Chapter 42: Entering the Palace to Thank the Emperor
Unlike ordinary pleasure boats that cruise the lake with the wind and current, those two small boats did not travel very fast.
The boat was small, and although there was only one boatman at the bow, it was drafted very deep, as if it were full of people.
Fu Xun, an experienced man, immediately sensed something was wrong. He grabbed Han Min’s hand and escorted him back to the cabin.
He only had time to give the order, “Don’t come out.”
Although he was traveling incognito, he wouldn’t be so careless as to leave without anyone by his side.
Several small boats nearby quickly approached the large ship, and the two generals, Wei Gui and Wei Huan, also put down their cups, grabbed their swords, and went to the bow of the ship.
Fu Xun had ordered that no one was allowed to come out. Han Min knew that his martial arts skills were not high and he probably couldn’t be of much help, so he could only run back.
The palace servants on the ship had never encountered anything like this before and were in complete chaos.
Han Min smashed a porcelain bowl against the wall to calm them down. He then closed all the windows and assigned people to guard each window, fearing that an assassin might enter through there.
The people inside are not like the guards outside. If criminals sneak in during the chaos, and the guards are unprepared, the casualties will likely be even greater.
The system anxiously asked, “Are there any dogs on this ship? Let me possess their body!”
“No, don’t make things worse.”
After arranging the palace servants, Han Min looked at the thin young eunuch standing by the window, trembling with fear, holding a vase in both hands. He sighed and sent Little Jizi to him, saying, “Go and be with him, take care of him.”
He smiled at the young eunuch: “It’s nothing.”
The young eunuch nodded seriously.
He heard sounds of fighting outside, so he ran back behind the door to see what was happening.
The wind howled faster, and the dark clouds pressed down, foreshadowing an afternoon downpour.
The two small boats were already very close. Several small boats blocked the front of the large ship. Wei Gui and Wei Huan drew their swords and stood at the bow of their respective small boats, which were followed by dozens of guards.
Sure enough, a dozen or so assassins dressed in simple clothes and short swords jumped out of the small boat and began fighting with the guards.
Their target was the big ship, so they didn’t want to get entangled and just kept rushing in.
Fu Xun stood on the deck of the large ship, very close to the cabin door.
There were about a dozen soldiers standing beside him, who must have been his old subordinates who had led troops in the Northwest.
There shouldn’t be any problem, Han Min thought with relief. I just don’t know why he was assassinated.
Logically speaking, it’s not uncommon for incompetent rulers to be assassinated. But Fu Xun wasn’t an incompetent ruler, so how could he have been assassinated?
Han Min couldn’t understand it, but the tense situation outside left him no time to think about it.
Those assassins were quite skilled in martial arts, and their moves were rather insidious. In such a short time, only two or three of them were cut down and fell into the water.
Blood splattered in the azure lake water as the two sides continued their fierce battle.
Their martial arts skills were evenly matched, and the other party charged towards the large ship like a madman, quickly tearing a gap in the ship.
An assassin rushed onto the deck. Just as the soldiers behind Fu Xun were about to draw their swords, Fu Xun took a bow and arrow from one of them, nocked it, and shot an arrow that pierced the assassin’s right shoulder.
He loosened his grip on his right hand, and the short sword fell onto the deck.
Fu Xun probably wanted to capture him alive, but the assassin refused to surrender, as if he was determined to die and was determined to kill someone.
He picked up the sword with his left hand, and Fu Xun drew his longbow again, shooting it through his left shoulder as well.
Immediately, another assassin rushed onto the deck and kicked the first assassin into the lake.
Leave no survivors.
Fu Xun frowned, seemingly lost in thought.
Han Min stood behind the door in the cabin corridor, looking through the openwork lattice of the door.
He had a gut feeling that something was off about this assassination attempt.
But he still couldn’t figure out what was wrong.
In the end, Fu Xun’s side gained the upper hand, and the assassins were knocked into the water one by one.
