A person, charred black from head to toe, was dragged inside and tossed onto the ground.
As soon as he was brought near, the smell of burnt flesh wafted through the air, causing those standing on either side to cover their noses and recoil.
Someone recognized him; this was the man who had fought a life-and-death struggle with Ye Zhao on the cliff the previous night.
"This... he’s not dead yet?"
"What a stubborn life!"
Emperor Wei had seen with his own eyes as Ye Zhao kicked the man out of mid-air. Falling from such a height was enough to kill anyone.
Ye Zhao looked left and right, replying in a relaxed tone, "He’s close to it. But since he still has some use, I had someone use a few methods to keep him hanging on."
After Ye Zhao answered, the others fell silent. Looking at the severity of those injuries, death would have been a mercy.
"Do you know why I suspected you? Besides what I mentioned before, there is one more point. When I found him, I saw him looking toward the opposite bank."
As Ye Zhao spoke, he walked slowly to the side of the prone, humanoid figure and crouched down. "At that time, I was curious. What was he looking at?"
"Later, I understood. It wasn't because he saw reinforcements arriving, but because among those people, there was someone he knew."
Ye Zhao’s gaze shifted to Xie Mingyuan.
"Among those who appeared on the opposite bank, Duke Anguo and Duke Zhenguo had already led men to pursue me the moment I entered the fire. If they had set the trap, there would be no need for them to gamble with their own safety."
"As for Eunuch Babao and Commander Wei, they hadn't left the camp before that. If it were His Majesty, ha..." Ye Zhao chuckled. "He wouldn't need to do it himself. Other than you, I can think of no one more suitable."
By mentioning Eunuch Babao and Commander Wei, he meant that if Emperor Wei wanted to strike at him, those two would be the most likely agents. By clearing them, he was also clearing Emperor Wei of suspicion.
The group below listened with racing hearts, unsure whether to call Ye Zhao bold or meticulously calculating.
"So, you’ve grown suspicious of everyone who was by your side back then," Xie Mingyuan remarked with a sigh.
Ye Zhao seemed unconcerned about what others might think, stating frankly, "Only by removing personal feelings can I better reconstruct the truth of the matter."
Xie Mingyuan understood and nodded. "So, based on your analysis of the various signs, you believe I am the mastermind?"
Ye Zhao remained noncommittal, seemingly giving a silent affirmation. He lowered his head toward the man on the ground. "They say that when a man is about to die, his words are kind. My friend, why don't you show some mercy and testify for me? Tell us, is he your master?"
No one in the tent responded.
The eyes of the man on the ground remained closed, making one wonder if he was dead or alive.
Only Ye Zhao refused to give up, continuing his rambling. "Do you know who I’m talking about? A man of both virtue and talent, holding a high position—it truly is difficult to suspect him. But I have already found him out."
"Don't worry. On the road to the Yellow Springs, I’ll make sure you and your master have each other for company. You won't be lonely."
The man’s fingertips twitched slightly. Though the movement was minuscule, Ye Zhao caught it.
Ye Zhao suddenly reached out, pressing his hand against the man’s shoulder, then kneading his way down, inspecting the palms, joints, neck, and torso. He acted as if he couldn't sense the filth or the revulsion of the body; his expression didn't change in the slightest.
Under Ye Zhao’s unrestrained movements, the man on the ground finally showed a reaction, his body twitching involuntarily from the pain.
Several people nearby instinctively looked away.
"It’s fine if you won't speak or confess. I never intended for you to say anything useful anyway." Ye Zhao stood up, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, and said slowly, "You are his confidant. You spend so much time with him that once your face is exposed to those present, his identity can no longer be hidden. That is why you didn't hesitate to disfigure yourself."
"But even so, the information remaining on your body is enough for me to deduce quite a lot."
"Your current public identity is likely that of a steward or something similar. You’ve practiced martial arts for at least twenty years. The old scars on your body look like the handiwork of the Ministry of Justice. This proves you were once a prisoner, and your crime was not light. So, how did you get out of prison?"
Ye Zhao paced slowly around the man. The face of the man, pressed against the ground, revealed no expression, but Ye Zhao suddenly crouched before him again. "Did your master save you, which is why you serve him so loyally? Or were you old acquaintances before this, and that’s why he fished you out?"
The man still didn't speak, but after staring at him intently for three seconds, Ye Zhao suddenly looked enlightened. "Oh... so you and he... are both remnants of the Great Families. That’s why he saved you."
Ye Zhao’s voice dropped low. The man on the ground stiffened, trying to lift his head, but his movements were weak.
Seeing this, Ye Zhao gave a light laugh, propping his cheek on one hand as he said leisurely, "Let me guess which family you and he belong to."
"Zhang? Zhao? The Song or the Qin? No, none of those. It’s the Xie clan, isn't it?"
