During the past sixteen years of the Great Yin Dynasty, although there had been many wars, almost none had reached Jizhou.

Fan Changyu had only heard the elderly speak about how cruel war was. After all, warfare required not only grain requisitions but also conscription. Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao’s son had been taken away during a military draft years ago and never returned.

An old man said, “Prince Changxin rebelled in Chongzhou, and the imperial court sent troops to suppress him. Yet after fighting this long, there’s still no outcome. In my opinion, the Great Yin Dynasty’s fate is probably exhausted. The heavens are about to change.”

“Wu’an Marquis is dead already. What can Wei Yan still use to stabilize the northwest?”

Someone else said, “I don’t care who becomes emperor, as long as they don’t seize my grain and money or force me onto the battlefield.”

Many people sighed and shook their heads.

“These soldiers have already begun forcibly requisitioning grain from nearby villages and towns. In the end, when wars are fought, the officials gain wealth and power, while ordinary families like ours lose our homes and wander homeless…”

Listening to all this, Fan Changyu also felt a heaviness in her heart. She turned to Xie Zheng and asked, “When the imperial court wages war against Chongzhou, shouldn’t the court itself supply the military provisions? Why are they requisitioning grain from the common people?”

Mockery tinged Xie Zheng’s voice.

“The supply routes have been cut off. Some people are panicking like cornered dogs.”

Huizhou had once been his territory. Thinking back now, Wei Yan had probably already begun fearing him long ago. The military provisions for the troops stationed there had always been distributed by the imperial court every three months, and the prefecture itself had no granaries.

Because it was a military stronghold, the geographical conditions there were poor and unsuitable for growing grain.

Once the supply route was cut off, the consequences would be fatal.

This rebellion happened to erupt in Chongzhou, directly south of Huizhou, cutting off the grain routes from the imperial court.

Back when the battle lines between Chongzhou and Huizhou first stretched out, he had already predicted that Huizhou would eventually run out of grain. The fastest solution, naturally, would be requisitioning grain from civilians.

After narrowly escaping death during the pursuit against him, he had already planned to contact his old subordinates and secretly buy up the civilian grain reserves.

When Zhao Xun appeared, buying grain became a test of loyalty for Zhao Xun. Now that the grain was already secured and Wei Xuan was losing battles in Chongzhou while failing to requisition enough grain from civilians, Xie Zheng knew Wei Yan well enough to know that Wei Yan would never show his son a good face.

Letting Wei Xuan first suffer punishment from Wei Yan could be considered his first gift to that cousin before formally beginning his revenge.

With no capable generals left in the northwest, Wei Yan could only let He Jingyuan take over the Chongzhou campaign. He Jingyuan had always been known as a scholarly general and was not the sort to allow his troops to rob civilians of grain.

Moreover, given the current reputation of the Wei faction, openly allowing soldiers to seize grain from the common people would simply hand Wei Yan’s political enemies another weapon against him.

With those two hundred thousand shi of grain in hand, Xie Zheng now had enough time to begin the next stage of his plans.

As for the sudden forced grain requisitions now, they were most likely the foolish idea of his glory-seeking cousin, trying to establish some achievements before command of the army officially changed hands.

Ordinary people naturally knew none of these inner details. Some voiced the same confusion as Fan Changyu.

“Back during the Battle of Jinzhou sixteen years ago, that treacherous villain Meng Shuyuan delayed the grain transport and caused the defeat, leaving Crown Prince Chengde and General Xie with a hundred thousand soldiers starving in Jinzhou for five days. By the time the soldiers climbed the city walls, they were too weak from hunger to stand properly, and that’s how the Northern Tribes broke through the gates. What happened to the grain supply this time that they need to scrape it from us?”

Among the people of Great Yin, the name Meng Shuyuan—the supposed culprit behind the defeat at Jinzhou—was universally cursed.

Someone immediately spat out curses.

“That bastard Meng Shuyuan deserved death! General Xie trusted him so deeply that he entrusted him with transporting provisions. If he hadn’t delayed the campaign, how could Crown Prince Chengde have died in Jinzhou, letting that dog Wei control the court for all these years?”

“The entire Meng family dying out was divine punishment!”

“Let’s just hope this time the grain officials haven’t caused another disaster!”

Ever since sixteen years ago, Xie Zheng had known that the fatal point of the Battle of Jinzhou was the delayed grain supply.

