Chapter 24

The man before her was clearly dressed in a scholar’s robe, adopting a masculine style, yet his voice was soft and gentle.

“Are you a woman?” Qi Sheng furrowed his brows.

Su Jinyuan stood and said, “I am the wife of Xiao Yunxi, the eldest son of the Xiao family. I have come specifically to see you, my lord, to inquire about a matter.”

“Do you still remember that on Chang Street three years ago, when my husband and my sixth brother rescued you?”

Qi Sheng’s expression faltered briefly when he learned she was Xiao Yunxi’s wife. He recalled that Xiao Yunxi had long been betrothed to a woman who fled the marriage on their wedding day, after which he departed with Xiao Jin to lead an expedition. He had never expected that the woman reputed to have absconded would return—now coming before him to request a favor. He spoke, “By what authority do you come to ask me this? If I remember correctly, you haven’t even married into the Xiao family yet.”

“Whether I have formally been received or not, the betrothal holds. I am, nonetheless, a member of the Xiao family,” she replied.

She continued, “The Xiao family is now in dire straits, and the Sixth Young Master is also imprisoned. I only wish to ask you: are you still willing to acknowledge the debt of gratitude from the rescue that day?”

“You want me to rescue Xie Yunyan?” Qi Sheng fixed his gaze on Su Jinyuan for a long moment before flatly refusing, “I’m sorry. While Sixth Xie and Xiao Yunxi did indeed save me, I am powerless regarding the matters of the Xiao family.”

He went on, “At Linchuan, tens of thousands of soldiers fell in defeat, the city gate of Linzhou was nearly breached, and Nanyue even launched a massive invasion. The charges against the Xiao family for colluding with the enemy remain unproven, and His Majesty has already ordered Duke Yu to review the case.”

“If the Xiao family is truly innocent, His Majesty will eventually vindicate them—and then, Sixth Xie will be set free.”

Su Jinyuan looked at him quietly and asked, “Do you yourself believe those words, my lord?”

Qi Sheng said nothing.

“Isn’t it laughable that if you do not believe it yourself, you would still say it to me?” she pressed.

Gazing at the young man before her—who, compared to Xie Yunyan, was several years older and appeared considerably more mature—she added, “I have heard that you are on good terms with the Sixth Brother and that you also share a measure of friendship with my husband.”

“I cannot fathom His Majesty’s true intentions toward the Xiao family, but regarding the defeat at Linchuan, I find it hard to believe that you would not suspect that something is amiss. Even if you do not feel bound by your long friendship with the Sixth Brother, would you not also be concerned about the interests of Prince Duan’s Mansion?”

She paused before she concluded, “Right now, His Majesty is ruthlessly dealing with the General’s Mansion. Who’s to say that the next won’t be Prince Duan’s Mansion?”

Qi Sheng’s face darkened as he snapped, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about!”

“The Emperor has always been kind to Prince Duan’s Mansion and treats me well. Stop trying to sow discord with such words.”

“The Xiao family’s case will be judged fairly by the Emperor. His Majesty would never wrong an innocent person. Considering your frantic state due to the Xiao family’s troubles, I won’t hold this against you this time. But if you dare to spout nonsense again, don’t blame me for disregarding past ties!”

As Qi Sheng turned to leave, Su Jinyuan let out a cold laugh. “Past ties? What a fine notion of past ties!”

“Duke Yu is torturing my Sixth Brother in prison, trying to force him to confess that the Xiao family colluded with Prince Duan’s Mansion, bribed rebels, and conspired with Nanyue to commit treason. My Sixth Brother nearly died but never mentioned Prince Duan’s Mansion even once. Yet you, my lord, for the sake of temporary peace, completely disregard past friendships.”

“You, with your grand ambitions, established Pengyun Pavilion to recruit talented scholars and secretly conspire to win over court officials. You know exactly what you’re aiming for. Yet now, you turn a blind eye to the Xiao family’s unjust plight.”

“When the Xiao family was at its peak, you frequently visited my husband and Sixth Brother. Now that the Xiao family is in trouble, you avoid it like the plague. When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves. Aren’t you afraid that your behavior will chill the hearts of those around you?”

