While Lu Qin was glancing around at the coffin shop’s entrance… Four Ji Street, Qifang Garden.
This was a courtyard on the east side of Four Ji Street, right on the riverbank of the canal.
Inside the garden, the stream water was all fresh and lively, connected directly to the canal.
The east wall of Qifang Garden was just a six-foot-high decorative floral lattice wall.
On a fake mountain made of stacked strange rocks, the exquisite flower hall inside was warm as spring.
The eastern window doors were open, and through the large crystal panes, one could look down on hundreds of blooming ancient plum trees in the courtyard, and the flickering lights on the canal outside the wall.
Some people were cutting ice holes on the frozen river surface, lighting torches, either fishing or simply casting nets down.
From time to time, there’d be joyful shouts—probably they had caught some precious fresh fish.
Inside the quiet study, three men in luxurious robes sat apart.
In the main seat was a lean, tall young man, handsome but with an air of sharpness, harshness, and cruelty.
This man was none other than the owner of Qifang Garden, Qi Shen—the ninth son of the Eastern Qi Earl, Lu Qian’s family’s hostage in Haojing.
At the guest seat sat a middle-aged man with a round face and a somewhat reckless air in his movements.
He wore a purple robe covered with dark silver Kunpeng (roc) soaring patterns on the chest, back, shoulders, elbows, and cuffs.
The founding ancestor of the Dayin Martial Dynasty declared himself the 'Kunpeng' descended to earth.
The royal family's totem was the Kunpeng.
Wearing the royal totem on his robe, this man in purple was none other than the current Dayin Emperor’s own uncle, Ying Xing, honored as the ‘Lancang King’.
Within the flower hall, a group of over twenty female musicians played graceful silk and bamboo instruments; the melodious music flowed like immortal sounds from heaven.
Another group of seven or eight dancing maidens waved long water sleeves inside the flower hall, dancing lightly to entertain.
Outside the flower hall, beneath the corridor, a few master chefs guarded a stove, focused on handling a three-foot-long golden scale carp.
This fish had just been purchased at high price from a fisherman on the canal no more than fifteen minutes ago.
Ying Xing laughed heartily.
He had been invited to Qifang Garden and had just arrived not long ago, but had already downed several goblets of fine wine.
A rosy flush had appeared on his pale face.
Under Qi Shen’s courteous urging, Ying Xing drank another cup, then set the wine aside and waved toward the dancing maidens in the flower hall.
Qi Shen smiled and clapped his hands vigorously.
The dancers and musicians silently slipped out of the flower hall.
Ying Xing then pointed at the man in green robe sitting opposite him and said, “Heir, it’s the New Year, and you invited me here for no reason? Who in this huge Haojing city doesn’t know that I, Ying Xing, ‘never act without gain’?”
Qi Shen laughed and shook his head. “Your Highness is too kind. Today…”
Ying Xing hastily waved his hand. “Enough with the fancy words. It’s New Year; everyone’s busy. I get at least a hundred banquet invitations flying into my mansion every day. I came here today, giving your big boss face.”
He exhaled a breath of wine breath, squinting to look at the green-robed man again.
“If I didn’t have a salt and iron trade going on your father’s turf, I wouldn’t be here today. So since I'm here, straight-talk—what business do you have with me, young friend?”
Qi Shen smiled, gave Ying Xing a thumbs-up: “There is no wiser master sun than His Highness. Brother Liu, speak your mind.”
Dressed in green, wearing a green turban, with two green jade ornaments at his waist, Liu Wu quickly stood and bowed deeply to Ying Xing. “Your servant Liu…”
Ying Xing interrupted, tilting his face, looking askance at Liu Wu with a casual tone: “You an official?”
Liu Wu hurried to explain, “Your Highness, I’m Liu Wu, a substitute magistrate of Tuoshan County from three years ago. Tuoshan County is a subordinate county, and I hold a sixth-grade rank in the imperial bureaucracy.”
Ying Xing stroked the short whisker on his chin, lengthened his tone: “Substitute magistrate of Tuoshan County. Tsk, three years back, a subordinate county, a sixth-grade official, even a provisional post, costs eight million qian coins!”
Before Liu Wu could reply, Ying Xing continued expertly, “But those eight million go straight into the emperor’s private treasury. Your other dealings, especially with Yu Changle, you probably paid ten million qian total.”
Liu Wu beamed brightly. “Your Highness is wise! That’s exactly right!”
Ying Xing glanced sideways at Liu Wu and snorted coldly, then grabbed his wine cup and gulped down a big mouthful.
“Next time you buy an official post, come to me; or if your relatives and friends want to buy a post, come directly to me.”
“I deal straight with the emperor, no middlemen taking a cut, no Yu Changle or little eunuchs can get into the mix. For example, a subordinate county magistrate post, I only charge nine million qian, saving you a whole million coins. Isn’t that a good deal?”
Liu Wu laughed happily and kowtowed repeatedly to Ying Xing. “Your Highness speaks truly; it couldn’t be better. Before, I was of low status and couldn't hope to meet you. But now...”
Ying Xing smiled broadly. “Hey, in front of me, don’t talk nonsense about low status. Money is the hard truth; money makes you my honored guest!”
