Over the next few days Xu Buling stayed inside the prince's estate, nursing his injury and waiting for the uproar over the White Horse Manor bloodbath to die down.
From the reports that came in, the great White Horse Manor case was closed; where there were punishments, there were rewards. The Son of Heaven himself had a few words of praise for Xiao Ting, and the Wolf Guard who had distinguished herself at White Horse Manor, Zhu Manzhi, was commended by the Investigation Bureau and promoted—straight into dead last among the Heaven Camp Wolf Guards.
Half a month of work, and the original aim had more or less been achieved. Next came getting Zhu Manzhi into the Records Vault on the pretext of investigating the case, to find a lead on the Dragon-Locking Gu inside the heavily guarded Investigation Bureau stronghold.
On the eighth day of the twelfth month the weather cleared. The snow between Chang'an's thousand streets and hundred wards had yet to melt, and looking out the window it was a little dazzling to the eye.
Xu Buling walked to the window and stretched, and there was Old Xiao stumping along the covered walkway on his cane, chuckling from way off:
"Little Prince, sun's fine today—time you came out and got some air."
Xu Buling gave a soft laugh, took his long sword from the study and hung it at his waist, then walked out with Old Xiao. "One punch put me on my back for three days. If I don't get this Dragon-Locking Gu out of me, I won't be fit to do anything."
Old Xiao followed on his cane. "A man must never admit he can't perform..."
Xu Buling's face darkened.
"Heh heh..." After that bit of dirty talk, Old Xiao got down to business: "The Records Vault holds every sort of case file from the two hundred years since the dynasty was founded. Apart from Zhang Xiang, the Investigation Bureau has two other chiefs working in the shadows—one roams the world keeping the jianghu in line, one hides in the dark watching over princes and nobles. Zhang Xiang sits guard over the Records Vault year in and year out, and so long as he's there, no one can go rummaging through those files under his nose."
"Then we'll have to find a way to draw Zhang Xiang out."
"Zhang Xiang has been famous for nearly twenty years. In all of Chang'an, no more than five men could beat him. Don't take him lightly, Little Prince."
Xu Buling nodded, swung up onto his horse, and headed for Daye Ward...
Winter sun spilled over the grey walls and white snow. The Sun family's shop had a few more customers than usual; Shopkeeper Sun said only that the silver had been found and returned, and that Bluestone Alley was back the way it had been. No one mentioned Sancai anymore.
Clop, clop—
Iron horseshoes rang on the bluestone paving as Xu Buling drew up at the door of the wine shop:
"A jug of wine."
"Coming right up... oh! Young Master's here. Haven't seen you in days, and you're looking much better. This old man's been worrying for days..."
Shopkeeper Sun took the vermilion wine gourd and filled it from the jar with practiced strokes of the ladle.
Xu Buling stood outside the shop's railing with the reins in his hand, waiting quietly.
The clear wine gurgled into the gourd with a splashing sound; before it was full, a crisp voice suddenly came from the alley:
"Young Master!"
Sweet and clear, the voice was like the warm sun of March—unmelted snow and ice hidden beneath ten li of spring breeze.
The drinkers in the shop all broke off their talk at the sound, glanced over, and went briefly dumbstruck; man's true nature made them sit a little straighter.
Xu Buling turned his head and saw Ning Qingye standing not far from the shop, watching him with a smile.
Ning Qingye had changed out of the jianghu garb she had worn the last two times they met. Today she wore a white dress that outdid the snow, black hair like ink spilling down her back, her air pure and cool and plain; no powder or rouge on her face, she was like a white lotus standing in a pond of lotuses.
Because she was so slender, her long sword Qingfeng was not hung at her waist the way a man would carry it, but slung slantwise across her back, lending a touch of knightly spirit to her natural delicacy. And yet with a woman like this it was hard to picture her fighting and killing; ethereal, perhaps, was the better word.
