Chapter 24 Fraud (Three-in-One): “Let’s elope.”

Chapter 24: Exam Fraud (Three-in-One): "Let's elope."

Xu Junzheng, a commoner scholar, shot to fame, and as the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind—drawing envy and suspicion from a swarm of wily old foxes in the political arena.

Some admired him, others envied him, with scorching gazes all fixed on Xu Junzheng, each one like a nail in his back.

At dawn, the emperor got a secret tip-off letter, accusing the new top scholar, Xu Junzheng, of cheating on the exam. His exam paper turned out to be a dead ringer for the "model answer" written by Chief Examiner Xie Tanwei—a full four thousand characters, laying out his takes on the ancient sage emperors Yao and Shun, the Duke of Zhou, and Confucian reforms, matching word for word, like it was photocopied.

In the model answer, Xie Tanwei’s insights were sharp—knowing when to speak up and when to stay quiet, navigating the political waters with real skill, a lot of it came from his own experience—clearly the work of a veteran politician, not something a bookworm stuck in a study could fake.

The essay used long, parallel sentences with elegant, tidy couplets—classic Xie Tanwei, just like his past exam answers.

This incident caused a huge uproar. The emperor immediately called Xie Tanwei in for a grilling about the cheating scandal.

Xie Tanwei said he had no idea.

He pretty much ignored his conscience. As the head grader, there’s no way he didn’t recognize his own writing. It seemed like he was trying to protect someone.

The emperor ordered him to get to the bottom of it fast—whether it was a leak, a stolen paper, or something else—and gave him three days.

The scandal was way too big to hush up; the emperor had to give the officials an answer. For now, it was kept under wraps, but after the deadline, no mercy.

"Minister Xie, you were a big shot in the last dynasty. Since I took the throne, I’ve leaned on you a lot. I hope you’ll make things right for the scholars out there and not let me down. Otherwise, famous as you are, I’ll have to come down hard on you."

The emperor coughed, holding his chest, his frail body red with anger. His narrowed eyes hinted he suspected Xie Tanwei of selling government posts. Now that commoners were getting ahead, Xie might have slipped his own people in to fool the throne and call the shots.

Truth was, the emperor had run out of patience with the overbearing Xie family, a powerful marquis clan. They broke the rules and the law. If it weren’t for the Grand Empress Dowager’s feelings and Xie Tanwei’s huge influence as a teacher to countless scholars, the emperor would have wiped out the Xie family a long time ago.

Xie Tanwei left the palace. The sky was gray, rain giving the mountains a green tint, a cool wind filling his sleeves, black swallows flying low. Soon, rain came pouring down, splashing up white foam.

Exam fraud.

Sitting in his carriage, he rested his chin on his hand, turning those four words over in his mind—someone had to take the fall.

If he took the fall, admitting he was too lazy and used Xu Junzheng’s answer, he’d lose his "Sage Teacher" status in the eyes of scholars, get kicked out of the capital, but at least keep his life.

But if Xu Junzheng took the fall, his career would be totally destroyed, and he’d face execution for lying to the emperor, and the Yu family would get dragged into it too.

The choice was obvious.

Too bad he wasn’t some saint with a heart of gold. No reason to stick his neck out for someone else and become the fall guy.

Besides, Xu Junzheng really did cheat, copying Xie Tanwei’s essay word for word.

He couldn’t help but question Yu Tianqin’s taste. In such a hurry to get away from him, she picked a guy like that to marry.

And she didn’t even cover her tracks, leaving him to clean up the mess.

…

The next day, the weather cleared up, and the rain stopped.

In the Xuesi Hall of the Hanlin Academy, a few elegant Hanlin scholars were gathered, chatting and laughing—these were the examiners for this year’s policy essays.

Today, the new scholars were officially paying their respects to their mentors.

Thanks to the Confucian tradition of respecting teachers, this first meeting after the exams was a big deal. It wasn’t just about acknowledging the teacher-student bond; it was a silent ritual of forming alliances, figuring out whose shadow to stand in later.

Right on time, the doors swung open. More than thirty scholars picked from all over the country streamed in, nervous but keeping up their elegant manners, meeting with the Hanlin big shots.

Some were already Hanlin bachelors, others had been picked as tutors to the crown prince, and a few came from rich, powerful families—real stars with bright futures.

Xu Junzheng, as the top scholar, should have been the center of attention, but he was lost in the crowd, head down, back hunched, looking really out of place.

