Shen Qian was a judge in Shuntian Prefecture, responsible for adjudicating cases involving the people of Shuntian Prefecture.

Early yesterday morning, someone stopped the Shuntian Prefect at Shuntian Prefecture, shouting that he was wronged and that his brother had been wrongly convicted of a murder case because the magistrate, Shen Qian, had accepted a bribe.

The case of the official was under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review, so the Court of Judicial Review arrested Shen Qian that day and hastily opened a case.

The Ming Dynasty was particularly harsh in its punishments of officials, so the Three Judicial Offices and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which controlled criminal justice, wielded considerable power within the court. Once an official was brought to the Three Judicial Offices' prison or the imperial prison, the presiding judge had the final say on how to interrogate them. Torture was the most common method; generally, as long as the person wasn't killed, the presiding judge had a wide range of torture techniques at their disposal.

In the dimly lit prison, the presiding judge, Dali Temple, stood with his hands behind his back, glancing at Shen Qian and saying, "Shen Qian, this is my last question to you. As a judge in Shuntian Prefecture, you accepted bribes from the defendant in the case of Niu Xiong's drunken murder for your own selfish desires, distorting the truth and protecting the real culprit, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. The bribe money you received was used to support your nephew Shen Qingchen, who is now a compiler in the Hanlin Academy and the Left Assistant of the Imperial Household Department. Do you plead guilty to what I have said?"

A moment after he finished speaking, Shen Qian raised his head and calmly said, "I don't acknowledge it."

Under the lamplight, his face was exceptionally handsome, like a white plum blossom blooming on a vast snowfield.

In fact, when he wrote to Zhao Qiran, revealing that Lan Tan might be framed, he already knew that he had offended the Xu faction and would probably not escape their revenge.

As the Grand Secretary, Xu Yan had controlled the court for many years, and his cronies were influential throughout the court, including those in the Court of Judicial Review. These officials were accustomed to handling cases and were well-versed in criminal law and judicial decisions; if they convicted him, he would find it very difficult to recover. Especially in cases of bribery, if both the plaintiff and defendant were bribed, and someone came forward to admit to giving money, it would be very difficult for him to prove his innocence; no matter what he said, he would be unable to defend himself.

But he didn't regret his choice. Because there was something that wouldn't allow him to stand idly by—his conscience. This world was already dark enough; it couldn't get any darker.

When Qingchen was young, he taught her to "establish a heart for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, continue the lost learning of the past sages, and usher in an era of peace for all generations." He himself, of course, had to set an example.

Even if all that's left around are iron bars and shackles, and a withered lamp.

At this moment, the presiding judge slammed his gavel and said, "How dare you, Shen Qian! Both the plaintiff and the defendant have admitted their guilt, and their testimonies are consistent. How dare you still try to argue? You are clearly disregarding the law and have no regard for the law!"

He looked at him and said slowly, "With treacherous officials in power, there is no law anymore. I did not accept any money, and this matter has nothing to do with Shen Qingchen. I will not plead guilty."

Faced with the fabricated charges brought against him by Xu's faction, he knew that rebuttal would be futile. When he made his choice, he had already considered what consequences he would have to bear.

If he readily confessed, he might suffer less physical pain. But he would never admit to a confession involving Qingchen.

Over the years, he has cared for her, taught her, and protected her. He has become accustomed to giving to her and to taking her growth as his spiritual anchor. Now, in middle age, he has little future to pursue and only the past to look back upon. And she, too, has become increasingly outstanding, maturing into a virtuous and dedicated official of the Ming Dynasty.

He was proud of her, and proud of himself. All the feelings, both those that could be expressed and those that couldn't, he kept in his heart, and one day, he would take them with him to the dust.

What he suffered today might be his last act of protection for her.

"Guards! The criminal Shen Qian refuses to confess. Torture him!" The voice of the Dali Temple official echoed desolately in the empty prison, as if falling into an abyss.

...

At the Xu residence, Xu Yan and the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture were discussing matters in the study.

The topic of discussion was Shen Qian's imprisonment.

The Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture said, “Your Excellency, I have followed your instructions and found people from the Court of Judicial Review to imprison Shen Qian. Shen Qian accepted bribes, made a wrongful judgment, reversed right and wrong, and disregarded the truth. Once his crime is confirmed, not only will he lose his official position, but he will also suffer imprisonment. Even if he says anything detrimental to us in the future, no one will believe him.”

"Hmm." Xu Yan nodded and asked, "Was the matter handled cleanly?"

