Outside Qianfang Hall, the sky was dim and overcast.
The officials who had just been summoned by the Emperor were now slowly filing out. Some were drenched in sweat, their legs so weak they could barely walk. Others had their souls wandering elsewhere, so absent-minded that they missed the inner official’s warning of “mind the step” and nearly tumbled straight down the white marble stairs.
The Empress stood to the left, the Grand Preceptor to the right. Those behind them watched the two of them, not a single person daring to walk past.
Yu Qiushi had just received a stern dressing-down from Song Lan, yet he was unhurried and unruffled, his expression as composed as ever.
Inside the hall, those from the Silver Terrace Division who had followed behind him had been frightened half out of their wits, yet the Grand Preceptor remained entirely calm, and with just a few words smoothed over the emotionally volatile young Emperor, then produced a prepared-sounding set of explanations.
If not for that, today’s matter would certainly not have been resolved so simply.
Yu Qiushi strolled leisurely ahead, and noticing that Luowei had fallen a few steps behind, he suddenly stopped and turned to look at her, saying with deliberate weight: “He is remarkably loyal to Your Highness.”
Luowei replied with surprise: “I do not understand what the Grand Preceptor means.”
Yu Qiushi raised an eyebrow: “Your Highness is not afraid I will inform the Emperor.”
Luowei paid him no mind, occupied only with examining her own fingertips. The color of the dye that Yan Luo had applied for her last time had already faded by more than half. She thought of Yan Luo, and reflected that by now Yan Lang should have settled her in the military camp.
Although that place was not suited for a woman to recuperate, traveling with Yan Lang’s troops under the guise of a soldier to leave the city was certainly the safest option for now. When the day came for Yan Lang to return to You Prefecture, he would take her along — that would be the most thorough plan.
Having thought this through, she suddenly realized she had not yet answered Yu Qiushi: “Inform the Emperor? The Grand Preceptor jests.”
The two of them were not close to the other officials, and no one had the audacity to eavesdrop on their conversation. The onlookers only saw the two of them standing facing each other in the evening wind, with the faint air of an unspoken confrontation.
Luowei revealed a faint smile: “These past few years, how many of the Emperor’s close attendants has the Grand Preceptor removed? The grounds you cited were either that this person had past transgressions, or that this person might be in my service — Grand Preceptor, I truly do not understand. You and I both attend to the concerns of the holy ruler and relieve the realm’s troubles. Why does the Grand Preceptor so utterly refuse to tolerate me, insisting on opposing me in every matter?”
Yu Qiushi said coldly: “The harem interfering in governance brings unrest to all under heaven. If Your Highness has such confusion, you should have kept yourself pure and ceased meddling with power the moment the curtain was drawn back a year ago, attending wholeheartedly to the inner palace’s affairs, and you would have earned a name of eternal praise — why must you continue to insert yourself into the outer court’s business?”
Luowei swiftly retorted: “If I were not to insert myself, with the positions of executive and advisory officials left vacant and unfilled, would I not be standing by and watching the Grand Preceptor gather a faction and suppress the remonstrance officials, brewing the catastrophe of a domineering prime minister of former times?”
Yu Qiushi’s wariness of her stemmed from his suspicion that she had learned the truth of the Caltrop Case, but how could that be stated plainly? Her counterattack spoke only of worry about an overmighty prime minister — at this time, the whole of the court and public shared this concern. Without it, the populace would not have supported the Empress’s involvement in governance. She calculated Yu Qiushi could not refute this.
Luowei stepped two paces closer to him and said in a low voice: “Grand Preceptor, you are jumpy as a startled bird. In the past, any official who had received my favor, you would submit a memorial to demote them. Now there truly is one person in my service, but you have used that move too many times. Without evidence, the Emperor will no longer believe you — when I bestowed favor on those people before, it was precisely for a day such as this, to find such a one single person.”
“Your Highness is so pleased with herself?” Having heard all this, Yu Qiushi was still unmoved, though his gaze grew sharper: “Where in this world is there truly loyal devotion? Is Your Highness not worried that such a venomous snake will one day turn and bite you? Moreover, where in this world is there truly no trace left behind? Your Highness wants evidence — sooner or later there will be some.”
