After returning from the Cheng family, Fu Xi Yan’s private coaching sessions began.
The third day of the New Year.
Practice lightness skills. Fly, fly, fly. Spin, spin, spin…
The fourth day.
Practice lightness skills. Fly higher. Spin in circles…
The fifth day.
Practice lightness skills. I wanna fly even higher, I wanna spin even rounder…
The sixth day.
His private instructor set out a table of tea and snacks in the courtyard to test the results of his three days of training.
Fu Xi Yan stood in the courtyard, watching the white tiger approach one slow step at a time. He extended one finger and crooked it provocatively. The instant the white tiger kicked off the ground and pounced, Fu Xi Yan stepped into empty air and bounded upward several times until he reached the eaves.
Pei Yuan Jin poured himself a cup of tea, then gave a slight flick of his fingers.
Xiao Zhang appeared beside Fu Xi Yan and struck out with one palm.
Fu Xi Yan was not yet proficient with Shattered-Star Afterimage. He could only follow the route taught in the manual, wobbling through a turn to avoid the blow. Xiao Sang was already waiting along his escape route and immediately sent another palm toward him.
Fu Xi Yan instinctively leaped into the air and began climbing through empty space on foot.
“Roar!”
At some point, the white tiger had reached the roof and lain in ambush nearby. It sprang up, its head on a perfect collision course with Fu Xi Yan’s stomach.
Fu Xi Yan cursed inwardly. Since when do tigers climb onto roofs?!
Although Void-Treading Step allowed him to remain suspended in the air for a time, it did nothing to protect him from collisions. Seeing the white tiger about to “throw itself into his arms,” Fu Xi Yan clenched his teeth and simply cut off his true qi, causing his body to plummet.
The white tiger sailed over him. The instant Fu Xi Yan landed on the roof, his true qi began circulating again. He swept sideways several zhang, neatly escaping Xiao Zhang and Xiao Sang’s encirclement, then slowly descended beside Pei Yuan Jin’s tea table.
He exhaled, casually picked up a cup, poured himself some tea, and drained it in one gulp. “Instructor, did I pass this surprise test?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Quick thinking. Insufficient mastery.”
He put down his cup and lightly sprang upward. Starting from the same place where Fu Xi Yan had just stood, he retraced Fu Xi Yan’s entire route.
The path was exactly the same, yet when Pei Yuan Jin moved through it, everything looked completely different.
Not only did his Shattered-Star Afterimage flow as smoothly as moving clouds and running water, his Void-Treading Step was equally effortless. The transitions between the two were so natural they seemed to have come from the same martial art.
But Fu Xi Yan had actually studied the two techniques and knew perfectly well that neither their true-qi circulation nor their footwork had anything whatsoever in common. They were practically opposites. For Pei Yuan Jin to blend them this seamlessly, Fu Xi Yan assumed he must have put considerable effort into practicing them.
When Fu Xi Yan voiced this admiration, Pei Yuan Jin said casually, “Today was the first time I saw either technique. It was also the first time I used them.”
Fu Xi Yan stared blankly. “And you already know how?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “The essence of lightness skill is movement. Once you understand the essence, it makes no difference how the true qi circulates or how the steps shift. The underlying principle is the same.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Isn’t this exactly like asking the top student how to solve a problem, only for him to say, ‘Once you connect all your knowledge together, you’ll know how to do everything’?
A song involuntarily started playing inside his head: Hard to forget the first time I saw you, that magnificent show-off pose of yours…
Elio’s Notes: Fu Xi Yan is parodying the opening of the well-known song Qing Fei De Yi, replacing its romantic description with a jab at Pei Yuan Jin showing off.
Pei Yuan Jin extended a finger and tapped him on the forehead. Fu Xi Yan instinctively tilted his head to dodge, yet the finger seemed almost attached to his forehead. No matter how he twisted, turned, ducked, or shifted, he could not escape it, so eventually he simply stopped.
Pei Yuan Jin seemed to find this amusing. Still not quite satisfied, he asked, “Why not keep trying?”
Fu Xi Yan gave up. “I’m tired.”
Pei Yuan Jin thought for a moment. “How many Origin-Nourishing Pills have you taken?”
“Three.”
“Your aura hasn’t changed much.”
Fu Xi Yan had no idea what standard Pei Yuan Jin was using, but he was exactly right. After Fu Xi Yan swallowed three pills, his true origin had not budged in the slightest. No matter how he threatened or coaxed it, it stubbornly refused to gush forth like a flood the way it had last time. So Fu Xi Yan had become stingy in return and refused to feed it any more pills.
