Chapter 38

Chapter 38

He picked up the loss report again, his eyes landing on the line for "the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month," and suddenly asked, "You said Lin Yanwen helped you fill out forms? Did he also help with the forms from the Armory Office?"

Zhou Tu was taken aback, then thought carefully: "Once... last winter when we went to collect arrows, the Armory Office's delivery slip was missing a seal. Minister Lin said he would stamp it later and let us take the arrows first. Later, I sent a subordinate to pick up the stamped slip. He went twice before Minister Lin handed it over, saying he had been busy and forgot."

"Missing a seal? Busy and forgot?" Situ Kong's eyes lit up. "Think again—that time on the twenty-eighth, after you collected the arrows, did you submit a return receipt to the Armory Office? Was the quantity on that receipt really three hundred?"

Zhou Tu nodded: "Yes, I sent a subordinate to deliver it on the twenty-ninth. The receipt stated three hundred arrows, and the Armory Office stamped it. There's no mistake."

"But what if Lin Yanwen gave you one less arrow from the start?" Situ Kong suddenly tossed out the idea. "He knew you trusted him, knew you would have your subordinates count them, and they would only roughly check the number, not count each one individually. He gives you one less, you don't notice, record three hundred on the receipt, and write three hundred on the return slip. But in reality, you only took two hundred and ninety-nine."

Zhou Tu's eyes widened, his face instantly paling: "Impossible! When my men count, they do it in bundles of ten. Three hundred arrows make thirty bundles. How could one bundle be missing?"

"That's the point—it's not a missing bundle, but one missing arrow." Situ Kong picked up the broken arrow and placed it in front of Zhou Tu. "He pulled one arrow from the thirty bundles, leaving each bundle with ten, except the last bundle has nine. Your men only counted the bundles, not the arrows in each bundle, so they never noticed. When you checked later, you only matched the delivery record with the Bureau of War's issuance record, never counting each bundle. That's how he slipped through."

Zhou Tu's pupils trembled slightly. He recalled how, when collecting the arrows on the twenty-eighth, Lin Yanwen had smiled and said, "We're all old friends, no need for such trouble." He remembered his subordinate returning and reporting, "Thirty bundles, all accounted for." He thought of how, the next day, when delivering the return receipt, Lin Yanwen had deliberately kept his subordinate for a cup of tea...

These details that had seemed "normal" before now connected so perfectly.

"But... why would Minister Lin do this?" Zhou Tu's voice was laced with disbelief. "He's never had any conflict with the Capital Garrison or the Marquis. There's no reason for him to steal an arrow for an assassination!"

Situ Kong looked at his shocked expression, steadied his pace, and slowed down.

He didn't directly answer, only picked up the broken arrow, running his thumb over the lacquer seal on the inside of the shaft: "The Armory Office's lacquer seal cannot be forged. This arrow is indeed from last winter's batch. The Bureau of War's issuance was correct, and the Capital Garrison's inventory had no loopholes. The only gap is in the transfer between the Armory Office and the Capital Garrison."

He looked up at Zhou Tu, his tone serious: "Lin Yanwen helping you with forms and making things convenient might have been intentional from the start. First, he lets you let your guard down, then finds an opportunity to tamper. That day on the twenty-eighth was his best chance."

Zhou Tu's face turned completely pale. He slumped against the chair back, shaking his head as if in a trance. He himself didn't matter—life or death, public scorn—but this incident had dragged the Capital Garrison into turmoil and brought suspicion upon his Marquis. He was filled with regret, deep regret.

"I... I am guilty!" Zhou Tu slowly lowered his head, his voice laced with guilt. "It was my negligence... I have wronged the Marquis... I am sorry to the Marquis..."

Situ Kong looked at him, his tone softening: "Think carefully. Besides that time on the twenty-eighth, did Lin Yanwen show any other unusual behavior? For instance, recently being close with anyone in particular, or saying anything strange when collecting arrows? These clues are crucial for tracking the assassin."

Zhou Tu lifted his head, the regret in his eyes slowly solidifying into resolve. He took a deep breath and began to recall every detail of his dealings with Lin Yanwen.

Though he wasn't particularly clever, it was clear now that only by finding more clues about Lin Yanwen could he make amends for his mistake and clear the Capital Garrison and his Marquis of suspicion.

***

On the night of the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, a thin layer of snow had fallen. In the warm pavilion of the Ji estate's side courtyard, a fire burned vigorously. Ji Zhou sat on a wicker chair by the window, the flickering candlelight obscuring the expression in his eyes. Only occasionally, when he looked up, could one glimpse a deep, unfathomable calculation.

He Xing sat across from him, his tone carrying a hint of urgency: "Brother Ji, have you figured out how to deal with Nan Wuxie? If we delay any longer, once his foundation in the capital solidifies, it will be even harder for us."

Upon hearing this, Ji Zhou picked up his teacup, slowly blowing on the foam, his voice gentle, betraying no emotion: "What's the rush? When trying to bring down someone as powerful as him, you have to wait for the right moment. Nan Wuxie is no ordinary man. The Capital Garrison is his domain. Even His Majesty tolerates him eight times out of ten. Ordinary faults cannot shake him."

