Chapter 30

Shenwu Plaza was where the imperial guards trained. Today, the ground that was usually slick with soldiers’ sweat had been set with rows of rosewood desks instead, each one topped with white paper and an inkstone. At once, the scent of ink drifted through the air, mingling with the rustle of paper in the wind.

At the front of Shenwu Plaza, on the raised platform, stood a dragon throne and a phoenix seat, though neither had been occupied yet. Awnings had been erected along both sides of the plaza to keep the sun off the crowd. Xie Tinglan sat nearest the platform, in the foremost seat, where she could clearly see every movement of the candidates.

Today, Ye Rui, along with Rixi and Yin Yue, was dressed in the Xie household’s guard uniform. All three wore fitted dark blue clothing, but none carried weapons, because in the imperial city, aside from the Emperor and the imperial guards, no one was permitted to bear arms.

The Xie household’s guards were not official attendants, but with Xie Tinglan’s status, they had barely managed to enter the imperial city in an official capacity to watch this grand event.

Officials gradually took their seats. Everyone who arrived would bow to Xie Tinglan; only a few old men did not. Instead, they began chatting with others as soon as they entered, clearly not taking Xie Tinglan seriously.

Ye Rui gave a cold snort. So villains really did wear their evil on their faces; that made them awfully easy to see through.

Xie Tinglan, however, did not care. Not a sip of the tea a little eunuch had poured had passed her lips. When she got thirsty, she would have Rixi hand over the water pouch she kept on her and take a few careful sips. She was extremely guarded. Ye Rui suddenly felt a little sorry for her; she wondered what kind of things this person had gone through to become so painstakingly cautious.

Soon, the first batch of candidates entered. They were all dressed in spotless white crossed-collar robes. After finding their seats, they sat down. Each of them was as white as snow, as if untouched by the dust of the mortal world. Yet only they themselves knew how many blades of status and profit lurked beneath those white robes.

Once inside, some looked around, seemingly greeting officials they knew; some lowered their heads and stared at the blank paper, brows tightly furrowed and too tense to speak; others lifted their eyes to study Shenwu Plaza, curious about everything.

There were no people on Xie Tinglan’s side in this round. She gave the candidates a half-hearted sweep of her eyes, then closed them to rest.

Ye Rui couldn’t help thinking to herself: this one’s arrogant too.

Xie Tinglan ignored the candidates, but quite a few of them looked over at Ye Rui. They probably wanted to see the first female Prime Minister in the history of the empire. They had all heard of her fearsome reputation, of how terrifying and ruthless her methods were. Each one glanced once, then quickly looked away.

Even if this person were as beautiful as a celestial being, the rumors about her Yama-like methods would still drive people back.

“Ye Rui.”

Just as Ye Rui was still letting her eyes wander around the plaza, a voice calling her name brought her back. She took two steps forward and came to Xie Tinglan’s side, then crouched slightly and asked, “What is it?”

Xie Tinglan still had one hand propping up her head, half-asleep. She didn’t even lift her eyelids, only said in a low voice, “When you meet the Emperor and Empress later, be respectful. I can indulge you however I like in the Xie residence, but here you’re not allowed to act wild. Watch your life.”

“I know.”

Of course Ye Rui knew. Before they set out, Rixi had gone over the palace etiquette with her several times, down to how she was supposed to walk; apparently every step had to be carefully measured out in advance. It was really annoying. In this world, the hierarchy was beyond challenge; even if she didn’t like it, she couldn’t afford to make a mistake now.

“Is it absolutely safe here?”

Ye Rui asked. She looked around again. Every official had brought personal guards, and the surroundings were ringed by armored imperial guards. It should be fine.

“Those people may hate me, but they won’t make a move here.”

After Xie Tinglan said that, Ye Rui felt much more at ease. Thinking about it, if those people could even send assassins in here, they would be underestimating the Emperor’s imperial guards far too much. Even if they were going to act, they couldn’t possibly do it before the Emperor; that would only tarnish the Emperor’s dignity.

“Fine. You really do plan everything.”

