47 End of Arc 3- Let me clear your name

The door was pushed open with a creak. Madam Qi walked in carrying a box of food. With a complicated expression, she looked at Ye Ming, who was kneeling on the ground. After a pause, she finally stepped over to him lightly.

Ye Ming looked tense. His heart was beating very quickly. He did his best to keep himself from exposing any peculiarities and looked at Madam Qi guiltily. "Mother…"

Madam Qi's eyes were red and swollen, as if she had cried for a long time. Now, looking at Ye Ming, she was unable to suppress the sadness and disappointment in her heart. She once again became choked with emotion. "You…why…"

Ye Ming lowered his head. He was so ashamed he was almost unable to speak. "Sorry…"

Madam Qi looked at her child. Ever since he was small, this child had been lovable and obedient, sensible and filial. He was different from his younger brothers and sisters; he never made her worry over him. He had always been her eldest son, whom she was most proud of, yet it turned out to be this child that made such a monumental mistake!

Even now, she still couldn't believe it. She would rather believe her son had been forced than believe he and the emperor truly had an improper relationship. Madam Qi struggled with herself a bit. She asked shakily, in a tone laced with expectation, "Were—were you willing?"

How could her son voluntarily enter the palace to please the emperor? How shameful and lowly would that be! He must certainly have been forced!

Madam Qi believed that she might've discovered the truth. She stared at Ye Ming intently, grit her teeth, and asked, "Was the emperor forcing you? You weren't willing, right?"

A pained look flitted through Ye Ming's eyes. Of course he hadn't been willing.

With red eyes, Madam Qi said, "If you received such humiliation, you should have told Mother and Father. Even if it means we have to leave the capital, we still wouldn't let you continue to be humiliated by that dog emperor! Even if we die, we wouldn't let you shoulder that disgrace while innocent! So what if he's the emperor? Let him kill us all if he can!"

Ye Ming looked at Madam Qi fixedly. Although his body was cold, his chest flooded with warmth. This was his mother…she loved him so; even if he'd made a mistake so great it spanned the sky, she was still willing to believe in him, to be unhesitatingly, utterly considerate of him.

He should be content with that.

Ye Ming suddenly smiled a little. This was the first time he had smiled in these past few days.

He should be grateful that he had family members like this. It was just that there were some things that ought to be taken to the grave…If he really said he had been forced, then with his father's candidness and his mother's fierceness, they would surely oppose Li Zechen to the death over it.

No matter how much Li Zechen loved him or tolerated his father, the Qi family could not afford to bear the consequences. Even if they won, there would be no glory, only ridicule.

And Li Zechen's reputation would also be damaged. Everyone would know him as an incapable ruler who forced his subjects. This matter would become an unremovable stain upon him.

And so it would be better for Ye Ming to bear it all alone.

This matter should be stopped here.

The Qi family would remain the honorable and upright Qi family, and the emperor would remain the brilliant and capable emperor.

Ye Ming lowered his eyes and said, word by word, "His Majesty did not force me. It was me that has shamed Mother and Father and dishonored our ancestors."

The hope in Madam Qi's eyes was extinguished little by little. Her grip loosened, and the container of food fell to the ground with a thump, food spilling everywhere…Her look of disappointment stabbed Ye Ming's heart deeply.

After a long moment, Madam Qi slowly walked over, raised her hand, and slapped Ye Ming hard!

Ye Ming's head was forced to the side by the blow. A trickle of blood trailed down from the corner of his mouth, and his body swayed slightly. Then he continued kneeling upright in place.

Madam Qi said sadly, "You…really like the emperor?"

Ye Ming only tightly pursed his lips and didn't utter a word.

Li Zechen hid behind the door, listening to all of it.

His nails pierced his palms. It took all of his strength to overcome the urge to rush out and stop it.

Madam Qi's slap didn't just strike Ye Ming's face. It was more like a barbed metal whip, striking his heart and tearing up pieces of his flesh.

It was completely silent in the ancestral hall. The icy atmosphere weighted down on his chest, making him nearly unable to breathe.

