Seeking the Truth

Night fell like a heavy curtain.

The moment Xia Yunhe stepped out of the prefectural office, a crushing weight settled upon her heart.

A piercing cold wind rushed to meet her, a biting chill unlike anything she had ever felt sweeping in from all directions, and she could not suppress a couple of coughs. High above, the moonlight shone with a pale, desolate clarity that made one want to cry.

Her mind replayed the scenes from inside the prefectural office over and over again: Prefect Mi Su's smiling face, the young woman emerging from behind the screen, the executioners lurking in the shadows, and finally the Prince of Qin’s parting words—"I still have matters to discuss with Lord Xia." All of it felt like a waking nightmare. Closing her eyes, she let out a long sigh; had it not been for the Prince of Qin’s intervention, she doubted she would have walked out of there alive.

Suddenly, her shoulders grew heavy. Turning her head, she saw a dark, heavy cloak draped over her.

"Sir, are you alright?" Xie Yi’s voice was warm and clean, dispelling the surrounding gloom. Once he finished speaking, he stepped back and quietly watched her.

Xia Yunhe offered a faint smile, shook away all her lingering emotions, turned, and bowed deeply to Xie Yi. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Xie Yi’s earlobes twitched slightly.敏锐地 sensing her unease, his tone unconsciously took on a hint of concern. "Did Prefect Mi give you a hard time, sir?"

Xia Yunhe shook her head slowly and replied, "It is nothing."

Such a dismissal only made it more obvious that she had indeed been cornered by the old fox Mi Su. Xie Yi lowered his gaze, his eyes darkening like ink as he mentally carved the name "Mi Su" seven or eight times over in his heart. Lifting his eyes, he saw Xia Yunhe walking slowly toward the carriage driven by Zhen Niang, and hurriedly caught up to her. "If you have been wronged, sir, you need only tell me."

Stopping before the carriage, Xia Yunhe unfastened the cloak and returned it to Xie Yi. With a smile, she said, "Your Highness worries too much. This official merely looked upon the bright moon and felt a touch of homesickness."

With that, a sudden thought struck her. She turned back to ask Xie Yi, "Does Your Highness usually keep company with Prefect Mi?"

Xie Yi froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly as he stared at her. After a long hesitation, he replied, "I am usually stationed at the military camp, and today was my first time visiting the prefectural office. Had it not been for the welcoming banquet held in your honor, sir, I would never deign to deal with such a man."

Hearing this, Xia Yunhe nodded thoughtfully, a fresh wave of confusion rising in her heart: Why had Wang Yanlu deliberately lied to her at the banquet, claiming that Xie Yi and Prefect Mi were on extremely close terms?

She reached for the carriage door, preparing to board, when Xie Yi suddenly caught her arm. Insisting on draping the heavy cloak back over her shoulders, he turned to Zhen Niang and asked, "The weather is freezing and the wind is fierce, and the sir is in delicate health. Why did you not prepare more warm garments?"

Zhen Niang stammered, "We left Shangdu in such haste that we only packed a few everyday clothes. We planned to rent a place first and then slowly have the rest of our belongings sent over."

Xia Yunhe smiled and said, "I heard that the Divine Wind Escort Agency has recently opened a branch here in Ying Commandery, with offices everywhere. For a few silver pieces, one can simply hire escorts to deliver things. Your Highness need not trouble yourself over this."

"The Divine Wind Escort Agency?" Xie Yi murmured the name, coughed, and nodded involuntarily.

Xia Yunhe continued, "However, Your Highness should learn to temper your temper in the future. I know you were only standing up for me at the banquet, but those were mere idle, boorish words. Let them go in one ear and out the other; there is no need to pick fights with such people. You are a man destined for great things. You must remember that 'he who cannot bear minor slights will ruin grand schemes.'"

Xie Yi took a step back, the smile at the corners of his mouth impossible to hide. He swept back his sleeves and bowed. "Thank you, sir, for your guidance."

