With Lou Changsui’s sudden kneel, the expressions on the Wen family’s faces became more colorful than a dye vat overturned.
Wen Zhuo had left the Wen family at thirteen and never returned, so even though they were now standing only inches apart, they failed to recognize him.
But Lou Changsui had worked alongside Wen Zhuo before. There was no way he could mistake that face.
Wen Ze had only one thought, spinning madly through his mind—
This was impossible!
The swindler surnamed Liu who had viciously beaten Wen Xu at Qixian Residence, the suspect wanted by every constable in the city, was actually Wen Zhuo!
When had he slipped into Mianzhou? How many things had he secretly investigated during this time? Just how much did he know about the secret of the Bone-Piercing Fragrance?
If Wen Zhuo had been hiding in Mianzhou all along instead of being far away in Xingjing, then every one of the guesses Lou Changsui and he had made before was completely wrong!
From the moment he laid eyes on Wen Zhuo, Lou Changsui’s portly body had trembled without pause. Now, his ominous premonition had been confirmed in full. Just as in Bozhou, Wen Zhuo was sure to have one ingenious scheme after another. He had almost certainly orchestrated the prison break—and taken Liu Kangren away while doing so!
Lou Changsui’s mind went blank. A chill suddenly raced up the back of his neck, as though a cleaver had already been laid across it, ready to come down at any moment.
In his panic, he hurriedly looked up at Wen Yingjing, who had sprung to his feet, hoping to find a glimmer of hope in the man’s composed gaze.
The Great Qian ruled the realm through filial piety. Wen Zhuo’s birth mother was still with the Wen family; their flesh and blood were bound together. Surely he would not show them not the slightest consideration?
Yet what Lou Changsui saw was Wen Yingjing’s cheeks twitching uncontrollably.
Wen Yingjing desperately tried to maintain his dignified bearing and the composure befitting a respected clansman and local notable. But when faced with Wen Zhuo, his instinctive reaction still exposed the cowardice buried in his heart.
Lou Changsui could understand the situation with barely any thought. Judging from the contemptuous, belittling look on Wen Ze’s face, Wen Zhuo must not have received much kindness from the Wen family back then.
Even these shrewd men knew enough to be wary and respectful. Wen Xu alone stubbornly held his neck high, refusing to admit defeat.
His eyes swam with stars from the pain. Dragging his broken arm behind him, he screamed, “How could he be Wen Zhuo? He told us himself that he was from the Liu family! Lord Lou, you must have mistaken him. How could that brat Wen Zhuo have grown into this sort of person? He looks just like a… just like a…”
The filthy insult had already reached his lips. He had wanted to humiliate Wen Zhuo with a word associated with prostitutes and the like, but in the end, he did not dare say it aloud.
He hoped that the onlookers would understand his meaning. If they did, then what he had left unsaid would be as good as spoken.
Yet the merchants watching nearby merely stretched their necks like geese, staring fixedly at Wen Zhuo without daring to utter a sound.
Unwilling to show weakness, Wen Xu continued glaring furiously at Wen Zhuo, still treating this as the sort of occasion where he could throw a tantrum and wriggle out of trouble with a few petty tricks.
Wen Zhuo withdrew his gaze from the kneeling Lou Changsui. When it shifted to Wen Xu, his expression instantly turned glacial, and the authority of his office descended in layers like a blizzard of frost and snow.
“What are you supposed to be, that you dare behave so insolently before this official? Men, put him in the cangue!”
Under Great Qian law, any commoner who showed disrespect toward a metropolitan official of the third rank or higher, or toward a noble lord or meritorious aristocrat, was to be publicly cangue-shamed for one month and prosecuted separately. It could be called the harshest punishment imposed for words spoken in offense.
“W-What?” Wen Xu’s voice cracked with shock. He could hardly believe that Wen Zhuo had truly dared to treat him this way.
The thugs from the Wen household were all seasoned experts at reading the room. Seeing Lou Changsui kneel, they hurriedly hid their cudgels behind their backs and silently retreated as far as they could, terrified of being caught in the crossfire.
The two constables who had followed Wen Xu downstairs exchanged uncertain glances, unsure whether they should step forward.
Wen Zhuo’s brows drew together slightly as he barked, “Lou Changsui, did you not hear me?”
His name suddenly called out, Lou Changsui felt his scalp go numb, as though his soul were about to leave his body. He hurriedly scrambled to his feet and rushed down from the raised platform, shrieking in his hoarse, off-key voice, “What are you waiting for? Bring the cangues!”
