UCTOOT CH46

“How long do I have to wait?” Shi Shu asked.

“An audience with the Son of Heaven, who knows? Maybe your brother will be sentenced to death in court and won’t be coming back.”

Shi Shu had become familiar with this bailiff over the past few days, but he didn’t expect him to speak so thoughtlessly. He couldn’t help but snap, “Who asked you?”

“Hurry up and go. Take your brother’s luggage. An advisor with nothing of value, how shabby.” The bailiff, used to taking bribes in the prison, had a look of disgust on his face.

Shi Shu snatched the bundle. The money pouch was empty; every last bit of gold and silver had been taken. The bailiff added slyly, “There’s a wooden hairpin inside. I don’t know who it belongs to. Does your brother have a lover?”

“You’re rummaging through other people’s things?!”

“This is official government business, a routine inspection.”

Shi Shu: “Pah.”

Packing up Xie Wuchi’s bundle, Shi Shu discovered that the sheepskin bag where Xie Wuchi kept his journal had been opened and emptied. Needless to say, it had already been examined by the Censorate. An item lay scattered among the clothes—it wasn’t so much a wooden hairpin as a hair clip.

—A hair clip?!

A hair clip?

Shi Shu’s mind reeled. He picked up the clip and examined it closely against the sunlight. It was smooth, clean, and handmade, with the natural grain of the wood swirling on its surface. The top, adorned with a bead, wasn’t shaped in the common lotus, pumpkin, or petal patterns. Instead, it was—

Isn’t this Hello Kitty?!!!

What does this mean? The blood rushed to Shi Shu’s head. He resisted the insane urge to scream, “What the hell.”

Shi Shu carried the bundle back to the courtyard, his mind full of questions about the hair clip. He desperately needed to ask Xie Wuchi about the clip’s owner, but Xie Wuchi was in the imperial palace, still in his audience with the emperor, his return uncertain.

After several days with no news, Shi Shu grew more and more restless. He took the Buddha statue from the table—he didn’t care which Buddha it was—wiped it clean with a cloth, bought some paper money and incense, and knelt on the small prayer cushion. “Bodhisattva, long time no see. It’s been a while since I came to pray to you.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe in you, it’s just that I’ve been having such a good time with him lately that I forgot about you.”

“Please bless Xie Wuchi and let him come back alive. I’m begging you.”

“This faithful devotee is willing to eat vegetarian for the rest of his life and build you a golden statue.”

Shi Shu sat in the courtyard and wiped his eyes. To his surprise, several people suddenly burst in from outside. “Excuse me, is this the Xie family’s courtyard?”

Shi Shu: “Who are you?”

There were about a dozen people, all dressed festively, carrying items like red-dyed eggs, tables, grain, and oil. With flushed faces, they walked into the courtyard and even set off a string of firecrackers. “Good news! Good news! Your esteemed elder brother has been personally appointed as a Censor by His Majesty! This is a leap up the social ladder!”

“A Censor?”

Shi Shu’s heart jolted. He watched as this group of people entered the house, quickly dispelling auspicious medicinal water in every room as if performing a ritual. At the gate, people carried in load after load of imperial gifts and presents from other officials—chickens, ducks, geese—filling the courtyard to the brim.

Someone grabbed Shi Shu’s hand and spoke auspicious words. Just a few days ago, he had felt like he was in hell. He never thought that now, the auspicious firecrackers would be so loud they hurt his ears.

“Young master, this color suits you. From now on, you’ll be wearing silk and satin. You’re truly lucky to have such a successful brother!”

“I heard that Censor Xie debated hundreds of officials in the court a few days ago, denouncing Feng Lu and leaving those ministers speechless!”

“You’re so fortunate to have such a capable brother! He’s the first official to enter the court as a commoner since the time of Emperor Wen…”

“…”

Shi Shu’s fair face was frozen, his expression barely calm. “Where is he?”

A clerk bowed deeply and said, “As soon as Censor Xie left the court, he was invited by other officials to a banquet at the ‘Gaohua Tower’ to celebrate this joyous occasion.”

