Chapter 225 – A Noble Gentleman

As night deepened and the dew grew heavy, the palace gates opened silently, layer by layer, allowing the imperial sedan chair to pass through until it reached the front of Suiyu Hall.

Xie Yi stepped down from the dragon sedan chair and quickly walked into Suiyu Hall, his robes fluttering in the wind, his face stern and cold. The eunuchs following behind him held their breath, following closely and silently.

The hall was still brightly lit, filled with a subtle fragrance. Xu Chun was bent over his desk, holding a memorial in one hand and a brush in the other. Hearing the curtain move, he looked up, his face brightening with joy and his eyes sparkling.

He stood up, smiling broadly as he approached. “Brother Nine! I’ve thought of something! There might be unrest in Guizhou! Something’s happening at the Tuishi Manor!”

Xie Yi replied, “…How so?” Su Huai hurried over to instruct the eunuchs to serve tea, while Xie Yi made his way to his seat. Xu Chun followed him, pointing to several memorials on the desk. “Feng Dongxing, the Tuishi of Guizhou, submitted a memorial three months ago, stating that due to his long illness and lack of heirs, he requested the establishment of a successor. However, his request was unusual. He did not ask for his nephew to be adopted as an heir but instead asked for his Great Consort, Lady Wa, to be appointed as the female Tuishi.”

Xie Yi sat down on the dragon throne and took the hot tea offered to him, not drinking it immediately, but rather speaking to Xu Chun. “Mm, I remember. The Ministry of Rites has put it on hold, concerned about it. However, it is said that Feng Dongxing has been bedridden for many years, and indeed, it is said that the affairs of the Tuishi Manor have been handled by this young Great Consort. This Great Consort is thirty-five years old and childless. Naturally, the nephews of the Feng family are opposed to it.”

“The Ministry of Rites is also afraid that hastily agreeing could lead to immediate chaos, and they’re unsure whether this memorial truly represents Feng Dongxing’s wishes or if he’s already been coerced by the Great Consort. Therefore, they sent envoys to investigate.”

Xu Chun’s eyes gleamed. “Then, the envoy returned and reported to the court that although Lady Wa indeed assisted in the administration, it was due to the cooperation of the officials of the Tuishi Manor and various nephews. The Feng family is a large clan, with many capable members among the collateral lines. To avoid local unrest, it would be appropriate to select another heir to succeed as the Tuishi.”

Xie Yi took a sip of hot tea and nodded. “Yes.”

Xu Chun looked at him. “The Grand Secretariat drafted a reply, but Brother Nine kept it within the palace, not approving it.”

Xie Yi placed the teacup on the table, his originally cold expression softening, his lips curling slightly. “Yes.”

Xu Chun looked at him, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “In the southwest, during the previous dynasty, there were numerous precedents of concubines inheriting the position of Tuishi. The court had appointed many female Tuishis.”

Xie Yi said, “Yes, just in the Hongwu era alone, there was the case of the deceased Mangbu Tuishi in Shuzhou, where his wife inherited the position. In Wumeng, both the Tuishi and his wife passed away, and the court ordered his concubine to inherit the position of Tuishi. Additionally, during the Wanli and Chongzhen eras, there was the famous Qin Liangyu.”

Xu Chun added, “But the Ministry of Rites views this as ‘borrowed office.’ Sons under fifteen years of age cannot inherit the position of Tuishi, and the order of succession is first legitimate, then collateral, and first close, then distant. Therefore, the court designated their mothers as Tuishis to ensure stability in the border region.”

Xie Yi said, “Mm, the Ministry of Rites must uphold etiquette and maintain the Three Bonds and Five Constants. They naturally have to wave a big flag.”

Xu Chun, seeing Xie Yi’s expression, knew that he was pleased with his understanding and continued enthusiastically with his analysis. “But the reality is that the southwest region has many mountains and tribes. The original marriages at the Tuishi Manor were always between local major clans, and these Great Consorts have military power behind them! If the court does not order them to inherit the position of Tuishi, chaos will break out immediately! Just like Qin Liangyu herself, who was even an outstanding female general.”

Xie Yi looked at him and smiled. “Right, Yuanlin is indeed smart.”

Xu Chun picked up the envoy’s memorial. “This envoy was vague about the power behind Lady Wa, probably having received benefits from the Feng nephews and leaning towards the Feng side. But Su Zhongyuan, who is in the military, is very clear that Lady Wa must have troops at her disposal, and her strength isn’t bad. With the court delaying issuing an edict, the situation there must now be on the brink of explosion, ready to break out into war! Therefore, he became scared and hurriedly submitted a memorial to plead illness and resign!”

