Although the Imperial Guard's compound was large, occupying roughly one-sixth of the Taiji Palace, no more than five people were qualified to live alone in a small courtyard within it. After losing an arm, Deputy Commander Meng Wudi had been recuperating at home. While his career hadn't ended, further advancement seemed impossible.
Commander Luo Weiran hadn't killed him, perhaps still holding onto some past favors. But this incident was a stain Meng Wudi could never erase, and Luo Weiran could no longer consider him a confidant.
Therefore, the already somewhat empty courtyards in the Imperial Guard's front compound felt even more desolate without Meng Wudi. Surprisingly, not long after, someone occupied Meng Wudi's vacant courtyard.
The fact that someone else occupied Meng Wudi's courtyard might not have been shocking; what was truly astonishing was the identity of the person who moved in.
It's important to understand that the lowest-ranking person to live in a courtyard within the Imperial Guard was Meng Wudi, the Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard.
But the new owner of this small courtyard was merely a commander of a thousand.
According to the internal hierarchy of the Imperial Guard, a commander of a thousand was already a high rank. But certainly not high enough to warrant such privileges, at least not among the other six commanders of the Imperial Guard.
This person was also the first female commander of a thousand in the history of the Imperial Guard.
Her name spread throughout the entire Guard almost instantly the moment she moved into that courtyard. Even the people in the inner quarters were shocked, and then deeply remembered this woman's name—Mu Xiaoyao.
If the people of the Imperial Guard knew that she only had the strength of a fifth-rank official, they would probably be even more shocked.
Since Mu Xiaoyao moved into this small courtyard, the layout and decorations of the courtyard have been changed. The previously luxurious items have been cleared out, leaving only a bookshelf, a desk, and a few chairs. The calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall were replaced by a striking and alluring long red dress.
This dress was Mu Xiaoyao's signature attire before she joined the Imperial Guard. She owned many such dresses, all identical in style. Perhaps only she remembered the first time she wore such a dress, a certain young man stared, drooling.
He was lavish in his praise, but Mu Xiaoyao only remembered his gaze.
The red dress hanging on the wall was the one she wore on the day she and Fang Jie parted ways.
After most of the fifth-rank officials had been removed from the room, it felt somewhat empty, even sparsely furnished. This arrangement was clearly inconsistent with the status this small courtyard represented, and seeing the things that had been removed even evoked a strange sense of melancholy, like the tea growing cold after someone leaves.
But Mu Xiaoyao didn't care about any of that. She didn't even consider whether it seemed ruthless. Nothing in the room was to her liking, so there was no need to keep it. She couldn't be bothered to consider what Meng Wudi, who was recuperating at home, was thinking.
Sitting in her chair, Mu Xiaoyao stared blankly at the red dress on the wall, so lost in thought that she didn't even notice Mr. Zhuo slowly entering the courtyard.
Whether she genuinely didn't notice or whether she already knew it was Zhuo Buyi was unclear.
Upon entering the house, Zhuo Buyi glanced around and couldn't help but shake his head slightly. The woman sitting there, lost in thought, was too unconventional, completely disregarding many of the taboos of officialdom. Such a person, especially a woman, would likely meet a tragic end if she didn't have anyone backing her.
If Meng Wudi knew that his possessions had been cleared out, the hatred in his heart would likely be unbearable. Although he had lost power, he was still the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard. If he fought to the death over this matter, even Luo Weiran wouldn't be able to side with Mu Xiaoyao.
She was just a chiliarch, and a very low-ranking one at that.
"Your friend…"
Zhuo Buyi opened his mouth, hesitating on how to continue. But Mu Xiaoyao's reaction surprised him. This seemingly cold and indifferent woman suddenly turned her head and asked urgently, "What happened to him?"
"It wasn't him…"
Zhuo Buyi shook his head, sat down in the chair opposite Mu Xiaoyao, and said in a deep voice, "Before you went to see Fang Jie yesterday, I told you that the person who lured Fang Jie out of Chang'an might really be a servant from the Ministry of War. Someone in the Ministry of War wants to get rid of Fang Jie. The Commander has already suppressed your matter in Fan Gu, and at this time, someone is still not letting Fang Jie go… I think it's not the intention of the Vice Minister of War, Yu Donglai. He's someone who can see the big picture and also sniff out clues." "No one would cause trouble for the Ministry of War or His Majesty at this time."
