Those who remained to reminisce with the host family were few and far between—either families who had been extremely close to the Qi family originally and couldn’t escape involvement no matter how they tried to avoid suspicion now, or people of humble origins who had no family backing and no prospects in officialdom. These scattered soldiers included General Pei Jian, the new top scholar Li Wei, and various other humble officials who had been promoted by Young Master Qi in the past. All together they numbered several dozen, crowding in the main family’s courtyard, which could still be considered respectable.

It was precisely this opportunity that Xiao Ziyu seized to dismiss her attendants and stay alone to speak a few words with Qi Ying.

She hadn’t seen him for a long time again.

Clearly everything had still been fine before he went north for the peace negotiations, but in the space of a day and night, everything had changed. Young Master Qi and Third Young Master Qi were implicated and imprisoned, and the Qi family immediately showed signs of being battered by wind and rain.

Brother Jingchen must be very tired… He had lost a lot of weight. Now wearing hemp mourning clothes and mourning cap, he appeared even more desolate, yet still very handsome, still making her utterly infatuated.

Xiao Ziyu looked up at him, her heart inexpressibly sour. She knew that no matter what results the Court of Judicial Review found, the Qi family was doomed to suffer, because her imperial brother had already made up his mind to eliminate this family, and even… he wanted to kill Qi Ying.

At this thought, she couldn’t help but burst into tears. Grasping Qi Ying’s sleeve, she urgently pleaded: “Brother Jingchen, marry me…”

Marry me, and you’ll become a son-in-law of the imperial family. I’ll protect you with everything I have and share life and death with you. Even if I can’t save your family, at least I can save you.

Save my most beloved you.

At such a moment of life and death uncertainty, the weight of Xiao Ziyu’s words could not be underestimated. She was using her own status and even her life to challenge the new emperor’s authority, trying to save his life under tremendous pressure.

After Xiao Ziyu finished speaking, she saw the man she had admired for years show her an expression he had never shown before—gentle, with a hint of being moved.

He was moved…

Xiao Ziyu’s heart melted into sugar water under his gaze, while also becoming stronger than at any time in her life, as if she could immediately don armor and charge ahead for him, abandoning everything just to keep him safe.

She so desperately desired to gain this person’s love.

But then she saw him shake his head and say to her: “Your Highness, let our marriage agreement be canceled.”

His expression was mild and gentle, but his words were like the sharpest blade in the world, making her immediately wish she were dead.

Her tears fell even more fiercely as she asked him: “…What did you say?”

He wore mourning clothes, standing before her with his hands behind his back. Even fallen into such dire straits, he still appeared outstanding, standing alone like a solitary pine.

He said: “Both my family and I stand at the edge of a cliff. Your Highness’s helping hand might not resolve our troubles, but instead would pull you into the abyss as well. What would be the point of that?”

He looked at her with some gentleness, some sighing, his eyes profound and unfathomable, as if he had something to say to her.

At that moment, Xiao Ziyu suddenly became somewhat flustered for some reason, feeling that he was about to say something she didn’t want to hear. She immediately covered her ears and said loudly: “Enough, don’t say anymore—”

She covered her ears and cried even more fiercely. Everything before her eyes was blurred and she couldn’t even see his face clearly. He didn’t force her either, just stood silently in front of her without speaking or wiping away her tears. Only after she dejectedly lowered her hands from her ears did she hear him say to her in a matter-of-fact tone: “Your Highness, if it’s permissible to transcend the distinction between monarch and subject, I have always regarded you as a sister.”

He thrust the dagger deeper into her heart in the most impassive way.

“There have always been many complicated matters between us, not as pure as in childhood. Your Highness may not understand, but actually we are ultimately impossible.”

“If my family were unharmed, I would naturally take up my post in the Privy Council as ordered to serve as the nation’s bulwark. Neither the late emperor nor His Majesty would allow me to remain idle. And if the Qi family falls, I also cannot live alone in this world, nor could Your Highness marry a criminal minister. We are ultimately on different paths.”

