Chapter 46: Questions and Answers Before the Sovereign

Wei Hu led the way at the front, with Wei Wuji and Wei Chengze following close behind.

Strangely enough, in contrast to Wei Wuji’s calm composure, Wei Chengze—who, by all rights, should have little to do with this affair—wore a much darker expression.

“Why did Father summon me as well?” This was the question that most plagued Wei Chengze’s mind. By all accounts, he had only just arrived at the quartermaster’s office and was, at best, a bystander unconnected to the main events. Could it be that Father already knows? At this thought, cold sweat broke out along Wei Chengze’s back.

If that were truly the case, he would have no standing left before his own father. Such a blow would be devastating: a son who loses his father’s trust can hardly aspire to the throne.

“Second Brother, why do you look so pale?” Wei Wuji, walking beside him, asked, also finding Wei Chengze’s appearance rather odd.

Wei Chengze, flustered at having his anxiety exposed, quickly replied, “It’s nothing. I was just thinking about the campaign against the Qin.”

Wei Wuji was delighted by this obvious attempt at deflection. What did Wei Chengze’s panic mean? It suggested that this fellow, too, harbored guilt—and had perhaps even been found out.

Seeing his enemy in distress, Wei Wuji naturally felt somewhat better. Though he himself was to be punished, if everything Wei Chengze had done was uncovered by the Marquis, his fate would be even worse.

A hint of a smile even played at the corners of Wei Wuji’s mouth as he imagined, in a fleeting fantasy, Wei Chengze kneeling on the ground like a frightened dog, weeping bitterly.

Up ahead, Wei Hu turned his head at the sound of conversation, catching just in time the trace of amusement in Wei Wuji’s eyes.

Was I seeing things? Wei Hu rubbed his eyes, but it was as he thought: there truly was laughter in Wei Wuji’s gaze.

This young lord... Wei Hu really didn’t know what to say about Wei Wuji! If one had to describe it, he was a true calf unafraid of tigers.

Wei Hu turned back and continued leading the group forward. Since neither of the young lords was riding, the rest of the party also proceeded on foot.

From this, Wei Wuji surmised that the central command camp was not in any particular hurry over his matter—which meant, perhaps, that it was not all that serious.

“Damn it! Don’t scare yourself senseless!” Wei Wuji muttered under his breath.

After that, nothing more happened. Wei Wuji and the others simply followed obediently in Wei Hu’s wake, making their way toward the central command tent.

Before long, that great tent—so deeply imprinted in Wei Wuji’s memory—stood before them, towering atop its platform.

The banner of the qilin, symbolizing the Marquis of Wei’s supreme authority and majesty, still soared proudly against the blue sky.

Once again, Wei Wuji was awed by the scene before him.

Here, all his bravado seemed childish, even laughable.

Wei Wuji swept away all stray thoughts and, with a pilgrim’s reverence, ascended the platform.

At the entrance to the tent, Wei Hu went inside, leaving Wei Wuji and the others waiting outside.

Time ticked by, and the waiting men grew increasingly impatient—not to mention the still-recumbent Chen Qian.

“Second Brother, do you know what relativity is?” At that moment, bored out of his mind, Wei Wuji came out with something completely baffling to Wei Chengze.

Seeing Wei Chengze’s puzzled gaze, Wei Wuji chuckled inwardly before explaining, “Relativity means that when a man is happy and content, time seems to fly by.”

Wei Chengze still didn’t understand what Wei Wuji was getting at, his eyes full of confusion.

Wei Wuji continued, “But when a man is anxious or distressed, time drags on unbearably slowly!”

With that, Wei Wuji’s eyes glimmered with mischief as he looked at Wei Chengze.

Now, even if Wei Chengze were a fool, he understood: Wei Wuji had seen through all his anxiety and was now turning it into a joke at his expense.

Just as Wei Chengze was about to retort, a summons sounded from inside the tent.

A rough voice called out, “By command of His Lordship, the two young lords are to appear before him!”

So much for Wei Wuji’s idle hope of hearing a eunuch’s voice; that fantasy was dashed.

After quickly straightening their attire, Wei Wuji followed behind Wei Chengze, stepping into the grand tent and leaving Chen Qian to lie in lonely misery below the platform.

