Below the Sky Canopy, as Emperor Jingwu approached Xiao He with the cloak in hand, many simple-hearted commoners couldn't help breaking out in a cold sweat for her. In their eyes, Emperor Jingwu, completely unguarded against Xiao He, was like someone voluntarily drawing near a vicious wolf ready to strike. Just moments ago, from the video, they had seen Xiao He, her back to Emperor Jingwu, gripping a sharp dagger tightly in her right hand hidden in her sleeve.
When Emperor Jingwu gently draped the cloak over Xiao He, many people were so tense they closed their eyes, expecting that in the next second, Emperor Jingwu would be drenched in blood. With just a turn, Xiao He could drive the dagger upward, straight into Emperor Jingwu's chest.
Yet, to everyone's surprise, even after Emperor Jingwu turned to leave, Xiao He remained motionless like a statue, maintaining her feigned slumber.
Seeing that Xiao He ultimately did not exploit Emperor Jingwu's kindness to carry out her assassination, everyone felt a surge of relief.
Just when everyone thought the matter might pass, Xiao He, who had been pretending to sleep, suddenly rose from the low stool. Emperor Jingwu, who had almost reached her desk, heard the sound of Xiao He standing behind her. She stopped and turned, immediately noticing the sharp dagger in Xiao He's hand.
Her gaze shifted from the dagger to Xiao He. Looking at her, she said softly, 'You don't want to kill me?'
Xiao He was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice, 'You don't deserve to die at the hands of someone like me. If I killed you, I would be a sinner for eternity.'
'And you? Once you fail your mission, they won't let you off, will they?'
At first, Xiao He didn't understand what Emperor Jingwu was asking. But when she realized the Emperor was concerned about the punishment for her failure, her usually calm and indifferent face broke into a rare smile. 'Before entering the palace, I never thought I would leave alive. But I think it's better to die by your hand than by theirs.'
'I told you before, it's not wrong to make mistakes, the important thing is to correct them. But some mistakes can be forgiven, while others cannot be absolved even by death. Before entering the palace, who else did you kill for them?'
'Too many to count. Those who tried to kill me during training—I killed them all.'
Emperor Jingwu frowned. 'Aside from these, have you killed any innocent people?'
Xiao He: 'I'm too plain-looking. They prefer to send those who are more attractive to get close to their targets.'
'Could it be that I'm your first target?'
'Mm.'
Looking at Xiao He's unremarkable face, Emperor Jingwu laughed instead. 'You're quite skilled in martial arts, aren't you? Stop working for them. It's not worth it. Come be my personal bodyguard. I'll give you a promotion and a raise!'
Seeing that Emperor Jingwu not only didn't execute her but wanted to recruit her as a personal guard, Xiao He looked at her in disbelief. 'Aren't you afraid I might turn on you? I'm a deathsworn sent by Qi Wenyuan!'
'You're right, I should be wary of you. How about this: you give up all the other spies in the palace who have been in contact with you. I believe after that, Qi Wenyuan will want to tear you apart!' Emperor Jingwu looked at Xiao He with a smile. 'Well? After doing this, will you be willing to follow me faithfully?'
Xiao He: '...You're a complete madman.'
Below the Sky Canopy, in the palace, Emperor Jingming saw that Yin Ning was still keeping the deathsworn Xiao He by her side. He felt blood rush to his head. He had just thought Yin Ning was less troublesome than his other sons, but now he remembered that she had never been an easy one.
Emperor Jingming glared at Yin Ning, who had returned to her seat. 'Are you that short of guards? You have to keep an assassin who tried to kill you?'
Yin Ning looked at him with an innocent expression, her voice full of grievance. 'Imperial Father, it's useless to ask me! This has nothing to do with me. I'm not Emperor Jingwu yet! How would I know why she insisted on keeping that person by her side?'
Emperor Jingming didn't understand the relationship between 'Lu Xun and Zhou Shuren,' so upon hearing Yin Ning's words, he was so angry he laughed. 'So you're saying I wronged you just now?'
Yin Ning knew when to back down and understood that Emperor Jingming meant well. After that brief cheeky retort, she didn't continue to argue but smiled and said, 'Imperial Father, rest assured. If she ever comes to assassinate me again, I won't be so soft-hearted!' Yin Ning didn't promise she would never take Xiao He in; she was being clever by setting a precondition.
