In truth, even if Xie Linchuan had not brought it up, the moment he was granted an official post, he would inevitably have to attend court and manage affairs at the government office. His house arrest would have naturally become a mere formality.
Yet, Xie Linchuan had gone out of his way to say he wanted to see him.
Tsk.
The corners of Qin Li’s mouth curled up involuntarily. He crossed his arms, leaning back against the bookshelf in a relaxed posture, and narrowed his eyes at the other man.
“What?” he asked lazily. “Does General Xie feel that a single day without seeing Us is like three years?”
Xie Linchuan smiled slightly. Instead of answering directly, he countered with a question: “Then, will Your Majesty grant it?”
Qin Li pursed his lips, clearly dissatisfied at not receiving the answer he wanted, but he nodded with feigned reluctance anyway.
“Seeing as you have served Us well, I shall grant it. But you are not allowed to wander about!”
He continued: “I will formally issue an edict appointing you as the Tingwei, or Minister of Justice. Once the wound on your shoulder heals in a few days, you may resume attending court sessions. However, remember this: I have not permitted you to leave the palace. You must return to the palace every day after your shift ends.”
Xie Linchuan raised an eyebrow. The Tingwei?
The Yao Dynasty had adopted the systems of the previous dynasty. In the early years of the Jing Dynasty, the Tingwei was a high-ranking central official with broad powers, overseeing not only the judiciary and prisons but also intervening in military law.
However, a powerful official had once dominated the court, threatening the imperial power and drawing the Emperor’s suspicion. Consequently, the office’s authority was repeatedly slashed, and much of its power was distributed among the Ministry of Justice, the Bureau of Military Affairs, and the Imperial Guard.
Now, it was essentially a high-ranking but hollow position with only the power of review and sentencing, serving as a leisurely “rubber stamp” office. It was neither too high nor too low; it handled only cases assigned by the Emperor or complex matters that other departments were unwilling to touch.
Xie Linchuan thought to himself that Qin Li must have gone through a lot of trouble to find a position that was suitable yet would not provoke too much opposition. He had assumed Qin Li would, at most, make him a civil official like a Court Diarist. This was an unexpected, pleasant surprise. Naturally, he had to reciprocate the kindness.
Xie Linchuan’s dark, bright eyes curved. He clasped his hands and bowed deeply, taking the initiative to perform the formal salute of a subject to his sovereign for the first time. “I thank Your Majesty for your grace.”
Qin Li finally could not help but laugh, the corners of his mouth hooking upward. Still, he tried his best to maintain his dignified imperial bearing. He uncrossed his arms, placing one hand on his hip while waving the other dismissively. “Rise.”
Xie Linchuan straightened up slowly. Lifting his gaze slightly, he caught a glimpse of the other man perking up his ears, his eyes shining as he stared intently. He had the look of someone who loved listening and wanted to hear more praise.
Xie Linchuan smiled secretly, but he refused to satisfy him further. “Does Your Majesty have any other instructions?”
Qin Li’s lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he hesitated. In the end, he only said dryly: “I still have government affairs to handle. Considering your injury has not fully healed, I will let you off the hook this time.”
“If you dare do it again, I will definitely make things difficult for you!”
When he darkened his face to deliver these harsh words, his sword-like eyebrows looked as sharp as if they were carved by a knife. His gaze was piercing, making him look truly majestic.
In his past life, Xie Linchuan was often deceived by this outward appearance, always feeling that Qin Li was capable of any absurdity and taking his threats to heart. But once that “paper tiger” mask was pierced, the soft, furry interior was immediately revealed.
Xie Linchuan simply nodded. “Oh.”
Qin Li choked on his words. He pointed a finger at the tip of the other’s nose, then flicked his black sleeves and left like a gust of wind.
Qin Li always acted with lightning speed. A few days later, Xie Linchuan received the imperial edict personally delivered by Li Sanbao.
