Chapter 39: Chapter 39

The Western Garden of the Imperial Palace in the Capital.

When Emperor Yuan Zhuo was still an Imperial Prince, he had once been caught in a fire. Surrounded by raging flames, Yuan Zhuo knelt and prayed that, should he survive, he would worship the Three Pure Ones for the rest of his life, ensuring that incense offerings would never cease and that his bloodline would continue unbroken.

Thunder suddenly rumbled and lightning flashed. Torrential rain poured from the heavens and extinguished the fire, allowing Yuan Zhuo to survive miraculously.

At the time, he was only eight years old.

When The Late Emperor heard what had happened, he was greatly astonished. He believed that Yuan Zhuo had been chosen by Heaven and was destined to inherit the throne.

Therefore, when Yuan Zhuo came of age at sixteen, he was appointed Crown Prince and took up residence in the Eastern Palace. He began managing state affairs on behalf of The Late Emperor, Governing the Realm as Regent.

When Yuan Zhuo was eighteen, a fire broke out in his bedchamber in the Eastern Palace. Lu Song, a Thousand-Household Officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who had entered the palace for an imperial audience, risked his life to rescue him.

Yuan Zhuo narrowly escaped death, but Lu Song perished in the flames.

Yuan Zhuo believed that the disaster had occurred because he had failed to fulfill his promise to worship the Three Pure Ones. After the fire, he specially ordered the Imperial Painting Academy to create great portraits of the Three Pure Ones. He erected an altar to enshrine them and maintained offerings day and night without interruption.

At twenty-two, Yuan Zhuo ascended the throne following the death of The Late Emperor and adopted Jingde as his reign title.

In the sixth year of the Jingde Era, a fire broke out in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, where Yuan Zhuo resided. Lu Wenyu, the son of Lu Song, carried Emperor Yuan Zhuo out of the burning hall on his back, allowing the Emperor to escape death for a second time.

Afterward, the Emperor concluded that the Inner Palace was too noisy and disorderly, which displeased the Three Pure Ones.

He moved to the Western Garden, where he constructed Qingxuan Palace as his residence and a place to cultivate the Dao and revere Heaven. He also built Chongxuan Daoist Temple to enshrine the Three Pure Ones.

From that day onward, he worshipped them morning and evening and practiced profound cultivation throughout the day and night. He had not missed a single day in twenty-eight years.

Naturally, he had also not attended court for twenty-eight years.

Today was already the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. Heavy snow fell throughout the Capital, and the accumulation on the ground had reached the ankles.

Because Yuan Zhuo revered the principle that the Dao followed nature, the snow in the courtyard of Qingxuan Palace was naturally left unswept.

It was already evening.

Yuan Zhuo had just finished offering incense. Dressed in only a thin white cotton robe, he walked barefoot across the snow with Eunuch Chen accompanying him.

He continued forward, leaving a distinct trail of footprints in the snow. Each step overlapped the last, sinking ankle-deep into the accumulation.

Only after completing nine circuits did he slowly come to a stop.

When Eunuch Chen saw Yuan Zhuo stop, he did not dare hesitate. He hurried forward and supported him.

“Your Majesty, you have completed all nine circuits. This servant has already ordered warm water to be prepared. Immortal herbs gathered personally by Immortal Wu have been added to it. You should soak your feet and wash away the impurities of the snow.”

Eunuch Chen did not dare suggest that the Emperor might be harmed by the cold.

After all, this Emperor was a cultivator of the Dao—a true immortal from the heavens.

How could an immortal fear the cold?

“Hahaha! What a good servant you are.”

With Eunuch Chen supporting him, Yuan Zhuo walked back beneath the eaves and comfortably stretched his feet.

“Do you think I might be harmed by the cold?”

Eunuch Chen disregarded the snow beneath him and immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing.

“This servant would never dare! Your Majesty is an immortal who has attained the Dao. How could the cold possibly harm you? This servant merely feared that the impurities of the snow might disturb Your Majesty’s Spiritual Cultivation.”

