“Right now?” Zhongsun Mou stood up at once. “Let’s go.”

They strolled along the lakeshore into the city. Willows trailed in the breeze, and the air was cool and mild.

Baishajue caught the lake’s refreshing winds, so its temperature was naturally lower than elsewhere. It was famous far and wide as a summer retreat. Even in the height of the seventh month, walking by the water for a quarter hour would not leave you drenched in sweat.

Before long, they reached Tianxiang Tower.

It was one of Baishajue’s top taverns. It was so expensive that a single signature dish cost what an ordinary laborer might earn in two or three months.

Zhongsun Mou climbed the stairs, and sure enough, at the best window seat, he saw a familiar face.

It really was Cen Boqing.

Cen Boqing rose to greet him. After a round of pleasantries, they sat.

Fine dishes arrived in a steady stream.

Zhongsun Mou normally had little interest in human cuisine, and his expression stayed cool. However, what came to the table were sashimi and other costly delicacies. There was even a jade-green crab shipped from the seaside, countless kilometers away, then cured in yellow wine. When the diner lifted the lid and inhaled, the trembling crab roe looked like soft bean curd, yet carried that briny, ocean tang.

This was exactly Zhongsun Mou’s taste. He ate two before finally pausing and saying, “Not bad. I didn’t expect the State of Chiyan to have food like this.”

“Good food exists everywhere. It’s only a matter of price.”

They spoke for a while about matters of court and state. Then Zhongsun Mou asked Cen Boqing, “Your man didn’t just happen to run into me, did he?” Baishajue isn’t small. There’s no such thing as a random chance encounter like that.

He suspected it had something to do with the case he was investigating, especially since his clues had been gradually pointing toward the city’s northwest.

Zhongsun Mou felt a stab of regret.

Back then, he had heard the missing courier case had been handed to Fushan Yue, and he had deliberately inserted himself. It had been partly because he wanted a great merit, and partly because he wanted to watch Fushan Yue embarrass himself.

He had not expected to drag himself into the mud as well.

Cen Boqing set down his chopsticks and laughed politely. “How has your honored father been lately? I’ve heard the old man’s complexion has been improving day by day these past two years.”

Annoyance flashed in Zhongsun Mou’s eyes. These humans always love to speak in circles.

Cen Boqing was clearly reminding him of something.

“Brother Cen, if you have something to say, say it plainly.”

Cen Boqing sighed. “It’s like this...”

* * *

Three days later, He Lingchuan finally arrived in Baishajue.

Along the way, waterways strung together like beads, seas of grass rippled to the horizon, and when a hundred thousand gulls and egrets rose at once, they blotted out the sky. Wherever he looked, the scenery was stunning. Unfortunately, he had no time to stop and take it in.

The moment he reached Baishajue, He Lingchuan went straight to the county yamen with Jiao Yu to inform the local magistrate.

In unfamiliar territory, if you could borrow strength, you borrowed it. He was not the type who insisted on doing everything himself.

He had barely taken a seat in the county yamen when a servant brought tea, and he immediately excused himself to the latrine.

No one could stop him from doing that.

He walked alone beneath the shadow of the high wall. A tiny figure sprang down from the walltop and landed on his shoulder.

The eyeball spider, which had been sent out on assignment for days, had finally returned.

“Why are you here?” The moment He Lingchuan entered the yamen, he realized he could share vision with the eyeball spider again, so he had come to a secluded spot to receive it.

Shouldn’t this thing have been tailing Zhongsun Mou?

“What, you got discovered?”

“He tried to kill you? Oh, oh, yeah, that bastard deserves to die!”

“And in the three days you followed him, did you learn anything?” He Lingchuan could not help but dig a finger into his ear. The eyeball spider was furiously recounting its suffering, practically screaming into his ear.

“No, no, I’m not saying I don’t care about you. I’ll definitely avenge you later. Let me settle this first!”

The eyeball spider was still seething, but it remained dutiful and passed on its intelligence.

