No, she hadn’t even proven herself yet—how could this man already believe her?
Ye Xiren froze, her expression turning strange for a moment as she carefully studied the man before her. Though he was a renowned general, he was currently trapped in a cell, wearing only a bloodstained white undergarment. The dungeon was bitterly cold, and his thin clothing made him appear somewhat fragile and pale, unlike the ferocious figure described in rumors.
Ah, he’s still young after all—too trusting.
Ye Xiren thought to herself.
Yan Danqing watched the thoughts playing across her face, his expression softening as the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. All his confusion and doubts became crystal clear the moment Ye Xiren appeared before him.
So… that’s how it is.
In the flickering candlelight, he gazed into Ye Xiren’s bright, dark eyes and explained slowly:
“I’ve never met Lord Ye, but he has served as Minister of Revenue for many years. I grew up on the frontier and later led the Yanjia Army in battle, so I’ve dealt frequently with the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War. I know what kind of person Lord Ye is.
“Lord Ye is a good man. The fact that I’m still alive means many in the court must be fighting for me. If Lord Ye is taking the blame for me, it’s likely because the War Faction has been driven to desperation by Chizhan Lan Ce, with no way out.
“You don’t fully understand Chizhan Lan Ce. This man is ruthless and skilled at gambling with life and death to seize victory. He once said his only wish in life is for Bei Yan to occupy the Central Plains and swallow Daliang whole. There is not a shred of possibility for peace talks with him!”
Yan Danqing shifted slightly, causing the chains to clatter.
Only then did Ye Xiren notice he was bound by heavy chains, likely to prevent his escape. Chains wrapped around his ankles, waist, wrists, and neck, holding him tightly in place.
Where the chains met his skin, the flesh was torn and bloody. With every movement, fresh blood seeped out.
Ye Xiren felt a pang of discomfort.
Regardless of what General Yan had done, he had saved Daliang from peril last year, fought on the battlefield, and was the descendant of a loyal family. He shouldn’t have to suffer like this.
Yan Danqing understood the look in her eyes and shook his head with a faint smile, as if oblivious to the pain, continuing:
“Once Lord Ye confesses, given His Majesty’s black-and-white nature, the execution of the entire family is highly likely. By taking the blame for me, Lord Ye will have thwarted the wishes of many in the court. In their anger, they won’t let your family off easily. Before the day is out, the Ye family will be beheaded as a public warning to others not to misjudge the situation or obstruct the peace talks.
“Lord Ye is a good official, and your family’s involvement is entirely innocent. I’m sorry—I’ve dragged you into this.”
He looked at Ye Xiren, his eyes bright in the dim candlelight, filled with apology and an indescribable complexity of emotions. Reflecting the flickering flames, they seemed like dancing fire, startling to behold.
Ye Xiren’s heart skipped a beat.
Just moments ago, she had thought him young and naive, but now, through his analysis, she saw his intelligence clearly. She had expected it would take great effort to earn his trust, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Ye Xiren took a deep breath, gradually regaining her composure. She shook her head and said softly, “There’s no talk of dragging anyone into anything. You cannot die. If you die and your head is sent to Huai’an Qu, the Yanjia Army will surely descend into chaos, and the nation will fall.
“You cannot die, but I also want to live.” She leaned forward, enunciating each word clearly, “That’s why I’ve come to you.”
Court
Ye Pei knelt on the ground, his expression grave and his voice resolute:
"…I have ascertained that the military provisions sent to the Yanjia Army were indeed problematic. General Yan is truly not a traitor. Your Majesty must not execute such a loyal and valiant man! If General Yan dies, the Yanjia Army will surely fall into chaos. At that time, the Northern Yan Iron Hooves could easily breach the Huai'an Qu and invade Nandu."
Assistant Grand Councilor Zhang Yuanmou immediately sneered in rebuttal: "Lord Ye is truly worrying unnecessarily. The Northern Yan Crown Prince is still in Nandu. Today is the day for peace talks between our two nations. What is the meaning of urgently pleading for a traitor now?"
"Indeed, what if we delay the peace talks and anger the Northern Yan people?"
"What is there to fear?! The Northern Yan has cavalry, but our Daliang has the Yanjia Army. As long as the Loyal and Brave Marquis is sent to the Huai'an Qu, recapturing Beidu is within sight."
