The next morning, Xu Qi An rose from bed energetically. His bedmate was already gone, but her delicate fragrance lingered in the silk quilt. He supported his slightly weak body, feeling like he had just finished a 1000-meter running test, with sore muscles the next morning.
“I overslept again. But I have a valid reason for being late—I’m here to investigate a case at the Imperial Brothel.”
Xu Qi An sat cross-legged to meditate, alleviating the fatigue in his cells and allowing his body to recover to its peak state as quickly as possible. After circulating his qi for just two cycles, his sore muscles regained their vitality.
“Creak~”
The door to the boudoir opened, and Fuxi’ang, trailing her skirt, entered with her maid. Her black hair was piled high, adorned with expensive ornaments, and her fair, beautiful face looked somewhat haggard. Her eyes were still slightly swollen, with visible eye bags from crying.
“Sir Xu, you’re awake,” she said with a faint, distant smile. “I’ve had the kitchen prepare duck porridge for you.”
“Please set it there,” Xu Qi An said, taking the washing utensils from the maid’s hands. He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, then returned to the table. As he ate from the bowl, he pondered:
The demoness from last night was a remnant of the Myriad Demons Kingdom, which means this matter is unrelated to the northern demons. The suspicion on the Northern Garrison Commander is very light now. Is the goal of the Myriad Demons Kingdom remnants the sealed object or something else?
Xu Qi An thought this way because if the target was the sealed object, the Myriad Demons Kingdom remnants should have fled with their loot by now, rather than continuing to cause trouble in the city.
There was another possibility: the demons’ goal wasn’t just the sealed object, but a larger scheme, with the sealed object merely being a means to achieve their objective.
The outline of the Sangbo case was becoming clearer. The forces behind the scenes were: first, traitors within the court; second, remnants of the Myriad Demons Kingdom.
Objective: Unknown.
Sealed object: A severed hand of an unknown powerful being.
Factors, people, and forces involved: Myriad Demons Kingdom, Marquis Pingyuan, Minister of War, Imperial Observatory, the royal family, Princess Pingyang, Monk Henghui, Zhou Chixiong (the Hundred-Household of the Imperial Guards).
Breakthrough points: The powerful being of the severed hand, Monk Henghui, Princess Pingyang.
Clarifying the identity of the powerful being of the severed hand could help deduce the true purpose of the Myriad Demons Kingdom remnants. Then, capturing either Henghui or Princess Pingyang could also help uncover the inside story of the case.
Xu Qi An finished his porridge and sighed contentedly. Only then did he have time to tease Fuxi’ang: “Are you angry?”
Fuxi’ang smiled gently: “Sir Xu, please don’t mock this lowly courtesan. I’m just a woman of the pleasure quarters, how could I dare to be angry with you?”
Well, “Xu Lang” had become “Sir Xu” now. Xu Qi An nodded, stretching lazily without much concern: “Prepare hot water, I want to bathe.”
Fuxi’ang nodded with a smile, arranging for a maid to attend to his bath while she went out for a walk with her maid.
Xu Qi An enjoyed a comfortable hot bath, dressed properly, tied on his bronze gong, hung his sword, and after some thought, asked, “Prepare some writing materials for me.”
The young maid softly responded, “Yes.”
“Mistress, aren’t you being too cold towards Sir Xu?” Walking in the alley of the Imperial Brothel, the maid asked softly.
Fuxi’ang gazed ahead, shaking her head slightly, her voice somewhat sorrowful: “You don’t understand. I once begged him if he could redeem me, but he refused.”
The maid fell silent for a moment, then tried to explain on Xu Qi An’s behalf: “Perhaps he didn’t have the money. Mistress’s contract would cost at least three to four thousand taels of silver, and now it might have doubled.”
Fuxi’ang lowered her gaze to the ground: “I’ve saved quite a bit of silver over these years, it could have been possible…”
She gave a bitter laugh, her expression mournful: “In his heart, I’m no different from you girls. I didn’t want to believe it before, deceiving myself, but last night’s events made me see clearly.”
It was just a case of unrequited love, a futile dream.
As they walked, they unknowingly arrived outside the Qingchi Courtyard. A commotion caught her attention.
Two men in constable uniforms were escorting Courtesan Mingyan out, with the madam following closely behind, her expression fearful, constantly explaining:
“Gentlemen, this must be a misunderstanding, it must be!”
Courtesan Mingyan looked terrified: “Madam, I’m innocent, I’m innocent!”
Fuxi’ang recognized the two constables as those who often accompanied Sir Xu to the Yingmei Pavilion for tea. She remembered one was surnamed Song, and the other… the quieter one, she couldn’t recall.
What had happened? Mingyan was fine last night. Oh, right, why did Sir Xu suddenly return to her Yingmei Pavilion last night? Did Mingyan offend Sir Xu last night and is now being dealt with?
She immediately dismissed this thought. Although she felt disillusioned with this man, she believed Xu Qi An wasn’t that kind of person.
Fuxi’ang frowned and approached the constables, curtsying gracefully: “Gentlemen, what crime has Courtesan Mingyan committed?”
Song Tingfeng stopped, smiling: “Courtesan Mingyan has been secretly collaborating with demons, sheltering them. Last night, Sir Xu conducted a covert investigation and uncovered a demoness disguised as her maid. The demoness has been dealt with, and now we’re taking her in for questioning.”
The madam beat her chest in distress: “This is a false accusation! Mingyan is just a weak woman, how could she possibly collaborate with demons? Do you know how much effort and money I’ve invested in grooming her? I’ll go to the Ministry of Rites to file a complaint, I’ll ask the officials there to do justice!”
Zhu Guangxiao said sternly: “I now suspect you of being an accomplice to the demons as well.”
