Yesterday the weather had still been clear and fine. In the evening one could even see the sunset glow.
But when Jiang Xuening rode out from the residence in her carriage today, the sky outside had already become gloomy and overcast, with dark clouds densely covering the low sky. The bleak cold wind after the Start of Winter already had a bone-piercing taste to it.
It looked as if it might rain.
The peddlers and laborers hawking their wares on the streets and alleys had long since hurriedly packed up their stalls. The usually bustling capital had suddenly become much more vacant and quiet. Only the wind occasionally swept some withered fallen leaves flying through the rows upon rows of buildings.
There weren’t many customers left at the top of Cengxiao Tower either.
On a day like this, there shouldn’t be anyone coming.
The waiter who had been busy all day was leaning against the counter, trying to chat up the proprietor, when unexpectedly, at just this moment, the sound of an approaching carriage came from outside, soon stopping in front of Cengxiao Tower.
The waiter was stunned for a moment before hurrying out to greet them.
He only saw that amid the cold wind and flying fallen leaves filling the sky, the carriage curtain was lifted. The maid inside got down first, then fastened a cloak trimmed with a circle of snow fox fur for that young miss. The waiter had seen many high officials and nobles from the capital at Cengxiao Tower, but this was the first time seeing such a beautiful young lady.
Looking at this outfit, her background was only high, not low.
What necessity was there to go out in such weather?
The waiter welcomed them inside the door, hesitated for a moment, then asked: “Miss, you’ve come here to…?”
Jiang Xuening swept a glance at the deserted and empty hall downstairs, then looked toward the stairs to the second floor. She lowered her eyes and only said: “Choose a private room on the second floor. I’m waiting for someone.”
The waiter immediately said: “Then please go upstairs.”
Jiang Xuening brought her people up the stairs.
Outside, in a corner of the street, Daoqin stood in the swaying tree shadows, only watching as through those two open doors of Cengxiao Tower, that “Second Miss Ning’s” figure gradually disappeared above the stairs. His brow slowly knitted tight.
Today, Xie Wei rarely was not carving a qin at the Zhuoqin Hall.
Lü Xian, like some old master, was reclining with his feet up on an arhat bed in the room. He had pushed the originally properly positioned table aside to let himself lie more comfortably. In his mouth he was eating pastries just delivered from Xingfang Studio, while in his hands he held his account books for this month, happily calculating in his head how much he had earned this month.
Looking up to see Xie Wei standing by the window watching the sky, he nearly died of amusement.
“How can people not receive their retribution?” Lü Xian sighed hypocritically. “Look at you, all day long you only know how to exploit me, even making me spend money to handle affairs for you. The result is that you never expected even something like buying raw silk to be preempted by someone, and now you’ve created such a huge mystery. Sending out Daoqin and he still hasn’t returned—presumably he followed and saw something. Ai, Xie Ju’an, oh Xie Ju’an, I’m your god of wealth. From now on you have to treat me better, understand?”
Jianshu, standing diagonally behind him, rolled his eyes at him.
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lü Xian said leisurely: “Jianshu, your eye-rolling isn’t attractive. Glare at me again and next time I’ll make you do the following.”
Jianshu: “…”
Better forget it. This bitter task of secretly following people, without even someone to talk to and pass the boring time, he’d turn into a chatterbox like Daoqin who could talk to himself even when no one engaged with him. That would be bad.
Endure a moment for calm winds and still waves.
Only then did Xie Wei turn back to glance at Lü Xian. Seeing his posture of reclining with feet up, his brow furrowed slightly as he only said: “Believe it or not, I’ll have someone throw you out right now.”
Lü Xian: “…”
Alright then, the boss was here.
Endure a moment for calm winds and still waves.
He curled the corner of his mouth and very reluctantly sat up straight, but his face showed a somewhat intriguing expression: “Xie Ju’an, you know, you’re quite interesting. You look like a proper scholar, but these two kids by your side—calling them ‘Shu’ (Book) and ‘Qin’ (Qin) would be one thing, but you just had to add ‘Dao’ (Blade) and ‘Jian’ (Sword). When I think about it carefully, deep inside you truly hide some danger.”
Xie Wei calmly replied: “If I weren’t dangerous, would you be willing to work for me?”
Lü Xian then clapped his hands and laughed heartily: “Exactly, exactly!”
Back in the day, among all those talented scholars in the entire Hanlin Academy, he, Lü Xian, was arrogant and proud of his talents, yet only thought highly of this one Xie Wei. Later, when Xie Wei returned home for mourning, he looked at everyone else as vulgar and incompetent. He simply resigned his post and seal and also returned to Jinling. He visited him at his door, and only then was he gradually drawn onto his path by Xie Ju’an. A perfectly good jinshi graduate was actually tricked into doing business.
