ransacking
The envoys sent by Dongli set off for Yan in late autumn, but once they entered the border of Great Yan, they disappeared without a trace. Until one morning, when the horse breeder was cutting grass, he saw two male corpses floating on the Ji River. They were the two envoys, Jiang Ya and Yin Xi.
Some people falsely accused the Great Yan of deliberately causing this incident, and with the new king of Dongli ascending the throne, war was imminent.
As a result, everyone was filled with unease—the common people feared lack of food and clothing and being displaced; the officials worried about losing power and becoming impoverished, and the loss of their former glory; and the royal family was shaken to their core.
The emperor remained ill and secluded for a long time after that day, but suddenly an imperial edict flew out from behind the curtain, appointing Yan Ji as the Grand Marshal of the Army and in charge of leading the army into the northern lands.
"How can this be allowed?!"
In the Lizheng Hall, Yan Sheng stared at Empress Lu with eyes blazing with fury: "What kind of evil magic did he use to make Father so obedient! Pei Zhao is brave, Xie Heng is quick-witted, Wang Huan is benevolent...aren't they all better than Yan Ji?"
"Why should I—"
Empress Lu had tried to negotiate, but to no avail. Knowing she was powerless to change the situation, she still tried to persuade her son, seeing his agitated state, "Sheng'er..."
Yan Sheng exclaimed, "Does he even know how to fight?!"
"..."
That's right.
Yan Ji was truly outstanding among the princes in both literary and military skills, but he was usually only good at training in the drill ground and sparring. However, he was not suitable for entering the military camp and going to the battlefield.
Empress Lu also pondered: Isn't this just a joke?
He can simply follow the army; how could he become the Grand Marshal? Could it be... that His Majesty intends to groom the Crown Prince—but even with such grooming, he shouldn't have gone this insane!
Empress Lu was ultimately a kind and gentle person. She never expected that Yan Ji would take a trivial matter as an imperial edict and lead the Imperial Guards to ransack the homes of several key ministers.
—The Xie family was the first to be affected.
the day before yesterday.
On a rare sunny winter day, the sun was dry and bright, so bright that everyone could hardly open their eyes. When a large group of people arrived in front of the Xie residence, Xie Lingjun was still taking a midday nap.
Upon receiving the imperial edict appointing Yan Ji as Grand Marshal of the Army, a taut thread in his mind suddenly snapped. He then unusually tidied himself up, washed himself, abandoned his spear and horse, and went home to lie down.
Just as I was drifting off to sleep, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the door. Several spears were pressed against the bronze gate, followed by hurried, orderly footsteps.
"His Majesty has ordered a search—!"
Another chaotic scene ensued.
The corridor was shaded by trees. In the sunlight, Xie Lingjun squinted as the blurry figure became clearer and clearer. His eyes sharpened: "Your Highness Prince Jin."
Despite it being a raid on his home, Prince Jin acted as if they were having a normal conversation, with his hands behind his back and a warm smile: "Lingjun, it's been a long time."
Xie Lingjun said, "After several months apart, I never expected to see Your Highness in this state again."
He coldly surveyed the chaotic scene in the courtyard: the haphazardly piled ruins, the terrified maids and servants scattering in panic, and the uprooted exotic flowers and plants...
"What is Your Highness doing? Leading these brothers, are you trying to turn my Xie family upside down?"
Yan Ji said in a low voice, "Lingjun, this is also the Emperor's order. You know, as people get older, their paranoia becomes more and more severe... Isn't it because the national treasury is empty recently, and they want to arrest some corrupt officials to fill the gap?"
He held Xie Lingjun's hand, looking tender and affectionate, and said, "I'm just putting on an act, you don't need to worry."
Is this dramatic change just for show?
Xie Lingjun was about to say something when a sudden uproar erupted in the front hall—"Your Highness, we've found out!"
"?"
He strode over, where several gleaming mahogany boxes were laid out on the ground. Once opened, they revealed countless rare and precious treasures, dazzling the eye.
"this……"
Before he could finish speaking, Yan Ji interrupted him. The man clutched his chest, looking incredulous, tears welling in his eyes, and cried out in anguish, "Lingjun, this is deceiving the emperor!"
