Chapter 99 – Practicing the Journey

After the Zhongyuan Festival, Xie Yi ordered Fang Zixing to arrange the trip to the hunting palace.

Xu Chun returned to the Duke’s residence and simply told them that his teacher Shen Mengzhen was taking him on a tour of the capital region for some time. Since he now had prospects and was about to become an official, he thought his mother wouldn’t oppose it. After all, Lady Sheng never restricted him in such matters.

Unexpectedly, Lady Sheng asked, “How long will you be gone? Your twentieth birthday is on the eighth day of the eighth month; it’s your coming-of-age ceremony, and you must be back for it. Although it coincides with your father’s mourning period, making a grand celebration inappropriate, we still need to make preparations. If possible, inviting Mr. Shen as the principal guest to perform the capping ceremony would be best. If not, perhaps Scholar He? Deputy Chief Zhang also sent word through your cousin, saying he could serve as the principal guest or the assistant. Considering the time, they should be leaving soon. Your uncle and your cousins will all come for the ceremony.”

Xu Chun was taken aback. When Grandmother was alive, to accumulate blessings, the younger generation didn’t celebrate their birthdays extravagantly. They merely gathered for a family dinner, ate noodles for longevity, and exchanged gifts among siblings. But the coming-of-age ceremony was significant; even when Xu Gu came of age, Grandmother had invited the elders of the Wang family and Xu Gu’s teacher to perform the capping ceremony for him. He had forgotten.

So… The Ministry of Personnel’s appointment was delayed, and Brother Nine wanted him to report to the Office of Maritime Trade after the Mid-Autumn Festival, waiting for his coming-of-age ceremony? Was Brother Nine… going to perform the capping ceremony for him? The capping ceremony required the father to preside over it, held in the ancestral hall. Brother Nine probably wouldn’t come, right…

A mix of emotions surged in Xu Chun’s chest, and he vaguely hoped for something. He only replied vaguely, “I’ll ask Mr. Shen about it. I’ll definitely be back before the eighth day of the eighth month.”

Lady Sheng was relieved. “That’s good. Your father needs to open the ancestral hall for worship on the seventh day. You have to return before then.”

Xu Chun agreed, but Lady Sheng remembered something else. “Right, Scholar He sent an invitation, saying he’s hosting a farewell banquet for you. It’s urgent, happening today. I was going to send someone to deliver it to you, but conveniently, you’re here. Go ahead and attend it.”

Xu Chun was surprised. “Whose farewell banquet is it?”

Lady Sheng said, “The invitation says it’s for Fan Tanhua. He’s being posted to Shuo Prefecture, where there’s a locust plague. As the local magistrate, he needs to rush there to deal with the locusts, so he can’t stay in the capital for long. That’s why it’s so urgent.”

Xu Chun was startled, recalling the conversation between Fan Mukun and the Emperor that he’d eavesdropped on. This was the aftermath of that day, wasn’t it? The Emperor had still sent him to Shuo Prefecture. Thinking that Fan Mukun knew about his ambiguous relationship with the Emperor, and that the farewell was so rushed, he probably didn’t want to see him there.

But… After thinking about it, he still ordered someone to prepare a gift. Lady Sheng said, “It’s already prepared. Take your people and go.” She glanced at the book boy behind Xu Chun. “Why isn’t Chunxi around?”

Xu Chun replied, “He’s not feeling well, so I let him rest. Having Dinhai with me is the same.”

Lady Sheng assumed Dinhai was another servant given by Old Duke Sheng to Xu Chun, and seeing how tall and reliable he looked, she didn’t ask further. She only instructed everyone to follow the Prince well.

Xu Chun hurriedly took the gift and went to the Green Ripple Pavilion, as indicated on the invitation. To his surprise, only He Zhiqiu and Fan Mukun were in the private room. Seeing him arrive, He Zhiqiu laughed. “Tanhua’s departure is so sudden. I guessed you might not be able to make it, but you’ve managed to catch up.”

