The person asking him to play along was his superior’s superior’s superior… so no matter how abrupt the plot twist was, Fu Xi Yan could only grit his teeth and play along. After putting on a thoroughly grateful performance, he was “escorted” back to Count Yongfeng’s Estate by the people of the Censorate.
Fu Fu had only just returned home himself. The moment he heard that Fu Xi Yan had followed right behind him, he immediately came looking for him. “Why are you back so soon? What did Shi Wei Liang say?”
Fu Xi Yan yawned and called, “Xiao Zhang.”
Xiao Zhang appeared.
“Go check on Xiao Sang for me. If he needs anything, come back and tell me,” Fu Xi Yan said.
Xiao Zhang replied, “I was ordered to protect Young Master Fu.”
Fu Xi Yan waved him away. “This is my home. If anything happens, my father can shield me. You’ve been exhausted all day too, so go get some rest. I’m just going to sleep in my room. I’m not going anywhere.”
Xiao Zhang still wanted to say something, but Fu Xi Yan had already pulled Fu Fu into the room and shut the door behind them.
Fu Fu frowned. “What happened?”
Fu Xi Yan lowered his voice. “The Jinwu Guard fished Chen Wen Ju’s body out of the water.”
Fu Fu had not yet received the news. “Who killed him?”
Fu Xi Yan pointed at himself.
Fu Fu’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Then why did you…”
Fu Xi Yan leaned close to his ear and whispered in an extremely low voice, “I drained all his true qi.”
Fu Fu’s heart sank. He immediately grasped the problem. “Can you tell by looking at him?”
“Very obviously.” Fu Xi Yan gestured at his own face. “He aged by decades.”
Fu Fu said, “No wonder you refused to admit it. Fine. Wait here. I’ll send someone to gather information. After what happened to you last night, it’s perfectly normal for me, as your father, to ask around.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “The Right Censor-in-Chief almost had me arrested today.”
“What happened this time?”
“I don’t know either. But the moment the Left Censor-in-Chief heard that Chen Wen Ju had been found, he changed his tune and sent me home.”
Fu Fu gave a cold laugh. Although it was only last month that Emperor Jianhong had maneuvered him into a substantive post as Vice Minister of War, he was still Count Yongfeng and knew all too well the filthy tricks that went on in officialdom.
“They were afraid Chen Wen Ju had escaped and His Majesty would fly into a rage, so they wanted a scapegoat. What exactly happened last night? I heard the Censorate was practically blown apart? And Pei Yuan Jin early this morning…”
From outside came the gatekeeper’s voice, calling as he hurried closer. “My lord! My lord!”
Fu Fu opened the door.
The gatekeeper said, “People from the Jinwu Guard and the Ministry of Justice are here.”
Fu Fu frowned. “Again? Is there ever going to be an end to this?”
“They’re here to see Young Master Pei.”
Fu Xi Yan poked his head out from inside. “What do they want with him?”
Fu Fu sighed. “This morning, before the city gates had opened, Pei Yuan Jin climbed straight over the city wall to get inside.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…” If he remembered correctly, that wall was nearly three and a half zhang high. Even with a rope, it would take ages to climb.
“And that’s not all. He also turned his own Thunder Division branch in Haojing upside down and sent everyone out to look for you. So yes, he climbed the wall because of you.” Fu Fu disliked getting too closely involved with jianghu people, but a son’s debts fell to his father to settle. He flicked his sleeve. “Forget it. Leave this matter to me.”
Fu Xi Yan was stunned by the depth of Pei Yuan Jin’s “devotion.” When he saw Pei Yuan Jin posing on the rooftop that morning like he was shooting a magazine cover, he had assumed the man was perfectly calm.
Fu Fu followed the gatekeeper to the main hall to receive the visitors, while Fu Xi Yan slipped into the side room next door to eavesdrop.
The Jinwu Guard and the Ministry of Justice representative entered.
The Jinwu Guard was an unfamiliar face. The man from the Ministry of Justice, however, was the same person who had questioned Fu Xi Yan that morning at the Capital Prefecture yamen—neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, neither handsome nor ugly. He looked thoroughly ordinary, but encountering someone twice in a single day was enough to make Fu Xi Yan pay closer attention.
