After watching this, Li Chi stood up. He said to Yu Jiuling: “Let Zhang Tang do the questioning. When there are results, come find me at General Xiahou Zuo’s manor.”

He turned and walked toward the door, took a few steps, then looked back at Yu Jiuling: “I won’t be leaving this young man with you. Transfer him into the Judicial Guard — have him follow Du Yan first.”

Yu Jiuling was taken aback for a moment.

Du Yan immediately bowed: “Understood.”

Yu Jiuling clearly didn’t quite follow, but bowed and acknowledged the order all the same.

As for Zhang Tang, upon hearing these words his expression shifted ever so slightly — but he quickly composed himself.

Li Chi continued giving instructions as he walked: “Du Yan, keep all the prisoners here in this courtyard. Give Zhang Tang a hundred men to assist him. You don’t need to stay.”

“Yes.”

Du Yan glanced back at that young man, his feelings slightly complicated.

This young man was far too vicious.

“Yu Jiuling, you don’t need to stay either.”

Outside the main residence, Li Chi climbed into the carriage waiting there. Du Yan and Yu Jiuling followed him up behind.

Yu Jiuling couldn’t hold back and asked: “Chief, that young man was someone Gang Gang took in personally, and he has his heart set on avenging Gang Gang. Why transfer him to the Judicial Guard?”

“He’s not suited.”

Li Chi said: “Operatives — their work is gathering information, going undercover, covert extraction. That’s their core function. His methods of extracting confessions through interrogation — those have no use there.”

Yu Jiuling gave a sound of acknowledgment.

Du Yan studied Li Chi’s expression, then tentatively said: “This young man’s nature is far too ruthless. I’m afraid he might—”

Li Chi shook his head: “Every kind of talent has a place where they fit. Kept in the Judicial Guard, he’ll find his footing in time.”

Li Chi left the rest unsaid and had no wish to say more.

In the past, if he had witnessed the kind of methods Zhang Tang used, he might not have kept the person.

But precisely because of the deaths of Gang Gang and Chen Dawei, Li Chi had changed somewhat. He also knew: the Judicial Guard needed someone like Zhang Tang.

Li Chi closed his eyes. After a brief pause he said: “There will be many arrests tonight. Ninth Sister — you and Du Yan keep watch.”

“Yes!”

Yu Jiuling and Du Yan bowed simultaneously.

With his eyes still closed, he issued one more instruction: “Assign people to find out when the rear column arrives.”

Du Yan bowed: “Half an hour ago, the Grand Judicial Commissioner arrived in Youzhou under cavalry escort. The Grand Commissioner said he would go directly to General Xiahou’s manor to wait for Your Highness.”

Li Chi nodded: “Understood.”

Three quarters of an hour later, at Xiahou Zuo’s General’s Manor.

All Youzhou military officers of the fifth rank and above had gathered. In addition to them, all civil officials in Youzhou Prefecture of the fifth rank and above had arrived as well.

The moment Li Chi stepped through the gate of the General’s Manor, civil and military officials on both sides immediately bowed.

“We welcome Prince Ning.”

Li Chi waved his hand: “I’ll skip the courtesies, and the hollow talk as well. Straight to business.”

He strode through the assembled crowd and took his position on the raised platform of the General’s Manor, scanning the room unhurriedly.

The officials large and small of Youzhou — none of them knowing what had come to pass — were uniformly bewildered and somewhat unsettled.

“Xiahou.”

Li Chi looked at Xiahou Zuo: “Tonight, the Youzhou army is responsible only for maintaining security throughout the city.”

Xiahou Zuo immediately understood Li Chi’s meaning. The fact that Li Chi didn’t even want to use the Youzhou army spoke to the magnitude of the affair.

He clasped his fists and bowed: “Understood.”

Li Chi said: “I’ve brought three thousand cavalry. These men are responsible for making arrests tonight. They may move against people within your army.”

Xiahou, keeping his voice low beside Li Chi, said: “Just do what you need to do. Remember — when the two of us are alone, we are brothers. In front of civil and military officials, you are the Prince. Give your orders directly.”

Li Chi nodded and gave a sound of acknowledgment.

“First order: tonight, all officials in Youzhou — regardless of rank, regardless of military or civil post — except for those already present here at the General’s Manor, are forbidden to leave their homes.”

Li Chi looked across the officials: “Second order: those of you present at the General’s Manor tonight — all of you stay. Do not leave.”

