In the afternoon, just as Fan Changyu returned to the military camp, she was summoned by Grand Tutor Tao.
She thought Grand Tutor Tao wanted to check the books she had been assigned to copy. Carrying the stack of papers that Xie Zheng had helped her transcribe, she went over, only to find that there was someone else with Grand Tutor Tao.
The man appeared to be nearing forty, with a scholarly and upright demeanor in his eyes. He wasn’t wearing armor and looked more like a civil official.
Fan Changyu didn’t recognize him, so she only greeted him, “Adoptive Father.”
From the moment Fan Changyu entered the tent, the middle-aged man had been observing her intently. His gaze was kind but carried a hint of gravity, along with an indescribable mix of relief and concern.
Fan Changyu felt quite strange, but seeing no malice in the man’s demeanor, she allowed him to look her over.
Grand Tutor Tao, upon seeing Fan Changyu, said, “You’re here.”
He didn’t seem inclined to introduce Fan Changyu to the man, only saying, “This is a general from our army. He heard that you killed Shi Hu and was quite curious, wanting to see your martial skills.”
Fan Changyu hadn’t expected that the man in scholarly robes was a general. She quickly cupped her hands in salute, “Greetings, General.”
The middle-aged man was, in fact, He Jingyuan. Seeing traces of an old acquaintance in Fan Changyu, his heart was filled with mixed emotions. He asked, “You know martial arts?”
Fan Changyu replied, “A little.”
Even though he already had his suspicions, He Jingyuan still asked, “Who taught you martial arts?”
Fan Changyu answered, “My father.”
He Jingyuan inquired, “Would you mind sparring with this old man for a few moves?”
Fan Changyu looked toward Grand Tutor Tao.
Grand Tutor Tao stroked his beard and said, “This general is also skilled in blade techniques. Let him give you some pointers.”
Fan Changyu then cupped her hands and said, “Please instruct me, General.”
The space inside the military tent was too cramped for a proper demonstration.
The two went outside the tent to spar, each wielding a long-handled broadsword.
Fan Changyu initiated the attack, her blade swift and fierce. He Jingyuan initially only defended without attacking, retreating while fighting, aiming to observe Fan Changyu’s techniques.
Just as they were about to reach the edge of the military tent, he suddenly switched from defense to offense, using the very moves Fan Changyu had just employed.
Compared to Fan Changyu’s relentless aggression, his blade work was noticeably more steady, capable of both attack and defense, with a measured rhythm.
As Fan Changyu attempted to change her offensive strategy, he seized upon a gap in her defense, his blade pointing directly at her neck.
Fan Changyu’s blade hadn’t even completed its arc. She was inwardly shocked. Although she lacked real combat experience, her only joy while confined at home had been practicing this set of blade techniques taught by her father. Fan Changyu believed she was intimately familiar with every move.
Yet in this exchange with the general, she had the strange feeling that he was even more familiar with this set of techniques than she was, seeming to know exactly how to counter each move.
Seeing her stunned, He Jingyuan withdrew his blade and asked, “Do you know where the flaw was in your last move?”
Fan Changyu respectfully cupped her hands and said, “I humbly request the General’s guidance.”
He Jingyuan said, “This set of blade techniques, it seems you’ve practiced each move for too long in isolation. Your strikes are too rigid, needing to complete one move before starting the next. But on the battlefield, situations change in an instant. If one strike fails, you must immediately switch to another. How can you lose your composure just because someone breaks through your technique?”
These words indeed pointed out the flaw in Fan Changyu’s blade work. When using a butcher’s knife, she could often catch her opponents off guard.
With the long-handled blade technique, she would undoubtedly triumph against those less skilled in martial arts. But when facing experts like He Jingyuan and Xie Zheng, who were proficient in various weapons, she was at a severe disadvantage.
Fan Changyu’s respect grew immensely, and she gratefully said, “Thank you, General!”
Seeing that she understood, He Jingyuan’s eyes, besides complexity, showed a hint of subtle satisfaction. He said, “Let me show you a few more techniques.”