He had barely finished these words when Ye Tingyan, it was unclear when he had emerged from Qianfang Hall, walked forward and performed a bow before the two of them: “Why have Your Highness and the Grand Preceptor not yet departed?”
Yu Qiushi looked at him sideways, shook his head and sighed, with an expression of great regret: “This old man had still thought Lord Ye was a person who knew which way the wind blows.”
Ye Tingyan made a show of sudden comprehension, and drew a brocade box from his sleeve: “Is the Grand Preceptor referring to this?”
Luowei watched as he produced from the brocade box the jade brush of the finest water quality, and deliberately said: “When the Grand Preceptor gave this brush to your servant, your servant immediately thought of those memorials he had seen piling up unattended at the Silver Terrace some days prior. I sent someone to inquire, and indeed learned of this deficit in the Ministry of Finance! In fact, I must thank the Grand Preceptor. The Grand Preceptor will not misunderstand that your servant coveted this object, will he? What a transgression, what a transgression — today I return it intact, and beg the Grand Preceptor’s forgiveness.”
He bowed as he handed back the brush, his mouth still murmuring something about “returning it intact.” Luowei found it amusing and covered her mouth with a silk handkerchief to conceal a laugh.
Yu Qiushi took back the jade brush he had given away — then abruptly let go, dropping it to the ground.
Jade, ground into a brush, is so very fragile. It shattered into fragments on the spot, splinters of light scattering in all directions. Ye Tingyan stepped back one pace and instinctively extended his sleeve to shield Luowei from any shards that might fly her way, while saying: “Oh dear, what a pity. How could the Grand Preceptor be so careless?”
Yu Qiushi looked deeply at the two of them, curling the corner of his mouth with a touch of mockery: “Showing emotions plainly on your face, self-satisfied over a single matter — you are, in the end, far too young.”
He swept his sleeve and departed. His wide official’s robe billowed loudly in the evening wind. Ye Tingyan swiftly schooled the expression on his face, replacing it with one of cool indifference and contempt.
Luowei took a step forward and asked softly at his side — it was unclear to whom she was speaking: “You said something like this once before. Do you think this counts as winning?”
He looked sideways and saw her gazing at Yu Qiushi’s retreating figure, a smile surfacing from the depths of her eyes.
“We shall see.”
These were the words she had said to Yu Qiushi on the remonstrance platform that year.
Without those words, she might never have found the courage to burn her boats and enter the court alone, standing as one person against the combined power of both the Emperor and the prime minister.
Having spoken, she came back to herself: “What did the Emperor keep Lord Ye behind to say?”
Ye Tingyan paused, then said with perfect gravity: “Apart from the southwestern tax matter just now, the Emperor also entrusted your servant with another task, and graciously permitted your servant not to leave the palace today, and to lodge in the Zhuque Division or the Ministry of Rites’ outer supervisory quarters. Your servant kowtows in gratitude for the imperial favor.”
He deliberately stressed “not required to leave the palace” and “lodge,” and Luowei naturally understood his meaning. She gave a slight nod and said with perfect composure: “I shall go ahead, Lord Ye. Until we meet again.”
Ye Tingyan bowed: “Respectfully seeing Your Highness off.”
* * *
That night the moonlight was liquid and soft, the courtyard clear as still water. Zhang Siyi stood guard before the hall. Not long after the midnight watch drum sounded, he saw someone with a white cloak pulled completely over their head approach along the rear garden path.
Seeing it was him standing there, the person was somewhat startled. Zhang Siyi guessed who it was and clasped his hands in a bow: “Lord Ye, Li Inner Official is off duty today. Your Highness is inside, waiting for you.”
He did not understand why Ye Tingyan had come this night wrapped in a white cloak — would that not draw more attention? But he held back and did not ask.
Ye Tingyan pulled the white cloak tight and slipped into the hall in a concealed manner, without even sparing him a second glance.
His footsteps were very light. Fortunately, Luowei had heard the faint sound of the hall door opening and closing, and without raising her eyes could already tell he had arrived.
The hall was still unlit — lighting a lamp past midnight would only arouse more suspicion.