Coming from a farming family, the fanciest door Xu Junzheng had ever walked through was Yan Geer’s private school. Sure, he’d gotten first place by luck, but how could he stack up against the confident, polished sons of rich families, who’d been raised to schmooze in official circles?

In the huge, intimidating Hanlin courtyard, Xu Junzheng felt like bolting. Just as he was panicking, he spotted Xie Tanwei—his brother-in-law, his mentor.

He grabbed onto this lifeline, bowing deep, "Master Xie."

Xie Tanwei stopped him: "No need."

Other scholars cast envious and hateful glances at Xu Junzheng. Master Xie had actually taken on this commoner as a disciple this year.

Xu Junzheng was so lucky, marrying into the Yu family and becoming Xie Tanwei’s brother-in-law, connected by marriage.

Xie Tanwei glanced at this brother-in-law, lost in thought. A young man, proud and full of fantasies, seemed out of place in the brutal vortex of exam fraud.

"How has Tian’er been these past few days?"

Xu Junzheng was surprised, not expecting Xie Tanwei to ask about Tian Qin first. Recalling their usually harmonious relationship as brother- and sister-in-law, he replied, "Sister Tian is doing well, busy embroidering her wedding dress. She had some indigestion yesterday afternoon and rested in her boudoir. I didn’t see her."

Xie Tanwei hummed faintly, not entitled to ask Tian Qin directly, so he probed through Xu Junzheng.

The word "boudoir" stung a bit—how intimate. Xu Junzheng even knew her private matters.

"Lazy thing," he snorted coldly, unclear whom he was judging.

Xu Junzheng felt a strange, sour sensation. He was Tian Qin’s fiancé, yet he felt excluded, like a stranger, as if she and her brother-in-law were the real couple, with him being the closest and most understanding of her.

Looking back, her smiles and laughter had always been directed at her brother-in-law, brighter than spring flowers. She had never smiled at him like that. She told her brother-in-law, "Promote him more," and he did.

Xu Junzheng was lost in his thoughts, dazed.

Though not her husband, her brother-in-law was an extremely important man in her life, seemingly more so than him.

Beyond Tian Qin, Xie Tanwei had nothing to say to Xu Junzheng. Forced conversation would only be about the identical exam papers and the cheating accomplice.

Xu Junzheng couldn’t truly approach Xie Tanwei like Tian Qin could. The latter was aloof, treating him no differently from other scholars.

Other scholars secretly mocked Xu Junzheng. A pheasant is still a pheasant, even on a branch, it won’t become a phoenix. Trying to curry favor with Master Xie? Practice for another hundred years.

Xu Junzheng felt dejected. Even as the top scholar, he couldn’t break into the aristocratic circle.

…

This dynasty governed by Confucianism. Official documents, imperial decrees, and judgments all had to find basis in Confucian classics, citing "Confucius said," "The Book of Documents says," "The Duke of Zhou said," and so on.

But this Confucianism wasn’t about self-restraint and ritual; it was solely about the interaction between heaven and man.

This theory held that celestial constellations corresponded to the human world. Floods, droughts, plagues, even children’s rhymes, eclipses, crows leaving nests—these anomalies reflected the emperor’s moral failings.

Disasters weren’t common, but they could be manufactured. The terrifying power of this Confucian doctrine was that it could label any emperor as morally deficient, with no room for rebuttal.

Argue? Argue with heaven. Tell heaven not to send floods, not to let the moon be eclipsed.

A tile falling from the imperial mausoleum? The ancestors were warning. Confucianism had lost its original purity, becoming a tool for political struggle.

As the leader of Confucianism, the Grand Empress Dowager’s nephew, a former Grand Marshal with military power, and a sage combining imperial relatives, saintliness, and Confucian teachings, Xie Tanwei was a natural target. After all, Confucianism also had the theory of sages becoming kings, and Xie Tanwei was a once-in-a-century sage.

Since the Emperor ascended the throne, he has favored scholars from humble backgrounds, and Xie Tanwei, like a fish in water, keenly felt the cold shoulder of being sidelined.

In this imperial exam fraud case, the Emperor wouldn't let it go, intending to use it to crush the Xie family's prestige.

Three days passed, yet Xie Tanwei still hadn't handed over Xu Junzheng's name. Given his usual decisiveness, this was downright bizarre.

The Emperor, dragging his sickly body, coughed one after another, and thundered angrily: "I hear the top scholar is the Yu family's son-in-law. So, Minister Xie, you played favorites on purpose, didn't you?"

