Chapter 80 Long Time No See
Lu Xi's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Fang Bai and his female companion?
He really didn't die!
Upon seeing Dai Mili's figure, the stall owner was overjoyed, as if he had seen a savior. Ignoring the presence of the officials, he pushed through the crowd and rushed out from behind Lu Xi.
“Young Master Fang is alright, truly a lucky man is always blessed! Here’s the cloth back to you! And the five taels of silver…”
Yan Dibai didn't immediately take it; the white veil of his veil swayed gently as he turned his head, his gaze seemingly sweeping over Lu Xi's ashen face. The stall owner then shoved the horse saddlebag into Qingqing's hands, his eyes fixed on the two of them, as if afraid they would run away.
Yan Dibai finally nodded. Qingqing gave the instruction and took out her purse, saying, "Please check if the weight is correct."
"Alright! This time, young lady, you've been quite efficient!" The stall owner pulled out a small scale from his waist, weighed the item, and then returned the IOU with satisfaction.
After receiving the money, he turned around and found that all eyes were on him. The stall owner felt embarrassed and said, "See you later, Mr. Fang! I'll even sell you the lantern at a discount!" before laughing and disappearing back into the crowd.
From beginning to end, the two of them acted as if no one else was around, chatting as if they were just having a casual conversation at their own doorstep. Even though the person had arrived, they didn't ask about Lu Xi once. Instead, they deliberately stood in front of him to make him look bad.
Knowing he was at a disadvantage, Lu Xi's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. Before things escalated further, he composed himself, intending to take the two away first. Zhao Xu, who was supposed to leave, returned and blocked the alley entrance.
"Now that you have resolved the matter at hand, Young Master Fang, please come with me to the Military Advisor's residence."
Yan Dibai casually tied up his horse's bridle and, following the voice, said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you for your help, Military Advisor Zhao."
Lu Xi was taken aback and quickly said, "Wait! Why does Military Advisor Zhao want to take him away?"
Zhao Xu had already taken a step, but when Lu Xi shouted to stop him, his demeanor suddenly turned cold.
"As he was leaving the market, he encountered two guests who had come to visit the inn."
To investigate the rumors, Zhao Xu headed straight for the dock. The young man and woman happened to be coming from that direction. Upon seeing him, they asked about the fire at the inn, explaining that they had been lucky the previous night, having spent the night watching the stars at the dock where they disembarked, only to learn of the inn's troubles. If Zhao Xu hadn't heard them voluntarily cooperating with the investigation, he wouldn't have allowed the two to bypass the soldiers and enter.
Zhao Xu had a feeling there was something more to it than met the eye. "Since this young man once lived here and was a survivor of the fire, according to the law he should go to the military governor's office to give a detailed account of last night's events and assist in the investigation. Is that right, young man and woman?"
Facing the gazes of several people, Qingqing and Yan Dibai readily nodded in agreement.
Qingqing smiled shyly: "It is our blessing to be able to help you, sir."
Zhao Xu didn't linger any longer: "Come with me."
The two of them didn't even glance at him from beginning to end, treating him like a mere decoration.
Seeing that Zhao Xu was about to take Fang Bai away with just a few words, Lu Xi became extremely anxious. If Fang Bai were to reveal something at the military advisor's residence, or if Zhao Xu were to discover more clues, the consequences would be unimaginable!
He couldn't care less about anything else. He hurriedly stepped forward and stood between the two of them, forcing a smile:
“Military Advisor Zhao, Young Master Fang is a guest of the Lu family. He was frightened last night and is physically and mentally exhausted. He needs to rest and recuperate. Why don’t I take him back to the manor first and let him rest until he has recovered before he comes to the Military Advisor’s residence to explain the situation?
"Guest Elder?" Zhao Xu raised an eyebrow, his gaze towards Lu Xi carrying a deeper meaning. "It seems that Young Master Lu did not mention this earlier."
Lu Xi choked, about to defend himself, when a deep, dignified voice, carrying an undeniable authority, resonated from behind the crowd:
"Military Advisor Zhao, I am late, please forgive my tardiness."
The crowd parted like a tide, and it was Fu Man supporting Lu Xi as they slowly approached. Lu Xi's heart eased, "Grandfather."
With his father-in-law present, Zhao Xu frowned and had no choice but to bow.
Old Master Lu was dressed in dark casual clothes, and his expression showed no unusual behavior. He first glanced at the younger members of the Cui and Wang families who were bowing, and then gave Zhao Xu a slight bow.
Without looking at Yan Dibai and Qingqing, who had stopped walking, he politely said a few more words to the onlookers.
