Xie Yuan’s spirits lifted the moment he read the first sentence.
’The Deputy Inspector General has finally made his move!’
’I gave you such a golden opportunity with those ledgers. You’d better make good use of it.’
Xie Yuan chuckled and continued reading, but his eyes grew wider and wider until his brow furrowed.
After finishing the letter, he stood stunned for a moment before letting out a long sigh.
"The court is a treacherous sea. You never know who will win until the very end."
It turned out that the deputy commissioner had presented the ledgers some days ago, joining forces with many others in an attempt to bring down Peng Yue directly.
Recently, the high-ranking officials of the Inspector General’s office had been engaged in a war of titans, each pulling in allies and leaning on their patrons, with the ripples spreading throughout Yunzhou’s entire political landscape.
However, despite the lost ledgers, Peng Yue seemed to have been prepared. He quickly launched a counterattack, producing evidence that the deputy commissioner had illegally seized thousands of acres of fertile land in his hometown, along with a petition written in blood by the local villagers.
Peng Yue surely didn’t know where the ledgers had actually gone; he could only have suspected the deputy commissioner the most. He had prepared for this, waiting for his rival to make a move before immediately striking back.
But he must have suspected others as well. From his position, he had secretly gathered leverage on countless people. By letting this be known, he put his other political enemies on high alert, making them too afraid to strike while the iron was hot. This left only the deputy commissioner to face him alone.
Seizing fertile land was a serious crime in the Great Li dynasty, a rule established by the Grand Ancestor. Although enforcement had grown lax over time, no one dared to turn a blind eye once the matter was brought into the open.
But the evidence in Peng Yue’s ledgers was also solid. Furthermore, some of the people he’d dealt with had loose lips, and the deputy commissioner had already followed the clues to secretly pressure them, leaving them unable to even protect themselves.
Thus, both Peng Yue and the deputy commissioner went all out, throwing everything they had accumulated over the years into the fight. In the end, it resulted in mutual destruction.
The deputy commissioner was stripped of his post and escorted to the Capital City to await trial. Peng Yue, however, though also sent to the Capital City for questioning, received vastly different treatment. His duties were merely suspended—even though his crimes were arguably more severe than the deputy’s.
Situ Qin wrote that, according to rumors, Peng Yue’s father-in-law—a former grand scholar of the Hanlin Academy and a classmate of the current Grand Chancellor—had contacted old friends and former students in the capital and managed to suppress the matter. By convention, cases that only result in questioning usually end with a slap on the wrist for a "minor flaw in character," a six-month suspension, and then a reassignment to a post in a different region. A grand display with a gentle landing.
For Peng Yue, this meant that his years of work building a power base in Yunzhou had come to nothing. Starting over in a new place would set him back at least five years—a massive loss. But compared to the deputy commissioner’s complete downfall, he was still the victor.
Xie Yuan shook his head. ’This is what happens when your backer isn’t strong enough.’ The affair probably involved a web of exchanged interests and shifting alliances among high-ranking officials in the capital, and the deputy commissioner was simply abandoned. It was a shame. Peng Yue had a good father-in-law, preventing this parasite from being crushed completely.
But the final victor was someone completely unexpected—
With the top positions in the Yunzhou Inspector General’s office vacant, the commissioner was promoted two ranks in a row to serve as the acting Inspector General.
Although it was an "acting" position, with a bit of maneuvering during this sudden vacuum of power, he could soon make it official.
He appeared to have done nothing, but in reality, he had simply made no mistakes. While the clash between the Inspector General and his deputy sent an earthquake through Yunzhou’s political landscape, implicating countless individuals, he, right there in the Inspector General’s office, emerged unscathed. That in itself was a skill.
Some even suspected he had orchestrated the entire affair. It was rumored that he had acted as the deputy commissioner’s crude strategist, but he failed to step forward at the critical moment, instead reaping the rewards like the fisherman in the fable. While toppling two mountains with one stone seemed incredible, in situations like this, the final victor is often the one who was hidden the deepest.
The letter left Xie Yuan’s mind in turmoil. It was as if he had witnessed a series of great battles fought without blades or spears, yet their brutality and danger were no less than the struggles between Martial Artists.
