Fu Liao pressed his back against the door, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
The lingering terror from just moments before felt like a hand tightening around his throat, and only now did he draw ragged, intermittent breaths, attempting to sort out his current predicament as he cheated death once more.
The sunset was gradually descending, and the warm evening glow filtered through the oiled paper of the door, lightly illuminating the round table directly opposite. The medicine bottle placed there just moments ago was gone.
Fu Liao regained his composure.
It was good that Ji Liandu had managed to take it.
He clasped his hands together, instinctively raising them to his face to exhale a breath, before letting them drop back down mechanically.
Tomorrow, at Pingguan Mountain outside the city. That was where he and Xi Lingjian were scheduled to duel, home to the most perilous Pingguan Pass.
Rumor had it that when Xi Lingjian first assumed command as general, enemy forces had already advanced all the way to Pingguan Mountain. He stepped forward amidst a crisis, yet suffered consecutive defeats on his very first expedition, leading the world to believe that this good-for-nothing imperial prince was only capable of empty talk on paper.
Amidst the sighs of the commoners and the arrogance of the enemy, Xi Lingjian lured the enemy deep into territory alone, using himself as bait. Relying on his supreme horsemanship, he galloped across the narrow and steep Pingguan Pass, enticing a massive wave of enemy troops to tumble and fall off the cliffs.
By the time the enemy realized something was amiss, their retreat route had long since been sealed off.
Only then did the people realize that Prince Jing had faked a surrender, wiping out the enemies attempting to breach Jingzhou without losing a single soldier.
What is more, Xi Lingjian had already sensed something amiss from his own words and actions. Given his temperament, an unstable factor like him was best eliminated as quickly as possible.
What on earth could he do to defuse this imminent crisis?
“Big brother, why are you here again? You come every single day, as if he could actually wake up!”
An abrupt argument from outside the door interrupted Fu Liao’s train of thought.
“Yanhou, how can you speak like that?” The questioned man’s tone carried a hint of worry. “I am simply worried and came to check on Ah Liao. Are you going to scold me for that as well?”
The younger man addressed as Yanhou lost some of his bravado and let out a scoff. “You promised to take me out to fight crickets today! You cannot go back on your word, or the stalls will close for the day!”
Fu Liao understood. This was the original owner’s half-brother, Fu Yaoshu, and his full younger brother, Fu Yanhou. However, the original text had very sparse descriptions of this family, so he remained unclear about their exact relationship dynamics.
“This…” Fu Yaoshu found himself in a dilemma. “But I still do not know how Ah Liao is doing today.”
He could not expose himself just yet.
Fu Liao rolled his fingertips, preparing to return to the bed and fake unconsciousness, when he suddenly caught a different set of footsteps. They sounded uneven, with one step lighter than the other, making him momentarily think it was an illusion born of excessive tension.
“Ah, greetings, First Young Master, Second Young Master!” It sounded like a domestic servant from the estate, and his footsteps did not stop. “This servant will go ahead inside to tend to the heir!”
The voice drew closer and closer; there was no longer time to duck back.
Fu Liao leaned quietly against the edge of the door.
With a soft creak, a dark shadow blocked out the warm yellow glow, and the servant glanced toward the bed. “Eh…”
Fu Liao seized the moment to shut the door behind him. Hearing the movement, the servant hurriedly turned around to look.
“Young Master—Mmph!”
Fu Liao covered his mouth directly and made a shushing gesture.
The servant seemed not to have recovered from the shock yet, remaining entirely frozen.
“Zhichang,” Fu Yaoshu called out. “How is Ah Liao?”
Zhichang was the original owner’s personal attendant, who had been conscripted during the Northern Chu split and consequently left with a limp in one leg.
No wonder his footsteps were uneven.
Fu Liao stared at Zhichang, slowly easing his hand away to signal what he should say.
Accustomed to following his master’s lead, Zhichang scrambled to reply, “Uh, First Young Master! The heir is still the same as yesterday, this servant is just tidying up for him!”
A soft sigh came from outside the door, and Fu Yanhou was already pressing him urgently to leave.
Hearing the footsteps recede further and further away, Fu Liao finally let out a long breath.
Zhichang scratched his head, his gaze sweeping Fu Liao up and down as he stammered, “You, Young Master, how is it that you… uh, uh…”
Fu Liao knew the servant did not dare to voice his thoughts clearly. “How is it that I suddenly came back to life?”
“Ah! How could the young master treat his own body so recklessly? How did the young master wake up, and is anything feeling uncomfortable? Why did you not let this servant inform the two young masters? The Marquis is also deeply worried about you.”
