The Minister of Revenue took on the mess thrown over by the Empress Dowager and was so anxious he developed cold sores overnight.
He had to supply provisions to the three armies, build a mausoleum for the Empress Dowager, and somehow conjure money into the treasury to appease that mad Emperor—all without raising taxes.
The Minister of Revenue felt his good days were coming to an end.
While he was losing his temper with subordinates at his residence, he was unaware that at the street corner outside the back door, two newly appointed junior officials were quietly arguing.
Li Yunxi angrily said, “Since it was my idea, naturally I should be the one to present it.”
Er Lan, still dressed as a man, remained calm: “How does Brother Li plan to present it? Will you show your scholar’s integrity and curse him to his face?”
Li Yunxi glanced coldly at the exquisite gift box in her hand: “Then how does Brother Er plan to persuade the Minister? Using the pretext of offering advice while giving a bribe?”
He couldn’t stand Er Lan.
This scholar had delicate features, looked like a beautiful woman, and spoke unhurriedly, making people feel refreshed.
Li Yunxi, being straightforward, despised how this person had adapted so well to officialdom right after entering, like a fish in water.
Er Lan calmly said, “For matters entrusted by His Majesty, as long as we can accomplish them, the means are not important. Has Brother Li forgotten how we obtained our official positions? If this gift box is sent in, would His Majesty mind?”
Using the Emperor to pressure me? Li Yunxi wasn’t buying it at all: “If he doesn’t mind, then that’s a flaw in his character as a ruler!”
Er Lan: “…”
Er Lan smiled at him: “That’s right.”
Li Yunxi: “So…”
Before he could finish, Er Lan suddenly turned around and dashed toward the back door of the residence.
Li Yunxi, who had spent his life focused on verbal battles, had never encountered such shameless behavior of “running away when losing an argument.” He was momentarily stunned, watching helplessly as she handed over the gift box along with a letter.
A moment later, an attendant came out to receive guests.
Er Lan stepped inside, looked back at the fuming Li Yunxi, and smiled, mouthing: “Wait for my news.”
The Minister of Revenue was sitting in the hall reading her letter; the gift box had already disappeared.
The Minister praised repeatedly: “An excellent strategy, truly excellent.”
What was written in the letter was exactly Li Yunxi’s plan for the open salt trade: the court would recruit merchants to supply military provisions. Instead of paying merchants with money, the court would issue salt licenses. With these licenses, merchants could later distribute government salt and profit from the market.
This way, the court wouldn’t need to overdraw the treasury but could bear the costs through merchants to support the three armies.
Er Lan smiled: “It is my great fortune to ease Your Excellency’s worries.”
The Minister of Revenue studied the details for a while, then hesitated: “But salt policy reform is a major matter, and the Empress Dowager…”
“Your Excellency, judging from His Majesty’s intentions, reform is inevitable. If we don’t propose it, others will.” Er Lan moved closer to him and flatteringly said, “As for who gets salt licenses in the future and who doesn’t, that requires careful consideration.”
The Minister of Revenue naturally understood her implication: there was considerable profit in this. With salt licenses in hand, merchants would compete for them, eventually turning it into another business, depending on how it was managed.
Er Lan winked: “With Empress Dowager’s discerning eye, she will surely recognize Your Excellency as a true gem.”
The Minister of Revenue laughed heartily, patting her shoulder: “The young generation is truly formidable.”
A few days later, the Ministry of Revenue submitted a memorial, a thick stack of papers, requesting the implementation of the open salt trade.
Xia Hou Dan skipped over large sections of flattery and explanations, turning directly to the last page.
Following Er Lan’s suggestion, the Minister of Revenue had listed recommended grains for transport. Among various mainstream crops, a small millet called “Yansu” was quietly included—justified as being resistant to spoilage, easy to store, and suitable for feeding military horses.
Since this reform was proposed by the Empress Dowager’s faction and benefited the three armies, Prince Duan wouldn’t strongly oppose it.
For this reason, despite numerous rounds of revisions, the inconspicuous “Yansu” remained miraculously intact in the final version, delivered unchanged to Xia Hou Dan’s hands.
Xia Hou Dan wrote an elegant “Approved.”
With this, the open salt trade was officially implemented.
Granaries across the land began collecting grains according to the list, which were then transported to the borders by merchants who had caught wind of the opportunity.
In dry climate regions, when commoners heard that the dry, weed-like Yansu could be used as tax payment, they laughed, saying “The officials must be fools,” and began searching for it in the wild. The more proactive ones had already planted a crop and started fertilizing it.
Moreover, to save on transportation costs, merchants soon began hiring people to cultivate wasteland directly at the border, specifically growing crops on the list. In the harsh northwestern environment near Yan state, where only Yansu could survive, the first Yansu fields were developed.
Everyone was satisfied: the army received provisions, and the Empress Dowager got her mausoleum.
At this moment, only a few people in the world were moved to tears by those seemingly ridiculous Yansu fields.
Although the seeds they had found were far from enough, at least the initial hope had been planted in Da Xia’s soil.
The next day, these few loyal subjects gathered in a hidden private residence, unable to celebrate grandly, only raising glasses in tribute.
The residence was for Cen Jintian, with a small experimental field in the backyard growing several drought-resistant crops, all currently thriving.
Yu Wanyin, with a huge burden lifted from her heart, accidentally drank a bit too much and stood by the field humming a tune: “Oh—happy drums—beating out the joy of each year—”
Wang Zhao, who happened to be standing nearby: “…”
Wang Zhao was the most steady among the officials, with a beard that made him look like a little old man.
He stroked his beard and thought for a long time, finally struggling to say: “…Her Majesty’s singing reflects the hardship of the people.”
On the other side of the field, Li Yunxi and Yang Duojie, the two hotheads, huddled together speaking in low voices.
Li Yunxi’s face was ashen.
The Minister of Revenue, proud of his great achievement, had promptly promoted Er Lan.
Er Lan’s expression had flickered at the time, glancing at Li Yunxi, but ultimately said nothing. Afterward, she explained to him: she had wanted to put in a good word for him but dared not appear too close-knit in front of the Empress Dowager’s faction, fearing suspicion.
