Governor’s Illness

ver he liked.
Xiahou Lian sat up from the bed and stepped on the ground with bare feet.
He walked to the side of Shen Jue’s daybed, not even calling out to him at all, and directly picked up the whole of Shen Jue.
Shen Jue was shocked and scratched wildly in Xiahou Lian’s arms, shouting, “What are you doing!”

Shen Jue lived with hardship in the palace, and he was so skinny he only had a handful of bones left, so picking him up didn’t have any weight.
Xiahou Lian easily carried him to the bed-stove and said, “How can the young master sleeping on the daybed and the bookboy sleeping on the bed-stove make sense?” After saying this, he returned to the daybed without even looking back and dove into the blanket.

Shen Jue was silent for a moment, covered himself with his blanket, and also slept. 

The next morning at daybreak, the masters were still sleeping in their covers, and the servants had already started bustling about.
Those who hung up lanterns hung up lanterns, those who sweeped the floor swept the floor, and those who made breakfast made breakfast.
Fourth Qianxi Premises was outside of the palace’s civilization, so the servants usually slept until late morning before getting up.
Ever since Shen Jue had arrived, although he didn’t require them to get up as early as the other palace gardens, they had to at least be up in time for breakfast.

Because they could eat breakfast, no one complained, and in addition to Shen Jue always being strict with rewards and punishments and treating others with kindness, everyone knew Shen Jue’s goodwill, so they didn’t speak out of turn.
When Xiahou Lian had been injured, he hadn’t cared about these and had been shut in the room and slept muddledly day and night.
Now that his wound was healed, he consciously got up to work.
He was young and had enough strength to diligently take on sweeping the courtyard and other chores.

The eunuchs who swept with him also weren’t very old, and their ages were twelve or thirteen, just the time when they were lively.
When the few of them saw each other, they began casually whispering again. 

“Hey, Si Xi-ge, just now I went to the imperial kitchen to get breakfast.
Guess what I ran into?”

Before Xiahou Lian replied, someone else scrambled to ask, “What did you see? Could it be the new women in the emperor’s harem who entered the palace? I heard that they’re all like goddesses who descended to earth, and that it was difficult for the emperor to choose!”

“Bah, you’re missing a piece of your crotch, can you still think about women?” A little eunuch narrowed his eyes at that person and continued, “Last night, someone fell into the water of Yuqing Pond 9 and died a terrible death.
His whole body was like risen dough, and if you poke down, it’ll leave an indentation.”

Someone said dismissively, “Didn’t he just drown? Since the founding of our Great Qi kingdom until now, how many people have drowned in Yuqing Pond? Palace consorts, eunuchs, maids, cats, and dogs, there have been as many as you could want, how is this strange?”

The little eunuch said, “So he’s very unlucky.
A Feathered Forest guard said that this person stole golden cups and silver bowls from the imperial kitchen in the middle of the night.
I reckon he was planning on bringing them to Liuli Factory 10 to sell them.
Who would’ve expected that he was walking carelessly, slipped, a piece of the bridge railing happened to crack, and he fell down.”

“The emperor built a new Leopard House 11 in the west garden, so he hasn’t come to the back garden for a long time.
The eunuchs and maids didn’t take sweeping and repairing these seriously, so no one discovered that the railing had cracked.
Fortunately, the one who died was a little eunuch who stole things.
If it was some noble who encountered this bad luck, there would be a bunch of people with bad luck!”

Xiahou Lian interrupted, “You talked for a long time, but you still haven’t said who died.”

The little eunuch touched his head and said, “Ah, I forgot to say.
It was Eunuch Liu from the imperial kitchen.”

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Xiahou Lian was suddenly taken aback, and he fell silent, his heart agitated.
Last night, Shen Jue had gone out.
That didn’t have anything to do with this, did it?

No matter how Xiahou Lian thought about it, he felt that this matter most likely had something to do with Shen Jue.
Hadn’t Si Xi been killed by him because he had molested Shen Jue? Shen Jue was small-minded and was from a well-known clan, and he had read the Four Books and Five Classics and the Three Fundamental Bonds and Five Constant Virtues since childhood.
Even as a servant, his proud and arrogant temperament couldn’t be changed, so how could he tolerate this kind of shame? Not flaying a layer of skin off of that damned eunuch was already light.

How could this person be so bold? Even Xiahou Lian himself would have to think over moving his saber under the emperor’s nose. 

Xiahou Lian put down the work in his hands and began looking around for Shen Jue.
Shen Jue wasn’t an idle person, he had a basketful of bits and pieces of things to do, and he didn’t know where he had gone now.

He wandered for a long time and finally ran into him in a winding corridor.
Shen Jue had just come from the Needlework Service 12, and he was holding the noble consorts’ summer clothes.
The people in the palace always treated people differently, such as how in places like Zhongcui Palace 13 and Yonghe Palace 14, eunuchs would send over summer clothes early.
Only in Fourth Qianxi Premises, this kind of place that people disliked and dogs ignored, did Shen Jue have to go and urge them three or four times to be able to get them.

