The Child Emperor

Just before entering the Marquis’s manor, servants came out to congratulate Lady Cui, saying the Weary Marquis had returned. Lady Cui smiled and rewarded them. Though she had sent Du Motian and Reckless to welcome him days ago, she was still thrilled at the news. After stepping down from her sedan chair, her steps were a bit unsteady.

She controlled herself well, not showing too much excitement in front of the servants. When she returned to the inner quarters, the Marquis wasn’t there. She learned he had gone straight to his study upon returning.

A maid ran to check the study and quickly returned, reporting that the Marquis was taking a nap and had asked to be woken when his wife returned.

Lady Cui didn’t have him woken. She had things to do, so she went to the rear hall and asked for his attendants to be summoned if they weren’t resting.

Reckless had returned to the Drunken Immortal Inn. The Dus and Meng E came to see the lady.

Lady Cui expressed gratitude to the Dus without giving rewards like she would to ordinary servants – this was too great a debt for the Marquis and his wife to repay currently.

She was puzzled by the guard “Chen Tong,” whom she’d never heard of before. She immediately recognized it was a woman dressed as a man, not from any obvious tells but pure intuition.

Meng E stopped using a male voice. “I am Meng E, formerly a palace guard.”

The Dus were shocked to learn Meng E was a guard, but Lady Cui was delighted. She took Meng E’s hand and chatted with her at length, calling her “Sister Meng” by the time they parted.

After handling some household matters, Lady Cui couldn’t wait any longer and went to the study.

A maid quietly set down a tray of wine and food on the desk before withdrawing. Lady Cui stood in the middle of the room, watching her sleeping husband. After half a year apart, his appearance had changed somewhat – even in sleep, his face showed signs of the hardships he had weathered.

Han Ruzi was exhausted. Days of travel had taken their toll. Last night’s sleep hadn’t been enough, and soon after returning home he was yawning constantly. He had intended just a short nap but hadn’t woken after more than two hours.

During the Marquis’s absence, Lady Cui often came to the study, keeping it spotlessly clean with the maids. Sometimes she would sit and read. At the desk, she immediately noticed changes: the Marquis had taken out the national histories again and read over a dozen pages.

Lady Cui smiled, sat down, and continued reading where he’d left off. The room was quiet except for his breathing. Though she didn’t usually enjoy such books, today she read with interest, even pouring herself wine which she slowly sipped.

After some time, a maid suddenly rushed in, gesturing urgently to her mistress.

Lady Cui set down her wine and book, glanced at her sleeping husband, and quietly left the study, gently closing the door.

“The Empress Dowager summons you to the palace immediately. A sedan chair is waiting outside.”

“The Empress Dowager…” Lady Cui hesitated, considering waking her husband. But her previous palace visits had always been brief, so she assumed this would be the same. After a moment’s hesitation, she left her sleeping husband undisturbed and hurried to the front courtyard.

They met Meng E on the way, now dressed as a maid like the others in the household. She said, “I’ll accompany you to the palace.”

“That would be wonderful.” Lady Cui had her own maid stay behind. “When the Marquis wakes, tell him I’ll return soon.”

Over ten palace eunuchs and maids had come, along with a guard unit – a grander escort than before. Lady Cui recognized one of the female officials but didn’t ask questions, simply boarding the sedan chair with Meng E to head to the palace.

After dark, Han Ruzi finally woke feeling invigorated, his lost strength and spirit seemingly restored.

He immediately noticed the book and remaining wine on the desk. “Anyone there?”

A maid entered. “You’re awake, my lord.”

Han Ruzi didn’t recognize her. “You are…?”

“This servant is called Luzhu, the lady’s maid.”

“Ah.” When Han Ruzi left home, his wife’s maids had been former palace servants. He didn’t know why they’d been replaced but wasn’t concerned. “Has my wife been here?” ȓ₳Ŋ𝐨₿Ε𐌔

“Yes, but she didn’t want us to wake you.”

Thinking of his wife being so near, Han Ruzi smiled. “Where is she now?”

“She was summoned to the palace, and has just left…”

“What?” Han Ruzi started, his voice changing.

Maid Luzhu smiled. “Don’t worry, my lord. My lady often visits the palace but never stays overnight. She’s usually back within two hours.”

“She often visits the palace?” Han Ruzi was even more surprised – she had never mentioned this in her letters.

“Yes, I used to accompany her, but today it was that person you brought back…”

“Meng E.”

“Yes, Sister Meng E took the lady to the palace.”

Han Ruzi felt somewhat relieved. “Who does she see there?”

“Either Lady Cui or Maiden Wang.”

Han Ruzi relaxed a bit more and smiled. “I understand. You may go. When she returns, notify me immediately, no matter what I’m doing.”

“Yes, my lord.”

After the maid left, Han Ruzi didn’t know what to do. Earlier, he hadn’t discussed much with the possibly fake “Chunyu Xiao,” leaving many questions unanswered. Now he felt at a loss.

