When she had first received that jade thumb ring, the old man had smiled and said,
“Buwen, give it a name.”
Back then, Qin Buwen had still been very young.
Standing amid a battlefield blanketed in yellow sand, she gazed out over the endless ranks of soldiers stretching beyond the horizon.
“Haiyan.”
The little girl answered without hesitation.
“Haiyan Heqing—let’s call it Haiyan.”
The old man ruffled her hair.
“Mm! That’s a wonderful name. Our Buwen is so clever!”
At the time, Qin Buwen had believed that as long as she defended her country with unwavering loyalty, she could charge forward without fear and leave her name in the annals of history.
…
Reality had proven just how naïve she had been.
Haiyan Heqing, Sihai Chengping.
The old man had taught her those words, one syllable at a time.
“After Prince Chang’an was granted noble rank and high office, I cannot approve of many of the things he did,” Ji Junjiao said evenly. “But I believe that the young Prince Chang’an who followed the late Emperor on campaigns against the Northern Desert must also have possessed sincere loyalty once.”
His tone remained utterly calm.
Ji Junjiao had always judged people and matters with fairness and objectivity.
Even though Prince Chang’an had caused him no shortage of trouble in those days, he still evaluated the matter on its own merits, never allowing personal grievances to cloud his judgment or abusing his authority for revenge.
Qin Buwen suddenly realized…
She had chosen the right person.
The currents beneath today’s court ran deep.
Officials were choosing sides one after another, each trying to carve off a piece of power for themselves.
Only Ji Junjiao remained apart from the struggle.
Everything he did was for the court, the realm, and the common people.
Seeing Qin Buwen lost in thought, Ji Junjiao pursed his lips slightly.
“A’Jin… are you tired?”
She snapped back to herself and flashed him a bright smile.
“Not at all! My Lord, you still haven’t answered me.”
“Do you think Vice Minister Li will be dismissed and investigated?”
Ji Junjiao lowered his eyes.
Something churned quietly within them.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“He won’t.”
…
Time passed quickly.
Another three days went by, and Qin Buwen’s cold had almost completely recovered.
Meanwhile, her own information network had gathered quite a bit of news.
Just as Ji Junjiao had predicted—
Li Yunmu had merely been docked two years’ salary.
He had not been dismissed or investigated.
It seemed Prince Xian, Song Chengxuan, had no intention of abandoning Li Yunmu and had ultimately intervened.
Truthfully, Qin Buwen had expected as much.
The falsified account books alone proved very little.
Even if Li Yunmu truly had colluded with the enemy, without absolute certainty, the Emperor would never act rashly.
On the surface, the court appeared peaceful.
Beneath that calm, however, the open and hidden struggles were fiercer than ever—even more so than in her own time.
Over the past few days, Qin Buwen sought out Ji Junjiao whenever she had the chance, chatting with him about anything and everything.
His knowledge was astonishingly broad.
No matter the subject, he could always offer an insightful observation or two.
After several days together, the distance between them had gradually narrowed.
Just as Qin Buwen was considering how to proceed with the next step of her plan…
Two invitations arrived at Wenyuan Pavilion.
They had been sent by Song Chengxuan of Prince Xian’s Residence.
One was addressed to Ji Junjiao.
The other…
To Qin Buwen.
The contents were identical.
Both invited them to attend a flower-viewing banquet at Prince Xian’s Residence.
It was already early autumn.
What flowers were there left to admire?
Who knew what Song Chengxuan was plotting?
Holding the invitation, Qin Buwen looked innocently toward Ji Junjiao, who sat at the head of the room.
Studying the invitation in his hand, Ji Junjiao frowned slightly.
It was only natural for Prince Xian to invite him.
What he couldn’t understand…
Was why Prince Xian had also invited A’Jin.
“My Lord…”
Qin Buwen looked at him with complete trust shining in her eyes.
“Why would Prince Xian send me an invitation?”
Ji Junjiao lowered his gaze to meet the young woman’s innocent, uncertain expression.