"Only—" Xie Yi drew out his tone, paused for a moment, and with a smile, helped her up onto the carriage. Stopping her from handing the cloak back, he added, "You must travel outside the city to the post station, sir, and a great wind is bound to rise along the way. It will be bitterly cold."

The young man spoke with such genuine sincerity that Xia Yunhe thanked him from the bottom of her heart. "This official thanks Your Highness."

...

The next day, Xia Yunhe sent Zhen Niang to the east of the city to look at a property and, along the way, make discreet inquiries about Third Master Fu. She had been in Ying Commandery for many days now; logically speaking, Third Master Fu should have appeared to meet her on her very first day. Yet, not only had he failed to show his face after all this time, but there was not even the slightest whisper of news concerning him. He had seemingly vanished off the face of the earth, causing Xia Yunhe no small amount of anxiety.

Fearing that Zhen Niang might be unfamiliar with the area, San Niang insisted on accompanying her to the eastern district.

...

Xia Yunhe went to the official office and found the bailiffs clearing away old articles. Upon inquiring, she learned they belonged to the late former judge, Xidiao Wei. Because dealing with the possessions of the deceased was considered taboo, she had to leave the office earlier than planned. Yet she could not shake the feeling that the whole affair surrounding Xidiao Wei was far too bizarre. Suddenly catching the rich aroma of mutton, she turned her head and spotted a street stall selling mutton flatbreads. A flash of inspiration struck her: she remembered Qu Sheng mentioning that the old stable master at the post station was a veteran resident of Ying Commandery who knew a great number of local tales. She spent a few copper coins to buy several mutton flatbreads and a flask of wine, then returned to the post station and headed toward the stables in search of the old stable master.

The stable master's surname was Ma, though his given name had long been forgotten by everyone; locals simply called him "Fifth Uncle," and Xia Yunhe followed suit, addressing him as "Fifth Uncle Ma."

Fifth Uncle Ma was busy scraping saltpeter against the stable wall. Hearing someone call out, he looked back to see the newly appointed assistant prefect, then promptly turned his face away, unwilling to engage.

Xia Yunhe was not flustered. Holding the wine and flatbreads, she smiled and said, "I bought too much food on the street just now and couldn't possibly finish it all by myself. I heard that you are quite fond of mutton flatbreads, Fifth Uncle, so I came to ask you to help me share the burden."

Fifth Uncle Ma straightened up, halting his scraping. He placed his thin wooden board—now laden with wall saltpeter—aside, fetched a pottery jar to store it, washed his hands, and walked over to her. "What instructions does Master Assistant Prefect have for this old man?"

"I merely wished to ask you about the matter concerning Xidiao Wei."

As soon as Xia Yunhe finished speaking, Fifth Uncle Ma slapped his own forehead. "You are a young man, yet you dare inquire about how the former assistant prefect died from a horse-tender? You may have no regard for your own life, but I still value mine! Take your food back; I have no such good fortune."

With that, he turned to walk away.

Xia Yunhe hurriedly stepped forward to block his path. "Judging by your words, old sir, you must know something of the inner story. I am deeply resolved to uncover the truth behind this, and I earnestly request your guidance."

Fifth Uncle Ma retorted, "You are the new assistant prefect. Do you even know what an assistant prefect is supposed to manage?"

Seeing his guard drop slightly, Xia Yunhe replied eagerly, "Naturally I know. To oversee the prefectural officials, manage grain transport and water conservation, and shoulder the direct responsibility of state finances and taxation."

Fifth Uncle Ma sighed and gestured for her to follow him. The two left the stables and walked out to the banks of the Bin River in the outskirts. Xia Yunhe respectfully presented the food. Fifth Uncle Ma sat down, patted the patch of ground beside him, and motioned for her to sit as well.

Accepting the wine and flatbread, the old stable master took a bite, chewed slowly, and began:

"Lord Xidiao arrived in Ying Commandery three years ago. When he first came, he was entirely unlike the others. There had been a massive river flood, and the harvest was disastrous; he reduced rents and taxes for the common folk, lived a life of frugality, and wore clothes patched through all four seasons. Whenever he judged a case, his words were ironclad and unyielding, never sparing the wealthy gentry.

