When he heard the palace summons, Liang Qiang felt both surprised and apprehensive.
Though his position as Roving General had been restored, he had no troops to command in the capital and was essentially idle at home.
Aside from attending that palace banquet, he seemed to have been forgotten.
At that banquet, he hadn’t been able to get close to the Empress either. His mother and sister had only performed the salutation to the Empress and Emperor along with everyone else at the end.
However, he wasn’t particularly anxious. At home, he used the excuse of recovering from injuries, occasionally seeing a few friends but mostly staying behind closed doors.
He knew the Empress must have people watching him.
It was just unfortunate that no one had come to find him.
Perhaps the person behind the scenes was also near him the whole time, just not revealing themselves, also observing him.
But either way, he was useful now, so he had the patience to wait.
Now the Empress suddenly summoned him—had she discovered something?
“Your Majesty, General Liang has arrived,” the eunuchs announced inside.
Liang Qiang took a deep breath, withdrawing his wandering thoughts to look ahead. A palace maid emerged, sizing up Liang Qiang before saying, “General, please.”
Liang Qiang recognized her—she was Chu Zhao’s maid, A’Le. He followed her inside. When his line of sight caught the figure of a woman in a goose-yellow dress, Liang Qiang lowered his gaze.
“Liang Qiang, I greet Your Majesty the Empress,” he saluted.
“Rise,” Chu Zhao said. “General, please sit here.”
Liang Qiang looked up to see Chu Zhao sitting by the window, with a seat arranged to her lower right.
“Thank Your Majesty for your grace.” Without the slightest hesitation, he sat down as directed, seeing a row of wine cups on the table, the wine within crystal clear.
He withdrew his gaze to look at Chu Zhao.
“I wonder what instructions Your Majesty has in summoning me today?”
Chu Zhao smiled faintly. “To invite General Liang to drink wine.”
—
The white jade wine cup was gently swirled, the crystal-clear wine rippling within. Xie Yanfang brought the wine to his lips and sniffed it lightly.
“This batch tastes good,” he said. “Seal them up.”
Uncle Cai sat across from him, sealing two jars of wine. “In another five years, we’ll be able to drink the fine wine Young Master has brewed.” He spoke with some regret. “It’s a pity we gave a jar to Merchant Yu last time—I didn’t even drink much of it.”
Du Qi hurried in from outside. “Young Master, the Empress has summoned Liang Qiang to the palace.”
Xie Yanfang smiled at Uncle Cai. “You lost! I said the Empress would be able to trace it.”
Uncle Cai no longer cared about the wager, frowning at Du Qi. “They traced it to Lotus Pool Pavilion? How did they find it? All traces of Merchant Yu’s people were cleaned up.”
Du Qi said, “The laborers at the wharf—Merchant Yu often unloaded and loaded cargo there. Before leaving the capital, Merchant Yu let them drink the wine Young Master gave him.”
Uncle Cai was furious. “That stupid barbarian wasted such a treasure! Young Master shouldn’t have given him wine! What does he know!”
Xie Yanfang laughed heartily. “Uncle Cai, giving him wine was something I as a person should do, and him casually giving the wine to wharf laborers to drink was also something he should do. There’s no helping it—we’re each that kind of person.”
Uncle Cai looked at him reproachfully. “You’re still laughing. At Lotus Pool Pavilion, you gifted that Liang Qiang a cup of wine and let him know it was from you. Now any fool could guess it was you.”
As he spoke, his expression gradually darkened.
That Empress should know too.
Xie Yanfang said, “Don’t worry. Since Liang Qiang knows it’s me, he won’t tell the Empress.” He smiled slightly. “He’s not truly devoted to Her Majesty the Empress. He doesn’t dare and isn’t willing to oppose me.”
He propped his chin on one hand, gently swirling the wine cup with the other.
Only he was truly devoted to her.
—
Liang Qiang lifted the wine cup and drained it in one gulp.
