Chapter 134: Madam Xue

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Beside him, Xue Zuo immediately jabbed him with an elbow hidden beneath his loose court robes. “Why provoke that old cur? Aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?”

Wu Ren was a portly second-rank official, always laughing and joking, on good terms with everyone.

“What do you know? I have neither a duke’s estate to rely on nor a virtuous wife who is the daughter of a chancellor and was personally instructed by a princess. Old Xue, a well-fed man can never understand the hunger of the starving.”

Xue Zuo stared at the toes of his shoes. “Has your sister-in-law been cutting your rations lately, or giving you grief? Must you drag out those stale old stories again? Are you done yet?”

“Ha! You’re allowed to go on and on about your happiness, but I’m not allowed to reminisce a little and indulge myself?” Wu Ren bumped him back.

“Ha!”

While the two men’s minds wandered elsewhere, the entire court had erupted into a frenzy.

What? Sorcery meant to bring victory over an enemy?

And the target was His Majesty?

Kill him!

What? A false accusation against the heir of the Duke of Protecting the State?

The real aim was to bring down the Jiang family?

Hold off on the execution! Investigate further!

When the court session ended, the ministers’ legs were weak beneath them. The Grand Court Intendant and the Chief Secretary of the Grand Tribunal, those old friends, walked out of the palace gates arm in arm.

The moment they left the palace, they agreed to go to a tavern. They could not bear the sight of meat or wine, however, and ordered bowl after bowl of tea, gulping it down ravenously.

“Good heavens, I’m dying of thirst!” Wu Ren’s plump frame had only grown more cumbersome with age, and he could least of all endure such torment. After sitting through the morning court session, he felt as though his old life had nearly been left behind in the hall.

Xue Zuo also drank his fill before launching into his tirade. “What were those people arguing about? It was plainly an attempt to frame my innocent nephew, yet they kept insisting on debating every point and demanded that the whole matter be investigated thoroughly. The truth is right before their eyes, but they insist on opposing Her Highness to the bitter end. What sort of people are they? Who is the Venerable Master Kongkong of White Horse Temple, if not a man of standing? He even came forward to testify, and they still tried to wriggle out of it. They must be hiding something. They simply cannot bear to see my good nephew accomplish anything.”

Wu Ren reclined in his chair, stretching out his legs in comfort. Seeing Xue Zuo across from him, grumbling and cursing without pause, he waited with a smile until the older man had finished.

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“What are you getting so worked up about? I don’t think your nephew is entirely simple-hearted either. Why do you insist on dragging every matter back to him? There must be a reason for everything. You ought to return home and discipline him properly. Otherwise, before long, the two of us will still be brawling in the great hall with a pack of young fellows. I can scarcely walk after today.”

“Ha! Wu Ren, are you trying to sever our friendship? For my nephew, I’m willing to do anything. I’m willing to stand here all day—what business is it of yours? Why does everyone keep dragging every matter back to my nephew? What pleasure do you people get from it? Make your position perfectly clear today, or tomorrow I’ll go to your sister-in-law and expose every disgraceful thing you’ve done over the years. Do you believe me?”

Wu Ren hurriedly seized Xue Zuo by the sleeve, afraid that in a fit of temper the man would storm away.

“Don’t be angry, Old Xue! I was only joking. Is there really any need to lose your temper like this?” Wu Ren quickly poured another bowl of tea for him.

“How could I not be angry? How could I possibly not be angry?” Xue Zuo’s fury seemed to set the Three Pure Ones ablaze. “My sister and brother-in-law finally found happiness together, only to die soon after having that one son. They gave their lives for the country, didn’t they? If my brother-in-law had not led troops into battle and made enemies of a neighboring kingdom, would the enemy have assassinated them?”

“They wouldn’t.”

“Her Highness merely pities her late brother’s orphan and favors him a little. Yet every one of you suspects that she intends to depose the emperor and install a member of the Jiang family. You dare not challenge the Empress Dowager herself, so my poor nephew has become your scapegoat. You fear that, once he proves himself, he will command the frontier armies just as his father did. When he is loyal and brave, you say that is merely a general’s duty. When he holds power, you accuse him of bringing ruin upon the realm through his maternal kin!”