Fu Fu had a servant bring tea. “Mister Pei is temporarily residing at my estate, so I have a responsibility to ask: what brings the two of you here?”
The Jinwu Guard said, “This morning, Pei Yuan Jin unlawfully forced his way through the city defenses. I have come to arrest him and bring him in.”
Fu Fu said, “Oh? There are so many guards stationed at the city gate. Why didn’t you apprehend him on the spot?”
“His lightness skill was extraordinary. Before we could get a clear look at him, he was already past us.”
The moment the Jinwu Guard finished speaking, the Ministry of Justice man’s eyebrow twitched. Sure enough, Fu Fu seized on the opening immediately. “If you never got a clear look at him, how do you know the man was Mister Pei?”
The Jinwu Guard replied, “He announced his own name.”
Fu Fu chuckled. “Mister Pei is famous throughout the realm and commands respect in every direction. He has countless admirers and is often impersonated. Perhaps the two of you should go back and investigate more carefully.”
The Ministry of Justice man asked, “Then may I ask where Mister Pei was last night and early this morning?”
This man was formidable.
Fu Xi Yan’s eyes shifted. He climbed out through the window and jogged all the way back to his own courtyard. The moment the white tiger saw him, it sprang up affectionately. Fu Xi Yan instinctively jumped two steps away, then, after realizing what he had done, hurriedly put on an affectionate expression, wrapped his arms around it, and rubbed its belly. “Where’s your little dad?”
Pei Yuan Jin emerged from inside in a fresh set of clothes.
Fu Xi Yan immediately changed the subject. “People from the Jinwu Guard and Ministry of Justice came to ask about you climbing the wall this morning. If my father can’t hold them off and someone comes to call you over, whatever you do, don’t admit it. Just make up some excuse and brush them off.” Given Pei Yuan Jin’s personality, this concern was entirely justified.
Pei Yuan Jin said calmly, “They won’t come.”
Fu Xi Yan tugged on the tiger’s ear. “How do you know?”
Pei Yuan Jin sneered. “Why would they create trouble for themselves?”
If he admitted it, were they going to arrest him or not?
If he resisted arrest and led the Immortal Treasury Palace against the Northern Zhou court, would the court support its own subordinate—or turn around and sacrifice that subordinate to settle the dispute?
Given the current emperor’s usual style, the answer was obvious.
Fu Xi Yan was puzzled. “If they don’t want trouble, why did they come here?”
Pei Yuan Jin asked, “Where are they?”
Fu Xi Yan pointed toward the main hall.
Pei Yuan Jin grabbed him by the belt and leaped onto the roof. After only a few rises and falls, they had reached the roof of the main hall. Fu Xi Yan pointed toward the side room beside it, and the two dropped down and climbed in through the window.
By then, the questioning next door had already ended, and Fu Fu was preparing to see his guests out when the Ministry of Justice man suddenly said, “I hear Madam Fu is kindhearted and often donates the household’s old clothing to the Child Relief Bureau. Where I come from, old clothes that are no longer worn are burned to dispel bad luck. It always seemed rather wasteful to me.”
Fu Xi Yan’s heart gave a jolt. Everything had happened too quickly, and he had not yet had time to tell his father about that particular detail. He knew that burning his clothes had been rather conspicuous, but there had been no other option at the time. Burning them secretly would only have looked even more suspicious.
He was just about to push open the door and go out when Fu Fu said, “Naturally, anything sent to the Child Relief Bureau is carefully selected and auspicious. Anything inauspicious is burned.”
Fu Fu had actually answered that way because he was afraid something might have gone wrong at the Child Relief Bureau and wanted to clarify matters in advance. By sheer coincidence, however, he had perfectly backed up the excuse Fu Xi Yan had invented for burning his clothes.
After the Jinwu Guard and Ministry of Justice representatives left, Fu Xi Yan pushed open the door and gave his father a thumbs-up.
Fu Fu looked at Pei Yuan Jin behind him and cupped his fists. “Young Palace Master Pei is here too.”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “I brought him here.”