Li Yunxi: “As if I would care about that.”
Yang Duojie said indignantly: “So he just stole your credit…”
“Brother Li.”
Er Lan approached them with a normal expression: “May I have a word?”
“No need.” Li Yunxi had already seen through this person’s ambitious nature and disdainfully said, “Brother Er needn’t waste words. We each have our ambitions. Promotion and wealth are like floating clouds to me.”
Er Lan smiled: “Whatever official position we achieve under the Empress Dowager is indeed just floating clouds. After all, this empire belongs to His Majesty, and when His Majesty rewards merit in the future, he will naturally remember Brother Li’s contributions.”
Li Yunxi was furious to the point of suffocation: “Whether in front of the Empress Dowager or His Majesty, that is not my ambition!”
He spoke so loudly that even Xia Hou Dan across the field looked over.
Er Lan also lost patience: “Yes, yes, Brother Li has lofty ambitions, wishing to enter court today and die for a cause tomorrow. But I hope Brother Li lives a few more days to produce more strategies for me to rise.”
Li Yunxi: “…”
Li Yunxi: “Do you think that?”
Er Lan walked away rolling her eyes.
Li Yunxi turned to Yang Duojie: “He…how…what kind of behavior is this!”
“Your Majesty, Your Highness.”
In the gentle breeze, Cen Jintian walked over with a handful of crops, opening his palm to show them: “Currently, it seems Yansu is indeed the most drought-resistant and grows best. But we’ll only know the yield at autumn harvest.”
Yu Wanyin: “Can Master Cen test what soil Yansu is best suited for, and how to irrigate and fertilize it, like before?”
Cen Jintian thought for a moment: “I shall certainly try my best, but comprehensive research may take two to three years.”
When the time was mentioned, everyone grew somber.
Yu Wanyin couldn’t predict when the drought would come, while Cen Jintian didn’t know if he would live to see it.
Looking at his young but haggard face, Yu Wanyin suddenly felt guilty: “Master Cen, please take care of your health.”
Cen Jintian smiled: “I will try to live a bit longer.”
“No, really, take care of yourself. For the sake of increasing yield a little, Master Cen has already concealed his identity, left his homeland, your parents and family…”
Xia Hou Dan interjected: “Is the rest of your life worth it?”
Yu Wanyin elbowed him. Too direct.
But Cen Jintian waved dismissively with a smile: “I consider knowing the time of one’s death a blessing. Since my youth, I have repeatedly pondered what I should do with this life to not waste it. My parents have my brothers to care for them, and my hometown will be honored after my death. When I depart someday, I only wish that where my bones are buried, there will be abundant harvests.”
In the carriage returning to the palace, Yu Wanyin’s mood had dampened.
Since her arrival in this world, she felt she had been rapidly growing, no longer the clueless novice who bumbled around at the beginning.
But there were always people whose existence reminded her: your level of understanding is still far behind.
Xia Hou Dan: “Thinking about Cen Jintian?”
“Mm.” Yu Wanyin sighed.
When she used to read novels, she always preferred exciting grand scenes, struggles for power, battles of sword and horse… she had skipped over all the parts about Cen Jintian farming.
“Only after coming to this world did I realize he’s the one truly saving the people from disaster. With such a life, it’s indeed not wasted.”
As the carriage swayed, Xia Hou Dan half-jokingly said: “No need for false modesty, you too are saving the people from disaster.”
“Me?”
“Objectively speaking, if you can help Da Xia survive that drought, you should go down in history.”
Yu Wanyin lowered her head with a laugh.
A moment later, she took a deep breath and looked up sharply: “Good, I don’t want to waste this life either.”
Xia Hou Dan was startled: “What?”
“According to the original story, Prince Duan paid the highest price to ascend the throne, so I want to defeat him at the lowest cost. Preventing the drought is just the first step. He’s still going to fight a battle to the death with Yan state, where ‘one general’s success is built upon ten thousand skeletons’—let’s not even let him fight that war.”
She stared at Xia Hou Dan intensely, with a new fighting spirit surging in her chest: “I think I still remember some details about Yan’s state. This war isn’t inevitable; let’s try diplomacy.”
Xia Hou Dan: “Good.”
“Also, when he comes to support the Emperor, he’ll have to fight the Empress Dowager. But if we grow strong enough before that to intimidate them, we can subdue the enemy without fighting.”
“Good.”
“And…” Yu Wanyin paused, “Are you smiling?”
Xia Hou Dan shook his head: “I just find it somewhat absurd that everything we’re doing is happening inside a book.”
Yu Wanyin had thought about this question too: “But like Zhuangzi dreaming of being a butterfly, how do you know the ‘real world’ outside isn’t just another book?”
“Indeed, I don’t know.”
“Right? Who can guarantee their existence is real? I’m too lazy to dwell on this.” Yu Wanyin waved her hand as if to scatter the question into smoke. “Even if death is the predestined ending, I want to do more before I die.”
Xia Hou Dan: “Good.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘good’?”
“Good, then I shall risk my life to accompany you,” he smiled.
Zhang San grew older year by year.
The clematis continued to bloom regularly each year, but he hadn’t thought about that cluster of flowers for a long time.
Because, as the Emperor gradually aged and he grew older, he realized a new possibility: that the “demon concubine” who was the female protagonist might not be his father’s concubine, but his own.
She would only appear after he became Emperor.
This discovery brought little comfort. Although he had only glimpsed the novel’s synopsis before his transmigration, he clearly remembered that the female lead was a concubine, but the male lead was not the Emperor.
So, following typical novel patterns, he as the Emperor should be the villain—the kind destined to die miserably.
Not only that, he began to suspect that the male protagonist of this story was his imperial brother.
Xia Hou Bo survived to leave the palace and establish his residence, being conferred as Prince Duan.
This young prince had no foundation in court, so he often volunteered to guard the borders. He spent several years in the frontier, transforming from a bullied pretty boy into a leader versed in both civil and military affairs. He bonded with the military men, always returning with various military achievements, and was granted a ceremonial escort by the old Emperor.
Xia Hou Bo was following the complete male protagonist route.
And Zhang San was being pushed by the malice of the entire world toward the path of a villain.
