The first time is unfamiliar, the second time familiar, and confessing was no different. Having already confessed once before, Rong Liang and the young woman from the opera troupe did not hold out for long before obediently spilling all their secrets.
Fu Xi Yan hurriedly handed in the results, then looked at the sky outside the window and calculated whether, if he left now, he might still catch up in time to see Lou Wu Zai off.
Shi Wei Liang looked at the two confessions in his hands, which had gone a hundred times more smoothly than expected, and said meaningfully, “These two spies have lain low in Northern Zhou for years and kept their mouths extremely tight. Yet the moment Lord Fu took action, you had them talking in less than two hours. Truly sharp and capable.”
Surprise appeared on Fu Xi Yan’s face. He leaned closer and whispered, “Wasn’t this something Lord Shi arranged in advance?”
Without changing expression, Shi Wei Liang lowered his voice as well. “What makes you say that?”
Fu Xi Yan said, “Lord Hu is Commander of the Yulin Guard. Who knows how many people he interacts with every day? Yet Lord Shi gave me only two names, and one of them turned out to be a spy. Those are fifty-fifty odds… that kind of hit rate. Didn’t Lord Shi arrange this long ago because you deliberately wanted me to earn some merit?”
He had already thought of this the first time Rong Liang confessed.
The investigation had gone far too smoothly, almost as though everything had fallen into place by itself. Since Shi Wei Liang had already become suspicious of Rong Liang, there was no way he would not have kicked the ball across the final step. That could only mean Rong Liang was a fish Shi Wei Liang had deliberately allowed to slip through the net so Fu Xi Yan could catch him.
The reason Fu Xi Yan had refused to catch him was simple… he had been tricked too many times and developed an allergy to traps. Whenever someone carefully designed a pit for him, he would shut his eyes and absolutely refuse to jump. If he did not jump, then nobody could trap him.
What he had not expected was that even after he threw away the food together with the bowl, the other side could pick both back up and feed the meal directly into his mouth.
What for?
Seriously, what was all this for?
Shi Wei Liang neither confirmed nor denied it. Instead, he asked, “Did Lord Fu only start thinking this way today, or had you already thought so before?”
Fu Xi Yan said with complete sincerity, “Of course I only thought of it today. Before this, Rong Liang had me completely fooled!”
Shi Wei Liang smiled faintly. It was impossible to tell whether he believed him.
“After Lord Fu reported that the two were not suspicious, I originally gave up as well. Unexpectedly, another traitor was caught yesterday and implicated them. Since this case had been handed to Lord Fu from the beginning, I thought letting you finish it would count as seeing things through from start to end.”
Fu Xi Yan said with “sudden realization,” “Many thanks for Lord Shi’s consideration.” Like hell I believe you.
Shi Wei Liang said, “Lord Fu has earned considerable merit this time. I will enter the palace immediately to see His Majesty. His Majesty may grant you a reward. Is there anything Lord Fu particularly wants?”
Fu Xi Yan’s eyes widened. “I get to choose?”
Shi Wei Liang said, “If His Majesty happens to ask, it never hurts to be prepared.”
Fu Xi Yan rubbed his hands excitedly. “Then where’s the catalog?”
“The catalog?”
“The catalog of the emperor’s collection, of course.” Fu Xi Yan’s eyes shone with excitement. “Northern Zhou has gone through several generations since its founding. After all that accumulation, the number of treasures must be spectacular, right?”
Shi Wei Liang: “…”
His original thought had been that since Emperor Jianhong had already decided to send Fu Xuan to the Western Border, he might as well do Fu Xi Yan a favor and guide him into mentioning it himself. Then, once the imperial decree arrived, Shi Wei Liang could claim he had argued for it on Fu Xi Yan’s behalf. Who could have guessed the man would refuse to follow the script entirely?
He said firmly, “How could the likes of us covet His Majesty’s private treasures?”
Fu Xi Yan: “…” Old Shi, do you dare look up and hear what you just said?!
Shi Wei Liang forcibly changed the subject. “Ahem. General Fu has been back in the capital for some time now. Does he have any plans?”
Fu Xi Yan said with perfect composure, “It’s rare for him to get a vacation. There’s nothing wrong with lying around at home. It’s not as though they’ve stopped paying his salary.”
Shi Wei Liang: “…”
When words do not agree, even half a sentence is too much. Farewell!
