The words she had buried deep in her heart for so long were finally spoken.
For the past three years, everyone in the Xie family had felt that her marriage to Xie Yuheng was an act of charity on their part. Even Xie Yuheng himself believed so. Consequently, they naturally looked down on her, criticizing and dictating her life from their high horses.
Madam Lin stared wide-eyed at Ji Hanyi.
The younger woman was dressed in pale charcoal-grey robes. Her eyes were neither cold nor warm, and her green jade earrings hung perfectly still. Although she stood there respectfully, just as she did every other day, her presence today made Madam Lin’s chest tighten with a stifling pressure.
She pointed at Ji Hanyi, but for a long while, she found herself speechless.
While the others might not know the details of how this marriage was arranged, she knew. Her husband knew, and Old Madam Xie knew.
Years ago, Ji Hanyi’s father, Ji Jing, had been a once-in-a-generation talent. Not only was he tall and handsome, but he had also placed third in the imperial examinations as the *Tanhuahua*. He had earned the deep respect of the then-Grand Secretary Shen. Despite being a poor scholar with no background, he had risen to become a Monitoring Censor in just seven years.
A Monitoring Censor was only a seventh-rank official, but the position carried immense power and offered many opportunities to distinguish oneself. Promotion usually came within three to five years. Sure enough, after a few more years, he had been promoted to Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision.
That year, Madam Lin’s husband had indeed run into trouble. At the time, he was a Vice Commissioner of the Salt Transport Specialty. Having offended someone, he was framed for bribery and salt embezzlement by a Monitoring Censor. It was Ji Jing who had overruled the Ministry of Justice’s charges and cleared his name.
Later, when her husband sent gifts of gratitude, they were all returned. Feeling he had no other way to repay the debt, he proposed a marriage alliance between the two families.
Initially, the Ji family was reluctant to agree. However, her husband pleaded earnestly, promising that his son would only ever take one wife and never keep concubines. Only then did the Ji family relent.
Madam Lin had never spoken of these matters to anyone. Now that the Gu family woman had brought it up, she felt her face burning with embarrassment. These were old stories; if they hadn’t been mentioned, she would have forgotten them herself.
Beside her, Xie Jin was unaware of this history. Hearing Ji Hanyi’s words, she sneered, “Given your situation back then, who would have married you if my brother hadn’t? The Xie family was willing to take you in, and instead of being grateful, you choose to bite the hand that fed you?”
Madam Lin interrupted Xie Jin, looking down at Ji Hanyi. “There is no need to bring up the past. You are already married to Yuheng. Those old matters don’t need to be mentioned again. As for your cousin’s situation, the Xie family truly cannot help. You should explain this clearly to your aunt as soon as possible.”
Ji Hanyi saw through it all. She straightened her posture slightly and said, “Mother, rest assured. I will not trouble the Xie family.”
Having said her piece, Ji Hanyi lowered her eyes and took her leave.
Madam Lin watched Ji Hanyi’s retreating figure. Once she had recovered from her emotions, she took a sip of tea to calm herself.
Xie Jin couldn’t help but lean in and ask, “Mother, why did you stop me just now?”
Madam Lin glanced at her daughter. “There’s no point in talking about it. You know your father. Back then, he insisted that Yuheng marry Ji Hanyi. He made the final decision and wouldn’t hear a word against it. There’s nothing more to say. Your father is stubborn; if he knew you were saying such things, he would certainly reprimand you.”
Xie Jin was stunned.
She remembered how, three years ago, her brother had dragged his feet and refused to propose. Her mother had even suggested calling off the engagement with the Ji family, offering Ji Hanyi some compensation instead to fulfill her brother’s wish to be with Li Mingrou. But her father had flown into a rage, calling it a betrayal of righteousness. After that, her mother never dared to bring it up again.
It was true; as long as her father remained firm, the marriage to Ji Hanyi had been inevitable. No one dared to disobey him.
Still, she couldn’t help but grumble, “But she actually talked back to you today…”
Madam Lin rubbed her temples. “Enough, enough.” She then looked at Xie Jin and asked, “If we were to help with that matter, would it be difficult?”
Xie Jin replied, “My husband said it’s not a capital offense, but when he asked Yuheng about it, Yuheng said to handle it strictly according to the law. So, I didn’t ask further.”
Madam Lin sighed. “That is just like Yuheng’s character.”
Xie Jin added, “If you ask me, we shouldn’t help anyway. I’m afraid that if we start, there will be no end to it. The Gu family is already in decline; who knows what other trouble they’ll get into later?”
Madam Lin nodded. “There is truth in what you say.”
***
When Ji Hanyi returned to her courtyard, she had barely leaned back onto the daybed before she broke into a fit of coughing.
She gripped her hand warmer tightly as the heat from the charcoal brazier at her feet rose to warm her body. She looked out the window, asked Rong Chun for the time, and then stared blankly at the glowing coals.
On the other side of the city, Lu Yuan hurried through the main gate of the Censorate, following a low-ranking official toward the Second Hall.
