The heavy lock on the Imperial Academy's gate clanked open once more.
Two palace lanterns swept past, their swaying light casting dancing shadows.
A man strode inside.
The hem of his robe fluttered wildly in the bitter wind, its grey exterior and yellow lining interwoven with coiling five-clawed dragon patterns along the seams, appearing particularly intimidating in the deepening dusk.
Behind him, the pale moonlight gently brushed against the courtyard walls, casting a hazy veil over the faint vermilion hue, dreamlike and ethereal.
As he walked, the white jade hairpin at the back of his head gleamed brightly, starkly contrasting with his stern, dark countenance.
His brow was slightly furrowed, his heterochromatic eyes cold as ice, and his thin, tightly pressed lips sharp as a blade, exuding an oppressive aura.
The Yellow-robed Attendant beside him, holding the lantern, tread lightly with a fearful expression, clearly aware of his displeasure and anxious not to provoke him further.
The courtyard's brick path was streaked with patches of white snow. Each of his steps was firm and heavy, the crunch of grey snow beneath his boots grating harshly, alerting those inside the hall, who hurried out to greet him.
"Your Highness."
Fang Huai straightened his sleeves and bowed respectfully.
He remained silent, his indifferent gaze sweeping past Fang Huai's shoulder and into the half-open Edict Drafting Hall before he ascended the steps directly into the room.
The bustling crowd inside stilled instantly. Official desks, yellow imperial paper, cold ink, warm candles, official hats, jade belts, and various Fish Pouches came into view one after another, their bodies stiffening involuntarily.
Meng Tinghui stood at the far end. Her eyelashes lifted slightly as she took in his expression, then she lowered her head.
Likely, everyone here had anticipated his arrival tonight.
But seeing him in such visible fury, no one dared act presumptuously. They all stood still, awaiting his command.
He remained at the doorway, slowly scanning each person in the room. His gaze was deliberate yet fierce, unbearable to withstand.
Everyone lowered their eyes—except her. Instead, she raised her head, meeting his gaze directly.
She understood his expression well, and she knew precisely why he was so enraged.
...
Ten days prior, a memorial submitted by Shen Zhishu from Qing Province to the capital had sent shockwaves through the court. The document accused Wang Qi, the Tongpan of Qing Province, of three major crimes. Each sentence was sharp as a blade, every word drawing blood, particularly emphasizing the embezzlement of monthly silver from the Qing Province military camp and extorting fishermen in the Emperor's name. This left the court officials both astonished and fearful, inciting the Emperor's wrath.
The Emperor then ordered key officials from the Secretariat and the Censorate to deliberate. Initially intending to dismiss Wang Qi and investigate, the plan was stalled due to opposition from senior Eastern Faction officials led by Gu Qin, who argued that Shen Zhishu lacked concrete evidence regarding the monthly silver. Ultimately, it was decided to recall Wang Qi to the capital, temporarily appoint him as Director of the Court of Imperial Stud, and await further investigation.
Tensions between the Eastern and Western Factions of the court had simmered for years. As the eldest son of Shen Wuchen, leader of the Western Faction, Shen Zhishu's impeachment intensified the long-standing confrontation. Moreover, given the Crown Prince's close personal ties with Shen Zhishu, nearly everyone at court believed the action was orchestrated by the Crown Prince, specifically targeting the Eastern Faction officials.
Though rumors circulated privately, no one dared voice them openly in court. It seemed the turmoil would subside, pending Wang Qi's return to the capital and the Censorate's detailed investigation.
Yet, no one expected the matter to be far from over.A day earlier, the Imperial Academy had been ordered to seal its gates and draft an edict. The decree temporarily removed Wang Qi from his position as Tongpan of Qing Province and transferred him to the role of Director of the Court of Imperial Stud. This edict should have been composed in a stern and critical tone, yet unexpectedly, the drafter that night used evasive and polished language, making no mention of the reasons for Wang Qi’s removal and transfer. The entire text was ambiguously worded, clearly intended to conceal Wang Qi’s faults and misconduct.
