Chapter 13 – Reading History

Beyond the glass window, the sky was bright, while within the room, the aroma of medicine lingered.

Donghai carefully heated an acupuncture moxa stick to a red glow, swiftly applying it to Xie Yi’s Fengchi and shoulder acupoints. This was the moxibustion treatment prescribed by Doctor Zhou Biao, which took about half an hour each time.

Xie Yi had his outer robe completely unfastened, revealing his slender body. The smooth, fair skin, after being treated with the hot moxa stick, was left with speckles of redness on the taut muscles. Sweat dampened his temples and beaded on the tip of his nose, his cheeks flushed from the heat. Seeing him in such a weakened state, Xu Chun’s heart stirred with different thoughts, especially since he had harbored feelings for Xie Yi.

Taking advantage of Xie Yi’s blindness, Xu Chun stared intently at Xie Yi, observing his sweat-dampened forehead, his furrowed brows, his chest rising and falling slowly, his flushed face, and his moist lips. His heart pounded violently, filled with carnal thoughts.

Donghai noticed the dazed look in his prince’s eyes and couldn’t help but cough lightly a few times, trying to remind his prince not to be so disrespectful. After all, although the Ninth Prince couldn’t see, the two young attendants serving them weren’t blind.

Although Xie Yi still had his eyes covered, he could seemingly sense Xu Chun’s intense gaze. In his heart, he thought that this spoiled child’s infatuation with him must stem from youthful ignorance, leading him astray. Considering Xu Chun’s role in saving the emperor, Xie Yi decided to patiently impart some wisdom upon him and tolerate his behavior for now.

He said, “Prince Xu.”

Xu Chun hastily replied, “Ninth Brother, what do you need?” He then quickly added, “Ninth Brother, it’s too formal for you to call me Prince. Since I’m the second son, you can call me Erlang.”

Xie Yi asked, “Does Erlang have a courtesy name?”

Xu Chun replied somewhat embarrassedly, “No.” A courtesy name was usually bestowed by a teacher or close friend. His father was a bastard second-generation heir, and none of his teachers respected him. The people he usually associated with were nothing more than drinking companions, so he had no courtesy name until now.

Xie Yi suggested, “When the autumn wind blows, one thinks of lotus and carp, expressing homesickness and longing for family. I’ll bestow upon you the courtesy name Siyuan. The Zuo Zhuan says, ‘When the great path is followed, thoughts arise, and actions lead far.’ What do you think?”

Xu Chun’s eyes lit up. “Xu Siyuan? Sounds good, doesn’t it? It means a scholar thinking of distant travels. An ancient poem says: ‘In life between heaven and earth, one suddenly becomes a distant traveler.’ Thank you, Ninth Brother! I like this name.”

Xie Yi was somewhat surprised at how much Xu Chun had extrapolated from his name. “Life between heaven and earth” referred to Xiao Tong’s Wen Xuan, specifically the poem “Qingqing Ling Shang Bai.” Its meaning was not auspicious. However, Xie Yi was never one to dwell on trivialities, and considering Xu Chun’s forced interpretation, he didn’t dwell on the fleeting shadow of doubt. Instead, he gently asked Xu Chun, “Does Siyuan enjoy reading Wen Xuan?”

Xu Chun replied somewhat embarrassedly, “I’m uneducated. I can’t recite most poems, but I find the poems in Wen Xuan easy to understand and memorize.”

Xie Yi said, “Wen Xuan is the pinnacle of five-character verse, straightforward yet not crude, and its prose is timeless. Studying it would benefit you. However, its verses are too melancholic and distant. As a young man, you shouldn’t become immersed in them. You should read more works that inspire grandeur and courage. In your daily writing, avoid using despondent and aimless phrases. Most examiners dislike them.”

Xu Chun said nonchalantly, “Well, I’m not taking the imperial exams anyway, so their preferences don’t matter to me, hehe.”

Xie Yi knew he was the Duke’s heir and would inherit the dukedom someday. Eventually, he would realize he was the Duke, and this adolescent infatuation would naturally dissipate. He just needed proper guidance and discipline to get back on track. Xie Yi then said, “Does Siyuan have any books here? The days are long and boring. If Siyuan could read to me to alleviate my boredom, that would be great.”

Xu Chun readily agreed. “Sure! Ninth Brother, what book do you want me to read? Just say it. I run a publishing house, so I can find any book.”

