“I beg you, when we return, you could punish me however you like.”
The Heir of the Duke Li had someone in his home. This was something that many trusted subordinates had heard about, yet aside from a few people who often moved about in the capital, there were hardly any who knew exactly what that “someone at home” looked like. As people passed the story around, they inevitably exaggerated the details, so when it reached the ears of officials outside the capital, it changed completely.
Some said that person did not observe proper etiquette and behaved wildly, while others said that person possessed unparalleled talent and vast knowledge. But most of them gossiped that person had a beauty capable of toppling kingdoms. After all, the young heir himself was as flawless as jade, with a talent unmatched under the heavens. If the other was not someone who outshone the world, how could he have so easily caught his eye?
At that moment, everyone saw that “someone at home” acting so frivolously and arrogantly. This young heir was not only free of any anger, but even publicly abandoned an important meeting just to coax the other to sleep. It simply confirmed all those decadent and ludicrous rumors.
Ji Hong did not care what others might secretly say about how he was “bewitched by lust.” He rose and returned to the back courtyard. A kitchen maid came to deliver food and tea. Seeing that he was the master of the house, she immediately stepped aside. Ji Hong took a glance at what she brought, accepted it all, then told her to make a quick trip to Sanyu Pavilion and ask Elder Luo to bring some soothing ointment for swelling.
Once the instructions were given, he pushed open the door. That young man seemed to be leaning up, but upon seeing Ji Hong enter, he instantly lay back down as stiff as a log, pretending not to see him. Ji Hong could not hold back a laugh in his heart, but he kept a straight face, walked softly to the bedside, and observed that his breathing was deep and even, as though he truly “fell asleep.”
Yu Jinnian shut his eyes and waited for Ji Hong to wake him, or perhaps kiss him awake. Yet after a long while, there was no sound by the bed. After a bit more time, he thought inwardly, could it be that he was embarrassed to disturb me since I was asleep? Should I make a little noise so he realizes what he ought to do at this moment?
Ji Hong sat at the table, lit a small clay stove, opened the food jar the kitchen maid had prepared, scooped out a few spoonfuls of green powder into a white porcelain mortar, then added a handful of white sesame seeds. He slowly ground them, occasionally placing the porcelain mortar on the small clay stove over a low fire to roast.
Yu Jinnian smelled an aroma of sesame mixed with assorted grains. Since noon yesterday, he had gone out for a stroll and had not eaten much. After returning, he had made a fuss with Ji Hong all night. Smelling the fragrance now, his stomach began to protest. Ji Hong heard it but did not tease him. He continued quietly grinding the tea powder, which made Yu Jinnian unable to resist. He turned over and peeked.
Opening his eyes, he saw Ji Hong making tea: one stove, one pot of water, one cup, all so peaceful and pleasant.
After a while, everything was ready. Ji Hong then lifted the boiling water from the stove, poured it into the tea cup, stirred it with a small spoon, gently blew it cool, and stood up. Yu Jinnian quickly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep again.
Ji Hong sat down by the bed and laughed softly, “What’s this? Didn’t you say you wanted tea? The kitchen just prepared Eight Treasure Tea, freshly ground, and it smells wonderful. But since you’re asleep like this, how should I feed you? Did you want me to feed you by mouth?”
He pretended to be troubled, sighed once, and shook his head. “You’re so willful and spoiled, but I suppose that wouldn’t be impossible…”
“Who’s willful and spoiled?” Yu Jinnian suddenly opened his eyes, intending to glare at him, only to fall straight into Ji Hong’s eyes, where not a hint of concealment remained in his grin.
There was a lively sparkle within Ji Hong’s gaze, and a greater warmth in his eyes. He reached out and helped Yu Jinnian sit up. Lowering his head, he sniffed the fragrance of the Eight Treasure Tea and brought that roasted rice aroma close to the young man’s temples. This enticed Yu Jinnian so much that he could not hold back. He pulled Ji Hong in for a kiss, then, somewhat embarrassed, lowered his face and sipped the tea from the man’s spoon.
