He Anchang's early education was actually overseen by the Marquis of Huiyang. Although his He family consisted of upright and honest officials, none possessed his elegant demeanor. In earlier years, when Old Master He was still in court, he was too busy with his duties in the Imperial Secretariat to teach his young child at home. At that time, the Marquis of Huiyang had retired to his Luyi Mountain residence and had only daughters, so he always kept He Anchang by his side, teaching him calligraphy and reading.

After the Marquis of Huiyang passed away, Xiao Jin was his only remaining descendant. All Xiao Jin heard and saw was how magnificent the Marquis of Huiyang had been. During the years he lived in the capital, many people would constantly mention He Anchang's name to him. Many elders said that He Anchang resembled the Marquis of Huiyang more, while Xiao Jin merely inherited his appearance, with none of his temperament or interests being the same.

So, when Xiao Jin looked at He Anchang, he wanted to be closer, but felt uneasy. If he didn't get closer, he felt even more uneasy. When he returned to the capital and became a Capital Guards Officer, seeing He Anchang already an important official in the Imperial Secretariat, he naturally harbored a desire to one day catch up to him.

He looked at He Anchang like a younger brother looks at an older brother, an elder brother he admired year after year. It wasn't until he arrived in Qingping and spent his days slacking off and bird-hunting with Xie Jingsheng that he realized the term 'elder brother' could also refer to improper ruffians. But as he grew a little older and could shoulder responsibilities, he could affectionately call Xie Jingsheng "brother" and "bro". Yet, he remained increasingly reserved around He Anchang.

This feeling made him sigh deeply, only able to curse himself as useless. The stray dog that ate his red bean bun, seeing him look dejected on his horse, thought he might throw more and sat at the alley entrance, wagging its tail, refusing to leave.

As soon as Xiao Jin saw it wagging its tail ingratiatingly, his mind replayed how he himself had acted ingratiatingly in front of He Anchang. He couldn't help but become enraged, cracking his horsewhip in the air and cursing, "You ate my bun, why are you still trying to act cute! Get lost!"

The stray dog tucked its tail and scurried away sheepishly. Seeing its timid retreating figure, Xiao Jin felt even more vexed. It must be said that the young man, engrossed in his own awkward thoughts, had completely forgotten the few disparaging remarks he had just made about Xie Jingsheng.

Meanwhile, the Capital Guards Bureau's horses had also arrived at the Prince of Pingding's Manor. Xin Yi had only just fallen asleep. Old Qu, having received Bai Jiu's command, naturally dared not enter and disturb him. He simply received the messenger, offered them tea, listened to Xiao Jin's message, and then sent them away. After half an hour, there was movement from inside.

As Old Qu entered, he still heard his lord softly coaxing. The young master was refusing to get out of bed again. Old Qu stopped before the curtain and reported aloud, "My lord, someone from the Capital Guards Bureau has arrived."

Upon hearing the voice, Xin Yi no longer lingered in bed and immediately climbed out to get dressed behind a nearby screen. Bai Jiu, finding his arms empty, rolled over to sit on the edge of the bed, picked up an outer garment draped nearby and casually put it on, then emerged from behind the curtain and asked, "What is it?"

Old Qu presented the message. Bai Jiu rinsed his mouth with tea and said, "The person hasn't arrived yet; it's not worth mentioning."

Old Qu replaced the cup and said in a deep voice, "The Crown Prince is traveling quickly on this leg of the journey." The Jiangtang had flooded the Qingping Chang River, blocking the path to Wuhan Mountain. "The Crown Prince probably knew about the summons from the capital early on, but he patiently feigned ignorance and took a long detour, traveling all over Shanyin. Afterward, his pace became remarkably fast, most likely having received some news in Shanyin."

"It's almost the Beginning of Winter; he's rushing back for the annual assembly," Bai Jiu said, calmly settling into his chair. "He's rushing back to deal with people, so Shanyin was naturally a place he had to visit."

It was widely said that Bai Jiu's meteoric rise began with the major corruption case in Shanyin, and Xin Yi also came from Shanyin. If one were to claim there were no traces of Bai Jiu in Shanyin, that would be impossible. However, only Old Qu knew that there were even more significant matters concerning Shanyin.

Xin Yi was just emerging from behind the screen, and as he passed Bai Jiu's chair, he leaned over. Bai Jiu tilted his head back towards him, and Xin Yi reached out to smooth his collar. Although Bai Jiu maintained a smile, this simple gesture instantly dispelled the coldness that had just gathered in his eyes. Xin Yi's earlobes flushed warm, and he self-consciously picked up a cup of tea from the table and went to the window-side daybed to look at the dossiers.

Old Qu then stopped mentioning old matters of Shanyin and withdrew.

Bai Jiu leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. Xin Yi quietly read the dossiers, and after a long moment of no sound, his gaze shifted and met Bai Jiu's narrow eyes.

Bai Jiu smiled, "Finished reading?"

Xin Yi nodded and slowly said, "Is the Crown Prince returning?"

