Yan Tang first appeared in the sight of the imperial court three years ago.
That year, Jiangning suffered a devastating drought. Corpses of the starved littered the land, refugees multiplied overnight, unrest erupted across the region, and the common people could barely survive.
It was also that same year that the imperial treasury had run dangerously dry. There wasn’t even enough grain left to open the granaries and provide disaster relief.
The Emperor issued an imperial proclamation throughout the realm, declaring that whoever could resolve Jiangning’s drought crisis would be rewarded with promotion, noble rank, and one hundred taels of gold.
Yan Tang arrived in Chang’an at precisely that time.
He had only just reached adulthood. Alone, the young man sat upon a battered wooden wheelchair.
No one knew how he had managed to make the journey to the capital by himself.
Though crippled in both legs, his handsome features remained impossible to overlook.
Before the eyes of the gathered crowd, he stepped forward and tore down the imperial notice.
Soon afterward, Yan Tang received an imperial decree.
Like a thunderbolt, he swept through Jiangning—executing corrupt officials, punishing crooked bureaucrats, and in only half a month managed to gather enough relief grain to feed the starving refugees throughout the province.
Later, he entered the palace to play Go with the Emperor in the Imperial Study.
The candles in the study burned through the entire night.
The following morning, the Emperor made an unprecedented exception and appointed Yan Tang as an Attendant Reader of the Hanlin Academy, directly granting him the rank of Sixth Grade official.
Over the next three years, Yan Tang accumulated one extraordinary achievement after another. His rise through the ranks was astonishingly swift, and today he was already the highly respected Minister of Works, a Second Grade official admired throughout Chang’an.
In Ji Junjiao’s memory, Yan Tang possessed unparalleled talent. Brilliant beyond compare, he was a once-in-a-generation strategist capable of shaping the fate of the empire.
Back when Quanzhou was reclaimed, Yan Tang had driven the Emperor’s golden wheelchair—a personal imperial gift—to the city walls alone.
Holding black and white Go stones in his hands, he calmly played against himself atop the battlements.
When the final white stone claimed victory, news of the battlefield soon arrived.
Quanzhou had been retaken.
In short, the Yan Tang Ji Junjiao remembered should never have looked like this.
It was as though someone had seized him by the throat.
Or as though he had suddenly grasped the only lifeline left to him.
His bloodshot eyes stared fixedly at Ji Junjiao.
“My lord… where did you obtain this letter?”
Seated as the honored guest, Ji Junjiao remained silent for a moment before calmly setting down his teacup.
“I had assumed this letter was part of a trap laid by Minister Situ.”
Apparently…
It wasn’t.
Ji Junjiao frowned slightly.
His long fingers tapped lightly against the tabletop as though deep in thought.
He had never seen Yan Tang like this.
Nor could he understand why he was reacting so intensely.
At the very least, judging from his expression, Ji Junjiao could conclude one thing—
The letter had not been forged by Yan Tang.
Seated at the head of the room, Yan Tang’s refined features remained as elegant as ever, but his face had turned unnaturally pale.
It seemed he desperately wanted to ask something else.
Instead, a violent cough escaped him.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
“My lord!”
Ming’an hurried forward with a handkerchief.
Within moments, dark red blood stained the cloth.
A thin streak of blood trickled from the corner of Yan Tang’s lips.
Against his already pale complexion, it gave him the fragile, sickly beauty of a scholar wasting away from illness.
“I found the letter in Prince Chang’an’s residence,” Ji Junjiao replied indifferently. “Wasn’t it Minister Situ who instructed me to investigate there?”
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Yan Tang’s breathing grew increasingly labored.
His eyes were bloodshot as he struggled desperately to suppress another fit of coughing.
He dug his fingernails into his palm, forcing himself to remain calm.
“When did you go to Prince Chang’an’s residence? Was anyone accompanying you?”
Ji Junjiao slowly rose to his feet, clearly having no intention of continuing the conversation.
“Minister Situ’s network reaches every corner of the capital. If you truly wish to investigate such trivial matters, I doubt anything could escape your notice.”
He bowed slightly.
“I shall take my leave.”
With that, Ji Junjiao turned and departed.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
Yan Tang’s coughing became even more violent.
Ming’an knitted his brows together.
“My lord, I’ve already sent someone to summon the Imperial Physician. Please drink some—”
Yan Tang suddenly lifted his head and looked straight at him.
The gentle warmth that usually filled his eyes had vanished, replaced by an almost frightening determination.
“Investigate.”
The two words were squeezed painfully from his throat, suppressing emotions that threatened to burst free.
