Futile Devices Scans

Prince Lingyang?

Tao Mo was greatly shocked.

The late emperor and Prince Lingyang had been full brothers born of the same father and mother. Rumors among the people claimed that Prince Lingyang had refused to accept the current emperor’s accession and, after establishing himself in Guangxi, had been secretly plotting to march north and replace the emperor. Relations between the two were exceedingly tense.

Recently, officials aligned with Guangxi had been repeatedly dismissed from office, and many people whispered that this was a sign the emperor was preparing a southern campaign. Whatever the truth, the court was now like a building beneath gathering storm clouds, with the battle between the emperor and Prince Lingyang merely a matter of time. If Huang Guangde’s jade horse truly came from Prince Lingyang, it was not difficult to understand why he was so anxious to recover it.

Tao Mo said blankly, “Huang Guangde is one of Prince Lingyang’s men?” Before Tao Mo took office, Old Tao had once briefly explained the situation at court to him one evening, and Prince Lingyang of Guangxi had occupied nearly half the discussion. Tao Mo remembered it clearly.

“Perhaps he is. Perhaps he is not,” Gu She said.

Tao Mo hesitated. “Then should we present the evidence to the imperial court?”

Gu She asked, “What evidence?”

Tao Mo lifted the box. “This.”

“How does the box in your hands prove Huang Guangde’s guilt?” Gu She asked calmly.

Tao Mo froze. After a long while, just as he was about to speak, Gu She continued, “And how can Yi Yu prove that he truly took it from the Huang residence?”

Tao Mo silently closed his mouth again.

Gu She suddenly reached out, shut the box containing the jade horse, and wrapped it once more in the bundle. “One need not sit upright to think. You can think while sleeping as well.”

Tao Mo obediently lay down.

Gu She picked up the bundle and prepared to leave.

“Gu… Xianzhi.” Tao Mo called out instinctively.

Gu She paused and turned back, the hint of a smile in his eyes. “Afraid I will abscond with the horse?”

Tao Mo propped himself up on one elbow and said worriedly, “Be careful.” Now that he understood the significance of the red jade horse, he naturally knew it would be a dangerously troublesome object in anyone’s hands.

Gu She raised a brow. “Do you want Huang Guangde dead?”

Tao Mo froze. Before coming to serve at the Tanyang county yamen, he would undoubtedly have nodded without hesitation. But now that he had become an official, judged cases, and learned the law, he understood that punishing a criminal according to the law was the true way to uphold justice on Heaven’s behalf.

“I want to bring him to justice.”

After Gu She left, Tao Mo slept throughout the afternoon and did not wake until evening.

Hao Guozi was sitting in the outer room. Seeing Tao Mo awaken, he hurried forward carrying a tray.

When Tao Mo looked, he discovered that it was an assorted plate of his former favorite snacks and could not help asking in astonishment, “How did you manage to buy all these?”

“What is difficult about that?” Hao Guozi said. “Tanyang County is only so large. By visiting a few more shops, I naturally gathered everything. I asked Mingcui Restaurant for the box. When they heard it was for the county magistrate, they would not even accept payment for it.”

Tao Mo frowned. “That… that is…”

“I knew Young Master would not approve, so I left the money on the counter, pointed at his nose, and said, ‘You will accept it whether you want to or not. Otherwise, I will have my young master throw you into prison!’”

Tao Mo: “…”

Hao Guozi said smugly, “So he accepted it.”

Tao Mo picked up a piece of almond pastry and put it into his mouth.

Holding the tray, Hao Guozi sat on the chair beside the bed and asked, “What did Yi Yu and Gu She come here for today?”

“Cough.” Tao Mo choked.

Hao Guozi hurriedly put down the tray and poured him some water.

Only after drinking a mouthful did Tao Mo recover. “How did you know they came?”

“The yamen runners at the gate told me.” Hao Guozi had been living at the county yamen for quite some time, and under Old Tao’s instructions, he had long since taken care of everyone who needed to be taken care of.

Tao Mo slowly sipped his water. He did not wish to conceal the matter, but it was extremely important and would take a long time to explain. “Go ask Old Tao to come.”

Seeing his solemn expression, Hao Guozi did not dare delay and hurriedly rose to find Old Tao.

Tao Mo leaned against the headboard and silently sorted through everything that had happened over the past few days.

Truthfully, he both hated and feared Huang Guangde. The suffocating sense of the man covering the sky with one hand back then still lingered in his heart and could not be dispelled. He had simply never expected to encounter him again so soon.

He did not know which of them—he or Huang Guangde—would fail to survive this calamity.

