Chapter 45 You’d Better Remember Me Day and Night…

Chapter 45: You'd Best Remember Me Day and Night, Lord Bai...

"Bai Xiuming, how dare you!" The Marquis of the North was furious. "Today, I will take this animated corpse to avenge my grandson. Even if King Ming himself were here, he couldn't stop me!"

"She bears the Bright Mirror Bureau's seal on her forehead and is under our supervision," Bai Xiuming said darkly. "If the Marquis dares to take her today, it would be tantamount to challenging the authority of the Bright Mirror Bureau. I have the right to act first and report later."

As soon as Bai Xiuming finished speaking, the Marquis of the North suddenly felt an intense sense of danger.

He looked up to see a faint golden glow shimmering above him—a formation had appeared overhead, part of the capital's defensive array. Though it couldn't kill him outright, it could suppress his strength. If a fight broke out now, it would put him at a severe disadvantage.

"Do you think a few words from you can convict me, Marquis?"

"Feel free to try, Marquis."

The Marquis of the North's cold gaze swept over A Chan and Chen Hui. Even though the murderer who had killed his grandson was right there, he ultimately did not step forward.

Bai Xiuming's boldness in confronting him today meant he must have powerful backing. If the Marquis recklessly fought him now, the Emperor would surely have an excuse to target him at tomorrow's court session.

Taking a deep breath, the Marquis forcibly suppressed his killing intent and snapped, "Let's go."

His personal guards quickly fell into formation and prepared to ride off when A Chan, who had been standing silently at the back, suddenly called out, "Wait!"

The Marquis turned to see the woman jogging over to Bai Xiuming's side.

Standing beside Bai Xiuming, A Chan spoke in a plaintive voice, "Lord Bai, my perfectly fine house has been destroyed, my shop can't open anymore, and I have no other income. Surely someone should compensate me?"

"How much silver do you want?" Bai Xiuming asked.

A Chan ticked off on her fingers. "Last time, the Marchioness of Jinyang smashed my shop and paid me a thousand taels. This time, the shop is gone—five thousand taels doesn't seem unreasonable, does it?"

This was an outright overcharge. The entire shop, including all its spices, likely wasn't worth a thousand taels. But since the Marquis of the North was the one making a hurried retreat, she wasn't about to miss this chance to exploit the situation.

Amusement flickered through Bai Xiuming's eyes—truly someone who valued money over life, daring to profit from anyone.

But he said nothing, merely raising his voice to ask, "What does the Marquis think of this price?"

The implication was clear: pay up.

"Fine." The Marquis's grip on the reins tightened as he bit out, "I'll have five thousand taels delivered shortly."

"How very generous of the Marquis to care for the common folk," Bai Xiuming praised, only to be met with a cold snort from the Marquis.

With that, the Marquis turned his horse sharply and rode off, his personal guards swiftly following.

A Chan watched their retreating backs, which seemed almost like a hurried escape.

Before she could look away, her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Turning her head, she saw Bai Xiuming dragging her toward the collapsing shop.

Stumbling after him, she protested, "My lord, wait! That building's about to collapse—we can't go in!"

"Stop shouting. I won't let you get crushed," Bai Xiuming said tersely before falling silent.

He pulled A Chan inside without hesitation. Chen Hui tried to follow but was frozen in place by Bai Xiuming's icy glare.

A Chan glanced back and signaled for her not to follow before being hauled into the rear courtyard.

Once they were alone, Bai Xiuming finally released her wrist.

"My lord, if you wanted to whisper secrets, you didn't need to drag me all the way here," A Chan complained, rubbing her reddened wrist.

No sooner had she spoken than Bai Xiuming, who had just been facing down the Marquis, suddenly coughed up blood.

A Chan's eyes widened. "My lord, you're injured?"

He hadn't seemed hurt earlier when he was pushing the Marquis to his limits—why was he coughing up blood now?

Ignoring her, Bai Xiuming spat out another mouthful.

"Handkerchief."

"Huh? Oh." A Chan hurriedly handed over her own.

Wiping the blood from his lips, Bai Xiuming finally said coolly, "Today, you saw nothing."

A Chan held her tongue but ultimately couldn't resist. "My lord is truly cautious—even coughing up blood must be kept secret."

