Chapter Ninety-Three: The Wind Turns Against Us, I Will Wait for You

Wei Yuanzhong said gravely, “Lord Di, I had overlooked this matter myself.”

“Outsiders often see more clearly than those caught inside it. Minister Wei, there is no need to blame yourself. My thinking of it came only because of one thing. If that had not happened, none of this would matter. It is not only the young lady of the Xu family. This time, no poem must be written at all. Going to Guangcheng Marsh is fine, and the guards may hunt there, but Your Highness must not take part.”

“What happened?”

“Do you remember the great wind that blew a few days ago?”

Wei Yuanzhong nodded. That day they had been hurrying toward Shaolin Temple when a fierce gale had suddenly risen, sweeping many sheaves of wheat from the fields and lifting them skyward just as they were drying in the sun. Wei Yuanzhong had even sighed then, saying, “This year’s fortunes truly look bad.”

“That very storm. It was fierce enough to blow all the way from the Eastern Capital to the Western Capital, toppling many large trees along the road.”

Hearing this, Wei Yuanzhong sensed the trouble in it.

Di Renjie went on, “A storm by itself is nothing unusual. Disaster and misfortune come to any realm; even the wisest sovereign cannot always prevent them. But it happened just before His Majesty’s great rain-prayer rite...”

Li Wei also understood what Di Renjie meant. At the state plowing sacrifice, the weather had still been painfully dry, but with no other mishap to distract the eye, a newly fashioned plow had been enough to make a single bright stroke cover a hundred blemishes. Yet now, once such a thing had occurred under his father’s reign... of course, it was all coincidence. But if someone insisted on drawing a connection...

Di Renjie continued, “More than that, as I came here the drought remained severe. Not only in Guanzhong, but in many parts of Hedong and Henan, there has been no rain for a very long time. At this season of summer harvest, the common people may not yet feel it keenly, but once the harvest is over, everyone will know that the disaster has only grown worse. Before I even reached the Eastern Capital, I heard rumors there that His Majesty was hesitating over whether the great rain-prayer rite should even be held.”

When his son performed the plowing sacrifice, a new plow had appeared, and it spread across the realm. When he himself held the rain-prayer rite, the gale came as an omen, and then the rain still refused to fall. His own health was not good either. The meaning in all of this was far too heavy...

Li Wei gave a bitter smile.

“But Your Highness, matters are not as difficult for you as they are for the Empress.”

“Why do you say that?”

“In times of great calamity, people everywhere begin to talk, and someone must always be made to bear the blame. If Your Highness keeps away from court, the Empress’s authority will only grow heavier. His Majesty will then have no choice but to begin from the court itself, dispersing power among the ministers. And I have heard that Lord Hao and the others in the court have long been dissatisfied with the Empress.”

If the drought continued, it was not impossible that his father would look for a scapegoat. Unable to make use of him, he would have to use the various chancellors to divide his mother’s authority. Besides, several of the ministers themselves were already dissatisfied with her. Put those three things together...

A flicker of light appeared in Li Wei’s eyes, only for them to dim again a moment later.

It had been longstanding dissatisfaction. Before he had arrived in this world, Hao Chujun and the others were already unhappy. His coming had not altered disaster or misfortune, yet his mother had still weathered them. Now, even if he worked hard, at best he would merely be in the same position as the original crown prince. To kick someone when they were down at this point would only deepen the enmity.

Besides, no one knew when his father would die. In these coming years, would his father be willing to tolerate him becoming too powerful on his own?

So even if one’s soul were different, filial piety toward one’s parents was no easy thing to carry out.

This gale, this unending drought, not only made life hard for the people, but would also drive grain prices up throughout the realm after autumn. It also left the political situation full of hidden uncertainties. That was why Di Renjie had taken the long way round by Mount Song: to remind them that they must make ready.

“How am I to proceed?”

“I do not know either. We can only keep watch. The young lady of the Xu family must be sent away. And no poem should be written. Do you remember what I once told you? Do not follow Cao Zhi; follow Cao Pi instead. When Cao Cao went forth on campaign, how many essays did Cao Zhi write?”

“Lord Di, I understand.”

