The Eastern Sea, Ghostbane Association’s main headquarters.
In the inner hall of the Hall of Killing Intent, Sikong Yan lounged sideways on a soft couch, while Ah San sat cross-legged on the opposite side of the table.
Sikong Yan was in a much better state than before. He shifted slightly, relieving some pressure on his leg, and asked casually, "How did Qi Zongbi react?"
Ah San lowered his head, staring at his toes, and shook his head. "No response."
Sikong Yan also shook his head. "I mean... how did he react when he heard the news of his wife’s death?"
Ah San frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and replied, "At that time... he was already physically and mentally exhausted after days of toil. When he heard me recount the tragic news, he was so shaken that he lost his composure and fainted on the spot."
A faint smile appeared on Sikong Yan’s lips, which gradually spread across his face until it turned into uproarious laughter. "My foolish senior brother... Hahaha!"
Ah San watched silently as Sikong Yan laughed wildly, not saying a word.
Sikong Yan only stopped laughing when he was out of breath. Wiping away mirthful tears from the corners of his eyes, he caught his breath and asked with a grin, "Ha, what do you think his feelings were at that moment?"
Without hesitation, Ah San said, "He was utterly heartbroken."
Sikong Yan asked again, "Do you think he harbors hatred?"
Ah San glanced briefly at Sikong Yan’s face, noticing the curiosity in his gaze, and countered, "Hatred toward whom?"
Sikong Yan stroked his beard. "The court, of course."
Ah San’s gaze lingered on Sikong Yan’s face for a moment, as if trying to discern what was on his mind. Unable to figure it out, he nodded. "He probably... does hate them."
Sikong Yan seemed quite pleased with the answer. He widened his eyes and looked at Ah San before quickly asking, "And do you think he’ll seek revenge next?"
Ah San hesitated. He couldn’t read Sikong Yan or understand Qi Zongbi, and the question felt random, leaving him unsure how to respond. He could only answer tentatively, "Maybe... he will?"
"Wrong." Sikong Yan shook his finger smugly. "You guessed wrong. He won’t."
"How do you know?" Ah San asked sharply.
"You underestimate my senior brother." Sikong Yan leaned slightly closer to Ah San, squinting as he stared at him. "Qi Zongbi is not like you. He doesn’t see hatred as his entire existence." His words carried a deeper meaning.
Ah San frowned slightly and instinctively leaned back, trying to distance himself from Sikong Yan. The man’s gaze made him uncomfortable. He gave up sitting cross-legged and mimicked Sikong Yan’s posture, leaning against the armrest. "You’re not him. How can you be so sure?"
"That’s why I am Sikong Yan, and you’ll always just be Ah San." Sikong Yan tapped out an unknown rhythm on the table with his finger. "Qi Zongbi is a pragmatic man. He knows the court will move against him sooner or later, and any charge they fabricate would be enough to justify exterminating his entire family.
"Not only would he perish, but every member of his household would be buried with him. He’s already mentally prepared for this day to come. His grief is real, but it’s not for his wife’s death. It’s because he didn’t expect this day to come so soon."
Ah San frowned, pondering. "No, Lady Qin left a letter, saying she was willing to exchange her life for his..."
"That’s the kind of nonsense only someone like you would believe," Sikong Yan interrupted Ah San harshly.
Ah San shot a cold look at Sikong Yan. That phrase, "someone like you," made him quite uncomfortable.
Sikong Yan paid no mind and continued, "Think about it. What was Lady Qin's position? Can her life really be exchanged for Qi Zongbi’s? Even if she was willing, would the court agree? Would the Chen family's father and son agree? Would those officials in court, who’ve long wished for Qi Zongbi’s demise, agree?"
Ah San was speechless. Sikong Yan’s reasoning was undeniably sound.
Sikong Yan, feeling parched, picked up his tea and downed it in one gulp. "Lady Qin understood this perfectly well. That talk of exchanging her life for his was just for show. Her real aim was to buy Qi Zongbi some time."
Ah San raised an eyebrow. "Buy time? Time for what?"
"Heh." Sikong Yan suddenly grinned and asked teasingly, "What kind of person do you think Qi Zongbi is?"
The question stunned Ah San for a moment. He hesitated before replying, "Him, Qi Zongbi, Minister Qi... I suppose he’s a good official. I don’t know him personally, but I’ve heard that he’s never faltered in governing and managing state affairs. I’ve also never heard any complaints about him from the common people. He’s strict with himself. I think he deserves to be called a loyal minister."
"A loyal minister? Hahaha!" Sikong Yan burst into laughter again. "Earlier, I said you underestimated him, but this time you’ve overestimated him. Let me tell you, among all the officials in court, anyone could be a loyal minister, except Qi Zongbi. He is the least loyal of them all!"
Ah San was beginning to lose track of Sikong Yan’s train of thought. "What do you mean by that?"
"Do you know why Chen Kaiming is so determined to kill Qi Zongbi?" Sikong Yan suddenly asked.
Ah San opened his mouth, tentatively replying, "Overpowering the throne? Factionalism?"
Sikong Yan waved dismissively. "Those aren’t the real reasons."
Ah San remained silent. He could tell that Sikong Yan was deliberately being cryptic, thoroughly enjoying the dynamic.
Sikong Yan leaned forward, speaking mysteriously. "The real reason is... Chen Kaiming saw through Qi Zongbi's true self."
Ah San replied coldly, "If you don’t get to the point, I’ll be taking my leave."
Sikong Yan laughed freely. "Alright, alright, I’ll tell you. The greatest conflict between Qi Zongbi and Chen Kaiming lies in their motives. Chen Kaiming wants this land to forever belong to the Chen family, but Qi Zongbi doesn’t. Why do I say he’s not a loyal minister? Because his loyalty is to the country, not to the Chen family.
"In his view, as long as the land is peaceful, it doesn’t matter what surname the person on the throne has. This is why he’s been accused of overshadowing the throne and forming factions. He’s so desperate to govern this country well that he wants to take everything into his own hands.
"Coupled with the fact that Chen Kaiming often clashes with him in political views, he has less and less faith in Chen Kaiming’s ability to rule. Chen Kaiming realized this and understood that such a person couldn’t be allowed to live."
Ah San listened, stunned. He murmured in realization, "So... that’s how it is..."
Sikong Yan didn’t stop and continued, "Now let’s talk about why I said Lady Qin’s death was to buy Qi Zongbi time."
Ah San sat upright, adopting an attentive posture.
Sikong Yan nodded in satisfaction and continued, "Lady Qin was a clever woman. She spent most of her life with Qi Zongbi and understood his ambitions better than anyone. She knew her husband’s dream was to create a peaceful world, which is why she always advocated for war against Northern Qiang. Without defeating Northern Qiang, peace was impossible.
"And at the critical moment of the war, Chen Kaiming’s death provoked the court into wanting to take Qi Zongbi’s life. Lady Qin knew her husband’s aspirations were unfinished, so she had no choice but to use this desperate strategy as a last resort.
"Thus, she sacrificed her life to buy time for Qi Zongbi. The wife of the prime minister taking her own life and leaving a blood-written testament caused an uproar throughout the capital. If the court insisted on executing Qi Zongbi at such a time, it would not only appear unjust but also incite public outrage."
Sikong Yan clapped his hands and exhaled deeply. "That’s about it. Do you understand now?"
Ah San nodded silently and then asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"
Sikong Yan smiled meaningfully.
"Because you’re not like Old Fu. He’s my servant, but you’re my ally in this deal. You use your skills to do my bidding, and I use my strategies to help you seek vengeance. We all get what we want, that's all."