Pei Yuan Jin said, “For now, practice circulating your true qi.”
“I meditate for two double-hours every day.” Once all the miscellaneous daytime affairs were subtracted, he did not have much time left to begin with. Those two double-hours had been squeezed out of his sleep. He was working unbelievably hard, and every time Fu Xi Yan thought about it, he was unbelievably moved by his own diligence.
Pei Yuan Jin shook his head. “Circulating true qi is like walking. If you walk the same road every day, familiarity may allow you to shorten the journey, but the moment you change roads, you become clumsy again. It’s the same when you switch between Void-Treading Step and Shattered-Star Afterimage. Every transition leaves a pause. But if it is simply walking, then turning left or right should happen the instant your mind wills it. Why hesitate?”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “If I let my true qi run around that freely, won’t I suffer cultivation deviation?”
“You have already advanced to the True Origin Stage, and your meridians have long since been opened. If every road is connected, what danger is there in traveling through them? What people call cultivation deviation usually occurs when true qi divides into multiple streams that collide while moving in opposing directions, or when it breaks free of control and assaults the meridians.”
Fu Xi Yan suddenly understood.
The strongest cultivator in the Fu family, Fu Xuan, was only at the upper end of the middle Vajra Stage. His cultivation had always relied largely on practice and experience, and his understanding of the martial path was naturally far shallower than Pei Yuan Jin’s clear and accessible explanation.
“Then I’ll practice some more.” Fu Xi Yan enthusiastically called the white tiger, Xiao Sang, and Xiao Zhang back over.
Yu Su Huan watched from the courtyard entrance for a while before carrying in tea and snacks. She placed them in front of Pei Yuan Jin and said quietly, “Grand Commandant Liu is here.”
Pei Yuan Jin’s hand paused on its way toward the snacks, and a faint trace of worry appeared between his brows.
Yu Su Huan smiled. “He came to discuss Miss Fu’s marriage. No one will ask the Young Palace Master to go out and meet him.”
Only then did Pei Yuan Jin relax and resume eating.
It had to be said that the visit to the Cheng family on the second day of the New Year had been anything but pleasant. For the first time in his life, Young Palace Master Pei—who had always done whatever he pleased and obeyed no restraints—experienced the misery of finding social obligations dull and tedious while still being unable to simply flick his sleeves and leave.
Yu Su Huan said, “If there is anyone in this world Consort Rong fears, Grand Commandant Liu definitely counts as one. A marriage alliance between the Fu and Liu families would be good for the Young Madam.”
Pei Yuan Jin immediately showed some interest. “Grand Commandant Liu is an expert?”
“There are rumors that he is the foremost expert at Emperor Jianhong’s side. Other rumors say he keeps an extraordinarily powerful shadow guard. Back when Emperor Jianhong took secondary consorts, Consort Rong and Consort Liu entered his household at the same time, yet Consort Liu already ranked a step above her. Later, Consort Liu became Noble Consort Liu, while Rong Rong only became Worthy Consort. That tells you something.”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “He may not be willing to step in merely for an in-law.”
Yu Su Huan sensed his displeasure and hurriedly said, “Of course, with the Young Palace Master here, there would be no need for him to act anyway.”
The corner of Pei Yuan Jin’s mouth unconsciously curved upward.
So many years had passed that Mo Xiao Ran was already the one calling the shots at the Heaven-Earth Mirror, yet the Puppet Path still dared not openly show itself. Some concealed their names and identities, while others had fled far to the western frontier. The Immortal Treasury Palace’s years of relentless purging had played no small part in that.
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Have the Wind Division confirm Tie Rong Rong’s true identity as soon as possible.”
Yu Su Huan asked, “And after it’s confirmed?”
Pei Yuan Jin said coldly, “Kill her.”
By the twelfth day of the first lunar month, Fu Xi Yan could perform both Void-Treading Step and Shattered-Star Afterimage with respectable proficiency. Combined with Soft-Gentle Fist, he could defeat Fu Xuan within fifty moves—though against Pei Yuan Jin, of course, he still lost every single time.
Fu Xuan was delighted beyond measure by his nephew’s progress. “Good, good, good! At last, the Fu family has hope of producing a true expert!”
