Han Ruzi wanted to et Yang Feng badly, hoping to get explanations and guidance from him. At the sa ti, Yang Feng was the person Han Ruzi least wanted to see right now, like a child who had turned the house upside down and was afraid of their parents returning.
Yang Feng was dressed in the attire of a military officer and turned to Zhang Youcai. “Go and fetch my old clothes from before.”
“Yes,” Zhang Youcai knew this was not a ti for jokes and imdiately obeyed the command without asking further questions.
However, Han Ruzi couldn’t help but ask, “Did Master Du tell you? What about Du Chuanyun? Is everything okay?”
“It’s not about them; it’s about you,” Yang Feng replied.
“? Nobody saw , those two…”
Yang Feng raised his hand. “We’ll talk about it later.”
Zhang Youcai rushed back, carrying Yang Feng’s forr eunuch attire, which had all been cleaned.
“Good, you can leave now.”
“Can I help in any way?”
“Sure, help by leaving this room. I didn’t tell you to co in,” Yang Feng shook out his clothes and began to put them on.
Zhang Youcai awkwardly exited the room.
“Now, tell what happened. Keep it as brief as possible; I only want to hear the truth,” Yang Feng sat down on a chair.
“I encountered a mad monk at the Bao’en Temple…” Han Ruzi started from the beginning, recounting how he had escaped from the Fresh Greens Lane. He omitted the part about ng E saving him, claiming that he had accidentally killed the two n.
Yang Feng occasionally nodded, and when Han Ruzi finished, he said, “Well done, but there’s one thing. Those two n didn’t die; they were rely knocked unconscious with a skilful technique. You do not possess such skill, so the person who intervened was Du Motian. Rember that?”
Han Ruzi was montarily stunned. “Do I need to tell others about these things?”
“Yes. Fortunately, their reactions were slow. I acted before them.”
“Who are ‘they’?”
“You’ll find out soon,” Yang Feng casually picked up a book. “Is this what you’ve been reading lately?”
It was an ancient poetry collection that Han Ruzi had found while rearranging his bookshelf. He picked up another book. “No, I’ve been reading historical records from the previous dynasty.”
Yang Feng took the historical book and tossed it into a corner. “A deposed Emperor shouldn’t be reading that. It might make people suspect your loyalty. Reading poetry is better, it eases worries, uplifts the spirit, and nurtures the mind.”
“But I haven’t read that book… Who is coming, anyway?”
“I don’t know.”
Yang Feng’s deanor, seemingly aware of everything but unwilling to reveal, was quite infuriating. However, Han Ruzi felt a bit guilty and could only endure it, sitting behind his desk lost in thought. “Is it soone from the palace?”
“Hard to say.”
The doubt was quickly resolved.
Soone knocked on the door, and after obtaining the Weary Marquis’s permission, the Manor Clerk entered. Seeing Yang Feng, he visibly hesitated. “Lord Yang, weren’t you going to the Northern Army… How did you enter? I wasn’t aware.”
“I am the steward of the manor; I can enter from any door,” Yang Feng replied calmly.
“You’re not the steward; you’re an Adjutant of the Northern Army.”
“Manor Clerk, please check again. The records should still show that I’m under the Marquis’s manor.”
The Manor Clerk’s face turned red, but he had pressing matters to attend to and didn’t want to argue with Yang Feng. He turned to the Weary Marquis and said, “The Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs has sent soone. Would you like to see them in the hall or the study?”
“Right here is fine. Bring them in,” Han Ruzi sighed with relief. Dealing with the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs was usually easier than dealing with the palace.
Three officials from the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs arrived, led by a Vice Minister surnad Hua. He held a position of moderate authority, enough to make most mbers of the imperial family and their in-laws nervous.
The existence of the deposed Emperor was a perpetual nightmare for the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs. Ignoring him was not an option, and paying too much attention to him was also problematic. Vice Minister Hua had co today not out of courage but because of his superior’s orders.
“Lord Marquis, please rise,” Hua spoke with a serious tone. He had not co here for casual conversation.
The Weary Marquis was exempt from kowtowing when entering the palace, and he certainly did not kneel when receiving orders from the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs. However, he had to stand up to show respect.
Vice Minister Hua produced a scroll and carefully opened it, as if he had not known the contents inside before. After a brief perusal, he put it away and said in a deliberate tone, “I am here to investigate a matter. I hope you will speak candidly and disclose everything.”
“Of course,” Han Ruzi was no longer nervous.
Vice Minister Hua waved his hand, and the other two officials took out their own writing materials and placed them on the desk, ready to record.
Vice Minister Hua glanced at Yang Feng, who was sitting on the chair, unmoving, and asked, “And you are…”
“I am Yang Feng, the steward of the Marquis’s manor.”
The Manor Clerk leaned in and whispered a few words to Hua, who furrowed his brow. Unexpected turns of events were sothing governnt officials despised the most. He studied Yang Feng for a mont, weighed his options, and decided not to speak with the eunuch. Instead, he asked the Manor Clerk, “Why is his records still with the Marquis’s manor?”
The Manor Clerk’s forehead was covered in sweat. “Yang Feng is a eunuch, and in theory, he cannot hold an official position. However, the Champion Marquis intervened, and there was an imperial edict allowing him to serve as the Adjutant of the Northern Army. There was no precedent as to how to handle his records, so…”
So, the matter had been delayed because no one knew who should handle it, and naturally, no one wanted to create trouble. But trouble had now found its way to their door.
