Yan Tongshu: “……”
She could still drink a little—as long as she didn’t overindulge, she wouldn’t get drunk.
Hadn’t she managed not to get drunk at that banquet in the imperial palace?
Yan Tongshu defended herself, “Those two times were accidents.”
Jinbao hesitated. His round face scrunched into a frown as he looked at Yan Tongshu, then at the wine jar in his arms. “Really?”
Yan Tongshu raised three fingers. “I swear I won’t overindulge.”
Jinbao was still highly skeptical.
Yan Tongshu added, “You can keep an eye on me.”
Jinbao’s attitude finally softened. He was just about to put the wine jar back on the table when Meng Zheng’s voice sounded beside them. “Don’t believe her.”
Jinbao immediately hugged the wine jar tightly.
Yan Tongshu glared at Meng Zheng, cheeks puffed out. “That’s not very nice of you.”
He was dressed in plain clothes today: a light-blue robe of fine cotton, with no sword or saber at his waist. A string of dark-brown Buddhist prayer beads was loosely wound around his wrist. Even without deliberately dressing in the style of a warrior, however, Meng Zheng’s trained military background could still be seen in every movement and step he took.
Yan Tongshu’s round eyes remained fixed on Meng Zheng until he sat down.
Being stared at like that made Meng Zheng inexplicably nervous. His heart began pounding wildly, and he couldn’t help wondering why he was the one feeling guilty.
Shouldn’t Yan Tongshu be the guilty party?
Yan Tongshu grabbed a handful of peanuts and continued “hunting” Meng Zheng with her eyes.
Meng Zheng surrendered and held up one finger. “One cup. You’re only allowed one.”
Only then did Yan Tongshu withdraw her murderous gaze and give a humph.
Jinbao poured Yan Tongshu a shallow cup. She took a sip, and her face immediately went blank.
Forget it. It tasted awful.
Meng Zheng snickered. “That’s fire liquor for rough men, brewed from grain. It’s strong and burns the throat—not the sort of refined wine a scholar like Lord Yan would enjoy.”
Yan Tongshu glared at him again and shamelessly shifted the blame. “It’s your fault for not warning me sooner.”
A trace of amusement flickered through Meng Zheng’s eyes. “So now it’s my fault? Lord Yan, that’s not very fair.”
Yan Tongshu smiled. As she glanced toward the group of Shenwu Army soldiers entering below, she casually passed the peanuts in her hand to Meng Zheng and asked, “What are you doing here?”
“What a coincidence.” Meng Zheng accepted the peanuts, tossed one high into the air, tilted his head back, and caught it neatly in his mouth. “I happened to be riding past today. I spotted Lord Yan heading into this remote place from a distance, so I came over to join in the fun.”
Meng Zheng asked with a smile, “Have you found a lead on the case?”
Yan Tongshu let out a long sigh. “No evidence.”
Meng Zheng followed her gaze.
Seven Shenwu Army soldiers had just entered. The man being surrounded by the crowd was someone he knew.
Yan Qichu, the son of Prince Ming.
When the late emperor was still alive, he had overseen a reform of the Imperial Guards. At that time, the commander of the Shenwu Army was Sikong Tangjin, head of the once-prominent Sikong clan in Bianjing.
Back then, Prince Ming had yet to rise to power. He had even needed to rely on the Sikong clan to weather the attacks of rival factions.
It was precisely because the Sikong clan had been so powerful that the late emperor’s reforms came to a halt when they reached the Shenwu Army.
Thus, even after Prince Ming’s power had grown and the Sikong clan had declined, the Shenwu Army still retained its old system. Internally, it remained divided into the Upper Three Armies and Lower Three Armies.
The Commander of the Shenwu Army had overall authority over the Divine Guard Army, the Infantry Army, and the two Cavalry Armies.
There were four Deputy Commanders, each overseeing either the infantry or cavalry.
Meng Zheng had once served as the Deputy Commander of the Divine Guard Army—more formally, the Eastern Infantry Deputy Commander of the Divine Guard Army, a fifth-rank official.
There were many other positions between these ranks.
