Hearing the human voice, both people turned sharply. Shui Linghuai stared wide-eyed, asking puzzledly: “Eh, how do you appear here?”

She immediately forgot about attacking the pervert, bouncing over: “Right, have you seen Su Xuan? Where’s Su Xuan, where’s Su Xuan, where’s Su Xuan?”

Qin Chang Ge pushed away this ceaselessly chattering girl, looking lightly at Xiao Jue. What kind of performance was this? Vulgarly drugged with aphrodisiac?

What was going on with Qi Fan? He was the first to give chase, yet fell behind her. She who went to chase Feihuan instead ended up here together.

“You seem unhappy?” Shui Linghuai carefully examined Qin Chang Ge, rarely paying such attention to subtle expressions on others’ faces. “Why?”

“Mmm…” Qin Chang Ge thought very seriously, answering: “It’s this kind of feeling – I discovered I’m just a very petty-minded woman, so I despise myself greatly. That’s it.”

“Huh?”

Ignoring Shui Linghuai, Qin Chang Ge carefully looked at Xiao Jue. Xiao Jue was supporting himself against the desk with one hand, holding up his heavy head, raising his face to look at her. His jet-black long eyebrows seemed doused with water, appearing even more startlingly black. Under his brows, his even blacker eyes were bright and brilliant, yet filled with forcibly suppressed desire, like countless demon lotuses blazing and blooming in a pool of churning emerald water…

…

A moment ago, Xiao Jue’s hand had touched that small, lovely breast.

But the woman before him suddenly stared wide-eyed.

Terrified, infinitely desperate gaze—

Trembling as if doused with cold water, Xiao Jue suddenly had brief clarity – this gaze, no, it wasn’t hers… She wasn’t Chang Ge!

How did he come to be here? What was he doing?

Biting his lower lip hard, the sharp pain made his consciousness slightly calmer. Xiao Jue frantically slapped his own face, then grabbed the tea cup from the table and poured it over his head.

Cold water on his head brought brief mental clarity. Fearing he couldn’t resist that burning heat and truly lose control, ruining this little girl’s purity, he kept slapping his face while struggling to get off the couch.

It was just very tragic that Shui Linghuai suddenly burst in.

He heard her scolding. His remaining rationality smiled bitterly – a dragon in shallow waters, being so careless himself, what was there to say?

But then he heard that eternally unperturbed voice. Looking up, he saw Ming Shuang’s strange expression, seemingly smiling yet not smiling as she looked over.

He paused, suddenly feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Imperial majesty, possessing everything under heaven, controlling court politics like commanding his own limbs, yet seemed never to have gained any advantage before this mysterious little palace maid.

This seemed like the situation that would only occur when Chang Ge was around back then.

Why?

Who exactly was she?

Seeing Ming Shuang walk over, her slender hand already taking his wrist pulse.

Delicate fingers carrying a unique cool fragrance touched his skin. Her fingers were slightly cold – the blazing fire that should have immediately surged upon skin contact was strangely extinguished by the temperature of these fingers that even carried a sense of keeping people at a thousand li distance in their fragrance.

Qin Chang Ge’s fingers touched once and immediately understood the situation, pursing her lips in silent cold laughter.

It was quite a powerful aphrodisiac, but just a common knockoff upgraded version. No wonder Xiao Jue could resist it. If a martial artist didn’t have this much willpower, that would be strange.

Looking around, she saw the immobile, panic-stricken little girl who appeared to be of coming-of-age years, then noticed the knocked-out little maid in the distant corner. Her heart already vaguely knew roughly whom Xiao Jue had offended and been framed by.

Frowning, looking at Xiao Jue’s suffering expression – his fingers burning and trembling, his cheeks flushed with abnormal red – after she finished taking his pulse he wouldn’t let go, turning his hand to grip hers tightly. He firmly refused to touch that child, didn’t even glance at Shui Linghuai, but only when facing her, his gaze was burning, full of longing.

More interested in me?

But I’m still a virgin?

