Situ Sheng’s heart stirred. If Li Chengyi had just had his throat pierced by an arrow, how chaotic things would be right now.

The Li Family, having lost their beloved son, would never let the matter rest. And with the Jing Kingdom envoy also dead in the midst of the brawl, no matter how one looked at it, both sides would have suffered devastating losses from the fierce fighting.

Who could harbor such a vicious heart? Situ Sheng frowned, thinking of the figure that had flashed past just a moment ago… Could it be him?

As for Chu Linlang, she had mustered her courage to stall for time, and had finally escaped the jaws of danger, rescuing Dongxue and the others, before quickly making her departure.

The events that followed, she only learned from Situ Sheng’s own account.

On that day, Situ Sheng had originally gone out on official business. However, he had always had a habit — if he could pass by Linlang’s shop, as long as time permitted, he would rather take the long way around and walk a little farther, just to stop in front of Linlang’s shop and take a look.

It was precisely because of this habit that he had happened to pass by the shop that day, and in doing so, had saved Li Chengyi’s life.

When he heard from the yamen runners that these wolf-like brutes from the Jing Kingdom had been harassing Chu Linlang’s shop, and had even injured a woman, his heart burned with frantic urgency.

He searched the shop and found no one — only a pool of blood on the floor. His heart clenched tight with dread.

And so Situ Sheng rode with Guanqi at full gallop to the manor on the outskirts of the capital.

Upon learning that Linlang was safe and unharmed, Situ Sheng truly let out a long breath of relief, pulling Linlang into a tight embrace, his heart finally settling at peace.

But Guanqi was not so at ease.

He saw Dongxue lying on the bed with her head bandaged, barely clinging to life.

That girl had none of her usual spirit for bickering and teasing when she saw him — it was as though at any moment, she might fade away like a flower in the wind.

Guanqi lost his composure. He rushed to Dongxue’s bedside, his temples throbbing visibly, his eyes red as blood. Then he rose and went to the courtyard, picked up an axe, and walked out without a word.

It was Sui Qiye who noticed something was wrong and grabbed Guanqi, asking him what he intended to do.

When he heard Guanqi choke out that he wanted to avenge Dongxue, Situ Sheng also stepped out, snatched the axe from his hand, and said in a low, firm voice: “Rest assured — they will not get off lightly for this. But this is not the way.”

Guanqi replied with seething hatred: “Then what else can be done? I’ve followed at your side and seen plenty! Those court officials only know how to muddle things over. They treat the Jing Kingdom envoys as though they were ancestors come to visit. They would only push out some scapegoats — how would they dare to clash head-on with those beasts from the Jing Kingdom? I alone did this, and I alone shall bear the consequences. I’ll go to the relay station and cut those people down, and I alone will offer my life in payment!”

His voice was so loud that even Dongxue, who had taken medicine and fallen into a drowsy sleep, was jolted awake.

Hearing Guanqi’s shout that he was going to offer his life as payment, she endured the pounding in her head and called out to him from inside the room, weak and breathless.

Xia He hurriedly called Guanqi back to the room. He saw Dongxue, her lips drained of color, say: “You brainless fool — if you offer your life, who does that benefit? I’d be left owing a life-debt I cannot repay! If you go, I’ll slam my head into the wall right here and die!”

With that, she staggered out of bed, intending to use her injured head to smash against the wall.

Guanqi rushed to stop Dongxue, refusing to let her get up, yet as he looked at her red and swollen face, he let out a sob of heartache.

And Dongxue, who in ordinary times was always sharp-tongued and caustic toward Guanqi, whether from the headache or some other reason, was not retaliating at all. She simply reached out and wiped his tears, saying with weak exhaustion: “Wait until I’m truly dead before you cry. Your noise is making my head throb…”

At this point, Xia He could read the situation clearly. She turned and gave Chu Linlang a knowing glance.

Chu Linlang watched that pair of young ones huddled together, crying and bickering, then pulled Xia He by the arm and led Situ Sheng outside.

She, as their mistress, had not been attentive enough. She had only ever noticed that the two loved to bicker and had never anticipated that such sparring could give rise to genuine affection.

