black clothes
Although he already knew in his heart that the newly appointed magistrate was no ordinary person with such a demeanor, Master Ma couldn't help but be somewhat surprised.
It is said that a new official makes a big splash upon taking office, but this Lord Dou seems to have gone a bit too far in his murderous intent.
He glanced furtively at the stacks of files on the desk—in just the cases handled tonight, Lord Dou had already decided to sentence several prisoners to hanging…
Laining is a small county, and the magistrates who have served here throughout history have mostly been kind and gentle people. They either used being transferred here as a stepping stone for the future or planned to wait and wait until they retired to their hometowns. Many neighborhood disputes and petty theft cases were mostly resolved by the magistrates in office after they had been educated and the people were released.
Although Master Ma did not approve of overly lenient methods, he felt that the man's tough approach so soon after taking office was a bit too hasty.
After all, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake... Laining, though just a small county town, and the most inconspicuous among the counties surrounding the capital, with a population of less than four thousand households, is full of hidden talents. There has always been a system where above the common people are the gentry, and above the gentry are the powerful clans; this has been the case for many years, deeply entrenched and complex. Some things cannot be changed overnight.
As locals, he and Master Fang were naturally aware of these matters.
Sure enough, Fang, the white-haired clerk sitting beside him, coughed lightly, seemingly after much deliberation, before speaking slowly:
"...Your Excellency's ambition to uphold justice is truly admirable. However, although Laining is small and appears to be a tranquil place, there are many fish and dragons beneath the surface, and they are not necessarily all ordinary people. I believe that if we act too hastily, we may touch upon some undercurrents, which may not be beneficial to your official duties."
Dou Yanxun laughed upon hearing this.
His handsome face was softened by the candlelight, but when he spoke, there was no room for negotiation. He chuckled softly:
"Thank you for the reminder, Master. Unfortunately, I am not very talented. Although I have never participated in the imperial examinations, I am somewhat skilled in swimming. Whether the water is clear or murky, it is often difficult to tell the depth from a distance. Only by personally going into the water to test it can one know the nature of fish and dragons."
Although Master Fang was old, he always boasted that he had passed the imperial examination at the end of the previous dynasty and had read extensively in literature and poetry since childhood. It would be a lie to say that he was now employed by Dou Yanxun but had never looked down on him for not being a proper candidate for the imperial examination.
Fang Shiye was taken aback by Dou Yanxun's sharp words and was momentarily embarrassed. He then saw that Dou Yanxun had stopped smiling, and the corners of his lips, which had been curved just moments before, were now completely devoid of any curve. His whole being exuded an unconcealable coldness.
His handsome features held a hint of depth, which only made him appear more resolute and dignified, like a snow-covered cliff cypress, inspiring respect.
"I admire the two clerks for their erudition. Now I urge them to do their part for me, Dou, and for the people of Laining."
Having said all that, the two advisors could pack their bags and leave if they didn't want to continue.
Master Fang hadn't expected that Dou Yanxun, despite his youth, could be so adept at reprimanding people. He quickly composed himself and respectfully replied, "As you command, sir."
With this advice, the subsequent processing of the case files went much more smoothly than before. In less than half an hour, the cases that had been piling up for half a month were all cleared up.
Dou Yanxun rubbed his temples wearily, and only breathed a sigh of relief after the two advisors respectfully took their leave.
A few raindrops began to fall silently outside the window.
Dou Yanxun stood up and realized that his legs were starting to ache from sitting for so long. As soon as he stepped out of the study, a cool breeze greeted him. Raindrops clung to the willow branches, trembling gently in the night.
The maid who had been secretly dozing off by the door suddenly woke up with a start.
Tonight it was Nongyu's turn to be on duty. She had been waiting for a long time and had become drowsy without realizing it. Now, seeing the Second Master at her feet, she couldn't help but shudder. In her haste, she was about to curtsy in greeting when Dou Yanxun waved his hand and said in a deep voice:
"Is Madam asleep?"
