Yan Tongshu looked at the cream-skinned persimmon roll in her hand, then looked at Qin Yi.
Lu Xi stood behind Qin Yi, frantically signaling Yan Tongshu with his eyes.
Yan Tongshu tilted her head. Are his eyes twitching?
She couldn't figure out what Lu Xi was doing, so she honestly nodded at Qin Yi. "It's delicious."
Qin Yi twitched slightly, then spoke again. "Very delicious?"
Yan Tongshu nodded again, confident. "Extremely delicious."
Yan Tongshu casually stuffed the remaining half of the cream-skinned persimmon roll into her mouth and chewed.
The atmosphere froze in a strange silence for a moment.
Lu Xi felt a pang of heartache. It's delicious, so offer some to His Majesty, why don't you?
This Lady Yan is upright, sure, but how can she be so clueless about social graces?
After a moment of silence, Qin Yi spoke. "You asked for a few days off, feeling wronged?"
Yan Tongshu thought about it and nodded.
Wasn't this just unfair?
She'd been sick, running a high fever, and in that condition, she'd already taken leave and had her pay docked—yet Kaifeng Prefecture still sent official documents to her residence for her to handle.
That Li Fulin, a regular Zhou Bapi, wasn't even human.
Qin Yi fixed his gaze on Yan Tongshu's eyes.
The young man's ink-black pupils, like jade of the mortal world and moon above the heavens, differed from the many pairs of eyes he had seen.
In Qin Yi's mind, the Yan Tongshu from the courtroom trial surfaced.
Clever, sharp.
Holding the chess piece, surveying the whole board.
Even then, he'd felt a sudden urge to play a game of chess against Yan Tongshu.
Qin Yi's dark eyes shifted, and he spoke. "When the late emperor was alive, he firmly believed in the art of checks and balances. He painstakingly nurtured many factions, resulting in factions and cliques springing up both inside and outside the court. Officials of all factions sought not the well-being of the people, not the path of progress, not the worries of domestic strife and foreign threats—they only knew how to band together for their own interests and eliminate those who differed.
At first, while the late emperor was in his prime, he could maintain balance among the factions. In the twenty-fifth year of Ganfeng, the late emperor fell gravely ill, and with age catching up, he gradually lost the strength to control the court. Factional strife escalated further, spiraling out of control."
Yan Tongshu hugged her round cat, staring at Qin Yi without moving.
She had no idea why Qin Yi was telling her all this.
Wasn't the late emperor already dead?
Qin Yi pressed his lips together slightly. "In the twenty-sixth year of Ganfeng, Suizhou suffered floods. The crown prince led troops to provide disaster relief. While directing operations on Hong Bridge, the bridge—built with substandard materials during construction—collapsed under the torrential current, and he fell into the water and drowned. The late emperor, enraged, decreed that the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Rites, along with specially appointed imperial envoys, conduct a thorough investigation."
In the twenty-sixth year of Ganfeng, Yan Tongshu hadn't transmigrated yet, so she had no memory of these events.
Qin Yi's voice grew heavier. "Twenty-six people pursued the case all the way down, but no mastermind was found. The silver used to build Hong Bridge and the dikes vanished like clay oxen entering the sea—officials at every level 'lawfully and reasonably' carved it up, and imperial allocations seeped into the earth like fine rain, silent and unseen.
Large and small officials, across all factions, as they handled the funds—after ensuring their own safety—plotted against each other, laid traps for each other. In their view, once it passed through their hands and smoothly reached the next stage's responsible party, it became that other faction's problem.
So absurd, and yet no one could be held accountable. With partisanship like this, what future could the nation have? The late emperor, old and frail, had lost the power to change things. That is why, since ascending the throne, I have devoted myself to eradicating old abuses, rectifying court discipline, and restoring proper conduct. To this end, I have risen early and worked late, unable to find rest."
The round cat stretched out its fluffy paw and scratched Yan Tongshu's face.
Yan Tongshu kept her face completely blank throughout.
The high fever left her mind foggy and muddled.
But she was still conscious.
What did partisanship have to do with her, anyway?
