Chapter 27: The Secret of Huaian, the Path of the Imperial Merchant

Ye Qingyan’s gaze was fixed firmly on the unfamiliar emblem at the bottom of the note. It was a pattern composed of a sword and a shield, its lines archaic and simple.

"What exactly is this? Chen Huai'an sends this massive sum of money and leaves behind such a mark—what is his intention?"

"System, do you know what this is?" Ye Qingyan asked in her mind.

The familiar voice finally sounded, but for the first time, it carried an indescribable emotion.

【...The mark of the 'Jing'an Guard.'】

In that voice, there was gravity, coldness, and even a hint of... disgust.

Ye Qingyan was startled.

"Jing'an Guard?" she pressed. "What is that?"

【A group of blindly loyal flies.】 The System’s evaluation was blunt. 【The sharpest blade in the hands of the previous dynasty’s emperor, responsible for monitoring officials and protecting the royal family. Unfortunately, their loyalty was misplaced.】

Ye Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat. "The previous dynasty? That isn't..."

【That's right.】 The System’s voice returned to its habitual coldness. 【It is an organization I personally dismantled. Its core members have all faced justice. I never expected that remnants would have remained hidden until now.】

Personally dismantled...
Faced justice...

Ye Qingyan’s heart sank. The "emperor of the previous dynasty" the System spoke of was the tyrant it had replaced. And the Jing'an Guard had been that tyrant's claws.

Why would Chen Huai'an be involved with the Jing'an Guard? The money he sent, marked with their emblem—the implications behind this sent a chill down Ye Qingyan’s spine.

She could wait no longer.

Ye Qingyan tucked away the note, rose, and headed straight for Chen Huai'an's courtyard. The night was deep, but light still spilled from his room. She did not knock; she simply pushed the door open.

With a creak, Chen Huai'an looked up at the sound. Seeing it was her, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it quickly faded into calm, as if he had expected her arrival.

"Eldest Miss," he said, setting down his book.

Ye Qingyan ignored his address, walking straight to him and slamming the note onto the table. Her action punctuated the tense air between them.

"This money, and this emblem—what does it mean?" she asked directly, her voice cold and clear.

Chen Huai'an’s gaze fell upon the emblem on the note. He remained silent, and the atmosphere in the room grew suffocatingly heavy. The candlelight flickered, stretching their shadows long and intertwining them on the wall.

Ye Qingyan stood there, watching him quietly, waiting for an answer. She saw his tightly pressed lips, his lowered lashes, and the fist he had quietly clenched beneath the table.

After a long while, Chen Huai'an finally looked up to meet her gaze. His eyes were complex—filled with struggle and resolve, yet eventually settling into a calm transparency.

"My original name is not Chen Huai'an."

The very first sentence made Ye Qingyan’s heart constrict violently.

"My father," Chen Huai'an’s voice was low but every word was clear, "was the Commander of the previous dynasty’s Jing'an Guard, Chen Yi."

Boom!

Ye Qingyan’s mind felt as if it had been struck by a bolt of lightning, instantly turning blank.

Commander of the Jing'an Guard...

The leader of the "blindly loyal flies" that the System had personally eradicated.

She looked at the elegant and gentle youth before her—the person she had been guarding as if he were her own kin—and found it impossible to connect him with the name nailed to the pillar of historical shame.

"So..." Ye Qingyan’s voice was dry. "Your father... was he the one whose entire family was executed?"

"Yes," Chen Huai'an admitted calmly, as if speaking of someone unrelated to himself. "I am the only survivor. Back then, my family’s loyal retainers fought to their deaths to send me out of the capital. Only by hiding my identity have I lived until today."

A double shock battered Ye Qingyan’s reason. On one side was the System living inside her, calling itself the "New Monarch" and the "tyrant" who had toppled the previous dynasty. On the other was her nominal cousin, who was actually the descendant of a loyal subject of the previous dynasty—a survivor with an irreconcilable blood feud against the System.

Caught in the middle, she felt like a ridiculous joke. The "cousin" she intended to protect was the mortal enemy of the "tyrant" within her. No wonder the System wanted to kill Chen Huai'an the moment it saw him. What was this? Nurturing a tiger that would turn on her? Or inviting a wolf into the house?

Ye Qingyan felt dizzy; she gripped the edge of the table to steady herself.

"You infiltrated the Ye family for what purpose? To take revenge on me... or on 'it'?" Her voice trembled ever so slightly.

