Late spring was a season of frequent rain. The night's downpour had yet to dry on the courtyard's blue bricks, while the plants in the flowerbeds appeared lush and inviting after the shower, their leaf tips glistening with dewdrops that refracted faint golden light in the morning sun.
The chamber doors stood wide open, with bamboo roll blinds of varying heights hanging from the eaves, scattering fragments of dawn light across the room.
Song Yan remained in his bowing posture, the scholar's robe of bamboo-root green at his back already soaked through with cold sweat.
Amidst the curling tea fragrance, the clustered floral patterns embroidered with faint silver threads on Fan Changyu's tea-white brocade robe became indistinct. She lowered her gaze to the teacup floating with brownish-green tea leaves, took a sip, her expression unreadable.
Wu Guangkun glanced between Song Yan and Fan Changyu, his heart sinking as he realized the situation had turned dire. Forcing an awkward smile, he attempted to break the tension: "This... does the General have prior acquaintance with Scholar Song?"
Fan Changyu's expression remained cold as she remarked ambiguously, "This general hardly deserves to be called an 'acquaintance' by Scholar Song."
At these words, Wu Guangkun too broke out in cold sweat. Song Yan stiffened momentarily before dropping to his knees like a snapped bamboo branch. When he spoke, it was unclear whether bitterness or shame weighed heavier in his voice: "The great kindness shown by the General's family is something Song shall never forget. That year's actions—"
Fan Changyu interrupted him: "By our dynasty's laws, those holding scholarly honors need not kneel before officials."
Her gaze swept to the attendants: "Help Scholar Song rise."
Xie Wu, who had been waiting nearby, stepped forward and hauled Song Yan up with one hand. Losing his balance abruptly, Song Yan staggered before steadying himself, his entire demeanor exuding an indescribable wretchedness, all traces of his earlier feigned composure gone.
Wu Guangkun wore an embarrassed expression, wanting to plead further yet uncertain about the history between Song Yan and the Huaihua General. Not daring to speak recklessly, his small eyes betrayed helpless confusion.
Fan Changyu addressed Song Yan: "The funds for my father's coffin and your tuition fees have been repaid. The Fan and Song families are now square—there exists no 'great kindness' as you claim."
Song Yan stared fixedly at Fan Changyu seated in the position of authority, complex emotions churning in eyes weathered by years of hardship before he finally managed a strained "Indeed."
Even Xie Wu frowned at this. Unaware of past events in Qingping County, he only sensed something amiss in the failed scholar's gaze toward his general.
Fan Changyu continued: "I seek a private tutor to educate Ning Niang. You should understand why I cannot employ you."
Both Wu Guangkun and Xie Wu looked bewildered, while Song Yan forced out another strained "Indeed."
"In that case, you may take your leave." Fan Changyu set down her teacup. "Xiao Wu, see our guests out."
Xie Wu immediately gestured toward the door for Wu and Song.
Wu Guangkun regretted his decision deeply, fearing he might have offended nobility through Song Yan's connection. Though he wished to salvage the situation, the coldness on Fan Changyu's face and Xie Wu's outstretched hand toward the exit left him no choice but to retreat with stiff, ingratiating smiles.
As they neared the doorway, a young girl with twin buns came running down the corridor, followed by a tall, handsome guard. Her bright, childish voice rang out before she even entered: "Elder Sister! I've packed all my things!"Upon encountering Wu and Song, the little girl's grin stretching ear to ear faltered slightly. Clutching the hem of her dress with chubby fingers, she timidly addressed Wu Guangkun, "Teacher."
Wu Guangkun seemed to have spotted a lifeline, immediately responding warmly, "Ah, it's Ning Niang..."
However, Changning's gaze fell upon Song Yan walking behind him. Her jade-like little face instantly darkened, small fists clenching at her sides. Her large, dark eyes brimmed with hostility as she loudly declared, "Bad man!"
With that, she charged toward Fan Changyu like a little bull, burying herself against her sister's knees while glaring sideways at Song Yan.
Song Yan's complexion paled further. Xie Wu also noticed something amiss and stole a glance at Fan Changyu.
But Fan Changyu merely stroked Changning's hair and said, "Children speak without filter. Xiao Wu, continue seeing our guests out."
Xie Wu then led Song Yan and Wu Guangkun toward the exit.
Changning's dimpled fingers traced the gold-lacquered patterns on Fan Changyu's leather belt as she pouted unhappily, "Elder Sister, what was that bad man doing here?"
When the Song family came to break off the engagement years ago, Changning had been over five years old—old enough to remember. Even after two or three years, she still vividly recalled those who had bullied her and her sister.
Fan Changyu explained, "A person's life spans less than a hundred years, with fortunes ever-changing. He failed the imperial exams and came seeking employment as your tutor."
