THE DISTURBANCE had temporarily subsided. No one looked at Cui Buqu, striving to rekindle the festive atmosphere. Even those who'd wanted to pay their respects to Feng Xiao now remained where they were due to his proximity to the troublemaker.
Feng Xiao didn't notice; his full attention was on his hands as he arranged something on the table.
After much good-natured urging, the crown prince smiled and told the first riddle: "What has a pair of twos inside it, four legs and eight heads, but also five eights within? The water flows upward, like a spring."4
The hall was filled with the brilliant and learned. Very quickly, a number of guests guessed the character for well. The young scholar who'd answered first flushed with pleasure.
Yuwen Eying had said that if a woman guessed correctly, she would give her the jade hairpin, while a man would receive the sword. But Cui Buqu's words still lingered in Princess Leping's ears; she was ill at ease. She said warmly to the scholar, "My family has another sword, wielded by the famed Sima Hui of the Three Kingdoms era. There are some who doubt the provenance of the sword, and I don't wish them to implicate you. What do you say, is this sword an acceptable gift?"
With an explanation like this, the scholar didn't dare refuse; he could only privately fume at Cui Buqu for being a meddling busybody. "I thank the princess for her generosity!" he said quickly.
Duchess Yuwen ordered someone to retrieve the sword from the treasury and present it to the scholar as the rest of the guests looked on in envy. Some present had obtained their high positions through sheer good luck; they weren't as quick-witted as the others. Knowing they couldn't rely on their own abilities to stand out in the game of riddles, many hit upon the idea of puffing themselves up by putting someone else down. The best target was, naturally, a certain man who'd offended the princess and her daughter with his rudeness only moments ago.
"I've heard Marquis Cui is a brilliant man," someone exclaimed loudly, "capable of weaving a hundred intricate strategies. I know a difficult puzzle, one no one has been able to solve for years. I wonder if Marquis Cui can solve it?"
Here it comes! As one, everyone looked over at Cui Buqu. Most of them merely wanted in on the fun; they didn't care what happened so long as it was entertaining.
Cui Buqu looked over. "I rarely appear in public," he drawled. "How did you hear of my reputation?"
The instigator was no ordinary scholar, but a son of one of the capital's most prestigious families. His name was Yang Rende, and he was the nephew of the Imperial Counselor, Yang Su. He was a longtime companion of the young Duchess Yuwen.
Yang Rende smiled. "Marquis Cui traveled to the Western Regions as an envoy. You transformed the sparks of impending war into shipments of jade and silk, exchanging hostility for friendship. Not only did you take back Qiemo, you returned with a new Göktürk khagan. Only a brilliant man could accomplish such deeds."
He didn't give Cui Buqu the opportunity to change the subject; before he could reply, Yang Rende produced a jade orb from his lapels. The glow of the thousand lanterns revealed countless tiny holes scattered over the surface of the jade orb. Each opening led to one on the other side, and a red string was woven throughout.
"There's only one red thread," explained Yang Rende. "A man of great skill threaded and wrapped the entire orb with it, making it nigh impossible to find the end. Ever since I got it, I've wanted to separate the orb and thread without damaging either. But no matter how I tried, I couldn't find the string's tail. Perhaps Marquis Cui can help?"
He handed the jade orb to a servant and waved him toward Cui Buqu. The man was intercepted on the way by the crown prince, who, being curious, also wanted a look. Soon the little jade ball had passed through everyone's hands, but no one could find the string's end. The crowd murmured, marveling at the puzzle.
Feng Xiao had no interest in such games among scholars. Besides, that jade orb had already been touched by too many hands; he wouldn't dream of handling it himself. He didn't so much as raise his head; instead, he continued to be wholly focused on playing with his mandarins. There was now a small heap of peeled mandarins beside him, all uneaten. For most, the thousand lanterns only cast a simple glow over their faces. But somehow, this light seemed to bathe Feng Xiao's countenance with a gentle radiance, tempting many young women to sneak peeks at him as he worked.
At last the jade orb reached Cui Buqu's hands. He took it and spun it around. "Indeed, this is a piece of incredible craftsmanship. I've never seen anything like it."
Yang Rende smiled gleefully. "Then I shall trouble Marquis Cui."
Cui Buqu shook his head. "I can't find the end either."
The young man feigned surprise. "But you saw through the imposter impersonating the Göktürk khagan. Surely you're not playing dumb on purpose to appease the crown prince and first princess?"
Princess Leping smiled. "If even someone as clever as Marquis Cui cannot solve it, I fear no one can."
Her words of praise contained an unmistakable edge of mockery. Even if everyone present jeered at Cui Buqu, it wouldn't be enough to appease her anger. Her slender fingers rubbed the handle of her fan as a new plot came to mind. She called for a maid and gave her a few low-voiced orders.
The girl nodded and turned to leave, only to come face-to-face with a strange woman in white. She was as lovely as a celestial maiden, but her expression was frigid as that of King Yama.
The maid reeled back with a frown. "Who are you? Move aside, quickly! Go!"
"No one's going anywhere tonight," said Qiao Xian coldly. Her hand flashed out and struck the maid, who cried out and fell limply to the floor, unconscious.
They were only steps away from the princess. At the maid's cry, she whirled and shouted in shock, "Who goes there?! Guards!"
Everyone looked over in time to see Qiao Xian walk over to Cui Buqu and nod.
