“What’s this?” Jiang Zhan reached out to take the object Jiang Si handed him, examining it carefully.
It was a small section of bamboo tube with its opening sealed. Instinctively, Jiang Zhan felt there must be something inside.
He couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath, staring nervously at Jiang Si.
Surely his sister hadn’t taken a liking to some scoundrel who frequented brothels? That wouldn’t do at all!
Jiang Si explained in a soft voice: “There’s a dark alley behind Bichun House. Has Second Brother noticed it before?”
Hiss— Fourth Sister even knew about the dark alley? Had she already met with that scoundrel there?
Jiang Zhan’s expression grew increasingly grim.
Few people ever set foot in that alley. It was said that when old, faded prostitutes from Bichun House died of illness, they would be quietly carried out wrapped in straw mats through that alley.
He had only noticed the alley’s existence by chance when he saw someone dragging a drunk man who had come out of Bichun House into the alley to beat him up.
“Second Brother doesn’t know? In that case, I—”
“I know, I know!”
“Then please take this bamboo tube to that alley and search carefully. There should be a ‘Hidden Bamboo’ there.”
The so-called Hidden Bamboo was a foot-long cylindrical container, usually set up in secluded alleys. If someone wanted to report the misconduct of certain officials, they could secretly drop a letter into it. Censors who secretly set up these Hidden Bamboos would collect them periodically.
In her previous life, the Duke of An’guo’s family had kept this matter tightly under wraps. With Grandmother suppressing things, the Earl’s family hadn’t let any news spread either. Naturally, no censor had come to trouble the Duke of An’guo’s family.
Now, although the scandal at the Duke of An’guo’s mansion had spread, the censors from the Censorate had gone to court while it was still dark and hadn’t heard the news yet. In a few days, when the matter had faded, even if some censors heard about it, they might not be willing to cause trouble for the Duke of An’guo’s family.
This time, Jiang Si didn’t want to let the Duke of An’guo’s family off so easily.
There was a censor named Niu in the Censorate, known for being incorruptible. After court today, he would send his trusted aide to collect from the Hidden Bamboo he had specially set up in the dark alley behind Bichun House. She asked her brother for help because she wanted Censor Niu to take a big bite out of the Duke of An’guo’s family as quickly as possible.
It wasn’t strange that she knew about this. In her previous life, after Censor Niu retrieved the Hidden Bamboo, he had impeached the Minister of Rites with one stroke of his brush.
The Minister of Rites was the grandfather of the current Crown Prince’s consort. Later, it was proven to be a false accusation, and Censor Niu was dismissed from office.
Poor Censor Niu was a man of integrity. He died by hitting a pillar in frustration. However, with Censor Niu’s death and the many enemies he had made in life, one can imagine the fate of the family of widows and orphans he left behind.
It wasn’t until the Crown Prince committed an offense and was deposed that someone revealed the plot against Censor Niu, but by then the tragedy could not be undone.
Jiang Si thought that given Censor Niu’s impulsive nature, he would probably be eager to tell the Emperor about the scandal at the Duke of An’guo’s mansion.
As long as the Emperor knew about Ji Chongyi and the girl’s suicide pact, it would be a pipe dream for the Third Young Master Ji to marry a young lady from a noble family. In the end, he might even end up with Qiao-Niang as a couple in love, rather than ruining some other family’s daughter.
Not only could she save Censor Niu’s life, but she could also bring a pair of lovers together. Jiang Si felt she was quite considerate.
“What’s a Hidden Bamboo?” Jiang Zhan looked bewildered.
Jiang Si looked at her brother and sighed.
The same old recipe, the same old taste—her brother was still so ignorant!
After explaining what a “Hidden Bamboo” was, Jiang Zhan’s face lit up with excitement: “I never knew there was such an interesting thing! If I had known earlier, I would have written a letter to try it out too.”
“Second Brother shouldn’t mess around. Those letters exposing people’s misdeeds are seen as a scourge by many. If they circulate and someone recognizes the handwriting, it could cause trouble.”