Because she hadn’t decided whether to have another earth-shattering romance, Qin Chang Ge, who didn’t want to easily give herself, smiled wickedly, leaning close to Xiao Jue’s ear to whisper a few words, then pointed to an empty room next door.

Boom!

His Imperial Majesty’s face was burned to charcoal by someone’s shamelessly ignited black demonic fire.

But Qin Chang Ge grabbed the confused Shui Linghuai, continuing to walk out with that same seemingly-smiling-yet-not expression, saying: “There are still people waiting outside to catch adultery, making a big fuss to deal with you. How to handle it – you’ve always been wise, presumably don’t need my meddling.”

After walking a few steps, as if suddenly remembering something, she added: “It seems before Jiang Hua was promoted to Minister of Justice, he was under Prince Zhao.”

Xiao Jue took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and after a long while opened them, his gaze sharp as a sword: “I ask you again – who are you?”

Turning back with a smile, Qin Chang Ge pointed to her own heart.

“Whoever Your Majesty thinks I am in your heart, that’s who I am.”

Though she had already ordered subordinates to send Feihuan back for treatment first, Qin Chang Ge was still somewhat worried, planning to hurry back quickly. Glancing at the carriage across the street, she felt somewhat regretful about missing the good show. Sighing, Shui Linghuai behind her followed step by step, asking in surprise: “You’re not caring about him anymore?”

She wasn’t stupid and had already seen that Xiao Jue was probably drugged. But wasn’t it said that if someone drugged didn’t do this and that, they would burn to death?

Qin Chang Ge looked back at her in surprise. Eh, are you also a transmigrator? Read too many martial arts novels – who told you that being drugged means you must have sex with women or die? That’s purely a heartbreaking plot device that unscrupulous authors deliberately created to bring together male and female leads or create misunderstandings. Actually, aphrodisiacs just make men want to vent, right? But there are many channels for venting – who says it must go through women?

Moreover, this low-level knockoff version produced in this backward era – if you persist, maybe you can wait for the drug effect to automatically dissipate. In any case, it won’t kill anyone.

Forget it, better not corrupt children. After thinking, Qin Chang Ge smiled and said: “He’s different from others, with strong willpower. We should understand how to help him succeed.”

She casually changed the topic: “Haven’t seen you for a long time. How are you?”

“How good can it be?” Shui Linghuai was immediately triggered into infinite powerful resentment by this topic, forgetting the question she planned to pursue, irritably grabbing her hair: “My brother came and forcibly held me back from leaving. I finally managed to slip out, but then…”

Slightly pausing, Qin Chang Ge’s expression changed, restraining her smile as she slowly said: “Which brother?”

“Third brother!” Shui Linghuai shook her head vigorously. “So strange – he rarely leaves the valley, yet actually came to Xiliang. Oh my, I’m so unlucky. Even if big brother came it would be fine, but it’s precisely third brother. I have the biggest headache dealing with him!”

“You’ve been away from home too long. He’s also worried about you,” Qin Chang Ge didn’t look at her, saying casually: “You are after all a woman, alone in a foreign country. Being worried is normal.”

“Worried about me?” Shui Linghuai scoffed. “That person – when has he worried about anyone? Back when his best friend Bai Yuan was surrounded by opposing forces for implementing new policies in his country, East Yan therefore triggered the ‘West Capital Political Change.’ Blood flowed like seas and people were in panic. Rumors flew everywhere that Bai Yuan was killed, surrounded, or overthrown. We all thought he would definitely pack up and rush to East Yan, or at least check if the person was alive or dead, right? But him! He actually wasn’t hurried at all, spending all day in the valley watching flowers, playing zither, raising fish, writing – sitting steady as Mount Tai, still saying ‘no problem, no problem.’ Look, this kind of person – do you believe he’d worry about me being out for a few days?”

Shui Jingchen and East Yan National Advisor Bai Yuan were good friends? Qin Chang Ge was truly somewhat surprised this time. Why had neither Xiliang’s hidden guards nor her Phoenix Alliance ever known?