By the time He Lingchuan returned to the main hall, the Baishajue magistrate[1] had arrived and was speaking with Jiao Yu. When he saw He Lingchuan, he stepped forward immediately and bowed.

This man’s etiquette is even more elaborate than that of the magistrate of Baishi County. Just look at that deep bow. His fingertips nearly touched the floor.

If anything, he’s got an impressively flexible waist.

The Baishajue magistrate’s surname was Tian. He was pale and plump, with a broad, pentagonal face, and when he smiled, his eyes nearly vanished.

He Lingchuan could not help but wonder how someone with such a big belly could bend so low that he nearly touched the ground.

But now he adopted an official’s air, calm and inscrutable. To all the magistrate’s greetings and questions, he responded only with single syllables, “Mm,” “Ah,” or “Oh.”

He assumed the role perfectly, like an old veteran of the bureaucracy.

It was not until the Baishajue magistrate asked the question that really mattered that he finally stopped answering in single syllables.

“Special Envoy, are you here for the Lingxu City courier murder case?”

He Lingchuan was mildly surprised. “How do you know?” Then he immediately understood. “Oh, you’ve already met Zhongsun Mou?”

“Yes, yes. We met a few days ago.”

He Lingchuan sneered inwardly. A touring commissioner is supposed to travel incognito and observe the people, while Zhongsun Mou struts around flashing his token everywhere he goes. What kind of “observation” is that? It’s nothing but sightseeing with bullying on the side, and on the public dime at that.

The Baishajue magistrate smiled so deeply his nasolabial lines[2] creased. “Lord Zhongsun has already solved the case. The culprit has been captured and will be escorted to Lingxu City shortly.”

He was only a county magistrate of a vassal state. The other man was a touring commissioner from Lingxu City, someone who inspected officials across all states. This was not merely a matter of the other party ranking higher by one level.

Even mentioning him demanded full respect.

However, He Lingchuan’s shock was real. “What did you say? He caught the mastermind?”

After the eyeball spider was driven out, Zhongsun Mou had apparently cracked the case at lightning speed and seized the main culprit.

Since when was he that fast and capable?

Jiao Yu also rose, its tail twisting like a snake, clearly just as startled.

He Lingchuan snapped back to himself, and his questions came in a rapid volley, “When? Is the mastermind Mr. Mai’s superior? What’s his identity? Where is he staying? How did they catch him?”

“The investigation and arrest were not handled by this lowly official. I only know that Lord Zhongsun traced clues to the city’s northwest, confirmed the suspect’s movements, and made the arrest yesterday in one swift action.” The Baishajue County Magistrate added with admiration, “The capture went very smoothly. There was no damage, and no one else was harmed.”

He Lingchuan did not respond to that. He only turned to Jiao Yu. “What do you think?”

Jiao Yu shook its head. “Too strange.”

“Don’t underestimate the Touring Commissioner, maybe he really did snatch the true culprit before anyone could blink.” Then He Lingchuan asked the magistrate again, “So who exactly is this mastermind?”

“They interrogated him through the night. In Baishajue, he used the alias Fu Hua. His true name is Fu Songhua. On the surface, he’s a merchant, but in reality, he has several lives on his hands. He’s a fugitive Lingxu City has been hunting for many years,” the Baishajue County Magistrate said with deliberate care. “Beyond that, this lowly official does not know.”

He Lingchuan’s face went cold. His voice sharpened, and his presence suddenly became cutting.

“A murderous fugitive, wanted for years, was hiding in your county, and you claim you don’t know?”

The Baishajue County Magistrate stiffened. “This case is being handled by Lord Zhongsun. I truly can’t get a hand in—” A touring commissioner from Lingxu City can face monster kings without bowing or scraping. How can a mere county magistrate like me dare offend him?

“He’s from Lingxu City, not an official of the State of Chiyan, which means he’s still less your superior.” He Lingchuan’s tone was icy as he said, “So why did you let him trample jurisdiction and act with authority, and then speak as if it’s only natural? Or is it that you treat him as your elder while treating the State of Chiyan’s laws and authority as nothing?”