Lu Xu stared at Zhao Xu, his gaze deep and unfathomable, like an ancient well:
“You are young and his carelessness has alarmed the authorities and disturbed Lady Cui’s peace. It is my fault for not disciplining him properly.” He first identified Lu Xi’s fault before turning his attention to Yan Dibai. Lu Xu’s tone softened, displaying the gentleness characteristic of an elder, yet carrying an undeniable implication, “This must be young friend Fang Bai. It is Lu’s fault for not treating you well in this undeserved misfortune.”
Qingqing and Yan Dibai moved a little closer together unintentionally, waiting for Lu Xu to make a decision.
Although it was their first meeting, Lu Xu, having held power for many years, exuded an imposing aura and needed to be dealt with carefully.
Lu Xu paused briefly, about to say "come back to my residence with me," when Zhao Xu, who had been observing the situation quietly, suddenly stepped forward and interjected clearly and firmly:
"Lord Lu, wait a moment."
Lu Xu narrowed his eyes slightly beneath his white eyebrows as he looked at Zhao Xu: "Does Military Advisor Zhao have anything else to say?" His tone was calm, yet it carried the imposing authority of a family head.
Zhao Xu observed proper etiquette, but his words left no room for argument: "Please forgive me, Lord Lu. I did not intend to obstruct your hospitality, but it was my duty to act impartially."
His gaze swept over Yan Dibai and Qingqing, then looked directly at Lu Xu: "Just now, the Third Young Master Lu said that this Fang Langjun is a guest of the Lu family. Now that the inn has been burned down and the person in charge has disappeared, Fang Langjun is the person who used to live there. His whereabouts and his identity are all inextricably linked to the rumors and the fire."
He raised his voice: "Such a coincidence is extraordinary. According to the law, this person is a key witness and must be questioned and recorded by the government in detail to find out the truth. If he is indeed a guest of the Lu family, Lord Lu should avoid suspicion and take the initiative to ask the government to investigate. I must bring Fang Langjun and his female relatives back for questioning immediately! This is official business, and I hope Lord Lu will consider the overall situation and not put me in a difficult position."
Zhao Xu's words were closely related to official business, reasonable and irrefutable. Even Lu Xu couldn't force the issue at this point.
A chill settled in Lu Xu's eyes. Once someone is brought into the government office, it becomes incredibly difficult to completely control them. But Zhao Xu invoked official laws, and in front of everyone, forcibly stopping him would be tantamount to admitting guilt, confirming that the Lu family had something to hide.
“You Zhi.” Lu Xu stopped Lu Xi, who was still unconvinced. His face showed no emotion, but he said to Zhao Xu indifferently, “Military Advisor Zhao is acting in accordance with the law, and I have nothing to say about it. I only hope that the Military Advisor’s Office can find out the truth as soon as possible.”
At worst, it would just result in murder and arson, giving Wang Du a handle to use against them. Even if they wanted to cause trouble, they couldn't really turn the tide.
"I will handle this impartially. Farewell." Without saying another word, Zhao Xu waved to the soldiers behind him. Several soldiers stepped forward, and although they did not physically pull at him, their positions subtly formed an encirclement. They said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, please come with us."
The white veil fluttered slightly as Yan Dibai took a confident step. Qingqing followed closely beside him, and as she passed Lu Xi, she even gave him a gentle, upright smile, a stark contrast to her previous kind demeanor on the ship.
Both the man and the woman had misjudged each other! Lu Xi was so angry she almost vomited blood. Only after being called did she reluctantly leave with her grandfather.
Wang Shu and Cui Shenxiu witnessed the entire confrontation.
“Old Master Lu is quite flexible,” Wang Shu chuckled, her eyes brightening. “But his nervousness towards a guest elder seems like an attempt to cover something up. I need to have a serious talk with my father about this.”
She made up her mind to go find Zhao Xu later, hoping to get something out of him.
With this plan in mind, "Shenxiu, what's next?"
Cui Shenxiu's gaze, however, remained fixed on Yan Dibai's riding sash until the red figure disappeared around the street corner, before he slowly and deliberately looked away.
"This pattern... looks really familiar."
For some unknown reason, the more Cui Shenxiu looked at the horse saddlecloth, the more she recalled the palace banquet of her youth. Her exceptionally talented and elegant uncle had been restless ever since he stepped into the palace. After taking his seat in Xianning Hall, he had not heard her call several times, but instead frequently... glanced towards the young crown prince.
“Young lady.” Yu Chuan, who was watching the carriage, quietly came to her side, her tone somewhat strange. “This servant saw it clearly. The two people who were taken away came to our Xi Chun Tang a few days ago. The woman was in dire need of money and worked half a day for them. The man did not ask Huang Cen and Hu Jiao. The two of them pretended not to know them and deceived me and Yu Heng.”