Unlike the other Imperial Guards, however, the Shenwu Army’s organizational structure was different. Each of the Upper and Lower Three Armies had its own Deputy Commander, but below them there were no battalion commanders or army supervisors. Each army had only a vice commander, beneath whom the ranks were further divided into unit commanders and other positions.
Yan Qichu belonged to the Upper Three Armies and was a vice commander of the Central Army, a fifth-rank official.
Compared with Prince Ming’s power, Yan Qichu’s position was rather low.
Meng Zheng briefly explained Yan Qichu’s circumstances. Yan Tongshu pressed him, “Why is his rank so low?”
Meng Zheng picked up his chopsticks and took a slice of pig’s ear. “He lacks ability and has no military achievements.”
Yan Tongshu raised an eyebrow. “How could he lack military achievements?”
With Prince Ming’s influence, couldn’t he simply steal someone else’s credit—or find an opportunity to add Yan Qichu’s name to the record of honors?
Meng Zheng placed a piece of pig’s ear in Yan Tongshu’s bowl. “Because he made a mistake. A major one. Four years ago, when there was a rebellion in the north, Sikong Tangjin sent his grandson, Sikong Minghua, together with Yan Qichu, by a roundabout route to support the forces in Yuncheng and Liaocheng as they suppressed the rebels.
“In the end, nearly all three thousand soldiers under their command perished. Only the two of them and three or five surviving soldiers managed to make it back to the capital. At the time, Yan Qichu and Sikong Minghua each told a different story, both claiming that the other’s faulty command had caused the loss of all three thousand soldiers.
“No one knows what the truth really was. In the end, however, all the blame fell on Yan Qichu alone. With that major failure hanging over him, his official career could never advance again. That defeat also left Yan Qichu dispirited, and his personality changed completely. He became gloomy and taciturn. Meanwhile, his two younger brothers gradually came of age, surpassed their elder brother, and took up important positions. Although he is nominally a vice commander of the Central Army now, he is actually in charge of logistical chores. He has effectively been sidelined.”
“He handles logistical supplies?” Yan Tongshu seized on the key phrase.
Meng Zheng nodded.
Yan Tongshu chewed on the peanuts, her gaze growing more intense.
Logistical supplies would certainly include the discarded bows and arrows.
And the most conspicuous point was—
All seven of the men who had entered, including Yan Qichu, were on that list of nineteen people.
That thin, monkey-like man, Yu Youjin, was the last person in the Shenwu Army whose broken leg had healed last year.
Birds of a feather flock together.
It was difficult to say that this was merely a coincidence.
The seven men sat down. Yu Youjin propped one foot on a stool, draped an arm over Yan Qichu’s shoulder, and shouted, “Boss, the usual! Bring out your best food and drink!”
“That’s right!” Chu Jincheng, the nephew of the Minister of War, joined in loudly. “Our Young Master Yan won a full thousand taels today. We’re here to celebrate! Call Miss Yuanyang out—we want to see her Soul-Stealing Dance!”
The moment Miss Yuanyang was mentioned, the group of brothers began slapping tables and cheering. The entire tavern erupted into a tumult.
Most of the customers in this tavern were soldiers. Who didn’t know Young Master Yan? Who hadn’t seen Miss Yuanyang’s soul-stirring dance?
Hearing that Miss Yuanyang, who had been absent for quite some time, was about to perform again, the customers began pounding tables, banging bowls, and shouting. The atmosphere instantly boiled over.
The owner hurried out to smooth things over with an ingratiating smile. “Ah, it’s this humble establishment’s honor to have Young Master Yan come here to celebrate his winnings. But, Young Master Yan, you may not know this—the truth is, Miss Yuanyang isn’t feeling well today. It’s that time of the month, so she can’t perform. How about letting Miss Hongxiu dance in her place?”
“Bah!” Chu Jincheng shoved the owner aside. “How can Hongxiu compare to Yuanyang? We asked for Daughter Red, and you brought us Bamboo Leaf Green. Do you take us for fools? I’m telling you, Young Master Yan wants to see Yuanyang perform her Soul-Stealing Dance tonight! If she doesn’t—”
He gave a sinister laugh. “I’ll smash this lousy tavern!”
“Yeah! Smash it!”
Yu Youjin immediately grabbed a bowl from the table and smashed it hard against the floor.
