[The Case of Vice Minister Shen]
As these words were spoken, everyone turned their eyes toward Ying Fusheng. A flicker of surprise crossed the Emperor’s eyes.
Shen Yunfei froze where he stood. He had never imagined that, given his recklessness today and the dire situation of the Shen family, a prince would actually step forward to choose him as a study companion.
The Emperor looked at Ying Fusheng. The oversized fox-fur cloak trailed on the ground, but the boy’s words did not seem like a lie. “Do you truly wish for the son of Vice Minister Shen to be your companion?”
As the Emperor spoke, others looked at the Sixth Prince with contemplative expressions. Given how cautiously the Ning family conducted themselves in court, the entire capital knew the Shen family was in serious trouble. Consort Ning and Vice Minister Ning were surely aware that associating with the Shens at this time brought far more risk than reward…
The Emperor’s question was truly difficult to read. One had to remember that the Shen family’s current situation made a comeback nearly impossible! Even if the Sixth Prince had gained some imperial favor at the palace banquet, that favor would vanish in an instant if he stepped on the Emperor’s toes.
Faced with the Emperor’s question, the Sixth Prince seemed stunned. Even Eunuch Rong, standing nearby, considered offering a subtle hint, but then saw the Sixth Prince hesitate for a moment before asking tentatively, “…Is it not allowed?”
From his manner, it truly seemed he simply wanted Shen Yunfei as his companion.
“Why should it not be?” The Emperor burst into hearty laughter upon hearing this answer.
Ying Fusheng looked surprised, a joyful expression spreading across his face. “Thank you, Imperial Father.”
The Emperor turned his gaze to Shen Yunfei, who had kept his head bowed and eyes lowered. “Shen Yunfei, are you willing?”
Shen Yunfei could barely keep his expression under control. The Sixth Prince was thin and frail, wearing several more layers of clothing than the other imperial scions; at a glance, he was the picture of delicate health—someone who had likely never even sat on a horse.
Some of Shen Yunfei’s close friends had mentioned that the Sixth Prince had almost no presence in the palace, and only recently gained a bit of favor through his performance at the banquet.
Shen Yunfei felt he was being somewhat despicable for thinking so, but how could he not grasp the life-saving straw offered to him? As long as he became a companion, he could appear before the Emperor, and the Shen family would still have a chance. “If the Sixth Highness does not find me unworthy, this commoner is willing.”
“Then let it be so,” the Emperor said with a wave of his hand, granting the request. “Let the son of the Vice Minister of War, Shen Yunfei, be the study companion to the Sixth Prince.”
Shen Yunfei accepted the decree.
The other princes who had yet to choose let out a sigh of relief. Ying Fusheng had actually passed up other candidates to choose a Shen Yunfei. Once the Emperor finished appointing the Sixth Prince’s companion, the remaining well-born candidates were assigned to the Seventh and Eighth Princes.
With that, the selection for the day was over.
As Shen Yunfei was assigned to the Sixth Prince, many people began to whisper and gossip. The Crown Prince’s gaze repeatedly drifted toward Ying Fusheng. Ying Fusheng had clearly chosen a Shen Yunfei—someone nobody else wanted—yet he had stolen all the limelight. The Crown Prince had three companions, all from high-ranking families, yet by the end, they weren’t worth a single word of praise from the Emperor compared to Shen Yunfei.
As Ying Fusheng rose from his seat, the Crown Prince had already looked away. In the distance, Empress Xu was approaching. Her attire today was plain and elegant, and in her hand, she held a string of prayer beads. Unlike the beads the Empress Dowager often held, hers bore the marks of many years, showing signs of age and wear. Combined with her graceful expression, she gave off a profound sense of one devoted to a quiet life of Buddhist contemplation.
Empress Xu’s gaze had just shifted away from the Crown Prince, seemingly drawn by a nearby sound, and happened to meet Ying Fusheng’s looking her way. Those compassionate, Bodhisattva-like eyes remained calm and rippleless, lacking even the subtle flicker she showed when looking at the Crown Prince. Her gaze was as still as a deep pool… or perhaps, for a fleeting moment, it was slightly colder than usual, entirely devoid of emotion.
She had merely seen him. Then, she departed in her imperial carriage.
Ying Fusheng’s movement to bow paused slightly, continuing only when Song An’s voice from the side broke the silence. Only then did he steady himself, pulling away from the ethereal, shifting visions of his past life. He gave a self-mocking laugh in his heart. The childish posture he had maintained in the arena was gone, as was the stubborn innocence he showed when judging the horse tracks. All that remained was a cold, composed face.
“Your Highness, why are you watching the Empress?” Song An asked.
Ying Fusheng asked himself in equal confusion, “Indeed, why am I watching her?”