“Well,” Fu Liao blinked. “Is this young master not going to duel Prince Jing tomorrow? I already have a countermeasure prepared to give them a surprise, so you just need to keep it a secret.”
At this point, if there was no way, he had to make one.
“Ah, Young Master!” Zhichang’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Does the young master truly have a way? But this servant saw that the young master was still unconscious yesterday… Could, could it be that the young master really sought out the Dragon King for a solution!”
Fu Liao was rendered speechless.
“The Dragon King does not manage affairs on land.” He lightly flicked Zhichang’s forehead. “Now, come out onto the street with me.”
Zhichang looked bewildered. “What are we doing on the street?”
“A secret.” Fu Liao put on his veiled hat. “If I tell you, it will lose its magic.”
“Eh?” Zhichang did not know where the veiled hat had come from, but his attention was immediately hijacked. “You cannot say it? Then it really is…”
Fu Liao chuckled helplessly. “Keep up.”
When Fu Liao returned to the busy street, Zhichang trailed behind him, muttering softly, “Young Master, when did that gap in the wall appear? This servant has been in the estate for so many years and never noticed it. Young Master, was it done by the Dragon King? And then the Dragon King told the young master not to tell anyone…”
A long, rumbling stomach growl interrupted his endless chatter.
“Hungry?” Fu Liao looked at Zhichang, who was clutching his stomach. “Let us get something to eat first.”
He pointed toward a wonton stall. “Right there.”
Zhichang looked troubled. “Young Master, are we not out to handle important business? Besides, how could this servant have the audacity…”
“Trust this young master.” Fu Liao took the lead, walking over to sit down at the wonton stall. “One bowl of wontons, please.”
In truth, coming out onto the street was simply to gather more information, and an eatery of this sort was naturally an ideal spot.
Fu Liao had intended to fish for hints from the start; though the chances were slim, it still offered better odds than actually trying to defeat Xi Lingjian in a horse-riding duel.
“Young Master…” Zhichang lowered his voice to warn him, “You may not know this, but that high official has been in a foul mood lately. Even Official Lü, who just returned to the capital, was sent off on his final journey!”
Fu Liao’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
He had no memory of this event.
“What is this about?” he asked.
Zhichang blew on a steaming hot wonton. “Official Lü was appointed as the Prefect of Sizhou the year before last and only recently returned to the capital. As it turns out, a concubine he brought back from Sizhou bore him a son. Since his wife had no sons, the concubine kept making a fuss, demanding that Official Lü divorce his wife and elevate her to the primary position.”
“Putting aside the fact that favoring a concubine over a wife violates the law, Official Lü possessed upright morals and naturally refused outright.” Zhichang lowered his voice further. “When the high official found out, he actually ordered Official Lü to comply!”
Fu Liao’s brow tightened.
He understood Xi Lingjian’s objective. Doing so would not only chill the hearts of upright scholars across the realm, but it would also invite widespread imitation.”
“And then?” he asked.
“And then? Official Lü refused, so he was given thirty heavy cane strikes. That is the punishment genuinely reserved for the crime of favoring a concubine over a wife. But now? The tables have turned.” Zhichang’s voice grew softer and softer. “Thirty strikes—even if you do not die, you are as good as dead. Sure enough, not a few days after being dragged home, he breathed his last.”
Fu Liao massaged his temples, which had only just relaxed.
“The Emperor made no move?”
“The Emperor… Hmph, the Emperor is probably too busy playing around. He is just a child; how could he ever cross the high official?” Zhichang shrugged. “As for Official Lü’s patron, Minister Xu of the Ministry of Rites, he could only issue a mild condemnation. Who would dare actually make a move against him?”
“The Ministry of Rites?” Fu Liao pondered. “Civil officials… The old faction?”
“Naturally! In this servant’s view, this is clearly a conflict between two political factions, and Official Lü was just used as a sacrificial lamb. Some people even started spreading rumors that the high official harbored wicked intentions, and surprisingly, people actually believed it!” Zhichang scooped two wontons into his mouth at once. “Not to mention, you never see a single woman around him; instead, men…”
Zhichang’s eyes rolled around, and he burst into a fit of coughing. “Ouch, hot, hot, hot…”
“Slow down, there is no rush.” Fu Liao laughed despite himself.
Zhichang sighed with emotion. “You do not understand, Young Master, I am simply used to it. Back during those chaotic wartime years, if you hesitated even a bit, your food would be snatched away by others. You had to be fast.”
Fu Liao glanced down at his leg and fell silent for a moment.
“Does this matter just end like this?” he asked.
“Once someone is dead, there is nothing more to say. It is just a pity for Madam Lü; having lost her husband, she has no heart left to run her shop. I heard she is returning to her maiden family soon.”
