“Your Highness magnanimously yielded the throne to a worthier man. His Majesty was deeply pleased and praised Your Highness for possessing the noble spirit of the sage rulers of antiquity. In addition to investing the new sovereign, His Majesty has issued another decree elevating you as Prince Ninghai. His Majesty hopes that Your Highness will take good care of yourself and preserve your health for the sake of the realm.”
Yu Gong Lie personally accepted the imperial decree of investiture, faced north, and bowed. He said solemnly, “The grace of Heaven is boundless. This subject is honored beyond measure and shall certainly remain loyal to His Majesty.” He then turned and inclined his head slightly toward Wei Fu. “Many thanks, Chancellor Wei.”
His sleeve slipped back, plainly revealing the pale-red patches on his wrist. They looked somewhat frightening. Yu Gong Lie brushed a hand over them and pulled down his cuff to cover his skin, saying calmly, “This sickly body is unsightly. I fear I have given Chancellor Wei something to laugh at.”
In the past, to avoid exposing any flaws, he had been forced to suppress his symptoms with harsh and powerful medicines. He had taken almost obsessive care over his appearance. Now that he no longer had to face the assembled court, he had instead lowered his guard. He had even dispensed with face powder altogether, merely darkening the eyebrows that had grown faint from hair loss so that his complexion would not appear quite so haggard.
Wei Fu extended a hand as though to support him and helped him sit back down. “This subject worked alongside Your Highness for many years and ceased being an outsider long ago. Why concern yourself with such trivial matters? This time, I brought back a considerable quantity of medicinal ingredients from Xiling, mostly ginseng and deer antler obtained from the north. They have already been handed over to the palace attendants of the Inner Treasury. I hope they may help Your Highness recover soon.”
Freed from the crushing burden of the kingdom and its people, and with two royal physicians taking turns regulating his health, Yu Gong Lie appeared visibly better than when Wei Fu had left the previous year, despite their separation of several months. Although he was still so thin that his robes seemed to hang loosely around him, his spirits had greatly improved.
“Yes… Chancellor Wei bears such heavy responsibilities, yet you still took the trouble to remember me. Thank you.” Yu Gong Lie seemed about to say something, but faltered. He gave Wei Fu a slightly embarrassed, crescent-eyed smile before asking with concern, “Have you grown accustomed to your residence, Chancellor Wei? Is there anything you lack?”
He had lived in the Chancellor’s Residence for six years. Was it not a little late to think of asking him that now? Wei Fu did not understand what Yu Gong Lie was getting at, but smiled politely. “Many thanks for Your Highness’s concern. This subject has everything he needs.”
“That is good.” Yu Gong Lie appeared to be making a considerable effort to ingratiate himself with him. “I know Little Uncle would never treat you poorly, but with the new sovereign’s accession, the palace is inevitably busy and disorderly. Should any palace attendants fail in their duties, or should you encounter some troublesome matter that is difficult to handle, you may come to me as well… R-right? Ha ha.”
Wei Fu also worked hard to smile at him. “This subject understands. I will certainly convey Your Highness’s concern to my sovereign.”
What exactly was that “right” supposed to mean?
After abdicating, Yu Gong Lie had withdrawn with the palace household to Hejing Palace in the Western Gardens of the inner palace. The place had originally been a detached palace where sovereigns held banquets and admired the scenery. Two rulers of Longsha had abdicated in the past, and both had moved there to spend their remaining years in peace.
The Western Gardens had undergone several renovations. The furnishings within the palace were elegant and exquisite, and opening a window revealed green trees, brilliant flowers, distant mountains, and nearby waters. With its carved beams and painted rafters, the place resembled an immortal paradise and was truly an ideal retreat for rest and recuperation.
“Actually, I told Little Uncle that once I abdicated, he could simply assign me some remote fief and allow me to spend the rest of my life quietly there.”
