Yuzhou City.
Li Chi was reviewing the case files and archives that had accumulated in Yuzhou during this period — a complex and painstaking task. From the written characters in these documents, one had to see not merely what the words said on the surface, but the entire fabric of Yuzhou’s people and their livelihoods hidden beneath.
Tingwei Army Senior Officer Yu Hongyi stepped to the doorway and bowed. “My lord, a message has come back — it is news of… Master Ye being injured.”
Li Chi’s head snapped up the moment he heard those words, his expression already changed.
Yu Hongyi hurried to add: “The injury is not serious. It is a through-and-through wound on the left shoulder. Master Ye examined it himself — the enemy’s weapon carried no poison.”
Li Chi asked, “Who did it?”
Yu Hongyi replied, “He goes by the name ‘Fourth Under Heaven’ — certainly not his real name. We have already looked into it. He is one of the so-called Four Champions of Destiny under Yang Xuanji’s command, and the most formidable of the four.”
Li Chi gave a small nod, then asked, “Where is Master Ye now?”
Yu Hongyi said, “Master Ye and Master Wu have already gone to Gang County. Before his confrontation with Master Ye, Fourth Under Heaven attacked Gang County — killing people… over a hundred killed. The county office officials have all perished.”
Li Chi suddenly came to a realization. He asked, “What does the Grand Tingwei say about this?”
Yu Hongyi’s expression became somewhat troubled.
Li Chi said, “Go ahead and speak plainly.”
Yu Hongyi said, “The Grand Tingwei intends to personally lead troops to deal with this matter. After all, those people have been impersonating the Tingwei Army. The common people may not necessarily believe it is truly us, but since those criminals have kept impersonating the Tingwei Army in their crimes, if the Tingwei Army continues to be unable to catch them, it is a stain upon the Tingwei Army — a very great stain.”
“She wants to go personally…”
Li Chi slowly exhaled, then looked at Yu Hongyi. “Make whatever preparations need to be made. Do not tell your Grand Tingwei that I already know. I will come find you all a little later.”
Yu Hongyi bowed in acknowledgment. “As you command.”
—
Two quarters of an hour later, at the Yuzhou Tingwei Army yamen.
The Ning King’s primary focus would remain in Yuzhou City for a considerable stretch of time going forward, so it was only natural that the Tingwei Army would also plant its roots here in Yuzhou City.
This yamen was enormous — absurdly so. Li Chi had specifically arranged for it to be here: it was a private estate belonging to the Cao Family within Yuzhou City.
The Cao Family had three large properties in Yuzhou City. This particular estate had been built specifically to host the Cao Family’s distinguished guests. In the past, the Emperor of Dachu had stayed here on several of his visits to Yuzhou.
Li Chi had been here when he last visited Yuzhou City, and the place had left a deep impression on him — everything in it looked as though it was worth a fortune.
The estate had several different names. Some called it the Plum Garden. Some called it the Yuzhou Traveling Palace. Others called it Cao Garden. And some called it the Realm Beyond the Human World.
The common people felt that a place of such extravagance simply did not belong to the mortal world.
But after Li Chi designated it as the Tingwei Army yamen, he gave it a new name: the Tingwei Residence.
Stepping through the gate, Li Chi saw the Black Cavalry mustering in the main courtyard ahead. He immediately understood — Gao Xining was planning to slip away from Yuzhou City in secret.
This matter did, in truth, fall under the Tingwei Army’s jurisdiction. After all, the people Yang Xuanji had sent were impersonating the Tingwei Army.
As Grand Tingwei, Gao Xining was naturally furious — she desperately wanted to bring every last one of those people in immediately.
But Gao Xining… was only the Grand Tingwei of the Tingwei Army. She was not Li Chi’s.
When she saw Li Chi walk in, Gao Xining knew at once that word had leaked. She felt a sudden flutter of unease.
The Black Cavalry, upon seeing Li Chi, immediately stood at attention and saluted — right fists placed over their chests, solemn and respectful.
Li Chi acknowledged them with a nod, then strode up to where Gao Xining stood. Her face flushed faintly red as she said, “You’ve come to stop me?”