Cui Buqu rose to his feet and straightened his clothes. "Surround the princess's residence, inside and out," he said calmly. "No one is to leave without my order."
Qiao Xian cupped her hands. She waved, and several figures peeled off from the darkness, blocking off all routes of escape. These people were dressed in black robes, their faces cold and solemn. The token of the Zuoyue Bureau hung from their waists, and they held the Zuoyue Bureau's sabers in their hands. This was the uniform of Cui Buqu's organization.
The guests gaped in astonishment. Everyone turned to stare at Cui Buqu; they had no idea how to react.
The crown prince slammed his hands on the table and stood, furious. "Cui Buqu. Is this a revolt? Guards!"
Princess Leping was so angry her face had gone purple. She'd hoped to teach Cui Buqu a lesson, to put him in his place. Yet to think the man had gone mad, that he'd do something so astounding! Bringing men to lay siege to the princess's residence, trapping the crown prince, the Prince of Jin and their royal relatives here in the garden—even if he claimed it wasn't a revolt, it was as good as one.
The Prince of Jin also wanted to ask if Cui Buqu had lost his mind, but as the words reached the tip of his tongue, his sharp eyes spotted something in the darkness. In addition to the men from the Zuoyue Bureau, he saw several silhouettes that resembled Imperial Guards. He shut his mouth again and silently watched and waited.
Cui Buqu ignored the uproar and the censure. Coldly he said, "A group of miscreants sought to use this thousand-lantern banquet for their own nefarious ends. Fortunately, I caught wind of it in advance and came to stop them. These criminals have hidden lamp oil all around Qingli Garden and sealed off every path out. With almost a thousand lanterns here tonight, starting a fire is the work of seconds; a single spark would turn the garden into a sea of flames. Qiao Xian, bring it here."
Qiao Xian ordered someone to bring over a pot with a flowering pomegranate tree. Beneath the shocked gazes of the crowd, she lifted the pot and hurled it to the floor. The roots of the plant had been destroyed—in their place, over half the pot had been filled with oil, and a wooden board placed overtop. A thin layer of soil had been spread over the board, into which the stems had been re-inserted.
The servants of the princess's residence had worked themselves to the bone preparing for this banquet. Using a board like this was a normal trick to deceive the princess and please the duchess—after all, the banquet would last only a single night. Doing it this way would kill the plants, but they would last long enough to adorn the garden. No one cared what happened to the flowers afterward.
But this didn't explain why the flowerpot was filled with oil.
"Behind this observation deck, there used to be a small lotus pond. Yet now the water has been drained; there's only mud left. If a fire were to break out, you wouldn't even have a pond to jump into."
"I remember that," Duchess Yuwen murmured. "They said they wanted to change the lotuses to peonies because I like them, but there was no time, so they sealed off the area instead."
No one heard her. Everyone was too busy goggling at Cui Buqu.
"The terrain here is higher than the rest of the garden for a clear view of the brilliant lanterns below. The paths leading here would have been the first to catch fire. Even if you tried to jump down, risking breaking an arm or a leg, there would be no escape—there were assassins waiting for you down below. Tomorrow morning, everyone in the capital would have heard that Qingli Garden burned down, and the lives of our nation's princes and princesses were lost." He looked around and said slowly, "None of the honored guests here tonight would have been spared."
Everyone stared at him blankly, too stunned to digest his words.
"Who?" cried the crown prince. "Who would do such a thing?!"
"Does His Majesty know of this?!" asked the Prince of Jin.
Cui Buqu nodded. "As a precaution, I borrowed two hundred members of the Imperial Guard from His Majesty. We are working together now to capture the criminals, including the mastermind behind this. We've found twenty of them in total."
The Prince of Jin breathed a sigh of relief. "Marquis Cui anticipated the enemy's movements and averted the danger. You've saved our lives. But who is the mastermind behind this? Such an intricate scheme could only be possible with the help of an insider."
Cui Buqu smiled, but it was an expression devoid of warmth. Instead, it flashed with murderous intent. "Bring them here."
Qiao Xian waved a hand. Two Zuoyue guards came forward with a young man between them and shoved him into the center of the crowd. The man was tied up and gagged. The instant Qiao Xian stepped forward and removed the cotton gag, he cried out, "Save me, princess! Please save me!"
Princess Leping paled in horror. Duchess Yuwen gasped.
"Does the princess recognize this man?" asked Cui Buqu.
Princess Leping's face was ashen, but she remained silent.
Cui Buqu turned to Duchess Yuwen instead. "If the princess doesn't recognize him, perhaps Your Grace does?"
"Isn't he Ren Yue, one of the retainers in the princess's residence?" she asked feebly.
"That's right. This man Ren Yue comes from the Ren family, masters of the Poised Swan sword technique. This technique is famed in the jianghu. Ren Yue is an impressive young man with a promising future, well-learned and a master of both pen and sword. Just last year, Princess Leping recommended him as an official. After entering her residence as her retainer, he gained her trust and was elevated to serve her personally."
Cui Buqu spoke these words with a deliberate emphasis; no one could mistake his meaning. Princess Leping's expression grew uglier.
Everyone was stunned—save for Feng Xiao, who remained entirely unaffected. He finally stopped fiddling with the mandarins and examined his handiwork, brushing pith from his hands in satisfaction. On the table, the stringy white pith had been meticulously arranged into the shape of a fox with its bushy tail tucked beneath its body, its ears drooping—a cunning trickster doing its best to look like a harmless quail.