Chapter 112

With the advance parties assembled, Shen Yuan, the Crown Prince, and the others were about to set out for the various prefectures with the emperor’s written orders to prepare for the disaster.

Xie Chengze and Xie Zimiao personally went to the city gates to see them off.

Xie Jinyu carefully fastened the ties on Xie Chengze’s red fur outer robe so the cold wind would not chill him. The concern in his eyes made it seem as though Xie Chengze were the one being sent away. He gave detailed instructions. “Second Brother, while you remain here in the capital, take good care of yourself. Don’t make enemies of the court ministers. Wait for me to return.”

Xie Chengze nodded. “My little Crown Prince, be careful out there too.”

Xie Jinyu suddenly smiled and reached out to embrace Xie Chengze. His gaze settled on the figure in white approaching behind him, leading a horse. He nuzzled Xie Chengze’s shoulder gently. “Then I’ll be going.”

Reluctantly releasing Xie Chengze, he told Xie Zimiao, “Little Four, while you’re in the capital, look after Second Brother.”

Xie Zimiao pointed at himself: Huh? Me?

But just two days ago, Imperial Brother, hadn’t you told me to stay away from Second Brother?

Scratching his head, Xie Zimiao nonetheless answered obediently, “I understand, Imperial Brother.”

Xie Jinyu turned and boarded his carriage, taking his party toward Yingzhou. Xie Chengze watched him go. Only when the scattered sound of hoofbeats came from behind did he turn to look at the late-arriving Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan wore a white fur coat, half the hilt of the blue-green sword he always carried faintly visible at his waist. His high ponytail of dark hair complemented the tall, powerful black horse, lending him a dashing air, strikingly handsome and elegant.

“Vice Minister Shen,” Xie Zimiao greeted him. “Take care on the road during this journey.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Shen Yuan raised his hands in a salute of thanks, then turned to Xie Chengze. “Your Highness.”

“Vice Minister Shen.” Xie Chengze made a show of responding, copying Xie Zimiao’s words without changing a single one. “Take care on the road during this journey.”

Hearing this, Shen Yuan raised a brow and said with a faintly teasing smile, “I saw Your Highness and the Crown Prince embrace in farewell just now. Watching from afar, this official was most envious. Might I have the same honor?”

“With Your Highness’s favor and encouragement, this official will surely have divine assistance on the long journey to Liaozhou, traveling at twice the usual speed and returning victorious in no time to comfort His Majesty.” The man moved a step closer and pulled loose the ties that had been fastened on the red fur robe. Winding them back and forth between his long fingers, he tied two tight knots.

He looked at his handiwork in satisfaction. “Surely Your Highness would not be so stingy?”

Xie Chengze: …

Who was the stingy one here? He had merely been a little obnoxious with his mouth, and the man just had to be obnoxious with his hands in return!

Nevertheless, Xie Chengze agreed to his impertinent request. Lifting his head with haughty pride, he said, “Then go ahead and hug me.”

He certainly wasn’t going to initiate it!

Shen Yuan smiled, his eyes softening. Gray-white clouds blanketed the sky, and snowflakes gradually began to fall, settling white upon the man’s lashes and giving his face a touch of softness.

He stepped forward and drew the young man into his arms.

“Your Highness truly won’t go to Liaozhou?” Shen Yuan lowered his eyelids, looking with a teasing smile at the young man in red fur in his arms, who said one thing and meant another. “Returning to an old haunt might offer a different sort of experience.”

“…” Xie Chengze slipped a hand inside the man’s white fur coat, pinched his waist hard, and cursed softly, “Shut up and get lost.”

Shen Yuan did not evade him, allowing him to vent his anger. Only when a subordinate came to urge their departure did he lower his head and whisper in Xie Chengze’s ear, “Your Highness, be careful here in the capital on your own.”

Xie Chengze’s eyes flickered, and he released his embrace. “None of your concern.”

Shen Yuan gave a low laugh, mounted his horse, and saluted with cupped hands. “Take care, Your Highness.”

Amid the snow, the man rode away. His black whip swept through the bitter wind and snow, his dark hair and white fur flying. The bearing he displayed was as upright and imposing as the book had described.

Wherever he went would become a place of justice and safety.

Man and horse receded into the distance. A sudden cold gust made Xie Chengze draw his red fur coat closer, feeling that the capital had grown colder still.

This seemed to be the first time he and Shen Yuan had been separated in different places.

For some reason, he felt strangely exposed, as though he had lost a protective turtle shell. Standing alone in this vast, unfamiliar capital, he sensed danger on all sides and felt uneasy, with no one to confide in or rely upon.

“Second Brother, let’s go back.”

Xie Zimiao’s voice came from beside him. Xie Chengze returned to himself and answered softly.

Shen Yuan…

Come back soon.

…

…

…

Hahahahaha! Shen Yuan! Take your time coming back after all!

In Chenghuan Hall, Xie Chengze sat on a warm heated brick bed, a large copper basin blazing merrily before him as they cooked hot pot in it.

Zhu Xiaobiao, Jing Ze, Wuhen, and Wuji sat around it together. Xie Chengze sat cross-legged with a little bowl, lifted his little head, and stuffed a mouthful of fiery meat slices into his mouth.

Ah! This was fantastic!

