Becoming the Emperor’s Greatest Woe - Chapter 48
Chapter 48
After the New Year, the entire court of the Great Zhou took a five-day holiday.
During this period, most officials returned to their homes, leaving the Xianyou Palace, but after some hesitation, Jiang Yuxun decided to stay.
The reason was simple: the Jiang family’s estate hadn’t built a fire wall yet.
—
After half a year, the small town outside the palace had become even more prosperous.
By noon, the riverside tavern was filled with people.
The shopkeeper placed the cooked chestnuts on the table and withdrew from the private room.
After he closed the door, Jiang Yuxun finally took out a pot of new wine and filled a cup for Zhuang Youli, who was sitting opposite him.
…He was here today to apologize.
“Youli, I really am sorry about that day. I might have had too much to drink… that’s why I accidentally spilled out all the things that were on my mind,” Jiang Yuxun explained, a bit sheepishly.
Zhuang Youli peeled a chestnut while pointing out, “You’re the same even when you’re sober.”
Jiang Yuxun nodded in agreement. “…That’s true.”
Although his debuff only took effect in front of Ying Changchuan, over time, Jiang Yuxun had unintentionally developed a habit of speaking his mind.
—Once a person becomes used to being straightforward, it’s hard to go back.
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Youli threw the chestnut into his mouth, reluctantly picked up the wine cup, and took a sip while thinking. “A single pot of wine can’t bribe me. Let me think—”
Before he could finish his sentence, a clamor suddenly came from downstairs in the tavern.
The shopkeeper’s voice reached Jiang Yuxun and Zhuang Youli’s ears.
“Master Jie, please come in!”
“Uh… I’m really sorry, but the ‘Heavenly’ private room has already been reserved.”
“How about the ‘Earth’ private room?”
Jiang Yuxun was in the “Heavenly” private room. Upon hearing the noise outside, both he and Zhuang Youli instinctively looked out of the window.
Outside the tavern, a sedan chair was parked, and a young man with a shiny face stood by it.
The servants beside him were incredibly arrogant. “Reserved? Who dares to take our private room from Master Jie?”
Saying this, one of the servants took out a piece of silver from his sleeve and tossed it into the shopkeeper’s hand, arrogantly saying, “Take this to him, and tell him to vacate the private room for our young master!”
The shopkeeper awkwardly held the silver, about to say something when a soft sigh came from Master Jie’s arms. “Master, can we not go in? I’m feeling a bit cold.”
Jiang Yuxun then noticed that the “Master Jie” was actually holding someone in his arms!
“Wow…” Zhuang Youli lowered his voice and whispered to Jiang Yuxun, “The person downstairs is a well-known playboy in the capital. The one he’s holding is his newly acquired male companion.”
“Male companion?” Although Jiang Yuxun knew that this era favored male companionship, he had never seen it in person since he arrived.
He couldn’t help but stare at Master Jie’s arms.
—The male companion appeared to be around twenty years old, with delicate features, but his face was covered with a thick layer of white powder, giving him an eerie look at first glance.
“What’s wrong with his face?” Jiang Yuxun instinctively asked.
Zhuang Youli, who had grown up in the capital, glanced at him nonchalantly and said, “Oh, he’s wearing face powder. All the male companions in the capital are dressed like that.”
Jiang Yuxun frowned… All of them dressed like that?
Did they really think it looked good?
At the riverside, the shopkeeper finally returned the silver after some persuasion.
Thanks to Zhuang Youli’s reminder, Jiang Yuxun suddenly recalled—this “face powder” was actually lead powder. Using it over time would cause the skin to redden, dry out, develop spots, and age faster.
The snow and wind grew heavier at the riverside. It was unclear what the shopkeeper said to Master Jie, but he reluctantly carried his companion into the tavern.
Once the noise outside died down, Zhuang Youli, taking advantage of the wine, turned to look at Jiang Yuxun. “By the way, Ah Shun, do you want to go check out the Shui Le Lou?”
…If he remembered correctly, this male companion was the one Master Jie had picked up from Shui Le Lou.
Zhuang Youli had often heard people mention it and had been curious for a long time.
But due to his strict upbringing, he hadn’t even dared to go near it, let alone inquire about rumors regarding the place.