This draft edict was presented to the Inner Capital Hall early in the morning, where it was immediately torn to shreds by the Crown Prince, who had been working there and had not yet returned.
How could the Imperial Academy, an institution of such prestige, fail to understand the sovereign’s intent and produce such an edict? It was nothing short of treasonous!
As soon as the morning court session ended, the Crown Prince sent someone to investigate who had been assigned to draft the edict in the sealed Imperial Academy the previous night. Yet, everyone in the Academy claimed not to know.
It was a blatant attempt to protect the drafter.
Moreover, it openly demonstrated the veteran officials of the Imperial Academy’s opposition to the matter.
Truly lawless and audacious...
How could he not be enraged?!
...
Ying Gua stood motionless, his face filled with accusatory intent.
Everyone in the room stood with him, and for a long while, no one spoke. No one knew what he intended to do or whom he would target first.
The candlelight cast a dim glow across the room, and the cold night wind rushed in through the wide-open door, chilling to the bone.
She suddenly stepped forward, pulled over a nearby ebony chair, placed it beside the high desk, and said to him, "Your Highness."
His gaze swept over, cold and intimidating. He stared at her for a long moment before finally moving to sit down.
His cool, smooth robe draped over his knees as he clasped his hands together.
She then went to pour a cup of hot tea and brought it to him, saying softly, "Your Highness, please have some tea."
He reached out and took the teacup, ignoring the scalding heat, gripping it tightly. Finally, he spoke, calling her name: "Meng Tinghui."
She had intended to turn and leave but stopped upon hearing his voice.
He said, "Last night, according to the Imperial Academy’s monthly duty roster, which academicians, drafters, and compilers were assigned to stay and draft the edict?"
The gazes of everyone present instantly fixed on her, burning like raging flames, scorching her from head to toe.
Even without looking, she knew what expressions Fang Huai and the others wore. Without hesitation, she shook her head and replied, "Your Highness, I do not know."
With a sharp "crack," the teacup on the desk fell to the ground, the official porcelain shattering, splashing hot tea in a circle around it.
His elbow rested lightly on the desk, his fist slightly clenched.
If looks could kill, she would have been torn to pieces a thousand times over.
Her expression remained calm, as if unaware of the extent of his anger. She slowly bent down and began picking up the broken shards, one by one.
His face grew even colder and sterner.
If there was one person in the Imperial Academy who would tell the truth, it should have been her, no matter what. How could he have imagined that even she would one day lie to him?
After gathering the shards, she stood obediently in place, her bright, clear eyes fixed on him.
"Meng Tinghui," he spoke again, his eyes filled with rage, "I ask you once more, who stayed in the Academy last night?"
Her eyes, warm and bright, watched him, quietly and intently. Then, she suddenly knelt and said softly, "Among those who stayed last night, I was one."
The floor was still damp, with tiny, sharp porcelain fragments she had not fully cleared.
She knelt there, the crimson fabric of her official skirt slightly dampened at the knees, fragments of porcelain visible beneath her. Her expression was serene, her eyes glistening with moisture.Among those who had stayed overnight at the Imperial Academy, she was one.
He had heard it clearly, yet the chill in his eyes deepened as he asked again, "Aside from you, who else?"
Unexpectedly, she smiled at him and said softly, "Since the founding of our dynasty, no one has been permitted to enter the Imperial Academy after it is locked at night. Except for His Majesty, even the most esteemed officials are not allowed to breach this rule. May I ask what urgent matter has compelled Your Highness to disregard this regulation tonight?"
Everyone present knew the reason, yet she alone dared to ask him outright.
Fang Huai frowned behind him, lifting his head to look at her. The gazes of the others nearby shifted slightly, all inwardly sweating on her behalf.
Ying Gua sat, staring at her.
What urgent matter?
From this morning until now, who within the Great Within did not know why he was enraged?
Even in this hall filled with Academician Drafters of the Imperial Academy, who would dare to ask such a nonchalant question as she did?
And to pressure him with such a grand ancestral rule.
