Futile Devices Scans

“Ah-choo!”

Mu Heng pulled up his sleeve to cover his face, scooted farther away from Wei Fu, and had the tea on the table replaced. Disdainfully, he said, “Running around outside in the freezing wind first thing in the morning—caught a cold, did you? Serves you right.”

Early winter was approaching, and at this time of year the inside of buildings was actually colder than outside. Ordinary commoners were accustomed to heading out into the sun after meals, but within the Southern Hall of Xianxiang Palace inside the imperial compound, incense braziers had long since been lit, warming the room until it felt like spring. Although Mu Heng was not the sort of emperor who indulged in extreme luxury, he certainly would not mistreat himself in daily comforts.

“Someone must be thinking about me.” Sitting in the steadily wafting warmth, Wei Fu rubbed his itchy nose. “We just saw each other at morning court. Why did Your Majesty summon this minister alone? I’ve already handed over all the Western Secretariat duties.”

Did an emperor need a specific reason or time to summon his officials? And he actually dared ask that aloud!

Wei Fu’s nominal superior, actual elder brother, and father in every sense except blood—His Majesty the Emperor Mu Heng—let out a sinister laugh. “To check your dowry inventory. Is that enough to move Young Master Wei?”

Wei Fu: “……”

“Outrageous!” Mu Heng scolded. “Before even departing on the diplomatic mission, you’re already thinking about throwing aside your responsibilities and slacking off. You are a minister of Xiling, not truly going off for a political marriage!”

“Oh, I’m not?” Wei Fu’s tone even carried a trace of disappointment. “But everyone says I am.”

Mu Heng: “……”

The words “How did I end up raising such a useless thing?” nearly burst from his mouth. He barely swallowed them back and instead frowned deeply. “Everyone? Why are they saying that?”

Mu Heng was the ruler of a nation and had been close with Wei Fu since childhood, so he knew the inside story and could joke around privately. But if the entire court was gossiping like this, then who knew where they had heard rumors? If word spread that the Assistant Chancellor already had private ties with a prince of a vassal kingdom, it would be disadvantageous both to Wei Fu personally and to the diplomatic mission itself.

Wei Fu said resentfully, “Obviously because this minister still hasn’t married. My family doesn’t dare arrange it on their own, and Your Majesty never bestowed a marriage either. My youthful years have been wasted away until now, and then suddenly this happens. Isn’t that practically a marriage alliance for the sake of the nation?”

Mu Heng: “……”

This huge black pot of blame landed squarely on the emperor’s head. Mu Heng originally wanted to slam the table in fury, but after thinking carefully, it really did sound a bit like that. So instead of slamming the table, he settled for knocking on it and said in irritated anger, “You were the one crying and shouting to go. I merely fulfilled your wish, and somehow it becomes my fault? And after all that you still want a grand bridal procession? Dream on. Go home and continue your ridiculous fantasies in broad daylight.”

“All those are merely baseless speculations from outsiders who know nothing of Your Majesty’s broad-minded benevolence. This minister is naturally willing. This minister thanks Your Majesty for your grace.” Wei Fu edged forward two inches, pretending coyness while actually probing. “Then how much does Your Majesty intend to provide?”

Mu Heng let out a cold snort. “I’ll give you a bowl so Yu Gong Zhao Ye can carry you away in it. If you hurry back now, you might still make it in time for the Lantern Festival.”

The sesame glutinous rice ball personally designated by His Majesty instantly stopped smiling. The corners of his eyes and mouth drooped together, faint sorrow rising between his brows. His eyes shimmered like spring water stirred by gentle breezes, looking as though he might clutch his chest and burst into tears at any second.

Most people would have begun reflecting on whether they had spoken too harshly and hurried to comfort him. But Mu Heng knew him far too well and was completely immune to this act. “What nonsense are you causing now?”

Wei Fu looked at him mournfully. “Your Majesty, what if Prince Yu Gong doesn’t like sweet rice balls?”

Mu Heng: “……”

All his mental preparation had been wasted.

At last the emperor could bear it no longer and slammed the table in fury. “Wei Shuchen, can you have even a little dignity?!”

