Chapter 224: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 224: To Xuanzhou
After the Ma family’s Old Madam left, Ma Xingzhou said, “Get up and speak.”
Ma Wan answered “yes,” rose, and stood aside, waiting for her grandfather to speak.
“Grandfather knows you have always been obedient and sensible. Your father passed early, and these years you and your mother have together taken care of your younger brothers and sisters, sharing household matters, managing the family’s inner affairs—always more attentive and independent than ordinary boudoir girls. Grandfather has seen it all…”
It was for this reason that his wife always doted more on this eldest granddaughter, and he was no exception.
Ma Wan was just about to speak when she saw her grandfather, now over sixty, turn his gaze upon her, his tone carrying greater solemnity:
“But you know nothing of court affairs. Concerning the matter of becoming Princess Consort of Prince Rong’s Heir, this marriage is greatly different from common matches. The stakes and implications, Grandfather must explain to you in advance. You may decide after you have listened.”
Seeing his expression, Ma Wan grew inexplicably nervous and nodded in silence.
“To marry into the imperial clan as wife of an Heir, the rules will naturally be strict, yet in this point Grandfather believes you can manage. What Grandfather calls ‘greatly different,’ however, points to something else—”
Ma Xingzhou did not intend to hide anything from his granddaughter, but said plainly:
“If you marry into Yizhou, you must always observe Prince Rong and his son. Should there be any sign of unusual movement, you must immediately send word back to the capital.”
Ma Wan was startled. After a moment she managed to ask:
“Grandfather’s meaning is…”
Ma Xingzhou nodded solemnly at her:
“Besides being Princess Consort of Prince Rong’s Heir, you will also bear another identity—that of the Holy One’s eyes.”
Ma Wan’s face turned pale. She had thought the Holy One must have had some consideration in choosing the Ma family, but had not expected it to run so deep.
“The Ma family bears imperial grace, trusted and heavily used by the Holy One. This Prime Minister’s Residence could take root here, all thanks to imperial favor.” Ma Xingzhou explained carefully to his granddaughter:
“To grant my residence’s legitimate eldest granddaughter in marriage to Prince Rong’s Heir—this both gives ample honor, and also serves as a reminder.”
“Though Yizhou lies far in the western frontier, the Holy One has never feared our Ma family would betray. Thus in the Holy One’s eyes, Wan’er, you are the best choice.”
At these words the old man’s gaze softened somewhat:
“But as this journey carries great burden, Grandfather does not wish to force you. The Holy One likewise does not wish to chill the loyalty between ruler and minister. So it is not imposed without choice. At present, there is still room for discussion.”
“What Grandfather says to you now is so you may carefully consider before making your decision.”
Only after some time did Ma Wan recover, clutching a sliver of hope in her heart:
“…Does the Residence of Prince Rong truly harbor disloyalty?”
“Though there is no solid proof, Prince Rong was the late emperor’s brother of the same father. The Holy One cannot but guard against it. And precisely because there is no proof, an extra pair of eyes must be sent to Yizhou.” Ma Xingzhou said gently:
“If Prince Rong harbors no such intentions, or is willing to restrain and keep still, then for the Holy One and the stability of the realm, it would of course be best.”
“Granddaughter also hopes Prince Rong’s Residence harbors no disloyalty…” Ma Wan’s heart wavered again and again.
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter and asked:
“Wan’er, do you have other thoughts in your heart? If so, you may also tell Grandfather.”
Ma Wan struggled inwardly, but in the end shook her head:
“Wan’er only thinks that Grandfather considers for me in every way… Wan’er, as the eldest daughter of the family, how could I place Grandfather and the Prime Minister’s Residence under the charge of disloyalty and unrighteousness? How could I let the Holy One harbor suspicion of Grandfather?”
Could she say that she cherished Prince Rong’s Heir?
She had originally intended to tell her grandfather of her feelings. But since this journey was to serve as the Holy One’s eyes, such feelings would only become a burden and a complication.
If she spoke them, she would no longer be trusted, no longer the best candidate.
She would never betray the Prime Minister’s Residence—but neither did she wish to lose her chance to marry her beloved. A lifetime is but one; to meet a true soulmate is rare. She would never again encounter another like him.
And she believed there must be a way to reconcile both sides.
Because a man’s eyes and his music do not lie. His nature was serene and gentle; he was not one addicted to power struggles…
So long as Prince Rong’s Residence and the Holy One remained in harmony, all could be fulfilled!
That pure, gentle smile once more flashed in her mind, and Ma Wan’s heart held no more hesitation.
“Wan’er is willing to go to Yizhou on behalf of the Prime Minister’s Residence. This journey, I shall not fail Grandfather and the Holy One’s trust. I also beg Grandfather to fulfill Wan’er’s heart!”
Ma Xingzhou looked at his granddaughter kneeling once more. After a long pause, he sighed softly, his eyes filled with both pain and comfort.
…
By the time Ma Wan left, having heard all of her grandfather’s instructions, the night was already deep.
