The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 124 He Is Sure
Tang Shen returned from his search for the book, but Fu Wei neither saw the book nor the page boy Wen Shu. He asked, "Has that little boy gone off to play again?"
Tang Shen smiled and defended Wen Shu, "Sir, you guessed wrong. We searched for a long time but couldn't find it. Wen Shu then called for Fu Qin, and only then did we learn that the book had been moved from your study a few days ago when you were admiring the flowers. It was placed in the garden. So Wen Shu and Fu Qin went to look for it, and I came back first."
Not long after, Wen Shu and Fu Qin indeed returned with the book.
Fu Wei opened the poetry collection and, after discussing it with his two students, he pointed at Wang Zhen and said to Tang Shen, "Your senior brother just said he's drunk."
Wang Zhen, holding a wine cup, continued to drink one cup after another, as if he hadn't heard Fu Wei's words.
Tang Shen, "Senior Brother is drunk?"
Wang Zhen looked at him and smiled softly.
Fu Wei waved his sleeve and said, "Enough, enough, let's end it here for today. You help your senior brother back and take him home. I don't want the news of the Minister of Revenue being drunk on the streets to spread all over Shengjing City tomorrow. I can't bear the embarrassment!"
Tang Shen immediately stepped forward, supporting Wang Zhen's arm, and led him out of the Fu Residence.
Wang Zhen seemed truly drunk. As soon as he got into the carriage, he closed his eyes, his head tilted slightly, and soon rested on Tang Shen's shoulder. Tang Shen's body stiffened for a moment, but then he lifted the carriage curtain and said to the driver, "Go to the Minister Residence first."
Throughout the journey, Wang Zhen remained asleep with his eyes closed, and Tang Shen dared not move, afraid of waking him. When they were almost at the Minister Residence, the steward was already waiting outside.
Tang Shen, "Senior Brother seems drunk, so I brought him back."
The steward was shocked, glancing in surprise at Wang Zhen resting on Tang Shen's shoulder, then at Tang Shen. He slowly bowed and said, "Thank you, Tang gongzi." The steward quickly had someone help Wang Zhen inside, and Tang Shen then got back into the carriage to go home.
However, he didn't know that as soon as the Minister Residence gate closed behind him, Wang Zhen, who had been "unconscious from drunkenness," suddenly opened his eyes and stood up straight.
Seeing this, the steward thought to himself, "As expected."
The steward had been taking care of Wang Zhen for over ten years, ever since Wang Zhen came to Shengjing. He had never seen Wang Zhen drunk. Firstly, Wang Zhen had a good tolerance for alcohol and rarely got drunk; secondly, given Wang Zhen's cautious nature and character, he disliked losing control. Being drunk was something Wang Zhen would never allow himself.
Wang Zhen reached into his robe and pulled out a thin music score. This was what Tang Shen had quickly slipped into his robe while he was asleep in the carriage. It must have been a gift for his twenty-ninth birthday.
The music score was a rare manuscript from the previous dynasty, extremely valuable. Wang Zhen stared at it for a while, then sighed wistfully. He said, "Prepare some sobering soup."
The steward was surprised: "Gongzi is drunk?" It didn't seem so; his eyes were clear, and he walked steadily.
Wang Zhen shook his head and smiled softly.
"It's not the wine that intoxicates; it's the person who gets themselves drunk."
On the other side, after Tang Shen returned home, his page boy Feng Bi had been waiting for him with a lamp. Since Tang Shen had to attend the morning court the next day, he always went to bed before xu shi (7-9 PM). Feng Bi noticed the smell of alcohol on Tang Shen and thoughtfully asked, "Gongzi, would you like some sobering soup?"
"...Yes."
Soon, Feng Bi brought over the sobering soup that Aunt Yao had prepared earlier and placed it on the desk in the study. Tang Shen held a book in his right hand, staring at it intently. But after a long time, he hadn't turned a single page. After a while, Feng Bi reminded him, "Gongzi, the soup will get cold."
Tang Shen snapped out of his daze, softly acknowledging, and then reached for the sobering soup.
Feng Bi exclaimed, "Gongzi, that's the brush holder, you've got the wrong thing."
