After finishing handing Qin Yi’s gifts over, Lu Xi finally presented the gift he had prepared with both hands.
“This servant has nothing much of value to offer. I only had a fine piece of jade the emperor bestowed upon me many years ago, so I entrusted it to someone to carve into a belt buckle. Lord Yan, I hope you won’t find it lacking.”
“How could I?” Yan Tongshu stared at the exquisite belt buckle in the box, utterly stunned. The craftsmanship was truly breathtaking.
Yan Tongshu looked at Lu Xi sincerely. “Eunuch Lu Xi, thank you.”
Lu Xi smiled. “I’m glad you like it. Now that the gift has been delivered, I won’t disturb you any longer. Farewell.”
Once Lu Xi had left, the celebration officially began.
The steward opened a jar of Daughter Red wine. Pearl and Jinbao immediately went on high alert, guarding against it with all their might. As a result, by the time the banquet was over, Yan Tongshu still hadn’t managed to drink a single drop.
Yan Tongshu sighed. She had only gotten carried away and drunk herself silly twice. Now they wouldn’t even let her have a sip.
After the banquet, Yan Tongshu still couldn’t bear to take off her outfit.
She stood in front of the mirror, admiring herself shamelessly. Yuanzi let out a meow and pointed at the leaf on the floor with one paw.
It was an especially beautiful, perfectly rounded leaf, a lovely emerald green with smooth edges and no serrations.
“Waaah!” Yan Tongshu was deeply moved. This had to be a birthday present Yuanzi had carefully selected for her. She scooped Yuanzi up and planted kiss after kiss on its round head.
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
The steward stood outside. “Young Master.”
Yan Tongshu opened the door. “What is it?”
“There are two matters. A servant from the Meng residence just delivered a birthday gift.”
The steward presented the item. Yan Tongshu opened it and found a set of sleeve arrows. There were ten arrows in the set, meant for self-defense.
She strapped the sleeve arrows around her wrist. They fit perfectly.
“The other matter is…” The steward moved half a step aside. “Someone is waiting for you in the courtyard.”
Since sleeve arrows had been given as a gift, Yan Tongshu naturally asked, “Who is it? Meng Zheng?”
The steward wiped the cold sweat from his brow, shook his head, and forced out two difficult words.
“The Son of Heaven.”
Yan Tongshu froze.
She straightened her clothes in front of the mirror, then followed the steward to the pavilion where Qin Yi was waiting.
Qin Yi sat upright inside the pavilion, with Lu Xi standing beside him.
His eyes were lowered, and he held a folding fan in his hand.
The moonlight was cool and clear. His skin was smooth and translucent, glowing like polished jade.
Today, Qin Yi had left the palace wearing a pale blue scholar’s robe embroidered with green bamboo. If one did not know his identity, his elegant bearing, upright as bamboo and clear as moonlight, might make one think he was some sage-like gentleman who had accidentally wandered into the mortal world.
Yan Tongshu couldn’t help trying to recall her first impression of Qin Yi. What had he been like the first time they met? She seemed to have forgotten already.
She walked up to Qin Yi and respectfully bowed. “Your Majesty.”
Qin Yi looked at her.
With bright eyes, pearly teeth, a jade crown, and a face as lovely as a flower, Yan Tongshu’s appearance made his gaze grow deep. His Adam’s apple moved as he said, “Rise.”
Yan Tongshu straightened, and their eyes met.
Qin Yi instinctively looked away. “Yan Tongshu, do you know what it means for fullness to overflow and for the full moon to wane?”
Yan Tongshu ground her teeth angrily.
The dog emperor had started insulting her the moment he opened his mouth.
She reminded him, “Your Majesty, today is my birthday.”
Qin Yi glanced back at her, his gaze lingering on her face before shifting away again. “Passable.”
Yan Tongshu’s chest heaved violently.
What was that supposed to mean?
Had he come all the way here just to mock her instead of staying in the imperial palace?
Qin Yi changed his wording. “Pretty.”
He clearly didn’t mean it.
Yan Tongshu asked irritably, “Your Majesty, have you come to see me about some urgent matter?”