“Congratulations, General Xie. Oh, I should call you Minister Xie now,” Li Sanbao said with a beaming smile. He handed the appointment edict to Xie Linchuan with both hands, bowing even lower.
Although the Tingwei was not a position of great power, who in the palace did not know that the man before them was the Emperor’s favorite? A meteoric rise was surely within reach.
Xie Linchuan smiled and, following etiquette, had Jing Zhou give Li Sanbao a red envelope as a gratuity.
“Oh, no, no. Minister Xie is too kind.” Li Sanbao gave it a gentle push back. He knew very well whose gifts he could accept and whose he could not. He laughed and said, “Being able to deliver the edict to you is a blessing in itself.”
Xie Linchuan nodded. “Thank you, Eunuch Li.”
As expected of the personal eunuch who could serve a tyrant like Qin Li until the end in his previous life, he certainly knew how to speak.
A few more days passed, and the arrow wound on Xie Linchuan’s shoulder had mostly healed. He formally stepped out of Zichen Palace to attend his first court session of this life.
Inside the Ziji Main Hall, the atmosphere was solemn. The flying crane incense burners on both sides of the imperial steps emitted curls of smoke. The imperial guards stood expressionlessly at the edge of the hall, clutching long spears.
Holding his jade tablet with both hands, Xie Linchuan stood at a rank neither too close nor too far from Qin Li’s throne. The green jade floorboards beneath his feet were polished to a mirror-like shine. The murmurs of officials and the rustle of wide sleeves filled his ears. From time to time, the cryptic gazes of various ministers swept over him.
Mei Ruoguang, standing diagonally in front of him, turned around. He gave Xie Linchuan a fake smile and said, “Minister Xie, I hope you have been well. I heard you risked your life to save the Emperor during the ceremony, took an arrow, and nearly died on the spot. Is your wound healed so quickly?”
“You truly have the protection of gods and Buddhas, Minister. The assassin’s wine poison could not touch you, and even after being shot by an arrow, you remain unharmed.”
Xie Linchuan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, replying calmly, “Indeed. One should pray to the Buddha more often. Otherwise, someone like Minister Mei, who has been a veteran of three dynasties yet remains only the Minister of War, might never move forward a single inch.”
He deliberately emphasized the words “three dynasties.” Thanks to Qin Li’s sharp tongue, Xie Linchuan had also picked up a bit of that biting sarcasm.
The flesh on Mei Ruoguang’s thin face turned visibly red for a moment. His white beard trembled several times before he lowered his voice and hissed through gritted teeth: “Minister Xie has lost his military power. To go from a prisoner to a high-ranking official in the hall, you certainly are ambitious.”
Xie Linchuan remained unfazed. He said unhurriedly, “Indeed. This is the benefit of being favored by the Emperor. Since Minister Mei has gone through three dynasties without ever enjoying such treatment, I suppose you would not understand.”
Nearby, Qin Yongyi overheard their exchange and nearly burst out laughing in the middle of the court, his shoulders shaking as he struggled to hold it in. He wondered if his sworn brother, the Emperor, had ever suffered at the hands of this sharp tongue when facing Xie Linchuan.
“Hmph, I will not lower myself to argue with a junior like you.” Mei Ruoguang was nearly fuming. He flicked his sleeve and turned away.
In the end, this fellow Xie Linchuan had found a new benefactor and was on the verge of a comeback. But Mei Ruoguang would not be as foolish as that unlucky fellow Yang Qiong. When the Emperor clearly intended to win someone over, trying to bring them down would only turn oneself into a stepping stone.
As the saying goes, flowers do not bloom for a hundred days. Once Xie Linchuan’s imperial favor fades, wouldn’t there be plenty of opportunities to kick him while he’s down? Mei Ruoguang shook his head inwardly with a cold sneer.
During their brief exchange, the murmurs in the hall grew louder, threatening to turn into a commotion. Since the assassination attempt at the Great Rite, the Emperor and high-ranking officials had been targeted consecutively, and the capital was under martial law.