Qin Chang Ge vaguely felt something was wrong, but couldn’t figure out what exactly. The Phoenix Alliance wasn’t omnipotent – not knowing who Shui Jingchen was friends with wasn’t a remarkable failure. Moreover, who he was friends with really had nothing to do with her.

After thinking for a long while without finding any clues, she had to set it aside. Hearing Shui Linghuai chattering endlessly asking about Su Xuan’s whereabouts, she spread her hands: “I really don’t know. If I knew, why wouldn’t I tell you? Speaking of which, you helped me greatly today.”

“Good that you know.” Shui Linghuai’s big eyes rolled, looking her up and down, suddenly smiling: “So if I fancy someone in the future, you’re not allowed to compete with me. If whoever I fancy fancies you, you still can’t compete with me.”

“You’re talking about Leader Su, right?” Qin Chang Ge suddenly stopped, looking at the thin dawn light on the horizon and that sun struggling to leap out from heavy cloud layers, smiling: “He belongs to himself – no one gets to decide. Also, do you really think what Leader Su fancies and remembers is my real self?”

Xiao Baozi was tearfully clawing at the wall in the coffin shop’s back courtyard.

He had been clawing for half an hour. When he saw how Chu Feihuan looked upon returning, he developed a bitter feud with that wall.

Even the biggest news spreading outside – that the Minister of Personnel suddenly ran to kneel before the Yingdu Prefect’s office (whom he’d never gotten along with) to beg forgiveness, publicly putting his famous wastrel son in shackles and slapping him step by step to kneel before the office – even this hottest gossip that the most excitement-loving Baozi would normally follow, he completely ignored.

Streets swarmed with crowds, footsteps trampling continuously. The proportion of people in the whole city who had suffered from that young wastrel was enormous – now they all surged over to find satisfaction.

Qin Chang Ge just stood with hands behind her back watching her son claw the wall, neither persuading nor managing, saying after a while: “Know you were wrong?”

Baozi answered: “Haven’t figured it out yet.”

“Hmm?”

“I feel like I was wrong somewhere, but haven’t figured out where,” Baozi looked at his mother pitifully with a pool of tears. “Can you explain it to me?”

Qin Chang Ge made a sound of acknowledgment, saying unmoved by eight winds: “Your mistakes were: first, you shouldn’t have played pranks without limits, causing your godfather to shamefully leave home, leading to later events. Second, when you saw him leave, you should have immediately stopped him, or at least immediately called Uncle Qi and the others out, but you didn’t. Third, you failed to accurately assess yours and your godfather’s capabilities, easily letting him venture into danger alone, and you lacked emergency response – you should have the small rockets the Phoenix Alliance gave you to carry just in case, so why didn’t you fire one as warning?”

Baozi slapped his forehead in great regret: “How did I forget this? Only remembered the slingshot!”

He despondently made a bitter face, turning back to continue his life-and-death struggle with the wall: “I’m heinously guilty…”

Smiling, Qin Chang Ge bent down and patted her son’s big head: “Alright, stop clawing. If you’re not afraid of hurting your claws, I still feel sorry for my wall. You don’t need to blame yourself so much either. How old are you? Whether pranks or thoughtless planning, any other child would be the same. I point out your failures in this matter not to make you feel like a criminal, henceforth shy and timid, losing your playful fearless heart. I’m just telling you that anyone, before acting, must have thorough thinking – putting yourself in others’ shoes, considering causes and consequences. Even if you can’t calculate everything perfectly, you should try to think as thoroughly as possible in the calmest state. Know that the martial world is dangerous, the court treacherous. For those in high positions, one word can determine or overturn the world. All these things are activities walking on knife edges, so you must learn not to let your clever brain just rust there – use it more when you have nothing to do.”

“What do martial world, court, and empire have to do with me?” Baozi made a sweeping claw gesture, smacking the wall with a “crack” and hissing in pain, grimacing: “I only care about a few people.” He drew a circle that he thought was very big, comprehensive, and imposing: “The people I like.”

