While playing cards at Changmen Palace, Ah Jiao kept a watchful eye on her surroundings to deal with any stray spirits. In the process of escorting these souls back to the underworld, she took a detour to the Hall of Origins.
She had long ago promised Nan Ke that she would investigate the cause of Chen Wan’s death. However, due to the subsequent complications with Yun He, she had been unable to find the time to look into it. Now that the matters regarding Yun He were largely settled, she could finally spare some attention for Chen Wan.
The Hall of Origins was overseen by the Records Official, Shu Er. Ah Jiao had never met him before; it was only after her father, Shen, sent someone to guide her that she was introduced to him for the first time.
Shu Er was a peculiar ghost. He had no face; instead, he used a brush to draw his own features. Ah Jiao was momentarily startled when she first laid eyes on him.
She cautiously stated her purpose. Shu Er gave her a casual glance before drifting toward the archives. He pulled a scroll and tossed it in front of her.
Ah Jiao hurriedly opened the scroll. Lines of text slowly manifested upon the surface. After a quick scan, her eyes fixed on the final few lines.
“...” Ah Jiao had previously wondered if Wei Jin’e of the Wei family had acted out of jealousy, but what was this?
What did this have to do with Wei Qing’s mother? Why would she poison Chen Wan?
Ah Jiao hesitated for a moment before asking, “Does it not show why she was poisoned?”
Shu Er leaned over to glance at Chen Wan’s Life Scroll. “No,” he replied. “This only records the most direct line of cause and effect. Everything in the world is interconnected; if we recorded every minute detail, the archives would never end!”
“True enough,” Ah Jiao nodded.
After thanking Shu Er, Ah Jiao was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. “Master Shu Er, may I see the Life Scroll of a living person?”
Shu Er looked up, revealing his meticulously drawn face. “Which living person?”
“Liu Qing.”
Shu Er nodded. “Very well.” He pulled out another bamboo slip and handed it to her.
She opened it quickly and found that, as expected, two months after she had died at the hands of Luan Da two years ago, a musician named Chou Zhuang had appeared by Liu Qing’s side.
According to her father, Luan Da had used a soul-seizing technique to forcibly take over Chou Zhuang’s body. He then used magic to delude Liu Qing, using her as a puppet to conduct various clandestine affairs. However, he had remained at the Chongjing Garden outside the city, never venturing into the capital.
Liu Qing’s Life Scroll recorded that Luan Da had been constantly inciting her to take Liu Che’s life, but he never succeeded. For instance, there was a cup of poisoned wine that was meant for Liu Che, but was accidentally consumed by Chen Wan instead.
Ah Jiao: “...”
What a mess.
Fortunately, Luan Da had already been dragged back to the underworld. After his sentencing, he was currently undergoing punishment in the depths of hell. As for Liu Qing, Ah Jiao had already broken the spell on her; she should be regaining her senses by now.
As for the old matriarch of the Wei family... she would leave that for Liu Che to handle.
“Could I also...” Ah Jiao offered a sheepish smile.
Shu Er asked, “Whose now?”
“Hehe, thank you, Master Shu Er. I’d like to see Liu Che’s—the current Emperor of Han.” Ah Jiao’s face was full of smiles. It wasn't just curiosity; Liu Qing’s scroll mentioned that Luan Da had orchestrated over a dozen assassination attempts against Liu Che, yet he had evaded every single one. His luck was simply too good!
She had to see for herself.
Another bamboo slip was placed before her. Ah Jiao flipped straight to the end and discovered... corresponding to those assassination attempts, Liu Che had always dodged them in the most bizarre fashions. Whenever there was poison, someone else always took the fall; whenever there was an assassin, some random series of events would prevent them from ever reaching him.
“How can Liu Che have such a blessed life?” Ah Jiao grumbled indignantly.
Shu Er leaned in again to take a look. “Born on the fourteenth day of the seventh month—a formidable destiny. In mortal terms, those with a weaker fate than his will be suppressed by his presence and are prone to suffering misfortunes in his stead. As for those with a fate stronger than his...” Shu Er flipped through Liu Che’s scroll several times. “None have appeared yet.”
“What about Yun He?”
Shu Er’s interest piqued slightly. “Yun He is half-ghost; his destiny is naturally more unyielding than Liu Che’s.”
