Chapter 24

The autumn wind was cold today. The paulownia leaves had already fallen, the room was heated by a charcoal brazier, and beneath the quilt, everything was soft and fragrant.

“Much better than Two Beauties Play at Love.”

Ye Rui went stiff all at once, her face beginning to burn. How had she managed to mention a book and still walk right up to the edge of danger? At that moment, Xie Tinglan let out a low laugh and held her even tighter. “Don’t run.”

Xie Tinglan buried her face against Ye Rui’s collarbone, breathing in her warmth. One hand pressed between them, the other wrapped tightly around Ye Rui’s firm waist, gathering that life-saving warmth into her embrace.

The two of them fell silent. Their breathing rose and fell against each other, making the air grow thick with an ambiguous heat.

After a long while, Ye Rui let out a soft sigh. “Why do you always like teasing me like this?”

“Teasing?” Xie Tinglan’s tone was calm, with a trace of amusement at the end. She sounded to be in a very good mood; though her body was unwell, her emotions were thoroughly soothed.

Ye Rui thought to herself: I didn’t even know I had this function.

“Well, whatever. We’re both adults.”

Ye Rui had seen a few little movies and steamy novels before. After all, it was only normal for adults to have a bit of desire.

Thinking of this, she grew curious about Xie Tinglan’s age and asked in a low voice, “How old are you?”

“What is it? Asking my age—do you mean to marry me?”

Ye Rui was speechless. Hearing Xie Tinglan say such shameless words in that teasing tone, she truly had nothing to say in response. How had she become so improper the moment they got into bed? She had clearly still looked like a tutor when teaching her to read and write.

No—what did she mean, got into bed? What on earth was she thinking!

The more Ye Rui thought about it, the more muddled she felt. Hearing the low laugh from the person in her arms, she huffed coldly and said, “I know you’re only putting on a show. I won’t cross the line either, so don’t keep provoking me.”

As soon as the words fell, the person in her arms seemed to suppress her laughter, the movement becoming very slight.

“I hope you find the antidote soon. Then you won’t have to suffer like this.”

And you won’t need me as a human pillow anymore, always being teased in bed until I’m speechless and at a loss, unable to tell where this feeling is supposed to lead.

“Don’t talk.”

Xie Tinglan paused, then quietly sighed. “You’re disturbing my rest.”

“Fine.”

Ye Rui obediently stopped talking. By the time she herself was almost asleep, the person in her arms suddenly spoke: “I’m already twenty-eight.”

Twenty-eight? In this era, an unmarried woman of twenty-eight was truly rare, especially among aristocratic families; they were usually treated as bargaining chips in marriage alliances to exchange for benefits. However, Xie Tinglan’s reputation was fearsome, and she was someone everyone feared. Let alone suitors, probably not a single man dared look at her for more than a moment.

Besides... Xie Tinglan had said she had ruined her ability to bear children in order to protect herself, which might also have made other families give up any ideas. And then... Ye Rui remembered the old injuries on her arms, like knife wounds or whip marks. Those were not wounds from assassination attempts; after all, assassinations aimed for a single fatal blow.

Those scars looked more like something inflicted by torture.

She must have had major clans and aristocratic houses eyeing her all along, so how had she made it through all this?

Thinking of this, Ye Rui couldn’t help feeling a sour ache in her chest. She gently patted Xie Tinglan’s back and said softly, “Sleep. Rest for a bit, and then we’ll go to the study.”

“Mm.”

Ye Rui didn’t actually fall asleep. Silently, she felt the breathing of the person in her arms, which had grown quick and strained from the cold poison, slowly settle down, then lengthen into something even and shallow. She knew she shouldn’t get any more entangled with Xie Tinglan, yet her heart always kept tilting toward her.

The more she learned about Xie Tinglan, the deeper she thought about her, and the more Ye Rui felt she could no longer let go. She thought she was being unreasonable. Reason told her Xie Tinglan was only putting on a show; it was nothing more than a few flirtatious words, with no intention of taking responsibility. And yet every night, in the dead silence, when emotion took the upper hand, she would always cling to a sliver of hope, thinking that she was special to Xie Tinglan.

Perhaps one day, Xie Tinglan might like her. But then what? What would happen after that? She herself didn’t even know what kind of ending she wanted.