With a crack, Chu Jincheng’s companions began smashing their bowls as well.
The Shenwu Army soldiers nearby who had been watching the commotion joined in.
The clatter of shattering bowls rang out like a string of firecrackers.
More than twenty men egged one another on, urging each other forward as though they were about to launch a “great” charge, a “sacred” battle.
“Th-this…” The proprietor was sweating profusely. Seeing that Young Master Yan had said nothing, he turned ingratiatingly toward him. “Young Master Yan, what do you think?”
“What?” Yan Qichu slowly narrowed his sinister eyes. “Are you saying this Young Master’s word… no longer carries any weight?”
Crack!
The wine bowl in Yan Qichu’s hand smashed onto the floor.
In an instant, the entire hall fell silent.
The proprietor wiped the sweat from his brow and bent even lower. “Of course not, of course not. I’ll go call Miss Yuanyang right away.”
Yan Tongshu withdrew his gaze and muttered, “A bunch of bandits and hooligans.”
Meng Zheng thought for a moment before explaining, “The Divine Guard Army isn’t the same as the Divine Martial Army.”
After a pause, Meng Zheng added, “And I’m not the same as them, either.”
“Of course you’re not.” Yan Tongshu looked at Meng Zheng in confusion, unable to understand why he had said that.
Obviously, he was different from the men downstairs.
Meng Zheng was rendered speechless.
Exactly. Why had he said that?
After a while, Miss Yuanyang emerged.
She wore a thin dance robe, her waist slender and supple. Her technique was solid; whether bending backward, raising her legs, or leaping into the air, every movement was executed with precision. With a silk flower clenched between her red lips, she spun gracefully toward Yan Qichu and the others, smiling sweetly.
Yan Qichu raised a hand and plucked out the flower. Closing his eyes, he held it beneath his nose and inhaled, as though the flower itself were Miss Yuanyang.
A trace of disgust flashed through Miss Yuanyang’s eyes, but she continued to smile as she spun. She lifted her long sleeves lightly, brushing them over the shoulders and necks of the men seated around the table.
The men reached out one after another to touch the soft, smooth sleeves, as though they were caressing a woman’s skin. Their expressions were greedy and entranced.
Chu Jincheng reached out and gave her a gentle push. Miss Yuanyang lost her balance and fell into Yan Qichu’s arms.
Yan Qichu’s expression suddenly changed. He flung Miss Yuanyang to the floor, then disgustedly brushed at his robes as if they had been soiled by something filthy.
Yu Youjin immediately rebuked Miss Yuanyang. “Idiot! How many times has Young Master Yan come here? Don’t you know the rules yet? You think you’re worthy of sitting in Young Master Yan’s arms?”
Everyone knew that Young Master Yan enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh, but he hated having anyone sit in his arms.
Miss Yuanyang immediately knelt and apologized.
Yu Youjin waved a hand, signaling her to leave, then grinned as he pleaded with Yan Qichu. “Young Master Yan, all women are like this. When the time comes, they lose their minds. Don’t stoop to arguing with her.”
A vein at Yan Qichu’s temple throbbed violently. The lecherous frivolity had vanished from his gloomy face, leaving only ferocity.
“What? You’ve slept with her?”
“This… this…”
Yu Youjin’s gaze darted away. One look was enough to tell the truth.
Yan Qichu’s expression darkened further. He snatched up the wine jar beside him and smashed it against Yu Youjin’s head.
“Of all the women I haven’t touched, you dared to touch her?”
The blow split Yu Youjin’s head open, and he collapsed to the floor, howling.
Chu Jincheng and several of the other brothers hurriedly restrained Yan Qichu.
“Young Master, calm down. Brother Yu definitely didn’t do it on purpose. It must have been that woman—she was shameless and seduced him. You know how Brother Yu is. He loses his head whenever a woman hooks him.”
Yan Qichu sat there gloomily without saying a word.
Chu Jincheng gave a sheepish laugh, trying to ease the tension. “Young Master, how about this? Let Miss Yuanyang keep you company for the night.”
“Are you crazy?” Weng Jin punched Chu Jincheng on the arm. “Who doesn’t know that our Young Master loves his wife more than anything and has remained faithful to her? Is a woman like Miss Yuanyang worthy of our Young Master?”