Fu Xi Yan felt that saying this in front of Pei Yuan Jin amounted to a public execution. “It’s all thanks to Young Palace Master Pei’s instruction.”
When Fu Xuan thanked him, Pei Yuan Jin calmly said, “It’s only my duty.”
Fu Xuan: “…”
Fu Fu had already told him how the relationship between his nephew and Pei Yuan Jin was progressing, but Fu Xuan still found the matter lodged uncomfortably in his throat. Fu Xi Yan was clearly his nephew, yet now Fu Xuan had to worry about whether the boy would one day be taking a bride or being married off as one. Unfortunately, he was only an uncle. Even if he was dissatisfied, it was not really his place to say anything.
He gave a dry cough and told Fu Xi Yan, “The Lantern Festival is approaching. Unless you have business outside, stay home.”
Fu Xi Yan nodded, then realized something was wrong. “Isn’t the whole point of the Lantern Festival to go out and have fun?”
Elio’s Notes: The Lantern Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month and traditionally features lantern displays, fairs, and nighttime outings.
“The situation has changed.” Fu Xuan lowered his voice. “Yesterday, the Prefect of Jiangling was escorted into the capital on charges of colluding with the enemy and committing treason. Reports from the front say Southern Yu’s naval forces at Yiling and Jiangcheng are both mobilizing. The border between the two countries is now like someone walking on thin ice. One wrong step could ignite a full-scale war. In case Southern Yu makes another move, it’s better for you to stay obediently at home.”
Fu Xi Yan was startled. “The prefect committed treason?”
Fu Xuan glanced at Pei Yuan Jin.
Fu Xi Yan thought about how Pei Yuan Jin and Yu Su Huan never avoided discussing palace affairs in front of him. It hardly seemed right to ask Pei Yuan Jin to leave now, but figuring out how to explain that to his uncle was another matter.
He could hardly say outright, We’re all family here.
While Fu Xi Yan was still hesitating, Pei Yuan Jin simply sprang away on his own.
…
Fu Xi Yan suddenly felt uneasy. He didn’t get angry, did he?
Fu Xuan said, “That prefect is the one who nearly became Liu Tan Du’s in-law.”
Fu Xi Yan gave an absentminded “Mm,” his eyes still fixed in the direction Pei Yuan Jin had left.
Fu Xuan continued, “At this point, I don’t even know whether the prefect’s treason is real.”
By now, everyone in the family knew that Grand Commandant Liu intended to have Liu Tan Du’s son take over Liu Zhi Yuan’s marriage agreement with Fu Xia Qing, but no one was particularly enthusiastic about it.
First, Fu Xia Qing liked scholarly men. Her perfectly good juren fiancé had abruptly been replaced with a military husband, leaving her deeply unhappy.
Second, most of the Fu family’s military influence lay under Liu Tan Du’s command. Once the two families became related by marriage, Liu Tan Du’s son could legitimately take control of those forces as the Fu family’s son-in-law. It was practically pulling the firewood out from under the Fu family’s cauldron and cutting away their foundation.
That was why Fu Xuan had said he did not know whether the prefect’s treason was genuine. After all, as matters currently stood, a marriage between the Liu and Fu families served their interests much better. The prefect and his daughter had therefore become rather inconvenient obstacles.
But whether the accusation was true or false, Count Yongfeng’s Estate had no other choice.
Fu Li An and Fu Dong Wen were following the civil examination route, so set them aside for the moment. The only one who practiced martial arts, Fu Xi Yan, had been tied by the emperor to the Censorate in Haojing. And among all the children, his future was the hardest to predict. If he entered the army, where would that leave Pei Yuan Jin?
In short, Fu Xi Yan’s entanglement with the Immortal Treasury Palace, together with Emperor Jianhong and Grand Commandant Liu’s recent moves, had completely disrupted the Fu family’s plans. Originally, they had intended for Fu Xi Yan to spend some time gaining experience in the Yulin Guard, then find an opportunity to send him into the army, where he could gradually inherit the Fu family’s military influence from Fu Xuan.
Madam Fu had approved that plan as well.
Born into a great family, Madam Fu turned a blind eye to most things, but she watched her sons’ futures extremely closely. It had been her insistence that Fu Li An follow the civil path. Fu Dong Wen’s mother, influenced by her, had likewise encouraged her son to abandon martial pursuits for scholarship. Only Fu Xi Yan, whose birth mother had died early, had largely been left to grow as he pleased. He also had strong ideas of his own, which was why he had practiced martial arts from childhood.
