Chapter 156

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

Liu Qi did not beat around the bush; he first spoke to Shaowei about the news of Ji Jin:

"Relying on the various characteristics you provided, we found his teacher in Chenliu Commandery. This teacher recently reported to the local County Office the fact that Ji Jin sacrificed himself in the line of duty, wishing to apply for bereavement funds to handle the student's posthumous affairs and erect a cenotaph."

The wandering knight entrusted by Zhao Qie'an to go to Chenliu to investigate had previously only learned that Ji Jin's whereabouts were unknown, and there had never been any definite news. This time, only because Ji Jin's teacher handled this matter through the County Office, with official documents as proof, Liu Qi's informants found it much easier to inquire than the wandering knight, hence the news was transmitted back earlier.

Shaowei's face changed color in an instant, then she immediately caught a glimmer of hope: "Since it is a cenotaph, that means no corpse was seen? It absolutely cannot be concluded just like this that he is no longer among the living!"

"Precisely so. Don't be anxious, let me finish speaking." Liu Qi comforted her with a sentence, then continued: "It is said he went missing while controlling the floods; his maternal uncle went to search for him while injured, and also lost his trace, therefore there has been no chance to meet with your A Jie yet. His teacher searched for several months yet still had no news, so he could only determine that he had already sacrificed himself."

Flood control is a matter that often costs lives to fill; moreover, the Court neglected the Yellow River flood disaster, and coupled with the war in Huai Yang Guo, which borders Chenliu Commandery, growing ever more fierce, human lives became even more insignificant and fragile. Ji Jin's teacher searched for a long time without finding his student's whereabouts, his heart could not hold hope; wishing to fight for a tiny bit of bereavement money to handle the student's posthumous affairs, not letting the student become a lonely wandering ghost, is also common human sentiment.

Speaking here, Liu Qi asked the person before him: "Do you know who the rebels in Huai Yang Guo are?"

Shaowei was tense and anxious, but she was certain Liu Qi would not say useless things at this time, therefore she caught a clearer glimmer of hope, and immediately answered in a quick voice: "I know, it is a tycoon who rose from iron smelting, surnamed Zheng!"

At the founding of Great Qian, the people's livelihood was withered; from Qu Hou to the Ling Empress, during their lifetimes they all advocated methods of letting the people rest and recuperate; therefore the Court relaxed the bans on mountains and marshes, allowing the common people to privately mine ores, smelt iron, and boil salt, levying only taxes on them in the Court.

This move greatly advanced smelting and the development of iron implements, but as time passed, it nurtured many iron and salt tycoons; in recent years the Court's treasury is empty due to warfare, these tycoon families are unwilling to aid the nation's urgency, and moreover wait for opportunities to hoard and drive up prices, provoking the Court's extreme displeasure.

Perhaps sensing the Emperor had already given birth to the intention to abolish private iron and salt operations, the Huaiyang Zheng Clan took the lead in inciting the common people to rebel, wishing to occupy Huai Yang Guo and establish themselves.

The Huai King father and son both died miserably in the war; the Zheng Clan Head of Household has already proclaimed himself Huai King; Shan Gu is among the Court's troops sent to suppress this rebellion.

"... The Zheng family, due to mining and smelting iron, originally had thousands of slaves; this time they have also gathered the momentum of rioters and bandits, and the iron weapons in their hands are even more abundant and inexhaustible. But there is one shortcoming: their subordinates lack usable clerks, so these past several months they have used both soft and hard tactics, recruiting many who are literate and versed in writing for their own use."

Liu Qi frankly said: "My subordinates, last year, also set up a lacquerware shop in Huai Yang Guo; two months ago the shop's accountant teacher was forcibly taken away by the Zheng clan's people, whereupon he went along with the scheme and stayed in the Zheng army to gather intelligence."

