Gu Pingyuan’s home was in Gu Family Village in She County, Huizhou. The Gu surname was the predominant family name in the village, accounting for eighty percent of the village population. People from Hui were known as “Hui Camels,” renowned for their perseverance and tolerance for hardship. Moreover, because Huizhou’s terrain was unfavorable for growing grain, many people turned to commerce. There was a local saying: “If you didn’t cultivate virtue in your previous life, you’ll be born in Huizhou; at thirteen or fourteen, you’ll be sent away.” This meant that boys from Huizhou typically had to follow their elders to the docks to learn business skills once they reached their early teens.

Gu Family Village was no exception, with every household engaged in trade. Gu Pingyuan’s grandfather had been a grain merchant who conducted business along the Grand Canal between Hangzhou and Beijing, and the Gu family had enjoyed relative prosperity. However, in the year that Gu Pingyuan was born, a “canal revolt” broke out in the area from Yuhang to Yangzhou, with common people rising up to resist the government’s grain tax collection. Although the authorities eventually suppressed the rebellion with troops, Gu Pingyuan’s grandfather lost his capital, and in his distress, he died in Yangzhou. To repay the debts, Gu Pingyuan’s father also went into business, displaying considerable commercial acumen. The first few years went smoothly; he not only cleared the debts but also made some silver. The family’s situation was slightly below comfortable but certainly above subsistence level. Just when life was starting to improve, Gu Pingyuan’s father attempted a major business venture, gathered some money, and headed north—never to return. Ten years passed without any news. Had he been alive, he would have sent word back somehow, so everyone assumed he must have met with an accident in some remote wilderness and was beyond hope. Gu Pingyuan’s mother, Madam Hu, raised three children by taking in sewing and mending, living in extreme hardship. During several years of famine, if not for the clan’s assistance, the Gu family line would have been broken.

Gu Pingyuan was clever and quick-witted from an early age. When he was a little older, many clan members wanted to take him out to learn business. But Madam Hu adamantly refused. This was because neither Gu Pingyuan’s grandfather nor his father had fared well in business, and Madam Hu was determined not to let Gu Pingyuan follow the commercial path.

Not engaging in business was fine, but a child needed a livelihood. Although Madam Hu’s family circumstances were poor, she followed the tradition of Mencius’s mother, determined that her child would study and advance. She sold two sections of their three-section house and used the silver to send Gu Pingyuan to a private school. Gu Pingyuan’s intelligence could be applied to anything with success, and his studies were no exception—he grasped concepts immediately. While others were still memorizing by recitation, he was already writing compositions. This school was maintained by the clan and employed a venerable scholar who had retired from the position of County Deputy Magistrate. This man often remarked that in his lifetime, he had never seen anyone as intelligent as Gu Pingyuan and expressed a sincere wish to nurture his talent, finding satisfaction in this pursuit in his old age.

Gu Pingyuan didn’t disappoint his mother and teacher in the slightest. At fourteen, he passed the county-level examination to become a xiucai (scholar), and three years later, he went to Hefei to take the provincial examination, passing on his first attempt to become a juren (elevated person). When the messenger brought the good news, Madam Hu was naturally overjoyed and hosted a banquet at the village ancestral hall.

During the banquet, Gu Pingyuan’s teacher mentioned that the imperial court would be holding the metropolitan examination for selecting talents the following March. Given Gu Pingyuan’s exceptional talent, if he could pass this examination in one go to become a jinshi (advanced scholar), or even be selected for the Hanlin Academy, that would truly bring honor to the family.

After the banquet ended, Madam Hu found herself in a predicament. For scholars, traveling to Beijing for the civil examination was a lifelong dream for many, and her son had the ability, but she lacked the travel expenses. Calculating the cost of the distant journey to Beijing, plus living expenses while in the capital, the expenditure would be considerable—at least twenty taels of silver for the round trip.

This problem had already been anticipated by someone else. Early the next morning, Gu Pingyuan’s teacher arrived with thirty gleaming taels of Taizhou silver ingots. The old gentleman had lived frugally throughout his life; after serving one term as County Deputy Magistrate, his savings amounted to only a hundred taels of silver, all carefully saved from his salary. Yet today he generously donated this sum, explaining that it was an investment in talent that required no repayment.

This prodigy and this noble gesture became the talk of villages for miles around. Before departing, the entire village came to see him off. Gu Pingyuan, in front of everyone, first kowtowed to his mother, then performed three deep kowtows to his teacher, before taking tearful leave.

This was Gu Pingyuan’s first long-distance journey, but as the eldest child in his family, he had always been cautious and understood that the travel money had not come easily. Therefore, he lived frugally, walking whenever the road was manageable rather than hiring transport. Consequently, his progress was slow, and he didn’t reach the capital until almost October, with less than a month before the examination.

The rules for the metropolitan examination differed greatly from the provincial examination, following the principle that “before entering the examination hall, one’s name should be known throughout the land.” To create a reputation, there were mainly two methods. The first was to spend silver, paying visits to prominent fellow provincials in the capital, showing them one’s writings; if these earned praise, the acclaim would spread widely. The second method was to attend gatherings of examination candidates who had come to the capital. Such gatherings took place almost daily, with poetry composition and drinking. Whenever someone wrote particularly fine lines, they would be written on red paper, indicating which province the candidate was from, and posted on the walls of restaurants and inns.

Gu Pingyuan had no silver, so the first method was naturally beyond his means. As for the gatherings, he attended several. His seven-character verses were quite outstanding, and gradually his reputation spread. Gu Pingyuan was a calculating person; while others drank and exchanged cups, he observed coldly, assessing the scholarship of his fellow candidates. In this examination cycle, the most famous candidate with universally acknowledged scholarship was Huang Weihan, a descendant of the great late Ming dynasty Confucian scholar Huang Zongxi. The second-ranked candidate was from Guangdong. Gu Pingyuan had a keen eye for judging people and knew his own capabilities well. After a few days of observation, he could see the whole picture from these glimpses and concluded that while he might not become one of the top three graduates—zhuangyuan (first place), bangyan (second place), or tanhua (third place)—he was confident of making the second tier. Worst case, even if “writings in the examination are not fairly judged,” securing a position in the third tier was virtually guaranteed.

Even a third-tier placement would be a good outcome. Although it wouldn’t qualify him for the Hanlin Academy, he would still graduate as a jinshi and almost certainly be appointed as a county magistrate. Thinking of this, it’s no wonder that Gu Pingyuan, merely a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, or even an old candidate in his fifties, would be excited. After ten years of diligent study, to finally reach the day when one could be carried in a grand sedan chair and return home to bring honor to one’s ancestors was truly one of life’s great joys.

But unexpectedly, disaster struck—a calamity that no one could have anticipated. Originally everything was proceeding smoothly. On the day of the examination, after entering through the Dragon Gate and being searched, Gu Pingyuan was led to his assigned examination cell. Setting out his writing materials and composing himself, he first wrote the poetry and prose section. This was his forte, and he wrote the major essay with the “four virtues” of calligraphy: black, large, round, and bright—so well that he wanted to praise himself. Then he proceeded to the eight-legged essay and policy questions. The eight-legged essay topic, as customary, was taken from the “Four Books,” and this time it was from the Analects: “Fish with a line, but not with a net; shoot birds on the wing, but not when they are roosting.” Gu Pingyuan first mentally drafted his response, then wrote the introduction, explaining that the government should not tax people excessively, but rather should give them periodic relief. By now it was nearly noon, and someone delivered lunch through the small window.

He had barely eaten half his meal when Gu Pingyuan suddenly heard someone outside asking the guard of the examination cell whether the Anhui candidate Gu Pingyuan was inside.

Gu Pingyuan was startled. The examination protocol was extremely strict. After the Dragon Gate drum sounded and the cell doors were closed, candidates could not leave unless there was a fire, nor could they communicate with outsiders. How could someone be inquiring about him?

While he was puzzled, he heard someone gently knocking on the window. After a moment’s hesitation, Gu Pingyuan walked to the window and heard a low voice saying, “Candidate Gu, a letter has arrived from your home saying that your mother is gravely ill and near death. They want you to know.” After speaking, the person outside hurried away. Gu Pingyuan quickly pushed open the window to look, but only caught a glimpse of half the person’s profile.

The news hit Gu Pingyuan like a thunderbolt. His mother had raised him single-handedly, and now, just after he had left home, came this terrible news. The journey from Anhui was long; if she was already critically ill when the messenger set out, then now… Gu Pingyuan dared not think further and lost all interest in continuing the examination. All thoughts of achievement and career were cast aside. He hastily packed up his writing implements, pushed open the cell door, and attempted to leave.

The guard naturally tried to stop him. Gu Pingyuan merely said he was submitting his paper early, but this was not permitted by examination rules. Once inside, even if a candidate fainted, the doctor could only take his pulse and prescribe medicine within the examination cell; no one could leave before sunset on the second day. The reason was the strict examination secrecy, to prevent candidates who left early from leaking the questions and sending prepared answers back in.

Gu Pingyuan was certainly aware of these rules, but in his distress he had disregarded them. When pleading didn’t work, in his urgency his voice grew louder, drawing the examination supervisor of his section.

As they say, “Misfortunes never come singly.” Gu Pingyuan’s original intention was merely to be charged with “disturbing the examination,” risking ten light strokes of the bamboo and expulsion from the examination. But by unfortunate coincidence, as the supervisor approached, he and the guard were pushing each other, and his package was flung upward. This turned disastrous!

In his haste, he had not emptied the ink from his inkstone but had simply covered it and placed it in his bag. Now, as his hand went up, by the most unfortunate chance, the entire inkstone struck the supervisor in the face, not only giving him a black eye but also dyeing his face as black as Judge Bao with a container of ink.

Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, such a disturbance had never occurred in the imperial examination hall of the capital. Immediately, without any explanation allowed, soldiers swarmed in, binding Gu Pingyuan tightly with three hemp ropes and confining him to a room in the lowest section reserved for rule-breaking candidates. Meanwhile, the supervisor, deputy chief examiner, and chief examiner reported the incident up the chain of command. The chief examiner for this imperial examination was the Grand Secretary of the Wenyuan Palace and Minister of Rites, Wan Qingli. Minister Wan was known for his strict propriety and was a famous moralist. When he heard that someone had caused an uproar in the examination hall and had assaulted and insulted a supervisor, he was furious, considering it a major disgrace to scholarly dignity. He immediately ordered Gu Pingyuan to be handed over to the Beijing Prefecture yamen.

The Prefect of Beijing, Yang Jia, was a reasonable official who had always been supportive of scholars from humble backgrounds. After questioning, he felt that while the incident was outrageous, there were extenuating circumstances. If what was claimed proved true, leniency might be possible. However, upon investigation, not a single witness could be found.

Logically, no outsider could enter the heavily guarded examination grounds, so the messenger must have been one of the staff who could move about freely, especially since this person had previously asked the guard about Gu Pingyuan’s cell location. But when questioning everyone at the examination site, no one admitted to such an incident. Further inquiries at the Anhui Guild House revealed that no messenger had arrived from Huizhou for Gu Pingyuan.

This proved that Gu Pingyuan’s claim was false. The Ministry of Rites issued an order immediately stripping him of his juren title, and the Beijing Prefecture yamen punished him according to law. He was sentenced to be sent to Ningguta in Heilongjiang to serve as a slave to armored soldiers, never to be allowed to return within the Great Wall. However, when the sentence was pronounced in court, it was commuted to exile to the slightly closer Shangyangbao in Fengtian, for a term of ten years—a more lenient punishment.

“So after all this talk, was your mother actually ill or not?” After listening for a while, Old Man Chang Si couldn’t help but interject.

“No, she wasn’t.” Five years after the event, Gu Pingyuan could speak of it calmly, even with some consolation. “After the incident, I asked fellow provincials to inquire, and the result was just as the yamen had stated—no one from Anhui had come to bring me a message. Later, after I was exiled here, my mother entrusted someone to deliver a letter, further confirming that the message in the examination hall had been entirely false.”

“Could it have been a misdirected message, not intended for you?”

“The person at the window clearly asked if it was Huizhou’s Gu Pingyuan inside. I knew all the candidates from Huizhou in that examination, and none shared my name or surname. How could it be a mistake?”

“If that’s the case, someone was deliberately trying to harm you. But your sentence was reduced from lifelong exile in Ningguta to ten years in Shangyangbao, which was significantly lighter. Could it be that you bribed someone?”

Gu Pingyuan gave a bitter smile. “My purse was thin. As for others, despite provincial connections, the friendships were still shallow. Who would be willing to spend silver to intervene on my behalf?”

“This I don’t understand. It was your first time in Beijing, you had no deep enmities or close friends. How could someone want to harm you while someone else wanted to save you?”

Gu Pingyuan lightly tapped the table and said, “Old Man Chang, you’ve hit the mark. This is exactly what I’ve been pondering day and night for these five years without finding an answer. I’ve considered that perhaps someone didn’t want me to pass the examination, but my scholarly reputation wasn’t great enough to block anyone’s path. Why would someone play such a joke on me?”

“Can’t figure it out, can’t figure it out.” Old Man Chang Si shook his head as he poured another cup of wine and drank it in one gulp. “Brother Gu, let me give you a piece of advice. You’re now a fugitive, and you absolutely must not return to the capital to investigate this matter. As the saying goes, ‘The capital’s constables are the best in the empire.’ You must be careful.”

These words struck at Gu Pingyuan’s core concerns. Having been within the Great Wall for only half a day, his thoughts had already changed. In Linghai Town, he had been single-mindedly determined to find Zhang Guangfa and get to the bottom of things; his risky escape and entry beyond the Wall had been for this purpose. But having escaped death, he now hesitated. As Old Man Chang Si had said, going to Beijing to find Zhang Guangfa would be like walking into a trap. Even if he risked his life to uncover the truth, he might never return to Huizhou or see his mother and siblings again. So he was now caught in a dilemma, torn between heading straight for Beijing, returning to Huizhou to see his family first, or simply going back to Huizhou to serve his mother and care for his siblings, leaving the matter unresolved.

His internal conflict showed on his face without his realizing it. When he noticed Old Man Chang Si watching him, he forced an unnatural smile and said evasively, “Don’t worry, Old Man Chang, I’m not that foolish. Besides, I’m eager to see my mother now, and my only thought is to return to my homeland.”

“Speaking of that…” Old Man Chang Si was prepared. He reached into his bosom and pulled out a small cloth package, placing it on the table. He untied the knot and unfolded it layer by layer, revealing four small silver ingots, each weighing five taels.

“Brother Gu, I didn’t bring much with me this time, but you’ll need travel money to return home. This is a small token of my regard, and you absolutely must accept it.”

“No!” Gu Pingyuan hastily declined. “You brought me out through a thousand perils; you’re like a second parent to me. How could I take your silver?”

“What kind of talk is that? Do you think your old man is short of this bit of silver? How could I let you set out empty-handed?” Old Man Chang Si pursed his lips, making his beard lift.

Gu Pingyuan adamantly refused to accept. When he really couldn’t decline any further, he reached a compromise by taking one silver ingot. Five taels of silver could be exchanged for more than four thousand copper coins. By spending frugally on the road, it would be just enough to reach Huizhou.

Old Man Chang Si still wouldn’t accept this and insisted that Gu Pingyuan take the full amount. Left with no choice, Gu Pingyuan had to speak frankly: “For this entire business trip of yours, if we talk about profits, it’s no more than eighty or a hundred taels. After deducting door fees, wastage, taxes, cart and mule hire, and the travel expenses for your employees, you probably don’t have much left. If you give me twenty taels, wouldn’t you have worked for nothing?”

These words hit home with Old Man Chang Si, who sighed softly: “It was working for nothing anyway, serving the officials for free. Now that we’ve transported the salt back to offset the official salt requirement, the salt pond is saved, but the house has already been mortgaged to the moneylender. There’s really no other solution.” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “I’ll be fine, I’ve endured all kinds of hardships. At worst, I can live in a thatched hut. It’s only my daughter I’m concerned about.”

Gu Pingyuan was a warm-hearted person. Hearing this, he frowned and asked, “Old Man Chang, just tell me straight: how many taels of silver do you need to clear this year’s debts?”

“I won’t hide it from you. I currently owe three debts. The first is for official salt; if the caravan returns safely, this debt will be settled. The second is for interest; half of my salt pond was obtained with borrowed silver, agreed at annual interest of one point two percent. For a thousand taels of silver, that’s one hundred and twenty taels in interest, but I can go back and plead for this to be deferred. The third debt is from this trip beyond the Wall to trade salt. I mortgaged my house to borrow two hundred taels of high-interest money, with the same rate of one point two percent for three months. Principal and interest together come to two hundred and twenty-four taels.”

Gu Pingyuan calculated quickly. Before Old Man Chang Si finished speaking, he interjected, “So, not counting the official salt, if you had an income of three hundred and fifty taels now, you could get through this crisis?”

Old Man Chang Si nodded silently: “I’ve been calculating repeatedly these days. Although the income from the salt pond isn’t good, I can barely earn a hundred taels. After paying the travel expenses for these employees, I should have about thirty taels left. But I don’t know where to find the remaining two hundred or more taels. If there’s no other way, I’ll have to give my old house to the moneylender.”

Gu Pingyuan shook his head and smiled: “Old Man Chang, look at you, you’ve shown your hand. Just now you said ‘this bit doesn’t matter,’ but now it seems that not only twenty taels but even two taels would be your lifeline. It’s remarkable that you could still gather this package of silver for me.” With that, he put the five taels of silver he had been holding back into the cloth package and pushed it across the table toward Old Man Chang Si.

He stopped Old Man Chang Si from speaking, and suddenly his eyes reddened: “Old Man Chang, I am deeply moved by your generosity. As I said earlier, you are like a second parent to me. Not only can I not add to your burden, but I must also think of a way to help you raise the necessary silver.”

Seeing him like this, Old Man Chang Si couldn’t insist further and reluctantly took back the silver package. Seeing Gu Pingyuan frowning in thought, he comforted him: “How could anyone come up with a way to earn two hundred taels? If it were possible, wouldn’t everyone be doing it, not just us?”

“Not necessarily.” Gu Pingyuan pondered for a while, already formulating a plan. “There’s an opportunity right now. If we judge it correctly and seize it, we could earn a considerable sum with the silver you have left. Perhaps enough to raise those two hundred taels.”

“Brother Gu, you’re not joking, are you? You’ve only been within the Great Wall for one day, and for that entire day, you’ve been with me. What opportunity could you have seen that I missed?”

Gu Pingyuan smiled: “Actually, the person who saw this opportunity was you, Old Man Chang; you just didn’t realize it.”

Old Man Chang Si scratched his head: “This… this is quite a riddle. Brother Gu, I know you’re full of ideas. Don’t keep me guessing.”

“It’s really nothing special; I just happen to know something about the imperial court’s procedures.”

Gu Pingyuan’s idea came from the “800-li urgent dispatch.” His teacher, a former County Deputy Magistrate, was well-versed in official matters. After finishing lessons, to broaden his students’ horizons, he would often lecture on topics like “Imperial Communication Protocols.” So Gu Pingyuan knew that when an “800-li urgent dispatch” was issued, it must be because something significant had happened in the capital.

“What exactly happened? We don’t know yet, but it must be bad news.”

Because if it were good news, such as the birth of a prince or the emperor recovering from a long illness, it would certainly be announced through the Court Gazette rather than a military dispatch. Moreover, with Emperor Xianfeng having just passed away and the young emperor ascending the throne at the tender age of six, what cause for celebration could the imperial family have?

