Fu Xi Yan nuzzled against the arm Pei Yuan Jin had resting beside the pillow. “I know you would never truly kill me. I can’t push my state of mind into that place where life is sought through death.”
Pei Yuan Jin fell silent.
There were many things in which he could guide Fu Xi Yan, but not the state of being on the verge of death. He could not give him that. Even imagining it was enough to make his sword intent surge.
The two were whispering beneath the covers when the sound of running footsteps came closer from outside. A servant called through the door, “Young Master, someone is here to see you.”
Fu Xi Yan poked his head out from under Pei Yuan Jin. “Who?”
“Someone from the Qinling Escort Agency.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
People said debts from the sixth month came due quickly, but surely nobody came collecting the very next day.
The escort agency had arrived in force. A deputy escort chief led the group, accompanied by sixteen escorts. There were not enough chairs in the reception hall, so the steward had to bring in more.
Nearly twenty burly men sat packed together, backs straight, looking as though they might draw their swords at any moment. Their presence was formidable. Beside them sat one small man who was especially easy to overlook.
Yet the instant Fu Xi Yan entered, it was the small man who stepped forward first. “Sixth Steward of the Chen family of the Four-Way Merchant Alliance pays his respects to the Mirror Master.”
Fu Xi Yan vaguely felt that the man looked familiar.
The Sixth Steward hurriedly directed the escorts to present a tall brocade box about the length of an arm. “It took quite a bit of effort to find what you asked for back then. We rushed it to Jiangling as quickly as we could, but we were still a step too late. So we entrusted the gentlemen of the Qinling Escort Agency to escort it all the way here. Please accept it.”
Fu Xi Yan froze, realizing he had guessed their purpose entirely wrong. Curious, he asked, “What is it?”
The Sixth Steward lowered his voice. “Riverbed Moon Begonia.”
Fu Xi Yan suddenly remembered. When they had gone to Southern Yu, the Director of the Territorial Security Office had sent them to Yuzhang on a mission. They had agreed then that if Fu Xi Yan and Pei Yuan Jin killed Ban Qing Yu, the Riverbed Moon Begonia would be presented to them with both hands.
So much time had passed that Fu Xi Yan himself had nearly forgotten about it. He had not expected the Director to remember.
Fu Xi Yan set the box on the table and gently opened it. Inside a long glass bottle filled with water rested a flower shaped much like a begonia. It looked vividly alive, without the slightest sign of withering despite so many days on the road.
Of the final three ingredients needed for the Golden Origin Pill, two were now in hand.
Fu Xi Yan suppressed the heat surging through his chest and closed the box.
Only after seeing the item safely delivered did the deputy escort chief relax. He collected the remaining payment and left in a hurry.
Once the escorts were gone, the Sixth Steward became much more at ease. “The old steward was originally supposed to come in person, but he caught a chill and has been coughing in bed for several days. He simply couldn’t make the journey, so he sent me instead. I had the good fortune to share a boat with Mirror Master Fu and Young Master Pei that day, so I thought I might at least count as a familiar face.”
Fu Xi Yan smiled. “Should I be thanking the Director, or His Highness?”
The Sixth Steward said, “His Highness personally gave the order. This thing was extremely difficult to find. They practically turned every river and pond in Southern Yu upside down before finally locating one in a mountain lake. To be honest, when the news arrived, everyone who had been sent searching nearly cried with joy.”
Fu Xi Yan’s wariness toward Prince Yue, Qin Zhao, came from the positions they occupied and Qin Zhao’s line of work. Setting those aside and judging the man personally, Qin Zhao truly was the sort of person who could make a good friend. At the very least, this Riverbed Moon Begonia showed that he did not tear down the bridge once he had crossed it and that he kept his word.
“Stay for two days. Let me prepare a return gift.”
The Riverbed Moon Begonia had been promised by the Director of the Territorial Security Office, but nobody had said it came with free shipping. Sending it all this way could not have been cheap, so Fu Xi Yan had to show some appreciation.
