Hua Xiangyi and Qi Shiyu’s wedding date was set for the eve of Grain in Ear. It was already the fourth lunar month, and the Ministry of Rites had submitted the drafted ceremonial procedures to the Empress Dowager. Affairs within the palace were numerous and tangled, and with such a major event at hand, none of the key offices could afford to be short-staffed.
Fu Man had originally thought that, having studied at the Inner Academy, presided over affairs between the Grand Secretariat and the Mingli Hall, possessing seniority, and with Xiao Chiye vouching for him, he was the obvious choice for Chief Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Because of this, he had been especially cautious and restrained while carrying out his duties these past few days.
Who would have thought that when the imperial decree came down, the Chief Eunuch would not be him, but Feng Quan instead. Feng Quan was young and inexperienced, had never studied at the Inner Academy, and was a petty eunuch who had only entered the palace at an older age. His entanglements with Pan Rugui and Ji Lei from earlier days were anything but clean. To place him in a position comparable to that of an “inner prime minister”—Fu Man did not know whether he should cry or sigh.
“Officials in the outer court,” Fu Man said, setting down his teacup and letting out a long sigh, “rise through the ranks based on family background, native place, and which master they studied under. We eunuchs of the inner court thought promotions would spare us the hurdle of lineage and pedigree. Who knew—damn it—we still can’t get past that hurdle!”
“What kind of background does he even have?” Xiao Chiye said, listening to Fu Man’s complaints as he drank his tea at leisure. “He’s just riding on his elder sister’s coattails.”
“Marquis, why couldn’t I have had a sister too!” Fu Man slapped his knee.
Xiao Chiye snorted with a laugh and said, “If you missed out on Chief Eunuch, there’s still the Grand Secretary of the Brush. That position also oversees the Eastern Depot. Old Fu, letting him be the one in the limelight spares you from taking the spittle of the censors head-on.”
“The Emperor doesn’t treat me now the way the late Emperor treated Pan Rugui back then. Besides, the Eastern Depot isn’t as powerful as the Embroidered Uniform Guard,” Fu Man said hesitantly. “Marquis, look at how favored Consort Mu is right now. If she gives birth to an imperial heir in the future, wouldn’t Feng Quan be firmly entrenched? If he were an obedient, law-abiding type, that would be one thing. But if he harbors ulterior motives, wrecks court discipline, and throws the realm into chaos—wouldn’t he become a second Pan Rugui?”
In the palace, Fu Man had to smile at Feng Quan, but in truth he felt jealousy and disgust. With Mu Ru backing Feng Quan, Fu Man endured Feng Quan’s exclusion. If he wanted to stand toe-to-toe with him within the Directorate of Ceremonial, he would have to carefully cultivate officials of the outer court.
“He’s young, and there are many things he still has to rely on you for. You’re always moving about the Grand Secretariat, and you have standing before the Grand Preceptor as well. If you really compare the two of you, he’s nothing more than a cuckoo stealing another bird’s nest—not worth mentioning,” Xiao Chiye said by way of comfort. Then he added, “With us coordinating inside and out, there’s no need to fear him. How have things been in the palace lately?”
“Second Young Master Xi is dead. His Majesty was still thinking about the tune he hadn’t finished composing and was down for a few days,” Fu Man turned slightly, looking at Xiao Chiye. “But Marquis, when I serve tea to the lords in the Grand Secretariat, I hear that Minister Wei still wants to pursue the Xi family’s accounts. The Xi family stirred up something big at the ports. Now that the head of the family is gone, such a huge business is like a slab of fat meat—everyone’s eyeing it!”
“Aren’t there still people in his family who aren’t dead?” Xiao Chiye had already discussed the Xi family’s follow-up arrangements with Shen Zechuan. The key had fallen into Shen Zechuan’s hands, which in Xiao Chiye’s eyes made it Shen Zechuan’s dowry. At this moment, he patiently said, “Xi Hongxuan’s sister-in-law and his various cousins are all capable managers. They haven’t committed any crimes. To go after their account books without cause—Minister Wei would be guilty of kicking a man when he’s down.”
