Chapter 39

Along the way, Mu Xue was surprisingly easygoing and didn’t make Ye Rui do anything. She just talked constantly, always drawing Ye Rui into conversation and telling her amusing stories from the days when she roamed the jianghu and founded Yanyu Tower.

The carriage kept rattling onward. Gradually, voices rose around them; they seemed to be entering the town closest to Youlan City, Ruyi Town, just as the coachman had said earlier.

Right after Mu Xue finished telling her how she once saved a group of poor people in Yuanzhou City who were about to be sold into slavery, Ye Rui finally spoke. “You know so much. What do you think of the current political situation?”

Mu Xue arched a brow, the corners of her lips curling. “You really can’t go three sentences without mentioning Xie Tinglan.”

“I didn’t mention her.”

Ye Rui shot Mu Xue a glare, but the skin behind her ear prickled faintly. She wanted to scratch it, yet was afraid that doing so would only make her look guilty.

“In Great Yan, if you’re talking about politics, how can you not talk about Xie Tinglan? Isn’t it obvious that’s who you mean?”

Mu Xue took a sip of tea. Her wide sleeves swayed with the carriage’s gentle bumps, as if each jolt might scatter a faint tea fragrance into the air.

Ye Rui said nothing. Being seen through made her gaze drift away. Mu Xue, however, didn’t seem interested in teasing her; instead, she almost looked sympathetic. It seemed Xie Tinglan had never told Ye Rui anything about herself.

A female hunter from the mountains not knowing Great Yan’s political landscape wasn’t strange at all.

“Xie Tinglan rose to fame very early. She was intelligent from a young age; at twelve, she entered the palace as a lady secretary of records, personally selected by Empress Helián.”

Mu Xue blew gently over the tea in her hand. Wisps of heat drifted upward, blurring her face. She was beautiful enough to enchant anyone who saw her. “The Xie family, such a minor clan, also gained some fame because of Xie Tinglan. But... when they first sent her into the palace, it wasn’t so she could become a lady secretary of records. It was only so that one day she could enter the harem and become the emperor’s woman.”

She let out a cold laugh, a laugh that seemed capable of freezing the steam at her lips. “Women are so easily looked down on in this world. But Xie Tinglan was not someone her family could control.”

Ye Rui listened raptly, and before long, her thoughts turned to Xie Tinglan’s cold poison, the cold poison that had left her unable to bear children.

“When Xie Tinglan was fourteen, in the third year of Emperor Yuan’s reign, she was specially promoted to censor, responsible for supervising the officials of the court. It was also that year that Xie Tinglan was poisoned; her body grew weaker and weaker, and she became sensitive to the cold. In court, everyone called her a sickly weakling.”

Fourteen. Xie Tinglan was already twenty-eight now; she had been suffering from cold poison for fourteen years!

“After that, Xie Tinglan lost the qualifications to enter the palace as a consort, because the first requirement for becoming one was health.”

Mu Xue bit hard on the word “health,” her tone carrying a trace of mocking coldness. Ye Rui understood perfectly; this so-called health was nothing more than the ability to bear children.

“Everyone thought Xie Tinglan would die young. Although the court had plenty of objections to a woman holding office, they never pressed too hard. Who could have expected she’d end up like that? Xie Tinglan’s actions grew more and more audacious. She ruined many loyal ministers and capable generals in court, yet her reasons and evidence were always so solid that no one could find much to fault.”

Mu Xue tugged her fur-lined cloak tighter around herself. After setting down her teacup, she picked up the hand warmer and held it in her palm.

“Xie Tinglan’s rank kept rising. By the time she was twenty, she had become the Great Yan Dynasty’s first female Prime Minister, and an even more feared presence.”

Mu Xue paused, then smiled. “Her reputation is already rotten. Are you really not considering coming to me? If you come with me, you could still get the medicinal herb that can save her life.”

Ye Rui really was wavering, but of course she still wouldn’t agree to Mu Xue right now. She only frowned tightly and said nothing.

“Fine.”

Mu Xue shrugged and crossed her legs. “If you ask me about Great Yan’s political landscape, then this is it: the nobles and princes want to climb to the heavens, while the Prime Minister from hell wants to cut the road of reincarnation.”