Bai Xiuming gave her a sideways look. "Indeed. Should I silence you to ensure it?"

A Chan promptly shut her mouth.

"Fetch a chair." Bai Xiuming leaned against the wall and ordered.

Reluctantly, A Chan ventured into the unstable shop to drag out a miraculously undamaged chair to the backyard.

Bai Xiuming sat with his eyes closed, apparently in meditation.

A Chan circled him twice before growing bored. She fetched a small wooden stool from the kitchen and settled herself opposite him.

Studying him in meditation, she wondered if he had anticipated the Marquis's arrival today.

She and Hui Niang had been lucky he showed up when he did.

When Bai Xiuming finally opened his eyes, he found A Chan perched on her stool, chin propped in her hands, lost in thought.

"My lord, are you better now?" she asked cheerfully upon noticing him.

In truth, Bai Xiuming hadn't been meditating long—barely fifteen minutes.

"Not yet."

He had only temporarily suppressed the chaos in his energy channels. His injuries were caused by the formation's backlash and would likely take days to heal.

"Oh..." A Chan switched topics. "I have incense that helps with internal injuries. Would you like to try it?"

Bai Xiuming studied her for a moment before replying, "I'll decline your incense."

"What a shame," A Chan said without sincerity—she had only offered out of politeness.

But Bai Xiuming wasn't done. "Is this how you sold your products to Xue Mingtang's concubine?"

A Chan's eyes darted.

Back at the Bright Mirror Bureau, when Bai Xiuming hadn't mentioned it, she thought she'd dodged the issue. Now he was revisiting past matters.

Maintaining a neutral expression, she replied, "Of course. My cousin's money was too easy to pass up."

The fact that she had sold scented powder to Zhao Wenyue couldn’t be hidden anyway. If investigated, one only needed to ask Zhao Wenyue.

“What kind of sleep incense did you sell her?”

“Sleep incense. Do you need some too, my lord? I can give it to you for free.” A-Chan smiled coyly, confident that he had no evidence and was merely fishing for information.

Bai Xiuming indeed had no evidence and wasn't about to press further. He stood up. “I’d rather live a few more years.”

Seeing him about to leave, A-Chan quickly rose. “My lord, must you leave so soon?”

“Is there something else?”

A-Chan’s eyes darted around. She took a few quick steps forward, cutting him off. “Thank you for saving my life and Hui Niang’s. A-Chan is forever in your debt.”

Bai Xiuming lowered his gaze to look at her. “Merely ‘never forgetting’ isn’t enough. You’d best remember my kindness day and night, and in the future, make less trouble—especially incidents like adopting a living corpse. Don’t let it happen a second time.”

A-Chan averted her gaze. “Understood.”

“If there’s nothing else, step aside.”

Of course, A-Chan didn’t move. She hadn’t even gotten to her real question yet.

Bai Xiuming seemed to have anticipated she still had something to say and waited patiently for her to speak.

Under his gaze, A-Chan shifted nervously before asking, “Could I ask where my lord resides?”

Bai Xiuming’s brow lifted, as if he hadn’t heard correctly.

“What did you say?”

“I’d like to know where my lord lives.” A-Chan raised her voice slightly, repeating herself.

“Xuan Yang District.”

“Do any of your neighbors have plans to sell their homes recently?” A-Chan asked hopefully.

Bai Xiuming suddenly chuckled. “My immediate neighbors are the Minister of Rites and the Duke of Song. Their residences were bestowed by His Majesty, so they likely have no intention of moving anytime soon.”

Oh no, miscalculation. A-Chan thought with dismay. She’d forgotten Bai Xiuming was related to the imperial family—his neighbors were all nobility.

“Then… does my lord have any plans to move recently?”

“No.”

A-Chan sighed. Though the Marquis of the North had retreated today, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t return—no, to be precise, he was bound to. That man clearly doesn't play by the rules.

If he comes back when Bai Xiuming wasn’t around, A-Chan had no way to stop him.

So she wondered if moving near Bai Xiuming’s residence might offer some safety.

Unfortunately, her plan was dead in the water before it even began.

“Anything else you’d like to ask?” Bai Xiuming asked, surprisingly patient.