In truth, what suffering Shen Qian endured was not what Xu Yan truly cared about. He was merely a magistrate in Shuntian Prefecture; it wouldn't affect him in the slightest, and he didn't care at all. What he cared about was the relationship between Shen Qian and Shen Qingchen. He absolutely had to win Shen Qingchen over; his son lacked experience and hadn't made a move yet, so he needed to lend him a hand.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, it was handled very cleanly. The plaintiff and defendant who gave false testimony were both bribed by people from the Court of Judicial Review. The judge who presided over the case originally had some grudges against Lin Xiaojin. Even if someone has suspicions, they will think that he did it to get revenge on Lin Xiaojin, and they will definitely not be able to trace it back to us."

"Was torture used?"

The Prefect of Shuntian nodded. "We used it. As the Grand Secretary predicted, Shen Qian read the confession but refused to plead guilty. The Court of Judicial Review is currently using torture. Shen Qian is a tough nut to crack; both the plaintiff and the defendant are implicating him. He has no hope of turning the tables. I have already instructed the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review to use as much force as possible, ideally to beat him to the point of near death, and then imprison him until he dies in jail. That way, we will be done with it once and for all."

The testimony that Dali Temple was forcing Shen Qian to confess to was written as instructed by Xu Yan. He had long anticipated that Shen Qian would not easily confess in order to protect Shen Qingchen's reputation, thus giving Dali Temple a legitimate reason to use torture.

"Who gave you permission to act on your own?" Xu Yan took a sip of tea and said with some displeasure, "Go and tell the people at the Dali Temple immediately that while torture is acceptable, it must be used with care and not to kill anyone. When you see my son tomorrow, make the plaintiff and defendant recant their testimonies and release the person."

These words greatly surprised the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture. He asked in bewilderment, "...Your Excellency, I don't understand. If you've arrested someone, why release them? Wouldn't it be better to just let him die in prison and be done with it? If you release him, what might he say that would be detrimental to us..."

"After enduring these tortures, he can no longer hold office and poses no threat to us, so don't worry. I have my reasons for releasing him; just do as I say. Go now."

There are many people in this court who speak ill of him; if Zhu Rui were willing to believe them, he would have been dead a thousand times over. Therefore, whether Shen Qian is guilty or not is not important.

The important thing is that his son rescued Shen Qian, so Shen Qingchen owes his son a favor.

Only if Shen Qian is seriously injured will this favor carry enough weight.

She will always remember that it was his son, Xu Silin, who snatched the bloodied and mangled Shen Qian back from the brink of death.

Qingchen was unaware of Shen Qian's imprisonment. She went to the East Palace early in the morning. Today was the day of the horse race between the East Palace and the Chagatai Khanate.

On her way to the East Palace, she was restless and had a series of chaotic dreams last night for some reason.

Qingchen chose Zhushikou as the location for the horse race, simply because there was a Sanli River there with a narrow bridge over it.

At 9:00 AM, Zhushikou was already bustling with activity. Countless Imperial Guards stood on both sides of the straight road. The emperor's carriage and ceremonial retinue had arrived, the brocade dragon canopy surrounded by heavy guards, and the Ming Dynasty's most elite unit—the Heavy Armor Divine Machine Battalion—accompanied for protection. In addition, officials from the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of Rites, the Ministry of War, and the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs were also present, along with the entire Chagatai Khanate delegation. The scene was truly magnificent.

Crown Prince Zhu Yulu sat beside the Emperor, his head adorned with a jade crown, dressed in a crimson robe, appearing radiant and spirited. Qingchen and Lan Tan stood beside him, but Wang Lishun, who was usually inseparable from him, was not present.

After returning to the Eastern Palace last night, Zhu Yulu sighed repeatedly, his still-childish handsome face filled with conflict and worry. He never imagined that someone he trusted and relied on so much would do such a thing, abandoning even the interests of the Ming Dynasty for personal gain. Fortunately, Master Shen was exceptionally intelligent; otherwise, after today's competition, he, as the Crown Prince, would have no face to face his father and the people of the Ming Dynasty.

However, Zhu Yuluo has not yet dealt with Wang Lishun. He needs more time to think and will make a decision after the horse race is over.

As the time for the competition drew near, Zhu Yuluo turned and glanced at Qingchen, beckoning her with his finger. Qingchen could see a hint of excitement and nervousness in his eyes.

"Your Highness?"

"Master Shen, we changed horses last night, are we still sure we can win?"

"Your Highness, rest assured, the horses that raced today are also very fast." As she spoke, she glanced at Lan Tan, "Lan Tan will also do his best for Your Highness."

The young crown prince then nodded.

Zhu Rui sat to the side, her gaze already drawn to the two of them. In the winter sunlight, the man still appeared so refined and gentle, his lips a pale color, and the smile on his cheeks like an apricot blossom blooming overnight in spring.

He suddenly realized that it had been quite a while since he had spoken to her alone. With four jobs on her hands, he wondered if she was managing, and if she was tired.