He remembered his father’s earnest final instructions, telling him to become a good official and wait for the day when he might enter the capital, meet the emperor, and submit an imperial complaint. Tao Mo knew his father had made such an exacting demand only because he did not want him to throw away his life for nothing. Back then, with his strength alone, there had been no possibility of bringing Huang Guangde down.

But now, he was no longer alone.

He had Gu She beside him.

Rain suddenly began pattering beneath the eaves.

Old Tao’s and Hao Guozi’s hurried footsteps approached through the sound of the rain.

“Young Master.” After Hao Guozi entered, Old Tao carefully shut the door. “I heard from the servants that Yi Yu brought you a bundle?”

Tao Mo nodded. “Gu She took it away.”

Hao Guozi frowned. “Why did Gu She take something Yi Yu brought?”

Old Tao had clearly already learned where the object had gone. He also stared intently at Tao Mo.

Tao Mo therefore explained Yi Yu’s experiences and Gu She’s deductions together.

Hao Guozi was greatly shocked. “Huang Guangde truly has the courage of a bear and the gall of a leopard! He even dares meddle with Prince Lingyang’s possessions.”

Old Tao pondered. “In that case, there are two possibilities. The first is exactly as Young Master guessed: Prince Lingyang gave him the object. If so, Huang Guangde must undoubtedly be one of Prince Lingyang’s trusted agents. The second is that he obtained it through some unspeakable means. If that is the case, Prince Lingyang certainly will not let matters rest. Whichever possibility is true, Huang Guangde will be unable to escape the consequences this time.”

Hao Guozi said, “But did Gu She not say that while the object remains in our hands, it will be difficult to convict Huang Guangde?”

Old Tao said, “Since Huang Guangde values this object so highly, we can turn his scheme against him and send it back. Would that not place the object in Huang Guangde’s hands once more?”

Hao Guozi clapped his hands. “A fine plan!”

Tao Mo said, “But once the object returns to Huang Guangde, he will certainly hide it. Finding it again afterward will probably be even more difficult.”

Old Tao smiled. “It may be somewhat difficult, but perhaps not impossibly so.”

Tao Mo remembered Old Tao’s background and knew he must have a method, so he said nothing.

Hao Guozi said, “Wait. The object is currently in Gu She’s hands. How are we supposed to put it back?”

Old Tao thought for a moment. “Gu She must have had his reasons for taking it.”

Hao Guozi said, “Since the jade horse is tribute, it must be worth a fortune. Do you suppose Gu She might…”

“My lord!” the gatekeeper shouted from outside.

Hao Guozi jumped in fright and patted his chest. “What is it?!”

“Young Master Gu She requests an audience.”

“…” Hao Guozi’s face went slightly pale. Truly, one should not speak of people during the day or ghosts at night.

Tao Mo hurriedly said, “Invite him in at once!” As he spoke, he raised a hand to tidy his hair.

Unable to bear watching, Hao Guozi took a comb from the dressing table and began arranging it properly for him.

By the time Gu She entered, Tao Mo’s hair had been combed flawlessly and shone with oil.

“Young Master Gu.” Old Tao greeted him, though his gaze darted toward Gu She’s hands.

Gu She carried a trace of dampness, with droplets of water still clinging to his outer robe, making him appear even more cool and aloof.

Tao Mo watched him eagerly, only to see Gu She take a letter from inside his robes and hand it to Old Tao. “Send this to Prince Lingyang’s residence.”

Old Tao accepted it, his expression strange. “Prince Lingyang’s residence?”

Hao Guozi asked in astonishment, “Could it be that you belong to Prince Lingyang?”

Gu She said blandly, “I have never sold myself.”

Realizing he had misspoken, Hao Guozi hurriedly tried to repair the damage. “That was not what I meant.”

Old Tao held the letter without putting it away and said meaningfully, “As I recall, the Gu residence is not lacking in people who can deliver letters.”

“Their martial arts are inadequate,” Gu She said.

Old Tao remained silent with the letter in hand, seemingly weighing whether the matter was worthwhile.

Gu She said, “One horse is not enough to convict Huang Guangde.”

At the word convict, Hao Guozi’s and Old Tao’s eyes lit up simultaneously.

Tao Mo’s heart also pounded at the side.

Hao Guozi could not help asking, “You mean…”

“Would a secret letter colluding with the enemy not be far more powerful?” Gu She said.

Old Tao frowned. “Huang Guangde may well be one of his trusted confidants. Why would Prince Lingyang obediently cooperate?”

“Prince Lingyang has never concerned himself with the affairs of his residence. To make him cooperate, one need only win over someone at his side,” Gu She said.

“Who?” Old Tao asked.

Gu She glanced toward the name written on the envelope.

“Yue Ling?” Old Tao found the name entirely unfamiliar. “Who is that?”

Gu She replied leisurely, “A man with a little mustache.”

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