ZHENG YI WAS A MAN who cherished his life. After the sequential deaths of Li Mu and Liu Fang, Zheng Yi would have realized something was wrong no matter how stupid he was—and Zheng Yi was not a stupid man.
He took a leave of absence from the court, citing illness, and spent his days at home reading, writing, and caring for his flowers and plants.
When the day of the Lantern Festival came, Zheng Yi's family went out to enjoy the lights and festivities. By this time he was growing restless. Several times he'd wanted to go out, only to be persuaded out of it by his family. He resisted the urge to attend the grand evening banquet at the Prince of Qin's residence.
Thus he had missed the scene of carnage that night.
Zheng Yi was relieved, but he grew even more cautious about the risk to his own life. After receiving the news, he spent the rest of the night in his study, refusing to come to the door no matter who called him.
Qin Miaoyu was uncertain whether Zheng Yi had some connection to their enemy they didn't yet know about. Fearing that recklessly revealing herself might alert them, she monitored him in secret. She watched him vigilantly from the shadows with barely any rest, not daring to be lax.
Yet despite all her precautions, she had failed.
The solar eclipse had shaken the entire capital, and the Zheng residence was no exception. Zheng Yi dashed from the house, his face ashen as he muttered about needing to see the emperor. Ignoring his family's protests, he ordered a carriage prepared.
It was Qin Miaoyu's first time witnessing such a legendary celestial phenomenon, and she was momentarily flustered. She rushed off after Zheng Yi shortly after he boarded the carriage. But the small delay cost her: Zheng Yi's carriage had stopped halfway to the palace.
Afterward, the carriage driver reported that his lord had complained of a terrible stomachache. He'd ordered the carriage to a halt and stepped out to use the restroom of a tofu shop along the street, lest he embarrass himself upon entering the palace. He went into the building but never came back out.
When Qin Miaoyu dashed inside to check, she found Zheng Yi dead.
"He had no external injuries, and he hasn't been examined by a coroner. I couldn't tell if he was poisoned. The Zheng family said he had a pre-existing heart condition; they think the shock of the solar eclipse triggered a heart attack. But it's too much of a coincidence. It was my failure in supervising him that led to Zheng Yi's death. I ask Chief Cui for his punishment!"
Qin Miaoyu waited, her heart suspended in her chest. If it weren't for her negligence, Zheng Yi might have survived. Although she wasn't a subordinate of the Zuoyue Bureau, with Feng Xiao imprisoned, she'd been ordered to assist Cui Buqu. He effectively had temporary authority over the Jiejian Bureau.
First the solar eclipse, then Zheng Yi's death. Those with ill intentions were stirring up a storm, aggravating the uncertainties of the people and casting doubt on the emperor's rule. The court was engulfed in turmoil as chaos broke out again and again. Even the highest ranks of ministers whispered among themselves, struggling to make sense of these strange events. Since the new year, it'd been crisis after crisis without respite. Some, speaking in even more hushed tones, had even begun discussing whether they should change the name of the ruling era.
Before one wave could ebb away, another was already crashing over them.
Qin Miaoyu had previously scoffed at the claim that usurping the throne was against the will of the heavens. Now her conviction began to waver. Such was the power of both rumors and calamities, whether natural or man-made. If even Qin Miaoyu felt this way, then the feelings of the common folk went without saying.
Cui Buqu said nothing. Instead he looked at Ming Yue, who sighed. "My news is more complicated."
He'd met the emperor just as the solar eclipse occurred. It wasn't only the common people who'd been thrown into panic and confusion. The entirety of the palace had reacted the same way. But the emperor remained resolute. Despite his anger and fear, his mind had gone to the same question as Cui Buqu's—where was the Grand Historian?
He had swiftly sent people to arrest the man for his major dereliction of duty, only to receive the news that the Grand Historian had died at home.
Forecasting a solar eclipse was part of the Grand Historian's duties. A matter of such importance ought to have been reported to the emperor without delay. Indeed, had the emperor been informed sooner, the court could have made adequate preparations, and the ministers would have been able to devise countermeasures beforehand.
The two most important responsibilities of the state were worship and warfare. Yet after the Qin and Han dynasties, the role of the Grand Historian's office in divining the nation's fate had slowly eroded, leading to a decline in the authority of its officials. The office was still important, but most of the time they had little to do. It was an unpopular and neglected department.
Apart from the Grand Historian himself, his office consisted of the Deputy Grand Historian, the calendar official, and various other positions. As untimely as his death was, the Grand Historian couldn't have kept something so significant concealed without their cooperation. In fact, it was the calendar official, Li Xin, who was tasked with astronomical observations. His stargazing abilities were exceptional, far beyond even those of Grand Historian Hong Yuan himself.
When the men sent by the emperor came to seize Li Xin for questioning, he was terrified out of his wits. He insisted he'd warned Hong Yuan long ago, but Hong Yuan had said he'd report it in secret. He instructed Li Xin to keep quiet and avoid spreading the word. Li Xin had understood the gravity of the situation and that disclosing the eclipse publicly would be inadvisable. He kept silent and didn't inform anyone.
A few days later, Hong Yuan informed him he'd reported the matter to the emperor. Li Xin was relieved. Hong Yuan was his direct superior; Li Xin had never questioned that he'd done as he said. Who would have imagined such a thing? Only today, as the capital boiled over with panic, had Li Xin realized Hong Yuan hadn't reported the matter at all.
