Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 26

The Emperor bestowed flowers upon Consort Li. Regardless of whether he liked those flowers, it was a great favor.

At court now, it was clear that the Prince of Dai’s power was growing, while the Prince of Jing was being dragged down by the Prince of Jin, constantly running errands for him. Why did Father still want to bolster the Prince of Jing’s influence?

Puyang could not understand it no matter how she thought about it. For years, it had been a struggle between the Prince of Zhao and the Prince of Jin. The Prince of Zhao was the eldest son in name and could not be easily set aside due to ritual propriety. The Prince of Jin was already disliked by His Majesty. Of the remaining Prince of Dai and Prince of Jing, whether by seniority or by the court’s inclination, the Prince of Dai should have been far superior to the Prince of Jing. Why did her father insist on promoting the Prince of Jing?

Puyang could not figure it out. Upon returning to her residence, she wanted to go to Wei Xiu’s place to ask for advice. After taking a few steps, she remembered that Qin Kun had not yet returned and abruptly stopped.

The most important thing was to first confirm Wei Xiu’s identity.

Puyang grew even more conflicted. Looking up at the sun, she saw it was not yet noon. She ordered someone to send a calling card to the Charioteer-General’s residence, informing them she would pay a visit the next day, and also instructed her palace attendant to prepare a gift.

By evening, Qin Kun had returned.

Puyang immediately summoned him.

Qin Kun entered with quick steps. Despite the bone-chilling late autumn weather, sweat streamed from his temples, a clear sign of his ceaseless, hurried efforts. Seeing this, Puyang said to an attendant beside her, “A cup of tea for Attendant Qin.”

Qin Kun quickly offered his thanks, took the tea presented by the palace attendant, and drank it in one gulp. After catching his breath for a moment, he took out a neatly and clearly organized register from his sleeve pocket. “This is what your servant has found over the past three days.” As he spoke, he presented the register to the Princess.

Puyang took it, flipped through it, and then looked at Qin Kun.

Qin Kun did not dare to be careless and reported in detail: “A total of one hundred and seventeen female relatives from the Xu family were confiscated and sent to the Yeting Palace. To date, three have died, personally examined by a medical officer.” Qin Kun paused, pointing to a page in the register. “There is proof with the medical officer’s signature and mark. The original document is stored within the Yeting Palace and cannot be removed without His Majesty’s edict, so your servant made a copy.”

Puyang examined it carefully. All the procedures were complete; there were truly no loopholes to exploit. She nodded, signaling for Qin Kun to continue. Qin Kun went on, “Of those who remain, more than half are still in the Yeting Palace doing menial tasks. A few who have slightly distinguished themselves are serving as low-ranking palace maids in the Six Bureaus. Your servant has checked them one by one against the roster, and there are no discrepancies.”

No discrepancies…

Puyang waved him away, then opened the register again and went through it item by item. Indeed, there were no flaws.

Closing the register, Puyang wearily pressed a hand to her forehead. She had truly been too suspicious. The palace security was strict, and the Yeting Palace was a place watched from every corner. How could anyone have possibly escaped from there?

“Your Highness.” A palace attendant hurried in.

Puyang acknowledged her with a sound, signaling for her to report.

“The Charioteer-General’s residence has received Your Highness’s calling card.” She presented a card. “This is the reply. Tomorrow, Charioteer-General Wei will await Your Highness’s arrival at his residence.”

Wei You was often not at his residence, so Puyang had sent the calling card a day in advance to avoid a wasted trip. Now that she had a clear reply, she handed the register to the palace attendant and told her to put it away along with the reply card.

If Qin Kun’s report had not been enough to completely dispel her doubts, then tomorrow’s visit to the Wei residence would be the final hurdle.

Puyang rose and went into her inner chamber. The book was on the bookshelf. She took it down and opened it, revealing the leaf pressed between its pages. The leaf still looked just as it had when it fell from Mount Mang into her palm. Puyang secretly resolved that if she received personal confirmation from Charioteer-General Wei, she would completely cast aside her suspicions and no longer doubt her teacher’s intentions.

“Her Highness sent a calling card to the Charioteer-General’s residence?”

“That is correct,” replied the servant who had previously delivered Puyang’s handwritten letter to the Prince of Jin’s residence. “The Charioteer-General’s residence has already sent a reply.”

A faint smile touched Wei Xiu’s lips. “In that case, the Princess should be at ease now.”

