Chapter 38: The Jinx

The Luoyang prison was on fire.

The blaze raged for an entire night. In truth, the imperial prison had caught fire a few years prior, an event that had claimed the lives of many partisans imprisoned during the Disasters of Partisan Prohibitions. This time, however, the fire consumed only the disgraced eunuch faction. One might call it a form of justice.

Liu Bei certainly could not have orchestrated such a massive undertaking on his own, but Yang Qiu was capable of it. It also helped that the Office of the Commandant of Justice was entirely absent from the prison; the only people present were from the Office of the Colonel Director of Retainers, and they were few in number. Most of the Black-Clad Guards and mounted scouts had been dispatched to apprehend the faction of Wang Fu. Only a handful of jailers remained, and once the fire took hold, it was impossible to contain.

Since Yang Qiu had been conducting private interrogations under heavy torture, he had naturally kept the number of people on-site to a minimum, and all the jailers and wardens were men he trusted implicitly. In reality, the jailers had done their best; not only did they fight the fire, but they also immediately notified the Luoyang administrative offices and summoned the city’s water-dragon firefighting squads. Yet, the inferno was too intense to extinguish. Duan Jiong’s expertise in arson was profound; the old general had spent decades at war, and he was well-versed in the arts of killing and burning. The firefighters could not be blamed for a lack of effort; they had truly labored through the night, not merely putting on a show.

Duan Jiong was, for all intents and purposes, reduced to ashes—or, one might say, he had gone missing. Regardless, the prison contained only charred remains, impossible to identify. Yang Qiu spent the night drafting a memorial impeaching himself, claiming that while searching for criminal evidence at Wang Fu’s residence, he had neglected his duties at the Luoyang prison, leading to such a catastrophe, and he begged the Emperor to punish him. He also submitted a separate petition, alleging that the fire was likely set by Wang Fu’s remnants and requesting the Emperor’s permission to conduct a thorough purge of the eunuch faction.

Emperor Liu Hong, upon waking, received Yang Qiu’s self-impeachment. He met with no one and offered no response, instead spending a long time alone in the West Garden, lost in thought. Shortly thereafter, however, the price tags for official positions in the West Garden saw a sharp increase. From that moment on, provincial governors and county magistrates would have to pay double the price. Deputy officials might receive a half-price discount if they possessed military merit, but they would be required to pay an annual fee. Presumably, this was to fund the reconstruction of the Luoyang prison. It was truly difficult for an Emperor to manage home renovations.

...

Common sense dictated that after committing arson, one should flee immediately. However, Liu Bei did not leave Luoyang at once. The next day, he even went to the Office of the Grand Marshal to collect the receipts for his meritorious service—the official acknowledgments for Zou Jing and Liu Wei. Fleeing the city immediately after a fire was a sure way to get caught; the city gate guards were not fools, and they would certainly have locked down Luoyang upon seeing the fire.

A true master of deception acts as if nothing has happened. Returning to one's normal routine is the only way to ensure one's survival. Yang Qiu also went about his normal business, such as filing false reports and manufacturing fake evidence.

It was not until the third day after the fire that Liu Bei finally went to take his leave of Yang Qiu.

"The memorial recommending you for an official post has been submitted, and the West Garden has granted you the position of County Commandant. The two million coins you provided will conveniently be used for the payment to the West Garden... but I do not know the specific assignment. You should return home and await the summons."

Yang Qiu appeared less fierce than before; perhaps the brutal execution of Wang Fu had dissipated some of his malice.

"Director Yang, I believe... you would be wise to request a transfer to govern a province or commandery in the next few days. Luoyang is no longer a safe place to be." Liu Bei offered a word of counsel.

"I am a harsh and ruthless official. Only in the office of the Colonel Director of Retainers can I truly act... everyone has tasks they must fulfill." Yang Qiu seemed to understand, yet his stubborn nature remained; he still intended to take risks while remaining in his post. "Though you did not reveal your identity, General Duan’s reputation is known throughout the world. Do not let your tracks be discovered as you leave the city."

