Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 33

Once winter set in, the year was quickly drawing to a close.

After returning from the West Mountain, Princess Puyang began visiting Wei Xiu’s small courtyard every day, as if she had nothing else to do. Wei Xiu did not turn her away; if she wanted to come, she came.

This day was already nearing the twelfth lunar month.

The weather grew colder, and the ice on the Luoshui River no longer thawed. Whenever Wei Xiu’s legs were exposed to the cold, it felt as if countless insects were crawling and biting inside her bones, an unbearable, numbing pain. Even with the room heated like a furnace, it was of no use.

A Rong replaced the charcoal in the brazier. Looking up, she saw Wei Xiu’s brows tightly knitted and knew her legs were hurting again. It had been this way for many years. When outsiders were present, she would force herself to endure it, only revealing a hint of her agony when she was alone.

“Sir…” A Rong began, then hesitated. Her heart ached for Wei Xiu, but she knew the leg ailment was a stubborn, long-standing affliction with no cure.

Wei Xiu was lost in thought, trying to distract herself from the pain in her legs. Hearing A Rong’s soft call, she looked up. Seeing the worry on A Rong’s face, she knew what she was thinking. She smiled and offered a very understanding reassurance, “Don’t worry. It will be better once winter passes.” It was as if A Rong were the one suffering, not her.

A Rong’s eyes grew hot. Through the long years, she had never gotten used to it. When winter passed and the spring warmth returned, on overcast and rainy days, her master’s legs would be no better than they were now. The damp, gloomy weather brought a throbbing, unbearable pain that could not be relieved. It was a cycle, day after day, year after year, with no end in sight.

Wei Xiu wanted to comfort her but knew that mere words were insignificant. Saying more would be a waste of breath. So she said faintly, “The Princess should be here soon. Don’t let her see anything amiss.”

A Rong quickly turned away to wipe her moist eyes.

Wei Xiu, however, turned to gaze at the white snow outside the window, enduring the sharp, needle-like pain in her legs as her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Before long, Princess Puyang did indeed arrive.

She entered holding an official report, walking in from the wind and snow. Wei Xiu smoothed her brow, her expression serene, but her hands instinctively covered her knees, hoping the faint warmth from her palms might offer some small relief.

Princess Puyang strode quickly into the room. The wind and snow outside seemed to linger on her, her face cool and detached. Wei Xiu’s hands, resting on her knees, paused. Her heart grew solemn, but she did not speak rashly, watching as Puyang sat down before her.

The warmth of the room melted the chill Puyang had brought with her. After sitting, she seemed to calm down as well. She handed the report to Wei Xiu. “The Xianbei and Qiang in Hexi are in revolt. They have killed a county magistrate and occupied several counties. The local governor only learned of this after the Qiang-Hu tribes had massacred an entire city of Han people.”

As Wei Xiu listened, she unfolded the report and scanned it briefly. A look of concern appeared on her face. “It is still winter. The ground is frozen and the weather is cold, making it difficult to move troops. If we cannot annihilate these Qiang-Hu rebels quickly, I fear it will become a great disaster by next spring.”

This year’s harvest had been poor, and the Xiongnu beyond the frontier had also suffered calamities, their lives hard and meager. If they learned of instability within the country, they would surely take the opportunity to bite. At that point, the northwest would face both internal and external threats, making it even harder to pacify.

Princess Puyang understood this. In court today, His Majesty had been furious, and the ministers, alarmed, had all offered strategies to resolve the crisis. Thinking of the capabilities of the officials in the hall, Puyang’s expression softened somewhat. She then noticed that while Wei Xiu looked concerned, she was not shocked. “It seems Sir anticipated this?”

Sharp eyes. The few thin sheets of the report floated like a feather onto the table. Wei Xiu looked up at Puyang and did not hide it from her. “Before the trip to the West Mountain, the report Your Highness gave me mentioned that the Governor of Liangzhou, Qian Wu, had killed a group of Rong-Di refugees. I had a faint feeling then that something was about to happen.”

She said it casually, but Puyang fell silent. After a moment, she said, “Since Sir had an idea, why did you not tell me? Do you know how many Han people have died under the butcher’s knives of the Qiang-Hu this time?”

She controlled her tone, trying not to sound harsh or critical, but the implication of censure in her words was impossible to hide. Seeing Wei Xiu still so detached, Puyang pressed her lips together. “Qian Wu is currently mobilizing troops to encircle them. They have been in revolt for over a month now. In that time, the number of Han people who have died under their blades is likely in the tens of thousands. If Sir had mentioned something, perhaps this bl00d would not have been shed!”

That was tens of thousands of lives! Who could remain indifferent?

Princess Puyang was angry, especially knowing that this tragedy might have been prevented.

Wei Xiu remained calm, her eyes as detached as if she were above worldly affairs. The color had drained from her lips, making her appear exceedingly cold. Seeing her like this, Puyang took a breath and stopped her reprimand, instead getting straight to the point. “Sir knew beforehand but kept silent. Was it because you wished to use this matter to set up some scheme?”

Only then did Wei Xiu smile. Of course she had a plan. Her goal was to push Zhou Qi forward. If she had chosen the Imperial Grandson, she could have plotted slowly, allowing the people under her command to climb up step by step. But it was different with the Princess. She was too weak and could not afford to wait.

The Princess absolutely could not fail. She had spent years planning with painstaking effort and could not tolerate the slightest mistake.

Seeing Wei Xiu smile, Puyang’s expression instantly darkened. Wei Xiu, naturally, would not tell her the truth. She wanted to use this opportunity to make the Princess even more obedient to her.