He knew she was adept at feigning innocence, and he was well aware that every word she spoke concealed ulterior motives. Yet at this moment, he truly had no energy to engage with her further, nor did he wish to look into her seemingly clear and innocent eyes.
His knuckles were stiff and cold, and with the slightest movement, he felt as if his bones were faintly protesting.
"Meng Tinghui."
He spoke, but only uttered her name, saying nothing more.
She lowered her eyes, understanding the situation and knowing when to yield. She could sense the severity beneath those three words. Immediately, she let her sleeves fall and reached into her sleeve pocket, pulling out a thin memorial. Holding it respectfully with both hands, she presented it before her forehead. "Last night, the various Academicians and Drafters were ordered to draft an edict. As a mere Compiler, I stood by in attendance. After the draft was completed, I was tasked with transcribing it onto proclamation paper. However, due to my low rank and limited experience, I had never stayed overnight at the Imperial Academy before. Last night was my first time, and I was unfamiliar with the procedures. I mistakenly transcribed a discarded draft as if it were the official edict. This morning, before the courtier presented the transcript to the Inner Capital Hall for Your Highness to review, there was no time for a detailed check. This led to Your Highness’s great anger and the decision to breach ancestral rules by coming to the Academy at night to demand accountability. All of this is my failure in duty. This is my memorial admitting my fault. I beg Your Highness to calm your anger."
Everyone was stunned.
No one in the Imperial Academy behind her had expected her to say such a thing. Though inwardly shocked and bewildered, they maintained impassive expressions.
His expression changed abruptly.
How could he have imagined that the draft edict that had shaken the Great Within, the Forbidden Palace, the Inner Capital Hall, the Six Ministries, and even the Imperial Library and various Imperial Academies would be dismissed as a mere misunderstanding with just a few words from her?
Even more unexpected was that she had already prepared a memorial admitting her fault, as if she had known he would come and had specifically waited here for him to question her.
This forced him to believe her words.
But how could he truly believe what she said?
Even if she had no prior experience, it was impossible for her to be so foolish as to mistake a discarded draft for an official edict and transcribe it. Moreover, how could no one have reviewed the drafted edict before it was sent to the Inner Capital Hall?
Yet since she had spoken thus, the senior officials of the Imperial Academy would not refute her—she had taken all the blame upon herself, and they were likely overjoyed, so why would they claim her words were untrue?
However, the discarded draft was still written by someone. Even if it was mistakenly transcribed and circulated due to an error, it was enough to reveal the attitude of the Imperial Academy officials toward Wang Qi’s dismissal as the Vice Administrator of Qing Province.
Yet he could investigate no further.Her hands remained raised high, fingers slightly curved, that thin memorial lying quietly in her palms, bright white like snow glare, painfully dazzling.
His anger not only hadn't subsided but was instead fueled more fiercely by her act of voluntarily admitting fault. Yet his expression was no longer as dark as before—having entered the court administration at fourteen, he had witnessed countless political storms and affairs; how could he be one who didn't know how to act?
Thus, he slightly lifted his lips.
Then reached out to take her memorial.
But in his heart, he fiercely thought—
Meng Tinghui, today you willingly accept this baseless charge to win the hearts of the Imperial Academy officials, but don't regret losing his trust someday.
As he opened the memorial, he said in a low voice, "Such a serious responsibility—how can you treat it so frivolously? Six months' salary forfeited, henceforth you may not remain in the academy overnight on duty. If..." His gaze suddenly halted after scanning the memorial, his words pausing briefly. His eyes flicked back to her before he continued, "If you make any mistake in the future, you will never be allowed to enter the Imperial Academy again."
Though his tone was cold and steady, the two fingers holding the memorial were clenched tightly.
She bowed deeply, kowtowing, and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for not demoting me. I will devote myself wholeheartedly in the Imperial Academy from now on, not daring to make the slightest error."
He looked at the officials behind her, turned his wrist to place the memorial on the desk, letting it unfurl with a rustle. The characters weren't small, allowing everyone to see clearly. Then, with a flick of his wrist, one corner of the memorial touched the blue flame of the palace candle beside the desk, catching fire with a hiss.
