Chapter Seventy-Four: Earl of Changping

People who come from the palace are usually far more sensitive than others. Ge Quan, who rose from an illiterate young eunuch to the Chief Eunuch overseeing Xuanfu Garrison, owed his ascent not only to his cleverness but also to his astonishingly keen nose for trouble. He knew precisely which matters could be acted upon, which must be avoided, what could be spoken, and what must remain silent. Had he lacked even this much discernment, he would have deserved to spend his life sweeping floors. So, when he saw Shi Tai and Yang Jun leaving the temple together, his heart nearly leapt out of his chest, alarmed by his awareness of their identities.

Who was Shi Tai? He was the steward eunuch of the Prince’s mansion.

And this Prince? He was the Emperor’s younger half-brother, a prince who had not yet been enfeoffed, currently serving as the Regent in the capital.

And Yang Jun? He was the acting Left Commander of the Rear Army in the Five Military Supervisors’ Office, bearing the seal of General of Zhen Shuo, son of Yang Hong—the General-in-Chief of Xuanfu—and himself a high-ranking second-rank martial official, commanding the Wanquan Garrison in Xuanfu.

Now, the steward eunuch of the Prince’s mansion and the son of a frontier commander appeared together in a temple. Were they there to burn incense and worship, or to donate money for oil lamps? Nonsense! Even a fool could see this was no simple affair. What were they doing, and what did they intend?

The more Ge Quan thought about it, the more anxious he became. He couldn’t believe Yang Hong, secluded in the temple, would be unaware that his son was meeting with the steward eunuch of the Prince’s mansion, nor could he believe Shi Tai and the Yang family had merely happened upon each other at Lihua Temple by chance.

If Yang Hong knew everything, including Shi Tai’s identity, then why was he hiding in Lihua Temple to meet with Shi Tai? What was their purpose?

Ge Quan dared not pursue these thoughts further. Not only was the water deep, but it was poisoned, vaguely pointing toward the treasonous collusion between a royal prince and a frontier commander. However bold Ge Quan might be, he would not wade into such a mire. He only wished to distance himself from this trouble—further and further away.

He desperately wanted to know what Yang Hong and Shi Tai had discussed and done inside the temple, but this was not something he could inquire about. Over the past years in Xuanfu, he’d been little more than a puppet, without a single loyal confidant. Now, faced with such a deadly matter, he lacked even reliable hands to help him. It was his misfortune.

He had only two choices: one, he could pretend he hadn’t seen Yang Jun and Shi Tai together, say nothing, mention nothing, and carry the secret to his grave. Or two, he could return immediately and send a secret report to the palace—no embellishments, just a straightforward account of what he had witnessed.

The first option was fraught with risk. If someone else reported this, regardless of Shi Tai and the Yang family’s intent at Lihua Temple, the accusation of collusion between a royal prince and a frontier commander could not be avoided. Ge Quan’s knowledge and failure to report would spell disaster for him; even if Xing An valued and protected him, he would not escape blame, nor could he expect to remain in his post at Xuanfu. If the matter was minor, perhaps he could secure a position in one of the palace’s twenty-four departments, continuing his life as Eunuch Ge. Should it prove serious, he might well lose his head.

The second option carried no risk. He could simply report what he saw; how the palace interpreted it would be out of his hands. Monitoring frontier commanders was his duty as Chief Eunuch of Xuanfu. As long as he fulfilled this, no blame could fall upon him. Even if the Prince learned he’d been tattled on by Ge Quan, so what? Once the Emperor returned with his army, the Prince-Regent would have to go to his fief; a grown prince could not remain in the capital forever. Once enfeoffed, what trouble could a mere prince cause for the Emperor’s servant?

Sitting in his sedan, Ge Quan weighed the options. In the end, he resolved to send a secret report as soon as he returned. This report must not be known to the hired adviser, nor should he be allowed to write it; only a trusted eunuch from the Inner Book Hall could pen it, lest word leak out. After all, Xuanfu was Yang Hong’s domain—if the Yangs discovered that the Chief Eunuch of several years was suddenly acting against them, with their influence, what good could come to Eunuch Ge?

...

No sooner had Ge Quan left than Yang Jun and Shi Tai also noticed the small sedan heading eastward. Yang Jun found the sedan familiar but couldn’t recall whose mansion it belonged to, so he summoned the captain of the guards waiting outside and asked, “Who was that just now?”

“Master, that was Chief Eunuch Ge’s sedan.”

The captain, a retainer of the Yang family, always addressed Yang Jun as “Master,” and referred to Yang Xin and Yang Neng as “Second Master” and “Third Master.”

Ge Quan?

Yang Jun suddenly understood; no wonder it looked familiar—it was Eunuch Ge’s sedan. He’d heard that Eunuch Ge was a frequent visitor to Lihua Temple, coming several times a month, supposedly to pray to the Bodhisattva for the restoration of his manhood. Whether true or not, it was laughable. But why had Eunuch Ge left without even entering the temple?

Puzzled, Yang Jun questioned the captain, who could only shake his head in ignorance.

Well, gone is gone. After all, he himself was keeping a low profile; the fewer who knew he’d returned to Xuanhua, the better, lest someone report him. Thinking this, Yang Jun turned to Shi Tai with a smile, but saw Shi Tai watching Ge Quan’s departing sedan with concern and said, “Commander Yang, do you think Eunuch Ge left because he saw us?”

“Hm?”

Shi Tai’s words startled Yang Jun for a moment, but he quickly dismissed them with a laugh. “No need to worry. My father and I hardly regard Eunuch Ge as a threat. He won’t dare gossip—the affairs of Xuanfu are none of his concern.”

Hearing this, Shi Tai relaxed and smiled. “I have nothing to hide; I merely came to the temple to offer incense and happened to run into Commander Yang. I don’t fear Eunuch Ge’s gossip. Well, the Bodhisattva has been worshipped, so I’ll take my leave now. Rest assured, Commander Yang—my Prince will handle Marshal Yang’s matter!”

Upon hearing this, Yang Jun’s face broke into a broad smile. He clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, Eunuch. My father, the Earl of Changping, must rely on the Prince’s support!”

“Marshal Yang has served the nation loyally for forty years, with illustrious achievements. He should have been ennobled long ago. Commander Yang, rest assured. My Prince now acts as Regent; the matter of ennoblement is trivial. If my Prince petitions the Emperor, there is no reason for refusal.” Shi Tai dared not accept Yang Jun’s formal salute, sidestepping it.

“Attend me—escort Eunuch Shi!”

Yang Jun smiled and slipped several banknotes into Shi Tai’s hand; Shi Tai glanced at them and saw each note was for ten thousand taels, his smile growing even brighter.

Immediately, Yang Mansion’s guards stepped forward to escort Shi Tai out of the city. Once he had departed, Yang Jun’s smile vanished, replaced by a grim expression as he strode toward the rear courtyard of Lihua Temple.