Nirvana In Fire

After the shock of the Spring Hunt rebellion and his wrathful punishment of Prince Yu upon his return, the Liang Emperor felt his health steadily deteriorating, no longer able to sustain him. Though the royal physicians who treated him were smooth in their words, telling him that all he needed to do was free himself from worries and fully recuperate, one look at their expressions was enough for the Emperor to know that his condition was not too encouraging. When people suffer old age and disease, they will feel that life is precious, so even though he wasn’t able to completely relinquish his power, the Liang Emperor had no choice but to reluctantly put it aside for a while. So the imperial decree for the Eastern Palace to supervise the kingdom was issued, specifying that the Liang Emperor would temporarily not be attending court and that the Crown Prince would manage government affairs in Chengqian Hall in the Eastern Palace. Initially, the Liang Emperor deliberately probed and observed from the side, but after he saw that Jingyan handled matters cautiously and in a fair manner, with no sign of egotism and arrogance, he gradually let go. Other than summoning three public and six ministry officials to assemble in his inner apartments and report any major events happening in court, he spent the rest of the other days focusing wholeheartedly on his recuperation.

With the authority to manage government affairs and make rough and general decisions, Xiao Jingyan’s position as the Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace was much more secure than his predecessor’s, but at the same time, also much more tiring. Sometimes, after listening to all the reports from Da Liang in Chengqian Hall and reviewing piles of accounts, he still had to receive ministers and officials in his own apartments to discuss difficult matters.

Most of the Shangshu from the Six Ministries today were newly appointed in the past two years. Only Lilin, the Shangshu of the Ministry of War, one of the former Crown Prince’s henchmen, remained from the old guard. During the explosion of the fireworks factory a year ago, he had accused Prince Jing of deploying military resources for personal reasons, so even though Prince Jing ultimately received praise and recognition for the way he handled the matter, Lilin had already committed a faux pas. As a result, after the former Crown Prince was deposed and throughout the course of Prince Jing’s ascent to power, Lilin naturally tried all ways and means to make up for his mistakes, but no matter how hard he tried, he got no response from Xiao Jingyan. After the imperial decree for the Crown Prince to manage the affairs of the kingdom, Lilin feared his career was over, and waited everyday for the Eastern Palace to remove him from his position, but nothing happened though he waited a good while. Instead, he received an important assignment in court, requesting the Ministry of War to be in charge of coming up with a plan to reorganize the garrison troops surrounding the imperial capital. Lilin spent much time trying to figure out what the Crown Prince’s intentions were, and it wasn’t till after the Ministry of Revenue’s Shangshu, Shen Zhui said something sarcastic in passing that he realized that this Crown Prince was different, that instead of trying to figure him out, he was better off just getting the job done first. He had been the Shangshu of the Ministry of War for many years and had a good understanding of all aspects of the military system and its disadvantages. Faction politics aside, he was a capable man, and in that moment, he resolved to put all his energy into it. Ten days later, he presented a draft of the plan in court. It was unexpectedly well-received, requiring only some minor adjustments in details and clauses before it was submitted to the Emperor for approval, and subsequently implemented. The Crown Prince’s approval and the praise of his colleagues restored satisfaction and joy to Lilin, who had been for so long trapped in faction politics, and his fear of the new Crown Prince, who obviously harboured no grudges from the past in his heart, transformed into loyalty and awe.

“Speaking of it, the faction politics were really a nightmare. Although some people had already been trapped to death by this nightmare, fortunately some people were able to wake up from it,” said Shen Zhui with a rueful sigh, after a meeting to discuss government matters. “Actually, most people aspire to dedicate their lives to serving the country and bring honor to their ancestors at the beginning of their careers, but when the state of the bureaucracy is murky, it gradually eats away at their wisdom and they end up following the flow. It is truly benevolent of His Highness to be willing to give a chance to these people when renewing the atmosphere of the court.”

“But such chances should not be given over and over again. The nature of some people cannot be so easily changed.” Cai Quan, who had always been more extreme than Shen Zhui raised his eyebrows and continued, “There are so many virtuous men in the world. Wouldn’t it be better to keep these positions for the scholars from poor and humble families who are as yet uncorrupted?”

“Whether they hail from poor and humble or rich and powerful families, there will be opportunities for each and every scholar. As long as the court is equitable and fair, and does not differentiate them according to their family status, there’s no need to overcompensate. You must know that when it comes to governing and the government, experience is still very important. Although newly promoted government officials are superior in character and spirit, they don’t have very much experience.”

