Classmates
Xie Shangxiu angrily set down his brush and finally looked at the dark figure outside his cell.
The visitor was small, their whole body shrouded in a voluminous black cloak, with only a delicate little chin showing.
"Who are you? How dare you..."
He suddenly stopped and stared at her for a long moment.
"You, you're Princess Zhenning?"
Beyond his shock, Xie Shangxiu found it hard to believe.
He had been in the Imperial Prison for several days, and he had never expected the only person to visit him to be Princess Zhenning, whom everyone called arrogant, overbearing, unruly and spoiled.
Xie Shangxiu softened his tone. "Your Highness, you should not have come here."
"Censor Xie, you must know that if you had not submitted this memorial, you might still have had a way to live."
At those words, Xie Shangxiu showed no particular emotion. He lowered his head and continued writing his memorial.
"Some things must be done, after all. Even knowing the road ahead leads to a dead end, someone must still cast a stone to find the way."
"If I do not submit the memorial, I might scrape by, but only if I submit it will the people of the realm learn of the Wen Faction's countless crimes."
"I am willing to meet the end of heaven, as Langya tilts to the left. Though I wish to give my utmost loyalty, I am glad to see you return to your Chu."
"I have never cared for talk of dying for a cause, but I know there are still successors in this world who will carry on my aspirations. To die for the Way is to stir their resolve. I am willing to be the stone cast to find the way. I have no regrets."
"Who are the successors you speak of, Censor Xie?"
"There are many."
Xie Shangxiu paused, brush in hand, and looked at Zhao Huiluan, his tone earnest.
Zhao Huiluan raised her hands and gave him a deep bow, then left the Imperial Prison.
Every day, officials came to the Jade Light Hall to plead for Censor Xie and the others.
Rong An continued to lecture in the Hall of Literary Glory as usual, his manner composed and his expression calm, as though the affairs of court had not affected him in the slightest.
Yet even Zhao Huiluan had heard that the courtiers cursed him behind his back as ungrateful and coldhearted.
Of the Xie household's former students, those in the capital all pleaded for their teacher, while those posted elsewhere sent memorials to the capital from afar, pleading on his behalf.
Rong An alone did not.
After winter set in, heavy snow fell over the Yan Capital for days on end.
In the Hall of Literary Glory, everyone was so cold they kept rubbing their hands. Rong An dismissed them early.
Zhao Huiluan staggered along through the snow. Xichun held an umbrella over her to shield her from the flakes.
Zhang Yunchi walked beside her. Gazing at the snow swirling down ever more thickly, he sighed. "Is this snow seeing Censor Xie off?"
Zhao Huiluan froze. "Is the execution today?"
Zhang Yunchi nodded.
After a few steps, Zhao Huiluan suddenly felt her earlobe and cried, "My pearl earring is gone! Hurry and help me find it."
Xichun hurriedly looked down to search for the pearl.
Zhao Huiluan took the chance to run back.
Zhang Yunchi made a show of searching. Once she had run far enough to disappear from sight, he rolled his eyes and told Xichun:
"Go back to the Jade Balance Palace."
Xichun understood then, though she was still a little worried. "Her Highness..."
"I'll take her back later."
Zhang Yunchi headed back toward the Hall of Literary Glory and, sure enough, caught sight of a figure in white turning inside.
He rubbed his arms, grimacing at the cold, and happened to spot Xiao Qinglan.
"Come on, take me to your place to warm myself by the fire."
Xiao Qinglan also glanced at the Hall of Literary Glory, then nodded in agreement.
Zhao Huiluan pushed the door open on tiptoe.
The hall was empty and quiet. Only one figure, dressed in dark blue-green, sat with his back to her at the teacher's desk, his head turned toward the half-open window.
At the sound, Rong An's body trembled.
Thinking it was a eunuch come to tidy up, he said, "There is no need to trouble yourself, Eunuch. I will tidy the hall myself in a little while. It is cold; go and rest."
The person behind him said nothing, but instead closed the door and walked toward him.
"You..."
He turned and saw Zhao Huiluan.
Her small figure was bundled in a fox-fur cloak, snow clung to her hair, and the tip of her nose was red from the cold.
"Why haven't you left yet, Teacher?"
"I am waiting for the snow to stop."
"Why did you come back, Your Highness?"
"I wanted to wait with you for the snow to stop."
Rong An's hands, hidden in his sleeves, suddenly clenched.
He said nothing more and turned back to look out the window.
"I am willing to meet the end of heaven, as Langya tilts to the left. Though I wish to give my utmost loyalty, I am glad to see you return to your Chu."
Source: Cao Cao's "A Fine Song, Part Two."
(Added it to the main text! Hope you enjoy~ 2023/10/28)
Chapter 21: Classmates
In the forty-first year of Yongzhao, the spring chill still bit.
Zhang Yunchi drove the carriage steadily along the official road.
A stalk of dry grass between his teeth, he could not make sense of it, however much he thought about it.
"Jianjian, what was His Majesty thinking? He actually agreed to let you study at the Imperial College."
"I have my own ingenious plan. You only need to remember that wherever I go, I won't leave you behind."
The drowsy voice of a young girl came from the carriage behind him.
She had used the same old tricks: first tears, then a fuss, and she had invoked her mother the empress. Before she had cried for even half a quarter of an hour, her imperial father had agreed.
But he had laid down three conditions.
First, she had to obey the rules of the Imperial College and was not allowed to use her status as a princess to bully her teachers or classmates.
Second, she was not to take part in dangerous affairs and had to look after her own safety.
Third, if her imperial father missed her, she had to return to the palace at once, without delaying on any pretext.
"Jianjian, you didn't do this for Vice Director Rong, did you?"
Zhao Huiluan, who had been dozing with her head on a fur blanket, slowly opened her eyes.
Before the new year, with Censor Xie and the others' impeachment at an end, those who had submitted petitions on their behalf had all been demoted to varying degrees.
Rong An, whom the upright officials had denounced as heartless and ungrateful, had been transferred at the start of the year to the Imperial College as a vice director of the sixth rank proper.
"He was the one who said he would teach me everything he knew."
To Zhang Yunchi, the little girl's lazy reply sounded like an admission.
But that was not the case.
If Zhao Huiluan wanted to accomplish anything, she could not remain trapped in the inner court forever. She needed to venture out, and the Imperial College was her only opening.
"Jianjian, you..."