Chapter Thirty-Two: Divine Nourishment for the Mind

Jiang Lan paced several steps before the attendant, then waved her hand, sending Xi Chi away; now only Jiang Lan and the attendant remained in the study.

Returning to the desk, Jiang Lan fiddled with the stack of papers before her.

Min Zhe, a man from the capital...

Her lowered phoenix eyes swept over him indifferently. "Will you speak, or shall I?"

The attendant, kneeling on the floor, grinned ear to ear. "What is it you’re talking about, sir? I don’t understand."

"I’m truly perplexed," Jiang Lan said, picking up the papers and placing them before him. "Min Zhe, isn’t it?"

She saw confusion flash across his face.

"You’re from the capital. Your family possesses some good farmland and shops. You’re the youngest son, with an elder brother above you."

"Don’t say another word!"

"Your brother is handsome as jade, renowned from a young age, diligent in his studies—the pride and hope of your entire family."

"Stop!"

"But your brother encountered Liu Heng, that profligate with a taste for men..."

"I beg you, please stop~"

"He lusted after your brother’s beauty. When your brother refused, he had his retainers scheme against your entire family. The Min family was sent to prison, only a sixteen-year-old son studying abroad escaped harm..."

"Stop~" Min Zhe collapsed where he knelt, consumed by sorrow and numbness.

"Stop, stop—how convenient for you to say so!" Jiang Lan gathered the pile of papers and threw them directly into Min Zhe’s face. "Then why did you plot against Weng Sheng? Do you realize that if someone else had spoken up, he might not have been saved?"

Min Zhe’s expression twisted into a snarl. "And what about Liu Heng? My family was innocent. My little uncle was only five. My brother was in his youth, a promising young man ready to make his mark, only to be treated as a plaything by those powerful men—how is he not innocent?

Every morning before dawn, my brother would wake to study, no matter how frozen his hands became. Before disaster struck, his last letter to me said the teacher allowed him to participate in the exams; soon he would be able to protect our family. Do you know how happy he was?

But that damned Liu Heng, relying on his father’s influence..."

Jiang Lan looked coldly at the man kneeling and howling before her, watching as his anger surged and subsided, his chest heaving. "And how are you any different from Liu Heng? For revenge, you used others as bait. Weng Sheng is just as innocent!"

Min Zhe felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, and he turned his face away. "I never meant to harm him."

---

"But you have harmed him, undeniably!"

If Min Zhe had seemed lifeless and wooden before, now he was a corpse—one without a soul.

"You are clever, indeed. You even orchestrated Qian Ruofu seeking out Liu Heng, timed it just right, lured me into conflict with Liu Heng. You probably thought Liu Heng would accidentally kill me, and then he wouldn’t escape blame, would he? Your vengeance would be fulfilled, and no one would suspect the humble attendant."

Min Zhe was stunned. "No, it’s not like that, they said..."

Jiang Lan seized on his words, grabbing Min Zhe’s collar. "They said what?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Min Zhe’s face turned purple, his whole body trembling with fear.

"You think I don’t know if you don’t speak?"

Min Zhe’s expression grew worse.

"You, the son of a merchant, wouldn’t know so many secrets. Getting Qian Ruofu involved with Liu Heng isn’t difficult, but the connections and risks would require silver. Where did you get your money?"

Jiang Lan looked at Min Zhe’s evasive eyes. "As I recall, when your family was confiscated, all assets fell into Liu Heng’s hands. Where did your funds come from?"

"I only borrowed from the money house, sir, you’re overthinking it."

Jiang Lan pointed to the papers fluttering in the wind. "Look closely. There’s no record of pawned collateral at any money house. Try another excuse."

Min Zhe stared at the young man, plain in appearance yet radiant as the sun, sitting upright in the rosewood chair, his fingers gently rubbing together, an aura of dominance as if the world was within his grasp.

He had never seen the emperor, but he imagined royal bearing could be no greater.

"What does sir wish to know?" Min Zhe asked cautiously.

Jiang Lan’s lips curved. "I wish to know nothing at all."

"..."

Min Zhe suddenly felt himself played for a fool, all his veils ripped away, exposing raw, ugly flesh beneath. "You’re toying with me!"

Jiang Lan shook her head. "That was not my intention."

Min Zhe frowned, the ropes binding him tight, numb from kneeling so long, and now the mental blow hurt even more.

"You rich young men always treat lives like grass, killing at whim. I once schemed against you; now I’ve fallen into your hands. Kill or torture me as you please!"

---

Jiang Lan regarded this man, suddenly reckless in his despair, surprised to find some spirit still in him.

"I don’t wish to kill you."

Min Zhe grew angry, cursing, "You—neither want information from me nor wish to kill me, so why did you capture me?"

"To redeem you," Jiang Lan pondered a moment for the right word, believing she’d chosen correctly.

"Is sir out of his mind?" Min Zhe’s eyes widened in astonishment. Surviving these days was hard enough—who had time for charity and redemption?

"This is not for you, but for myself." Jiang Lan had already devised a plan to counter Heaven’s will when interrogating Min Zhe: to accumulate merit for this body. With merit’s protection, the pain and decay could be slowed.

At least, until that little fox came up with a solution. Surely the celestial realm wasn’t filled with idle fools.

Now she had to fulfill the original owner’s dying wish. Judging by the situation, it would take much more time, so she needed more merit to delay the body’s deterioration.

The fastest way to earn merit was to punish evil and eliminate monsters, but there were no great demons nearby—perhaps she should deal with that weakling who called her ugly!

Min Zhe recalled Jiang Lan’s words and suddenly broke into a cold sweat.

Could it be? The information he’d received said this young master was not drawn to women. Helping himself—what did that mean? Could he be fond of men as well?

No, he had originally hoped that if Liu Heng tried to force himself, he would protect Weng Sheng even at the cost of his own life. Now, bound like this, what was he to do?

No, Min Zhe shook his head, determined to protect Weng Sheng, even unto death, from this villain’s hands. Since Jiang Lan said she meant to redeem him, perhaps he should feign submission for now, to steady her.

"How does sir intend to redeem me?"

Jiang Lan looked at the kneeling Min Zhe, wondering if it was her imagination or if she saw a spark in his eyes.

Clearing her throat, Jiang Lan tried to appear solemn and divine, imitating the mannerisms of those old men atop the Nine Heavens, her expression growing benevolent.

The kneeling Min Zhe was instantly alarmed. Indeed, judging by that smile that didn’t reach the eyes, she must be hoping to persuade him to convince Weng Sheng. Yes, that must be it!