The man responsible for transporting provisions back then had been Meng Shuyuan, an old general under his father’s command. His father’s old subordinates once told him that anyone in the world might betray his father, except Meng Shuyuan.

Meng Shuyuan’s delay wasn’t because he betrayed his lord, but because midway through the journey he diverted troops to rescue a hundred thousand refugees trapped by the Northern Tribes in Luo City.

In the end, he failed to save the refugees, and Jinzhou still fell.

When Meng Shuyuan learned of his father’s death, he knelt facing Jinzhou and committed suicide with his sword.

The tragedy of Jinzhou ended with Meng Shuyuan’s death, yet more than a decade later, the common people still cursed his name bitterly.

The troop of soldiers had already disappeared into the distance. Xie Zheng withdrew his gaze and said to Fan Changyu, “Let’s go.”

Only then did he notice that Fan Changyu seemed lost in thought while staring at the people discussing Meng Shuyuan.

He asked, “What is it?”

Holding Changning’s hand, Fan Changyu pursed her lips and said, “Meng Shuyuan delayed the campaign because he tried to save a hundred thousand refugees. He doesn’t seem quite as hateful as people say.”

Xie Zheng’s voice turned cold.

“The military order he received was to transport grain. Failing to deliver provisions to Jinzhou on time was dereliction of duty. If he’d been capable enough to both save the refugees and still deliver the grain on time, then he would deserve the praise of all the people. But he failed to save the refugees and delayed the provisions, leading to Jinzhou’s fall and the deaths of a hundred thousand soldiers within the city. That makes him unforgivable.”

He looked directly at Fan Changyu.

“You sympathize with such an incompetent man?”

Fan Changyu shook her head.

She didn’t understand military tactics or army regulations. She only felt that while Meng Shuyuan might indeed have been responsible for the disaster at Jinzhou, he didn’t deserve to be called the great traitor the world portrayed him as. At worst, he was merely what Yan Zheng described—an incompetent man.

As the three passed a clothing shop, Fan Changyu asked Xie Zheng, “Your cloak got dirty. Want to buy a new one to change into?”

Xie Zheng had already removed the mud-splattered cloak and folded it over his arm during the walk.

Glancing at the brightly colored fabrics in the shop, he replied, “No need. The sun’s out now, and it’s not cold anymore.”

Fan Changyu said, “Then how about buying a new hair ribbon? I noticed you don’t seem to like the one I bought earlier. I hardly ever see you wear it.”

The moment she finished speaking, Xie Zheng gave her a strange look.

Fan Changyu didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she’d said, so she simply looked back at him with wide almond-shaped eyes. Reflections of each other appeared in both their pupils.

One pair was clear and straightforward.

The other dark and unreadable.

After a moment, Xie Zheng looked away first and said, “It’s not that I dislike it.”

Fan Changyu felt his answer sounded like a riddle. Since he didn’t dislike it, why wasn’t he wearing it?

She said, “You bought so many things for Ningniang. Pick out a New Year gift for yourself too—I’ll buy it for you!”

Xie Zheng’s lips flattened slightly.

“Didn’t you already give me a red envelope?”

Fan Changyu said, “How can lucky money and a New Year gift be the same thing?”

Xie Zheng stared at her for a while before saying, “To me, they’re the same.”

Fan Changyu took that as his refusal to let her buy him a New Year gift, so she didn’t insist further.

She glanced at the sun and said, “If we go buy your paper and ink before visiting Constable Wang, we’ll probably be too late. But if we wait until afterward, the bookstore might already be closed. How about this—you go buy your things first while I take Ningniang to pay New Year respects to Constable Wang. Once you’re done at the bookstore, wait there for us. After I finish delivering the gifts to Constable Wang’s house, I’ll bring Ningniang to meet you.”

Xie Zheng nodded.

The two separated at the fork in the road. Before leaving, Changning waved enthusiastically at Xie Zheng.

“Brother-in-law, be careful on the road! If Sister and I buy tasty food, we’ll buy some for you too!”

Xie Zheng’s brows lifted slightly as he looked toward Fan Changyu.

“No need. You two can eat it yourselves.”

Fan Changyu thought his words oddly sounded as though she had deliberately sent him away so she and Changning could secretly eat good food.

Only after Xie Zheng disappeared into the distance beneath her conflicted gaze did she crouch slightly and wipe the candied hawthorn crumbs from Changning’s mouth.

“You little glutton, what do you want to eat now?”

Changning’s fair chubby finger pointed toward a vendor selling brown sugar cakes by the roadside.

