Lin Sui’an was now filled with ten thousand regrets. She had definitely taken leave of her senses just moments ago, recklessly throwing herself into danger to save someone. It had been absolutely — so painful!

The doctor who treated her wounds was a woman surnamed Yue, brought by Mu Xia. The expression she directed at Lin Sui’an shifted from astonishment to shock, and finally settled into the look of someone who had “never seen a person so determined to court death.”

“The tiger’s mouth of your right hand is torn, your left palm is cut — both of these injuries are superficial wounds that have not reached the tendons or bones. The troublesome ones are the knife wound on your left shoulder, and your right arm —” Doctor Yue gave it a gentle squeeze. Lin Sui’an was caught completely off guard and nearly screamed aloud, but swallowed it back with sheer force of will. After all, a crowd of young scoundrels outside the main hall was watching eagerly, and she could not afford to embarrass herself.

“A minor hairline fracture,” Doctor Yue shook her head. “Both the wound on your shoulder and the one on your hand need to be sutured. Are you certain you want it done here?”

Lin Sui’an glanced out at the main hall, where everything was in disarray. Feng Song had witnessed Dong Chao die and his only lead to saving Feng Yuyi had been severed. The sudden surge of fury and anguish had overwhelmed him, and he had fainted dead away. Zhou Changping, Bai Fan, Yan Yan, and the others were in a complete uproar, a pot of congee boiled to chaos. They had also called for a physician, who was checking pulses and inserting needles all at once. Ming Shu and Ming Feng were shouting trying to maintain order, but no one was listening. A few steps away, Hua Yitang and Ling Zhiyan were both hunched over the map of Yangdu, brows deeply knitted, the atmosphere between them grave.

“Let’s do it here,” Lin Sui’an said.

Judging by the look of things, there was no telling what other trouble might erupt later. She felt more at ease staying to keep the situation under control.

Doctor Yue glanced at Lin Sui’an with some surprise, then looked toward the crowd of young scoundrels gathered around gawking. “You idle onlookers over there — come and help!”

Truthfully, this Doctor Yue had red lips and bright almond eyes, and was quite strikingly beautiful. That single glance of hers, imperious without a hint of anger, sent Pei Shijun immediately leaping forward with six or seven of his companions. “Doctor Yue, your orders are our command!”

“Pull down the curtains around us and form a ring. I need to suture Lin Niangzi’s wounds — no peeking, or I’ll gouge out your eyeballs.”

“Yes, yes, of course!” Pei Shijun and the others sprang into action at once. In no time at all, they had pulled down the curtains and arranged them into a tightly sealed enclosure around Lin Sui’an and Doctor Yue, with every young scoundrel holding up the curtains high with their backs turned to Lin Sui’an, each one straight-faced and utterly proper.

Doctor Yue adjusted two trays of candles for better lighting, then carefully parted Lin Sui’an’s garment at the left side. She knitted her brow, rummaged in her medicine chest, drew out a porcelain bottle, poured a clear yellow liquid onto a white cloth, and pressed it gently against Lin Sui’an’s wound.

Lin Sui’an sucked in a breath of cool air and forced herself to endure it. Gradually, the pain in her shoulder gave way to numbness, and then to nothing at all.

“The numbing powder only lasts the length of one cup of tea. After that, if it hurts, you’ll have to bear it,” Doctor Yue said. She quickly cleaned the wound, threaded her needle, and began suturing with swift, decisive strokes. The anesthetic worked admirably, it had to be said. Lin Sui’an could feel only something tugging at the flesh of her shoulder and could hear the hiss of the thread being drawn through, but felt no pain whatsoever. Her entire body slowly began to relax.

The curtains were layered four rows deep. Through them, one could only dimly make out the blazing lights beyond. More and more people were gathering. She heard many familiar voices — Jin Ruo, Mu Zhong, Wa’er, Elder Zhang, and several of Hua Family’s managers. Among all the voices, Hua Yitang’s was the most distinct: clean and crisp, carrying an air of unquestionable authority, utterly unlike his usual demeanor.

“Manager Zhou, Manager Liu — you two are responsible for the businesses in the twelve wards of the southwestern district. Circle every shop and residence you know of, every one you recognize. Any shop with an unusually high or low volume of goods coming in and out — circle those as well.”

Ling Zhiyan: “Why specifically the twelve southwestern wards?”

