Bright light in the hall illuminated Emperor Zhengyuan’s vermillion red robes. Veins bulged on his forehead as he suppressed his fury with a heavy voice: “What does it mean to die for a worthy cause? Zhang Jing, are these words scolding me? I am not the sovereign you are loyal to in your heart, is that it?!”

The hall was bitterly cold. Liang Shenfu and the others knelt on the ground, their hearts filled with terror, not daring to raise their heads. Liang Shenfu only dared look at the sovereign father’s robes, his hair soaked through with sweat.

“This subject is loyal to the sovereign father, yet the sovereign father’s heart has neither subjects nor people!” Zhang Jing looked toward Emperor Zhengyuan’s storm-clouded face. “How were the thirteen northern prefectures lost? The sovereign father knows, this subject knows, every person in Great Qi knows! But they dare not speak!”

“Yet this subject must speak!”

“This subject asks the sovereign father—have you forgotten the common people of the thirteen northern prefectures? Have you forgotten they are also your subjects? You are also their sovereign, their father! What were you doing when they were slaughtered by the barbarians? You made a covenant with Danqiu, halted war to recuperate, and paid annual tribute!”

“Zhang Jing!”

Emperor Zhengyuan roared in anger.

“Though a nation be large, those who love war will perish. Though the realm be peaceful, those who forget war will be in danger!”

Zhang Jing bowed and kowtowed. “This subject Zhang Jing would rather die remonstrating with Your Majesty—if you would be a benevolent sovereign, you absolutely must not value yourself lightly while placing the state heavily! The dozen officials involved in the Daizhou provisions case must be severely punished, and Your Majesty, for building Daoist temples and harming the people, should also give the subjects of the realm an explanation!”

In all these years, Liang Shenfu had never heard anyone dare speak such treasonous words before the sovereign father. This was tantamount to pointing at the sovereign father’s nose and calling him an unbenevolent ruler.

Liang Shenfu’s mind and spirit trembled. Prostrate on the ground, he slowly raised his head to look at that white-haired and bearded Minister Zhang. Liang Shenfu’s face showed worry and fear. In his heart he very much wanted to advise him not to let every sentence pierce into His Majesty’s heart, not to anger His Majesty, but at this moment with His Majesty present, Liang Shenfu dared not say a word.

“The Daizhou officials sold official grain—but did I order them to sell it?”

Emperor Zhengyuan’s head ailment flared up, the pain intense. This sovereign who excelled at emotional control and enjoyed playing power games was now being led step by step by Zhang Jing to the edge of losing control. “Zhang Jing, today you investigate the Daizhou provisions case—tomorrow will you also investigate Yongzhou city?”

“If His Majesty had not undertaken massive construction, the treasury would not be strained for military expenses. If His Majesty had not sought peace in one corner, our Great Qi would not pay one hundred thousand in annual tribute to the Danqiu barbarians every year. If His Majesty had not been wary of military officials and unwilling to grant them real power, our Great Qi would not have failed in two northern campaigns. His Majesty has reigned for twenty years, and been wrong for twenty years.”

“Minister Zhang…”

Liang Shenfu was chilled through. He couldn’t help crying out, but saw Emperor Zhengyuan’s chest heaving violently, one hand supporting his forehead, nearly collapsing. He immediately crawled up and hurried forward to support Emperor Zhengyuan.

“As expected, you haven’t forgotten your good student in your heart!”

Emperor Zhengyuan leaned on Liang Shenfu, gasping. “Even though he betrayed the country to the enemy, with ironclad evidence, in your heart, Zhang Jing, you still feel injustice for him?”

Zhang Jing raised his head. “Yes.”

Emperor Zhengyuan laughed coldly: “Come! Drag him out for me!”

Palace Guards Commander Miao Jingzhen led people into the hall. Seeing this situation, he was about to kneel when he heard Emperor Zhengyuan’s fury-filled voice, imposing and threatening: “Anyone who pleads for him shares his crime!”

