Book 12: Chapter 88
There was no need for an official announcement. Word of mouth was all it took for news of Song Lian’s demise to spread to every corner of the capital. Liu Shan Men discovered his separated head and body first. According to regulations, his corpse was supposed to stay with them. Howbeit, Song Chi, also hailing from Song Clan, was allowed to take his body.
Shen Yiren, sitting behind her desk in Vermillion Hall, perennially knocked on the desk with her eyes half shut. There were so many things going on at once that she had trouble determining what to tackle first. There were no clues to track down Ming Feizhen, and there was nothing to ascertain if Song Chi had anything to do with it. The atmosphere in the capital was s.h.i.+fting daily. One thing was happening one after the other every day, all of which seemed to spell the omen of imminent trouble. There was no suspect for the bronze-masked killer, and there was no clear motive. Meanwhile, be it aristocrats, the affluent or common folks, everyone was living in constant terror.
Picking up on approaching footsteps, Shen Yiren ceased her tapping. “How is it, Xiao Han?”
Su Xiao closed the door behind him. “Brother Dugu is in a coma. According to the imperial doctor… he was chopped on the back of the head with a blade. Luckily, he was able to form a s.h.i.+eld out of his energy in the nick of time, or his head would be separated from his body already. Even so, he may not wake up again.” Su Xiao was genuinely concerned for Dugu as the two had been working together since leaving the capital to visit Luo Ming.
“Chopped with a blade?” Tang Ye turned to Shen Yiren. “Mr. Lian’s cause of death…”
“The culprit has been beheading all of his victims cleanly. Based on the thin and flat slices, I surmised the culprit leveraged speed to slice straight through. In comparison, the wound of the Qilin Guard who had his face mangled, based on my own a.n.a.lysis, is not the type of wound a sharp weapon would inflict.”
Shen Yiren developed a deeper comprehension following her creation of “Sharp and Blunt Synchrony”, allowing her to correctly identify the difference between Xian Yutuo’s facial wounds and the other victims. The bronze-masked killer wielded a sharp weapon, while Xian Yutuo’s face was smashed as if the killer was unable to chop him and therefore had to smash him to death. Compared to a skilled blade wielder, it resembled the unbridled swinging of a raging, untrained man. Maybe there was a case to be made for Xian Yutuo having a harder neck and making it harder for the suspect with his combat prowess; however, the killer could take down the third rank on Seventeen Hidden Dragons, Dugu, in a single slash. How could it have been harder to kill Xian Yutuo when Dugu was tougher?
“If it wasn’t a broadsword, could the culprit have imbued his blade with qi?”
“Unlikely,” answered Shen Yiren. “Qi blades are sharper than metal and iron. If the suspect wasn’t really strong, okay. How, then, were the cuts on Xian Yutuo so shallow?”
“The cuts were shallow? … What if it was a qi broadsword, then?” Su Xiao proposed.
“I’ve considered that possibility. A strike from afar using qi broadsword is a lot weaker than broadsword qi. If it was broadsword qi, then it would be excessive force. If they could kill Song Lian and Xian Yutuo using broadsword qi, then their skills are out of this world. In that scenario, why not just directly cut them with the blade instead? Why expend more effort using broadsword qi?”
The trio continued brainstorming to no avail.
“Let’s put it aside for now. Yan Ling, what did you find out whilst keeping a pulse on Song Chi?”
“He looked dejected when he retrieved Mr. Song’s body. Although he didn’t cry, it was enough to move people to console him.”
“Dejected? Pfft, he really is a real piece of work.”
“Do you mean Song Chi is responsible?”
Su Xiao a.n.a.lysed Shen Yiren’s sneer deeply. “… Are you insinuating he is the one who ordered the hit?!”
Shen Yiren shook her head. “While he was unquestionably acting, it’s insufficient to prove he is the mastermind. Do you know where Song Lian stood?”
Su Xiao replied, “Isn’t he Daren Academy’s disciplinary officer?”
“You’re not wrong, but that’s not all.” Shen Yiren brought her brows together. “Song Clan isn’t united. Their patriarch may come off as someone who keeps a low profile. In reality, he is connected to lots of people in the martial world. They respect him because he’s decisive and impartial when it concerns their problems. Perceptive people will understand that he’s taking the approach of a veteran. In this way, he doesn’t expand too much that he crosses the imperial court, but it’s also enough to not cancel his members.h.i.+p in the martial world. This slow-and-steady strategy has paid dividends, pitting them against Valley of Yearning for last place. Howbeit, a defensive strategy makes it hard to create a new status quo. As such, there are dissidents within Song Clan.
