Chapter 12

Aside from the lunch Ye Rui had when she first came to the Xie residence, she hadn’t seen Xie Tinglan again. The very next day, Yin Yue caught her and began her basic training. Early that morning, she was dragged out of bed to hold horse stance, supposedly the most basic training for a guard.

Ye Rui stood with her legs apart, squatting low. After only two ke, she was drenched in sweat and her legs had begun to tremble. Yin Yue watched with a cold face; only when she saw Ye Rui truly couldn’t hold on did she finally call for a rest.

In the courtyard stood a small wutong tree, with a stone table beneath it. Ye Rui made her way over with difficulty and sat down with a thud.

Heavens, this was terrifying. She had only arrived here yesterday, and already she was being made to hold horse stance. If she hadn’t spent her days running around the mountains, she probably wouldn’t have lasted even one ke. She hadn’t seen Xie Tinglan this morning, nor Ri Xi or Huan Jing; when she opened her eyes, it had been Yin Yue’s ice-block face staring back at her, and it had almost left a shadow in her heart.

Ye Rui glanced at Yin Yue. Yin Yue wore a black cross-collared martial outfit with dark cloud patterns woven into it, her hands clasped behind her back as she frowned at Ye Rui; she looked exactly like a teacher looking at an unpromising student.

Feeling guilty, Ye Rui quickly looked away. Yin Yue, however, said, “You have no foundation at all.”

Ye Rui: “……”

How could I possibly have any?

“Rest for a moment.”

With her hands still behind her back, Yin Yue turned to look at the arched gate leading toward the Smoky Rosy Courtyard. From there, she could see servants busily moving about in Pine Wind Courtyard.

“Miss Yin Yue, Xie Ting… where did she go?”

For a moment, Ye Rui didn’t know how to address Xie Tinglan. She didn’t really want to call her “my lord”; it always felt like putting herself a step lower. Although Xie Tinglan’s status was indeed above hers, Ye Rui truly couldn’t bring herself to think of herself as a servant.

Yin Yue had originally been about to scold her for being rude, but as if remembering something, she swallowed the words back down. “My lady went to court.”

She paused, hesitated for a while, then went on, “Perhaps my lady won’t be back for three days. I heard the Empress was worried about her injuries and asked her to stay in the palace for a few days so the imperial physicians could treat her.”

Was the food at the Xie residence not good enough?

Ye Rui thought of the lunch she had eaten yesterday; there was thousand-year ginseng stewed with snow lotus and chicken soup, lingzhi stewed with two pigeon breasts, even bird’s nest glutinous rice porridge. The food had been absurdly good.

She admitted that in the mountains, she really hadn’t taken good care of Xie Tinglan.

“Before leaving, my lady said for you to train properly in martial arts. She said you… have decent aptitude.”

By the time Yin Yue reached the last four words, her tone was clearly full of doubt. Martial training should be started when young; Ye Rui was already nineteen now, which was actually far too late.

Yin Yue had only learned Ye Rui’s age from her household registration record. On the very first day she arrived, Xie Tinglan had taken her registration papers away.

Ye Rui was even a little embarrassed. Decent aptitude? She didn’t even know what her own aptitude was supposed to be.

“Don’t disappoint my lady’s expectations of you.”

As soon as Yin Yue finished speaking, she had Ye Rui stand up and continue holding horse stance. Ye Rui’s heart was full of misery; she hadn’t even rested for a full ke before she had to start again.

Would she still be able to walk tomorrow? Was Xie Tinglan using this method to take revenge on her?

**

Inside Chengde Hall, golden dragons coiled around red pillars in a display of grandeur and solemn authority. The court officials stood in rows on both sides in crimson and dark blue official robes, holding their tablet boards as they bowed toward the golden-carved, jade-inlaid steps and the man in the bright yellow dragon robe seated above them.

Because of her injury, Emperor Yuan had granted Xie Tinglan a seat so she could attend court while sitting. Even in today’s court, such treatment was second to none. Everyone understood how much Emperor Yuan favored Xie Tinglan; that was also the reason she could run rampant through the court without restraint.

