Rong Fuyue had a dream.

It was early spring in the ninth year of Tianyou, the eve before the Wenren family’s father and four sons led troops northward.

Pear blossoms floated like snow, scattered by the wind. Wenren Cang stood against a wall in combat attire, a lock of hair falling across the bridge of his nose. His young face appeared cold and serious when not smiling.

“Is the Rong family truly breaking off our engagement? Is there something wrong with me, or… do you still dislike me?”

Rong Fuyue wore a light lotus-colored dress flowing in the wind like a secluded valley orchid. Her cheeks flushed at his words.

The two had been betrothed by their parents in their youth. He found her too delicate; she was annoyed by his roughness. Initially, they didn’t get along well. But everything changed dramatically two years ago when Rong Fuyue was kidnapped by mountain bandits, and Wenren Cang rode alone with a single spear to rescue her from peril.

“It’s my father’s wish. I didn’t agree, and… won’t agree.”

Rong Fuyue lowered her head and presented a small wooden box she had prepared, her voice soft and gentle like the spring breeze carrying warmth and fragrance.

“I wish the First Young Master an early triumphant return.”

Wenren Cang straightened his posture and accepted it with both hands. Upon opening it, he found a brightly polished heart-protecting mirror.

…

…

He was born in the Year of the Tiger, and the back of the heart-protecting mirror was carved with a majestic tiger pattern.

Something worn close to the heart was both for his protection and an expression of her feelings.

Wenren Cang’s stern features softened, revealing a trace of tenderness. He raised his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, looking at the reflection of flowers in the mirror, and asked in a low voice: “This heart-protecting mirror is of excellent quality. You must have spent a long time selecting it?”

Rong Fuyue tucked a strand of hair blown loose by the north wind behind her ear, smiled, and said: “I heard that the Sword Workshop in the western part of the city has the best copper quality, but crafting items requires booking several months in advance. I originally couldn’t make it in time, but it was young Marquis Wei who used his connections to have it polished in time.”

Upon hearing Wei Yan’s name, Wenren Cang’s raised corners of his mouth sank again.

“Why does he keep haunting you?”

Rong Fuyue paused, instinctively saying: “He’s not haunting me. We just happened to meet at the Sword Workshop.”

“Happened to meet? What would a scholar like him be doing at the Sword Workshop? Do you believe it was a coincidence?”

“First Young Master, young Marquis Wei has never offended you. Why do you always have such prejudice against him?”

“I don’t have prejudice against him. I simply despise him.”

Wenren Cang habitually frowned at the thought of that warm, smiling face, appearing somewhat aggressive. “I’ve always been this direct. I don’t like him, and I don’t appreciate his small favor! Stay away from him in the future. Don’t be a soft-hearted Buddha to everyone.”

Rong Fuyue was stunned, her eyes glistening with moisture. After a long while, her chest heaved as she said, “Wenren Cang, can you… speak properly?”

Seeing her pale face, Wenren Cang couldn’t utter another word.

“Let’s just say I did something wrong…”

Rong Fuyue’s shoulders were thin, and she lowered her head, saying, “If I’ve made you unhappy, then please return the item to me.”

Wenren Cang’s knuckles pressed against the edge of the wooden box, several soft, white pear petals falling into it.

He closed the lid with a snap and handed the box with the heart-protecting mirror back.

Rong Fuyue never expected he would actually return the token. For a moment, she seemed frozen, unable to react.

Wenren Cang silently took her hand and returned the box to her palm.

Rong Fuyue’s eyes gradually reddened, though whether from shame or hurt, it was hard to tell.

Wenren Cang walked several zhang away, then stopped. By the high wall, only the pear blossoms rustled in the sky.

Rong Fuyue knew that if she called out once, he would turn back.

But due to the stubborn pride in her heart, though she parted her lips several times, she couldn’t produce even the slightest sound.

Wenren Cang finally strode away. This departure became their final farewell.

The scene suddenly shifted. Rong Fuyue dreamed of the Battle of Yanluo Pass, where enemy forces rolled in like black clouds on the horizon. Wenren Cang led a team out of the city to lure the enemy.

After being besieged in the border city for days, with troops exhausted, Wenren Cang’s small team was covered in blood, their battle robes and cloaks fluttering with holes from sword cuts, letting light through.

Under the azure sky, dust flew everywhere. Wenren Cang and his surviving guards successfully led the bulk of the enemy forces into the depths of the mining mountains. Just as they were about to escape successfully, a whistling sound came from his side.

