When daylight broke, the mountain forest’s slaughter quieted, but the troops didn’t disperse.
“Checkpoints have been set up along the routes,” scouts brought word from ahead.
“Are they checking for mountain bandits?” Mu Mianhong asked.
The messenger shook his head. “It seems they’re looking for Xi Liang spies.”
First bandit suppression, now Xi Liang spies. Mu Mianhong said, “Looks like this road won’t be easy to travel.”
It wasn’t that they couldn’t travel it, but it would waste too much time. Mu Mianhong’s brows furrowed.
“Besides mountain bandits and Xi Liang spies,” Xie Yanlai said, “we can have other identities.”
Other identities? Mu Mianhong looked at him.
Xie Yanlai looked ahead. Although that person surveyed the chessboard from above, she had walked step by step to reach this point and had still managed to gain a chance at survival that couldn’t be seen through.
—
Outside the Beicao Town relay station, continuously galloping troops stirred up layer after layer of dust on the road. Even standing inside the relay station, one would choke and cough repeatedly.
“Commissioner Xu, Commissioner Xu,” a station worker came from behind carrying a teapot. “The tea you wanted is ready.”
Commissioner Xu couldn’t spare time to cover his mouth and nose, turning urgently to protect the teapot. “Fool! Why bring it over in all this dust? This is my only pot of tea!”
The station worker looked sheepish, glancing at the troops galloping past outside. “Why are there so many soldiers? Just how many Xi Liang spies are there?”
Relay stations were places where news was most well-informed. They had received urgent orders last night and transmitted them along the routes.
Commissioner Xu’s small eyes narrowed with somewhat profound meaning. Besides the official news, as station commissioner he had learned another piece of information that hadn’t spread widely.
The Emperor’s maternal grandfather’s Xie family residence in the capital had been surrounded, guarded by troops, with everyone confined. Similarly surrounded was the residence of General Liang, who had been reinstated—yes, the very Liang family that had once been surrounded before and had just been restored.
Xi Liang spies. Commissioner Xu took a sip of tea. Who knew whether the Empress truly wanted to investigate Xi Liang spies or was just finding an excuse to eliminate the Xie clan?
That young girl—since parting at the relay station, in just a few short years, she was already about to wield power over all under heaven.
Did she still remember him? This thought arose in Commissioner Xu’s mind, but he immediately shook it off. Better she didn’t remember him—people who got involved with Miss Chu all met bad ends.
While his thoughts wandered, another group of seven or eight people galloped up. They didn’t pass by the relay station but stopped and entered.
Relay soldiers? Commissioner Xu thought as he looked over, seeing this group wearing disheveled, dirty military robes, their faces wrapped in scarves revealing only their eyes. But there was nothing strange about that—in winter soldiers wrapped their heads and faces to ward off cold and block wind and snow; in summer they wrapped them to prevent sunburn and block dust.
A station worker had already alertly gone over to greet them.
Relay soldiers also needed to verify their identities, but after the worker spoke with them briefly, he returned with an odd expression.
“Commissioner Xu,” he said, “they don’t have official documents or waist tokens.”
No official documents or waist tokens? Commissioner Xu’s small eyes immediately sharpened, his plump body tensing. Right now troops were being mobilized to catch spies—whether they were actually spies or others.
Official soldiers wouldn’t be mobilized without reason.
Nor would soldiers and guards suddenly appear without official documents or waist tokens.
He, Commissioner Xu, had been a station commissioner for over thirty years. He hadn’t gained this flesh for nothing—
“They gave this,” the station worker continued, producing a seal. “They say they’re carrying out a secret imperial decree.”
Commissioner Xu looked down, his gaze freezing. This was a seal carved with the character for phoenix. What was more damning, he had seen this token before. About two years ago, headquarters had sent down new relay order templates. Besides various passwords and word codes, there was also a secret order.
“This phoenix seal pattern,” the soldier who came to transmit the message had said gravely, pointing at the pattern for him to memorize. “This is the Empress’s secret decree. Special personnel will use it.”
However, he had never seen it until now.
He hadn’t expected to see it at this time and place.
“Commissioner Xu, is this real?” the station worker’s voice asked by his ear. “What secret decree is this?”
Commissioner Xu’s body tensed even more.
Official soldiers wouldn’t be mobilized without reason.
Nor would soldiers and guards suddenly appear without official documents or waist tokens.
He, Commissioner Xu, had been a station commissioner for over thirty years. He hadn’t gained this flesh for nothing—
When the immortals above fought, he couldn’t meddle in their business, especially when it involved that girl.
Commissioner Xu took a deep breath and said, “What else could a decree be? Of course it’s an imperial decree!” He glared at the station worker and shoved the seal at him. “Secret means it cannot be asked about, cannot be spoken of! Just go entertain them according to the rules!”
The station worker, sprayed with a face full of tea water, hurriedly acknowledged and scurried back.
Commissioner Xu still didn’t approach. As station commissioner, he wasn’t originally responsible for hospitality, and at this time and place he wouldn’t get close. He just drank his tea while watching this group from the corner of his eye.
Those people were saying something to the station worker.
Though Commissioner Xu wasn’t nearby, he could guess—they wanted horses and provisions, wouldn’t stay but would leave immediately. This was also the normal habit of relay soldiers. The station workers were used to it and called other servants to prepare what they requested.
While they were talking, another group arrived. This time not soldiers but local officials and constables arriving in a clamor.