The row of wine cups on the table were all empty now—the one in his hand was the last.
Setting down the cup, the corners of Liang Qiang’s eyes showed traces of intoxication.
“How are these wines?” Chu Zhao asked.
Liang Qiang said, “The taste varies slightly, but they’re all good wine.”
Chu Zhao smiled faintly, leaning against the armrest while leafing through a ledger. “These are all wines from Lotus Pool Pavilion—different grades, different prices.”
A trace of confusion flashed through Liang Qiang’s eyes. Of course he knew Chu Zhao hadn’t summoned him just to drink wine. Lotus Pool Pavilion?
“When you came to the capital and were enfeoffed as Roving General, your friends held a banquet for you at Lotus Pool Pavilion,” Chu Zhao said, pointing at the table. “I wonder which wine you drank?”
Was there something wrong with Lotus Pool Pavilion’s wine? Why did she care so much? Liang Qiang thought for a moment. “Too much time has passed—I can’t remember clearly. My mind wasn’t on drinking either, so I didn’t pay attention. It should have been the most expensive.”
Those friends’ feelings toward him might not have been genuine, but their intention to win him over was real, so they would certainly prepare the best and most expensive wine.
Chu Zhao nodded. This wasn’t surprising—unless someone particularly loved wine, they wouldn’t pay attention.
“Your Majesty the Empress, is there something wrong with this wine?” Liang Qiang asked, then clenched his fists. “I know I’m not qualified to ask too much—I should just answer. I only thought that being reminded might help me remember more.”
Chu Zhao called out, “Ding Dachui.”
Two people emerged from a side room.
Liang Qiang saw they were Imperial Guard personnel wearing python-patterned robes. One of them held a painting.
“Liang Qiang,” Chu Zhao said. “Have you seen this person?”
Liang Qiang looked at the portrait and shook his head. “Don’t know him, never seen him.” He couldn’t help asking, “Who is he?”
Chu Zhao said, “He is Merchant Yu. When General Zhong was in danger, he was in Xi Liang territory. Upon seeing government troops, he took poison and killed himself.”
Liang Qiang understood—this was a spy working with Xi Liang.
“That night when you were at Lotus Pool Pavilion, Merchant Yu was there too,” Chu Zhao said.
So—that night, the person behind the scenes was at Lotus Pool Pavilion?
Liang Qiang was shocked and couldn’t help standing up, stepping closer to examine the portrait more carefully. But in the end, he could only shake his head. “I didn’t see him that night. I hardly left my private room that evening. I wasn’t focused on the banquet—my mind was wandering. I didn’t notice who was there.”
Chu Zhao said, “Whether you saw him or not doesn’t actually matter.”
Doesn’t matter? Liang Qiang turned to look at Chu Zhao, his expression puzzled.
Chu Zhao looked at him. “You drank a lot of wine that night. Did you drink any wine that wasn’t among these types?”
Not among these? Liang Qiang’s gaze returned to the wine cups on the table.
He’d already said he couldn’t remember how these wines were different—they were all the same. The thought barely formed when his body stiffened, his gaze freezing. No, there was something different.
Chu Zhao’s voice also reached his ears.
“—Merchant Yu received a gift of wine from Lotus Pool Pavilion that night, said to be ‘immortal’s brew,’ incomparably delicious.”
A gift of wine!
Immortal’s brew!
Incomparably delicious!
Liang Qiang felt as if lightning had struck, splitting him in two. His heart jumped out, and before his eyes it was as if a window was pushed open, revealing a young gentleman in blue robes smiling faintly at him.
“It’s that young gentleman—”
“This wine isn’t from our establishment—it’s personally brewed by that young gentleman—”
“Liang Qiang!”
A female voice rang in his ears. Liang Qiang’s split body merged back together, his spirit returned to its place, the illusion before his eyes scattered. He looked at Chu Zhao across from him.
Chu Zhao also looked at him, clearly sensing his unusual reaction. She asked deliberately, word by word, “So—were you also given wine there?”
