Chapter 85 – Obsessed Son

Shen Mengzhen arrived with a grand floating palace, on which he had hired an orchestra and singing courtesans. The journey downstream was accompanied by the sounds of flutes, zithers, strings, drums, and music, the air was filled with fragrance.

In the clear spring breeze, behind the pearl curtains and gauze draperies of the floating palace, the courtesans sang melodiously. The lute notes carried verses embroidered with poetry, drifting along the river. The scholars from the Imperial Academy wrote poems and sang songs as they traveled southward to Minzhou. Along the way, local literati and celebrities came to pay their respects and feast, and soon, news spread throughout the land that the court was establishing a naval academy and seeking talents.

The day they arrived in Minzhou, even the harbor was in an uproar. Many locals gathered around to see the courtesans from the capital, their hair adorned with flowers, their faces like peaches in bloom. They wore light silk robes that brushed the ground, carrying fans as they moved, appearing as celestial maidens descending from the heavens. The scholars, meanwhile, wore tall hats and capes, resembling mountains of jade, resembling a flock of cranes.

The scholars from the capital and the local literati of Minzhou flocked together. For days, they feasted and drank, poetic gatherings and elegant assemblies were incessant. Some celebrities invited by Zhang Wenzheng from Jiangnan also arrived. Initially, they had looked down upon the affair, but after seeing the northern scholars traveling south, they felt fortunate to have made the trip.

Regardless, although literati often belittled each other, they secretly supported each other, lifting each other up. That spring in Minzhou, the streets and alleys, wine shops and tea houses were filled with poets and writers drinking until dawn, singing and reciting verses about the sunset over the riverside village, the fishing boats by the sea, the sunset glow, and the gathering of refined souls. Thousands of poems were written.

The reputation of the Minzhou Naval Academy soared. The current emperor’s maritime ambitions and his determination to pacify the seas were widely propagated through the poets’ verses. Scholars from across the land began to flock to Minzhou, including mathematicians skilled in various disciplines, hermits adept at divination and astronomy, descendants of former generals, and physicians skilled in medicine.

Amidst the chirping of spring birds and blossoms like brocade, Shen Mengzhen took Xu Chun under his wing as his disciple, introducing him discreetly to the eminent scholars who had come for the private banquet.

Zhang Wenzheng’s younger sister also arrived in Minzhou quietly aboard the floating palace. When she went to the Heavenly Empress Temple to worship, she met Sheng Changzhou in the gentle spring breeze. She had bright eyes and white teeth, her skin like snow, and a graceful demeanor. He stood tall, his brows handsome, a true gentleman.

They fell in love at first sight. After several days of spring outings together, the woman from Jiangnan, with her curved eyebrows and beautiful smile, unclasped the ivory incense ball from her waist and gave it to Sheng Changzhou. Inside were exquisite red beans, and intricately carved on the ball was her given name, “Peng.”

The Zhang and Sheng families agreed readily, and the six rites began to unfold slowly. Lady Sheng of the Jingguo Duke’s Mansion, hearing the good news, was overjoyed. She personally selected many precious items to be sent back from the capital as dowry gifts.

Everything seemed splendid and dreamlike. Both the Sheng family and he himself appeared perfect, as if there were no regrets.

But no matter how many letters he wrote back to the capital, whether letters or gifts, they all vanished like stones sinking into the sea. Finally, one day, Qing Qian returned with a message: “The household in Lamp Grass Lane has moved away. I knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered.”

The letters could no longer be sent.

Xu Chun’s heart sank, but he still ordered Qing Qian to look for Lord Fang Zixing at the Wu Ying Hou’s residence. Qing Qian returned and said, “I couldn’t see Lord Fang Zixing. Wu Ying Hou has arrived in Minzhou, and only the princess is at home, pregnant. It’s said that Lord Fang Zixing has moved into the palace to avoid suspicion. The princess returned the gifts and the invitation, saying she couldn’t make decisions for her younger brother-in-law, but how can we deliver messages to the palace?”

Xu Chun finally understood. Was Ninth Brother cutting ties?

