[What is a “Hidden Piece”?]
The First Prince’s carriage gradually receded, and the alleyway fell silent.
Outside the seemingly peaceful Hu Residence, a figure emerged from the shadows. After watching Hu Buyu enter with his servant and seeing the imperial carriage disappear in the distance, the figure turned and hurried toward another part of the same street.
In the main hall of the Xu Manor, an elderly man sat in a grand tutor’s chair, his sleeves folded and his expression composed. Before him was a Go board, yet he had no opponent; he played both sides himself, the board showing signs of a fierce struggle. As he considered his next move, a servant hurried in to report. The old man withdrew his focus from the game, his gaze landing on the newcomer. A young attendant entered, bowed respectfully, and addressed him, “Senior Minister.”
Senior Minister Xu looked up slightly. “Hu Buyu has returned home?”
The attendants were dismissed, leaving only the old man and the young attendant. The young attendant spoke in a low, cautious voice. “Yes. As you expected, His Majesty summoned Master Hu for about an hour. However…” He lowered his voice further. “Master Hu entered the First Prince’s carriage and remained there for a full hour before returning home.”
He recounted everything observed on the streets up until Hu Buyu reached his gates.
Senior Minister Xu set down a Go piece and looked out the window. The world outside was quiet, as if nothing had happened. “Things have been unfavorable lately; it is a time for discretion. The First Prince, however, is being quite flamboyant.”
The young attendant understood the Senior Minister’s implication. Many in the court were watching Hu Buyu to see the Emperor’s intent, but the First Prince had seized the perfect position. He had saved the lives of Hu’s wife and daughter, escorted him into the city, and now showed blatant favoritism. No one would believe there was no scheme afoot, yet the First Prince had taken the initiative while everyone else was caught off guard.
Such a move must have been guided by someone. The young attendant asked, “Does the Senior Minister imply there is someone behind the First Prince?”
Xu did not answer directly, instead placing another stone on the board. “What of the Eastern Palace?”
“From the Eastern Palace, the Empress sent word asking you to keep an eye on the Ning family,” the page relayed. “She said Consort Ning’s behavior was unusual at Huguo Temple.”
Hearing this, Xu’s eyes slowed. He pondered for a moment. “How is the Crown Prince lately?”
The young attendant immediately reported the palace news. “The Crown Prince is young, but he knows he was wrong. He has been tempering his character in the palace; he has copied the Sutra of Serenity a hundred times as you instructed.”
Senior Minister Xu sighed softly. Though the Crown Prince had often shown immaturity in handling affairs in the past, he had never made such a grave mistake. Yet this time, at the palace banquet, he acted on his own initiative, and later, when he turned his hand against the Shen family. “She is still too kind to that child; a doting mother spoils the son. If he could learn restraint, he wouldn’t have committed such a reckless act at the martial arts field.”
He was young, yes, but as the heir apparent, he could not afford to be wrong.
Xu suddenly thought of the other prince he had seen at the Wenhua Hall—similar in age, yet worlds apart. “The Crown Prince’s character still needs tempering. Let him reflect in silence for another month. When the time is right, I will personally plead for him before His Majesty.”
He shifted the topic. “Another thing. You said Vice Minister Ning has been repeatedly presenting visiting cards?”
The page nodded. “Per your orders, all were rejected.”
‘The Ning family, the Sixth Prince, Noble Consort Ning… it is truly unexpected.’ Senior Minister Xu said, “If he comes again, do not reject him.”
The imperial carriage finally stopped near the Shen Manor. Ying Fusheng thanked the First Prince and stepped down, just as Shen Yunfei came hurrying out of the house. For some time now, Ying Fusheng had kept his distance from him, even after classes at the Wenhua Hall. This was the first time he had come to the Shen Manor.
“Why has Your Highness come?” Shen Yunfei asked.
“I came out of the palace to find you,” Ying Fusheng replied.
As Shen Yunfei began to speak, Ying Fusheng gave a slight wave. While talking, his peripheral vision scanned the surroundings. He knew the spies following the carriage had arrived. Since he was putting on a show, he had to play the part fully.
The last time he was at the Shen Manor, it was during the chaos of the assassination attempt. Now, the atmosphere was entirely different. Though Shen Changcun had been demoted, he held the post of Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Horses, and he still maintained social connections in the capital.
“My father hasn’t returned yet; I’ll send someone to inform him,” Shen Yunfei said.
