The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 14 Reporting
After the beginning of winter, the Shi family's social interactions became frequent.

On the third day of the eleventh month, Shi Dechong went out, leaving Xiao Yi, who was already capable of handling things independently, in the mansion to deal with miscellaneous matters.

In the afternoon, when Xiao Yi saw Shi Dechong return, he immediately reported, "Prefect Liu has arrived, but he did not present his visiting card. The commander-in-chief is busy, so the steward arranged for him to wait in the west wing. I had someone send him a jar of wine to warm him up."

This is precisely where his meticulousness lies; he proactively paid attention to who was important to Shi Dechong.

Shi Dechong nodded in satisfaction, and as he stepped inside, he said, "I'll change my clothes first. Go to the storeroom and get a brocade robe and jade belt to give to Liu Zhu."

"There must be a reason for this?" Xiao Yi followed up and asked.

“Good question. Tell him it was a gift from the Emperor.” Shi Dechong continued walking, “The Emperor loves dance and music. He bestowed brocade robes and jade belts upon the court musicians. Yesterday, at the imperial banquet, my father saw them and ordered them to take them off.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi thought to himself that Shi Hongzhao had essentially slapped the emperor in the face.

He harbored a vague worry, but knowing that neither the Shi family father nor their son were open to criticism, he refrained from speaking out.

Shi Dechong didn't find anything wrong with the matter at all. Instead, his voice became a little more arrogant as he said, "Father said, 'Soldiers guard the border for the country, enduring hunger and cold, yet they do not receive such an honor. What merit do actors have to deserve such a reward?' This is very gratifying. You can also tell Liu Zhu to acknowledge his merits."

"Yes." Xiao Yi was not excited upon hearing this; his expression remained indifferent.

Shi Dechong noticed his concerns, stopped, and smiled, "Don't worry, this is Father's way of establishing his authority."

Xiao Yi thought that Zhao Gao was pointing at a deer and calling it a horse in order to find a political enemy, but the historians repeatedly established their authority, yet there was no follow-up action.

Perhaps it's because martial artists these days are used to being arrogant and domineering.

Upon arriving at the west wing, Xiao Yi was stopped at the door by several of Liu Zhu's attendants, who instructed him to deliver the brocade robe and jade belt directly to the carriage outside.

He glanced into the side hall and saw a sinister-looking man sitting there with his eyes closed, so he didn't disturb him.

Upon arriving at the gate of the mansion, Liu Zhu's carriage was quite impressive, with eight fine horses tied to it. There was a carriage at the back specifically for storing items, including armor, weapons, food boxes, wine jugs, and even a Buddha statue. In the corner, there were several lanterns and kites, as if they were prepared for the New Year's lantern festival.

After exchanging the brocade robe and jade belt, Xiao Yi walked back, but was stopped by the gatekeeper when he reached the side gate.

"Yi Lang, there's someone requesting an audience with the commander-in-chief. He looks like an official, but he won't give me a formal invitation or even give his name. He just won't leave. Should I kick him out? I'm afraid I'll offend some deity. Give me some advice?"

Xiao Yi turned his head and saw a person standing at the corner of the alley, wearing an inconspicuous gray fox fur coat, with his head down, as if he was afraid of the cold and had buried his whole face in his scarf.

"I gonna go see."

Upon getting closer, Xiao Yi recognized the person.

"Lord Yan?"

"Shh." Yan Jinqing flinched, made a shushing gesture, and whispered, "Could you please take me to see the Grand Tutor?"

His eyes were eager, and fearing that Xiao Yi would not agree, he quickly added, "I have something extremely urgent to do."

"Lord Yama, please come with me."

Xiao Yi kept quiet and led Yan Jinqing through the alley, into the mansion through a side gate, and found a secluded wing room.

He noticed that Yan Jinqing kept his head down the whole way, and when he occasionally looked up, his eyes were full of vigilance.

"Please wait a moment, Lord Yan. I will go and inform them, but the Commander-in-Chief and the Eldest Son are both busy and probably won't be able to spare the time."

Yan Jinqing said anxiously, "I arrived before noon and have been waiting anxiously... Please convey my message—it is of utmost importance, of utmost importance!"

Xiao Yi glanced at the sky and knew that Yan Jinqing had probably been wandering in the cold wind for more than an hour.

This inevitably made him wonder if there was any opportunity or danger involved in this matter.

Instead of directly asking Yan Jinqing to inform him, he said slowly, "Even so, I suppose the commander-in-chief still won't see Lord Yan."

"Why?" Yan Jinqing asked, his face contorted with a mournful expression. "I have visited you many times to request an audience, but I have been refused entry each time. I am clearly sincere in my loyalty, but I do not understand why the Grand Tutor refuses to see me."

"Does Lord Yan truly not know the reason?"

"Yi Lang knows?" Yan Jinqing quickly bowed and said, "Please tell me, I would be very grateful."

Xiao Yi knew that once he told Yan Jinqing, Yan Jinqing would likely give up, so he said, "Lord Yan, could you please tell me why you have come today?"

"This... I'm afraid it won't work."

“Since Lord Yan does not believe me, please wait here and take a seat.”

This time, Xiao Yi didn't say "please sit for a while" but "please wait to sit," and his tone became indifferent before he turned and left.

"Otsurou, wait!"

Yan Jinqing quickly called out to him, but he still hesitated, pounding his hands and refusing to speak.

Xiao Yi did not urge him, but waited patiently.