Only then did Qin Yi remember why he was there. He gestured for Yan Tongshu to sit beside him. She took the seat, and Lu Xi brought out the five portraits Qin Yi had carefully selected.
Qin Yi raised his brows slightly and indicated that she should look.
Yan Tongshu opened the first one. “What are these?”
Qin Yi replied calmly, “Your birthday gift.”
Yan Tongshu counted them. There were five in all. She asked, “Are all five beautiful ladies meant to become my wives?”
Smack.
Qin Yi tapped her on the head with his folding fan. “Even the Chancellor wouldn’t dare marry five women. You certainly have quite the imagination.”
Yan Tongshu rubbed her head. “Then what does Your Majesty mean?”
Qin Yi said, “Choose one. I will arrange the marriage.”
Dog emperor.
Yan Tongshu clenched her teeth. She had only been joking, but the dog emperor was actually serious.
She took a deep breath. Pretending to examine the portraits carefully, she cursed the dog emperor furiously in her mind.
Once she had vented enough, Yan Tongshu began to think.
The emperor had kindly offered to arrange a marriage for her. She couldn’t reject him outright.
Then she would reject him indirectly.
Yan Tongshu said gently, “Your Majesty, all five young ladies are beauties of exceptional grace, and any one of them would be more than worthy of marrying me. But matters of the heart cannot be forced. If I take a liking to one of them, but she doesn’t take a liking to me, wouldn’t a promising match turn into a disastrous one? Your Majesty…”
Yan Tongshu looked at Qin Yi with complete sincerity. “How about this? If I take a fancy to one of the young ladies, you permit us to spend some time together. If we find that we suit each other, then you can bless the match and arrange the marriage. But if our temperaments and personalities do not agree, we won’t force the matter.”
Qin Yi stared at Yan Tongshu’s face, his gaze darkening slightly. “Look first.”
He hadn’t objected. That meant he had agreed.
After spending some time with one of them, she could simply say that they were incompatible and refuse the marriage.
Yan Tongshu relaxed and began choosing.
She picked out one of the portraits. The young lady depicted had a dignified and imposing appearance, graceful and noble, with the magnificence of a peony in full bloom.
Beside the portrait were details about her age and family background, along with a special note that she was well versed in poetry and literature and excelled at every one of the refined arts, from chess to music, calligraphy, and painting.
Qin Yi lowered his eyes and examined the portrait carefully. “This one is obsessed with chess.”
So what?
Yan Tongshu looked at him blankly.
Qin Yi’s thin lips parted. “Your chess skills are terrible. The two of you wouldn’t have anything to talk about.”
Yan Tongshu gritted her teeth. “I! Can! Talk! About! Other! Things!”
Qin Yi pressed his lips together. “Choose another.”
Yan Tongshu turned to the next portrait. “This one seems good too. She’s as refined as an orchid, with a pair of tender, expressive eyes. Gentle and graceful.”
Qin Yi said, “This one won’t do.”
Yan Tongshu stared woodenly at Qin Yi. “Your Majesty, how has this young lady offended you?”
After a long silence, Qin Yi uttered four words.
“She’s a little dark.”
What part of her was dark?
The portrait had been sketched in ink. Only the clothing had been colored, while the young lady’s face had been left the color of the rice paper itself.
The dog emperor was simply looking for excuses.
Yan Tongshu gritted her teeth. “Your Majesty, have you met this young lady?”
Qin Yi answered awkwardly, “No.”
Yan Tongshu took a deep breath and reminded herself that regicide was a serious crime, and beating the emperor was a serious crime too. She just had to endure it a little longer and send him away.
She opened the next portrait. “This one is brave and spirited, with an outstanding bearing.”
Surely there couldn’t be anything wrong with this one?
Yan Tongshu looked at Qin Yi. His dark eyes were fixed intently on hers.
Yan Tongshu tentatively called out, “Your Majesty? If you have no objections, then I’ll arrange to meet this young lady.”
Qin Yi said, “This one knows martial arts.”
Yan Tongshu’s temple throbbed violently.
What was wrong with knowing martial arts?
She liked women who knew how to fight!
Qin Yi slowly continued, “She practices martial arts, while you do not. You wouldn’t be able to beat her.”