She understood nothing about political scheming.
What exactly did that damn emperor want?
Seeing Yan Tongshu's grim expression, Qin Yi assumed she was still feeling wronged, and he pursed his lips. "I know you've been wronged this time."
Yan Tongshu's ears perked up.
Qin Yi: "You may raise whatever request you like."
Yan Tongshu didn't understand everything else, but she understood this perfectly. "Anything at all?"
As if sensing something from the delighted look in Yan Tongshu's eyes, Qin Yi spoke. "Resigning is not allowed."
Damn emperor.
Yan Tongshu cursed inwardly, then carefully confirmed, "Except for resigning, anything is fine?"
Her tone carried a cautious probing, a trembling apprehension, and a hint of gleeful hope—complex and suspicious.
Qin Yi narrowed his eyes and squeezed out a single "Mm" from his throat.
Yan Tongshu's eyes lit up instantly. "Then I'd like to request that on days when there's no memorial to present, I be excused from the morning court."
In the bedchamber, silence descended once more, strangely thick.
Qin Yi stared at Yan Tongshu, his dark eyes like a dense fog.
After a moment, he spoke. "Why don't you want to attend morning court?"
After all, being able to attend morning court was an honor for ministers. Many officials who lacked the qualification for daily audiences considered it their greatest wish to become regular attendees, to see the Son of Heaven every morning and have direct access to the throne.
Qin Yi couldn't understand Yan Tongshu's reasoning. He even wondered if Kaifeng Prefecture's workload was so heavy that she busied herself too much, wanting to save the time spent at court to properly handle affairs and hasten her promotion.
But Yan Tongshu said, "I... can't get up in the morning. Having to rise so early leads to severe sleep deprivation, and I'm exhausted both mentally and physically every day, which also seriously hampers my efficiency in handling official matters."
The atmosphere fell into an unprecedented third silence.
Actually, Yan Tongshu knew her request was a bit suicidal, but she really couldn't handle waking up early anymore. She genuinely couldn't get up. If she kept exhausting herself by rising so early, she was bound to drop dead.
After speaking, Yan Tongshu secretly lifted her eyelids to observe Qin Yi.
Oh no. The damn emperor had a stony face, expression utterly awful.
Had he gotten angry?
Yan Tongshu immediately scrambled to cover herself. "Your Majesty, I have to rise at the hour of Yin every day to attend morning court. It's simply too early. I haven't even fully woken up when court begins, so I can't tell what those ministers are even arguing about most days. And ninety-nine times out of ten, I have no memorial to present anyway—aren't I just going through the motions? How wasteful of time is that?"
At this, Yan Tongshu felt utterly aggrieved and muttered quietly, "And waking up early is genuinely painful—extremely, incredibly, especially painful..."
After a brief, stunned pause, Qin Yi laughed in exasperation.
He had racked his brains trying to figure out how to show his respect for talent, how to console Yan Tongshu's wounded heart, and he'd poured his heart out revealing the truth about his own full-blooded elder brother, the former crown prince's wrongful death, along with his political ambitions from the time he'd become crown prince to when he ascended the throne—and all Yan Tongshu cared about was waking up early for court.
Qin Yi all but gritted the words through his teeth. "Would an upright person fail to get out of bed in the morning?"
Yan Tongshu instinctively shot back, "Wouldn't they? What does uprightness have to do with waking up early?"
Qin Yi ground his teeth. "A person of true moral integrity is strict with themselves and possesses a high degree of self-discipline."
Yan Tongshu pouted.
That's other people, not her.
Besides, her uprightness was just a persona.
Qin Yi could tell at a glance that Yan Tongshu was muttering nonsense inside her head, and he took a deep breath. "If you have something to say, say it."
Yan Tongshu hung her head, chin pressed against the round cat's fluffy head, looking pitiful. "I dare not."
Qin Yi: "I grant you pardon."
Yan Tongshu muttered, "I don't know what other upright people are like, Your Majesty. But I for one can't get up."
