A month later, Jiang Huaichu arrived at the outskirts of Northern Ning’s capital.
The trusted guard leading the carriage lifted the curtain slightly and whispered, “Young Master, we’ll be entering the city in half an hour.”
Jiang Huaichu didn’t look up from his book. “Got it—”
The guard suddenly tensed. “Who’s there?!”
A shadow flashed, leaping into the carriage in an instant. Before Jiang Huaichu could even make out the figure, the intruder was already kneeling on one knee beside him.
“Young Lord,” the man said, voice low and firm. “I am Ru Shi. I oversee the intelligence network across all of Northern Ning and have been monitoring your journey. I’ve come to escort and protect you. We have received word of the Old Master’s orders—henceforth, all intelligence operations in Northern Ning will follow your command.”
“I’m not the Young Lord.”
“What are your orders, Young Lord?”
“I said, I’m not—”
“What are your orders, Young Lord?”
Jiang Huaichu: “…”
Forget it. He knew this man’s personality well enough.
He turned his gaze toward the tall, silent man dressed in black before him and smiled. “Ru Shi, it’s me.”
Ru Shi had an inexplicable sense of familiarity at those words. He looked up, and his usually composed, unwavering eyes rippled violently.
“Xie Caiqing?!”
The person before him was completely different from the portraits of Duan Wang—his features were… even more striking.
Realizing how offensive his words were, Ru Shi quickly lowered his head. “Forgive my transgression, Young Lord—please punish me!”
“There’s no need to be so formal between us,” Jiang Huaichu said gently. “Rise.”
Ru Shi remained motionless.
Jiang Huaichu sighed helplessly. “You didn’t get it wrong—this face is my real one. The ‘Duan Wang’ you knew was just a human skin mask.”
Ru Shi suppressed the shock in his heart.
The entire intelligence network of Nanruo was managed by Xie Caiqing. For ease of communication with Northern Ning’s intelligence headquarters, he had stationed himself at the border for years.
Meticulous, cunning, and flawlessly discreet, Xie Caiqing had never once made an error in three years of collaboration. He was insightful, composed, and wielded a mastery of poisons that was second to none. His reputation had soared, and he had gathered a considerable following.
For three years, Ru Shi had trusted and admired him deeply, even contemplating stepping aside to let him take over.
But now… he was actually the little Wangye!
No wonder the Old Master had ignored all opposition and handed over Northern Ning’s entire intelligence network to the Young Wangye. Now that everyone knew it was Xie Caiqing, they would have no complaints.
Outside the carriage, a city guard barked, “Get down, get down! Routine inspection! Everyone, out of the carriage!”
The carriage rolled to a stop.
Northern Ning’s capital was bustling, especially with the upcoming imperial exams. Scholars from all over the land had flooded into the city, filling the gates with an endless stream of people and carriages.
The sweating guards, seeing the plain and even somewhat shabby carriage, grew impatient. “Why are you dawdling? Hurry up and get down!”
A slender, fair hand lifted the curtain.
The soldier, mid-rant, abruptly fell silent.
Stepping gracefully from the carriage was a man in plain but exquisitely clean robes. His face was as flawless as polished jade, exuding an air of refinement and dignity. Even without uttering a single word, he left a striking impression.
Northern Ning was an open-minded land, and many young women out on their excursions turned to look. For a brief moment, the usually noisy city gates fell into an unexpected hush.
Great Ning had no shortage of strong, imposing men, but it was rare to see someone as refined and handsome as the man before them—his features were even more delicate and alluring than a woman’s.
The guard’s attitude took a complete turn. “What’s your name?”
“Xie Caiqing.”
“Where are you coming from?”
Jiang Huaichu presented his fish tally. “West City of Junzhou.”
The guard took it, gave it a glance, and his enthusiasm faded slightly.
Junzhou being on the northern border was one thing, but West City was the poorest part of Junzhou.
He was baffled as to how such a desolate place could have produced someone like this. “What’s your business in the capital?”
Jiang Huaichu retrieved an official document from his robes and handed it over with both hands.
The guard opened it and skimmed the contents.
“So, you’re a provincial scholar! I apologize for my disrespect!”