But Xie Yuan was just an observer enjoying the show, and he left it at that. ’After all,’ he thought, ’I transmigrated into a cultivation world, not some historical novel. My focus should be on martial arts. This political stuff isn’t my goal.’
It was just a pity Peng Yue hadn’t been completely toppled. This made him hesitate to reveal the two pages of the ledger he possessed. Although Peng Yue was now in the Capital City and far from Yunzhao County, the fact that he hadn’t fallen exposed the immense power behind him. This, in turn, made Xie Yuan even more reluctant to bring the evidence into the open. The political earthquake had just subsided; starting an aftershock from Yunzhao County now would just be asking for trouble for a humble Escort Agency head like himself.
Still, it didn’t matter. With Peng Yue transferred, he could no longer protect Yu Chunsheng. Chunsheng now had no patron above and no foundation below. He wouldn’t even need those two pages. In a little while, the Escort Agency could find a way to take him down.
A few more days wouldn’t make a difference. He would tell Shen Longteng the news; the old fox would know what to do. If he couldn’t even handle a helpless and isolated Yu Chunsheng, then he had no business running such a large Escort Agency.
Xie Yuan pondered for a moment, nodding to himself. Then, his gaze fell upon the last line of the letter:
"I will come to Yunzhao again in a while. We shall meet then."
’Situ Qin is coming...?’ Xie Yuan silently glanced into the room out of the corner of his eye, then made a small, hesitant sound.
’What am I getting flustered about?’
’Right, it’s because Miss Mu has the Black Celestial Book. Even though Tai Bo seems like an upright man, that thing can’t see the light of day... Yes, I don’t want the two Grandmasters to meet. It’s not that I don’t want the two young ladies to meet.’
Xie Yuan shook his head. Situ Qin had mentioned before that her wet nurse from childhood was from Yunzhao County, which was why she often came to visit. ’Is she coming again...?’
He looked at the lifelike sketch of a Guqin where the signature would be, smiled faintly, and carefully folded the letter before tucking it into his robe.
Xie Yuan turned and walked back into the house. Seeing Mu Chaoyun glance at him, he said reflexively:
"It’s a letter from a friend. I was just taking a look."
Mu Chaoyun blinked her calm, lake-like eyes, her gaze profound.
"I didn’t ask."
"Er..."
Xie Yuan was instantly embarrassed.
Seeing his reaction, Mu Chaoyun closed her book, propped her chin on her hand, and said thoughtfully:
"Was that a letter from a girl? From that young lady... Situ Qin, was it?"
Seeing how she had deduced everything from a single sentence, as perceptive as a famous detective or a Divine Catcher, Xie Yuan felt a sudden cold sweat.
He hissed softly and said:
"Miss Mu, you know of her?"
"I’ve told you before, she is your benefactor. You should interact with her more. What’s wrong with receiving a letter?"
Mu Chaoyun tilted her head, looking at him with a hint of a smile deep in her eyes.
"Nothing’s wrong, I was just saying..."
Xie Yuan wiped away imaginary sweat and asked again:
"How do you know her name, Miss Mu?"
"Situ Qin... In the Great Li dynasty, a young girl with such a special status isn’t common. Anyone with decent sources of information would know who she is."
Mu Chaoyun’s eyes shifted. Seeing the curious expression on Xie Yuan’s face, she shook her head and said:
"You’ve known her for so long, and you don’t even know her background?"
Xie Yuan shook his head like a rattle drum. He felt a sense of strangeness. How did she seem to know everything about his dealings with Situ Qin? ’She can perform divination, sure, but can she divine things like this?’
Mu Chaoyun hummed in acknowledgment. She looked at the teacup before her and said languidly:
"The tea is cold."
"I’ll brew a fresh pot right away."
Xie Yuan immediately and deftly brewed a pot of hot tea to moisten the Grandmaster’s lips.
Seeing the cup once again filled with fragrant steam, Mu Chaoyun nodded in satisfaction.
She took a light sip, then uttered a single, simple sentence that revealed Situ Qin’s identity and shook Xie Yuan to his core:
"Situ Qin is the daughter of Xue Minghe, the King of Pingxi."
"Xue Minghe, the King of Pingxi?"
Xie Yuan’s eyes flew wide open.
