Qin Li arrived in a hurry, his black sleeves and silver hair tossing wildly in the cold wind. His pace was so swift that Li Sanbao, following behind, could barely keep up.
The gathered guards immediately knelt to pay their respects, leaving only Xie Linchuan standing to offer his greeting. Upon seeing Qin Li’s somber face, Hua Chun fell into utter despair, prostrating on the ground and trembling uncontrollably.
Qin Li scanned the crowd before waving a hand to summon the guards. “Take this spy away. Keep him alive and interrogate him thoroughly.”
The guards complied, grabbing Hua Chun by the arms and dragging him away.
Qin Li’s gaze then fell upon Xie Linchuan. He frowned and asked, “What are you doing here? Did I not tell you that you were forbidden from interfering in this matter?”
Once again, his words had been treated as mere wind in the ear.
Xie Linchuan replied calmly, “Since Your Majesty has granted me the position of Tingwei, I hold the right to review any criminal case. This matter is suspicious, and I fear the true culprit remains at large, threatening the safety of the palace. I am merely exercising my official duties to ensure I do not fail the grace of Your Majesty’s promotion.”
Hearing Xie Linchuan refer to himself as “your servant,” Qin Li felt a sting in his ears and unconsciously tightened his fingers. Even though Xie Linchuan’s words were logical and his tone respectful, Qin Li felt as though the man was subtly pushing back against him.
He felt stifled but could find no reason to lose his temper, so he simply pursed his lips in frustration.
A eunuch hurried over to report that the fire had been a false alarm. It turned out someone had placed a charcoal fire inside a copper basin covered by an iron cage, which had burned straw to create a large amount of smoke.
Qin Li’s mouth twitched as he shot a glare at Xie Linchuan. Only someone as audacious as Xie Linchuan would dare pull such a stunt.
“You set the smoke? What kind of trick are you playing now?”
Burning an open fire in the imperial palace was a grave offense. If something had gone wrong, the resulting mess would have been catastrophic. Qin Li, who was already irritated from their encounter in the imperial study earlier that day, now felt truly exhausted.
Just as Xie Linchuan was about to speak, the guard returned with the physician. The guard was shocked to find the Emperor present, nearly fearing he would be accused of abandoning his post and letting a suspect escape.
When Qin Li impatiently asked for an explanation, the guard stammered, “Lord Xie came by earlier and said the suspect was willing to reveal his accomplices but was incoherent. He ordered us to find a physician to treat him and help him regain clarity.”
Reveal accomplices? Incoherent?
Qin Li raised an eyebrow and looked at Xie Linchuan with surprise. Qin Li knew exactly what was inside that large steamer. After a moment of thought, he realized Xie Linchuan had not acted without reason; the man had clearly seen through his intentions.
Qin Li had purposefully set the steamer and spread rumors to lure the spy into a trap. Xie Linchuan had simply stepped in to accelerate the process, playing the part of the oriole behind the mantis.
Qin Li wanted to laugh. The smoke had been a deliberate move to create an opportunity for the spy to act out of desperation.
He truly is worthy of being the man I chose; consider him sharp!
The corners of his mouth began to turn up, but he suddenly remembered they had just had a heated argument. Xie Linchuan had defied him, and he was supposed to be angry. Consequently, he forced his mouth into a straight line, making his expression look quite stiff.
Within moments, the copper basin was cleared away, and the large steamer was removed. The palace servants had already been dispersed by the guards. Qin Li waved his hand to dismiss the remaining guards, and the chaotic courtyard soon became quiet and cold.
With his hands tucked in his sleeves, Qin Li paced slowly toward Xie Linchuan. He squinted at him and asked, “When did you figure it out?”
He had originally intended to keep Xie Linchuan in the dark, figuring that once the real culprit was caught, the little eunuch would naturally be released.
Initially, when Li Sanbao reported that the suspect in the well poisoning was the eunuch by Xie Linchuan’s side, Qin Li guessed it was a frame-up. First, Xie Linchuan had already saved his life. Second, with the man’s intellect, if he wanted to use poison, would he really just dump it in a well?
However, Jing Zhou was the only suspect at the time. With witnesses and physical evidence present, it was difficult to clear his name immediately. Furthermore, Jing Zhou’s background did not hold up well under scrutiny; someone in the prison had recognized him.
He was both Xie Linchuan’s personal guard and a former member of the previous dynasty’s Imperial Guard. If the true culprit was not found quickly, rumors would inevitably spiral out of control. Only a strong, swift move could force the real traitor to reveal a flaw in their panic.
Xie Linchuan said slowly, “I opened the steamer earlier and saw a corpse. How could I not understand Your Majesty’s intent?”
“However, simply waiting for the spy to take the bait is passive. What if they did not come? Moreover, with guards stationed here, an ordinary person would not dare approach.”