This Eight Treasure Tea had been manually ground from fried rice, sesame seeds, peanuts, millet, pumpkin seeds, and various other grains and spices. Each ingredient was ground into a fine powder and combined with tea powder, then brewed with boiling water. The so-called Eight Treasures was a wish for good fortune. Wealthy families might use dozens of ingredients, while ordinary folk only used fragrant tea, sesame seeds, and peanuts.
Once brewed, Eight Treasure Tea resembled rice paste or rice gruel—light in flavor and elegant in aroma. It quenched thirst and satisfied hunger, so for Yu Jinnian, who had been tormented severely, it was a decent meal.
As Ji Hong fed him, he also spoke of what had happened during the recent discussion. Ji Hong did not look even a little embarrassed. “You said you missed me so badly that you couldn’t sleep, and now everyone under me knows how you acted spoiled toward me. Those people all have loose tongues. It may not be long before all of Jiangnan knows how you acted so willful and spoiled.”
“…” Yu Jinnian choked on a mouthful of tea.
Ji Hong seemed to anticipate his reaction. He calmly took out a kerchief to wipe Yu Jinnian’s mouth, then went back to stir more tea powder into the cup.
Yu Jinnian eyed him suspiciously. “Doesn’t that mean everyone heard?”
Ji Hong smiled at him and, unhurried, brought the spoon to his lips. “Today, more than a dozen informants came and went.”
“…” Yu Jinnian covered his face, feeling he truly had no face left to go out in public. “I don’t want to live.” He thought about how he had been tossed about all night and was now weary in both body and mind. He wanted to tease Ji Hong in return to vent some anger. He assumed only Min Xuefei and a few others were there, never imagining there would be outsiders around.
“Only now you feel ashamed? When you asked Duan Ming to embarrass me, you weren’t concerned that others might be in the room? But it doesn’t matter.” Ji Hong pulled his hand away from his face, leaned over, and tasted the flavor of the Eight Treasure Tea from his lips. “I would rather you act spoiled toward me a few more times. When they invite me out again, I can say the rules at home are strict and it wouldn’t be convenient.”
Yu Jinnian thought it over. Indeed, he could say such a thing out loud. If the entire capital came to believe that the Heir of Duke Li feared his spouse, he would probably just nod in agreement.
Saying this, Ji Hong crooked his finger at him.
Yu Jinnian asked curiously, “What are you doing?”
Ji Hong answered naturally, “Didn’t you say you wanted a hug? Come over, let me have a look at you.”
Yu Jinnian: “…”
Ji Hong hugged him confidently, letting him cradle the tea cup to drink on his own, while gently kneading his sore spots. Yu Jinnian was indeed sore all over, not wanting to get out of bed, yet being attended to like this made him embarrassed to complain further. After eating a few bowls of Eight Treasure Tea to fill his stomach, he leaned against Ji Hong to rest his eyes and listened as Ji Hong spoke about what was happening in the front hall.
Waging war or rebellion originally had nothing to do with him. He did not care about Yan Chang’s life or death. However, when Ji Hong mentioned he wanted to request imprisonment of his own accord, Yu Jinnian opened his eyes and looked at him. Though he said nothing, his eyes betrayed his concern. Previous plans might have been good, but plans never kept pace with change, and in his heart, he worried.
Ji Hong patted his back and said softly, “It’s all right. Don’t be scared.”
Yu Jinnian was full of worries, but he could not resist as his eyelids grew heavy. Soon, he was curled up in Ji Hong’s arms, asleep.
Up front, everyone waited in one room for Ji Hong to return and make a decision. They drank enough tea to fill their stomachs, and the incense in the hall had burned to the end of a stick. Only then did Duan Ming hurry in and say, “The young master truly felt unwell and was feeling terrible. Our young lord cannot pull himself away for a while and will not be coming. Young Master Min, I ask for your understanding…”
“He was inside, so how could that boy’s body recover?”
