“Princess… Fangxie! Fangxie! Fangxie!”

Yang Xingjian shouted his daughter’s name in panic as he rushed toward the bedroom ahead. Too urgent to knock, he rudely burst through the door, only to see Bao Zhu properly dressed, sitting on the bed facing a bronze mirror while grooming herself, while that blue-robed villain sat cross-legged on the floor, watching him with a smug expression.

Seeing this scene, overwhelming helplessness washed over him. Yang Xingjian couldn’t catch his breath and nearly fainted. Surrounded by wolves and tigers—Bao Lang hadn’t been dealt with, and now this blue-robed man had returned! Yang Xingjian’s legs went weak and he couldn’t stand, slowly leaning against the doorframe. In his daze, he felt several strands of his prized beard had fallen out.

“Master Yang has arrived.”

Seeing his utterly dejected appearance, Bao Zhu wasn’t surprised. She turned back to glare fiercely at Wei Xun and commanded: “Quickly apologize to the master clerk. Though it was a mutual misunderstanding, you’ve tormented him terribly.”

Wei Xun curled his lips, didn’t get up, and casually cupped his hands saying: “Wei Da was discourteous.”

Seeing his lackadaisical attitude, Bao Zhu was very dissatisfied and scolded: “Sit up straight and speak properly!”

Only then did Wei Xun reluctantly straighten his posture and cup his hands in apology: “I was discourteous to you before. Wei Xun feels quite guilty.” After thinking, he added: “While I was away, I’m grateful you protected Jiu Niang.”

He secretly felt fortunate that in a moment’s decision he had spared Yang Xingjian’s life. Otherwise, when he recovered and returned, Bao Zhu probably wouldn’t be residing in the county magistrate’s inner quarters but suffering punishment in a prison cell.

He also thought that though this middle-aged man, annoying as adhesive plaster, was powerless as a trussed chicken, after being tormented by him for days, he still hadn’t revealed the slightest hint of Bao Zhu’s identity. That made him quite reliable—he could temporarily be kept around for observation.

Yang Xingjian had suffered considerably at Wei Xun’s hands. Now he could neither cry nor laugh, his gaze vacant, forcing a few dry chuckles with a mournful expression. The princess commanding this way meant she wanted the two of them to coexist peacefully. Since he lacked the martial power to drive this person away, he could only endure and accompany him.

He was even more amazed that though this study was Wu Zhiyuan’s inner residence, it was still located within the county yamen—the power center of all Xiagui County, with countless armed officials coming and going on business next door. Yet this person still dared to come harass the princess. Was it supreme skill breeding boldness, or some other reason?

Yang Xingjian observed carefully, seeing Wei Xun’s arrogant demeanor. Rather than sitting properly according to etiquette, he casually sat cross-legged on the rush mat before the princess, his arm lazily draped over the edge of her couch. Though he had restrained the fierce air he showed when dealing with Yang Xingjian, there was still a subtle sense of territorial occupation.

However, the princess’s tone when scolding him was quite confident and justified, not showing fear of being controlled.

Bao Zhu had long ago told Yang Xingjian that Wei Xun was a knight-errant of commoner origins. Yang Xingjian feared Wei Xun’s fierceness while taking pride in his noble Hongnong Yang family background, unwilling to speak much with a commoner. The two were mutually incompatible—after exchanging names, they had no more words.

Wei Xun withdrew his gaze and turned to stare fixedly at Bao Zhu combing her hair. This kind of brazenly discourteous behavior made Yang Xingjian even more indignant. He coughed once—the other seemed not to hear. He cleared his throat forcefully as a warning. Wei Xun turned back and said: “Are you sick? If you’re sick, go out quickly. Don’t pass your illness to her.”

Yang Xingjian was choked by these words.

Without help, Bao Zhu couldn’t arrange her hair in a topknot. Frustrated, she threw down the wooden comb: “When will those two maids you knocked out wake up? Will they be the same as usual when they wake?”

Wei Xun said: “They’ll wake soon. Just a deep sleep—they won’t remember anything when they wake, no harm done.”

Yang Xingjian, having experienced this technique, smiled bitterly: “That’s not necessarily true. My stiff neck still hurts.”