“It must be bad news,” Gu Pingyuan said with great confidence. “And since it’s bad news, there will be an opportunity to make money.”

At this point, Old Man Chang Si still didn’t understand. This was understandable; he was merely a merchant who couldn’t recognize many characters beyond what appeared in account books. He knew nothing about imperial protocols and rituals, which was precisely where Gu Pingyuan’s idea originated.

“According to custom, the hundred days of mourning for Emperor Xianfeng is about to end. During mourning, people everywhere wear white, and even the lanterns in government offices are covered with white gauze. Now, government offices are preparing to purchase red paper, colored lanterns, vermilion ink, bright silk, and similar items for replacement. But with this bad news arriving, government purchases will inevitably be put on hold. They can wait, but merchants who have already stocked these goods cannot afford to wait because everyone needs cash flow. Therefore, they will have to reduce prices for quick sales. Old Man Chang, you might as well buy a batch of these goods along your journey.”

“If they can’t sell their goods, won’t mine just sit unsold too?”

“Old Man Chang, don’t forget that your journey to Shanxi will take another month or so. The imperial court, when dealing with extremely unpleasant matters, always tries to cover them up quickly. So by then, this bad news may have already been resolved. Taiyuan Prefecture houses the Provincial Governor’s Office, the Military Commissioner’s Office, the Provincial Administration Commissioner’s Office, and the Provincial Judicial Commissioner’s Office—all major government institutions. Nearby, there are also various prefectural and county offices, too numerous to count. When these offices resume purchasing, they’ll have to buy in bulk from you, and you’ll be able to set your price. The servants in those offices only care about securing supplies to fulfill their duties, not about cost, since they’re not spending their own money. Who would haggle with you? Goods purchased for thirty or fifty taels could be sold for double the price. If the offices are in a hurry to buy, even tripling the price wouldn’t be unusual.”

Old Man Chang Si was both astonished and delighted, murmuring, “Can such a good opportunity really exist? But what if…”

“At worst, my judgment is off, and the offices won’t pay high prices. But don’t forget, Old Man Chang, we bought at low prices, so we certainly won’t lose money. At worst, we can sell at the original price.”

“That’s right, that’s right.” Old Man Chang Si suddenly remembered that during the day, Commander Cao’s inspection had almost discovered Gu Pingyuan hidden in the cart, but the trick of using live fish to transport salt water had never been suspected.

“Brother Gu, you speak so clearly and logically, and that salt water trick was something I’ve never heard before. You truly have a profound family background, worthy of being from a merchant family.”

“Actually, I never studied business at home, but since most of my neighbors and fellow villagers were merchants, I picked up some business strategies through observation.”

Hui merchants had always been giants in the commercial world; their heritage spanning hundreds of years was not to be underestimated. Although Gu Pingyuan had only gathered fragments of business wisdom between his studies, his natural intelligence allowed him to extrapolate principles effectively, already impressing Old Man Chang Si, a lifelong merchant.

“You look like a seasoned businessman, calculating with great precision,” Old Man Chang Si smiled slightly.

“That’s just a coincidence, thanks to my exile. I was still a scholar after all, and when I arrived at the exile camp, the camp official didn’t mistreat me. It happened that their clerk had gone into mourning for his parents, and although it was a minor position outside the official ranks, they couldn’t find a suitable replacement right away, so I filled in. It’s quite amusing—these camp officials were good at wielding weapons, but when the Ministry of War sent people twice a year to test their military strategies, they were completely at a loss. These past few years, I’ve relied on my thorough knowledge of military tactics to help them muddle through.”

“So your clever plans come from military strategies?” Old Man Chang Si suddenly realized.

“Not entirely. I’ve been involved in the camp’s procurement these past few years. Although the region beyond the Great Wall is harsh and cold, there are quite a few merchants who come to purchase old ginseng, bear gallbladder, and other medicinal ingredients. I’ve learned some business methods from them.”

This was a testament to Gu Pingyuan’s open-minded nature, still thinking about learning something new. If it had been someone else who had fallen from the heights of imperial examination success to the depths of exile labor, they would have died of resentment.

Old Man Chang Si secretly admired him and made up his mind that the money earned from following Gu Pingyuan’s advice would definitely be split half with him. After all, now that he knew Gu’s hometown, he could arrange a remittance through a bank. Of course, he didn’t reveal this intention for now.

After talking for quite some time and drinking quite a bit of wine, Gu Pingyuan felt somewhat tired, but as they continued, he suddenly froze, pondered for a while, and then looked up: “Old Man Chang, I have an unreasonable request, I wonder if you would agree to it?”

“Go ahead, what’s there that we can’t talk about with our friendship?”

“Last night I was able to escape thanks to the help of a Brother Kou. At that time, he remained in danger, and I’ve been constantly worried about him. Could you please send someone back to inquire whether this Brother Kou escaped safely?”

“I see. Alright, don’t worry, I’ll find someone to go back and check.” With that, Old Man Chang Si got up and left the room. He went to find Liu Heita, because among the caravan members, besides Liu Heita, there was no one else he could entrust with such a confidential matter; only sending him would put his mind at ease.

Old Man Chang Si went down to the back courtyard and saw the workers still laboring with great enthusiasm. In the space of two hours, they had already produced ten percent of the salt. It looked like they would boil salt for another day tomorrow, and then they could load it onto carts and depart the day after. He couldn’t help but smile. Liu Heita had no intention of sleeping that night. At the moment, he was bare-chested, revealing his dark, muscular body, standing in front of the large pot with another worker, lifting it. Sparks from the burning firewood bounced onto his skin, but he seemed completely unaware.

Old Man Chang Si came over, picked up the clothes Liu had set aside, and said half in reproach, half in concern: “Child, the autumn nights are cool, how can you take off all your clothes?”

“Ha, it’s more comfortable to work this way, and besides, if sparks burn holes in my clothes, I’d have to trouble Sister Yu’er to patch them for me when I get home, which would be too much trouble.”

“What trouble? When you reach my age, you’ll understand—showing off your strength when young leads to suffering when old.” Old Man Chang Si grumbled as he forcibly draped the clothes over Liu Heita. He then said, “Come with me for a moment.”

When they reached a secluded spot, Old Man Chang Si explained the situation and said, “I can only trouble you. Make a round trip on horseback, leave through the pass at dawn tomorrow, and finding out the information should only take half an hour. Then rush back to rest, so Brother Gu won’t worry.”

“Alright!” Liu Heita agreed without the slightest hesitation, “I’ll do anything for Brother Gu, and besides, that Brother Kou is a good man too. I’ll be back in no time.”

“Don’t get into trouble!” Old Man Chang Si called after him with urgent instructions.

Returning to the room, Old Man Chang Si, fearing that Gu Pingyuan would feel indebted, merely mentioned casually that he had sent someone, and the two continued drinking and discussing business matters. Gu Pingyuan said that if they knew the contents of the “800-li urgent dispatch,” they would be even more confident in this business venture.

Not only did he not know, but even if all the princes, relatives, governors, important ministers, and civil and military officials in the entire country were added together, those who knew the full story at this time did not exceed ten people.

Gu Pingyuan wasn’t wrong in the slightest—a major event had indeed occurred in Beijing!

In the nineteenth year of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign, just last year, the Anglo-French forces had burned the Yuan Ming Yuan (Old Summer Palace). The Emperor had brought his imperial consorts to the Mountain Resort in Chengde to seek refuge, leaving Prince Gong Yi Xin, who understood foreign affairs, in Beijing to negotiate with the foreigners. Yi Xin was Emperor Xianfeng’s own brother, known as “Sixth Prince,” clever and capable, knowledgeable about foreign affairs, and regarded by many foreigners as the only viable negotiating counterpart.

But the negotiations were not going smoothly. Britain and France each had their own rules; neither was willing to concede, so the talks dragged on for a year. No one expected that the Emperor, whose health had already been poor, would die in the East Warm Pavilion of the Mountain Resort.

When the terrible news broke, the whole country was shocked. Prince Gong seized the opportunity to sign a peace treaty with Britain and France, waiting only for the return of the deceased Emperor’s coffin and the new Emperor’s ascension.

Who would be the new Emperor was beyond question. Emperor Xianfeng had left behind only one son and one daughter; the daughter was born to Concubine Li, while the son was born to Noble Consort Yi. Naturally, this only imperial son, Zaichun, would inherit the throne.

But the problem lay precisely with the birth mother of this new Emperor. Noble Consort Yi was a woman with an extreme desire for power. During the Emperor’s lifetime, because of his poor health, he needed someone to help review memorials. She seized the opportunity to take control of this task, ostensibly writing on behalf of the Emperor but secretly learning how to participate in political affairs.

As the Emperor’s closest companion, Noble Consort Yi had already sensed that the Emperor was weak and sickly, and would likely not withstand the dual pressures of the Long-Haired Rebels’ internal troubles and the Anglo-French external threats for much longer. Her son would soon ascend the throne, and at that time, she could help him administer state affairs.

But Sushun, the Emperor’s favored minister and Grand Councilor, had long seen through Noble Consort Yi’s ambitions and had repeatedly whispered in the Emperor’s ear to guard against “a repeat of the Empress Wu’s usurpation!”

According to his suggestion, the Emperor should make an early decision, perhaps emulating Emperor Wu of Han’s treatment of “Lady Gouyi” by executing the mother but keeping the son.

The Emperor had indeed considered this, but firstly, he lacked Emperor Wu of Han’s resolve, and secondly, his health was truly too weak. Each day he could barely manage state affairs, let alone attend to palace domestic matters. Moreover, Noble Consort Yi had shown no obvious evil deeds, had given birth to an imperial son, thus rendering service to the dynasty. He truly couldn’t bring himself to “deal with” her without cause, so the matter was set aside.

Although the matter was shelved, Noble Consort Yi had already heard from eunuchs and palace maids that Sushun intended to harm her, filling her with bitter hatred. But as long as the Emperor lived, Sushun remained his favored minister and untouchable.