Fan Mukun still felt awkward seeing him and said, “I saw you all leave, Zhang Wenzheng too. I thought I was the only one staying in the capital. The scholarly pursuits of the Hanlin Academy don’t benefit the country or the people. A scholar is useless. Rather than remaining in the capital, I should go to the regions to experience the plight of the common folk and do some real work.”

Xu Chun sincerely said, “Even so, you should have chosen a better place. Why Shuo Prefecture? There’s a locust plague there now. I heard that locust plagues are hard to control. You’re an outsider, and the local gentry and officials are deeply entrenched. You should take more capable hands with you. Tanhua, you know, I’m not short of money. Don’t think I’m vulgar, but since you’re going to a strange place as an official and the journey is long, with a disaster happening there, no gift is better than money. I’ve given you three thousand taels as travel expenses. Tanhua, don’t be polite with me. If you need anything arranged in the capital, just send word. Whatever I can help with, I’ll send someone to take care of it for you.”

Fan Mukun relaxed slightly, seeing that Xu Chun seemed unaware of his argument with the Emperor. Otherwise, he truly wouldn’t know how to face this young man. At that moment, he was moved by his sincerity and said, “Thank you, Prince, for your planning on my behalf.”

Xu Chun sighed. “I originally wanted to invite you and Brother He to my coming-of-age ceremony. Scholar Zhang is coming too. Then, the three of you top scholars could reunite. But now you’re leaving the capital again. We won’t know when we’ll meet next.”

Fan Mukun’s eyes welled up with emotion. He raised his cup and drank, the alcohol stirring his troubled heart. These days had been filled with suffering, and it grew more unbearable.

He Zhiqiu laughed. “So you’re coming of age so soon? This is indeed a big event. Time flies. What day is it? I’ll definitely attend the ceremony.”

Xu Chun replied, “The eighth day of the eighth month.”

He Zhiqiu looked up and down at Xu Chun, smiling. “You still look like a child, yet you’re about to become an official. Has the appointment from the Ministry of Personnel arrived? Truly a young hero, early success in your career.”

Xu Chun chuckled. “The appointment hasn’t been announced yet. The top scholars became the top three before reaching thirty. Overnight, they became famous throughout the land. Praising me for my early success is undeserved. I don’t have the face to accept it.”

Fan Mukun was somewhat surprised and apologized. “I didn’t know. I’ll have to miss it. I’ll make up for the gift later.”

Xu Chun grinned. “No need, no need. It’s not a big deal. My father is still in mourning, so we won’t have a grand celebration. We’ll just hold a simple ceremony in the ancestral hall and gather with friends and relatives.”

Fan Mukun had already seen through the Emperor’s thoughts. His appointment from the Ministry of Personnel was announced so quickly, but Xu Chun’s had been delayed for so long. This was the Emperor waiting for his coming-of-age ceremony. The Emperor’s attention to detail was meticulous. In the past, he always knew the birthdays of those close to him and gave them rewards. Now, that careful consideration was bestowed upon others. Fan Mukun felt a mix of emotions, remembering the Emperor’s words that he couldn’t compare to Xu Chun. He couldn’t help but scrutinize Xu Chun closely.

He saw him dressed in a hemp robe and hat, looking even more radiant than before. His brown eyes were clear and bright, like they had been washed clean. His lips often curved into a smile, indicating his contentment. Yet, he lacked the smugness of someone who had achieved success and the vulgarity of wealth. There was only the vigor of youth and the grandeur in his heart, naturally displaying a purity and clarity from his soul. His every gesture carried an elegant and refined air.

In contrast, he himself was gloomy, bitter, stubborn, and overly cautious. As a minister, he was unwilling to merely remain loyal and guard his post, but his aunt and sister stood between him and the Emperor, creating a rift. It was difficult to treat the Emperor with pure intentions like before. In court, he didn’t think about the people and the state, nor did he strive to improve himself. In seclusion, he remained attached to fame and power, unable to detach himself. He was caught between advancing and retreating, just as the Emperor said he couldn’t reach either shore, all because his heart had changed.

