Wish You All the Best - Chapter 84
Chapter 84
After the eunuch finished delivering the news, his face beamed with joy. He looked eagerly at Li Yuangui, seeing his eyes light up with a flash of happiness. However, before the smile could fully form, the joy suddenly froze. He seemed to have thought of something ominous, and he couldn't help but ask in confusion, whispering, "Godfather, what is the matter?"
Only then did Li Yuangui come to his senses. A smile reappeared on his face as he nodded and said, "Good news. You wait here for now; I am going to report this to His Majesty immediately."
Li Yuangui turned around, and the smile vanished from his face once again.
The Imperial Seal, missing for so many years, had reappeared, offered as an auspicious sign from the provinces. This proved that the current Emperor was the true Son of Heaven, favored by divine mandate. Originally, this would have been momentous, joyous news. But discovering it at this very moment, and specifically within the Zhen family’s shipyard in Quanzhou—such a coincidence made the underlying motives clear to Li Yuangui.
Pei You'an had even considered this step. This arrangement was like the "heavenly eye" in a game of Go; with one piece placed, he had completely blocked the Emperor's path. His meticulousness was truly beyond the reach of ordinary men; it could be called a plan with no loose ends.
But this also clarified one thing: when he carried out that deed, he had already made thorough preparations, securing an escape route for those around him. As for himself, he had preferred to endure the Emperor’s thunderous rage, unwavering in his conviction, even willing to risk his life to protect that young boy.
In this matter, the firmer Pei You'an's resolve, the more immense the Emperor's ensuing fury would be.
Li Yuangui understood this deeply, which was why he could not imagine how terrifying the Emperor’s rage would be if he were to report this news now.
He suppressed the unease surging in his heart, entered the room, and carefully weighed his words as he cautiously recounted the news he had just heard.
These past few days, with morning audiences, consultations, summoning ministers, and reviewing memorials, the affairs inside and outside the court were endless. Here, however, things had not gone as smoothly as in the past. By today, memorials that had not been read for several days had piled up on the desk, a situation never seen before. When Li Yuangui entered to report, the Emperor had originally been bowing his head, reviewing memorials while listening to him. Upon hearing that the Zhen family had unearthed the Imperial Seal while building a shipyard, and that the people of Quanzhou believed it to be an auspicious sign from Heaven—with Gao Huaiyuan traveling day and night to deliver it—his expression suddenly froze. The hand holding the brush also stopped in mid-air, motionless.
The Emperor slowly raised his head, his eyes wide open, staring ahead as if someone were standing there. The hand holding the brush began to tremble slightly.
A drop of ink gradually gathered at the tip of the brush. With the continuous trembling of the Emperor’s hand, it suddenly dripped, splashing onto the memorial page beneath.
"Your Majesty!"
Although he did not witness the thunderous rage he feared most, the Emperor’s current appearance was truly frightening.
Seeing the Emperor’s face turning pale, Li Yuangui called out to him.
The Emperor’s shoulders swayed slightly. He closed his eyes, and the brush in his hand gradually tilted, slipping powerlessly from his fingers.
"Your Majesty, take care of your health!"
Li Yuangui hurried to steady him.
The Emperor sat with his eyes closed, supporting his forehead with his hand, remaining motionless for a long while.
"If Your Majesty is feeling unwell, this servant will go call the imperial physician!"
Li Yuangui looked up, ready to summon the palace attendants.
"No need."
The Emperor slowly opened his eyes, his voice somewhat hoarse.
"I am fine..."
He spoke once more, sitting there with a gray, ashen face, dim eyes, and a blank stare.
Li Yuangui had followed him for decades. Even during the times when he had been most suppressed by Emperor Tianxi and Prince Shun'an, he had never seen him look so exhausted. He felt alarmed and worried.
"Your Majesty..."
"Gao Huaiyuan and the others—you go see them on my behalf and settle them in first. I am a bit tired and will go rest..."
"Leave these memorials; I will look at them tomorrow..."
The Emperor murmured this last sentence and slowly stood up, walking out with heavy footsteps.
...
At the morning court the next day, the civil and military officials learned that the Imperial Seal had recently reappeared in Quanzhou. Coincidentally, it was discovered in the shipyard owned by Pei You'an's in-laws. The Governor of Fujian had escorted this "divine omen" overnight to the capital, and this morning, amidst the beating of gongs and drums, citizens vied to crowd the streets to welcome it.
The officials rejoiced, one after another singing the Emperor’s praises.
The Emperor sat on the dragon throne, gesturing for the Minister of Rites to arrange the ceremony for receiving the seal. Finally, the seal was placed in a golden tray. Passed through the hands of the officials, it was knelt and presented until it reached the front of the Emperor’s throne.
The Emperor’s expression was solemn as he held the seal himself and pressed it onto the "Awe-of-Heaven" sacrificial text, which had been urgently drafted by the Hanlin Academy. A bright red seal appeared, clearly showing the eight seal-script characters: "Received from Heaven, may there be long life and eternal prosperity." Every stroke was distinct and clear. The officials were moved; all knelt and kowtowed, shouting "Long live the Emperor."
