Chapter Thirteen: The Reward of Captain Guoyi
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Staring at another man’s female relatives was impolite, especially when the lady in question was of noble birth. Wu An merely took a few more discreet glances.
“Since Brother Wang serves in the Eastern Palace, do you hold an official post?”
The young man in splendid robes clearly froze for a moment, then answered as though nothing had happened, “Only a minor clerical position. I keep records for His Highness.”
“Then, do you know what the current court is like?” Wu An asked directly.
He sat with an attitude of humility. “I have only just returned to Chang’an. Thanks to the Empress’s gracious favor, I have been fortunate enough to receive an appointment. I beg you, Brother Wang, to impart some of your knowledge to me.”
The Eastern Palace was bound by rules at every turn. It was rare for anyone to ask him for advice so earnestly...
The young man in fine clothes found it faintly amusing. He wondered how astonished this scion of the Wu clan would be upon learning his true identity. After a moment’s thought, he replied casually, “Since you are the Empress’s nephew, there is no need for you to concern yourself too deeply with the state of the court. Simply follow Her Majesty’s instructions. Keep your conduct proper and do not make mistakes.”
If Wu An truly had the same blood flowing through his veins as the Empress, then this was probably exactly what he would do.
He would keep out of the current turmoil, wait in peace for a decade or more, and when the Wu clan’s power reached its height, he could ride that tide to wealth and honor, standing securely at the very summit.
But he was seeking more than revenge now. He intended to climb higher, and he had no idea how long the identity of a Wu clansman could serve him. Besides, the Empress seemed eager to see results.
Could he afford to wait?
The young man seemed to have seen through his thoughts and smiled. “Are you growing impatient?”
“Brother Wang is right. Your subordinate is eager to win some merit and repay the court for its favor.”
Wu An watched him closely, preparing to draw out more information, but the young man suddenly said, “If you wish to earn distinction, why not let me report to the Crown Prince when I return and recommend that you serve in the Eastern Palace? Would that not be a better path?”
Even if he belonged to the Wu clan and was kin to the Empress, many people would gladly abandon the former identity if given the chance to serve the heir apparent.
The Empress’s glory might only last for a season. To follow the Crown Prince, however—that was the true road to a bright future.
Take Li Jingxuan. He had once been a companion to the emperor’s son. From the very beginning, his future stature had already been determined.
Though the Son of Heaven might no longer regard him as favorably as he once had, on the surface, the two still behaved like close brothers.
The young man studied Wu An’s expression, but Wu An answered without hesitation, “I am of limited talent and learning. To be able to run errands for the Empress is already a blessing. I would not dare ask for more.”
The young man gave a quiet snort and said nothing further. He remained confident that once he revealed his true identity, this young man would be both astonished and delighted, bowing before him and pledging submission.
For now, he had used another man’s name, but he had still been recruiting Wu An in the name of the Eastern Palace—and Wu An had actually refused?
The taste of rejection...
The smile on his face faded slightly. He therefore made no further effort to explain the current state of the court to Wu An. Beside him, the girl named Taiping continued to regard the black-armored young man with curiosity.
Then the carriage came to a stop.
“I have just remembered that I am merely a clerk of the Eastern Palace and cannot enter the palace without permission.” The young man lazily gestured toward the outside.
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“You may go on ahead, Brother Wu.”
Wu An noticed the displeasure he was trying to conceal, thanked him, and actually left at once.
A gloomy expression appeared on the young man’s face. He raised a hand and rubbed the space between his brows, muttering in bewilderment, “Where did Mother find such an unlikable fool?”
Seeing his expression, the girl could not help smiling. In an instant, the entire carriage seemed to brighten.
Her voice was clear and crisp as she mercilessly exposed her elder brother’s petty thoughts.
“You are obviously annoyed because he did not eagerly agree and wounded your pride. And you call yourself the Crown Prince? You have no generosity at all.”
Her few words reddened the young man’s face. He had no reply, and after a brief silence, he could only say bitterly, “You are nearly old enough to marry. I wonder what talented young man from a worthy family will be able to endure that sharp tongue of yours.”