Logically, Prince Duan was more suitable to be a Crown Prince than Zhang San. But the Empress would never let that happen; she needed a puppet she could easily control.
Under the overt and covert struggles between the two factions, Zhang San survived four assassination attempts in one year. He was stabbed in his sleep, vomited blood after meals, and was repeatedly severely injured, only to be rescued again. Prince Duan wanted him dead, the Empress wanted him alive.
He began to suffer from insomnia, with increasingly severe migraines. Sometimes he heard things, sometimes he thought he was hearing things, but it turned out to be real assassins.
By the time the old Emperor passed away and Zhang San ascended the throne, looking down from the dragon throne, he saw that the court, apart from the Empress’s faction—now called the Empress Dowager’s faction—had gained a rival faction supporting Prince Duan.
There were hardly any who supported the Emperor himself. Even his imperial tutors were arranged by the Empress Dowager.
In this world, his modern background was not an advantage but a disadvantage. When it came to scheming and power struggles, his nine years of compulsory education offered no help whatsoever.
Among all the court officials, he couldn’t find a single person worthy of trust.
The great edifice was about to collapse, and a single pillar could hardly support it.
But Zhang San didn’t believe in fate.
Even if he had to die, he would struggle before dying.
Following his intuition, he found Elder Xu—because this old minister didn’t flatter him with honeyed words like other officials, but often put on a stern face and lectured him with principles.
Also because Elder Xu was struggling in court, ostracized from all sides.
Zhang San believed this person truly had his interests at heart, so he treated him with great respect and consulted him on many issues. The policies Elder Xu suggested always met with numerous obstacles, which made him even more reassured. Because if those suggestions were wrong, the Empress Dowager and Prince Duan wouldn’t bother to block them.
Until one time, Elder Xu advised him to eliminate a certain high official.
Elder Xu spoke earnestly: this person had been cheating his superiors and embezzling funds, while also colluding with Prince Duan. His influence had grown deep and complex, and needed to be removed as soon as possible.
He believed it, spent considerable effort collecting evidence, and suddenly struck during morning court, sending that corrupt official to the Ministry of Justice, where he was soon executed.
That was the eighth person he had killed.
This action went unexpectedly smoothly.
Perhaps too smoothly. He faced no resistance at all.
After court, a minor official with a mustache came to find him, weeping and claiming he had been deceived.
This mustached man had always been part of the Empress Dowager’s faction, but now professed great loyalty, saying he could no longer bear the Empress Dowager’s humiliation and wanted to serve His Majesty; while Elder Xu was the Empress Dowager’s confidant, fundamentally treacherous, who had been manipulating His Majesty all along.
“He used Your Majesty’s hand to eliminate that corrupt official, but it was actually to clip Prince Duan’s wings, removing a threat for the Empress Dowager!”
The mustached man presented numerous pieces of evidence. There was the Empress Dowager’s handwriting, and also Elder Xu’s.
Zhang San couldn’t believe it, so he secretly went to check on the Empress Dowager and happened to see Elder Xu walking with her, conversing happily.
Two months later, the mustache man stepped forward to impeach Elder Xu.
Zhang San didn’t kill Elder Xu. He ordered his property confiscated and had him banished.
Elder Xu didn’t say a word, kowtowed heavily to him several times, and then let himself be dragged away.
This action also went unexpectedly smoothly.
Zhang San vaguely felt something was wrong, but couldn’t figure out exactly what step had gone awry.
After years of endurance, he gradually pieced together the truth of that year.
The mustached man was the Empress Dowager’s person. But impeaching Elder Xu was a conspiracy with Prince Duan.
With this achievement, the mustached man secured his position in the Empress Dowager’s faction, climbing step by step to the center of power, and was later appointed as Imperial Tutor—his surname was Wei.
By that time, Zhang San couldn’t touch him at all.
Whether Zhang San believed in fate or not was irrelevant.
The world needed a villain, the Empress Dowager needed a puppet, and Prince Duan needed the people to remember a sinner responsible for natural disasters, human calamities, and their years of poor harvests.
He arrived, and he became that person.
The carriage suddenly stopped, then suddenly accelerated again, startling Xia Hou Dan from his light sleep.
Yu Wanyin was also frightened and lifted the curtain to ask: “What’s wrong?”
The guard driving the carriage: “The secret guards discovered someone following us. There’s only one person, but his martial arts are formidable. The secret guards couldn’t catch him, and Master Bei had gone to deal with him… This servant will escort Your Majesty and Your Highness back to the palace first.”
“Wait.” Xia Hou Dan frowned, “Only one assassin? That doesn’t seem like Prince Duan’s style. Tell Bei Zhou to capture him alive for questioning.”
The guard looked back, squinting into the distance: “Master Bei has not yet determined the outcome of the fight.”
Yu Wanyin was shocked: “How is that possible?”
Bei Zhou was the highest-ranked fighter in the entire book, undefeated in one-on-one combat.
“It seems they’ve exchanged over thirty moves already,” the guard reported live. “Strange thing is, neither has used killing moves.”
Yu Wanyin couldn’t resist and poked her head out of the carriage window to look back, instantly having her hair messed up by a gust of forceful wind.
To maintain secrecy, they had been taking detours and were now passing through a dark alley just wide enough for one carriage.
At the end of the alley, sand and stones were flying, sword winds raging, and two graceful silhouettes fighting fiercely.
Another head poked out beside Yu Wanyin’s shoulder. Xia Hou Dan asked: “Was there such a person in the original story?”
“I don’t remember one…”
“Ha!” A clear shout came, followed by the sound of objects cutting through the air.
The guard reported: “Damn, the assassin has thrown concealed weapons!”
The alley was narrow with nowhere to dodge. Bei Zhou suddenly stepped against the wall and soared upward like a great bird, somersaulting in midair. The assassin’s concealed weapons all fell to the ground ineffectively.
Before Bei Zhou landed, he flicked his long sleeve at the assassin, and the sound of cutting air rose again.
His concealed weapons were much denser, with a continuous “tut-tut-tut-tut” sound, seemingly turning the person into a sieve.
Xia Hou Dan: “Spare him—”
The assassin also shouted at the same time: “Enough! I’m not an assassin, can’t you tell? Have mercy!”
