WHILE CUI BUQU observed Li Shisi, he himself was being observed.
Most people's attention remained on Rong Qing, the star of tonight's gathering. Cui Buqu had kept a low profile, submersing himself in his role as a clerk who handled paperwork more often than people—a man who rarely made social appearances and was unfamiliar with such grand settings. The clerk he was playing had never been to a banquet like this. He felt at a loss, and somewhat shy. He spoke little, was reluctant to join any conversation, and was helpless in the face of harassment from a playboy like Li Shisi.
Rong Qing hadn't hurried to help his aide out of the awkward situation. The two seldom conversed, and their expressions demonstrated a clear distance. It seemed Rong Qing was not particularly close to his aide—perhaps he had no one competent around him and had been forced to hastily choose someone to fill the role.
Just as the rumors said, Censor Rong was new to his post and had only a superficial understanding of the situation he'd found himself in. In a place like Guangqian County, it was inevitable that he'd be played for a fool. Some people considered this information thoughtfully, while others relaxed and felt relieved.
Rong Qing noticed the sly gazes on him, but he couldn't exactly slam his hands on the table and leap up to confront the guests. It would only breed further contempt.
The wine in his cup smelled faintly of sweet grass; it was likely a local specialty. He downed a cup and savored the aftertaste. As he watched the wine rippling against the rim, his eyelids began to droop.
Cui Buqu would have watched coldly from the sidelines, but Cui-xiansheng was in Rong Qing's service; it'd be unusual if he didn't offer any advice. "My lord, you should drink a little less. County Magistrate Huang is watching you," he whispered.
"It's none of your business!" Wine truly bolstered one's courage. Rong Qing had initially been wary around Cui Buqu, but now he'd thrown caution to the wind.
Cui Buqu adopted a look of helplessness, then coughed a few times. His face was pale.
The maid serving the wine couldn't resist bending down and whispering in his ear, "My lord, there's some lime wine at the residence, which should help with intoxication—shall I fetch it?"
Cui Buqu looked up at the maid's delicate features in surprise. The girl blushed faintly and lowered her head.
"Then I must trouble the lady."
"It's no trouble at all," the maid quietly replied. Although this gentleman was on the older side, she found him gentle and considerate. She was a common girl working as a maid in the county office's back courtyard, and in a couple of years she would be seeking a husband. If she could find one like Cui-xiansheng, who was older and understood how to care for others, wouldn't that be perfect?
At that thought, the maid's cheeks grew pinker still. "You can call me Ju-er," she said hastily before going to fetch the wine.
Cui Buqu hadn't anticipated that even as the frustrated aide of an imperial censor he would attract a bit of romance. But he had no time to ponder this because County Magistrate Huang was approaching with a cup in hand.
"Censor Rong has traveled a long way. I should have thrown a grand banquet to welcome you, but unfortunately, Guangqian County is struggling in these floods. This banquet is hardly worthy of you. I ask for your understanding, Censor Rong."
Rong Qing slowly stood. His mind was still clear, although his hand holding the cup trembled slightly. "May I ask when Governor Yang will arrive?" he inquired, referring to Yang Yun, the local commandery governor.
Huang Lüe looked apologetic. "The whole commandery has been battered by the disaster, and Governor Yang is busy with official duties. I've just been informed he won't make it tonight."
Rong Qing was instantly upset. One of the principal reasons he'd attended tonight's banquet was because Huang Lüe had assured him Commandery Governor Yang would be present.
But he wasn't.
Not only had he not shown up, he hadn't even sent a deputy to make his excuses, but simply had a servant relay the message to Huang Lüe. It was an obvious slight.
From top to bottom, no one in Guangqian County took Rong Qing seriously as imperial censor, nor were they concerned in the least with what he might report to the emperor. Yang Yun was a royal relative, the emperor's nephew, and had a good relationship with the crown prince, Yang Yong. He no doubt thought himself untouchable.
As it stood, Rong Qing couldn't prove the officials of Guangqian County were derelict in their duties. They had diligently provided disaster relief to the flood victims, the granaries had been emptied, and since the waters outside the city had yet to recede, the county magistrate was working hard to shelter as many refugees as possible. If Rong Qing accused them of wrongdoing without evidence, he would be the one to face consequences.
Cui Buqu's voice suddenly rang in his ears. "If I were you, I wouldn't have come to the banquet tonight."