Ah Jiao’s eyes suddenly lit up. “If the two of them were to clash, what would happen?” She remembered Lin Gao mentioning that the relationship between Liu Che and his sons wasn't exactly stellar.
“What do you think?”
Ah Jiao felt that even though Shu Er had no real expression, he was likely rolling his eyes at her. It made sense; Yun He was, after all, under the watch of Ghost Emperor Fei Kang and Celestial Master Yun He. Even if those two deities didn't interfere directly, who was to say they wouldn't feel protective of their son one day?
“Sigh, Master Shu Er, why not just tell Liu Che about Yun He’s true identity? If he knew a god had been reincarnated as his son, he’d probably be so happy he’d drop dead on the spot.”
“Hahaha,” Shu Er laughed softly. “The two deities have their own arrangements for Yun He. That is why the underworld cannot interfere directly; we can only have you look after him from the sidelines. We simply follow orders.”
“Understood.” Ah Jiao thanked him solemnly once more before bidding him farewell. She went to see her mother to say goodbye and then returned to Changmen Palace.
After much deliberation, Ah Jiao decided to seek out Liu Che to tell him about Chen Wan.
***
The Emperor, who had been quiet for a whole day, was growing restless again. On the road toward Dan Shui County in Hongnong Commandery, he prepared to send another letter to Ah Jiao.
Sending letters to convey his feelings—Liu Che found this novelty quite refreshing for a first-timer.
Just as he finished grinding the ink, he saw his brush lift into the air on its own.
“!” Liu Che drew his sword and slashed at it instantly.
Ah Jiao: “...”
Formidable destiny, high alertness, and quick reflexes—no wonder it was so hard for him to die. She slowly revealed her form. To travel faster, she had left Chen Wan’s shell at Changmen Palace and hurried over in her spirit form.
Liu Che: “...”
He sheathed his sword and stepped forward, intending to pull Ah Jiao into his arms.
Ah Jiao drifted away, dodging him. She said sternly, “I have serious matters to discuss with you. Behave yourself.”
The Emperor composed himself, his expression turning solemn as he assumed something catastrophic had happened. “Speak.”
The two sat facing each other. Ah Jiao began, “You are using Chen Wan’s body. You remember the matter of her being poisoned, don't you?”
Liu Che nodded. “Chen Wan? Wasn't that you?”
“What are you talking about? What do you mean, me?” Ah Jiao was confused.
“Did you not possess Chen Wan’s body two years ago to avoid the marriage?”
Ah Jiao was silent for a long time. “I think you have a massive misunderstanding about me!”
“I only possessed Chen Wan’s body a few months ago after she died of poisoning. How could I possibly possess her while she was still alive? Who told you I took over her body two years ago?”
“Ahem.” *I... I guessed.* Liu Che felt a bit embarrassed and could only reply vaguely, “The two Chen brothers said she had been acting strangely for two years. It seems I was mistaken.”
Ah Jiao didn't dwell on it. “I see. You were indeed mistaken. Anyway, back to the poisoning—I’ve found out why she was poisoned.”
She looked up at Liu Che, feeling a pang of pity for the young girl.
“Why?” Liu Che recalled. “At the time, I didn't know it was you, so I had them investigate. They found nothing unusual, so I assumed she had taken poison because she was unwilling to serve me in bed, which made me quite angry... Later, Yangxin and Wei Qing reported it was a recurring heart condition...”
After he reunited with Ah Jiao at the Shanglin Park, he hadn't pursued the matter further.
“Nothing unusual? Wei Qing was the one who investigated?” Ah Jiao arched an eyebrow.
Liu Che nodded.
Ah Jiao remembered. When she first woke up in Chen Wan’s body, Wei Yuan had mentioned that the Marquis of Changping’s estate had covered up the matter. Since it involved his own mother, even if Wei Qing had discovered the truth, he could never have turned her in.
“I see.” A dark thought began to take root in the Emperor’s mind. “So, Wei Qing concealed the poisoning and lied, claiming it was an illness.”
To the Emperor, the death of a minor official’s daughter was trivial. But this was poisoning, and Wei Qing had hidden it—one moment Chen Wan was fine, and the next she was dead.
“Was she poisoned at Yangxin’s banquet?” Liu Che’s expression darkened further.
Seeing the storm clouds gathering on Liu Che’s face, Ah Jiao spoke calmly. “It seems Your Majesty truly has a blessed life. Chen Wan suffered in your stead; she drank your wine.”
