When Yan Wushi returned from the palace, Shen Qiao and Bian Yanmei were seated across from each other, each with a weiqi piece in hand, the very image of leisure, clearly they had wrapped up their official tasks.
He saw that Shen Qiao had changed back into his usual outfit, and felt it was a pity, Yan Wushi thought that Shen Qiao in women’s clothes had been a rare vision, but these words he left unsaid in his mind, if spoken out loud, Shen Qiao wouldn’t have been able to tolerate it no matter how good his temper was.
Bian Yanmei hurriedly put down his weiqi piece, rose to greet him, a happy expression: “Welcome back shizun! Xueting that old bald donkey’s death, the Buddhist sects will likely never recover from this setback!”
Yan Wushi was still dressed in maidservant clothes, with the human mask removed and his real face showing, the effect was little comical, but his demeanour was still striking, even if he was dressed in rags no one would dare laugh at him.
Hearing Bian Yanmei’s words, he said: “The old bald donkey is not dead.”
Bian Yanmei paused.
Yan Wushi smiled: “With his position, wouldn’t it be a pity if he died, at least I have to use him for something, although of the Buddhist sects, his heart has never severed its attachments to the world, this time if he’s willing to accept his new circumstances, what’s the harm in letting him live?”
Bian Yanmei did not know what he intended to do, but since Yan Wushi had said it this way, he must already have a plan, so he respectfully accepted this.
Yan Wushi asked: “Puliuru Ying was rescued?”
Bian Yanmei: “Yes, this disciple has already sent Puliuru Ying back to Sui-guogong manor, Chen Gong is dead, Murong Qin seriously injured, he’s currently locked in cells, and can be used to provide us with an oral testimony later.”
Yan Wushi gave a curt acknowledgement, Xueting-chanshi had tremendous skill, although he had won the match, he had also incurred injuries.
He covered his mouth and coughed weakly, Bian Yanmei was about to say that he’ll go find some medicine when he saw bright red seep through Yan Wushi’s fingers.
He was injured so badly? Bian Yanmei gaped, rushed to say: “Shizun, are you ok, there should still be some qingxin lozenges in this manor…”
Yan Wushi waved his hand, and sat down in Bian Yanmei’s vacated seat.
Who knew if the other was playing a trick, Shen Qiao had to say: “If Yan-zongzhu’s injuries are this severe, do you need this poor one to take a look?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yan Wushi had already extended his arm out on the weiqi board: “I will have to trouble Shen-daozhang.”
You offered your arm a little too quickly, as if you already knew what I was going to ask! Shen Qiao thought, as he reached out with his right hand, placed three fingers on the other’s wrist.
“Your meridians are chaotic, likely from internal injuries, but it should not be major, if you look after yourself, in a few days things should improve.” Even if he had internal injuries, they were not to the point of spitting out blood, he really was faking it just now, Shen Qiao thought as he spoke.
Yan Wushi twisted his hand to rest it on the back of Shen Qiao’s instead, gave a squeeze, then smiled softly: “Shen-daozhang, despite this venerable one treating you like that in the past, you do not dwell on what happened, still willing to walk with me through fire, against this degree of constancy, even the stone-hearted will be moved.”
This pair of hands were delicate and slender, to the touch they felt like well-loved pieces of jade, except for the callous between his thumb and forefinger, which revealed the truth of the owner’s many years of sword wielding.
If it were anyone else saying these words, Shen Qiao might have responded with formalities in kind, but towards Yan Wushi he was long immune, moreover the other was still dressed as a woman, Shen Qiao was slightly horrified, he felt as if all the hair on his body might fall off from standing on end.
Without waiting for him to pull away, the other pulled back their hand first, as if just now he merely wanted to express what he was feeling.
Wearing women’s clothes that don’t fit him, others would find it awkward, Yan Wushi himself was also not at ease, on the side Bian Yanmei already had someone prepare a bath and change of clothes for his shizun.
The esteemed Huanyue Sect Leader wearing a high waisted dress, others might not like the view, but he himself was in no rush, rising from his seat, he glanced over at the cup in front of Shen Qiao, and asked Bian Yanmei: “What’s in the cup?”
