The dark chamber was cold and damp. Liu Chaoming seemed to hear something amusing and said mockingly: “What’s this? Before asking me, why don’t you first ask yourself—where exactly is your ‘justice’?”

He took a torch from an Embroidered Uniform Guard’s hand and swept his eyes over them.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards understood and withdrew from the dark chamber.

Liu Chaoming said: “Supporting the state? Relieving the common people? Then what are you doing here today?” He placed the torch on a brazier elevated in the corner, saying casually as he did so: “Didn’t you look carefully at the case files Yan Xiu sent the day before yesterday? In the capital suburbs, a seventh-rank county magistrate incited his subordinates to cause trouble, and the investigation led to the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. Since Censor Su is so righteous and severe, why didn’t you personally investigate? Was it enough to merely dispatch a seventh-rank censor to question the case? Could it be that Censor Su has forgotten that inspecting officials and upholding law and order is your proper duty—not being here, before this official, venting anger on behalf of your so-called close friend?”

Fierce flames rose vigorously from the braziers at the four corners, illuminating the entire dark chamber brightly and thoroughly.

Liu Chaoming tossed the torch into a water vat at the side: “Besides, is Shen Qingyue so innocent? Isn’t the crime of harboring criminals he committed a fact? He knew about Qian Zhihuan embezzling tax grain seven years ago. In seven years, he rose steadily from an eighth-rank Records Officer to a third-rank Vice Minister of Revenue. He held evidence in his hands—who knows how much—enough to impeach Qian Zhihuan, yet he remained indifferent. Why? Wasn’t it because he wanted to leave himself a way out for his own private interests?”

“What about Minister Shen?” Su Jin said word by word. “Minister Shen is upright and incorruptible. He committed no embezzlement yet was falsely accused of embezzlement by you and Qian Yueqian. Is Lord Liu going to tell me that framing important court ministers to balance the situation is also part of a censor’s proper duty?”

“Since you can say the words ‘balance the situation,’ you should know that you and I are both within this game now. Being upright and incorruptible for the people’s livelihood—that’s his duty as an official. But setting aside the people’s livelihood, from the day he supported Zhu Minda, what did he do using his authority as Minister of Justice?” Liu Chaoming said. “In such a court situation, no one is clean. Once you’ve chosen your position, then it’s success or failure, victor or vanquished. Today it’s Zhu Zhaowei who holds power, so the Shen family suffers disaster. If it were Zhu Minda enthroned instead, I’m afraid nothing short of executing Qian Zhihuan’s and Zeng Youliang’s nine familial relations would satisfy him.”

Su Jin said: “Wasn’t the Shen family’s disaster precisely because Lord Liu fanned the flames from within? Minister Shen is at least upright. As a censor acting in such a manner, can Lord Liu claim to deserve the words ‘fulfill duty with loyalty’?”

Liu Chaoming laughed: “What do the words ‘loyalty’ and ‘treachery’ have to do with me? Why should I need to justify to you whether I fulfill my duties? Who told you that I, Liu Yun, have no position and should remain independent and aloof in this situation? And to whom does your so-called ‘loyalty’ show loyalty? Su Shiyu, ask yourself honestly—you’re standing here today questioning me, isn’t it also because you stand in the Eastern Palace’s position? Before this, you did your utmost to plan for the Eastern Palace. Could it be that in your heart, Zhu Minda is an enlightened ruler, and you show ‘loyalty’ to him not because of your personal friendships with Zhu Nanxian and Shen Qingyue?”

“My so-called loyalty,” Su Jin looked unwaveringly at Liu Chaoming, “is loyalty to heaven, loyalty to the common people, loyalty to the righteous path, loyalty to my true heart.”

“And then conveniently be loyal to that crown prince who is extremely similar to Zhu Jingyuan—tyrannical, forever placing his own dynasty before the common people? Don’t you find it hypocritical and blindly obedient, contradictory and ridiculous?” Liu Chaoming said. “Why are you just like Shen Qingyue—insatiably greedy?”

He looked at Su Jin and said coolly: “Do you know why Shen Qingyue willingly accepted eighty strokes of the rod today?”

“Why?”

“Because he figured it out. He believes he deserves to die.” Liu Chaoming said. “As early as when Shen Jing married Zhu Minda and the Shen family firmly aligned with the Eastern Palace, Shen Qingyue had already set foot on a path of no return. But he wasn’t willing to accept it. Behind him a cliff wall rose a thousand fathoms high, deep abysses yawned ten thousand fathoms on both sides, yet he relied on his own cleverness, thinking he could find a second way out. It would have been fine if he didn’t forge straight ahead, but he kept maneuvering and turning, destroying his own opportunities.