Madam Qi looked at Ye Ming for a while in a daze. It seemed as if she wanted to step forward, yet she didn't. In the end, she turned around and left without a word. In the split second that she was leaving, she and Li Zechen were merely separated by a single door.

When the door slammed shut, Li Zechen's line of sight was no longer obstructed, and his eyes met Ye Ming's directly.

At this moment, neither of the two people made a single sound.

It seemed as if only seconds had passed, yet it also seemed as if it had been an entire century.

Li Zechen one again raised his foot and walked, step by step, to Ye Ming's front. His hand shook a little, and gently cradled Ye Ming's face. There was still a bright red handprint on it.

This was the person that he held in his palm and cherished, the person that he couldn't bear to hurt even the tiniest bit. Yet he had been spurned by his own mother in despair.

Merely for him.

"You, why did you not tell her?" Li Zechen's eyes burned slightly.

He didn't dare ask if he liked him back a little. He didn't have the right to ask that question, but he just felt…maybe Ye Ming did care for him. It wasn't as he'd thought: that he didn't care for him even a little bit.

Otherwise, why wouldn't he say it? Tell everyone that it was him that was the wrongdoer, let him utterly lose face.

Ye Ming didn't respond to his question. He just kowtowed deferentially to Li Zechen, slowly saying, "Your Majesty should leave now."

The expression in Li Zechen's eyes was dazed for a little bit.

Right, he should be leaving.

He knew now that in fact Ye Ming didn't care about his own reputation. Instead, he cared more about Li Zechen's reputation. His wish that he could become a good emperor hadn't changed from beginning to end.

Although they couldn't be together, he cared about him. For this reason, he didn't hesitate to carry this burden of a ruined reputation.

Li Zechen slowly straightened his body. He gently took a step back. He looked at the person in front of him one last time, and slowly but steadily turned around.

I will set a good example for the whole kingdom and become a good emperor, just as you wish.

[Ding, Li Zechen's blackening value -1, current blackening value 1]

Ye Ming watched as Li Zechen left, and the door closed again. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. His vision went black, and he fainted.

......

When he woke up again, Ye Ming was already lying in his bed.

[Ye Ming: Ah, I really cherish the memory of my bed. The sort of haunted, eerie place like that ancestral hall really isn't the sort of place for people to stay.]

[888: Is that so?]

[Ye Ming: Yes, it's too scary. Be honest, does this world really not have any ghosts? Even something as bizarre as transmigration exists, so the existence of ghosts shouldn't be too unrealistic…I think if my ancestors were still around, their resentment would definitely be really strong…My hair is standing on end.]

[888: This world doesn't have any. This is just a low-level plane without supernatural forces; you don't have to worry.]

[Ye Ming: So you mean other worlds might have them? Stunned.jpg]

[888: Are you done pretending? You've already been to cultivation worlds, and you're still asking such childish questions?]

Ye Ming let out a hollow laugh.

Ye Ming opened his eyes and saw that Zi Zhu was serving him. Zi Zhu's eyes were a bit red. It seemed that she had also been crying. She said worriedly, "Gongzi, you woke up."

Ye Ming's expression was taciturn. He struggled to get up from the bed, but a burst of pain stabbed at his knees, and his face couldn't help but pale.

Zi Zhu quickly supported his arm and helped him lie down, anxiously saying, "Gongzi, don't move. Your knees are injured; you must rest properly. If you fall, it won't be good for your old illness."

Ye Ming's voice was hoarse. "Where are Mother and Father? I want to go see them…"

Zi Zhu's expression grew sadder. She hesitated for a bit, then quietly said, "You've been confined. The Master forbade you from leaving your courtyard and prohibited other people from coming to see you. It was only after I persistently requested to stay and serve you that the Master finally allowed me to stay here.���

Ye Ming stared blankly. Then he feebly lay down and laughed bitterly, "It has been hard on you."

Zi Zhu said, "Serving gongzi is nubi's duty."