Was he so quick to forget and let go?

He tossed and turned, recalling how young and ignorant he had been when he had said, “I won’t ask Ninth Brother’s real name. How long I can stay with Ninth Brother, I will. When Ninth Brother wishes me to leave, I will.”

Now, he wished he could go back in time and slap the young self who had spoken of easy departures.

Now, Ninth Brother was letting him leave with dignity, giving him a great teacher, a friend, honor, and prestige. Could he really let go so easily?

That day, another day of poetic indulgence. The orange evening light slanted into the hall, and Xu Chun sat by the seat, watching Shen Mengzhen holding a scroll of books, leaning against the imperial concubine’s couch, still slightly drunk from the wine. He spoke to Xu Chun about poetry, sentence by sentence: “A mayfly living out its life in the vast universe, insignificant as a grain of sand in the boundless sea. Lamenting the fleeting nature of our lives, envying the endless flow of the Yangtze River.”

Xu Chun suddenly asked him, “Master, do you think it’s better in the capital or here in Minzhou?”

Shen Mengzhen laughed. “In the past, scholars would say that being an official in the capital is like living on a high tower, not daring to speak loudly, for fear of startling the people above. Now, following the imperial edict to leave the capital and display our elegance, it’s truly delightful. The court and the common folk complement each other. When we’re among the common folk, we share the burdens of the court.”

Xu Chun straightened up and asked, “Master, what should I do now to enter the court and share the burdens of the court?”

Shen Mengzhen sobered up and looked at him. “Don’t rush. Study diligently here at the Naval Academy for a few years, accumulating knowledge and skills. With Wu Ying Hou training troops here, and Governor Lei Ming and Xia Wan assisting, with the groundwork laid and strength accumulated, it wouldn’t take more than a few years for the navy here to become formidable. At that time, it will naturally be time to go to war.”

“Pacifying the seas, driving away foreign invaders, conquering the South Seas, reclaiming lost territories—these are all glorious achievements that will go down in history. You are the son of a meritorious minister. With military achievements at sea and business acumen, you can enter the court based on military merit and take up a position in one of the Six Ministries. The rank of duke or marquis will be within your grasp.”

So this was the magnificent path Ninth Brother had laid out for him. Xu Chun’s expression remained calm. “If I want to enter the court now, which path should I take?”

Shen Mengzhen was surprised. “How many people in the court are eyeing this place but cannot get in. I’ve heard that local officials everywhere are speculating about the emperor’s intentions and eagerly participating. It’s said that naval academies in Jiangnan, Jinzhou, and Weihai are being built and planned. This is a favorable wind. Your maternal grandfather has already laid a solid foundation here. Why would you choose a more difficult path?”

Xu Chun raised his eyes to look at Shen Mengzhen. “Darkness turns suddenly bright, hot spring days turn cold. Even the upright man can miscalculate. Master, consider me confused.”

Shen Mengzhen was silent for a moment. “You’re talented in business. If you want to abandon this place, you can enter the court as a supervisor. After the Spring Imperial Examination each year, there is a major exam at the Imperial Academy. You can take the exam. If you pass, you will be appointed to a position. I can mediate on your behalf and arrange for you to go to the Ministry of Revenue, but your rank will be low. It might take many years of toil, dealing with tedious paperwork, extremely monotonous work. You might not achieve anything significant for many years, remaining mediocre and cautious, but the complexity of the relationships in the capital is very different from the local areas.”

“Have you thought it through? Here, you have Wu Ying Hou, Governor Lei Ming, and Eunuch Xia Wan protecting you like three great mountains. You also have the full support of the Sheng family. Like a dragon riding the wind, you’ll soar to the heavens. The path back will be much easier. You’re still so young. Why rush back to the capital, where you might be ground down carelessly? The entanglements of officialdom are indescribably bitter.”

Xu Chun asked Shen Mengzhen, “I’ve heard that Wu Ying Hou led troops into battle when he was barely a teenager. Lord Lei personally led troops to suppress bandits in Minzhou. Even Eunuch Xia Wan, who was punished and entered the palace as a child, served as a military supervisor for several years, managing supplies and leading troops, fighting battles.”

