Ning Rushen woke up from his nap, opened the door, and was immediately greeted by the sight of ten burly men surrounding his courtyard. For a moment, he almost thought they were performing some kind of ritual.

He wasn’t sure if it was the ten protectors that were working, or if the little thief had finally been worn out by him, but for the next two days, the intruder didn’t seem to show up again.

De Quan came by with the imperial decree to deliver the rewards, smiling as he clasped his hands in greeting to Ning Rushen. 

“My lord, you must take good care of your health and recover soon. His Majesty has shown you great favor, so don’t disappoint him.”

The first time they met, it was clear De Quan had wanted to see him dead. But now, they were sending him medicine. Whether it was all for show or there was some other purpose, it seemed that for now, Li Wuting didn’t want to take his life.

As Ning Rushen thanked him, his eyelashes drooped slightly and dark circles under his eyes gave him a sickly appearance.

De Quan gasped and asked with concern, “My lord, have you not been resting well?”

“It’s nothing serious,” Ning Rushen couldn’t exactly say it was because of his struggle with the thief, so he changed the subject, “It’s just that I’ve been worried about His Majesty, making it hard to sleep at night.”

De Quan smiled in reassurance, dusting off his whisk, “I will make sure His Majesty knows of your concern.”

Ning Rushen returned the gesture with a polite smile.

Sure, but there’s really no need.

After sending off the palace attendants, the maid Xinglan sorted through the supplements that had been delivered, her face beaming with happiness, “His Majesty really does care for you, my lord. These are all top-quality ingredients! I’ll select a few to make soup for you right away.”

Ning Rushen, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, nodded and added, “Just pick out enough for today. No need for any tomorrow.”

Yan Min asked, “Does my lord have something to attend to tomorrow?”

Ning Rushen gazed outside the manor, “Hmm, just going to see the autumn winds.”

…

The next day was when he had an appointment with Geng Yan.

Before heading out, Yan Min was draping a cloak over Ning Rushen’s shoulders, fussing, “It’s good to get out for a walk… but don’t drink any more wine, and be careful not to catch a chill.”

Ning Rushen wore a cloak of white silk threads with cloud patterns over a vibrant red outfit, his appearance both radiant and charming. Though his face still bore a hint of illness, it only added to his unique allure.

Hearing Yan Min’s words, Ning Rushen seemed to have an idea.

Yan Min immediately caught on, “Don’t even think about it!”

Ning Rushen gave up, “Alright, alright, I know.”

The carriage passed through the bustling streets, arriving at Wanghe Tower.

Wanghe Tower was located in the busy district of the southern city. The streets outside the tower were packed with people and carriages, and the building itself was lively with guests coming and going.

Ning Rushen lifted the curtain and stepped out of the carriage.

His red outfit and white cloak made him stand out among the crowd. As soon as he appeared, a waiter hurriedly came up to greet him, “This way, my esteemed guest!”

After giving Geng Yan’s name, Ning Rushen was quickly led to a private room on the second floor.

Inside the room, Geng Yan was already waiting.

The window was wide open, and he stood by it, letting the cold wind blow in.

Ning Rushen shivered from the gust of wind as he pulled his cloak tighter and glared at Geng Yan, “Is this an ambush? A banquet of betrayal?”

“…” Geng Yan wordlessly closed the window.

The room finally warmed up, and Ning Rushen took a seat, not holding back as he ordered a table full of dishes.

Once all the food was served and the door was closed, Ning Rushen rubbed his hands together and eagerly started eating, “So, what’s the matter? Why did you call me out?”

Geng Yan didn’t touch his food, seemingly having no appetite, “You haven’t been to court these past few days, so you might not know, but things are in chaos.”

Ning Rushen continued eating, motioning with his eyes for Geng Yan to continue.

“The emperor has issued several new decrees since taking the throne… The decrees are good, but which of them doesn’t require money? The five ministries have all been asking the Ministry of Revenue for funds. My father, as the Minister of Revenue, hasn’t been able to come up with the money and has been impeached several times in recent days.”