Although annoyed, Rong Qing still couldn't help pricking up his ears to listen.
"You have nothing on them, yet you want them to cough up their possessions. You might as well rob them in broad daylight; it'd be faster. It's no surprise Yang Yun didn't appear tonight. Before coming here, I sent my people to investigate. Although Guangqian County has always suffered from floods, previous years were not nearly so dramatic."
Rong Qing's heart stirred. He couldn't stop himself from asking, "So in other words, within the last two years, they never reached the point of needing to donate grain for exemption from taxes. Are Yang Yun and Huang Lüe deceiving the emperor?"
Cui Buqu looked down at the banquet table, his expression unchanged. "From what I know, in the first year of the Kaihuang era, Guangqian harvested around three hundred tons of grain. Last year, it was a hundred and eighty tons. The imperial warehouses sent grain after this flood, yet Huang Lüe claims the county granaries are empty. Do you dare believe it?"
"So I wasn't wrong!" Rong Qing murmured. "There's definitely something fishy going on here!"
"Don't alert the enemy before you need to," said Cui Buqu. "Get to the bottom of everything first. What we need is proof of their guilt. If we have that, threatening them with their families, seizing them and killing them, sending heads rolling… That will all be on the table, and everything will fall neatly into place. It doesn't matter if the guilty party is Yang Yun or Huang Lüe. If they try to make a scene, we'll simply make a bigger one."
His voice was very low, meant for Rong Qing's ears alone. Though he spoke softly, a shiver ran through Rong Qing at the murderous intent behind Cui Buqu's words, clearing his mind somewhat.
As expected of the Zuoyue Bureau chief, a man who could kill people without blinking. Rong Qing recalled the many rumors about Cui Buqu, most famous among them the recent incident at the thousand-lantern banquet, at which he'd brazenly confronted the most cherished of royal children, Princess Leping. Was there anyone he wouldn't dare kill?
A chill raced down Rong Qing's spine. He frowned. "Such ruthless methods will put innocents in harm's way. We're here to expose corruption, not unleash a massacre!"
Cui Buqu looked at him in astonishment. "May I ask, Censor Rong, how much corruption have you exposed so far?"
Rong Qing tamped down his anger. "Don't try to provoke me. I'll never do as you wish! If I did, what difference would there be between me, an imperial censor, and the thugs of the Zuoyue Bureau?"
Before the maid Ju-er could bring over the lime wine, the alcohol had gone to Rong Qing's head. His exchange with Cui Buqu had drained the last of his clarity. He swayed and collapsed against the banquet table.
Cui Buqu shook him worriedly. "My lord! My lord!"
Deputy Magistrate Li Yan looked over and sighed. "Censor Rong is so distressed over our plight here. All his worries have left him more susceptible to the wine!"
Huang Lüe quickly ordered someone to take Rong Qing away to rest. Cui Buqu rose to follow when Huang Lüe glanced at him and smiled. "Cui-xiansheng, you've accompanied Censor Rong the past few days and have also been working hard. Tonight, take some time to relax! Censor Rong is our distinguished guest. Since your censor collapsed before the banquet ended, you should drink a few more cups on his behalf!"
Cui Buqu could scarcely refuse; he obediently drank two more cups. His cheeks were visibly flushed as he waved his hands and coughed. "I really can't drink another drop; I truly can't!"
Li Yan and several others laughed to see him shed his tidy appearance.
"Cui-xiansheng is so honest; tell him to drink, and he really drinks!"
"As the saying goes, the servant takes after the master!"
"But Cui-xiansheng appears much more generous than Censor Rong. I wonder if Censor Rong has any other plans for this trip?"
The seemingly innocent question came amid the barrage of jokes. Unable to hold his drink, Cui Buqu shook his head and propped his forehead in his hands. "I don't know where my lord plans to go; wherever it is, he won't take me along. He—he doesn't trust me!"
Grievance and injustice filled Cui-xiansheng's reddened eyes, which shimmered as though he were truly drunk.
Seeing that they wouldn't be getting any information out of him, the crowd lost interest. Only Li Shisi, who was wandering about toasting everyone in sight, approached again, attempting to shove a full cup of wine into Cui Buqu's hand.
When Cui Buqu tried to refuse, Li Shisi's expression became serious. "What, Cui-xiansheng will drink wine from others, but not from me? Is the cup I gave you poisoned?"