“Where is Gaohua Tower?”

“It’s the largest restaurant in the Eastern Capital, not far from the Governor’s office outside the Imperial City. Young master, this fabric pattern—”

Someone else wanted to show him new clothes and fabrics. Shi Shu shook them off, left the group in the courtyard, and ran out the gate.

Shi Shu was running wildly. A burning heat spread from his chest to his ears. Xie Wuchi, Xie Wuchi… you’re really okay? Surprise turned into wild joy. You’ve got some skills! Imprisoned in the Orchid Terrace for ten days, sleepless nights, enduring all kinds of hardships, challenging the limits of your intelligence and body—I knew a person like you couldn’t possibly fail.

A farmer’s boy in the morning, in the Emperor’s hall by evening. You’ve truly had a meteoric rise!

The journey was fraught with hardship, but the moment of reaching the destination, of breaking through the clouds to see the clear sky, brought an incomparable joy.

Shi Shu ran through the streets towards the largest restaurant in the Eastern Capital, Gaohua Tower. Xie Wuchi was busy with something, and Shi Shu didn’t want to disturb him, but he needed to see him from a distance to confirm it was real, that the man was still alive. He was unwilling to wait passively.

After a few turns, he saw Gaohua Tower, built by the river at the most beautiful spot on the Liu River. In winter, one could watch the river freeze over; in spring, the peach blossom floods; in summer, the willows brushing the dikes; and in autumn, the fading yellow sky. Gaohua Tower consisted of about five or six buildings connected by floating corridors, with soaring eaves and layered floors. The pavilions were one after another, lit by glass lanterns and carved-bone lanterns. Lavishly dressed people came and went. The red lacquer was new. It was a picture of luxurious decadence.

The stone path below was also parked full of carriages and sedan chairs of high officials and nobles, guarded by a group of people. Only the wealthy were allowed in.

Shi Shu couldn’t help himself. “Xie Wuchi, well done. You’ve really made it. You gambled with your life and won.”

One’s own failure is hard to accept, but a brother’s success is even more staggering.

Shi Shu just glanced as he passed by, but a servant immediately scolded him, “Do you have a reservation? Stop looking!”

“…………”

Mind your own business.

Do you think I really want to go in? You’re so pretentious.

Shi Shu couldn’t explain why he had come; he just wanted to see him. He walked about fifty meters past the building and came to the river that ran through the Eastern Capital. In August, the banks were shaded by willow trees. There had been a heavy rain a few days ago, and the river was swelling, with layers of dark gray waves rising one after another.

“Next…”

“Inspect the whole country… change… imperial decree…”

“Stop, you can’t go past here.”

Shi Shu was stopped by a guard. Unexpectedly, at that moment, he saw Xie Wuchi.

Xie Wuchi was no longer wearing the thin outer shirt from his prison cell, but the proper official robe of a sixth-rank Attendant Censor. It was a crimson silk robe with a square heart-shaped collar, tied with a large belt, and a black gauze hat with soft wings on his head. The attire gave his tall figure an unparalleled sense of noble power. He was standing by the riverbank, talking with a group of people.

Among them was even a high-ranking official in a purple robe. Officials in uniform stood on both sides, their heads bowed respectfully as they listened. Xie Wuchi’s expression was calm, his eyelashes lowered, still with that look of being above the mortal world, untroubled by waves. Looking at his face alone, this person was no different from the monk who attended to the green lamp before the Buddha.

“Xie Wuchi…”

A ripple went through Shi Shu’s chest. The group was discussing something intently. Xie Wuchi turned his face, the rolling, turbulent black waves of the Liu River behind him.

Xie Wuchi saw Shi Shu. His gaze paused for a moment. He opened a fan and a smile appeared on his face.

Shi Shu waved at him and turned to walk away.

The purple-robed official, Liu Chenglan, turned his head and saw Xie Wuchi’s expression. He asked, “Who was that?”

