Qu Yunmie didn’t understand what Xiao Rong meant, and he was about to ask when the sound of footsteps came from outside. Yu Shaocheng had returned.

 

He came back with the information he had gathered, which indeed matched what Qu Yunmie had said: the person who presented the treasured sword was named Huang Keji. Strangely, however, Huang Keji didn’t hold any official position under Huang Yanjing.

 

Xiao Rong was a bit surprised but then quickly realized there was nothing unusual about it. After all, Huang Keji was only sixteen years old. As his uncle, Huang Yanjing could claim that Huang Keji wasn’t ready for an official position, and outsiders wouldn’t be able to object.

 

Moreover, Huang Yanjing was merely a governor at the time, so even if he wanted to give his followers higher positions, he couldn’t. Most of the people following him were in similar awkward situations, holding no official titles and therefore remaining nameless.

 

After considering this, Xiao Rong asked Yu Shaocheng who the scholar with Huang Yanjing was.

Yu Shaocheng replied, “That man is named Zhou Liang. He is a staff member of Huang Yanjing.”

 

Xiao Rong paused for a second before suddenly standing up. “Zhou Liang?! A ‘Zhou’ with the character ‘Liang’ as in ‘wood’ and ‘capital’?”

 

Yu Shaocheng was stunned, not expecting Xiao Rong to ask about this. He hadn’t inquired about such details and didn’t know which character made up Zhou Liang’s name. However, having worked in the officialdom of Nanyong, he knew he couldn’t just say he didn’t know. That would make him appear incompetent to his superior, so he lowered his head and diverted the topic. “I didn’t find out that detail, but I do know that he comes from Dongmou County and comes from a humble background.”

 

He must be “the” Zhou Liang.

 

Xiao Rong sat back down in a daze. Qu Yunmie noticed his expression and asked curiously, “Why do you know everyone?”

 

Xiao Rong absentmindedly replied, “I don’t know Zhou Liang; I’ve just heard of him.”

 

Qu Yunmie made a sound of acknowledgment, then rephrased his question. “Why have you heard of everyone?”

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

Because I have a good memory.

 

Xiao Rong was shocked, not because of Zhou Liang himself, but because, in his memory, Zhou Liang was clearly one of Dongyang Hetingzhi’s men. They were extremely close, and Hetingzhi eventually married Zhou Liang’s daughter, who became the famous Empress Zhou in history.

 

History is interesting. A person’s title in history often depends on their status at death. The woman was called Empress Zhou, not Dowager Zhou, because she died before Hetingzhi.

 

She died a tragic death. Hetingzhi believed Empress Zhou was his curse, that all the natural disasters during his reign were caused by her. He felt he had to make her suffer, believing that the more pain she endured, the more secure his throne would be. So, he confined her near the second gate of the palace and ordered her to be tortured day and night. It’s said that her screams could be heard even outside the palace, and people who heard them had nightmares, fevers, and even went mad.

 

Hetingzhi and Empress Zhou had once been deeply in love despite their age difference. Early in his reign, their relationship was the subject of many romantic tales, but no one knew when things changed, and they began to clash. Empress Zhou started meddling in politics, dragging her father and brother into it. The Zhou family, originally from a humble background, rose to prominence after Hetingzhi ascended to the throne, becoming one of the most powerful families. Zhou Liang, being a highly ranked official, made the Zhou family so powerful that they seemed poised to overthrow Hetingzhi.

 

At this point, Han Liangru appeared. Although he only turned Hetingzhi into a puppet during the last five years of his reign, he had been by Hetingzhi’s side much earlier, not involving himself in politics until the Empress Zhou incident. Han Liangru persuaded Hetingzhi to trust him, eroding Hetingzhi’s trust in Zhou Liang and his affection for Empress Zhou. Hetingzhi decided to arrest the entire Zhou family overnight, leaving only Empress Zhou to suffer in the palace.

 

The most ironic thing is that the court initially thanked Han Liangru because the Zhou family was too troublesome, and many resented them but couldn’t convince the Emperor to act against them. Yet when they saw the Emperor’s cruelty, they realized the situation had spiraled out of control. Although Han Liangru had brought down the Zhou family, he had pleaded for Empress Zhou’s life, but Hetingzhi was convinced she was destined to bring about his downfall and refused to release her. Han Liangru left in frustration, and the palace servants praised him for his kindness.