Inside, the awe-inspiring Marquis of Wei, clad in black armor gilded with gold, sat upright in the seat of honor, his gaze cold and stern as he regarded his two sons.

At his side, the burly Wei Hu stood respectfully as if, compared to the tiger he had seemed outside, he was now little more than a cat.

“Your servant Wei Chengze (Wei Wuji), bows before Your Lordship!”

Both knelt and kowtowed respectfully.

Even Wei Wuji, who had previously felt so confident, lowered his head meekly upon seeing the Marquis’s grim expression.

Before the Marquis of Wei—the most powerful man in the world—Wei Wuji knew he had not a shred of defiance to offer.

The tent was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop; in this wordless silence, it seemed even the air grew colder.

There they knelt, while the Marquis shifted his gaze to the table before him, which held the latest military dispatches.

Although Wei Wuji knew his father was no longer looking at him, he could still feel a sliver of attention directed his way.

So he kept motionless in his original kneeling posture, as did Wei Chengze beside him.

Time passed slowly; gradually, Wei Wuji’s legs began to ache, then tingle with numbness, until at last his knees throbbed with pain.

This was truly the relativity he had spoken of: when a man is miserable, time becomes unbearably slow.

Wei Wuji felt as though this ordeal would never end. How much longer until I may rise?

Yet, no matter the discomfort, both he and Wei Chengze maintained their posture, not daring to further provoke their father’s anger.

Now, Wei Wuji truly understood: this was a grave matter—his father had resorted to making him kneel as punishment before all. How serious must his offense be?

...

At last, when he had finished reading the last bamboo slip, the Marquis broke the long silence.

“Do you know your crimes?” His deep voice resounded in the tent.

Without hesitation, both sons pressed their foreheads to the floor and answered in unison, “Your servant knows his guilt!”

The Marquis snorted and began tidying the bamboo slips on the table. Wei Hu moved as if to assist, but the Marquis checked him with a glance.

“Then tell me: what are your crimes?” The Marquis kept his attention on the table, his tone cold.

Just as the two brothers were considering their words, the Marquis spoke again: “Fifth, you first.”

Taken aback at being singled out, Wei Wuji grew nervous.

After all, he had started all this, so he needed to be careful in shifting blame; but such things took time!

Clearly, the Marquis was not about to grant him much.

Under his father’s gaze, Wei Wuji could only answer cautiously, “Reporting to Your Lordship, I went to Chen Qian to collect supplies, but he deliberately deceived and withheld them.”

Having set the tone, Wei Wuji grew more fluent, “I tried to reason with him repeatedly, but not only did he refuse to listen, he tried to drive us out. In my anger, I struck him.”

He never once mentioned his lack of proper orders, nor that he had gone looking for trouble himself. Instead, he portrayed himself as the wronged party who had been forced to retaliate.

Since Chen Qian was not present, Wei Wuji seized the chance to whitewash his actions.

Wei Chengze, hearing this, stared wide-eyed, hardly believing his ears. He wanted nothing more than to ask: Do you have any shame?

The Marquis, however, did not comment, leaving Wei Wuji hanging.

Now, the Marquis turned his gaze to Wei Chengze and, after a moment, said, “Second, you explain. Why were you there?”

Note: the Marquis had asked why Wei Chengze was there.

On hearing this, Wei Chengze’s heart sank. He knew his father’s prowess; nothing he wished to know could be kept from him.

Thus, unlike Wei Wuji, he dared not speak recklessly, lest he worsen his own standing.

But to confess the plot against his own brother in broad daylight? He did not have the courage for that, either.

Stammering and at a loss for words, Wei Chengze hesitated for a long while.

The Marquis had no patience for his indecision and barked, “As the elder brother, you allowed your younger brother to run amok in the quartermaster’s office. Is this what it means to be a brother?”

The Marquis’s fury chilled Wei Chengze to the bone; he clung to the floor, not daring to lift his head.

Yet, inwardly, he breathed a great sigh of relief—it seemed his father would not pursue that matter further!

The Marquis’s anger flowed on, first lashing Wei Chengze, then including Wei Wuji in his rebuke for his lack of restraint and rash use of force...

At last, when he had vented enough, the Marquis lowered his voice and addressed them both: “Now, listen to your sentence!”