Dream of the Red Chamber: Starting with a Chronicle of Tragic Love

Seeing that the girl still looked puzzled, Jiao Si quickly added more information.

"To be precise, it is the most powerful and likely to surpass civil and military officials, and even... to a certain extent, the secret police force."

Miss Qin was still somewhat puzzled.

"Wei Xian? He's the head of the Eastern Depot, and although he wields considerable power, he shouldn't have the guts or the need to risk angering the emperor by targeting you, the successor of the 'Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman,' right?"

"After all, the jade talisman is real, and His Majesty knows about it. Although there's no word yet, if he's really blamed later, a mere Wei Xian probably wouldn't be able to bear such a heavy responsibility."

Jiao Si shook his head.

"Perhaps a single director of the Eastern Depot wouldn't dare. But what if it were someone who simultaneously held actual power over the Eastern Depot, the Western Depot, and even the Inner Depot?"

"What if this person's power has become so great that even the emperor is wary of him, and even needs to weigh the matter carefully?"

"There is only one person who has such power to unite the secret police and the imperial guards into one force and who has won the emperor's deep trust... no, or rather, the person the emperor has no choice but to rely on. Among all the civil and military officials and members of the imperial family, there is only one."

He paused, then said, word by word:

"Prince Zhongshun"

His pupils constricted slightly in anxiety.

Although there had been speculation, hearing it explicitly from Xin Like's mouth still carried a different weight.

The girl gasped.

"Prince Zhongshun? He's a prince of the imperial family, how could he...?"

Xin Li Ke sneered:

"It is precisely because they are members of the royal family and have close blood ties that they are more likely to gain trust and take charge of key departments."

"Back then, it was he who used the secret police to fabricate charges against me, the supervising censor, and demoted me to Chongzheng Academy."

He tried to maintain a natural expression, but it was clear that he was already somewhat angry.

"Over the years, by controlling the secret police and the imperial guards, he has continuously suppressed Wu Xun, won over civil officials, and placed his cronies in power. Anyone in the court who opposes him or his faction's policies is either demoted or imprisoned."

"Do you think Qian Chou was able to climb from an ordinary Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) to a second-rank official? Wasn't it because he sided with Prince Zhongshun early on and, through him, got in touch with Wei Xian of the Eastern Depot?"

Jiao recalled Qian Chou's demeanor at Huai Shang Yun Lou and the Eastern Depot prison, as well as Qian Qianyi's strange title of "Exemplary Scholar," and suddenly everything became clear.

Everything makes sense now.

Prince Zhongshun needed to support obedient civil officials, while Qian Chou needed a powerful patron and authority; the two sides quickly reached an agreement.

Qian Qianyi is merely a pawn used to win over and control Qian Chou, or perhaps a future "insider".

However, this chess piece was accidentally smashed by himself.

Qin was still somewhat incredulous.

"But he's already a prince, a position of immense power and influence, why would he still..."

Jiao Si gently tapped the table.

"Power is like poison; once you've tasted the supreme power, you can never stop."

"The balance of power between the civil and military officials has been broken, and the secret police have become his private tools. The emperor, living deep within the palace, is deceived by layers of reports. Although he is no longer the emperor, he may have more influence over the direction of the country than the emperor himself."

"And I also have this 'Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman,' which represents a possibility—a return to the old system of the Taizu Emperor, a rebalancing of power, and a weakening of the Imperial Guard, especially the power of him, the actual controller of the Imperial Guard."

He looked at Xin Li Ke and the girl Qin.

"So, it was Prince Chungshun who wanted me dead."

"On the surface, the emperor has sidelined me because of Prince Zhongshun's slander and the illusion of 'peace and prosperity throughout the land'."

"Secretly, he directly dispatched top-notch imperial guards to intercept and kill them. Even if the matter was exposed, he could claim that his subordinates acted on their own initiative, or simply attribute it to 'revenge by the remnants of the Qian family.'"