He did have Wen Xuan here, as well as many storybooks, but seeing that Ninth Brother seemed stern and disapproved of Wen Xuan, he didn’t dare suggest it.

Xie Yi pondered for a moment. “The Book of Han, I suppose. Recently, I was only halfway through reading history when I stopped.”

Xu Chun expressed admiration. “History books are vast. Ninth Brother, you’re truly learned. I’ll have someone bring the entire volume of the Book of Han over.”

Xie Yi shook his head. “No need. Just bring over the volume on the Biography of Flatterers. I remember I was reading that volume.”

Xu Chun sent Chun Chao to the publishing house to fetch the entire volume. Soon enough, Chun Chao returned with a cart carrying the Book of Han. Xu Chun selected the volume on the Biography of Flatterers and entered the room to start reading from the beginning.

However, his knowledge wasn’t up to par. He broke out in a sweat after reading a few sentences, struggling with many unfamiliar characters and unsure how to punctuate the sentences correctly. He found himself in a predicament, secretly regretting not having found a scholar to help him with punctuation.

Feeling uneasy, he stammered, “Therefore, during Emperor Hui’s reign, the court attendants all wore…” He got stuck. Xie Yi calmly continued, “Therefore, during Emperor Hui’s reign, the court attendants all wore golden pheasant feathers in their hats and shell belts, and they applied powder.”

Xu Chun chuckled. “So you’ve already read this, Ninth Brother. What does this mean?”

Xie Yi explained, “Golden pheasant feathers are used to adorn hats, while shell belts are made from sea shells. Ministers wore these because the emperor preferred handsome officials, and thus they dressed lavishly to please and flatter him. That’s the behavior of favored ministers.”

Xu Chun replied lamely, “Oh…” He couldn’t resist pulling at his collar to cover his tortoiseshell and pearl belt. Although he knew Xie Yi couldn’t see, he still felt guilty.

Throughout the reading, every time he misread a sentence or character, Xie Yi would smoothly correct him, reading out the word he couldn’t pronounce. Xu Chun was impressed by Ninth Brother’s broad knowledge and strong memory, but he also subconsciously realized that Ninth Brother must have read this book before. Why did he suddenly ask him to read it today?

When he read the line, “The enchanting inclinations are not unique to female virtues, there are also male charms,” he had an epiphany. He knew that the Han emperors often favored men. Was Ninth Brother… implying something about him? Ninth Brother’s background was pitiful; he must detest such matters… His own infatuation with him was probably seen as filthy and comparable to those flatterers?

His suspicions grew, and his mind wandered, causing his reading to become even more stuttered and disjointed, making it painful to listen to. He barely managed to finish the volume. Xie Yi repeated slowly, “But when advancement isn’t through proper channels, and positions exceed one’s abilities, none can have a happy ending. This is what’s meant by loving someone to the point of harming them.”

Xu Chun was silent.

Xie Yi asked, “Does Siyuan know what this means?”

Xu Chun felt like he was back in the terrifying classroom, being questioned by his teacher. Despite the cold weather, his clothes were soaked in sweat. He replied lamely, “It means these flatterers gained favor with the emperor through improper means. Their virtue did not match their position, so they didn’t have good endings. This is how the emperor’s love for them ended up harming them…”

Xie Yi nodded slightly, seemingly very satisfied. Coincidentally, the moxibustion session ended at that moment. He gathered his robes and slowly leaned against the large bolster, his face as cold as ice. Xu Chun’s lustful thoughts were now completely gone. He thought that Ninth Brother might despise him, and self-loathing arose, making him feel even more ashamed. He muttered, “Ninth Brother, rest well. I need to return to the Duke’s residence for a bit. Tomorrow, I have to attend a banquet, as my elders ordered me to bring my brothers along. Therefore, I won’t be able to stay by Ninth Brother’s side. If you need anything, just tell Donghai and the others.”

Xie Yi nodded slightly but then asked, “Where are you going for the banquet?”

Xu Chun was relieved that Xie Yi finally stopped questioning him about the Biography of Flatterers. He said, “It’s at the Shun Prince’s residence to accompany the prince in enjoying the snow. Actually, I didn’t want to go. At such banquets, we often have to write poetry, and I hate those occasions. But my grandmother told me to bring my illegitimate brother along. He’s participating in the special imperial examination this year, so he needs to meet some people.”

