From CEO to Concubine-Chapter 199: Stepmother

Liu Suzhi had all the makings of a villain. A narrow chest (1), a mouth that said yes when his heart said no (2), these very traits that had helped him to survive all these decades in the inner palace were the very same qualities in himself that made it hard to stomach the sight of his own reflection.

But there was no denying that it was useful sometimes to not have to retain the moral high ground. This was especially evident when dealing with His Majesty’s morning court.

"Supervisor Liu, this doesn’t conform with the recorded rules of the coronation ceremony’s formalities."

Liu Suzhi hummed nonchalantly. His bored gaze trailed from the faces of frazzled official to frazzled official, his slow lazy blink giving off the impression that he couldn’t care less about the duties that he had been assigned to in his role of the Supervisor of the Department of Ceremonies.

In truth, he did care more than he let on. Imperial Noble Consort Yue was a valuable ally indeed, one that he’d had much foresight to procure for himself...and one that had seen right through his apathy and given him the thing he most feared to desire.

He wondered what the weather in the north would be like when they reached. He’d heard stories about how the harsh cold started to spread as early as autumn up there but somehow, he found it hard to believe that it could be anything but spring by his general’s side.

The thought made him feel like an errant youth, full of frivolous daydreams about a lady love, and he laughed softly at the ludicrous idea, unheeding that the sudden change in his disposition made the officials present at this meeting break out into cold sweat.

"Supervisor Liu?"

Liu Suzhi shrugged, very content to be a fox pretending to have a tiger’s ferociousness (3). It was another terrible aspect of his personality but it often did the job for him so what was there to complain about?

"It is certainly apparent to zajia now that all His Majesty’s ministers are such rule-abiding men," he said, acting like he didn’t notice the way their faces darkened at the mockery, "but zajia isn’t the one to make the requests, I am merely relaying His Majesty’s wishes."

The officials of the Ministry of Rites exchanged pained glances. The spate of mishaps that had occurred under their watch had resulted in this particular ministry’s reputation as being one of poor fengshui and no ambitious new official wanted to be sent there to fill in the multitude of empty roles left behind after the numerous executions, demotions, and retrenchments. In fact, the current position of Minister of Rites was still empty, the blood that had flowed from the stump of Wu Shengqi’s neck still a dried stain on the wooden platform in the capital’s central marketplace.

His Majesty hadn’t managed to rid himself of every single leech in his court because he had considered the reputation of his new empress but there were some crimes too blatant to be pardoned.

Personally, Liu Suzhi did not concern himself with who lived or died. His dealings with the court were so minimal on a day to day basis that it mattered not a whit to him who the prime ministers were. What did grate on his nerves, however, was the ineffectuality of the remaining officials in the Ministry of Rites, all of whom seemed determined to make planning the empress’ coronation ceremony a new form of torture.

"Supervisor Liu, His Majesty is a busy man with no time to spare for the little details but please forgive this person (4) for saying so directly, it remains your duty to caution His Majesty on the impropriety of his suggestions."

Liu Suzhi pretended to give it some consideration.

"Mm...no."

His blunt reply was, unsurprisingly, not well-received at all.

"No? Do you know what you’re saying?! You—"

"Of course I do," he interrupted smoothly, reclining against the yellow rosewood backrest of the taishi chair he was sitting on in the reception hall of the Ministry of Rites. It wasn’t often that his business made him leave the inner palace to visit the other parts of the imperial city but it wasn’t an experience that he was particularly fond of. Dealing with these idiots was the main reason why. "Since obtuseness seems to be the order of the day, please allow me to explain what zajia means when I say no. It means no, I will not challenge His Majesty on his wishes and it also means no, I am not fooled by your attempts to deviate from confirming the ceremonial preparations by today."

This coronation ceremony was Liu Suzhi’s last task to oversee in his capacity as supervisor. Thereafter, he was to depart for the north only as the Chief of the Western Depot. Now that he was on the cusp of obtaining everything he’d never dared to even dream of, far be it from him to do a subpar job and incur unnecessary censure.