Sushun also knew that he and Noble Consort Yi had become irreconcilable enemies. If he wanted to keep his head after the Emperor’s death, the first and crucial step was to seize power following the Emperor’s demise. At his suggestion, the ailing Emperor appointed Sushun, Prince Yi Yuan, Prince Zheng Duanhua, Prince Consort Jingshou, and four others as Regency Ministers. The absence of Prince Gong among the Regency Ministers was unexpected yet predictable, as the Emperor and Prince Gong had never gotten along—firstly out of jealousy for his talent, and secondly because the former Empress Dowager was Prince Gong’s birth mother, whose partiality had left the Emperor perpetually resentful.

Sushun thought he had succeeded in his plan, but he hadn’t anticipated that the Emperor, on his deathbed, would leave two jade seals: one called “Imperial Reward,” bestowed upon the Empress, and the other called “Same Path Hall,” bestowed upon Noble Consort Yi. And there was an imperial edict stating that any decree drafted by the Regency Ministers on behalf of the Emperor would not be effective without the imprint of these two seals.

This was unexpected by all. The Emperor’s intention was both to prevent Noble Consort Yi from wielding power, requiring the Regency Ministers to assist in governance, and to prevent treacherous ministers from usurping the state, thus using the two seals in the hands of the Empress and Noble Consort Yi as checks and balances.

This plan for checks and balances was originally not bad, but unfortunately, for all his calculations, the Emperor had overlooked one person: Prince Gong Yi Xin. Yi Xin’s talents were known both domestically and internationally. Many were displeased that he was not among the Regency Ministers, and he himself was extremely dissatisfied. Moreover, Sushun prevented him from going to the temporary imperial residence to mourn. For a prince of his stature to be manipulated by a minister in such a way, it is no wonder that Yi Xin harbored deep hatred for Sushun.

Noble Consort Yi and Prince Gong both wanted power and both wanted to eliminate Sushun—they immediately found common ground. Noble Consort Yi was now the Empress Dowager with the honorific title “Cixi” (Compassionate and Auspicious). She devised a scheme: before the deceased Emperor’s coffin began its journey back to Beijing, she made a pretext to dismiss her close eunuch An Dehai, but in reality sent him back to Beijing to contact Prince Gong and his faction. The result of their secret discussions was that the two Empress Dowagers, Ci’an and Cixi, would rule from behind a screen, while Prince Gong, with his princely status, would become the chief Grand Councilor—truly second only to the Empress Dowagers and above all others.

In this way, the imperial faction and the princely nobility faction’s interests were completely aligned, with their spearhead aimed directly at the Regency Ministers. Sushun, Prince Yi Yuan, Prince Zheng Duanhua, and others were still in the dark. When the eight Regency Ministers escorted the late Emperor’s coffin to Miyun, Prince Gong sent Prince Chun and several trusted officials to meet them, then separated the eight men, eventually capturing them one by one. The charge against them was “usurping power and showing disrespect to the throne.”

In fact, this was a fabricated crime. The Regency Ministers had been appointed to assist in governance by a clear imperial edict—how could they be accused of “usurpation”? But by now, power had completely shifted to Prince Gong and Empress Dowager Cixi. Sushun had never been popular, so no one in the court was willing to speak up for him. Yet even Prince Gong felt that simply handing him over to the ministries for judgment on these grounds would be difficult to justify, so additional charges reported by others were added, some of which were quite serious. For example, while escorting the imperial coffin back to Beijing, Sushun allegedly had a concubine accompanying him in bed—this was “impropriety during national mourning,” certainly qualifying as depraved. The others each had their own alleged crimes.

Although Sushun had been captured, his supporters were spread throughout Beijing. Especially Chen Fu’en, one of the “Ten Disciples of Mu” from the Daoguang era, who was now allied with Sushun. Chen was cunning and unpredictable, necessitating caution. Prince Gong issued a secret order to have him seized by the Ministry of Justice, publicly claiming only that he had been sent to a distant province on official business.

The most troubling issue was that Sushun had been on good terms with Han governors and imperial commissioners stationed abroad, especially Zeng Guofan, Zuo Zongtang, and others. When the Long-Haired Rebels first arose, the Eight Banners proved useless, and the court issued a special edict allowing local officials and gentry to organize their own militia and raise funds to deal with the rebels. But the Manchu officials at court, obsessed with the Manchu-Han division, deeply feared that Han people given military power might cause trouble, so they harbored many reservations. It was truly thanks to Sushun who went against prevailing opinion to heavily employ Han people like Zeng Guofan, Zeng Guoquan, Li Hongzhang, Zuo Zongtang, and Liu Mingchuan, resulting in the Xiang Army and Huai Army fiercely fighting the Long-Haired Rebels. Otherwise, whether the Great Qing could have been preserved remained uncertain. Therefore, these individuals were heavily relied upon by the court and used as important instruments to eliminate the Long-Haired Rebels. They could neither be offended nor allowed to submit memorials pleading for Sushun, as such pleas would be difficult to either reject or approve, creating a dilemma.

It was precisely because of this concern that news of all the Regency Ministers being arrested and imprisoned was kept extremely confidential, with no Court Gazette issued. Without a Court Gazette, even if governors and commissioners learned of the situation, they could not submit memorials pleading for Sushun based merely on rumors. Otherwise, if the court investigated and charged them with “speaking nonsense to disrupt governance,” no one could bear such consequences.

But for this very reason, one order had to be quickly issued to military troops stationed in areas adjacent to the capital—Zhili, Rehe, and Shanhaiguan Pass—to prevent Sushun’s supporters from taking advantage of the general lack of awareness to issue a false edict mobilizing troops to enter the capital for “protecting the emperor.” If that happened and real and fake forces clashed, Sushun might exploit the chaos to regain power. These were matters that could not be overlooked and had to be arranged properly.

Sushun had been secretly arrested three days earlier, and the “800-li urgent dispatch” document that Old Man Chang Si had seen at Shanhaiguan Pass today was a strict order to all generals and their troops at Shanhaiguan, commanding that without seeing the three seals—”Imperial Seal,” “Imperial Reward,” and “Same Path Hall”—they were not to arbitrarily move troops. Violators would be immediately executed. Military law emphasized obeying orders without questioning reasons. Although all the generals were puzzled by this, following the orders at least would not be wrong.

In addition to this, the order given to Shanhaiguan included another provision to close the gates for ten days, not to be opened without imperial decree. This was because Sushun belonged to the Bordered Red Banner, while Princes Yi and Zheng were the banner chiefs of the Plain White and Plain Blue Banners respectively. More than half of the banner troops from these three banners were stationed beyond the Great Wall. Fearing a mutiny, they had sealed the gates as if facing a great enemy.

So Gu Pingyuan was truly fortunate. With this closure, even the camp troops from Fengtian could not come out, let alone make arrests. After ten days, Gu Pingyuan would be long gone, free as a fish in the vast sea or a bird in the high sky.

But Gu Pingyuan could not possibly know so many inside details at the moment. He only felt that after a day of fleeing for his life, he was mentally exhausted and physically drained, with an indescribable ache in every joint. After finishing the wine and returning to his room, he barely managed to wipe himself down before collapsing onto the bed and falling into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, Old Man Chang Si was already up. Though advanced in years, he was still robust. Concerned about the salt boiling, he had gotten up several times during the night to check. Moreover, he was also worried about Gu Pingyuan’s fugitive status; every time there was the slightest movement outside the inn or a dog barked, Old Man Chang Si’s heart would flip over.

As Old Man Chang Si came out of his room, he happened to bump into Gu Pingyuan. One look told him that Gu Pingyuan hadn’t slept well either; his eyes were red as if scorched by fire, frightfully so.

“Brother Gu, go back to your room and rest first. When there’s news, I’ll let you know.”

Gu Pingyuan shook his head, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse: “Old Man Chang, is there anything I can help you with? I can assist with boiling the salt.”

“Look at you, you’re not far from falling ill. Hurry back and rest.” Old Man Chang Si shooed him back to his room.

Gu Pingyuan had no choice but to return to his room. At the moment, he was burning with anxiety and could not sit still. He had made up his mind that as soon as someone returned from Shanhaiguan with news of Kou Liancai, he would immediately bid farewell to Old Man Chang Si. As for where he would go, he hadn’t decided yet, but he would definitely head south first.

This town was not as bustling as Linghai Town; only two groups of guests came to the inn all morning. Each time, Gu Pingyuan pressed his ear against the window, and when he realized it wasn’t someone from the Chang family caravan bringing news, he would sit back down in disappointment. Near noon, the sound of a galloping horse finally came. Someone reined in at the inn’s entrance, and when Gu Pingyuan pushed open the window to look, he saw Liu Heita jumping down from his horse, covered in dust from his journey. Only then did he realize that Old Man Chang Si had sent his adopted son to inquire about the situation. A wave of apology surged in his heart, and he hurriedly went out to greet him.

“Brother Liu, thank you for your trouble…” Although Gu Pingyuan was weary and anxious, his alertness remained. One glance told him that Liu Heita was in an extremely bad mood, with a dark face and drooping eyebrows, his nostrils flared wide as if breathing fire. If he could see this, how could Old Man Chang Si not? This was his godson, and Old Man Chang Si immediately knew something was wrong. Fearing that Liu Heita might lose control and make a scene on the spot, he quickly pulled him into the room.

“Heita, what’s wrong? Did something happen to Brother Gu’s young friend?” Old Man Chang Si handed his godson a cup of water, forcing him to drink it, and then asked.

Liu Heita glanced at Gu Pingyuan, who was anxiously waiting nearby, and his lips moved a couple of times without speaking.

Gu Pingyuan knew something terrible had happened. Taking a deep breath, he asked deliberately and slowly: “Brother Liu, did you see Kou Liancai after you went through the pass? Was he arrested?”

Liu Heita lowered his head and still wouldn’t speak.

