Hongzhi Year 18, Twenty-Seventh Day of the First Month.
The case of Liu An was not yet concluded. He confessed that Minister of War Wang Chang was the mastermind, but regarding Wang Chang, Zhu Houzhao hadn't made a move yet—not out of cowardice, but because he said "wait a bit longer." Wait for what, he didn't say clearly, and I didn't ask.
However, the source of the medicines was still not clear. Henghe Hall's ledger only recorded the two characters "Liu Ji," Liu An said he procured from outside, but as for where exactly "outside" was, he was also ignorant. The trail ended here.
Zhou De did give a new name—there was a medicine black market in the east city, specializing in collecting old medicines returned from the border, waste medicines flowing out from the Imperial Hospital, refurbished and resold. The manager was called Ma Liu, a local tyrant, not an easy character to deal with.
"I'll go take a look." Zhu Houzhao said.
"You?" I looked him up and down. "Dressed like this, going to a black market?"
He looked down at himself—black Jinyi clothes, long sword at waist, from head to toe writing "I am not an ordinary person."
"Change clothes." he said.
As a result, after changing, he looked even less like an ordinary person. Gray cloth short jacket, sleeves tied tight, a short knife at the waist. Hair casually tied, a few stray strands scattered on his forehead. At first glance like a martial man wandering the world, but that face—too clean, eyes too bright, no matter how you looked at it, didn't seem like someone who should be frequenting a black market.
"Can't you be more low-key?" I said.
"Already very low-key." he said.
I simply stopped speaking.
The east city medicine black market was hidden behind a patch of dilapidated private houses, no sign, no plaque, not even a storefront. Only at the mouth of a narrow alley stood two burly men. Seeing us come, they reached out to block.
"Doing what?"
"Buying medicine." Zhu Houzhao said.
The burly men looked him up and down, then looked at me. "Buying what medicine?"
"Astragalus. Atractylodes. Angelica." He named the ones Henghe Hall had procured.
The two burly men exchanged a glance, stepped aside to let us pass.
The alley was deep, both sides low walls, walls hanging with various signs—some wrote "Ginseng Deer Antler," some wrote "Tiger Bone," some had no characters at all, only drew a medicine pot. The air was permeated with a strong medicinal smell, bitter, astringent, sour mixed together, like a pot of burnt porridge.
Walking to the end of the alley, there was a small courtyard. Several tables were set up in the yard, piled with medicines. A few people gathered around the tables, bargaining.
A thin-faced man came up to meet us, wearing a silk robe, two gold rings on his fingers.
"What do you two want? I have everything here—top-grade Astragalus, authentic Changbai Ginseng, Tiger Penis Deer Antler—"
"Astragalus." Zhu Houzhao said.
The thin-faced man grabbed a handful from the table and handed it over. Zhu Houzhao took it, passed it to me.
I leaned close to smell. Again that sour smell. Exactly the same as that batch at Henghe Hall.
"This is dregs." I said.
The thin-faced man's complexion changed slightly, then immediately piled on a smile again. "Miss has good eyes. This is returned from the border, cheap. If you want good ones, there are those too, price is higher—"
"Returned from the border," Zhu Houzhao cut off his words. "Returned from where?"
The thin-faced man's smile stiffened. "This... customer, in business we don't ask origins—"
"I asked."
The thin-faced man looked at him, then looked at me, the smile on his face slowly retracted. He stepped back a step, shouted toward the back of the yard.
"Ma Ye! Someone's causing trouble!"
The back door curtain lifted, a person walked out.
Jiang Bin.
At that time I didn't know his name. But seeing him for the first time, only two characters popped into my head: Wild.
He was half a head taller than Zhu Houzhao, broad shoulders and back, arm muscles bulging, stretching the sleeves tight. There was a scar on his face, slanting from the left eyebrow to the cheekbone, like someone had slashed him with a knife. Hair casually tied, a few strands scattered by his face, making that face look fierce and ruffian-like.
He was holding a stick in his hand—not a proper weapon, just a wooden stick, one end thick one end thin, like casually dismantled from somewhere.
Seeing Zhu Houzhao, his steps paused for a moment.
"Who's causing trouble?" Voice low, like sandpaper grinding rough wood.
