Chapter 108 The Qi-Liang Boundary (Twenty) This secret concerns Qi Xuyun...

Shortly after finishing their meal, the three of them had tea in Xu Bai's study. Jiu Li asked Yu Qi what he had been thinking about. Yu Qi glanced at Xu Bai while holding his tea and gave a perfunctory answer. Jiu Li understood and didn't ask any further questions. He went behind the desk and casually flipped through a shelf of books on the wall.

As Jiuli turned to a book, a bookmark rolled out with a thud. Just as she bent down to pick it up, she heard Yu Qi say coldly from his chair, "Who told you to rummage through other people's things like that?"

She mumbled something, not daring to argue. Xu Bai got up and walked to the desk, deliberately smiling, "It's alright, you can look through it if you want. Why are we being so formal? It's just that I don't have any medical books for you to look through, mostly historical records, which are a bit boring."

Yu Qi turned his head and glanced at his back, his eyes fixed on Jiu Li. Seeing his stern gaze, Jiu Li had no choice but to put the book down on the table and said a few polite words to Xu Bai, "Even if you don't mind, I can't just go through your things."

As she spoke, she placed the bookmark on the book as well. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a long, soft bamboo strip with the phrase "One should be a hero in life" engraved at the top, a line from Li Qingzhao; the bottom was carved with half a fan, the surface painted grass green. The phrase was a bit superfluous, but otherwise, it was exceptionally well-made.

Seeing that she was staring at it, Xu Bai picked up the bookmark and handed it to her, saying, "This was made by my mother. You can take it if you like."

Suddenly, Yu Qi coughed. Jiu Li looked up at his face, but he didn't look at her. He just slowly blew on his tea. Although she took the bookmark, she smiled and shook her head, "I don't want it. I'll just look at it."

Not knowing who he was talking to, Xu Bai turned to look at Yu Qi and smiled, "Even if we don't get married, we've known each other for a while and worked on several cases together. Even if we're not husband and wife, we're still kindred spirits. Shouldn't we stop growing apart?"

Yu Qi smiled faintly from behind, "I dare not accept such praise, Yu'er is not very knowledgeable about music."

Jiuli had never heard him make such a silly joke before, and she found it both funny and infuriating. She pouted and said, "It's all because you won't let me learn."

"It's more important to learn more characters, read some medical books, treat illnesses, and make money." Yu Qi glanced at him coldly. "Why bother learning those useless things? You're young and don't know. There are some scholars in the world who use so-called elegant tricks like writing, playing the zither, and composing poetry to deceive those silly girls, calling them 'soulmates'."

Xu Bai remained silent for a moment, but finally couldn't help but let out a soft, cold laugh. "Does the relationship between men and women necessarily involve only private affairs and secret conversations, and can there be no open and honest friendship? For example, when you treat female patients, there are bound to be times when you undress and get close to them. Are you thinking about frivolous things at those times?"

Jiuli wholeheartedly agreed and couldn't help but nod vigorously at him.

Yu Qi, rarely left speechless by him, put down his teacup and gave a lukewarm laugh, "Lord Qi has suddenly become quite eloquent."

Xu Bai remained silent, only turning his back to Jiu Li with a smile, his gaze filled with aggression and provocation, as if he were deliberately opposing Yu Qi. Jiu Li smiled inwardly as well. Having two men vying for her attention was the best way to satisfy a woman's vanity, and she was no exception. She lowered her head and tucked the bookmark into the book, pretending not to notice the tense atmosphere between them.

Xu Bai didn't dare to provoke Yu Qi too much. He had been slapped by him before and knew that Yu Qi had killed people in the entire mansion back then, and had managed to escape the capital with Jiu Li under the investigation of the Censorate. Now, he could naturally kill him without anyone noticing.

Therefore, the three remained strangely silent. The study was quiet, except for the sound of the wind rustling through the autumn trees outside, and then a series of resounding footsteps approaching.

Du Zhong and Zhang Da rushed back. When they entered and saw Xu Bai there, they swallowed back the words they were about to say. Yu Qi glanced at Xu Bai and secretly smiled, "Just say what you have to say. Lord Qi is the official in charge of this case and the person involved. There's no need to hide it from him."

Zhang Da looked puzzled. He had first said he would keep it from Xu Bai, but now he wasn't. His change of heart was faster than flipping through a book. Du Zhong, on the other hand, was a little clearer. When he saw Jiu Li standing behind the desk, he figured that she and Xu Bai had angered Yu Qi again, so he changed his mind and decided to let Xu Bai know about the messy affairs of the Qi family, so that he would be in a difficult position.