Fu Fu had no idea Fu Xi Yan had slipped away in the middle and thought, My son clearly came here with me. How did that turn into you bringing him?
For some reason, seeing the two of them standing together was suddenly rather irritating.
Fu Fu coughed and said to Fu Xi Yan, “You were running around all night. You must be exhausted. Go get some rest.”
Fu Xi Yan really was tired. He nodded, swung his arms loosely, and started back toward his room. Only when he was almost inside did he realize Pei Yuan Jin was still following him. He stopped. “Does Young Palace Master Pei need something else?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Xiao Sang is recovering from his injuries, and Xiao Zhang needs to rest. You need someone beside you.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…To be perfectly honest, I used to sleep alone.”
Pei Yuan Jin answered without hesitation, “Even if you’d wanted company, would there have been room?”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Fu Xi Yan put on a fake smile. “Since Young Palace Master likes this excellent patch of feng shui outside my door, please make yourself at home.”
He yawned, went inside, shut the door behind him, stripped off his outer robe, and buried his head in the pillow. The exhaustion locked inside his body immediately surged through every limb and bone.
As he slipped into sleep, one vague thought still floated through his mind: The Young Palace Master of the Immortal Treasury Palace is standing guard outside my door…
After a night of brushing past life and death, experiencing one tremendous rise and fall after another, and even crossing the moral line he had carried over from his previous life, he had expected dreams, perhaps a restless night of tossing and turning. Yet when he woke, everything was peaceful.
Just like the tranquil evening outside his window.
＊
It was already evening.
The window was open.
No wonder it felt cold.
Fu Xi Yan wrapped himself in the blanket, sniffed, and complained unhappily, “Who opened the window?”
A white tiger’s head poked through the window and bared its teeth at him.
Fu Xi Yan immediately changed expressions and said benevolently, “Good tiger. Daddy’s getting up right now to make you dinner.”
When he came out after washing up, Pei Yuan Jin was outside eating roasted meat.
A servant roasted it. Pei Yuan Jin and the white tiger ate it.
Fu Xi Yan was starving, and his appetite immediately surged. He consciously picked a spot beside them and sat down. “What kind of meat is this?”
The servant answered, “Venison. The Count sent it over at noon to help you recover. He also said that once you woke up and had eaten, you should go see him in the study.”
Ignoring the heat, Fu Xi Yan finished his portion in a few bites and got up to leave. After taking two steps, he turned back to Pei Yuan Jin. “I’m staying inside the estate. No need to follow me.”
Pei Yuan Jin took a sip of tea to cut the grease and said calmly, “Don’t worry. Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang know not to listen to things they shouldn’t hear.”
Fu Xi Yan showed no embarrassment at having his intentions exposed. He smiled. “Naturally. Everyone from the Immortal Treasury Palace has an immortal aura about them.”
He jogged all the way to the study. Before he even entered, he smelled the rich aroma of chicken soup and took a deep breath. “Father, what are you eating?”
“Didn’t you tell me to make you a bowl of old-hen-and-ginseng soup?” Fu Fu sat on the couch reading a sheet of paper and jerked his chin toward the stove. “Drink it.”
Fu Xi Yan ladled out a bowl, took a sip, and gave him a thumbs-up. “That simmered long enough.”
“Chen Wen Ju’s postmortem report is out.” Fu Fu handed him the paper. “Cause of death was asphyxiation. The fatal injury was the strangulation mark on his neck, and he died between the Zi and Chou hours. None of that is important. What matters is that his true origin had shriveled.”
Fu Xi Yan put down the chicken soup. “What do the Capital Prefecture yamen and the Ministry of Justice think?”
Fu Fu said, “Could be poison, could be gu. There are too many bizarre methods in the jianghu to say for certain. The case has been handed to Liao Shang, one of the Ministry of Justice’s top constables—the same man who came here with the Jinwu Guard today. He may come question you again, so decide in advance what you’re going to say.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “That Liao Shang is pretty sharp.”
