Chapter 5

Xie Hengzhi was the youngest imperial scholar appointed by the Great Liang Dynasty.

In just a short span of ten years in the imperial court, he became the subject of both praise and scorn, surrounded by rumors and intrigue, constantly entangled in power struggles.

Through his involvement in a major civil service examination case that eliminated opposing factions, he rose from the Hanlin Academy to the imperial cabinet, helping his mentor, Zhou Ge Lao (Old Minister Zhou), attain the position of Prime Minister. He formed alliances and consolidated power, turning the cabinet into a place where his word was law.

Though his official rank was merely that of a Grand Scholar of the Cultural Pavilion, in reality he held substantial power, occupying a prominent position and commanding respect. He became the first person to earn the honor of “Not Kneeling to the Emperor,” greatly favored by the emperor.

Of course, his methods and style had little to do with integrity or righteousness. He was known for using any means necessary to achieve his goals, which caused many in the DPRK and China hate him deeply.

But as long as the emperor still reigned, Xie Hengzhi’s enemies could only bite their teeth and swallow their anger.

Thus, when their eyes met, a surge of fear rose from deep within her heart, completely extinguishing the murderous intent that had once burned inside her.

She didn’t want to die again.

Her mouth felt sewn shut, unable to open. She didn’t know how to justify her actions at this moment, not even remembering to loosen her grip on the hairpin.

It wasn’t until she smelled the faint scent of blood that she realized what had happened.

The moment the hairpin dropped, Yi Ling’s breath froze, and she almost anticipated her own demise.

But then Xie Hengzhi bent his leg and sat up. He silently glanced at Yi Ling a few times, then picked up the wooden hairpin she had dropped.

The autumn moon was silent, and the dim candlelight cast the shadows of two figures onto the delicate curtain.

Yi Ling didn’t even dare look at Xie Hengzhi. She focused on the shadows on the curtain, watching him toy with the wooden carved hairpin in his hands.

Qingyang was located in the Yongliang region, a place of scarcity but with simple and honest people.

This hairpin was shaped like an ear of wheat, rough in craftsmanship but lively and interesting, full of the characteristics of the Yongliang region.

So whenever Yi Ling saw it, the image of the desolate desert and flying yellow sand would appear in her mind—it was the last thing she saw before her death.

Xie Hengzhi also looked at the hairpin, his expression obscured under the flickering candlelight.

The scene at this moment seemed to bring them back to the day she died in an untimely manner on that windy day.

It was this man, silent as ever, who had controlled her life and death.

The more silent the room was, the more Yi Ling felt terrified.

Her back was already drenched in sweat, but Xie Hengzhi still hadn’t said anything.

Yi Ling couldn’t see his expression and didn’t know what he was thinking. She could only stiffen her neck and, with a trembling voice, struggle to explain, “I saw a gecko climb onto your pillow.”

“Really?”

Xie Hengzhi lowered his head and glanced at the bedhead. In the dimly lit room, nothing could be seen.

He raised his head again. Yi Ling, terrified, managed to force out a forced laugh.

“Looks like it’s already been scared off. In that case… Should we let it go this time?”

Xie Hengzhi didn’t speak. He simply raised his hand, and the hairpin was thrown onto the bedside table.

The crisp sound made Yi Ling’s back feel cold.

She immediately braced herself with both hands on the bed’s edge, pushing with her feet, ready to run at any moment.

At the same time, he turned over and sat up.

When he got out of bed, his nightclothes brushed against Yi Ling’s face, bringing with it a chilling sensation. It startled Yi Ling so much she froze, not daring to even blink.

It wasn’t until she heard his footsteps grow distant that Yi Ling dared to turn her head.

The faint moonlight streamed in from the window.

Xie Hengzhi stood in the light, finding a bottle of medicinal powder from the cabinet, quietly applying it to his wounds.

His figure was tall and dim in the shadows, and his movements were casual, as if he didn’t care about the injury at all.

After a while, he turned his head and spoke softly, “Aren’t you going to sleep?”