Mu Zhong: “Hua Family’s enterprises cover nearly all of Yangdu. The only area we have not been able to fully control, even after years of effort, is the twelve southwestern wards — it is a murky and complicated place, with the Feng and Yan clans deeply entrenched there.”

Hua Yitang: “Jin Ruo, Elder Zhang — you two know the common quarters best. Have you seen any unusual comings and goings in the twelve southwestern wards? Anything at all — think carefully.”

Jin Ruo: “Understood!”

“Have the people from the Department of Household Registration arrived?”

“Yes, yes, here — this humble one is an adjutant from the Department of Justice, surnamed Gao. These two gentlemen are registration clerks from the household registry.”

“How many shops and residents are in the twelve southwestern wards? How many are unregistered? How many have not yet been entered into the official records? Write down everything you can remember!”

“That… I’m afraid I would need to report to Administrator Zhou first…”

Ling Zhiyan: “Administrator Zhou!”

Administrator Zhou did not respond at all. His sharp voice rose and fell in pitch, lost amid the angry shouts of Yan Yan and Bai Fan, utterly lacking in conviction.

“Zhou Changping, you are absolutely useless — a hindrance and nothing more!”

“That is truly unfair! The situation at the time was urgent — of course rescuing people had to come first!”

“Oh? Is Administrator Zhou already in such a hurry to cling to Hua Family’s coattails?”

“Lord Yan, what are you implying? Hua Yitang is also a subject under my governance. I couldn’t simply stand by and watch him die — Lord Feng, you’ve come around — oh no, he’s fainted again. Doctor, keep inserting needles, don’t stop!”

What a spectacle of absolute pandemonium.

A sharp pain stabbed through her shoulder. Lin Sui’an’s eyelids twitched — the anesthetic was wearing off.

“Bear with it a moment longer — almost done,” Doctor Yue said.

Lin Sui’an focused her mind and continued listening, forcing herself to ignore the pain.

Adjutant Gao: “Without Administrator Zhou’s orders, it would be… difficult for me to act.”

Ling Zhiyan: “At a time like this, you’re still dragging your feet and passing the buck! This is absolutely outrageous!”

Hua Yitang: “Is Qi Yuansheng here?!”

A low voice replied, “Present.” It was indeed Qi Yuansheng.

“Are you familiar with the records in the Department of Household Registration?”

“Reasonably so.”

“Are you familiar with the twelve southwestern wards?”

“Reasonably so.”

“Then you write!”

“As you command.”

Adjutant Gao: “Hua the Fourth, this — this — this is highly improper! How can the prefectural office conduct business in such a disorderly fashion? Even if your Hua Family is all-powerful, this is going too far —”

“Go eat excrement. Mu Zhong, drag him away!”

Adjutant Gao’s voice disappeared.

Lin Sui’an let out a quiet laugh. Doctor Yue finished the last stitch, applied medication swiftly, wrapped the wound, helped Lin Sui’an straighten her garment, and used two splints to immobilize Lin Sui’an’s right arm. “You know Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master well?”

Lin Sui’an: “Not particularly.”

“Within half a month, do not use your right hand. After half a month, come back to the clinic for a follow-up examination.” Doctor Yue’s hands continued working without pause, and she arched her brows high. “When Mu Xia came to fetch me, he said that the Fourth Young Master had specifically instructed me to use every last ounce of my skill to treat his dearest companion and closest confidant.”

Dearest companion and closest confidant? Could Hua Yitang say something like that without any shame?!

“Hua Yitang and I have only known each other for a few days…”

As she said it, Lin Sui’an fell quiet, suddenly struck by her own words. She and Hua Yitang really had known each other for such a short time — yet somehow it felt as though a great deal of time had passed.

“And in just those few days, you were willing to risk your life to save him. You and the Fourth Young Master are very alike.”

“Pardon?”

“He is the same way — always disregarding his own safety to save others,” Doctor Yue said, gesturing to Pei Shijun and the others to lower the curtains. “Even if that person is his worst enemy.”

The wind rose, and the layered curtains floated gently down, bathed in moonlight, dreamlike and ethereal.

Lin Sui’an saw Hua Yitang through the soft, luminous haze — he stood head and shoulders above the crowd, rapidly sifting through information from the thirteen managers, the Pure Gate, and the household registry, brush in hand, marking and annotating the ward map. He would occasionally murmur something to Ling Zhiyan beside him, and Ling Zhiyan’s expression grew more and more astonished. Then suddenly, Hua Yitang lifted his gaze and looked straight at Lin Sui’an. His eyes were bright and clear, like stars on a summer night.