“Was he beaten with bamboo sticks, or tied up for public display? Speak up!” Gu Pingyuan suddenly exploded, shaking Liu Heita’s shoulders with both hands.

“I didn’t enter the pass,” Liu Heita said, as if in a nightmare. “I arrived outside the pass at the third watch, just waiting for the gates to open so I could go in. But at that moment, a wooden pole was extended from the city wall, and on it, on it…”

The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Gu Pingyuan stared at Liu Heita’s mouth, not knowing what terrible news would come out of it.

“There was a human head hanging on it!” Liu Heita’s voice seemed to come from the edge of the sky. Gu Pingyuan swayed, and Old Man Chang Si quickly steadied him.

Liu Heita continued in a muffled voice: “There was also a cloth banner that read, ‘The exile Kou Liancai, for aiding a fellow convict’s escape, is beheaded as a warning to miscreants!’ After seeing this, I returned.”

Old Man Chang Si, hearing of this great tragedy, turned ashen-faced and looked worriedly at Gu Pingyuan. Gu Pingyuan’s gaze was fixed, and he stood stunned for a long time, chewing over the words he had said to Kou Liancai when they parted: “Take care of yourself, and wait for the day when I come back for you.” Suddenly he pushed Old Man Chang Si aside and strode out the door.

Old Man Chang Si saw that something was wrong and hurriedly stepped forward to block him, asking, “Brother Gu, where are you going?”

“I am responsible for Brother Liancai’s death. I promised him I would definitely come back for him. Now that he’s dead, I must go to claim his body and send him back to his hometown. I cannot let him die without an intact body, becoming a lonely ghost.” Gu Pingyuan muttered, as if answering Old Man Chang Si, yet also speaking to himself.

Old Man Chang Si blocked him from leaving, afraid that someone might overhear, and said in an extremely low voice: “Going back is walking into a trap. Not only will you not be able to claim the body, but you’ll also sacrifice yourself.”

“I’m the one who should have died!” Gu Pingyuan suddenly shouted loudly, struggling desperately to push forward.

Old Man Chang Si couldn’t hold him back and quickly called for Liu Heita. The two of them, one holding his waist and one grabbing his arms, tried to restrain him. Gu Pingyuan struggled a few times, then suddenly let out a “Wah!” sound and vomited a large mouthful of blood, immediately going limp and falling unconscious.

Father and son carried him back to his room and laid him down. Old Man Chang Si, experienced in travel, was familiar with illnesses on the road. He felt Gu Pingyuan’s forehead—indeed, it was burning like a small furnace, and the air from his nostrils was extremely hot.

“This is bad, it’s an acute illness. The root of the disease was probably brewing last night. Now with this shock, it’s even more serious. Quickly go find a doctor.”

There was no doctor in the small town, only the owner of a medicine shop who knew something about medicine. The medicine shop owner took Gu Pingyuan’s pulse, looked at his tongue, and said with great confidence: “This is a case of wind-cold symptoms being driven to attack the heart by acute fire. Don’t worry, I’ll prescribe some medicine. Have him take it, rest quietly for a few days, and he’ll be fine.”

Obtaining a prescription and taking medicine were not problems, but resting quietly was difficult—they couldn’t just leave Gu Pingyuan alone at the inn. Old Man Chang Si thought it over and decided he could only take Gu Pingyuan with them on the journey. They would first head toward Shanxi, and when Gu Pingyuan recovered, they could part ways.

So after the salt was boiled, he hired a comfortable carriage, laid it with bedding, and had Gu Pingyuan lie inside, departing with the caravan. Along the way, they followed the prescription and took the medicine, but Gu Pingyuan’s condition showed no signs of improvement. Old Man Chang Si suspected a misdiagnosis by an incompetent doctor, so when they reached the next large market town, he invited a renowned physician to examine him. However, this doctor also said it was wind-cold entering the body, with a weak spleen and constitution, and prescribed a very similar remedy. After taking the medicine, Gu Pingyuan’s fever would come and go, but he remained semi-conscious, confused, and not fully aware.

Old Man Chang Si had no choice but to buy ice to wipe Gu Pingyuan’s body and reduce the fever. At each market town they passed, he would invite a doctor to examine Gu Pingyuan. All the doctors who took his pulse diagnosed wind-cold and nodded at the previous prescriptions, but Gu Pingyuan’s condition simply would not improve, leaving Old Man Chang Si at a loss for what to do.

Liu Heita was not idle either. Having heard from Old Man Chang Si about Gu Pingyuan’s money-making idea, he was very excited. Along the way, he directed the workers to purchase festive items: red candles, red paper, cinnabar, and colorful cloth, filling an entire cart. Now they were just waiting to reach Shanxi to see if Gu Pingyuan’s prediction would come true.

“Let me out, do you hear me!” Such shouts occasionally came from the Beijing merchant caravan, but the workers all seemed accustomed to it, no one saying a word, as if they hadn’t heard anything.

The one shouting was Li Qin. His throat had become sore from yelling, but no one came, so he slumped down dejectedly. This carriage had been specially hired by Zhang Guangfa for him—two windows and a door that, when latched from outside, resembled a cage, with only a skylight for ventilation. However, the interior was elegantly furnished, with soft seats that could be used for sitting or lying down, a lamp hanging overhead, fruit platters and snacks, plus several illustrated novels to more than adequately pass the time.

When Li Qin was brought into the pass by the Beijing merchant, he was still unconscious. Zhang Guangfa merely claimed that he had drunk too much and caused trouble. The soldiers verified he wasn’t a fugitive and let him through. However, after Li Qin woke up, his commotion gave even Zhang Guangfa a headache. Li Qin felt he had lost face in front of others and couldn’t back down. Thinking of his status as the young master, being tricked by Zhang Guangfa, a mere “employee,” made him even more furious. Zhang Guangfa tried to persuade him from all angles, but to no avail. Li Qin insisted that he turn the caravan around. Zhang Guangfa knew that once Li Qin’s young master temperament flared up, persuasion was futile. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and called two workers to carry and push Li Qin into this carriage.

Li Qin was nearly driven mad with anger, yet Zhang Guangfa simply wouldn’t humor him, ignoring all his threats. After being confined for several days, Li Qin finally softened. Today, unable to bear the boredom any longer, he gritted his teeth and shouted again: “I won’t make trouble anymore, call Zhang Guangfa here! Quickly, go call him!”

“Young Master, I’m right here beside you.” As soon as Li Qin finished speaking, Zhang Guangfa’s voice came from outside the carriage.

“So you’ve been standing there all along, watching me make a fool of myself, haven’t you?”

“How could you say that? I wouldn’t dare. You’re the young master, and I’m just a servant.” Zhang Guangfa’s voice suddenly grew solemn. “Don’t forget, since you were little, you’ve ridden on my shoulders around the entire city. When the master was too busy, who took you to Tianqiao to watch martial arts performances? Monkey figurines, sugar dolls, rabbit lords… which of these didn’t I buy for you? Who taught you to fly kites higher than anyone else in the southern part of the city? Who trained your mynah bird to whistle eighteen tunes? One year when we went to the Eight Great Sites in the Western Hills, passing by the moat, you insisted on sliding on the ice. I told you the ice hadn’t frozen solid yet, but you stubbornly refused to believe me and made me go test it. I walked about ten steps before falling into a hole in the ice. If it hadn’t been for a clothesline pole nearby, I would have lost my life.”

As he spoke, Li Qin remained silent. Finally, he slowly interjected: “I remember I was so frightened that I cried loudly, afraid of being scolded by my parents. I begged you not to tell anyone, and you truly didn’t tell a soul.”

Zhang Guangfa was silent for a while, then let out a long sigh. Suddenly, he shouted: “Stop!”

The Beijing merchant caravan was extremely disciplined. At this command, the entire caravan immediately halted. Zhang Guangfa pointed to a nearby grove: “Everyone go rest over there. Eat, drink, relieve yourselves, do whatever you need to do. We’ll set off again in a quarter of an hour.”

After sending everyone far away, he dismounted, took a key from his waist, and personally opened the carriage door. The sudden sunlight dazzled Li Qin, making it difficult for him to open his eyes. When he finally managed to squint and look outside, he was startled to see Zhang Guangfa kneeling stiffly behind the carriage, head bowed in silence.

Zhang Guangfa was the chief manager, and his dignity was important. Even if he had committed a grave error, even if he had offended the owner, at most he would voluntarily resign, but there was no reason for him to kneel and admit fault. Li Qin was extremely surprised and jumped down from the carriage to help Zhang Guangfa up, but Zhang Guangfa adamantly refused to rise.

“Young Master, I kneel firstly to apologize to you, and secondly to ask a favor of you.”

“What favor?” Li Qin was puzzled.

“I know you feel indignant, but just as I never mentioned the incident of falling into the river to anyone, could you also refrain from mentioning the encounter with Gu Pingyuan beyond the Great Wall from now on? Just pretend you never met this person, would that be alright?”

“This…” Li Qin was truly in a difficult position. He had planned that as soon as he got out of the carriage, he would force Zhang Guangfa to explain everything clearly; otherwise, his curiosity would be unbearable. But he hadn’t expected Zhang Guangfa to make the first move, preemptively silencing him.

“If you don’t agree, I’ll remain kneeling and won’t get up. You can return to Beijing with the caravan, and I’ll kneel here in this wilderness until I die!” Zhang Guangfa made another forceful move.

Li Qin had no choice and helplessly said: “You’re forcing me to agree.”

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but consider it a favor to me.”

“Fine, I’ll do as you ask, Uncle Zhang…” Li Qin sighed, knowing that Zhang Guangfa had used both hard and soft tactics, and he had already fallen into the trap.

Zhang Guangfa finally felt relieved. But just as he stood up, Li Qin asked:

“Did you drug me?”

“Ah, Young Master, didn’t you promise not to ask anymore?”

“I won’t ask about Gu, but can’t I ask about the cup of wine I drank myself? Wasn’t it from the same pot? How come you weren’t poisoned?”

