Chapter 107: Mingyan’s Terrifying Nature, Wan’er’s Nonsense (Part Two)

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Chapter 107: Ming Chongyan’s Terrifying Feat, Wan’er’s Nonsense (Part Two)

The guardsman replied, “When I reached Mang Mountain, I found the peak called Zhongliu Peak. It is a very small mountain, with two villages at its foot. One is inhabited mostly by families surnamed Zhong, the other mostly by families surnamed Liu; hence the name Zhongliu Peak. I then followed the direction indicated by Ming and, sure enough, found a melon field.”

The entire hall fell silent. It seemed that even the sound of a needle dropping to the floor could have been heard.

“I rode over and found that the melon field was of moderate size, perhaps three or four mu. Fearing that mischievous children might steal the melons, the farmer had put up a shelter and kept watch over them. When I arrived, he had likely been exhausted from a day of labor and was already asleep beneath his mosquito net. I woke him, then discovered beneath his bamboo pillow exactly five hundred copper coins—not one more, not one less. When I questioned him, he knew nothing about it.

“I told him what had happened, but the farmer did not believe me. He ran into the field and inspected it, only to find that more than a dozen large, sweet melons were missing. He had seen them there at dusk. The farmer was utterly dumbfounded. When I left, he was still standing in the middle of the field, unable to recover from his astonishment.”

This truly was strange, Li Wei thought.

The ministers were all hesitant and uncertain, though they could explain the matter easily enough: Ming Chongyan must have used sorcery to summon ghosts and spirits to his aid. But Li Wei found it much harder to explain. The trick was astonishing enough, but with the melon farmer as living proof, how had it actually been accomplished?

His expression changed slightly. People of this age placed great faith in ghosts and spirits. If Ming Chongyan used such beliefs against him…

That was merely Li Wei’s private thought. Ming Chongyan’s “little spell” had finally brought the banquet to its climax.

“Someone come,” Li Zhi ordered. “Reward him. Bestow upon Minister Ming three hundred bolts of silk and one hundred thousand coins.”

It was not an especially generous reward. One hundred thousand coins sounded impressive, but in truth amounted to only one hundred strings of cash. For an emperor, even with the addition of three hundred bolts of silk, it was hardly a lavish gift. The empire was poor.

But the reward itself was secondary. What mattered was that the emperor was pleased with him. Ming Chongyan was also well versed in the Confucian classics, and therefore his prospects…

By then, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill. In high spirits, Li Zhi ordered the officials to proceed to Jiuzhou Pond, where he had prepared various entertainments for them.

As they walked, Yan Liben deliberately slowed, coming level with Li Wei. In a low voice, he said, “Your Highness, I still do not quite understand the painting you gave me last time. Might I invite you to my residence one day, so that we may discuss it?”

Hao Chujun was walking beside them. He lost his composure for a moment and whispered, “What painting?”

Yan Liben’s skill in painting might not have been unmatched throughout all history, but in the present court he was certainly without equal. His works—The True Likeness of Emperor Taizong, The Eighteen Scholars of the Qin Prince’s Residence, The Twenty-Four Meritorious Ministers of the Lingyan Pavilion, The Emperor Traveling by Palanquin, The Ancient Emperors, and others—were praised by his contemporaries as masterpieces of the brush.

Setting aside politics, the Confucian classics, poetry, and calligraphy, and speaking only of painting, no one throughout the empire would dare boast that his skill surpassed Yan Liben’s. Of course, as a chancellor, his ability in administrative affairs was somewhat less impressive.

What kind of painting had the Crown Prince given Yan Liben that the great painter himself could not understand?

“Only a painting,” Yan Liben replied. “There are certain techniques in it that I do not quite comprehend.”

“I see.” Hao Chujun thought no more of it. He was in an extremely foul mood that day. He was a staunch supporter of the emperor and the Crown Prince, an equally staunch opponent of the Empress, and a loyal minister besides. Having lost such a promising opportunity, his spirits were wretched. As a result, he did not trouble himself to think deeply.

