Zhu Shan spoke solemnly, “Duan Boyan.”

From May to June of the fiftieth year of Yuanshao, Lan Shanjun remained constantly on guard. She liked to think of things in their worst possible light, believing Wu Qingchuan must have follow-up moves. However, whether because she and Yu Qingwu had learned the truth of what happened back then directly from the Grand Heir Consort without needing to investigate themselves, everything remained calm all the way until July.

This left the Imperial Grand Heir and Yu Qingwu, who had prepared to counter Wu Qingchuan, slightly puzzled.

—No matter what conspiracy it was, once the timing passed, it would lose much of its effect.

But the Imperial Grand Heir was unwilling to use this matter to “return the favor” to Wu Qingchuan either.

He said: “The timing isn’t right. First, Ni Tao’s matter cannot be brought up. Second… His Majesty is currently enraged—neither you nor I can touch this.”

At this time, the carved dragon ridge beast on the Chengming Hall had been struck down by lightning. The Emperor was furious, and after several days of fruitless investigation, he had three Ministry of Works Directors and seven Ministry of Works Attendants beaten to death with court rods, citing inadequate supervision.

This was the first time during his reign that he had beaten so many officials to death with rods. It was also the first time he had so openly vented his temper on human lives.

He had raised the executioner’s blade and hadn’t put it down, leaving everyone in the palace and the Ministry of Works terrified.

Seeing this, the Minister of Works decided to go all in and implicate the Ministry of Revenue, saying that inadequate allocation of funds from the Ministry of Revenue had caused the damage to the roof ridge.

The Duke of Songguo: “…”

He mocked: “Could lacking a few taels of silver be the reason your Ministry of Works disrespected His Majesty?”

The Minister of Works retorted sarcastically, and they began pulling back and forth. When the Emperor became unhappy, he continued by beating another Ministry of Revenue Director to death.

After learning of this, Yu Qingwu told Lan Shanjun: “Ni Tao cannot be saved.”

Sure enough, faced with these lives, the Cabinet feared the court rods in the Emperor’s hands and no longer submitted memorials to save Ni Tao’s life. On the eighth day of the seventh month, Ni Tao died of illness in the Ministry of Justice prison.

At the same time, many banquets in Luoyang quietly stopped. The only ones who wouldn’t quiet down were the students of the Imperial Academy.

After the Ni father and son died one after another, they no longer clung to prospects of official positions, wanting only to cry injustice for Ni Tao. They all gathered before the Luoyang Prefecture offices, shouting in unison: “If being an official means being like you people, better not to be an official at all!”

The student who said these words was arrested by Luoyang Prefecture bailiffs. Lan Shanjun had witnessed the arrest with her own eyes.

She watched as some of these students knelt on the ground pleading for release, some rushed forward pressing their chests against the bailiffs’ blades with flesh instantly separating, and some still shouted “Purge the Emperor’s side,” begging the Imperial Father to open his eyes.

But many of them probably didn’t even know who should be purged from the Emperor’s side.

In Ni Wanyuan’s death remonstrance, he had cursed the Emperor. The Cabinet petitioned, but the Emperor refused.

Ni Tao’s death—the Emperor made it so he couldn’t live to see tomorrow.

Everyone understood this logic, but no one dared say it. They could only say three words: “Purge the Emperor’s side.”

Without specific people to purge, there were many who could be cursed.

First in line was the Cabinet. The Cabinet currently had five Grand Secretaries. Except for Wu Qingchuan, the other four had already been written about in “accusations” for several days, saying they feared for their own lives, didn’t dare speak frankly, were unworthy of the official robes they wore, and were already “beasts in human clothing.”

As for why Wu Qingchuan escaped reproach—he had previously rescued the students who petitioned for Ni Wanyuan.

Thus with the situation in Luoyang at this point, after deliberation, the Imperial Grand Heir said: “As the saying goes, better to remain still than to move. At a time like this, it’s best we don’t move.”

But Lan Shanjun was not someone who would sit and await death. Even without wind or waves, she was unwilling to just wait quietly.

After much quiet contemplation, she summoned Yu Qingwu and said: “I want to entrust my life and death to you once.”

