Chapter 234

Xiao Ze exclaimed: "Tianji Pavilion?"

Tuan Tuan nodded: "Yes! Tianji Pavilion! I'm now the Lord Master of Tianji Pavilion! Third Brother said, this Lord Master is very important!"

Xiao Ze looked at her proud little smile and laughed: "Fine, if you have a way, then it's good. I won't accompany you; I need to hurry back. Let Xiao Er accompany you, and don't run around."

"Okay! I know! You go, I'll find Second Uncle!"

After Xiao Ze left, Tuan Tuan found Xiao Er, and they went to the courtyard where Su Zhehou lived.

Su Yuheng saw them and hurriedly greeted them, seeing their anxious expressions: "Princess, what's wrong?"

Tuan Tuan said: "Yes! I want to save someone!"

Su Yuheng was startled: "Save someone?"

Xiao Er explained briefly, recounting Feng Zhou's matter.

Su Yuheng understood: "So it involves the Private Objects Bureau; I really didn't expect this."

Tuan Tuan said: "The uncles in the army said that arrow was produced in many places. The Ministry of War investigated for a long time but found nothing. I want Tianji Pavilion to help me investigate this; can you?"

Su Yuheng smiled: "Of course, Princess, you are now the Mystic Commandant of Tianji Pavilion; you can give orders as you wish."

Tuan Tuan looked at him: "Whom should I give orders to, you?"

Su Yuheng laughed loudly: "Lu Qi!"

Xiao Er was startled upon hearing that.

A man about thirty, tall and sturdy, walked in silently.

He bowed to Su Yuheng: "Young Pavilion Master."

Tuan Tuan lifted her head to look at him, wow, so tall! Almost as tall as Second Uncle.

On Lu Qi's left eyebrow was a shallow scar slanting across, and at his waist hung a sheathless short dagger.

Xiao Er examined him carefully: "Could you be the one called Eight-Armed Vajra, Lu Qi?"

Lu Qi bowed: "Just a petty alias, not worth mentioning."

Tuan Tuan asked: "Second Uncle, do you know this uncle?"

Xiao Er shook his head: "Just heard of him; today is our first meeting. I didn't expect such a famous figure in the martial world to actually be from Tianji Pavilion."

Su Yuheng said: "Lu Qi, this is our Pavilion's Mystic Commandant, Princess Jiayou of Ning Prince's Mansion."

Lu Qi lowered his head to look at Tuan Tuan: "This little kid?"

Yet he still bowed: "Mystic Envoy Lu Qi of Tianji Pavilion, pays respects to the Lord Master."

Tuan Tuan opened her arms toward Xiao Er: "Second Uncle, hug."

Xiao Er bent down and lifted her up.

Tuan Tuan pointed at Lu Qi: "Closer, Second Uncle."

Xiao Er moved closer to stand before Lu Qi.

Tuan Tuan carefully examined the scar on Lu Qi's face, then raised her little hand and reached out.

Lu Qi instinctively leaned his upper body back to avoid it.

Tuan Tuan pouted: "Don't dodge me."

Lu Qi stiffened slightly, then finally stood straight, letting that small hand touch him.

Tuan Tuan touched his scar: "Does it hurt? Tomorrow I'll bring you a pencil my mother drew eyebrows with; you'll cover it up and no one will see it."

Lu Qi was stunned: "Me? Draw eyebrows?"

He quickly said: "No, no need."

Su Yuheng smiled: "The Little Princess is truly kind-hearted, no wonder her fortune is deep: 'Lu Qi, from now on you will follow the Lord Master, obey her orders.'"

"Yes!" Lu Qi turned and withdrew.

Su Yuheng looked at Tuan Tuan: "I know nothing about the Private Objects Bureau matter, but the Princess just mentioned transporting various goods to different places—I do know about that."

"You know? Great! Feng Zhou can be saved!"

Several people sat down, and Su Yuheng began to speak slowly.

