As the two were talking animatedly, a yamen runner entered and said, "This humble servant greets General Xie and the county magistrate."
Magistrate Sun put down his wine cup in displeasure and said, "I was just talking to General Xie, what are you doing here?"
The bailiff said, "Your Honor, the Gui River in the Southern Chu Kingdom has breached its banks, and two counties within our territory have been affected by the flood... Tens of thousands of disaster victims are heading north, and three thousand of them will arrive in Zhao County the day after tomorrow. The clerk is unsure whether to take them in, so he sent me to ask you."
Magistrate Sun said, "You're bothering me with such a trivial matter? Send men to guard the intersection and drive all those disaster victims away."
The constable asked, "Are you all heading to Master Liu's county town?"
Magistrate Sun said, "It doesn't matter where they go. Just tell the clerk that the disaster victims shouldn't come to this place. Get out of here and don't spoil my fun."
Listening from the rooftop, Su Wan thought, "It's only been less than two days since the Guijiang River breached its banks, and the town of Dajin downstream has already suffered. These people are so pitiful, forced to leave their homes. When I get back, I'll ask Zhang Ying; perhaps she can solve this problem."
After Magistrate Sun dismissed the yamen runners, he resumed his friendly conversation with Xie Maoliang. The two drank cup after cup, exchanging compliments.
After a few more drinks, a soldier came in and reported, "General Xie, Bai Zhiyi has agreed to confess."
"Really?" Xie Maoliang was overjoyed. He stood up, cupped his hands to Magistrate Sun, and said, "Lord Sun, please wait here for a moment. I'll be right back."
Xie Maoliang left the room and walked towards the front yard under the protection of dozens of soldiers.
Su Wan followed on the rooftop and saw Xie Maoliang arrive at the front yard, open the door to a west wing room, and go inside. The soldiers stayed outside to keep watch.
She came up to the top of the room and lifted a few roof tiles.
Bai Zhiyi's voice came up and said, "Thank you, sir. Even ants cling to life, so naturally I want to live. I'm willing to listen to anything you say, as long as you spare my life, I'll be your servant for life."
Su Wan was puzzled. Bai Zhiyi was only obsequious to Wei Jingzhuo; she didn't act that way towards others. Could she have misheard?
She lifted the tile a little more and looked down.
The room was unusually empty, containing only a bed and a table. Bai Zhiyi knelt directly below her, dressed in a criminal's robe, still wearing the clown mask, her hands tightly bound with rope in front of her. Xie Maoliang sat at the desk, his back to her, moistening his brush with ink.
"Then I, the general, will write your confession. You speak, and I will write it."
Bai Zhiyi said, "General, why not untie this woman's bindings and let her write it herself? Why trouble yourself, General?"
Xie Maoliang laughed and said, "No need, no need. It's safer to tie your hands."
Bai Zhiyi sighed and said, "Alright, General, let's begin like this. This sinful woman is Bai Zhiyi..."
"Read it slowly... How do you write 'sin'?"
"Add a 'non' radical to the four sides. General, you fight on the battlefield all day long and don't understand literary things. It would be better if I, a humble woman, wrote it myself."
Bai Zhiyi spoke slowly, raising her hands to the edge of the mask and feeling around there.
Su Wan was startled when she saw her touch the mask twice and pull out a slender, gleaming blade from the edge of the mask.
Unexpectedly, Bai Zhiyi had secretly concealed a dagger under her mask. Her words of pleading were merely to lower the other party's guard; her true intention was to assassinate Xie Maoliang.
Xie Maoliang, with his back to Bai Zhiyi and seemingly unaware of her presence, picked up his brush and said, "I'm done writing. What's next?"
Bai Zhiyi gripped the dagger with both hands, stood up, and said, "Next, write... the first major crime: poisoning the late emperor."
Xie Maoliang dipped his brush in ink and continued writing, saying, "The first one..."
Taking advantage of this opening, Bai Zhiyi had already walked behind him, held the dagger high with both hands, and stabbed it down at his exposed nape of the neck.
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