Chapter Forty-Six: Mount Taiyi and Zhongnan, Clouds Stir Across Eight Directions (Part Nine)

“This is Ximen Chongjun, a descendant of Ximen Bao, the magistrate of Ye County in Wei,” Yao Chong introduced, gesturing toward a young man beside him.

Ximen Chong bowed and greeted, “I pay my respects to Justice Di and Scholar Wei.”

“Sit,” Di Renjie extended his hand, inviting him to take a seat. The four of them conversed casually. Before long, Di Renjie found himself quite pleased with Ximen Chong. Though perhaps not quite as exceptional as Yao Chong, Ximen’s words were upright and sensible, yet not bound by convention.

He was, as the saying goes among the common people, a man with a gentle exterior and a steadfast heart—a childlike innocence preserved, yet flexible in mind. The kind of person to watch out for is the opposite: rigid on the outside, slippery within, like the current imperial tutor, Xu Jingzong. Ximen Chong was also impressively learned, though, regrettably, his claims of descent from the famed magistrate Ximen Bao seemed more like boasting. So many years had passed; who could truly trace their lineage that far? His origins were humble—though humble birth does not always mean lack of achievement, as Liu Rengui had shown, there were few like him. This identity would inevitably hinder Ximen Chong’s prospects.

Yet Di Renjie’s eyes lit up. If he could send both Ximen Chong and Yao Chong to serve the Crown Prince, they would make fitting companions. To serve as instructor or reader to the Crown Prince was out of reach—those posts required scholarly rank, and even a reader needed to be at least a direct scholar. But as conversational companions, they would suffice. With that thought, he began to quiz Ximen Chong on the Three Rites, a subject he himself knew well, having excelled in the classics. The Crown Prince’s favorite texts were precisely the Three Rites.

Unaware of Di Renjie’s intentions, Ximen Chong answered every question properly, which pleased Di Renjie.

Yet Di Renjie could not help but mock himself inwardly. He couldn’t even be sure of seeing the Crown Prince himself, let alone place two men in the Academy as his companions.

Just then, a servant approached Wei Yuanzhong and whispered, “The maidservant by the Crown Prince’s side has already arrived at the Eastern Market. She’s at the dairy candy workshop.”

Di Renjie frowned at the name “milk candy”—it sounded so vulgar! Compared to the hard candy from Yizhou or Wuzhong, which was less tasty but bore the elegant name “rock honey.” Without knowing the reputations, just by the names, he would have chosen “rock honey.”

But the palace maid had finally left the palace? Catching Wei Yuanzhong’s eye, Di Renjie said, “Let’s go.”

Success or failure would be decided in this moment.

...

Whether it was Yang Min’s party or Li Wei’s, searching for them could be both difficult and easy—it was all a matter of manpower. A group of beautiful young women could be found even without ribbons in a crowd on Zhongnan Mountain, if enough people were searching. Li Wei’s group was even easier to track.

It depended on the lives of the common people.

The Crown Prince was not one of those princes who used the excuse of inspecting the people’s welfare to seek pleasure in an imperial manor. If that were the case, he might as well have gone to Zhongnan Mountain. Thus, there were not many places he could have gone.

Moreover, he had headed to the fields, not the bustling tourist spots of Zhongnan Mountain. With a group of twelve—one young woman and ten guards, all on horseback—anyone who saw the Crown Prince would remember. Soon enough, they learned the Crown Prince had last been seen riding toward Zhongnan Mountain—riding swiftly, not merely traveling.

Upon hearing this, Liu Rengui, whether from worry or the heat, kept wiping sweat from his brow, and said to a deputy general, “Long Xiaoyun, take my seal and immediately mobilize the troops to surround the Duke of Zhou’s residence. No one is to enter or leave. Also, notify all the chief ministers, the Supreme Court, the Ministry of Justice, the Imperial Clan Court—summon all key officials to the Hall of Manifest Virtue and report this matter. Furthermore, have someone draft a memorial at once and send it to Luoyang by urgent courier.”

Long Xiaoyun was shrewd and much favored by Liu Rengui—otherwise, with so many matters to attend, few could have remembered them all, let alone carried them out.

Of course, this was against protocol, but Liu Rengui cared little for that now. If the Crown Prince went to Zhongnan Mountain and nothing happened, well and good; but if something did happen, he’d be the first to hear and the first to be held accountable.

With that, he led three hundred armored cavalry from the Imperial Guards, all from the Crown Prince’s own command. “The Crown Prince is on Zhongnan Mountain. We go to protect him.”

Not long ago, it was the Crown Prince who had opened the palace granaries and distributed grain, or they would still be eating grain mixed with weed seeds. At least nine in ten soldiers of the Imperial Guard felt genuine gratitude toward the Crown Prince.

“Yes, sir!” they shouted, waving their weapons.

...

Three hundred armored cavalry might be insignificant on the battlefield, but in the peaceful outskirts of Chang’an, their thundering hoofbeats and the clouds of dust they raised made quite a spectacle. Without a word, travelers and passersby cleared the way.

All who saw the armored riders wondered what could have happened.

...

“Limei, you can’t go on like this,” Yang Min said.

Li Wei, gasping for breath, was running while using a handkerchief to wipe his own sweat. Of course, Xu Limei was not so naive as to expect the prince to carry her; it was simply that the Crown Prince was somewhat old-fashioned, and so she had not wanted any of the other guards to carry her, especially not in front of Li Wei.

Testing her ankle, she found it no longer hurt as much. “Your Highness, please put me down,” she said.