Removing the guards entirely would have been too obvious a trap.
Qin Li raised his eyebrows. “So you took advantage of the situation. Hmph, you certainly thought it through.”
Xie Linchuan looked at him quietly and asked, “Since Your Majesty had other plans, why did you not tell me directly in the imperial study this morning?”
Qin Li’s brow furrowed, and he said crossly, “I am the Emperor. My word is law. Since when does an Emperor need to explain his motives to a subject?”
“I did not tell you because I did not want you to interfere. You should have simply obeyed.”
Xie Linchuan’s status was sensitive. Reinstating him to the court had required Qin Li to push back against significant opposition. Since Jing Zhou’s background was not clean, Xie Linchuan’s interference would only invite more suspicion. Once the matter was settled and the real culprit caught, Xie Linchuan would have eventually seen the effort Qin Li had put in.
But now, Qin Li felt bitter both in his heart and his words.
Xie Linchuan frowned and said solemnly, “Even as a monarch, Your Majesty can surely be open with your subjects. Failing to speak clearly only causes misunderstanding. If people believe Your Majesty is a tyrant like Jie or Zhou, will it not damage your reputation?”
Qin Li gave a sharp “tsk.” “Are those words meant to scold me, Lord Xie?”
“Why do you not think for a moment? When I learned that the little eunuch was a suspect, did I suspect you? When I found out he was your personal guard, did I doubt you?”
“I did not!” Qin Li’s gaze darkened. “Yan Yu and the others all said you had ulterior motives, yet I chose to believe you.”
Xie Linchuan remained silent, his fingertips twitching at his side. If Qin Li knew that he and Jing Zhou had once designed a ruse involving an arrow, perhaps he would not think this way.
“But what about you?” Qin Li exhaled a heavy breath, staring at him. “I just lifted your house arrest and fought for you. Yet as soon as you arrive, you do not have a single good word to say. You point at my nose and call me a bloodthirsty tyrant!”
“You did not even ask what orders I had given. You simply assumed I intended to steam your guard alive without rhyme or reason!”
“In your heart, you have already decided that I am a cruel, fatuous, and wicked man, haven’t you?!”
Qin Li’s tone was cold at first, but by the end, his eyes were wide and his mouth was set in a way that almost seemed aggrieved.
Qin Li found it incomprehensible. If Xie Linchuan hated him for destroying his country, that would be one thing. But the man had saved his life several times and had accepted a government post.
Qin Li thought back. The worst thing he had done was build that pyramid of severed heads, but while other surrendered officials had been white with fear, Xie Linchuan had remained calm. It did not seem like he was that afraid.
Xie Linchuan moved his lips, looking back at him silently.
Qin Li’s shadow from the previous life was simply too deep. Ultimately, it came down to Qin Li’s stubborn and forceful personality; he would rather suffer than lose face.
Qin Li’s brow was tight with frustration. “Have I been that bad to you? Did I dig up your ancestral graves or kill your precious loved ones?”
“You were the one who suggested entering the palace with me. I only scared you with a few words and, at most, kept you confined for a few days. Which of the surrendered officials in court hasn’t been locked up?”
“Even your former master lives quietly and does not dare to defy me. Since you entered the palace, I have not done anything to you.”
At most, he had kissed him a few times and barely even touched his face. Was that really so cruel?
“I let your former master live in luxury in his manor. I sent rewards to your family. I have not even punished your guard, despite him being a remnant of the old dynasty who sneaked into the palace.”
“On the contrary, it is you who has committed insubordination several times!”
Qin Li gritted out the words “insubordination” through his teeth.
“Anyone else would have been dragged away and flogged. Yet here you are, alive and well, pointing at me and scolding me! Have I not been indulgent enough?”
Xie Linchuan sighed inwardly. For a feudal monarch who took the throne through conquest, this was indeed indulgent. It was enough to make a surrendered official feel moved or a sycophant feel loyal. Any citizen raised on traditional values of loyalty might have wept with gratitude.
But for Xie Linchuan, it was not enough. Not nearly enough.
He suddenly paused. Why was it not enough? Were they not just a conquering tyrant and a fallen general? Putting aside the forced intimacy of the past life, would it not be better to maintain a standard relationship of monarch and subject? If that were the case, he would not need Qin Li to treat him as an equal. His current situation was already that of a favored official.
Seeing Xie Linchuan’s silence, Qin Li narrowed his eyes. “Why are you not speaking?”
Xie Linchuan lowered his eyes, his brow furrowed in hesitation. After a moment, he looked up and gazed deeply at Qin Li, finally unable to stop himself from asking, “Your Majesty, if the spy you caught had not been Jing Zhou, would you have actually carried out the execution by steaming?”