The two continued to spar in the open space outside the military tent. With each move Fan Changyu made, He Jingyuan pointed out its shortcomings and taught her how to counter them.
It wasn’t until a soldier who looked like a personal guard came looking for him that He Jingyuan stopped, telling Fan Changyu to go back and contemplate what she had learned today on her own.
After bidding farewell to Grand Tutor Tao, Fan Changyu left with her mind full of blade techniques.
Grand Tutor Tao, seeing that Fan Changyu had gone far, noticed He Jingyuan still staring in the direction she had left, lost in thought. He said, “I’ve always felt that child has an honest heart and a resilient nature. No matter where she finds herself, she maintains a sense of kindness. She’s good material. Later, when you told me she was that old man’s descendant, I finally understood. This seeming simplicity that belies great wisdom is a trait she inherited from her maternal grandfather.”
He Jingyuan bowed solemnly to Grand Tutor Tao: “The orphan of an old friend, I hereby entrust her to you, Grand Tutor.”
Grand Tutor Tao sighed: “A son and a daughter, both equally dear. But the past is in the past. When those events occurred, both girls weren’t even born yet. How can it concern them? Regardless, this old man will protect them both.”
He Jingyuan bowed deeply once more.
Grand Tutor Tao said, “For now, let’s keep this from Jiuheng.”
He Jingyuan worriedly said, “I fear that paper can never fully wrap up fire.”
Grand Tutor Tao patted his shoulder: “Jingyuan, oh Jingyuan, you still don’t understand your Chancellor well enough. Do you think it took him over a decade to discover that Meng Suyuan’s daughter and son-in-law were hiding in Qingping County under your protection?”
He Jingyuan was stunned.
Grand Tutor Tao, hands behind his back, gazed at where the distant mountains met the horizon and said, “The incident from back then might not be as you imagine. You and I both know Meng Suyuan’s character; he would never have done something so reckless. Alas, after Jinzhou fell, he took his own life in his tent, and his senior officers also perished in subsequent battles, leaving no way to learn the truth of that time. But if we say Wei Yan orchestrated all of this, and Meng Suyuan’s descendants still held evidence of his frame-up, I fear he would rather kill a thousand innocents than let one person escape. How could he possibly allow them to flee to the borderlands and live in hiding for over a decade?”
He Jingyuan smiled bitterly and said, “Back then, when Brother Qi Lin came to me with General Meng’s only daughter, he told me that the Chancellor had ordered him to kill her. He couldn’t bring himself to do it, so he faked their deaths by claiming they had fallen off a cliff. If, as you say, the Chancellor initially intended to leave them a way out, why did he later order me to kill my former brother-in-arms, and repeatedly send assassins to the Fan family to search for that item?”
If there were old generals present, they would know that the “Qi Lin” He Jingyuan spoke of was Wei Qilin, a member of the Wei family’s household troops.
Wei Qilin wasn’t originally surnamed Wei, nor did he have a name. He was just a servant bought by the Wei family to be trained as an assassin. Because of his natural great strength and aptitude for martial arts, he was cultivated as a key member of the Wei family’s forces.
Wei Yan originally had no military power at all. It was thanks to He Jingyuan and Wei Qilin’s repeated military achievements on the battlefield that he gradually gained prestige.
Later, when Wei Yan married his sister to Xie Linshan, the Wei family’s interactions with the Xie family became more frequent. Wei Qilin even worked under Xie Linshan for a time, earning the appreciation of Xie Linshan’s old general, Meng Suyuan. As Old General Meng only had one daughter, Wei Qilin married into the Meng family.
This Wei Qilin later became known as Fan Er’niu.
What He Jingyuan had always feared was that Wei Qilin had become the blade, the one who caused Old General Meng to delay the grain supply.
However, regarding the Jinzhou incident, Wei Qilin had told him very little. In the past decade or so, apart from when Wei Qilin actively sought him out for help, they hadn’t even met face to face, just to avoid arousing Wei Yan’s suspicions.
He sighed heavily: “If only I had opened and looked at those items when he handed them over to me back then, I wouldn’t have to be so full of doubts now.”