Changning immediately refused, "Ning Niang won't learn from him!" Her fair, pinkish cheeks puffed up in anger, a tuft of hair standing upright on her head, clearly showing her strong resistance.
Fan Changyu chuckled, "Didn't we just send him away?"
Only then did Changning cheer up, tugging at Fan Changyu's sleeve. "Elder Sister is a general now—why didn't you have him beaten?"
Fan Changyu grew more serious, looking at Changning earnestly. "Ning Niang, your sister may be a general, but this authority is meant to protect the peace of Great Yin's people, not to settle personal grudges. Understand? Though Song Yan has poor character, our feud with him was settled long ago. He's done nothing wrong now. If I were to use my position to hinder him out of past resentment, then I would be the one at fault."
Changning nodded with her head lowered. "Ning Niang remembers."
Fan Changyu spoke gravely, "Everyone chooses their own path. We walk the righteous road—there's no need to stray onto crooked paths for petty people. The treacherous waters of officialdom are full of undercurrents; one misstep could lead to ruin. Even if Song Yan claws his way into this world, pitfalls await him at every turn. We needn't dirty our hands to hasten his downfall."
Changning nodded even more vigorously.
Only then did Fan Changyu ask, "Have you packed all your belongings?"
She had married Xie Zheng just last month. With no living parents above her—her maternal grandfather having been a loyal minister wronged by the court for over a decade, and her adoptive father being an incorruptible elder statesman—Yu Qianqian had single-handedly arranged the wedding. The dowry had been allocated from the state treasury after discussions with officials.
Having lived at the Office of Presentations for nearly two years, Fan Changyu still hadn't moved all her belongings.Initially, to make it easier to care for Changning in the future, Fan Changyu had her general's residence built adjacent to the Xie residence. After over a year, the mansion was finally completed, with the internal courtyard walls connected to the Xie residence, effectively merging the two estates into one.
Today, she had come for two reasons: first, to move the remaining items that hadn't been relocated during the wedding, and second, to meet the private tutor recommended by Wu Guangkun.
Upon hearing this, Changning immediately clamored to accompany her back to the Office of Presentations, insisting on packing her own belongings from her room.
Given her young age, hiring a private tutor with the scholarly rank of a provincial graduate would have been sufficient for her basic education. However, Wu Guangkun had recommended Song Yan, which truly surprised Fan Changyu.
"I've already packed everything! Ning Niang wanted to help A-jie pack, but Uncle Xie Qi wouldn't let me!" Changning stuck out her tongue at Xie Qi.
Xie Qi clasped his fists and replied, "Some of the general's books and personal belongings in her room—this subordinate dared not handle them without permission."
At Fan Changyu's rank, only her trusted aides were allowed to organize her writings and correspondence with her consent. Ordinary servants wouldn't dare touch such items.
Understanding Xie Qi's concern, Fan Changyu said, "There's nothing critical in the room. The books can be taken back and placed in the Xie residence's study. As for the personal items, store them temporarily in the general's mansion's treasury."
She had already taken away all important documents and objects from her room. The remaining books on the shelves were just military treatises, historical records, and policy essays she had read before. Knowing she intended to move everything over, Xie Zheng had specially cleared half of his study for her. Since she would frequently refer to these books, it made sense to store them together in the study to avoid future inconvenience.
With Fan Changyu's approval, Xie Qi personally went to pack the books and valuables.
Passing through a moon gate, Xie Wu was about to escort Song and Wu out of the estate when they encountered a group descending the steps at the main gate. The leader wore a golden crown and the python robe of the Prince Regent. His tall, imposing figure exuded an innate authority and cold severity that overshadowed even his striking handsomeness, instilling fear at a glance.
Xie Wu quickly led Song and Wu to stand by the side of the path, bowing their heads as they waited for Xie Zheng to pass.
Xie Zheng knew Fan Changyu had returned to the Office of Presentations today to move the remaining household items, so he came to check on her progress right after leaving the palace.
Xie Wu and the two men standing conspicuously by the moon gate caught his attention. As he was about to pass, he suddenly stopped and glanced at them, asking Xie Wu, "What's this about?"
Xie Wu replied, "Changning's private tutor has passed the imperial examination and came today to resign, bringing along a provincial graduate as a recommendation. The general found it unsuitable and did not retain him, ordering this subordinate to see them out."
Xie Zheng had only asked casually, but upon hearing that Fan Changyu hadn't kept the recommended tutor, his intimidating gaze fell upon the man in the blue Confucian robe who was bowing his head.
It had to be said—this style of dress was precisely the type of scholar's attire Xie Zheng disliked the most.