Going to court every day to slack off, and doing nothing but eat and drink – life could not get much better!

“Painter, have you finished?” Even while eating, Xie Chengze did not forget to call to the court painter a short distance away.

“Don’t be impatient, Your Highness. Only a little remains.” The painter was depicting the scene of everyone gathered around the hot pot, yet kept feeling something was missing.

Xie Chengze walked over with his little bowl, studied it for a while, then said, “Add more steam. Make it look warm.”

Liaozhou was so bitterly cold that Shen Yuan must be almost freezing to death there. If he saw this painting Xie Chengze sent him, surely he would lose it?

Xie Chengze thought mischievously.

As instructed, the painter added plenty of steam around everyone. Sure enough, the entire painting instantly seemed warm and cozy, making one wish to climb inside and experience it.

Highly satisfied, Xie Chengze was about to send someone for reward money when a guard suddenly staggered in from outside. Rushing straight toward him with a blast of cold wind, the guard made him shiver.

“Your Highness! Bad news, Your Highness! Word has come from the palace. Lord Shen is missing!”

“Crack -!”

The jade bowl suddenly fell from his hand and broke into three pieces on the floor. Xie Chengze rushed over, seized the guard’s collar, and demanded loudly, “What did you just say? Who is missing?!”

“Vice Minister Shen! Lord Shen Yuan!” The guard swallowed and hastily answered.

It had been a long time since the guard had seen the Second Prince angry. And there was even… a trace of panic in it.

“How could he go missing?”

Xie Chengze’s mind went suddenly blank. In the original book, Shen Yuan had never gone missing in Liaozhou!

“It seems he encountered bandits. Lord Shen was escorting supplies back to the city when mountain bandits attacked him! By the time the prefectural authorities realized what had happened, the sudden heavy snow had covered every trace of him!”

Xie Chengze’s expression instantly turned icy.

There had been no mountain bandits involved in the original text. Perhaps because the celestial pronouncement had come late, without even knowing how much territory would be affected, the bandits in Liaozhou had been unprepared and frozen or starved to death in the mountains after the heavy snow arrived.

This time, however, word of the approaching snow disaster had spread. To survive, those bandits had descended the mountains to stockpile winter grain in advance. They had even set their sights on government grain…

Skilled as Shen Yuan was in martial arts, two fists could not prevail against four hands. Still, since he was missing rather than dead, there was a good chance he remained alive, but could not move freely – injured, for example…

Or he might be hiding in a bandit den, awaiting rescue, unable to send word because he was trapped in the snowy mountains…

Whatever the case, Xie Chengze had to go and see for himself.

He feared that if he did nothing, Shen Yuan really would die in Liaozhou.

Here, only Shen Yuan possessed memories of his previous life. Only he could purge the court of its treacherous officials and let Xie Chengze comfortably leave everything in others’ hands, with no need to fear questions of life and death.

He could place his trust in no one else.

With both hands, he swept his great red fur cloak around himself and ordered coldly, “Prepare a sedan chair. I am going to the Golden Throne Hall!”

He wanted to see which bandits with a death wish dared seize his man!

Inside the Golden Throne Hall, the officials stood gathered around, discussing the matter.

With Shen Yuan missing and government grain stolen, Liaozhou had not only lost the leader of its resistance to the snow disaster, but the imperial family’s authority had been challenged and humiliated. A Vice Minister of Justice supposedly “killed” by bandits – word of that would disgrace the Son of Heaven utterly.

“Your Majesty, the priority now is to appoint someone to take over Liaozhou as quickly as possible, and send troops to wipe out the mountain bandits and find Vice Minister Shen!”

“Inadvisable! Heavy snow has already begun falling in Liaozhou. Sending troops into the mountains to suppress bandits and search for him now would probably only cost us men and officers. The losses would outweigh the gains!”

“Then you mean to abandon Vice Minister Shen?”

“That is not what I mean. I am merely stating the facts! Vice Minister Shen’s life is certainly important, but the lives of Liaozhou’s people and soldiers are equally important!”

The officials argued until their faces flushed, neither side willing to yield. Some insisted on suppressing the bandits and searching for him. Others said Vice Minister Shen might already be dead. Regrettable though that was, the urgent task remained dealing with the snow disaster and continuing to transport supplies.

Listening left Emperor Jian mentally exhausted. Finally, he asked, “Is anyone willing to take over affairs in Liaozhou?”

The hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone knew that taking over Liaozhou now meant not only reorganizing every aspect of its disaster preparations, but later finding a way to deal with the mountain bandits, locate Shen Yuan, and perhaps even recover the stolen government grain.

Such a dreadful mess – anyone with a clear head knew better than to go.

“No one is willing?” Looking at these ministers, heads bowed and silent as quails, Emperor Jian angrily slapped both hands on the imperial desk and cursed, “What use is it to me to support you? Better to chop off all your heads and spill that hot blood over the snow! Perhaps it could at least melt some of Liaozhou’s thick ice and snow for the people!”

The officials murmured submissively, heads lowered, not daring to meet Emperor Jian’s gaze.

Just then, a crisp, clear voice suddenly rang out from beyond the hall, like heavenly music rescuing the officials from their plight –

“This son is willing to go to Liaozhou!”