Duan Ming thought the same, yet he still had to steel himself and deliver the message.
“……” Min Xuefei was so furious that he felt his forehead steaming. Ever since the incident in Feng City, he had not even had time to send Lianzhi a letter confirming his safety, yet those two had clung to each other day and night.
Speaking of Feng City, Min Xuefei could not help knitting his brows. He had originally received a secret order from the Emperor to investigate a local official’s corruption case, but for some unknown reason, word had leaked. Those fearless outside-the-capital officials laid a trap in Feng City in advance, leading him step by step into their snare. Had he not suddenly sensed something amiss and escaped from the manor with a few guards, he had no idea what fate might have befallen him.
Those reckless fools even sent people to pursue him all the way here. If not for meeting Jing Zhong, who risked his life to assist him, Min Xuefei might have been dead with no remains left by now.
Min Xuefei’s mission was under the Emperor’s secret decree. Only Lianzhi and Ji Hong, plus Yu Jinnian, knew of this matter. Ji Hong and the others were not worth mentioning, and Lianzhi would never talk nonsense. Tracing back further, he could only trace it to the imperial study.
He picked up a brush, then set it down again. He thought it over several times in his mind, yet remained dissatisfied. In the end, after much deliberation, he sighed and thought, “I originally did not wish to involve you…” After a moment, he folded two written sheets of stationery into an envelope. While lighting the wax to seal it, he paused, pulled them out again, and added a few lines at the end, such as telling the recipient to take care. Only then did he hand it to his subordinate to deliver, instructing them to place it personally in the other person’s hand and never let a second person touch it.
After that, he drafted another confidential memo, reporting to the court that there had been a mutiny in Kangnan and that the Bei Di were very likely falsifying their military reports. He first had someone take it to Ji Hong’s rooms for his review, and after Ji Hong agreed, they rushed it into the palace.
——
Under the pretext of nursing his wounds, Min Xuefei stayed in Chunan for half a month. The weather turned cold, so people now needed to add an extra layer outdoors. At night, there was heavier dew, and it was no longer possible to sleep with the windows wide open. He had sent three or four confidential memos in total, and with Minister Min running around the capital, he finally obtained half of a gold tiger tally, allowing him to mobilize the troops of the ten prefectures in Jiangnan.
On the sixth day of the seventh month, the Great Fire Star descended, signaling that the heat was waning and autumn was near.
A young eunuch arrived with a secret decree. He rode into the city, dismounted, and greeted “General Min” with a bright smile.
He accepted the decree but did not see the tiger tally. He was about to question it when that young eunuch grinned without warmth and said, “General, please remain calm. Troops must have an imperial envoy to supervise them. That has always been the rule. Besides, the tiger tally is so important, how could it be given to a mere servant? Of course, it is with the envoy. My lord, please.”
Min Xuefei’s hand clenched. He thought, could the palace have also leaked the news, letting that old swine Feng Jian find a loophole? The rule that eunuchs supervised armies was only nominal and not always followed. Sending a supervising envoy at this time boded no good. Feng Jian was not on his side. If he had inserted this envoy, Min Xuefei would have to find a way to get rid of them, or else they would definitely be a hindrance in future operations.
Once inside the rear hall of the yamen, he saw a eunuch in red and purple. That person faced away from them, gazing up at a rather ironic sign hung by a previous official, reading “Conscience Clear.” Around him clustered two or three attendants in greenish-blue robes, all very clever young men. One glance was enough to see they were more pampered than those lowly eunuchs in the palace.
The higher-ups had approved Min Zhi as the commanding general, which by law meant he should be the one to select the lieutenant general. However, the current Lieutenant Wei had arrived alongside this supervising envoy and now stood in the corner, his face full of resentment. Several other military officers who had come with the army all wore sullen, regretful expressions. Seeing Min Xuefei come in, they perked up and signaled him to stand up for them. Otherwise, these castrated officials would be even more overbearing!