The voice sounded like a young man’s.
Bei Zhou said leisurely: “If you were an assassin, you’d be dead already.”
The guard stopped the carriage and escorted Xia Hou Dan and Yu Wanyin a bit closer, watching the newcomer vigilantly.
Bei Zhou’s concealed weapons hadn’t hit him but were pinned around his head and limbs, tracing his silhouette on the wall.
He stood frozen, unable to move, and could only say dejectedly: “I surrender, I surrender.”
Bei Zhou: “Who are you?”
The young man seemed to glance at Xia Hou Dan, then smiled: “My surname is Bai, you can call me Ah Bai.”
Now closer, Yu Wanyin could see his appearance against the light. He was tall, with a black cloth covering his face, only his eyes visible. Those eyes were exceptionally clear, like fire-tempered glass even in the dark alley. She remembered this was supposedly a sign of profound inner strength.
“Don’t move. Where did you learn your martial arts?” Bei Zhou didn’t relax, still raising one arm toward him, his five fingers neither fully extended nor fully curled, like a palm yet also like a claw, some kind of starting position. The concealed weapons he had used for the human outline were all deeply embedded in the wall, with brick dust falling continuously.
Ah Bai stood rigidly, suddenly asking: “Are you, Bei Zhou?”
Bei Zhou was startled.
Ah Bai: “We don’t know each other, but you should remember Nameless, right? He’s my master.”
Though Nameless had no name, he was renowned throughout the martial world, as an otherworldly master of exceptional skill. In his early years of wandering, Bei Zhou had a fortuitous encounter and received some guidance from him, forming a friendship despite their age difference.
Once, while drinking, Nameless asked him why he was wandering. Bei Zhou, in low spirits, mentioned the deceased Compassionate and Virtuous Empress: “An old friend has passed, and I don’t know where to go.”
Nameless dipped his finger in the wine and drew a divination hexagram on the ground, finally advising him: “Go back to the capital and take a look, perhaps you’ll meet the child of your old friend.”
Ah Bai: “My master was observing the stars a while back, went a bit crazy, and insisted I complete my training and come to the capital to follow you.”
He pulled out a crumpled, dirty letter from his bosom and handed it to Bei Zhou.
Bei Zhou read it once, looking puzzled: “This is indeed his handwriting. But I don’t understand what he’s writing.”
Ah Bai: “Oh, he said this letter isn’t for you, it’s for the Emperor.”
Xia Hou Dan, who had been standing silently to the side, spoke up: “Let me see.”
Ah Bai turned sharply, exaggerating: “The Emperor? A living Emperor!”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Xia Hou Dan secretly gave him a warning look.
But Ah Bai doubled down: “So handsome!”
Xia Hou Dan: “?”
Xia Hou Dan read the letter once, his expression grave, and handed it to Yu Wanyin.
The letter was written in powerful, flowing calligraphy with two lines: “The imperial mandate has changed places, the Emperor’s star shines again. Mars guards the heart, good, and I’ll hang by a thread. When the five stars gather, extreme misfortune turns to great fortune.”
Yu Wanyin was shocked just seeing the first four characters.
The imperial mandate has changed places? This was not some common saying in divination. Only a transmigrator would understand—it was clearly saying: I know your soul has been replaced.
The whole passage translated to: I know your soul has been replaced, and the replacement becoming Emperor can change the nation’s fate. But your destiny is perilous, with only a thread of hope; you must be placed in mortal danger before you can emerge and turn danger into safety.
Yu Wanyin and Xia Hou Dan exchanged a glance, thinking: This person truly has the eye of heaven.
Ah Bai: “Master said you’re extraordinarily talented, almost like a senior brother, and told me to learn from you. I was thinking, how talented could you be, are you as talented as me, so…”
Bei Zhou: “So you picked a fight with me first?”
Ah Bai made a humming sound.
Bei Zhou looked at this self-proclaimed junior brother, inwardly appreciating his talent, but outwardly teased: “Are you convinced now?”
Ah Bai changed the subject: “So you’re the Emperor’s bodyguard in the capital? Can you take me on too?”
Bei Zhou looked at Xia Hou Dan.
Xia Hou Dan: “Having Uncle Bei is enough for me.”
“Don’t be like that, my master went to the trouble of sending me to serve you.” Ah Bai wasn’t intimidated by the Emperor at all, even appearing somewhat cheeky. “Taking on one more person shouldn’t be a problem, right? My kung fu is very good too, I can protect this—wow, what a beauty!”
He looked at Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin: “…Thank you.”
Xia Hou Dan glared at him again.
Yu Wanyin was also weighing the situation in her mind. There was no character named Ah Bai in the original story, but with two transmigrators now, it made sense that they might have disturbed a master in this world.
At this moment, Xia Hou Dan quietly asked: “Uncle Bei, that Nameless…”
Bei Zhou vouched for him: “Nameless has been in seclusion for a long time, not concerning himself with worldly affairs. The fact that he sent this letter probably means he’s calculated that you, Ah Dan, can keep the state stable. This youngster is indeed using the kung fu he taught, so he should be trustworthy.”
Xia Hou Dan nodded and said to Ah Bai: “Come back with us then.”
The group returned to the palace in the evening light.
Xia Hou Dan said he would arrange a position for Ah Bai and took him away.
Bei Zhou changed back to his old nanny disguise using his bone-shrinking technique and accompanied Yu Wanyin back to the Noble Consort’s palace: “This uncle will return to his room now.”
“Uncle Bei.” Yu Wanyin followed him into his room, “I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
Yu Wanyin smiled: “Today when you used concealed weapons to pierce the wall, it wasn’t just your hand techniques, was it?—Don’t look at me like that, I’m just guessing.”
Bei Zhou was still suspicious: “How did you…”
“The first time we met, your dagger penetrated a wooden door and still maintained its force, killing that assassin on the spot. Later on the boat, the concealed weapons from your sleeve could not only fly level to the shore but also fire continuously without pause.”
Yu Wanyin examined his sleeve with curiosity, admiringly saying: “Uncle Bei is truly ingenious. I’m also interested in mechanical arts, but I can’t for the life of me figure out what kind of exquisite mechanism could achieve such an effect.”