He was searching through his memory, certain he would not find a poem that matched exactly. He might alter another poem, change its beginning and give it a different face, but even if he found a suitable one, such poems were hard enough to make stand out on their own. Compared with Cao Zhi’s verses, they would hardly be better. If he tried to disguise and remodel them and did it badly, the result would only be worse. Di Renjie’s advice made everything clear at once. Why waste all that brainpower? At the prayer rite, he need only appear sorrowful and anxious. Better still if he could force out a couple of tears.

As for going to Guangcheng Marsh, and worrying about his father’s health while still thinking of hunting? He could remain in retreat there, though; it was far from court. Concern would be filial devotion, while staying away would be forced on him by Li Zhi’s suspicions. The two things were unrelated.

He had not realized it before, but only after stepping into it did he understand how difficult it was to help the crown prince ascend the throne. It was indeed a path to immense fortune, but one had to endure many years, with countless perils along the way. Still, Li Wei’s attitude greatly pleased them. He did not act as though being crown prince made him extraordinary; he took advice, and he was not dull in the least. That was the reason Di Renjie and Wei Yuanzhong had found themselves stirred to rivalry.

There was still one more matter to mention: Xu Jingzong.

Wei Yuanzhong’s idea had been to have Wang Cainian deliberately speak that way before Empress Wu, first to help Wang Cainian avoid suspicion, and second to leave an impression on the Empress. If Xu Jingzong were to go gossiping behind the scenes, the Empress would react immediately. This Xu Jingzong is dissatisfied with my son; he is not a loyal minister. How could it be otherwise? The crown prince is the Empress’s child; how matters are handled internally is one thing, but interference from outsiders is quite another.

But that was not how it was.

Xu Jingzong might well make underhanded moves, but he would not do so in any obvious way. After all, that matter had been done by him...

In the end, however, Di Renjie did not say it. In any case, they had already reached the Eastern Capital, and since His Majesty could tolerate Wei Yuanzhong, he would likely tolerate him as well. Moreover, there was still the benefactor Yan Liben in the court. He might not praise him at length, but a word or two would be no problem.

So Di Renjie changed the subject. “One cannot have both fish and bear’s paw, Your Highness. In this beautiful land beneath the heavens, and with a lovely woman as well, sometimes you must learn to choose...”

“I know.” Was it not just Xu Li? Let her go back, that was all.

Di Renjie let out a quiet sigh in his heart, thinking that he only hoped the crown prince would know the weight of things when the time came...

But matters were not without a turning point. If, as Your Highness said, the new paper truly appeared and proved as effective as before, that would be a great achievement. The crown prince’s earlier efforts at public praise had already moved the credit ahead of time to the Emperor and Empress, which could give them enough rightful acclaim while also covering over these conflicts. If everything could be restored to its original state, that was better than change. Once change began, there were too many variables. No matter how it changed, the crown prince would not inherit the throne just yet, so it was better not to change at all.

As for the new paper, he did not have much hope. A new plow could be explained as mere coincidence, but bamboo paper? No one had ever heard of such a thing in all history...

Could it be that the crown prince was truly a star spirit descended from heaven?

...

“Your Highness, last time I was at fault and nearly brought harm upon you,” Xu Li said, then stole a shy glance at Li Wei. This was the first time the crown prince had summoned her alone to speak. Blushing prettily, she went on, “So after returning, I studied Your Highness’s example, exercised my body, and even learned to ride a horse.”

As soon as she had said it, she covered her mouth, thinking only of her own secret delight and forgetting the unintended meaning behind her words. Could she be hoping for another incident like the one on Zhongnan Mountain?

Li Wei would not mind. Words should not be taken to absurd extremes. Aside from figures like his mother, who could read layers within layers of meaning, ordinary people simply spoke to be understood. If every sentence had to be ground down to the bone and argued to death, then half the world would stop opening its mouth altogether.

But Xu Li’s cramps were not a matter of physical constitution; they were from nervousness. It was rather amusing to think that among those few young ladies, this little pepper was the most frightened and tense. He said, “I have not taken it to heart. I also know there have been rumors in the capital that the young lady of the Yang family is even more beautiful than you, but I have my own scale in my heart.”

