Chapter 593
Jumping Out of the Chessboard
Jiao Tu gazed at Chen Ji's profile, which was closed in meditation, while the vast rustling of the reeds filled her ears.
For a moment, she couldn't tell whether Chen Ji was confident and assured that neither the Morning Post nor the Salt Bureau could be controlled without him, or whether he had truly lost all hope and wanted nothing more after Bai Li left.
She had seen too many people vying for power and profit, and too many people feigning indifference. But there was something on their faces: some were resentful, some were calculating, and some had the ruthless determination to "rise up again."
But there was nothing there. The other person was sitting in a simple rattan chair, without the usual imposing manner of those in high positions of power. He seemed light and airy, as if he did not exist in this world.
It was as if he would vanish with the wind at any moment.
Jiao Tu smiled and leaned closer: "My lord, you are one of the three above. Tell me the truth, will the Grand Chancellor return? I heard you went to the Jie Fan Lou last night. What did the Grand Chancellor say to you?"
Chen Ji didn't even lift his eyelids: "I'm not a sick tiger."
Jiao Tu covered her mouth and giggled: "Alright, alright, you're not a sick tiger. My lord, you know what Wu Xiu wants. Now that the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has changed hands, he wants to hold onto everything he can. Those who obey are his own people, and those who don't are the Inner Minister's men. There's no benefit in going against him now, so even if we just pretend to be on good terms... But if you're unwilling to report for duty, forget about the morning report and the salt permit, I'm afraid you won't even be able to keep those thugs under the leadership of the Gelaohui. Whether you're a sick tiger or a gyrfalcon, whether you're a Viscount of Wuxiang or a Baron of Wuxiang County, all of these things will be wiped clean."
Chen Ji ignored him.
Jiao Tu smiled and said, "My lord, in this vast capital, some people are vying to be chess players, while others are vying to be chess pieces. If you stay out of the game for too long, you'll be eaten. It will be difficult to return to the chessboard as a chess piece then. If you don't want to get involved in court affairs, do you have any other plans? Perhaps Yun Yang and I can help you."
After thinking for a long time, Chen Ji said, "I'll study medical books. Maybe I can open a clinic someday."
Jiao Tu was taken aback, then stood up to take her leave: "I can't help with this matter, but if you need anything, please ask. Yun Yang and I usually stay in the Eagle House."
She and Yunyang walked out of the reeds. As they were about to leave, she looked back and saw Chen Ji still sitting at the end of the dock, his bamboo pole still motionless.
Jiao Tu suddenly asked curiously, "Do you think he really wants to open a clinic or is he just saying it casually?"
Yun Yang said expressionlessly, "We're not going to give up the power we risked our lives for so easily. We're just waiting for a better price."
Jiao Tu seemed to be thinking: "I guess there's no hook on his fishing line."
Yun Yang was taken aback: "What?"
Jiao Tu rolled her eyes: "It's nothing, let's go back and report."
……
……
In front of the Jiefan Tower, Wu Xiuyi's over-the-shoulder python robe was finally changed from blue to black.
He stood in the same spot he had stood countless times, looking up at the window upstairs.
In the past, he sometimes had to wait an hour, sometimes two. He never complained, he just stood there, keeping every expression on his face completely hidden.
Now, the person in that window should be on his way to Changping, and this Jiefanlou (解烦楼) is his.
Behind Wu Xiu, twenty-three supervising eunuchs from the twelve directorates, four departments, and eight bureaus of the inner court, Xu Wenhe, the supervising eunuch of the Divine Palace Directorate, went to Changping to guard the mausoleum, three others happened to be out of the capital on official business and had not yet returned, and the remaining nineteen all stood with their hands at their sides.
The two commanders of Jiefan Guard, Changxiu and Wang Zhao, stood on either side.
At this moment, the supervising eunuch of the Directorate of Palace Attendants, seeing that Wu Xiu had not moved for a long time, tentatively asked in a low voice, "Sir?"
Wu Xiu came to her senses and looked up at the wooden building's plaque, which bore the inscription "Relieve Troubles" written by Emperor Ning himself.
He then looked at the empty armchair inside the Jiefan Tower and asked slowly, "Where is Shanniu?"
Changxiu tucked her hands into her sleeves and bowed slightly: "Reporting to Your Excellency, Shanniu left the twelve zodiac animal tablets with him to accompany the Grand Chancellor in guarding the tomb."
Wu Xiu did not turn around: "Minister of the Interior... when the Director of the Imperial Palace Administration left, did he leave any message?"
Changxiu thought for a moment and said, "He said that it was too stuffy in the building and that I should remember to open the windows for ventilation often."
Wu Xiu glanced at the armchair in front of her and casually asked, "Aren't you one of his people? Why didn't you leave?"
Changxiu laughed: "My lord, this Jiefan Tower was bestowed by His Majesty. Whoever can relieve His Majesty's troubles will be the master of this Jiefan Tower. I am the commander of the Jiefan Guard. Whoever is the master of this Jiefan Tower, I will naturally be his man."
Wu Xiu finally turned around and looked back at the handsome young eunuch.
Changxiu stood there, her hands tucked into her sleeves, smiling sweetly, like a harmless little fox.
Wu Xiu looked at Changxiu for a long time: "It's alright. You, me, and him are all people who are here to relieve His Majesty's troubles."
Changxiu bowed slightly and said with a smile, "With your thoughtfulness and magnanimity, it's no wonder you were able to take charge of the Jiefan Tower. The Director of the Divine Palace once said that you are a person of hidden talent and inner beauty."
