Farmers of Shu Han

Chapter 1482 Changes in the sky
The fourteenth year of the Yanxi era of the Han Dynasty, the first year of the Jianxing era of the Wu Dynasty.

In December, it was sleet.

The Imperial Attendant, carrying the scroll of bright yellow silk, entered the Changsha Prince's Mansion under the protection of the Imperial Guards, exuding a chilling aura.

Sun He and Consort Zhang had already received the news and were now kneeling on the mat facing north.

Sun He was dressed in a dark black robe, and Consort Zhang was dressed in a lotus-colored blouse. Both of them stood upright with their hands clasped in front of their knees.

They tried their best to maintain the dignity befitting royalty, but their slightly trembling fingertips betrayed their true thoughts.

The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat stood facing south in the hall, unfurling a silk scroll, his voice completely flat:
"Prince He of Changsha and Princess Zhang, heed the imperial edict—"

The moment the words "obey the imperial edict" were uttered, the ritual system was immediately established.

Sun He and Consort Zhang quickly stepped aside.

He propped himself up from the mat with his hands, but instead of standing, he moved forward and touched the back of his hands with his forehead to complete a standard kowtow.

The entire movement was fluid yet heavy, like a puppet being pulled by invisible strings.

"King He of Changsha was deposed for a past offense, but the late emperor, being benevolent, restored his title and allowed him to reside in Changsha. However, his wife, Lady Zhang, did not uphold proper conduct and secretly sent eunuchs to have relations with foreign officials, which was extremely improper..."

The imperial edict struck like a thunderbolt.

Sun He remained in a prostrate, bowing position, his gaze fixed solely on the cold texture of the blue bricks.

At that moment, he felt the chill of the blue bricks seeping into his knees through his clothes.

At the same time, I felt Zhang Fei tremble slightly beside me and heard her suppressed gasps.

"...I am mindful of our brotherly bond and cannot bear to punish him severely. I have now moved Prince He to the new capital, where the mountains and rivers are serene and suitable for his recuperation. I hereby instruct the relevant officials to take good care of him and to provide him with generous allowances in all his needs."

Sun He closed his eyes.

Has this day finally arrived?

From the moment he became the deposed crown prince, he lived in constant fear, especially whenever someone from Jianye came to visit.

"...Zhang was instructed to go to Ruiying Temple for quiet cultivation, to cleanse her mind and calm her thoughts..."

Upon hearing the words "Ruiying Temple," Consort Zhang's body, which was prostrate on the ground, trembled violently.

The imperial edict was finally read aloud.

The hall was deathly silent, save for the occasional soft clatter of the armor plates worn by the Imperial Guards.

The Imperial Attendant closed the silk scroll, his voice still flat: "Your Majesty, receive the imperial edict."

Sun He slowly raised his head, but did not get up. Instead, he remained kneeling, trembling as he stretched out his hands and raised them high above his head.

The silk scroll fell into his palm, and he bowed again, his forehead touching the ground: "Your subject... Sun He, receives the imperial edict and expresses his gratitude."

After expressing his gratitude, Sun He tried to get up, but found that his legs were too weak to stand up.

It was only with Zhang Fei's help that he was able to get up.

After getting up, Sun He looked at the expressionless eunuch, his lips trembling, and mustered his courage to ask:
"Your Majesty...Does Your Majesty have anything else to say?"

"His Majesty only said that he hoped Your Majesty would take good care of yourself."

Take good care of yourself.

These four words shattered the last shred of hope in Sun He's heart, leaving him with a bitter smile.

After the imperial envoy left, Sun He and Consort Zhang supported each other as they returned to their inner chamber.

His hands were trembling.

"My beloved concubine..." His voice was hoarse as he looked at Consort Zhang in despair, "I...I am doomed."

Consort Zhang's face turned deathly pale, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Your Majesty, what are you saying? Although the new capital is remote, it is still a place of royal status..."