Ying Fusheng looked at him. “I came here for you, not for Master Shen.”
Shen Yunfei understood and immediately stopped the servant. “I was reckless.” He was still unsure of the Prince’s intent. “Then Your Highness is…?”
“Here to play, of course,” Ying Fusheng said.
Shen Yunfei froze. ‘Play??’
The Shen Manor instantly fell into a flurry of activity. The Sixth Prince had come out of the palace with only one personal attendant and specifically to play with Shen Yunfei. The matriarch of the Shen family immediately selected several guards to follow them, ensuring everything was perfect for fear of any lapse in hospitality. Shen Changcun hadn’t briefed the rest of the household, but his wife, Madam Shen, knew the stakes and issued orders busily.
Ying Fusheng’s visit was originally a ruse, but within moments of entering, Madam Shen had arranged a carriage, food, guards, and even several extra hand warmers, considering his frail health.
“When you go out with the Sixth Highness, be sharp. Do you understand?” Madam Shen lectured her son.
Shen Yunfei didn’t need to be told.
As they sat in the carriage, Ying Fusheng looked at the slightly awkward Shen Yunfei. The carriage was meticulously stocked. Ying Fusheng picked up a hand warmer prepared by Madam Shen; though not as luxurious as those in the palace, it had been pre-heated to the perfect temperature. Shen Yunfei felt his mother was making too much of a fuss. “My mother’s behavior was a bit…”
“You have a good mother,” Ying Fusheng said. “You should cherish her.”
Shen Yunfei was stunned. Before he could respond, Ying Fusheng had turned his head to look out the window. This was the first time he had truly spent time with his study partner outside of the formal setting of the Wenhua Hall. In his eyes, the relationship between other princes and their partners was one of mutual interest, and though he and the Sixth Prince seemed close, their bond usually felt strictly defined by politics.
Ying Fusheng held the hand warmer and looked at the unfamiliar streets. This was the capital.
Unlike the confined palace, the capital was a melting pot where the eyes of every faction mingled. In his past life, Ying Fusheng had been the strategist who gathered news from everywhere, but he had been a hidden piece concealed in the deep palace. Seeing the world on paper was far less vivid than seeing it before his eyes.
Saving Shen Changcun had been both an accident and a calculated move.
In his past life, Ying Fusheng had seen Shen Changcun’s records in the Ministry of War. The Ministry had once been his father’s most stable department. The Minister of War was elderly, and most responsibilities actually fell on Shen Changcun. If not for that, his father would not have protected Shen after the military pay scandal. Shen Changcun was not skilled at court intrigue, but he was incredibly sharp regarding the fine details of documents. Those who orchestrated the scandal were desperate to bring him down precisely because he was a threat to them.
Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Horses seemed like a menial job involving carriages and horses, but that position controlled the movement of all factions within and outside the capital. Whether it was the Imperial family or high-ranking officials, all transportation went through the Court of Imperial Horses… If not for this, how could the military pay case have vanished so silently at that very node?
Such information, if circulated and utilized, would form a vast, powerful web.
A man like Shen Changcun was exactly what Ying Fusheng needed.
Much of what Ying Fusheng knew from his past life was the result of hindsight and historical summaries; in reality, the specific nodes of power were chaotic. He could exploit some, but not all. If he wanted to truly master the situation, he needed those overlooked trivialities and fine details—intelligence was of paramount importance.
Shen Yunfei watched Ying Fusheng, seeing him appear to observe the street scenery while simultaneously seeming lost in thought, and dared not speak to disturb him.
After a long silence, Ying Fusheng turned his head toward him. “You’ve been much quieter lately.”
Shen Yunfei said earnestly, “My father told me that I shouldn’t be too obsessed with play… My father is now the Junior Minister of the Court of Imperial Horses and his daily duties are hectic. I must work hard at my martial arts and take the military examinations early so that I can be of help to Your Highness.”
Since experiencing the upheaval in his family, Shen Yunfei’s personality had become noticeably more restrained. Ying Fusheng knew that in his previous life, this man had been the same; after the Shen family was framed, he had fought his way back into the court to oppose the Crown Prince at every turn. But right now, this person was merely a youth under the age of fifteen—exactly the time when others would have their guard down.
“We’re here,” Ying Fusheng said.
The carriage stopped. Shen Yunfei looked out in surprise, seeing that they had pulled up in front of a restaurant.
