Chapter 50

Days returned to how they had been before.

Home, the sky prison, Spring Breeze Building.

A year passed in a trance, and no one doubted Zhou Yi’s origins any longer; the man was as carefree and at ease as his master had been.

Indifferent to everything, he wouldn’t lift a finger unless asked.

Prisoners came and went, reincarnating or soaring to great heights, yet cell number Yi-6 remained unchanged.

As time went by.

Zhou Yi grew quite familiar with it and also learned the reason behind Yu Su’s imprisonment: he presented a memorial advising Emperor Jinglong to reform the bureaucracy and establish the rule of law.

His words were slightly intense, and some said they reflected upon the Zhang family and the Jinyiwei.

Fengyang Country didn’t dare to take action lightly; even Yu Su, favored by the emperor, had to take a turn in the sky prison. The Jinyiwei investigated for a long time, yet they could not find any evidence of Yu Su’s crimes; he hadn’t embezzled even a shred of silver.

In desperation, an Imperial Censor from the Imperial Court presented a charge, accusing him of disrespecting his elders.

Upon learning the causes and consequences, Zhou Yi started by providing thicker porridge, then later brought meat, and now he brought a jug of wine every day.

“I heard the wine and meat in the sky prison are priced higher than gold. I have no money to give you, and I won’t have any in the future either,” Yu Su said with an air of assertive integrity after polishing off his meal.

“No need to pay.”

Zhou Yi said with a smile, “Many honest officials have been imprisoned here, yet I’ve never seen anyone quite like you, old Yu.”

Yu Su raised an eyebrow. “What about me?”

Yu Su passed the imperial examinations at thirty-two, spent ten years in the Hanlin Academy and as an Imperial Censor, and one year in the sky prison; he was now forty-three, indeed an old man in front of Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi said, “You are upright yet not rigid, otherwise you would not accept wine and meat from clerks.”

“Those are merely stubborn old fools.”

Yu Su said, “Reading should enlighten one’s understanding, not to adhere blindly to stale rules and customs. I still have important things to accomplish; I must eat meat to maintain a strong body, so I can seize the opportunity when it comes.”

True to his word, after eating his fill, he started to strengthen his body.

After completing two sets of radio calisthenics, Yu Su felt his muscles and joints relax, and then he practiced several sets of Taijiquan.

Yu Su praised him, “Young Zhou, this method you taught is excellent. After squatting for a year in prison, my body is even tougher than when I was studying.”

“Old Yu, there are quite a few rumors outside claiming you’re a hypocrite, a corrupt official in disguise, who even killed someone in secret, and that your success in the imperial examinations was due to bribing the chief examiner…”

Zhou Yi relayed the street rumors he had heard, clearly indicating that neither the Zhang family nor the Jinyiwei planned to let Yu Su off the hook.

By smearing his name, then charging him with fabricated crimes, they planned to drag him directly to the execution grounds without delay.

Instead of fear, Yu Su responded with delight, “This just proves they can’t do anything to me and can only slander my name. Otherwise, how many upright officials have died within the imperial prisons?”

“Seems like there’s some truth to that.”

Zhou Yi said with doubt, “And yet, imprisoned in the sky prison, unable to voice any objection, how can you overcome them?”

Yu Su nodded slightly, “Petty reputation matters are not worth fighting over. Life is short, and just a few key moments can determine one’s fate.”

“How does one seize these key moments?”

“Wait!”

“Wait?”

“He who aspires to achieve great things must quietly await the right opportunity!”

…

In the blink of an eye, another year had passed.

Zhou Yi’s status in the sky prison had almost returned to what it used to be, with some of the jailers referring to him as “Lord Zhou” again.

His influence was not just based on interrogation techniques, but also on the timely display of his martial arts expertise. A bone-hardening expert in his twenties; he was bound to be promoted to internal organ refining.

Ultimately, it was martial prowess that commanded respect!

Prisoners came and went, yet Yu Su alone continued to eat well and drink well, having even gained a good ten pounds.

The Imperial Court and Emperor Jinglong seemed to have forgotten about him; he was neither sentenced according to the law nor released from the sky prison.

Zhou Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Old Yu, can you still wait for the right opportunity?”

“The right time cannot be forced, nor can matters be compelled.”

Yu Su said indifferently, “The time has not come, don’t act rashly and waste energy for nothing, and even torment yourself. Some things cannot be rushed, human effort cannot contend with fate, but one can wait for the right moment when heaven and earth lend their power!”

Zhou Yi heard these words and frowned slightly.

This time returning to the heavenly prison as a jailer was not just for safety and familiarity; there were also other schemes involved.

