As Xiaoshu[mfn]小暑 – Xiaoshu is the 11th solar term in the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar, which divides a year into 24 ones. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiaoshu[/mfn] approached, the weather grew increasingly hot. The blazing sun, though scorching and blinding, managed to sweep away some of the gloom lingering in Yan Yihuan’s heart.
At this moment, walking along the bustling streets with a family member, chatting and laughing, Yan Yihuan felt considerably lighter. He led his elder brother all the way to Qingyang Tower.
Qingyang Tower was incredibly lively. Even before mealtime, it was already packed. Although Yan Rong had made a reservation a day in advance, he had only managed to secure an ordinary table on the first floor.
Downstairs, some were playing drinking games, some were singing tunes, and others were talking loudly. It was incredibly noisy, and people brushed past them constantly. It was impossible to have a proper conversation.
Yan Yihuan sighed, then raised his hand in a subtle gesture. Under Yan Rong’s astonished gaze, a man appeared out of nowhere at Yan Yihuan’s side. After bowing to receive a few quiet instructions, he left. Before long, the owner of Qingyang Tower personally came to greet them and escorted them to the quietest private room on the top floor.
“Lord Yan, please.” The owner said respectfully. “This room is never reserved in advance. It is kept precisely in case a distinguished guest arrives unexpectedly so that we do not risk discourtesy. If Lord Yan should favor this humble establishment in the future, simply send someone ahead to inform us. We will certainly not allow such an honored guest to be seated outside.”
Yan Rong was inwardly surprised, but having been accustomed to grand occasions, his expression remained calm and composed. Still, he could not help but give his younger brother another look. Only after everyone had withdrawn did he click his tongue lightly and remark,
“I’ve never expected this. Your bearing in the capital seems no less impressive than it was back in Linjing.”
Yan Yihuan, feeling proud in front of her brother, was beaming with confidence, “I’ve already had the owner make arrangements. Second Brother is sure to taste the finest delicacies the capital has to offer.”
As he spoke, anticipation flickered in his eyes, “Actually, it’s all thanks to Second Brother for this opportunity. It’s my first time here as well.”
“Don’t you usually live outside the palace? How come you’ve never been here before?”
Yan Yihuan froze, only then realizing he had let something slip. After stammering for a moment, he explained that His Majesty was burdened with countless affairs of state and often worked late into the night, so he would stay in the palace.
At home, it had always been Yan Zheng who disciplined him more strictly, while Yan Rong was the accomplice who covered for his younger brother. Yan Yihuan had always told his second brother everything, never keeping secrets.
Yan Rong’s brows gradually knit together. It was obvious at a glance that Yan Yihuan was concealing something. Just as he was considering whether to press him for an explanation, there was a sudden knock at the door. They assumed it was a waiter, but when the person entered and met Yan Yihuan’s eyes, both of them froze in place.
“Grand Historian Yan?”
“Brother Song!”
The one who had entered was none other than Song Qingyan.
“You two know each other?” Yan Rong was quite surprised, “What a coincidence!”
“I never imagined that the friend Second Brother said he had met on the road and felt such instant kinship with would turn out to be Brother Song.”
Song Qingyan was by nature a quiet and reserved man, yet with the two brothers so lively, the three of them chatted happily. By the time evening arrived, several pots of wine had already been emptied.
“Brother Song, are you no longer at the Hanlin Academy?”
All three had flushed faces by now, and Song Qingyan had grown more talkative. Just as Yan Yihuan was about to raise his cup and drain the wine in one go, he froze at the news. He quickly set the cup down and asked, “You’ve transferred to the Court of Judicial Review?”
“It’s hardly an official post. Just a minor clerk.”
“Then do you know how the Han Zhen case is progressing?”
“Han Zhen…?” Song Qingyan rarely drank and was already overwhelmed by the wine. Not only was his reaction slow, but his guard was almost completely down. “You mean the Xu Xinyao case? I heard a file has been opened, but he hasn’t been detained at the Court of Judicial Review. After all, he’s one of His Majesty’s personal guards. Everyone understands.”
Yan Yihuan’s eyes widened in shock. He had always believed Han Zhen was being held for trial at the Court of Judicial Review. He had not expected it to be merely a pretense.