Ning Rushen was surprised, “The treasury is that empty? Where did all the money go?”

He had seen the prosperous streets and bustling market on his way here, and assumed that the treasury of the Great Cheng Dynasty must be well-stocked.

Geng Yan’s face darkened slightly.

“…” Ning Rushen paused, suddenly feeling like the food in his mouth lost its flavor. He looked at the table of dishes before him as if he were staring at stolen goods.

He silently put down his chopsticks and scooted his chair a little further back.

Geng Yan was furious at the sight, “What kind of look is that? My father didn’t embezzle anything! Eat your food!”

Ning Rushen, half believing and half doubting, picked up his chopsticks again, “Then where did the money go? If he didn’t embezzle it, why hasn’t he explained?”

Geng Yan shook his head dejectedly, “It’s tied to the struggle for the throne… Remember the rumors I told you about?”

Ning Rushen recalled the gossip he heard at the palace banquet.

The current emperor, Li Wuting, was the third prince of the late emperor. Rumor had it that his mother, Consort Xian, had died at the hands of the then-empress, Cui Shi.

At the time, the imperial in-laws wielded immense power, and the crown prince’s faction had control over everything. Even though there was suspicion that Cui Shi had plotted to kill the imperial consort, the late emperor did not hold her accountable.

No one had expected the crown prince’s faction to collapse overnight.

After the late emperor’s death, he decreed that Empress Cui should be buried alongside him.

The third prince, Li Wuting, ascended the throne, and only then did Cui Shi’s power start to wane.

A bad feeling crept into Ning Rushen’s mind, “Could it be… all the money went to the former crown prince?”

Geng Yan nodded wearily, “In the past, the crown prince’s faction treated the Ministry of Revenue like their private bank, constantly taking money. Since the late emperor favored the crown prince, my father didn’t dare offend the future ruler, so he had to hand over the funds. But after the crown prince fell in the struggle for the throne, that money never came back, and the hole left in the treasury hasn’t been filled.”

Ning Rushen tucked his hands into his sleeves and sighed.

Although Cui Shi’s power had diminished, her influence wasn’t completely gone. Her brother, the former imperial uncle Cui Haoyuan, still held the position of Right Chancellor, someone that Minister Geng couldn’t afford to offend.

Moreover, the fact that this involved a political faction made things even more sensitive.

“What is His Majesty’s stance on this in court?”

“No one knows.” Geng Yan shook his head, “There’s no way to tell.”

He recalled his father’s expression after leaving court—

A young emperor in his early twenties, yet the seasoned ministers of two reigns couldn’t see through him.

“That’s why I asked you to come. I was hoping… since you’re close to the emperor, maybe you could…” Geng Yan hesitated awkwardly, “If it’s too much, forget it. Don’t force yourself. After all… I haven’t really done much for you.”

Ning Rushen understood. Geng Yan wanted him to feel out the emperor’s intentions.

Everyone thought that Ning Rushen was favored by the emperor, but only he knew that he was just barely managing to stay afloat.

After a moment of silence, Ning Rushen asked, “If your father admits to embezzlement, what will the punishment be?”

“Confiscation of property, exile.”

Confiscation of property and exile.

Ning Rushen looked at him and remarked with a strange sense of admiration, “You’ve got quite the calm attitude.”

You’re on the verge of being exiled, yet you’re still climbing my walls and inviting me to dinner.

“Once you enter the court as an official, you have to be prepared for this.” Geng Yan took a sip of tea, “If I’m really exiled to the frontier, I’ll just go sell…”

Ning Rushen’s body stiffened.

“Sweet potatoes,” Geng Yan finished.

Ning Rushen let out a sigh of relief, “Don’t pause in the middle of your sentence like that.”

“…?”

Ning Rushen averted his gaze.

His fingers traced the rim of his cup, and his lashes lowered slightly: Prepared, huh.

Ever since he came to this era, he had been living in a daze, avoiding the issue by pretending to be sick. But now, this issue had resurfaced in front of him—he had to decide whether to stay out of this power struggle or let himself get swept up in it.

Or perhaps, he could actively step into it and carve out a third path for himself.