Xie Wuchi: “In response to Lord Vice Director, that is this subordinate’s younger brother.”

“Oh,” Liu Chenglan said softly. “When we go up to eat, have your brother join us.”

When Xie Wuchi looked back again, Shi Shu had already run far away. He said, “Alright. Will the Lord Vice Director be joining us?”

Liu Chenglan said, “This old man will not go. His Majesty forbids forming factions. Coming to see you specially after court was already an exception. You young people can talk among yourselves.”

Xie Wuchi: “Yes.”

“Remember what I told you. As long as you handle His Majesty’s affairs with dedication, there will be no trouble. If you don’t handle it well, you’ll have a hard time keeping that black gauze hat you worked so hard to get. They will not let you go.”

After speaking, Liu Chenglan waved his hand. A servant came to support his arm. He stroked his beard, let the man help him, and under the guard of soldiers, got into his sedan chair and left Gaohua Tower.

Most of the gathered officials left, with only a few still standing there. Xie Wuchi’s expression was as indifferent as water. He said, “Call that young man from just now back. Have them set up a separate table upstairs.”

Shi Shu knew Xie Wuchi was talking to officials about confidential matters that couldn’t be leaked, so he left first, feeling very happy. Good! As long as I know he’s alive, that’s enough!

However, Shi Shu hadn’t gone far when a voice came from behind, “Young master, young master?”

Shi Shu turned his head and saw a neat-looking young servant who introduced himself, “This humble one is called Li Fu. The master sent me to invite the young master to Gaohua Tower for a meal.”

Shi Shu: “Which master?”

“The young master’s elder brother, Censor Xie!”

Shi Shu raised an eyebrow. Alright, Xie Wuchi. You’ve just made it and you’re already putting on airs.

“Okay!” Shi Shu followed him up to Gaohua Tower. Li Fu said, “This humble one is a young servant dispatched from the Censorate to serve the master. From now on, I will be with the master and the young master. There is also a Zhou Xiang, who is with the master right now.”

Shi Shu: “We’ll all eat and live together?”

Li Fu nodded. “Yes, yes. My parents were criminals, and I was born in prison. I’ve been serving in various government offices with my parents since I was young. For the past two years, I was transferred to the Censorate to do odd jobs and wash clothes. Now, I’ve been assigned to Censor Xie as a servant.”

Shi Shu looked at him. “How old are you?”

Li Fu: “I am nineteen by nominal age.”

Shi Shu: “Aren’t you the same age as me? Brother, don’t be so formal.”

Li Fu said nervously, “I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

Shi Shu patted his shoulder.

Gaohua Tower. Now that I’m back, can I still get in? Shi Shu was led up the stairs by Li Fu. The higher they went, the more private the floors became. The vermilion doors were all tightly closed. From time to time, the sounds of string and wind instruments, as well as men’s cheers and women’s flirtatious laughter, could be heard from within.

Li Fu whispered, “These upper floors are all reserved by people from the court. Ordinary people are not allowed in. The master has just entered the court, so he will be frequenting these places in the future.”

Before transmigrating, Shi Shu’s family was well-off, and he never worried about food or clothing. He didn’t know much about the lives of the social elite, but he had seen some on TV. The clinking of glasses at top clubs and hotels, luxury cars and beautiful women, transactions of money and sex—it was probably just like this.

However, from the very beginning, Shi Shu had no desire to become a member of the feudal rich and powerful. He lowered his eyelids, not paying much attention. “Alright, I’ll be careful.”

A door in front of them opened, and a man reeking of alcohol walked out, holding his waistband.

The sounds of laughter and merriment poured out from inside. Shi Shu glanced over. Just like when he had met the Xu Hengmen and Xu Hengfeng brothers in Changyang County, there were a few serious-looking people in the room, but also several flamboyantly dressed handsome men and beautiful women, with arms around each other, groping and touching.

—In officialdom, money, power, and sex—every temptation is magnified to the extreme.

Shi Shu turned his face away, preparing to leave, but the man with a toothpick in his mouth stared at him. “Who’s this pretty boy?”

