If she didn’t go watch the excitement at a time like this, it would practically be a crime against heaven.
Throwing on a cloak, Qin Buwen climbed out of bed and headed toward the main courtyard.
In the central courtyard, Li Yunmu was in the middle of arguing with Ji Junjiao.
—More accurately, Li Yunmu was the only one doing any shouting.
Eyes blazing, he roared at the calm, moonlike Ji Junjiao.
“Are you really going to show me no mercy and submit those account books!?”
Ji Junjiao’s brows remained cool and detached, his slender figure as elegant as ever. He paid no mind to the man’s hysterics.
“Public matters are handled according to the law. Since Vice Minister Li has done wrong, you should naturally accept the appropriate punishment.”
Qin Buwen had excellent hearing. Before she even reached the courtyard, she had already caught most of their conversation.
So…
Not even Prince Xian, Song Chengxuan, had managed to persuade Ji Junjiao to back down last night.
The corners of Qin Buwen’s lips curled upward as an idea formed.
From the courtyard came the sharp crash of porcelain shattering.
“Ji Junjiao! Don’t think that just because you’ve climbed to the position of Grand Secretary, you can sit back without a care! If I decide to, sooner or later I’ll drag you down from that lofty seat!”
Ji Junjiao listened to Li Yunmu’s threat with perfect composure.
“I will report today’s events to His Majesty exactly as they occurred. If Vice Minister Li has any explanation, you may save it for the Emperor.”
At present, he had no conclusive evidence that Li Yunmu had colluded with the enemy.
Even if the account books had indeed been falsified, that alone was insufficient to prove he was a spy for a foreign state.
Standing outside the courtyard, Qin Buwen frowned faintly as she listened to Li Yunmu’s hysterical threats.
After all these years…
He hadn’t improved in the slightest.
Back then, she’d made the mistake of underestimating Li Yunmu.
That arrogance had given him the opportunity to exploit a loophole and plot against her.
Five years had passed.
Yet Li Yunmu was still just as conceited as ever.
He didn’t even bother showing the current Grand Secretary any respect.
Fortunately for him, Ji Junjiao had an exceptionally good temper.
If Li Yunmu had dared speak to her like this…
She would have guaranteed he never got past the second word.
Inside the courtyard, Li Yunmu continued his endless stream of threats and warnings.
Qin Buwen adjusted her expression until she looked pale and weak before supporting herself against the moon gate and appearing in the courtyard.
“Ji Junjiao! If you insist on submitting it, don’t blame me when we both go down together!”
Li Yunmu snatched a teacup from the stone table and hurled it toward the entrance as though to demonstrate his resolve.
Qin Buwen, who had just stepped through the gate, froze.
Watching the teacup flying straight toward her, she took a split second to decide whether she should dodge.
…Forget it.
She could avoid it easily enough.
But Ji Junjiao would certainly become suspicious.
Qin Buwen gritted her teeth.
It’ll hurt, but so be it!
Having made up her mind, she stood perfectly still.
Two breaths passed.
The pain she expected never came.
Instead…
She caught the familiar scent of cool sandalwood.
Slowly opening her eyes, she realized that Ji Junjiao had somehow appeared in front of her.
Tall and graceful, he stood between her and the flying teacup.
One hand had already caught the porcelain cup Li Yunmu had thrown.
The cup itself was clearly crafted from the finest porcelain.
Yet held within his hand, its snowy glaze seemed unable to compare to even a fraction of the pale elegance of his fingers.
Qin Buwen gazed at the man’s broad back and frowned almost imperceptibly.
So fast.
Li Yunmu stood frozen as well.
He clearly hadn’t expected anyone to suddenly step in.
Looking at Ji Junjiao, he found that the man’s eyes had finally turned cold.
Ji Junjiao pressed his lips together.
The emotions he had kept hidden until now finally surfaced as a chilling severity.
“If Vice Minister Li continues to harass us…”
“…don’t blame this official for showing no further restraint.”