“Enough!” Qi Sheng’s expression changed drastically. He strode forward, seized Su Jinyuan by the neck, and pressed her against the rockery behind them. His voice thundered, “Do you even know what you’re saying?!”

“Young Madam!” Xiang Lei immediately drew his sword and stepped forward.

“Stay back!” Su Jinyuan commanded firmly, stopping Xiang Lei. She tilted her head up to meet Qi Sheng’s gaze.

“Prince Duan is a man of unparalleled talent. Even if he isn’t destined to be an emperor, he should have made great achievements in court. Yet, over the years, he has been forced by Emperor Qing to live as a ridiculed idle prince. Even so, do you think Prince Duan’s Mansion can remain safe?”

“The Xiao family was loyal to Emperor Qing and still met such a tragic end. How much worse will it be for Prince Duan’s Mansion, which once competed with him for the throne?”

“Didn’t you establish Pengyun Pavilion to secure a retreat for Prince Duan’s Mansion and to create an opportunity for yourself?”

Though Qi Sheng’s hand gripped her neck, Su Jinyuan stood on tiptoe, meeting his gaze directly.

“The vast Pengyun Pavilion supports imperial dreams; the hidden Dragon Wild shelters heroes. Helping the Xiao family is no different from helping yourself, my lord.”

“If you refuse to act today and let the Xiao family be destroyed, how can you be sure that their downfall won’t also sever your path of retreat?”

Qi Sheng’s face twisted with fury at her words. For a moment, the anger of having his thoughts laid bare nearly drove him to snap her neck. But those very words—”The vast Pengyun Pavilion supports imperial dreams; the hidden Dragon Wild shelters heroes”—made him pause.

This person saw right through his thoughts, even revealing the very reason for Pengyun Pavilion’s existence.

Noting that Su Jinyuan’s face had a bluish tinge yet her eyes remained clear and steady, Qi Sheng gritted his teeth fiercely and demanded, “Who exactly are you?!”

“Xiao family, Su clan!”

Su Jinyuan’s neck still bore marks from his grip, her complexion slightly pale, yet her gaze was utterly calm.

Qi Sheng led her into a refined pavilion in the backyard. The attendants from Prince Duan’s Mansion blocked Xiang Lei outside, and having shed his formerly gentle and scholarly demeanor, Qi Sheng looked up at the kneeling woman before him and said: “Was it Sixth Xie who sent for you?”

Su Jinyuan nodded. “I once went to the Ministry of Justice’s prison and happened to catch Duke Yu interrogating.”

Qi Sheng scrutinizes her as if trying to determine the truth in her words. “The Ministry’s prison is so heavily guarded—how did you get in? And how did you manage to keep safe under Duke Yu’s authority?”

“The Xiao family has stood in the court for a hundred years. If we truly lacked even such abilities, then how would you, young lord, have ever taken an interest in the Xiao family and forged ties with my husband and his comrades?”

Her words were spoken nonchalantly, yet they led Qi Sheng to mistakenly assume that the Xiao family not only had extensive military connections but also kept fallback plans elsewhere. After all, if that were not so, even he couldn’t have infiltrated the Ministry of Justice’s prison—so how could this woman have managed it?

Qi Sheng’s attitude toward the Xiao family shifted somewhat. His expression softened as he addressed Su Jinyuan, “You say that Duke Yu wants to implicate Prince Duan’s Mansion in the Xiao family’s matters?”

“Young lord, you used to frequent the General’s Mansion, did you not?”

She neither confirmed nor denied and then continued, “And young lord, do you know who carried out the arrest and interrogation of Sixth Brother this time?”

Qi Sheng frowned. “Who is it?”

“He is named Luo Yu—a garrison captain.”

Observing the puzzled look on Qi Sheng’s face, it was clear he did not remember who Luo Yu was. Su Jinyuan pressed on, “If that name seems unfamiliar, then surely you remember the capital inspector who knelt for three days and three nights three years ago on Chang Street—kowtowing a hundred times in exchange for his life?”