Ge Qingqing had been gone for nearly half a month, and the Xi family’s treasuries, which had been opened one by one, were all empty. Fortunately, the local shops could still be managed by Xi Dan, and with the four million silver pieces they already had, Shen Zechuan wasn’t going to end up empty-handed.
The two million that April had sent through the Northeast Grain and Horse Route had already arrived in Cizhou. When the letter was sent back to Qu City, Ding Tao delivered it straight to Shen Zechuan.
Wiping his sweat, Shen Zechuan waved at Xiao Chiye, who was equally drenched. Xiao Chiye stripped off his clothes and went to bathe behind a screen, calling out, “Just read it to me.”
Shen Zechuan read the letter. Xiao Jiming had been concise: the silver had arrived safely in Cizhou, and the summer and autumn military provisions for the North Cavalry had already been stocked.
“Jiang Qingshan has been transferred to Zhongbo as the administrative commissioner there. So, the preparation of this batch of military supplies… was handled by someone else?”
Xiao Chiye was quick in the bath. As he dried off, he replied, “Handled by Yang Cheng, the councilor of the Juexi Administration, coordinating with the subordinate officials and county magistrates. They were all veterans under Jiang Qingshan; in the past, they prepared military supplies faster than anyone else.”
Shen Zechuan placed the letter on the desk. He considered that since it hadn’t been overseen by Jiang Qingshan, he should inspect the distribution carefully. But then he thought that Xiao Jiming, who managed the Northern Army’s affairs, would already know the details, and there was no need for an outsider to interfere, so he let it go.
Xiao Chiye put on a dark, long-sleeved robe over his undergarments. Even with the heavy color, the loose fit carried a certain presence. Coming out, he drank some cooling tea and said, “Last night, Gu Jin went to the Xue residence. The Master and the Teacher are most likely confined in some upstairs chamber.”
“Ordinary rooms can’t hold the Teacher,” Shen Zechuan said, touching his brush. “I want to see for myself.”
“He’s vigilant. If he senses it, he might move them elsewhere, and we’d be fishing in the sea,” Xiao Chiye said as he removed Shen Zechuan’s cap. “We’ve already arranged for people to keep watch around the Xue residence in shifts. We need a safer plan.”
“There’s still something I don’t understand,” Shen Zechuan said as Xiao Chiye combed his hair. The awkward back-and-forth didn’t resemble a typical second young master. “How did he empty the Xi family’s treasury? Ge Qingqing didn’t uncover anything in Qinzhou either.”
Xiao Chiye glanced at Shen Zechuan in the mirror. “Can’t figure it out? I have.”
Shen Zechuan looked at him.
“You got that four million silver, right? Whether by land or water, any trade route passes through checkpoints. He must have considered this, so checking the trade routes is pointless,” Xiao Chiye said, weaving a small braid about a finger’s width. “Xue Xiuzhuo had always held important posts, overseeing audits in various regions. Near the officials’ banquet, he had to deal with the transport offices. They managed the imperial supplies. If he hid the silver among them, entering and leaving Qu City would be effortless.”
Shen Zechuan’s mind cleared. “Then where is it hidden? The Xue estate is bigger than the Xi residence, but it doesn’t have the depth of the Yao family. Even if he dug down, it couldn’t hold so much silver.”
“That depends on what he wants to do with it.” Xiao Chiye loosened his fingers; Shen Zechuan’s black hair fell like water, soft to the touch, harmless. Pressing gently on Shen Zechuan’s shoulders, both appeared in the mirror. Xiao Chiye said, “His hometown is Jincheng; south of there is Hezhou, with its thriving waterways dominated by the Yan family, who also trade with Xi family ships. After kicking Xi Hongxuan aside, he needed someone as skilled with silver as Xi Hongxuan. That person must be the Yan family of Hezhou. So I suspect he handed the silver to them.”
Shen Zechuan had never been to Hezhou but knew the Yan family was capable. Unlike the Xi family, where the legitimate line ran the house, the Yans relied on skill regardless of birth. Since the first year of Xiande, they had prospered through tea trade. Except for tribute, they had little interaction with Qu City, so Shen Zechuan knew very little about them.
“You braided the second young master’s hair so nicely,” Shen Zechuan said, glancing sideways, teasing. “You’re quite talented.”
“Many braids,” Xiao Chiye teased, “Do you like the Langtaoxue collar braid? I did that one.”
Shen Zechuan said, “I was saving a bridal gift for you, and you treat me like a Langtaoxue collar?”
Xiao Chiye leaned close to the mirror, playful. “Horse, you are my master. I just want to take you horse riding.”
Shen Zechuan’s lingering anxiety eased a little. He smiled, unconsciously carrying a hint of allure.