Calling it special preparation was an exaggeration. He simply had the steward look through the storerooms for a few Northern Zhou specialties that Southern Yu did not have, neither too much nor too little, neither too costly nor too shabby, the sort of gift one might exchange with an ordinary friend.
Fu Xi Yan managed to loaf around at home for only one more day before Shi Wei Liang sent a note ordering him to report for duty.
As he was leaving, Fu Xi Yan was still complaining to Pei Yuan Jin. “Why do I feel like we wandered around in a huge circle only to end up right back where we started? We’re only missing Aunt Yu, Chief Manager Shou, and that silly tiger. Right, Chief Manager Shou is Elder Shou now.”
As he spoke, a shadow passed overhead.
Without even looking up, Pei Yuan Jin raised a finger like a sword and pointed upward. A heartfelt “Ow!” immediately came from above. The shadow flapped its wings and moved elsewhere.
Watching Fu Gui Gui fly away, Fu Xi Yan shook his head. “Being a little stupid is fine. At least it keeps her honest.” Ever since Fu Gui Gui learned to fly, even Sun Wukong wreaking havoc in Heaven could not have stayed airborne as long as she did. Fortunately, after Fu Xi Yan repeatedly emphasized the rule, she understood that she was not allowed to leave the Fu estate, so all she did each day was throw her weight around at home.
Fu Xi Yan arrived precisely in time to report for duty. His colleagues all stared when they saw him. Fortunately, they were not green youngsters fresh out of the gate. They quickly pulled themselves together and went back to work as though nothing had happened, though Fu Xi Yan could still hear bits and pieces of their whispered discussion behind his back.
The comments about beauty and weight loss were one thing. What puzzled them far more was why the mighty Master of the Heaven-and-Earth Mirror had to report for duty at the Censorate just like the rest of them.
“Why does the mighty Master of the Heaven-and-Earth Mirror still have to report for duty?”
Fu Xi Yan was equally baffled.
Shi Wei Liang said, “Attendance is also one of the things considered when salaries are paid.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Show up on time, leave on time, receive the full salary. It sounded perfectly reasonable. He could hardly say he did not want the money. He had earned it through his own labor. Even if he donated it afterward, why should he let the exploiters keep it?
Shi Wei Liang handed him a dossier. The pages were densely filled with records of everyone Hu Yu had interacted with over the past year. The most recent entry said a maternal-side uncle of his had come from far away with a hundred-year-old ginseng root and asked him to find a minor yamen position for his son.
Fu Xi Yan asked, “You even keep records of gifts exchanged between people?”
Shi Wei Liang said, “The greatest stories are often hidden inside ordinary human relationships.”
Fu Xi Yan looked up at him and said nothing for a long while.
Shi Wei Liang looked at him once, twice, then a third time before finally asking, “You have rather frequent dealings with the Four-Way Merchant Alliance?”
By speaking so plainly, he actually made Fu Xi Yan feel more at ease. The Sixth Steward had indeed come on Prince Yue’s business, but he had traveled under the Chen family’s name. Unless someone captured him and tortured him, they probably would not discover who stood behind the visit.
Fu Xi Yan said, “Business dealings.”
Shi Wei Liang said meaningfully, “Prince Yue mobilized quite a few people and searched rivers and waterways everywhere for that Riverbed Moon Begonia. That does not sound like ordinary business.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
He had never expected the slap in the face to arrive this quickly.
Still, Fu Xi Yan had plenty of confidence. Was the life of a Martial King not worth one flower?
“Getting Southern Yu to send a rare flower to Northern Zhou…” Fu Xi Yan said. “Even if it wasn’t ordinary business, it was still a profitable deal.”
Shi Wei Liang looked at him and smiled. “True enough. The benefit lies with Northern Zhou, and the merit will last a thousand autumns.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…” That second half was just for the rhyme, wasn’t it?
“His Majesty handles ten thousand affairs a day. He cannot personally examine every matter. Information like this passes before our eyes first. So long as the greater principles remain intact, we leave it alone.”
