From any perspective, this was just another ordinary banquet for the court officials.
The Emperor remained warm and amiable, the Empress as dignified as ever, Yuhou recited poetry with deep emotion as usual, General Wu entertained with his swordplay as was customary, and Uncle Xuan was predictably the first to get drunk—rolling under the dining table yet again. The Second Prince, as always, found fault with the Third Prince, provoking him with cold remarks throughout the feast, which nearly led the Fourth Prince to throw a punch. The Crown Prince hurriedly intervened, turning to scold the Second Prince under his breath.
The Third Prince remained unruffled, gesturing for the Fourth Prince to stand down before deftly bringing up the matter of the Second Prince’s attendants, who had yet to return. At first, the Emperor paid it no mind, but moments later, the Flying Cavalry reported that those young attendants, hot-blooded and reckless, had defied the Imperial Edict and gone hunting in the mountains on their own.
The Emperor’s expression darkened immediately. The Second Prince’s scheme had backfired, and he hastily knelt to beg for mercy, forcing the Crown Prince to shift from mediating to pleading on his behalf. The Fifth Prince chimed in, "Surely these aren’t the only ones who missed the banquet today—there must be more."
Thus began the Emperor’s inquiry into all who had neglected the Imperial feast. After much commotion, the results were quite fruitful: six or seven scholars still unconscious from afternoon drinking, four or five reckless youths who had broken their legs in the horse races, three Imperial Decree Noblewomen caught gambling in their tents, and two pairs of secret lovers who had gotten lost in the woods.
To be fair, the current Emperor was not a harsh ruler. If there were mitigating circumstances, missing the Imperial banquet was not a grave offense. So, with a wave of his hand, he pardoned the unfortunate youths with broken legs. The rest, however, faced punishment: the drunken scholars were expelled from the Imperial Academy; the gambling noblewomen were each fined thirty thousand coins, stripped of their titles, and their husbands demoted by two hundred bushels in official rank. As for the two pairs of lovers...
One pair consisted of Marquis Zhongshan, a married man, and Madam Cheng, the newly widowed wife of the late Marquis Cheng. The other pair was the son of Tiger Brave Official Tian and the daughter of Dr. Ouyang from the Imperial Academy.
The Emperor, known for his moral uprightness, frowned and declared, "I had no wish to meddle in such romantic affairs, but Marquis Cheng died in battle mere months ago. Even if his widow intends to remarry, engaging in illicit relations during mourning—and with a married man, no less—shows not only a complete lack of marital loyalty but also dishonors her late husband’s legacy. They must be punished!"
With that, he issued an Imperial Edict: Madam Cheng was to be banished from the Capital City and sent back to her family, stripped of all marital assets, while Marquis Zhongshan was reduced to a commoner, stripped of his title and official post, and exiled to his ancestral home for reflection.
The court officials, seeing the Emperor’s displeasure, ceased their toasts and idle chatter, sitting quietly in their seats to await his judgment. By then, Official Tian and Dr. Ouyang had already knelt in the center of the Imperial tent, kowtowing repeatedly in apology. The former argued, "The young ones got lost—they meant no disrespect to the Imperial banquet!" while the latter, red-faced, insisted, "My daughter is already betrothed—it was that Tian boy who seduced her!"
Seated in a corner of the Imperial tent, Cheng Shi was uneasy. Before the banquet, Madam Xiao had sent word that their daughter had yet to return, and he had assumed she was off somewhere with Lou Yao. Yet, upon entering the tent earlier, he had seen Lou Yao sitting perfectly fine among the seats reserved for noble sons.
Truthfully, the Emperor had no time to concern himself with whether a mid-ranking military officer’s daughter attended the banquet. The three noblewomen had only been caught because their gambling had gotten too rowdy, while Madam Cheng and Dr. Ouyang’s daughter had been discovered incidentally when guards were searching for Marquis Zhongshan and Official Tian’s son.Cheng Shi cautiously glanced at Lou Taipu across from him, silently praying to the Holy Mother of Kunlun in the West and the Celestial Worthy of Primordial Beginning in the East to protect his daughter from getting caught in this storm.
Official Tian and Dr. Ouyang had turned red-faced by now, tugging at each other's sleeves as they argued. Just as the Emperor was about to speak and pass judgment, a junior palace attendant hurried into the tent, bowing low before the imperial seat to whisper a brief report.
None of the ministers knew what the attendant had said, but they saw a flicker of surprise cross the Emperor's face before his gaze shot toward a few tables in the corner of the tent. The Fifth Prince, sitting nearby, faintly caught the word "Ling" and, seized by mischief, quickly said, "Father, speaking of which, wasn't Eleventh Master supposed to attend today? Why hasn't he arrived yet?"
The Emperor gave him a heavy look and declared, "All the young fools who went hunting in the mountains today are to receive ten lashes at the Court of Justice. Since the north of Jizhou is still in turmoil, send them there to serve. They may only return if they distinguish themselves."