A-Chan’s eyes gleamed mischievously. If this approach wouldn’t work, she’d have to try another.

“My lord~” she purred. Bai Xiuming suddenly felt a prickle of alarm.

“…Speak.”

“If the Marquis of the North hadn’t come today, I might’ve forgotten—Hui Niang was killed by Fang Yu and Yan Cheng. My lord, the Marquis’ daughter secretly raised living corpses and used them to kill. Over the years, countless innocent victims must have fallen. It’s absolutely barbaric.”

“Hmm. And?”

“As Fang Yu’s father, the Marquis is guilty of shielding his daughter’s crimes. He should be called to account. My lord, you should file a damning impeachment.” A-Chan’s tone was fierce, though her lack of conviction made it sound more like a plea.

Bai Xiuming feigned hesitation. “If I impeach him, it would mean making him an outright enemy…”

A-Chan pushed eagerly, “Ah, but you’ve already offended him today—you gave him a stab! He’ll surely hold a grudge. Since you’re already in deep, why not use this opportunity to expose his crimes and have His Majesty punish him?”

“That's... not unreasonable.” Bai Xiuming appeared convinced.

“Right?”

“Then how would you like His Majesty to punish him?”

A-Chan suggested hopefully, “Confined to his estate for three to five years?”

Bai Xiuming smiled without answering.

“One or two years, at least? His daughter harmed so many people.”

Bai Xiuming shook his head.

“Then at least half a year?”

“You seem very keen on having him imprisoned.”

A-Chan, now beyond caring, scoffed. “He clearly has ill intentions toward me and Hui Niang. Did you see the look in his eyes when he left? He looked ready to skin me alive. If he isn’t locked up, I won’t dare leave my house.”

Bai Xiuming’s lips twitched. Had she not demanded those five thousand taels, the Marquis’ glare might not have been so homicidal.

But he didn’t mention that, only saying, “And if the Marquis isn’t punished?”

“Then I’ll have no choice but to bundle up with Hui Niang and sleep on your doorstep.”

“That desperate?”

“You bet! My lord, please help me.”

“I'll think about it upon returning.”

Why did he need to consider it? What if he got cold feet?

A-Chan didn’t want to let him leave, dragging her heels and refusing to move.

Just then, Feng Yang’s booming voice came from outside. “My lord, apologies for my tardiness.”

Bai Xiuming looked at A-Chan, who grudgingly moved aside.

The two walked out of the backyard one after the other, passing through the ramshackle house to the front.

The Bright Mirror Bureau agents had finally arrived.

“My lord, are you all right?” Feng Yang asked with concern, scanning Bai Xiuming for injuries.

Upon learning the Marquis of the North had gone to Changping Ward, Bai Xiuming had used the Bright Mirror Bureau’s authority to activate the city's defensive array, allowing him to get here as fast as possible.

Normally, the formation was controlled by several people. Manipulating it alone would inevitably invite backlash—likely causing internal injuries.

"No matter. Let's return."

Seeing Bai Xiuming about to leave with his men, A Chan called out pleadingly from behind, "Lord Bai."

Bai Xiuming paused but did not turn around, merely instructing Feng Yang, "Assign two men to watch over her these next few days."

Feng Yang was taken aback. Watch over her? Is surveillance usually this overt?

But he quickly realized that Lord Bai likely intended protection, not surveillance.

He immediately selected two of his most capable Baihu officers and ordered them to stay behind and guard Ji Chan before departing with Bai Xiuming.

Though these two Baihu wouldn't last a single round against the Marquis of the North, their presence as members of the Bright Mirror Bureau at least demonstrated Bai Xiuming’s position—enough to deter the Marquis for the time being.

Meanwhile, the Marquis of the North had just returned to his estate, his fury no longer containable.

With a sweep of his palm, one of the stone lions at the gate was reduced to powder.

Once inside, the vermilion gates of the marquis’s estate slammed shut, concealing all within.

"That arrogant whelp, hiding behind King Ming's authority, dares humiliate this marquis!" The Marquis ground his teeth. "Bai Xiuming, I will personally snap your neck sooner or later."

His personal guards, witnessing his rage, held their tongues. Just then, a lean, middle-aged man in Taoist robes emerged. Hearing the Marquis’s words, he chuckled. "Why trouble yourself with such a man, my lord? Bai Xiuming is but an expendable pawn. King Ming took him in only to counter the Prince of Xiling."

