He started by killing his abusive father, and from then on, he embarked on the road to wealth.

Chapter 195 Intentions, Past Events

"So fast?" Meng Fuqing couldn't help but be surprised.

"It's not just because of Master Qingxu. Strangely enough, it seems like someone is stirring things up behind the scenes. You can hear people talking about it everywhere."

Yan He stroked his fake beard. "In short, the result is good, and my fame is growing. I have to thank you for this; please take the credit for me."

She smiled so much that her eyes narrowed.

"They complement each other."

Meng Fuqing could probably guess who was behind it all.

If Yan He hadn't recognized Master Qingxu, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

After Yan He left, Meng Fuqing was lying in bed about to fall asleep when she heard rustling noises outside the window and the menacing growls of the white wolf.

She got out of bed, put on a fox fur cloak, opened the window and saw Xie Jin dressed in black, half-squatting on the ground, holding the white wolf by the back of its neck with one hand, and casually draping her cloak over the white wolf's head.

The white wolf whimpered, forced to memorize Xie Jin's scent.

He released the fur from his hands, got up, and walked towards the window.

“A wolf follows its master; it has forgotten me, and so have you.” He said this in a low voice, sounding aggrieved.

When Meng Fuqing saw his face, a scene flashed through her mind. Just as she was about to ask, she noticed that there seemed to be movement in Yan He's room.

"Climb in through the window."

Xie Jin paused. Although he knew they were meeting in the middle of the night, Meng Fuqing's personal invitation was still quite different.

His mood inexplicably improved. He crouched down and slipped into the room; neither of them made a sound in the dark.

A creak was heard outside, and soon after, there was a gentle knock on Meng Fuqing's door.

"Qingqing, did you hear anything? Is there a thief?" Yan He's voice whispered into their ears.

“It was just a mouse, and Xiaobai caught it,” Meng Fuqing replied in a low voice.

Yan He muttered under his breath, "...a wolf catching a mouse, meddling in other people's business."

Then he left.

Meng Fuqing chuckled softly, and just then, her cheek was pinched.

Following the other person's force, we moved our gazes together and our eyes met.

"Do you remember now?" Xie Jin gently stroked the delicate skin on his fingertips, his gaze lingering on Meng Fuqing's lips.

Meng Fuqing reached out and grabbed Xie Jin's collar, pulling him down forcefully. The distance between them quickly closed, and she leaned in to gently kiss Xie Jin's cheek.

Her voice held a hint of amusement. "Is this what you wanted me to remember?"

Xie Jin's breath hitched for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was a little hoarse, "You remember?"

I was too tired at the time.

The two were too close, so Meng Fuqing took a step back to create some distance. She shrugged and said, "You can just say that I took advantage of you. Well, now you've been taken advantage of again."

Xie Jin's fingers twitched, but he refrained from pulling the person closer. He thought to himself, "It's better not to say it directly."

“Qingqing.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You can’t do this to anyone but me.”

Meng Fuqing's unabashed attitude left him momentarily unsure whether the other was simply too bold or unaware of the implications of his actions.

Meng Fuqing: "...It has to be something I like."

She held out her hand, "A picture of Yu Shengyan."

It was only after Xie Jin, unusually slow to notice, took out the picture that he belatedly realized what Meng Fuqing had said, and his deep eyes couldn't hide his joy and excitement.

As Meng Fuqing reached out her hand, he pulled her into his arms. "Qingqing, I love you too."

The room was lit by a single candle flame, and the two sat facing each other across a table.

Meng Fuqing lowered her eyes to look at the paper spread out in front of her. On the paper was a drawing of a delicate flower with a graceful posture, and the small words below clearly described its growing environment and shape.

He wrote down the contents of the paper and then pushed it back to Xie Jin.

Xie Jin didn't take it. "Keep it. I have some more."

Meng Fuqing folded the paper. "How's the search for Han Chanzi going?"

"I have already consulted Master Qingxu. There is an ancient village in Zhannan. I may have to go there in person."

As he said this, he pursed his lips slightly, his eyes filled with undisguised worry as he looked at Meng Fuqing. He then took out a waist token from his pocket and handed it to Meng Fuqing.

Meng Fuqing took the token; it had only one word on it: 'Hidden'.

“When my parents were still alive, they adopted many homeless orphans at the border and found people to teach and raise them carefully. Later, as they took in more and more children, they called this place the Hidden Pavilion, meaning a place where the sun never shines. The Xie family’s secret guards were selected from the Hidden Pavilion. After I leave Jing’an Prefecture, you can use this token to mobilize the people in the Hidden Pavilion.”

Meng Fuqing tightened his grip on the token in his hand, his heart filled with turmoil.

"The village has just settled down and we don't need it for the time being."

Xie Jin shook his head. "Jing'an Prefecture will only be peaceful for a short time. The army composed of refugees in the north has just been suppressed, and there are also rebel armies stirring in the east."

Meng Fuqing immediately understood what Xie Jin had left unsaid.

The place where the most refugees are currently gathered is probably Jing'an Prefecture and its surrounding prefectures. Since the rebel army wants people and food, Jing'an Prefecture, which has everything, has become a hot commodity.

"Then I'll accept it for now. Be careful with your trip to Zhannan."

She took out a prepared water pouch from her spatial storage. "Take the water from my space, so you don't get sick on the way."

The two, having expressed their feelings, no longer needed to be as polite as before.

Accepting the water pouch from Meng Fuqing, Xie Jin looked at the figure in the candlelight, his usually cold eyes softening unexpectedly. He felt a surge of emotion and decided to tell her everything.

Suddenly, he asked, "Did you previously believe that the Xie family was framed for treason?"

Meng Fuqing nodded. "Isn't that right?"

"The palace turmoil and the luring of Xie's army into the palace to provide reinforcements were indeed planned by the emperor and the Yang family, but it is not unjust to say that Xie's family intended to rebel."

Xie Jin said, word by word, "The evidence of treason was sent to the emperor by someone I had delivered."

The lingering drowsiness vanished instantly, and Meng Fuqing slightly opened her eyes. In a flash, she realized something.

"The death of your parents..."

Xie Jin smiled coldly, his eyes full of mockery. "My father, Xie Qian, was born to my grandfather and a Hu slave. Because of his background, he was bullied and suppressed by the rest of the Xie family from a young age."

But he was born with the talent of a general. The Xie family had been military generals for generations, which gave my father the opportunity to show his talent.

Grandfather recognized my father's abilities and took him under his wing to personally teach him. After my grandfather passed away, my father no longer concealed his talents.

In one battle, he led 5,000 cavalry to defeat the Hu people, crossing the Chishui River and gaining fame in one fell swoop. Naturally, the Xie family no longer looked down on my father's background.

Later, my father and mother met by chance. Despite my mother's status as the daughter of a merchant and the opposition of the Xie family, my father resolutely married her. After that, my mother gave birth to my sister and me, and the family lived in peace until I was fourteen years old.

The new emperor was very wary of my father, knowing that the Xie family was not a united front. He also listened to the instigation of treacherous people and conspired with my two uncles to kill my parents.

Fearing that I would plot revenge after I learned the truth, the Xie family made a new jade pendant with hidden poison, modeled after the one my mother always carried, and gave it to me.

By the time I realized something was wrong, I had already been poisoned.