Having waited for two years and still not finding the right opportunity, Zhou Yi began to ponder whether he should take the initiative to create that opportunity. Yu Su’s words led him to an epiphany.

The wise who lay plans are good at waiting quietly for the right moment; with the help of fortune, everything is possible!

And the most difficult game to break is the idle play, the move made without intention is the least detectable.

Seeing him lost in thought, Yu Su thought Zhou Yi didn’t understand and said proudly, “This principle is too profound; you’ll probably understand it when you’re sixty!”

“What if I still don’t understand by then?”

Zhou Yi is fifty-eight this year; the year after next, he’ll reach the age of sixty.

Yu Su curled his lip, “Then you’re just too dull.”

This fellow actually didn’t take the bait!

Zhou Yi couldn’t subtly gain an advantage and asked curiously, “Old Yu, I’ve always wondered, why did they falsely accuse you of being unfilial?”

“That matter… was actually not a false accusation…”

Yu Su reminisced, “When I just came of age, I met an old Taoist who divined for me, claiming that my clan would bring great harm to me. At that time, engrossed in the study of Taoist mysticism and with a fiery temperament, I immediately severed family ties and even moved my ancestors’ graves.”

Severing ties with one’s clan, if taken seriously, is an act of unfilial conduct. In those times, it was an extremely serious offence.

Zhou Yi mocked, “Old Yu, to think you were duped by a Taoist, and you still had the face to boast about your intelligence when you were young.”

“The old Taoist wasn’t entirely wrong; my style name, ‘Guarding Clumsiness’, came from him,”

Yu Su said, “Embrace simplicity, be swift to hear and accept instruction. The old Taoist said I would be prone to offenses of the tongue and must always remember to speak less.”

“That old Taoist seems like a learned man, why would he advise you to separate from your family and move your ancestors’ graves?”

“Perhaps he miscalculated!”

…

The fourteenth year of Emperor Jinglong’s reign.

The Jinyiwei became more rampant, with the Commander Feng Zhong being tacitly known as the ‘Inner Chancellor’.

The Mounted Scouts and spies monitored the whole country; many were incriminated for their words, some lightly imprisoned in the heavenly prison for reflection, others walked through the ordeal of imperial sentencing.

The common folk witnessed and no one dared to discuss state affairs.

Emperor Jinglong remained benevolent and merciful, and officials acclaimed his rule as that of a sage emperor, under whose effortless governance the world was in great order.

The current Grand Secretary had the surname Du, not Zhang, yet he was a direct disciple of Chancellor Zhang; the majority of the heads of the six departments and Heavenly Officials had ties with the Zhang family, and after court, they would go to the Zhang residence to discuss state affairs.

The influence of the Zhang family subtly surpassed that of the former Chancellor Long, and strangely, Divine Capital seemed tranquil as if no one noticed.

Zhou Yi harbored doubts in his heart and asked Yu Su about this matter.

“Behind the Zhang family, there’s a high-level strategist directing them!”

Yu Su explained, “The Zhang family will not plot a rebellion now, nor in the future, but they will hollow out power from both inside and outside the Imperial Court, pushing forward the Crown Prince to ascend the throne. Precisely because they won’t rebel, they can gain the support of officials and nobles, and even the Imperial Clan won’t mind.”

“After the Crown Prince ascends the throne, the Zhang family will gradually return power and smoothly bypass the disaster of extermination!”

Yu Su exclaimed in admiration, “Such an effortless handling of a heavy task can only be managed by the honorable Zhang Wenzhong; I could never achieve such a feat in my lifetime.”

Zhou Yi scornfully said, “No matter how clever Zhang Wenzhong’s tactics are, he is still a corrupt official, a traitor to the country!”

“That’s why I don’t learn from him!”

Yu Su usually held Chancellor Zhang in contempt as well, saying, “Zhang Wenzhong’s arrangements are not bad, but once power is in one’s hands, who would be willing to give it up, especially with the precedent of the Duke of Zhen.”

Li Wu voluntarily gave up military power and even committed suicide by poison in prison, only to result in the annihilation of his family.

The credibility of the Zhao Imperial Family was already ruined!

Even if the Crown Prince had blood ties with the Zhang family, once he assumed that position, the word ‘kinship’ would no longer be in his heart.

Zhou Yi asked doubtfully, “Old Yu, seeing as you understand the situation so clearly, why do you still oppose the Zhang family?”

Yu Su shook his head and sighed.

“Zhongzong had intentions of being lenient in his later years, and administrative and military preparedness have reached a critical point where changes must be made. If things continue to deteriorate like this, I fear a catastrophe will arise!”