Fortunately, the talents they each displayed later proved that Madam Fu’s choices had not been wrong.
Fu Xi Yan remembered something. “Didn’t Father say recently that he wanted the younger clan members to join the army?”
After reconciling with the collateral branches, Fu Fu had begun vigorously promoting members of the clan. Large families relied on favoring their own people as a way of protecting themselves, but too little time had passed for those efforts to show immediate results.
Fu Xuan said, “Distant water cannot quench an immediate thirst. Grand Commandant Liu’s meaning is that, to avoid further complications, Xia Qing’s marriage should happen sooner rather than later.”
Fu Xi Yan asked in confusion, “Further complications?”
“Both Xia Qing and General Liu’s son have already been engaged twice.”
Fu Xi Yan thought, From that perspective, I suppose good things really do suffer many setbacks.
“What kind of person is General Liu’s son? And what is the Liu household like?”
In this era, marriage was a union between families. Liu Tan Du was stationed on the southern frontier. Once Fu Xia Qing married there, she might go years without another opportunity to return home. Whether her husband’s family treated her well was therefore vitally important.
Fu Xuan had served in the army when he was young, and Liu Tan Du had been his direct superior at the time, so naturally they had interacted. “Liu Huan is Liu Tan Du’s concubine-born son and also his only son. He is still young, yet he has already entered the Mortal-Shedding Stage. If he lived in Haojing, his reputation would be no less than Lou Wu Zai’s. As for the Liu household, Liu Tan Du has only one wife, so the family is simple. Madam Liu is in poor health, spends much of the year practicing Buddhism, and rarely leaves her quarters. She probably won’t interfere much in the young couple’s affairs.”
Fu Xi Yan immediately caught the contradiction. “He only has one wife, so where did the concubine-born son come from? Don’t tell me he was picked up somewhere and raised as their own.”
Something flickered through Fu Xuan’s eyes. “It is said his mother was an outside mistress. After Madam Liu discovered her, they got rid of the mother and kept the child. From then on, Madam Liu suffered nightmares every night and only then began practicing Buddhism. Whatever the truth, Liu Huan is Liu Tan Du’s only son, and he is quite accomplished for his age. Judged solely as an individual, he is a fairly good match.”
Fu Xi Yan asked, “So is Second Sister marrying him or not?”
Fu Xuan sighed. “Grand Commandant Liu has already reported the matter to His Majesty. Whether she marries him is no longer something we can decide. It depends on what His Majesty wants.”
“If Grand Commandant Liu already came here, doesn’t that mean His Majesty agreed?”
“Prince Yunzhong died at the hands of the Commandery Prince of Pingluo. The Northern Alliance hates the Commandery Prince to the bone and has tried to assassinate him continually for years, so the chance of his betraying Northern Zhou is extremely low. Yet even so, His Majesty summoned his grandsons to the capital as hostages. That shows you how naturally suspicious rulers are.” Fu Xuan analyzed the situation. “The heir to Duke Haixi may defend the western frontier, but that region is filled with small states. He commands the fewest troops of the three great border armies—only one hundred and twenty thousand—and the other garrisons along the defensive line do not answer to him. Duke Haixi himself also lives in Haojing, right under His Majesty’s eyes. Even an outing into the countryside requires imperial approval, so naturally there is little reason to fear him. That leaves General of Agile Cavalry Liu Tan Du in the south. His Majesty promoted him exceptionally quickly after taking the throne, so his foundations are shallow, and our family has always served as a counterweight. There was originally little cause for concern. But if his family now marries ours, the southern defenses already number three hundred thousand troops. Once those forces are twisted into a single rope, they may become too powerful for the court to control. Given His Majesty’s caution, he should not agree.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “But His Majesty hasn’t objected.”
Fu Xuan sighed. “Which is precisely why it’s even more worrying.” An open spear was easy to dodge; a hidden arrow was hard to defend against. They had no idea which direction His Majesty intended to strike this time.
After exchanging worries with his uncle about the Fu family’s future, Fu Xi Yan used Void-Treading Step and raced all the way to Pei Yuan Jin’s courtyard.
Pei Yuan Jin was holding a comb and grooming the tabby cat.
Fu Xi Yan circled him once. Seeing that Pei Yuan Jin never looked up, he searched for something to say. “With that much fur flying around, shouldn’t you wear a mask?”
“No need.”