“When Your Highness summoned me, what did you wish to command?”

The moment she finished asking, Xu Li’s heart began to jump like a little rabbit.

Li Wei looked at her and thought, I may love the realm, but I love beauty even more. Yet even if I were to abandon this splendid empire, even if I were to give up the whole forest, if my parents did not agree, there would still be no outcome between us. He said nothing of that, only, “Young lady of the Xu family, you know that I have come here to pray for my father’s blessing.”

“Yes.”

“But now that you have arrived, there have been some rumors outside. I do not care about them, only I fear offending the spirits...”

Xu Li’s face changed. In a low voice she said, “Your Highness, do you dislike me?”

“No. If I disliked you, I would not have called you here to explain it. But my father’s health is what I hope to see restored as soon as possible. Among all things under heaven and earth, filial duty is the greatest.” He paused there, then decided it was better to speak plainly. “Besides, I am already betrothed. Even if there were anything else, it would be improper now, and it would still require the consent of my father and mother. You are nearly come of age; I cannot let your future be delayed.”

“I will wait for you then.”

Her voice was even lower.

“Wait for me? That could be a very long time. It may be ten years, or twenty, or perhaps a lifetime without any result. Young lady of the Xu family, feelings are a fine thing, but one must still live. When you grow older, you will understand. It is not worth doing this.”

“Then I will still wait for you.”

Li Wei was at a loss. He said, “If you wish to wait, then wait. But first return to the Eastern Capital.”

Politics and palace intrigue were things he could not explain. Even if he did, she might not understand. Better to coax her back to Luoyang first.

“May I ask you something, Your Highness? What are the lines that come after those two matching lines?”

“You made them yourself, and you do not know the reply?”

Xu Li shook her head. “I could only think of the first line, not the second.”

“‘Mist locks the mountain peak, the mountain locks mist’; the matching line is ‘Sky joins the water’s end, the water joins the sky.’ ‘A drizzle softens the emerald hills, the hills appear in green’; the matching line is ‘Scented cypresses stir in the wind, and the wind stirs their fragrance.’ If you are interested, I can also give you a palindrome couplet: ‘Warm breeze blows cold water’ pairs with ‘Bright moon shines on luminous hills.’ It can be read forward, backward, and even from the middle.”

After pondering it for a moment, Xu Li exclaimed in wonder, “Yes, yes, that couplet is even more exquisite. Your Highness, you are truly brilliant.”

Li Wei rubbed the bridge of his nose. Brilliant beyond measure he was not. At most, he was not stupid. The little he knew had either been drilled into his head in childhood through rote memorization, or, after growing up, had been forced into memory because of his work. If he were truly brilliant, then after crossing into this backward age, he would have been able to do far more. At the very least, he would have opened several cheat codes to protect himself, instead of now dancing a frantic tap dance on the edge of a blade.

“Then, Your Highness, from which poem do the lines ‘helplessly, the blossoms fall away; as though once known, the swallows return’ come?”

“That is not from a poem, but from a lyric. I will recite it to you. ‘A new tune sung in one song, one cup of wine; the weather and pavilions are the same as last year. When the setting sun sinks westward, when will it return? Helplessly, the blossoms fall away; as though once known, the swallows return. In the little garden, I wander alone along the fragrant path.’”

“What does ‘new tune’ mean?”

“It means a lyric.”

Xu Li silently repeated it: “A new tune sung in one song, one cup of wine; the weather and pavilions are the same as last year. When the setting sun sinks westward, when will it return? Helplessly, the blossoms fall away; as though once known, the swallows return. In the little garden, I wander alone along the fragrant path.” Then she said, “Such a clear and graceful lyric, so subtle and natural, as though it were made by heaven itself.”

Her enchantment had deepened by another layer. By this point, if Li Wei told her to wait two lifetimes, she would probably agree.

She repeated it several more times, as though engraving it into her heart, and only then said, “Then I will obey Your Highness and leave Shaolin Temple. But Your Highness must keep your word and not forget that I am waiting for you.”

With that, she turned his promise into an even firmer vow.

When she had finished, she let out a sly laugh and skipped away. Her bright, tinkling laughter, like a oriole’s song, spilled along the mountain path.