Chapter 84: Among All Medicines, Wine Is King

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"Master Ye, save me!"

Yuan Gonglu’s desperate plea brought Ye Chang a certain satisfaction. Back then, Yuan Gonglu had deliberately kept his distance, only drawing near again after Ye Chang returned from Chang'an and became acquainted with influential figures. How could Ye Chang not see through it? He understood Yuan Gonglu’s motives, but understanding them did not wash away all resentment.

Today, Yuan Gonglu’s supplication was not only regret for his past actions but also a bowing of his head to present circumstances.

After the fleeting satisfaction, Ye Chang fell into hesitation.

Should he help Yuan Gonglu or not? That was the question.

If he did, the matter would be settled, Yuan Gonglu would be promoted and leave next year, bringing Ye Chang no benefit. On the contrary, if things were as he suspected—that the instigator was the county magistrate manipulating his clerks—then by aiding Yuan Gonglu, Ye Chang would surely offend the magistrate.

But if he refused to help, he couldn’t deny that Yuan Gonglu had once made things easier for him in his dealings with the Liu family. Without Yuan Gonglu, he would never have gotten past Liu Fengyin.

As Ye Chang hesitated, Yuan Gonglu maintained his deep bow, motionless. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow, landing on the floor at his feet.

The stakes Ye Chang was weighing were surely no secret to Yuan Gonglu himself. Precisely because he understood them, he was nearly in despair. Ye Chang had every reason to refuse him; yet, if Ye Chang would not offer advice, who else in Xiuwu County could save him from this mire?

A second bead of sweat fell before Ye Chang finally spoke.

"Why so anxious, Prefect? This is a grave matter, and I cannot conjure a flawless plan on the spot..."

"Master Ye, your wisdom is unrivaled—when have you ever lacked a plan?" Yuan Gonglu replied bitterly. "Though I may have erred, I have never offended the Emperor above nor oppressed the people below. How have I come to such straits?"

Such appeals could not move Ye Chang. In history, how many blameless and even meritorious men had suffered wrongful deaths? Too many to count.

He nonetheless said, "If we could be certain Wen Tailai is responsible, I might have a plan. But if we cannot be sure, any action might backfire."

He spoke from his heart. In both his past and present life, he’d been involved in more than a few ventures that skirted the boundaries of legality, yet he’d always held to one principle: even in an age when conscience seemed devoured by dogs, one must remain true to oneself.

"Please, Master Ye, speak... It must be Wen Tailai!" Yuan Gonglu pleaded. "Thinking it over, he must have discovered the matter between myself and his wife. For a time, he would not even speak to me, but lately, he behaves as usual... especially in these last two days, he’s repeatedly mentioned the year-end closing of the office!"

By this reasoning, Wen Tailai was almost certainly the culprit. After some thought, Ye Chang said, "I do have a plan, but whether it will work, I cannot say. Take it as mere counsel, Prefect."

"Please, tell me!"

Ye Chang glanced around, then smiled. "If Prefect is willing to pay the price, this will not be difficult."

They conversed a while longer, with Ye Chang explaining and Yuan Gonglu responding incessantly. At last, Ye Chang rose to take his leave. Outside, Xiang'er had already devoured two skewers of candied hawthorn and was eyeing the third with longing.

"You keep eating like that, you’ll have a toothache one day," he warned.

"Xiang’er is not afraid! Master must have some cure for toothaches."

"I have none. All I could do is pull the aching tooth out—with big pliers, twist it right out of your mouth..."

"Xiang’er still isn’t afraid. If Master does that, it’ll only hurt for a moment, and then I’ll feel much better."

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At this, Ye Chang felt sweat bead on his own brow. He swallowed, then shook his head. "You may not have pain, but without that tooth, you’ll go from a pretty little miss to a homely girl."

Xiang’er hesitated a moment, then declared loudly, "Still not afraid! Even if I’m a homely girl, Master would never cast me aside!"

"Homely girls can’t find husbands when they grow up!"

"Xiang’er is not afraid! If I can’t marry, I’ll stay and serve Master all my life!"

Ye Chang was speechless. Gritting his teeth, he snatched the candied hawthorn from Zhong Wei, who was barely stifling a laugh, gave one stick to Xiang’er, and then bit fiercely into another.

"Weren’t we going to bring some back for Sir Cinu, Chunming, and the others?" Xiang’er asked, her mouth full.

"We’re not going back today," Ye Chang replied. "I’ll buy more for them tomorrow—this market lasts two days anyway."

"Why not go back?" Xiang’er’s curiosity was piqued.

"I have business. Just eat your candy and don’t ask so many questions, child."

After leaving, they circled back to the market. Though they wouldn’t go home today, Ye Chang had no intention of returning tomorrow, so he bought all the New Year’s goods he needed at once and left them at the Tan family’s shop—though Tan Qinshou was away, Lin Xicheng had now become manager and would assist him readily.

After the market, they turned a corner and returned to the county constable’s office—not skulking in the shadows this time, but entering openly through the main gate. The guards recognized Ye Chang. When he requested an audience with the Prefect, one guard said kindly, "Master Ye, the Prefect has been unwell of late and isn’t seeing visitors. Why not come another day?"

"It’s no matter. Just tell him I’ve come to pay my respects before the year-end closure. He cannot refuse to see me."

Seeing Ye Chang’s confidence, the guard went to announce him and soon returned. "The Prefect will receive you himself."

Presently, Yuan Gonglu appeared in casual dress. Seeing Ye Chang from afar, he called out with a smile, "What a rare guest! Master Ye, you’ve come at just the right moment. Have the city’s best restaurant send over a banquet—I shall host Master Ye today. And, invite all the clerks to join us in his honor!"

