I will personally cook a feast.
Xie Linchuan stayed in the side hall for another two days. During this period, he did not see Qin Li, who was likely busy with the preparations for the Heaven Worship Ceremony.
Qin Li had always kept his word. Early that morning, Li Sanbao sent men to escort Xie Linchuan out of the palace to return to the Xie household to visit his family. Sitting in the carriage, Xie Linchuan listened to the clamor of the capital streets. He lifted the bamboo curtain to watch the thick atmosphere of daily life and the weaving crowds.
He recalled his past life, where at this moment he was still imprisoned by Qin Li, trapped in indignation and hatred. He suddenly felt a sense of reality regarding the changing tracks of his fate. As he meditated, the carriage suddenly jolted violently as if it had hit something. The horses neighed and retreated several steps uncontrollably.
He pressed one hand against the window frame to steady himself and lifted the curtain, asking in a deep voice, “What happened outside?”
The driver was a palace eunuch. Having finally steadied the horses, he turned back and reported, “General Xie, an ignorant vegetable vendor just knocked over a roadside stall. The frame fell and nearly hit us.”
“Continue on,” Xie Linchuan said with a nod.
The young eunuch spent a great deal of effort to stop the horses from nibbling on the fallen vegetable leaves. Just as Xie Linchuan sat back inside, a small stone suddenly flew through the window. It seemed like a stray shot from a child’s slingshot. Xie Linchuan’s sharp gaze swept across the street, but among the passing pedestrians and vendors, there was nothing unusual.
He bent down to pick up the stone and found a slip of paper tied to it. “I hope to meet you tonight at the Qingyue Tower.”
Xie Linchuan’s gaze sharpened, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Based on the handwriting, it looked like Li Xuehong’s. Qingyue Tower was a place where Li Xuehong often met him in the past. On the surface, it was an elegant establishment for refined scholars to discuss poetry and painting, but in reality, it was a private property managed by the secret guards of the Li royal family.
However, handwriting was not difficult to imitate. He knew that both Li Fenghao and Li Xuehong had such talent among their ranks. Xie Linchuan folded the paper and tucked it away, already calculating his next move.
Li Xuehong was quite calculating; he would not risk an appointment while knowing Xie Linchuan was being monitored by Qin Li. The only person likely to do this was the Third Prince, Li Fenghao, who was still leading a separatist rebellion under the flag of the Jing Dynasty. If Xie Linchuan agreed to contact him, Li Fenghao could fish for information. Furthermore, even if Qin Li discovered the contact, Li Fenghao could easily shift the blame onto Li Xuehong, taking the opportunity to trap his rival for the throne.
The jolting carriage slowly came to a halt.
“General Xie, we have arrived at the Xie household,” the driver called out from outside.
Seeing the two familiar stone lions and the high-hanging plaque of the Xie manor, Xie Linchuan looked down with a smile and stepped off the carriage. In the capital, at the foot of the Son of Heaven, it was the instinct of officials and gentry to follow the wind and favor the high while trampling the low. In his previous life, his relationship with Qin Li had been deadlocked, and the Xie household’s situation had been awkward. Now that he had returned, things were different.
The moment he stepped through the main gate, he summoned his former deputy, Di Yong. Di Yong was excited to see him. “General, you have returned!”
Xie Linchuan tilted his head and whispered a few instructions. Di Yong nodded. “Understood. I will send someone to handle it immediately.”
After finishing his instructions, Xie Linchuan turned toward the main hall of the manor. As he walked in, he heard an arrogant male voice coming from inside.
“Xie Yun, it is not that I am unwilling to marry you, but my parents truly do not agree. You know that our Xue family is a century-old scholarly household that has produced several Prime Ministers. My father values our family reputation above all, and your elder brother…”
Xie Linchuan frowned slightly. Immediately afterward, he heard his younger sister, Xie Yun, shout in retort, “What is wrong with my brother? Everyone knows he was forced to submit to the current Emperor only to protect his former master! Your Xue family prides itself on being pure and noble scholars, but what were you doing when the city fell? You were busy writing letters of surrender! And now you have the nerve to look down on my brother?!”
“Xie Yun! You are just a woman, what do you know of officialdom?” the man said anxiously. “We preserved our lives to advise the Emperor. Currently, the new Emperor’s subordinates are all generals. If not for us civil officials, who would plead for the lives of the people?”
