A metallic clang rang out.
Clang!
Yin Qiubai thought, men of noble character truly are different—even their necks are harder than others. When the blade came down, it sounded like metal clashing, a resounding clash that echoed in her ears.
“Outrageous! Who dares disrupt an execution at the execution ground?!”
The word ‘execution’ had barely been uttered when Yin Qiubai jolted awake from her daze.
The executioner’s blade had shattered in half.
The blade’s broken edge was now embedded diagonally into the supervising officer’s desk, scaring the official so much he wet himself.
A eunuch in tight robes descended with the wind, landing in the middle of the execution ground, holding an imperial edict high.
“Seeing this is like seeing His Majesty in person. Kneel!”
“…”
Mu Qingbai was stunned. He blankly stared at the creepy eunuch who, right in front of him, read the imperial edict aloud.
All the citizens who had gathered to watch the execution dropped to their knees.
Even the executioner brother, who was supposed to send him off to the afterlife, knelt.
“Gongshi Lang, receive the decree.”
Mu Qingbai’s head was still buzzing.
The feminine-looking eunuch shoved the decree into Mu Qingbai’s chest, then turned and walked away.
Mu Qingbai: (O_o)??
Suddenly, a soft figure threw herself into his arms.
“That’s wonderful, Young Master Mu, wonderful!”
Old Huang stood nearby, watching as Yin Qiubai clung to a condemned prisoner, crying tears of joy in public.
His emotions were complicated.
“I’m still alive?”
Yin Qiubai wiped her tears and smiled, “Of course you’re alive! His Majesty has issued a pardon, and you’ve been granted the status of a tribute scholar. Young Master Mu, your talents will not be buried!”
Mu Qingbai closed his eyes and pinched his thigh hard.
“Ah!” he cried out in pain.
“It’s not a dream! Not a dream!” Yin Qiubai laughed with joy.
Mu Qingbai collapsed onto the ground, kneeling limp like he had lost all strength.
After a moment, he suddenly slammed the ground, cried out in pain again, then shot up like a child possessed.
“Law! Law! Law!”
Yin Qiubai and Old Huang watched silently, unable to tell if Mu Qingbai was overjoyed or broken.
“Miss, has Young Master Mu… lost his mind again?”
“Let’s take him home first.”
Before Old Huang could respond, Mu Qingbai threw the imperial edict behind him and walked off the execution ground.
Yin Qiubai panicked and rushed to retrieve the edict, chasing after him.
Mu Qingbai scratched his head and finally figured something out. “The Emperor can’t be that kind. There must be something behind this!”
“His Majesty is a wise ruler. A wise ruler wouldn’t punish a loyal and righteous man for one harsh rebuke!”
“You mean the Emperor is generous?”
“His Majesty is a wise ruler. Naturally, a wise ruler is generous!”
Mu Qingbai shook his head.
Seeing this, Yin Qiubai thought he didn’t believe her. Desperate to prove her point, she opened the edict.
“Young Master Mu! Look at the decree—His Majesty has appointed you as Censorate Inspector at the Imperial Censorate! His Majesty has clearly expressed the will to heed all advice and become a wise ruler! As the sovereign of a nation, how could he disregard ears and eyes of truth!”
“Censorate Inspector… disciplinary department?”
“Uh… the duties of a censor are to supervise officials, inspect regional administrations, correct judicial errors, uphold court protocols, and submit impeachments and remonstrations.”
“That much power?”
“Of course. It’s His Majesty’s trust in you.”
Mu Qingbai laughed, “The Emperor’s never met me. Where does this trust come from?”
Yin Qiubai said, “Maybe His Majesty has a discerning eye for talent?”
In truth, she didn’t fully understand it either. With Mu Qingbai’s capabilities, he shouldn’t have been appointed to such a completely unrelated position.
“Miss Bai, who was the great benefactor that saved me?”
Old Huang sourly said, “The General of National Stabilization.”
Yin Qiubai frowned and glared at him fiercely.
Old Huang realized his mistake and quickly bowed his head in apology.
“Young Master Mu, let’s go home first!”
“I don’t have a home.”
“If Young Master Mu doesn’t mind, the Bai Manor is your home.”
“That won’t do, no, no, Miss Bai. If I’m implicated in the future, you’ll be dragged down with me.”
“Young Master Mu is a man of loyalty and righteousness. Your words and actions are for the people. How could that ever be a crime?”
Old Huang, seeing that if this kept up they wouldn’t get home before nightfall, said, “If Young Master Mu feels it’s improper, Miss shouldn’t insist.”
Yin Qiubai shot him another glare.
Old Huang quickly added, “Young Master Mu is loyal and considerate. Since you don’t want to bring trouble upon Miss, how about treating it as a temporary stay? After all, Young Master Mu currently has nowhere else to go.”
Only then did Yin Qiubai’s expression ease. She nodded in approval.
“Then I won’t be polite.”
Old Huang snorted inwardly. Hypocrite!
Without showing any emotion, he drove the carriage back to the manor. As he looked at the plaque at the entrance bearing the words [Bai Manor], his heart was filled with unease.
…
“Your Majesty.”
Yin Yunlan sat quietly before a half-finished game of chess. After a while, she softly spoke.
“Speak.”
“What did he do?”
“He asked for a copy of the Great Yin Code.”
Yin Yunlan held a chess piece but didn’t place it.
“Your Majesty, he’s truly not afraid of death.”
Yin Yunlan replied casually, “I know.”
“But Your Majesty, he’s far too clean!”
“I know that too.”
Yin Yunlan gently tapped the board beside her with the chess piece. “But that proposal for the military academy system… it’s too good. I simply can’t find a reason to kill him.”
After thinking for a moment, she still didn’t place the piece.
“A failed scholar can scream all he wants outside the palace gates, because he has nothing to lose.”
“But now that he holds an official position, does he still dare to shout at me? Once a man has something, he clings to it, terrified of losing it.”
Yin Yunlan sneered. “Dying for one’s convictions—how easy is that?”
“You mean… he’s been tamed?”
“Mm~! Yes! ‘Tamed’—what a perfect word!”
Yin Yunlan raised a finger, the corner of her lips curling in satisfaction.
“He’ll attend court soon. I bet he won’t dare say a word! Speaking means risking everything. Staying silent—despite his spotless background—says even more.”
“Your Majesty, there must be a wager.”
Yin Yunlan gestured around the vast hall. “Pick anything you like from my Imperial Study.”
“Your Majesty, I only love poetry and essays—especially the best.”
“The finest poem from the Mid-Autumn poetry gathering—I already promised it to you. But… if you lose?”
“I have nothing. Only my life—and that already belongs to Your Majesty.”
“You, you… always playing clever. How could you have nothing? That pretty little maid you’re keeping outside the palace—when will you bring her to meet me?”
The moment she finished speaking, the hall fell silent.
Yin Yunlan noticed the awkward atmosphere and smiled gently. “Look at you… I just want to meet her. Why so quiet?”
“Your Majesty truly just wants to meet her?”
“Do you think I’ll eat her?”
“I wouldn’t dare. That’s not what I meant. I… I take my leave.”
Yin Yunlan nodded. “Mm.”
Moments later, the hall fell completely silent.
Yin Yunlan sat before the unfinished game, looking at a longsword resting atop the orchid stand.
Her imperial bearing faded from her expression, replaced by a trace of bitterness.
She had forgotten how long it had been since she last wielded a sword.
Those days in the military tents… were far more joyful.