Fan Changyu pressed a hand to her forehead helplessly.

“Let’s go then.”

After buying the brown sugar cakes, Fan Changyu also stopped by a nearby tavern to buy a jug of good wine. Since one strip of cured meat had already been gifted to the scholar, she felt embarrassed showing up at Constable Wang’s home with only a single strip left.

Constable Wang happened to enjoy drinking, so bringing wine counted as a fitting gift.

Constable Wang’s residence was located in the southern part of the county town. The location wasn’t particularly prime, but it was still a two-courtyard house. In a small place like Qingping County, only relatively prominent people could afford such a residence.

After Fan Changyu knocked on the door with Changning, an older maid answered. Hearing they had come to pay New Year respects, she quickly invited them inside.

It was already afternoon, and most of the people who had visited Constable Wang earlier had already eaten and left. When Fan Changyu entered the eastern side room, she saw only Constable Wang, his wife, and Old Madam Wang seated on the heated brick bed.

Old Madam Wang looked well into her eighties. Unlike the wrinkled old women in the countryside, she had the rounded fullness of someone well cared for, making her look especially kind.

Madam Wang had a sturdy frame without appearing bulky. It was said her father had also once been a constable, and she herself knew some martial arts. Her face looked gentle, though there was a heroic spirit in her brows.

“This must be Changyu, yes?” Madam Wang broke into a smile the moment she saw her. “What a good child. Just looking at your build, one can tell you’re sturdy—a perfect talent for martial arts.”

Fan Changyu smiled and greeted both Madam Wang and Old Madam Wang politely.

There had once been a famous courtesan in Qingping County whose title was Yuniang.

As a result, girls in the county whose names ended with “Yu” were generally not addressed directly as “Yuniang.” People instead called them by their full names.

Calling someone “Yuniang” directly carried the implication of comparing them to a courtesan.

Changning clutched Fan Changyu’s clothing and hid behind her, revealing only a pair of timid deer-like eyes as she peeked at Madam Wang.

When Madam Wang saw her, her smile brightened further. She grabbed a handful of candy from a lacquered tray and beckoned toward Changning.

“Little Ningniang is adorable too. Come here and take some sweets.”

Changning didn’t dare go over immediately and instead tilted her head up toward Fan Changyu.

Fan Changyu said, “Madam is giving you candy. Go take it.”

Only then did Changning trot over to accept the sweets. She was too small and her hands too tiny to hold them all, so Madam Wang helped stuff many of the candies into the pockets sewn inside her coat.

Changning chirped brightly, “Thank you, Madam.”

Madam Wang and Old Madam Wang exchanged a glance and laughed happily. Unable to resist, Madam Wang pinched Changning’s soft pink cheeks.

“How can such a tiny little thing be so sensible?”

Then she smiled toward Fan Changyu.

“Did Big Sister teach her well?”

Fan Changyu smiled awkwardly.

“You flatter me.”

She wasn’t particularly good at casual conversation, and her words were always straightforward. Yet this honest personality made both Madam Wang and Old Madam Wang like her very much. Even the occasional thing Fan Changyu said would make the two women laugh endlessly, though Fan Changyu herself remained completely bewildered about what exactly was so funny.

Madam Wang insisted on having the sisters stay for dinner and spend the night, but Fan Changyu declined politely by saying Xie Zheng was still waiting for her at the bookstore.

When they departed, Constable Wang personally escorted her out.

“After your parents’ case was transferred to the prefecture, it was officially closed. Earlier, I worried your parents might’ve made enemies in the past. But since it was mountain bandits seeking the treasure map, and the map is no longer in your house, you shouldn’t have anything to fear now. Just stay peacefully in town. If you run into difficulties, come find me anytime.”

Fan Changyu thanked him before asking, “Do you know which official from the prefecture reviewed the case?”

Constable Wang was only a small constable in Qingping County. He truly didn’t know such matters. After shaking his head, he couldn’t help asking, “Why are you asking?”

Afraid that, as Yan Zheng suggested, her parents’ deaths involved many hidden powers, Fan Changyu didn’t want to drag Constable Wang into danger.

“It’s nothing. I was just asking casually.”

If she wanted to uncover the true cause of her parents’ deaths, then naturally the best place to start was with the official who handled the case.

That night, the soldiers had brought back one surviving bandit. If she could learn what that person confessed, perhaps the mystery behind her parents’ deaths could be unraveled.

