Chapter 202: Perspective

Zhang Ze felt that the winters in the capital city were exceptionally cold.

Especially for a new City Patrol Guard, he was always assigned duty during the coldest periods.

However, being able to come to the capital was already a stroke of immense good fortune for him.

His father was an old soldier from Guannei Circuit. Because he dealt with the startled horses of some nobles, his legs were crushed. Out of pity, the nobles arranged for his son to join the Sixteen Guards of the capital.

That was the capital city! A place yearned for by so many.

Zhang Ze was no exception. Although intelligent, due to poverty, he had been unable to study and had no means of entering officialdom through recommendations. Following in his father’s footsteps, he joined the army. In the frontier army, ranks were clearly defined, and earning military merit for a low-ranking soldier like him was a distant dream.

He didn’t want to toil his whole life like his father.

Suddenly, a stroke of luck landed him in the capital, his chest filled with ambition. He had met that noble and, having heard his refined speech, didn’t feel he was any less capable. In fact, he even felt superior. He too, in the future, could become a powerful figure whose words could change the fate of others.

But after arriving in the capital, he discovered he was merely a street officer in the Sixteen Guards. After half a year guarding a street corner, the young man had been ground down by reality.

Without family background, he had no future in the Sixteen Guards, filled as they were with children of the nobility.

He was intelligent and capable, but relying on intelligence and capability only allowed him to run errands and take orders for others. No one looked at him directly.

Until that Lantern Festival, he encountered the noble again.

A noble even more noble than the owner of the horse that crushed his father’s legs: the Emperor’s favored consort.

He had heard of this favored consort before, in the city guard, on the streets, even the beggars were talking about her.

This woman seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, but like a fierce wind, she swept through everything in an instant.

The previous Emperor had lived for so long that his various glorious deeds had become distant memories. For so long that whatever the previous Emperor did, the people felt indifferent. After all, His Majesty was always wise and powerful.

But the wise and powerful Emperor suddenly became infatuated with a woman, heeding her every word, holding her in the palm of his hand.

Consort Jiang said that Princess Jinshan had glared at her, and the previous Emperor made Princess Jinshan pour wine for Consort Jiang in public.

Prince Guangping didn’t yield the way to Consort Jiang, and the previous Emperor forbade him from entering the palace for half a year.

Consort Jiang said she wanted to reach out and pluck a star, and the previous Emperor began constructing a new pavilion.

Of course, Zhang Ze only heard these as amusing stories, laughing, cursing, and complaining a little. Women, mere playthings. If liked, naturally they must be pampered. It’s just that the Emperor pampered with the status of the Son of Heaven, naturally making it all the more spectacular.

That Lantern Festival, he was on duty as usual, preparing to endure another all-nighter on the street.

Suddenly, news came that the Emperor and Consort Jiang were making a private visit in disguise to enjoy the festivities with the common people. No soldiers cleared the way, no officials accompanied them, no imperial guards surrounded them, and even more so, no imperial procession.

Many people didn’t even know about it.

For example, the military advisor on duty on this street only received notification when the Emperor and Consort Jiang were almost there.

The military advisor’s mind went blank, echoing the eunuch’s relayed command: guard His Majesty well, but don’t spoil His Majesty and the Consort’s enjoyment.

So what should be done? The biggest operation this military advisor had ever handled was clearing the beggars from the streets.

Zhang Ze stood before the military advisor, meticulously outlining a plan for him: how to discreetly clear some vendors and replace them with City Patrol Guards present, how to deploy control over the streets, and how to call in the families of nearby City Patrol Guards to act as ordinary citizens ━ they were, after all, true commoners.

The matter was thus smoothly resolved. The Emperor and Consort Jiang successfully came to the street, enjoying the commoners’ festivities.

But he wasn’t qualified to be present. Although it was said to be a private visit in disguise, the Emperor couldn’t possibly be without guards.

They, the City Patrol Guards, weren’t qualified to approach and were driven to the outermost perimeter to stand guard.