Zhang Guangfa smiled: “The drug was smeared on the wine cup. I grabbed one cup first, remember? That cup was marked.”

“Right, that’s how it happened…” Li Qin nodded, recalling the scene. Then he threw his head back and shouted at Zhang Guangfa: “Wait, that’s not right! This means both remaining cups were drugged. You deliberately wanted to knock me out too!”

Without a word, Zhang Guangfa “plop” knelt down again, making Li Qin so angry he choked, pointing at him with a trembling hand.

“Uncle Zhang, fine, fine, you really are something.”

Zhang Guangfa remained silent as Li Qin vented his anger. After a while, Li Qin could only give up. The caravan continued forward, passing Zunhua and approaching Miyun.

“Rest tonight, and tomorrow everyone should be energetic. We’ll travel in one stretch, trying to reach the city before the outer city gates close. Then you can all go home to sleep with your wives, which is a hundred times better than being in the wilderness eating cold wind,” Zhang Guangfa announced while arranging for workers to set up camp.

This was the skill of a caravan manager. After a day’s journey, everyone was tired, but his words made everyone beam with smiles. Though they hadn’t yet reached home, it was as if they had already eaten the “arrival noodles” prepared by their wives—that feeling of comfort was indescribable.

The only one who couldn’t smile was Li Qin. Whenever he calmed down, he thought of Gu Pingyuan, feeling an indescribable unease. Looking at the sky, he saw that the bright moon illuminated a small hill not far away, with a point on top that he identified as a temple. After watching the workers busy setting up tents, he headed toward the temple, simply wanting to explore and clear his mind.

It was an earthen hill with a stone tablet at its foot inscribed with “Grinding Stone Hill.” A winding path followed the hillside, and with the clear moonlight, the path up was not difficult. In less than half an hour, Li Qin arrived at the temple. This temple had only one courtyard, with a main hall but no temple property, so there were no resident monks or priests. In front of the hall was a natural stone platform with many small incense burners containing burnt incense. Surrounding tall trees had sparse foliage; moonlight filtering through the leaves cast mottled ghost-like shadows.

Li Qin was not particularly brave. Looking at the pitch-black main hall, he felt uneasy and hesitated for a long time before stepping in with one foot. Fortunately, the hall was dilapidated, with a corner of the main beam exposed. By the moonlight, Li Qin looked up and saw that the deity enshrined was the Thunder God. The Thunder God was among the water deities; worshipping the Thunder God, like worshipping the Dragon King, was for praying for rain.

Li Qin came before the deity statue. Influenced by the foreign firm, he had already converted to Christianity, so he neither bowed nor prayed, merely clasping his hands behind his back to observe. Suddenly feeling the Thunder God’s fierce eyes staring at him, he became somewhat anxious, involuntarily thinking again of Gu Pingyuan, feeling uncomfortable. Just as he was about to leave, he heard rustling sounds from a corner.

“Who’s there?” Li Qin was greatly startled and quickly retreated several steps to the hall entrance.

After waiting for a while with no response, he cautiously peered in again.

“Don’t move! Come any closer, and I’ll stab you with this sword!” A girl’s voice came from the corner—a childish voice that sounded as if she had not yet reached adulthood.

Li Qin was startled and immediately stopped. Knowing he was in the light and they could see him clearly, he cupped his hands in greeting.

“I apologize for disturbing you. I’m a merchant from Beijing passing through. I came up the hill to visit the temple. Please don’t be afraid, I’ll leave now.” Li Qin thought they were local villagers praying at night and didn’t want to cause trouble, so he turned to leave.

“Please wait.” Another female voice came from the hall, and Li Qin realized there was more than one person inside. Suddenly remembering legends of fox spirits and ghosts, despite having converted to a foreign religion, the stories he had heard since childhood were deeply ingrained, and his expression couldn’t help but change.

“Don’t be afraid. We’re neither ghosts nor monsters; we’re living people just like you.” The person inside seemed to perceive his thoughts and offered reassurance before walking out.

The voice belonged to a woman, but the person who emerged was a man. Li Qin found this very strange. Upon closer examination, he realized they were two women dressed as men. One appeared to be around his age, probably just past fifteen, and although disguised as a dashing young gentleman, upon careful observation, her bright eyes, white teeth, snow-like skin, and exceptional beauty were evident. Her crystal-clear eyes were like moonlight reflecting on a cold river. She was gazing intently at him.

Although Li Qin was not yet twenty, he had frequented various entertainment establishments and seen many courtesans, considering himself quite experienced in judging beauty. Yet this woman surpassed them all. He hadn’t expected to find such a beauty in this remote wilderness and was immediately transfixed.

“Hey, what are you staring at with those wide eyes?” A voice arose, and Li Qin remembered there was another person. This one was two or three years younger, still in her early teens with a childish face, dressed as a young scholar’s servant. She held an unsheathed three-inch dagger—presumably the one who had threatened to “stab him.”

“Oh, miss…”

“Who are you calling ‘miss’?” Li Qin had barely spoken before being interrupted by the fierce “little servant.”

Li Qin wasn’t afraid of such people and said with a smile: “If a man spoke with that voice, I’d really have to run away.”

“Why?” the “little servant” asked.

“Because he’d clearly be possessed by a female ghost,” Li Qin laughed.

“You…” Just as the “little servant” was about to flare up, the “young gentleman” beside her stopped her.

“Let it go, Sixi. It was our mistake for forgetting to disguise our voices, so we can’t blame him for recognizing us.”

“Fine.” The “little servant” called Sixi agreed verbally but still gave Li Qin a fierce glare.

The “young gentleman” spoke: “You said you’re a merchant from Beijing passing through?”

“Yes, our caravan transported war horses to the Fengtian Garrison and is now on the return journey. We’ve set up camp not far from here.” Li Qin was attracted to beautiful women, and seeing this beauty made him excited, but there was also something inviolable about her that made him admire her beyond mere physical attraction. Thus, he didn’t hide anything and revealed everything openly.

The woman looked him over twice more, smiled slightly, and asked: “May I ask if you are the young master of the Li family?”

Li Qin’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at her in confusion, stammering: “…How did you know?”

This was as good as an admission. The woman smiled again: “Among Beijing merchants, only the Li family could undertake business like transporting military horses to the Fengtian Garrison. That you would climb a hill alone to view the scenery while the caravan is camped proves that even the chief manager cannot restrain you. Add to that your luxurious clothing… so I made an educated guess.”

The woman described it casually, but Li Qin was dumbfounded. Such quick-witted reasoning, deducing flawlessly in a moment, was truly rare. She must not be an ordinary person. Li Qin couldn’t help but ask: “Miss, you are…?”

“Me…” The woman frowned, like a spring river rippled by wind, showing another kind of charm. She seemed to be wrestling with a decision, looking up at Li Qin, then sighing.

“Miss, though we’ve met by chance, it’s still a fortunate encounter. If you have something to say, please speak freely. To be honest, I am indeed the young master of the Li family, and if I can help, I certainly will.”

“Really?” The woman’s eyes brightened.

“If I speak falsely, may lightning strike me dead.” This ready-made oath was fittingly spoken in this place, making Sixi chuckle.

“I want to travel back to Beijing with your caravan. I need to see your father,” the woman immediately said after he had sworn.

“My father?!” No matter how hard Li Qin tried, he couldn’t have guessed that this was the woman’s request. He stood dumbfounded, staring at the two master and servant disguised as men.

“Am I asking too much? If so, forget it.” The woman seemed completely unconcerned.

“Well…” For someone to want to see his father was not a difficult matter by any means. Li Qin grimaced, thinking to himself that he kept encountering strange situations—first Gu Pingyuan wanting to see the chief manager, leaving him confused, and now this mysterious woman of unknown origin immediately asking to see his father, which was even more peculiar.

“Seeing my father isn’t an issue, but who exactly are you? Where are you from? Where are you going? Were you originally planning to go to Beijing to see my father, or did you only think of this after learning I’m the Li family’s young master?” He asked several questions in one breath, but the woman only smiled without answering. Finally, she responded:

“Just now, you swore so boldly before the deity, but now you’re being so fussy. Does this mean that if I don’t answer a single word, your oath doesn’t count?”

“Well…” Li Qin was left speechless, knowing he had been too rash. However, the oath had been made, the curse had been laid, and he both liked this woman and had just experienced an unpleasant incident beyond the Great Wall. If he were to lose face again in front of these two women, it would be extremely humiliating. Thinking that it was merely a matter of meeting his father, which wasn’t a big deal, he confusedly agreed.

Li Qin led them down the hill. On the way, he asked the woman her name, but she consistently refused to tell him. Li Qin became impatient: “I need something to call you! Otherwise, how can I find you if I need to speak with you?”

The woman pointed to the “little servant” called Sixi: “Tell her, and she’ll relay it to me.”

Li Qin had originally planned to chat and get closer to this woman along the way, but now realized it was hopeless. He silently cursed his bad luck. He had made an ill-timed trip up the mountain and ended up with a losing deal.

Upon returning to the caravan, Li Qin found Zhang Guangfa and asked him to arrange an empty tent for the master and servant. When Zhang Guangfa heard the story, he became anxious and pulled Li Qin aside: “My young master, how confused you are! What? Bringing people back to Beijing to see the master? Do you know who these two are? Taking unknown people to see the master—your audacity is too great!”

“What’s the worst that could happen? They’re not venomous snakes or fierce beasts,” Li Qin retorted defiantly.

“The workers might not notice, but you think I can’t see it too? Have I been a manager for nothing?” Zhang Guangfa was so angry that his face contorted. “They’re two young women, aren’t they? As the saying goes, ‘monks, beggars, and passionate women’—everyone on the road knows these three types of people should never be trifled with. How can you be so daring?”

“They didn’t teach me that at the foreign firm,” Li Qin replied irritably.