The room fell into a heavy silence.
“Was it Liu Ying? Wei Qing...?” Liu Che’s voice dropped, his anger simmering. “Or... the Crown Prince!” He remembered that Yangxin had indeed handed him a cup of wine personally, which he had then bestowed upon Chen Wan.
Ah Jiao was stunned. She hadn't expected him to jump straight to suspecting Liu Ju. She quickly clarified, “It was Luan Da.”
“Luan Da?” Liu Che’s anger took a sharp turn. “Isn't he long dead?”
“Oh, I might have forgotten to tell you. That musician, Chou Zhuang, was actually Luan Da, whom you had waist-chopped. He was aided by some supernatural entity and had been seeking revenge on you. Also, he used magic to delude your eldest daughter. I told you about this—and you still haven't paid me!”
Ah Jiao emphasized the words “haven't paid me” heavily.
Liu Che remained silent, trying to piece everything together.
“So you’re saying Luan Da didn't die, and harboring a grudge, he deluded Liu Qing to try and kill me? And Chen Wan died because she drank that poisoned wine?”
“Exactly.”
“Liu Qing, that fool!” Liu Che cursed. He had always been quite fond of Liu Qing because she was his eldest daughter, yet in recent months, she had repeatedly brought him embarrassment. Now, she had nearly invited a wolf into the house and cost him his life.
“You talk as if you were smart enough to see through Luan Da’s identity yourself,” Ah Jiao added, seizing the chance to twist the knife.
“Chen Ah Jiao!” Liu Che glared at her.
Ah Jiao gave a haughty huff, completely unbothered.
“Then why did Wei Qing cover for Luan Da? I have treated the Wei family with nothing but favor.” The Emperor gripped the corner of the table, feeling a bitter lump in his throat.
“Because... the poison was administered by the Wei matriarch under Luan Da’s influence! As for Wei Qing, he seemingly knew nothing of Luan Da’s involvement.”
“Why should I believe you?” Liu Che suddenly stood up, walked over to Ah Jiao’s side, and sat down, trying to pull her into his lap to kiss her.
Ah Jiao flickered away, dodging him. “Believe it or not. I promised to avenge Chen Wan. Luan Da has already been brought to justice, and Liu Qing has been demoted and confined. That leaves Yangxin and the Wei matriarch. I will find my own way to teach them a lesson.”
“I only came to tell you this out of respect for the fact that the Wei family are the consorts you raised up yourself. I’m just giving you some face.”
She had disliked Yangxin for many years. And the Wei matriarch had offended her back when she stayed at the Marquis of Changping’s estate with Wei Yuan.
However, she might still need to return to Chang’an to see if the Wei matriarch was under some sort of confusion spell. If she was, Ah Jiao would break it—dislike was one thing, but there was no need to throw away potential merit.
Liu Che let out a cold snort. “What a cover-up. What a consort clan. Ah Jiao, you truly have changed. You even know how to sow discord with your words now.”
“Whether I am sowing discord or Your Majesty is simply paranoid, you know the answer in your heart. Besides, I didn't even suspect Liu Ju. As for saying I’ve changed... Liu Che, how many times must I say it? That Ah Jiao who never changed died long ago, lonely and ill, in Changmen Palace.”
“I am a ghost now!”
“I am not human.”
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 来处来 | Hall of Origins | A place in the underworld where records of souls are kept. |
| 文录官 | Records Official | A title for an official in the underworld bureaucracy. |
| 书尔 | Shu Er | The name of the faceless Records Official. |
| 文册来 | Archive of Scrolls | The specific area or collection of records in the underworld. |
| 命册 | Life Scroll | A record of a person's destiny and life events. |
| 仇庄 | Chou Zhuang | The name of the musician whose body Luan Da possessed. |
| 重景园 | Chongjing Garden | A location outside the capital where Liu Qing stayed. |
| 命硬 | Formidable destiny | A cultural concept where a person's life force is so strong it affects others or allows them to survive disasters. |
| 丹水县 | Danshui County | A location in Hongnong Commandery. |
| 弘农郡 | Hongnong Commandery | A historical administrative division. |
| 刘据 | Liu Ju | The Crown Prince, son of Liu Che and Wei Zifu. |
| 卫老太太 | Wei matriarch | Referring to Wei Qing's mother (Wei Jun). |
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