Hearing no further words from him, she remained bowed, her hands pressing against shards of porcelain that pricked her palms painfully.
Fang Huai suddenly stepped forward from the ranks, bowing as he said, "Your Highness, forgive my bluntness. Since Meng Tinghui entered the Imperial Academy, she has been diligent and meticulous in her duties. This error in transcribing the edict was an isolated incident. Punishing her by forbidding overnight duty—I believe it is too severe."
At his words, the others all voiced their agreement in succession.
She remained kneeling motionless, forehead to the ground, hiding her expression from view.
Watching the memorial being consumed by flames, he rubbed the ash from his fingertips and surprisingly agreed readily, "Then let it be as Academician Fang says—only six months' salary forfeited."
She immediately responded, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Her voice was soft and gentle, striking straight into his heart.
He stood up, his expression softening as he addressed Fang Huai and the others, "As she said, without first requesting imperial permission, my coming here tonight indeed broke protocol."
The roomful of officials all expressed deference, bowing their heads respectfully as they saw him out.
Only after he had left, disappearing far into the distance, did an elder minister turn to help her up from the ground, saying sympathetically, "This cold ground, with porcelain shards—kneeling for so long must have been terribly uncomfortable."
She shook her head with a smile, "It's nothing."
Fang Huai glanced aside, studying her for a moment before saying, "You should go back and rest tonight. Come find me first thing tomorrow morning."
She obediently agreed, gathered her belongings, draped on a thick coat, and went out.
Outside, the biting wind chilled to the bone. The part of her official skirt soaked by tea instantly formed a thin layer of ice, stiffly knocking against her knees.
Just after exiting the Imperial Academy gate, turning onto the imperial street, she hadn't walked far when someone suddenly pulled her aside. Before she could react, her feet tangled, and she abruptly fell into a man's embrace.
In the silent night, the long imperial street was utterly devoid of human sound.The dim yellow light spilling from the vermilion walls and high eaves of the Imperial Academy not far away cast oblique ripples, faintly illuminating the man's face before her.
His countenance was as cold as millennia-old ice, his heterochromatic eyes brimming with fury.
A night breeze drifted past, lifting her crimson ruqun skirt as a bone-chilling coldness gradually seeped into her.
She shivered involuntarily.
"Your High..."
As soon as she spoke, he viciously pinched her chin, forcing it upward.
She nearly bit her tongue, lips slightly parted as she stared at the face so close to hers. For a moment, she even forgot to breathe. Only when she saw white vapor slowly escaping his lips did she suddenly regain her senses, tightening her grip on the book chest in her hand.
She had known he would be angry.
Or perhaps his rage had never truly subsided from the beginning.
Regarding Shen Zhishu's impeachment of Wang Qi, he must have inwardly favored and agreed with it. Yet, due to Gu Qin's influence, he had been unable to dismiss Wang Qi but instead recalled him to the capital—this must have greatly displeased him. Now, with the Imperial Academy openly expressing opposition, he found himself unable to vent his anger because of her. How could he possibly swallow this frustration?
Her past private acts of defiance had never truly provoked his wrath. But this time, she had obstructed his path in court affairs—he would never let her off so easily.
Moreover, what she had written in that memorial...
"Do you know what you have written?" he spoke, his tone rigid and heavy. "Gu Qin is a veteran minister of two reigns, who has dedicated his heart and soul to the state and its people. Even if he holds differing opinions from mine on court policies, how could he commit such acts of defiance against the sovereign's will?"
She lowered her gaze, avoiding his angry expression, and said, "Does Your Highness intend to deal with your subject here? Are you not afraid someone might see?"
"Meng Tinghui."
His grip tightened, and a sudden pain shot through her chin. Lifting her eyes, she saw his increasingly displeased countenance.
She bit her lip slightly.
She knew he disliked excessive words, but every time he called her name, it made her tremble from the depths of her heart. Those three syllables, even when spoken in anger, could stir tumultuous waves of emotion within her.