Luowei sat with her back to him to one side, before her a bronze flower pot in which two pure white night-blooming cereus flowers were blooming in vibrant, soundless splendor. Had she fallen asleep tonight, she would likely never have witnessed this beautiful sight.
A fragrance that bordered on the otherworldly pervaded the air all around. Luowei stifled a yawn and came back to herself, just in time to see Ye Tingyan remove the white cloak.
The cloak’s hood was enormous and had entirely covered his head and face earlier. Now that the garment fell away, one could finally see him clearly.
Today he had his hair pinned up as usual, but wrapped through it was a red ribbon studded with small pearls. Looking closely, it seemed he had also deliberately drawn and painted his brows and eyes. His dark blue-gray long robe was clean and crisp, with red-gold sash and a pattern of auspicious flowers — this was unmistakably the dress of a female inner official!
Luowei was startled. Her hand inadvertently pulled a petal from the night-blooming cereus. Coming back to her senses, she hastily apologized to the flower, but then burst into laughter: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Ye San, you…”
It was unclear whether she was apologizing to the flower or to the person.
Worried she was laughing too loudly, she even pressed her own hand over her mouth, but still could not quite hold back. She walked closer and studied him carefully: “Lord Ye’s appearance is as fine as a beautiful woman’s — after drawing the brows and painting the lips, you are three measures more beautiful even than the inner officials of my palace. Tsk, dressed like this in plain garments at night, I somehow feel you are even more conspicuous than usual.”
Ye Tingyan’s face darkened at her laughter, but seeing that she had not shown such a genuinely heartfelt smile in a long time, he endured it and said coolly: “Everyone in the forbidden palace has their own duties. Who would have the leisure to admire beauties the way Your Highness does? I disguised myself as a female official, carrying the cloak in my arms, saying I was delivering clothing to a noble person, and left the Ministry of Rites — that’s how I made it here without trouble.”
Luowei reached out and tugged at the little pearls in his hair, just about to say something more, when he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her toward him, asking with a smile that did not reach his eyes: “What’s this — does Your Highness like this manner of dress on me?”
Luowei boldly wrapped her arms around his neck and teased: “I like it very much indeed. In my estimation, for a great official to come and wait upon me, there is no need for the procedure of becoming a eunuch — simply dressing this way would be sufficient.”
As she spoke, she also picked up a box of lip rouge from the table beside her, dipped a little onto her finger, and said with great interest: “Come, come — let me apply some for you personally.”
Cool fingers touched his lips. Ye Tingyan raised his eyes to watch her, allowing her to apply it carefully and thoroughly.
Luowei lifted his chin and observed for a long while, feeling rather satisfied. Just as she turned her head with enthusiasm to reach for the bronze mirror, Ye Tingyan seized the moment, cradled the back of her head, and pressed his lips to her neck.
This kiss lingered long. By the time he released her, the vivid red color just applied on his lips had nearly disappeared. Luowei picked up the bronze mirror and saw only that an impression in deep crimson now adorned her neck.
Ye Tingyan said softly: “I like it very much as well.”
Luowei shot him a sideways look and pulled over a handkerchief to wipe it away. Ye Tingyan pinched a corner of the handkerchief and would not let her wipe it, but turned to the matter at hand: “Do you know what the Emperor kept me behind to discuss today?”
Sure enough, hearing this, Luowei immediately forgot her struggle for the handkerchief: “He has something for you to do?”
Ye Tingyan nodded, and looked at her with a half-smile: “Last time he came here by night, something made him suspicious, so he instructed the fourth-ranked Star Division among Zhuque’s seven guards to investigate whether any palace guards had been absent from their post that evening.”
Luowei was taken aback: “What did he find?”
“Naturally, nothing at all. What I borrowed were Zhuque Division uniforms — he searched the imperial guards up and down, but not within his own division. What good would it do?” Ye Tingyan said with a scornful laugh. “But the Emperor still felt uneasy upon hearing the report. Today he kept me behind to continue the investigation — if not for this matter, why would I need to lodge within the palace?”
“So today, to avoid suspicion, you dressed in the garments of an inner court female official,” Luowei said, suddenly understanding, then found it rather absurd. “Asking the thief to search for the stolen goods — when would they ever be found…”
Ye Tingyan wrapped his arm around her and stood up, then abruptly lifted her bodily off the ground. Luowei gave a start and had no choice but to wrap her arms around him: “What are you doing?”
