After settling the Cen brothers, Qingli returned to report to Xie Yi.
“This subordinate investigated. Cen Junce passed the provincial examinations last year. In preparation for this year’s imperial examination, the brothers moved from Lingchuan to the capital last autumn and have been living in White Paulownia Alley ever since…
“According to the people living there, the Cen brothers are gentle by nature and never quarrel with others. However, several months ago they seemed to offend someone. Quite a few times, Cen Junce returned home injured. Some people even saw stewards from wealthy households visiting their residence, though Cen Junce drove them out. Based on their descriptions, they indeed seem to have been from Prince Qi’s estate…”
Xie Yi turned another page in his book and responded absentmindedly.
Qingli continued:
“If Master wishes for a more detailed investigation, I’m afraid someone will have to make a trip to Lingchuan. Master—”
“No need.” Xie Yi interrupted her.
Qingli froze.
She had originally assumed Master had taken a liking to the Cen brothers’ identities and capabilities. Since he intended to recruit them, naturally he would investigate them thoroughly.
Unless… Master had no such intentions at all and had simply done a good deed for the day.
Could it be that all these years, they had misunderstood Master?
Did he actually have moments where his compassion suddenly awakened?
But very quickly, she heard the latter half of Xie Yi’s sentence:
“Deliver this weakness to the Crown Prince.”
Qingli: “……”
Alright then. Master was still the same Master.
Qingli calmly accepted the order.
Lin Zhiji, however, immediately panicked.
【Didn’t you promise to save them? How can you go back on your word!】
Xie Yi remained completely composed.
【Didn’t I save them?】
【But…】
【I only agreed to save them. I never said I wouldn’t make use of them.】
Lin Zhiji: !!!
He had not expected Xie Yi to play word games like this and was stunned for a moment.
He could not argue against him, nor could he force anything through.
Thus, Lin Zhiji could only soften again.
【Host, if you promise to spare them, then from now on all my points can be used by you!】
Xie Yi remained unmoved.
【If I wanted to use them now, would you refuse me?】
Lin Zhiji: ……
What Xie Yi said was perfectly reasonable.
But the only valuable thing he possessed was those points.
Somewhat dejected, he asked:
【Then what do I have to do for you to let them go?】
The moment the words left his mouth, he sensed the surrounding temperature plunge sharply.
A few low chuckles rolled from Xie Yi’s throat.
【You are my System, yet time and again you beg me for the sake of outsiders. Could it be that all your earlier claims about thinking for my sake were lies?】
Lin Zhiji opened his mouth, only to realize he did not know how to answer.
Because Xie Yi was powerful and cold-blooded—and because from the very beginning he had known Xie Yi was the villain—he had subconsciously attached that label to him.
He was naturally wary of Xie Yi and even instinctively interpreted him through the worst possible lens.
But upon careful thought, Xie Yi had never been obligated to save the Cen brothers in the first place.
Perhaps Xie Yi was not a good person.
Yet Lin Zhiji’s arrogance toward him was equally unfair.
Qingli keenly sensed that trace of displeasure from her master, and her heart skipped.
She belonged to the earliest group who followed him and knew that not only were his schemes and martial arts unfathomable, but so too was his temperament.
He lacked the recklessness and irritability of ordinary youths. Or perhaps rather, his habit of concealing joy and anger so completely always made them forget his actual age.
Yet recently, Master occasionally revealed traces of genuine emotion.
Far more vividly than before.
Before Qingli could determine what had displeased him, she heard his cold voice:
“Leave this matter to Shen Xian. If he fails, tell him to bring his head to see me.”
Qingli silently lit a candle for her colleague in mourning.
But just then, Xie Yi suddenly heard Lin Zhiji say:
【Host, I’m sorry.】
Lin Zhiji was not the sort of person who stubbornly refused to admit mistakes for the sake of pride.
Though somewhat embarrassed, he did not act awkward about it and instead admitted it openly.
