“Pei Daren!”
Yan Sanhe spoke each word lightly.
“Guanyin Chan Temple is your territory. You go check the registered monks’ roster, then take the opportunity to tell them the story of the black dog starving to death and the old madam dying with eyes open.
If they’re truly hiding at Guanyin Chan Temple, if Wu Guanyue still has even the slightest bit of old affection for the old madam, I think… they’ll come find us.”
Pei Xiao was secretly alarmed while also thoughtful.
“Will they believe what I, a Hua official, say?”
“Show the same ten parts enthusiasm you had when speaking to Magistrate Zhou about the old madam, add seven parts sadness, eight parts pain, nine parts filial piety, and the remainder…”
Pei Xiao: “What?”
Yan Sanhe: “Depends on whether your grandmother blesses us or not!”
For a moment, Pei Xiao almost blurted out: Divine sorceress, how is your brain constructed?
But reason told him this couldn’t be said.
“Xie Wushi, what do you think of this plan?”
“…”
“Xie Wushi?”
“…”
“Xie Wushi, are you deaf?”
“Ah?”
Xie Sanye looked dazed.
Pei Xiao threw a punch at him. “At such a critical moment, why are you spacing out, brother!”
“I was thinking…”
Xie Sanye imperceptibly took a breath. “Whether there’s an even better method than this hidden and revealed approach.”
Pei Xiao was startled. “Is there?”
“No.”
Xie Zhifei said sincerely, “This should be the best method.”
Pei Xiao: “Then it’s decided. We’ll immediately turn around and go back. The reason will be that this lord has filial piety but is very afraid of death.”
Xie Zhifei: “This reason is logical and natural.”
Yan Sanhe raised another question. “The temple isn’t safe. Where will we stay after returning?”
Xie Zhifei: “The magistrate’s office has a special courtyard for guests. That’s the safest place—no one would dare kill someone at the government office.”
“I’ll arrange this.”
Pei Xiao looked at San Pang and the others in the distance. “It’s time for this lord to show his official authority again.”
With that, he flicked his sleeve and swaggered over.
Once he left, it became quiet by the carriage.
Xie Zhifei lowered his eyes, his hand tapping his thigh intermittently, as if calculating something.
Yan Sanhe asked, “Is something not right?”
Xie Zhifei looked up. “Actually, I have one concern.”
“Speak.”
“You said before that Wu Guanyue is a figure like a hero. Will he take the bait for a bit of past romantic sentiment?”
“It doesn’t matter if he doesn’t take the bait.”
Yan Sanhe’s eyes flashed with unclear meaning. “At least we can stir up the grass and startle the snake.”
Xie Zhifei’s chest shook. “So the revealed line is actually a feint, while the hidden line is the real battle?”
Yan Sanhe: “Third Master is clever.”
Third Master stared directly at her and suddenly reached out, rather presumptuously touching Yan Sanhe’s hair.
Visibly, Yan Sanhe’s face instantly flushed red to her neck, anger surging up instantly.
He dares to flirt with me?
“Don’t misunderstand!”
Xie Sanye’s hand touched and immediately withdrew.
“The old saying goes that clever heads don’t grow hair. I’m just puzzled—why do you have so much hair?”
Before Yan Sanhe could process this, he had already run toward Pei Xiao. “I’ll go help the lord.”
Wastrels are wastrels indeed!
Even flirtation can find such refreshingly unconventional reasons?
Yan Sanhe was so angry she nearly exploded.
…
Nanning Prefecture Office.
Magistrate Zhou, hearing the news, hurried out.
San Pang rushed over and, leaning by Zhou Ye’s ear, briefly explained the situation. Zhou Ye’s expression showed great alarm.
“Is Pei Daren injured?”
Pei Xiao, having suffered extreme fright, had a face as pale as paper.
“Thanks to the eight guards Magistrate Zhou assigned me, otherwise this trip might have been a one-way journey.”
Zhou Ye sighed. “I’ve been here for years and have heard and seen too much. By the way, did you clearly see what those black-clothed people looked like? How was their martial skill?”
“This…”
Pei Xiao turned to glance at Xie Zhifei.
