Chapter 117 – Full Moon

In his drowsy state, Xu Chun felt someone stroking his hair. He suddenly woke up, opened his eyes, and saw Xie Yi sitting next to him, deep in thought. His eyelashes drooped under the flickering lamplight, giving him a somewhat melancholy expression.

Xu Chun instantly became alert, sat up, and held onto Xie Yi’s arm. “Brother Jiu, when did you arrive? I was asleep… I made Brother Jiu wait.”

Xie Yi looked at Xu Chun’s face still flushed with sleep, which appeared particularly alluring under the lamp’s glow. Reaching out, he took Xu Chun’s hand and said, “If you’re still tired, let’s just go to bed. You must be exhausted from today, right?”

But Xu Chun perked up. “We promised to go on a boat trip tonight to watch the lanterns! And I want to know what happened after today’s incident with Prince Yu!”

Xie Yi couldn’t help but smile, helping Xu Chun up. “Alright, then let’s go enjoy the moon on the boat.”

Xie Yi changed into casual clothes and, taking Xu Chun’s hand, they walked out together. They went down the back mountain to the bank of Chunming Lake, where a grand pleasure boat was already prepared. Once they boarded, the boat started moving, slowly cruising towards the center of Chunming Lake.

The water rippled, and the two stood high on the pleasure boat, watching the countless lanterns and theater pavilions along the riverbank reflected in the water, shining brilliantly. The sounds of music and instruments traveled through the trees and over the water, carried by the wind, refreshing their spirits and providing new sights and sounds.

Noticing the slight chill in the air, Xie Yi turned around and took a thin cloak from Su Huaibei, draping it over Xu Chun.

Xu Chun fastened the cloak and recalled something, saying to Xie Yi, “Today, Cousin and I walked around the street and saw the Xiuxi Troupe setting up their theater pavilion. They’ve already started performing, and there’s quite an audience, so it must be very lively. They should have earned a lot in tips. Their troupe leader saw me and wanted to come over to thank me, but I quickly gave him some money and left.”

Xie Yi replied, “Hmm, in a few days, the Ministry of Justice will summon them to testify.”

Curious, Xu Chun asked, “So, how did you handle Prince Yu? He’s of such high seniority. Where is he now? I haven’t heard any rumors about it.”

Xie Yi smiled. “When Prince Shun rebelled and I granted him death, such a big event didn’t stir up any rumors either. The bigger the matter, the fewer the rumors.”

Xu Chun thought of Xie Fei. That proud prince’s son must have been deeply hurt.

Xie Yi continued, “Prince Zheng, the patriarch, does indeed have high seniority. Today, I had the Three Judicial Departments interrogate Prince Yu in the Imperial Temple. In front of our ancestors and the spirits of the dead, let’s see what he has to say. As expected, he couldn’t withstand three sentences before Li Meiyao scolded him to tears. It’s said that later he spat blood and passed out, and we had to send imperial doctors to treat him. Li Meiyao’s scolding is still as effective as ever.”

Xu Chun: “…” Suddenly, he felt a bit sorry for Li Meiyao. He laughed and said, “So, Your Majesty only keeps using him because you find his scolding useful?”

Xie Yi said, “Of course, he wants to be a lonely minister, and I accommodate him. But actually, he knows in his heart what I use him for. Every time I slightly hint at my intentions, he rushes forward to scold others first, making me appear much more merciful by comparison. Without him, if I personally scolded my ministers, it would be unbecoming of a sage.”

Xu Chun couldn’t hold back his laughter at Xie Yi’s words. Xie Yi merely reached out to steady him, looking at his sincere smile. Deep inside, however, he felt a bit hesitant. He didn’t know how to bring up the topic of marriage. Tonight, he acted on impulse, thinking that the Sheng family would soon leave the capital and that it was also the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. He decided to clear things up with the Sheng family, sparing Xu Chun the difficulty of sneaking into the palace.

But if Xu Chun knew that his mother and uncle were already aware, would he feel embarrassed and blame me for being too rash and not respecting him?

Xie Yi was accustomed to making decisions alone and rarely consulted others. Now, facing Xu Chun’s clear eyes, he felt a faint sense of guilt.

However, Xu Chun was still concerned about the case. “So, what exactly happened with the case?”

Xie Yi slowly recounted the details of the case as it was investigated today. Xu Chun was surprised. “Everything was done by Prince Anping’s consort? But as a vassal king and a patriarch, if he hadn’t been protecting the consort, how could he have smuggled minerals under General Helan’s name? And how could he have framed others so smoothly?”