“Mr. Song Lian is one of those vocal about Song Clan’s current strategy. He argued with his elder brother over how they should operate twenty years ago, which impelled his brother to send him to Daren Academy. Really, he was exiled.”
Su Xiao: “Patriarch Song sounds like a decent man, yet he’s actually that overbearing? One argument is all it takes for him to exile his brother?”
Shen Yiren smiled. “Well, it comes with the territory. As the leader of a big clan, he can’t be wishy washy just to protect his brother. Patriarch Song actually only intended to have Mr. Song Lian stay at the academy for two to three years so that he’d learn to get along with people; he didn’t expect his brother to be so stubborn. By the time he tried to persuade Mr. Song Lian to come home, Mr. Song Lian refused to return to Yangzhou. All Song Clan members who came to convince him ended up copping earfuls before returning in defeat.”
“Wow, he always felt intimidating on the academy grounds, but I never knew he could be even harsher.”
“If he was only aggressive, I wouldn’t suspect Song Chi. Though Mr. Song Lian was known to be quite strict, he was an upstanding man, and his students respected him sincerely. Likewise, the younger generation of Song Clan also hold him in high esteem. Those with scholastic aspirations, in particular, considered him their leader. Innumerable civil servants are his students during his time at Daren Academy; you could argue that Song Lian was the one who established Song Clan’s presence in the imperial court. The majority of branch family members who stand by his side are loyal to the imperial court and therefore seek careers as officials.”
While Su Xiao was still musing over what was being implied, Tang Ye propounded, “Those who considered him their leader will have no choice but to bow down to the main family.”
“Exactly. Son Clan’s main and branch families have been at odds for quite some time; it’s just that Patriarch Song and Song Chi have continued to only say that they shouldn’t fight with the branch family, citing they are all one big family. That’s why there haven’t been any hard clashes. Now that Song Lian is no more, the branch family’s only choice is to turn to the main family. Besides, the main family has always indicated that they will treat the branch family nicely, so the branch family really doesn’t have an alternative aside from surrender.
“What sticks out like a thorn is the timing. Why would Song Lian be killed now of all times, when Song Clan needs power more than ever. Since Song Chi is in the capital. He can recruit the branch family whenever he wants after putting Song Lian to rest. Not only has he managed to polish his reputation as a virtuous, filial man, but he’s also gained control over the entire clan. If you ask me, Song Lian’s demise is unlikely a coincidence.
“Song Chi is already considered the representative of the main family. He’s been challenging fighters to raise his name all for the sake of the clan. Considering his martial and scholastic prowess, one could say he is the blade Song Clan has spent over twenty years forging. Now that His Majesty has commenced his operation to squash the remaining White Princes, don’t you think Song Chi should make his move?”
Su Xiao pursed his lips. “And if Song Chi is responsible?”
“Then the bronze-masked killer is a.s.sociated with him, which solves one problem on our plates. As for Feizhen…” Shen Yiren was convinced Song Chi was involved in Ming Feizhen’s missing status. Unfortunately, she had no proof to substantiate her suspicions. “For everyone’s sake, it best be that he just had something to attend to and hasn’t had time to contact us.”
Su Xiao: “That most certainly is not the case!”
“What makes you say so?”
“Big Brother Ming is the sort of person who will sit if he doesn’t have to stand and lie down if he doesn’t have to sit. If he has something to attend to, he’ll send people to do his bidding; not even I would be spared. Besides Brother Hong, who isn’t around now, he didn’t notify anyone. He’s definitely in trouble!”
Deep down, Shen Yiren already acknowledged the reality that Ming Feizhen was in danger ever since finding the braised pork shoulders. Her denial was nothing more than comforting-seeking behaviour. “We’ve interrogated the ones who a.s.saulted him, but n.o.body saw who was last to see him when it was complete chaos… Have we heard from Hong Jiu?”
Tang Ye answered, “He must be of an errand, but we have not heard anything from him in days. Perhaps he has come across a challenging predicament.”
Shen Yiren bobbed her head. “Based on what Feizhen told me, Hong Jiu is the type of person you see for the minority of a year. Hoping that he’ll be around to ask him something really is…” Shen Yiren stopped as she saw a bright light shone through the window.
As if somebody had set the heavens alight, everyone could see the bright light that seemingly turned night to day.
“A natural phenomena? What’s going on?”
Su Xiao shook his head. “According to what I’ve read, it’s called Sirius, uh… I think that’s all?”
Tang Ye: “… Nightfire?”
“Yan Ling, what did you just say?”