Fu Xi Yan thought, Isn’t that just encouraging corruption and crime?
“There are other people responsible for that.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
Seeing him hold the records without moving for ages, Shi Wei Liang asked, “Finished?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Not even close. Can I take it home and read it slowly?”
Shi Wei Liang coughed dryly. “That won’t be necessary. The records have already been organized. Of everyone Hu Yu has dealt with, two people are the most suspicious. One is Tian Tuo, owner of the God of Wealth Gambling House. Commander Hu does not like gambling, and given his current position, there is no good reason for him to have dealings with such a man. The other is Rong Yue’s clan uncle, Rong Liang. Ever since Rong Yue defected, the Rong family has been treated like a plague in Haojing, and no one dares go near them. Hu Yu continuing to deal with Rong Liang is extremely abnormal. Investigate the two of them and see whether they are secretly colluding with the Northern Alliance.”
Fu Xi Yan put the booklet down. “This shouldn’t be difficult to investigate, should it?”
Shi Wei Liang said, “It all falls within the authority of the Capital Patrol Commissioner.”
“I believe you now. You really aren’t deliberately making things difficult for me.”
Fu Xi Yan patted the cover of the booklet, turned, and left the room.
The discussion outside was still going on and had already reached the Immortal Treasury Palace. Perhaps because every profession looks mysterious to outsiders, the not particularly lofty peak became, in their telling, something that seemed eager to compete with Heaven itself. Immortal mist swirled over it by day, stars glittered around it by night, and the only thing missing was a troupe of immortal maidens singing and dancing.
Fu Xi Yan borrowed a squad from the Censorate and headed for the God of Wealth Gambling House.
There were plenty of gambling houses in Haojing. The God of Wealth Gambling House had given itself an imposing name, but in reality it occupied only two adjoining storefronts in a narrow alley. The moment Fu Xi Yan lifted the curtain, a foot odor like duck droppings hit him in the face so hard that he nearly turned around and left.
He stood at the entrance a little too long. The noonday sunlight spilled into the gambling house and briefly jolted many people out of their dazed, overheated frenzy.
Then they saw the person standing in the doorway and immediately sank right back into their dazed, overheated frenzy.
Fu Xi Yan kicked away an old lecher who pretended to fall so he could grope him, then casually grabbed a stool and tossed it onto the gambling table. The dealer flew into a rage. “Who are you?”
“Bring out your boss, Tian Tuo.”
Fu Xi Yan flicked his sleeves and swept aside two thugs who rushed him.
Seeing that the situation was turning bad, the dealer decisively went into the back. Before long, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man came out with an amiable smile. “I am Tian Tuo. May I ask who this young master is…”
“The Censorate is investigating a case. I’m asking about one person.”
Tian Tuo grew nervous. “Who?”
“Lu Xiao Feng.”
* * *
No matter how carefully one tended it, spring could not be kept forever. When its time came, every flower would fade. The garden that had been bursting with blossoms not long ago had, in the blink of an eye, become sparse and strewn with fallen petals.
Today was the day Emperor Jianhong had graciously permitted Liu Tan Du to enter the palace and visit Noble Consort Liu.
A consort receiving family should properly do so inside a hall, but Noble Consort Liu insisted on choosing the garden. The female officials and eunuchs tried one after another to persuade her, but she refused to change her mind. In the end, a female official secretly reported the matter to Emperor Jianhong and received a single word of approval. Only then was it settled.
“That hall is dark and gloomy. Sitting inside feels like discussing funeral arrangements. I don’t like it. Besides, I chose today myself. An auspicious day, an auspicious hour, favorable for everything.”
In front of her own elder brother, Noble Consort Liu discarded the mask of delicate charm, softness, and understanding and seemed to become once more the unmarried young woman who spoke without restraint. Even her words turned sharp.
Liu Tan Du looked steadily at her.