Thinking on it, she and Situ Sheng had also frequently bickered in their younger days — did that not make them cut from the same cloth as this pair?

But that vicious man was already dead. For Guanqi to go risk his life again was truly unnecessary.

Chu Linlang felt that such a wicked man had died a death more than deserved, yet the mess left in his wake was exceedingly troublesome.

When the two of them were alone, she asked Situ Sheng — was it an accidental killing by one of General Li Chengyi’s subordinates?

Situ Sheng shook his head, saying to Chu Linlang: “The arrow entered through the throat, shot downward from a height — it was absolutely not someone from the street. At the time I was in the teahouse across the way and caught sight of a figure that looked very much like…”

Halfway through his words, Situ Sheng refused to continue.

Yet Chu Linlang blinked and turned the matter over in her mind, and guessed who it was that he could not bring himself to name.

Could it be his father, Yang Yi? If it truly was him, why would he want to shoot and kill the Jing Kingdom’s vicious man? Could it be that a sudden surge of patriotism had welled up within him, and he could no longer stomach the man’s cruelty?

Chu Linlang said softly: “It shouldn’t be… him, should it? What good would it do him?”

Situ Sheng understood that Chu Linlang had also guessed who it was. He let out a cold laugh: “The benefit is tremendous. Back then he could betray Great Jin — how much loyalty could he truly have toward the Jing Kingdom? Over these many years, he relied on helping Angu quell internal strife within the Jing Kingdom and strengthen the tribal faction, while also cultivating connections for Angu within Great Jin and supporting the Crown Prince who was on friendly terms with Angu, thereby winning himself a degree of favor with Angu. Yet what he sought was not promotion in rank and title, but to use the power of the Jing Kingdom to sweep across the Central Plains and avenge the annihilation of his family. That oasis uprising in the past — that was his handiwork. And his actions today are, most likely, still aimed at provoking discord between the two kingdoms to hasten the outbreak of war… Because no matter which side is defeated, he would be content, feeling that he has at last done right by the souls of the dead!”

Chu Linlang said nothing, but her heart felt as though something were pressing down upon it.

A man whose own actions had brought ruin and slaughter upon his entire family — the guilt and self-reproach from such a thing must have been overwhelming, like mountains crashing down, beyond what ordinary people could ever dissolve or put to rest.

Bearing such a crushing weight of guilt, one either collapses and ends one’s own life, or finds a suitable target for one’s rage, shifts the blame onto others, and constructs an excuse to go on living.

Yang Yi was clearly the latter. He attributed the deaths of his father and kinsmen entirely to Emperor Jinren and the old Khan of the Jing Kingdom, and then set about carrying out his plan of vengeance with unwavering resolve.

By now he had already used the power of his father-in-law Angu to kill the old Khan and avenge his father.

Yet the man he regarded as his enemy — Emperor Jinren — still sat comfortably upon the imperial throne.

For this purpose, he had been willing to sacrifice his own son, exploit every person and circumstance within reach, and deliberately incite a war that could claim the lives of tens of thousands.

Yet for now, the people of Great Jin had no desire for war. In order to appease the fury of the Jing Kingdom over their dead envoy, they would most likely once again push out some innocent soul to take the blame.

That General Li Chengyi… the odds did not look good for him.

With that thought, Chu Linlang said nothing, and simply held Situ Sheng at her side in a tight embrace.

For now, all they could do was take things one step at a time, and pray only that Situ Sheng could emerge unscathed from this whirlpool — and furthermore, that Yang Yi, with his heart full of hatred, would no longer come to disturb his son’s life.

And when Situ Sheng lowered his head, breathing in the faint, sweet fragrance in Chu Linlang’s hair, he suddenly spoke: “Do you think… their appearance in your shop today was a coincidence?”

Chu Linlang paused, considered for a moment, and said: “The envoy relay station is four streets away from mine. The Eastern Market should be the closest to them — the goods there are very comprehensive. If they were buying things, they could have managed it in the Eastern Market without needing to come all the way here.”

At that, she paused, and her heart turned over with realization: “You’re saying… someone deliberately led them to my shop?”