Ming Yue spilled all these details in a rush, then paused to catch his breath.
Hong Yuan had also hung himself at home. The suicide note he left stated that he deserved a thousand deaths for his crimes. He offered his life in atonement and requested the emperor show mercy toward his family.
Cui Buqu raised a brow. "His family?"
The Jiejian Bureau, too, specialized in these kinds of investigations; Ming Yue instantly understood what he was asking. "His wife passed away many years back, and he has only one son, who went missing months ago. Hong Yuan told the neighbors his son left home to seek an education. The Grand Historian was reclusive by nature and had few friends at court, so this detail went largely unquestioned by those around him. In any case, most people want to avoid being tainted by association. They won't get too close to the officials of the Grand Historian's department."
Everything had happened so quickly, and he'd hurried over as soon as he could—this was all the information Ming Yue had managed to gather.
Cui Buqu mulled it over in silence.
Ming Yue and Qin Miaoyu didn't interrupt him. Anyone could see how unfavorable their situation was. The enemy was hiding in the shadows, while Great Sui was an enormous target lying entirely in the open.
In recent years, the emperor had poured most of his energy into managing the threat posed by the Göktürks to the north. The two sides had engaged in an intermittent back-and-forth that devolved into open conflict on several occasions. Great Sui had paid a steep price to force the Göktürks to surrender, but it was an unprecedented achievement—even the renowned Emperor Wu of the previous Zhou dynasty had been forced to take a Göktürk princess as his empress to demonstrate goodwill. But Great Sui hadn't shied from battle, and the Göktürks, realizing they had poor odds of prevailing in a direct confrontation, had turned to more underhanded schemes.
Then there was the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai, which had grand ambitions. Xiao Lü wasn't from the Sui dynasty and had no patriotic feelings toward the nation or its emperor. He had no scruples about collaborating with the Göktürks.
It was easy to guard against open conflict and hard to guard against an attack from the shadows. In this case, the enemy had even used celestial phenomena to throw the entire capital into disarray.
Hong Yuan was a pawn, one who'd probably been put in place months ago, if not earlier. As astute as Cui Buqu was, even he hadn't anticipated the enemy using him in their plans. While Hong Yuan was being compromised, Cui Buqu had probably been on his way to Liugong City, occupied with secret talks with the Western Khaganate. Xiao Lü had planned for the far future.
It was no longer a matter of simply finding the right clues or asking the right questions. Their only lead was a dead end. It'd be extraordinarily difficult to uncover the truth before the Buddhist ceremony tomorrow.
The ceremony would take place at Daxingshan Temple. Many in the north were Buddhist, and the temple took its name from the emperor of Sui's title before he'd ascended the throne. After receiving strong support from the court, it had been designated as a national temple.
The emperor himself would attend the ceremony tomorrow, so both the inside and outside of the temple had been under strict martial law since the previous day. The monks couldn't leave without the abbot's order, and the ring of Imperial Guards surrounding it was as tight as a drum. After the solar eclipse, the temple's defenses had been strengthened yet again; even a drop of water couldn't slip through. Yet despite all the precautions, Ming Yue and Qin Miaoyu were sure the enemy would take the opportunity to sow more chaos.
Tomorrow, the victors would be decided—but they still had no idea what form the enemy's attack would take.
"Chief Cui," Qin Miaoyu blurted, "why not persuade the emperor to cancel tomorrow's ceremony? Or send a body double…"
"No," Ming Yue cut in. "If the solar eclipse hadn't happened, perhaps we could cancel the ceremony. But now we must proceed, whether it be to soothe the people's fears or to seek atonement from the heavens."
Their enemies had likely concocted all their schemes with the goal that the ceremony would proceed.
Qin Miaoyu had to admit he was right. "Forgive me for being blunt, but could the two lordships explain where and when you think the enemy will make their move tomorrow? It would help us prepare."
"Daxingshan Temple is sure to be their focus," said Ming Yue. "Just a few days ago, Chief Cui informed the emperor that all monks at the temple would undergo a comprehensive investigation. No one will be permitted to enter the temple without the abbot's personal authorization, and every nook and cranny has been meticulously searched to ensure there are no hidden assassins or explosives."
Qin Miaoyu considered this and couldn't think of anything they had overlooked. "Very prudent."
Cui Buqu shook his head. "It's not enough."
They both looked to him for an explanation, yet all he said was "Ming Yue, I need you to do two things for me."
***
Most ordinary people would never set foot in the Ministry of Justice's prison. Those who did were grateful to sit quietly in their cells without being summoned for interrogation or punishment.
Feng Xiao wasn't grateful in the least.
From afar came the sound of weeping. Those not aware of the nature of the prison would have thought the place haunted. A damp, musty smell drifted past Feng Xiao's nose—the odor of decayed grass that hadn't seen the sunlight in years.
Feng Xiao sat down to meditate. The less he saw, the less irritated he'd be.
Once a martial artist reached a state of complete detachment—from both themselves and their surroundings—they could effectively shut out all external stimuli. Feng Xiao intentionally dulled his five senses, choosing to disregard any sights, sounds, or smells. In this state, his body was protected by true qi. Any petty thief attempting to attack him would bring serious misfortune upon themselves unless they possessed martial arts comparable to Xiao Lü's.
Yet just as he finished regulating his breath and qi and emerged from his meditation, a terrible stench hit him, so overwhelming he nearly retched.
What the hell happened?!