Xie Yi felt greatly relieved, looking at Xu Chun with a smile. “It seems that must be the case.”

Xu Chun looked at Xie Yi and smiled. “Brother Nine, you delayed issuing an edict, not letting them choose a successor, didn’t you see it too? Why the delay?”

Xie Yi smiled. “Isn’t this the question that Wu Yinggong gave you? Why are you asking me instead?”

But Xu Chun had already wrapped his arms around Xie Yi’s arm. “Brother Nine, tell me! You certainly aren’t trying to be an inactive ruler. Perhaps you think it’s inappropriate to intervene? But the War Ministry and Wu Yinggong have probably figured out what’s going on, so they’re urging you to make a decision. If you don’t secretly tell me what you plan to do, how can I answer this question?”

Xie Yi laughed. “That would be cheating, wouldn’t it? It’s inappropriate. Fang Zijing wants you to think about it. Think for yourself.”

But Xu Chun had already pressed himself against Xie Yi. It was summer, and their clothes were thin. His hot body clung to Xie Yi, refusing to let go. “Brother Nine is also my teacher. If Brother Nine doesn’t teach me, who will? Tomorrow, Brother Zijing will laugh at me, how embarrassing. Give me a hint, Brother Nine.”

Xie Yi felt the heat from him, but he couldn’t bear to push him away. Instead, he shifted slightly to the side of the dragon throne. As expected, Xu Chun immediately sat next to him, leaning against him with a smile. Xie Yi said, “You’ve already solved eighty percent of the problem. What else could you be missing? I’ll only ask you, what is Lady Wa’s character like? We don’t know. Are the Feng nephews really capable? We can’t be sure. If the court intervenes rashly and chooses a cruel and incompetent ruler, it might provoke the resentment of the local people. Remember, there are many mountains and bandits there. Without the autonomy of the Tuishi, the court would be caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Xu Chun said, “Right.”

Xie Yi said, “Therefore, the best candidate for Tuishi is the one who can most effectively control the situation, regardless of gender.”

“Everything is currently calm under the surface, but it’s turbulent. Whether it’s a dragon or a snake, we can’t be sure yet. Only then will we see their true strength, methods, character, and how they treat the people.”

Xu Chun said, “Right, so Brother Nine is actually giving Lady Wa a chance? If the court really replied by choosing a successor from among the Feng nephews, Lady Wa would have no chance left and would surely cause unrest. The court would have no choice but to send troops to suppress the rebellion.”

“But if the court orders Lady Wa to be appointed, the Feng family would also rebel. Regardless of whether the court issues an edict or not, there will definitely be chaos there. But if the court issues an edict, the people will believe that it’s the court’s edict that caused the great chaos.”

Xie Yi placed the memorial higher up. “Yes, the court won’t reply. Let them decide the victor themselves. Whether it’s a dragon or a fish, they must fight for it themselves.”

Xu Chun said, “Why doesn’t Brother Nine tell the ministers about this?”

Xie Yi chuckled. “How could an emperor explain his actions to his ministers?”

Xu Chun was surprised. “So Wu Yinggong and the others mean that they hope the court will make an early decision and intervene as soon as possible to prevent unrest? The War Ministry submitting such a small memorial about pleading illness and resigning to the throne is actually a subtle reminder to Your Majesty.”

Xie Yi said, “The Three Bonds and Five Constants are the foundation of the empire. I cannot openly oppose the principles of propriety. Therefore, even if the Ministry of Rites wants to appoint a female Tuishi, they have to cover it with a layer of ‘borrowed office.'”

“There is also a balance of power between the central government and the regions. Nominal authority lies with the central government over the regions, but in practice, a large number of matters require local autonomy. At such times, inaction is action.”

“Autonomy of the Tuishi. As long as the final victor is willing to remain loyal to the court, willing to continue paying tribute and submitting to the court’s commands, the court will appoint whoever wins. Therefore, in such internal conflicts, the various tribal forces often claim to continue to be loyal to the court to avoid immediate retribution. They will constantly express loyalty to the court, pay tribute, and fully support the court.”

Xie Yi looked at Xu Chun. “When the sandpiper and the clam fight, the court simply sits back and benefits from the situation. But these things can only be done, not spoken of.”

Xu Chun looked at Xie Yi, who smiled faintly. “This is the way of the emperor. Balancing the central government and the provincial administrations, balancing the powerful ministers, balancing the civil and military officials, balancing the pure officials and the capable officials…”

He looked at Xu Chun meaningfully. “Many things can be done but cannot be said. This is ‘the Han dynasty has its own system, originally a mixture of the Way of Benevolence and the Way of Tyranny.'”

