When Su Jin arrived at the marquis’s residence and presented her calling card, the martial guards outside verified it and said the young marquis was still on duty and had not returned. They asked her to please wait.
Young Marquis Ren Xuan was the only son of Marquis Changping, and his manner was somewhat naturally familiar.
After Marquis Changping passed away, the once-glorious marquis’s residence was left as an empty shell. Fortunately, the Emperor, mindful that Ren Xuan was modest and measured, granted him the imperial appointment of Director in the Ministry of Rites.
Tomorrow was the palace examination. Ren Xuan had spent the entire day at the bureau verifying the roster of tribute scholars. By the time his shift ended and he returned home, dusk had already fallen.
The spring rain had just ceased, and brilliant sunset colors blanketed heaven and earth. From afar, he recognized the person standing outside his residence as Su Jin. Guessing her purpose, he was overjoyed for a moment and immediately ordered his servants to invite her to the reception hall and serve her fine tea.
Su Jin produced the secret missive: “Please review this, Young Marquis.”
Ren Xuan had read Su Jin’s essays five years ago. At that time, she had just entered the Hanlin Academy, and her policy essays were clear and pure, earning considerable renown.
He grinned and said, “Your essays are too good. If I submit this directly to His Highness, he won’t be able to use it. I’ll make some changes to the word choice and phrasing later. Don’t worry—I absolutely won’t let those old fellows at the Hanlin Academy detect anything amiss.”
Su Jin replied, “I leave it entirely to the Young Marquis’s discretion.”
Ren Xuan carefully put away the secret missive. After thinking for a moment, he asked, “You’re willing to take such a risk—can you no longer stay at the Capital District Office? I have acquaintances at the Ministry of Personnel. They say there’s a vacancy for a recorder at the Court of the Imperial Clan. Though it’s only ninth rank, at least you’d be serving under the Eastern Palace, which is far more respectable than the Capital District Office. Are you interested?”
Su Jin fell silent for a moment before saying, “Since the Young Marquis works at the Ministry of Rites, you must know about Chao Qing’s disappearance.”
Ren Xuan confirmed this. Su Jin continued, “Chao Qing and this subordinate official are old friends. I inquired at the tribute scholars’ lodgings. On the day he disappeared, the Grand Tutor’s third young master, Yan Ziyan, came looking for him. There’s a Yan family jade seal as evidence, and the two had an argument. However, when Junior Administrator Yan left, Chao Qing was still there, so the investigation can’t reach the Junior Administrator. I’m a minor official with little influence. I know I cannot storm the Grand Tutor’s residence. I only ask that the Young Marquis allow me to meet Young Master Yan face to face, so I may get to the bottom of this matter.”
Ren Xuan hadn’t expected that Su Jin had gone through all this trouble for someone else’s sake. Thinking it over carefully, Yan Ziyan was now Junior Administrator of the Court of the Imperial Clan. The Yingtian Prefecture Office probably didn’t want to offend anyone and intended to suppress this case. Left with no choice, Su Jin had risked great impropriety by privately answering the secret missive and coming to the marquis’s residence.
This could be considered sacrificing herself for others.
Thinking of this, Ren Xuan felt a measure of respect arise in his heart, and his words became more intimate: “I won’t hide it from you, Brother Su—due to a private matter, it’s truly inconvenient for me to lead you to visit the Grand Tutor’s residence. How about this instead: tomorrow morning, disguise yourself as an attendant and enter the palace with me. Yan Ziyan passes by the Golden Water Bridge every day at the fifth watch. I’ll help you intercept him, and you can ask him directly.”
That night, Su Jin followed Ren Xuan’s suggestion and lodged nearby at the marquis’s residence. The next day, she rose at the fourth watch, hurriedly ate breakfast, and boarded the carriage. Ren Xuan asked again, “Among the court above and below, aside from those old fellows at the Hanlin Academy, you don’t know anyone else, do you?”
Su Jin replied, “At that time in the Hanlin Academy, I only focused on editing books and writing texts, rarely socializing with others. Moreover, it was only for a few months, so no one should recognize this subordinate official.”
Ren Xuan said, “That’s good. You don’t know about the newly appointed Left Censor-in-Chief, Lord Liu—he maintains extremely strict discipline. If someone notices something amiss and discovers that you and I have violated protocol, things will be difficult to resolve.”
