Chapter 119: Where is Minister Xie?
Su Bei’s corpse was escorted back to Chang’an. Within a few days, the fall of the once-mighty Su family sent waves of panic through the capital’s million-strong population.
Under the military’s forceful suppression, the Su family’s assets were entirely confiscated, and over a thousand of the Su clan’s scions were executed on the spot.
The era of “The Su Clan Owning Half the Court” was no more.
From that moment on, no family in Chang’an dared to defy the Son of Heaven again.
When the Emperor moved to implement the Imperial Examination system across the entire realm, no one raised a single objection.
The date for the Enke—the special grace examination—was set for just after the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Ying Xi drafted the examination questions personally. Compared to the traditional focus on ethics and morality, he was far more interested in policies regarding state governance.
As for the specific questions he set, they are a story for another time.
While Ying Xi was composing the exam, a sudden thought struck him. Using a wolf-hair brush, he wrote four characters neatly upon the xuan paper.
—”Protect the Nation, Reform Fate.”
He flicked the final vertical stroke of the word “Fate” upward.
Ying Xi set down his brush.
The purple bamboo handle clattered against the inkstone, creating a faint sound in the quiet study of Weiyang Palace.
Sweet Tub piped up energetically,
[Sweet Tub: Wuhu! Your Majesty, you’ve already succeeded by more than half!]
Ying Xi asked softly, “How so?”
Sweet Tub replied,
[Sweet Tub: You’ve governed the country so well that the Xiongnu won’t be able to invade. If the nation doesn’t fall, it means you’ve successfully changed your own destiny.]
Gazing at those four characters, the corners of Ying Xi’s mouth twitched into a slight smile.
In this life, he was indeed rushing against time.
But looking back at the road he had traveled, it seemed he had already changed many things.
The names of those who had once opposed him flashed through his mind: Feng Yong, Dong Gu, the Shadow, Li Yilong, Su Bei…
These enemies had all become stepping stones to consolidate his Imperial power.
And those with whom he once had strained relations—his teacher, his brother—seemed to have made new progress with him as well.
…This subject will be forever loyal to You.
“What is Your Majesty thinking about?”
Ying Xi’s gaze focused.
[Sweet Tub: Your Majesty, do you still hate General Xie?]
It felt as though a sensitive string in Ying Xi’s heart had suddenly been plucked.
In an instant, the smile on his lips faded slightly, yet that man’s image continued to linger in his mind.
He remembered both versions of the man: the gentle one and the ruthless one.
Each was engraved into his soul.
“…” Ying Xi remained silent.
Sweet Tub, unaware of what her host was thinking, obediently changed the subject.
[Sweet Tub: Then, do you hate Prime Minister Su?]
“I don’t.”
[Sweet Tub: Do you still resent your Teacher?]
“Teacher is doing very well now.”
As for Prince Yong, there was even less to say; he was his own flesh-and-blood brother.
Sweet Tub grumbled dejectedly,
[Sweet Tub: The Big Wolfdog is so pitiful. He’s the only one still being crossed out in your little notebook.]
It was true.
Why was it that he always thought of Ju’er, yet only held a lingering grudge against him?
He could deal with everyone else without any psychological barriers.
[Sweet Tub: But I won’t give up on pushing the Big Wolfdog. After all, the whole ‘love-hate’ and ‘mutual destruction’ trope is just too delicious.]
“Your Majesty, the Xiongnu prisoner you requested is here.”
It was Yu Jing delivering the message.
Ying Xi had previously dispatched the Longwu Army to attack two locations: one at Mount Cuihua and the other on the ships. Both operations had yielded survivors, and Ying Xi had questions for them.
It must be the Longwu Army escorting the survivors inside.
Ying Xi couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.
His gaze fell upon his own reflection in the celadon brush holder as he adjusted his posture, seemingly at random.
“Send them in.”
Lian Qing entered with a cheerful greeting, “Your Majesty! Your Majesty!”
“Your Majesty’s Dragon Might is vast! In less than three days, you’ve stabilized prices in Chang’an, implemented the examinations, and intimidated the great clans! Long live Your Majesty!”
The flattery was exceptionally loud.
Ying Xi shook his head slightly, casting a long look toward the doorframe behind Lian Qing. Finding nothing, he blankly withdrew his gaze and fixed it upon the Xiongnu warriors hired by the Su family.
The five or six Xiongnu guards behaved differently.
Some puffed out their chests, some had shifty eyes, and others kept their heads down, staring at the floor.