The powder on her face was thicker, her makeup heavier, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes more numerous. Even the white hairs at her temples had not been fully plucked, with one still left behind. Compared with before she entered the palace, she looked much more haggard and weathered. Yet Liu Tan Du kept looking at her very carefully, as though he wanted to carve this present image of her deep into his heart.
“Why not humor His Majesty in little matters like these?”
Noble Consort Liu sighed. “Because they’re little matters, I can afford to be willful.”
Liu Tan Du said, “I heard you’re still managing the affairs of the inner palace?”
Noble Consort Liu smiled self-mockingly. “As long as I obey His Majesty in everything, then yes, I’m the one managing it.”
“That’s good.” He lowered his head. There was a flowerpot nearby, and ants crawled along its rim. He watched them with such concentration that he seemed entranced, but the fist hidden inside his sleeve was clenched tight, as though some emotion were gathering there.
Noble Consort Liu suddenly asked, “Sister-in-law and your nephew have both left?”
Liu Tan Du seemed to relax. He raised his head. “You know?”
She smiled. “I know everything. News about you has suddenly become much more plentiful lately. You know how it is. Good news doesn’t leave the gate, while bad news travels a thousand li. People in this palace love kicking those who fall and flattering those who rise. Plenty of them are waiting to see me suffer.”
Liu Tan Du said, “I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with the Tenth Prince?”
Noble Consort Liu said, “I don’t have children of my own, and he’s still a child. At least it gives me something to hold on to. Right, I heard Huan’er’s marriage to the Fu family’s second young lady fell through?”
Liu Tan Du said, “It did.”
Only Liu Yan Sheng and Fu Xuan knew what cultivating the Heaven-Mending, Future-Opening Art had done to him. Noble Consort Liu had been kept entirely in the dark, so naturally she believed Liu Huan was her own nephew by blood.
She sighed from the heart. “What a pity.”
The Fu family’s position and influence at court could only be called promising. They could not compare with great clans that had built power over generations, and even against high-ranking ministers such as Pu Jiu Lin and Shi Wei Liang, they were still somewhat lacking.
But all of that was secondary.
What truly made people take the Fu family seriously was its power outside the court. The Immortal Treasury Palace and the Heaven-and-Earth Mirror, both of which possessed the strength to contend directly with the sovereign, were their greatest trump cards at present.
Who could ignore an organization capable of charging straight into your home at any moment and threatening your life?
That was not one person. That was an entire group!
Sometimes, when Noble Consort Liu thought of the Fu family, her blood would quietly heat. If the Liu family had their support, why would they need to fear the emperor?
…What a pity. Such a pity.
Liu Tan Du saw the regret on her face and felt an urge to tell her everything that had happened in the Southern Border in one breath. Yet when the words reached his lips, he ultimately swallowed them back.
Looking at Noble Consort Liu holding a rose that had withered until only half the flower remained, he suddenly snapped, “I think you’ve lost your mind!”
The hand holding the flower trembled slightly. Noble Consort Liu turned to look at him.
Liu Tan Du pointed a finger at her nose, his face faintly flushed, looking absolutely furious.
Noble Consort Liu quickly calmed down. “The moment you sent Sister-in-law and your nephew away, I knew this day would come.”
Liu Tan Du froze. She suddenly threw herself at him. He wanted to dodge, but could not bear to. Noble Consort Liu wrapped her arms around him and struck his shoulder while crying. “You sent them away. Who wouldn’t know what you intend to do? You think quarreling with me once will keep me from being implicated?”
Liu Tan Du remained silent for a long time. Then he unclenched the fist at his side and said softly, “All right. I understand.”
“You don’t!” she said angrily.
Liu Tan Du was not Liu Yan Sheng. Whenever Noble Consort Liu lost her temper, he had never known what to do with her.
Still holding him, she leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Do what you have to do. Don’t worry about me.”
Liu Tan Du’s body stiffened.
“I’ll find a way to survive. Even if I can’t, at least the three of us siblings will be together.” She rested against his shoulder, tears streaming down her face even as the corners of her lips curved upward. “Avenge Eldest Brother. Don’t let the people responsible escape.”
