Situ Ruo felt that Situ Xuan was being incredibly gossipy today; perhaps life in the palace was too dull, causing him to act so strangely. “Imperial Brother, Jia She prefers women. He has a wife and concubines, and he has never kept handsome attendants by his side. He has spent over a decade hiding his true self just to avoid trouble; how could he possibly have any intentions toward me?”
Situ Xuan heard this and did not know whether to be happy that Jia She did not like Situ Ruo or frustrated that Jia She did not like men. After all, he was a man as well. Situ Xuan waved his hand at Situ Ruo. “Enough, you may leave.”
Situ Ruo put down the memorial and leaned toward Situ Xuan with a smile. “Imperial Brother, do me another favor. Lin Ruhai’s daughter wishes to learn martial arts, and Jia She asked me to help find her a suitable female master. After thinking it over, only an imperial dark guard from the palace would be suitable. Please, bestow one upon me.”
Situ Xuan’s eyes were filled with surprise. “Jia She wants Lin Daiyu to learn martial arts?” What a joke. That delicate girl is already six years old; what martial arts could she possibly learn? In his youth, Jia She had been forced by Jia Daishan to practice martial arts, to the point where he would cry at the mere mention of it, swearing he would never practice. For a man who detested martial arts so much to suddenly want Lin Daiyu to learn—what exactly was his intention?
Situ Ruo recounted what Jia She had said, then sighed with emotion: “I originally wanted to befriend Jia She because he was pleasing to the eye. But later, I was truly attracted to him; being with him makes me feel at ease. Most people treat me with respect only because my surname is Situ. Jia She treats me with courtesy, but not because I am a Prince.”
“Imperial Brother, forgive me for saying this, but Jia She has no regard for imperial power in his heart.”
Situ Xuan did not believe a word of it. If Jia She truly had no regard for imperial power, why was he so afraid of him? Situ Ruo must have been mistaken, misled by Jia She’s face. Seeing Situ Xuan’s silence, Situ Ruo knew he did not believe him and chuckled.
“Imperial Brother, don’t be so skeptical. I left the mansion in such a rush today that I did not expect to meet Lin Daiyu, so I casually unfastened a jade pendant to give her as a greeting gift, and Jia She became angry. It was the first time I had ever seen him angry, and the object of his anger was not me.”
Situ Xuan looked at Situ Ruo, who was full of smiles, and pointed at his own face, utterly confused. “I also gave Lin Daiyu a jade pendant yesterday; could it be that he is angry with me?” Had Situ Ruo been drinking before he arrived? Is his mind muddled? Jia She, with a heart smaller than a mouse, would dare to be dissatisfied with me? If Jia She truly dared to be dissatisfied, I would actually be happy. I would rather have Jia She show me disrespect than fear me.
Situ Ruo simply smiled and said no more. He was certain that Situ Xuan would not bother Jia She over such trivial matters, which was why he dared to speak. Situ Xuan was always suspecting something between him and Jia She whenever he heard gossip. He merely wanted to tell Situ Xuan that Jia She was a very interesting person, which was why he was so “bewitched” by him—it was not out of any improper intentions.
Situ Xuan, satisfied that Situ Ruo held no such feelings for Jia She, told him to go. “I will arrange for Lin Daiyu’s master; you don’t need to worry about it.” Situ Ruo felt relieved; it was better if Situ Xuan handled it himself. “Please, do not summon me to the palace tomorrow. I have invited Jia She to my mansion for a drink.” Before Situ Xuan could respond, Situ Ruo was already gone.
Situ Xuan’s expression turned cold instantly. He tossed the memorial aside. “Eating dinner is one thing, but drinking? Does he not know his health is poor? He coughed up blood just yesterday, and he still wants to go drinking? Is he tired of living?”
Situ Xuan sulked to himself for a while before summoning Wang Fu to select a suitable female dark guard. Wang Fu immediately understood Situ Xuan’s intentions: teaching Lin Daiyu martial arts was secondary; the primary goal was to have someone watch over Jia She. The palace was always under scrutiny; although Wang Fu’s selection of a guard was discreet, it did not escape the eyes of those interested. Those who received this news could not help but wonder: why did Situ Xuan value Lin Daiyu so much? Did Lin Ruhai have some grand move planned?
