The court session hadn’t yet been dismissed, but Mu Qingbai had already left.
He took off his official robes right there in court, folded them neatly, placed them down, and laid the Xiezhi cap on top.
Such a disrespectful act—yet not a single person reprimanded him.
Because in their eyes, Mu Qingbai had gone mad.
And in the eyes of others, he was already a dead man.
Yet that line—[Even if I alone die, the world will live]—echoed like a great bell through the hall. Its resonance lingered long after.
Mu Qingbai changed into the plain clothes he’d brought with him, turned around, and left with a spring in his step.
At last, no one stood in his way.
One way or another, he was doomed.
If the female emperor approved the disaster relief mission, then he’d walk a glorious path—toward certain death.
If she didn’t approve, then he had a legitimate excuse to resign and leave the capital as a commoner.
That too was a clear road to death.
Wonderful.
Mu Qingbai couldn’t help but want to laugh.
“Haha!”
His laughter reached the Grand Hall, like a sudden gong strike waking everyone from a dream.
Yin Yunlan found the laughter unbearably sharp, as though mocking her incompetence as the ruler.
She stood abruptly, said nothing, and turned to walk to the rear of the palace.
The court officials exchanged looks.
Only the eunuch hastily called out, “Court dismissed!”
…
Mu Qingbai, now dressed in coarse robes, exited the imperial city.
Huzi’s jaw nearly dropped. “Young Master Mu! Where’s your official robe?”
“Took it off.”
“Took it off?”
“Let’s go!”
Huzi drove the carriage slowly. The vehicles of this era had no shock absorbers; the wooden wheels rattled over the stone roads, shaking the carriage relentlessly.
Mu Qingbai was jostled so much he felt dizzy within moments.
When they arrived back at the White Residence, Huzi’s panicked voice came from outside.
“Y-Young Master Mu!”
Mu Qingbai lifted the curtain and saw Yin Qiubai standing at the gate, expressionless. It seemed she’d been waiting for a long time.
“Miss.”
Huzi stiffened nervously. He had never seen her like this—she seemed to be wrapped in an aura of frost.
“Young Master Mu, is this what you meant by your solution?” Yin Qiubai held out an imperial edict, her tone tense.
Mu Qingbai got down from the carriage, surprised. “The edict was delivered fast.”
Yin Qiubai was clearly frustrated. “Young Master Mu, do you even know what you’re doing?”
Yin Qiubai quickly stepped aside, hiding the decree behind her back. She tried to reason with him, “The eunuch who brought the decree said—if you change your mind, it can be returned to the palace!”
Change his mind?
What a joke! After all that effort?
“I won’t. Give it to me.”
“Her Majesty has already approved your proposal. Someone else will be assigned. It doesn’t have to be you!”
Mid-sentence, Yin Qiubai suddenly grew quiet. She hid the edict behind her and sighed.
“Young Master Mu must be having a relapse.”
Mu Qingbai was alarmed. “No, I’m not insane!”
Yin Qiubai acted as if she hadn’t heard him. She shook her head and said, “It’s my fault. I forgot you can’t be provoked. You—take him back to his room to rest. Let him calm down…”
Two servants immediately stepped forward and held Mu Qingbai by the arms.
He struggled, only to find their grip like iron clamps.
“Miss Bai, calm down! Listen to me—it’s a misunderstanding! I’m not insane!”
The two servants hesitated and looked at Yin Qiubai.
“All lunatics say they’re not mad. Don’t be fooled.”
Yin Qiubai stared at Mu Qingbai, serious. “Young Master Mu, once you regain clarity, you’ll thank me.”
“No! Hey—hey!”
His voice grew fainter as he was dragged away.
Old Huang nervously said, “Miss, that’s an imperial edict, and it’s addressed to Young Master Mu. Is it really appropriate to intercept it like this?”
Yin Qiubai glanced sideways at Old Huang.
He realized he’d overstepped and quickly bowed his head.
She sighed. “Do you understand how important Young Master Mu is to me? To the Great Yin Empire?”
Truthfully, Old Huang didn’t.
Likely no one in the entire General’s Manor did.
Yin Qiubai let out another sigh. “I need to enter the palace.”
…
“Young Master Mu, you’re still eating?”
Huzi stared as Mu Qingbai devoured his meal.
“Of course! People are iron, food is steel. Go without eating and you starve.”
Huzi muttered, “I thought you’d go on a hunger strike to show your resolve.”
Mu Qingbai waved it off. “Starving to death is one of the worst ways to go. Second only to drowning.”
“You talk like you’ve actually died before.”
“I have. Nine times.”
“Young Master Mu, you’re hilarious… Haha.”
Mu Qingbai just smiled and didn’t reply.
“Please don’t go against Miss anymore. She really does care about you.”
Mu Qingbai shook his head. “I know what she’s thinking. But she’s destined to be disappointed.”
“She thinks I’ve got potential. That if I commit to my career, I could become a major pillar in court, bringing great benefit to the Bai family in the future.”
Huzi looked even more confused. Their young miss was already the top general in the empire—did she really need help from any court official?
“Is that really it?”
Mu Qingbai said plainly, “She’s mistaken. I was a condemned criminal from the start. I never intended to pursue an official career. But I’m grateful for her hospitality these past days. I can leave something behind for her.”
“Leave something?”
“Do you have craftsmen in your household?”
“Yes.”
“Then fetch them. And bring me some materials.”
Huzi ran off to give instructions, then returned.
Mu Qingbai looked at him in confusion. “Why’d you come back?”
Huzi explained, “I’ve been ordered to keep an eye on you. Someone else will fetch what you need.”
Soon, the craftsmen and materials arrived.
Mu Qingbai was touched. The Bai family had granted his every request.
He wasn’t someone who didn’t know warmth from cold. He could feel Bai Qiuyin’s care.
Even if he thought her kindness had an agenda, it didn’t stop him from being moved.
Pointing to the milky white tree sap, he spoke to the craftsmen, “I know you usually use this as glue, but it actually has much broader uses.”
“Follow the diagrams I’ve drawn. If processed properly, it can produce flexible products.”
The craftsmen exchanged glances. They’d been warned: Mu Qingbai was mad.
Madmen were unpredictable and dangerous.
Yet this boy, speaking clearly and methodically, hardly seemed crazy.
“I call it a ‘tire’. It wraps around wooden wheels to provide shock absorption.”
He explained how to process rubber and picked up another diagram.
“This is called a spring. Install it on the axle and it’ll reduce shaking even more.”
After finishing, Mu Qingbai stretched contentedly. “I can’t leave your miss anything valuable—but I can leave her a more comfortable carriage.”
Huzi stared at him, puzzled. “You don’t seem worried at all that Miss will ruin your mission.”
Mu Qingbai snorted. “Even if your miss can move heaven and earth, this is an imperial edict.”
“She can move heaven and earth, not just ‘even if’!”
Huzi pouted. In his eyes, there was no one more capable than Yin Qiubai.
Her overwhelming presence alone earned her deep respect among the troops.
Mu Qingbai chuckled.
Huzi grew anxious. “What are you laughing at? Are you looking down on her?”
“I’m laughing at you. You don’t understand me.”
“So what if I don’t? What’s so great about you?”
Mu Qingbai said calmly, “You don’t know me—so to you, I’m just a frog looking up at the moon from the bottom of a well.”
“But if you did know me, it would be like a mayfly catching a glimpse of the sky.”
At that moment, a hand poised to knock on the door paused mid-air, trembling gently.