"Hah, that Yan Danqing is a conspirator. If he returns to the Huai'an Qu, I fear that before the Northern Yan even attacks, the Yanjia Army will have already marched into Nandu to usurp the throne!"
…
The two sides argued fiercely, neither yielding an inch.
The War Faction was fewer in number, but each member was fearless and fierce in debate, their voices not losing to the Peace Faction.
At the head of the hall, the emperor frowned, rubbing his temples as he looked at Ye Pei: "Minister Ye, do you have evidence?"
Ye Pei paused, then continued: "The evidence will arrive tomorrow. If we wait just one day, everything will become clear."
"Tomorrow? The peace talks are scheduled for today, a date agreed upon by both nations long ago. The Northern Yan Delegation has already entered the palace and is currently resting in the Qianyuan Hall. Do you wish to change it to tomorrow now? You truly are not afraid of the Northern Yan Crown Prince turning hostile."
"Doesn't Northern Yan want peace talks? Can they not wait a single day?"
The argument erupted again.
Another Assistant Grand Councilor, Liu Doxi, said with a smile:
"His Highness Lance may appear good-tempered and easy to talk to, but let us not forget how our Daliang was utterly defeated and driven to Nandu, and by whom? That prince may not be so easy to deal with."
Ye Pei's expression darkened. Most officials in the court had become part of the Peace Faction. Now, on the third day of the third month… no one was hiding their stance anymore.
Imperial City Department, Imperial Prison.
Ye Xiren looked at him with a serious expression. "His Majesty is furious because you committed acts of treason. My father says there are hidden circumstances, and the evidence will only arrive in Nandu tomorrow. Do you have any other methods or evidence to help you clear your name ahead of time?"
Delaying was probably no longer possible. But if they could obtain useful evidence today to partially exonerate Yan Danqing, both his perilous situation and the Ye family's crisis could be immediately resolved.
Of course, the premise was… he was truly innocent.
Ye Xiren felt uneasy about this.
Yan Danqing met her gaze. Instead of speaking of methods or evidence, he spoke of the military provisions. "At the beginning of the new year, it is precisely the time when supplies are scarce, affecting the Northern Yan cavalry even more severely. I wanted to seize the opportunity to launch a major campaign and crush the Northern Yan Army in one stroke. At such a time, the new provisions sent by the court were crucial."
Ye Xiren's heart tightened, her nerves on edge. This must be the problematic military provisions Ye Pei mentioned!
"Those provisions were problematic. They were not food at all, but a batch of river sand." Yan Danqing confirmed Ye Xiren's suspicion, making one gasp in shock.
"At that time, the army was short on food, and Northern Yan was watching closely. To avoid shaking morale, I dared not make it public. Instead, I secretly requested His Majesty to investigate and petitioned the court again for provisions, but received no response."
Yan Danqing stared into Ye Xiren's eyes, slightly lost in thought:
"After sending out three letters requesting provisions in succession, I received the Emperor's decree ordering me to present my case. So, I wrote three petitions one after another, sending them by 800-mile urgent dispatch to Nandu. However, I later learned that the Emperor never saw a single one."
Yan Danqing spoke the last sentence calmly, yet it made one's heart pound even more fiercely. Ye Xiren clutched her chest, feeling as if her heart were about to leap out, her entire being shaken and uneasy.
An 800-mile urgent dispatch would surely be delivered directly to the Emperor. Who had hidden it, and who had the power to do so?!
"Prime Minister Jiang," Yan Danqing slowly uttered the name, his brow furrowed. "I suspect it was him—Jiang You, the Pingzhangshi of the Secretariat-Chancellery and Shumishi."
Ye Xiren's legs gave way, and she sat on the ground.
Her hand loosened, and the lantern slipped aside, its flame flickering restlessly.
Court
The man standing at the forefront of all officials suddenly spoke:
"Your Majesty, yesterday I met with the Northern Yan Crown Prince, His Highness Lan Ce. He said that Bei Yan is sincere in this peace negotiation. With the lean season in March, their people and horses do not wish to linger and want to return to the grasslands as soon as possible. As long as today's negotiations proceed smoothly and the peace treaty is signed, Bei Yan will withdraw its troops immediately. He is willing to serve as a hostage and will not leave Nandu until the handover of Beidu is completed."
