14 The Inevitable

A whole host of swear words and phrases, such as 'woc' and 'MMP', raced through Yan Zheyun's mind. But he didn't utter them aloud. Not that anyone would understand him anyway.

He still had a tight grip on Xiqing's arm but she was struggling intently against him, nearly in hysterics.

"Steward Yang," she cried, crawling forward on her knees to try and seize the hem of his robes. "Was it Xile?! Where is she now?! Please, let me see her!"

Steward Yang harrumphed coldly and pulled away from her frantic grasping. "You're that useless maid's sister? She has already caused a disaster and jeopardised her own worthless life. Do you want to join her in punishment?"

Xiqing shook her head in disbelief. "Please," she begged. "Xiqing implores you, Steward Yang, please spare my sister, she's so young, this is the first time she's ever made a mistake—" Unable to catch hold of Steward Yang, she changed her tactics, scrambling over to Matron Wang instead.

"Matron Wang," she stammered. "Xiqing begs you to save her little sister, Xiqing begs you…" She banged her forehead on the floor repeatedly as she kowtowed.

Yan Zheyun's blood ran cold. The atmosphere in the kitchens had gone from stuffy to stifling. Less than a handful of minutes ago, Xiqing had been doting on him like a big sister. Now, she was a nervous wreck grovelling on the floor, pleading for the life of her only relative with no shred of self-dignity.

He hated it. No one should have to sacrifice their pride like that, no matter what kind of family they were born into.

But he was also helpless to fight it. Yan Zheyun gritted his teeth and clenched his fists before joining Xiqing in kowtowing.

"This servant implores Steward Yang to rethink his orders." He was already under fire and there was no way for him to safely get out of trouble, so he might as well see what he could do to assist Xiqing.

Steward Yang sneered. "Little Young Master Yan," he said, with no small amount of sarcasm. "Long time no see." His cruel eyes darted towards the piece of crumbled lotus cake on the ground like it was evidence of a crime. "Little Young Master has proven once again to be a creature of indulgence. Even when banished to the kitchens, your precious self still knows how to enjoy life."

He shot Matron Wang a smug, vicious look. "Do you have anything else to add, Matron Wang? These servants are starting to misbehave more and more under your control, perhaps you're getting soft? Should I inform the mistress that a replacement is in order?"

Yan Zheyun swallowed. He hadn't intended to drag Matron Wang into this mess but he couldn't think of any other way to distract Steward Yang from Xiqing.

Before Matron Wang could say anything, he interjected. "Xiaode is at fault," he said. "Xiaode was hungry and stole a piece of cake to relieve the pangs. I know that I'm in the wrong, and beg for your forgiveness." He raised a hand and steeled himself with resolve as he prepared to slap his own face as hard as he could.

But Steward Yang seized his wrist before the blow could land.

"Aiyo," he said, with a frosty smile. "If Little Young Master hadn't raised his head, this humble servant would have forgotten all about his pretty face. Just as well, now that that useless maid has been dragged off for a flogging, we need someone to replace her in the front. Young Master Yan, don't hit yourself on my account, this humble servant doesn't dare to ruin your lovely visage. Please, if you will follow me?" He bowed mockingly towards the door like he was heralding a real aristocrat.

Yan Zheyun rose to his feet woodenly. Before he'd tried to stop Xiqing, he'd already suspected that this would be the outcome. But he hadn't been able to refrain from interfering. His hands trembled and he pressed them against his sides to hide his fear.

Matron Wang's eyes flashed with rage. "Steward Yang!" she protested stiffly, taking a step forward like she wanted to shield Yan Zheyun. "This slave is still quite new to the kitchens and hasn't been trained well yet. I will punish him for his wrongs but he isn't a suitable choice for serving guests! He will only cause affront to them with his brash ways. Give him a couple more months under my instruction—"

She tried to buy Yan Zheyun time but to no avail.

Steward Yang let out a callous laugh. "That's enough, Matron Wang," he replied. "Brash ways? Who in the capital doesn't know that the ex-prime minister's son, this precious treasure of the Yan Family, has the most impeccable manners? No one else would be more suited to serve this particular distinguished guest."

