Chapter 150: Entering the Tiger's Den by Choice

The Jingzhao Municipal Office was originally the official residence of Yongzhou. When it was elevated to the Jingzhao Prefecture during the Kaiyuan era, the first Mayor of Jingzhao, Meng Wenli, petitioned to use confiscated illicit funds to thoroughly renovate the complex. Apart from the grand main halls on the central axis—the First, Second, and Third Halls—there were also the Eastern and Western Shicao Offices used for official administration. The Western Shicao Office was named the Sha Hall, featuring a century-old Sha tree in front of it, measuring a full fifteen paces in circumference. The Eastern Shicao Office, known as the Rosary Hall, was primarily used by the judicial military advisors for trying cases and rendering judgments. For the past two days, five of Cui's retainers had been placed under house arrest in the three rooms situated to the east of the Rosary Hall.

Though their food and drink had not been stinted, they had been subjected to endless summons and interrogations day and night. Every minute detail was relentlessly scrutinized over and over again, leaving no one able to get a proper rest. After more than two days and nights of this, their eyes were already heavily bloodshot. Furthermore, Xiao Le and the others, who had been escorted in along with them, had not been subjected to any trials at all, filling the retainers with a mix of fury and exasperation.

Now, as the sun set, the tightly shut room remained dead silent. Finally, unable to bear the rigid atmosphere any longer, one of them broke out and shouted, "What on earth is the meaning of this? Are we not the victims here? Not only are they keeping us locked up, but they are treating us like criminals and interrogating us. By what logic is this being done?"

"Silence!"

"Big Brother Chibi!"

Despite the retainer's indignant expression, Chibi said in a deep voice, "Things have reached this point, so we just need to wait quietly for whatever disposition comes. There is no need to say anything else."

As he spoke, he cast a stern glare at the four men, sweeping his gaze across the doors, windows, and every hidden corner, while a deep sense of underlying dread welled up within him. Du Shiyi had taken a hazardous gamble before departing, and after the initial shock, Chibi had agreed to it. After all, since the men could neither be killed nor released, and rather than leaving them as a future hazard, making a public issue of it was the only viable choice. It had been a full two days now. Although the judicial military advisor seemed intent on a war of attrition, summoning each of them to the Rosary Hall time and time again to be questioned about countless details, they had already thoroughly coordinated every aspect on that fateful night and were confident they would not reveal the slightest flaw. However, if this grueling ordeal continued, there was no guarantee someone would not lose their composure. When that time came, one could never be too careful!

Chibi, crossing his arms, narrowed his eyes and pondered whether he should utter a few more resolute words to give those who might be eavesdropping or monitoring them something to think about. Just at that moment, the sound of gongs rang out from outside. Before he could react, one of the retainers sprang to his feet, hurried to the door to listen closely for a moment, and then cried out in a mixture of surprise and shock, "The third session of the exams is over! Today is the final day of the prefectural examination, so Young Master Du must be coming out now. I wonder how he fared!"

"With Young Master Du's supreme intelligence, he is bound to come out on top!"

Hearing the four men chattering excitedly among themselves, Chibi could not help but crack a smile. Putting everything else aside, just the fact that Du Shiyi could put aside the impending prefectural examination and rush back to Luoyang to mourn Cui Ezhi demonstrated his strength of character. Moreover, on that night, he had agreed without a moment's hesitation to let Chibi inflict a wound on him to fake an ambush, further proving him to be a person of supreme daring.

Come to think of it, how similar he was in this regard to his former master, Cui Ezhi! Back then, when Cui Ezhi had slipped back into the capital from Shangzhou with him and a few trusted retainers, hadn't he employed a similar ruse?

Lost in these memories, Chibi was momentarily distracted until a sudden knock at the door startled him back to reality. Seeing that the other retainers, who had just been chattering so cheerfully, had also fallen silent—clearly remaining on their guard—he put on a calm and collected demeanor and stepped forward to open the door. Though it was called house arrest, the Jingzhao Municipal Office still maintained a polite facade on the surface; even when summoning them to the Rosary Hall for questioning, they always knocked politely and invited them courteously. Therefore, despite the approaching dusk, he still assumed it was yet another round of repetitive interrogation.

However, standing outside the door, alongside the bailiff he had grown used to seeing over the past two days, was none other than Du Shiyi!

"Big Brother Chibi," the bailiff greeted with a beaming smile, offering a respectful bow before saying, "Young Master Du made a personal request to Lord Yuan, the Mayor of Jingzhao, to come and see you all, and Lord Yuan has granted permission. Please take your time talking."