Her analysis was completely made up.
She knew Bei Zhou was a mechanical genius because that’s how the original story described him.
When she first brought Xia Hou Dan to find this person, she had this thought in mind. But since Bei Zhou considered his mechanical inventions top secret, they needed to spend some time together, building trust, before it would be appropriate to bring it up.
Sure enough, after being surprised, Bei Zhou laughed heartily: “Wanyin is so clever. But it’s no wonder you couldn’t figure it out—this mechanism can only be used by me.”
He raised his arm, curling and straightening his five fingers, causing a “click” sound from his sleeve: “The mechanism parts fit around my body and require powerful internal energy to activate. When my true qi circulates, it can continuously fire concealed weapons with extreme range and the power to penetrate anything.”
Yu Wanyin responded with appropriate amazement, then showed a troubled expression.
Bei Zhou thought she would ask to investigate further and was about to politely refuse when she said: “Has Uncle Bei ever thought about creating an even more powerful mechanism? For example, one driven not by internal energy, but by gunpowder?”
“Gunpowder?” Bei Zhou became interested.
“Yes, I feel that given His Majesty’s current situation, he needs some protective equipment.”
Meanwhile, Ah Bai thrust a handful of pills at Xia Hou Dan: “Try them all. I’ve collected them from all over during my travels—all kinds of folk remedies and secret medicines.”
Xia Hou Dan said helplessly: “You might as well give up.”
“No way, this was one of the tasks my master gave me. He calculated that I could help you, so I definitely can help you.”
Xia Hou Dan: “Fine.”
Ah Bai sat down across from him, very skillfully pouring himself a cup of tea: “How are things at court?”
“There have been some changes, it’s a long story. You tell me about your side first.”
“That’s also a long story… Recently eliminated two key figures, had to put in some effort to keep a low profile…”
Xia Hou Dan was fiddling with that crumpled, dirty letter.
Nameless had calculated that Xia Hou Dan’s soul had been replaced, written him a letter, and sent his disciple to him—all of this was true.
However, this letter was written five years ago, and their first meeting also happened five years ago.
After Ah Bai reported for a while, he noticed his action and smiled: “Did you put on that elaborate act with me to fool my senior brother?”
“Bei Zhou is easy to fool. It wasn’t for him.”
Ah Bai suddenly realized: “Then it was to fool that beauty.”
“Show some respect, that’s the Noble Consort. In front of her, you need to pretend you just met me, don’t give anything away.”
Ah Bai’s thoughts turned, and he asked excitedly: “Is she the person you’ve been waiting for?”
“No, that’s someone else.”
“Huh?”
Xia Hou Dan said expressionlessly: “I waited for the wrong person, but she came at the right time. If she hadn’t come, I would have died long ago.”
Ah Bai frowned: “Am I too stupid or did you not explain clearly?”
“You’re too stupid.”
Ah Bai: “…”
He suddenly revealed a mischievous smile: “You like her, don’t you?”
Xia Hou Dan: “?”
Xia Hou Dan: “To say ‘like’ would be narrow-minded.”
“So you don’t like her?”
Xia Hou Dan: “.”
Ah Bai was surprised not to hear a denial and looked at him curiously: “You don’t like her?”
Xia Hou Dan remained silent.
Like, admire, adore—he felt that what surged in his chest didn’t deserve these pleasant-sounding names. It was a bottomless, toxic sea where only black seaweed grew.
Ah Bai jumped up and rushed out the door: “Then I won’t hold back.”
Xia Hou Dan: “?”
Ah Bai put his black cloth back on and made his way to the Noble Consort’s palace. He wanted to slip in directly but alerted the secret guards, who summoned Yu Wanyin.
He said brazenly: “Noble Consort, I’ve come to spar with my senior brother.”
“Shh—” Yu Wanyin pulled him inside and whispered, “Uncle Bei is Nanny Bei here, not showing his martial skills. I can take you to see him, but you two should find another place to fight.”
“…Bei what?”
Yu Wanyin led him to a side courtyard and knocked on Bei Zhou’s door: “Nanny Bei.”
Nanny Bei looked at Ah Bai with confusion.
Ah Bai’s whole body trembled to look at him, and finally couldn’t hold back: “Hahaha, what the hell?”
Nanny Bei clicked his tongue and shook his head: “Haven’t been beaten enough, have you? Come on, let nanny give you some tough love.”
The door closed, and there was a series of crashing sounds from inside. Ah Bai emerged with a dusty face.
Yu Wanyin couldn’t help laughing: “What were you thinking?”
Ah Bai scratched his head, and though his face was covered, one could tell he was grinning stupidly at her.
Having lived in the palace for so long, it was naturally amusing to see these unorthodox jianghu people. Yu Wanyin turned around: “Have some tea and rest.”
Ah Bai watched her graceful figure from behind: “Your Highness.”
“Hmm?”
Ah Bai looked around and saw a flower garden in full colorful bloom.
He took a stance, performed a cloud hand movement, and generated a gust of wind with his palm force.
Yu Wanyin had just taken two steps when she suddenly saw countless flower petals floating from behind to in front of her, dancing in the last golden-red glow of sunset.
She was enveloped in a mist of fragrance and turned back in surprise.
Xia Hou Dan was standing behind her.
The two of them gazed at each other in the dreamlike scene.
Yu Wanyin suddenly felt her face warm: “Why are you here?”
Xia Hou Dan smiled: “To have dinner with you.”
Not far away, Ah Bai, who had unexpectedly become a human fan machine: “…”
Xia Hou Dan took Yu Wanyin back to the room for dinner, while Ah Bai demonstrated his persistent spirit by pestering them and following: “Add another set of tableware?”
Yu Wanyin was shocked. Were all jianghu people this brazen?
Xia Hou Dan looked at him and said expressionlessly: “Go clean up that ground full of petals.”
Ah Bai looked back: “The palace servants are already sweeping it.”
“Then go replant the flower garden.”
“Don’t be so stingy, just let me freeload one meal…”
Xia Hou Dan coughed, warning him with his eyes: Don’t push your luck, we agreed to pretend we don’t know each other.
