Chapter 657: Chapter 657: Shen Siyi x Xie Suzhi (1)

*Author’s Note: This side story is about how Ningning’s mother, Shen Siyi, and Xie Suzhi met. You can think of it as a story about a stunningly beautiful, independent transmigrated woman and a powerful minister who became famous at a young age.*

*

「The fifth year of Chengxi.」

The Emperor had only recently ascended the throne.

During the late Emperor’s reign, he had delegated significant military authority to the noble families to create a balance of power and ensure they kept one another in check.

Now, under the new Emperor, the issue of the noble families’ tyranny had been dealt with. It was time to reclaim most of that military power to prevent them from growing too strong.

To this end, the Emperor initiated a "cleanup" operation at court. Any military general found guilty of corruption, bribery, or other misconduct would be made an example of. They would be severely punished and stripped of their military authority.

A wave of panic swept through the military officers at court. Some of the more defiant military generals, unwilling to surrender their power so easily, banded together with their subordinates to protest in official memorials. But without exception, they all met with tragic ends.

To ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, the Emperor tasked one of his powerful ministers, the young Xie Suzhi, with overseeing the operation.

Every minister knew Xie Suzhi. He was of noble birth, with an inscrutable mind and a talent for strategy. More than that, he was utterly merciless and cold-blooded. He had even exposed his own mentor, Master Fu, for accepting bribes, which led to the annihilation of the master’s entire clan.

At the execution grounds, Master Fu had pointed to the sky, furiously cursing Xie Suzhi for his cruelty. "May you never find love!" he had shrieked. "May your family be ruined, your wife and children torn from you!"

Xie Suzhi had simply watched from the side, cold and silent. Only after Master Fu’s head had tumbled to the ground did he turn and walk away.

After that incident, Xie Suzhi’s reputation as a heartless traitor who had betrayed his own mentor was sealed. The Emperor, however, praised his impartiality and rewarded him with an Imperial Sword.

So when the ministers learned that Xie Suzhi would be leading this "cleanup" of military generals, they all tucked their tails between their legs. They were terrified of him investigating them. After all, which high-ranking official was truly clean?

It was deep into autumn. A storm rolled in quickly that night, and a hazy curtain of rain shrouded the tranquil Qi Mansion.

It was nearly midnight. Everyone had drifted off to sleep, with only the patrolling Protectors making their rounds.

Suddenly, a maidservant’s shriek cut through the night, though it was unclear which courtyard it came from. "An assassin! An assassin has broken into the mansion!"

The cry was like a drop of water in a sizzling pan of oil. Panic erupted from that courtyard and spread rapidly in all directions. One by one, then in a flood, lights flickered on. The Protectors, torches in hand, rushed toward the sound.

Shen Siyi’s Little Lotus Courtyard was adjacent to that of the Qi Mansion’s third young miss, Qi Jingchun. The clamor outside caused the sleeping beauty within to turn over in annoyance.

POUND! POUND! POUND!

The pounding on the door was jarring. The beauty was now wide awake. She sat up, her dark hair tumbling over her shoulders, her fair, pretty face clouded with the irritation of being woken up.

"Miss, Miss, wake up!" It was her maid, Anxiang.

The door was yanked open, and a gust of autumn wind swept in, carrying fine droplets of rain. It struck the pearl curtain, making it sway and clatter.

Shen Siyi stood there in a light robe, her dark hair flying in the wind. She looked at her anxious, rain-streaked maid and chided, "What is it? Mother and my foster brother are here. Can’t they handle it? Did you really have to come and bother me?"

Anxiang wiped the rain from her face. "It’s not that, Miss! An assassin is in the mansion! The matriarch has given orders for you and the third young miss to get up and stay in your rooms. You can’t go anywhere, otherwise the assassin might slip in and it would be dangerous."

As she spoke, Anxiang craned her neck to peek around behind Shen Siyi. The room was modest in size and offered a clear view; there was nowhere to hide.

Shen Siyi looked thoroughly annoyed. "With all the noise you’re making, any assassin would be long gone. If he dares to enter my room, I’ll chop off all three of his legs!"