Yan Qichu’s fists clenched abruptly. He shoved Weng Jin aside, rose to his feet, swept his sleeves back, and strode out of the room.
Leaning against the back of her chair, Yan Tongshu’s gaze grew solemn.
A matter this minor was not enough to convict that bunch.
But on closer inspection, the seven brothers who had accompanied Yan Qichu were all married with children. They might not have wives and concubines by the dozen, but every one of them had a wife and children.
Only Yan Qichu had been married for six years. He was famous for loving his wife, yet after all these years, they still had no children.
There had to be something wrong with his body.
In any case, Yan Qichu was definitely not a woman disguised as a man.
The next day, Yan Tongshu summoned the constables of Kaifeng Prefecture and instructed them to focus on investigating Yan Qichu’s medical records—to see whether there was some problem with his health.
Yan Tongshu waited anxiously for news.
Tomorrow was the sixteenth.
The beautiful young women from nearby villages who appeared delicate and helpless had already been placed under surveillance. Zhang Jiu had also infiltrated the group, taking advantage of his reputation as a handsome man.
However, all the girls who had come to the Qian Silk and Satin Shop claimed that they had been taken to an unfamiliar room after losing consciousness, and had been returned only after losing consciousness again.
In other words, they had no idea how they had passed out or how they had been abducted.
There was no way to guarantee that the people lying in ambush would be able to track their movements.
Nor was there any certainty that Zhang Jiu would be selected.
But if they missed the sixteenth, the Kaifeng Prefecture would have no hard evidence in hand, and it would be difficult to convict that group.
So they had to succeed. They had to determine the target area and carry out a saturation-style roundup before the culprits had time to destroy the evidence, ensuring that nothing could go wrong.
“Lord Yan!”
Yan Tongshu was waiting anxiously when a constable’s voice came from outside the door. She immediately asked, “Have you found Yan Qichu’s medical records?”
The constable hurried in. “No. Xu Qiu and the others haven’t returned yet.”
Yan Tongshu sat back down in her chair.
The constable reported, “Lord Yan, a constable from the Court of Justice, Gao Qi, requests an audience.”
Yan Tongshu said, “Let him in.”
The constable brought Gao Qi inside.
Yan Tongshu asked, “What is it? Have you found a clue?”
Gao Qi nodded.
Yan Tongshu stared at him tensely.
Gao Qi said cautiously, “When Lin Shuang’er and Wan Jie were telling Eldest Miss Yan what happened, this humble one was listening nearby, wasn’t I? Eldest Miss Yan said that the two of them had undergone a drastic change in temperament afterward. They became unusually agitated and excited, as though they had been drugged. After returning, I thought carefully about what kind of drug could alter someone’s personality so drastically—making them delirious and amplifying their desires. Then I thought of something: Five-Mineral Powder.”
Yan Tongshu had suspected the same thing.
The main ingredient in Five-Mineral Powder contained arsenic. A small amount taken only once would not be fatal, but it would cause the entire body to grow feverishly hot, bring on brief mental exhilaration, and make a person agitated and manic.
However, too many people sold Five-Mineral Powder secretly. Most of it was traded on the black market, leaving no trace, so it was difficult to trace the source.
Yan Tongshu nodded. “Go on.”
Gao Qi said solemnly, “Those men are all wealthy young masters. If they committed such acts, they wouldn’t dare let their families find out. They must have bought it themselves. But Five-Mineral Powder is a banned substance. Where could they buy it? The black market.”
“Heh-heh.” Gao Qi scratched his head. “Lord Yan, I went to an old friend who used to sell goods on the black market and asked him to find out where Five-Mineral Powder was being sold. They thought I’d made it big after becoming a constable, and that I was finally ready to do some serious business, so they were eager to help me by every means possible. But there are too many black markets, large and small. I didn’t dare reveal the reason and was merely taking a chance. I never expected to actually find something.”
Gao Qi took a step forward. “Lord Yan, last month, a man who sold Five-Mineral Powder and whitening powder was caught red-handed by Lu Zhi, the Military Registrar of Kaifeng Prefecture. His name is Fatty Ding, and he’s still being held in prison. He had one regular customer who came to him for a large batch of Five-Mineral Powder every year on the seventh day of the seventh month, never haggling over the price.”
