After being reborn, the aloof prime minister was once again forced by a tyrant.

What should I do? Just thinking about that person makes me feel suffocated.

Xiao Jingyuan took a deep breath, picked up his vermilion pen, and added the last line to the end of the Ministry of Revenue's memorial: "Furthermore, the Western Protectorate is ordered to establish ever-normal granaries in various border towns to store grain for famine relief. The granaries shall be directly under the jurisdiction of the Protectorate, and the prefectures and counties shall not move them without authorization."

He then opened a document from the Ministry of War. The document stated that the garrison in the western border had sufficient food and asked if some of it should be allocated to disaster victims for emergency relief.

In his previous life, he wrote "Military rations must not be moved without authorization." In this life, he picked up his pen and wrote a note on the back: "Three thousand shi of military rations should be lent to the disaster victims first, and the rations from the Ministry of Revenue should be repaid after they arrive. Young and strong men in the disaster-stricken tribes can be incorporated into the corvée labor teams for road and bridge construction, working as relief, with meals and pay provided."

He put down his pen, leaned back on the dragon throne, and rubbed his temples. Outside the window, fine snowflakes fluttered down, exactly like the snowfall in his previous life.

This time, however, two thousand people will not starve to death.

At that moment, Gao An rushed in, panting, and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty—"

"What's the panic?" Xiao Jingyuan said without even looking up.

"Lord Xie—Lord Xie has sent this servant to deliver a message to His Majesty!"

Xiao Jingyuan paused, his hand rubbing his temples. He looked up, a fleeting glint in his eyes, which he quickly suppressed, reverting to his usual businesslike indifference.

"What are you saying?"

Gao An took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Lord Xie said that the crabapple blossoms are in bloom, and if His Majesty has a little free time from official duties, he may come and see them."

The Imperial Study was silent for a moment.

Then Gao An saw that their emperor, who never showed his emotions, suddenly brightened his eyes and stood up abruptly from the dragon throne.

"He...he said it?" Xiao Jingyuan's voice was a little tense.

"Yes, Lord Xie said it himself."

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly walked down the steps, paced two steps in the center of the hall, stopped, paced two steps again, and stopped again.

He turned around, his face showing a mixture of wanting to laugh but not daring to, wanting to believe but not daring to believe, his whole being twisted into a knot.

"He said the crabapple blossoms were in bloom—did he want me to go see the flowers?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Did he bring it up himself?"

"Yes, Lord Xie said it himself."

Xiao Jingyuan clenched his fists, his nails digging into the old wounds on his palms that hadn't fully healed. He couldn't feel the pain. He only felt something in his chest slowly melting away, like a frozen river that had finally cracked open after a long winter.

He was going to see Xie Qinglan, immediately.

Just as he was about to leave, Ye Qi suddenly walked in. He knelt respectfully before Xiao Jingyuan, still covered in the dust from his journey back from Nanyue.

"You found out?" Xiao Jingyuan walked back to his desk and sat down, his voice still filled with barely concealed excitement.

"Yes." Ye Qi raised her head and recounted the information she had found—

"Pei Yuning and Pei Nanchi exchanged several letters, always through the special channel of the Nanyue delegation. The letters mostly contained casual greetings between siblings. In addition, Pei Nanchi inquired about Prime Minister Xie's situation in Beishuo a few times, but there was nothing else unusual."

"I've also learned that when Lord Xie was in Nanyue, the court officials held him in more awe than affection, privately calling him 'Jade-Faced Asura.' I've heard that he became a confidant of the late Emperor of Nanyue at the age of fifteen, and before even entering the court, he dared to strip Li Chong, the Vice Minister of Revenue, of his official rank in front of the late Emperor. At the age of twenty-two, when he became Prime Minister, he led only three thousand men across the Cangwu Mountains, defeating thirty thousand to quell the rebellion of the chieftains in Qianzhong, and personally beheading the rebel leader. When he returned to the capital to report, the entire court was silent. Pei Nanchi ran down from the dragon throne, hugged him, and cried. He only said one sentence: 'Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not die.'"

Xiao Jingyuan tapped his fingers lightly on the imperial desk. Three thousand had broken through thirty thousand, crossing the Cangwu Ridge—he had seen the map of that place; it was a natural fortress among natural fortresses.

