Chapter 116: Nene, I Want to Save You, Sir

"My lord!"

Zhang Yi did not know Liu Bowen's true identity, so he simply offered a respectful bow. "We are students of Master Xu. Since the Master has run into some trouble, we came to check on his wife."

Liu Bowen paused, his gaze shifting to Kong Ne, who was standing behind Zhang Yi. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes. The scions of the Zhang and Kong families had actually come together to visit Madam Xu? A hint of gratification appeared in his eyes, and he no longer felt inclined to reprimand them. Pretending not to recognize the young heir to the Kong family, he continued to address Zhang Yi:

"It is kind of you to care, but there is nothing you can do about this matter. You should focus on your studies..."

Zhang Yi’s display of obedience changed Liu Bowen’s opinion of him slightly, though that was all. He cast a final glance at the two boys and boarded his carriage. As the dilapidated carriage rattled away, Zhang Yi and Kong Ne stood there, lost in thought.

"That official’s rank must be quite high," Kong Ne remarked, gauging the quality of the carriage and the man's demeanor, still wondering about his identity.

"Let’s go inside," Zhang Yi said, his spirit feeling heavy. His mind, usually sharp, felt clouded; his only concern now was the state of Madam Xu.

He knocked on the door, and Madam Xu opened it from within.

"Mistress!"

Seeing her, Zhang Yi felt a deeper pang of grief. It had only been a day since he last saw her, but the kind old lady’s hair had turned significantly whiter overnight. It was clear that Master Xu’s sudden imprisonment had been a devastating blow to the household. Madam Xu had not expected anyone other than Liu Ji to visit.

"Children, why have you come?"

"We heard about the Master’s situation. I was worried about you, Mistress, so I came to see how you were."

Zhang Yi was only seven years old, and the sincerity in his eyes softened Madam Xu’s heart.

"Come inside, please. The house is a mess, so do forgive me. You must be the young master of the Kong family, right? We met once before!"

Compared to her tone with Zhang Yi, Madam Xu was more formal with Kong Ne. Kong Ne bowed. "I had the honor of paying my respects to the Master last time. I didn't expect you to remember me."

Kong Ne held a favorable impression of Madam Xu as well. Xu Cunren was the only official in the capital who had accepted his visiting card when he first arrived in Nanjing. It wasn't that he didn't want to visit others, but he understood all too well that he was seen as a jinx. While Li Zhi might have made things difficult for Zhang Yi at the Imperial Academy out of spite for Longhu Mountain, those who considered themselves "pure" scholars would only pay lip service to the Kong family to distinguish themselves. If Kong Ne had actually presented his card to them, they would likely have claimed illness to avoid him. Only Xu Cunren, because he was Zhang Yi’s teacher, had accepted the card and met him without hesitation.

"You are both good children! Old Xu has taught many students over the years, but I doubt many would dare to come here at a time like this."

Madam Xu was genuinely pleased by their arrival. Struck by sudden misfortune, she had lost her composure. Even with high-ranking officials like Liu Bowen coming to console her, the heavy stone in her heart had not lifted. But seeing these two boys gave her a sliver of comfort.

"I have heard the Master speak of you both. You are both fine youths. He said your temperament is steady, much like the sages of old," she said, looking at Kong Ne.

Kong Ne quickly stood up and humbly declined the praise.

Madam Xu then looked at Zhang Yi. "He rarely had nice things to say about you, but I could tell he was very fond of you. Though the Master was rigorous in his teaching, he actually had a free spirit. He restrained himself when he was young, but as he aged, he became more open. It’s clear that a boy like you suits his tastes; I have never seen him bring another student home for long talks by candlelight. Even my own son never received such treatment."

Hearing this, Zhang Yi’s heart felt even heavier, constricted by a suffocating ache.

"The Master was always saying that now that His Majesty has ascended the throne, he should lay down his burdens. He mentioned wanting to retire, but his subordinates persuaded him otherwise. Later, due to affairs at court, the matter was delayed. If only he had insisted on resigning and ignoring the chaos, none of this would have happened..."

At this, Madam Xu began to weep again. Zhang Yi and Kong Ne hurried to comfort her. Because they were just children, Madam Xu felt no need to hide her vulnerability. Under their care, she eventually calmed down, but the psychological pressure of the past day had been too much. Once she relaxed, she collapsed from exhaustion.

"You go find a doctor; I’ll boil some porridge for the Mistress! And here, take this money—go buy some meat," Zhang Yi commanded.

Kong Ne was flustered. He knew how to fetch a doctor, but he had no idea how to buy meat! However, he didn't argue; he took the money and hurried out. By the time he returned with the doctor, Zhang Yi had already prepared a pot of porridge and chopped the meat, adding it to the pot.

"You know how to do this?" Kong Ne was astonished as he watched Zhang Yi’s practiced movements after seeing the doctor off.

"Did you think I was like you, waited on hand and foot? I grew up fending for myself," Zhang Yi replied with a roll of his eyes. He then instructed, "Go ask the neighbors if there is a woman who can come help look after the Mistress. We are both men, and even if we are young, it’s not appropriate for us to stay here overnight... What are you standing there for? Get going!"