It wasn’t a question, but a command.

Yi Ling gritted her teeth, her body stiff, climbing onto the bed and curling up motionlessly in the corner.

It seemed Xie Hengzhi had no intention of doing anything to her.

After tending to his wound, he turned back to the bed, casually tossing the blood-stained handkerchief into a basin of water, not speaking the entire time.

When he reached the bedside, he asked in a low voice, “You’re sleeping here tonight?”

After a moment, Yi Ling, extremely nervous, realized Xie Hengzhi was talking to her. She looked up in confusion, her gaze blank.

She hadn’t even noticed what he had said.

Seeing her response, Xie Hengzhi didn’t speak further and simply lay down.

When the calm sound of his breathing reached her ears, Yi Ling turned her head to glance at him.

Seeing that he was sleeping peacefully, she finally confirmed that she was temporarily safe.

But she didn’t truly feel relieved.

For all the years Xie Hengzhi had been in power, people in the court said he was driven by greed and would stop at nothing to gain power.

But at this moment, Yi Ling felt an almost heartless coldness emanating from him.

He didn’t even care about the murderous intent beside him.

It was as if she was nothing more than an insignificant insect. Letting the insect live or die was simply a matter of his whim, just as when he crushed an ant to death back in Qingyang.

Yet, that insect had just moments ago had the chance to take his life.

Feeling the calmness of Xie Hengzhi’s breath, Yi Ling lay beside him, her body shaking with a quiet anger.

How… had she become so pathetic, unable to finish him off when she had the chance?

–
What was even more pathetic was that Yi Ling actually ended up sleeping next to Xie Hengzhi.

How could she sleep beside her mortal enemy, sharing the same bed?

And not just sleeping, but she actually slept until it was already bright outside?

Yi Ling looked out the window at the bright sunlight, feeling lost and helpless.

Fortunately, the bed was large enough, with separate blankets. She lay in the corner while he stayed by the bedside. If there was no special movement, it almost didn’t feel like they were sharing a bed.

Mallow brought in some warm water. Seeing the movement in the curtain, she smiled and said, “Madam, you’re awake? It’s almost noon. Should we prepare the meal?”

Yi Ling didn’t respond, lowering her head to see the messy blankets and the indentation on the pillow where it had been pressed.

She reached out but only felt the coolness of the fine silk.

It seemed Xie Hengzhi had already left.

In a daze, Yi Ling almost couldn’t believe she had truly escaped disaster.

“The Lord went to Qin Gongshan to pick up the old madam.” Mallow entered holding a warm towel. “He said that madam was tired last night and asked us not to disturb your sweet dreams. The master truly cares about you.”

The latter part of this was probably Mallow’s embellishment, but it still made Yi Ling feel uncomfortable.

She lifted the blanket to check her clothes, seeing nothing unusual, but a chill still ran down her spine.

“Where is Mama Cao?”

Yi Ling suddenly asked.

“She’s here!”

A voice rang out from outside the door. Before the person even entered, the room had already become lively. “Madam, what do you need from the old servant?”

Yi Ling quickly put on her shoes and got out of bed, saying urgently, “Pack up my things; I’m moving to another room.”

Mama Cao had just stepped in and almost tripped.

“Ah? Why is that?”

Since she had neither the ability to secretly kill Xie Hengzhi, should she now sleep in the same bed with him every night?

Yi Ling had made up her mind and coldly said, “Just do as I instructed, and the place we stay should be as far from here as possible.”

She then turned to Mallow, “Help me get ready. I’m going out.”

---

In truth, Yi Ling did not know where she was headed. She just felt that the Xie Mansion was merely a courtyard, and trying to scheme for revenge there was no different from setting up a stage inside a snail’s shell.

She had to go out and scout the surroundings; maybe then she could come up with a perfect plan.

The Xie Mansion was located in the Wuyi Alley of the Eastern City, Shangjing, not far from the Yifu (Yi residence), so Yi Ling was somewhat familiar with the area.