In Yin Ning's view, Emperor Jingwu couldn't be so reckless. She must have confirmed that Xiao He bore her no ill will before keeping her as a personal maid. And after Xiao He's true identity was exposed, Emperor Jingwu willingly offered her the position of personal guard, perhaps because she was eager for talent. Yin Ning guessed that she had, like with Xiao Shunzi, asked the 007 system to evaluate Xiao He's strategic value, and the result was so good that she couldn't bear to let her go.
On Emperor Jingming's side, hearing Yin Ning's assurance, most of his anger dissipated. However, he secretly decided that when he later dealt with Qi Wenyuan, he would have that Xiao He eliminated root and branch. Although Xiao He on the Sky Canopy hadn't actually assassinated Emperor Jingwu, Emperor Jingming felt that human hearts were unpredictable; he couldn't gamble on Xiao He's reliability like Emperor Jingwu. Thus, to be safe, killing her was the simplest solution. Moreover, he didn't intend to let Yin Ning know about this. He thought Yin Ning was still too kind, lacking the ruthlessness an emperor should have.
But just as Emperor Jingming was planning to make a move against Xiao He, there were others even more eager to see her dead.
At Qi Wenyuan's mansion, ever since the Sky Canopy mentioned Qi Wenyuan, the entire Qi household was in a panic, scurrying like ants on a hot pan, not knowing what to do. However, among them, Qi Wenyuan's eldest son, Qi Xiurong, was the calmest. He knew everything his father had done and understood that the family could not withstand a thorough investigation by Emperor Jingming. He also knew that in the Great Jing, 'every inch of land under heaven belongs to the king.' Even if he tried to flee, he couldn't escape the court's net-like pursuit. Since death was inevitable either way, it was better not to struggle.
Qi Xiurong had no spirit to oppose Emperor Jingming, but he loathed Xiao He, a deathsworn raised by their family. In his view, if not for Xiao He's betrayal, no one knew who would have the last laugh in history! So, he immediately sent his trusted aide to the secret villa on the outskirts of the capital, intending to kill Xiao He before the villa was exposed. However, when the aide arrived, he found the place empty. The villa was usually heavily guarded, but today due to the Sky Canopy's content, there was chaos. Although only eight years old, Xiao He had seized this rare opportunity when the guards were lax and escaped from the villa, her whereabouts now unknown. But that would happen later.
At that moment, the Sky Canopy was showing Emperor Jingwu using the intelligence provided by Xiao He to uproot Qi Wenyuan's spy network in the palace, which had been operating for years. In the video, upon hearing the news, 'Qi Wenyuan' was so enraged that he coughed up blood and fell unconscious at home. After that scene, the video's progress bar ended, and Liu Sanqi's figure reappeared in the center of the Sky Canopy.
In the live stream, Liu Sanqi sighed regretfully. 'Before making this episode, while I was reviewing historical records, I often had this thought: if I lived in ancient times, I would definitely be captivated by Emperor Jingwu's charisma!
'Think about it—Xiao He, a deathsworn sent to assassinate Emperor Jingwu, was completely won over. Later, during an assassination attempt by the Najie Tribe, she even used her own body to block a poison arrow for Emperor Jingwu!
'That arrow, if it had been just a bit off, would have pierced her heart directly!
'So, how could a corrupt and power-hungry villain like Qi Wenyuan possibly defeat our Great Emperor Jingwu?
'And speaking of which, regarding the complete downfall of Qi Wenyuan's faction, I especially want to mention one person—Song Changqing, who actually appeared in the earlier video.
'Historically, besides being the top scholar in the metropolitan examination, Song Changqing was also appointed as the Principal Graduate in the palace examination by Emperor Jingwu.
'But after entering the civil service, Song Changqing was quickly lured by Qi Wenyuan and defected to his faction, which was then at its peak.
'If you watched the previous live stream, you should remember that Song Changqing grew up alone with his mother, Chen Cuixiang, and they were very poor.
'However, when his father, Song Liangnuo, was still alive, their family’s living conditions were actually decent—not that difficult later on.
'After all, Song Liangnuo was a constable in the Xinyang County yamen. The Song family wasn't well-off, but they were better off than many.