He spoke clearly and simply—anyone could understand that their marriage had originally been an illusion that could never come true.

But to Xiao Ziyu, these words were like a heavenly script—she simply didn’t understand. Clearly she just wanted to marry and stay with the man she loved. Clearly her father and brother were monarchs of Jiangzuo who could give her anything. Why was it that she couldn’t be with him?

His next words were even easier to understand.

“Moreover, my feelings for Your Highness are not those between man and woman.”

He sighed slightly, also seeming to have finally set down a worry, appearing relieved.

“Marriage is easy enough—nothing more than a banquet and ceremony—but the long years afterward are difficult to endure day by day. I am deeply grateful for Your Highness’s affection but dare not accept it. It would be better to cancel our engagement. In the future, when Your Highness finds someone who loves you truly, you will know that only mutual affection is most heartwarming.”

He spoke these words properly and formally, also very sincerely. Especially when mentioning “mutual affection,” he showed a sincerity she had never seen before, and seemed to think of some person or matter, his eyes revealing faint longing.

Sparse yet lingering.

That was a tenderness she had never had the chance to glimpse.

She stood right before him alive, yet couldn’t compare to that phantom in his heart in bringing him joy.

How cruel.

How heartless.

Xiao Ziyu suddenly didn’t know what she was persisting for—for his sake, she willingly endured her imperial brother’s scolding and people’s mocking gazes, yet all he ever gave her was rejection. Previously these rejections were silent, and she could still pretend not to understand, but now he had made everything so clear that she had no way to avoid it.

Brother Jingchen… why do you treat me so heartlessly?

Xiao Ziyu wiped away her own tears and faced him wordlessly, her eyes showing desolation, and after the desolation, an even more deep-rooted stubbornness.

She raised her face to look at him and said: “I don’t care.”

“I don’t care whether you regard me as a sister or as what. I also don’t care whether you like someone else. I just want to marry you. I just want to be by your side for life.”

“True feelings? Who can say for certain about lifelong matters? Perhaps you don’t like me now, but you might like me in the future… Just like me—I might not like a hairpin today, but I might especially love it tomorrow.”

She kept wiping away her own tears. When he seemed about to speak words of rejection again, she loudly interrupted him and fiercely told him: “We must marry! Otherwise you’ll definitely regret it! I’ll regret it too!”

Even if you don’t love me, I still want to marry you, because I must save your life.

He understood her meaning—he knew her deep affection and understood her intentions. He was moved and grateful for this, but also knew that none of it was love.

He already had someone he truly loved and could not repay another woman’s affection.

Xiao Ziyu saw that he wanted to persuade her again, but her mind was made up. She didn’t want to let him thrust that dagger deeper into her heart, so for the first time in her life, she turned and left before he did.

Hurriedly fleeing, utterly defeated.

Qi Ying stood in place watching Xiao Ziyu’s retreating figure, the light in his eyes becoming dim and extremely helpless.

But he didn’t look in the direction of her departure for long. Soon he turned back and looked toward a corner full of shadows behind the garden’s artificial mountain, saying mildly: “Please come out, sir. I have been waiting for a long time.”

After his words fell, a person emerged from behind the shadows of that artificial mountain.

Dragging his right leg, covered in wounds.

Xu Zhengning.

That night at the zi hour, all was quiet in Jiankang City.

One person on one horse galloped toward the city gate. The person wore a long black cloak with face hidden from view. The sound of hoofbeats was clearly audible in the deep night.

The city gate guards naturally tried to stop someone leaving the city so late at night, but saw the mounted person rein in his horse and reveal his true appearance—it was Xu Zhengning of the Privy Council.

He pulled out a Privy Council token from his chest and said coldly: “Privy Council official business. Open the gate.”

