When returning to the Kaifeng Prefecture, Xie Yu met Fang Bao, another military inspector, at the gate. Fang was just leading a group of men out in a bustling manner.
The Kaifeng Prefecture had long maintained two military inspectors, left and right, who were nominally under the command of the Prefect but actually directly subordinate to the emperor. They were mainly responsible for assisting in maintaining public order and investigating cases within the city.
In principle, the two military inspectors held equal rank; whoever was available or discovered a case first would handle it. These past few days, since Xie Yu had been away investigating cases, the other inspector had taken charge of affairs inside and outside the office.
Upon seeing Xie Yu, Fang Bao immediately showed visible delight. “You’re finally back!”
With the hot weather and many tasks, the stubbornness of various princes and nobles had worn him out.
Xie Yu chuckled. “Where is Director Fang headed?”
Fang Bao mounted his horse, patted its neck, and pointed into the distance. “Hey, you’ve been away these past days and don’t know what’s happened. The day before yesterday there was a fire that burned down several houses. Then it rained, making the houses alternately hot and cold, and many collapsed from the temperature change. Fortunately, no one was hurt, so we’ve been busy rebuilding. But just now someone came to report that a worker broke his leg at the construction site. He was wailing and couldn’t explain clearly whether it was his own carelessness or someone else’s fault…”
“With this hot weather and people’s tempers flaring,” Fang said, seeing that everyone had gathered. He tugged the reins, turned his horse around, and clapped his hands helplessly. “Well, now both sides have stopped building their houses and started fighting instead! They used shovels, hoes, and rakes—it’s turned into a real mess.”
Who was right or wrong could be sorted out later, but for now, they needed to go separate the fight and prevent any loss of life.
After saying this, Fang Bao led the way in bowing to Xie Yu. “Now that you’re back, things will be easier. When you have time, we can hang out together. We’ll head off first!”
With that, he indeed spurred his horse toward the site of the brawl.
Xie Yu watched Fang and his men ride away, finally feeling a sense of coming home.
Hmm, if only there weren’t so many troubling matters.
He had intended to report to Tu Yao, but the latter had gone out on business and hadn’t returned yet. After a moment’s hesitation, he headed toward the medicinal herb garden.
After several days of rain, the plants had grown significantly, with many branches and leaves sticking out from the flowerbeds, boldly stretching out onto the path.
As Xie Yu turned through the moon-shaped archway, a few rose branches lightly brushed against his shoulder, leaving behind delicate petals before swinging back with a soft “puff.”
The faint fragrance of the roses clung to his robe.
Before even entering the courtyard, he could hear the lively chatter inside, as if Huo Ping and Yuan Pei were there, laughing and talking. Occasionally, a burst of laughter emerged.
They seemed very cheerful.
“Hey, this really tastes good! Don’t believe me? Try it yourselves!” Ma Bing laughed.
“Do you think we’re stupid?” Yuan Pei’s voice came, alternating between near and far, as if he were being chased. “That stuff is dark and smelly—it must have gone bad along the way!”
“It smells bad but tastes good! Come on, try some…”
“Ugh, it stinks! Get away from me!”
Xie Yu paused at the door, listening for a while, his lips unconsciously lifting as he was infected by the cheerful atmosphere inside.
“Zizhi, you’ve really changed quite a bit.”
He suddenly recalled what his uncle had said earlier.
Changed?
Perhaps.
The past Xie Yu had been rule-bound and disliked joking with others, indeed a rather dull person.
But now he had acquired some subtle thoughts that couldn’t be shared with outsiders. These thoughts might be connected to major implications capable of shaking the court. He both hoped to uncover them soon so these thoughts could be revealed in the light of day, yet paradoxically wished that day would come later—much later.
He worried that the outcome might not be the one he desired…
Sometimes Xie Yu thought he was rather ridiculous, like a fool willingly jumping onto the tip of a blade. He could easily stay out of it, and his current situation wasn’t particularly pleasant, yet like being bewitched, as long as he glimpsed even the faintest color peeking through the distant mist, he would gladly embrace it.