“After Fatty Ding was arrested, he couldn’t get his hands on any more goods, so he posted a notice offering to pay extra for them. Naturally, no one looking to buy would be able to find him now. But Fatty Ding is in Kaifeng Prefecture’s prison. I have a feeling he might be the one supplying that group.”
“Gao Qi, Gao Qi!” Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. “If that’s really the case, you’ve made a great contribution!”
Gao Qi continued scratching his head. “I was just taking a shot in the dark.”
“Someone come!” Yan Tongshu immediately ordered them to bring Fatty Ding over.
It wasn’t long before Fatty Ding was brought in.
Yan Tongshu got straight to the point. “Fatty Ding, do you remember the people who came to buy Five-Stone Powder from you at the beginning of every seventh month?”
Fatty Ding’s eyes darted about as he stammered, “This… well…”
He didn’t dare say anything.
At worst, he would serve a couple of years in prison and continue his business after he got out. But if he violated the rules, he would never be allowed back into the black market.
And at worst, those who could afford pure product all had powerful families behind them. If he gave them up, they could turn around and take revenge on him. What would he do then?
Those people would at most be fined for buying Five-Stone Powder; they wouldn’t even have to go to prison. But if he exposed them, the hatred he attracted would be very real.
Yan Tongshu’s expression darkened. She put on an angry face. “You refuse to talk? Fine. Use the instruments of torture. Someone—”
“Wait, wait, wait!” Fatty Ding panicked immediately.
What was going on?
He had only been selling some Five-Stone Powder. At worst, he would spend two years in prison. Why were they suddenly talking about torture?
Fatty Ding shouted, “My lord, I’ve confessed!”
Yan Tongshu said coldly, “Your confession is incomplete.”
Fatty Ding was stunned. There was actually a crime called an incomplete confession?
His eyes spun desperately, and so did his mind, as he tried to figure out how to get past this hurdle. Then he glanced to the right and saw Gao Qi.
He cried out in surprise, “Gao Qi! You became a yamen runner?”
Gao Qi proudly lifted his chin. “That’s right.”
Fatty Ding sneaked a glance at Yan Tongshu, then tugged at Gao Qi’s sleeve and whispered, “Good brother, give your big brother a hand…”
Gao Qi said solemnly, “Tell the truth. Lord Yan will naturally take your cooperation into consideration when passing sentence.”
Fatty Ding immediately understood. “You sold me out?”
“Fatty Ding.” Yan Tongshu interrupted their reunion. “Speak! Who was it that came to buy Five-Stone Powder from you at the beginning of every seventh month?”
Fatty Ding answered vaguely, “Just… just some rich man.”
“Looks like you won’t talk without torture.” Yan Tongshu laughed in fury. “Someone drag him out and give him a thorough beating. Keep beating him until he confesses.”
After saying this, Yan Tongshu secretly gave Gao Qi a look.
Gao Qi understood at once. He joined in, frightening Fatty Ding. “Oh, dear. The boards at Kaifeng Prefecture are no joke. Yesterday, three strokes were enough to break a man’s leg. Once your leg is broken, even if you get out of prison, your life will never return to the way it was.”
That brutal?
Fatty Ding was quick to read the situation. He immediately shouted, “A righteous and all-knowing magistrate, I’ll confess!”
Yan Tongshu stared at him coldly.
Fatty Ding hurriedly said, “Actually, it wasn’t every year. It was only during the first few days of the seventh month over the past two or three years. The quantity was fairly large. Since the customer paid generously, I bragged that he’d been buying from me for many years.”
He forced a flattering smile onto his face. “And this year, didn’t I get arrested before I could make the sale?”
As he spoke, he gazed hopefully at Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu drew a deep breath.
Fatty Ding was just like Dantai Fu—both were shamelessly slippery. Unless she got serious, they would always try to muddle through.
Yan Tongshu barked, “Take him away! Beat him!”
Seeing that he could no longer bluff his way out of it, Fatty Ding hurriedly shouted, “It was Young Master Yan’s servant, Zheng Cai!”