The Privy Council…

The Privy Council was no ordinary government office. It involved countless confidential matters beyond enumeration. If they delayed this lord’s business, they couldn’t bear the responsibility. The city guards dared not be negligent upon seeing this and were about to obey orders to open the city gate, when suddenly they heard laughter in the night: “Lord Xu returned south not long ago. Didn’t you receive an imperial edict to rest at home? What official business requires you to travel so late at night?”

Everyone present turned to look upon hearing this voice, only to see that at some unknown time, numerous armored soldiers had appeared silently in the darkness. All showed fierce light and intimidating presence. The leader was tall with a pale face and a smile at the corners of his mouth. Even in such a murderous atmosphere, he maintained a leisurely and carefree attitude. This was Zhu Wei of the Privy Council’s twelve departments, specifically in charge of surveillance.

Xu Zhengning looked at him, his brows furrowing deeply.

These two lords had known each other and worked together for nearly twenty years, supporting each other through life and death in the Privy Council, experiencing countless bloody storms together. But facing each other like tonight had never happened before—it was truly novel.

Xu Zhengning looked at his comrade through the misty night fog and asked in a deep voice: “You want to stop me?”

Zhu Wei smiled and answered: “Naturally.”

Xu Zhengning’s expression didn’t change, but his tone became stern: “Why stop me?”

Zhu Wei’s smile didn’t diminish as he bowed toward the direction of the imperial palace and answered: “By the Son of Heaven’s command.”

Xu Zhengning fell silent.

Zhu Wei’s pale complexion appeared ghostly and eerie in the dark night. He moved a step closer to Xu Zhengning, his tone unpredictable: “Today the Qi family held a grand funeral with many visitors—it’s indeed easy to fish in troubled waters. But you and the Chancellor should know the Privy Council’s capabilities best. Did you really think private conversations in the garden could escape the Privy Council’s eyes?”

As Zhu Wei spoke, his gaze swept toward what Xu Zhengning had hidden under his cloak. He slowly extended his hand toward him and said: “Give me the item.”

His tone became cold, but his eyes still held faint compassion, as if he still remembered his years of friendship with Xu Zhengning. He said to him: “Hand over what the Chancellor gave you, and this matter will have nothing to do with you. I’ll explain to His Majesty and won’t implicate you.”

Xu Zhengning smiled upon hearing this but said nothing. He only slowly reached to draw his long sword from his waist.

Zhu Wei’s gaze became colder, and that perpetual smile at the corners of his mouth completely disappeared.

He stared intently at Xu Zhengning and sneered: “You want to fight the Privy Council? With your current crippled body?”

He looked contemptuously at Xu Zhengning’s right leg.

Xu Zhengning seemed oblivious to these words, his face remaining stern and cold. He only answered: “No need for idle talk. If you want to arrest me, then make your move.”

Seeing his stubbornness, Zhu Wei angrily threw his sleeve and his tone suddenly became sharp as he demanded: “Xu Zhengning, I’ll ask you just once—are you a minister of the Son of Heaven and Great Liang, or that superior’s personal retainer? Just because he traded five provinces for your life, will you abandon all principles to become his hunting dog?”

“I’ll say this one last time,” Zhu Wei’s voice was as cold as it could be, “give me the item, and we’ll treat today as if it never happened.”

This seemed like an ultimatum, and also like the final tolerance between old friends.

Xu Zhengning understood Zhu Wei’s good intentions—he was trying to let him go. But…

He sighed heavily, as if he had thousands of words to say, but in the end they all became just a sigh.

“No need to persuade me further,” he still stood alone with his sword, looking at Zhu Wei with a mild expression, even carrying some relieved smile. “Make your move.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Wei’s brows furrowed even tighter. Then the cold light in his eyes faded, leaving only boundless sighing.

He looked at Xu Zhengning one last time, then slowly turned around and gently waved his hand to the armored soldiers behind him.

Instantly the sounds of flashing blades, clashing swords, and fierce fighting erupted, making Jiankang City in the night mist seem like the depths of hell.

Author’s Note: See you tomorrow