On the upper floor of Jumei Tower, distinguished guests filled every seat, voices buzzing with excitement. Pearl and shell lamps cast cold, flickering light on the scholars’ faces, flushed red with enthusiasm.
Crystal cups brimmed with grape wine, passing through the crowd, while pure and clear Qianqiu liquor swayed in white jade vessels, its fragrance drawing thunderous cheers wherever it reached.
The cheers came to an abrupt halt the moment Tie Ci stepped onto the stairs, as everyone respectfully bowed in unison.
Tie Ci walked forward with a smile, and wherever she passed, people bowed deeply and remained bent.
……
In the surrounding woods, shadows flickered among the trees as countless black-armored warriors burst forth, blocking behind Xiao Liheng’s horse. Cold gleams of swords and sabers crisscrossed, shattering the dense arrows. Green leaves on all sides shattered into countless fragments, like green mist floating and sinking in the forest shrouded by evening mist, falling thick as a jade-colored carpet on the bluestone path.
But they still couldn’t block the arrows that came like a heavenly net.
With a long neigh, Xiao Liheng felt his mount shudder beneath him, his form sinking lower—his horse had been struck by an arrow.
The death warriors protecting him grabbed him, first throwing him onto a companion’s horse. As Xiao Liheng spun through the air, he watched helplessly as an arrow grazed past his back, his scream echoing throughout the entire forest.
In the next instant, another death warrior caught him, landing heavily on horseback. His old bones nearly scattered from the impact. When he looked back, he saw the previous death warrior hadn’t managed to escape in time, falling to the ground still maintaining his leaping posture, a spray of blood blooming before his eyes.
Xiao Liheng instinctively covered his eyes, yet grabbed his whip and frantically lashed the horse beneath him. “Faster! Faster!”
The magnificent gates appeared before his eyes, but the mansion he had admired countless times now seemed too far and too remote. He wished he could possess divine powers to shrink the thousand li distance.
For the hundredth time, Xiao Liheng swore in his heart.
He would rebuild the Xiao mansion!
Build it in the bustling market district, no more than three courtyards deep, inside and out!
……
In the largest private room on the second floor, the scholars all stood when they saw Tie Ci. Tie Ci smiled and went straight to the head seat. As the scholars modestly took their seats, someone tried to push Rong Pu to sit beside His Highness, but Rong Pu gestured to Shen Mi. However, no one was faster than a certain fangirl. A young lady squeezed through, dragged the chair beside Tie Ci, and called to Murong Yi: “Mr. Rong, come quickly! You should sit in the seat of honor!”
When everyone heard “Mr. Rong,” they thought it was Rong Pu, but turning around, they saw Murong Yi sitting down with a smile.
Everyone fell silent for a moment, not understanding who this person was.
The young lady was naturally the granddaughter of the Court of Judicial Review’s Minister. With her noble status, everyone had thought she would escort her grandfather home, but unexpectedly she had stayed.
Someone tentatively asked: “May I ask who this gentleman is…”
The young lady proudly replied: “This is the archery instructor from Yueli Academy, and the Crown Princess’s… good friend.”
The examination candidates who didn’t read pirated novels gave a confused “oh.”
They still didn’t understand who this person actually was.
There was still one seat to the right of the Crown Princess. Before the crowd could modestly defer and pull each other, Murong Yi leaned forward, beckoning the young lady to sit, saying: “You are today’s hero, so sit beside the Crown Princess.”
Once she sat there, those random cats and dogs could no longer crowd around Tie Ci.
The young lady was very willing, sitting down with a smile. She didn’t chat with anyone or drink or eat, just smiled and propped her chin, tilting her head to watch Murong Yi and Tie Ci.
She had to keep her eyes wide open, carefully observing how the Crown Princess and Mr. Rong interacted, scrutinizing every detail, extracting sweetness from every glance and gaze!
After all, she had pestered her grandfather to come preside over the trial precisely for this moment!
After all, she carried the supreme expectations of all the sisters in the Mioci Society for this couple!
……
The gates of the Xiao mansion were right ahead.
Behind him, the death warriors’ agonized cries continued.
Xiao Liheng dared not look back, gripping the reins tightly. The wind in his face carried the scent of blood—he didn’t know if it was others’ or his own.
The ground tilted as it rushed toward him.
The next moment he realized it wasn’t the ground rushing toward him, but that the bluestone slabs ahead were being lifted in whole pieces, hurled at the galloping horses.
Horses neighed and people shouted as the horses ahead were struck down, rolling and crashing into the stampeding herd, bringing down more horses and throwing riders. Grass debris mixed with earth scattered everywhere, and blades of light erupted between the dark green heaven and earth.
Xiao Liheng’s horse, charging too fiercely, was tripped and fell, sending him tumbling headfirst out of the saddle.