“Waaah, sir?!” Yuan Pei’s startled face suddenly appeared at the door, instinctively braking when he saw Xie Yu. “You’re back?”
Ma Bing followed closely behind, holding a round object. Before Xie Yu could speak, he caught a faint whiff of a foul smell, involuntarily furrowing his brows.
What was that thing?
He quickly determined that the stench came from the object in Ma Bing’s hand.
Round, with a pale red shell… an egg?
“Sir’s here,” Ma Bing grinned and happily showed him the stinky egg. “Funny story—I just discovered a new delicacy. Would you like to try some, sir?”
Yuan Pei and the others—Huo Ping, A De, and the rest—who had rushed over, looked at her with terrified expressions:
Are you trying to openly commit a crime and poison a royal relative?!
Xie Yu’s throat moved slightly as he tried to find suitable words but failed.
Why could she always come up with so many strange things?
Ma Bing explained enthusiastically, “When we came back, we brought a lot of pickled eggs, but we moved too slowly and the weather was too hot. When I opened them just now, I found that some had gone bad…”
Although they had spoiled, while being overwhelmed by the stench to the point of shedding tears, Ma Bing gradually detected another strange and magical fragrance hidden within the peculiar odor.
This aroma somewhat resembled the pickled vegetables and fermented delicacies she had eaten before. Although it smelled terrible, the taste was actually quite good. Those who dared not eat it would avoid it at all costs, while those who liked it would absolutely love it.
Drawing on her past experience and courage from personally testing medicinal herbs, Ma Bing tasted a bit of it with the tip of her chopsticks.
It was indeed smelly, but after the brief stench, a magical fragrance surged forth, irresistible and compelling.
The egg white and yolk inside seemed to have melted and blended into a pale gray, soft paste, incredibly smooth. With just a gentle touch of the tongue, there was no resistance at all.
Seeing her bravely taste it, everyone was shocked, thinking that the girl must have gone mad.
It was indeed disheartening that the pickled eggs brought from afar had gone bad, but it was just a jar of eggs—was it really worth this?
Even Wang Heng couldn’t help but advise, “Throw them away, okay?”
Otherwise, if she poisoned herself, wouldn’t he have to treat her?
After eating a couple of bites, Ma Bing patiently waited for over half an hour.
Well, her pulse was fine, and there was no discomfort in her internal organs—no poison!
And that’s how the scene unfolded where Yuan Pei was chased around chaotically just now…
After all this commotion, everyone was hungry, and the kitchen sent over dinner.
Perhaps the experience in Donghe County had left a deep impression, today’s dinner had no chicken-related dishes at all, except for a few stinky eggs that Ma Bing insisted on keeping.
It was a simple millet porridge, with chopped red dates and yam cubes added to the golden porridge, nourishing the stomach and energy. The simpler the taste, the more it lingered in one’s memory.
A big pot of braised pork ribs with dried beans—so tender and flavorful that the bones would fall apart at the slightest touch of chopsticks. Every now and then, you’d bite into a piece of cartilage, crisp and bouncy, making you want to lick your fingers clean.
A big bowl of minced meat sauce eggplant strips, glossy and oily, it was said that the head chef in the kitchen had learned the recipe for soybean paste last year from a cook from Northeast China. This year, the entire Kaifeng Prefecture had been eating his soybean stew dishes, which were especially fragrant.
It was said that he had come up with many delicious ways to cook, including another dish of scallion segments stir-fried with eggs in yellow soybean sauce, which paired perfectly with steamed buns.
A small pot of fish head and tofu stew, still gently boiling when brought to the table. Thinly sliced tender tofu continuously bobbed up and down with the bubbles, like an incessantly chatty person: “Gurgling~ Gurgling~”
Other delicacies included blanched shrimp, mustard melon strips, and a couple of meat and vegetable buns, filling the table completely.
After being away from home for many days, everyone indeed missed the food so much that they didn’t even bother to talk at first, diving into their meals instead. Only after eating about halfway full did they gradually slow down.
