In ancient times, Sima Guang smashed the jar; now Mu Chun takes the blame.

One left a fragrant name for eternity; the other showed signs of eternal infamy.

Mu Chun apologized to each of the victimized female officials one by one. Of course, he didn’t come empty-handed – Empress Ma had taken some items from her private treasury for him to give as gifts.

Not looking at the monk’s face but at the Buddha’s – Empress Ma had made clear her intention to protect her own. The female officials who had barely set foot in the rear palace dared not refuse to forgive.

Even Imperial Noble Consort Hu of Yanxi Palace merely smiled it off and readily accepted Mu Chun’s gifts. If Imperial Noble Consort Hu was like this, who dared say half a word of refusal?

Top scholar Shen Qionglian’s health hadn’t yet recovered, so Palace Administrator Fan announced the major examination would be delayed three days.

Hu Shanwei was released without charges, seeing daylight again. She had just walked through death’s door and returned.

Having been confined in a dark space for so long, suddenly seeing sunlight made Hu Shanwei squint and feel momentarily dizzy.

Someone supported her, and once Hu Shanwei steadied herself, she lowered her head and said, “Thank you.”

But a male voice answered her, “I’ve come to apologize to you.”

It was Mu Chun’s voice. Palace Administrator Fan had already explained everything to Hu Shanwei – this whole farce originated from this world-destroying demon king’s prank.

Hu Shanwei opened her eyes, slowly adjusting to the light, gradually raised her head, and her gaze fell on the Embroidered Spring Knife at Mu Chun’s waist.

Mu Chun bowed and said, “I’m sorry, I was wrong.”

Everyone around them was from the Palace Administration Office. Hu Shanwei hummed in acknowledgment, accepting the apology.

Mu Chun asked Palace Administrator Fan matter-of-factly, “You see, Female Historian Hu has forgiven me. Who’s next? I’ll go apologize.”

Palace Administrator Fan said, “That’s all. Hu Shanwei was the last one.”

Having completed his task, Mu Chun immediately took his leave, clearly not taking this lesson to heart, making Palace Administrator Fan shake her head.

When Hu Shanwei returned to her room, gifts that Mu Chun had brought from Empress Ma’s treasury as apologies were arranged on the table: two top-quality Korean ginseng roots, two bolts of agarwood gauze, and two bolts of jade-colored gauze. With summer approaching, the thin gauze would be perfect for making clothes.

Hu Shanwei took the two ginseng roots to Mei Xiang’s residence, intending to give them to calm her nerves. During this peach blossom powder incident, Mei Xiang had spoken truthfully without concealment. Given her age, the Palace Administration Office hadn’t tortured her.

Even so, going through the Palace Administration Office’s prison had frightened Mei Xiang’s legs to weakness.

Mei Xiang lived in the northern-most compound for low-ranking servants of the West Six Palaces. Her bedroom could only fit one bed and a row of wardrobes, not even a desk. There was a small table on the bed where Mei Xiang would read and practice writing in her spare time.

Unexpectedly, this old palace servant’s quarters were so crude, far inferior to those of newly entered female officials.

Even so, Mei Xiang’s quarters were considered good – she had a private room. Young palace maids in the courtyard could only squeeze together sleeping on large shared beds, four to a room.

Seeing Hu Shanwei come to visit her and bringing supplements, Mei Xiang’s eyes grew moist. She’d only ever seen palace maids curry favor with female officials, never female officials taking care of palace maids.

Mei Xiang’s heart warmed. She didn’t decline and accepted the gifts, even advising Hu Shanwei, “Mu Chun isn’t bad-natured, just mischievous. Without a beating for three days, he’d tear off roof tiles. Even Imperial Noble Consort Hu laughed it off, so let this matter be. Stay away from him in the future and don’t pursue it.”

How could she pursue it? Did she not want her life? Could a newly entered female official have more face than Imperial Noble Consort Hu?