……
To show intimacy, the private room used a large round table, creating a joyful atmosphere. Tie Ci smiled and raised her cup: “Let us toast to today’s victory in setting things right!”
Murong Yi stood up and raised his cup as well: “To His Highness’s wisdom!”
Everyone looked up.
This pair standing together somehow had the flavor of a harmonious couple.
Who was this bastard? When the Crown Princess makes the opening toast, who dares stand alongside her as if he were the nation’s father?
……
Xiao Liheng charged into the forest of blades, splashed by ice-cold snow, his heart turning cold as ice.
The next instant he heard a roar behind him, felt his waist tighten, and just as he was about to touch the blade light, he was violently pulled back and sent flying. Wind howled in his ears as he looked down from mid-air to see countless figures stretching endlessly, with innumerable people crossing through the forest toward them.
Xiao Liheng wept tears of joy, his tears scattering through the air.
The reinforcements from the three great camps that he had urgently summoned before returning had arrived!
He was saved!
……
Murong Yi smiled calmly, standing closely beside Tie Ci.
If not for still remembering her identity, Tie Ci really wanted to elbow him down.
When it came to showing off, he’d humbly claim second place, but no one could claim first.
The examination candidates looked at each other in bewilderment. Except for the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review’s granddaughter, whose face was full of loving smiles, her eyes practically melting into water.
Tie Ci wanted to provide her with some inner monologue:
*In those years, all the ships I sailed became real.*
*Please get married on the spot!*
*Kill me to add to the celebration for you two!*
Qi Yuansi suddenly stood up as well, also raising his cup, saying: “Let us toast that today we were not deceived by petty villains and traitors!”
Rong Pu smiled and raised his cup: “Let us toast that we kindred spirits have met and united in purpose!”
Everyone suddenly felt this matter required everyone to toast, so they all stood up, each person offering a toast with their own congratulatory words.
The smile at the corner of Tie Ci’s lips deepened.
She just loved watching a certain someone get deflated.
Murong Yi seemed not at all displeased. After everyone finished speaking, he raised his cup again, saying: “To mine and the Crown Princess’s reunion after long separation!”
……
The arriving reinforcements quickly became entangled with the intercepting assassins.
Xiao Liheng rolled off his dead horse, protected by what few death warriors remained, covering his head and face as he charged forward.
The road ahead was destroyed, impassable to carriages and horses. The death warriors carried him over the high and low horse corpses, with people from the mansion ahead rushing out to meet them.
Just as Xiao Liheng breathed a sigh of relief, he suddenly heard the sounds of battle behind him grow much fiercer.
He looked back and was terrified out of his wits.
A large group of cavalry appeared like ghosts, incredibly managing to move swiftly through this forest of shattered stone slabs and corpses, instantly charging into the battle like fangs. Xiao Liheng was horrified to discover these people were actually targeting the soldiers from the three great camps!
Just how many hidden cards did Tie Ci still have!
……
The entire table sat rigid.
The raised cups were all set down.
Except for the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review’s granddaughter, who quickly drank her wine.
Murong Yi paid no mind, smiling: “What? Were all those toasts just now not sincere?”
Tie Ci smiled and raised her cup again: “All encounters in this world where people can fight side by side are reunions after long separation. To all of you.”
With her words, everyone came alive again, finding her words exquisite. The Crown Princess truly had an exquisite mind, making people feel like they were bathed in spring breeze. They all smiled and raised their cups.
After sitting down, one of the examination candidates who had previously testified that Shen Mi had not touched He Zi couldn’t help but smile at Murong Yi, saying: “The Crown Princess’s benevolence falls like rain, blessing all directions. We should only respectfully receive it and harbor loyal hearts. We must not be presumptuous and develop disrespectful thoughts.”
Tie Ci waited for Murong Yi to mock him into the center of the earth.
But Murong Yi didn’t retort, instead lowering his eyes, bowing his head, and sighing.
Tie Ci: …Very good, now he’s putting on an act.
She ignored him and glanced around. Apart from those she knew, many people showed mocking expressions.
Tie Ci’s expression didn’t change as she finished the wine in her cup, then picked up her chopsticks to serve Murong Yi some candied yam threads.
Her movement was even faster than Murong Yi, who was about to serve her food.
The examination candidate who had just spoken stiffened.
The mocking expressions on everyone’s faces also changed.
Tie Ci didn’t look at Murong Yi, but without looking she knew his eyebrows must be flying upward now.
The next instant her plate was piled high with peeled shrimp, completely cleaned crab meat, bean sprouts with heads and tails removed to eliminate the beany smell, and fish with all bones removed.
Enough to stuff ten of her to death.
The table fell into an eerie silence.