“Who is born knowing everything? Given more opportunities to practise and improve, they would naturally grow in experience.”

“But that takes time,” said Shen Zhui with a wave of his hand. “For example the matter concerning the reorganization of the garrison troops. Lilin’s seniority isn’t just for show. If I were the one to make these changes, I fear I would not be as thorough as him, nor as able to hit the nail directly on the head.”

“I admit that the Ministry of War’s plan is very good. But this is only one case and cannot be extended to the majority of people. Such seniority and experience varies from person to person. Some people, after holding a position for just one year, can be as capable as those who have held the same position for ten years, while others who have held it for more than ten years years still don’t know anything. Such things cannot be generalized and must be evaluated case by case.”

“However, there are so many officials of different grades in the government and the various provinces. Without a unified system and common standard, how does one evaluate them one by one? Should they all descend by their thousands in the capital?”

“So we shouldn’t do it just because it’s difficult to do it? Screening talents, assigning and appointing virtuous and capable people, these are what’s most important to a ruler. Today, there are too many people who occupy positions without doing anything. Now that the Crown Prince is in charge, a new dynasty obviously requires a new atmosphere.”

Xiao Jingyan had been listening intently to the debate between his two most trusted court officials. At this point, he frowned and said in a low voice, “Cai Quan, watch what you are saying. What new dynasty are you talking about?”

Cai Quan immediately realized his error and hurriedly got up to apologize, saying, “It was a slip of the tongue. What this servant means is that…..”

“Alright. I understand your meaning. Just be careful in future.”

“Yes.”

Xiao Jingyan was about to let the two of them continue their discussion when a servant from outside the hall rushed in and said, “Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince, the guest official Su Zhe* has come to congratulate Your Highness on your marriage. He’s currently outside waiting to be announced.”

*wise man Su

The both of them hadn’t met since the return from Jiu’an Mountain. One was busy, the other one ill. Furthermore, there were complicated preoccupations that stood between them, so although they still kept in close contact with each other, they hadn’t met in a long time. As a result, the moment he heard that Su Zhe had requested for an audience, Xiao Jingyan was a little stunned and he stared at the servant in a daze, not saying anything for a long while.

“Your Highness, Mister Su purposely came to congratulate you. Is Your Highness not going to invite him in?” asked Shen Zhui in a perplexed manner.

“Oh.” Xiao Jingyan came back to himself and hurriedly said, “Please ask Mister Su to come in.”

The servant bowed and left, returning shortly with Mei Changsu. By this time, Xiao Jingyan had already put his thoughts in order and maintained control over his expression in order not to reveal his inner turmoil.

Mei Changsu walked forward slowly, his eyes downcast. Compared to the last time they met, he seemed to have lost some weight, but his complexion had improved slightly. Today, he was wearing a satin long coat the color of autumn waters and carrying a plain colored fan in his hand, his crow black hair tied back in a bun on the crown of his head. His sleeves fluttered slightly, giving him an air of grace and elegance, like jade. But for Xiao Jingyan who already knew the truth, looking at this man and his appearance was like a stab to his heart, making it difficult for him to look directly at him.

“Greetings to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

“This is the inner hall, so Mister Su can dispense with the courtesies. Please have a seat. Pour a cup of tea for Mister Su.”

“Thank you Your Highness.” Mei Changsu bowed but didn’t take the seat. Instead, he gestured for Fei Liu, who was behind him, to present the small gift box he was carrying. Smiling, he said, “Your Highness’s marriage is a happy occasion. Please accept my humble gift as a token of my respect.”

Xiao Jingyan ordered the attendant to take it. Noticing Shen Zhui and Cai Quan’s curious expressions, he smiled and opened it. When he saw that there were only a pair of ordinary looking jade bottles within, he knew that Mei Changsu did not intend to attract attention, so he merely said politely, “Sir needn’t have troubled yourself.”

Presenting the gift was Fei Liu’s first time in the Eastern Palace. The moment he began to look around, Xiao Jingyan, who knew that Mei Changsu loved him like a younger brother, didn’t want to hold the youth back. So, he told him to amuse himself anywhere he wished in the Eastern Palace, but Mei Changsu added, “Play only in the front yard.” before letting him go.

“Mister Su, I visited you awhile ago, but was told that you were ill. Are you in better health now?” Shen Zhui usually spoke freely in Xiao Jingyan’s presence so as soon as Mei Changsu sat down across from him, he asked this question with deep concern.