Yu Gong Lie had never been particularly affectionate by nature. When he was king, he had rarely chatted idly with Wei Fu. Yet today, for reasons unknown, he kept holding Wei Fu back to talk about family matters. “The two retired sovereigns of previous generations both passed the throne to their sons or grandsons, which was why they remained in the palace to enjoy their old age. But ours was an abdication between uncle and nephew. According to established custom, I should move outside the palace or travel to my fief. That would be the proper arrangement.”
Wei Fu thought, There is no chance we would dare send you somewhere remote. Would that not be asking the censors to point fingers at us? And should someone with ulterior motives make use of you and imitate Yu Gong Ming by launching a sudden return, how could keeping you beneath our eyes not be safer? Out loud, however, he comforted him gently. “Your Highness was a wise and benevolent sovereign. Yielding the throne was likewise a prudent and far-sighted decision. My sovereign respects you, while the court officials and common people alike cherish and support you. It is only right that you be honored and cared for within the palace. Why bind yourself to old conventions?”
Only after returning had Wei Fu learned the truth of Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s origins. Since the matter concerned the late emperor’s reputation, Yu Gong Zhao Ye and Yu Gong Lie discussed it and ultimately decided not to announce it to the world, out of consideration for the peace of those who had passed. They would continue addressing each other as uncle and nephew and preserve the posthumous edict only for use in an emergency.
At the time, Wei Fu had only one thought: The emperors of Longsha truly dared to think and act. Every generation behaved this recklessly, yet somehow Longsha still hadn’t fallen?
The former king silently raised his eyes to look at him, resembling a little bundle of grievances. There was no trace of the ruthlessness with which he had once tried to poison Wei Fu to death after his secret was discovered. His eyes were even slightly watery, as though he had been moved by Wei Fu’s understanding and consideration.
Seeing his expression, Wei Fu pressed his advantage and continued persuading him. “Besides, even if you lived elsewhere in the capital, nowhere could compare with the palace, where physicians and medicine are available whenever you need them. Your Highness’s most important concern now is recuperating. My sovereign must have considered this, which is why he insisted that you remain.”
“Yes… Chancellor Wei is right.” Yu Gong Lie secretly stole glances at him—or so he believed—while saying softly, “Since Chancellor Wei does not mind, I will stay here temporarily. Once my condition improves, I shall move out.”
Wei Fu: “?”
What did he mean, since Chancellor Wei does not mind? Could Yu Gong Lie possibly be worried that Wei Fu would incite Yu Gong Zhao Ye to drive out his supposed nephew?
“Your Highness truly need not worry so much. So long as you wish it, you may remain in the palace for the rest of your life. There is no need to fear that the court officials will object.” Wei Fu tactfully offered a word in his own defense. “You know my sovereign’s temperament. Once he has made a decision, he never allows anyone else to interfere.”
Yu Gong Lie resembled a little cabbage driven into a corner with nowhere left to retreat. Trembling slightly, he lifted his cup to hide his face.
Following his gaze, Wei Fu looked down at himself. “…Me?”
The eternally effortless smile on his face finally began to falter. Forcing himself to keep smiling, he said gently, “Since this subject is Longsha’s chancellor, naturally, my sovereign’s wishes must still come first…”
Yu Gong Lie wore an expression that plainly said, I understand. I understand everything.
“When you marry a chicken, follow the chicken; when you marry a dog, follow the dog.”
Wei Fu: “…”
“Your Highness meant, ‘When in another land, follow its customs, and as a guest, defer to the host,’ didn’t you?”
Yu Gong Lie stared blankly back at him with a pair of wide, innocent eyes.
In Bihan City, where there was no winter and spring had brought warm weather and blooming flowers, the atmosphere inside the hall froze solid.
A moment later, the former king who had wisely withdrawn at the height of his power closed his eyes and steeled himself, making a decision that defied his ancestors even more than his abdication had.
“Longsha is very open-minded… If a foreign princess can be sent here in marriage, then of course a foreign chancellor can be as well! I absolutely won’t be tactless enough to disturb the two of you, so you can live peacefully in the palace, Auntie!”
“What is this?”