Qin Yi was irritated by Yan Tongshu's defeatist, dull-witted demeanor, and his voice turned cold: "You're sharp as a tack when you're hearing cases, but when you speak to me, you're sluggish and wooden. Yan Tongshu, I think you're deliberately trying to annoy me."
Yan Tongshu pouted.
Who doesn't have two different personas for work and off-hours?
She's already exhausted from work—having to rack her brain after hours would be plain miserable.
Qin Yi's mouth twitched hard. "Spit out what's on your mind."
You're going to regulate this too?
Where's the logic?
If you spit out your inner thoughts, are they even inner thoughts anymore?
Yan Tongshu pressed her lips tightly together.
Qin Yi let out a cold snort. "I'm telling you to speak. Say everything that's on your mind."
Even with Qin Yi saying that, Yan Tongshu didn't dare voice all the curses and insults she had for him rattling around her head. She only said, "Your Majesty, the thing is... everyone is multifaceted. In different environments, we show different sides. Take me, for example: I'm a lazy person. Mornings, I can't get up..."
Seeing Qin Yi's face grow even darker, Yan Tongshu quickly backpedaled: "But I'm very responsible! I love whatever job I'm doing!"
Seeing Qin Yi's expression ease slightly, she added weakly, "When I'm working or hearing cases, I have to be accountable, so my brain runs at full speed. But that's exhausting. So when I relax and rest, my brain automatically... just naturally... closes its doors and goes into hibernation to recharge."
She looked up and asked tentatively, "Your Majesty, can you understand that?"
Ha!
Qin Yi laughed in exasperation again.
In his entire life, he'd met every kind of minister—all of them ambitious and striving for excellence. But Yan Tongshu was lazy, greedy, and utterly lacking in drive.
And on top of that, she had excuse after excuse, a whole stack of them.
Yan Tongshu looked down in disappointment.
Judging by the tyrant emperor's expression, he absolutely did not understand.
Just as Yan Tongshu was feeling dejected, Qin Yi spoke: "Approved."
Huh?
Yan Tongshu's head shot up, her round eyes brimming with surprise. "Really?"
Qin Yi gave her a disdainful once-over. "Yeah."
Yan Tongshu immediately performed a full kowtow on the bed. "This official thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace! Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!"
She even pulled out "long live"—this kid was genuinely overjoyed.
Qin Yi shook his head. Here he was, an emperor, granting her something, and this silly goose didn't even ask for anything substantial.
Dull. Utterly dull.
Since the "condescending visit to rally a worthy minister" was over, Qin Yi rose to leave.
Yan Tongshu bowed her head in salute: "This official sees His Majesty off."
Qin Yi, with Lu Xi in tow, took two steps before suddenly glancing back at Yan Tongshu. He walked over to her, reached out two fingers, and pressed them to her forehead. The temperature was higher than normal—she was genuinely asking for sick leave, not throwing a tantrum.
Yan Tongshu, afraid Qin Yi might misunderstand, quickly explained: "Your Majesty, I'm truly ill. I'm not deliberately slacking off."
And it's not a fake sick day either.
Qin Yi withdrew his gaze, then swept his eyes toward the cream-skin persimmon rolls on the bedside table. "What is this?"
Yan Tongshu blinked. "Cream-skin persimmon rolls."
Qin Yi looked at Yan Tongshu, waiting for her to elaborate.
Yan Tongshu stared blankly back at Qin Yi.
Lu Xi frantically signaled Yan Tongshu with his eyes.
Qin Yi narrowed his eyes. "Are they good?"
Yan Tongshu beamed. "Really good!"
Lu Xi kept signaling, his eyes nearly cramping up.
Ha.
Qin Yi fixed Yan Tongshu with a sly grin, leaned in slightly, closing in on her two startlingly bright eyes, and softly uttered four words: "Dull. Stubby. Fat. Goose."
Watching Yan Tongshu's expression shift from delight to a tight-lipped, suffocated frustration, Qin Yi's mood instantly improved, and he left in high spirits.
Aaaaargh!
Yan Tongshu furiously punched the air.
Dull, stubby, fat goose?