Ying Xi said to Sweet Tub in his mind, “Tub-er, go take a nap for a bit.”
Sweet Tub was dazed—he was telling her to sleep in the middle of the day.
She instinctively felt that the Emperor was about to do something terrifying.
[Sweet Tub: Then I’ll go see if there are any system patches to download.]
Sweet Tub went offline temporarily.
One of the Xiongnu soldiers was dragged out, followed shortly by a blood-curdling scream echoing into the Imperial study. The faces of the remaining prisoners turned various shades of pale.
Ying Xi said calmly, “I shall allow only one to live. Whoever confesses the fastest, lives.”
“What intelligence have you sent back to the Xiongnu?”
Before the words had even fully faded, two or three Xiongnu soldiers scrambled to answer first, “The Hetao map!” “It’s a map of the internal terrain of Great Qin’s borders! We sent it to the Chanyu two years ago!”
“Before my ascension?”
One Xiongnu soldier, who was quite fluent in the Han language, replied, “Yes! During the reign of Emperor Yuantai, Su Bei used his position to obtain a copy of the map. He traded it for two hundred horses and us—his private guards.”
So that was how Wuwei had been able to advance so irresistibly in the past life, following the Hetao region south to invade the borders.
Calculating the time in this life, the final battle was fast approaching.
“Why didn’t Wuwei attack the Hetao region while I was on the southern campaign?”
The Xiongnu soldiers fell silent.
It only lasted a moment, however, as Lian Qing caught the Emperor’s drift and hauled another Xiongnu soldier out of the study.
The wailing began anew!
“The Great Chanyu is facing trouble of his own!!!”
This group of Xiongnu hadn’t been sent to the capital solely to protect a fool like Su Bei. They were also meant to be spies.
Since they were spies tasked with gathering intelligence on the court, they had to maintain contact with the Royal Court.
Trapped in Mount Cuihua, the information they had managed to scrounge up actually felt like a small gain for Ying Xi.
Ying Xi said darkly, “Explain in detail.”
“Rumors have circulated in the Royal Court for years that Great Chanyu Wuwei’s throne was obtained illegitimately—that he killed his eldest brother.”
“To prove his innocence and stabilize the tribesmen who remain loyal to the previous Chanyu, Wuwei swore an oath to Chengli that he would personally raise his nephew and return the throne once Prince Harang reached adulthood!”
Chengli was the Xiongnu word for “Heaven.”
The soldier confessed, “Prince Harang has come of age. The voices calling for the return of the throne are growing louder. A conflict just broke out recently.”
“What conflict?”
“The Chanyu gifted the Prince a fine horse. After receiving a beautiful saddle and drinking heavily, the Prince galloped off and fell down a mountain.”
Ying Xi arched an eyebrow. “Is he dead?”
“He didn’t die! But if he continues to drink and race horses, something will happen to him sooner or later. He is supposed to inherit the throne.”
The fall from the horse was the fuse.
It turned out Wuwei had enough of his own fires to put out, which explained why he had no time to interfere with Ying Xi’s southern campaign.
Thinking of that beautiful saddle that had been taken from his private storehouse, Ying Xi said nothing more.
The interrogation yielded no further critical information. The surviving Xiongnu were kept alive for the time being, to be held under strict guard.
The Longwu Army soldiers led the men away.
Once again, only Lian Qing remained. He said, “Your Majesty, do not worry. Even though one can head straight for Chang’an along the Hetao, the roads are fixed while people are flexible. As long as we station troops at the key passes, that leaked map is practically useless.”
Ying Xi nodded slightly, understanding the logic, but he probed intentionally, “How many such fortresses are there?”
Lian Qing hesitated. In the end, he wasn’t the type to use his brain much during war. “This general is dull-witted. Usually, General Xie says ‘charge’ and I lead the troops to that spot. You would need to ask General Xie.”
“Where is Minister Xie?”
Protocol dictated that the primary commander should be the one to have an audience with the Emperor, though it wasn’t forbidden for a deputy to come instead.
But at dawn that day, Xie Qianli had insisted on seeing him despite the standoff with Lang Xun.
Ying Xi had seemingly grown accustomed to Xie Qianli’s frequent appearances. Now that he should have been here, his absence was keenly felt.
This finally left Ying Xi’s habitual expectations with nowhere to land, brewing a sense of emptiness in his heart.
Lian Qing parted his lips, “The General is leading the brothers to help unload the tribute grain.”
Ying Xi held his breath.