Lin Sui’an picked up Qian Jing with her left hand and walked over quickly. Hua Yitang broke into the smug, self-satisfied grin she had come to know so well, and pointed to Moon-Heavy Ward in the southwest corner of the map. “I’ve found it!”

Lin Sui’an nodded. “Let’s go.”

The answer Hua Yitang had ultimately arrived at was a rice shop inside Moon-Heavy Ward. On the ward map, the storefront occupied only a very small area, with a large stretch of space behind it registered as grain storage. But according to Hua Family’s managers’ records of Yangdu’s rice shops and their inventory movements, the amount of grain flowing in and out of this particular shop each month was quite low — at most enough to feed a dozen or so people.

The information provided by the Pure Gate was even stranger. The proprietor of the rice shop rarely opened for business — typically open for five days, then closed for ten. During those five days of business, sales were sparse. Strangest of all, the ones who came to buy rice were invariably scholars, particularly examination candidates passing through.

Elder Zhang had also made a particular note: these scholars always entered the shop in groups, often remaining inside for several hours at a stretch. When they left, every one of them wore an expression of delight, moving with a spring in their step — as though they had just enjoyed a lavish feast inside the rice shop.

Finally, there was the shop registration record that Qi Yuansheng had recalled from the Department of Household Registration: the original registered owner on the property deed for this rice shop was a foreign merchant named Lan Lanqi, who had not transferred or sold it to anyone in the ten years since registration. Lan Lanqi had only this one shop in all of Yangdu, yet beyond that, not a single piece of household registration information about him could be found.

“Lan Lanqi is a false name, a false identity — someone else is behind this rice shop, and it is not in the business of selling rice. This is the most suspicious establishment.” Hua Yitang yanked hard on the reins. His horse let out a sharp neigh that cut through the night sky. Mu Xia had prepared nothing but fine stallions, and Hua Yitang’s mount in particular was snow-white from head to tail without a single hair of any other color. Together with the Mu Family’s merchant convoy riding behind him and the splendid carriages of the various young scoundrels, the procession was magnificent and imposing.

Zhou Changping had to see to the unconscious Feng Song while also not wanting to miss this opportunity to distinguish himself, and not daring to provoke Hua Family. He could only load Feng Song into a carriage and follow far behind with his entourage. The legitimate city patrol officers, the constables, and the yamen clerks ended up being completely overshadowed by Hua Family — quite a humiliating state of affairs.

The rice shop’s facade was perfectly ordinary, no different from any common merchant stall. At this hour, the main gate was shut tight and the interior was dark.

“If it isn’t a rice business, then what kind of business is it?” Ling Zhiyan asked.

Lin Sui’an found herself reciting that strange little verse aloud: “Scholarly fragrance conceals a rancid stench, a belly full of filth pours forth from the gates of letters…”

Ling Zhiyan: “Could it be a clandestine brothel?”

“We’ll know once we go in.” Hua Yitang stepped back two paces, raised his folding fan with great dramatic flair, and pointed forward. “Break it down!”

Mu Zhong’s men picked up hammers and began swinging. But after only two blows, lights suddenly blazed to life inside the shop. The door boards flew open, and a gang of fierce, brutal-looking men poured out one after another with long blades in hand — a quick scan suggested there were several dozen of them.

“Who goes there — how dare you force your way into a private residence?!”

“Are you looking to die?!”

“Do you know whose territory this is?!”

“Oh my,” Hua Yitang smiled as brilliantly as spring blossoms, “it certainly isn’t a legitimate establishment.”

The lead man’s expression changed: “Hua Family’s Fourth Young Master?! How did —”

“Make way! Make way!” Administrator Zhou shouldered through with a team of constables. “You bold criminals — you dared to kidnap Young Master Feng’s third son! Surrender at once and release him!”

“Administrator Zhou, there must be some misunderstanding!” A man who appeared to be the shop proprietor hurried out from the rice shop, clasping his hands repeatedly in greeting. “We are all honest, law-abiding merchants. It is absolutely impossible that we would do anything as wicked as abducting and harming anyone. This must be a mistake.”

Hua Yitang let out a cold laugh. “A rice shop that neither takes in stock nor ships it out, neither sells rice nor opens its doors, yet keeps a whole pack of vicious hired thugs — Administrator Zhou, these villains are taking you for a fool!”