Shopkeeper Sun glanced up and shook his head with a chuckle: "I'd have called you two a match for looks, but now I see it plain—the young lady really does come out ahead."
Xu Buling took the gourd, led his horse over to her, and said with a light laugh:
"Miss Ning, you're still here?"
Ning Qingye's head came just to Xu Buling's brow—tall for a woman. She walked slowly along beside him, and only when they reached a quiet stretch of the alley did she answer:
"My lord Heir has shown me kindness, and this humble girl has no way to repay it..."
"By offering yourself to me in marriage?"
Ning Qingye's embroidered shoe came down hard, clicking softly against the bluestone paving. She pursed her lips, plainly thinking how to answer this shameless lecher.
"Heh heh..." Xu Buling raised a hand. "It just slipped out. A joke, Miss—don't take it seriously."
Ning Qingye drew a small breath and walked on, though she deliberately let half a step of distance open between them, so that she was more or less trailing behind Xu Buling.
"Young Master, if you're in any difficulty, you need only tell me. Court affairs are beyond me, but I can still lend a hand in jianghu matters. And if there's truly nothing, then count it as a favor I owe you—send word to Changqing Abbey later, and I'll come find you."
"Jianghu folk set store by settling debts and grudges on the spot. If you really want us square, Miss..."
"That is not what I mean."
Ning Qingye stopped and looked Xu Buling straight in the eye. "I simply don't like owing people favors."
Xu Buling nodded and walked on slowly, leading his horse. After a moment's silence he came to the point:
"If you want to help, Miss, I do have a small trouble of late."
"Just say it."
"Heh heh... The Dragon-Locking Gu in my body was wiped out more than ten years ago; there's no such thing in the jianghu. I've searched quietly for a year without a single lead. Only a few days ago did I hear from a wandering jianghu alchemist that a Dragon-Locking Cup turned up at the Iron Eagle Deer Hunt ten years back—there may be a record of it in the Investigation Bureau..."
Ning Qingye tilted her head slightly at that, puzzled:
"You're Prince Su's heir. Your standing is far above the Investigation Bureau's—couldn't you just go and ask?"
Xu Buling shook his head. "I've been here a year. The court has had the Investigation Bureau chasing leads on the Wei River ambush, and they've turned up nothing. If the Investigation Bureau really is sitting on word of the Dragon-Locking Gu..."
Ning Qingye was no fool; she understood at once. "You think the court might be behind it?"
"The most heartless place of all is the imperial house—brothers shedding each other's blood is ordinary there, let alone the son of a prince of another surname. If the Investigation Bureau does have word of the Dragon-Locking Gu and is deliberately keeping quiet, then the court is surely pulling strings behind it... I'd rather it weren't true. Because if I find the record of the Dragon-Locking Cup in that Bureau, I doubt I'll leave Chang'an alive."
Ning Qingye's brows drew together. "I know what you did at White Horse Manor the other day. Your martial skill is excellent—when you know there's danger, you can simply walk away."
"I'm no jianghu man. The monk can run, but the temple can't. And besides, if the Dragon-Locking Gu isn't lifted, I'll die all the same once I'm back in Xiliang."
"What can I do to help?"
"Don't you have a grudge against Zhang Xiang? I'll find a chance to draw him out and give you your chance at revenge."
Ning Qingye halted mid-step, and surprise flickered in her eyes. "Truly?"
Xu Buling nodded seriously. "Mutual benefit. If you agree, then it's settled."
"A word is a bond."
Ning Qingye didn't hesitate for an instant. "When you're ready, just send word to that little courtyard from last time."
Xu Buling smiled faintly and raised a hand to clap palms with her.
Something odd crossed Ning Qingye's face. She lifted her hand, but in the end did not clap it against his. With a toss of her hair she turned to go, and as she went:
"Oh—I still have your fox fur. I gave it a wash; I'll return it once it's dry."
"Keep it."
Xu Buling pulled his hand back, disgruntled, and watched Ning Qingye until she vanished around the corner of the alley...