The person in the hall had a lean physique and a long, slender neck. His hair was neatly gathered into a coronet and pinned with a simple jade ornament shaped like a ruyi. A pair of jade pendants hung at his waist. He stood in the shadow below the dais, his face unclear. The little attendants next to him made their fuss, but they could not stir him at all, accentuating his cold aloofness.
Min Xuefei was momentarily taken aback.
The other person heard the footsteps at the door. Lowering his head, he toyed with the jade thumb ring on his finger. In a cool voice, neither friendly nor hostile, he said, “General Min arrived so slowly, so I suppose you were planning on the way how to get rid of this humble self.” His clear voice held the soft delicacy characteristic of eunuchs, as though fine silk were wrapped around his throat, yet his words could kill.
“This humble self doesn’t mind, but the general had better use a more brilliant method next time. If it’s only poisoning or a sneak attack with arrows, those petty tricks are simply too unpresentable.”
Min Xuefei started to move, then restrained himself.
The atmosphere instantly became stiff. A group of young eunuchs, after hearing those words, were so frightened that they knelt on the ground. The Lieutenant Wei, on the other hand, grabbed the saber at his waist and glared at the eunuch in the center, murder in his eyes. It was the first time these two met, and they did not even exchange small talk before such blunt threats. Anywhere else, the supervising envoy would have completely fallen out with the field general, and the days ahead in the army would be rife with trouble and internal strife.
That made sense. The Min family’s young lord had never gotten along with the Sigong Office. A supervising envoy who hailed from the Sigong Office was also Feng Jian’s personal protégé. Naturally, he took the side of their patriarch. Entering the city and first giving the commanding officer a show of force was expected. Otherwise, the Min family might think they were easy to bully.
One of the kneeling young eunuchs turned his head to look at Min Xuefei. Noticing he was empty-handed and dressed simply, with not even a note of gifts, the eunuch’s contempt deepened. They themselves handed in enough personal tributes each time to buy dozens of outfits like Min Xuefei’s. This so-called master debater of court ministers did not seem like much.
Min Xuefei said nothing, though a hint of anger appeared on his face.
The supervising envoy had already spoken such words, yet Min Zhi showed no reaction, proving he had no ability to handle matters. Returning to the capital in triumph would likely be difficult for him. A narrow-eyed eunuch on the floor rolled his eyes around twice. Seeing that both sides had torn away all courtesy, he lost all decorum. Rocking from side to side, he pinched his throat and said quietly, “He doesn’t even bow upon meeting the envoy. Just an outcast general trying to earn merits through service to atone for his sins. Even if he had been some Censor or Minister, upon seeing our master, he would still have to address him as ‘May you live a thousand years.’ What is he worth?”
The man on the dais was Feng Jian’s disciple. In the future, he would inherit Feng Jian’s position in the Sigong Office, where half the palace folks had to obey his commands. Even the imperial concubines and princesses from various palaces had to curry favor with them. That was true power and authority. He was far above some official who relied on his ancestors’ merits, who botched his assignment anyway, a man like Min Xuefei. The disparity was unthinkable.
Traditionally, the supervising envoy and the commanding general always vied openly and secretly. In the end, one would have to dominate. After all, one mountain could not contain two tigers.
That supervising envoy turned around, stepping out of the shadows, revealing a stunning face. His eyes, like peach blossoms, were half-lowered. He glanced briefly at Min Xuefei’s feet, then fixed his gaze on the whispering eunuch. He waved a hand, calling him over, and lazily asked, “What’s your name?”
The young eunuch fawned over him with a smile, hurrying forward to support Lianzhi’s forearm. “Responding to the Vice Director Lian, this humble servant is named Jin Chun’er.”
“Hmm, you’re not bad.” Lianzhi nodded vaguely, lifted his robe, and walked to Lieutenant Wei. Raising a hand, he seized Wei’s saber. Before that lieutenant could react, Lianzhi unsheathed it with a clang. Jin Chun’er was still feeling smug when suddenly his chest went cold. With a dull squelch, the blade pierced his wildly beating heart. His face still wore a grin, and he could even feel that thin blade pressed against his heart, each contraction forcing out more blood.