That tyrant emperor called her a dull, stubby, fat goose!
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. Does he have any sense of aesthetics? Any at all?
Where is she fat?
Her BMI is twenty-one—well within the healthy standard range, thank you very much!
She has a perfectly healthy figure, and he calls her fat!
Yan Tongshu was fuming.
Her figure was flawless, perfect in every way. The only downside was that her chest was rather flat.
How flat?
So flat that with her cross-dressing as a man, she didn't even need to bind her chest. So flat that even if she ran down the street bare-chested, people would only yell at her for indecency—not a single soul would suspect she was a woman.
But in her current situation, that was the ultimate buff.
So yes—as Yan Tongshu, her figure was the most perfect in the world.
Yan Tongshu quickly convinced herself: she was perfect, Qin Yi was the one with no taste, Qin Yi was the one with no eye for beauty. In short, everything was Qin Yi's fault.
With that, she hugged her little round pillow and kissed it fiercely, happily celebrating that she no longer had to attend morning court.
Woohoo!
Today is a happy day, a perfect day!
Yan Tongshu shouted, "Pearl! Let's celebrate tonight with mushroom-soup beef hotpot!"
...
Inside the carriage, Qin Yi glanced at the chessboard on which black and white stones were locked in a fierce, interwoven struggle—"I in you, you in me"—and had Lu Xi put the board away.
He lifted the carriage curtain and looked outside. "If we turn right on this street and circle around to the street ahead, will that bring us to Aunt Yang's noodle stall?"
Lu Xi, while gathering the pieces, replied, "Yes, sir."
Qin Yi let the curtain fall. "Detour. Go to Aunt Yang's noodle stall."
Lu Xi lowered his head. "Yes, sir."
Lu Xi tugged the bell inside the carriage, drew back the curtain, and gave the sturdy coachman a brief instruction. The coachman immediately pulled the reins and turned toward Aunt Yang's noodle stall.
Not far from the stall, Qin Yi stepped down from the carriage and walked over to Aunt Yang.
Lu Xi quickly pulled out a silk handkerchief, wiped down the wooden table and bench, and invited Qin Yi to sit.
Aunt Yang came over. "Sir, would you like a large or small bowl, and which topping?"
Qin Yi's brow furrowed slightly. "What toppings do you have?"
Aunt Yang smiled. "I have three: minced pork with greens, fish paste, and dried savory tofu."
Qin Yi: "Which one does Yan Tongshu usually order?"
"You mean Magistrate Yan?" At the mention of Yan Tongshu, Aunt Yang's face lit up with a grin. "Magistrate Yan loves the fish paste topping—numbing, spicy, and fragrant. She comes every few days without fail. To be honest, ever since word got out that Magistrate Yan loves it, business at this little stall has picked up quite a bit. Everyone orders the fish paste."
Qin Yi frowned even deeper. Is it really that good?
Qin Yi had Lu Xi hand Aunt Yang a tael of silver and said, "Keep the change. Give me the same order."
Aunt Yang: "Coming right up!"
Aunt Yang cooked the noodles with lightning speed.
Magistrate Yan always ordered the large bowl with three generous ladles of fish paste on top.
Soon, the noodles arrived.
Qin Yi stared at the bowl.
The so-called fish paste was simply cheap, small fish that riverside fishermen looked down on and sold for scraps, then mashed into a paste with a mortar and pestle.
The color was indeed bright, but aside from that, the ingredients were cheap and utterly unremarkable.
Lu Xi meticulously wiped the bamboo chopsticks with a cloth, handed them to Qin Yi with both hands, and then stood to the side.
Qin Yi stirred the fish paste into the noodles with his chopsticks, picked up a single strand, and took a doubtful bite.
One mouthful went down.
The numbing spice burst instantly, and the savory freshness surged through. His taste buds were wide awake in a flash.
Qin Yi’s gaze flickered slightly, then he picked up another full chopstick-ful of noodles and ate it with big, hearty mouthfuls.
Standing nearby, Lu Xi was stunned.