Song An felt that his master was acting a bit strange. Seeing that Young Master Shen had already departed after offering his greetings, Song An felt a wave of worry. “Regarding Young Master Shen… this servant has heard some rumors… about him.”
Ying Fusheng’s eyes sharpened slightly as he turned to look at him.
Song An recounted everything he had overheard from others.
Palace servants were a gossipy bunch; while they didn’t say it outright, they were essentially calling the Sixth Prince a fool. Out of so many noble sons, why choose the one at the center of a storm? Was this not jumping straight into a pit of fire?
“If Imperial Father truly loathed the Shen family, why let Shen Yunfei come here instead of throwing Vice Minister Shen into prison?” Ying Fusheng remarked. “It means it has not yet been determined whether the Shen family is truly the mastermind behind the military funds case.”
The Emperor saw clearly. A selection of study companions could reveal far too many things…
Ying Fusheng knew that in his past life, Shen Yunfei had indeed been designated as the Crown Prince’s companion. However, before he could even enter the palace, his horse was startled during a hunt in the capital’s outskirts, frightening the Crown Prince. Not only did Shen Yunfei break his leg, but he also lost his chance to be a companion. Consequently, the Shen family collapsed under the encroachment of other factions, and it wasn’t until years later, when the Qi family reinvestigated the old cases, that their name was cleared.
But by then, Vice Minister Shen was long dead, and Shen Yunfei—a brilliant military talent—was left permanently lame due to the delay in treating his injury. After the Shen family was exonerated, he attacked the Crown Prince’s faction like a madman, eventually being branded a rebel and executed by the new Emperor.
This selection was an anomaly, yet the trajectory was overlapping with his past life.
An enemy of an enemy is a friend. Ying Fusheng had been too prominent at the palace banquet; standing before the Crown Prince and the First Prince would only pull him into the center of the power struggle faster. Given his current situation, that would only lead to a quicker death. If he wanted those with hidden agendas to ignore him, he had to hide his edge. Pushing Consort Ning and the Ning family into the spotlight was his first plan, but his ambitions went beyond that. If he wanted revenge, he needed his own power base.
Shen Yunfei’s appearance was perfectly timed.
Ying Fusheng pulled back his thoughts. As he turned, he suddenly caught sight of a figure on high, and his body stiffened.
At some unknown point, that person had stood atop the watchtower, looking down from a distance. The clamor of the martial arena almost drowned out everything else. The youth stood as still as a pine tree, his gaze never wavering, as if every single move Ying Fusheng made fell right into his eyes.
After a long moment, Ying Fusheng raised his head. His eyes showed no alarm; he simply nodded in greeting, as if nothing were out of the ordinary.
High up on the observation deck, the soldiers practicing nearby had dispersed, and the Emperor’s procession had faded into the distance.
Qi Hanzhou stood leaning with his arms crossed, watching the departing figure. The luxurious fox-fur cloak could not hide the prince’s sickly aura, and his breathing was weaker than a normal person’s. However, his stride was too steady. The look in his eyes as he surveyed the arena was a stark contrast to his frail exterior; it was a cautious look, one of… unrestrained ambition.
His deputy approached and, seeing Qi Hanzhou gazing into the distance, couldn’t help but ask, “Young General.”
“Have people keep an eye on the duty rotations in the arena over the next few days. Today was no accident.” Qi Hanzhou withdrew his gaze, his eyes landing on the sand of the arena floor. “The sand and stone at the corner were swapped; the texture is too hard. It was bound to cause problems at the turn. Someone designed this specifically.”
The deputy’s face paled at the words. “Should this be reported to His Majesty!?”
Qi Hanzhou frowned in hesitation, the expression Ying Fusheng wore before leaving flickering through his mind. After a moment of thought, he waved his hand for the deputy to handle the local investigation. In the distance, Ying Fusheng’s figure had already vanished at the edge of the arena.
‘This person… why would he help the Shen family?’
…
News of the younger Shen son becoming the Sixth Prince’s study companion spread through the court as soon as the martial arena competition ended.
At the same time, the legal case surrounding the Shen family’s military funds intensified. When Vice Minister Ning heard the news, he was so startled that he dropped and shattered two teacups. He immediately sent people to the palace to gather information, terrified that the Ning family would be dragged down by the Shens.
The embezzlement case had far-reaching consequences. Due to the delayed supplies, General Chen’s son had died a tragic death. Now, with the establishment of the Soldiers’ Shrine imminent, the white funeral banners at the General’s estate remained hanging; the longer the case dragged on, the more unmanageable it became.
While the court was clouded by the scandal, the imperial scions and their companions continued their studies at Wenhua Hall. The Great Yuan valued martial prowess, and on the sixteenth of each month, they would set out for the hunting grounds in the outskirts of the capital.
