TCPM 12

 

Chapter 12

Xu Qingchu had observed Wei Zai for a long time—probably for the span of a year or more. She had also observed Wei Zai's older brothers, and comparing them side by side, she could only conclude that, by contrast, Wei Zai's rottenness was not nearly so thorough. She was still a young maiden, willful, domineering, and reckless, but at her absolute worst, she merely indulged in fighting fiercely and bullying others. Whenever she was impeached, she would cause a scene of rolling and crying right there in the Mingtang Hall, only to turn around later and stir up petty troubles for those officials' household families. Rather than calling it committing evil deeds, it was more like children throwing a tantrum. She was a lawless, unbridled rebel who could cast aside all decorum when acting out, to the point that after a while, the high officials in the imperial court simply grew too weary to bother managing her.

Yet what about her adult brothers? Each and every one of them wore the hypocritical masks of righteous gentlemen; while they looked far more accomplished than Wei Zai on the surface, behind closed doors they engaged in despicable plots—forming cliques for personal gain and committing murder and pillage. Their blades drew no visible blood, relying instead on a few administrative edicts and political maneuvers; they profited at the expense of others, willing to let the world burn before they suffered any loss. Yet when those invisible blades were unsheathed, the lives and livelihoods they reaped were those of countless ordinary commoners. Those unjustly slain, wandering ghosts were merely the stepping stones for their rise to power, built upon a mountain of a million corpses—when had they ever been regarded as the people who could either carry or capsize a boat?

It was far too filthy. Xu Qingchu saw it all with absolute clarity, and it filled her with utter nausea.

In comparison, the uninhibited and innocent Wei Zai instead resembled a breath of pure, clear water. Xu Qingchu speculated whether there might be a strategist hiding by her side, teaching her how to intentionally stain her own reputation to stay safe. Otherwise, how could she possibly balance the superficial wickedness with her underlying kindness so impeccably? If there was no such strategist behind the scenes, then perhaps it was simply her innate nature.

Xu Qingchu was torn with hesitation. She had come to Xiyang to seek a worthy sovereign to serve and assist; achieving the legendary merit of a founding dragon-slaying minister was the fastest path to holding supreme power. Yet the imperial princes were visibly rotten to their very roots, completely unfit for her to entrust her life and ideals to them. But Wei Zai... was Wei Zai truly any better? Was she genuinely someone who could share the same ideals and aspirations? She flowed with the exact same blood as her brothers; who was to say she wouldn't eventually grow into that same cold, hypocritical mold?

Xu Qingchu vacillated constantly, until a single remark from her teacher pierced through her indecision: "Jianyou, the path you walk is that of the tactical strategist and ruthless counselor, not that of the unswervingly loyal and devoted subject. If you are uncertain, then get close and observe her with your own eyes. If she is unsuited, then discard her. If she lacks the desire, then make her desire it. There is no such thing as a pre-made, perfectly suited sovereign from the very beginning, but you certainly have the means to mold her into whatever shape you require."

During that year, Xu Qingchu passed the imperial metropolitan examinations, ranking neither high nor low, remaining entirely unremarkable. The Princess Kangning's estate was hardly a prestigious or coveted posting. Everyone in the court assumed Princess Kangning stood zero chance in the struggle for the succession; going to serve in her household meant that the absolute best future outcome would be following her into regional fiefdom exile—what kind of career prospects could possibly be found there? Furthermore, given Princess Kangning's notoriously overbearing and tyrannical temper, they were all proud children of heaven; who could possibly endure that? Therefore, employing only a few minor tricks, Xu Qingchu smoothly manipulated the Ministry of Personnel's Bureau of Civil Appointments to assign her straight to the Princess Kangning's estate.

On the day she entered the princess's estate to pay her respects to Wei Zai, Wei Zai was dressed in vibrant, brilliantly embroidered casual attire, radiant and high-spirited. Though her stature was not tall, her imposing aura was absolute. Xu Qingchu wore the cyan official robes of a seventh-rank registrar, lowering her head in respectful, formal greeting.

"I heard you requested to come to my estate of your own accord?" Wei Zai sat upon the main seat, casually propping her chin with one hand, tossing out a flippant and provocative question. "No ambition for an official career? Seeking only a peaceful and stable life? Exactly what kind of place do you take my estate to be?"

A ripple stirred within Xu Qingchu's heart. Wei Zai was already fully aware of the private remarks she had made to others while lobbying for the assignment; it seemed she was not entirely devoid of wits, after all. She offered a respectful bow: "Whatever Your Highness wishes this place to be, that is what it shall be. This subject looks to Your Highness as her sole leader."

"Hahaha, you truly are an interesting character," Wei Zai burst out laughing. "What if I only wish to be an idle, carefree member of the imperial clan? Would you genuinely content yourself with acting as a petty, idling minor official living day-to-day?"

"Your Highness, that is not a matter of what you wish or do not wish, but rather of what you can and cannot do," Xu Qingchu replied.

