Dawn was just breaking when breakfast stalls had already set up their stoves in the streets. Though the city gates remained closed, people living in the city still needed to eat. However, small business owners feared trouble, so stalls were sparse and scattered—far from the prosperity and bustle before the city lockdown.

Seeing that the shop selling willow leaf noodles hadn’t opened, Bao Zhu felt quite disappointed. She settled for buying a piece of date cake, but after one taste, gave up entirely. However, sitting at a stall listening to other customers chat, she learned some new information about the case.

This massive city-wide search had unexpectedly solved many old cases, capturing one fugitive murderer, three corrupt clerks, and several minor cases involving adultery. But the most crucial case—the theft from the Buddhist pagoda and murder—remained unresolved.

The customers discussed in hushed voices how various people had been arrested and imprisoned, beaten unconscious with not a patch of intact skin left on their bodies. Some constables were even settling personal scores, fabricating charges whether related or not to send people to prison, and so far not one person had emerged alive. The county jail was overcrowded, and they had even urgently hired craftsmen to build several temporary sheds to hold suspects.

Everyone trembled with fear in their speech, afraid of being implicated, which gave rise to all sorts of strange and bizarre rumors.

“That white snake pearl clearly isn’t of this world. It must be a dead snake demon seeking revenge, returning to reclaim its spirit pearl. Besides a snake demon, who could climb into the pagoda? I heard that ‘Lion Dog’ Luo Chengye’s body was half-devoured by the snake demon!”

“Sin, sin! That’s a Buddhist pagoda guarded by Weituo Bodhisattva. He despises evil—what demon could cause trouble under his very nose?”

“As long as the case isn’t solved, this white snake’s revenge won’t end, and all of us in Xiagui County will suffer!”

With the theft and murder case still unsolved and inside information tightly suppressed, street rumors grew increasingly bizarre. After listening for a while, she felt she could compile an entire volume of legends.

Yang Xingjian stood beside her in attendance, bowing and saying quietly: “Let’s return. Whether this case has results or not, it has nothing to do with us. Once the gates open, we’ll leave Xiagui and head east.”

Bao Zhu remained noncommittal, still worried about the two brothers. Where exactly had Wei Xun gone? Did he have any connection to this major case? If he had no involvement, why wouldn’t he show himself? If there really were some difficulties or grievances, he could have at least left her a note explaining—to leave without a word was truly hateful.

Fortunately, with the household registration that Yang Xingjian had brought, when they passed through the government’s first round of screening earlier, Bao Zhu faced no difficulties and got through easily.

Returning to the inn with him and closing the door with no others present, Bao Zhu told him about Wei Xun going down to the underground tomb to rob graves and coincidentally rescuing her from the coffin where she’d been buried alive. Yang Xingjian was naturally extremely shocked, repeatedly exclaiming that the princess was blessed by heaven, and that surviving great disaster meant future fortune.

In his heart, he thought this thief daring to rob imperial family tombs was incredibly audacious beyond belief. He figured he must be what common people called an extraordinary chivalrous thief. If not for his evil intentions toward the princess, he could have been useful to Prince Shao in the future and helped him achieve great things. For a moment he felt both lingering fear and regret, his emotions quite complex.

Bao Zhu asked: “What is the chief clerk’s view on my being innocently buried alive?”

Yang Xingjian naturally didn’t dare criticize the sovereign, carefully considering the princess’s feelings as he said: “Your subject believes this matter was still directed at Prince Shao. Though succession struggles are life-and-death affairs, Your Highness as a woman posed no threat originally. But you’ve always been deeply favored by the emperor and worked closely with Prince Shao. To eliminate his support in the palace, enemies struck so ruthlessly. This must be a conspiracy by those who deeply hate Prince Shao—the same faction as those who slandered him.”

Speaking to this point, Yang Xingjian raised his thumb and bent down the first joint.

Bao Zhu was startled: “Li Chengyuan? His face was mauled by a bear and he’s completely disabled—what is there left for him to struggle for?”

Yang Xingjian sighed: “The deposed crown prince acted perversely, brutally killing commoners and favoring male lovers—everyone despised him. Even without the disfiguring accident, he would have been deposed sooner or later. Alas, after Chengyuan, Prince Shao was naturally the most honored and eldest. If your noble mother were still alive, with her great favor, other princes would have no chance at all. What a pity—the pearl was destroyed in the womb, such a tragic fate.”

Hearing him mention her mother’s death in childbirth, Bao Zhu’s eyes gradually reddened. Yes, if mother were still alive, she would naturally protect all her children firmly under her wings.

The emperor’s deep love for the noble consort was unwavering. Over the years, if not for considerations of the Crown Prince’s position and court stability, she would have long been the rightful empress. In fact, after Li Chengyuan’s crown prince position was revoked, the matter of making her empress was immediately put on the agenda. Everything was ready, only waiting for the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to select the most auspicious and beautiful day for the ceremony.

But beauty’s fate was thin—the noble consort died of hemorrhaging before that day came, and the empress’s册宝 (ceremonial books) and jade seal could only be placed in the mourning hall as memorials.

