Shen Zhuxi chose two fine-quality long robes each for the three Li brothers, then picked out three sets of outfits for herself, and the group returned home in high spirits, laden with their purchases.

The courtyard housing over four hundred grown men was perpetually lively, and the moment Shen Zhuxi stepped through the gate, it felt as though she had returned to a bustling marketplace teeming with people.

Hearty laughter and indignant curses rose and fell in waves from beyond the walls.

The powerfully built man called Niuwang maintained strict discipline over his subordinates. For all this time — save for that first glance when they had come to inspect the courtyard — neither Niuwang nor any of his men had set foot inside the front courtyard even once.

Li Kun and Li Que carried the large and small packages into the side room where Shen Zhuxi and Li Wu were staying and were just about to leave when Li Wu spoke up: “Wait a moment — I have something to say.”

Li Que paused, his expression turning serious. “Did the Xuzhou prefect say something?”

“Wang Wenzhong has invited me to serve as centurion commander of Pengcheng County as a token of his gratitude. I want to hear your thoughts — do we want to stay put, or keep moving?”

“I’d recommend staying.” Li Que considered for a moment. “We left too many traces of our activities in Jinzhou. Even though we never revealed our true identities in front of Han Fengyue and his associates, Han Fengnian has a well-earned reputation for cunning — there’s no telling what he might uncover in Jinzhou.”

“What do you think?” Li Wu looked toward Li Kun, who had plopped himself down on the bed and was swaying his head back and forth. “Do you want to stay here or go back to Jinzhou?”

“…Does Jinzhou have roast chicken?” Li Kun asked, fidgeting.

“There’s roast chicken there, but not the particular roast chicken you’re after.” Li Wu said. “Auntie Sui moved all her belongings to Xiangzhou — she’s unlikely to return to Jinzhou anytime soon.”

“Fine, then…never mind…it doesn’t matter…anywhere is fine…” Li Kun said dejectedly.

“And you?” Li Wu turned toward Shen Zhuxi, who had been silent throughout.

Three pairs of eyes came to rest on her. She didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”

Her answer seemed to catch Li Wu off guard. He looked at her steadily, a flicker of being moved passing through his eyes.

“…Haven’t you always wanted to go back to Yutou County to check on the villagers?”

“I do want to — but what one wants to do isn’t always what one can do.” Shen Zhuxi said. “Li Que is right. You’ve all lived in Jinzhou for years — anyone with intent can find out your identities with a simple inquiry. As long as all four of us are safe and sound, what does it matter if we never return to Yutou County?”

“Good — since we’re all of the same mind, it’s simple, then.” Li Wu said. “Tomorrow I’ll go and give Wang Wenzhong my answer. I’ll take on this centurion position in Xuzhou for now, and see what advantages this Xuzhou prefect has to offer.”

“Still angling for advantages?” Shen Zhuxi couldn’t help saying. “Your wanted notice is still posted all over Xiangzhou!”

“The Xiangzhou prefect is jerky by now — you think I’m afraid of a wanted notice he issued?” Li Wu stared at her wide-eyed.

“The Northern Capital is also hunting you down across a thousand li…”

“The Northern Capital is hunting Zhen Ya — what does that have to do with me, Li Wu?” Li Wu squared his shoulders.

Shen Zhuxi: “…” Fine, let this insufferable man do as he pleased. She was beyond managing him.

After the four of them settled on their plan, Li Wu brought Li Que with him to the Wang residence the following morning.

The same steward as before led them to wait outside the study for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, after which the firmly shut study door finally swung open. The three of them stepped inside and found that in addition to Xuzhou Prefect Wang Wenzhong, there was also a man in a deep blue changshan — apparently an advisor in Wang Wenzhong’s service.

The two men sat across from each other on a daybed, a chessboard with only an endgame remaining sitting on the sandalwood side table between them, two teacups of brewed tea long since gone cold.

It being a rest day, Wang Wenzhong had shed his official robes and sat cross-legged before the chess table wearing a catalpa-grey brocade robe with a celestial pattern. When a servant announced his guests, he didn’t look up, replying with an expression that suggested he had been expecting this all along:

“Have you made up your mind?”

“Since Prefect Wang thinks so highly of me, how could I refuse? Only, I have two younger brothers, and they…” Li Wu stopped.

Wang Wenzhong’s expression remained neutral. “The man behind you must be Li Que, whom Shiyong mentioned. What of the other one — Li Kun, was it?”

Li Wu said: “There are other miscellaneous people staying at our lodgings. I wasn’t comfortable leaving my wife alone at home, so I had my third brother stay behind to look after her.”

“Where are you lodging at present?”

“There were no rooms available at the inns, so we’re staying at a private residence belonging to an innkeeper.”