His Majesty always prized restraint above all else—strict in his daily habits, rigorously disciplined in food and drink, and especially tight-fisted when it came to indulging his palate. When had he ever eaten like this, with such gusto?
When the bowl was finished, Qin Yi stared at the empty noodle bowl in front of him and fell silent.
Just then, Aunt Yang happened to be serving the next table. Seeing that Qin Yi had finished and seemed to want more, she smiled and said, “Sir, you paid more than enough. Would you like another bowl?”
“No need,” Qin Yi said, stopping her.
He had already eaten an entire jumbo bowl of noodles—that alone was a violation of his usual self-restraint. He couldn’t eat any more.
Qin Yi rose and headed back to the carriage.
Lu Xi followed behind and reported, “Young master, while you were eating, I asked around the neighborhood. That milk-skin persimmon roll is a new item from Shiji Kee. They launch new products every season, sold in limited quantities. Besides the milk-skin persimmon roll, they also have milk tea and all sorts of other curious things.”
Qin Yi: “Shiji Kee?”
Lu Xi: “Yes. The items are limited and sold with real-name registration, so it’s not easy for me to buy any. However, Shiji Kee is a shop under the Yan family’s name, so surely Magistrate Yan isn’t bound by those restrictions. Would you like me to find someone registered to purchase some, sir?”
“No need.” He wasn’t that greedy.
Qin Yi thought of Yan Tongshu’s dazed, silly expression and let out a scoff.
A food-obsessed, plump little goose guarding its treats.
He shook his head, lowered his gaze in thought, then said, “After returning to the palace, send Doctor Jiang to the Yan residence to examine her. Also, pick some fine medicinal herbs from the storehouse and have them delivered as well.”
This way, even if Yan Tongshu skipped the morning court session, no one would get the wrong idea that she had fallen out of favor—sparing her a great deal of unnecessary trouble.
Lu Xi cautiously glanced at Qin Yi. His Majesty’s expression was calm, revealing nothing.
Lu Xi lowered his head and replied respectfully, “Yes, Your Majesty.”
…
Joy brings a spring to one’s step.
Having confirmed that she didn’t need to attend morning court, Yan Tongshu sat up with a single crunch, and her illness instantly vanished.
Feeling better, Yan Tongshu, together with Pearl and Jinbao, happily returned to the Kaifeng Prefecture office.
All along the way, starting from the moment she entered the Kaifeng Prefecture, Yan Tongshu began handing out pastries—everyone in sight got a packet.
“Judge Zhang!”
Spotting Zhang Jiu from a distance, Yan Tongshu hurried over cheerfully and pressed a package of pastries wrapped in oil paper into his hand. “Try this—black sesame, fig, and walnut pie. It’s a new item from our Shiji Kee. Absolutely delicious.”
Zhang Jiu accepted it with a gentle smile: “Thank you, Magistrate Yan.”
Li Fulin, standing right beside Zhang Jiu, looked at Yan Tongshu with eager expectation.
Yan Tongshu, however, stared expectantly at Zhang Jiu. Zhang Jiu unwrapped the paper, took one piece, popped it into his mouth, and bit down. The walnuts were crisp, the figs soft and chewy, and the black sesame fragrant and rich—the flavors were layered, novel, and wonderful.
Yan Tongshu leaned in excitedly: “Is it good?”
Zhang Jiu nodded: “This is the first time I’ve tasted something like this. It’s unique in style and truly delicious.”
Yan Tongshu handed him another packet: “If it’s good, take some more.”
Zhang Jiu now had two packets in hand. Li Fulin’s gaze at Yan Tongshu grew even more expectant.
Yan Tongshu turned around and walked away.
“Magistrate Yan...” Li Fulin couldn’t hold himself back.
Yan Tongshu turned her head: “Something?”
Li Fulin pointed at himself, his eyes plainly saying: And mine?
Yan Tongshu gave a snort: “Judge Li, I was sick—running a high fever. Judge Zhang had the decency to send me some autumn pears to soothe my throat. Even Xu Qiu sent over some autumn treats his mother had made. And you? Everything you sent to the Yan residence was nothing but official documents! From now on, don’t call yourself Li. Change your surname to Zhou. From now on, your name is Zhou, as in Zhou Bapi—full name: Zhou Bapi!”