After a while, he leaned against the window and said to Geng Yan, “Add another order of crystal dumplings for me.”

Geng Yan was taken aback, “What?”

“Add another order of crystal dumplings.” Ning Rushen propped his chin up and looked at him, “Now I owe you a favor for feeding me. I’ll go soft on you.”

Geng Yan looked at him in surprise, “You…”

Ning Rushen smiled.

He had made up his mind.

He tucked his hands back into his sleeves and casually glanced to the side, “Can’t help it. People say I’m skilled and like to take the path less traveled.”

·

After resting for a day, Ning Rushen prepared to return to the palace and resume his duties.

His body had mostly recovered, and besides, Minister Geng’s situation couldn’t be delayed any longer.

He hadn’t worn his official robes in a while, but now he donned them once again. Calculating the time when Li Wuting would finish morning court, he made his way to the Imperial Study.

When he arrived outside the study, Li Wuting had not yet returned.

Only Xiao Rongzi was waiting at the door, who greeted him, “Good day, Lord Ning. His Majesty has just finished morning court, so please wait a little longer.”

Ning Rushen tucked his hands into his sleeves, “No problem.”

It was early spring, and the weather was still bitterly cold. Ning Rushen waited in the chilly wind for quite a while before Li Wuting finally appeared in front of him.

“Your servant pays respects to His Majesty.”

Li Wuting glanced at him.

After not seeing him for a few days, Ning Rushen seemed to have lost even more weight, to the point that his silver belt could barely stay on his waist. His nose was tinged red from the cold, making him look rather pitiful.

Li Wuting instinctively wanted to say something, but he hesitated, then shifted his gaze and walked into the room, “Come inside.”

Ning Rushen, like a cat afraid of the cold, almost chased after the emperor’s heels to follow the warmth inside, “Thank you, Your Majesty…”

De Quan quietly trailed behind them.

Inwardly, he sighed. His Majesty really showed no mercy. If it were him, he would have invited Lord Ning to wait inside from the start.

The Imperial Study was as warm as spring inside.

Li Wuting stood by the basin, casually washing his hands, and asked, “Feeling better?”

Ning Rushen, now comfortably warm, squinted his eyes in contentment, “Thanks to Your Majesty’s blessings, I recovered quickly.”

The sound of water stopped.

Li Wuting’s cold, handsome face seemed to flash with a hint of awkwardness, “Hm.”

Ning Rushen: …?

Was there some sort of hidden meaning in his tone?

He looked at Li Wuting suspiciously, but the emperor didn’t say anything more. Instead, he sat down and started reading memorials on his own.

Since Li Wuting hadn’t called him over, Ning Rushen stood quietly to the side.

Time passed slowly in the oddly quiet study, with only the sound of pages turning occasionally breaking the silence.

De Quan seemed used to it, only occasionally refilling the tea, but otherwise making no noise.

Ning Rushen stood until his legs went numb and his head felt light.

He couldn’t understand the point of Li Wuting insisting he come to court every day—was he supposed to ward off evil with his bright red robes?

After standing still for a while, Ning Rushen remembered Minister Geng’s situation and gradually zoned out… until his body swayed, and he took a sideways step to steady himself.

A light sound broke the silence.

Ning Rushen snapped back to attention and found Li Wuting looking up from behind his desk, his calm gaze fixed directly on him.

Ning Rushen shifted his stiff legs and apologized, “This servant was disrespectful before Your Majesty. Please forgive me.”

Li Wuting remarked casually, “What’s a little disrespect? You dared to deceive the emperor before.”

Ning Rushen: ?

He tilted his head slightly, genuine confusion in his eyes, “When did this servant ever…”

“I heard that you missed me so much you couldn’t sleep, day and night?”

“…” Ning Rushen’s eyes darted briefly to the side, where De Quan had quietly buried his head. You again, you big gossip.

Li Wuting’s voice turned cold, “Flattery comes so easily to you.”

Ning Rushen quickly licked his lips and gently defended himself, “This servant speaks nothing but the truth. I truly didn’t sleep all night. If Your Majesty doesn’t believe me, you can ask the steward at my manor.”