By the end, Ye Rui’s tone had turned teasing. Before Xie Tinglan could say anything, she had already returned to her original position. Hearing those four words, “plan everything,” Xie Tinglan couldn’t help frowning. She raised a hand and scratched her itchy, hot ear; those words were truly... especially grating.

Right now the Emperor and Empress were still performing a sacrifice to the gods. Ye Rui could hear distant bells and chanting, slow and measured. In this battlefield of deceit and profit, that steady chanting sounded strangely out of place; it didn’t feel like a blessing, but rather like a rite for the dead.

When the chanting stopped, Shenwu Plaza, which had still been noisy a moment ago, gradually fell silent. People stopped chatting and straightened their court robes, sitting up properly. Ye Rui knew then that the two of them were already on their way over.

And yet, while everyone else had prepared to welcome the Emperor and Empress, Xie Tinglan still leaned crookedly on her hand like a beautiful snake, pretending to sleep. Ye Rui glanced at Rixi and Yin Yue beside her; both of them were staring straight ahead with lowered eyes, seemingly unconcerned.

She had just been told to mind her manners, so why wasn’t Xie Tinglan reminding herself too?

But Xie Tinglan seemed to have timed it perfectly. After a while, she sat up properly, took up her jade tablet, and looked toward the vermilion gates leading into Shenwu Plaza.

At that moment, Ye Rui couldn’t help holding her breath as well. She was about to see the Emperor, someone she had only ever seen in television dramas. What kind of person would he be?

What did a man look like when he used imperial power to pull the factions together, sharpen his blade in secret, and wait for the right moment to strike?

Hu Tu said: 【Just like a man. What else could he look like? It’s not like he can grow three heads and six arms.】

Ye Rui was momentarily speechless. 【Nezha would hit people for that!】

Hu Tu said: 【I’m a System; I’m not afraid!】

Ye Rui: 【……】

Ridiculous. Too ridiculous. In such a serious setting, Hu Tu almost made her laugh. She could only clamp down hard on her thigh to hold it in.

No, next time in a serious place, she absolutely could not let Hu Tu talk, or she might laugh out loud and get beheaded for it.

Before long, Eunuch Zhao Sheng’s shrill voice rang out. “The Emperor and Empress have arrived——!”

Even before they saw anyone, everyone sprang to their feet at the cry and bowed toward the empty passageway. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard; only the snapping flutter of banners in the wind.

Ye Rui kept her head lowered, instinctively holding her breath until Eunuch Zhao Sheng’s voice rang out again: “Bow——!”

As soon as the words fell, everyone in the plaza spoke in unison, as if they were disciplined soldiers: “May the Emperor live ten thousand years, ten thousand years, and ten thousand ten thousand years! May the Empress live a thousand years, a thousand years, and a thousand thousand years——!”

Ye Rui did not lift her head. Everyone still remained bent over, waiting for the most honored man of Great Yan to give the command.

“All ministers, rise——”

A deep voice came from ahead, and only then did everyone straighten; however, no one sat down yet. Ye Rui didn’t dare raise her head too high. Rixi had told her that one must not stare directly at the Son of Heaven. So she quietly used the corner of her eye to look at the man in the bright yellow dragon robe.

He looked to be about forty, clean-shaven, wearing a twelve-bead crown. Five-clawed golden dragons coiled across his robe, and his features were calm and steady, every gesture carrying the bearing of the Son of Heaven. “All of you, sit.”

Only then did Xie Tinglan slowly take her seat. After everyone else had sat down, Eunuch Zhao Sheng began proclaiming the opening of the examinations, speaking on the Emperor’s behalf with words of encouragement and blessing for the candidates. Ye Rui still wasn’t interested; her gaze drifted left and right before landing on the Empress seated on the phoenix throne.

Today, Helian Shaohua wore the same bright yellow phoenix robe, with phoenix-headed pearl hairpins in her hair and gilded phoenix-wing guards on her hands. Her brows were gentle and dignified, and when she looked at the Yandi Emperor, her eyes seemed almost to drip with water.

They said the Emperor and Empress were deeply devoted to each other; looking at them now, the rumors in the streets were not entirely false.

After the proclamation ended, the scholars from the Hanlin Academy began distributing the exam questions, and the examination officially started.