Miao Jingzhen stiffened. He gripped his sword sheath tightly, standing silently, watching Zhang Jing calmly remove the long-winged cap from his head before being escorted to his feet by two Palace Guards attendants and led toward the outside of Qinghe Hall.

A great expanse of daylight fell at the hall entrance, making Zhang Jing squint slightly. As he gazed at the owl-tail ornaments on the eaves, his heart was utterly calm. He revealed a smile as he stepped out of the hall, declaring loudly: “When the realm has the Way, sacrifice oneself for the Way. When the realm lacks the Way, sacrifice oneself to uphold the Way…”

When Zhang Jing was led out of Qinghe Hall by Palace Guards attendants, the officials deliberating in the Bureau of Policy Deliberation heard the news. Meng Yunxian nearly fainted. Pei Zhiyuan supported him, asking the eunuch summoned by Liang Shenfu to deliver the message: “How could His Majesty sentence Minister Zhang to death? Did you hear clearly?!”

“Minister Zhang defied superiors in the hall, contradicted His Majesty, forced His Majesty to issue a self-condemning decree…” That eunuch was so frightened his eyes moistened. “His Majesty, citing the crimes of great disrespect, embezzling thousands of acres of fertile land, and forming factions for personal gain, issued an immediate execution order!”

“When did he have land!”

Meng Yunxian’s eyes turned completely red. “He’s a widower who was exiled for fourteen years. His household doesn’t have even a few strings of cash—when did he have land!”

He Tong couldn’t contain himself and immediately ran out.

Meng Yunxian then rushed with Pei Zhiyuan and others to Qinghe Hall, but the hall doors were closed. Liang Shenfu stood outside watching them, shaking his head with a complex expression. “Minister Meng, esteemed lords, His Majesty’s head ailment has flared up and he has now fallen unconscious. He cannot see you all…”

“Eunuch Liang, how is His Majesty?”

A woman in apricot-red robes and skirt, with an elaborate coiffure and beautiful features, hurried over with several palace maids, her face full of worry.

“Noble Consort, please enter.”

Liang Shenfu stepped aside and bowed his head.

Meng Yunxian, Pei Zhiyuan and the others all watched Noble Consort Wu enter, then the hall doors slowly closed. He Tong braced his hands on the ground to stand up, grabbed his robe hem and ran toward the bottom of the white jade steps.

Daylight was bright—nearly noon.

Xu Hexue’s body was like pale mist, unable to take form before people. Countless times he wanted to enter that imperial palace, but as a ghost in this mortal world, there were always places he could not tread.

He was nearly losing consciousness, yet still stubbornly remained in this thick shade outside the palace. He thought of Ni Su. He suddenly very much wanted to heed her words.

He wanted to see his teacher one more time.

Even if only a single glance.

He curled up in the shadows of tree trunks and branches. Amid the noisy clamor filling his ears, his consciousness became muddled for a time, and even his eyes couldn’t see clearly in the daylight for a while.

“Teacher! Teacher…”

Someone stumbled running out of the palace gate, choking and crying out loudly.

Xu Hexue forced his eyes open. The person below wore vermillion red official robes, stumbling forward as someone behind called out: “Academician He!”

He Tong.

Xu Hexue immediately recalled this name.

That was his senior brother.

The officials behind beckoned for their household carriages. One official wiped sweat while saying: “Is His Majesty truly going to execute Minister Zhang?”

“Great disrespect and forming factions—both are capital crimes…”

They didn’t notice that beneath the tree shade beside them, wind brushed past and branches trembled.

Ni Su had searched for Xu Hexue for a long time. Carrying her lamp, she had been searching the streets for his traces since before dawn. From time to time she had to look at her sleeves—that wisp of mist only she could see had not yet returned to her side.

“Miss Ni!”

Suddenly someone called to her.

Ni Su turned around and recognized that young man as the bookshop assistant who had previously delivered books for her. He quickly came out of the shop to her: “The books you requested last time—I’ve gathered them all for you!”

