Yu Qijian nodded vigorously.
“Chief Eunuch also said that who knows how many eyes in court are watching the Yu Clan right now, just waiting to catch us making a mistake. The reason I’ve forced myself to try governing from behind the curtain is because I’m afraid that day might really come. Someone has to keep an eye on the things Uncle does that are beyond control. If he keeps pushing forward without restraint and ends up being accused of colluding with the inner palace and interfering in state affairs… Mother, that’s the kind of thing that gets people’s heads cut off.”
Of course, Wang Shuxin knew about the fate of Empress Dowager Zhaoming’s family.
It had been the most brutal case involving imperial relatives since the founding of the dynasty.
But the circumstances were different.
His Majesty was still young. Were they really supposed to let a powerful eunuch dominate the court and ride roughshod over everyone else?
If that happened, then the upright scholar-officials would truly be useless cowards.
She sighed.
“Qingqing, your governing from behind the curtain is entirely proper and legitimate. Don’t be afraid. The Yu Clan has no such ambitions, so there’s no need to fear others trying to find faults.”
Inside, Yu Qijian cursed.
Was Wang Shuxin pretending not to understand, or was she simply too confident?
Don’t waste all those tears and all that effort, alright?
“Mother, first we have to stay safe and alive. Only then can there be a future.”
“Good child, Mother understands. When I return, I’ll definitely speak carefully with your father and the others. You should also be more cautious in the palace…”
Looking at Wang Shuxin’s expression, Yu Qijian saw no sign of self-reflection.
Instead, her mother looked completely pleased that her daughter had developed such awareness.
Yu Qijian was left speechless.
After Wang Shuxin departed, she immediately headed to the Imperial Secretariat to find Fang Jinxian.
Mo Fang never stopped her.
She moved through the compound unhindered and even spotted Black Wind.
“Ah, Black Wind, you’re back!”
Black Wind wagged his tail and ran over.
This time, however, he did not dare pounce on her.
With his tongue hanging out in what looked like a grin, he sat obediently before her, handsome and well-behaved.
“Why are you being so good today? Did they beat you up?”
Yu Qijian reached out and rubbed his head.
“You don’t look any thinner, so I guess they didn’t abuse you. Good dog.”
“Did you get a bath too? Why do you smell so nice?”
“Good Black Wind, you’re so handsome… Look at you, all bright-eyed and refined…”
Once she started petting him, she simply could not stop.
She almost forgot why she had come in the first place.
Up on the second-floor corridor, Fang Jinxian narrowed his eyes and watched her for quite a while.
Eventually, he lost patience and called out,
“Do you need something?”
Yu Qijian looked up.
“Yes!”
Originally, she had arrived in a foul mood.
But Black Wind had licked all the irritation away.
By the time she went upstairs, she was already in the mood to ask Mo Fang for food.
“Petting dogs makes people hungry. Besides, I haven’t eaten all morning.”
Mo Fang acknowledged the request and withdrew.
After he left, Fang Jinxian spoke expressionlessly on Black Wind’s behalf.
“Black Wind is a wolf.”
“A wolfdog is still a dog.”
“A wolfdog is also a wolf.”
“Fine, fine. I’m not arguing with you about that.”
She waved him off.
“You know about my mother’s visit to the Palace of Eternal Peace, right? What do you think she meant? Does the Yu Clan really have no such ambitions, or was she pretending to be clueless to keep me calm?”
Before Fang Jinxian could answer, Mo Fang returned with tea and pastries.
Yu Qijian immediately grabbed a pastry and stuffed it into her mouth.
“So annoying. If they insist on courting disaster, they shouldn’t drag me down with them. I made everything so clear, and she still argued with me. Good intentions really go unappreciated…”
Fang Jinxian stared at her as she devoured pastries one after another.
His thoughts drifted.
How could she have such a good appetite?
Every day, he heard reports about what new dishes, desserts, teas, and snacks had been added to the Palace of Eternal Peace.
There was always something new.
Even the milk tea she had sent yesterday had been quite good.
Yet despite eating like this every day, she somehow never seemed to gain any weight.
“Why are you ignoring me again?”
