Wish You All the Best - Chapter 86

Chapter 86

For three consecutive days, the Emperor did not make an appearance.

During these three days, there were no morning audiences, no official discussions, and not a single minister caught a glimpse of the Emperor. The memorials that were submitted lay waiting, with no sign of approval.

The court officials only remembered the Emperor as being tirelessly diligent in his governance; even when he was ill, he had never before skipped the morning assembly. Since his ascension, such a situation had never occurred. When they inquired with Li Yuangui, he only said that His Majesty had accidentally fallen ill the night before and felt physically unwell, so he was suspending court duties to recuperate. The first day was fine, but by the second day, the officials began to whisper privately. By the third day, with rumors flying, those of high rank who often frequented the Imperial Study were pushed forward to inquire about the Emperor's health. After they had waited outside for a long time, Li Yuangui finally emerged to address the anxious ministers. He finally conveyed an imperial edict stating that the morning audiences would resume the following morning, which finally put everyone at ease.

Li Yuangui watched the departing backs of the ministers before turning to enter the inner palace.

The bedchamber was empty. All the palace attendants had been cleared out. Layers of curtains were drawn, and even in broad daylight, the interior was dimly lit.

Li Yuangui walked on tiptoe to the deepest part of the bedchamber, arriving at the dragon bed draped with curtains. He bowed and, separated by the fabric, said cautiously, "Your Majesty, everyone has left!"

There was no sound from behind the curtains.

Li Yuangui waited a moment before finally reaching out to gently draw back the drapes.

It was early October, and even at high noon, one might break a sweat walking a few steps in the sun while wearing a lined robe. Yet, at this moment, the Emperor was wrapped from head to toe in a heavy quilt. He sat on the bed, only his face exposed, his eyes staring straight ahead, motionless, as if in a trance.

The dim light inside the curtains made his eyes look like dark, bottomless pits, creating a rather chilling expression.

Li Yuangui spoke again: "Your Majesty, the ministers have all left. Your Majesty has to attend the morning court tomorrow; this servant will go call a physician to prescribe a decoction to regulate your energy..."

"I am not sick. I have survived for decades; a little thing like this won't kill me—tell me, these past few days, what has he been doing in the prison?"

"Lord Pei has done nothing at all," Li Yuangui said softly.

The Emperor gave two rough, wheezing laughs. "I understand! He is impervious to reason; all the heartfelt efforts I made that night were completely in vain!"

He slowly turned his head, his voice muffled and congested. "I poured out my heart and soul, hoping he would be loyal to me, that father and son would be of one mind, but he treats me like this, completely disregarding my face! I am the Emperor; I care about my reputation! Li Yuangui, you tell me, how should I punish him?"

Li Yuangui's tears fell instantly. He quickly wiped them away with his sleeve and knelt down. "Your Majesty, your health is paramount. Please, do not worry yourself into illness. As for Lord Pei, please give him more time. Father and son are connected by nature and blood; eventually, he will come to understand your painstaking efforts."

The Emperor seemed not to hear him. After a long while, he sneered coldly: "My painstaking efforts—he probably considers them as worthless as donkey's lungs. Fine. For her sake, I will give him one more chance. If he remains stubborn, even if I have to endure her reproach, I will no longer recognize this son!"

Li Yuangui was startled. "Your Majesty intends to..."

"I am going to review the memorials first!"

The Emperor suddenly threw off the quilt he had been wrapped in all day and rolled off the bed. With disheveled hair, wearing only a white inner garment and no shoes, he stepped barefoot onto the cold, smooth floor of the palace and strode forward, his sleeves billowing in the wind.

In his youth, he had been spirited and strikingly handsome. Now that he had aged, though his personality had drastically changed and turned dark and brooding, and even without his dragon robes or a groomed appearance, his shoulders remained broad. From behind, his silhouette held a certain untrammeled, carefree air, like that of a hermit living beyond the reach of the world.

Li Yuangui was taken aback, then let out a cry of alarm. He picked up the shoes from the floor and hurried to chase after him. "Your Majesty, watch out for the cold floor; this servant will help you put on your shoes..."

...

At midnight, with the moon obscured and the wind howling, the secret prison in the Western Garden where Pei You'an was held was filled with dim, heavy light. Pei You'an sat in a corner, reclining on a straw mat spread on the floor of the cell.

Gradually, footsteps echoed from outside the prison cell. They grew closer and closer, finally stopping before the cell door. Accompanied by the sound of a lock turning, someone stepped across the threshold and stood on the floor.

Pei You'an opened his eyes, slowly turned his head to look, and then stood up. He smoothed his robes, knelt, and bowed to the figure before him.

Half of Xiao Lie’s face was illuminated by the dim candlelight, seemingly plated with a thin layer of gold, while the other half remained hidden in the shadow where the light could not reach. His eyes flickered between light and dark, glowing with a deep, haunting intensity.

"You'an, from the time you were sixteen until now, you have been by my side for nearly ten years. In these ten years, you have helped me solve problems and ease my burdens; we have lived and worked side by side. Now that you know I am your father, do you really feel not a shred of filial affection for me?"

Xiao Lie asked, his voice low and heavy.

Pei You'an replied, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this disgraced official's life was saved by Your Majesty back then. In all these years, every task this disgraced official has performed for Your Majesty has been both to repay that debt of gratitude and to fulfill the duty of a subject. Your Majesty is the Emperor of the people, and even more, the parent of the people. To inspire filial affection in all under heaven is the path of a monarch—it is also to honor those twenty years of toil and hardship spent during the Dragon's latent period in Wuding."

