It was the end of February, and the chill of early spring still lingered in the air.
A few days earlier, a rainstorm had frozen the willows just as they were about to sprout, while the early cherry blossoms that had been preparing to bloom had withered sparsely on their branches. At last, the skies had cleared today. The glazed tiles atop the palace walls had been washed crystal-clear by the drizzle. Standing outside the Imperial Study, Ling Jintang gazed into the distance at the mountains veiled in a thin mist beyond the palace.
Before long, Yuan Huai, who had just gone in to announce his arrival, came toward him. He wore a long dark-purple robe, his hands clasped before him, a fly whisk resting against his elbow. He approached at an unhurried pace and gave a leisurely bow. “Lord Ling, His Majesty has just finished discussing state affairs with several ministers. He asks that you go in now.”
Ling Jintang nodded and gave Yuan Huai a faint smile. Yuan Huai seemed to want to say something more, but seeing that Ling Jintang’s expression was unchanged, he found himself at a loss for words. He could only remain in the outer hall of the Imperial Study, watching Ling Jintang’s departing figure with a thoughtful look.
The sound of very light footsteps reached his ears. Ji Huaiyu took a sip of tea, then lazily leaned back in his armchair and lifted his eyes to look at Ling Jintang.
With evident relish, he slipped a piece of tea pastry into his mouth. Ling Jintang approached slowly against the light, and with every step closer, that mesmerizing face became clearer. Sunlight filtered through the translucent roof tiles, casting a sparse, dappled glow over his features and making his face look as exquisite and lovely as white porcelain. Ling Jintang lowered his eyes and bowed. “This subject pays his respects to Your Majesty.”
Ji Huaiyu waved a hand. “Rise.”
Ling Jintang straightened, tall and erect as a crane. He had not changed before entering the palace today, nor was he wearing his official robes. Instead, he wore his usual tea-white, round-collared, wide-sleeved robe, with a crow-black cloak over it. He looked both refined and at ease. Resting his chin on one hand, Ji Huaiyu unabashedly swept his gaze over him from head to toe twice before finally stopping at his face. Smiling, he said, “Luo Yun, you must have been in quite a hurry to come to the palace today. You did not even change out of your official robes.”
Hearing the emperor call him by his courtesy name, Ling Jintang’s brows drew together slightly. He had grown up at Ji Huaiyu’s side. Ever since Ji Huaiyu had been made crown prince at the age of five, Ling Jintang had been his companion in study. They had practically grown up together, so calling him by his courtesy name had always been a sign of intimacy. He should have been used to it. It was only that, at some point, Ji Huaiyu’s feelings toward him had changed. Ling Jintang could neither evade them nor escape them, and now, hearing that familiar, intimate address stirred an entirely different feeling in him.
Ji Huaiyu continued, “Though I must say, you look good like this…”
He spoke slowly. “You have been unwell these past few days and have not attended court. I have been terribly worried. Since you came to see me of your own accord today, have you recovered?”
Ling Jintang bowed his head. “I merely caught a chill. I would not have dared come before Your Majesty until I had fully recovered, lest I bring my illness into your presence.”
In truth, whether he attended court or not was of little importance given his position. Two years earlier, he had taken the imperial examinations, but the emperor had blocked his way and prevented him from even sitting the metropolitan examination. Later, Ji Huaiyu had presumably used Ling Jintang’s father’s position to secure him some insignificant post. Ling Jintang had not wanted it, but Ji Huaiyu had forced him to accept. His reputation at court was not particularly good. He was regarded as nothing more than an idle young aristocrat sheltered by the emperor’s favor.
Seeing how properly he answered, Ji Huaiyu smiled and said, “I thought you were sulking at me and did not wish to come see me.”
Ling Jintang said, “I would never dare.”
“Enough.” Ji Huaiyu did not wish to dwell on the matter. After circling around it for so long, he finally brought up the real subject. “Yuan Huai conveyed my verbal decree to you today. What do you think?”
He beckoned to Ling Jintang. “Come closer. Brew this pot of tea for me. You have become increasingly distant from me in private.”
A tea cake that had yet to be ground lay on the writing desk. A celadon tea kettle sat atop a brazier, simmering over a low flame and sending up wisps of steam. Ling Jintang stopped beside Ji Huaiyu, rolled his cuffs up slightly, ground the tea cake, and placed it into the spring water that had begun to boil. The hall fell quiet. The fragrance of tea mingled with the scent of agarwood, creating an inexplicable sense of peace that made one want to lose oneself in it completely.
