032 On the Indifference of Life and Death

The hall was enveloped in a profound silence, making the sounds from the inner room all the more jarring.

In that moment, Xue Huai clearly saw a flicker of terror on Xu Hui’s face. The identity of the person in the inner room was self-evident.

As the door to the inner room pushed open, a young man dressed in opulent robes stepped out. He was Jiang Chang, Prince Dai, the fifth son of the reigning Emperor.

Xue Huai raised his eyes. The eighteen-year-old Prince Dai was tall and slender, his complexion a pale, cold white from years spent deep within the palace. His raven-black hair was loosely tied with a simple silver hairpin, with a few stray locks falling across his forehead, accentuating the gloom in his eyes.

He was dressed in casual attire today—a robe of cyan-gold silk brocade, the collar and cuffs trimmed with an inch-wide band of purple sable, providing both protection against the November chill and a display of imperial prestige. A black, gold-gilded leather belt was cinched at his waist, from which hung a mutton-fat jade pendant carved in a coiled dragon motif. The hem of his robe was subtly embroidered with silver-threaded clouds, catching the light as he moved.

Such luxurious finery should have highlighted a youth’s vigor, but the gloom etched into his brow instead lent him an eerie air of malevolence wrapped in gold and jade.

From the moment he appeared, Xu Hui kept his head bowed, not daring to even breathe audibly.

Prince Dai sat at the table and looked toward Xu Hui. "Useless trash," he said. "Why haven't you crawled away yet?"

Terrified, Xu Hui offered his apologies and retreated, as if a second’s delay might cost him his life.

Prince Dai’s gloomy gaze swept over the two envelopes on the table. "Compiler Xue is truly as righteous as they say," he said, his voice cold and ethereal. "Your integrity is indeed as steadfast as the pine and cypress."

Earlier, in an attempt to win Xue Huai over, Xu Hui had showered him with endless flattery, nearly painting him as the only conscience left in the Great Yan imperial court. His tone had been incredibly sincere, yet the flattery was so bizarre that even without the experience of his two lifetimes, Xue Huai would not have been easily swayed.

Now, as Prince Dai repeated the same words, the mockery was unmistakable. It was partly because Xue Huai’s resolute attitude had angered him, and partly because, as a prince, he truly held no regard for a mere compiler from the Hanlin Academy.

Had it not been for Xu Hui’s persistent persuasion, Prince Dai would never have felt this meeting was necessary. Even if he did nothing, would Shen Wang and his protégé Xue Huai really dare to aim their blades at the Prince Dai estate?

Xue Huai remained standing where he was. With a blank expression, he replied, "Your Highness is too kind. I merely follow the Emperor’s teachings and dare not violate the laws of the court."

Hearing him invoke the Emperor, Prince Dai finally deigned to turn and look directly at this noble, high-ranking scholar of his own age.

Xue Huai stood as straight as a green bamboo, his shoulders and back tense but not stiff, as if beneath the green robes and the egret-patterned badge of the Hanlin Academy, there lay not just flesh and blood, but a character that would rather break than bend.

Though constrained by the hierarchy that prevented him from sitting as an equal to the Prince, Xue Huai showed neither the sycophancy and fear of Xu Hui nor any deliberate arrogance. With those four words—"follow the Emperor’s teachings"—he had constructed an icy barrier, isolating himself from all enticements and threats.

"Violate the laws of the court?"

Prince Dai let out a scoff. "I should like to hear how you think today’s events have led you to violate the laws of the court."

Xue Huai’s heart was as still as stagnant water; his words were sharp as blades. "Since Your Highness wishes to hear them, I shall explain."

"First, since Senior Clerk Xu possesses evidence of crimes committed by officials of the Ministry of Works’ Bureau of Land Reclamation yet failed to report it to the court, he has committed the crime of concealment under the statutes of the Great Yan Code."

"Second, Senior Clerk Xu intended to force upon me a storefront of significant value. According to the statutes on bribery in the Great Yan Code, officials who accept wealth to bend the law face punishment ranging from caning to exile. The briber is equally guilty, and as a senior clerk of a princely estate, Senior Clerk Xu would face an additional two degrees of severity."

"Lastly—"

Xue Huai paused for a moment and looked directly into the Prince’s eyes. "Although Your Highness is a Prince of the realm, you have not been granted the authority of political oversight by His Majesty. Therefore, you are forbidden from interfering in civil or military affairs. Violators face penalties ranging from the stripping of titles to death."

"Bang!"

Prince Dai slammed his hand onto the table, causing Xu Hui, who was standing outside the door, to stumble.

"Xue Huai, don't say I didn't give you a chance. Walk out of this room right now, go strike the drum at the Xuande Gate, and file a petition to the Emperor. Tell him I have violated the laws of the court, and that you intend to uphold justice by having me executed!"

Prince Dai’s young face was ashen, his gloomy eyes fixed intently on Xue Huai.

Xue Huai did not move.

Prince Dai certainly did not interpret this as cowardice or guilt, yet he sneered, "What? Are you afraid?"

"It is not a matter of fear."

Xue Huai’s reply was calm and immediate. "Matters involving a prince naturally require irrefutable evidence. Since I have no evidence in hand, how could I convince His Majesty or the ministers of the court with mere empty words?"