That restaurant was a place of luxury in the capital, a melting pot of different social classes, with singing girls at the door to lure in customers. Ying Fusheng stepped down first, and Shen Yunfei hurried to follow. As soon as he entered, he thought to himself that this was bad—from a distance, he spotted several familiar faces.
“Shen Yunfei!”
The one calling out was a notorious profligate son of a wealthy family.
At that shout, many eyes turned toward them—all young masters immersed in a world of wine and sensual pleasures.
Although the former Vice Minister of War, Shen Changcun, had been demoted, the fact that he hadn’t been dismissed despite being embroiled in such a major scandal was a form of imperial grace. Furthermore, Shen Yunfei had become the study partner for the current Sixth Prince, making him unique among this group of playboy friends.
At that moment, the group noticed the elegant young gentleman beside Shen Yunfei. His skin was exceptionally pale, and he stood there looking completely out of place in the restaurant; his searching gaze gave off an air of being unacquainted with the ways of the world. It was precisely this unique temperament that made it impossible for several of the young profligates to look away.
Ying Fusheng asked Shen Yunfei, “Are they your friends?”
Bringing a Prince to see profligates made Shen Yunfei feel like his father might break one of his legs. He was about to deny it, but his “fair-weather friends” had already swarmed toward them.
“Yes, yes, we are!” The fat man in the lead stepped forward, squinting his eyes to size them up. “We are Yunfei’s friends. Which family is this young master from? You’re a new face!”
Hearing this, a smile graced Ying Fusheng’s face. “I know Yunfei and followed him here to play. Since you are his friends, why don’t we join you?”
The moment these words were spoken, the profligates agreed immediately. Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Shen Yunfei hurriedly found a familiar servant, opened a private room, and led the group inside without hesitation.
The fat man leaned in and whispered to Shen Yunfei, “Where did you get this new friend? This young master is a stranger!”
“That is the Sixth Prince!” Shen Yunfei said with a bitter smile.
The moment the group heard he was a Prince, they immediately lost their nerve. Usually, they didn’t mind joking around because they all came from similar backgrounds and had grown up together. But the person before them was a Prince; if they said one wrong thing and displeased him, it could mean their heads.
The profligates, usually so arrogant, now looked at each other in dismay. They glared at Shen Yunfei, unable to decide what to do. “How could you bring a Prince here?”
Ying Fusheng looked at the group of youths who were now huddled like frightened quails. He called a servant to order some food, and seeing them standing, he said, “Won’t you sit?”
The profligates took their seats one after another. Seeing that Ying Fusheng didn’t put on royal airs and was instead quite easygoing—looking truly like a new friend Shen Yunfei had brought along—they sat beside him and began to ask curiously about his background.
“You were playing cards just now. How do you play?” Ying Fusheng asked.
The fat man barked, “The Prince wants to learn, did you hear that!”
Seeing that the Prince truly didn’t look down on such things, the profligates began to teach him how to throw dice, showing off all their usual tricks. Every time they performed a trick and saw Ying Fusheng express curiosity, they became certain that the Prince was genuinely interested and began to speak more freely.
Ying Fusheng sat among them; there was no wine before him, only various teas and pastries. These young masters were experts in every form of eating, drinking, and pleasure-seeking. He seemed curious about everything they mentioned, asking humble questions whenever a new topic came up.
The profligates had never seen a Prince like this, and they pulled out all the stops to impress him.
As they played to their heart’s content, they began to spill rumors from the streets. Once the wine took effect, they completely let their guard down.
“Your Highness, you have no idea. Look at that man over there who looks so dignified; just the day before yesterday he took a concubine, and today he’s already at the restaurant looking for singing girls!”
“Is that so?”
“Of course! We brothers are extremely well-informed. Whatever Your Highness wants to know, we know it!”
Qi Hanzhou sat in the teahouse opposite, taking in the entire scene of the profligates in that private room. The young masters were chattering and laughing raucously, while Ying Fusheng sat right in their midst. He appeared to be genuinely amused by their talk; every expression and smile was so meticulously polished that not a single flaw could be found.
To the outside world, he looked exactly like a prince who had lived his entire life in the deep palace encountering something novel for the first time—his displays of curiosity and tentative exploration were balanced perfectly.
“The second young master of the Li family, the third young master of the Chen family…” Beside him, the deputy relayed the information just gathered: “My subordinates got close enough to listen; they are the friends Shen Yunfei usually associates with. They are all minor young masters in the capital who enjoy riding and carousing. Their reputations are… not great.”
