The Crown Prince noticed the black box in Chu Xinian’s hand but did not pay much attention to it. He casually asked, “What is that?”
Xie Jingyuan speculated that the box was probably something stolen by the thief. He couldn’t help but wonder where Chu Xinian had learned all those tricks, allowing others to be fooled by him and at the same time speaking well of him.
Chu Xinian kept his composure, smiling nonchalantly as he replied, “Oh, it’s no big deal. It’s just the lost treasure of the Minister of War’s Residence”.
His words struck like thunder out of nowhere, causing the Crown Prince to slip and nearly fall off his chair. His expression was one of astonishment as he exclaimed, “What did you say!”
Xie Jingyuan frowned and repeated, “Didn’t you hear it? It’s the lost thing from Qin Daoyan.”
Although the events were puzzling and strange, Chu Xinian summarized the situation for the Crown Prince, with some minor alterations, presenting the box as something discovered by Qian Qian herself. Finally, he examined the black box in his hand and said, “Qin Daoyan’s private conversations with others and secret letters are all hidden in it. There must be incriminating evidence. Your Highness has only to wait for the right moment to present it to the Emperor. You will surely win great merit.”
His offer to transfer the merit to the Crown Prince, despite not aligning with him, was bound to arouse suspicion. As soon as he finished speaking, an inexplicable heaviness settled in the study.
Xie Jingyuan wanted to say something, but with the Crown Prince present, it was difficult to speak openly. He had to swallow his words and frown for a moment before saying, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
The Crown Prince stared at Chu Xinian, his expression hard to discern, “You’re giving this item to me?”
He looked somewhat incredulous.
Qin Daoyan was a veteran of two dynasties and had great influence. If someone were to present proof of his secret deals with foreign powers, it would undoubtedly be a great achievement. Chu Xinian could have kept the object to himself or given it to someone aligned with Prince Jin’s faction for immense benefits. However, he chose to give it to the Crown Prince.
The silence in the room was suffocating.
After a long pause, the Crown Prince finally spoke, “But I have nothing to offer you.”
He was just an abandoned Crown Prince who had lost his mother and lacked favor. Apart from Xie Jingyuan, there was no one willing to help him, and no one believed that he could become Emperor in the end.
But he could only fight on, treading a path that he knew would lead to a predetermined outcome.
The Crown Prince could not turn back, and it was the same for Xie Jingyuan. The power struggle was cruel, like an invisible hand pushing them relentlessly forward.
Before Chu Xinian stood two individuals: one, the Crown Prince of Great Yan, a noble heir, and the other, a formidable General difficult to rival. Who could imagine their ultimate fates in the pages of this book?
The Crown Prince believed that the most painful way to die in this world was to be strangled, but after the ascension of the new emperor, he was ironically granted permission to hang himself.
Xie Jingyuan, rebellious by nature and proud by temperament, had his meridians mutilated and was imprisoned in an unlit cell until his death.
Suddenly, Chu Xinian felt the weight of the box in his hand, as heavy as the word ‘fate’ itself. He placed the object on the table and gently pushed it in Xie Jingyuan’s direction, saying, “This object is for the General.”
As for whether Xie Jingyuan wanted to give it to the Crown Prince or someone else, that was up to him.
Xie Jingyuan thought to himself, Chu Xinian avoided him a moment ago, but now he was coming over to give something. He smiled blankly, mimicking the Crown Prince’s words, “Unfortunately, this General also has nothing to offer you.”
Chu Xinian touched the jade pendant hanging from his neck above his clothes. Although he said nothing, his gesture was clear: Xie Jingyuan had already given him something.
It was Chu Xinian who really could not give anything. What had he given Xie Jingyuan? A life of hardship with no proper ending.
Seeing that neither of them spoke, the Crown Prince looked at Chu Xinian and then at Xie Jingyuan. Suddenly, his closed mind seemed to have a revelation. These two people… Could they be…?!
The Crown Prince’s Adam’s apple rolled, and he suddenly felt as if he had discovered a terrible secret. Unconsciously, he clenched his knees, thinking that Xie Jingyuan did have a preference for being a cut sleeve. How could he not have noticed it before?
Whether it was to lighten the mood or change the subject, the Crown Prince asked, “Can I have a look at those secret letters?”