Seeing the bailiff bobbing his head and scurrying off quickly, and noticing that Du Shiyi was still wearing his familiar white robe, Chibi felt a warm surge in his chest. He hastily stepped aside to let Du Shiyi in, saying, "Young Master Du, after three days of examinations, you should have gone back earlier to rest at the Cui residence in Pingkang Ward instead of worrying about us. Not only are we being provided with adequate food and drink while under interrogation, but even if we were thrown into the dungeon, our hides are thick enough; it wouldn't matter."

"How could the victims of a crime be thrown into a dungeon? Lord Yuan has always been wise and fair; how could he handle it that way?" Du Shiyi carefully examined the five retainers who had escorted him all the way back to Chang'an. Seeing that they had changed into fresh clothes and that the wounds on their bodies had clearly been treated with medicine, he finally sat down after repeated invitations from the group, and then said, "Today I handed in my examination papers early and left the exam hall. After rendezvousing with Thirteen-niang outside, I went to Yuzhen Taoist Temple in Fuxing Ward to see the Princess, and only then did I head back here."

These words were spoken with complete openness and without the slightest reservation. Chibi was initially startled, his face then lighting up with joy, but he immediately realized that whether around this room or in some hidden nook, there might very well be eavesdropping devices or listeners. He snapped to his senses at once. Before he could gesture to Du Shiyi to stop, he heard Du Shiyi say, word for word, "That night was a brush with death, and it was entirely thanks to your loyalty, righteousness, and valor that I managed to make it in time for this prefectural examination. Though I am still just a commoner, I cannot simply wash my hands of the matter at a critical moment and leave you all unattended. Going to see the Princess to plead on your behalf was also for my own peace of mind. Now that the exams are over, I am staying right here. After all, I was a party to that night's events as well!"

"Young Master Du, it is enough for us to stay here and wait for the questioning. Why must you put yourself through this?"

"Indeed, Young Master Du, you traveled day and night between Chang'an and Luoyang, only to encounter that assassination attempt right as you reached Chang'an, followed by three days and two nights of the Jingzhao prefectural exams. How can your body possibly hold up?"

Seeing the others go from their initial astonishment and emotion to taking turns trying to persuade Du Shiyi, who remained entirely unmoved, Chibi casually glanced toward the door. He then sternly rebuked the retainers who were earnestly trying to make Du Shiyi change his mind, bowed respectfully, and said, "Since Young Master Du's mind is made up, we are endlessly grateful! If there is ever another chance in the future, we are still more than willing to offer our loyal service to Young Master Du!"

With someone so perceptive and quick to catch a hint, Du Shiyi naturally felt much more at ease. Looking at the retainers, who still looked somewhat flustered by Chibi's declaration, he smiled and said, "We share thick and thin, and since this whole affair started because of me, we shall simply wait for the outcome together right here!"

The buildings of the Jingzhao Municipal Office had all been thoroughly renovated at the beginning of the Kaiyuan era, and the finest quarters naturally belonged to the Mayor of Jingzhao. Lord Yuan Qianyao's family was based in the Eastern Capital, and he maintained no private residence within the city of Chang'an. Ever since he stepped down as Chancellor and assumed the post of Mayor of Jingzhao, he had been living within the municipal office. His daily life and diet were not luxurious. At this moment, when meeting with Wang Maozhong, he was merely wearing a plain-colored hemp robe with a kerchief wrapped around his head. After speaking only a few sentences, he was racked with coughing fits, leaning sideways on a couch looking utterly sickly.

Yuan Qianyao was already advanced in years. Although Wang Maozhong inwardly detested his affected frailty, he had a favor to ask at the moment and was forced to suppress his frustration. Yet this old man possessed a unique talent: whenever you tried to get him to talk about a specific matter, he would ramble on evasively and refuse to take the bait. Just as Wang Maozhong was about to lose his temper and fly into a rage, he saw someone enter from the rear—none other than Yuan Qianyao's grandnephew, Yuan Guangcheng.

"Granduncle, I heard you were taken ill?" the newcomer cried out in a hurried voice before noticing Wang Maozhong. He paused in astonishment, as if only just realizing that there was a guest present, and hurriedly stepped back with an embarrassed look to bow. "General Wang, please forgive my lack of manners. I simply heard that my granduncle had fallen ill and rushed straight in uninvited. I beg the General's pardon."

Interrupted thus, and watching a servant bring in a bowl of medicine while Yuan Guangcheng—being a grandnephew—insisted on attending to Yuan Qianyao with even more filial devotion than a son, Wang Maozhong completely lost his desire to speak. He coldly uttered that he would return to visit another time, and then swept his sleeves and left in a huff. The moment he departed, Yuan Guangcheng gestured to dismiss the servants and maids, then sat down directly on the floor beside Yuan Qianyao's couch.

