Yang Jinglei couldn't fathom what had changed. But he was not one to press the emperor for answers. So, despite his confusion, he rose respectfully, bowed, and withdrew.
After he left, Qi Junmu's expression turned cold. He took out a prepared imperial decree—one that already named Yang Jinglei's new post, lacking only the imperial seal.
But now, that seal would never be affixed.
With that thought, Qi Junmu called for Ruan Jiqing and threw the decree at his feet. "Bring a brazier and burn this," he said coldly.
Ruan Jiqing was startled. Seeing the emperor's expression, he dared not ask questions. He quickly fetched a brazier and burned the unissued decree. Only after the contents had turned to ash did he breathe a sigh of relief.
"Don't speak a word of this," Qi Junmu ordered as Ruan Jiqing carried the brazier out.
Ruan Jiqing acknowledged the command, thinking to himself that he had no idea how Yang Jinglei had offended the emperor—the position of North Mountain Imperial Guard commander had slipped right through his fingers.
Truly, fate takes unexpected turns when you least expect it.
---
While Ruan Jiqing was mulling over these thoughts, Yang Jinglei left the palace with a grim expression.
He felt something was deeply amiss, but he couldn't pinpoint where the problem lay—or was he overthinking?
Yang Jinglei quickly dismissed that thought. He hadn't risen to his current position on luck alone. He was loyal, capable, straightforward in nature, and knew how to avoid pitfalls. That was precisely why he had maintained his standing in the palace.
His intuition told him he needed to uncover why the emperor's attitude had suddenly shifted—otherwise, there might no longer be a place for him in the palace.
Yang Lei, Yang Jinglei's personal attendant, had grown up alongside him. They were close, and their conversations were usually casual and without ceremony. Seeing his master's solemn expression, Yang Lei asked, "Master, what's wrong? You look terrible. Did His Majesty reprimand you?"
Yang Jinglei shook his head. "Don't tell Mother or my wife." His father had passed away long ago, leaving behind his mother and his virtuous wife—their household was peaceful enough.
Yang Lei said, "Master, even if I don't say anything, your expression alone will worry the Old Madam. If she finds out His Majesty gave you a hard time, she'll be anxious."
Then, lowering his voice and glancing around, he added, "The Old Madam and the Madam are both worried that Marquis Zhenbei might blow pillow wind into His Majesty's ear and take over your post in the palace."
Yang Jinglei found this absurd. He frowned and said, "Nonsense." Besides, the only people who could blow pillow wind into the emperor's ear were those who shared his bed. If such words reached the Emperor, the entire Yang family would be done for.
Seeing that he was truly angered, Yang Lei grew a little fearful. He said, "It's not just our household saying this—everyone in the capital knows Marquis Zhenbei is His Majesty's favorite. Even the storytellers say that in his past life, the Marquis must have been a fox, born with a seven-ored heart that lets him read His Majesty's every thought—which is why his favor never wanes."
It had started as a satirical tale told in teahouses, but somehow it had spread into this.
The old matriarchs of noble households loved hearing such stories. Yang Jinglei's mother paid attention simply because Shen Nian was her son's rival. If Shen Nian had the emperor's eye, that meant Yang Jinglei had less of His Majesty's favor.
Yang Jinglei ignored Yang Lei's ridiculous talk. But when he heard the last part, he hesitated, his expression turning contemplative.
Yang Lei studied him, unsure what he was thinking, and said, "Master, whatever happens, let's go home first. The Old Madam had the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes today…"
Before he could finish, Yang Jinglei cut him off: "Go back and tell Mother and my wife that I won't be returning today."
Seeing his master about to mount his horse and ride off, Yang Lei hurriedly asked, "Master, where are you going?"
"To visit Marquis Zhenbei." With that, Yang Jinglei rode away.
Yang Lei's heart lurched at this. He thought: Is the master going to pick a fight with Marquis Zhenbei?
Panic set in. He slapped himself hard, cursed his own loose tongue, and rushed back to the Yang residence.
