Yu Wanyin hadn't been transmigrated for long enough to witness sufficient partings in life and death. She didn't yet understand that the kindness of others could ultimately become a fire that burns one's body.
The small hotpot bubbled noisily as Bei Zhou ate, hissing from the heat.
Yu Wanyin waved at Xie Yong'er. "Why are you standing there? Help with the ingredients."
Xie Yong'er was still dazed. She never expected her first hotpot meal after transmigrating would be under such circumstances.
The shameless couple before her had already started chatting among themselves, seemingly exchanging new intelligence from the day.
Xiahou Dan: "Rumors are spreading among the commoners that I was the one who harmed the Empress Dowager, and that the thunderstorm was divine punishment for my unvirtuous rule."
Yu Wanyin: "Damn, the Prince Duan faction must be spreading these rumors? They're gearing up for an information war. No scallions, thanks."
Xiahou Dan: "Could also be remnants of the Empress Dowager faction. Should we put the shrimp paste in the spicy pot?"
Bei Zhou looked up and interjected: "Whoever's spreading these—let me catch one and execute them as an example. What do you think?"
"No." Yu Wanyin and Xie Yong'er spoke simultaneously.
Yu Wanyin: "?"
Xie Yong'er, the seasoned fangirl: "I know about information wars. Silencing people only backfires. You have to fight magic with magic—send your own people to spread counter-rumors in the streets, saying Prince Duan is unvirtuous and sent assassins to Beishan to kill you and the Empress Dowager. Fortunately, as the true Son of Heaven blessed with great fortune, eighty-one bolts of lightning struck down all the assassins."
Xiahou Dan paused: "That's a bit exaggerated."
Yu Wanyin: "True."
"The commoners don't care about exaggeration—they believed in messages hidden in fish bellies. The more exaggerated, the faster it spreads," Xie Yong'er explained confidently. "Do you know why Xiahou Bo hasn't rebelled yet? Deep down, he truly believes he's heaven-sent justice, the savior of Daxia, so he's obsessed with having righteous cause. These rumors suggest he's preparing to take action himself now, laying the groundwork."
"Clap clap clap," Yu Wanyin applauded.
"Yong'er, so Prince Duan managed to cause so much trouble all because of your support."
Xie Yong'er smiled awkwardly: "He's way more skilled than me."
"That's because you have compassion in your heart—you're more human than he is!"
Xiahou Dan pondered: "In that case, we can't attack him without justification either. If we're accused of matricide plus fratricide, it'll destabilize court morale in the future."
Yu Wanyin: "According to Xu Yao's records, there were two assassination plans against you, both after the Empress Dowager's death. One during the funeral hall vigil, the other during the procession. But with so many changes in the current situation, I can't say which Prince Duan might choose—or if he'll choose either. I think we should prepare defenses against both scenarios while keeping close watch on Prince Duan. At the first sign of movement, we can catch him red-handed and deal with him legitimately."
At the mention of Xu Yao's book, Xie Yong'er's ears perked up as she looked at Yu Wanyin: "Speaking of which—"
"What?"
"You told me last time that the plans Xu Yao recorded differed somewhat from my original suggestions," Xie Yong'er spoke increasingly slowly. "But how did you know..."
How did you know about my original suggestions?
I only told Xiahou Bo.
Could someone as perfectly villainous as him have actually told you about it?
At the time, she'd been too overwhelmed by the sudden shock to consider this point.In the past few days, as her emotions gradually settled, this question had surfaced repeatedly in her mind, only to be suppressed each time.
She wasn’t sure if she truly wanted to know the answer.
Yu Wanyin quickly exchanged a glance with Xiahou Dan, her expression unchanged as she patted Xie Yong’er and said, “Xu Yao told me after he switched sides. Prince Duan discussed all your proposals with him.”
“Ah.”
Deep down, Xie Yong’er felt this explanation was somewhat forced. But if it wasn’t Prince Duan or Xu Yao, could Yu Wanyin really have some kind of Heavenly Eye?
—Heavenly Eye.
A strange feeling suddenly came over Xie Yong’er: she shouldn’t pursue this line of thought any further. Otherwise, the truth she might uncover wouldn’t be one she’d like.
Her shoulder tightened as Yu Wanyin pulled her into an embrace. “Little sister, men are like grass—there’s plenty of it everywhere. We’ll find better ones elsewhere.”
Xiahou Dan gave Yu Wanyin a baffled look.
Xiahou Dan: “She’s also your sister?”