He wasn’t disappointed. This was expected. He quietly stood guard in the shadows of the street corner, listening to the hustle and bustle coming from the ward market ahead.

He was happy, thinking that this time, having helped, the military advisor would look upon him more favorably, perhaps promoting him to squad leader or something.

Then he could get to know more colleagues, earn more money, and then bribe his way up. In that case, he should be able to become a battalion commander by the end of the year, right?

Perhaps next year, he could maneuver his way out of street patrol duty, or if he still had to patrol, at least it would be in the Imperial City, and then he could attach himself to even more influential figures.

He stood on the dimly lit street, indulging in his fantasies, then a procession came over, surrounding an ox cart. The military advisor was among them. Seeing him, the advisor quickly waved him to kneel down.

“The Sage is coming, the Sage is coming,” the military advisor whispered.

So the Emperor came in an ox cart? Truly unique. He hurriedly knelt on one knee, lowering his head, not daring to look too much.

The ox cart didn’t pass by, but stopped.

“You’ve done well tonight,” a eunuch’s thin voice said. “Let His Majesty see the true common folk without disturbing their joy.”

The military advisor also knelt down, shouting loudly, “It is my duty!”

Logically, the Emperor’s cart should have moved on, but a woman’s voice came from inside: “How did you do it?”

The military advisor was stunned. He, kneeling on the ground, was also stunned, and couldn’t help but boldly raise his head. He saw the curtain of the ox cart lift, and a young woman in common clothes was looking over.

He was momentarily captivated.

Although he had only been in the capital for half a year, he had seen countless beauties. Seeing so many, they were all just two eyes and a mouth, nothing special.

But this beauty before his eyes was different from the women he had seen.

He didn’t know what was different. Perhaps it was her bright, expressive eyes? Or perhaps it was the lack of shyness, evasion, or ostentation, and also the absence of the complex, common attitudes of curiosity and inquiry often seen in women? She looked directly at the people before her, her eyes devoid of any particular meaning.

Gentle, yet inexplicably dignified.

The military advisor, like him, was dumbfounded, stuttering, unable to utter a word. Of course he couldn’t, that useless military advisor only had a belly full of straw.

This was an opportunity. Zhang Ze immediately spoke: “I arranged it like this…”

He quickly recounted the plan he had previously laid out for the military advisor.

The woman’s gaze shifted from the military advisor to him.

She watched him, listened to him finish, and nodded with a smile.

“Very good,” she said, then lowered the cart curtain.

The ox cart slowly moved on.

He prostrated himself on the ground, trembling with excitement throughout his body. The favored consort whom the previous Emperor held in the palm of his hand praised him as “very good.” He had gained the appreciation of an even greater noble. He was about to skyrocket to success.

But, nothing happened.

The military advisor didn’t resent him for stealing the spotlight, nor did he promote him, treating him the same as before, as if he were nothing.

The favored consort didn’t specifically seek him out or bestow any official rank upon him.

However, this was normal. After all, he had only arranged a single instance of guarding. For that kind of noble, it wasn’t something to care about.

✿✿✿

He wanted more opportunities to showcase himself, but as a lowly City Patrol Guard, he didn’t even have the qualifications to approach the Imperial City. The favored consort also no longer took the Emperor on incognito excursions.

But his opportunity came again.

The favored consort was no longer a consort, but the Empress. She established the Bronze Jar, encouraging open communication and seeking out talented individuals.

He was ecstatic. Whether it was petitions for grace, offering advice, seeking justice, or mystical appeals, he submitted them all. He was capable of anything, brimming with talent, and eager to serve the Empress.

He even shamelessly mentioned the night excursion, highlighting the praise she had given him.

But there was no response.

He thought perhaps it was just a facade, that the Empress was merely putting on a show and wouldn’t actually read those letters.

But suddenly, two of his colleagues were promoted.

Actually, it wasn’t really a promotion, just transfers to places they desired.