Su Jin froze for a moment. Seeing the Imperial City already close ahead, she assumed an appearance of eyes observing the nose, nose observing the heart: “Oh, I haven’t heard of this person before.”
At the main Meridian Gate, vehicles and horses stopped. Furthermore, because the palace prohibited fires to eliminate fire hazards, all ministers were forbidden from using lamps, except for officials of second rank and above, who could ride in palanquins with lanterns.
Before the fifth watch, only a few people stood scattered by the Golden Water Bridge, all waiting for the lamp-bearing palace attendants to come and guide them into the palace.
Ren Xuan led Su Jin to wait by the bridge. At precisely the fifth watch, Yan Ziyan arrived right on cue with the drumbeats.
Ren Xuan stepped forward to exchange pleasantries, steering the conversation toward the palace examination. He said, “Yesterday while verifying the tribute scholars’ roster, there should have been eighty-nine names. Unexpectedly, one went missing. When I inquired at the office, the person couldn’t be found alive or dead. The Ministry of Rites had to handle the matter officially, reporting it as a family emergency requiring return home. But you know Minister Luo’s meticulous nature—afraid he might ask about it later, I sent subordinates to inquire at the tribute scholars’ lodgings. What a coincidence—the martial guards there said that before this tribute scholar disappeared, you paid him a visit.”
Yan Ziyan snorted, “Utter nonsense.” He narrowed his eyes and asked, “What does the Young Marquis mean by questioning me with these words? Do you suspect I abducted him?”
He had long eyebrows and phoenix eyes, and even in court robes, he carried himself with the bearing of flowing wide sleeves, like a famous scholar from the Wei and Jin dynasties in ancient paintings. However, while great heroes show their true colors and genuine scholars are naturally romantic, Yan Ziyan’s air of looking down on everyone was excessively aloof.
Ren Xuan laughed, “If I suspected you, why would I come to ask you? To tip you off?”
Yan Ziyan lowered his brows in silent contemplation for a moment and agreed this made sense. His gaze inadvertently fell on Su Jin, and he couldn’t help but say, “What’s this? You’ve changed attendants?”
Ren Xuan replied, “A’Li fell ill, so I casually brought another. What a coincidence—yesterday I sent him to inquire at the tribute scholars’ lodgings.”
Su Jin stepped forward and bowed: “This humble person, Jia Su, greets Junior Administrator.”
Yan Ziyan didn’t respond, looking her up and down without moving his eyes away. Su Jin continued, “Junior Administrator must be forgetful, as noble persons often are. But the martial guards at the tribute scholars’ lodgings didn’t speak without evidence. They said the Junior Administrator went there, and they have a Yan family jade seal as proof.”
Yan Ziyan shook his sleeves, as if listening to a joke: “A bunch of brutes spouting nonsense. The Yan family jade seal represents Yan family identity. I’ve always cherished it like my life and never carry it outside. How could it fall into someone else’s hands?”
Su Jin raised her head to look directly at Yan Ziyan and opened her right hand: “Then according to what the Junior Administrator says, this jade seal in my hand is fake.”
At the edge of the sky, only moonlight remained. The seal made of mutton-fat jade gleamed with lustrous radiance. Yan Ziyan’s expression changed instantly. He reached out to seize the jade seal, but Su Jin withdrew her hand a step ahead of him, saying calmly, “It seems it’s not fake after all.”
Yan Ziyan said angrily, “What are you to dare question me?” Yet in the moonlight, Su Jin stood alone, calm and detached in a way that gave him a sense of déjà vu. “Wait—I seem to have seen you before. You are—”
A point of light shone from the other end of the Golden Water Bridge. The assembled court officials, who had been gathered together watching the excitement, were dazzled by the light and scattered like birds and beasts.
Officials of second rank and above didn’t need to wait for lamps, so few arrived early. To reach the Meridian Gate at the fifth watch, it could only be the newly appointed iron-faced Buddha from the Imperial Censorate.
Ren Xuan’s heart sank, hoping only that the Buddha’s palanquin could shut out the entire world so nothing could be heard. But the Buddha’s palanquin stopped right in front of him. The lamp-bearing attendant before the palanquin even greeted them amiably: “Good morning, Young Marquis. Good morning, Junior Administrator.”