On her way back, beneath the silent moonlight, Ma Wan’s heart could not settle—there was joy, longing, and also a faint unease.
“Young Lady… have you truly decided?” Her maid, after much hesitation, could not hold back.
She did not know exactly what the Young Lady and the old master had discussed, but in the carriage returning from the music hall, the Young Lady’s intent had been plain.
The maid spoke in worry:
“This servant fears Prince Rong’s Heir may not be sincere, but deliberately deceiving Young Lady…”
Ma Wan’s brows furrowed at once:
“Then tell me—what has he deceived me about?”
That day he had spoken nothing but of musical theory. He even admitted he had not yet let go of that Miss of the Chang family. Everything she did was of her own will, not because he coaxed her.
The maid’s expression was troubled:
“This servant cannot say clearly… it is only a feeling…”
Ma Wan: “Since there is no proof, then who taught you to casually slander others?”
The maid hastily admitted fault:
“Young Lady, forgive me, this servant knows my error.”
“Furthermore, you must not speak to anyone—including Grandfather and Grandmother—of my prior acquaintance with Prince Rong’s Heir at the music hall.” Ma Wan ordered:
“So as to avoid needless gossip.”
The maid dared not say more, and only answered, “Yes.”
The two said nothing more the rest of the way. Ma Wan was lost in her thoughts. As she stepped into her own courtyard, she unconsciously cast another glance at her maid.
Deliberately deceiving? Not sincere?
She turned her maid’s words over again, and still found them laughable.
Which words of his had been deception? And as for sincerity—when had he ever claimed to be “sincere” to her?
He had neither said nor done anything. This matter, it was she herself who had chosen to follow her heart.
…
The finest schemes are those that leave the one schemed against wholly unaware, attributing the outcome to their own willing choice, and even indulging in that “willingness.”
That night, Prince Rong’s Heir stood clothed at his window.
He knew well that Minghou would not let him leave alone.
But what Minghou would never expect was that the candidate she finally selected after much deliberation… was in fact one he had chosen himself.
In Minghou’s eyes, the Ma family could never betray. The Right Prime Minister, Ma Xingzhou, was indeed a loyal and upright minister.
Yet as his son had died early, his affection for his eldest granddaughter was deeper. Thus he had long delayed his decision.
Since so, he would help him along. If Ma Wan could voice the wish herself, then as a grandfather, he could achieve both ends.
A method to satisfy both sides—would it not delight all?
Li Lu lifted his head toward the moon with a smile. After a while, the smile faded, and before his eyes once more appeared that night of moonlit lake and the girl on the boat drawing her bow.
When would they meet again?
But he was sure they would.
He would wait for that day.
And what would arrive sooner than that day would, of course, be the imperial marriage decree.
Soon, the news spread: the Holy Emperor had bestowed marriage between Prince Rong’s Heir, Li Lu, and Ma Wan, granddaughter of the Prime Minister Ma.
“I shall remember Ma Xiang’s consideration today, both for me and for the court.”
“To share Your Majesty’s burdens is the duty of a minister.”
The Holy Emperor gazed at that loyal and reliable minister, promising:
“I know Ma Xiang’s intent. I will not fail those poor scholars, nor keep them waiting long.”
Ma Xingzhou bowed deeply.
The words of the sovereign meant that the matter of the Changsun clan was settled.
Soon after, the Holy Emperor declared: with the crimes of Changsun Yuan’s collusion with Xu Zhengye in rebellion verified, he was dismissed and stripped of rank, his household confiscated, and he and his two sons executed.
The other clan members were, according to guilt, sentenced to hanging, demotion, or exile.
In consideration of the Changsun clan’s past service, those under sixteen were spared implication, but all had to accompany their kin in exile to Qianzhou. Their descendants thereafter were forbidden to leave Qianzhou without an imperial edict.
The Holy Emperor had considered eradicating the line entirely. But to sever bloodlines has ever harmed virtue and reputation. Moreover, the Changsun clan was vast, with roots deep and still supported by other aristocratic houses. To attempt to eliminate them all at once would provoke backlash.
Sometimes, to show a little mercy, leaving them a way to live, was to prevent a desperate counterattack.
The great tree had fallen; its remaining branches could be pruned later.
At that time, the young Changsun Ji, holding his grandfather’s spirit tablet, sat with a few clan members in a carriage bound from the capital to Qianzhou.
Once arrogant and proud, the boy now wore plain coarse clothing, his tears already dried, his expression heavy and numb.
The carriage jolted and shook. Inside were only a few bundles. He, raised with utmost refinement since birth, had never touched such rough things.
Yet this already counted as the Emperor’s “lenient mercy.”
Changsun Ji stayed silent for a long time.
He had thought his little aunt’s death was the deepest pain he could imagine. Yet it had only been the beginning.
Grandfather was dead, Grandmother hanged herself, Father dead, Mother followed after, those uncles who had raised him also gone…
“Ah Ji, from this day, you are the new head of the Changsun clan. Remember your grandfather’s last charge.” The clan’s voice was hoarse with grief, yet heavy with unwilling hope.
