The next morning, Jing Wen arose from the blanket that still retained the body heat of two people. He slid his fingers through the cloth covering his eyes, unruffling them with a practised motion. As he was doing this, a wooden hairpin rolled across the bed, resting against his thigh.
Recalling what had happened last night, Jing Wen was stunned for a moment, before hastily placing the hairpin in his sleeves.
The strange encounter was nothing romantic - he did not even know the woman’s name. However, the wooden hairpin served as proof what happened last night was not a dream but was rather a reality.
The word ‘first’ implies a special experience that cannot be experienced twice, and in the end, Jing Wen had his first kiss taken during the encounter. Though he was not a sentimental person by nature, he felt it was best to keep the wooden hairpin.
Still, he did not dwell on his matter for too long. Aside from the kiss, nothing had happened between him and that mysterious woman. He owned no obligation towards her, and she, none to him. As the ancient said, “White hair is still as new as their first meeting (白头如新，倾盖如故)”. If they met at any circumstances, they would only brush past each other’s shoulders.
As he got out of bed, a pair of pale hands reached out to help him. Jing Wen, who was still mesmerised what the happens of last night, absently mindedly accepted it before realising the strangeness of the matter.
“Who are you?”
The owner of the pair of hands bowed hurriedly, her immature face slightly blushing as she answered with a meek voice, “This servant is named Mingzhu (明珠). Young master Zhou told me to serve you from now on.”
Jing Wen sighed. Waving his hand, he said, “There’s a stash of silver beneath the dressing table. Reward yourself a tael.”
Mingzhu gave a cry of surprise, but did not dare to do anything. When she was serving Mo Xi, he would frequently instruct his servants to retrieve a monetary reward. As the servant takes it however, he would accuse them of stealing, having them flogged to death.
While Mingzhu had not experienced it yet, the stories from the other servants had already instilled the fear of such actions in her heart. She would only accept the silver if Jing Wen personally handed it to her, never daring to take it herself - even if it is an entire tael. Biting her cherry-like lips, Mingzhu said, “This servant thank master for his generosity. To be able to serve is already more than enough.”
Jing Wen was a little shocked at her rejection. Of course, he had other intents when handing the new servant a tael so abruptly. Mainly, it was to test her character. Since he was blind, the servant would believe they could easily take advantage of him, taking the entire stash if they so wished. If they did not, it would prove that they were of a trustworthy nature, and, if they indeed did allow greed to cloud their judgement, he would have no hesitation when expelling them from the household.
After a long pause, Jing Wen slowly reached for the chest beneath the dressing table and handed the tael to Mingzhu personally.
---
Sunlight peaked through the gaps in the clouds like a bashful girl, causing the capital to flicker between light and dark. The heavy snow gathered upon the plum trees made it unmoved by the winter breeze. The lives of ordinary people remained unchanged; who would have thought there was a fire in the Imperial Palace the previous night?
Zhou Aimin’s carriage rolled through the crowd slowly. Lin’an was indeed Lin’an. Distances that can typically be traversed in ten minutes by a carriage took an hour.
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Compared to the lively crowd outside, the inside of the carriage was silent. As Jing Wen had just recovered a portion of his cultivation, he spent the entire morning meditating, full of vigour. Zhou Aimin meanwhile, appeared completely lacking in vitality. Below his half-closed eyes were heavy bags.
As the carriage passed through Long’an (龙安) Avenue leading into the Imperial Road, Jing Wen left his meditative state.
“Fellow Zhou, why not take a nap? There is still some time before we reach the Imperial City.”
Zhou Aimin, who was absent-mindedly chewing on a youtiao suddenly choked when Jing Wen mentioned his name. Coughing into his handkerchief, he said, “There’s no need. Now that Mo Xi will finally be brought to justice, how could I rest?”
Jing Wen was already informed about Zhou Aimin’s maneuver to bring the court’s opinion against Mo Xi by Mingzhu during his morning routine. He said, “In truth, I had entered the carriage in an effort to make fellow Zhou think more in-depth regarding this matter.”
Zhou Aimin was shocked. Looking at Jing Wen as though he was looking at a whole new person, he asked, “What? That weasel has unlawfully lashed you half to death, even applying poison to ensure you don’t get out of bed. Why defend him?”