Su Jin found the voice familiar. Lifting her eyelids for a glance, she recognized the person who had given her the umbrella that day at the Court of Judicial Review. No need to guess—the other person whose mere appearance commanded universal silence must be Left Censor-in-Chief Lord Liu Chaoming.
Liu Chaoming said nothing, his expression utterly tranquil. The lamp-bearing attendant beside him continued, “From afar, I heard the Young Marquis and Junior Administrator in high spirits. I wonder what you’re chatting about—let this humble person join in the fun.”
Ren Xuan was extremely modest: “Brother An’ran jests. The Junior Administrator merely noticed I had changed to an unfamiliar attendant and casually asked a few questions.” As he spoke, he shot Yan Ziyan a look, meaning to minimize the matter.
Little did he know Yan Ziyan wouldn’t play along. He said coolly, “Unfamiliar? I’d say very familiar indeed.” He stepped forward two paces, standing before Su Jin. “I’ve already remembered who you are. A presented scholar from the eighteenth year of Jingyuan—are you Su Jin, Su Shiyu?”
In the past, she and Yan Ziyan had only met once at the Qionglin Banquet and hadn’t even spoken. She truly hadn’t expected he would remember her.
With all the officials present now, plus a Left Censor-in-Chief whose duty was to investigate official conduct, impersonating an official’s attendant—though this offense might not seem major, one feared others would pile accusations to the death. Therefore, she absolutely could not admit it.
Su Jin acted as if she were simply someone who happened to look similar, regarding Yan Ziyan as if nothing were amiss, and asked, “Who is Su Shiyu? Has my lord remembered incorrectly?”
Yan Ziyan laughed coldly, “You’re welcome to deny it, but don’t think only I remember you!” He swept his sleeves and turned to bow before Liu Chaoming: “Lord Liu, in the eighteenth year of Jingyuan during the special examination, you went to Qizhou on a case. After returning to the capital, you mentioned at the Poetry and Rites Society the local provincial graduate Su Jin, Su Shiyu, saying her essays possessed the talent of a top scholar. This is precisely that person!”
In the deep night, there was only a single lamp flame, reflecting in the depths of Liu Chaoming’s eyes, flickering gently like ripples on still water.
After a long pause, he said mildly, “Is that so?” He took the lantern and held it up close to Su Jin’s face to examine her for a while. Smooth-talking and obstinate, she looked exactly the same as when he’d seen her in the wind and rain at the Court of Judicial Review that day.
Liu Chaoming returned the lantern to An’ran, turned back to his palanquin, and said coldly, “I don’t recognize this person.”
Ren Xuan hadn’t expected this deception right under Liu Chaoming’s nose to be dismissed so easily. In his great joy, he also felt the relief of having survived a disaster. He quickly pulled Yan Ziyan to bid farewell to the Censor-in-Chief’s official palanquin.
Just then, the lamp-bearing palace attendants arrived to guide the assembled officials into the palace. Yan Ziyan gave Su Jin one more glance, snorted, and swept his sleeves as he headed into the palace.
Ren Xuan turned to stare at his retreating figure. After the man had gone far enough, he said to Su Jin, “Yan Ziyan has a bad temper, but as a person, he dares to own his actions. From his reaction just now, it truly doesn’t seem like he went to the tribute scholars’ lodgings. Yet this jade seal in your hand is clearly genuine.”
Su Jin replied, “Yes, I’m suspicious of that too.”
Ren Xuan paced back and forth several times before saying, “Here’s what we’ll do. Wait here for now. After I deliver the secret missive, I’ll find time to inquire at the Court of the Imperial Clan to find out what exactly Yan Ziyan was doing on the day Chao Qing disappeared.”
—
**Author’s Note:** Red envelopes will drop randomly~
Let me explain the official positions and ranks that have appeared so far:
1. Su Jin, Capital District Office (Yingtian Prefecture Office), Magistrate, Junior Eighth Rank
2. Liu Chaoming, Imperial Censorate, Left Censor-in-Chief (head of the Imperial Censorate), Second Rank
3. Yan Ziyan, Court of the Imperial Clan, Junior Administrator (second-in-command of the Court of the Imperial Clan), Fourth Rank
4. Ren Xuan, Ministry of Rites, Director, Fifth Rank (but he inherited a marquis title)
Or do you feel it doesn’t matter, as long as you can tell who outranks whom?