Tonight, many people in Tanyang County were destined to lose sleep.
Madam One-Hammer watched Master One-Hammer sitting beside the lamp with a red invitation card in his hand, chuckling endlessly to himself. Unable to resist, she poked him in the head and said petulantly, “Laugh, laugh, laugh. Keep laughing and you’ll turn into a fool.”
Master One-Hammer put an arm around her and held the invitation card in front of her. “Take a look at what kind of invitation this is.”
“Seeing how happy you are, don’t tell me it’s an invitation to your own wedding?” Madam One-Hammer teased as she accepted it. After looking it over, she said, “What’s so remarkable about this? It’s nothing more than an invitation to an art exhibition. Tanyang County may lack many things, but talented scholars certainly aren’t among them. Is some little art exhibition really worth getting this excited over? Hm? Everyone is required to wear red robes? What kind of ridiculous rule is that?”
“Look at the signature.”
Madam One-Hammer lowered her gaze. “Gu Xianzhi?!”
Master One-Hammer lightly slapped her on the bottom. “Now you know why I’m so pleased?”
“But the location is clearly…”
“Gu She. Gu Xianzhi,” Master One-Hammer said meaningfully.
Madam One-Hammer suddenly understood. “You mean…”
“I didn’t expect him to admit it after all.” Master One-Hammer smiled like an old fox that had cultivated for a thousand years.
Madam One-Hammer glared at him. “You already knew?”
Master One-Hammer merely smiled without answering.
“If you already knew, why didn’t you tell me?”
Seeing that his wife was becoming angry, Master One-Hammer hurriedly explained, “I only guessed. I wasn’t certain.”
Madam One-Hammer examined the invitation several more times. “The Cinnabar Banquet. Don’t you find it suspicious?”
Elio’s Notes: Cinnabar (丹砂) is a vivid red mineral pigment traditionally used in painting and decoration. Gu She has named the event the “Cinnabar Banquet” and made red clothing part of its theme, allowing the red wedding procession and guests to appear openly under the guise of an art gathering.
“Of course it’s suspicious. Gu She has always kept himself hidden. If there were no particular reason for it, he would never reveal his true identity.”
“Then are you going or not?”
“Going? Of course I’m going,” Master One-Hammer said. “Gu She is universally acknowledged as the foremost literary talent in the realm, a man whose name will endure through the ages. If I failed to go, wouldn’t I be wasting the good fortune of having lived in the same age as him?”
Madam One-Hammer shook her head. “Those who know the truth know that you’re his teacher. Those who don’t would think he was yours.”
“In learning, seniority does not determine who comes first. The accomplished are the ones who should be respected. When it comes to calligraphy, painting, poetry, and verse, it would not be excessive for me to call him my teacher.”
Seeing how delighted he looked at the prospect of calling someone else his teacher, Madam One-Hammer could only shake her head. “I’ll go dig out the wedding robes you wore when we married.”
Master One-Hammer stared at her. “Why would I need wedding robes?”
“Other than someone dressed for a wedding, who goes walking through the streets in red all day?”
Master One-Hammer seemed to understand.
Madam One-Hammer grumbled under her breath, “Only he could come up with so many strange ideas. A ‘Cinnabar Banquet’ where everyone has to wear red robes… Who knows what he’s really plotting?”
Master One-Hammer suddenly chuckled. “Wife, would you prepare another congratulatory gift for me tomorrow?”
“A congratulatory gift?” Madam One-Hammer asked in confusion. “Why?”
“If I’m attending someone’s banquet, I can hardly arrive empty-handed.”
“I’ve never seen you be so courteous before.”
“Well… Gu Xianzhi is somewhat different.” Master One-Hammer brushed the matter aside lightly, then added, “Remember, it needs to be a substantial gift. A generous one.”
The moment news spread that the foremost literary talent in the realm was in Tanyang County, the entire city erupted in astonishment!
For a time, the entrance to the Gu residence became as crowded as a marketplace, with an endless stream of admirers arriving because of his reputation.
While Yue Ling instructed the servants guarding the entrance to refuse everyone entry, he sarcastically remarked to Gu She, who was leisurely drinking tea, “What an excellent plan. What an excellent idea. What an excellent stroke of genius!”
“Do you have a better one?”
“I would never willingly bury myself in this much trouble.”
“If you had the chance to marry, I suspect you would gladly endure even greater trouble.”
Yue Ling pursed his lips but, unusually, did not argue.
Gu She set down his teacup. “What do you think of Shi Qianshan’s case?”
Yue Ling sneered. “Apparently serving as your chief steward and arranging your wedding isn’t enough. Do I also have to become Adviser Jin and solve Tao Mo’s cases for him?”
“I was merely asking.”
“That sordid mess between the Ninth Prince and Shi Qianshan has been the talk of the capital for ages. This is hardly the first time someone has tried to frame Shi Qianshan. One scarcely needs to think to know whose handiwork it is. What else is there for me to say?”