Under someone’s deliberate control, the Empress Dowager’s condition fluctuated, keeping many on edge. It wasn’t until the entire Imperial Hospital had taken turns pleading for forgiveness that the truth gradually became clear: she truly wouldn’t recover.
Within those few days, the Empress Dowager faction collapsed like a tree with its monkeys scattering. A few outspoken members were stripped of their positions, a group resigned and were permitted to leave, while the rest were hastily absorbed into the Emperor’s camp, with hardly any changes to their official posts.
The vacant positions were filled by newcomers.
Er Lan and Li Yunxi were both promoted.
Yang Duojie finally bid a tearful farewell to the Imperial Observatory and, with great fanfare, entered the Ministry of Personnel.
Many low-ranking officials who had been buried under layers of bureaucracy in various ministries were quietly elevated.
Everything happened silently, so smoothly that it barely felt like a storm had passed.
Because of this, the opportunists who had hoped to fish in troubled waters lamented the Emperor’s dumb luck, while those deeply involved in the game felt a creeping dread.
They couldn’t sense the storm because it had been smothered before it could even stir the grass.
Previously, they had only known Prince Duan was formidable. Now, they realized with shock that there was someone even more ruthless above him.
Just by observing who was promoted and who lost their lives, it became clear that the Emperor, who had feigned blindness for so many years, actually saw everything more sharply than anyone. Like the most venomous and cunning serpent, he could remain utterly still, enduring kicks and stomps without flinching—until the moment he bared his fangs, and by then, you were already dead.
Thus, the fearful grew more fearful, while the bold began to entertain other thoughts.
The court was full of talented individuals who had endured the corruption until now, most of them disillusioned. With the Empress Dowager’s fall, the winds shifted, and they faintly caught the scent of an opportunity to realize their ambitions.
Even within Prince Duan’s faction, a few risked defecting to the Emperor. They had once lamented being born in the wrong era, pinning their hopes on Prince Duan to seize the throne. Now, it seemed such efforts were unnecessary.
And so, with the disappearance of the Empress Dowager faction, a new pro-emperor faction emerged in the court.
Mu Yun grew anxious.
Determined to maintain his standing under Prince Duan, Mu Yun had knelt before the Emperor and pledged loyalty while mingling with the Empress Dowager’s followers. But as soon as he turned away, he urgently ordered his subordinates to intensify the spread of rumors, ensuring the image of the Tyrant’s tyranny took root in people’s hearts.
Having handled dirty work for Prince Duan for so long, he believed himself skilled and flawless.Upon returning home after a busy day, he was greeted by an Imperial Edict waiting for him.
Xiahou Dan had fabricated some charge to dismiss him from office and investigate his case.
Mu Yun was stunned, racking his brains to figure out where he might have slipped up. It wasn’t until he heard that all the other spies under Prince Duan had also been thoroughly purged that the truth dawned on him—someone had handed the entire list to Xiahou Dan.
"Xie... Yong'er—" Mu Yun ground out the name as if tasting blood.
Meanwhile, the Prince Duan faction was holding its eighteenth emergency meeting of the month.
The ministers were frantic, hinting in every possible way that Prince Duan must act now—the Emperor was growing stronger by the day, and every moment of delay diminished their chances of success.
Xiahou Bo maintained a solemn expression, his elegant features tinged with sorrow. "Though His Majesty has erred in his rule, he remains my own flesh and blood. He may be ruthless, but I cannot forsake righteousness. As the saying goes, 'A just cause enjoys abundant support, while an unjust one finds little.' If I were to resort to the same unscrupulous means as he, how could I face the loyalty in your hearts?"
The ministers were moved to tears. "Your Highness!"
Xiahou Bo soothed them gently. "Stay calm and steady. Those who commit many injustices will inevitably meet their doom. Believe that his retribution is near."
After seeing the ministers out and closing the doors, Xiahou Bo summoned his assassins. "Proceed as planned."
One assassin ventured, "Your Highness, it’s said that Consort Xie has defected. Given her uncanny foresight, might she have already reported our plans to the Emperor?"
Xiahou Bo smiled. "In the past, whenever she offered advice, I altered minor details in execution—details she never noticed. This time will be no different. On the day of the plan, I will have you carry out one additional small task."
Dismissing them, he opened a hidden compartment by his bed and retrieved a crudely embroidered scented sachet, dangling it between his slender fingers.
Had Xie Yong'er truly possessed the Heavenly Eye, she would have realized that the sachet he toyed with was not the one she had made.
