Although Shen Nian had taken the blame onto himself that day, so long as Guan Han's death remained unsolved, one part of the public would believe he died because of the Emperor; another part, swayed by Shen Nian's words, would think Guan Han cared nothing for the frontier soldiers and was merely a despicable man who ran his mouth for the sake of a good reputation; and still another part would see Shen Nian as nothing but a petty villain who climbed over the dead to advance himself.
Shen Nian felt a stir in his heart. From what he had observed over these past days, Qi Junmu was not a man particularly concerned with his reputation—this move was likely more for his sake.
The Emperor did not want such a reputation weighing on him.
But since the Emperor had not expressed it, Shen Nian did not press further. He had come to understand the Emperor's nature—he was someone who did not like having his thoughts guessed.
With that thought, a hint of a smile touched Shen Nian's eyes. He said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. Censor Guan's death is suspicious, but we do not yet know the full truth. Investigating such matters requires the right timing, circumstances, and people. Since we now know his death was questionable, your subject suggests posting public notices to solicit information from all quarters. If we cannot solve it now, we can investigate slowly—one day the truth will come to light."
Qi Junmu had intended the same thing. Hearing Shen Nian say it now, he thought to himself: My judgment of people was right—this man truly has ability.
As long as it was made known that Guan Han had been murdered, both the Emperor—who had been accused by Guan Han—and Shen Nian—who had defended him—could extract themselves from the blame. Then the public's focus would shift to: since Guan Han was murdered, and those words were not his true intent, then who was it that wanted to pin this crime on the Emperor?
Naturally, people's eyes would turn toward those who stood to gain from the affair. Even the court officials who had been making various moves behind the scenes would quiet down for a while, if only to avoid suspicion.
Thinking of the days of peace ahead, Qi Junmu looked at Shen Nian with growing satisfaction.
Taking advantage of the Emperor's good mood, Shen Nian said—half seriously, half jokingly—"Your Majesty just said to let this humble subject act as acting Left Commander of the Imperial Guard. I have just returned to the capital—I don't even know which paths lead where in the palace. Taking up such a post would hardly command respect."
"If you don't know the palace paths, then while Yang Jinglei is away, walk them more often. As for commanding respect—with me behind you, what are you afraid of?" Qi Junmu knew Shen Nian did not want the job, but he had few military officers available who were without personal ties and unconnected to the great families of the capital. Like it or not, Shen Nian would have to take the post.
Seeing there was no room for negotiation, Shen Nian pulled a long face and said grudgingly, "Since Your Majesty is giving this humble subject this job, you'll have to pay a salary, won't you? You can't expect the horse to run without feeding it."
Qi Junmu noted that Shen Nian was quick to adjust his mood and had found a fine way to save face. He shot him a sideways glance and said, "What—is Marquis Zhenbei short on silver?"
Shen Nian perked up at this. He said, "Your Majesty, you granted this humble subject a title, but the reward that came with it was rather modest."
A look of realization crossed Qi Junmu's face, and he drew out an "Oh—" before saying, "Now that you mention it, I do recall. Back then you were still in the northern frontier, so I planned to bestow the silver after your return to the capital. The year-end affairs piled up, and it was pushed to after the New Year—I hadn't expected you to be so impatient as to ask for it yourself."
Ignoring the Emperor's faint mockery, Shen Nian merely grinned and said, "This humble subject is just poor." Anyway, if he didn't speak up, the Emperor certainly wouldn't offer the money on his own. Whatever silver he could get into his hands was real.
Seeing this shameless look, the Emperor felt a twinge of heartburn and said, "You won't be shortchanged on your silver."
He then raised his voice and summoned Ruan Jiqing, taking a long-prepared and sealed imperial edict and handing it to Shen Nian. He said, "The North Mountain Imperial Guard hasn't faced any real danger in years—their training has grown slack. You're a man who's made his name on the battlefield. When you go to North Mountain, I'll have those guards learn properly from you."
Shen Nian was speechless at the Emperor's ability to squeeze every last bit of use out of a person. But since he had already taken the silver, his hands were tied—so he accepted the task.
Thus Shen Nian said, "This humble subject is used to rough-and-ready ways from the border. If Your Majesty doesn't mind the guards getting roughed up, I'll put them through the wringer."
"Do as you please. I'd also like to see how capable the North Mountain Imperial Guard truly is."
Shen Nian said, "Since Your Majesty has said so, you just wait and watch."
---
After Shen Nian entered the palace as acting Left Commander, he drew both envy and admiration from the civil and military officials alike.
Shen Nian paid it no mind. Once inside the palace, he acted with great ostentation—lazy in all things, never lifting a finger himself if he could get someone else to do it.
Such behavior naturally rubbed some people the wrong way, and memorials were submitted censuring him for improper conduct in the palace. Qi Junmu set them aside without comment. Shen Nian grew even more arrogant in the palace, gradually becoming what seemed to be the Emperor's foremost confidant.
One day, at dengshi (around dusk), the Empress's palace sent over a plate of small flower-shaped pastries. The pastries had been made by Wen Wan herself—Qi Junmu had eaten them once before at the Lin family.
Qi Junmu gazed at the pastries, his expression dark and unreadable. The palace attendant from Weiyang Palace lowered her head and stammered nervously that the Empress had recovered from her illness and wished to see the Emperor.
Qi Junmu thought for a moment, then said, "To Weiyang Palace."
Since his rebirth, he had not seen Wen Wan again. In his memory, she had always let him come and go as he pleased, never once taking the initiative to invite him to Weiyang Palace.
This sudden show of vulnerability gave Qi Junmu a strange, unsettled feeling. All at once, he felt a strong urge to see just what Wen Wan was trying to do.
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