Emperor Jingyuan’s illness delayed the three armies until afternoon before they broke camp. They rested overnight in Ao City along the way and didn’t return to the capital until near evening on the second day.

Su Jin’s illness had not fully recovered after all. Dusty and weary from the journey, upon reaching the Su residence, she looked up, collapsed onto the bed, and slept straight through until early morning on the sixth.

Zhu Nanxian would be leaving on the seventh, Su Jin thought when she awoke.

Dawn had not yet broken. The clouds were still tinged with pure pale blue. Early spring had arrived, and the winter snow would soon melt. The weather was colder than the previous days. Su Jin had already left the residence gate, but when the cold wind assaulted her face, she returned to add an extra layer of clothing.

She had arranged with Shen Xi to meet at the Eastern Palace in the afternoon. Since it was still early, her mind was preoccupied with Liu Chaoming’s illness, so she first went to the Liu residence. It was still A’Liu who came to answer the door.

A’Liu was delighted to see Su Jin: “Young Master Su, did you come to see A’Liu? You’ve been back in the capital for quite some time without coming to see A’Liu. A’Liu thought you had forgotten A’Liu. A’Liu just prepared…”

Su Jin raised her hand to interrupt him and asked: “Has Lord Liu risen? Is his illness any better?”

“The lord is quite seriously ill this time. It’s said the physician instructed that he ordinarily cannot get out of bed and walk about. He hasn’t returned to the residence at all.”

Su Jin was startled. “Still not better?” She lowered her eyes to think, then said: “Then I’ll go to the palace to see him. Do you have anything to send to him?”

“Yes!” A’Liu ran back into the residence. Before long he hurried out again, placing a stack of wrapped clothing and an ink stone washer in Su Jin’s hands. “A’Liu replaces the lord’s ink stone washer with a clean one every five days. His garments should all be ones A’Liu has fumigated with Du Ruo herbs.” After thinking, he added: “Unfortunately there are also several volumes the lord常reads that were previously taken by the lord to his study.”

Su Jin said: “Then go fetch them. I’ll wait for you.”

“A’Liu cannot enter the lord’s study.” Fear showed in his eyes as he continued: “In the entire residence, aside from Third Brother, no one can enter the lord’s study. Previously there was a maid who entered the lord’s study…”

Halfway through his words, he suddenly swallowed them back.

An’ran had instructed him not to speak of how Liu Chaoming had ordered a maid beaten to death with rods in front of the entire household for entering his study.

Fortunately, Su Jin didn’t seem to pay attention. She nodded: “Very well then. I’ll enter the palace first. After seeing the lord, I’ll have someone come report his well-being to you.”

A’Liu said happily: “Then many thanks to Young Master Su!”

An’ran had just retrieved official documents from the public hall and returned to the duty room when he saw Su Jin approaching from the central courtyard.

She wore a blue-green cloak with fur trim at the collar that made her skin appear snow-white, though there was also a sickly pallor.

An’ran quickly descended the stone steps to pay respects: “Has Lord Su returned from the winter hunt?”

Su Jin nodded once: “I went to the Liu residence and heard the lord’s illness hasn’t improved. Unable to feel at ease, I came to look in on him.” Her gaze swept over the official documents in An’ran’s hands, her brow furrowing slightly. “Since he’s ill, why is he still reviewing documents?”

An’ran smiled: “Lord Su knows well that my lord cannot sit idle. An’ran was actually hoping Lord Su could help persuade him a bit.”

Su Jin handed the clothing and ink stone washer A’Liu had sent to An’ran. After he put them away, they entered the duty room together.

Inside was a heavy medicinal smell. In the inner chamber, a charcoal fire burned. Liu Chaoming was leaning on the bed with a scroll in hand. Seeing Su Jin arrive, he instructed: “An’ran, offer a seat.”

An’ran set up a chair for Su Jin at a moderate distance from the bed. After Su Jin sat down, she said: “I heard the lord hasn’t recovered from illness and has remained lodged at the Imperial Censorate these past days, unable to get out of bed and walk. Shiyu was somewhat worried, so I came to look in.”

Liu Chaoming closed his book and said flatly: “It’s not a serious illness. I simply cannot be exposed to wind.”

The book in his hand was a volume of the Great Sui Essential Laws. Su Jin glanced at the mountain of official documents piled on the desk and couldn’t help saying: “Since the lord is ill, you shouldn’t labor like this. After all, the Imperial Censorate still has me, Lord Zhao, and Lord Qian.”

Liu Chaoming didn’t respond to this. He raised his eyes to look at Su Jin, paused, and said: “Your complexion is poor.”

Su Jin replied: “Yes, I caught cold during the winter hunt and fell ill.”

Liu Chaoming made an acknowledging sound, picked up tea from the desk, and said with downcast eyes: “You should also rest properly.”

He had always been the type who, when matters concerned him, was unwilling to say much. Su Jin exchanged a few more idle words with him. Seeing that he seemed weary, she rose to take her leave.

Walking to the doorway, she turned back to bow in salute. Suddenly she noticed that on the square table in the center of the room sat a cup of tea whose heat had not yet dissipated—Liu Chaoming’s tea was in his own hand, An’ran was outside, and she hadn’t requested tea when she entered. Whose was this freshly brewed cup of tea?