People watched through the gaps between their chopsticks as the Crown Princess elegantly ate the mountain of decidedly inelegant food piled high on her plate.
And Murong Yi, who seemed to want to make that small piece of candied yam last until the end of time.
Everyone made sour sucking sounds through their teeth.
This wasn’t a victory banquet at all.
This was clearly a dog food feast.
……
The cavalry behind charged through like sharp knives.
Guards from the Xiao mansion also ran frantically toward them.
In the forest, the Xiao family’s death warriors and over a thousand reinforcements from the three great camps fought desperately to block the ghostly Scorpion Camp and those master archers who never showed themselves.
Xiao Liheng was caught in the middle.
Death warriors beside him kept falling. Xiao Liheng shouted: “All who fight desperately here today will be richly rewarded! If you die in battle, your wives and children will receive triple compensation!”
The death warriors’ spirits lifted. One rushed forward, grabbed his shoulder, and threw him ahead.
Two other death warriors lunged forward, using their bodies to protect his back, blocking the arrows from behind for him.
Having been thrown around so much today, Xiao Liheng had miraculously gotten used to it. Mid-air, he shouted: “I have already left a letter. If I suddenly die, all estates, shops, and related forces under the Xiao family name will take action. If you want to see food shortages, soaring prices, supplies for civilian life cut off, chaos in local governments, border instability, and turmoil in Great Qian… then by all means move against the Xiao mansion!”
Somewhere in the forest, Xia Houchun, who was directing this assassination, frowned slightly.
With a thud, Xiao Liheng tumbled to the ground, only ten feet from the nearest guard coming to meet him.
The pursuers behind were clearly blocked.
Xiao Liheng was overjoyed, quickly scrambling up as the Xiao family guards running frantically toward him reached out.
Suddenly a fierce wind rose from behind.
……
At the table, Murong Yi’s piece of candied yam had bright sugar threads winding around and around on his chopstick tip, swaying back and forth.
Twisting and turning, they formed the shape of a heart.
While winding them, he smiled at Tie Ci, holding the heart shape toward her.
*Drawing a heart, with you framed inside.*
On the other side, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review’s granddaughter propped her head up, watching with a beaming smile. Her eyes clearly read “I’m dying from all this sweetness.”
For the ten-thousandth time, everyone’s hearts filled with admiration for the Crown Princess.
To remain unmoved and eat and drink normally under these two infatuated gazes—the Crown Princess was truly no ordinary person!
Having stayed in the capital for so long, the examination candidates had long heard their fill of gossip. Looking at Qi Yuansi drinking sullenly at the head table, Rong Pu smiling as he ate, and Murong Yi pressed close to Tie Ci, they inexplicably felt the atmosphere was strange—very much like a battle royale.
Several people couldn’t help whispering:
“Hey, wasn’t the Crown Princess supposedly set to have Qi Yuansi as the nation’s father? How did some Rong Wei suddenly appear?”
“Where did you hear that from?”
“From an uncle of mine who serves as a vice minister in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He heard it from a colleague, said that Commandant Qi had been boasting to everyone, claiming the Crown Princess had taken a fancy to his son!”
“That’s old news from who knows when. What I clearly heard was that the palace favored Scholar Rong, wanting to strengthen family ties, and specially bestowed a purple jade ruyi scepter.”
People talking quietly after drinking all have the same problem—they think they’re whispering, but the next table can hear them.
Qi Yuansi vaguely heard and his face turned deathly pale.
*Heaven above, send a great storm!*
*Blow me to the nearest port from the capital!*
He had originally been celebrating that the misunderstanding seemed not to have reached the parties involved.
But he hadn’t expected it was still waiting here.
No wonder after his father’s hopes were dashed last time, he had beaten him so fiercely.
So his bragging had already spread!
Had he said anything in front of the Crown Princess?
Qi Yuansi stiffly turned his eyeballs slowly toward Tie Ci.
Tie Ci was looking down eating, as if she hadn’t heard anything. Just as Qi Yuansi sighed in relief, he met a pair of eyes containing murderous intent.
His scalp exploded.
The deathly feeling from when this madman had threatened him with a blade in Fushan returned.
This psycho had heard.
Now it wasn’t just a question of his social death.
Now it was a question of whether he could walk out of this restaurant alive from under the hands of this century’s greatest vinegar king and number one lunatic…
……
Xiao Liheng’s fingers had already touched his family guard’s hand.
Suddenly a fierce wind rose behind him, then his shoulders and back tightened, and his whole body was flying upward again.
Exclamations came from below.
This time it wasn’t the short distance of being thrown before—he flew higher and higher, and the people below grew smaller and smaller until the vast Xiao family estate spread out beneath his eyes.
Xiao Liheng looked down to see countless people looking up, running and crying out in alarm.