As he stood outside the doors, Lu Yuan’s heart hammered against his ribs. He had no idea why the Censor-in-Chief had summoned him. He had heard that two Small Banner Officers from his unit had also been brought in today, and the uncertainty left him deeply unsettled.
Everyone knew that ever since Shen Si took office as the Censor-in-Chief, he had been an “Iron-faced Yama” who showed no mercy. No one in the Capital City dared to cross him. Not only was he the Empress’s younger brother, but he also possessed the Emperor’s absolute trust. If Lu Yuan really had committed an offense, his head might be at stake.
The Censorate had eyes and ears all over the city. Lu Yuan mentally reviewed everything he had done over the past few years, terrified he might have overlooked some incriminating detail.
He was so nervous that he didn’t even notice the voice inviting him in. It was only when the guard at the door gave him a slight nudge that he snapped back to reality and hurriedly bowed as he entered.
The Second Hall was used for private official business, and its decor was exceptionally elegant. This was Lu Yuan’s first time here, and the anxiety caused sweat to pour down his back.
Although he was a fourth-rank official, he was nothing compared to Shen Si. The Censorate monitored all officials; with a single word from Shen Si, Lu Yuan’s house could be raided and his family exiled.
As he walked further in, the first thing he saw were his two Small Banner Officers from the Embroidered Uniform Guard kneeling on the floor, trembling with fear. Lu Yuan’s heart leaped into his throat. Without waiting to speak, he dropped to his knees and performed a full kowtow toward Shen Si, who sat behind a long desk, seemingly focused on his work. “This subordinate pays his respects to the Censor-in-Chief.”
At the sound of his voice, Shen Si raised his phoenix eyes slightly to look at Lu Yuan before lowering them again, ignoring him.
Silence stretched across Tuisi Hall for a long time. Lu Yuan didn’t dare to even lift his head.
Finally, Shen Si’s slender fingers finished the last stroke of his brush. He set it aside and looked at the kneeling man. “Commander Lu has arrived?”
Lu Yuan quickly acknowledged him.
Shen Si’s face remained aristocratically cold, his voice professional and detached. “There is no need for such ceremony. I summoned you here merely to identify two people.”
Lu Yuan immediately understood. He looked at the two men kneeling nearby—they were indeed the two Small Banner Officers from the interrogation rooms.
He hurriedly said to Shen Si, “These two are indeed my subordinates. May I ask what crime they have committed, My Lord?”
Shen Si sat at the head of the hall, his expression aloof. Above him hung a plaque inscribed with the words *Maintain Discipline and Integrity*. The invisible pressure of the office weighed heavily on Lu Yuan, making it almost unbearable.
Shen Si let out a cold snort. “It seems Commander Lu manages his men quite well. Every one of them is corrupt and takes bribes. Now, I find myself wondering: do you merely tolerate their behavior, or are you the one who taught them?”
The voice was not loud, but the words struck Lu Yuan like a thunderbolt.
He pressed his forehead to the ground. “Please, My Lord, show mercy! I truly had no idea my subordinates had committed such a crime. I have never accepted a single copper of bribe money.”
At this point, Lu Yuan didn’t even try to argue whether the men had taken the money. Since Shen Si had brought them here, he undoubtedly had ironclad evidence. Arguing would only make things worse.
Furthermore, he knew his subordinates well. Squeezing “oil” out of prisoners was common practice, and his men knew how to show their “filial respect” to him, so he usually turned a blind eye. If things were truly investigated deeply, he would be doomed as well.
He just hadn’t expected Shen Si to fix his gaze on such low-ranking clerks. The fact that Shen Si even knew about the petty crimes of two Small Banner Officers made Lu Yuan even more terrified. He was usually so cautious, but what if Shen Si had already found something on him? Like this time—if Shen Si chose to prosecute, a single memorial to the throne accusing him of dereliction of duty and corruption would cost him his rank.
Shen Si stood up, his tall, lean figure coming to a stop in front of the kneeling Lu Yuan. “Oh? The information I received is that the person who bribed these two was the Second Madam of the Gu family. As far as I know, Gu Xun was arrested by the Eastern Depot and sent to your unit, where he has yet to confess. You should be familiar with Gu Xun; you know his connections. Why? Has no one from the Xie family pleaded for him?”
Now that Shen Si had laid it out so plainly, how could Lu Yuan not understand?
The implication was that his subordinates had taken a bribe from Madam Gu, and that he, out of consideration for his brother-in-law, was intentionally going easy on Gu Xun.
Lu Yuan felt he was being treated unfairly. Firstly, he *had* initially intended to help, and had sent someone to ask Xie Yuheng about it. But Xie Yuheng had said to handle it by the book, so Lu Yuan understood and had no intention of letting Gu Xun off.
The reason it had been dragged out for several days was that Gu Xun refused to confess even after being beaten half to death. Since he was a student of the Imperial Academy, they couldn’t actually kill him. Furthermore, knowing his subordinates had taken money, Lu Yuan figured he would just stall for a bit. It was common for prisoners to be stubborn at first, but few could last ten days.