As if struck by a sudden realization, Tang Shen came to his senses. His hand trembled, and the porcelain brush holder fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Feng Bi hurriedly cleaned up the mess, while Tang Shen opened his mouth but said nothing. After a moment, he said, "You can leave, Feng Bi."
Feng Bi, puzzled, collected the broken pieces and left the study.
Tang Shen put down the book he had been staring at for half an hour without reading a single word. His fingers clenched tightly, then relaxed. He took a deep breath.
He had never thought...
That his senior brother had such feelings for him!
No, or rather, a month ago, that night at the Minister Residence, when Wang Zhen kissed his eyes through the back of his hand. Before that night, he had never entertained such thoughts, never dared to. After that night, he had begun to suspect, so he avoided Wang Zhen, dodged him. He deceived himself, telling himself that perhaps he was overthinking it, that such a thing couldn't be possible.
But today, what he heard at the Fu Residence made it impossible for him to continue deceiving himself.
The reason Wang Zhen, nearing thirty, had never married wasn't because he was impotent or couldn't find a suitable woman, but because he liked men, because he hadn't found the man who stirred his heart!
Tang Shen's heart trembled violently, his mouth dry, his entire being shaken by this sudden realization.
Six months ago, in Youzhou, he had convinced Su Wenyun that Wang Zhen wasn't a homosexual. But Su Wenyun didn't know that at the same time, Tang Shen had also been convinced by the other's words.
Tang Shen closed his eyes, refusing to think about it anymore. But as soon as he shut his eyes, all he could see was Wang Zhen.
Tang Shen picked up the bowl of sobering soup and drank it all in one go. Yet, he felt even more intoxicated, his mind foggy, but unable to sleep.
Another night passed with his eyes open until dawn.
The next day, after the morning court session, Tang Shen only worked for half a day before taking leave to rest at home.
During the morning court, he had glanced at Wang Zhen from afar. They no longer worked in the same office, so their chances of meeting were few. As long as they avoided each other during the morning court, nothing awkward would happen. Wang Zhen appeared calm and normal, seemingly unaware that Tang Shen had overheard those words the previous night.
After avoiding him for two days, in mid-October, Tang Shen received a letter from his hometown in Gusu.
The letter was from Tang Shen's uncle, Tang juren. He first congratulated Tang Shen on his promotion, then mentioned some family matters. For example, Madam Tang had fallen seriously ill the previous month, but fortunately, a skilled doctor had cured her, so Tang Shen need not worry.
At the end of the letter, Tang juren wrote: "At the beginning of September, the Second Prince arrived in Gusu as the Defense Commissioner. The Governor held a banquet to welcome him, and I was honored to be among the guests. A few days ago, a strange new establishment called the Military Silver Exchange Bank was set up in Gusu. I thought it had nothing to do with the Tang family, but on the sixth, the Second Prince decided to expand the Military Silver Exchange Bank and invited all the local gentry and wealthy families in Gusu to oversee its operations."
Reading this, Tang Shen was quite surprised.
Most people didn't know what the Military Silver Exchange Bank was, and even Su Wenyun and Yu Chaosheng might not fully understand it, but Tang Shen did. Two years ago, powerful ministers had tried to promote "paper currency" under the guise of the Revenue And Expenditure Department, but it ended in disaster. The current Silver Pull Division, or the Military Silver Exchange Bank, was a new cover for the "paper currency" initiative.
The Military Silver Exchange Bank had been progressing smoothly, and all officials involved, including Wang Zhen and Tang Shen, had received the emperor's praise. The next step for the Bank would be to truly implement "paper currency." The timing and method would be carefully managed by Wang Zhen, who would find the most opportune moment to introduce it.
But why would the Second Prince, Zhao Shang, suddenly want to get involved in the Military Silver Exchange Bank?
Tang Shen was puzzled. A few days later, when he learned that the other two princes also wanted to take on some responsibilities and make achievements in their respective posts, he suddenly understood: Zhao Shang might not know what the Military Silver Exchange Bank was really about. He simply wanted to make a political achievement to impress the emperor and outshine his two brothers. That's why he chose the Military Silver Exchange Bank.
This matter was neither too significant nor too trivial.