The question was so offensive it was practically accusing Qin Li of being a monster. Qin Li’s face turned ashen, and Li Sanbao nearly dropped his fly-whisk in terror.
Qin Li was so furious he nearly stumbled. He tried to speak three times before finally squeezing the words out. “Xie! Lin! Chuan! You have a lot of nerve!”
Xie Linchuan knew the question would enrage him. Asking it now was not a wise decision. However, he desperately wanted to know the answer.
In their previous life, they had fought a great battle of words. To establish his authority, Qin Li had taken him to see a spy being executed. When Xie Linchuan saw the massive steamer, his anger and horror were beyond words. The moment Qin Li ordered the fire to be lit, Xie Linchuan could not bear to watch. He turned and left in a rage.
Afterward, spies inside and outside the palace were cleared out quickly, but rumors of the new emperor’s cruelty spread. Qin Li had met the rumors with cold disdain, saying nothing, and even seemed satisfied with the ministers’ growing fear. From then on, the image of Qin Li as a tyrant was permanently etched into Xie Linchuan’s heart.
Now, he began to wonder if the Qin Li of the past had also been using a ruse to intimidate, just as he was doing now. Just moments ago, Qin Li had only ordered the spy to be dragged away for interrogation. Even if torture were used, the goal would be information. Steaming a person to death served no purpose other than venting anger and earning a bad reputation.
Qin Li took a step toward him, his jaw tight. “Must you insist on provoking me until I die of anger?”
Xie Linchuan looked him in the eye, showing no sign of apologizing.
“Fine, fine, fine,” Qin Li said coldly. “I will tell you. There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of assassins who have tried to kill me. I would not go to such trouble for those people!”
“Killing is simple enough. My hands are covered in blood, but I only kill those who deserve it! I am not bloodthirsty. Acting this way today was merely for intimidation.”
Qin Li had denied it!
For some reason, Xie Linchuan’s pupils shook slightly, and a wave of relief washed over him. Qin Li had a violent temper, but he was at least a man who took responsibility for his actions. If he said so, it was likely true. As for the past life, the information Xie Linchuan held then was far less than what he had now; the truth of that matter would remain unknown.
Xie Linchuan let out a long breath, and the tension he had held for so long eased slightly. His expression became composed once more, and a very faint smile touched his lips.
Qin Li, who had been watching him closely, noticed that subtle change. Thinking Xie Linchuan was mocking him, his anger flared again. “Xie Linchuan, believe it or not!”
Qin Li’s chest heaved. He narrowed his eyes and pointed at the man’s nose. “You only act this way because I—”
He stopped abruptly, swallowing the rest of the sentence. He quickly pulled his hand back and remained silent and somber.
Xie Linchuan sighed. “I do not disbelieve Your Majesty. It is just that when today’s events reach the ears of the ministers tomorrow, will they believe it? Or will they fear Your Majesty’s cruelty, worrying that one day the same will happen to them?”
Qin Li lifted his chin slightly and said coldly, “What does it matter to me what they think?”
Xie Linchuan shook his head. “Your Majesty did this to catch the culprit quickly. Now that the culprit is caught, does Your Majesty not plan to clarify your actions during the morning court tomorrow? Will you allow those people to damage your reputation in private?”
Qin Li sneered. “Is that not perfect? I want them to fear me so they will obey my decrees.”
Xie Linchuan frowned, his tone cooling. “Even if everyone in the world believes Your Majesty is a tyrant, fearing you without respecting you, do you truly not care?”
Qin Li looked at him for a while. Suddenly, he lowered his eyes and gave a low laugh. The anger from moments ago seemed to have settled into a suppressed calm.
“A clarification or an explanation is merely a weak person seeking forgiveness and validation. For a strong person with power and authority, even a mistake is right.”
“I have fought my way to where I am today. I no longer need anyone’s forgiveness or validation. It is only for others to beg for mine!”
Xie Linchuan had not expected such an answer. He brushed his sleeve, thinking to himself that the newly crowned Qin Li was still so arrogant. He wondered if the Qin Li of the past life had ever regretted this attitude toward the end.
Xie Linchuan stepped forward, meeting the other man’s gaze. His eyes were as bright as ink. “Even if I misunderstand Your Majesty, do you still not care?”
Qin Li’s pupils shrank. It felt as if his heart had been stung, or as if someone had grabbed hold of a vital secret. He instinctively took a half step back, turned his face away, and said, “Think what you will.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away.
Xie Linchuan watched him go, his eyebrows rising slowly.
Perhaps Qin Li had not realized that the person who had just spent so much effort explaining himself was, in fact, him.
After walking a few steps, Qin Li paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Since you do not like calling yourself my servant, then do not do it anymore.”
It was annoying to hear.
Xie Linchuan’s mouth curled into a faint, knowing smile.
Tsk.