“His Majesty didn’t agree, but the Grand Preceptor seems to…” Fu Man shifted his arm onto the table and said quietly, “seems to also have the intention of pursuing the accounts.”
Hai Liangyi naturally had his own calculations. The Xi family had hidden away too much silver. Rather than letting the other families divide it up, it would be better to bring it into the national treasury and place it under court control. But that meant Hai Liangyi would have to confront the great families head-on.
“The key still lies with His Majesty,” Xiao Chiye thought for a moment and then said to Fu Man. “His Majesty is a benevolent ruler who places great emphasis on righteousness. Just last month he proclaimed a general amnesty. If this month he were to confiscate the Xi family’s property for no reason, wouldn’t that contradict the original intent of the amnesty? His Majesty himself is wavering. Old Fu, Feng Quan will definitely echo Minister Wei on this matter. If you go along too, it’ll just look like you’re blindly following the tide. Better to take advantage of your attendance on His Majesty and explain in detail why this matter isn’t suitable to handle right now.”
“Wouldn’t that offend Minister Wei?” Fu Man said, his mind turning.
“Whether inside the palace or outside it, there is only one master—that is His Majesty,” Xiao Chiye said with a smile. “Pan Rugui’s power once reached the heavens, but he relied not on the Emperor. In the end, his head rolled—I wasn’t surprised at all. Besides, does the Mingli Hall allow others to wag their tongues? The words you speak to His Majesty—how could Wei Huaigu know them? His Majesty likes people who speak with feeling. You don’t have to persuade for persuasion’s sake; just mention it casually.”
“I’ll do as the Marquis says.” Fu Man beamed. He was the sort who always looked amiable. “Anyway, this money won’t end up in our pockets. Might as well let no one have it!”
“The Ministry of Revenue has been calculating the accounts for medicinal supplies used by the Imperial Guards at Zhaozui Temple for several days now. Have you heard anything about it?”
“It’s been handled well and already submitted to the imperial desk. There’s no issue,” Fu Man said, knowing that the official from the Ministry of Revenue handling the accounts, Liang Cuishan, had been recommended by Xiao Chiye. “That Lord Liang is really something—he sorted the accounts out clearly and answered fluently when the Grand Preceptor questioned him. Looks like he’s due for a promotion!”
Xiao Chiye asked no further questions. When Fu Man was about to leave, Chenyang saw him off with a prepared gift of new tea from Hezhou. When Fu Man took it, his hand sank—he knew there was something inside. He put on a show of refusal toward Chenyang, and only after repeated urging did he accept it.
The next day after court was dismissed, Xiao Chiye waited outside the Mingli Hall for the summons. Shen Zechuan was there as well, the distance between them neither too near nor too far.
“People have been sounding out the Xi family’s assets everywhere these past few days,” Xiao Chiye said as he handed the Langli Saber to Shen Zechuan, lightly pressing down on Shen Zechuan’s hand as it changed hands. “Your movements need to be faster.”
Shen Zechuan seemed preoccupied. Hearing this, he lifted the Langli Saber and said, “Mm. The people have already left Que Capital, heading back with the coffin. There should be news next month.”
“Hai Liangyi isn’t like the others. If he’s determined to bring the Xi family’s property into the national treasury, no matter how fast your people are, they’ll lose the initiative,” Xiao Chiye felt Shen Zechuan was distracted and released his hand.
The weight in Shen Zechuan’s palm sank as he barely steadied the Langli Saber. “…He still has to go through the proper procedures.”
Xiao Chiye glanced toward the corridor beneath the eaves of the Mingli Hall and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m looking for someone,” Shen Zechuan said. “My master has gone missing.”
Xiao Chiye said, “As long as there’s been no official dispatch, he’s still in Que Capital. During the epidemic, even the Eight Garrisons wouldn’t dare let people in or out without authorization. After the epidemic, patrols were taken over by the Imperial Guards. If Master Jigan had left, I should have received word.”
“I suspect he’s still in Que Capital as well,” Shen Zechuan paused for a moment. “Xi Hongxuan only wanted to take the gentleman with him. My master accompanied them to protect the gentleman, so he shouldn’t have been delayed this long. But if the gentleman is still in danger, my master wouldn’t be able to leave on his own.”