When Ying Fusheng arrived, the carriages for the outskirts were already prepared. He immediately spotted servants from the Weiyang Palace. These were new faces; they rushed over to him carrying two food boxes with meticulous care. “Sixth Highness, Consort Ning knew you were heading to the outskirts today and specifically ordered us to come.”
Ying Fusheng did not refuse them, allowing them to follow behind as his gaze flickered toward Shen Yunfei, who stood off to the side. Shen Yunfei was alone; the other noble youths stood several paces back, leaving him isolated and out of place. His complexion had not improved over the past few days. As time marched on, the Shen family’s situation grew increasingly dire, and his chances of seeing the Emperor were practically non-existent.
“Sixth Highness,” Shen Yunfei said, bowing deeply.
Ying Fusheng gave a small nod. “Get in the carriage.”
Shen Yunfei hesitated. Seeing the other study companions boarding the princes’ carriages, he followed suit. As soon as he entered, he noticed the interior was excessively warm, the air so stifling it made it slightly hard to breathe. Yet the Sixth Prince sat by the charcoal heater as if he were still cold, clutching a hand warmer and remaining silent.
After becoming a companion, Shen Yunfei’s father had told him he must not be careless before a prince and must act with the utmost caution. However, in the days since they started at Wenhua Hall, the Sixth Prince’s attendance had been sporadic. The prince’s health was worse than he had imagined; he requested leave so often that, despite being his companion, Shen Yunfei had barely spoken a few words to him.
“If it’s stuffy, you may let in some air,” Ying Fusheng said.
Shen Yunfei sat bolt upright. “I am fine.”
As he spoke, Ying Fusheng lifted the carriage curtain, letting the outside wind gust in.
Shen Yunfei was stunned. “Your Highness?”
Ying Fusheng’s gaze settled on Shen Yunfei’s forehead, which was already slick with sweat. “I prefer speaking plainly.”
Shen Yunfei could only comply.
The streets outside were bustling. Shen Yunfei was used to the sights and found nothing unusual, but the Sixth Prince’s eyes were fixed on the scenery, watching intently. ‘The Sixth Prince is strikingly handsome.’ Shen Yunfei had met other members of the Ning family, who all had bold, heavy features, yet the Sixth Prince bore no resemblance to them. He was more like a piece of soft Hetian jade—refined, with a subtle, inherent nobility.
Shen Yunfei suddenly felt it was improper to stare at a prince. As he looked away, his eyes caught the white funeral banners outside, and he instinctively stiffened, averting his gaze. His body went rigid, not daring to look at the mourning procession; his hands were clenched tightly on his knees, trembling with an unutterable emotion.
A youth of only twelve or thirteen, yet he looked as if he were wearing heavy shackles. The rest of the Shen family was under house arrest; only he, by virtue of his status as a companion, had freedom of movement, yet he was powerless to solve his family’s crisis. Ying Fusheng looked at Shen Yunfei’s legs. In his past life, this man had been crippled in a horse accident, wasting his brilliant riding skills. He hadn’t met that Shen Yunfei, but he had read in secret reports that the man’s hair had turned white in his youth, and he had spent his life on the edge of a vengeful madness.
“Imperial Father summoned you to the selection because he trusts Vice Minister Shen,” Ying Fusheng said suddenly.
At these words, Shen Yunfei snapped his head toward him.
“You entered the palace to plead for your father, but the timing is wrong,” Ying Fusheng continued, ignoring Shen Yunfei’s stare. “The military commanders are the only confidants Imperial Father truly relies on. General Chen has fought alongside him for years. To grant you an audience now would be to break the hearts of his generals.”
Shen Yunfei’s body was taut. The words he wanted to scream were choked back in his throat. “It is my own incompetence.” He immediately swept his robes aside and knelt. “I beg the Sixth Highness to help me.”
Ying Fusheng remained indifferent. “I can help you, but do you even know who your enemy is?”
Shen Yunfei was speechless. He didn’t know. In a court full of officials, his father had offended far too many people with his blunt integrity. Ying Fusheng watched as Shen Yunfei struggled to endure, his fingernails digging into his palms like a young, masterless wolf.
“Do you want to save your father?” Ying Fusheng asked suddenly.
Shen Yunfei’s frame shook. He looked at Ying Fusheng in disbelief. “Sixth Highness…”
“Vice Minister Shen is an honest official and someone Imperial Father trusts. Yet the official seal on those military funds belongs to him; he cannot escape the connection no matter what.” Ying Fusheng let the curtain fall, speaking concisely: “Therefore, we need a catalyst.”
Shen Yunfei spoke urgently: “What catalyst?”
Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes and calmly spoke four words: “Hiring an assassin…”
“…to kill Vice Minister Shen.”