In the inner chamber behind the qin-making hall, Dao Qin stood silently in the shadows of a corner in blue robes. Though his presence was barely noticeable, his gaze frequently swept across the room, especially falling on the man sitting boldly in the lower seat.

His messy hair was tied with hemp rope. In this early summer weather he wore simple, even crude short robes that easily outlined his flowing muscles and broad chest. His brow ridge was sharp as a blade, and beneath eyes stripped of scholarly refinement was a dangerous edge.

It was none other than Meng Yang, who had escaped during the Tongzhou incident.

Currently sitting in the same room were a hunched, smiling peddler, a traveling physician carrying a medicine box, a lofty scholar with some literary reputation, and a steady, solemn merchant who never smiled…

With Meng Yang sitting among them, he didn’t stand out.

However, the other few would turn to glance at him after saying a few words, showing both wariness and confusion.

The scholar holding a folding fan took a sip of tea. After much consideration, he still couldn’t hold back. “The Tongzhou incident caused such a commotion. Aren’t you worried, sir, that the sect leader will break with you and fight to mutual destruction?”

Xie Wei said indifferently, “Where’s the evidence?”

The traveling physician frowned. “Then your next move—”

Xie Wei gently lifted the tea lid and gently set it down again, making a crisp “tap” sound. Without any ripples, he said, “When Gongyi Cheng came to the capital, he made all the decisions. When the Tongzhou operation fell into the court’s ambush, if I had forcibly tried to rescue him, wouldn’t I have exposed myself without necessarily succeeding? In such circumstances, naturally one sacrifices the pawn to protect the king. Even if this is reported to Jinling, how can it be blamed on me? At most he’ll suspect I stood by and watched, conveniently calculating against Gongyi Cheng. In this world, loyalty is unreliable—interests are most solid. The capital’s situation cannot function without me. With Gongyi Cheng gone, trying to eliminate me would be like cutting off his own arm. Better to be accommodating and settle scores after the great matter is accomplished. So the urgent task is to keep him too busy to deal with the capital’s situation—give him something to occupy him, and we can sit on the mountain watching the tigers fight.”

Several people exchanged glances.

The smiling peddler played with a small drum in his hand. After much thought, he turned his gaze to Meng Yang, vaguely feeling that Master Xie’s plan must have some connection to this fierce and ruthless person.

So he said, “I imagine Brother Meng can be of great use?”

Only then did Xie Wei turn to glance at Meng Yang.

But Meng Yang didn’t much buy into Xie Wei’s authority.

He usually came and went alone. During the Tongzhou incident, seeing things go badly, he had escaped first. Later he evaded even the Ministry of Justice’s pursuit. Who would have thought that Xie Wei’s informants were even more efficient than the court’s? Just when he thought he was safe, several blades were at his throat. The night before last he was brought here. Today he was brought to listen to these Heavenly Doctrine leaders discuss matters, leaving him truly uncertain of Xie Wei’s intentions.

So he said, “I’m just a crude fellow with no interest in your affairs.”

Xie Wei’s patience with this person was exhausted. He said flatly, “You worked so hard to escape the imperial prison. Since you have no material desires and don’t fear death, you must want revenge for your late wife, right? However, I still have use for Monk Yuanji. If you don’t understand the situation and ruin my plans, then even though I value talent, I’ll have no choice but to strike ruthlessly.”

Meng Yang sneered coldly. “If I see Yuanji, I’ll kill him on the spot! Either you kill me right now, or let me go.”

Hearing this, Xie Wei showed no anger, only saying, “Your late wife was laid to rest several years ago, correct?”

Meng Yang stood up abruptly. “What do you mean?”

Xie Wei’s eyes and brows were filled with indifference. “I won’t kill you, but if you ruin my affairs, it will inevitably implicate the deceased soul. I’ll have your late wife’s remains removed from the coffin and find a place to hang them up.”

The several Heavenly Doctrine leaders all dared not make a sound.

Meng Yang flew into a rage!

He was built sturdy as a fierce tiger. When his killing intent stirred, he actually loosened the bandages on his arms and lunged for Xie Wei’s throat. However, Dao Qin behind him had been guarding against this move all along. Before he could even touch a hair on Xie Wei, Dao Qin had already seized his deadly claws and kicked out, sending this man who was several sizes more robust flying backward into the tea table!

