“That no longer matters.”
Sima Nanyao offered no answer, but Sima Huayao had already grasped his meaning. Gazing at the angelic face before him, a chill crept through Sima Huayao’s heart. He had almost forgotten that this was the Regent holding the power of life and death, with countless lives stained on his hands. In Sima Nanyao’s eyes, he was merely an ordinary person whose only distinction from the dead was that he still served a purpose.
Sensing his tension, Sima Nanyao smiled lightly. “You needn’t be so nervous. Before long, I will vanish entirely, and I won’t pose any threat to you henceforth.”
“Aren’t you afraid that once you vanish, I’ll go against your wishes and kill Zhao Hanqing?”
“You possess an inherently kind nature and have grown to feel pity for him; you will not act against him.”
“But he doesn’t know this body has changed its core, and he still hates me to the marrow of his bones. Even if I don’t target him, just as the book describes, he will find every means possible to kill me. To protect my own life, I will have no choice but to turn my weapons against him.”
“You are well-versed in the plot and hold supreme authority. Right now, he is merely a fledgling chick learning to fly, posing no threat to you. You still have an opportunity to reconcile with him. If you kill him, or he kills you, you will end up trapped in this agonizing cycle of reincarnation just like me unless, like me, you summon someone whose soul perfectly resonates with yours to take your place.”
Staring at Sima Nanyao’s unperturbed, unbothered expression, Sima Huayao rolled his eyes hard. “So you’re saying I have no second choice and must find a way to resolve this grievance?”
Sima Nanyao nodded. “I believe you can do it.”
“I thank you so much!” Sima Huayao glared at him resentfully.
Unfazed, Sima Nanyao chuckled softly. “You needn’t harbor resentment. This journey through another world is destined to be extraordinary; you will experience a completely different lifestyle, learn many things, and gain much in return. Even if you die here, provided you do not die at Zhao Hanqing’s hands, you will enter the normal cycle of reincarnation and be reborn.”
“Why didn’t you try harder? Perhaps the two of you could have turned swords into plowshares.”
Sima Nanyao fell silent for a moment before asking, “Have you ever, truly loved?”
The image of Li Lin flashed across Sima Huayao’s mind, and he nodded with a lonely expression.
“I carried far too much weight on my shoulders, making it impossible to let go. Every moment I spent with him was a constant torment torn between love and hatred, utterly exhausting. If he had held genuine affection for me as well, perhaps things could have been different, but he did not love me.” Sima Nanyao turned his gaze to Sima Huayao. “The moment I laid eyes on you, I had a premonition that you could bring this tragedy to an end.”
“You think far too highly of me.”
“My judgment of people has always been accurate.”
“Your Highness, have you awakened?”
Amidst a hazy fog, hearing a voice call out, Sima Huayao snapped his eyes open. Above him hung familiar bed curtains, while Sima Nanyao’s lingering words echoed faintly in his ears: “Farewell.”
Startled, Sima Huayao felt a complex swirl of emotions. Sima Nanyao was truly a difficult man to evaluate. To call him evil he protected the common folk, severely punished corrupt officials, and worked tirelessly for the nation; during the decade he held court, the Great Zhao’s national strength grew steadily stronger, and the lives of the common people improved year by year. Yet to call him good the civil and military officials of Zhao would vehemently disagree, given that the number of officials who had died by his hand well exceeded three digits, not to mention his twisted penchant for sexual sadism.
His love for Zhao Hanqing had run fathomlessly deep; otherwise, he would never have chosen to let his soul scatter into nothingness simply to resolve this grievance. It was just that this love had been weighed down by too much baggage forget Zhao Hanqing, anyone placed in his shoes would have found it utterly unacceptable.
“Your Highness, have you awakened?” Chun Hai’s voice sounded from outside the bedchamber.
Sitting up, Sima Huayao rubbed his throbbing temples and asked, “What is it?”
“Replying to Your Highness, Minister of Revenue Liang Xian and Junior Vice Minister of Finance Kuang Ran request an audience regarding an urgent matter.”