Shi Shu pretended not to hear and continued to walk.

The man blocked him, smiling as he asked Li Fu, “Which room is he being sent to? He’s quite good-looking. After you’re done, come play with me.”

Li Fu wiped the sweat from his forehead. “This, this master…”

Shi Shu processed the words and finally understood. He looked up. “No, brother, don’t you have two eyes to see?”

This man was very martial-looking, with broad shoulders and a face weathered by the sun and rain. At a glance, he was not a civil official in the court. His fierce aura was more like someone from the military. His behavior was also typical of the Great Jing army.

Feng Kuizhi: “It’s not that?”

Shi Shu: “Of course it’s not. What do you mean, ‘play’? ‘Play’ this, ‘play’ that. Why don’t you let me ‘play’ with you, huh?”

Feng Kuizhi suddenly laughed, thick-skinned. “Sure, I’m just afraid you can’t handle me.”

I give up, Shi Shu thought. Stop rewarding these gay men.

Shi Shu walked around him. “Move.”

Feng Kuizhi followed him for a few steps. “What’s your name? Looking at your clothes, you don’t look like a young master. It’s not my fault for mistaking you for an escort.”

Shi Shu: “Go away. You still want to know my name.”

Feng Kuizhi was drunk, and a drunken stubbornness came over him. “What’s wrong? Is your name made of gold? I’m going to find out your name today!”

Li Fu’s face turned pale. Shi Shu turned back. “Fine, my name is Xiao Shuai, and I’m here to drink with people. Happy?”

Feng Kuizhi: “I don’t believe you. Which room are you going to?” Someone in his room noticed the situation and quickly came out to pull his sleeve. “General Feng, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?”

Shi Shu didn’t want to deal with it anymore and turned to hide his face. The others tried to persuade Feng Kuizhi, “Come on, come on, let’s drink.”

“I want him to drink with me!”

“…………”

How could such a speechless situation happen to me. The others quickly tried to persuade him, “Isn’t drinking with anyone the same? Are you upset because Yanfeng isn’t handsome enough? Yanfeng, quickly lead General Feng inside.”

“Coming,” a pleasant male voice said.

Only then did Feng Kuizhi calm down. He pointed a finger at a military commander. “Go with him and see who it is.”

Li Fu stammered, trying to explain. Shi Shu shook his head. Li Fu quickly left, and Shi Shu also took off running. Xie Wuchi had just become an official, and the situation was still unclear. Shi Shu thought it was better to avoid trouble.

The man behind him followed, but didn’t dare to make too much of a scene in Gaohua Tower. Shi Shu sprinted and managed to shake him off. He took another step forward, and a door in front of him opened. A hot hand pulled him inside.

The touch was familiar. Shi Shu turned his head to meet a pair of dark eyes. Just like he had seen by the Liu River, Xie Wuchi was wearing the crimson robe, his whole body imbued with an aura of power. “Xiao Shu?”

“Xie Wuchi! Someone is chasing me outside.”

“What happened?”

“I was spotted by a drunken military general. He said my clothes don’t look like a young master’s, more like a male model’s, and wanted me to drink with him. But I was afraid of causing trouble for you, so I didn’t say who I was or mention your name, in case he holds a grudge.”

Xie Wuchi turned his head to listen. Sure enough, there were footsteps outside. He raised his hand and pulled a nearby screen to block both of them completely. The screen was embroidered with a pattern of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains. It was thick and only left their upper bodies visible. Then, he suddenly undid Shi Shu’s hair.

Shi Shu’s black hair fell around his ears, framing his fair and handsome face. He widened his eyes. “What are you doing?”

Xie Wuchi: “Don’t move.”

Not only was Shi Shu’s hair down his back, but Xie Wuchi raised his hands to untie his own crimson official robe. He quickly undid the top half, tossed it on a nearby chair, and freed a hand to pull at Shi Shu’s collar.