“Honeywater.” Bian Yanmei wasn’t sure why his shizun would ask after such a small detail.
Yan Wushi: “Change it to plum drink, A-Qiao doesn’t like the oversweetness of honeywater.”
Shen Qiao raised his eyebrows to look at him, wanting to ask: how do you know I don’t like honeywater, but felt this question was too stupid, and so closed his mouth instead, looked back down at the weiqi board.
Hearing this Bian Yanmei also paused, but recovered quickly: “Yes.”
As soon as Yan Wushi stepped out, he caught up to him, probed further: “Shizun, towards Shen-daozhang, should this disciple still act as usual?”
“Treat him the same as you would treat me.” Yan Wushi gave him a look, this look carried the praise “this boy is worth teaching”, Bian Yanmei was greatly encouraged, he thought to himself, of course my guess was correct.
It was well known that people in the demonic sects would never deprive themselves for “virtue”, Bian Yanmei had seen Yan Wushi previously lavish his attention on not a small number of beauties, but with these people it was short-lived, no one had stayed long, he had originally considered “traversing through ten thousand flowers, no leaf or petal stuck” as more in keeping with his temperament, he did not expect the other to actually want a growing-out-of snowfield-glacier, high-altitude-leaving-the-world-behind flower.
Shen Qiao’s character, Bian Yanmei understood in part, he didn’t think his shifu would be able to pluck this flower, because although Shen Qiao was easy to talk to, he had a backbone that did not bend to the elements, and definitely did not seem the type of person that would be a cutsleeve or homosexual. But with his shifu’s attitude, if he liked it, then he must get it.
Arriving at this conclusion, Bian Yanmei did not know who he should sympathize with more.
He coughed meekly: “This disciple is sorry for saying too much, but it appears to me that Shen-daozhang doesn’t have that kind of intention?” It doesn’t look two-sided at all!
Yan Wushi gave him a sidelong glance: “You have a plan?”
Bian Yanmei coughed dryly: “This disciple has numerous ways of seducing a woman, but Shen Qiao is not only not a woman, he is also not a commoner, so a common method is not applicable, but as the saying goes, a strong woman fears the man that doesn’t let go, this logic sort of applies here, don’t you think? Only…”
Yan Wushi: “Only what?”
Bian Yanmei: “Shizun is overly accomplished, if it is a commoner, even if you just wanted a brief springwind interlude, they would be a thousand times willing, present themselves as bedmate, but if it is Shen Qiao, in the future when shizun is bored, he would probably would not let go easily.”
The meaning being, respectful elderly one if you want a romp, there’s so much beauty in the world, many people would be willing to climb into your bed, not only is Shen Qiao hard to get, even if you did get him into your hands, he would be not easily rid, that’s why the saying goes to invite a god is easy, to send them away is hard, Shen Qiao is a grandmaster after all, don’t you get yourself into trouble!
Yan Wushi smiled: “How do you know I only want a springwind interlude?”
You can’t possibly want a lifetime?
Bian Yanmei was taken aback, but didn’t dare ask this out loud, he said: “This disciple understands.”
Actually he didn’t quite understand, Shen Qiao was certainly a rare beauty, but there was so much beauty in the world, Shen Qiao was not the most riveting, could it be because he was a grandmaster, for his shizun the allure was greater?
By the time Yan Wushi had bathed, changed his robes, and returned, Shen Qiao had already covered most of the weiqi board with pieces.
“You’ve seen Puliuru Jian’s two sons, what do you think?” Yan Wushi sat down opposite him.
Shen Qiao was not surprised by the question, after a brief pause: “Da-lang is honest, slower but not dumb, Er-lang is smart, despite his young age he already has demonstrated his mercilessness.”
Yan Wushi: “Your analysis is sound, the four words slower but not dumb really gets to the crux of the matter!”
Shen Qiao: “Forgive my direct words, although Puliuru Jian is a determined character, capable of tolerance, and in the future he will be a clearheaded leader, but his two sons, their characters should have been reversed, if the younger is more accomplished than the elder, in the future when it comes to the preservation of the dynasty, it may bring misfortune.”
