Lu Qian had just returned from the Imperial Prison, a fire smoldering in his heart. That bastard, even at death’s door, still wore an expression of fearless defiance—truly detestable!
His feud with Yan Danqing traced back to their childhood. The family of the Loyal and Brave Marquis had taken him in, raised and educated him, but in doing so, they also let him witness Yan Danqing growing up doted upon—a boy with a father and an elder brother, a favored son of heaven. How could Lu Qian, a wandering orphan with no one to care for him, not feel envy?
Just then, a subordinate hurried in and, under Lu Qian’s displeased gaze, leaned close to whisper, “Sir, Prince Lan Ce insists that Yan Danqing must die today. He asks that you cooperate with Bei Yan’s operation…”
Lu Qian was not pleased and frowned. “Yan Danqing is locked up in the Imperial Prison. Can’t we just kill him directly?”
Chizhan Lan Ce needed to return to Bei Yan as soon as possible to command the army. If Lu Qian killed Yan Danqing here and now, it would be over and done with. By then, Daliang would still be no match for Bei Yan. Why go through all this trouble, even risking Chizhan Lan Ce personally entering Nandu?
“The Bei Yan prince says that Yan Danqing must die under the orders of the Daliang court. Only then will the Yanjia Army fall into chaos,” the subordinate replied with a pained expression.
Lu Qian waved a hand dismissively. “Fine, I understand.”
The subordinate bowed and left.
Not long after, he returned.
Lu Qian grew increasingly impatient and snapped irritably, “What now?”
The subordinate wore a strange expression, glancing up at Lu Qian cautiously. “Sir, there’s a woman at the gate asking to see you…”
“Hmm?” Lu Qian was taken aback.
“She says her surname is Ye,” the subordinate replied.
Lu Qian thought for a moment, then suddenly understood, a mocking smile spreading across his face. “Surname Ye? Daring to come to the Imperial City Department—it must be that audacious Second Miss Ye. Let her in.”
Soon, a slender figure cloaked in black slowly approached.
Behind her followed another man, tall and burly, with a blood-stained sickle hanging at his waist. His coarse clothes could not conceal his muscular build, and his fierce, menacing expression made it clear he was not to be trifled with.
“Ma Shan, wait for me here,” Ye Xiren whispered.
Ma Shan nodded, shot Lu Qian an unfriendly glance, then quickly lowered his eyes to hide the murderous intent within. He stood in the courtyard before the hall, waiting quietly.
Ye Xiren entered the room alone.
Lu Qian watched her approach and chuckled. “What brings Second Miss Ye to me? Weren’t you bold enough to mock me just yesterday?”
In Lu Qian’s memory, yesterday was the second day of the third lunar month. He had gone to the Ye residence to search for evidence, only to find the Buddha statue replaced with a shoe. He had obtained nothing and even left the “witness” detained at the Ye residence.
Logically, Lu Qian should have been furious, but at this moment, he was in a rather good mood. So what if she had been bold yesterday? Today, she had come obediently and willingly to apologize.
Lu Qian looked Ye Xiren up and down, his eyes sweeping from head to toe as if appraising her worth—a gaze that was deeply unpleasant.
However, Ye Xiren had not come to apologize. She spoke bluntly from the start: “I want to see General Yan.”
Lu Qian: “?”
For a moment, he doubted his own hearing and asked incredulously, “What did you say?”
Ye Xiren met his eyes and repeated, “I want to see General Yan. Immediately.”
Lu Qian laughed in disbelief, a scornful sneer spreading across his face. “You think you can see him just because you say so? On what grounds? Has Second Miss Ye forgotten who I am, coming here to cause trouble?”
He stepped closer, his gaze dangerous.
"Do you really think I've become soft-tempered?"
Ye Xiren's fingers tightened, instinctively gripping her cloak, but she was no longer the sheltered young lady who would tremble at the thought of hiring assassins. Remembering this was her last chance to survive and save the Ye family, she exhaled and spoke calmly:
"Lu Qian, I don't think you'd want others to know that you've long since secretly pledged allegiance to Chizhan Lan Ce and carry the blood of Bei Yan in your veins."
Lu Qian's pupils contracted sharply.