“A shop?” Fu Liao asked in confusion.
“Yes, she ran a cloth shop called the Satin and Brocade Pavilion.” Zhichang’s mouth was full as he pointed behind Fu Liao. “Right over there. Madam Lü is a good person. She frequently distributed porridge to the poor, and she was always so dignified. She constantly wore long-sleeved robes and adorned her hair with so many ornaments, yet not a single one shook as she walked. Even her sleeves hung at the exact proper length, as if they were pinned in place!”
Fu Liao instinctively touched his own sleeves.
“Even in weather this hot?”
“Indeed. People say she must be in poor health, much like the young master.”
Having said that, he realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly changed the subject.
“This servant only meant that Official Lü always took such good care of Madam Lü; what a touching romance.” Zhichang gulped down the remaining soup and wiped his mouth. “Refreshing!”
Fu Liao uttered a soft affirmation, turned around, and let his gaze linger on the plaque of the Satin and Brocade Pavilion for a moment.
“We are done eating, let us return to the estate.” Fu Liao paid the copper coins and told Zhichang.
Zhichang smacked his lips. “Ah, we just got out here.”
“Mm, that is already enough.” The corners of Fu Liao’s lips curved upward slightly. “Do you want to know how I woke up?”
Zhichang’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously.
Fu Liao smiled and whispered a few words into his ear.
Meng Zhi handed over a thick stack of documents and bowed. “This is everything this servant managed to investigate. It shows no discrepancies from the previous intelligence.”
Most of his words dissolved into a hoarse, raspy tone.
Xi Lingjian cast a sideways glance at the papers resting on the table, the corners of his mouth twitching faintly.
“Could it be that the young master actually managed to summon the Dragon King?”
Far away, the grass and flowers trembled momentarily before Yin Ruoche arrived before Xi Lingjian just as they steadied.
“After Your Highness departed, the heir went out onto the street with his personal attendant, wearing a veiled hat. It seemed he had no intention of letting everyone know he had recovered from his illness.”
He cupped his fists in salute and reported truthfully: “At the wonton stall, they were overheard discussing the matter of Official Lü. The heir did not know the details and spoke to people with gentle warmth, which is indeed completely different from the former heir. However, his physical traits—especially his congenital frailty—are identical to the original heir, so this subordinate still cannot confirm his true identity.”
“Lü Chen?” Xi Lingjian let out a mocking chuckle. “He still has the leisure to pry into such matters.”
Yin Ruoche knew his master would have more to say, so he tactfully remained silent.
Xi Lingjian glanced briefly at the bowing guard before him, noticing that some mist had gathered on his sleeves, now forming a layer of transparent water vapor freezing onto the black fabric, as if intentionally meant to adorn those merciless black robes.
The densely packed micro-droplets were overly transparent, absorbing every color of the distant green grass and clear blue sky, casting a soft, delicate glow over the hard black garments beneath.
Knowing about this matter, a man of such polite and self-restrained demeanor would probably be flushed with anger, gasping for breath.
No, would he really react that way?
“He…” Xi Lingjian’s thin lips parted slightly.
The soft glow vanished instantly, leaving no trace behind.
Yin Ruoche straightened his clothes and noticed Xi Lingjian’s brows furrow abruptly. “Master?”
Xi Lingjian pressed his lips into a tight line, expressionless.
Yin Ruoche shivered slightly and hurriedly picked up the thread of what he had not finished saying.
“Based on this subordinate’s observations, the Fu family does not yet know about this.” He rambled off whatever details he could remember. “This subordinate saw no one entering or exiting through the main gates; they likely slipped out through some broken gap in the estate walls.”
Catching a glimpse of his master’s eyebrow twitching out of the corner of his eye, Yin Ruoche dared to continue.
“Furthermore, after the attendant returned to the estate, a rumor suddenly began circulating around the neighborhood.” He looked somewhat nervous. “It concerns the heir… and Your Highness.”
Xi Lingjian frowned.
“Stop wasting words.”
Since Fu Liao knew about the Lü Chen affair, he must be planning to weaponize public opinion to pressure him.
Street gossip and public condemnation—if he could realize this so quickly, he was certainly no fool.
I wonder what narrative he intends to employ?
By keeping his recovery under wraps, is he planning to suddenly announce it to the world and brag about possessing supernatural powers? Or is he simply using so-called divine assistance to denounce him for defying the law and disrupting moral order? Or perhaps…
Yin Ruoche swallowed hard.
“It is… it is said that after Prince Jing personally visited the Marquis of Mingliu’s residence, the heir miraculously woke up.”