And yet that was how the world was; sometimes, precisely because you could never get an ending, you became even more stubborn and refused to let go.

Autumn was like a song of resentment, carrying an inescapable melancholy as it swallowed a helpless sigh in the quiet, exquisite sleeping chamber.

**

The next day, Ri Xi took Ye Rui to Songhe Tower to meet three people: the Right Vice Minister of War, Tang Xi; the Right Vice Minister of Personnel, Chen Kaiyuan; and the Vice Minister of Rites, Zhang Qingsong.

Ye Rui had thought this would be a round of probing back and forth over wine, but after sitting down she realized these were all Xie Tinglan’s people, all from humble backgrounds, with no powerful family behind them. They had climbed up step by step from the bottom, and Xie Tinglan had promoted them in secret, bringing them to their current posts.

Ri Xi mainly introduced Ye Rui, and then the group discussed the defenses for the imperial examination, the budget, the schedule, and a few trivial matters. In their words and manner, they treated Ri Xi with great respect; in her presence, it was as if they were seeing Xie Tinglan herself. Ri Xi also handled everything flawlessly. She pointed out any problems directly and did not stint on praise when something was done well, keeping the whole pace firmly under control.

Ye Rui listened the whole time and rarely spoke. She was learning—learning Ri Xi’s steadiness, learning the current court situation, and learning every aspect of this imperial examination.

These three were also highly efficient people; they wasted no words and directly laid out the key points for this examination. The defense map was brought out, the schedule was written in a booklet, and the budget booklet was sealed inside a large envelope with wax.

All of this had been prepared for Xie Tinglan’s personal review.

At the end, the three of them also gave Ri Xi a reminder: this time, the examination questions had been submitted directly to the emperor. Aside from the official who composed them and the one above, no one knew what the questions would be.

At this, Ri Xi’s expression darkened. Then Chen Kaiyuan added that this time the palace examination was split into two sessions; the five female candidates and the examinees from humble backgrounds were all assigned to the second session, at midday, under the blazing sun.

Ri Xi’s face grew even darker after hearing that.

After leaving Songhe Tower, Ri Xi remained in low spirits. Ye Rui thought to herself that those female candidates had been placed under the scorching sun for the exam, and at midday at that; after eating their fill, their minds would already be sluggish. That would greatly affect their condition.

Though no one said it outright, just from looking at Ri Xi’s expression, Ye Rui knew that the chances of most examinees in the second session passing were probably close to zero.

Ye Rui had also wondered why the palace examination wasn’t held inside the palace, but instead had to be conducted in the open on Shenwu Plaza, exposed to sun and rain. Ri Xi’s explanation was that under the sunlight, everything was clear and bright; with the heavens as witness and the Son of Heaven as the judge, holding the palace examination at Shenwu Plaza was a Great Yan tradition.

Besides, the palace interior was cramped, making it easy to hide contraband. This was also to prevent the candidates from cheating and deceiving the emperor.

Strangely enough, since the founding of Great Yan, it had never rained on the day of the palace examination. Before the examination began, there would be a ritual to honor the gods. Great Yan believed in Buddhism, so the ones they naturally worshiped were the Buddhas, praying for everything to go smoothly and for the weather to be favorable. Everyone also believed that because the emperor prayed for the candidates, the exam day had been spared from rain; thus the ritual was especially important.

By the time they returned to the residence, it was midday. Ye Rui went on her own to Xie Tinglan’s study. Ri Xi briefly explained what had happened at Songhe Tower, left the booklets behind, and then departed.

Xie Tinglan opened the booklets and read them carefully. Her expression remained as usual, unlike Ri Xi’s darkened face.

“Can I ask you something?”

Ye Rui set down her brush. She still had one question about what had just happened.

“Ask.”

Xie Tinglan’s gaze remained on the booklets. Her brow did not furrow and her face held no smile; it was impossible to tell whether she approved of these arrangements or not.

“Earlier, Chen Kaiyuan said that only the official who set the questions and that person knew them, and Ri Xi’s face turned dark. Why?”

Now that Xie Tinglan and the emperor were on the same boat, wasn’t it a good thing for the emperor to know the exam questions? Why would Ri Xi... Could it be that the emperor and Xie Tinglan did not share the same interests?