“This, that, and that whole pile outside the window—what are they?”
Bihua Pavilion was filled with an extraordinary gathering. An unidentified enormous scarlet bird perched on a high branch, preening its feathers. Two large cats with amber eyes and pointed tufts on their ears crouched beside the artificial rockery, staring fixedly at the bird as they sharpened their claws. Several fawns and lambs with red silk tied around their necks bounded around the courtyard, grazing and gnawing on tree bark. Ripples moved across the water in a large blue-and-white porcelain vat, while a school of flounders lay flat against the sand and mud at the bottom.
The courtyard was crowded with chests and cages of every size, containing all manner of silks, fragrant herbs, gold, silver, and jade. There was even an exquisite carriage decorated with brilliant red silk and flowers of every color. Two magnificent snow-white horses without a single stray hair of another color stood docilely in the courtyard, crunching noisily on bean cakes offered by the palace attendants.
A trace of flattery flickered through Wang Yue Jin Han’s smile, “These are merely small tokens of your subordinates’ regard, hardly worthy of mention. We offer them to congratulate Your Majesty on your joyous… well, accession to the throne.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye glanced outside the window and asked in genuine bewilderment, “Did I ascend the throne in the middle of a forest?”
Jin Han was struck speechless. The Moon Envoys hurriedly crowded forward and enthusiastically introduced the gifts. “Your Majesty, look at this pair of scarlet birds! They come from Xueluo and are said to be descendants of the phoenix. They are an auspicious blessing bestowed by Heaven!”
“And look at these lynxes! Kui Yue went through countless intermediaries to have them sent back from Yanyuan. See how clever and majestic they are—truly auspicious creatures!”
“And these deer and sheep symbolize the Three Yangs Ushering in Prosperity and the perfection of both fortune and rank. They are an auspicious sign!”
“And look at our locally raised flatfish! They symbolize… er… what was it again?”
A cool voice supplied the answer. “The profound devotion of a loving couple.”
Xin Yue suddenly understood and slapped his thigh. “That’s right! How auspicious! How festive! Hahaha!”
After saying this, he turned his head and discovered that the person who had answered was Yu Gong Zhao Ye.
Everyone: “…”
After Yu Gong Zhao Ye ascended the throne, Jin Han, codenamed Wang Yue, succeeded him as Director of the Purple Empyrean Court and commander of Yeguang. Their former superior had become their supreme sovereign, making Yeguang the innermost circle of the king’s innermost circle. This enormous stroke of good fortune had arrived so unexpectedly that everyone celebrated jubilantly while throwing themselves wholeheartedly into currying favor with the new king.
Unfortunately, Yu Gong Zhao Ye had always been exceptionally difficult to please. He could practically be described as indifferent to fame and fortune and devoid of worldly desires. One careless attempt at flattery could easily land on the horse’s hoof instead of its rump.
Fortunately, this celestial immortal who seemed capable of surviving solely on dew was not entirely without weakness. He still had one worldly attachment he could never sever—
That fox from Xiling who was so skilled at manipulating people’s hearts.
From the time the Assistant Chancellor first came to Longsha as an envoy, to reclaiming the two ports from Qiyun, establishing the Purple Empyrean Court, dividing Yanyuan and overthrowing the Ten Aspects Sect, and negotiating Dongyu’s military withdrawal, Wei Fu had participated in many of Yeguang’s major operations over the past six years. His knowledge of its secrets was second only to Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s. Had his position not prevented it, he knew more than enough to receive a codename within Yeguang.
The members of Yeguang had been among the first to discover their relationship and had watched the two support one another all the way until their love finally bore fruit. Their romance might have appeared “shocking and contrary to convention” in the eyes of outsiders, but compared with everything else the pair had done throughout their lives, it had caused the least commotion of all.
The king was mindful of worldly gossip and public opinion, so he had not displayed their relationship too ostentatiously. However, Jin Han had personally rushed beyond the city walls in the middle of the night to deliver that brilliant red ceremonial robe into Wei Fu’s hands. If they still could not discern their sovereign’s wishes after that, then all their years as covert agents had been wasted.
