Ah Long’s mind went completely blank, and only after quite a while did he barely regain his senses.
N-no, this wouldn’t do. Even if a dog official looked like an immortal descended from heaven, inside he would still be full of rotten black heart and foul lungs. He absolutely could not be deceived by appearances!
Ah Long deeply lowered his head and vigorously shook it, cursing “dog official” over and over in his heart to strengthen his resolve. At the same time, he developed deep admiration for Zhao Baozhu. Old Master’s temperament truly differed from ordinary people’s. He could actually resist being misled by appearances and steadfastly see through the dog official’s poisonous heart. Sure enough, his own cultivation was still insufficient, he had shifted his loyalties so easily.
Meanwhile, Zhao Baozhu had been holding his salute for quite some time, yet still had not heard any permission to rise.
He had expected this too. This Prefect was colluding with criminals; calling him here this time was for the purpose of questioning him, so naturally a display of authority had to come first.
Zhao Baozhu sneered inwardly. His arms remained steadily raised, his etiquette flawless, and he simply stood there quietly.
There was not a single human sound in the courtroom. The air carried the chill of autumn, mixed with a cold fragrance that drifted to Zhao Baozhu’s nose. The more he smelled it, the stranger it seemed. Suspicion gradually rose in his heart, why did this incense smell so much like the kind Young Master always used?
The next moment, a disturbance suddenly sounded from outside. It seemed as if someone had been kicked while struggling, overturning a flowerpot. Amid the sharp crash came the clerk’s terrified shout: “What are you doing?! My Lord, My Lord, mmph!”
The instant Zhao Baozhu heard the commotion, his heart tightened. He very much wanted to turn around and look. But since his superior had not permitted him to rise, he dared not move, and could only prick up his ears and pay attention to the sounds outside.
What was happening? Could it be that infighting had broken out inside the prefectural yamen?
Yet just then, a voice suddenly came from above: “County Magistrate Zhao.”
Three cold, indifferent words.
The two arms Zhao Baozhu held before him trembled violently, as if a clap of thunder had exploded beside his ears. He almost didn’t think at all before lifting his head.
Zhao Baozhu’s gaze shot straight toward the high platform, abruptly meeting a pair of eyes cold as frost and snow.
The person he longed for day and night was at this moment seated upright behind the official desk, dressed in a black official robe patterned with flying cranes, jade-white face and starry eyes, a jade thumb ring worn upon his pale, slender right hand as it tapped against the desk again and again.
Zhao Baozhu looked as if struck by lightning, mouth open yet unable to make a sound.
The person above lowered his eyes to look at him, neither sorrowful nor joyful upon his face, like a jade statue. His gaze lingered upon Zhao Baozhu’s stunned face for a moment before he calmly said: “County Magistrate Zhao, when first paying respects to this official, according to law you should kneel.”
Zhao Baozhu heard those words, and yet seemed not to hear them. His consciousness was dazed and drifting, half his body on the ground, the other half floating in the air.
Standing behind Zhao Baozhu, Ah Long grew anxious at the sight. Still kneeling, he reached out and tugged at Zhao Baozhu’s robe corner, urgently whispering: “Old Master, Old Master, the dog official’s telling you to kneel.”
In his moment of panic, he spoke without thinking and let the words “dog official” slip out too. He anxiously wondered how Old Master had been perfectly fine just now, yet had now also become so spineless! Could it be he too had been bewitched by that dog official’s appearance?
Only then did Zhao Baozhu come back to himself. His gaze fixed deeply upon the face of the person above. Light shifted within his catlike eyes. His lips trembled, and after a long while, he barely forced out several words: “Th-this subordinate was discourteous.”
Having said that, he immediately lowered his eyes, bent his knees, and was just about to kneel.
Yet before even the hem of his robe touched the ground, he heard the cold voice of the man above once again: “Rise.”
Zhao Baozhu’s movement halted. By now his mind had already turned into a complete muddle. One command, one action. Hearing the order, he obediently stood back up again, standing in place like a helpless child, head lowered, not knowing what to say.
And Ah Long, poor Ah Long, had been frightened silly by this whole exchange of official back-and-forth. He neither knew whether to stand nor kneel, glancing one moment at the cold-faced dog official upon the high platform, the next at Zhao Baozhu, who stood silent without speaking. That tiny brain of his was practically smoking.
Could it be that all officials spoke like this?
Thinking he had understood the hidden mystery, Ah Long indignantly thought: this dog official says one sentence and then leaves people hanging to the side for ages. Truly vicious.
And he kept staring at their old master too, who knew what he was looking at. So annoying!
Ah Long deliberately picked out faults in his heart and viciously cursed the dog official for a while. In the end, though, he still stood up and hid behind Zhao Baozhu.
