General Changning— Chapter 6
There was no sound.
Shu Shenhui glanced once at the road leading out from the Sutra Hall. Suddenly, as if realizing something, the sharp glint in his eyes faded. His gaze shifted toward the southern window.
“Still hiding? Come out!”
At his words, a rustling noise followed. From beneath the window, a head popped out—a tall, slender youth in a palace servant’s cap. His features were striking, though not yet fully matured; a faint down of hair lined his lips, betraying his boyishness.
“Third Uncle!”
The boy pulled a face at Shu Shenhui. “I had just sneaked in, hadn’t even crouched down yet, and you already spotted me! No fun!”
“How did you guess it was me?” he asked, a little unwilling.
Shu Shenhui did not answer. He rose at once, greeted him formally, and addressed him as “Your Majesty.”
The boy darted forward, blocking him with a hand, complaining: “Third Uncle, how many times have I told you—when we’re alone, don’t bother with these empty courtesies!”
Shu Shenhui finished the bow nonetheless, smiling faintly. “Rituals cannot be neglected. This is the way of the ruler and the minister.”
At the far end of the corridor, several of the young emperor’s bodyguards appeared, kneeling in alarm.
This boy was none other than the reigning emperor, Shu Jian, only thirteen years old. In a few months, he would be fourteen, though his rapid growth made him look fifteen or sixteen. Today, however, he wore no crown or ceremonial robes—only the plain attire of a palace servant.
Shu Shenhui showed no surprise at his disguise.
The young emperor, seeing his uncle’s gaze upon him, confessed at once:
“I noticed you hadn’t followed along. I didn’t want to just go back, so I had one of the attendants change clothes with me in the carriage. I slipped out and came to find you. Third Uncle, why did you stay here?”
Shu Shenhui looked at him, half-smiling. “Even if the Empress Dowager’s carriage did not notice, do you think all those ministers behind were blinded by the wind, letting you leave halfway without a trace?”
The boy knew he could not deceive him. With his uncle, whom he had always been close to, there was no need to hide. He had done far more outrageous things before.
So he explained honestly: at a bend in the road where a small grove stood, he claimed he needed to relieve himself. Once the Empress Dowager’s carriage turned, he stopped, entered the grove, forced a servant to exchange clothes, and ordered others to escort the disguised attendant back to the procession. The officials, seeing the carriage move on, followed without suspicion. Thus, he slipped away unnoticed.
Retelling his escape, he laughed proudly. “Oh, it was hilarious! So many people, and not one of them realized! They all thought I was back in the carriage!”
Shu Shenhui frowned. “Your Majesty, you are no longer as you once were—”
But the boy interrupted: “Third Uncle, I know what you’re going to say! Don’t bother. Grand Tutor Ding repeats it in my ear every day—I’m sick of hearing it! Yes, I know what imperial dignity means, and how I should behave. But I haven’t been outside for half a year! I’m suffocating! If I don’t die of boredom, I’ll die of exhaustion! Today I finally had a chance—please, don’t scold me anymore!”
He sighed. “If only my elder brother, the Crown Prince, were still alive… then I wouldn’t have to bear all this. I could live carefree, just as before…”
His elder brother, the Crown Prince, had died years ago while hunting. His horse went mad, throwing him to his death. Later, it was discovered that the second prince’s maternal clan had plotted it, feeding the horse a drug sealed in wax that drove it into frenzy once digested. The Crown Prince was killed, and those involved were punished.
Thus, the throne fell to Shu Jian.
Though a prince, he had been young, from a family not prominent, expected only to live quietly as a minor lord. He had always been playful, often sneaking out to visit his uncle, Prince Qi. The late emperor, fond of his third son, tolerated the boy’s antics. But fate made him heir, and his life changed overnight into a series of strict lessons and heavy burdens.
Years had passed, yet Shu Jian still struggled to adapt. In public, he behaved properly, but today, given the chance, his old mischievous nature resurfaced.
Shu Shenhui listened to his nephew’s lament. He recalled that since ascending the throne last year, the boy had indeed worked hard and learned diligently. Grand Tutor Ding praised his intelligence and progress, though noted his lack of discipline and tendency to shirk. Still, it was an improvement.
Shu Shenhui, ever honest and upright, did not flatter. His praise meant the boy truly had grown.
However, excessive pressure can be harmful. So his tone softened: “I know you are weary. Your studies are heavy, and you must also learn to handle memorials and affairs of state. But do you not most admire your grandfather? In his time, the realm was divided, and war was everywhere. I was younger than you then, only seven or eight, yet I remember clearly: your grandfather fought by day, and at night handled urgent memorials sent to his camp. His diligence far surpassed anything we can imagine. If you wish to become a sage ruler like him, today’s hardships are the path you must walk.”
The boy nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking grain. When Shu Shenhui finished, he waved his hand. “I understand! I’ll remember!”
