The Splendor of the Five Dynasties

Chapter 15 Find your own way out
Upon arriving at the front yard, Xiao Yi was stopped by the guards with swords and halberds.

"I have urgent business to discuss with the Commander-in-Chief."

"The commander-in-chief is nowhere to be found!"

Xiao Yi stood there for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. It was clear that the person visiting Shi Hongzhao was a general of the Imperial Guard under his command, and several of his personal guards were waiting in the corridor.

When dealing with military affairs, Shi Hongzhao didn't like to be disturbed, so Xiao Yi thought about it and decided to go find Shi Dechong first.

He rushed to the west wing, but was stopped again.

Today, however, it was Xie Hui who stood guard outside the hall door and said, "Young Master has important matters to discuss with Prefect Liu."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi wondered to himself, could it be that Liu Zhu had also come to deliver a message?
He patiently waited in the corridor, pondering the news he had just heard.

After a while, Liu Zhu finally left.

Xiao Yi then walked towards the side hall at a slightly faster pace than usual. As he passed Liu Zhu, he bowed and nodded politely.

Liu Zhu seemed not to have reacted yet, subconsciously nodded slightly, and quickly walked past.

After the two were a few steps apart, Xiao Yi vaguely heard Liu Zhu ask his attendant behind him, "Is that Shi Erlang?"

Ultimately, it was his sable cloak that stood out.

Putting those aside for the moment, Xiao Yi entered the side hall and got straight to the point, telling Shi Dechong in detail what he had heard that day.

"Young master, Yan Jinqing just came to our door and told us a secret..."

Xiao Yi lowered his voice and spoke carefully, afraid of missing a single detail.

Occasionally, the crackling sound of charcoal fire could be heard in the hall, and he would glance back warily before continuing.

Shi Dechong's dismissive expression froze slightly, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes, as if he were judging the truth of the matter.

Xiao Yi thought he had realized the seriousness of the situation, but soon that thought turned into a hint of sarcasm.

"What do you think it is?"

Shi Dechong picked up his teacup, took a sip, and regained his composure, saying, "The Empress Dowager is very strict with the Emperor, and he is young and impetuous. It's not surprising that he occasionally talks back. The imperial family is just like ordinary people. Is that why Yan Jinqing dares to make such alarmist remarks?"

“But I don’t think he’s faking it.”

“His every word is just baseless speculation.”

Xiao Yi said, "If His Majesty harbors resentment over the General's recent actions and wishes to take action against him, then it is only natural..."

"despair."

Shi Dechong put down his teacup, making a soft sound to interrupt Xiao Yi's words. His eyes were clear, but there was no wariness in them; instead, they carried a condescending and insightful look.

"Xiao Yi, you are quick-witted, but you are too naive. That's why you were fooled by Yan Jinqing. He is a petty person who, unable to curry favor with your father, stirs up trouble to gain credit and sow discord between the emperor and his ministers."

Shi Dechong seemed to have seen through Yan Jinqing's thoughts, and a faint sense of self-satisfaction appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Yi hadn't expected Shi Dechong to be so dismissive of such an important matter, and asked, "Isn't the young master afraid that what he said might be true?"

"It's true that the Emperor fears his father, but so what?"

When he spoke the last four words, Shi Dechong's voice rose, displaying an air of arrogance as he spoke eloquently.

"Father commands troops both inside and outside the court, and the ministers in the court are all in cahoots. The Prefect of Kaifeng is at his beck and call. On the other hand, the Emperor is surrounded by a few singers and courtesans, and a bunch of sycophantic officials. What good can they do? You say the Emperor wants to take action because he went to the Empress Dowager to cry and complain. Does he think he can cry the Shi family to death?"

Shi Dechong counted on his fingers, calm and confident.

He patted Xiao Yi on the shoulder, his tone admonishing, and said, "I'm not saying that your caution is wrong, but you should know that a strong army is the key to victory. Your father has spent his life on the battlefield and is not someone that a playful young man can outmaneuver."

Xiao Yi was unsure of the Shi family's intentions and, after a moment's thought, tentatively asked, "I thought Prefect Liu had also come to deliver a message."

“Is he as easily frightened as you? He came to say that now that Guo Wei has won, it’s time to get Shuxin back.” Shi Dechong murmured, “According to Father, we should first see Guo Wei’s attitude toward the marriage alliance before discussing it further.”

Xiao Yi had a vague premonition that this was also a foolish move.

He thought for a moment, then offered another piece of advice, saying, "Young master, it's better to believe it exists than not. Why not go and see Yan..."

Shi Dechong frowned and said, "Yan Jinqing and his ilk are vain and shameless. Go and kick him out of the Shi residence... I don't want to hear about this person again."

Xiao Yi felt that he was hostile towards Yan Jinqing, perhaps because his birth mother also had the surname Yan.

He had no choice but to step back, intending to question Yan Jinqing further.

But from afar, the door to the side room was open. I hurried over to take a look, but no one was inside.