He hurried over to Yu Qi and said, "We followed that scoundrel Fan Yi to a money exchange, where he exchanged a full two hundred taels of silver! After exchanging it, he immediately went home. It turns out he has a wife, children, and parents at home. We also ran into Aunt Guan on the street. According to what she heard, Fan Yi neither gambles nor frequents brothels, and he's not a womanizer at all. He was probably having an affair with the eldest mistress just for those two hundred taels of silver."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai hurriedly went to Zhang Da and asked, "Why did Fan Yi ask my sister-in-law for two hundred taels of silver?"

Zhang Da smiled apologetically, "We don't know either, sir. Please don't worry, we're investigating."

What exactly is Fan Yi's private relationship with my sister-in-law?

“At first we suspected that the eldest mistress and that Taoist priest had an affair.” Jiuli came out from around the table and comforted him, “But if that Taoist priest is not lustful, we are probably wrong. The eldest mistress gave him money for something else.”

"What's up?"

Jiuli smiled, her hands clasped behind her back. "We don't know either. What do you think your sister-in-law might have that Taoist priest has incriminating evidence against her?"

Xu Bai turned and paced around the room. "What could he possibly have on my sister-in-law? My sister-in-law is gentle and kind, she has never done anything to hide, and I've never even heard a word of gossip about her, although—"

Jiuli walked over to him. "Although she and your older brother are somewhat estranged, isn't that right?"

Xu Bai looked slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

“I can tell whether a couple is close or not at a glance.” Jiuli staggered as she sat down smugly on the chair next to Yu Qi, gently patting the armrest. “But it’s strange, if their relationship isn’t deep, why doesn’t your elder brother take a concubine? How many years have they been married?”

Xu Bai sighed, "They've been married for five years, but they didn't have any children for the first few years. My wife mentioned several times that my elder brother should take a concubine, but he refused. He said that he and my sister-in-law were still young, and having children was just a matter of time, so there was no need to rush. The year before last, my wife pressed him a bit harder, but he still refused. Fortunately, they had a daughter not long after. My wife saw that there was nothing wrong with their health, and that having a son was only a matter of time, so she didn't bring it up much anymore."

Yu Qi suddenly interjected, "Does Qi Xuyun have any mistresses outside?"

"Absolutely not! My elder brother is not lustful; he only goes to brothels occasionally for social occasions."

Yu Qi smiled but remained silent.

"We've all lived in Nanjing for so many years, and we've never heard of any romantic escapades involving Master Qi." Zhang Da hesitated for a long time before finally forcing a smile. "Sir, do you think it's possible that Madam had something going on—something your family doesn't know about, but Fan Yi happened to see it? Is that why he extorted two hundred taels of silver from Madam?"

Xu Bai was speechless and paced back and forth in the room. Just then, a servant came and asked him to go to Xu Yun's study. Upon hearing this, Yu Qi took the opportunity to say goodbye. Xu Bai wanted to see him off, but Yu Qi waved his hand, and so they left the study and went their separate ways.

Upon reaching the gate, Yu Qi specifically asked Tan Chu Shi about him. The three gatekeepers said he was waiting for his work in the gatehouse next door. Yu Qi went to the gatehouse and indeed found Tan Chu Shi lying there asleep. He then ordered Zhang Da to call him to the gate.

Tan Chu Shi came down from the doorway, scratching his head, looking uneasy. "You don't really think I killed someone, do you?"

Zhang Da feigned ferocity, grabbing his collar. "Now you're scared? Didn't you pretend to be the one who killed him?!"

"I, I was—"

"You're just showing off! Of all the things to pretend to do, why pretend to be a murderer? Murder is illegal, does it make you seem brave or something?!"

Yu Qi raised his hand, smiling as he stopped him, and said, "I'm asking you, is it true that Chen Zifang has been running errands for you a while ago?"

"Yes, he does, but he doesn't always run errands for me. He's so kind, but he's even lazier than me!"

"Is it only if you ask your uncle for a job that he'll help you run errands?"

Tan Chushi hadn't paid attention at first, but after being asked this question, he thought about it carefully and realized that it was indeed the case, so he nodded emphatically.

Yu Qi didn't say a word, waved him back, and walked ahead on his own. Zhang Da wanted to go up and ask him, but Jiu Li stopped him and waved his hand at him.

Because Yu Qi was wearing shackles, he inevitably attracted attention and gossip when he walked on the street. He was lost in thought and didn't notice, but Jiu Li and the other two heard a few words and couldn't help but get angry.

"Oh, isn't this Doctor Yu?"

A shout suddenly rang out from the street. Everyone looked over and saw it was Xu Qing. When Jiu Li Du Zhong saw him walking towards them with a mocking smile and a big belly, he rolled his eyes. Yu Qi replied coldly, "Doctor Xu," but did not stop walking.

Seeing that the others didn't want to pay attention to him, Xu Qing stood in front of them and said with a smile, "I know that Doctor Yu is angry with me because of what happened to me at the yamen a couple of days ago. In front of Constable Zhang, I have to say a few words to defend myself. It's not that I want to cause trouble for you, Doctor Yu. If I, Xu, hadn't seen such murder and arson, I would have let it go. But since I did see it, how could I not report it to the yamen?"