“…Shui Le Lou?” Jiang Yuxun murmured.
Shui Le Lou was a music hall with a history of over a hundred years, and the musicians there were renowned for their skill and beauty.
Some of them had even gone down in history, with their names being repeatedly mentioned even in modern times.
Jiang Yuxun didn’t understand why Zhuang Youli suddenly wanted to go to Shui Le Lou.
But thinking of the stories he had heard from later generations, he couldn’t help but feel curious.
Seeing that Jiang Yuxun was hesitant, Zhuang Youli immediately pressed on, “Come with me to check out the area around Shui Le Lou. Let’s call the last incident even, how about that?”
Jiang Yuxun replied, “…Deal!”
—
Zhuang Youli had never been to Shui Le Lou, but he knew it wasn’t far from here.
After a setback, one gains wisdom. After the previous incident, Jiang Yuxun always took the Xuan Yin Monitor with him whenever he went out.
Though he didn’t know the exact location of Shui Le Lou, the Xuan Yin Monitor knew all the happenings along both sides of the Yi River like the back of their hand.
An hour later, Jiang Yuxun and Zhuang Youli, guided by the Xuan Yin Monitor, arrived at another small town not far away.
Before they even reached the town, Jiang Yuxun heard the sound of a guqin.
“We’re here!” Zhuang Youli exclaimed excitedly, pointing ahead, “Shui Le Lou is just in that bamboo forest!”
Shui Le Lou was a place where only the rich and influential could visit, and the lifestyle there emphasized “elegance.”
Thus, Shui Le Lou was not located in the capital but in a bamboo grove.
Before he finished speaking, Zhuang Youli had already jumped off his horse and excitedly said, “Let’s go inside and have a look.”
“Alright.” After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Yuxun also dismounted.
It had been snowing heavily on both sides of the Yi River for several days.
Though it was noon, the weather was still cold.
However, the doors and windows of Shui Le Lou were wide open, and through the windows, Jiang Yuxun could see… the musicians inside dressed in bright and extravagant clothes.
Most notably, they all seemed to be wearing a layer of lead powder on their faces.
Before they even reached the building, Jiang Yuxun already felt something was off. He stopped in his tracks and wondered aloud, “Why is everyone here so exaggerated?”
They were musicians, but they dressed exactly like Master Jie’s male companion…
“I… I don’t know either…” Zhuang Youli, who had never been here before, was also nervous.
A gust of cold wind blew, lifting the gauze curtains on the windows of Shui Le Lou.
A strange fragrance, mixed with laughter, immediately drifted into Jiang Yuxun’s nose.
What was most concerning was that Jiang Yuxun saw one of the musicians pouring wine for a young nobleman…
Damn, “Shui Le Lou” seems like something very different from the music hall I imagined!
Jiang Yuxun silently took a step back.
The snow under his feet creaked lightly with his movement.
After hesitating, Jiang Yuxun turned to look at Zhuang Youli. “Youli, how about…”
We should just turn back now.
Before Jiang Yuxun could finish his sentence, five or six strong-looking servants emerged from the building and aggressively blocked their way. “Wait—”
Zhuang Youli, startled, blurted out, “W-What’s going on?”
The men looked tough and aggressive, making it clear they were not easy to deal with.
They scanned Jiang Yuxun and Zhuang Youli from head to toe before coldly asking, “Do you two have an invitation?”
“Invitation?” Jiang Yuxun looked at Zhuang Youli in confusion.
What was that?
The men immediately shook their heads like shaking a rattle drum and couldn’t help but ask, “Do you need an invitation to enter here?”
“Naturally.” As they spoke, they lined up and blocked the path to Shui Le Lou.
Their tone and actions were extremely rude.
However, their appearance made Jiang Yuxun breathe a sigh of relief.
He quickly stepped back half a step, grabbed Zhuang Youli, and started to retreat. “Sorry, we don’t have an invitation. We were just passing by and were curious, so we took a look—”
He finished speaking, immediately pulling Zhuang Youli and walking quickly in the other direction, toward the other end of the bamboo forest.
The burly men exchanged a glance as if they wanted to ask something more.