“Heh, you speak better than you act. Are you not just here to break the engagement? The marriage contract is here. Take it and leave. Do not forget to take your betrothal gifts with you; our Xie household does not want them!” This was the voice of the younger brother, Xie Yinshan.
Xie Linchuan signaled the servant who was about to announce his arrival to remain quiet and walked unhurriedly into the main hall. Inside, the Xie grandmother sat in the seat of honor. She was about sixty years old with snow-white hair and simple clothes, wearing only a jade collar. She was watching the young master of the Xue family, Xue An, with a displeased expression.
Xue An took the marriage contract and apologized to the Old Madame. He turned to leave, only to nearly collide with a solid chest. He looked up and cried out in shock, “Xie, General Xie?!”
Xie Linchuan looked down and gave him a casual glance before looking away. He said nonchalantly, “You are welcome.”
He bypassed the man and entered the hall. His grandmother was so shocked she stood up from her redwood chair, taking a few trembling steps toward him with her aged hands. “Big brother!” The surprised voices of his siblings rose an octave.
Xie Linchuan looked at his family with a gentle smile. “I am back.”
Old Madame Xie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and stroked his head. “It is enough that you are alive. Otherwise, if the white-haired had to bury the black-haired, how could I face your parents in the Nine Springs below?”
The Old Madame pulled him down to sit and sighed. “Rumors are spreading in the capital that you endured humiliation and submitted only because of Prince Xuehong. You have suffered. However, the heavens have changed and there is a new Son of Heaven. Your parents died to preserve their integrity, but the living must find a way to carry on.”
Xie Linchuan was helpless; even his family firmly believed this narrative. He comforted them, “I know you are worried about me. Rest assured, the new Emperor has not mistreated me. I went to the palace of my own accord.”
Xue An had not yet walked far. Hearing this, his expression turned strange. “Everyone says the General entered the palace out of necessity to save Prince Shun’s life. Could it be that the General himself wanted to enter the palace? Being near a ruler is like being near a tiger. General, watch yourself.”
Xie Linchuan smiled faintly. “Since I can even keep company with a tiger, surely I can handle a few small cats living beneath it?”
Xue An’s face flushed red, and he was soon forcibly and politely escorted out by the private guards.
Afterward, Xie Yinshan mentioned indignantly that the Censor Pei Xuan had been flogged with court rods yesterday because he spoke up for Xie Linchuan during the morning assembly. Pei Xuan had questioned the propriety of the Emperor keeping a minister in the palace.
Xie Linchuan’s heart stirred upon hearing this. Qin Li’s temper was still violent. Though he was an exception, the Emperor remained harsh toward civil officials. He urged Xie Yinshan not to give up on the autumn imperial examinations and not to ruin his future over a momentary impulse, as he would need supporters in the court in the future.
At the same time, he comforted Xie Yun, who was saddened by the broken engagement, and promised to find her a shop to manage. “In the future, with your big brother here, no one will be allowed to bully you.”
After chatting and eating, the deputy Di Yong returned to report, “General, as you expected, there are many suspicious people outside. Some are faces from the former Imperial Guard.”
Xie Linchuan nodded. He went to the study, wrote a letter, and sealed it with wax before handing it over. “Take this letter to the Prince Shun manor and deliver it personally to His Highness.”
Di Yong was stunned. “To Prince Shun? This, perhaps it is not good. Should I have someone deliver it secretly at night? To avoid people seeing that you still have dealings with him.”
“Just deliver it,” Xie Linchuan said in a tone that brooked no argument.
Returning to the flower hall, the palace eunuch, Wang Gonggong, who was responsible for escorting him, was drinking tea. Seeing Xie Linchuan approach, he stood up and asked with a smile, “Is General Xie ready to return to the palace?”
Xie Linchuan sat down and poured himself a cup of tea. He slowly scraped the tea foam and said unhurriedly, “That I was able to reunite with my family today is entirely due to the Emperor’s grace. I would like to ask Wang Gonggong to convey my gratitude to His Majesty.”
Wang Gonggong smiled broadly. “Would it not be better for the General to tell His Majesty in person upon returning?”
Xie Linchuan took a sip of tea to moisten his throat. His long fingertips slowly brushed the rim of the porcelain cup. When he looked up, his gaze was calm and certain.
“However, I do not intend to return to the palace tonight. To show my gratitude, I would like to invite His Majesty to deign to come here for a meal. I will personally go to the kitchen to cook a feast to entertain His Majesty.”
The smile on Wang Gonggong’s face instantly froze. “What?!”