Thus, although these objects were nominally presented as “auspicious omens,” they had actually been selected meticulously according to the Thirty Betrothal Gifts, with everything appearing in matching pairs. After all, no flattery could speak as loudly as words whispered beside the pillow. Even the coldest heart would soften at the blessing, “May you enjoy a hundred years of harmony.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye watched the chaos of birds and beasts outside and felt that retribution had finally caught up with him. Every Father King would eventually acquire his own collection of unfilial descendants.
He wanted to rebuke them for neglecting their proper duties, but when he met those smiling, sparkling eyes, the words sank back into his stomach and dissolved into a helpless, amused sigh.
“I thank you on Chancellor Wei’s behalf. Your intentions are commendable, but do not do this again. I also wish that all of you may soon find the one your hearts desire.”
Across the palace avenue from Bihua Pavilion stood Xuandu Palace, the sleeping palace selected by the new king. Situated northeast of Xuanchen Hall, it offered convenient access to the front court.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye stepped into the rear hall. The moment he saw what awaited him inside, he withdrew the foot he had just placed across the threshold and turned to instruct the palace attendants carrying the chests behind him, “Take inventory of these things and put them into the storeroom first… There is no room left.”
“What are all these?”
Wei Fu was staring miserably at a courtyard full of furniture. The moment he saw Yu Gong Zhao Ye, he let out an “Awoo!” and charged over with his arms spread like a great roc, throwing himself around him.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye was still immersed in the mood of newlywed bliss immediately following a brief separation. This was probably the gentlest-tempered period of his entire life. He curiously pinched Wei Fu’s bright-red ear. “What happened? Weren’t you visiting A’Lie today? Who upset you?”
“You.” Wei Fu bit his lip with neither too much nor too little force, then whimpered resentfully, “It’s all your fault for giving yourself away in front of your eldest nephew. And—and what sort of nonsense was he calling me?!”
The destructive power of those words had been terrifying, no less devastating than heavenly thunder striking directly upon the crown of his head or a vast tsunami crashing down over him. In his daze, Wei Fu had thought his primordial spirit had been blasted out of his body, and it still had not returned.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye had already experienced Yu Gong Lie’s solemn, self-sacrificing manner of acknowledging kinship, so he could guess what had been said without asking. Suppressing his laughter, he stroked Wei Fu’s hair soothingly. “No wonder I smelled something scorched the moment I entered. So our Lord Xiao Guan has returned from undergoing his heavenly tribulation. He no longer treats you as an outsider. Isn’t that a good thing?”
“This goes far beyond no longer treating me as an outsider… Your eldest nephew is far too sincere. He thought I had married into the palace and was afraid my household allowance would be insufficient, so he dragged me around selecting things for ages. He practically wanted to move the retired emperor’s entire fortune over here.” Wei Fu reached out casually and somehow produced a square box wrapped in ivory-colored, gold-woven brocade. He said listlessly, “He even gave me the phoenix seal and told me to keep it for my amusement for a few years.”
“He certainly thought matters through thoroughly…”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye had no harem, only one tall and imposing “master of the central palace.” Apart from displaying his status, there truly was nothing Wei Fu could do with the phoenix seal except admire it. “That proves Her Majesty the Queen fully deserves the title. You are capable of bearing the responsibility, so accept it without worry. Jin Han and the others also sent you a great pile of things just now… Do you prefer your flatfish steamed or braised?”
“Forget about the flatfish for now!”
Wei Fu’s eyes widened in horror. Grabbing Yu Gong Zhao Ye by the shoulders, he shook him back and forth. “Exactly how many people know about us? Everything was perfectly normal before I left, so how did it become common knowledge by the time I returned? Those little princes aren’t going to come in later and address me one by one as ‘Royal Mother,’ are they?!”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye: “…”
“Where in the world is there such a thing as a State Chancellor appointed for twenty years? The moment that was announced, everyone must have understood.”
