The young emperor, nearly thirty years old, still cut a somewhat imposing figure from behind, but if one looked at his face from the front, his eye sockets were slightly sunken, revealing traces of indulgent dissipation and a somewhat gloomy air.

Sitting across from him at the chess board was a monk with a broad face and square mouth. However, this monk bore no resemblance to what a monk should look like—there was little compassion in his features, his build was quite imposing, and his pair of downward-slanting triangular eyes gave him a fierce, villainous appearance reminiscent of a ruthless bandit chieftain when he looked at people.

This was the current National Preceptor, Monk Yuanji.

Xiao Yuan knew that four years ago, when Shen Lang had successfully ascended the throne, this monk had apparently contributed to that achievement. Though his contributions weren’t as great as Xie Wei’s, he enjoyed the emperor’s utmost trust. Combined with the Empress Dowager’s favor toward Buddhism, not only had he been granted a temple, but he’d also been appointed National Preceptor of the dynasty.

By comparison, though Xie Wei was young, his position as Junior Preceptor to the Crown Prince seemed rather shabby.

Many in the court and beyond compared this monk to Xie Wei.

Xiao Yuan didn’t know what Xie Wei thought about this, but for this monk to accomplish what he had, his abilities must be formidable indeed.

Xiao Yuan didn’t dare be careless. After entering this great hall, he embellished and exaggerated everything he’d encountered at the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate in his report. However, when his words touched upon Xie Wei, he felt some apprehension and feared that his remarks might actually make Xie Wei look good before the emperor, so he simply didn’t mention him at all.

After finishing, he asked, “Your Majesty, they’ve been so audacious—how should they be dealt with?”

Shen Lang held a chess piece between his fingers, his narrow eyes—resembling Shen Lang’s—instantly darkening. In the already dim light of this great hall, he appeared all the more terrifying, his gaze falling upon Xiao Yuan.

By rights, though he was the noble emperor, he should still call Xiao Yuan “uncle.”

However, this uncle’s way of handling matters…

Being emperor was no different from being imprisoned—power seemed immense, but one still had to guard against the endless murmurings of the realm. At such times, the “blade” became extremely important. These people had to do all the dirty, foul work while he sat high above, unstained by mud!

Otherwise, what was the point of nurturing confidants?

In other words, a confidant must do what a confidant should do! If the confidant in the middle also wanted to be a “good person,” didn’t want to provoke trouble, and kept himself completely clean in such matters…

It was merely a missing seal on the imperial decree, yet this uncle had actually turned around and come back to the palace!

By coming back, wasn’t he announcing to the world that it was the emperor who insisted on attacking the marquis’s estate?

And this clearly showed he was afraid of bearing responsibility in this matter.

What a useless fool!

Shen Lang wanted to erupt in anger immediately, but thinking it over and considering the Empress Dowager’s position, he ultimately suppressed it. With a cold expression, he directly summoned Wang Xingjia: “Don’t bother summoning that old codger Chu Xiyi from his sick leave to enter the palace. Take uncle to the Secretariat-Chancellery to retrieve the seal and stamp it first. The traitorous rebels of the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate must not be lightly pardoned—throw them all into the imperial prison! Execute all who resist orders!”

Xiao Yuan immediately responded in a resounding voice: “Yes!”

Seeing Shen Lang’s poor expression, he assumed Shen Lang was secretly furious about the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate’s resistance. It never occurred to him that Shen Lang’s true dissatisfaction was directed at him and the Xiao clan, nor did he understand the real meaning behind Xie Wei’s earlier advice. Thus, he felt somewhat invigorated.

After performing the proper courtesies, he went with Wang Xingjia to retrieve the seal.

According to Great Qian law, the matter of affixing seals required Chu Xiyi’s approval before it could be done, but since the seal was kept in the palace, the imperial seal was also stored in the palace.

To forcibly retrieve the seal—unless one was Zhang Zhe—even if one felt it improper in one’s heart, no one dared to object.

What’s more, Chu Xiyi wasn’t even present?

After Xiao Yuan had the imperial decree stamped with the seal, he left. In the great hall, however, Shen Lang suddenly overturned the chess board and said through gritted teeth, “I make a move against the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate, and though the Xiao clan is naturally pleased, this behavior secretly shows they’re guarding against me, fearing I’ll use this as leverage to move against them someday!”