Choi Shin-soo's eyes flickered: "Oh?"
-
The military governor's office was not large, with blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding a cold and pragmatic atmosphere.
After releasing the gray pigeons, Zhao Xu returned and dismissed his attendants. He did not hold court, but instead questioned Zhao Xu in a guard room.
At this moment, his gaze was sharp and fixed on Yan Di's white face, who had just removed her veil.
A fleeting hint of surprise crossed his eyes at the boy's thin, pale face, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Young Master Fang,” Zhao Xu said bluntly, “did you really spend the whole night at the dock watching the stars yesterday?”
“I dare not deceive you, sir.” Yan Dibai’s voice was slightly hoarse, but his tone was calm. “The river wind was strong, and the Milky Way was dazzling. Qingniang and I were so engrossed in looking at it that we forgot the time. If we hadn’t seen the flames shooting into the sky in the direction of the market, we would not have known that our inn had suffered such a calamity.” His words were sincere, and there was no sign of falsehood.
Qingqing nodded vigorously: "Yes, we were so scared that we ran back as fast as we could, afraid that the stall owner would think we had been burned to death and would rush to collect the debt."
Zhao Xu paused, looking up at Qingqing. The maid spoke with a certain streetwise liveliness, quite different from the almost eerie calmness of the boy beside her.
"I've heard that the Third Young Master Lu refers to you as a guest of the Lu family?"
"I am honored by your kindness, Young Master Lu," Yan Dibai replied without hesitation. "I traveled north to visit relatives but was unsuccessful and ended up here. I was fortunate to be given a bowl of rice by Young Master Lu and have taken temporary lodging here. I cannot be considered a guest."
"Do you know that there were rumors circulating at the dock last night about a 'distinguished guest from the north'?"
"Rumors?" Yan Dibai shook his head, slightly bewildered. "Last night, I was only looking at the stars at the dock and didn't pay attention to what others were saying. I don't know what rumors are circulating that would require you to personally inquire about them?"
His response was so natural, so perfect, that it only deepened Zhao Xu's suspicions. Amidst the series of sudden coincidences, Zhao Xu was almost certain of his earlier suspicions—this young man was no ordinary person.
And the seemingly innocent and naive maidservant beside him is by no means as simple as she appears.
Zhao Xu put down his pen, leaned forward slightly, and his gaze was sharp as a knife:
"Young Master Fang, let's not beat around the bush. Who are you?"
The air in the duty room was heavy. Before Yan Dibai could answer, a deep, authoritative male voice with a slight Wu accent suddenly came from outside the door:
"That's a good question."
The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged man in an indigo-colored casual suit slowly entered. He had a lean face and deep-set eyes, and at first glance seemed ordinary. But he possessed a dignified air of someone who had long held a high position. With his arrival, the simple duty room instantly felt cramped.
Zhao Xu's expression changed drastically, and he immediately stood up and bowed: "Your Excellency! When...when did you arrive at Cangqian?!"
The visitor was none other than Wang Du, the governor of Yangzhou.
Wang Du's gaze first swept over Zhao Xu, and he nodded slightly. Then, like the most precise ruler, it landed on Yan Di's pale face. His gaze swept over his unusually thin face, and lingered on his overly calm, dark eyes.
Yan Dibai faced the situation directly and frankly.
Wang Du did not answer, and Zhao Xu dared not utter a sound, remaining a bystander.
The oil lamp flickered, and the interrogation in Wang Du's eyes deepened. Suddenly, the young man's lips curled into a smile—a smile he had made countless times in the palace, a smile that sent chills down the spines of everyone there.
If any senior officials were present, they would immediately recognize that this smile resembled that of the deposed emperor's biological father, Emperor Chengde, Yan Qi.
That smile brought to mind a barely noticeable old scar beneath the boy's eye. At this distance, it was crystal clear.
A scene flashed through Wang Du's mind almost instantly.
"I have heard that a blind child sheds only one tear; is that true?"
A young child drew a knife and wounded himself, saying, "This too is a tear."
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Two streams of hot tears suddenly rolled down the boy's face:
"You are... Governor Wang?"
A fleeting look of surprise crossed Wang Du's face, but it quickly turned into grief.
Zhao Xu's eyes widened.
Suddenly, Wang Du slowly raised his hands towards the thin, bony boy and performed an extremely solemn bow.
He too choked up and wiped away tears, his gaze fixed intently on Yan Dibai. His voice was not loud, but every word was clear, like a thunderclap in the small duty room:
"Your Majesty... how have you been?"
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