Everyone knew that Yu's second daughter was Xie Tanwei's beloved wife. Nepotism and backroom deals must have leaked the exam answers; otherwise, Xu Junzheng could never have produced an identical paper.

Xie Tanwei offered no explanation, as if resigned to fate, and said, "I deserve death. Please take care of yourself, Your Majesty."

The Emperor's rage flared even hotter, not just for his actions but for his arrogant attitude—when faced with disaster, which minister didn't grovel and plead for mercy?

Xie Tanwei voluntarily resigned, admitted to the exam fraud, and gave up the long-vacant post of Grand Marshal.

In the end, the Emperor, out of respect for the Grand Empress Dowager, didn't go for the kill or strip him of his title, but exiled him to an old fiefdom—banished from the capital, never to return in his lifetime.

This move had long been in the Emperor's plans; he'd finally found a loophole to legitimately drive Xie Tanwei out of the power game, and that loophole was of Xie Tanwei's own making. The thorn in his side was finally gone.

"No one is to plead for him!" the Emperor decreed to all officials.

At this point, Xie Tanwei's political career was basically over; he'd lost what he treasured most.

The court officials were blindsided. The Xie family, whose position had seemed rock-solid yesterday, suddenly crumbled like sand.

It seemed the Emperor could punish someone with just a flick of his finger, even though he was frail and often at death's door.

Colleagues wept like they were at a funeral, and many commoners came to see him off voluntarily. They weren't his faction, but were moved by Xie Tanwei's shining character over the years, feeling genuine regret and sadness.

Xie Tanwei himself was unfazed. Nothing lasts forever. With the Emperor pushing him out, his towering fame making him a target, and the court being a mess, he would have left sooner or later. Better to leave with dignity, since this wasn't the first time he'd offered to resign.

But before leaving, he wanted to see her one final time.

...

For years, Xie Tanwei's integrity and uprightness had been deeply rooted in people's minds, so when news of his favoritism and exam fraud broke, it was met with total disbelief. No one believed it.

Even the wronged examinees themselves thought the court had screwed up—it must be a mistake. Master Xie was a saint. Could a saint have selfish motives? Could a saint cheat? The world had gone crazy.

Questioning Xie Tanwei wasn't questioning him as a person, but questioning the spiritual pillar they had long relied on. Without that pillar, people couldn't keep going.

Thus, court officials submitted petitions in droves, indignant and passionate, speaking up for Xie Tanwei, stirring up a huge uproar.

The Emperor grew angrier. Despite his explicit ban on pleas for mercy, those stubborn officials still dared to confront him head-on, risking their heads.

Seated on the throne, the Emperor, who had only reigned a short time and was so sickly, found his authority wasn't enough to command the full court. Officials formed cliques, showing him no respect.

In the eyes of the officials, the virtuous and humble Xie Tanwei was far better than the Emperor in character, having the potential of an ancient benevolent ruler.

Xie Tanwei, about to leave the capital for a long time, faced the ups and downs of fortune with calm and detachment, turning away with such grace.

The more he did so, the more he was admired. As soon as he resigned, many followers also submitted their resignations, willing to share his exile, causing a sudden shortage of court officials.

The public outcry was even louder. Master Xie couldn't have cheated; he must have been framed by "treacherous ministers" like those in plays. A righteous fury echoed among the people. Even children and women wept and cried out for justice, hoping their sage would return to the court.

Xu Junzheng belatedly realized he was caught in a terrible exam fraud case, and only Master Xie's support had spared him.

Master Xie was truly a compassionate bodhisattva. He shouldn't have copied Master Xie's essay—no, he shouldn't have! When Tian Qin handed it to him, he should have firmly refused!

Overwhelming shame drowned him. Xu Junzheng nearly suffocated. That night, he ran frantically to Xie's residence, pounding on the gate, begging to see Xie Tanwei, only to be mercilessly driven away by the servants.

"Please, let me see Master Xie, even just once! Otherwise, I'd rather kneel here forever!"

"The master is about to leave the capital and sees no one."

The plaque of Xie's residence had been removed. In the pitch-black night, several loaded wagons stood at the gate, desolate and bleak, filled with a sense of abandonment, cobwebs and dust.

The majestic Xie family had fallen in an instant.

Xu Junzheng's breath caught with pain, tears streaming down. How could he repay Master Xie's life-saving grace?

It was his essay that was copied. His essay.

And it had caused Master Xie's downfall... Xie Tanwei, truly a moral paragon, had chosen to have his entire clan exiled rather than expose him.