With a slight frown, the two men, who had already lowered their heads until they could only see their own toes, began trembling uncontrollably under his gaze. The man in the blue robe, perhaps due to his youth, shook as if he were sieving grain.
Xie Zheng was well aware of his fearsome reputation in court. Even ordinary civil officials feared him, so it was natural for an unranked provincial graduate to be terrified. Since Fan Changyu hadn't retained the man anyway, Xie Zheng saw no need to press for details in front of them. He simply instructed Xie Wu, "Then escort them out of the estate properly."Xie Wu waited until Xie Zheng had completely left before leading the two men out of the residence. However, the green-robed scholar seemed to have been so frightened by their prince that he could barely walk, his face ashen as if he had just faced death itself.
Xie Wu knew that due to the case of overthrowing Grand Tutor Li, scholars across the land held considerable prejudice against their master. But the prince had merely asked a few questions—how could this scholar be so terrified? Feeling displeased, Xie Wu's tone turned colder: "The Prince Regent rewards and punishes with fairness. Even if the General did not retain Scholar Song, there is no need for such fear."
Song Yan stammered an acknowledgment, but when he tried to walk again, his legs were as weak as noodles.
There was no mistake—that voice belonged to the man Fan Changyu had taken as a live-in husband years ago.
During that year's New Year Lantern Festival, his line "The wild geese fly south, yet phoenixes cover the land, leaving no place to land" had stayed etched in Song Yan's memory for years. He could never mistake that voice.
Then came the rumors last year, when Fan Changyu became engaged to the Prince Regent—that the Prince Regent was none other than the man she had once taken as a husband. The realization turned Song Yan's face ashen with terror.
This sudden wave of dread was far more intense than when he had learned that the high-ranking official he was to meet today was Fan Changyu.
It was widely said that the Prince Regent was ruthless, a man who killed as easily as cutting hemp, with thousands of lives on his hands. The private dungeons in his residence were filled with countless tortures—prisoners who withstood all torments in the imperial prison would confess everything in less than half a day under his methods.
The sun after the rain was not particularly harsh, yet as Song Yan and Wu Guangkun stepped out of the Office of Presentations and descended the stairs, he felt dizzy. Glancing up at the sky, the sun seemed to transform into a ring of fire burning into his eyes. Beside him, Wu Guangkun grumbled, asking if he had offended the General in the past. Then Song Yan's vision darkened, and he collapsed unconscious—
Xie Zheng went to the inner courtyard to find Fan Changyu. Before they could exchange more than a few words, Xie Qi hurried back to report that the scholar who had come to apply for the private tutor position had fainted at the gate of the Office of Presentations.
Fan Changyu frowned slightly. She hadn't been particularly harsh with Song Yan—why would he faint after leaving?
Noticing her expression, Xie Zheng asked, "What happened?"
Fan Changyu answered truthfully, "The man Tutor Wu recommended was Song Yan."
Xie Zheng looked at her, clearly unable to recall who this person was.
Fan Changyu rephrased, "The scholar I was once betrothed to in Qingping County."
Xie Zheng's expression darkened visibly, his phoenix eyes turning icy. "He came to seek favors from you?"
Fan Changyu explained, "Hiring a tutor for Changning is a delicate matter. I feared that if word got out our residence was seeking one, people with ulterior motives might be sent. So I asked Tutor Wu to keep it quiet and bring suitable candidates directly to me. I didn’t expect it to be Song Yan."
Xie Zheng gave a noncommittal hum, his emotions unreadable.
Changning had gone to find Xie Qi to help tidy up the room Fan Changyu once lived in when Xie Zheng arrived. Fan Changyu gave Xie Wu a look, and he withdrew. Then she said to Xie Zheng, "You seem displeased?"
Xie Zheng poured himself tea, his expression indifferent. "Not at all."Fan Changyu's expression turned slightly peculiar as she looked at Xie Zheng. "Xie Jiuhang, surely you're not still jealous of Song Yan at this point?"
Xie Zheng lifted his eyelids slightly, his thin lips uttering two words: "Ridiculous."
Fan Changyu nodded. "Indeed. In terms of scholarship, you possess vast knowledge and extraordinary talent. He merely passed the provincial examination on his first attempt to become a provincial graduate, hardly worth mentioning. Now he's failed the metropolitan examination twice, reduced to such a state. If you were to compare yourself to him, it would truly be lowering your status."
Initially, Fan Changyu had intended to humor him, but as she continued, genuine emotion surfaced in her words. "Back then, I knew you were literate and well-read. I even joked that when you became a high-ranking official, if you ever encountered Song Yan at court, you'd help me put him in his place to vent my frustrations. Yet in just two or three years, what once seemed like the sky falling now appears as nothing more than a shallow pit along life's journey. As for Song Yan, there's no need for us to suppress him. In the treacherous world of officialdom, a single misstep can cost him half his life."
