TCPM 18

 

Chapter 18

As the New Year drew near, the common people who had toiled for a whole year slowed down their pace, and joyous festive cheer filled every corner. Yet there was one place that remained desolate and chilling day after day, utterly devoid of any New Year's atmosphere. Taking advantage of the cover of night, Wei Zai stepped into the official office of the Imperial Clan Court. Imprisoned here was the fallen Second Prince, Wei Cheng.

Lock after lock was unbolted, heavy door after heavy door was pushed open, and Wei Zai walked alone into the deepest recesses. When the door closed behind her, left waiting outside were Xu Qingchu and two unfamiliar scholars who served as confidants to the Grand Prince and the Sixth Prince. To bring about today's confrontation, Xu Qingchu had lobbied both the Grand Prince and the Sixth Prince, successfully forging a joint conspiracy.

Wei Zai had not seen Wei Cheng in a very long time. He had aged rapidly, his loose hair streaked with patches of gray, though in reality he was only older than Wei Zai by eight or nine years.

He had nothing left to do, sitting idly on the veranda to watch the sky. Having been severely punished for attempting to murder his brothers, he was confined to a tiny courtyard with no servants to attend to him, retaining none of the grandeur of a first-rank imperial prince. Wei Zai walked up before him. In her youth, she had always looked up to her older brothers; Wei Cheng possessed the highest birth and greatest glory, and had historically looked down upon Wei Zai. Back then, how could she have ever imagined a day would come when she would look down upon Wei Cheng from above.

To be defeated meant to become the prisoner—such was the way of the world.

Wei Cheng turned his head to look at her, sighing, "I never expected that you would be the very first to come see me."

"The Second Brother must have never placed me in your eyes to begin with, right?" Wei Zai remarked with a touch of emotion.

"No," Wei Cheng shook his head instead. "In my heart, you were always the one who posed the greatest threat."

"Why?" Wei Zai was bewildered. Her birth mother was of humble origin and had passed away early, while she herself was significantly younger than her brothers; when they stepped onto the political stage, she was still a mere child, which was why their father had never paid her much heed.

Wei Cheng replied, "Because you are a woman."

"Just because of that?" Wei Zai was stunned.

"Is that not enough? From the Ancestor's reign onward, ten emperors have ruled our dynasty, and seven of them were female sovereigns. Moreover, female officials occupy over seventy percent of the imperial court in our present era. How many years has it been since the old scandal of female officials losing power during the Jianping era? They are on guard against it. If you claim virtue and righteousness, you need only raise your arms upon a height, and countless female officials will naturally stand on your side. Is that still not enough to make me wary?" Emperor Jianping was Wei Zai's great-grandfather; the most infamous act performed by this male emperor was massively propping up male officials while suppressing female ones, throwing the imperial court into complete, chaotic imbalance that ultimately ended in his assassination by palace attendants.

"So that is why you wanted my life?" Wei Zai clenched her fists tightly, her teeth grinding together audibly.

"Correct. Better to kill the wrong target than let one escape. Once a suckling tiger grows into a full beast, where would any opportunity remain for me?" When Wei Cheng spoke these words, his smile was warm and genial, showing not the slightest trace of ruthlessness, yet it only made Wei Zai hate him all the more. To think it was merely this—merely for such a reason.

Unwilling to let Wei Cheng see that she had been provoked to anger, she lowered her head and set down the food box she carried in her other hand. Seeing that Wei Cheng showed no intention of moving, Wei Zai arranged the wine and dishes she had brought directly on the ground beside him.

Watching her pull items out one by one, Wei Cheng smiled, "What? Have you come to see your brother off on his final journey?"

Wei Zai remained silent, filling a wine cup to the brim.

Wei Cheng picked up the cup of wine, gently caressing it in his palm. "After arriving here, I thought about a great many things for a very long time. I wondered precisely where my calculations had failed. Guess what? I actually managed to figure it out—it turns out to have been you, or rather, I should say it was that little registrar of yours, who is now a chief strategist."