"Then what moment are we waiting for?" He Xing pressed.

"New Year's Eve palace banquet." Ji Zhou set down his teacup, his gaze falling on the snowy scene outside the window. "All the officials gather, and His Majesty is present. It's the most lively time, and also the easiest time for chaos to erupt."

He sighed lightly, as if everyone else were insignificant ants. "Arrange an assassination, using their own weapons. Then the clues will naturally point toward the Capital Garrison."

He Xing's eyes lit up, but then he frowned: "But Nan Wuxie is highly skilled in martial arts. If an assassin strikes at the palace banquet, his intervention to save the Emperor would only earn him the title of a 'meritorious rescuer.'"

"Don’t worry if he intervenes—worry if he doesn’t," Ji Zhou said with a smile. "And what if he doesn’t intervene? If he does, and his reaction is unusually swift, it might make people suspect he was prepared, using His Majesty’s life as a setup just to claim merit for saving the Emperor."

He paused, the darkness in his eyes deepening. "But given his skills, if he doesn’t intervene, the trouble is even greater. If he clearly could save His Majesty but stands by, wouldn’t that mean he harbors ulterior motives?"

He smiled faintly and shook his head. "'Li Sheng' dares not kill him, but 'rumors' can."

He Xing finally understood and couldn’t help nodding: "Brother Ji, you’ve thought this through thoroughly. And the murder weapon—using his own thing? What is it?"

"Three-edged arrows. In all of the capital, only his Capital Garrison would have them."

"Are the assassin and the source of the three-edged arrows both arranged?"

"The man is already found," Ji Zhou said, picking up his teacup for another sip. "For the arrows, I’ll go to Lin Yanwen. He's the Minister of Works and can easily tamper with the arrows."

He Xing was completely reassured, a smile spreading across his face: "With Brother Ji at the helm, this time Nan Wuxie is sure to take a huge fall."

Ji Zhou didn’t respond, only gazing at the snow outside the window, the smile in his eyes fading slightly.

What he wanted was far more than just trapping Nan Wuxie in a dilemma with no way to explain himself.

The next afternoon, the snow stopped. Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, casting a light on the floor of He Mansion’s study, though it carried little warmth.

He Xing had just secured the secret letter from Ji Mansion when Chao Cheyun arrived.

With a folded fan in hand, fingers lightly resting on the ribs, Chao Cheyun entered with a calm expression, showing no urgency, as if he were merely making a routine visit.

"Master He." Chao Er bowed, then took a seat and accepted the tea He Xing offered. He touched the cup’s rim—the temperature was just right. "You visited Master Ji yesterday?"

He Xing didn’t beat around the bush. He nodded: "Last night, Brother Ji and I discussed until late and came to a decision." He gave a firm nod of affirmation. "We’ll act at the New Year’s Eve palace banquet. Use the three-edged arrows to point suspicion toward the Capital Garrison. The target is Nan Wuxie."

Upon hearing this, Chao Cheyun’s hand holding the teacup paused slightly.

He Xing, the eldest of the He family, had collaborated with him, Chao Cheyun, with the aim of having him subtly pass certain words to his elder brother—places where the New Year’s Eve defense should keep people, and where they absolutely should not. Although cooperation required sincerity, this kind of "mutual exchange" made Chao Cheyun, who had grown up in the capital, uncomfortable.

Yet his face remained calm, eyes downcast, watching the tea leaves floating in the cup.

Seeing him remain silent, He Xing didn’t dwell on it and continued: "This time, besides Nan Wuxie, there’s one more person we might be able to take down together."

Chao Cheyun looked up, his gaze settling on He Xing’s face with a hint of inquiry, but he didn’t press.

"Wen Buchi." He Xing’s tone turned colder. "Last time, with the Jiangnan incident, he teamed up with He Shen to set me up. That score needs to be settled."

Chao Cheyun’s hand tightened slightly, then relaxed. "The Chief Envoy Wen? I do recall something that might be useful to you, Master He."

He Xing raised his chin slightly, gesturing for him to continue.

"Our Lord Wen doesn’t seem to be the frail scholar the rumors make him out to be."

Chao Cheyun didn’t elaborate or embellish, as if he had merely mentioned it in passing.

But inwardly, he sighed. He Xing was truly overestimating himself and insatiably greedy—utterly foolish, so foolish that it was no wonder he had been set up by Wen Buchi last time.

He Xing, however, didn’t notice his thoughts. His eyes brightened: "Oh? So he’s hiding martial arts skills?"

"Deeply hidden." Chao Cheyun set down his teacup. "He wants to make a contribution right now. If an assassination occurs at the palace banquet, he might not be able to restrain himself."

He Xing immediately understood and laughed: "If he exposes his martial arts by intervening to save the Emperor, His Majesty will surely suspect that he was 'prepared and deliberately seeking credit.' And if the Censorate’s old scholars slap him with a charge of 'deceiving the Emperor,' then his position as Chief Envoy will be done for."

Chao Cheyun nodded with a smile and said nothing more.

