Save That Miserable Protagonist - Chapter 37

The moment Yan Buzhuo’s determination to support the Second Prince was settled, and before he could even begin to devise a careful plan, the political winds shifted again in the court the following day.

Liang Heng sat high upon his throne and announced that he would soon embark on a southern inspection tour, citing the reason that the “national fortune is rocky and one must travel to the Jiangnan region to pray for heavenly protection.” He ordered the Crown Prince to remain in Moling and exercise the power of supervising the state.

When this decree was issued, the entire hall was in an uproar.

The fires of war in the northern borders had not yet been extinguished, and the soldiers were still struggling to hold their ground. The national treasury was nearly empty due to the construction of the Tongtian Pavilion. For Liang Heng to choose this moment to go on a southern inspection was not only a waste of manpower and money but also undoubtedly an abandonment of the soldiers on the northern front.

Yan Buzhuo watched everything with cold eyes. Although he had not been in the Great Zhou for long, he no longer held any expectations for this Emperor. However, the dead silence that Yan Buzhuo had anticipated did not occur. He had originally thought that, as before, this absurd decree would be accepted in total silence. Instead, Liang Heng was met with a flood of opposition.

First, several officials from the Censorate stepped forward. They spoke earnestly, detailing the drawbacks of the southern inspection and requesting the Emperor to prioritize state affairs and the critical situation at the border. Immediately afterward, more officials stepped out. Each one spoke with passion, citing precedents and speaking eloquently, yet the Emperor remained silent, watching the remonstrating ministers from high above.

This silence carried more weight than any rebuke, pressing down on the crowd until they could barely breathe. Soon, the Fengtian Hall fell into a suffocating silence.

Only after the entire hall became quiet did Liang Heng let out a soft “Hmm?” trailing the sound out. With a hint of mockery, he asked, “My dear ministers, are there any other matters to be presented?”

Liang Heng’s voice was calm, yet it carried an oppressive weight. Yan Buzhuo watched as everyone looked at one another, yet no one dared to speak again. The moral fiber of the scholars that Yan Buzhuo had initially expected was quickly dismantled under the pressure of imperial power.

But at that moment, a clear and cold voice rang out in the quiet hall: “Your subject, Investigating Censor Ruan Suiyu, presents this memorial at the risk of death!”

Hearing this voice, Yan Buzhuo looked up and saw Ruan Suiyu standing at the very front of the line, holding his jade tablet, his posture as straight as green bamboo. His voice was clear, and his gaze was pure and firm. “The Emperor’s heart to pray for the fortune of the land and the state is witnessed by heaven and earth, and we, your subjects, admire it in our hearts.”

Ruan Suiyu’s opening reminded Yan Buzhuo of his re-examination essay, following the same pattern of starting with praise before delivering the remonstrance.

“However, when a sage sovereign presides over the court, one must assess the situation and weigh urgency. Currently, the fires of war have ignited in the north, the bloodstains in Suiyang have not yet dried, the Tatars harbor wolfish ambitions, and their iron hooves are poised. The soldiers at the border are fighting with their blood; they lack provisions and weapons. At this critical time of peril, it is precisely when Your Majesty needs to sit at the center of power to stabilize military morale and the hearts of the people, and to allocate grain and fodder from all directions to resist the enemy!”

Yan Buzhuo had thought Ruan Suiyu would stop there, but just like that essay, Ruan Suiyu’s speech became even more impassioned toward the end. “Your subject is not trying to stop Your Majesty from praying to heaven. However, prayer lies in the heart, not in the form; securing the nation lies in substance, not in vanity! If Your Majesty can halt non-urgent projects and save on extravagant expenses, continuously transporting provisions and refined iron to the northern front so that our soldiers have no worries from behind, then the three armies will be grateful for Your Majesty’s imperial grace. Their morale will be like a rainbow, and they will surely overcome the enemy. This would be the true blessing of the state and the fortune of the people, far exceeding the value of traveling thousands of miles to seek the will of heaven!”

Silence fell upon the hall once more.

Ruan Suiyu’s remonstrance was too intense; he was practically pointing his finger at the Emperor to curse him. Liang Heng would surely be enraged. In the silence of the hall, Yan Buzhuo prepared to step out and try to smooth things over for Ruan Suiyu. However, to his surprise, Liang Cong stepped forward instead.

