Chapter 57
Let's Talk in One Step
The old pharmacist sat under the pomegranate tree, slowly and methodically packing his medicine box, neatly arranging the bottles and jars one by one, and carefully inserting the silver needles back into his needle pouch one by one. He began to speak unhurriedly.
"Kill Xu Xian on his way back to the capital, and kill all the people traveling with him as well."
Wang Yanni's pupils constricted sharply. "Why? He's found nothing left. He came today to say goodbye. He's given up. You still want to kill him?"
"The woman next to him isn't a suitor..."
The old pharmacist closed his medicine box, stood up, and slung it over his shoulder.
"She was His Highness's assassin. She left the capital a few days ago, a day before me, without telling His Highness. We still don't know where she went... It turns out she came to assassinate Xu Xian. Her courage is commendable, but it seems she failed..."
"She knows too much. Nobody knows if she has revealed anything to Xu Xian. If she does, then Xu Xian must not be allowed to return to Beijing alive."
Wang Yanni was startled again, "...She's one of yours? Xu Xian just said she was his suitor, was he lying to me?"
The old pharmacist looked at him coldly. "He didn't tell you Ouyang's true identity; it's obvious he's already on guard against you..."
"Commander, you should still remember what you promised His Highness. His Highness sees you as a talented person who can protect the Qingzhou border for him, which is why he asked me to treat your daughter's illness..."
"You have indeed done a lot of favors these past few years. You were the one who put pressure on the mine inspections, and you were the one who leaked the news to Sun Buhai that Li Shanyu was going to the mine to check the accounts. You have done everything His Highness asked of you. Now that your daughter is better and can run and jump again, do you want to get rid of His Highness?"
"I don't..."
"You've softened your heart..."
The old pharmacist squinted. "I advise you to think it over carefully."
Wang Yanni was silent for a moment, then said, "I will... What about that woman?"
"Kill her too. I thought she had some secrets. As the orphan of the Marquis of Nanlong, she might really be hiding the whereabouts of that map. I never expected that after raising her for more than ten years, I couldn't get anything out of her..."
"Now he's even ruined things by coming to Qingzhou to assassinate Xu Xian, alerting the enemy and exposing himself, and almost implicating His Highness. What a useless piece of trash."
The old pharmacist pulled the shoulder strap of his medicine box up a bit.
"Send her to her death. When you kill her, be quick and decisive. She did a lot of dirty work for His Highness, so give her a quick death. Remember not to let anyone see it and expose your identity."
Wang Yanni looked down at her hands. "My identity is still useful. Does His Highness still need me to keep an eye on things in Qingzhou?"
"Of course, the Bone Tempering Realm isn't something you can just pick up anywhere. You can continue being the governor of Qingzhou... The Butcher is still hiding in Qingzhou. I'll have him cooperate with you and then blame it on Hao Zailai. Luckily, Hao Zailai has a good reputation; once he takes a job, he'll definitely finish it, and no one will suspect anything."
Wang Yanni was silent for a moment, then nodded.
At this moment, the little girl slowly walked out of the house, holding a blue cloth bundle in her hands. She walked very slowly and carefully, and every step she took felt like stepping on Wang Yanni's heart.
She walked up to the old pharmacist and handed him the cloth bag with both hands. "Grandpa Pharmacist, thank you!"
The old pharmacist took the silver, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and reached out to pat Nini's head.
"You're such a good girl. Now that you can run and jump, don't forget that your dad carried you on his back for ten years."
"I won't forget!"
The little girl looked up earnestly and said, "When I can run, I'll run to buy Daddy a jug of wine!"
The old pharmacist smiled, patted her head, and turned to walk out.
Wang Yanni squatted down and hugged her daughter, gently pinching her calves with her fingers. Her legs were thinner than those of children her age because they were not used for many years.
His eyes reddened again.
"From today onwards, my Nini can run and jump too."
The little girl nodded vigorously, buried her face in her father's arms, then pushed him away, took two steps while holding onto the wall, and looked back at Wang Yanni with anticipation.
