The Capital Without Him

With Xie Zheng gone, Changyu must navigate the capital's treacherous politics alone. Qi Min wastes no time applying pressure — he blocks the Marquis's household supplies, spreads rumors that Xie Zheng has abandoned his wife, and sends Lady Shen to deliver veiled threats disguised as social calls. Changyu handles each challenge with increasing sophistication, showing how far she has come from the bewildered butcher's daughter who first arrived.

She secretly meets with Minister Shen and Bai Yue to continue the Jinzhou investigation. Through a retired clerk Bai Yue located, they obtain copies of the original supply requisition orders — and the signature authorizing the diversion is not Qi Min's. It belongs to Prince Kang, the Emperor's own brother. The conspiracy extends to the imperial bloodline.

Meanwhile, letters arrive from the border. Xie Zheng writes in sparse military prose, but Changyu reads between the lines: he is outnumbered and under-supplied, and the situation is worse than reported. She begins quietly organizing supply shipments through Bai Yue's merchant contacts, bypassing official channels that Qi Min controls.