He helped the drowsy Song Qingyan sit upright, intending to press for a few more details, when he felt his arm tighten. Yan Rong had stood up and grabbed him, shaking his head with a grave expression. “Don’t ask anymore.”
Yan Yihuan faltered. After a brief moment of thought, he lowered his eyes and nodded. The matter involved the imperial family. He truly could not drag an innocent person into it by prying further to satisfy his personal desires.
Yan Rong only assumed his younger brother was doing this for Xu Xinyao. But only Yan Yihuan himself understood that his urgency in learning the case’s progress was not merely to give the Xu family an explanation. Deep down, he hoped Han Zhen was innocent. If Han Zhen was innocent, then the man who shared his bed night after night would be innocent as well.
Yan Yihuan had never had to weigh so many things at once, nor had he ever carried so many unspoken secrets buried deep in his heart.
With Song Qingyan present earlier, there had been much they could not say. They had joked and bantered, and it had been passably cheerful. Now that Song Qingyan had drunk himself into a stupor and fallen asleep, the two Yan brothers exchanged glances, and the atmosphere instantly turned cold.
Yan Rong moved the sleeping Song Qingyan onto the long couch inside the private room, then asked the shopkeeper for a blanket and tucked him in before returning to the table.
He did not pour more wine. Instead, he filled a cup of tea for himself and another for Yan Yihuan, then finally spoke,
“Go on. What exactly has you so troubled?”
Yan Yihuan hesitated for a moment. He pulled Yan Rong closer and, in a low whisper by his ear, told him what he had overheard about their father and elder brother rebelling with Prince Qin, and that the Emperor might already know of it.
Yan Rong was equally shocked upon hearing this. At last he understood why his usually carefree younger brother had been so troubled. After a long silence, he said in a low voice,
“You know as well as I do that Father and Eldest Brother have never allowed the two of us to meddle in court affairs. Even if you heard it with your own ears, based on my understanding of them, they would not make such a decision.”
“I also think it’s impossible, but I truly heard it clearly,” Yan Yihuan said anxiously. “And the Emperor really did say those things to me that day. I feel there’s a high chance it’s true, so I’ve been wanting to send word to them.”
“Sending a message is almost impossible now,” Yan Rong said with a frown. “Since I came to see you openly, I’m naturally within the Emperor’s sight as well. The slightest unusual movement would alert him.”
“Ah?” Yan Yihuan stared in shock. He had thought that having Second Brother carry a message back would solve everything. If even that was impossible, then there was no solution at all.
“You’ve managed to stay by the Emperor’s side for so long without making a mistake. That’s already no small feat. But serving the Emperor is like serving a tiger. That’s why Father has tried every possible way to bring you back to Linjing,” Yan Rong sighed. “Now that things have come to this, leave it to me. Don’t think about anything else.”
“Your nature is too innocent. And what kind of person is the Emperor? Do you think any thought you harbor could escape him?” Yan Rong lowered his voice, “It’s possible he doesn’t know anything at all. On the contrary, perhaps he noticed something from your constant anxiety and merely tested you.”
Yan Yihuan’s heart jolted at those words, and he found them entirely reasonable. He cursed himself inwardly for being such a fool, for failing to consider that possibility and possibly exposing a flaw before the emperor for no reason.
At the mention of the Emperor, Yan Yihuan could not help glancing furtively at the door. On several previous outings, the Emperor had always appeared before him as if by coincidence. To his own surprise, he found himself secretly hoping the door would suddenly be knocked upon.
But half the day had already passed. By this hour, the Emperor should have finished his affairs. Why had he not appeared?
Was he still angry after their quarrel?
Or had he already regarded him as a traitor?
Wait. The Emperor was someone who could very well have the entire Yan family executed without leaving a single survivor. Why was he still thinking of him like this?
Yan Yihuan had never felt such tangled and conflicting emotions toward anyone before. Suddenly, his heart twisted in pain. His face turned deathly pale, and he bent over, clutching his chest.
“Yihuan!” Yan Rong noticed something was wrong and hurriedly supported him. At that very moment, there was indeed a knock at the door. The sound drew both of their gazes towards it at the same time.