“What books?”

Ni Su couldn’t recall for a moment.

“Didn’t you want all books related to Minister Meng? How did you forget?” The assistant said with a laugh.

With his reminder, Ni Su remembered there was such a thing.

She had noticed Xu Ziling seemed to understand Minister Meng very well—could guess his intentions, knew his temperament clearly, even knew how much salt Minister Meng used.

Meng Yunxian was perhaps his teacher.

Ni Su had speculated thus.

So she had found this book-delivering young man, wanting to buy all books related to Minister Meng to give to him.

If they couldn’t meet face to face, then let them meet on paper.

“Is this everything?”

Entering the bookshop, Ni Su set the glass lamp with its burned-out candle on the table, watching the assistant bring out over a dozen volumes.

“Not exactly…”

The assistant scratched his head and lowered his voice: “There’s one more volume—Minister Meng’s miscellaneous records. It used to be available, but later it was banned by the authorities.”

“Why?”

“Because Minister Meng praised someone in it.”

Seeing Ni Su’s confused expression, the assistant mysteriously added: “The general who betrayed the country to the enemy sixteen years ago.”

Ni Su’s heart stirred. She felt she was touching upon something. “Young man, aren’t there any copied versions?”

The assistant’s expression changed, but seeing Ni Su’s serious face, he hesitated: “Well, it’s not that there aren’t any, but…”

“I can pay extra.”

Ni Su took out several promissory notes from her sleeve.

Secretly selling a few banned books wasn’t unusual. Moreover, Meng Yunxian was now a chief minister of the court—countless scholars like the woman before him were scrambling to collect all of Minister Meng’s books.

The assistant wasn’t doing this kind of thing for the first time. Seeing the money, he furtively slipped a book to Ni Su. “Miss, you must keep it carefully!”

“I know.”

Ni Su took the copied miscellaneous records and in the shadows by the bookshelf turned several pages in succession, finally finding the piece the young man had mentioned.

Ni Su had heard the name of the general who betrayed the country sixteen years ago, but Meng Yunxian referred to him in this piece as—”Ziling.”

Xu Hexue, styled Ziling.

And what made Meng Yunxian’s miscellaneous records a banned book was his praise in this piece for Xu Hexue, who had passed the imperial examination at fourteen—”Resplendent as jade, steadfast as stone.”

Ni Su’s fingers loosened—the book volume nearly slipped from her hands.

“His Majesty is executing Minister Zhang!”

Outside the door, a young man suddenly came running, gasping for breath.

“What?”

Several young people reading in the bookshop immediately dropped their books and ran before him. “You must be drunk!”

“Minister Zhang is such a good person—how could His Majesty execute him? Without even deliberating his crimes, immediate beheading?!”

“Quick! Let’s go quickly!”

They all ran out.

Ni Su shoved the miscellaneous records back into the assistant’s hands, saying hurriedly: “Please keep it for now—deliver it to my home later along with the others!”

Before the assistant could respond, he saw her lift her skirt and run out.

He turned to look at the glass lamp on the table. “Hey! Miss Ni, your lamp!”

On the execution platform at the marketplace, Zhang Jing had been stripped of his purple official robe and knelt before the guillotine.

“Minister Zhang!”

Many scholars who had rushed over upon hearing the news pushed past those blocking them. Below the execution platform, held back by soldiers from approaching closer, they could only call to him over and over.

Zhang Jing calmly watched the growing crowd below the platform. Numerous unfamiliar faces called to him. A trace of a smile appeared on his usually severe face.

A cool breeze blew, his graying beard trembling with it.

“Why are you young people crying?”

He raised his voice. “All people must die. I, Zhang Jing, having lived to this day, have lived long enough. But you are different—you are still young, your blood is still hot. Because it’s hot, you should treasure yourselves even more, remember why you study, remember the principles the ancient sages taught you. If you enter officialdom, serve the sovereign but also serve the people. If you educate others, first establish yourself properly. Great Qi ultimately still depends on you young people.”