Vice Minister Hua sensed potential pitfalls and dangers in this minor matter. He gestured for the Manor Clerk not to continue speaking, and throughout the entire questioning process, he treated Yang Feng as if he didn’t exist.
“Lord Marquis, please take a seat. About half a month ago, you encountered a mad monk at Bao’en Temple, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Please provide a detailed account of what happened at that ti.”
With Yang Feng’s reminder, Han Ruzi didn’t hold back any details and recounted the scene in full.
Vice Minister Hua nodded frequently and occasionally asked, “What happened next?” without showing any other reactions.
“At that ti, did you report this matter to the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs?”
“Representatives from the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs were present so I did not think that there was any need to make a report.”
“‘The morning sun won’t rise in the east tomorrow, the crimson flas will soar westward, shocking the world.’ What did you interpret this to an?”
“It ans the sun will not rise from the east tomorrow, and there will be crimson flas to the west, shocking the world.”
Vice Minister Hua remained impassive. “Did you co across this phrase again later?”
“No, but I saw two characters that reminded of this phrase.”
At this point, Vice Minister Hua asked more questions, but he seed satisfied with the answers. He thanked the Weary Marquis and, with a courteous bow, left with the other officials. The Manor Clerk saw them off.
After the questioning, Han Ruzi felt that his account was far from foolproof, but the officials hadn’t probed deeper. Vice Minister Hua was even more polite than when he had first arrived. The Weary Marquis was relieved and thanked him before they left.
Han Ruzi sat in a daze for a while and said to Yang Feng, “Guangding and Lin Kunshan weren’t sent by Chunyu Xiao, were they?”
“It seems not.”
“Sobody is trying to fra ?”
“It appears so.”
“If I had gone to the Subtle Fragrance Garden, would there be even greater traps waiting for ? They would say that I have imperial ambitions. If I don’t refute the allegations, and I can’t possibly refute them, I would be arrested!”
“It seems you’ve thought about a lot.”
Yang Feng kept responding with variations of “it seems.” Han Ruzi grew tired of it and asked directly, “Why didn’t the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs arrest today?”
“Because the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs doesn’t have more evidence. In a couple of days, you might receive a reprimand,” Yang Feng explained.
“But why did they co today?” Han Ruzi inquired.
“It is standard procedure. Today, the Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs collected so testimonies. Next ti, it might be officials from the Imperial Palace, as well as from the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, the Capital Prefectural Office… When they need it, even if you haven’t done anything, accumulated evidence over ti can still put you in a precarious situation.”
“I thought the Empress Dowager had let off.”
“Do you think being let off ans being completely forgotten? Even if the Empress Dowager forgets, soone else will rember on her behalf. This evidence may never be used, but it may co in useful one day. You should know that only those who can handle ‘what ifs’ who have a chance to rise in the ranks.”
Han Ruzi felt a chill running down his spine.
“But that’s not the key point. The court has always operated this way. Which prince or marquis doesn’t carry a few shackles on their body? The ones who are light on their feet should be the most vigilant. The crucial question is who is trying to fra you. The Bureau of Imperial Clan Affairs will record every mistake you make, but they won’t intentionally set traps for you. That would be too risky for them, and it’s unnecessary.”
“Prince Donghai,” Han Ruzi didn’t need to think twice. “It must be him. He knows I’m very interested in fate seers.”
“Yes, what do you plan to do?”
Han Ruzi blushed a little. “I’m sorry; I didn’t imdiately tell you about my experience at Bao’en Temple.”
“Don’t apologize to . You should make your own decisions. I can advise, but I can’t make decisions for you.”
As long as Yang Feng was present, Han Ruzi couldn’t afford to relax and had to think hard and constantly.
“What should I do? What should I do… The Dus and Ironhead Hu San, are they okay?”
“They’re fine. Right now, they’re probably drinking and celebrating with Liang Xinhou.”
“Liang Xinhou is the one they call Skinny Monkey Houwu, right?”
“He should be fine. At most he was used by Prince Donghai and others.”
“Prince Donghai used the pugilist world against , so I also need to use their thods against him. The Dus and Ironhead Hu San can help , as well as those heroes you brought here.”
“This is one approach, but I must remind you, be extrely cautious when dealing with people from the pugilist world. You can let them owe you a favor, but never owe them. Many people have been swallowed up by the pugilist world because they made mistakes in this regard, seeking temporary convenience but accumulating endless debts that they can’t repay.”
Yang Feng paused for a mont. “As for the Dus, you’re about to go too far.”
Han Ruzi’s heart skipped a beat. He rembered what Du Chuanyun had said about the rules of the pugilist world. In the pugilist world, right and wrong were different from those in governnt or among the common people. At that ti, he had only considered how the rules of the pugilist world were advantageous to him and had overlooked the disadvantages.
One must not be so selfish as to believe that others are not selfish.. Han Ruzi realized he had almost made a big mistake. He was also curious about how much Yang Feng had suffered in the past to be so cautious of people from the pugilist world.
His dream was to reclaim the throne, and getting too deeply involved in the pugilist world would distance him further from the court, even putting him on the opposite side. Eventually, he would have to live a life on the run, just like Marquis Junyang, Hua Bin.
“Prince Donghai used the pugilist world against , but and in doing so, he left himself vulnerable—I need to find a way to get close to him.”
Han Ruzi could only arrive at this conclusion. He had to return to where he truly belonged to.
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← CH 91
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