Shen Mengzhen raised his eyebrows slightly. “You know quite well.”

Xu Chun said, “Master, strong grass is revealed in a storm. Although you come from a noble family and possess extraordinary learning, you’ve also spent many years honing your skills in the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Rites.”

Shen Mengzhen said, “If it weren’t for that old scholar Li Meiyao, I’d still be idling my days away in the Hanlin Academy.”

Xu Chun said, “But Master, you must be grateful to Lord Li. Though your paths diverged, he did feel that your talents were wasted in the pursuit of pleasure and wine. Pursuing desires and ignoring the future, not reflecting on the past—such a life, though seemingly elegant, is of no benefit to the country or the people. In one’s lifetime, like a blade of grass in autumn, one must leave something behind.”

Shen Mengzhen slowly unfolded his fan. “Are you thinking of undergoing trials and hardships, preferring to plunge into the turbulent sea of bureaucracy and worldly fame and fortune? Even if you might become corrupt and lose your integrity?”

Xu Chun was startled and looked at Shen Mengzhen. Shen Mengzhen said, “You could have been a young general, brimming with spirit, roaring like a dragon and barking like a tiger, commanding troops, loyal and heroic, gaining glory and fame for generations. But you insist on plunging into the mire, running after worldly fame and fortune like a horse or a cow. By then, you’ll be ordinary and covered in filth, possibly disgraced, losing your original appearance. You’ll regret it.”

“If you’re afraid of slander and criticism, if you become overly cautious, you might exhaust yourself looking ahead and behind, accomplishing nothing. If you’re bold and decisive, willing to bear the blame for your ruler, remember that in the capital, one person’s actions are hindered by ten others, easily leading to punishment. In the end, you might fall into the ruler’s suspicions and face criticism from all over the world. There are many people with a desire to save the world, but who end their lives with their hearts unopened, bearing the reproach of traitors.”

“Leaving a name on the Lingxiao Pavilion and having a portrait in the Hall of Virtuous Officials is no easy feat.” A sigh filled Shen Mengzhen’s eyes, as if he was recalling something.

Xu Chun suddenly remembered a casual conversation with Ninth Brother. Would Ninth Brother still be pleased with such a despicable and ambitious self? At that time, after a night of intimacy, they had spoken lightly of the fickleness of old hearts. Now, those words had come true.

The bright path Ninth Brother had laid out for him was one of commanding the seas, making a name in the clouds, surrounded by teachers, friends, and brothers, achieving unparalleled feats, and leaving a legacy for eternity. But afterward, he might have to stay here for many years, guarding the seas, and be able to write memorials to him, but if Ninth Brother didn’t want him to enter the capital, he would never see him again in this lifetime.

Then…now…he wanted to degrade himself, wanting to be the favorite he had always despised, serving his lord with his beauty, staying by his side day and night.

Should he give up? Did he want to be praised by the world or criticized by it? Ninth Brother liked youthful vigor, liked his unchanging heart, believing he was a piece of jade that could be polished. Naturally, he wanted him to remain pure and transparent like white jade, becoming a valuable object. But he didn’t like favorites. If he underwent trials and hardships, ending up twisted and black, covered in thorns, would Ninth Brother still like him?

Shen Mengzhen looked at him meaningfully. “Think it through.”

Xu Chun raised his eyes to look at him. The twilight of the evening shone through the window into the hall, with the scent of flowers floating in the air. Xu Chun’s gaze changed from confusion to determination. “Earlier, Master said that a mayfly in the vast universe is merely a grain of sand in the boundless sea. Since we’re mayflies, born in the morning and dying at night, why waste our time here?”

He bowed deeply. “Please, Master, help me enter the court.”

Ninth Brother was a drop of honey on the sharp edge of a knife. He was willing to cross mountains of fire and seas of swords to taste that sweetness. Why think so much? He only wanted to see Ninth Brother now.

Shen Mengzhen gazed at him intently, silent for a long time, and tapped his head with the fan. “Obsessed son!”