Palace Coup 23

She recalled how he had diligently escorted her all the way to the capital, silently enduring her abandonment in the end. He was a man of great forbearance and a gentle nature. Now that she had altered their course midway, he did whatever she asked, and even made excuses for her occasional eccentricities, which made his gentle and watery consideration seem all the more apparent.

Counting the years from eleven to fifteen in her memories, she realized his conduct had always been steady and reserved. Plus, with the backing of her father, and the fact that he was... well, drop-dead gorgeous, keeping him by her side seemed like a rather good idea.

Xie Miaoxuan gave a soft hum, her dimples appearing at the corners of her lips. "Do you have a sweetheart?"

People married young these days; a youth's yearning was only natural. While it was true that her father had arranged their union, if he already had someone else in his heart and was only enduring this out of duty to her father... she should be the bigger person and let him go.

Xie Yuanju was stunned by her sudden question, his expression turning peculiar for a moment.

"No."

Excellent, simply excellent.

"What do you think of me?" Her brows arched, and seeing his pure, chaste demeanor, she couldn't help but chuckle. She felt like a merchant peddling her own wares. "I think you are quite good. If you are willing, I shall take you into my quarters."

He turned his face away, covering his lips with his hand to offer a light cough. This phrasing sounded so familiar; of course, Old Man Shang had mentioned it to him earlier that day. But now, the roles were reversed—she was the one who wanted to take him in.

Xie Miaoxuan’s eyes curved into crescents, a satisfied glint hidden within their watery depths. "My previous attitude toward you was poor. That was because after Father passed, I was distraught and misled by Nanny Xie’s instigations, which led me to ruin our engagement. Rest assured, I will never treat you that way again. If you are willing, shall we continue our engagement?"

The man’s eyes were deep and dark, his expression as peaceful and gentle as ever. It was the same face he had always possessed, yet it now subtly radiated a noble air that one dared not treat lightly. Although she had always known he was handsome, she had never truly looked at him before, keeping him merely in the category of a passerby to be admired.

Now, it wasn't so much that she was overcome by lust for his beauty, but rather that she wanted to bind such a useful person firmly to her side. A chaotic era was approaching; he was handsome and skilled in martial arts—a man of many uses. It was the most cost-effective deal she could imagine. It would be hard to find someone as reliable and familiar as him, and at the very least, she knew his roots. Once things were out in the open, they would get along much more easily.

Xie Yuanju watched as her eyes glowed with a predatory light, and he could see at a glance that this was certainly not out of affection for him. Although she acted like someone seduced by beauty, her unmasked, keen interest was exactly the same look she’d had when drooling over the box of gold biscuits earlier. However, she had always been willful; with her father there to protect and indulge her, she had been bold enough to tear the tiles off the roof.

In just two days, she had changed again. She had even discarded the haughty restraint of a noblewoman, constantly surprising him. Reason told him to refuse, yet he found himself speechless.

A few seconds of awkward silence followed. Xie Miaoxuan shrugged; smart people understood immediately. Since Xie Yuanju didn't nod in agreement, she understood he wasn't willing. Very well, she rubbed her nose—it was understandable that he couldn't let go of the resentment from being treated like a slave, just because of a few words from her. Never mind, there were plenty of fish in the sea. As long as he could help her avoid the schemes of the Xie clan, she wouldn't force him.

She scanned his face once more, feeling as if her eyes had been cleansed. Despite the beautiful scenery before her, she felt a pang of regret, her "thievish heart" not quite dead yet. Actually, thinking about it, if she intended to recruit talent to protect herself, she was already prepared to spend effort winning over the loyalty of subordinates—why wouldn't a talent like him be worth the extra effort?

The flirtatious little plan she had been about to shelve was brought back to the forefront. There was no rush; she could win him over slowly.

Setting that aside for now, she followed up on her earlier question: "Did you find out any other news while in the capital?"

Before heading out, she had specifically instructed him to scout what the commoners were discussing, hoping to gauge the political situation. He was clever enough that he should have understood her intent.

