Yan Qingzhi had been standing outside Li Diudiu’s door the entire time, his back to it. He had not spoken again—he knew he didn’t need to. When a child is frightened, simply having an adult nearby is enough to make them feel safer, even without a word.

When Yan Qingzhi heard that Li Diudiu had come running back covered in blood, he knew something terrible had happened. He had rushed over at once, and when he arrived at the door, he saw the bloodstains on the handle outside.

In his ears was the sound of Li Diudiu’s heartbroken sobbing—a cry full of fear, unease, and grievance.

Before long, two Academy instructors arrived as well. One was called Yang Fengshan, the other Liu Keda. Neither of them normally taught students Li Diudiu’s age, and neither had ever come to this part of the Academy before.

Liu Keda was Xiahou Zuo’s instructor; Yang Fengshan was the instructor for Sun Biehe’s class.

“Master Yan.”

Liu Keda came striding over, cupped his fists at the doorway, and said, “You’re here too. Is Li Chi inside?”

Yan Qingzhi gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Liu Keda made an acknowledging sound and stepped toward the stairs, speaking as he walked: “I’ve come to ask Li Chi a few questions.”

But Yan Qingzhi did not move aside. He remained standing in the doorway. Liu Keda gave him a look. “What do you mean by this, Master Yan?”

Yan Qingzhi still did not speak.

Liu Keda stepped back, clearly displeased by Yan Qingzhi’s manner, but still managed to squeeze out a thin smile. “One of my students has been involved in an incident. I know Li Chi was present at the time. I only want to ask him what happened.”

Yan Qingzhi raised a finger and pointed at the step.

Liu Keda assumed this meant he was being invited to proceed, and took a step forward.

Yan Qingzhi’s voice was soft, but his tone was heavy: “Step up, and I will cripple you.”

Liu Keda’s expression shifted sharply.

“Master Yan, what exactly do you mean by this? My student Xiahou Zuo may have been the victim of an assassination attempt. As an Academy instructor—as Xiahou Zuo’s own teacher—it is entirely my place to inquire.”

Yan Qingzhi repeated himself: “Step up, and I will cripple you.”

Liu Keda deliberated for a moment, then cupped his fists. “Then I’m afraid I must give offense.”

He stepped forward, paying Yan Qingzhi no particular mind. If Xiahou Zuo was considered something of an outsider among the Academy’s students, then Yan Qingzhi was equally an outsider among the instructors.

He never socialized with anyone. The other instructors often got together for outings or drinks, while Yan Qingzhi spent every free moment tending to the vegetables in his own courtyard. In the past, Liu Keda and the others had invited him along several times, but Yan Qingzhi had politely declined every time, and after that there had been no further contact.

Still, the other instructors all knew that Headmaster Gao seemed to dislike Yan Qingzhi. Headmaster Gao had once said that the person in the Academy least like a proper instructor was Yan Qingzhi.

Although Liu Keda taught the literary arts, his martial ability was quite respectable. And more than a year ago, he had come to the Academy for a particular purpose. He was confident that dealing with someone like Yan Qingzhi—a literature teacher—wouldn’t even require a second move.

*Thud!*

The moment Liu Keda’s foot touched the step, a dull impact rang out. Then Liu Keda went flying backward, sailing more than a full zhang before crashing heavily to the ground.

He coughed several times. The spray that flew from his mouth was red.

Yang Fengshan’s face went pale. He ran over and helped Liu Keda up. “Are you all right?”

Liu Keda opened his mouth as if to say something, but not a single word came out. A great mouthful of blood welled up from his lips, darkness swallowed his vision, and he fell unconscious.

“Yan Qingzhi!”

Yang Fengshan rose to his feet and pointed at Yan Qingzhi, voice raised in furious reproof: “How dare you strike an Academy instructor without cause! You’ve beaten him half to death—let’s see who can protect you after this.”

Yan Qingzhi said, in a tone of perfect calm: “Do you intend to come up?”

Yang Fengshan stepped forward: “I will come up. You’d dare strike me too?”

But it was only one step—he was still well clear of the stair.

Yan Qingzhi said flatly: “Take another step.”