In May, Qu City suddenly heated up. Spring’s chill hadn’t fully faded, and the summer heat arrived with force. Officials on duty couldn’t ride carriages; each fanned themselves as they moved about the government yards, sweat dripping, lips cracking, faces flushed.
Liang Mushan had just obtained some free time. Having repeatedly examined the Imperial Guards’ accounts, he had been promoted several times and now worked under Minister of Revenue Pan Lan, overseeing and verifying regional taxes.
Pan Lan was grateful to Xiao Chiye. Since Xiao Chiye’s return home, Li Jianheng had cleared Pan Xiangjie’s name, sparing him exile and merely suspending his salary for review. Xiao Chiye hadn’t publicly recommended Liang Mushan, but the clever knew Liang was his protege, so Pan Lan treated him favorably, shielding him from Wei Huaigu’s reprimands.
“Next month, Hua and Qi marry. You must memorize the ritual protocols and calculate all expenditures, so that after the banquet, if the Empress Dowager asks, we can respond properly,” Pan Lan said, drinking mung bean soup, back soaked in sweat.
Although younger than Pan Lan, Liang Mushan addressed him respectfully, as required. Despite the heat, officials had to maintain decorum; they couldn’t remove robes casually without risking scolding from the censors. Wiping his forehead, Liang Mushan nodded, “I will follow your instructions, sir. I won’t miss a single detail in the accounts.”
After Pan Lan reminded him of other tasks, he departed to the Ministry of Rites to verify details. Liang Mushan began reconciling the accounts immediately.
Suddenly, someone rushed in.
It was noon, and the government yard was nearly empty. Liang Mushan hurried down to greet the stranger. “Whom are you looking for?”
The man, drenched in sweat, dumped documents into Liang Mushan’s hands. “I am a courier officer from the Northeast Grain and Horse Route! Sir, this is an urgent report sent the night before from Baima Prefecture in Juexi, with verification from the Juexi Administration! Extremely urgent!”
Northeast Grain and Horse Route!
Liang Mushan immediately realized this concerned the Northern region. He took the documents. “Why is this at the Ministry of Revenue? Everything about the North is military report and should be sent to the Ministry of War!”
“This is an urgent dispatch from Baima Prefecture,” the man said. “It carries the Ministry of Revenue’s seal. Sir, present it to the Minister immediately; we can’t afford delay!”
Liang Mushan hurried inside, but found only Wei Huaigu’s attendants. They received the documents but told him to return and wait for further instructions.
Sensing something wrong—the courier should not be treated casually—Liang Mushan’s heart raced. He left the yard and rode to the Jinyiwei office on duty.
The sun was scorching. Panting, he arrived and begged to see Shen Zechuan.
“What is it?” Qiao Tianya led him in. “Why did you come all the way here?”
“Urgent! Urgent!” Liang Mushan said, unable to explain in detail. “Sir! I have urgent matters to report!”
Shen Zechuan set aside his tea and asked, “What is it?”
Liang Mushan could not sit. Catching his breath, he said, “At the Ministry of Revenue, I received a flying courier report from Baima Prefecture concerning the Northeast Grain and Horse Route. I delivered it, but could not see the Minister. This involves the North. Sir, last month’s military grain may have been compromised!”
Shen Zechuan immediately stood. “Ride to the Imperial Guards’ office and inform the Marquis! Mount my horse and tell them to deliver it immediately!”
The military grain concerned the North’s campaigns for the year. If Wei Huaigu had delayed reporting, it could be a serious oversight beyond his sole responsibility. Though the grain was prepared in Baima Prefecture, the Ministry of Revenue oversaw its inspection.
That day’s heat was abnormal. Early May already felt like midsummer. At noon, the sun was scorching; by afternoon, winds rose, the sky darkened, threatening rain.
Wei Huaigu had sat for half an hour, back soaked, dizzy. Having read the report several times, he finally steeled himself, rose abruptly, and said, “Prepare the carriage! To the palace!”
Xiao Chiye had not yet dismounted when large raindrops began to fall. About to enter the city, he saw Qiao Tianya rushing toward him.
Meanwhile, Ding Tao also rode hard, dismounting in a hurry, trembling as he spoke, “Marquis, something’s happened! The military report just received… two days ago, the Han She tribe crossed the border and encountered the heir in the Eastern Mountains. The heir—”
Ding Tao’s voice cracked.
“Has been seriously injured! We’ve been defeated!”
Qiao Tianya slammed his horse to a halt. Thunder split the dark clouds above, rain pouring down. Xiao Chiye, still on horseback, showed a stunned expression, as if he hadn’t fully grasped Ding Tao’s words.
Since the founding of the Northern Cavalry by Xiao Fangxu nearly thirty years ago, the North had never suffered a defeat. Xiao Jiming had led light troops against the Han She tribe for hundreds of miles and returned unscathed from the desert.
Xiao Chiye had never imagined his elder brother could lose.
Never.