Liu Tan Du said, “I may not get the chance.”
“Eldest Brother is gone. Second Brother is the head of the family now. Whatever Second Brother wants to do, his little sister will do too.” She patted his shoulder, then pushed him away and said with a pout, “If you scold me again next time, I won’t forgive you.”
Liu Tan Du looked at her, his vision gradually blurring. Yet within that blur, the fine lines at Noble Consort Liu’s eyes vanished, the white hairs at her temples disappeared, the half-withered flower in the garden became a soft pink bloom again, and she was once more that innocent, carefree young girl.
* * *
Tian Tuo sat miserably in front of Fu Xi Yan. The gambling house’s account books had all been spread open, yet there was still no sign of this “Lu Xiao Feng.” He could not help asking suspiciously, “Does this person really exist?”
Fu Xi Yan sat with one leg crossed over the other. “He has a friend named Xi Men Chui Xue, who likes wearing white and doesn’t talk much. Another friend is Hua Man Lou, who is blind and very polite. And another friend is Si Kong Zhai Xing, who’s a thief…”
Elio’s Notes: Lu Xiao Feng, Xi Men Chui Xue, Hua Man Lou, and Si Kong Zhai Xing are major characters from Gu Long’s Lu Xiaofeng wuxia stories. Fu Xi Yan is feeding Tian Tuo a completely fictional suspect list.
“My lord, my lord!” Tian Tuo could not help interrupting. “It isn’t that I won’t cooperate. It’s just that none of those three names sound like people who would come to our gambling house. The people who come here, look at these names…”
Wang Er Ma.
Zhang A San.
Li A Si.
…
Tian Tuo said, “Lu Xiao Feng is the only one who sounds remotely possible.”
Fu Xi Yan said, “You really won’t shed tears until you see the coffin!”
Tian Tuo hated “Lu Xiao Feng” to death. Of all the places he could have gone, why did it have to be a gambling house? “Everything I’m saying is true. I’ve never seen any of these people. If you don’t believe me, check the account books yourself!”
“You think I don’t know gambling houses all keep yin-yang ledgers?”
Tian Tuo asked curiously, “What are yin-yang ledgers?”
“The yang ledger is for outsiders to see. The yin ledger is for your own people.” Fu Xi Yan said, “Stop pretending you don’t understand!”
Tian Tuo jumped to his feet in agitation and stamped his feet. “These account books are for collecting debts. Why would I keep them just for myself? Of course I need to show them to other people so they’ll pay back what they owe!”
Fu Xi Yan brushed off his clothes, stood up, and walked out of the gambling house with an aloof expression. Tian Tuo followed nervously behind him. “My lord, does that mean you believe me?”
“Believe you… my ass.” Fu Xi Yan waved a hand, and the Censorate runners lying in wait rushed out. “Seal the gambling house!”
“My lord!”
Tian Tuo let out a wail and nearly fainted.
Watching him panic as though his eyebrows were on fire, Fu Xi Yan thought, When something like this happens, this is when you start pulling strings, right?
* * *
Flowers had their blooming seasons, and Liu Tan Du’s meeting with Noble Consort Liu had its allotted time as well. When the female official stepped forward, it meant their time was up.
Noble Consort Liu plucked the rose that had only half its bloom left and gave it to Liu Tan Du. “Even with only half remaining, a flower loses none of its beauty.”
Liu Tan Du accepted it solemnly, then followed the female official away without looking back.
Noble Consort Liu could not stop herself from following for quite a distance. Only when they reached the palace entrance did Liu Tan Du turn around. “Don’t see me any farther.”
Noble Consort Liu said, “All right. Go.”
So Liu Tan Du left.
The female official stood beside Noble Consort Liu and said quietly, “Your Highness lost decorum today.” Even if he was her elder brother, he was still an outside male official. Embracing one another like that was improper. Even if His Majesty said nothing, rumors would probably spread.
Only after Liu Tan Du’s back disappeared from view did Noble Consort Liu turn around. “Then let His Majesty punish me.”