Xie Zhifei quickly stepped forward, his voice resounding and forceful.
“Replying to Magistrate Zhou, these black-clothed people were generally not tall in stature, their movements were very agile, their advances and retreats all very methodical. They used blades—not long, not wide, very handy when gripped.”
Zhou Ye’s brows furrowed tightly. “You mean they were well-trained?”
Xie Zhifei: “Not only well-trained, they even understood military strategy and formation.”
Hearing this, Zhou Ye was so alarmed he didn’t know what to say.
He pondered for a moment, turned to Pei Xiao and said, “Pei Daren, for safety’s sake, you should lodge at the prefectural office. I’ll assign more guards to stand watch outside.”
Pei Xiao smiled bitterly. “Magistrate Zhou is truly so considerate. I was just thinking the same.”
Zhou Ye: “I’ll write a letter immediately to the Provincial Administration Commissioner, asking him to help investigate thoroughly.”
Pei Xiao: “Thank you, Magistrate Zhou. However, this subordinate has one more presumptuous request.”
Zhou Ye: “Please speak.”
Pei Xiao: “I wish to see the case files of Wu Guanyue and his son, as well as their portraits.”
Zhou Ye’s expression changed dramatically, exclaiming, “How does Pei Daren know of Wu Guanyue and his son?”
Pei Xiao lied without drafting it first. “These two committed a shocking case in the capital—how could I not know?”
“This…”
Zhou Ye hesitated. “Does Pei Daren suspect the attack is related to Wu Guanyue and his son?”
“I’ve just arrived and have made no enemies. Why would anyone want my life? And they even understood military strategy and formation?”
Pei Daren’s facial expression was indescribably complex.
“If they were just ordinary thieves and bandits, I could say my luck was poor. But the opponents came with such force… In any case, let’s investigate first!”
“By rights, these things are all court secrets and cannot be shown to outsiders…”
Magistrate Zhou gritted his teeth and went all out. “The matter is significant. Pei Daren, please follow me.”
With that, he said to his personal guard behind him, “Lead Miss Pei and the others to the guest courtyard. Instruct everyone to provide the best food and clothing.”
“Yes!”
The prefectural office’s guest courtyard, though it couldn’t compare with Guanyin Chan Temple’s winding garden paths, clearly had much better conditions.
Li Buyan, while tidying the bedding, said:
“Young mistress, this Magistrate Zhou is truly excellent. No wonder the old man at the herbal tea stall praised him endlessly. I can now confirm that silver definitely couldn’t have been stolen by him.”
Yan Sanhe was struggling with her dress.
Who decreed that young ladies of noble families must wear these things?
Layer upon layer—isn’t it suffocating hot?
Li Buyan, seeing she didn’t respond, turned to look and laughed with a “pfft.” She quickly put down her work and picked out a simple set of men’s clothing from the bundle.
“Change into this!”
Yan Sanhe grabbed the clothes like grabbing a lifeline.
She thought to herself: Why must women stay in inner quarters their whole lives? Just based on these clothes, they can’t run far!
Removing the cumbersome garment and changing into proper clothes, Yan Sanhe finally felt she’d come back to life.
Someone knocked on the door.
Opening it, it was Xie Zhifei.
Xie Zhifei glanced down and smiled. “When you dress like this, we’re more comfortable too.”
Otherwise, we don’t know where to put our eyes.
Yan Sanhe found an excuse for herself.
“Publicly, just say at home I’m a tomboy, often dressing as a man and going out to play with my brothers, which is why my heart became wild.”
“This excuse is good.”
Xie Zhifei: “Mingting is calling us over.”
Yan Sanhe: “You obtained the portraits of Wu Guanyue and his son?”
Xie Zhifei: “Can’t borrow them out. Mingting is asking you to come make copies.”
“Let’s go!”
Yan Sanhe walked a few steps, then saw Xie Zhifei still standing in place and couldn’t help frowning.
Third Master, don’t delay things!
Xie Zhifei leaned against the doorframe. “I won’t go. I’ll wait here for you to return. Zhu Qing will accompany you.”
Didn’t you say “calling us”?
Trying to slack off?