"Later on, I know not how, but he seemed like an entirely different person. One day, he collapsed in the middle of the street, his limbs convulsing and foam spilling from his mouth. Everyone assumed he had suffered an epileptic seizure. After that incident, he grew increasingly eccentric; his temper turned violent, and once he even beat his own wife right in the open market before people pulled them apart. His eyes bulged out of his head as if he meant to devour people alive. Everyone whispered that an evil spirit had possessed him, and they even discussed hiring a certain Daoist master named Yu to perform an exorcism.

"Shortly after that, word spread that Lord Xidiao had privately sold off the grain stored in the granaries outside the city. Fearing he would be held accountable, he fled beyond the northern frontier."

Fifth Uncle Ma finished it all in one breath, took a few sips of wine to wash down the flatbread, and let out a long sigh.

Xia Yunhe asked, "Who was this Master Yu? Was the exorcism ever performed?"

Fifth Uncle Ma replied, "In his earlier years, Master Yu studied medicine under Master Zhang, and later taught himself some esoteric arts of yin-yang, geomancy, and exorcising evil spirits—a wandering practitioner of magic arts. Just as the talk of the exorcism was circulating, a swindler who made his living by selling magic talisman water was caught, thrown into prison, and executed a few days later. Master Yu was a coward; the moment he heard of this, he packed up and left Ying Commandery at God knows what hour, and hasn't been seen since."

Xia Yunhe asked, "This Master Zhang... could it be Physician Zhang Su?"

Fifth Uncle Ma swallowed the final bite of his mutton flatbread, wiped his hands casually on his jacket, moistened his throat with a swallow of wine, and smiled. "Indeed. Does Lord Xia know him?"

Xia Yunhe shook her head. "I have only heard his name."

...

After thanking Fifth Uncle Ma, Xia Yunhe returned to her quarters and fell deep into contemplation. What kind of man was Xidiao Wei truly? On that night, had Xie Yi not been waiting outside for her, would Prefect Mi have genuinely sent executioners to murder her? What secrets were buried here in Ying Commandery?

Just as she was pondering this, the door creaked open, and Zhen Niang and San Niang walked in, chatting and laughing.

San Niang’s face was beaming with joy. The moment she caught sight of Xia Yunhe, she grabbed her arm and exclaimed, "That residence in the eastern district is vastly larger than our old home in the capital! The furnishings are decent, and there is a huge garden in the back. It looks exceptionally grand and prosperous."

Zhen Niang added, "The rent is a bit steep, though—around a hundred silver pieces. Still, if we grit our teeth, we can afford it. The owner wanted to transfer the deed right away, but I told him I had to come back and consult the young master first. Should we write to the old mistress and ask her to remit some more silver to us?"

Xia Yunhe smiled. "Let us wait and see. The Xia family is no longer as well-off as we once were. Such a large sum of money must last us for quite a long time."

"Who is to say otherwise?" San Niang chimed in with a laugh. "I also felt it was rather expensive. After Sister Zhen and I finished strolling through the marketplace, we happened to run into a property broker. When he overheard us discussing houses, he came right up to us and struck up a conversation. He mentioned that a family in the southern district who made their living selling tofu had struck it rich and moved away half a year ago. Their old house is left vacant, and he said it could be sold to us for a very low price."

Zhen Niang chimed in, "The two of us went to take a look. It turns out to be an old, dilapidated estate belonging to a fallen gentry family. There is a neat courtyard with rooms and covered walkways; the door panels are weathered and rotting, and the front gates stood wide open. Inside, there were rooms full of decaying wooden frames—oh, and by the way, right in the middle of the courtyard stands an old stone millstone."

"The broker said it would only cost fifty strings of copper coins," San Niang said with a smile. "He told us that even if we hired people to help clear out the clutter, it would only cost a few extra taels of silver. All in all, it adds up to less than half the price of any other place. Young master, if we clean it up ourselves, we can save a tremendous amount of silver."