Ye Ming paused for a moment and said, "Right now I can't go outside…If you hear any news, you must tell it to me, alright?"

This time, Zi Zhu did not reply immediately. Her mission was to protect Ye Ming, while the upsetting matters beyond these walls were best not told to Ye Ming. What if they agitated Ye Ming and something happened to him?

Ye Ming reached out a thin hand and tightly gripped Zi Zhu's. He looked into her eyes. "You have been at my side for seven years. Even though I later found out that you were working for the emperor, I still kept you by my side. Now, I hope that you won't deceive me anymore. Can you do this one thing for me?"

Zi Zhu clenched her teeth. Finally, she knelt down and said, "Nubi definitely will not deceive you anymore."

Ye Ming finally showed a smile and said earnestly, "Thank you."

Zi Zhu sighed in her heart and respectfully said, "I will go prepare food for gongzi. May gongzi rest properly."

After Ye Ming ate, he lay down on the bed again. He seemed not to have any strength in his body, and was unable to raise his spirits; he stayed in his room dazedly all day. He didn't even step one foot outside his room door, much less the door of his courtyard.

He looked as if he didn't care about anything going on outside, but he was constantly monitoring outside developments through 888.

Ever since Grand Tutor Qi had been accused by the Chief Cabinet Minister, this matter was finally aired out in the open. More and more people began talking about it. Even ordinary people heard whispers of it, not to mention the families of officials. The servants of the Qi residence began privately discussing it. The people were alarmed.

Not being allowed to go out was actually a good thing at the moment. Otherwise, no matter where Ye Ming went, he'd be stared at with curiosity, which was not a good thing.

Ye Ming was silent all day long, utterly taciturn. Even to Zi Zhu, he was unable to say two or three sentences all day.

His every action was reported to Li Zechen.

Li Zechen's heart ached endlessly for him, but he couldn't go see him. He couldn't continue to put Ye Ming in an unjust position.

If you really loved someone, you should give him what he wants, instead of imposing your own desires upon him. Even if he believed that he could give him more, he wasn't Ye Ming. How could he make decisions for him?

What he considered to be good might not be considered good by others.

Nowadays, he'd already experienced enough consequences.

Staying silent all day made Ye Ming feel unbearably stifled. Having him act quiet was really tough on him. Luckily there was still 888 to bicker and chat with, or else this performance would be way too difficult.

[Ye Ming: Ah…it's another bright and beautiful morning. There are no clouds for ten thousand miles; the great sun is shining from up high…]

[888: Seriously…isn't your vocabulary kind of lacking? Isn't this the legendary level of a primary school student?]

[Ye Ming: …] What's wrong with primary school students? Are you discriminating against us primary school students??

[888: How did you manage to muddle along as a brilliant, renowned scholar of the capital for so many years without exposing yourself? And why didn't your character improve even a little bit? It's probably easier for a human to get all wrong answers on a test, right?]

[Ye Ming: …]

He was wrong. Maybe he should reconsider whether chatting with 888 was the right decision.

Every day, Ye Ming stayed in his courtyard. The wounds on his knees had also recovered. All he did was read books or watch the sky all day, looking sorrowful and pained.

One day, Zi Zhu was waiting upon him as he ate his dinner. Instead of leaving like usual, she stood next to him, wanting to say something, but hesitated.

Ye Ming noticed and worriedly asked, "Did something happen outside?"

Zi Zhu thought for a moment and said, "The Master asked the emperor for permission to resign, saying he wishes to return to his hometown. His Majesty rejected his resignation, repeatedly urging him to stay, but the Master insisted that he wanted to leave…The Madam is also packing our belongings. It seems they have all set their hearts on leaving the capital."

Ye Ming's eyes dimmed. Dully, he said, "I see…"

The Qi family was a centuries-old noble family that had many branches and descendants throughout the capital. Yet because of his affairs, they were forced to abandon everything and relocate the entire family.