He bumped into Xiahou Lian head-on, but he didn’t have time to acknowledge him.
However, Xiahou Lian followed him and said in a low voice next to him, “Liu Deyi died, did you know about this matter?”

Shen Jue glanced at him and said, “I did, what’s the matter?”

Xiahou Lian looked at his indifferent expression and couldn’t tell if this matter had something to do with him or not.
He said hesitantly, “Did he really fall into the water by himself?”

“Of course not,” Shen Jue’s reply was straightforward, “I did it, so what? I couldn’t tell you even had this benevolence, running here to denounce me for my crimes?”

“It really was you!” Xiahou Lian pulled his wrist and said, “Do you want to die? This matter was so risky, why didn’t you discuss it with me?”

“I can do it myself.
You relax and recuperate from your wound, and leave me alone!” Shen Jue shook Xiahou Lian off and turned, leaving.

Xiahou Lian followed by his side, step for step.
He said with gritted teeth, “What kind of talk is that! You don’t regard me as your brother and you don’t want my help, then what are you making me stay for, to be a flower vase 15, to be a furnishing that’s good-looking for you to look at?”

When Shen Jue heard this, he was stunned for a while.
Were they brothers or master and servant, Shen Jue himself couldn’t even tell.
He seemed to have never regarded Xiahou Lian as his brother, but he had also never regarded him as his servant.
To him, exactly who was this person, Xiahou Lian?

Shen Jue couldn’t understand, and he was confused and upset.
He was afraid he would continue asking, so he said hastily, “Who gave you the audacity? Do we have the same father or the same mother, you’re my brother?”

Xiahou Lian was stunned, and he stopped, staying where he was for a while.
Right, Shen Jue had never said that he regarded him as his brother before, it had all been feelings made up by himself.
He thought about it for a long time, and he also felt that it was ridiculous.
He looked up and saw that Shen Jue had already walked far away.
He hurriedly ran over and said, “Never mind if you don’t regard me as your brother, but you can’t kill people!”

“Who do you think you are? You can but I can’t?”

Shen Jue was thinking foolishly when he heard Xiahou Lian speak again, “You’re different!” His voice became astringent.
“How can your hands that are for holding brushes be stained with blood?”

One sentence, ordinary and unremarkable, was like a sharp blade, cutting open the wound on Shen Jue’s heart that had scabbed, causing fresh blood to drip out.

Hands that are for holding brushes? These few words whirled in Shen Jue’s ears, and his hands that were holding the summer clothes suddenly tightened, clenching out deep wrinkles on the clothes.
How long had it already been since he had touched a brush? He was a eunuch, and he didn’t even have a distribution of brushes and ink.
Since entering the palace, he had touched brooms, poured chamber pots, and washed clothes, but he hadn’t held a brush.

How ridiculous, thought Shen Jue.
Xiahou Lian really is an idiot, does he think I can go back to the past?

“Xiahou Lian, Xie Jinglan is already dead.
The one standing in front of you right now is Shen Jue,” Shen Jue said slowly, his pale face indifferent like autumn frost.
“Shen Jue is a eunuch, a servant, a dog raised by masters.
What brush can I hold?”

“You!” Xiahou Lian’s heart ached, and he wanted to say something, but he also didn’t know what to say.
There was a lump in his throat for a long time before he said with difficulty, “Young Master, you’re different from me.
I’m an assassin, and the life debts I bear now can be counted to be two or three, so having a few more doesn’t matter.
In the future, if you want to kill someone, just leave it to me, I’ll help you.
I’ll help you kill the people who bully you, and I’ll help you behead the scoundrels who insult you!”

“What’s the difference?” Shen Jue smiled in ridicule.
“Is holding a brush different from holding a saber? You’re too naive, Xiahou Lian.
Holding a saber in hand can take someone’s life; holding a lot of power can exterminate a clan; not to mention when the emperor is angry, there are millions of lying corpses and blood that flows for thousands of miles! Brushes, inks, and the emperor’s seals are this world’s filthiest and foulest things! Do you think the lives you assassins bear are the most? No, the person who should go to hell the most is the one sitting on the throne in Fengxian Hall 16, that person who enjoys the worship of all the people!”

“I-I know, but…” Xiahou Lian was clumsy at speaking, and his mind was a mess.
He scratched his head, not knowing what to say.

“You just don’t want me to go down this path, right?” Shen Jue asked indifferently.

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“Yes, that’s right!” Xiahou Lian didn’t want to care about how the emperor was at all.
He only knew that Xie Jinglan had said before that when the eunuch faction was there, he would retire to a prefecture, and when the chaos with the eunuchs subsided, he would help the country.
How could Shen Jue become the eunuch faction that Xie Jinglan had spoken about!