Ye Zhao’s eyes were like hooks, fixed on the man’s every move. His expression gradually darkened. "The premier family of the past, the Xie Clan of the Capital."
He spoke each word with deliberate emphasis, and his words struck the ears of those present like a tidal wave.
"Ch—*cough, cough*—"
Those eyes, filled with hatred and jealousy, were now open, staring fixedly at Ye Zhao.
The man prone on the ground suddenly let out a few broken, intermittent laughs.
If everything before had been Ye Zhao’s unilateral deduction, the man’s reaction undoubtedly added weight to his words.
A hoarse, low voice sounded.
"Tianshu... the cycle of cause and effect... retribution is unerring!"
"You killed so many people... one day... you will pay the price... for the slaughter you created!"
The bloodshot eyes slowly lost focus, turning grey, and the man who had spoken fell silent forever.
Ye Zhao lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "That truly is a pity. To me, killing is a merit."
Having said that, he stood up and suddenly turned to look at Xie Mingyuan. "Duke Mingde, which 'Xie' is your 'Xie'?"
Unconsciously, a small empty space cleared around Xie Mingyuan.
The eyes of everyone in the tent converged on him.
Xie Yusong stood beside his father, his usual gentleness replaced by a look of sternness and coldness.
"Ye Zhao, you cannot slander my father’s integrity based on mere speculation. Who among those seated here does not know my father’s character?"
He was right. Duke Mingde’s character was obvious to all. In his twenty-plus years at court, he had never had a bad reputation, and few were dissatisfied with him.
Yet, even so, Ye Zhao did not waver in his judgment. He said slowly, "How do you know that what others see is necessarily the truth? If Zhang Mingxu could play his part so well, the person pulling his strings in the shadows could surely do even better."
"Then what evidence do you have to suspect my father?"
Ye Zhao answered frankly, "None. But my intuition is far more accurate than my eyes."
Xie Yusong was nearly moved to angry laughter by his sheer audacity. Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from beside him.
"I truly did not want you to return."
The crowd was shocked.
Xie Yusong turned his head abruptly, his face filled with surprise and helplessness he couldn't hide. He stammered, "...Father?"
Xie Mingyuan glanced at him and the others present, finally resting his gaze on Ye Zhao. He let out a soft sigh. "Your intuition is as startling as ever."
Suddenly, Xie Yusong seemed panicked, instinctively stepping forward to grab his father’s sleeve. "Father, you... what are you...?"
Before he could finish, Xie Mingyuan stopped him with a look. "Let me finish speaking."
Xie Yusong stepped back, somewhat dazed, and watched the two men in the center of the room.
A flash of surprise crossed Ye Zhao’s eyes when the other man spoke, and his heart skipped a beat. He clearly hadn't expected Xie Mingyuan to actually admit it!
He asked, "You admit it?"
"At this point, even if I wanted to deny it, I suppose I couldn't. I did not want you to return."
Xie Mingyuan’s voice remained calm as he repeated his earlier words. "Tianshu, I did not want you to return to Wei. Even if you are Ye Zhao now, I did not want to see you come back."
"Your return is fundamentally a mistake."
Including Emperor Wei, the eyes of everyone present were filled with disbelief.
Those words... came from him? He actually said that?!
"Mingyuan? How can you say such a thing?!" Pei Shian looked at the friend he had known for most of his life, his heart filled with both shock and confusion.
Xie Mingyuan merely glanced at him before returning his gaze to Ye Zhao. His eyes were full of complexity, with a faint trace of struggle.
"Why can't I? You’ve been longing for his return, but is his return truly a good thing?"
He wasn't looking at Pei Shian, but the words were clearly directed at him.
"Do you know what Tianshu’s return to Wei signifies? Ye Zhao, have you heard the story of how the dragon slayer eventually becomes the dragon?"
Ye Zhao paused and said nothing.
Xie Mingyuan let out a long, haunting sigh, his eyes full of the weariness of age.
"He was the one who told me that story. The dreams of youth, when viewed as an adult, are nothing but a page of absurdity."
"I don't care who you really are, but I hope you are Ye Zhao. Tianshu is an insurmountable myth in the hearts of the people of Wei. It could be said that Wei owes everything it has today to his efforts."
"But he should not come back! There are some things I thought I would never have to say, but as things stand, I must. If Tianshu returns, what of His Majesty? Where will you place His Majesty?"
He pressed further.
"A reunion with an old friend should be a joyous occasion. But back then, Tianshu discarded power and high status, abandoned wealth and glory, and left just like that—it was quite elegant. But if he hadn't left back then, what would the situation be today?"
"After twenty years of turning clouds into rain with a flick of the wrist, the strongest in the world, the supreme under heaven... would he still hold his original intentions?"