Zhang Guangfa waved his hands dismissively: “Enough, enough. I don’t care if they’re male or female; get rid of them early to avoid trouble.”

“In the middle of the night, driving two young women away? I can’t believe you thought of that. I won’t do it!” Li Qin lost his temper too, turning away indifferently.

“If you won’t drive them away, I will. With them staying here, I won’t be able to sleep all night.” Zhang Guangfa raised his foot to go evict them.

“Fine, go ahead, but once we reach Beijing, our agreement about that other matter won’t count anymore.” Li Qin had a flash of inspiration and used the matter of Gu Pingyuan to threaten Zhang Guangfa.

This tactic proved effective. Zhang Guangfa immediately deflated like a punctured balloon. In the end, he agreed to Li Qin’s request and arranged a tent for the master and servant. Early the next morning, he gave them the carriage that had previously confined Li Qin, while Li Qin rode a horse alongside.

With two unexpected additions to the caravan, workers inevitably gossiped. Some also noticed that these were two young women disguised as men, and they intentionally or unintentionally linked them to Li Qin. Li Qin actually felt quite proud and didn’t bother to explain. By the time they reached the outskirts of Beijing, word had spread throughout the caravan that the young master had picked up a woman on the road to be his lover and had also brought along her younger sister—the story circulated with vivid details.

Zhang Guangfa had also heard the rumors but had no time to manage the workers because, since leaving Miyun, he had noticed changes in the situation along the way. Whether at rural crossroads or city gates, soldiers were stationed on guard, and waterway and land checkpoints were being searched extremely thoroughly. Zhang Guangfa was eager to return to the city because he was concerned about delivering the master’s letter, so they had to spend money to avoid trouble along the way. Fortunately, these soldiers were willing to accept bribes, and red envelopes served as passage permits. With a wave of the hand, they would ignore the large caravan, allowing them to reach the city gates before closing.

Upon arriving at Guangqu Gate, Zhang Guangfa became worried. The inspection here was ten times stricter than in the countryside. A Green Standard Army chiliarch led seven or eight centurions divided into several teams for searching. People entering the city had to undo their queues and remove their shoes for inspection.

“Brother Shi, what’s going on? Such strict inspection—I’ve only heard my grandfather mention it once. That was during Emperor Jiaqing’s years when the Heavenly Principles Sect attacked the imperial palace. What’s happening now?” Two passersby, tired of waiting, smoked their pipes and chatted to pass the time.

“Who knows? I heard they arrested several high officials and are watching for accomplices trying to enter the palace to assassinate someone.”

Zhang Guangfa shook his head skeptically. Talk of palace assassinations was merely the stuff of teahouse storytelling. The imperial palace was heavily guarded; how could ordinary people infiltrate it? However, judging by the situation, the line to enter the city was moving slowly, and they certainly wouldn’t get in tonight. He had no choice but to instruct everyone to find an inn and temporarily rest outside the city for the night.

While he was making these arrangements, Li Qin tapped on the carriage door, and as the master and servant alighted, he pointed ahead: “Do you see? They search men but not women. If they search you two, there will be trouble. Why not change back into women’s clothing?”

Sixi looked at the city gate, her face turning slightly pale. She tugged at the “young gentleman’s” sleeve and whispered: “Miss, let’s listen to him.”

The “young gentleman” shook her head, glanced at the book chest they carried, and also whispered: “People may not be searched, but what about belongings? We need to find a foolproof way to enter the city.”

As they were speaking, someone at the city gate called out Zhang Guangfa’s name, shouting while walking toward the caravan.

Zhang Guangfa squinted to look, immediately brightened, jumped down from his horse, and took several quick steps forward.

“Li An, what are you doing at the city gate?”

The newcomer was dressed like a servant from a wealthy household, about the same age as Zhang Guangfa. Upon being asked, he first gave a bow.

“Manager Zhang, the master knew the city gates were under strict control and feared you would have trouble entering, so he specifically requested a pass from the Commander of the Nine Gates. I’ve been waiting here for days, and I’ve finally caught up with you.”

Zhang Guangfa hurriedly helped him up and chided: “How can you be so formal with me? Have you forgotten our friendship from years ago? I won’t stand for this.”

Li An smiled sheepishly: “Well, now you’re the chief manager, things are different.”

As they conversed at the front, Li Qin, with his sharp eyes, had already noticed and said: “That’s our household steward Li An; he must be here on business.”

After understanding the reason, the master and servant both sighed with relief. With the pass from the Commander of the Nine Gates, the Beijing merchant caravan entered the city gate without hindrance. Afterward, they split into two groups: the workers led the caravan back to the trading house, while Li An escorted Li Qin, Zhang Guangfa, and the pair they had met on the road to the Beijing Merchants’ Guild Hall, located between Qianmen Street and the Temple of Agriculture.

The Beijing Merchants’ Guild Hall had a long history, having been established in the Yuan Dynasty, not far from the ancient Boruo Temple. It had been abandoned for a period during the early Ming Dynasty, but later, when the Yongle Emperor “guarded the country’s gate as the Son of Heaven” and moved the capital to Beijing, the Beijing merchants flourished again, continuing through the Ming and Qing dynasties. After several hundred years, although the guild hall’s buildings remained imposing, they had fallen into disrepair.

Later, the Li family patriarch, Li Wantang, funded renovations at the beginning of Emperor Xianfeng’s reign, purchasing surrounding land and sparing no expense to build pavilions, expanding the guild hall to more than three times its original size. Three newly constructed two-story buildings were designated for “Deliberation,” “Education,” and “Financial Support,” not only providing meeting spaces for prominent Beijing merchants but also teaching poor children business and abacus skills, as well as offering loans to impoverished households running small businesses. Behind the buildings stood a large theater stage for guild assemblies. Regardless of wealth or status, as long as one paid the Beijing Merchants’ membership fee, all were treated equally at assemblies; the owner of a cobbler’s shop could sit at the same table as the chief managers from tea houses and grain businesses.

Li Wantang’s enthusiasm for the Beijing merchants’ public welfare, coupled with his fairness, generosity, and hospitality, won many hearts. After the guild hall’s major renovation was completed, prominent Beijing merchants gathered and unanimously elected him as the guild hall’s chief steward. When word spread to the common people, he became known as the “Leader of the Beijing Merchants.” Moreover, with the Li family engaged in commerce for generations and involved in countless businesses, they had long held the title of “Li Half-City.” Their reputation was unparalleled, and merchants throughout the country knew of the Li family in Beijing.

Since the guild hall was funded entirely by the Li family, the front three courtyards served as the Beijing Merchants’ public space, while the rear compound was essentially Li family’s private residence. Normally, Li Wantang received guests and handled affairs there.

Passing through a winding corridor, beside which lay a man-made small lake densely covered with lotus flowers, they arrived at three houses arranged in the shape of the character “pin” behind the corridor. In the center was an open space with bamboo and osmanthus trees, where an ancient tree trunk lay horizontally like a coiled dragon.

As the “young gentleman” walked along with the others, she looked around and couldn’t help but praise: “Northern gardens rarely use the Jiangnan principle of ‘barrenness.’ If this was designed by a local, it could only be the master gardener Ouyang San.”

Li An, walking ahead, turned back to look, surprised in his heart. Indeed, this landscaping had been done by Ouyang San. He hadn’t expected that this young gentleman, at such a young age, would have such a discerning eye.

“We’ve arrived. Young Master and you two, please rest in the side room first. The master is waiting to see Manager Zhang,” Li An stopped and said respectfully.

Zhang Guangfa followed Li An into the main room, while the “young gentleman” and Sixi did not enter the side room but leisurely admired the garden. Li Qin approached and said: “Now that we’re here, shouldn’t you tell me why you want to see my father?”

The “young gentleman” glanced at him, completely ignoring his question.

Li Qin coughed once and helplessly swallowed: “At least tell me your surname and name. Otherwise, when my father calls me in and asks, I’ll have brought someone without a name or surname to see him. How absurd would that be!”

Originally, he didn’t have much hope, but unexpectedly, the “young gentleman” spoke: “That makes sense. If your father asks later, tell him my surname is Su, given name Zixuan—’Zi’ as in ‘purple qi coming from the east,’ and ‘Xuan’ as in the legendary Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan.”

“Oh, Su… From your accent, you’re a Beijing native. It’s already getting late. After meeting my father, shall I escort you home? How about that?” Li Qin felt that this name couldn’t possibly be a woman’s, but since the whole affair had been strange from the beginning, he simply stopped thinking about it. This woman was not only mysterious, but her aura and beauty captivated him.

“We’ll discuss that later. I’m not sure where I’ll go after leaving here,” Su Zixuan responded while intentionally or unintentionally walking toward the main room. This area was far from the front public halls, so the noise couldn’t reach them. As they approached the main room, the conversation inside became faintly audible.

A steady, powerful voice could be heard speaking: “Now that our patron has become an ice mountain, and even that ice mountain has collapsed, there’s nothing to regret. The bigger the business, the greater the risk. However, we must plan for ourselves early.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Guangfa could be heard saying: “Sigh, I never expected such a thing to happen. Over the years, we’ve gradually invested more than a million. All that effort gone to waste, completely lost.”

“Don’t think about those things! You’ve handled the specific matters these past few years. Now, we must first cut the connection. Not a single document can remain, understand?”

“Yes! I’ll take care of it immediately,” Zhang Guangfa agreed.

“Hmm.”

Zhang Guangfa took his leave from the main room, greeted Li Qin, and hurried away. Subsequently, Li Qin was called in, and the voice immediately became stern.

“I hear you were throwing your weight around as the young master before even reaching Shanhaiguan?!”

“I… I am the young master…” Li Qin’s voice sounded lacking in confidence.

The voice didn’t speak for a long time. This silence was so oppressive that even Su Zixuan, standing outside, felt a sense of pressure and couldn’t help but feel a chill.