"He's on his way," Bai Jiu simply came over and sat opposite him, flipping through the dossiers. He asked, "How is the Gu City Cudgel Murder Case?"

Xin Yi closed the dossier and said, "Although this case was based on righteousness, it lacked legal principles."

The Gu City Cudgel Murder Case was when the Prefect of Gu City was beaten to death in his residence in the Hongxing 36th Year. The six perpetrators were all citizens of Gu City. This case alarmed Great Lan not because a prefect died, but because after the six perpetrators were imprisoned, tens of thousands of people lined the streets to bid them farewell as their prison cart passed, calling them 'righteous heroes'. The chief judge for this case back then was not the novice Zuo Kai, but Zuo Kai's mentor, Jiang Bozhou. The case revealed that the Prefect of Gu City disregarded human ethics by forcibly taking his younger brother's wife, imposed harsh governmental taxes, and seized public land. In Gu City, he committed all manner of evil, hated by everyone. However, Jiang Bozhou first confiscated the prefect's ill-gotten taxes and returned the public land, but then executed the six perpetrators, which sparked public outrage. Jiang Bozhou was unyielding throughout his life, but this case alone drew such public anger that people scornfully pointed fingers at him. Within three years, he submitted a memorial to retire, and only then did Zuo Kai take over as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

This case was not difficult to judge, but difficult to satisfy everyone. Jiang Bozhou was correct in upholding legal principles and strictly enforcing laws as an official. However, the people of Gu City had suffered for a long time, the prefect wielded unchecked power, and appealing was incredibly difficult. If they hadn't been pushed to a desperate situation, why would they choose a path certain to lead to death? Bai Jiu bringing up this case held some significance.

Xin Yi continued, "The public's anger was not truly directed at Lord Jiang, but at the system of official oversight. The Court of Judicial Review, in charge of hearing cases, emphasizes 'law'. Indeed, if the legal principles are unjust, the foundation of the nation will be unstable. Therefore, these six individuals must be executed." He furrowed his brows and added, "However, for local officials, the Censorate finds it difficult to monitor and scrutinize them. Local ranks suppress people, and power provides cover. This is inherently like raising a tiger, yet without a chain to restrain it. This is an oversight by the central court. Prefects commit evil, and though the Censorate inspects local officials annually, they only stay for a few days before returning. One can imagine these local tyrants operating freely in their dens, easily evading this brief inspection by putting on a show. Although the court increased the duration of these inspections after this case, it proved ineffective. If one does not wish to investigate, even ten years will yield no findings."

Bai Jiu listened throughout, and after Xin Yi finished speaking, he handed him some tea. Xin Yi took the tea and cleared his throat, saying, "Extending the investigation period was the Eastern Palace's suggestion. Didn't Lord Zhang object?"

"Zhang Taiyan was willing but powerless. The Crown Prince has never been close to him, and the Emperor also wished to give the Crown Prince some opportunities to shine, so this proposal was permitted at the conclusion of the case. Later, as the Crown Prince gradually stabilized, extending the investigation period indeed led to many arrests, and the matter gradually became less mentioned."

"Not a national affair," Xin Yi pursed his lips and said, "It's more like a family matter."

The Censorate, by virtue of this, gained the attention of the central government, spending more than half of each year operating in various regions. When inspectors were sent, local officials, at the very least, had to show some courtesy. Over time, as they became familiar with each other, this became a lucrative posting. Everyone vied for it, not for inspection, but entirely for the benefits and bribes. Sent by imperial decree to openly amass wealth, could the Censorate not take something and offer it to the Crown Prince? "It's likely the local troublemakers remained troublemakers; whereas before they caused trouble for others, now they also caused trouble for the Crown Prince."

"Brocade Uniform Guards, the Brocade Uniform Guards have the authority for military and political arrests. My lord, have you ever ordered an investigation into this?"

Bai Jiu's fingertip traced the pages of the dossier. "Yes, only twice."

"Only twice?"

Bai Jiu raised his eyes, his gaze profound. "Once in the Hongxing 51st Year, and once again in the same year."

Xin Yi sharply perceived that there might be a story behind this, but Bai Jiu's narrow eyes suddenly became unfathomably deep, making him unsure whether he should ask. In a flash of insight, he recalled Bai Jiu's earlier words: he had entered the capital in the 47th year, yet Xiao Jin and others all said he entered in the 51st year. His lord had never mentioned those four years in between; he wondered if it was... a taboo.

"The current Brocade Uniform Guards are no longer the crucial agency they were in previous dynasties," Bai Jiu said with a smile. "The Emperor has gradually curtailed the Brocade Uniform Guards since the twentieth year of his reign. By the time I arrived, the Brocade Uniform Guards rarely participated in important court affairs. The vital duty of guarding the imperial palace was also handed over to the Capital Guards Bureau. Without a direct imperial command, no one can activate military and political arrests. The current Brocade Uniform Guards, who wear the Flying Fish Robe Pattern, have rusted swords." He paused his fingertip and asked, "If it were you, what would you do?"