Xu Junzheng's emotions surged too violently, and he fainted, only to be dragged home by his hurriedly arriving mother.

By now, even his mother realized his top scholar title was dishonorable and feared his impulsive actions would bring disaster.

At the Yu residence, Yu Yuan never imagined that someone as upright as Xie Tanwei would be implicated in exam fraud.

Had Xie Tanwei really shown favoritism to Xu Junzheng?

He had no reason to leak the answers to Xu Junzheng or help him; they were strangers before. And because of Tian Qin, they were even rivals in love.

This matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed. It was likely a setup. Even Xie Tanwei could stumble in a ditch.

Shaken, Yu Yuan secretly congratulated himself on his shrewd calculations. He'd long sensed the Emperor couldn't tolerate Xie Tanwei and had kept his distance—wise indeed.

Now, the Xie family was like a tree fallen, its monkeys scattered.

Kuju certainly wouldn't marry into it, wasting a daughter. Yu Yuan also wanted to keep Xian Qiu at home, forcing her to divorce Xie Tanwei. In times of crisis, each fends for himself; otherwise, she'd be exiled with him to a remote, impoverished place, never to return.

To his surprise, the usually gentle Xian Qiu refused without a second thought, her resolve harder than iron.

"Father, when our Yu family was living as guests elsewhere, my husband never looked down on me. For years, he never abandoned me. Now, I cannot be ungrateful and betray him. Whether in life or death, through storms or calm, I will stand by my husband through thick and thin."

Yu Yuan fumed, cursing, "Fool! Ungrateful daughter! Do you know Xie Tanwei can never return to the capital? You'd give up a good life in the capital to suffer in some backwater!"

Tian Qin naturally heard the news about the Xie family.

Xie Tanwei was being exiled.

Was this real...

She was anxious, unwilling to believe it. A man who could casually weave a murder plot wouldn't suddenly have a change of heart. A powerful minister who had outmaneuvered his sovereign and stood firm in court for years wouldn't suddenly lose his grip. A man as sharp as a hidden arrow wouldn't suddenly be helpless, allowing others to bully him.

The answer was that she had secretly given it to Xu Junzheng. Xie Tanwei knew it full well. He could have exposed them, and he'd even threatened to kill Xu Junzheng, but in the end, he took the fall.

A sharp tongue but a soft heart? Absolutely not.

A soft tongue but a sharp heart? That was far more likely.

He kept retreating, sacrificing his career. What was his real plan?

This wasn't a change of heart, nor repentance, nor fear of the fraud charge.

There’s only one reason—it benefits him, lets him gain leverage to trade for what he wants.

Tian Qin had a dull headache; her opponent lurking in the darkness was too eerie, leaving her lost and unable to make a move.

...

Overnight, Xie Tanwei went from a revered Powerful Minister to a cold, exiled, washed-up politician. Marrying him as a concubine went from a hot ticket to a total disaster.

Kuju cut her face with scissors to steal Tian Qin’s marriage, but she bungled it and got what she deserved. Tian Qin, marrying a poor scholar, shot up instead, while Kuju’s plan to marry her brother-in-law fell through.

Before the wedding, as tradition dictated, Tian Qin and Kuju shared a bed. Kuju sobbed into her pillow, couldn’t stop.

Because of Xie Tanwei’s demotion, Yu Yuan put her marriage on hold, unsure which family to sell her ruined body to next, even pushing her second sister to get a divorce.

Tian Qin threw out a few half-hearted words of comfort, but her heart was a mess. Too much had changed lately—not just with Kuju, but her own marriage might not go smoothly, especially since she’d pissed off Xie Tanwei.

Was Xie Tanwei really just leaving like that?

If he ratted out Xu Junzheng for cheating on the imperial exams, Xu Junzheng would be screwed.

Then forget marriage—he’d barely keep his head, and she, the girl who stole the exam papers, would get nailed too.

Tian Qin finally got the marriage she wanted, but she was down, dark clouds overhead, no sun in sight, like a cold, endless drizzle, leaving her unable to feel happy.

She prayed to heaven to get through this mess.

That day, Xu Junzheng tried to see Xie Tanwei but got turned away. He fainted, and when he woke up, he struggled to get out of bed. Ignoring his mom’s begging, he insisted on kneeling at Xie’s gate.

If Master Xie still wouldn’t see him, he’d take the exam papers to the exam hall and confess to cheating himself, rather than let Master Xie take the fall for nothing.

A scholar’s most important thing was his integrity. If Master Xie got demoted over this while he climbed the ladder, dealing with the scorn and contempt of his peers, then being an official wasn’t worth it.