Everyone was stunned.
Even Emperor Liang Yue instinctively looked at the speaker. He was slightly older than Ye Pei, his graying hair and beard indicating his age, yet his sharp, spirited eyes were exceptionally clear and alert.
This man was none other than the Prime Minister of Daliang, Jiang You.
"Is this true?" Liang Yue straightened up.
Jiang You nodded. "That Chizhan Lan Ce holds an extremely high status in Bei Yan. He is the most favored son of the King of Bei Yan, an uncrowned king, hailed as the 'Holy Son.' He is crucial to Bei Yan. His willingness to serve as a hostage already demonstrates Bei Yan's sincerity."
After speaking, he turned his gaze to Ye Pei, his eyes turning cold. "Our Daliang is now beset by internal and external troubles, unable to bear the burden. In your eyes, there is only warfare, all for the selfish desire to leave behind a name for bravery. But can you not see the perilous state of Daliang today, the people displaced by war?
"To obstruct the peace talks, you even raised issues with military provisions to delay time, making baseless accusations. Do you have any evidence? Ye Pei, enough of this commotion. Let it end here."
The last sentence carried a clear warning.
Ye Pei looked at him and demanded sharply, "Prime Minister Jiang, you advocate so strongly for peace talks. Are you truly not afraid of regret? If you harm our Daliang and destroy the foundation of the court, what face will you have to meet our ancestors after death?!"
Listening to the accusation, Jiang You gazed ahead, his expression calm. "I know what you all curse me for behind my back, but I also know I am not wrong. History will vindicate me."
For a moment, the court fell into utter silence.
At the head of the hall, Emperor Liang Yue opened his mouth as if having reached a decision.
Ye Pei gritted his teeth, glancing subtly behind him.
"Your subject, Bai Chengguang of the Dali Temple, presents a memorial impeaching Ye Pei, Minister of Revenue. The military provisions sent to the Yanjia Army indeed had issues. Minister Ye spoke with such conviction only because he was the one behind the problems with the provisions.
"Ye Pei embezzled military funds, resulting in counterfeit provisions being sent to Huai'an Qu. The crimes of slaughtering officials and burying refugees alleged against General Yan, Yan Danqing, are all related to the counterfeit provisions. The account books of the Ministry of Revenue were falsified by Ye Pei; a single investigation will reveal this. Your subject has obtained another set of account books that can serve as evidence!"
As the words fell, the court instantly fell silent.
"Lord Bai, you and Ye Pei have always been on good terms. How could…" Councilor Zhang said in disbelief.
Bai Chengguang's face was filled with indignation as he raised his voice: "It is precisely because we were close that I accidentally learned of his actions. I truly cannot bear to associate with such a person!"
Jiang You suddenly turned his head, glaring coldly at Ye Pei.
Ye Pei's peripheral vision met his gaze before he withdrew his eyes, staring straight ahead without looking aside. He prostrated himself on the ground, wearing an aggrieved expression, and cried out:
"I am wronged!"
Imperial City Department, Imperial Prison.
"Jiang You has won the Emperor's favor more than I have. With mere empty words, His Majesty will not believe me. We must have evidence, and even if we find it, can it truly be delivered before the Emperor?" Yan Danqing's voice was calm, speaking of these difficulties without the slightest emotion.
This calmness resembled despair even more. The War Faction had struggled for a long time, but the true advocate for war was actually Yan Danqing. He had struggled even longer, yet despite exhausting all methods, nothing had worked, leading him to this point today.
Ye Xiren seemed completely deflated, sitting slumped on the ground, murmuring: "Then what other methods are there? This is the last chance. Must we once again watch helplessly as the Ye family faces execution of the entire family?"
She had worked so hard to come to the Imperial Prison and meet this General Yan, yet she couldn't think of a single solution?
Despair spread, and moisture gathered in Ye Xiren's eyes.
At that moment, Yan Danqing leaned forward, looked up at her, and lowered his voice: "Then I ask Miss Ye to help me with one thing. Perhaps there is still a chance."
"What is it?" Ye Xiren straightened up, hope flickering in her eyes.
Yan Danqing spoke word by word: "Kill Chizhan Lan Ce!"
Ye Xiren: "??"