Yan Zheyun shut his eyes in resignation. He'd already had his suspicions but he was certain now.

Yan Lixin had bitched about a horrific incident that occurred to Yan Yun during Wu Bin's wedding night, which had involved a dirty ploy engineered for a long time by both Wu Bin and the crown prince, Scumbag 2. This meant that the crown prince's first meeting with Yan Yun in the Wu Household must have happened before the wedding.

Yan Zheyun had been dreading the advent of this day. But now that it was here, he had no choice but to deal with whatever fresh nightmare it brought along with it.

"Matron Wang," he said quietly. "It's okay, Yun Er will manage."

Matron Wang opened her mouth to speak but then changed her mind. Her brows knitted together as she let out a heavy sigh and turned her head away like she couldn't bear to see him walking towards his fate.

Steward Yang's lips curled into a mirthless smile. "Little Young Master is a good sport, as always," he jeered. "Please come this way then."

——————————

The main house of the Wu Estate was the building that visitors first entered upon arrival. Its dark oak furniture and ornate decorations were all antiques that had been passed on from generation to generation, collector's pieces that showed off the old and sizeable wealth of the Wu Family. The front chambers had chairs to cater to guests that had come to congregate with the masters of the house. Behind that, through two carved arched doorways, was a dining area for casual meals.

But the visitor today was so important that the Wu Family had opened their banquet hall, the one reserved for formal feasts. The decoration here was lavish, but not so tacky that it undermined the prestige of the owners.

Prince Liu Wei took in the surroundings in silence. He was seated at the head of the hall, which was customary whenever the guest was of higher social standing than the owner of the house. To his right, which was the next most favoured position in the room, was the Minister of Rites, Wu Shengqi.

Wu Shengqi was still rambling his apologies for that stupid servant girl's wrongdoing, but Liu Wei wasn't particularly invested in the conversation. If this were any other household, he would have flicked his sleeves and left in irritation already. But Liu Wei had chosen to remain because he had an important target to coax onto his side. So he had graciously allowed Wu Shengqi to send a page to his prince's manor to retrieve another set of clean attire for him.

To fulfil his ambitions, Liu Wei was willing to put himself through some inconveniences. Sitting for half a shichen (1) in sticky trousers was nothing.

Despite being the head of the Wu Family, Wu Shengqi hadn't been able to live up to the reputation of his ancestors. Liu Wei attended court with him every morning and had seen his work performance. He was unremarkable at best and inferior at worst.

But his son was a different story. If Liu Wei managed to garner support from the eldest son of the Wu Family, it meant that the future head of the clan would be on his side. And he had secretly monitored Wu Bin's behaviour in the Hanlin Academy, his spies reporting back to him about Wu Bin's poorly concealed dissatisfaction and craving for more power.

Good. Liu Wei could appreciate a like-minded individual.

Lately, he had sensed a change in the attitude of his older brother, the emperor, towards him. Liu Yao was only 3 years older than him, but since birth, everyone, including their empress mother, had commended Liu Yao on his maturity. And Liu Yao had taken this in stride, treating Liu Wei like a much smaller brother and doting on him. Liu Wei had played his role perfectly too, choosing to be childish in front of Liu Yao and fighting for his attention like a harmless child that idolised his big brother.

And Liu Yao had bought it, of course. This Imperial Big Brother of his had been ruthless in the fight for the throne but Liu Wei knew his weakness. Liu Yao was a true gentleman. Despite his strict laws and harsh demeanour in court, he was genuinely kind at heart and soft on those he regarded as his brethren. And Liu Wei had used this to his advantage, which was why he was one of the few imperial siblings to survive and become a 'Prince of the First Rank'.

Prince of the First Rank Xi or Bright Prince of the First Rank. Just in the meaning of the title, Liu Wei could sense the high hopes his older brother had for him. But recently, those hopes seemed to have increased. The emperor had invited him to the study multiple times to discuss affairs of the state, which he had never done before. He had tested Liu Wei with questions of governance, commending him when he answered well and advising him patiently when he had found Liu Wei's knowledge lacking.

Liu Wei felt a surge of excitement just thinking about what this could possibly mean for him.