Yan Wushi laughed: “A-Qiao, you’re thinking too far ahead, in the world how can there be a dynasty that never collapses? Even Ying Zheng who arrogantly proclaimed that his rule would continue for ten thousand years, in the end it only lasted two lifetimes, so in the future who knows if his two sons will survive until adulthood, who knows if Puliuru Jian’s rule can last beyond a decade, or if he’ll be replaced by someone more powerful? I just need to know the person I’m working with right now can remain relatively levelheaded, not act out of incompetence, that’s enough, as for Puliuru’s continued lineage, I’m not his father, why do I need to worry so much on his behalf?”
Shen Qiao: “I see that Yan-zongzhu knows what he is doing, I don’t need to say more.”
Yan Wushi: “Puliuru Jian wanted to find a shifu for his sons, since you’ve said it this way, I know you don’t want either of them, when I get a chance I’ll refuse on your behalf.”
Shen Qiao, surprised: “Yan-zongzhu’s wugong is better than mine, why do they not seek you as a shifu?”
Yan Wushi smiled: “You don’t want them, I also don’t want them, with our relationship as is, if we don’t act in sync, others will surely misunderstand.”
Our what relationship? If you say it like this, how can others not misunderstand?
Shen Qiao gaped at his ability to reverse black and white: “Yan-zongzhu need not consider this, this poor one is not of Huanyue Sect, even if I don’t act in accordance with Yan-zongzhu, no one will misunderstand.”
…………………
This turnover in power demonstrated the words: speed is crucial in war.
With the help of Yan Wushi, Shen Qiao, and others, Puliuru Jian had speedily captured Yuwen Yun, and used Yuwen Yun to take control of the court’s configuration. As a veteran politician, he did not expand the bloody confrontation into the city or even outside the city, before anyone could react, the turmoil within the palace had been settled.
Before these events, for the convenience of leisure away from the annoyance of his officials, Yuwen Yun had passed his throne to his son Yuwen Chan, he had even named himself Tianyuan Emperor. Now that Puliuru Jian had control of the situation, he didn’t even need to make a puppet, eight-year old Yuwen Chan was still emperor, just that above his head another guardian was established, Yuwen Yun dug this hole himself, and finally managed to bury himself in it.
As Puliuru Jian solidified his control, he did not rush to name himself emperor, but continued in the role of Left Senior Minister to overlook matters, then to the world he announced Yuwen Yun’s death due to illness, then he ceased construction on the royal family’s private gardens, and brought back the officials that had been expelled by Yuwen Yun from the capital, and restored their positions.
With these two measures, he managed to capture people’s hearts.
One emperor one court, Puliuru Jian’s reign also meant the demise of the good old days for the Buddhist sects and Hehuan Sect.
When the tumult occurred in the palace, Sang Jingxing and Yuan Xiuxiu were both not in the city, the remaining figures were no match for Yan Wushi and Bian Yanmei. During Yuwen Yun’s reign, Huanyue Sect had hidden their names and acted like grandsons, now the day had finally arrived for Bian Yanmei to no longer hold back, launch a full offensive, capturing Hehuan Sect’s assets within the palace and in the city in one go.
After Xueting-chanshi had his wugong nullified by Yan Wushi, for the crimes of colluding with the previous emperor he was imprisoned, the fall of Xueting meant that the Buddhist disciples in the capital no longer had support, when the tree falls the monkeys scatter, gradually all their temples were sealed off by officials, the Buddhist disciples could only run into the wind, or be forced to confess their crimes to the court.
Yan Wushi had no intention in killing the remnants of the Buddhist sects, he knew that systems of belief and faith had long been established in the central plains, they were entrenched in people’s hearts, each school had its following, the roots ran deep, it could not be destroyed by people’s actions, at most there would a brief weakening under the current circumstances, back then Yuwen Yong had carried out a fierce persecution of Buddhism, killing how many monks, destroyed how many temples, burned how many Buddhist scrolls and teachings, but after his death, Buddhism flourished again.
