In the past, even if he rode relentlessly for over ten days or went without sleep for nights on end, he had never felt this exhausted. But now, with a mountain of responsibilities weighing down on him and no one by his side to share the burden, he didn’t even have time to catch his breath, let alone get a few more hours of rest. And at such a time, the Ministry of Revenue still came knocking at his door.
It was only then that Xiao Ye learned—on the very day Lanyin left, she had already submitted both the marriage certificate and the divorce document to the Ministry of Revenue.
From the very beginning, she had never planned for a way back. She had made up her mind to part from him.
And to think he had still believed she was waiting for him to yield, waiting for him to bring her home.
That day, when the Ministry of Revenue approached him, he was so enraged that he smashed an entire set of Ru Kiln1Ru Kiln (汝窑, Rú yáo) refers to one of the most famous and highly prized imperial kilns in Chinese history, known for producing exquisite celadon-glazed ceramics during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). teaware. That very night, he rode his horse out of the city and galloped for an entire night.
He had even ridden all the way to the eastern outskirts.
From a distance, looking at Lanyin’s estate, he wanted to rush up to her and ask why she had done this!
But then he thought of Qing’er.
Every day when he returned home, Qing’er lay in bed, her pale little face looking at him, and all his questions and anger couldn’t be directed at Lanyin.
He didn’t even dare to go find her.
What could he say if he found her? He couldn’t drive Qing’er away. Even if he did find her, it would only result in a fight with Lanyin or an awkward silence.
It was supposed to be a beautiful, sunny day.
The sky was a clear blue, without a single cloud, but Xiao Ye’s heart was gloomy, as if it were raining inside. He lowered his gaze, pursed his lips, and walked forward in silence.
Xiao Ye had always been dignified and imposing, but now, with the weight of his troubles pressing on him, his aura became even more intense. Others either shied away from his presence or, knowing about his family affairs, kept their distance.
The Minister of Revenue, Lu Boting, called out to him.
“Mingchuan.”
He was an old acquaintance of Xiao Ye’s father and had watched Xiao Ye grow up. When Xiao Ye stopped and bowed to him, Lu Boting glanced around and then said, “Come with me.”
He led Xiao Ye to a secluded spot and, seeing no one nearby, spoke earnestly, “The rumors about your family are spreading more and more. If you don’t handle this soon, even the Emperor might hear about it. Everything you’ve achieved wasn’t easy to come by. Don’t ruin your future.” Seeing Xiao Ye’s troubled expression, he sighed. “When you got married, Lanyin even toasted me. Over the years, every time I visited your home, it was Lanyin who hosted me. She’s a good girl. Before things escalate, you should coax her back and treat her well.”
Xiao Ye lowered his head, his fists clenched tightly, his voice hoarse, “…She won’t come back.”
“She won’t come back because of that person in your house. Just send her away!” Lu Boting glared at him.
Xiao Ye’s hands tightened.
He hadn’t rested well in a long time, and both his body and mind were utterly exhausted.
Lu Boting, hearing no response, thought Xiao Ye was reluctant and his face darkened. “Do you still want Lanyin to come back?”
“I do.”
Xiao Ye didn’t hesitate.
Lu Boting, seeing his attitude, felt a bit relieved, but then he heard Xiao Ye say, “But I can’t make Qing’er leave at this time. She… has a chronic illness and can’t handle too much stress.”
Seeing Lu Boting’s stunned expression, Xiao Ye suddenly raised his bloodshot eyes and looked at him, his voice rasping as he asked, “Uncle Lu, what should I do?”
He truly didn’t know what to do.
He wanted Lanyin to come back, but he couldn’t make Qing’er leave at this time.
He had never been in such a situation before. Even Lu Boting was taken aback. The young man who had once shouldered the burden of his family’s crisis and charged forward without hesitation now seemed like a helpless child.
Lu Boting did not know what to say. In the end, he could only raise his hand and pat Xiao Ye’s shoulder. After a moment of silence, he said, “Go find Lanyin and talk to her properly. Lanyin has a good temperament. If she knows about your difficulties, perhaps… she will understand you.”
He used the word “perhaps”, but Xiao Ye seemed to have filtered out that word entirely. His previously dim and lifeless eyes instantly brightened, as if he had found an anchor to hold onto. Even his entire demeanor became visibly different.
He said, “Yes! Lanyin has a good temperament. If she knows about my difficulties, perhaps she won’t be angry with me anymore!” His heart surged with hope. If not for the fact that he still had to remain on duty, he might have turned around and left the palace immediately to find Lanyin.
“Uncle Lu, thank you!” Xiao Ye expressed his gratitude sincerely.
Lu Boting looked at the suddenly revitalized Xiao Ye, but in his heart, he did not feel optimistic.
He had met Lanyin before. She was a gentle and virtuous woman. Yet, it was precisely this gentle and virtuous woman who, after leaving the Earl Manor, had resolutely sent both the marriage certificate and the He Li document to the Ministry of Revenue without hesitation…
Lu Boting did not believe that she would turn back so easily.
But these were words he could not say to Xiao Ye.
The young man before him had clearly endured enough blows already. All he could do now was try to buy him some time and see if there was still any possibility of salvaging the situation.