Yu Wanyin sneezed.
She was flipping through Official Memorials.
Lately, Xiahou Dan had been dragging his still-unhealed wounds around, putting up a vigorous front to deal with others, only to collapse the moment he returned to his chambers. To lighten his workload, Yu Wanyin sat by his bed, skimming through the memorials at lightning speed. "Grand Tutor Zhang spent three hundred words singing praises, but the gist is he’s promoting his nephew," she summarized.
Xiahou Dan scoffed. "Bah, his nephew’s an idiot. Ignore it."
She tossed it onto the "unimportant" pile and picked up the next one, chuckling. "This one’s from Li Yunxi."
Since the upheaval in court began, she hadn’t seen Li Yunxi or the others.
Xiahou Dan had ceased private contact with them, explicitly warning them that these were turbulent times—they should avoid discussing the Emperor and, above all, not become the pro-emperor faction’s most conspicuous figures.
Having navigated the court for some time, Li Yunxi had grown wiser. Miraculously, he grasped the underlying message in Xiahou Dan’s warning: the Emperor wasn’t entirely confident of victory. Should Prince Duan prevail in the end, the Emperor wanted to ensure these officials wouldn’t be destroyed out of vengeance.
Tears welled in Li Yunxi’s eyes, but unable to enter the palace to express his gratitude, he poured his heart into a lengthy memorial, as if wishing he could smear it with his own blood.
Yu Wanyin couldn’t help laughing. "Some characters are smudged—was he crying while writing this? Hahaha..."
Her laughter cut off abruptly.Xiahou Dan turned to look at her. "What's wrong?"
Yu Wanyin stared at the official memorial. "He says Cen Jintian is nearing his end and wishes to see you one last time."
The rustling sound of movement reached her ears as Xiahou Dan sat up, meeting her gaze directly. "I can't leave the palace now."
"I know, so I—"
"You can't go either. I told you the other day, it's not safe outside."
Yu Wanyin grew anxious. "I just remembered—I could take Xiao Tiancai to see him. Even if he can't be cured, at least we could make his final days more comfortable. We were the ones who convinced him to join the court in the first place!"
"Then let Xiao Tiancai go alone. You stay here."
"Xiao Tiancai only listens to Xie Yong'er. He holds quite a grudge against you and me. What if he deceives us—"
"Wan Yin." Xiahou Dan cut her off, his tone uncharacteristically firm. "Don't go. If Cen Jintian has any last words, someone can relay them."
Yu Wanyin stared at him as if she didn't recognize him, then asked softly after a long pause, "Do you want him to die gazing toward the palace too?"
The bed curtains cast shadows over Xiahou Dan's face, leaving it pale and indistinct, suddenly reminding her of the fear she'd felt upon first meeting him, before she knew his identity.
His voice sounded just as weary as it had back then. "I'll repay my debt to him when I descend into hell."
Yu Wanyin left the palace anyway.
That evening, while Xiahou Dan was occupied with another audience, she slipped out with Xiao Tiancai and the Shadow Guard, following a familiar route. The Shadow Guard had long grown accustomed to her acting as she pleased within the palace and never imagined she would defy His Majesty's orders this time.
As usual, they confirmed no one was following them. Worried Xiahou Dan might send pursuers once he discovered her absence, Yu Wanyin urged the carriage straight to Cen Jintian's private residence.
The familiar experimental fields were now buried under snow, obscuring any trace of crops.
The person who came out to greet them was someone unexpected—Er Lan.
Having seen Yu Wanyin in male attire before, Er Lan recognized her immediately. "Your Majesty. Brother Cen is gravely ill with no family or friends by his side, so I came to help."
Yu Wanyin skipped the pleasantries and quickly pushed Xiao Tiancai forward. "Let him examine Lord Cen."
Xiao Tiancai reluctantly took the patient's pulse.
Cen Jintian struggled to open his eyes and saw Yu Wanyin. His expression grew urgent as he dispensed with formalities, using what little strength remained to say, "Your Majesty, I've recorded the cultivation methods for Yanshu in various fields in this manual..."
Er Lan handed her the booklet.
Cen Jintian had once said it would take two or three years to complete these experiments. She didn't know what method he'd used to finish it so quickly.
Yu Wanyin replied solemnly, "Rest assured. Tuer has promised to transport the goods as soon as he reaches Yan, and the open border policy is proceeding as planned. By spring, farmers across the nation will be planting Yanshu."
Cen Jintian whispered, "The granaries..."