Zi Zhu saw that Ye Ming's mood was bad, and she lowered her head, ready to leave. At that moment, Ye Ming called out to her and said, "Go tell His Majesty that I want to meet with him."

Zi Zhu almost though she'd misheard. She clearly understood the tension Ye Ming and the emperor, and she also knew how stubborn her family's gongzi was. She feared that for the rest of this lifetime, he'd rather die than see the emperor again. But this…what kind of situation was this now?

But nonetheless, she was well-trained. She quickly schooled her expression and didn't question it. She simply agreed and retreated.

[888: You want to see Li Zechen???]

[Ye Ming: Yeah, the task is almost completed. There's no point in dragging it on any longer. I should get ready to leave.]

[Ye Ming: I've been waiting for the right opportunity this whole time.]

Ye Ming didn't climb into his bed to rest and didn't change his clothes either. He just stood in his courtyard, waiting.

Li Zechen came very quickly. He arrived in less than an hour, visibly in a hurry. His looked a little bit excited and happy, but also a bit uneasy and sad. His voice was raspy and sounded even deeper in the darkness of the night. "You called for zhen?"

In contrast, Ye Ming's expression was serene, as if he had already come to accept everything. He smiled. "Yes."

Of course Li Zechen didn't think that Ye Ming wanted to see him because he missed him. He's received Zi Zhu's report and knew what he wanted. Guiltily, he said, "You called because of Teacher's situation."

Ye Ming nodded his head. "I heard that Father already handed in his resignation to you, but you did not approve it."

Li Zechen looked uneasy. Deep down, he did have the tiny, selfish desire to keep Ye Ming from leaving the capital, but at this point, what he was most concerned about was actually the Qi family's reputation. If he really agreed to it, wouldn't it be equivalent to tacit confirmation of the unspeakable relationship between Ye Ming and himself?

He had always been fond of Grand Tutor Qi. At this time, the only way he could protect the Qi family was to reject his resignation and urge him to stay, and pretend he didn't know anything of those rumors.

After all, there were some things that couldn't be acknowledged unless they were brought out into the open.

Ye Ming curled up the corners of his mouth into a small, helpless smile. "Father must feel that you've only been so gracious and respectful to him all this time out of consideration for me. He's probably furious."

Li Zechen rushed to say, "Teacher was always worthy of respect. Zhen really didn't value him solely because of that."

Ye Ming said, "I believe you."

Li Zechen immediately sighed in relief. He had been afraid Ye Ming would also think that; wouldn't it hurt his self-esteem and make him feel embarrassed? But Li Zechen quickly felt awkward again. Had Ye Ming sought him out today in order to persuade him to approve the Grand Tutor's resignation?

But if he did…it would not be a good thing for the entire Qi family.

Right when Li Zechen was feeling apprehensive, he heard Ye Ming say, "Your Majesty, please do not approve my father's request to resign. Father works his hardest for the sake of the country and the common people. He has grand plans. If he's forced to leave because of my affairs and henceforth suffer people's ridicule, I'll be very distressed."

Li Zechen immediately nodded and assured, "Don't worry, zhen will properly implore the Grand Tutor to stay."

Ye Ming said sincerely, "Many thanks, Your Majesty."

Li Zechen's eyes were sad. "This is what zhen originally owes to you. What zhen is doing now cannot make up for even a tenth of a thousandth of zhen's mistakes."

Ye Ming shook his head, "That Your Majesty recognizes his mistakes and can improve is the most important. Chen is content."

Li Zechen gave a bitter laugh. Ye Ming didn't blame him, and in the end, he only regarded him as his emperor, and was only devoted to him in the capacity of a ruler. Everything he had done for him was because he hoped he could be a good emperor…

If you loved me, or if you were a little bit more selfish, you probably wouldn't forgive me this easily.

Li Zechen's heart was endlessly pained, but he knew he should leave now. It was just that he was a bit reluctant to part with him still. For the rest of his life, he wouldn't dare hope Ye Ming harbored any affection toward him, but what about in the next life…?

