Meng Yunxian changed into his official robes before leaving the residence, but before he could board the carriage, someone called out through the thick accumulated snow: “Minister Meng!”

The man wore civilian clothing with a sword at his waist. Meng Yunxian turned around and studied him by the light of the lantern under the eaves. “Who are you?”

“I have something to say.”

The young man seemed wary of the eunuch who had come to the Meng residence to deliver the message. He approached Meng Yunxian’s steward and leaned forward to whisper something.

The steward gasped in shock, letting out an “Ah!” He barely managed to steady himself before hurrying to Meng Yunxian’s side. Avoiding the eunuch, he lowered his voice: “Master, the Vice Commander of the Palace Command, Miao Jingzhen, sent him to deliver a message. The physician Zhang Jian that Duke Luguo found conflicts with the golden elixir that His Majesty has been taking. The Consort forced her way into Qinghe Hall and, while Liang Shenfu and the others weren’t paying attention, crushed the golden elixir into His Majesty’s medicinal soup… Now, Commander Miao has already detained the Consort.”

This brief message revealed implications that were deeply alarming. Meng Yunxian almost immediately understood—Miao Jingzhen must have known what his father, Grand Commandant Miao, had done, but was unwilling to “righteously eliminate his kin,” so he resorted to this desperate measure, gambling his entire family’s lives to protect Prince Jia.

He immediately changed his plans. “Go tell Vice Commander Zhou to detain Huang Zongyu first. Don’t let Huang Zongyu enter the palace before me.”

The steward immediately went to summon someone.

“You may return to the palace first. I will follow shortly,” Meng Yunxian called out to the eunuch.

The eunuch naturally dared not question Meng Yunxian’s affairs. He bowed in acknowledgment and then boarded the carriage.

The sky was dark and heavy. Cold mist drifted through the dim yellow lamplight. Meng Yunxian’s carriage stopped in the middle of the road. Curfew was still in effect, and soldiers from the Attendant Guards Cavalry Command stood in the middle of the street, coldly scrutinizing the carriage.

Ge Rang, clad in armor, pushed through the crowd and walked forward. Just as Meng Yunxian was being helped down from the carriage by his steward, Ge Rang called out, “Minister Meng, I will accompany you into the palace.”

Hearing his vigorous voice, Meng Yunxian looked up to see Ge Rang spread his arms wide as soldiers beside him removed his armor and sword.

“You spent so many years in that bitter, cold land before Huang Zongyu promoted you back to the capital, and now you’ve finally secured the position of Vice Military Commissioner,” Meng Yunxian said as he approached. “Yet tonight you’ve done this thing. Are you throwing away your old life, General Ge?”

“I know that you moved against Liu Tingzhi with the purpose of having me replace him in this position. I also know that you did this to give General Yujie’s case a better chance,”

Ge Rang removed his own wrist guards. “When Prince Jia and the Consort first conspired together, we had already been in contact. But I still held some hope for His Majesty, so I never acted rashly. Every step of your planning has been exquisite. An ordinary person would have died long ago, but why is it that Pan Youfang and Duke Luguo manage to escape every single time? Why can they destroy evidence every single time?”

“That young man named Dong Yao made me understand—General Yujie’s case is a death warrant for those of us who want to overturn the verdict, but for those who committed such evil deeds yet have lived freely for sixteen years, it’s a protective talisman.”

“Look, they can even use this case to kill more people, even to break your heart.”

Ge Rang exhaled white breath. “Tell me, how can such an absurd thing exist in this world? The evildoers can actually find safety through their evil. General Yujie is already dead, yet everything they’ve done continues to insult him!”

“If not for General Yujie, this old man’s life would have ended a dozen years ago, dead on the battlefield, trampled by barbarian horses’ hooves, pecked into a mass of rotten flesh by their hunting falcons…”

Ge Rang gritted his teeth. “I only regret that I didn’t receive that military order back then. If I had known General Yujie’s plan, even without a military order, forget Tan Guangwen—this old man alone would have led my Dingqian Army to flay that Mengtuo alive!”