Ah Bai paused and moderated his tone: “I won’t freeload for nothing. I heard His Majesty is interested in news about Yan state?”
Yu Wanyin was startled: “You know about Yan state?”
In her mind, Yan’s state was just a blur of pixels. She vaguely remembered some internal strife setting but hadn’t paid attention to the details. Now wanting to introduce Yansu millet and avert war, she was thinking about first dividing them into factions internally, then using their forces against each other.
“I know, I know, I know many things, I’ve even killed…”
Xia Hou Dan heavily patted Ah Bai’s shoulder, interrupting him, and said with low pressure: “Sit down.”
Xia Hou Dan dismissed the palace servants who were serving food, leaving only the three of them sitting around the table. Ah Bai got his wish and sat next to Yu Wanyin.
He looked around, lifted his face cover, and began eating.
Yu Wanyin curiously looked at his face. He was a quite handsome young man, his temperament completely the antonym of Xia Hou Dan’s. His skin was slightly darker, suggesting he was often outdoors; with white teeth, he picked out meat to eat, stuffing his cheeks full.
Ah Bai took a swig of wine, suddenly turned his head to Yu Wanyin, and chuckled, his eyes seeming to say: Looking at me? Do you like what you see?
Yu Wanyin: “…”
Were all jianghu people this fearless?
She couldn’t help glancing at Xia Hou Dan. Xia Hou Dan, whether he had noticed this scene or not, calmly said: “Let’s talk business.”
“Oh right, right, Yan stated. Yan state is just a backward small country, poor, short on food and clothing, so they always want to rob us.” Ah Bai sneered, “They’re all uncivilized barbarians, but they’re good fighters and run fast. Each time they attack, they burn, kill, plunder, and leave after taking everything.”
Yu Wanyin: “So they’re just bandits.”
“You call them bandits, but they hate us too, hoping all the Xia people will die and leave the land to them.”
Xia Hou Dan: “What about the Yan royal family?”
“Uncle and nephew fighting for power. The current King of Yan is called Zha Luo Wa Han, his nephew is called Tu Er, who is Yan state’s top fighter. The uncle and nephew don’t get along at all, with only one thing in common—they both hate Da Xia. There’s a secret that they’re competing to send assassins to Da Xia, seeing who can kill more nobles—not for any strategy or plan, just out of hate.”
Yu Wanyin held her forehead: “Where does such hatred come from? Is there anyone among these two who could potentially be turned?”
Ah Bai shook his head vigorously: “Not likely for either. The Yan King was blinded in one eye by Xia people on the battlefield, and as for Tu Er, he has some grudge against our Emperor.”
“Grudge?”
Xia Hou Dan kicked Ah Bai under the table.
Ah Bai instead suddenly accelerated his speech: “Haven’t Your Highness heard of Beauty Shan Yi? Shan Yi was Tu Er’s childhood sweetheart, who was sent to the Da Xia palace to dance, making quite a sensation. However, His Majesty was heartless, only giving her the rank of Beauty. Not long after, she attempted to assassinate His Majesty and was executed. Yan state used this as an excuse to declare war.”
Xia Hou Dan: “…”
Yu Wanyin: “…Oh, I momentarily forgot.”
Such palace secrets, even the original owner of her body might not have heard about.
Speaking of which, how did this Ah Bai find out?
Just as Yu Wanyin’s thoughts reached this point, Xia Hou Dan extended his chopsticks to pick up a piece of fish for her: “Regardless of whether it can succeed, let’s send people to talk to them separately first. Peace negotiations are a major national policy, and if there’s a wise ruler among them, they should understand to put personal matters aside. Wanyin, who do you think is suitable to send?”
Yu Wanyin’s attention was diverted: “Oh… among those scholars we recently recruited, Wang Zhao is a diplomatic talent and also speaks the Yan language.”
“Good, let’s send him then.”
“But to prevent Prince Duan from becoming suspicious, all our actions must be covert. We can’t openly send an envoy, only secretly send him out. The western border is guarded by the Central Army, can a mere scholar slip out safely?”
Ah Bai interjected: “Then why not go out from somewhere other than the northwest?”
“Da Xia only borders Yan state in the northwest.”
Ah Bai rubbed his hands and explained: “It’s like this, Central Army General Luo and Prince Duan have a life-and-death friendship. In comparison, the Left and Right armies have looser connections with Prince Duan. The Right Army guards the southern border, and its commander General You is coincidentally returning to court to report.”
Xia Hou Dan frowned slightly.
Ah Bai glanced at Xia Hou Dan, with an inquiring look: “In my view, why not find some minor official position for this Wang Zhao, insert him into the Right Army, and let him return to the southern border with General You? If you’re worried, I can join the army with him, escort him, and together we’ll find an opportunity to slip out from the southwest border, go through Qiang state, and around to Yan state.”
Yu Wanyin: “What kind of place is Qiang state?”
Ah Bai waved his hand dismissively: “Smaller and more isolated than Yan state, sometimes helps Yan state act as bandits, but runs away at the first sign of trouble in battle, not worth worrying about.”
Xia Hou Dan still frowned and shook his head: “Joining the army isn’t safe. After all, under General You’s nose, it’s easier to be exposed. Let him join a merchant caravan instead.”
Ah Bai opened his mouth.
Xia Hou Dan didn’t give him a chance to speak: “You can’t go abroad with him, there are other uses for you.”
Xia Hou Dan assigned several secret guards to escort Wang Zhao.
When Wang Zhao set out, he carried no imperial edict, had no title, and no one saw him off. A merchant cart, traveling light, silently took the official road in the early morning dew.
They would separately contact the uncle and nephew of Yan state, proposing to stop the war and open trade.
What Da Xia most urgently needed was Yansu millet, but to avoid attracting attention, and to make the proposal more tempting, Wang Zhao advocated for a long list, letting the Yan people exchange local specialties for Da Xia’s grain and cloth. As for Yansu, it remained discreetly hidden in the attached list.
Xia Hou Dan went to court and sent Ah Bai to secretly see Wang Zhao off.
When Ah Bai returned, he brought Yu Wanyin the latest gossip: “Last night, the Imperial Guard commander got drunk and drowned in a pond.”