The driver, following her instructions, drove through streets and alleys, strolling along.

Mallow thought Yi Ling just wanted to go out for a walk or perhaps buy some cosmetics.

However, she found Yi Ling either stopping in front of an iron shop or walking into a medicinal store to browse.

Of course, Yi Ling bought nothing in the end, simply leaning against the soft cushion in the carriage, lost in thought about something.

When Mallow asked where they would go next, Yi Ling was no longer concerned and casually said, “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

And so they left the bustling East Market and headed south to Zhuojiang river.

The carriage moved steadily, unobstructed along the way.

Mallow had already dozed off against the soft cushion, while Yi Ling opened the carriage window and observed the familiar streets and alleys.

From a distance, she saw a streak of fiery red in the sky. Yi Ling squinted, already knowing where this was.

When she was young, she had accompanied her father to the capital for his official post. Her mother had taken a liking to a flourishing maple tree and bought the property where it grew, saying it was a good omen, spending a large sum on it.

Later, her father’s career truly soared, and the maple tree grew even better.

Every time they returned home, as long as she saw that streak of red, she knew they were almost home.

But now, as she passed by, she could not return home, becoming a stranger with no ties.

As Yi Ling was feeling melancholic, the carriage suddenly stopped.

“What’s going on?”

The driver replied, “Madam, it seems the road ahead is blocked; a crowd has gathered.”

Upon hearing this, Yi Ling lifted the curtain and looked ahead.

Yi residence was located on Hongzhao Alley. It had been renovated some years ago; the road was smooth and clean but still narrow and cramped.

At the end of the alley, a procession of people was walking, blocking the road entirely.

The leader of the group was none other than Yi Ling’s father, Yi Shangshu.
Behind him, relatives and servants were dressed in mourning clothes, crying loudly and throwing yellow paper money along the way.

Yi Ling’s heart skipped a beat, and she looked toward the Yi residence—
The mourning flags were higher than the house’s eaves, and the white mourning banners fluttered in the wind. Faint sounds of monks chanting and the low, sorrowful cries from within could be heard.

It turned out that the Yi family was holding a “funeral” for Yi Ling.

But why, then, was her father returning from the direction of the palace?

Yi Ling lightly knocked on the carriage door and instructed the driver to inquire among the onlookers.

Not long after, the driver returned at a quick pace, standing on tiptoe by the window, and whispered in Yi Ling’s ear for a while.

As it turned out, just as Yi Yun had said, Xie Hengzhi had fabricated Yi Ling’s death as a suicide.
His twisted words cleared his own name but brought great benefits to the Yi family.

The Great Liang dynasty had been stable for over a hundred years with few wars. Occasionally, a border officer might die, but it wouldn’t be anything of great significance.

But suddenly, a noble young woman of the prestigious Yi family had sacrificed herself so generously. The Emperor was deeply moved. Who would have thought that such a pampered lady would possess such integrity? Immediately, she was heavily rewarded.

Yi Ling’s maternal family was promoted, and her husband, stationed at the border, Xue Shengan, was promoted twice and was now the military commander.

As for Yi Ling herself, she received supreme honors.

First, she was posthumously named the Country Lord of Qingyang to commemorate her heroic death in Qingyang, and she was buried with the honors of a princess.

Second, she received an imperial tablet placed in the ancestral hall, bringing great glory to her family.

Thus, early this morning, Yi Shangshu had led the family to the palace to receive the imperial tablet for his beloved daughter.

They walked back with mournful faces, allowing the entire capital to witness the Yi family’s honor.

However, logically speaking, since Yi Ling was married, the tablet should have been placed in her husband’s ancestral hall.

Yi Ling had not expected that at this time, the Xue family was still afraid of Xie Hengzhi and had not even shown their face.

As Yi Ling coldly watched the Yi family sobbing and paying great respect to her “tablet,” Mallow leaned over, curious about the spectacle, and asked, “Hey? Doesn’t the Yi family have a real son?

He was at our house yesterday. Why is it a little girl holding the tablet?”

