To tell the truth, though Zhang Zhe hadn’t been in the Ministry of Justice for very long, anyone with eyes could see what kind of person and temperament he had.

Last year, Vice Minister Chen Ying hosted guests at Xichen Pavilion.

At such occasions, inevitably some women with beautiful appearances were called in to “serve wine.” Some dissolute officials accustomed to sensual pleasures would immediately begin being handsy, flirting with these young ladies on the spot.

This Lord Zhang had proper features and a cold countenance. Sitting among the crowd, he was completely out of place.

Seeing him, the courtesans couldn’t help but be moved.

After all, some who appeared to be upright gentlemen were actually several degrees more despicable than those who were straightforward. Having come to such a place, it was impossible to emerge from the mud unstained. Taking a step back, even if he truly was an upright gentleman, wouldn’t provoking him be even more interesting?

Thus, there were two young ladies who seemed boneless, wanting to cling to him.

But before they could get close, he stood up.

Others immediately laughed and made a commotion.

Yet this Lord Zhang lowered his brows and eyes, stating directly that he couldn’t hold his liquor, couldn’t drink, and it wouldn’t be appropriate to remain here disturbing everyone’s enjoyment—he would take his leave first.

Having spoken, he turned and left.

At that time, everyone in Xichen Pavilion looked at each other in dismay.

Vice Minister Chen’s expression was quite unpleasant.

After that occasion ended, there was gossip throughout the Ministry of Justice, saying this Zhang Zhe didn’t know how to read the room nor understand social graces.

The two constables had naturally heard about it.

Moreover, they had also heard about Zhang Zhe breaking off his engagement with the Yao family’s daughter.

Originally, the marriage contract only awaited the final stroke, when suddenly one day it fell through. Though they didn’t know which side first wanted to break the engagement, the Yao family was a prestigious household while Zhang Zhe came from a humble background—surely Zhang Zhe himself wasn’t foolish enough to break off the engagement? After all, when the marriage was arranged back then, he himself had agreed to it. So most likely it was that noble and beautiful young lady Miss Yao Xi who disdained him for being wooden and dull, for his bland, lifeless face, and thus broke off the engagement.

They were all too clear about this Lord Zhang’s manner.

From dawn to dusk, not a trace of smile appeared on his face.

In the Ministry of Justice yamen, he often arrived earliest and left latest, spending his days dealing with case files, murder cases, prisons, and legal precedents. Even if some gentle young ladies took a fancy to him, they repeatedly hit walls because of his inhuman, unromantic manner. Over time, no one showed interest anymore.

But right now…

The two constables could hardly believe their eyes!

Earlier at the Shuxiang Inn, they had already seen Jiang Xuening. After all, such a beautiful young lady was truly stunning to the extreme—just a glancing sweep made it difficult to look away. She was more beautiful than any woman they had ever seen!

Compared to her, the delicate moths of Yihong Tower and the willow-browed beauties of Weicui Pavilion were all inferior among inferiors!

If not for official duties, they definitely would have stared greedily without leaving.

But they absolutely never expected that shortly after they left, this young lady would actually chase out.

And moreover, call out to…

Lord Zhang?!

The two constables’ gazes toward Jiang Xuening quickly shifted from initial shock to pity: What a shame! Such a beautiful young lady, yet her mind isn’t working properly! With such good looks, marrying anyone would be like a phoenix ascending to the branches—how could she be so blind as to take a fancy to Zhang Zhe, even sending him something on New Year’s Eve?!

On the street, pedestrians came and went, carriages and horses in an endless stream.

The two stood facing each other, motionless and still.

Like two stones sunk to the bottom in a gently flowing stream.

Zhang Zhe had thought he had already made his decision, had repeatedly admonished himself. But seeing her again, that wall built so high in his heart began to sway, collapsing bit by bit.

His body was still, but his heart could not be.

He hadn’t even considered that Jiang Xuening would chase after him, much less that she would cast aside reserve and ask him so directly. But thinking again, wasn’t this precisely her temperament? Bold, domineering, bright and vivid, not much inclined to restraint. If she were timid and hesitant, worried about gains and losses, that wouldn’t be like her at all.

Jiang Xuening tilted her face up slightly to look at him. In her eyes filled with light lurked a hint of stifled grievance, but she didn’t voice it. Even carrying a bit of dominance, she repeated her earlier question: “Did Lord Zhang receive it?”

Clearly every sentence was words of caring, yet Zhang Zhe felt each word was like a knife cutting.

He stood before her appearing unharmed, but inside his heart was covered in wounds, blood flowing everywhere. He had to forcefully grip the roll of portrait paper in his hand to ensure his voice remained calm and steady as usual: “I received it.”