He Xing leaned forward, his tone carrying the smugness of a schemer: "Once he moves, everything else becomes easy."

Chao Cheyun pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Agreed."

Just two simple words, with no hesitation or extra emotion.

He stood up, clasped his hands in a salute: "If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave, so as not to arouse suspicion."

He Xing nodded in agreement, watching the figure leave through the doorway, thinking only that Chao Cheyun was steady in nature and someone who could get things done.

But this fool did not see a flicker of indifference that flashed in the other man's eyes as he stepped out of the study.

Sunlight fell on Chao Cheyun's long robe. He folded his fan and walked out of the He residence with steady steps.

He Xing's stupidity certainly saved him a lot of trouble. As for what came next, it would all depend on whether Wen Buchi, during the New Year's Eve banquet, would fall into the trap as he hoped.

***

On the morning of the twelfth day of the first lunar month, the teahouses in the capital had barely opened their doors before they were packed with patrons. But instead of the usual chatter about poetry, painting, or market gossip, all the talk was about one rumor.

"Have you heard? At the New Year's Eve banquet, Marquis Nan obviously had the chance to save His Majesty, but he just sat there and did nothing!"

The man by the window lowered his voice, but deliberately made sure the neighboring tables could hear.

"My cousin serves in the Imperial Guard. He said Marquis Nan was only a few steps away from His Majesty when the arrow flew—and he didn't even raise a hand!"

At these words, the entire teahouse fell silent for a moment, then erupted into an uproar.

"Really? With Marquis Nan's martial arts skill, how could he not have saved the emperor?"

"Who knows? Maybe he had his own agenda! Think about it—Commander Chao was the first to act, and now he's under suspicion. Marquis Nan has always been close to the Chao family. Was it on purpose?"

"Exactly! Commander Chao was in charge of the banquet's security, and Marquis Nan holds the capital garrison's military power. If those two were in league, what couldn't they do?"

The rumor spread like wildfire, spreading from teahouses to street corners.

A vendor carrying candied hawthorns on a pole talked about it while walking with a customer; embroiderers in the silk workshop discussed it between stitches; even the clerks on duty outside the Ministry of Personnel whispered about it while at their posts.

Within half a day, the story "Nan Wuxie didn't save the emperor" and "the collusion between the Nan and Chao families" had spread throughout the entire capital.

By the next day's court session, the rumors had even drifted into the great hall.

An elderly official stepped forward first, bowing deeply: "Your Majesty, in recent days, rumors have been swirling among the common people, all saying that at the New Year's Eve banquet, Marquis Nan deliberately chose not to save Your Majesty, and that Marquis Nan and Commander Chao are in collusion... This matter is of great importance. I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

As soon as he finished, several officials immediately chimed in: "Your Majesty, although rumors cannot be fully believed, they cannot be ignored either! Marquis Nan controls the capital garrison, and Commander Chao commands the Imperial Guard. If the two have truly conspired, it could pose a danger to Your Majesty!"

Li Sheng sat on the dragon throne, his face dark as a storm cloud.

He had already been suspicious of Chao Yunping and resented Nan Wuxie's military power. Now, with the rumors stirring, all those buried doubts came flooding back.

Exactly—even though the Nan and Chao families had never openly formed an alliance, they had also never clashed. Whenever Chao Yunping got into trouble, Nan Wuxie secretly helped him out. If anyone claimed those two weren't colluding, who would believe it?

At the banquet, Chao Yunping had "reacted too quickly," as if he had been prepared; Nan Wuxie had "stayed still," as if deliberately watching the show. One was in charge of security, the other held the capital garrison—could it be that one had deliberately let the assassins in while the other deliberately chose not to intervene? They played off each other, letting Chao Yunping gain the reputation of "saving the emperor" while allowing Nan Wuxie to avoid the suspicion of "taking the lead"?

The more Li Sheng thought, the more confused he became. He clenched his hand tightly on the armrest of the dragon throne, and his heart pounded with rage. He looked at the civil and military officials standing below the steps, suppressing the fury in his chest, not daring to let it out.

"I am aware of this matter," Li Sheng said, his voice revealing nothing of his inner fear. "Situ Kong, you will continue investigating the assassination case. As for the rumors—if they prove true..."

He gritted his teeth. "...then 'ironclad evidence' must be found."

"Your servant shall obey!" Situ Kong bowed and accepted the order.

The words "ironclad evidence" were heavily emphasized. Ji Zhou's scheme could indeed be considered a success.

What is ironclad evidence? It is "justification."

Moreover, it wasn't that the emperor needed ironclad evidence to convict; rather, only when everyone saw the ironclad evidence would Li Sheng dare to act.

Or perhaps Ji Zhou had overestimated Li Sheng. Even if everyone saw the ironclad evidence, Li Sheng might still not dare to make a move.

After court adjourned, the officials left in groups of two or three, their discussions continuing without pause:

"Marquis Nan hasn't come to court in recent days... Could he really be feeling guilty?"

"Ah, if it's truly proven that he conspired with Commander Chao, control of the Imperial Guard and the capital garrison... will likely change hands..."