With another shove, the tip of the blade protruded through his back. Scalding fresh blood gushed like a fountain, hissing and spurting out.
The quick-witted Lieutenant Wei leaped backward in time. The kneeling eunuchs fell flat on the floor, trembling all over. Those closest were splattered with blood across their heads and faces. Even Min Xuefei could not hide the shock in his eyes.
That fierce act seemed to last but an instant. Lianzhi pulled out the blade, shook it off, and handed it back to the lieutenant, drawling, “Not bad is still not bad, but one must know what to say and what not to say. Being too clever leads to an early fall. You said he was worthless. Doesn’t that mean I’m worthless too?” He flicked his sleeve. “Then what does that make you?!”
With a thud, the body that had been skewered fell to the ground. Blood spread across the floor, and the group of young eunuchs turned pale as paper. Their shoulders quivered, and not one dared utter another word.
Lianzhi kicked a nearby young eunuch and scolded, “Why haven’t you cleaned this up yet? Waiting for the officials to be disgusted? Whoever next offends in speech needn’t come before me—just find a beam and hang yourself. Then I won’t have to see you… and shorten my life.”
The deputy officers watched, thinking that he was using this as a warning, and feared that they would have much to guard against in the future.
The eunuchs watched, feeling he was unpredictable and hard to serve, afraid that the next one to die might be themselves.
“Yes, yes…” The young ones kowtowed a few times and hurriedly carried out the corpse with its eyes still open in death. They came in and out with washbasins to wipe the floor. Moments ago, they had strutted around, but now they crouched at Lianzhi’s feet, wiping the blood splashed on his boots, not even daring to breathe, let alone lift their heads to see his face.
They did not know that Lianzhi lowered his eyes and did not dare glance in Min Xuefei’s direction.
Min Xuefei waved his hand, and the deputy officers gritted their teeth and left. Seeing him dismiss his men, Lianzhi hastily shouted, “Get out!” at the group of young eunuchs who were cleaning the floor, making them leave as well. With the door closed, only the two of them remained. The yamen’s chambers were large and empty, echoing with the musty scent of old timber. The long table where cases were managed had peeled and mottled paint, and the air carried a faint metallic tang of blood.
Lianzhi saw his gaze and took a few steps back, pressing against the desk. He muttered, “I know you want to say I’m cruel and cold-blooded, savage and unruly. I…”
Min Xuefei roared, “You were supposed to stay in the capital as the Vice Director of the Sigong Office. Why did you come here to be some damn supervising envoy? Is there extra profit to be made? Don’t you already get enough tribute money in the palace? You traveled all this way just to commit murder?”
“…” Lianzhi closed his eyes in distress, his lips trembling as he defended himself, “If I didn’t come, Feng Jian would have sent someone else, and some of them are his men…” He had no choice but to kill, or else they would have plotted to incriminate Min Zhi, and no matter how many precautions he took, a hidden arrow was hard to dodge. Better to act first and deal with them thoroughly than to fix things afterward.
Regardless of whether Min Xuefei found him heartless or callous, he had killed this person and would not feel remorse.
Lianzhi swallowed a few times, still feeling parched. He pushed aside the man in front of him. Once he walked out this door, he was the envoy supervising the army, with the authority to direct and oversee, so even Min Xuefei could not easily control him. He straightened, ready to leave, when Min Xuefei suddenly asked from behind, “Was it because Feng Jian wanted to send people to deal with me?”
“…Yes.” Lianzhi nodded.
Min Xuefei closed his eyes. “Only because of Feng Jian?”