Cui Buqu gazed back at him, his unfocused eyes brimming with guileless innocence.
Li Shisi laughed and grabbed Cui Buqu's hand, half-forcing him to tip the cup back. "Cui-xiansheng, if things aren't going well with Censor Rong, why not seek out greener pastures?"
"What…pastures?" Cui Buqu blinked sluggishly, as though he hadn't understood the question.
"Censor Rong is stubborn and inflexible; what benefit is there in following him? Cui-xiansheng must work to support himself, right? Censor Rong has only just arrived in Guangqian. He wants to make a splash, but he hasn't bothered to ask if anyone else is willing. He's a lamb who's not afraid of tigers. There's no need for you to cling to a piece of rotten wood and sink along with it. Why not take this opportunity to change employers?"
Cui Buqu frowned. "Sir, I've failed in my scholarly pursuits. I can only write and copy documents for a living; who would want me other than Censor Rong?"
"Our Li family is one of the county's most prominent clans, and I happen to need someone with your skills. Come with me, and you won't struggle to make ends meet like you do now. I'll pay you double what Censor Rong is offering!" Li Shisi said grandly.
Cui Buqu frowned and remained silent, as if unable to make a decision.
Li Shisi didn't mind waiting for a response. While his back was to the crowd drinking and chatting, he took the chance to discreetly run his fingers over the tender flesh of Cui Buqu's wrist. The rough sensation made Cui Buqu tremble, and his face, already flushed from the wine, went even redder.
Even if Cui-xiansheng were a complete and total fool, he'd have understood Li Shisi was flirting with him.
Seeing that he was getting angry, Li Shisi leaned in with a smile. "Cui-xiansheng, I really do like you—I'm genuinely thinking of your wellbeing. Your life under Censor Rong is too hard. In fact, your life might even be in danger. Think about it carefully. Once you realize I'm right, simply go to the Xiangji Restaurant and mention my name. The owner knows how to contact me."
He drew closer again, and Cui Buqu leaned back slightly, out of his reach. "Li-langjun."
Li Shisi smirked. "Why be so distant? It would be better to drop the jun."
Cui Buqu coughed harshly; whether due to anger or illness, it was impossible to say.
"Li-langjun, might I ask…" Cui Buqu's voice was hoarse and melodious. "Do you happen to know a man with the surname Feng?"
Li Shisi thought maybe he'd misheard. "Feng?" he echoed in confusion. "I don't believe my family's known anyone with that surname for over eight generations. Why do you ask?"
"It seems I've mistaken you for someone else," Cui Buqu replied coolly. "You resemble him somewhat."
Li Shisi ran with the topic, laughing. "I didn't expect Cui-xiansheng to enjoy such games. All right, call me Feng Shisi when we meet in private!"
Cui Buqu shot to his feet. "Magistrate Huang, I fear the wine has done me in. Please allow me to take my leave."
Huang Lüe waved a magnanimous hand. "Ju-er, take Cui-xiansheng to rest."
Li Shisi didn't chase after Cui Buqu. He returned to his cousin, only to be scolded again. "Stop running around doing whatever you please! It's one thing to behave so preposterously when things are normal, but why torment Censor Rong's aide today?"
"I was just trying to probe for details about Censor Rong for you!" Li Shisi said sweetly. "He's the only aide Censor Rong brought; he must know something of his plans. If we make inroads with him, maybe we can drive Censor Rong away!"
The eldest son of the Li family snorted. "You're better off watching out for yourself. Large matters such as these aren't for you to interfere in."
Li Shisi flashed him an abashed smile and bowed his head under the rebuke. All of the audacity he'd displayed with Cui Buqu seemed to have vanished. "I'm only trying to help. Otherwise, Uncle will send me back to my hometown, right after I got chased out. How embarrassing that would be!"
"You—!" Exasperated, the Li family's eldest son shook his head at his cousin's failings.
***
Rong Qing had a splitting headache. He opened bleary eyes and was startled to see a half-naked woman sleeping beside him. Panicked, he bent down to check his clothing, as tense as a chaste maiden.
"I thought Censor Rong was looking for a night of passion. Why does he look like a woman who's been abducted to a bandit's stronghold?"
Rong Qing's head jerked up.
A man stood by the door, his lips quirked in a half smile. It was none other than Cui Buqu, who had been drunk and stumbling just a short while ago.