 

What really happened, only the key players knew. Han Liangru was so demonized by later generations that they said the Zhou family’s plot to rebel was orchestrated by him, and that he gradually poisoned the relationship between the Emperor and Empress to destroy the Zhou family and leave Hetingzhi isolated and reliant solely on him.

 

Whether this is true, Xiao Rong didn’t know, but he knew Zhou Liang was definitely Hetingzhi’s man.

Had he missed something? Had Zhou Liang worked under Huang Yanjing before joining Hetingzhi? It wasn’t impossible. No matter how thorough Xiao Rong was, he couldn’t know every detail of Zhou Liang’s life, even if he was most famous for being the father of an Empress.

 

As for the idea that Zhou Liang was a spy Hetingzhi had planted with Huang Yanjing…

 

Xiao Rong broke out in a cold sweat, then suddenly realized this was impossible.

 

Firstly, Huang Yanjing wasn’t that powerful. Apart from Xiao Rong, no one else took him seriously. Most people saw him as just a small-time governor, and his obscurity was his best protection. No one would go to the trouble of spending years plotting against him.

 

Secondly, Hetingzhi lacked manpower. Zhou Liang’s abilities were well-known; he later became Chancellor, Minister of Works, and Grand Tutor—positions of the highest rank. Zhou Liang was Hetingzhi’s right-hand man, so Hetingzhi wouldn’t send him away just to deal with someone like Huang Yanjing.

 

So it was likely just a coincidence that Zhou Liang worked for Huang Yanjing before eventually serving Hetingzhi.

 

Xiao Rong fell silent.

 

It didn’t matter how powerful Zhou Liang would become or how deep his enmity with Hetingzhi would grow. What mattered to Xiao Rong was that Zhou Liang was a thoroughly petty and vindictive person.

He was narrow-minded and extremely insidious, never forgetting a grudge and always seeking to repay it tenfold. He was ruthless not only to his enemies but also to his own allies. One of Hetingzhi’s great generals was driven to death by him.

 

Initially, Xiao Rong thought this three-pronged scheme was Huang Yanjing’s idea. Now, it seemed more likely that Zhou Liang had suggested it.

 

Xiao Rong’s expression suddenly grew serious, and Qu Yunmie, intrigued, asked, “What are you thinking about?”

 

Xiao Rong paused for a moment and then said calmly, “I’m thinking that this person cannot be allowed to live.”

 

Qu Yunmie’s eyebrows shot up. “By ‘cannot be allowed to live,’ you mean—”

 

Xiao Rong gave him a look, knowing this would be Qu Yunmie’s reaction.

 

Still, there was no harm in letting him feel pleased for a moment. Even a dog trainer interacts with the dog from time to time.

 

After a moment of silence, Xiao Rong smiled. “Exactly what Your Majesty is thinking.”

 

After hearing Xiao Rong repeatedly emphasize that killing wasn’t an option, suddenly Qu Yunmie was given permission to kill, and he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction, as if the air had become fresher.

 

Qu Yunmie laughed heartily. “Fine, we’ll find a reason to kill him tomorrow.”

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

He wanted to bang his head against the wall.

 

Rubbing his temples, Xiao Rong said helplessly. “Your Majesty doesn’t plan to do it yourself again, does he? Some things are indeed best handled personally, but others should be left to others. Although this person is just a staff member of Huang Yanjing, it’s better to avoid getting your hands dirty. There’s no need to find a reason. After they leave the city, have some clever men disguise themselves as bandits and take care of it. This way, no one can link his death to Your Majesty.”

 

Qu Yunmie frowned. “Why make something so simple so complicated?”

 

Xiao Rong felt conflicted and didn’t immediately answer. He was still debating whether Zhou Liang should be killed. This man was truly wicked. Now that his plan had been foiled by Qu Yunmie, he and Huang Yanjing would likely grow estranged. Keeping Zhou Liang alive could become a hidden danger.