The Emperor wore a smile, bestowing rewards upon the Fujian officials who had contributed to this success, as well as the Zhen family. He then announced a palace banquet to celebrate. After the officials thanked him for his grace, the banquet dispersed that night. When mentioning the merit of the Zhen family, it was inevitable that the connection to Pei You'an would be made.
This Imperial Seal had vanished following the tragedy of the young Emperor. During the years Prince Shun'an held the throne, despite secret searches in many places, it remained missing. In those years, many court officials believed the seal had been taken away by the young Emperor. Now that it had resurfaced and been presented to the Emperor in such a grand manner—an omen from Heaven—it undoubtedly helped the Emperor declare his legitimacy to the world, claiming he was commissioned by Heaven. His contribution was not small. Privately, all envied Pei You'an’s fortune. Although he was far away in the Southwest, he had made a major impression before the Emperor once more. When he returned from the Southwest next time, with merit upon merit, they did not know how he would be rewarded, and they were all filled with envy.
That night, after the banquet, the Emperor returned to the inner palace. His steps were slightly unsteady, likely from drinking too much. He lay down, closed his eyes, and drifted into a heavy, drunken sleep.
The Emperor did not summon any consorts to serve him—in fact, he had rarely summoned them since entering the palace, and after deposing the Crown Prince, he had not done so even once. Li Yuangui was well aware of this. Knowing the Emperor had been depressed and unhappy lately, and tonight he had drunk too much, Li Yuangui was worried and decided to keep watch himself.
Deep into the night, the sound of the third-watch drum drifted faintly from the drum tower. Li Yuangui was growing drowsy. Seeing that the Emperor seemed to be sleeping soundly, he stood up from his couch, pounded his aching waist, and was just about to retreat from the bedchamber when he suddenly heard several garbled mutterings from the dragon bed: "A-Jing... A-Jing..."
Li Yuangui stiffened, quickly turning back to glance at the bedchamber door. Seeing the two young eunuchs on duty dozing off against the pillars in the corner of the outer hall, he exhaled in relief. He hurried back to the side of the dragon bed and whispered, "Your Majesty."
Xiao Lie opened his eyes, a momentary blurriness in his gaze, before he slowly sat up. He sat in a daze for a moment and asked in a low voice, "What watch is it?"
"Reporting to Your Majesty, it has not been a moment since the third-watch drum passed. Are you thirsty? This servant will bring you water."
Xiao Lie took the water, drank it in one breath, and then lay back down, not turning over again.
Li Yuangui waited by his side for a moment. Seeing that the Emperor’s back did not move, he assumed he had fallen back asleep. Stepping lightly, he was about to leave when he heard a low voice from behind: "I want to go to Ci'en Temple."
If this journey were to happen tonight, it would be the third time the Emperor had visited Ci'en Temple at night since arriving in the capital.
Li Yuangui was slightly stunned, then whispered his obedience.
...
When Pei You'an arrived at Ci'en Temple, the fourth watch had just passed; it was the moment in the long night when the darkness was at its deepest.
Everything was silent.
He stopped in front of the gate to that courtyard and looked at Li Yuangui, a hint of confusion on his face.
"Lord Pei, go in. His Majesty is waiting for you inside."
Li Yuangui bowed to him and then stepped back.
Pei You'an hesitated for a moment, suppressing the strange feeling surging in his heart, pushed open the partially hidden door, and walked inside.
There was no one in the courtyard. From the room where he had spoken with the Emperor that night, a dim light shone.
He walked toward the light and pushed open the door. He saw an ancestral tablet set on the table, with incense burning in the burner before it. Smoke curled up, and the Emperor was standing with his back to the door, seemingly gazing at the tablet, lost in thought for a long time.
Pei You'an performed a kowtow to the figure. Xiao Lie turned slowly, ordered him to rise, and looked at him for a long time without saying a word.
The Emperor’s face was haggard, with the remaining bloodshot traces of his drunkenness in his eyes, but his gaze was deep. As he gazed at him, the originally rigid lines of his features gradually softened.
The strange feeling in Pei You'an's heart grew stronger.
He glanced at the tablet on the table and saw that the name on it was not the posthumous title bestowed by Emperor Tianxi after his aunt’s death, but the extremely simple, "The Western Lotus Seat of Pei Wenjing's Maiden Name." He couldn't help but be slightly startled, hesitating: "I do not know why Your Majesty has summoned this disgraced official here in the middle of the night?"
Xiao Lie turned his head toward the tablet and said, "You'an, come here and perform the kowtow and salute to your birth mother."
Pei You'an stiffened. His gaze fell from the tablet to Xiao Lie’s body, then shifted back from Xiao Lie to the tablet, and he said: "Your Majesty, since this disgraced official has arrived here and seen my aunt’s tablet, paying respects is only my duty. However, Your Majesty’s words are truly baffling; this official does not understand what Your Majesty implies."
"You'an, you are not the son of the Duke of Weiguo. The Duke of Weiguo is actually your uncle. I am your true birth father!"
Xiao Lie said, word by word.