Xie Yi suggested, “The Shun Prince’s son? His poetry is ordinary. I heard he likes collecting various paintings. If you can find a rare painting from the market to give him, it might appeal to his tastes.”

Xu Chun’s eyes lit up. “He also likes paintings?”

Xie Yi asked, “Also?”

Xu Chun blushed. “I sometimes paint when I’m idle. Since he likes painting, I happen to have some extremely rare paints brought back from overseas. I’ll give him a box. I’m just worried if the gift will seem too light. I’ll attach a few paintings as well. Thank you, Ninth Brother, for letting me know. I’ll go look for them.”

Xie Yi said, “He’ll like it.” The Shun Prince’s son, Xie Fei, often made his own paints with palace painters in the Hongwen Academy. Since the paints were from overseas, they were indeed rare. Xie Yi further advised, “Don’t choose overly expensive paintings. Nobles and imperial relatives should not get too close. Being neither too close nor too distant is best. I know you have money, but giving too expensive gifts may make others think you’re showing off or trying to curry favor with the imperial family, which isn’t a good thing.”

Xu Chun said, “Okay, thank you, Ninth Brother, for your advice.”

Xie Yi asked again, “Why did I hear you mention you have an illegitimate older brother?” In the capital, which noble family could create such a joke of having an illegitimate eldest son? According to the rules of legitimacy, legitimacy is valued, but according to age, the elder is respected. How was seniority determined in this case? Normally, in a decent official family, they would not allow a legitimate wife to give birth to a concubine’s son before she enters the family.

Xu Chun sighed. “That’s why our Duke’s residence is a laughingstock. Don’t laugh at us, Ninth Brother. My father is a bastard. It’s rumored that he secretly had an affair with the old lady’s maid. The old lady didn’t know, so she let the maid marry and leave. But right before her wedding, the maid discovered she was pregnant and came crying to the old lady for help. The old lady was kind-hearted. She saw that the maid had served her for many years. Forcing an abortion would harm the harmony of heaven and earth. Also, the Xu family had few descendants, so she decided to raise the child in the household after it was born and send the maid away to marry far away.”

Xie Yi laughed. “This is taking advantage of your mother’s family. Not harming the harmony of heaven and earth, letting the maid give birth and providing some money for her to raise the child outside would have been enough. To recognize him as a son, the maid had been released. Who could prove that he was indeed the son? Are your father foolish, and the old lady foolish as well? Especially when it involves the dukedom, how could they casually recognize him?”

Xu Chun explained, “My mother was angry, but when she saw Big Brother, she couldn’t vent her anger on the child. The old lady said that the Xu family has few descendants. Raising another child wouldn’t cost much food and firewood. If he turned out to be talented, he could be a support. This was also accumulating blessings for my mother. Later, Big Brother indeed showed talent in studying. He became a scholar at twelve and passed the provincial examination last year. When the news spread, others only praised my mother’s kindness.”

Xie Yi smiled. “Indeed, the Duchess of your house is kind-hearted.” Allowing the illegitimate eldest son to study even better than the legitimate son was one thing, but seeing that Xu Chun had no jealous or oppressive mindset showed that he was genuinely virtuous at heart. It was rare to find such a righteous matron and innocent playboy in the capital.

Xu Chun’s eyes dimmed slightly. Although Xie Yi couldn’t see him, he knew that his mood had dropped. He didn’t bring up the topic again, instead smiling and saying, “Since it’s a snow appreciation event, you should prepare a few poems about snow just in case. This is easy. Try writing a few, and I’ll help you revise them.”

Xu Chun was speechless.

He struggled to say, “Ninth Brother, you’re still recovering. I don’t want to trouble you with such a small matter for my foolish younger brother…”

Xie Yi said, “A few poems about snow don’t require much effort. Can’t you just make up ten or eight poems randomly?”

Xu Chun was at a loss for words. He said, “Ninth Brother, rest. I’ll go check on dinner.” He ran out quickly, and Xie Yi lay down with a faint smile.

Donghai, observing Xie Yi’s expression, thought: This Ninth Prince is clearly teasing our prince. Our prince is young and easily teased. But this Ninth Prince is obviously not a simple figure. Our prince’s standards are high. If he likes such a tricky and deep person, he’s likely to suffer a few heartbreaks in the future.