Groping his way inside, as soon as he lowered his hand from his head, Zhuang Dongqing was stunned.

The interior was spacious, with a round wooden table placed in the center. Sitting beside it was a stranger in a black cloak, his shoulders straight, and his clothing adorned with intricate embroidery that reflected a soft sheen in the changing light. The right side of his jacket was neatly aligned, and as Zhuang Dongqing’s gaze fell, he noticed a jade pendant hanging from the man’s waist, a deep green like the rippling surface of a lake.

Where’s the dining table? Where’s the pot? Where are the eldest, second, and third brothers…?

“Who sent you here?” the man asked.

His words were clear and measured, but Zhuang Dongqing felt an icy detachment in his tone.

“Third brother?” He shook his head, his eyes hazy. “Hao, Hao San?”

The man let out a sigh of relief.

He scrutinized Zhuang Dongqing for a moment, noticing him frequently raising his hand, and asked, “What happened to your head?”

Zhuang Dongqing pouted. “I fell.”

“Come sit over here.”

Zhuang Dongqing fumbled his way over, feeling dizzy as he sat down, swaying slightly, and was steadied by the other man.

With long, strong fingers, he gripped Zhuang Dongqing’s arm, and in an instant, Zhuang Dongqing felt as if he were anchored in place, sitting steadily.

Zhuang Dongqing was still dazed; the alcohol was hitting him harder as he entered. He looked down at the distinctly knuckled hand gripping his arm, his gaze blank, thinking how beautiful that hand was, yet feeling inexplicably hot where he was held.

He struggled a bit but couldn’t break free. Before he could say anything, the man released his grip.

In the next moment, that hand moved up to his neck, and Zhuang Dongqing’s chin was firmly grasped, lifting him up without room for resistance.

The man’s face suddenly loomed larger, becoming clearer.

Zhuang Dongqing’s lips parted slightly; Third Brother… wasn’t lying.

The face before him had prominent brow bones, deep-set eyes, and amber irises that glinted coldly. As he leaned in to look at Zhuang Dongqing, his slightly humped nose was high and straight, and the breath from his nose inevitably brushed against Zhuang Dongqing’s face, a warm sensation that felt like it could burn into his skin.

“Nothing’s wrong.”

His fingertips brushed over Zhuang Dongqing’s forehead where it hurt, and then they withdrew.

Zhuang Dongqing shivered.

The gaze that had been on his forehead dropped down, revealing a continuous flush on Zhuang Dongqing’s fair face, his eye sockets deep red, and his eyes glistening with tears as he looked up at the man.

His lips parted slightly, a hint of moisture glistening between them.

The grip on his chin suddenly tightened, causing Zhuang Dongqing to wince in pain, letting out a hiss.

“You know why Hao San sent you here, right?”

Zhuang Dongqing felt fuzzy, unsure if it was because of the tight grip or something else; the places they touched felt scalding, igniting a heat throughout his body.

“Don’t you like me like this?”

His tone was vague, sticky, laced with the grievance from his headache.

After he spoke, he felt the grip loosen.

It was uncomfortable being so close, but once they separated, Zhuang Dongqing felt as if he were being driven away, instinctively leaning his cheek against that wrist, catching a scent that shattered his rationality, mumbling, “What fragrance is that on you…?”

“It smells good.”

He rubbed his cheek against it, feeling a bit of coolness. Zhuang Dongqing blinked to see a string of bright red 南红 (Nánhóng) beads on the man’s fair skin, the red and white contrasting, and the heat within Zhuang Dongqing made him lean closer to that coolness.

His chin was gripped again, but this time it was a bit rough.

Zhuang Dongqing’s vision was completely blurred, unable to see clearly. His lips were pressed down by a fingertip, and when he tried to dodge, he couldn’t escape.

After several attempts, he finally bit down on the troublesome finger in frustration.

The breath beside his ear grew heavier.

Then that breath came closer, making Zhuang Dongqing’s back tremble with heat…

*

Outside Guangyue Platform, a young man who bore a resemblance to Zhuang Dongqing kept glancing back, hesitating.

“Let’s go.”

A youth draped in a fox fur urged from ahead.

“But, but Second Brother is still inside. Our family never allows the younger generation to stay out overnight. If Father finds out Second Brother is staying in a place like this…”

The youth scoffed, “Isn’t that just perfect?”

“Aren’t you always complaining that this illegitimate son doesn’t know the rules, always trying to outshine your elder brother?”

“Besides, I noticed he seemed unaware of the Sixth Prince’s identity at the banquet. Ha! And he still dared to help block drinks?!”

“I say, we should just leave him here today, let him learn a lesson, so he doesn’t get too cocky and cause trouble in the future.”

The young man was subtly swayed by the words.

