Xie Yunshu was taken aback. “Lord Li?”
A Fu nodded repeatedly, then added, “He says he’s the Vice Minister of Rites.”
Xie Yunshu frowned slightly and searched his memory for a long while, but couldn’t recall who this Lord Li was at all. He looked at A Fu in confusion. “Do we know him?”
A Fu thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ve never seen him at the Prince’s Mansion.”
Xie Yunshu tapped his fingers lightly on the table and considered. He figured the man had come to sound out his views in advance to learn where he stood on court affairs. Especially now, with the Imperial Capital in turmoil: the Emperor was advanced in years yet still had not named a Crown Prince, and three Imperial Princes below him were eyeing the throne covetously. Now that he, an Imperial Relative, had been summoned back to the capital, it was clear a storm was brewing.
Xie Yunshu waved a hand. “I won’t see him.”
A Fu hurried out, but just as Xie Yunshu picked up his teacup, A Fu came running back in, this time lowering his voice. “Lord Li says he was close with the Old Prince, and that he’s come specially to pay a visit.”
Though Xie Yunshu still had his doubts, he nodded. “Then show Lord Li in.”
Just after speaking, he asked, “Wait! What is this Lord Li’s full name?”
A Fu thought briefly, then shook his head. “This servant doesn’t know. Shall I go ask?”
Xie Yunshu waved a hand. “Just let him come straight in.”
Xie Yunshu frowned slightly. He had never heard of this Lord Li and a Vice Minister of Rites, no less. In his youth, his father had followed the Emperor’s father his imperial grandfather into battle. He would have expected someone from the Ministry of War to come calling first.
A military officer should have been the one to arrive.
Xie Yunshu was still thinking when a shadow fell before his eyes. He looked up: the man standing there was a good seven feet tall, his shoulders nearly bursting the high collar of his crimson Official Robe. He instinctively turned sideways to cross the threshold. If not for that Civil Official’s uniform, the man looked every bit a general!
Xie Yunshu rose. “Lord Li?”
Lord Li bowed at once. “This Subordinate Official, Li Hengtong, Vice Minister of Rites, pays his respects to the Prince!”
Startled, Xie Yunshu hurried to help him up. “Lord Li, please rise quickly, no need for such formality!”
The gesture caught Xie Yunshu completely off guard. It was nothing like what he had imagined. Setting aside the man’s burly appearance, this display of familiarity made Xie Yunshu’s eight parts of suspicion drop to five.
But Lord Li sighed, raised his head to look at Xie Yunshu’s face, and his eyes suddenly reddened. “My Prince, if the Marquis should…”
Xie Yunshu’s eyes widened, and he cut Li Hengtong off. “Lord Li, sit down and speak slowly.” He shot A Fu a glance, and A Fu quickly withdrew and shut the door.
Xie Yunshu opened his mouth, his voice inexplicably dry. “Lord Li, you…”
Li Hengtong gave a soft laugh and glanced down at his own official robes. “It’s no wonder you didn’t recognize me, my young lord. Back in the day, I fought alongside the Marquis as his deputy general. After the war, when honors were bestowed, I visited the Marquis Manor just once and met you two young masters. It’s only natural you’ve forgotten me.”
“But no one could have foreseen what happened to the Marquis. By the time I arrived, only you were left you, who had slipped out to play.”