Xu Buran found it rather remarkable.

Zhang Zhixu had been an even-keeled sort of person since childhood, rarely displaying obvious likes and dislikes to others. Someone so practiced at maintaining composure — how had he suddenly flared up like this?

But with a young lady present, Xu Buran didn’t want to lose face, so he immediately matched the force being applied from across the bed.

A canopied bed that would normally require four people to move was thus carried inside by the two of them, neither willing to give an inch.

Chen Baoxiang stared open-mouthed: “Would the two great warriors care to do the other one as well?”

Xu Buran wiped the sweat from his brow, just about to agree, when he saw Zhang Zhixu shake out his sleeve, rise, and haul Chen Baoxiang away with him as he walked.

“Jiuquan, take the others and go help.”

“Yes.”

Chen Baoxiang was pulled along and kept walking, weaving through the busy workers, all the way to an empty room.

“Great Immortal?” She had no idea what was happening.

Zhang Zhixu stopped, and his gaze fell on her right shoulder: “This is what you called ‘not very serious’?”

Chen Baoxiang shook her arm: “It’s not too bad, really — no bleeding, no broken skin. Just a bit of pain. A few days of rest and it’ll be fine.”

He didn’t believe her. He turned her around and pulled down the thin fabric from her shoulder without ceremony.

A large expanse of deep purple and blue bruising came into view, and he drew a sharp breath.

Chen Baoxiang hastily drew her clothing back up: “You — I — Great Immortal, you really are quite oblivious to propriety.”

“Back to ‘not family, not related’?” he said, with no small amount of irritation, as he produced a vial of medicine and tossed it to her. “If we were really going to be proper about relations, we crossed the line long ago — we should have married to settle it.”

Chen Baoxiang caught the vial and gave a dry laugh: “I’m not shameless enough for that.”

He had made it clear he had no such intentions. She could hardly have the audacity to take that as an opening.

She uncorked the vial and sniffed at it, then said with feeling: “Your medicine really is good. I’ll apply it shortly.”

“Not ‘shortly’ — now.”

“But I’m busy getting the courtyard in order.”

“In such a hurry to move out?” Zhang Zhixu said, displeased. “I wasn’t charging you rent.”

Chen Baoxiang gave a couple of quiet laughs and neatly changed the subject: “Then perhaps you’d be willing to go stand watch outside, and I’ll apply the medicine in here.”

Zhang Zhixu gave a disgruntled flick of his sleeve and left.

He had been too exasperated, and for a moment hadn’t even thought to explain to Chen Baoxiang why his reaction had been what it was earlier. After all, in Chen Baoxiang’s eyes, he was not Zhang Zhixu — he had no reason to care so much about Zhang Ting’an.

But Chen Baoxiang hadn’t asked.

With that habitually slow-witted head of hers, she had most likely never even thought to make that connection.

He shook his head. Zhang Zhixu, both irritated and preoccupied, gave orders for the place to be carefully swept and cleaned — best to ensure the foolish woman had no need to trouble herself with the work.

The moving chores that would normally have taken several days were completed that very evening, thanks to the help of Xu Buran, Zhang Zhixu, and his household attendants.

Xu Buran looked out at the darkening sky and said, with some difficulty: “It’s gotten quite late. The road home is rather long.”

Hanxiao said magnanimously: “The guest room on the left has been tidied. Your Honor is welcome to stay the night and leave tomorrow.”

Zhang Zhixu had been preparing to head out to his carriage. At those words, he retracted his foot: “Then I’ll stay as well.”

“There’s… only the one guest room.” Hanxiao said.

“Well, there’s nothing to be done about that.” Zhang Zhixu said. “Senior Official Xu, please, be my guest.”

Before Xu Buran had a chance to respond, Zhang Zhixu had already seized him and was marching him out the main gate.

Xu Buran looked at the person beside him, somewhat puzzled: “Fengqing, do you have feelings for Miss Chen?”

“I don’t.”

“Then why did you have to get in my way?” Xu Buran sighed heavily. “I’m not getting any younger. When you finally meet someone suitable and then you don’t help — fine, but why actively interfere?”

Zhang Zhixu didn’t blink: “So that was your intention. I couldn’t tell just now.”

How could he not have been able to tell? Xu Buran opened his mouth and couldn’t find the words.

Zhang Zhixu paid him no mind, stuffed him into the carriage, and gave Jiuquan a meaningful look.