Why would the young lady want to fight her in the first place?
Yan Tongshu finally lost her patience. “Your Majesty, did you come here today specifically to make fun of me on my birthday?”
Qin Yi’s gaze grew deep. His hand tightened slightly around the folded fan, and his thin lips pressed together again and again, as though he were both troubled and puzzled.
He lowered his eyes to the portraits, seemingly unable to understand why he had suddenly grown dissatisfied with the five beauties he had painstakingly selected.
“Forget it.” After a brief pause, he gathered up the portraits. “None of these five will do. I’ll choose better ones for you.”
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. If this were modern times, someone like Qin Yi would definitely have no friends.
Oh, he was the emperor. For all she knew, he had no friends even now.
Ha!
Just as Yan Tongshu was thinking this, Qin Yi suddenly turned around and looked at her. His gaze traveled from her eyes, to her nose, and then to her lips before he abruptly said, “Yan Tongshu, let’s be friends.”
Yan Tongshu’s eyes widened.
Could this man really read minds?
Once again, she said silently in her heart: The dog emperor is impotent.
Qin Yi’s expression did not change.
Oh, so he really couldn’t read minds. It was only a coincidence.
Yan Tongshu composed her expression. “Your Majesty, I cannot be your friend.”
Qin Yi asked, puzzled, “Why not?”
Yan Tongshu replied frankly and sincerely, “Your Majesty, friends are equals. But we are ruler and subject.”
Qin Yi lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment. “Are you afraid of death?”
How had he arrived at that conclusion?
Yan Tongshu fell silent.
Qin Yi looked toward Lu Xi. “Prepare paper and brush.”
Lu Xi bowed. “Yes.”
Before long, paper, ink, brush, and inkstone were brought over. Qin Yi picked up the brush and swept several large characters across the xuan paper:
All crimes of disrespect are pardoned.
He gently pushed the paper toward Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu blinked. All crimes of disrespect?
She asked, “Then… what about the crime of deceiving the emperor?”
Qin Yi’s thin lips parted. “That is not included.”
Yan Tongshu let out an “Oh.” In that case, it was not very useful.
Qin Yi said, “We are friends now.”
Yan Tongshu blinked.
You say we are, so we are.
Although he had failed to select a suitable candidate for her marriage, Qin Yi was still in a good mood by the end.
He rose to leave, and Yan Tongshu escorted him out.
When they reached the doorway, Qin Yi turned around. “Yan Tongshu.”
Yan Tongshu replied, “Hmm?”
Qin Yi’s gaze was as gentle as water. “We’re friends now.”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Qin Yi took a step forward and moved close to her. Then he opened his arms. “Friends hug when saying goodbye.”
Yan Tongshu opened her arms and gave him a perfunctory hug. Qin Yi placed his hands on her shoulders and pressed downward, pulling the two of them into a firm embrace.
He lowered his head and whispered into her ear, “Yan Tongshu, happy birthday.”
Even after Qin Yi had been gone for a long time, Yan Tongshu was still standing there in a daze.
When the cool evening breeze blew past, she shivered and hurried back inside to sleep.
That night, at Funing Hall, during the third watch.
Qin Yi opened his eyes.
Before him, brightly colored lanterns hung high in the air, dreamlike and illusory.
Laughter and cheerful voices filled his ears, just as they had on the night of the Lantern Festival.
Above his head, clusters of fireworks exploded with a deafening roar, like a scorching river of stars pouring down from the heavens. Their brilliance was enough to make one’s heart tremble.
“Gongzi.”
A clear, bright call pierced through the clamor.
Qin Yi looked over.
Yan Tongshu pushed through the bustling crowd and ran toward him.
Her brows and eyes curved with her smile, the flowing lantern light reflected on her cheeks. Her entire being was lively and spirited.
She wore a pale green ru-shirt. Its hem fluttered gently as she moved, and the emerald bamboo embroidered upon it appeared and vanished among the shifting light and shadows, elegant and pure.
She stopped in front of Qin Yi, then spread her arms and spun lightly in place. Fine sparks of light scattered through the ends of her hair.