“I want dignity too,” Wei Fu argued pitifully. “But this minister is acting under Heaven’s mandate. Only if Your Majesty supports me will I have confidence outside. Besides, there’s still a whole pile of ‘sisters-in-law and co-wives’ over in Longsha. Who knows what sort of temperaments they all have or whether they’re easy to get along with? What if they bully me using their status? Then I’ll truly be beyond the reach of Heaven and the Emperor. Who would stand up for me then?”

Calling him a sesame rice ball was exactly right. No matter how weak he appeared on the surface, underneath was nothing but schemes once cut open.

Wei Fu understood the situation extremely clearly. Wealth was secondary here. Neither Xiling nor Longsha would deprive him materially anyway. What truly mattered was tangible support backed by real power. The title of Assistant Chancellor sounded impressive, but if he lacked actual authority to mobilize the suzerain state’s military strength and resources, then he was no different from a bare pole commander.

Moreover, back then Yu Gong Feng Ting had not placed his bets solely on Xiling. The three nations of Qiyun, Dongyu, and Wuchi all possessed influence within Longsha, and none of them were easy opponents.

Mu Heng knew this was what he had been waiting for all along. He thought to himself that this hopeless romantic had at least not become foolish enough to care only about love and status while ignoring everything else. If Wei Fu’s heart held nothing except dreams of living happily ever after together, then sooner or later the other people Mu Heng sent along would sideline him completely.

“I’m dispatching Imperial Guards to escort you to the border. Your personal guards will consist of thirty elite men transferred from the Egret Guardswho will remain in Longsha awaiting your orders. If you have any messages to send back to Xiling, you may have them delivered directly to me through those men.”

“There is also an imperial decree and tally. In times of crisis, these two items will allow you to mobilize the Black Feather Army of the southern borderlands. I will inform Commander Li Yun Zhi in advance.” Mu Heng pushed a sealed box toward Wei Fu. “These are what will keep you alive. Guard them carefully.”

Earlier, when bargaining with him, Wei Fu had not wanted to ask too openly and had also been speaking half-jokingly and lazily. But now, seeing that Mu Heng had truly prepared everything in advance for him, his heart could not help but tremble. He quickly put away his careless attitude, rose seriously to thank him, and carefully accepted the box from his hands.

Mu Heng continued, “As for trade agreements, diplomatic exchanges, and other trivial matters, send major issues back to court for discussion. Handle smaller ones yourself. You are, after all, the Assistant Chancellor. Once outside, you must stand on your own. When it’s time to be firm, do not hold back—especially in front of the other nations. Do not disgrace the authority of Xiling.”

Wei Fu bowed deeply to the ground. “This minister will respectfully obey Your Majesty’s instruction and devote himself wholeheartedly, never failing Your Majesty’s great expectations.”

“That’s enough, get up.” Mu Heng casually raised a hand to excuse him from the formalities.

Wei Fu noticed that it seemed as though he still had something left unsaid. Thinking about all the trouble he himself had caused, he hugged the box and remained standing where he was. “If Your Majesty has no further instructions, then this minister shall take his leave first. There are still many complicated matters regarding the diplomatic mission. I must discuss them further with my colleagues…”

“You just finished handing over the Western Secretariat duties. You’ve got plenty of free time. No need to hurry.” Mu Heng set his teacup down on the table and calmly tapped the surface. “After taking advantage of me, you think you can run? Get back here. Sit.”

Wei Fu moved back across from Mu Heng as though someone had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, thoroughly unwilling.

“So the good deeds you accomplished by mobilizing the Egret Guards—smuggling things under my nose through deception and concealment. If I hadn’t said anything, you’d really think you hid it quite well, wouldn’t you?”

Wei Fu hurriedly put on a flattering smile. “How could that be? This minister merely passed along messages in the middle. How would I dare overstep my authority and mobilize Your Majesty’s personal troops? If the Egret Guards moved, it must have been under Your Majesty’s instruction. As for the subsequent handling, it would hardly be appropriate for an outside minister like me to interfere at will, so I did not dare inquire further of Your Majesty.”

Mu Heng said coolly, “Oh, now you know to avoid suspicion regarding the imperial guards? Then was Bihua some wild thing that grew naturally in the countryside?”

