Chapter 56: Getting Close

Chapter 56: Getting Close

Before the Liu family’s case broke, Chancellor Liu Wenyuan was assigned to oversee the repairs of the Zhaoling Mausoleum.

In the autumn of the nineteenth year of Chengping, the stone statues on the sacred path suddenly collapsed, causing a major construction accident that shocked the entire court and the public.

After an investigation by the Three Judicial Departments, it was found that the construction materials for the project were of inferior quality substituted for good ones, and the financial shortfall reached as high as 400,000 taels of silver.

Minister of Works Cui Zhen stayed silent at first, but three days later suddenly changed his story, crying in court as he accused Chancellor Liu of tricking him into embezzling project funds under the pretext of “saving silver for the national treasury,” and produced six secret letters as evidence.

The Ministry of Justice quickly searched the Liu house and seized draft replies written by Cui Zhen along with 180,000 taels of serial-numbered silver notes.

With conclusive evidence, the emperor was enraged. Cui Zhen was given poisoned wine, and the Liu family's assets were seized that same day.

Mindful of twenty years of service, the emperor spared Liu Wenyuan from the death penalty for the time being; he was stripped of his post and imprisoned pending his sentence.

On the day the Ministry of Works incident occurred, Cui Zhen’s subordinate, Vice Director of the Ministry of Works Li Cong, killed himself out of guilt, setting himself on fire at home. When discovered, his body was charred beyond recognition, with only his official waist badge as proof.

But today.

Liu Qingci saw Li Cong, who should have long since died in the fire, beside Zhao Chongwu.

Liu Qingci, of course, believed his father would never have embezzled project money, but Minister of Works Cui Zhen had already been poisoned to death, leaving no way to verify the truth.

No one would believe that Cui Zhen had used his own life to frame Liu Wenyuan, but Liu Qingci only now learned that Cui Zhen was merely a scapegoat. The one who truly acted for Zhao Chongwu, the mastermind behind the scenes, was Li Cong, the man by Cui Zhen’s side.

Liu Qingci’s fingertips were icy cold. He leaned against the wall for a long time before suppressing the intense hatred.

“What’s wrong?”

By now, Xiao Yan had walked up to him. His voice was low, but his tone was light, as if afraid to startle something.

Liu Qingci could feel the heavy gaze Xiao Yan fixed on his face, filled with barely hidden worry.

At this moment, Xiao Yan appeared much more genuine.

Liu Qingci blinked, his eyes dry, and said softly, “Just strolling around here.”

Xiao Yan frowned at him, clearly sensing the evasiveness in the answer.

Liu Qingci let out a slow breath, then managed a faint smile. He asked, “Your Highness, are you close with General Zhao?”

Xiao Yan was a little surprised, not expecting Liu Qingci to suddenly ask such a question.

Just now, when he first saw Liu Qingci’s red-rimmed eyes, his moist eyes seemed shrouded in cold mist. That blend of fragility and sharpness made Xiao Yan’s heart tighten inexplicably.

He didn’t know what had made Liu Qingci react so strongly.

“Host, Liu Qingci already knows that Zhao Chongwu is his family’s enemy. Asking this might be his way of determining whose side you’ll take... Your stance will decide your future relationship. Besides, he’s feeling uneasy right now. He seems to want to hold on to something...”

He wanted to hold onto the warmth before him, like a drowning man grasping at driftwood. Liu Qingci didn’t want to be enemies with Xiao Yan.

After hearing Xiao K’s words, Xiao Yan was silent for a moment.

He first said to Xiao K, “Thank you for telling me the plot information. You can say that earlier line, but from now on... unless it’s related to the plot, you don’t need to give me Liu Qingci’s psychological analysis.”

Through Liu Qingci’s eyes, he could read it himself.

If it came through Xiao K, it would somehow feel like cheating.

It wouldn’t be fair to Liu Qingci.

And he didn’t want to understand Liu Qingci’s thoughts that way.

It would make him feel... that their relationship wasn’t pure enough.

Xiao K was also silent for a moment, offering no rebuttal, only quietly said “oh” in acknowledgment.

Liu Qingci was still waiting for Xiao Yan’s answer, as if stubbornly hoping for something.

Seeing him watching so intently, Xiao Yan’s heart had already melted completely.

“How could I be close to that uncle of yours when I can’t even meet his expectations?” Xiao Yan said, then curved his lips into a playful smile, casually glancing at Liu Qingci’s tense face. “Besides, don’t you already know who I’m closest to? We eat and sleep together every day—who could be closer to you than I am?”

Liu Qingci seemed startled by the slightly teasing, intimate remark, and his ears gradually turned pink.

“Why ask that?” Xiao Yan continued, kindly saving him from embarrassment.

Liu Qingci replied in a low voice, “Nothing, just a casual question.”

After Xiao Yan’s teasing, the tense atmosphere eased a lot.

“Let’s go.” Xiao Yan didn’t press further, simply raising a hand to casually flick a fallen leaf from Liu Qingci’s shoulder, the motion as if he’d done it a thousand times. “It’s cold outside. Dress warmer next time.”

After that day.

Xiao Yan noticed that Liu Qingci often stared out the window, lost in thought.

Apart from that, he spent almost all his time frequently organizing old books and documents in the study related to the Ministry of Works, criminal law, and even major cases from past years.

Once, Xiao Yan observed that Liu Qingci was actually practicing calligraphy—copying someone’s handwriting.

The key evidence against Liu Wenyuan had been the few secret letters exchanged with Minister of Works Cui Zhen, seized from the Liu residence.

No doubt those letters were forged, but they had been confirmed as authentic through handwriting analysis at the trial.

Liu Qingci was powerless now, unable to do anything for his father, so he could only do what he could to find loopholes in the evidence.

Xiao Yan noticed Liu Qingci’s condition.

But he only watched silently, acting as if he knew nothing.

That day, Xiao K, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke up: “Host, a new mission has come in.”