Chapter 115 Stealing a Person, Stealing Love
Yu Lianjing was a handsome internal official who usually knew how to behave and often had a smile on his face.
However, at this moment, the setting sun cast its light from behind Yu Lianjing’s back, as if it were stained with ink and blood. He folded the imperial decree, handed the scroll over, and pressed it heavily into Su Xueyi’s palm.
“Prime Minister, receive the decree?”
“…”
Su Xueyi’s chest felt as if it were being pressed by a heavy object.
The decree arrived too timely, completely cutting off his possibility of being double-minded.
He couldn’t deploy a single soldier or officer of Ying Xi.
Either he could only completely throw himself to his father’s side and help the idiots plan, with the final possibility of success being comparable to climbing the heavens.
What was there to not understand now?
It must have been Ying Xi who arranged for people to impeach him, taking advantage of his leave to seize his Prime Minister’s seal!
Su Xueyi’s heart was full of terror.
The massive family was watching its own path to a dead end.
He closed his eyes, and a cold sweat seeped from his forehead.
Not long after Yu Lianjing left, the doors of the Su family residence were tightly closed. The front and back courtyards were silent, as if a layer of gloomy, deathly air were being pressed down as the night grew thicker.
Su Fu jumped over the courtyard wall to scout for news and returned after a short while.
He was sneaky when he left, but after jumping back over the wall and seeing Su Xueyi, he cried out in a lost voice: “Young Master! It’s just as the Young Master expected. The salt fields have stopped, the grain shops have closed, and most of the shops in Chang’an have ceased business and gone on strike!”
—”It’s over, Chang’an is going into chaos!”
“Achoo!”
At the Su family villa in the outskirts of Chang’an, a small autumn wind blew.
Lian Qing was lying on the roof, and Xie Qianli was sharpening his blade on the tiles. The two had led the Dragon Martial Guards in ‘black work’ all afternoon and only now were somewhat settled.
The moonlight was not yet at its darkest.
The villa was full of old servants, most of whom washed up before sleeping, so there was the sound of splashing water.
Xie Qianli gently pushed the blade edge across the brick tiles. The edge was extremely thin, and a cold, bright luster flowed over it.
“The salt fields in Guanzhong have stopped work, and the price of salt in Chang’an skyrocketed ninefold in two hours.” Lian Qing kept his voice low while lying on the tiles. “It’s fine not to eat salt for a few days, but more frighteningly, the grain shops have closed!”
“I saw with my own eyes the people lining up in long queues outside the grain shops, and the assistants pushed everyone out the door one by one.”
“Not selling food, not producing salt—is Su Bei fucking looking for death?”
Lian Qing gritted his teeth hard, the muscles on his cheeks twitching.
Xie Qianli pushed through one round and brought the blade edge back with his thumb. “Before Chang’an falls into chaos, have him die.”
Lian Qing didn’t doubt the credibility of these words at all. A blade shadow flickered across his face.
Xie Qianli asked him, “How should we handle seizing grain from the granaries?”
Lian Qing said cautiously, “We will proactively take the hit and claim the opposition is rebelling. I’ve already told the brothers.”
The nearly full moon hanging in the sky over Chang’an cast a layer of cool, thin moonlight on his face.
Even without wearing that silver armor, the sound of Xie Qianli sharpening his blade was chilling.
Like a lurking beast, just waiting for a chance to strike, the blade light moved back and forth.
Lian Qing suddenly asked: “General, have you ever kissed a girl?”
“…”
These two completely unrelated sentences made the hand Xie Qianli used to sharpen his blade pause temporarily.
He knit his brows, looking utterly incredulous, and because Lian Qing’s words evoked a certain intense memory, he suppressed that beautiful thought in his heart.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“Really, General, I think you were just too impressive just now!”
Lian Qing also suppressed his excitement and tapped his fingertips on the tile surface.
Countless times of steadiness before major events and the cruelty of killing the enemy to the last had made Lian Qing and the Dragon Martial Guard soldiers form a habitual trust in Xie Qianli.
This was also the confidence that allowed Lian Qing to talk nonsense before an operation.
“If the girls in Chang’an see your appearance, surely someone must like this kind of decisiveness in killing.”
“To be moved, to be surrounded by stars!”
“Let the men, women, and children who like Su Xueyi know that our Chang’an has other types of young men!”
A dark cloud flickered across the sky, and a few wild birds flew past with a flutter.
Two old servants in the courtyard were old; while rinsing their mouths, they shouted loudly to each other because of their poor hearing: “What bird call?” “What bird call???”