When Yan Zheng asked what she would do if the authorities lied, she had already considered secretly investigating the official handling the case.

Wasn’t this how stories in operas and novels always went? Gather evidence against a corrupt official, sneak into his residence on a dark and stormy night, corner him alone, and negotiate—either extorting money or forcing out the clues you needed.

As long as she knew who handled the case, she’d have plenty of time to slowly uncover that person’s weaknesses.

By the time Fan Changyu and Changning reached the front gate, Madam Wang came hurrying after them with two red envelopes.

“Take these lucky money envelopes!”

One of the envelopes wasn’t even folded neatly yet, as though it had been prepared in a rush.

Unable to refuse, Fan Changyu had them forcibly stuffed into her arms.

The moment they left the Wang residence, Changning eagerly opened her red envelope. Pouring out the contents, she excitedly showed Fan Changyu.

“Big Sister, silver ingots!”

Inside Fan Changyu’s envelope were also two small silver ingots.

Holding the first red envelope she had received since her parents’ deaths, Fan Changyu glanced back toward the Wang residence. The kindness shown by Constable Wang and Madam Wang left her emotions deeply mixed.

Changning handed over her own silver pieces.

“Big Sister, keep them.”

Her coat pockets and little pouch were already stuffed full with candies Madam Wang had given her, leaving no room for the silver.

Fan Changyu accepted them and said, “Then Big Sister will keep them for now and put them back in your little box once we get home.”

Changning had a special little box for storing lucky money, though two months ago she had emptied it out to help pay for their parents’ funeral. Only now had she begun saving again.

Hearing that, Changning happily nodded.

Very few shops on this street were open, and even fewer peddlers passed by. Only some children played noisily in the streets.

Because news of the grain requisitions had already reached Qingping County, discussions of the Chongzhou war inevitably brought up the Battle of Jinzhou from sixteen years ago.

The children had heard the adults talk about it so often that in their game of “catching bad guys,” “Meng Shuyuan” once again became the villain everyone chased.

In games like this, the child king usually played the great hero, while the children most often bullied and excluded played the role of Meng Shuyuan, getting shoved around and beaten after being caught.

When Changning heard the children shouting as they chased the child playing Meng Shuyuan, she looked up and said, “Meng Shuyuan is a great traitor.”

Fan Changyu’s grip on her little sister’s hand tightened slightly.

“Changning, you’re not allowed to play games like that, understand?”

Changning asked, “Why?”

Patiently, Fan Changyu explained, “Those children are only using the game as an excuse to bully the child playing Meng Shuyuan. Changning mustn’t learn from them.”

Only then did Changning nod.

Fan Changyu helped smooth the soft loose strands of hair on her forehead.

“Father and Mother didn’t like seeing children play games like that either.”

Changning immediately declared, “Ningniang won’t learn from them!”

Smiling, Fan Changyu rubbed her round little head, though her thoughts drifted far away.

Ever since childhood, she had been sturdy and strong. Among children her age, she was especially famous for her strength. Even boys several years older than her had gone home crying after being beaten by her.

Her parents always believed in reasoning things out. If she was wrong, they punished her. If she was right, they defended her.

But there had been one exception.

Once, while playing the “catch the bad guy” game with other children, one child playing Meng Shuyuan had been shoved down by another child who didn’t know his own strength, smashing his forehead against the ground.

The injured child’s parents had gone door to door demanding justice.

Fan Changyu hadn’t pushed anyone, nor had she joined in bullying the child playing Meng Shuyuan.

But when her mother heard she had participated in the game at all, she suddenly burst into tears. Her father became furious as well and made her kneel in the courtyard for an entire afternoon.

Fan Changyu reflected on it for a very long time and concluded that her parents must’ve hated seeing her join in bullying the weak.

That night, when she returned to her room, her mother’s eyes were still swollen from crying. She made Fan Changyu promise never to play the “beat up the traitor Meng Shuyuan” game again.

Fan Changyu had always carried guilt over that incident. She had never seen her mother cry so heartbreakingly before. She believed she must have deeply disappointed her.

That was why, upon hearing Changning repeat that Meng Shuyuan was a great traitor along with the other children, she quickly corrected her first—afraid Changning might return home and start joining those games too.

Coincidentally, after leaving Constable Wang’s residence, Fan Changyu became lost in the county town’s unfamiliar roads. After asking directions to the bookstore and wandering in circles, she accidentally passed by the county branch of Yixiang Tower and ran into Yu Qianqian.