Yu Qijian complained.
“Come on. We’re allies, aren’t we? Fang Jinxian, if you keep this up, our little boat is going to capsize!”
“What little boat?”
Fang Jinxian asked deliberately, withdrawing his gaze and casually picking up a bead from the table to play with.
“The boat of friendship!”
“In that case, how exactly am I supposed to keep this boat afloat?”
Yu Qijian felt he was being inexplicably strange.
And possibly sarcastic.
Instantly, her temper flared.
“Is this my problem alone?!”
It was the second time she had asked that soul-searching question.
Judging by her tone, she sounded ready to execute the hostage.
Fang Jinxian looked at her quietly before deciding to soothe her.
“Then what does Your Majesty wish this minister to do right now?”
Yu Qijian pursed her lips and sat back down.
“Have your bait fish been released yet?”
“They haven’t taken the bait.”
“How about we make a deal first?”
“What kind of deal?”
“No matter what the Yu Clan does in the future, and regardless of what happens to them, I get automatically excluded and won’t be implicated. Deal?”
Slowly, Fang Jinxian took out a candy and offered it to her.
“No.”
Yu Qijian slapped his hand away.
“…Do you know how hard my life is? Every time I see her, I cry. I’m doing everything I can to stop them from walking down a road of no return, and she ends up brushing me off instead.”
Fang Jinxian clicked his tongue softly.
He unwrapped the candy himself and popped it into his mouth.
Leaning lazily against the chair, supporting his head with one hand, he regarded her with an unreadable look.
“Why are you so opposed to the Yu Clan holding power? His Majesty is still young. You would be in authority, and the Yu Clan has disciples and allies throughout the realm. What’s wrong with that?”
Yu Qijian frowned.
“Is His Majesty going to stay young forever? And where exactly would I be holding power? How many imperial relatives in history who monopolized authority ended well? I’ve already told you—I just want to live peacefully for the rest of my life. Why are you asking this? Don’t trust me? Testing me? Your paranoia is so severe. Can you even sleep at night?”
Fang Jinxian fell silent for a moment.
He seemed tired.
“…I can’t.”
Yu Qijian sighed.
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
He found that amusing.
Imitating her tone, he repeated,
“Then what are we supposed to do?”
Yu Qijian burst out laughing.
“You’re so annoying.”
The room grew quiet again.
After a while, she realized she had been there for half the day and hadn’t solved a single problem.
The urge to lose her mind returned.
“Why? Why is it like this? I’ve worked so hard—how come I still haven’t accomplished anything?”
Fang Jinxian should have found it funny.
After all, seeing her always seemed to produce that feeling in him for no reason.
But hearing her say those words while laughing at herself left a bitter taste in his heart.
He thought of the Late Emperor.
The man had been humble and, at times, stubborn.
He knew his own shortcomings clearly.
For all those years, he had stubbornly and steadfastly loved only his wife.
Faced with his steadily worsening health, he had once sighed:
“Life and death are determined by fate. There is nothing I can do.”
He always said there was nothing he could do.
Even an Emperor often felt powerless before certain things.
How much more so for ordinary people?
And Yu Qijian had come from an especially difficult background.
Only she truly knew what emotions lay behind words like those.
After a moment of silence, Fang Jinxian spoke quietly.
“In a few days, if there are any movements from the Yu Clan, I’ll inform you. There’s no need to be anxious. Your life… won’t be dragged into this anytime soon.”
Instantly, Yu Qijian’s eyes filled with tears.
Looking at him through a blur of moisture, she said emotionally,
“With those words, I can finally relax. Chief Eunuch, you’re practically the pillar that steadies my sea.”
Fang Jinxian’s heart skipped a beat.
Awkwardly, he looked away.
He carefully considered how to tell her not to cry over every little thing.
Before the words could emerge, however, he watched her wipe her face, pick up another pastry, and continue eating happily, alternating bites with sips of tea.
“Don’t you have anything savory? These are all so sweet and rich. I can’t eat anymore. You can finish the rest. I’m going back to the Palace of Eternal Peace to eat.”
Fang Jinxian: “…”