To root out the remnants of the previous dynasty and the spies hidden in the palace and the capital, Qin Li had ordered the Imperial Guard to search the city for any traces. For a time, people were in a state of panic, and the streets grew desolate.
In court today, Qin Li strictly demanded that regarding the spies and assassins, it was better to kill by mistake than to let one go. This immediately stirred up a hornet’s nest among the surrendered officials.
If they were truly going to “kill the innocent rather than let a guilty one go,” wouldn’t every single one of them be under suspicion? Ironically, the only one with the least suspicion was Yang Qiong, whose corpse was already in the street. Meanwhile, the one with the most suspicion was being kept in the palace by the Emperor himself, and now he speaks of killing by mistake?
“Won’t this throw the palace and the capital into chaos?”
“Exactly. Someone should advise His Majesty. He has just ascended the throne and granted a general amnesty; performing such drastic actions now will only unsettle the people. What if it leads to even greater trouble?”
Xie Linchuan listened for a while, vaguely recalling a major event from his past life that happened shortly after the Great Rite. At that time, he was imprisoned by Qin Li in the two-story building of the side hall, and his knowledge of the outside world was limited. He had not even known Qin Li was ambushed until he saw the Emperor’s injuries.
Back then, perhaps because of the pain, Qin Li was less verbally abusive than usual. He was listless, and even his usual flirtatious teasing was silenced. Forced to care for him for a time, the two of them had managed an unexpected, fragile peace.
Unfortunately, the tiger with its teeth pulled was only temporary. Once Qin Li recovered, he immediately began a ruthless purge to capture the rebels, causing panic in the palace and unease among the ministers. In his past life, Xie Linchuan naturally could not stand Qin Li’s headstrong and bloodthirsty behavior, leading to many arguments and much mockery.
Seeing Xie Linchuan defy him for the sake of irrelevant people and criticize his imperial decrees, Qin Li concluded that Xie was still stubbornly loyal to the previous dynasty and flew into a rage. Thus, after their rare period of peace, they had parted ways in bitterness once again.
Xie Linchuan rubbed his brow, snapping out of his memories. At some point, Qin Li had already left the imperial steps. The other ministers were still debating, their faces full of worry, evidently having failed to persuade Qin Li to change his mind.
After court was dismissed, the Tingwei office was as quiet as ever. Even the stamping of documents was handled by the Vice Minister. Xie Linchuan did not linger and went straight back to the palace.
Just as he entered the palace grounds, he saw two guards carrying a stretcher away. On it was the body of a young eunuch wrapped in white cloth.
Xie Linchuan was startled, his face darkening instantly. “What is going on?”
Could it be that Qin Li had already begun the massive purge within the palace?
A guard stepped forward and reported, “Minister Xie, this man was a cleaning eunuch. It is said that last night, someone poisoned the well water. He drank the poisoned water and died.”
“Poisoning?” Xie Linchuan’s brow furrowed slowly.
In his past life, while he vaguely knew of Qin Li’s ruthlessness during this purge, he was not clear on the specific details. An ominous feeling rose in his heart as he walked quickly toward the side hall.
Just as he reached the door, he saw Eunuch Wang, the one who had accompanied him to the Xie estate, walking out. Eunuch Wang was stunned to see Xie Linchuan and immediately came forward with a forced smile. “Minister Xie, you have finished your duties so early?”
His eyes flickered toward the back, a detail Xie Linchuan caught. He asked calmly, “Eunuch Wang, what has happened in the palace?”
“This,” Eunuch Wang hesitated, looking around to ensure no one was watching before pulling Xie Linchuan to a corner. “Minister Xie, do not be angry when you hear this news. This matter definitely has nothing to do with you.”
“What matter?” Xie Linchuan asked patiently.
Eunuch Wang scanned the area and lowered his voice. “That young eunuch in your palace, Jing Zhou. Someone identified him, saying they saw him wandering near the poisoned well. He has been taken away for questioning.”
