Zhang Ji stumbled out from among the guards, his clothes wrinkled and disheveled, his hair tousled from being pushed around. His face was flushed red as if he had suffered great humiliation. Upon entering, he immediately knelt down without a word and kowtowed heavily to the Emperor several times: “Your Majesty, this old minister has been wronged!”
Zhang Ji had been an official in court for so many years and carried considerable weight – to see him in such a wretched state was truly rare. Even the Emperor couldn’t easily scold or beat him, lest he chill the hearts of all court ministers. He said: “Beloved minister, please rise.”
Zhang Ji raised his head but didn’t hurry to stand. Instead, he looked up with angry eyes, as if he might faint from rage at any moment. After composing himself, he said: “This old minister has never done anything disgraceful in his life. Now someone insists on throwing mud at this old minister and ruining my reputation – their intentions are truly malicious to the extreme. Please, Your Majesty, deliver justice for this old minister!”
The Emperor sighed deeply, his gaze suddenly turning to Xuan Hua. Xuan Hua’s mouth was slightly agape, as if he hadn’t yet recovered from this sudden turn of events. Suddenly realizing the Emperor’s gaze upon him, he raised his head and was immediately chilled to the bone by the ice-cold look in the imperial eyes, standing frozen in place, not daring to move.
Zhang Ji had been proven innocent – not a bit of the military pay was missing, so naturally someone had framed him. Zhang Ji had been an official his entire life and carried considerable weight in court – anyone with sense wouldn’t target him. So this was an attack on those behind Zhang Ji. If Zhang Ji was being framed, the first person to be implicated and suspected would be Xuan Li. And currently in court, who most regarded Xuan Li as a thorn in their side? Naturally, it was Fifth Prince Xuan Hua.
The ministers who had been adding insult to injury moments before immediately didn’t dare say another word. Xuan Hua’s faction fell silent as cicadas, none understanding what had gone wrong. The information they had received naturally indicated that today Zhang Ji would definitely be investigated for stealing military pay, but now Zhang Ji was perfectly fine. The information must have been wrong – how could they dare charge into the blade’s edge now?
The ministers of Xuan Li’s faction, however, all adopted the stance of watching a good show, barely concealing the smugness in their eyes.
Xuan Li sighed and consoled gently: “Director Zhang need not grieve. Your character from all these years as an official is publicly recognized. Father Emperor will surely deliver justice for you.”
Zhang Ji said indignantly: “If it were just insulting this old minister alone, that would be one thing, but this commotion is clearly meant to delay the supply corps’ journey. Every day the military pay doesn’t reach the frontier is another day our soldiers suffer in bitter cold. This… this is clearly malicious intent to make things difficult for our Great Jin’s frontier soldiers!”
At these words, the entire assembly was shocked. Even the Emperor sitting on the dragon throne had a flash of coldness burst forth in his eyes.
Xuan Hua’s heart cried out in alarm. What had originally been undercurrents between princes had been elevated by this old fool’s single statement to matters of frontier warfare. Everyone knew that the current war between Great Jin and Heavenly Jin Kingdom was the most sensitive topic. Though on the surface Great Jin appeared to be winning consecutive victories due to the Imperial Guards’ arrival, the dangers within couldn’t be shared with outsiders. This was like a knife hanging over Great Jin’s flourishing palace – no one could touch it. Now Zhang Ji had placed this knife clearly before everyone and revealed the blood on its blade. Since ancient times, emperors had been suspicious by nature – what would the Emperor think? He would probably assume Xuan Hua harbored thoughts of harming the nation, and thinking deeper, even the possibility of collaborating with enemies!
Without sufficient evidence, matters couldn’t be prosecuted. The news had emerged mysteriously, and even Xuan Hua couldn’t determine its source. If the Emperor couldn’t find who spread the rumors, he would naturally become even more suspicious, thinking Xuan Hua’s power had grown so great that even he couldn’t control it. For an emperor, this was truly not a good sign.
“Beloved minister, this matter indeed has suspicious elements. Rest assured, I will give you an explanation,” the Emperor said heavily, the coldness in his words making everyone present feel alarmed. No matter how bright an emperor might usually appear, the inherent imperial dignity in his bones brooked no violation. Today, whoever had manipulated him like a monkey would find no good end once exposed. He looked at Zhang Ji kneeling on the ground with tears streaming down his face and consoled: “I still need you, and Great Jin’s soldiers need you too. I will certainly make whoever did this pay the price for today’s baseless ordeal. But with the frontier situation urgent, this matter still requires your efforts. Since it’s already late today, depart tomorrow instead. Beloved minister, return home today to rest and recover from this shock – I’ll issue an edict shortly.”