Bao Zhu silently shed tears for a while as Yang Xingjian quietly comforted her: “When the gates open, your subject will send an express letter to Youzhou informing His Highness that you’re safe and sound. He’ll certainly be extremely relieved. Once Your Highness safely reaches Youzhou, we’ll carefully settle this account.”

The two were discussing court secrets, already feeling tense. Suddenly hearing commotion and shouting at the inn entrance, with a group of people breaking in, they were both alarmed simultaneously.

Yang Xingjian quickly opened a crack in the door to look out, seeing a gang of sword-bearing constables who had kicked down the innkeeper, loudly berating him and saying they were searching for suspects. When the innkeeper hesitated for just a moment, he was grabbed by the collar and slapped hard several times. With blood flowing from his nose and mouth, he tremblingly pointed toward Bao Zhu’s room. Yang Xingjian was horrified and quickly closed the door.

However, how could a wooden door latch stop this pack of wolves? The constables surged in, and Yang Xingjian spread his arms like a mother hen, desperately blocking in front of the princess. Bao Zhu quickly gripped her arrows in secret, but just the doorway was blocked by five or six people, and from the sounds below there were many more, with others positioned on surrounding rooftops.

These people not only held swords and blades but some carried iron nets, steel forks and other beast-hunting weapons—strict defense like a dragnet.

Yang Xingjian thought political enemies had discovered the princess’s location and come to eliminate her completely. His heart turned ashen, his whole body ice-cold. However, the constables shouted questions: “Where is the blue-robed slave hiding?”

Yang Xingjian’s mind raced as he quickly replied: “We two are master and not servant—why have the officers come?”

“We heard that a blue-robed thief is hiding at Sun’s Inn. He’s a suspect in the pearl theft and murder! Since you two are his masters, you’re harboring criminals. Come with us!”

They then produced iron chains and wooden shackles to bind the two.

Yang Xingjian hastily said: “We father and daughter are of perfectly clean background and truly don’t know what crimes our servant committed. We absolutely didn’t intentionally harbor anyone!”

Seeing him protecting a young woman behind him, the constables sneered: “Whether you’re suspects or not can only be determined after entering the county office for trial. After dozens of lashes and some flesh-scraping, we’ll see if you confess. Dare to resist arrest and we’ll cut you down right now!” They then stepped forward to shove Yang Xingjian.

How could Yang Xingjian watch the princess be shackled and tortured? Reaching the point of no return, he could only reveal his true identity. Gritting his teeth and stamping his feet, he roared: “What audacity! Who among you dares kill a court official!”

The constables were stunned by his shout. Yang Xingjian seized the opportunity to pull out his silver fish bag from his robes and hold it high: “I am a sixth-rank official appointed by imperial decree, with official duties. I’ve been delayed here many days by the city lockdown. You still want to cut me down?! This old man won’t let this go!”

The silver fish bag with its scale patterns embroidered in silver thread, gleaming and rippling, was exquisitely crafted—proof of a high official’s identity. Inside the fish bag was half a fish tally with anti-counterfeiting mortise and tenon joints carved inside, while the other half was kept in the inner palace as the base. When combined, the mortise and tenon would fit perfectly.

None of these constables had personally seen a fish bag, but all had heard of them. After taking it to examine carefully, they couldn’t distinguish real from fake, but no longer dared be rough. Seeing Yang Xingjian dressed in common white hemp clothing, their leader smiled obsequiously: “Why isn’t the master wearing official robes or staying at the government hostel?”

Yang Xingjian snorted coldly, retrieved his fish bag and tucked it in his robes, declaring loudly: “I myself can stay at the government hostel, but my family members cannot. For a day or two we could barely manage, but with the lockdown lasting so long, how could I feel at ease leaving my unmarried daughter alone in an outside inn? To wear official robes while dwelling in such cramped quarters—I don’t know if that would shame me or shame the imperial house.”

Bao Zhu quietly put down her arrows, cooperating with his story by facing the wall and pretending to be a helpless, virtuous young woman.

Yang Xingjian thought that the blue-robed slave had lived here in recent days and been seen by many—this point couldn’t be disputed. He could only retreat to advance and find another way, saying: “I did indeed have a blue-robed servant before, hired for only a few days. He fled before the city lockdown. Whatever crimes a runaway slave committed, how could we keep constant watch with our eyes? If you continue this harassment, this old man will personally go to the county office to argue with Wu Zhiyuan!”

As the saying goes, an official one rank higher can crush you to death. Though Yang Xingjian was insignificant in Chang’an, he was still sixth rank, while County Magistrate Wu was only seventh rank. Now revealing his identity, he deliberately displayed official authority, his every movement imposing and arrogant, even threatening to return to the capital to impeach Wu Zhiyuan.

Seeing a capital official making trouble, the constables all had headaches. They had received intelligence and came with great fanfare to arrest the blue-robed slave, finding nothing, and didn’t dare return empty-handed. The leader immediately signaled with his eyes for subordinates to quickly go out and report to County Captain Hao Jin, who was directing the arrest operation outside, that this sixth-rank official was residing incognito at Sun’s Inn.