“Many thanks for your concern, Shen da ren. It’s just asthma attacks due to the hot summer, nothing serious.”

Cai Quan, who also knew about his illness, frowned and said, “Mister Su is the most talented scholar in the kingdom, yet unexpectedly limited by this illness. It’s truly regrettable. Is there no cure?”

Mei Changsu swept a glance at Xiao Jingyan and didn’t want to continue talking about this topic, so he smiled and said faintly, “Everything is mandated by heaven, so let it take its time. By the way, Cai da ren, I heard that the Ministry of Justice has made some progress on the case of the death of Imperial Censor Fan by drowning?”

“Yes, the real culprit in this case is very clever, setting up decoys and diversions to mislead the Ministry of Justice. But this case was evidently not premeditated but hastily executed. Because of this, there were many clues left behind, as well as verbal confessions. Sir should probably already know that in every murder case, as long as someone lies, that person bears the greatest suspicion. Even if he isn’t the murderer, he would at the very least be familiar with the facts of the matter. Assistant Minister Ouyang, who’s in charge of this case, is the best at uncovering secrets by finely combing through details. It’s harder to lie to him than it is to lie to me.”

“So….what’s her name, the concubine detained by the Ministry of Justice.….she’s the murderer?” asked Shen Zhui.

“We can’t confirm this yet, but she has told the most lies and behaves the most suspiciously. She even tried to abscond when the Ministry of Justice went to detain her. These are the factors that increased our suspicions of her. But this woman has so far done everything within her willpower to remain tight-lipped, Furthermore….we haven’t found a sufficiently convincing motivation for her to have committed the murder….”

“Rumor has it that she’s from the Hua nation?” asked Mei Changsu casually.

“Only half. Her mother’s from the Hua nation, while her father is from Da Liang. To the average person, she would be regarded as someone native to Da Liang.” Cai Quan raised his eyebrows and looked at Mei Changsu. “We discovered this identity while investigating her background and didn’t place much importance on it. Does Mister Su think….this is very important?”

“No,” said Mei Changsu with a smile. “It’s because I’m constantly wondering where Xia Jiang had escaped to, so I’m a little more sensitive when I hear the Hua nation being mentioned.”

Cai Quan asked in surprise, “What’s the connection between Xia Jiang and the Hua nation?”

“Didn’t you know?” Shen Zhui’s eyes widened in surprise at his good friend. “The last princess of the Hua nation was Xia Jiang’s lover.”

“Huh?”

“After the Hua kingdom was absorbed, many females from noble families were distributed everywhere and made servants,” said Shen Zhui briefly. “Xia Jiang’s wife found the Hua princess washing clothes outside in the cold of winter, took pity on her and brought her home with her, treating her like a younger sister. Who would have expected that this princess would eventually hook up with Xia Jiang. Xia furen was also a former envoy with Xuanjing Bureau and was unyielding by nature. In her anger, she left with her son, and till now, her whereabouts are still unknown.”

“This doesn’t sound like a trivial matter,” said Cai Quan in a daze. “Why have I never heard of it?”

Shen Zhui glanced over at him. “Princess Xuanji died seven years ago. You were posted to the capital five years ago. By then, the affair was already cold, and Xia Jiang had become a semi-recluse. And you’re so strict and serious, who would take time out to chat with you about his romantic affairs?”

“But many Hua nation women are concubines in wealthy and noble families. Even if Xia Jiang’s lover was once a princess, their kingdom’s already lost and gone, so why is this so noteworthy?”

“It would seem that Cai daren is not very familiar with Princess Xuanji,” said Mei Changsu grimly, “She’s not someone who merely depends on her lover for survival. In those days, before the Hua kingdom was exterminated, she was one of the princesses who ran the country, her rank second only to her elder sister, Princess Linglong, who died in battle, though she was the more cunning one. She was adept at keeping her claws sheathed, so much so that many were not aware of what a dangerous woman she was, and how many people of the Hua nation she had control over. Although she is now dead, Xia Jiang had to some extent inherited some of it. If Cai daren cannot find any other motive for the murder, there’s no harm in considering the possibility that they might want the victim silenced.”

“Silenced?”