Yet when he came near the constables, he lowered his voice and hissed through clenched teeth, “Search the central district at once. Make absolutely sure you drag Liu Kangren out!”
“Yes, sir!” The two constables turned to carry out the order.
“Wait.”
Wen Zhuo’s sudden voice was not loud, yet it made everyone tremble.
The two men froze on the spot, anxiously lowering their hands as they awaited further orders.
Wen Zhuo shifted his gaze and turned his attention back to Lou Changsui.
He took his folding fan from Shen Zheng’s hand and slowly unfolded it, inch by inch. His expression was dark and unreadable as he said, “It seems these constables have eyes only for you, Lord Lou, and do not even recognize me. I suppose I must be less impressive than you, Lord Lou.”
Trying to pull tricks right under his nose—he had truly exhausted every possible scheme.
Lou Changsui’s mouth fell open in shock, and he hurriedly shook his head like a rattle drum. “N-No, that’s not it!”
Wen Zhuo gave him an almost imperceptible smile and pointed with his fan.
Liu Qiying understood at once. She immediately took a scroll from her robes and unfurled it. The four characters “By Mandate of Heaven” stood out in bold relief on the imperial golden-dragon paper. Lou Changsui’s knees, which had only just managed to straighten, gave way once more with a loud thud.
“I bear the emperor’s authority as his inspector of Mianzhou, yet I cannot even command a few lowly constables. It would seem, then, that Lord Lou’s influence still carries too much weight.” Wen Zhuo’s tone remained flat. “Very well. Effective today, Lord Lou, you are relieved of your duties and may remain at home. All matters in Mianzhou will henceforth be handled by me in full on His Majesty’s behalf. From this day forward, anyone who dares obey only you and refuse my orders shall be charged with defying the imperial will!”
“Wen—”
As power slipped from his hands in an instant, helpless terror seized Lou Changsui’s heart.
“Go.” Wen Zhuo waved a hand, signaling to the two constables.
The two men, trembling with fear, hurriedly kowtowed and withdrew. They no longer dared concern themselves with Liu Kangren and ran straight for the yamen to fetch the cangues.
Watching from the side, Shen Zheng thought to himself that Wen Zhuo at this moment rather resembled the formidable minister from the Records of Qian, the sort of powerful official who could leave everyone too frightened to speak.
But when he recalled the way Wen Zhuo had clung tightly to his sleeve just moments ago, he could not help revising his description in silence.
Just a somewhat imposing little cat, that was all.
Meanwhile, Wen Zhuo instantly put on a kindly expression. He bent down toward Lou Changsui, who was sprawled on the ground, and said, “Rise, Lord Lou. In the past, Emperor Taizong issued decrees establishing proper rites and abolished the customs of the Hu people. According to ritual regulations, you do not report directly to me and need not kneel. A respectful bow would suffice. Why make such a grand display and instead put me in an awkward position?”
How could Lou Changsui dare disobey? He could only brace himself against his numb knees and struggle to his feet, drenched in sweat. “This subordinate… this subordinate was merely overcome with emotion for a moment.”
Unexpectedly, Wen Zhuo’s tone shifted sharply, and he rebuked him with thunderous severity: “You may dispense with kneeling before me, but why have you failed to perform the proper bow and three kowtows before the current emperor’s Fifth Prince?”
Shen Zheng saw that it was time for his part in the performance. He immediately adopted a stern, utterly humorless expression. “It seems Lord Lou has failed to notice His Highness.”
Lou Changsui’s body lurched sideways, and his knees struck the ground heavily once more with a loud thump. Only then did he finally realize the identity of the person before him. Scared half to death, he cried, “This subordinate was blind and failed to recognize the Fifth Prince’s arrival! I deserve ten thousand deaths! Ten thousand deaths!”
He completely forgot that he should not have known in advance that the visitor was the Fifth Prince. Kneeling before Shen Zheng, he slammed his head against the ground three times in succession, and a ring of red welts immediately appeared on his shiny forehead.
Shen Zheng frowned slightly, looking rather disgusted. He truly did not want someone of this caliber kneeling before him.
Still, he tolerated it for the moment. Lifting his gaze, he swept it toward Wen Yingjing, Wen Ze, and the group of wealthy incense merchants standing stiffly or fidgeting uneasily on the raised platform.
With a faint, enigmatic smile, he said, “How curious. Why have you singled him out without mentioning yourselves?”
Several of the incense merchants came to their senses as if awakening from a dream. With a clatter, they all slid from their chairs and dropped to their knees. “Commoners pay their respects to the Fifth Prince!”