Wang Yanni stood up, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and smiled. "Nini, stay home for now. We'll celebrate when Daddy comes back from his work!"
"Okay, Daddy!"
...
Xu Xiangang had just arrived at the entrance of the Inspection Department when Wang Yanni caught up with him.
He was a little out of breath from running, and nodded to Xu Xian without explaining further.
Xu Xian glanced at him, but didn't ask any more questions. He lifted Ouyang Ruiming off the horse, grabbed her arm, and walked inside.
In the main hall, Mo Feichang sat upright in the main seat, drinking tea.
The tea was a local coarse tea from Qingzhou, but he drank it with great relish.
Xu paused for a moment as he stepped across the threshold. Mo Feichang seemed to have grown a little taller and more robust than when they last met.
However, the thought only flashed through his mind for a moment. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Commander, what brings you here?"
Yang Xu followed behind and also bowed.
Wang Yanni was the last to enter. She stood by the door, her gaze lingering on Mo Feichang's face for a moment before she bowed and said nothing.
Mo Feichang put down his teacup. "The governor of Qingzhou, Li Shanyu, had his entire family wiped out, and then the magistrate of Qingzhou, Sun Buhai, died violently in his residence. In less than half a month, two high-ranking officials of Qingzhou have been killed. His Majesty is furious. I was worried about you, so I came here in person to see for myself."
He glanced at the woman behind Xu, whose hands were bound. "Who is this girl?"
Xu Xian moved Ouyang Ruiming forward two steps.
Ouyang kept his head down; even after the disguise was removed, his face was still dazzlingly white.
"The assassin chased me all the way from Kyoto to Qingzhou and tried to stab me twice. Last time, she escaped through the lake at Taibai Tower, but this time she delivered herself to my door at the Jiaofangsi."
Xu Xian released her arm. "This subordinate has already taken her to Zhengxin Academy and had Dean Zhou interrogate her using the power of words. They didn't find out much. She's resisting the power of words, and if we push her any further, she'll become an idiot."
"But she admitted that she worked for a certain prince, though she couldn't say exactly which one. She said she only knew the title 'Your Highness'..."
"Also, she is the orphan of the Marquis of Nanlong in Kang State. She was rescued after the massacre of the Marquis of Nanlong's family more than ten years ago and has been raised ever since."
"Marquis of Nanlong..."
Mo Feichang's brows twitched slightly. "I have also heard about the massacre of a family in Kangguo more than ten years ago. Master Yuanding of the Western Desert certified that the Marquis of Nanlong had the secret to ascension. Heroes fought for the treasure, and the family was wiped out overnight. I did not expect that there were still survivors."
He then asked, "What are you going to do with her?"
"Take him back to Kyoto and imprison him..."
Xu Xian glanced at Ouyang.
"Let's see how it goes in ten days or half a month. If someone comes to rescue her, it'll be a perfect opportunity to lure the enemy out. Anyone who can mobilize manpower to infiltrate the Investigation Department's prison for a prison break is definitely not a small fry. We can follow the trail and find out who's behind her, the 'Prince.' If no one comes to rescue her..."
He paused, then said, "Then let's use her head as a sacrifice for the children in the dye shop, and for the thirty-six members of Li Shanyu's family. The parents of those children are still waiting for the people behind her to pay with their lives."
Ouyang suddenly turned her head to look at Xu Xian, her face turning ashen. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. She simply turned her head back down, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.
She felt a strange sense of relief, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Twelve years had passed; she had killed so many people for His Highness, and she was prepared to be killed herself.
If I die at Xu Xian's hands, it would be a good thing. At least it would give some closure to the good people who died at her hands.
Mo nodded very much.
"That's settled then. Take her back to the capital for further interrogation. Dean Zhou's words of wisdom have already been used to interrogate her once. After we return to the capital, I can ask the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to intervene as well. The combined effects of the words of wisdom from two fourth-rank Confucian scholars will be different, and we should be able to find something out."
"During your investigation in Qingzhou, besides this assassin, have you found anything else?"
"Sir, may I speak to you in private..." Xu Xian glanced around.