She enunciated each word clearly: "What your subject wrote in the memorial was entirely truthful. If Your Highness wishes to believe it, then believe it. If not, then punish your subject. Your subject will offer no argument."
He abruptly released her hand.
Vertical red lines, twenty-four characters per row—a meticulously composed and eloquent memorial pleading guilt. Even if he later raised it publicly and burned it, who could have discerned the line of tiny script she had pressed along the bottom margin?
It was true that she had remained at the academy on duty last night.
Academicians Zhang Ren and Liu Gang received a messenger from the Inner Capital Hall conveying Chancellor Gu's handwritten directive, leading to the locking of the academy for decree drafting.
In just one brief sentence, she had implicated three important officials, with the criticism pointed directly at the current Prime Minister, Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and Vice Director of the Chancellery, Gu Qin. How could he fail to understand the implication?
He could grow angry over the draft decree produced by the Imperial Academy, yet he absolutely refused to harbor suspicions toward a loyal pillar of the state over her unverified statement.
During the previous joint deliberation by important officials from the Two Bureaus and Three Departments regarding Wang Qi's case, even if Gu Qin held many dissenting views, it was only because Shen Zhishu had failed to present conclusive evidence regarding the monthly payroll funds at the Qing Province military camp. It was certainly not due to personal bias in favor of protecting Wang Qi alone.
There was no way for him to verify the truth of her words with anyone else in the Imperial Academy, let alone decide whether he should believe her or not.
He couldn't help but recall what she had said to him that night.
She claimed she wanted to earn the trust of the veteran officials in the Imperial Academy while remaining utterly loyal to him—thus her various actions. But could he truly believe her words?How could he be sure she wasn’t acting out of selfish desires, playing both sides—performing for the Imperial Academy officials by leveraging his trust while using internal affairs of the Imperial Academy to slander loyal court officials before him?
He was not foolish enough to be manipulated by a woman.
Yet never before had he been so enraged by a woman, nor so unsettled and hesitant because of one.
His actions were as sharp as a sword, his influence spanning the vast lands.
Since childhood, he had followed his father’s teachings, listening widely in court affairs but making decisions independently. When had anyone ever thrown him into such confusion and indecision?
He had long known she was not to be underestimated.
But he never expected her to repeatedly make him see her in a new light—yet no matter how he looked, he could not see through her. What truly lay in her heart—was it loyalty and righteousness, or…
“Your Highness.”
She called to him softly, her chin slightly raised, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Her expression was alluringly serene, completely devoid of the stubbornness and resilience she had shown moments ago while kneeling in the drafting hall.
He frowned, his mind abruptly flashing back to the provocative way she had behaved in the Eastern Palace’s inner hall, atop his cold desk, and to the fragile look she had worn when injured during archery in the North Garden, leaning weakly against his tall, sturdy warhorse.
She truly baffled him.
Her face was so young and innocent, her eyes so clear and bright… When she gazed at him, it was as if she were looking at him with her whole heart, thinking of nothing else, simply watching him.
A sudden gust of wind shook the snow from the tree branches, sending it rustling down, dusting their shoulders and interrupting his thoughts.
She sniffled softly and whispered, “Your Highness, I am very cold.”
He remained silent.
She lightly stamped her feet and added, “Your Highness, I haven’t eaten anything since the hour of the Goat.”
Still, he said nothing, as if he hadn’t heard her speak.
Her nose was red, and the moisture in her eyes seemed frozen in place. Her gaze remained fixed on him as she continued, “Your Highness, if I stand here any longer, I will faint from hunger and cold.”
His brow twitched slightly. Her voice sounded pitiful, but he did not believe her.
Who knew what tricks she was planning now?
She looked at him, her eyelashes fluttering suddenly as she lowered her gaze with a soft sigh. Then her legs gave way, and she abruptly collapsed toward him.
Reacting instinctively, he reached out to catch her, preventing her from falling and getting hurt.
Unexpectedly, she tilted her head, burying her small face precisely in the thick fabric of his robe, closing her eyes tightly and not moving an inch.
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