The emperor was naturally never wrong.

Even without the grand seal affixed, it could be said he was momentarily overcome with rage. But if Xiao Yuan already knew the Secretariat-Chancellery’s grand seal wasn’t affixed and still followed the imperial decree’s orders, even going so far as to massacre the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate, then Xiao Yuan would invite criticism, and in the future, this matter would become a handle against him.

As long as Shen Lang wished, he could bring the Xiao clan to ruin!

Monk Yuanji sat across from him, and seeing the chess board smashed to the ground with pieces scattered everywhere, he showed not the slightest panic. Raising one hand before his chest, he merely laughed once: “Could it be that Your Majesty truly has no such intention?”

Shen Lang then turned his gaze toward him, and his anger slowly subsided.

He stood up, paced about, and stood at the palace gate entrance, looking at the heavy palace gates beyond the white jade steps, one layer after another. He laughed coldly: “Indeed. No wonder they’re vigilant. Once the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate is eliminated, the Xiao clan is next. In this realm, only the imperial family shall stand alone—what ‘two great families’!”

The ancestral rites, the capping ceremony, the receiving of the courtesy name.

After all the proper rituals were completed, the coming-of-age ceremony drew to its conclusion.

The Yan clan, led by Yan Mu, presented Xie Wei with gold, silver, books, ink, and various other gifts as thanks. They also had Yan Lin perform the three bows of obeisance, henceforth honoring Xie Wei as his elder, and only then did it conclude.

When the ceremony ended, Yan Lin also rose to his full height and bowed deeply to everyone in the quiet hall, saying: “Today, all you lords and old friends came in our time of peril—this is no different from sending charcoal in the snow. Yan Hui will remember this kindness forever!”

The former youth could now truly be called a man.

Everyone knew that today’s calamity would likely not end well. They all sighed inwardly and returned the courtesy.

Xie Wei watched from the side, somewhat lost in thought.

The entire court of civil and military officials probably shared this feeling—

The emperor listened to and obeyed his Junior Preceptor’s every word.

But in truth, this wasn’t so. It was merely because every word he spoke cut to Shen Lang’s heart, while those words that didn’t align with his heart, he simply didn’t say. This created the illusion.

With this illusion established, no one in the entire court of civil and military officials would dare offend him.

Including Xiao Yuan.

But he could use his understanding of the emperor to calculate others: Xiao Yuan was both the emperor’s uncle and came from the great Xiao clan. Presuming himself close and intimate with the emperor, he probably couldn’t imagine where the emperor’s true apprehensions lay.

Yet precisely because his position was too special—the Junior Preceptor position held no real power—compared to the unassuming National Preceptor, Monk Yuanji, he was clearly at a slight disadvantage. But once he gained real power, it would invite wariness.

Without real power, some matters were ultimately beyond one’s reach.

What’s more, the forces he could mobilize were still constrained by the Heavenly Doctrine behind him…

The Tongzhou garrison mutiny!

He’d long since dispatched people to set up defenses and blockades at every city gate outside Tongzhou, with orders to kill without question. The people in the military camp didn’t know this information—where would any “mutiny” come from!

A violent, murderous aura secretly crept forth in the darkness.

Outside, the commotion rose again—Xiao Yuan had finally returned with the fully stamped imperial decree.

This time, no one could say anything more.

Though some felt this was far too quick and easy, with the seal already affixed, such matters based on speculation couldn’t be proven true or false. If they spoke up for the marquis’s estate again, they feared not only bringing disaster upon themselves but also harming the estate, so they all maintained their silence.

This gave Xiao Yuan the feeling of punching cotton.

He issued the arrest order in a harsh, unpleasant voice.

The estate guards of the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate all looked toward Yan Mu. Yan Mu merely waved his hand, signaling them not to resist, allowing the iron chains and shackles to bind everyone in the estate, high and low.

However, when two soldiers approached with shackles and were about to clasp them around Yan Mu’s neck, Zhang Zhe, standing not far to the side, furrowed his brow slightly and added another bland remark: “Punishment does not extend to officials.”

Xiao Yuan’s nose nearly twisted with rage.

The two soldiers stood dumbfounded, looking toward Xiao Yuan.