Just thinking about it brought tears.
Lü Xian sighed deeply: “The road is long and far, and I will search high and low!”
Just as his voice fell, a report came from outside: “Young Master Daoqin has returned!”
Lü Xian revealed a speechless expression.
Sure enough, a moment later, a young man in blue fitted clothes appeared at the entrance of Zhuoqin Hall, walking in from outside. His footsteps on the ground made almost no sound. He bowed and said: “I followed the person.”
Lü Xian immediately perked up, his eyes gleaming, hurrying to ask: “Who is the employer behind You Fangying?”
But unexpectedly, Daoqin didn’t answer.
He only raised his eyes to look at Xie Wei, and in his gaze was actually some rare hesitation.
Xie Wei then realized that the person Daoqin had followed might be somewhat unusual: “Speak.”
Daoqin then said: “Then this subordinate will make a long story short. At first, following Master’s instructions, I only went to the Qingyuan Earl’s residence to observe the situation. I waited outside for a long time, thinking that Miss You wouldn’t leave the residence again today. But unexpectedly, at the hour of chen, she quietly came out from inside the residence, dressed like a servant from the residence. She brought silver with her and first went to a silk shop on East Poetry Street and bought a bolt of finest Hangzhou silk—it seemed to be cloud and crane patterned fabric. Then she went to buy stationery and ink, two brushes. But the distance was too far and this subordinate couldn’t see clearly exactly what brushes they were. And also…”
Xie Wei: “…”
Lü Xian: “…”
Jianshu standing to the side secretly stroked his forehead, gently tugged at Daoqin’s sleeve, and lowered his voice to remind him: “Make it short.”
“Oh.”
Only then did Daoqin remember his bad habit had kicked in. He nodded and decided to accept the suggestion, changing to a more concise way of speaking.
“She bought many things—Hangzhou silk, brushes and ink, even some rouge and powder for young ladies. Then she also turned to a temple to offer incense. There were many people there today, many worshippers offering incense too. I followed her there and was accidentally seen by the guest monk, so I donated two taels for incense oil. You Fangying seemed to donate too. After going in, she requested a peace charm in the hall…”
Lü Xian: “…”
Jianshu: “…”
Xie Wei raised his hand and slowly pressed his brow, only saying: “Get to the point.”
Daoqin suddenly felt somewhat wronged in his heart. He didn’t feel he talked too much at all.
Shouldn’t the details of following someone be reported this thoroughly?
He pressed his lips together and said sullenly: “Second Miss Ning.”
Jianshu suddenly widened his eyes, revealing an expression of disbelief. In that instant, he almost instinctively turned to look at Xie Wei.
Xie Wei stood by the window, silent.
But Lü Xian heard this and was completely confused. He didn’t know who this Second Miss Ning was and was nearly driven to illness by Daoqin: “Making you get to the point doesn’t mean doing it this way! How is this person connected to You Fangying? Is she her employer? What interaction do they have? What did you see? Hey, wait, who is ‘Second Miss Ning’ anyway? Daoqin, are you stupid? Just saying a name—who knows who that is? Although there aren’t many people surnamed Ning in the capital, there aren’t few either. Which family is this? You—”
A whole string of questions sprouted up like bamboo shoots.
From Lü Xian’s mouth came an endless stream.
Only after this whole barrage of questions had more or less been thrown out did he suddenly notice that the expressions of all three master and servants in the room weren’t right. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately realized the matter wasn’t simple: “The ‘Second Miss Ning’ he mentioned—you all seem to know who she is?”
“Rumble!”
A muffled thunder rolled across the sky.
In this bleak and harsh late autumn and early winter, a torrential rain fell from the heavens, swiftly covering the entire capital with a rushing sound. Huge raindrops smashed down, smashing onto the calm surface of the small lake outside Zhuoqin Hall, and also onto the window lattice by the nearby window, splashing up fine water mist.
Xie Wei turned his eyes to gaze at it, only slowly saying: “It’s raining.”
A flash of winter thunder, and pale blue lightning tore through the low-hanging dusk, in that instant also illuminating the dim study of the Yongyi Marquis’s residence. Shelves of books were piled very high, yet when this lightning flashed across, they left deep dark shadows, showing a mountain-like oppression.
In a corner, on a candlestick, the candle flame swayed when blown by the wind.
Yan Lin’s handsome facial features, also illuminated by the swaying light and shadow, showed an unprecedented cold heaviness.