It was a dull process. No one spoke, and that silence lasted a full hour. The Grand Scholars also handed the questions to several ministers for review; Xie Tinglan had a copy in her hands as well. Ye Rui lowered her head and glanced at it once. The moment she saw dense rows of characters covering the white paper, she quickly looked away.

She felt her trypophobia acting up.

That hour dragged on endlessly. Xie Tinglan, on the other hand, kept flipping through the questions, reading them with great interest, and occasionally even wrote something on them with a brush. The person on the dragon throne was also looking over the questions; everyone seemed deeply absorbed in this imperial examination.

Ye Rui turned to look at Rixi. Rixi was staring blankly ahead, lost in thought about something. And Yin Yue... Yin Yue’s eyelids were lowered. It seemed she, like Ye Rui, had no interest in this exam either.

Good. She wasn’t the only one who found this boring.

After the first round ended, the inner attendants brought tea and pastries for everyone. Xie Tinglan didn’t touch a single bite. When the Emperor asked about it, she simply said she was unwell, and the Emperor didn’t press further. It seemed her image as a frail invalid had taken root so deeply that even the Emperor didn’t force her.

Soon it was noon, and the second round of the exam began. The questions for the first and second rounds were different; after the Grand Scholars distributed them to the students and ministers, they lit rosewood incense, which would burn for one hour.

Now the sun was blazing overhead. The ministers had tents for shade, but the candidates could only write furiously under the scorching sunlight. Ye Rui could roughly tell by now that the first round had mostly been children of aristocratic families and titled clans, while the second round consisted of common-born scholars and the women taking the exam for the first time.

There were five women in this round. They wrote under the sun with calm composure, not surprised or flustered at all; sweat gleamed on their faces. Unfortunately, the sun was especially strong today. Even though it was autumn, the heat made people’s heads ache, and every so often a cold wind blew through, the alternating warmth and chill likely enough to make someone sick.

Only after they finally finished writing did Ye Rui emerge a little from her daze. There was still the matter of the Grand Scholars grading these papers, and that would take another two hours.

Just as the Yandi Emperor was about to announce the end of the writing period, Xie Tinglan was the first to stand, jade tablet in hand. “Your Majesty, this minister has something to report.”

Xie Tinglan bowed to the Emperor, holding her jade tablet in both hands, her tone calm and unreadable, making it impossible to tell what she intended to say at such a critical moment.

“Granted.”

The Yandi Emperor raised a hand and permitted Xie Tinglan to speak.

“Your Majesty, this minister wishes to accuse someone in the examination grounds of cheating.”

The moment those words were spoken, a white-haired man immediately laughed. “Lord Xie, with the Son of Heaven before us, who would dare be so disrespectful? That is a crime punishable by extermination of nine clans!”

“Duke of Wei speaks correctly; it is indeed a crime punishable by extermination of nine clans.”

Though she was speaking of the laws of the realm and matters of life and death, there was a hint of dark amusement in Xie Tinglan’s tone. At once, the entire Shenwu Plaza seemed to shiver; the chill was sharper than autumn wind, stabbing into everyone’s nerves.

Looking at the mocking smile now appearing on Xie Tinglan’s sickly face, Duke of Wei felt a chill down to his bones.

The Emperor’s expression wasn’t much better. His handsome face darkened as he asked, “Who is it?”

Ye Rui swept her eyes over everyone present. Some looked shocked, but most wore ugly expressions; it was obvious each had their own hidden agenda.

“Xu Ruguan, from the first round of the exam.”

The moment those words fell, Duke of Wei’s expression relaxed at once, while the Emperor’s turned rather unpleasant. A refined young man was hauled to the center of Shenwu Plaza by two imperial guards, one on each side, like a chicken being carried off.

He was drenched in sweat, trembling all over, his face ashen as he looked first at Xie Tinglan, then at the man on the platform.

“This man has the answers hidden in his sleeve.”

As Xie Tinglan spoke, the two guards lifted Xu Ruguan’s arms and turned his sleeves inside out. Sure enough, densely packed text was hidden in the inner lining. The moment people saw it, they began whispering to one another. More than one Grand Scholar rose in outrage, denouncing the man for scorning imperial authority and sullying the sanctity of the examination.