Yu Wanyin nodded. "The Ministry of Revenue has inspected granary reserves nationwide. They've already planned how to allocate relief supplies once the drought hits. After the drought passes, they'll adjust crop varieties according to your manual."
"His Majesty..."
"His Majesty is well. He's deeply concerned for you but couldn't come in person, so he sent me instead." Yu Wanyin spoke without hesitation. "He wants you to focus on recovering. When the Yanshu matures next year, we'll go see it together."
A faint smile crossed Cen Jintian's face as he slowly nodded.
Xiao Tiancai finished the examination and pulled Yu Wanyin outside, lowering his voice. "His illness is beyond cure—likely a congenital condition. At this stage, there's nothing more to be done."Yu Wanyin’s heart tightened, still unwilling to give up hope. Suspecting he hadn’t exerted his full effort yet unsure how to plead, she could only bow deeply. “Master Xiao.”
Xiao Tiancai was startled. “Your Highness, this is improper!”
Yu Wanyin: “The person inside is a benefactor to all the people of Daxia. I beg you, Master Xiao, to let him live a little longer—even just long enough to see one harvest.”
Xiao Tiancai: “...”
After a moment of contemplation, he said, “If it’s just a few more months… there might be a way.”
Just as Yu Wanyin was about to rejoice, he added, “But I have a condition.”
“What is it?”
“I’ve noticed His Majesty holds Your Highness in high regard. Once he deals with Prince Duan, could you put in a good word for me? Ask him to grant Consort Xie her freedom to leave.”
Yu Wanyin: “...”
She regarded him with solemn respect. “Master Xiao’s devotion runs as deep as the sea.”
The refined young man choked on her phrasing, awkwardly fidgeting. “Not like that! I just… seeing her so despondent, I… never mind. Just tell me if you’ll do it.”
“Of course. Not just Xie Yong’er—I’ll have you both released. You can roam the world together in carefree bliss, galloping side by side to share life’s splendors.”
Xiao Tiancai: “...I didn’t mean...”
Xiao Tiancai: “Thank you, Your Highness.”
Xiao Tiancai went to prepare the prescription.
Yu Wanyin gazed at the snow-covered fields, hearing approaching footsteps behind her. She tilted her head slightly. “Master Xiao is remarkable. He should be able to buy him a few more months.”
Er Lan: “Mm.”
They lapsed into silence, standing shoulder to shoulder as they watched the empty snowscape.
Yu Wanyin asked softly, “Does Lord Cen know you’re a woman?”
This was the first time she’d voiced the truth aloud.
Er Lan shook her head calmly. “He only considers me a friend.” A self-deprecating smile touched her lips. “Given his condition, why burden him further?”
Yu Wanyin caught the implication, shocked. “You mean you—”
Er Lan didn’t deny it. “My feelings are my own affair.”
Seeming to sense Yu Wanyin’s distress, she reached out and gently patted her head.
Tall and striking with an air of quiet heroism, Er Lan had never seemed out of place posing as an easygoing man. Only now, speaking softly, did her feminine voice emerge. “I was born to merchant-class parents. As a child, they called me a prodigy—I never forgot what I read. My family was well-off, so they let me study alongside my brothers. By fifteen, I realized no matter how many classics I mastered, being a woman meant I’d still have to marry some dull man...”
Yu Wanyin blinked, surprised to learn she’d been married.
Then again, Er Lan appeared to be twenty-five or six—in this era, she could’ve been a grandmother in a few more years.
Er Lan: “Later the man died. I became a widow confined to the household, fodder for neighborhood gossip. If they ran out of topics, they’d speculate whether I’d dressed too prettily or glanced at some man too long. Finally, one midnight, I jumped into the river, thinking if I couldn’t swim to the other shore, I’d die there.
“I made it across. So I kept walking forward and never looked back. On and on until I reached the capital, met all of you, joined the Ministry of Revenue, accomplished so much...”
She drew a deep breath of frosty air. “When the situation stabilizes and peace reigns, it’ll be time for me to retire.”
Yu Wanyin asked knowingly, “Why?”"You can tell I'm a woman, and sooner or later, others will too. Rather than wait until then to be impeached, it's better to retire at the height of my career and find another place with beautiful scenery to spend the rest of my days. After this journey, I can finally say I've lived and loved, with no regrets left."
Er Lan turned to look at Yu Wanyin: "Actually, Brother Wang and Brother Cen must have no regrets either. So don't be sad, Wan Yin."
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