Xiahou Lian took a deep breath and said, “Young Master, you don’t understand.
Once your hands have been tainted with blood, you can’t look back anymore.
Killing is addictive.
After you’ve killed once, there will be a second time, and when there’s a second time, there will be a third time.
You’ll disregard human lives more and more, and you’ll feel that there’s no difference between people and grass.
If they die, they die, and if they’re gone, they’re gone.
Young Master, do you really want to be like this?”

He waited for Shen Jue’s answer.
Shen Jue’s expression was still indifferent, like a layer of ice had formed on it.
He turned his head and gazed at Xiahou Lian, asking slowly, “Oh? Why not?”

Xiahou Lian widened his eyes in disbelief.

“Xiahou Lian, let me ask you,” Shen Jue’s eyes were as calm as still water, “why do you kill?”

Xiahou Lian was stunned.
“In order to live.”

“Then, me too.” An extremely light smile rose at the corners of Shen Jue’s mouth, and he said in a low voice, “I’m already on this path, and even if I’m eternally doomed and crushed to death, I won’t hesitate.
I’m going to avenge Aunt Lan, I’m going to kill Wei De, I’m going to take charge of the Eastern Depot, and I’m going to be the seal-holding eunuch of the Directorate of Rites.
If you aren’t willing to see me like this, then go.”

After Shen Jue said this, he smoothed the wrinkles on the summer clothes and stepped out of the winding corridor without even looking back.
The blue dome of the sky was vast, unmeasured and boundless, and he walked under it all by himself with only his shadow, appearing a little isolated.

Xiahou Lian looked at the view of his back and had no words for a long time.

After that, Shen Jue and Xiahou Lian didn’t speak for several days.
Shen Jue did things quietly, no matter what Xiahou Lian thought or how he saw.
Xiahou Lian also wasn’t idle, and he hadn’t seen signs of him these few days and didn’t know what he was busy with.
The two of them met each other at night, and as usual, extinguished the lights and slept, not saying anything.

Today, Shen Jue was setting out dishes for Consort Gao.
The imperial kitchen had changed supervisors, so their food and drinks had returned to normal, and Consort Gao joyfully rolled around on the ground.
These few days, she was obsessed with rouge and powder again, and she had smeared her face into what seemed like a monkey’s behind.
The white powder was also too thick, and when she spoke, it would float down.
Nowadays, the extent of her madness could be called the acme of perfection.
She was practically disliked by people and hated by dogs, and even the two other crazy noble consorts disdained to be associated with her, deeply afraid that they would fall from their own level of crazy.
Only Shen Jue could talk to her calmly and gently.

After he finished arranging the dishes, he turned around and saw Xiahou Lian standing outside the threshold, looking at him.

“What do you want?” Shen Jue’s voice was cold.

Xiahou Lian pulled out a three-foot wooden saber from behind his back and held it flatly in his hands.

Shen Jue looked at the saber in confusion and thought irrelevantly, Could it be that Xiahou Lian thinks that I’m going to be a scourge in the future and that I have to be strangled in the cradle, so he wants to use this saber to stab me to death?

“I’m afraid you’re going to get yourself killed, so I’ll teach you a few effective moves.
When the time comes, if you stumble and are sent to prison, you might be able to escape using unmatched saber skills.” Xiahou Lian pretended to sigh deeply.
“Afterward, when you come to me for shelter, if you have skill, it would be easier for me to arrange a job for you.”

After saying this, Xiahou Lian held the saber in both hands, sliced out a neat arc, and lifted the point of the saber toward Shen Jue.

Shen Jue let out a short, cold laugh.

“What, you look down upon my skill?” Xiahou Lian raised a brow. 

Shen Jue strided past the threshold and passed by next to Xiahou Lian.
He smoothly took the wooden saber from his hands and said, “Tonight at nine, I’ll see you by the palace wall.”

Translator Notes:

A circular opening in a garden wall. The official school for music, dance, and theater in China between the Tang and Ming Dynasty. Lit.
Beautiful Forest Garden.
One of the two imperial gardens on the west side of the capital. Lit.
Lotus Pond. A common form of Chinese architecture in which the corridor goes around along the sides of the courtyard. Specifically beizi, an item worn in traditional Chinese attire and is typically a large and loose outer coat with long and loose sleeves. One of ten members of the Imperial Medical Bureau. Lit.
Loyal Obedience Gate. Lit.
Clear Jade Pond. A renowned colored glaze factory in a district that is now named after it.
It made glazed tiles for the palaces, temples, and residences of officials. Places initially used to house exotic animals such as tigers and leopards for the emperor’s amusement, and later used to house beautiful women for his personal enjoyment. One of the twenty-four yamens. Lit.
Palace of Accumulated Purity. Lit.
Palace of Eternal Harmony. A derogatory term for people who have good appearances but aren’t smart or can’t do anything. Lit.
Ancestral Sacrifice Hall.