Yan Tongshu looked at Gao Qi. Gao Qi questioned him, “Everyone wears masks when buying goods on the black market. How did you know who he was?”
Fatty Ding glared at Gao Qi. That treacherous dog was actually helping an outsider pry open his brother’s mouth.
He answered resentfully, “We have our own ways of identifying people, even when they’re wearing masks.”
Fatty Ding pointed at Gao Qi. “My lord, he knows too. He’s just pretending not to.”
Yan Tongshu said, “Give me a proper explanation. Don’t change the subject.”
Fatty Ding continued, “When it comes to selling goods on the black market, especially to regular big-spending customers, every dealer fights to win their business. So we secretly leave a mark on the customer, then discreetly follow him to find out where he’s from. We also share information with one another, so no one else can steal the client.
“Zheng Cai was extremely generous with his money. The first time we made a deal, I left a mark on him and had my parrot follow him.
“That boy was a crafty one. The moment he got into the carriage, he changed his clothes and even threw away his mask. If my parrot hadn’t been clever, we would have lost him. It followed him all the way to Prince Ming’s residence and left a mark there. For the next two days, I wandered around the area. I confirmed his identity from two details: the pattern of his knuckles—two thick and three slender—and a semicircular burn scar on his index finger.”
Fatty Ding swallowed and went on, “My lord, I suspect Zheng Cai stole the money from his master.”
Yan Tongshu raised an eyebrow. “And why do you say that?”
Fatty Ding darted a furtive glance to either side, then crawled forward on his knees and whispered, “The money he spent on Five-Stone Powder was a huge sum. How could a servant like him have that much? Besides, he didn’t just buy Five-Stone Powder on the black market. He also bought those medicines… those things…”
Fatty Ding crawled forward another two steps and lowered his voice. “The kind that helps a man with… that. Aphrodisiac tiger-wolf medicines. He bought a great deal of them. That fellow probably wasn’t up to the task, and even medicine couldn’t help him. He must have been twisted in the head, so he stole money to buy Five-Stone Powder and chase that floaty, dreamlike pleasure.”
So that was it.
No wonder the bailiffs had never found any records.
The medicines Yan Qichu had used to treat his impotence and infertility had actually been bought by Zheng Cai on the black market.
After finishing her questions, Yan Tongshu ordered them to take Fatty Ding away.
As he was dragged off, Fatty Ding continued shouting unwillingly, “My lord! I’ve told you everything honestly! Can you reduce my sentence?”
Yan Tongshu clenched her fist and slowly pressed down on her knuckles. A crisp series of cracks rang out.
After so much effort, after investigating day and night, they had finally found a definite lead.
Now, all they had to do was wait for the night of the sixteenth.
She would make that entire pack of scoundrels understand what a saturation arrest operation looked like.
…
The sixteenth day, during the hour of the Boar.
Yan Tongshu sat upright at the dining table, her back straight as a pine. With one hand, she held a large chicken leg and tore into it ravenously.
Pearl and Jinbao helped place food on her plate.
She had to eat her fill and build up her strength before going to arrest those scoundrels.
At last, she finished eating. Yan Tongshu changed into clothes suitable for riding and left the residence with a murderous air, under the watchful eyes of Pearl, Yan Liangyu, and Yan Liangrong.
Jinbao had the carriage waiting outside the gates of Kaifeng Prefecture.
With a cold and stern expression, Yan Tongshu entered the government office. The entire courtyard was brightly lit, and all the bailiffs of Kaifeng Prefecture had already assembled. Each man was armed with a pair of sabers, waiting only for the order to move.
Yan Tongshu walked forward step by step and counted the people. There seemed to be rather a lot of them.
Meng Zheng’s Divine Guard Army was already in position, but it wasn’t inside Kaifeng Prefecture. Then who were the additional men wearing armor?
Li Fulin hurried over to meet her and lowered his voice. “Lord Yan, please come inside.”
Yan Tongshu entered suspiciously. Qin Yi was seated above them, dressed in dark robes, a book in his hand.
Lu Xi stood respectfully at his side.
Yan Tongshu was stunned.
“You’re here.” Qin Yi set down his book and tossed a black iron command token through the air to Yan Tongshu. “My Divine Might Army is yours tonight.”