These "stolen goods," along with the discrepancies in the accounts, are enough to send the Xie family to their deaths several times over!
He abruptly slapped away Xie Lingjun's hand that was trying to pull him away, "How could you—"
Realizing the shadowy figures around him, he lowered his voice, but still couldn't hide his disappointment and anger, "...How dare you be so bold?! Even I can't protect you from such behavior!"
Xie Lingjun thought to himself that this person was really sick, and replied, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness."
You can naturally not protect yourself.
His eyes were deep as he stared at the several troublesome boxes in front of him. As if he had thought of something, he asked, "Where did you find these boxes?"
His aloof and arrogant demeanor, compared to Yan Ji's sincere heart, made some people around him uncomfortable.
Zhang Jianming had followed Yan Ji for many years. Seeing His Highness lower his stance so much, this criminal was still putting on airs... After tomorrow, when the noble young master becomes a prisoner, will he still be so proud?
He glared at Xie Lingjun with a cold expression, raised his hand to block Xie Lingjun's path, and immediately shouted: "Shocking words! You know perfectly well what you're asking!"
"If this wasn't found in your warehouse, where else could it be?"
Faced with such a question, Xie Lingjun smiled slightly at him and said gently, "Did I ask you?"
Zhang Jianming: "You!"
Seeing the atmosphere gradually turn cold, Yan Ji seemed to finally come to his senses from the truth that "the Xie family of Qingliu was actually corrupt and Erlang Junheng was a beast in human form." He slowly raised his hand, his eyes containing some indescribable emotions, and said, "No need to say more."
He then looked at Zhang Jianming with satisfaction and said, "Shiqing, you may leave."
Zhang Jianming left indignantly.
The sunlight became even brighter.
The Imperial Guards, who were carrying away the stolen goods and smashing things, had beads of sweat the size of mung beans on their foreheads, which dripped into their eyes, causing a burning pain. Yan Ji, who was always considerate of his subjects, saw this and ordered his men to move the stolen goods into the carriage. Before leaving, he asked Xie Lingjun, "Where is the Minister?"
Xie Lingjun did not answer.
After a long while, Yan Ji received no reply, and Shu Er smiled, "Alright then."
...
Not long after, news came that Xie and his son had been imprisoned.
Since Xie Lingxi was injured that day, Liu Xu had ordered her to stay at home and rest. Her body was weak and she was not fit to travel around. When she learned of this news, she didn't even have time to be shocked and saddened before Yan Ji came to take her life.
In just a few days, Yan Ji confiscated the property of dozens of mansions, seizing millions of taels of gold and treasures. He reported all of this to the emperor and even bowed to plead for the imprisoned officials. His words were impartial and full of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.
Popular legend says he was "majestic, brave, and kind," truly the qualities of a crown prince.
He also said that if he were to become emperor in the future, he would surely rule the world and make all the countries around him bow down and submit to the Great Yan.
For a time, opinions were divided, and even wandering hermits and Buddhist monks wrote eulogies for him, as if the entire Great Yan was already in the Prince of Jin's pocket.
Crown Prince? Emperor?
Xie Lingxi tossed the dried fruit peel in her hand, her eyelids slightly rolled back, revealing a bit of the whites of her eyes—was she dreaming?
Today is the Princess's banquet. Although everything is bleak in winter, the princess's warm pavilion is as warm as spring. Countless exotic flowers and rare plants are vying for beauty, and precious incense fills the pavilion. It is a scene of peace and tranquility.
Recently, many families in the court have suffered undeserved calamities, with the Imperial Guards looting and investigating wantonly, causing widespread panic. Even though the court is severely weakened, many young men and women still flock to the banquet, all hoping to get a share of the spoils from the Princess.
Because so many people were imprisoned, a strange trend of sympathy for those in the same boat arose in Chang'an. For example, right now, several women were talking to Xie Lingxi.
"Third Sister, I heard that something bad has happened to your family recently?"
“That’s right,” a woman dressed in a pale yellow dress came over with a small cup, clinked glasses with them, and teased, “Don’t you know? The Xie family’s fate was just a warning from Prince Jin to us.”
A show of force...