Hu Shanwei nodded and asked Mei Xiang, “His accomplice – the Embroidered Uniform Guard Ji Gang – do you know his background?”

Thinking she wanted revenge, Mei Xiang quickly shook her head like a rattle drum, “Listen to me – a gentleman’s revenge can wait ten years. Though the Embroidered Uniform Guard can’t interfere in rear palace affairs, you have family outside the palace, right? You know the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s reputation outside. Besides, I heard Ji Gang suffered severe punishment and fainted. Consider that revenge for you.”

Hu Shanwei said, “I have no intention of revenge. I just want to know what kind of background Ji Gang has – why did Mu Chun specifically choose him to apply the peach blossom powder instead of someone else?”

Hu Shanwei was also puzzled. Given Mu Chun’s usual reckless and unruly style, he could have found an opportunity to apply the peach blossom powder himself – wouldn’t that revenge be more satisfying? Why have Ji Gang do it?

Mei Xiang answered, “I’m in the rear palace and rarely know about outside affairs. Ji Gang is an external minister – I truly don’t know his background. However, Ji Gang is Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Mao Qiang’s trusted subordinate. He’s a junior officer – though just a low-ranking military official, Master Mao values him highly.”

Hu Shanwei thought: Ji Gang is a junior officer, while Mu Chun is currently a foot soldier, even lower in rank than Ji Gang. Why would Ji Gang follow Mu Chun’s orders and, even after being tortured unconscious, refuse to implicate Mu Chun?

What would be the problem with implicating Mu Chun?

According to descriptions from Palace Administrator Fan, Mei Xiang, and others, Mu Chun had been a dissolute, troublemaking world-destroying demon king since childhood. But the Emperor and Empress doted on him – no matter what mischief he caused, the final result was always: forgive him.

Why would Ji Gang rather die than implicate Mu Chun?

For Mu Chun’s reputation?

Bah! Had Mu Chun ever possessed such a thing as reputation?

No.

On her way back to the Six Bureaus and One Office, Hu Shanwei pondered all the way when suddenly a small pebble hit the hem of her stone-blue horse-face skirt. Looking up, it was indeed Mu Chun again.

When would he break this bad habit of throwing pebbles to get people’s attention?

Speak of the devil and he appears. Mu Chun stood under a cherry tree, waving at her, “Sister Shanwei, come here. I have something to tell you.”

It was the season when flowers fade to reveal small green apricots – the cherry tree was covered with clusters of small green cherries. Mu Chun wore a hair net and a flying fish robe of kesi silk with gold thread. With his red lips and white teeth, he looked quite handsome.

Given Mu Chun’s terrible track record, Hu Shanwei dared not approach. She pretended not to see him and continued walking. Currently powerless and without influence, she didn’t want to provoke this ambiguous world-destroying demon king.

Seeing her unmoved, Mu Chun casually grabbed a cluster of green cherries from overhead and threw them over, “Hey, don’t leave! I really have something important.”

Her skirt hem was hit again. Hu Shanwei wasn’t made of wood – she became somewhat annoyed. Turning around, she said, “Don’t bully people too much! I’ll tell Palace Administrator Fan.”

Mu Chun looked around, seeing no one, immediately ran over and pulled Hu Shanwei behind the cherry tree. Shanwei struggled and called out.

“Don’t let other Embroidered Uniform Guards see,” Mu Chun covered her mouth. Shanwei opened her mouth and bit down.

Mu Chun quickly let go – two neat rows of white tooth marks on his fingers!

Mu Chun blew on his hand in pain, “Wah wah wah, are you a dog? Biting everyone you see.”

Hu Shanwei backhanded him with a slap.

Slap!

Mu Chun was shocked. He covered his face with his tooth-marked hand, “Even my father has never hit this face. Why did you hit me?”

The villain complains first. Hu Shanwei casually broke off a cherry branch for self-defense, “You put your hands on me and spoke frivolously. Though my official position is humble, I cannot tolerate such insolence!”