Wu Xiu hummed in agreement, picked up the hem of her python robe and walked inside: "The head of the Jie Fan Wei guards, stay here; the director of the Inner Palace Guards, stay here; the rest of you may leave and go about your business."
Inside the Jiefan Building, the scent of ink and pine resin mingled together, creating a rich and solid atmosphere.
Wu Xiu arrived at the familiar room, looking at the familiar screen and the familiar python on it. He walked around the screen and stood silently behind the table.
The desk was large, made of purple elm wood, its edges worn smooth. Several stacks of files were laid out on it, the top one open, its pages yellowed and the ink long since dried.
Next to it was a Duan inkstone, with the remaining ink in the inkwell forming cracked pieces. The brush rested on the brush holder, its tip sticking out stiffly.
Wu Xiu stood there, looking down at the open dossier.
It was an old document from the Grand Canal transport period, with tiny annotations densely covering the edges. The handwriting was fine and somewhat hasty, showing that it was done in a hurry. Several places were circled, with arrows next to them pointing to another appendix.
His gaze fell on a note that contained only two words: "Check again".
The ink is a bit faint, as if the brush dried out halfway through writing and was then dipped in ink to touch it up.
Changxiu appeared at the doorway without anyone noticing, her hands tucked into her sleeves, and she remained silent.
Wu Xiu bent down and pulled open a drawer under the desk. Inside the drawer were dozens of neatly stacked notebooks, with the year written on the cover.
He picked up the top book, opened it, and found it was last year's daily records.
Every day, he wrote down what time he got up, what time he went to bed, who he met, and what documents he approved. Some days were marked with small red circles to indicate their importance, while other days were left blank.
Wu Xiu flipped through the pages one by one, until she reached the last one: "Why didn't you take these with you?"
Changxiu explained, "He said it would help you know what the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has been doing all these years and what it should do next."
Wu Xiu then asked, "Then why is there no record of any days? I see that there have been no records since the ninth day of the ninth lunar month last year."
Changxiu smiled and said, "The daily records are all official matters, so if they're not written down, it must be a private matter... Sir, should we clean up this room and replace everything with new ones?"
Wu Xiu looked around the room: "No need, keep them all."
He looked at the Director of the Imperial Household Department: "I entrusted you with the salt permits and the morning report. How did they go?"
The Director of the Imperial Household Department looked uneasy: "It's not going very smoothly."
Wu Xiu stood behind the desk, staring at the other person: "Why?"
The Director of the Imperial Household Department explained in a low voice, "The Morning Post used to be distributed by the Red Gate Guards. These people would carry satchels and walk through the streets and alleys, hawking their wares. Now that Viscount Wu Xiang has indeed handed over the Morning Post, even if we print it, we can't sell it like they do. It's all piling up in the warehouse..."
Wu Xiu interrupted, "How many copies were sold today?"
The Director of the Imperial Household Department spoke in an even lower voice: "More than three hundred copies."
Wu Xiu frowned for a moment: "Show me today's morning paper."
The Director of the Imperial Household Department took out two sheets of bamboo paper from his sleeve and handed them to Wu Xiu with trepidation: "Please take a look, sir."
Wu Xiu took the newspaper and glanced at it: "It used to be thirty-two pages, but now there are only eight pages left. Also, where did the pages on 'Managing the World and Benefiting the People' go? Your newspaper is full of praise and auspicious omens from all over the country. This is not what the people want to see, nor is it what His Majesty wants to see."
The Director of the Palace Attendants' forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat: "I usually only handle matters related to palace utensils, jewelry, rice storage, and ice cellars. I can manage to oversee the manufacture of umbrellas, fans, and bedding, but this is something I truly cannot do. Not only do we lack the manpower to sell this wretched morning newspaper, but the two sections on 'Pursuing the State and Benefiting the People' are both written by Viscount Wu Xiang. Without him, I really don't know how to manage the state and benefit the people. As for the section on official promotions and transfers, I went to the Ministry of Personnel to ask Lord Zhang for it, and waited for three whole hours without even seeing Lord Zhang."
Wu Xiu glanced at him sideways: "Don't panic, it's not your fault, I won't punish you. If you have this ability, you should take the imperial examination, you don't need to work in the palace."
The Director of the Imperial Household Department slowly breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, footsteps sounded outside the house. Jiao Tu and Yun Yang came to the door and respectfully said, "My lord, we are back."
Wu Xiu said calmly, "Come in... Where's Chen Ji? Is he really sick?"
Jiao Tu and Yun Yang entered the house one after the other, clasped their hands and said, "My lord, Chen Ji is not sick. He is fishing in the reeds next to the Altar of Mountains and Rivers. I have conveyed your message. As long as he is willing to be under your command, the salt permit and morning report businesses can continue to be managed by him."
Wu Xiu casually said, "The salt permit and the Morning Post business are, after all, his life's work. What did he say?"
Jiao Tu hesitated for a moment: "My lord, he said he doesn't want it anymore."
Wu Xiu tapped her fingers on the files on the table, making a dull thud. After a moment, she asked, "Does he really not care about these two businesses, or is he waiting for the right price?"
Jiao Tu hesitated for a moment: "This humble servant thinks that he really doesn't intend to keep it."
Wu Xiu raised an eyebrow: "What does he want to do?"
Jiao Tu recalled for a moment: "He said he wanted to open a clinic."
Wu Xiu laughed: "I originally thought Lord Chen wanted to be a powerful minister, but it turns out he wants to jump out of this chessboard. He doesn't want to be a pawn, nor does he want to be a player." (End of this chapter)