"After my father met with disaster, among the tasks the Netherworld Peak assigned to Tianji Pavilion was purchasing the goods the Princess mentioned."

Tuan Tuan raised her little fist: "Again, that broken peak!"

Su Yuheng nodded: "Exactly. They want the Tianji Pavilion to handle the procurement, and then use our connections and channels to ship them to various parts of the Fiery Nation."

"Among those goods are the fine iron from the south and the 'iron‑thread wood' from Xibei. I only just realized that these are precisely the essential components of the Nine‑Star Repeating Crossbow."

Xiao Er asked: "Since the young master of the pavilion doesn't know the purpose of these items, why is he worried about wars breaking out and also seeking assistance from my lady?"

Su Yuheng looked out the window: "Because later they added a large quantity of saltpeter and gunpowder to the goods the Tianji Pavilion was to procure."

Xiao Er sprang to his feet: "What?"

Su Yuheng turned his head: "Therefore, I decided to burn the boats and seek help from the Princess (Commandery)."

Tuan Tuan, not understanding, said: "Second Uncle, what is that?"

Xiao Er explained to her: "Miss, do you remember on our way to Sacred Medicine Valley we were trapped in Jiyang Prefecture? Prince led troops to rescue us, using gunpowder to blast a path."

Tuan Tuan recalled: "Wow, that gunpowder was powerful!"

Su Yuheng nodded: "How could ordinary people purchase such items? Moreover, the quantity is so great!"

Xiao Er asked: "Young master, could you hand over the transaction ledgers to my lady? If we have them, Feng Zhou can clear his grievances."

Su Yuheng hesitated: "I understand the Princess (Commandery) wants to rescue Lord Feng, but if we hand over the ledgers, my Tianji Pavilion may be implicated, and His Majesty could not let it go."

Xiao Er fell silent; he understood that Su Yuheng was right.

Whether or not the Tianji Pavilion knew in advance, the items were bought and shipped by them; if judged by law, they cannot escape culpability.

Tuan Tuan looked at Su Yuheng, then at Xiao Er: "What's wrong with you? I'll go tell Imperial Uncle! What is there to worry about? You're also doing it for Grandfather Su, right? By the way, where is Grandfather Su?"

"After you left that day, my father recovered shortly, but still needed convalescence. I was truly worried that the people of the Nether Peak would strike him again, so I sent him away that very night."

Xiao Er nodded: "That's only proper."

Tuan Tuan jumped up: "Give me that whatever ledger, I'll go find Imperial Uncle!"

She patted her little chest: "Don't worry! I guarantee Imperial Uncle won't do anything to Tianji Pavilion. I am the Lord Master! My people, I will definitely protect them!"

Su Yuheng gazed at her intently for a moment, ordered a servant to fetch a ledger, and handed it to her:

"Princess, the reason I privately sought your help is because I fear Tianji Pavilion will incur blame because of this. If you can safeguard Tianji Pavilion in this matter, I will be immensely grateful."

Tuan Tuan looked at the ledger in her hand, laughed happily, Feng Zhou is saved!

"Don't worry! I'm off!" She took Xiao Er's hand, "Uncle Er, let's go to the Palace!"

"By the way, if I have something come up, how do I find Uncle Lu Qi?"

Su Yuheng gave a slight smile: "Princess, if you have business, you can go to the Fu Yun Tea House with your token to send orders."

Tuan Tuan exclaimed: "Fu Yun Tea House? I've been there!"

Xiao Er exclaimed in surprise: "The Fu Yun Tea House actually belongs to Tianji Pavilion?"

Su Yuheng nodded: "Not only the Fu Yun Tea House, Tianji Pavilion has tea houses and taverns everywhere, which is why the news is so well-informed."

Xiao Er clasped his fists: "Admirable, admirable."

The two rose to bid farewell and hurried straight to the Palace.

Tuan Tuan entered Zichen Hall; besides Emperor Xiao Jieyun, Song Jingxian was sitting upright in the hall.