However, killing someone preemptively, before they even committed a crime, felt like an act of indiscriminate murder.

 

Xiao Rong knew since he boarded Qu Yunmie’s doomed ship, he would eventually face such dilemmas. Now that the time had come, he realized how hard it was to make a decision.

One decision could determine another person’s life or death—and affect his own conscience.

These thoughts flashed through Xiao Rong’s mind in an instant. He snapped out of it, looked at Qu Yunmie, and said only one word: “I—”

 

Before he could finish, Qu Yunmie, already impatient, turned his head away. “I know, I know, we’ll wait until they leave the city to act.”

 

Honestly, did he have to look so serious just because he said something was complicated?

 

Xiao Rong was momentarily stunned. He didn’t know why Qu Yunmie suddenly agreed, but that was fine. Since Huang Yanjiu and his people would stay in the city for a few more days, he could observe Zhou Liang carefully and then decide what to do.

 

….

 

Xiao Rong was conflicted about whether to kill Zhou Liang. His struggle was due to his concern for Qu Yunmie, as he believed Zhou Liang held a grudge against Qu Yunmie. However, what he didn’t know was that Zhou Liang’s grudge was actually against him.

 

Zhou Liang had clearly seen that after Xiao Rong intervened, Qu Yunmie had suddenly calmed down. Later, it was Xiao Rong’s one sentence that turned the situation around, changing what was originally a conspiracy against Qu Yunmie into an opportunity that Qu Yunmie could seize.

 

Without Xiao Rong, Qu Yunmie, with his arrogant martial demeanor, would never have thought of this. He would have been enraged and expelled Huang Yanjiu, possibly even driving them out of the city, abandoning any further discussions about attacking the Xianbei.

 

So, Zhou Liang believed his plan was foolproof. If it succeeded, Qu Yunmie would be doomed; if it failed, it would still relieve Huang Yanjiu of the trouble of sending troops. Either way, it would benefit them.

 

Such a well-thought-out plan, and then suddenly Xiao Rong appeared. Zhou Liang, who had once been so smug, now found himself in great discomfort.

 

He bowed his head, processing his embarrassment and anger, while across from him, Huang Yanjiu was venting his rage like a frenzied gorilla.

 

Zhou Liang had been with Huang Yanjiu for about three years. Over that time, he had become Huang Yanjiu’s most trusted advisor. Zhou Liang had always been confident in his understanding of people’s hearts. He had long known what kind of person Huang Yanjiu was and believed that such a nature was necessary for someone who wanted to achieve great things; a person who aimed to succeed must possess a ruthless heart.

 

The fact that he could suggest sacrificing Huang Keji to Huang Yanjiu, it was clear that both he and Huang Yanjiu were cut from the same cloth. Huang Yanjiu was quite genuine in front of him and didn’t bother to feign benevolence. He said whatever he wanted.

 

Huang Yanjiu was already a scoundrel, and in his fury, he said all sorts of things. Although Zhou Liang wasn’t a good person either, he still frowned upon Huang Yanjiu’s words.

 

The plan had failed, and now he was truly going to attend a banquet with the intention of killing him. What if Qu Yunmie changed his mind and decided to kill him after a good night’s sleep?

 

Huang Yanjiu, being both angry and fearful, also felt somewhat guilty, which made him increasingly fierce on the surface, trying to hide his true feelings with rage.

 

Once he had vented enough, and after Huang Yanjiu calmed down slightly, the first thing he wanted to do was to run away immediately.

 

Zhou Liang then raised his head to stop him. “No! Leaving without notice now would mean a break with the King of the North. The King’s anger hasn’t yet subsided. If he personally comes after you, even if he didn’t originally intend to take the governor’s life, he might do so in his current fury. Do you have confidence in escaping the King of the North’s pursuit?”

 

Huang Yanjiu: “…”

 

No.

 

Qu Yunmie had three major traits: he hated the Xianbei, he liked killing, and he was exceptionally fast.

Chasing enemies for a thousand miles was his specialty. Not only was he energetic, but his horse was also full of stamina. Anyone targeted by him would eventually die under his vengeful spear.