Qin Chang Ge fell silent, after a long while murmuring: “Emperors should have no love, yet this father and son are of the same nature…”

Baozi ignored whatever mother was muttering, suddenly slapping his forehead: “You said to use my brain. Now that I’ve used it, I thought of a good idea. I think all you said was wasted words. The key is that godfather lost his martial arts while I don’t know martial arts. If my martial arts were good and I could protect people I care about, then nothing would happen… I’ll go see godfather now, then learn the martial arts master gave me.”

Action upon decision was Xiao Baozi’s good quality. He immediately ran in on his short legs. Qin Chang Ge watched his small figure disappear behind the door, slightly raising her head and sighing.

Sorry, son. The situation is complex, enemies lurk deep… I want you to live stronger, to protect yourself stronger… So you can’t have the happy childhood of other children – eating, drinking, playing, sleeping, fooling around, being a muddle-headed demon king…

The courtyard gate creaked – Qi Fan and Rong Xiaotian had returned. Qin Chang Ge lifted her eyelids, glancing over indifferently.

The two men looked ashamed, apologizing to Qin Chang Ge. They said the rhinoceros-repelling incense was newly developed with unstable, faint scent. The carriage also went around in circles, making them take many wrong turns. They still found that carriage after Qin Chang Ge. When they arrived, they saw those young masters had taken a nap in the carriage. Calculating the time, the good deed was almost done. Rolling up sleeves and raising fists, they divided forces – one group smashed the back door to catch adultery, another knocked on the office drum, saying they saw bandits break into the official residence intending to rape the young miss.

Prefect Du’s head exploded upon hearing this, rushing to the back courtyard. Seeing his precious daughter’s embroidery building wide open with tables and stools scattered on the ground and a pile of messy men surrounding the building entrance, he nearly fainted from anxiety.

Just as he was about to order guards to drive away all idle people, the boudoir door suddenly opened gracefully. Miss Du’s maid emerged under everyone’s surprised gazes – pale but composed – firmly denying the so-called “miss being raped.”

How could the young masters accept this? They jumped and shouted that the maid was lying. Some impatient ones even blurted out “adulterer and adulteress.” The more Prefect Du listened, the darker his expression became. How could Du Changsheng not know the intentions of this group appearing here inexplicably? Seeing the wastrel from Minister Jiang’s family among them, he already had a rough idea.

However, not seeing his daughter emerge, he remained worried. Just as he was about to enter, he heard the woman inside speak, saying thieves had broken in during the night but fortunately a heroic man rescued her without being frightened. The hero was upright and didn’t want to stay in a boudoir, avoiding suspicion and protecting reputations, now resting in the adjacent room. Please father must reward him generously.

Prefect Du’s heart settled halfway. Following her words, he went next door with the crowd following.

When the door opened, Du Changsheng was shocked and pale.

The man sitting leisurely in a chair drinking tea, though plainly dressed and somewhat weary, had noble bearing and handsome features. When he raised his eyebrows to look over coldly, his expression radiated light like an unsheathed famous sword – cold, severe, and fierce.

“Your Majesty!”

This shocked cry toppled the still smugly pleased wastrels. They stared dumbfounded as Du Changsheng dropped to his knees with a thud. Xiao Jue looked over coldly, his gaze full of disgust and disdain. Immediately someone collapsed unable to get up, while Jiang Chuanyun’s face turned blue, lips trembling. He silently wet his pants, the awful stench making those around him nauseous, yet none dared even frown, only kowtowing speechlessly.

Hidden in the opposite tree, Qi and Rong knew the dust had settled. Their task to “protect Xiao Jue’s safety” no longer needed their effort. Having no good feelings toward Xiao Jue and no interest in watching his imperial majesty, they resentfully returned with their men.