What Huanyue Sect needed was merely the support of the authority at the time and the right to speak freely, and not the demise of the Buddhist sects. Because in the absence of Buddhist sects, there was still Daoist sects, Ru sects, they could never be persecuted to extinction. The best way forward was for the powers to balance each other out, so no one could do much to anyone else, only this scenario would prevent the emergence of some monolithic superpower, and was one way of living on a little longer.
Without comparing notes, his stance on this was exactly in line with Puliuru Jian’s, so the two of them worked together well.
To thank Yan Wushi and Shen Qiao for their efforts, Puliuru Jian not only ordered the erection of Xuanduguan within the capital, naming Shen Qiao as Xuanduguan’s Tongweiyuanmiao-zhengren, he also generously handed over the management of several royal family businesses to Huanyue Sect, afterwards when he had established three provinces and six prefectures, he even gave the most lucrative political positions to people from Huanyue Sect, throughout the Sui dynasty, they maintained good working relations with Huanyue Sect, until Yang Guang turned his face and broke his word.
But that was much later.
The second month of the year after the palace tumult, just past the Yuandeng Festival, Zhou emperor Yuwen Chan expressed his respect for Puliuru Jian, acknowledged that he had the makings of a competent head of state, and that he himself was too young and naive for the throne, he announced that he will be abdicating the throne to Puliuru Jian, Puliuru Jian declined three times, before finally ascending the throne, named the new dynasty Sui, changed the title of the imperial reign, in the name of reclaiming his ancestor’s name, switched back to the Han surname Yang, absolving the world in its new beginning.
A new leader as head of state, the north entered a new dynasty, the hundreds of years of chaos starting with the Jin vanquishing Wuhu to enter the central plains finally turned to a new page.
For the common folk, the turbulence of court power had nothing to do with them, their requirements were very simple, a prosperous harvest enough to feed and clothe themselves. The new dynasty did bring about some changes, nevermind the other things, the absolution clause meant everyone did not have to pay tax this year, and their days were a little easier.
With more money on hand, people smiled more.
At least Shen Qiao felt this was the case as he walked down the street.
“Only now I can say I do not regret my decision that day.”
The street was a busy thoroughfare, people going their ways, on account of the ceremony at the temple today many people were out running errands preparing for Duanwu Festival, brightly coloured fabrics and silks adorned the street stalls, a feast for the eyes, a dizzying conglomeration.
Hearing his words, Yan Wushi smiled: “So A-Qiao has been unsettled all this time.”
Shen Qiao nodded, he said frankly: “These days, I was worried that my participation might lead the people to suffer through another incompetent leader, their days made more difficult.”
The two of them passed a stall, hearing the stallowner call out so zealously, Yan Wushi glanced over, he bought a colourful handsewn cloth tiger, the tiger had decorative ties on its head, and a silk ribbon around its body, it wore a foolish, lively expression.
Yan Wushi stuffed the cloth tiger into Shen Qiao’s hands.
Shen Qiao, surprised: “For me?”
He squeezed the soft cloth tiger in his hands, turned it back and forth, couldn’t resist a smile: “It is quite cute.”
Yan Wushi chuckled, he thought, yes, like you, large cat or small cat, are all cats, this venerable one spends his days associating with cats.
The two strolled the markets some more before returning, Yan Wushi’s Shaoshi manor had been unsealed, Yang Jian had also given him a new position, thus it was renamed Wu-guogong manor, Yan Wushi lived here, Shen Qiao’s Xuanduguan was still under construction, so he was also staying here as a guest.
The house manager seeing Yan Wushi rushed over to give report, saying Er-langjun had returned, and had brought someone with him, Shen-daozhang’s shidi.
Shen Qiao was surprised, when he saw Yu Shengyan and the person he had brought with him, he was even more shocked: “Si-shidi?”
The author would like to say:
Tell you guys a secret, during the Sui Tang dynasties, Chang’an definitely had a Xuanduguan, and it definitely garnered its reputation through its establishment during Sui, the story of Qian Qiu, started because I saw Xuanduguan by chance and got a feel for the story, xixi~
How many histories and people, how remarkable the path ~~