Xu Junzheng’s kneeling drew a crowd, pointing and sneering, mostly cursing him as shameless and despicable—a plagiarist who screwed over a loyal official, a villain with endless crimes.

Xu Junzheng’s eyes burned with tears.

The gates of Xie’s mansion finally creaked open with a heavy groan. The elegant, refined decor inside was still the same—various artworks and calligraphy in place. Xie Tanwei had only packed a few personal things, leaving with nothing.

Xu Junzheng was blown away by Xie’s place, his nerves on edge. A servant brought hot tea, and he almost burned his fingers, stammering hoarsely, “Master Xie, about the exam papers, I…”

Xie Tanwei gently blew on the tea leaves floating on top and said, “That day, I had a hangover and a headache, so I couldn’t see you, Master Xu. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

He always kept a distant, polite vibe, elusive as smoke, impossible to read.

The other man stood like a mountain, while Xu Junzheng was nervous and fidgety, their statures totally mismatched.

Xu Junzheng was mortified: “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know why the essay ended up… exactly the same. I don’t understand.”

Xie Tanwei listened.

“Sister Tian gave me a notebook with brilliant essays in her handwriting. At the time, I thought the answers were great, not knowing they were yours, Master Xie.”

Xu Junzheng struggled to find the right words. The vaguer he made it, the more it sounded like a lie. He rambled about irrelevant stuff, then finally gritted his teeth and made a decision: “I’ll go to jail. I’ll confess to the cheating at the exam hall. I won’t drag you into it.”

Xie Tanwei stopped him, replying coldly, “If you do that, Tian’er will also go to jail. According to what you’ve said, she leaked the exam papers.”

“Sister Tian doesn’t care.” Xu Junzheng’s reason slipped, tears streaming down in large drops, his voice choked with desperation. “Since Sister Tian chose me, she’s also an upright, honest person. At worst, we’ll go to jail together.”

“Doesn’t care? She doesn’t care about being beheaded?”

Xie Tanwei’s calm, deep eyes were like the cold markings on a ruler, and he asked unhurriedly, “Do you think exam cheating is just about jail? Even if it were, a woman entering jail faces immense hardship and disgrace—she’d never hold her head up again.”

Xu Junzheng’s heart skipped a beat, and he fell silent.

Beheading—so severe.

He was being naive again. He was a pure scholar who had never been to jail, who knew nothing of the judiciary’s filth.

He couldn’t die, and Sister Tian couldn’t die either. He was the only son in his family; if he died, who would care for his mom? Being beheaded by an executioner in public was worse than taking his own life.

Xu Junzheng collapsed into helpless despair, his hands hanging limp, sobbing softly.

The darkness of officialdom was a thousand times beyond his imagination. As a fledgling Confucian scholar, he felt profoundly weak and powerless.

“Perhaps my little sister was being playful and casually took my handwriting, which you happened to see. It was my fault for not keeping it secure.”

Xie Tanwei took a light sip of tea and said, “I’ll handle this matter. Don’t you interfere.”

By saying this, Xie Tanwei effectively took the blame for leaking the exam papers onto himself. The matter was settled, and no further inquiry would be made.

Xu Junzheng’s guilt deepened, nearly crushing him. He buried his head low, almost into the dust, unable to face Xie Tanwei.

Tian Qin was truly an immature girl without restraint, treating such important exam questions so frivolously, nearly ruining him, getting his family executed, and dragging Master Xie down…

Thankfully, he had met Master Xie—the kindest teacher under heaven, a saint, a bodhisattva, perhaps even a reincarnation of one.

“Master Xie, rest assured. In the future, I will do my utmost to speak on your behalf, hoping His Majesty will change his mind and bring you back!”

That was all Xu Junzheng could think of as repayment. His words were shallow and pale, but they couldn’t stop his resolve.

Xie Tanwei gave a faint smile. “That won’t be necessary. If Master Xu truly feels guilty, please grant me one favor.”

Xu Junzheng, hearing this, vowed to agree to anything.

“Break off the engagement. Don’t marry Tian Qin.”

Xie Tanwei said, “Can I ask this of you, Master Xu, in exchange for this matter?”

Xu Junzheng was stunned, never expecting such a condition. “Why, Master? Do you think this marriage is bad? Sister Tian is a wonderful person. Please don’t hold the exam papers against her.”

“It’s not bad; it’s just unsuitable.” Xie Tanwei didn’t explain further, stating directly, “Breaking it off is good for everyone.”

