The atmosphere in the room, previously light and relaxed, suddenly shifted. Both Cao Dejiang and Shi Chang’an turned their gazes toward Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan met their eyes calmly. “I have little to offer in return, and my heart is already spoken for, so I can’t repay you by pledging myself to a lady in your household. Lord Cao’s great kindness cannot go unacknowledged, and since you lack for nothing material, Tang Ning and I will take you as our teacher.”
“This matter need not be announced publicly for now. You can remain the Imperial Censor in court. If I succeed in my endeavors, Tang Ning and I will formally offer you the master’s tea and honor you as Imperial Preceptor. The Cao family’s descendants will be our fellow disciples, and you’ll be granted the foundation of Rongsheng Academy to educate the world.”
“If things go awry, you can just consider yourself unlucky for taking on two cheap disciples. The Cao family won’t be implicated by us.”
Cao Dejiang’s heart stirred. Xiao Yan’s words were tantamount to promising him the position of Imperial Preceptor, ensuring the Cao family’s future without requiring him to bear any risk.
By keeping the mentorship private, the Cao family wouldn’t be tied to Xiao Yan’s cause, nor would Xiao Yan need him to take sides in court or betray Emperor An to act on his behalf.
Cao Dejiang had no doubt that Xiao Yan’s words were sincere. Xiao Yan was a man of his word, and if he truly aimed for that throne, today’s promise was a vow, an emperor’s vow, weighty as a thousand pounds.
If Xiao Yan went back on his word, how would he differ from Emperor An?
Cao Dejiang pursed his lips. “No need for the mentorship.”
Xiao Yan raised his eyes, surprised, as he had thought Cao Dejiang wouldn’t refuse.
Cao Dejiang looked at Tang Ning. “I already have a connection with Tang Ning. I was guided by Grand Tutor Rong, which led me to my teacher’s sect. My teacher and Grand Tutor Rong’s teacher were from the same school. Before I entered court, I addressed the Grand Tutor as Senior Brother Rong.”
“By that connection, this girl should call me Great-Uncle Master, or even Uncle-Grandfather. If I accepted your mentorship tea, she’d have to call you Uncle-Master.”
He gave Xiao Yan a teasing smile. “Of course, if you don’t mind the generational gap, taking me as your teacher wouldn’t hurt.”
Xiao Yan didn’t hesitate. “You’re jesting, Uncle-Grandfather is far closer than Master.”
Cao Dejiang burst into a chuckle.
Shi Chang’an let out a “tch” and used the tongs to nudge a cracked chestnut aside.
Tang Ning, curious, asked, “Why didn’t Grandfather ever mention this?”
Cao Dejiang replied, “I betrayed my sect.”
Tang Ning: “??”
Cao Dejiang laughed at her wide-eyed expression. “What, doesn’t seem like me?”
Tang Ning nodded. “Not at all.”
Cao Dejiang didn’t look like someone who would “rebel” in that way. After all, the bonds of heaven, earth, ruler, family, and teacher were sacred. Sometimes, the teacher-disciple bond was harder to sever than that of parent-child or ruler-subject. “Once a teacher, always a father” was no mere saying.
For scholars especially, honoring one’s teacher was a fundamental principle. Betraying it would invite the world’s scorn.
Seeing Tang Ning’s confusion, Cao Dejiang said calmly, “When I was young, I was hot-headed and reckless, driven by ambition to rise above others. But my sect was full of people indifferent to fame and fortune, believing that a scholar tainted by power or wealth disgraced their books.”
“Senior Brother Rong entered court due to his personal friendship with Emperor Taizu, and only after being sought out three times did he come down from the mountain. I was different. I relied on the Cao family’s ancestral favor and some less-than-honest means to enter court as a commoner.”
“My teacher thought I’d disgraced him and expelled me from the sect, forbidding me from mentioning the past.”
Those past events weren’t all glorious; for Cao Dejiang, they were a stain. Yet he spoke of them with calm detachment.