Wang Heng, being older, usually followed the practice of not eating after noon, but since Ma Bing’s arrival, the old man often got dragged off track. Seeing them enjoying their meals, he couldn’t help joining in.
Just as he was about to get halfway full, Wang Heng “pulled back from the cliff,” immediately withdrawing from the battle, lying on a rocking chair with a pot of tea for aiding digestion, leisurely sipping it while occasionally fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan, watching the medicinal herb garden and flowerbeds grow vigorously, feeling very content.
Meanwhile, the young people’s feast was just beginning.
Ma Bing hugged the neglected stinky egg, lamenting dramatically: “A fine horse is common, but a true connoisseur is rare!”
This was really delicious, the kind that became increasingly addictive the more you ate, yet no one believed her!
Take just one bite! If it doesn’t taste good, smash it in my face!
Sincerely recommending something only to be rejected mercilessly—who could understand that feeling?!
She sighed heavily, then pulled out a piece of charcoal from somewhere, quickly drawing a smiling face on the eggshell in three strokes.
After thinking for a moment, she erased the mouth part with effort, changing it into a downward curve.
Yes, this expression of unrecognized talent with a frowning face was just right!
After finishing the drawing, Ma Bing rested her chin on her hand, took a bite of rice, sighed, took another bite, and sighed again.
Everyone: “…”
Not sure how long had passed, but finally, a hand with clearly defined knuckles reached over and took the frowning stinky egg.
Ma Bing immediately sat up, joyfully and eagerly saying, “Let me, let me, I’ll help you crack it. This is more fun to eat with a spoon!”
She carefully cracked one end of the egg, peeling off a round opening just big enough for a small spoon to fit through. “This way, the smell won’t spread too much. If you don’t like it, just cover it with something.”
As the eggshell cracked open, a complex aroma—part fragrant, part foul—spilled forth, prompting fearful expressions from everyone else at the table.
Actually, Ma Bing had intentionally chosen to sit downwind, but everyone still vividly remembered the previous smell, making them wary like birds startled by the sound of a bowstring.
Xie Yu stared at the egg returned to him, seeming momentarily lost in thought, then pinched the bridge of his nose.
How to put it… a bit of regret.
But… a gentleman’s word is his bond.
Xie Yu pressed his lips tightly together, steadily accepted the stinky egg, and his other hand, hidden under the table, instinctively twitched a few times.
But… it was still stinky!
Ma Bing blinked at him eagerly, while everyone else at the table watched him without blinking. Even Wang Heng, who had already withdrawn from the table, was now watching him with teapot in hand, forgetting all about fanning himself.
Xie Yu: “…”
Suddenly, the herb garden became eerily quiet.
Xie Yu stared at the gray paste oozing from the hole in the eggshell, feeling as if all surrounding sounds gradually faded away—the breeze rustling the grass, the insects chirping beneath the flowers, the water flowing down the artificial hill outside the wall… all disappeared.
The entire world seemed to shrink to just him, the stinky egg in his hand, and the girl watching him eagerly beside him.
Finally, Xie Yu moved.
At the head of the group, Yuan Pei and the others simultaneously leaned back, inhaled deeply, then held their breath in perfect unison.
He ate it! He really ate it!
Indeed, as Ma Bing had described, the texture was smooth and delicate upon entering his mouth, the sensation between his teeth subtle and intriguing. But… it was still stinky!
The odor started faint, then intensified, alarmingly persistent with a long aftertaste…
Xie Yu’s temple twitched slightly. Supporting his forehead with the hand holding the spoon, he remained silent for a long time.
He had heard that people in the south ate stinky mandarin fish and stinky tofu. Was it the same taste?
Xie Yu slowly inhaled, a thought suddenly surfacing in his mind:
“The people’s livelihood is indeed full of hardship!”
The dreadful silence continued to spread.
Yuan Pei gulped nervously, cautiously poking Huo Ping. The two huddled together, whispering, “Has the sir been poisoned?”
Huo Ping observed for a while, cautiously replying, “Unlikely. I saw his chest rising and falling.”