Liang Qiang looked at her and slowly nodded. “Yes. That day, besides my friends, I received a cup of wine gifted by someone else.”
As expected! Chu Zhao asked, “Who?”
Ding Dachui and Counselor Yin’s gazes also fixed on him.
“I—” Liang Qiang shook his head. “Didn’t see—”
—
Didn’t see?
Before Chu Zhao could speak, Ding Dachui’s eyes narrowed as he stepped forward.
“Liang Qiang,” he said sternly. “Are you telling the truth?”
The imposing man before him had a sinister gaze, like he was staring at prey about to be torn apart in the next moment. Liang Qiang didn’t flinch. “I truly didn’t see him. I had gone to relieve myself, and also because I felt irritated indoors, so I stood in the corridor, looking at the lotus flowers in Lotus Pool Pavilion—”
His expression carried traces of reminiscence.
“Then a shop assistant came over and gave me a cup of wine, saying it was gifted by someone else. I originally didn’t plan to accept it—it was strange. But the shop assistant said—”
He looked toward the portrait Counselor Yin held.
“—this wine wasn’t from their establishment but personally brewed by the gift-giver, who admired my brave deeds and wanted to express his sentiments—”
“So I took it and drank it. That wine—”
“Now when I recall it, I can still almost taste the lingering fragrance.”
Who cares what the wine tasted like! Ding Dachui was about to press further when Chu Zhao stopped him.
“This palace understands,” she nodded, then smiled. “It seems this person is a master brewer—Commander Ding, focus your investigation on people like this going forward.”
Ding Dachui and Counselor Yin acknowledged the order.
Chu Zhao looked at Liang Qiang again. “General Liang, this palace understands this matter. You may return.”
Liang Qiang lowered his eyes and saluted. “Your Majesty the Empress, if that person contacts me, I will report it immediately.”
“No need,” Chu Zhao’s voice fell. “Do whatever you should do. There will be people watching you.”
Liang Qiang acknowledged and said no more, saluting before withdrawing.
—
Outside, it had started raining at some point.
Liang Qiang declined the eunuchs’ offer to escort him with an umbrella, walking steadily through the rain. The rain wasn’t heavy, just a light drizzle, but his heart felt like torrential rain was pouring.
Even while in the Empress’s hall, his heart had already been in turmoil. He’d desperately suppressed it, not letting himself show anything unusual.
Now leaving the Empress’s hall and about to cross through the palace gates, he could suppress it no longer.
That person!
That person!
That person!
Just then, his steps halted as he saw someone slowly approaching from within the palace gates ahead. That person wore official robes, holding a black umbrella, walking with graceful ease.
“Lord Xie—”
“Grand Censor Xie—”
The salutations of the palace gate’s imperial guards echoed.
Liang Qiang stood in place, feeling as if that person’s light steps were treading on his heart with each stride, making his heartbeat stop.
Xie Yanfang approached, glanced at him, then at the sky, and said with a smile, “General Liang, do you need an umbrella?”
He extended the umbrella in his hand forward.
“I’ve reached my duty station. You still have a way to go. Let me lend it to you.”
Liang Qiang looked at him. Though his heartbeat had stopped, he could hear himself speak. “Lord Xie.”
Xie Yanfang smiled and placed the umbrella in his hand. “No need to thank me.” He then passed by him, hands tucked in his sleeves, walking leisurely away.
Liang Qiang stood holding the umbrella in a daze until footsteps approached, mixed with the voices of eunuchs and officials.
“Lord Xie, you’ve arrived. Quickly, take an umbrella.”
“Lord Xie, His Majesty was asking about you earlier.”
The jumble of footsteps made Liang Qiang’s heartbeat resume. Holding the umbrella, he slowly turned his head to watch Xie Yanfang surrounded by eunuchs and officials.
“Thank you, Lord Xie,” he murmured hoarsely.