Li Wei, too, gave the matter little thought. “I shall certainly accept Chancellor Yan’s invitation.”

Yan Liben still had other thoughts in mind. It was true that he had not fully understood the painting’s techniques—not because he lacked the ability, but because Li Wei had been unable to express every aspect of those techniques through the painting. Yet there were more than a dozen new methods visible in it. For days, Yan Liben had been pondering over the picture Li Wei had given him, to the point that he had no appetite for tea or food and had nearly driven himself mad.

He had not noticed anything unusual at first. It was only after the new bamboo paper appeared that Yan Liben began to feel that something about the matter was deeply strange…

They arrived at the small island in Jiuzhou Pond, where the performances had already been prepared. The opening act was the Celebration of Benevolence, accompanied by pipes and strings. Sixty-four dancers moved slowly across the stage, symbolizing the harmonious spread of civil virtue and the peace of the realm.

Afterward came various dances, acrobatics, and illusions—in other words, magic. Yet these performances relied obviously on an assortment of props and could not compare with Ming Chongyan’s so-called “sorcery.”

…

The night gradually deepened, and it was finally time to disperse.

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Just before leaving, Di Renjie gave Li Wei a meaningful look. Li Wei subtly nodded.

Ming Chongyan’s appearance—and the astonishing manner of it—had caused even the unflappable Di Renjie to feel a trace of unease.

………………………………

It was close to the middle of the month. The moon shone as brightly as water, graceful and radiant, like a woman of exquisite charm.

Li Wei returned to the Eastern Palace, only to find that Bi’er and Shangguan Wan’er had not yet retired. They were both bent over the writing desk.

Bi’er occupied an increasingly important place in Li Wei’s heart. The little maid had truly given him her whole heart. She had known a few characters before, most of them taught by the former Crown Prince, and would occasionally consult the Forest of Characters. But she knew few of the rarer characters. Out of consideration for Li Wei, and fearing that she might disturb him, she usually did not ask him questions as Shangguan Wan’er did. During the day, she also devoted herself to serving him. Yet she understood that remaining illiterate would not do, so whenever she found a little free time, she applied herself to her studies.

“Why are you still awake? It is already the third watch.”

“We were waiting for Your Highness to return. I still have to attend to your bath,” Bi’er replied.

“Then why are you not asleep?” Li Wei asked Shangguan Wan’er.

“I must attend to Your Highness’s bath as well.”

What was this about again?

“Wan’er, you are still too young. When you have grown as old as Sister Bi’er, I shall let you attend to me.”

Shangguan Wan’er suddenly threw herself to the floor and began to sob.

“What are you doing?” Li Wei pulled her to her feet at once.

“Your Highness, please listen to me. I may be very young and ignorant of many things, but in my heart, I understand perfectly well.”

The words nearly made Li Wei laugh aloud. What could an eight-year-old little girl possibly understand? Yet Shangguan Wan’er continued with complete solemnity:

“Let us set aside His Majesty’s and Her Majesty’s favor toward me. If not for Your Highness, I would still be performing hard labor in the Palace of the Western Court, living a life in which I was neither treated as a human being nor allowed the peace of a ghost.”

That much was true. Never mind the families of criminals—even ordinary palace maids were ordered about by the eunuchs who governed the palace, and their lives were exceedingly miserable.

“It is because Your Highness thought well of me that I have the life I do today. I can read and write openly, and no one else dares curse me. Your Highness, please let me attend to your bath.”

“You mean you wish to repay me?”

“Yes.”

“Having a grateful heart is repayment enough. You need not attend to my bath. You are still too young.”

“Though I am a little young, I performed hard labor every day in the Palace of the Western Court. I can do many things. Please let me serve you.” She looked at Li Wei pitifully.

In truth, her little mind harbored other thoughts as well. Ever since she had entered the Crown Prince’s service, Bi’er alone had possessed the privilege of attending to his bath. The Empress had personally said that, in the future, Wan’er and Bi’er would serve the Crown Prince together. Only after bathing him would Wan’er truly become one of the Crown Prince’s people.