But if he had looked at that time, unless he directly rebelled against Wei Yan, he wouldn’t have been able to protect the Fan Changyu sisters.
Grand Tutor Tao comforted him: “Nothing is set in stone yet. Let’s wait and see. The reason I’ve come out of retirement is that I’m worried some people might use the Jinzhou battle from back then to manipulate Jiuheng. Linshan’s death is still an insurmountable hurdle for that child. I fear he might fall into someone else’s trap.”
He Jingyuan believed he had a clear enough view of the current situation, but his mind was still full of doubts. He said, “I may be slow-witted, but when rumors about the questionable points of the Jinzhou battle first spread among the people, they were directly pointing at the Chancellor. Is Grand Tutor suggesting that someone is trying to pit the Marquis against the Chancellor in a fight where both sides lose?”
Grand Tutor Tao said, “I’m not particularly close to Wei Yan. For years, whether among the common people or in the court, he’s been universally condemned. Perhaps sitting in that position for too long has indeed clouded his judgment. But as you said, if we look back fifteen or so years, he was indeed diligent in his service to the Great Yin dynasty. When he asked me to take Jiuheng as a student back then, he went through the roundabout way of having a teacher from the Nanshan Academy use Xie Linshan’s name to persuade me. It seemed he was worried that I might refuse to take Jiuheng as a student because I disagree with him.”
Grand Tutor Tao was indeed a graduate of the Nanshan Academy.
He Jingyuan hadn’t expected Wei Yan to have planned so meticulously for Xie Zheng. He used to be considered one of Wei Yan’s confidants and had occasionally witnessed Wei Yan’s interactions with Xie Zheng. Wei Yan had always been cold towards this nephew.
Even when Xie Zheng achieved brilliant military exploits and received commendations, he would first reprimand him before offering a few lukewarm words of praise.
The entire Chancellor’s mansion knew that Wei Yan disliked his nephew Xie Zheng, but behind the scenes, he had made grand gestures like inviting Grand Tutor Tao to teach him. Even Wei Xuan, as Wei Yan’s son, probably didn’t receive such treatment.
For a moment, He Jingyuan became even more confused.
He said, “It’s also a fact that the Chancellor sought to have the Marquis meet his death on the Chongzhou battlefield.”
Grand Tutor Tao’s aged eyes narrowed, his gaze sharp and penetrating. He said, “The Jinzhou case from back then must be related to Wei Yan, but there might be some hidden circumstances that have caused him to be so inconsistent. I’ll go to the capital to see him personally. Before I return, don’t tell Jiuheng about the Meng family matters.”
He paused, then continued, “The Li family has uncovered quite a bit of information and is likely to make a move. My daughter has been tempered enough; let her go to the battlefield and earn some more military merits. If the Li family stirs up trouble and that rascal learns of this prematurely, at least she’ll have someone she can rely on by her side, and I won’t have to worry about her.”
He Jingyuan felt that the tangled threads of his thoughts had finally found a starting point, and he quickly agreed-
In the capital.
After the morning court session, civil and military officials gradually exited the Golden Hall, with Wei Yan and Grand Tutor Li leading their respective groups of officials on either side.
As Wei Yan descended the white jade steps, he came face to face with Grand Tutor Li, who was coming down the white jade steps on the other side of the dragon-carved barrier.
Both were old foxes who had navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for years. In this encounter, one appeared strong and imposing, while the other seemed amiable and approachable.
After a brief moment of eye contact, Grand Tutor Li took the initiative to cup his hands towards Wei Yan: “Chancellor Wei.”
He was thin and frail, with white hair and beard, looking much older than Wei Yan. However, his amiability lacked the openness of Grand Tutor Tao, making him seem approachable yet difficult to truly get close to.
Wei Yan merely raised his hand slightly in response, saying, “Grand Tutor Li.”
Having usurped imperial power for over a decade, the aura of authority he exuded was no less than that of an emperor.