He never could have imagined that such a trivial matter would be noticed by the Censorate—let alone by Shen Si himself. Was this really worth his personal intervention?
But Lu Yuan didn’t dare overthink it. He absolutely could not admit to going easy on Gu Xun, nor could he admit to knowing about the bribery.
He looked up at Shen Si, his voice urgent. “Gu Xun is indeed a cousin of my brother-in-law’s wife, but my brother-in-law, Xie Yuheng, never pleaded for him. In fact, he told me to handle the matter strictly according to the law. The reason for the delay is that Gu Xun initially seemed ready to confess but then recanted. That is why it has been dragged out.”
Shen Si arched an eyebrow.
He looked down at Lu Yuan’s sweat-drenched, desperate face. The man didn’t look like he was lying.
Shen Si could also tell that Lu Yuan was telling the truth. If Ji Hanyi had asked Xie Yuheng to help, given the relationship between Xie Yuheng and Lu Yuan, the matter wasn’t that large. Gu Xun wouldn’t still be in the Northern Imperial Prison.
The fact that Ji Hanyi had bypassed her husband to seek help from him meant something was amiss.
He looked down at Lu Yuan with a faint, contemptuous gaze. “You think I will believe that? His own wife didn’t even ask for a favor?” He sneered. “Lu Yuan, do you dare to play me for a fool? You lack discipline, you allow your subordinates to break the law, and you lie to your superiors. Regarding Gu Xun’s case, do you dare swear you haven’t shown favoritism?”
As the accusations piled up, Lu Yuan’s face turned pale.
He never imagined that a minor character like Gu Xun could bring him to such a state. If he had known, he would have released the boy long ago just to avoid the Censorate’s scrutiny. The bribery was proven, and the connection to his brother-in-law was a fact. If Shen Si wanted to pursue this, Lu Yuan wouldn’t even know how to defend himself.
At this point, Lu Yuan had nothing left to lose. He knew that if he said one more wrong word, he would be ruined forever. He blurted out in a panic, “Censor-in-Chief, please hear my explanation! Although Gu Xun is a cousin to my brother-in-law’s wife, my brother-in-law Xie Yuheng serves in the Grand Court of Revision and has always been impartial and selfless. Furthermore… his relationship with his wife is actually not good. He doesn’t even like her, so there is no way he would come to me to plead for her sake!”
In his desperation to save himself, Lu Yuan didn’t care about airing Xie Yuheng’s dirty laundry. He trembled as he spoke. “Please, My Lord, investigate the truth!”
Shen Si’s eyes shifted slightly as he met Lu Yuan’s panicked gaze. His expression remained unreadable as he said, “Oh? I heard they were betrothed since childhood. Why would Xie Yuheng dislike his legal wife?”
Lu Yuan blinked, surprised that Shen Si even knew about the betrothal. Had he investigated his brother-in-law just to pin a crime on him? It made sense; every case Shen Si handled was airtight, and no one who fell into his hands ever escaped. He was the Emperor’s eyes on the bureaucracy; anyone he bumped into was bound to lose a layer of skin.
Lu Yuan no longer cared about Xie Yuheng’s privacy and spilled everything. “My Lord, you may not know, but precisely because it was a childhood engagement, my brother-in-law has always been dissatisfied with his wife. However, he is a man of principle and propriety. At best, they treat each other with the cold respect of strangers. This is known to everyone in the Xie household. Therefore, it is impossible that he would plead for Gu Xun on her behalf. Besides, Gu Xun did break the law, and I wouldn’t dare release him just because of a connection. I swear I am telling the truth! Please, My Lord, see for yourself!”
Shen Si looked at Lu Yuan’s raised hand as he swore the oath and pursed his lips slightly.
After a moment, he said, “I will be the judge of that. As for your two subordinates—if you don’t deal with them, don’t blame me for doing it for you.”
Lu Yuan quickly complied. “Rest assured, My Lord. As soon as I return, I will have them punished publicly and then exiled to the border to serve in the frontier army.”
Shen Si’s face remained devoid of emotion. He added, “As for Gu Xun… I have heard of him. He was ranked ‘A’ in both the monthly and seasonal examinations at the Imperial Academy. A man who knows the law so well is unlikely to keep heretical books. You should investigate thoroughly. Do not let it become a miscarriage of justice. Be careful not to lose your position and implicate your family. It wouldn’t be worth it.”
Lu Yuan listened to these words in a daze, sensing a hidden meaning, but he didn’t have the mental energy to analyze it. He simply nodded repeatedly, fearing that any delay would lead to his arrest.
Shen Si waved his hand, dismissing Lu Yuan and his subordinates.
Lu Yuan scrambled to his feet and stumbled out of the Censorate’s gates. As the sunlight hit him, he felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell and come back to life.
When the two Small Banner Officers he brought out knelt before him, weeping and begging for mercy, Lu Yuan was so furious he kicked each of them. “Why weren’t you afraid when you were taking the money? Since you couldn’t keep your hands clean, if you want to live, go to the frontier. If you stay in the Capital, you won’t survive the day!”