Today, Ying Xi had sent a ‘Wild Goose Message.’
The monarch had assigned three tasks to the Dragon Martial Guards:
First, be ready to seize grain at any time; Xie Qianli had already arranged a countermeasure to reduce the impact.
Second, secretly rescue Su Yin.
Third, obtain evidence of Madam He being murdered and secretly steal Su Xueyi out of the Su family to see the Emperor.
A total of three things, and two were about Su Xueyi.
It was still that Su Xueyi who was the leader of the opposition noble families, was impeached by all the ministers, and was currently suspended from duty for self-reflection.
The Dragon Martial Guards would naturally not disobey orders, but the Dragon Martial Guards disliked Su Xueyi!
When they met again after the southern campaign’s victory, he didn’t even say hello, being so arrogant, yet they had to run around for him.
Lian Qing scratched at the tiles. “His Majesty said these matters are all about the world. Especially the last two.”
“This subordinate is indeed stupid. Where can an eight-year-old Su Yin and a long-dead Madam He influence the situation?”
The two old servants under the eaves put away their washing utensils and locked the windows and doors. The villa fell into the silence before sleep.
Xie Qianli’s heart stirred violently, and he pressed his finger pulp down on the blade edge.
He spoke calmly, however: “It will surely have an effect. You must not doubt the monarch.”
Lian Qing naturally accepted it all, but still couldn’t bear it. “When you’re stealing Su Xueyi, can I give him two punches?”
Xie Qianli wanted to say whatever.
But the words turned a few times on his lips; in the end, he shouldn’t fail Ying Xi’s trust.
He had confidence and said open-mindedly, “There’s no need.”
Lian Qing was horrified. “It can’t be unnecessary! This kid’s imperial favor is too strong! This subordinate guesses that the Su family is leading the noble families to cause trouble, and His Majesty wants to take down the Su family. However, Su Xueyi is His Majesty’s favorite minister, and His Majesty doesn’t want to implicate him.”
“That’s why he rescued his sister and is clearing Madam He’s name before the witnesses are all dead!”
“The monarch’s grace is at its limit. I can only think of the old Duke’s case as a precedent for His Majesty doing this.”
Lian Qing held up his hand like a scale.
On the left was Xie Qianli, and on the right was Su Xueyi. Lian Qing obviously lifted his right hand a bit higher, and under Xie Qianli’s cold gaze, he slowly pressed it down.
Xie Qianli didn’t intend to pay attention to Lian Qing.
But his mind couldn’t help but associate the meaning of what Ying Xi was doing: rescuing Su Yin. The child was innocent, but if he really wanted to take down the Su family, why would Su Yin be the only innocent child?
As for learning that Madam He had a grievance, how could His Majesty know?
That must be a hidden secret within the Su mansion; did His Majesty pay so much attention to Su Xueyi?
Stealing Su Xueyi out of the Su mansion to see the Emperor…
A very strong ‘vinegar’ brewed in Xie Qianli’s stomach, the sourness making his teeth ache.
The last person he had ‘stolen’ was Xiao Xi, who was trapped in the Fanlan Palace. The word ‘stealing’ was related to romance and had a strong hint of suggestion.
He had to steal a person for his heart’s beloved.
The person he stole back was to be brought to his heart’s beloved.
Stealing a person.
Stealing love.
Steal—
Xie Qianli shook his head; the urge to punch Su Xueyi was fighting with his grace.
Lian Qing mindlessly circled back to the original topic: “General, have you really ever kissed a girl?”
“Shut up. Action.”
Xie Qianli’s blade was sharpened to the point of being able to cut hair, as if it could directly cut off someone’s head.
The moon was high in the sky.
According to the intelligence given by Ying Xi, Madam He’s death in the fire was actually a deliberate murder.
This unjust case was from too long ago; the collapsed bamboo building had long since been replaced by brick houses, making searching for evidence as hard as climbing the heavens.
But Xie Qianli was also no ordinary person.
If the case couldn’t be investigated, there were other special methods; ‘black work’ could still be done.
The Dragon Martial Guards selected ten tall and lean young men, including Lian Qing. They looked at each other on the various roofs and all tacitly put on wigs and bedsheets.
Lian Qing acted out, wearing the female ghost outfit and swaying in front of Xie Qianli like a noodle.
Xie Qianli frowned. “Hurry up.”
Female ghost Lian Qing leaped and glided, a miserable white silhouette passing over the back courtyard of the Su family villa.
The ghosts each squatted in their positions; the courtyard remained silent except for the chirping of insects.
The villa was of a significant scale, but those living in it were all servants; according to observations, there were only a dozen people.