“Xindu?” Sun He interrupted her, his voice a mixture of laughter and tears, as if he were going mad. “It’s a desolate place with barbarians living together, plagued by miasma, and its people are fierce and unruly.”

"They're moving me there under the guise of 'rest and recuperation,' but they really just want me to die there as soon as possible!"

As he spoke, he grasped Zhang Fei's hand, his fingers trembling:

“My beloved consort, don’t you understand? His Majesty is young, and the affairs of state are currently in the hands of Princess Quan and Sun Jun.”

"Princess Quan and Sun Jun, the two of them..."

Even though they were alone in the inner room, Sun He didn't dare to finish his sentence.

“Princess Quan has a past grudge against my mother (Lady Wang). Back then, during the factional strife in Nanlu, she was the mastermind behind deposing me as the Crown Prince.”

"I heard that the late emperor had intended to summon me back to the capital before his death, but she knelt before his bed and cried to stop him. Now that she is in power, how could she allow me to live?"

Consort Zhang trembled all over, and tears streamed down her face:

“It was I who harmed Your Majesty… If I hadn’t sent Chen Qian to Xiling to visit my uncle, how could Princess Quan have seized upon this as leverage to frame you for ‘colluding with foreign officials’?”

“It’s not your fault.” Sun He slumped to the ground, shaking his head blankly. “If she wanted to harm me, she would have found another excuse even if this hadn’t happened.”

"It's just...it's just that I've dragged you into this. Ruiying Temple..."

Upon hearing this name, Sun He felt a lump in his throat and could no longer speak.

Ruiying Temple was built by the late emperor for Lady Bu (the birth mother of Princess Quan).

As Sun He's wife and Lady Wang's daughter-in-law, being sent to Lady Bu's temple was tantamount to humiliating the living in front of the dead.

There, Consort Zhang's every move was under the control of Princess Quan, and her life and death were entirely in Princess Quan's hands.

It was more torturous than being sent to Xindu.

Consort Zhang must have realized this as well, because her crying gradually stopped and eventually turned into a long silence.

After a long while, she slowly raised her head and looked at Sun He, her eyes filled with fear, resentment, and deep guilt.

“Your Majesty,” she said softly, “we have been husband and wife. If Princess Quan truly wants to kill you, I will not live on alone.”

Sun He was shocked: "My beloved concubine, you mustn't..."

"This disaster originated from me..."

Before Consort Zhang could finish speaking, tears of regret streamed down her face once more.

"The princess hates you, and she hates me too. Tell me, if I go first, will she be able to ease her hatred a little?"

"Perhaps this will give you a chance to survive."

"Nonsense!" Upon hearing this, Sun He immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly grabbed Zhang Fei's hand. "Don't talk nonsense!"

"You mustn't do anything foolish! That wicked, lewd princess hates me to the core. If she truly wants to kill me, she won't change her mind because of anyone..."

Knowing he was unlikely to escape unscathed, Sun He stopped hiding his true intentions and directly called her a "poisonous woman and slut."

"Your Majesty!"

Consort Zhang turned around and grasped his hand in return, her tears mingling with a smile:

"In the years since we were married, we have experienced both glory and quiet joy. I have no regrets in this life, except that I cannot grow old with you, my king."

She suddenly pushed Sun He away and reached up to pull a gold hairpin from her hair.

"My beloved concubine! No!" Sun He, who had fallen to the ground, changed his expression drastically, struggled to get up, and tried to step forward to snatch it away.

But it was too late.

Consort Zhang gripped the hairpin, aimed the sharp, needle-like end at her fair neck, and with all her might, plunged it in!

"Pfft-"

With a muffled thud, the hairpin pierced through his throat.

Warm, viscous blood gushed from the wound and splashed onto Sun He's outstretched hand.

Zhang Fei was startled, her eyes widened, and she stared straight at Sun He.

His eyes reflected Sun He's terrified face.

