Before today, Cui Chan would have been willing to explain these intricate details and schemes to the woman. Now, however, he had no intention of suffering punishment alongside her.

He could tolerate some of the underhanded and dirty deeds that she did. After all, these matters were unrelated to him, and the more ruthless his ally was, the more hardships his enemies would face. Thus, Cui Chan wasn't foolish enough to persuade his ally to become as benevolent as a Bodhisattva. Being able to reach his current status, Cui Chan naturally hadn't relied on being kindhearted either. 

If the emperor's plan had succeeded this time, then perhaps he would have only given her a warning. Now, however, the situation was completely different.

The woman was genuinely devoid of any feminine kindness, and she had ordered the general from the Lu Clan to behead Song Yuzhang and secretly place his head in a wooden box, such that she could use it if the need ever arose.

Who was she targeting? The answer was naturally her son, Song Mu — or the young boy who had grown up in Clay Vase Alley, Song Jixin.

Song Yuzhang naturally deserved death. Constructing the covered bridge touched upon one of the biggest scandals of the imperial Song Clan, so it was only natural that this wasn't something that he could atone for. After returning to the capital, Song Yuzhang had barely started working as an official of the Ministry of Rites before he was hand-picked by the emperor to go to Jewel Small World.
The reason given was that he was more familiar with the local people and customs, so this would be beneficial when the emperor appointed new mountain gods and river gods. However, Song Yuzhang was well aware that this was simply an act of giving him a relatively dignified death — he wouldn't be killed in his official residence in the capital, and he wouldn't be executed for some crime that he hadn't committed.

Song Yuzhang knew this, yet he still calmly accepted his death.

The imperial preceptor Cui Chan felt like Song Yuzhang was thoroughly foolish in his loyalty to the empire, yet he had to admit that he felt a slight sense of admiration toward this bookworm and loyal minister.

Cui Chan privately believed that the imperial court of an empire needed two things — unremarkable stepping stones, and pillars that could hold up the entire empire. Both...