“Enough, enough. Rise.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Yuan Zhuo continued, “Two nights ago, I awakened in the middle of the night and found my body burning with unnatural heat. I went to Chongxuan Daoist Temple, and Perfected One Wu told me that state affairs had burdened my mind, causing excessive heart fire and preventing me from attaining tranquility.”

“Perfected One Wu also said that walking barefoot through the snow for nine circuits would cure it.”

“I tried it yesterday, and I truly slept peacefully afterward. The Daoist arts of the Perfected One are indeed extraordinarily profound!”

Eunuch Chen hurriedly knelt and kowtowed again, speaking in a fawning voice.

“Your Majesty embodies the natural Dao. It is only this servant’s mortal eyes that fail to recognize an immortal.”

“Good. What a good servant.”

The two returned to Qingxuan Palace one after the other.

The eunuchs had already lit the charcoal braziers and candles.

Eunuch Chen followed several steps behind. Once Yuan Zhuo had settled on the raised platform, he hurriedly brought over the warm water.

Kneeling, he carefully wiped Yuan Zhuo’s feet until they became slightly flushed. Only then did he slowly lower them into the warm water and attend to the Emperor as he soaked his feet.

“Where is my Grand Companion? Why has he not come to pay his respects at all today?”

Yuan Zhuo looked calm and thoroughly content as he soaked his feet.

Although he had practiced Spiritual Cultivation for more than twenty years, the sensation of soaking his feet after walking through the snow still caused the corners of the usually inscrutable Emperor’s mouth to curve upward.

“Your Majesty, Eunuch Feng was at the Directorate of Ceremonial this morning. The matter in Jiangnan has finally been resolved. At present, Eunuch Feng is selecting fruit for Your Majesty from the Northern Garden Storehouse,” Eunuch Chen hurriedly replied.

Yuan Zhuo smiled.

“My Grand Companion is always attentive. He knew that I would perform the jiao rite to revere Heaven, so he went early to select the ritual fruit offerings.”

“Chen Jing, you must observe him closely and learn from him.”

“Your Majesty, this servant will certainly study with all his heart!”

“Chen Jing, I heard that during the coldest days, my Grand Companion punished you by making you kneel in the snow for several nights?”

Yuan Zhuo seemed to recall the matter suddenly and asked without warning.

“Your Majesty, that did happen. This servant failed in his duties, so kneeling was only proper. Had Your Majesty not cherished this servant, how could the punishment have been so light?”

Yuan Zhuo opened his eyes and looked at Chen Jing.

“It was not only because I cherished you. My Grand Companion could not bear to punish you too severely either.”

Steam slowly rose from the wooden tub and mingled with the incense smoke drifting from the altar.

The hazy fragrance left Yuan Zhuo feeling intoxicated.

He fell silent, leaned back, and greedily inhaled several deep breaths of the faint fragrance before finally relaxing his shoulders.

While the two remained silent, a young eunuch on duty approached and knelt to kowtow.

“Your Majesty, Eunuch Feng requests an audience. He is waiting outside.”

“My Grand Companion has arrived? Summon him.”

At those words, Yuan Zhuo lifted his feet from the wooden tub.

Eunuch Chen had already prepared a dry cotton towel. After drying Yuan Zhuo’s feet, he lifted the bucket and carried it outside.

Eunuch Feng and Eunuch Chen met beneath the eaves. One carried a wooden bucket, while the other held a wooden box.

They exchanged a glance, smiled, nodded, and passed each other.

“My Grand Companion, is that you?”

Before Eunuch Feng had even entered, Yuan Zhuo’s eager voice sounded from within.

Eunuch Feng pushed open the door.

Yuan Zhuo was seated upright on the ritual platform. Eunuch Feng knelt and raised the wooden box above his head.

“Your Majesty, please have a peach.”

“There is no hurry. Has the Imperial Envoy case in Jiangnan been resolved?”

“Your Majesty sees clearly!”

Holding the wooden box, Eunuch Feng reported in a grave voice.