Naturally, it was possible. The betrayal involved many people, and the only right person to expose it was the Crown Prince.
Chu Xinian replied, “The box has been handed over to the General, so it is up to him to decide.”
Xie Jingyuan took the box and tried to open it for a while, but could not. However, he did not want to lose face and was about to forcibly break it using his internal energy. Suddenly, Chu Xinian snatched the box from his hand and said, “This object is made of a special material and can only be opened with a key. If we forcibly damage it, it could hurt our hands”.
Xie Jingyuan narrowed his eyes and sneered, “I don’t believe it.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Under Xie Jingyuan’s gaze, Chu Xinian pinched the peony petal and gently pulled it, extracting it from the box. The object looked like a hairpin, long and thin with a pointed, flat end.
Xie Jingyuan seemed to understand something and narrowed his eyes, “So, this is the key? Qin Daoyan, that old fox.”
Who could have guessed that the key was hidden inside the box? If someone didn’t know about it, they would probably be looking for it all over the world.
The Crown Prince was curious as to why Chu Xinian knew the secret, “How did you know the key was hidden here?”
Chu Xinian found a small keyhole in the bottom of the box and slowly inserted the key, turning it as he opened it. He explained, “I read an ancient book earlier that mentioned this kind of intricate box. It was said to be made by skilled craftsmen as a cosmetic box for royal women. However, the technique was lost over time and later generations could not find any. I did not expect Qin Daoyan to have one.”
The Crown Prince uttered an “Oh” and realized that he had been ignorant of such things.
Xie Jingyuan, on the other hand, did not believe a word of Chu Xinian’s nonsense. In his mansion, there were thousands of books, and he had read them all, but there was no mention of the intricate box.
As they spoke, the box suddenly opened with a snap, catching his attention. Chu Xinian took out a thick stack of letters from the box and discovered that it contained not only the secret letters between Qin Daoyan and the Qiang Tribe but also correspondence from the early years of Great Yan’s negotiation with the Hu Tribe.
Xie Jingyuan quickly flipped through the letters, but when he came across one of them, he suddenly froze, his pupils constricted.
“What’s wrong?”
Chu Xinian realized that something was wrong and took the letter from him. To his surprise, there were no words on the paper. Instead, there was a map depicting the deployment of troops inside the Imperial Palace, with a certain route marked in red ink.
The addressee was Qin Daoyan, and the sender?
Zhou Wenchen!
Chu Xinian muttered to himself, “The Commander of the Imperial Army, Zhou Wenchen?”
This person had appeared in the original “A Thousand Years of Feud”. Zhou Wenchen was in charge of guarding the Capital, commanding a hundred thousand troops. His martial arts were profound and unfathomable, making him one of Emperor Yan’s most loyal and devoted soldiers.
He had limited visibility, but his status was not insignificant.
Such an uncompromising and unyielding person, who could not be easily manipulated, had correspondence with Qin Daoyan?
The Crown Prince glanced over and was slightly surprised when he saw the road map. He unconsciously said, “Isn’t this the place where General Xie Bi was captured?”
The Palace’s routes were intricate and complex. The route marked in red ink led directly from the Great Peace Gate to the Emperor’s sleeping quarters. The Crown Prince might have known some secret information as his expression could not hide his astonishment. He then exchanged a glance with Xie Jingyuan and turned his head, remaining silent.
Chu Xinian seemed to have noticed something. He touched the worn corner of the paper and speculated that this letter had existed for some years, and was undoubtedly related to the Xie Family’s rebellion in the past. Just as he was about to say something, the letter was suddenly snatched away by Xie Jingyuan.
“Leave this letter, hand the rest to the Crown Prince to submit to the Emperor.” Ordered Xie Jingyuan.
Except for that momentary change of expression, Xie Jingyuan looked normal. He neatly folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve.
Chu Xinian raised an eyebrow and smiled faintly, “Why?”
The Crown Prince waved his hand nonchalantly and returned to his original position, “It’s just an insignificant letter. It doesn’t matter whether we present it or not.”
Since they made it clear that they didn’t want to talk about it, Chu Xinian didn’t ask anymore. After all, he never expected them to reveal anything voluntarily. Some things were better investigated on one’s own.