His words were as simple as a fine-line painting, yet they carried an absolute request, a command from a superior.

Xu Junzheng owed something, and breaking the engagement was how he could repay it—a balance of debt and repayment, ensuring harmony and lasting relationships.

Xu Junzheng, immersed in this short-lived emotion, was in great pain. He couldn’t agree to his teacher’s demand.

Anything but that—why must it be abandoning Sister Tian?

The betrothal gifts had been sent, the marriage contracts exchanged—they were as good as married. He couldn’t be fickle.

Sister Tian longed for it so much; not carrying her into the mansion in a grand sedan chair would fail to repay her deep affection.

“Master, is there no other choice?”

Xu Junzheng frowned, dejected, not daring to refuse outright but absolutely unable to agree.

Maybe he should just go to the exam hall and confess to the cheating, rather than abandon Sister Tian and owe his teacher so much.

Tian Meimei's marriage is not something that can be traded.

"I cannot abandon Tian Meimei. I can repay Master by being his servant, but I must not betray Tian Meimei's heart."

Xu Junzheng felt wronged and torn, tears streaming down his face, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Suddenly, he recalled the unspoken glances, postures, and smiles between Tian Qin and his brother-in-law Xie Tanwei. Could his brother-in-law's refusal to let the marriage happen be tied to all this?

Xu Junzheng dared not think deeper.

They were brother-in-law and sister-in-law, after all.

With this said, Xie Tanwei naturally understood that the other party would never budge, trying to have his cake and eat it too.

His heartfelt efforts were in vain. Even if he poured out his soul, not hesitating to ruin himself by covering up the exam scandal, offering the last and most basic favor he could give, he still couldn't get the result he wanted.

People are so cold-hearted; others take all the perks and give nothing back, and he'd been made a scapegoat for nothing.

Xu Junzheng kept muttering to himself, full of guilt, but Xie Tanwei lost interest, got up, and left.

If he wanted Tian Qin, only she herself could come back to him.

...

The bloody storm at court didn't touch the Yu residence at all. Dragonflies hovered over the rippling water, a few pigeons rested on the roof ridge, and summer sunlight filtered through in dappled patches.

The same calm prevailed in the Xu household. Xu Junzheng, caught up in the exam scandal, lived in a peace that was downright unsettling.

Yu Yuan had been watching to see if the Xu family would suffer consequences, but seeing the situation, he went ahead boldly with the marriage alliance between the two families.

The only one who left the stage in disgrace was Xie Tanwei, the former top minister. He lost his official position and reputation, and was ordered into exile in the old state.

Xian Qiu, his wife, stayed steadfastly by his side, unwilling to leave, willing to accompany Xie Tanwei into exile.

Xu Junzheng pulled off the cheat, replacing the original author and becoming the essay's true namesake.

Xu Junzheng went from cheater to cheated. Xie Tanwei had copied his "Zhuangyuan essay" word for word, and such negligence naturally meant severe punishment—exile.

Although Xu Junzheng had misattributed the work, the official world ran on backstabbing—all were villains, not a single one innocent.

The curtain fell.

It was all over.

In the afternoon, rain suddenly started falling. Thick rain clouds, hazy and gray, painted the sky gloomy, and the cicadas' chirping faded.

Tian Qin sat under the eaves holding a jade-handled round fan, watching the rain. The cold wind carried droplets, clearing her mind and spirit.

Xie Tanwei stood silently beside her, watching the rain too. Life was unpredictable—maybe this was their last meeting.

His fair, elegant hand, jade-like, hung by her side. She knew these hands wrote the best essays in the world—others copied him, he never copied anyone.

When he guided her hand to write, the characters were graceful and lively, like a dragon soaring, just like his beautiful hand itself.

"Once, when I sprained my ankle, my brother-in-law carried me home in the rain, soaking his spring jacket. Your brows and eyes were wet, like an ink wash painting."

She spoke, her gaze falling on the white foam splashing from rain hitting the blue bricks. A small dark flower on her round fan was also dampened.

"I secretly rested my chin on your shoulder, even though I knew you hated it. Your shoulders were only for my sister."

Xie Tanwei replied, "Back then, my shoulder felt itchy. I knew it wasn't raindrops—it was you. Even with a sprained ankle, you wouldn't throw away the pebble that made you slip, saying it was a color I liked, perfect for the fish tank by the study door."

His expression, touched by the duck-egg blue of the sky, was deeply tender. "You said it was the first time you'd seen a duck-egg blue pebble, just like the pigment I used in my study, and that you wanted to learn painting too."

