Chapter 94 (1/2)
The Emperor slowly walked towards the bookshelves and bent over as he slid his sleek finger over the neatly arranged books. He then paused at the deepest part of the books—the place where stone tabs and precious old books founded at the beginning of the Empire were placed. He remembered it very clearly that the last time he arranged the books, they were placed slightly slated from left to right. Yet now, the books were placed in the opposite direction. Perhaps, someone has touched the bookshelves?
He raised his eyebrows slightly and knocked the edge of the books with his finger gently. Suddenly, he hardened his finger joint and pushed the books in another direction, revealing a piece of paper that was hidden deep between the books.
The Emperor took out the piece of paper and took a look at the inked writings on it. He frowned furiously, as his eyes fixed on the words for a long time. Suddenly, he exclaimed angrily and asked, ”Who else have entered the imperial study room?”
A moment later, three eunuchs were down on their knees within the imperial study room. They could not help but lifted their heads and looked at the bodyguard commander, who was slightly plump and was standing beside the study desk, with pitiful eyes. The bodyguards around the imperial study room area were all under the command of Xu Chongshan. Since the three eunuchs were not sure why his Majesty was angry, they could only put their hopes all on him.
Xu Chongshan carefully stepped forward and closer to the Emperor, as he gently asked, ”Your Majesty, I am here to guarantee that no one has ever entered this imperial study room without any permission.”
The Emperor Li Zhongyi was usually big-hearted and fair in administrating the country. The guards that followed him in and out every day knew his temper well, and had never felt fearful or threatened when they were serving him by his side. However, when the matter was about the imperial study room, even Xu Chongshan dared not be careless about it.
The Emperor slammed his hand on the study desk and stared at the writings on the paper coldly. He then asked sternly, ”If no one had entered my imperial study room, where did this writings come from? Are you telling me that they are written by spirits from the underworld?”
He slightly frowned. The words on the paper seemed to be piercing into his heart and the more he stared at them, the more frustrated he was. He then paused and said, ”Someone must have entered here this month, you better do your job and investigate it!”
Xu Chongshan bowed with great respect as he took a peep at the inked writings on the paper. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, he suddenly thought of the brave lad that came in the beginning of the month. He felt a piercing blast in his mind as his body froze on the spot —— everyone in this palace abided to the rules and no one would dare to enter the imperial study room without permission. He thought of all possibilities and the only person who had the chance to get close to the imperial study room, or even to enter the room, was only that young fellow!
”What happened? Did you recall something?” The Emperor questioned him as he stared coldly at the side of his face.
Xu Chongshan smiled gently and replied, ”I was wondering, could it be one of scholars from the palace who had wrote the words in the Academy and it was accidentally brought into the imperial study room? Then again...the words are quite well-written.”
The Emperor furiously glared at him and reprimanded, ”Am I asking you to appreciate the words now? Do you not think I know that the words are well-written? What I want is you to investigate who is the person that bold enough to enter my imperial study room and used my brush and ink to write these words!”
Xu Chongshan gave an embarra.s.sed smile and immediately left the imperial study room. After he had closed the doors of the room, he gradually straightened his body. As he walked out of the garden, he realized that his back was soaked with his cold sweat.
After a while, the imperial palace bodyguard Deputy Commander appeared at a deserted dark and freezing corner under the shelter. He glared coldly at the young eunuch, whose face was already as white as paper, and said angrily, ”You are under my secret guard squad. I've told you to fetch the person to the duty room behind the imperial study room. Why did you leave him outside the imperial study room and left?”
The young eunuch lifted his head and answered with his s.h.i.+vering voice, ”Sir, you have ordered me to keep clear of the areas surrounding the imperial study room. If I were to remain there, it would be obvious. Moreover, I've never thought that Ning young lad would be that bold to enter the imperial study room despite knowing the place.”
”What's the use of saying all these now? That idiot had already got us into trouble!”