Others began discussing Xu Ruguan’s identity; many simply stood by and watched the show.

In an instant, Shenwu Plaza erupted into chaos.

Ye Rui carefully observed everyone’s reactions. Whenever a certain Grand Scholar stood up in outrage, Duke of Wei’s lips would curl in satisfaction, and Ye Rui immediately knew that scholar was one of Duke of Wei’s men. Of course, many others did not dare state their position aloud; they merely waited silently for the situation to unfold.

The Emperor’s face grew increasingly ugly, while Helian Shaohua beside him remained leisurely, taking a sip of tea. To Ye Rui, the scene looked bizarre, with a strong sense of rupture from the loving gaze the two had just exchanged.

“Grand Scholar Zhang Yu, why are you so agitated? Are you trying to clear your name?”

After Xie Tinglan spoke, Zhang Yu looked startled, then angrily snapped, “Lord Xie, one may eat anything, but one cannot speak nonsense. Why are you spitting blood and slandering others like this?”

The man Xie Tinglan named was the very first Grand Scholar to stand up and denounce Xu Ruguan.

“Spitting blood and slandering others?”

Xie Tinglan let out a low laugh, then took a stack of papers from her sleeve and placed them on her desk, giving Eunuch Zhao Sheng a glance.

“These are all proof of your bribery. There were even people who saw you entering and leaving Yanyu Tower with Xu Ruguan. What else do you have to say for yourself?”

Ye Rui raised her brows and glanced at Zhang Yu. His face had gone completely white, yet he still refused to back down. “This official has never been to some brothel like Yanyu Tower!”

Ye Rui wanted to laugh. No one actually cared whether he had really gone or not. What mattered was the stack of evidence, and the Emperor’s intention to shove the blame onto him. So from the moment Xie Tinglan said his name, the verdict had already been decided.

The Emperor’s expression softened slightly, though he still looked grim. After taking the “evidence” handed over by Eunuch Zhao Sheng, his anger shot to his brow. “Zhang Yu, what do you have to say for yourself!”

Zhang Yu immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed to the Emperor. “Your Majesty, this minister did indeed accept bribes, but—but this Xu Ruguan, this minister truly does not know him!”

Ye Rui sneered inwardly. Right now, the Emperor didn’t care whether you knew him or not. The dirty water had already been splashed on you, and the Emperor was in a hurry to find a scapegoat to save his own reputation. Even if you truly didn’t know him, in the Emperor’s eyes, you and Xu Ruguan would probably still have to be sworn brothers in life and death.

“Presumptuous! To accept bribes is already to lose one’s integrity! How am I to trust you again? The imperial examinations are a matter of state; these candidates may all become the pillars of the nation in the future. How dare you commit such filthy deeds!”

The Emperor’s face went red with fury. Helian Shaohua frowned beside him and gently patted his hand to calm him down; only then did the Emperor’s expression ease a little.

“Your Majesty, this minister truly does not know him—”

Before Zhang Yu could finish, the Emperor said, “Guards, drag Zhang Yu and Xu Ruguan down and execute them immediately!”

Zhang Yu cried out over and over that he was wrongly accused. Xu Ruguan also cried for mercy, and both were dragged away by the imperial guards. Ye Rui looked over at Duke of Wei again and saw that his face had gone ashen, though he dared not speak out in anger; he only shot Xie Tinglan a vicious glare.

For Zhang Yu to have dared speak so boldly just now, he must have been an important figure in the inner cabinet. Perhaps he even held significant authority over grading the papers in this examination; that was probably why Xie Tinglan had chosen to strike at him.

Removing this man was like killing a chicken to warn the monkeys; the Grand Scholars who had accepted bribes from Duke of Wei would likely be shaken by this bloodless display from Xie Tinglan as well. In that case, when they later graded the papers, they would surely review every sheet far more fairly. And among the people grading those papers, of course, were Xie Tinglan’s own men; the result she wanted was now not far away.

“Duke of Wei speaks correctly; this matter really does call for extermination of nine clans. Why don’t you handle the aftermath yourself, then? How about it?”

After Xie Tinglan finished speaking, she turned to the Emperor and asked, “May I ask what Your Majesty thinks of this minister’s suggestion?”