Then he leaned closer, lowering his voice: “Third Uncle, when I came in just now, I saw Lady Wen leaving. I didn’t want her to see me, so I hid. But she looked upset—her eyes were red, as if she had been crying…”
Shu Jian’s face turned mischievous, winking at his uncle. “Third Uncle, was she…”
*The Grand Marshal has been executed.” Shu Shenhui interrupted.
The boy froze, mouth open, his words forgotten. His eyes widened. “Third Uncle, what did you say? The Grand Marshal is dead?”
Shu Shenhui nodded.
There was no need for further explanation. Shu Jian quickly pieced it together, struck by sudden realization. He slapped his forehead. “I understand! This morning, you suddenly went out, and I saw him follow you. Later, you returned, but he did not. When we left, he was nowhere to be seen! So it was then, wasn’t it, Third Uncle—you…”
Shu Shenhui nodded again. “Indeed. Clever,” he praised.
The young emperor’s mouth fell open. He stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly leapt high into the air, flipping head over heels. His cap flew off, and when he landed, he burst into wild laughter. His laughter startled the birds in the nearby branches, sending them scattering. “I get it, I get it!” He danced around his uncle, giddy as a mouse that had stumbled into a granary.
“Before Father died, he named that old man as regent only to steady the situation. Now the old fool finally lost his patience, tried to act—and you were waiting for him to move! Otherwise, he couldn’t have been touched! That old thing—he should have died long ago!”
“Hahaha!” The boy stamped his feet, laughing again. “Wonderful! The old thing is dead! He’ll never lord over me again! Third Uncle, do you remember last month when I sent you those tribute fruits from the south? One of my attendants told me that before they entered the palace, the old man’s grandson intercepted them, saying the old man’s appetite was dull, so he picked out the best ones first, leaving the rest for the palace! It was a small matter; I didn’t bother you with it. But really—what was he? I don’t even care for the fruit, but if anyone deserved the first share, it was you, Third Uncle! How could it ever be his turn!”
The young emperor seized Shu Shenhui’s arm, shaking it vigorously, his eyes shining with pride and admiration. “My Third Uncle, my true uncle! You’re incredible! To eliminate him so quietly, without a trace! I never dreamed today’s trip held such a hidden purpose. I couldn’t tell at all. When we left, I kept wondering where that old man had gone!”
Shu Shenhui waited until his nephew’s excitement calmed, then invited him to sit. He spoke solemnly: “Your Majesty, such a great matter should have been told to you earlier. But the Grand Marshal was shrewd. I feared that if you knew, you might betray some sign in your expression, and if he noticed, chaos would erupt immediately. The late emperor entrusted this task to me before his death. Only today has it been fulfilled. These past two years, you have endured much injustice because of my failure. For not informing you beforehand, I beg your pardon.”
The young emperor beamed, waving his hand. “Third Uncle, what are you saying? How could I blame you! You considered everything carefully. As long as he is removed, I don’t care how it’s done!”
At the words “removed,” his eyes hardened, his tone sharp.
Shu Shenhui smiled, then grew serious again. “Though he is gone, his faction in the capital has also been seized. Yet a centipede does not die easily. Some schemers will surely stir, and the commotion will not be small. But this is inevitable. With him dead, the rest cannot amount to much. They are not to be feared.”
The young emperor nodded. “I know—it must be Prince Cheng of Qingzhou, that ally of the old man! Let them come. Soldiers will block soldiers, water will cover floods! As long as you are here, Third Uncle, even if the sky falls, I fear nothing!”
Then his eyes lit up again. He slapped his forehead. “I understand something else now!”
“And what is that?” Shu Shenhui asked.
“You deliberately spread the rumor of marrying Jiang Zuwang’s daughter, just to provoke that old man, didn’t you? Now that he’s dead, you don’t need to marry her! Excellent! Quick, send word to recall Grand Prince Xian before it’s too late! Otherwise, if the marriage is settled, you’ll be trapped!” He leapt up, rushing toward the door to call someone.
“Your Majesty!” Shu Shenhui’s voice stopped him.
The boy turned back. Shu Shenhui smiled. “You are half right. Yes, it was meant to pressure Prince Gao. But the marriage proposal is real.”
The young emperor sighed, returning reluctantly. “Third Uncle, I know you wish to show favor to Jiang Zuwang, but this is too great a sacrifice! I heard his daughter was raised by wolves, that on full moons she thirsts for blood, or else transforms into a wolf with fangs and claws!”
He gestured dramatically, eyes wide. “Even if that’s false, she grew up in the northern camps, killing on the battlefield. That much is true! So even if she isn’t wolf-fanged, she must be ugly and coarse in manner—”
Shu Shenhui cut him off. “Your Majesty! If she were a man, raised in the camps, fighting for the realm, would you call him ugly and crude? Would you not fear discouraging the loyal soldiers who shed blood for the court?”
Shu Jian flushed red. “I was wrong. I shouldn’t have said that. But… but I just feel…” He lowered his head, silent.
Shu Shenhui’s tone had been stern, but seeing his nephew’s contrition, his expression softened. “Jian’er, I only wish Jiang Zuwang to know the court truly values him, so that he will devote himself wholeheartedly to its service.”