The guards behind the Marquis bowed in unison. "Greetings, Strategist."

This man, Liu Zhou, was the Marquis’s strategist. Over the years in Xiling, the Marquis’s string of victories were largely due to his strategies.

The Marquis was surprised. "Weren’t you delayed on business? When did you return?"

"The affair is concluded. I feared His Majesty might trouble you, so I hurried back. Unfortunately, I arrived just after you left."

The Marquis snorted. "Before the emperor makes a move, others are already restless."

Liu Zhou advised, "My lord, this is the capital. It’s best to show restraint."

"Restraint? My last descendant was killed by a corpse puppet, and the Bright Mirror Bureau not only ignored it but stood in my way! If not for King Ming—"

Liu Zhou interjected. "I understand your grief, but antagonizing the Bright Mirror Bureau so soon after your return is unwise. If you truly seek vengeance, patience is key. Bai Xiuming cannot keep watch indefinitely."

The Marquis frowned. He disliked his strategist’s cautious ways, preferring direct action—crushing whoever displeased him.

In the years away from the capital, no one had dared provoke him so.

Yet he had to admit, Liu Zhou’s methods often spared him trouble.

After a long pause, he reluctantly nodded. "Very well. We’ll let this pass for now. Once the storm dies down, I’ll seize that corpse puppet and grind her bones to dust."

"Wise as ever, my lord."

Persuaded, the Marquis resolved to postpone his vengeance—only for Bai Xiuming to strike first the very next morning.

Bai Xiuming submitted a memorial accusing the Marquis of condoning his daughter Fang Yu’s secret breeding of corpse puppets, causing chaos in the capital and multiple civilian casualties—a crime unforgivable.

After reading the memorial, the emperor remained calm. "Marquis of the North, do you have anything to say?"

The Marquis stepped forward. "Your Majesty, yesterday’s dispute with Lord Bai was a misunderstanding. While I acknowledge his displeasure, I cannot allow my daughter’s posthumous reputation to be slandered. Though reckless in life, she would never commit such atrocities."

"Bai Xiuming, your response?"

Bai Xiuming spoke evenly. "Your Majesty, we captured those who raised the corpse puppets for Fang Yu. Their confessions reveal that over twenty years, Fang Yu and her son used corpse puppets to slaughter no fewer than a hundred lives. Acting on their leads, we’ve recovered thirty-eight unidentified corpses before this court session."

"Your Majesty, this is a frame-up against my daughter!" the Marquis protested urgently.

Unfazed, Bai Xiuming continued, "Moreover, I’ve brought the head of the rampaging corpse puppet today. Perhaps the Marquis can explain why a guard from his estate twenty years ago became a corpse puppet under his daughter’s control?"

The Marquis fell silent. Had Bai Xiuming not mentioned it, he might have forgotten entirely.

They had uncovered the corpse puppet’s identity.

"Perhaps... the guard died accidentally, and his body was later refined by others," the Marquis offered weakly.

"Or perhaps," Bai Xiuming countered, "the Marquis had the guard killed to aid his daughter’s experiments." Seeing the Marquis about to retort, he pressed on, "Your Majesty, all evidence has been submitted. I trust Your Majesty will judge fairly."

From his throne, the emperor observed the Marquis’s floundering before asking, "Marquis of the North, were you aware of this?"

The Marquis’s heart sank. Cornered, he had no choice but to admit, "Your Majesty, I’ve been campaigning abroad for years. I knew nothing of this."

A censor spoke up. "Your Majesty, a father is accountable for his child’s misdeeds. The Marquis was derelict as a father, allowing his daughter and grandson to wield his influence and harm countless innocents. He must be severely punished."

Other ministers joined the chorus.

Only a few martial nobility spoke in the Marquis’s defense.

The Duke of Xu spoke up. "Your Majesty, the Marquis has distinguished himself in Xiling. His daughter’s crimes were not his doing. This matter merits careful consideration."

When the arguments died down, the emperor declared, "The Marquis of the North, for permitting his daughter’s grievous crimes, is hereby confined to his residence for three months' seclusion."