How Deep the Crimson Leaves Lie Chapter Forty-One: Terms

Tang Haiqiu looked down at Fang’s wife, who was struggling desperately in his arms, his gaze turning icy. Fang Wei sensed the danger and shouted sternly, "Xiuxiu, stop this nonsense!" The woman ceased her struggling, and Fang Wei turned to Tang Haiqiu, gritting his teeth as he said, "I agree to your terms, but you must not harm my wife."

Tang Haiqiu replied, "Very well. Bring a set of official uniforms and meet me back here. Once you and your wife escort me out of the city gates, I will naturally let you go."

Veins throbbed at Fang Wei’s temples, yet he knew Tang Haiqiu’s caution was well-founded. Without holding Xiuxiu’s life as leverage, if Fang Wei were to recklessly risk his own life halfway through, Tang Haiqiu would have no choice but to be captured. Having no other options left, he nodded in utter despair, while the woman wept even more bitterly.

No one understood Fang Wei’s pride better than she did. There had been countless nights when she lay awake, paralyzed by fear, yet she had never uttered a single complaint to him. She stayed silent simply because Fang Wei, no matter how travel-worn and disheveled he appeared, would always tell her with a hint of restrained pride: "Last night, I apprehended two more heinous bandits..."

She would listen without a word, her eyes filled with reverence as she quietly shared in his triumphs. In those moments, her husband radiated brilliance. Yet here he stood today—battered and humiliated—the very image she never wished to bear witness to.

Unable to bear looking at his wife any longer, Fang Wei pointed a finger at Tang Haiqiu and turned to walk away. Descending the mountain, waves of dizziness washed over him. He shook his head and made straight for the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen. The bailiffs greeted him on the way, and he forced a stiff smile in response. Making his way directly to the duty room, he found the courtyard completely deserted. Stepping inside, he spotted several official uniforms draped over the coat rack in the corner—garments left behind by constables for the handymen to wash. He picked out a larger set, but just then, footsteps echoed in the courtyard.

Startled, his expression shifted drastically, and he hurriedly hung the uniform back up. The moment he spun around, Li Zheng stepped across the threshold.

Fang Wei’s heart pounded with anxiety, though his face betrayed no readable expression. Li Zheng was momentarily taken aback at the sight of him, scanning Fang Wei up and down before asking, "Is Chief Constable Dong not here?"

Fang Wei shook his head, praying only that Li Zheng would leave quickly. Li Zheng’s original intention had been to probe Dong Xinwu's thoughts and gauge the progress of the case. He alone held the lead concerning Li Fu, and Chai Ping had already sketched the likenesses of those three men, which had been confirmed by Aunt Qian. However, the majority of his men had been reassigned to Dong Xinwu. He had intended to find an excuse to reclaim his subordinates, only to run into Fang Wei instead.

Nodding, Li Zheng turned to leave. Fang Wei secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, Li Zheng halted, turned back, and flashed a sinister smile at him. "Old Fang, the Bald-Tail Mountain case has been transferred to my hands. The pursuit in the wilderness outside the capital suffered heavy casualties. I am currently investigating this matter. Do you have any clues to offer?"

Fang Wei’s heart skipped a beat. He kept his lips tightly sealed, glaring at Li Zheng with undisguised hostility. Unfazed by the reaction, Li Zheng continued, "Magistrate Cheng mentioned to me in private that the blunder originated from that junior constable, Gu Yu. Yet I suspect he was merely following orders under Chief Constable Dong; how could he possibly commit such a grave error? Perhaps the true culprit lies elsewhere. What do you think?"

Fang Wei’s mind buzzed with static, too terrified to make a single move, unsure of what he might do if he lost control. Seeing Fang Wei’s face flush crimson and twist with ferocity, a sliver of fear crept into Li Zheng’s heart. Cursing himself for letting his tongue run away with him and realizing that provoking this man further might lead to an untidy end, Li Zheng dared not linger in the room any longer. Muttering under his breath, he hurried away.