He sat in the chair awhile, sensing what seemed like his wife’s lingering warmth. Looking at the book, he saw she had read twenty more pages, clearly staying for some time. She had left a bamboo bookmark where he had stopped reading.

“Come…” Han Ruzi started to call for Zhang Youcai before remembering his confidants were still at Divine Hero Pass. He drank the remaining half cup of wine and went to find the Dus himself, as there was something he still needed to ask.

“When did Reckless start working for my wife? And how did you connect with the fate seer?”

Though Du Chuanyun had traveled longer than Han Ruzi, his martial arts training meant he recovered faster. After one night’s sleep, he was back to normal, but he wouldn’t enter the study, standing at the door ready to leave at any moment.

Du Motian replied, “Reckless came to us voluntarily a month ago. Since he had helped you before, my lady trusted him. As for the fate seer, he was always with Reckless.”

“What does Reckless call the fate seer?”

“Master Huangfu.”

Han Ruzi grunted, thinking he had indeed made a mistake – it was even less likely the fate seer was Chunyu Xiao.

A servant rushed in. Han Ruzi’s heart leaped, thinking his wife had returned, but the servant only said someone called Yang Feng, claiming to know the Marquis, was at the gate asking to see him.

The manor’s new servants didn’t recognize the former steward.

Han Ruzi immediately stood and ran out to welcome him personally.

Du Chuanyun stepped aside and said to his grandfather, “When will we ever repay our debt to Eunuch Yang?”

“His debt was repaid long ago. If you count carefully, he actually owes us now.”

“What? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Then why are we still at the Marquis’s manor?”

“Ah, debts of gratitude are like mountains – climb one and there’s another. We may not owe Yang Feng, but now we owe the Marquis and his wife.”

“No way, if anything they owe us.” Du Chuanyun’s eyes widened, unable to understand how after doing so much, they still owed the Marquis. It was like gambling – seemingly winning more than losing, yet ending up short.

Du Motian was in good spirits and lightly tapped his grandson’s head. “You’ve traveled with me so long yet don’t understand? Debts of gratitude are always unclear – you owe me, I owe you, until it becomes friendship. Could you leave the Marquis now if asked?”

Du Chuanyun scratched his head. “Well… I would miss it here. I was hoping to become a general under the Marquis someday.”

“You? A general? You’d only cause trouble.”

Du Chuanyun chuckled. “But what about Yang Feng? The debt is settled and we have no friendship with him.”

Du Motian grew serious. “Yang Feng is strange. He understands and uses the pugilist world but never gets attached or owes debts. We must be careful with him.”

Du Chuanyun nodded in agreement. “All eunuchs are strange… well, no, Cai Xinghai is completely different from Yang Feng.”

Han Ruzi brought Yang Feng in, and Du Chuanyun quickly fell silent, remembering his grandfather’s words. He nodded to Yang Feng with exaggerated solemnity, while Du Motian simply cupped his hands in greeting.

Yang Feng ignored Du Chuanyun, only returning Du Motian’s greeting.

Han Ruzi couldn’t contain his excitement and announced loudly, “Master Yang has resigned as Northern Army Adjutant and will again be steward of my household!”

Du Motian smiled. “Congratulations on regaining such a capable officer. Ah, we’ll leave you to talk.”

Han Ruzi’s ambitions for the throne were now public, so there was no need for secrecy. “You two are my right and left hands. I won’t stand on ceremony – please stay and help plan these important matters.”

Du Motian looked at Yang Feng while Du Chuanyun exclaimed, “Great! Finally involved in important matters instead of just running errands. Using my lightfoot martial arts for deliveries is exhausting – that’s not what it’s meant for.”

Han Ruzi smiled and invited all three to sit, then asked Yang Feng, “How did the Champion Marquis let you go?”

“He no longer needs me,” Yang Feng replied flatly.

“You did much for him?” Du Chuanyun asked, now uninhibited since learning their debt was settled.

“Yes, quite a bit.” Yang Feng freely admitted. “When the Champion Marquis first returned to the Capital, it wasn’t appropriate for him to appear publicly. I persuaded the Chancellor and other officials to support him. When the fate seer approached, I convinced the Champion Marquis to accept him. Perhaps I succeeded too well – that fate seer now has the Champion Marquis’s complete trust and can replace my position.”

“Heh, so Master Yang lost his place with the Champion Marquis and came back here,” Du Chuanyun said somewhat disdainfully.

“I will always have a place for Master Yang,” Han Ruzi disagreed. He had once proudly thought he could achieve greatness alone, but no longer. Regaining Yang Feng’s help was his first victory since returning to the Capital, and its ease made him feel fortunate.

Yang Feng didn’t want to waste time. “The Champion Marquis’s son was brought into the palace. Is it the same with your wife?”

Han Ruzi finally understood this palace visit was unusual. “Was this the fate seers’ arrangement?”

“Probably. Also, I just learned there’s a new rule for the succession contest.” Yang Feng showed no interest in the Marquis’s wife’s palace visit, keeping his gaze on Han Ruzi. “You must be nominated by at least one high-ranking minister to be eligible for the throne.”

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