Allegiance to Chizhan Lan Ce could be speculation, but the fact that he carried Bei Yan blood was a secret Lu Qian had never revealed, hidden with utmost care!
"Nonsense!" He almost instinctively drew his blade, pressing the long knife against Ye Xiren's neck, murderous intent evident.
Outside, Ma Shan couldn't hear the conversation but could see the movements. He similarly tightened his grip on the sickle at his waist, warily watching those inside, ready to act at any moment.
The Imperial City Department guards stationed in the courtyard followed suit, blades unsheathing one after another, their eyes fixed on Ma Shan.
The atmosphere grew tense, on the verge of erupting.
This blade had "killed" Ye Xiren before, so naturally she was afraid. Her heartbeat momentarily spiraled out of control, but she pressed her lips together, burying the fear deep within, her expression remaining calm:
"Does the Commander wish to silence me? I only brought one person, but that doesn't mean I am alone. If I don't leave the gates of the Imperial City Department, your secret will spread throughout Nandu and reach the palace in an instant. An Imperial City Department Commander with Bei Yan blood likely won't remain in his position. By then, I wonder if your plans can still proceed smoothly?"
Lu Qian stared at her intently, not a trace of mockery left in his eyes, only barely concealed murderous intent. He spoke word by word: "Ye Xiren, words shouldn't be spoken carelessly. Do you have proof?"
The blade pressed down slightly.
"If I dared to come, naturally I do. Are you willing to gamble, Commander?" Ye Xiren retorted, a thin red line appearing on her neck, but she didn't yield an inch. Whoever backed down now would lose.
Their gazes locked in a silent standoff. Outside, Ma Shan was surrounded by Imperial City Department personnel, cold blades pointed at him.
In that moment, Lu Qian thought of many things.
He wanted to kill Ye Xiren, wondered how she knew, and even more so… who stood behind her? He hadn't yet uncovered the truth behind yesterday's leaked information, and today the other party exposed his greatest secret.
Who was behind this person?
What else did they know?
Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine.
The blade was suddenly withdrawn. Lu Qian's face was cold, his teeth clenched: "I hope Second Miss Ye guards this secret well. I'll take you there." The peace talks were about to begin; he had to buy time!
With that, he sheathed his blade and strode out angrily, his voice barely containing his frustration: "Follow me!"
Ye Xiren, with her back to Lu Qian, let out a long sigh. She had no evidence, but she had won the gamble.
Beneath her hood, her forehead was already drenched in sweat. After calming herself for a few breaths, she turned and followed, still appearing composed and confident.
Observing her from the corner of his eye, Lu Qian's expression darkened. No longer harboring any illusions, he strode forward, his mind in turmoil over his exposed secret as he pondered solutions.
Ma Shan put away his sickle and followed Ye Xiren, walking side by side.
"What exactly are you doing?" Ma Shan whispered.
Ye Xiren didn't answer directly, only saying: "I'm doing something very dangerous, where I could lose my life at any moment. If you follow me, you'll face the same…"
Ma Shan shook his head. "You made all this clear when you paid us. We take money to solve problems."
His gaze fell on Lu Qian, who stood with his back to them ahead. His hand gripping the sickle tightened and loosened repeatedly, but in the end, he said nothing and quietly followed the others.
"Didn't I give you silver earlier? Are you that short on money?" Ye Xiren was puzzled. How could the twenty taels she had given them just days ago already be spent?
"The brothers have been starving for a long time. Grain prices are too high—we can't afford food." Ma Shan replied calmly.
Ye Xiren frowned. "With the Northern Yan Delegation entering the capital and news of peace talks spreading, hasn't the grain price in Nandu dropped within the past few days? I recall it was around twenty coins per liter, wasn't it?"
Although many things had happened over the last two days, she still remembered her mother mentioning while going over the accounts with Madam Liao that grain prices had fallen from fifty coins to twenty. The silver she had given should have lasted them quite a while.
"How could that be? Grain prices have never dropped. When we went to the grain shop yesterday evening, they had already risen to sixty coins!" Ma Shan shook his head, refuting her words.
Ye Xiren was startled, growing increasingly perplexed.
By then, they had arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Prison. Lu Qian turned to look at Ye Xiren and Ma Shan, his tone icy. "Only you may enter."
