Obtaining the List of Provincial Graduates

"This commoner greets the emperor of Xiling."

After Bai Lian left Yaohua Hall, Di Yunqian summoned him. He did not kneel, merely raising his hands slightly in a cupped-fist salute.

It was a greeting used in the jianghu.

Bai Lian's voice was no longer as warm and smooth as jade, as it had been before Di Qingyu. Instead, it sounded exceedingly old, and combined with the silver hair behind his mask, he seemed like a man in his eighties or nineties.

"Rise."

Di Yunqian sat in the great hall, an imposing figure. He paid no attention to Bai Lian's manner of greeting. "You went to examine Qingyu. How is she? What should be done to nurse her back to health?"

Behind his mask, Bai Lian raised his eyes and looked directly at the emperor in the hall.

"The sixth princess is recovering. As long as she rests and takes good care of herself, she will be fine. She must not be frightened or agitated, nor may she engage in strenuous activity. There is only one thing."

He hesitated slightly.

"Speak freely."

Bai Lian continued, "The sixth princess lived in the cold palace in her early years, washing clothes and bathing in cold water and never having enough to eat. She has been frail since childhood. That, together with her arrow wound and the attack of rage that overwhelmed her heart some days ago, has long since harmed her very foundation. She cannot bear either cold or heat. I'm afraid..."

"It will be difficult for her ever to conceive."

"What did you say!" Di Yunqian's voice immediately grew grave. "You had better not have made a wrong diagnosis."

Bai Lian's gaze was cold as he retorted without the slightest courtesy, "This commoner is the valley master of Divine Physician Valley. If Your Majesty does not trust my medical skills, you may have someone else take her pulse. But these symptoms are extremely difficult to detect, and no one under heaven can match this commoner. If someone fails to diagnose her, it will only mean his skills are not up to the mark."

Clearly, he had blocked every avenue. If anyone said Di Qingyu could bear children, it would mean that person's medical skills were lacking.

With Divine Physician Valley as his living signboard, who would dare say his medical skills were poor? It could only be someone else who was lacking.

Hearing this, Di Yunqian took a deep breath and frowned at him. "Can she be treated, then? No matter how many precious medicinal herbs or how much gold and silver it takes, I can provide it."

Bai Lian's tongue was sharp. "Given the sixth princess's current condition, it is already a great blessing that she is alive."

Di Yunqian naturally understood. His brows drew tightly together at once. "Have you told Qingyu, then?"

"The precepts of Divine Physician Valley forbid concealing a patient's condition from them."

"..."

Di Yunqian was somewhat choked with anger by the outspoken divine physician before him. It was the first time he had met someone so impervious to reason. He waved a hand.

"You may leave. I will send someone to escort you out of the palace. If I hear about Qingyu's condition anywhere else..."

"Divine Physician Valley would not smash its own rice bowl." Before he could finish, Bai Lian cut him off.

"Your Majesty, my consultation fee."

"What?" Di Yunqian thought he had misheard.

Bai Lian remained expressionless. "Although General Zhu invited this commoner here, the sixth princess was the one who needed treatment. Will Your Majesty not pay the consultation fee for your own daughter? In that case, this commoner will go ask the sixth princess for it now."

With that, he really did start to turn away.

"Wait!" Di Yunqian was so angry he laughed. "Stand there. I will have someone fetch the money at once. How much do you want?"

"One thousand taels of silver."

"...Li Peian, fetch the silver."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Sweat ran down Eunuch Li's temple. Apart from the sixth princess, this jianghu man was the only person who spoke to His Majesty that way.

Bai Lian was escorted safely out of the palace gates. There was suddenly some movement beneath his sleeve, and he spoke at once. "Little White, be quiet."

At his words, the movement beneath his sleeve subsided. Then a white snake, its scales glimmering faintly gold, poked out its head. It flicked its scarlet tongue, its eyes remarkably intelligent.

"You smelled that medicine in the Xiling imperial palace, did you?"

The white snake lowered its head as though it understood.

Seeing this, Bai Lian said gently, "There's no hurry. It's enough that it's here. Let's look in the other three kingdoms first."