Wei Fu: “……”

He brought out every ounce of tact and humility he possessed, carefully choosing his words as he explained to Mu Heng, “In order to wipe out all the traitors who plotted to assassinate the envoy in one stroke, Prince Yu Gong risked himself and ventured deep into danger. Such a matter could hardly be formally submitted through the Court of State Ceremonial to the Ministry of Justice. He also did not possess complete certainty. The only person he could contact was this humble minister.”

“This minister was personally appointed by Your Majesty as Assistant Chancellor. How could I simply ignore the matter and wait for Longsha to act?”

“Bihua already disbanded long ago, and Longsha refuses to mention it. There is no need for us to create trouble for ourselves. Prince Yu Gong, representing Longsha, offered his sincerity, and Your Majesty dispatched the Egret Guards to receive it. The entire matter is perfectly clear from beginning to end and has absolutely no connection to Bihua. Even if the person we captured were the Crown Prince of Yanyuan, and even if the King of Yanyuan personally came to ransom him back, he still would not be able to find the slightest fault with Xiling.”

Perhaps because winter was arriving and the weather had turned cold, His Majesty the Emperor felt that he had been sneering all day.

Wei Fu’s answer could not have been more comprehensive and smooth, and his protection of a certain someone was so blatant he did not even bother hiding it. If Mu Heng did not already know about the old history between the two of them, he might almost have believed him.

“Whether you call it ‘Bihua’ or Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Hua, it’s still the same thing beneath the surface. Stop trying to muddle through with word games.” Deciding not to struggle against a fool whose head had been turned by a foreign fox spirit, he went straight to the point. “What exactly is going on with Yu Gong Zhao Ye? How did a perfectly respectable prince end up becoming the head of assassins?”

——Because he inherited the family profession and family traditions.

Wei Fu had promised Yu Gong Zhao Ye that these secrets would rot in his stomach forever, so naturally he could not answer honestly. Vaguely, he replied, “Mm… because skilled artists are bold, and having many skills never weighs a person down?”

Mu Heng: “？”

Wei Fu’s eyes shifted, and he forcibly changed the subject. “Right, isn’t Commander Zhong handling the Ten Aspects Sect case? Since Your Majesty has already resolved to eradicate the Ten Aspects Sect’s influence within the realm, the Egret Guards will inevitably have many dealings with their followers in the future.”

“Yes, and?”

Wei Fu enthusiastically encouraged him, “The Ten Aspects Sect is extremely sinister. They act secretly and excel at manipulating people’s hearts. They are not ordinary bandits. Longsha and Yanyuan have been fighting for so many years—surely they have plenty of experience hunting Ten Aspects Sect followers. Why not take this opportunity, Your Majesty, to build a bridge and let Prince Yu Gong speak with Commander Zhong?”

“Don’t use Chuiyun as a raft,” Mu Heng pierced through him in one strike. “You just want an excuse to meet Yu Gong Zhao Ye.”

“Doesn’t Your Majesty also want to see Chuiyun?” Wei Fu showed not the slightest embarrassment and even dared turn the tables on him. Smiling brightly, he proposed, “The Egret Guards just captured a very important target. The leader holds no low position within the sect and is highly likely to be a member of the Yanyuan royal family. He certainly knows quite a lot. We need someone familiar with the inside details to oversee things, otherwise he may deceive us.”

“Besides, the Ten Aspects Sect has deep roots. It is entirely possible that our two nations may have to join forces against them in the future. Giving Prince Yu Gong advance notice would not harm us in the slightest.”

Both practical benefits and appearances had already been accounted for. Seeing that Mu Heng still remained silent, Wei Fu added his final sharp strike:

“This minister is about to leave his homeland. Once separated, it may be three years before I see my old friends and family again. Commander Zhong and I have shared many years of friendship. If he cannot return to see me off, he will surely regret it for the rest of his life. I beg Your Majesty for mercy!”

The staircase had finally been laid all the way to the emperor’s feet. Mu Heng cast him a sidelong glance with phoenix eyes and at last condescended to step down.

“At least you haven’t forgotten… ahem, the homeland that gave birth to you and raised you.”

“In a few days, once Chuiyun returns, summon Yu Gong Zhao Ye into the palace. It just so happens that he has always wanted to meet…”

The final words were bitten out with particular clarity beneath his half-smiling lips—

“your… lifesaving benefactor.”

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