Xiao Lie’s eyelid twitched. He took a deep breath. "Very well. Since you compare our relationship to that of a lord and subject, then in my capacity as your lord, I will give you one last chance."

"I ask you, regarding the matter of the young Emperor, do you still have nothing to say?"

Pei You'an was silent for a moment before saying, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this disgraced official has nothing to say."

Xiao Lie’s breathing grew labored again. His palms tightened, and the veins on the back of his hands bulged slowly, like angry green snakes crawling beneath his skin.

"Do you truly not fear death?"

"This official fears it. But the thunder and the rain, all are imperial grace."

Xiao Lie’s eyes bulged. He raised his arm, pointing a finger directly at the kneeling Pei You'an, his voice straining into a distorted tone. "No sovereign, no father; unfaithful and unfilial! I can no longer tolerate someone as rebellious as you! I brought you from the Suoye City back then, and now you will go back there for me! From this day on, we are clear; we owe each other nothing!"

After speaking, he turned abruptly, his robes swirling as he strode out. Amidst the heavy, rhythmic thuds of his footsteps, his figure gradually vanished at the end of the corridor.

Pei You'an remained kneeling straight. His face turned pale, and his back slowly hunched over. His forehead touched the cold mud floor, his body motionless.

He suddenly felt a sweet taste in his throat. He slowly straightened his back, swallowing back the dark, clotted blood that had been festering in his chest for many days. He then sat back on the straw mat and closed his eyes.

...

A few days later, the entire Great Wei court was turned completely upside down by a sudden rumor spreading wildly in private. Everyone was distracted from official business; even during court assemblies, they were secretly observing the Emperor's expression, trying to find some trace of clues within it.

After those three days of baffling suspension of court duties, the Emperor had returned to his old self in the past few days—diligently attending morning audiences and summoning ministers for inquiries after they ended, understanding every detail, no matter how small. If any official responded improperly, he would immediately launch an attack, demanding correction, just like his old style. The ministers were all walking on thin ice, focused entirely on their responses.

No one dared to believe that the secretly circulating news was true.

A few days earlier, at the break of dawn, someone had seen a man escorted by two old veterans leave through the North Gate of the Imperial City.

Many people in the capital recognized Pei You'an. It was said that the man’s appearance was extremely similar to Pei You'an's, only that day he was no longer dressed in vermillion and purple, but in a simple blue garment. Once he exited the city gate, he headed north.

Following that, someone confirmed that as of now, there had been no sign of Pei You'an arriving at his post in Jingxiang. Thus, the rumor spread.

It was said that when Pei You'an was on his way to his post in the Southwest, for some unknown reason, he had abandoned his duties and refused to comply with orders, infuriating the Emperor. The Emperor was enraged and stripped him of his official position, sending him to the north as punishment.

As for the inner story, and why the Emperor had not made it public, there were many conflicting theories. That day, Liu Jiushao and the Marquis of Anyuan faced the Emperor together, seeking to verify the news on the grounds that Pei You'an was a high-ranking official of the court and, if truly guilty, should be tried by the Three Supreme Courts. They did not expect the Emperor to be furious, scolding them both on the spot and docking three months of their salaries. From then on, the entire court fell silent, and no one dared to utter another word of discussion. The name "Pei You'an" became something that could not be spoken.

On this autumn morning, the east was just beginning to glow with a faint, fish-belly white dawn. By the roadside, the withered willow branches hung like threads, and cold reeds drifted in the breeze. Pei You'an continued his journey in the company of the old veterans.

If they were lucky enough, walking like this for a few more days, they might encounter the court's military supply convoy heading north.

As they gradually reached the bridge pavilion ahead, the rumbling sound of a carriage suddenly came from behind, chasing up to them. It was a small, blue-felt carriage. After it stopped, a woman climbed down, dressed simply with a bundle hooked over her arm. She called for him to wait.

"My lord, a young lady is chasing you!"

An old veteran said.

Pei You'an’s figure steadied, and he turned around slowly.

Chi Hanzhen had chased them down. She stopped, clutching the bundle in her hands tightly, her eyes fixed on him, breathing slightly heavily.

The old veterans looked at each other and stepped aside.

"Are you well?" Pei You'an nodded to her slightly, just as gentle and polite as ever.

Chi Hanzhen’s breathing gradually calmed. Looking at his thin, haggard face, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Lord Pei, I have heard the news about you, and I have settled my younger brother. It is bitterly cold beyond the border; please allow me to accompany you. I have no other thoughts; I only wish to stay by your side and serve you. Even if it is as a slave or a servant, I would have no regrets in this life."

Pei You'an smoothed his brow and smiled slightly: "I accept your kindness, but I cannot. I am a man under penalty, sent into exile. His Majesty has issued orders, and family members are not allowed to accompany me. If I were to allow you to follow privately, the crime would be doubled. You should go back."

He turned away.

"Lord Pei—"

Chi Hanzhen chased after him for a few steps.

"The Buddhist scriptures say there are three thousand weak waters, but one only needs to take a single ladle to drink. In this life, having had my wife by my side for two years, I consider it my fortune—I have no regrets. Return now!"

Pei You'an did not turn his head, striding forward.

Chi Hanzhen stopped in her tracks, staring fixedly at the blue figure ahead.

That back was straight, like bamboo, like a pine. The morning breeze blew against the hem of his robes as he strode forward, gradually disappearing into the end of the path.