The corners of Xie Tinglan’s mouth lifted slightly, her gaze shifting as she raised her eyes. A gentle look settled on Ye Rui: “What do you think?”

Ye Rui pursed her lips inwardly. Of course she knew this woman would throw the question back at her; what a bad woman!

Still, she thought it through carefully, then said, “If the questions are controlled by that person, then if there’s any suspicion of leakage, the official who set them would certainly be blamed. So they definitely wouldn’t dare leak them.”

“Continue.”

Xie Tinglan rested one hand against her cheek, watching Ye Rui with great interest. Her brows and eyes held an unintentional allure and charm, which made Ye Rui look away a little awkwardly, her gaze falling onto the blank paper before her.

“The official wouldn’t dare leak them, but if that person has private motives, then who passes and who fails would all be decided by that person’s whim, wouldn’t it?”

Thinking of this, Ye Rui frowned. “Could it be that the candidates you want are different from his, which is why Ri Xi showed that expression?”

“You’re thinking too shallowly, but you’re not wrong.”

Xie Tinglan gave a brief assessment, satisfied to see Ye Rui’s embarrassed expression; even the corners of her eyes lifted a little. “That person does control the questions, and indeed he also controls who passes and who fails. He can even use this to try to win over his own faction, making those small families wag their tails and beg at his feet.”

“The imperial examinations are the chance for many small and impoverished families to turn their fortunes around. Though these powers are small, if they can be gathered together, they still cannot be underestimated.”

Ye Rui’s eyes lit up at that. “So right now the examination is split among three factions: the children of great families, the female candidates and humble-background scholars you favor, and the small families favored by the emperor?”

“Mm. Smart.”

Xie Tinglan closed the booklet, a flash of sharpness passing through her eyes as she sneered. “The great families of today were once small families too. Former emperors also used the examinations to consolidate imperial power, only to be countered in the end by those same great families once their wings were full. The lessons are all there, yet that one has repeated the same mistake and is drinking poison to quench thirst. Truly laughable.”

“From the way you say it, it sounds like you don’t care much for that one either?”

At that moment, Xie Tinglan looked up and met Ye Rui’s eyes. In that instant, their gazes crossed, and Ye Rui could almost feel that indescribable tacit understanding between them. At this moment, her sense of being a “co-conspirator” grew even stronger. Every word they had spoken in their casual disparagement of the Son of Heaven was enough to cost them their heads; and yet they spoke as naturally as if they were discussing the weather, without the slightest fear.

Yes—only now did Ye Rui realize that Xie Tinglan was, in her bones, just like her, hiding an unwillingness as fierce as a beast’s.

Ye Rui’s question had no answer, but that single glance already contained everything.

“More than that, the Emperor of Yuan ascended the throne in his youth and has long been constrained by those aristocratic clans and royal princes. This move may seem to be about fairness and justice, but in truth it is also to show those great families that he already has the power to control the imperial authority; it is also a warning to me not to act on my own and build my own faction.”

“Complicated. Your minds are all too complicated.”

Ye Rui shook her head and lowered her gaze to continue writing. Suddenly, she thought that instead of falling into this whirlpool of power, it might be better to go learn martial arts from Yin Yue. It would be hard work, but at least it wouldn’t require so much brainpower.

Hutu: [Weren’t you saying before that if you had to choose, you’d rather do cosmic trash collection than practice horse stance?]

Ye Rui blushed: [That was then; this is now. I’m already a mature Ye Rui!]

Hutu: [Humans really are so fickle!]

Ye Rui: [Being fickle is better than your system being permanently muddled and useless.]

Hutu: [Ah! You’re talking about me behind my back!]

Ye Rui: [I’m telling the truth!]

Hutu: [You’d better be careful; if you anger me and I damage some important database of yours, then the two of us will have to do cosmic trash collection together!]

Ye Rui: [...Your system is that petty?]

Seeing Ye Rui write faster and faster, as if she had thought of something infuriating, Xie Tinglan asked curiously, “What are you doing?”

Only then did Ye Rui come back to herself. She had been so focused on arguing with Hutu that she had almost forgotten where she was.