She wanted to say something, her lips moved, but she could only make a soft "ho...ho..." sound.

Blood slowly seeped from the corner of her mouth, dripping down her chin, onto her clothes, and onto the ground...

His arm twitched, as if he wanted to touch Sun He's face again, but his arm remained limp and fell down.

"My beloved concubine!" Sun He supported her limp body. "My beloved concubine!"

His hands trembled as he tried to pull out the hairpin, but he pulled back just as his fingers touched the head of the hairpin.

In the end, all that could be done was to weep uncontrollably and cry out in anguish:

"My beloved concubine... my beloved concubine..."

Consort Zhang lay in his arms, her eyes still open, gazing at the painted ceiling, but her pupils were gradually dilating.

The gaze finally froze into a blank, lifeless silence.

After an unknown amount of time, Sun He remained motionless, still holding Zhang Fei's gradually cooling body.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head and looked in the direction of Jianye, his eyes filled with despair.
-
The imperial edict to relocate Sun He to the new capital was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, causing only a few ripples in the Jianye court before subsiding.

General Wei Teng Yin sighed deeply in his residence and ultimately did not submit a memorial.

Although General Lü Ju was unwilling, he remained silent in court.

All the officials in the court understood the reasons behind the more than twenty-year-old feud between Princess Quan and Lady Wang, Sun He's sensitive status as the former crown prince, and the fact that the new emperor Sun Liang was young and under their control...

All of this made everyone hesitant to speak.

Anyone who dares to speak out is considered to be dissatisfied with the current emperor and wants to support the former crown prince.

This is a matter of political stance.

Not to mention the struggle for the throne.

The conflict between Nanlu and Lu left everyone in the imperial court with lingering fears.

Nobody wants to do it again.

No one dared to speak, and no one was willing to speak.

The death of Consort Zhang, however, drew many sighs in private.

Those who are truly enraged by this incident are actually the ones who should least have a sense of "justice"—

"Foolish! Utterly idiotic!"

Deep inside the school administration building, Lü Yi slammed the administration report onto the table, his usually gloomy face flushing red.

He paced back and forth rapidly, panting heavily.

"It was clearly Zhuge Ke who caused the problem! It was clearly those absurd things he said, it was clearly him who harbored resentment, it was clearly him who was dissatisfied with His Majesty!"

"Sun He and Qian Du are both waiting to die, and Consort Zhang has committed suicide, but what about Zhuge Ke? Zhuge Ke is still serving as the governor of Xiling!"

He stopped abruptly, a sinister glint in his eyes, and cursed, "To strike a snake but not its vital spot, instead grabbing its tail, is utterly foolish!"

Is it really that difficult to establish the charge that Zhuge Ke opposed the late emperor?

Lü Yi's anger has absolutely nothing to do with "fairness" or "justice".

He had his own plans.

The School Affairs Office may obey Sun Jun's orders, but it will never be loyal to Sun Jun—Lu Yi understands this principle better than anyone else.

Even if it were to pledge allegiance to that child emperor who was only a few years old, it would be more legitimate than to pledge allegiance to Sun Jun.

But is it possible?

For Lü Yi, the first thing to consider was himself and the School Affairs Office.

These days, what can you do without money and food?
Even if the entire Great Wu were to run out of money and provisions, go ask Prime Minister Sun what he could do.
There was a lucrative opportunity right in front of Lü Yi, with low risk and high profit.

After returning from Chang'an, the Grand Marshal's promise almost constantly echoed in my ears:

The purchase price of raw silk and coarse sugar was increased by 20%, and the money was only deposited into the secret accounts of the school administration.

At this thought, Lü Yi's breathing became rapid.

That's a huge sum of money. Enough to make everyone in the school administration completely devoted to him, enough to give Lü Yi a way out after Sun Jun's downfall, and even... enough to unlock even more possibilities.

But Grand Marshal Feng's condition was clear: kill Lu Kang.

