Futile Devices Scans

Tao Mo froze, unsure why Gu She was asking, but he still answered honestly, “An old acquaintance.”

“A distant old acquaintance, a close old acquaintance, or one somewhere between distant and close?”

Tao Mo thought about it seriously. “An old acquaintance somewhere between distant and close… I suppose?”

Gu She slowly turned around. Beneath the dense canopy, his gaze was so cold it stung.

“Why do you ask?” Tao Mo asked cautiously.

Gu She said, “Your concern for him does not resemble that for an ordinary acquaintance.”

Tao Mo hurriedly explained, “I only feel that something about this case is suspicious. Since we knew each other once, I do not want him to have died without anyone ever learning why.” Seeing Gu She continue staring fixedly at him, Tao Mo thought he did not believe him and added, “Besides, thinking about it is all I can do. I cannot help in the slightest.” He knew his own limitations. Even though he had become the magistrate of Tanyang County, he could only manage the county’s trivial little cases. There was no possible way for him to interfere in a case belonging to the neighboring county.

Something stirred faintly in Gu She’s heart.

It seemed he had once again taken his own feelings for granted and imposed them upon the other person. In Gu She’s heart, those worthy of such concern could be counted on one hand. For Tao Mo, however, even if he plucked every hair from his head, he might still be unable to count them all. Gu She felt vaguely displeased, yet also vaguely comforted. For a moment, he could not distinguish what kind of feeling was churning inside him—one powerful enough to leave him unable to sleep, unconsciously holding his breath as he listened for movement on the other side of the wall, and even following without hesitation when Tao Mo left his room.

“It is so late. You could not sleep either?” Tao Mo asked.

Either?

Gu She lowered his head and looked at the young man only a single step away, bathed in moonlight until his face appeared pale as snow. “Were you thinking about the case?”

“About many things.” Tao Mo opened his mouth, wanting to sigh, but how could the gloom and sorrow accumulated in his chest be emptied with a single breath?

Gu She said, “You want to uncover the truth of this case?”

“I do, but I fear it will not be easy.” Tao Mo shook his head with a bitter smile. “I often say that I want to become a good official, one who pleads for the people, but saying it is easy while doing it is difficult. Officials beneath Heaven are as numerous as fish crossing a river, and many of them are talented scholars who have read countless books. Even they carry out their duties with fear and caution. I can barely recognize a few characters. What virtue or ability do I possess? Passion alone can never accomplish anything great.” Only after finishing did he feel the burden on his shoulders lighten somewhat. It was only after truly coming to Tanyang County and becoming its magistrate that he understood how naïve his earlier thoughts had been. Yet he could not say these things to Old Tao, nor could he say them to Hao Guozi, because he was their hope and their pillar. If he faltered, they would be even more at a loss. He could only endure it silently, not daring to express such feelings even when they arose, immediately suppressing them the moment they surfaced.

More often than not, the words become a good official were no longer merely his ideal, but his motivation and his burden. Although he had long since made up his mind, the road ahead was difficult, and his strength ultimately fell short of his wishes.

Only after Tao Mo finished pouring out his grievances did he realize that Gu She had remained silent for a long time. He could not help lifting his head to look at him.

There was a trace of tenderness between Gu She’s brows that he had not withdrawn in time.

“I… I am very useless.” Tao Mo awkwardly turned his head aside. He did not know why he had suddenly poured out everything he had kept hidden for so long without the slightest restraint. Perhaps it was because Gu She was too strong, so before him, Tao Mo did not need to force himself to appear strong. Even if he tried, Gu She would probably think nothing of it. Several times, Tao Mo had even felt that Gu She’s gaze left him nowhere to hide, whether his thoughts or his emotions.

“If being like this makes you useless, then it would be better if everyone beneath Heaven were useless,” Gu She said blandly.

Tao Mo mulled over these words, then started in surprise. “I… you… You mean, uh…”

“Learning the truth is not difficult.” Gu She quickly changed the subject.

Tao Mo felt faintly disappointed. For that brief instant just now, he had almost believed that Gu She admired him.

“Cases are created by people, and wherever people are involved, nothing can ever be flawless,” Gu She said meaningfully. “Whether in temperament or in the way they handle matters.”

Tao Mo listened blankly.

Gu She said, “The woodcutter is only one piece on the board. He can be white, or he can be black.”

Tao Mo pondered for a long while before suddenly understanding. “You mean we should begin with the woodcutter?”

Gu She clasped his hands behind his back and headed upstairs.

Having received his guidance, Tao Mo was overjoyed. Seeing Gu She about to leave, he grabbed his arm without thinking. “Thank you.”

Gu She lowered his eyes to the hand resting upon his cloak, reddened slightly from the cold.

Tao Mo hurriedly withdrew it and laughed awkwardly. “I acted without thinking…”

“Go back,” Gu She interrupted blandly.

During the first half of the night, Tao Mo tossed and turned because he had been helpless. During the second half, now that he had a plan, he continued tossing and turning.

As soon as sounds arose in the corridor the next morning, he eagerly got up and personally asked an inn worker for a pot of hot water to wash.

Then he went alone to the inn’s main hall to eat breakfast while waiting for everyone else to come downstairs.

Waiting was the hardest thing to endure. By the time Old Tao and Adviser Jin finally came down, Tao Mo had already drunk three bowls of soy milk.

“Young Master?” Old Tao was surprised. Although Tao Mo did not enjoy sleeping late, he was still young and inevitably fond of sleep. It was rare for him to rise so early.

Adviser Jin and Old Tao sat down and called for the inn worker to bring breakfast.

Seeing Tao Mo looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, Old Tao simply asked first, “Does Young Master have something on his mind?”