The madam suddenly fell silent, her survival instinct kicking in as she took a few steps back.
Song Tingfeng squinted at Fuxi’ang, nodded slightly, and left with his people.
Fuxi’ang stared blankly at their retreating figures, her mind racing: Mingyan collaborating with demons? Sir Xu’s secret investigation yesterday?
His choice to stay at the Qingchi Courtyard last night wasn’t because he had grown tired of her, but because he had official duties. Yet she had thrown a tantrum and gotten upset.
He had returned last night with an exhausted body, she had seen it. At the time, she thought he had been with Mingyan… She had wronged him, and this morning she had even given him the cold shoulder to vent her grievances. But why didn’t he explain? Right, he couldn’t explain because it was official business, and the case details needed to be kept confidential.
Even so, knowing he was misunderstood and wrongly accused, he hadn’t shown the slightest annoyance, silently bearing it all.
Fuxi’ang suddenly lifted her skirt and ran back to the Yingmei Pavilion.
“Mistress, where are you going? Slow down!” The maid was startled.
Running back to the Yingmei Pavilion, pushing open the door to the bedroom, Fuxi’ang called out: “Xu Lang!”
The room was empty; he had already left. At that moment, she suddenly felt as if she had lost something precious, leaving a void in her heart.
“Mistress, mistress!” The maid caught up, seeing her mistress leaning against the door, looking lost.
“I’m a bit tired, help me,” Fuxi’ang said softly.
The maid helped her to the bed, looked at her, and sighed inwardly. Not daring to disturb her, she turned to tidy up the room.
She noticed writing materials on the table by the screen and let out a soft “Oh?”, walking to the table, she said:
“Mistress, there’s a poem here. It might be from Sir Xu.”
Fuxi’ang suddenly came to life, rushing barefoot to the table, snatching the paper from the maid’s hand as if grabbing a treasure. She focused her gaze:
“The beauty rolls up the pearl curtain,
Sitting deep in thought with furrowed brows.
Only tears are seen wetting her cheeks,
Unknown whose heart she resents.”
“Xu Lang, Xu Lang!” She smiled at first, then as she smiled, tears began to fall. She collapsed to the ground, holding the paper to her heart, crying and laughing at the same time, her face a picture of sorrow and joy.
“I want to find him,” Fuxi’ang said, wiping her tears and running towards the door.
The maid was shocked and hugged her mistress’s soft waist: “No, no, no! You’re the top courtesan, the most prestigious courtesan in the Imperial Brothel. If this gets out, how will you face others? The reputation you’ve built up over the years will be ruined. No top courtesan has ever acted so improperly.”
Fuxi’ang was furious: “Let go of me!”
“I won’t!”
Xu Qi An bought six large meat buns from a street vendor, sitting on horseback and munching as he leisurely made his way to the yamen.
“The courtesans of the Imperial Brothel are all quite beautiful… Each has her charm, a feast for the eyes. Hmm, once the Sangbo case is over, I’ll interact with them one by one and perhaps write a ‘Guide to the Courtesans of Great Feng’ in the future.”
“The only problem is the lack of money. I only pick up three qian of silver each day, while a night with a top courtesan costs at least thirty taels.”
“Thank goodness for the nine years of compulsory education; those poetry lessons weren’t wasted. Ha, I’m a disgrace to transmigrators. Others plagiarize to advance their official careers, while I do it to freeload…”
“Come to think of it, I’m almost twenty now. It’s a good thing Aunt isn’t my mother, or she’d be pushing me to get married. I can make my own decisions. Caiwei is the disciple of the Astronomical Observatory’s Director, with such a strong backing, marrying her would be like marrying half a princess. It wouldn’t be easy to fool around then…”
“No need to rush into marriage, I can enjoy a few more years of freedom. There are twenty-four top courtesans in the Imperial Brothel. Haha, what am I thinking? The Director’s disciple might not even be interested in me.”
Xu “Freeloader” self-mockingly pondered, his thoughts wandering, then returned to the case at hand.
He had instructed Song Tingfeng to arrest Mingyan. Although he had confirmed her innocence last night, there were still questions to ask, such as when that maid had entered the Imperial Brothel, who she had frequent contact with, and so on…
In a quiet courtyard, willow branches hung down, bare and desolate.
Crashing sounds came from inside the house, along with a man’s painful groans. After a moment, all noise ceased.
“Creak~”
The door opened, and Henghui, dressed in a black robe, walked out silently, heading straight to the well in the courtyard.
He stared into the deep well for a few seconds, then waved his hand. A faint golden “卍” symbol appeared at the mouth of the well, then shattered.
After removing the seal, Henghui jumped in.
At the dark bottom of the well, the mud gave off a faint fishy smell. A middle-aged monk sat cross-legged, leaning against the well wall.
He looked dejected, his lips cracked, as if he had suffered severe injuries.
The middle-aged monk was tall and burly, with a light green jaw and a face full of bitterness and hatred.
If Xu Qi An were here, he would recognize this burly monk as Hengyuan, whom he had been anxiously searching for.
“Senior Brother…” Henghui’s hoarse voice called out.
Hengyuan didn’t respond, sitting motionlessly.
“I’ve been severely injured, the severed hand backlashed,” Henghui said.
Hengyuan opened his eyes, concern in his voice: “Henghui, it’s not too late to turn back.”
Henghui shook his head, “Senior Brother, I entered the Azure Dragon Temple when I was six and have been by your side since then. You taught me to meditate, to chant scriptures, took care of my food and clothing, and treated me like a brother and a father. Now, this junior brother wants to ask you for one thing.”
Hengyuan sighed and nodded.
Henghui raised his head, revealing a pair of pitch-black eyes without whites under his hood. He grinned ferociously: “I want to devour Senior Brother.”