He stopped just short of calling them useless, pampered fools. They had tracked the Sixth Prince all the way here, only to see this precious little Highness being lured into a restaurant by his study partner. If this news reached the palace, it would be a major scandal.
“This Shen Yunfei is also quite unreliable, actually daring to bring a Prince to a place like this,” the deputy remarked. “And here I thought he was a good lad for pleading for his father; turns out his profligate nature hasn’t changed at all.”
Qi Hanzhou glanced at him. “If even you feel that way, then his performance is truly seamless.”
The deputy paused, realizing he had spoken out of turn. “Was this taught to him by Shen Changcun?”
Qi Hanzhou watched the little Highness sitting by the window. That open window seemed as if it were waiting for countless pairs of eyes to look in. He had chosen the First Prince’s restaurant; from the moment he stepped inside, everything had changed. The carriage driver left at the gates of Huguo Temple was a confidant of Hu Buyu. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had dealt with that man before and knew Hu Buyu had secret contacts, but they never imagined the “contact” was a trusted aide who had been by Hu’s side for over a decade. That was why the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s defense had nearly failed.
Qi Hanzhou had only been in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for a few months, yet that boy knew exactly who the traitor was and had intercepted Madam Hu a step ahead of everyone else.
The driver had already been sent to the Imperial Prisons for interrogation, but the man had swallowed a silencing drug beforehand; it would take time to get anything out of him.
What about Ying Fusheng?
How many faces did he truly have?
Before long, the Sixth Prince seemed to realize it was getting late and stood up to leave.
Qi Hanzhou frowned, grabbed his sword, and turned to go.
“Young General, what about the people here—” The deputy looked at the group of carousing profligates and the Shen youth.
Qi Hanzhou swept a glance over them as if he had lost interest. His peripheral vision remained on Ying Fusheng. “You keep an eye on the others.”
Inside the restaurant, after a hearty meal, the profligates were all reaching for their wallets to pay. However, the shopkeeper specifically came out to see them off, stating that the First Prince had given special instructions for everyone to enjoy themselves on his account. Seeing this, Ying Fusheng still had Song An produce silver to settle the bill. “Though it is Imperial Brother’s establishment, the money must still be paid.”
Faced with his humble and meticulous insistence on settling accounts, the shopkeeper bowed with a beaming smile and hurried to have some pastries packed. “This lowly citizen shall see Your Highness off.”
Ying Fusheng bid the profligates farewell. His shy smile at their parting left the young masters feeling a bit awkward, suddenly struck by a sense that they were “corrupting” the Prince. The fat man in the lead patted Shen Yunfei on the shoulder. “This Sixth Highness is actually quite easy to get along with; he doesn’t put on airs at all.”
Shen Yunfei wanted him to mind his manners, but remembering the Prince’s instructions, he could only endure it. “You’d better watch yourself; don’t go talking nonsense outside.”
“Of course! What kind of person do you think your brother is? Next time you bring the Prince out for drinks, count me in,” the fat man said with a grin.
Ying Fusheng watched Shen Yunfei horsing around with his friends. Beside him, Song An had already pulled back the carriage curtain. Once he was seated, the carriage set off for the palace. At that moment, he glanced toward the rooftops. The falcon that had followed them the whole way was nowhere to be seen, as if its master had lost interest.
“Your Highness, it is cold.” Song An draped an extra cloak over him.
Ying Fusheng paused, pulled the cloak tight, and set down the hand warmer he had carried all day. “It’s alright. It’s not that cold anymore.”
…
By the time he returned to the palace, night was falling. It was the first time he and Song An had been out for so long. Upon returning to the Cining Palace, his first task was to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager. He expected a thorough questioning, but the Empress Dowager only had the Imperial Physician take his pulse and casually asked, “How was your time outside today?”
Ying Fusheng’s mind raced. He shared one or two stories as a boy of his age would. The Empress Dowager’s expression gradually softened. She didn’t press for more and told him to go rest early.
“I brought back some pastries,” Ying Fusheng said, signaling Song An to bring them forward.
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly and said nothing more.
Once he had left, the Empress Dowager continued to thumb her prayer beads. She said to Auntie Yu, “Withdraw those people sent to protect him.”
Auntie Yu complied and moved to take the box of pastries.
The Empress Dowager said, “Leave the pastries.”
