Isolated town in northern border region

When news of the Chu emperor's supposed illness and subsequent court absences resurfaced, no one in the court or among the public believed it was merely a matter of "poor health."

The civil and military officials knew better than anyone that the wind had shifted. Those officials who were originally observing began to write memorials overnight. Although the morning court session was suspended the next day, memorials flew into the Office of Transmission like snowflakes, and their contents were surprisingly consistent.

The first to submit their proposals were a few veteran officials who had initially remained neutral, using tactful but clear language.

"A country cannot be without a ruler for a single day. Please appoint Xiao Lie as regent to govern the country."

Following closely behind were several powerful officials from the Ministry of War, whose writing style became even more direct.

"His Majesty is in poor health, while the King of the Northern Frontier is in his prime, with outstanding military achievements and the support of the people. He should assume the regency to bring peace to the realm."

Then came the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Justice; one memorial after another piled up like a small mountain on the desk of the Office of Transmission.

Some used euphemistic language, some were blunt, and some began with phrases like "The Emperor is seriously ill, and the King of the Northern Frontier's power shakes all directions."

It was as if everyone had conspired overnight, with an attitude of not stopping until they angered the Chu Emperor to death.

The most influential among them was the second prince, who received the favor of the Chu emperor, opened his own government, recruited scholars, and compiled the "History of Chu"!

The Second Prince, Xiao Zhang, who was originally the least compatible with Xiao Lie, acted faster than anyone else.

On the very first day, several officials from his faction jointly submitted a letter, their words earnest and their admiration for Xiao Lie overflowing. They were completely different from the man who had fabricated the rumor of Xiao Lie being a "lone star" just a few months earlier.

Furthermore, historical records devoted considerable space to describing Xiao Lie's achievements.

Of the thirteen volumes of the "History of Chu," four volumes contain the content about Xiao Lie!

Anyone who didn't know better would think Xiao Lie was the founding emperor of the Great Chu!

A saying has even begun to circulate among the people.

"The Second Prince is afraid."

Someone responded.

"What are you afraid of? You're afraid the King of Northern Frontier will bring up old grievances."

In contrast, after admitting his mistake at Juxian Tower, the sixth prince, Xiao Ye, requested to enter the palace that very night to serve his father, the emperor.

He knelt at the palace gate for an hour before being allowed in. Once inside, he did not discuss politics but simply stood guard outside the Chu Emperor's bedchamber, serving tea and water, preparing and changing medicine, like an ordinary son caring for his seriously ill father.

The palace eunuchs gossiped about it privately.

"His Highness's move is truly devastating!"

Another eunuch lowered his voice.

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's genuine filial piety!"

"Didn't you see His Majesty pour that scalding hot medicine all over the Sixth Prince?"

"Even though the Sixth Prince's neck was burned and the skin was peeling off, his first priority was to wipe it clean for His Majesty!"

Overnight, undercurrents surged throughout Kyoto.

Xiao Lie neither confirmed nor denied this.

He sat in the courtyard of the post station drinking tea, with the book "A Record of My Experiences in the Northern Frontier" beside him, already turned to the second half.

People had been queuing outside the inn since early morning.

First, a vice minister from the Ministry of Rites stood at the door for an hour, carrying two boxes of pastries; then a clerk from the Ministry of Works came with a roll of blueprints, saying he wanted to ask about the technology of road construction in the northern frontier; then several officials from the Censorate came together, saying they wanted to "pay their respects to the prince and express their admiration."

Bisu ran in and out seven or eight times, and each time she came back she would say, "Your Highness, someone has come again."

Xiao Lie flipped through the book without looking up.

"not see."

Bisu whispered.

"That Vice Minister of Rites has been standing outside for over an hour..."

Xiao Lie turned a page.

"Then let him stand if he wants to. I may not be good at much else, but I'm absolutely first-rate at collecting corpses."

More and more people were waiting outside, and the line stretched all the way to the corner of the alley.

Some people carried gifts, some held documents, and some deliberately changed into patched clothes to try and get acquainted with Xiao Lie.

Xiao Lie finally closed the book "A Record of My Experiences in the Northern Frontier," stood up, walked to the window, and looked out. The alley was full of people—some in official robes, some in plain clothes, some with entourages, and some alone. The whole street was like a blocked river.