Her bright eyes sparkled with excitement. “Gongzi, do I look good?”
The corner of Qin Yi’s lips twitched. He instinctively wanted to reply, “So-so…”
Yan Tongshu shot him a murderous look, and Qin Yi changed his answer. “Absolutely stunning.”
The words had barely left his mouth when he himself froze slightly.
Yan Tongshu smiled. She grabbed Qin Yi’s arm and leaned closer, lifting her face, which looked especially vivid beneath the fireworks. “Really?”
Though it was the depths of winter, her hands were warm during the Lantern Festival. Through the thin fabric of his clothes, that warmth seeped through his skin and slowly spread.
“You look good.”
Qin Yi stared at Yan Tongshu without blinking.
She was truly beautiful, like a fleeting dream of a startled swan.
He raised his hand, but before he could do anything, Yan Tongshu suddenly threw herself into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him with a radiant smile.
“Gongzi.”
“Hmm?” His body stiffened slightly.
Yan Tongshu reminded him, “You have to praise me every time we meet from now on.”
Whoosh—
Qin Yi sat up from the dragon couch, gasping heavily.
This was insane. Completely insane.
Why had he been dreaming about Yan Tongshu so often lately?
And why was she always so beautiful?
That foolish, fat goose…
Qin Yi rubbed his forehead. Her outfit today had indeed been very pretty.
But…
This was wrong.
Even if he dreamed about Yan Tongshu, he should have been discussing state affairs with her, debating court matters—not the Lantern Festival, not fireworks in the night sky, not her wearing the beautiful clothes from her birthday and adorning her hair with flowers while asking him whether she looked good.
Whether she looked good—what kind of meaningless question was that?
He really must have been bewitched.
Qin Yi drew in a deep breath and tried his best to remain clearheaded.
He would summon a Daoist priest tomorrow and have an exorcism performed.
…
The next day, Yan Tongshu happily arrived at Kaifeng Prefecture.
It was nearly noon when Zhang Jiu returned from the official residence.
The dark circles beneath his eyes were obvious. He had clearly stayed up all night.
Yan Tongshu patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve worked hard.”
Zhang Jiu smiled. “But I did not fail in my mission.”
Then there would be no problem.
Yan Tongshu gazed at Zhang Jiu with admiration. His memory was astonishing—he had gone through so many account books and compared, verified, and organized all the newly calculated figures. Zhang Jiu had actually memorized both the original account books, which contained a mixture of truth and falsehood, and every detail of the newly organized records.
Yan Tongshu gave Zhang Jiu two thumbs-up.
Five days later, all the evidence had been sorted out. Qin Yi bypassed the various government offices and directly ordered the Divine Strategy Army and the Divine Might Army to make the arrests.
In a single night, thirty-two principal culprits were apprehended, and twenty-six households were searched and confiscated.
Under the protection of the imperial court, Tantai Mingzhu changed her name and identity and left the capital.
After compiling the news from those days, Yan Tongshu reached the following conclusion:
The Duke of Yu’s residence had colluded with the Ministry of Revenue to secretly embezzle tax silver from the national treasury. Using the Duke of Yu’s residence’s businesses as a front, they transported the tax silver by ship to other regions, where it was exchanged for various goods and then sold off in scattered transactions. After passing through those several layers of maneuvering, the money was effectively laundered.
That was why the Duke of Yu’s residence had once seemed to run such a vast business at a loss, yet continued operating without interruption. It was only after Tantai Mingzhu arrived and began managing the business on the surface that things changed.
The more prosperous the business appeared, the more convenient it became for them to carry out their private operations.
Later, Wang Quan'an, the Vice Minister of Revenue, discovered that the accounts did not add up and began colluding with the Duke of Yu’s residence.
The Minister of Revenue, Yi Yingda, was a veteran official from the late emperor’s reign. Although he could hardly be called incorruptible, and although his advanced age had left him somewhat muddled, he could still distinguish right from wrong when it truly mattered and had a clear stance. He had not participated in the Ministry of Revenue’s embezzlement of tax silver.
However, despite not taking part, he was still removed from office for failing to supervise the ministry properly.