Wang Wenzhong nodded. “This official has already heard your three brothers’ situation from my daughter. If you take on the centurion position, your brothers will naturally be assigned to the centurion post under your command, with you overseeing and deploying them directly. As for that private residence — you needn’t stay there any longer. Too many eyes and ears. The yamen allocates a courtyard house to each centurion commander. Pack up your belongings and move straight in.”

“Many thanks, Prefect.” Li Wu cupped his hands in salute. “From this day forward, you are my superior!”

“You’re new to the post — how do you intend to make your mark?” Wang Wenzhong lifted his head, and his eyes — still as a deep well — finally came to rest on Li Wu.

Seeing Li Wu, who had been wearing plain cloth garments at their last meeting, now dressed in a high-quality brocade robe with every detail of pattern and accessory perfectly in order, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Li Wu grinned. “You’re my superior — however you say to make my mark is how I’ll make it. Whoever you say to go after, I’ll go after.”

Wang Wenzhong frowned at his easy, careless attitude, but smoothed it away an instant later.

He said in a measured tone: “This official has an opportunity here to distinguish yourself. Would you like to take it on?”

While Wang Wenzhong was privately criticizing Li Wu, Li Wu was doing his own private grumbling.

If you want someone to risk their neck, just say so outright — asking whether he “wants to” in that manner. So that’s where Wang Shiyong learned it from.

Li Wu had already ground that pompous face to dust in his mind, but kept a leisurely smile on his face: “If it’s such a fine opportunity, why would Prefect Wang bring it to me?”

“Naturally, because you saved this official’s daughter.” Wang Wenzhong said. “The centurion post is already a sixth rank military position. You’ve risen to a high rank all at once — if you don’t produce results worthy of the position, even if this official intends to support you, I cannot disregard public opinion.”

What utter nonsense!

Li Wu suppressed his contempt and smiled: “In that case, Li Wu will follow the Prefect’s arrangements entirely!”

“Good!”

Wang Wenzhong turned to face Li Wu directly and said:

“Within Xuzhou’s borders there is a mountain stronghold of roughly one hundred men that has been harassing the people of Xuzhou for a long time. If you can successfully lead your troops to encircle and eliminate them, this centurion position will be well and truly deserved. Are you confident you can do it?”

One hundred men could mean one hundred, or it could mean nine hundred — Wang Wenzhong’s “roughly one hundred” contained too much room for ambiguity, and Li Wu felt a stirring of suspicion in his heart. He showed nothing of it on his face.

He cupped his hands and said: “Li Wu will not fail in his duty.”

Wang Wenzhong finally allowed a trace of a smile. “No time to waste — go back and make your preparations. Within seven days, this old official hopes to hear good news from you.”

“As you command.” Li Wu lowered his eyes.

After the three of them paid their respects and withdrew, the smile on Wang Wenzhong’s face disappeared without a trace.

He looked at the endgame remaining on the chessboard with a placid expression and said: “If he truly succeeds in eliminating the bandits…”

The advisor sat upright and said respectfully: “Prefect, I am absolutely certain. A rough country fellow who has never studied nor served in the military — it is simply impossible for him to take down Jinzhu Stronghold.”

Wang Wenzhong remained silent, signaling him to continue.

“Jinzhu Stronghold has only around three hundred men, but they are largely composed of bullying local thugs and vagrants who have run roughshod over the region for years. They are as cunning and treacherous as rats, and they have sent several of our suppression forces back in defeat. Li Wu is nothing more than an idle wanderer — sending him to eliminate Jinzhu Stronghold is no different from throwing an egg against a stone. The outcome has already been determined.”

“And yet — a mere mountain village bumpkin…managed to catch this old official’s precious daughter’s eye?” Wang Wenzhong gave a cold laugh.

Wang Wenzhong harbored growing dissatisfaction with his daughter, but the advisor did not dare offer any easy commentary.

He said carefully: “The young lady is warm-hearted and righteous, and repays kindness with kindness — she is a model among women.”

Wang Wenzhong gave a cold laugh and said nothing.

He knew his own daughter — how could he not see what was going on in her mind?

The finest eligible young men in Xuzhou had lined up for her to choose from, and she had treated each of them with the same polite, distant cordiality, never going out of her way for any of them.

If it were merely a matter of repaying a debt of gratitude, a lump sum of silver would have sufficed. Why would she have taken the initiative to lobby for a centurion position on his behalf?

A woman in distress developing feelings for the person who came to her rescue — such things played out every day in plays and in real life, and he could understand it. But he would never allow such a thing to happen in the household of Wang Wenzhong.

If Li Wu and his two brothers could die in Jinzhu Stronghold, it would naturally seal his mouth and simultaneously put an end to Shiyong’s feelings for him — two problems solved with one stroke. That would be the most ideal outcome.