Xie Tinglan sat in a grand armchair, holding a jade tablet, seated at the very front of the officials. She listened as Grand Eunuch Zhao Sheng cried out in his sharp voice, “If there is business, speak; if not, court is dismissed—!”

The words had barely fallen when a white-bearded, white-haired man stepped out from the ranks. “Your Majesty, this subject has business to report.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Xie Tinglan lowered her eyes with a cold smile and tapped rhythmically against the jade tablet with her fingers. She looked at the man seated upright on the dragon throne. He casually raised one hand and swept his sleeve. “Granted.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Murong Yu cast a venomous glance at the woman seated at the front left, then spoke in a loud voice, “Your Majesty, since this humble subject has temporarily taken over the Ministry of War’s ledgers, I have discovered multiple expenditures in the accounts that exceed the original amounts!”

At this, many of the officials exchanged looks, while the woman sitting in the grand chair continued to smile as before.

“The excess spending is likely as much as a million taels of silver. This humble subject suspects Prime Minister Xie of embezzling public funds and violating the law. I beg Your Majesty to investigate carefully!”

After hearing this, Xie Tinglan did not react immediately. Instead, she glanced at Emperor Yuan again. His expression was clearly one of surprise, though that surprise did not reach his eyes. He said angrily, “Duke of Wei, this is a serious matter; you must not speak recklessly!”

As soon as Emperor Yuan’s words fell, Xie Tinglan smiled and said, “Duke of Wei, why not list them one by one so everyone can hear?”

With that, the tense standoff in court turned strangely eerie under Xie Tinglan’s cold laugh. This was clearly an extremely dangerous accusation; anything involving the military and troops was a sovereign’s greatest taboo. Not only did Xie Tinglan refuse to defend herself, she even told Murong Yu to list her crimes one by one. It was truly baffling.

Enraged by Xie Tinglan’s arrogance, Murong Yu immediately flipped open the ledger he had brought and clearly recited which expenditures had occurred on which day and in which section. By then, many officials were all looking toward the woman in the chair, and even the one on the dragon throne was looking at her, as if waiting for her explanation.

Xie Tinglan let out a soft laugh. Using the armrest for support, she slowly stood up and turned to face Murong Yu, her gaze as cold and poisonous as a viper’s. Today she wore a crimson python robe; her black hair, threaded with silver, was all pinned up beneath her official crown, and a look of disdain played at the corners of her mouth.

“Duke of Wei, why don’t I teach you how to read a ledger?”

At those words, the man on the dragon throne clearly frowned; the golden dragon head beneath his palm was gripped so tightly that his hand nearly whitened.

“I know how to read a ledger myself; there is no need for you to teach me!”

The Duke of Wei was already sixty. Provoked by Xie Tinglan like this, his beard nearly bristled straight up, and his face flushed red.

It was no secret that the Duke of Wei and Xie Tinglan were at loggerheads. Such a sharp confrontation in court had happened who knew how many times before; only this time, Xie Tinglan had actually been caught with a handle.

“The Ministry of War’s ledgers are divided into three volumes. The border army and the city defense troops within the capital are under this prime minister’s management, while the ledger in your hands is the one for the three cities of Yuanzhou. The one responsible for that ledger is Lord Tang Zhongqing, who is currently handling affairs in Youlan City.”

Xie Tinglan curved her lips in a profound smile. Murong Yu’s face changed, and before he could even lower his head to check, Xie Tinglan continued, “Everyone in court knows this prime minister has frail health, so last year I already requested Your Majesty’s permission to let Lord Tang oversee the military funds for the three cities of Yuanzhou. Lord Tang was even personally recommended by the Duke of Wei. Surely the Duke has not forgotten?”

“Nonsense! What this duke requested at the time was for Lord Tang Zhongqing to manage the city defense troops’ military funds; how could it be…!”

Before the Duke of Wei could finish, Xie Tinglan cut him off with a cold laugh and went on, “What the Duke requested was naturally the city defense troops’ funds. But this prime minister thought Lord Tang was still too young, so I gave him the ledger for the three Yuanzhou cities to temper him. The Duke only needs to compare the official seal on the last page to know.”

