◎The Long Night◎

Before Emperor Xuan’s death, he entrusted the edict to Gu Zhiyan. Upon learning of the secrets hidden within Zhenru Palace, Gu remained silent, his only action being to risk his life to save the grandson of Prince Jing.

The entire lineage of Prince Jing had been massacred by Song Chang, so saving the prince’s grandson must have required immense effort.

No wonder Zhou Tan had refused to meet Ai Laoban, who was protecting the grandson of Prince Jing in seclusion, until after leaving the palace that day. Only then did he agree to accompany Qu You to visit. Everyone involved knew that once he stepped into the secluded Wind-Residing Courtyard at the end of the alley, he would be making a decision.

“What do you plan… to do?”

After a long silence, she finally found her voice. Zhou Tan looked into her eyes and gave a bitter smile: “You seem completely unsurprised.”

Ordinary scholar-officials spent their lives loyal to the throne and upholding righteousness—how could they utter such rebellious words? When he resolved to reveal everything, he never expected her to remain so calm.

To his surprise, Qu You thought for a moment and replied: “I fully agree with your reasoning.”

“If the ruler is unjust, it is the duty of his ministers to remonstrate even unto death—that is integrity. You hold the late emperor’s edict yet endured the destruction of your mentor’s legacy, confirming that this ruler has no regard for the lives of his people before deciding to act. Isn’t this the essence of a scholar-official’s moral integrity?” She spoke earnestly. “You’re right—if blind loyalty leads to the ruin of the world alongside the ruler, that is far worse. Su Xiansheng and Ai Laoban have been waiting for you in the Wind-Residing Courtyard for some time now. They likely made their decision long ago—you’ve already shown far more mercy than they.”

Zhou Tan held the woman in his arms, catching the faint scent of jasmine from her hair. Whether it was the fragrance or something else, he couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Why are you laughing?”

“To have someone like you by my side is my fortune.”

He murmured the words, but perhaps unused to such sentiment, quickly changed the subject and answered her earlier question: “As for what I plan to do now… other matters aren’t urgent. The chancellor still holds power, and my teacher cannot rest in peace beneath the earth.”

“Ah.”

Qu You recalled the icy hatred in Zhou Tan’s eyes moments ago and swiftly pieced together her thoughts: “If we follow our deductions, it was Fu Qingnian who saved Gongshu Wuchuan, who should have been silenced by Zhao Yin and Empress Shunde. In Wuchuan’s possession were notes that could serve as evidence of this matter.”

“At the time, Fu Qingnian was still in the Ministry of Personnel. Saving Wuchuan wouldn’t have been impossible—he was always skilled at deception. Forging a corpse to fool Zhao Yin and the Consort wouldn’t have been difficult.” Zhou Tan’s tone turned cold. “I suspect that to save his own life, Wuchuan might have vaguely hinted at a great secret without revealing everything. It wasn’t until after his death that Fu Qingnian learned the full truth.”

By then, Fu Qingnian had risen from the Ministry of Personnel to become the chief minister, standing against Gu Zhiyan. But Gu’s reputation was simply too illustrious; if not for unforeseen circumstances, Fu would likely have remained overshadowed by him for life.

“So, these letters…” Qu You suddenly understood. “In other words… His Majesty learned of this matter because Fu Qingnian wrote to Gongshu Wuchuan’s son, inviting him to Biandu. All he needed to do was fabricate a lie, convincing Gongshu Duan that he was avenging his father’s death, and then eliminate him afterward.”

“When His Majesty learned of this, he was undoubtedly deeply shaken. At the same time, Chancellor Gu strongly opposed the construction of the Candlelit Pavilion, leading His Majesty to suspect that Gu harbored disloyal intentions, withholding the truth for his own schemes. After the Candlelit Case, Gu resigned, and Fu Qingnian, as he desired, became the first minister of the court.”

Qu You hadn’t studied political history extensively and had never fully understood how factional struggles and court intrigues throughout the dynasties could destroy an empire.

The path to power was paved with blood. The notion that the virtuous would naturally prevail was nothing but a lie. Those who wielded power could overturn an empire in the blink of an eye.

“I always thought it was some hidden secret from the previous dynasty or information leaked by an old servant close to Empress Shunde that led His Majesty to accidentally uncover this matter.” The candle had nearly burned out, and Zhou Tan stared intently at the dwindling flame, his gaze growing colder by degrees. “But if, from the very beginning, this was all part of Fu Qingnian’s plan—if he found Gongshu Wuchuan’s son, forcing His Majesty to demolish Zhenru Palace to investigate further—if he orchestrated the entire Candlelit Pavilion case without losing a single soldier, toppling my teacher without lifting a finger… then perhaps even His Majesty doesn’t realize the extent of Fu Qingnian’s involvement.”

He let out a bitter laugh: “Peng Yue brought Gongshu Duan from Ruozhou into Biandu. Du Hui, who was once close to Fu Qingnian, left behind these letters to save his own life… No wonder Fu Qingnian went to such lengths to protect Peng Yue. If Peng Yue had presented those pieces of evidence to His Majesty, do you think the emperor would have suspected Fu Qingnian’s role in the Candlelit Pavilion case?”

This side of Zhou Tan was unfamiliar to Qu You. She had never imagined how ruthlessly efficient he must have been when solving long-standing cases at the Ministry of Justice, terrifying someone like Liang An in the process.

Even during the time Zhou Tan doubted her and tested her with Yan Wuping, he had never worn such an expression.