Xie Yi said, “He can’t escape responsibility. No matter how much he tries to hide it, he can’t conceal his desire to take advantage of the imperial power for his own gain. Because of his longevity and high seniority, he was lucky enough to become the patriarch. Empress Dowager, supported by the regent, was still young, and once the regent passed away, she needed support from other members of the royal family. She just seized this opportunity. If she truly fought, she would have been easily defeated.”

Xu Chun said, “General Helan and his loyal family died unjustly, truly despicable! Will Your Majesty vindicate General Helan?”

Xie Yi replied, “Yes, I will announce it to the world, clear his name, bestow a posthumous title, return his former confiscated estate and properties, and grant Helan Jingjiang a marquis title as a consolation and compensation.”

Xu Chun asked, “What about the mastermind?”

Xie Yi said, “The mastermind should actually be the Empress Dowager, who abused her authority for personal revenge. However, she can only continue to be confined in the Imperial Temple. I have stripped her of all her titles and honors in the Golden Register. From now on, her expenses will be deducted from mine, as if I am supporting my birth mother. That’s all.”

Not wanting to mention Xie Yi’s painful past, Xu Chun changed the subject. “And what about Prince Yu and Princess Anping, as well as the consort couple?”

Xie Yi said, “The princess’s name has been removed from the Golden Register of the Imperial Temple, her title revoked, and she has been demoted to commoner status. She has been granted death. The consort’s title has been revoked, and he will be sent to the judicial authorities for trial. If there are no unexpected developments, he should be punished according to the law. This case likely involves many accomplices, and the judicial authorities must thoroughly investigate and clearly distinguish each person’s role, sentencing them according to the law. The ringleader will be executed, while the followers will be exiled, forced into hard labor, or enslaved. All their assets will be confiscated.”

Xu Chun pressed further, “And what about Prince Yu?”

Xie Yi fell silent.

Xu Chun didn’t understand the reason. Xie Yi usually made decisive killings and didn’t seem like a soft-hearted person. Besides, Prince Yu himself didn’t have much of a relationship with Xie Yi.

Xie Yi slowly said, “His title has been revoked, and he has been demoted to commoner status and placed under house arrest. However, we won’t announce it publicly for now, just like with the Empress Dowager, keeping it secret. I want to spare his life, to temporarily keep the patriarch’s authority in my hands.”

Xu Chun was astonished. Xie Yi explained, “Now that I love you, we still lack a proper status. You have to hide your relationship from your family every day, sneak into the palace secretly at night to see me. I truly feel sorry for you.”

Xu Chun was puzzled. “Brother Jiu, when I take up my post in the future, I’ll have my own residence, and I won’t have to live at home. Then, I can visit you in the palace whenever I want.”

Xie Yi looked intently at him. “You have elders above you, and you’re the crown prince. How can your parents allow you to remain unmarried? Marriages are decided by your parents. Duke Xu is an extremely unreliable person, prone to making empty promises. I don’t want to suddenly hear one day that Duke Xu has arranged a marriage for you, and I’m the last to know.”

Xu Chun was speechless.

Seeing him at a loss for words, Xie Yi felt guilty. “My dear, you’re young and don’t like to think too far ahead. You only enjoy living in the moment. But I became a ruler at a young age, and I tend to worry and think too much. Tonight is a beautiful evening, and I shouldn’t have brought this up, spoiling the mood.”

But Xu Chun suddenly came to his senses. “So, Brother Jiu, you want the patriarch’s authority from the Golden Register. What do you intend to do?”

Xie Yi said, “I plan to add your name to it as Empress, and then publicly claim that you have a twin sister who has been ill since childhood. She was sent overseas by the Sheng family for medical treatment, and now that she’s recovered, she’s returned to the capital. On the day of my coronation, I saw her and fell in love at first sight, so I made her empress.”

Xu Chun looked at Xie Yi in utter astonishment. Xie Yi held his hand, his palm slightly sweaty. “All you need to do is ride the phoenix carriage and worship heaven and earth with me, and pay respects to our ancestors. You don’t have to worry about anything else. You don’t even have to stay in the palace. Everything will remain the same as before. You’ll continue to serve as an official, but in the Golden Register and in front of our ancestors, I want you to be my wife officially.”

Xu Chun fell silent.

Xie Yi’s heart sank. Suddenly, Xu Chun turned his hand and clasped Xie Yi’s, looking up to kiss him.