Lu Kang, son of Lu Xun, is the rising star of the Lu family, one of the four prominent families in Wu County.

To take action against such a person, ordinary charges are useless; the only way is to use his kinship with Zhuge Ke to bind him to the traitorous Zhuge Ke.

If we miss this opportunity, when will we ever get another chance?
"If Zhuge Ke is not dead, Lu Kang's charges will be unfounded..."

Lü Yi muttered to himself, a flash of intense annoyance in his eyes:
"But now Sun Jun and Princess Quan are only focused on getting rid of Sun He first, and are instead using subtle tactics against Zhuge Ke... The longer it drags on, the more unpredictable things will become."

"Absolutely utterly foolish!"

"Sun He has no soldiers or generals, what can he do? Kill Sun He first, alarm Zhuge Ke, and then when he has time to prepare, when will it be possible to kill him?"

"If Zhuge Ke's crimes are not substantiated, how can he curry favor with Lu Kang..."

The thought that the silk harvest would be completed in less than six months, and that Zhuge Ke might still be serving as his governor, filled Lü Yi with heartache.

Can't wait any longer.

Having racked his brains but still couldn't come up with a good solution, Lü Yi changed into an inconspicuous hempen robe, put on a wide-brimmed bamboo hat, and quietly left through the back gate of the Imperial Academy.

After many twists and turns, we finally entered a secluded courtyard.

This is where Mi Shiyilang stayed in Jianye.

Mi Shiyilang was brewing tea in the courtyard when he saw Lü Yi enter. Without getting up, he simply pointed to the spot opposite him:

"Lord Lü doesn't look well. Has he encountered some difficulties?"

Lü Yi removed his bamboo hat and, without any pretense, recounted the events surrounding Sun He, Zhuge Ke's predicament, and Lu Kang's difficulties, finally sighing with some annoyance:

"I had a prior agreement with Grand Marshal Feng that if Lu Kang is not dismissed, then raising the price of raw silk and coarse sugar will be nothing but empty talk."

“But Princess Sun Junquan’s actions are completely wrong… After much thought, I can only ask Lord Mi for advice on how to break this deadlock.”

When Mi Shiyilang heard Lü Yi say, "Sun Jun and Princess Quan want to get rid of Sun He, and the next step is Zhuge Ke," his right hand, which was holding a fan to blow air onto the small stove, paused slightly.

Then, seemingly casually, he asked:

"Regarding the matter of Principal Lü, is this news... accurate?"

At this moment, Lü Yi was preoccupied with the huge profits from the "price increase of raw silk and coarse sugar." When Mi Shiyilang asked, he told her everything he knew:
“How can it not be certain? Sun Jun has ordered me to triple the manpower to keep a close watch on Xiling. Zhuge Ke’s residence is guarded in shifts every day for twelve hours, and even his cook’s purchases are recorded.”

He grew increasingly agitated as he spoke, and eventually gave a brief summary of the recent surveillance records from the school administration, concluding with a gritted tooth:

"I only have one worry now: if Zhuge Ke is really killed by them, how can we implicate Lu Kang and prevent him from escaping..."

Even if they can't charge him with treason, they should at least remove him from his official post.

Mi Shiyilang listened quietly, his face as still as water.

He picked up the celadon teapot and poured Lü Yi a cup of tea. The tea swirled gently in the cup, reflecting the faint glow of the charcoal fire.

"Let's have some tea and calm down, Mr. Lü."

After Lü Yi reluctantly took a sip, he slowly said:
"In the current situation, waiting is the best course of action."

Seeing that Lü Yi was about to speak, he raised his hand to stop him and continued:
"If Lu Kang is destined to die, what difference does it make whether you take the benefits promised by the Grand Marshal a year earlier or a year later? Money doesn't grow legs and run away."

"But if you are impatient and act rashly, ruining the Grand Marshal's plans... that would truly be a loss."