Zhou Yinzhi sat calmly across from him.
Having just been promoted to Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he could be said to already have the qualification to touch the core of power in the Guard, completely leaping to become an important figure in a position of authority.
It was just that all this hadn’t come entirely honorably.
But what did that matter?
Zhou Yinzhi felt he had never been any upright gentleman. All means in the world—as long as they could achieve the goal, they were good means.
The embroidered spring saber newly bestowed at his waist had long been removed and placed on the table by the door. At this moment, wearing a set of deep black flying fish robes, he only said to Yan Lin: “Zhou is greedy for power and position, his heart full of fame and fortune. So although I knew of this matter early on, before seeing the benefits, bearing the heavy responsibility entrusted by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I dared not speak of it to the Young Master. Until Second Miss recommended me to the Young Master, and the Young Master painstakingly secured the Chiliarch position for Zhou. Zhou is a petty person, and petty people unite for profit. So only today do I lay everything bare before the Young Master.”
Investigating the Yongyi Marquis’s residence was a secret order from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Who under heaven didn’t know that the Embroidered Uniform Guard only listened to His Majesty?
Who suspected the Yongyi Marquis’s residence was connected to the case of Prince Pingnan’s rebel faction appearing in the capital was clear as day.
Even as a Chiliarch, Zhou Yinzhi was merely following orders from above. Outward compliance but inward defiance was dangerous for him who had no power base. He knew that for the Young Master, and even for the entire Yongyi Marquis’s residence, this news was a bolt from the blue.
So, gauging Yan Lin’s expression, he offered no consolation.
At present, listening to the continuous thunder outside and the pouring rain, he only slowly said: “If the Yongyi Marquis’s residence truly has no connection to Prince Pingnan’s rebel faction, then Yinzhi, having received the Young Master’s favor, naturally wouldn’t fabricate evidence to frame the marquis’s residence. But what I’m about to say, you may find hard to believe—these days, this one has been secretly investigating the marquis’s residence and actually discovered that the Marquis does indeed have correspondence with remnants of Prince Pingnan’s faction. This matter—does the Young Master know of it?”
Hearing this, Yan Lin only felt dazed.
How could Father be connected to remnants of Prince Pingnan’s faction?
The fingers resting on his knees slowly clenched tight. He slowly closed his eyes, only asking: “Since you’ve already investigated this, when will you report it?”
Today one Zhou Yinzhi could investigate this. Tomorrow a Zhao Yinzhi or Wang Yinzhi could investigate it just the same.
And perhaps they would investigate even more, even more terrifying things, than Zhou Yinzhi.
The heart of an emperor—who could fathom it?
Having at least walked through the palace, Yan Lin knew from exposure and influence that completely suppressing this matter was impossible. What could be done was merely to prepare countermeasures in advance.
Zhou Yinzhi looked at this youth who had only one more month until his capping ceremony and suddenly felt he wasn’t as naive and easily trusting of others as he had initially thought.
On the contrary, what this Young Master was thinking already exceeded many of his peers.
He then thought of Jiang Xuening, only answering: “Seven days from now, I will report truthfully.”
Yan Lin suddenly laughed out loud.
All the matters before and after related to Zhou Yinzhi, in this instant, all floated up from the depths of his mind. Item by item, they fit together seamlessly. Things about the rain that hadn’t made sense before all became reasonable after today’s conversation.
Including what Ningning had said before…
The more he laughed, the more he couldn’t stop. In the end, he still couldn’t help it—a strange sourness welled up.
Zhou Yinzhi only sat there watching, stable as a mountain, not moving an inch. Only his eyes flickered, as if toward the youth before him he had a few points of barely detectable admiration, yet also as if unmoved and unperturbed.
Outside, the bell for the end of the you hour struck.
Having said what needed to be said, Zhou Yinzhi rose from his seat, only bowing once to Yan Lin: “Zhou is merely an unknown nobody. On the court, I have no ability whatsoever to overturn clouds and rain. I merely follow orders in all things. I hope the Young Master won’t blame me. It’s late and the rain is heavy. Zhou must return home and dares not disturb the Young Master’s residence any longer. I’ll take my leave now.”
Yan Lin looked upward with vacant eyes, only saying: “Qingfeng, see off Chiliarch Zhou.”
Qingfeng stood outside the door and acknowledged.
Zhou Yinzhi performed his courtesy, then took up from the table the saber he had removed earlier. Only then did he exit, receiving an umbrella from Qingfeng’s hands, saying: “I dare not trouble you.”
Then, following the long corridor, guided by Qingfeng, he walked out.