His Majesty hadn’t changed. Instead, he bestowed that meticulous care on a young man whose heart could be seen through at a glance. If he truly cared for the Emperor, he should be happy that the Emperor had someone by his side, not to suffer loneliness.

But he was caught up in superficialities. Where was the young man’s patriotic spirit? Such entanglements… Fan Mukun, Fan Mukun, you’ve become muddled!

Seeing He Zhiqiu notice his gloomy expression and ask with a smile, “What is Dongye thinking about? Are you worried about your uncertain future and going alone to take office?”

Fan Mukun couldn’t help but say, “I heard you discussing youthful brilliance. I remembered my youth. The Emperor once commented that my writing was like stars streaming and lightning striking. Now, I’m timid and submissive. How could I write poetry like that? I should go out and broaden my horizons, temper myself, and pick up some aspirations for the country.”

Xu Chun praised, “Stars streaming and lightning striking, that must be as swift and dazzling as meteors and lightning, surely brilliant and adorned with splendid rhetoric to deserve such praise from the Emperor. Scholar Tanhua shouldn’t only print your father’s manuscripts. You should print a collection of your own works for us to read.”

Fan Mukun smiled faintly. “I’m far from that. The Emperor’s literary talent is excellent too. But these years, he’s simplified things, focusing solely on practical matters. I remember when I came of age, the Emperor ordered a palace envoy to give me a book about the coming-of-age ceremony. It contained the advice of court ministers to the sovereign. Presumably, he had everything he found beneficial copied and bound together for me.” At that time, His Majesty must have placed great hopes on him, Fan Mukun thought, feeling both melancholy and proud. He couldn’t help but look at Xu Chun with a hint of pride.

To his surprise, there was no trace of jealousy on Xu Chun’s face. Instead, he showed more curiosity. “Where can we see the poems and writings of His Majesty in his youth?”

Fan Mukun was at a loss for words. He Zhiqiu was enthusiastic. “The Emperor’s imperial writings from his youth are unseen by others. Dongye definitely has them. The Imperial Uncle is the Emperor’s teacher.”

Xu Chun looked at Fan Mukun, his eyes shining. Fan Mukun: “…”

He was somewhat helpless. “If His Majesty finds out, he might blame me.”

Xu Chun was discouraged. He Zhiqiu chuckled. “Since His Majesty didn’t send anyone to retrieve it, it’s a gift to your family, Fan. Neither you nor I will tell. Who would know? Now that you’re leaving for an external post, we won’t bother you. Someday, when the opportunity arises, let us have a glimpse of the imperial writing.”

Seeing the disappointment on Xu Chun’s face, his amber eyes seeming to dim, Fan Mukun softened. It was inconvenient to tell him that since he was so intimate with His Majesty, if he truly asked the Emperor, the Emperor would show him, wouldn’t he?

But Xu Chun’s emotions came and went quickly. He was already looking over with shining eyes. “Since Scholar Tanhua grew up with the Emperor, you must have seen what His Majesty’s coming-of-age ceremony was like, right?”

Fan Mukun saw the adoration and longing on Xu Chun’s face and felt a pang of sadness in his heart. Remembering that he had accompanied the Emperor since childhood, seeing him daily back then, it seemed ordinary. Many noble families in the capital probed him for information, but he remained silent, secretly proud. Now, times had changed, leaving only melancholy.

He thought for a moment and said, “His Majesty’s coming-of-age ceremony took place when he was twelve, because he needed to marry and take charge of the government. The entire capping ceremony was arranged by the Ministry of Rites. At that time, the regent prince served as the Grand Marshal, and my father was the Grand Tutor. They chose an auspicious day, informed the Heavenly Emperor and the ancestral temple, and then the officials congratulated the Emperor as if it were a major court ceremony. The Grand Marshal and Grand Tutor performed the capping ceremony for His Majesty, followed by paying respects to the Empress Dowager and visiting the imperial ancestral temple. A feast was granted. That was considered the completion of the ceremony. Soon after, the Emperor and Empress got married.”