Before they could speak, Jiang Yuxun lowered his voice and said, “Run!”
“Got it!” Zhuang Youli immediately sprinted.
The Xuan Yin Monitor, who had been with Jiang Yuxun and was guarding nearby, also began running through the bamboo forest.
In an instant, dust flew, and the scene was grand and dramatic.
—
With the Xuan Yin Monitor there, neither of them caused any major trouble.
In the small town outside Shui Le Lou.
Zhuang Youli, feeling extremely guilty, leaned over the table. He looked at Jiang Yuxun and said, “Sorry, Ah Shun. I had no idea Shui Le Lou was such a place.”
He finished speaking and poured a cup of tea for the person across from him.
He then murmured in confusion, “…I never heard that you need an invitation to go to Shui Le Lou. If I had known, I definitely wouldn’t have taken you there.”
Thinking of the burly men, Zhuang Youli couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.
“It’s fine, cough, cough, cough…” Jiang Yuxun had inhaled too much cold air while running, and after drinking a pot of warm tea, he finally regained his composure. “So, we’re even now, right?”
His voice was a bit hoarse, sounding particularly disheveled.
“Even, even!” Zhuang Youli quickly nodded, then muttered softly, “My mother was right. Shui Le Lou is really not a place I should go.”
“Next time, you should listen to your mother.”
“Definitely!” Zhuang Youli patted his chest, “It’s a good thing my mother doesn’t know about this, otherwise I’d be in big trouble.” He then turned around and looked toward the town, trying to change the topic by looking for something new.
Zhuang Youli had only said that casually, but upon hearing his words, Jiang Yuxun suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
He tightened his grip on the tea cup in his hand.
It wasn’t until the heat from the tea burned his palm that he came to his senses and put it down.
What am I afraid of? No matter how strict Madam Zhuang is, she can’t control me…
With that thought, Jiang Yuxun finally calmed down.
——The beggars wandering near the capital had now gathered together to work on dredging the river and reclaiming farmland.
With no more beggars on the streets, the roads looked much cleaner and more spacious, and the townspeople felt safer letting their children run around.
At this moment, a few children were playing cuju outside a teahouse.
They passed the ball to each other while chanting something…
After hearing a few lines, Zhuang Youli suddenly brightened up and said, “Are they singing the Jiu Jiu Song?”
The “Jiu Jiu Song” was the multiplication table, which had been created hundreds of years ago. People like Zhuang Youli had been exposed to it since childhood.
However, he had never realized that the Jiu Jiu Song had quietly spread into the homes of ordinary people near the capital.
Jiang Yuxun picked up the tea cup again and casually said, “Yeah, the Jiu Jiu Song, it’ll help with counting and keep things clearer in the future.”
Not long ago, the Fulin Army had been stationed near the capital, and after several months, the news about the new farming tools from the government had spread across the area.
So when the news came out that the government was renting farming tools and plowing oxen and asking the people to collectively work on the fields, the locals immediately responded, eager not to fall behind.
The number of farming tools and oxen was limited, and those who got them first had already started reclaiming land during the slack season.
Their children, who had no one to look after them, were sent to the government school to “attend class.”
Since the literacy level of the common people varied, the content and progress of the “literacy classes” differed as well.
At this time, the children in Lanze and other nearby counties were still learning the official language, but the schools near the capital had already started teaching the Jiu Jiu Song.
Children always liked to show off new knowledge to their peers.
The “Jiu Jiu Song” and other knowledge learned in school were passed around from one child to another, gradually spreading along the banks of the Yi River.
Before long, it had become the most popular children’s song.
Seeing this, Zhuang Youli couldn’t help but click his tongue in wonder. “After attending school, they really seem to be much better behaved than before.”
He then couldn’t help but shift his gaze to the distance. After glancing at the wheat fields covered in snow, he said with a hint of regret, “It’s a pity that the first batch of reclaimed land was only able to plant wheat.”
Jiang Yuxun instinctively tightened his grip on the tea cup.
The words he had heard in the Liuyun Hall resurfaced in his mind.
…The thing I’m looking for might be in Zherou.
※
After dinner, Zhuang Youli returned to the capital to reunite with his family.