The two constables beside him exchanged glances, almost suspecting they had misheard. Looking again at this Lord Zhang’s seemingly normal expression, they rarely sensed something unusual.

After all, Zhang Zhe currently enjoyed the Emperor’s favor.

If they ignorantly listened to his private affairs, how could they know whether he might become wary and guarded against them in the future?

These two bowed and silently withdrew. However, having walked quite far, they still couldn’t help but look back, clearly harboring irrepressible curiosity.

Jiang Xuening was completely unaware. Upon hearing Zhang Zhe’s affirmative answer, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, but accompanying it was a vague sense of foreboding, making her heart ache as if pierced by hidden needles.

A voice in her mind shouted: don’t ask, don’t ask anymore.

Having come this far with the conversation, what was there left to not understand?

But that continuous stabbing pain had already given her an illusion of being unable to breathe, causing her to stubbornly ignore that voice: “Then what was written inside—Lord Zhang also saw it?”

Zhang Zhe said: “I saw it.”

Jiang Xuening even smiled, unprecedentedly candid: “Others all say My Lord has a cold face and is emotionless, difficult to get along with. But on the journey to Tongzhou, Xuening was fortunate to receive My Lord’s care throughout, and came to know that you are actually pure as ice in a jade vase, upright and principled. Zhang Zhe, I am partial to you.”

Zhang Zhe, I am partial to you.

Without the usual shyness of ordinary women, only a heart full of solitary courage that wouldn’t turn back until hitting the southern wall.

Zhang Zhe felt she seemed about to cry, yet on her slightly pale face, that faint smile never faded, as if she believed she would definitely obtain the answer she wanted.

Among butchers’ stalls and marketplaces, in worldly clamor.

Yet he was suddenly pulled back to his previous life by this one sentence.

In the previous life, Jiang Xuening had also said such words.

However, at that time she still couldn’t stand him. Only because he and Zhou Yinzhi were mortal enemies, whenever there was opportunity inside or outside the palace, she would presumptuously play tricks on him, making him suffer; teasing him, making him uncomfortable.

Knowing he was rigid and conservative by nature, she deliberately flirted.

If he showed even a moment’s embarrassment through slight carelessness, she would often clap her hands laughing heartily, as if she had won some great victory.

Though he had a resilient and silent temperament, being teased for so long, he inevitably had moments when he couldn’t maintain his composure.

That day was deep winter. Court officials received imperial summons to enter the palace for deliberations.

He lived farther from the imperial palace. The roads were slippery, so he arrived later. Upon reaching Qianqing Palace, he saw a group of important ministers, including Xie Wei who was already Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, all waiting in the side hall.

Everyone knew Xie Wei was the Imperial Tutor and had a constitution averse to cold.

The Emperor summoning ministers—anyone waiting outside wouldn’t be strange, but having Xie Wei wait outside was truly unheard of and unprecedented.

At that moment, an old minister walked in, quite puzzled: “Didn’t the Emperor summon us to deliberate at this hour? Why are so many people kept waiting outside?”

Xie Wei stood on the steps, still rather detached, turning back to answer: “The Empress is inside.”

Everyone immediately looked at each other in dismay.

That old minister choked for a moment, lowered his head and muttered something, but ultimately said nothing more.

Zhang Zhe glanced toward the interior of Qianqing Palace, inexplicably feeling a surge of irritation and restlessness.

After waiting for most of a quarter-hour more, Zheng Bao, the Directorate of Ceremonial’s pen-wielding eunuch, personally came out bowing to escort someone.

It was Jiang Xuening.

In elaborate robes with hair piled high, holding an exquisite gold-inlaid hand warmer, her powder-white cheeks radiated dazzling beauty. Her lips were dotted cherry-color, yet the hue seemed lighter than usual, as if the lip rouge had been rubbed off somewhere.

Coming out, she first saw Xie Wei on the steps. A flash of disgust quickly passed through her eyes as she turned her gaze away.

Descending the steps, only then did she see him.

Thus that glimmer in her eyes transformed into something playful. She deliberately raised her brows, drawing out a smile. After all, this was the entrance to Qianqing Palace—she didn’t dare make things difficult for him in front of so many ministers. She walked away lightly with her palace maids.

Subsequently, Shen Jie summoned them into the hall for deliberations.

When rising after paying respects, Zhang Zhe happened to see that young, refined Emperor arranging a turned-up sleeve back down. A hint of cherry pink, not very obvious, stained the edge of the transparent nail on his right ring finger, as if still retaining the lingering warmth of tender affection.

He didn’t know if anyone else had noticed.

But throughout the hour-long deliberation, though he answered questions fluently, when not speaking, compared to his usual silence, he displayed a bit more of a barely perceptible depression.