However, not a single person was left alive.
Han Min breathed a sigh of relief, but suddenly heard a scream coming from one of the cabins.
When he assigned the palace servants to guard the window, he gave them careful instructions: if they heard any noise from inside the cabin, they should not overestimate their abilities and run out; their safety should be their top priority.
Now he stands alone on the veranda.
Han Min felt a chill run down his spine, pressed his hands against the door, and didn’t dare to turn around.
He seemed to hear the sound of blood congealing on the sword tip and dripping onto the ship’s deck, and the sound of the man’s approaching footsteps.
He took two deep breaths, calmed down, and in an instant—
He opened the hatch, shouted “Fu Xun,” and squatted down on the spot.
The three movements were completed in one smooth motion.
Fu Xun immediately turned around, drew his bow and shot three arrows, which pierced the forehead, neck and chest of the assassin who was only a foot away from Han Min and had already raised his short sword.
The assassin fell to the ground with a thud. Han Min, holding his head, squatted down and breathed a sigh of relief. He collapsed to the ground, trying to move closer to Fu Xun, but he couldn’t move.
Fu Xun handed the longbow to the person beside him, quickly stepped forward, squatted down in front of Han Min, and wiped his face: “Are you alright?”
Han Min shook his head: “It’s nothing, it’s just…” He lowered his head and rubbed his legs: “My legs are weak.”
Fu Xun rubbed his head: “You’ve done very well.”
Han Min patted his chest, still shaken, and gave him a thumbs up: “We have such good teamwork. You know what to do as soon as I call you. If it were anyone else, I might be dead…”
He raised his hand and scratched the back of his neck, suddenly touching a warm liquid.
He withdrew his hand, which was covered in bright red blood.
It’s likely that when Fu Xun shot the arrow, the assassin’s blood spilled on him.
Han Min was stunned on the spot.
Fu Xun didn’t seem to mind at all, wiping his hands clean with his sleeve, but the smell of blood still assaulted his senses, and he couldn’t help but turn his head away and gag.
Fu Xun patted his back and picked him up.
Only one palace servant was injured in the cabin. He was the young eunuch whom Han Min had asked Little Jizi to take care of. His arm had been slashed by an assassin who broke in through the window. Everything else was fine.
Eunuch Yang brought over hot water and lit some calming incense.
Fu Xun placed him on the prepared soft cushion and looked at his clothes. Han Min couldn’t see it himself, but in fact, the back of his clothes was covered with bloodstains.
Fu Xun helped him unbutton his clothes, rolled up the soiled parts, and tossed them aside so he wouldn’t see them.
Han Min broke out in a cold sweat; his undergarments were soaked through.
There weren’t many clothes for him to change into on the ship. This morning when he left the palace, Fu Xun had prepared two casual clothes and gave them to him, telling him to wear whichever he liked.
With his wet clothes clinging to his skin, Han Min shivered from the cold, perhaps also from being startled.
“Your Majesty, I need to change my clothes.”
Fu Xun replied, “Then I’ll go out first. I’ll just stay outside the door. Call me if you need anything.”
“Yes.”
Han Min swallowed a large mouthful of hot tea to calm himself down.
It wasn’t that he was cowardly; when he was imprisoned before, he had seen all sorts of bloody scenes in the neighboring and opposite cells.
It’s possible that the Duke of Gong deliberately arranged for the executions and interrogations to take place near his cell in an attempt to frighten him.
Because I’ve seen it so many times, seeing it again now makes my heart flutter.
Han Min sat on the cushion and shook off Fu Xun’s clothes.
Fu Xun was a bit taller and stronger than him, so his clothes looked rather large.
Even though Han Min pulled his belt as tight as possible, it was still so loose that it felt like it was covering his entire body.
He put on his clothes, rolled up his overly long sleeves, and stood up to walk outside. He didn’t pay attention and stepped on the hem of his clothes, stumbling a bit.
