Chapter 48: Choice

"Not that I'm complaining, but why on earth did you drag me away?"

"I was going to stand up for you!" Yuanbao put one hand on his hip, crooked his other hand into an orchid-petal gesture, and snapped angrily, "Listen to the kind of garbage they were spouting! That was the Emperor's own decree! Since when do common slaves have any right to gossip like that here? Do they have a death wish?"

Actually, the Imperial Bodyguards had their own designated quarters within the palace. Previously, however, Zhao Yuanzhuo had stayed either in the Palace of Weiyang or the Palace of Yikun and had never once set foot here. Now, having been appointed as the Commander of the Bodyguards, he had gone mad with stubbornness and insisted on moving into these quarters, refusing to listen to anyone.

Before leaving the palace, Xue Wu had given Yuanbao countless instructions, repeatedly charging him to take good care of Zhao Yuanzhuo.

Yuanbao had readily agreed to every single word.

Seeing how resolute Zhao Yuanzhuo had been this time, Yuanbao had no choice but to escort him back personally. As Yuanbao walked past the main gate of the guardhouse, however, a sudden stomach cramp hit him. Upon finishing in the latrine, he happened to pass by the rooms of those two third-rank bodyguards and overheard that entire conversation.

Filled with righteous indignation, Yuanbao had instantly prepared to storm in and teach the two men a lesson, only to be pulled away by Zhao Yuanzhuo.

Dark, thick lashes masked the thoughts swirling in his eyes as Zhao Yuanzhuo leaned his back against the wall, resting his hand on his sword handle. "I know Directorate Yuanbao has my best interests at heart, but I was suddenly made Commander of the Bodyguards not long after entering the palace. It is hardly surprising that they are resentful. They were merely venting some grievances, and there is no need to make a big fuss over it. Besides, one simply cannot argue with everyone; after all, they are hardly the only two who think this way."

Zhao Yuanzhuo spoke with calm composure, and his voice was exceptionally pleasing to the ear, which immediately helped Yuanbao feel a good deal more tranquil.

Moreover, since the person directly involved did not care, there was naturally no reason for him to stick his neck out.

After pondering for a moment, Yuanbao curled his fingers into an orchid shape and said, "While these quarters for the Commander aren't bad, they are like heaven and earth compared to the Palace of Weiyang! Why don't you just move back? At least you wouldn't have to listen to this idle chatter. These uncultured bumpkins just love making trouble. They never use their own muddy brains to consider that even if the Commander weren't you, the position would never fall to them in a million years!"

Zhao Yuanzhuo curved the corners of his lips in a somewhat detached smile.

With each passing day, he understood the minds of such people better: even if the position could go to anyone else, it could never go to him.

Because he was now merely the son of a convicted criminal.

No one wanted to see someone on par with them—or perhaps even inferior to them—rise to a higher position.

"Thank you for your concern, Directorate Yuanbao, but I will not move back."

Zhao Yuanzhuo shook his head and softly replied, "There are so many bodyguards in the palace, yet none of them reside in the side halls of the masters. Empress Mother is concerned for me, but the more she cares, the less I can afford to be ignorant of propriety. They can criticize me all they want, but I will not allow Empress Mother to be subjected to gossip because of me. Furthermore..."

At this point, Zhao Yuanzhuo abruptly paused and stopped speaking.

Yuanbao asked subconsciously, "Furthermore, what?"

Zhao Yuanzhuo smiled.

In the dead of night, his eyes shone with a startling, dazzling brilliance. "The more these people refuse to submit to me, the more I will make them bow to me."

......

What Zhao Yuanzhuo had not told Yuanbao was that before leaving the imperial palace, Shen Ran had actually met with him privately inside the Palace of Yikun.

The moment he had stepped through the threshold that day, he had found Shen Ran sitting at the desk, writing.

He had paused in a daze for a split second, then immediately stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed. "This subject greets Your Majesty."

Yet Shen Ran had continued to lower his head and write without responding.

Zhao Yuanzhuo had bitten his lip, lowered his gaze, and knelt respectfully to the side in silence.

After a long while, Shen Ran finally set down his brush, looked him up and down, and casually pointed at his own boot.

Still, he said nothing.

Zhao Yuanzhuo lowered his gaze slightly, stepped forward slowly, and used his sleeve to dust off the boot.