As she said this, Mu Xue seemed to think of something and gave a cold laugh, but she didn’t say the last thought that had risen in her heart.

“You should still be hiding one more line.”

Ye Rui was very observant of Mu Xue; she could tell naturally. Mu Xue’s hesitation at the end was especially intriguing, enough to make Ye Rui itch with curiosity.

Why did these women all love to keep things under wraps?

“You understand me that well?”

Mu Xue covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed softly. Then she waved that sleeve and said, “The officials are all fighting for power like dogs snatching food; the emperor just smiles and watches the storm.”

“So you know quite a lot.”

Ye Rui paused, then asked tentatively, “If I didn’t know you were from the jianghu, I’d think you had ties to the court.”

At that, Mu Xue merely lowered her head and smiled faintly, leaning lazily back. “I deal in intelligence. Besides, none of this counts as much of a secret.”

She paused, then continued, “Everyone in court is a hard nut to crack. Don’t think those stubborn noble sons are simply being played by Xie Tinglan. If you want to shake their foundations, it’s anything but easy.”

“But it’s not impossible to shake them.”

Mu Xue folded her arms and smiled faintly. “The emperor controls all the guard troops and imperial guards inside the Capital City. General Nan Zhenchuan guards the frontier with two hundred thousand troops at his command. As for the soldiers in the three Yuanzhou cities, half belong to the emperor and half to the Yuanzhou prefect. Xie Tinglan’s great failing is that she has no military power in her hands.”

“Military power is the most direct way to uproot those great clans.”

This wasn’t the first time Ye Rui had heard Nan Zhenchuan’s name, but she hadn’t heard it often. In the Capital City, whenever people discussed politics, Xie Tinglan’s name was unavoidable; Nan Zhenchuan was mentioned far less.

Hu Tu: 【Xie Tinglan counts as one of Great Yan’s top stars, too.】

Ye Rui: 【...Absurd, but weirdly reasonable.】

“Nan Zhenchuan is that old stick-in-the-mud. He only knows how to defend the nation and the people, how to wage war; he doesn’t let himself be drawn in by any of the other great families. He’s stationed at the frontier in Yuzhou all year round, far from the struggles for power, but he may very well be the one who decides Great Yan’s political landscape.”

After speaking, Mu Xue closed her beautiful eyes and sighed. “Aiya, what a loss. If I’d known, I should’ve had you tell me a few more jokes so I could enjoy myself. Saying all this makes the business feel far too unprofitable.”

Ye Rui couldn’t help glaring at Mu Xue again and didn’t answer. Mu Xue knew a great deal, probably because she stood outside it all; she could see the overall situation clearly and speak simply and concisely. But the twists and turns within it were things only those inside could truly understand.

“Any prince or duke in Great Yan who’s been granted a title is at odds with Xie Tinglan. She really is something; she’s held on for eight years, and her influence has only grown, so much so that even the emperor has begun to distrust her.”

Ye Rui froze. She hadn’t expected Mu Xue to know that the emperor was wary of Xie Tinglan; her analysis of all this intelligence really was thorough.

“Hearing you talk, it sounds like you admire Xie Tinglan quite a bit. So why won’t you sell her the information on the Longevity Grass and Yama Flower? Is your grudge against her really so great that you want her dead?”

The noise outside grew louder by the moment, and the scent of food drifted in from every direction. The carriage also slowed. Through the swaying curtain, Ye Rui looked out and saw that they had already entered Ruyi Town. Outside the carriage were vendors and laborers, along with women with rolled-up sleeves carrying heavy loads.

“Admire her, yes. She bears all the malice of this world and takes every step on the edge of life and death. That she’s still alive now is admirable enough. But there’s a blood feud between us.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

After Ye Rui asked, Mu Xue’s expression darkened. She frowned and shook her head. “I don’t want to say it, and I’ve already told you quite a lot. I don’t sell private matters.”

Ye Rui: “...”

Yet you’ve said plenty of private things yourself, especially all those ridiculous romantic affairs from your days in the jianghu.

“No room to maneuver?”

Ye Rui felt that Mu Xue’s hatred of Xie Tinglan wasn’t really all that deep. At the very least, Mu Xue still admired Xie Tinglan; perhaps that was a gap she could exploit.

