The room was pitch-black after the lamp was extinguished.

Lying on the inner side of the bed, Fan Changyu was practically pressed against the wall. She narrowed her eyes and glanced at the person lying beside her.

Well.

Xie Zheng was practically sleeping on the edge of the bed.

Closing her eyes, she couldn’t be bothered worrying about whether he was comfortable or not. She had already repeatedly assured him that she had no improper intentions toward him, and she had left him more than enough space. Yet after getting into bed, he hadn’t said a single word and had still chosen to cling to the very edge.

Wasn’t that obvious avoidance?

Wasn’t he basically afraid she’d covet his good looks?

Fan Changyu turned over to face the wall and muttered inwardly, Even if he looked like an immortal descended from heaven, I wouldn’t be interested with that rotten temper of his!

The “immortal” Xie Zheng was resting with his eyes closed.

The moment the person beside him turned over, the corner of the quilt he had barely managed to cover himself with was instantly swept away.

The chill of the night seeped through his thin clothing and penetrated his skin.

Opening his eyes, he looked toward the inside of the bed.

Fan Changyu’s figure formed a small mound beneath the thick quilt, while most of the blanket now occupied the center of the bed.

If he wanted any of it back, he would have to move inward slightly.

But doing so would inevitably disturb Fan Changyu.

Her breathing was light and shallow.

She clearly wasn’t asleep yet.

Xie Zheng withdrew his gaze and closed his eyes again.

There had once been a year when he led troops beyond the frontier and survived being buried beneath an avalanche for three days. This bit of cold meant nothing to him.

At least three feet separated them.

Yet perhaps because they were lying on the same bed, he couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort.

Even blood siblings could not share a room after coming of age.

How much less could a man and woman with no blood relation do so?

In this world, the only people who could sleep side by side in the same bed were husband and wife.

And at this moment, the woman sleeping beside him was precisely that.

The chaotic thoughts left him completely sleepless.

When Fan Changyu’s breathing eventually grew long and steady, an inexplicable irritation welled up in his chest.

He simply sat up halfway and leaned against the headboard, contemplating the current situation.

After sleeping for some time, Fan Changyu shifted again and rolled onto her back.

Hearing the movement, Xie Zheng’s gaze drifted toward her.

She truly possessed a deceptively harmless face.

When asleep, she looked gentle and innocent no matter how one viewed her.

Yet whenever she was plotting something, she wore that same honest and straightforward expression.

Sui Yuanqing…

Had probably been fooled by that look too.

The thought of that man immediately darkened Xie Zheng’s eyes.

He couldn’t quite describe the feeling.

A wildflower he had thought only he had noticed growing in the wilderness had apparently attracted the attention of others as well.

Something seemed to brush against his heart like a flame.

It didn’t hurt.

But it burned.

He stared unblinkingly at the sleeping Fan Changyu, his gaze concealed within the darkness and impossible to decipher.

Perhaps sensing his stare even in her sleep, Fan Changyu muttered unhappily,

“Not interested…”

Xie Zheng didn’t hear clearly.

Frowning, he asked, “What?”

She mumbled something in response, so indistinct that not a single word could be made out.

He had no choice but to lean closer and listen.

The coldness lingering on his body made Fan Changyu instinctively shy away even in her dreams.

As she turned over, her lips lightly brushed the edge of his ear.

Xie Zheng froze completely.

Someone was suddenly far too close.

Wrapped in an unfamiliar presence, Fan Changyu’s instincts remained sharp despite everything that had happened recently. Her eyelashes fluttered as she began to wake.

Before she could open her eyes, Xie Zheng lightly touched an acupoint at the side of her neck with his cool fingers.

Her eyelids sank shut once more, and she fell into deep sleep again.

Xie Zheng rose to his feet.

Without lighting a candle, he relied on the faint glow of reflected snowlight entering through the window. Walking to the table, he poured himself two cups of cold tea and drank them.

Afterward, he made no attempt to return to bed.

Instead, he sat at the table, brows tightly furrowed, his dark eyes fixed unwaveringly upon the small rise beneath the quilt as though contemplating something.

A faint cry of a hawk seemed to drift through the night sky.

He lifted his eyes.