Only then did Shen Ran say indifferently, "You do seem somewhat more composed than before. Very well, rise."

Zhao Yuanzhuo gave a low acknowledgment.

He stood up and remained standing respectfully to the side.

Shen Ran remarked, "When the Dowager Empress and the Noble Consort came to the Palace of Yikun last time, you were slapped and forced to kneel on broken porcelain. You were wronged."

When he said these words, his attitude turned very gentle, as though he genuinely felt sympathy for the grievances he had suffered.

No particular emotion showed on Zhao Yuanzhuo's face. "This subject is a servant to Your Majesty and the Empress. Doing what is expected of one's duty is no grievance at all."

Shen Ran did not commit to an opinion regarding his answer, merely saying coolly, "Do you know why I have come to see you?"

Zhao Yuanzhuo shook his head. "This subject is dull-witted."

Shen Ran chuckled. "Awu and I are leaving the palace for a time, but I cannot take you with me."

Zhao Yuanzhuo froze.

After a brief silence, he whispered, "Then this subject will remain in the palace and await Your Majesty and the Empress's return."

Shen Ran said lazily, "If Awu and I are not here, given your current status, there will be no shortage of people in the palace looking to make you suffer."

Zhao Yuanzhuo looked at him quietly. "Whether it is a grievance or not depends on how one views it. This subject only knows that both thunder and rain are bestowed by the grace of the master. Since it is granted by the master, this subject will gladly endure it all."

Shen Ran curved his lips. "Although Awu didn't say it, I can tell that deep down, she is unwilling to let you remain in the palace any longer. I can give you a choice to decide for yourself: if you wish to leave the palace, it is not entirely impossible."

"However, just as there is no suitable position for you in the palace, neither will there be one for you in the military. Xue Ziqi himself currently holds only a leisure post. I would arrange for you just as I arranged for your elder sister, letting you marry and have children in a few years."

"As for the affairs of your family, let nature take its course."

"Still, I believe you should know well enough that neither Awu nor Xue Ziqi will stand idly by regarding this matter, so there is no need to torture yourself like this. What you cannot accomplish yourself, someone will eventually do on your behalf."

"Perhaps in Your Majesty's eyes, this subject is merely an insignificant ant."

Clenching his slightly chilled fingers, Zhao Yuanzhuo said, "Yet this subject will not rely on others for everything."

Shen Ran raised an eyebrow. "So this is your answer to me?"

Zhao Yuanzhuo replied, "It is."

"Yuanzhuo, you must understand that this is not a test, but the only genuine opportunity I am offering you of my own free will."

Shen Ran stated, "If you truly choose to stay, even if you die within these palace walls hereafter, you are to hold no resentment toward me."

After a brief silence, Zhao Yuanzhuo knelt once more. "This subject will harbor no resentment."

His entire family had been executed and their estate confiscated—was he supposed to go off alone to live a life of ease and pleasure? Was he supposed to wait for Xue Ziqi and Xue Wu to avenge him?

That was impossible.

As the words fell, a piece of paper fluttered down and landed right before him.

Shen Ran smiled. "Very well. Then I will give you two choices. First, continue to stay by Awu's side, serving as a second-rank bodyguard. How far you go in the future will depend entirely on your opportunities and abilities."

"Alternatively, ever since Li Jiuxiao left, his position has remained vacant. I can promote you directly, allowing you to leap straight to the top. This here is the imperial decree of appointment."

Touching the sheet of paper on the floor with his fingertip, Zhao Yuanzhuo's eyes flickered as he softly asked, "What does Your Majesty require this subject to do for you?"

He was not naive enough to think that a so-called "leap to the highest rank" would come without any price attached.

"At present, among the imperial bodyguards, at least a third are likely close to or have already defected to Liu Shizhuang."

Shen Ran said, "Whether you use coercion, temptation, or appeal to sentiment, by the time I return, I need to see at least a third of them willingly supporting and backing you. Otherwise, your days here will not be pleasant. I have no need for a useless person by my side. Well? Do you still dare to accept this? If you wish to regret it now, there is still time."

Picking up the paper from the floor, Zhao Yuanzhuo suddenly let out a soft laugh. The sound was so faint that it seemed to dissolve the moment it left his lips.

Without a moment's hesitation, he bowed deeply and pressed his forehead to the ground. "This subject thanks Your Majesty for this grace."