Initially, Li Zechen had been prepared to turn around and leave, but he suddenly asked, "Wen Qing, if I were not the emperor, if I had not been born into the royal family, would we…have a chance together?"

Ye Ming started in surprise. He didn't think Li Zechen would ask this.

He looked at the man in front of him. This powerful man seemed to be able to overcome any obstacle, but at this moment, he was looking back at him with such a fragile expression. The hopeful expression in his eyes seemed as if it'd shatter upon contact, and it made him appear so lonely and sad.

Ye Ming suddenly felt very distressed for him.

Why did he treat this person so well back then? It was probably just because he had, by chance, witnessed his loneliness and sadness…Such a young child he was, yet he seemed to have been abandoned and forsaken by the entire world.

He gave him hope, allowing him to persevere through it all, but he still wanted to cast him aside. But this time, there wouldn't be anyone else to pull him out of that filthy quagmire and give him hope.

Although I'm doomed to be unable to reciprocate your love, I still pray that you can continue living on with hope in your heart.

You remembered me that day; how could I not remember you?

It was just a pity that in the end, our paths diverged.

Ye Ming lightly stepped one foot forward, raised his head, and kissed Li Zechen's lips.

Strictly speaking, it didn't even count as a kiss—only a light brush of the lips—and it happened so quickly it didn't give Li Zechen the time to respond.

By giving him that kiss, Ye Ming seemed to have tossed aside his lifelong dedication to abiding by propriety. His ears reddened and he didn't overdo it, saying, "Your Majesty should leave now."

Yet Li Zechen stood in place without moving, as if he had been struck by some body-petrifying technique.

Originally, he hadn't held out any hope, but this person had generously given it to him.

Li Zechen suddenly smiled. Now that I have this answer, even if I can't get closer to you in all my life, it still does not matter.

Because I know that perhaps in the next life, or the next…there will finally come a life when I am not an emperor, and there will not be any worldly obstacles to separate us, and we will have a chance together.

As long as this tiny possibility exists, I will have no regrets for the rest of my life.

[Ding, Li Zechen's blackening value -1, current blackening value 0]

Ye Ming watched Li Zechen as he left, and then he turned around and returned to his room.

The next day, he made himself look presentable, changed into a clean, simple garment, and told Zi Zhu, "Go tell my father that I want to see him. If he is unwilling to see me, tell him I have something important that I must speak to him about."

Zi Zhu went at once. Soon, she came back and told Ye Ming that the Master wanted him to go see him at the front.

Ye Ming finally left his courtyard again.

Grand Tutor Qi and Madam Qi just so happened to be together. In the short time that they hadn't seen each other, the two of them seemed to have aged a lot. The look they directed at Ye Ming was both disappointed and sad. Madam Qi was the first to speak. "If you have something to say, then go ahead and say it."

When Ye Ming saw that his parents, who had once loved him most dearly, appeared so distant and cold now, it made his heart ache terribly. He thought of his decision and felt even guiltier toward his parents' kindness in raising him.

But this was the only option he could think of.

Ye Ming knelt and respectfully said, "Your son knows he's made a grave mistake and doesn't dare beg for Mother and Father's forgiveness. He only hopes that Father will not resign and leave, otherwise it'll be tantamount to giving people a chance to come after you and cause the entire Qi family to be implicated because of me. Your son is ashamed."

Grand Tutor Qi coldly said, "Who doesn't know of your affairs by now? Do you want to stay here in order for other people to laugh at you?"

Yet, unlike before, Ye Ming's expression was resolute. "This was done by your son alone and has nothing to do with the Qi family. Even if the consequences must be borne, it should be me alone who bears it."

Grand Tutor Qi became even angrier after hearing this and almost wanted to strike him again, but he was held back by Madam Qi. Furious, he cried, "You'll bear it? How will you be able to bear it?!"

Ye Ming knocked his head heavily against the floor three times. He seemed to be saying goodbye through his eyes. "I will bear it."

Grand Tutor Qi laughed incredulously and waved his hand. "Get lost!"