Lianzhi’s heart fluttered. Turning back, he saw a bit of bandage peeking through Min Xuefei’s collar and noticed his face, which had thinned over the last few months, as well as faint stubble on his chin. He knew how much he had suffered, and it pained him deeply. Earlier, he had berated the young eunuchs for their cruelty, yet now he was the one stumbling over his words before Min Zhi: “I missed you… You never sent any word, never wrote a letter, and I missed you so much! I heard you were in Chunan, heard that you asked the palace for troops. I wanted to come—wanted to see you. I—”
Finishing right there would have been fine; once the words were out, whether Min Xuefei accepted them or not, at least Lianzhi could see with his own eyes that he was all right, fulfilling one wish.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, Min Xuefei lunged forward, capturing his breath. Something soft forced its way between his lips, making his palate go numb. Lianzhi did not dare move, carefully keeping his mouth open, allowing Min Xuefei to invade at will, his lashes lowered like he was accepting punishment. His waist stiffened in the man’s hands, and the saliva that he failed to swallow trickled from the corner of his mouth. Embarrassed, he dared not push him away, and his eyes instantly grew red.
Seeing his pitiful look, Min Xuefei felt even more irritated. He lifted him onto the table and bit the supervising envoy’s throat. What he smelled was the dust of long travel; what he saw was Lianzhi’s striking red-purple official robes. In the palace, Lianzhi held a position one rank below Feng Jian, but by law, leaving the palace demanded an honorary rank increase, which meant wearing purple. Though this purple belonged to a eunuch’s attire, different from that worn by regular civil and military officials of the previous dynasty, in terms of actual rank it surpassed his own.
That young eunuch who was stabbed through the heart had spoken truly: Lianzhi wielded power and favor, deserving a reverential address of ‘May you live a thousand years.’
Outside, a young eunuch realized that the two had been talking for quite a while and had not come out, so he knocked on the door, “Vice Director, your residence has been prepared. Would you care to move over?”
“Ah…”
The eunuch became worried, “Vice Director, are you all right?”
“I…I’m fine. You can go. Boil some hot water, light some sandalwood. I’ll bathe when I return.” Lianzhi, lying on the table, dismissed the eunuch. Only then did he gently push Min Xuefei and whisper like a tiny mosquito, “Xuefei, we’re in the yamen…”
Min Xuefei lifted his head, his tone angry. “You know we’re in the yamen! Then do you realize that all those deputy officers who are close to me utterly hate eunuchs? Lieutenant Wei He’s father was killed by Feng Jian. You call Feng Jian ‘godfather,’ and he must despise you bitterly. Traveling with them and not dying on the way was simply good luck! Have they tried to harm you?”
Lianzhi avoided talking about it, merely saying, “They’re all loyal to you.”
“That means they made their move.” Min Xuefei’s eyes went cold, and he whirled around.
Lianzhi hurriedly clutched his sleeve, “Where are you going?!”
Min Xuefei said, “I’m going to tell them that you belong to me and warn them not to target you!”
“How can that be!” Lianzhi said urgently. “You and I are meant to be on opposing sides, and they hate me all the more. Besides, I truly did some things for Feng Jian. I might even have indirectly harmed their loved ones. If you say that, wouldn’t you be forcing them to resent you? I don’t care what happens to me, but I won’t let a eunuch like myself cost you the support of the army.”
“Lianzhi…”
Lianzhi leaned up, bit his lips, and clumsily licked at them in a gesture of appeasement, stopping him from speaking further.
Min Xuefei’s eyes grew heated. He turned Lianzhi face-down onto the table, fiercely biting the eunuch’s pale, delicate earlobe. “All I wanted was for you to speak a few words on my behalf back in the palace, but you ignored me and came straight here. You wouldn’t listen and stayed out of the palace, so you can’t blame me if I punish you.”
“Punish me when we go back.” Lianzhi secretly watched him. His gaze did not reflect any concern that they were in the yamen. Instead, he seemed hopeful Min Xuefei would punish him more. If that meant biting him a few times or sucking on him, he was willing, even willing to die by his hand.
“Let’s go back, all right, Xuefei…” He trembled and pleaded, “I beg you, when we return, you could punish me however you like.”