glanced at him and added in a low voice: "Reporting to Your Majesty further. For the past two days, Lord Pei was busy with social engagements, but last night he went to Ci'en Temple alone. He first visited the Genben Hall, likely to pay respects to his ancestors. After coming out, he went to the Revolving Scripture Pavilion and spent the night there. At dawn, he left the temple and returned to the city."
Xiao Lie was lost in thought for a moment, then asked: "Li Yuangui, I ask you, if I and my nephew cannot coexist, will You'an stand with me, or will he stand with his student?"
Li Yuangui bowed and said: "How could Your Majesty have such doubts? Does the loyalty of Lord Pei toward Your Majesty even need this slave's tongue to speak it?"
Xiao Lie was silent for a while before asking again: "I ask you once more: if I act in this manner, and he learns of it in the future, will he become estranged from me?"
Li Yuangui hesitated, then said: "Your Majesty is overthinking. Your Majesty possesses the virtue of the dragon, soaring and dwelling in the position of heaven; you are diligent in governance and love your people. There is no one in the world who does not praise you. Sovereign and minister are in harmony, like fish in water. Lord Pei is a person who understands reason better than anyone; how could he ever become estranged from Your Majesty?"
Xiao Lie slowly exhaled a breath and said: "I hope it is as you say. But for the time being, he must not know of this matter; the news must be kept secret."
Li Yuangui gave his assent. Seeing that after so many consecutive days, a rare trace of relaxation had finally appeared on the Emperor’s face, he himself let out a long sigh of relief.