Xu Chun was taken aback. Xie Yi stroked his hair, feeling the intense heat radiating from him. The youthful vigor of a rising sun was pressing against him, and he laughed. “Go take a bath and rest early. It’s not a big deal.”

But Xu Chun was lost in thought: How am I supposed to submit my answers to Wu Yinggong tomorrow…

Xie Yi got up and led him to the Yutang Pool, ordering someone to prepare hot water for bathing.

Xu Chun was originally still pondering how to rephrase his response, but seeing Xie Yi undress and soak in the pool, he had long forgotten all those messy thoughts. He quickly stripped and jumped into the pool, splashing half of it with water.

Xie Yi helplessly hugged him to prevent him from falling and scolded him. “You’re a high-ranking minister now, why are you still so impulsive? What are you in such a hurry for?”

Xu Chun giggled, holding onto Xie Yi’s arm. Unable to resist, he secretly reached out to touch the strong yet smooth skin, but then suddenly remembered that he had been too focused on thinking about the memorial and forgot to ask about Xie Qian. However, Brother Nine hadn’t mentioned it, and he didn’t seem anxious, so it should be fine.

He asked Xie Yi, “How is Duke Shun’an? Brother Nine, did you visit him earlier?”

Xie Yi replied, “Mm, nothing serious. The imperial physician examined him and said he was just hungry. After the wet nurse fed him, he fell asleep peacefully.”

Seeing Xie Yi’s expression, Xu Chun was slightly surprised. “Brother Nine, are you angry?”

Xie Yi looked at him, somewhat surprised by his perceptiveness. “How could you tell I was angry?”

Xu Chun said, “Being raised in the palace, how could he be hungry? Brother Nine didn’t mention the reason, but you were clearly chatting and laughing with me earlier. When you spoke about this matter, your expression turned cold. Brother Nine isn’t angry with me; you’re angry with them.”

Xie Yi said, “Duke Shun’an entered the palace upon my imperial decree. The previous wet nurse and maidservant came along with him. I also selected a capable Chief Palace Lady from the Bureau of Palace Ladies, as well as three wet nurses to take turns feeding him.”

“However, today, the original wet nurse took leave to return home to visit relatives. Duke Shun’an refused to eat from any other wet nurse and refused to sleep, wailing loudly—a trivial matter that wouldn’t normally reach the imperial audience, but the Chief Palace Lady of Zhilan Hall made a big fuss. She sent someone to call the imperial physician and alarmed the Office of Eunuchs, demanding to report it to me.”

Xu Chun was startled. “I don’t understand these things, but the child is still young. It’s inevitable that he only recognizes the original wet nurse, right? But why did he eat when you went there?”

Xie Yi said indifferently, “It’s merely a struggle for power and profit. I’ve grown up in the palace since childhood, and there are plenty of methods for these palace people to compete and eliminate each other. Now, they’re simply using me as a tool to achieve their goals.”

Xu Chun asked, “Brother Nine, did you punish anyone?”

Xie Yi said, “I’m the Son of Heaven. Am I supposed to judge right and wrong for them? They merely see that I value this child and have some ulterior motives. Replacing these people will only bring in another batch. Am I supposed to spend every night resolving cases for them?”

Xu Chun looked at him. “Brother Nine, I have something to say. I know it’s inappropriate to speak of it. Logically, this is a matter of the imperial clan. But Brother Nine has shown me great kindness, and I dare not be reserved in front of you.”

Xie Yi said, “Tell me.”

Xu Chun said, “Brother Nine has never been free since childhood and hasn’t lived happily. Now, this child has lost his parents at a young age and is caught in a whirlpool of power, unable to control his own fate. Of course, being raised by Brother Nine is his good fortune. But Brother Nine governs the entire world; how could you have time to manage these minor matters of raising children?”

“No matter how devoted the palace attendants are, they can’t help but have thoughts of vying for power and profit over this child. It might be better to choose a harmonious and reliable family from the imperial clan to raise him. When he grows up a bit, Brother Nine can educate him then.”

Xie Yi looked at him, his gaze sharp. “Who told you something?”

Xu Chun dared not admit it, saying, “I was just worried about how busy Brother Nine is.”

Xie Yi looked at him deeply. “Rest assured, I have arrangements. I will find him a good family to raise him properly.”

Xu Chun breathed a sigh of relief. “I knew Brother Nine was far-sighted.”

Xie Yi’s hand, which had been holding Xu Chun’s wrist, slowly caressed the soft skin on the inside of his wrist. “I’m far-sighted, also planning for you in the long run. Yuanlin has grand ambitions and dislikes the art of power politics, which is good.”

“Only the utmost sincerity in the world can transform. Yuanlin is a noble gentleman, and his actions are consistent. You have your own path.”