When the Ministry of Rites came to report that the time had arrived, Zhu Rui turned his attention back and ordered, "Then let's begin."

The Chagatai Khanate delegation was excited, crowding around their crown prince as he mounted his horse. Harutimur also seemed confident, a hint of defiance in his eyes, a smug smirk playing on his lips. He probably thought Wang Lishun had already taken care of things for him, and that victory was assured.

At the same time, Lan Tan took a piece of black cloth from Qing Chen's hand, tied it around his left wrist in a slipknot, and then mounted his horse. Sitting on the horse, he looked down at Qing Chen and winked at her, "Don't worry."

"Mm," Qingchen replied with a smile. He seemed relaxed, which was good.

The rules of the competition are simple: the two start from the same starting point, and whoever reaches the finish line first wins.

The racetrack was a straight stone-paved road, and both sides rode their horses along it. However, there was a small bridge on this road, which was so narrow that two horses could not cross side by side at the same time.

At the order of the commander, Harutemur and Lantan set off at the same time.

Harutemur rode a Mongolian horse, a tribute they had presented to him. The greatest characteristic of Mongolian horses is their stamina; once they start running, they can maintain the same high speed for a long time. Lan Tan, on the other hand, rode a tall, fine horse from the Ming Dynasty. Its coat was glossy, and its limbs were well-developed. This type of horse was also fast, but it lacked a certain level of stamina.

Therefore, after the race started, the two horses ran neck and neck.

If this trend continues, it won't be long before Harutimur's horse can take the lead with its excellent stamina, and then extend its lead in the second half of the race to win.

However, after riding for a while, Harutemur and Lantan saw a small bridge not far ahead.

At this moment, Lan Tan loosened the reins with one hand and removed the black cloth strip tied to his left wrist. It was a slipknot that could be easily pulled open. His movements were very skilled and swift, because he had practiced this action no less than a hundred times before.

Harutemur noticed the strange behavior of the person beside him and turned to look. He was stunned by Lan Tan's actions.

The two countries were racing horses, with stakes of thousands of gold coins. This Lan Tan actually blindfolded himself with a black cloth and tied it in a knot behind his head!

Not only was Harutemur surprised, but the Golden Guards who were clearing the way on both sides were also dumbfounded.

In such a major competition, he actually rode blindfolded!

This is why Qingchen chose Lan Tan. The rider not only needs to be skilled, but also brave; he needs to have the courage to be blindfolded while crossing the bridge and ride blind in such a crucial competition.

After blindfolding himself, Lan Tan turned his head, gave Harutemur a smirk, and simultaneously cracked his whip. Their horses were almost at the bridgehead.

Upon seeing this, Harutemur immediately felt a surge of pressure.

The bridge was too narrow for two horses to cross side by side; only one could pass at a time. In January, the river in the capital was extremely cold and bottomless. A cold wind swept across his cheeks.

Just before the two horses were about to cross the bridge, Harutimur reined in his horse sharply!

At the bridgehead, his horse reared up, its head held high, letting out a loud neigh. At the same time, Lan Tan rode his horse swiftly across the small bridge he had vacated, removed the blindfold from his eyes, tossed it behind him with a flourish, and galloped towards the finish line.

This seemingly inconspicuous little bridge is precisely why Qingchen chose this place for horse racing.

The intense pressure Harutemur felt when he saw Lan Tan with his eyes covered has a name in modern psychology: game theory.

Lan Tan blindfolded himself and told Harutemur that he didn't know when he would cross the bridge, couldn't rein in his horse in time, and didn't intend to. If Harutemur didn't let him, the two horses would collide, and everyone would fall into the river!

Everyone has an instinctive sense of self-preservation, so at the crucial moment, even though he knew he might lose the game because of it, Harutemur still pulled back his horse.

This is somewhat similar to modern car lane changing. One car is going straight, while another wants to change lanes to overtake. The two cars are competing for the same lane. If one of them is determined not to give way, the other will instinctively step on the brakes to avoid a collision.

This is game theory, which is actually quite common in daily life. Qingchen was able to come up with this method because she observed these phenomena in modern times, thought about them, and summarized their essence.

Study diligently and think deeply; accumulate knowledge and then unleash its potential.

After giving way on the bridge, Harutemur quickly spurred his horse to catch up, but by then the race was already halfway over. His horse had essentially just started and needed to regain its speed to catch up with the huge gap that Lan Tan had fallen behind due to crossing the bridge. There wasn't enough distance left for him to catch up. In other words, the Mongolian horse's advantage in endurance in the second half of the race was completely negated by this small bridge.

Gaining the initiative and neutralizing the opponent's advantages are the two key points for Qingchen's victory.

In the end, Lan Tan crossed the finish line first.

The Ming Dynasty has won!