Chapter 20: Playing Dumb While Knowing All Too Well

"That was an outlier, not an impossibility, but certainly a rare occurrence. We shouldn't stop eating just because we fear choking, should we?" Li Xubai looked at Zhao Yizhen’s darkening expression, trying to mitigate his words while secretly grumbling to himself.

*Does this young Emperor have poor judgment? Where on earth did he find such a dim-witted eunuch? It’s one thing for the eunuch to be so stupid he makes himself cry, but what if he ends up angering the Emperor to death? That would throw the entire world into chaos.*

Zhao Yizhen huffed, his temper still ruffled. "You have a point. Collusion between officials and merchants, and officials shielding one another—these things happen. In that case, let two separate bureaus handle the supervision and auditing. The chances of both being bribed at the same time would be significantly lower."

Li Xubai gave a thumbs-up. "Your Highness is incredibly thorough."

Having blundered twice in a row, Yu Zhong was now too terrified to say another word.

Zhao Yizhen suddenly seemed to recall something and asked Li Xubai, "Your carriage rental business must record the names of those who rent from you. Which household are those two young ladies from? If you know, I can help you look into it."

"I know. They are from the Gu residence—the residence of Grand Tutor Gu. One of them is the Grand Tutor’s granddaughter, the Seventh Miss, Gu Shiyan, and the other is her maid." Li Xubai had been waiting for Zhao Yizhen to ask this very question.

Zhao Yizhen instructed Yu Zhong, "Go to the courtyard where the ladies of the Gu family are staying and see if this Seventh Miss Gu has arrived."

Yu Zhong gave Li Xubai a deep, meaningful look before bowing and exiting. Only Zhao Yizhen and Li Xubai remained in the room.

After a moment of thought, Zhao Yizhen asked, "Young Master, I have a question for you."

"Please, go ahead, Your Highness."

"If there is something you wish to do, but your mother disagrees—or rather, if your mother forces you to do something you have no desire to do—what would you do?"

"If I don’t want to do it, I simply won't. Isn't it enough to just tell her directly?"

"It is not that simple," Zhao Yizhen shook his head, his voice tinged with melancholy. "What if you neither wish to do it nor can you directly refuse? What if you cannot bear to break your mother's heart? What then?"

Li Xubai seemed to understand something. It was likely that a conflict had arisen between this young Emperor and the not-so-young Empress Dowager. He pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "Your Highness, which do you think is more hurtful: a pleasant lie or an unpleasant truth?"

Zhao Yizhen was stunned. To lie to him was a crime punishable by the extermination of one's nine clans; surely no one would dare lie to him. "Well... once a lie is exposed, it is certainly more hurtful than an unpleasant truth."

"Then, Your Highness, do you believe there is such a thing as a lie that will never be exposed?" Li Xubai asked again.

Zhao Yizhen replied uncertainly, "No."

Li Xubai raised an eyebrow. "One lie requires ten more to cover it up. It is exhausting, prone to slip-ups, and there will always come a day when it can no longer be sustained."

Zhao Yizhen stared steadily at Li Xubai. His gaze grew profound, and his expression became increasingly sharp. "You are very frank, Young Master, and also very bold."

Li Xubai returned the gaze with a clear, calm, and composed smile. "Because I have nothing to hide in my heart, I am naturally frank and bold."

Zhao Yizhen was moved by Li Xubai’s composure. After all, it was he who had concealed his identity first; there was nothing wrong with the man before him pretending not to know.

"You are right. If one does not want to do something, one should say so directly. An unpleasant truth is better than the aftermath of an exposed lie." Zhao Yizhen exhaled slowly, his mind made up. Between him and the Empress Dowager, there was no true discord; what they lacked was honesty.

He stood up abruptly and headed for the door, turning back to look at Li Xubai. "What is your name, Young Master, and where do you live?"

Li Xubai did not flinch, meeting Zhao Yizhen’s probing gaze directly. "My name is Li Xubai. I rent a room in Sweetwater Lane in Bianliang. There are four siblings in my family, and a widowed sister-in-law."

Zhao Yizhen nodded. Such a background was the most honest, yet also the most impoverished. And yet, despite such circumstances, Li Xubai remained so composed, magnanimous, and free-spirited—a rarity indeed.

***

"What? Yu Zhong came to inquire about Gu Shiyan?" Madam Gu was startled when she heard the maid’s report. "He is the Emperor's close attendant. If he came to ask, he must have been acting on orders. How—how could the Emperor possibly know who Gu Shiyan is?"

She hurriedly stood up, hastily tidying her appearance before rushing out to greet him.

Yu Zhong had already been served tea in the main hall. Seeing Madam Gu, he asked without betraying a hint of his intent, "I apologize for the disturbance, Madam. May I ask how many young ladies from your residence have come? Has the Seventh Miss, Gu Shiyan, arrived?"

Unable to gauge Yu Zhong’s intentions, Madam Gu replied cautiously, "When we were about to depart, Little Seven caught a cold. Fearing she might pass the illness to the Empress Dowager, I dared not bring her along and left her at the manor to recover." She paused, asking tentatively, "Grand Eunuch Yu, has my Little Seven caused some kind of trouble?"

Yu Zhong laughed it off. "Not at all, Madam Gu. You are overthinking. I was merely asking in passing."

Madam Gu cursed him inwardly, but dared not show the slightest dissatisfaction on her face. She flattered him, "Grand Eunuch Yu is a busy man. It is an honor for Little Seven that you would take time out of your busy schedule to inquire about her." As she spoke, she signaled to her maid.

The maid understood immediately and quickly pressed a bulging purse into Yu Zhong’s hand.

Without even weighing it, Yu Zhong gave it a slight squeeze and tucked it into his sleeve. He said slowly, offering a veiled warning, "The young ladies of your household are growing up, and their ambitions are growing with them. You would do well to keep a close watch on them, Madam."

That single sentence left Madam Gu terrified, her knees nearly giving way. She forced herself to thank him and saw Yu Zhong out.

"Madam, what did he mean by that? Could it be... does he know something?" the maid asked, trembling.

Madam Gu calmed herself after a moment, her face turning dark as a storm cloud. "It must be that Gu Shiyan escaped when the guards weren't looking. She might have even encountered the Emperor. Fortunately, the Emperor didn't seem to take notice of her."

"Madam, that can't be, right? Grand Eunuch Yu didn't say anything specific."

Madam Gu gritted her teeth in hatred. "The Empress Dowager's intentions are known to all the noble families in Bianliang. How could the Master not have told that slut? I risked offending the Master just to stop Gu Shiyan—wasn't it because I feared she would come and disgrace us all? And yet, despite all my precautions, it all fell apart at the last moment." She laughed mockingly. "She should look in a mirror. Given her pedigree and her looks, she still dares to dream of climbing the social ladder? It would be a blessing if she didn't bring disaster upon our entire family."

The maid broke into a cold sweat. "Madam, then... where is the Seventh Miss now? Could she have already been arrested?"

"No. If she had been arrested, Yu Zhong wouldn't have come to ask whether she had accompanied us to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple." Madam Gu narrowed her eyes. "If she had been arrested, that would be for the best. I could use the opportunity to get rid of this thorn in my side. Although I have no daughter of my own, the Master is certainly not lacking in concubines' daughters. There are plenty who would love to prove their loyalty to me. No matter what great fortune comes along, I would rather see it go to anyone else than to that slut's daughter!"