Chapter 8: “Again!”

“Ha-yah!”

“Not enough. Again!”

Thud!

All manner of striking sounds came from inside the room. Standing guard outside the door, Wei Tong shifted his stance without anyone noticing. He had been standing here for nearly four hours; Kangxi had spent the entire afternoon in this place.

The sunlight pooling in the courtyard slowly climbed from the middle of the yard up the walls. The pomegranate tree’s branches swayed in the light breeze; the fifth and sixth months were right in its blooming season, and a faint floral fragrance drifted past Wei Tong’s nose on the wind. Breathing in that scent, Wei Tong’s eyes narrowed slightly. A year had already passed.

Not long after Liu Yu had made contact with Wei Tong, Wei Tong and Wenxi were transferred to the Buku Training Ground, and their old posts were filled by Liu Yu and another man. Zhang Jiu and Fugui fretted on their behalf, but short of silently apologizing to Wenxi in his heart, there was nothing Wei Tong could do. Liu Cheng wanted to plant someone at Kangxi’s side, but Liang Jiugong, Gu Wenxing, and the others kept such a tight grip on the space around the Emperor that nothing could be wedged into the critical posts; the best they could do was move Wei Tong to a position with somewhat better access to Kangxi.

Naturally, to outside eyes this transfer looked like nothing more than Wei Tong and the others having blocked someone’s path. Everyone in the palace knew the two of them had simply drawn the short straw; after all, Liu Cheng was second-in-command in Qingning Palace. Wei Tong had once been seen by the Emperor, but that was all. Who would lift a finger for two junior inner attendants?

Who could have guessed that more than half a year later, Kangxi would fall in love with buku wrestling, summon a crowd of young nobles as study companions, and spend every day at the training ground grappling and brawling? Apart from reviewing memorials to the throne and paying his respects to the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, most of his day was spent there. When word of this arrived, the ones who should rejoice rejoiced endlessly, and Wei Tong was ordered to scout the place out thoroughly.

Only, though Wei Tong accepted the order, he did none of the actual work.

The Buku Training Ground was now arguably the most critical node in all of Kangxi’s movements. However lax the courtyard’s defenses might look on the surface, hidden watchposts were surely numerous; probing around carelessly would be digging his own grave. Aside from the intelligence he had no choice but to report, Wei Tong did nothing.

When he returned to his room at night, Wenxi had gone to find Fugui and not come back, so Wei Tong went to bed alone. Sometimes, he was rather eager to see the world on the other side of sleep.

“Xuan?” When Wei Tong opened his eyes to the familiar ceiling, he sat up and called softly. Xuan answered naturally from across the screen. “You fell asleep quickly today as well.” The two of them entered the dreamscape at almost exactly the same time; they had confirmed this long ago.

“Since there’s nothing pressing, idling away the time is useless. Might as well sleep early.” Wei Tong sat on the bed without moving. His posture in the dreamscape varied every time; this time, for once, he was lying down, his laziness flaring up and refusing to let him move.

“You… have no concubines?” Xuan said hesitantly. Even if Wei Tong was not yet fifteen, surely he ought to have one or two attendants at his side. Wei Tong froze, then rubbed his nose. After all these years, he could finally touch on this topic without flying into a rage. “I won’t be able to have children in this life. And besides…”

Only as he said this did Wei Tong realize something was off. He had once said he wasn’t yet an adult, had no courtesy name; at that time he had meant eighteen. But by ancient reckoning, adulthood came at fifteen…

Silence fell on Xuan’s side too; clearly he had no idea how to respond. To the ancients, carrying on the family line was a paramount matter of life. Anyone in Wei Tong’s situation would be mocked without fail, and Wei Tong had previously let slip that he was an orphan…

“I spoke out of turn.” After a long while, just as Wei Tong was awkwardly casting about for a change of subject, those words suddenly came from Xuan’s side. The voice of a boy mid-change was somewhat hoarse, yet carried a heavy depth that made Wei Tong rise to his feet instinctively.

Xuan had never once said such words.

Having known each other for over a year, Xuan and Wei Tong already spoke in the dreamscape with great ease, and since neither knew who the other was, there was no need for restraint in their words; they had become close friends because of it. But even the closest of friends quarrel. The two had clashed many times over many things.

Xuan had once mentioned that around September of the previous year he had gotten his first child, which had stunned Wei Tong; by his count, Xuan was only a boy of fourteen or fifteen, and he already had a child of his own. Not long after, the two had argued bitterly over the question of legitimate versus concubine-born heirs, of sons versus daughters. At the time, Wei Tong had truly felt the aura of a high noble in Xuan.

When Xuan got angry, even through the thick screen that hid them from each other, Wei Tong could feel that oppressive weight pressing on his heart until he could hardly breathe. But Wei Tong’s rare stubbornness, rooted in his bones, would rise up as well. All these years he seemed to have draped himself in a layer of servility, but push come to shove, he was still that hot-blooded Wei Tong who brawled in street gangs.