The Baishajue County Magistrate turned pale. “This lowly official would never dare! Lord Envoy, you speak too heavily!”

He was quick-witted. Immediately, he tossed the problem back, “This lowly official asked twice as well, but the Lord Touring Commissioner refused to hand the suspect over to me. I can’t touch the case files or dossiers, and it wouldn’t be proper to use force. P-please tell me what I should do?”

In other words: don’t just come to squeeze me. Tell me how you plan to solve it.

He Lingchuan stared at him. The magistrate felt as though that gaze were a sword piercing straight into his heart. The pressure climbed little by little until he was sitting on pins and needles.

“You have it easy as Baishajue’s county magistrate,” He Lingchuan said coolly. “You spend your days receiving guests and sending them off, making sure you offend no one.”

The county magistrate did not dare reply.

Baishajue had pleasant scenery, as well as warm winters and cool summers. High officials and nobles often came here to rest and recuperate. A tiny county magistrate had to face powerful people from every state every few days. If he were not flexible, could he keep this post?

“Where is Zhongsun Mou?”

The county magistrate checked the sky. It was only early afternoon. “He should be resting at Bailu Inn.”

“And the captive?”

The magistrate pointed behind him. “Also at Bailu Inn.”

“He’s actually keeping the suspect with him?” He Lingchuan gave a faint, humorless smile. “That’s how little he trusts you?”

Something stinks.

The county magistrate could only keep smiling.

“Did he only arrest one man?” He Lingchuan asked. “What about the other accomplices? Don’t tell me Zhongsun Mou brought everyone to the inn?”

“There are also several of the Fu Family’s guards and servants, one steward, one concubine, two managers, and three merchants who had close dealings with him. Lord Zhongsun didn’t take them to the inn. For now, they’re all being held in the county jail.”

“Now that makes sense.” He Lingchuan patted his clothes and stood. “Lead the way. I’m going to interrogate them.”

“Huh?” The magistrate froze, and then he met He Lingchuan’s eyes and immediately corrected himself. “Yes.”

This was his direct superior, after all. He Lingchuan’s warning still rang in his ears.

Besides, the prisoners were in his county jail. What local magistrate could not interrogate prisoners in his own custody?

Baishajue’s jail was like every other jail. It was dark and damp, with rats and insects marching in and out as if in formation.

The magistrate led He Lingchuan and Jiao Yu inside and gestured at a whole row of cells.

“These are all accomplices in Fu Songhua’s case. Which one would you like to question?”

He Lingchuan scanned them. Several women, likely female relatives and servants, were held in one cell. As for the men, they were divided among three cells.

“Let’s start with the women. Didn’t you say he has a concubine?”

The concubine’s surname was Li.

When Li was brought out for a private interrogation, she cried innocence nonstop at He Lingchuan. She was around seventeen or eighteen. Even with tears streaming down her face, her beauty was hard to hide.

“I was sold to the master—ah, sold to Fu Songhua when I was only fourteen. I didn’t know anything!” Li sobbed. “I didn’t know he was a fugitive, and I didn’t know he’d killed people!”

He Lingchuan leaned back. “Has anyone interrogated you before?”

“Y-yes, once. A few gentlemen questioned me, but they didn’t seem like people from the yamen.”

At the side, the magistrate hurried to explain, “The Lord Touring Commissioner’s guards interrogated Lady Li once.”

“You were present the entire time?”

“Uh...”

The Baishajue magistrate’s back broke out in sweat again. Is it just me, or is it really hot in the jail today?

He Lingchuan snorted and ignored him. He turned back to Lady Li. “What did they ask?”

From Li’s answers, He Lingchuan learned that they had only asked bland, generic questions such as how long she had been with Fu, who Fu usually dealt with, and where he went.

It all sounded like routine procedure.

1. It’s possible that Baishajue is a county, at least based on this line, but I’m not exactly sure as the name of the place itself doesn’t really give it away. ☜

2. These are commonly referred to as smile lines, and they appear by your nose and lips, hence the combination of nasal (nose) and labial (lips) :) Comment if you smiled. ☜