Yu Wanyin remembered something: “Did that Deputy Commander Zhao take his place?”
“It should have been appointed that way. How did you know?”
Yu Wanyin shook her head.
Prince Duan was following the plans recorded by Xu Yao, gradually eroding the Empress Dowager’s faction’s power.
This was good news, indicating his main energy was still being used to deal with the Empress Dowager. Their side could still lie low for a long time, until…
Yu Wanyin suddenly had a jolt.
She had forgotten a major issue. Xie Yong’er also knew about the drought.
The books left by Xu Yao didn’t mention the drought, indicating Xie Yong’er hadn’t told Prince Duan yet. Perhaps she felt that the future was too distant, and suddenly making a prophecy would be difficult to explain. Or perhaps she believed it was a certainty, and whether she mentioned it or not made no difference.
But, seeing the gradual implementation of the open salt trade and the impending border trade, she would eventually deduce their plan.
As long as she spoke up before the Yansu seeds were planted, everything would be ruined.
She had to silence her!
But what could she use to persuade her? If she revealed the whole truth, would it move her?
Xie Yong’er was determined to become an unparalleled empress in history. If she discovered two more transmigrators were threatening her position, would she simply burn her bridges and have Prince Duan kill them?
Were they willing to take such a gamble?
Before she could find Xie Yong’er, she received another note delivered by Prince Duan’s men.
Xia Hou Bo was waiting for her in the dilapidated house used for secret meetings.
“Wanyin, have you seen anything with your heavenly eye recently?”
Yu Wanyin made up a bunch of useless clues, from flowers blooming somewhere to a certain minister’s impotence.
Xia Hou Bo smiled as he listened to her rambling, and finally said: “I heard that the expert by the Emperor’s side has appeared again, this time in the palace.”
Yu Wanyin’s heart sank.
How was this possible? How could he have discovered Bei Zhou? Since being exposed once on the lake, Bei Zhou had switched to his Nanny Bei disguise and had never displayed his skills in the palace again…
The prince frowned: “If we don’t eliminate this person, it’s very dangerous. Can you make a prophecy about how we should get rid of him?”
Yu Wanyin: “…”
She tentatively asked: “Is the information reliable? Who did Your Highness hear it from?”
Xia Hou Bo looked at her and laughed lightly as if laughing at her shallow skills: “I saw it in a dream with my heavenly eye.”
Yu Wanyin: “…”
You just said you heard it, you bastard!
Yu Wanyin stalled for time, sitting cross-legged, forming a lotus seal with her hands, and pretending mystically: “Then I’ll try.”
Xia Hou Bo watched her with interest: “Please do.”
Yu Wanyin closed her eyes pretending to meditate, her mind in chaos.
Who had betrayed them? Who had the opportunity to see through Nanny Bei’s flawless disguise?
Then she had a flash of insight—Bei Zhou had never revealed his skills, but someone else had.
Those flower petals dance in the gust of palm wind.
Those fallen petals wilting on the ground, left for palace servants to clean up.
Yu Wanyin prepared a rough draft in her mind, opened her eyes, and slowly said: “I seem to see a tall man, walking through a corridor.”
She glanced at Xia Hou Bo.
Xia Hou Bo had no objection: “Which corridor?”
Good, the informant had seen Ah Bai.
Yu Wanyin calculated rapidly in her mind while stammering: “It seems to be beside the Imperial Garden… yet it seems not… there are others around him… ah, I really can’t see clearly in such haste. Has Concubine Xie divined for Your Highness?”
Xia Hou Bo said gently: “I came to you first. If Wanyin still hasn’t divined anything in three days, I’ll go ask Yong’er.”
Yu Wanyin dragged her feet back to the Noble Consort’s palace.
Xia Hou Bo’s words had been tender, but she knew it was an ultimatum: this is your last chance to show loyalty, if you still can’t be useful to me, you should disappear.
She still couldn’t figure out who the treacherous informant was. Bei Zhou and the secret guards were all people who, in the original story, were loyal to Xia Hou Dan until the end of their lives.
If the secret guards were disloyal, Prince Duan would have received information when Bei Zhou first entered the palace to secretly train them, and wouldn’t have been so unprepared during the battle at the lake.
This traitor only knew about one expert, not two…
Yu Wanyin paused on her way to the bedroom, changed direction, and went to the backyard to find a secret guard on duty: “Did you see which palace servant was cleaning the fallen petals in the courtyard that day?”
“Miss, don’t just eat snacks, have some tea.” Xiao Mei smilingly brought tea to Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin observed this maid who had come with her to the palace, keeping her composure.
In the original story, Xiao Mei hadn’t survived half the book. In the palace struggles, she is killed by Xie Yong’er.
The reason Yu Wanyin had never suspected her was because, in the original story, she was just an honest and dutiful tool character, who had never caused trouble.
Yu Wanyin sighed.
Xiao Mei asked curiously: “Why is Miss so worried?”
“Sigh, I just saw Prince Duan outside, he seems to have offended His Majesty and is being punished with the rod.”
Xiao Mei’s hand trembled, spilling hot tea all over her hand.
She dared not make a sound, shakily put down the teapot, and hid her red hand behind her back.
Yu Wanyin pretended not to notice: “I wonder if the beating was severe, and how badly he’s injured.”
Xiao Mei bit her lip: “Should this servant go look for Miss?”
“Are you crazy? If His Majesty catches you, how would I explain?”
Xiao Mei paused, then submissively said: “It’s the same to ask around later.”
She withdrew.
Yu Wanyin nodded to the secret guard in the corner.
The secret guard silently followed, and a moment later, dragged Xiao Mei back by the collar, forcing her to kneel before Yu Wanyin: “Your Highness is most perceptive, this palace maid ran off and was looking around everywhere when I caught her.”
Xiao Mei asked in panic: “Miss, what’s happening?”
Yu Wanyin: “When did you start colluding with Prince Duan?”
Xiao Mei: “…”
“No need to deny it, I’ve checked everything.” Yu Wanyin was bluffing.
Xiao Mei gritted her teeth and denied: “This servant doesn’t know Prince Duan… Aah!!!”
The secret guard crushed one of her finger joints.