Yang Fengshan raised his foot—and held it there, suspended, not daring to let it fall. He stood there like a one-legged bird for several breaths, then lowered his foot, gave a dismissive grunt, turned around, hauled Liu Keda up by the arm, and walked off.

Yan Qingzhi noticed a rattan chair sitting in the courtyard. He went and brought it back, placed it at the doorway, sat down, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and rested.

Before long, the sound of footsteps came from beyond the gate once more. This time it was a group of people dressed in the dark uniforms of government constables. At their head was a heavyset man who appeared to be in his forties; the fabric of his official uniform strained uncomfortably over his belly.

“I am Li Changxing, Chief Constable of the Jizhou Prefecture Office. I am here under orders to bring the Academy student Li Chi back to the yamen for questioning.”

Li Changxing walked into the courtyard and looked at Yan Qingzhi. “Please stand aside, sir. If you obstruct the execution of official duties, I have the authority to take you into custody.”

Yan Qingzhi slowly opened his eyes. Rather than answering, he posed a question: “Are you certain Xiahou Zuo is dead?”

Li Changxing stiffened, seemingly at a loss for how to respond.

Yan Qingzhi’s fingers tapped lightly on the arm of the rattan chair, like someone plucking a bowstring one note at a time. In a place no one could see, an arrow was already drawn and ready.

Yan Qingzhi raised his eyelids slightly. As was his way, he looked lazy and unhurried—as though even opening his eyes fully was too much effort, too troublesome a thing.

He glanced at Li Changxing and said: “If you haven’t confirmed whether Xiahou Zuo is dead or not, you’d best think carefully before choosing a side.”

Li Changxing was quiet for a moment, then said: “As Chief Constable of Jizhou Prefecture, I am here on official business. I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I don’t know who you are. All I know is that if you don’t stand aside, I will bring you in under the law.”

Yan Qingzhi let out a soft sigh. “I really shouldn’t have come.”

Li Changxing said: “Only realizing that now? As an Academy instructor, you’ve kept yourself out of worldly affairs—you should be teaching and nurturing students, nothing more. Think carefully: which side are you standing on? What gives you the right to take a side? You’re right—you really shouldn’t have come.”

Yan Qingzhi said: “But I did come.”

Li Changxing said: “You truly intend to get yourself tangled up in Xiahou Zuo’s business?”

Yan Qingzhi looked back at Li Diudiu’s door, and when he turned back around, a smile had already curved the corner of his mouth—resolute, without hesitation.

“What does Xiahou Zuo’s business have to do with me? The person behind me is my student. That is what concerns me.”

When Li Changxing heard this, he placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. The way the sword hovered at the edge of its scabbard was like an animal catching the scent of blood.

“Master.”

The door creaked open. Li Diudiu, now in fresh clothes and freshly washed, stepped out from the room. He came to stand beside Yan Qingzhi, bent in a respectful bow, and said: “Thank you, Master. Your student should still go with them.”

Yan Qingzhi’s brow furrowed slightly. “Why?”

Li Diudiu said, with genuine seriousness: “I still believe in Dachu’s rule of law.”

In truth, what he wanted to say was: *I don’t want to drag Master into this.* Being an instructor at the Academy wasn’t exactly a glittering career, but it was still a position above ordinary men. If Yan Qingzhi were pulled into trouble on his account, Li Diudiu would feel himself a criminal.

Yan Qingzhi was about to say *You still believe in Dachu’s rule of law?* but the words hadn’t even left his mouth before Li Diudiu shook his head to stop him.

If those words were spoken aloud, they would certainly become a handle others could grab.

“Don’t worry, Master.”

Li Diudiu bowed again. “I am merely going with them for a visit. Once the matter of the case is made clear, I will return. Thank you, Master.”

Yan Qingzhi said: “I forbid you to go.”

Li Changxing erupted: “You intend to obstruct the law?”

Before Yan Qingzhi could respond, Headmaster Gao of the Four-Page Academy came striding in from outside. The moment he caught sight of Yan Qingzhi, he barked: “Yan Qingzhi, just what do you think you’re doing!”