“Crash!”

A mechanical clicking sound came from the arm covered by sleeve robes. When lifted, it revealed a small crossbow bound to the arm, its azure arrow tip laced with poison, aimed at Meng Yang like a viper’s tongue.

Dao Qin was ruthless and taciturn, watching him without moving.

Xie Wei paid no attention to this scene, only saying, “Not killing you is merely because I value talent. If you cannot be used by me, you won’t leave this door today. Moreover, I always keep my word and never break my promises. If you don’t believe it, feel free to try.”

Meng Yang’s eyes were bloodshot like a fierce beast, confronting Dao Qin.

But outside the door, Jian Shu hurried in. Seeing the tense scene inside didn’t surprise him at all. He only went to Xie Wei’s side and reported in a lowered voice.

Xie Wei was slightly taken aback. “How long has she been here?”

Jian Shu said, “Just arrived. This subordinate thought you were discussing matters in the qin-making hall, so I… asked her to wait in the Wall Reading Hall first.”

Both the qin-making hall and Wall Reading Hall were places ordinary people couldn’t set foot in.

The Wall Reading Hall was even Xie Wei’s study.

But hearing this, Xie Wei didn’t find it improper. He said, “I’ll go take a look.”

The people in the inner chamber didn’t know what matter Jian Shu had come to report. Xie Wei didn’t explain anything to them either, only saying he was going out for a while. He left everyone there and went from the qin-making hall to the Wall Reading Hall behind it.

Summer trees cast dense shade, cicadas chirped in waves.

Outside the Wall Reading Hall, two apricot trees were planted by the window. The flowering season had long passed, with sparse green apricots dotting the branches—small and hidden beneath the leaves. Just one glance made one think of that sour and astringent taste, mouth watering.

This was Jiang Xuening’s first time at this place.

To the north was an empty wall with nothing on it at all—a kind of austerity concealed beneath simplicity, quite fitting with the two characters “wall reading” and matching Xie Wei himself well—

Facing the wall in reflection, examining oneself thrice daily.

She only dared look around and didn’t dare touch or rummage through anything.

However, after Jian Shu left first and she waited a while without seeing anyone, glancing at the apricot tree outside the window, she couldn’t resist breaking off a small branch about palm-length, with two tree leaves and a tiny green apricot. Holding it in her palm, it was quite adorable, carrying a bit of summer’s vigorous life force.

Xie Wei walked in at this moment.

From the corner of her eye, Jiang Xuening glimpsed a shadow falling at the doorway. She immediately placed that branch of green apricot on the window sill, turned around, curtsied, and greeted him.

Xie Wei glanced at her, then at the window sill, but didn’t say anything about it. He only asked, “What made you think to come here?”

That qin was quite heavy to carry. Not long after entering, Jiang Xuening had placed it on the desk.

After Xie Wei finished this sentence, his gaze turned and he saw it.

The qin was still wrapped in its cloth cover.

Xie Wei’s brow moved slightly. “Here to learn qin?”

The corners of Jiang Xuening’s lips curved as she was about to smile, but hearing these three words she nearly stumbled. She hurriedly said, “No, no, no, not at all. It’s just that remembering sir loves qin, I was selecting and viewing at Youhuang Pavilion today. Hearing this qin was excellent, I obtained it to present to you, sir.”

Xie Wei wore snow-white Daoist robes, deep and imposing as a mountain.

Standing before her and sweeping her with a glance, she proactively took the qin and handed it over.

Xie Wei said, “Being so well-behaved always makes one feel you have ill intentions.”

As he spoke, he removed the qin cover.

A qin made of Chinese fir wood, round head, with inward-curved double connected arc-shaped waist—it was modeled after the Fuxi style. Each qin string reflected on the qin body, leaving several faint shadows under the daylight. With a light pluck, tinkling sounds like jade pendants flowed out.

Wasn’t this Lu Xian’s Kunshan qin?

