Three Steps: From Assassin to Empress - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Change

The quiet room where the client lived was vast and desolate. The furnishings were simple and unbelievably cold, like a tomb in winter, exuding a silent, murderous aura.

Ying Xiu stood in the room, hesitating on where to place his bed. After a long deliberation, he decided to take over Xie Zhou’s bed. Sleeping in the same bed, that’s what the books said. He righteously moved his pillow and placed it next to Xie Zhou’s, inside the bed curtain.

He also brought his clothes and hung them on the clothes rack, right next to Xie Zhou’s white robes. And the Heart-Asking Sword. Ying Xiu chose an inconspicuous spot to hide it, so that when he left with his sword one day, Xie Zhou wouldn’t find out so quickly.

After settling his important belongings, Ying Xiu wandered around the large, quiet room, thinking about what else he needed to add. He needed to place a large porcelain jar by the window, filled with grain to feed the owls. He also wanted to grow some flowers and trees for the owls to rest on.

When the client returned to his room, his living space had undergone a complete transformation. As soon as he entered, he made eye contact with a plump owl by the window. The owl turned its fluffy head, revealing two round, bright eyes, and looked at him curiously.

The client: “…”

He gave a slight nod to the owl as a greeting and walked into the inner room. The once secluded and desolate space now had a splash of bright colors. Ying Xiu’s belongings were neatly arranged in every corner. Through the bed curtain, he could vaguely see the young assassin sitting cross-legged on the bed, his slender waist slightly bent, his spine like a graceful bow, meticulously folding the quilt—or rather, fumbling with it.

“Xie Zhou! You’re here! Come and help me.” Ying Xiu heard the footsteps and immediately called for help. Assassins were used to sleeping outdoors, with the sky as their blanket and the ground as their bed. Even when he slept in a tavern loft, he simply covered himself with a bamboo mat. He had never folded a quilt before, and now he was sweating.

Xie Zhou came to help him. They both sat in the white bed and worked together to tackle the quilt. However, Xie Zhou was equally clueless. After a bit of struggle, the usually calm and indifferent client looked at the quilt with a deep gaze and finally decided to give up.

After stacking the crooked quilt neatly against the wall, Ying Xiu’s face was flushed. Strands of hair hung down by his jaw, making his face look even fairer. He simply collapsed onto the bed, his cheeks hot, breathing heavily. Folding a quilt was too difficult, even more difficult than assassination.

The client remained seated, like a glazed statue. He looked down at the unguarded assassin lying beside him, and a wonderful feeling swelled in his heart. The youth was vibrant and lively, as elusive as floating sunlight. Now he was lying quietly on the bed, looking at him with beautiful, clear eyes.

Xie Zhou looked at Ying Xiu, and Ying Xiu looked back at Xie Zhou. The youth suddenly sat up and lightly pecked Xie Zhou on the chin, then quickly dived back under the quilt. A muffled laugh came from under the covers, as if he was happy about his successful ambush.

This was the second time Ying Xiu had ambushed him. He seemed to be getting more and more daring, from pecking his hand to his chin. Xie Zhou paused, then reached up to touch his own chin. There was still a hint of softness and moisture, a cautious kiss.

Ying Xiu was starting to feel stuffy under the quilt. He waited for a long time, but nothing happened. He assumed Xie Zhou had left. He let out a sigh of relief, but also felt a little disappointed. He quietly peeked out. A cold hand suddenly clamped his slender, handsome jaw. Two fingers pinched his cheek, lifting him up. The grip was gentle and didn’t hurt him.

Ying Xiu’s eyes widened. He watched the other man’s face get closer, his heart in a panic. He held his breath, his eyes not blinking. The other man leaned down and lightly touched him, then slowly released him. It was a soft, cold, brief kiss.

…Huh?

Ying Xiu hadn’t even reacted yet. He touched his own lips. His beautifully shaped eyes suddenly became round. He wanted to bite him again. Xie Zhou would agree, right…? He decided he would sneak another bite while Xie Zhou was asleep. His heart fluttered like a frightened rabbit. He got up and pretended nothing had happened.

“In the third month of next year, the imperial examinations will be reinstated,” Xie Zhou said.

Hearing this out of the blue, Ying Xiu was a little confused. With the gentry in power and political marriages running rampant, it was not easy for the emperor to restore the imperial examinations. Besides, how did Xie Zhou know?

Ying Xiu directly asked the question in his heart. Xie Zhou just smiled faintly. “I heard it by chance.”

Ying Xiu believed him. As a client under the Prime Minister, it was not unusual for him to have access to private information. But why was Xie Zhou telling him this? His public identity was a scholar who couldn’t find an official position. Was Xie Zhou telling him to prepare for the examinations?

Ying Xiu’s body tensed. He didn’t want to be an official. All he wanted was to help the eldest son of the Wang clan secure his position as the clan’s master. He would worry about the future later. He did the math. Wang Shouzheng should have handled the sluice gate issue by now.