"Investigating this matter is easy enough; just check who in the Ministry of War has connections with you. For those not directly related to you, check who has any connection with Fan Gu in Biancheng. The most complicated case is simply checking who has any connection with Emperor Xiaozong and Li Yuanshan. But back then, His Majesty launched a massacre against the Ministry of War, and those associated with Li Yuanshan, including Vice Minister Hou Junci, were all beheaded..."
Zhuo Buyi sighed and said, "I told you not to rush into anything. I'll investigate this matter, and I'll find a way to resolve it after I find out. But your missing friend has clearly gone too far..." …Last night…someone stormed the Ministry of War, hacking through three gates and killing 104 people, including three seventh-rank and one eighth-rank experts. The person who stormed the Ministry of War was also seriously injured. Although he escaped from a ninth-rank expert who arrived on the scene, his chances of survival are slim."
Mu Xiaoyao suddenly stood up, remained silent for a few seconds, and then firmly said, "I need to see Fang Jie."
"I can't keep this under wraps for long."
Zhuo Buyi shook his head, gesturing for her to sit down: "I haven't spoken to the Commander and the Garrison Commander. But finding out who it is shouldn't be too difficult for them. If your friend…" "My friend is dead. I'll go tell the commander about it and make up some excuse. We could even say it's the Jianghu people's hatred of the court, or the Mongols' revenge—anything goes, as long as His Majesty believes it. But if she's not dead, it's not just the Imperial Guards watching this."
"The Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and even the Ministry of War are all investigating. The Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice have deployed a large number of experts. Chang'an is a large city, but it can't withstand their thorough, sweeping investigation."
Mu Xiaoyao's eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Zhuo Buyi and asked, word by word, "Does that mean, sir, Shen Qingshan must die?"
Zhuo Buyi didn't answer, but nodded. Mu Xiaoyao sneered, turning to walk towards the door: "Sir, you misspoke earlier. Shen Qingshan isn't my friend, but my rival… But even so, if anyone wants to kill her, they should kill me first. Even if we're at odds, we're still family."
She paused, not turning back: "If you want to arrest me, please wait until I see Fang Jie. Our personal grudges are our own business, but death… I'd rather die together. I think… Fang Jie would think the same."
She walked away without the slightest hesitation.
Zhuo Buyi watched her retreating figure, a bitter smile creeping across his face. He shook his head self-deprecatingly: "With a personality like that, she'll suffer a great loss sooner or later."
"You really value her, you've developed feelings for her?" someone asked.
Zhuo Buyi wasn't surprised at all, even though Mu Xiaoyao had been alone in the house before he entered the courtyard. The man who spoke was the one who had come out of the house.
"She will become a peak expert. Give me time," he said.
The man who came out of the house casually picked a peach from the peach tree in the courtyard, wiped it with a clean white handkerchief, and took a bite.
The sour and astringent tastes were so strong they made one grimace.
But the man eating the green peach didn't seem to care, chewing it meticulously, even with relish.
"You know, I won't help her just because of your empty words. Even if she's someone you've taken a liking to, I won't help her if it doesn't benefit our Imperial Guard. If anything happens to me in the future and threatens the Imperial Guard, you can eliminate me without hesitation. Similarly…"
The man looked at Zhuo Buyi seriously and said, "You shouldn't let the Imperial Guard be put in a passive position. This matter is too big, too big for anyone to withstand His Majesty's wrath."
"However… I will tell His Majesty within three days that I haven't figured out what happened yet. But three days at most, because Hou Wenji will only give me three days of face."
He turned and left, his steps slow and deliberate.
Luo Weiran, who had appeared in the courtyard at some unknown time, or even inside the house, was now nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was already in this courtyard, or even inside the house, before Mu Xiaoyao left. Or perhaps, he was standing behind her, watching her as she sat in her chair, lost in thought, staring at the red dress.
Mu Xiaoyao left, so she didn't know this man had been there. If she had known, besides a chilling fear, it would likely have dealt an even greater blow to her confidence.
...
...
Changchun Garden.
The garden, shaded by lush trees, was a place of exquisite beauty. The emperor, somewhat agitated by state affairs, left his study and strolled along the stone paths. The wind blowing through the trees brought a refreshing coolness, calming his mind considerably.
The imperial eunuch, Su Buwei, carefully followed behind, step by step.
The emperor reached the artificial hill, looked at the sixteen characters carved on it: "The mountain is high and treacherous, reaching the clouds to its peak, difficult to ascend and difficult to descend, but every step is steady and secure." He frowned slightly, suddenly feeling the need to have those sixteen characters chiseled away; looking at them only made him more agitated. After taking three steps, his expression froze, and his tightly furrowed brows relaxed considerably.
