Chapter Thirty: Mao Huaishan

Wu Haichao burst into a laugh. Fang Wei shot him a sharp glare before stepping to the front of the line. "I am Fang Wei, a fast-runner from the Shuntian Prefecture. My apologies for the early morning disturbance; I hope General Mao will forgive us."

Before Mao Huaishan could respond, one of his soldiers suddenly shouted, "Gu Yu!"

Gu Yu was startled and looked toward the sound. The burly man was indeed Qian Gui, with an equally surprised Yao Feng standing beside him. The two parties had not been in touch since they parted ways that day; he had not expected to meet again in such a manner. Yao Feng collected his thoughts and said, "General, this is the friend I mentioned, whom we met at the Mountain God Temple."

Mao Huaishan gave a thoughtful hum. Yao Feng knew that while his superior was valiant in battle, his memory was notoriously poor, so he added, "It was the day we arrived in the capital..."

Mao Huaishan let out an "Oh!" of sudden realization. "Ah, the 'Busybody'!"

"Cough! Cough!" Qian Gui turned beet red with embarrassment. "His surname is Gu!" He caught a glimpse of Gu Yu sneering at him with ill intent.

After exchanging greetings with Yao Feng and Qian Gui, Fang Wei returned to the matter at hand, explaining the situation to Mao Huaishan once more. Mao Huaishan was straightforward and stepped aside to clear the way. "Search as you please, Constable Fang. If you need anything, just say the word."

"Much obliged," Fang Wei said with a bow. He appreciated Mao's attitude and ordered his men, "Be quick and careful. Do not break anything." The constables acknowledged the order and moved through the crowd into the residence.

Emperor Wanli had rewarded the meritorious soldiers at the front lines. Mao Huaishan had rescued the Expeditionary Commander Li Rusong from a desperate encirclement at the Battle of Byeokjegwan. Deeply grateful, Commander Li had submitted Mao's name when the Emperor summoned meritorious officials to the capital. As a border general, he was normally relegated to inns, but to demonstrate imperial benevolence, the Emperor had specially granted him use of several vacant royal properties.

The residence Mao Huaishan occupied was a sprawling complex with five courtyards and two gatehouses, containing over fifty rooms. It was built with grand splendor, featuring pavilions, rockeries, and bamboo groves that complemented one another beautifully. The constables did not dare to act recklessly and carefully searched room after room. To their disappointment, however, there was no sign of Tang Haiqiu. By the time they reached the final courtyard, the sun had risen. The constables hesitated at the threshold, for this was where Mao Huaishan and his twenty-odd men resided.

Mao Huaishan, however, was unconcerned. "I am merely a guest here as well. Do not stand on ceremony; search as you wish."

Upon hearing this, Fang Wei felt reassured. He bowed to Mao and led his men into the courtyard. As they pushed open the door to the side chamber, the scene inside caused the constables to stop in their tracks. The spacious, carved yellow rosewood bed was empty, while the bedding had been moved to the floor. Two soldiers were lying on the mats; hearing the commotion, they rolled up and looked at the constables in confusion.

"Why are you not sleeping on the bed?" one constable asked.

The soldier smiled sheepishly. "The bed is warm and soft, but I’m not used to it. I sleep more soundly on the floor." The constable felt as if something had struck him hard in the chest. He stared at the soldier’s rugged, pockmarked face, and the men behind him straightened their backs, a surge of emotion rising within them.

"Do not waste time," Fang Wei said softly. "Catching the thief is the priority."

The constable snapped back to reality. "My apologies for the intrusion." He entered the room with his iron ruler in hand, and the other constables split into teams to search the remaining chambers.

Gu Yu stood beneath the stone steps of the main hall. Qian Gui sidled up to him with a grin. "Brother Gu..."

"Speaking ill of others behind their backs is not the mark of a hero," Gu Yu retorted coldly.

Qian Gui chuckled awkwardly. "My General has no filter on his tongue. I’ll give him a piece of my mind for you!"

Footsteps sounded behind them as Fang Wei and Mao Huaishan approached. Fearing they might feel like outsiders, Mao personally led them up the steps and pushed open the door to the main hall. "I didn't hear anything during the night, but I am a heavy sleeper. If a thief truly broke in, I might not have known. Please, search to your heart's content."

Fang Wei followed Mao inside, while Gu Yu turned his attention to the side rooms. He walked to the eastern side room and pushed the door open. It had been converted into a study, with thick carpets on the floor, a round table in the hall, and a writing desk in the inner room, beside which stood a Luohan bed. Gu Yu found no place to hide in the hall and stepped into the inner room. Suddenly, a faint scent of rust wafted into his nostrils. His heart tightened, and he gripped his iron ruler. Qian Gui, standing in the hall and seeing the tension on Gu Yu’s face, said dismissively, "Our courtyard is full of battle-hardened soldiers. What blind thief would dare hide here? Are you sure you haven't made a mistake?"

Gu Yu ignored him. After the previous night’s battle, he was especially sensitive to the smell of blood and felt confident in his judgment. He saw a man-sized bookcase behind the desk. He braced himself and approached slowly, his right hand holding the iron ruler high, his left hand gripping the door ring of the cabinet. With a violent tug, he flung it open—it was empty.

Qian Gui let out a scoffing laugh. Gu Yu felt his face flush with embarrassment. He bit his lip and closed the cabinet door, thinking, "Did I truly misjudge the situation?"

Suddenly, a drop of liquid drifted down from above and landed on his face. Gu Yu reached up to touch it—it was blood! His expression shifted violently. He looked up, and before his eyes could focus, a figure leaped down from the rafters. The attacker struck at Gu Yu with blinding speed. Gu Yu hurriedly raised his iron ruler to block, but with a sharp crack, his hand went numb and the ruler was knocked from his grasp. Panic seized him. He felt a cold rush of air beside his ear and knew he was too slow to dodge. *I am finished!* he thought.

Suddenly, someone grabbed his arm and yanked him aside. It was Qian Gui, who had realized the danger when the man with the short blade leaped down to strike. Knowing the situation was dire, he had rushed to save Gu Yu, but because Gu Yu’s body had blocked the path, he had to pull him out of the way. Due to the force used, Qian Gui lost his balance, and both men tumbled to the floor. Tang Haiqiu did not linger after his failed strike; he kicked open the window and leaped out.

By the time the two men scrambled to their feet, Tang Haiqiu had vanished. Gu Yu rushed to the window, only to see the latch was undamaged; Tang Haiqiu must have unlocked it earlier as an escape route. Looking out, he saw Tang Haiqiu scaling the wall, jumping onto the ridge of the rear storage building, and disappearing after a few agile leaps.

Fang Wei, having heard the commotion, hurried into the study with Mao Huaishan. "What is going on?!"

Before Gu Yu could speak, Qian Gui rubbed his shoulder in pain. "A thief was truly hiding here. He must have been perched on the rafters of this study since last night."

"Damn it!" Mao Huaishan cursed. He turned to Fang Wei. "Constable Fang, I leave that thief to you!"

Fang Wei nodded and stepped out of the study. Standing on the stone steps, he shouted, "Shuntian Prefecture men, listen up! Tang Haiqiu has fled toward the back street along the rear building. Pursue him immediately! Haichao, guard the entrance to the ward—do not let him escape!"