Lian Qing casually picked a room. Snoring like thunder came from inside; guarding a remote villa was indeed a good job.
Compared to himself licking blood on a blade every day, Lian Qing was simply resentful.
He pinched his voice and wailed with resentment while wandering:
“So unjust.”
“I… am… so… unjust…”
The voice trembled eight times in one breath; a listener would immediately break out in goosebumps.
Lian Qing’s shadow was reflected on the window, his acting was immersive and lifelike, yet the snoring inside didn’t diminish; instead, the person even groaned a few times in their dream.
Lian Qing was so angry he flailed his arms outside the window.
Xie Qianli directed the “extra performance” from the roof: “Firelight.”
Two Dragon Martial Guard soldiers went down with torches.
The Dragon Martial Guards had strict military discipline; many young men gathered together, and it was rare for them to legally do something to cause trouble.
The two soldiers rubbed their hands, and two torches were lit at the same time.
The flames brightly lit up the outside of the window, reflecting the silhouette more clearly.
The flickering firelight surrounded them. Light is best at disturbing sleep. The snoring in the room stopped instantly, and a muffled voice came out.
—”Who is it, not sleeping in the middle of the night?”
Lian Qing replied: “Wretched servant, how bold. I am so hot.”
“The fire charred my skin; it’s falling off piece by piece.”
“You all put me back together, don’t let there be any fragments, so my soul cannot find peace…”
the person’s voice inside changed abruptly!
The male servant said in horror: “Madam He!”
The servant hurriedly got up, but didn’t dare look. Lian Qing rattled the window, shaking it until the servant screamed in terror.
Lian Qing said eerily: “I’m coming in.”
“Madam, spare my life!!!”
The servant fled for his life.
The Dragon Martial Guards outside hurriedly retracted the torches and ducked into the bushes to extinguish them.
Lian Qing vanished and hid, leading the servant, who was running wildly outside. The ghost silhouette was nowhere to be seen, and the servant then frantically pounded on other people’s doors.
“There’s a ghost, a female ghost has come, Madam He has come to take our souls—”
“Hurry and open the door to save me, Big Brother Dai, the Mistress has returned!”
The servant named Dai opened the door with a mess of hair, trying to stay calm while his voice trembled: “What nonsense are you talking? Do you know the rules of the villa?”
“You just drank too much yellow wine before bed and had a dream. If you don’t have a good life to live, why are you talking such ghostly talk? Get back to your room and sleep… sleep…”
The final sound of the word ‘sleep’ didn’t disperse, and Dai was also stunned.
It turned out he had looked past the servant’s shoulder and saw a miserable white ghost silhouette at the other end of the courtyard.
The female ghost was motionless, staring at him. Long hair and long sleeves hung down, and a sinister wind picked up in the villa.
The female ghost suddenly lunged at them!
“It’s so hot—it’s burning me to death—”
Dai fled out the door, his scream piercing the villa.
The male servant followed, and as the two ran, they stirred up the entire villa. Dim lights began to turn on one after another.
Someone shouted “Madam He is taking souls,” as if opening a dark box, releasing the most fearful thoughts in everyone’s hearts in the villa.
The men and women in the villa all ran out of their rooms, some screaming, some crying, and some with hands joined together, praying to the heavens.
The dozen servants were all driven to the courtyard, meeting the most hair-raising scene of their lives.
It was as if countless Madam He’s were floating from all directions of the villa, with miserable ghost cries echoing everywhere in the night wind.
“I was murdered unjustly.”
How could the servants withstand this?
Fear was contagious, everyone’s emotions collapsed, and the servants knelt to the female ghosts in all directions.
Pleading voices rose one after another:
“I’ll speak… I’ll speak—”
“Every grievance has its head, and every debt its creditor. It wasn’t us who killed you, and we didn’t start the fire!”
“It was that person, it was that person!”
“Madam He!”
“Madam He, spare our lives, Madam He!”
There was no need for torture or effort; the key witnesses for Madam He’s unjust case were found.
Lian Qing threw off the wig, and the Dragon Martial Guards took off their costumes.
Peeling off the female ghost skins, the tight-fitting clothes underneath were revealed; they were all young and bright men.
The Dragon Martial Guards pulled weapons from their boots and completely controlled the situation. Torches lit up the middle courtyard.
The flames flickered with the night wind, and the shadows on the ground swayed.
The Dragon Martial Guards dispersed to the left and right, and the servants raised their heads, a tall and solemn man slowly coming into view.
Xie Qianli ordered: “Go to the palace to speak.”
Recommended Reads