“Perhaps Fan Chengxiang discovered that his concubine was aiding Xia Jiang, or perhaps he was already giving asylum to Xia Jiang, but later decided to report him for some reason or another…..Having been in charge of Xuanjing Bureau for so many years, he would definitely have underhanded methods that we cannot foresee. If we don’t ferret him out soon, it’s hard to say what kind of harm he can cause His Highness the Crown Prince….”

Cai Quan’s eyebrows lifted. He muttered to himself and then said, “What you’ve said is very true, Sir. It is a big concern not just for His Highness but also for the Ministry of Justice that Xia Jiang is still at large. Even if this case seems to have little connection with Xia Jiang, we should still investigate it first before ruling it out.”

“Yes. If this was just an ordinary murder, it’s ok. But if it’s truly related to Xia Jiang, it’s a good opportunity to track him down.”

“By the way, Assistant Minister Ouyang had just given me a copy of the records for the current case. I brought it along to review it on my way here. Would Sir also like to have a look and see if there’s anything we might have overlooked?”

Before Mei Changsu could reply, Xiao Jingyan, who had been listening attentively, cleared his throat and said, “Cai qing*, you’ve already handled this case very well. Mister Su has just recovered from a serious illness so there’s no need to trouble him. Why don’t we find a lighter topic of conversation?”

*Subject Cai

Cai Quan had already reached into his sleeves to remove the record, but when he heard the Crown Prince say this, he froze. When Xiao Jingyan said this, he had kept his face completely expressionless, so it was hard to tell if he was truly considerate of Mei Changsu’s health or if he was displeased with Cai Quan for handing out Ministry of Justice records to a guest to have a look. Shen Zhui, who was watching on the sidelines, was a little more shrewd. He immediately connected the fact that both the men hadn’t seen each other in a long while, with Xiao Jingyan’s hesitation in inviting Mei Changsu to enter earlier. It was inevitable that he would conclude that the Crown Prince was intentionally avoiding this shrewd Qilin talent who excelled in strategy and planning. This shook him for a while, and he immediately signaled Cai Quan to beg for forgiveness.

“This servant was not thinking and really shouldn’t trouble Mister Su. Please forgive me, Your Highness.” Cai Quan was also not a fool. He immediately understood his meaning, and after thinking carefully over what he had said earlier, he realized he had spoken out of turn and immediately bowed in apology.

Xiao Jingyan didn’t care if these two Shangshu had misunderstood him, but he didn’t want Mei Changsu to have a similar misunderstanding, so he explained, “I’ve heard that Sir will require a lot of peace and relaxation to recuperate from your illness, not to mention that Sir didn’t come to the Eastern Palace to discuss the details of the case. These few pointers you’ve given are sufficient. There’s no need to trouble yourself with the details.”

Mei Changsu took a long look at Xiao Jingyan, and when he avoided his gaze, he couldn’t help but wonder. Shen Zhui laughed gently to ease the tension and said, “What His Highness means is that Cai daren is to blame. Mister Su came to congratulate His Highness, but before he could even have a sip of tea or some pastries, you already dragged him into a discussion about the case!”

Actually, it was Mei Changsu who first brought up Fan Chengxiang’s murder, but even the forthright Cai Quan couldn’t argue this point at this moment, so he just made some indiscernible “Ng” sound which could be interpreted as agreeing with Shen Zhui’s words.

But Mei Changsu didn’t follow along, but instead smiled and said, “I appreciate Your HIghness’s kindness towards Su mou, but I would really like to have a look at Cai daren’s record of the case. Your Highness will not mind, will you?”

Afterthought:

The only thing in my mind after I finished this chapter was “And you wonder why MCS didn’t want XJY to find out the truth….ever……”

And wow. From this point, it’s a dozen chapters left to go……we’ve come a long way, folks. And we’re nearing the end. Are you excited, looking forward to it, or like me, maybe even a little bit sad?

I was meditating today, and for some reason, maybe because I had been so absorbed in the translation, Lin Shu came to mind. That beautiful boy who grew into a beautiful teen who lost everything he had when he was 16, whose life was irrevocably transformed, never ever being able to reclaim what he once had, to once again be who he once was. Due to my recent illness, I’ve also had a similar struggle, and this thought just brought me to tears. Knowing that no amount of thinking or wishing could ever turn back the hands of time to bring us back to who we once were. We can only look forward.

I finally found that quote off Lang Ya Scribe’s page:

“Time flows like water, and what has gone cannot come again.” – Lang Ya Bang

So sad, yet so true. Anyway, goodnight fellow LYB fans. Till the next chapter.