Nongyu was now fully awake and hurriedly said, "Second Master, Madam was reading by the window in the room earlier. She only went to sleep after seeing that you were discussing things until late at night."
Dou Yanxun nodded and said calmly, "Bring me a cup of light tea."
After saying this, he closed the door and retreated back to his study.
Nongyu dared not delay. Although the Second Master was always very gentle with his servants, she naturally had to serve him with utmost care. A moment later, she had brewed the tea and carefully brought it to the study. She gently knocked on the door, and after a long while, she heard a weary voice coming from inside:
"Put it down."
Nongyu placed the tray securely in front of the door, then turned and left with her head bowed.
Second Master never liked having anyone serve him with writing materials in his study; those on duty always stood guard outside the door. It's late now; she can finally get a good night's sleep tonight…
Just then, Nongyu seemed to hear a very soft sound coming from the study. It disappeared in an instant.
She shook her head in confusion. She must have been dozing off and hadn't woken up yet. Why would there be someone in the Second Master's study? She was truly too sleepy to stay awake any longer.
.
Dou Yanxun's slender fingers lightly tapped the rim of the cup, producing a barely audible sound.
Through the rising steam of the tea, a figure could be seen with his feet hooked between the beams, dressed in dark night clothes, his mouth and nose covered with a black triangular scarf.
Only after there was absolutely no more sound outside the window did the figure finally roll onto the ground.
Not a speck of dust was stirred, nor was there a sound.
Dou Yanxun's expression was cold and stern, and he made no attempt at pleasantries, speaking directly:
"Tonight is not the night of the waxing crescent moon, why have you come?"
The man's eyes were dark and unfathomable. He removed the black cloth covering the lower half of his face with one hand, revealing a face that was just as cold and stern as the night outside the window.
The man's voice was extremely soft, and it vanished into the night in an instant:
“The Zhou family has indeed not stopped yet. Young Master guessed correctly. I captured one of their inner courtyard accountants alive. That fellow was completely powerless and confessed everything in less than half an incense stick’s time.”
Dou Yanxun took a sip of tea before raising one eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised.
"Your methods are becoming more and more sophisticated; you can even capture people from other people's inner courtyards."
The man in black looked a little embarrassed upon hearing this and laughed:
"It actually took quite a bit of effort to follow them, but this accountant was a lecherous man who liked to peep at Widow Ma, who sold tofu, in front of Xiliu Alley during the day..."
Dou Yanxun was clearly uninterested in these trivial matters, so he changed the subject:
"Get to the point."
The man paused, then continued:
“Every half month, the Zhou family would send a heavily guarded team to the capital to deliver tribute. However, the accountant’s records showed that every half month, they would send single-thread silk and double-sided brocade. I had secretly observed the Zhou family’s large silk mills for half a month beforehand, and I knew that they could not possibly produce so much silk and brocade. Those records were just to fool outsiders.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of approval slowly appeared in Dou Yanxun's eyes.
"The Zhou family has been imperial merchants for three generations, and their silk mills are heavily guarded. Ordinary people simply cannot enter. Even the Zhou family's own managers and stewards would be in vain without a waist token. What method have you come up with this time?"
The man smiled again, seemingly hesitant, and after a long pause, he finally began to speak: "I..."
Upon hearing this, Dou Yanxun's teacup trembled slightly. He laughed and said, "Nonsense. Didn't you used to insist that women were the most troublesome?"
The man in black lowered his voice and mumbled a few words.
Dou Yanxun didn't press further, but continued the previous topic: "...If we had known there was a problem, all we would have now is a few more pieces of evidence. What about the accountant? Did you keep a clean record?"
The man in black nodded, his expression indicating that everything remained the same.
Dou Yanxun took a sip of tea and then stopped asking questions.
A thoughtful look appeared on his face. After a long day of exhaustion, when he calmed down to think things over again, he could no longer hide his feelings.
