◎Xie Heng isn’t as foolish as you think◎

His anger came out of nowhere, leaving Luo Wanqing somewhat bewildered.

Seeing him with his eyes closed, she got up with her back to him to put on her clothes, asking curiously: “What’s wrong with you?”

Cui Heng ignored her, saying sullenly: “I’m tired.”

Luo Wanqing thought about how neither of them had slept the previous night. She had at least meditated and rested a while in prison, but Cui Heng had been outside the whole time and probably hadn’t rested. She nodded understandingly: “Then sleep well.”

Cui Heng couldn’t catch his breath, then heard Luo Wanqing ask considerately: “Do you want to sleep on the couch?”

Hearing this, Cui Heng opened his eyes, his gaze cold, and smiled: “Sure.”

Luo Wanqing prepared to give up her position, but he strode forward directly and squeezed in beside her.

The small couch in the carriage was pitifully small. Given Cui Heng’s height, even one person would have to curl up to sleep. Now with two people forcibly squeezed in, Luo Wanqing was pressed against the wall with Cui Heng’s arms and legs pinning her down, making her completely unable to move.

Her breathing became somewhat difficult. She turned her head to negotiate: “Please move aside. I don’t need to sleep.”

“The Chief Inspector offered me the couch—how could I be so presumptuous?” Cui Heng closed his eyes and said coldly, “I don’t mind the small space. Sleep.”

He didn’t mind the small space, but she did!

Luo Wanqing felt stifled and pushed at him, but since Cui Heng didn’t want to move, she couldn’t budge him at all. She could only say sullenly: “I rested this afternoon.”

Cui Heng closed his eyes and played dead.

Luo Wanqing began trying to invoke propriety: “Cui Heng, men and women shouldn’t have physical contact.”

Hearing this, Cui Heng opened his eyes and smiled mockingly: “Now you tell me about improper contact between men and women?”

Luo Wanqing choked, realizing he was alluding to something, and found herself unable to speak, feeling inexplicably angry.

Seeing his stubbornness, she simply gave up and let him hold her. He seemed to know when to stop, pulling back a bit to only have her lean against his chest, bending his knees and arching his back to keep his lower body farther from her.

Before long, in that warm, stuffy swaying motion, Luo Wanqing felt unusually drowsy.

She moved slightly, and Cui Heng tightened his arms in displeasure, placing his chin on top of her head and mumbling with his eyes closed: “Don’t move.”

His voice carried sleepiness. Luo Wanqing paused, remembering he wasn’t someone who slept easily. After thinking, she finally quieted down.

After a moment, Cui Heng suddenly said: “He’s not as formidable as you think, and Xie Heng isn’t as foolish as you believe.”

Luo Wanqing was startled and about to ask more when she heard him say, “Sleep.”

Luo Wanqing knew he wouldn’t answer further, so she simply quieted down, planning to ask when he was in a better mood.

The carriage swayed back and forth. Soon, Cui Heng’s steady breathing came from above. Luo Wanqing leaned against his chest, smelling the pine scent on him, feeling somewhat dazed.

Perhaps because they were so close, his scent today was much stronger than usual, faintly mixed with a trace of blood.

Luo Wanqing was startled, hesitated for a long time, but still pretended ignorance.

She quietly leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat. In this vast world with no one around, no one knew what she was doing at this moment.

Neither did Cui Heng.

This thought arose, and she couldn’t help wanting to look up at him, but they were nestled too closely—any movement of her head would brush against his chest, so she stopped.

After thinking for a moment, she raised her hand and gently placed it on his chest, couldn’t help remembering what that senior in prison had said about scolding Xie Heng, and quietly muttered: “Bad temper.”

He seemed to be sound asleep. Even after being scolded, his breathing didn’t change.

She relaxed and buried her face in his embrace.

Sensing her movement, on his face that she couldn’t see, Xie Heng silently smiled.

The road back to the Supervision Department wasn’t long, but Luo Wanqing still fell asleep halfway.

She slept deeply. When she woke up, it was already dawn the next day.

Her wounds had healed considerably. She guessed Cui Heng must have given her medicine—otherwise, no matter how much she slept, she wouldn’t have slept so long.

She got up and looked around, discovering Cui Heng wasn’t there. She took a cold bath, finished washing up, and then went down the mountain to eat.

When she returned up the mountain, Xie Heng should have returned from morning court. The back mountain was lively. As she passed by Xie Heng’s courtyard gate, she heard his voice from inside: “Liu Xiniang.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing paused, then quickly entered.

Today, she had only gone down the mountain to eat and hadn’t planned to see Xie Heng, so she dressed casually—a white, wide-sleeved, long dress with the step-shake hairpin Cui Heng had given her. She gracefully bowed before Xie Heng, respectfully saying: “Young Master.”

Hearing this, Xie Heng looked up at her, his gaze pausing on her step-shake hairpin before looking away. He raised his hand and tossed down a token: “Take it.”

Luo Wanqing instinctively caught the token. Looking down, she saw a round token with a black background and gold patterns, inscribed with “Liu Xiniang.”

Chief Inspector tokens for Fifth Rank and above were round, with different patterns representing different grades. Luo Wanqing looked at this Fifth Rank Chief Inspector token, somewhat surprised: “Young Master?”

Yesterday’s events with Li Guiyu incorporating the Six Commands army into the North Fourth Army should have counted as Xie Heng’s crushing defeat, yet he was still promoting her?