Making almost no sound, he left the room, climbed over the Wang family’s courtyard wall, and walked some distance into the neighboring streets.

Only then did he place two fingers to his lips and release a sharp whistle.

If a Haidongqing hawk failed to locate the person it was seeking, it would circle overhead while crying out repeatedly. Only after hearing the whistle would it dive toward the source of the sound.

Moments later, a pure white hawk swept through the darkness.

Xie Zheng extended his right arm.

Its iron-hook claws landed steadily on his forearm. After beating its wings to stabilize itself, it folded them neatly against its body.

Xie Zheng removed the message tied to its leg.

By moonlight, he finished reading it.

The letter crumbled into fragments between his fingers.

—

The Jizhou Prefectural Office remained brightly lit throughout the night.

After emerging from the prison, Zheng Wenchang presented the interrogation records to He Jingyuan and lowered his head respectfully.

“As Your Excellency predicted, it was indeed Prince Changxin’s men who ambushed and killed our troops. They disguised themselves as grain requisition officers and went to Qingping County. The massacre at Majia Village was also the work of the rebels. This subordinate suspects that the incident in Taizhou, where people were beaten to death during grain collection, is likely connected to the Chongzhou rebels as well.”

Standing beneath the eaves with his hands clasped behind his back, He Jingyuan gazed at the row of warm yellow lanterns and the falling snow.

Instead of responding directly, he asked:

“Wenchang, where do you think those two hundred thousand shi of grain ended up after passing through the hands of that merchant surnamed Zhao?”

Unsure why his superior and teacher had suddenly changed the subject, Zheng Wenchang answered honestly.

“At first, I assumed the merchant was merely pursuing profit. But during the grain collections in Taizhou and Jizhou, he never resold those two hundred thousand shi at inflated prices. Looking at the situation now, it does seem more likely that the rebels were behind it. In my opinion, if we confiscate the Zhao merchant’s assets, we should uncover several rebel strongholds.”

He Jingyuan shook his head.

“You underestimate them. Tomorrow, let’s see how many Zhao family businesses still remain in all of Jizhou.”

Ashamed, Zheng Wenchang lowered his head.

“If this subordinate had realized sooner and confiscated the Zhao family’s assets earlier, Qingping County would never have suffered such a disaster.”

“It isn’t your fault,” He Jingyuan replied. “The rebels could only exploit this loophole because of my own mistakes. Had I not fallen into their trap and become obsessed with forcing out the person who bought the grain, had I not allowed Wei Xuan to proceed with forced grain collection, then no matter how many spies the rebels planted in Jizhou, they could never have stirred up such chaos.”

Zheng Wenchang looked puzzled.

“How can Your Excellency place all the blame upon yourself? In my view, the grain purchase itself was a trap set by the rebels. Wei Xuan is greedy for achievement. As Military Commissioner of the Northwest, he even seized Your Excellency’s official seal. That wasn’t something you could control.”

He Jingyuan merely sighed.

His student was excellent in every regard except one.

He was too upright and too rigid.

Whatever he saw, he believed.

Some truths simply could not be explained too plainly.

If the merchant surnamed Zhao had not deliberately left clues behind, allowing him to deduce that the two hundred thousand shi of grain had been purchased by the Marquis of Wuan, how could he have mistakenly believed that the grain purchase was merely intended to obstruct Wei Zheng?

The struggles of powerful men always ended with ordinary people suffering.

He had allowed Wei Xuan to continue collecting grain because he wanted the Marquis of Wuan to see what price common people paid for personal vendettas.

He also wanted to determine whether the marquis was the type of man willing to achieve his goals by any means necessary.

Yet it was precisely that decision to loosen control that gave the rebels an opportunity.

The people had been pushed to the brink.

Only then had the Marquis of Wuan been forced to “appear,” sending military orders through former Yanzhou troops to transfer Wei Xuan away and halt the grain collection.

Regardless of his intentions, He Jingyuan had become an unwitting accomplice to the rebels’ scheme.

Today, when he had gone to Qingping County and seen the green ghost-masked man turn the tide of battle, a question had suddenly occurred to him.

What if he had been wrong from the beginning?

What if the Marquis of Wuan had never intended to use the people of Taizhou and Jizhou as pawns to bring down Wei Xuan?

