The esteemed imperial censor, who was quite confident in her own beauty, hurried downstairs and happily said to Xie Yu, “Since you’ve returned to the capital, why didn’t you go home?”
Ma Bing’s gaze shifted repeatedly between the two faces, surprised to find a notable resemblance.
Noticing her gaze, the other man asked Xie Yu, “This young lady…”
Though simply dressed, she had bright eyes and an elegant, likable demeanor.
Before he could finish speaking, Xie Yu waved dismissively at Yuanpei, directly ordering, “You take everyone back to the Kaifeng Prefecture first.”
Yuanpei bowed to Xie Xian and pulled Ma Bing away.
After walking quite a distance, Ma Bing couldn’t help but look back, asking, “Who was that official?”
Yuanpei replied, “That’s Qingwu Marquis Xie Xian, the princess’s husband, and our superior’s father.”
He was also the renowned beauty who had won top honors in the imperial examination years ago, and who had been chosen by Princess Ningde and happily taken as her husband.
“Eh?” Ma Bing was surprised.
She had previously suspected that Xie Yu must come from a noble family, but she hadn’t expected the truth to be even more incredible than she imagined.
Men like him were destined for a life of wealth and luxury from the moment they were born. Why would he not indulge in pleasures like drinking and revelry, but instead choose to work at the Kaifeng Prefecture?
Yuanpei seemed even more surprised, “You’ve been at the Kaifeng Prefecture for a whole day and didn’t know this?”
Ma Bing answered confidently, “Why must I know?”
Yuanpei: “Uh…”
He couldn’t think of a rebuttal.
“The imperial censor,” Ma Bing, recalling the previous scene, asked curiously, “is someone who constantly complains to the emperor?”
Yuanpei: “…”
What kind of description was that?!
But if he thought about it carefully, it actually seemed to be exactly that.
Ma Bing exclaimed, “Then that must make them particularly hated, right?”
Yuanpei nodded in agreement, “Indeed.”
The imperial censors monitored all officials and could even correct the emperor’s mistakes at critical moments. In essence, their job was to offend people.
Though such scenes didn’t happen every day, famous censors throughout history often encountered similar situations. The capital city was filled with princes and aristocrats whose influence was deeply entrenched, so much so that a single tug could set off a chain reaction. Officials like the imperial censors and the Kaifeng Prefect were often seen as thorns in others’ eyes, and people would go to great lengths to remove them. Those with shallow roots often couldn’t survive until retirement.
Therefore, most people in these positions came from powerful families, so their opponents dared not act recklessly against them.
However, just because they didn’t dare to act didn’t mean they did nothing.
If they couldn’t kill or injure them, at least they could verbally abuse them, right?
There had even been cases where people couldn’t resist physically attacking imperial censors!
Just recalling those scenes of literati verbally sparring, exposing each other’s secrets without uttering a single dirty word, Yuanpei couldn’t help but shudder.
Indeed, scholars could kill without using a blade, merely with their words.
*********
It had been a long time since Xie Xian had seen his son entering and exiting with a young lady, and he watched Ma Bing’s retreating figure for a while before asking, “That young lady… what happened to your eyes?”
In fact, Xie Yu’s eyes had almost completely recovered, with only a slight redness at the corner. Unless one looked closely, it was hardly noticeable.
But parents were magical beings who could always detect changes in their children immediately.
Xie Yu replied vaguely, “I just got something in my eye by accident. It’s nothing.”
He didn’t want Xie Xian to continue questioning, so he gripped his sword hilt and looked upstairs, asking, “Who was that person just now?”
Does he want to die?!
Seeing his son’s protective attitude, Xie Xian felt a warm satisfaction in his heart and waved his hand magnanimously, “Just some insignificant person. No need to worry about them.”
There were countless people who hated him; what was that young man in comparison? It was just because he had impeached the young man’s father, so the son came to show off his courage.
Well then, since his son had returned, he shouldn’t continue being the villain.
Hmm, tomorrow at court, he would impeach the man for “failing to discipline his son, publicly insulting an imperial official, humiliating the princess, and showing contempt for imperial authority”!
Since his son had official duties and couldn’t be delayed, Xie Xian ordered someone to bring their horses, and father and son rode side by side toward the Kaifeng Prefecture.