“In Tai’an Hall, I understood everything. If His Majesty doesn’t want to retry the case, there’s no possibility of retrial. Moreover, His Majesty never liked Prince Jia to begin with. Once the Consort gives birth, Prince Jia will definitely be sent away to Tongzhou again. Then there will be even less chance of overturning General Yujie’s case.”

“It’s just that I never intended to involve Prince Jia in tonight’s affair, but he insisted on it, even threatening my subordinates with a dagger…”

Ge Rang looked somewhat guilty. “Minister Meng, what should we do now?”

“Did you capture Zhang Xin’en?”

Meng Yunxian asked.

“We did.”

“Alive?”

“Alive.”

Meng Yunxian nodded. “Good. Have someone bring him here.”

Though Ge Rang didn’t know Meng Yunxian’s intention, he still turned and ordered Commander Lin of the Tiger Roar Battalion to bring Zhang Xin’en forward.

Zhang Xin’en wore a thin robe with a sword at his waist. He was bound tightly with rope. Rather than looking like a rebel, he appeared to be a refined and handsome scholar. Ge Rang kicked hard at the back of his knees, forcing him to fall to his knees before Meng Yunxian with a thud.

“I was wrong to trust you lackeys of the court! Kill me or cut me up as you please!” Zhang Xin’en raised his head, his face full of resentment.

“Sir appears to be a scholar. How did you become the Vice Hierarch of the Lotus Flower Sect?”

Meng Yunxian stepped forward.

“If the court hadn’t driven people to the point where they couldn’t survive, who would place their hopes in a sect to save them?”

Zhang Xin’en glared at him and laughed coldly. “You people enjoy high official positions and generous salaries, silks and satins, yet you know nothing of the people’s suffering. How many people have had their land seized by you officials and wealthy gentry through various schemes? How many people can’t get enough to eat? Natural disasters, man-made calamities… When people can’t get you officials to save them, naturally they turn to gods and buddhas, hoping heaven will save them instead.”

Meng Yunxian leaned down, staring at him intensely. “Then how is it that you’ve risen to the position of Vice Hierarch, yet still need us to save you?”

Zhang Xin’en suddenly fell silent.

“If one could have high position and generous salary, who would want to be an enemy of the court, isn’t that right, Vice Hierarch Zhang? You hate us people, but you also want to become like us.”

Meng Yunxian’s words were sharp, tearing through Zhang Xin’en’s rhetoric to reveal the true human desire beneath.

“This is also understandable,”

Meng Yunxian continued. “But Vice Hierarch Zhang, you want too many things, yet you don’t necessarily have the ability to obtain them. If you lack ability, then I am the butcher’s knife and chopping block, and you are the fish and meat.”

Zhang Xin’en stared at him. “What do you mean?”

“I want you to confess to a capital crime.”

“What?”

Zhang Xin’en was stunned.

“The person who lured you to Yun Jing was actually Commissioner Pan. He made a deal with you—if you would defect and work with him from the inside to eliminate all the Lotus Flower Sect members participating in the rebellion, he could help you shed your identity as a rebel and even recommend you for an official position at court.”

Meng Yunxian straightened up and spoke slowly. “You were tempted by this, and took the risk of entering Yun Jing city. Little did you know this was all a trap. Commissioner Pan informed Prime Minister Huang, Huang Zongyu, and they agreed to capture you tonight at midnight in the city. Realizing you’d been deceived, you flew into a rage and led disguised sect members to infiltrate the Pan residence. You happened upon Commissioner Pan arguing with Investigating Censor Ding Jin in the main hall. You heard Ding Jin arguing with Commissioner Pan. You didn’t hear the specific details, only that at the end, Ding Jin shouted that if Commissioner Pan didn’t agree to his terms, he would simply submit the indictment he had already written directly to His Majesty.”

Meng Yunxian continued, “You didn’t know what was written in that indictment, nor did you care. You didn’t listen further. You led your men to kill Pan Youfang, and you didn’t spare Ding Jin either.”

Standing nearby, Ge Rang listened with alarm. He stared blankly as Meng Yunxian, in just a few words, pinned the deaths of both Pan Youfang and Ding Jin on Zhang Xin’en.