Her tone was light and calm, as if she had truly let go of the past. Xie Zheng's hidden turmoil and gloom were completely soothed by her words.
He tilted his head slightly, half his body bathed in the warm spring sunlight, making his fair complexion even more pronounced. The sunlight softened his features, and the golden embroidery on his python robe shimmered with a floating radiance. Between his slender fingers, he held a celadon teacup with remnants of pale amber tea, his fingertips appearing like flawless white jade against it—an image of effortless ease.
"Have you packed everything? I'll take you home," he said.
Fan Changyu smiled. "Only the books and some personal belongings in my room remain. Xie Qi is handling it; he should be nearly done."
When they left, Xie Qi had indeed packed all the items from Fan Changyu's room, with all her books carefully stored in dedicated cases.
The two returned to the Xie residence with Changning. After the meal, Fan Changyu felt drowsy and took Changning for an afternoon nap.
While Xie Zheng attended to official matters in his study, he noticed the cases containing Fan Changyu's books piled on the floor. Concerned that the servants might misplace them according to her reading habits, making it inconvenient for her to find them later, he personally arranged them on the cleared half of the bookshelf.
Most of the military books Fan Changyu read had been selected by Xie Zheng, ranging from simple to complex, all annotated by him.
So when he came across a military book he hadn't chosen for her, Xie Zheng paused and flipped through it. The pages were filled with detailed annotations, but the elegant, refined handwriting was unmistakably not his.
Xie Zheng's face remained expressionless, but his eyes darkened abruptly. He sat behind the desk and spent the entire afternoon meticulously reading the book from cover to cover, not missing a single annotation.
After finishing, he calmly summoned Xie Wu.
The moment Xie Wu entered the study and saw the familiar military book on the desk, he froze for a split second before his scalp nearly prickled with dread.
This was the military book Zheng Wenchang had returned to Fan Changyu years ago—annotated by Grand Tutor Li's grandson, Li Huaian!
"Who gave her this military book?" Xie Zheng's voice sounded deceptively calm from behind the desk, but it was precisely this calmness that made Xie Wu's hair stand on end.He licked his lips, hesitating for only a moment between lying and telling the truth before choosing honesty. There was nothing between the General and Li Huaian to begin with. If his deliberate concealment caused his master to misunderstand, then he would truly be outsmarting himself with his own cleverness.
He said, "It... it was back during the Chongzhou campaign when the General was promoted to Swift Cavalry Commandant. It was a congratulatory gift from Grand Tutor Li's grandson for the promotion."
Xie Zheng's expression remained unchanged, though the knuckles of his hand flipping through the military manual seemed to protrude slightly more. An inexplicable pressure radiated from him, making Xie Wu feel as if the air in the study had grown thinner.
Fearing Xie Zheng might misunderstand, he quickly added, "After receiving the book, the General awarded it to the soldiers below him. Later, General Zheng borrowed military texts from the General at the Office of Presentations and returned this book along with them."
Xie Zheng still said nothing.
After what felt like an eternity, just as Xie Wu felt a drop of cold sweat trickle down his temple, Xie Zheng finally spoke: "Dismissed."
Xie Wu exhaled slightly in relief, thinking the matter was now behind them in Xie Zheng's eyes.
But that night, Fan Changyu bore the brunt of it.
Both being martial practitioners, their vigorous energy was inevitable. Most times, Changyu could keep up until the end—often staying up past midnight until, thoroughly spent after bathing, she would be gathered into Xie Zheng's arms to sleep deeply.
Xie Zheng wasn't one to speak much in such moments, much like his approach to martial arts and warfare: his actions always spoke louder and harsher than words, restraining her completely, his advances heavy and relentless.
This night, even when Changyu was utterly exhausted, he seemed insatiable. Worse, in her dazed, incoherent state, he would ask her questions about military strategy—questions she couldn't possibly answer, giving him legitimate reason to continue punishing her.
By the end, Changyu's broken voice was laced with sobs from overstimulation: "Xie Zheng, Xie Jiuhang, enough!"
Xie Zheng looked down at her slightly, sweat-dampened strands of hair falling messily over his forehead, his gaze dark and fathomless. The subtle protrusion of his Adam's apple bobbed rhythmically, swallowing emotions only he could name.
When he lowered his head to kiss her already swollen lips, his cold, deep voice held only the endless greed of a ravenous wolf, rasping, "Not enough."
Far from enough.
Nothing would ever be enough!
If there truly existed a method in this world, he might very well succumb to the temptation of draining her very marrow to sate this bottomless craving in his heart.
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