Then why had he purchased those two hundred thousand shi of grain?

His eyes, closed in thought for a long time, suddenly snapped open.

“Jinzhou!”

Zheng Wenchang blinked in confusion.

“My lord, what about Jinzhou?”

He Jingyuan strode quickly back to the desk, spread out a map of the northwest, and pointed at Jinzhou.

His expression was unusually grave.

“With Prince Changxin rebelling in Chongzhou, turmoil has engulfed the northwest. And with the Marquis of Wuan reported dead, what does this mean to the Northern Ques beyond the frontier?”

Understanding dawned instantly.

Zheng Wenchang felt his scalp go numb.

“It would be the perfect opportunity to invade Great Yin.”

He Jingyuan paced before the desk.

“Jinzhou is the gateway to Great Yin. Behind it lie Huizhou and Yanzhou, forming a triangular defensive line protecting the realm. But all military supplies depend on allocations from the imperial court. Once Chongzhou rebelled, the grain routes were severed. Huizhou has no grain reserves. So where would Jinzhou obtain food? I was a fool! Those two hundred thousand shi of grain weren’t purchased to trap Wei Xuan. They were stockpiled in preparation for Jinzhou’s future crisis!”

Zheng Wenchang was shocked.

Combining this realization with He Jingyuan’s earlier words, he finally understood.

“You mean the marquis bought the grain? After the defeat at Chongzhou, he had already foreseen the dangers Jinzhou would eventually face?”

He Jingyuan nodded slowly.

“The marquis’s foresight surpasses ours entirely,” Zheng Wenchang said. “Now that the rebels’ scheme has been exposed, Huizhou remains secure, and Jinzhou has grain reserves. Shouldn’t this be good news? Why does Your Excellency still look troubled?”

He Jingyuan sighed.

“What if external enemies and internal unrest arrive at the same time? How do we break such a deadlock?”

The question left Zheng Wenchang equally troubled.

There were still things He Jingyuan had not said aloud.

Wei Yan would never allow the Marquis of Wuan to survive.

If he could manipulate events on the Chongzhou battlefield once, then he could do so again.

Should the Northern Ques and the Chongzhou rebels attack the marquis from both front and rear while the imperial court deliberately restricted military provisions, He Jingyuan truly feared that the Jinzhou tragedy of seventeen years ago would repeat itself.

After standing silently for a long time, He Jingyuan finally spoke.

“Continue sealing off Qingping County. Root out every remaining rebel spy. Winter lowers the water level in the canals, making it the ideal season for dredging. Wenchang, once Qingping County’s affairs are settled, take men and clear the waterways connecting Jizhou and Chongzhou.”

By water, vast quantities of supplies could be transported.

Zheng Wenchang’s heart skipped a beat.

He accepted the order and withdrew.

Only He Jingyuan remained in the study.

Then the side room’s door opened.

An elderly man with white hair and wrinkled skin stepped out.

“If that Wei fellow ever discovers how openly you’re disobeying him behind his back,” he remarked, “how many days do you think you’ll have left to live?”

He Jingyuan simply replied,

“To serve one’s office is to fulfill one’s duty. I have no shame before the people of this world. That is enough.”

The old man laughed and shook his head.

“When this old man comes looking for you next time for wine and a game of chess, let’s hope you’re still alive.”

“You are welcome at any time, Grand Tutor,” He Jingyuan replied. “May I ask where you intend to travel next?”

The old man’s clothing was ragged.

His white hair was carelessly tied with a wooden pin, and a wine gourd hung at his waist.

Stretching lazily, he said,

“That brat Prince Changxin keeps sending people to my cottage every few days, disturbing my peace. It’s irritating. I’ll wander around for a while.”

Lowering his eyes, He Jingyuan said,

“I thought Grand Tutor emerged from retirement after hearing that the marquis had died on the battlefield.”

The old man snorted.

“I may not amount to much, but I’ve only taught one disciple in my entire life. The person capable of taking his life hasn’t been born yet. Otherwise, he’d have gained a junior fellow disciple.”

He Jingyuan merely smiled.

Grand Tutor Tao had retired from official service many years ago.

After Prince Changxin rebelled, he repeatedly sent people to invite him to become an advisor. In reality, he wanted the old man to teach his two sons.