The other said nothing, carried her back to the bed, and lowered the dim bed curtains one by one before saying: “I always feel it is somehow safer this way.”
Luowei cleared her throat and began to speak: “Today’s matter…”
Today Song Lan had erupted in fury and summoned everyone to Qianfang Hall to interrogate them about “the southwestern tax revenues.” To speak of it, this matter had in fact originated from a civil case.
At the beginning of the fifth month, the Capital Prefecture had suddenly received a bizarre lawsuit. The plaintiff was not from Biandu but had come from a very remote mountain area in the southwest. The contents of the lawsuit were so shocking that the Capital Prefect had not dared to forward it directly to the Ministry of Justice, and instead invited the Minister of Justice, Hu Minhuai, over for a meal.
Hu Minhuai was on close terms with Yu Qiushi, and upon seeing it naturally informed Yu Qiushi of the lawsuit. Yu Qiushi raised his hand and suppressed it.
By the middle of the fifth month, Ye Tingyan and the Capital Prefect had become acquainted through a piece of calligraphy by a famous master, and found each other very congenial, frequently meeting to drink together. At a certain gathering, after several rounds of wine, the Capital Prefect opened up and told him about the matter.
Upon learning that Yu Qiushi had suppressed the lawsuit, Ye Tingyan immediately sent people to find the person who had filed it, only to discover that he had long since died under mysterious circumstances, his very corpse uncollected.
Feeling compassion, he paid for a coffin. But when those who collected the body went to bury him, they discovered the plaintiff had placed the lawsuit papers inside several lengths of pig intestine, which he had swallowed.
The lawsuit document was, however, rather vague and unclear. After Ye Tingyan obtained it, he could not immediately make full sense of its meaning, until Yu Qiushi hosted a banquet and gave him the water-polished jade brush.
In that instant, he suddenly understood what the words “Lantian,” “Kunshan,” and “Lanxi River” written in the lawsuit referred to.
So over the following days, he went to the Silver Terrace and carefully searched through the records, finding memorials that had been sitting ignored at the Silver Terrace since late the previous year.
After gathering the evidence, Ye Tingyan laid everything before Song Lan directly, without even giving Yu Qiushi the chance to react.
The matter was in fact not complicated. Last year in a forested watery marshland somewhere in the southwest, someone had suddenly discovered a vein of fine jade, causing the surrounding poor people to eagerly attempt to dive into the depths to collect it, risking their lives. When the authorities learned of this, they immediately dispatched men to seal off the marshland, then enslaved experienced jade divers to go into the water.
This jade vein was extremely dangerous — going into the water was as likely to end in death as survival — but the quality of the jade was truly exceptional, and many precious pieces were produced.
Though the marshland was sealed by the authorities, word still got out, and many people from the surrounding three mountains immediately attempted to dive in and try their luck.
At that time, the official governing the southwest was a distant relative of Yu Qiushi. He wrote a letter seeking guidance, and Yu Qiushi devised a plan for him, instructing him to levy an additional “jade tax” in the local area.
The southwest was already poor, with few existing taxes. Under this name, it became an extra source of income. The Yu clan’s distant relative was happy to take it, and used it as an opportunity to impose harsh taxes. His year-end performance record was outstanding, and he was promoted and returned to the capital.
The “jade tax” was, however, passed down. Half of its proceeds were sent as tribute to the prime minister far away in the capital.
This matter involved taxation, corruption, and covering up misconduct. The prime minister being able to produce jade more exquisite than what was available in the palace was also suggestive of his power. Luowei listened as Ye Tingyan explained the fine details yet again, and could not help but say admiringly: “Lord Ye has excellent stratagems.”
Ye Tingyan rested his hand as a pillow beside her and said warmly: “To move against him, you cannot rely on a single matter…”
He took her hand and traced lines in the air between the two of them, his voice very soft: “Naturally, it must be one matter, then another, bit by bit, pushing him further in himself — Your Highness, now you can tell me: what method do you plan to use to make him ‘commit treason’?”