By the time Shi Wei Liang left, it was already completely dark outside. If Fu Xi Yan tried to see Lou Wu Zai off now, he would probably have to chase him all the way beyond Jiangling before catching up. He abandoned his original plan and leisurely rode the borrowed horse home for dinner.
Fu Xuan was there as well, so Fu Xi Yan casually mentioned that Shi Wei Liang had asked about his future plans earlier that day.
Fu Xuan had spent many years weathering the rise and fall of officialdom and was even more unruffled than his nephew. “It seems His Majesty has already made arrangements.”
Sure enough, late that night, when more than half of Haojing had fallen asleep and Fu Xi Yan had taken off his outer clothes and was preparing for bed, Shi Wei Liang arrived carrying an imperial decree.
Seeing Pei Yuan Jin’s dark expression, Fu Xi Yan said, “You sleep first. I’ll go have a look.”
Pei Yuan Jin grabbed his clothes and said unhappily, “You aren’t home either. What are you going out there for?”
Just look at that ability to lie through his teeth with his eyes wide open. As expected of a Martial King.
Fu Xi Yan had no choice but to remain in the room and tell the servant outside, “Young Master Pei and I aren’t home. We’ve gone to somebody else’s roof to look at the stars and moon… and to see who goes visiting other people’s homes in the middle of the night instead of sleeping!”
The servant froze for a moment before finally understanding and leaving.
Fu Xi Yan turned back toward Pei Yuan Jin with an expression plainly asking for praise and a reward.
Pei Yuan Jin raised a brow and pulled him into his arms.
A reward was certainly not impossible.
“…Wait. That isn’t what I meant.”
Fu Xi Yan, realizing that a tiny bedroom was on the verge of becoming a prairie fire, desperately tried to put it out.
Unfortunately, the “arsonist” was resolute. “It’s what I mean.”
* * *
Although Shi Wei Liang had deliberately chosen the night to read the imperial decree, news that Fu Xuan had been granted the title General of Illustrious Valor and would be dispatched to the Western Border still spread without wings and quickly circulated throughout the imperial capital.
Fu Xuan and Liu Tan Du had returned to the capital at the same time, yet their fortunes had diverged completely.
Only two years earlier, one had still been struggling to rise within the imperial guards while the other already commanded a region in the Southern Border. Now their positions had completely reversed. The Fu family’s rise seemed almost to mirror the Liu family’s decline.
Some people in the city sighed over the reversal, but even more saw an opportunity. For a time, the Fu family’s gates were crowded with visitors, allowing them to experience firsthand the saying that when one is rich, even distant relatives come calling from deep in the mountains.
After enduring it for two days, Fu Xuan could no longer bear the disturbance and immediately packed to leave for the Western Border. Since Fu Xi Yan planned to head north with Yu Su Huan, however, he left Xiao Sang and the others with Fu Xuan.
Fu Xuan reminded him, “You still hold a post at the Censorate.”
Fu Xi Yan said confidently, “Don’t worry, Uncle. I already have a plan.” Despite saying that, he still waited until after seeing Fu Xuan off before going to Shi Wei Liang to discuss his intention to head north.
When he arrived, someone was in Shi Wei Liang’s office and the two were discussing official business. Fu Xi Yan caught only the phrase “follow the vine to find the melon” before deliberately making his footsteps heavier and forcibly cracking two bluestone slabs beneath his feet.
…
Shi Wei Liang opened the door and found Fu Xi Yan standing innocently beside the two shattered slabs. “I tested them for you, my lord. These two stones were too brittle and at risk of breaking.”
Shi Wei Liang said knowingly, “Is that so? Lord Fu is very thoughtful.”
An official cautiously emerged from behind Shi Wei Liang. When he passed Fu Xi Yan, he deliberately paused for a moment, but just as Fu Xi Yan was about to greet him, the man lowered his head and walked away.
Shi Wei Liang showed no intention of introducing him and gestured for Fu Xi Yan to enter. “Your timing is good. I happen to have something…”
Before Shi Wei Liang could assign him work, Fu Xi Yan asked, “How is the Northern Alliance spy case progressing?”
Shi Wei Liang’s words were cut off. He frowned slightly but still answered, “The traitors have been captured and brought to justice. They are currently being interrogated. Does Lord Fu want to continue investigating?” That would not be impossible. According to Emperor Jianhong’s wishes, all they needed to do was keep giving Fu Xi Yan work so he would never have too much idle time.
Fu Xi Yan nodded. “I want to investigate from the source.”
Shi Wei Liang’s hand paused as he closed the door. Once it shut, he repeated, “Investigate from the source?”