It was mainly nerves that had caused her muscle to cramp, not a sprain. Testing it, she found the pain had lessened and began to run again. Bie’er finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only yesterday she had tried to persuade His Highness to accept the talented and beautiful Xu Limei into his household, but Xu Limei’s safety must not come at the expense of the Crown Prince’s own.

But the delay had brought their pursuers dangerously close. Xu Yue had nearly caught up to them.

At that moment, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared ahead. “Your Highness, please follow me,” he said.

After the recent scare with the false hunters, the guards were on edge. “Who are you?” one demanded.

“My name is Li Zhuofan, a local from the foot of this mountain,” he replied, glancing behind him. “There’s no time to lose—please come with me, and I’ll explain as we go.”

Indeed, there was no time to waste; their pursuers were only a hundred or so paces behind—a distance easily covered by an arrow if they were not running. So, running, they listened as he spoke: “A few years ago, I evaded conscription to Liaodong. Not out of fear for my life, but because my elderly mother was still alive—ailing and in need of care. Had I gone to Liaodong, there would have been no one to care for her. But later the authorities caught me and were going to make an example of me. Fortunately, Your Highness submitted a memorial on my behalf, and, since I was indeed caring for my mother, I was released. I was able to stay by my mother’s side for three more years, until she passed.”

So he was someone touched by Li Hong’s kindness. Li Wei was moved and ashamed. In these times, the people were so sincere. In later ages, the saying of repaying a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude had become a mere phrase, rarely seen in reality, but in this era, it truly existed.

Li Zhuofan continued, “When Your Highness presided over the Field Sacrifice, I made a point to attend, just to see you. I run a small tavern at the foot of the mountain, barely getting by, selling drinks and hunting. Today I came hunting, hoping for a good catch, when I heard the shouts from your guards and recognized you. But there are too many enemies. I’ve set a few hunting traps to try and slow them down.”

He frowned, admitting that the traps were mostly already in place—he had brought a few more, but not enough to make a real stand. But the group included many delicate young ladies, who were struggling to keep up. “If we head for the main road, we won’t make it in time. Your Highness, let a swift-footed guard go ahead to fetch help, while the rest follow me to my tavern for shelter?”

He was also puzzled—who would dare pursue the Crown Prince?

“Very well, I’ll trust you,” Li Wei said, turning to one of the guards. “You go ahead.”

The guard immediately set off—there was no choice. Only six guards remained, and Xu Yue was wounded. Without reinforcements, they could not survive this crisis.

Following Li Zhuofan, the group crossed a small hill, and sure enough, at the foot of the mountain was a small tavern, though it was rather remote, accessible only by a winding goat path. Even on the Cold Food Festival, the path was deserted.

Xu Yue asked, “Li Zhuofan, do you get any business here?”

“Not much, but I don’t cater to travelers. The main road is good for business, but I can’t afford a place there. Here, I serve hunters going into the mountains—sometimes they come back late and need a bite to eat.”

He led them inside and shut the door. With only a few windows, the place at least offered cover. Xu Yue and the other guards readied their bows, and as three men came to break down the door, they shot them down.

...

These men were bold, but not fearless. Terrified, they hid in the blind spots by the windows.

One of them shouted, “Set fire to the place and force them out!”

What sort of people were these? Li Wei broke out in a cold sweat.

Xu Yue said, “We’ll have to fight outside.”

There was no choice. If they set fire to the hut, it would burn easily in the dry weather. Li Wei sighed, “Commander Xu, I will remember all your names.”

To go out and fight was little short of suicide. Even if they stayed inside, once the guards fell, their fate would be sealed. The five guards charged out, and to Li Wei’s surprise, Li Zhuofan, wielding a heavy cleaver, was about to rush out as well. Li Wei pulled him back. “Brave Li, there’s no need. I am already deeply grateful. They are armed with proper weapons—if you go out with a cleaver, you’ll die for nothing.”

Li Zhuofan knelt and declared, “Your Highness, were it not for your mercy, I would have died years ago. Today is the day I repay your kindness—please, do not stop me.”

With that, he shouted and charged out.

The door was shut again, and they watched through the window as the five guards were surrounded and, though they managed to shoot down two more foes, all of them were wounded. As Li Wei expected, no matter how valiant, Li Zhuofan’s cleaver was no match for their swords. He was run through the chest, but in a last burst of strength, he seized an enemy, and the two fell together.

Such heroism!

“Righteous man, you have my deepest respect,” Li Wei said, bowing deeply, his eyes misty. The young women around him began to sob.

At that critical moment, cries rang out from afar. Xu Yue exclaimed in delight, “Imperial reinforcements!”

Even as they fought on, he shouted, “We’re here! The Crown Prince is here!”

The four remaining guards rallied, and as the shouts drew near, the assassins, realizing their plan had failed, retreated into the mountains carrying their dead.

Yang Min and the others, seeing the danger had passed, collapsed limply to the ground. Li Wei stepped forward, closed Li Zhuofan’s eyes, and said bitterly, “Wu Minzhi, just you wait—when I return, I’ll have you torn to pieces! I’ll even cut off your manhood!”

At this moment, any shred of sympathy for Helan Minzhi was gone. To think he had wanted to violate his own fiancée—of course he deserved to be castrated.

Beside him, Bie’er asked, “Your Highness, tearing him to pieces I understand, but why cut off the chickens at his estate?”

Helan Minzhi kept fighting cocks at his estate, after all.