Fu Xi Yan did not see Pei Yuan Jin make any particular movement, but the loose fur floating in the air abruptly gathered itself into a ball and dropped to the ground.
Fu Xi Yan crouched down and picked up the ball of fur, kneading it between his fingers for amusement.
The tabby wriggled, trying to paw at the fur ball in Fu Xi Yan’s hand. Fu Xi Yan teased it with the ball while pretending to ask casually, “There’s a lantern fair during the Lantern Festival. Shall we ask Aunt Yu and go together?”
Pei Yuan Jin said, “Didn’t your uncle tell you not to go out?”
“We’ll just go to Mingji Temple. With you there, what is there to fear from some Southern Yu Wall-Breaching Crossbow?”
Pei Yuan Jin did not enjoy crowded places, but Fu Xi Yan rarely asked him for anything, and he had also worked diligently at his martial arts these past few days. A reward seemed appropriate. When Pei Yuan Jin had practiced well as a child, his father had also taken him out. Looking at the matter from that perspective, Pei Yuan Jin concluded that Fu Xi Yan was asking for a reward and nodded. “All right.”
Fu Xi Yan quietly relaxed. If he agreed, does that mean he wasn’t angry just now?
But he was still worried that leaving things unsaid might create distance between them, so after thinking for a moment, he chose to address it directly. “My uncle is cautious by nature, and he doesn’t know you very well…”
Pei Yuan Jin looked up at him.
Fu Xi Yan said sincerely, “It wasn’t because we had anything we wanted to hide from you.”
Pei Yuan Jin did not care. “The Immortal Treasury Palace has the Wind Division. If I want to know something, it’s easy enough.” He had only left earlier because he had happened to find a polite opportunity to excuse himself.
Fu Xi Yan thought of Xiao Sang and Xiao Zhang, who followed him around constantly. That was true. After so long, he had already become accustomed to their presence, and the instinct to guard against them had grown weaker and weaker.
Whether the boiling-frog experiment itself was scientifically valid could be set aside; the principle behind it certainly existed.
“Then it’s settled. We’re going to the Lantern Festival lantern fair.”
Fu Xi Yan had visited the Mingji Temple lantern fair several times before. It was certainly lively, but ultimately there was nothing especially novel about it—eat a little, buy a little, wander around. Yet for some reason, after making plans with Pei Yuan Jin this time, he found himself inexplicably looking forward to it.
Perhaps he simply wanted to see how Pei Yuan Jin planned to maintain his usual imposing aura in the middle of a packed crowd.
On the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, with only one day left until the Lantern Festival, Fu Xi Yan had already invited Fu Xia Qing and Fu Chen Xing to come along. Fu Li An was preparing for the examinations, so naturally no one dared disturb him. Otherwise, even a business partner would not be spared Madam Fu’s beating.
Since returning from the Cheng family, Fu Xia Qing had been depressed for two days before quickly returning to normal. She had merely sent her nanny far away.
Fu Xi Yan had no idea this was the consequence of the nanny gossiping about him earlier and assumed she had somehow offended Madam Fu. Such things happened all the time in great households, so he thought nothing of it.
Shortly after noon, Fu Xi Yan woke from his nap and was just about to ask a servant to bring him some snacks when the steward hurried inside and said someone outside urgently wanted to see him.
Fu Xi Yan asked, “Who?”
The steward said, “Apparently one of Second Master’s men. A Yulin Guard surnamed Zhu.”
Surnamed Zhu?
After Zhu Yu Da left the Yulin Guard, the only Yulin Guard Fu Xi Yan knew with that surname was Zhu Qiao.
He immediately stood and headed outside.
Count Yongfeng’s Estate occupied the full grounds appropriate to a count’s residence, so there was still a long distance between Fu Chen Xing’s courtyard and the main gate. As Fu Xi Yan walked, he unconsciously began using Shattered-Star Afterimage. His figure skipped forward almost like missing frames in a film, racing ahead while leaving one afterimage after another behind him.
As he neared the main gate, he stopped using the technique and walked quickly the rest of the way.
The person outside was not Zhu Qiao.
It was Zhu Yu Da.
Since their last meeting in prison, Zhu Yu Da had visibly aged. There were faint blue shadows beneath his eyes and a ring of stubble around his mouth.
Fu Xi Yan was surprised. “Uncle Zhu, I tried looking for you after I returned to the capital, but you had moved away.”