The master must have suffered some great injustice to act so impulsively—only the Old Madam could step in and calm things down.
Yang Jinglei's visit to the Marquis Zhenbei's residence after leaving the palace was hardly a secret. Many in the capital had caught wind of it.
The household nearest the Yang residence had even overheard Yang Lei's shouts about Yang Jinglei possibly causing trouble at the Marquis's residence. Chaos broke out inside the Yang residence—servants scrambled in panic, and the air was filled with wailing and sobbing.
By the time Yang Jinglei was received at the Marquis Zhenbei's residence, word on the streets was that he had been stripped of his post by the emperor, had flown into a rage, had lost all composure, and was charging in with his sword to slay the treacherous official Shen Nian.
Few had visited Shen Nian since his return to the capital. He had little standing in the capital and no maternal family to rely on.
All factions in the capital were watching and waiting. Yang Jinglei's sudden arrival surprised Shen Nian as well—he wondered if some misunderstanding was at play.
When Yang Jinglei met Shen Nian face to face, he suddenly felt he had been too rash. He should have sent word in advance and waited for permission before visiting. Showing up empty-handed like this seemed rather improper.
Seeing Yang Jinglei's awkward demeanor, Shen Nian breathed an inward sigh of relief—at least for now, it didn't look like he was here to start trouble.
So he said, "Commander Yang, have you just come from the palace?"
Yang Jinglei, steadied by Shen Nian's calm composure, nodded and said, "My visit is rather abrupt—I beg your pardon, Marquis."
Shen Nian said, "No matter. Is there something I can help with?"
Yang Jinglei straightened his expression and said, "I wish to ask the Marquis to shed some light on a matter."
"Shed light?" Shen Nian was puzzled. Since when was he qualified for that?
Yang Jinglei didn't hold back: "It's like this—just now in the palace…"
He recounted what had happened in the palace, then frowned and said, "I am deeply perplexed and somewhat unsettled. I don't know where I have incurred His Majesty's displeasure."
Shen Nian didn't answer his question directly. Instead, he asked, "Why did you choose to come to me?"
Yang Jinglei's gaze was clear. He said, "As the Left Commander of the Imperial Guard, I have only ordinary relations with other court officials. You, Marquis, have been spending much time in the palace and have earned His Majesty's favor—I thought you might be able to point me in the right direction. Besides, my servants say you are shrewd and understand His Majesty's mind best. I was anxious, so I came."
"Aren't you afraid I might take offense at that and refuse to help?" Shen Nian said.
Yang Jinglei hadn't considered that. After a pause, he said, "If the Marquis is willing to advise me, I will be deeply grateful. If not, I shall take my leave."
Shen Nian rubbed his forehead and said, "During your trip to Qingzhou, what did you think of Prince Jin?"
"Prince Jin is a man of few words. He does not meddle in local affairs, but he has a keen eye for injustice and cannot abide those who harm the common people."
"And Prince Ping?"
"Prince Ping suffered some hardships on this trip. I had expected him to lose his temper and cause trouble, but from start to finish, he made things easy for us. However, Prince Ping has always been known as a gracious gentleman—he seemed much changed on this journey. He remained restrained on the way back, though his words were sharper than before—he never resorted to outright cursing."
Looking at Yang Jinglei's honest and earnest expression, Shen Nian felt his headache worsen. "Commander Yang, you are the Imperial Guard Commander, tasked with protecting the palace and His Majesty's safety. The emperor demands loyalty—and more than that, he demands absolute, undivided loyalty."
Yang Jinglei's face showed urgency. He said, "But I am utterly loyal to His Majesty!"
"Yet in the matter of Prince Ping, your loyalty overstepped its bounds," Shen Nian said flatly.
Yang Jinglei didn't understand. Shen Nian continued, "Toward Prince Jin, your words were impartial. But toward Prince Ping, you genuinely felt he had been wronged on this journey—and not only felt it, you voiced it. In the emperor's eyes, you crossed a line."
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