Yan Zhan followed behind Pei Ling, weaving through the covered walkways.
The night was deep and still, lanterns swaying unsteadily in the north wind. The path ahead was dim, snowflakes stinging their faces, and the accumulated snow underfoot was slippery—walking too quickly made it all too easy to fall.
Yan Zhan steadied the official hat atop his head with one hand while chasing after Pei Ling, who was moving ahead at a brisk pace.
"Your Excellency, I think it's only natural that the Princess refused. Ah, please slow down… The Princess has always been this way; you know that well enough."
Yan Zhan assumed Pei Ling was angered by her, so he kept talking as he chased after him.
"I'm not angry."
"You shouldn't be angry in the first place. In her eyes, you're nothing but a stranger…"
Pei Ling had already reached the study door. At those words, he stopped abruptly.
He let out a laugh. "Yes, a stranger."
He was clearly smiling, yet somehow it sent a chill down one's spine. His right hand suddenly exerted force, shoving open the tightly shut door. Wind and snow rushed in, billowing his wide sleeves and rattling the door panels with a creaking groan.
Pei Ling walked slowly into the darkness, tucking his sleeves aside to light a lamp. A flicker of flame leapt to life in his eyes.
"About what I asked you to investigate—any results?"
Yan Zhan hurriedly replied, "I've uncovered part of it. The Princess has been in poor health these past years and has seen many physicians. I've already sent men to inquire with them one by one, and I'll report back to you afterward. Beyond that, her journey here to Luoyang was no small feat—she was targeted by bandits several times along the way, though fortunately she escaped unscathed. As for after she arrived in Luoyang, before she struck the drum of justice, she went to see one person."
"Who?"
"Lu Ke."
Pei Ling had no particular impression of that name—he couldn't even recall a face to match it.
Yan Zhan explained, "This Lu Ke currently serves as the Equitable Transport Commissioner under the Grand Minister of Agriculture. His ancestral home is Qingzhou, and his father, Lu Jin, is considered a renowned scholar of our time. Lu Ke only entered officialdom in the capital a few years ago. The Lu family has always kept a low profile in court—neither seeking merit nor rushing ahead—so they've never drawn much attention."
"Continue."
"Lu Ke and Duan Xun grew up together in Qingzhou and were fellow students—their private friendship runs deep. When I interrogated the Princess this morning, I made a point of asking. She said that before Duan Xun departed for the campaign, he left her a token. If Duan Xun never returned, she could present that token and seek refuge with someone. I suspect the person she meant is Lu Ke."
The Lu and Duan families did indeed share some connection.
However, the Duan family now stood at the center of a storm. Most in court pretended to be deaf and mute, while the Lu family kept their heads down, silent in the halls of power—likely willing but powerless, seeking only to protect themselves.
As Yan Zhan spoke, Pei Ling had already unhurriedly lit every lamp in the study.
The room was instantly bright as day. In the open cabinet hung a painted scroll—a young woman with arched brows and sparkling, animated eyes, coming to life inch by inch in the rising candlelight.
Pei Ling glanced sideways at the painting, his tone flat. "Bring Lu Ke to see me tomorrow. Make sure it's done discreetly."
Yan Zhan bowed his head in acknowledgment.
The prison was dark and gloomy. Nan Rao curled up on a pile of dry straw in the corner, her mind hazy and heavy, when she suddenly heard footsteps approaching—stopping right outside her cell.
She shook herself awake from her stupor and looked up, utterly astonished at who she saw.
"…Master Lu?"
"Sister-in-law."
Lu Ke wore a plain robe of bamboo green, with several prison guards following behind him. He looked at her through the cell door and smiled. "It's been a while—are you well?"
The guard unlocked the cell door, and Lu Ke stepped inside. Once they locked it again and left, he didn't seem to mind whether the place was clean or not—he simply flicked his robes aside and sat down on the pile of rotting straw across from Nan Rao.
Nan Rao stared at him in shock. "How did you come to be here…"
She never imagined she'd see him in this place. The Commandant of Justice's prison was so heavily guarded—everyone locked inside was a grave offender. Did they really allow visitors like him?
Lu Ke smiled. "I came here for you."
She understood in an instant, murmuring, "Is it… him?"
Her words were incomplete, never saying who "he" was, but Lu Ke seemed to grasp her meaning. He asked, "Do you know who he is?"
"Vaguely… I can guess."
At first, it had only been speculation.