“Actually, with Shen Qingyue’s matchless intelligence and cunning, he could have brought down Qian Zhihuan the very year he was promoted to Vice Minister. Two years ago at the Ma family affair, if he could have struck more ruthlessly, the Ministry of Personnel today wouldn’t be under Zeng Youliang’s control. When Heaven offers but you don’t take, you must suffer the consequences. The Eastern Palace was originally in an excellent position, but Shen Qingyue kept looking for escape routes everywhere, leaving leeway in everything. Think carefully—were the escape routes he sought truly paths of survival for the Shen family, for his family members? No, he left them for himself, for his still clear and compassionate true heart because he was truly too clever.

“He knew Zhu Minda wasn’t the choice of an enlightened ruler. While supporting him to take power, he simultaneously hoped the realm wouldn’t be his, which instead let others exploit the opening. Now that his family is destroyed and his loved ones dead, only now does he regret it. He realizes that if originally he had wholeheartedly assisted Zhu Minda without so many clever thoughts, perhaps the Shen family and even the entire Eastern Palace household would still be happy and harmonious today. So he reflects and blames himself, feeling that Shen Jing’s death and Shen Tuo’s exile were caused by his own hesitation and indecision. So he feels he deserves to die and volunteers for eighty strokes of the rod to end it all.”

Su Jin looked steadily at Liu Chaoming: “A dead-end path beneath his feet, cliffs beside him—Lord Shen had no choice. Is it wrong that because of a trace of good intention in his heart, he’s now fallen to this state where his life or death is unknown?”

“Good intention?” Liu Chaoming laughed again. “Being in the midst of the whirlpool, this so-called good intention—wash it in these turbid waters and it turns into evil intention, just like Zhu Nanxian.”

Su Jin’s heart tightened.

“He was born the legitimate thirteenth son of the imperial family and received Emperor Zhu Jingyuan’s greatest favoritism. He was indeed open and upright, sincere and bright. But having grown up in the palace since childhood, could he not understand what enfeoffment and territorial division meant? Could he not see what Zhu Minda and Zhu Zhaowei had been fighting over all these years? Could he not know what Shen Qingyue had been planning and managing all these years? He knew it all. He was just too lazy to think about it. He detested his brothers fighting each other, detested the struggle for heir designation. Not until these past two years did he suddenly awaken, only to discover that without power in hand, the sword in his palm was nothing but scrap metal. He couldn’t protect those he wanted to protect, and what he possessed would also be in imminent danger.

“Actually, Zhu Nanxian’s clarity of thought surpasses many of his brothers. His military leadership is outstanding—he’s no less than commander material. The only problem is he was born into an imperial family and is the offspring of the legitimate empress. He was already at the very center of the whirlpool yet deluded himself that he could avoid the struggle. But it was precisely this ‘good intention’ of avoiding struggle that made things difficult for his stubborn, self-willed eldest brother who lacked popular support. To support a world for the three brothers under one roof, he faced all weapons of war alone. And when Zhu Nanxian finally cast aside his so-called ‘good intention’ and hurried to stand shoulder to shoulder with his eldest imperial brother, it was already too late.”

Night had grown deep. Outside, the moon was bright and stars sparse. A thread of moonlight penetrated through the high window and fell indoors, only to be burned into scattered fragments by the fierce flames filling the chamber.

Su Jin opened her mouth, wanting to offer a defense for Shen Xi and Zhu Nanxian. She felt Shen Xi wasn’t wrong to leave room because of his good intentions, and she also felt Zhu Nanxian wasn’t wrong to avoid struggle because of his good intentions. Even at this very moment, standing here, wanting to reclaim justice and clear the Shen family’s name—she wasn’t wrong either.

But what use would her defense be?

Su Jin felt Liu Chaoming was at least right about one thing—with imperial power divided and factions standing in force, she was deeply trapped in the whirlpool and already had her own position. And since she stood in her own position, she shouldn’t argue with him about what constitutes righteousness or goodness.

Being in the whirlpool, one should follow the whirlpool’s rules.

But could her so-called “justice” and his so-called “justice” only exist outside this whirlpool?

Su Jin felt as if she had struck a reef on her boat journey and was swept to the bottom by an undercurrent.