Luo Wanqing hadn’t expected Xie Heng to be so magnanimous, but Xie Heng misunderstood her meaning and explained: “You’re currently in the eye of the storm. His Majesty has publicly announced he’s sending people to investigate yesterday’s conflict between you and the Eastern Palace Six Commands as well as Lu Lingchan’s cause of death. You shouldn’t have appeared in public recently. Yesterday’s forcible protection bringing you back to the Supervision Department was already exceptional, so your appointment ceremony can only be canceled or postponed. But you still have other tasks and must receive your token first.”

“Yes.”

Luo Wanqing understood Xie Heng’s meaning and quickly said respectfully: “Thank you, Young Master.”

Fifth Rank and above can deploy Chief Inspectors below prefectural level at will, with thirty Chief Inspectors assigned as escorts. The Eastern Palace case happened to involve exactly thirty people—they’re all assigned to you under your jurisdiction.”

“Yes.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt some joy but kept her expression unchanged.

Xie Heng heard her happiness and glanced at her, then said: “The Ministry of Justice has copied the verdict. Go arrange the execution of the verdict. You may go.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing paused without moving. Xie Heng sensed she had something to say and looked up: “What is it?”

“Young Master,” Luo Wanqing hesitated, “you promised me…”

She didn’t finish, but both understood.

Xie Heng was silent for a moment, only saying: “This matter is complex and confidential. When Cui Heng has time tonight, I’ll have him explain it to you properly.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing felt relieved, bowed with a smile: “Yes.”

“Go.”

Xie Heng waved his hand. Luo Wanqing bowed and rose. As she stood, she inconspicuously glanced at Xie Heng’s hands holding his brush.

Today, he wore silver-white cloud-patterned gloves, so she couldn’t see his hands.

This made Luo Wanqing frown.

She suddenly realized…

Xie Heng seemed to have started wearing gloves from the night of the Qin Music Festival.

Xie Heng noticed her gaze but looked down without any reaction. After Luo Wanqing left, he said calmly, “Xuanshan, make me a skin glove using your hand measurements.”

Hearing this, Xuanshan was startled, then nodded: “Yes.”

Luo Wanqing walked out of Xie Heng’s courtyard with an uneasy heart.

Her mind kept returning to what that senior in prison had said.

He had taught Xie Heng bone molding.

And now Xie Heng started wearing gloves after Cui Heng was injured.

This was too much of a coincidence.

But there were still many other things to think about now. She took a deep breath, didn’t worry about it further, and turned to go down the mountain to find Fang Yuan and the others, telling them to meet in the assembly hall.

According to the procedure, once the Supervision Department’s verdict was copied to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry completed transcription, it would take effect. The Supervision Department could then execute people according to the verdict—kill those to be killed, release those to be released.

Luo Wanqing was injured and shouldn’t appear in public, so she couldn’t do much herself. She assigned tasks to everyone, dividing each case among individuals to supervise execution.

Then she told them about Xie Heng’s decision today: “There’s one more thing. Starting today, I’m promoted to Fifth Rank Chief Inspector. From now on, you thirty people will work under me. If anyone is unwilling, please tell me.”

With that, Luo Wanqing looked at them: “No one objects, right?”

“No, no.” Fang Yuan quickly shook his head. “It’s our honor to work under the boss!”

“You changed your tune pretty fast.” Sun Shangquan crossed his arms and laughed.

Fang Yuan spat at him: “Stop acting so noble!”

Hearing this, everyone laughed.

Seeing this, Luo Wanqing stood up: “Alright, if there’s nothing else, I’m leaving.”

Everyone remained silent, just looking at each other.

Luo Wanqing raised an eyebrow: “What are you doing?”

Everyone was still sneaking glances at her. Luo Wanqing swept her eyes over them and said directly: “If there’s something, say it.”

Everyone looked at Fang Yuan together. Fang Yuan hesitated for a moment, cleared his throat, and, bearing everyone’s expectations, said: “Well, boss, you’ve been promoted to Fifth Rank Chief Inspector—aren’t you going to throw a celebration banquet?”

Luo Wanqing was startled. Everyone immediately chimed in: “Boss, it’s tradition.”

“Just have a drink…”

Everyone spoke one after another. Luo Wanqing couldn’t help laughing. Xing Ling, beside her, coldly glanced over and reminded coldly: “Chief Inspector Liu is still injured.”

“Who doesn’t have injuries?” Fang Yuan immediately patted his arm. “I got slashed on my hand, too.”

“A bean-sized cut made you cry for a day.” Xing Ling glared at him. “Stop trying to claim credit.”

Listening to their banter, Luo Wanqing remembered yesterday morning when she rode through blood into the alley and saw these people standing on the wall waiting for her. Suddenly feeling heroic, she nodded: “Fine, call everyone together. Tonight’s on me.”

“Great!”

Everyone immediately became happy.

Luo Wanqing smiled and stood up, telling everyone to go handle their business while she went to write some accumulated reports.

When the sun set in the west, Fang Yuan came to call her.

Since Luo Wanqing couldn’t go out, they set the drinking location in the dining hall. When Luo Wanqing entered the dining hall, she saw a row of wine jars on the floor. Fang Yuan had called many people. Today, she had become famous in one battle, and everyone came to show support.

As soon as Luo Wanqing entered, she was handed a bowl of wine. Fang Yuan put his arm around her shoulder and whispered, “Chief Inspector, don’t worry. After two sips, I’ll help you drink.”

Luo Wanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Fang Yuan pushed her in, and she went around toasting and meeting people.

While drinking, a handsome young man stood up from the crowd. Luo Wanqing was stunned when she saw him, exclaiming in surprise: “Master Zhang?”