Chapter 64: Sixty-Five, One of Us Has Become a Thief! (Part 1)

Sixty-Five, One of Us Has Become a Thief! (Part 1)

“Big brother, shouldn’t we leave some room? After all, she bears the Xie surname and is said to be a Qi Refiner with considerable potential.”

“Room? Second brother, once you’ve entered the game of Longcheng, you’ve implicitly accepted that everything follows the rules—no matter who you are, prince or general, noble or imperial blood, none can stand aside; all must roll in the mud.”

“Our Liu family does, the new county magistrate does, and even the Xie family’s prodigy daughter does the same. Doesn’t that great Xie scholar know the true state of affairs here? Yet he still left his daughter with the Su family. Besides, bringing a Qi Refiner into this game is the greatest breach of decorum—so why should we bother with decorum at all?”

“No matter how noble the Xie family is, can they be nobler than the ruling Wei family? Even the Wei family was tricked by the Bao Gan faction, letting in a wolf disguised as a white rabbit, yet they swallowed their anger and accepted the rules—how much less can the Xie family hope for?”

“Second brother, since the Liu family has already chosen a side, stop worrying whether the knife gets dirty—the dirtier it is, the more useful it becomes, and the less the Wei family will want to discard it.”

“But big brother, a dirty knife will always be thrown away someday.”

“It doesn’t matter. As long as that object can emerge, as long as it’s in our hands, even the dirtiest knife can be washed clean—and we may even have the chance to free the Liu family from the constraints of Longcheng, Jiangzhou, and even the Jiangnan Circuit, rising to become a new noble house of the Two Capitals!”

The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

The voice belonging to Liu Zian hesitated slightly:

“Then… they probably don’t know we’re helping the Wei family, right?”

If they knew, it wouldn’t be this calm—the first to come knocking would be those ladies of Yunmeng Sword Marsh.

“In the eyes of the court ministers, the most important thing in this tiny Longcheng County is none other than the family living on Luming Street; everyone assumes the main battlefield of the Wei dispute lies in Luoyang and Chang’an, yet they don’t realize this might be the decisive move…”

The voice of the young head of the family paused, then sighed:

“Second brother, the merit of supporting a rising power is immense. We’ve prepared for so many years—this overwhelming fortune depends entirely on whether we can seize it.”

“I… understand. Then let third brother go tomorrow—we can’t wait any longer. If the Liu family doesn’t strike back, if we keep enduring, it’ll be like hanging a sign that reads ‘Silver buried here.’”

“Exactly. And this Ouyang Lianghan—let’s see whether he’s a dog guarding the sheep or a wolf stealing the meat!”

…

Luming Street.

The street’s ends were packed so tightly not even a needle could slip through; heads surged like waves.

From the red walls and blue-tiled roofs of several wealthy squire residences, young ladies and maids from deep courtyards occasionally peeked out, curious and watching.

Yet in the bustling, crowded street, a large open space had been cleared before the county government office—the entire crowd’s focus now centered here.

Alongside the young county magistrate, the Longcheng assistant magistrate, registrar, and county captain had all arrived and taken their seats to listen.

The constables and clerks previously dispatched had also returned one by one with their captives.

“My lord, Hu Ji Yingniang has been brought back. I found her in a guest courtyard of the Su residence.”

“My lord, the intermediary Luo Er and Zhu, owner of Yuanming Tower, have been brought.”

Ouyang Rong’s gaze swept over the familiar Hu Ji, then turned to the other two.

Luo Er was a chubby youth wearing a futou and a round robe, his face timid.

Master Zhu was a middle-aged man with a scholarly merchant air; Ouyang Rong had once dealt with him during a fundraising banquet. Yuanming Tower was primarily managed by this Master Zhu, though it also held shares from other powerful merchants, including the Liu family.

The three entered and knelt to bow before the open space between Xie Ling and Liu Zilin.

Ouyang Rong slammed the gavel on the table, silencing the crowd, then spoke:

“You are Luo Er?”

“Your Excellency, I am the second son in my family; everyone calls me Luo Er.”

“Did you buy Hu Ji Yingniang from Master Zhu at Yuanming Tower?”

“Your Excellency, several days ago, I was entrusted by a noble patron to purchase Yingniang for a night pearl. Master Zhu and the officials of the Market Office can testify.” The pudgy youth bowed deeply.