Tao Mo said tentatively, “I was thinking about Wanfeng’s case.”

Adviser Jin’s hand paused as he reached for a steamed bun, and a dark cloud seemed faintly to gather above his brows.

Old Tao asked without betraying any emotion, “Young Master wishes to take charge of this case?”

“Not take charge of it,” Tao Mo said. “I merely want to investigate what truly happened. If the woodcutter is the real murderer, then naturally that would be best. But if he is not, would that not fail two human lives?”

“Master need not worry,” Adviser Jin said. “This case concerns a human life. The county magistrate’s ruling alone does not count. In the end, it must receive His Majesty’s vermilion approval before it becomes final.”

Tao Mo stared. “The emperor must decide?”

“Of course,” Adviser Jin said with a smile.

Old Tao gave him a meaningful look. Although a death sentence required imperial authorization, the emperor handled countless affairs every day. How could he possibly concern himself with such a minor case? Ordinarily, once the case had passed the county magistrate and the prefect, the woodcutter’s life could be considered lost.

Tao Mo relaxed slightly, then said, “In that case, we have gained some time.”

Adviser Jin’s smile vanished. “Master still intends to interfere in this matter?”

“Not interfere, merely…” Tao Mo tried to think of an appropriate description, but a cool, pleasant male voice completed it for him.

“Assist from the side.”

The moment Adviser Jin saw Gu She, he instinctively stood.

Old Tao looked pointedly at Tao Mo. “It seems Young Master and Young Master Gu have already reached an agreement.”

Tao Mo lowered his head and laughed awkwardly. Old Tao’s tone could hardly be called pleasant—it was, in fact, rather unfriendly—but the meaning of his words filled Tao Mo’s heart with sweetness.

Gu She said blandly, “Is this not what you hoped for?”

Old Tao neither agreed nor disagreed. His hopes were clearly somewhat different from what Gu She imagined. He did indeed hope Gu She would lend Tao Mo a hand, but that hope was extremely selfish. Frankly speaking, he wanted Gu She to give selflessly without requiring anything from Tao Mo in return. Even if Tao Mo did repay him, it should be with something inconsequential, such as friendship—certainly not with the feelings Tao Mo currently harbored.

He suddenly felt powerless, even more powerless than when he had watched Tao Mo grow close to Yi Yu. He had never truly taken Yi Yu seriously. Yi Yu was a male courtesan without power or influence, someone who could be conquered with money. Gu She was different. His family background, status, talent, and temperament meant that he would instead conquer others. Old Tao believed that once Gu She made his move, Tao Mo would collapse without offering even the slightest resistance. What he could not understand was what Gu She truly intended.

Could it be only a game? Given Gu She’s character, he would probably disdain such a dull and childish game.

Mistaking Old Tao’s silence for reluctance, Tao Mo said softly, “If it truly makes things difficult…”

“Actually, the matter should indeed be investigated,” Old Tao suddenly said.

Adviser Jin chewed his steamed bun with an unhappy expression. He had thought Old Tao would be his only ally at this table. Who would have expected him to defect the moment Gu She appeared?

Old Tao said, “Young Master may rest assured. Leave this matter to me.”

Wan Feng had died at Huang Guangde’s hands, so it was obvious who had produced the woodcutter as a scapegoat. Although Old Tao did not know why Huang Guangde had killed him, now that Huang Guangde had drawn close to Tanyang County, Old Tao had no choice but to involve himself.

Tao Mo frowned. “You will go alone? That is too dangerous.”

Old Tao silently finished drinking his soy milk, then raised his hand and struck the bowl forcefully.

The bowl turned to powder beneath his palm.

Tao Mo and Adviser Jin: “…”

Gu She’s expression did not change.

By the time Hao Guozi, Gu Xiaojia, and Sang Xiaotu came downstairs, Old Tao had already gone out.

The three looked at the breakfast spread across the table, most of which had already been eaten, and each felt somewhat uneasy.

Gu Xiaojia said quietly, “Young Master, I woke late.”

“Eat,” Gu She said.

Only after seeing that Gu She had no intention of blaming him did Gu Xiaojia breathe a sigh of relief.

Sang Xiaotu and Hao Guozi sat down one after another. Because they felt guilty, only the edges of their bottoms touched the benches, and they ate in tiny bites like new brides entering their husbands’ homes for the first time.

For a time, the atmosphere felt somewhat oppressive.

As Gu Xiaojia ate, he suddenly asked, “Young Master, where did you go last night?”

“For a walk,” Gu She said.

Tao Mo choked and quickly glanced at Gu She. Their meeting had clearly been perfectly ordinary, yet for some reason, hearing Gu Xiaojia ask about it so openly made guilt arise in his heart.

Gu Xiaojia asked doubtfully, “But it was the middle of the night…” He knew Gu She’s habits. Gu She never rose during the night.

Gu She lifted his eyes.

Gu Xiaojia swallowed both his words and his steamed bun.

Old Tao returned at noon. Tao Mo carefully examined him from head to toe, and only after confirming that he was entirely unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief.

Old Tao had grown old without children and had long regarded Tao Mo as his own son. Seeing Tao Mo so concerned for him deeply gratified him, and even his tone softened. “That woodcutter has two sons, both buried beneath enormous gambling debts. Presumably, the woodcutter was bought with money.”

Tao Mo’s heart trembled. “But… he is selling his life.”

Old Tao sighed. “Such is a parent’s heart.”

Tao Mo thought of his own father, and his previously wavering heart immediately became firm. “I want to save him.”

“With Old Tao’s skills, that should not be difficult, should it?” Gu She suddenly said.

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