The servant’s name was Yan Huan. He was calm and steady, and his tone was even as he voiced his concern: “The Princess has sought verification from multiple sources. I fear she already suspects you, Young Master. If this suspicion is hidden in her heart, what if she doesn’t believe Charioteer-General Wei’s words…”

“Why wouldn’t she believe him? Charioteer-General Wei is a pillar of the court. What reason would he have to deceive the Princess?” Seeing Yan Huan’s lingering doubt, Wei Xiu patiently explained: “If the Princess were of a mind to kill the wrong person rather than let one go, she wouldn’t be seeking verification from so many sources. She sent people to investigate everywhere and even came to test me personally because she doesn’t want to believe her suspicions. Since she is already unwilling to believe them, and all the results align with her hopes, why would she not believe them now?”

Yan Huan understood and agreed.

Wei Xiu smiled at him. “The Princess is meticulous in her actions. She doesn’t listen to just one side of a story and has the strength to be decisive. But she has a weakness: she trusts her initial judgments too much. She was good to me from the very beginning. After this bout of suspicion, not only will she continue to be good to me, she will trust me even more.”

From the time they met until now, the Princess had indeed taken care of her in every possible way, even prioritizing her preferences when choosing a location to build a residence.

During the time she was recuperating in the thatched cottage, Wei Xiu had been observing her secretly. Combined with their time together since, she had more or less grasped the Princess’s temperament. These words should have been spoken with a triumphant tone, yet for some reason, Wei Xiu felt a little wistful.

Yan Huan also showed a hint of pity. “It is, perhaps, unfair to the Princess.”

It is only human to soften one’s heart. When they were strangers, scheming was just scheming. But once you’ve spent time with someone, it’s hard not to feel conflicted when it’s time to act.

But her heart was already as hard as iron. A flicker of sorrow showed in Wei Xiu’s eyes. Unfair to the Princess? It was indeed unfair. But who in this world had ever been treated with fairness? She pressed her lips together, and after a long moment, said calmly, “What she wants is this world. I will do everything in my power to help her achieve her wish.”

Yan Huan fell silent as well. He said no more, gave a low bow, and withdrew.

Early the next morning, Puyang went to visit the Charioteer-General’s residence.

She was dressed in palace attire, accompanied by three or five inner eunuchs, and carried a generous gift, arriving under the pretext of seeking a teacher.

Setting aside the fact that Her Highness Puyang was the only legitimate child among all the princes and princesses, making her status exceptionally noble, the Emperor’s favor alone was enough to make everyone in the Charioteer-General’s residence treat her with the utmost solemnity.

Early in the morning, Wei You, along with his wife, led his sons and daughters to wait respectfully at the gate.

As soon as the Princess arrived, the crowd bowed in greeting.

Puyang alighted from her carriage, helping Wei You up with one hand while saying to the others, “You may dispense with the formalities.”

It was crowded outside, so Wei You made an inviting gesture and welcomed the Princess into the residence.

The Charioteer-General’s residence was stately and austere. As they walked, the servants moved with disciplined steps, not a single one acting out of place.

Puyang smiled. “The General maintains a fine household.”

Wei You replied, “I am unworthy of the Princess’s praise.”

He felt a trace of apprehension, not knowing the reason for the Princess’s sudden visit. Over the years, with the princes vying for power, many had tried to win him over, given his high position and command of the Tiger Warriors. He prided himself on his judgment, and after interacting with them, he found them all unsatisfactory and had thus not aligned himself with any faction.

Now, it seemed the bearing of all the princes could not compare to the princess before him, whose words and actions were as refreshing as a spring breeze.

The two sat down in the main hall in the seats of host and guest. After Wei You had his children pay their respects to the Princess, he had them all withdraw.

His eldest son, nearly thirty, was now a Director in the Ministry of Punishments. Puyang had met him before. The last time she was assassinated, the Emperor had ordered the Ministry of Punishments and the Court of Judicial Review to handle the case jointly, and this Director Wei had been among them.

Puyang said, “During the assassination attempt, Director Wei was of great assistance. It is truly impolite of me not to have thanked him in person yet.”

Although these were polite words, Wei You was happy to hear them. For a man of his age, the success of his children and grandchildren was the most important thing, and his eldest son had indeed handled that assignment beautifully.

“It was all thanks to Minister Zhao and the Chief of the Court of Judicial Review. How could a mere director like him dare to take credit?” Wei You said humbly, his previously apprehensive mood unconsciously relaxing a little.

Puyang then smiled and said, “That time was also perilous. If not for being rescued by a lofty scholar on the mountain, I fear I would no longer know where I was.”

The Emperor had not publicized this matter, the Prince of Jin was too preoccupied to care, and Wang Gun had not gossiped about it. Therefore, aside from these few people, no one in the capital knew.