This was to appease Zhang Ji and seriously investigate the matter. The more Xuan Hua listened, the worse he felt, but speaking now would only add fuel to the fire. He could only swallow all his resentment silently, his expression extraordinarily ugly, almost ready to storm out.
Since the Emperor had already lowered his stance, Zhang Ji had no reason to be difficult. He repeatedly thanked the Emperor’s great kindness, and this massive military pay controversy gradually subsided. After Zhang Ji returned home, he would naturally receive compensation sent from the palace. Having a veteran minister slandered was indeed an unpleasant affair. On the surface, it appeared Zhang Ji had suffered grievances, but in reality, it was neither painful nor damaging – instead, it made the Emperor trust him more. In the end, only Xuan Hua lost from this performance.
Though the Emperor hadn’t blamed Xuan Hua now, today’s every move had fallen under imperial eyes. He would think and weigh things in his heart. Sometimes, achieving a certain goal didn’t require absolute evidence and certainty – one only needed to quietly plant a seed of doubt in the other’s heart and wait for it to sprout. Someday, this seed would burst forth with tremendous power at the right moment. Today’s events were a seed planted in the Emperor’s heart. The Emperor had begun to suspect Xuan Hua, and from now on, whatever Xuan Hua did in the Emperor’s eyes might carry other meanings. He had lost the initiative from the start.
Today’s loser was Xuan Hua, while the biggest winner was Xuan Li. He had done nothing at all, hadn’t even stepped forward, yet easily won the Emperor’s sympathy and trust while paving the way for his next plan. As he slowly passed by Xuan Hua, he smiled slightly, looking at Xuan Hua’s gloomy gaze as if it contained a trace of unspoken contempt. Xuan Hua clenched his fists tightly, barely controlling himself from throwing a punch.
Behind Xuan Li, a smiling gaze was watching him from among the crowd of officials without drawing particular attention. It belonged to a young man in purple official robes with a small beard, his eyes carrying deep meaning. When he withdrew his gaze, he unexpectedly discovered that someone else nearby was also quietly watching Xuan Li – a person not yet fully grown, just a child of young age, beautiful and delicate with eyes brilliant as the finest colored glass, though their gaze was cold and heavy, somehow familiar.
The child seemed to sense his gaze and turned to look at him coldly before turning away. A small eunuch nearby hurried forward: “Your Thirteenth Highness, please walk slowly…”
Qi Feng paused slightly, then shook his head and followed the crowd out.
…
When Zhang Ji returned home, as expected, the Emperor’s edict arrived shortly after, bestowing gold and silver as consolation. After comforting everyone in the mansion, night had fallen deeply. Zhang Ji returned to his study, lit an oil lamp, and retrieved a box from under his desk, handing it to the person standing opposite him.
That person had obviously been waiting in the study for some time. Seeing Zhang Ji’s action, he smiled with satisfaction: “Director Zhang’s movements are indeed swift. I’ll go report to His Highness immediately. Once His Highness achieves his great ambition, he’ll surely credit Director Zhang with first-class merit.”
Zhang Ji smiled: “Young Master Jiang flatters me. This old man already has one foot in the grave – what use are wealth and honor? Rather, Young Master Jiang is a young hero who will surely rise to great heights and become a legendary figure of Great Jin.”
The person in the study was none other than Jiang Chao. At this moment, as he and Zhang Ji exchanged compliments, they had reached a certain understanding. Yet this alliance was based on mutual benefit, and each could discern the sincerity or falseness in the other. Zhang Ji inwardly cursed the young man opposite him for his vicious schemes and willingness to be Xuan Li’s dog, shamelessly begging for scraps. Jiang Chao also secretly despised Zhang Ji’s pretense of detachment when he too was acting for power.
However, regardless of their inner thoughts, their faces remained all smiles. Zhang Ji looked at the small box he’d handed to Jiang Chao and smiled: “This is the key to the military pay warehouse – eight hundred cartloads total. Young Master Jiang must handle this matter cleanly to avoid leaving evidence.”
“Naturally,” Jiang Chao also smiled. “This is an important link in His Highness’s great enterprise – how could there be any mistakes? Thank you for the key today, Director Zhang. I wish you smooth sailing on tomorrow’s journey.”