“Something happened. Your uncle and I took the opportunity to put on an act. We pretended to fall out so I could infiltrate the other side.”
Thinking back to when Zhu Yu Da had been imprisoned, the Fu family’s greatest enemy at the time…
The Chu family?
Curiosity appeared all over Fu Xi Yan’s face.
“That person is Hu Yu,” Zhu Yu Da said calmly. “For years, he has moved back and forth between the Fu Party and the Chu Party, sowing discord and deepening the rift between them. I only learned the truth after infiltrating his side.”
Back then, Hu Yu had been the third-highest-ranking man in the Yulin Guard, below only Chu Guang and Fu Xuan. On the day Chu Shao Yang challenged Fu Xi Yan, Hu Yu had indeed been standing nearby fanning the flames, and Zhu Yu Da had said at the time that he intended to investigate what was behind the incident.
Everything had a clear cause and consequence, so Fu Xi Yan immediately believed him. “Did something happen this time, Uncle Zhu?”
Zhu Yu Da said, “The Prefect of Jiangling has already confessed to colluding with the enemy and committing treason. He gave up Southern Yu’s spy network, which appears to be connected to the banks and pawnshops. The moment your uncle learned of it, he sent someone to find me and ordered me to get you out!”
Fu Xi Yan’s heart sank halfway into an abyss.
Ever since Fu Xuan told him there was something wrong with the copper coin Wei Gang had given him, Fu Xi Yan had considered where the bank might have come from. His boldest suspicion had been the Ghostshadow Organization.
He had never imagined Southern Yu was behind it!
Fu Xi Yan had told his uncle that he had visited the bank, so it made perfect sense that upon hearing this news, Fu Xuan would send someone to tell him to leave.
And yet, for some reason, despite every part of the story sounding right, Fu Xi Yan still sensed something faintly strange.
He asked, “Where are you taking me, Uncle Zhu?”
“Out of Haojing first. I’ve already made arrangements. We’ll leave through Kaiyuan Gate, head west, and seek refuge with your uncle by marriage, the heir to Duke Haixi!” As he spoke, Zhu Yu Da grabbed him and prepared to pull him toward a carriage parked beside the road.
Fu Xi Yan was dragged two steps before planting his feet. “Wait. I still have one question.”
“Ask it once we’re in the carriage!”
Zhu Yu Da exerted a little more force, but Fu Xi Yan easily pulled him back instead.
“Why did Uncle Zhu come looking for me through the main gate?” Fu Xi Yan had finally found the flaw. “If we’re secretly fleeing, wouldn’t leaving through the front attract attention?”
Zhu Yu Da said helplessly, “At a time like this, behaving openly is exactly what keeps people from becoming suspicious. Sneaking around through a back entrance would make you look guilty. After you leave, your uncle will make up some excuse about your aunt falling ill…”
“I’m the Censorate’s Capital Patrol Commissioner. I have to report to the court before leaving Haojing. If I simply run away, what happens to my family?” Fu Xi Yan pulled his wrist free from Zhu Yu Da’s grip. “Once this comes to light, neither you nor my uncle will escape punishment. My eldest brother is sitting the examinations this year. I absolutely cannot drag him into this.”
Zhu Yu Da was so anxious he nearly jumped. “Naturally your father and uncle will take care of all that. You don’t need to worry!”
But his father and uncle were ordinary people too. There were things even they could not manage.
Why should they bear the consequences of a mistake he himself had made?
Fu Xi Yan stubbornly shook his head. “Go, Uncle Zhu. You’ve been undercover for so long. Don’t expose yourself over this.”
Zhu Yu Da was about to say something else when rapid hoofbeats sounded from the far end of the road. From a distance, the approaching riders appeared to be government men. He dared not hesitate any longer and jumped into the carriage, whipping the horses into motion.
The hoofbeats drew closer.
It was Liao Shang, accompanied by constables from the Ministry of Justice.
Liao Shang reined in his horse but did not dismount. Sitting upright in the saddle, he knowingly asked, “Might this be Lord Fu Xi Yan, Capital Patrol Commissioner of the Censorate?”
Fu Xi Yan replied calmly, “It is.”
Liao Shang waved one hand.
The constables surged forward together.
“Take him away!”
Even as he was arrested, Fu Xi Yan remained completely composed. He called to the gatekeeper who had hurried outside, “Tell Pei Yuan Jin that the Lantern Festival lantern fair comes around every year.”
Looks like I won’t make it this year.
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