Xie Yi was taken aback but still wrapped his arm around Xu Chun, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

They kissed for a long time before finally breaking apart. The moon in the sky was extraordinarily bright, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daytime. Xu Chun looked up at Xie Yi’s face, seeing every detail clearly. Holding Xie Yi’s wrist, he whispered after a long while, “Your Majesty has planned ahead for me, with such painstaking efforts. I’m deeply moved.”

But Xie Yi gripped Xu Chun’s hand tightly. “Call me Brother Jiu.”

Xu Chun hurriedly corrected himself. “Brother Jiu, I’ve always known the depth of your feelings for me. If I say I don’t want to, it would be betraying your painstaking efforts.”

Xie Yi’s eyes were dark and cold. “But you still don’t want to.”

Feeling Xie Yi’s fingers tighten, Xu Chun hastily whispered, “Brother Jiu, you misunderstood me.”

Xie Yi said, “Explain.”

Xu Chun said, “Brother Jiu has never established an empress or taken concubines, nor do you have any children. The imperial family emphasizes having descendants to ensure the continuity of the empire for generations to come, and you must determine the crown prince early to stabilize the country’s foundations. You must be under great pressure, right?”

Xie Yi said coldly, “I don’t care.”

Xu Chun persisted, “Making the Xu family empress would achieve two goals at once. It could appease the nagging of court officials and the pressure from the imperial clan. Brother Jiu could openly take me to worship heaven and earth and our ancestors, which would be a perfect solution.”

Xie Yi was silent for a moment before saying softly, “The love of an emperor isn’t necessarily a blessing, Little Lin. I don’t want you to enter the political arena and face criticism.”

Xu Chun said, “Brother Jiu, I don’t mind. I’m concerned about how I will serve Brother Jiu as an imperial uncle in the future. Or is it that Brother Jiu lacks confidence in yourself, fearing that you’ll grow old and senile, so you’re leaving me an exit strategy? Imperial uncle supports the empress’s direct son to become regent?”

Xie Yi was speechless.

Xu Chun’s eyes were clear and pure, looking at Xie Yi. “Brother Jiu, I don’t want there to be another person between us, even if it’s a nonexistent sister. I’d rather not bear the empty title of imperial uncle, facing the emperor every day.”

Xie Yi sighed deeply.

Xu Chun whispered, “I know Brother Jiu thinks I’m young and don’t like to think about the future, only seeking happiness for today. But Brother Jiu, the future is indeed far away. Who knows what will happen in the next few decades?”

“Why create a nonexistent empress between us for something that might happen in the future? Even if my name is on the Golden Register, history will record me as a male empress. May we grow old together and be husband and wife in the next life, I understand Brother Jiu’s meaning, but we have to live this life. Should I serve Brother Jiu as an imperial uncle in this life?”

“I hope there’s no one else between Brother Jiu and me.”

“Brother Jiu cares about the name on the Golden Register, so add it if you want. If you want to worship the ancestors, I’ll accompany Brother Jiu. If the ancestors have spirits, they’ll surely bless Brother Jiu and me. But what I care about is that in the eyes of the world, Brother Jiu’s empress is my sister. From then on, standing in the political arena and looking at Brother Jiu, I can only do so as an imperial uncle. Brother Jiu values status, and I share the same feelings. Perhaps Brother Jiu still cares about the empire, but I’m selfish, only thinking about Brother Jiu’s happiness. Brother Jiu is human and gets tired too. Take a break, Brother Jiu, don’t think too much.”

“Brother Jiu fears I’ll face criticism in the future, but that’s because I don’t deserve my position beside Brother Jiu, which is why I’d face criticism. It’s all my problem, not Brother Jiu’s fault. Whatever criticism I receive for serving the emperor, I’ll bear it all, without blaming Brother Jiu.”

“Give me some more time, Brother Jiu. I know I’m weak and powerless, but I can’t rely on Brother Jiu’s hard work and concern for me forever. Give me some time to stand by your side.”

Xie Yi held Xu Chun’s hand tightly and said softly, “Brother Jiu is afraid you’ll regret it.”

Xu Chun whispered, “Brother Jiu, you always think too far ahead. Life is unpredictable. We only seek half of what we wish for. Why worry about possible imperfections in the future when we could cherish tonight’s full moon and beautiful night?”

Xie Yi looked up at the bright moon in the sky, its radiance illuminating the world with clarity.

Suddenly, he chuckled softly.

“Like flowing water, ancient and modern people are the same, gazing at the moon together. I only wish that when singing and drinking, the moonlight shines brightly in the golden cup.” He realized he had been caught in a trap, not understanding as clearly as a child.