The first time Nan Rao met Yan Zhan, she'd heard others address him as "Chief Clerk." In all of Luoyang, there were very few "Chief Clerks" who could sit in on cases with the Commandant of Justice—one of the Nine Ministers—and jointly interrogate imperial prisoners.
If Yan Zhan held such a position, then the nobleman she'd seen that day—with his stern bearing and imposing presence, before whom even Wang Che, the Commandant of Justice himself, dared not act rashly—who could he be?
Looking across the realm, more than one person stood above the Nine Ministers, but someone so young was exceedingly rare.
There was only one.
—The Grand Chancellor of the court, Pei Ling.
With someone of such immense power, and now seeing Lu Ke here, Nan Rao suddenly bit her lip and looked up. "Master Lu, have they… been making things difficult for you?"
She could think of no other reason for Lu Ke's presence.
Was it only because she had refused Pei Ling yesterday that Lu Ke was now being coerced into coming here?
Lu Ke was taken aback, not expecting her to be so perceptive. He fell silent for a moment, then finally sighed. "To be honest with you, someone did send me here. But it was also my own choice."
"What…"
"Some things, I didn't tell you directly when we met last time."
At the time, Lu Ke had also been remiss.
Seeing Nan Rao alone and pitiful in her widowhood, he had only urged her to restrain her grief, asked if she lacked food or clothing, never once imagining that she, alone as she was, would turn around and dare to strike the Petition Drum.
Had he known she came with the intent to plead her case, he would have stopped her long ago.
How was this any different from walking to her death?
Lu Ke sighed. "Do you know, in the current court, now that the Duan family has fallen, who would hold the power of decision?"
Nan Rao understood nothing of court affairs, but from the lowered tone of Lu Ke's voice, the answer was already on the tip of her tongue.
Lu Ke answered on his own: "It is Prime Minister Pei."
"Since the reigns of Emperors Wen and Heng, the inner court has often been constrained by the outer court. However, ever since Pei Ling assumed the position of Prime Minister, within a mere three years, the authority of both the inner and outer courts has fallen entirely into his hands. Under these circumstances, His Majesty elevated the Duan family—relatives of the Empress—and appointed Duan Xun's father as Grand General. On the surface, this appeared to favor the Empress's maternal clan, but in truth, it was to use the Duan family to counterbalance Pei Ling."
"Now that the Duan family has fallen, virtually all matters of state are decided by Prime Minister Pei alone."
Hearing this, Nan Rao felt as though her heart had been struck a heavy blow.
"So…"
"So, if you wish to overturn the case, you have no choice but to go through Prime Minister Pei."
Lu Ke knew that in the shadows at this very moment, countless eyes were watching his every word and action.
If he dared say a single wrong word to Nan Rao, disaster would surely befall him.
The Prison of the Commandant of Justice was notoriously forbidding—even Lu Ke, a court official, was setting foot here for the first time. All of this stemmed from today, at the hour of Shen, when he had been on his way home after finishing his duties as usual, only to be intercepted midway and brought directly to the Prime Minister's residence.
Lu Ke had been so frightened that his speech became clumsy. Recalling the tense atmosphere in the court these past days, his mind had been filled with nothing but thoughts of how to protect his wife and children.
But when he arrived, the Prime Minister asked him to see Nan Rao.
He had only one request: make her yield.
Lu Ke felt this was not the act of a righteous man. He immediately clasped his hands and bowed toward the figure standing by the window, politely declining: "Prime Minister, this official has met her before. Though it was only a brief encounter, I could see that her temperament is resolute and unyielding—she is not one to easily change her mind…"
Pei Ling's fingers traced the window sill as he said coldly, "That is your concern. If you fail to persuade her, you know the consequences."
Lu Ke lowered his head and said nothing, cold sweat beading at his temples.
Forcing the wife of a friend to bow her head to another—this was truly a betrayal of trust and righteousness. If Brother Xun knew from the underworld, he would surely resent him. But if he did not comply, his own parents, wife, and children would be implicated.
Standing outside the Prison of the Commandant of Justice, Lu Ke could only console himself: this was for the best—at least it pointed Nan Rao toward a path to survival. Going to the Prime Minister's residence was better than staying in this prison. Perhaps Brother Xun would also wish for her to live well.
The Duan family affair was so complex that even court officials felt powerless—it should not involve a delicate woman like her.
As for the Prime Minister, surely he would not do anything to Nan Rao, a fragile widow?
