Chapter 439: A New Day

When the first golden ray of sunlight pierced through the thin morning mist, spilling onto the blue tiles of Xu Qing's estate, his eyes were already open.

Last night, he had slept deeply. There were no dreams of those towering piles of account books, none of the Yongchang Marquis's sinister gaze, nor any of the blades and shadows lurking in the darkness. He had simply sunk into a profound, undisturbed slumber.

Outside the window, early-rising birds chirped and twittered among the branches. The cool autumn breeze slipped through the window lattice, carrying with it a crispness unique to deep fall.

Xu Qing slowly sat up from his bed. He took a deep breath of the morning air, feeling as though the stagnant haze that had clogged his chest for five years had been completely washed away by this single breath of freshness.

He threw off the covers and got up.

Without calling for a servant to attend to him, he walked personally to the bronze basin, soaked a towel in cold water, and carefully wiped his face. The icy water stung his skin, shocking him into full alertness.

After washing up, he walked to the clothes rack and took down the set of green official robes—starched crisp and spotless, not a speck of dust clinging to them.

Just before putting them on, his movements paused slightly.

He reached his hand into the inner layer of his undergarment. His fingertips touched something warm and slightly cool, a hard object.

It was the jade pendant of the Cloud Hidden Sect that Su Ming had left him last night.Through the thin fabric, Xu Qing gently traced the outline of the pendant, confirming that it was still securely placed against his skin.

This jade pendant was not just a life-saving trump card; it was also the last remaining link between him and Su Ming in this lifetime. As long as this pendant was here, he knew that somewhere in this world, beyond the clouds he could never reach, his brother was still walking his own path.

This knowledge gave Xu Qing an unprecedented sense of peace.

He changed into his official robes, donned his black gauze cap, tidied his appearance, and pushed open the door.

Sunlight poured onto him without reservation.

a sedan chair was already waiting. But today, he waved his hand,

in the early

their shutters one by one. Small breakfast stalls billowed steam into the air. The air mingled the aroma of steamed meat buns, the sweetness of soy

with the smoky, vibrant scenes of everyday life—the first such picture Xu

"Lord Xu!"

crowd recognized him and

like a boulder thrown

once-bustling street, after a

Minister Xu! It's the Xu who's above corruption, the one who brought down that treasonous old

for our children who

mud on the ground, she dropped to

Crossing Ferry. I kowtow to you! You

about to slam her forehead heavily against

citizens—peddlers, laborers, and scholar-officials alike—all stopped in their tracks at that moment. Some knelt

the old woman's arm, steadying her

grease stains on her hands, nor did he put on

took a deep breath, clasped his hands

people, please rise quickly. You flatter

Qing's voice was not loud, but it reached every

the nation's responsibilities. Rooting out traitors is simply my duty. The ones who truly bled and sacrificed for the country are the soldiers garrisoning the Northern Frontier. This realm is His Majesty's realm, but it is also yours. As long as I hold office in this court, I will never allow anyone to drink

words were neither boastful nor falsely humble—they were spoken

crowd erupted in

his hands once more in thanks, then strode forward with steady steps, continuing toward the imperial

he was no longer a revenge-seeker hiding in the shadows, walking on thin ice. He

imperial city, at the Hall

court bell

The downfall of the Yongchang Marquis's faction had given the entire court a fresh start. Though a lingering air of post-purge severity still hung in the air, it was overshadowed by a newfound vitality of breaking

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