"This accountant teacher's post in the army is not critical, merely organizing documents; this time I sent a person with the idea of giving it a try to make contact, but there was an unexpected harvest; he claimed to have seen a staff officer in the Zheng army, whose age, appearance, and temperament all matched your description very well, only the name and surname did not match."

Shaowei, listening with bated breath, finally interjected: "The situation is tortuous; perhaps he deliberately concealed his original name!"

"Extremely possible." Liu Qi said: "The person you described is no ordinary mortal; it is hard to have such a coincidence, therefore I have several parts of certainty that this should be the person you are looking for."

Shaowei nodded even more like pounding garlic, and hurriedly said: "If it really is him, he must be under coercion; otherwise he would absolutely not associate with rebels!"

Liu Qi then said: "In chaotic times, human life is thin; one cannot control oneself; the Court has many derelictions in its handling of the Chenliu flood disaster; regardless of whether he is coerced, it is not a great fault."

"I know." Shaowei said: "But he is a true gentleman; the world treats gentlemen with extra severity, and he treats himself with extra severity; he went wholeheartedly to save people and control floods; I must speak clearly for him."

She neither abides by order nor cares about the world's evaluation, yet she cares very much about others' views of Ji Jin.

Shaowei determined that Ji Jin must have been coerced, and perhaps his maternal uncle is also in the Zheng clan's hands.

Thinking of this, she could not help but determine that Ji Jin's fate clashes with Huai Yang Guo; previously when he passed through Huaiyang, he once suffered a black shop robbery, and could not keep his travel expenses or jade pendant; this time it is even more thorough, even his person was robbed away.

And Liu Qi, hearing her so certain that Ji Jin was controlled by others, said: "Then we must find a way to help him escape difficulty; only we must first confirm his identity, and also need to win his trust, to be able to coordinate actions."

Shaowei then pondered; it would be best to have a secret signal; this signal must be special and hidden, not easily impersonated, not letting outsiders become suspicious and causing Liu Qi's people to be suspected in turn, while simultaneously letting Ji Jin know it is her the moment he hears it...

Pondering back and forth like this, a flash of inspiration struck Shaowei's mind, and she said: "If an opportunity is found, then have him listen to a sentence: 'The chicken has come in, just drive it out, won't that do—'"

"If he is Ji Jin, hearing these words, he will definitely know it is me looking for him, and will surely find a way to speak alone." Shaowei's eyes were full of certainty.

This code word is truly bizarre; Liu Qi reacted for a while, tried to confirm by repeating it back to her, saw her nod decisively, and then recorded it just like that.

Having arranged the matter of Ji Jin, Shaowei then urgently asked: "Since Qingxiang Sister was unable to go to Chenliu, she must have met with a mishap midway; have your people found any spider-silk horse-tracks?"

Liu Qi answered her: "The person should be missing in the Jiangxia Commandery area."

These two words 'missing' made Shaowei's heart tighten; and Jiangxia Commandery is still half a journey away from Chenliu Commandery: "How was this determined? By relying on the 'Identity Token' shown when passing through and entering cities?"

Though her heart was anxious, her reaction was also agile; Liu Qi nodded: "Since last year, everywhere the inspection of traveling people has become more meticulous; the soldiers guarding the cities need to record the origins and intentions of long-distance travelers into registers daily; although there are occasional omissions, by cross-referencing between several cities, it is not difficult to judge that your A Jie's party was unable to leave Jiangxia Commandery."

Dealing with government offices is precisely Liu Qi's strength; since he determined it this way, Shaowei did not question it, leaving only a heart full of shock and worry: Qingxiang Sister did not leave Jiangxia Commandery, yet to this day there is no news; what exactly did she encounter?

"I reckon she should still be alive." Liu Qi took the initiative to speak, objectively narrating his judgment: "According to your previous description, this A Jie's appearance is handsome; no matter what kind of people she encounters, as long as they are not sworn enemies, at least her life can be preserved."