Chen Huai'an shook his head.

"At first, I only wanted to uncover the truth of that year," his gaze grew sharp. "My father was utterly loyal; he could never have rebelled. He must have been framed."

"For these years, I have been investigating in the shadows. I discovered that the ones who framed my father and presented the so-called evidence of treason to the tyrant... to 'it'... were a dark force hidden within the imperial court. They used 'it's' hand to eliminate my father and clear away their political rivals."

Ye Qingyan’s heart tightened. "A dark force?"

"Yes." Chen Huai'an’s gaze shifted to her, possessing a strange, piercing intensity. "Eldest Miss, I have discovered that the person who poisoned your mother and caused her death is likely... the same group of people who framed my father."

This news was even more shocking to Ye Qingyan than his identity. Her mother’s death and the annihilation of the Chen family were actually linked? She had always believed her mother was a victim of domestic strife, a conspiracy involving Concubine Wang and some official behind the scenes. But now, Chen Huai'an’s words pointed to something far more vast and terrifying—a force hidden deep within the court, capable of framing a Jing'an Guard Commander and poisoning the wife of a high-ranking official.

"So, you remained in the Ye family not only to investigate your father's case but also to look into my mother's death?" Ye Qingyan’s thoughts raced.

"Yes," Chen Huai'an nodded. "I discovered you were also investigating your mother's death, and... you carry the aura of 'it'. I know you have struck some sort of deal with 'it'. I believe we have a common enemy."

A common enemy.

These four words forcibly bound together two parallel lines that should have remained apart forever.

The chaos in Ye Qingyan’s mind gradually subsided. Hatred was the best adhesive. She looked at Chen Huai'an, this youth burdened with a blood feud, who had used a level of forbearance and strategy beyond his years to reach this day.

"So, you have been using me all along?" Ye Qingyan asked, though the sharpness was gone from her tone.

Chen Huai'an did not avoid her gaze. Instead, he stepped forward, reached out, and gently took her hand where it rested on the table.

His palm was warm, carrying a soothing strength.

"Yes," he admitted frankly, his eyes incredibly sincere. "But it was also to protect you. That force is unfathomable, and I did not want you to face the danger alone. Now, I want to fight side by side with you."

Ye Qingyan’s heart skipped a beat. His hand was not overstepping, yet he made no move to pull away; he simply held it, conveying his resolve and sincerity. The manipulation was real, but the protection was also real. And the invitation to fight side by side was even more so.

Ye Qingyan slowly withdrew her hand. The suffocating feeling of being deceived dissipated without her noticing. She sat back down and took a sip of the tea that had already gone cold.

"How many of the Jing'an Guard remain?" she asked.

Chen Huai'an knew she had agreed. A spark of light flashed in his eyes. "Not many, but they are all elites. Over the years, they have scattered into various trades, forming a secret intelligence network. I entrust this network to you from now on."

Handing the remnants of the Jing'an Guard to the daughter of his enemy—or rather, the "host" of his enemy. What trust, what boldness.

Ye Qingyan looked at him, feeling for the first time that she had never truly understood this "cousin."

"Very well," she said.

A single word, signaling the formal establishment of an alliance.

This night’s conversation opened a brand-new door for Ye Qingyan. Her original goal had been to become the wealthiest woman in the capital, avenge her mother, and live a peaceful life. But now, she realized that mere wealth was not enough. Facing that mysterious force capable of subverting the imperial court, the power of money seemed so fragile. She needed a business empire that could influence the state, overturn the verdict for the Chen family, and even protect this nation in the future.

If she was going to do it, she would be the greatest of all—the Imperial Merchant who protects the nation!

An unprecedented ambition began to grow wildly in her heart.

Just then, the System’s voice rang in her mind without warning, accompanied by a sharp, urgent alarm.

【Alert! Emergency mission issued!】

【The national treasury is empty! Urgent reports from the border indicate the northern barbarian tribes are gathering and showing signs of movement! The army is in dire need of grain and military pay, but the treasury has neither, and cannot provide them!】

【Ye Chengzong, Junior Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has been ordered to raise funds. If he cannot secure five hundred thousand taels of silver within three days, he will be charged with delaying military operations! He is currently at his wit's end!】

Ye Chengzong? Her cheap father?

A brilliant light flashed in Ye Qingyan’s eyes.

Speak of the devil.

The opportunity—hadn't it just arrived?