“If, as Your Highness imagines, I intended to use this matter to lay a trap, would Your Highness find me cold-blooded?” Wei Xiu asked lightly.

Puyang bit her lip, her hands clenching into fists beneath her sleeves. She did not know how Wei Xiu had schemed for the Imperial Grandson in her past life, but if it involved treating the lives of thousands of innocent people like grass to be casually discarded, she could never approve!

“Yes. For Sir to do so would indeed be cold-blooded. Tens of thousands of common people—they are not players in this game. They are just innocent people who would be content with a full belly and the ability to live. Among them are even infants who know nothing, who cannot even speak. I am not a benevolent person. I know that one general’s success is built on ten thousand bleaching bones. I have never thought that a great nation could be achieved peacefully, without death.” Puyang’s tone was unprecedentedly calm, but the resolve in her eyes was as hard as iron. “But a person must have a bottom line. If Sir were to scheme to take the lives of the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Zhao, or the Prince of Jing, I would certainly applaud your resourcefulness. They are players in this game and should be prepared to risk their lives, as am I. But the common people are innocent.”

Puyang was filled with disappointment. She had misjudged her. The strategist she had so eagerly sought should not be like this.

She thought back to that day on the West Mountain, when Sir had bantered with her in the plum grove. Amidst the beautiful scenery, her bearing had been elegant, her aura as clean and flawless as the frost on a flower petal. But in just one short month, she had shown her a ruthless, dark, and cold side.

This person was not the person she had imagined.

She had trusted the wrong person. Along with her disappointment, a fierce, surging anger lay hidden in her chest, as if Wei Xiu had not only fallen short of her expectations as a person but had also betrayed her in some other way. Because of this betrayal, even her heart began to ache.

Wei Xiu’s expression remained unchanged. She spoke leisurely, “Your Highness has guessed wrong. I did not use this matter to set a trap. Rather, it was because this matter was unavoidable.”

Puyang was stunned.

“Regarding the wager back then, I told Your Highness that some matters can be guided by circumstances, while others cannot. This matter belongs to the latter category,” Wei Xiu said calmly. “The Governor of Liangzhou, Qian Wu, is one of the Prince of Zhao’s men, appointed just three months ago. Liangzhou is a vital border garrison and should be defended by someone well-versed in military affairs. Qian Wu is brave but lacks strategy; he is not a suitable talent for pacifying the border.”

Having said this, she looked at Puyang. “But this man is a trusted subordinate of the Prince of Zhao, appointed only three months ago. Does Your Highness believe His Majesty would replace him simply because of a word from you?”

The affairs of the court were a tangled mess; a single move could affect the entire situation. How could they be swayed by a single word from Princess Puyang?

So it wasn’t… Puyang was taken aback, realizing she had wrongly accused Wei Xiu. She stammered, “But why didn’t Sir offer a reminder?” She felt a little embarrassed, but her heart was filled with immense joy and relief.

“There is no point in speaking of matters beyond one’s power. It only creates needless trouble,” Wei Xiu said faintly. She closed her eyes, a look of helplessness and weariness on her face, as if she were pained by the deaths of tens of thousands and ashamed of her own powerlessness.

Puyang felt deeply ashamed for having misjudged a good person. But she was not so easily fooled. Although Wei Xiu had given an explanation, it was too calm, every word a cold analysis. A thought occurred to her: if she had advised His Majesty and laid out the pros and cons, he might not have refused to listen. She had offered counsel to His Majesty many times in the past, and he had always adopted it.

“I have wronged you, Sir,” Puyang first apologized to Wei Xiu. No matter what, it was true that she had misunderstood her.

Wei Xiu shook her head and sighed. “Your Highness may still be unconvinced. In that case, why not go to the palace and try? Qian Wu is not a suitable talent for pacifying the border. Within a few months, he will surely bring disgrace upon the nation. If we are to annihilate the Qiang-Hu rebellion in one fell swoop, we must choose a capable general to replace him.”

The implication was that since she had said it in advance, the Princess could go to the palace for an audience, report this to His Majesty, and still be in time. But this matter would surely fail.

Puyang was embarrassed that her thoughts had been seen through, but official business was urgent. Although Sir predicted that His Majesty would not accept her counsel, she still had to try. She stood up, about to take her leave, but then she noticed how frighteningly pale Wei Xiu’s lips were. She slowed her steps and asked with concern, “Is Sir feeling unwell?”

Wei Xiu looked up, smiled, and shook her head gently. “I just didn’t sleep well last night. It’s nothing.”

Just a moment ago she had been cold and indifferent, and now she was gentle as usual. Puyang gave her another look. She still preferred the gentle Sir.

But official business truly could not be delayed. Puyang had no time to ask more questions, so she took her leave and hurried to the palace.

The moment she left, Wei Xiu let out a long breath, lifted the hem of her robe, and rolled up her trouser leg. Her legs were as white as jade and thinner than a normal person’s. If not for her daily massages, they would likely be even more deformed and hideous.

Wei Xiu raised a hand and touched her leg. The entire limb was as cold as a dead thing. A numbing, itching, and piercing pain gnawed at the bone, never ceasing, like a blunt knife slicing away at her flesh, piece by piece, year after year, as if determined to drive her mad before it would stop.

If she could have hot water brought, and apply cloths soaked in boiling water and wrung dry to her legs, it might provide some small relief. But Wei Xiu had more important things to do. She pulled down her rolled-up trouser leg, straightened her robes, and called for A Rong, instructing her, “Quickly, have Yan Huan come see me.”

On Zhou Qi’s side, it was time to start preparing.

This opportunity must not be missed.