All these actions immediately reminded Shi Shu of what Xie Wuchi had done before. He pulled Shi Shu’s collar down. Shi Shu’s eyes widened in alarm. “No, bro, you can’t just do this the moment we meet—”

Shi Shu’s clothes were pulled down to his arms. The air pricked his skin. His fair shoulder blades and back were fully exposed. Shi Shu raised his hands and desperately clutched at the front of Xie Wuchi’s robe, suppressing the urge to shout as his waist was suddenly embraced.

Shi Shu: “Holy shit!”

Xie Wuchi, what the hell are you doing!

Before the thought could even finish forming in his mind, his mouth was covered. Hot lips rubbed against his. A hand roamed over his fair back. Just as Shi Shu was about to make a sound, the footsteps outside grew closer.

Ahhh! This was the first time Shi Shu had been this close to Xie Wuchi. He didn’t dare to move him, his hands desperately clutching his clothes, his fingertips digging in randomly.

Shi Shu was held by Xie Wuchi behind the screen. From a concealed angle, one could only see a beautiful person with loose black hair and snow-white shoulders and neck, their gender ambiguous, being controlled and kissed by another. Xie Wuchi lowered his head to kiss his face, like a beast bowing its head to lick. Shi Shu endured it, his mind only worried about being discovered by the person outside the door.

Creak— The sound of the screen being knocked.

They had accidentally touched the painted screen.

When Shi Shu heard the sound, his ears roared, and his scalp and entire body tingled.

That sound from Xie Wuchi was too muffled, his voice hoarse, his panting like a wolf’s. It scared the soul out of Shi Shu. By the time he came to his senses, his nails were deeply embedded in his flesh.

Shi Shu clenched the front of Xie Wuchi’s robe, his eyes wide, not daring to say a word. The footsteps at the door stopped. someone was standing there.

“…………”

Shi Shu: You’re all crazy!

He was being ravaged in Xie Wuchi’s arms. Xie Wuchi’s clothes were also torn and in a mess, revealing his shoulders and upper body muscles. Shi Shu was leanly muscled; he rarely exercised except for running. His body was very healthy, but his frame was not in the same league as Xie Wuchi’s.

To an outsider, the couple behind the screen were like a pair of wild lovebirds playing in the water of a river oasis, amidst the shade of flowers, rising and falling, with waves crashing.

Shi Shu’s nails dug deep into Xie Wuchi’s flesh. Xie Wuchi licked his earlobe, sucking on the jade-like pearl, making Shi Shu tilt his head back slightly. His black hair stuck to his back where his butterfly-like shoulder blades seemed ready to take flight, revealing a small part of his fair profile.

How could the proper, handsome young man from just a moment ago be connected to the person now engaged in a fiery scene behind the screen? The person at the door made a “tsk” sound, and the footsteps grew more distant.

Shi Shu came down from the intense tension, his consciousness returning. Saliva had trickled down to his chin. His ears were burning hot.

Shi Shu abruptly took a step back and cursed, “Fuck!”

Xie Wuchi’s chest was exposed where he had clawed it open, equally disheveled, with several bloody scratches. He smiled and said, “Very impressive.”

Before cursing him out, Shi Shu first closed the door. “You—”

Every time Shi Shu thought he was getting numb to it, Xie Wuchi always managed to give him a new shock.

Shi Shu reached out, wanting to add another scratch to the ones on his chest, but he looked down. Sweat slid down his fair nose. After a long moment, he squeezed out, “Xie Wuchi, you animal. How have you been these past few days?”

Xie Wuchi picked up his crimson official robe with one hand, put it back on, and adjusted the cuffs. “It was a close call, but I’m safe. I came out of the Censorate and went to court. The Emperor had me state my case in front of everyone and debate with all the civil and military officials. For ten days, memorials impeaching Feng Lu and those defending him poured in like rain. The court argued for days. The Emperor, unable to bear it any longer, relieved Feng Lu of his duties and sent him to supervise the construction of the imperial mausoleum. A hundred years from now, he will be buried with him.”