Her heart was shrouded in mist, the mortal world filled with wind and rain. She had once glimpsed a trace of moonlight from the dark night and rowed her boat with all her might, ferrying across thousands upon thousands of miles. But now was she watching this trace of moonlight scatter with the firelight, transforming into a mere mirage?

Su Jin said softly: “Where the Way lies, though a thousand or ten thousand oppose me, I shall go. Where is the Way in your heart, my lord?”

Liu Chaoming looked away: “You and I already follow different Ways.”

Su Jin said: “Years ago when Xu Yuanzhe died unjustly, you used the old censor’s words to inspire me. You told me that as a censor, I could only face such setbacks and adversities directly. Even if everything before my eyes was absurd, I should be like the old censor—rowing a boat through the dark night, heading only toward the bright moon. Your words still ring in my ears—” She paused, then said word by word, “Your words still ring in my ears. Where is the bright moon from back then? I took you for a fellow traveler. And you? Have you been deceiving me this entire time?!”

“Go ahead and consider that I’ve been deceiving you.” Liu Chaoming said. Eyes like cold jade suddenly flashed with firelight. “I’d also like to ask—where did that Su Shiyu go who was filled with righteous indignation when the scholars rioted? Where did that Su Shiyu go who was unwilling and resentful when Xu Yuanzhe died? At that time, didn’t you harbor hatred toward that lofty person in power? When you later worked so hard planning for the Eastern Palace, did you forget what kind of person Zhu Minda is? Does he have even a shred of sympathy for those innocent scholars who died unjustly, for those righteous men who went heroically to their deaths? He doesn’t. He only thinks about how to use this matter to strike at Zhu Zhaowei and properly consolidate his crown prince position. Your grandfather was Prime Minister Xie. You personally experienced the tragic state when the prime ministership was abolished. Do you want to support someone like Zhu Minda to take power so that killing meritorious officials and executing scholars can happen again?

“Moreover, right now princes hold divided territories, Guangxi has suffered natural disasters year after year, bandits rise everywhere in Lingnan, the people have no means of livelihood, and in the northern border, the Eastern Sea, and the northwestern frontier, foreign enemies eye us covetously. After executing meritorious officials back then, how many capable military commanders remained? Tell me, if Zhu Minda takes power, will he expel foreign threats or pacify internal affairs—or will securing his dragon throne be most important? Zhu Nanxian is indeed commander material, but before he returned to Nanchang, didn’t Zhu Minda order him to organize troops in Nanchang and stand ready—to enter the capital to provide imperial support if Zhu Zhaowei attacked, and not to leave casually otherwise? Did he permit him to go campaign in the northwest?”

When Liu Chaoming reached this point, he suddenly softened his tone and smiled with apparent indifference: “Naturally, I’m no good person either. You can feel my methods are despicable, filthy and foul, going against the natural order. You can consider that I used the old censor’s reputation to deceive you—that’s fine. I framed Shen Tuo—I did that. Zhu Zhaowei wanted to kill Zhu Minda—I did know beforehand. No need to explain. Since you and I already walk different paths, from now on, you walk your broad highway, I cross my single-plank…”

His words cut off abruptly, and the mocking smile at the corner of his mouth also suddenly froze.

Because Liu Chaoming saw tears roll from the depths of Su Jin’s eyes, slide down her cheeks leaving a shallow trace, then fall to the ground with a “pat.”

It turned out those tears had been gathering in her eyes for a very long time. She had only been desperately clenching her fists, desperately holding on without blinking, to prevent the tears from falling.

Unfortunately, once the first tear fell, her eyes were like a broken dam—in an instant, more tears burst forth.

Yet despite tears falling like broken strings of rain, Su Jin bit down hard on her jaw, biting until her entire body trembled slightly, without making a single sound.

Su Jin herself knew why she was crying.

She thought she finally couldn’t hold on anymore. Since the Zhaojue Temple incident, she had traveled around in all directions, unable to sleep at night, yet all in vain. Zhu Nanxian remained seriously injured with his life hanging by a thread. Shen Xi had suffered every humiliation and his life or death was even more uncertain. And now even the bright moon suspended high in her heart was about to fall?

She looked at Liu Chaoming through her tears and suddenly felt it was laughable.

She had never even met Old Censor Meng. Actually, even before today, what she imagined a censor should be like in her heart was never the old censor, but Liu Chaoming.

So she would rather believe his strategic illness was just to remove himself from affairs, and that holding extreme power was only to balance against Zhu Zhaowei.

She had seen his unyielding integrity when deciding cases, seen his rigorous meticulousness when conducting interrogations. She knew he was diligent and self-disciplined, working late and sleeping little. She even felt his near-heartless severity was good.

At that time, Su Jin had thought she should also become such a censor.

However, having rowed the boat until now and suddenly seeing the chamber full of firelight, she discovered the guide was not the person beneath the moon.

He stood dignified in the shadows where the firelight couldn’t reach, standing at the center of the whirlpool, standing in the deepest, darkest place of the night.

And the person beneath the moon who had originally made her urgently row her boat forward was merely an illusion.

Liu Chaoming stared blankly as Su Jin’s eyes gradually darkened through the tears. He watched her lower her eyelids and stop speaking, then turn around, push open the dark chamber door, and slowly walk out.

Liu Chaoming only felt his chest was empty and desolate, as if wind was leaking through, and as if someone had used a knife to split mountains and sever seas, cutting off all the thoughts in his heart completely—suddenly, he had no thoughts at all.

After quite a while, he finally moved, his footsteps seemingly beyond his control as he walked toward the outside of the dark chamber.

It turned out Su Jin hadn’t gone far.

She was crouching under an old tree in the middle courtyard, raising the back of her hand, again and again, slowly wiping away her tears.

Liu Chaoming felt as if he were nailed to the spot—unable to go forward, also unable to retreat. But every time she wiped away a tear, he felt someone taking meridian nails and driving them one by one into his heart.

Su Jin felt she wasn’t sad. She was just too disappointed, too afraid. She was actually very afraid that if the Eastern Palace’s protection failed and Zhu Nanxian died, what would she do? She was also afraid that if the Imperial Medical Bureau’s treatment came too late and Shen Xi couldn’t wake up, what should she do then? She didn’t even know how, in such a court system, in such a perilous situation, she should guard that aspiration to be loyal to heaven, loyal to her true heart, and petition for the people’s livelihood. She had said she would never regret this aspiration in this life, but now trapped in this whirlpool, she could barely breathe.

In a person’s life, one will always encounter such desperate situations. You look around in all directions and discover there’s no one to rely on, no one dependable by your side—even the beliefs in your heart have completely collapsed. At such times, the only thing you can rely on are your own two feet beneath you. You must support yourself and slowly stand up alone, then tell yourself not to think too much, you cannot think too much—you must walk on, keep walking on.

Fortunately, when Prime Minister Xie passed away years ago, Su Jin had already encountered such a desperate situation once.

At that time, she had hidden in a haystack heavy with the smell of rotting corpses, letting the cart driver pull her away from her former residence. Then she had fallen off the ox cart by herself and crouched alone under an old tree beside a desolate path, crying for a full day and night.

Then she knew that grief was pointless, sorrow and resentment were pointless, and being irresolute and indecisive was even more pointless.

In a person’s life, one can only move forward.

The tear stains on her face gradually dried, and no new tears welled up from the depths of her eyes. Su Jin slowly stood up. She seemed to know Liu Chaoming was standing not far away, but she didn’t look at him. Instead, she gazed straight ahead and said: “The aspiration I made back then, Shiyu will guard herself; the bright moon obscured by clouds, Shiyu will take her boat to seek it.”

“Your lofty aspirations, my lord—forgive Shiyu for not understanding them. But Shiyu has understood your words, my lord.”

“From this day forward, between you and me, there is no righteous path, no great righteousness, no common people or true heart—there is only position.”

Having finished speaking, Su Jin turned and headed toward the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The Golden Guards standing watch at the Imperial Medical Bureau hadn’t yet come to inform her, but she felt she couldn’t stay at this Imperial Censorate even one moment longer.

The night was heavy, yet not dark. During the days of national mourning, the entire palace compound was clothed in plain white. Even the lanterns hanging beneath the towers and pavilions were white. Looking from afar, it was as if someone had lit cluster after cluster of wildfire on the still unmelted snow.

When Su Jin reached the Imperial Medical Bureau, she saw Medical Officer Fang Xu just withdrawing from the heated pavilion in the inner chamber. Upon seeing her, he bowed and said: “Lord Su.”

Su Jin saw what seemed to be a worried expression on his face. Her heart sank as she asked: “Lord Fang, how is Lord Shen?”

Fang Xu said: “When this humble official had finished applying medicine for Lord Shen, he did wake once. But he only opened his eyes—somehow, when spoken to, it was as if he had no response. This humble official feared he either couldn’t hear or couldn’t see, so took the liberty of mentioning the Crown Princess. Afterward, Lord Shen closed his eyes, and no matter how we called, we couldn’t wake him.”