Overall, with these people arrested and one of the emperor’s own men taking over as Minister of Revenue, Qin Yi had won.
But he had not won entirely.
The Duke of Yu’s residence alone could not have opened so many channels.
And there was one more crucial point: the tax silver transported to Jiangnan had been exchanged there for all kinds of goods—rice, flour, bolts of cloth, antiques, medicinal materials, and more.
Following the account books, they managed to trace only half of the goods. They confirmed that those items had been exchanged for money, which then flowed back and was distributed among various people.
But what about the other half?
Where had it gone?
Cloth, antiques, and jewelry were easy enough to deal with.
But what about the rice, flour, and medicinal herbs?
There had been such enormous quantities of them. Where could they have been sold? Where could they have all been disposed of so quietly that not a single trace remained?
With so many leads and so many account books, they still could not find a single weakness in Prince Ming’s defenses. That old fox was far more cautious than ordinary people.
Yan Tongshu twirled her writing brush as she pondered.
Just as she became lost in thought, Li Fulin came over to call her.
The rewards had arrived again.
This time, Qin Yi had generously raised the salaries of everyone in the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.
Yan Tongshu accepted the imperial decree, quite pleased. She had thought the emperor had ignored her previous request for rewards for the Kaifeng Prefecture Office. As it turned out, he had merely been waiting until the matter was settled before rewarding them according to their merits.
This salary increase was no small amount—at least a third more than before.
Fine. This employer was passable, at least.
Holding the imperial decree, Yan Tongshu celebrated with everyone at the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.
The office was filled with lively chatter and laughter. They even arranged a time to go out to the countryside for a barbecue celebration when they had a free day.
…
Fish Village.
Yan Liangrong had come to Tao Yang’s home once again.
As soon as she reached the courtyard gate, she spotted food beneath it. This time, it wasn’t steamed buns, but several baked flatbreads.
Gao Qi, carrying a basket on his back, poked his head over and asked, “Were these sent by a friend?”
Yan Liangrong shook her head.
She was just about to knock when she suddenly heard a scream from inside.
Yan Liangrong immediately ordered Gao Qi to break down the door.
The two of them rushed in, only to see Tao Jiang sprawled on the ground, blood running from her forehead. The large wooden stick she used for protection lay nearby, while a lecherous-looking man pawed messily at Tao Yang’s body.
“Little beauty, so what if you’re crazy? Big Brother will take good care of you.”
Because of her madness, Tao Yang had been tied up and was completely unable to resist. Her cheeks were swollen and red, clearly showing that the man had hit her.
“You piece of trash!”
Gao Qi cursed, threw down the basket on his back, and charged over. He grabbed the man by the collar.
The man was furious that his “good deed” had been interrupted. He was just about to reach for his knife when he caught sight of the constable’s uniform Gao Qi was wearing. His legs instantly went weak.
He no longer dared to act fierce. He shoved Gao Qi away and tried to run, but Gao Qi kicked him in the backside, sending him sprawling. Then he climbed on top of the man and began beating him.
Yan Liangrong helped Tao Jiang up. The girl had been knocked dizzy, and Yan Liangrong examined her carefully. “Apart from your forehead, are you hurt anywhere else?”
Tao Jiang let out a sob, cried “My lady!” and threw herself into Yan Liangrong’s arms.
Yan Liangrong gently patted her shoulder, helping her catch her breath. At the same time, she called sharply to Gao Qi, “Gao Qi, that’s enough.”
Then she ordered, “Tie him up and take him to the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.”
Bang!
Gao Qi put all his strength into a punch aimed at the man’s face. Only after knocking him unconscious did he go looking for rope.
The Tao family had little of anything else, but rope for tying people could be found everywhere. Before long, Gao Qi had bound the man hand and foot. His technique was clearly well practiced. He looped a rope twice around the man’s mouth, ensuring that he wouldn’t be able to spit out a single filthy curse.
After Tao Jiang had cried herself out, Yan Liangrong let go of her and took out a handkerchief. She gently wiped the tears from Tao Jiang’s face, but deliberately left the mud on her cheeks untouched.
