At the same height, atop the grand hall’s roof, the young emperor, Chen Wang, and Lu Xu remained mostly silent. Only the eunuch from the Office of Rites occasionally stood beneath the eaves, reporting the situation from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, just clear enough to be heard.
When Zhao Zhuan heard that four women had arrived in two carriages, the young emperor wore a self-deprecating and helpless expression.
Later, the summoning of his brother-in-law Yan Chiji into the palace was his own directive—to have Yan Chiji rush to deliver a message to Xu Fengnian. It was an indispensable step. But when Yan Chiji hurried back and knelt stubbornly beneath the eaves, the young emperor was visibly angered.
Even the Chief Eunuch Song Tanglu felt uneasy.
Song Tanglu knew that Yan Chiji was not just a member of the imperial family but also an exceptionally special balancing scale.
As for the scales in the late emperor’s heart, one of them was Grand Scholar Yan Jiexi, a towering figure in both the literary and political circles of Beiliang. His betrayal of Beiliang to join the imperial court naturally delighted the late emperor, who showered the Yan family with favor. Yan Jiexi was appointed one of the six Grand Scholars of the Halls, and his daughter Yan Dongwu now held the esteemed position of empress. Jin Lanting was another such case, rising so swiftly that it left the capital in awe. Yao Baifeng was also one, but this master of Neo-Confucianism repeatedly leaned toward Beiliang and Xu Xiao during court debates, so he remained a mere sacrificial official of the Imperial Academy—respected but powerless. Yuan Kui, an old associate of the Zhanglu faction, fared even worse. After a hard-won return to office as Minister of Rites, he was swiftly expelled from the capital for taking the wrong stance on matters of water transport and household registration.
For a scholar, integrity matters greatly.
For an official, integrity is far less important than scholars imagine.
A single word’s difference, yet worlds apart.
The emperor and that young court official, both well-regarded, stood at an impasse—one seated high, the other kneeling low.
Chen Wang rose with a smile. The young emperor, as if pouting, muttered, “Ignore him.” Yet Chen Wang descended the ladder anyway, helping Yan Chiji up—though the latter refused to rise. Unfazed, Chen Wang stood beside the young prodigy of the Hanlin Academy, gazing at the tightly shut palace gates and whispering, “Get up. The longer you kneel, the less it helps. Reading the emperor’s mind is a delicate art—you must neither dive too deep nor remain entirely oblivious. You’re not the type of official who seeks fame through empty gestures of loyalty, nor do you need to be. In fact, you couldn’t even if you tried. So instead of letting His Majesty’s anger turn toward the King of Beiliang, why not stand up and shamelessly follow me back to the roof? At least pretend to admire the scenery. At worst, you’ll only make a bad situation worse—right?”
Yan Chiji remained kneeling in silence, head bowed.
Chen Wang, usually gentle and composed, suddenly lowered his voice sharply. “What, are you not afraid of dragging your father and sister into this?! Or does the Yan family have such flourishing fortunes that losing one Yan Chiji means nothing? If you truly have the guts, drag the empress and Grand Scholar Yan here to kneel with you! I’ll join you then, and we’ll make it a grand spectacle—how about that?!”
Yan Chiji’s shoulders trembled. No longer silent, he wept openly.
Chen Wang sighed softly. “I’m not like you, Young Master Yan. I’m just a poor scholar who clawed his way up from the streets. I’ve had classmates, fellow examinees, and colleagues, but true friends? Few. Almost none. So while I don’t agree with you kneeling to plead for mercy, I can grudgingly understand it. Acting on impulse, standing by principles—for men like us, wealthy and influential, it’s all too easy.”
Chen Wang’s gaze flicked subtly toward the eunuch in embroidered robes standing nearby, who remained motionless.
After a pause, Chen Wang crouched beside Yan Chiji and said calmly, “The old King of Beiliang commanded the mightiest army in the land—hundreds of thousands of cavalry. From the northwestern frontier to the capital, the distance isn’t as vast as we imagine. Yet whenever the general came to the capital, he brought only a handful of guards. Which of these two feats is harder? For ordinary men, the former. For him, the latter. When a general wields overwhelming force, when a minister holds imperial power, the true challenge isn’t the glory others see—it’s restraint. It’s balancing the five virtues: loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and love.”
