Chapter 67 (1/2)
It was the biggest instance of shock within the Hall of Political Discourse during the Great Tang Dynasty’s Sky Opening reign. Within every department, unknown numbers of officials were trembling in fear, guessing their own and their bosses’ fates. While the youth in the Imperial Study was amidst excitedly looking around, Chao XiaoShu was standing somewhere in the Imperial Garden, thinking that he completely had no relation to these current events. He silently stood by this big lake called Li Ocean, smiling as he watched those five spotted, six-colored carp leaping from the surface of the water, jumping over the Dragon Gate, and then luckily falling once again into the lake, swis.h.i.+ng their tails begging for food; and he occasionally sighed.
Ten years ago, he had gone to the capitol in order to take the test for the Academy, but nowadays the Emperor led that young scholar into ChangAn’s JiangHu. Ten years later he cut down countless heads with the sword as the night-time Underworld’s blue-robed, austere patron. Standing at the lakeside and thinking of the past age and thinking of the future road ahead, his heart naturally had a different feeling, and didn’t feel that the path of a cloud in clear skies was of any interest; he only thought of returning to those first days of hard studying day and night, the old days of wholehearted studying towards the Dao.
The sudden ringing of a ring of ornaments smashed the silence of the lakeside, and a quiet and elegant young princess, bringing with her two maids close by, slowly walked over. Li Yu’s gaze fell onto the somewhat faded blue robes of the middle-aged man at the lakeside. Slightly pausing, she smiled and gave a half-curtsy in a greeting, and softly said, “Greetings Uncle Chao.”
The Great Tang’s fourth princess Li Yu, much beloved by His Majesty, venerated and loved by the people – even if she came across His Highness the Prince, she would only need to lightly call out Royal Uncle. Had she ever addressed a man so intimately?
“This coa.r.s.e person doesn’t dare.”
Chao XiaoShu stood aside to give way, his voice continuously fearful and humble, with the expression on his face full of fear and humbleness. Then with a slight dodge of his body, the lake wind moved a corner of his robes. Where was there half a bit of the sense of fearful humbleness? Merely in the respectfulness of his manners, it showed the rejection and estrangement of a thousand miles.
Seeing Chao XiaoShu’s reaction, Li Yu’s hands hanging at her waist slightly stiffened, and the two nanny maids behind her suddenly became displeased. Without waiting for them to take any kind of action, Li Yu slightly smiled and rushed to respond, “Bringing up when I was small and Imperial Father let the guards carry me to play, I saw Uncle in the gambling street many times, but after all I was young then. Afterwards unexpectedly I slowly forgot. Uncle Chao has only carried his niece before, what is the need for acting so much like the stranger today?”
“Your Highness’ words truly make this coa.r.s.e person fearful. How would I dare to be an elder of the Princess?”
Chao XiaoShu replied with a slight smile. The sunlight reflected by the lake’s waters fell on his clear and handsome face, and nowhere could there be the slightest bit of deliberate humility, only the strict adherence of a ruler and his ministers, without daring to take a single step forward.
Li Yu had time and time again meant well, and Chao XiaoShu had time and time again deflected her neither harshly nor softly. The atmosphere around the lakeside became a bit tense and even oppressive. Li Yu quietly looked at this middle-aged man’s face, and thought of her Imperial Father’s angry display since last night till today, showing his desire to protect this person, and moreover showing the extreme importance of this person’s place in the Imperial Father’s mind. Waving her hand to stop the whispering urges of the palace maids, with a smile she continued, “I brought back some barbarian guards from the Gra.s.slands. I heard that a few days ago someone wanted to ask them about some things, that the person was named Chen, and it seems he is your brother?”
Chao XiaoShu was a bit taciturn and replied, “He is called Chen the Seventh, and is my brother.”
Hearing this response, Li Yu smiled. Her eyes s.h.i.+fted towards that sea-like lake, watching a leaf being disturbed by swimming fish under the surface, and asked, “Was that boy of good use?”
“Your Highness Princess, I didn’t use him, I only asked him to help me.” Chao XiaoShu replied saying, “It was a joining of hands, and not using.”
“If it was joining of hands, then he also has become your brother?” Li Yu turned her head around, her brow slightly knitted and asked.
Chao XiaoShu thought of the fried egg and noodles of the Old Brush House and Ning Que’s response, and with a self-disparaging smile he said, “He’s someone who sees this world even colder than me.”
He looked at Li Yu’s expression, and seriously said, “Your Highness, he doesn’t want people to know, so if Your Highness would please help him keep this secret.”
Li Yu slightly paused and then mockingly said, “Does that idiot think he can hide this thing for long? Wearing a black mask with a Yue Lun Kingdom hairstyle trying to hide his ident.i.ty forever?”
Chao XiaoShu replied saying, “He’s about to be admitted into the Academy, and he’s been admitted into the second floor. By that time naturally he won’t need to fear other people plotting against him.”
Li Yu thought of elderly Lu QingChen’s a.s.sessment of Ning Que, and frowned and asked, “Why are your a.s.sessments of him so high?”
Chao XiaoShu slightly smiled and said, “Because he is of value.”
Thinking of the blade’s s.h.i.+ne at North Mountain Crossing, thinking of the figure of a tiger leaping into a blaze, thinking of the stories beside the fire – the expression on Li Yu’s face unconsciously became soft, but her voice still seemed a bit cold and mocking. “Back then I gave him a chance, but he wouldn’t take it. I originally thought he was a maverick that viewed career, power and money as fleeting clouds. I hadn’t thought that he was merely thinking that kind of way of living wasn’t bright enough, absolutely insisting on choosing this kind of method of debuting in ChangAn City.”
“But no matter what is said, it was I who brought him into ChangAn City, and that means he is my person…..” Li Yu seemed to want to smile but couldn’t as she looked at Chao XiaoShu. “Uncle Chao, you used my person so harshly, shouldn’t you tell me in advance?”
The testing clash of words finally became a mental contest. The Fourth Princess Li Yu was naturally the most outstanding girl in this regard of the young generation, but facing Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao who was used to seeing b.l.o.o.d.y wind and b.l.o.o.d.y rain, she never would’ve thought in the slightest of what she would see – only Chao XiaoShu’s respectful smile was seen, and he said, “If he is Princess’ person, why would he be troubled into that state for a little shop? And I believe Princess should see very clearly, that little fellow will never become a person for someone else. He is someone only for himself.”
After repeated tries, unexpectedly she could not find the slightest chance to take advantage of, and couldn’t even find a small crack to talk about the current topic. Li Yu was silent for a moment, and waved her hand, indicating for the Palace nanny maids behind her to leave. Seeing his expression she said, “Uncle Chao……”
Chao XiaoShu again evaded, and repeated, “This coa.r.s.e person doesn’t dare.”
Li Yu shook her head, and then seriously said, “Everyone in the world knows that after today, Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao can no longer be the Imperial Father’s coa.r.s.e person hidden among the commonfolk, and can no longer be the head of ChangAn City’s number one gang. Whether it is as Head of the Imperial Guards, a high minister or even if you were released free, in the whole world you have only one place.”
“When you were Spring Wind Pavilion’s Old Chao, or those ministers that dared to attack me, or those who have gone looking for you in the Empress Mother’s name to recruit you or intimidate you – and now you have already leapt out to sea. Do you think that from now on you can stay beyond, uninvolved?”