Xie Mingyuan lamented, "Wealth and status dazzle the eyes... Why does a flourishing age need a hero who holds up the heavens? A nation does not need two rulers. Otherwise, it is not a great blessing, but a disaster. Don't you agree, Ye Zhao?"
The latter fell into silence. He understood Xie Mingyuan’s meaning and had to admit his words were correct.
"You are right. So, by saying all this, are you trying to say I’ve wronged you? That you wanted to kill me out of a sense of greater duty? That it has nothing to do with the nine Great Families of the past?"
This excuse didn't hold up. Xie Mingyuan shook his head in denial. "No. Although I did not wish to see your return, I hadn't reached the point of personally killing you. After all, you are something of a benefactor to me."
"Oh?" Ye Zhao was curious. "What did you do in this affair?"
"I did nothing."
Ye Zhao raised an eyebrow, catching the implication. "You mean to say you knew someone intended to harm me, and you simply chose to stand by and watch?"
The other man fell silent, but his expression was a clear admission.
"You bastard!"
Wei Xiyang couldn't hold back any longer and moved to punch Xie Mingyuan, but fortunately, Wei Feng pulled him back in time. With his strength, a single punch would likely have left Xie Mingyuan bedridden for quite a while.
Ye Zhao glanced over, then moved his gaze back to Xie Mingyuan.
"Did you let the people in?"
Xie Mingyuan asked, "To whom are you referring?"
Ye Zhao: "The assassin who killed Huhante, and the one who set the fire trap in the forest."
Xie Mingyuan was silent for a second. "I noticed something was off with the people who slipped into the camp, but I thought they were also there to kill you."
The word "also" made everyone understand.
He knew everything, but the only thing he likely hadn't expected was that the people who infiltrated the camp didn't strike at Ye Zhao, but killed Huhante instead.
Wei Xiyang panted heavily, cursing, "Have you lost your mind? How could you be so ungrateful?! Don't you know who he is?!"
"Have you forgotten how he treated you back then? Xie Mingyuan, speak!"
"Speak! Xie Mingyuan!"
"I know what I am doing!" Xie Mingyuan barked, his sharp gaze sweeping over Wei Xiyang and the others.
"It is you people who are still immersed in the personal feelings of the past!"
Xie Mingyuan raised his hand, pointing at Ye Zhao and the crowd. "Open your eyes and look! Look at him, then look at yourselves! He is not the Tianshu of back then! And you are no longer the green youths you once were!"
"He has changed, and we have changed! Do you understand?!"
Xie Mingyuan’s words were like a sharp arrow, piercing straight into everyone’s hearts.
The issue they had subconsciously ignored was now being pointed out without mercy. Many fell silent. Even Wei Xiyang stood there dazed, as if his pressure points had been struck.
At this moment, only Ye Zhao’s thoughts remained on the primary issue. He looked at him quietly and said, "You still haven't given me a reason to completely clear you of suspicion. How do you prove that you have nothing to do with the Xie clan?"
As soon as Ye Zhao finished, Xie Mingyuan suddenly laughed. He laughed louder and louder, pointing at Ye Zhao as if he had heard the greatest joke in the world, unable to stop.
Suddenly, his laughter faded. The look he gave Ye Zhao was one of blunt helplessness and bitterness.
"You truly are no longer him... If it were the real Tianshu, he would never ask such a simple question."
He said, "It would be plausible for you to suspect me of being a member of any of the other families, but the Xie clan!"
His voice dropped heavily. "That is absolutely impossible!"
"Why is it impossible?" Ye Zhao asked. But as soon as he asked, he noticed the people nearby looking at him with disapproval, as if trying to stop him.
He didn't understand what they meant, but Xie Mingyuan’s next words provided the answer.
He sneered, "Because I was once a captive plaything, kidnapped and wantonly humiliated by a profligate son of the Xie clan. When Tianshu wiped out the Xie clan, he was the one who saved me, then kept me by his side to teach and train me. That is how the man I am today came to be. Now, do you understand?"
The entire room fell silent.
What did "captive plaything" mean?
It wasn't that Ye Zhao didn't understand the term. It was precisely because he did that his breath hitched instinctively upon realization.
He hadn't expected that the connection between the famous Duke Mingde, Xie Mingyuan, and Tianshu had such an origin.
Not just him—only a few people present knew of this matter. Decades had passed, and the event had long been buried in the dust of the past. He hadn't expected it to be unearthed again today.
How could someone with such an experience have any goodwill toward the Xie clan? Much less be one of them.
It was absolutely impossible!
But with this shameful scar of the past revealed, and seeing Xie Mingyuan’s face grow paler and paler, Xie Yusong could no longer restrain himself. He roared, "Ye Zhao! You suspect my father with no evidence, and now you want us to provide proof?"