The two had nearly come to blows, and in the end they gave each other the cold shoulder for two meetings, until Wei Tong broke the silence first, and Xuan had evidently seized the step down offered to him.

That Xuan would apologize to him this time was something Wei Tong had never anticipated. He even found himself flustered, saying awkwardly, “You really don’t have to… this wasn’t your fault to begin with.”

In any case, the conversation ended on a strange, awkward note. But before Wei Tong left, Xuan said one thing. “Wei, do you truly not wish to tell me who you are?”

After meeting so many times, both understood full well that their stations were likely unequal. Wei Tong kept his lips sealed tightly, but he was no match for Xuan’s uncanny skill at fishing for information; without realizing it, Wei Tong always leaked far more than he intended. He often regretted it but could say nothing, since Xuan bore no malice. Yet Wei Tong held fast to one line: meeting face to face.

Wei Tong knew deeply that he was the kind of person who couldn’t survive exposure to daylight. How could he agree to that? Let alone the fact that he was now deep in the palace’s inner quarters; there was no way to go meet Xuan.

“Where I am right now, I can’t move about freely. Even if I truly wanted to meet you, I’d be helpless to manage it,” Wei Tong deflected. He could tell whether Xuan’s words were sincere or feigned, and it was precisely because they were sincere that meeting was all the more impossible.

Xuan knew nothing of Wei Tong’s misgivings, but his evasion was plain enough. With a helpless sigh, Xuan said, “Fine, fine, fine. If you’re unwilling, we’ll speak of it no more.” He couldn’t truly force Wei Tong to come.

The two talked through the whole night. When Wei Tong rose the next day, he was listless; even if he did sleep in the dreamscape, his consciousness still reminded him that he had chatted all night, so drowsiness was inevitable.

There was little to do at the Buku Training Ground, and few attendants besides. Only when Kangxi came did the place seem crowded; at the fullest count there were barely a dozen or so, and not a single palace maid among them.

After sweeping the training ground once more, the study companions arrived. Tea and pastries had long since been laid out inside, and Wei Tong once again stood outside with Wenxi; the two of them only needed to watch for any movement inside and go in to serve. With Kangxi not yet arrived, the people inside were much easier to serve.

When Kangxi arrived in the afternoon, he was in visibly high spirits. Not only did he watch the training from the side, he even personally stepped onto the mat, picked out men, and set them against each other. A half-grown boy through and through. Only, whenever Wei Tong thought about what mentality lay hidden behind this scene, he couldn’t help but marvel: Kangxi and Xuan really were the same breed, equally black-bellied, equally fond of digging pits for people.

The sun sank westward, and the sounds from the training ground gradually died down. Wei Tong looked at the sun and knew they were probably about to head home. But half an hour later, when everyone else had left, Wei Tong realized Kangxi still hadn’t.

Liang Jiugong was Kangxi’s personal eunuch and was naturally attending him closely inside, but standing outside, the eunuchs who followed Kangxi trading blank stares with one another was not exactly pleasant. Today Kangxi was… what was going on?

Before he could think further, the tightly shut door behind him opened. Catching the movement from the corner of his eye, Wei Tong, Wenxi, and the others quickly stepped aside. The one who came out was Liang Jiugong.

Liang Jiugong swept a glance over the attendants stationed at the door and casually picked out one eunuch. “His Majesty wants someone to spar with him. You’ll do.”

Wei Tong stared blankly at Liang Jiugong pointing at him. No way. Him again?

Steeling himself, he went in. Not daring to raise his head, he bowed, and only then sensed Kangxi’s figure approach him, pausing as if to look him over. A hoarse voice sounded. “Zhen has the feeling of having seen you somewhere before.”

Wei Tong bowed his head even lower and answered respectfully, “This servant was a cleaning inner attendant at Qingning Palace half a year ago, and once had the honor of sparring with Your Majesty.” Kangxi’s memory was excellent; trivial as the matter was to him, his brow furrowed slightly, and before long he recalled it.

“So it’s you. That works well enough.” Kangxi laughed, clearly remembering the earlier occasion, and looked rather pleased. After sparring with the study companions he had truly worked up an appetite for it, yet no matter how he fought, it never felt right, and in the end he had sent everyone away. It was only with Liang Jiugong egging him on at his side that he’d conceived the idea. But who was Kangxi? He saw at once that Liang Jiugong must have kept the matter in mind, raising the subject of a sparring partner at just this moment.

Kangxi had actually come today in a foul mood, though it had eased somewhat by degrees. But how could Liang Jiugong let the Emperor keep it bottled up until it might finally splash onto him? Naturally he had to find someone to help vent that fire.

Wei Tong had no idea that being brought before Kangxi a second time was Liang Jiugong’s doing, but he still began sparring with Kangxi warily. From the first exchange he could tell that Kangxi’s skill had improved a great deal since last time. After being pressed down and beaten for a stretch, Wei Tong could only summon every last ounce of strength he had. At Kangxi’s current level, even exerting his full strength, Wei Tong could never truly hurt him.