“Lin Kui, the Prefect of Bianzhou; He Yichun, the Prefect of Lin’an; Ren Gongzhu, the Prefect of Changzhou; and Zhu Yugui, the Prefect of Gusu conspired with Chen Fuyi, the Deputy Prefect of Bianzhou; Zheng Ronghuan, the Assistant Prefect of Bianzhou; Zhou Su, the Assistant Prefect of Lin’an; Li Xuning, the Deputy Prefect of Changzhou; Zhuo Yuanting, the Assistant Prefect of Changzhou; Fu Helian, the Assistant Prefect of Gusu; and Ye Miao, the Deputy Prefect of Gusu.”

“Their attempts at bribery failed, and they feared that their corruption would be conclusively exposed. Therefore, they bought the services of the Bolang Sect, the Jingtao Sect, and the Guanhai Sect, which murdered Lord Jiang, the Imperial Envoy, in Changzhou.”

Before Eunuch Feng had even finished speaking, Yuan Zhuo had already descended from the platform.

With his hands behind his back, he slowly paced across the room.

By the time Eunuch Feng finished, Yuan Zhuo could no longer contain his fury.

“Good! Very good! These officials have truly opened my eyes!”

He recalled the memorial submitted by the Prefect of Linjiang at the beginning of the year. It had contained such phrases as, “A disciple of the Son of Heaven, blessed with abundant imperial favor,” and, “I have poured out my heart and blood to repay Heaven’s grace.”

Yuan Zhuo’s anger intensified.

He clenched his teeth, walked to the table, seized the Express Dispatch, and leaned over it.

“These corrupt officials still dared to call themselves disciples of the Son of Heaven in their memorials, as though their crimes were somehow my fault!”

“And what of these Jianghu sects? They are truly audacious beyond measure! They even dared to murder an Imperial Envoy!”

“Will their next step be to storm the palace and force me to abdicate?”

Eunuch Feng’s expression changed drastically.

He hurried forward to support the swaying Yuan Zhuo and gently patted his back to help him catch his breath.

Only after Yuan Zhuo drew several deep breaths and softly murmured, “May the Three Pure Ones forgive me,” several times did Eunuch Feng speak quietly.

“Your Majesty, it is not worth harming your health over such men.”

“This old servant has already sent people to investigate those Jianghu sects. Not only have they colluded with government officials, but they have also forcibly seized tens of thousands of mu of fertile farmland.”

“Worse still, they have secretly stockpiled armor and weapons and maintained illicit contact with the Northern Hu. They may harbor intentions of rebellion.”

“This old servant has already ordered Li Zhen to lead the Eastern and Western Depots and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to eradicate them completely…”

“Good! Good! Good!”

Yuan Zhuo repeated the word three times, and most of his anger subsided.

He turned and declared, “When the Upper Beam Is Crooked, the Lower Beams Cannot Be Straight. Evil must be eradicated completely!”

“Regardless of who is implicated, have the Directorate of Ceremonial submit a memorial. I will not spare a single person!”

Only then did Eunuch Feng release him and help Yuan Zhuo into his chair.

“Your Majesty is wise. This old servant has already ordered the Directorate of Ceremonial to gather the evidence. However, Your Majesty must still decide how the officials in Jiangnan are to be handled.”

“What is there to decide?”

“If officials in the Grand Secretariat are involved, execute them. If officials in the Six Ministries are involved, execute them!”

“Pull Up the Radish and Bring Out the Mud. I refuse to believe that there is not a single honest official left in this world!”

Yuan Zhuo gripped the armrests with both hands and leaned against the back of the chair. His expression remained grim.

After frowning in thought for a moment, he continued.

“The Jianghu must also be placed under stricter control. Those who deserve death must be killed. Those who must be purged must be purged. Anything that should be returned must be returned.”

“Why do these great sects require so much farmland? Do they intend to stand ankle-deep in mud while practicing martial arts and cultivating the Dao?”

“My ancestors were merciful, but I will not Raise a Tiger to Court Disaster!”

