“My Lord, His Majesty has arrived.”
Eunuch Zhao entered to announce the visit. Before Ruan Jinyu could even react, Qian Qi and Eunuch Zhao had already retreated from the room together. Ruan Jinyu was indeed caught off guard; had the Emperor not been with Consort Qin at the Lanqing Palace? Why had he suddenly shifted his gaze here?
Ruan Jinyu rose to receive the Sovereign.
Yan Yan entered the room and took the seat of honor in the hall. His stride was long and purposeful, carrying a sense of haste. There was even a subtle, inexplicable air of travel-weariness about him.
This time, Ruan Jinyu was the first to speak. “This servant assumed I would not see Your Majesty today.”
Yan Yan picked up a teacup and took a sip, draining about half of it. “Hong En’s tongue wags far too much; you shouldn’t believe everything he says.”
Ruan Jinyu gave a dry laugh, thinking that since Hong En was the Emperor’s personal eunuch, a subject had every reason to believe him. However, he remained silent.
“I only stayed at the Lanqing Palace for a moment before returning to the main hall,” Yan Yan explained. “But then the Empress Dowager sought me out, so I had to visit the Cishou Palace as well.”
Such a hectic itinerary explained the travel-worn feeling. Ruan Jinyu didn’t dwell on it; he simply stood to the side with his head bowed, staring at the floor. Whatever the Emperor said, he merely offered a nod. He appeared… profoundly indifferent.
“…” Yan Yan watched him in silence for a moment. As the other man finally looked up, Yan Yan noticed the sickly, listless pallor on Ruan Jinyu’s face once more.
“Are you feeling unwell?” the Emperor asked.
Only then did Ruan Jinyu remember that the Emperor had supposedly been “unwell” for the past two days. He looked up, his eyes appearing remarkably sincere. “How is Your Majesty feeling? You seem to have recovered.”
It was a bit half-hearted. Yan Yan gave a frustrated laugh. “Teacher truly… cares for me.”
Ruan Jinyu failed to catch the sarcasm and even gave a modest wave of his hand. “It is only right.”
Yan Yan sighed inwardly but kept his face composed, returning to a more serious topic. “Hong En mentioned you came looking for me at the main hall earlier. What was it for?”
Ruan Jinyu hesitated for a second before speaking. “To be honest, Your Majesty likely knows that my mother’s family is the Wen clan.”
Yan Yan raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You mean… Wen Zhong.”
Ruan Jinyu nodded. “Wen Zhong is my younger cousin. Since this matter has caused such a stir, I happened to hear of it.”
He had originally intended to ask about the details of the incident—if there were any suppressed secrets—but Yan Yan didn’t seem to see it that way.
“Consort Qin is deeply concerned with this matter, and the palace is doing its best to investigate,” Yan Yan said simply. “As for Wen Zhong, she will not be harmed for the time being. Teacher may rest easy.”
It meant a final verdict was still pending. Yan Yan rose, seemingly ready to depart. Ruan Jinyu bowed his head and folded his hands, saying nothing more. Yan Yan walked past him but stopped just in front. Without looking up, Ruan Jinyu could see only the Emperor’s hands. Yan Yan rested one hand in front of him, his fingers absently tracing the deep green jade ring on his thumb.
“Rest well, Imperial Preceptor,” a voice came. “Do not fall ill so easily.”
Yan Yan then exited the side hall.
The recruitment of soldiers was divided into two parts. The criteria for the Imperial Guards were far stricter: recruits had to be from respectable families, excluding merchants or those of “lowly” status—rules passed down through several dynasties. Consequently, selecting the militia was no easy task.
However, the fact that the recruitment drive was first announced to the common folk suggested the palace was truly desperate for manpower. Furthermore, based on this need, the Emperor had decreed a hunting and archery competition in three days.
Normally, such events were held in spring or autumn. In the current season, where scorching sun gave way to torrential rain, it was a poor choice. However, scheduling the hunt so soon after the decree likely served the recruitment effort. An imperial hunt was attended by nearly all the sons of noble families and high-ranking officials. Were they not the ideal candidates for the Imperial Guards? Upright backgrounds, skilled in riding and archery. The connection was lost on no one.