The last remark was simply Tao’s way of saying that if he ever accepted another disciple, that person’s talent would have to surpass the Marquis of Wuan’s.

Apparently, Prince Changxin’s two sons had failed to impress him.

Feigning ignorance, He Jingyuan asked,

“After the Battle of Chongzhou, the Heir of Prince Changxin earned the title ‘Little Marquis of Wuan.’ Did he fail to meet your standards as well?”

Grand Tutor Tao’s expression darkened.

“When that brat was ten years old, a chess manual I personally taught him somehow ended up in the hands of Prince Changxin’s youngest son. What do you think Prince Changxin was planning?”

He Jingyuan’s expression grew serious.

A Little Marquis of Wuan…

Was Prince Changxin raising his youngest son according to the same standards used to raise the Marquis of Wuan?

—

Qingping County.

The moment the rooster crowed for the first time, Fan Changyu woke up.

Dawn had only just begun to break.

Still half-asleep, she rolled over.

The moment she reached the other side of the bed, she was startled awake by the icy coldness.

Sitting up with her hair sticking out in every direction, she suddenly remembered that she had gone to bed with Yan Zheng the previous night.

Looking toward the table, she wasn’t surprised to find him asleep there, supporting his head with one hand.

Judging from how cold his side of the bed was, he probably hadn’t slept in it all night.

Fan Changyu couldn’t quite describe what she felt.

Perhaps it was the irritation of having good intentions treated like donkey liver and lungs.

Then she wondered why she was annoyed at all.

His conduct was proper and honorable.

She should be pleased and think of him as a true gentleman.

While she was still wrestling with those thoughts, the man resting with one hand supporting his forehead awoke at the sound of the rooster.

Their eyes met.

He seemed momentarily stunned before calmly asking,

“You’re awake?”

Fan Changyu nodded.

Scratching her hair, she said,

“If I’d known, we should’ve just returned to town last night. Now you’ve spent another sleepless night.”

Xie Zheng replied,

“I got up during the night. By the time I returned, dawn was nearly here, so I didn’t bother going back to sleep.”

Fan Changyu gave a vague acknowledgment and didn’t pursue the matter further.

It was only sleep.

He could do whatever he wanted.

After all, she wasn’t the one who had frozen awake all night.

After breakfast at Constable Wang’s home, Fan Changyu, Yu Bao’er, and Xie Zheng returned to town together.

Changning had slept at Granny Zhao’s house the previous night.

The moment she saw Fan Changyu return, she nearly burst into tears.

But upon spotting Yu Bao’er, she became embarrassed and forcibly held them back.

With two children together, the pair became so energetic they were nearly climbing onto the roof.

The only comforting thing was that Yu Bao’er never again asked for his mother, while Changning seemed to have forgotten all about the gyrfalcon.

Qingping County remained under strict lockdown while authorities searched for remaining rebel accomplices.

Yet Constable Wang sent someone to Fan Changyu’s home with unexpected news.

The county magistrate had secretly rewarded her with fifty taels of silver.

Back at the magistrate’s residence, she had claimed to be one of Constable Wang’s people. After taking all the credit for himself, the magistrate was likely trying to win hearts and secure loyalty.

Fan Changyu firmly believed in the principle of getting rich quietly.

Fame was useless to her.

It would only attract trouble.

Real silver was far more practical.

After sending the officer away, she happily carried the silver inside to hide it.

There she ran into Xie Zheng.

Generously, she asked,

“Want half?”

Whatever his personal intentions, the plan that saved Qingping County had been his idea. He had also saved her several times atop the city wall.

Accounts should be settled fairly.

Xie Zheng felt that ever since they returned, Fan Changyu’s attitude toward him had become noticeably more distant.

She still greeted him with the same smile as before.

Yet somehow things felt different.

Suppressing the inexplicable irritation in his chest, he asked,

“Does the government know who I am?”

Fan Changyu shook her head.

“I never told anyone. The magistrate wanted all the credit for himself. He didn’t even mention Constable Wang’s name, so he definitely wouldn’t bring up yours.”

She herself had no desire to be exposed.

If those people held a grudge against her, endless trouble would follow.

Yan Zheng had even worn a mask atop the city wall.