Beautiful people, whether male or female, are all regarded as capital; whether gifted to the wealthy and powerful or sold as slaves, all can exchange for considerable benefits.

Though hearing Liu Qi's comfort was very practical, tears instantly welled up in Shaowei's eyes.

She has always feared neither heaven nor earth; at this moment, in these uncontrollably emerging tears there was actually a thread of fear; Liu Qi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said: "Don't panic, I have already had people search carefully in the Jiangxia area."

Shaowei endured the tears, and spoke out her fear: "But A Jie is purely good and timid; if she suffers humiliation and bullying, or worries about burdening others, I fear she will seek her own death!"

Liu Qi shook his head: "She won't."

The tears in Shaowei's eye sockets accumulated more and more: "You don't know her!"

"I don't know her, but I know you." Liu Qi said: "If there is still a bond like you in this world, no one would easily give up their life."

These words don't seem to contain much reason, but Shaowei, through her tears, could also see the certainty in his eyes, and couldn't help but ask in a steady voice: "Really?"

"Really." Liu Qi raised his right hand three fingers to the sky: "I swear to heaven, absolutely no—"

His words were not finished; Shaowei reached out and hurriedly knocked his hand down, and knocked the words down too: "Who told you to swear an oath!"

Liu Qi lightly hissed, withdrew his hand, revealing a bit of a smile; but the next moment, meeting her tearful eyes, the smile faded again.

Round eyeballs brimming with round tears; those round tears at any moment have the danger of falling, like a cluster of unconscious primordial spirit Qi drifting in the chaos, the most sincere pure bright star blooming in the chaos, every wisp and every drop is the most precious rare treasure.

He was moved by it, and then once more gave birth to endless envy and longing; but she felt herself in a sorry state, staring wide-eyed, forcefully enduring the tears, and finally questioned him bluntly: "Why have you been looking at me?"

And he asked as if possessed by ghosts and spirits: "Can't I look?"

Shaowei was greatly annoyed, only feeling provoked; but she admitted she had gained his help this time, and couldn't act like an ungrateful white-eyed wolf; she could only suppress her anger, turning it into double the seriousness: "You can't!"

"Fine." Liu Qi seemed to accept the most inviolable strict order in the world, and just like that turned his head away.

Shaowei hurriedly used both hands to wipe away tears in handfuls, took a deep breath, pressed down all emotions, looked up at Liu Qi, and said: "Thank you for helping me investigate these important pieces of news."

Liu Qi: "Unnecessary. I have yet to thank you for the May 5th reminder; otherwise how could I have fulfilled this filial piety so perfectly."

Shaowei: "On May 5th you also strategized for me; this matter counts as mutual offset."

Liu Qi: "Then there is also the matter of Zhu Zhi; you helped me a lot as well, and also—"

"Enough." Shaowei couldn't help but interrupt his increasingly rambling speech, stating firmly: "In any case, I must thank you for the matter of Ji Jin and A Jie."

She was impatient with this kind of calculating back and forth; a sense of succeeding in his scheme rose in Liu Qi's heart. He evidently longed to be inseparable from her; if they could be inextricably entangled, that would be a fortune of three lifetimes.

Greedy, unclear thoughts hidden deep in his heart, a trace of warm, harmless smile surfacing on his face, he asked her: "Can you turn your head back now?"

This person seemed to be deliberately teasing and being obstinate; Shaowei was silent for a moment, then answered: "... Of course."

Liu Qi turned his head back properly, looking at her again, only to see the star-traces in her eyes completely gone, already returned to normal, and she said to him: "In short, it will still trouble your people to expend more effort; this matter is settled as such."

Fearing that delaying too long would arouse suspicion, Shaowei was anxious to leave, her words speeding up. She hastily spoke a few things with Liu Qi, and listened to him say a few things. Finally, as she rose, she said: "Then you must be extra careful after leaving the city."