Zhang Ji returned his smile: “I accept Young Master’s auspicious words.”
After their conversation, Jiang Chao left through the Zhang mansion’s back gate. It was now the middle of the night, and the capital was shrouded in darkness. Not a single star was visible in the sky, suggesting approaching rain, and even the moon was hidden behind heavy clouds hanging in the sky. It was a night where one couldn’t see their hand in front of their face.
Jiang Chao rode swiftly until he reached a massive warehouse compound in the eastern part of the city. The warehouse was built impossibly high – fully half the height of a city wall – and contained all the military pay the supply corps would transport. The prepared personnel were already assembled. Jiang Chao tossed the key to the person standing in front, who unlocked the warehouse doors. As if receiving unified orders, the surrounding waiting personnel all moved in unison – some bringing things down from wagons, some carrying things out of the warehouse, some bringing things into the warehouse.
This was a substitution operation. Jiang Chao watched with satisfaction until someone approached him: “Is everything arranged?”
Jiang Chao turned to see Xia Jun standing in the deep night with only a small torch, his eyes reddened by the firelight, appearing somewhat eerie. His expression paused: “Everything is arranged completely, including killing all the troublesome people in the vicinity.”
Xia Jun nodded, looking at the people moving in and out of the tall warehouse, but his face showed no great joy. Jiang Chao noticed his expression and asked strangely: “Cousin, what are you still worried about?”
Xia Jun shook his head, a strange look flowing through his eyes: “I don’t know why, but I have an uneasy feeling…” Everything was happening too smoothly. Whether it was Zhang Ji’s self-directed performance in the golden hall or the current substitution in the warehouse, everything occurred too naturally and smoothly. The image of a pair of upturned seductive eyes suddenly flashed in his mind – those eyes curved slightly as if smiling, but filled with deep mockery. Xia Jun’s heart jumped as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head, and he drew in a sharp breath.
After composing himself, he asked Jiang Chao: “Has Jiang Ruan shown any unusual behavior?”
“She stays in Prince Jinying’s mansion all day and hasn’t even entered the palace,” Jiang Chao sneered coldly. “Cousin, you worry too much. She’s confined to the mansion and can’t come out – how could she know our plans? She can’t predict the future, can she?”
Xia Jun’s eyes flickered: “Yes, she can’t predict the future.” Someone residing in a mansion would naturally receive information slower than others, with all news coming from outside sources. Jiang Ruan couldn’t possibly know in advance what they planned to do. Tomorrow morning, this military pay would follow the supply corps to the distant frontier. But this pay was not that pay – everything would be done without anyone knowing. By the time Jiang Ruan discovered something wrong, it would all be too late.
For instance, their current substitution here – how could Jiang Ruan know? How could she stop them? She couldn’t possibly know their plans unless she wasn’t human and could predict the future.
Xia Jun gradually calmed down and slowly said: “Continue, while it’s still dark…” While it was still dark, let everything be buried in the night, and Jiang Ruan was destined to lose this round of confrontation. The victorious become kings, the defeated become bandits – this was an eternal truth.
…
That night, the lights in Xiao Shao’s study in Prince Jinying’s mansion remained lit, appearing from outside like a cluster of bright, warm flames in the pitch-black night. It seemed as if opening the door would reveal the cold, reserved black-clothed young man sitting at the desk. At this moment, someone was indeed sitting at the desk, but it was a graceful young woman in the bloom of youth.
Tea fragrance wafted upward, steam rising across the desk and blooming into small beautiful flowers under the lamplight. More beautiful than the misty flowers was the young woman’s countenance. She wore a moon-white long dress with a deep purple cloak draped outside, making her face appear carved from the finest white jade. Her features seemed as if Heaven had carefully contemplated and carved each stroke, every part perfectly proportioned, naturally beautiful and alluring. A stunning charm emanated from her very bones – this beauty’s every movement carried grace. Only her pair of upturned seductive eyes remained coldly beautiful and waveless, forcibly suppressing that vulgar allure, like a mandala blooming under moonlight – cold and enchanting.
Jiang Ruan looked at the purple-clothed young man before her. Even though Qi Feng had devoted his life to the intrigues of court politics, he couldn’t help but be slightly mesmerized by this absolutely beautiful earthly scene.
In this world there were beauties, but rarely were they both beautiful and intelligent. If external refinement was merely a shell, then this young woman’s wisdom had breathed a vivid soul into that beautiful shell, making it come alive with color and fragrance, possessing a unique flavor.