Ruan Jinyu heard such talk outside: this sudden hunt happened just as General Xue had departed, otherwise one might have witnessed the prowess of Nanyu’s legendary general.
The palace was busy for the next two days preparing for the hunt and the recruitment. Ruan Jinyu was not spared; according to the Emperor’s instructions, he was to assist the Commander of the Imperial Guards and the Provost in the recruitment process.
Thus, on the day before the hunt, Ruan Jinyu visited the imperial training grounds. The Sovereign commanded two forces: the Imperial Guards (Jin-jun) and the Palace Guards (Jin-wei), both under the umbrella of the Imperial Guard command. Ruan Jinyu was visiting the station of the Commander, Shen Changlang.
Ruan Jinyu had worked with Shen Changlang before and was not a stranger to him. On the day General Xue returned to the Capital, Shen Changlang had been one of the officials accompanying Prince Wu’an and Ruan Jinyu to the gates.
Shen Changlang acknowledged Ruan Jinyu’s arrival with polite indifference. “The Imperial Preceptor graces us with his presence. For what matter does he seek me?”
Ruan Jinyu placed the Emperor’s command token on the table and stated his purpose. “Nothing more than the hunting competition; the Sovereign has ordered me to assist.”
Shen Changlang gave an unreadable smile. “This way, Preceptor.”
On the training grounds, the troops were currently practicing maneuvers. It was clear they hadn’t rested. Ruan Jinyu followed Shen Changlang up to the reviewing stand. Looking down at the soldiers, he asked earnestly, “Does the Commander know how many soldiers currently stand below?”
Ruan Jinyu naturally did not know. Shen Changlang didn’t even look at him, seemingly not expecting an answer. He replied to his own question: “Excluding the auxiliary branches, this unit of mine officially consists of 2,673 soldiers.”
He suddenly turned his head, his gaze lingering on Ruan Jinyu. “Does the Preceptor know how many people are actually down there right now?”
Ruan Jinyu’s eyes stayed on the practicing troops. It was obvious that the number of men standing on the field was nowhere near two thousand.
“Currently, including myself,” Shen Changlang continued, returning his gaze to the men, “this unit has fewer than a thousand men. A total of 791.”
Though Ruan Jinyu had guessed as much, hearing the numbers was still chilling. Where had the rest of these soldiers gone? His mind flashed back to that night of blood and fire—the night the palace was overrun. Many, many people had died that day.
The cause of it all was the upheaval in the palace: a coup and a change of Sovereign. By telling Ruan Jinyu this, Shen Changlang was not explicitly stating he would refuse to serve Yan Yan, but the implication was clear for anyone to see.
Shen Changlang was of modest birth, a son of a humble house who was gifted in both civil and military arts. He had come to the Capital for the examinations years ago but had narrowly missed the mark. However, he had received the favor of Prince Wu’an (then the Eldest Prince), who had personally petitioned the late Emperor to grant him a special commission into the Imperial Guards. Shen Changlang was a man of unyielding loyalty who had fought his way up to the rank of Commander.
Given his fierce devotion, were it not for the fact that Prince Wu’an was currently submissive and quiet, Shen Changlang might well have raised a rebellion alongside him.
Realizing this, Ruan Jinyu felt a headache coming on. Yet his face remained perfectly composed. “I feel a bit light-headed today, and the wind here is quite strong.”
He turned and met Shen Changlang’s eyes, his expression calm. “No matter the circumstances, the majesty of the Heaven’s House is inviolable. I shall simply assume the wind is strong today.”
“Hah,” Shen Changlang huffed with a hint of sarcasm. “You are the Imperial Preceptor; you are the Preceptor no matter where you go. I am merely a rough soldier.”
Ruan Jinyu ignored the remark, acting as if he hadn’t heard it. He even offered a seemingly kind consolation: “There is no need to belittle yourself.”
“…” Shen Changlang narrowed his eyes for a long time, unsure of how to respond. Finally, he gave up. “You… truly…”
He fell silent, closing his mouth completely. The two of them descended the reviewing stand and walked out together. The wind and sand on the training grounds were harsh, blowing directly into their faces. Ruan Jinyu was not used to such an environment, but he didn’t suggest leaving early. It was Shen Changlang who grew tired of the stand, leading them both away.