The cold wind howled relentlessly as more than a dozen horses stood solemnly, their riders wrapped in black cloaks like dark clouds pressing down upon the earth.
The relay station workers dared not approach.
“Lord Deng, you’ve arrived so quickly?” Supervisor Qi flew over to those men like a bird, speaking enthusiastically to one of them. “I was just about to come report to you. I’ve already questioned everyone here—”
The Station Master knew all too well what sort of person Supervisor Qi was—strutting about throughout the entire prefecture, even his brother-in-law the Prefect dared not interfere with him much.
Yet here he was, fawning over this Lord Deng Yi with such deference.
Was it because the man was a court official? Did court officials all have terrible tempers?
The Station Master’s gaze fell upon this Vice Commandant of the Guards, Deng Yi. He appeared to be in his thirties, with a pale complexion and features that, while not particularly handsome, were certainly not disagreeable. His face bore no smile, but neither did it show arrogance, nor did he rebuke Supervisor Qi.
“I’ve already checked the city, so I came here myself,” he said, his voice gentle. “This also saves Supervisor Qi another trip.”
Isn’t he quite polite? the Station Master thought to himself.
Supervisor Qi showed not the slightest relaxation, nervously expressing his thanks before pointing toward the Station Master: “Would Lord Deng like to question them here as well?”
Deng Yi said: “If it’s not too much trouble, I would like to hear what they have to say.”
Supervisor Qi immediately turned and called out, “Station Master Xu, Station Master Xu, come quickly and answer!”
The Station Master felt inexplicably flustered at being summoned, hurrying over and bowing to Deng Yi: “This humble official is Xu Ze, Station Master of the North Cao Town relay station. I pay my respects to Lord Deng.”
Deng Yi nodded to him: “Station Master Xu, have you recently seen any escort guards heading toward Yunzhong Commandery?”
So he really is asking everything again? Supervisor Qi clearly said he’d already asked and there was nothing. These officials from the capital really do put on airs. Hmm, that A’Jiu fellow was the same—after questioning him, he still went to question the Yang family woman again.
Perhaps it had nothing to do with putting on airs; they were all simply suspicious and didn’t trust others.
While his mind wandered, the Station Master hastily answered: “No.”
Deng Yi asked again: “Not necessarily to Yunzhong Commandery, but any escort guards heading west? And not necessarily escort guards either—groups with larger numbers, but most importantly, groups with two young girls among them.”
Two? The Station Master’s heart jumped, and he felt that inexplicable sensation again.
“Two,” Supervisor Qi added from the side. “The young lady of the Chu family with a maidservant.”
One young lady and one maidservant. These words drifted through the Station Master’s mind. He shook his head, his voice slowly saying: “No.”
Supervisor Qi said: “That’s right, Lord Deng. Those escort guards all avoid passing by the relay station, so he truly knows nothing.” He then invited warmly, “Would Your Lordship come inside to rest? Though the relay station is simple, we have hot wine and food.”
Deng Yi ignored him, his slender eyes scrutinizing the Station Master as his voice slowly asked: “Then has Station Master Xu recently seen any unusual people heading toward Yunzhong Commandery?”
The Station Master felt his thoughts becoming even more sluggish. He heard his own voice drawing out even longer: “N—o.”
With a sharp crack, a whip suddenly appeared before the Station Master’s eyes, wrapped in cold wind as it lashed toward him.
The Station Master cried out in fright and dodged backward. Fortunately, the whip didn’t actually strike his face but swept past before his eyes with a whistling sound.
“Is there or isn’t there?”
The gentle-voiced Vice Commandant of the Guards shouted.
Outside the relay station, everything froze for an instant. Supervisor Qi clutched his chest, his eyes wide, clearly also shocked by this scene.
This Lord Deng Yi truly has a terrifying temper! the Station Master screamed inwardly. His originally drifting thoughts snapped into focus as he blurted out: “Yes!”
Huh?
Supervisor Qi stared wide-eyed at the Station Master. Old man, what are you saying? Didn’t you say there was nothing?
“It’s like this,” the Station Master said. Having been frightened by the whip, he no longer let his mind wander, his gaze no longer sluggish, his spirit clear and his voice crisp. “Recently at the relay station there were three people—a mother and two daughters—also heading to Yunzhong Commandery. This humble official’s mind wandered and I thought of them.”
A mother and two daughters? That’s different from this Miss Chu! Supervisor Qi glared at the Station Master again. This old fool, letting his mind wander like that, acting guilty as a thief. Needless to say, he must have fleeced those three women again.
“There are many people heading in the direction of Yunzhong Commandery,” he rebuked. “His Lordship asks you something, you answer that. What nonsense are you spouting?”
The Station Master repeatedly acknowledged his error: “Yes, yes, this humble official’s mistake. I’ve wasted Your Lordship’s time.”
