Chapter 8: Young Master Lan Ge

"Mistress, Commander Shen of the Jinyiwei has arrived."

"Shen Que? He has never cared for these places of pleasure. What is he doing here at a time like this?" Hua Jianlei said, frowning.

Xie Wu leaned back again and smiled. "Shen Que should be investigating the case of the corpse found in front of the Marquis of Yonglin's manor."

Hua Jianlei said irritably, "What does a corpse at the Marquis of Yonglin's manor have to do with my Mantingfang?" Her expression suddenly shifted as she looked at Xie Wu. "Could it be because of you, Young Master..."

Xie Wu shook his head. "The Jinyiwei are indeed formidable, but they wouldn't go that far. I haven't even done anything yet."

To intimidate someone before they even enter the city by hanging a corpse on their front gate—could that really be considered doing nothing?

"Fine, I'll go see," Hua Jianlei sighed, turning to walk out.

She shared a deep-seated enmity with Yi Anlu, who had once been the Director of the Eastern Depot and now still controlled it. Since the Jinyiwei took orders from the Eastern Depot, and Shen Que was the adopted son of Huang Ze, the official in charge of the Directorate of Ceremonial, Hua Jianlei felt a natural aversion toward Shen Que.

Just as she reached the door, the sound of footsteps approached from outside.

Hua Jianlei stepped out and pulled the door shut behind her. Her voice, laced with anger, drifted from outside the door: "Commander Shen certainly carries a lot of prestige. I wonder what crime I, Hua Jianlei, have committed to warrant you barging in with your men like this?"

Shen Que's voice was low and cold, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"The Jinyiwei are conducting an investigation. I ask for Mistress Hua's understanding."

Hua Jianlei gave a light snort. "Does Commander Shen mean to imply that I am involved in some Jinyiwei case?"

Shen Que said in a heavy tone, "A male corpse was discovered at the entrance of the Marquis of Yonglin's manor this morning. According to our investigation, this individual had only been in the capital for a month and had visited Mantingfang five times, the most recent being three days ago."

Hua Jianlei acted as if she had heard something hilarious.

"Commander Shen, most outsiders coming to the capital—unless they are penniless—eight out of ten end up at Mantingfang," Hua Jianlei said, her voice soft and seductive yet mocking. "But not everyone is like you, Commander, devoted solely to state affairs, with music and pleasure being entirely foreign to their ears and hearts."

Shen Que did not grow angry; his voice remained as calm as still water.

"This official is acting on orders to investigate. If there has been any offense, please forgive me. I ask Mistress Hua to consider whether any suspicious new faces have entered or exited Mantingfang in recent days."

"Is Commander Shen intentionally making things difficult for me? More than a thousand people pass through Mantingfang every day. Am I expected to memorize every single one of them?"

"If Mistress Hua cannot recall here, it will not be too late to think about it once you return to the Imperial Prison with me."

"Shen Que!" Hua Jianlei said through gritted teeth. "I know your status is extraordinary and that people avoid the Jinyiwei at all costs, but my Mantingfang is not a place to be bullied!"

As a woman, for Hua Jianlei to preside over Mantingfang in a place like the capital, she naturally had backing.

And by chance, one of the backers of Mantingfang was none other than the Emperor's own elder sister—the Princess of Nanjing, who was also Shen Que's legal mother.

Forty percent of the silver Mantingfang earned every year went into the Princess of Nanjing's pocket, and half of that actually ended up in the Emperor's private treasury.

Shen Que remained unmoved, saying calmly, "This official has no intention of offending Mistress Hua; please cooperate. Furthermore, the Jinyiwei will question everyone within Mantingfang who has had contact with the deceased."

Hua Jianlei was momentarily choked by his indifferent attitude, unable to find words.

However, Shen Que had already turned his gaze behind her. "I heard that Mistress Hua has an honored guest today. May I ask who it is?"

"What does it have to do with you?" Hua Jianlei retorted.

Shen Que said, "If Mistress Hua does not wish for this official to offend the guest, please invite him out. If the questioning reveals no discrepancies, this official will not trouble you further."

Just as Hua Jianlei was about to say more, the door was pulled open from the inside.

Xie Wu studied the man before him, who was dressed in a black robe embroidered with gold flying-fish patterns. Shen Que, in turn, gazed at the elegant, handsome young gentleman in white.