Ye Qi continued, "Lord Xie's family background was quite tragic. The Xie family was originally a hereditary marquis of Nanyue, guarding Qiannan for twenty years. When Lord Xie was seven years old, his father Xie Zheng was betrayed by his subordinates, and the entire family of 372 people was wiped out overnight. Lord Xie escaped through a secret passage and walked alone in the deep mountains for three days and three nights before being rescued by a hunter."

Xiao Jingyuan stopped tapping his fingers on the imperial desk.

"It is said that when he was thirteen years old, he went to the capital alone and beat the Dengwen Drum. He confronted his father's killer in the Golden Hall for three hours and personally sent the man to the execution ground. When the people of Nanyue talked about this, they all said that although Lord Xie was young, his character was terrifyingly hard-hearted. He avenged the massacre of his family without hesitation and did so without shedding a single tear."

"As for Lord Xie's connection with the Pei siblings," Ye Qi's voice deepened, "the year the late emperor passed away, there was chaos in Nanyue, with seven princes vying for the throne, and two of them died within three months. Lord Xie held evidence of each prince's crimes, but he chose none of them. He went to the Cold Palace and brought out Pei Nanchi, who was only six years old at the time."

"Later, he took less than two months to overthrow the other princes and put Pei Nanchi on the throne. As for the edict of succession, people in the Southern Yue court still talk about it privately, saying that the late emperor only had Lord Xie by his side when he died. But no one dares to say it to his face - Lord Xie was able to manipulate seven princes at the age of sixteen. Who can afford to offend such a person?"

The imperial study was quiet for a moment. Xiao Jingyuan lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously stroking the thumb ring on his thumb.

He wiped out his family at the age of seven, avenged his family at thirteen, helped the young emperor ascend the throne at sixteen, and became prime minister at twenty-two—that man's short life of just over twenty years was heavier than several lifetimes combined for others.

"There's one more thing," Ye Qi said. "I've heard many rumors about Lord Xie's swordsmanship in Nanyue. It's said that when he was nineteen, he had a sword duel with Ye Lingyun, the Sword Saint of Nanyue, by the Li River. They fought from sunrise to sunset. When Ye Lingyun sheathed his sword, he said, 'Young Master Xie's sword intent is already above mine. Given time, no one in the world can surpass him.' Lord Xie's swordsmanship is recognized as the best in Nanyue, but he rarely draws his sword in public. Everyone says that when he does draw his sword, it always draws blood."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jingyuan suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter was extremely brief, yet it startled Ye Qi slightly—he had followed His Majesty in the shadows for many years and had never heard His Majesty laugh in such a tone before.

I can't quite say whether it's pride or bitterness, or perhaps both.

"A man like him," Xiao Jingyuan said softly, as if talking to himself, "no wonder he was angry when I gave him the sword last time; he probably doesn't think much of it."

"That sword is indeed unworthy of him."

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing." Ye Qi took out a roll of yellowed paper from his sleeve and presented it with both hands. "When I was investigating in Nanyue, I inadvertently obtained a scroll of Prime Minister Xie's early notes. There are a few sentences in it... that mention Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingyuan suddenly raised his head.

He practically snatched the roll of papers from him. The pages were yellowed and torn at the edges, clearly having been read countless times.

He unfolded the paper, his gaze falling on the slender handwriting—Xie Qinglan's handwriting, younger and sharper than the annotations he had seen in the "Records of Water Conservancy and Land Reclamation in Western Xinjiang," carrying the unique spirit of a young man.

He read down line by line, and when he got to a certain point in the middle, his fingers suddenly stopped.

That passage describes—

"The new ruler of Beishuo, Xiao, at the age of fifteen, led three thousand light cavalry through the heart of the Western Rong territory, beheading the enemy chieftain within the range of an arrow's flight. At eighteen, he ascended the throne and assumed personal rule, punishing tyranny, quelling internal rebellions, and consolidating military power in his own hands. The world says he is tyrannical and bloodthirsty, but I alone disagree. Observing his policies, he reduced taxes, opened granaries, and pardoned refugees, which is not something a tyrant could do."

"This man is a brilliant strategist who can tolerate surrendered soldiers and is decisive in killing without slaughtering the innocent. He possesses great talent and ambition, and given time, he will surely become a great ruler. If I have the opportunity, I will personally travel to the Northern Frontier to witness his prowess."

"I regret not being born a man of the Northern Shuo, so that I could drink three cups with this gentleman and discuss swordsmanship all night."