Jiang Yuxun, who had been basking in the warmth of the Liuyun Palace, didn’t rush to rest. Instead, he chose to visit an official who had previously been to Zherou.
—He was not from the capital, so he hadn’t left the palace during these five days.
The eunuch brought in hot tea, and Jiang Yuxun held it in his hands without drinking immediately. “To be honest, I came to find Lord Tang because I wanted to ask what exactly you saw in the royal court back then?”
The young official across from him, named “Tang Yimeng,” thought for a moment before answering:
“Aside from gold, jade, and pearls, there were mostly fruits and vegetables I had never seen before. The people accompanying us briefly mentioned their names, but it’s been too long, and I’ve mostly forgotten.”
His tone was full of regret, and he sighed heavily after speaking.
The Great Zhou and Zherou were considered “mortal enemies.”
At that time, all the envoys, including him, saw the visit as a display of Zherou’s superiority.
He had kept a cold face throughout the trip and didn’t pay much attention to the items displayed inside the royal court.
“It’s fine,” Jiang Yuxun wasn’t particularly concerned about the fruits and vegetables he hadn’t seen, but he nervously tightened his grip on the tea cup. “I wonder if you saw any wheat?”
“Wheat…” Tang Yimeng thought for a long time and finally nodded seriously. “Yes, I did see it!”
Jiang Yuxun immediately asked, “Do you remember what it looked like?”
Tang Yimeng bit his lip and said, “Great Zhou also has wheat, so I didn’t pay much attention to it at the time… I only remember that Zherou’s land is barren and dry, making it impossible for farming. The wheat seeds were not planted in the ground but were casually placed in one of the royal court’s rooms, alongside other rare items sent from the Western Regions.”
Although Tang Yimeng hadn’t seen the wheat seeds clearly, upon hearing this, Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help but laugh — Zherou was a genuine nomadic nation, and they didn’t realize how important wheat was to Great Zhou.
…The less Zherou valued the wheat seeds, the more beneficial it would be for me!
“May I ask, Lord Tang, how many days did you stay in Zherou? During that time, did you happen to see any hostages from the Western Regions?”
Hearing this question, Tang Yimeng suddenly sensed something was amiss.
…Does Lord Jiang know about these matters? Could he be planning to send someone to Zherou to investigate the Western Region’s customs?
Although he was curious, he didn’t show it directly.
Zherou was a harsh and cold land, and it wasn’t easy to visit.
Tang Yimeng honestly replied, “In response to Lord Jiang, our group stayed in Zherou’s royal court for five days. During that time, we were under supervision, and our movements were very restricted. We only saw the princess and her attendants, and did not encounter anyone from the Western Regions.”
He thought that after saying this, Jiang Yuxun would completely dismiss the idea.
However, after hearing this, the person sitting opposite him only gripped his tea cup and murmured, “…Five days.”
—Jiang Yuxun seemed to have not given up.
At this time, Jiang Yuxun was still on holiday and didn’t want to disturb Tang Yimeng further.
After satisfying his curiosity, he returned to the Xuan Yin Bureau’s headquarters.
The attack incident once again served as a warning to Jiang Yuxun: he had to practice martial arts properly and could no longer be lazy with it.
The Xuan Yin Bureau was as busy as usual.
However, Jiang Yuxun, carrying a light sword, searched for quite a while but couldn’t find the person he was looking for.
Seeing this, he finally couldn’t help but call out to a member of the Xuan Yin Bureau, “Where has Chief Qi Pingsha gone?”
“In response to Lord Jiang, Master Qi just got married last year. As soon as the New Year holiday started, he left the Xianyou Palace to go home!” After answering Jiang Yuxun’s question, the Xuan Yin Bureau member curiously added, “Does Lord Jiang have something important to do? If so, I can find someone to look for Master Qi.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuxun quickly waved his hand, “No need, no need, I just want to find Master Qi to practice swordsmanship.”
“I see…”
After a pause, Jiang Yuxun’s eyes suddenly lit up. “How about you teach me?”
Everyone in the Xuan Yin Bureau was highly skilled in martial arts, so teaching him was definitely not a problem.