Grand Tutor Li said with a smile, “On the northwestern front, the rebels are being contained by Marquis Wu’an and General He on separate fronts. They now have no strength to retaliate. His Majesty is greatly pleased, and I expect the news of victory will reach the capital soon. Allow me to congratulate the Chancellor in advance.”
Wei Yan’s face showed no trace of emotion as he replied, “It’s a matter of national importance, we all share in the joy.”
With this, their brief encounter came to an end.
Regardless of the current political situation or how much criticism Wei Yan faced from the public, he was undoubtedly the most powerful figure in the Great Yin’s officialdom. He directly bypassed Grand Tutor Li, his crimson official robes billowing in the wind as he descended the next set of white jade steps with measured steps. No one dared to say a word against him.
Only after Wei Yan had walked far away did the officials behind Grand Tutor Li dare to speak out angrily: “Wei Yan is far too arrogant! The Great Yin imperial family still bears the surname Qi!”
Grand Tutor Li cast a calm glance at the speaker: “Shouyi, mind your words!”
His voice wasn’t loud, and he didn’t even seem angry, but it was enough to frighten the official into bowing hastily and repeatedly saying, “This lowly official spoke out of turn…”
Grand Tutor Li said nothing more and left with the other officials. The chastised official nervously glanced back at the Golden Hall, wiping cold sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
Three generations of the Li family had served in the court. Besides Grand Tutor Li, who stood as a pillar against Wei Yan, and Li Huai’an who had gone to the northwest, Grand Tutor Li had several other sons working in the court. However, the only one remaining in the capital now was his eldest son, who was also Li Huai’an’s father.
After Grand Tutor Li and his son boarded the carriage to return home, his eldest son, Li Yuanting, said, “Father, Marquis Wu’an didn’t attack Chongzhou but instead turned to besiege Kangcheng. It seems he saw through our intention to steal the glory of Chongzhou and deliberately stayed out of it. But in today’s morning court, His Majesty still praised Marquis Wu’an highly, hinting at the intention to marry the Imperial Princess to him. Wei Yan hasn’t fallen yet, but His Majesty has already begun to be wary of our Li family.”
Grand Tutor Li closed his eyes and asked, “How is the situation with the Empress?”
Li Yuanting replied with some difficulty, “Her Majesty… still hasn’t conceived.”
Grand Tutor Li was the Emperor’s teacher. Years ago, to support the Li family against Wei Yan, the young Emperor had married a Li family girl who was not yet thirteen as his Empress.
But years had passed, and the Empress still hadn’t conceived.
Grand Tutor Li asked, “What did the Imperial Physicians say?”
Li Yuanting replied, “The Imperial Physicians couldn’t find any illness.”
Grand Tutor Li opened his eyes and said meaningfully, “His Majesty has indeed grown up.”
Li Yuanting asked in confusion, “What do you mean, Father?”
Grand Tutor Li looked at his eldest son and asked, “Do you remember how Wei Yan chose His Majesty, who had no maternal clan support, from among all the princes to succeed to the throne?”
After pondering for a moment, Li Yuanting’s face suddenly showed shock: “Is His Majesty deliberately preventing the Empress from conceiving?”
When Wei Yan chose the current Emperor to succeed to the throne, he had counted on the fact that the young Emperor had no powerful maternal relatives. For the young Emperor to secure his position, he had to listen to everything Wei Yan said.
This way, Wei Yan had naturally usurped imperial power.
The young Emperor, seeking protection, had played the obedient role in front of Grand Tutor Li for over a decade, but now he was slowly showing his claws.
Under his years of support, the Li family had risen to great prominence in the court. Now the young Emperor feared that if the Wei faction fell, the Li family would become the next Wei faction, so he dared not let the Empress conceive.
After all, he hadn’t yet reclaimed his imperial authority. If the Li Empress were to become pregnant, should he ever have thoughts of eliminating the Li family in the future, the Li family might strike first, following Wei Yan’s example of supporting a young prince to ascend the throne.
Grand Tutor Li didn’t respond, effectively confirming his son’s words.