Wenren Cang turned abruptly, his pupils reflecting the sharp arrowhead. Then his vision turned upside down, his warhorse neighed, and a solitary eagle circling overhead let out a mournful cry.

A slightly worn handkerchief stained with blood fell from the horseback, like a snowflake, disappearing into the yellow sand amid the thunder of galloping hooves.

Rong Fuyue woke with a start, clutching her aching chest, trembling like a flower about to wither in the wind.

“My Lady.”

The maid put on a robe and hurriedly poured out pills to calm her heart condition, giving her water to swallow them.

Rong Fuyue breathed unsteadily, pushing away the empty cup to look outside the window, asking weakly: “What hour is it?”

“It’s the Hour of Zi, My Lady.”

“Has the Marquis not returned?”

The maid hesitated.

Earlier, a guard had rushed back with news that the Marquis had been detained at the Taiji Hall for unknown reasons, causing panic throughout the household.

“Not yet… perhaps he’s been summoned by His Majesty to discuss state affairs and is delayed.”

The maid answered timidly, her words making even herself feel unconvincing.

Rong Fuyue remembered what the Crown Prince had told her in the sedan chair outside Qifeng Pavilion.

“Aunt, are you willing to trust me once?”

“I have a way to test Uncle, but there might be spies watching, so I need Aunt’s cooperation…”

“After deceiving everyone, I will secretly send Aunt back to the mansion. If Uncle returns home on time, all is well. But if he’s detained in the palace, it proves our suspicions correct.”

With the Hour of Zi passing and no one returning, Rong Fuyue already had her answer. She hugged herself and slowly closed her eyes.

After knowing each other for eighteen years and being married for eight, she… didn’t truly know the person who shared her pillow.

Recalling what she saw in her dream, her heart felt as if pierced by something, causing sharp pain.

In the palace, moonlight coated the roof ridges with a layer of frost.

The banquet at Yonglin Hall had dispersed. The warm chamber of Taiji Hall was brightly lit, and the atmosphere was tense.

When the grievance drum sounded, Zhao Yān knew that Wenren Lin had made his move.

To avoid suspicion, she deliberately kept her distance from Wenren Lin, hurrying to Taiji Hall first.

Almost all the personnel from the Three Judicial Offices had assembled. Wei Yan entered the hall escorted by Imperial Guards, gracefully lifting his robes to kneel before the Emperor, asking for forgiveness.

With all the nobles and officials present at the banquet, and with such a commotion, the Emperor was forced to hold an imperial trial.

He sat less upright than usual, his right elbow bent on his knee, his left hand on his waist, leaning slightly forward. His robe cascaded to the ground as he asked evenly: “Where is Prince Su?”

Just as the words fell, Wenren Lin unhurriedly strode in from outside the hall, his tall shadow casting a long, dark mark on the floor tiles.

He walked straight past Wei Yan, bowing slightly in greeting: “This subject is late. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

The Emperor waved his hand, indicating: “Now that everyone is here, bring in the person who beat the drum.”

Liu Baiwei escorted the witness into the hall, his gaze briefly meeting Zhao Yān’s with silent understanding.

Upon seeing the witness’s appearance, Zhao Yān was slightly startled.

The newcomer wore a dusty gray monk’s robe, with a curled scar over his eye, walking with a limp. It was the lame old monk who had served Wenren Lin at the remote temple during the Ghost Festival.

The old monk painfully bent his crippled leg and saluted the Emperor with a military bow: “Deputy Commander Yu Sui pays respects to Your Majesty!”

The Emperor ground his teeth and asked: “You are Yu Sui, the deputy commander who served beside Wenren Cang?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Was it you who beat the grievance drum to accuse Marquis Ningyang Wei Yan?”

“Yes.”

“Marquis Ningyang.”

The Emperor raised his hand slightly, pointing to the disfigured, crippled old monk. “Do you recognize this person?”

Wei Yan glanced at Yu Sui and said gently, “This subject’s eyes are poor; I do not recognize this venerable monk.”

“The Marquis may not recognize this deputy commander, but this deputy cannot forget what the Marquis did in secret.”

Yu Sui bowed his head, saying hoarsely, “In the tenth year of Tianyou at Yanluo Pass, the Marquis secretly bribed a soldier close to General Cang, ambushing him with a hidden arrow during his mission to lure the enemy out of the city, causing him to die unjustly… I implore Your Majesty to investigate clearly!”