It was rare to see the fox spirit’s mind fail to make the connection. Yu Gong Zhao Ye watched him freeze in astonishment and said helplessly, “I told you long ago that Longsha is very open-minded. It is time for you to move into the palace as well. Surely you do not intend to climb over walls for secret trysts for the rest of your life?”
The moment he finished speaking, an arm tightened around his waist, and then his entire body was hoisted straight off the ground like a scallion being pulled from dry earth.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye resembled a stiff, upright cat as he looked down reproachfully from that height. “In broad daylight, you dare commit such blatant insubordination?”
“My sovereign personally said he disliked secret trysts!” With exceptionally agile footwork, Wei Fu threaded through all the obstacles filling the courtyard and rushed toward the sleeping chambers like a gale. “Since I have received such profound favor, this subject shall immediately fulfill the duties of the central palace!”
The new sovereign had only just established his reign and had not yet had time to assert his authority before the assembled ministers, but he first displayed an impressive amount of royal might within the bed curtains. Ordinarily, that bastard could hardly resist turning Yu Gong Zhao Ye over and devouring him eight hundred times, only slowing slightly when Yu Gong Zhao Ye could no longer indulge him and demanded that he stop. Yet after becoming queen, Wei Fu suddenly turned reserved instead, meticulously observing some set of ceremonial rules whose origin was entirely unknown. He lingered with touches as light as a dragonfly skimming the water, as though terrified of committing an act of usurpation. Only after the sovereign issued a clear command from his golden mouth would he obediently carry it out.
He also murmured “my sovereign” again and again with such lingering tenderness that, for several days afterward, Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s temples would begin throbbing whenever he heard the form of address.
Most of Longsha’s ministers tacitly understood the peculiar relationship between the king and Chancellor Wei. Since they had even managed to invite him back as State Chancellor for twenty years, and it was always easier to invite a deity than to send one away, what more could they demand? In any case, the former king had already selected suitable children from the royal clan, so the kingdom had successors. So long as the pair did not behave too outrageously, the ministers could simply pretend not to know.
However, just as light always cast shadows, even the most open-minded society contained a few stubborn individuals.
The opposition was not foolish enough to stand up on the spot and shout, “I object to this marriage!” After all, Yu Gong Zhao Ye was famous for acting according to his own will.
They carefully considered the king’s origins and experiences. Before entering the court, Yu Gong Zhao Ye had spent years cultivating at Yeguang Hall, so he apparently believed deeply in the gods. Since he would not listen to their remonstrance, why not allow the will of Heaven to issue the sovereign a warning?
Thus, during morning court on the day after Wei Fu moved into Xuandu Palace, the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy resolutely stepped forward and reported in a ringing voice, “Reporting to Your Majesty. During its customary observation of the heavens last night, the Bureau of Astronomy witnessed a guest star appear in the north. It resembled neither cloud nor smoke. It entered the Purple Tenuity Enclosure, trespassed upon the Emperor’s Seat, and then returned to the Supreme Palace Enclosure.”
Yu Gong Zhao Ye sat with his cheek resting on one hand. At these words, he raised an eyebrow slightly and asked with apparent interest, “Oh? How should this be interpreted?”
The Director of the Bureau of Astronomy replied, “The Treatise on Celestial Patterns records: ‘A guest star resembles drifting catkins, like fine powdered fluff wafting through the air.’ The Canon of Stars states: ‘When a guest star trespasses upon the Emperor’s Seat within the Purple Palace, a great minister offends his sovereign.’ It also says, ‘When a guest star enters and leaves the Supreme Palace Enclosure, the ruler shall encounter troubles.’ This is a warning from the will of Heaven. Your Majesty is respectfully urged to take heed.”
He had stopped just short of explicitly declaring that Wei Fu was the reincarnation of this inauspicious baleful star. Yu Gong Zhao Ye gave a quiet laugh. “What do the rest of you think?”