“Third order: if any among you has received a large sum as a bribe over the past year and a half, speak now. Those who come forward voluntarily may have their punishment reduced.”

Li Chi swept his gaze across the assembly, paused, then continued: “My methods tonight may be somewhat severe, but there are reasons for it. If any of you has something to say, I will not sleep tonight — I will be sitting in the main hall, and may be approached at any time.”

Li Chi cupped his fists. The civil and military officials bowed once more.

There was no escaping some tension in their hearts, though the great majority of them did not feel this had anything to do with themselves.

Li Chi and Xiahou Zuo withdrew to the main hall. Xiahou Zuo gestured for the others to step away first.

In the hall, there were only three people: Li Chi, Gao Xining, and Xiahou Zuo.

“Mother asked me when you’re coming to see her.”

Xiahou Zuo seated Li Chi and sat across from him, smiling as he said: “Mother said that if you came tonight, she’d make dumplings for you. And if you came tomorrow — she’d greet you by slamming the door and setting the dogs on you.”

Li Chi laughed: “Mother keeps dogs now?”

Xiahou Zuo said: “Mother said she could rush to get some dogs tonight. I said you couldn’t conjure animals on the spot like that. Mother said to have me take soldiers to go steal some.”

Li Chi laughed and shook his head: “Tomorrow morning, I’ll go offer Mother my apologies.”

He looked toward Gao Xining.

Gao Xining nodded: “I know, I know. I’ll go see Mother shortly. As for the dumplings — I’ll eat extra on your behalf.”

Li Chi said: “Don’t eat more than three.”

Gao Xining said: “And if I go over?”

Li Chi said: “Then tomorrow I’ll roll around on the floor in front of Mother.”

“Go ahead and roll. Think I’m afraid of you?”

Just at that moment, from the rear hall, Madame Xiahou and Xiahou Yili came in.

Madame Xiahou said: “You won’t come see me, so I’ve come to see you. You won’t come eat my dumplings, so I’ve brought the dumplings to you.”

Xiahou Yili came over smiling, set the food box on the table, and went to find Gao Xining. As she turned, she couldn’t help stealing a glance at Li Chi.

“Mother.”

Gao Xining and Li Chi rose at once and called out together.

Madame Xiahou smiled: “Eat the dumplings first. They’ll stick together shortly and won’t taste right.”

Li Chi acknowledged her and opened the food box for a look. The dumplings appeared to have thin skins and generous fillings — through the wrapper, you could see the faintly reddish stuffing inside.

“Mother, what filling are these dumplings?”

Li Chi reached in, pinched one, and popped it into his mouth.

Madame Xiahou watched him eat it — watched his expression turn pained — watched him grimace.

“Don’t spit it out.”

Li Chi: “Mmgh…”

Madame Xiahou narrowed her eyes at him: “Dare to not come see me — swallow every last one.”

After struggling it down, Li Chi said: “Mother… how did you even think of this — that you could actually make it into a filling. A person as fond of dumplings as I am — if this were even remotely normal, I’d have eaten every one of them…”

Madame Xiahou said: “What’s this — fermented tofu and century egg filling isn’t to your liking?”

Xiahou Yili murmured from beside her: “There were only a few of those — who knew you’d eat one first. The rest aren’t fermented tofu and century egg.”

Li Chi gave her a grateful look, then cast his eye over the remaining dumplings. He set aside the reddish ones — those were out of the question. He spotted some that faintly showed green through the skin, which he took to probably be chive filling, so he picked one up and put it in his mouth.

The moment it hit his tongue, Li Chi’s eyes went wide.

“This…”

He held it down with extraordinary effort. If the fermented tofu and century egg filling from before had pushed past the boundaries of what Li Chi understood a dumpling filling to be, then this one had pushed past the boundaries of what he understood food to be.

It was, after all, common knowledge that Li Chi was not a picky eater.

“This one is good, isn’t it.”

Xiahou Yili giggled merrily.

“These ones I made — I put real care into the seasoning. Green onion, cilantro, garlic, chive flower — and then fermented tofu~”

Li Chi’s throat bobbed up and down several times, and he forced it down.

He looked at Xiahou Zuo with a pleading gaze: “Xiahou — do the righteous thing and destroy her.”

Xiahou Zuo said: “The things she mentioned — when you think about it, it’s not so different from ordinary ingredients. How bad could it really be? A young girl wrapped these with her own hands — even if the flavor is a bit off, you’re a grown man, you should eat it.”