“What?” Xie Linchuan’s expression changed abruptly as a massive shadow loomed over his heart.
Even if he were the one suspected, it would be better than Jing Zhou being taken, because Jing Zhou truly was a remnant of the previous dynasty. If his identity was discovered, even if Qin Li could not bring himself to kill Xie Linchuan, would he hesitate to kill Jing Zhou?
Xie Linchuan turned to head toward the Imperial Study; only Qin Li could resolve this. But after two steps, he paused. Everyone in the palace knew he was the Emperor’s favorite. To brazenly take Jing Zhou from his hall, if it was not authorized by Qin Li, who would dare be so bold?
“Minister Xie, do not go to His Majesty,” Eunuch Wang advised earnestly. “Just insist that this has nothing to do with you and you will be safe. If you go to plead for him now, are you not just drawing suspicion to yourself?”
After all, it was just a little eunuch from the flower gardens. Why worry about one servant?
Xie Linchuan stopped in his tracks, his face icy. He turned and walked in a different direction.
Soon, he saw a massive steamer basket in the central courtyard. A pile of firewood sat beneath it, though it was not yet lit. Inside the steamer, he could vaguely see the figure of a bound person. He wanted to step forward to see who it was, but guards blocked his path. Many maids and eunuchs stood around, whispering.
“Did you hear? They say the spy who poisoned the well was caught, along with a group of other suspects.”
“His Majesty ordered the spy to be put in the steamer. He must name all his accomplices, or he will be steamed alive! And all the suspects will be killed with him!”
“What? That is terrifying.”
The moment Xie Linchuan saw that steamer, his gaze darkened. A scene that had been deeply etched in his memory from his past life flashed before his eyes.
Back then, due to the order to kill the innocent rather than let a guilty one go, he and Qin Li had argued until neither would speak to the other. At that time, Xie Linchuan was stubborn and unyielding. Qin Li’s temper was equally difficult; to assert his authority, he had specifically taken Xie to see how he dealt with spies. He had a giant steamer built in the palace and threw captured spies inside, lighting a fire beneath to execute them by steam. This had caused terror in the palace and an uproar in the court.
That was the first time Xie Linchuan had witnessed a torture method only briefly mentioned in history books, and it was the first time the word “tyrant” took on a concrete form in his mind.
Xie Linchuan shook his head, casting aside the dark memories, and headed for the Imperial Study for the second time. Not long ago, he had coaxed Qin Li by saying he wanted to see him; he did not expect to visit again so soon.
After a young eunuch announced him, Xie Linchuan entered the study, and the faint scent of ambergris filled his nose. Qin Li was leaning back lazily in a rosewood chair behind the desk, reading memorials. Seeing that it was Xie Linchuan, a slight smirk played on his lips.
“I knew you would come looking for Us.”
Xie Linchuan’s heart sank. Qin Li knew? It really was him who ordered Jing Zhou’s arrest. But was the eunuch in the steamer actually Jing Zhou?
Xie Linchuan stared into Qin Li’s dark eyes. “Your Majesty, such cruel torture is not the behavior of a wise ruler. It will only invite fear and criticism. Even if someone poisoned the well, it certainly was not Jing Zhou.”
Qin Li had been just as willful and extreme in his past life.
“Not a wise ruler? What do you mean?” The lazy, relaxed expression vanished instantly. Qin Li’s brow furrowed. They had agreed that the end of his house arrest was so he could visit him, and instead, he came here to scold him?
Qin Li stood up abruptly and walked around the desk. He pointed a finger at Xie Linchuan’s nose and laughed out of sheer anger. “So, in Minister Xie’s heart, I am such a tyrant?”
Xie Linchuan thought of everything from his past life and stared at him in silence. Was he not a tyrant?
To Qin Li, silence was a confession. His sharp brows lowered, and his dark eyes narrowed dangerously. He gave a cold laugh. “Hmph. And what if I am a tyrant?”