“Ridiculous! Since I didn’t do it, why should I confess to this capital crime?”

Zhang Xin’en turned his face away.

“What if I told you that confessing to this capital crime would give you a way to live?”

Meng Yunxian said in a deep voice.

Zhang Xin’en started and raised his head. He didn’t know who this person was. After a moment, he snorted coldly: “How do I know you’re not just thinking that since I’m going to die anyway, a few more crimes won’t matter? But I refuse to do as you wish!”

Meng Yunxian suddenly bent down and grabbed his collar. “Zhang Xin’en, you have no choice. If you don’t trust me, you’ll die tonight. If you do trust me, you still have a chance to live. Tell me, what should you choose?”

“I…”

Zhang Xin’en was speechless.

Meng Yunxian had read his thoughts perfectly. He immediately released his grip and turned to Ge Rang. “As for Wu Dai, we’ll say the Lotus Flower Sect members killed him to vent their anger, knowing that His Majesty treasured the Consort.”

“This… will His Majesty really believe it?”

Two court officials dead in one night—Pan Youfang was even an important court minister, and Wu Dai was the Consort’s father. Such an explanation might not suffice.

“News came from the palace that His Majesty is already showing signs of apoplexy.”

Meng Yunxian said in a low voice.

Ge Rang was shocked. “What?!”

“So General Ge, if not for this, I truly wouldn’t be confident I could extricate His Highness from this affair,” Meng Yunxian smiled bitterly. “Right now, what matters most isn’t whether His Majesty believes it or not, but Huang Zongyu. This witness is one I’m giving to Huang Zongyu. If he’s willing to accept Pan Youfang’s death this way, then Wu Dai’s death becomes inconsequential.”

“Where is His Highness? I must escort His Highness back to the palace.”

Not daring to delay, Ge Rang quickly had someone invite Prince Jia from the carriage behind. In the sparse firelight, Meng Yunxian saw Prince Jia covered in blood, his hair disheveled, his face deathly pale, every step he took unsteady.

“Your Highness.”

Seeing him about to fall, Meng Yunxian immediately stepped forward to support him.

Watching Meng Yunxian reach out to remove his outer robe, Prince Jia stood still until the blood-stained garment was thrown to his personal guard Yuan Gang behind him. He slowly bowed: “Minister Meng, I have wronged you.”

“What is Your Highness saying?”

Meng Yunxian and the steward helped him onto the carriage together. In the rumbling of the carriage, he handed Prince Jia a clean outer robe. “Your Highness, change your clothes so we can enter the palace.”

“I have failed you.”

Prince Jia slowly took the clothing, his voice extremely hoarse.

But Meng Yunxian asked him, “Your Highness has been planning today’s events since the day you returned to the capital, haven’t you?”

“Ever since you told me the entire truth, I haven’t slept a peaceful night,” Prince Jia held the clothing without moving. “I vowed to become the person closest to His Majesty.”

“I could marry Miss Wu. I could suppress my disgust through His Majesty’s repeated tests and tell him: Yes, Xu Hexue deserved to be cut to pieces. Yes, my teacher was too foolish. Yes, I was foolish too back then, kowtowing for those two until I got this scar on my forehead…”

Prince Jia’s eyes moistened again, but he was smiling. “Your Majesty, you were not wrong. I was wrong. I was foolish before, but from now on… I will never dare again.”

“Minister Meng, I could say all these words without any grudge. But the more I said them, the clearer it became in my heart that no matter how grave this injustice is to us, His Majesty will absolutely never allow the truth of this case to come to light.”

“Since becoming His Majesty’s adopted son, for as long as I’ve been in the palace, I’ve lived in fear, terrified that I might lose my life at any moment. Court officials use me as a chess piece, moving me back and forth. Every glance His Majesty gives me carries disgust.”

“Only during those years in Tongzhou did my heart truly find peace.”