Upon hearing the sound, Fu Xun quickly pushed open the door, and Han Min also quickly stood at attention.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Just now……”I tripped over it.
Han Min couldn’t bring himself to say it.
Fu Xun lowered his eyes and saw the hem of his robe hanging to the ground. He understood what was happening, but said, “We’ll be at the shore soon. I’ll take you back.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Han Min lifted the hem of his robe and tightened his belt.
Fu Xun walked over to him and quietly glanced at Han Min’s height.
Oh, so I’m taller than him.
Fu Xun lowered his head slightly, and his gaze slid in along the hem of his clothes.
He turned his head away, looking somewhat uncomfortable, and said, “Turn your collar…”
Just then, Little Jizi arrived with the young eunuch.
“Young master, this child said he wanted to give…”
Before he could finish speaking, Fu Xun reached out and pulled Han Min’s collar up.
It was wrapped up very tightly.
Han Min pushed his hand away: “I’ll do it myself.”
He looked at Little Jizi, the young eunuch who was slightly injured and pale with pain, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He looked to be only ten years old, barely reaching Little Jizi’s waist, hiding behind him and timidly looking up at Han Min.
Han Min said gently, “Weren’t you injured? Is it bandaged up? Once we get ashore, let’s find a clinic nearby to get you checked out.”
The young eunuch’s pale face broke into a slight smile: “Thank you for saving me, Young Master Han. If it weren’t for…” He swallowed hard, “If it weren’t for Eunuch Litle Jizi pushing me, I wouldn’t just have injured my arm.”
“Then you should thank him properly.”
“I understand.”
—
The large ship soon docked, where carriages were already waiting, and the Magistrate of Yong’an had also arrived.
Fu Xun gave two simple instructions: “Evacuate the people, seal off Yuanyang Lake, and retrieve the bodies.”
He pondered for a moment, then finally said, “Send it to the Duke of Gong’s Mansion and have Jiang Huan come too.”
“Yes sir.”
With things temporarily arranged, he turned to look at Han Min.
At that time, Chu Yu and Wen Yan were drinking tea in a two-story wooden building on the shore. When they heard the noise, they came out to see what was going on.
Han Min pulled his clothes tighter and followed Fu Xun, turning his head to gesture for them to be quiet.
Fu Xun glanced at him, then supported his waist and led him toward the carriage: “I’ll take you back.”
After the carriage left, Chu Yu hurriedly pushed Wen Yan’s wheelchair to leave as well.
The magistrate of Yong’an left behind to handle the aftermath, muttering under his breath, “Beauty ruins the country, beauty ruins the country.”
Little Jizi was helping the young eunuch to leave when the eunuch heard this and turned around, shouting loudly, “That’s not true at all! Young Master Han is incredibly clever! If it weren’t for Young Master Han, all of us palace servants on this ship would be dead!”
The Magistrate was slightly annoyed and was about to speak when Little Jizi said, “These are all palace servants here, sir. You should watch your words. If the assassin doesn’t come today, he will come tomorrow. It is ultimately your duty. The important thing is to investigate this matter thoroughly.”
After speaking, he gave the Magistrate a cold glance and left with the young eunuch.
The carriage was lined with soft mattresses, and Han Min held a teacup and drank tea.
He let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Fu Xun: “Were those people today Fu Quan’s remnants?”
Fu Xun remained silent, clearly unwilling to say more.
Seeing his reaction, Han Min stopped asking questions.
They soon arrived at the gates of the Liu residence. Han Min glanced at it and said, “Could Your Majesty please not tell the Liu family about today’s events? Especially my teacher?”
I was afraid they would worry.
Even though he was clearly terrified, he still remembered the other person.
Fu Xun responded, “Okay.”
“Would Your Majesty like to come in and have a seat?”
“No, you can go in.”
Han Min jumped off the carriage, gave Eunuch Yang and the others a few more instructions, and then returned to the Liu residence through a side gate.