Just then, Xie Zhou suddenly asked him, “If someone makes the same mistake repeatedly, how should I handle them?”

Ying Xiu thought for a moment. Was Xie Zhou talking about him coming home late? It shouldn’t be. Xie Zhou wasn’t that petty. Since it wasn’t about him, what was Xie Zhou talking about?

Ying Xiu couldn’t figure it out and simply said, “A country has its laws, and a family has its rules. Naturally, they should be dealt with according to the laws of the Southern Dynasty. If they refuse to change their ways, then there’s no need to show mercy.”

Xie Zhou smiled. Ying Xiu was so taken by the smile that he was stunned for a long time. He asked straightforwardly, “Was I wrong?”

“No,” Xie Zhou said, his eyes deep. “What you said makes sense.”

The case of the sluice gate incident in Jiangzhou was personally investigated by the Bureau of the Clear Mirror. In just two days, they uncovered the truth: the local Wu gentry of Jiangzhou had colluded to frame the Deputy Governor, Wang Yu. For a second time, they had dared to go after an official sent by the court. The gentry of Jiangzhou were investigated from house to house. Their once-closed fortresses were now open, and soldiers went in and out freely. In a single night, some were raided and others were exiled. Jiangzhou was now free of its gentry.

As for Wang Yu, he was punished with a six-month salary deduction for his negligence, but was then promoted to the Central Secretariat for his good work on the canal. The water transport of Jiangzhou was now fully under the control of the Imperial Maritime Commission.

This time, neither the northern gentry who had settled in Jiangnan for a long time nor the local Wu gentry gained anything. The tokens that Ying Xiu had stolen were used by Wang Shouzheng to threaten the gentry, barely managing to subdue them. Who knew… The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it. The emperor, who was far away in the capital, was the most unfathomable oriole of them all.

Ying Xiu sat in the Wang clan’s residence, watching the eldest son of the family and a group of clients studying a map. They were all engrossed in it when someone suddenly slapped the table. “I’ve got it!”

The person was ecstatic. “This canal connects the four provinces! Jiangzhou is the key waterway, the true hub of the four provinces!” He sighed. “The emperor will surely hold Jiangzhou tightly in his hands to control all of Jiangnan’s water transport. How could he let anyone else get a piece of it?”

“Eldest son, you don’t have to be discouraged. Even if people from other gentry families came, they would never be able to compete with him…” The other clients tried to console him.

Since the Jianyuan era, the gentry and the imperial family had ruled the Southern Dynasty together. This had continued until the current emperor took the throne and changed the era name to Yongning. Although the emperor was known to be a violent and ruthless man, who killed eunuchs, sorcerers, officials, and even members of his own clan, the number of gentry members he had killed was relatively small. Since his ascension, Emperor Zhaosu had always turned a blind eye to the gentry. As long as they didn’t go too far, he would allow them to continue their luxurious lives, having private soldiers and engaging in trade.

This was until Jiangzhou, the hub of the four provinces, was repeatedly purged by the emperor. Now, there were no more powerful gentry families left, and their fortresses were all empty. Wang Shouzheng, as the eldest son of the Wang clan of Langya, finally had an awakening. He considered himself a politician who had seen many conspiracies and had always had the upper hand in his political struggles with the southern gentry. Even losing some people was not a problem. But now he realized that the tyrannical emperor’s heart was no longer with the gentry.

The current emperor wanted to weaken the gentry. He was gradually taking back power from them and letting them fight with the Wu gentry. When the two clans fought, the emperor could rest easy.

Ying Xiu, too, was a perceptive person. He noticed the eldest son’s expression seemed off. After a moment of thought, he immediately understood why the eldest son was worried. “The most important thing now is not to fight for power, but to retreat and protect oneself.”

The youth’s voice was clear and distinct. The clients present instinctively looked at him, pondering his words. Wang Shouzheng gave a bitter smile. If he were the one in charge, it would not be difficult to navigate the situation. The problem was, he was on the ship but could not control its direction. How the Wang clan of Langya would react depended entirely on what Wang Daokui thought. From what he knew of his father, who had been a great figure all his life, he would never willingly give up power. A storm of bloodshed was inevitable.

Wang Shouzheng said to Ying Xiu, “I will return to Guangling to see what my father thinks. You stay here for now and see if you can find out about the Jianzhang Xie clan’s stance.” He paused. “Be careful.”

Ying Xiu nodded. He watched as Wang Shouzheng hastily packed his bags, preparing to head north along the Yuan River to return to Guangling. Standing on the red stone steps outside the Wang clan’s mansion, he watched the eldest son get into his carriage, lift the curtain, and look at him from above. Ying Xiu felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

The feeling was familiar. Back then, his father had looked at him deeply from the forest and told him in a hoarse voice to go down the mountain. His father also told him not to mention anything about him after he left. Young Ying Xiu remembered. Later, he secretly went to look for his father, only to find that their home had been burned to the ground.

Ying Xiu stood still. Soldiers came and went on the long street, their footsteps hurried. No one lingered here.