Changsun Ji was dazed.
Grandfather’s last charge…
Yes, that night before the execution, Grandfather had spoken to him.
Grandfather had hidden nothing, telling him all the causes and consequences. Grandfather had indeed long known of Xu Zhengye’s plan to raise troops, and had indeed received secret letters from Xue Ren and Luo Guanlin…
Though Grandfather had not promised them, he had concealed it, harboring a thought to use Xu Zhengye’s pressure to force Minghou to return power.
Grandfather said, he knew Xu Zhengye and the others likely had the ambition of wolves, and he had no wish to side with them—he only wished to borrow their strength.
Grandfather said, the Changsun clan differed from the five great clans led by the Cui family, in that the Changsun clan’s rise and fall were tied to the Li clan’s. Loyal to the Li clan, no matter the power struggles, this resolve had never changed.
Thus Grandfather entrusted him with the clan seal, commanding him to bear this responsibility, to preserve the Changsun clan, and when the time came, to choose a worthy sovereign of the Li clan, to aid in restoring its rule.
Even now, closing his eyes, he seemed to see Grandfather’s gaze—unyielding yet unwilling.
To choose a worthy sovereign of the Li clan, to restore its reign…
Could he, alone, truly fulfill Grandfather’s last will?
The boy lowered his gaze to the black-wrapped spirit tablet in his arms, his eyes reddening again.
He seemed to see Grandfather’s gaunt and wretched form in prison, and even recall those murmured regrets—
“In the past, for the sake of Sister Gu’s empress seat and the Changsun clan’s power, I chose to support that mediocre third prince, suppressing him in every way… was it truly a mistake?”
“Earlier still, had I and Sister Gu chosen that pitiful, sickly one by Xiangyuan, and raised him well under her knee—would today’s world be wholly different?”
“So, from the beginning, the choice was wrong… Today’s defeat of the Changsun clan may have long been destined.”
“Ah Ji, your grandfather once chose wrongly. You must keep your eyes clear, and choose well…”
…
In Anyi Ward, within the ancestral hall of the Cui clan, an aged, thin figure stood silent.
“Father.”
Cui Heng entered from outside and bowed:
“The Changsun clan has been safely escorted from the capital. All arrangements are complete. They will be protected to reach Qianzhou in peace.”
Cui Ju nodded.
Those who show mercy openly may not truly be merciful in secret. The Changsun clan was doomed to fall, but if a thread of blood remained, then a spark of hope survived.
“Father…” Cui Heng hesitated, then frowned:
“Minghou acts ever more recklessly. If this continues, I fear…”
“You have finally come to see it clearly.” Cui Ju said:
“I have long said—the aristocratic clans and Minghou cannot both survive.”
“But how dare she…” Cui Heng’s voice pressed with anger:
“First the Pei clan, then the Changsun clan—acting thus, does she not fear…”
“If you would kill others, would you not allow them to strike back?” Cui Ju turned, cutting him off:
“This matter she cannot retreat from. My Cui clan likewise cannot retreat. Survival or destruction, victory or defeat—let us do all we can, and leave the rest to fate.
Summon the clan to the Hall of Affairs for council.”
Cui Heng obeyed.
As Cui Ju left the ancestral hall, a trusted old servant followed.
“Has there been word from Bingzhou of late?” Cui Ju asked while walking.
“Patriarch, none has arrived recently.”
Cui Ju’s brows furrowed with worry.
Bingzhou?
Cui Heng could not help but ask:
“Father, who is in Bingzhou?”
Bingzhou was that unfilial son’s domain.
Cui Ju: “Ling’an previously left the capital for Bingzhou with a secret edict. His departure was hurried. Ten days ago, a letter arrived explaining the matter.”
Cui Heng was stunned.
So, when he thought that unfilial son had departed with troops without reporting—it was because he had borne a secret edict?
Cui Heng frowned, suddenly feeling his past anger and illness somewhat unjust.
He asked again:
“Since there was a letter, why did Father not tell me?”
Cui Ju gave him a glance:
“If you truly cared about his matters, then the letter would have been delivered into your hands.”
“…” Cui Heng’s expression shifted, then after a while asked again:
“Why suddenly go to Bingzhou? Was it not to the northern frontier to drill troops and rebuild defenses?”
Cui Ju’s face grew grave:
“Bingzhou may be in turmoil.”
And likely not merely a change of prefect.
Ling’an’s situation now—whether he was safe or not…
Cui Ju could not rest easy, and so sent men secretly to Bingzhou to investigate.
…
That day, Chang Suining and her party’s carriage had already reached Xuanzhou.
On the way, she had sensed strangeness, and had already sent riders speeding to Bingzhou, bearing a letter to Cui Jing. Yet she did not know if by now it had reached him.
As Chang Suining pondered, her carriage had already passed through Xuanzhou’s city gates. Ah Dian could not resist lifting the curtain, peering out curiously.
In the carriage behind, Chang Sui’an, however, had no spirit at all. As the days drew them nearer Xuanzhou, his nervousness had visibly deepened.
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