"Three days ago, the Censor Wen Zheng was assassinated in his home. The Emperor has not held court for three days."

What!

Xie Miaoxuan stood up abruptly, kicking her stool over. Wen Zheng was dead! He had been dead for three days! Her heart skipped a beat. The chaotic era had arrived early...

She remembered that not long after Wen Zheng’s death, the Emperor would suddenly die, followed by the Grand Marshal He Dai installing a puppet child-emperor. The Regional Commander Zhu Ben, who had long-standing grievances with He Dai and disapproved of his holding the Emperor hostage to command the lords, would open the border passes, serving as the spark that ignited the fires of war with the Xiongnu.

What followed would be the chaotic warfare between He Dai and the regional commanders, with countless heroes rising to declare independence, leading to a period of fractured rule. The Prince of Shaoyou, having bided his time for years, would take the opportunity to claim a share, his five hundred thousand private soldiers joining the fray.

Everything—every single detail—had advanced by six months.

If that was true, would the natural disasters and human catastrophes also advance? The great droughts, the plagues, the massive migrations of refugees... mountains of white bones.

Xie Miaoxuan felt the world spin and her eardrums throb. The sounds of slaughter and sorrowful wailing from a distant time seemed to pierce through the millennium and echo in her mind. If it could be six months early, it might be even sooner. The time she had to plan was running out.

In this man-eating era of chaos, how was she to keep the hundreds of people in her estate and her band of fewer than two hundred soldiers alive? Where could she turn? Was there anywhere left that was untainted?

Cold sweat broke out instantly upon her delicate skin.

"What is wrong?" Xie Yuanju saw her complexion change in an instant; the flush on her cheeks faded, replaced by beads of cold sweat, and she looked as if she might collapse.

The pressure of his hand on her arm brought Xie Miaoxuan back to reality. She turned, somewhat dazed, to look at Xie Yuanju, who had stepped to her side.

Her throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton. "I... I am fine."

Slowly, a look of determination ignited in her eyes, burning as she gazed at him. "What are the current prices of rice and grain in the capital? The more detailed, the better."

Xie Yuanju steadied the stool and pressed her shoulders to make her sit, then poured her a cup of warm tea. Fortunately, since she had told him that morning to listen to the gossip of the commoners, he had paid attention to the costs of daily living.

He replied, "Coarse rice is five wen, coarse flour is eight wen, fine flour is thirty-five wen, salt is fifty wen, and refined rice is thirty wen."

Xie Miaoxuan asked again, "Do you know the prices for ironware, hemp, silk cloth, and fine silk per bolt?"

Xie Yuanju, who had possessed a photographic memory since childhood, quickly filtered the useful information. "Ironware is hard to buy. Hemp is two hundred wen per bolt, fine silk is five taels, and silk cloth is one tael."

Having received her answers, Xie Miaoxuan sat in deep contemplation. Her expression gradually steadied. Xie Yuanju did not interrupt, standing quietly to the side, his own expression lost in thought.

He refilled her empty cup, held her shoulders, and pressed her back onto the stool. Suddenly, he said, "Just now, Da Niu told me about how you handled the affairs of the estate today. He spoke of you with great awe. You handled the matter of Steward Cao very well; you cleared out the rot with decisive speed. The soldiers are preparing to camp in the mountains. You’ve taken control of the estate in just one day, and with Da Niu constantly praising your victory, everyone is now united behind you."

"Hm?" Xie Miaoxuan was puzzled. The topic had changed too fast, and she almost couldn't keep up. She didn't know why he was suddenly complimenting her, though it was pleasant to hear.

"If you believe something is right, just do it. The soldiers are loyal. You don't need to hesitate; if the head of the house can protect you, I can protect you, too."

"Do you even know what I'm going to do, yet you support me?"

"You want to have the power to protect yourself."

Their gazes met in the air. From his glass-like eyes, she saw her own slightly pale face reflected back at her.