053 [The Road Lies Beneath Our Feet]

Huo Guang was an extremely complex and formidable statesman.

He was the paternal half-brother of Huo Qubing, the Champion Marquis, and a trusted minister personally appointed by Emperor Wu of Han to assist the young heir. He served through the reigns of three emperors—Emperor Wu, Emperor Zhao, and Emperor Xuan—and during this period, he presided over the deposition of Liu He, the Prince of Changyi.

At the peak of his power during his lifetime, he was compared by later generations to Yi Yin, collectively referred to as "Yi and Huo." The phrase "to perform the deeds of Yi and Huo" became a synonym for a powerful minister acting as regent with the authority to depose and enthrone emperors.

Yet, merely two years after his death, the entire Huo clan was exterminated for treason by Emperor Xuan of Han.

Had history ended there, he might have been like so many tragic powerful ministers in the long river of time—enjoying the zenith of political power during his life, only to see his family destroyed and his descendants cursed after his death, becoming merely an unremarkable footnote in the eternal struggles for power.

However, after the treason case of the Huo clan was exposed, Huo Guang’s tomb remained unravellingly untouched and was still permitted to serve as a satellite tomb alongside Maoling.

Seventeen years after his death, following the surrender of the Xiongnu, Emperor Xuan recalled the meritorious ministers who had aided him in the past and ordered portraits of eleven officials to be painted in the Unicorn Pavilion. Huo Guang prominently occupied the very first place among the eleven meritorious ministers of the Unicorn Pavilion.

One must bear in mind that by that time, Huo Guang had long turned to dust, and the grave treason of the Huo family was a settled matter. Even if Emperor Xuan had ordered Huo Guang’s coffin to be opened and his corpse whipped in retribution, no one in the imperial court would have raised a voice to remonstrate.

Not only did the Emperor refrain from doing so, but he also bestowed posthumous glory upon Huo Guang, as if, in his eyes, Huo Guang and the Huo clan were entirely separate entities.

Viewed from this perspective, Emperor Xuan harbored no hatred toward Huo Guang in his heart, at least. Perhaps he never truly believed that Huo Guang was an ambitious, power-hungry villain plotting against the imperial throne.

These historical records surfaced one by one in the mind of Crown Prince Jiang Xuan. Looking at Xue Huai’s steady and reserved demeanor, he asked with a seemingly calm expression, "Does Reader Xue consider Huo Guang to be a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty?"

"This subject has no such intention."

Xue Huai shook his head and replied, "Although Huo Guang lacked the actual deed of usurping the throne, many of his actions while in power still transgressed the proper boundaries of a subject. The mere act of concealing his wife’s poisoning of Empress Xu already violated the code between ruler and subject. I am merely thinking that Huo Guang transitioned from a restoration minister of Emperor Zhao’s era to a tyrannical minister who arbitrarily deposed and enthroned rulers. During this period, no one was able to check and balance his authority, which ultimately led him and the Huo family down that path of destruction."

Gradually grasping a deeper meaning, the Crown Prince slowly articulated, "More than that, in my view, Emperor Wu's arrangements on his deathbed were actually the root cause of all the turmoil that followed."

Xue Huai felt a slight wave of surprise.

His discussion of Huo Guang today was intended to probe the Crown Prince's views on the relationship between ruler and subject and the structure of the imperial court, while also carrying a subtle hint.

Until the political chess game officially began, no one could predict whether the Crown Prince would lose his position as heir apparent, and Xue Huai dared not rush to any definitive conclusions. Therefore, he sought to temporarily distance himself from the whirlpool of court politics and avoid becoming a tool for various factions.

Yet, since the Crown Prince had taken the initiative to approach him, he could not appear overly mediocre and had to strike the right balance.

After much deliberation, using history as a mirror was perhaps best suited to his current status and position, allowing him to leave a good impression on the Crown Prince without appearing arrogant or frivolous.

Steadying his mind, Xue Huai asked sincerely, "What does Your Highness mean by these words?"