The Second Prince wailed, "Father?! Please, reconsider..." Those companions were the sons and nephews of court officials he had spent years cultivating—this would undo all his efforts in one stroke.
The Emperor remained unmoved and continued, "The Second Prince has failed to discipline his retinue. He and the Fifth Prince shall also receive ten lashes."
The Fifth Prince, who had been smirking in satisfaction, froze upon hearing this. "F-Father, did you... did you misspeak...?"
The Emperor ignored the two buffoons and quietly instructed the junior attendant to lead someone to a side tent before rising from his seat. As the ministers and princes stood to bow in farewell, the Emperor paused after a few steps and turned back. "Cheng Xiaowei, come with me!"
Instantly, all eyes in the tent locked onto Cheng Shi. Even if he were a genius, he couldn't fathom the Emperor's inscrutable intentions. Under the weight of those burning gazes, he could only hunch his shoulders and follow His Majesty out.
Once the Emperor had left, the tent erupted into a buzz of chatter—
"What happened? What's going on?"
"I just heard the guards outside say Eleventh Master has returned!"
"If he's back, why did His Majesty's expression change? Surely he wouldn't punish Eleventh Master!"
"I heard Eleventh Master was injured and had to be helped back."
"What?! Who could possibly injure Eleventh Master? If he needed support, the injury must be serious!"
Cheng Shi heard none of this. He had no idea why the Emperor had summoned him alone, and though he worried his daughter's tardiness might have drawn attention, he couldn't imagine it warranted such high-level scrutiny. Following the Emperor step by step, he racked his brain over recent court affairs when the Emperor suddenly spoke, his tone unexpectedly amiable:
"Minister Cheng, how many children do you have?"
Cheng Shi stiffened, answering mechanically, "Your Majesty, I have four sons and one daughter."
The Emperor halted, frowning. "Only one daughter?"
Cheng Shi's heart pounded in confusion. "Yes. I have only one daughter."
The Emperor's frown deepened. "Already betrothed to Lou Taipu's nephew?"
"Indeed," Cheng Shi replied, thinking, Didn't Your Majesty personally issue the marriage decree for my family?
The Emperor no longer looked amiable. "How is it you have only one daughter?!" His tone carried unmistakable dissatisfaction.
Cheng Shi was utterly baffled. Is having just one daughter a crime?!
In truth, the junior attendant had whispered only one sentence—
"Lord Ling has been injured in the left arm and was helped back by Cheng Xiaowei's Young Lady."The Emperor felt every word in this brief statement was utterly bizarre.
First of all, did he not know what kind of person his adopted son was? An injured arm wasn’t an injured leg—why would he need someone to support him? Even if it were a leg injury, back when he had three stab wounds and six bloody holes, he had still marched straight from Liangzhou back to the Capital City without showing the slightest sign of weakness.
Second, it was a young maiden who had helped him back! Even if a mountain deity had suddenly appeared during today’s sacrificial rites and sung a little tune, the Emperor wouldn’t have been more astonished.
Once, there had been slanderous rumors that Ling Buyi avoided women because he preferred men. The Emperor had angrily denounced such nonsense, but inwardly, his heart had been in turmoil, leaving him sleepless for two nights. It wasn’t until some fool sent his adopted son a few fair-faced pageboys, only for them to be violently thrown out, that he finally relaxed.
Passing through a dozen feet of the encampment, the Emperor arrived at a slightly smaller golden-roofed imperial tent. Before the junior palace attendant could lift the tent flap, he heard the soft, tearful voice of a young girl inside—and his famously aloof adopted son murmuring words of comfort.
The Emperor sighed, ordered the attendant to announce him, and strode inside, followed by Cheng Shi, whose face had gone pale—he had heard it too.
Inside the tent, Ling Buyi sat beside the fire pit while the imperial physician fixed his left arm with wooden splints and bandaged it. Kneeling beside him was a tiny girl, her face tear-streaked like a bedraggled kitten, yet still visibly delicate and lovely, tender with youth, as if carved from snow-white jade.
—So, this was his adopted son’s type? The Emperor mused silently. Had no one ever sent him such a beauty before? Impossible. From the time Ling Buyi turned fifteen, he must have been offered every shade and shape of woman under the sun.
"Father..." Shao Shang tugged at Cheng Shi’s sleeve, her eyes brimming with pitiful tears.
Cheng Shi knew his daughter’s safety wasn’t at stake—what was at stake was likely her marital prospects. In a low voice, he said, "Answer whatever His Majesty asks."
Shao Shang nodded—according to their rehearsed story, she had ridden to the cliffside, tried to pick flowers from the edge, slipped, and nearly fallen. Fortunately, she had caught herself on the crooked tree clinging to the cliffside. Just then, Ling Buyi happened to pass by, heard her cries for help, and pulled her up—breaking his left forearm in the process.
He went to her just because he heard her cries? The Emperor very much wanted to turn and remind his adopted son, Do you remember when Yuhou’s eleventh daughter fell into the water, and you just kicked a broken log toward her to cling to? Though, to be fair, Yuhou had understood the message well enough.