Liu Tan Du estimated that he had already left Noble Consort Liu’s line of sight before finally stopping and looking back. The palace hall was already far away, with only the corners of its roof visible.
The roofs of palace halls all looked much the same, but when he thought of the person living beneath that one, his gaze could not help softening.
The eunuch leading the way said quietly, “General Liu, mind your step.”
He said “mind your step,” but what he really meant was for Liu Tan Du to hurry. Visits like this had fixed times for entering and leaving the palace. If they lingered too long, they would alert the Yulin Guard. Liu Tan Du might be fine, but the eunuch guiding him would not escape a beating.
Liu Tan Du gave a low acknowledgment and followed him out. Halfway there, several people came hurrying along another path. He recognized the man in front as yet another Eunuch Zhang who, after Zhang Yuan, Yu Shuang Xi, and Zhang A Gu, had become one of His Majesty’s favorites.
No one knew why His Majesty had such a peculiar fondness for the surname Zhang.
The eunuch leading Liu Tan Du thought enviously, The lot I drew in this life really was the worst of the worst.
The new Eunuch Zhang was named Zhang Cai Fa, an extremely common name. Emperor Jianhong had not made him change it, just as he had not made Zhang A Gu change his. Zhang Cai Fa hurried over without letting his breathing grow disordered and said with a smile, “General Liu, please wait. His Majesty requests your presence!”
Liu Tan Du glanced at him, said nothing, and immediately followed.
After taking two steps, Zhang Cai Fa suddenly turned back and asked the eunuch who was still standing there, “Why haven’t I seen Commander Hu today?”
The eunuch replied, “Commander Hu is off duty today.”
* * *
Fu Xi Yan had assumed that even if Tian Tuo wanted to pull strings, he would at least go home, make inquiries, and prepare first. Who would have guessed that the instant Fu Xi Yan sealed the gambling house, Tian Tuo went straight to the Hu residence?
When Fu Xi Yan heard, he could hardly believe it. “It went that smoothly?”
If he had not known for certain that they had never met before, he might have suspected Tian Tuo was a background actor he had planted himself.
Since the curtain had risen on the show, all Fu Xi Yan needed to do now was wait and watch.
He would see whether Hu Yu came to him because of Tian Tuo.
If Hu Yu came, would it be to ask him to unseal the gambling house, or to… find out why Fu Xi Yan had gone there in the first place?
If Hu Yu did not come himself, Fu Xi Yan would see whether he asked someone else to intercede.
Still, in Fu Xi Yan’s view, if Hu Yu and Tian Tuo were close and Hu Yu had nothing to hide, he ought to come personally. After all, the Fu family had once entrusted its collateral branch to him and Chancellor Pu, and still owed them a favor.
Fu Xi Yan waited at home until evening and finally received an invitation from Hu Yu to dine. The chosen place was the Delicacy Pavilion.
It was the first time Fu Xi Yan had heard the name. He asked the steward about it and learned that the place was the former Zizui Tower. Zizui Tower had originally belonged to the mother-in-law of the Capital Prefect. Now that the Capital Prefect had been replaced, this famous Haojing prize had naturally changed hands as well.
Hearing this, Fu Xi Yan became a little nostalgic and said to Pei Yuan Jin, “Back then, when I first learned I had to escort the Third Prince to Luoyang, I got so angry that I ran to Zizui Tower for a meal. I planned to stage a scam, make a huge scene, and get myself crossed off the escort list. Then I ran into the Third Prince. I even thought it was going to be one of those encounters between an enlightened ruler and a worthy minister. Who knew…”
Pei Yuan Jin raised a brow. “Who knew what?”
“The Third Prince is practically Background Extra A in my story now.” Fu Xi Yan showed no mercy when roasting him. “Back then I even put him, Chu Guang, and Chu Shao Yang into a ‘dangerous people’ group chat. I thought they’d make some waves in the early stages. Never in a million years did I expect them to fail at becoming even minor bosses. They’re practically at ‘no such person found’ status now.”