Volume One, Chapter 18: Ultimately, We Are Not Kindred Spirits

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The study in the Princess’s residence was brightly lit. Five years ago, the imperial court had established institutions such as the Embroidery Workshop, Carpentry Workshop, Dyeing Workshop, and Ironware Pavilion to teach skills to displaced people, providing them a means to earn a living and thus reduce the number of vagrants, encouraging self-reliance. Yet who could have anticipated that over these five years, these institutions would gradually become tools for noble families to amass wealth? The aristocratic clans confined the trained individuals, repurposing them as laborers for their own enterprises. These people were treated like cattle and horses, chained to work from dawn until dusk, then locked in iron cages at night. This was nothing short of treating humans as beasts!

Yun Yi sifted through the secret letters, her expression growing darker with each page. After two weeks of relentless investigation, nearly every noble family was implicated. Chi Mei’s face flushed with anger as she could not help but scold, “This is utterly outrageous—each one lining their pockets.” Yun Yi set down the letter, her heart unsettled. It turned out that Lv Wu’s younger sister had been toyed with to death. Any woman entering the Embroidery Workshop with pleasing looks would be sent to the Qing Shan Villa, a private pleasure house for the elite, where the women were mere playthings for the powerful.

What pained Yun Yi most was that Yun Ziqi was a frequent visitor to Qing Shan Villa and was indirectly responsible for the death of Lv Wu’s sister. How could a sovereign stoop to such depths? Her eyes glistened with red fury. “How did Ziqi become like this? When did it all begin?” Chi Mei sighed deeply. “Seven years ago, after our father passed away, I was entrusted with the regency. Ziqi was only thirteen then. I was so focused on stabilizing the realm that I neglected his upbringing. But when I finally looked back, he had already become a stranger to me.” “For all these years, I thought he was just opposing me to prove himself, but I never imagined he could be so lost.” Yun Yi’s brow furrowed tightly as a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in her mind, as if invisible hands were choking her. Her eyes darkened with despair. “If I want to root out these parasites completely, what must I do?” Chi Mei was momentarily stunned, her brows etched with deep sorrow. She had once thought of this but had never succeeded. Not only she, but even the late emperor had tried repeatedly without success. The power of the noble clans was deeply entrenched, spanning centuries—toppling them was no easy feat. Though these families often squabbled for power, when their shared interests were threatened, they united fiercely in resistance.

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Seeing Chi Mei silent, Yun Yi raised her eyes. “Aren’t you usually quite talkative? Why so silent now?” “Tell me, then—what should I do?” Her voice trembled with resentment and reluctance. Chi Mei lowered her head, silent. This was the first time Yun Yi had seen her so filled with defeat. The noble clans were the foundation of the entire Da Sheng Empire. If they fell, the empire’s foundation might collapse. Yet if nothing changed, could Da Sheng truly endure? The current court was dominated by the noble families. Key official positions were selected from among their offspring. Though there were examinations, the clans colluded—children from the Ministry of Rites could be assigned to the Ministry of Revenue, and vice versa. Their recruitment was nothing but a web of well-known connections. Over time, officials circulated within the clans, and power remained firmly in their grasp.

“What if we abolished the clan-based selection system, making noble children compete alongside commoners in the imperial examinations—only those truly capable would rise?” Chi Mei’s heart ached bitterly upon hearing this; she never imagined that at seventeen, she would share such thoughts. It was the first time she found common ground with her younger self. “I tried that once, but Cui Shuheng led the noble families in a united attack. In the end, my own dear brother betrayed me.” She smiled sorrowfully. “That was the first time I truly felt loneliness and despair—like standing against the world, with no one on our side. It’s a road with no end.” Over the years, she had faced defeat after defeat, each time thwarted by the unchangeable rules handed down by ancestors. Though she had slowly cultivated her own power within the court, it was still insufficient to confront the noble families openly.

A knock sounded at the door. “Your Highness, I seek audience,” came a low, steady voice. Cui Xingze? Chi Mei raised an eyebrow. “Do not see him!” “Come in.” Chi Mei’s anger flared. “Are you ignoring my orders? Why do you want to see him?” The door creaked open.

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Cui Xingze entered slowly, carrying a food box. He nodded slightly. “Though affairs are busy, Your Highness must also take care to rest.” “I had someone prepare a calming broth for you. Please try it.” Chi Mei thought, Don’t drink it—who knows if he’s poisoned it. Cui Xingze calmly opened the box, brought out the broth, and offered it to her. Yun Yi leaned against the chair, rubbing her temples wearily. “You come to see me—what is the matter?” Cui Xingze’s eyes flickered with complex emotion, but his lips curved into a strained smile. “We are husband and wife. It doesn’t always have to be for business that I come to you, Your Highness.” Chi Mei thought, Don’t believe his lies. He’s been lurking outside the study for days. He knows you’re investigating the noble clans and is here to probe for information. Don’t fall into his trap. Remember, Cui Xingze belongs to the Cui family. He surely began his own investigation from the Lv Wu line. Whatever we uncover, he knows as well.

Yun Yi’s gaze faltered. Indeed, Cui Xingze was a member of the Cui clan. “If that is so, I will accept your calming broth. You may leave now.” Cui Xingze’s lips pressed lightly together, hesitating. “Your Highness... could you stop your investigation?” Chi Mei shouted, “See? I told you! He’s here for the noble families, and the broth is just an excuse.” A cold wind blew in through the window, clearing Yun Yi’s mind, leaving only icy resolve in her eyes. “By what right do you speak to me? As the Cui family’s eldest son? As my consort? Or as a subject of Da Sheng?” She stared at him intently, as if trying to see through him. His eyes flickered, as if countless words were gathered beneath them. “Does it matter? Regardless of my identity, I stand with Your Highness. Your safety is my utmost concern.” Yun Yi smiled faintly, but there was no warmth in her eyes. “If you truly stood with me, you would never have said what you just did.” A bitter ache stirred in her chest. The young man who once wrote that “the rise of governance depends on winning the people’s hearts” had ultimately been lost to the years. She and Cui Xingze were, after all, on different paths.