“When my teacher came to rescue me from prison, he invited me to stay with him in Yangzhou, saying he wanted to personally witness me fulfill the vow I made when I became his disciple... His words still echo in my ears. How could he have thrown himself into the river? After achieving so much, Fu Qingnian still wasn’t satisfied—he had to take his life. Perhaps… eliminating him was also meant to leave me utterly despondent, ensuring I wouldn’t become a threat.”

Qu You watched as Zhou Tan raised his hand to cover the flickering candle flame, completely enveloping it until it extinguished in the surrounding darkness.

“The night is long, and since we’re all trapped in this darkness…”

“Without bloodshed, dawn will never break.”

________________________________________

When Qu You woke up again, she opened her eyes to see brilliant sunlight streaming through the window paper into the room—it seemed today would be a bright, sunny day.

Last night, they had talked by candlelight, sitting together in the dark for a long while. She had leaned against his shoulder, eventually succumbing to exhaustion.

She still remembered Zhou Tan reaching behind her back and asking in a low voice: “Shall I carry you back to rest?”

Qu You, half-asleep, had murmured: “No...”

Immediately, he withdrew his hand, as though startled, and gently urged her: “This place is damp and dim—it’s not suitable to stay here overnight.”

Then she had wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear: “What I meant was… if you want to carry me back, you don’t need to ask.”

Wrapped in the scent of still water, Zhou Tan carried her through the silent autumn night, down the long corridor, and back to her quarters in Fanghua Pavilion. The embroidered yellow silk scarf trailing on the ground swept up fallen flower petals, imbuing her with their lingering fragrance.

Though he didn’t stay the night in Fanghua Pavilion, Nurse Yun’s gaze upon entering the room carried a hint of satisfaction.

Though the couple hadn’t consummated their marriage, others were unaware. Nurse Yun, however, knew well that this was the first time Zhou Tan had spent such a long time with Qu You in the estate. According to Hexing, the master had returned with the mistress from Songfeng Pavilion in the middle of the night.

As Qu You recalled the events of last night, she didn’t even notice the faint blush on her cheeks. She slipped on embroidered satin shoes, took the porcelain bowl from Shuiyue to rinse her mouth, and casually asked: “Where has my husband gone?”

Nurse Yun smiled warmly: “The young master has gone to the early court session and hasn’t returned yet.”

While changing clothes, Qu You pondered over their late-night conversation. There were still questions she hadn’t had time to resolve, but since Zhou Tan was willing to speak honestly, there was no rush.

The most pressing issue now was… Liu Lianxi’s case was a trap. Fu Qingnian had orchestrated this elaborate scheme to ensnare Zhou Tan. Now that Zhou Tan was aware of it, how would he break free?

She had initially planned to dress as a man and visit the Ministry of Justice, but before leaving, He San arrived at the estate with a respectful message from Zhou Tan. The gist of it was that today was a day off, and Zhou Tan wished to invite her to stroll through the streets.

Given the urgency of the case, why would he choose to take leave at this critical moment?

After attending the morning court session, Zhou Tan usually went straight to the Ministry of Justice and rarely returned home for breakfast. If today was indeed a day off, he would likely stop by the ministry first and bring back some case files.

Confused, Qu You decided against dressing as a man and instead wore ordinary clothes, boarding a carriage that headed directly to the Ministry of Justice. The coachman reined in the horses, and shortly after, Zhou Tan lifted the curtain and sat inside.

He typically rode a horse to court but used this modest carriage when traveling with Qu You. Though the estate had larger, more luxurious carriages, they were too conspicuous for regular use—she had only ridden in them when visiting her family or meeting him at the eastern gate.

The interior of the carriage was cramped; Zhou Tan sat sideways, his knee brushing against hers. Hexing, Shuiyue, and He San followed discreetly at a distance. Qu You lifted the curtain to glance outside and asked: “Why are you taking leave today?”

Zhou Tan gave a faint smile, his tone tinged with resignation but devoid of other emotions: “I was reprimanded by His Majesty and ordered to take a few days off.”

“Hmm?”

After a brief explanation, Qu You learned that during the morning court session, Zhou Tan had reported Emperor De’s response, repeating what Zhen’er had said—that Du Gaojun had murdered his wife and framed someone else, colluding with the capital’s prefecture to cover up the crime. Du Hui had argued with him in court, and the Three Departments suddenly claimed that Zhen’er couldn’t confirm her testimony. Both sides quarreled fiercely.

Enraged, Emperor De scolded both parties for their incompetence, declaring that the Ministry of Justice was forbidden from further involvement. Instead, he personally appointed a trusted official from the Dianxing Temple and Lin Wei, his personal attendant, to reinvestigate the case. Zhou Tan was impeached for fabricating evidence to eliminate rivals, and Emperor De temporarily suspended him, pending the outcome of the investigation.

What a chaotic morning court session.

After hearing this, Qu You didn’t immediately inquire further. Since Zhou Tan knew this was Fu Qingnian’s trap and still walked into it willingly, he must have had his reasons.

Amidst Zhou Tan’s words, one detail caught her attention.

“His Majesty personally appointed close ministers and attendants to bypass the Three Departments and investigate the case?” Qu You muttered to herself, puzzled. “Such a move blatantly violates protocol. Didn’t the Censorate or the Remonstrance Academy object?”

“Good question,” Zhou Tan had already changed out of his official robes at the Ministry of Justice, his white robe accentuating his clear features, a hint of approval in his voice. “In fact, even though the mother of Liu caused a scene in front of the imperial city, this case shouldn’t have drawn His Majesty’s attention to such an extent. Previously, during the Falling Tower case, which stirred both court and country—even prompting the crown prince’s intervention—His Majesty didn’t show this level of concern. Why do you think that is?”