“Nothing. I just thought that one’s thoughts are too complicated, and felt you weren’t being given enough credit.”

Ye Rui gave a casual excuse, but Xie Tinglan fell into a strange silence. When Ye Rui looked up, she just happened to see Xie Tinglan withdrawing her gaze.

“Entering the game with one’s own body; each taking what one needs, that’s all.”

Xie Tinglan picked up another booklet to read. Following her words, Ye Rui asked, “Then what chances do you have this time?”

On one side stood imperial power; on the other, the strength of the aristocratic clans and royal princes. Though Xie Tinglan, as Prime Minister, controlled the inner cabinet and the people in her hands were all ambitious scholars from humble backgrounds, in terms of surface advantage she was far inferior to the other two sides.

“Don’t underestimate me.”

Xie Tinglan’s profile was as cold as frost, the smile she wore carrying a hint of confidence. “If this imperial examination is obstructed from allowing women to hold office, then I will fight for a result where everyone loses. No one will reap the benefits.”

“Then what’s your plan?”

As Ye Rui spoke, she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to meet the courtesan from Rain and Mist Pavilion tomorrow, and asked while she was at it, “And tomorrow, when I go see that courtesan, is there anything else you want me to help with?”

Xie Tinglan turned her head to look at Ye Rui. Seeing that eager face, her long lashes fluttered, and her eyes cooled somewhat.

She withdrew her gaze and let it fall back coldly onto the booklet. The amusement from before was completely reined in. “Just do your own job well.”

“Oh...”

Ye Rui drew out the last syllable, scratching at her temple. She had thought Xie Tinglan might have some special instructions; it seemed everyone wasn’t placing much hope in her handling this matter either.

Ye Rui was going to Rain and Mist Pavilion to find that courtesan so the courtesan could pry some words out of important officials. Ri Xi had not said plainly which officials, nor what she was meant to pry out of them. It was as if, as long as she could enter that courtesan’s eyes, the courtesan would naturally know what to do.

To think someone actually dared play hard to get with Xie Tinglan; this courtesan was indeed no simple person.

It was said that Rain and Mist Pavilion had stood in the Capital City for a hundred years, and the wealth and connections it had accumulated were not to be underestimated. Every owner of Rain and Mist Pavilion was a courtesan selected by the previous owner. They controlled many secrets in the Capital City that were unknown to the public.

For any ambitious person, such an existence was a threat. These people all had, to varying degrees, some unspeakable and filthy secrets. And yet Rain and Mist Pavilion also seemed to have a martial world background. There had once been people who tried to go in and cause trouble, only to be carried out horizontally; the cause of death was a shattered heart meridian, killed by one blow.

It was said that when that person went in, they merely smashed a single cup. Neither tables nor chairs were damaged before they were killed. No one saw who struck the blow, but the person had simply died like that.

Not only that, Rain and Mist Pavilion had close ties with many imperial relatives, nobles, and even members of the royal family. They said heroes were buried by their own longing, and these people were so bewitched by the women inside the pavilion that they willingly let themselves be used. With the protection of those people, plus the mysterious martial-world force behind it, Rain and Mist Pavilion had become an unshakable presence within the Capital City.

The rule of Rain and Mist Pavilion was: if you don’t offend me, I won’t offend you.

The intelligence in Rain and Mist Pavilion was priced; it was said the price was set by the pavilion’s owner. Of course, not every piece of information was for sale, and not every person was worth meeting.

The more Ye Rui thought about it, the more curious she became about what kind of person this courtesan was. At the same time, she was a little worried, worried that the courtesan would call her ugly and throw her out the door.

That would be far too embarrassing.

“If you don’t want to go, I won’t force you.”

After a long while, Xie Tinglan suddenly said this in a flat tone, as if it were nothing important at all.

“I’m going, of course I’m going!”

Of course she was going. She wanted to know exactly what tricks this courtesan was playing. For someone as arrogant as Xie Tinglan to have to visit her three times before getting a response, that courtesan had to be no ordinary person.

Xie Tinglan did not reply; she merely glanced at Ye Rui. When she withdrew her gaze, her expression had become even colder, and in the instant Ye Rui wasn’t looking, her brow had faintly furrowed.

-----------------------

Author’s note: [dog head][dog head]