He watched that dog official staring at his master. There seemed to be a trace of restrained anger on his face as his thin lips parted slightly and he coldly said: “Do you have nothing to say to me?”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu’s body immediately trembled. Then he abruptly raised his head, his catlike eyes opened wide as though unwilling to miss even the slightest detail while he stared intently at Ye Jinghua’s face.
He seemed thinner, Zhao Baozhu thought.
Though the two had only been apart for several months, Zhao Baozhu had long prepared himself for the possibility that he might never see this person again for the rest of his life. Thus, suddenly seeing the one in his heart appear vividly before his eyes, he felt as though ages had passed, as if he were dreaming. He did not even dare rejoice too much, afraid that if he forgot himself for even a moment, the person before him would suddenly disperse like the moon reflected upon water.
His breathing grew rapid, his chest tightened, his throat choked with emotion. His chest rose and fell several times before he finally managed to say one sentence: “Young… how is it that my lord is here?”
His mind had tied itself into knots, and he only corrected himself halfway through speaking, causing the words that came out to sound disjointed and nonsensical. The moment Ah Long heard it, cold sweat broke out across his back, and he practically buried his head into his chest. My master! No matter how much resentment you hold in your heart, how could you dare speak like this?!
To ask a Prefect why he was here? Th-this wasn’t that practically threatening to dismiss him from office?
Yet the next moment, he heard the dog official’s voice ring out like clashing gold and jade: “Why am I here?”
The dog official’s tone was calm, yet sounded strangely unpleasant: “That question should be asked of Lord Zhao yourself.”
When Ah Long heard this, he frowned, the astonishment in his heart increasing several more degrees. Why did those words sound… sound so sarcastic? It didn’t sound like a superior reprimanding a subordinate at all. Rather, it sounded more like he was throwing a tantrum.
Lost and confused, he turned to glance at Zhao Baozhu, only to see that Zhao Baozhu looked equally bewildered, staring with wide eyes and unable to say a single thing: “Th-this… I… no, this subordinate–”
Before he could even finish his sentence, noise suddenly erupted outside. Turning his head, Ah Long saw a tall man lifting the curtain and walking in from outside.
The man stood eight chi tall, clad in silver armor with a treasured sword at his waist, dressed like a military officer. As he entered the hall, he lifted his eyes and immediately saw Zhao Baozhu. He paused slightly in surprise before smiling and saying: “This must be County Magistrate Zhao.”
Zhao Baozhu turned back around and nodded blankly. “Precisely so. May I ask who this lord is–”
The man laughed heartily and clasped his fists toward Zhao Baozhu. “I am a Commandant of the Liaodong Division, named Lan Shuo. I have come under orders from the Governor of Liaodong to apprehend the criminal You Qian.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu was overjoyed, and his eyes immediately brightened several degrees. “So it is Commandant Lan. Then does this mean, the Lord Governor did read my letter?”
Lan Shuo smiled faintly and nodded. Then he turned his head and said: “Fortunately Brother Liu rode day and night to present the evidence your lordship gathered to the Governor. Otherwise, we all would still be kept in the dark! Please rest assured, my lord, the Governor will certainly memorialize this matter to His Majesty. When that time comes, that You Qian absolutely will not escape punishment.”
Listening to this string of words, Zhao Baozhu’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, excitement even bringing color to his cheeks. “Is it truly so? Th-this is wonderful indeed. I ask Commandant Lan to convey my profound thanks to the Governor.”
Lan Shuo smiled and nodded. Then he turned his head and beckoned outside. A group of soldiers entered carrying the tightly bound clerk, along with a richly dressed man and woman behind him.
At a glance, Zhao Baozhu recognized the man and woman as Elder Brother You Qian and his wife of the You family. The two clearly hated Zhao Baozhu to the bone, glaring furiously as they were escorted inside. Yet before they could look for more than a few moments, someone struck them sharply at the temple with a sword hilt.
“Insolence!”
A crisp male voice rang out. Zhao Baozhu raised his eyes and saw Shanyi standing behind the pair, looking down at them from above. “You dogs and thieves dare still show disrespect even with death approaching? Be careful, or I’ll gouge out your eyes!”
Only then did You Qian and his wife lower their eyes and no longer dare say anything.
“Brother Liu!” Seeing Shanyi, Zhao Baozhu was overjoyed, and a smile immediately appeared upon his face.
Shanyi lifted his head and smiled back at him. “My lord, this humble one has not failed his mission.”
Lan Shuo raised a hand and heartily slapped Shanyi on the shoulder. “Though Brother Liu is young, he’s extremely brave. The moment we arrived, he personally rushed in and captured that You Qian himself. I’d say his skills are even more nimble than some of the men under my command.”