The Cining Palace was silent at night. Ying Fusheng returned to the side hall. As the cold wind blew past, he couldn’t stop himself from coughing.
Seeing this, Song An hurriedly gave Ying Fusheng a warmed hand warmer and ordered someone to bring his medicine. “Your Highness was outside today; the wind from that open window was chilly. Your Highness has just recovered from a cold; you really shouldn’t have taken such a risk.”
“You’ve certainly taken to lecturing me,” Ying Fusheng said as he took the medicine bowl.
Song An replied, “This servant wouldn’t dare!”
“I didn’t say you were wrong.” Ying Fusheng looked at him. “When it is just the two of us, there is no need for this master-servant pretense. Song An, if not for you, I would have died long ago.”
Song An said hurriedly, “Your Highness, please do not speak of life and death. May Your Highness live for a thousand years.”
Hearing the phrase “thousand years,” Ying Fusheng’s thoughts momentarily drifted. He looked out the window as if gazing at the high rooftops. His gaze faltered. The layers of warmth in the hall seeped in; the pain that had felt like a terminal rot in his past life seemed to have eased. He snapped back to the present, looking at the favorable situation he had fought so hard to earn, and murmured, “Yes… I should live a long life.”
Then, his gaze turned sharp. He said to Song An, “Soon, there should be a change.”
“I wonder if my ‘dear mother’ has been enjoying the soothing incense I sent her?”
The capital was a place of constant change. While the incense burned bright at the Soldiers’ Shrine at Huguo Temple, new news rippled through the court:
The position of Vice Minister of War, vacant for so long after the demotion of the previous officeholder, was mentioned by the First Prince during this morning’s session. He strongly recommended Hu Buyu, the Prefectural Magistrate of Anlong who had been summoned to the capital. One must realize that while this post is “only” a Vice Minister, the Minister of War intends to retire. Whoever catches the Emperor’s eye now could very well be the future Minister of War.
No one expected the First Prince to recommend Hu Buyu at this moment. Furthermore, the Emperor was full of praise and, following the recommendation, appointed Hu Buyu as the new Vice Minister of War right then and there.
Because the First Prince and Vice Minister Ning had handled the Soldiers’ Shrine project so beautifully, the Emperor praised them in court. For a time, the First Prince’s prestige soared. During this period, the Emperor ignored the Crown Prince while the First Prince flourished, causing the court to sense a brewing undercurrent.
As soon as court dismissed, the news spread like wildfire.
“I thought His Majesty favored Master Xu? There’s been no word on him.”
“Don’t bring that up. Didn’t you see Master Zhou’s face after court? It was black as coal… Who would have thought Hu Buyu would appear out of nowhere, and that the First Prince would be the one to push him up?”
……
When the news reached Weiyang Palace, Bi Zhu became noticeably more cautious as she brought tea into the hall. The air was heavy with the scent of soothing incense. Consort Ning sat on her couch with her hair disheveled; scattered around the base of the couch were the remains of a tea cup she had just shattered.
Since returning from Huguo Temple, Consort Ning had been grounded by the Empress Dowager. Somewhere along the line, rumors had begun to swirl through the palace: they said that for all her outward kindness, she must have committed some grave moral error to be grounded repeatedly by the Empress Dowager.
Bi Zhu had managed to suppress the official news, but she couldn’t stop the whispers of the palace gossips from drifting into the hall.
They said that Consort Ning’s “kindness and gentleness” over the years were merely a cheap imitation of the Empress.
Consort Ning had always been obsessive about her reputation. For years, she had been cautious and prudent, never contending for anything. Even when other consorts flaunted their favor in her face, she would grit her teeth and endure it, at most venting her frustration by drugging the Sixth Prince. Now, the Empress Dowager’s two consecutive groundings had nearly ruined years of carefully managed reputation, and people were calling her a “clumsy mimic.”
During this period, many things in the palace had been smashed.
“Your Highness, please have some refreshing tea,” Bi Zhu said, approaching.
Consort Ning swept the tea cup aside. “Has my father still not replied? What is going on? Did he not tell me the Vice Minister of War would be a student of the Xu family? Who is this Hu Buyu who appeared out of nowhere?”
“This servant has already sent someone with a message to the Ning manor,” Bi Zhu comforted her. “As for court affairs, Master Ning surely has his own plans.”
At that moment, an attendant hurried in with a report: “Your Highness, the Sixth Prince has arrived.”
Consort Ning froze, her eyes snapping toward the palace doors.