As he spoke, he raised his cup and took a small sip:
“It is no easy task for Sun Jun to kill Zhuge Ke. Zhuge Ke has led the army for many years and his old troops are everywhere. The Battle of Dongxing has also made him popular in the court.”

"Such people are like giant rocks in the middle of a river; when the water is calm, they remain unmoved."

"Only when the tide surges and whirlpools form will the boulder be in danger of overturning."

Lü Yi's expression softened slightly: "Mi Jun means..."

“I mean,” Mi Shiyi Lang put down his teacup and said slowly, “I mean…”
"Lord Lü, have you forgotten that the School Affairs Office now only acts as a covert informant, not a front-line dog?"

Lü Yi was taken aback.

Mi Shiyilang glanced at him before continuing:
"What you need to do now is not to actively push the stone, but to see clearly when the tide rises and where the whirlpool is formed."

"Observe the situation, remember the changes, and wait for the right time. Once Sun Jun has raised his sword, he will not put it down easily."

At this point, Mi Shiyilang tapped the table lightly with his index finger and said softly:

"Remember, with Sun He dead, the tide has risen and the whirlpool has formed."

Lü Yi stared at the table for a long time, then let out a long sigh:

"I... have learned a lot."

He stood up to leave, then turned back and asked, "If Sun Jun really makes a move..."

Mi Shiyi Lang remained calm:
"When the tide comes in, those who should fish should fish, and those who should cast nets should cast nets; everyone should rely on their own abilities."

Lü Yi nodded emphatically, put on his straw hat, and left the courtyard.

The courtyard returned to silence.

After Lü Yi's footsteps completely disappeared at the alley entrance, the gentle composure on Mi Shiyi Lang's face vanished instantly.

He abruptly stood up, strode into the inner room, and bolted the door shut behind him.

The interior was simply furnished, with only a table, a couch, and a cabinet.

He moved the camphor wood chest beside the couch, revealing a loose blue brick on the wall behind it.

He probed into the crack between the bricks with his fingers, gently pried, and pulled out a flat box wrapped in oilcloth.

Upon opening the box, one finds: several rolls of plain white silk, a small wolf-hair brush, and a specially made inkstick.

Its ink-black color doesn't smudge when wet, but becomes visible when heated.

Mi Shiyilang sat down at the table and began to grind ink.

He picked up his brush, the tip hovering over the silk, hesitated for a moment, and then wrote with lightning speed.

The handwriting is normal, and what is written is nothing more than normal greetings.

However, this is actually a specially made code by the Secretariat of the Grand Marshal's Office, which must be compared with the codebook.

Even if it is intercepted, those who do not know the decoding rules will not be able to see any problems.

Encrypted text content:

“Sun Jun and Princess Quan have decided on a plan: first move Sun He to the new capital, then eliminate Zhuge Ke.”

“Sun He has arrived in Xindu, and his life is likely to end soon. If Sun He dies, Zhuge Ke will be in danger.”

Fold a piece of silk paper into a strip about an inch long, insert it into a hollow bamboo tube, and seal both ends with beeswax.

The bamboo tube was then wrapped in oilcloth and finally placed into the bottom of an inconspicuous bamboo food box, covered with several pieces of rice cake for concealment.

After doing all this, he opened the door and gently knocked on the wall three times.

A moment later, a lame old servant quietly pushed open the door and entered, standing at his sides.

Mi Shiyilang handed over the food box, his voice extremely low:

"Old Lu, take the Bingzi No. 3 road and get to the Grand Marshal's residence in Chang'an as quickly as possible."

"If you encounter an inspection along the way, you may discard the food box and eat the rice cake, but you should destroy the contents at the bottom of the container rather than lose them."

Old Lu took the food box, nodded without saying a word, and then disappeared.

Mi Shiyilang slowly exhaled a breath of stale air in his private room.

“Zhuge Yuanxun…” he murmured softly, “If you were wise, you would know that the world in Jiangdong is about to change.”

"I just wonder how you will handle this crisis?"