“If the Prefect remains uneasy, there is another option.” The advisor, reading his expression, ventured to say. “Xuzhou has several centurion posts — the most distant is in Feng County, a two-day journey from Pengcheng County. If the Prefect were to station him there, it would be a matter of out of sight, out of mind.”

“…We’ll see.” Wang Wenzhong pushed the chessboard away, neither agreeing nor declining.

The advisor read the room, rose, and excused himself.

News that Wang Wenzhong had dispatched Li Wu to eliminate Jinzhu Stronghold reached Wang Shiyong’s chambers by evening.

Her expression darkened. She rose to her feet, intending to go to the study to see her father, changed her clothes, put on her accessories, and walked to the door — only to change her mind again.

Watching her young mistress turn around and sit back down on the embroidered stool without a word, Chun Guo said in surprise: “Young Mistress, you’re not going to petition the Master?”

“I’m not going.” Wang Shiyong said softly. “If I go, it will only deepen Father’s desire to have Young Master Li killed.”

She picked up her embroidery frame and gazed at the unfinished peony pattern, her fingertips gently tracing the colorful butterflies embroidered around the blooms.

“Father is worried that word of this matter getting out will damage my reputation. I have already spoken up for Young Master Li quite a bit — if I come forward to help again at this point, Father will think I have developed feelings for Young Master Li that I shouldn’t have, and that will only make him move faster to send him to his death. The only solution right now is for Young Master Li to distinguish himself as quickly as possible, earn Father’s trust, and become a capable and useful subordinate. Looking at it from a long-term perspective, this bandit suppression mission is not necessarily a bad thing.”

Chun Guo nodded, half-understanding.

“What’s more —”

Wang Shiyong picked up the silver needle threaded with red silk and drew it gently through the embroidered surface.

“I also want to know — whether Young Master Li is worthy of the centurion position I lobbied to obtain for him.”

——

Li Wu had left the Wang residence in the morning, but it was not until the moon had risen above the treetops that he returned with Li Que to the courtyard full of men upon more men.

The moment he stepped through the gate, Niuwang’s booming voice rang out from beyond the side door.

“Is that Brother Li back? Come over and eat with us tonight!”

Li Wu handed the braised pig trotters and sorghum spirits to Li Que, gesturing for him to take them to the kitchen to be prepared.

Niuwang hollered at the top of his lungs: “Nothing to do this afternoon, so I took the lads up into the hills to dig wild vegetables — sold most of them but still have plenty left. Tonight we can have a hotpot, then you all come drink and chat with us!”

“Not tonight — yesterday’s liquor is still racing through my veins!” Li Wu called back at full volume.

When Shen Zhuxi pushed the door open, she was greeted by the sight of Li Wu and the neighboring Niuwang calling back and forth to each other like singers trading lines in a folk song.

“You’re back?” she had barely finished saying it when Li Kun, across the way, also opened his door and stepped out.

He was bleary-eyed and rubbing at his face, but in the next instant, those half-shut sleepy eyes flew wide open.

“I want some!” Li Kun launched himself at Li Que, who was heading toward the kitchen with the lotus-leaf parcels in hand.

Li Wu walked into the side room and tossed his outer robe onto the bed as he pulled it off. Shen Zhuxi followed right behind him, picked up the robe, smoothed it out, and hung it up neatly.

“What did the Xuzhou prefect say to you?”

“That old bastard took one look at me and didn’t like what he saw. He’s ordered me to go suppress some bandits.”

“Suppress bandits?” Shen Zhuxi’s heart immediately leapt with alarm. “What bandits? Where?”

“Jinzhu Stronghold, near Suining County. It’s not a large stronghold, but it’s been a thorny problem — Suining County has sent suppression forces several times and been sent running back in disarray every single time.”

“Does the prefect give you enough men?”

“All told, Suining County has sent over a thousand men at various points to suppress those bandits, and I only have a hundred and twenty — not enough to serve as a snack for them.”

“Then what’s to be done?” Shen Zhuxi’s brow furrowed deeply — she looked even more like the concerned party than Li Wu himself.

“We’ll deal with it as we go. If we can’t beat them, we run.” Li Wu kicked off his boots and flopped down onto the bed with careless ease.

He pillowed his hands behind his head and said idly:

“Wang Wenzhong has a residence prepared for us. We’ll move in tomorrow — these powerful figures all love to play this particular game, using your family as leverage to keep you in line. He claims every centurion gets one, but I suspect only I have been granted this particular ‘honor.'”

His eyes shifted, gaze settling on Shen Zhuxi as she stood by the bed, her expression clouded with worry.

“Keep your wits about you. Gather all the valuables together and be ready to make a run for it at any moment.”