He bowed respectfully and said, “Father Emperor, Investigating Censor Ruan’s words were a bit impassioned, but what he said is not without reason. The soldiers in the north are fighting with their blood. If we conduct a southern inspection now, I fear it will chill the hearts of the soldiers across the land and shake the foundation of the state. I hope Your Majesty will reconsider!”

Hearing these words from Liang Cong, Yan Buzhuo was filled with suspicion. He glanced at the Second Prince and asked in his heart, “System, is Liang Cong doing this to win over Ruan Suiyu? Is he not afraid of Liang Heng’s anger?”

He himself would not fear the Emperor’s anger if it meant speaking for Ruan Suiyu, but why was Liang Cong doing it? Ruan Suiyu was merely a minor Investigating Censor; even if he came from a noble family, offending the Emperor for his sake was not a cost-effective trade. Yan Buzhuo truly did not understand what Liang Cong was aiming for.

But the system was a dutiful teacher. Hearing Yan Buzhuo’s question, it immediately flew out to explain: [The relationship between the Second Prince and the Crown Prince is a zero-sum game. Whoever gains power, the other must lose.]

[Among the officials who stood up to oppose the southern inspection, some are clean officials who, like the task target, genuinely care for the soldiers. But more than sixty percent of them are the core faction of the Second Prince.]

Hearing this, Yan Buzhuo understood. He bowed his head and sneered before fixing his gaze back on Liang Cong, who stood in the center of the hall looking righteous. He understood the rest without the system needing to explain it. The Second Prince’s act was, firstly, to win the hearts of the military and display the persona of a “virtuous king” who cared for the border, and secondly, to take the opportunity to undermine the Crown Prince’s reputation.

With the Emperor out of the capital and the Crown Prince supervising the state, if the wave of opposition was massive, did that not prove the Crown Prince was incompetent and lacked popular support? Or perhaps, what if the Crown Prince could not supervise the state effectively?

Although the possibility of shaking the Emperor’s position was minimal, it was not impossible. Under a massive wave of opposition, even Liang Heng would have to consider the opinions of his ministers. This was an exquisite game of power. Most people present treated the northern border war and the soldiers’ blood as chips on their own chessboard.

Thinking of this, Yan Buzhuo felt a wave of nausea. He looked back at Ruan Suiyu in front. Amidst all this calculation and scheming, Ruan Suiyu was the only clear light in the pitch darkness. He was as clean as jade.

He watched Ruan Suiyu quietly, looking at the fair earlobes beneath the dark hair, watching the gentle profile that looked like jade, and Yan Buzhuo felt a sense of peace. But soon, the peace was gone, and a massive sense of powerlessness surged again.

Despite the waves of opposition, the expression on Liang Heng’s face on the dragon throne did not change in the slightest. Those eyes hidden behind the white jade beads showed no emotion, only icy coldness.

“My intent is decided.”

His voice was not loud, and it betrayed no emotion, but those four words instantly crushed the hopes of all the loyal ministers and virtuous generals.

Yan Buzhuo watched this scene coldly. He had known long ago that this farce of a southern inspection could not be stopped, but at this moment, especially seeing Ruan Suiyu’s shoulders slump for a fleeting second, Yan Buzhuo felt a massive sense of powerlessness. In the heart of this monarch, his own will would always rank higher than the state and the common people.

When the court was dismissed, the officials filed out. Yan Buzhuo searched for Ruan Suiyu in the massive crowd, having keenly sensed that Ruan Suiyu’s state was not right. As expected, when he saw Ruan Suiyu, Yan Buzhuo’s heart tightened.

Ruan Suiyu was usually cold and refined, his steps displaying the composure of a noble son. But at this moment, he seemed to have had his soul hollowed out. Even from behind, his posture revealed a massive, profound loneliness.

Seeing this, fearing something might happen to him, Yan Buzhuo followed him as if driven by some strange force. He followed Ruan Suiyu into a restaurant along the street and watched as the man sat down alone at a window seat on the second floor.

When he saw the restaurant and the seat, Yan Buzhuo paused—this was the very place he had first seen Ruan Suiyu.

Same position, same place. Back then, it was Yan Buzhuo watching the high-spirited Ruan Suiyu from the restaurant; now, it was Yan Buzhuo below, watching the broken-hearted Ruan Suiyu above.

Ruan Suiyu ordered only a pot of the most common clear wine. He did not drink it immediately but sat in a daze, staring at the street below. Seeing him like this, Yan Buzhuo felt an inexplicable bitterness in his heart.