Frowning slightly, Sima Huayao commanded, “Have them wait in the study; I will be right there.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Getting out of bed, Sima Huayao slipped into an outer robe and stepped out of the bedchamber.
Catching sight of him, Hong Yang bowed and reported, “This servant pays respects to Your Highness.”
Acknowledging the greeting with a hum, Sima Huayao walked straight into the study.
The two officials waiting inside immediately bowed upon his entry. “This subject Liang Xian (Kuang Ran) pays respects to Your Highness.”
“Rise,” Sima Huayao seated himself behind the desk and prompted, “Speak.”
Exchanging glances, Liang Xian stepped forward to report, “Your Highness, disaster victims in Zhengzhou have revolted, storming the yamen, beating and killing government runners, and plundering the disaster-relief grain. Several officials were killed, and five thousand shi of relief grain were lost.”
Knitting his brows tightly together, Sima Huayao asked, “Do we know the cause?”
“Replying to Your Highness, the Prefect of Zhengzhou dispatched a report stating that the ringleaders were local bandits disguised as disaster victims, who incited the citizens within the city to take advantage of the chaos. Fearing accidental harm to the refugees, the yamen runners were tied down and hesitant to act, which gave the culprits their opportunity.”
Recalling the original plot, Sima Huayao knew that bandits disguising themselves as victims to attack the yamen indeed occurred; however, the situation was far from simple. In truth, it was a case of official-bandit collusion designed to misappropriate the disaster relief funds. And the perpetrator bold enough to pull off such a stunt was none other than the Prefect of Zhengzhou, Liang Qiu.
“Bandits have grown so brazen as to pillage a prefectural yamen what on earth are the officials in Zhengzhou doing?”
At the reprimand, both men dropped instantly to their knees, chorusing in unison, “May Your Highness appease your wrath.”
Lifting his gaze to Chun Hai, Sima Huayao instructed, “Go summon Hu Yi; I have instructions for him.”
“Understood, Your Highness.” Acknowledging the command, Chun Hai turned and left the study.
“Which officer of the Henan Regional Military Commission is stationed in Zhengzhou?” Sima Huayao asked, looking toward Kuang Ran.
Kuang Ran hurriedly replied, “Replying to Your Highness, it is Assistant Regional Commander Wu Fei of the Henan Regional Military Commission.”
“Wu Fei?” Sima Huayao searched his memories for the man’s dossier. Wu Fei was from a impoverished background, rising to his current post entirely through his own blood, sweat, and martial prowess. Although he had committed a few foolish blunders in the past, he was generally superior to the average official. Moreover, he had maintained strict neutrality throughout, making him a reliable and usable asset.
“Aside from Zhengzhou, is the disaster relief proceeding smoothly elsewhere in Henan?”
“Replying to Your Highness, this disaster in Henan has been exceptionally severe. The grain in local government granaries is a mere drop in the bucket, and coupled with treacherous roads, grain mobilized from surrounding prefectures and counties is difficult to transport in a timely manner. Therefore, the relief efforts have not been entirely smooth.”
“If everything ran smoothly by itself, what need would this Prince have for officials like you? When obstacles arise, you find ways to overcome them! Under no circumstances must we allow large numbers of refugees to starve to death—otherwise, mind your heads!”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
“The disaster in Henan has left countless citizens displaced; it grieves this Prince deeply. Effective immediately, reduce all expenditures within the imperial palace and the Regent’s Manor. Ban all non-essential banquets and sacrificial rites. If anyone dares to play petty tricks during this critical period, this Prince doesn’t mind shedding some blood to set an example.”
“Understood, Your Highness. We will strictly obey.”
“Withdraw.”
“This subject takes leave.”
Roughly twenty minutes after the two officials departed, Hu Yi arrived at the Regent’s Manor.
“This subject Hu Yi pays respects to Your Highness.”