The three of them carefully examined Qin Daoyan’s letters in the study. Apart from treason and collusion with foreign forces, they found thirteen charges ranging from buying and selling official positions to accepting bribes. It was more than enough to ensure Qin Daoyan’s death several times over.
The Crown Prince said, “Tomorrow there will be a banquet at the Palace, and surely Qin Daoyan will persuade everyone to agree to trade with the Qiang Tribe. We have to find an opportunity and set him up.”
Chu Xinian lifted the teacup and used the lid to skim the foam, “Your Highness, you know that putting yourself in the spotlight is not a good idea?”
Xie Jingyuan instantly understood what he meant and looked at the Crown Prince, “Find someone to take the initiative for you, shoulder some of the fame, and then present the evidence.”
If the Crown Prince were to handle such an important matter alone, he would not only arouse the Emperor’s suspicions but also instill fear among the courtiers. It would be safer to involve several people.
The Crown Prince had considered it, but he had no capable subordinates. The remaining officials in the Eastern Palace were all old and stubborn, strict and rigid. They were suited to teach and educate, but not to maneuver political affairs at the Court.
The Crown Prince looked at Chu Xinian, and his words carried a tinge of seeking advice, “In your opinion, who should I choose to assume leadership?”
Chu Xinian smiled faintly and replied in three words, “Jin Ruhai.”
If Qin Daoyan wanted to establish trade relations, besides needing the Emperor’s approval, he could not overlook Jin Ruhai, the Inspector of the Ministry of Finance. During this period, Qin Daoyan had secretly sent numerous precious treasures to the Jin Family, which was clear evidence of bribery.
Jin Ruhai owed Chu Xinian a favor. As long as he agreed to come forward and unmask Qin Daoyan in front of the Court tomorrow, the Crown Prince could help him, and everything would fall into place.
The Crown Prince wondered if this meant he owed Chu Xinian another favor, “Why are you helping me?”
Chu Xinian remained silent.
The Crown Prince hesitated and spoke again, “Could it be that you want to join my faction?”
Now, Chu Xinian did not need to say anything. Even Xie Jingyuan knew it was impossible. He stood up from his seat, looked at the sky outside, and threw the thick stack of letters straight into the Crown Prince’s arms, “It’s getting late. You should hurry back and write a report about Qin Daoyan’s impeachment for tomorrow’s Court session.”
Writing a report was as demanding as writing an essay in later times. It required beautiful language, logical consistency, and a precise and incisive approach. The only difference was that if there were gaps, a professor would deduct points, but here the Emperor would take your life.
The Crown Prince knew that this matter was of the utmost importance and took his leave in haste.
In the evening, Chu Xinian continued to ponder over the troop deployment map. There was no doubt that the map was from Zhou Wenchen’s hand, but why would he give it to Qin Daoyan? And why did he have to mark a route with red ink?
Zhou Wenchen was the most loyal servant of the Imperial Family, and his loyalty to Emperor Yan was beyond doubt. He would not casually hand over something so important unless something had happened.
Could it be that Zhou Wenchen’s nature had changed as well?
Chu Xinian was not sure and decided to observe during the Palace banquet the next day before making a judgment. He cleared his mind of muddled thoughts and settled down to rest in bed. When he casually looked up, he noticed that Xie Jingyuan had his back to him, lost in thought as he sat in front of a mirror.
Xie Jingyuan did not like to look at himself in the mirror, he rarely did. One could even say he didn’t want to see his face.
The silver mask lay quietly on the corner of the table, exposing the man’s face without the mirror hiding it. The left side of his face was flawless as jade, but the right side was covered with criss-crossed scars, looking sinister and disturbing in the flickering candlelight.
Xie Jingyuan stared at the mirror for a long while, then slowly closed his eyes, unconsciously touching the scars on his right face. At that moment, it seemed as if he remembered something from the past, holding that position without moving for a long time.
It was hard to tell whether it was hatred or resentment.
Chu Xinian observed his figure and felt a strange worry, “General?”
“…”
Xie Jingyuan did not turn around. From the bronze mirror, he saw that Chu Xinian had sat back down on the outdoor sofa and asked impassively, “Are you sure you want to sleep outside?”