Situ Sheng inwardly clenched his jaw, and pressed a kiss to her forehead: “Get to sleep early tonight. I’ve already arranged for Seventh Master to station some reliable men from the martial world to guard the outer courtyard — you can rest easy. I need to return to the city to question some people…”

With that he rose, intending to take Guanqi and head back to the city.

But Chu Linlang hurried after him, watching as his expression had suddenly turned grave, and said quietly: “No matter what, do not let him lead you astray. He is a man with the mindset of someone with nothing left to lose, but you are not. Remember — there is someone at home waiting for you.”

That word “home” sent a warmth spreading through Situ Sheng’s heart. From the time he was young, he had grown up with his grandfather in the army and had never known what “home” meant. It was only after his reunion with Linlang — in her daily three dishes and a soup, in the needlework and mending she did — that he had come to understand what the word “home” truly meant.

Situ Sheng understood the meaning within Linlang’s words. She was afraid that Yang Yi would once again stir the darkness within him, leading him to do something irreversible.

Perhaps the Situ Sheng of before would have been susceptible. But he had her now, and he had to promise her a bright future where she could stand in the open light.

Because his Linlang was a vigorously blooming sunflower — she ought to stand proudly in warm sunlight, and should not have to hide in gutters like a rat or a snake, living her days in fear and anxiety.

With that thought, he gave her a nod, swung himself up onto his horse, and galloped away.

All along the road, he worked the matter out in his mind with reasonable clarity. Chu Linlang’s shop was situated close to Li Chengyi’s military camp and the government offices, and Linlang herself was youthful and beautiful — it was an ideal location for drawing that vicious man into causing trouble and provoking a conflict.

The person who had fired the arrow had been lying in wait there long before — which meant the location had been chosen and confirmed in advance.

What he needed now was to question those Jing Kingdom men and find out whether the situation was as he suspected.

Because of that street brawl, the envoys had not returned to the relay station. Instead, they had been temporarily held by Li Chengyi’s subordinates and placed under house arrest in the military camp, to prevent them from going back and coordinating their stories or making reckless accusations.

This, of course, had been Situ Sheng’s suggestion to Li Chengyi at the time. Having already led men to strike the Jing Kingdom envoys and caused a death in the process, he had nothing to fear from adding one more charge of unlawful detention.

Situ Sheng arrived and summoned the head of the bodyguards closest to the vicious man for questioning.

He made no move toward the instruments of torture from the Court of Judicial Review — he simply, and very cordially, indicated to the guard commander that he would certainly find the person who had killed the vicious man envoy, but first needed to ask about the circumstances of that day, and why they — these men from the Jing Kingdom — had appeared on a street so far from the relay station.

That guard commander was a sharp-minded man. With the vicious man dead, he knew his own situation was precarious. Facing this young official, he was quite forthcoming, answering every question asked of him.

Upon hearing that it was Commander Hudulie who, while drinking with the vicious man, had mentioned this particular shop, calling the goods there excellent, and had asked the guard to go on his behalf to purchase some cloth for the princess — at that, a surge of murderous intent flickered in Situ Sheng’s eyes.

Yet he showed nothing, and continued speaking in warm, cordial tones with the guard commander, asking whether this Hudulie was Yang Yi, the former general of Great Jin who had surrendered and defected.

The guard commander, seeing how curiously interested he appeared, also knew that a man of his age would have had no real dealings with Yang Yi.

A man who had surrendered and defected to the Jing Kingdom, surviving on his ability to charm and flatter women — among the subjects of the Jing Kingdom, Yang Yi was regarded with a mixture of envy and contempt, with very little in the way of respect or protection.

And the young official from Jin before him appeared amiable — far better than the men of the Li Family army in the military camp, who had given them nothing but cold looks.

And so, once Situ Sheng had a roasted chicken and a jug of strong liquor brought to him, the guard commander’s tongue was well and truly loosened.

The skills honed from years of investigating cases in the Court of Judicial Review — what frontier military commander could compare?

With the aid of food and drink, Situ Sheng had extracted a fairly complete account of the life of Princess Consort Hudulie within the Jing Kingdom.