Xiao Mei, with tears and mucus flowing, said: “Before Miss entered the palace, on Lantern Festival night, this servant was by your side in the flower market street when we first met Prince Duan. I was captivated by his appearance and demeanor… Later he would occasionally come to find this servant for casual conversation. For the first time in this world, someone treated this servant as a person…”
Yu Wanyin sneered: “So whatever he asked, you answered? So you’ve been passing my information to him all along?”
Xiao Mei panted heavily but didn’t speak.
“Haven’t I treated you as a person?”
Xiao Mei’s eyes flashed with resentment: “Miss has been very kind to this servant. So when I saw you and His Highness in mutual affection, I kept these feelings deep in my heart, not daring to reveal a bit.”
“If that’s the case, why did you—”
Xiao Mei said indignantly: “But you’ve already shifted your affections to His Majesty, why do you still string Prince Duan along, letting him waste away for you!”
Yu Wanyin almost laughed in anger.
At this moment she suddenly thought of something else: “I’ve always wondered how Prince Duan could find the lakeside that day. Thinking back now, the one who helped me change clothes and disguise before leaving the palace was you. But I didn’t tell you where I was going, how did you guess?”
Xiao Mei had already given up resistance: “When His Highness asked, I told him which gate you left the palace from, and he immediately sent people to follow.”
She looked proud: “His Highness is extraordinarily intelligent, he stopped trusting you long ago.”
Yu Wanyin genuinely laughed in anger: “Good, very good. What else have you told him?”
“What, afraid now?…”
Xiao Mei screamed like a pig being slaughtered. The secret guard crushed her second finger joint.
Yu Wanyin’s ears were ringing. She concentrated on recall carefully, and was somewhat relieved—when discussing matters with Xia Hou Dan, she habitually dismissed everyone, so palace servants couldn’t eavesdrop on any core secrets.
Secret Guard: “Your Highness, shall we kill her?”
Yu Wanyin instinctively wanted to shake her head but stopped midway.
If they left this hidden danger, even if they expelled her from the palace, Prince Duan would immediately understand her stance. He would rescue Xiao Mei and make full use of her, having her recount every detail of her daily life.
Yu Wanyin couldn’t imagine how much he could deduce from this.
Secret Guard: “Your Highness?”
Yu Wanyin was about to nod but found her head felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Xiao Mei curled up on the ground, trembling.
After a long while, Yu Wanyin took a deep breath: “If you don’t want to die, go do something for me. Since I became Noble Consort, that Pure Consort has been making things difficult for me. Go poison her for me. As long as you’re not discovered, I’ll spare your life.”
Xiao Mei scrambled away.
The secret guard looked at Yu Wanyin.
Yu Wanyin’s fingernails dug deep into her palms as she struggled to control the trembling in her voice and said to him: “Follow her, let Pure Consort catch her in the act.”
She couldn’t leave any loose ends.
Moreover, to deceive Prince Duan, she had to use others to kill.
Yu Wanyin sat alone in the room, feeling as if her whole body had fallen into an ice cave.
After an unknown amount of time, the secret guard returned to report: “Pure Consort discovered Xiao Mei putting poison in the kitchen and ordered her beaten to death. She’s now going to find His Majesty to seek justice.”
Yu Wanyin: “I understand, you may go.”
Yu Wanyin vomited all over the floor.
She called for palace servants to bring water, rinsed her mouth, and vomited a second time, feeling as if she was about to throw up her bile.
This was the first person she had killed.
Xia Hou Dan arrived: “That Pure Consort said you sent someone to poison her, I sent her away. What’s wrong?”
He carefully looked at Yu Wanyin’s face, his tone becoming much more serious: “What happened?”
Yu Wanyin forced herself to calm down, recounted the events, and then said: “To make the act complete, you need to punish me. Demote me to Consort, confine me, or something.”
Xia Hou Dan nodded silently.
Yu Wanyin: “I’m sorry.”
Xia Hou Dan smiled slightly: “What’s there to be sorry for…”
“I’m sorry, that day at the lake, I shouldn’t have doubted that you were putting on an act.”
Yu Wanyin lowered her head and saw Xia Hou Dan’s arm move strangely. He seemed to want to open his arms for an embrace but restrained himself.
“It’s alright, I know you were afraid.”
Yu Wanyin felt a surge of grief and sobbed as she hugged him.
“It’s okay,” Xia Hou Dan slowly patted her back, “Being betrayed feels terrible, right? Even if she’s just a paper character, you’ve known her for so long. Killing is also hard, isn’t it? You didn’t expect it to be this difficult before, right?”
Yu Wanyin: “I’m so useless, why am I so useless!”
Xia Hou Dan laughed: “You’re just a normal person.”
He patted her intermittently: “In the future, if someone must be eliminated, tell me, let me handle it.”
Yu Wanyin moved uneasily, wanting to raise her head: “Why?”
Xia Hou Dan pressed her back onto his shoulder: “Maybe because I acted in historical dramas before I came here, I’m more adapted. Letting me do it is the same, you… don’t need to adapt.”
Where she couldn’t see, his expression was much more serious than his voice: “You never need to change.”
Yu Wanyin’s emotions settled slightly, and she suddenly remembered Prince Duan’s naked threat.
She took a deep breath, straightened up, and switched to dedicated professional mode: “This matter is thorny. He doesn’t allow you to have any help, is determined to eliminate Ah Bai, and wants me to provide information within three days.”
Xia Hou Dan looked at his shoulder which had been soaked through, lost in thought.
Yu Wanyin: “I’ve grown too close to you, and it’s all been relayed by Xiao Mei the traitor. Now trying to gain his trust is as difficult as climbing to heaven. But before you silently accomplish great things, I can’t be on his blacklist.”
Xia Hou Dan asked casually: “You mean, we use his plan against him?”
Yu Wanyin knew this was difficult and hesitated: “But we can’t send Ah Bai to his death.”
“Ah Bai always wears a face covering, we could find someone of similar build to die in his place.”
“Prince Duan isn’t so easily fooled. Even if the appearance can be imitated, what about the skills? The only one who could imitate Ah Bai’s martial arts is probably Uncle Bei…”
Yu Wanyin suddenly brightened: “I have an idea.”