Yu Qianqian wore a thick coat trimmed with white fox fur. Intricate golden embroidery decorated the front and sleeves. With her straight-cut bangs framing her face, she looked no different from an unmarried young maiden.

She appeared to be preparing to leave in a carriage, with several stewards standing respectfully before her while listening to instructions.

The moment Yu Qianqian looked up and saw Fan Changyu approaching with a porcelain-doll-like little girl beside her, delight immediately filled her face.

“I was just planning to head back to town to find you. Who would’ve thought I’d run into you right outside the restaurant?”

Fan Changyu smiled and offered New Year greetings before asking, “Did Shopkeeper Yu need something from me?”

Yu Qianqian said, “I’ve got a huge business deal tomorrow, and I absolutely need your help!”

—

The largest bookstore in the county town remained open even on New Year’s Day.

When Xie Zheng stepped inside, the shopkeeper asked while flicking his abacus, “What would Young Master like to purchase?”

Xie Zheng lowered his fingers, revealing a jade ring hanging from a cord.

The moment the shopkeeper saw it, his attitude instantly became respectful. Bowing deeply, he gestured upstairs.

“Young Master, please come upstairs for a private conversation.”

The shopkeeper led Xie Zheng into an elegant private room on the second floor. Upon the huanghuali wood table by the window sat a slender-necked white porcelain vase holding a single branch of red plum blossoms just beginning to bloom. Against the carved wooden window and drifting snow outside, the scene possessed considerable elegance.

“Please wait here a moment, honored guest. I’ll fetch the master immediately.”

As the shopkeeper withdrew, a servant entered carrying tea.

Wei Yan excelled in the art of tea, and having been raised by him for sixteen years, Xie Zheng naturally understood tea as well.

From the aroma alone, this tea rivaled imperial tribute tea from the palace.

Lowering his eyes toward the red plum in the porcelain vase, Xie Zheng lightly tapped the tea lid twice with his fingers.

Not long afterward, Zhao Xun pushed the door open and entered. A carefully arranged smile rested on his charming face.

“I didn’t know the Marquis would visit personally. Forgive me for failing to welcome you properly.”

“You’re too polite, Young Master Zhao.”

Xie Zheng sat lazily in the grand chair, yet even his casual posture carried a pressure that seemed to reverse the roles of host and guest.

Zhao Xun said, “Everything the Marquis instructed me to do has already been secretly arranged. Please rest assured, even if the authorities investigate, they won’t uncover anything.”

Xie Zheng lifted his eyes.

“There’s one more matter requiring your people.”

“What matter?”

“Immediately spread news of Wei Xuan allowing soldiers in Jizhou to rob grain to He Jingyuan. As for the capital, use this grain seizure and the deaths of innocent civilians to launch a large-scale attack against the Wei faction.”

The louder the public outrage became, the more effective the censors’ impeachment memorials in court would be.

The moment Zhao Xun heard it involved suppressing the Wei faction again, he quickly bowed.

“I’ll have people handle it immediately.”

Yet when he raised his head again, he saw Xie Zheng watching him with a faint smile at the corner of his lips.

After hesitating briefly, Zhao Xun asked, “Why is the Marquis looking at me like that?”

Xie Zheng lifted the teacup before him and took a sip.

“Qingcheng Snow Bud tea. Only one bud and one leaf are picked, reserved as tribute for the imperial family. I never expected to drink such tea in a tiny place like Qingping County.”

Zhao Xun replied, “I’m merely a businessman. I spent quite a bit of silver obtaining such fine tea. Since the Marquis came personally, naturally I had to bring out my best to honor you.”

The smile at Xie Zheng’s lips flattened.

“An ordinary businessman couldn’t quietly buy up two hundred thousand shi of grain without local officials noticing. Your family’s financial power is extraordinary. If you truly wanted revenge against Wei Xuan, you could’ve relied on Grand Tutor Li’s faction in court. Yet instead you went through great lengths to find me. Rather than borrowing my hand for revenge, you were more interested in the prestige I still hold among the hundred thousand soldiers in Huizhou.”

His phoenix eyes locked onto this “unqualified businessman” before him like a wolf facing off against a hyena.

“What you want is military power. Since we are cooperating, I dislike allies who hide behind masks.”

Zhao Xun fell silent for two breaths before suddenly bursting into laughter.

Gone was the previously humble and submissive demeanor as he sat down opposite Xie Zheng.

“As expected, nothing escapes the Marquis’s discerning eyes.”