Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Unlucky Child (Part One)

“Waiter, what is this…”

After a long conversation, as dusk began to fall, Li Xian rose and took his leave. Although Luo Binwang and Li Xian had found great rapport in their discussion, Luo Binwang’s purse was painfully empty—he didn’t dare ask Li Xian to stay, let alone suggest drinking together. He merely sent Li Xian courteously to the inn’s main door before returning to his own room. The moment he entered, he saw the inn’s waiter laying out wine and dishes from a sizable food box on the table. Though the dishes were hardly exquisite, the table was packed full, far more sumptuous than Luo Binwang could afford at this moment. Startled and suspicious, he hastily asked the waiter.

“Ah, Mr. Luo, you’ve returned.” The waiter was busy with the food box, but when he heard the door, he immediately looked up and grinned, saying, “All this was arranged by that young gentleman earlier. Tsk tsk, Mr. Luo, you’ve truly met a benefactor. Not only did the gentleman order food and drink, he even left fifteen strings of cash in your name at the counter, saying it was payment for your guidance. If you ask me, that gentleman may be young, but his bearing is remarkable. I’ve seen many people in this inn, and though I have no special skills, my eyes are keen. Honestly, I’ve never seen someone quite like him. To say nothing else, even his attendant was no ordinary person—certainly from a wealthy family. Extraordinary, truly extraordinary.”

“Waiter, do you know which family that young gentleman belongs to? I—well, even though I’ve fallen on hard times, I wouldn’t want to take advantage of someone else.” Hearing the waiter’s rambling, Luo Binwang’s brows instantly furrowed, his expression displeased as he pressed the question.

“Oh, I really don’t know. I thought the gentleman was your junior, never considered otherwise. It’s my fault—I forgot to ask, and now you’re in a bind.” Though the waiter didn’t think much of Luo Binwang’s sour look, he piled on apologies, slapping his thigh and answering sheepishly.

“It’s not your fault, waiter. It’s all… ah, never mind, let it be for now. When I eventually enter officialdom, I’ll find him and repay the favor.”

Hearing this, Luo Binwang recalled how, caught up in conversation, he’d neglected to inquire about the gentleman’s background. Now, aside from knowing he called himself Wang Sanlang, he knew nothing else—a sense of regret welled up. Yet at this point, even if he didn’t wish to accept charity, there was no choice but to smile bitterly and shake his head…

Fifteen strings of cash was no small sum. For ordinary families, selling everything might not suffice to gather that amount; even wealthy households would hesitate before parting with it. But for Li Xian, a prince, it was trivial. If it could win a talented ally, Li Xian would deem even a hundred or a thousand strings worthwhile. But could it? Clearly, the answer disappointed Li Xian—not likely.

A talent born in the wrong era, and one flawed in temperament—that was Li Xian’s judgment of Luo Binwang after their talk. Had Luo Binwang succeeded in his first imperial examination, when Wei Zheng held power and the court’s atmosphere was upright, his abilities and unbending character would have surely won favor from both Emperor Gaozong and Wei Zheng, making advancement easy. Unfortunately, Luo Binwang failed. Later, when he finally entered office, Wei Zheng was dead, Emperor Taizong aged and weary of governance, the court already in disarray. With Luo Binwang’s straight-laced nature, trouble was inevitable. Moreover, he came from an ordinary scholar family, not the influential Guanlong clique. Even if he briefly won the favor of Changsun Wuji, he could not become a trusted confidant and eventually was ousted by petty schemers. In short, Luo Binwang was much like Wei Zheng—only a wise ruler would dare employ him, and without one, he’d be left unused.

Li Xian dared not presume he was a wise ruler, but he had enough self-awareness. At least, he possessed the breadth of mind to appreciate loyal and upright men like Luo Binwang. Yet given the current situation, whether Luo Binwang could be won over remained doubtful. Still, it was worth a try. But it would not be achieved with fifteen strings of cash; to truly bring Luo Binwang into his fold, much more effort would be needed. For now, leaving a good impression was a promising start, paving the way for future meetings. Li Xian was quite satisfied with that, and as soon as he boarded his carriage, his mood soared, humming tunes all the way until he alighted at his own manor gate.

“Your humble servant greets the Prince of Zhou.”