Qin Chang Ge naturally wouldn’t say much more, only: “Young Master Shui San has come to Yingdu. Have people watch him closely – see if he’s really here to catch his sister or has other plans. This person is very complicated. Remember to send the most capable and inconspicuous people. If anything seems wrong, withdraw immediately.”

Qi Fan agreed, smiling: “Miss Ming seems quite wary of this Shui Jingchen?”

Raising her eyebrows, Qin Chang Ge said helplessly: “I’m wary of his reputation – I’m wary of anyone called a saint. You know, being human means having seven emotions and six desires. How much willpower does one need to cultivate into sainthood? And such willpower – what is it based on? Is it truly sacred and untempted, or just because what he wants is too big and terrifying that ordinary things can’t tempt him at all?”

“Miss Ming truly penetrates human hearts,” Qi Fan stared at her. “But analyzing human hearts this way is also quite terrifying.”

“Yes,” Qin Chang Ge’s smile rarely carried a thread of bitter meaning. “You think I want to?…” She quickly ended the topic and asked: “Talked with Old Master Meng? Found all the scholars invited to Prince Zhao’s banquet that night?”

“Mm,” Qi Fan smiled cunningly. “When you entered the palace, we’d already handled this seventy to eighty percent. As you said, everyone has weaknesses. Grasp the weakness and don’t fear they won’t tell truth.”

Humming acknowledgment, Qin Chang Ge looked up at the winter sky after light snow cleared – that expanse of deep blue pure as silk without a trace of cloud, with pale sunlight spreading over the human world. Everything seemed clear, everything seemed clean, but actually everything was behind cloud layers, all scenery only refracted images.

Was truth also like this?

Who was the hand that truly parted the mist, returning a bright clear sky to the empress’s death mystery from three years ago?

Slowly lowering her gaze, Qin Chang Ge smiled calmly and mysteriously.

“Awakening someone is to make him exert effort… Everything is ready except the east wind… Hmm, the lotus pond secret passage hasn’t been used for a long time. I should inspect it – that route is safe, won’t encounter guards… I need to enter the palace.”

Night deepened. The huge palace complex lay silent in winter night’s solemnity. Distant drum sounds faintly echoed with long, desolate beats, urging sleepless people to return to bed soon.

Yet a single spark in the imperial study still burned undimmed.

Today Xiao Jue, escorted by imperial guards, departed in the bright yellow dragon carriage, leaving behind the panic-stricken Jiang Hua dragging his son to beg forgiveness completely ignored, leaving him tearless in the whistling cold wind before the office. Officials’ news always spread with lightning speed. Wind rises before green duckweed’s end but never stops there. Subsequently, at court assembly, immediately imperial censors submitted memorials impeaching Jiang Hua, listing ten major crimes including corruption, selling offices, indulging his son’s violence, and colluding with inner eunuchs. Xiao Jue only looked expressionlessly, keeping the memorial without issuing it. Under his sharp long eyebrows, his dark eyes showed no ripples, giving those officials who stole glances trying to read “imperial will” from his subtle expressions to curry favor absolutely nothing.

But they didn’t know that when Xiao Jue read the memorial, he had imperceptibly used his fingernail to lightly mark “colluding with inner eunuchs.”

After court, he ordered the young eunuch from Longzhang Palace to retrieve records of inner palace guard deployment and shift changes for the second month’s yiwei day three years ago, plus the duty roster of inner guards that day.

While waiting for the roster records, he summoned the imperial censor who impeached Jiang Hua for “colluding with inner eunuchs” at today’s court.

The young censor was flattered beyond measure. Facing the emperor’s seemingly casual inquiries, he revealed everything he had “heard” about Jiang Hua’s affairs.

“This minister heard Jiang Hua originally came from humble origins, later gaining Prince Zhao’s appreciation and rising step by step. This person is slippery and cunning, skilled at maneuvering. He once boasted to various ministers that he deeply understood Your Majesty’s intentions and was very familiar with Your Majesty’s preferences. This minister believes subjects cannot spy on the Son of Heaven’s daily life, otherwise it easily breeds sinister thoughts…”

Xiao Jue listened with rare patience to his endless show of learning before casually saying: “You speak correctly. Usually I see you somewhat frivolous and rash, never expecting you now show considerable backbone with careful thinking, worthy of great use.”