Jing Wen shook his head. “I’m not defending Mo Xi, merely presenting the consequences. Emperor Taizong has been in power for nearly two decades, and is one of the most capable Emperor in history. He has touched all the factions but left Mo Xi alone. Why do you think that is?”
The fatigue Zhou Aimin had been experiencing seemed to have instantly vanished at the mention of such a serious subject. Pondering over this for some time, before answering, “Because of the possibility of Hedong rebelling? But the old Mo couple is already in their final years, how could they oppose the might of the Imperial court and the Imperial army?”
In truth, Jing Wen had thought like Zhou Aimin a month ago - rash and full of righteousness. Youth has always possessed an air of naivety to them, a willingness to do good. Whether they be the heroes touring Jianghu or the scholars, they all wished to remove the corrupt officials and make the Great Zhu prosperous.
“Hedong chose to submit peacefully,” Jing Wen explained, “As such, the former Taizu granted them many benefits, such as tax exception from the Imperial Treasury and in exchange, they guard the frontiers against the tribes of the North Sea.”
Zhou Aimin was somewhat perplexed. He said unhappily, “I’m aware of that. When Hedong was first vassalised, nearly all their wealth was spent on the Iron Cavalry in order to fight off incursions by the North Sea tribes. Even with their silver mines, they barely managed to support the maintenance of such elite soldiers.”
Jing Wen nodded. ‘Looking’ at Zhou Aimin, he said, “But now that the lands under heaven are unified, commerce had returned to the level of the previous dynasties. Hedong’s abundance in mineral wealth has allowed its income to increase five-fold. Not to mention that the tribes in the North Sea have fallen into internal disputes, freeing the Iron Cavalry from much of its original duties.”
Zhou Aimin suddenly understood. With a sigh, he said, “No wonder the Emperor had granted Mo Xi more privileges throughout the years. The province of Hedong is like a set of tinderboxes, prepared to catch fire at any moment.”
“Of course, what you said about the Mo couple is true as well.” Noticing Zhou Aimin’s low mood, Jing Wen felt that he should comfort him, “They are the remnants of the warlord era, well into the age of seventy. After experiencing forty years of prosperity, they are certainly unwilling to suddenly revolt. But if they do…”
Zhou Aimin slightly creased his brows as he thought; the lands of Hedong were the most mountainous parts of the Empire. It’s lands are easy to defend yet difficult to attack. If they really revolt, perhaps even the best generals of the Empire, including his father, wouldn’t be able to subdue them quickly without causing permanent damage to the Great Zhu’s troops.”
Imagining the horrendous human losses that will come about from his rash actions, Zhou Aimin could not help but shudder.
Lowering his head, Zhou Aimin said helplessly, “If that is the case, I’m not certain as what can be done.”
Jing Wen calculated the time and realise there was still around a quarter sichen (half an hour) before they reached the capital. He said, “Still, we are looking at this matter in an isolated manner.”
Zhou Aimin was even more confused. Tilting his head, he waited for Jing Wen to continue.
“Don’t forget once Hua Quanfu enters the city with the Immortal Elixir; Mo Xi is bound to partake in it. Compared to simply revoking his privilege, the Mo couple will be far more antagonistic toward the central government if their child were to perish.”
“It’s better to eat the bitter pill early, than late.”
After a moment of pause, Jing Wen added, “Of course, there is also a chance that Hedong doesn’t revolt from the very beginning.”
Zhou Aimin grew quiet. Looking at Jing Wen, he felt a new surge of respect toward Jing Wen. Although he doesn’t seem to be a strategist, since, from what he had read, Jing Wen lead the division of Imperial Guards relatively mediocrely. However, he was a natural tactician, able to take into consideration the benefits and disadvantages of these sorts of actions.
Zhou Aimin’s bright eyes lit up as he praised, “I had originally thought fellow Jing’s talent laid with your martial arts, but it appears that you are truly the son of the former Prime Minister. For you to be in charge of a mere division of Imperial Guard is a waste of your talents. With your foresight, the threat of Hua Quanfu may be resolved without excessive bloodshed.”
Jing Wen did not respond to Zhou Aimin’s praise. Supporting his head with his shoulders, there was no expression on his features. On the crowded street, the silent carriage slowly approached the Imperial Palace.
Once they finally reached the Imperial Palace, Jing Wen quietly said, “I hope so.”