Ji Huaiyu watched Ling Jintang’s every movement, finding it deeply pleasing to the eye. He wound a lock of hair that fell over Ling Jintang’s chest around his fingers and toyed with it. “Letong is going to marry. As her elder brother, are you not happy for her?”
With one hand gathering his sleeve and the other holding the kettle, Ling Jintang said softly, “Your Majesty, my younger sister already has someone in her heart. Eunuch Yuan only conveyed a verbal decree today, so I imagine there is still room to reconsider this marriage.”
Breathing in the faint fragrance of tea, Ji Huaiyu suddenly felt as though Ling Jintang himself carried that pleasant scent. He wanted to reach out and pull him into his arms, but paused. Those gentle eyes of Ling Jintang’s now held, for some unknown reason, a trace of murderous intent. Their coldness made his heart jolt.
Ji Huaiyu released the lock of hair wound around his fingers, lifted his cup, and took a small sip. “Of course. There are other ministers with daughters of a suitable age. But Grand Commandant Ling’s daughter is beautiful and talented, making her the obvious choice.”
He had been emperor for four years. The late emperor had left behind few heirs, and from the moment Ji Huaiyu had become crown prince, his life had gone smoothly. Yet although civil officials were relatively easy to control, military commanders were harder to fathom. Ling Jintang’s father, Ling Feng, was the sitting Grand Commandant and oversaw military affairs. Ji Huaiyu relied on him, but he also feared him, wishing desperately that he could get his hands on some leverage as soon as possible.
Once Ling Letong was granted a commandery princess title and married off in a political alliance, Ling Feng would be even less likely to harbor disloyal thoughts toward him.
As for Ling Jintang… Ji Huaiyu had always wanted to take him into the imperial harem.
After thinking for a while, Ji Huaiyu said, “I understand that Luo Yun does not want her married off so far away. But the ambitions of the Moqin have become increasingly clear in recent years. Setting the marriage aside for the moment, their leader says he wants three cities on the western border of Great Zhou. Tell me, should we fight this war or not?”
“War exhausts the people and drains the treasury. Avoiding it would naturally be best.” Ling Jintang lifted his wrist and poured more tea into the emperor’s cup. “But ceding territory for peace is not a long-term solution either.”
Ji Huaiyu said, “Which is why a marriage alliance is actually the best policy.”
He smiled. “If you want Letong to stay, all you have to do is ask me. Why have you kept silent?”
“Or you could trade me something else.” Ji Huaiyu looked at him. “For instance, what if Luo Yun stayed in the palace and kept me company?”
He suddenly seized Ling Jintang by the wrist and forced him to look at him. “Luo Yun, do you truly reject my feelings for you so completely?”
“Even though I still allow you to involve yourself in matters of state, you are unwilling all the same?”
Some tea spilled from the pot. Ling Jintang looked at the ink slowly blurring across the memorial and shook his head. “Your Majesty, you and I…”
Ji Huaiyu had occupied the highest position for too long. Even in his fury, he showed nothing on his face, but the pressure he exerted still made it difficult to breathe. He released Ling Jintang’s wrist and barked, “Enough!”
“What are you going to say to me this time? That there is only the bond between ruler and subject and no other selfish feelings? I have heard it so often my ears have grown calluses. If you think your current position is not high enough, I can slowly promote you in the future. I have always kept you in my heart. I have cherished Letong as though she were my own younger sister. How could I bear to marry her off so far away? I only wanted you to come into the palace and see me, but whenever you do, all you can say is this!”
He said impatiently, “Go back and think it over. If some things are delayed even a few more days, the matter will be settled.”
Ling Jintang bowed, bent slightly at the waist, and began to retreat. Ji Huaiyu thought he was leaving, but unexpectedly, several steps from the writing desk, Ling Jintang suddenly knelt down. His back was straight, and with his hands folded before his chest, he bowed. “Your Majesty, my father is advanced in years, and it has only been a year since Yun Jiao came of age. Moreover, if she is married away, Father will surely be unable to bear her absence as the years pass. Regarding the marriage alliance, I hope Your Majesty will permit this subject to…”
Ji Huaiyu suspected that he had misheard the final few words. In a daze, all he could see was the shape of Ling Jintang’s mouth. After those brief words ended, Ling Jintang remained kneeling, his expression calm and composed, as though the request he had just made had nothing to do with him.
“Ling Jintang!” Ji Huaiyu shot to his feet and braced both hands on the desk, looking down at him. “Have you gone mad? You know she will be gone for years. Why are you not worried about your father being unable to bear your absence? Do you truly hate to see your sister married away, or do you simply want to get as far from me as possible?”
He ground out through clenched teeth, “Are you really so unwilling to remain at my side?”