What His Majesty wanted, His Majesty surely should get.

His uncompromising attitude triggered a fit of apoplectic blustering that he chose to ignore in favour of finding someone more amenable to speak to. As luck would have it, the young gentleman who walked through the doorway unannounced was ideal. He also appeared to have arrived in search of Liu Suzhi, for he headed straight over to greet him with a scholarly salute, a respect few officials bothered according to any of the eunuchs of the inner palace.

"Supervisor Liu. This person of the Tang Family has long since heard of your well-known name (4) and is grateful for the opportunity to meet you today."

Liu Suzhi’s lips quirked. Ah, this must be the promising new principal graduate, the lonely official that had been ostracised by most of the younger generation of candidates just because he was brave enough to reject the offers to join one of the factions of the old noble clans. Despite being ’new blood’, so as to speak, with no backing of his own other than the emperor’s, this youthful man held his back straight and his chin high when he addressed the other ministers, neither arrogant nor ingratiating.

Liu Suzhi noted approvingly that he also wasn’t quick to judge others based on status alone.

"Counsellor Tang’s achievements in the imperial examinations and promise in the morning court precede you far and wide." Liu Suzhi returned the salute. "What can Zajia do for you today?" Perhaps the other officials present might interpret the difference in treatment as sycophantic pandering on his part for the emperor’s latest political favourite but it didn’t matter since few were capable of viewing eunuchs in a favourable light anyway.

"His Majesty has ordered me to take over the preparation of the coronation ceremony from this end and to heed Supervisor Liu’s advice on all matters regarding the big day."

The officials behind Counsellor Tang muttered ineffectual protests at having their job taken out of their hands by a young upstart of lower rank but Counsellor Tang politely but firmly cut them off. "My Lords, this is by His Majesty’s command, if you have any dissatisfaction please take it up with him."

The commotion ceased abruptly. Liu Suzhi was pleased to notice that he wasn’t the only fox in the room. Just like that, the rest of the discussion proceeded smoothly. From the tiniest of details like the number of baldachins that ought to line the processional route to the cutting of the empress’ ceremonial robes, Counsellor Tang noted them down with an admirable efficiency and the sun was only beginning to return to the horizon when Liu Suzhi took his leave.

But perhaps the gods were none too pleased at how fortuitous life in general had been for him in recent times as he soon found himself accosted by an unwanted visitor, who had evidently been lying in wait for him en route to the inner palace’s imposing gates.

"What can Zajia do for Little General Pan today?" he asked, a biting smile settling in place as he regarded the sole product of a union that had brought ruin to the one good thing in his youth after the loss of his parents. "Surely you couldn’t have enjoyed the show so much as to return for another viewing?"

They both knew what it was he spoke of. Deputy General Pan’s expression darkened as he gritted out, "Shameless as ever."

Liu Suzhi had to acknowledge that. He wasn’t renowned for being demure. "Did you need something, boy, or are you here just to engage in meaningless squabbling?"

"The arrangements for the Western Depot’s integration into the north has been finalised," was the flat reply.

Liu Suzhi nodded. He’d received the news already, straight from the Ministry of War, whom the emperor had placed in-charge of the logistics. He had left the discussions to his Big Brother Pan to handle, not wishing to impose the authority given to the Western Depot to override the decisions of the commanders of the Northern Army when there was no need to. On the surface, the morning court assumed that he had been sent to keep the great general in line. In reality—and the emperor didn’t even require them to hide it—he was there to guard the great general’s back, keep him safe from cloak and dagger business whilst he worked hard to protect the country.

"And what of it?" he asked lightly. "Surely they didn’t send a deputy general to be their messenger boy."

Deputy General Pan took a deep breath. "It’s not appropriate that the Chief of the Western Depot lodges in the Great General’s estate during your stay in the north."

Liu Suzhi raised an eyebrow. This, he wasn’t told about. He’d assumed that he would be staying in the set of buildings assigned to the Western Depot as their headquarters.