The two were overjoyed, revealing to him while drunk that it was Empress Jiang’s blessing.

“I just tried my luck, I didn’t expect the Empress to actually read them.”

“The Empress read the accounts I wrote, she must have thought I was good at calculations and should work under Military Advisor Cao.”

He was thunderstruck. Compared to these two, he was intelligent, brave, and resourceful. He could do anything, he dared to do anything!

She had noticed those two, how could she not see him?
He kept submitting letters, then watched as her power grew, the people around her increased, but there was still no response for him.

He thought it was because of his humble origins, lacking family connections and wealth. She looked down on him, thinking he couldn’t be of use to her.

He stopped obsessing over submitting letters. He started managing his affairs, spending money lavishly, and gradually getting promoted.

He became taciturn, his actions steady, and most importantly, he didn’t fear or flatter Empress Jiang like others did.

He knew that Empress Jiang had many followers, but there were also many who were not on her side, who wanted to eliminate her.

As expected, someone took notice of him and recruited him into the Imperial Guards.

“Perhaps one day, you can assist His Highness, and contribute to the safety and stability of the Great Zhou.”

He didn’t care about assisting any Highness, nor the safety of the Great Zhou. He just wanted to see the one who didn’t use him regret it.

But unfortunately, by the time he finally reached her, she lay on the ground, shattered into pieces.

He never got the chance to ask her if she regretted it.

He truly regretted it.

Previously, rumors had spread about Empress Jiang’s ghost haunting. He wasn’t afraid at all. He even thought, “Good, I’ll finally get to see her and ask her.”

Unexpectedly, at this very moment, he truly saw her.

Zhang Ze knelt on the ground, his ears buzzing, feeling the pain from his knees colliding with the stone bricks.

The pain brought his chaotic consciousness into focus.

This was an illusion, a mirage. These evil spirits using Empress Jiang’s return as a pretext would definitely use her appearance to deceive people’s hearts!

They used such tricks on him, could he possibly be frightened by an illusion?
Zhang Ze’s face was cold. He supported himself with his hands, slowly rising.

A voice descended from above.

“Zhang Ze,” she said, her voice slow, as if pondering, “I remember you.”

Zhang Ze sneered. Such tricks…

“You submitted eighty-four petitions for grace, sixty-five letters offering advice, twenty-eight seeking justice, and forty-nine mystical appeals to me over three years.”

Zhang Ze’s hands slipped from the ground, and he fell to his knees again, the pain shooting up his legs from where they hit the stone bricks.

The pain spread throughout his body, rushing to his head.

He clearly remembered the documents he submitted. Every time, he marked a line on the wall, a dense network of lines. That wall had now been moved to his current spacious residence.

He firmly remembered the exact numbers.

This was a secret only he knew.

How could she…
She knew! She saw!

No, this was an illusion. The ritual specialist had said that in an illusionary realm, what you see and hear are only the thoughts in your own mind.

That ritual specialist had also said, don’t respond in an illusionary realm.

Zhang Ze looked at the woman standing before him. She was dressed in the ugly palace robes of a low-ranking palace maid, but her eyes still shone brightly, her back straight.

Zhang Ze felt dizzy, as if he were back on that night, rushing in, wanting to be the first to capture Empress Jiang.

But what greeted him was only a mangled corpse on the ground.

Now, that corpse slowly recovered, taking shape, then stood up, slightly lowering her eyes to look at him.

“I was wondering why you stopped submitting,” she said, sizing him up, “Turns out you submitted to someone else.”

Submitted to someone else.

Did he want to submit to someone else?

It was all because of her!

Zhang Ze felt his body tremble, his lips quivering, then heard his own voice ask: “Since you saw them, why didn’t you use me?”

The woman before him smiled.

“Of course, it’s because you have mediocre talent,” she said.

Sigh, I’m more tired after the trip. I only managed to write half a chapter.

Hopefully I can recover soon. New plot in progress.