Spring Remains the Same - Chapter 51

Puyang entered directly, without having a servant announce her.

Inside the room, Wei Xiu was washing her hands. A maidservant stood by, holding a clean white cloth.

Caring for someone allows one, to some extent, to see into their heart. Wei Xiu took the white cloth and dried her hands. The corners of her lips held a gentle curve, and her eyes were serene, but Puyang was gradually discovering that Sir was, in fact, exceedingly detached. It seemed as if nothing in this world could truly concern her or move her heart. She often looked at Puyang with a gentle expression, but she would turn and gaze at others with that same gentleness.

Puyang had seen many strategists, their minds full of schemes and their hearts full of tricks, alleviating their lord’s worries while also paving the way for their own futures. Was Sir the same? Was her demeanor nothing more than a means to an end? Treating others this way, and treating her this way as well.

Therefore, even if Wei Xiu didn’t care for her affections, she had to maintain a pleasant facade to prevent a falling out with her master, which would cause her own plans to fail. That must be why she had held her hand that day, why she had seemed hesitant to speak, why she had appeared at a loss. Everything she had shown was merely a ploy to confuse her.

This thought made Puyang feel exceedingly anxious and uneasy.

She walked in just as Wei Xiu finished drying her hands and turned around. Seeing her, Wei Xiu showed no surprise and said with a light laugh, “Your Highness has arrived at the perfect time. It saves me the trouble of sending someone to invite you.”

For the past few days, Wei Xiu had been leaving early and returning late, and Puyang never saw her. Today, she had returned early for once, so Puyang naturally had to come and see her.

But for Sir to actively seek her out, it was most likely for an important matter. Puyang set aside her romantic feelings for the moment and said seriously, “Does Sir have some business to discuss?”

The servants in the room had withdrawn at some point. Wei Xiu’s hand, poised to lift the teapot, paused. The lighthearted smile from a moment ago faded from her face. Puyang was bewildered, not understanding why she had changed.

Wei Xiu gave a self-deprecating smile. “When I invite Your Highness, must it be to discuss business?”

The words seemed to carry a deeper meaning. But Wei Xiu was always inconsistent, gentle one moment and cold the next. Puyang didn’t know what she meant, nor how to reply, and was momentarily stunned.

Wei Xiu looked at her for a moment, then composed herself as usual. She poured a cup of tea for Puyang and continued, “In that case, let us talk business.”

With that, she turned her wheelchair, went to the desk, and retrieved a box.

Puyang felt as if she had missed something. If her attitude had been gentler just now, what would Sir have said to her? The thought filled her with a sense of loss.

Wei Xiu returned, opened the box, and revealed several scrolls of letters inside. She took them out and handed them to Puyang, saying, “Your Highness, please take a look.”

Puyang took them, read one scroll, set it aside, then unrolled a second. After quickly scanning its contents, she said in pleasant surprise, “Sir, how did you obtain these?”

The Liangzhou rebellion had been quelled, and the grand army was returning to the capital. Those who had earned military merit would follow the army back to court to be ennobled. This time, many sons from humble families had achieved great deeds. These men had no connections at court and came from poor backgrounds. As far as Puyang knew, both the Prince of Jin and the Prince of Zhao had already sent people to the army to curry favor with them.

What Wei Xiu had given her were replies from several of these generals with outstanding merits.

But the army was strictly disciplined. How could one so easily contact these men, let alone receive replies from them?

After her initial joy, Puyang realized the difficulty involved and became puzzled.

Wei Xiu said simply, “Wei You.”

The paper in her hands, light as a feather, suddenly felt scalding hot. Puyang looked down at the letters that had just brought a flush of joy to her face. The clearly biased phrases within them now struck her eye, leaving a sour taste.

Grand Tutor Wei had long wanted to invite Sir back to the family home, but unfortunately, Sir disliked the Wei clan and had never relented. For the sake of these letters, she must have set aside her estrangement and taken the initiative to visit the Wei residence.

This also explained why she had been leaving early and returning late these past few days.

The moment Puyang thought of Sir enduring her annoyance, dealing with the Grand Tutor, and perhaps even forcing a smile, every last bit of her happiness vanished.

Wei Xiu seemed not to notice Puyang’s complex expression and analyzed the situation for her in detail. “Your Highness lacks people in the military. This is an excellent opportunity; winning over these few soldiers from humble backgrounds is of the utmost importance. The struggle between the princes is mostly fought in the imperial court, where military power is merely the icing on the cake. But Your Highness is different. In the days to come, you will certainly have need of soldiers.”

If imperial power could be transferred smoothly, a political struggle to win over court officials would suffice. But in Puyang’s situation, a military contest was unavoidable. She had no troops on hand now, so she had to start accumulating them immediately.

“These men come from humble origins, so His Majesty will surely place them in important positions. Is not the long delay in launching the southern campaign also due to the great families holding too much power in the army?” Wei Xiu saw things with great clarity; this step had been part of her plan all along. “I borrowed the Wei clan’s influence to correspond with these men. With Wei You acting as an intermediary in the army, I was one step ahead of the Princes of Zhao and Jin.”

A trace of weariness was visible on Wei Xiu’s brow, but she seemed to be in a good mood, sipping her tea with a leisurely air. “Once they enter the capital, they will certainly pay you a visit. The barefoot are not afraid of those who wear shoes. These men have all gained power suddenly; they are brave and bold, and they won’t be as hesitant and calculating as the sons of great families. When the time comes, it will all depend on Your Highness’s methods.”

Sir had paved a wide, open road for her. She had started with nothing, but in less than a year, she had her people in the court, and soon, she would have her people in the army. These men’s ranks were not yet high, but their futures were bright, and with the Emperor’s covert protection, it wouldn’t be many years before she had the power to contend with the princes.