The youth reached out to pull him along, “Alright, alright, let’s go. If you’re worried about explaining, just say you got drunk at my place today. As for your Second Brother, I’ll have someone inform Uncle that he will definitely be picked up before dawn, so it won’t affect your family’s reputation…”

*

…

After finally settling down, Zhuang Dongqing felt hands trying to pull him up, and he curled back into the blanket in protest.

Half-asleep, the voices floated around him, unclear, and no matter what was asked, Zhuang Dongqing could only hum in response.

Certain words touched a soft spot in his heart, and Zhuang Dongqing mumbled in a daze, “Home? There’s no home anymore…”

The voice by his ear paused.

The world finally returned to silence, and Zhuang Dongqing fell into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, someone knocked on the door, softly calling, “Master?”

Upon receiving a response, the door was pushed open, and a figure stood outside the screen, bowing their head to report, “The Emperor’s decree, urgent.”

“…Which family?”

“Lord Huang Zhao. The Imperial Guards have surrounded the residence, just waiting for you to go and interrogate.”

“Huang Zhao…”

An official from the Crown Prince’s faction, not low in rank. It seemed the Emperor had made a decisive move.

If only it could be a day earlier…

Cen Yan closed his eyes, not wanting to think about these things, and simply instructed, “Bring my official robes.”

After a quick wash, he tidied himself up outside the screen. Noticing that his attendant had been stealing glances at him, Cen Yan calmly said, “The poison has been resolved.”

The attendant sighed in relief, “That’s good.”

After preparing the knife, Cen Yan glanced at the bed behind the screen and asked, “Where’s Hao San?”

Yes, the attendant before him was no longer the Hao San who had accompanied him to the banquet that night.

“The decree came in a hurry, fearing it would delay matters. Hao San has already taken the royal guards ahead.”

Tonight’s events had indeed been overwhelming. After a moment’s thought, Cen Yan said, “Have him come back and bring the person back to the residence.”

Pausing, he thought of those tearful eyes and softened his tone slightly, “Stay with him until he wakes up, then handle it.”

The attendant nodded in agreement.

The night was as dark as ink, and a well-trained group descended the stairs and mounted their horses, leaving Guangyue Platform.

On the way, they passed a group of horses and a hurried figure, neither noticing the other.

…

When Hao San returned to Guangyue Platform, he rushed to the private room, noticing the sky was still early. He waited outside for a while but heard no sounds from inside. Sensing something was off, Hao San pushed the door open.

Upon entering the room, there was no one there.

Hao San’s mind went blank for a moment, realizing something was wrong.

After a fruitless search, he left a few capable hands at Guangyue Platform and hurried back to Huang’s residence.

Dismounting, he saw a eunuch drinking tea at the entrance. Upon entering Huang’s residence and asking another attendant, Liu Qi, he learned that Cen Yan was in the middle of an interrogation when another eunuch arrived to announce a decree, which was identical to the first one. After a few thoughts, Hao San wondered, “Could it be…?”

News from the Crown Prince’s side, applying pressure?

Liu Qi nodded slightly.

His master had always disliked being forced to act, and with the turmoil in the court tonight…

Not daring to think further, Hao San quickly knelt before Cen Yan, who slightly furrowed his brows.

When he reported that Guangyue Platform was empty, Cen Yan’s face showed no visible joy or anger, only the flickering firelight casting shadows on his profile, the darkness growing and receding on his face.

Thud, thud. Knowing they had likely fallen into someone else’s scheme, attendants Xu Si and Liu Qi knelt in succession, and soon, trusted members of the royal residence were kneeling in a row, not daring to breathe.

Cen Yan twirled the beads on his left wrist, his tone unreadable, “So, the person was not brought to me by you?”

Hao San’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat as he truthfully replied, “When I brought the person over, there was already someone in your room.”

The hand that had been twirling the beads stopped, and Cen Yan lowered his gaze.

Feeling the weight of that gaze, Hao San buried his head deeper, and the surroundings fell silent. Amidst the crackling of the torches, Hao San’s throat moved up and down, cold sweat gathering into droplets that slowly trickled down his cheek and fell to the ground.

“Like this.”

After a long pause, Cen Yan finally spoke, his tone eerily calm.

“The Crown Prince hosted a banquet,” Cen Yan articulated each word, “Huang Zhao is from the Crown Prince’s faction, and in the end, they chose such a person to come…”

Cen Yan smiled, “Very good.”

His smile made everyone break into a cold sweat.

“Then… we can’t keep the eunuch waiting for too long, can we…?”

Letting out his anger was better.

…

Before dawn, the Huang family, including Huang Zhao, had all been executed.

The eunuch was so frightened by the box containing the severed heads that he repeatedly shouted “outrageous,” “bold,” and “I must report this to the Emperor in person,” as he stormed off.