The merchants who had previously craned their necks to watch the spectacle also snapped back to reality and hurriedly knelt. In an instant, the inner courtyard of Suhefang was filled with a sea of dark-clad figures bowing on their knees. Only the common people separated by the screen remained unaware of what was happening.
The wind blew Wen Yingjing’s grizzled beard across his face. Against the mingling strands of black and white, his usually kindly features took on a sinister cast.
He had never imagined that one day he would have to kneel before that insignificant little bastard from years ago.
As the local strongman of Mianzhou, he had not bent his knees before anyone in decades.
Now, he stared fixedly at Wen Zhuo, his entire body rigid. In the end, he gritted his teeth, gathered up his Daoist robe, and bent one knee, kneeling in Wen Zhuo’s direction with the utmost reluctance.
When Wen Ze saw that even his father had submitted before that fearsome display of official authority, a wave of terror suddenly rose within him. He knew all too well that Wen Zhuo would never let the Wen family off—nor would he spare Wen Ze himself.
Wen Ze’s thin, sticklike legs sprawled awkwardly on the ground. At that point, he had no thought left for dignity. He reached a hand between his legs, only to find that his trousers were already wet and warm.
Six Monkeys stood to the side, staring in utter shock.
He never could have imagined that the kindhearted swindler who had been hiding and fleeing alongside him was actually Wen Zhuo, Director of the Hanlin Academy, and the current emperor’s Fifth Prince!
No wonder they had not been the least bit afraid of Lou Changsui—or of the all-powerful Wen family!
His mind buzzed as he desperately tried to recall everything he had said in front of them earlier—
“Your brain’s no good.”
“You’re courting death.”
Damn it!
He had actually spouted a whole string of such insolent nonsense!
Clutching the wound in his abdomen, he hurriedly rolled over and threw himself face-down on the ground, blindly imitating the others as he kowtowed.
Then Shen Zheng called out, “Six Monkeys, come here.”
Six Monkeys froze. After a moment’s hesitation, he climbed to his feet and limped over to Shen Zheng. Stammering, he asked, “P-Prince?”
Shen Zheng gave a laugh. “You went to such lengths to protect us. Are your injuries all right? I’ll have someone take a look at them later.”
Six Monkeys was accustomed to getting hurt. His body was perpetually covered in bruises, so these injuries were hardly worth mentioning. He shook his head vigorously.
“Sit down and rest for a while.” Shen Zheng lifted his chin toward a chair nearby.
Liu Qiying put away the edict and helped him into his own seat to rest.
Six Monkeys was a small man, and on the broad chair his feet dangled in the air, unable to reach the ground.
He sat there in a daze, not daring to move a muscle. Secretly, he wondered, *They’re not going to blame me for running my mouth? How can the high officials and the prince from the capital be so kind?*
Wen Zhuo rose, fanning himself with his folding fan. With unhurried steps, he mounted the dais and walked straight toward Wen Yingjing.
He deliberately stopped in front of Wen Yingjing, looking down at that weathered old face from his superior position. A mocking smile curled at the corners of his lips.
Under the rites of Great Qian, Wen Yingjing was a scholar and also held the title of stepfather, so he ordinarily would not have been required to kneel before Wen Zhuo. But at this moment, he was kneeling before the current emperor’s Fifth Prince. Without Shen Zheng’s permission, he did not even have the right to raise his head.
Wen Zhuo said nothing, nor did he need to. He could only marvel at how wonderful the passage of time was—it had overturned fate and given him the chance to personally avenge his past grievances.
Wen Yingjing kept his head bowed, his palms spread slightly and his back hunched low, an utterly humiliating posture. All he could see before him was the hem of Wen Zhuo’s robe.
A bead of hot sweat slid down his forehead and into the corner of his eye, stinging painfully.
Hearing Wen Zhuo’s mocking laugh, the tendons on the backs of his hands stood out like blue worms from the force with which he clenched them.
Once Wen Zhuo had enjoyed the sight enough, he finally turned around. His sleeves fluttered lightly as his gaze swept over the shop assistants and runners kneeling nearby.
“Why are you still blocking off this screen? Since this is a fragrance fair, it should be a grand celebration for the entire city. How can you shut the common people out and treat them differently?”
The moment he spoke, the layers of screens were removed. The commoners, who had been craning their necks and standing on tiptoe, stared at the scene in utter astonishment.
Why were all those usually lofty and untouchable gentlemen kneeling on the ground?