Prince Jia spoke slowly. “But I knew I couldn’t go back. I didn’t dare go back. My teacher’s death, Ziling’s injustice—they weigh on me until I can barely breathe. But look at me. Since my teacher died, though I was able to stay in Yun Jing by writing liturgical texts, I had no ability whatsoever to investigate Ziling’s case. All of this has always depended on you.”

“You’ve already done so much, but what good are more evidences? Hasn’t Pan Youfang already proven it with those witnesses like Dong Yao? This case cannot be touched.”

“I know you had high hopes for me, but I’m not worthy of such treatment. I was cowardly as a child. Without Ziling, I would have been bullied. Because of him, I suffered much less bullying.”

“Now I have nothing left. This one life is perfect for avenging him. I don’t want to hear anyone insult him anymore. I myself… don’t want to insult him anymore either.”

As a person, one must not be cowardly.

Even if he was born such a cowardly person, he now dared to walk calmly through this desperate situation.

“Your Highness, we haven’t necessarily reached a dead end.”

Meng Yunxian felt uncomfortable. He collected himself. “Please change your clothes quickly, Your Highness. His Majesty has suffered apoplexy. As his adopted son, you should go see him.”

Hearing this, Prince Jia suddenly raised his eyes.

Apoplexy?

The carriage suddenly stopped. Meng Yunxian lifted the curtain and saw Zhou Ting standing not far away. Officers of the Bureau of Forbidden Night had surrounded another carriage tightly.

“Outrageous! Your Bureau of Forbidden Night is truly outrageous!”

Huang Zongyu’s furious roar carried over.

Meng Yunxian was helped down by the steward and walked before Zhou Ting. “Helping me this way—if tonight’s affair fails, you may not keep your life.”

“This subordinate… wants to save those sixty-some people.”

Zhou Ting lowered his head and simply said.

“You’re a good son and soldier.” Meng Yunxian patted his shoulder. Hearing Huang Zongyu’s voice ahead, he said, “I must hurry over. He has quite a temper.”

Zhou Ting said nothing and stepped aside, ordering Chao Yisong and the others to withdraw.

“Old Huang.”

Meng Yunxian saw Huang Zongyu leaning on his cane beside the carriage, his chest heaving with anger, white vapor continuously puffing from his mouth.

“Meng Zhuo!”

Seeing the Bureau of Forbidden Night people withdraw, Huang Zongyu’s face turned iron-blue. “What are you trying to do? What do you want to do!”

“You’ve heard about Pan Youfang and Wu Dai, haven’t you?”

Meng Yunxian walked before him.

As Military Commissioner, how could Huang Zongyu not know? Even before the summons from the palace, he had received the news. “Ge Rang has gone mad! Have you gone mad too?!”

“Call back the people you sent to arrest Ge Rang.” Meng Yunxian spoke bluntly.

“Are you planning rebellion?!”

Huang Zongyu raised his hand, pointing at him with trembling fingers.

But Meng Yunxian smiled. “You don’t seem to quite understand the current situation. Why don’t I clarify it for you? The order to have the Attendant Guards Cavalry Command search for Zhang Xin’en—that was your order, wasn’t it?”

“What of it if it was mine?”

“That means Ge Rang only caused this commotion tonight because he followed your orders.”

“I ordered him to search for Zhang Xin’en. I didn’t order him to kill court officials! This is a grave crime! A capital crime!”

“But Commissioner Pan and Ding Jin were clearly killed by Zhang Xin’en.” Meng Yunxian stopped before him.

“What?”

Huang Zongyu still wasn’t clear on the specifics. He had only heard news from the palace that His Majesty had suffered apoplexy, so he couldn’t attend to other matters and rushed toward the palace. “Don’t think you can deceive me! The people at the Pan residence are all Ge Rang’s former subordinates, men of the Dingqian Army. They clearly wanted to avenge General Yujie…”

“Old Huang, listen to me.”

Meng Yunxian interrupted him. “Zhang Xin’en has already confessed. It was Pan Youfang who lured him into the city. It was also Pan Youfang who informed you of this matter. When he entered the city and realized something was wrong, knowing he couldn’t survive, he broke the pot and smashed it, leading men to storm the Pan residence. He happened upon Commissioner Pan and Ding Jin talking in the main hall, so he killed them both.”