Zhao Yān hadn’t expected that her counter-attack tonight would uncover such a major hidden case from the past. The hall immediately filled with gasps.

“What?!”

“Wasn’t General Wenren Cang killed under enemy horseshoes? How could it be related to Marquis Ningyang?”

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Minister of Justice stared in astonishment, both looking toward the Emperor.

The Emperor took a deep breath and said to Yu Sui, “What exactly happened? Explain in detail.”

“In the tenth year of Tianyou, on the night of September 17th, enemy forces were closing in. With arrows exhausted and rations depleted, General Cang led a small team out of the city to lure the enemy away, giving the remaining forces in the city time to prepare defenses. After several battles, with heavy casualties, they successfully led the main enemy forces toward the northwest mining area. Just one more li forward, and tens of thousands of enemy troops would have been buried in a mine collapse, reversing the situation…”

At this point, Yu Sui’s voice choked up, continuing hoarsely, “But just as victory was within reach, that traitor shot a hidden arrow from behind! Without any preparation, the General was shot through the heart and fell beneath horse hooves!”

The enemy soldiers grinned viciously, slapping their swords and riding past, leaving not even a complete corpse in the rolling yellow sand.

Ironically, the traitor had been fearful for his life and nearly fallen into enemy hands, but General Cang had saved him single-handedly. Who would have thought he had rescued a venomous snake!

These few words dripped with blood in every syllable.

Zhao Yān couldn’t help but clench her fingers, looking toward Wenren Lin.

Wenren Lin stood silently, his emotions impossible to discern.

“This Prince’s eldest brother, Wenren Cang, was valiant and skilled in battle. At sixteen, he stormed the enemy camp in military attire, making a name for himself in a single battle.”

Zhao Yān recalled Wenren Lin’s seemingly casual words under the warm August sun, feeling a dull pain in her heart.

A rare, talented young general had died in an ambush set by his people—an arrow through the heart.

Zhao Yān suddenly remembered the heart-protecting mirror Aunt had kept in her box, which she never had the chance to give.

If Wenren Cang had accepted it and worn it close to his body, would he… not have died?

The answer was bleak.

“Deputy Commander Yu, do you have evidence for what you’ve said?” the Minister of Justice asked.

“That traitor knew that regardless of the conspiracy’s success or failure, he would face death. So he secretly kept a letter from Marquis Ningyang, intending to use it for blackmail to save his life. This deputy escaped death, cut down the traitor on horseback, and obtained this secret letter.”

Yu Sui’s eyes were bloodshot as he took out a letter spotted with bloodstains from his clothes. His rough hands trembled as he presented it, saying, “This deputy’s face was destroyed, one leg crippled, and I’ve been in hiding for years, all for this day when I could present this letter and reveal the truth to the world!”

In his excitement, Yu Sui coughed violently, almost spitting blood.

Such a tragic account moved everyone deeply.

The Emperor accepted the letter and unfolded it in the light.

After years of turbulence, the letter was badly damaged, but Wei Yan’s handwriting was still recognizable.

His calligraphy was accomplished, and few could imitate its spirit, let alone the private seal of the Ningyang Marquis’s mansion stamped above.

The traitor was a heavy gambler who had accumulated massive debts. Wei Yan had leveraged control over the man’s wife and family, promising official positions and wealth beyond what ordinary people could achieve in a lifetime. The traitor took the bait, having no reason to refuse.

The evidence was almost conclusive.

The Emperor looked up from the letter toward Wei Yan, who remained calm as water.

“Marquis Ningyang, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Wei Yan was silent for a moment, then said calmly: “If you wish to accuse this subject, I have nothing to refute. Just one thing.”

“Speak.”

Wei Yan looked at Wenren Lin and smiled faintly: “If the evidence in Deputy Commander Yu’s hands is genuine, why wasn’t it presented seven years ago, but only now?”

The Emperor’s masticatory muscles twitched slightly as he exhaled a turbid breath through his nostrils.

The tense atmosphere experienced a momentary, subtle pause.

Uncle was skilled at gauging hearts. The question he raised undoubtedly opened a crack of doubt in Father Emperor’s mind. Once the Emperor’s suspicion formed, he would have a chance to escape punishment.

Thinking of this, Zhao Yān pressed her lips together and stepped forward.