“It’s an explosive item used in the Western Regions to transmit signals. The specially designed item is an expensive item that brightens the sky for a long time once it explodes. In my younger days, when I was at Bright Mirror Palace, I recall the adults bringing some back from the Western Regions to research. The colour was identical to the one we can see now.”
“A signal transmitter?”
Shen Yiren: The place they were shot from is very close to the capital. Who oversees the area, and why would they need to stand out so much? Is the military doing something? But Uncle never mentioned anything about it. Hang on… There’s no military garrison over there…
“I could be wrong, though,” opined Tang Ye.
“What makes you say so?”
“The nightfire I saw was only… a ten thousandth of what we’re seeing now. If it really is nightfire, how much was fired? The signal is used for covert operations. This is the equivalent of announcing the operation to the world.”
“I see…”
The light persisted until the middle of the night.
***
Apart from all the things on her mind, the mysterious white light in the ether was the other cause that kept Shen Yiren up all night. She wasn’t a fan of squandering time. Therefore, rather than aimlessly rolling around in bed for four hours, she spent the four hours going over the work Shen Kuang helped her with during the day, adding some revisions and whatnot.
Li Dynasty’s progenitor erected seven tall walls – the Seven Champion White Princes – around the capital to inhibit invaders from pouring through in large numbers. The seven’s action of sitting back and letting anarchy ensue was their way of saying to the imperial court, “Do you now understand our importance? Don’t push it.” Not only did the measured tactic put pressure on Emperor Yuansheng, but it also achieved their goal without allowing him to make an enemy out of them. Should the situation not change for the better, perhaps he would be forced to cancel his plans for them. Emperor Yuansheng wasn’t going to buckle under their pressure. If he didn’t take the opportunity Luo Ming created for him, how could he ever have the shame to mention it to his va.s.sals?
“Sc.u.mbags…” Shen Yiren bit her brush again. Besides feeling stressed because of the seven, she felt powerless, as well. Of course, there was also… “Feizhen…” She loathed herself for not having a single lead despite losing someone she trusted.
What would he say to me if he was here?
The question Shen Yiren posed to herself made her conjure an image of him sitting beside her, grinning. As soon as he opened his mouth, she swung her inkstone at his image, effectively erasing it. “If you really have something to say, come tell me in person!” Shen Yiren set her inkstone back down.
“Disappears whenever he feels like it. What do you think Liu Shan Men is? … What do you think of me?” Ponder and ponder, Shen Yiren slapped the table. “Just you wait. I swear I’ll make you come back here!” Next, she cast her gaze to the mountain of doc.u.ments waiting for her attention. “Hmph! Bring it on!”
Shen Yiren went through doc.u.ment after doc.u.ment, throwing them aside once she was done. Only once she reached for the next one and touched the table instead did she smile. “Phew. No inanimate paper is beating me.” She grunted as she pushed herself out of her seat.
“Vice-Captain! Vice-Captain!”
Shen Yiren flopped straight back into her chair upon hearing Chu Yinghua’s shouting. Even as a martial artist, she was so taxed physically and mentally from the concentrated state she just spent four hours in, so falling back into her chair actually hurt. So that she wouldn’t appear weak in the presence of her subordinates, Shen Yiren deliberately stowed away her “weak” behaviours around them. Therefore, it was Chu Yinghua’s first time seeing Shen Yiren grimace while beautifully looking as though she wanted to cuss.
“More doc.u.ments? I just b.l.o.o.d.y finished! Wh-why are you delivering doc.u.ments instead of sleeping in the middle of the night?!”
Chu Yinghua: She’s so cute… Wait, what?
“Middle of the night? The sun has been up for a while, Vice-Captain.”
As soon as Shen Yiren gazed out the window, she squinted due to the sting.
“And I did not bring doc.u.ments.”
“Then, what are you here for?”
“A messenger from the imperial palace has come to fetch you. His Majesty urgently summons you.”
After the bright blast last night, it wasn’t surprising Emperor Yuansheng wanted to meet Shen Yiren. Even though it was a reasonable command, she still scrubbed her unkempt hair vigorously. “Give me a moment to tidy myself up.”
“There is no time. The eunuchs are waiting for you. Let us sort your hair out on the way.” Chu Yinghua pushed Shen Yiren out.
Apart from eunuchs, even Ye Luo was waiting outside. Dugu was the provisional commander of Emperor’s Entourage when Ye Luo’s father was absent. Since even Dugu was out of commission now, the onus of commanding the unit fell in Ye Luo’s lap.
They got into the carriage and set out before they even had time to exchange greetings.
“Fiends’ Genesis?” Shen Yiren needed a while to recall the name that hadn’t been mentioned in twenty years. “Fiends’ Genesis is behind all the recent turmoil?”