He even learned that Hudulie greatly missed the settled way of life in Jin, and so every winter he would bring the princess and their children to spend the cold season in the border towns where the two peoples lived together.

Later on, he had purchased a house there, and sometimes in summer he would go there alone to pass the hot season.

By the time the jug of liquor was drained to its last drop, Situ Sheng had extracted nearly everything he had wanted to know.

As he was leaving the military camp, Li Chengyi was standing at the gates with a slightly melancholy air, and said to Situ Sheng: “I’ve caused serious trouble this time. Father sent word for me to return to the residence and explain the matter to him, then go with him to the palace that very night to plead our case.”

Situ Sheng turned and clapped him on the shoulder: “The man was not killed by you. I can testify to that.”

Li Chengyi shook his head with helpless resignation: “Word is that the Crown Prince’s side has erupted in fury — he’s been shouting that I’ve ruined the peace talks between the two kingdoms, and demanding that Father hand me over immediately…”

At that, Li Chengyi waved his hand toward him and quickly mounted his horse, heading back to the general’s residence to see the elder General Li.

Situ Sheng stood a while at the camp gates, then swung himself up and rode toward the residence of the libationer Qi Gong.

The developments that followed were much as Li Chengyi had feared.

Upon hearing the news, the Crown Prince flew into a towering rage and personally led men to take custody of the detained Jing Kingdom envoys. And when Li Chengyi and the elder General Li went to the palace to plead their case before the Emperor, they were intercepted by the Crown Prince’s men before even reaching the palace gates and thrown into prison in chains.

The Crown Prince’s meaning was simple: Li Chengyi had now committed a catastrophic blunder, and he urged the elder General Li to conduct himself with dignity, and not to come before the Emperor trading on the merit of past achievements in order to plead for his rebellious son.

That speech left the elder General Li utterly humiliated. All he could do was lash out with a fierce kick at his troublemaking son, then turn and leave without a word.

Following the Crown Prince’s wishes, the street brawl was to be framed as a personal dispute. The story would be that the Jing Kingdom envoy had been drinking, that a misunderstanding arose from a language barrier during a purchase, which then escalated to a violent clash between Li Chengyi and his soldiers, and that in the confusion the vicious man envoy was accidentally killed.

Then, in accordance with the law of the land, Li Chengyi would be punished — which would also serve as an explanation for the Jing Kingdom’s side. In a criminal matter handled impartially by Great Jin, there would be no need for it to escalate to the level of war between the two kingdoms.

Unfortunately, the public outrage stirred up by the Jing Kingdom envoy’s misconduct on that occasion had drawn too large a crowd of onlookers, and the fury of the capital’s residents had been well and truly ignited.

It began with the students of the academies discussing the matter with their teachers. The main sentiment was: since when had Great Jin grown so subservient to the Jing Kingdom? If the late General Yang were still alive, would the Jing Kingdom’s people dare to behave so arrogantly within the capital of Great Jin?

Then stories of General Li Chengyi’s valor in battle against those Jing Kingdom dogs who had been harassing a common woman began to spread through the teahouses and taverns, and before long even the common street folk were discussing the matter.

When news spread that General Li Chengyi had been thrown into prison in chains, many people spontaneously gathered outside the palace moat, chanting slogans and appealing to the Emperor. They argued: murder deserves death — so should not the vicious man who had previously killed a woman of Jin be made to pay with his life? What wrong had General Li Chengyi committed in protecting the people of Great Jin? How could a great nation negotiate with the Jing Kingdom in such a servile, accommodating manner, giving in to their every demand? They wanted to enlist and serve in the military, to drive back the wolf-like forces of the Jing Kingdom.

This wave of sentiment spread from ten to a hundred. It began with the martial arts candidates in the capital who were there for the examinations, then spread to men of valor from nearby towns and cities, and students from the academies also gathered in numbers, the cries before the palace gates rising without cease.

The Jing Kingdom envoy delegation was seething with fury as well — after all, the vicious man had died in wretched circumstances, surrounded by those unruly commoners, shot down by the arrows of Jin’s military. They lodged protests with Emperor Jinren, demanding severe punishment for the riotous commoners, and demanding that Li Chengyi — who had allowed his subordinates to kill the vicious man envoy — be handed over so they could personally take revenge for the vicious man.