Liu Qi looked up at her: "Good. You in the city must be even more careful and on guard. If you encounter trouble you cannot handle, try to find a way to delay, do not confront head-on. Send word to me quickly; you and I will find a way to resolve it together."

Shaowei nodded solemnly with him: "Mm, rest assured, I will act according to the situation."

The alliance formed between the two people, by now, had already made them dare to entrust their backs to each other with peace of mind. But the enemies ahead still had to be faced by each respectively; neither's situation was more easy or stable than the other's. Neither could shoulder all of the other's affairs entirely. There was no such logic, and Shaowei would not acknowledge such unreasonable logic.

The road ahead uncertain, they could only support each other, and each strive with all their might. Even if ten thousand perils and dangers lay ahead, appearing to be a dead end, neither would retreat. Perhaps it was precisely for this reason that they would travel together.

"Let's go." The afterglow shone in through the small window. Shaowei turned and left.

Liu Qi watched her lift the bamboo curtain, watched her close the chamber door without looking back. He heard her footsteps first going tap-tap as she walked, then clack-clack going downstairs. Then all sound was drowned out. So he rose, walked to the window edge, and pushed open half of the small window.

A moment later, he saw her carrying two bright lacquerware items stride out the shop door, nimbly mount the carriage. The wheels rolled over the evening light as it departed.

His face hidden in the dimness, the youth only raised his right hand, placing it under the afterglow. That palm was slender, well-proportioned, fair. The evening glow mapped a hint of transparency along the edges of his fingers. There were still faint red marks on the back of his hand. In her urgency, even if her touch was light, it would not be very light.

The youth lowered his smiling eyes to look at his right shoulder. The palm bearing red marks pressed against his shoulder. When she poked his shoulder, it was actually very light.

He turned his body, took down the cloak from the screen. The pitch-black cloak shook open with a flutter, draping over his body, urging the night to follow and drape down.

Stars twinkled, night wind brushed the window. After bathing, hair loose, Shaowei leaned by the window at her desk writing a silk letter.

The letter finished, waiting for the ink to dry, Shaowei quickly rolled up the silk fabric, left the bedroom, circled into the long corridor, and knocked on the house slave's door. Hearing rustling sounds inside his room as if hurriedly dressing, Shaowei said: "No need to open the door."

She crouched down and stuffed the silk fabric through the door crack, saying as she did: "Have someone secretly send it to Huaiyang to Shan Gu."

If that person in the Zheng family army truly is Ji Jin, then he and Shan Gu are opposing camps. She needs Shan Gu to be vigilant. If there is spare capacity, to find a way to help.

Righteousness lies here; there is no need to be taboo about troubling each other. Back then Shan Gu fled into West Mountain. Initially it was Ji Jin who insisted on entering the mountain to rescue him. For this he even suffered a thorough beating and bullying by the stubborn monkeys in the mountain. This bond of righteousness was long ago woven into an inseverable fetter.

Shaowei walked out from the imperial city, sat on the stone steps blowing in the wind, and again began counting those agonizing days.

She even gave birth to the thought of actively negotiating with Chi Yang, but in just an instant she strangled it. Being cowardly and losing face was secondary; the main thing was that this was equivalent to throwing her own formation into chaos. It was impossible to smoothly exchange for what she wanted.

At present she still had to observe people's hearts and the Emperor's heart. And she did not believe Chi Yang truly had no weaknesses. She absolutely must find the fuel for this last fire. She absolutely must.

The moon had already passed overhead. Her mind still could not stop. Shaowei dared not stay up any longer. If she slept badly, her brain would be both agitated and dull. That was a major taboo at this critical juncture.

So she returned inside the house, lay down on the bed, pushed aside Zhan Zhan who had occupied the jade pillow, and forcibly pressed an acupoint to fall asleep.

The next day, Liu Qi led a group of officials and guards out of the city to manage the disaster.

Another day later, the great army that suffered defeat in the northern campaign finally returned to the city, a full month later than the Emperor had previously anticipated.

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