 

Li Xiuheng managed to survive for ten years because Qu Yunmie had never seen him. They weren’t playing a game of chase but rather a game of hide-and-seek. The former was Qu Yunmie’s forte, but the latter wasn’t.

 

Despite his hesitation, Huang Yanjiu still didn’t dare to stay. Seeing this, Zhou Liang advised him, “Does the governor remember what Xiao Rong said? The King of the North is to discuss two matters with the governor tomorrow: one is compensation for the gifts, and the other is attacking the Xianbei. They still have demands from the governor and will not act against him. So the governor can rest assured, the King of the North will not harm you.”

 

Huang Yanjiu, upon hearing this, felt somewhat relieved, visibly relaxing and slowly sitting down. However, halfway through, he suddenly jumped up. “In that case, I must deploy troops!”

 

Indeed, even Zhou Liang couldn’t change this. He nodded heavily. “Fortunately, this is the people’s will. If the governor sends troops, the entire world will be grateful to you.”

 

Huang Yanjiu: “…”

 

He could do without that reputation!

 

His initial request was to avoid deploying troops, not to reveal his strength, and not to drag his army to Shengle City. How much time would be wasted with this back and forth? The current situation could change rapidly, and a major shift could happen in a year. It would take at least half a year to attack the Xianbei!

 

He wasn’t like Qu Yunmie, whose home was relatively close to Shengle. His own territory was in Ningzhou, at least 4,500 miles away from Shengle. By the time Qu Yunmie returned to Chenliu to enjoy himself, he would still be trudging to Jianning.

 

……

 

Thinking of such a scenario made Huang Yanjiu extremely irritable. His irritation made him remember that the idea had come from Zhou Liang, which made him even more displeased.

 

If Zhou Liang hadn’t proposed such a scheme, he would have pretended to be ill in Jianning, right? He could always pretend to be ill!

 

As Zhou Liang listened to his complaints, he appeared humble on the surface but was actually sneering inwardly.

 

He wanted to maintain his reputation and avoid tiring himself out, yet he wanted to reap all the benefits. When did he ever mention pretending to be ill? Pretending to be ill meant being a coward. Did he have the courage to be a coward?

 

Originally, Zhou Liang thought Huang Yanjiu was a wise ruler. However, he now saw that this wasn’t the case. At this moment, since they were still in Chenliu City, no major disturbances could be made, and it wasn’t suitable to settle accounts thoroughly. Hence, Huang Yanjiu only verbally insulted him, but once they returned to Jianning, it would be another matter. Huang Yanjiu trusted him because he had never made a mistake, but now that one had occurred, his status in Huang Yanjiu’s eyes would surely diminish.

 

Zhou Liang was petty and couldn’t tolerate his loyalists listening to others. He also disliked being overshadowed. Although he could try to regain Huang Yanjiu’s trust, he found Huang Yanjiu increasingly displeasing.

 

After all, it was just a matter of being a bigger fish in a small pond.

 

Zhou Liang began to consider pledging loyalty to someone else. His first thought was of Qu Yunmie, but that made him think of Xiao Rong.

 

Working with such a detestable person wasn’t a problem for Zhou Liang, who considered himself adaptable. However, he disliked how Qu Yunmie listened to Xiao Rong’s every word, almost to the point of being obedient.

 

At the same time, Zhou Liang vaguely realized that such a relationship wasn’t one he could replicate. No matter how eloquent he was, Qu Yunmie would never kick Xiao Rong aside in favor of him.

 

So no, he needed to consider others.

 

Huang Yanjiu naturally couldn’t guess Zhou Liang’s thoughts. Since the matter had already been decided, Huang Yanjiu could only resign himself to his fate, attend the banquet the next day, and deal with future matters later.

 

Huang Yanjiu began asking Zhou Liang what to do the next day. Zhou Liang answered all his questions without showing any impatience. When Huang Yanjiu asked what to do about Huang Keji, Zhou Liang initially wanted to advise against letting him out of sight because the situation was too suspicious. The King of the North’s clever subordinate might have already grown suspicious and would likely approach Huang Keji.