Yan Qingzhi frowned. “Headmaster…”

Headmaster Gao said with mild anger: “You have always served as an Academy instructor—your duty is education. You should know right from wrong. When the yamen sends people to take someone in, you have no business interfering.”

Li Changxing smiled to himself, thinking how sensible this headmaster was. He hurried to bow and said: “Many thanks, Headmaster.”

Headmaster Gao walked to stand before Li Diudiu and reached up to straighten the boy’s clothes. “I have noted what you look like right now. Go properly, and come back properly. If you return looking any different than you do at this moment—”

He turned and looked at Li Changxing. “The yamen enforces the law, and my Academy students will naturally cooperate. You may take him. But if my student comes back clean and is found to have suffered under punishment, I will personally go to your prefect and demand an explanation.”

Li Changxing’s expression shifted. He bowed. “Headmaster, rest assured—I am only bringing him in for a few informal questions.”

Li Diudiu thanked Headmaster Gao, then walked out with Li Changxing.

Yan Qingzhi glared fiercely at Headmaster Gao, seemingly not the least bit deferential toward the headmaster.

Headmaster Gao let out a long sigh and said: “You are an Academy instructor. If you had laid hands on those constables, you would have been finished yourself. You were reckless and impulsive in your youth—how are you still acting like this, ruining yourself with your own impetuousness!”

Yan Qingzhi said: “If living is only for the sake of living, then you shouldn’t have taught us those poems in the first place, Headmaster. You taught them to us word by word, line by line!”

He swept his sleeve and walked away, his voice rising as he went: “Heaven and earth possess a righteous force, poured into all shapes and forms—below it flows in rivers and mountains, above it shines in sun and stars. In humankind it is called the vast and noble spirit, filling all the dark expanse. In times of extremity, integrity reveals itself, inscribed forever in the annals of history!”

Headmaster Gao’s expression flickered through a dozen changes. He stood rooted to the spot.

Gao Xining came running from a distance. She had only just heard the news, and the anxiety had drained the color from her face. She arrived breathless, her whole face glistening with fine beads of sweat.

“Grandfather, where is Li Chi?!”

Gao Shaowei said: “He was taken away by the constables. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to him. I’ve already sent someone to notify Xiahou Zuo’s father—one casual word from him, and Li Chi will be fine, since Li Chi was trying to save Xiahou Zuo.”

Gao Xining still didn’t know what had happened; she had only heard that yamen constables had come to arrest Li Chi, so she asked in confusion: “Why did he need to save Xiahou Zuo? What happened?”

Headmaster Gao was about to explain when the person he had sent to seek Xiahou Zuo’s father came rushing back, his face ashen. “Headmaster, I went to the Prince’s estate to deliver the message, and the steward told me—Prince Yu left Jizhou just yesterday. He has been summoned back to the capital.”

Headmaster Gao’s eyes flew open. “This is terrible!”

—

At the same moment, at the Jizhou Prefecture Yamen.

Yang Zhuo, the heir of Prince Yu, opened the wooden box before him, took out a lustrous Eastern Pearl the size of an egg, and presented it to Prefecture Governor Lian Gongming. He smiled and said: “My thanks for your assistance, my lord.”

Lian Gongming said: “Young Heir, I know nothing about any of this.”

Yang Zhuo laughed. “Quite right, quite right—the Governor knows nothing at all. Whether my father returns and asks about it, or the Military Commissioner asks about it afterward, the Governor simply knows nothing.”

Lian Gongming took the pearl and examined it. A gleam lit his eyes, as though the pearl’s own radiance had passed directly into them. He turned it over in his hands for a good long while before laughing: “Young Heir, you really do know how to seize an opportunity—taking advantage of the Prince’s absence in the capital to eliminate Xiahou Zuo and be rid of a dangerous rival.”

“Opportunity…”

Yang Zhuo smiled with satisfaction. “Doesn’t one have to create one’s own?”

Lian Gongming suddenly seemed to realize something. His face went pale. “Young Heir, you didn’t—”

Yang Zhuo shrugged. “My lord, what are you saying? I know nothing about any of this.”

—