Just as she was about to speak, she saw Liu Baiwei slightly raise his hand, signaling her not to intervene.

“Marquis Ningyang, Deputy Commander Yu is not foolish. If he had appeared at the height of controversy, the letter might have been intercepted before reaching the capital. Since the Marquis doesn’t believe the iron-clad evidence from seven years ago, then listen to some more recent testimony.”

With that, Liu Baiwei stepped forward, bowing to the Emperor, “This subject requests Your Majesty to allow the witness from Prince Yong’s assassination attempt against the Crown Prince to enter the hall and testify.”

The Emperor remained silent for a long time before saying: “Granted.”

The second witness was a young maid in blue clothes.

As soon as she stepped through the hall door, she fell to her knees with a thud, her shoulders trembling as she prostrated herself, not daring to look at the Emperor’s face.

“What is your testimony?” asked the Emperor.

“This… this servant wishes to report that Marquis Ningyang ins… instructed an alchemist in Prince Yong’s mansion to incite the Prince to assa… assassinate the Crown Prince.”

The maid stammered, causing the Emperor to frown.

“What connection did that alchemist have with Marquis Ningyang?”

“That alchemist was secretly recommended and planted in Prince Yong’s mansion by the Marquis as a spy.”

The maid had almost her entire upper body prostrated on the ground, speaking humbly, “Prince Yong locked this servant in a woodshed and forced my brother to attempt assassination at the birthday banquet… In the woodshed, this servant happened to overhear the alchemist from the back courtyard meeting with the Marquis’s advisor, saying that as long as they incited Prince Yong to assassinate, everything would end. This servant heard… heard it clearly and does not dare speak falsely.”

Had someone not saved her, she would surely have been silenced after Prince Yong’s failure.

The Emperor rose and looked at Wei Yan: “Marquis Ningyang, what do you have to say now?”

Wei Yan looked at the Emperor, still maintaining his gentle demeanor.

Their eyes met, and he repeated: “This subject has nothing to say. I request Your Majesty’s clear judgment.”

The Emperor nodded, saying “Good” twice.

Pointing at the Marquis, he ordered the Imperial Guards: “First strip Wei Yan of his title, then immediately take him to the imperial prison to await trial.”

Zhao Yān’s heart sank slightly: still another trial? Was Father being thorough, or was he hesitant?

Giving her no time to contemplate, the Emperor waved his hand, showing fatigue: “Everyone withdraw. I am tired.”

Zhao Yān could only bow with the other officials and exit the hall.

“Prince Su.”

The Emperor called Wenren Lin separately, his voice somewhat hoarse: “Tonight’s matter is of great importance. What do you wish to say?”

What Wenren Lin answered, Zhao Yān couldn’t hear clearly.

It was now the Hour of Yin, approaching dawn. Even the wind had quietly retreated. The entire Imperial City was like a massive tomb, silent and still.

Liu Baiwei approached from behind, rubbing his sleepless eyes, and said: “The witnesses have been handed over to the Ministry of Justice, with Prince Su’s people guarding them. They’ll be safe. Is Your Highness returning to the Eastern Palace?”

Zhao Yān shook her head and said, “You go first. I’m waiting for someone.”

Liu Baiwei opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, walking away in the night, looking back repeatedly.

Kunning Palace sent over a warm cloak. Liu Ying received it, shook it out, draped it over Zhao Yān, and secured the ties.

Zhao Yān gathered her sleeves and walked to the Taiji Gate, found a clean stone step, spread the hem of her cloak, and sat down.

She kept thinking about Uncle’s words: “Why wasn’t it presented seven years ago, but only now?”

Besides this, faced with overwhelming evidence, he remained silent.

What deeper meaning did these words hold?

If Uncle had attacked Wenren Cang because of Aunt, then why poison Zhao Yǎn?

As she raised her hand to support her chin, lost in thought, she failed to notice someone approaching from behind, leaning down, and bringing his thin lips close to her ear to softly say:

“Bang!”

Zhao Yān, completely absorbed in her analysis, was startled by this low “bang” near her ear, her shoulders shaking as she let out an “Ah!”

Looking up, she saw Wenren Lin’s pale, handsome face close by, wearing a smile of accomplishment.

He walked alone in the night, without family or friends.

Zhao Yān looked at the confident smile in his obsidian eyes and, for some reason, felt a tinge of sourness in her nasal cavity.