Ye Ming slowly stood up. Sorry for making you disappointed and sad…Your son is unfilial. He glanced at Grand Tutor Qi and Madam Qi, reluctant to part, then resolutely turned around and left.

Zi Zhu said, "Gongzi, don't be sad. The Master was only having a fit of anger. Actually, he still really cares about you, otherwise, he wouldn't want to leave the capital for your sake. He's just sharp-tongued, but his heart is soft."

Ye Ming laughed at himself derisively, "I see…"

"Yes," Zi Zhu said.

Ye Ming shook his head and said, "I haven't gone outside in a long time. Today I want to go out and relieve my boredom. You don't need to come with me."

Zi Zhu said worriedly, "How can that be? Nubi should still accompany you."

Ye Ming smiled. "You're a little servant girl; it won't be convenient for me to take you with me. Do not worry, nothing bad will happen to me."

Zi Zhu couldn't manage to stop Ye Ming and could only watch him leave.

......

Ye Ming left the Qi residence and headed directly toward the Yan River Bridge.

[Ye Ming: Are there any of Li Zechen's people following me?]

[888: There are two.]

[Ye Ming: Big brother, help me out. I want to lose them.]

[888: Okay.]

Ye Ming followed 888's instructions. Not once did he turn around. He darted left and right through alleyways, and with great difficulty, finally lost those two.

There were many people on the Yan River Bridge. It was one of the capital's famous sights. Below the bridge, the river water flowed rapidly. When Ye Ming arrived, he happened to encounter two of his former peers.

Their relationship used to be quite good; now, they looked at him with curiosity and scorn. They asked meaningfully, "Wen Qing, we haven't seen you in a long time. Why have you not come out recently?"

Ye Ming looked at them and raised his eyebrows, saying, "Such dignified men, if you have something to say, why won't you be straightforward about it? You insist on behaving like those gossipping ladies? Senseless! Ridiculous!"

His peers were angered. You were involved in such a scandal, but not only are you not ashamed, you would also mock us?

Ye Ming suddenly burst into loud laughter. "I would never pander and ingratiate myself!"

Then he immediately leapt off the bridge.

His peers still hadn't been able to react when they saw his white robes leap past them. Ye Ming's figure had already disappeared into the river rapids.

After a few more seconds, people finally reacted. They frantically shouted, "Someone fell into the water! Someone fell into the water! Save him!"

......

Li Zechen complied with Ye Ming's request and rejected Grand Tutor Qi's resignation. But for some inexplicable reason, he felt a bit ill at ease today. A droplet of ink fell onto his memorial, and a stain bloomed.

He put down his brush and took a deep breath. He thought of the gentle kiss Ye Ming gave him yesterday, and his eyes revealed a tender, infatuated affection.

Just then, a eunuch frantically burst inside and said, trembling, "Your—Your Majesty…something bad has happened…"

Li Zechen said, "What's made you so panicked? Tell me slowly."

The eunuch knelt on the floor and said, "Qi gongzi has committed suicide by jumping into the river! H-his body has just—been found!" When he finished speaking, he pressed himself against the floor and trembled for fear that Li Zechen would kill him in a fit of anger!

Li Zechen's movements halted and his pupils shrank. His mind even seemed to blank for a split second. He mumbled, "What did you say? Zhen didn't hear clearly…"

The eunuch said in a trembling voice, "Qi gongzi has committed suicide by jumping into the river!"

Li Zechen swayed. He used his hands to support himself against the table and finally managed to steady his body. Without thinking, he wanted to rush outside, but after taking two steps, it was as if his acupuncture points had been pressed, and he halted.

After a long moment, Li Zechen slowly turned around. He went back to his files and began writing a response to the memorial.

The kneeling eunuch looked up at Li Zechen in confusion. He appeared dumbfounded.

The emperor loved Qi gongzi the most—previously, he'd done all those preposterous things for him; why was he so indifferent about his death now? Could it be the fickleness of a ruler's love? But the eunuch quickly realized that Li Zechen wasn't completely unfazed. His hand seemed to be shaking; he couldn't even hold his brush steady.