“You needn’t worry, Miss A’Jin.”
“If you don’t wish to go, I’ll decline on your behalf.”
As if I’d skip it!
Qin Buwen was dying of curiosity.
Song Chengxuan had never gotten along with her in the past.
He had constantly obstructed her, openly and in secret, repeatedly accusing her of throwing the court into chaos and harboring treasonous ambitions.
Five years after her death…
He seemed to be living quite comfortably.
Qin Buwen wasn’t nearly so magnanimous.
Knowing an old enemy was thriving would keep her awake at night.
If she didn’t cause Song Chengxuan a little trouble…
She wouldn’t be Qin Buwen.
Though those thoughts raced through her mind, her face showed only hesitation.
“If I don’t go… will Prince Xian make things difficult for you, My Lord?”
Ji Junjiao answered calmly,
“He wouldn’t dare.”
Qin Buwen shook her head and forced a brave smile.
“It’s alright, My Lord.”
“I’m willing to go.”
Ji Junjiao frowned.
“Miss A’Jin, Prince Xian’s intentions in inviting you are unclear. You…”
“My Lord.”
Qin Buwen looked at him with quiet determination.
Her eyes were as clear as water.
“You’ll protect A’Jin…”
“…won’t you?”
Silence stretched between them.
After a long while, Ji Junjiao turned his gaze aside slightly.
His voice was gentle.
“I will, of course, protect Miss A’Jin.”
…
The flower-viewing banquet was held in the rear garden of Prince Xian’s Residence.
Prince Xian possessed his own fief in Yaoyun, but with the imperial autumn hunt approaching, Song Chengxuan had already returned to Chang’an from his territory.
The true purpose of this flower-viewing banquet remained unclear.
Qin Buwen had no intention of acting rashly.
Following obediently behind Ji Junjiao, she was eager to see what medicine Song Chengxuan had hidden in his gourd.
After presenting their invitations, the two entered the rear garden.
Quite a crowd had already gathered.
A single glance revealed that most of the guests were prominent nobles and influential families of Chang’an.
Young masters and young ladies from aristocratic households had also come in great numbers.
Qin Buwen lowered her eyes.
To assemble so many powerful figures at a single banquet…
Song Chengxuan’s influence in Chang’an ran even deeper than she’d imagined.
Even at a gathering like this, Ji Junjiao remained the center of everyone’s attention.
Qin Buwen had barely stepped into the banquet behind him before she was squeezed away by the crowd.
The moment the nobles and high-ranking officials spotted Ji Junjiao, smiles bloomed across their faces.
“This humble official, Chen Liu, greets the Grand Secretary!”
“Zhang Sheng greets the Grand Secretary!”
“I am Sun Yuan of the Sun family. Greetings, Grand Secretary!”
“Greetings, Grand Secretary…”
“…”
A crowd quickly surrounded Ji Junjiao, flattering him from every direction as though he were the brightest star in the sky.
Watching the ingratiating smiles plastered across their faces, Qin Buwen couldn’t help remembering what banquets had been like in her previous life.
Back then…
She had carried an aura of bloodshed wherever she went.
She toyed with powerful officials, held authority that eclipsed even the sovereign’s, and stood at the very peak of power.
Every minister treated her with utmost respect.
Yet none dared approach her casually.
She had found it unbearably dull.
So one time, she’d singled out a minister and ordered him to dance in front of everyone.
The poor man had stormed out in fury afterward, becoming her sworn enemy from that day on.
In short…
Qin Buwen had done more than her fair share of outrageous things in her previous life.
A true gentleman really was different.
No matter where Ji Junjiao went…
He was always surrounded by admirers.
Just as Qin Buwen was about to find a seat and quietly wait for the banquet to begin, a refined voice sounded behind her.
“Miss.”
“We meet again.”
Qin Buwen spun around.
There sat Yan Tang in his wheelchair, smiling at her with warm, gentle eyes.
What was Yan Tang doing here, too!?