When everyone withdrew and exited Qianqing Palace, Xie Wei suddenly stopped, looked at him, and said: “The Jiangnan imperial examination fraud case involves many parties. Lord Zhang’s words today were even fewer than usual.”

Zhang Zhe wasn’t very familiar with this Imperial Tutor.

But at that moment, he felt a chill in his heart.

He answered: “This matter is of great importance. By nature I’m taciturn, and dare even less to speak carelessly.”

Xie Wei’s face always carried a hint of smile. He was also very skilled in dealing with people, making others feel as if bathed in spring breeze even in winter.

But after hearing these words, he didn’t respond.

That old minister happened to come over to invite him to the Grand Secretariat. Xie Wei thus acted as if he had never mentioned anything, heading toward the duty room with the other senior ministers.

Zhang Zhe stood at the bottom of the steps for a moment before walking toward Wenyuan Pavilion in the east.

The examination fraud case was intricate and complex, even involving several previous chief examiners of the metropolitan examinations. He absolutely had to find relevant people to question.

However, along the way he was somewhat distracted.

He didn’t even notice when Jiang Xuening walked past in the distance with palace attendants, and thus naturally couldn’t avoid her.

She seemed to have gone to the Imperial Garden. Behind her were several palace attendants—one holding scissors, while the others each held several branches of snow plum blossoms in their hands.

The weather was bitterly cold, and the plum blossoms were blooming vigorously.

Some red, some white, some yellow.

Only the slender branch about a chi long in Jiang Xuening’s own hand, leaning at an angle, was a pale green color like beans—quite rare indeed.

It was said that in the eastern corner of the palace’s Imperial Garden grew a tree of exceedingly rare green plum, planted by National Preceptor Master Yuanji after losing a bet with Imperial Tutor Xie Wei one year after the late Emperor Shen Lang ascended the throne. It bloomed during the cold winter season, with all petals in pale green hues.

The palace attendants all treasured it dearly and didn’t dare touch it casually.

Yet having fallen into Jiang Xuening’s hands, it was casually plucked. She held it lightly for appreciation, showing not a trace of its preciousness.

Knowing that encountering Jiang Xuening never boded well, after bowing in greeting he didn’t wish to cause trouble. Thus he yielded passage to the left, intending to depart from the side.

Unexpectedly, when he walked to the left, Jiang Xuening stood to the left.

When he walked to the right, Jiang Xuening stood to the right.

No matter what, she blocked him perfectly.

Zhang Zhe thus knew she was again indulging her teasing nature. His already bland and cold face became even more expressionless. Glimpsing her smiling ambiguously at him with curved pink lips, he felt an even greater surge of irritation.

He said: “This official has duties to attend to. Your Majesty, please allow passage.”

Jiang Xuening waved for all palace attendants to keep far away. Still blocking his path, looking at his cold, stern brow, she actually held up that branch of green plum, lifting his sharp chin to examine his face, her words laden with teasing: “Lord Zhang’s temper is both foul and stubborn, yet this brow is quite handsomely formed. What if I simply refuse to let you pass?”

How could such words and actions resemble an Empress who was mother to the nation?

Zhang Zhe finally brushed her aside, his face solemn and icy cold: “Your Majesty is mother of the nation, in the ultimate position of Kunning. Your conduct should have its measure. Serving the Emperor is being both wife and subject. Such frivolous words may invite criticism from court and country.”

Jiang Xuening seemed not to have expected he would actually speak back.

First she froze, then, as if discovering something amusing, clapped her hands: “I thought you were a taciturn gourd with a sawed-off mouth. Having troubled you so many times thinking you’d cultivated into a second Xie Ju’an, I was feeling it was getting boring. So you also have times when you can’t suppress your temper!”

Zhang Zhe remained unmoved, only saying: “Your Majesty acting thus—where does it place the Emperor, where does it place this subject, and where does it place propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame?”

When he first saw Jiang Xuening at the summer mountain villa, she had been just like this.

Never expecting that upon hearing these words, though Jiang Xuening’s playful expression didn’t change, a hint of violent energy pressed into her eyes, making her face all the more radiantly beautiful. She walked before him, almost toe to toe, pulling up the corners of her lips: “Who told me that upon first seeing you, I became partial to Lord Zhang?”

Such words should have been tender, affectionate love talk, but coming from her mouth, they were frivolous and perverse, secretly filled with extreme sharp mockery!

At that moment, Zhang Zhe’s patience reached its limit.

Knowing she was toying with him, he retreated a step and lowered his eyes: “This official stands upright and fears no rumors. Your Majesty’s words and conduct, however, may not be unafraid of gossip. Court and country criticism is likely not what you wish to see. I beg Your Majesty to exercise caution.”