Li Zechen tried hard to read the words written on the memorial before him, but it seemed that no matter what, he couldn't see clearly, his vision completely blurry.

He was unable to steady his gaze, even after giving it everything he had. The black text in front of his eyes seemed to come to life. They twisted into the grasses that grew at the bottom of the river, and coiled around him. He wanted to break away from them, but he couldn't struggle free. He felt like he was suffocating.

When you died, did you feel very sad? Very hopeless?

A thousand, ten thousand times sadder than I feel now.

It's precisely because of how much you suffered that I can't let you die for nothing. If you would rather do this to rid yourself of disgrace, how could I have the heart to go against you?

So not only can I not go see you, I can't even show any concern for you…

Even if you've died, I still have to pretend we're two people who have nothing to do with each other.

I can't even see you one last time.

Li Zechen closed his eyes. A single tear fell onto the memorial where the drop of ink had just smudged it. It disappeared into the black and then couldn't be seen at all.

If I love you, then I can't let anyone know how much I care about you.

A few days later, Li Zechen once again rejected Grand Tutor Qi's resignation in front of the royal court. In addition, he expressed regret over Qi Mingyan's death. He denounced those who had spread rumors about him; they even pushed a good person to his death! As emperor, if it weren't for Qi Mingyan's death, he wouldn't have known there were such ridiculous rumors. He felt deeply embarrassed and angrily berated those who had helped spread this evil. They were great ministers of the imperial court, yet they would spread such slanderous rumors that could destroy someone's reputation? He was seriously disappointed in them!

The ministers saw that Li Zechen really didn't seem to know anything about the earlier rumors, then thought of Qi Mingyan's pure, honest nature, and one after another, they began to suspect the validity of the rumors. They'd originally come from the rear court and didn't have any proof to back them up; how could the ministers fully believe such baseless claims?

From the emperor���s behavior, it seemed likely that he truly didn't have any relationship with Qi Mingyan.

With the emperor so angered, they were on pins and needles, and they didn't dare to talk drivel anymore.

Slowly, different voices started to pipe up. Some people began sympathizing with Qi Mingyan; such an honorable, modest, noble character was forced to his death by such a ridiculous rumor. They started to recall how upstanding and honest Qi Mingyan was and how he always abided by propriety.

Some people also brought up his poetry to demonstrate that he was proud and unyielding. How could someone who could compose such works use charm to curry favor?

Considering his last words, he must've been unable to bear such humiliation and finally chose to prove his sincerity through death!

Li Zechen only expressed his anger that one time in front of the royal court. After that, he never once deliberately expressed concern for Qi Mingyan again. It truly seemed as if they had nothing to do with each other.

Grand Tutor Qi stayed in the end. Everything ended thus with Qi Mingyan's death. At least, on the surface.

......

In a flash, three years went by. A hooded man arrived before Qi Mingyan's grave. The man stood there by himself, cutting a lonely figure. He didn't take off his hood, which hid his face underneath it.

Li Zechen gazed at the gravestone. In the depths of his eyes, there was a look of reminiscence and yearning. He appeared to be somewhat rueful. Softly, he said, "I only dare to secretly come visit you at this hour."

"Don't worry, I was very careful. I won't let anyone discover me."

His voice was very soft and carried an unspeakable sadness.

We couldn't be together in life, nor can we be together in death. The only thing I can do for you is to clear your name.

For you, I have been a model emperor for three years, so good that not a single subject could find a problem with me. I've been cautious and conscientious, and I work so hard that I skip meals and sleep. Nowadays, we're in an era of stability and prosperity. Did you see?

But I just think it's utterly pointless.

Emperor? Land under heaven? None of it means anything.

I just want to be with you, but that's even harder than being emperor.

Li Zechen stood for a while longer, before finally leaving reluctantly.

A year later, Li Zechen fell gravely ill and died despite receiving treatment. Because he had no heir, the throne was passed on to the seventh prince.