Xia Yunhe mused, "Ying Commandery grows cold early in the year. If the walls are not wind-resistant, winter will be difficult to endure. Tomorrow, I will go and inspect it myself."

The following day, Zhen Niang accompanied Xia Yunhe to the tofu workshop. She found that it was indeed as the two women had described: the structure was quaint and dignified, and the walls were thick and solid. With a thorough cleaning, it would surely make a comfortable home. On one of the veranda pillars, she discovered eight characters carved into the wood: *"Pure of heart, accommodating of all things,"* and *"Profound is its dwelling."* They were crooked and clumsy, looking very much like a child's casual graffiti. Xia Yunhe stroked the characters and smiled. "A pure inner heart that encompasses all things" was truly the realm of Zhuangzi.

She took an immediate liking to those words. That very day, she finalized the deed with the broker and hired laborers to sweep the place clean. As for the unwieldy millstone, since it was too difficult to move, they simply left it where it stood in the courtyard.

A few days later, after choosing an auspicious date, the household packed up and moved in, finally settling down.

Yet, there was still no word from Third Master Fu, which continued to weigh heavily on Xia Yunhe's mind.

In the blink of an eye, another half-month slipped by, and everything began to fall into a routine.

One evening, a cold rain mixed with sleet began to fall, causing the temperature to plummet sharply. Fortunately, she had Xie Yi's heavy cloak to keep out the chill.

Zhen Niang brought out a newly purchased brazier, added charcoal, filled a warming flask, and hung thick curtains over the doors, making the interior cozy and warm.

Xia Yunhe curled up under the covers near the heating table, flipping through official records concerning Xidiao Wei, while San Niang sat nearby by the lamplight, cracking open chestnuts with a dull crunch.

At that moment, the sound of horse neighing suddenly broke the quiet outside. Zhen Niang went out to investigate, and Xia Yunhe leaned close to the window to peer into the courtyard.

Shortly thereafter, the main gates were barred and bolted, and someone could be heard treading heavily across the squelching, muddy ground toward the house.

The door curtain was lifted, and a bearded, rugged man appeared. His hair was matted into greasy strands, and his thick sheepskin coat emitted a pungent odor. The man split his face into a broad grin, revealing dazzlingly white teeth. "Young master... it's me, Third Fu."

Good heavens! Xia Yunhe gasped, staring hard as she examined him over and over, before she could finally discern a faint trace of Third Master Fu beneath that dust-covered face.

Zhen Niang quickly heated some wine to help drive the chill from Third Master Fu's bones.

Knowing how disheveled he looked and fearing he might dirty the chairs, Third Master Fu remained standing as he drank the warm wine and began recounting his experiences over the past weeks.

It turned out that upon his return to Ying Commandery, he had headed straight for the Tian Family Grain and Oil Shop, only to find it completely abandoned with all leads severed. He had been forced to wander around asking for news, but the people involved seemed to have vanished without a trace, leaving not a single whisper behind. Until... when the floods hit this summer and grain prices skyrocketed, a family bearing the rare compound surname Youwu suddenly emerged, buying up and whisking away vast quantities of grain from the market.

Third Master Fu said, "Later, I thought about it: if you add a top stroke to the character for 'Tian' [田], doesn't it become the character for 'You' [由]? I followed these people all the way to the water transport docks, only to discover that the water transport was merely a cover—in reality, the grain was being secretly smuggled across the border into Northern Rong."

"Oh, and I happened to run into someone whose hands and feet were bound, and these people were about to feed him to wild wolves. That man claimed to be the assistant prefect of Ying Commandery, but his behavior was completely unhinged—half the time he was lucid, and the other half utterly delirious..."

"What did you say?!" Xia Yunhe's eyes widened in shock as she propped herself up against the table. "The assistant prefect of Ying Commandery? What is his name?"

"It sounded like... Xidiao Wei..."