“Before, it happened in the capital. This time, it happened in Tanyang, a thousand li away.”
Yue Ling’s eyes shifted from side to side. “You suspect someone else is meddling in the middle?”
“Mm.”
“No wonder you’ve been holding back all this time. You want the other side to expose more flaws, then lure the snake from its hole.”
“The outcome of the case is already decided. Whether it concludes sooner or later makes little difference.” Gu She set down his teacup and said evenly, “Now we simply wait to see what move he makes next.”
“You really haven’t changed.” Yue Ling shook his head with a sigh. Gu She had always enjoyed unraveling mysteries, especially difficult ones. “Still, a cornered dog will jump a wall. You should be careful.”
The corner of Gu She’s mouth curved upward. “Have you ever tried giving Prince Lingyang that advice?” When it came to danger, Prince Lingyang’s situation was far more precarious than Gu She’s.
“If I said I was actually looking forward to that day, would that make me sound too eager for the world to descend into chaos?”
“Yes.”
Yue Ling smiled and stroked his mustache. “Which is why I always say that I hope for peace under Heaven.”
The Gu residence was in an uproar after Gu She publicly revealed his identity. By comparison, the county yamen seemed almost forgotten.
With the wedding taking place the next day, even when Tao Mo tried to think about the case, his attention kept wandering.
“That body belonged to a newly purchased male courtesan from a male brothel. Afterward, he was unable to bear what had happened and killed himself by throwing himself against a pillar. The proprietor of the brothel was afraid of becoming implicated, so he had the corpse dumped at the unmarked burial ground. I have already sent Cui Jiong to verify the matter, and I have also arranged for the body to be properly buried.” Seeing Tao Mo staring blankly out the window, Adviser Jin could not help smiling. “Never mind. Tomorrow is Master’s great day of celebration. We can set these matters aside for the time being.”
Tao Mo hurriedly came back to himself, an obvious flush spreading across his face. “I-I was only…”
“I heard Hao Guozi say that Young Master Gu sent over your wedding robes. Do they fit?”
“They fit.” Tao Mo lowered his head awkwardly.
“Since Young Master Gu has decided to make such a grand affair of it, Master will certainly be very busy tomorrow. You should rest first, so you don’t find yourself exhausted when the time comes.”
Tao Mo bit his lower lip and hesitated before saying, “I don’t think doing it this way is very good.”
Adviser Jin raised an eyebrow.
“We are both men, after all. If we make such a grand spectacle of the marriage, people are bound to criticize us. I don’t mind for myself, but he is the son of the Chancellor’s household and a renowned talent throughout the realm. Who knows how much gossip and ridicule he will have to endure afterward? When I think about it, all of this is because of me.”
“Who does Master think is more intelligent—you or Young Master Gu?”
“Xianzhi, of course.” Tao Mo did not hesitate for even an instant.
Adviser Jin smiled. “Then why does Master assume that something you have thought of would never have occurred to Young Master Gu?”
Tao Mo froze.
“Do not forget. Young Master Gu is holding a Cinnabar Banquet, not a wedding banquet.”
Confusion gradually spread across Tao Mo’s face.
Adviser Jin did not explain further. He merely smiled. “In any case, Master only needs to climb into the bridal sedan with an easy heart. As for everything else, let Young Master Gu worry about it.” He had already guessed what Gu She intended by arranging matters this way and could not help admiring the thought behind it. But then again, perhaps only Gu She could use a method like this and produce such an effect.
Old Tao entered from outside. “Young Master. Young Master Gu is holding a large banquet tomorrow, and I’m worried that someone with ulterior motives may seize the opportunity to make trouble. I’ve therefore asked several friends to help. Tomorrow they’ll be stationed around the Gu residence and among your procession so they can protect you from close by.”
Tao Mo asked worriedly, “You mean you’re afraid someone will come tomorrow to cause trouble?”
Merely causing trouble would be the least of it. Old Tao had recently sent people to collect evidence of Huang Guangde’s crimes, and Huang Guangde might already have realized what he was doing. Given the man’s vicious nature, once driven into a corner, he might well strike first. Old Tao was not afraid of him, but if something truly erupted during the wedding banquet, the consequences could become impossible to contain.
Old Tao thought all this but did not say it aloud. Instead, he said, “It’s only a precaution. There will be so many people tomorrow that even if no outsider comes to cause trouble, the guests themselves could create chaos. Besides, Young Master Gu’s identity is hardly ordinary.”
Tao Mo nodded. “You really have thought of everything.”
Adviser Jin, who was standing nearby, looked surprised. “So you have friends from the jianghu around Tanyang County? I’ve never heard you mention them.”
Old Tao laughed it off. “I used to roam the jianghu. I have friends scattered north, south, east, and west. Besides, none of these people are coming to help for free.”
Understanding dawned on Adviser Jin’s face.
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