His lowered gaze could only see a section of Jiang Xuening’s robe embroidered with phoenix tails.

There was a moment of quiet.

Then several green plum petals entered his vision—it was Jiang Xuening’s branch of green plum touching the corner of his eye. As he lifted his eyes slightly, the slender tip of that thin branch had slightly cold, sharp wooden thorns that drew an extremely faint, fine line of blood at the corner of his eye.

The pain was very subtle, yet truly present.

Jiang Xuening changed to a thoughtful expression, examining him: “Lord Zhang upholds propriety and righteousness, is naturally forbearing. How is it that today, provoked by a few casual nonsensical words from me, you cannot maintain your composure?”

Zhang Zhe didn’t speak.

Jiang Xuening’s plum branch didn’t withdraw, still touching the corner of his eye. Her gaze also moved to his cold, silent eyes, studying him for a long time. Suddenly a smile bloomed at her lips, as if even she herself couldn’t believe it, actually asking: “Are you jealous?”

At that moment, Zhang Zhe’s patience seemed to reach its ultimate limit. He directly swept his sleeves and left.

Behind him, Jiang Xuening laughed until she bent at the waist.

Returning to his own residence, he regarded Jiang Xuening’s words as the same nonsense as always, meant to disturb his peace of mind. He opened case files to read, but those absurd two words in his mind couldn’t be dispelled. Jiang Xuening secretly supported Zhou Yinzhi, and Zhou Yinzhi was a great scourge in the court—how could he be bewitched by beauty, even developing jealousy?

It was merely her deliberately using words to insult him.

But as he turned page after page of the case files, he couldn’t make sense of even half a clue.

A solitary lamp illuminated the long night. What floated up in his mind was that lightened lip rouge, the cherry pink staining the Emperor’s fingernail.

For the first time, Zhang Zhe hated his meticulous powers of observation.

Even the smallest traces of evidence allowed him to glimpse one corner of the iceberg, actually making him restless and irritated, unable to read another word, only thinking: how could there be such a wicked woman in the world?

However, a very long time afterward, when he was trapped in prison, looking through that tiny square iron window toward the clouds beyond, he had forgotten all other wickedness. Instead, he always remembered that day when she said with playful yet sharp laughter that jesting remark—

Who told me that upon first seeing you, I became partial to Lord Zhang?

At that time, the playfulness and sharpness, the violent energy and mockery, all faded from that remembered face, leaving only refreshing breeze and spirit, snow plum pale green.

She had teased him, and also once pleaded with him.

She had squeezed him out, and also occasionally showed softness.

She pulled him into the whirlpool, yet in the end, the one who feared death ultimately gave up that life to repay him…

And at this very moment, across two lifetimes, she stood before him, no longer always playfully calling him “Lord Zhang,” but unusually seriously calling him “Zhang Zhe,” openly and honestly admitting she was partial to him.

In this life she wasn’t the Empress, and he wasn’t a subject.

They should have been together.

Zhang Zhe felt as if his entire being had been cut in half by fate’s dull knife—half of him displayed outwardly, cold and rational; half of him sunk into hell, miserable and hopeless.

In a trance, it was again that day at Qingguan Temple in Tongzhou.

In this life, Xie Wei in a fluttering Daoist robe stood on craggy rocks, asking him: “Are you also partial to her?”

He stopped, was silent for a long time, then said word by word: “I love and cherish her.”

That truly was the most open moment of both his lifetimes, even casting aside all burdens, obtaining a kind of complete release.

But the corner of Xie Wei’s eye twitched slightly. He only laughed once, as if very curious, asking: “How strange. Why does this Xie feel that Lord Zhang, facing others, is actually somewhat more honest than facing the one he loves?”

He stood there for a long time, meeting Xie Wei’s gaze.

Xie Wei sneered coldly, showing him no warmth whatsoever, saying lightly: “Ning’er is a fool. If you have reservations in your heart, it’s better not to provoke her.”

The wind in his face was no longer cold. People in the capital had all changed into newly made spring shirts. The willows by the roadside also showed hints of green.

But with all flowers about to bloom, the cold plum blossoms had all withered, hadn’t they?

Zhang Zhe came back to his senses.

Jiang Xuening looked at him, only feeling that in those eyes seemed to pass an eternal struggle, vaguely revealing a sense of familiarity.

But she didn’t have time to investigate deeply.

Because the next moment, Zhang Zhe’s words made her mind go completely blank, buzzing with shock, producing a feeling of being light-headed and stepping on cotton.

Zhang Zhe gazed at her, slowly saying: “Second Miss Jiang, please forgive me. In my heart, there is already someone I am partial to.”