It was late when Fang Jie returned to the courtyard where he had captured Wang Wei. While secretly observing, he spotted Qin Liuqi, the steward of Prince Yi's residence. Hidden in a large tree by the roadside, Fang Jie didn't dare reveal himself easily, as he wasn't sure if Qin Liuqi was a highly skilled cultivator.
From the time Fang Jie captured Wang Wei to his return, only about an hour and a half had passed. Qin Liuqi's quick appearance here indicated that there was something in this courtyard that absolutely could not be known to outsiders. Fang Jie couldn't help but secretly consider himself lucky; coincidentally, no one else was in the courtyard when he captured Wang Wei.
Only after Qin Liuqi left did Fang Jie carefully slide down from the tree and quickly return. Qin Liuqi had left men in the courtyard, and Fang Jie wanted to observe whether they would move anything away. However, it was already slightly dawn, and lingering any longer would easily attract attention.
Back at the shop, the bloodstains and the corpse had already been disposed of by Ben Chen Qingshan. Fang Jie didn't ask her where she had disposed of Wang Wei's body; he trusted Shen Qingshan's meticulousness.
"No substantial progress."
Fang Jie changed out of his night clothes, washed his face with cold water, and said to Shen Qingshan, "Besides knowing that Luo Yao's General's Mansion keeps a sorcerer, we haven't gotten any other information. It seems Wang Wei genuinely doesn't know what's hidden in that courtyard; given his status, he's merely a peripheral figure in Prince Yi's Mansion. But this also shows that even someone like Wang Wei is being courted by Prince Yi's Mansion. How many people has he gathered under his command over the years? It's probably a terrifying number."
Shen Qingshan was silent for a moment, then asked, "Should we go to the palace?"
Fang Jie shook his head: "If I go to the palace immediately after Wang Wei's death, it'll inevitably arouse suspicion. Since the Emperor sent Su Buwei to contact me, he'll naturally have a way. I'll wait."
He looked at the sky outside and said, "I should go get something to eat first, then I should head to the Martial Arts Academy. You should rest well."
Shen Qingshan hummed in agreement. After Fang Jie changed into his academy clothes, the two went out together for breakfast. The couple selling hot noodle soup not far from the entrance had already set up their stall early, and they were quite familiar with Fang Jie. They had a very good impression of this young master Fang. They felt that he had no airs of a nobleman, and was polite and sincere. He was like a junior neighbor, not at all like someone from an official family. They liked this young man, especially since Fang Jie came from a humble background, which made him even more approachable.
So when Fang Jie and Shen Qingshan came out, the elderly couple greeted them warmly. Looking at the perfect couple, they felt from the bottom of their hearts that they were truly well-matched. The man was handsome, refined, and had a bright future; the woman was beautiful, had a good figure, and seemed to be the gentle, tender type.
"Good morning, young master Fang."
The stall owner waved: "The usual?"
Fang Jie nodded and smiled: "Old Wang, you're even earlier, the usual."
As he spoke, he noticed that someone was already eating at the stall, but Fang Jie didn't pay attention at first. Only when he got closer did he realize that he had seen this person more than once. It was the same young man who had greeted him with a nod at the Prince Yi's residence last time; dressed in a scholar's robe, he looked refined and scholarly.
The young man eating at the noodle stall turned and glanced at Fang Jie, nodding with a smile. Fang Jie nodded in return, then sat down with Shen Qingshan at a table across from the man.
"Young Master Fang, you go to the martial arts academy so early every day, you must be tired," Old Wang said, expertly preparing the noodles.
Fang Jie's attention was on the young man, but he didn't show it. He smiled and said, "People of our status who are lucky enough to get into the Martial Arts Academy are naturally more nervous. Others have a much higher starting point than me. If we don't work hard, won't we be left far behind?"
Old Wang said, "That's not right. Who doesn't know that Young Master Fang is a genius that our Great Sui Dynasty sees only once in a hundred years? He excelled in all nine subjects of the Martial Arts Academy exam. Apart from General Li Xiao from over a hundred years ago, who can compare? You're too modest. In my opinion, even a hundred years ago and a hundred years later, no one could match Young Master Fang. As for now, it's even more obvious. Among the famous young masters, others are far inferior to you."
Hearing this, the young man who was eating noodles seemed to stiffen slightly, but quickly recovered. No one noticed his raised eyebrow, which seemed quite disdainful.
He quietly finished his noodles, paid, and left. He seemed in no hurry, walking slowly.
Fang Jie watched his retreating figure, remained silent for a moment, then lowered his voice to Shen Qingshan and said, "This man is one of Prince Yi's men, perhaps the one who replaced Wang Wei in guarding that courtyard. I just don't know why he's here of all times. If it's intentional… does Prince Yi suspect me?"
Shen Qingshan said, "Why don't I go with him and see?"
"No…"
Fang Jie shook his head: "Last night's events were flawless; Prince Yi shouldn't be able to connect the dots so quickly. This man's presence here doesn't mean anything. Although he seems very gentle and polite, I have a feeling he harbors considerable hostility towards me… If he came with a purpose, he'll eventually slip up."
Shen Qingshan hummed in agreement, recalling the young man's appearance to confirm she remembered it.
Half an hour later, Fang Henshui slowly walked into the courtyard where Wang Wei had been captured. He went straight to the backyard, carefully examined the area through the window, then walked to the wall, leaped up, and squatted on top for a while longer, before jumping down again. He seemed aimless, but was actually searching for traces.
Soon, he reached the large locust tree where Fang Jie had abandoned Wang Wei. He circled the tree twice, looked up, and then leaped onto the tree. Because it was still early, no one on the street noticed him.
