Chapter Twenty-One: Drizzling Rain in the Season of Remembrance

Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince’s bedchamber.

Zhao Heng sat quietly at the edge of his couch, circulating his inner energy. A mystical aura coiled around him, radiating a faint blue glow. Yet soon, the glow faded into nothingness, dissipating into the air.

Zhao Heng’s brow furrowed deeply. He opened his eyes with a start, gasping for breath.

“Your Highness.” Bai Xue, her face etched with concern, handed him a white silk handkerchief. “You mustn’t push yourself too hard, lest you harm your vital energy.”

Zhao Heng took the handkerchief, wiped the sweat from his face, and let out a heavy sigh.

“My cultivation has been stalled at the Fifth Rank of Enlightenment for more than three years!”

“These three years, I have trained ceaselessly day and night, yet have seen no progress!”

“How can I not be anxious?!”

Bai Xue’s eyes flashed with indignation. “If not for those scholars at Taihu Academy, who have carved away half of our Great Qian’s scholarly aura—”

“Your Highness would not be in this predicament!”

As she spoke, a fierce light appeared in Bai Xue’s eyes, as if she wished to tear those scholars of Taihu Academy to pieces.

“That old wretch Su Ming,” Zhao Heng spat, his voice harsh. “Not only does he refuse to abolish the academy to help me break through, he opposes me at every turn!”

“One day, I will see the Su clan exterminated, every last one!”

As his voice fell, a Xuanwu Guard hastened in from outside.

“Your Highness, the murder case on Lin’an Street has been solved.”

“So swiftly?” Zhao Heng’s face showed surprise. “Since when has the Capital Magistrate’s Office become so efficient?”

“Your Highness,” the Xuanwu Guard paused, lowering his voice, “the one who solved the case was Li Yunjie, heir of Beiling.”

At these words, Zhao Heng was silent for a long moment. “Him again…”

…

The fourth day of the third month.

Qingming Festival.

“On Qingming, the drizzling rain falls thick and fast,”

“Travelers on the road are heartsick and forlorn…”

Li Yunjie stood in the corridor, reciting a poem offhand.

“Master,” Eleven said, swallowing a bite of peach blossom cake, “since when did you start liking poetry?”

“I’m not so talented,” Li Yunjie sighed softly. “I just copied it.”

“Copied… that works too.”

“Not that I understand it anyway.” Eleven licked the cake crumbs from her fingers, still savoring the taste.

“Sir.”

As he drifted in thought, a maid behind him spoke softly: “Master requests your presence in the ancestral hall.”

Li Yunjie nodded in assent.

He followed the maid to the ancestral hall of the Su family.

Su Ming was already there, waiting.

Curiously, the Su sisters were nowhere to be seen.

Li Yunjie drew a deep breath—even with Su Ming’s back to him, he could feel the biting chill that emanated from him.

So this was the oppressive aura of Great Qian’s foremost power-holder.

A trace of unease flickered in Li Yunjie’s heart.

He stepped over the threshold into the hall, where a dozen ancestral tablets stood in neat rows.

Directly ahead, the name of Su family’s matriarch, Wei Junya, caught his eye.

“Zichuan, go pay your respects to your mother-in-law,” said Su Ming, handing Li Yunjie three sticks of incense.

Hearing his mighty father-in-law address him so warmly, Li Yunjie felt a little out of place.

He nodded awkwardly, accepted the incense, bowed reverently, and inserted the sticks into the burner.

“The children’s mother passed early, and I have spent my life at court,” Su Ming began. “I have neglected my daughters’ upbringing.”

“That is why Qingmeng has grown somewhat headstrong, and Xiyan remains naive and childish.”

“For this, I am deeply remorseful.”

Faced with Su Ming’s sudden openness, Li Yunjie was caught off guard.

“Father-in-law, you are too hard on yourself,” Li Yunjie replied, bowing. “I believe Qingmeng is upright and just, intolerant of evil.”

“Her temper may be fierce, but her nature is pure.”

“As for Xiyan, she is innocent and lively, carefree and unburdened. Is such freedom not a blessing in itself?”

Su Ming gazed at Li Yunjie in silence for a long time.