Before Duke of Wei could refuse, the Emperor’s “Granted” settled everything like a final nail in a coffin.

Ye Rui felt that Xie Tinglan’s move was especially brilliant. Duke of Wei’s faction definitely knew Zhang Yu was one of Duke of Wei’s men; the crime of extermination of nine clans had just been declared in front of everyone, so Duke of Wei had no choice but to carry it out.

This would naturally clear any suspicion that Duke of Wei had any personal connection to Zhang Yu. However, if Duke of Wei personally executed the extermination of nine clans, it would surely chill the hearts of his own followers and damage morale; more than that, it would shake people’s confidence.

To kill someone, first kill their heart. In just a few words, Xie Tinglan had caused the entire examination hall to turn upside down. She was truly formidable.

As for the Emperor’s own thoughts, they were still unclear. But because Zhang Yu’s bribery had dragged Xu Ruguan down with him and disrupted his arrangement, that anger had to go somewhere. Anyone associated with Zhang Yu could very well be implicated too, so everyone now sat pretending to be deaf and dumb, not daring to draw the Son of Heaven’s wrath.

Duke of Wei could only brace himself and accept the order. Afterward, the Emperor said a few more warning words to all the ministers and scholars, and only then did they move on to the paper-grading stage.

The Emperor personally went to the main hall to supervise the grading process. Only the Empress remained seated in Shenwu Hall, but she was known for her virtuous reputation, beloved by the common people, with a very high standing, and she was also a member of the Helian family. Even if Duke of Wei was angry, he could not vent it in front of her.

At this point, Ye Rui moved to Xie Tinglan’s side and asked, “Did that person only set up one candidate?”

With a scheme like this, how could the Emperor have only arranged for one candidate?

“Of course not. But the one surnamed Xu was the most outstanding among them. As for the others... there’s no need to wipe them out completely; otherwise, cornered dogs will jump over the wall.”

After Xie Tinglan said that, Ye Rui clicked her tongue. This wicked woman really was full of schemes, but she had also made her plan flawlessly airtight; she was genuinely impressive.

Just then, an inner attendant came over with tea. Ye Rui glanced at him and noticed he was a little unfamiliar; he was not the same eunuch who had been serving earlier. So she tilted her head and looked at him again.

In that instant, a flash of cold light cut through the air. Ye Rui’s heart lurched violently. When she saw the inner attendant pull a dagger from beneath the tray, she had only enough time to throw herself in front of Xie Tinglan. The tearing sound of fabric came together with a searing pain that seemed to drill into her bones. Ye Rui clutched her left shoulder. Realizing she had no weapon, she instinctively yanked out the dagger embedded in her own shoulder and slashed toward the inner attendant’s throat.

It all happened so fast that Ye Rui felt like less than a breath had passed. Everything came too suddenly. Then she heard Rixi and Yin Yue shouting, and by then she had already collapsed at Xie Tinglan’s feet.

The pain made her vision blur. She only felt someone helping her up. Looking through the haze, she saw it was Rixi. The surroundings were in chaos; she heard many people talking, but when she lifted her head to look at Xie Tinglan, that person said nothing. She did not move at all, only lowered her eyes to look at Ye Rui, her gaze icy, cold enough to clash sharply with this assassination attempt full of hatred.

Xie Tinglan... don’t you care about me?

At that instant, Ye Rui felt her heart hurt even more than her wound. Yet when the pain peaked, she suddenly laughed, murmuring, “Plan everything...”

Xie Tinglan heard it. The killing intent she had been hiding was no longer concealed. The moment she raised her eyes, her gaze was like the deadliest serpent in the world, staring at the inner attendant, who was covered in blood and screaming curses at her while wildly pointing a finger.

The hand gripping the armrest of her chair was shaking violently.

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Author’s note: Prime Minister Xie: My wife is hurt, but I can’t show that I’m worried!!

Little Ye: My wife doesn’t care about me, wuwuwuwu...

Alright, “plan everything” really is Prime Minister Xie’s black history now [doge head]

Recently there have been so many fewer comments. Are you all not reading anymore? [pitiful][pitiful]