Mo was slightly taken aback, then led him to the back room, closed the door, and leaned back in his chair.
"There's no one here now, so you can speak."
"Kill Xu Xian on his way back to the capital, and kill all the people traveling with him as well."
Wang Yanni's pupils constricted sharply. "Why? He's found nothing left. He came today to say goodbye. He's given up. You still want to kill him?"
"The woman next to him isn't a suitor..."
The old pharmacist closed his medicine box, stood up, and slung it over his shoulder.
"She was His Highness's assassin. She left the capital a few days ago, a day before me, without telling His Highness. We still don't know where she went... It turns out she came to assassinate Xu Xian. Her courage is commendable, but it seems she failed..."
"She knows too much. Nobody knows if she has revealed anything to Xu Xian. If she does, then Xu Xian must not be allowed to return to Beijing alive."
Wang Yanni was startled again, "...She's one of yours? Xu Xian just said she was his suitor, was he lying to me?"
The old pharmacist looked at him coldly. "He didn't tell you Ouyang's true identity; it's obvious he's already on guard against you..."
"Commander, you should still remember what you promised His Highness. His Highness sees you as a talented person who can protect the Qingzhou border for him, which is why he asked me to treat your daughter's illness..."
"You have indeed done a lot of favors these past few years. You were the one who put pressure on the mine inspections, and you were the one who leaked the news to Sun Buhai that Li Shanyu was going to the mine to check the accounts. You have done everything His Highness asked of you. Now that your daughter is better and can run and jump again, do you want to get rid of His Highness?"
"I don't..."
"You've softened your heart..."
The old pharmacist squinted. "I advise you to think it over carefully."
Wang Yanni was silent for a moment, then said, "I will... What about that woman?"
"Kill her too. I thought she had some secrets. As the orphan of the Marquis of Nanlong, she might really be hiding the whereabouts of that map. I never expected that after raising her for more than ten years, I couldn't get anything out of her..."
"Now he's even ruined things by coming to Qingzhou to assassinate Xu Xian, alerting the enemy and exposing himself, and almost implicating His Highness. What a useless piece of trash."
The old pharmacist pulled the shoulder strap of his medicine box up a bit.
"Send her to her death. When you kill her, be quick and decisive. She did a lot of dirty work for His Highness, so give her a quick death. Remember not to let anyone see it and expose your identity."
Wang Yanni looked down at her hands. "My identity is still useful. Does His Highness still need me to keep an eye on things in Qingzhou?"
"Of course, the Bone Tempering Realm isn't something you can just pick up anywhere. You can continue being the governor of Qingzhou... The Butcher is still hiding in Qingzhou. I'll have him cooperate with you and then blame it on Hao Zailai. Luckily, Hao Zailai has a good reputation; once he takes a job, he'll definitely finish it, and no one will suspect anything."
Wang Yanni was silent for a moment, then nodded.
At this moment, the little girl slowly walked out of the house, holding a blue cloth bundle in her hands. She walked very slowly and carefully, and every step she took felt like stepping on Wang Yanni's heart.
She walked up to the old pharmacist and handed him the cloth bag with both hands. "Grandpa Pharmacist, thank you!"
The old pharmacist took the silver, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and reached out to pat Nini's head.
"You're such a good girl. Now that you can run and jump, don't forget that your dad carried you on his back for ten years."
"I won't forget!"
The little girl looked up earnestly and said, "When I can run, I'll run to buy Daddy a jug of wine!"
The old pharmacist smiled, patted her head, and turned to walk out.
Wang Yanni squatted down and hugged her daughter, gently pinching her calves with her fingers. Her legs were thinner than those of children her age because they were not used for many years.
His eyes reddened again.
"From today onwards, my Nini can run and jump too."
The little girl nodded vigorously, buried her face in her father's arms, then pushed him away, took two steps while holding onto the wall, and looked back at Wang Yanni with anticipation.
Wang Yanni stood up, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and smiled. "Nini, stay home for now. We'll celebrate when Daddy comes back from his work!"
"Okay, Daddy!"
...