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “Today in the hall, I must thank Master Qi for his assistance.” From beginning to end, she had never intended to stop the performance Xuan Li and Zhang Ji were staging together. Since Qi Feng was skilled at manipulating court politics, he naturally had another identity in court. This identity appeared unremarkable – neither too high nor too low – but was the most subtle existence. If one wanted to accomplish something in court, it was also the easiest way to conceal one’s identity without being detected. Qi Feng had acted exactly as Jiang Ruan instructed, giving Zhang Ji’s performance a helpful push to make it proceed even more smoothly.
However… besides his secret arrangements, it seemed another force had also intervened, so today Zhang Ji’s performance was successful partly due to another person’s efforts. But what that person’s purpose was and who was behind it remained unknown. Qi Feng’s mind suddenly flashed to that beautiful child’s face from today’s court, his eyes darkening slightly. He then said: “They’ve already made their move.” He raised the letter in his hand, his gaze distant: “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, it would be hard to imagine Xuan Li would take such desperate risks.”
Jiang Ruan unhurriedly lifted the white tea before her and took a light sip, saying flatly: “Tonight they’re making their substitution, replacing the entire warehouse of military pay with moldy grain and supplies, while reducing the quantity by half. Except for the outermost layer, everything inside is stuffed with straw. With today’s fine performance by Zhang Ji in court, tomorrow there won’t be any more surprises. Once the military pay safely leaves the capital, the mountains will be high and waters long. After the supply corps departs, the frontier soldiers will inevitably suffer. Without military pay and provisions, they’ll eventually run out of ammunition and food. When the entire army is annihilated, who will be left to pursue Zhang Ji’s responsibility? Even if there are survivors, they can find ways to eliminate them one by one. It’s truly a profitable deal.”
Qi Feng drew in a sharp breath: “Xuan Li, as a prince of Great Jin, actually disregards the lives of tens of thousands of frontier soldiers for his own selfish purposes, treating Great Jin’s territory as child’s play. This is truly insane.”
Jiang Ruan looked at him with a half-smile: “Oh? Do you really think so?”
Being looked at by those eyes, Qi Feng immediately felt his thoughts were completely exposed. Though he had always been clever, he somehow felt defeated before this young woman who wasn’t even as old as him. He awkwardly scratched his head and smiled: “Third Sister-in-law, there’s something I want to ask you. What did you have Jin Er and the Imperial Guards do?”
Before leaving, Xiao Shao had entrusted all the Imperial Guards available in the capital to Jin Yi and Jin Er, who both obeyed Jiang Ruan completely. This was equivalent to Xiao Shao giving all the Imperial Guards in the capital to Jiang Ruan. For Qi Feng, this was extremely incredible. First, though the Imperial Guards were hidden guards, each was an elite talent among men. Outstanding people were always proud – getting them to willingly submit to Jiang Ruan, with Jin Yi and Jin Er as leaders of the Imperial Guards, was very difficult. Yet when they heard Jiang Ruan’s orders, they had left without question, showing Jiang Ruan’s position in their hearts. Second, Xiao Shao wasn’t someone who easily trusted others and had been accustomed to acting alone since his early years. Yet he had entrusted his hidden forces to Jiang Ruan so completely, clearly showing Jiang Ruan held a different place in his heart.
Jiang Ruan suddenly smiled: “Master Qi, you’re intelligent and wise – why play riddles with me now? You clearly know why Xuan Li wanted to substitute the military pay in the warehouse.”
Qi Feng paused, looking at Jiang Ruan. She looked back at him quietly, her smile gentle and serene in the firelight, but her gaze was distant and profound, as if looking through the flames at the long years of decades to come. That gaze clearly held an understanding that saw through worldly affairs, like an audience member who had watched an entire play now watching it begin again – nothing more than a cold, detached outsider. No matter how the actors within struggled and floated, she remained forever outside the red dust, watching everything unfold with clear and cruel eyes.
He slowly shook his head with a bitter smile: “Third Sister-in-law, your intelligence is frightening. Yes, I know why. I’ve known about Xuan Li’s collusion with Heavenly Jin Kingdom for a long time. The Imperial Guards’ intelligence network is the best in the world – there’s nothing we don’t know.” Except your secrets, he added silently.
“Correct. Since Heavenly Jin has colluded with Xuan Li, Xuan Li must show some gesture. Or rather, in this war, he must ensure Heavenly Jin Kingdom wins. Such a large sum of military pay would only be a hot potato if kept in hand. Xuan Li can’t keep these things in the capital – he can only find ways to transport them out. To utilize this military pay to maximum effect and safely, there’s only one method,” Jiang Ruan said flatly.