With one try he knew it was the one he had inquired about from Lu Xian in the past, except Lu Xian with his merchant habits had hidden it away refusing to give it up, determined to earn a high price. Since he wasn’t desperate to obtain this ancient qin, he simply left him hanging to see how long he could hold out.

Unexpectedly today it was delivered by Second Miss Jiang.

Jiang Xuening thought to herself that indeed she didn’t have entirely good intentions—she only hoped that before leaving the capital she could leave a good impression on this Master Xie, so that in the future when she had requests regarding the Princess, the other party might remember old feelings and provide some assistance.

But of course she couldn’t admit this in words.

She said, “Since entering the Fengchen Palace to study, I have received your teachings, sir, learning qin and literature. Though I dare not claim to understand principles, I have made some progress. With the grace of a teacher above, this student’s heart is mundane, unable to repay, and can only select a qin to please you. If you don’t mind, sir, this student can leave the capital with peace of mind.”

“Twang—”

His ring finger lightly hooked across the qin strings, but lost its proper force, producing a jarring sound.

Jiang Xuening’s hackles all stood up.

Xie Wei standing before her suddenly stopped moving. Only the wind carrying some summer heat blew in from outside the window, stirring his snow-white robes.

She raised her head to see Xie Wei’s fingers curled and frozen on the qin, and on that face stripped of expression, a pair of deep eyes silently watching her.

A wordless threatening force.

Jiang Xuening didn’t know why, but suddenly felt unable to breathe.

Today she wore a smoke-purple pleated skirt. Two strands of bangs hung down in front of her single spiral hair bun. Ice-blue agate earrings hung in a crescent shape from her snow-white earlobes. Below her willow-leaf fine brows was a pair of rippling eyes, but at this moment they held some unease.

That strange feeling appeared again…

Xie Wei listened to the cicadas outside, finding them utterly cacophonous, yet asked as if nothing was wrong, “Leaving the capital?”

Jiang Xuening’s heartbeat quickened. This trip was merely to personally thank him for his teaching grace and simply say goodbye. She hadn’t planned to stay long. Hearing this, she hurriedly bowed her head. “Yes, recently the capital has been in turmoil. Both Yan Lin and the Grand Princess have already gone far away. This student discussed with father and plans to leave the capital for a time, to avoid disputes and clear my mind. So today I came to bid farewell to you, sir.”

Xie Wei said nothing.

Jiang Xuening grew increasingly nervous, her eyelids twitching frequently, already somewhat panicked. “Thank you for your teaching, sir. In the future when this student returns to the capital, I will certainly come to pay respects. Right now I dare not disturb your important matters, so I’ll take my leave.”

The atmosphere was truly wrong.

She didn’t dare raise her head to look at Xie Wei’s expression. Bowing again in salute, she stepped back from beside Xie Wei, about to walk out the door.

But unexpectedly, just as her front foot stepped out the door, a hand reached out from inside. Five slender fingers tightly clamped around her left wrist with such force it seemed to sink into her skin, giving a genuine sensation of pain!

At the same time came a “thud” of something hitting the ground.

Jiang Xuening was frightened out of her wits, almost yanked back around, only to meet Xie Wei’s gaze that had somehow frozen ice-cold.

He asked with extreme calmness, “Where are you going?”

Hearing these four words, Jiang Xuening felt as if in a nightmare. Only then did she notice that Xie Wei’s hands were empty. Her gaze turned almost rigidly to the floor beside her—

That Kunshan ancient qin had somehow fallen to the ground.

One qin bridge was damaged!

A moment of quiet emptiness, memory returning to past qin lessons.

The qin fell…

A thunderous roar in her mind—everything that could be counted exploded. What she dared to think and didn’t dare to think, what was possible and impossible, all surged forth like wild winds and huge waves, swallowing mountains and overtaking seas, knocking her down!

She finally knew where that strange feeling came from.

Jiang Xuening was held by the wrist, feeling as if a venomous snake had crawled up. A fear from deep within seized her entire being, making her tremble uncontrollably. Even her voice shook with her body, yet a thread of faint hope remained. “Sir, please… please let me go.”

Xie Wei didn’t glance at the fallen qin by his feet, only stared at her, repeating without any fluctuation or ripples, “Where are you going?”