【You’re right. I’m your System. Other people might not know what you’ve done, but I know everything clearly. I should understand you better than anyone else instead of defining you based on preconceived notions…】
Xie Yi froze.
Lin Zhiji’s reaction had completely exceeded his expectations.
He had long known Lin Zhiji feared him.
And he had never cared. Fear made discipline effective. Then by dangling before Lin Zhiji the things he desired, he could tame him.
He truly was not a good person, nor had he ever intended to become one.
But he had never expected Lin Zhiji to apologize to him.
And suddenly, an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.
Qingli waited for a while without hearing further instructions from Xie Yi. Just as she prepared to withdraw, he called her back again.
Rare hesitation surfaced in Xie Yi before he finally said:
“Tell Shen Xian to pay closer attention. Once matters here conclude, let the brothers return to Lingchuan.”
Qingli’s eyes widened abruptly.
Had she heard incorrectly?
Master’s words actually sounded as though he truly intended to preserve those brothers’ lives??
Or perhaps, just like before, that kindness had only been her illusion, and he actually had some other arrangement planned for them?
But he was even letting them return home afterward. It hardly looked like he had any further plans.
She could already imagine how shocked Shen Xian would be upon hearing this order.
Forget Shen Xian—even her own mind was a muddled mess right now, her reactions slowed by half a beat.
Although Qingli recovered quickly and concealed it well.
Too bad Xie Yi’s eyes were simply too sharp. Lin Zhiji looked at her confused expression and was thoroughly amused: 【It’s over, Host. Your character setting has collapsed. They’re definitely going to think you’re a good person now.】
After clearing things up, Lin Zhiji didn’t seem as afraid of Xie Yi as before, and could even joke with him.
Xie Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, looking very displeased at his relaxed attitude.
“Qing Li.”
Qing Li immediately responded: “This subordinate is here.”
She just knew it—how could the Lord possibly suddenly develop a kind heart and save someone? Not squeezing them dry until the last drop of blood would already be considered good enough.
Then she heard Xie Yi say: “For tomorrow’s morning meal, make cilantro buns.”
Qing Li: “…?”
Cilantro was coriander.
The main kitchen occasionally used it to enhance aroma, but making it into buns was way too strange.
She had never seen the Lord like cilantro before!
Wait, wasn’t the Lord talking about the matter of the Qi family brothers?
Why, all of a sudden, was he talking about tomorrow’s breakfast!
She didn’t know that at this moment, in Xie Yi’s consciousness space, Lin Zhiji was screaming sharply: 【No no no no no!!!!】
【Host, you can’t do this to me!!】
He hated cilantro the most!!
Xie Yi: 【Of course I can.】
Lin Zhiji: …
Under the shadow of cilantro, he completely lost his earlier smugness and collapsed into a heap.
He was unhappy, and Xie Yi’s mood improved. He signaled Qing Li: “Alright, you may leave.”
Qing Li, with a confused expression, walked out of the study, then walked toward the direction of the kitchen in confusion.
Song Lü had just finished his task and came back. He was hungry and was planning to go to the kitchen to find something to eat, and happened to meet her.
Recently, the Lord often had the kitchen make snacks, but after they were made, he didn’t eat them, and they all ended up in his stomach.
So when he saw Qing Li heading toward the kitchen, he assumed he could get another extra meal.
He happily leaned over: “Qing Li, what delicious thing did the Lord order this time?”
Qing Li glanced at him indifferently: “Cilantro buns.”
Song Lü: “???”
—
However, the next day Lin Zhiji did not get to eat cilantro buns.
Not because Xie Yi had a sudden change of conscience and was willing to let him off.
But because something major happened in the court.
—The Crown Prince had been assassinated.
Early in the morning, the capital was placed under martial law.
The Great Court, the Eastern Palace, and the Crimson Halberd Guard were all going door-to-door searching for the assassin.
Although they said they were searching for the assassin, anyone with sense could tell it was aimed at the Prince of Qi.