He deliberately raised his voice high so that passersby could hear him. Jiuli was furious and deliberately stomped on his foot, grinding it hard. "Who's the blind fool blocking the way here?" he said, pointing at the passersby. "Hey, everyone, look who's escaped from their pigpen!"

Several passersby covered their mouths and chuckled. Xu Qing's face turned bright red, and she burst out cursing, "What an ill-mannered wild girl! She was born of a mother but was raised by one, no wonder!"

Before Jiuli could retort, Yu Qi gave him a light push on the chest, knocking him to the ground. The waiter next to him quickly bent down to help him up, but Jiuli was too fat, and Yu Qi's pressure on his chest made him short of breath. He struggled on the ground, covered in sweat, looking extremely disheveled.

Du Zhong clapped his hands and laughed heartily, “Doctor Xu, as a doctor, how could you not know that people are not pigs? If you eat too much fat, you will also get sick. Look, you fell down and couldn’t get up. I advise you to earn less ill-gotten gains and eat less fish and meat. This will not only do you good deeds, but also save you from suffering.”

Xu Qing finally managed to get up, panting heavily. "You little brat! You...you have no right to talk to me!"

Yu Qi sneered, "Dr. Xu, we have other matters to attend to, so we won't waste our breath on you on the street."

Xu Qing could only watch helplessly as they passed by, while secretly giving a few instructions to the waiter.

Meanwhile, back at the Qi residence, Xu Yun summoned Xu Bai specifically to inquire about the progress of the case. Xu Bai initially wanted to talk about Fan Yi, but then he thought about it again. Yu Qi and the others were all there earlier, so why didn't he go directly over there to ask them instead of calling him here? Could it be that even he had discovered the secret dealings between Man Bao and Fan Yi? So he kept quiet and only gave a perfunctory answer for a while.

Xu Yun smiled and said, “It’s not that I want to ask, but just now Madam was in her room asking why so many strangers had come to the house. I told her they were there to treat her illness, but she didn’t believe me and kept urging me to send them away, saying they were thieves. Madam is confused, and I can’t say anything in front of Mr. Yu and the others. You should settle this matter quickly so that it can be explained to Lord Yan and Madam Liu. A quiet house will also be good for Madam’s health.”

Xu Bai nodded in agreement. Seeing that he had changed into casual clothes, he asked, "Brother, aren't you going out this afternoon?"

"I don't have anything to do this afternoon, so I'll stay home with my wife."

"Although Madam has her eldest sister-in-law and second concubine serving her, it's good for her eldest brother to keep her company more often. Madam likes you to stay at home the most. Her eldest sister-in-law must be happy too, because her eldest brother used to be restless at home, and she often found it boring."

He never liked to meddle in family matters, but now that he was suddenly talking about Manbao, Xuyun felt strange and his heart grew increasingly heavy.

He smiled and remained silent for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject, "Since Madam doesn't like strangers in the house, do you think we should ask those Taoist priests to leave first?"

Xu Bai countered, "Aren't you going to let them continue the rituals?"

"I invited them here only to put my wife at ease. She is much better today, and keeping them at home would only cause trouble."

After thinking it over, Xu Bai became even more suspicious, but just smiled and said, "I never concern myself with these matters; it's up to my elder brother and sister-in-law to make the decisions."

So Xuyun summoned a manager and asked him to give a few taels of silver the next day to send those Taoist priests away.

The group returned to the yamen and sat in the duty room, discussing the secret between Manbao and Fanyi. Everyone offered their opinions, but Yu Qi remained silent, silently piecing together the intricate details in his mind, and arriving at a conclusion—

"Fan Yi and Chen Zifang should be holding the same secret, and this secret is closely related to Qi Xuyun."

Jiuli's eyes darkened, and she leaned closer. "Uncle, are you saying that Chen Zifang ran errands for Tan Chushi not because of his affair with his wife, but because he wanted to use the opportunity to get close to Qi Xuyun and find out the secret?"

Yu Qi glanced at her and smiled with relief, “This secret must be very important to Qi Xuyun, which is why Chen Zifang died a violent death and Fan Yi was able to use it to extort two hundred taels of silver from Zhang Manbao.”

Du Zhong and Zhang Da understood immediately and agreed wholeheartedly, “What kind of extraordinary thing could it be that’s worth two hundred taels of silver? Chen Zifang must have swindled quite a bit of money.”

Jiuli put her arms on the table, glanced at the two of them, clicked her tongue and shook her head, "Can't you figure this out? It must be something between a man and a woman, otherwise why not just extort Qi Xuyun directly, but instead extort Zhang Manbao? If it were a matter of officialdom, Zhang Manbao, who never leaves her home, might not know anything important. But only in this kind of matter does Zhang Manbao know the gravity of the situation as soon as she hears it. Naturally, she is willing to spend money to protect her husband's reputation and dignity. What is two hundred taels of silver?"

