Under the watchful eye of the Prince of Jin, the imperial punishment was carried out—Li Jing received his flogging by order of the Emperor. Cui Jin'er dared not voice her discontent. Yet, if she were to imagine her own younger brother in such a situation, she would at least attempt to persuade the eunuchs to strike more gently.
Li Jing had been lying prone for several days, his torn flesh still far from healing. Ever afraid of worrying her, he insisted the pain was bearable. But at night, he would awaken from sleep multiple times, drawing cold breaths between clenched teeth, soaked in sweat from the agony of even a slight turn.
Cui Jin'er sighed inwardly. Li Jing was sincere to a fault—forever offering warmth to those who returned only indifference. His full-blooded brother, the second prince, was even colder than the half-brother, Li Ce. Though she doubted Li Zhang would be of any assistance, she still brought ink and brush.
From the bed, Li Jing lifted his head with effort and wrote a letter with trembling hands, sending it to the Prince of Jin's residence. As expected, the prince did not bother to reply. He merely sent a minor steward bearing two ginseng roots to inquire about Li Jing's condition—never uttering a word about the Mo Dao incident.
Li Jing dismissed the steward with an embarrassed wave, his cheek pressed against the pillow as he sighed, "Seems he's still bitter over Ye Jiao."
Cui Jin'er said nothing.
Li Jing added, "Let it be. Frankly, I hope Ye Jiao stays too busy and miserable to show her face—saves me from being bullied again."
Cui Jin'er rolled her eyes. "You'd better focus on healing. The Crown Prince's investiture is just days away. Looking like this, none of us will be attending."
Indeed, not only would Li Jing be absent, but so would Prince Wei, Li Chen. Though Li Jing could still shift positions, Li Chen lay motionless—rigid as a board.
Even so, the Wei Prince's estate remained bustling with visitors. When he found moments of peace, Li Chen still tested his son on scholarly matters. The eldest, Li Beichen, seemed to have matured overnight. His academic performance improved notably. After reading aloud the tutor's marked commentary, he sat anxiously by the bed and asked, "Father, is something terrible about to happen? You and Uncle both look… troubled these past days."
Li Chen gently patted his son's shoulder. "What is whole shall break, what is extreme shall reverse, what is full shall overflow—there are no absolute misfortunes in this world. There's no need for fear."
Li Beichen nodded, only half understanding. Li Chen continued, "Later, go to your uncle to practice archery. If you encounter your grandfather, pass along a message for me."
Li Beichen stood at once, bowing his head in acknowledgement.
"Tell him I ask about the spring irrigation—whether Hebei still suffers from water shortages."
Li Beichen's maternal grandfather, Yan Lian, served as Vice Minister of Revenue. The boy didn't quite understand why his father inquired about a matter under the Ministry of Works. Still, he repeated the message solemnly, nodding. "I'll deliver the message."
Li Chen reminded him sternly, "Let no one else know."
"Not even Uncle?"
"No one," Li Chen said, smoothing out the wrinkles in his son's robe with grave composure.
From afar, the An Guo Duke's estate appeared orderly. But with a closer look, the servants bore soot-streaked faces, and their once-pristine robes were singed with holes. Ye Jiao's alchemy furnace had been dismantled and removed. In its place now stood a towering iron smelter.
Robust craftsmen stoked charcoal fires, refining molten iron. Pages heaved at the bellows, while others tossed in logs at shouted commands.
Ye Jiao stood near the furnace, examining a broken blade. "Could it be the fault of the clay tempering?" she murmured.
Clay tempering involved coating parts of a blade with earth to control hardness—preserving flexibility in the spine while ensuring the edge remained keen.
Li Ce, standing closer to the flames, flipped through a metallurgical manual and nodded. "Try another type of clay."
"Very well," Ye Jiao said, stepping forward to issue new orders. But Li Ce held her back. "Let me."
Just then, a shout pierced the air: "Clear out!"
A corner of the furnace had cracked. Molten iron surged through the breach, igniting the firewood. A stoker screamed, "Run for your lives—!"
The rear courtyard of the estate plunged into chaos. The last time it had been this wild was when Ye Jiao's alchemy exploded.
Ye Jiao and Li Ce both jumped back, narrowly avoiding trampling Qingfeng, who stood stunned beneath the eaves, panting and fanning his flushed face.
Shuiwen, Ye Jiao's maid, walked by with a tray of fruit. Seeing Qingfeng's panicked state, she asked, "Another failed attempt?"
"This isn't about success or failure," Qingfeng moaned, "it's about whether we'll survive."
One of the stokers stumbled over, wiping sweat from his brow, and looked around the wreckage. "When… when is our Second Miss finally getting married?"
The An Guo Duke's residence could barely contain her anymore.
Shuiwen slapped the back of his head. "Neither the lady nor the young master is in a hurry—what are you rushing for?"
Qingfeng flinched. This maid, once timid and tearful, now had quite the spine.
"You…" he asked Shuiwen, "you're not going to be part of her dowry party, are you?"
The young servant grinned wickedly. "Of course. The Prince of Chu's estate… is truly blessed."
Smack. Another slap followed.
Just then, Ye Changgen returned from court. He stood with arms crossed before the furnace, watching the iron runoff ignite the wood, frowning. "Jiao'er, are you so dissatisfied with the dowry I prepared that you'd burn the entire house down?"
Ye Jiao wiped sweat from her brow, leaving two black smudges. She laughed playfully. "You guessed it."
Ye Changgen offered his handkerchief, but Li Ce had already stepped forward, using his sleeve to gently wipe her face, erasing the marks.
Awkward, Ye Changgen pocketed the handkerchief and feigned nonchalance by wiping his own forehead. "I came to inform you—I'm heading to Jinzhou. It's not far. I'll return before the wedding. Everything is arranged. Mother and Ye Rou are handling the details. You won't be slighted."
Ye Jiao didn't care about being slighted. "Why the sudden trip?"
"For irrigation," Li Ce answered for him. "The Ministry of Revenue brought up spring planting today. They're worried last year's drought in Jinzhou will affect sowing, so they've asked the Ministry of Works to inspect the water systems."
Ye Changgen was a Bureau Director in the Ministry of Works.
"Do you even understand irrigation?" Ye Jiao teased. "Spring planting? You're more skilled at eating oxen than plowing with them."
Ye Changgen burst into laughter and shot back, "And a Bureau Director of Ordnance who doesn't understand weapons! Between us, the empire teeters on the brink."
"Who says I don't know how to forge blades?" Ye Jiao retorted, chasing him with the broken sword.
Ye Changgen fled, calling to Li Ce for help. "Control your fiancée!"
"She's not married yet," Li Ce said with a radiant smile beneath the sun. "Even after marriage, I hope she stays as free as ever—doing whatever her heart desires."
Qingfeng, overhearing this from under the eaves, went pale.
A young servant bumped his shoulder and muttered, "Don't be afraid. At least she's stopped making elixirs."
Setting things on fire? Nothing compared to an explosion.
Ye Changgen wasted no time. After informing Ye Jiao, he packed his things and departed—faster than his fellow officials—riding toward Jinzhou before sunset.
By evening, Zhuque Avenue was teeming with people coming and going. To hasten his journey, Ye Changgen took a shortcut through Jinguang Gate. As he passed Judefang, he caught sight of a graceful figure near the entrance…