Liu Bei did not press the matter further. He bowed in farewell, then departed with Zuo Yuan and several men dressed as attendants. Among those attendants, the elderly one was, of course, Duan Jiong. The others were Yang Qiu’s personal retainers—the very jailers who had 'unfortunately burned to death' in the fire. In reality, they were the ones who knew the whereabouts of Liu Bei and Duan Jiong and had assisted in the arson. They naturally had to 'die' as well, allowing Yang Qiu to pin the blame on the eunuch faction while securing the safety of his own office.

The trust between Yang Qiu and Duan Jiong was not particularly high, but with these retainers of the Yang family faking their deaths and following Liu Bei and Duan Jiong, all parties could rest easy. Thus, those retainers and Duan Jiong were now officially Liu Bei’s followers. Given Duan Jiong’s immense fame, having him mix among the attendants, wearing identical black robes and headscarves, made him far less conspicuous.

Upon reaching the North Xia Gate, the group encountered a scattered pile of remains along the roadside. The corpses were already decaying and rotting; next to them stood a large wooden plaque inscribed with the words, "The Traitorous Eunuch Wang Fu." A pack of wild dogs was sniffing and licking at them.

As Liu Bei’s group exited the gate, a procession of carriages approached. Sitting in the carriage entering the city was a man with the appearance of a eunuch. Seeing the plaque, he ordered the carriage to stop. He stepped down and drove the wild dogs away from the corpses. "It is enough that we fight amongst ourselves; how can we allow wild curs to feast upon the remains of a servant of the palace?"

As he spoke, tears seemed to well up in his eyes. The other accompanying young eunuchs also grabbed sticks to chase away the dogs.

Liu Bei steered his group around the eunuchs and continued outward, appearing unremarkable. However, as the eunuch climbed back into his carriage, he glanced at Liu Bei and his party. He seemed to recall something, wiped his tears with his sleeve, looked again more carefully, and furrowed his brow.

"That is Cao Jie... hurry." Duan Jiong whispered to Liu Bei, bowing his head.

To run into a high-ranking eunuch at the city gate—what truly wretched luck. Liu Bei felt that Yang Qiu was a jinx. This Luoyang North Xia Gate was a place of trouble for him; every time he came here, something went wrong. It was rare for eunuchs to handle affairs outside the city, but Cao Jie held the post of Grand Palace Chamberlain, and it was usually he who handled funerals and celebrations for the palace nobility, requiring frequent travel in and out of Luoyang.

Duan Jiong was currently blended in among the attendants, and most people would not notice him. Even face-to-face, ordinary people would not think it was the Grand Marshal Duan, unless they were exceptionally familiar with him. But unexpectedly, they had run into just such a person.

Liu Bei quickened his pace without changing his expression, leading his men northward.

Cao Jie turned his head, watching Liu Bei’s party until they were far away, a look of contemplation in his eyes, before boarding his carriage and entering the city. When the carriage reached the site of the imperial prison, Cao Jie saw the charred, chaotic mess and his eyes widened in shock. "The Luoyang prison... what has happened?!"

He looked back, but they were already several miles into the city; the North Gate was long out of sight.

"Hurry! I must enter the palace!" Cao Jie appeared utterly panicked. He kicked the driver off the carriage, seized the reins, and prepared to drive himself. Yet, as he raised the whip, he hesitated. He pulled a token from his person and tossed it to the eunuch on the ground. "Go to the Yueqi Camp! Tell Po Shi to lead his troops and pursue the people I encountered at the city gate! Dead or alive, go!"

He then whipped the horses and raced toward the West Garden. The eunuch scrambled to pick up the black token and sprinted toward the Northern Army barracks.

That evening, a troop of cavalry emerged from the Yueqi Camp, armored and armed, heading north in pursuit.