“Nonsense! Ge Rang clearly told me…”

Huang Zongyu’s words stopped abruptly. Meeting Meng Yunxian’s sharp eyes, he said, “You… you’re using this witness to force me?”

“If it was Commissioner Pan, this matter would have no impact on you. But if it was Ge Rang…” Meng Yunxian smiled slightly. “Old Huang, Ge Rang is someone you promoted from the bottom ranks all the way up. If something happens to him, I’m afraid you won’t be able to escape the connection?”

Huang Zongyu gritted his teeth. “Meng Zhuo, you…”

“Old Huang, Ge Rang is someone who’s not afraid of death. You surely know this. If you don’t let him off today, when he gives his testimony, he might not let you off either. Whether you actually did it or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that if someone believes it, you won’t be able to clear yourself.”

Meng Yunxian watched Huang Zongyu’s expression grow increasingly ugly. He stopped this line of conversation at an opportune moment, then looked back at Zhou Ting and the others. After they withdrew some distance, Meng Yunxian lowered his voice: “You probably don’t know yet—the Consort intended to harm His Majesty and has already been detained by the Palace Command.”

“…What did you say?!”

Huang Zongyu’s eyes widened.

“You left in more of a hurry than I did, so you probably didn’t receive this news. His Majesty took Zhang Jian’s medicine, which meant he couldn’t continue taking the golden elixir. But the Consort ground the golden elixir into powder and mixed it into His Majesty’s medicinal soup.”

“She actually dared to do such a thing?!”

“Weren’t you investigating that medical officer surnamed Wang? Did you actually search out anything belonging to the Consort from his home? If she had no guilty conscience, why would she try to harm His Majesty while Prince Jia wasn’t in the palace? Tonight Prince Jia was also attacked outside!”

Huang Zongyu indeed grew nervous. “How is Prince Jia?”

“My people saved Prince Jia.”

Meng Yunxian looked back at the carriage. “He’s in the carriage. He’s been badly frightened and can’t speak right now.”

Huang Zongyu was not someone who would believe everything Meng Yunxian said. “His Highness was clearly old friends with that Xu Hexue. Tonight’s affair…”

He suspected Prince Jia was also involved in this matter!

“Old Huang, His Majesty’s health has been poor lately, and now he’s suffered apoplexy. It’s time for you to think about which path you’ll take. But I must remind you—the Consort’s unborn child has questionable bloodline and unknown gender, while Prince Jia is the son of His Majesty’s own brother, an adopted son acknowledged by His Majesty’s golden words. If you make one wrong step and take the wrong path, leaving only the Yaoxian branch, wouldn’t you be failing His Majesty?”

Huang Zongyu’s heart stirred. If the Consort’s unborn child truly wasn’t His Majesty’s, wouldn’t the Great Qi imperial bloodline be in chaos?

If he didn’t consider Prince Jia today, and Prince Jia became implicated in this affair, then who would inherit the throne? The Taizu branch from Yaoxian?

“The Taizu branch from Yaoxian has already accepted Duke Luguo’s favor. They won’t accept yours.” Meng Yunxian suddenly spoke.

Hearing this, Huang Zongyu’s heart shook.

Duke Luguo…

He had already done this so early?

As Huang Zongyu was contemplating this carefully, he heard the sound of a blade sliding from its sheath. Then a sword was laid across his neck. Huang Zongyu was shocked. “Meng Zhuo, are you going to kill me too?!”

“You should also know that I, Meng Yunxian, originally came from the military. All these years, this soldier’s coarseness of mine isn’t something that can be hidden by wearing these civil official robes.”

Meng Yunxian pressed the blade closer to his neck. “Old Huang, today let’s speak plainly. If you’re willing to walk the same path as me and protect Prince Jia, we’ll enter the palace together. But if you insist on putting Prince Jia to death, whether for Prince Jia’s sake or for our own lives, we’ll have to fight to mutual destruction with you.”

“Old Huang, I sincerely advise you—never do business at a loss.”