Xin Yi was startled, then quickly replied, "Reorganize the Censorate, re-screen key inspection officials, assign them to local Censorate branches, rotate them annually, without any delays. Establish directly subordinate inspecting officials who would unpredictably travel and conduct spot checks, to completely eradicate the atmosphere of local corruption."

Bai Jiu's smile widened by three points. "From where would you draw people for annual rotations? If relying solely on Censorate personnel, who can guarantee that the next rotation won't be old friends? Establishing directly subordinate inspecting officials directly under the Emperor carries a suspicion of favoritism, while directly under others raises concerns about bribery. To eradicate local corruption in Great Lan's nineteen cities, three major prefectures, and three vassal lands, this method might stop local officials, but what about the Provincial Administration Commissioners and the Princes? With factions crisscrossing in court, and a shortage of available personnel, if you try to tackle it, the roots are intertwined; what then?"

Xin Yi fell silent. Bai Jiu changed his tone, "But if we imagine the Emperor to be fair and strict, the court atmosphere to be upright and incorruptible, and factional struggles to have no foothold, then with clear legal principles and effective law enforcement, it might not be impossible to try."

Xin Yi was silent for a long moment, then lowered his gaze and said, "But it is not so."

Bai Jiu reached out and ruffled his hair. "It won't always be like this."

The Emperor had been on the throne for nearly sixty years. When he was still in his mother's womb, he was entrusted to the Zhang family of the former dynasty. As an infant, he was held by an imperial concubine during court sessions. It wasn't until he was nearly twenty that he truly participated in state affairs. Now, the Crown Prince had been established for over twenty years, yet the Emperor was unwilling to abdicate, determined to cling to the dragon throne until his death. He thought this way, but would the Crown Prince agree?

Xin Yi raised his hand and clasped Bai Jiu's hand, burying his head into the dossiers with a sigh, "Who cares."

Bai Jiu lightly scratched the back of his neck and said, "Let's stop here for today."

Xin Yi hummed in response. Hearing the sound of rain again from outside, he immediately looked up and said, "Jiangtang is going to flood again."

Bai Jiu tapped his forehead and laughed, "Nonsense."

Xin Yi also smiled, and the two naturally moved on to other topics. Only that after the lights were extinguished that night, Bai Jiu suddenly had a dream.

The dream took him back to when he was young and had just left the mountains to travel, still a sickly boy, going out for the first time. Someone traveled with him, and they arrived in Beiyang. While that person went to fetch the horse, he saw a handsome and pretty young boy on the roadside who had snatched a grasshopper woven from straw and was running ahead, followed by a crying, crumpled little stammerer, calling out "Th-Third Brother" all the way.

That was when he was at his most frail, his clothes on his shoulders felt like they might crush his body. Having stayed indoors for a long time, carrying his illness, he rarely smiled. Seeing the little stammerer's pitiful appearance, he casually pulled some grass from the roadside, hastily braided something, and handed it to the annoying little stammerer.

The hand he extended was thin, pale, and greenish-white, and the person himself was gloomy.

He couldn't remember if the little stammerer was scared to tears by him, only that the person returning with the horse hadn't reached them yet when the little stammerer, as if seeing his mother, sprinted over, hugged that person's white robe, and greeted him with a torrent of tears and snot.

The young boy who had run far ahead also circled back, standing with his hands behind his back, as obedient as a cat. That person, whose hands were usually used for writing and painting, wiped the little stammerer's face and picked him up to comfort him. Afterward, a dignified man arrived on horseback, came over, took the little stammerer from that person's arms, placed him on his shoulder, and then gently brushed the hair away from that person's ear.

That moment of tender affection surpassed everything around them. He saw it clearly, and surprisingly, his heart didn't churn with turmoil due to the relationship between the two, but rather a sense of envy arose.

That person nodded to him, and the man looked his way. He plucked a blade of grass, chewed on it carelessly, his youthful spirit refusing to reveal even a trace of longing on his face, only haphazardly masking it with arrogant condescension.

At that time, he envied that person for having a home to return to, for having siblings and parents, and even for that person's unspeakable secret romance. He envied everything about that person, until the great snow of the 51st year.

Bai Jiu woke up, his brow aching slightly. He was still holding Xin Yi in his arms. He looked down to see Xin Yi sleeping soundly, peacefully nestled against him. Bai Jiu stroked his temple, and the anxiety in his heart finally subsided, overflowing with warmth that filled his cold chest, bringing it back to life.

Bai Jiu leaned in and softly called his name. Xin Yi was deeply asleep, but kept humming in response. Bai Jiu captured his lips and thoroughly kissed him, and Xin Yi responded half-asleep, half-awake. Only then was Bai Jiu satisfied, holding the person tightly.

What he craved was simply a singular focus in life, what he envied was merely the warmth of human life. Heaven had never granted him these two things. Only Xin Yi could be considered his heart's desire, worth more than a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers. It was only a pity that Xin Yi was asleep, oblivious to everything, missing the chance to reminisce about the past.