Li Chi said, “How could I do that? I’m here to support your work, not obstruct it. Otherwise, what would people say about me — that I can’t tell public from private matters?”
Gao Xining brightened. “You’re agreeing to let me go?”
Li Chi said, “Agreeing — of course I’m agreeing. But…” He added, “…I most certainly cannot tell public from private.”
The moment he said “but,” Gao Xining knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
She gazed at him, wide-eyed and earnest — but Li Chi just smiled and walked toward the Black Cavalry formation.
Senior Officers Fang Xidao, Shang Qingzhu, Zao Yunjian, and Yu Hongyi stood at the very front of the formation. Seeing the Ning King approach, they immediately straightened up.
Gao Xining shot a sharp glare at Yu Hongyi. Yu Hongyi felt a rush of panic.
He had barely returned before he’d had a chance to report to Gao Xining that the Ning King already knew — and the Ning King was already here.
“Before the expedition departs, I have a few words to say.”
Li Chi gestured for everyone to relax, then paused before continuing: “Those criminals have been impersonating the Tingwei Army throughout Yuzhou, burning, killing, and looting, and have dragged the Tingwei Army’s name through the mud. Every person wearing a black brocade uniform ought to understand: until these people are caught, we are unworthy of that uniform.”
Li Chi turned to look at Gao Xining. “She is your Grand Tingwei — the highest official of the Tingwei Army, your leader. Should she not personally lead you to root out these criminals?”
He didn’t wait for them to answer before pressing on: “She is the Grand Tingwei of the Tingwei Army. Of course she should do exactly that. I have come — and as the Ning King, I fully support her in doing so.”
The Tingwei Army soldiers all breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yu Hongyi especially, since he was the one who seemed to have leaked the information.
Li Chi said, “Only… I am not here to take charge of the situation. I am here to protect my wife.”
The moment those words left his mouth, every single member of the Tingwei Army’s eyes went wide — and one by one, the corners of their mouths began to creep upward.
The color rushed into Gao Xining’s face all at once, red clear to the tips of her ears. She immediately turned her head to look elsewhere, not daring to meet Li Chi’s eyes, and not daring to look at her subordinates, whose expressions were blossoming into the most insufferably delighted of grins.
These people — those smiles growing more and more brazen by the second — truly insufferable…
Li Chi said, “No laughing. The fact that she is my wife is hardly news to any of you. And if there is still anyone here who doesn’t know, I am happy to say it again: she is my wife.”
He walked back and forth before the formation as he spoke. “As the man of your Grand Tingwei, I cannot allow her to go into danger. Am I wrong?”
“You are right!”
The assembled soldiers shouted back in unison — so loudly it seemed the very clouds in the sky might be shattered.
Gao Xining’s face was burning, and her heart was pounding so hard she felt it might leap out of her chest in the next moment.
Li Chi continued, “But as the Ning King—!”
At those words, every person fell silent.
Li Chi said, “I also cannot allow my wife to go into danger.”
And just like that, the people who had only just gone silent — the corners of their mouths crept back up into those same blissful grins.
Li Chi said, “This is the Tingwei Army’s affair. Deputy Grand Tingwei Master Ye is already investigating this case, and the other Deputy Grand Tingwei, Zhang Tang, is investigating other matters. And as I have said before, I will not unduly interfere in the Tingwei Army’s arrangements. Therefore, I now announce one matter.”
Li Chi stopped walking and looked out at the assembled soldiers. “The Tingwei Army will have a new position created within its ranks — one person only, not to be expanded further. The rank is Tingwei Army Inspector, positioned below the Grand Tingwei and above the Deputy Grand Tingwei. Within the Tingwei Army, this officer answers only to the Grand Tingwei. Have you all committed this to memory?”
Everyone answered in unison, “We have!”
Li Chi nodded. “I now announce the appointment to the position of Tingwei Army Inspector. He is already here.”
The soldiers immediately looked toward the outside, scanning among the attendants who had come with the Ning King, searching for which officer could be filling this distinctly unusual post.
Li Chi said, “What are you looking for? It’s me.”
At this, everyone froze for a moment.