"Oh..." Kong Ne left again and soon returned with a woman.

Xu Cunren was a third-rank official; logically, he should have had servants, but for some reason, the house was empty. After Zhang Yi spoke with the woman and gave her some money, she agreed to look after Madam Xu.

Once finished, the two boys sat on the steps of the Xu residence, each holding a bowl of porridge.

"Delicious!" Exhausted, Kong Ne was famished. He found the porridge Zhang Yi had cooked particularly good. "How do you know how to do everything?"

Zhang Yi ignored him for a long time before suddenly saying, "Ne-ne, I want to save the Master."

"What?" Kong Ne nearly dropped his bowl, stunned.

Zhang Yi wanted to save the Master? With what? The Master had been imprisoned by the Emperor himself. Kong Ne still remembered the icy coldness of the Emperor from the one time he had seen him. In the Kong residence in Yingtian, his grandfather had to play the fool, not daring to acknowledge his own grandson even when he was standing right in front of him. Ever since Zhang Yi told him that the Emperor knew exactly what his grandfather was doing, his fear had only deepened. The Ming Emperor was a man who terrified him just to think about.

"Who do you think you are? You want to save Master Xu? You can't do anything... Do you even know why he was imprisoned? Who would listen to you? And why would you think the Emperor would listen to you? You can't do it... Even our Kong family—"

Kong Ne’s voice was agitated, but Zhang Yi remained silent.

"I’ve been thinking," Zhang Yi said, suddenly smiling. "Perhaps things aren't as dire as they seem. It’s certainly not as bad as if he had resigned directly to the Emperor! If the Master had chosen to retire, he likely wouldn't have survived, because that would have been equivalent to telling the Emperor, 'You idiot, I don't want to work for you anymore!' But as it stands, the Master was imprisoned because he disagreed with the Emperor’s philosophy and pointed out the darkness in his heart. Is that serious? It can be, but it doesn't have to be."

"You..."

Madman! Kong Ne looked at Zhang Yi’s analytical expression and felt the boy had lost his mind. How could he possibly understand the Emperor? How could he think he could change that man’s mind? Yet, Zhang Yi’s analysis piqued his curiosity. "Why?"

"Because Master Xu’s intentions were good. He is loyal to Ming, and he acts for the sake of the empire! If the Master had simply walked away, the Emperor would have viewed him as a deserter—irresponsible and critical. Such a man the Emperor would not cherish; he would kill him without a second thought. But the Master chose a different path. By challenging the Emperor, he stung the Emperor’s dark side. Given the Emperor’s nature, that is indeed akin to seeking death, but the Emperor will not lose respect for Xu Cunren’s character. Their paths may differ, but as a martyr for his cause, the Emperor will respect him. The Emperor possesses at least that much breadth of spirit."

The word "martyr" grated on Kong Ne’s nerves. Yet, he vaguely understood what Zhang Yi meant. Even if you differ in stance, you can still respect a man’s choices. Wasn't the Kong family looked down upon precisely because they were two-faced? If Kong Kejian had chosen to stand firmly with the Yuan Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang might have killed him and installed someone else as the Duke of Yansheng, but he would not have humiliated him. The label of "traitor" was a stain the Kong family could never wash away—especially considering his grandfather's current situation. The thought filled Kong Ne with a complex mix of emotions.

"Since there is a shred of respect, there is a shred of hope for the Master’s life. I don’t know exactly what he said to the Emperor, or how deep the Emperor’s desire to kill him is, but as long as there is room for maneuver, we must try! But where to begin? With the Emperor’s temperament, pleas from other officials will have no effect, or worse, the opposite effect! To make him spare Master Xu, we must not only emphasize that the Master’s actions were for the sake of the Ming foundation, but also find a way to give the Emperor a graceful exit..."

Zhang Yi’s mind began to race. Kong Ne watched him in silence. How could this guy be so fearless, pursuing a goal without a second thought? This was the Emperor! One wrong step and it meant the ruin of an entire family. Did he not think of that? And to Kong Ne, his efforts seemed so ridiculous.

"What is the point of thinking so much? No one will listen to you. Who are you? You are just like me—a hostage exiled to the capital! You are even worse off than I am; I have at least met the Emperor and the Crown Prince. You haven't even seen them! I’ve chatted with the Crown Prince, and he is kind to me, but whenever I think of the Emperor, I break into a cold sweat! You are just an ignorant fool who knows nothing of caution!"

Only by desperately trying to stop Zhang Yi did Kong Ne feel he could distance himself from this madness. He even regretted coming here to listen to Zhang Yi’s nonsense.

Zhang Yi, however, paused at these words and turned back. "Ne-ne, you have a good relationship with the Crown Prince? Good. That’s a connection we can use!"

Zhang Yi made a mental note of Kong Ne’s name.

Kong Ne felt as if he were going insane. Did this guy not understand plain speech? He was trying to stop him from being an idiot, and yet he was trying to drag him down into the mess?

"I don't care about you! And stop calling me 'Ne-ne,' it’s disgusting..."

"By the way, Ne-ne, don't you want to know what I meant by 'before August'?" Zhang Yi suddenly threw out a reason that Kong Ne could not refuse.