'But fate is unpredictable. When Song Changqing was three years old, Song Liangnuo died in the line of duty while pursuing a murder suspect who had fled.
'Naturally, Song Changqing and his mother Chen Cuixiang were deeply grieved by Song Liangnuo's sacrifice. However, Chen Cuixiang had taught Song Changqing since childhood that he must be a good person and not disgrace his father in the underworld.
'Therefore, when she learned that Song Changqing had become a henchman for the corrupt official Qi Wenyuan, Chen Cuixiang was extremely angry and disappointed. She even wrote several urgent letters to Qi Wenyuan, hoping Song Changqing would resign and return home, leaving the dazzling worldly affairs of the capital.'
Below the Sky Canopy, Xinyang County, the Song family courtyard.
From the moment she heard Liu Sanqi say that Song Changqing had defected to Qi Wenyuan, Chen Cuixiang's face turned deathly pale. She looked at Song Changqing sitting not far in front of her, opened her mouth, but was too upset to know what to say.
Song Changqing also felt as if someone had suddenly punched him in the head, leaving his mind blank and confused.
He couldn't understand how he could have done something so shameless. He didn't deny that he had personal motives for studying—he wanted to achieve fame and improve his and his mother's current life. But he also harbored ambitions to help the people and benefit all, to serve tirelessly and loyally as the sages taught. Thinking that he would actually ally with a national pest like Qi Wenyuan, Song Changqing suddenly agreed with his mother's wish for him to resign and return home.
In the palace, Yin Ning felt a strange sensation when she heard Liu Sanqi say that Song Changqing had joined Qi Wenyuan's faction. She thought that her future self shouldn't be so blind. This was the first imperial examination since she took power. How could the top scholar she personally selected be a scoundrel of the same ilk as Qi Wenyuan? Yin Ning looked at the Sky Canopy inquisitively, wanting to hear what Liu Sanqi would say next.
'Before Song Changqing passed the provincial examination, the Song family mainly relied on Chen Cuixiang's embroidery for income. After years of hard work, Chen Cuixiang even lost the sight in one eye.
'But even so, Chen Cuixiang would rather return to their previous poor but honest life than see Song Changqing become a corrupt official exploiting the people!
'So, after Song Changqing refused to resign, Chen Cuixiang took all the family's money and set out for the capital.
'We don't know how much hardship that one-eyed old woman endured to reach the capital.
'Historical records say that because her clothes were too coarse and worn, and after a long journey she was emaciated, when she appeared outside Song Changqing's mansion, the gatekeeper didn't believe that this shabby old woman was the mother of the Principal Graduate. If not for Song Changqing returning to the mansion just then, the gatekeeper would have driven her away.
'When she saw Song Changqing, she refused to even step inside the mansion. She only stood outside the gate and asked him if he was determined to align himself with Qi Wenyuan.
'Today, we all know that Song Changqing was actually feigning loyalty to Qi Wenyuan in order to infiltrate his side and uncover the intricate web of officials in Qi Wenyuan's network.
'But Chen Cuixiang didn't know this. So, when she heard her son's refusal to cut ties with Qi Wenyuan, with her sorrow greater than death, she didn't scold or beat him. She just told him calmly that she would sever their mother-son relationship and that he should never write to her again. She would act as if she never had such a son.
'Song Changqing thought his mother was going to leave the capital and return to Xinyang County. But he didn't know that before leaving home, Chen Cuixiang had already decided that if she couldn't make her son turn back, she would atone with her death to their ancestors and the people.'
Below the Sky Canopy, Xinyang County, the Song family courtyard.
Unlike the guilt-ridden Song Changqing, Chen Cuixiang's face was full of joy. She looked at Song Changqing and said, 'Son, even if I die, learning the truth in the underworld, I would die without regret! People live for integrity, trees live for bark. Being clean is more important than anything else!'
But Song Changqing couldn't accept her words. He felt that it was he who had caused his mother's death. The immense guilt and grief weighed on him, making it hard to breathe. At this moment, he even felt that he should never have taken the imperial examination path. There were so many talented people in the world. Even without him, Emperor Jingwu could still take down Qi Wenyuan and his corrupt officials. But his mother had toiled all her life for him and never enjoyed a single day of his success. Song Changqing felt he was unworthy of being a son.