“Send it to Heavenly Jin Kingdom to serve as their military pay,” Qi Feng continued her words.
Talking with intelligent people was this simple. Jiang Ruan smiled: “Correct, but Xuan Li’s method doesn’t seem good in my eyes.”
“This method appears simple on the surface but requires tremendous cost. Precisely because it’s so dangerous, no one would think of it. Xuan Li’s reverse thinking makes him quite a formidable character. Moreover, having a foolproof plan for transportation shows comprehensive preparation. I don’t understand – what do you mean by ‘not good’?” Qi Feng said. He didn’t believe a sheltered young woman like Jiang Ruan could compare to the conspirator Xuan Li. Even if she could read people’s hearts, court affairs required more than just understanding hearts to achieve goals.
“Whatever one does, one mustn’t leave evidence for others,” Jiang Ruan’s eyes grew cold. “By keeping this military pay, Xuan Li has left evidence, which is precisely why I have the opportunity to break his scheme. If I were in his position, I would never keep this military pay. Once the substitution was made, I would immediately burn everything completely clean, leaving not a trace.”
Qi Feng stared at her dumbfounded: “Burn it all?”
He saw no jest in Jiang Ruan’s eyes – she spoke the truth. If their positions were switched today, she really would burn the entire batch of provisions. Heavens, how could she have such audacity? What had she grown up eating?
Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “Didn’t you ask what Jin Er and the others went to do? I’m telling you now – they went to set fires. Xuan Li’s performance is good in every way except lacking some fire. But this fire isn’t for him to decide.”
Qi Feng felt a chill in his heart: “Set what fire?”
“Don’t you understand yet?” Jiang Ruan smiled gently: “I want them to swallow their broken teeth with blood this time, suffering tremendous losses while being unable to say a word.”
…
Under careful arrangement, all the provisions from the warehouse had been transferred to their designated locations. Now someone closed the warehouse doors in the eastern courtyard and handed the key back to Jiang Chao.
The warehouse doors were restored to their former appearance, sealed tight as if they had never been opened. Everything was restored to an excellent position, appearing no different from during the day.
Standing beside Jiang Chao, Xia Jun felt that unease rising in his heart again, as if some subtle emotion was about to burst forth. Jiang Chao looked at the scene before him with satisfaction and smiled: “Now everything is handled. When we report back to His Highness, we’ll surely have earned great merit.” Once this matter succeeded, Xuan Li’s imperial ambition would be half complete. This realm and territory would partially be due to his achievements, ensuring future prosperity and immeasurable prospects. It wasn’t in vain that he had expended such effort.
“Sir, now that the matter is complete, shall we return?” a guard asked.
“Let’s head back—” Before he could finish saying “to the mansion,” they heard a “thud” as something fell from the sky, hitting the warehouse roof and rolling down the slanted surface to land before everyone. The guards were startled and pulled Jiang Chao back several steps. Seeing no reaction from the object, one guard took a torch and cautiously approached to investigate. This sight was shocking – the guard suddenly sat down in fright, dropping his torch as he stammered: “Sir… Sir…”
Seeing his strange behavior, Jiang Chao curiously approached and was equally stunned. The person on the ground was none other than Zhang Ji, leader of the supply corps. His entire body was rigid, with a bloody mark across his throat and eyes wide open – clearly dead.
Jiang Chao had parted from him only two hours ago, yet now Zhang Ji had become a corpse. He couldn’t help but be shocked. Before he could react, several whooshing sounds filled the air as black shadows flashed overhead. No one saw how the warehouse doors opened or how sparks were introduced inside. They only saw the sparks catch the dry grass and burst into towering flames. Without any other encouragement, the fire spread like wildfire, quickly rising. In moments, the entire warehouse was engulfed in flames.
The roaring fire nearly lit up the entire street like broad daylight, yet the flames seemed blood-red, carrying an ominous aura. No one had anticipated such a turn of events. Jiang Chao and Xia Jun stood frozen as the black-clothed figures vanished without a trace. Xia Jun’s heart stirred, and he was about to order a retreat when someone shouted: “Fire! Oh no, the warehouse is on fire!”
Immediately after, they heard numerous hoof beats from the distant street, accompanied by orderly torchlight, as a voice shouted: “Audacious criminals! How dare you burn military provisions! Arrest them all!”