Praised until his bones felt lighter, the censor kowtowed loudly on the ground: “How dare this minister not risk death in service!”

“You say…” Xiao Jue frowned looking at the dragon and phoenix painted ceiling. “How would an outer minister know my preferences and daily life?”

After slight hesitation, the censor still didn’t dare speak wildly, only prostrating: “Your Majesty should inquire of the inner attendants around you to know immediately.”

“Mm…” Xiao Jue’s gaze fell on that group of eunuchs bowing and waiting for summons outside the hall, nodding: “You may withdraw.”

The censor left carefully with a heart full of beautiful dreams of advancement. After his figure disappeared, the young eunuch retrieving roster records entered, carefully presenting the wax-sealed documents.

Xiao Jue received them, dismissing everyone until only he remained in the hall.

Candlelight flickered, reflecting his distinct features now somewhat blurred and darkly sunken, hidden in dancing light and shadow.

His finger lingered on the wax seal for a long while as if hesitating. Xiao Jue finally slowly broke the seal.

He first skimmed through rapidly, then paused and started from the beginning again, as if not recognizing those characters, reading word by word.

He held the documents very close, staring very intently, as if wanting to find certain words inside or pick certain words out.

But in the end he seemed disappointed.

A full half hour later, he finally put down the brief documents, looking at the candlelight with some bewilderment, some heaviness, some disbelief.

Wind coldly swept over the ceiling above, as if playing a sorrowful song.

…

Vaguely it was that year with heavy snow, accumulating deep by midnight. He was practicing sword, secretly practicing – wind-returning willow-dancing sword light like wind dancing clouds flying. Dimly hearing faint praise, suddenly turning back, a small, delicate boy stood unblinking at a distant pavilion corner. Seeing him, he smiled slightly.

“Brother, you dance so beautifully.”

That year’s crystalline towers, flying snow everywhere. The child whose martial practice wasn’t accepted by father and brothers danced alone in the cold snowy night, yet in an inadvertent backward glance, gained that child’s sincere, worshipful praise.

Sister loved and protected him but thought martial practice was crude. Uncle supported him but didn’t think martial practice necessary. However, younger brother – that half-brother who had been elegant and refined since childhood, whom he thought must dislike his warrior temperament and therefore was always unwilling to interact with – gave him life’s first affirmation.

Earlier than Chang Ge… even earlier…

Chang Ge…

Snow suddenly slowed, no longer rushing like flying catkins but spiraling down like silk threads from the sky, falling in a clean, elegant forest full of plum blossoms… Oh, this was Yunzhou plum grove… Snow fell soundlessly, flowers bloomed soundlessly. Faintly hearing footsteps falling on snow with subtle creaking sounds, he looked back bewildered, seeing only cold, lonely plum buds nearby and distant misty shoals, but no human figure… Where was Chang Ge? Didn’t we agree to meet here, saying you had something to give me?

Footsteps grew closer yet still no figure appeared. He grew anxious, suddenly seeing someone in light, thin clothing coming through flowers and leaves, graceful as if floating on wind. He joyfully went to meet her – it was Chang Ge!

But discovered he somehow couldn’t move his feet.

He looked back in panic – younger brother suddenly appeared, still that small boy, pulling his sleeve corner, joyfully and urgently telling him: “Brother, you dance so beautifully.”

His heart felt vaguely strange. This year in Yunzhou, wasn’t A’Chen already seventeen? Why did he look so small? Also wondering how he could appear here?

But Chang Ge suddenly retreated backward.

He desperately wanted to chase in shock. Chang Ge only drifted farther away. She leaned against a plum tree, looking at him coldly, lightly parting her vermillion lips.

Asking repeatedly:

“Is Your Majesty reluctant to let go?”

“Is Your Majesty reluctant to let go?”

…