Administrator Zhou flew into a rage. “Utter nonsense! I see from your pinched face and sharp tongue that you are clearly an upright person — this rice shop is definitely up to something! Search it thoroughly for me —”

“Hold!” The rice shop proprietor stepped forward two paces and lowered his voice. “Administrator Zhou, if I may — this shop is actually a Feng Family enterprise.”

Administrator Zhou froze, then quickly glanced at Hua Yitang.

Hua Yitang tapped his fan against his palm with an expression of exaggerated surprise. “Well, well — this is like a flood washing away the Dragon King’s own temple. One family not recognizing another! Administrator Zhou, isn’t Lord Feng right there in your carriage? Quickly send someone to ask him.”

The proprietor’s eyes lit up. “Where is Lord Feng?!”

Administrator Zhou hurried to lead the way. “It was over his third son’s situation — his fury overwhelmed him and he fainted —”

The two men strode briskly toward the carriage at the rear of the procession. Ling Zhiyan glanced at Hua Yitang. “What is going on?”

Hua Yitang smiled. “If he hadn’t claimed this was a Feng Family enterprise, I might have thought we’d come to the wrong place. But now that he’s admitted it, I’m even more certain the answer is right here!”

Ling Zhiyan: “Are you out of your mind? If this truly is Feng Family’s territory, and Feng Song is right there in the carriage behind us, how could you possibly search the shop —”

Ling Zhiyan couldn’t finish his sentence, because Hua Yitang’s smile in that moment was like a red peony bursting into bloom in the dead of night — brilliant and breathtaking.

Lin Sui’an rolled her left wrist to loosen it. Her left hand wasn’t her dominant hand, but it should be manageable enough.

Ling Zhiyan: “Don’t tell me you —”

“Brothers, forward!” Before Hua Yitang had even finished speaking, Lin Sui’an had already charged in at the vanguard. Qian Jing remained in its scabbard — she swung the sword like a club, wheeling left and right, leaping and kicking, tearing straight through the hired thugs and ripping open a path. Mu Zhong led Mu Family’s merchant hands in the second wave, crushing everything before them with sheer superior force. The young scoundrels formed the third wave, mopping up the rear — picking off stragglers and landing easy blows throughout. Together they stormed into the rear courtyard of the rice shop in a thunderous surge.

The moment Lin Sui’an stepped into the courtyard, she sensed something was wrong. This place bore no resemblance whatsoever to a rice shop. The courtyard was spacious, the covered walkways elegant, and there was even a small bridge over a flowing stream with an artificial rockery. The overall architectural style was quite refined.

“Could it really be a clandestine brothel?” Ling Zhiyan exclaimed in surprise.

Lin Sui’an glanced sideways. He, Ming Shu, and Ming Feng all had blood on their fists and were breathing hard — they had evidently fought their way in amid the chaos as well.

“No,” said Hua Yitang, turning to look around with considerable puzzlement. “This place looks like it might be —”

“Oh my, isn’t this a Feng Family private school?”

“No, no — it’s much smaller than the Feng Family private school.”

“But look at that building — it looks very similar to the lecture hall at the Feng Family private school.”

“You’re right! We’ve gotten into fights and caused scenes at the Feng Family private school. We would never mistake it!”

The young scoundrels called out all at once.

Ling Zhiyan was stunned. “What is this supposed to be? An underground shadow school?”

Lin Sui’an was even more stunned. Could this era also require restrictions on academic workload — banning out-of-school tutoring centers?!

“Stop! Everyone stop right now!” Zhou Changping and Yan Yan came running in, half-dragging Feng Song with them. “It’s all a misunderstanding!”

Feng Song had apparently just regained consciousness — his complexion was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and his legs could barely carry him. The arm he extended to point at Hua Yitang was shaking violently. “Hua — Hua — Hua — Hua Yitang — what do you think you are doing?!”

“I am helping you find your son, Lord Feng!” Hua Yitang snapped his folding fan open with a crack. Pei Shijun led the crowd of young scoundrels surging forward in a clattering rush, meeting the constables head-on. The young scoundrels were no match for the constables in a real fight, but every last one of them was an expert at feigned injury — the moment a constable so much as brushed one of them, they would topple to the ground, wailing and howling and throwing absolutely spectacular tantrums. Combined with Mu Family’s merchant hands and the Pure Gate members pressing forward to form a cordon, the procession of Zhou Changping and Feng Song was effectively boxed in.

