Chapter 7 “Minister Jiang”

Chapter 7: "Minister Jiang"

Day had broken, and the mist had dissipated.

The sun rose slowly from the east, its golden rays bathing the earth, and even Jiang Wang's remote little courtyard managed to catch a few rays.

However, the atmosphere inside the house could only be described as gloomy and bleak, warding off the already scarce winter sunlight.

The content of the secret letter was easy to understand.

Someone wanted the original owner of this body to be a spy planted beside the emperor.

But the words "our paths diverge" written on the back of the letter indicated that the original owner was unwilling.

Afterwards, the original owner was deliberately pushed into the water by two burly men under the guise of an "accident."

Then the original owner died, and Jiang Wang crossed over.

And when those two men accosted him a second time, intending to throw him into the water, he chose "agree" in a panic to save himself, completely unaware of the consequences.

At that moment, the words left by the two men suddenly echoed in Jiang Wang's mind.

"Wait for someone to contact you."

In that instant, he had agreed to cooperate with them.

He had become a spy...

He had become a spy beside the tyrant Xiao Yan...

Jiang Wang truly wished he could turn back time, return to the moment he shouted "agree," and slap himself twice, hard.

This damned mouth of his.

If he had known the truth of the matter was like this, it would have been better to be thrown into the water back then.

Now, although his body wasn't in the pond, his heart felt as if it had sunk into that frozen pond.

He hardly dared to imagine how horrific his death would be if Xiao Yan discovered him.

By then, a bloody beating would be getting off easy; given Xiao Yan's temperament, he'd likely have him drawn and quartered...

Jiang Wang gave a start, accidentally revealing the signature on the secret letter.

A solitary "Chang" character appeared before his eyes.

Chang?

The first person who came to Jiang Wang's mind was Chancellor Chang Wenji.

Could this secret letter have come from Chang Wenji's side?

Looking at it now, that seemed highly possible.

After all, the letter said to report the Emperor's movements promptly. Other than Chang Wenji, who else would have such a need?

But, he had just toasted Chang Wenji yesterday...

This was truly adding insult to injury, making him look even more guilty!

Wait, it was the system that forced him to propose the toast; that wasn't his true intention!

Jiang Wang called out loudly for 001 again, but the system was nowhere to be found, deathly silent.

The system left him hanging at a critical moment—what was the point of it even existing!

Jiang Wang suddenly thought again: if he took this letter to Xiao Yan and confessed, saying it wasn't his intention but the system forced him, would Xiao Yan spare his life?

The next moment, he felt he was giving Xiao Yan too much credit.

If he appeared before Xiao Yan with this secret letter, he'd probably be swarmed by imperial guards, pinned to the ground, and thrown into prison before he could even speak, without a word of explanation.

Even if we assume the best, if Xiao Yan listened to his explanation and even summoned Chang Wenji for a confrontation, could he survive?

This secret letter only had a "Chang" character as a signature; beyond that, there were no other identifying marks, let alone conclusive evidence.

He'd likely fail to clear his name and instead be charged with "falsely accusing a court official."

No matter what, this was a death sentence.

Jiang Wang calmed down, thought it over carefully, and threw the secret letter into the charcoal-burning stove.

In an instant, the thin paper turned to ashes, disappearing without a trace.

He had made up his mind. He could be in trouble, but Changle must be kept out of it.

If something happened to him, Changle would most likely be implicated.

Acting as a spy was beneath him.

What the original owner wouldn't do, he wouldn't do either.

Jiang Wang planned to pretend to play along with Chang Wenji on the surface while secretly gathering evidence.

This could not only gain leverage over others but was also key to self-preservation.

As for the tyrant Xiao Yan, he would try his best to stay on his good side and find an opportunity to distance himself quickly.

Jiang Wang composed himself, picked up the pear from the table, and handed it to Changle again.

"Eat it. It won't be fresh if you wait any longer. I specifically snuck this back for you."

He stuffed the pear into Changle's arms with one hand while gently smoothing Changle's furrowed brow with the other.

"What are you worried about?" Jiang Wang said softly. "Do you really believe your young master is a bad person?"

Of course, Changle didn't believe that; he was only worried about Jiang Wang's safety.

"But... but young master," Changle hesitated for a long time before blurting out in one breath, "Before you, two Court Diarists have already died..."

Just now, while Jiang Wang was deep in thought, Changle suddenly remembered.

A couple of days ago, when he went out shopping on the street, he overheard people talking about the Court Diarist.

"Since the new emperor ascended the throne, two Court Diarists have already died. Who knows how long this third one will last."

"I think only those with tough lives can do this job; otherwise, they'll end up like the first two!"

Wasn't that cursing his young master!

Changle really wanted to go argue with them, but Jiang Wang would be getting off duty soon, so he had no choice but to let it go.

When he heard this, two words slowly surfaced in Jiang Wang's mind.

Wait, *how* many?

Two?!

If his memory served him right, this was the first year of Changde.

Xiao Yan hadn't even been emperor for a year, and already two Court Diarists had been replaced?

And he was the unlucky third one...

Jiang Wang had thought that being made a spy without his knowledge was already difficult enough.

But he never expected that even greater difficulties lay ahead.

Then again, he could see why. On one side, if you didn't cooperate, you'd be killed; on the other, if you displeased him even slightly, you'd be beaten to death. No wonder the Court Diarist position changed so quickly.

It was already hard enough to survive—what was this, death piled on top of death?

Although Jiang Wang was on the verge of a breakdown inside, he kept a straight face.