About two minutes later, he jumped down from the locust tree, looked around, and finally chose a rooftop to leap onto.
Sure enough, he found very faint footprints on the roof tiles.
...
...
Qin Liuqi glanced at Fang Henshui and said coldly, "You say Fang Jie was the one who kidnapped Wang Wei, what evidence do you have?"
Fang Henshui picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into his mouth, chewing as he said, "You should know I started as a constable. And I can assure you, I'm the best constable in Jiangnan. If I weren't in such a remote county, but in the prefectural capital or the capital, I would be very famous. I naturally have my own methods of investigation, so I naturally have reason to suspect that Fang Jie is involved in this matter."
"Then state your reasons."
Qin Liuqi gave Fang Henshui a faint look: "I know you've always wanted to kill Fang Jie, but the Prince forbids you from doing so. Fang Jie is a very important part of the Prince's upcoming grand plan. If anything happens to him, you should know that no one can withstand the Prince's wrath. So don't speak in this tone. If you have evidence, just say it."
Fang Henshui stretched lazily and said, "If I say it's related, then it's definitely related."
Bang! Fang Henshui was struck by a tremendous force, his body flying backward like a cannonball and embedding itself heavily in the wall. Broken bricks and dust rained down, instantly filling the room with a murky atmosphere. Fang Henshui coughed a few times, instinctively looking down at the hand gripping his neck.
Qin Liuqi looked at him coldly and said, "Don't think you're invincible just because you have some cultivation level you acquired by some unknown means. I won't repeat myself… If you ever act like that again when you speak to me, I'll kill you on the spot. Now, can you tell me your basis for doubting Fang Jie?"
He released his grip, brushed the dust off his clothes, and walked back to his chair to sit down.
A flicker of fear crossed Fang Henshui's eyes. He hadn't expected Qin Liuqi's cultivation to be so profound. Before him, he had no power whatsoever. His unexpectedly acquired cultivation level had made him think he was already very strong, but now he realized he had indeed overestimated his strength.
He coughed a few times, swallowing the mouthful of metallic taste that rose in his mouth.
"The person who captured Wang Wei was clever; they followed his footprints when they left. But this person's lightness skill wasn't very good; some traces could still be found on the street. I followed the footprints to where Wang Wei was abandoned, and then the person who captured him left. Another person took Wang Wei away, from the rooftops. A few days ago, it snowed in Chang'an. Although the snow has completely melted, you know snow isn't always as clean as it looks. After the snow melts, rooftops that haven't been cleaned always have a layer of grime. The person who took Wang Wei was much more agile than the first one." The man was much more skilled, but carrying a man weighing over 100 pounds made him slightly heavier, leaving shallow footprints on the roof.
He caught his breath and continued, "I followed the footprints to the outskirts of East 23rd Street, where they disappeared. Fang Jie lives on East 23rd Street… I haven't had much to do lately, so I get up very early every day. The man selling hot noodle soup not far from Fang Jie's shop is quite good; I like to eat breakfast there. Because I always arrive before Fang Jie and leave after eating, he doesn't know I frequent that place." "There."
"I've been observing Fang Jie's habits these past few days, so I know he left home about half an incense stick's time earlier than usual today. And he usually eats breakfast alone, but today he came out with that woman. I suspect they didn't sleep at all last night."
After listening to Fang Henshui's analysis, Qin Liuqi frowned deeply: "That's just your speculation, and there are many more experts living on East Twenty-Three Street than just the woman with Fang Jie. However, I will mention this to the Prince, and you should start paying more attention from now on." "I'll guard this courtyard closely. If the person who captured Wang Wei wasn't after a personal grudge against Wang Wei but was targeting the Prince, they'll definitely come back. Because I didn't take anything, I'm deliberately trying to lure them back a second time."
"Your cultivation is indeed remarkable, but if you don't achieve anything, why would the Prince value you?"
Qin Liuqi stood up, walked to Fang Henshui's side, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "It's good for young people to be competitive, and even better to be smart. But it's best to have self-awareness."
After saying this, Qin Liuqi left. Fang Henshui watched Qin Liuqi's figure disappear, raised his hand to touch his neck, his eyes cold.
After returning to Prince Yi's residence, Qin Liuqi boarded the ship and told Yang Yin Fang Henshui's analysis in detail. But to Qin Liuqi's surprise, Yang Yin didn't seem surprised at all.
Qin Liuqi asked in astonishment, "Does the Prince seem unconcerned?" Yang Yin smiled and beckoned, "Come, tell Manager Qin what happened last night."
The madam of the New Moon Pavilion came out from behind, bowing her head to Qin Liuqi, and said, "Last night, Fang Jie disguised himself and entered the pavilion. Although he was very elaborately dressed, I still recognized him. He kept his head down when he came in, obviously afraid of being seen. He ordered a private room as soon as he entered, and also ordered a courtesan. He didn't leave until after 1 AM, and because he was drunk, he couldn't take advantage of the courtesan. But he definitely didn't leave before 1 AM, I can tell you..." "To be sure."
Qin Liuqi paused for a moment, then laughed: "Having a beautiful wife at home, yet still unable to resist straying. Now I understand why Fang Jie and Shen Qingshan both seem to have been up all night."
Yang Yin smiled and said: "Young and romantic... Since that's the case, then I'll do you a favor. I'll send Zhuang Die to Fang Jie's shop in a sedan chair later. I want to see how that highly skilled Shen Qingshan will handle this jealousy."
"A warning shot?"
Qin Liuqi praised: "Your Highness's brilliant plan!"