Xu Chongshan glared at him furiously and added, ”His Majesty wants us to investigate this matter now. Looking at the Emperor's expression, I am sure that he would punish that lad with more than 10 beatings should he be captured. Hence, you got to remember this: That idiot did not enter the palace, neither did he enter the imperial study room. Got it?”
The young eunuch cried, ”Sir, why don't we just say it's him? Even if the Emperor punishes him, we don't have to worry about him.”
Upon hearing what he said, Xu Chongshan became agitated and said, ”D*mba.s.s! That idiot is now my subordinate! What will the Emperor think if he found out that the secret guard squad hired an idiot? Not only will I be a laughing stock, what if the Emperor is still angry and decided to punish me? Do you think it's fair for me?”
”That lad is related to Master Chao. Your Majesty would somewhat be more forgiving...” The young eunuch softly reminded him with fear.
Xu Chongshan swept his sleeves as he shouted, ”d.a.m.n, just because of that Chao Xiaoshu, I need to be punished for that idiot?”
While Xu Chongshan and that young eunuch were preparing to suppress this matter, the Emperor Li Zhongyi was in his imperial study room with his eyes fixed on the words on that paper. Suddenly, he walked and unlocked the cupboard beside the bookshelves, where he pulled out a piece of writing from a stack of his own writings that he seldom exhibited to anyone. He then placed the piece of writing beside that paper.
The first part of the sentence was written by the Emperor on the night of the Spring Breeze Pavilion incident and he was prepared to give it to Chao Xiaoshu as a reward for the hards.h.i.+ps he had suffered these years. It was also to encourage him to stay and continue to serve the imperial court. Never did he expect that there was no chance for him to give that piece of writing to Chao Xiaoshu, for Chao Xiaoshu left Chang'an city elegantly after a chat with him.
”The fish leaping across the current ocean...what's wrong with this phrase?”
The Emperor frowned and stared at the two lines of words. He then s.h.i.+fted his attention to the next line as he murmured, ”Bloom in the Opposite World? Does this mean that one can never bloom in the current world, but have to leave Chang'an city and my Tang Empire in order to bloom?”
The Emperor was indeed angry that someone had come into the imperial study room without his permission, and he kept trying not to think about the meaning from these words. Yet when he started to calm down, he could not help but frown at the line ”Bloom in the Opposite World”. He recalled the day when he argued with Chao Xiaoshu and gradually, he started to understand the hidden meaning of the line.
”The fish may have leaped the ocean, but ultimately, it is still my ocean. Bloom in the Opposite World is where the real freedom is. I have restrained him for more than ten years, and letting him go now is just a way of showing my grat.i.tude. Isn't giving others freedom equivalent to giving freedom to myself?”
The Emperor finally calmed himself and the frown on his forehead disappeared. He recalled the morning when he was feeling upset as he stared at the plants watered by the rain. He missed his close friend who shared the similar personality and characteristic as him, though their ranking difference was wide apart. His friend, perhaps, was currently strolling along the mountain paths while enjoying the scenaries in his turquoise robe. Somewhat, this made him felt as though he had left the Chang'an city with his friend, where he could feel the freedom and happiness in his heart.
But afterall, he's the Emperor of Tang Empire. Even though he understood what the sentences meant, he still felt a little mad over the incident as he stared at the words and reprimanded, ”Even if you are right, I will still not forgive you! I must know who is the f*ucker who had written these words. How dare he insult me, the Emperor! Who is the idiot who had written these words, and written them...erm...written them so beautifully!”
Since his temper had somewhat subsided, his views on things were apparently different from before. At this moment, the Emperor started to look at the lines of words seriously. When he first looked at them, he just felt that every stroke of the words was well-written and depicted the calmness in the words. However, when he started to look at them in details, he realized the strokes for the phrase 'Bloom in the Opposite World' were sleek and balanced. From the writings, one could feel the skill and strength hidden within the writer. It was not vivid, yet it brought out the power and gentleness in the words. What a wonderful piece of art!