Su Jin instinctively glanced at the green bamboo screen at the back of the room. After a moment of silence, she said: “Since the lord’s health is impaired, you should naturally rest more. Tea is something that awakens the spirit—it would be better for the lord to consume less of it these days.”

Liu Chaoming looked over leisurely from the bed and suddenly said: “This official has an urgent letter to send to the North Ping inspector that isn’t yet written. Since you’re free, come to the Imperial Censorate early tomorrow morning to collect the letter and help this official deliver it to the Office of Transmission.”

“Early tomorrow morning?” Su Jin asked in surprise.

Liu Chaoming gave her a bland glance: “What—do you have something?”

Tomorrow was the seventh. Zhu Nanxian was leaving early tomorrow morning. She had promised to see him off.

Su Jin said: “There is some private matter, but tomorrow this subordinate can have Zhai Di come collect the letter from you, my lord.”

Liu Chaoming said indifferently: “Those you trust, this official doesn’t necessarily trust.”

Su Jin suddenly recalled that the northern border had been in constant turmoil and warfare. For Liu Chaoming to rush an urgent letter during the New Year season likely meant the situation was critical and concerned people’s livelihoods. So she nodded: “Very well. Shiyu will come at the third quarter of the hour of Yin tomorrow. I hope the lord will have the letter written today.”

Liu Chaoming made an acknowledging sound in agreement.

The charcoal brazier made the airtight inner chamber stuffy and dry. After Su Jin left, a person emerged from behind the green bamboo screen. He wore a crow-blue python robe with an Eastern pearl embedded in his waist belt, yet the person was even more dazzling than the pearl.

Zhu Yiheng sat in the chair Su Jin had just occupied, took a sip of tea, and smiled lightly: “Just now when this prince wanted to remove that cup of tea, you wouldn’t allow it, needlessly giving Censor Su an opening. Does the lord find these years of solitary walking too dull and wish to add some amusement for yourself?”

Liu Chaoming didn’t answer this.

He threw back the quilt covering his legs, put on his robe and got out of bed. Seemingly finding it too hot, he picked up the teapot from the table and doused the charcoal brazier before saying: “Has Your Highness gone to pledge allegiance to Seventh Prince? What did Seventh Prince say?”

Zhu Yiheng said: “This prince has neither power nor influence. If I hadn’t been bringing the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Finance to pledge, Seventh Brother might not have been willing to say much to me.” His tone was very light. After a pause he continued: “However, he truly was pushed to desperation this time. He actually asked this prince whether my ally in the Imperial Censorate was Lord Liu.”

Liu Chaoming paused, set the teapot on the table, and walked to the window to open it: “This official heard that Qian Zhihuan retired today. Your doing?”

Zhu Yiheng nodded: “Yes.” Then he said with some disappointment: “Seventh Brother doesn’t understand the principle of putting oneself in a desperate position before rebirth. Early this morning, because of Qian Zhihuan’s retirement, he lost his temper with this prince quite thoroughly.”

Liu Chaoming said casually: “You promised to give him the Ministry of Finance, yet his Minister of Finance retires at this time. It’s understandable that he’s anxious.”

“His anxiety is best.” Zhu Yiheng smiled lightly. “However, this prince doesn’t understand Shen Qingyue deeply. There’s a rather thorny question I’d like to consult Lord Liu about. Given Shen Qingyue’s wisdom, in such a situation where he’s completely in the dark, and having been distracted by two feints during the winter hunt, how long would it take him to figure out this first layer of cause and effect floating on the surface?”

Liu Chaoming thought for a moment: “Two or three days, I suppose.”

“So fast?” Zhu Yiheng was startled. He asked again: “What if you add Su Shiyu?”

Liu Chaoming said: “Cut it in half.”

A trace of unusual emotion flashed through Zhu Yiheng’s amber eyes: “This prince thought Su Shiyu had only been involved in court politics for two years. In your eyes, can she actually stand on par with Shen Qingyue?”

Liu Chaoming glanced at him: “Shen Qingyue is exceptionally gifted, but unfortunately relies too much on his cleverness. Since he set foot on this path, there’s been no turning back, yet he fantasizes about reversing fate, using his own strength to contend with the torrential currents of these times. Therefore he will certainly seek answers from the root, calculating how many forces are behind this chaotic game, who are the chess players, who are the strategists, who forms alliances, who harbors ulterior motives.

“Presumably he has already calculated your involvement and is only one step away from the truth. Though this step seems near, it’s actually far, because this person is truly too arrogant. Such arrogance blinds him.

“But Su Shiyu is different. Though she walks close to the Eastern Palace, she remains an observer. She will directly bypass the various forces standing within the chaotic game and work backward from the results of events to find the answers she wants, not bothering to calculate who manipulated what.”

As Liu Chaoming spoke, he laughed once: “This official heard this game has been laid out for ten years. What—will it now fail at the final moment because of Shen and Su?”

Zhu Yiheng set down his teacup, took a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands, and pondered with downcast eyes: “Two or three days cut in half is one day.” Then he turned his head to glance out the window. It was high noon, and the sunlight was intense: “One day is enough.”