After all, Zhao Shang was a prince, not just a minor defense commissioner of Gusu. If he truly wanted to interfere with the Military Silver Exchange Bank, it was unlikely that anyone would dare to stop him. If Zhao Shang were to cause any trouble, it wouldn't just be a matter of him losing his chance at the throne in the future; it would also ruin the elaborate plan that Wang Zhen had been setting up for two years.
Tang Shen knew that he should inform Wang Zhen about this and remind him to take some precautions. However, he was currently too afraid to see Wang Zhen. He couldn't bring himself to reject his senior brother, but he also couldn't accept the other's feelings.
After much contemplation, Tang Shen came up with an idea.
He deliberately found out that Wang Zhen had been summoned to the palace by Zhao Fu on a certain day. So, after finishing his duties, Tang Shen hurried to Wang Zhen's residence before he returned.
The steward said, “Tang gongzi, our young master hasn't returned yet. Please wait in the flower hall."
Tang Shen often visited Wang Zhen's residence, and many times the two would simply share a meal together. Their residences were close, making it convenient for them to visit each other. It was common for Tang Shen to arrive while Wang Zhen was still out, so the steward didn't think much of it and simply invited Tang Shen inside.
However, this time Tang Shen hesitated and said, "I have other matters to attend to today. Since my senior brother isn't back yet, I won't disturb him. I have a letter for him. Could you please deliver it for me?"
The steward was slightly surprised but took the letter.
An hour later, Wang Zhen returned home and heard about Tang Shen's visit and his refusal to stay. He raised an eyebrow, opened the letter, and began to read. Seeing that Tang Shen had subtly informed him about the Second Prince's apparent interest in interfering with the Military Silver Exchange Bank in Gusu, Wang Zhen was momentarily stunned. He stared at the letter for a long time without speaking.
After a while, he sighed and said, "He did this on purpose."
The steward, standing nearby, was puzzled.
Wang Zhen asked, "When he visited today, was he wearing his official robes or casual clothes?"
The steward replied, "Official robes."
Wang Zhen said, "You see, if he truly intended to visit, why would he come in his official robes? He had no intention of staying long; he just wanted to deliver the letter. He knew full well that I wouldn't be home, so he prepared the letter in advance." After a pause, Wang Zhen suddenly stood up, looking surprised. "Such an important matter shouldn't have been conveyed through a letter alone. Even during the times he avoided me, he should have understood the urgency of the situation and not handled it so carelessly."
After pacing back and forth in the hall, Wang Zhen said firmly, "He must have found out. He's no longer doubting or guessing; he's certain. How did he suddenly become so sure?"
After a long while, Wang Zhen laughed wryly and said, "So he heard everything that evening!"
The next day, just as Tang Shen returned home from his duties and was having dinner with Tang Huang, Feng Bi suddenly rushed in and said, "Gongzi, Wang daren is here."
Tang Shen's chopsticks clattered onto the table. "Which Wang daren?"
Feng Bi gave Tang Shen a strange look. "Wang Zhen, Wang daren."
Tang Shen immediately said, "Tell him I'm sick and can't receive guests!" But as soon as he finished speaking, he muttered to himself, "No, no one can fool Wang Zhen. He's the master of deception. To fool him, I have to fool myself first. I really am sick. I'm very sick. I can barely get out of bed."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tang Shen dashed out of the hall and ran toward his room. Halfway there, he turned back and asked, "Tang Huang, where's your rouge?"
Tang Huang, who had been stunned by Tang Shen's sudden actions, finally stammered, "In... in my room?"
Tang Shen said, "Let me borrow it."
Tang Huang exclaimed, "Eh?!"
Tang Shen rushed to his sister's room at lightning speed, grabbed a box of rouge from her dressing table, and then ran back to his own room. He lay down on his bed and pulled the covers over himself.
Outside, Wang Zhen, dressed in a deep red official robe, leaned against his sedan chair, waiting quietly. He held a brocade folding fan in his hand, tapping it lightly against his palm, exuding an air of elegance and grace.
Feng Bi ran out and said, "Wang daren, my young master is sick and can't receive guests."
Wang Zhen put on a concerned expression and said, "Little Junior Brother is sick? Then I must see him. Lead the way."
Feng Bi initially wanted to say more, but when he looked up and saw Wang daren's gentle and serene smile, he closed his mouth and obediently led the way.
Gongzi, it's not that Feng Bi is useless—anyone would have done the same!