After parting ways with Xiao Ye.
Lu Boting continued walking forward. He had only gone halfway when he suddenly heard someone call out, “Lord Lu.”
Having been delayed for a while, the palace corridors were now nearly deserted. Following the voice, Lu Boting turned his gaze and saw a refined-looking man in a crimson robe and a black gauze hat walking toward him.
He hadn’t expected it to be Qi Yubai.
Although they were both officials of the same court, Lu Boting had never had much interaction with him before. At most, they exchanged greetings in passing. But it was clear that today, Qi Yubai had not come simply to exchange pleasantries.
After a brief moment of surprise, Lu Boting nodded toward him. “Lord Qi.” Then, as the other man approached, he smiled and asked, “Does Lord Qi have business with me?”
Lu Boting outranked Qi Yubai by more than one grade, so by rights, there was no need for him to be so courteous. However, Qi Yubai was currently in the emperor’s favor, having handled multiple cases with great success. The flood case in Duanzhou last year, in particular, had earned him much praise.
Although Qi Yubai was officially only the deputy head of the Court of Judicial Review, his superior, Lord Shen, was already of retirement age. Though he still held the title of Chief Justice, he no longer actively handled affairs. In truth, the Court of Judicial Review was now entirely under Qi Yubai’s command.
Moreover, Lu Boting had also heard rumors that Grand Chancellor Pang, Qi Yubai’s mentor and one of the top ministers of the court, intended to push Qi Yubai into the Council of State. If he entered the Council of State, his future would be limitless—even the Six Ministries would have to defer to him.
Because of this, Lu Boting’s gaze toward Qi Yubai carried a measure of respect.
Qi Yubai, despite being treated with such courtesy, remained composed. With a humble and respectful demeanor, he clasped his hands in salute and said, “There are some matters regarding household registration laws that I wish to seek your guidance on, my lord.”
Hearing this, Lu Boting was naturally pleased. He nodded. “Let’s walk and talk.”
As they walked together toward the palace gates, Lu Boting noticed that Qi Yubai always maintained a half-step behind him. He also observed that the young man had an austere and refined demeanor, naturally exuding nobility. Though he was respectful, he did not appear servile—this only made Lu Boting even more satisfied with him.
As expected of the grandson of Qi Yushi. He carries the same bearing.
Qi Yubai’s grandfather had once served as Grand Censor, but unfortunately, due to a dispute over the crown prince’s succession, he had offended the late emperor and his entire family had been punished.
Lu Boting could not help but think—if the Qi family had not suffered that calamity back then, perhaps none of the noble sons in all of Bianjing could compare to this young Lord Qi beside him.
“I have recently been reviewing the Great Zhou legal code and found myself unclear on certain aspects of the marriage law,” Qi Yubai said.
Hearing this, Lu Boting straightened his posture. “Speak.”
Qi Yubai then said, “The law states that for a marriage to be dissolved, both parties must go together to the Ministry of Revenue to register the separation. However, there was an incident two years ago—because a woman wished to obtain a He Li, she signed the agreement, but her husband later changed his mind. When they went to register at the Ministry of Revenue, the man was unwilling and, in a fit of rage, killed the woman on the spot.
“That case caused a major uproar, and even His Majesty took note of it. At the time, the emperor ordered that the law be revised—if both parties agreed to separate, they would only need to submit the He Li document to the Ministry of Revenue, and there would be no need to appear in person for the separation to take effect.”
“However, after reviewing the current legal code over the past few days, I found that the Great Zhou’s laws have yet to be fully updated. So now, regarding marriage laws, are we following the old regulations or the newly revised ones?”
“Sir?” Qi Yubai called out softly again when he didn’t hear Lu Boting’s response.
“Ah?” Lu Boting snapped out of his thoughts upon seeing Qi Yubai’s face. His expression was somewhat troubled, but he managed to compose himself and said, “Since His Majesty has spoken, we must act accordingly.”
As he spoke, an inexplicable unease settled in his heart.
It seemed that Mingchuan’s matter needed to be resolved sooner rather than later. If it escalated, not only Mingchuan but even he might face serious consequences!
He had worked hard to establish himself in the Ministry of Revenue. If this matter displeased the Emperor, it would be a great loss. With this in mind, Lu Boting couldn’t help but sincerely thank Qi Yubai, “Thank you, Minister Qi.”
“Hmm?”
Qi Yubai looked puzzled, “For what?”
Seeing his confusion, Lu Boting didn’t elaborate further and simply said, “It’s nothing, nothing. It’s just that you reminded me that I need to inform the Ministry of Judicial Review to revise the laws as soon as possible. Otherwise, if His Majesty brings it up later, we’ll all be in trouble.”
Fearing that delays might lead to complications, Lu Boting hurriedly boarded his carriage after parting at the palace gates, intending to send someone to the Ministry of Judicial Review immediately upon returning to the Ministry of Revenue. As for Mingchuan… Lu Boting decided to give him a few more days. If he and Lanyin couldn’t reconcile, he couldn’t continue to delay matters out of old sentiments.
Qi Yubai watched Lu Boting’s hurried departure with his usual calm demeanor. Seeing the carriage leave the imperial street, he turned and boarded his own carriage, heading to the Dali Temple.