Shen Que was very handsome, with phoenix eyes, thin lips, and skin as pale as cold jade, lacking any hint of color, which gave him a somewhat sickly appearance. Yet, his posture was straight and his eyes held a chilling frost; he did not look like someone of poor constitution at all, but rather like a cold iron sword unsheathed from its scabbard.

Xie Wu possessed a sword—slender, thin, and cold, yet extremely sharp.

Shen Que was like that sword.

"Commander Shen of the Jinyiwei, a pleasure to meet you," Xie Wu said with a slight nod, his tone composed.

Shen Que observed the handsome youth before him, who was half a head shorter than himself. The youth had refined features and spoke with a smile, showing none of the arrogance or extravagance typical of the capital's profligate sons. Every movement exuded a sense of effortless grace, looking every bit the part of a young master from a prestigious family.

But...

Shen Que's gaze darkened slightly. His intuition told him that the handsome youth before him was no simple character.

"What is your honorable surname, Young Master?"

Xie Wu cupped his hands and smiled. "My surname is Chu. Chu Lange."

Shen Que paused, contemplating for a moment before saying slowly, "So it is Young Master Lingguang. A pleasure."

Xie Wu lowered his eyes and smiled faintly. "A mere commoner from the countryside; you are too kind, Commander Shen."

Shen Que continued to study the handsome youth, his eyes filled with a hint of scrutiny.

"When did Young Master Lingguang arrive in the capital? And what is the purpose of this trip?" Shen Que asked.

Xie Wu replied candidly, "I entered the city just this morning and am currently staying at the Chu residence in Willow Lane, east of the city. If Commander Shen requires my travel permit for inspection, I do not have it on me, so I fear I must ask one of your officers to make a trip to Willow Lane. As for the purpose of my visit..."

Xie Wu said with a hint of helplessness, "I am not very talented, but I wish to test my abilities in this year's imperial examinations. If I succeed, it will be an honor to my teacher's name."

"So Young Master Lingguang has come to the capital for the examinations. Your reputation in Qingzhou is already great; you will surely succeed on your first attempt," Shen Que said, his polite words devoid of any emotion.

"I thank you for your kind words."

Shen Que nodded slightly and stopped pressing the matter, instead asking, "Is Young Master Lingguang an old acquaintance of Mistress Hua?" Even someone like Shen Que, who never frequented such places, knew how difficult it was to meet Hua Jianlei.

Though Chu Lange was quite famous, to be able to meet Hua Jianlei immediately upon entering the city suggested their relationship was far from ordinary.

Xie Wu smiled. "I developed some acquaintance with Mistress Hua two years ago while I was in Qingzhou."

Hua Jianlei interjected coldly, "Two years ago, I traveled to Qingzhou to visit the renowned performer, Master Hongyin, and stayed there for a month. Master Hongyin's zither studio is at the foot of Mount Fuyun, where Master Tianwen resides in seclusion. Does Young Master Shen believe that someone like me is unworthy of befriending Master Tianwen's disciple?"

"Mistress Hua exaggerates," Shen Que said indifferently. "I am merely performing my duties according to protocol. Since Young Master Lingguang only arrived in the city today, this matter naturally has nothing to do with you. My apologies for the intrusion."

Xie Wu said, "You are too kind, Commander Shen. It was my fault for speaking thoughtlessly and offending Mistress Hua. Please forgive me."

Shen Que gave no particular reaction; he merely glanced at Xie Wu before leading his men downstairs.

Xie Wu and Hua Jianlei stood under the eaves of the second floor, watching Shen Que walk out of the Miaoyin Pavilion. Just as he reached the courtyard, a Jinyiwei cavalryman rushed in and whispered something into his ear.

Shen Que's expression shifted slightly. He glanced back at the two people upstairs, signaled to his men, and hurriedly departed.

Hua Jianlei raised an eyebrow. "He came charging in saying he would search my Mantingfang, so why is he leaving so suddenly?"

Xie Wu said, "That man just said Yi Anlu wishes to see him."

A flash of hatred crossed Hua Jianlei's eyes as she sneered, "The Jinyiwei have certainly become a fine dog in Yi Anlu's hands."

Xie Wu looked at her comfortingly and said, "It is the Eastern Depot and the Directorate of Ceremonial. Huang Ze of the Directorate and Xia Jinchen of the Eastern Depot are both away on an imperial tour with the Emperor. Naturally, Yi Anlu holds absolute power for now, but that won't last long."

Hua Jianlei smiled. "You are right, Young Master."