He was still breathing, and there were two doctors present. No major problem.
Not sure how long had passed, everyone saw Xie Yu’s tense expression gradually relax, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes, and then… he took another spoonful!
Everyone gasped in shock.
He, he actually ate it willingly!
Then came the third spoonful, the fourth…
Ma Bing’s smile widened. “Tastes good, right?”
Xie Yu raised an eyebrow, beginning to examine the stinky egg in his hand with a fresh perspective. “Indeed, it has a unique flavor.”
The more he ate, the more addictive it became. It paired well with porridge.
Suddenly, he felt a kind of joy he hadn’t experienced in the past decade—a joy from trying something new.
“You can all give it a try.”
He said this to Yuan Pei and Huo Ping across the table.
Then he saw everyone’s faces turn green, moving back in unison by a foot, several chairs making grating creaking sounds as they scraped against the floor.
“Your Highness… please don’t talk while eating…”
Yuan Pei struggled to hold his breath.
The moment you open your mouth, it’s really smelly!
The disgruntled prince: “…”
He silently closed his mouth, his ears slightly reddening under the moonlight.
A bit embarrassed.
But hadn’t his uncle said something earlier?
Oh, “If she’s unhappy, I’ll be happy!”
Suddenly, Xie Yu asked Ma Bing, “Any more of these?”
Those eating stinky eggs together wouldn’t notice each other’s smell.
Ma Bing nodded enthusiastically. “Probably the whole basket.”
Xie Yu revealed a mischievous smile, personally selecting two more attractive ones. He waved over a servant. “Find a fancy box, take my seal, and deliver it to the palace immediately. Say it’s a gift for my uncle.”
He knew his uncle’s habits. He should not have finished dinner yet, so leaving now would definitely make it to the dinner table.
The servant, instinctively holding his breath: “…”
Dazedly stepping out, his head buzzed.
What did the prince just say earlier? It was too smelly—he couldn’t hear clearly at all!
Oh, something about delivering it to the palace, right?
Whatever, just deliver it!
Meanwhile, in the palace.
The emperor had originally thought that Princess Shouyang would arrive no earlier than tomorrow, but in the evening, he received word that the princess and her consort had already entered the city.
After a moment’s thought, the emperor ordered Princess Shouyang to come to the palace.
It had been nearly a decade since they last met. When the brother and sister, who had never been particularly close, saw each other, they both felt a strong sense of unfamiliarity and distance.
But soon, this sense of distance was offset by the hostility shown by Princess Shouyang.
“Your Majesty.” Throughout the entire bowing process, Princess Shouyang stared at the emperor, her gaze sharp.
To everyone’s surprise, the emperor did not become angry; instead, he smiled.
Leaning back on the couch, he toyed with an elaborately carved nine-layered ivory ball, silently allowing her to complete the entire set of formal courtesies.
Princess Shouyang tightly pressed her red lips together, her entire posture resembling a fully defensive hedgehog.
Seeing her so displeased, the emperor, however, seemed extremely amused.
Leaning forward slightly, he asked, “You don’t seriously think that I would truly let bygones be bygones, just to preserve face or for some intangible reputation, do you?”
People always enjoy seeing a ruler act magnanimously. Even if they had fought bitterly, once in power, they must smile and forget past grievances; otherwise, historians would record them as petty and narrow-minded monarchs.
But… why should I?
Even though the situation has stabilized, were the bloodshed and lives lost in the past all illusions?
Take Princess Shouyang and her siblings, for instance; although unwillingly, they indeed once joined forces with the Shen clan to cause him no small amount of trouble!
When people die, the light goes out. The emperor had never cared much for posthumous reputation.
Once reduced to dry bones, what difference would it make if future generations sang praises above the ground?
After all, he wouldn’t be able to hear them.
Now that I am the emperor, I refuse to continue suppressing myself.
I will hold grudges and be stingy on purpose!
Princess Shouyang sneered, “It’s merely the law of the victor and the vanquished.”