Hearing this for the first time, Wei You was first startled, then relieved. That made sense. He had previously wondered how the Princess, injured as she was, had managed to hold on for so many days before being rescued. So it turned out she had been saved by someone.

“Your Highness should properly thank that lofty scholar,” Wei You said, but he did not ask who the person was.

Puyang gave a faint smile. “Coincidentally, that teacher shares the same surname as the General. If I hadn’t heard that the Wei clan has no such son, I would have almost thought he and the General came from the same lineage.”

Wei You laughed heartily. “There are so many people with the surname Wei in this world.”

Puyang also smiled. “That is true. At his age, just having come of age, if he were a child of the Wei clan, the family should be planning a future for him. How could they let him live in seclusion?”

“Indeed, indeed,” Wei You also said, but just as he finished speaking, he seemed to recall something, and the smile on his lips froze. He looked at Puyang, but Puyang pretended not to notice, raising a hand to have a eunuch present the gift. “I have come this time because I wish to ask the General to be my teacher and instruct me in archery and horsemanship.”

Wei You naturally rose to decline. “Your servant is untalented. How could I dare to be the Princess’s teacher?”

He was genuinely refusing, and Puyang knew it. Once they had the relationship of master and student, the Wei clan and Princess Puyang’s residence would become inextricably linked. She thought for a moment and settled for the next best thing: “The General is busy with official duties, so I certainly dare not disturb you too much. If the General would be willing to offer some guidance, it would be enough for me to benefit greatly.”

If Puyang had asked for guidance from the start, Wei You would certainly have refused. But she had first asked to become his student—a relationship as solemn as that of father and son. He had already refused once, and the Princess had taken a step back. To refuse again would be going too far.

After a moment’s thought, Wei You agreed.

Having achieved her goal, Puyang rose and gave him a perfectly courteous bow.

With the official business concluded, Puyang sat for a short while longer before taking her leave of Wei You. As Wei You saw her out, he couldn’t help but bring up the topic again: “The lofty scholar Your Highness mentioned just now—I wonder if Your Highness knows their name?”

“His name is Xiu.”

Wei You’s expression changed. He quickly asked, “Does she have difficulty walking?”

Puyang’s heart tightened, then relaxed. The bewilderment and confusion of the past several days receded like the tide with Wei You’s question. Her teacher’s origins could now be confirmed, and the great stone in her heart vanished with it. Puyang felt an inexplicable joy. The more conflicted and tormented she had been these past few days, the more delighted and happy she was now.

She still maintained a somber expression, sighed faintly, and admitted to Wei You, “That is correct.”

Wei You’s expression grew complicated, as if he wanted to speak but was reluctant to.

Puyang continued walking without showing any emotion. Great families valued their reputation and honor; if there was any unseemly matter, they were unwilling to let outsiders know. Her teacher’s father was clearly not accepted by the family; there was likely another story behind it. It was normal for Wei You to be so grave, but Puyang knew he would eventually speak plainly. Her visit today, whether through her respectful attitude or her request to become his student, was a plea for Wei You’s help. Wei You’s agreement to guide her in archery and horsemanship was a favor, and he could very well use this favor to ask for her secrecy.

As they passed through a garden, the number of people around them dwindled. Wei You hesitated for a long time before finally speaking: “The teacher Your Highness spoke of is likely my nephew.”

He subconsciously lowered his voice. “My elder brother left home years ago for certain reasons and has had no contact with anyone in the family. Only because he and I share a deep brotherly bond have I occasionally received letters from him. From them, I learned that he has a son abroad, named Xiu, who has difficulty with his legs but is naturally brilliant. I wished to bring this child home, but alas, the family would not permit it.”

He sighed and said, “Airing our family’s dirty laundry is truly a last resort. I hope the Princess will inform me of his whereabouts. As his uncle, I must look after him to some extent.” He paused, then added, “The discord within the family is not something worth publicizing. I hope Your Highness will keep this secret for your servant.”

A blaze of nameless anger ignited within Puyang. Wei You hadn’t said it explicitly, but Puyang understood. Great families valued their lineage. Even if the father was not accepted by the clan, the sin did not extend to the child. The son, after all, bore the surname Wei and was naturally brilliant. What reason was there not to bring him back? It was merely because of his inconvenient legs.

Thinking of her teacher living in seclusion, all alone and desolate, Puyang’s favorable impression of the Wei clan instantly vanished.

She said politely to Wei You, “I cannot make decisions for him. I will ask him first and then give the General a reply. As for the affairs of your esteemed clan, it is naturally not for an outsider to comment.”