Inwardly plotting how to make this Zhang fellow pay later, Xiao Yuan could only vent his anger on others at this moment. Thus, he cursed furiously: “Didn’t you hear?! Punishment doesn’t extend to officials—just take this old bastard away! Are your brains defective?!”

The two soldiers, inexplicably berated until their heads hung low, could only remove the shackles.

Yan Mu looked once more at this unfamiliar Principal Clerk of the Bureau of Justice’s Clear Litigation Division. Finally, he couldn’t help but smile at Zhang Zhe. With carefree dignity, he strode directly out of the hall, leaving together with the others from the estate.

Yan Lin was still a bit behind.

As he walked past Jiang Xuening, his heart surged with overwhelming emotion. He ultimately couldn’t restrain himself.

To hell with gossip and scandal!

In this moment, he only wanted to give vent to his feelings!

Right there, before everyone’s eyes, he reached out and pulled her into his embrace, hugging her tightly. Then, blinking, he said: “I’m leaving, Miss Jiang. Keep the sword safe for me.”

Jiang Xuening was completely stunned.

However, before she could even react, Yan Lin had already stepped outside the door.

The estate that had been bustling with activity moments ago suddenly became desolate and cold.

Just moments before, the coming-of-age ceremony was being conducted with a hall full of guests; now there were only cups and plates in disarray, with fates uncertain!

Oh, heavens.

Why were they so cruel to her young man?

Jiang Xuening thought: In any case, she didn’t plan to remain in the capital in the future, so if he hugged her, so be it—she didn’t care about her reputation.

If someone truly liked her in the future, would they really mind this?

For a moment, thinking of the past and then of the future, her expression became melancholy. Inadvertently raising her head, she met a pair of cool, detached eyes.

Without realizing it, Zhang Zhe had been watching her for quite some time.

Only when she also raised her head and met his gaze did he become aware of this fact.

She had so wanted to become empress—in her previous life, she’d worked so hard, pursued it so assiduously. Reborn, having already learned who the ultimate victor would be, now seeing past events shift their course, seeing that the young General Yan would no longer walk the same path as in her previous life, and that he held such deep feelings for her—she must be gratified, surely?

But he felt no such gratification.

Before wading into these troubled waters, he’d understood this clearly. Yet now, having finished…

He had no deep friendship with any of the lords present here.

Seeing that Xiao Yuan and a group of soldiers were already “inviting” everyone to leave in preparation for the upcoming confiscation of the estate, Zhang Zhe finally looked up at the snow falling outside—now falling in goose-feather flakes—and without greeting anyone, turned and walked outside.

In that instant, Jiang Xuening suddenly recalled Zhang Zhe from her previous life.

This person loved rain above all else.

But her name contained the character for “snow,” so in her previous life, when she’d just learned of this unbending person’s existence, on a winter day when she went to Qianqing Palace and happened to encounter him, she’d asked him willfully and arrogantly: “Master Zhang, since you love rain so much, meeting me on a snowy day like this and having to walk together with this palace—you must find me quite detestable?”

At that time, Zhang Zhe hadn’t answered.

But Jiang Xuening assumed by default that he did find her detestable.

Later, when Heavenly Doctrine rebels assassinated the emperor and she suffered the misfortune of that calamity, when she and Zhang Zhe hid beneath that thatched hut with rain falling outside, she asked him again: “Master Zhang loves rain so much, yet now you’re under the same roof with me watching the rain. Surely, knowing that this palace’s name contains the character for ‘snow,’ you must find it quite detestable?”

Zhang Zhe hadn’t spoken then either.

Just as with the previous time she’d asked, Jiang Xuening assumed by default that he found her detestable.

But after waiting for a very, very long time, as she gazed absently at the rain falling outside like a curtain of pearls, she suddenly heard a voice beside her say: “Not really.”

Not really what?

Not so fond of watching rain, didn’t know her name contained the character for “snow,” or…

Not so detestable?

In that moment, she actually felt a rare nervousness, her slightly warm heart beating vibrantly in her chest. She wanted desperately to turn back and confirm if that was his answer, wanted desperately to ask again—did you mean you don’t find me so detestable?

But in her hand, she still clutched the golden hairpin she’d casually removed from her head not long before.

A phoenix with flowing tassels, brilliant and dazzling.

In that instant, it pierced her eyes deeply, and she realized: she was an empress. Once she truly crossed that line, what awaited her—what awaited Zhang Zhe—would be utter destruction.

