Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

The next day, before dawn.

Du Hengniang then received a message from Shen Qiongju.

"Go to the largest casino in the south of the city, 'Jinmanlou,' and find their owner. Tell him that Wang Siyuan lost 30,000 taels of silver there last month, and the boxes of jewelry he used to pay off the debt were tribute items stolen from the Ministry of Personnel's treasury."

"Finally, go to the entrance of the Censorate. Wrap the evidence of Wang Siyuan's embezzlement of public funds and gambling debts over the years in oiled paper and place it in the mouth of the stone lion that the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhang passes by every day on his way to court."

Du Hengniang was stunned.

There were no heated debates in the imperial court, no scheming and intrigue among those in power; instead, it was like a street brawl, with people deliberately picking fights.

But it works.

"I understand." Du Hengniang accepted the order and left, unable to suppress the upward curve of her lips.

She liked this simple and direct approach.

Sure enough, the next morning at court, the entire capital's officialdom was in an uproar.

Left Censor-in-Chief Zhang launched an attack in court, presenting a memorial that exposed the scandals of Minister of Personnel Wang Jianzhi's failure to educate his son, Wang Siyuan's embezzlement, misappropriation of public funds, gambling, and promiscuity.

With witnesses and physical evidence, every single one of these facts is enough to warrant the execution of the entire Wang family.

Wang Jianzhi collapsed on the spot in the Golden Palace. As he was dragged away, he kept muttering, "Who...who was it...?"

He died unable to understand how his seemingly flawless plans had been exposed overnight.

The proposal to cut military pay naturally came to nothing.

The court was deathly silent.

Everyone thought this was Pei Zhihui's thunderous blow while he was ill. That powerful regent, even lying in bed, could still easily crush them.

For a time, everyone was on edge, and no one dared to make any rash moves.

This tactic of making an example of someone to scare others bought Shen Qiongju precious breathing time.

Inside the room.

Shen Qiongju told this news to Pei Zhihui, who was in bed, as if it were a story.

She didn't know if he could hear her.

After saying that, she picked up an account book, sat on a low stool by the bed, and continued to check the accounts of the thirteen merchants by candlelight.

In the stillness of the night, the crisp clinking of the abacus beads echoed rhythmically in the room.

Suddenly, a cold hand covered her hand that was fiddling with the abacus.

Shen Qiongju was startled and looked up.

Pei Zhihui had opened his eyes at some point and was quietly watching her.

His eyes were still weak, but there was a hint of a smile she had never seen before.

"You..." Shen Qiongju was about to speak.

"Well played, very much like an Iron Lady." He spoke in a hoarse voice, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together.

This unexpected praise left Shen Qiongju speechless, all the words she had prepared stuck in her throat.

Looking at his pale, bloodless face and his deep, captivating eyes made even more so by his weakness, she felt a pang of sadness and turned her head away.

"Smooth-talking," she muttered under her breath, her ears involuntarily turning red.

The atmosphere in the room seemed to lighten considerably because of that joke.

Pei Zhihui seemed to be in much better spirits than a few days ago. He was even able to support himself, leaning against the headboard, and drink a small bowl of ginseng soup.

Looking at his lips, which had regained some color, Shen Qiongju felt a weight lifted from her heart after days of worry.

However, this improvement brought new troubles.

"Has a doctor named 'Ghost Hand Zhang' come to the capital?" Pei Zhihui put down his soup bowl and suddenly asked.

Shen Qiongju's heart skipped a beat.

This "Ghost Hand Zhang" was brought to Du Hengniang from the deep mountains and forests of Sichuan after much effort.

Legend has it that this man possessed extraordinary medical skills, but was also eccentric and unpredictable. He was said to be able to snatch people from the jaws of death, yet also to refuse to help someone dying over the smallest matter.

The people sent by Du Hengniang waited in the mountains for three days and three nights before they finally saw him.

He didn't want gold or silver, nor did he want a fiefdom. He only made one request: to see the regent himself, and only him.

The request was too bizarre, and Shen Qiongju remained hesitant.

"How did you know?" Shen Qiongju asked warily.

"All the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital are discussing this matter." Pei Zhihui leaned back on the soft pillows, watching the snowflakes falling outside the window. "They are all waiting to see if my life, Pei Zhihui's life, is worth such a high price from a quack doctor."

His tone was calm, but Shen Qiongju detected a hint of self-mockery in it.

"I won't let you see him," Shen Qiongju said firmly. "Who knows what he's up to?"

"If he wants to see me, let him see me." Pei Zhihui turned to look at her. "Qiongju, we don't have time."

His gaze made it impossible for Shen Qiongju to refuse.

Yes, they don't have time.

This lifeline, sustained by potent drugs, could be cut off at any moment. Every glimmer of hope is worth the gamble.