The emperor shook his head, “No, no, yes, the victor prevails, but the defeated are not necessarily bandits.”
He pointed at her luxurious attire and jewels, “Look, you lost, yet I have still generously conferred a princely title upon him without stripping you of your title as princess. Shouldn’t you feel grateful?”
Stunned, Princess Shouyang looked at him, seemingly unprepared for such words.
So he truly won’t even pretend?
He keeps saying “I” – is he showing off his power?
And that princely title!
Prince of Obedience!
“Obedience!”
This title serves as a constant reminder of their defeat.
Rather than an honor, it feels more like an insult from the victor.
“I summoned you here to make you abandon any illusions,” the emperor said lazily. “I will never treat you kindly just for some intangible reputation of ‘brotherly love and filial piety.’ So, you should be grateful for the peaceful life you now have. At the very least, don’t cause me any more trouble, which would be better for both you and your husband.”
He did not ask Princess Shouyang to rise, so she remained kneeling on the ground. Looking down at her, he spoke slowly and deliberately, his words cruel.
Privately, the emperor rarely used the term “I” when speaking, but today he kept emphasizing it when addressing Princess Shouyang, clearly reminding her constantly of his status as the victor.
This approach was clearly effective, as Princess Shouyang’s expression remained unpleasant, alternating between paleness, greenness, and redness.
Like a dye shop exploding in color, the emperor thought to himself happily.
“What is my husband anyway?” Princess Shouyang sneered. “If you want to kill him, just do it.”
“Oh?” The emperor raised his eyebrows. “Then I shall indeed kill him. Guards!”
The guards entered immediately, and Princess Shouyang’s expression abruptly changed.
The emperor commanded, “Bring forth the imperial son-in-law Shen Xuan and execute him!”
“If anyone asks,” the guards showed no hesitation but asked earnestly, “what charge should be used?”
“If you want to accuse someone, you will always find a reason,” the emperor said carelessly. “Just execute him first. Tomorrow I will think of an excuse. The Shen family is not as powerful as before and won’t dare to do much. At worst, I will promote a few more people surnamed Shen, and they will have no complaints.”
Since ancient times, noble families have always been like this.
Unless someone is truly a genius, no one is irreplaceable.
All they require is merely the identity of a consort—a status affiliated with the royal family. It could be Shen Xuan, or it could be anyone else, so long as he carries the surname Shen.
Just like the empire, apart from the emperor himself, not many people really care who sits on the throne.
As long as he is a competent emperor, everything else is unimportant.
The guards left to carry out the order. Princess Shouyang’s lips trembled violently before she finally blurted out, “Stop!”
The emperor scoffed, “Why pretend to be so tough?”
After all, man is not a plant or a tree; who can be without feelings?
It was true that Princess Shouyang had resisted the consort back then, but after so many years, the two had indeed weathered many hardships together and were no longer strangers as they once had been.
The emperor waved his hand, signaling the guards to withdraw, and sighed at Princess Shouyang, “I must say, I admire that you still have some feelings left.”
If a person has completely lost all emotions, then they no longer deserve to be called human.
Finally, Princess Shouyang’s spine bent slightly, and for the first time, she showed a humble posture, asking, “Then what exactly do you want?”
“Nothing much, just to display some belated and cheap sibling affection,” the emperor suddenly stood up and slowly walked toward her. “Since you’ve just returned to the capital and have no residence, and considering your longing for your elder brother over the years, I permit you to reside permanently at the Prince of Obedience’s Mansion.”
Princess Shouyang stiffened, raising her head in disbelief, “You?!”
The emperor said nothing more, merely patting her shoulder meaningfully before leisurely leaving, saying, “Bring in the meal.”
The chief eunuch personally helped to light the way, saying, “Your Majesty, Xiao Xie just sent a lacquered box via express courier, saying it’s a side dish to go with the meal, and it’s supposed to taste excellent.”
“Oh?” The emperor became interested and delighted, “The child has grown up and learned to care for others! Come on, let’s go check it out.”
Roughly half an hour later.
“Ugh…”
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