Yi Ling thought about her brother, both angry and touched.

She tilted her head against the carriage window and helplessly said, “You saw it too; that young master Yi is reckless and impulsive; he must have been locked up. As for this girl, she’s the legitimate daughter of my father’s older brother, so she’s qualified.”

Mallow nodded in understanding and said, “Madam is amazing; you came all this way and still know so much about the capital’s affairs.”

Yi Ling: “…”

She secretly glanced at Mallow, unsure if this was a compliment or a sarcastic remark.

“Let’s go.”

Based on her knowledge of her father, Yi Ling knew that the grand ceremony to honor the family would not end anytime soon.

Even though her “corpse” was far away in Qingyang, perhaps Xie Hengzhi’s people never bothered to retrieve it from the war-torn ruins and had already thrown it into a mass grave.

But it didn’t matter; a few of her garments still brought glory to the Yi family in the capital.

Yi Ling withdrew her gaze and instructed the driver to turn back to the residence.

But the driver scratched his head, looking troubled, and said, “Madam, this alley is deep and narrow, and our carriage is too wide. We can’t go forward or turn around. We may have to wait until the road is cleared ahead.”

Yi Ling clicked her tongue and personally instructed the coachman on a different path.

“Do you see the main gate of Yi Manor? There’s a small path beside it. Follow that path out, and behind it, there’s a small lake. Walk north along the lake, and you’ll reach Liqin Garden.”

The coachman immediately understood and quickly mounted his horse, cracking the whip.

Mallow then gave Yi Ling a thumbs-up. “Madam is truly amazing. She stays in the manor every day without going out, and yet she knows the routes in the capital like the back of her hand.”

Yi Ling: “…”

She didn’t know how to explain and decided to take it as a compliment.

Yi Ling closed her eyes and began to ponder her true plans.

Today’s outing could be considered a failure. She couldn’t use the hidden weapons from the iron workshop, and the rat poison from the herbal store needed to be purchased under her name. Other than that, she couldn’t think of any other methods.

Sigh.

She only regretted being a well-bred young lady who rarely left the house, with no cunning tricks in her mind.

It was nothing like her younger brother, who, day after day, hung around doing nothing and made a bunch of shady friends.

Thinking of this, Yi Ling couldn’t help but miss the days when she used to play around with her brother.

Just as she glanced out the window, they were passing by Yi Mansion’s outer wall. By chance, she looked out and saw—

Right at that moment, her brother, who was leaning on the wall, met her gaze with wide eyes.

Yi Ling froze. Yi Yun was equally stunned.

He was crouched against the wall, his balance unsteady. When he saw Yi Ling, he was caught off guard, and, in a panic, he lost his balance and fell heavily from the high wall with a loud thud.

Yi Ling winced in sympathy and immediately called for the coachman to halt the horse. She also instructed the guards from the Xie family who were following to help Yi Yun up.

“What are you doing?”

Yi Yun, covered in dirt, stood up, looking around to make sure no one else was watching. He awkwardly gave Yi Ling a bow from inside the carriage.

“I was just meeting some friends.”

Meeting friends?

Wearing the clothes of the household servants and climbing the wall, he was likely sneaking off to meet some shady characters to discuss how to secretly assassinate Xie Hengzhi.

Yi Yun was aware that his outfit looked suspicious, so he quickly tried to brush it off.

“If Madam has no further business, I’ll take my leave. Thank you for your help.”

He moved to leave, but the Xie family guards immediately blocked his way, showing no intention of letting him go.

Yi Yun raised his head and looked at the woman in the carriage with confusion.

Yi Ling looked at him with a mix of affection and sighed heavily.

“Yi Gongzi, that fall was no small matter. Quickly, let’s take you inside so Father can check if you’ve injured yourself.”

Yi Yun: “?”

Before he could react, Yi Ling had already ordered the coachman to continue on their way, leaving the alley behind.

In the quiet, long alley, Yi Yun’s desperate and furious shout echoed.

“Poisonous woman!!!”