Xiao Yi looked around and saw that the footprints outside the door were messy. He vaguely felt that something was wrong, so he followed the several rows of footprints in the snow all the way out of the mansion.

Outside the gate, Liu Zhu's carriage had just turned the corner and disappeared into the snowstorm.

Xiao Yi hurriedly asked the gatekeeper, "Have you seen that man in the gray fox fur coat?"

"He got into Liu Jingyin's carriage." "Is that so?"

Xiao Yi frowned in thought, feeling that the matter was more complicated than he had anticipated.

Therefore, the crisis that historians will face is likely to be much greater than Shi Dehong anticipated.

He couldn't convince himself to trust Shi Dechong's judgment and continue living peacefully in the Shi family mansion.

He paused to ponder, then looked up at the old tree in the courtyard. He saw that the bird's nest among the branches had collapsed under the weight of the snow and fallen to the ground.

Xiao Yi murmured to himself.

Good advice is hard to persuade a damned person; compassion is useless if it leads to self-destruction.

It's time to find our own way.

--------

Xiao Yi decided to see Shi Dechong one last time.

His mindset was different from usual; he pushed the door open and entered without knocking.

Shi Dechong was seen slumped in a chair, clearly drunk, while a maid massaged his shoulders.

"I didn't let you in."

"Young Master, Liu Zhu has taken Yan Jinqing away. Although we don't know why, I'm afraid..."

Shi Dechong frowned, raised his hand to dismiss the maid behind him, and said, "This matter is nothing to worry about, you don't need to worry about it."

"it is good."

Xiao Yi nodded and spoke, no longer offering advice, but saying, "The commander-in-chief has a strong army and is not in a hurry to replace the emperor. I suppose it's not because he fears the emperor, but actually because of Guo Wei."

Shi Dechong was taken aback, his drunkenness subsided somewhat, and he sat up, asking, "What makes you say that?"

Xiao Yi said, "The fundamental reason why the Commander-in-Chief entrusted the Privy Council seal to Guo Wei is that the Commander-in-Chief commands the Imperial Guards and cannot personally lead the expedition. However, no matter how trustworthy Guo Wei is, he is still an outsider. Now the Commander-in-Chief is probably waiting for Guo Wei to return to the capital for a face-to-face discussion. The so-called marriage alliance is to clarify his attitude?"

"You are really smart."

Why should you place your hopes on others, young master?

"what for?"

Xiao Yi slowed his speech and asked, "Are Guo Wei and the Commander-in-Chief truly of one mind?"

"You mean... how is that possible?" Shi Dechong was startled, his voice a little hoarse.

"Since the Guo family did not immediately agree to the marriage alliance, there is a possibility of reversal. Not to mention the possibility of things going wrong in the long run, even if the marriage alliance is successful and Erlang becomes the Guo family's son-in-law, in the long run, will it be beneficial to the young master? Erlang once said that he is the warlord's beloved son."

Shi Dechong remained silent, his eyes narrowing slightly, a glint of light flickering within them.

Xiao Yi took two steps closer, lowered his voice, and said, "There is another possibility. Guo Wei was originally willing to help. He forced him to marry his daughter to Erlang, but it backfired. But you are different, young master. He must be able to see that you are far more outstanding than Erlang. In that case, why don't you contact Guo Wei in private? In that case, it will be you, young master, who will accomplish great things, not Erlang. This is the safest plan."

Shi Dechong seemed to be moved, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest.

After thinking for a while, he slowly said, "Should I contact Guo Wei? I'm afraid my father will be displeased."

"As long as we keep it from the commander-in-chief, you can secretly send someone to see Guo Wei."

"Then... we must not use messengers or soldiers."

"Yes, but no written letters should be left behind. Someone must explain the advantages and disadvantages to Guo Wei in person and clarify the young master's great ambitions."

With these words, Xiao Yi's true intentions were revealed. The historians were unaware of the impending disaster, so it was time for them to go their separate ways.

All that's needed now is a written order from Shi Dechong before he can join the Guo family.

Shi Dehong nodded and got up to pace around.

Seeing that he was still hesitating, Xiao Yi opened his mouth as if to persuade him again, but ultimately held back.

He waited patiently, silently reciting "The Purple Star shines upon the Dipper, the Emperor's Star shines upon him," encouraging Shi Dechong with only his eyes.

at last,

"Xiao Yi, you are skilled in both literature and martial arts, and your horsemanship is also excellent. Would you be willing to make this trip for me?"

Xiao Yi suppressed his excitement, paused for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "I am willing to serve you, young master."

"Excellent!" Shi Dechong exclaimed, "With Xiao Yi in my possession, great things are on the horizon."

Become!

The next moment, Shi Dechong's tone suddenly changed to normal, and he said with a gentle smile, "Your journey will be arduous. I will arrange a wife for you. Marry Chun Tao before you set off. Once you have a family and something to hold onto, you will be more reliable in your work, and I can rest assured."

(End of this chapter)