Eunuch Feng stood silently to the side, memorizing every word with his head lowered as he waited for further instructions.

“Where is Lu Wenyu?”

Yuan Zhuo’s voice had become much calmer, but his eyes narrowed slightly, making him resemble a man-eating tiger.

“Does he no longer concern himself with the Embroidered Uniform Guard or affairs of the Jianghu?”

“Lord Lu has had a difficult time as well. He escorted military provisions to Ningzhou last month and only recently returned to the Capital. This old servant thought it best to allow him two days of rest…”

“Mm. I had forgotten about that.”

Yuan Zhuo raised his chin, and his expression softened somewhat.

“My Grand Companion, go to the Lu Residence and summon Lu Wenyu. He wishes to remain uninvolved and live as an idle man, but I will not permit it!”

“This old servant will call Chen Jing in to attend Your Majesty and leave immediately.”

Eunuch Feng went outside and sent Chen Jing into the room. He then put on a heavy cloak and strode rapidly toward the palace gate.

By the time Eunuch Feng reached the gate of the Western Garden, the sky was completely dark.

He accepted the horse led over by a young eunuch, gave him several instructions, and hurriedly mounted before riding toward the Lu Residence.

The Lu Residence had originally belonged to a wealthy merchant. It consisted of six successive courtyards and occupied nearly four mu of land.

It was only one street away from the Imperial City and naturally not far from the Western Garden.

After riding for only two quarters of an hour, Eunuch Feng arrived outside the Lu Residence.

He stepped forward and knocked.

The vermilion gates slowly opened, and the Gatekeeper poked his head outside. When he saw Eunuch Feng dressed in a scarlet official robe and hat, he hurriedly asked, “My lord, have you come to see Lord Lu?”

“I have come from the palace. Is Lord Lu at home?”

“His Majesty has issued an oral summons ordering Lord Lu Wenyu to enter the palace. Report it immediately!”

The Gatekeeper’s eyes widened.

He pulled the gates fully open and said respectfully, “My lord, it is cold outside. Please wait indoors. This humble one will report your arrival immediately.”

Eunuch Feng nodded and handed the reins to a servant who had emerged from the residence.

He brushed the snow from his clothes and stepped inside.

After tying up the horse and closing the gates, the servant led Eunuch Feng toward the main hall.

In a hall within the rear courtyard, the graying Lu Wenyu sat in the seat of honor. His wife, two sons, and young daughter sat around the table with him.

Although Lu Wenyu came from a military background, he had a refined and scholarly appearance.

The two sections of his mustache had been trimmed with meticulous care. His beard was neither long nor short, while his hair had been arranged so neatly that not a single strand was out of place.

His eyes were bright and penetrating, and his complexion was fair.

He stood a little over six chi tall and wore a blue-green padded robe. Although he appeared lean, he possessed considerable authority.

At that moment, he was eating and chatting with his wife and children, and the atmosphere was warm and peaceful.

The Gatekeeper knocked on the door. Only after receiving Lu Wenyu’s permission did he enter.

He bowed and reported, “My lord, a eunuch from the palace has arrived. His Majesty has summoned you to enter the palace. He is currently waiting in the main hall.”

Lu Wenyu frowned.

After considering the matter briefly, he reassured his family and ordered, “Bring me my official robes!”

Before long, Lu Wenyu entered the main hall dressed neatly in a scarlet Python Robe.

When he saw Eunuch Feng drinking tea, he spoke first.

“Eunuch Feng, what urgent matter has caused His Majesty to summon me to the palace at this hour?”

“Forgive me for disturbing you, Lord Lu. It concerns the Imperial Envoy. The Jiangnan case has been resolved, and members of the Jianghu were involved. His Majesty has most likely summoned you because of that matter.”

Eunuch Feng set down his teacup and stood.

“Let us depart for the palace immediately. We should not keep His Majesty waiting.”

“Very well. After you, Eunuch Feng.”

Lu Wenyu raised a hand politely and led the way forward.