Jiuquan understood at once and drove the carriage off at a flying pace, not even leaving Xu Buran the chance to bid farewell.

·

Having moved to a new place, Chen Baoxiang showed not the slightest sign of being kept awake by unfamiliar surroundings. She slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky.

“Sister.” Hanxiao came running in, brimming with excitement. “Xiaohuichanzhuang has truly been brought to charges!”

She pried open one eye and lay face-down in her pillow, asking listlessly: “What’s this about?”

“The money house has been sealed today. The accounts inside are to be examined one by one. The yamen has put out word that if it is confirmed officials have seized commoners’ fields, the deed certificates for those fields and properties will be returned to us in full!”

This was good news — but she was puzzled: “How do you know?”

“Naturally, I just told her.” Zhang Zhixu’s voice came from the tea area.

Chen Baoxiang jolted upright and stared at him blankly: “You didn’t leave?”

He said with some impatience: “What do you mean ‘didn’t leave’ — I just arrived.”

And upon arriving, he had deliberately looked all around. Good — no sign of Xu Buran anywhere.

“You’re still not getting up?”

Chen Baoxiang scrambled up to wash and rinse, wiped her face and cleaned her teeth, and then hurriedly selected an outfit.

New house, new atmosphere. She applied her makeup carefully and thoroughly, examined herself in the mirror, and decided that even her individual strands of hair looked lovely — only then did she emerge from behind the folding screen.

Zhang Zhixu gave her a glance and suddenly felt he understood Xu Buran.

It was rare to come across a young woman who was both skilled in martial arts and good-looking, and she was in front of him day in and day out. How could he not develop certain thoughts?

Though Chen Baoxiang was not nearly as gentle and refined as she appeared — if she were matched with a military man, the two of them would probably be at each other’s throats constantly, and their days together would be impossible to endure.

He shook his head, and Zhang Zhixu got to the matter at hand: “General Zhang’s campaigns have won great merit. This morning he entered the palace to offer thanks. In the presence of the Princess Imperial and a full assembly of censors, he filed a formal complaint against Lu Shouhuai. The Emperor initially wanted to let it go with light punishment, but the Princess Imperial then immediately followed by filing a complaint about the Xiaohuichanzhuang matter.”

The Xiaohuichanzhuang affair had caused enormous commotion throughout Shangjing. Every censor present had heard of it, and they followed with complaints one after another. The great hall grew animated with righteous indignation, and the Emperor had no choice but to relent and let Xie Lanting conduct a thorough investigation.

“Xie Lanting is also someone who knows how to handle things. The moment he received the imperial decree, he immediately had men seal off the money house and the Lu household, and even dispatched heavy guards to watch over several other households with close ties to the Lu Family.”

Chen Baoxiang grew excited as she listened: “Wonderful! Heaven’s law is all-seeing — retribution is certain.”

“Don’t celebrate too soon.” Zhang Zhixu said. “Lu Shouhuai is easy enough to deal with. The one behind him — Cheng Huaili — is far from harmless. He hasn’t reacted yet, which is why Xie Lanting is still able to seal things off and pursue the investigation. But once he reacts, this case won’t be so easy to pursue.”

How could that be?

Chen Baoxiang gestured: “Don’t we have all the evidence collected and laid out in order, front to back, sufficient to establish Lu Shouhuai’s crimes?”

“The crimes are there, yes. But heavy punishment, light punishment — or no punishment at all — rests entirely on the Emperor’s single thought.” He shook his head gently. “Both Lu Shouhuai and Cheng Huaili earned their merit at the founding of the dynasty, and both defended frontier strongholds, holding out against overwhelming odds. Their military achievements are outstanding. For the Emperor to execute them would be like severing his own left and right arms.”

Who would be willing to so lightly cast off both arms?

“But—” Chen Baoxiang murmured. “But the Great Sheng code says that murder demands a life in return. With so many innocent lives on his hands — isn’t that still not enough for him to die?”

Zhang Zhixu lowered his eyes and gave no answer.

Chen Baoxiang couldn’t resign herself to it, and went after him to press the question: “What if Investigator Xie uncovers even more evidence of his crimes? What if his wickedness has no end and his crimes fill volumes?”

“Above the laws of Great Sheng, there is always the emperor.” He turned his head away. “You and I can only do what lies within our power to do. As for the rest — we must wait for the right moment.”

Chen Baoxiang’s nose wrinkled.