She had long guessed that he didn’t want his identity revealed either.

Offending powerful officials only led to headaches.

Xie Zheng said,

“Then why would you share the reward money with me?”

“Wasn’t it your idea?” Fan Changyu replied.

Lowering his gaze, Xie Zheng said,

“The magistrate didn’t reward you for defending the city gates. He rewarded you for rescuing him and capturing the rebels. It has nothing to do with me.”

Unable to argue with him, Fan Changyu carried the silver back inside.

A short while later, she emerged carrying a pile of belongings.

“You kept saying you were leaving. It was only because the county was sealed off that you stayed a few extra days. I’ve been preparing some things for you little by little. Take these two sets of clothes so you can change on the road. These shoes are double-stitched and durable. Oh, and I exchanged fifty taels into banknotes for you. They’ll be easier to carry…”

She chattered endlessly like a mother sending her son off on a long journey.

“I’ve written the divorce agreement too. All that’s left is your thumbprint.”

A divorce letter only required one party’s signature.

A mutual separation, however, was different.

To end a marriage amicably, both parties had to sign and leave their thumbprints.

The frustration that had been lodged in Xie Zheng’s chest for days became even more unbearable as he listened.

Crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway, he watched her quietly for a moment.

Then he smiled.

The smile carried a sharp edge.

“How thoughtful of you to prepare everything so thoroughly for me.”

Fan Changyu didn’t rise to the provocation.

“Being away from home isn’t like staying at home. It’s best to prepare as much as possible. If you run into difficulties out there, there won’t be anyone around to help you…”

Some unfamiliar emotion churned inside him.

Even that faint mocking smile vanished.

Turning his eyes toward the snow piled atop the courtyard wall, he suddenly asked,

“What about you? What are your plans for the future?”

Fan Changyu laughed.

“Didn’t you already ask me that before? As long as Qingping County stays peaceful, I plan to expand the pig farm…”

Xie Zheng lifted his phoenix eyes slightly.

“I mean, are you planning to marry again? Or continue looking for a live-in husband?”

The question caught her off guard.

Setting the pile of belongings on the table, she walked over and sat on the steps outside the doorway.

Looking at the leafless pear tree in the courtyard, she thought for a while before answering.

“I’ll definitely get married someday. As for whether I marry into someone’s family or bring a husband into mine, I’ll decide when the time comes.”

Xie Zheng rolled a small stone between his fingers and casually flicked it at the pear tree.

Several birds perched there flew off in alarm.

“What kind do you like? If no one wants to marry you in the future, and no one wants to marry into your family either, I’ll help you look.”

Fan Changyu immediately bristled.

“Whatever it is, it won’t be someone with your awful temper! With a mouth as sharp as yours, you should worry about finding a wife yourself!”

Xie Zheng sat down with one knee bent.

A smile that was half mocking, half amused played on his lips.

“I wouldn’t marry someone like you either. I’ll marry a gentle, virtuous woman who’s good at managing a household.”

The final stone in his hand flew especially far, sailing over the courtyard wall and disappearing from sight.

Fan Changyu glanced at his refined profile.

Lowering her eyes, she tugged at the corner of her mouth and answered honestly.

“I like men who are refined and scholarly. Someone who’s well-read, talented, humble, kind-tempered, and likes to smile. My mother always said I was too loud and impulsive. She said I needed a more refined husband to keep me in line if I wanted a marriage that would last.”

A faint ache stirred in her chest.

She thought it was probably because she had remembered her mother.

“We’ve gone through a lot together. Since you’re leaving, stop cursing me with being unwanted in the future. I’ll wish for you to marry a gentle, virtuous wife, and you can wish for me to find a refined and scholarly husband.”

“Alright.”

The smile on Xie Zheng’s face was breathtakingly beautiful.

As he rose, he even kindly extended a hand toward her.

Fan Changyu’s legs had gone numb from sitting.

Without thinking much of it, she placed her hand in his.

Everything changed in that instant.

A powerful force yanked her forward and sent her crashing into his chest.

His grip around her uninjured wrist was so strong it felt as though he might snap it in half.

One hand seized her chin.

Lowering his head, he pressed his lips against hers in a fierce, almost violent kiss.