Ye Xiren was merely a weak woman—letting her meet Yan Danqing posed no threat. But Ma Shan clearly possessed martial skills, and Lu Qian would never allow him inside.
Hearing this, Ye Xiren set aside her other thoughts and studied Lu Qian's expression. His brows were furrowed with irritation, clearly teetering on the edge of patience, leaving no room for argument.
"Fine," she nodded.
The door to the Imperial Prison opened, and Ye Xiren stepped inside, lantern in hand.
Lu Qian naturally moved to follow, but Ye Xiren turned around, blocking his path with her lantern, and shook her head. "I will go in alone."
Lu Qian: "?"
Seeing he was about to object, Ye Xiren spoke with equal finality. "If it's one person entering, then it will be me alone. This is my only condition. Otherwise… there's no need to keep Lord Lu's secret. I might as well not see him at all."
A flash of killing intent passed through Lu Qian's eyes, his gaze turning frigid.
Ye Xiren raised an eyebrow and smiled again. "What is Lord Lu afraid of? That I'll break him out?"
Lu Qian let out another cold laugh.
Break him out?
"Second Miss Ye thinks too highly of herself." Lu Qian took a step back, standing at the entrance, a sinister smile curling his lips. "Then Second Miss Ye may enter alone. The one imprisoned inside is a rebel, so there's no need to give you the key."
If he didn't enter, he wouldn't hear what was said inside. But as long as he withheld the key, Ye Xiren could only speak a few words through the iron bars. By noon, once Yan Danqing was dead, he would have nothing left to fear.
Ye Xiren offered no objection to this. Carrying her lantern, she walked deeper inside, turning a corner and letting out a long sigh of relief.
She had finally made it in.
The Imperial Prison was pitch black, holding only the rebel Yan Danqing—not even any other prisoners remained. This alone showed how critical the situation was. It was Ye Xiren's first time in such a place. The eerie, cold atmosphere was terrifying, as if a venomous snake had coiled around her, causing the temperature around her to plummet instantly.
She swallowed hard, raised her lantern, and walked down the corridor where candle flames flickered, entering the dungeon that reeked of blood.
Slowly lifting the lantern, the flickering candlelight faintly illuminated the figure imprisoned within.
Ye Xiren did not rush to speak.
She raised the lantern and walked toward the niche near the prison cell, lighting the candle. Having read many books, she knew why no candles were lit here—keeping someone confined in a pitch-black room without light for a long time was also a form of punishment.
The light gradually brightened, fully illuminating the man sitting inside. He sat on a pile of straw, covered in bloodstains, his hair disheveled and unruly, yet his back remained straight. A pair of eyes looked at her with silent curiosity and confusion.
Their gazes met.
Ye Xiren approached with the lantern, her voice tentative: "General Yan?"
Yan Danqing spoke, his voice hoarse and strained:
"Who are you?"
Ye Xiren breathed a sigh of relief—she had finally met him.
She crouched in front of the iron bars, holding the lantern, her dark, intelligent eyes fixed on the man inside.
Despite his wretched appearance, he did not seem the least bit disheveled, instead retaining an air of dignity. Under the candlelight, only the clean, sharp lines of his face and a pair of clear, penetrating eyes were visible, as if they could see through everything.
"My name is Ye Xiren, daughter of Ye Pei, the Minister of Revenue. You’ve never returned to the capital, so you might not know who Ye Pei is. However, the court is currently divided into two factions—the War Faction and the Peace Faction. The Peace Faction wants you dead, while the War Faction wants to protect you."
Ye Xiren kept her explanation as brief as possible and continued:
"My father is one of the War Faction members. Today, the third day of the third lunar month, is the day of peace negotiations. Bei Yan’s first demand is to have you executed. If nothing changes, you will be beheaded and displayed to the public at noon. But my father wants to protect you, so today he plans to take the blame for you, admitting that he embezzled military provisions. The Emperor is furious and has sentenced him to execution of the entire family…"
At this point, Ye Xiren suddenly realized that all of this had not yet happened. The man before her was a stranger, and he might not believe her.
Yan Danqing listened intently but suddenly interrupted her with a laugh:
"I believe you."
Ye Xiren: "?"
Author's Note:
A meeting of the century!