“The bad man has been caught. He won’t hurt you or your sister again,” Yan Liangrong said softly. “There, don’t cry anymore. Tell me what happened. I’ll make sure justice is done and have the Kaifeng Prefecture Office punish him severely.”
“Okay.” Still sobbing, Tao Jiang explained, “M-My sister had another episode last night. She kept banging her head against the wall and screaming. We finally managed to make it through until now, and she fell asleep from exhaustion. I thought I’d make some thin porridge and cook the beans my lady gave us so my sister and I could eat together. I never expected that as soon as I lit the fire, this—”
She pointed at the man.
“This Pi San pried open the door with a knife and came in. He immediately started touching my sister. I picked up the big stick and tried to hit him, but he grabbed me by the hair and slammed my head against the wall. I lost all my strength, and the stick fell from my hand. Then he went to kiss my sister. She refused and struggled, so he beat her until she was barely breathing.”
The man was a beast.
Gao Qi kicked Pi San in the lower leg.
The two sisters had no father or mother and depended entirely on each other. They were already living such miserable lives, yet someone still came to bully them. The man had no humanity at all.
“All right, all right.” Yan Liangrong took Tao Jiang’s hand and stood up. “Don’t be afraid. When I leave later, I’ll take Pi San to the Kaifeng Prefecture Office. The Kaifeng Prefecture Office is fair and impartial. I guarantee he’ll be sent to prison.”
“Okay.”
By now, Tao Jiang had recovered somewhat and stopped crying. But she still hadn’t fully calmed down after her earlier wailing, and occasional sobs continued to shake her.
Gao Qi picked up the basket he had thrown aside and carried it over. “Don’t cry anymore. Look what Lady Yan brought you.”
He opened the basket.
Inside were pumpkin vines, rice, flour, cucumbers, and meat.
The moment Tao Jiang saw the meat, her eyes lit up. She swallowed desperately.
She had not eaten meat in a very, very long time.
The last time had been the previous year, when her sister had earned some money selling cloth and bought a small piece of meat. The two of them had eaten three slices each.
Yan Liangrong smiled and had Gao Qi carry everything into the kitchen.
Then she picked up the baked flatbreads from the ground. “I saw these at the gate. Were they brought by the girl who sent the steamed buns last time?”
Tao Jiang answered honestly, “It should have been Sister Lu.”
“Sister Lu?” Yan Liangrong repeated.
Tao Jiang nodded. “She lives in the village next door.”
Someone had come all the way from the neighboring village just to bring them food?
Yan Liangrong was slightly surprised, but when she asked any further questions, Tao Jiang refused to say another word.
Yan Liangrong smiled and asked, “Have you and your sister eaten anything at noon?”
Tao Jiang shook her head.
Tao Yang’s episodes lasted a long time, while her lucid periods were brief. Sometimes she would not wake up even once for several days, so she could not be left alone.
That made it impossible for Tao Jiang to earn money. She could only survive by digging up wild vegetables wherever she could.
The two sisters were helpless and alone, and they were often bullied as well.
Yan Liangrong sighed in pity.
Today’s incident was probably not the first time something like this had happened.
Yan Liangrong built a fire together with Tao Jiang. Before long, the rice was cooking.
She looked around the kitchen. There were no seasonings at all—not even salt. She gave Gao Qi a silver ingot and told him to hurry to the neighboring household to buy some salt for them to use.
Gao Qi returned shortly afterward, and Yan Liangrong stir-fried the meat with vegetables.
Tao Jiang carried the food out and began feeding Tao Yang first.
Tao Yang’s pale gray eyes shifted slightly.
“J-Jiang…”
“Sister, it’s me. You recognize me?” Tao Jiang asked excitedly.
Tao Yang’s eyes moved around the room. The house was familiar, but the person standing before her was not.
“Jiang, what day is it?”
Tao Jiang did not keep track of the date and was unable to answer immediately.
Yan Liangrong walked over and replied, “The nineteenth day of the sixth month.”
“The nineteenth day of the sixth month… The nineteenth day of the sixth month…”
As she murmured the date, Tao Yang stared motionlessly at Yan Liangrong. Then tears rolled down her face.
She said to Yan Liangrong, “Run.”