The egg in Yu Qingwu’s hand dropped—fortunately it was cooked.

He could still eat it after picking it up.

His heart seized as he asked in panic: “What do you mean by entrusting to me… your life and death?”

Lan Shanjun was very calm, her thoughts also very clear: “I’m someone who habitually connects everything to myself… If Wu Qingchuan’s scheme this time is also related to me, after thinking it over, it would be that my identity was exposed by him, or by Prince Qi and Song Zhiwei.”

She looked at Yu Qingwu. “But my identity hasn’t been put out in the open yet… We can properly deduce this once, and ideally also draw Wu Qingchuan into my vortex.”

Yu Qingwu’s eyes widened. He felt pained that she constantly placed herself in desperate situations, yet had to admire her thoroughness.

He nodded, then said: “Actually Wu Qingchuan also came to find me once.”

Lan Shanjun: “What did he say?”

Yu Qingwu then mimicked his tone for her: “—My expectations for you are to grow into a towering parasol tree that can attract phoenixes to roost, not to lead you toward a dead end…”

Lan Shanjun raised an eyebrow: “How is it these words again?”

Yu Qingwu: “He very much likes to say this to me.”

He shook his head. “Sometimes I feel his obsession is the deepest.”

Lan Shanjun tilted her head. “So how did you respond to him?”

Yu Qingwu smiled. “I only replied with five words, and he left in shame.”

Lan Shanjun was curious. “Which five words?”

Yu Qingwu: “You damned birdman—”

Lan Shanjun burst out laughing, unable to suppress her mirth. Turning her head, she saw Nanny Qian standing in the opposite courtyard, glaring fiercely at Yu Qingwu through the scattered flowers and trees.

She asked with a smile, “Did you provoke Nanny Qian again?”

Yu Qingwu dusted off the egg, put the whole thing in his mouth to chew, and lowered his head guiltily. “Oh… I merely took a few of her eggs.”

Nanny Qian hurried over scolding: “You call this taking? This is stealing!”

Yu Qingwu was unwilling to bear the name of thief and protested weakly in indignation: “When it comes to stealing romantic matters, how can it be called stealing?”

Nanny Qian: “Oh my, truly worthy of a scholar! Then do you dare tell Shanjun the reason why you stole the eggs?”

Yu Qingwu stammered. Nanny Qian spoke rapidly, explaining the circumstances. “Shanjun, you should scold him properly! I’m done caring!”

Lan Shanjun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, though she understood Nanny Qian’s meaning. But she still hesitated somewhat, even feeling that the current way of interacting with Yu Qingwu was very comfortable, and she was unwilling to change it.

Still, that evening in her journal she wrote clearly: “After meeting Yu Qingwu, I learned that among the world’s men, there are also deeply devoted ones.”

—

In August of the fiftieth year of Yuanshao, the Imperial Academy matter escalated. The Emperor had already cursed loudly several times, and everyone was trembling with fear—only the Zhu father and son gained benefits.

As Lan Shanjun had thought, the Duke of Qingguo wanted to marry Zhu Yun for his youngest son.

However, when the Duke of Qingguo’s household was deliberating, the Duke of Songguo also thought of this point. He summoned the Duchess of Songguo and said: “This time you must inquire privately. Absolutely cannot make a spectacle again.”

The Duchess of Songguo sneered. “You’ll see—it definitely won’t work.”

The Duke of Songguo: “What do you mean?”

The Duchess of Songguo: “This Zhu Yun is on very good terms with Imperial Coachman Yu’s wife, and also intimately close with that young lady from the Marquis of Wenyuan’s household.”

Thinking further, she added: “She also has a good relationship with the Su family daughter—do you think such a young lady would agree to marry into our family?”

The Duke of Songguo had been busy with court affairs these days and had lost quite a bit of hair. How could he remember these women’s names and relationships? Hearing this, he frowned deeply. “That’s why I’m having you ask privately! Surely you wouldn’t privately ask Miss Zhu herself? It must be Madam Zhu.”

“Children’s matters are decided by parents. As long as Lord Zhu and Madam Zhu agree, this matter is settled.”