The ladies glanced at Xie Lingxi furtively, pondering: Could it be that the reason the Prince of Jin targeted the Xie family first was because he had been unable to find Xie San Niangzi back then?
Secondly, it is inconvenient to discuss the affairs of the previous dynasty, but everyone is well aware of the principle that "the tallest tree in the forest stands out."
The Prince of Jin made an example of him, and in the blink of an eye, he went from being the dream lover of the ladies of Chang'an to a god of death they avoided at all costs.
Xie Lingxi, who had been listening quietly, interjected, "Oh, what happened to them?"
"Oh dear... good sister!" the woman who spoke up scolded playfully.
Her father was a close friend of Xie's father, and he too had suffered imprisonment this time. Xie Lingxi's voice was calm and indifferent, as if she were telling an unimportant story.
Seeing that Xie Lingxi was about to get up, she gently helped her up, saying, "Sister, please don't speak in such a scary tone, it's terrifying!"
Xie Lingxi merely shifted her position slightly to reach the plate of vibrant plum blossom pastries on the lower right corner of the table. After hearing this, she changed to a lighter tone and repeated, "Oh, what happened?"
The women were left speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Not only Xie Yuan's allies, but also many of his enemies were arrested. The women, having given up all hope, colluded and said all at once, "What's wrong with Prince Jin? Arresting people like this, even if he becomes the Crown Prince, who will respect him?"
"What's this talk of submission? They've already arrested him, what can they do even if he doesn't submit? Besides, doesn't he still have his uncle?"
"What can his uncle do these days?"
"..."
As the conversation drifted further and further away, before even mentioning the Emperor, Cui Yi took a sip of wine at just the right moment, then tossed the cup against a plum blossom, causing the branch to tremble and scatter red petals all over the ground. "Alright, ladies, I have something to discuss with Lingxi, so I'll be leaving now."
As he spoke, he pulled Xie Lingxi by the wrist and led her into the plum grove.
"What's wrong?"
Cui Yi said, "If you continue listening, you'll be waiting to reunite with Xie Heng and your uncle."
What kind of talk is that?
Xie Lingxi gently touched Cui Yi's hand reassuringly, "What are you afraid of? Is Yan Ji here today too?"
"Yes, Miss Cui, my eyesight is excellent. I spotted that scoundrel at a glance. He's a hypocrite! Shameless!"
After she finished speaking, Xie Lingxi mimicked her tone and smiled, "If you keep talking, you can reunite with Xie Heng."
It is said that happiness lies in the fact that lovers are together more often than apart. Cui Yi's mind flashed back to her and Xie Lingjun embracing each other in the cold prison, gathering meager straws to start a fire...
He shook his head violently, shattering the illusion. "I don't want that. He's tough and resilient; he's fine on his own."
She didn't love him to the point of accompanying him to jail.
Many people Yan Ji arrested were unknown to others, but Xie Lingxi knew them all. Most of those ministers were his uncles and cousins who were not close to him in his previous life, making him feel like he was walking against the current or sailing on shallow waters.
Furthermore, there were some people from the Jin King's faction. Yan Ji feared that they would take advantage of his kindness and seek revenge. Since he had already discovered some secrets in his previous life, and those people were no longer useful, it was not a big deal to kill them after they had served their purpose.
Thinking about it, she saw Cui Yi looking surprised. Turning around, she saw Yan Ji walking towards her with a smile on his face.
He handed a sprig of red plum blossom that he had just broken off to Cui Yi, his manners very refined. “Madam Cui, Lingxi and I have something to discuss. Please excuse us for a moment.”
Cui Yi inexplicably accepted the flower branch, exchanged a glance with Xie Lingxi, and was then hastily "invited" away by Yan Ji's men.
Only the two of them remained in the vast plum grove.
Xie Lingxi's expression gradually turned cold, and she gave a light snort: "Your Highness, what brings you here?"
Yan Ji approached in an instant, gently touching Xie Lingxi's face, which was flushed from the cold. The warmth he breathed on her face was instantly replaced by the chilling wind. This man, like a ghost, stuck out his tongue menacingly. "How presumptuous, Lingxi, don't speak to me like that."
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