"I defer humbly to the decisions made by my hospitable hosts," he said, casually arranging the gauzy folds of his sleeves before folding his arms and regarding Deputy General Pan. "I trust your father has no qualms about these arrangements?"

The veins in Deputy General Pan’s temple popped. "Are you so brazen as to pretend you don’t know why?"

Liu Suzhi tilted his head in a mockery of deep thought. "I’m uncertain as to why you feel this concerns you...ah, could it be? Young Master is worried that your father might be bringing home a stepmother for you?"

It was like something in Deputy General Pan’s mind snapped. Pain lanced throUgh Liu Suzhi’s back as he was slammed against the vermillion wall that cordoned off the inner palace from the rest of the imperial city. Over him, his Big Brother Pan’s son towered like a pillar, trembling with rage. The hand seizing his shoulder tightened its grip.

"Careful," Liu Suzhi said levelly. Years in the late emperor’s company had already numbed him to this level of violence. "You shouldn’t leave bruises on your father’s property."

The laughter in his ears was harsh. "Stepmother?" Deputy General Pan said derisively. "A used toy is worth the title of little mother (6) at best, don’t you think?"

"Hmm, I don’t know, I think my chances of being buried by his side are quite high, don’t you think?"

The expression that twisted Deputy General Pan’s face was interesting. Liu Suzhi could sense the intense hatred directed at him and underneath it, an obsession so heated it burned more ferociously than the anger that fuelled so much of the reckless behaviour the boy directed towards him.

"How dare you even bring my mother up with your filthy mouth," Deputy General Pan seethed. "If it weren’t for you—"

"—your father might have settled for her, that is true." Liu Suzhi held his poisonous gaze without flinching. "But if it weren’t for her, your father and I would have had a whole lifetime of happiness together. Did no one tell you that?"

"Lies", Deputy General Pan snarled.

"Are you so sure, boy?" Liu Suzhi laughed silently, his shoulders shaking with a cold mirth as he took in how ridiculous the present situation was. A deputy general of the army, old enough to take a wife to bed but still too much of a boy to be anything but ignorant to a fault.

More his mother’s son than his father’s.

"Did they not tell you how you came about? Did you think your sole reason of existence was because your father needed an heir?" Liu Suzhi’s laughter resounded in bright peals now, nearly convulsing as he slumped against the wall for support. The noise alerted a nearby patrol and they rushed over, only to hesitate as they caught sight of the identity of the participants of the ruckus.

With a flippant hand, Liu Suzhi waved them off.

"For my sake, your father was willing to have no heir." He waited for that to sink in, relishing the way Deputy General Pan’s face went white. "You were begotten because your dear mother, our illustrious princess, robbed your father of his pride by felling him with a concoction and then mounting him when he was unable to resist. Even a whore would have the decency to ask first."

"That’s not true." Deputy General Pan shook his head frantically. "You think me foolish enough believe such nonsense? My mother was an esteemed Junzhu, a noble and graceful member of the imperial family. Your slander besmirches their name, I ought to report you to His Majesty."

"Go ahead," Liu Suzhi said, unheeding. He was growing bored of this conversation and sought to end it, his body already craving the embrace of his smoke. After Xiao Fu’s departure for the Eastern Depot, a new little eunuch had replaced him in tending to Liu Suzhi’s daily necessities but he was still learning the ropes and Liu Suzhi had to make do with a lot less than normal.

It was exhausting. Time for a nap.

With half-hooded eyes, he looked up at the deputy general with a lazy insouciance. "Go on," he said again. "Tell His Majesty. Best if you convince him to remove me from my post as chief entirely, if you can."

Otherwise, don’t blame me when I remove you.

Liu Suzhi still hadn’t forgotten about the autumn hunt yet. He didn’t have any proof for now but he trusted his instincts when it came to survival. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

And when it came to bearing grudges. If this boy did indeed have a hand in the plot against his father, then he only had himself to blame when Liu Suzhi implemented some long overdue parental discipline.