The next day, Ghost Hand Zhang was invited into the Pei residence.

This man looked to be in his early thirties. He was wearing a faded blue cloth robe and carrying a worn-out medicine box. He had an ordinary appearance, but his eyes were surprisingly bright, as if they could see through people's hearts.

Instead of bowing and greeting like other doctors, he went straight to the bedside, took Pei Zhihui's wrist, closed his eyes, and began to take his pulse.

The inner room was deathly silent.

Shen Qiongju and Pei An stood aside, even their breathing became soft.

The time it takes for an incense stick to burn feels like an eternity.

Ghost Hand Zhang released his grip and opened his eyes.

"Do you want to live, or do you want to die?" he asked, his voice hoarse, like a rough stone.

This question is completely unrelated and lacks context.

Pei Zhihui looked at him, but didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Can you let me live?"

"Yes," Ghost Hand Zhang nodded, "but it depends on how you want to live."

He took a small porcelain bottle from his medicine box and poured out a black pill.

"Eat this, and it will keep you alive for another ten years. For ten years, you will be no different from an ordinary person; you can handle state affairs and lead troops into battle. But after ten years, even the greatest immortals cannot save you."

He then took out another porcelain bottle and poured out a bright red pill.

"If you take this, you'll be a cripple for life. You won't be able to lift anything, carry anything, and will rely on herbal medicine to stay alive every day. You'll be blown away by the wind. But, as long as you take the medicine on time and take good care of yourself, living to seventy or eighty years old won't be a problem."

He placed two pills in Pei Zhihui's palm.

"The black represents ten years of absolute power. The red represents a life of barely surviving."

Choose.

This isn't choosing medicine; it's choosing life.

Shen Qiongju's heart jumped into her throat.

She glanced at Pei Zhihui instinctively. Knowing this man as she did, she knew he would choose the black pill without hesitation.

How could someone as proud and stubborn as him possibly tolerate becoming a helpless cripple?

Pei An also gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

However, to everyone's surprise, it happened.

Pei Zhihui didn't even glance at the black pill.

He simply raised his head, his gaze passing over Ghost Hand Zhang and looking at Shen Qiongju, who was standing not far away.

His eyes were as gentle as a pool of spring water.

Then, he picked up the bright red pill and, without any hesitation, put it in his mouth.

"I choose her." He looked at Shen Qiong from all angles, his voice weak but incredibly clear.

He didn't say "I choose to live," nor did he say "I choose to prolong my life."

He said, "I choose her."

Shen Qiongju's tears fell without warning.

Ghost Hand Zhang was stunned.

He practiced medicine for many years and had seen countless kings, generals, and heroes.

Faced with the choice between life and death, power and destiny, they all chose the former without exception.

This was the first time he had ever seen someone give up a ten-year-old empire that was within their grasp for the sake of a woman.

"Interesting." Ghost Hand Zhang suddenly laughed, putting away the black pill. "Looks like I made the right decision to save your life."

He opened the medicine box and took out a complete set of gold needles.

"Starting today, administer acupuncture once a day at noon. After forty-nine days, you may get out of bed. After one year, you may walk like a normal person. But remember, you must not be mentally agitated or overexert yourself."

He paused, glanced at Shen Qiongju who was crying her eyes out, and added another sentence.

"But don't be too happy. Joy, anger, worry, thought, grief, fear, and shock—the seven emotions and six desires—are all like steel knives that scrape your bones. If you want him to live a few more years, make him a heartless person."

After saying that, he ignored everyone else and focused intently on administering acupuncture.

Outside, the snow had stopped.

A long-awaited ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining into the room and onto the two people embracing.

Pei Zhihui's body was still cold, but Shen Qiongju felt that this was the warmest winter she had ever experienced in her life.

She didn't know what path Pei Zhihui had chosen.

But she knew that from now on, she would stay with him and walk together.

However, things are not that simple.

Just as Pei Zhihui's health was gradually improving, something unexpected happened.

That day, Shen Qiongju was sunbathing in the courtyard with Pei Zhihui.

He sat in a wheelchair, covered with a thick fox fur coat. Although his face was still pale, his breathing had become much more steady.

Nian'an and Ahu chased and played in the yard, their giggles like silver bells.

Everything seemed so peaceful and serene.

Three days later.

The Pei family issued a warrant, stamped with the Grand Secretary's seal.

The Grand Secretary, deeply moved by the recent pacification of the floods in Jiangnan and in light of the people's plight, will be taking his family on an inspection tour south. All state affairs will be temporarily handled by the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Chancellery, Lin Qingyuan.

The news caused an uproar in the capital's officialdom.

The former residence of the Minister of Personnel. A secret room.