If he told Changle, Changle would only worry more.

Besides, the more you knew, the more dangerous it was. So it was better to tell him nothing at all.

"It's fine, that letter has been burned. No one in the world knows about it now," Jiang Wang comforted him. "Once I've saved up enough money, I'll resign from my post, and we'll go buy a small house in the countryside. How does that sound?"

Seeing Jiang Wang so relaxed and confident, Changle felt much more at ease.

His brows finally smoothed out, and he picked up the pear to eat.

If the young master said there was no problem, then there was no problem.

*

Although Jiang Wang chose not to side with either—neither becoming a spy nor planning to work hard for the Foolish Emperor—he still had to play the part.

After all, keeping Xiao Yan happy would make it easier for him to slip away when the time came.

To demonstrate his diligent work attitude, he was already waiting at the Hall of Diligent Governance early the next morning.

In fact, he was even a bit too early; only a few ministers had arrived for the morning court.

As usual, Xiao Yan dozed off a bit during this morning court.

Seeing Ling Shan approaching with his sword, Jiang Wang understood and raised a hand to stop him.

He smoothly wrote the words he had prepared in advance on the record book and walked over himself to show it to Ling Shan.

"His Majesty labors day and night, concerned with state affairs, forgetting to eat and sleep. Today, his countenance appears weary, and all ministers are deeply moved and filled with admiration."

Jiang Wang admired himself immensely in his heart—this phrasing was truly comprehensive.

It included a description of Xiao Yan's "hard work" and added the ministers' emotions and admiration.

Although Ling Shan seemed hesitant after reading the words in the book, he ultimately nodded.

Perfect.

Jiang Wang gave himself full marks in his heart.

After the morning court, as usual, they moved to the Imperial Study. Jiang Wang had also prepared a few flattering phrases in advance, just waiting to write them down.

But just as he was about to put pen to paper, a call of "Minister Jiang" interrupted his action.

Jiang Wang looked up, meeting Xiao Yan's eyes, which held a faint, ambiguous smile.

"I am here, Your Majesty."

Jiang Wang lowered his head and cupped his hands, secretly wondering what Xiao Yan was up to now.

"At the banquet the other day, did you think I was too cruel?"

Of course, you're the cruelest person in the whole world.

That's what he thought, but he couldn't say it out loud.

Jiang Wang remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Your Majesty is benevolent and insightful, with profound intentions behind every thought and action. I dare not speculate recklessly, only remaining utterly impressed."

For a long time, Xiao Yan said nothing.

Jiang Wang ultimately couldn't bear the eerie silence and stole a glance upward.

He happened to see a slight smile curling at the corner of Xiao Yan's lips—it was hard to tell whether it was appreciation or... amusement.

Instantly, a sliver of unease rose in Jiang Wang's heart.

Why was Xiao Yan making that expression? Did he not like it?

That shouldn't be the case—he always seemed happy when others flattered him.

Or did Xiao Yan know he had a problem?

No, no, that's definitely impossible. If Xiao Yan knew, he would have dealt with him immediately. How could he let him stay until now?

Just as Jiang Wang's thoughts were wrestling with each other, Xiao Yan spoke.

"Minister Jiang's loyalty is clear to me. Tomorrow, for the purification ritual at Longquan Temple, you shall accompany me."

Jiang Wang was slightly taken aback but immediately agreed.

"As Your Majesty commands."

Xiao Yan was likely going to Longquan Temple for the jade thumb ring that had been recovered a few days earlier.

He usually made a habit of going to the temple to chant sutras. Now that the thumb ring had been lost, he would surely ask the monks to perform a purification ritual to cleanse any impurities from it.

However, Xiao Yan never brought outside ministers to Longquan Temple; he always went alone or with a few close guards.

So why was he bringing him this time?

Just because he was good at flattery?

When it was time to finish for the day, Jiang Wang happened to run into Cen Maoshi at the palace gate.

Spotting Jiang Wang from afar, Cen Maoshi waddled over with his plump body, greeting him from a distance.

"Lord Jiang~"

Before the man even arrived, that thin and reedy voice had already drifted into Jiang Wang's ears, so fawning it gave him goosebumps.

"Chief Steward Cen."

Jiang Wang battled down his discomfort and nodded in acknowledgment, not letting his disgust show.

Cen Maoshi hurried over, closing the distance until they were nearly touching.

"Lord Jiang, there's no need for such formality. You are young and capable, deeply favored by His Majesty. Your future prospects are boundless."

"Deeply favored by His Majesty...?"

Why was it that he himself hadn't sensed that he had won Xiao Yan's favor...

"Aren't you accompanying His Majesty to Longquan Temple tomorrow? The Emperor has never brought an external official along before!"

Jiang Wang nodded; he was aware of that.

But he couldn't tell Cen Maoshi that it was because he had buttered up Xiao Yan so well during the day that Xiao Yan, on a whim, decided to include him.

Seeing that Jiang Wang still seemed in the dark, Cen Maoshi couldn't contain his joy, beaming even more brightly than Jiang Wang himself.

"Lord Jiang, that's not all!"

He glanced around to make sure no one was nearby, then lowered his voice and leaned close to Jiang Wang's ear.

"His Majesty just decreed that a seat is to be added to the imperial coach. Who else could it be for but you? This is an unparalleled honor!"

Wait.

So, tomorrow, he would have to...

Ride in the same carriage as the tyrant Xiao Yan?!

Author's Note:

Jiang Wang: Choking down his bitterness without a word, still having to act with the Foolish Emperor.