Having said this, he had just lowered his hand when he turned his head and added: “Ah, Lord Prefect, I’ll leave these two criminals in your hands for disposal.”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu froze and abruptly turned his head, only to discover that Ye Jinghua had somehow come to stand behind him. Lan Shuo had been speaking to him.
The instant Zhao Baozhu saw Ye Jinghua, his gaze stuck fast upon his face and refused to move away. While looking at him, he also distractedly thought about Lan Shuo’s words.
Lord Prefect? Who?
Zhao Baozhu stared at Ye Jinghua in a daze, only then realizing that he wore an official hat and official robes. His eyes flickered suddenly, and his long, thick lashes trembled.
Young Master had become the Prefect?
He opened his mouth in astonishment. Yet before he could sort out the situation in his mind one by one, he saw Ye Jinghua nod, then turn his face slightly and calmly instruct: “Throw them into prison.”
The moment he gave the order, several sturdy young men immediately appeared from all corners of the prefectural residence and escorted You Qian and his wife away with twisted arms. Zhao Baozhu watched them leave, noticing that these men were not wearing the uniforms of yamen soldiers, but rather the clothing of servants from the Ye household.
These were likely people Ye Jinghua had brought from the Ye estate. Zhao Baozhu let out a breath of relief. He had always believed in the saying that those above set the example for those below. Since the former Prefect had been that sort of person, these government soldiers absolutely could not be lightly trusted.
Seeing this, Lan Shuo nodded and added: “As for Chen Si…”
Chen Si was precisely the name of the Qingzhou Prefect. Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu’s heart stirred, and he raised his eyes hopefully toward Ye Jinghua. Could it be that not only the villain You, but even that Prefect would also be dealt with by the Governor?
Ye Jinghua lowered his eyes slightly. “Commandant Lan, please report back to the Governor on my behalf and grant me a little time to thoroughly investigate the yamen. At that time, I shall present both the criminals and the evidence together.”
Hearing this, Lan Shuo nodded in satisfaction. “Naturally, naturally.”
Ye Jinghua raised his eyes again and said: “Please also inform the Governor of one more thing. I ask that he delay memorializing the matter for the time being. The criminals have already been detained, so there is now some room to breathe. Once I have fully cleaned up the yamen and properly organized all the evidence, then memorializing everything together to His Majesty will allow both the preceding events and aftermath to be clearly explained.”
After hearing these words, Lan Shuo pondered briefly and found the suggestion highly beneficial. “That’s even better. As expected, Lord Prefect’s considerations are thorough. Please rest assured, I will definitely deliver your message.” After speaking, he glanced outside. “It’s getting late as well. Since this matter has now been settled, I’ll return to camp.”
Ye Jinghua said: “Commandant Lan came from afar to render aid. I cannot express my gratitude enough.” After speaking, he lowered his eyes and raised a hand toward Lan Shuo, signaling for him to go first. “I shall escort Commandant Lan out.”
Lan Shuo was extremely pleased. Seeing Ye Jinghua treat him with such courtesy, he felt greatly satisfied inside. After all, this Prefect was no ordinary local official, but the newly crowned top scholar of the imperial examinations, son of the current Prime Minister, and younger brother of the Imperial Noble Consort, the Emperor’s own brother-in-law! To receive such regard from a young noble of this stature, Lan Shuo left full of smiles and springtime pride.
Meanwhile, Zhao Baozhu and the others were left inside the room. He watched Ye Jinghua’s departing figure all the way to the doorway, utterly at a loss for what to do.
Only after quite some time did Zhao Baozhu withdraw his gaze, and only then did he realize Shanyi was looking at him with an extremely strange expression.
Zhao Baozhu immediately felt awkward, his cheeks reddening. “Brother Liu.”
Shanyi looked at him, then at the doorway outside, frowned, and walked over. “My lord, what exactly is going on? How did Second Young Master Ye end up here?”
Zhao Baozhu himself was equally bewildered. “I don’t know either, ” He looked toward Shanyi. “The moment I arrived, Young Master was already here. Where is the original Prefect?”
Hearing the way he addressed Ye Jinghua, Shanyi paused slightly before continuing: “I went together with Commandant Lan to apprehend the villain You. Who would have thought that halfway there we would happen to encounter Second Young Master Ye’s carriage? They said he had come to take office. The moment Second Young Master Ye entered, he had the original Prefect detained.”
So Young Master truly had come to take office.
Zhao Baozhu’s lips parted slightly, yet his expression grew even more confused. How could this be? Young Master was the top scholar; at this time he should have been serving in the Hanlin Academy. How had he instead been sent out as the Prefect of Qingzhou?
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