But the Duchess of Songguo didn’t have such good spirits. She’d been having terrible headaches recently. She asked: “Did you quarrel with Zhiwei?”

The Duke of Songguo wasn’t in a good mood when this was brought up either. “Last time when Yu Qingwu impeached him, I told him to endure it, and he became unhappy.”

These days he’d been going out early and returning late. Even when he saw him, he didn’t pay much attention, instead growing close with Wu Qingchuan.

The Duke of Songguo sighed. “When children grow up, they truly all have their own ideas.”

So no wonder the Emperor guarded against his own flesh and blood like that.

The Duchess of Songguo then went to persuade Song Zhiwei. “There’s no overnight enmity between father and son. Among all the siblings in this household, your father values you the most.”

Song Zhiwei remained indifferent. “Mother needn’t worry about these outside matters.”

The Duchess of Songguo: “…”

She said irritably: “Then I’ll speak of inside matters. Your father says he wants to marry the Zhu family young lady for you. Are you willing?”

Song Zhiwei had no objection to the Zhu family. “Either is fine.”

He left in a hurry, leaving the Duchess of Songguo alone in her sorrow.

She sighed. “These people, where do they understand the importance of choosing a wife?”

But knowing this marriage proposal was impossible to succeed, she was unwilling to lose face herself or let others know she’d lost face. So after much deliberation, she invited Madam Wu over again.

Madam Wu: “…”

She regretted agreeing to go to the Duke of Zhenguo’s residence to propose marriage all those years ago.

She went to the Zhu family steeling herself, but unexpectedly Madam Zhu didn’t blame her at all and was very warm. Madam Wu was so moved that she spoke from the heart: “Quickly find someone to marry the young lady to.”

On the other side, the Duke of Qingguo also learned that a matchmaker seemed to have gone to the Zhu family. He quickly told the Duchess of Qingguo: “I think we need to make a trip right now.”

The Duchess of Qingguo called for someone to ready the carriage while asking, “Which family sent a matchmaker?”

The Duke of Qingguo: “Madam of the Wu family.”

Upon hearing this, the Duchess of Qingguo wasn’t worried anymore. “Then it won’t work out. We can go slowly.”

Since that incident three years ago, Madam Wu had grown to detest matchmaking—this was common knowledge. Of course, the parties involved definitely didn’t know.

She said: “It’s the Song family proposing marriage.”

The Duke of Qingguo: “For Song Zhiwei?”

The Duchess of Qingguo: “Yes.”

Though the Duke of Qingguo was a proper person, though he knew the Duke of Songguo probably had the same idea as himself, still…

He had still heard Song Zhiwei’s reputation “like thunder in his ears.” He hesitated: “The Zhu father and son… are truly extremely good-looking.”

On the fifteenth of the eighth month, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor hosted a banquet for all officials.

This time family members weren’t brought along. The Emperor explicitly stated he wanted: ruler and ministers to celebrate together.

It was also to ease the long-strained relations between ruler and ministers.

After Yu Qingwu entered the palace, Lan Shanjun received a congratulatory letter from Zhu Yun. Inside, she first wished her Mid-Autumn joy, then said her parents had chosen the Duke of Qingguo’s household as her marital home.

She said: “My family is also changing residences, and we’re moving near the Duke of Qingguo’s residence. Mother says if I miss home in the future, I can return often.”

Lan Shanjun replied congratulating her. “For your mother to dare say this means she’s already communicated with the Duchess of Qingguo. You needn’t worry.”

But before her letter could be sent to the Zhu family, she saw Zhu Shan enter the courtyard wearing official robes.

He came alone. Nanny Qian followed by his side, conversing about something, her brows tightly furrowed.

Lan Shanjun contemplated for a moment, looking at his bearing and guessing: “Elder Brother Zhu, have you come to arrest me?”

Zhu Shan nodded. “I’m following my superior’s orders to invite you to the Ministry of Justice for questioning.”

Lan Shanjun: “Questioning about what?”

Zhu Shan spoke solemnly, “Duan Boyan.”

He said in a low voice: “I heard that in the palace, the Imperial Grand Heir was reprimanded, and Lord Yu was also punished to kneel before the Taihe Hall.”