In Xu Chun’s mind, the coming-of-age ceremony and marriage symbolized the ability to take charge of the government. This was actually the Fan family’s exchange for the nominal control of the government by producing another Empress, allowing Brother Nine to breathe a sigh of relief from the joint suppression of the Empress Dowager and the regent prince. He could stand before the ministers of the court in broad daylight, fighting for the power that belonged to the Son of Heaven but had been hollowed out.

However, He Zhiqiu was very perceptive. Sensing a strange atmosphere, he changed the topic and laughed. “By the way, yesterday you had someone escort that fraudulent Taoist priest to the Ministry of Justice. He’s been interrogated.”

Xu Chun was immediately distracted. “Interrogated? What did he say?”

He Zhiqiu replied, “He confessed to everything without any torture. He claimed to have been wandering around and living off divination and geomancy to maintain a living by reading the landscape. Coming to the capital was indeed to deliver a message to his junior fellow Daoist Xuanyi on the way, but upon arriving in the capital, he heard that someone in your residence was currently obsessed with garden design. He thought about approaching to get some money. He didn’t expect your father to be overjoyed and treat him like a living deity, which is why he decided to stay in your residence comfortably.”

Xu Chun couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that this Daoist would naturally prefer to admit fraud rather than mention any grand plans. He Zhiqiu intentionally phrased it this way, clearly because many people in the capital knew about the Daoist staying in his residence. If he spread this news, outsiders would only believe that the Prince had discovered a swindler and turned him over to the authorities. He didn’t ask about Li Meiyao anymore.

The three of them laughed and said some words of farewell. As the sun began to set, they all rose to bid each other farewell.

Fan Mukun personally escorted them out but then handed a long box to Xu Chun. “I won’t be able to attend Siyuan’s coming-of-age ceremony, so I offer this as a gift. May you enjoy longevity and good health, with a promising future.”

Xu Chun saw the box was tightly sealed with seals and vermilion stamps and accepted it, bowing to express his gratitude.

After bidding farewell, Xu Chun was too lazy to return to the Duke’s residence. Instead, he first went to Bamboo Branch Workshop. In the study, he opened the box and saw inside a scroll. It appeared to be a painting.

Unfolding it, he saw that on a square sheet of rice paper, a lifelike painting depicted a little kitten under the flowers. The small, pale yellow long-haired kitten arched its back and raised its tail, its tail extremely fluffy. It lifted a furry paw to chase a butterfly, its vertical pupils staring intently at the butterfly, looking adorable.

Beside it was a line of text: “After the rain, I saw a little kitten playing with a butterfly under the flowers. It was clumsy yet lovely, soft and free. Smoke and clouds don’t enter my dreams; half my life is trapped in the dust. I am inferior to a little kitten.”

Xu Chun’s eyes widened slightly. The painting was unsigned and unsealed. The handwriting was still somewhat immature, but having known Brother Nine for a long time, he could recognize it at a glance. This was Brother Nine’s handwriting! When was this painting done? He checked the date. It was the twelfth year of the Yuanhui era, when Brother Nine was only twelve years old… He painted so well but never painted in front of him, only holding a brush to teach him how to paint crabapples.

At only twelve years old, he spoke of a lifetime trapped in the dust… That made sense. He had said at seven that life and death were without burdens. When he painted the cat, he didn’t know if he was already married and in charge of the government. Brother Nine’s life back then was probably very tiring, even envying a little cat.

He couldn’t help but look at the snow-white lion cat he kept. Indeed, it was perched high on a shelf, watching him like a hunter, eyeing him warily. Because he had been away for a long time after his sea voyage, the cat was somewhat distant from him, often only peeking at him from above and not getting close. Although it ate the dried fish he fed it, it would flick its tail in his face and run away after finishing, not letting him pet its belly.

He gently touched the lonely words on the table, thinking that Brother Nine praised Fan Mukun’s youthful writing as vibrant like stars streaming and lightning striking. But at this time, Brother Nine’s handwriting was sparse and deeply weary, like ashes and dust.