Chen Wang smiled faintly. “Xu Fengnian, your sworn brother, has spent years weighing these five. As a subject, loyalty. As a son, filial piety. As a commander, benevolence. As a brother, righteousness. As a husband, love. To me, his coming to the capital was unexpected yet inevitable—he set aside loyalty for filial piety. I’m disappointed, yes. Disappointed he prioritized personal grievances over state affairs. But I also know this is my own unreasonable demand—placing Xu Fengnian on a pedestal as a saint. In truth, I’ve long known he’s no saint. At his core, he’s a man of the jianghu, more suited to its freedom. In the lofty halls of power, he’s just a young prince nursing grudges. But in the distant rivers and lakes, he could’ve been a hero to rival Li Chungang.”
“He chose to leave that world, to shoulder Beiliang’s burdens. No more freedom—just death, death, and more death. I think Xu Fengnian has been deeply unhappy ever since. In short—he’s unhappy. A simple truth, yet many fail to see it.”
“Some say Xu Fengnian should be content. But I, Chen Wang, climbed from the lowest rungs to where I stand today. And even I find some things unbearable. Would you dare say I’m speaking without understanding hardship? No! Anyone who says so—and lets me hear it—will one day regret it. See? I’m no saint either. And it has nothing to do with my rank or future promotions.”
“None of us are saints.”
“So neither is His Majesty.”
“Heaven and earth have their principles; men have their human nature. To live by these truths is never wrong. So Xu Fengnian, as Xu Xiao’s son, coming to the capital and the Astronomical Bureau—he’s not wrong. His Majesty, as the late emperor’s son, trapped between a rock and a hard place, refusing to retreat further—he’s not wrong either.”
“Since that’s the case, Yan Chiji, you’ve knelt long enough. His Majesty and I both understand your reasoning. Why push further? Even children in the capital know this: kneeling in court is easy. Standing firm is hard.”
“Unless you’re searching for gold or silver down there?”
Finally, Yan Chiji wiped his tears and stood.
As he moved to bow in thanks, Chen Wang waved him off. “Enough. Lu Xu already did the same before His Majesty today. If you repeat it, where would that leave the emperor’s dignity? Accusations of factionalism would bury my hopes of promotion.”
Yan Chiji said earnestly, “A gentleman associates but does not conspire.”
Chen Wang paused, then turned to climb the ladder, muttering, “Wasted effort trying to bond. Fine, saves me the cost of treating you to wine.”
Yan Chiji, realizing his misstep, flushed with embarrassment.
Eunuch Song Tanglu, who had seemed deaf to their exchange, allowed himself a faint smirk.
Back on the roof, Chen Wang shifted slightly from his spot beside the emperor, forcing Yan Chiji to awkwardly sit between them.
Zhao Zhuan said coldly, “No more imitating those famed outspoken ministers who died admonishing their emperors?”
Yan Chiji, head still lowered, replied softly, “Minister Chen is right. An official must aspire to rise—that’s human nature.”
Chen Wang, now repaid in kind, could only laugh wryly. Scholars truly were a troublesome lot.
Across from them, the blind Lu Xu wore an enigmatic smile.
Zhao Zhuan sighed self-mockingly. “True enough. You and Xu Fengnian grew up as brothers. So today, you knelt for him. If you were just a subject of Liyang, I might’ve feigned rage—maybe even banished you to some backwater post. But deep down, I wouldn’t have been truly angry. Or if I claimed no anger at all, I’d be lying. But you’re not just Xu Fengnian’s friend, and I’m not just Liyang’s emperor. We’re family. In the future, I may take more consorts, and more in-laws will emerge. But hear this honestly: you, Yan Chiji, were first the fourth prince’s brother-in-law. Only then did you become the emperor’s.”
Yan Chiji was stunned.
Zhao Zhuan threw an arm around his shoulders and laughed heartily, pointing into the distance. “Look! The winds rise, the clouds gather! May the day come when the four of us can sit here again, watching the skies clear!”
Chen Wang sat rigidly, expression solemn.
The blind Lu Xu “gazed” into the distance, hands resting idly on the roof’s ridge.
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