Li Chi said with a smile, “As the newly appointed Tingwei Army Inspector, I have both the qualification and the responsibility to go root out those villains who have blackened the Tingwei Army’s name.”
He looked toward Gao Xining. “My superior, I request permission to go to battle.”
Gao Xining looked at him, her eyes bright and luminous.
Li Chi stepped to her side and lowered his voice. “Save the expressions of adoration for later — though it does look like you’re about to overflow with them. For now, you may announce that I will go root out those people.”
But Gao Xining shook her head. “No. You are the Ning King.”
Li Chi said, “The Ning King belongs to the people of the world. The Ning King’s world — and the Ning King himself — belong to you. I am your subordinate.”
Gao Xining’s eyes slowly grew moist. She opened her mouth — but Li Chi shook his head to stop her.
“You cannot stop me from going. Because you cannot stop me.”
Li Chi said with a smile, “But you can get ready now, and when we set out in a moment, come with me. My personal preference would be for you not to go — but you are the Grand Tingwei, and they are all waiting for you. This is the Tingwei Army’s reputation. It is also yours.”
Gao Xining nodded vigorously.
—
Just then, in a small town roughly twenty-some li north of Yuzhou City, a group of travelers had stopped to rest.
By the roadside stood a tea stall. Thirsty passersby could spend two coins here for a large bowl of cool tea — refreshing and good for cooling the body.
This group numbered about seven or eight. At the front were two people. One appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with the look of a scholar — dressed accordingly in a scholar’s long robe. He wore a long wooden case strapped across his back, the kind that might hold a prized scroll painting or work of calligraphy.
The other was a young woman, perhaps twenty-three or twenty-four, with a gauze veil covering her face below the nose. Her mouth and chin were hidden from view, but her large, clear, beautiful eyes, uncovered above the veil, were more than sufficient to tell anyone who looked that she was a rare beauty found perhaps once in ten thousand.
Like the young man, she too had a long wooden case strapped to her back — slightly narrower than his, by the look of it.
“Good sir,” the young man called out, finding a seat. “I’d like to ask you something.”
The proprietor smiled as he set down the tea. “Ask away — anything I know, I’ll tell you straight.”
The young man gave him a grateful glance and said politely, “We have come from Jizhou. We were originally heading to Jizhou City to seek an audience with the Ning King, but when we arrived in Jizhou, the Ning King had already moved south. I was hoping to learn — has the Ning King already arrived in Yuzhou City?”
The tea stall proprietor nodded. “That’s right, the Ning King has arrived in our Yuzhou. The procession passed right in front of me that day — and I even caught a glimpse of the Ning King himself! Quite an eye-opener, I tell you — the Ning King had this golden radiance emanating from him. He was sitting inside the carriage, and that golden light was just streaming out.”
The young woman couldn’t hold it in, and let out a quiet laugh — but quickly forced herself to suppress it.
Golden light streaming out…
The young man glanced at her. She immediately lowered her head, as though she was just a little bit afraid of him.
They drank their tea at the roadside, rested a while, then set off again, heading in the direction of Yuzhou City.
They were not on horseback. Before reaching this town, they had entrusted their horses to someone for proper keeping — their horses were too fine, and too conspicuous.
Walking along the main road, the young woman stole a glance at the young man, then asked timidly, “Jieyi-shixiong, do we make our move once we reach Yuzhou?”
The young man shook his head. “Not necessarily. Let’s get the lay of the land first.”
Just as they were speaking, they saw a figure coming toward them from ahead — an ordinary-looking young farmer, dressed in a short jacket, sleeves rolled up, trouser legs rolled up, cloth shoes with a few smears of mud on them.
By every appearance, he was just a young farmhand. But strapped across his back was an extremely long and wide cloth bag.
This farmer had the most guileless, honest-looking face imaginable — yet at this particular moment, his eyes were behaving with somewhat less than complete honesty, darting a few glances at the young woman’s chest.
She was, after all, undeniably beautiful, with a figure that left nothing to be desired.
And so, the young man known as Jieyi-shixiong let his expression shift — just slightly.
“Stop right there.”
He fixed his gaze on the young farmer.
The farmer looked at him and smiled. “Are you certain you want to say that to me?”
……
……