At this juncture, the Crown Prince and a group of officials gathered in the imperial study and made their case to Emperor Jinren: “While it is certainly hateful that those Jing Kingdom envoys created disorder in the public streets, the peace talks are at a critical juncture. No matter how one looks at it, the vicious man died on the spot, which puts us in a position of appearing to be at fault. The negotiations had been proceeding smoothly — would this not now cause the whole effort to collapse? When border warfare erupts again, it would be sacrificing the greater good for a minor matter.”

Emperor Jinren looked at him and asked mildly: “In the Crown Prince’s view, how should this be handled?”

The Crown Prince had already thought it through long before, and promptly said: “Li Chengyi is the chief offender and should by rights be severely punished. However, he currently enjoys deep popular support, and a hasty punishment would likely inflame public outrage further. It would be better for your son to step forward and ‘find’ the person within the Li Family army who truly fired the hidden arrow, punish him severely as a form of restitution, and thereby put this matter to rest.”

His meaning was simple: if Li Chengyi could not be executed, then find another person within the Li Family army to convict — would that not satisfy everyone?

The Emperor made no reply, only turning to look at the other officials. Their views were broadly similar — they all wanted to push out some convenient scapegoat to appease the Jing Kingdom’s fury.

The Emperor, knowing he would hear nothing of substance, turned his gaze to Situ Sheng, who had not spoken throughout.

At last, the Emperor kept him alone, sending the Crown Prince and the other officials to withdraw.

With just the two of them remaining, the Emperor asked Situ Sheng: “You were there at the time. In your view, how should this matter conclude?”

Situ Sheng did not reply directly. He considered for a moment, then cited a passage from historical records: “Your Majesty is surely familiar with the saying, ‘The common man bears no guilt — yet possessing a jade brings calamity.’ Lord Yu’s precious jade caught the eye of the Lord of Yu. Lord Yu, wishing to protect himself, proactively presented the jade to the Lord of Yu, yet then his precious sword also caught the Lord of Yu’s eye. Back and forth it went — Lord Yu saw through the Lord of Yu’s insatiable greed, and so struck first, raising troops to attack him…”

Emperor Jinren sighed: “What you are saying is that We are now in the position of the man carrying the precious jade?”

Indeed, that was fitting — Great Jin was vast and rich, its resources and produce abundant, its beautiful women numbering in the millions.

Right now, a mere Jing Kingdom envoy had the audacity to take lives in the relay station, to harass respectable women on public streets, and to speak arrogantly while striking Great Jin’s common people at will. Come the day the Jing Kingdom’s army of wolves is sufficiently prepared, they will dare to invade with full force and trample across the rivers and mountains of Great Jin.

Endless accommodation might preserve the peace of the nation’s people for a time. Yet the insatiable greed of the Jing Kingdom’s wolf-dogs would not cease — how then could there be lasting peace?

Emperor Jinren had heard so many words spoken to him today, but only what Situ Sheng said truly touched the anxiety that lived within his heart.

In recent days, that arrogant and overbearing man called the vicious man had been an eyesore to the old Emperor as well.

But Great Jin’s foundations were thin, with no capable generals to rely upon. And so even when these border bandits stirred up their nest, all he could do was swallow his humiliation in silence.

And now, those officials who had survived the devastating defeat at the Losing River had been frightened out of their wits. The mere mention of going to war with the Jing Kingdom had their legs trembling. Each and every one sought only to smooth things over and avoid trouble.

This made the Emperor — who had no desire for war himself — feel, paradoxically, rather displeased.

He could not help but feel a wave of melancholy. Those valiant generals and fearless ministers who had once given him the confidence to stand against the Jing Kingdom in battle — where had they all gone?

Who would have thought that a young man of Situ Sheng’s age would be like a newborn calf unafraid of the tiger, possessed of a distinct and unusual backbone.

Yet border matters were grave — tangled like knotted silk, difficult to unravel.