Xu Xiangang had just arrived at the entrance of the Inspection Department when Wang Yanni caught up with him.
He was a little out of breath from running, and nodded to Xu Xian without explaining further.
Xu Xian glanced at him, but didn't ask any more questions. He lifted Ouyang Ruiming off the horse, grabbed her arm, and walked inside.
In the main hall, Mo Feichang sat upright in the main seat, drinking tea.
The tea was a local coarse tea from Qingzhou, but he drank it with great relish.
Xu paused for a moment as he stepped across the threshold. Mo Feichang seemed to have grown a little taller and more robust than when they last met.
However, the thought only flashed through his mind for a moment. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Commander, what brings you here?"
Yang Xu followed behind and also bowed.
Wang Yanni was the last to enter. She stood by the door, her gaze lingering on Mo Feichang's face for a moment before she bowed and said nothing.
Mo Feichang put down his teacup. "The governor of Qingzhou, Li Shanyu, had his entire family wiped out, and then the magistrate of Qingzhou, Sun Buhai, died violently in his residence. In less than half a month, two high-ranking officials of Qingzhou have been killed. His Majesty is furious. I was worried about you, so I came here in person to see for myself."
He glanced at the woman behind Xu, whose hands were bound. "Who is this girl?"
Xu Xian moved Ouyang Ruiming forward two steps.
Ouyang kept his head down; even after the disguise was removed, his face was still dazzlingly white.
"The assassin chased me all the way from Kyoto to Qingzhou and tried to stab me twice. Last time, she escaped through the lake at Taibai Tower, but this time she delivered herself to my door at the Jiaofangsi."
Xu Xian released her arm. "This subordinate has already taken her to Zhengxin Academy and had Dean Zhou interrogate her using the power of words. They didn't find out much. She's resisting the power of words, and if we push her any further, she'll become an idiot."
"But she admitted that she worked for a certain prince, though she couldn't say exactly which one. She said she only knew the title 'Your Highness'..."
"Also, she is the orphan of the Marquis of Nanlong in Kang State. She was rescued after the massacre of the Marquis of Nanlong's family more than ten years ago and has been raised ever since."
"Marquis of Nanlong..."
Mo Feichang's brows twitched slightly. "I have also heard about the massacre of a family in Kangguo more than ten years ago. Master Yuanding of the Western Desert certified that the Marquis of Nanlong had the secret to ascension. Heroes fought for the treasure, and the family was wiped out overnight. I did not expect that there were still survivors."
He then asked, "What are you going to do with her?"
"Take him back to Kyoto and imprison him..."
Xu Xian glanced at Ouyang.
"Let's see how it goes in ten days or half a month. If someone comes to rescue her, it'll be a perfect opportunity to lure the enemy out. Anyone who can mobilize manpower to infiltrate the Investigation Department's prison for a prison break is definitely not a small fry. We can follow the trail and find out who's behind her, the 'Prince.' If no one comes to rescue her..."
He paused, then said, "Then let's use her head as a sacrifice for the children in the dye shop, and for the thirty-six members of Li Shanyu's family. The parents of those children are still waiting for the people behind her to pay with their lives."
Ouyang suddenly turned her head to look at Xu Xian, her face turning ashen. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she said nothing. She simply turned her head back down, lowered her head, and closed her eyes.
She felt a strange sense of relief, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Twelve years had passed; she had killed so many people for His Highness, and she was prepared to be killed herself.
If I die at Xu Xian's hands, it would be a good thing. At least it would give some closure to the good people who died at her hands.
Mo nodded very much.
"That's settled then. Take her back to the capital for further interrogation. Dean Zhou's words of wisdom have already been used to interrogate her once. After we return to the capital, I can ask the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to intervene as well. The combined effects of the words of wisdom from two fourth-rank Confucian scholars will be different, and we should be able to find something out."
"During your investigation in Qingzhou, besides this assassin, have you found anything else?"
"Sir, may I speak to you in private..." Xu Xian glanced around.
Mo was slightly taken aback, then led him to the back room, closed the door, and leaned back in his chair.
"There's no one here now, so you can speak."