Li Xian was still humming when someone suddenly darted out beside him, so abruptly that Li Xian was startled. He was about to rebuke the intruder, but upon seeing it was Zhang Che, the attendant of Prince Lu, Li Xian’s brother Li Xian, the anger dissipated. Not only could he not lose his temper, he had to feign warmth and friendliness, though inwardly he felt thoroughly uncomfortable.

“No need for that. Lord Zhang, what brings you to my manor today?” Li Xian suppressed his irritation, raised his hand casually, and asked with a smile.

“Your Highness, at last you’ve returned. My master has important matters and requests your presence at his residence for discussion. I arrived at dusk and beg your convenience.” Zhang Che, genuinely anxious lest he delay his master’s affairs, spoke with urgency when questioned.

Hmm? What’s going on? What is old Sixth up to, so urgent? Li Xian was taken aback, mentally weighing the possibilities. But before understanding the situation, he didn’t want to follow Zhang Che to Prince Lu’s residence blindly. With a slight frown, he asked, “I was delayed by some trivial matters before, sorry to keep you waiting. But what urgent business does my sixth brother have with me?”

“Well…” Zhang Che hesitated, seeing Li Xian wasn’t moving. With so many people around, he dared not reveal Prince Lu’s affairs outright, and was momentarily at a loss for words.

So secretive? Hah, it can’t be good! Seeing Zhang Che’s reluctance, Li Xian’s suspicions deepened. Weighing pros and cons quickly, he laughed, “Very well, I’ll go now. It’s an excuse to enjoy my sixth brother’s hospitality.”

“Thank you, Your Highness, I’m most grateful.”

Relieved that Li Xian finally agreed, Zhang Che hurriedly bowed and thanked him.

“No need for such formality. My sixth brother and I are family; of course I’ll go when summoned. Come, Lord Zhang, share the carriage with me.” Li Xian cheerfully took Zhang Che’s arm, ignoring his expression, and led him into the carriage.

“Your Highness, how could I dare sit with you? You flatter me.”

Zhang Che, though a close attendant of Li Xian, had never had the privilege of sharing a carriage with him; now, being pulled aboard by Li Xian, he was visibly ill at ease, shifting awkwardly and stammering his thanks.

“Oh, never mind that. It’s just a carriage—what’s the big deal?” Li Xian laughed heartily, waved his hand, and soothed Zhang Che, then directly asked, “Now that we’re alone, can you tell me—has something happened to my sixth brother?”

“This, this…” Zhang Che hesitated, but seeing Li Xian’s face darken, quickly changed his tone. “Your Highness, my master instructed me not to speak of this lightly. But since you ask, I dare not conceal it. Here’s the matter: before noon today, word came from the palace that the imperial edict had arrived at the Secretariat, ordering my master to take up his post in Qizhou.”

“What? Is that true?”

Li Xian was stunned, the words escaping unbidden.

“How could I dare fabricate such a serious matter? Alas, since my master heard the news, he’s not touched his lunch, no matter how we urge him. Please, Your Highness, help us persuade him…” Zhang Che, seeing Li Xian’s disbelief, hurried to explain, rambling on, though Li Xian was already too distracted to listen further, his mind awash with turbulent thoughts.

Qizhou, still Qizhou—ah, the inertia of history is truly immense. It seems Empress Wu is utterly determined to be rid of old Sixth, disregarding the humiliation of her previous setback, insisting on sending him away. What a pitiful child; in the end, he cannot escape this calamity. Wait—no, perhaps it’s not so simple! Li Xian’s first thought was that Empress Wu was dissatisfied with Li Xian’s actions in the prison case, hence forcing him to take up the post. But on second thought, he suspected there might be more to it—perhaps it wasn’t Empress Wu’s doing after all, but the Crown Prince’s secret machinations.

This matter would not be settled easily! Li Xian still needed Li Xian as a shield and certainly didn’t want him sent away just yet. Yet he was unsure if he could help him reverse the situation. Moreover, Li Xian had other suspicions—if this was the Crown Prince’s plot, Empress Wu must have consented, perhaps even encouraged it. Should the brothers try to resist, they might fall into someone else’s trap, and one misstep could bring disaster to them both. The deeper he pondered, the more he realized how treacherous the waters were, and how vexing it was to figure out a proper response…