Li Wuting nearly laughed from anger, “You couldn’t sleep, and somehow that’s my fault—” He stopped mid-sentence, pausing for a couple of seconds before changing the subject, “Come here and grind the ink for me.”

“?”

The troublesome topic was suddenly and strangely brushed aside.

Ning Rushen blinked, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

…

The inkstone on the imperial desk was a rare treasure, and the ink stick was made from expensive tung soot.

Ning Rushen’s technique for grinding ink wasn’t exactly skillful.

But his fingers were long and slender, as delicate as jade. As he lifted his sleeves and held the ink stick, the sight was pleasing to the eye.

Too bad the person he was serving didn’t seem to appreciate it.

After summoning Ning Rushen, Li Wuting buried himself in his paperwork again, not mentioning anything related to court affairs, and didn’t even let Ning Rushen take a glance at the memorials he was reading.

While grinding the ink, Ning Rushen stole a few glances at the papers on the desk.

As he snuck a peek, he suddenly spotted the words “Ministry of Revenue,” “Geng Yue,” and “embezzlement.”

As expected, the situation was serious.

Judging by Li Wuting’s response, it seemed that no punishment had been decided yet. But if Minister Geng couldn’t provide the funds or an explanation soon, the pressure from the court would only mount, and he’d likely end up in prison…

Without realizing it, Ning Rushen became engrossed in what he was reading.

Li Wuting, having turned a blind eye at first—after all, he had placed the man right under his nose to see what he would do—didn’t expect him to be so blatant.

It seemed Ning Rushen wanted to get an even clearer look. He had practically turned his head halfway around, almost reaching out to grab the memorial from him!

“…Ning Rushen.” Li Wuting scolded softly.

Ning Rushen snapped back to reality and looked up to meet the emperor’s sharp gaze.

His heart skipped a beat, and he knelt in front of the imperial desk, “This servant has overstepped. Please forgive me.”

An eerie silence fell over the room.

Kneeling by the emperor’s desk, all Ning Rushen could see were the cold edges of the desk and the thick carpet beneath him. His breath quickened as he tried to figure out how to explain himself when suddenly, a soft sound broke the tension.

The memorial was tossed right in front of him, its black ink stark against the white paper.

Ning Rushen looked up, “Your Majesty?”

“What is it you want to see?” Li Wuting gazed down at him calmly, “I’ll allow you to read it.”

Ning Rushen’s instincts told him to be cautious: When the emperor doesn’t get angry, it means there’s a trap.

He pushed the memorial slightly away, “This servant dares not…”

“Read it.”

A few steps away, De Quan was already drenched in cold sweat, too scared to utter a word.

Ning Rushen, “…Alright, if you insist.”

“Your servant obeys,” he said, smoothly pulling the memorial back and sitting upright on the floor to read it carefully.

The contents of the memorial were pretty much what he had glimpsed earlier. It was an impeachment accusing Geng Yue of embezzling funds and lining his own pockets, calling for his property to be confiscated and for him to be exiled—

To set an example and clean up the government.

As the heavy words sank in, Ning Rushen pressed his lips together.

“Finished reading?” The emperor’s voice came from above.

Holding the memorial, Ning Rushen looked up, still feeling a bit unsettled. He met Li Wuting’s gaze and softly replied, “Yes.”

The scene looked rather improper, the young official knelt before the emperor, his black hair and red robes flowing across the floor as he held the memorial, addressing the emperor without the usual formalities.

But Ning Rushen himself seemed oblivious to this impropriety.

And it seemed that Li Wuting, the emperor, didn’t mind it either.

His long, deep gaze met Ning Rushen’s clear but slightly distracted eyes as he suddenly spoke, “I’ve heard that you’re quite close with Minister Geng’s son, Geng Yan, and have a lot of personal conversations…”

Ning Rushen snapped back to attention and met Li Wuting’s gaze: So what?

Li Wuting looked at him leisurely, “Then how about this—Ning Rushen, tell me. How should I handle Minister Geng?”

“…”