Seeing this, the man in black said nothing more and prepared to climb back onto the roof beam to return. Now that Dou Yanxun had moved to the Laining County government office, it was inconvenient to sneak in during emergencies, so he gradually came less often.
Before leaving, he glanced at Dou Yanxun's slightly bluish eye sockets and said softly:
"Please take care of your health, young master. Do not overwork yourself."
In truth, he knew as soon as he spoke that it would be futile. Having dealt with Dou Yanxun for so long, he knew that this man was extremely strong-willed; once he made up his mind, it was absolutely impossible for a few words from others to change it. But he still had to speak. Saying it out loud made him feel a little better.
Dou Yanxun seemed not to hear, staring blankly at the willow branches dancing in the wind outside the window. The window blocked out the rain and the sound of the wind, making the willow branches look like a strange, chaotic dance of demons.
The man in black had just leaped onto the roof beam when he heard Dou Yanxun's low voice, as if floating in the air:
"You said last time that someone saw Zhou Weikan holding her hand on Mujing North Street...?"
The black-clad man's gripping arm loosened slightly, but fortunately, his martial arts skills were superb, and he only needed to add a little more force to keep himself half-suspended in the air.
He turned and looked down. Dou Yanxun, dressed in blue, sat amidst a pile of books. The man who was always decisive and ruthless now seemed exceptionally small and powerless.
He could only say:
"...That day it was pouring rain, perhaps the informant was just seeing things and made a mistake."
Dou Yanxun fell silent. After a long while, the man in black sighed inwardly and prepared to leave, but then heard Dou Yanxun's words drifting from afar through the floating gray mist—
"Thank you, Yan Ya."
.
Lin Xu slept in a hazy, dreamlike state. In her daze, she only felt that Dou Yanxun returned from the study after midnight. She was still in a daze, so she casually turned over, but her waist was covered by a large hand in a moment.
Even though she was overcome with sleepiness, she could still feel that his palms were colder than usual.
Was it because you were too tired from working late at night and caught a cold?
Half asleep and half awake, she thought about it in a daze.
Therefore, the first thing Lin Xu did upon waking up was to look at the empty bed beside him and have the kitchen staff simmer a pot of red date and ginger tea over a low flame. He then instructed someone to send it to Dou Yanxun, who was working in the front yard.
Having been married to him for so long, Lin Xu was well aware of Dou Yanxun's health. He had always been unable to tolerate the cold.
He fell ill twice, both times due to exposure to cold winds and the entry of pathogenic factors into his body. It's unknown what hardships he had endured in his early years, given his seemingly healthy body, that made him so susceptible to illness.
With that in mind, Lin Xu quickly washed up and then moved to the next room for breakfast.
Now that it's the height of summer, her diet has become lighter. Dou Yanxun gets up early every day to go to work, and she often eats alone. She's too lazy to let the servants prepare meals for her, and usually just has a bowl of congee or chicken congee, along with a few side dishes.
Granny Qin busied herself around the flower hall in the backyard for a while, directing the maids to build a makeshift cooling frame next to the pavilion.
Grapevines were planted on the trellis, and many pale and elegant flowers were also displayed. When the wind blew, a faint fragrance would waft over, making it a very beautiful sight.
After returning to her room, Granny Qin looked at Lin Xu and smiled with narrowed eyes:
"Miss, you've been eating rather blandly lately. Just yesterday, the County Magistrate's wife sent you two local chickens from Laining. Stewing them with mushrooms is incredibly nourishing and delicious. Would you like to try some tonight, Madam?"
Lin Xu smiled and nodded. Qin Mama had watched her grow up and had always been the most considerate and attentive.
Just as I was basking in the sun and drinking a bowl of tea, a young maid from the front yard came to report, bowing her head:
"Madam, the Third Madam of the Qiu family has come to see you. Should we send someone to inform her?"
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