After all, everyone knew that for the past five years, the Prime Minister had been pining for the late Princess Huayang and had never touched women. In the past, those who tried to curry favor by presenting beautiful women to him had all been harshly rebuked.
Lu Ke's thoughts churned as he continued the earlier topic: "Sister-in-law, I know you insist on going through the Commandant of Justice to have the case tried, so that you may prove the Duan family's innocence to the world through the most proper and transparent process, without dispute. But your life is currently in someone else's hands. Only Prime Minister Pei is upright and impartial in his judgments—why not choose to trust him?"
If anyone else had urged her, Nan Rao would not have believed them, but Lu Ke's words sounded sincere.
Upright and impartial in his judgments?
Was Prime Minister Pei truly such a person?
Nan Rao recalled that day in the prison.
That man had seemed to speak to her gently, yet his expression as he looked down at the corpse on the ground had been utterly indifferent, and he spoke of everything in a light, casual tone.
Her heart trembled at the memory.
The closer one drew to the vortex of power, the cheaper human life became—no more than a speck of dust.
Luoyang was so complicated; everyone seemed to wear several faces. Only she stood alone, seen through from the inside out, with no way of knowing who she could truly trust.
Nan Rao's fingers unconsciously gripped the dry straw beneath her, her knuckles turning white from the force without her realizing it.
She lowered her eyelashes and said softly, "I understand. I will listen to Master Lu."
Seeing that she had finally relented, Lu Ke could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. He was about to offer more words of comfort when he saw the woman raise her head, revealing a thin, pale face. Only her dark eyes, bright as if washed in water, gazed at him earnestly as she said, "Master Lu, could you tell me more… about A-Xun's past?"
Lu Ke was momentarily stunned, and a wave of bitter sorrow surged in his chest.
He sighed. "Very well."
…
The Prison of the Commandant of Justice was hardly a place for reminiscing.
The two spoke only briefly before Lu Ke was urged to leave.
Before departing, unable to bear it, he turned back and hastily said to her, "Sister-in-law, take good care of yourself from now on. Do not act on impulse. If you ever need anything, you may come to the Lu residence to find me at any time. We can slowly think of a plan together—better than you bearing this alone."
With that, he left.
Only Nan Rao remained, curled up in the corner with her knees drawn to her chest.
Her body burned like fire, and her mind was even more chaotic.
It wasn't that she hadn't noticed Lu Ke's helplessness and difficulty—it was precisely because she had noticed that she had finally compromised.
She had insisted on seeking justice to obtain retribution for the dead, but not at the cost of sacrificing the innocent living.
Fortunately, Lu Ke had just shared with her some stories about Duan Xun's past.
"Him? Back then, he was the most mischievous one among us. He was always up to no good—when the tutor fell asleep, he'd paint a turtle on his face, and he'd run off to 'play the hero and right wrongs.' When General Duan found out, he'd chase after him, beating him, and that kid would dodge and leap about like a monkey. But in the end, he could never escape a beating—several military whips were broken on him."
She asked, "If he was that mischievous… wouldn't he be punished constantly?"
"Not really. He was the youngest in the family, doted on by his elder sister and two older brothers, who granted his every wish. The Grand General would scold him for being naughty, but even when he beat him, he could never bring himself to be truly harsh."
"But for all the indulgence, Xun-di was the most loyal and righteous. Once, if not for standing up for me, he wouldn't have beaten someone black and blue and been punished by his family to kneel in the ancestral hall."
"Xun-di, he was always the type to act freely and refuse to be restrained since childhood."
"So later, after his elder sister became empress and his father went to Luoyang to serve as an official, he followed them there, but he disliked how restrictive Luoyang was. Within less than a month, he had vanished without a trace."
Counting the time, that was around when Duan Xun had first found Nan Rao.
Back then, the young man was spirited and warm-hearted, riding his horse straight up to her and pulling her back from the gates of the underworld.
"A few years ago, Xun-di wrote to me saying he had married. I was quite surprised at the time," Lu Ke said with a smile. "The Grand General had tried to arrange matches for him everywhere—the daughters of nobles and aristocrats—but he didn't like a single one. In the end, he defied his family's pressure and married you."
After all, marriages among great clans were usually about status and pedigree.
Hearing this, Nan Rao couldn't help but smile softly.
"His family originally didn't agree."
She hadn't dared to hope for more either.
When she first met him, she didn't know his identity. Only later did she learn that he came from a prominent family, the youngest son of the Grand General, and that his father had been sending people everywhere to capture him.