Wei Zai stopped laughing. If it depended solely on her natural disposition, of course she would prefer to be a wealthy, idle prince of leisure; but her brothers would never believe it. Everything she plotted was merely for self-preservation.

"You are remarkably bold," Wei Zai's voice turned icy.

"This subject wouldn't dare," Xu Qingchu said the words, yet she did not lower her head; instead, she looked straight into Wei Zai's eyes, her gaze calm and unruffled by a single ripple.

Wei Zai caught that look. Giving a noncommittal cold snort, she flicked her sleeves and walked away.

Watching her receding figure, Xu Qingchu silently mentally reviewed this brief skirmish.

She must be well aware of her own predicament and was actively attempting to save herself, yet she likely lacked a trustworthy chief strategist by her side; that wildly arrogant disguise was probably something she cobbled together on her own... She was exceptionally clever. And remarkably striking. That little posture of hers, putting on a tough front like a tiny, claw-baring, fanged beast, was strangely endearing.

What kind of person was Wei Zai, truly? Xu Qingchu, observing her from the closest possible proximity, saw it clearer than anyone else. Her heart was too inherently kind; because of her kindness, she could not bear to witness suffering; because of her kindness, she secretly performed righteous deeds behind the scenes; and equally because of her kindness, she refused to contend with her brothers, stepping back and yielding at every turn. Her affections were fierce and fervent, her hatreds distinct and unwavering, while her cowardly moments possessed a naive and pristine purity. For someone like this, uncorrupted by the filthy taints of the secular world, living a life so clean and brilliant—it was enough to make anyone's heart flutter.

During those two years, Xu Qingchu said nothing and did nothing out of line, quietly fulfilling her duties as Wei Zai's registrar, managing the estate's finances and household affairs. She watched as Wei Zai rode fat horses in light furs, indulging in wild dissipation and pushing her unbridled lawlessness to absolute extremes. At the same time, she also witnessed how those clean hands of Wei Zai became stained with the searing, hot blood of those closest to her, and watched as those lovely eyes of hers were stained with the unyielding colors of hatred and fury.

To solidify her reputation for unruliness, Wei Zai had previously driven away a large number of subordinate officials. Consequently, her estate suffered from numerous vacant posts among senior clerks and administrative aides, leaving all the miscellaneous duties to be handled by eunuchs—until the arrival of Xu Qingchu, whereupon all those burdens were dumped onto her. Though holding the seventh-rank official title of registrar, Xu Qingchu was effectively shouldering the workload of a chief administrative officer. The tasks were overwhelming, often keeping her busy late into the night.

The door to the official study was flung open with a violent crash, sending a thunderous echo rolling through the silent night. Hearing the sound, Xu Qingchu paused her brush and looked up to see Wei Zai staggering in, her hair disheveled and clutching a jar of wine. Reeking of alcohol and in a state of utter disarray, she stumbled hard against Xu Qingchu's desk. The wine jar slipped from her grip, shattering into a spray of porcelain shards while the liquor spilled across the floor.

Xu Qingchu sighed inwardly, reaching out to steady her: "Your Highness, you are drunk."

Ignoring her, Wei Zai propped herself up, revealing that face which still retained traces of youthful immaturity. The corners of her eyes were flushed red, her gaze swimming with moisture—wet and glistening—yet encasing an edge of bone-chilling sharpness.

Xu Qingchu stared in a daze, her outstretched hand freezing mid-motion.

Wei Zai abruptly seized her wrist, exerting full force until the grip caused a sharp pang of pain. Fixing those seductive, flirtatious yet frost-laden, razor-sharp eyes directly upon her, she demanded: "Registrar Xu, Registrar Xu, teach me—how should孤's fury, 孤's resentment, and 孤's unresigned grievances be pacified?"

Looking straight back at her, Xu Qingchu answered with absolute calm: "Pacified? Why must they be pacified? When things are unequal, they cry out in protest; Your Highness has lain dormant in the shadows for long enough."

A raging fire ignited deep within Wei Zai's ice-cold limbs. The flame erupted from the depths of her bone marrow, spreading outward along her veins to flood her entire body. She gripped Xu Qingchu's palm tightly, their palms pressing directly against one another, transferring that searing heat directly across: "Hiding one's capacities and biding one's time, revealing not a single trace of emotion—the Registrar has also hidden in the shadows for a very long time. For what purpose has the Registrar done so, and whose person do you truly serve?"

Xu Qingchu tightened her grip in return, using her strength to pull them closer together until their brows were closer than ever before. Her voice was very soft, yet every single syllable rang with absolute, unyielding conviction: "Your Highness, this subject stated it from the very beginning: this subject looks to Your Highness as her sole leader; whatever Your Highness desires, that is what this subject shall do."

"Then, I invite the Registrar to instruct me—tell me, how I should... soar straight up into the highest skies!"

Wei Zai laughed, yet her eyes could no longer contain the moisture; scalding tears welled up and spilled over, cascading down to slip into the collar of her robes, vanishing without a trace.

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