“What kind of elder brother rushes to marry off his own sister?” the girl protested. “Instead of worrying about me, you should learn to conduct yourself properly and make sure you remain secure in the Eastern Palace.”
The smile on the young man’s face faded again. Thinking of the black-armored youth, he could not help licking his lips.
“The Eastern Palace lacks nothing in the way of talent. It is not as though this minor soldier is indispensable to me. He simply failed to appreciate the opportunity.”
With the Crown Prince as his patron, that black-armored youth would naturally rise smoothly through the ranks.
But without him? Heh...
...
“Everything you said—is it true?” the Empress asked without raising her head.
“Yes.”
Wu An took out the scroll of poetry. The old eunuch beside him immediately reached out, lifted it, and gave it a shake before presenting it to the Empress.
She unrolled it and read for a while, her gaze lingering over the lines marked and annotated in ink. The corners of her lips curved faintly upward.
“In former times, Zhao Gao pointed to a deer and called it a horse. Today, you have condemned a man through his writing. One might say you possess something of the ancients’ spirit.”
Shangguan Wan’er, standing beside the Empress, felt her heart tremble. She detected the faint note of mockery in those words and thought that this reckless fool must have displeased Her Majesty with his wild talk.
After all, when a subordinate employed methods that were too ruthless, the superior would inevitably remember it.
But at that moment, Wu An raised his head and said in a deep voice, “Zhao Gao served the Second Emperor. I serve the Two Sages. In my heart, there is nothing but loyalty.”
“Is that so? Heh.”
The Empress tossed the scroll titled The Hao Poetry Record aside and said coolly, “This method will not do for now. It would too easily undermine the rules.”
Wu An had prepared himself for that possibility before coming. He had never expected to uncover anything on his very first day. But once one went out to work, one had to produce some result.
It was like secretly slacking off while typing loudly on the keyboard.
At the very least, one had to make the superior aware that one was doing something.
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It was a matter of attitude.
The Empress held out her hand. Shangguan Wan’er immediately understood and presented another scroll. The Empress took it and lightly dropped it onto the table.
Smack.
“Take it.”
The old eunuch handed the scroll to Wu An. He accepted it and flipped through it casually, discovering records of names, native places, incidents, and the exact quantities of various sums of money and provisions.
One name ran through the entire record from beginning to end.
Hao Chujun.
“At tomorrow morning’s court, present this document and accuse Hao Chujun of his crimes before the assembled officials.”
The Empress tapped lightly on the desk, indicating that Wu An should look up at her.
“Spend tonight thinking carefully about how you will speak.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Wu An did not immediately rise to take his leave. Instead, he said, “Your Majesty, I have one presumptuous request.”
“Oh?”
Wu An raised his head and looked at the Empress. With due respect, he said, “Today, many brothers of the Hundred Cavalry Office accompanied me on official business. They labored without reward, and I am ashamed of it. I ask Your Majesty to grant me some valuables, which I wish to use in winning their goodwill.”
He had put it so bluntly?
Shangguan Wan’er, standing beside the Empress, stared at him in astonishment. The Empress, however, laughed, idly turning the scroll of The Hao Poetry Record in her hands.
She said indifferently, “Very well. However, I intend to keep this book and examine it further.”
...
Outside the palace hall, dozens of armored men from the Hundred Cavalry Office stood on the steps, watching as the black-armored young man descended with several eunuchs. Each eunuch carried a chest.
Wu An waved his hand. The eunuchs, one after another, set the chests down with visible relief. When they opened them, they revealed heaps of copper coins.
By then, the sun was already sinking beyond the horizon. The setting sun generously spilled its afterglow over the chests of coins, and in an instant, every eye reflected a glittering light.
“You have all worked hard on today’s assignment. These are the rewards I requested from the Empress on your behalf.”
Wu An scooped up a handful of coins, then opened his fingers and let them clatter down through the gaps in his hand, allowing the soldiers to watch.
“Follow me and serve the Empress faithfully. I promise you will not be treated unfairly.”
Wu An personally opened the final, smaller chest. Inside lay dozens of lustrous white pearls, and the soldiers’ eyes followed them as they rolled and scattered across the bottom.
“Come and collect your rewards.”
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