“Minister Zhang, why does His Majesty kill you, why kill you…”

Someone cried out.

“When the sovereign orders a subject to die, the subject cannot but die. Why must you ask? Why must I answer? Being an official is thus—those of you who would enter office should have this understanding.”

The execution supervisor behind him, his hands supporting the table trembling. The Palace Guards attendants were present. He had delayed until this noon hour, yet still no one came with His Majesty’s decree to stay the execution.

He raised his hand, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Ni Su followed those scholars from the bookshop running to the marketplace execution ground. She saw that platform—here before, she had witnessed with her own eyes the villain who harmed her brother’s life beheaded. Now she stood below, looking up at that old man stripped of his official robes.

She finally knew—

That first day entering Yun Jing, on Rainbow Bridge, whom Xu Ziling had been watching on Imperial Street.

She had thought it was Meng Yunxian.

But it turned out to be Zhang Jing, now on the execution platform.

The executioner pressed his aged, frail body onto the guillotine block. Many people below called him “Minister Zhang,” and he calmly glanced at that sharp guillotine blade suspended above. He suddenly proclaimed loudly: “How can beheading compare to the pain of death by a thousand cuts! I, Zhang Jing, once had a best student. At fourteen he passed the imperial examination, at fourteen he went far to the border. Who remembers he became famous in a single battle at Danyuan? Who remembers at Drinking Horse Lake he crushed the barbarian army, killed the barbarian prince Duoling, and recaptured a thousand miles of Yan Pass! Who remembers! At merely nineteen he was enfeoffed as Grand General Yujie, making the barbarians dare not approach Juhan Pass by even one step! Yet the world killed him, the sovereign cut him to pieces, making his sword-like bones and bamboo-like heart fall into the mire with no one to bury him, bearing the infamy of treason for sixteen years!”

“I was also one of those who cut his flesh and loyal heart, but today, I weep for him, I cry out his injustice!”

Xu Hexue’s thoroughly filthy name was wiped clean by him and held up again before the world.

Those below could not help but show expressions of shock and suspicion.

Ni Su saw someone going up to untie the rope binding the guillotine blade. She stepped quickly forward but was blocked by soldiers from advancing. On the execution platform, Zhang Jing closed his eyes as two lines of tears fell silently:

“Let the world remember—do not let loyal bones pile up like mountains, crimson hearts drinking their bitterness!”

Xu Hexue rushed over. His form had already become terribly faint, his robes nearly covered in blood. On the execution platform was his teacher. He flew toward him, two fingers straining but unable to gather even a wisp of glowing dust, instead making his form even more difficult to maintain.

In searching for Dong Yao, he had already exhausted his strength.

No one could see him.

Only Ni Su saw him.

“Xu Ziling…”

She wanted to go forward, wanted to reach him.

The rope binding the guillotine blade suddenly loosened. That blade flashed. Ni Su pushed aside the soldier’s arm blocking her. She heard Xu Hexue cry out hoarsely: “Teacher!”

His faint form fell down, bending to shield Zhang Jing’s body.

The guillotine blade passed through his semi-transparent body, severing Zhang Jing’s neck. He lowered his head to see his teacher’s head roll down beneath the guillotine platform, eyes closed, covered in blood.

A fierce and cold wind swept forth.

Without warning, heavy snow began falling from the sky.

Snowflakes brushed her temples. Ni Su saw that mist-like figure on the platform suddenly shatter. Her lips trembled as she saw many glowing motes slowly rise upward.

They condensed in midair into a ball of bright white fluffy light.

Just like his shadow.

“Teacher…”

He Tong arrived to witness the bloodshed on the platform. He collapsed to the ground, crying out loudly.

Wind and snow howled.

Ni Su stood among the crowd, extending both hands to gather that ball of bright white light into her palms.