It wasn’t for any other reason than that this name was famous enough to be known even to someone like him, who had grown up in a remote mountain village.
Mu Chaoyun nodded, her expression growing solemn.
"The very same. The current emperor’s long-lost half-brother, who rose from a commoner and a mere foot soldier all the way to General of the Westward Campaign. He was recognized by the emperor on the battlefield, led the army to conquer the sixteen nations of the Western Regions, and forced the Barbarians to bow their heads in submission, after which he was enfeoffed as the legendary King of Pingxi."
Xie Yuan’s mind reeled. The story of the King of Pingxi was a household tale. Even in Little Stone Village, passing storytellers had recounted it, and it was a staple in every tavern and restaurant in Yunzhao County.
Legend had it that Xue Minghe was the "dragon seed" left behind by the previous emperor, who had an affair with a common woman during a private tour of his realm. He was raised among the common folk and was extraordinarily brave and martial from a young age.
At the time, not even Xue Minghe’s mother knew his true identity. It wasn’t until he grew up, enlisted in the army, and displayed astonishing talent and fortune—
—that his legend began. He slew over ten enemy generals, captured nine banners, and was the first to scale enemy walls five times. In just a few short years, he rose from a common soldier to a general through sheer military merit.
In those days, the western front of the Great Li was far from peaceful. The nations of the Western Regions eyed the Central Plains like hungry tigers, and Yunzhou itself was considered a frontline.
The current emperor had just ascended the throne. Young and ambitious, he immediately mobilized a grand army, preparing to fight a war that many believed he would lose, intending to subjugate the Western Regions in one fell swoop and even incorporate them into his territory.
On the command platform in Yunzhou, the emperor, who had come to the front lines personally, naturally had to meet the rising star of the western border, General Xue Minghe. The moment they saw each other, they were struck by their strong resemblance. Furthermore, Xue Minghe also shared the imperial surname. An investigation later confirmed that the previous emperor had indeed passed through Xue Minghe’s hometown and stayed for several days. The new emperor then used his own methods to secretly confirm their blood relationship.
The two brothers slept side-by-side and talked all night, discovering they got along exceptionally well. The decades of lost brotherhood were restored in a single evening. Moreover, having grown up among the common people, Xue Minghe was simple and forthright compared to the emperor’s other brothers. He posed no threat, allowing the emperor to feel a rare, genuine sense of kinship.
And so, on the day the army marched, the emperor appointed his general on the eve of battle, promoting Xue Minghe directly from a subordinate general to the Grand General of the Westward Campaign, placing immense hope in him.
And Xue Minghe did not disappoint. He proved his worth once again, taking only five years to completely drive the allied forces of the Western Regions out of the West Desert. He then swept through the vast Western Regions, conquering sixteen nations and forcing the remaining kingdoms, large and small, to become vassals of the Great Li.
Upon his triumphant return to the capital, the emperor officially acknowledged Xue Minghe as his brother and enfeoffed him as the King of Pingxi, a title that shook the world.
After becoming a prince, Xue Minghe wisely relinquished his military authority and lived as a carefree Prince Anle in the Capital City.
A few years later, at the East Sea Sword Conference, Xue Minghe defeated Master Yu Jing, the junior brother of Master Yuxu, the Sect Leader of the Xuanzhen Sect. He ascended to the number one spot on the Flying Dragon List before the age of forty, just one step away from the Celestial Dragon List, the supreme realm of a Grandmaster who had unified their internal and external self.
Every time he heard the story of the King of Pingxi, Xue Minghe, Xie Yuan couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. ’Now that’s a proper power-fantasy protagonist, a true Long Aotian plotline. I’m still a long way off...’
...At least, that was the story before Xue Minghe was executed for treason.
The story did not have a happy ending.
But at the very least, Xue Minghe’s name was still passed down among the households of the Great Li.
’Situ Qin is the daughter of this legend? Then how...’
A look of confusion crossed Xie Yuan’s face, and he couldn’t help but ask:
"But Miss Qin’s surname isn’t Xue, is it? And if he was a traitor who rebelled, how is she still..."
Mu Chaoyun took a sip of tea, moistening her throat.
"For that, we must start with her mother.
"Do you truly believe Xue Minghe died for treason?"