Chu Xinian remained silent, so Xie Jingyuan took it as an affirmation. He slowly took the mask and placed it on his face without a word, covering the crisscrossed scars on that side.
Since Chu Xinian had arrived, Xie Jingyuan had not worn the mask to sleep at night. But now, for some unknown reason, he put it back on.
Chu Xinian did not know how to respond. He thought Xie Jingyuan would come and sleep beside him again, but unexpectedly, Xie Jingyuan said nothing and entered the inner chamber.
The curtains fell layer by layer, hiding most of the scene inside. When Xie Jingyuan blew out the candles, everything became even darker.
“…”
Chu Xinian sat alone on the edge of the sofa, motionless for a while, not knowing what he was waiting for. As the inner chamber plunged into darkness, he hesitantly lay down on the sofa to rest, but for some reason, sleep escaped him.
Unconsciously, he listened to the sounds coming from the inner room.
After an unknown period, he suddenly heard a faint noise coming from inside. Chu Xinian instinctively lifted the blanket and sat up, frowning, “General?”
Xie Jingyuan had just turned around, “…”
Chu Xinian couldn’t hear his reply after a long while, so he put on his outer robe and entered the inner room. Groping in the darkness, he reached the side of the bed and could vaguely see a figure stirring. Instinctively he reached out to touch and look for it, “General?
As he spoke, his fingertip suddenly touched something cold and hard, mask-like, which made him pause.
“…”
Chu Xinian didn’t know whether he should withdraw his hand or not. He slowly sat down next to the bed, as he ran his fingertip along the edge of the mask. Before he could do anything else, Xie Jingyuan suddenly grabbed his wrist
“Don’t move…” He felt the cold fingertip, and the voice was hoarse, with a hint of warning.
Chu Xinian froze for a moment and then smiled indifferently, “General, why are you wearing the mask again today?”
Xie Jingyuan remained silent, closed his eyes, and turned his head to avoid Chu Xinian’s gaze. His tone was cold, “Go to sleep.”
At this moment, Chu Xinian inexplicably recalled the phrase ‘human nature is inherently vile’. He was always worried about Xie Jingyuan sleeping with him, and today he had even prepared an excuse to sleep on the sofa, but the other party no longer bothered him.
For some unknown reason, he felt an emptiness in his heart.
Seeing that Chu Xinian did not move, Xie Jingyuan finally opened his eyes in the darkness, his lips curved into a cold smile. His voice was mocking, “If you don’t leave soon, I’ll assume you want to sleep with me.”
When he finished speaking, Chu Xinian did not react.
One second…
Two seconds…
Three seconds…
Chu Xinian still had no intention of leaving. He stared at Xie Jingyuan’s blurry face in the darkness, lost in thought. He felt as if his legs were stuck and he couldn’t move no matter what he did.
Seeing this, the curve of Xie Jingyuan’s lips gradually disappeared. He sat up from the bed, moving very close to Chu Xinian. The air between them was filled with hazy ambiguity.
With his narrow eyes fixed on Chu Xinian, the cold mask on Xie Jingyuan’s right side almost touched his face. He asked in a deep voice, “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
Afraid?
Chu Xinian finally woke up. He raised his hand, slowly removing the mask from Xie Jingyuan’s face. With warm fingertips, he traced the crisscrossed scars and finally rested on Xie Jingyuan’s chin. He asked in reply, “General, you mean regarding the appearance?”
Half of Xie Jingyuan’s face was numb, “Yes, so what?”
Chu Xinian laughed lightly, “Naturally, I am not afraid.”
But Xie Jingyuan coldly raised an eyebrow, “I don’t believe you.”
Chu Xinian did not fall into his trap and smiled faintly, “Nevermind. It’s enough that I believe it myself.”
Xie Jingyuan squeezed Chu Xinian’s hand tightly and pursed his lips, “If you say you are not afraid, you have to prove it to me.”
Chu Xinian asked, “General, how do you want me to prove it to you?”
“…”
In the darkness, Xie Jingyuan slowly approached Chu Xinian. His eyes concealed many emotions. He leaned close to Chu Xinian’s ear, with his cold breath, he whispered, “Chu Xinian, kiss me.”
“If you kiss me, I will believe you…”
Chu Xinian was taken aback.
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