Nan Rao's heart was filled with reluctance.
Duan Xun was the only person she knew in the world, the one who had tirelessly cared for her through so many days and nights.
He had personally fed her medicine and carried her on his back to find doctors.
Without him, she wouldn't even have known whether she should live or how to live.
She was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, knowing nothing.
But Nan Rao also understood that she shouldn't hold him back.
He had saved her life—a debt she could never repay. She had always been alone and shouldn't burden others further.
That deep night, afraid he might see her sadness, Nan Rao hid in the courtyard to cry. Unexpectedly, she heard a clear, crisp voice behind her.
"A-Rao?"
She turned around and saw Duan Xun standing in the moonlight.
At some point, the young man had already packed his luggage overnight and stood by the crabapple tree in the courtyard, holding his horse's reins.
Was he going to leave her behind now?
Dejected, she asked, "Are you…?"
Before she could finish, he raised an eyebrow and smiled at her. "Eloping."
Her heart trembled violently. She stared seriously into his eyes, confirming he wasn't joking.
The young man lazily held his horsewhip, his gaze bright as stars, and declared with conviction, "The world is vast—where can't we find a place to belong? No one in this world can force me to do what I don't want to do. A-Rao, would you be willing to come with me?"
The peach-lined paths, the willow-shaded lanes, the soaring orioles and growing grass—none could compare to the blazing spring in the young man's eyes.
"I'll go with you."
She said it firmly.
And so, they eloped.
The young man's heart burned like fire, and once he'd made up his mind, not even nine oxen could drag him back. Even though taking care of her was a troublesome affair, even though his parents pressured him to return and marry another, promising to let Nan Rao be a concubine, he never yielded an inch.
In time, the Duan family had no choice but to compromise.
They told Duan Xun to bring his new wife home and live a peaceful life.
The young man thought it over for a long time, then said to her, "A-Rao, I've thought about it. If I just take you back like this, even if you're my lawful wife, there are too many sycophants in Luoyang… I'm worried that when I'm not around, they'll bully you. Let's stay together in Qingzhou, alright? In the future, when my father and mother finish their campaigns and return to Qingzhou, I'll bring you to meet them. They'll surely come to love you just as I do."
He tightened his grip on her fingers, his expression solemn, making her a promise.
She looked at him with a bright smile. "Alright."
She had always believed in him. In truth, even going to Luoyang wouldn't have scared her.
But Duan Xun died.
No remains left, separated forever between heaven and earth.
On the day Nan Rao set out for Luoyang, she took one last look back at the small house where they had lived together for five years. The doorway stood desolate and cold, as if the young man who had loved her so deeply had never existed in this world at all.
Five years later, Nan Rao had ultimately become alone and homeless once more.
At the thought, a sudden surge of coppery sweetness rose in her throat. The scene before her spun dizzily, and unable to hold on any longer, she collapsed limply to the ground.
At the same time, Pei Ling was seated in the main hall of the Commandant of Justice's office, drinking tea.
Wang Che lingered uneasily at his side, feeling overwhelmed. In the past, if Prime Minister Pei paid a personal visit, it was always over some earth-shaking matter of national importance. Now, however, he would drop by for no particular reason just to sit and have a few sips of tea, which put considerable pressure on Wang Che.
Wang Che didn't know whether to sit or stand. Yan Zhan noticed he was sweating profusely and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Lord Wang need not stand guard here. Feel free to attend to your official duties."
Wang Che gave an awkward smile, thinking to himself: He would love to, but with Prime Minister Pei here, he wouldn't dare to actually leave him unattended.
While he was inwardly tormented, someone hurried in from outside and said urgently, "Bad news, Prime Minister. Just now, Lord Lu came out and said the lady in the prison has finally relented. But when I went to check on her just now, I found that she…"
"What happened to her?" Pei Ling asked with a furrowed brow.
"She has fainted."
Pei Ling's expression changed drastically.
He set down his teacup and rose abruptly, striding swiftly toward the exit, his wide sleeves sweeping up a cold gust of wind.
"Huh? Pr—Prime Minister?"
Seeing the Prime Minister so agitated, Wang Che was momentarily stunned and instinctively moved to follow, but Yan Zhan reached out an arm to block him, smiling, "There's something the Prime Minister asked me to convey to you, Lord Wang. Shall we speak in private?"
"Very well, very well." Wang Che had no choice but to follow Yan Zhan.