“The Chief Constable of the Ministry of Justice is getting old and will retire next year. The Minister of Justice wants to choose a younger man to succeed him, and right now he favors two candidates. One is Liao Shang, and the other is Lou Wu Zai. Lou Wu Zai lacks seniority, which is why he took charge of the Four Young Lords of Haojing case. If he solves it, his chances will improve dramatically. That means Liao Shang also needs a sensational case of his own.”
Fu Xi Yan understood. No wonder Liao Shang had been so enthusiastic about Chen Wen Ju’s case.
Fu Fu said, “But the people above want the Chen family case concluded quickly to calm public anger, so unless something major goes wrong, Chen Wen Ju’s case will be wrapped into the Chen family case. It should all be settled within the next two days.”
It had to be said that back when Fu Fu stayed at home keeping a low profile, Fu Xi Yan had never noticed any talents besides fathering children and beating them. Only after Fu Fu entered officialdom did his calculating, far-sighted side gradually reveal itself.
Once again, he hit the mark exactly.
Liao Shang did indeed come to the estate, and he did indeed come to ask about Chen Wen Ju’s case.
“Chen Wen Ju died at roughly the same time Prison Warden Fu fell into the water. Did you truly see no one else?”
Yes. At this point, everyone at the Ministry of Justice, Liao Shang included, believed there had been another person at the scene.
Fu Xi Yan was delighted to let them focus in that direction. He pretended to think carefully, then shook his head. “I did think it was strange that those six assassins suddenly died, but at the time I was completely focused on saving Liu Min, so I didn’t pay much attention.”
Liao Shang asked several more questions. When he still got nowhere, he could only stand. “Then thank you, Prison Warden Fu.”
Fu Xi Yan got up to see him out. When they reached the doorway, Liao Shang suddenly asked, “On the second day after Prison Warden Fu returned to the capital, you went to see Head Constable Lou immediately after your imperial audience. Could it be that you also have some insight into the Four Young Lords of Haojing case?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “I’ve admired Brother Lou for a long time. I also happened to have met Lou Bai Zhan twice before and wanted to establish a friendship. I’m afraid Head Constable Liao has seen something rather embarrassing.”
Liao Shang said, “Not at all. Head Constable Lou is a brilliant young talent. I admire him greatly myself.”
Fu Xi Yan thought, Isn’t this basically a love-hate rivalry?
Fu Xi Yan rested at home for two days before returning to the Censorate to end his leave. Every colleague he met said, “Why are you back so soon?” while simultaneously directing him to go see the Left Censor-in-Chief.
Shi Wei Liang had not yet returned from court, so Fu Xi Yan waited outside for a while. The Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief passed by and smiled at him.
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
That one smile contained ten thousand unspoken words.
A little later, Shi Wei Liang returned. Seeing Fu Xi Yan standing outside, he said, “Come in with me.”
“How was your rest at home?” Shi Wei Liang behaved very warmly.
Fu Xi Yan said earnestly, “My body was at home, but my heart remained here at the Censorate.”
Shi Wei Liang nodded. “Such dedication. However, you won’t be returning to the Censorate Prison Office.”
Before Fu Xi Yan came, Fu Fu had already told him that his performance during Chen Wen Ju’s escape had been outstanding and that the Censorate might reward him somehow. He was mentally prepared, but still put on a surprised expression. “My lord, why is that?”
Shi Wei Liang said, “The previous Capital Patrol Commissioner retired and returned home in the middle of the year, and the position has remained vacant ever since. Looking back now, perhaps it was simply waiting for you to earn this achievement.”
Fu Xi Yan modestly replied, “Chen Wen Ju was not killed by this subordinate. I would not dare claim the credit.”
“But you chased him down. In the entire city of Haojing, including the Jinwu Guard, you were the only person who managed to catch up to Chen Wen Ju. That alone is enough. Who actually killed him is not important.”
Fu Xi Yan understood. For such a major case, the Censorate needed to put forward a representative figure to remind everyone of its existence.
Shi Wei Liang said, “Capital Patrol Commissioner is a sixth-rank post. Jumping four steps in rank at once is rather fast, but fortunately His Majesty already gave you a concurrent sixth-rank Company Commander post, so it is not entirely inappropriate.”