Behind the artificial hill was a lotus pond, the lotuses in full bloom. The lotus blossoms in the emerald pond were a delightful sight.
"Su Buwei!"
"This servant is here!"
Su Buwei quickly stepped forward, bowing as she awaited the emperor's orders.
"Tomorrow, have a craftsman change those sixteen characters on the artificial hill… just change the last two. The phrase '步步稳安' (step by step, steady and secure) isn't good. Sometimes being too cautious leads to cowardice."
"Change it to what?" Su Buwei asked.
"Change the last two characters to '生莲' (lotus blossoms)."
After giving the order, the emperor glanced back at the artificial hill, then continued walking forward.
Step by step, lotus blossoms.
Su Buwei didn't understand the meaning of these words.
Changchun Garden was vast, and the emperor was very busy. Since its completion, he hadn't even properly examined it. Looking out from the study, one could only see the artificial hill, not the lotus pond behind it. If he hadn't decided to take a stroll today, he would never have known that a hidden paradise lay beyond the rocks. He felt a pang of感慨 (gan3kai3, a complex feeling of mixed emotions, including a touch of melancholy), reflecting on his eleven years on the throne, working diligently and cautiously, coming to this garden every year to escape the summer heat, yet still not knowing what it truly looked like.
"Your Majesty…"
Su Buwei turned and saw Luo Weiran, the commander of the Imperial Guards, catching up, and quickly reminded him, "You summoned Luo Weiran; he has arrived."
"Hmm."
The Emperor hummed in response and slowly walked into a pavilion, where he sat down. Beside the pavilion was a lotus pond, its shimmering blue waters highlighting the vibrant pink blossoms against the lush green. The Emperor even felt an urge to paint this beautiful scene, then realized that he hadn't touched a brush in four or five years. When he first ascended the throne, he would occasionally paint his favorite landscape in the Imperial Study to calm his mind; but after his rule was secured, he hadn't touched ink and brush again.
The methods he used to calm his mind seemed ineffective now.
"Your Majesty."
Luo Weiran quickly walked to the outside of the pavilion and respectfully kowtowed.
"Rise. You have many things to attend to, so let's get straight to the point… What are your thoughts on the case of the Ministry of War being almost completely murdered? Although I entrusted the matter to the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice, none of them are as experienced as you. You also went to the Ministry of War to examine the corpses; could you discern the perpetrator's background?"
Luo Weiran remained silent. The emperor glanced at him, his expression slightly displeased.
"I believe…"
Luo Weiran took a deep breath, lowered his head, and said, word by word, "It was likely the work of an assassin sent by the Mongol Empire."
This answer was clearly a lie, but the emperor nodded in satisfaction.
"And the reason?"
The emperor asked. "The Northern Liao people wanted to submit to Your Majesty, which naturally displeased the Mongol Yuan forces. They launched an attack on the border city of Fangu, but were defeated by General Li Yuanshan of the Right Valiant Guard. The Mongol Yuan traitors were unwilling to accept defeat, so they sent a peerless master to infiltrate the Ministry of War to steal the Sui Dynasty's border defense maps. Stealing the maps, of course, meant launching an attack on the Sui. After the Mongol Yuan master infiltrated the Ministry of War, he was discovered by the guards. In the ensuing melee, the Ministry of War lost over a hundred men, but also killed and wounded the Mongol Yuan master, preventing them from stealing the maps."
As he spoke, Luo Weiran's body trembled slightly.
He was gambling. When he looked up and saw a slight smile on the Emperor's lips, he knew he had won. The Emperor needed this reason.
But soon, the smile on the Emperor's lips vanished.
The Emperor stood up, hands behind his back.
"Luo Weiran, your answer to the truth is excellent, I am satisfied. But this truth is for the entire court and the people of the Sui Dynasty, not for me. The Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice will also find this truth… But, I want more than this. If you cannot find out who broke into the Ministry of War and committed the massacre within seven days, I will remove you from your position as Commander of the Imperial Guards. Not only you… Hou Wenji will also lose his position as Garrison Commander."
The Emperor turned to Luo Weiran and said sternly, "In the hundred years since the founding of the Sui Dynasty, there has never been such a shameful event. The Ministry of War was actually massacred… I want to know what kind of person harbors such deep hatred for the Ministry of War that would take such a risk. If it was done by the people of the Sui Dynasty, then besides anger, I will also be heartbroken."
"I want more than just the murderer; I also want to know if there are any other sordid things hidden within the Ministry of War."
He raised his head, gazing at the blue sky. "Anyone who tries to stop me from doing what I want, should, or must do at this time will be condemned to eternal damnation."