But Puyang knew it was more than that. Sir certainly had more moves in reserve. The person she was assisting would not merely stop at contending with the princes, but would far surpass their power, leaving her unrivaled at court. Only then would her position be secure.

The bright future was thrilling, but Puyang disregarded everything else for the moment. Staring at Wei Xiu, she felt a strange surge of anger. “What did you promise the Wei clan?”

She knew the rift between Wei Xiu and the Wei clan was deep, which was why she hadn’t mentioned forming an alliance with them these past days. But she never expected… She was angry, angry at herself. Sir had run errands for her, had compromised for her, and yet she had thought such base things of her.

Wei Xiu looked at her with a smile. “Is that very important?”

Puyang said nothing, only staring at her stubbornly.

As if unable to bear her gaze, Wei Xiu gave a helpless smile. “Rest assured, Your Highness. I did not wrong myself.”

Seeing Puyang’s surprise, she explained directly, “The Wei clan has already secretly thrown their lot in with the Prince of Zhao. They know about the matter of relocating the Rong tribes and wish to make it happen for the Prince of Zhao to earn great merit. When they learned that this was originally my strategy, they came to ask me how they should claim this matter for the Prince of Zhao. I took the opportunity to propose this matter as an exchange.”

Puyang could never have imagined it would be like this. She asked in astonishment, “Since they have already sided with the Prince of Zhao, why would Wei You help you make connections instead of helping the Prince of Zhao?”

“Does Your Highness believe that someone as cunning as the Grand Tutor would wholeheartedly scheme for the Prince of Zhao?” Wei Xiu sneered. “He will naturally secure a path of retreat for himself. Your Highness is favored and knows the Emperor’s heart well, making you the perfect backup plan. It would be even better if they could know in advance where the sovereign’s heart lies.”

In other words, if one day they learned in advance whom the Emperor intended to enthrone, they would not hesitate to immediately abandon the Prince of Zhao.

On the surface, the great families appear glamorous, but in reality, they are no different from cunning merchants. It’s just that merchants chase profit, while they chase power.

She had seen through the Grand Tutor’s thoughts completely and was merely acting according to the situation.

Puyang thought for a moment and understood the connections. She frowned. “I fear their greed is insatiable.” Having received one strategy from Wei Xiu this time, they would likely demand more in the future.

“Even an insatiable pit of desire must be filled with something of value in exchange,” Wei Xiu said calmly. “It’s a pity that Wei You is returning to the capital and can no longer command the Tiger Warriors. Otherwise…”

The Tiger Warriors guard the palace city; the safety of the imperial palace depends on them. The Emperor could entrust them to him in the past because the Wei clan was not aligned with any faction. But things were different now that they had leaned toward the Prince of Zhao.

Puyang, however, didn’t find it a pity. “Sudden shifts in the political winds are inevitable.” For now, the capital was still stable, and any changes had their traceable signs. A decade or so ago, when the Great Wei was newly established, the capital was in turmoil. Being a court official in the morning and a condemned prisoner by evening was an almost daily occurrence.

Being at the center of a vortex of conflict, Puyang had at least this much awareness. As she spoke, she placed the letters back into the box.

Seeing this, Wei Xiu said, “Your Highness should take them back to read. It’s a good way to first understand these men through their own words.” The letters were written in the writers’ own voices, which best reflected their manner of speech and way of thinking.

Puyang had the same intention and placed the box beside her.

The official business was concluded, and Puyang ought to leave, but she was reluctant to go. “The army will not reach the capital for several more days. This matter is not urgent.”

“Indeed, it is not urgent. I had not originally intended to discuss this with Your Highness today.” Wei Xiu’s voice grew softer, accompanied by a sigh that seemed to come from a great distance.

Puyang felt guilty. Sir had run errands everywhere for her; she should not have doubted Sir’s intentions. Wanting to make amends, she quickly asked in a soft voice, “Sir, for what matter did you seek me out?”

The smile was gone from Wei Xiu’s face. Her eyes were still gentle, but they concealed a hint of sadness that made Puyang’s heart ache to see.

“I brewed some new wine and had intended to invite Your Highness for a taste.” Wei Xiu glanced toward the wall, where a wine jar sat. Its surface was wet, as if it had just been washed.

“But I’m afraid Your Highness is no longer in the mood.” The hint of sadness seemed to have been Puyang’s illusion. Wei Xiu smiled faintly. “This is my only hobby. Unfortunately, I cannot drink well myself, so whenever there is new wine, I must always ask someone to taste it for me.”

Puyang felt only that she had betrayed Sir’s good intentions. “Sir… I didn’t…” she said guiltily. The words caught in her throat, and she didn’t know how to continue. When she arrived, she had indeed felt distant, suspecting Sir was like those other strategists—unresponsive to her feelings, yet afraid of losing favor and deliberately trying to beguile her.

Wei Xiu had never tasted love. She was relying solely on intuition, designing her words, tone, and expression to make it seem as if she were gradually, step by step, being moved by the princess.

She waited for the princess to continue, her gaze so focused it seemed it could hold no one but Her Highness. Puyang felt both guilt and joy, for Sir seemed different today, as if she too held some expectation.

Puyang said quickly, “I am willing to taste the wine for you, Sir.” As long as she liked it, as long as she was willing, Puyang would gladly taste wine for her for a lifetime.

She was sincere, and because of that sincerity, her affection was moving. Wei Xiu felt that she herself was detestable, deceiving another’s feelings—an act that even she found contemptible. But she was like one possessed, concerned only with the day she could have her revenge, regardless of anything else.

She hardened her heart and, as if delighted, said, “I will pour the wine for Your Highness.”