Servants bustled off, and soon the banquet tables were set in the courtyard. Before long, the clerks assembled, each introduced to Ye Chang by Yuan Gonglu—among them was Wen Tailai.

Wen Tailai appeared to be in his early thirties, a young man among the clerks, but his robust features resembled a butcher more than a scholar. Yet, despite his burly frame, he spoke in a soft, delicate voice. Ye Chang watched him carefully; though he chatted with the others, he often lapsed into distraction, and under Yuan Gonglu’s gaze, grew visibly uneasy.

All but certain—he was the one who’d stolen the official seal. If the matter of the missing seal could be made public, one word from Ye Chang would bring Wen Tailai to his knees.

Only he would grow increasingly nervous as Ye Chang’s reputation for sharp insight was recounted, fearing his secret would be uncovered. If it were, not only Yuan Gonglu but also Wen Tailai himself would pay dearly for his crime.

"Most of you know Master Ye for his deeds here and in Wuzhi, but you may not know he’s also a luminary of Chang'an," Yuan Gonglu continued. "Recently, the game of football has spread to Xiuwu—do you know, Master Ye combined polo and cuju to create this new sport? And the cement paving of Zhuque Avenue in Chang'an—surely you’ve heard of it? That, too, was Master Ye’s handiwork..."

Ye Chang was momentarily taken aback. Since returning to Xiuwu, he’d corresponded with friends in Chang'an but hadn’t realized Zhuque Avenue’s paving was already complete. Five months, at most—Han Chaozong wasted no time. But the troublesome Metropolitan Governor would soon face dire straits: Ye Chang’s gift of cement had been both well-intended and a hidden snare.

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Thinking of this, Ye Chang couldn’t help but smile.

"Master Ye is so clever—may I trouble you with a riddle of my own?" A clerk, encouraged by Yuan Gonglu’s praise, joined in. "Ten years ago, I encountered a curious case..."

If the subject had been anything else, Ye Chang might not have answered, but when it came to cases, he could analyze the details, even without being present, and soon had the man convinced. Still, Ye Chang knew this was armchair theorizing; in a real case, such analysis might produce a false confession rather than the truth.

The clerks understood this as well, but they were only there to join in the fun and flatter Ye Chang. No one sought to expose the pretense, and all raised their thumbs in praise of his well-deserved reputation.

Xiang’er sat demurely beside Ye Chang, eating her food with ladylike grace, though inwardly she disdained the clerks’ clumsy flattery. It pleased her to hear Ye Chang praised, but at such a level, it was simply too crude.

Next came a game of pitch-pot with forfeits of wine. After the game, Wen Tailai, unable to sit still, rose and bowed to Yuan Gonglu. "I’m afraid I feel unwell and cannot keep up with the wine. May I take my leave?"

Yuan Gonglu smiled. "Why such words, Clerk Wen? If anyone’s been unwell lately, it’s been me, as everyone knows. Or does Clerk Wen, like me, suffer... an illness of the heart?"

His words carried a chilling edge. Cold sweat broke out on Wen Tailai’s brow, and the others inwardly blamed him for his lack of tact. The Prefect’s banquet was an honor; to leave early was to show disrespect both to the host and the guests.

Usually, Clerk Wen was quite sociable—what had come over him today?

"I... I dare not. I truly feel ill..." Wen stammered.

"If you’re unwell, drink a few more cups—wine is the king of all medicines. A drunken sleep cures all ills. Come, shut the doors! No one leaves till we’re all drunk!"

Servants closed the front doors tightly. Wen Tailai sat down, still uneasy, his eyes darting toward the back door, clearly seeking a chance to escape.

Yuan Gonglu noticed and sneered. "Shut the back door as well!"

Now the other clerks sensed something was amiss, glancing uneasily between Yuan Gonglu and Wen Tailai. Wen grew ever more ill at ease. Yet Yuan Gonglu seemed more spirited than ever, drumming his chopsticks on his wine cup and bursting into song, his drunkenness apparent.

"Stick close to me in a moment," Ye Chang whispered to Xiang’er.

"Hmm?" Xiang’er looked up, having finished eating and now dozing at the table.

"Heh, nothing. Just stay near me when the time comes." Ye Chang gently stroked her head.

The drinking continued for a while. Yuan Gonglu, now visibly tipsy, raised his cup and staggered to his feet to speak, but suddenly the sound of a gong rang out, quickly followed by shouting: "Fire! Fire!"

The term meant a blaze had broken out. As the cries echoed, the strong stench of smoke drifted in, proof the fire was close. Panic swept through the guests. Most buildings were wood and stone—once a fire started, it was almost impossible to control. If the flames were near, they would soon be in danger.

"Open the doors! Open the doors!" someone shouted.

The back door was opened, but the front remained shut. Yuan Gonglu led the way out the back, Ye Chang pulling Xiang’er close behind. The others rushed after, only to discover the fire was in the rear courtyard—the very place they had exited!

The rear courtyard was Yuan Gonglu’s residence. The east wing housed the servants, the west wing was his study, and it was from the west that the flames now rose.

"Disaster! Disaster!" the crowd cried.

"My great seal is still in the study!" Yuan Gonglu shouted, gathering his robe and charging into the growing inferno.

The others were thrown into confusion. Should they follow him into the burning building? If not, they would be abandoning their superior to mortal peril; if they did, the fire might swallow the study before they could escape, costing them their lives.

"Don’t panic! Don’t move! The fire is fierce—cover your mouths and noses to avoid the smoke... Bring wet towels and the water pump!" At that moment, Ye Chang’s voice rang out, steadying the crowd like a calming pill.

As the guest of honor, his words held weight. If he said not to panic, everyone obeyed, staying put and awaiting further instructions.