“Find out when Ji Junjiao entered Prince Chang’an’s residence, whether anyone accompanied him… and also who purchased the Qianjin paper and Huizhou Ink at Half-Mu Pond that day.”
“I want every single detail.”
Ming’an hurriedly nodded.
“Yes, my lord!”
Yan Tang knew the thoughts running through his mind were madness.
But…
What if it were true?
What if…
She hadn’t died after all?
…
“Achoo!”
The moment Qin Buwen got out of bed that morning, she sneezed.
Strange.
She was already dead.
Surely no one was still cursing her, right?
As soon as she stepped out into the courtyard, she spotted Qingyue carrying a tray of tea.
“Miss Qingyue? Are you taking tea to His Lordship?”
Qin Buwen called out.
Qingyue stopped when she saw her.
“No. His Lordship left the residence early this morning. There’s a guest waiting in the main hall, so I’m bringing a cup of tea to Vice Minister Li.”
“Vice Minister?”
Qingyue nodded.
“That’s right. It’s Vice Minister of Revenue Li Yunmu. I heard he came to visit our lord once before not long ago, but unfortunately His Lordship wasn’t home.”
“So he came again today. Since His Lordship still hasn’t returned, Lord Li said he’d wait in the main hall.”
After finishing her explanation with a smile, Qingyue noticed Qin Buwen lowering her gaze, her expression turning unreadable.
“Miss?”
Qingyue called out worriedly.
“Is something wrong?”
Only then did Qin Buwen raise her head and flash the brightest, most innocent smile imaginable.
“Nothing, nothing! I’ve just never met this Vice Minister of Revenue before, so I got a little curious~”
Qingyue smiled.
“Lord Li is actually quite an extraordinary person.”
Qin Buwen blinked curiously.
“Oh? What’s so extraordinary about him?”
Qingyue glanced around before motioning for Qin Buwen to come closer.
Lowering her voice, she whispered,
“Five years ago, Lord Li personally led troops and shot the rebel Prince Chang’an to death with an arrow. That’s how he rose through the ranks so quickly.”
Qin Buwen widened her eyes in exaggerated shock.
“Seriously?!”
“Of course.”
Qingyue nodded earnestly before lowering her voice even further.
“I heard Prince Chang’an… preferred men.”
“Lord Li supposedly endured humiliation and disguised himself as the prince’s submissive companion for a long time before finally finding the opportunity to bring Prince Chang’an down.”
“Huh?”
Qin Buwen covered her mouth before giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“Lord Li truly is a remarkable man! He really knows when to bend and when to stand tall!”
Qingyue nodded in complete agreement before sighing.
“It’s just a pity. Although he sacrificed himself by walking into the tiger’s den, most people still can’t accept what happened. Even now, he’s still unmarried.”
Qin Buwen blinked.
For a moment, she thought she’d misheard.
“You’re saying… Li Yunmu still doesn’t have a wife?”
“No.”
Qingyue shook her head.
“After everything that happened, even though Lord Li insists nothing ever happened between him and Prince Chang’an, what respectable family would willingly marry their daughter to someone with that kind of reputation?”
Qin Buwen wanted to laugh.
Qin Buwen didn’t dare.
She simply couldn’t hold it in anymore.
So she quietly turned her head away, pretending to admire the scenery while forcibly suppressing the corners of her mouth that kept trying to curl upward.
Li Yunmu… Li Yunmu.
When you shot me to death all those years ago, did you ever imagine this would become your ‘glorious future’?
Back then, all he had wanted was to kill her so he could spend the rest of his life with the one he truly loved.
Instead, he had earned himself a scandalous reputation that would follow him forever.
Although Qin Buwen herself had secretly contributed to those rumors…
She had to admit—
She was extremely satisfied with the outcome.
“I shouldn’t keep chatting,” Qingyue said as she prepared to leave. “I still need to deliver the tea.”
“Wait, wait, wait!”
Qin Buwen hurriedly stopped her, wearing the most sincere expression she could muster.
“Qingyue, dear Qingyue, wonderful Qingyue… I’ve never met the famous Lord Li Yunmu before. Would you let me deliver the tea instead?”
Qingyue simply couldn’t resist those watery, pleading eyes.
With a helpless sigh, she relented.
“Fine. But be careful. Once you’ve served the tea, come right back out. I’ve heard Lord Li has quite a terrible temper.”
Qin Buwen nodded earnestly.
Taking the tea set from Qingyue’s hands, she headed toward the main hall.
It was time…
To properly meet this old acquaintance of hers.