The Crown Prince spoke gently, "Before his death, Emperor Wu appointed four co-regents with the original intent that they would check and balance one another. However, he overlooked the fact that Huo Guang had frequented the inner palace for over twenty years, planting a large number of his trusted affiliates within the imperial guards. Without clearly defining the hierarchy among the four regents, an escalating power struggle was bound to occur. When Emperor Zhao ascended the throne as a young ruler amidst a suspicious nation, how could the remaining three regents—aside from Jin Midi, who died prematurely—possibly place an eight-year-old child of heaven in their eyes?"

There was another sentence he left unsaid: since ancient times, passing over the elder to enthrone the younger has always been the true root of disaster!

A chill stirred within Xue Huai’s heart.

He understood the Crown Prince’s unexpressed words; the other party was clearly making an allegory about the current political landscape.

Although the Prince of Dai had reached adulthood, his temperament was eccentric and his actions reckless. Should he ascend the imperial throne, it would undoubtedly spell an unimaginable disaster for the Great Yan.

On the other hand, the Crown Prince was mature, steady, and tempered by time, making him unquestionably the ideal candidate for the new ruler.

Xue Huai could not help but sigh inwardly at this moment. He had intended to use the Huo Guang case to remind the Crown Prince that those trapped in the whirlpool of power cannot control their own destinies—to advance further meant being shattered to pieces, while retreating a step meant facing a bottomless abyss. Helplessness against circumstance was the truest portrayal of their reality.

The Crown Prince had indeed thought deeper, yet had deviated slightly in direction. He was using this historical allusion to hint to Xue Huai that supporting him, the legitimate heir apparent, was the wisest choice.

In short, the angles from which the two men viewed the problem were fundamentally opposed.

Realizing this, Xue Huai wisely kept his silence.

Yet the Crown Prince, deeply engrossed in the conversation, continued, "Before today, I always regarded Huo Guang as an unquestionable traitorous official. But now, I feel that Huo Guang also had many unavoidable circumstances. During his lifetime, he attempted several times to return state power to Emperor Xuan, but it was already too late. Emperor Xuan might not have liquidated him personally, but he would never have spared the entire Huo family. This was not solely because of the death of Empress Xu, but because the mere existence of the Huo clan severely threatened the stability of imperial power. When all is said and done, this remains the hidden peril left behind by Emperor Wu on his deathbed."

Seeing him repeatedly emphasize this point, Xue Huai knew what kind of answer he wanted to hear, yet merely responded submissively, "After listening to Your Highness's analysis, this subject feels suddenly enlightened."

The Crown Prince looked at him with a smile and praised, "Listening to Reader Xue lecture on history today, I have truly benefited immensely. Reader Xue progresses from the shallow to the profound, seeing the large from the small; though young, you possess profound learning, truly living up to your reputation as a Tanhuai."

Xue Huai lowered his gaze slightly and said, "Your Highness flatters me too much."

The Crown Prince glanced at the sky outside, then commanded his attendants to serve palace pastries, clearly having no intention of letting Xue Huai leave so early.

Xue Huai accepted this calmly. Furthermore, after taxing his mind for half a day, he was indeed somewhat hungry, so he offered an apology to the Crown Prince and began eating the pastries at a leisurely pace.

The Crown Prince partook of only a small piece before gently sipping his fragrant tea with a mild expression.

Not far away, Deng Hong, the chief eunuch of the Eastern Palace, quietly observed this scene. His gaze lingered briefly on Xue Huai’s back, and in his heart, he formed a different evaluation of this young Hanlin academician.

He murmured inwardly, "It seems I must pay closer attention to the movements of the Xue residence in the future. It has been a long time since His Highness valued such a young official."

A moment later, Xue Huai stopped eating.

Felt the timing was right, the Crown Prince went straight to the point, "Although you have now been promoted to Reader in the Hanlin Academy, advancing further might prove somewhat difficult. After all, positions like Reader-in-waiting or expositor generally require a certain degree of seniority; otherwise, it is hard to command public respect. In my view, a better choice for your future would be the Secretariat of the Crown Prince. There is no need to persistently toil away in the Hanlin Academy. Does Reader Xue agree?"

His words were extremely direct and explicit, which came as no surprise to Xue Huai.