After a few hearty laughs, Ying Xing pointed at Liu Wu. “Liu Wu, you wanted to see me today?”
Liu Wu took two big steps forward, knelt down with a ‘thud’ before Ying Xing, squeezed out two tears, and bitterly poured out his troubles: “The heir says, Your Highness is the first man in Haojing city with real power.”
Ying Xing blinked and quickly waved his hands: “Don’t say that first. There are a few people here I can’t mess with. The Empress Dowager, the emperor, the grand general, the chancellor, the grand historian, and the censors—these folks, I dare not offend…”
After hesitating a moment, Ying Xing murmured, “And one more, who I also dare not touch—but he hasn’t shown up in Haojing for years, probably dead somewhere outside? Those are the ones.”
“As long as you don’t mess with them, what trouble have you gotten into?”
Ying Xing tapped his chest, boasting shamelessly: “Unless you’ve offended those few, even if you kill people or set fires, or rebel under a banner, as long as the money’s right, everything’s negotiable!”
Qi Shen applauded beside him, laughing. “Brother Liu, I told you, the king is a straightforward man, truly a fair gentleman. Your troubles are nothing.”
Liu Wu, who earlier had a troubled face, suddenly laughed.
He kowtowed to Ying Xing again and hurriedly said, “Your Highness, I have no idea how I offended anyone, how it came to the point that the Palace Inspectorate ordered my arrest.”
Ying Xing frowned and looked at Liu Wu. “Arrested by the Palace Inspectorate? You know why?”
Liu Wu shook his head hurriedly. “Your Highness, I’m completely in the dark.”
Ying Xing put down his wine cup and tapped the table with his fingers.
“This is strange indeed. Yu Changle, that old servant, is no reckless man. Did you offend some general under the Palace Inspectorate? Or a colonel?”
Liu Wu spread his hands to show innocence.
Qi Shen cleared his throat slightly beside Ying Xing. “Your Highness, brother Liu’s family suffered a catastrophe recently. Brother Liu, please explain.”
Liu Wu’s eyes flicked around, then said to Ying Xing, “Your Highness, before the New Year, my house—I don’t even know if I offended someone. That night, someone suddenly broke into my home and killed my entire family. I fled with two trusted guards in the dead of night, thinking—only the heir in Haojing city is my true confidant, my close friend I can trust with my life—so I came to Qifang Garden to seek refuge.”
“But no sooner had I hidden at the heir’s manor for two days than I heard the Palace Inspectorate was everywhere hunting me.”
“That would be one thing. If I’d done wrong, then the inspectorate chasing me would make sense.”
“But they also arrested my seven older sisters, their husbands, and many of my clan elders. I heard they’re locked up inside the inspectorate’s secret prison, tortured badly. I’m terrified. I really don’t understand why this is happening.”
“Seeing that half the month has passed and the year’s almost over, I thought maybe I could ask Your Highness to help me get rid of this trouble?”
Ying Xing rolled his eyes hard.
What a character Liu Wu was.
Whole family massacred, escaped with two guards.
Fine—escaping is good.
But hiding at a friend’s place and living peacefully through the New Year?
Plus, Ying Xing sensed this Liu Wu didn’t seem particularly heartbroken.
This guy was a real piece of work!
Ying Xing stroked his beard, muttering, “Helping you wipe out this disaster is not difficult; I’ll speak with Yu Changle myself. After all, I’m the emperor’s own uncle, that kind of face he has to give.”
“But your seven older sisters, seven brothers-in-law, and those clan elders… that’s quite a group.”
Ying Xing blinked at Liu Wu.
His meaning was clear: to get so many people out, a price must be paid.
Rescuing one person and rescuing a dozen can’t be the same price.
Liu Wu cleared his throat.
Qi Shen lowered his voice and said beside Ying Xing, “Your Highness, brother Liu means this—his seven older sisters are women, so no real harm in releasing them. But the seven brothers-in-law? Well, there’s no need to let those out, right?”
“The Palace Inspectorate’s secret prison is a terrifying place! Every year they kill hundreds of unlucky souls in there.”
“More deaths? That’s nothing!”
Ying Xing poured himself a cup, took a sip, and gradually savored the taste.
Pointing at Liu Wu, he smiled, “So... your seven brothers-in-law, their families are well off?”
Liu Wu chuckled, “Somewhat wealthy, somewhat wealthy. I’m ashamed, I’m ashamed!”
Qi Shen laughed beside Ying Xing. “Your Highness, brother Liu is wealthy indeed, with hundreds of thousands of mu of good farmland in Jingu District. His brothers-in-law’s fortunes are no less than his, some even stronger. Haha!”
Ying Xing clicked his tongue, looked between Liu Wu and Qi Shen, and said quietly, “This business... it’s a little... shameless. Tsk, I love money, but a gentleman loves money in an honorable way!”
Liu Wu held up three fingers.
Ying Xing rolled his eyes. “I’m only worth 30% of the deal?”
Liu Wu quickly added another finger, then pointed at Qi Shen.
Ying Xing looked at Qi Shen, who bowed and smiled.
Ying Xing nodded contentedly, lifting his wine: “Ha ha ha, then from now on, we’re good friends. Come, come, drink up! Ha ha ha!”
(End of chapter)