“Hearing you say so, my heart is comforted,” he finally said, a rare warmth flickering in his deep eyes.

He took a few steps forward and left the ancestral hall. The spring breeze stirred the willow leaves, setting them whispering.

“Since you have joined my family as a son-in-law, I will naturally look after you,” he said, turning slowly. “Zichuan, have you ever thought of entering officialdom?”

Li Yunjie was taken aback.

By rights, a man of Su Ming’s power and status would look down on a fallen heir like himself.

But recalling Su Ming’s recent actions, both overt and subtle, it was clear he had been supporting him all along.

Even bringing him into the Su family as a son-in-law was something Li Yunjie could not fathom.

And now, offering him an official post—could it be to help him gain a foothold in court, to use him against the Crown Prince?

“The Zhou Jingzhi case has far-reaching implications,” Su Ming said evenly. “Without an official title, investigating further will be nigh impossible.”

At these words, a chill ran down Li Yunjie’s spine.

Cold sweat broke out, soaking his clothes.

He hadn’t spoken to anyone about investigating Zhou Jingzhi’s case.

How did Su Ming know?

That old fox—has he been watching me?

A thousand tangled thoughts surged through Li Yunjie’s mind, making his scalp tingle.

He looked at Su Ming’s calm eyes, as fathomless as an abyss, and felt a shudder of fear.

“What’s with that look?” Su Ming chuckled. “Do you think I’m going to eat you?”

“You jest, Father-in-law.” Li Yunjie steadied himself. “It’s just… I’ve always enjoyed a carefree life. The restrictions of officialdom would be hard for me to bear.”

Whatever Su Ming’s purpose, it was best to refuse for now.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch—any child knows that.

Su Ming seemed unsurprised by his refusal.

“Whether it’s the Zhou Jingzhi case or the undercover agents at Drunken Moon Tower,” Su Ming said,

“If you wish to go further, you must have a legitimate identity.”

He patted Li Yunjie’s shoulder, smiling. “I’ll give you a few days to think it over.”

“If you change your mind, come to me at any time.”

With that, he strode away, leaving Li Yunjie shivering alone in the cold wind.

Back in his room, Li Yunjie collapsed onto his bed, dazed.

The weight of Su Ming’s words still pressed hard upon his nerves.

“Master?” Eleven called softly. “It wasn’t the Prince you were honoring, so why so forlorn?”

Li Yunjie sighed. “Su Ming is too formidable. No wonder he holds such power.”

“Why do you say that?” Eleven asked, full of curiosity.

Li Yunjie glanced at her and sighed again.

There was no making sense of this with a child.

“Still, thinking carefully, becoming an official might not be a bad thing,” he murmured.

With Su Ming’s support, rising through the ranks would be easy.

According to Su Ming, now that he had married in, he was a member of the Su family.

A father-in-law helping his son-in-law was only natural.

What’s more, Su Ming had a point.

To get to the bottom of the Beiling Rebellion hinted at by Zhou Jingzhi, he’d inevitably have to wade into court affairs.

Without a position, where would he even begin?

“Are you really thinking of becoming an official, Master?” Eleven asked in surprise.

“Just thinking out loud,” Li Yunjie replied, turning away.

He gathered his thoughts and let out a deep breath.

Today was Qingming, and he had important matters to attend to.

He sprang up, snatched the peach blossom cake from Eleven’s hand, and stuffed it in his mouth. “Come on!”

Eleven: This is a bit much…

“Where are we going, Master?”

Li Yunjie strode out the door. “The Li family’s ancestral hall!”

The ancestral hall?

Eleven’s heart skipped a beat.

Ever since Li Jia’s death, Li Yunjie hadn’t set foot there.

Why the sudden whim today?

“Has Master come to his senses?”

Through the light drizzle, the two made their way east to the Beiling Prince’s estate on Taiping Street.

Since Li Yunjie had married into the Su family, the manor had been left deserted.

Standing at the gate, memories surged through Li Yunjie’s mind.

“Hurry up!” he called.

Just as he was lost in thought, a few barks came from inside the house.

“Get rid of all those useless things!” someone shouted.