“When I entered court, Senior Brother Rong was already a third-rank official in the Central Secretariat. By the time I clawed my way to a fifth-rank position in the Hanlin Academy, he was a first-rank minister.”
“I was proud and arrogant back then, thinking I was better suited for court than Senior Brother Rong. I just lacked the palace’s favor. I feared people would mock me if they knew we shared the same teacher, or accuse me of clinging to the Rong family. Even my parents and clan didn’t know we studied together, and no one in court knew of our past connection.”
Back then, the Cao family was a minor clan, insignificant compared to the eight great noble families.
Unwilling to humble himself and seek Rongqian’an’s help, Cao Dejiang slowly built his credentials in court. It wasn’t until he gained the Crown Prince’s favor and, by chance, caught Emperor Taizu’s eye that he rose in status. But his relationship with Rongqian’an, then the Crown Prince’s Junior Preceptor, remained strained.
Both served close to the emperor, and everyone knew Cao Dejiang and Rongqian’an didn’t get along. To win Emperor Taizu’s favor, they frequently clashed over political views.
Cao was radical, while Rongqian’an was more tactful.
Cao was unscrupulous, while Rongqian’an held to principles.
Yet, when the volatile Crown Prince sought to eradicate the noble families and reform the court, Cao Dejiang, for various reasons, disagreed, believing the families could coexist with new policies and be gradually weakened.
Surprisingly, the usually prudent Rongqian’an seemed possessed, convinced that the noble families were leeching off the court and hindering Great Wei’s strength. He recklessly joined the Crown Prince’s cause, leading to their downfall.
Cao Dejiang didn’t delve into the details of his grievances with Rongqian’an, only briefly mentioning, “After I entered court, no one knew of our connection. My only contact with Senior Brother Rong was the day the Crown Prince’s plot failed, and the Eastern Palace caught fire. He suddenly sent word from the palace, asking me to come immediately.”
He said the Crown Prince’s plan had failed, and it was a matter of life and death. He asked his junior brother to enter the palace to help.
Rongqian’an seemed certain Cao would come. After sending the urgent message, he went straight to confront the late emperor, drawing the attention of everyone in the palace.
Cao Dejiang, moved by that long-forgotten “junior brother,” went. But in his haste, he acted too recklessly, leaving traces that Feng Lai later discovered.
Cao Dejiang’s expression grew complex. “When I learned there were survivors from the Eastern Palace, I was shocked. In a rush, I could only find a terminally ill young eunuch of similar age to send into the fire.”
“Afterward, I risked taking the escaped Eunuch Xu away, intending to keep him as a precaution. I hid him in a villa outside the capital, placing a disfigured child by his side.”
“If the palace suspected someone had escaped the Eastern Palace fire, my people would kill them immediately.”
Whether Eunuch Xu was willing or not, he and the beggar child beside him would die for their master, severing the Eastern Palace’s legacy entirely.
But in the end, it was Consort Xue who died. With Rongqian’an and Feng Lai’s cover-up, no one in the palace noticed that the bodies recovered from the fire were amiss.
Listening to Cao Dejiang, Xiao Yan let out a soft sigh. “And Eunuch Xu now…”
“He’s in my residence.”
Cao Dejiang called out, “Cong An, fetch Uncle Xu.”
A moment later, Cang Lang saw Cong An head to a side room near Yanling Residence. After knocking, someone emerged.
The man followed Cong An with his head lowered. When he drew closer, and Cang Lang saw his face clearly, he was startled.
He had seen this man before.
Eunuch Xu followed Cong An into the room. The warmth from the burning brazier hit him, but it paled against the surge of emotions in his heart.
His steps quickened as he entered the inner room, slowing only when he reached the threshold.
Cong An stepped aside. Eunuch Xu tugged at his clothes, smoothing his sleeves, then, with eyes red from emotion, knelt heavily before Xiao Yan with a thud.
“Your old servant Xu Yu pays respects to His Highness, the Imperial Grandson.”
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You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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