The charcoal brazier was burning extremely brightly. Several officials in scarlet robes sat around it.

"Pei Zhihui is trying to run away." An official lowered his voice, tapping his fingers on the table. "He's handing over military power, dumping administrative affairs on Lin Qingyuan, that sixth-rank Hanlin scholar, and taking his wife and children to Jiangnan. He's terminally ill and can't hold things together anymore."

"Who does Lin Qingyuan think he is? He jumped three ranks to become a Vice Minister of the Chancellery. What makes him worthy of respect?" another person sneered. "Pei Zhihui is just grasping at straws in desperation."

The old man sitting in the main seat narrowed his eyes. "Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. He still has the military seal of the Northern Garrison."

"The main force of the Zhenbei Army is in the north. Can those few people in the outskirts of Beijing protect him forever? Jiangnan is our territory."

The various factions have different intentions.

Some believed that Pei Zhihui was nearing the end of his life and that his power was about to fall into other hands, so they prepared to seize the opportunity to divide up the interests of the court.

Some people believe that Pei Zhihui is using a strategic retreat to advance, preparing to launch a new round of purges in Jiangnan.

Information asymmetry led to huge misjudgments. The undercurrents in the capital were even more turbulent than when Prince Shou plotted his rebellion.

On the throne room.

The new emperor sat on the dragon throne, his figure thin and frail.

Lin Qingyuan stood at the head of all the officials. He wore a scarlet official robe and stood ramrod straight.

"Lord Lin," an official stepped forward, "With the Grand Secretary's trip south, the vacancy for the Salt Commissioner of Jiangnan should have been filled by recommendations from the Ministry of Personnel. Your Excellency has directly drafted the list, which is against the rules."

Lin Qingyuan turned around.

He pulled an account book from his sleeve and smashed it directly at the feet of the censor.

"These are your brother-in-law's accounts for smuggling salt in Jiangnan. The rules? According to the laws of the Great Sheng Dynasty, you should have your entire family executed."

The official's legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.

The entire court was completely silent.

No one expected that this bookworm promoted by Pei Zhihui would bite even more viciously than Pei Zhihui himself.

Pei Zhihui killed people with a knife, while Lin Qingyuan killed people with the law.

After the court session ended, the news reached the Pei residence.

In the main study, the heating was off. The window was half-open, letting in the chilly early spring breeze.

Shen Qiongju sat behind her desk, holding a thick stack of official documents. She wrote in red ink as she wrote her annotations.

"Lin Qingyuan has a clean background." Pei Zhihui leaned back in a large armchair covered with thick cushions. He was covered with a white fox fur coat and held a cup of warm water in his hand.

"He's a lone wolf. He only respects reason, not people. Those old foxes who try to win him over will only get their hands bitten off."

Shen Qiongju put down her vermilion pen. "Du Hengniang has sorted out the mess of the thirty-six merchant houses in Jiangnan. This trip will be the perfect opportunity to close the net."

Pei Zhihui chuckled softly.

His face was still pale, but the gloom in his eyes had lessened considerably.

"You're even more eager than I am to nip this in the bud."

"You're a cripple now." Shen Qiongju didn't even look up, turning to the next booklet. "I have to pave the way for you. Ghost Hand Zhang said you can't get angry."

Pei Zhihui was not angry, but laughed instead.

He took a sip of water and looked at his wife's profile as she bent down to tidy up the accounts.

"You are right, Madam. From now on, I will rely on you for support."

Footsteps came from outside the door.

Pei An strode into the study and knelt on one knee.

"Master, Mistress. The carriages and horses are ready. The entourage consists entirely of retired elite soldiers from the Zhenbei Army, disguised as guards for the merchant caravan."

"Let's go." Shen Qiongju stood up.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated.

A plain, gray carriage drove out of the side gate of the Pei residence.

The wheels were covered with thick cowhide. They rolled over the bluestone slabs with a very soft sound.

The caravan blended in with the merchants leaving the city and went unnoticed.

Inside the carriage, there was a hidden world.

The frame is made of rosewood. The four walls are filled with fine silk floss to insulate against the cold wind. The base is covered with three layers of Western Region fox fur, so soft that one can sink into it.

A small, red clay stove was embedded in the corner, simmering a pot of sheep's milk.

Pei Zhihui leaned against the hidden bag.

He wore a pale white cotton robe, without any embroidery. His long hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin.

He held Nian'an in his arms.

The little one was sleeping soundly. His little mouth was slightly open, and he spit out a clear drool bubble.

Shen Qiongju sat to the side, flipping through a travelogue in her hand.

The carriage lurched slightly.

Pei Zhihui tilted his head and leaned on Shen Qiongju's shoulder.

Shen Qiongju froze, not moving.

"Are you tired?" she asked.