Zhang Da couldn't help but chuckle, "You women really do understand these things. So, Zhang Manbao couldn't stand Chen Zifang's blackmail anymore, so she killed him. But she didn't expect that Fan Yi knew this secret, and she was extorted out of two hundred taels of silver by Fan Yi—" He suddenly slammed his hand on the table, "So, isn't Fan Yi in danger living in the Qi residence too!"

Jiuli slowly shook her head. "I don't think so. If Zhang Manbao wanted to kill him, why would he give him money?"

"Didn't Chen Zifang also receive a sum of money first, and then die later?"

“That’s because he’s greedy. Besides, he’s from the Qi family, and they see each other every day. Zhang Manbao is probably afraid of being bothered by him all the time. If Fan Yi is a Taoist priest from Baiyun Temple, he’ll have made enough money off her, and it will be much more difficult for him to bother her in the future.” She finished speaking with a raised eyebrow and turned to Yu Qi, “Uncle, am I right?”

Yu Qi smiled and got up. Without saying anything, he walked to the daybed and sat down lazily, rubbing his wrists. "I'm curious, if it's just a simple matter between men and women, why would Zhang Manbao need to cover for her husband like this? Besides, if it's a secret matter, it's one thing for Chen Zifang in the Qi family to know, but how did Fan Yi find out?"

Du Zhong said, "Perhaps he ran into him somewhere?"

"Where would he run into him? It can't be Qi Xuyun having an affair on the street."

Zhang Da laughed and said, "We'll understand if we ask Fan Yi tomorrow."

“He took two hundred taels of silver from them, and we have no proof, so he naturally won’t say it easily.” Yu Qi pondered for a moment, then stretched his neck slightly and said, “Officer Zhang, go to Baiyun Temple tomorrow and investigate carefully. What exactly happened when the three women from the Qi family went to the temple to perform the ritual last time?”

Seeing that he looked tired, Jiuli remembered that he hadn't slept much last night, so she got up from the table and came over. "Uncle, you should get some sleep."

He nodded gently, "Alright, you and Zhong'er go home first."

She hesitated again before responding. Du Zhong glanced at her and said to Yu Qi in a flattering tone, "Let's go back first and ask Aunt Qing to cook dinner early so we can send some to Master."

Upon hearing this, Jiu Li's face lit up with a smile again. "Yes, yes, you've been eating at the government office for two days now, your stomach must be ruined."

Yu Qi smiled without saying a word, and then nodded slightly after a while.

Having received permission, Jiuli hurriedly bid farewell to Zhang Da and returned home with Du Zhong. Early in the morning, she asked Yuqing to prepare dinner, while she asked Xiuzhi to boil water for a bath. She changed into a clean and bright outfit, restyled her hair, and packed four or five dishes, along with some fresh fruits and snacks, into a large basket. Since she couldn't carry it herself, she asked Axiang to hire a carriage to return to the yamen.

Just then, Yu Qi woke up from a nap. When he saw that Jiu Li had changed into a pink and tender dress and her face was covered with makeup, he smiled at her subtly and said, "Let me make this clear first, you have to go home after sitting here for a while. It rained last night, and if you don't go home tonight, it will be hard to explain to people."

Jiuli was suddenly struck by this blow, her hands slowing down as she set the dishes. She secretly glared and pouted, "Who am I supposed to explain this to?"

“Yu Qingzhong and the others want to ask.”

“I didn’t say I was going to stay.” She was disappointed for a moment, then smiled. “Even if I don’t consider anything else, I have to think about you.”

Yu Qi sat down with a smile. "What are you thinking about for me?"

Jiuli bit her lip and placed a bowl and chopsticks in front of him with her eyes fluttering. "Of course I have to consider your needs. You're not young anymore. How can you withstand working day and night? They say that once a man is over twenty-five, he's at his wit's end and on the decline. I understand."

Yu Qi sneered, "Trying to provoke me won't work. I'm not falling for that. I'll go back anyway."

She plopped down on the side, then suddenly remembered something after a while, "Hey, do you think Qi Xuyun's secret is that he's impotent? Men care about that the most, isn't that a loss of face?"

"How could someone so useless have a daughter?"

"What if he's not his biological son?"

“You think way ahead of everyone else.” Yu Qi sighed with a smile, holding his bowl, and glanced at the daybed. “Let me eat in peace. You go and get some sleep.”

"No." She nestled in his arms, tilting her head to look at him. "You eat your food, I'll just sit here and not say anything."

He had no choice but to start eating seriously. After a while, he checked on her and found that she had fallen asleep on the table.

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Author's note: Thank you for reading.