“Xi Hongxuan is already dead,” Xiao Chiye shifted his gaze slightly, looking in that direction. “It’s time someone looked into this man’s household.”
Shen Zechuan followed Xiao Chiye’s gaze. Over there, Xue Xiuzhuo was approaching together with Jiang Qingshan, both dressed in official robes.
Xue Xiuzhuo’s looks were unremarkable, but his bearing was refined. He wasn’t like Kong Qiu or Cen Yu and their sort. He treated people gently, easily inspiring goodwill. Jiang Qingshan, on the other hand, was something of a surprise—this man known in rumor as the iron-fisted power of Juexi looked younger than his actual age.
As the two approached, the four exchanged formal greetings.
In the past, when Jiang Qingshan came to Que Capital to report on duty, he had only seen Xiao Chiye from afar at the Hundred Officials Banquet, and he was meeting Shen Zechuan for the first time today. But his mind was elsewhere, so toward the two of them he was neither warm nor aloof.
“This year many old cases have been concluded. It’s all thanks to Vice Minister Xue and the other lords of the Ministry of Justice. When you see His Majesty today, there will surely be commendations,” Xiao Chiye said to Xue Xiuzhuo with a smile.
Xue Xiuzhuo smiled as well and shook his head lightly. “All the cases were decided through the Minister’s clear judgment. I merely assisted from the side—how could that count as merit? On the contrary, it’s Magistrate Shen who reorganized all those chaotic old case files in the Imperial Prison. That must have been hard work.”
Shen Zechuan looked at Xue Xiuzhuo and said, “The Imperial Prison keeps records on file. Ordinary clerks could have done such things.”
Nothing showed on Xue Xiuzhuo’s face. Aside from Jiang Qingshan, the other three were all engaging in polite pretense. Jiang Qingshan seemed unwilling to take part and stood to the side without speaking.
Fu Man lifted the curtain and called out their names. Only then did the four move together toward the Mingli Hall. As Shen Zechuan stepped inside, he immediately saw Feng Quan waiting beside Li Jianheng’s dragon throne. Their gazes met, and Feng Quan gave a faint, mocking smile.
Fei Sheng prided himself on being the foremost searcher—there was no one he could not find. Yet these past two days, after turning Que Capital upside down, he still found no trace of Ji Gang or Qi Huilian.
Ge Qingqing followed him all the way. Seeing that his usual arrogance had vanished and that he remained silent, she said, “Is it possible they were taken out?”
When Fei Sheng was on duty, he was serious. At the moment, he looked at no one, squatting beneath the burned corridor of the Xi residence. “Unlikely. Since one of them is highly skilled, apprehending them on the spot would be the only way to ensure no extra traces were left. The bigger the commotion in such matters, the easier it is to expose.”
Ge Qingqing took a few steps back, surveying the deep courtyard compound. “But if he hid them in his own house, how could they escape our brothers’ search? This residence has already been thoroughly mapped.”
“Though I never befriended Xi Hongxuan, I’ve heard about his temperament,” Fei Sheng stood up. “He was naturally suspicious. To him, the more important something was, the more he would keep it close at hand, because he didn’t trust others. Since these two people were so important, he definitely wouldn’t place them far away from himself…”
Fei Sheng’s voice trailed off. He climbed along the charred wall, brushed aside tangled branches, and looked next door.
“That’s the Prince of Qin’s residence,” Ge Qingqing climbed up after him and crouched to look inside.
“Abandoned for many years…” Fei Sheng jumped down and strode into the painted corridor. The paint above had peeled away, everything dim and gray, thick with cobwebs. He used his Embroidered Spring Saber to sweep aside the webs and tried pushing on a door bearing a seal strip.
“Indeed, abandoned for many years,” Ge Qingqing surveyed the surroundings. “You suspect he hid them here?”
The moment Fei Sheng touched the door, he knew something was off. “A residence that’s decades old, yet the seal strip has only gathered dust—doesn’t that seem strange?”
He took half a step back and kicked the door open.