“County Magistrate, Yingniang was indeed purchased by this Luo Er several days ago. The official contract and the pearl used in the transaction are here.” Master Zhu nodded and pulled something from his sleeve.

“Bring it up.”

“Yes.”

Yan Liulang took it and placed it on the magistrate’s desk. The young county magistrate glanced down, then passed it to the elderly market official to verify its authenticity. He then raised his voice to the crowd below:

“Luo Er, who gave you the pearl and sent you to Yuanming Tower to redeem her? Is he here? You must tell the truth—no concealment whatsoever. Every word spoken in this court is evidence.”

The young county magistrate’s face was cold and stern.

“He—he’s here.” Luo Er nodded like a chicken pecking grain.

Then the pudgy youth timidly glanced toward Xie and Liu, standing on either side.

Liu Zilin stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sky.

Xie Ling turned, frowning at the familiar pudgy youth. That day, he had brought Yingniang and Master Zhu to the Market Office to redeem her—she had watched from nearby. Later, she had been the first to examine the contract.

Silence fell over the crowd, as if everyone held their breath.

Luo Er looked at Xie Ling, pointing his finger toward her, whose expression had slightly softened.

The pudgy youth nodded firmly:

“My lord, I remember her—she’s the one who stole Master Liu’s Hu Ji yesterday. I was sent by Master Liu to redeem her at Yuanming Tower. We completed the transfer yesterday evening, and as soon as I stepped out of the Market Office, this thief snatched her away.”

The crowd erupted.

The grain merchants and local gentry exchanged glances, expressions varied.

The wave of noise surged from one end of the street to the other, thick as a physical force, causing Xie Ling’s slender frame to sway slightly, as if unsteady.

Liu Zilin smiled faintly toward the young county magistrate, who sat with his eyes lowered, staring silently at the documents before him.

Bang!

Another gavel strike.

“Silence!”

Ouyang Rong raised his head and asked seriously:

“Yingniang, you are the party involved. The Zhou Code does state that a slave must conceal for their master, but Luo Er is no longer your master. I ask you only: is what Luo Er said true? Were you forcibly taken?”

Yingniang knelt prostrate, timidly lifting her head, fear on her face. She glanced at Liu Zilin, whose back was turned to her, then at Xie Ling, who stared fixedly back at her.

The latter’s gaze held quiet hope and encouragement.

Yingniang opened her mouth, hesitated long, then lowered her head and slammed her forehead hard against the ground, whispering: “I… don’t know. I don’t know…”

Bang!

Ouyang Rong rose, frowned, and slammed the table hard. “Do you know or don’t you know? In this court, there is no room for stalling or jest!”

Yingniang trembled violently. At that moment, she caught sight of Liu Zilin seeming to turn around—she burst into sobs, wiping tears and wailing:

“He’s right! Luo Er is right! I… I was snatched away! By her! It was her who snatched me! I didn’t want to go—she dragged me away! My lord, please be my justice!”

The crowd’s noise surged again, uncontrollable.

The onlookers whispered among themselves.

But the Xie woman had stopped hearing any of it. In her ears now was only white noise; suddenly, the whole world felt quieter.

This setup… so this is how it was…

She could no longer face her senior brother.

Xie Ling, with her back to Ouyang Rong, closed her eyes and took a deep breath—then another… and another…

She opened her slightly reddened eyes, chin raised, gazing down coldly at the weeping Hu Ji, speaking slowly:

“Zhi Ying.”

“You came to me, weeping, saying you were constantly mistreated and feared the Liu family’s revenge.”

“You suggested having someone else buy you first, then redeem you, to avoid the Liu family’s notice.”

“You recommended the intermediary Luo Er, so I could safely give him my last valuable possession.”

“And you told me to come to the Market Office in the evening, saying your sale contract had been canceled, that you were free to leave with me…”

The Xie woman, deceived from start to finish, nodded calmly:

“I was wrong. I was wrong—because I believed everyone still had conscience.”

The next moment, she turned sharply and shouted to the crowd:

“But I did not steal anything! For those without conscience or shame are worthless—they aren’t even things!”

I was just foolish—I picked it back up.

The crowd fell utterly still.

The Hu Ji kneeling on the ground trembled.

Behind the magistrate’s desk, the young county magistrate stared silently at the frail, slender back before him.

He was no longer angry. This was his little junior sister.

…

(End of Chapter)