The guard froze for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He looked at the young man before him in shock, then quickly lowered his gaze back to the fish tally.
It had the man’s birthdate engraved on it. This person was only eighteen.
An eighteen-year-old provincial scholar.
As long as he performed well in the metropolitan exam, given his looks and talent, his future would be limitless.
The guard immediately softened his demeanor, made a cursory inspection, and, finding no issues, respectfully allowed him to pass.
Many people watched the carriage roll into the city, murmuring among themselves.
A scholar suddenly slapped his forehead. “I knew his name sounded familiar! Xie Caiqing—it’s Xie Caiqing! The top scholar of Junzhou at fifteen! The one the Governor personally gifted his belt to as an honored guest—Xie Xicheng!”
“Oh! I remember now! He was the one everyone bet would be the top scorer three years ago, but he never even showed up for the exam!”
“Yes, that’s him!”
“A top scholar at fifteen?!”
“Why is he only taking the exam now, three years later? And why so late in the season…”
“West City is a godforsaken place—just making it here is impressive enough.”
“This year’s top scorer is going to be interesting. There are quite a few prodigies in the mix.”
…..
At Yixian Tower, the grandest teahouse in Northern Ning, in the Heaven-named private room.
Xiao Yun, dressed in casual attire, leaned on the railing, rubbing a purple clay teacup between his fingers, and asked with an unreadable expression, “Which candidates have been making private deals?”
“Your Majesty, the Shilang of Official Affairs has been secretly accepting bribes from many examinees,” his aide reported.
Xiao Yun looked down at the candidates below. “That old fool Zhou is getting more senile by the day. He can’t even control his own son. He clings to his position like a leech, and now he wants to shove his granddaughter at me? What a joke.”
“What does Your Majesty plan to do?”
Xiao Yun turned to his close friend, Xie Zhe, and smirked lazily. “Depends on how much of that silver finds its way into my treasury.”
“…Your Majesty is wise,” Xie Zhe said, maintaining his composure as he continued his report. “The Jijiu of the Imperial Academy has made private agreements with candidates as well. One of them is indeed a prodigy and from a prestigious lineage—the descendant of the Qizhang clan,. His literary reputation is widespread, but his character is questionable—arrogant, reckless, and prone to violence.”
Xiao Yun downed the rest of his tea. “Go on.”
Xie Zhe finished his report, and Xiao Yun’s expression turned icy. “They’re all quite bold, aren’t they?”
Xie Zhe remained silent. If this were the imperial court, His Majesty would have already flung his teacup at someone’s head.
Cautiously, Xie Zhe asked, “Will Your Majesty continue the tradition of selecting a top scorer from the noble families, or will you favor a commoner this year?”
Xiao Yun frowned. “Are there any commoners even worth considering this year?”
He had always despised arrogant scholars who had nothing but empty rhetoric and no practical abilities.
In recent years, he had favored noble families not out of disdain for commoners, but simply because the commoners available were incompetent. The nobles were at least clever and useful.
“There weren’t any before, but…” Xie Zhe hesitated. “I just received word—Xie Caiqing from West City, Junzhou, has arrived in the capital.”
Xiao Yun frowned, trying to recall the name, but came up blank.
He had too many matters to handle daily. To preserve his lifespan, he made a habit of forgetting anything that wasn’t immediately important.
“You probably don’t remember,” Xie Zhe said considerately. “Three years ago, the Magistrate of Junzhou, Qian Haozheng, sent you over ten memorials recommending this person for court service. He’s an exceptional writer, became a provincial scholar at fifteen, and is quite famous in Junzhou. He may even be on par with the Qizhang clan’s heir. Zhang has a greater reputation because of his family’s legacy and his proximity to the capital, while Xie Caiqing is a commoner from the borderlands.”
“The stubborn old man’s protégé?” Xiao Yun groaned. “Don’t tell me he’s another mule-headed scholar?”
“…No,” Xie Zhe said with absolute certainty.
Xiao Yun finally showed some interest. “How did I handle it back then?”
“You agreed to summon him to the capital, but he…”
Xie Zhe paused.