“Who else would have the ability to cause this much trouble, not to mention a.s.sa.s.sinating people in the capital. Oh, there was also the signal boldly transmitted last night. If they’re not crazy, then I don’t have the faintest idea why they would do that,” replied Ye Luo.
Shen Yiren: It certainly does seem like… challenging death to a dance…
“All the bandits in hiding came out from hiding and began attacking military garrisons following the signal. They employed guerrilla warfare tactics, then went back to hiding in the mountains. We suffered losses as we weren’t prepared for them. However, their teamwork was terrible; their timing was random and so were their formations, so our elites made quick work of them. I have no idea why they would try to attack our military if they weren’t prepared.”
Shen Yiren flinched at the news of how audacious Fiends’ Genesis was, headb.u.t.ting Chu Yinghua’s head as she leaned back. “What sort of strategy is that? What were they planning by hitting and running…? How did His Majesty determine it was Fiends’ Genesis that was responsible?”
Ye Luo answered, “This is the urgent confidential report our agents submitted this morning. This is how His Majesty found out. Livid, His Majesty ordered Qilin Guards to commence arrests and then summoned us.”
“Arrests are being made already?”
“Of course. His Majesty can’t let the crime go.”
“Fiends’ Genesis members are in the capital?”
“Of course not a member of Fiends’ Genesis. They’re detaining the traitor who colluded with them. Think about it: Fiends’ Genesis was practically exterminated twenty years ago. How could they rise again without someone supporting them? Moreover, their conspirator has to hold a high rank in the imperial court as well as be familiar with the military to be able to provide troop positions.”
“Who’s their conspirator?”
“You will see. I am furious, too.”
His Majesty was sitting in his throne in Wuying Hall, face devoid of any emotion. That was actually his fuming face. Seemingly ignorant to Shen Yiren and company’s arrival, he slammed his arm rest and brayed, “You know well and truly how much I have sheltered your family! Have I ever said a word about you raising your own va.s.sals and army or you bribing martial artists? Have I ever picked any bone with you when tutors at Daren Academy are constantly reporting you to me? Name another aristocrat in the capital with your privileges. Name one occasion Red Prince abused his power when I named him state proctor. I’ve turned a blind eye to your lawless, intolerable behaviour on account of my brother’s contributions to this land. Do you really think I will hesitate to execute you?!”
“Your Majesty, Muye had no hand in any of it.” Li Muye’s voice was as shaky as his body.
Shen Yiren: Li Muye? Has he been eating something he shouldn’t?
“Muye is innocent. Pl-please do not believe the fabr-”
“Zip it!”
“Your Majesty, please calm down!” Shen Yiren hurried out before Emperor Yuansheng to perform her salute. “Shen Yiren’s respects to Your Majesty.”
Owing to the fact that almost everyone seated was a martial artist, they didn’t have to perform the complete salute according to the books. Additionally, Emperor Yuansheng was far too furious to care about those details.
Emperor Yuansheng calmed down a tad thanks to Shen Yiren’s appearance. “Yiren, look at these ungrateful aristocrats and Princes I’ve raised. They’ve grown so bold that they colluded with fiends to raid our military garrisons!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Shen Yiren made her way to the front to see the faces of those ahead of her. She ignored the pleading eye signals Li Muye sent her, taking the stack of evidence Emperor Yuansheng pa.s.sed over to scrutinise.
It was obvious Emperor’s Entourage collected the evidence. One of the letters in the stack was one that Li Muye penned to Fiends’ Genesis, requesting an audience with them in addition to mentioning a deal concerning hundreds of thousands taels.
“I thought Sirius was devoured when I saw the light last night. If it wasn’t for all the debacles that followed, I never would’ve known I had a traitor in my family. He can deny it all he wants; I’ve already sent men to arrest those fiends. I’ll make him admit to his crimes.”
“Your Majesty, please calm down. There are lots of suspicious things about all this. How ab-”
Emperor Yuansheng waved his hand vigorously. “I’m not done! Yiren, I take it you haven’t forgotten about Yongheng Bank’s case. It’s obvious this traitor is the one who stole it for those fiends! Men, lock him up in prison for prisoners on death row. Once the case is closed, he will be executed in autumn!”
Glossary
Sharp and Blunt Synchrony – Because it would be a long name otherwise, I’ve translated it as so to capture the essence of the ability. If the name isn’t telling, it describes Shen Yiren’s ability to wield sharp weapons stylistically as blunt weapons (remember how she developed it with Ming Feizhen and Luo Ming’s advice back in volume 11?).