Fu Xi Yan found himself a chair and sat down. “The north has been making move after move lately. Isn’t Lord Shi curious about why?”
Shi Wei Liang was noncommittal. “The north has the heart of a wolf. Its ambitions have existed for a long time.”
“But Southern Yu is in turmoil, which means Northern Zhou no longer has to worry as much about pressure from the south and can concentrate its strength against the north. This is hardly the right time to attack Northern Zhou. And if the north is doing all this merely to benefit Southern Yu, the price is far too high.” A hundred thousand troops were staring hungrily at the Northern Border. The grain they consumed every day was no small sum.
“How does Lord Fu intend to investigate?”
“If you don’t enter the tiger’s den, you cannot catch the tiger cub.”
Shi Wei Liang’s brows drew together unconsciously. He had not yet asked Emperor Jianhong’s opinion, but his instinct was to keep Fu Xi Yan here. “The north intends to invade southward. It and Northern Zhou are already as incompatible as fire and water. Lord Fu has only just returned from Southern Yu. Why throw yourself into another dangerous place?”
Fu Xi Yan declared righteously, “To serve the country with absolute loyalty!”
Shi Wei Liang was stunned. Perhaps he simply could not imagine how someone who worked three days and slacked off two could have the nerve to claim absolute devotion to the country. He coughed dryly. “This is a serious matter. We must consider it carefully.”
Fu Xi Yan understood that he needed to ask the people above him. To demonstrate his determination, he added, “I won’t hide it from Lord Shi. I’ve actually been afraid of heights since childhood. Rather than dwell high in the halls of government, I’d rather roam the jianghu. The land is vast, the seas are wide, and I can come and go freely.”
Shi Wei Liang said dryly, “Roaming the jianghu does not come with a salary.”
Fu Xi Yan: “…”
* * *
Shi Wei Liang personally entered the palace and reported their entire conversation word for word.
He had assumed Emperor Jianhong would ask for his opinion and had already prepared an answer on the way there. Instead, Emperor Jianhong merely said, “We know,” and dismissed him.
Emperor Jianhong’s expression darkened.
From an ordinary Yulin Guard soldier to the present Capital Patrol Commissioner, Fu Xi Yan’s rise had owed no small part to Emperor Jianhong’s pushing from behind. Yet even now, after everything the emperor had done, Fu Xi Yan still remained outside his control. He could not even determine whether the man harbored hidden malice.
He summoned Zhang Cai Fa, announced that he intended to rest for a while and was not to be disturbed by anyone, then changed into ordinary clothes. Under Hu Yu’s cover, he secretly left the imperial city and went to the Qinling Escort Agency.
With the imperial court behind it, the Qinling Escort Agency had enjoyed flourishing business ever since it opened. It was even accepting more disciples than in previous years. Parents might not be willing to let their children lick blood from a blade and wander the jianghu, but letting them learn a useful skill, enter government service, and secure an iron rice bowl was an entirely different matter.
Emperor Jianhong entered through the rear gate carrying the token given to him by the Qinling Patriarch. The courtyard was packed with chattering children. The gatekeeper leading him explained, “They’re all new disciples accepted this year. In a few days, they’ll be sent to Qinling.”
Emperor Jianhong’s heart sank slightly. With Tie Rong Rong as a warning from the past, he had become extremely cautious about employing people from the jianghu. Refusing to allow the Qinling Sect to establish itself in Haojing had also been intended to curb its development, but judging from the present situation, the result was poor.
He followed the gatekeeper to a courtyard. Qiu Xi Hong stood outside, looking up at the leaves on a tree. Only when Emperor Jianhong reached the tree did he turn his head, as though greeting him, or perhaps merely happening to notice him. As a Martial God, Qiu Xi Hong had his own pride, but after entering imperial service, there were rules he could not avoid. One could only say that Qiu Xi Hong had spent considerable effort balancing the two.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.” Qiu Xi Hong bowed slightly.
Emperor Jianhong warmly helped him up and even lowered his own head a little in return. “We have not met for several days, yet the old immortal’s bearing seems even finer than before.”
Qiu Xi Hong did not seize the opportunity to flatter him. Instead, he said, “Your Majesty appears to have encountered some difficulty?”
Emperor Jianhong said, “The old immortal has seen through Us. Ever since the events in Southern Yu, We have spent every day sitting on pins and needles. Looking at people feels like looking at flowers through fog. One can know the face without knowing the heart.”