The evidence was on the table, but Xue Huai knew he had no hope of taking it with him. However arrogant Prince Dai might be, he was not so foolish as to let him—unless Xue Huai were willing to sign and press his seal, accepting the bribe worth a thousand pieces of gold.

This answer clearly did not satisfy the Prince. He tapped his long fingers against the table and said, unhurriedly, "Xue Huai, I know you have a stubborn nature, which is why I let Xu Hui explain things to you. I did not expect you to be so unappreciative. Very well, I shall not lower myself to the level of a scholar. As long as you accept this property, I will do my best to look after you in the future."

Although he lacked the authority of oversight, the position of Consort Liu in the inner palace was secure, and the Emperor’s favor for him had not waned. Thus, setting aside his condescending tone, his promise carried real weight.

Xue Huai’s reply was brief and iron-clad: "I will not accept it."

Prince Dai’s brows knit together, and a flicker of malice emerged from his eyes.

Before he could lash out, Xue Huai continued, "I simply do not understand."

Prince Dai asked coldly, "What is it you don't understand?"

Xue Huai glanced at the two envelopes on the table and said slowly, "According to Senior Clerk Xu, the officials from the Bureau of Land Reclamation sold the fertile fields in the southern suburbs to him under the guise of wasteland, and he was unaware of this beforehand. If that is the case, this matter has nothing to do with the princely estate; it is entirely the unauthorized action of the Ministry of Works officials. In that case, Senior Clerk Xu only needs to report the truth to the court, and His Majesty would surely reward Your Highness. Why would there be any cause for blame?"

A strange feeling crossed Prince Dai’s mind.

In truth, he had initially disagreed with this approach, but Xu Hui had convinced him by calling it a "transaction that kills two birds with one stone." According to Xu Hui’s analysis, since Shen Wang was personally investigating the major case in the Ministry of Works, he would not stop easily. The connections between the princely estate and the Ministry would eventually be discovered. Rather than waiting passively to be investigated, it was better to proactively eliminate the risks.

Using the corrupt officials of the Bureau of Land Reclamation to absolve the estate while simultaneously bringing Xue Huai into their fold—was this not the best of both worlds?

Xue Huai might be insignificant, but the impression his father had left on the Emperor was too profound, and with Shen Wang as his mentor, his influence in the court would only grow.

Prince Dai had finally agreed, never expecting that Xu Hui would fail to accomplish the task. He had only heard of Xue Huai’s reputation before and had never experienced him firsthand; now he knew why even the Emperor found him a headache. He was truly like a rock in a latrine—foul and hard to move.

With this thought, Prince Dai stood up to face Xue Huai. The two were the same age and height.

The pressure of a prince surged toward him, yet Xue Huai’s face remained without a ripple of emotion.

"Xue Huai," the Prince said, word by word. "Are you threatening me?"

"I would not dare."

Xue Huai’s response was seamless, as if he had known exactly what the Prince would say. "I simply find it strange," he said calmly. "My teacher is under imperial decree to investigate the corruption in the Ministry of Works. Logically, it should not implicate the princely estate. Even if there is the matter of fertile land being passed off as wasteland, it is not the estate's responsibility. Your Highness, in truth, needs to do nothing. Yet, you resort to both inducements and threats, as if there were some bizarre secret hidden within."

Though he claimed he did not dare, the implication of his words had already struck the Prince’s most vulnerable point. If he had nothing to hide, why go to such unnecessary lengths?

"Good. Very good."

Prince Dai nodded, a smile that didn't reach his eyes playing on his lips. "Today, I have truly witnessed the demeanor of Compiler Xue."

"Your Highness," Xue Huai said coolly. "I have official duties to attend to and cannot stay long. I take my leave."

"Wait—"

Prince Dai spoke. "I did not give you permission to leave."

Xue Huai did not change his expression. "May I ask what instructions Your Highness has?"

Prince Dai knew he could not do anything to Xue Huai today. Though the man’s rank was not high, the Hanlin Academy was not a place where one’s future was judged solely by rank.

As the recognized training ground for future ministers of the Great Yan, once a Hanlin academic was sent out on assignment, the lowest position they would hold was that of a provincial vice-governor. If they remained in the capital, they would be transferred into the Crown Prince’s household, and from there, they would rise to high-ranking positions as ministers in the Six Ministries.

This was the very meaning of the term "noble and refined."

It was true that Prince Dai was deeply favored by the Emperor and Consort Liu, but if he dared to openly harm a Hanlin compiler, the collective indignation of the civil officials would drown him. By then, not only would Shen Wang strike, but the Chief Grand Secretary, Ning Hengzhi, would also have to intervene, for such a heinous act would represent the imperial house trampling upon the dignity of the scholars of the world.

Therefore, Prince Dai simply turned, walked to the table, and said with calculated ease, "I seem to recall hearing that Compiler Xue accidentally fell into the water a while ago? You really should be more careful. Otherwise, if you were to fall into the water and drown, or be crushed by a carriage on the street, or even accidentally choke while drinking water—wouldn't that be a case of 'heaven envying talent' and a life cut short?"

This was an undisguised threat.

As long as Xue Huai left the Taihu Pavilion safely today, then whatever accidents might befall him in the future, who—in the absence of irrefutable evidence—would dare to suspect this favored young prince of being the mastermind?

At this, the brow that Xue Huai had kept smooth finally furrowed.

Prince Dai noticed this detail, and a wanton smile appeared on his face.