See how reasonable her thoughts were.

Unfortunately, Li Wei regarded her as nothing more than a very young child. Their understanding of the matter was entirely misaligned.

Bi’er had her own thoughts on the subject. It was only a bath. Apart from certain embarrassing matters, Wan’er could do everything else. Thus she joined in the plea.

“Your Highness, please let Wan’er help.”

“Bi’er, she is still too young.” Li Wei struggled to explain and could only brush her off weakly.

“It is only a bath. Besides, it was the Empress’s verbal command.”

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That did technically count as a verbal command. Li Wei was exhausted. Pointing toward a folding camp bed in the distance, he said, “You want to serve me? Very well. Sit over there and watch Bi’er, so you can learn how she does it.”

“Yes.” Shangguan Wan’er happily ran over and sat down, then watched them without blinking.

The palace attendants brought in the water. Bi’er began unfastening Li Wei’s clothes. When Li Wei turned his head and saw Shangguan Wan’er’s large eyes fixed upon him, he slipped into the bathing tub with a splash, moving faster than a rabbit.

Because this was Shangguan Wan’er’s first time watching, Bi’er did not dare be too bold with her little hands. Li Wei climbed out of the tub feeling thoroughly unsettled.

“Your Highness,” Bi’er said, “would you like me to accompany you to bed tonight?”

Why bother resisting? Once they went to bed, everything would be resolved.

“You are still too young.” He had already enjoyed her soft charms and done certain other things, so Li Wei’s tone grew increasingly gentle.

“Your Highness, I am not young anymore. People outside marry early. Some girls my age already have children.”

Not only did she want to accompany him to bed—she wanted children as well. The matter was becoming even more tangled.

Li Wei wiped the sweat from his brow. “Bi’er, I will make you a promise. When you reach your hairpin ceremony next year, I shall let you accompany me to bed.”

Fourteen was a little young. Fifteen should be about right, shouldn’t it?

Shangguan Wan’er also rose to her feet. “Your Highness, why wait until next year? Tonight, let Sister Bi’er and me accompany you to bed together.”

She only half understood what she was saying. She had heard that Helan Minzhi had tried to do that sort of thing with the little Princess. She was a year older than the Princess, so surely she was old enough to accompany the Crown Prince to bed. And if she did that, would she not truly become one of his people?

Li Wei was so thunderstruck by her words that he stood there for a long while without recovering. At last, he angrily said, “How old are you, anyway? What nonsense are you talking? Both of you, get out.”

………………………………

“Father, why have you only just returned?”

Pei Yuhe hurried forward to meet him. Pei Juedao had drunk rather heavily. Some of the ministers, fully aware of their intentions, had sought to curry favor with him and pressed him to drink during the palace banquet. Although the wine had not completely worn off while he watched the performances at Jiuzhou Pond, his steps remained unsteady. Pei Yuhe caught hold of him.

“Ho’er, your father is fine. His Majesty held a banquet in the palace and invited all the ministers to watch the performances, so I returned a little late.”

“Drink less. You are a senior minister and must take care with your dignity.”

“Do you think your father does not understand that? But it is difficult, child. Do you know how many people would cast covetous eyes upon you—and upon our family—if anything were to happen to either of the two sovereigns?”

“At a time like this, one must be especially careful. If someone offers you wine and you refuse to drink, they will take it as an insult. Once everything comes to light, of course, there will be nothing to fear.”

Pei Yuhe blushed and lowered her voice. “Father, what nonsense are you talking about?”

“Yes, yes, your father is talking nonsense.” Pei Juedao chuckled, but he continued on the same subject. “In truth, the Crown Prince’s status alone means little. What is rare is a virtuous and capable Crown Prince. And at the banquet, I saw how deeply His Majesty, Her Majesty, and the little Princess’s family cared for him, all of them enjoying such harmony together. It moved your father greatly.”

“Father, I am not speaking to you anymore.”

Seeing that her father was truly fine, Pei Yuhe bashfully let go of him and ran back to her chamber. Yet her heart was pounding wildly, like a startled deer’s…

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