"Prince Xi." Wu Shengqi used the honorific for a prince of the first rank with fawning respect. Liu Wei responded by glancing at him. "This subject would like to know Prince Xi's plans for the imperial examinations to be held the following spring."

Just yesterday, the emperor had surprised the entire court by assigning Liu Wei as chief organiser of the next imperial exam. This was the big trial for every scholar who aspired to become an official and only took place in spring and autumn once every three years. It was unheard of for an emperor to let his brother take charge of this exam because it would give that chosen prince a chance to form new alliances.

It was akin to allowing a baby predator to grow strong. Dangerous.

A commotion had broken out in court, all the officials struggling to guess the emperor's motivations. Some ministers had been in favour of this but most had been against it. Still, the emperor had stood his ground and Liu Wei had been ecstatic.

His brother had no heir. His brother didn't seem to want an heir. Liu Wei felt like he understood the unspoken meaning underlying Liu Yao's unconventional actions.

"No rush," Liu Wei said, dismissive of Wu Shengqi's tentative question. "Spring is still a ways off, This prince will visit the Ministry of Rites tomorrow to discuss matters with you during working hours." It was customary for the Ministry of Rites to handle the organisation of the imperial exams. Otherwise, Liu Wei wouldn't waste his time working with the likes of Wu Shengqi. After accumulating more power, Liu Wei was going to consider replacing Wu Shengqi with someone else more suited to helping him.

"Of course, of course." A light sheen of sweat gleamed on Wu Shengqi's forehead. The pressure of talking to this favoured prince was too much for him to bear. Hoping to detract the attention from himself, he gestured to his son to take over the conversation.

Wu Bin didn't disappoint. He rose to his feet gracefully, an elegant smile on his face as he raised his wine cup in both hands to toast the prince.

"Prince Xi," he said, with sincere reverence. "Allow this lowly subject to congratulate you on obtaining your new role."

Liu Wei laughed and raised his cup in acknowledgement. "Compiler Wu is too kind, congratulations are in order for the both of us," he said. "Would this prince have an opportunity to attend your upcoming nuptials?"

"Of course!" Wu Shengqi interjected in eagerness before Wu Bin could respond. "Prince Xi will be the first to receive an invitation, there's no doubt about that."

This comment actually already overstepped boundaries, and Liu Wei could admonish him for it if he'd wanted. The glory of the first invitation belonged to the emperor, after all. But Liu Wei just smiled in response and sipped at his wine. The atmosphere in the room lightened with small talk. It was like the incident with the spilt soup had never occurred, and all members of the Wu Household that were present let out a sigh of relief.

The next course of the meal arrived during this convivial mood. Steward Yang entered with a respectful bow, before gesturing for a line of maids to file in with trays of dishes in their hands. Liu Wei's gaze flickered over their faces quickly in disinterest, only lingering when he caught sight of the slender figure at the end of the line.

It was a young boy, from his build, missing the attractive curves of the women in front of him. Dressed in a simple white tunic, his hair was pulled up into the half-topknot style preferred by scholars. This lent him an air of composed elegance, and Liu Wei found his gaze drawn irresistibly towards him. The boy had his head lowered in deference, so Liu Wei couldn't see his face. But the skin of his neck and hands was pure like the snow. The slender fingers wrapped around the tray handles were delicate like they should be plucking at guqin strings instead of serving food.

"How come you have a slave boy bearing dishes?" Liu Wei asked like he was casually curious. The maids were often more appealing to look at, so it was rare for males to be called to serve guests.

Wu Bin's face darkened almost imperceptibly, but Liu Wei noticed it anyway. Interesting. There was a story here and he wanted to know if he could take advantage of it.

"Steward," Wu Bin said coldly. "Why have you brought a male slave here to sully the eyes of Prince Xi? Ask him to retire now, quickly, before—"

"Wait," Liu Wei interrupted, his smile widening. He'd heard some rumours on the capital's grapevine about Young Master Wu's infamous manservant. Was this him?

"This prince doesn't find his eyes sullied at all," he continued. "Boy, come here. Raise your head and let us have a good look at you."

After a moment's hesitation, the boy obeyed, and Liu Wei felt all his breath leave his lungs.