Shi Shu panted, his mind buzzing. He said, “How did you convince him?”

“During these ten days, Feng Lu was locked up. Consort Yu secretly came to find me. Having her whisper in the Emperor’s ear is much more useful than the words of all the civil and military officials.”

And in court, Xie Wuchi could only move him with honors like “a reputation for all eternity,” “merits recorded in the annals of history,” “a name left in the blue chronicles,” and “the good of the nation.”

Xie Wuchi repeated, “Right now, the Great Jing appears to be at peace, with singing and dancing, but that’s just a false image in the Eastern Capital. Everyone is happy to indulge in the illusion of peace, while only a few have caught a glimpse of the crisis.”

“The internal decay of the Great Jing is that officials and gentry seize land without having to pay taxes, while the common people, who own a very small portion of the land, have to pay all the taxes. Have you heard of land consolidation? The rich own fields that stretch for miles, while the poor don’t have enough land to stand a pin on. This leads to fewer and fewer tax revenues for the court. Coupled with the corruption of officials, the national treasury is becoming increasingly empty.”

“With an empty treasury, the court has no money and can no longer deal with sudden crises among the people. If there’s an earthquake, flood, snowstorm, drought, or a bad harvest, these disasters require the court’s macro-control to ensure that the affected people can survive until the next year. If the court has no money, no one can provide food and drink to the people suffering from natural and man-made disasters. Have you studied history? The fragility of a small-peasant economy. That’s the first point.”

“Secondly, the northern barbarians are watching covetously, and the Great Jing’s military preparedness is lax. Decades ago, we suffered the humiliation of several northern provinces being invaded. Now, if the barbarian iron cavalry were to march south, the Great Jing would face the destruction of the nation. So, besides land reform, the most urgent task for the Great Jing is to train its army. Have you ever played war games? Training an army is like burning through gold coins. Without money in the treasury, we can’t move a single step.”

Xie Wuchi slowly finished putting on his crimson robe, straightening his collar.

“With these crises, plus the ‘good deeds’ of Feng Lu, I argued loudly in court. With Consort Yu’s endorsement, and since Feng Lu is just a eunuch who can only survive by clinging to imperial power, it only took one word from the Emperor to take him down.”

Shi Shu’s lips still hurt. He gently touched them with his fingertip. “Anyway, congratulations. You’ve now officially entered the court.”

Xie Wuchi leaned down, his dark eyes looking at him. “This small victory is not worth my excitement.”

Shi Shu glanced at him, and his head throbbed!

The scene from just now was vivid in his mind, especially Xie Wuchi’s deliberate gasp, which scraped his ears and tickled his heart. Every time he thought of it, his head throbbed.

After several months of this ‘indoctrination,’ Shi Shu was no longer homophobic. He was numb.

Shi Shu: “Did you have to use that method to get me out of trouble just now?”

Xie Wuchi: “I don’t know. In the heat of the moment, that was the only thing I could think of.”

Shi Shu pointed a finger at him. “The separate living arrangement I mentioned before Prince Liang’s birthday—that’s not changing! Wake up, bro! This isn’t right!”

After speaking, Shi Shu turned his face away and walked to the dining table to sit down. As expected of the most luxurious restaurant in the Eastern Capital, the table was laden with delicacies.

Shi Shu retied his hair with a ribbon and picked up his chopsticks.

“You’re still thinking about that? I forgot to tell you. His Majesty has ordered the re-implementation of the ‘New Policies’ that were abolished ten years ago, to reform the land and military systems. I will be the supervising censor, inspecting the entire country.”

Shi Shu looked up. “What?”

“It means I will not be in the Eastern Capital for a long time. I’ll be inspecting various prefectures. Do you want to go with me?”

Shi Shu scratched his head. “I’ll think about it.”

Xie Wuchi sat down next to him and, in that instant, frowned slightly.

Shi Shu: “What’s wrong?”

Xie Wuchi tugged at his collar and said with a faint smile, “Your nails from just now, they’re very good at scratching.”

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