Mu Chun pointed at Hu Shanwei, “You, you, you don’t know what’s good for you! If I hadn’t taken the blame and closed the case, you’d still be suffering severe punishment at the Palace Administration Office right now.”

Mu Chun told her about Ji Gang following Mao Qiang’s orders to put peach blossom powder in her food to force her out of the palace.

Mu Chun: “…Did you offend Master Mao outside the palace? Or do your family members have connections to the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

Hu Shanwei was half-believing, half-doubting. Mu Chun’s words were unreliable, but besides Mao Qiang, no one else seemed worth Ji Gang entrusting his life to.

Hu Shanwei maintained a tree’s distance from Mu Chun, “Our Hu family are just ordinary merchant townspeople with no connections to officialdom whatsoever.”

When Chang Yuchun massacred Suzhou city years ago, everyone in the Hu family except Hu Rong and herself had died.

Mu Chun asked again, “Is it possible your stepmother is causing trouble behind the scenes?”

Hu Shanwei shook her head definitively, “The Chen family runs a north-south general goods store – also small merchant townspeople with no officials.”

Actually, the Hu family did have an official – herself, Hu Shanwei, eighth-rank female historian.

Mu Chun pondered for a moment, “That’s impossible. You’re a copyist at a book repository who usually doesn’t even leave Nanjing’s city gates. Why would Master Mao insist you’re connected to military and state affairs and want to expel you from the palace? Think carefully – isn’t there really no one in your family who’s an official?”

Hearing the words “military and state affairs,” Hu Shanwei’s expression changed, “My former fiancé was once a centurion in the Imperial Guard’s Rear Guard.”

A centurion was a sixth-rank military official.

Mu Chun asked, “‘Was once’? Where is he serving now?”

It had been three years, but mentioning her former fiancé still caused Hu Shanwei’s heart to ache, though her tone was flat, “He died in battle during the court’s second northern expedition.”

Mu Chun clapped his hands, “That’s it! It must be your fiancé’s connection. Mao Qiang knew him and they had some grudge, otherwise why would Mao Qiang insist on forcing you out of the palace?”

Both the Imperial Guard’s Rear Guard and the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters were in the capital, belonging to the Imperial Guard and only answering to the Emperor. It was normal for Mao Qiang and her fiancé to know each other.

But why would Mao Qiang target me? Could there be something suspicious about my fiancé’s death?

Hu Shanwei felt like she was trapped in pitch-black darkness where she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face, with monsters lurking around. She could sense danger but couldn’t touch those beasts.

Mu Chun asked, “What was your fiancé’s name? I’ll help you investigate.”

“Wang Ning.” Hu Shanwei asked, “Why do you want to help me?”

Mu Chun chuckled, “They all call me the world-destroying demon king, a wealthy idle person. I’m just bored and looking for something to do. However, I have one condition—”

Seeing this shameless face with its lecherous smile, Hu Shanwei became wary and retreated three steps, afraid of being molested, “What do you want?”

Mu Chun pointed to the four faint finger marks on his left cheek, “Lend me your rouge and powder. I need to cover this up.”

Mao Qiang – Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander, first-rank military official, wielding enormous power.

Me – rear palace eighth-rank female historian, powerless and without influence.

The power comparison was vastly unequal. If she wanted to uncover the mystery between Mao Qiang and her fiancé, she had to use Mu Chun. Mu Chun was with the Embroidered Uniform Guard – he had advantageous access.

Hu Shanwei weighed the pros and cons, nodded in agreement, went to get cosmetics from her dressing case, and came to the cherry tree, “Here.”

Mu Chun shamelessly presented his left cheek to her, “I’m a grown man who doesn’t understand applying makeup. You do my makeup.”

Since she was already here, she’d treat him like an ignorant brat.

Hu Shanwei mixed the cosmetics and applied them to his face, her soft fingertips occasionally touching the coarse stubble that had just grown on the young man’s face.

His chin felt tingly and comfortable. Mu Chun thought this slap had been quite worth taking.