“What strategy did you devise for Prince Gongxi?”

Yun Chu looked at him and asked.

Xie Shi’an lowered his eyes: “While studying at the Imperial Academy, I accompanied Master Wang to meet Prince Gongxi. Prince Gongxi was ordered by the Emperor to gain experience in the Ministry of Personnel. Over these years, he has taken some measures, but they were conventional and he never gained the Emperor’s attention. So I gave Prince Gongxi an idea—to reform the court’s official system and improve the current state of bureaucratic redundancy… This would not only alleviate officials forming factions for personal gain but also reduce the Ministry of Finance’s expenditures…”

After listening, Yun Chu’s heart trembled.

Xie Shi’an wasn’t even thirteen yet, but he could already see the court situation so clearly and propose such immediately effective suggestions.

Regardless of whether this reform would truly be implemented and realized, at least for now, it could earn Prince Gongxi the Emperor’s approval and allow Prince Gongxi to stand out among the many princes. That alone was enough.

Prince Gongxi had seen Xie Shi’an’s capabilities.

In the future, relying on Prince Gongxi, Xie Shi’an would definitely rise again.

Yun Chu was glad she had kept one final card—and that was Xie Shiwei…

“Mother, why did Father suddenly…” Xie Shi’an’s eyes held grief. “I didn’t even see Father one last time, nor could I send Father off on his final journey…”

Yun Chu shook her head: “The Xie family encountered trouble after trouble. Your father couldn’t bear such blows, so he drowned his sorrows in wine day after day… I’m to blame. I failed to dissuade him… An’er, you’ve just returned home. Don’t think about this matter. Go back and rest properly. I’ll have someone send food to you shortly.”

Xie Shi’an was indeed exhausted. He bowed with cupped hands, turned, and walked out of Sheng Residence.

He dragged his heavy steps, slowly making his way back to his Green Pine Pavilion. Previously, his courtyard had two old servants, two page boys, and four maids. Now, only one page boy who had grown up with him remained.

Seeing him enter the courtyard, that sole page boy immediately came forward: “Eldest Young Master, you’ve finally returned. This servant thought you…”

“San Jiu.” Xie Shi’an called the page boy’s name. “You were able to remain at Green Pine Pavilion for me. From now on, we two are as close as brothers.”

The page boy named San Jiu was deeply moved: “Young Master, you suffered these past days. Let this servant attend to your rest.”

After Xie Shi’an washed up and changed into clean clothes, he lay down on his own bed. Only then did he feel he had truly come back to life.

That dungeon had been dark without daylight. Every day he endured countless interrogations and beatings. There wasn’t a single piece of intact flesh on his body. He truly thought he would die.

Unexpectedly, in that darkness, he welcomed a ray of light—Prince Gongxi.

He offered strategies to Prince Gongxi, and Prince Gongxi spared his life. The initial transaction was completed, but he didn’t know how to truly become Prince Gongxi’s advisor…

As Xie Shi’an thought about this, he gradually fell asleep.

He didn’t know how he ended up walking into a valley filled with black deathly energy, where he saw a face—the face of his birth mother, He Lingying.

His heart suddenly began pounding wildly.

He had personally driven his mother to her death. After her death, he had never seen her in dreams. Gradually, he forgot his own sin.

But now, seeing such a face, he discovered he simply couldn’t face it.

No matter how calm and composed he appeared on the surface, only he knew deep inside that he was afraid to recall the details of that night.

He turned and ran.

“An’er…”

He heard a gentle call.

“An’er, I’m your mother…” The voice drew closer. “No matter what mistakes you made, in Mother’s heart, you will always be that most excellent child.”

Only then did Xie Shi’an stop, turn around, and speak with difficulty: “I’m sorry, Mother. I’m sorry. I was wrong, I was wrong…”

He had driven Mother to death, yet didn’t even secure his own future. He truly deserved to die!

“An’er, you weren’t wrong. You did it for the family. Mother knows everything…” He Lingying’s expression suddenly changed. “Mother came tonight to tell you—the Xie family reaching this point today is all because of Yun Chu. You’ve called her Mother for so many years, yet she personally destroyed your future! You must never trust that woman. An’er, remember Mother’s words—don’t trust Yun Chu…!”

Xie Shi’an jerked awake.

So it was a dream. But the dream’s scenes were so clear, and Mother’s every word still echoed in his ears.

They say you dream of what you think about during the day. Could he have had this dream because deep in his heart, he was actually suspecting the Xie family becoming like this was related to his mother?

“Eldest Young Master, you’re awake?”

His bedroom door was pushed open. He saw Duo Xi, the page boy beside Yun Chu, standing at the entrance.

“Eldest Young Master, Madam instructed this servant to bring some food and also summoned a physician for you.”

He stepped aside to let the physician enter.

After Xie Shi’an lost his right eye in prison, the wound had never been treated. It festered and grew pustules. His fever nearly took half his life. After enduring many days of torment, he finally pulled through, but this eye was ruined…

He thought he no longer knew pain.

But when the physician cleaned his eye, he still couldn’t help gripping his fingers tightly and biting hard on his own arm.

After the physician left, Duo Xi said with lowered head: “Madam said that as long as a person is still alive, there will be a day to rise again. She told the Eldest Young Master not to lose heart. This is the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone Madam prepared for the Eldest Young Master.”

Xie Shi’an pressed his lips together: “Please convey my thanks to Mother.”

Mother had arranged for someone to counsel him, yet he harbored suspicions about Mother deep inside.

“An’er.”

After Yuan Shi finished her tasks, she immediately came over.

Seeing that Xie Shi’an had lost an eye, her eyes reddened and she couldn’t help covering her lips as she quietly cried.

“Grandmother, I’m fine.” Xie Shi’an spoke. “I want to ask—during the time I was in prison, what was Mother busy with?”

Yuan Shi wiped away her tears and sighed: “What else would she be busy with? Nothing but your father’s funeral arrangements. When your father passed away, the Xie family was surrounded. It was difficult even to go out and buy a coffin. It was your mother who left the manor late at night, begging and pleading, that finally got those soldiers to withdraw so your father could have a proper funeral and burial… Ah, how much virtue did our Xie family accumulate to marry such a good daughter-in-law as Chu’er? Without Chu’er, the Xie family would have fallen long ago…”

Xie Shi’an pressed his lips together without speaking.

“Even the Yun family elders mobilized to demand a divorce from the Xie family. Your mother said that since she married into the Xie family, she would be a Xie family member for life and would never abandon the Xie family.” Yuan Shi spoke earnestly. “Your mother has no children and won’t be able to have her own children in the future. You must be filial to her and let her know that all the sincerity she has given will be rewarded.”

Xie Shi’an truly didn’t know about this matter.

If the Xie family had become like this because of Mother, and she had achieved her goal, why wouldn’t she leave the Xie family?

This could only mean the Xie family reaching this point today had nothing to do with Mother.

Mother had given him her whole heart, yet he suspected her. He was truly an ungrateful wretch.

He looked at the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table and said softly: “Grandmother, I won’t study anymore. I want to do business.”

His status meant he was destined not to pursue an official career.

No matter which path he took in the future, he would need silver. The most urgent matter at present was making money.