He had always felt that Ruan Suiyu’s name was well-chosen; the man was like his name, like a piece of high-quality fine jade—gentle, cold, yet hard. But Yan Buzhuo had not expected that at this moment, with the light from the window outlining Ruan Suiyu’s slender profile, he would sit there so quietly, his entire being exuding an aura of fragility, as if he might shatter the very next second.

Yan Buzhuo began to feel that Ruan Suiyu’s name was not so good after all; it seemed to drape a fog of vulnerability over him.

Not wanting to see him like this, Yan Buzhuo walked up the stairs on tiptoe and stopped in front of him. Seeing that Ruan Suiyu did not notice him, Yan Buzhuo reached out and tapped gently on the table.

With the crisp sound, seeing Ruan Suiyu turn his eyes toward him, Yan Buzhuo grinned and revealed an extremely bright smile. His eyes were curved, shining like stars, and his small canine teeth peeked through. Yan Buzhuo’s smile was so radiant and warm, as if it could dispel all gloom, so radiant that even the sunlight behind him seemed to pale in comparison.

Ruan Suiyu looked up and saw exactly this smile. He was momentarily dazzled by this unexpected brilliance.

While still in a daze, Ruan Suiyu heard the smiling voice of the youth before him: “Investigating Censor Ruan, you are in a fine mood, drinking all by yourself?”

Yan Buzhuo joked while sitting down opposite Ruan Suiyu without hesitation. He rested his chin on his hand and looked at Ruan Suiyu. The man did not answer but lowered his eyes. His dark lashes cast a shadow on his pale cheeks, and he sighed softly.

Seeing him like this, Yan Buzhuo did not press him. He reached out, picked up the wine pot, and filled both cups. He pushed one toward Ruan Suiyu, picked up his own, and touched the rims together. The wine cups clinked with a crisp sound.

With that sound, Yan Buzhuo tilted his chin and laughed, “What is there to be sad about? Has Censor Ruan never heard the saying: if the sky falls, there is someone taller to hold it up? Come, let us drink!”

Yan Buzhuo’s voice was clear, carrying the unique, reckless vitality of a youth who seemed capable of ignoring all hardships.

Seeing this, the corners of Ruan Suiyu’s tightly pressed lips finally gave way. He offered a light, faint smile. He picked up his cup and drank it in one gulp. Lowering his eyes, Ruan Suiyu whispered, “My learning is shallow; I have never heard such a saying. But you are right, Young Master. Only by getting drunk can one resolve a thousand sorrows.”

After saying this, Ruan Suiyu did not speak again but drank by himself. Gradually, his fair cheeks were stained with a thin flush, and his eyes grew hazy.

Just as Yan Buzhuo thought he was drunk, Ruan Suiyu suddenly sighed while looking at the crowd below. “Internal unrest and external threats; the Tatars’ desire to destroy us never ceases, and the vassal kings are all eyeing the throne like tigers… it is only the common people who suffer…”

His voice was soft, like a sigh passing with the wind. Had Yan Buzhuo not been focusing all his attention on Ruan Suiyu, he would have missed these words drifting away.

Just as Ruan Suiyu’s voice fell, Yan Buzhuo clearly saw a crystal-clear tear at the corner of his eye. Like a pearl, it slid down his cheek, leaving a wet trail behind. Ruan Suiyu had been drinking; his cheeks and the corners of his eyes were flushed, and only that tear remained so clear.

Because of this flush and this tear, Ruan Suiyu’s usual composed and self-restrained manner vanished, leaving only a heart-stopping, fragile beauty. Seeing this, Yan Buzhuo felt as if his heart had been gently tugged by something—a bit sour, a bit painful, leaving him unable to sit still.

His hand on the table moved again and again, lifted and set down. After a long while, looking at the teardrop about to slide to his chin, Yan Buzhuo finally made up his mind.

He reached out somewhat clumsily and quickly wiped away the tear for Ruan Suiyu. His fingertips touched the skin, bringing a soft breeze and a wet coolness.

Seeing the surprise in Ruan Suiyu’s eyes as he looked over, Yan Buzhuo felt as if he had been scalded and withdrew his hand rapidly. His ears turned beet-red, and his eyes darted away, not daring to look at Ruan Suiyu. He could not explain what he had been thinking in that moment. He glanced toward the window with flustered eyes, his voice rising in volume out of sheer defensiveness: “That… the wine! Wine spilled on your face!”