Amid the enraged bellowing from Feng Family’s side, Hua Yitang strode to the entrance of the main hall with swift, light steps, and kicked the door boards open with a single blow. Inside, the hall was bright and clean, with low wooden desks and cushioned seats, brushes and inkstone and paper set out on the tables — it truly resembled an ordinary private school. Mu Zhong led his men pouring in, searching every corner. Ling Zhiyan picked up an ink stick and sniffed it. “This is old ink, several years at least. No one has used it in a long time.”

“The dimensions of this lecture hall are wrong — it’s too small,” said Hua Yitang, fan swaying, as he moved around to the back of the teacher’s desk behind the screen partition and knocked on the wall. The wall was hollow — there was another space behind it.

“A hidden chamber! Could Feng Yuyi be inside?” Ling Zhiyan said. “Find the mechanism!”

Hua Yitang: “There’s no time — break it down —”

“No time — everyone stand back!” Lin Sui’an bit down on the scabbard, drew Qian Jing with her left hand, reversed her grip, and brought the blade sweeping down in a powerful backhand stroke. The wall cracked and splintered. Everyone poured in one after another. Sure enough — a hidden chamber, quite spacious, roughly half the size of the lecture hall outside. Tidy rows of desks were arranged inside just as before, with writing materials set out on the tables as before. The only difference was that a row of bookshelves lined the walls, neatly stacked with scroll-books bearing bookmarks.

The hidden chamber was visible at a glance — empty, not a soul within, and no Feng Yuyi.

They had searched the wrong place — could that really be it?

Lin Sui’an shot a glance at Hua Yitang.

Hua Yitang’s expression was not looking particularly well either. He frowned and stepped forward to examine the bookmarks, then suddenly called out, “Ling the Sixth — come look at this.”

“What is it?” Ling Zhiyan stepped forward quickly, swept his gaze across the bookmarks, pulled out a scroll-book and unfurled it with a snap, and read it carefully. His expression grew more and more astonished. “This is the examination questions from the Classics and Scriptures subjects of the official examinations seven years ago, with notes on answering strategies and key points written at the back.”

“And this one?” Hua Yitang pulled out another scroll.

“The advanced examination questions from five years ago.”

“This one?”

“The Classics and Scriptures, Five Classics subject questions from four years ago.”

“This?”

“The advanced examination questions from three years ago.”

Lin Sui’an listened with her jaw dropping: Good heavens — five years of real exam papers and ten years of practice tests?!

Hua Yitang was even more astonished than she was, though in a different direction entirely. “You’ve read all of these?!”

Ling Zhiyan sighed helplessly. “Studying past examination questions thoroughly is perfectly standard practice for anyone sitting the imperial examinations. There’s nothing unusual about it.”

Mu Zhong came running in, out of breath: “Fourth Young Master, we’ve checked every corner — Feng Yuyi is nowhere to be found. We can’t hold them back out there anymore. Feng Song and Administrator Zhou’s people have broken through. What do we do? This situation has spiraled completely out of control!”

“Since it has come to this already, what’s the rush?” Hua Yitang gave a nonchalant shrug, casually tossed the scroll-books off the shelves onto the floor, shoved the bookshelf to one side, and knocked on the wall behind it. His brow arched. “This one is hollow too.”

Lin Sui’an unhesitatingly split open the second wall. A second hidden chamber was revealed — inside were even more densely packed bookshelves and scroll-books. These shelves bore year markings: Year 2 of the Xuanfeng Reign, Year 3 of the Xuanfeng Reign, Year 5 of the Xuanfeng Reign, and so on. As the years grew more recent, the number of scroll-books increased. Stranger still, this time the bookmarks on the scrolls also bore names.

Ling Zhiyan pulled out several scrolls at random and glanced through them, and his expression changed drastically. “These are —”

“Oh my, look at this — how very interesting indeed.”

Hua Yitang pointed to the shelf at the far end. It held the most scroll-books of all — somewhere around seventy or eighty — and bore a plaque reading: Year 8 of the Xuanfeng Reign.

The current year.

Ling Zhiyan rushed forward, pulled out every scroll in rapid succession, and scanned through them. His expression turned deeply troubled.

“What does it say?” Hua Yitang asked.

“The reserve candidate questions for next month’s Classics, Scriptures, and Advanced examination subjects.”

Lin Sui’an: Oh. My. Goodness.

Skit:

Hua Yitang: Oh my, oh my! This is truly extraordinary!