Xiao Yun narrowed his eyes. “What did he do?”
Xie Zhe lowered his voice. “…He refused to enter court service.”
Xiao Yun was momentarily stunned.
The phrase “refused to enter court service” triggered a memory.
Three years ago, that person had sent a memorial to him—thousands of words long, written in elegant parallel prose, with masterful allusions and poetic language. It was filled with nothing but flattery, praising him as the most handsome and brilliant ruler in history, unrivaled before or after. It was so ridiculously sycophantic that Xiao Yun had been thoroughly entertained and had even considered bringing the scholar to court for his amusement.
But in the final lines, the writer declared that he had long admired His Majesty but was still too young to serve at his side.
The rhetoric was impeccable—exaggerated flattery followed by an elegant refusal.
The rejection was written so beautifully that it outshone most memorials of gratitude. Xiao Yun had been both amused and annoyed, showing the memorial to Xie Zhe, baffled by such an oddity.
Since the scholar was just a boy at the time, Xiao Yun had decided not to press the issue. He wouldn’t lower himself to argue with a child.
Now, three years later, he still remembered it clearly.
Xiao Yun raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t he unwilling to enter court service? Why is he coming to the capital now?”
Xie Zhe replied, “…Perhaps he now feels old enough to serve? He is eighteen this year, after all.”
“So young?” Xiao Yun looked at Xie Zhe in surprise. “This happened three years ago, and yet you remember it so clearly?”
Xie Zhe coughed lightly. “To be honest, Your Majesty, what made Xie Caiqing famous in Junzhou was not his talent, but… his appearance.”
Xiao Yun chuckled, teasingly. “He must be truly extraordinary if even the Commander of the Changling Guards remembers him so well?”
Xie Zhe felt somewhat embarrassed. “One of my subordinates went to Junzhou and happened to see Xie Caiqing in person. He was stunned by his beauty and even secretly brought back a portrait, which was later passed around among the men as gossip. That was the only reason I caught a glimpse of it, and I must say… he is indeed one in a million.”
“More handsome than you?” Xiao Yun studied Xie Zhe’s face with an amused expression.
This was the kind of jest exchanged between friends. Xie Zhe coughed again and admitted honestly, “Your servant is ashamed to say, I cannot compare.”
Xiao Yun had seen countless beauties, but this statement piqued his curiosity.
Xie Zhe knew the emperor valued appearances, so he elaborated: “The people of Junzhou often boast to the neighboring Nanruo that our Northern Ning scholar, Xie Caiqing, surpasses even their esteemed Duan Wang in both talent and looks. This alone speaks volumes about Xie Caiqing—”
Xiao Yun’s expression remained indifferent.
He had never met Duan Wang of Nanruo, so he had no opinion on the man’s appearance. However, Duan Wang’s literary talent was beyond question—many elder statesmen in the imperial court revered his abilities. Even though he belonged to an enemy nation, they never spoke ill of him.
To Xiao Yun, such words were mere provocations, spoken out of pride.
Sensing the emperor’s disinterest, Xie Zhe tactfully shifted the topic. “Would Your Majesty like to elevate Xie Caiqing to challenge the influence of the aristocracy?”
Xiao Yun sneered. “Why would I elevate him? Do you think someone like him needs anyone to lift him up? ‘Refused to enter court service’—as if Great Ning cannot function without him. The fact that I’m not sending him back the way he came is already a kindness. He knows that.”
“Xie Zhe—”
Xiao Yun’s gaze paused on the staircase not far away.
Xie Zhe waited for a command, but when none came, he followed the emperor’s line of sight.
At the staircase entrance, a young man ascended the steps, drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the tea house.
As if wary of getting his robes dirty, he lifted the hem slightly while walking.
His steps were light and steady, making no sound on the hollow wooden stairs. His neck extended gracefully into a straight but relaxed posture, giving him an air of effortless elegance. The natural curve of his waistline only accentuated his refined bearing.
He carried himself with more poise than even a well-bred noble lady.
Xiao Yun, though accustomed to seeing beautiful people, found himself staring for a moment longer than usual. He idly remarked, “Is that Xie Caiqing more beautiful than him?”