After watching him enter, Fu Xun lowered the curtain and said to Wei Gui, “Go to the Duke of Gong’s Mansion.”
—
This morning, Fu Xun had someone from the palace send some things to Han Min: the official robes for the four seasons for the Imperial Record Officer, several new pen cases with pen curtains, various colored brushes, a box of pine soot ink, and some rare and exotic items.
Originally, Han Min was supposed to go to the palace to express his gratitude after receiving the reward, but he was taken to go boating on the lake and could not be found. Fu Xun then issued an imperial edict, telling him to come back the next day.
When Han Min went to see his teacher, he was feeding birds in the corridor.
Old Scholar Liu pretended to frown and asked, “Where did you go? You weren’t even there when the Emperor bestowed gifts upon you.”
Han Min took the bird feeder from the teacher: “I went boating on the lake with Zhuoshi and Bianzhang.”
“Don’t run around tomorrow. Get up early and I’ll take you to the palace to express your gratitude.”
When going to the palace to express gratitude, one is usually accompanied by an elder in the family. Since the old historian Han is not in Yong’an, it is the old scholar Liu who will take him.
Han Min accompanied his teacher to feed the birds before returning to his own courtyard.
Senior Brother Liu went to teach at the academy, and Jiang Huan was also absent; only Han Min was there.
He returned to his room, still feeling a bit shaken.
Han Min sat on the couch, hugging a pillow: “Master, I always feel that there’s something wrong with those people.”
The system said, “Aren’t those Prince Gong’s remnants? I just heard Fu Xun say he was going to Prince Gong’s residence.”
“I heard that too. But if it was Prince Gong who sent people, he definitely wanted to kill Fu Xun and me. But at that time, Fu Xun and I were standing on the deck. We could have just shot arrows. What would we have done with short swords? Even if those assassins got on the ship, they didn’t go for Fu Xun. Instead…”
Han Min buried his face in the soft pillow.
Saying such things makes him seem a bit presumptuous.
But the last assassin was clearly targeting him.
The system asked, “There aren’t many people who hold a grudge against you. You’ll know once you list them out one by one. First, let’s exclude Ji Heng. You only met him today, so I doubt he would dare to do such a thing.”
“That leaves only Prince Gong. I have a pretty good network of friends.”
After going around in circles, we’ve come full circle back to Prince Gong.
The two were silent for a while, when someone knocked on the door.
Han Min was startled. He threw aside the pillow, dragged his shoes, and went to open the door.
Chu Yu pushed the wheelchair and stood in front of the door, supporting his shoulder and looking him over carefully: “Are you alright? The lake water is all red.”
“It’s alright, His Majesty will investigate thoroughly.”
Han Min pushed Wen Yan in and invited him to sit down as well.
He didn’t want to dwell on it, so he simply recounted what had happened before changing the subject: “By the way, Zhuoshi, didn’t you say you and Xie Dingyuan were classmates? Why haven’t I heard you mention that?”
Chu Yu exclaimed in surprise, “You still have the mind to care about Xie Dingyuan?”
“I… have a friend who really likes him.”
Yes, I do have a friend—
The system propped up his non-existent ears.
Chu Yu said, “I’m actually not his classmate.”
“so?”
He was my study companion.
“So… um? What?”
Even the usually calm and collected Wen Yan couldn’t hold back any longer: “Do you know what you’re saying?”
Chu Yu touched the tip of his nose shyly: “When I was a child, my father specially found a tutor to teach me to read. I didn’t like reading, so he found a study companion to read with me. He would punish the tutor if I didn’t read well. As he studied, he read better than me. He became the top scholar in the Song kingdom at the age of sixteen, while I only became the third-ranked scholar in the Qi Kingdom when I was in my twenties.”
The young master was embarrassed to say that his tutor was more capable than him.
Han Min and the system were surprised and started eating their hands.
Chu Yu added, “Anyway, we studied together, so we can be considered classmates. He has a very arrogant temper. If you see him, don’t mention that he was your study companion, or he’ll get angry.”