Last year, Situ Ruo had traveled to Yangzhou and eradicated a salt gang. The officials who had been bought off by the great salt merchants were all speculating whether Situ Xuan was preparing to reorganize the salt administration.
Jia She was unaware of the undercurrents in the court. The next day, he climbed happily into the carriage Situ Ruo had sent, leaving Lin Zhixiao behind. Lin Daiyu had just settled in, and her servants were unfamiliar with the Rong Mansion, especially with Lady Wang quietly causing trouble behind the scenes. Jia She left Lin Zhixiao with Lin Daiyu to prevent her staff from being manipulated.
When Jia She arrived at Situ Ruo’s mansion, it was already afternoon. As soon as Situ Ruo heard the report, he abandoned his work and went out to welcome him. Jia She noticed a large, tall tree in Situ Ruo’s courtyard. He did not know the name of the tree, only that many powerful families in the capital planted them; he had seen them in the Jia mansion as well.
Situ Ruo welcomed Jia She inside. As soon as he entered, Jia She saw the wine set out on the table. “You aren’t serious, are you? It isn’t even dinner time yet, and you want to drink?” Drinking on an empty stomach was an easy way to get drunk. Situ Ruo already knew that Jia She had consumed century-old ginseng in Yangzhou and that his health was fine. After consulting Physician Li repeatedly, he was certain Jia She could handle his liquor.
“I have brought out all the vintage wine I have collected. I must celebrate your good health properly. Let us drink until we are drunk tonight.”
Seeing Hu Bing arranging a grill in the courtyard, Jia She knew it would be a meat-roasting dinner. He selected a wine that smelled mild. Situ Ruo watched with a grin, not mentioning that while the wine smelled mild, its potency was among the top three.
Jia She sat in the courtyard, letting the evening breeze blow over him. “Where are your children? Are you not eating with them?” In truth, he was curious; he had heard from Lin Zhixiao that Situ Ruo had over a dozen sons.
At the mention of his sons, Situ Ruo’s expression soured. “They give me a headache. Every day they grow older, and every day their schemes grow deeper. I am still alive, yet they already covet the heir’s position, fighting each other like wild animals.” Situ Ruo complained about his family troubles to Jia She, sighing as he picked up a bottle of the wine Jia She had selected.
Jia She patted Situ Ruo’s shoulder comfortingly. “Do not worry. When they turn eighteen, just kick them out of the mansion to make their own way.”
His breezy advice did not comfort Situ Ruo, who was worried about the heir’s position and the brothers being like enemies. Hu Bing, responsible for roasting the meat, sent the other servants away and listened to the complaints, silently thanking the heavens that he had never married.
As the sun set, Jia She ate and drank until the alcohol went to his head. He leaned forward and pressed firmly on Situ Ruo’s shoulder. “Old Ruo, this won’t do. As a father, how can you let your sons push you around? Listen to me: throw all those sons of yours out to the countryside, let them farm, and experience the life of ordinary people.”
“Once they understand how hard it is to grow a single grain, then let them come back. If they still don’t listen, let them spend the rest of their lives on the farm.”
“That way, even if they hate each other, they won’t dare fight in front of you.”
“From now on, no matter who is scheming against whom, if they dare to engage in petty squabbles, send them all to the farm to dig dirt.”
Situ Ruo was already starting to feel the effects of the drink; his body lacked the tempering of spiritual energy, making him drunk faster than Jia She. He shook his head. “If I send them to the farm to farm, they will turn the world upside down.”
Jia She shook his head calmly. “You own so many farms; just fence one off and have Hu Bing take some guards to train them.”
“Set them tasks every day; if they don’t finish, they don’t eat. Either they obey, or they starve on the farm.”
“Children are spoiled by indulgence. If you starve them a few times, until they are truly desperate, they will naturally obey.”
Hu Bing saw Situ Ruo listening intently, his mouth twitching. What a pair—one dares to suggest it, and the other dares to listen!
Jia She slapped Situ Ruo’s shoulder several times. “If your children don’t listen, it’s usually because they need a beating. If once isn’t enough, beat them twice.”
“Sending them to the countryside for reform is for their own good. Call it a ‘transformation plan.'”
Situ Ruo’s increasingly muddled brain began to process this, and he grabbed Hu Bing’s sleeve, asking earnestly, “What do you think of this idea? Sending those little brats to the countryside for a transformation.”