"I was just acting on a whim, really clumsy at it. My brother-in-law would rather spend time with my sister than waste good paint on teaching me."

Tian Qin sighed, the sound swallowed by the rain. She turned her head and asked, "That pebble—did you use it later?"

"I did."

Xie Tanwei said, tinged with nostalgia, "I placed them one by one in the fish tank, scaring the two fish so bad they splashed water all over my sleeve. Later, thinking it was too far, I moved them to my desk. When I dipped my brush in duck-egg blue paint, I'd dip the pebble too."

But that was after she'd passed away from illness. Occasionally, when he came back from her grave, he'd bring one or two peach blossoms she liked.

"Later, when I tried to find another pebble like yours, I never could."

Tian Qin seemed to smile faintly, her eyes crystalline. She said nothing more. The grudges of two lifetimes were completely let go in that moment, like mist dissolving in the cold rain of a gloomy day.

Xie Tanwei turned his head, fixing his gaze on her. After their long separation, she was wearing a lotus-colored new dress, her hair styled in a married woman's bun—a bride-to-be. Everything had changed, and she was completely from a different world, so unfamiliar it was disorienting.

He stood so close to her, yet so far away. Touching her cheek felt like touching emptiness, separated by an unbreakable membrane. She was already promised to another man.

"My brother-in-law is being exiled to the old state. You're leaving, aren't you?" She broke the silence. "I heard Second Sister is leaving too."

Xie Tanwei hummed in acknowledgment. "Is little sister happy?"

She pouted in a low voice. "Why should I be happy?"

"I'm leaving, not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial decree. From now on, you can do as you please, marry whoever you like."

He gently brushed her rain-chilled cheek with his finger, in a conciliatory tone. "Today is my last visit to Third Sister."

Tian Qin avoided his touch, shielding herself with the round fan. "In the past, I would have been very happy. Now I'm happy too, but not as much."

"Why?"

"Because my brother-in-law helped me."

She lifted her slender, lotus-stem-like neck, her delicate and radiant skin under the gloomy light. "My brother-in-law took the blame for the cheating scandal, spared me from prison, saved Xu Junzheng. Sharp-tongued but soft-hearted, you're truly a good person. I'm grateful to my brother-in-law."

Xie Tanwei said, "I was afraid little sister might do something rash. The scissors that day scared your brother-in-law."

"My brother-in-law saved my life in the avalanche without asking for anything in return. If you don't ask for anything this time, I'll be uneasy."

She said seriously, meeting his eyes. To cut ties completely, she insisted he accept repayment this time, because there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

"Say it," she urged. Except for becoming his concubine, she was willing to agree to anything within her power.

Puddles of accumulated rain rippled, raindrops dripped from the eaves. After a moment, Xie Tanwei said, "Then I'll ask for a favor."

A favor. Tian Qin found the word hard to understand.

"Ask for little sister's forgiveness," he said.

The favor he owed her was nothing but matters from a past life, but those were unforgivable, wounds that could not be smoothed over.

Tian Qin didn't need him to make amends, didn't need his guilt. She only wanted to draw clear lines, to cut ties cleanly.

"For my illusory forgiveness, my brother-in-law is willing to give up his official career?"

"Yes, I gave it up."

Xie Tanwei said lightly, with a quiet, terrifying madness. "If you're still not satisfied, I could make him suffer even more, since I messed up in the past life."

"My forgiveness isn't that important," Tian Qin said, her heart stone-cold, dodging the real issue. "You're about to be sent off to that old kingdom, and we'll never see each other again in this life. I'm just someone passing through your life."

He wore a lonely, smoky gray, aloof and detached, pure and solitary. Hypocrisy was just his mask; a viper can't just pull its fangs. He hides them for now, but underneath the skin, the venom still flows.

A gray, rainy haze covered everything as Xie Tanwei sighed lazily, "Guess you still haven't forgiven me, sis."

She furrowed her brows. "Brother-in-law, let's drop it."

The past life is a scar, barely healed; touch it and it bleeds all over again.

Xie Tanwei stared at the rain rustling like silkworms eating mulberry leaves, seeping into the cracks of the cobblestone path. Light and shadow flickered, and what hung in the mist wasn't rain, but endless regret.

"So you're not mad about me and Xu Junzheng?" Tian Qin finally asked after a long silence.

Xie Tanwei gave a sympathetic smile, like he understood. "I am mad. But what's done is done; at this point, no one can change it. The engagement is set, by parental decree. You don't want to fight it, and you can't."

