Chapter 106: Parting Ways

Within the oxcart, Cui Seventeen heard the argument outside with perfect clarity. Although she was the elder sister, Cui Twenty-five had inherited the headstrong nature of Cui Jianxuan without any of his respect or fear for his sisters, leaving her utterly unable to govern him. At this moment, she was sweating with anxiety, sitting in a state of agitation with her mind a complete blank. Du Thirteen, having spent much time with her recently, understood that while Cui Seventeen’s shy and timid temperament was partly innate, it was exacerbated by the fact that the primary wife of Cui Weizhi, Lady Wang, favored sons over daughters, which had shaped Cui Seventeen into the person she was today.

Before she could offer any words of persuasion, the curtain was suddenly flung open. Cui Twenty-five stood there, his face dark with rage, and without a word, he grabbed Cui Seventeen’s hand. Seeing Cui Seventeen completely stunned, and noticing her own brother standing coldly nearby with his horse, Du Thirteen found a wellspring of courage. She suddenly grabbed Cui Seventeen’s other hand and said in a deep, stern voice, "Stop it, Twenty-five. What are you doing? When we departed, the Lady of Zhao entrusted you and Seventeen to my brother. Have you forgotten that?"

During her time at the Cui residence, Du Thirteen had been little more than a shadow to Cui Five, moving in and out with her and possessing little presence. Though the plump young master of the Cui family remembered her, he had no deep impression of her and never expected that she would not only hold onto Cui Seventeen but also rebuke him with such sharp, severe words, looking exactly like the habitually stern and unforgiving Cui Five. He snorted in annoyance, pulled his hand back, and shouted with blustering bravado, "Sister, tell me yourself: are you coming with them, or are you coming with me?"

Cui Seventeen, already bewildered, was at a complete loss. "I... Twenty-five... oh..."

Du Thirteen took the opportunity to pull her back firmly and helped her sit down before looking at the plump youth. "Seventeen will naturally follow the arrangements made by our elders and accompany us. If the inns ahead are full, we shall simply look for others. Even if there are none, staying in a commoner’s house is not out of the question! Is the comfort of a single night really more important than the reputation of the Cui family?"

"You..."

Having just been choked into silence by Du Shiyi, and now being lectured by a girl he had never held in any regard, the plump young Cui was shaking with rage. Seeing Cui Seventeen sitting there, looking distressed and completely unmoved, he turned around, leaped onto his horse in a fury, cast a glance at the surrounding Cui family servants, and bellowed, "I will ask you all one last time: are you following them, or are you following me?"

The Cui family servants and attendants looked at each other in dismay. However, apart from the burly bodyguard who never left the young master’s side and two other hesitant servants who shuffled over, the rest stood their ground. Unable to bear it any longer, the young master of the Cui family said nothing, jerked his horse’s head around, and struck its flank with a heavy lash of his whip, galloping away alone. Seeing this, the burly bodyguard hurriedly mounted his horse to follow, and the two servants, being house servants of Cui Weizhi, dared not abandon their young master and chased after him at a run.

Watching this, Wang Wei frowned deeply. He rode to the side of the frost-faced Du Shiyi, intending to advise him not to act in the heat of the moment, but heard Du Shiyi command the remaining Cui servants, "Two of you with the best horsemanship, follow him. Find out exactly where Cui Twenty-five is staying, then one of you keep watch nearby while the other returns to report to me. We are heading to the Taolin County government guest house!"

Once these words were spoken, the others suddenly realized his intent. The head servant immediately dispatched two clever men to follow, while the rest followed Du Shiyi as he asked for directions and found the Taolin County office. Upon inquiry, there was no need to report to the officials in charge; the clerk managing the guest house heard they were relatives of the brothers Cui Taizhi and Cui Ezhi, and when Du Shiyi had someone present two hundred coins, he immediately agreed with a smile.

Passing officials stayed in post stations, while their families and relatives generally stayed in inns. But if there were no other way, staying in government quarters for a night was feasible. Given the official positions of the Cui brothers, as long as one was humble and generous, the government office could always spare a few rooms. Yet, a headstrong youth like Cui Twenty-five, lacking in experience and blinded by anger, would never have thought of this. As for Du Shiyi, his reluctance to approach county offices along the way had merely been to avoid trouble.

Because the Emperor had returned to Chang'an, the number of officials and noble youths traveling between Chang'an and Luoyang had gradually dwindled, and the government guest house had an entire small courtyard available. Though it was a bit crowded with so many servants, everyone was satisfied. Only Cui Seventeen was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Once inside, she could not help but grasp Du Thirteen’s hand. "Thirteen, my brother is just acting out of temper. If he goes off with only those few people, and something happens, Father and Mother will be worried to death. Please, I beg you, go talk to Du Nineteen. I will apologize for Twenty-five’s previous faults on his behalf..."