“Rise.” Sima Huayao briefly recounted the events in Zhengzhou and commanded, “Take men to Zhengzhou and secretly investigate this matter, paying special attention to the Prefect of Zhengzhou, Liang Qiu.”
“Does Your Highness suspect Liang Qiu’s involvement?”
“That is a prefectural capital, not some remote, destitute backwater. How could mere bandits dare pillage a yamen? If there were no hidden complications behind this, I wouldn’t believe it.”
“Understood, this subject comprehends.”
“Additionally, once you have verified the facts, you may seek out Assistant Regional Commander Wu Fei to assist him in suppressing the bandits and ensuring all bandits around Zhengzhou are thoroughly eliminated.”
“Understood, this subject obeys your command!”
“Time is of the essence. If there are no other matters, set out immediately.”
“This subject takes leave.” Without further ado, Hu Yi turned and departed the Regent’s Manor.
Gazing down at the stack of memorials before him, Sima Huayao called out, “Someone come.”
Hearing the summons, Chun Hai hurried inside. “This servant is here.”
“Help me bind my hair.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
Chun Hai retrieved the hair crown and carefully gathered Sima Huayao’s hair into place.
“This servant pays respects to Young Master.” Hong Yang’s voice drifted in from outside.
“Is His Highness in the study?” The voice was unfamiliar at least, Sima Huayao had never heard it before.
“Yes.”
“Please inform His Highness that I have an urgent matter requesting an audience.”
“Wait a moment.” Stepping inside, Hong Yang bowed and reported, “Your Highness, Young Master Gong requests an audience.”
Anyone addressed with such a title was invariably one of Sima Nanyao’s male companions kept in the rear courtyards. Sima Huayao mentally scanned through names containing the character “Lian,” quickly locating his identity: his full name was Gong Lian, the concubine-born son of Minister of Justice Gong Shen. The previous year, Gong Shen had run afoul of the law; though the offense wasn’t catastrophic, given Sima Nanyao’s fickle and volatile temperament, no one could guarantee whether he might lose his life over it. To save himself, Gong Shen had sent Gong Lian directly to Sima Nanyao’s bed.
Though born to a concubine, Gong Lian possessed considerable literary fame and a gentle, jade-like appearance that made him immensely popular among the noble young ladies of the capital. Yet never had he imagined his own biological father would treat him as a mere plaything, packing him off to Sima Huayao’s bed—and terrified that he might resist, Gong Shen had even drugged him.
When Gong Lian recovered his senses and realized what had transpired, his heart had turned to ash. After several failed suicide attempts, he had been brutally tormented by Sima Nanyao until, within a mere three months, all his sharp edges had been completely worn down. Like every other male companion in the rear courtyards, he had transformed into a submissive, compliant creature.
“Let him in.”
Granted permission, Gong Lian walked in with his head lowered, approaching the desk to bow and greet, “Gong Lian pays respects to Your Highness.”
Sima Huayao looked him up and down. He was indeed strikingly handsome, and his refined, cultured demeanor added significant points to his presence. He appeared to be in his early twenties, making him easily the oldest among all the male companions Sima Nanyao had collected since Sima Huayao arrived in this world.
“What is the matter?”
“Replying to Your Highness, word has come from the Junior Minister’s residence that my mother has fallen ill. Lian wishes to return home to visit her, and begs Your Highness for permission.” Gong Lian kept his head bowed throughout, hiding his expression, though his tightly clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.
“If that is truly the case, visiting her is only proper.” Sima Huayao looked toward Chun Hai and instructed, “Go to the treasury, select some medicinal herbs, and have him take them along.”
Chun Hai glanced sideways at Gong Lian and acknowledged, “Understood, Your Highness.”
Gong Lian froze in surprise, never anticipating things to go so smoothly. Regaining his composure, he murmured, “Thank you, Your Highness.”
“The manor’s stocks are plentiful. If you have any further needs, simply speak directly with Chun Hai.”
Gong Lian involuntarily raised his head to look at Sima Huayao. Was he actually backing him up?