She became afraid, became cowardly.

She didn’t dare to ask deeply.

That day’s rain fell for a very, very long time. Yet for the first time, Jiang Xuening hoped it could rain for a lifetime, right there in those mountain wilds, right outside that thatched hut, never to end.

The guests ultimately all dispersed completely.

Yan Lin had said: Miss Jiang, keep the sword safe for me.

So when leaving, Jiang Xuening placed the sword she’d brought back into its case. Taking it in hand, she only felt the sword had grown somewhat heavier, yet the layer of cold light covering it reflected the sorrows of this mortal world.

People came from the palace and first took Shen Zhiyi away.

Shen Zhiyi couldn’t be bothered with more words and left on her own.

Xiao Shu left somewhat later, but before departing, she looked at Jiang Xuening with a slightly cold smile: “In the past, I didn’t notice—Miss Jiang possesses such great abilities in times of crisis.”

Jiang Xuening replied mildly: “If not for the crisis, I wouldn’t have known I possessed such great abilities either.”

Yao Xi and Chen Shuyi both stood beside Xiao Shu, looking at her mockingly.

Xiao Shu swept her sleeves and left.

The two followed.

When Zhou Baoying left, however, she looked at Jiang Xuening with some concern, seeming as though she wanted to say something. But when Chen Shuyi and the others walked past and then turned back to call her, she could only close her mouth and follow along.

The snow on this winter day fell heavily enough.

In the blink of an eye, pavilions, towers, corridors, and courtyard walls were all covered in white.

When Jiang Xuening came out and stood before the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate, turning back to look, she saw the sky pressing down in dark gloom, dark clouds gathered into murky haze. Yet perhaps because her state of mind today differed from her previous life, she actually felt that at the edges of those dark clouds, there seemed to be a small gap through which heavenly light shone—after the snow, the skies would eventually clear.

Xie Wei was actually still behind Jiang Xuening.

As she gazed, he walked out from within the gate.

Their eyes met.

Jiang Xuening remained silent, not knowing what to say.

But Xie Wei looked at the vast white expanse of the street outside. The carriages that had departed left clear wheel tracks upon it, but in short order, they were all covered by the heavy snow.

As he walked past Jiang Xuening, preparing to return to his estate, his mind was actually empty of thought.

Even numb.

However, after he’d already walked away, the image of her hands folded before her body floated through his mind, and only then did he remember something. Stopping his steps, he turned back with some fatigue and said: “Come here.”

Jiang Xuening hadn’t yet recovered from the realization that “Xie Wei is actually acknowledging me,” and stood frozen. Reflexively, she said: “I need to return to the palace.”

Xie Wei looked at her.

Jiang Xuening suddenly gave a violent start and hurriedly followed along.

The Xie estate was right next to the Marquis of Yongyi’s estate, separated only by a wall—truly not far at all.

Xie Wei walked ahead, and Jiang Xuening couldn’t see his expression. She only heard him ask: “You still like Zhang Zhe?”

Jiang Xuening thus recalled that glance Zhang Zhe had given her earlier.

She opened her mouth, lowered her head, and after a long while, slowly said: “How could I not like him?”

He deserved it.

Xie Wei seemed to fall silent for a moment, then finally said: “He does not deceive even in the darkest room, and guards his intentions like a fortress. He’s merely too cold and too direct, but still—that’s good too.”

That’s good too.

What did “that’s good too” mean?

Jiang Xuening didn’t quite understand, but hearing those preceding words, she felt it seemed as though Xie Wei was acknowledging Zhang Zhe as a person. Thus, her heart warmed slightly, and for some reason, she felt a kind of vicarious joy and pride.

She didn’t even notice that Xie Wei had led her into the Xie estate.

In the Zhuoqin Hall, Lu Xian was full of anger, pondering just what that damned You Fangying intended with this move, unable to help pacing back and forth in the room.

Just then, hearing someone outside call “Sir,” he knew Xie Wei had returned.

He looked up just in time to see Xie Wei enter the door and opened his mouth to complain. But with a shift of his gaze and a twitch of his eyelid, he actually saw a delicate young lady following behind Xie Wei. In that instant, all his thoughts exploded into fragments, and he nearly bit off his own tongue: “You actually brought a woman back to the estate?!”