Hmph! Working her to the bone and still expecting her snacks?
Not a chance.
Yan Tongshu, with Pearl and Jinbao in tow, strode away without looking back.
Li Fulin opened his mouth: “I…”
He wanted to protest but held back, full of grievance.
Zhang Jiu patted him on the shoulder: “Magistrate Li, you really did go too far this time.”
Li Fulin looked at him, half-laughing and half-crying: “I was just afraid that delaying official business would bring trouble from the court! And anyway, the documents I sent her were pre-filtered through one round—already cut down by at least half.”
Zhang Jiu spoke earnestly: “Magistrate Yan is a patient.”
Li Fulin was at a loss for words: “Zhang Jiu, have you forgotten? When I was sick back then, who was it that dragged me out of bed and forced me to review official documents while sipping medicine?”
He shook his head and sighed: “Zhang Jiu, oh Zhang Jiu. I never thought you’d become so double-standard one day.”
Zhang Jiu said: “Magistrate Yan is different.”
Li Fulin: “Different how?”
They were both imperial officials. How were they different?
Zhang Jiu pressed his lips together, seeming unable to answer. After a moment of silence, he repeated: “Magistrate Yan is different.”
Li Fulin: “…”
With a huff, Li Fulin snatched a packet of pastries from Zhang Jiu’s arms and stalked off.
By the time she finished giving out the treats at the Kaifeng Prefecture, there were only three portions left. Yan Tongshu took Pearl and Jinbao to Lady Qing’s room.
When she arrived, she found that Lady Qing wasn’t there.
Yan Tongshu stopped one of the constables to ask.
The constable said, “Magistrate, have you forgotten? Today is Consort Chen’s execution at the vegetable market. Lady Qing—she brought her little brother Feng Rang’s ashes to watch the execution. Sigh… she used to have a shred of pity left for Consort Chen, but then he killed her own brother, and that shred of pity turned into pure hatred. The day before yesterday, Granny Chen came begging Lady Qing to collect Consort Chen’s remains, and Lady Qing refused on the spot. The way she looked back then—it was heartbreaking.”
Yan Tongshu let out a sigh, dismissed the constable, and had Pearl set the last three portions of pastries on the table, so that when Lady Qing returned, she could share them with the two children.
At the vegetable market, the executioner’s blade came down, swift and clean.
Chen Sizhen’s head rolled round and round, blood splattering the ground.
Granny Chen rushed over and wrapped the head in her clothing, wailing bitterly.
Lady Qing held the urn of Feng Rang’s ashes close.
She had sent the two children to the noodle stall to be looked after by Aunt Yang.
She stroked the white funerary urn: “Little brother, the man who harmed us has died. You can rest in peace now. In this life, it was your sister who failed you. I swear to you that when I return to Jiangzhou, I will take good care of your wife and little Ping’er. I will raise Ping’er to study, let him inherit your ambition—pass the imperial exams, become an official, and rise above the rest.”
Lady Qing had calculated it out. The house granted to her by imperial decree from the Empress Dowager—the deed had already been delivered. If she sold it, she’d get around seven or eight hundred taels of silver.
Prices in Jiangzhou were low. Seven or eight hundred taels, plus the thousand taels from the Empress Dowager, added up to about seventeen or eighteen hundred taels. That would be more than enough for her, the two children, and her sister-in-law’s family to live comfortably, doing nothing, for the rest of their lives.
Schooling, naturally, would be no problem at all.
Granny Chen was still weeping over Chen Sizhen’s body, but all Lady Qing felt now was burning resentment. She could no longer spare even a single drop of sympathy for her former mother-in-law.
Clutching the urn, she turned and walked away.
Everything from the past was now truly over and done.
The news of Granny Chen’s death came three days later. By that time, Lady Qing had already pawned the Jiangzhou house granted by the Empress Dowager, and, with the escort arranged by Yan Tongshu, had departed Kaifeng with the two children.