“You would rather marry in her place? Hmm? You do not care about the rumors circulating at court? You do not care about your father’s reputation?”
Ling Jintang knelt without moving. “A good or bad reputation is no more than other people’s words. Praise today may become slander tomorrow. What matters is what one does.”
“I hear the leader of the Moqin has already arrived in Shengjing today. Since a marriage alliance is the best policy, it cannot be delayed any longer. If someone from the Ling Family must marry, then surely it does not matter who that person is.”
Ji Huaiyu stared fixedly at Ling Jintang’s face for a long moment. Driven to the point of laughter by his fury, he said, “Very well, Lord Ling. This is what you have requested of your own accord. The borderlands are bitterly cold. I hope you will not regret going there. If you come begging me later, it will truly be too late.”
“Besides, your body is unusual. If we are speaking of marriage, you can indeed marry. Shuang’er are rare in this world. The Moqin will surely see the sincerity of Great Zhou this time.”
Ji Huaiyu narrowed his eyes. “Go home for now. Enter the palace tomorrow at the hour of the Monkey.”
Ling Jintang bowed to the floor and left as instructed. The moment he stepped out into the outer hall of the Imperial Study, a tremendous crash suddenly came from within. Ji Huaiyu had swept his sleeve across the entire tea set, sending it all to the floor. The crisp shattering of porcelain and jade seemed to ring right beside Ling Jintang’s ears.
Yuan Huai stood in the outer hall and did not dare go in immediately to clean up. Instead, he looked at Ling Jintang and sighed. “Lord Ling, why did you have to anger His Majesty?”
Ling Jintang answered a different question. “I will have to trouble you again in a moment, Eunuch.”
He had not intended to anger the emperor. It was simply that matters had come to this, and after struggling to force open the slightest gap with no room at all to resist, he had to try, no matter what.
He had grown up alongside the emperor and understood Ji Huaiyu’s character to some extent. Whatever he wanted, he would obtain by any means. If he treated you well, you could accept it if you wished, but refusing meant you did not know how to appreciate kindness. When he asked whether Ling Jintang was willing, it was only because he still had some patience left, and wanted to toy with him slowly.
Ling Jintang raised his head and looked up at the square patch of sky. He suddenly felt exceedingly good.
Beyond the high walls and beneath the vast sky, there would come a day when he found a place where he could be at peace.
He looked at Yuan Huai and suddenly said, “My father went to court this morning and has not yet returned. Might His Majesty have kept him behind for some other instructions?”
Yuan Huai said, “Yes. Grand Commandant Ling and the Ministry of Rites are jointly responsible for receiving the Moqin delegation this time. Their leader arrived in Shengjing today, so Grand Commandant Ling is likely welcoming him outside the city.”
Ling Jintang nodded, gathered his cloak around himself, and slowly made his way out through the palace lanes.
Yuan Huai now had the two small gold beads Ling Jintang had just slipped into his hand. He shook his head helplessly. Lord Ling had a mild temper, but when it came to something he did not want to do, not even a burden weighing a thousand jin could make him obey.
Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, he could not say.
From some palace, a peach branch leaned out at an angle. Its small buds had yet to bloom, but they already promised the splendid sight that would come in the third or fourth month.
Ling Jintang gazed from afar toward the city gates. He seemed already able to hear the noisy clatter of hooves. The city would surely be lively over the next few days.
***
“Wolf King, this is the liveliest part of Shengjing…” Ling Feng turned to say something to the person behind him, only to find that the man seemed to have begun nodding off again. His eyes were nearly closed, yet his back remained perfectly straight, and the horse beneath him obediently ambled forward at an easy pace.
The deputy beside them reached out in despair and nudged the Wolf King. “Your Majesty, Grand Commandant Ling is speaking to you!”
Only then did the Wolf King seem to remember. He nodded solemnly. “Shengjing is indeed prosperous. When you have time, Grand Commandant Ling, please show me around.”
He yawned, his entire person radiating languor. “The Central Plains are already this warm at the end of February. The sun has softened my bones throughout the journey. I could sleep wonderfully.”
Ling Feng smiled and led him toward the post station ahead. “His Majesty is holding a palace banquet at Taihe Hall tomorrow. Wolf King, you should rest well today.”
The young man smiled at him as well, revealing a row of unnaturally neat white teeth. The gold ornaments woven into his braids glittered in the sunlight, and his whole person exuded a somewhat carefree, irreverent air.
Ling Feng shook his head, both helpless and amused. The Wolf King truly had not the slightest trace of a lord’s bearing. If the Moqin had not already been eyeing the western border covetously, Ling Feng might genuinely have thought him easy to get along with.