"Seventeen."

Before Cui Seventeen could finish, Du Thirteen squeezed her hand tightly. Seeing her trembling body calm down slightly, she spoke in a measured tone. "My brother is not one to hold grudges, otherwise why would he have sent men to find out where Twenty-five went? And if he truly washed his hands of the matter, the servants who followed you—who are not without their own plans—would have already chased after him. You have only this one younger brother; not only do I know this, but my brother knows it too. But look at what Twenty-five has done along this journey."

Seeing Cui Seventeen fall silent, Du Thirteen began to count on her fingers. "Every day, he complains after less than an hour of travel. He finds the carriage stuffy and the horse hard on his legs. At inns, he insists on the best rooms and food. That aside, he beats and scolds servants who have committed no wrong. Isn't he forcing loyal servants to harbor resentment? You have only one brother, but with his nature—unable to endure hardship, unable to withstand fatigue, and quick to vent his anger on others—how will he support the family in the future? And just now, he left without a word. With such impulsiveness, might he not bring about a greater disaster one day?"

Du Shiyi, standing outside the door, had intended to knock, but hearing Du Thirteen’s increasingly loud voice, he froze. Du Thirteen had stayed at the Cui residence for a year; when he saw her again, he hadn't noticed any changes in his sister. But hearing this advice to Cui Seventeen, he realized he had been wrong.

These profound insights were not things Du Thirteen could have said before. It seemed that after more than a year of subtle influence from Cui Five at the Cui residence, his sister had not exactly undergone a total transformation, but she had certainly learned a great deal.

He turned and descended two steps, and the next moment, he saw one of the servants he had sent to track Cui Jianxuan rush into the courtyard. Before the man could speak, he stepped forward and whispered, "Do not shout. Go outside and tell me!"

"Du... Master Du." Once outside, the servant caught his breath and reported coherently, "Twenty-five found two more inns, but they were both full. Even with money, no one would give up a room. We heard from afar that it is because the East and West Markets of Chang'an are holding some kind of 'Treasure Competition' this year. Many merchants and travelers are heading that way, which is why there are so many people passing through Taolin County, leading to full inns everywhere.

"Later, Twenty-five flew into a rage, scolded his two servants mercilessly, and stopped passersby to ask for directions to an inn. Finally, he found a kind-hearted person on the road. When that man heard that Twenty-five could not find lodging and learned he was from the Qinghe Cui clan, he volunteered to lead the way. Finally, they found an inn. Cui Ting, who was with Twenty-five, was initially hesitant, but upon hearing it was in the same ward as our Taolin County guest house, he was reassured. Sure enough, as soon as they entered the inn and the owner heard Twenty-five was of the Cui family, he said there was an entire courtyard available, so he moved in with Cui Ting and the two servants..."

The Treasure Competition in the two markets of Chang'an was the reason Taolin’s inns were overcrowded?

Learning that they were in the same ward, Du Shiyi mused for a moment and then nodded. "Very well, continue to keep watch there."

Knowing that despite following his orders, the Cui family servants might harbor resentment for the day's sudden turn of events, he reached into his coin purse and pressed a handful of coins into the servant's hand. "If anything happens, report back immediately. If the night curfew has begun, tell them you are a servant of the Qinghe Cui clan and have an urgent matter to report to the county office."

Although running errands after nightfall was an extra burden, the servant was from the Cui household in Yongfeng Ward, not a direct servant of Cui Weizhi, and he accepted the task readily. At this point, Du Shiyi returned to the room, called for Tian Mo, and ordered him to invite the county clerk who had arranged their stay. Soon, the clerk appeared before him with an eager smile.

"Does Master Du have any instructions?"

"Nothing important. Just having arrived in Taolin, I wanted to ask if there are any interesting anecdotes or stories in this county. I am most interested in the strange and supernatural."

Although the man was not a high-ranking official, he had spent enough time in the Taolin county office to be like the old Wu Jiu, and he spoke of these things with great relish. Du Shiyi listened with apparent interest, interjecting with questions from time to time. When the clerk was completely drawn into his storytelling, Du Shiyi suddenly asked, "When I set out from the Eastern Capital, I heard that a giant bandit was active in Taolin and that a merchant caravan had been robbed. Is there any truth to this?"

The clerk, not expecting such a question, changed color slightly. However, thinking of this group—relatives of the Yellow Gate Attendant Cui Taizhi and the Duke of Zhao and Minister of the Great Treasury Cui Ezhi, young men and women from the three noble surnames of Cui, Du, and Wang, traveling with a large retinue and spending money generously—he assumed they were merely curious. He relaxed and said with a smile, "Master Du, it is difficult for me to speak of this. Since the case has not yet been solved, Magistrate Guo of Shanzhou has sent people to urge us several times, and our Magistrate Zhao is at his wit's end. The matter is as follows..."