The old Emperor continued: “You have cited the historical passage, and yet still have not said how the matter at hand ought to be resolved. They suggest finding a scapegoat — in your view, is that viable?”

Situ Sheng bowed his head: “This official has compiled a ledger, and respectfully requests that Your Majesty review it.”

There were no attendants remaining in the study. The Emperor bade Situ Sheng come before the desk and present the ledger.

When Emperor Jinren opened it, he found it was in fact a ledger tallying, in detail, the talent produced by the martial examinations over the past several years.

Situ Sheng waited until the Emperor had read for a while before speaking: “Your Majesty should be able to see that before the Battle of the Losing River, the number of candidates coming to the capital for the martial examinations was no fewer than a thousand each year, with no fewer than twenty or thirty among them capable of lifting a great cauldron. Almost every year produced outstanding figures who would go on to become military commanders or generals. Yet after the Battle of the Losing River, the number of martial examination candidates decreased year after year. This year, there are fewer than a hundred, and the majority of them are sons and grandsons of officials who served as generals — they sit the examination for the sake of facilitating future promotions under the protection of their forebears. Furthermore, in recent years, not a single outstanding talent has emerged…”

The Battle of the Losing River was a thorn lodged in Emperor Jinren’s heart — a subject he had never permitted anyone to raise.

Now this young official, with no sense of what was appropriate, had brought it up, and the Emperor’s face immediately darkened.

But Situ Sheng appeared not to notice the old Emperor’s changing expression and continued with calm composure: “Why have talented martial candidates dwindled in recent years? It is not because the people of our Great Jin have grown physically weak — it is because those who are truly brave and valiant have lost their motivation to serve the nation. Your Majesty has surely heard that the volunteer armies along the borders who spontaneously resist the Jing Kingdom’s raiders have grown larger with each passing year. Before long, they may become a source of concern for Your Majesty as well. If those men of valor could be recruited and drawn back to serve Great Jin, that would be the path to Great Jin’s enduring order and stability. In this official’s view, what Your Majesty ought to be most concerned about is not that the Jing Kingdom will recklessly start a war. It is that the people of Great Jin have already lost their spirit of valor. Veterans like the Li Family — father and son — are the very backbone of Great Jin. How can we, for the sake of pleasing those Jing Kingdom people, strike at our own backbone like this? And once again chill the hearts of those who prize valor and wish to serve the nation?”

Had Situ Sheng made these arguments on empty words alone, the mere utterance of “the Battle of the Losing River” would likely have ignited the old Emperor’s fury and earned him a sharp rebuke for overstepping his station.

Yet Situ Sheng was clever. He first produced a ledger showing the severe depletion of martial examination talent — and that alone stripped the Emperor of any grounds for righteous indignation.

And this brilliant stratagem of Situ Sheng’s had in fact been thought up for him by an equally brilliant person.

On a day not long before, as he sat deep in thought about how to advise the Emperor on revitalizing that year’s martial examinations, Chu Linlang — while helping him grind the ink — had said offhandedly: “Isn’t governing a nation just like managing a household? If you tell a young master who spends his days doing nothing but sitting and eating through the family fortune that there’s no money left, he’ll have no real sense of it. Better to pull together a proper ledger and let him see, step by step, how the family’s wealth has been drained dry — now that’s what you call making it crystal clear, striking the eye and shocking the heart!”

Back in the days when Linlang had been in the Zhou household, she had made no small use of the household ledger to intimidate Zhou Sui’an and his mother over their extravagance.

Even the most numbskull of scoundrels, after being shown a consolidated ledger, would calm down for a spell.

Situ Sheng had been amused by her words at the time, and had asked why she had never brandished a ledger at him.

Linlang had rolled her eyes at him: “You don’t spend money at all — you only know how to hide silver in the water vat. You’ve never given me the opportunity to hold you to account!”

After that bout of laughter, Situ Sheng found her words to be genuinely sound, and truly did follow Chu Linlang’s suggestion in drawing up a ledger of talent for the Emperor.

What Situ Sheng had not anticipated was that the ledger, originally prepared to revitalize the martial examinations, had now been put to use saving Li Chengyi.

—