The system hurriedly said to Han Min, “Quickly, ask him where Xie Dingyuan is now.”
“Okay.” Han Min asked tentatively, “Zhuo Shi, what about him now…”
Wen Yan leaned forward, wanting an answer.
But Chu Yu waved his hands repeatedly: “I don’t know. He left after becoming the top scholar at the age of sixteen. My father always says that I am not as good as him. I hate him so much. I just couldn’t stand it, so I came to take the exam. Don’t ask me anymore, I don’t know.”
After chatting for a while, the three parted ways. Chu Yu wanted to send Wen Yan back, and Han Min saw them off, then sat down at his desk and took out a manuscript he had only half-finished.
While writing, he was still thinking about who he had offended.
The candle on the desk was half-burned when the system suddenly said, “I understand!”
Startled, Han Min’s hand trembled, and he tore up a piece of paper: “What are you doing?”
“I know who else still holds a grudge against you.”
“Who?”
“The late emperor.”
The late emperor not only resented him, but also hated the entire Han family to the extreme.
Han Min crumpled the waste paper into a ball and threw it into the trash can, not taking it to heart: “System, he has already passed away.”
“Wouldn’t he be allowed to issue an edict before his death to exterminate your family?”
He was speechless: “He remembered this before he died? Was he crazy?”
On his deathbed, an emperor did not speak of the country or state affairs, nor of politics or foreign relations. Instead, he harbored resentment towards the Han family because of the death of his former crown prince, and even issued a death warrant for the secret service.
That’s unlikely.
The system also thought it was unlikely.
Han Min stretched and said, “Besides, Fu Xun was on the ship at that time. Even if he wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t risk his own son.”
After tidying up the manuscript he had just written, Han Min blew out the lamp, picked up his sword, and climbed into bed.
“A while ago, Fu Quan said something to me that I think makes a lot of sense. He said that after the death of the Crown Prince, the late emperor intended to pass the throne to Fu Xun from the very beginning, and that he and Fu Rang were just stepping stones.”
“Now that I think about it, the late emperor was born into the imperial family and was the legitimate eldest son. That’s why he valued the late crown prince. He looked down on his illegitimate sons at all.”
The system asked, “Then why didn’t he later make Fu Xun the crown prince?”
Han Min looked at the top of the tent: “Because Fu Xun is not as obedient as the former Crown Prince.”
“The late Crown Prince was raised by him, and they were a loving father and a filial son.”
“But Fu Xun, the late emperor initially only treated him as a favored son, which made him a bit rebellious. Over the years, he first insisted on going to the northwest to lead troops, and later because of… matters concerning our family, he went against the late emperor’s wishes, which put him in an awkward position.”
“The late emperor disliked his temperament. Perhaps, just as Fu Quan arrogantly wanted to temper my temperament, the late emperor also wanted to teach him a lesson. That’s why he promoted Fu Quan and let them compete openly.”
“Actually, the late emperor wanted to tell Fu Xun that he had many sons, and if he was disobedient, he had many other sons who would obey. But Fu Xun never seemed to listen to him.”
After lying quietly in the darkness for a while, Han Min, as he had done for the past few days, fell asleep holding his sword.
—
The next morning, Han Min was woken up.
“Min’er, get up quickly, we are going to the palace to express our gratitude today.”
“Okay, coming.”
He shoved the longsword into the blankets, sat up groggily, and put on his clothes.
He wasn’t wearing his official robes, which are bright red. Wearing them before even taking office would be too ostentatious.
Although Old Scholar Liu had no official position, he was granted a nominal title and a formal court dress for court audiences.
When Han Min went out, his teacher had already changed his clothes and was waiting for him outside.
Inside the carriage, the old scholar Liu held his hand: “Don’t be afraid, your teacher is here.”
Han Min was a little confused: “Teacher, I’m not afraid.”
Old Scholar Liu patted the back of his hand: “No need to force yourself.”