Hearing this account, Cheng Shi relaxed, thinking this was the best possible outcome. He promptly kowtowed, repeatedly expressing gratitude for Ling Buyi’s rescue of his daughter, then loudly begged the Emperor’s forgiveness.
The Emperor nodded, thinking to himself that Cheng Shi showed no signs of social climbing—he might still be of use.
"Has Miss Cheng met Eleventh Master before?" No matter the turmoil in his heart, the Emperor’s face betrayed nothing.
Shao Shang lowered her gaze to the vermilion and black hem of the imperial robes pooling on the carpet, her palms sweating. This was her first time facing the nation’s supreme leader—how could she not be nervous?
Seeing her flustered attempt at a bow—a familial gesture of respect for elders, not the proper etiquette for an imperial audience—the Emperor barely suppressed a frown. He glanced at Ling Buyi.
Ling Buyi, oblivious, cradled his bandaged arm and knelt in formal salute. "This subject has met Miss Cheng several times. I could not stand by and do nothing."The Emperor ignored him and continued asking, "Cheng Niangzi, where did you meet Zisheng?"
"Your Majesty might as well ask me all these questions," Ling Buyi said with a pale face but still smiling.
The Emperor pressed on, "Cheng Niangzi, Zisheng is a key minister of the court, a pillar of the state. Do you realize your guilt in causing his injury?"
Just as Shao Shang was about to speak, Ling Buyi cut in again, smiling, "Had I known Your Majesty intended to frighten her to death, I wouldn't have needed to sacrifice my left arm to save her earlier."
Finally unable to contain himself, the Emperor turned around, intending to sternly reprimand his adopted son. But seeing the pleading look in Ling Buyi's eyes, he sighed inwardly and waved for the Cheng father and daughter to withdraw.
Cheng Shi pulled his daughter by the arm, sighing repeatedly as he scolded while walking, "What have you gotten yourself into this time?"
"What do you mean? Didn't Father hear everything?" Shao Shang, no longer caring about decorum, used her sleeve to wipe the tears covering her face.
"You—how did you get involved with Eleventh Master again!"
"Lord Ling is magnanimous and righteous. After we return, I'll go with A Yao to express our gratitude in person! Father, you must prepare a proper gift for me."
Cheng Shi found this unbelievable: "That's all?"
"What else could there be?" Shao Shang looked back at Old Man Cheng in confusion.
When someone saves your life, you thank them profusely and repay the favor when you can—what's the issue? As for what happened at Yanhui Tower, that couldn't be mentioned anyway.
Cheng Shi: Had he overthought things?
...
Meanwhile, Lou Taipu had heard some news and pulled his nephew aside to a quiet spot, whispering, "Earlier, Eleventh Master returned injured. Do you know who helped him back?"
"Nephew knows. It was Shao Shang."
"Ah!" Lou Taipu was caught off guard.
Lou Yao looked utterly forthright as he stated plainly, "Shao Shang had her maids inform me earlier. Elder Brother Ling saved her life. After we return, Shao Shang and I will visit to thank him together."
"That's all?"
"What else could there be?" Lou Yao found his uncle's behavior strange.
Lou Taipu: Had he overthought things?
...
In the side tent, the Emperor circled around Ling Buyi several times, hesitating before speaking: "You and Young Lady Cheng...?"
"What does Your Majesty wish to say?" Ling Buyi asked calmly, cradling his injured arm.
The Emperor straightened up, clasped his hands behind his back, and walked slowly, changing the subject: "On the day I issued the marriage decree for the Lou and Cheng families, I recall you were present."
"Yes, I was there," Ling Buyi replied indifferently.
The Emperor stared at his adopted son for a long moment, feeling at a loss for words.
Ling Buyi glanced at the junior palace attendant nearby, who took the hint and softly reminded, "Your Majesty, the banquet outside..."
Waving impatiently, the Emperor left with a "Rest well and recover from your injury" before striding back to the main banquet tent. Taking his seat at the head, he saw Official Tian and Dr. Ouyang still glaring angrily at each other. He sighed, "Enough. Young love is not easily found. Dr. Ouyang, after returning, prepare to marry your daughter into the Tian family."
Dr. Ouyang stammered in shock, "Y-Your Majesty, but my daughter is already betrothed!"
Seeing the Emperor's weary expression, General Wu roared like thunder, "Even married couples can divorce! Stop your nonsense!"
Yuhou stroked his refined scholar's beard and said mildly, "Dr. Ouyang, after today's events, surely the family your daughter was originally betrothed to would no longer wish to proceed. This isn't the Tian family stealing a marriage—it's young lovers drawn to each other, with His Majesty wishing to facilitate their union. Why must you be so obstinate?"Dr. Ouyang collapsed to the ground in despair, not daring to argue further, while Official Tian's face was filled with joy as he loudly thanked the Emperor for his grace.
The Emperor's thoughts wandered: Had he really overthought things?
Author's note:
Medium probability of another update tomorrow-
Also, Ling Buyi isn't a spy chief, he just happened to visit Yanhui Tower.
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