With the task completed, Cen Yan washed his hands in the courtyard, the basin filled with blood and dirt.

“Hao San,”

“Take the team to Guangyue Platform. Anyone from the family who has been punished and not demoted to a lowly status, and anyone with the character ‘Qing’ in their name, must be thoroughly searched for.”

“Yes.” Hao San accepted the order.

“There’s no need to attend court today. Xu Si, run an errand and take a leave.”

When Xu Si asked for the reason, Cen Yan slowly uttered two words: “Poisoned.”

As dawn broke, the surrounding residences began to open their doors. Every servant who saw the bloodstains in front of Huang’s residence was filled with shock and hurried back to report.

The streets, which should have been bustling, were empty, with every door tightly shut.

Meanwhile, Zhuang Dongqing, who had disappeared from Guangyue Platform, was currently in the ancestral hall of the Zhuang family.

He had been brought back in the middle of the night, scolded while hungover, and then punished to kneel in the ancestral hall. Dazed, he still thought he was in a dream…

As dawn approached, the cleaning servants found Zhuang Dongqing collapsed on the ground. When they touched his forehead, it was burning hot, and they immediately shouted for help.

*

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye. Aside from the initial incident at Huang’s residence, two more officials had their homes raided.

In no time, the entire capital was in a state of panic, with everyone feeling uneasy.

Liu Fu, in the kitchen, received their food box and opened it. After a few exchanges with the managing matron and flattering the cook with sweet words, he finally managed to get a bowl of crab roe tofu thrown at him by the impatient chef. Although it still lacked meat, he thought it might help change the young master’s taste, so he thanked the cook and took it away.

“…The front gate is covered in blood, it’s terrifying.”

“This month, the market has opened three times, all from the houses of treasonous officials. The blood on the ground can’t be washed away.”

“Indeed, people are on edge. Recently, the young master and young ladies’ studies haven’t even been inquired about by the master.”

As he passed through the servants and cleaning women, and the delicate maidens, when the discussions about the recent events in the capital gradually quieted down, he turned around two corners and pushed open a wooden door, arriving at the courtyard where he and the young master stayed.

As soon as he entered, he saw a figure standing in the courtyard, and Liu Fu exclaimed, “Young master, the doctor said you can’t catch a chill!”

Hearing the voice, the figure turned around, and it was none other than Zhuang Dongqing.

“I just wanted to come out for some fresh air…”

He had only said half a sentence when his throat itched, and Zhuang Dongqing began to cough softly.

Liu Fu leaned in to take a look and saw Zhuang Dongqing’s gaunt face devoid of color, realizing he had been standing outside for a while. He patted his back to stop the cough and hurriedly helped him back inside.

He poured a cup of water and handed it to Zhuang Dongqing, then went to check the charcoal basin, which indeed needed more charcoal.

Just as he picked up the fire tongs, Zhuang Dongqing stopped him, saying, “Don’t add any, it makes me uncomfortable.”

Liu Fu paused, scratching his face, “The gray charcoal does have some smoke. If we could get some silver silk charcoal…”

Zhuang Dongqing simply lowered his gaze and said, “Let’s eat first.”

They had to conserve the charcoal in their room, and the silver silk charcoal was reserved for the main house and the legitimate sons and daughters, leaving none for them.

“Alright, young master. Today, I specially asked the kitchen for a bowl of different dishes for you to try.”

Liu Fu, a half-grown boy, always seemed lively when it came to food.

Amidst Liu Fu’s chatter, Zhuang Dongqing looked at the arranged dishes and silently sighed. It had been half a month since he had been clear-headed, and it had been nine or ten days since then. The dishes sent from the kitchen were green to the point of being unyielding, with not a hint of meat in sight.

Liu Fu handed him the chopsticks, and Zhuang Dongqing began to eat with difficulty.

As he took a bite of the leafy greens, the bitterness made his face scrunch up.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to eat, but after being spoiled by modern cuisine, his stomach simply couldn’t handle the unrefined ancient version of the dishes.

Liu Fu kept urging him to eat more, knowing that the boy meant well and that his body needed nourishment… Zhuang Dongqing’s eyes grew moist as he finally swallowed a bowl and a half of rice.

Task completed. He had survived another day.

Great.

“Tap, tap.”

Unexpectedly, there was a visitor. Liu Fu went to open the door, and it was the lady’s maid.

The maid greeted him and got straight to the point, “Second Young Master, the lady requests your presence.”

Ever since he had a high fever from kneeling in the ancestral hall, Zhuang Dongqing had been taking medicine and recuperating in the courtyard. The earlier incident at Guangyue Platform had not been pursued by his parents due to the recent turmoil in the court.

Now, it seemed they finally had time.