“There is~ The room to maneuver is you. If you’re willing to help me, I’ll save her life.”

Ye Rui didn’t like the way Mu Xue said “save her life,” as if Xie Tinglan were truly not long for this world. Just hearing it made her feel uneasy and restless. Remembering that fragile look Xie Tinglan had when her illness flared, her heart churned again and again.

In order to avoid being forced into the palace as a consort and entering those vermilion-walled imperial confines, she had even taken poison of her own accord to extinguish the emperor’s hopes. She had struggled her way to this point; heaven should not treat her so cruelly.

“I’ll think about it carefully.”

Ye Rui’s mood sank. Her beautiful eyes drifted into a distant, vacant stare, as if she were thinking about something. Mu Xue rested one hand against her head and said, a little unwillingly, “Don’t look so burdened with a grudge. I’m not selling you to a brothel; I’m asking you to do proper work.”

“What kind of work is it?”

Mu Xue shrugged, her tone playful. “If you don’t agree, I won’t tell you. This is a matter of life and death.”

Ye Rui didn’t ask again. After that, they got out of the carriage and ate a meal, then rested briefly before setting off again without wasting even a moment.

It would probably take about another hour to reach Youlan City. At that point, Mu Xue gave Ye Rui her first task: go to the underground fighting arena and bring a man named Liu Yang to the Mu residence.

Whatever means necessary.

The moment Mu Xue said that, along with the sly, interested glint in the corner of her eye, Ye Rui knew this task was not simple.

This Liu Yang definitely wouldn’t be easy to deal with.

Youlan City lay close to Jiangnan, built beside water. Its walls encircled green mountains, and a river flowed down from the north, bending at the west side of the city and splitting into several tributaries that threaded through the streets and alleys. Youlan City had long been called a paradise on earth; stone bridges lay over the waves, light boats wove like fabric, and when rain and mist shrouded the city, the towers and pavilions seemed to float between smoke and water. Thus it was also known as a misty, rain-soaked fairyland.

Its most famous specialties were tea and fine wine. People in the Capital City often said of Youlan City: one city of spring waters floating with tea mist, ten li of lantern-lit blossoms drunk beneath wine banners; the kind of place most likely to make one linger and forget to leave.

After entering the city, the fragrance of tea and wine, even more than the smell of food, filled every street and alley. Those two scents merged with the mist and became the city’s unique aroma. Not long after Ye Rui got down from the carriage, even her clothes seemed to have absorbed the scent of tea and wine, as if stamped with the mark of this city.

The Mu residence in Youlan City had only just been completed. Ye Rui could still see craftsmen on ladders laying tiles along the tops of the walls, and a faint smell of paint still lingered inside the residence. The water-channel pavilion in the courtyard was not luxurious; instead, in this season of falling leaves, it looked somewhat desolate.

The estate wasn’t large: a main hall in front, a tea room and kitchen, and in the back, a courtyard with three sleeping chambers. It was much smaller than the Xie residence. Still, this was only a temporary residence Mu Xue had deliberately bought, and such lavish spending could certainly be called obscenely wealthy.

Ye Rui had once heard Xie Tinglan mention property prices in Youlan City in her study. A residence like this would cost at least several hundred thousand taels of silver.

After drinking some tea and eating a few pastries in the main hall, Ye Rui asked, “What does this Liu Yang look like? Any distinguishing features?”

Mu Xue slowly set down her teacup and crossed her legs. “The biggest man in the underground fighting arena—the one covered in slabs of muscle, with a tiger tattoo on his chest—is him.”

“Is he skilled in martial arts?”

Ye Rui had a feeling this trip would probably involve a fight. Could someone who mixed in the underground fighting arena really be a reasonable gentleman?

“He’s very reasonable~”

Ye Rui: “...”

Hu Tu: 【...】

Looking at Mu Xue’s half-smiling, sly expression, Ye Rui felt a wave of utter speechlessness. She increasingly felt that this task would be difficult.

“You go on ahead; I’ll rest for a bit.”

Mu Xue covered her mouth with a yawn and waved her sleeve. That pot of Youlan City jade-bud tea, worth a small fortune, was left sitting on the tea table, ignored.