 

Yet as he spoke, his thoughts changed direction. “Today is the time when the truth comes to light. Young Master Huang should have already realized the governor’s intentions. The governor shouldn’t meet him again. This matter cannot be explained and will only cause more trouble. After leaving the city, the governor can decide what to do.”

 

The words were somewhat vague, but everyone understood the meaning: deal with him after leaving the city.

 

When Huang Yanjiu decided to sacrifice Huang Keji, he had already forgotten their kinship. Now that he had recognized his true nature, Huang Yanjiu feared that Huang Keji might spread word of it. He nodded, agreeing that Huang Keji should not survive to return to Jianning.

 

He had one more question. “If I want to blame this on Qu Yunmie, do you think it would work?”

 

Zhou Liang smiled. “It would naturally work.”

 

Huang Yanjiu was slightly pleased. He waved his hand, dismissing Zhou Liang, who stood up, saluted, and then left.

 

Huang Yanjiu stayed in this room, and Huang Keji was diagonally opposite him. Seeing light still coming through the windows and doors over there, Zhou Liang sneered coldly.

 

Whether the King of the North approached Huang Keji, causing trouble for Huang Yanjiu, or Huang Yanjiu killed Huang Keji, leaving himself with a scandal, the matter would ultimately backfire on Huang Yanjiu. That was enough.

 

Yesterday, he had stayed up too late, so the next day Xiao Rong didn’t get up until the sun was high.

Mainly because no one came to wake him, Xiao Yi was somewhat worried, afraid that if he delayed, the King of the North would blame him. However, Chancellor Gao from the neighboring courtyard had come by, smiling and telling him not to worry. He said that Xiao Rong had endured quite a bit on the journey, and since he finally had a chance to sleep comfortably, he should be allowed to rest.

 

Xiao Yi: “…”

 

Gao Xunzhi’s residence was slightly smaller than Xiao Rong’s, mainly because it didn’t have separate male and female areas, but everything else was similar. In that courtyard also lived the two brothers of the Yu family.

 

Qu Yunmie had informed Gao Xunzhi of the events from yesterday early this morning. Gao Xunzhi was extremely shocked, and he then relayed the news to Yu Shaoxie, who was furious.

 

“To harm the only bloodline of his own elder brother is truly beastly!”

 

Gao Xunzhi had been with Qu Yunmie in the Southern Yong. At that time, he only thought Huang Yanjiu was someone not to be deeply involved with, but he never expected him to turn out this way.

 

He sighed. “One can know a person’s face but not their heart.”

 

After sighing, he was also worried about Huang Keji’s situation. “We received favor from Huang Keji’s father back then, and later we were forced to abandon him. Out of sentiment and reason, we should protect our benefactor’s family.”

 

Yu Shaoxie agreed with this reasoning and nodded as well.

 

This was the thinking of scholars, who believed that kindness was greater than the heavens. Even a meal owed could be repaid with one’s life. How much more so since Qu Yunmie didn’t even know how many meals he owed.

 

However, the idea that a scholar would die for someone was merely an ideal. Most people couldn’t actually do this, and no one would act like in ancient times, giving their life over just for a meal owed.

 

Repaying kindness was necessary, but it required proper methods and timing. After all, whether the kindness could be repaid depended on Qu Yunmie’s thoughts. If he was unwilling, others would have no chance to do anything.

 

Yu Shaoxie and Gao Xunzhi exchanged glances and then simultaneously stood up to leave.

 

They didn’t go to persuade Qu Yunmie. Instead, they turned and entered the adjacent courtyard.

 

….

 

Xiao Rong had indeed not slept so well for a long time. When he felt the sunlight on his face, he couldn’t help but smile, stretching lazily in bed with his eyes closed.

 

After stretching out his muscles, Xiao Rong opened his eyes and almost had his soul leave his body in fright.

 

He sat up abruptly, reflexively pulling the blanket to cover himself, and then cried out in fear, “What are you doing?! Why are you looking at me like that?!”

 

Yu Shaoxie stepped forward, solemnly grasping Xiao Rong’s hand, and said, “Brother Xiao, there is something I must now entrust to you!”

 

Xiao Rong: “…”

 

Perverted scoundrel, let go!!

 

 

Edited by: Antiope

 

Support translation: