Although half of the Daqiu embassy had burned down, Ke Na refused to relocate elsewhere.
The fire had occurred on New Year’s Eve, and the nearby common folk whispered secretly, saying that Daqiu had committed evil deeds and Heaven had sent down punishment.
Precisely because they needed to prove that they, the Daqiu people, were descendants of the Wolf God and that unifying the world was their rightful destiny, Ke Na merely reorganized the luggage. Everyone squeezed together—they couldn’t let people laugh at them for fleeing in disgrace.
“Your Majesty should leave Great Zhou as soon as possible. The embassy fire was truly suspicious. Moreover, now that Great Zhou has discovered the theft of their defense deployment maps, they will surely suspect us. Though they dare not investigate openly, who knows how many spies they’ve secretly dispatched? Your Majesty took the risk of shooting for the bell on New Year’s Eve—this old minister fears it fell into the eyes of those with ulterior motives. Even if no one recognized you, there’s no guarantee that Song Mo Zi won’t tell. She is now a female official of Great Zhou, and in this old minister’s view, she seems to have completely sided with them. She absolutely cannot be trusted.” Ke Na also disliked Mo Zi. Like the other princes and nobles, he believed this woman brought calamity to the nation.
“Ke Na, watch your words. How can a subject directly address the Queen by name?” Wu Yan was displeased.
“Your Majesty, this woman shot down the bell from your hand—clearly she has made her resolute decision. Even if loyal words offend the ear, this old minister must speak the truth. This woman is unworthy of being Queen. Han women are base and lowly. If she enters the palace, disaster will surely follow. If Your Majesty insists on having your way, it will only alienate the hearts of the princes and nobles of all tribes.” Ke Na continued stubbornly.
“I thought I had made myself sufficiently clear. The Song clan has rendered meritorious service to the state, and his daughter’s achievements surpass those of her father and brothers. Daqiu’s warships traversed the waters of Yuling—without her, could we have succeeded? Don’t take the benefits and forget gratitude. What’s wrong with Han women? Under Daqiu’s rule are tens of millions of Han people. If I marry a Han woman as Queen, the people’s hearts can be won. Could it be that Ke Na believes that after Daqiu conquers the world, we should still regard Han people as inferior? In such a vast realm, without winning the people’s hearts, that would truly be courting our own destruction. Right now, to achieve victory through smaller numbers, our methods must be ruthless. Mo Zi is intelligent and benevolent—she can help me win over the Han people. The key to future victory lies precisely in this.” Wu Yan swept his cold gaze over them. “If Ke Na insults the Queen again in the future, then resign your post and return home to retire.”
Ke Na said no more and turned to leave. But at the doorway, he saw his daughter Yue Ying bringing tea and refreshments, and his old eyes narrowed slightly.
“Ying’er, after His Majesty entered the capital, did he summon you to attend his bedchamber?”
Daqiu customs regarding relations between men and women were open—if compatible they joined, if incompatible they parted. Apart from the legitimate wife who required proper wedding rites, even noble daughters, if becoming side wives or concubines, needed only to ride a horse into the husband’s family to be considered married. Yue Ying had accompanied him on this diplomatic mission to Great Zhou ostensibly to gain experience. After all, Xiang’er had already become an imperial consort. Even if the Ke Na clan sent another daughter into the palace, he had never planned to let Ying’er go, because he knew the two sisters got along very poorly.
However, he hadn’t expected that Ying’er had long harbored feelings for the King. Not long after their departure, Ying’er had thrown herself into the King’s arms when he was drunk, and they had already become intimate. At the time, Ying’er said it was merely playful and told him not to intervene on her behalf. But after New Year’s Eve, she suddenly changed her mind and asked him to reserve the Ke Na family’s other palace entry slot for her. Both daughters were his flesh and blood—he only hoped the sisters could prioritize the larger picture.
“His eyes and heart contain only Elder Sister Song—where would there be any spare affection? However, your daughter doesn’t blame him. To compete jealously at such a time would only invite resentment. Father, please don’t speak ill of Elder Sister Song either. She possesses supernatural abilities and also superb shipbuilding techniques. Though Elder Sister Xiang’er has learned a thing or two, it’s merely superficial—she truly cannot compare to her. The days ahead are long—why spoil His Majesty’s mood over such trifles and affect Daqiu’s great enterprise?” Yue Ying advised obediently.
Ke Na thought for a moment, nodded, and patted her. “In this regard, you’re cleverer than your sister. She sometimes acts too impulsively—quite like my own bad habit. Ying’er, I will send you into the palace. Prepare yourself.”
Yue Ying’s eyes sparkled with radiance as she curtsied gracefully to her father. “Thank you for making this possible, Father.”
After Ke Na left, Yue Ying entered Wu Yan’s room and saw him staring blankly at an old, worn comb. She immediately understood it was Song Mo Zi’s old possession. So she deliberately made her footsteps audible.
Wu Yan glanced at her and tucked the comb into his robe. “No need to bring anything more in. I won’t eat.”
Yue Ying didn’t try to persuade him. She acknowledged with a sound, her slender willow-like waist turning back as if talking to herself. “Elder Sister Song refuses to return to His Majesty’s side, most likely because her father and brothers were murdered and someone is hunting both her and her younger sister. Among us, someone has been scheming deliberately to put her to death. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to come back either.”
“Yue Ying, what do you know?” Wu Yan called her back.
“I don’t know much. The other party’s status is noble—if I’m not careful, they’ll say I’m fabricating things and kill me to silence me without regard for past relationships.” Yue Ying smiled secretly, but when she turned back, her expression was serious.
“I will protect you. Who would dare make a move?” Wu Yan was someone with deep schemes—he didn’t trust Yue Ying, but he still wanted to hear what she had to say.
“I don’t need to say it directly. I’ll just ask: who introduced Hu Wei to Your Majesty?” Hu Wei had concealed Mo Zi’s whereabouts—Yue Ying had learned this from her father. “I’ll ask another question: besides Your Majesty, who else knew where the secret correspondence between you and the Song family father and sons was kept?”
“It was… Xiang’er.” Wu Yan’s brow immediately furrowed.
“Huh? This first question—it was indeed my sister. But this second question—I don’t know anything about it at all.” Yue Ying feigned shock and dropped to her knees with a thud. “I merely wanted to remind Your Majesty of these two suspicious points. I had no intention of maliciously slandering my sister.”
Wu Yan was in an extremely foul mood and said to Yue Ying, “Don’t speak of this matter to anyone. You may leave.”
Yue Ying quickly assented, rose, and withdrew.
Song Mo Zi had said that a ruler’s affection cannot be forced—one can only go with the flow, hiding needles in silk, appearing to seek and desire nothing on the surface, then gradually obtaining everything. Yue Ying thought she was right. As for the position of Queen, if Song Mo Zi didn’t want it, she would take it herself and infuriate that proud Elder Sister of hers.
Someone came in through the window. Wu Yan looked at the dark shadow. “How did they handle the matter?”
“Your Majesty, they were all killed—not one left alive.” The shadow trembled slightly.
“Killed by whom? Mo Zi?” Impossible. She couldn’t possibly kill anyone with her own hands. He had calculated everything—this scheme was only meant to ruin her reputation.
“Unknown. When Miss Song was being pursued, she encountered two officials, one civil and one military—an unforeseen variable. Also…” The dark shadow served as the scout in operations, only responsible for delivering messages. “Your Majesty, did you dispatch two additional men? These two also used bows and arrows, but every arrow aimed at Miss Song’s vital points. If that civil official hadn’t blocked one arrow for her, she would have lost her life.”
“I sent no additional men!” Wu Yan slammed his fist heavily on the table, his expression dark. “To dare repeatedly attempt to kill her, even mixing in among my people. It seems the soft-hearted one isn’t Mo Zi but me. What about those two men?”
“Dead.” The dark shadow prostrated motionless on the ground. “Originally, they were to capture the three alive. That person instructed that the Court of Judicial Review matter has been completely resolved. However, he sent word that Your Majesty should temporarily avoid causing any more disturbances, or else exposing him would make great achievements difficult. As for Miss Song, he will find a way to return her himself.”
Wu Yan waved his hand, and the shadow immediately fell silent. “I trust myself more. At this point, only one person can make her change her mind.”
The shadow was Wu Yan’s most loyal subordinate and had already understood his meaning. “Miss Song Er still resides at Willow Garden. Your Majesty, should I have them go fetch her?”
“No, I’ll go myself.” Wu Yan picked up the tea Yue Ying had brought and took a sip.
The fragrance of orchids, still warm.
By the final day of the Grand Master Artisan examination, the weather was clear and the north wind laughed boisterously.
The examination ground was set up at Autumn Splendor Grounds. Originally a royal hunting area for wild rabbits in the grasslands, it was now surrounded by tents of various sizes where the Emperor, judges, and invited guests could sit comfortably. In the center, a large wooden platform had been erected on a flat depression—this was where the master artisans would shortly demonstrate their superb skills. On either side of the wooden platform stood a tent, serving respectively as rest areas for Ministry of Works officials and the contestants.
However, this so-called Ministry of Works officials’ rest area was exceptionally quiet this year, with no one coming and going.
The ritual official with an inverted-melon face, drooping mustache, drooping eyebrows, and drooping eyes—a mere ninth-rank official—actually looked down on Mo Zi and lamented his misfortune there with groans.
Ding Gou threw a wooden block at his forehead, glared at him to be quiet, then said to Mo Zi, who was looking around, “Did that fatty Zheng and old man Qi abandon you and run off to avoid being implicated by you and losing their official caps?”
“There are more people here to watch the excitement today than at the New Year’s Eve banquet last time.” Mo Zi pointed at a certain tent, excited and utterly carefree. “So many noble ladies!”
“Already married—not interested.” Ding Gou loved to pour cold water on things.
Pfft—Zan Jin spat out a mouthful of tea, spraying Ding Gou’s face.
Ding Gou grimaced in disgust. “Surname Zan, you’re taking revenge!”
Zan Jin scoffed at him. “Anyone with eyes can see I’m taking revenge. Otherwise, why would I deliberately circle half the tent to spray you?”
Ding Gou bared his teeth, howling as he lunged forward.
Zan Jin didn’t lose in fights—both arms raised, he reached over to grapple.
Don’t misunderstand—the two didn’t have any deep hatred. On the contrary, their coordination was gradually improving, and they could entrust each other with their backs.
As Mo Zi was considering whether to find two meat skewers to separate them, Zheng Wen came running in.
Because he had rushed too urgently, for a moment he couldn’t speak and just stuck out his tongue panting. And after this brief moment, Grand Academician Qi Xiu—no, Grand Scholar—slowly entered, hands clasped behind his back, proceeding deliberately as if composing an essay.
This worked out well—a form of synchronization.
Mo Zi waited until both were looking at her, then asked, “Did you find them?”
Find what?
Find the other two Grand Master Artisans.
Since receiving this assignment from the Emperor, Mo Zi had planned to visit them, but had come up empty two days in a row. Today the questions were to be set, and the three of them still hadn’t communicated. No need to ask—those two had also been bribed and were planning to make things difficult for her.
“Becoming famous in a high-profile manner?” Mo Zi snorted coldly. “Truly couldn’t be a better opportunity.”
“Miss Song, what are you saying?” Zheng Wen appeared concerned.
Mo Zi was now very wary of honest-looking faces. Unconsciously, she turned around, her back to them, and asked coldly again, “Did you find them?”
“They said they’d be here soon.” Zheng Wen chuckled twice.
It wasn’t schadenfreude—he was just naive. Mo Zi listened repeatedly and maintained this conclusion. Ranked near the bottom among the presented scholars, from a decent family background, not the legitimate eldest son—becoming an official just added some prestige to the family. Her first impression was that he was clever, but after a few days of interaction, she discovered this naive straightforwardness.
“‘Be here soon’ means that when the drum sounds on the platform and you go up, they’ll definitely appear in time. As for setting questions, don’t count on it.” Scholar Qi’s speech to her remained icy cold. “You’d best have your own preparations, or else wait to go up there and be laughed at.” But within the coldness lay truth.
Boom—the drum sounded.
This time, she was the lead performer.