Wen Zhuo reached for the wooden mallet beside him and brought it down on the great gong with a resounding clang. The vibration made everyone nearby’s ears ring.
“His Majesty governs from the imperial palace and has specially ordered me and the Fifth Prince to investigate the corruption surrounding the locust plague in Mianzhou and rescue the people from their desperate plight.” His voice was solemn, carrying clearly into the ears of the commoners. “I had barely arrived in Mianzhou when I learned that this region had been suffering from disaster for more than half a year. The dead lay strewn across the fields, and some people had even been forced to sell their children in exchange for food, merely to cling to life. Upon hearing of such misery, my heart was cut to pieces!”
“The elders of Mianzhou may have heard my name before.” Wen Zhuo’s gaze swept over Wen Yingjing and his son, who remained rigidly kneeling. He gave a cold laugh. “I am a son of the Wen family, and my name is Wen Zhuo. When I first heard that my father, Wen Yingjing, had long been renowned for his benevolence, I was deeply moved. Since the Wen family has built its standing upon kindness, why not carry that kindness through to the end? Effective immediately, the Wen family’s entire fortune is to be donated to the relief of the disaster victims—to purchase grain and provide porridge, and thus ease their immediate suffering!”
At his words, Wen Yingjing abruptly raised his head. His wrinkled face was filled with shock as he glared murderously at Wen Zhuo, as though he wanted to swallow him alive.
*What a vicious scheme, you bastard!*
In all of Mianzhou, who did not know that Wen Yingjing was a living Bodhisattva who devoted himself to good deeds?
The blame for embezzling and hoarding grain had long since been placed, without a sound, on Liu Kangren’s head. The common people believed it without question and were all the more grateful to the Wen family.
Wen Zhuo had only just arrived, with neither roots nor connections. If he dared to accuse the Wen family outright and openly turn against them, the people would only assume that he had ulterior motives and was plotting something.
Yet he refused to play by the usual rules. Not only did he make no attempt to argue or defend himself, he instead went along with the Wen family’s reputation for benevolence—and forced them to carry that benevolence through to the very end.
If the Wen family agreed, the wealth they had painstakingly accumulated over decades would be emptied in a single day. If they refused, they would be publicly slapping themselves in the face and might even be cursed by the people for generations to come!
Wen Ze’s eyes were bloodshot, his eyeballs seeming ready to burst from their sockets. His teeth ground together with a harsh, grating sound. Yet in the end, he still did not dare rise up in defiance. All he could do was force out a broken, intermittent roar through clenched teeth: “You—you… you—!”
“I have learned that at today’s incense fair, many refugees risked their lives to find ambergris, seeking only enough silver to ransom their loved ones,” Wen Zhuo continued, completely ignoring the commotion behind him. “You need not return a single coin to the Wen family. The children being kept by Dongyazi will be returned to your sides as soon as possible. I also ask that you relay this message to refugees throughout the land: do not risk such journeys again. Go home at once. I, Wen Zhuo, swear this here and now—if disaster-relief porridge kitchens have not been established throughout Mianzhou within seven days, then for every day’s delay, one member of the Wen family will die in apology to the people of Mianzhou!”
Wen Yingjing stood frozen in place. Wen Ze trembled from head to toe. Even Wen Xu, who had been writhing in agony, forgot to cry out from the pain. All three stared at Wen Zhuo on the platform, dumbstruck.
The refugees had no idea what was truly happening. They heard only the words “donations,” “disaster relief,” and “atonement with one’s life.” All they knew was that the Lord Wen before them cared deeply for the people and spoke with utter sincerity.
“Thank you, merciful lord, for saving our lives!”
“The imperial court hasn’t forgotten us! We’re finally saved—we won’t have to go hungry anymore!”
“Lord Wen is a living Bodhisattva, a living Bodhisattva! Child, Mother can finally see you again!”
…
Wen Zhuo had intended to ask the refugees to rise, but the crying below came in waves—heartbreaking and mournful—and had long since drowned out his voice.
At that moment, they could do nothing but turn all the gratitude and despair filling their hearts into tears, prostrating themselves on the ground and bowing again and again.
Standing atop the brightly adorned platform, Wen Zhuo slowly swept his gaze across their emaciated figures, one by one.
He had seen scenes like this before, in Bozhou.
The same displacement. The same devastation. The same desperate people breaking down in tears the moment they managed to grasp even the faintest glimmer of hope.
In a daze, it seemed that year after year, across ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers, nothing had ever truly changed.
He had always been waiting for someone who could overturn the entrenched sickness of the age and change the world.