The meal had already been spooned straight into his mouth. Spitting it back out now would hardly be proper.
Fu Xi Yan had no choice but to chew and swallow.
Shi Wei Liang said, “The Monk Zhi Ji case is finished. The only major case remaining in Haojing is the Four Young Lords case. Lou Wu Zai is responsible for it on the Ministry of Justice side. If he needs your assistance, help him.”
“…Yes.”
After all those twists and turns, the case had ultimately landed in the hands of him and Lou Wu Zai. If Lou Wu Zai’s theory was correct, then this really was fate at work.
On the Laba Festival, Madam Fu took the children of the household to the Child Relief Bureau to distribute Laba porridge.
Fu Xi Yan did not arrive until after finishing work. By then, Madam Fu was preparing to leave. Sitting inside his carriage, he saw her from a distance speaking with two white-haired elderly women.
After returning home, he quietly asked Fu Li An who the elderly women were. He did not remember seeing them before.
Fu Li An said, “The ladies of the Xu family.”
Fu Xi Yan was puzzled. “Why were they at the Child Relief Bureau?”
Fu Li An said, “The Chen family case is almost concluded. They want to adopt several orphans so there will be someone to continue the Xu family line.”
Fu Fu was sitting in the hall. Madam Fu had already mentioned the matter to him, and he frowned disapprovingly. “But adopted children would not carry Xu family blood.”
Madam Fu said, “The Xu family bloodline is already broken.”
Fu Xi Yan nodded. “The grace of raising a child is greater than Heaven. Those two old ladies have suffered for half their lives. If they raise a few children, at least they’ll have something to look forward to in the years ahead.”
Madam Fu added, “And when they die, there will be someone to smash the mourning basin for them.”
Elio’s Notes: In traditional funeral custom, a close descendant may smash a mourning basin as part of the rites. Here, Madam Fu means that the two elderly women will have descendants to perform their funerals and continue the family line.
Thinking of what had happened to the Xu family, Fu Fu finally nodded with a sigh. “That’s true.”
The Chen family case was decided.
The three brothers Chen Yu Fu, Chen Yu Xiang, and Chen Yu Bin had their entire households condemned to execution. The remaining accomplices were exiled to Youzhou. Chen Wen Ju was officially declared to have been killed while resisting arrest and to have received exactly what he deserved, while the credit for killing him was quietly placed on Fu Xi Yan’s head.
On the day of the executions, the marketplace execution grounds were packed shoulder to shoulder. Yet the crowd had consciously left three places empty in the center. Standing there were the two white-haired women and the Magistrate of Zhanghe County, who had traveled a thousand li to the capital carrying the people’s blood petition.
At the command, “Execute!”
The prisoners’ heads dropped from their necks one after another like ripe fruit falling from a tree. Warm blood scattered over the ground, blooming into brilliant flowers.
The sight was not hideous.
It was almost austere in its beauty.
“Heaven has eyes!”
Someone shouted.
Slowly, the cry spread through the crowd until it rolled across the sky above Haojing.
The duties of the Capital Patrol Commissioner covered a fairly broad range. As the word “patrol” in the title suggested, he was required to make frequent inspection rounds through the areas surrounding the capital.
In weather this cold, Fu Xi Yan followed the work manual left behind by his predecessor and completed one full circuit before discovering that his jobs… somehow became more miserable with each promotion!
The Yulin Guard, which he had once despised beyond measure, had actually been the glorious high point of his career.
The moment he returned, he went straight to Fu Xuan’s room to cry.
“Uncle, please! Save this child! Let me go back to the Yulin Guard!”
Fu Xuan said calmly, “Didn’t you always want to resign?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “I was blind back then.”
“The Censorate belongs to the civil-official system. If you rise steadily through its ranks, your future prospects will be limitless.”
“I can’t rise any higher.” He held out both hands, frozen into two fat, shriveled radishes. “If I rise any more, I’m going straight to Heaven.”
Fu Xuan said, “Then Young Palace Master Pei would be very happy.”