“Commissioner Xu—” the leading official shouted before even entering.
Commissioner Xu quickly set down his teapot and went to greet him. “Supervisor Qi, why did you come personally?”
Supervisor Qi wore official robes and rode a horse. Having to maintain proper bearing, he couldn’t use an umbrella or wrap his head and face. He was sunburned bright red, dripping with sweat, and covered with a layer of dust—utterly bedraggled.
In this height of summer, Supervisor Qi normally never left his residence.
“Why else? It’s because headquarters suddenly wants to suppress bandits and investigate spies—” Supervisor Qi said irritably, his eyes sweeping around and seeing the people and horses standing in the relay station. “Commissioner Xu, are there any suspicious people here?”
Commissioner Xu smiled. “We don’t get suspicious people here—they’re all relay soldiers.”
Supervisor Qi snorted. “You’ve entertained plenty of suspicious people before, for instance—”
Commissioner Xu quickly bowed to interrupt Supervisor Qi. “Let’s not bring up those old matters. Supervisor Qi, after that incident, how would this old man dare to get involved with suspicious people again?”
Thinking of that past event, Supervisor Qi also felt some melancholy, and also some inexplicable excitement. He had almost personally arrested the current Empress—
“Supervisor Qi, quickly come inside and sit,” Commissioner Xu invited. “From my place you can watch the intersection and maintain strict vigilance.”
Supervisor Qi naturally didn’t want to run around outside. Following the suggestion, he dismounted and entered, instructing the others, “Question everyone carefully here.”
Commissioner Xu led Supervisor Qi inside. As he entered the main hall, he glanced back to see those soldiers without credentials collecting their supplies in the courtyard. Over ten fine horses serving as spare mounts were also being led over. They were preparing to mount. One of them looked up and met Commissioner Xu’s gaze.
That gaze was sharp as an arrow. Commissioner Xu’s heart trembled and he quickly looked away. In his ears he heard the chaotic sound of hoofbeats and shouts as the whole group departed in a clamor.
Only then did Commissioner Xu look up again, seeing dust clouds rolling up on the main road.
Those eyes—with upturned outer corners, dark and deep like a pool, yet like beautiful jade.
He had seen them before.
Those eyes, that girl, right here in his relay station—
Later he had paid special attention to that relay soldier, but never saw them again. He remembered this relay soldier was called A’Jiu. He had quietly inquired in private and gotten a frightening piece of news.
That A’Jiu was a Xie clan member—Xie Yanlai.
Later this name became increasingly famous.
Until death.
“Commissioner Xu, what are you doing?” Supervisor Qi called from inside.
Commissioner Xu shuddered and came back to his senses, quickly responding that he was coming. He lifted his foot to step forward but didn’t notice the threshold and stumbled.
Supervisor Qi laughed heartily inside. “Can you still manage? Are you so old you can’t walk steadily?”
Commissioner Xu laughed it off. “Sir, don’t say that. This old man still wants to work a few more years.”
That’s right, he did indeed want to work a few more years, so those matters of the past, those people and such—he couldn’t remember clearly. He had forgotten.
He hadn’t seen anything. He didn’t know anything.
—
The capital didn’t have galloping troops. Apart from additional soldiers at the city gates and guards stationed at the Xie and Liang family residences, everything else was as usual.
Because the Emperor and Empress weren’t in the imperial city, court sessions had temporarily stopped, but officials still performed their duties as usual.
Officials walked along the Imperial Avenue, chatting idly.
“How long will the Empress’s summer retreat last?”
“Ten days to half a month should be enough, right?”
“When the Late Emperor took his summer retreat, he stayed for three months at a time.”
“Not even enthroned yet, and already wanting to imitate the Late Emperor in neglecting court affairs?”
“How is she neglecting court affairs? State memorials are sent daily and returned with decisions. Besides, is the Empress idle?”
At this point, one official gestured with his chin toward a direction in the city.
“The Xie and Liang families are both surrounded.”
“Messages have been sent to all regions—suppress bandits, investigate Xi Liang spies.”
As they were talking, an official approached from ahead. His python-patterned robe glittered in the sunlight, immediately making the officials stop walking and stop talking.
“Lord Zhu,” one official greeted proactively. “When did you return?”
Zhu Yong, Vice Commissioner of the Surveillance Bureau, smiled and returned their courtesy. “I arrived last night.”
So the matter in Han Commandery had been settled. The officials’ gazes swept over his hands—this former minor editor’s hands were stained with another layer of blood.
Zhu Yong didn’t exchange pleasantries with them but passed by them toward the Surveillance Bureau adjacent to the palace gates.
“Now that he’s back, who knows who’s going to be unlucky next.”
“Who else could it be? Lord Xie is being detained by the Empress at the hunting grounds.”
So the Empress hadn’t gone for a summer retreat—she was clearly moving against the Xie clan. The officials discussed in low voices as they walked away.
Zhu Yong didn’t look back. Though he couldn’t hear clearly, he knew what these people were discussing. He had heard about the capital’s disturbances while traveling and had hurried his pace to enter the capital. He went directly to the hunting grounds to see the Empress, but he was stopped outside and didn’t enter.
The guards relayed the Empress’s words, telling him to oversee the Surveillance Bureau during this period and watch the Xie and Liang families’ associates.
Zhu Yong entered the Surveillance Bureau, looking at the familiar government office, the familiar officials and guards.
But—something felt not quite right.
Had the Empress really imprisoned Xie Yanfang?