"Since ancient times, I have only heard of judging a person’s guilt based on evidence. I have never heard of an innocent person having to produce evidence to prove their innocence! By that logic, is half the world the true culprit behind your attempted murder?!"
"Ye Zhao, you truly are... quite the formidable figure!" Xie Yusong sneered, his face covered in frost.
At this moment, Ye Zhao’s heart couldn't help but waver. Had he truly suspected the wrong person?
He stood there without speaking, his eyes carefully scrutinizing Xie Mingyuan, who had begun to cough softly.
The latter was supported by Xie Yusong. His physical condition did not look good; his sallow face lacked a trace of color, and his eyes were filled with exhaustion.
After a long while, Xie Mingyuan spoke first.
He slowly bowed toward the Emperor at the head of the room. Emperor Wei reached out his hand, intending to tell him to rise, but the atmosphere was so stiff that before he could speak, Xie Mingyuan had already straightened up on his own.
Xie Mingyuan said, "Years ago, I accepted Your Majesty’s invitation to serve as the Crown Prince’s tutor. Now, the Crown Prince has grown into a man and completed his studies. I am aware of my old age; my health is not what it used to be. Therefore, I wish to resign and recuperate at home. I hope Your Majesty will grant this."
"Duke Mingde, I..." Emperor Wei was startled and wanted to urge him to stay, but his words were cut off by the other man.
"Your Majesty, I have labored over government affairs for decades. Now, of the old men who served with me, some have left and some have died. I no longer wish to remain in court. I ask for Your Majesty’s understanding."
Emperor Wei looked at the stalemate among the people below. For a moment, it was difficult to resolve. He coughed twice, glanced at Ye Zhao, and personally walked to Xie Mingyuan, lightly supporting his arm.
"Duke Mingde has worked hard for my Great Wei for many years. Please do not take today’s events to heart. Since you are unwell, go home and rest for a while first. As for the matter of resignation, you might as well consider it further at home; there is no rush to decide right this moment."
After saying this, Emperor Wei didn't wait for Xie Mingyuan to respond. He directly instructed Eunuch Babao, "Babao, hurry and help Duke Mingde down to rest. What are you waiting for!"
Eunuch Babao immediately understood the Emperor’s intent and hurried over to support Xie Mingyuan. "Duke Mingde, please, watch your step. Come, this servant will assist you."
Everyone present understood that this was the Emperor’s stalling tactic because he did not agree to the resignation.
Xie Mingyuan opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment, Ye Zhao, who had been standing still, suddenly moved.
He stepped forward and grabbed Xie Mingyuan’s forearm, his right palm pressing exactly against the other man’s wrist. He appeared humble and extremely respectful.
His face carried a perfectly measured look of apology. "I was reckless earlier. My words offended Duke Mingde; I am truly sorry. Once we return, I will certainly prepare an apology gift and visit your residence in person to apologize."
As he spoke, his nose twitched slightly, as if he had caught a scent. He said, seemingly casual and curious, "Eh? The scent of the incense Duke Mingde uses is somewhat familiar."
Hearing this, Xie Mingyuan stared fixedly at Ye Zhao, who seemed to be reminiscing. He spoke calmly, "Is that so? There are plenty of people in the Celestial Capital who use the same incense as I do. You needn't try to trick me."
He looked down and slowly brushed away Ye Zhao’s hand from his pulse point. In a tone so calm it was almost indifferent, he said, "And you were right about one more thing: I do indeed know a great deal about Tianshu. Including the methods he habitually uses to test whether another’s words are true or false—I know them all too well."
Having said that, he didn't give Ye Zhao another look. Supported by Xie Yusong, he walked straight out of the tent.
*Er...* Having clearly understood the underlying meaning of the other man’s words, Ye Zhao lowered his head and looked at his empty right hand, feeling quite embarrassed for a moment.
While his mouth was offering apologies, he was actually still testing the man, and he had been called out directly by the person involved. If Ye Zhao wasn't the one embarrassed, who was?
He pulled out the folding fan from his waist to lightly block the lower half of his face, his gaze flickering away.
***
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
刑部 | Ministry of Justice | One of the Six Ministries in imperial China, responsible for judicial and penal matters.
天枢 | Tianshu | Ye Zhao's former identity/title; also the name of the star Dubhe.
禁脔 | Captive plaything | Literally "forbidden meat." Historically refers to a person kept for the exclusive pleasure/abuse of a powerful individual.
天上京 | Celestial Capital | The name of the capital city in the novel's setting.
明德公 | Duke Mingde | The noble title held by Xie Mingyuan.
安国公 | Duke Anguo | The noble title held by Pei Shian.
镇国公 | Duke Zhenguo | The noble title held by Wei Xiyang.
黄泉 | Yellow Springs | The underworld/realm of the dead in Chinese mythology.