“No, teacher, I’m really not afraid. What’s so scary about Fu Xun?”
Old Scholar Liu coughed twice.
He changed his tune, saying, “Oh, Your Majesty, what is there to fear?”
Old Scholar Liu said in a low voice, “You will be entering the court as an official next month. Although the Liu family does not hold official positions, there is something your teacher wants to tell you.”
Han Min said earnestly, “The student is listening.”
“The heart of an emperor is fickle; he can be kept at a distance, but not approached.”
Seeing that Han Min had no reaction, he said, “I told your grandfather this before, but he didn’t believe me. He always thought of the emperor first. As a result, after Emperor Dezong passed away and the late emperor ascended the throne, your Han family… well, anyway—”
He sighed and pinched Han Min’s cheek: “One should not have too close a personal relationship with the emperor. One should be devoted to official duties and leave oneself an escape route in private matters. This is the way of a subject.”
Han Min cried out “Ouch!” as he was being pinched. Before he could even answer, the Liu family’s simple carriage arrived at the palace gate. Just as he was about to get out of the carriage, he saw Wei Gui walking towards him.
“His Majesty, understanding Mr. Liu’s advanced age, has granted permission for his carriage to enter the palace.”
Normally, one has to get off the carriage to express their gratitude before they can get back on and continue inside.
After a while, the carriage arrived in front of Funing Palace.
Han Min helped the teacher slowly walk up the steps.
In the study, Fu Xun was rubbing the bridge of his nose while reading a memorial. He only looked up when he heard Wei Gui’s report.
He smiled when he saw Han Min and offered them seats before they could even bow.
Old Scholar Liu glanced at him secretly. Although the emperor was young, his demeanor and majesty were no less than those of ordinary emperors.
With Han Min’s best interests at heart, he sat down and said respectfully, “Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty. Although my student is young, he is very talented. I am grateful for Your Majesty’s favor in allowing him to serve the country and share the burdens of the emperor.”
After exchanging pleasantries, Han Min couldn’t get a word in edgewise, so he simply pushed the teacup toward his teacher.
Fu Xun replied politely as well, “They say Han Min is an unparalleled scholar, a celestial literary star, whose possession is said to bring peace to the world. He simply didn’t participate in last year’s imperial examination; otherwise, Chu Yu certainly wouldn’t have been the third-ranked scholar.”
Han Min thought to himself, I’m sorry, Zhuoshi, I didn’t mean to.
He thought to himself, “If I had become the third-ranked scholar, I wouldn’t have been able to write ‘The Emperor and Third-Place Scholar’.”
Seeing that the emperor truly valued Han Min, the old scholar Liu felt relieved, and his expression relaxed considerably.
The emperor and his ministers had a very pleasant conversation.
Then, the old scholar Liu requested permission to go to the Imperial Library to search for two volumes of books that had been lost from the common people.
He actually wanted to give Han Min a chance to prove his loyalty.
Before leaving, he gave Han Min a wink.
Han Min nodded firmly. “Don’t worry, teacher, I’ve already activated my strongest eloquence skills.”
As soon as the teacher left, he was about to speak, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t bring himself to say those high-sounding words to Fu Xun.
He hesitated, “Your Majesty…”
Fu Xun chuckled: “When are you going to return my clothes?”
“I washed it last night, and it’s not dry this morning. I’ll probably bring it to His Majesty next time I go to the palace.”
“You washed it?”
“Yes.”
Author’s Note:
Today is a limited-time laundry day, please be gentle.
Han Min, with his sleeves rolled up, sat on a small stool with a large basin of water in front of him. His clothes were soaking in the water, and he was vigorously rubbing his sleeves.
While rubbing, he complained, “Why is Fu Xun so long? His clothes are so long too.”
Old Scholar Liu: Alas, the emperor’s heart is fickle; one should keep one’s distance, not get too close.
Old Fu: Teacher, what are you teaching my wife? My wife and I have to stand very close together.