He stiffly turned his head slowly and saw a pair of strong, hard bird talons.
Xiao Liheng’s mind roared as he instinctively drew his blade. Above his head, the giant bird let out a cry and flew even higher.
Xiao Liheng dared not move again.
If he cut the talons, he would fall to his death.
If he didn’t cut the talons, he would still fall to his death.
……
On the upper floor of Jumei Tower, Tie Ci casually ate a few bites, then stood and raised her cup again.
Everyone knew she was busy with affairs and was leaving early for the palace, so they all quickly stood.
The clear liquor reflected slightly swaying faces.
Tie Ci smiled openly at everyone.
*At this very moment, was Xiao Liheng dead yet?*
……
Everyone below stopped their movements and looked up at the sky.
After all the strangling and mutual ambushes, the real crisis came from above in the end.
This was something the dizzy Xiao Liheng in mid-air could never have imagined.
His mind went blank as he listened to the wind howling in his ears.
If he died, the Great Qian dynasty would be buried with him!
The gyrfalcon let out a long cry and, under everyone’s gaze, released its talons.
……
Surrounded by the crowd, Tie Ci left Jumei Tower, smiling as she encouraged the examination candidates before mounting her horse.
Murong Yi also had someone bring his horse, but Dan Shuang pointed at him: “Isn’t this gentleman supposed to be treating everyone? Does he want to renege on the bill?”
The examination candidates surged forward, blocking Murong Yi. By the time he pushed through the crowd, he only saw Tie Ci’s rapidly disappearing figure.
……
Xiao Liheng plummeted like a meteor.
Cries of alarm rose from below.
People ran toward his falling trajectory, attempting futile rescue.
Suddenly a black shadow shot from the forest, meeting the falling Xiao Liheng in mid-air and giving him a gentle push.
Xiao Liheng’s fall was changed to a sideways push, his momentum slowed, and he fell diagonally through the air.
But he was still very high from the ground.
Another person leaped up from the Xiao mansion’s courtyard wall, caught Xiao Liheng, and the two tumbled down together.
The gyrfalcon shrieked and dove in pursuit.
But that person had already grabbed Xiao Liheng and landed, their momentum carrying them into several rolls on the ground before finally stopping when Xiao Liheng’s head crashed against the Xiao mansion’s gate with a bang.
Countless people surged forward to help the two.
A whistle sounded, and the gyrfalcon’s wingtips brushed the ground before soaring high again.
Ignoring the blood flowing from his head, Xiao Liheng struggled to be helped up, quickly retreating into the mansion while preparing to order the slaughter of the assassins.
But looking back, he saw shadows flickering in the forest as the ghostly Scorpion Camp disappeared, the blood cavalry nimbly threading through the trees and out, while those infallible archers had never appeared from beginning to end.
Coming like wind, going like mist.
As if the intense pursuit had been nothing but a nightmare.
Xiao Liheng dejectedly lowered his hand.
Behind him, the foot-thick great gate closed heavily. Only now could he let out a long breath, leaning against the door.
Someone nearby supported him. He turned to look and saw the face of an unfamiliar old woman.
This was the person who had saved him. Up close, she was indeed an ordinary old woman, still carrying the scent of garlic and scallion leaves.
He struggled to get up to properly thank this life-saving benefactor—if he could recruit her, that would be even better.
But the old woman quickly let go and stood aside with a disgusted expression.
Xiao Liheng: …I haven’t even complained about your strong garlic smell…
Suddenly there was a tremendous crash from behind, the great gate booming. Xiao Liheng, like a startled bird, jumped up entirely.
The next instant he saw dust rising everywhere, the corridor lamps spinning and floating up before being extinguished one by one, and the trees in the courtyard suddenly bending low.
Someone beside him exclaimed: “The wind is rising!”
“What a fierce wind!”
The fierce wind struck his head and face. Xiao Liheng raised his sleeve to cover his face, his heart turning ice-cold.
*”If the Xiao family is guilty, let heaven bring violent winds within three days!”*
It was over.
After today, the Xiao family’s guilt would be determined by this wind, carved into the hearts of the capital’s people. Even with the most eloquent words, the case could never be overturned.
From now on, whenever the wind blew, someone would remember today.
This was a loss even more devastating than the failure of the Spring Examination case. Thinking of the reputation the Xiao family had painstakingly built over so many years, Xiao Liheng felt despair rise in his heart for the first time.
In the fierce wind, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared.
Xiao Liheng forced his eyes open and saw an unfamiliar young man walking toward him.
“Second Minister, it was my people who saved you just now.”
“The wind is quite strong today. After such a violent storm, the Xiao family’s reputation in court and among the people will probably fall to rock bottom.”
“Now, let’s discuss a trade.”
……