The tribute rice moving north to fill the Grand Granary would further stabilize the people of Chang’an and prevent any shifts in the situation.
Compared to those two tasks, escorting Xiongnu prisoners was a minor matter—perfectly suited for Lian Qing.
Ying Xi’s fingers tightened on the desk.
“…”
The man was always so perfectly correct, as if his every move was measured to be beyond reproach. He always had a reason for everything he did, leaving others with interpretations that were both right and wrong.
The dissatisfaction in Ying Xi’s heart suddenly formed a powerful vortex!
What exactly was missing between the two of them?
He felt a frustrated urge to grab Ju’er by the collar.
Yet Ju’er was so good, so right.
He began to loathe Ju’er’s sense of propriety and boundaries once again.
Never had he felt so malicious as he did now, wanting to see Xie Qianli lose his composure.
However, long before Xie Qianli lost control, Ying Xi himself was failing to maintain his own.
The composure and steadiness he had cultivated over twenty years were being shattered from the inside out. He hallucinated that his entire body was covered in cracks, with an uncontrollable emotion about to burst forth!
But that emotion had nowhere to settle…
While Lian Qing wasn’t paying attention, Ying Xi’s eyelashes grew damp. “Did he say anything?”
He truly had. Lian Qing remembered immediately.
Xie Qianli’s instructions had been brief: tell Lian Qing to check carefully if those Xiongnu had any illnesses.
Mount Cuihua was dozens of li from Chang’an, and the low temperatures in the mountains were approaching late autumn; chills and seasonal plagues were spreading.
“If anyone is sick, swap them for other survivors.”
“The tribute transport is fine; tell him not to worry.”
Lian Qing’s brow suddenly throbbed!
His decade-plus of experience singing romantic folk tunes finally came into play.
Xie Qianli’s instructions echoed in Lian Qing’s ears, calling to mind many tropes from folk songs: scaring away the orioles, sending winter clothes… It turned out that deep love for another was hidden in the most trivial details of life.
No wonder Lian Qing always felt his loyalty was somehow a few points short of General Xie’s.
Because he only saw His Majesty as the Emperor.
General Xie had long ago begun to see the Emperor as… his beloved wife.
They had known each other for years, growing up together—a pair that, once settled on each other, would never let go.
Lian Qing risked death to probe, “He said—”
“Said what?”
Risking everything for General Xie’s happiness, Lian Qing stammered, “The Xiongnu soldiers were not sick when they were brought for the audience. The grain transport into the granary is progressing smoothly.”
“General Xie misses you.”
Ying Xi: “…”
Ying Xi: “…”
Ying Xi’s snowy face froze.
His deep grey eyes slowly widened.
The Emperor sat up straight, seemingly struggling to control his reaction after hearing those words.
In reality, the stir in Ying Xi’s heart far exceeded what his face betrayed. It was as if thousands of thoughts were striking him from all directions.
Each thought felt like a blow to the cracks in his shattering logic. Forbidden desires flourished, screaming that this body had to do something to find satisfaction.
He didn’t know what exactly he wanted to do.
Ying Xi knit his brows and bit his lower lip.
Lian Qing, watching him, trembled more and more, feeling as though his head was hanging by a thread that could snap at any moment.
Before a charge of offending the Emperor could descend, Lian Qing hurriedly re-packaged his nonsense and General Xie’s thoughts into the guise of loyalty between ruler and subject.
“The General is extremely loyal to Your Majesty! For the General, a single day without seeing Your Majesty feels like three autumns!”
“General Xie hasn’t seen the Imperial Presence since entering the palace that night. Three times three is nine, so we all have nine autumns’ worth of longing for the Imperial Presence.”
“Ha, haha.” Lian Qing ended with a dry laugh.
Ying Xi did not lose his composure. His shoulders gradually relaxed, and he gave a slow wave of his hand. “You may go.”
Lian Qing scrambled away immediately.
After Lian Qing left, Ying Xi spent half an hour reviewing urgent memorials. He handled the affairs clearly enough.
Two hours after Lian Qing left, Ying Xi’s gaze lingered on the word “Longing” in a local official’s greeting memorial.
Three hours after Lian Qing left, the sky turned to twilight.
Ying Xi finished the day’s work and found he had nothing left to do.
Less than four hours after Lian Qing had gone.
Ying Xi finally stood up. He paced strategically through Weiyang Palace, looking regretfully toward the corridor. “Yu Jing, is the lantern festival in the city over yet?”
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