Xin Li slammed his hand heavily on the stone table, causing the teacup to fall and shatter into pieces.

"That's right! It must be so! That old scoundrel, he harmed me back then, and now he's trying to harm my disciple! He's truly the number one parasite that wreaks havoc on the Great Yi!"

Qin looked at Jiao Si with concern.

"Then aren't you in great danger now? It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark. They're lurking in the shadows; if they don't succeed this time, they'll definitely try again."

Anxiety subsided and calmed down.

Knowing who the enemy is is always better than the fear of the unknown.

"There is danger, but we're not in a hopeless situation yet."

He spoke eloquently.

"First, the Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman is genuine, and the Emperor knows that. No matter how bold Prince Zhongshun is, he wouldn't dare to openly defy the symbolic meaning represented by the artifact from the founding emperor, so he can only act secretly."

"Secondly, after last night, they know I'm on guard and have helpers, so they'll be more cautious next time they act, but that also gives me time to prepare."

"third......"

His eyes flickered.

Third, I may not be his only enemy.

"The military officers he suppressed, the upright civil officials he marginalized, and even... the emperor himself, who felt uneasy about his power, could all become potential allies."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Xin Like's eyes.

"good!"

"The Feng family's son and the Liu family's young tiger, their elders have long been dissatisfied with Prince Zhongshun and the Imperial Guard."

"There are also some officials in the court who still have integrity; perhaps we can make contact with them secretly."

The girl, however, was thinking further ahead. Her tone was playful, but she couldn't hide her concern.

"Easier said than done. Forming alliances and building alliances is no easy feat."

"Don't forget, you're still a commoner; you can't even get through the palace gates!"

"The most important thing right now is to save your own life! Don't be like last night, wandering around outside in the middle of the night, and..."

A blush crept across Qin's face.

"And I keep getting into all sorts of romantic entanglements."

The last sentence was tinged with obvious jealousy.

Jiao Si was speechless for a moment, and awkwardly touched his nose.

Xin Li Ke glanced at Jiao Si, then at the Qin girl, and suddenly burst into laughter, breaking the slightly heavy atmosphere.

"Alright, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."

"Jiao Si, you should stay at the academy and focus on preparing for the provincial examination. Don't go anywhere else. With me here, those demons and monsters won't dare to barge in."

He stood up and stretched his limbs.

As for the future... we'll take it one step at a time.

"We old folks have been at the mercy of others for years, remaining silent and waiting for an opportunity."

"Now that we have the connection to the 'Yellow Dragon Mandate Talisman,' perhaps it's time to make a move."

Jiao Si's eyes flickered slightly, and he solemnly bowed to Xin Li Ke.

"Thank you, Master."

He then looked at Miss Qin and said sincerely, "Thank you for your concern, Miss Qin."

The girl turned her face away and gave a soft hum.

"Who cares about you... I just don't want to see someone stupidly killed and then have to worry Uncle Xin and me."

Even so, her ears turned slightly red.

As dawn broke, the thin mist in the mountains dissipated.

Jiao Si bowed slightly and walked towards the disciples' quarters.

Behind him, Xin Like looked at the girl with a mocking expression.

"Little Qin'er, tell Uncle Xin the truth, you really haven't fallen for Jiao Si?"

The girl blushed under her veil and mumbled a few words.

"Uncle Xin, please stop gossiping. The barbarian invaders are still alive, and the sea pirates are still at large. How could I possibly be thinking of romantic feelings?"

"If he weren't your disciple, I wouldn't have bothered to save him!"

Xin Li Ke stroked his short beard slightly.

First, he went alone, drawing his bow, to rescue people at Plum Blossom Mountain;

Later, believing that Jiao Si was dead, he went so far as to mobilize all the forces of the Erlang Society near Jinling to protect Liu Rushi;

Last night, the two pigs were able to appear on the banks of the Qinhuai River in time, which was also in accordance with Miss Qin's instructions to protect her at any time.

If this doesn't count as "romantic love," well...