Li Chi: “…”

Xiahou Yili said: “Big brother is right. Brother, you should try one too.”

Xiahou Zuo stared wide-eyed at his own younger sister, with an expression that said: *…What?*

Li Chi said: “She said the things she mentioned — can’t be that bad. A young girl wrapped these with her own hands. Even if the flavor is a bit off, you’re a grown man, you should eat it.”

Xiahou Zuo said: “As if I’m afraid.”

He stepped over, pinched a dumpling and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed once — and stopped. The expression on his face was even more remarkable than Li Chi’s had been moments before.

Li Chi asked: “Well?”

Xiahou Zuo swallowed it down with great difficulty: “Let’s revisit this business of doing the righteous thing and destroying her.”

Li Chi sighed: “Miss Yili… this dumpling filling…”

Xiahou Zuo picked up from where he left off: “This filling would knock three thousand years off a celestial’s cultivation.”

Li Chi looked at Gao Xining: “Which gallant hero was it who said she’d eat a few extra on my behalf?”

Gao Xining raised both hands to her own throat, pretended to squeeze, then stuck out her tongue: “I’ll do myself in first.”

Just at that moment, a personal guard outside came hurrying in and bowed at the doorway: “Your Highness — Zhang Tang has returned.”

Li Chi was slightly startled.

It had only been this long, and Zhang Tang had already finished questioning over a hundred people?

He gave a nod: “Send Zhang Tang in.”

Shortly after, Zhang Tang came striding in quickly from outside. As he came through the door, he promptly dropped to his knees: “Your servant pays his respects to Prince Ning, to General Xiahou, to—”

Li Chi said: “Rise and report. How did the questioning go?”

Zhang Tang drew a sheet of paper from his robe and handed it to Li Chi: “The full account of events was already explained to me by Commander Yu’s people, so I knew specifically what to ask about.”

He pointed at the paper: “This is the list that was confessed to. Your servant questioned them separately, with no opportunity for collusion. Essentially, these are the results.”

Li Chi unfolded the list and looked at it. His brow furrowed involuntarily.

“This many?”

The list contained at least fifty or sixty names.

Zhang Tang bowed: “In reply to Your Highness — your servant believes there are even more. After your servant interrogated Chen Dang, he confessed that within Youzhou city, businesses connected to the Mountain River Seal number in the dozens — including three money houses alone. But because trouble has come to the Chen household, the other Mountain River Seal operatives in Youzhou city have likely already begun to prepare.”

“Chen Dang confessed that the Mountain River Seal has at least twelve safe houses within Youzhou city. He only knows the locations of four of them.”

Li Chi gave a nod and called toward the outside: “Send Du Yan in — take the list and go ask.”

Zhang Tang appeared to have caught some smell. He looked left and right, and his gaze finally settled on the plate of dumplings.

Li Chi smiled slightly: “Are you hungry?”

Zhang Tang bowed: “Not hungry.”

Li Chi said: “You’ve probably had nothing to eat from noon until now. Have a few of these dumplings.”

Zhang Tang kept his head down: “Your servant has indeed not eaten since noon, but your servant is firmly not hungry.”

The word *firmly* was said with particular firmness.

Li Chi said: “That nose of yours — can it actually pick out what the fillings are?”

He had noticed Zhang Tang twitch his nose, which suggested this person had unusually acute senses of smell — and that although he hadn’t eaten any, he had probably already worked out what was in them.

Zhang Tang suddenly dropped to his knees, clasped his fists, and said: “Your servant dares not speak.”

Li Chi said: “Say what you like — no offense will be taken.”

Zhang Tang said: “Your servant’s nose is indeed somewhat more sensitive than an ordinary person’s, but it was genuinely difficult to identify exactly what was in them just now. The first impression was…”

He looked up, checked Li Chi’s expression, opened his mouth — but nothing came out. However Li Chi watched his lips and understood.

He helped Zhang Tang to his feet: “Go get back to work.”

Zhang Tang departed as if granted a pardon, turned on his heel, and ran out.

Xiahou Zuo came to Li Chi’s side and asked in a very low voice: “What that fellow was just about to say — was it *manure?*”

Li Chi looked toward Madame Xiahou. Madame Xiahou let out a gentle sigh: “Yili — go fetch the family discipline board. I too must do the righteous thing today.”

Out in the courtyard, Zhang Tang hurried along, muttering to himself as if thinking aloud: “There’s poison mixed in with the manure? That doesn’t make sense…”

—