Anxiang knew her second young miss’s temperament and didn’t dare provoke her further. She only reminded her, "Please, don’t wander off, then."

"It’s the middle of the night. If I’m not sleeping, where would I go? You should go check on my third sister. She’s timid and must be terrified." With that, Shen Siyi shut the door.

She lay back down on the chaise, pulled the quilt over her shoulders, and closed her eyes. Soon, her breathing became even, and she appeared to have fallen asleep.

Inside the room, the door of a large yellow pear wood wardrobe slowly creaked open. A moment later, a tall figure stepped out, his footsteps silent.

He was tall and slender, with an air of elegance like a cool breeze or fine jade. Unfortunately, he was dressed in black night clothes, and a mask hid his face, revealing only a pair of clear, cold eyes that glinted in the dark.

The man in black quietly opened a corner of the window and glanced outside. Just as he was about to make his escape, Shen Siyi’s voice suddenly came from the chaise.

"If you leave now, you’ll be riddled with arrows by my foster brother’s archers in less than fifteen minutes."

The man in black’s gaze snapped toward her. The young woman who had seemed fast asleep only moments ago was now sitting up. The faint, distant torchlight cast a sliver of light into the room, making her porcelain-white skin glow softly in the darkness, like the luster of pearls.

Beneath her white sleeping gown, the faint outline of a delicate, flower-like figure was visible. Her dark hair, her fair and rosy face, and her composed expression in the face of danger all gave the man in black a sense of shock and wariness.

’Is this self-assured young woman a trap laid specifically for me?’

The man in black’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Shen Siyi watched his movement and laughed softly. "If you hurt me, you’ll have even less chance of escaping. If you’re a smart man, you should put down your sword and negotiate. After all, I’m the host here, and you’re the guest."

As she spoke, she crossed her arms and her legs, her small, fair foot bobbing slightly with the movement.

The man in black had never seen a woman so disregardful of propriety. He immediately averted his gaze, his voice as cold as jade. "What do you want?"

Shen Siyi was about to speak when Anxiang’s voice came from outside the door. "The young master is here. I just checked the second young miss’s room, and there was no intruder hiding there."

"Impossible," came the stern voice of Shen Siyi’s foster brother, Mr. Qi. "The man in black was hit by an arrow. We followed the trail of blood here. He’s either hiding in this courtyard or in Jing Chun’s. I’ve already searched Jing Chun’s room. Only Si Yi’s room is left."

Shen Siyi’s expression changed. She turned to the man in black. "You’re injured? Hey—"

Before she could finish, the man in black strode directly toward her. Just as Shen Siyi thought he was about to take her hostage, he unexpectedly climbed onto her chaise and pulled the bed curtains shut.

Shen Siyi was furious. "You bastard! How dare you get on my bed when you’re bleeding!"

"Shut up." The man’s brows were as sharp as swords, his gaze even more piercing. He pressed himself against her back, placing the cold steel of his sword against her waist. "Get rid of your meddling foster brother," he threatened coldly.

Shen Siyi gritted her teeth. Just then, her foster brother, Mr. Qi, began pounding on the door.

"Si Yi, open up! It’s me, your brother. An assassin broke into the mansion and headed this way. Let me come in and search."

Mr. Qi didn’t wait for a reply before pushing the door open. His stern gaze swept the room. He saw only the young woman, who had just thrown on a robe, looking as beautiful as a flower blooming in the dead of night.

She was just about to slip on her shoes when he burst in. She hastily tucked her small, milky-white feet out of sight, hiding most of her body behind the opaque bed curtains.

"Brother," Shen Siyi said, her fair face a picture of panic and indignation. "How could you just barge in like that! How am I supposed to face anyone after this?"

Mr. Qi quickly averted his gaze and withdrew the foot he had been about to bring across the threshold.

"I was just worried an intruder might be hiding in your room without you knowing. That would be dangerous. Since you’re all right, I’ll take my leave."

He was about to close the door and leave when a gust of wind blew from the half-open window toward the doorway.

Mr. Qi’s personal guard stopped him, whispering, "Sir, there is a scent of blood in the second young miss’s room."

And with that, the door that was about to be closed was thrust open again by Mr. Qi.

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