Li Yuanting’s face showed anger: “No wonder His Majesty wants to marry the Imperial Princess to Marquis Wu’an. He plans to use Marquis Wu’an to keep our Li family in check after Wei Yan falls! They say when the birds are gone, the bow is put away. Wei Yan still controls the court, yet His Majesty already treats our Li family like this. Once Wei Yan is removed, will our Li family have any place left to stand?”
Grand Tutor Li, however, said, “Enough. The hearts of emperors have always been hard to fathom.”
Li Yuanting urged, “Father, we must think of a way. How His Majesty treats Wei Yan today, our Li family may face the same treatment tomorrow.”
Grand Tutor Li spoke slowly, “In this world, isn’t there still someone else most qualified to inherit the throne?”
Li Yuanting’s body tensed: “You mean… the Imperial Grandson?”
Grand Tutor Li didn’t continue this topic, instead asking, “What did Huai’an find out in Jizhou?”
Li Yuanting realized the implications of his conversation with Grand Tutor Li, and cold sweat involuntarily covered his back. He replied, “Wei Yan has indeed maintained his position as Chancellor for so many years because he has some capable people under him. He Jingyuan has been in Jizhou for over a decade without a hint of corruption. Huai’an investigated for months and only found a suspicious case about a butcher’s family that Wei Yan sent many assassins to kill last year.”
Grand Tutor Li moved his eyelids slightly and asked, “Weren’t those assassins sent to kill Marquis Wu’an?”
Li Yuanting said, “Huai’an found records of troop movements in Jizhou Prefecture. When Wei Yan sent the assassins, He Jingyuan also dispatched troops to assist. It seems one wanted to kill, while the other wanted to save. But despite He Jingyuan’s actions, when Wei Xuan caused trouble in the northwest with his grain requisition, He Jingyuan urgently sent something back to Wei Yan, and Wei Yan showed no signs of blaming him.”
He glanced at his father’s expression and continued, “The butcher couple, according to the records, died at the hands of mountain bandits. But when Huai’an later interrogated the captured bandits, they all consistently said they hadn’t killed the butcher’s family. Huai’an delved deeper into the butcher’s case files and found that he had only returned to Qingping County seventeen years ago, bringing with him a woman of unknown origin. Seventeen years ago, that butcher’s livelihood was borrowed from an escort.”
Grand Tutor Li said, “In the entire Jizhou Prefecture, only He Jingyuan would have the authority to forge household registration documents and other background papers.”
He looked at his eldest son: “Are you saying that He Jingyuan was helping that butcher conceal something? And has been protecting that butcher’s family all along?”
Li Yuanting nodded: “That’s correct.”
Grand Tutor Li remained silent for a long while.
Seventeen years ago – this number was too sensitive.
How many things happened seventeen years ago?
Seventeen years ago, Xie Linshan’s old general, Meng Suyuan, disregarded military orders to rescue 100,000 border town civilians trapped on the grain supply route, delaying military operations. This led to the deaths of Crown Prince Chengde and Xie Linshan in Jinzhou. Meng committed suicide in apology, bearing eternal infamy.
The same year, there was a fire in the Eastern Palace, and the Crown Princess and the Imperial Grandson were both burned to death.
Grand Tutor Li slowly said, “What do you think He Jingyuan gave to Wei Yan?”
Li Yuanting was startled and said, “Unfortunately, He Jingyuan is very cautious. Huai’an couldn’t find anything else.”
Grand Tutor Li, however, said, “If we can’t find it, let those who can find it do the searching.”
Li Yuanting hesitated and asked, “You mean… report it to His Majesty?”
Grand Tutor Li answered, “The Censorate’s Lord Zhao is right – this Great Yin empire still bears the surname Qi.”
The Lord Zhao of the Censorate he mentioned was the official who had spoken out angrily after Wei Yan left earlier.
Li Yuanting understood that he had guessed his father’s intentions correctly.