“Why is there another case?”
Xie Yu nodded, “A ruffian died.”
Objectively speaking, the death of a ruffian was actually insignificant, and there might even be many commoners who would applaud. But since it happened within the jurisdiction of the Kaifeng Prefecture, an explanation was necessary.
The road leading to the Kaifeng Prefecture was named Xuanwu Road, one of the four main streets in the city. Shops lined the street, making it very lively.
The imperial court convened every other day, and it was not yet the hour of Si, so many officials who had the day off were already out looking for food. Along the way, Xie Xian greeted countless colleagues.
“These are troubled times!” Xie Xian shook his head. “I’ve heard about the Xu Maocai case too. It does seem a bit tricky. Springtime makes people prone to internal heat; remember to have someone prepare some cooling tea for you.”
Xu Maocai’s son had gone mad publicly at a literary gathering, startling the emperor and prompting many people to impeach him. Additionally, some citizens who had heard about the situation came forward to report that Xu Maocai had tacitly allowed his son to act tyrannically outside, seizing people’s farmland. Anyone who wanted to appeal to the Kaifeng Prefecture was blocked by people from the local government… the local people had long suffered under Xu’s oppression.
The Xu Maocai matter was relatively straightforward; as long as someone was sent to investigate in Ning’an Prefecture, it could be resolved. However, after several days of trial, Xu Lang couldn’t explain where the Wu Shisan powder came from, only claiming he had found it on the road.
Who would believe that?
Now that Wu Shisan was banned, it was said to have been secretly sold at exorbitant prices on the black market. Who would throw it away carelessly?
That sounded even more absurd than picking up silver coins at the imperial treasury’s gate.
Xie Yu nodded in agreement and, sensing further implications in his words, asked, “These troubled times—you mean there’s another case?”
Inside the food establishment, people came and went constantly. The ovens for roasting Hu cakes, the steaming baskets for buns, and the pots for noodles were all in continuous use. As soon as one dish was served, another was quickly prepared.
The weather was still a bit chilly, but the kitchen workers had taken off their tops, their strong muscles glistening with sweat. Many young women couldn’t help but steal glances.
Thick steam rolled out from the doors and windows of the food shop, silently and swiftly covering half the street. From a distance, it looked like a fairyland.
Father and son emerged from this fairyland, their hair and clothes carrying a faint scent of everyday life.
Xie Xian waved away the mist in front of him, “You weren’t in the capital a few days ago, so you don’t know. A strange and shocking incident happened in Liang Prefecture…”
About half a year ago, the grave of a deceased local gentry in Liang Prefecture was dug up, and his corpse was hung on a tree outside the city. A white banner made from blood was hung alongside the body, bearing the words [Broken promises, worse than pigs and dogs].
The local authorities were greatly shocked but, despite two months of investigation, found nothing. Helplessly, they reported the case up the chain, eventually reaching the Kaifeng Prefecture.
Once the memorial was submitted, the entire court was in an uproar, and the emperor immediately issued an edict ordering a thorough investigation.
Xie Yu was surprised, “Could such a thing actually happen?”
Xie Xian nodded, “Indeed.”
The gentry in question was no ordinary citizen. During his lifetime, he had served as a prefect of a region, holding a rank that allowed him to attend imperial banquets. A few years ago, he retired and returned home, reportedly doing many good deeds and enjoying a good reputation. Now, suddenly facing such a calamity, all the court officials were shocked.
If the matter wasn’t thoroughly investigated, where would the emperor’s face, the court’s dignity, and the officials’ honor be?
When they parted at the entrance of the Kaifeng Prefecture, Xie Xian looked at his son and said, “If you’re too busy with official duties, it’s fine not to come home. Just be sure to take good care of yourself. I’ll have someone send you some of your favorite marinated goose later. Have a cup of Yu Qin wine with it at night, and you’ll sleep better.”
Xie Yu was secretly moved when his father suddenly touched his face, speaking in a tone of someone with experience, “A good sleep prevents wrinkles.”
Xie Yu: “…”
Then he heard Xie Xian, not giving up, add, “That girl just now…”
Xie Yu replied coldly, “A suspect!”