Realizing he could not get through to him, Fu Xi Yan changed tactics. “I’m also thinking of what’s best for our family. Uncle, think about it. Father is now in the Ministry of War, you’re in the Yulin Guard, and I’m in the Censorate. Between the three of us, we’ve got civil officials, military officials, real power, and censorial authority… What path is this? This is the road to becoming a family of powerful ministers! As they say, prosperity at its peak must decline, and what is too rigid must break. How many powerful ministers throughout history ever came to a good end?”
For once, Fu Xi Yan had said something genuinely sensible, yet Fu Xuan showed no sign of agreeing. “Wasn’t your lifelong motto to pray for your friends and family to work hard while you got into position to lie down and win?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Do I look like I’m lying down right now? I’m about to run myself to death! And both my elder brothers will sit the examinations next year. If they pass the jinshi examination, our family will become even more outrageous.”
“Relax. Compared with the great clans whose protégés fill the imperial court, the few members of our family are nothing. Besides, I can’t move you now.”
“What do you mean?”
Fu Xuan said, “Everyone now knows that Young Palace Master Pei traveled through the night and climbed the city wall because of you. Even His Majesty is watching your every move. I’m merely the Commander of the Yulin Guard. What exactly do you expect me to do?”
Fu Xi Yan wanted to burst into tears. “You all clearly promised me that once I came back, you’d let me resign and open my shop…”
“How is the shop doing?”
At that, Fu Xi Yan abruptly lost the urge to cry. “It opened in the Western Market. Business was average at first, but later Mother packaged the products into gift boxes and sent some to relatives and friends. Now the market is gradually opening up. I’m planning to develop several new scents.”
Fu Xuan said, “Then isn’t that going well?”
Fu Xi Yan had only suffered outside and come home to act spoiled and complain. He had never genuinely expected Fu Xuan to transfer him back into the Yulin Guard. To be fair, although being Capital Patrol Commissioner was exhausting, it gave him more freedom than the Yulin Guard’s fixed clock-in-and-out routine, and the salary was higher too.
There were gains and losses.
The gatekeeper came running over. “Fourth Young Master, Head Constable Lou Wu Zai sent you an invitation.”
“Tomorrow is my rest day,” Fu Xi Yan muttered as he opened it. “Zizui Tower again?”
It had to be said that ever since Fu Xi Yan nearly came into conflict with the Third Prince over the Star-Plucking Room, that room’s popularity had visibly increased.
Lou Wu Zai had no choice but to reserve the Moon-Cradling Room instead.
A waiter led Fu Xi Yan inside. Lou Wu Zai was already there. Having successfully made the introduction between them, Lou Bai Zhan had completed his role as intermediary and did not appear this time.
After the waiter left, only the two of them remained in the room.
Fu Xi Yan said, “You’re always treating me, Brother Lou. I’m starting to feel embarrassed. Why don’t I pay this time?”
Lou Wu Zai said, “No need. Brother Fu can pay next time.”
Fu Xi Yan did not stand on ceremony. He sat down and asked, “Did Brother Lou discover something new?”
Lou Wu Zai said, “While sorting through Consort Dowager Chen’s belongings, the palace found that Hundred Filial Sons Picture. I brought it so Brother Fu could have a look.”
Fu Xi Yan was curious about his own portrait too, so the two of them unfolded the painting together. Fortunately, the Moon-Cradling Room was large. By the time they stood the painting upright, it almost wrapped around the entire room.
Fu Xi Yan searched it from top to bottom. “Has Brother Lou looked through the painting already? Did you find where I am?”
“I did not.”
Fu Xi Yan paused. “What do you mean?”
Lou Wu Zai said, “Most of the faces in this painting can be matched to the proper people. Only six are indistinct and difficult to recognize. Would Brother Fu like to guess which six?”
Fu Xi Yan sighed. “Since Brother Lou is asking me that way, could it be the four victims in the Four Young Lords of Haojing case… plus you and me?”
Lou Wu Zai said, “Which proves that my earlier deduction was not merely my imagination.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Seriously, one life is all I’ve got. I do not need this many people lining up to kill me, thanks.
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