The main event of entering the Eastern Palace today was the Crown Prince extending an olive branch to him.

Regardless of the deeper meanings embedded in this lecture, as long as Xue Huai's performance was reasonably passing, the Crown Prince was bound to take this step.

This was certainly not because the Crown Prince was so awestruck by him at first sight that he had to recruit him under his banner at all costs. Rather, the conflict between Xue Huai and the Prince of Dai had become an established fact, and Shen Wang’s high regard for Xue Huai was blatantly obvious.

At least in the Crown Prince's eyes, Shen Wang’s intention to pave the way for Xue Huai this time was glaringly clear.

As a Reader in the Hanlin Academy, Xue Huai was naturally the best candidate for the Crown Prince to win over, and this move would by no means arouse the Emperor’s suspicion.

With various factors intertwining, if the Crown Prince were to completely ignore Xue Huai and turn a blind eye to such a readily available subordinate, he might as well pack up and leave the Eastern Palace sooner rather than later.

Recruiting Xue Huai meant drawing closer to Shen Wang and thereby securing the support of the scholarly purist faction in the court, which would immensely increase the Crown Prince's hopes of a smooth ascension.

Meeting the Crown Prince’s somewhat eager gaze, Xue Huai calmly replied, "Your Highness, this subject truly has never considered this matter. Having received the Emperor's grace, I was appointed as the Tanhuai of the palace examination at sixteen, and promoted to a Zheng Liupin Reader at the age of twenty. I ought to faithfully discharge my duties and refine myself—how could I dare harbor extravagant hopes for high office and generous emoluments?"

A thoroughly standard and moderate response.

Knowing Xue Huai's loyal and unyielding character, the Crown Prince was unsurprised by this reaction and smiled presently, "It seems I was too impatient."

Xue Huai lowered his eyes and said, "Your Highness exaggerates; this subject is deeply grateful for Your Highness's appreciation."

The Crown Prince waved his hand and said, "As I said before, you need not be overly restrained in my presence. I admire your literary talent and capability, which is why I was temporarily overcome by a fondness for talent. Transitioning from the Hanlin Academy to the Secretariat of the Crown Prince is a standard procedure; my suggestion does not overstep boundaries. However, your considerations are also sensible; one must never be overly hasty in an official career. After some time, when you achieve new accomplishments in your post, I will certainly memorialize the Emperor to promote you to the Secretariat, and I only hope you will not decline then."

"How could this subject dare."

Xue Huai knew that the Secretariat of the Crown Prince belonged to the official establishment of the Eastern Palace. Once he entered it, the Crown Prince could legitimately bestow favors upon him and gradually deepen ties with Shen Wang.

Yet, he did not refuse.

The Crown Prince was quite satisfied with Xue Huai's attitude and understood that stopping at this point was just right. Pushing any further might make him, the heir apparent, appear insufficiently composed.

Even showing benevolence to scholars required a sense of proportion.

Filled with expectations, the Crown Prince said, "It is getting late, so I shall not keep you here. Return to the palace in a few days to lecture for me once more."

Xue Huai then rose, bowed, and took his leave.

Upon leaving the Eastern Palace, a misty drizzle was falling from the sky, and a sudden chill swept over him.

Xue Huai accepted the umbrella handed to him by the palace attendant and stepped into the curtain of rain.

After walking a dozen paces, he looked back. The three-zhang-high palace walls stood in silent stillness, casting shadows resembling the Weiyang Palace gates where Huo Guang once wielded absolute power. Rainwater trickled down like ink marks, precisely mirroring the suspended, undecided vermilion brush of a court historian.

The freezing droplets condensed on the umbrella handle tumbled into his palm, bearing an uncanny resemblance to those loyal and disloyal ministers swept away by the wind and rain—the past glories and disgraces of men had all been weathered into green moss by this continuous drizzle, blanketing the jade steps and vermilion walls.

The Crown Prince's earnest admonitions echoed in his mind.

"New accomplishments? I fear it is merely another storm..."

"The heavens and earth are vast; why confine oneself to this square inch? Better to depart."

Xue Huai murmured inwardly, his resolve gradually growing firm.