After hesitating for a long time, Yan Jinqing finally spoke, his voice hoarse from anxiety.

"Let's take a gamble," I said.

Xiao Yi closed the doors and windows, gesturing for him to sit down, leaning forward slightly in a respectful posture.

Yan Jinqing said, "I have been reinstated as the Inner Palace Attendant. This post is nothing more than 'etiquette,' so I often travel inside and outside the palace to welcome and send off envoys, assist the prime minister with etiquette, and serve the emperor. Therefore, I am more informed about matters within the palace than others." Xiao Yi nodded slightly in agreement and waited for what was to come.

This gave Yan Jinqing the urge to confide in someone, and her speech became more fluent.

"Recently, there has been some talk within the palace. The Emperor often suspects that there are sounds of fighting at night in the Daning Palace, which makes it difficult for him to sleep and causes him great anxiety."

Xiao Yi understood the seriousness of this statement; it implied that the emperor suspected someone was plotting a rebellion, which was the premise.

"and then?"

"This morning, I went to the palace to check the list of New Year's rewards with the Empress Dowager. I happened to meet the Emperor with the Empress Dowager, so I retreated to the east wing to wait. After the Emperor left, I noticed that the eunuch who was standing at the palace gate looked strange and his face was full of fear, so I took the opportunity to ask him something..."

Yan Jinqing took a deep breath, as if the words he was about to say weighed a ton, and his throat bobbed before he continued.

"Initially, the whispers in the palace were inaudible. Later, the Empress Dowager became angry and vaguely said, 'How can this matter be made lightly?' The Emperor also gradually became indignant and clearly uttered the eight words, 'Those who seize power and threaten the emperor will eventually cause chaos.'"

Xiao Yi asked, "Are you saying who is in power?"

Yan Jinqing said, "It's definitely not Su Fengji he's talking about."

"Why?"

"When the Emperor left the palace, the Empress Dowager asked him to reconsider, saying that important matters could be discussed with Su Jifeng. The Emperor angrily rebuked the Empress Dowager for being confined to her chambers and knowing nothing of state affairs, and left in a huff."

After saying that, Yan Jinqing seemed to have all his strength drained away. He leaned on the side table, seemingly unable to even sit still.

Xiao Yi waited for a while before realizing that he had finished speaking, and then pondered silently.

On the surface, the whole affair was a quarrel between a mother and son in the palace, with the emperor about to undertake a major task, which the Empress Dowager was preventing. Yan Jinqing certainly wasn't there to ask Shi Hongzhao to mediate the dispute; he was simply worried about the major task the emperor was about to undertake.

What is it?
The answer is ready to come out.

——Kill Shi Hongzhao!
The one who "usurps power and threatens the ruler, and will inevitably lead to chaos" is Shi Hongzhao.

The fact that the emperor rebuked the empress dowager so resolutely shows that his mind was made up to kill her, leaving no room for negotiation.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yi felt a chill run down his spine. He had just killed the Empress Dowager's clansmen not long ago... If the Shi family were eliminated, there would be no need for the Empress Dowager to settle scores with him.

However, one should not easily trust Yan Jinqing.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Xiao Yi spoke, his voice still calm, "Why is Lord Yan willing to risk his life to tell you this matter?"

"To be honest, Yilang, I have learned of this secret. The consequences are unpredictable. One wrong step could lead to utter ruin. Considering that both the internal and external armies are under the Grand Tutor's control, I fear that the Grand Tutor may be caught off guard and fall into his trap... into his schemes."

This is quite straightforward: Yan Jinqing felt that Shi Hongzhao was more powerful and wanted to join him to make a great contribution.

Moreover, Yan Jinqing was even more afraid that if the emperor's plot failed, Shi Hongzhao would also settle scores with him.

His complete disregard for loyalty and righteousness, focusing solely on military might and power, can be considered a characteristic of the era.

Xiao Yi then asked, "What specific plans do you think the Emperor has?"

"How...how could I know that?"

"When? When do you plan to make your move?"

"I don't know, but as far as I know, the government acts on its word."

Xiao Yi nodded, lost in thought and remaining silent.

Yan Jinqing realized what was happening and asked, "Yi Lang doesn't believe me?"

“I believe you,” Xiao Yi said, “but words alone are not enough. How will you convince the Commander?”

Yan Jinqing said urgently, "I really don't know anything more. The truth of the matter can be found out by the commander-in-chief. How dare I deceive him with my life?"

Xiao Yi carefully observed his gaze, realizing he had obtained all that Yan Jinqing knew, before finally standing up.

"Lord Yan, please sit here and do not go out or let anyone else in. Wait for me to return."

"it is good."

Just as Xiao Yi was about to leave, Yan Jinqing suddenly tugged at his collar and asked, "You still haven't told me why the Commander-in-Chief won't take me as a concubine?"

"Rest assured, the commander will treat Lord Yan well."

Xiao Yi patted Yan Jinqing's hand and turned to leave.

He knew that, given Shi Hongzhao's character, even if Yan Jinqing risked his life to deliver the message, he would not be given an important position, because Shi Hongzhao could not tolerate someone with the surname Yan by his side.

It is clear that Yan Jinqing has not yet found out the secrets of the Yan family back then; otherwise, he should have sided with the emperor.

As the wind and snow intensified, Xiao Yi wrapped his green sable cloak tighter around himself and strode toward the noisiest part of the Shi residence.

The snow crunched softly beneath his feet, like ice that might be crushed at any moment, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface.

(End of this chapter)