Wei Xun chuckled and retorted: “That was my fault. I should have helped the master clerk to bed, arranged his pillow properly, and covered him with a quilt.”

Hearing them about to quarrel, Bao Zhu decisively interrupted and instructed Wei Xun: “I want to visit Luo Chengye’s house today to see the scene, to check if they missed anything. Come get me tonight.”

Wei Xun said in surprise: “I heard he died at home. Aren’t you afraid of ghosts anymore?”

Bao Zhu said proudly: “Before death, Luo Chengye was Xiagui County’s captain, receiving the court’s salary. In life he was an official of the Li family, in death he’s a ghost official of the Li family. I have true dragon bloodline—why should I fear a minor official?”

Hearing this twisted logic, Wei Xun laughed delightedly: “This salary for going legitimate is truly hot to handle—in life you’re their person, in death you’re their ghost too.”

Bao Zhu raised the corners of her mouth, looking quite pleased with herself.

Wei Xun nodded in agreement: “Fine, I’ll come get you after sunset.”

Hearing them plan in just a few words to sneak out at midnight to view a murder scene, Yang Xingjian was shocked speechless, quickly advising: “Princess, such a bloody, inauspicious place absolutely must not be visited!”

Bao Zhu said: “Yesterday Bao Lang insisted I go, saying that since I could solve the stone mill wife-burial case, I should try Luo Chengye’s case. Since I must go out with that annoying pest anyway, I might as well go look myself first.”

Wei Xun interjected: “How did he annoy you?”

Bao Zhu immediately became alert: “Don’t cause trouble! Bao Lang is Cui Keyu’s trusted aide. Currently he’s in charge of Xiagui County, and he’s also a master with the horizontal sword, supposedly very famous in Xuzhou.”

Wei Xun curled his lips dismissively.

Having arranged the time to visit Luo Chengye’s house, Wei Xun listened intently to the sounds outside, then stood up: “They’re about to wake. Call them to fix your hair. I’m leaving.”

Bao Zhu asked: “Where are you going?”

Wei Xun smiled: “To the Duobao Pagoda. Since everyone in the world says I stole the pearl, I must personally make a trip up there. Can’t disappoint this suspect status.”

Yang Xingjian was alarmed: “But it’s broad daylight!”

Wei Xun said proudly: “So what?”

Yang Xingjian’s eyes saw blue shadows flicker—before he could react, Wei Xun had already lightly flipped out the back window. He hurried to the window to look out. Under the sunlight, whether rooftop or ground floor, not a trace of Wei Xun’s clothing could be seen anywhere—truly appearing and vanishing like a ghost, coming without shadow, leaving without trace.

Yang Xingjian stared uncertainly, constantly rubbing his eyes, his chin whiskers trembling, wondering if Wei Xun was even human.

Bao Zhu suddenly remembered something and asked Yang Xingjian: “How much money does Master Yang carry? Is it enough for the journey?”

Yang Xingjian still stared out the window, unable to recover. Only after repeated questioning did he hastily answer: “When I went to Chang’an, I withdrew one hundred taels of gold from a Persian money house with a voucher.”

Bao Zhu frowned: “So little? Is my brother living hand-to-mouth in Youzhou too?”

Yang Xingjian quickly said: “Not at all. Though His Highness left Chang’an to serve on the frontier, he still has princely status—all expenses are supplied according to princely standards. Mainly I was traveling alone in disguise. Carrying more would be too heavy to bear, and I feared highway robbery.”

Bao Zhu calculated mentally—one hundred taels of gold sounded meager, but in actual weight was about seven or eight catties. For a civil official to carry on a long journey would indeed be quite heavy. This probably wasn’t the withdrawal limit but Yang Xingjian’s carrying capacity limit.

At this time they also heard the sounds of maids getting up and moving outside, so they changed the subject accordingly.

Yang Xingjian said: “Moreover, at the time I truly couldn’t imagine Fangxie was still alive. This money was only prepared for gathering information, not travel expenses for Fangxie. When we reach the great city of Luoyang, I can withdraw more from a money house.”

Bao Zhu thought to herself that she once had hundreds of palace maids and eunuchs serving her, with people carefully attending to her every movement and rest. Now she didn’t even have someone to help arrange her hair, and had to personally worry about such monetary trifles. The thought made her feel quite sorry for herself.