Xie Xian nodded, “A suspect? A suspect?!”
The Kaifeng Prefecture had many departments and occupied a large area, roughly divided into central and eastern and western courtyards. The western courtyards were where civil officials like the deputy magistrate and judge lived and worked daily, while the eastern courtyards were used by military officials led by Xie Yu, with the prison connected at the rear.
The central axis housed the courtrooms, reception areas, and places for storing documents and records, along with the Kaifeng Prefecture’s own clinic, pharmacy, and kitchen.
Hu Ping had just returned from raiding an underground gambling den, tying up a group of people like dumplings on a string, filling the courtyard completely.
Xie Yu asked a few brief questions and then went to see Tu Yao.
After hearing the details, Tu Yao was somewhat surprised, “According to what you’ve said, that Ma girl is indeed quite talented.”
Wouldn’t it be a shame to let such talent go to waste?
Xie Yu nodded, “Yes.”
Tu Yao asked him to sit down and pushed a plate of pastries toward him, “Your aunt made these just now; they’re still warm. Try them.”
Xie Yu looked and saw that they were exactly his aunt’s specialty—three-treasure pastries and red bean square cakes. He smiled and indeed went to wash his hands in the copper basin before sitting down to eat.
The three-treasure pastries had a flaky crust made with lard, filled with minced meat, ham, and fresh shrimp. After baking, the crust was golden and crispy, glistening with oil, while the inside was savory and delicious without being greasy.
These pastries were meat-based and only the size of a baby’s fist, easy to eat in two bites without getting one’s clothes dirty, making them the most suitable snack for working.
The red bean square cakes were made by pressing refined red bean paste into glutinous rice flour, then using a mold to shape them into delicate, square forms. After steaming, the outer skin faintly revealed the colors inside, following the mold’s pattern, making them very beautiful.
The flavor of the square cakes was elegant yet rich. At first bite, they didn’t seem particularly outstanding, but they left a lingering fragrance in the mouth, making one want to eat more.
Xie Yu slowly ate a few pastries and drank a bowl of Baizhen tea before hearing Tu Yao say, “I sense you have something more to say. Go ahead and tell me.”
Xie Yu also knew he couldn’t hide anything from him. After a brief hesitation, he said, “Regarding the matter of Wu Shisan, perhaps Xu Lang wasn’t lying.”
Tu Yao thought the same. Otherwise, it would be impossible for them to find no results at all in the interrogation.
“Do you have any clues?”
Xie Yu took a handkerchief and slowly wiped his fingers, “I suspect someone.”
Tu Yao was startled and quickly understood his meaning, “That Ma girl?”
Xie Yu said, “Xu Maocai is obsessed with official titles, so his words aren’t reliable. But Xu Lang is a fool, and those around him are also not cunning. They were separated for questioning early on, so there was no chance to conspire beforehand…”
Therefore, what they said should be true.
Xu Lang had been arrogant outside, but he didn’t last long against the Kaifeng Prefecture. Without even using torture, he spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
He had used Wu Shisan three years ago but was discovered by Xu Maocai, who was furious. He beat Xu Lang half to death and even found an excuse to destroy a Taoist temple secretly producing Wu Shisan, pocketing the money the temple had accumulated.
Without a source and tightly controlled, Xu Lang had been well-behaved for two years.
But about a month ago, he accidentally found a pack of Wu Shisan!
People who had used it before might give up if they couldn’t get more, but once they encountered it again, their bodies would automatically recall the ecstatic, dreamlike, heavenly sensations they had experienced before…
“Xu Lang’s usual haunts are all traceable. Recently, he hasn’t met any suspicious people. I asked Xu Maocai before, and in the past six months, only one stranger had visited the Xu household—Ma Bing.”
It wasn’t surprising that Xu Lang relapsed into using Wu Shisan, and it wasn’t strange that a doctor visited the Xu household. But precisely when that doctor came, Xu Lang ‘found’ the Wu Shisan—wasn’t that worth further investigation?
Doctors were among the people who might know how to produce Wu Shisan.
(These two pastries are both real historical dishes. They are selected from “Complete Collection of Chinese Pastries” published by Shanghai Science and Technology Press.)
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