The common people who were doing business were driven away by these officials, and one by one they packed up their things and left.

He looked at it for a moment, then turned around.

"Bisu, go tell them they can stand at the door, but they're not allowed to harass the people!"

Bisu hesitated for a moment.

"Your Highness, those people outside are all..."

Xiao Lie interrupted her.

"This is an official post station!"

"Outside is Kyoto's most bustling street!"

"How many ordinary people rely on running small businesses to make a living?"

"If we don't make any business today, what will people eat and drink?"

Bisu nodded and quickly ran out.

But just as she reached the door, Jiang Min came out of the house carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup and stopped Bi Su.

"Since Your Highness is worried about the people, why not find a restaurant to hold a banquet and invite them all over, so that they can get to know each other better?"

Xiao Lie snorted coldly.

"They're all here to take sides!"

"While I was fighting on the northern frontier, they were writing memorials praising the wisdom of the Chu Emperor!"

"When I was distributing land in Yongzhou, they wrote a memorial accusing me of being arrogant and domineering!"

"Now the wind has shifted, and they're faster than anyone else."

He walked back to the chair and sat down.

"If they like to stand, then let them stand!"

As he spoke, Xiao Lie looked at Bi Su.

"Bisu, tell them that I don't know who didn't come, but I can clearly see who left midway!"

"Tell them not to inconvenience the locals, just stand at the entrance; it will improve business on this street."

"It can be considered that these officials are on an incognito visit."

Bisu smiled broadly.

"Okay!"

"Your Highness, you're so wicked!"

Xiao Lie raised his chin smugly, while Jiang Min frowned as she looked at the two of them.

"Your Highness, aren't you afraid of alienating them?"

Xiao Lie took the lotus seed soup and drank a sip.

"Do they even have a heart?"

Jiang Min choked.

Xiao Lie put down the bowl.

"They are not here to see me, but to see the words 'Regent'."

"Whoever sits in this position, that's who they'll go to see."

"Furthermore, I have never said that I want to be a regent, so why should I let them meet me?"

Jiang Min remained silent for a while.

"Then, Your Highness... what do you intend to do?"

Xiao Lie stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"I am merely an ordinary king of the Northern Frontier, what can I do?"

"Let the Emperor of Chu have his headache!"

"Since we still have two days, if he doesn't write a self-reproach edict, I'll deal with him then!"

Xiao Lie twisted his neck and added another sentence.

"Oh, right."

"Min'er, tell me, if the Emperor of Chu discovered that all his sons were leaving him, the Second Prince was eagerly offering his pledge of allegiance, and the entire court was waiting for his abdication... what would he think?"

Jiang Min looked at him.

"Maybe... they'll just give up entirely?"

Xiao Lie did not answer; he gazed in the direction of the palace wall.

"Hmph! This is the mess he made!"

That night, the candles in Emperor Xiao Mu's bedchamber remained lit.

He leaned against the headboard, holding the copies of the memorials in his hand, reading them over and over again, his expression unreadable.

Xiao Ye knelt beside the medicine stove in the outer room, watching over the medicine that was being brewed.

He turned around, and through the half-open door, the father and son were separated by a door, yet it felt like being separated by a grave.

Xiao Ye brought the brewed medicine into the hall, placed it on the low table by the bedside, and said something in a low voice.

"Father, the medicine is ready."

The Chu Emperor neither looked at him nor drank the bowl of medicine; he simply said one sentence.

"Why don't you go and write shogaku (a type of historical writing) too... just like them?"

Xiao Ye shook his head.

"Your subject will not write! Your subject will stay here and guard you."

The Chu Emperor's gaze finally shifted. He stared at Xiao Ye's young face for a long time, until the steam from the medicinal soup dissipated.

Then he looked away.

"Go out... just leave the medicine there."

Xiao Ye got up and left, gently closing the door behind him.

The Chu Emperor sat in the darkness, looking down at the bowl of medicine that had gone cold, a thin film of medicine forming on the rim of the bowl.

He suddenly reached out and pushed the bowl of medicine to the ground, spilling the medicine all over the floor, soaking his drooping sleeves, and slowly seeping along the cracks in the blue bricks.

He didn't look down at the mess, but gazed at the night sky outside the window, which was divided into squares by the palace, and said softly.

"Since you want me to be infamous for eternity... then let's do it together!"