The cold gleam in Wei Zai's eyes was barely able to be suppressed.

Wei Cheng burst out laughing. "It seems I guessed correctly. For such a minor official to weave among the various princes without arousing the slightest suspicion—truly a magnificent skill. To take such a supreme talent into the hands of an innocent child like you... What do you actually possess, Wei Zai? What do you have? You merely lucked into possessing a female body..."

Hearing this, Wei Zai laughed instead of getting angry, raising her cup to Wei Cheng. "Second Brother is right; Zai simply had good fortune at birth, it is only a pity that Second Brother's luck fell short." She drained the wine in a single gulp, turning the bottom of the cup toward Wei Cheng to show it was empty.

"Good, good," Wei Cheng drank his wine as well, picked up the fish and vegetables to taste them one by one, and said to Wei Zai, "Qiniang, just for the sake of this visit today, Big Brother thinks highly of you—you possess far more daring and backbone than Dalang or Liulang."

"Second Brother flatters me." Wei Zai did not touch the food, drinking only wine, and refilling Wei Cheng's cup the moment it emptied.

Wei Cheng ate with hearty enjoyment, chatting idly with Wei Zai as he ate. For the very first time in their lives, they sat together in such peaceful harmony, discussing the realm, the imperial court, and their father and brothers.

As their meeting drew to a close, Wei Cheng said, "Qiniang, since you still honor me by calling me Second Brother, let your Second Brother offer you one final word of warning: that little chief strategist of yours harbors lofty ambitions. Right now, while you are weak and dependent on her for everything, you no doubt follow her every word. But when power grows this immense, who is truly the master and who is the servant? In days to come, where do you intend to place her?"

Wei Zai's face went cold as she stood up. "That is not something Second Brother needs to trouble himself over."

"Qiniang, people like us are destined to walk an isolated path as lone rulers—we can trust no one, and we can draw close to no one. Remember this."

"Thank you, Second Brother, for your guidance." Wei Zai turned to leave, only to hear Wei Cheng's extremely faint voice murmur from behind her.

"This poison—does it take effect quickly?"

Wei Zai glanced back over her shoulder, the flames of hatred finally igniting, breaking through their barriers to burst forth. "No, it will cause agony for a full seven days, dissolving the bones, consuming the soul, and tearing the intestines apart. It is a poison I personally selected for Second Brother."

"Good, good, good—truly ruthless, Qiniang! I shall be watching from the heavens as you wander in eternal, solitary desolation for ten thousand years! Hahahaha!"

Wei Zai walked out, shutting Wei Cheng's wild laughter behind the door. Xu Qingchu was waiting for her; the moment she stepped out, her eyes caught sight of Xu Qingchu first. Silent concern immediately soothed Wei Zai's wretched mood.

The agents of the Grand Prince and the Sixth Prince bowed to Wei Zai. Wei Zai said indifferently, "Return and report back to Eldest Brother and Sixth Brother; the task assigned to me has been completed, and I trust my two brothers will also keep their promise."

"Rest assured, Your Highness."

Wei Zai waved her hand to signal their departure, and the two men respectfully retreated. Xu Qingchu stepped forward, shook out a cloak, and draped it over her shoulders. "Let us go, Your Highness."

Wei Zai gave no verbal response, lowering her gaze instead to study her own palms—those hands were fair, tender, and thoroughly immaculate.

"A-You, my hands have finally been stained with the blood of my own kin after all. This is the first—who shall be the next?"

Xu Qingchu grasped Wei Zai's hand; it felt as cold as a block of ice. Wei Zai lifted her eyes to crash into those resolute eyes of hers; Xu Qingchu said nothing, yet her expression seemed to speak volumes, causing the glacial mountain to melt and spring flowers to bloom.

"Let us go." Wei Zai exhaled a turbid breath, pulling herself together. "This is only the very first step."

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