The Eastern Palace guards had already surrounded the Prince of Qi’s residence, implying again and again that the assassin was inside the Prince of Qi’s mansion and demanding that he hand the person over.
But that wasn’t entirely wrong either—after all, if the Crown Prince died, the one who benefited most would be the Prince of Qi.
Who would believe the Prince of Qi when he said it wasn’t him?
But Lin Zhiji felt something was off and couldn’t help asking Xie Yi: 【Was it really the Prince of Qi? It just doesn’t seem like it…】
If Shen Xian were here, he would definitely know.
Unfortunately, the Prince of Qi’s residence was surrounded like an iron barrel, and Shen Xian couldn’t send out any information.
Unexpectedly, Xie Yi said decisively: 【Not the Prince of Qi.】
Not the Prince of Qi—then who could it be?
Lin Zhiji was stunned for a moment, then a flash of insight crossed his mind: 【Could it be the Crown Prince? Did he stage this himself to frame the Prince of Qi?】
Xie Yi hadn’t expected him to react so quickly and showed some approval: 【Eighty to ninety percent likely.】
By the afternoon, Zang Feng sent news over— the Crown Prince was not injured at all, confirming their guess.
So that night, Xie Yi personally went to the Prince of Qi’s residence.
The residence was surrounded tightly by Eastern Palace guards; not even a fly could get through, yet it still could not stop Xie Yi.
When Shen Xian saw Xie Yi arrive, he let out a long breath: “My Lord.”
Shen Xian did not waste time and quickly explained what had happened.
The assassin truly was not sent by the Prince of Qi.
Last night, the Prince of Qi had been drinking and playing with several male favorites until late into the night. When the Eastern Palace Chief Steward arrived this morning, he was still drunk and not yet awake.
Shen Xian quickly realized this was the Crown Prince’s scheme.
After they discovered that the Prince of Qi had recruited the Jiangnan Inspector-General, they had passed some information to the Crown Prince, making him feel a sense of urgency.
The Crown Prince’s biggest disadvantage compared to the Prince of Qi was military power, and the only one in the capital who could help him make up for this disadvantage was General Xie Panyue.
However, Xie Panyue was slippery and unwilling to easily tie himself to the Crown Prince’s ship.
The Crown Prince had tried several times to recruit him but failed each time.
Now, this fake assassination not only caught the Prince of Qi off guard, but also applied pressure on Xie Panyue.
It actually aligned with their previous plan.
Originally, Xie Yi had planned to use the matter of the Ru family brothers as leverage to pressure the Crown Prince into restraining the Prince of Qi. Now it was no longer necessary.
However, their rhythm was still disrupted. Xie Yi and Shen Xian discussed until very late before finally confirming the next steps.
By the time Xie Yi returned to the general’s residence, it was already the third watch of the night.
Although his martial arts were strong, he was still flesh and blood, and he felt a trace of exhaustion.
As Xie Yi’s system, Lin Zhiji personally watched him run around all day and then discuss matters with Shen Xian for so long.
At first, he felt admiration, but now he even felt a little heartache.
He vaguely remembered that Xie Yi had not yet reached adulthood—meaning he was not even twenty yet. In modern terms, he was just a newly grown adult, yet he was already bearing so many responsibilities.
Unfortunately, Lin Zhiji couldn’t help with serious matters. After thinking for a moment, he took the initiative to say: 【Host, are you tired? Do you want me to give you a massage?】
Xie Yi paused: 【You… give me a massage?】
【Of course not a real massage.】 Lin Zhiji explained. 【It’s a mental massage. You can also call it a soul “Mala chicken.”】
Xie Yi: 【……】
【Then I’ll start.】 Lin Zhiji cleared his throat and told a cold joke: 【If a piece of ginger is cut into four pieces, what does it become? I’ll give you a hint: the answer isn’t literal—you can think in strange directions…】
Xie Yi thought for a moment.
Then, under Lin Zhiji’s expectant gaze, Xie Yi answered confidently: 【It becomes a human stick.】
Lin Zhiji: …?