The Duke of Wei’s face went even paler, and he hurriedly lowered his head to flip through it. Only then did Xie Tinglan turn to look at Emperor Yuan; she caught the flicker of surprise on his face. “I trust Your Majesty remembers this matter as well.”

When Xie Tinglan lifted her eyes toward Emperor Yuan, there was a smile in them and a faint, almost imperceptible chill. Then she said, “Still, the Duke of Wei should also be praised for his unwavering righteousness; choosing to put the greater good above family ties and expose his own protégé, Lord Tang Zhongqing, for embezzling public funds.”

Watching the slight tremor in Emperor Yuan’s pupils, Xie Tinglan’s smile deepened. “Your Majesty, the army is the foundation of Great Yan and also its blade. According to the law, anyone who embezzles public funds over a million taels, especially when it concerns military provisions, is to have their household seized and be executed along with three generations of their family!”

Holding the jade tablet, Xie Tinglan bowed slightly. She could not see the emperor’s expression, but she could feel his icy stare.

Borrowing force from the current, killing with a borrowed blade; whose arm was being cut off this time?

**

Inside the Golden Phoenix Palace, exquisitely embroidered curtains hung down, and delicate little bronze censers carved with flowers sent up wisps of fragrant smoke. A beautiful woman wearing gold nail guards slowly lifted a cup of tea to her lips.

Her phoenix hairdo was elegant and simple; she wore a dark blue palace robe embroidered with golden phoenixes so lifelike they seemed ready to spread their wings and soar. This year she was already thirty-seven, yet her face was still youthful and noble. Her beautiful eyes were as tender as water, her bearing solemn and stately; she truly had the air of a woman destined to rule the world from behind the curtains.

“How have you been lately?”

Xie Tinglan did not drink the tea. Instead, she idly played with the exquisitely crafted ivory chess piece placed on the rosewood table.

“You’re the one who’s injured, and you’re asking whether this palace is doing well?”

Helian Shaohua gave Xie Tinglan a sidelong look. Xie Tinglan merely smiled, picked up the rook piece, and turned it over in her hand before placing it outside the board.

Helian Shaohua raised her brows and continued drinking tea with a smile.

“This subject isn’t seriously hurt. Besides… I’ve also found someone interesting.”

By the end of her sentence, a hint of subtle amusement had appeared in Xie Tinglan’s beautiful eyes. Helian Shaohua saw it clearly; she picked up a pawn and rubbed it between her fingers. “Oh? Tinglan rarely takes such an interest in someone. What makes this person so interesting?”

Xie Tinglan glanced at the piece in Helian Shaohua’s hand, then picked up the cannon and placed it in front of her own king. Seeing that, Helian Shaohua set the pawn down.

“That is indeed interesting.”

After saying that with a smile, Helian Shaohua changed the subject. “Today some excellent tea was sent from the three Yuanzhou cities. Don’t just talk; try it.”

Xie Tinglan put down the chess piece, picked up the blue-and-white porcelain teacup, and took a sip. “The scenery in the three Yuanzhou cities is graceful; tea is warm and wine is mellow. It’s a pity that the cold winds of the Capital City always blow there with the prevailing breeze.”

Helian Shaohua lowered her head with a smile. “The tea and wine in the Capital City are no worse. It’s just that there are so many shops; you have to try them properly before you know which shop’s tea and wine are worth drinking.”

“Then which shop does Your Ladyship think is worth drinking?”

Helian Shaohua sighed and shook her head. “This palace lives deep within the inner court; how would I know? But I once heard Madam of Minister Qu mention that the tea at Linglong Fragrance in the north of the city seems quite good.”

“Very well. In the future, this subject will definitely go and try it.”

Xie Tinglan inclined her head and lowered her eyes to sip her tea.

Author’s Note:

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Let me show everyone how my Prime Minister Xie performs in court~

Next chapter on Tuesday [dog head][dog head]