A censor from the Censorate immediately pressed the advantage and stepped forward to memorialize. “When a favored flatterer dominates the court, a baleful star appears. This subject believes the might of Heaven must be feared. Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne and should reverently cultivate your character, govern your subordinates with uprightness, refrain from indulging intimate favorites at your side, and devote yourself to diligent rule. By following the proper course of Heaven, the baleful star will naturally depart, and peace will return beneath Heaven.”
“Minister Chen speaks with such certainty that one might think you had personally met this baleful star.” Yu Gong Zhao Ye asked unhurriedly, “Tell me: are the ministers standing in this hall any different from those who served during the former king’s reign?”
“This…” Censor Chen did not understand his meaning and froze momentarily. “Reporting to Your Majesty, they are not.”
“Precisely. They are not.”
“The former king abdicated, and I had only just taken up residence within the inner palace when this celestial phenomenon appeared.” Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s expression was stern, and no anger could be heard in his clear, cold voice, yet it swept across the backs of everyone’s necks like a gleaming blade. “What an excellent omen—a guest star trespassing upon the Emperor’s Seat. None of you are speaking. What are you all thinking?”
The moment those words fell, everyone’s hair stood on end. The Director of the Bureau of Astronomy dropped to his knees with a thud. “Your Majesty, please calm your anger! This subject harbored absolutely no such meaning!”
Minister Fu Yu Wei glared fiercely at Censor Chen, who promptly knelt as well. “This subject would never dare criticize Your Majesty recklessly! I merely wished to urge Your Majesty to draw worthy ministers close and distance yourself from petty men. This subject’s loyalty toward Your Majesty may be witnessed by the sun and moon!”
With only a few sentences, Yu Gong Zhao Ye had redirected the wretched celestial omen onto himself. As expected, the court immediately fell so silent it was as though someone had just died. Not one more “upright remonstrating minister” dared continue offering advice beneath his gaze.
Yu Gong Zhao Ye scoffed silently and was about to dismiss the court when Wei Fu, who had been quietly watching the spectacle, suddenly raised his head and curved his eyes into a smile. “Your Majesty.”
The sound was as ominous as a funeral bell. Yu Gong Zhao Ye’s temples immediately began throbbing, while everyone’s hearts trembled simultaneously. They glared at Censor Chen with hatred.
Why did you have to provoke him when you had nothing better to do? Now look what you’ve done—the fox spirit is about to take revenge!
Yu Gong Zhao Ye slowly drew a deep breath and said with forbearance, “Chancellor Wei.”
Wei Fu turned slightly toward the assembled ministers. “This subject has never formally studied astronomy and has only casually read a few divination classics. I would not dare claim any real understanding, but I have a small doubt and wish to consult the Director of the Bureau of Astronomy.”
The director wished desperately that he could transform into a rat and burrow beneath the floor. However, Wei Fu looked down at him from above, swept his gaze over everyone else’s heads as well, and asked with perfect sincerity, “It is true that a sovereign corresponds to the will of Heaven. However, since Longsha recognizes Xiling as its suzerain state, should celestial signs involving the Purple Tenuity and Supreme Palace Enclosures not correspond to His Majesty the Emperor of Xiling?”
Everyone: “…”
It was—it was completely reasonable!
What baleful star? What trespassing upon the Emperor’s Seat? What did any of that have to do with our perfectly innocent Longsha?!
Wei Fu had not actually intended to retaliate against anyone. He was even actively providing them with a graceful way out as he patiently guided them onward. “His Majesty’s most trusted right-hand man led the army against Zhending on Xiling’s northern frontier last year. Judging by the date, he should be returning to court around now, so—”
“What?” Repeatedly battered senseless by the pair’s sophistry, Censor Chen confusedly considered Wei Fu’s unfinished implication and exclaimed in astonishment, “The emperor of Xiling has that sort of relationship too?!”
Everyone: “…”
Wei Fu: “Too?”
“Have all of you run out of serious business?” Yu Gong Zhao Ye said coldly. “Court is dismissed.”
The king swept his sleeves and departed.
Futile Devices Scans 
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