“I see.” Jiang Zhan shook his head with regret.
“Second Brother should go quickly. Otherwise, before the censor can impeach the Duke of An’guo’s family, Grandmother will have called Second Uncle back. Important family matters have always been decided by Grandmother and Second Uncle. I think Second Uncle surely won’t be happy about me canceling the engagement.”
“Don’t worry, Sister. I’ll go right away and won’t fail you!”
“Second Brother, take these wooden chopsticks with you. Remember to use them to take out the topmost small bamboo tube from the Hidden Bamboo.”
The topmost small bamboo tube contained the letter denouncing the Minister of Rites.
“Why?”
“I’ll explain to Second Brother later. There’s no time now.”
With Jiang Si’s urging, Jiang Zhan immediately forgot his curiosity. He tucked the small bamboo tube into his chest and hurried off.
Jiang Si couldn’t help but smile.
It was good that her brother was like this. No matter how strong his curiosity, he would forget it in a moment.
Jiang Zhan, carrying the bamboo tube in his arms, rushed to Bichun House without a moment’s delay.
He couldn’t help it; who told him to be so familiar with the place?
Bichun House was at its quietest in the morning. The main doors were tightly shut, and the large red lanterns hanging under the eaves had long been extinguished. They swayed slightly in the wind, looking dispirited.
Daytime was when the people in the house caught up on sleep. When the first lamps were lit in the evening, the entire Bichun House would glow with colorful lights and become lively again.
Jiang Zhan slipped into the dark alley as Jiang Si had instructed, and sure enough, he found the Hidden Bamboo at a spot where the blue bricks were mottled.
He first used the chopsticks to remove a small bamboo tube from the opening of the Hidden Bamboo, then inserted the tube he had brought. Having completed his task, Jiang Zhan should have retreated, but his eyes darted around, and he climbed up a large tree at the base of the wall.
It was midsummer, and the tree’s dense foliage concealed his form completely.
Jiang Zhan sat on a branch, almost dozing off, when he suddenly heard faint footsteps approaching.
His drowsiness immediately vanished, and he quietly parted the leaves to look down.
A young man with delicate features glanced around cautiously, then slipped along the wall to the Hidden Bamboo. As he removed the Hidden Bamboo, he kept looking back. Once he had the Hidden Bamboo in his arms, he immediately ran off at full speed.
Jiang Zhan muttered to himself, stroking his chin: “So someone does come to collect the Hidden Bamboo at this time.”
How did Fourth Sister know about this?
But his sister had always been clever, so it wasn’t strange that she knew more than he did. Yes, that must be it.
Just as Jiang Zhan was about to jump down, he suddenly heard footsteps again.
Startled, he quickly pulled back into hiding.
These footsteps were lighter than the previous person’s, and the movements were more agile. Like a swimming dragon, the figure quickly arrived at the spot where the Hidden Bamboo had been, staring at the remaining hole with flickering eyes.
Another person? What’s this all about?
Jiang Zhan pondered silently.
Suddenly, the person jerked their head up, their gaze piercing through the leaves like a knife to meet Jiang Zhan’s eyes.
An intense killing intent instantly enveloped him, making Jiang Zhan’s scalp tingle instinctively.
He can’t see me, he can’t see me.
Jiang Zhan silently tried to convince himself. On the third repetition, he suddenly jumped down from the tree and ran.
At this point, it was better not to deceive himself—fleeing was the best option!
The person moved as fast as lightning, reaching out to grab Jiang Zhan’s shoulder and pull him back.
Seeing no hope of escape, Jiang Zhan didn’t have time for regrets. He twisted around to counterattack.
As a troublemaking young master, knowing a bit of martial arts was a necessity.
However, when faced with a true expert, Jiang Zhan realized the vast difference between an expert and his drinking buddies.
It was like the distance of the Milky Way.
He was almost instantly restrained, and then a cold glint flashed before his eyes.
Oh no, he hadn’t paid back the silver he owed to Zuixiao House yet!