After that, the figure in the moon-white brocade robe strolled away and disappeared into the street.

At noon, Di Qingyu left the palace and went to the grand preceptor's residence.

"Teacher, Du Chengji was corrupt for many years. There must have been people who paid him to pull strings for them. He should have had a ledger specifically for keeping accounts, shouldn't he? I wonder if you have seen it."

Di Qingyu had not brought wine this time. When she entered, her teacher's wife had repeatedly warned her not to let the little old man indulge himself, so the two of them were only drinking tea and playing chess.

Gao Qian, who was studying the situation on the chessboard, showed no particular reaction. His expression remained mild.

"Even if such a thing exists, do you think His Majesty would let us see it?"

For all they knew, members of his Gao Family might be in that ledger too.

Di Qingyu sat on the cushioned couch, her eyes lowered to the chessboard, but her heart was on other matters. "For Du Chengji's crimes, even ten thousand deaths would not atone. Yet Imperial Father did not execute him immediately, but set a date for his beheading. He never mentioned the ledger of bribes, either. I cannot help but wonder whether Imperial Father is using Du Chengji while waiting for someone."

"You didn't come to keep this old man company over a game of chess, did you? You came to pry information out of me."

With that, Gao Qian raised his eyes, slightly aged yet possessing the clarity of a true scholar, and dropped the chess piece he had been about to play into its box.

It landed with a clack.

Seeing this, Di Qingyu raised a brow at an unhurried pace. "Is that so? I was only making conversation. After all, I came for the list you promised me last time."

Gao Qian now refused to acknowledge the promise, blowing out his two long mustaches. "Hmph, I don't remember any list. I only remember an ungrateful little brat who betrayed the place where I hid my wine! And you still dare come to my door asking for a list? Dream on!"

Di Qingyu was quite casual this time. "Since you are unwilling after all, I cannot force you, can I? Let it go, then."

"Teacher, I shall take my leave."

She brushed off her sleeves and rose, as if about to head home.

Gao Qian narrowed his eyes and stared at her for three seconds. Just as she was about to turn away-

"Wait."

He spoke the single word calmly, then rose and took a thick stack of booklets from a corner of the bookshelf. Clearly, he had prepared them.

Hearing him, Di Qingyu turned sideways with a calm expression, but did not sit down again. Instead, she watched Gao Qian walk toward her.

"You may look at these, but before you do, I have a question for you."

"Please ask."

"What role are you playing behind this game of chess involving Du Chengji?" Gao Qian's gaze was sharp.

Di Qingyu's thick, curled lashes lifted slightly. She looked at him without a ripple in her eyes. She knew that having entered the game herself, she could not wash her hands of it entirely.

"Teacher, I am also a chess piece." There was a trace of something inscrutable in her clear, unclouded eyes.

She was indeed a chess piece, because she, the player, had counted herself in as well, had she not?

"..." The air was silent.

Gao Qian's aged, shrewd gaze held her fast without moving. The two seemed to be locked in a silent contest, testing the line in each other's heart.

Di Qingyu said nothing either, remaining calm and composed. She knew that even those closest to her could not be trusted completely, much less on the path she had chosen, where she was destined to make enemies of many people.

A sincere heart could be trusted, but sincerity could change in an instant.

After some ten-odd seconds-

"You have only one quarter of an hour. Once you have looked, you will not have another chance."

At last, Gao Qian lowered his eyes and spoke lightly. He tossed the hefty booklets containing the lists of provincial graduates from all over Xiling onto the table, then turned and went to stand before a piece of calligraphy and painting nearby, his back to Di Qingyu.

Seeing this, Di Qingyu's eyes flickered and she closed them. When she opened them again, she cast aside the mingled feelings in her gaze and looked with clear eyes at the old man's back, which already seemed aged and lonely. She bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Teacher."

Her lowered eyes held calm and clarity. In this scheme, she had indeed calculated against the Gao Family as well. Gao Qian's question just now had been a probe.

And by saying she was "also" a chess piece, she had indirectly indicated that she was involved to some extent.

But she was not on the opposing side from the Gao Family.