Tian Qin's heart skipped with unease. "You're lying, brother-in-law."

He clearly had the power to change things. Even she knew that if he just insisted Xu Junzheng cheated, the situation could be reversed. She could be dragged back to be his secondary wife, and he wouldn't have to pack up his family and get exiled.

There were too many ways to prove cheating: have them write essays on the spot with a time limit, or pass the exam papers around to all the officials to prove the writing was always his style...

But Xie Tanwei never fought back.

"That day, you even told me to expose Xu Junzheng myself, and in an instant, you had a whole plan ready."

"I admired how ruthless you were then, but I never thought you'd just go silent, take the blame for cheating, and let yourself be wronged. I can't help but doubt your motives."

"But you refused, didn't you? Without you reporting it, my plan was worthless."

Xie Tanwei said, half joking, half serious, "If I didn't take the fall, Xu Junzheng would have to. Him dying wouldn't matter, but the problem is it would drag you into it, exposing that you leaked the exam. Then you'd inevitably face jail time. Your sister and I couldn't stand that; we'd rather leave home and take the demotion."

"Besides, I'm also responsible for the leak. It was my carelessness in teaching you the answers, so I deserve the punishment."

He spoke reasonably.

Tian Qin absolutely couldn't believe his gentle words. Her past life with him had long shown her his true face.

He didn't care whether she lived or died, so why would he fear her going to prison? He didn't even spare her corpse; ten of him couldn't scrape together a shred of compassion.

Her eyes, like red-hot needles, fixed on him. "Brother-in-law, I don't believe this. Tell me, what are you really after?"

Even if he said he wanted her body, she could be slightly more at ease.

Xie Tanwei, under her scrutiny, had eyes as clear and cold as early spring skies, and said word by word, "I've already said it: I'm after a favor, after your forgiveness, after you seeing me in a better light."

Tian Qin remained silent.

Xie Tanwei, rarely putting himself in her shoes, explained a couple more sentences: "You planned this carefully for a long time, orchestrating this marriage swap. It must have been hard. The Yu family wanted to ally with the new elite, and you were somewhat forced to contribute to the family, half-coerced."

"I was a bit angry at first, but once I understood the whole story, I stopped being angry. I understand your difficulties, and I won't blame you."

"So, it's just a favor, just your forgiveness."

Tian Qin mulled over every word he said, elusive and hard to grasp. On the surface, he was generous and magnanimous, but it hid some kind of trap.

"Thank you, brother-in-law..." she tested, perhaps truly at a loss for words, following his train of thought, her lips parting slightly.

Xie Tanwei asked, "Are you willing to forgive me?"

He was as calm as a gentle breeze, with an upright demeanor, icy integrity, and deep affection, making it hard not to be fooled by his appearance. The word "forgiveness" was something he traded for his reputation and career in this life.

"I forgive you, brother-in-law." Tian Qin, forced into a corner, let out a long sigh. "I hope your exile to that old kingdom goes smoothly, and you find a new home in a new place."

In the past life, she was dispensable to him, with little care, mostly treated with the coldness of a stranger.

Perhaps in this life, her sudden remarriage made him cling to her like an obsession, only to let go when his passion cooled.

Xie Tanwei paused, a cold light flickering in his dark eyes, and said with relief, "I'm glad you said that to me."

Perhaps his efforts over the past few days had paid off; the thin ice between them cracked with a snap, forming a fissure.

Tian Qin tried to avoid his gaze, saying subtly, "Tian Qin feels the same. It's a pity I can't serve you and sister in this life. I'll repay your kindness in the next."

The summer rain grew heavier, the curtain of rain like a transparent, blurry barrier, isolating the outside world, trapping them in the narrow corridor.

Xie Tanwei's unique tenderness and dampness, as if soaked in rain, slowly wrapped around her shoulders. Tian Qin didn't refuse this time, following his lead, burying her head in his chest.

Their clothes brushed, breaths intertwined, his lips hovering near hers, lingering, entangled in a tender embrace.

This was the last time, wasn't it? From now on, they'd be worlds apart, never to see each other again in this life, the rest of their days soaked in memories and regret.

They were like lovers forcibly torn apart by fate, full of tender feelings, reluctant to part in a life-and-death separation.

"Tian'er."

Xie Tanwei bowed his head to her ear, softly, slowly, like rain spreading on rice paper:

"Let's elope."

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Here it is, the next chapter will be updated at midnight as usual.