Wu Ren hurriedly clapped a hand over Xue Zuo’s mouth and lowered his voice. “What happened to you? One bowl of tea has turned you into this! Wake up!”

Xue Zuo pried Wu Ren’s hand away. “Wake up? I am clearer-headed than I have ever been. Every one of you harbors ulterior motives. Why don’t you go after Prince Anping, with all his power and influence? It’s only because Her Highness is a widow with an orphaned child—you think she is easy to bully! You—mmph, mmph, mmph!”

The portly Wu Ren promptly covered his mouth and dragged him out of the tearoom, bundled him straight into a carriage.

“To the Duke of Britain’s residence.”

“What are you doing? Is this the abduction of a court official?”

“Have you ever seen a kidnapper personally deliver his hostage back home?”

With one hand, Wu Ren held fast to the duke, who seemed determined to get himself killed; with the other, he rubbed his forehead. “To think that in the first half of my life I befriended a man like you. What misfortune.”

“Believe me, the second half of your life will be even more unfortunate.”

Outside, the coachman flicked his whip. The entire carriage lurched backward, and Xue Zuo, unable to keep his balance, fell flat onto the cushions.

Wu Ren burst into laughter. “At least I still have an excellent coachman! Ha ha ha!”

Amid their laughter, the carriage rolled toward the Duke of Britain’s residence.

Among artificial hills and winding streams, a maid dressed in a fresh pale-green jacket and a white skirt hurried through the gardens toward Longevity Hall in the inner court, where the old madam lived.

Just outside Longevity Hall, someone intercepted her—a senior matron in charge, formerly a servant in the lady of the house’s family. She was a trusted and influential figure.

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“Well, if it isn’t Miss Huan,” the matron said leisurely, blocking the maid’s path. “Why are you running so fast? Your aunt asked you to go to Fragrant Honey House for some seasonal pastries. How did you return so quickly? I’m afraid you’ll have difficulty explaining yourself.”

The maid’s face reddened as she lowered her head, though her eyes darted about shrewdly. “Madam Fang, I wasn’t paying attention when I went out and accidentally had the money stolen. I came straight back to receive my punishment from my mistress.”

Madam Fang smiled and took the maid’s hand. “We’re all family here. Your aunt may have married into the Earl of Yong’an’s household long ago, but the affection between our families remains strong. Since it was an accident, this old woman will cover the cost for you. Hurry and buy the pastries. The old madam is waiting.”

The maid looked at the heavy purse in her hand, and half the color drained from her face.

“This…”

Madam Fang patted her lightly on the shoulder and smiled. “What are you waiting for? Go.”

“…Yes.”

As the maid retreated along the path, Madam Fang immediately ordered another maid hiding nearby to follow her.

“Keep a close watch. Do not let her carry any news to that woman—at least, not yet.”

“Yes, Madam Fang.”

Madam Fang then returned to the inner court. Inside Longevity Hall, the old madam wore a green forehead band and reclined against a couch. The woman holding her hand beside her was the old madam’s eldest daughter, the current Countess of Yong’an, Lady Xue.

She was in her thirties, with her face buried beneath thick layers of cosmetics. The tears that had run down her cheeks had smeared the rouge and powder into a chaotic mess. Even as a young woman, Lady Xue had been formidable. Back then, she had once competed with the Empress Dowager, who had likewise been born the legitimate daughter of a ducal household.

In those days, Jiang Ke, the only elder daughter of the Duke of Protecting the State, had been one of the most likely candidates in Jiankang to become the Crown Princess. By a twist of fate, however, she married the Prince of Qin, a disfavored imperial son stationed far away on the frontier.

Lady Xue, also born into a ducal family, had instead married the legitimate son of the Earl of Yong’an, a rare match among the noble and aristocratic clans. For a time, her influence had been at its height. With a powerful family behind her and a husband who adored her, she had been the envy of everyone.