After a long while, Li Qin stammered: “I brought back two people. One named Su Zixuan, she wants… wants to see…”

Before he could finish, the voice suddenly interrupted: “Li An, have someone take the young master back to the mansion. He is to remain indoors studying for a month, not allowed to go anywhere!”

“I…” As Li Qin’s voice was about to rise, Li An quickly intervened.

“Young Master, this is your first long-distance journey, and returning safely is already an accomplishment. The madam is waiting for you, please return quickly.”

Li An persuaded Li Qin out of the door with a mixture of explanation and coaxing, then gave instructions to a servant waiting in the corridor. Li Qin glanced at Su Zixuan and left reluctantly. Li An then bowed slightly to Su Zixuan and her servant and invited them into the main room.

Su Zixuan calmly entered the main room with Sixi. One glance told her that this was actually Li Wantang’s private study. A calligraphy piece on the wall by Li Laitai titled “Half Suitable for Moonlight, Half Suitable for Wind” gave the room a refined atmosphere. Sitting across a desk was a middle-aged man nearing fifty, wearing a long robe of lake-spun fabric with elegantly embroidered bamboo leaf patterns on the borders. His gray-white hair complemented piercing eyes, showing no trace of vulgarity.

“So this is Li Half-City. He doesn’t look like a merchant but rather like a scholar from the Imperial Academy or a Hanlin from the Imperial Secretariat,” Su Zixuan secretly marveled.

The man in the room was naturally the leader of the Beijing merchants, known as “Li Half-City,” Li Wantang. Looking at the two who had entered, he was also surprised. Women dressed as men was already unusual, and such beauty even more so. He had heard from Zhang Guangfa that these two had come specifically to see him, but he couldn’t guess their intentions.

“Please, be seated! I hear you’ve come specifically to see this old man. May I ask what brings you here?” Li Wantang casually picked up an exquisite pair of flower scissors and gently trimmed a pot of dwarf bamboo on the table, without even looking at Su Zixuan.

Sixi stood by in attendance while Su Zixuan sat down, staring at Li Wantang: “I want to sell you something.”

Li Wantang smiled faintly: “Many people want to sell things to this old man, but few are worth buying.”

“What I have, you will definitely want to buy. I just don’t know if you can afford it,” Su Zixuan said without the slightest smile.

“Oh?” Li Wantang’s movements remained completely unaffected, but there was a hint of mockery in his voice.

“Please come and see.” Su Zixuan pointed to the book chest that Sixi was holding.

Initially, when Li Wantang saw this beautiful young woman, he thought she was merely selling her beauty, something he had seen countless times. He had originally planned to give her some money and send her away, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He now carefully examined Su Zixuan. Sixi brought the book chest forward a few steps and opened a corner. Li Wantang stretched his neck slightly to look inside, then immediately raised his head and swept Su Zixuan with a piercing gaze.

Li An, seeing his master’s reaction, also stretched his head over to take a look, but Sixi had already closed the book chest.

“Well, how much silver is it worth?” Su Zixuan asked.

Li Wantang pointed at the book chest impassively: “I won’t ask how you obtained this, but I will ask who you really are.”

Su Zixuan turned back to look at Li An.

“Go ahead and speak freely.” Over the years, Li An had handled many confidential matters for Li Wantang and had become his most trusted confidant, even more trusted than Zhang Guangfa.

“Who am I?” Su Zixuan repeated Li Wantang’s question, seeming unsure how to answer. After thinking for a moment, she extended a hand. On her slender finger was a ring with the face turned inward. She gently turned the face outward, and a red light suddenly flashed, dazzling the eyes. Li Wantang, who was quite knowledgeable about jewelry and a connoisseur, immediately recognized that this was not a ruby but a “fire oil diamond,” the rarest among diamonds and extremely difficult to obtain. He suddenly remembered something, raised an eyebrow, and scrutinized Su Zixuan.

“Such a rare treasure, and one that you personally gave away—surely you haven’t forgotten. Do you still need to ask who I am?” Su Zixuan said slowly.

Li Wantang didn’t answer but instructed Li An: “Go out and stand guard. Don’t let anyone come near.”

Li An acknowledged and left. Only then did Li Wantang turn to Su Zixuan: “It’s one thing that you escaped from Miyun, but you actually dare to return to Beijing.”

Su Zixuan appeared unconcerned, but a layer of coldness covered her face: “Beijing, though dangerous, is actually safe. I have my reasons for returning.”

Li Wantang pondered her intentions, sat back down behind his desk, but did not pick up the flower scissors again.

“You want to save someone? You’re too late,” Li Wantang almost immediately understood.

Su Zixuan stood up and said while walking around the room: “It’s not too late! For such a major case, there must be a joint trial by the Three Courts. As long as one or two nobles in Beijing are willing to speak up, it can be brought under the ‘Eight Deliberations’ system. Whether deliberating as a relative, as a noble, or even for meritorious service, the punishment can be reduced. Even if not under the ‘Eight Deliberations,’ with some delay, governors and commissioners could be persuaded to provide support…”

“Too late!” Li Wantang, hearing her speak at length, recognized her intelligence and strategy, but still emphasized each word distinctly.

“You’re afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself, aren’t you? I just heard what you said outside the room. Hmph, ‘our patron has become an ice mountain, and even that ice mountain has collapsed’—well said indeed. But don’t forget, water can still freeze, and earth can still form mountains. The more you help at this time, in the future…”

Li Wantang shook his head slightly. Before he could speak, Su Zixuan’s expression changed. She gave a cold smile: “In the fourth year of Emperor Xianfeng, during the palace construction, the Li family substituted Sichuan nan wood for Guizhou golden silk nan wood, profiting fifty thousand taels of silver. In the fifth year of Emperor Xianfeng, they monopolized the military uniform supply for seventeen large garrisons in Zhili and Rehe, earning over thirty thousand taels annually. In the tenth year of Emperor Xianfeng, during the Ministry of Revenue’s banknote case, without official sales, privately purchased and operated five money bureaus, profiting over seventy thousand taels annually…”

As she spoke, she observed Li Wantang’s expression. Apart from his eyes momentarily becoming as sharp as knife edges, his complexion remained entirely unchanged. She secretly admired his composure. These were all the Li family’s highly confidential business dealings, each directly linked to current high officials, involving bribery and private transactions. If any one of these were exposed, it would result in the confiscation of property and execution.

After Su Zixuan had finished speaking, Li Wantang actually applauded gently: “Good memory. I had heard there was an account book that wasn’t found even after the property was confiscated. I thought it had been quickly destroyed, but it seems it’s in your hands.”

Su Zixuan nodded: “I’ve been keeping this account book since I was ten years old. Every entry was recorded by me. Don’t think about killing me to silence me. I have two servant girls—this one called Sixi, and another called Sanxiao who didn’t come with me. If anything happens to me, the secret of the account book will naturally become public knowledge.”

Li Wantang didn’t even raise an eyebrow when he heard this, as if such an arrangement had been within his expectations.

Su Zixuan nodded: “I know you’re a clever person. There are others whom I wouldn’t dare approach even if I held their secrets, because they’re too foolish to assess the situation clearly. They might hastily dig a hole and bury both me and themselves.”

“Understanding this principle shows you have profound knowledge of human nature,” Li Wantang looked at Su Zixuan with a touch of admiration in his eyes, though his words contained seven parts coldness. “Too much cleverness invites heaven’s jealousy. You truly are too late!”

He had repeatedly said it was too late, alerting Su Zixuan, who asked with a trembling voice: “What do you mean?”

“Everything you said earlier is correct, but unfortunately, there won’t be any joint trial by the Three Courts. An imperial decree yesterday ordered immediate execution.”

“What?! When?” Su Zixuan’s face instantly turned whiter than jade, her beautiful eyes wide open, looking at Li Wantang in panic.

“At noon today.”

Noon! It was now the hour of xu (7-9 PM), four double-hours had passed. Su Zixuan’s vision darkened, and if not for Sixi’s quick support, she would have fallen to the ground.

“Executed at Caishikou. This old man went to witness it. It was absolutely certain!” Li Wantang’s face appeared impassive, but careful observation revealed that he was continuously watching Su Zixuan from the corner of his eye.

“Did he leave any message?” Su Zixuan’s expression was extremely pained, her lips tightly bitten, yet remarkably, she didn’t cry. With hatred-filled eyes, she asked.

They had both been avoiding a tacitly understood name. Li Wantang was silent for a moment, then said: “Nothing important, just cursing the Western Empress Dowager and Prince Gong.”

“I understand!” Su Zixuan bit her lip and struggled to stand up. Sixi watched her with concern.

“That you could go to see him off proves you still remember the friendship. I must thank you for that. Let’s forget about the rescue, but I need a place to stay in Beijing. I’ll trouble you to arrange that for me.”

“You want to stay to collect the body?” Li Wantang asked this question, but it was clear he didn’t believe so.

Indeed, Su Zixuan replied: “Wouldn’t that be walking into a trap? Besides, imperial clan members’ bodies aren’t exposed; the Imperial Clan Court naturally handles the funeral arrangements. I’m staying for other reasons.” Her tone brooked no argument.

A barely perceptible smile flashed across Li Wantang’s face, but he pretended to be greatly troubled, furrowing his brow and thinking for a long time before calling: “Li An.”

Li An entered upon hearing the call. Li Wantang instructed: “Take these two to the residence in Koudai Hutong in the southern city. Arrange for them to stay there, and send a few reliable old servants from the mansion. All expenses will be covered by the household account.”

“Yes.”

Su Zixuan followed Li An toward the exit. Li Wantang suddenly asked: “What do you intend to do with what’s in the book chest?”

Su Zixuan didn’t even turn her head and replied: “I had originally planned to use it as a last resort to save someone. Now it has an even greater purpose!”

After saying this, she left directly with Sixi. Li Wantang sat in his chair, watching her figure disappear before picking up the flower scissors and cutting the dwarf bamboo in half. He softly muttered to himself: “Such a fine weapon. It would be a pity not to use it.”