Such a miser, and yet so wasteful. This woman...

Since Ye Rui had agreed to handle things for Mu Xue, she naturally wouldn’t delay. After asking the coachman for directions to the underground fighting arena, she headed toward Yulan Street.

Youlan City was built beside water, and the underground fighting arena was inside an abandoned warehouse by the docks. Many dockworkers also came to the arena to fight a few rounds for some extra silver. But this life-and-death game wasn’t something everyone could walk away from alive; it was said that some who were beaten to death on the spot were simply thrown into a mass grave at the foot of the mountain.

This was also a corner of beautiful Youlan City—a bloody, dark scene.

When Ye Rui arrived at the western docks of Youlan City, a wind carrying moisture blew past her, and she even caught a faint rusty smell—the smell of blood. In the distance, many shirtless men were carrying one heavy crate after another to and from the ships. Women were boiling tea by the shore, handing those dockworkers bowl after bowl.

There was a warehouse near the docks, and many people were coming and going. Quite a few spectators gathered at the entrance, shouting and waving their fists from time to time; a dangerous, savage energy filled the air.

Ye Rui frowned and tightened her grip on the sword at her waist. She ran through the Silver Moon Sect’s sword forms and fist techniques in her mind, and instinctively grew wary of the place.

She walked toward the warehouse and noticed someone leaning against one of the pillars outside. The figure was dressed in black, face hidden beneath a bamboo hat, both hands clasping a long sword across her chest, her back against the pillar. She was very thin; from her shape alone, she was definitely a woman.

She stood there motionless, like a statue. No one dared go up to speak to her, and in all the noise and clamor, there wasn’t a single person within ten steps of her.

Ye Rui glanced at her; the woman, sharp-eyed, glanced back. Her fingers tapped lightly against the sword sheath, and Ye Rui immediately felt a chill rush through her entire body.

This woman was no ordinary person!

She raised her gaze again toward the warehouse entrance. Several people were looking at her with curiosity; some held hostility, some ill intent, and some were merely watching the show. In any case, they were all the sort of looks that made Ye Rui uncomfortable.

For a moment, she wanted to retreat, but then she remembered that a person must keep their word, so she braced herself and pushed through the crowd into the warehouse.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ye Rui noticed that the woman had moved.

Inside the warehouse, a round ring sat at the center, surrounded by a crude barrier of wooden posts and thick rope. Two men were fighting in the ring, blood covering them from head to toe. The shouting inside shook the rafters; coarse, vulgar curses erupted one after another and merged together into the distinctive sound of this place.

Just as Ye Rui was about to step forward, a tall, thin man walked over. He sized her up and said, “Little girl, this is a place where grown men come to throw wild punches. Get out of here.”

He wore rough hemp clothes, with a wooden token hanging at his waist. Arms folded, eyes glittering with shrewdness, he looked calm and unhurried; clearly, he was one of the people in charge here.

“I want to see Brother Liu Yang.”

Adding “Brother” at the end at least sounded a little more polite, Ye Rui thought.

“Lord Liu is someone you can just see? Get out of here, and stop causing trouble!”

Just as the man was about to shove Ye Rui out, a rough voice rang out. He laughed heartily twice, and then an oppressive presence followed, impossible to ignore. “Hey~ If a young lady wants to see this Liu man, shouldn’t she at least follow the rules here?”

Ye Rui tensed. Clenching her teeth, she suppressed the cold sweat beading on her skin and looked around, but couldn’t find where Liu Yang was.

“What rules?”

Ye Rui asked, not even knowing whether that person could hear her.

“Win a match in the ring, and I, Liu, will meet you. I’m the most reasonable man there is.”

Ye Rui: “...”

Her mouth twitched, and she forced down the urge to complain, turning her gaze to the fighting ring. Those men were covered in blood and sweat. Was there any way to avoid touching them?

“But if you lose, you’ll have to marry me, Liu, and be my wife! Hahahahaha!”

That rough laughter rang out once more, and Ye Rui clenched her sword tightly.

What a reasonable man!!

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Author’s note: Little Ye: My cleanliness obsession is acting up. Is there some kind of martial art that can strike from afar?