“No, no, no!” The Xuan Yin Bureau member quickly waved his hands and stepped back, awkwardly saying, “Master Qi said before that we’re easy on you, so he didn’t want us to disturb your sword practice.”
What the Xuan Yin Bureau member said was true.
Jiang Yuxun sighed, “Looks like I won’t be able to practice today.”
After saying that, he weighed the sword in his hand, regretfully preparing to return home.
The cold wind blew over his head, sending snowflakes from the treetops to the ground.
A few snowflakes even slipped into his collar, chilling the person beneath the tree.
“Hiss…”
As soon as Jiang Yuxun finished speaking, a light footstep sounded behind him.
Before he could turn around to see who it was, a familiar voice came to his ear.
“Taking a break today, yet you’re still so busy, my dear official.”
…Ying Changchuan?
Jiang Yuxun’s breath caught for a moment, and he immediately turned with the Xuan Yin Bureau member to bow to the newcomer.
Having spent so much time beside the emperor, he quickly realized — there was more to Ying Changchuan’s words.
Jiang Yuxun had been with the Xuan Yin Bureau all day, so it was obvious that Ying Changchuan must have heard about his visit to Shui Le Lou.
Though it wasn’t his original intention, and he had been stopped before entering, facing Ying Changchuan now, Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help but feel a sense of guilt.
He couldn’t resist glancing up at Ying Changchuan.
Seeing the usual, half-smiling look on his face, Jiang Yuxun steeled himself and said, “…Your Majesty, you flatter me.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Yuxun regretted it inwardly.
Ahh!
Flattering him? What did I just say!
At that moment, Jiang Yuxun almost wished he could bite off his own tongue.
Fortunately, perhaps due to the New Year’s holiday, Ying Changchuan did not hold this against him.
He fixed his gaze on the sword in Jiang Yuxun’s hand, paused for a few moments, and then slowly said, “Draw your sword.”
The members of the Xuan Yin Bureau exchanged glances, bowed, and then stepped back.
Ying Changchuan wants to see me practice swordsmanship?
Without having time to think much more, Jiang Yuxun followed what he had been taught, gripping the sword tightly with his thumb and index finger. “Yes, Your Majesty—”
The next moment, Ying Changchuan stepped forward, standing behind Jiang Yuxun and gently lifting his sinking wrist.
With a soft laugh, he said, “It seems you only heard half of what I said. Your hand is sinking again.”
For a brief moment, their bodies were almost pressed together.
At the moment Ying Changchuan spoke, Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help but tremble.
With the movement, his soft hair unexpectedly brushed past the emperor’s chin.
A faint fragrance and a slight tremor spread through Ying Changchuan’s body.
The emperor’s actions momentarily froze.
“…Your Majesty?” Jiang Yuxun’s tone became slightly strange.
Seeing that Ying Changchuan still didn’t speak, Jiang Yuxun suddenly felt uncomfortable not knowing what to do next.
With his back to the emperor, he couldn’t see the flicker of unfamiliar emotion that appeared in Ying Changchuan’s ash-gray eyes.
It was rare for the emperor to be so unsure.
Suddenly, he stepped back half a step, creating a slight distance between them. “…Swing your sword.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Jiang Yuxun breathed a sigh of relief and began swinging the sword in his hand, just like he remembered.
Perhaps due to the overwhelming aura of Ying Changchuan, this time Jiang Yuxun recalled all the instructions the emperor had given him in the past. His swordplay became exceptionally precise, looking quite impressive.
However, after just a few swings, Jiang Yuxun realized that the events of this morning weren’t so easily forgotten.
No way, how could Ying Changchuan just let him off this easily?
Outside the Xuan Yin Bureau, the sound of hurried footsteps reached his ears.
The voice of Eunuch Sang came from outside the courtyard, “Your Majesty, the musician has arrived—”
Musician?!
Jiang Yuxun’s heart suddenly sank, and the sword in his hand veered off course.
The words “Confess and be lenient, resist and be strict” appeared in the depths of his mind.
However, before he could speak, Ying Changchuan gently said, “Let them in.”
“Yes—”
The musicians, dressed in white robes, filed in, and Jiang Yuxun, feeling guilty, dared not look up. He only saw the flowing robes and the instruments they carried.