The carriage had stopped, and Li Yuanting personally helped Grand Tutor Li alight. With many servants and guards at the family gate, the two didn’t discuss state affairs further. After entering the mansion, Li Yuanting said, “Using His Majesty’s hand to remove He Jingyuan would cut off one of Wei Yan’s arms. But Father, since you want to support the one in Chongzhou, if we let His Majesty bestow the Imperial Princess in marriage to Marquis Wu’an, gaining his support, I fear the subsequent situation would be extremely unfavorable for us.”
Grand Tutor Li raised his eyelids slightly and said, “I hear from Huai’an that there’s a woman by Marquis Wu’an’s side?”
Li Yuanting quickly replied, “It’s that butcher’s daughter. When Huai’an first went to Jizhou and encountered bandits, it was Marquis Wu’an’s guards disguised as Jizhou Prefecture troops who went to rescue that woman. Now that woman is in the Jizhou army and has even been adopted by Grand Tutor Tao as his goddaughter. It seems she’s highly valued by Marquis Wu’an.”
Grand Tutor Li’s steps faltered slightly: “That old fox Tao Yi?”
His eyelids drooped, his pupils pale with age. After a moment, he said, “Find a way to let this news reach the Imperial Princess’s ears.”
Li Yuanting agreed.
He also understood that becoming Grand Tutor Tao’s goddaughter meant that a woman’s status was no ordinary matter. Marquis Wu’an didn’t intend to merely take her as a concubine.
The Imperial Princess, being proud and arrogant, would surely not tolerate this.
The Emperor wanted to use the bestowed marriage to draw Marquis Wu’an closer, but whether this would end in alliance or enmity was now unclear-
A few days later, a memorial accusing He Jingyuan of forging case files and harboring rebels was presented to the Emperor.
He Jingyuan was Wei Yan’s man, and he was currently leading troops to suppress the rebels in Chongzhou. It was difficult for the Emperor to punish him at this time, so he simply handed the memorial to the court officials for discussion on how to handle it.
The officials were in a dilemma. The accuser was Grand Tutor Li’s man, while the accused was Wei Yan’s man. They didn’t dare involve themselves in this deadly factional struggle, even if they had a hundred times more courage.
During that day’s morning court session, only the Wei faction and the Li faction argued heatedly.
In the end, the Emperor used the ongoing war as a reason to temporarily set aside the matter.
After the court session, Wei Yan and Grand Tutor Li once again found themselves face to face at the end of the white jade steps.
Grand Tutor Li still wore a smiling face and cupped his hands, saying, “I’m old now, and my disciples have grown willful. I can’t control them anymore. Chancellor, please don’t take the morning court incident to heart.”
The one who had accused He Jingyuan was indeed Grand Tutor Li’s disciple.
This time, Wei Yan didn’t even return the courtesy. His eagle-like eyes swept over, intimidating without anger: “Grand Tutor Li has grown old. Perhaps you should learn from Grand Tutor Tao. When Grand Tutor Tao retired from the political arena years ago, not only the court officials but even His Majesty still spoke well of him, didn’t they?”
Grand Tutor Li’s smile faded slightly.
Only then did Wei Yan slightly raise his hand and say, “Wei shall take his leave first.”
After Wei Yan had walked far away, Grand Tutor Li’s expression also turned somber-
Wei Yan boarded his sedan chair and kept his eyes closed, his face stern and solemn.
Grand Tutor Li’s move was forcing the Emperor to investigate He Jingyuan.
The Emperor had temporarily set aside the matter due to the war in Chongzhou, but once the battle was over, even without the Li family’s prompting, the Emperor would put this matter back on the agenda.
Seventeen years had passed, and the young Emperor’s wings had gradually grown strong. He wanted to seize power from Wei Yan’s hands.
Once He Jingyuan’s act of forging identities for that traitor was exposed, the tragic Jinzhou incident from years ago would inevitably be mentioned. Meng Suyuan was already a convicted criminal, and his case was closed. With his confidant protecting the descendants of a criminal, the Jinzhou case that Wei Yan had always wanted to suppress would likely face a re-investigation.
After a long while, he opened his eagle-like eyes and slowly said, “He Jingyuan… need not be kept anymore.”
A shadow quickly darted away from outside the sedan chair.