Deng Yi nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face: “Station Master Xu is too kind. It’s good to think of more possibilities.”
Seeing the faint smile on Deng Yi’s face, the Station Master shuddered inwardly, understanding what Supervisor Qi meant about this lord’s terrifying temper. This wasn’t about having a bad temper at all! This was clearly a psychopath!
Turning hostile in an instant, striking at will, then offering a smile afterward.
To reach the position of Vice Commandant of the Guard Bureau at such a young age while being so ruthless—who knew what kind of background and connections he had.
The Station Master responded submissively, not daring to say more. Supervisor Qi once again warmly invited Deng Yi to rest inside the relay station.
Deng Yi declined, stating he still needed to continue investigating at the next town.
“How exhausting for you,” Supervisor Qi sighed, then complained in a low voice. “Meanwhile, that Young Master Chu sits comfortably in the prefecture while you, Lord Deng, run about everywhere.”
Deng Yi said with a smile: “This is this official’s duty. Young Master Chu is a scholar, and still quite young.”
He sounded kind and approachable. Of course, the Station Master no longer dared truly believe this, standing quietly and obediently to one side, watching as Deng Yi grasped his horse’s reins—
Suddenly he stopped again, looking past the chattering Supervisor Qi toward the Station Master: “Did those three—mother and daughters—travel to Yunzhong Commandery together?”
The Station Master inexplicably shivered, feeling his voice becoming slow again.
“No,” he said. “Only those two girls went.”
Two girls. Supervisor Qi’s eyes widened. Deng Yi’s eyes narrowed.
……
……
The relay station’s main hall was once again packed full, but unlike the earlier atmosphere when Supervisor Qi and his group of officials were there, it was quiet and oppressive.
Footsteps outside broke the suffocating silence as a station worker timidly entered with someone.
“We found that cart driver.”
The driver hired by that woman was from a nearby village and frequently came to the relay station, so the workers all knew him, making him easy to find.
“Let me ask you,” Deng Yi looked directly at the driver. “That woman Yang who hired your cart—do you still remember the route to her home?”
The driver’s expression showed some hesitation, as if wanting to both nod and shake his head.
Be careful or you’ll get whipped, the Station Master cursed inwardly, urging him: “Speak quickly! Don’t you even know whether you remember or not?”
The driver said frantically: “No, it’s not that I don’t remember. It’s that the lady didn’t have me take her home. I only took her to the county seat, then she left.”
The county seat?
That woman Yang said she was from Yang Village. From the county seat to Yang Village was still quite a distance.
The Station Master stood dumbfounded.
Deng Yi looked at the driver: “How did she leave?”
The driver looked somewhat confused by the question: “She just… walked away.”
He couldn’t help but mime a walking gesture.
That woman wore ragged, tattered clothes and walked with a swaying, twisting gait that made him unable to resist watching her for a few extra glances.
Deng Yi’s gaze turned toward the Station Master. The Station Master saw the half-smile at the corner of his mouth, that smile lashing out like a whip.
“Station Master Xu, a person nearly dead walked away on foot, and walked rather attractively at that.”
……
……
Though the county seat wasn’t large, it was bustling and lively.
In the bitter cold, wine shops and teahouses were packed with people. Even the pleasure houses had quite a few customers in broad daylight.
In the exquisitely decorated, sweetly fragrant hall, customers embraced women around braziers, drinking wine—truly a celestial paradise.
A woman carrying a qin swayed gracefully through the hall toward a private room when a regular customer in the hall spotted her and called out, “Li Niang, Li Niang.”
Li Niang turned her head, giving him a flirtatious glance and calling out “Master.”
“Li Niang,” that customer caught hold of her skirt corner. “I haven’t seen you for several days. You’ve abandoned this devoted admirer of yours. Which gentleman have you been accompanying?”
As if this was something very amusing, Li Niang couldn’t help giggling: “I haven’t been accompanying any customers. I’ve been playing mother to someone.”
The customer didn’t understand: “Could it be you had a very young customer? Those tender fledglings aren’t easy to serve.”
Li Niang pulled her skirt corner from his hand, avoiding the topic, coquettishly scolding: “I’ll tell you all about it in detail next time.”
She had just pinched her skirt corner to leave when commotion erupted at the main entrance. Many people burst in, accompanied by the panicked voices of the proprietor and servers.
“Officers?”
“Constables?”
“What’s happening?”
The customers and women in the hall were also startled, turning to look. Before they could see clearly who had come, they heard a thud—Li Niang had dropped the qin she’d been holding.
That frightened?
Li Niang’s face showed not so much fear as something bizarre. Looking at the fat man walking steadily closer, she squeezed out a smile: “This… Master—”
The Station Master ground out each word through clenched teeth: “Madam Yang, seeing you’ve recovered from your grave illness, I’m truly delighted!”