"Granduncle, I have just come from my brother-in-law's place."

"What did Jiang Qi have to say?"

Though Yuan Guangcheng was Yuan Qianyao's grandnephew, he was closer to him than Yuan Qianyao's own biological children and grandchildren. Disregarding the bowl of medicine sitting nearby, he said with gleaming eyes, "My brother-in-law didn't say much initially. Gelu and I got him drunk, but still he wouldn't spill any details. However, Gelu later told me privately that this case cannot be dragged out. That previous madman's case has already set the Empress and Consort Hui in the inner palace at dagger's drawn with each other. Now even the Emperor is caught in the middle, finding himself in an awkward position, and in the end, they might just dump the whole mess onto the Jingzhao Municipal Office. Gelu also mentioned that Consort Hui in the palace has sent people to see my brother-in-law on several occasions, pressing him to thoroughly investigate the incident involving that madman."

Yuan Guangcheng's brother-in-law was none other than Jiang Jiaoyue, the Duke of Chu. And the "Gelu" he referred to was none other than Jiang Jiaoyue's nephew, Li Linfu. Upon hearing this, Yuan Qianyao lost any trace of his sickly demeanor. He jerked upright and asked with sharp intensity, "Did Gelu really say that?"

"How would I dare deceive my granduncle!" Yuan Guangcheng lowered his voice, acting as though he feared eavesdroppers. "Consort Hui has recently given birth to a son, but to have encountered such an incident while she was still resting in confinement pushed her to the brink of a serious illness; you can imagine the Emperor's fury! Meanwhile, the Empress has just lost her father and is insisting that someone deliberately framed him, firmly refusing to take the blame for this. Therefore, those in high places are watching every single move made within the Jingzhao Prefecture these days—this is a matter of utmost gravity. Hence, even though Du Shiyan bringing this matter directly to the Jingzhao Municipal Office has placed the officials here in a difficult dilemma, if push comes to shove, we can simply force the two cases together and find a convenient scapegoat."

"Mayor, Young Master Du has said some extraordinary things to those Cui retainers over there."

As Yuan Qianyao was mulling over Yuan Guangcheng's words, caught in a dilemma, he suddenly heard a voice from outside, which only heightened his anxiety. He barked immediately, "What did he say?"

The person outside hesitated for a moment before stepping in on tiptoes. Seeing Yuan Guangcheng present, he offered an apologetic bow, stepped forward a few paces, and whispered in a low voice, "Young Master Du told those men that after coming out of the exam hall earlier, he first went to the Yuzhen Taoist Temple in Fuxing Ward to see the Princess. Although he didn't explicitly state what was discussed, he mentioned the word 'pleading'. Furthermore..."

Upon hearing that Princess Yuzhen had been dragged into this as well, Yuan Qianyao felt as though his head was about to split open. He was the sort of person who detested complications above all else, and he could not help but snap furiously, "Furthermore what? Stop playing games!"

"Furthermore, he said that he was also a party to the incident and might as well stay right here at the Jingzhao Municipal Office with those Cui family members to await the outcome."

Seeing Yuan Qianyao's disgruntled expression, Yuan Guangcheng recalled the parting advice Li Linfu had given him and waved a hand to signal the retainer to withdraw temporarily. He then stepped forward to attentively support Yuan Qianyao's arm, waiting until the older man was seated before speaking softly, "Granduncle, having Du Shiyan stay here for now might actually be for the best. Otherwise, if he were to fall victim to some dark plot outside, wouldn't that create even more trouble? Gelu said that the Emperor's heart has clearly begun to lean toward one side."

The Empress's father had passed away, yet the Emperor refused to grant permission for his burial mound to exceed standard regulations, while the Lady Wu had leaped straight from the rank of a beauty-attendant to be created Consort Hui. The Emperor's favoritism was plain for anyone to see!

Yuan Qianyao let out a long sigh. The post of Mayor of Jingzhao had never been one that anyone could hold for long; no matter who sat in it, within a capital city filled with nobles and powerful relatives, mishandling things was inevitable. Ever since the first year of Kaiyuan, how many Mayors of Jingzhao had come and gone?

He had already held this position longer than most, yet he never expected to encounter two consecutive heaven-shaking major cases this time!

He had feigned illness to dump Du Shiyi's case onto the judicial military advisor Cen Qi. Now it seemed that both influential factions had set their sights on it. Since Cen Qi had undoubtedly accepted bribes from someone and had therefore treated those Cui retainers like soft persimmons to be squeezed, he might as well continue playing the absentee official and let that greedy fellow take the blame!

"I've been sick for days on end anyway; let's wait and see... You hurry back now and tell Gelu to come see me before the curfew!"