Li Yunmu frowned.
Meeting the handsome yet icy face before him, he felt an inexplicable shiver crawl up his spine.
A long silence followed.
Finally, he shot Ji Junjiao a venomous glare.
“Just you wait.”
With a sharp flick of his sleeve, he stormed away.
Only after watching Li Yunmu leave did Ji Junjiao turn back to Qin Buwen.
“Miss A’Jin, were you hurt?”
Qin Buwen still looked shaken, though she forced a smile.
“Thank you, My Lord. I’m fine.”
Ji Junjiao had never been someone who vented his emotions on others.
He gave Qin Buwen a slight nod, his voice once again clear and gentle.
“Why did you come out? The Imperial Physician said you should be resting.”
Qin Buwen’s smile deepened.
“I’m alright. I heard voices here and was worried about the Grand Secretary, so I came to take a look.”
Ji Junjiao said nothing more, simply sending her to rest in one of the side halls.
He summoned the Imperial Physician to examine her pulse.
Only after hearing there was nothing serious did the slight furrow between his brows finally relax.
Changqing had gone out on business.
Qingyue had spent the entire previous night caring for Qin Buwen and was still asleep.
Once the Imperial Physician departed, only the two of them remained in the spacious side hall.
Qin Buwen, of course, felt no awkwardness.
This was the perfect opportunity to sound Ji Junjiao out.
“My Lord… that Vice Minister was so scary.”
She chose a harmless opening, speaking softly as though still frightened.
Ji Junjiao assumed she remained shaken.
“You needn’t be afraid. I’ve already ordered additional guards. Without my permission, no one will dare come here to cause trouble again.”
Qin Buwen blinked.
“My Lord… will Vice Minister Li be dismissed and investigated?”
Ji Junjiao raised an eyebrow.
“You seem rather interested in him, Miss A’Jin.”
Qin Buwen nodded earnestly.
“Because Qingyue told me that, back then, Lord Li led the troops that executed the traitorous Prince Chang’an. So at first… I really admired him.”
Ji Junjiao remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
After a brief pause, Qin Buwen spoke again, somewhat hesitantly.
“But after meeting Vice Minister Li twice…”
“…I feel like he’s not quite as wise and heroic as the stories make him out to be.”
It was a perfectly measured answer.
Ji Junjiao could find no fault with it.
“People are rarely wholly good or wholly evil,” he said quietly.
“Vice Minister Li may indeed have rendered meritorious service by suppressing the rebellion back then, but that does not mean he is incapable of making mistakes.”
“You said people aren’t simply black or white…”
Qin Buwen scratched her head.
“Then, My Lord… do you think Prince Chang’an was a bad person?”
For some reason…
She found herself genuinely curious about the answer.
Back then, Qin Buwen had done no shortage of petty, underhanded things simply to make Ji Junjiao’s life difficult.
Every time he witnessed one of her schemes, his brows would knit together so tightly they looked capable of crushing a fly.
In Ji Junjiao’s eyes…
She ought to have been evil through and through.
Yet, to Qin Buwen’s surprise, Ji Junjiao didn’t answer her question directly.
Instead, he spoke of something entirely different.
“I only learned yesterday that the jade thumb ring Prince Chang’an wore on his left thumb was called Haiyan.”
Qin Buwen’s brows knit together almost imperceptibly.
She couldn’t understand why he had suddenly brought this up.
“‘Haiyan?’ What’s special about that name?”
Ji Junjiao looked into the distance as he spoke.
“The army under Prince Chang’an’s command…”
“…was called the Chengping Army.”
He paused.
“‘When the rivers run clear and the seas are at peace, all under heaven enjoys lasting peace.'”
“Haiyan Heqing, Sihai Chengping.”
Ji Junjiao spoke those words calmly.
Qin Buwen, however…
Fell completely still.
She had never imagined…
That one day, someone else would say those words aloud.