Seeing that Situ Ruo was drunk, Hu Bing nodded to pacify him. Seeing that even Hu Bing agreed, Situ Ruo stood up unsteadily. “Brother Jia, you keep drinking; I am going to find the steward. I will send those brats to the countryside tonight, and no one is to stop me.”
Hu Bing realized that if he didn’t intervene, Situ Ruo would follow through. He tried to persuade him, “Your Highness, this is a major matter; let us discuss it tomorrow.” By tomorrow, Situ Ruo would be sober and forget all about the farm idea.
Jia She laughed while fanning the flames. “Old Ruo, you are too soft. Why let Hu Bing dictate your own family affairs?”
Hu Bing was so frustrated he wanted to sew Jia She’s mouth shut. Situ Ruo, ignoring Hu Bing, shoved him aside several times. “Do not hold me back. I want to listen to Brother Jia and send those disobedient brats to the farm for transformation.”
Situ Ruo was like most drunk people—he lacked judgment, yet his logic remained sharp and his speech clear. He was determined to find the steward. Hu Bing, watching helplessly, pleaded with Jia She, “General, you stay here and eat; I will be right back.”
Jia She waved at Situ Ruo and shouted, “Old Ruo, do not let Hu Bing fool you! You must personally put those brats on the carriage, and it would be best if you watched them leave the city. Send the harshest official you have to discipline them!”
Hu Bing ground his teeth, wanting to disappear. Situ Ruo stood still for a moment, then ordered Hu Bing, “Go fetch Lin Bo.”
Hu Bing gasped at the name. “Your Highness, not Lin Bo! He is a stubborn man; if you order him, he will truly carry it out.”
Situ Ruo was angered. “You are clearly trying to obstruct me. Fortunately, Brother Jia warned me in advance, or I would have been tricked by you again.”
Situ Ruo pushed past Hu Bing and went off to find the steward. Lin Bo, dressed in black, arrived. Hu Bing said quickly, “The Prince is drunk; ignore whatever he says later.”
Lin Bo gave Hu Bing a blank look and bowed to Situ Ruo. Situ Ruo gestured for him to rise and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Lin Bo, I have an important matter for you.”
“Take all my disobedient sons to the farm, make them farm, and train them as if they were secret guards.”
“Do not treat them as my sons. If they do something wrong, punish them. Even if you beat them to death, I will not blame you.”
Lin Bo looked up and met Situ Ruo’s eyes. “My Lord, Hu Bing told me to act as if I did not hear your orders, saying you are drunk.”
Situ Ruo’s expression cooled. “Nonsense. I am perfectly sober. I give you my sword—be sure to discipline those brats properly.”
Lin Bo received the sword with grave solemnity. “Rest assured, my Lord; your subordinate will train the young masters with all his might, and I will show no mercy.”
Hu Bing was gasping and pulling his own hair. Even though Situ Ruo appeared intoxicated, his speech was clear and logical. Had he not served him for so long, even he would have believed Situ Ruo was sober. Seeing Lin Bo prepare to leave, Hu Bing tried to stop him, but Situ Ruo, despite being drunk, continued to pull him aside and engage him, preventing him from intervening.
Hu Bing realized that the whole thing was spiraling out of control. He decided to leave it to Situ Ruo to deal with his own regret tomorrow morning.
Hu Bing turned and headed to the courtyard where Jia She was staying, only to find the steward standing outside, panicked. Hu Bing looked past him and saw Wang Fu standing there. The steward ran toward him like a savior. “Guard Hu, the Emperor is visiting the Prince and is currently in the courtyard.”
Hu Bing’s pupils dilated; he scrambled toward the courtyard. His master was not in the main hall but in the same room as Jia She. He had left Jia She after he had consumed three bottles of wine, and he was likely intoxicated. What if Jia She spoke out of turn in front of the Emperor? If Jia She were executed, he would be indirectly responsible.
Wang Fu caught him by the arm, lowering his voice with grave seriousness. “Guard Hu, do you know the Emperor is inside? How dare you barge in?”
Hu Bing felt the night was cursed; nothing was going right. “Steward Wang, I know, but General Jia is inside, and he has been drinking. I fear the General might offend the Emperor.”