Only after Li Zheng’s footsteps had faded into the distance did Fang Wei turn back, retrieve the official uniforms, bundle them into a cloth wrap, and hoist them onto his back as he strode quickly out of the yamen.

At the Dongzhimen Gate, amidst a horse's whinny, Gu Yu vaulted from his saddle before the mount had even come to a complete halt. Landing unsteadily, he staggered forward. The City Patrol Censor, having seen him at the official office earlier, hurried over to steady him. "Junior Constable Gu, where have you rushed in from?"

Gu Yu rasped out, "From Chaoyangmen." His face was etched with pain, and his legs instinctively bowed outward; unaccustomed to riding, the skin on his inner thighs had chafed raw. Forcing himself to endure the agony, he asked, "Have you seen any suspicious individuals?"

The City Patrol Censor shook his head. "I have already spoken with the garrison commander to step up inspections, and wanted posters have been pasted at every city gate. If those scoundrels dare try to slip through Dongzhimen, they will not leave alive."

Gu Yu gazed out at the bustling street traffic. "The common folk must be deeply shaken, aren't they?"

Pointing toward Tang Haiqiu's wanted poster in the distance, the Censor smiled bitterly. "Ever since your colleague hung that portrait here, the various wards have been in an uproar. Haven't you noticed how much thinner the pedestrian traffic is on the streets today? People are remarkably united this time; every household is scouring their homes, vowing to drag this criminal out into the light."

Having circled half of the inner city and witnessing the hurrying crowds on the main avenues—with constables and garrison troops posting notices throughout the neighborhoods—Gu Yu felt a rising tide of unease spreading swiftly through the city. He sighed softly. "We must be quick. If this drags on and panic takes root, disaster is sure to follow."

Nodding in solemn agreement, the Censor watched as a patrol squad crossed the thoroughfare in the distance. With his sharp eyesight, Gu Yu instantly spotted a familiar face. "Master!"

Dong Xinwu halted, looked in their direction, and waved for the rest of his squad to proceed ahead. Accompanied by Wu Haichao, he approached the gate tower, exchanged formal greetings with the City Patrol Censor, who then tactfully stepped aside. Dong Xinwu turned his attention to Gu Yu; both parties were travel-stained and exhausted, yet they greeted one another with weary smiles.

"How many posts remain unpatrolled?" Dong Xinwu asked. Behind him, Wu Haichao was panting with his tongue hanging out, and upon seeing Gu Yu look his way, he secretly pulled a comical face.

Gu Yu suppressed a smile. "Five more within the inner city."

Dong Xinwu frowned slightly. "Pick up the pace. Our men are already posting wanted notices at Andingmen and Deshengmen, so those two gates can be bypassed. You must ensure that the imperial guards and the city patrol censors are fully briefed and maintain a rigorous lockdown." The moment this news about Tang Haiqiu broke, failing to contain him would spell endless trouble, so the pressure on them was immense. Although notices had been posted at the ward gates, the city gate garrisons belonged to the imperial guard system and operated independently of Shuntian Prefecture. Posting notices was one thing, but whether they would be strictly enforced was another. Gu Yu’s patrol also served as a supervisory measure.

Acknowleging the order, Gu Yu swung his leg over his saddle. Dong Xinwu called out to him again, unbuckling his own water flask from his waist and tossing it over. Gu Yu caught it, but before he could express his gratitude, a troop of riders galloped up from afar. At their lead was Cheng Jie, who rode up with a furious expression, pointing a finger at Dong Xinwu and shouting, "Old Dong, what madness are you playing at!"

Dong Xinwu gave his horse a light tap on the rump and instructed Gu Yu, "Go." Gu Yu reined his horse around, its hooves kicking up a thick cloud of dust as he vanished rapidly from sight.

Dong Xinwu’s placid demeanor only fueled Cheng Jie’s rage even more. "Old Dong, Old Dong! What kind of spell have you cast on yourself? Magistrate Wan is furious upon discovering that you leaked the news of Tang Haiqiu fleeing into the capital. Come back with me immediately to report!"