He heard Ying Changchuan casually say, “The finest musicians of Great Zhou are all within the palace.”
Seeing that Ying Changchuan seemed willing to give him a way out, Jiang Yuxun quickly nodded, “…Yes, Your Majesty.”
At the same time, he couldn’t help but lower his sword and looked toward the musicians ahead.
The slanting sun dyed the musicians’ white palace attire, and the orchids on their sleeves.
A light breeze swept by, causing the wide sleeves to flutter, outlining the slightly thin figure.
They truly had the appearance of an immortal.
In the moment their eyes met, the musician in front of Jiang Yuxun, holding a guqin, slowly bowed and smiled at him.
Then… revealed a mouth full of missing teeth.
“…?”
Unlike the musicians at Shui Le Lou, this one truly fit Jiang Yuxun’s idea of what a “musician” should look like — except for being nearly eighty years old.
Seeing Jiang Yuxun frozen in place, Eunuch Sang quickly lowered his voice and said, “Lord Jiang, this is the head musician of the palace. If you want to hear any particular piece, just tell him.”
Hearing this, the old man immediately approached with his guqin and smiled, “What would Lord Jiang like to hear?”
He seemed incredibly eager, as if he wanted to take this opportunity to showcase his lifelong skills in front of the emperor and Jiang Yuxun.
What would I like to hear?!
Jiang Yuxun’s mind went completely blank.
He had planned to ask for a classic piece.
But at this moment, all the famous pieces—like “High Mountains and Flowing Water” or “Fishermen Singing at Dusk”—had completely left his mind.
“I, I…”
While Jiang Yuxun was struggling to compose himself, Ying Changchuan furrowed his brows slightly and asked, with a touch of curiosity, “Doesn’t Lord Jiang wish to hear music today?”
He was clearly asking on purpose.
The atmosphere in the Xuan Yin Bureau immediately fell silent.
Even the palace musician sensed a hint of tension and stopped trying to showcase his talents.
Cold wind rushed in through Jiang Yuxun’s sleeves, causing him to shiver. His cover was blown. “…Your Majesty, I am not here to listen to music today.”
As he spoke, he clenched his fists tightly.
The emperor squinted his eyes and smiled, asking the person in front of him, “Then what is it for?”
Jiang Yuxun’s voice grew softer, “Zhuang Youli asked me to go to Shui Le Lou. I… I also wanted to see for myself if the musicians there are truly as talented and beautiful as the rumors say, so I went along.”
He added a quick clarification, “Before going there, neither Zhuang Youli nor I knew what Shui Le Lou was.”
“Oh? What do you think of the musicians at Shui Le Lou?”
Ying Changchuan’s tone remained as usual, but somehow it felt stifling to those who were listening…
Recalling what he had seen earlier today, Jiang Yuxun immediately shook his head and said, “Perhaps others may like it, but it doesn’t match my tastes at all.”
Upon hearing this, Ying Changchuan finally raised an eyebrow.
It seemed like he had found an interesting topic to dwell on, and with great leisure, he said, “Your tastes?”
This was something he had never thought about before.
Jiang Yuxun instinctively began to consider the emperor’s words.
Of course, they shouldn’t wear heavy makeup like those musicians.
Aside from that… the most important thing was their physique, it had to be good.
Oh, and height was also important; they couldn’t be short.
As for their face…
At this point, a strange feeling suddenly stirred in his heart.
This description seemed a little off.
Jiang Yuxun couldn’t help but glance up at Ying Changchuan out of the corner of his eye.
No, why does it feel more and more like I’m describing him?
Snow from the tree branches fell to the ground with a soft sound.
Accompanied by the gentle noise in his ears, Jiang Yuxun finally gave up and decided to use his ultimate move, which he had always wanted to use but had never done before—
He suddenly raised his hand and pressed hard on his throat, “Uh…”
“Cough cough cough…”
As the heavy snow fell, a sharp, heart-wrenching cough echoed through the Xuan Yin Bureau.
In the next moment, Eunuch Sang quickly led a group of people to surround Jiang Yuxun:
“Lord Jiang?!”
“Lord Jiang, what happened to you?”
“Let go! Let go, Lord Jiang!”
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