The thin-faced man pointed at us. "These two, asking this and that, also talking about dregs—"
Jiang Bin didn't wait for him to finish, walked straight over, stopping in front of Zhu Houzhao. Looked him up and down, that gaze wasn't heavy, but like a dull knife, not sharp, but pressing so hard one couldn't breathe.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Medicine buyer." Zhu Houzhao said.
"Buying medicine asking so much?"
"Can't ask if there's a problem?"
Jiang Bin's mouth corner moved—not a smile, more like a "you are somewhat interesting" expression. He shouldered the stick, tilted his head to look at Zhu Houzhao.
"Where from?"
"Outside the city."
"Where outside the city?"
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't know."
The yard went quiet for an instant. Those bargaining had long stopped making noise, shrinking to the side to watch the fun. The thin-faced man stood behind Jiang Bin, face wearing a "someone is about to be unlucky" expression.
Jiang Bin took the stick off his shoulder, poked it into the ground.
"Know whose place this is?"
"Don't know." Zhu Houzhao said. "Don't want to know."
Jiang Bin laughed. Not that polite laugh, but another kind—I couldn't describe it, only felt my back getting a bit cold.
"Fine." he said.
As soon as the words fell, he moved.
The stick bounced up from the ground, sweeping toward Zhu Houzhao's shoulder with the wind. Not fast, but extremely heavy, like a wall falling down in front of him.
Zhu Houzhao didn't dodge. He sidestepped the stick head, left hand gripped the stick body. Jiang Bin's wrist flipped, the stick turned half a circle, slipping from his palm, changed direction, thrusting straight toward his waist side.
Zhu Houzhao stepped back a step. The stick brushed past his clothes, bringing a gust of wind.
The two stopped simultaneously.
Looked at each other simultaneously.
Jiang Bin's eyes brightened. Not that "I'm going to beat you to death" brightness, but another kind—like a person finding something they've looked for for a long time, suddenly placed right in front of them.
"Not bad." he said.
Zhu Houzhao didn't make a sound, but his mouth corner twitched up slightly.
"Again?" Jiang Bin asked.
Zhu Houzhao didn't answer, directly stepped forward aggressively. Right hand gripped the stick body, left hand cut toward Jiang Bin's wrist. Jiang Bin let go, the stick fell down, he used his foot to hook it, the stick bounced up, switched to his left hand, smashing down toward Zhu Houzhao's shoulder.
Zhu Houzhao sidestepped to avoid, the stick smashed empty space, shaking dust on the ground flying up. He took advantage of Jiang Bin's unstable recovery, stepped into his side, elbow aiming for his ribs.
Jiang Bin retreated half a step, stick horizontal in front of him, blocking it.
The two stopped again.
This time neither spoke, only looking at each other.
The yard was quiet enough to hear dregs rolling off the table. The thin-faced man's mouth hung open, those onlookers didn't even dare to breathe.
I stood to the side, watching this scene. Only one thought in my head—
Finished. Two martial madmen collided.
"You two," I said. "Can you talk first?"
They turned to look at me simultaneously.
"No." In unison.
I took a deep breath. Fine then.
Jiang Bin poked the stick into the ground, looked Zhu Houzhao over again.
"Trained."
"You trained too."
"Nonsense." Jiang Bin grinned, the scar moved with it. "Name?"
"Zhu Shou."
"Jiang Bin." He extended his hand.
Zhu Houzhao looked at that hand, shook it.
Just once. But I saw clearly, both their fingers tightened.
After letting go, Jiang Bin glanced at the thin-faced man. "That batch of Astragalus matter, how much do you know?"
The thin-faced man paused. "Ma Ye, this—"
"Speak."
The thin-faced man's lips trembled. "It... came from the Ministry of War. Bureau Director Liu's people came to ask, said there was a batch of goods to sell. The small one just handled it, didn't know—"
"Liu An?" I asked.
The thin-faced man nodded.
"Anyone else?" Zhu Houzhao asked.
"There was also a... Ministry of War person, surname what was it..." The thin-faced man thought. "Surname Wang. A big official. Specifically who, the small one truly doesn't know—"
Jiang Bin looked at him. The thin-faced man immediately shut his mouth.
"This stall," Jiang Bin said. "Don't open it anymore."
The thin-faced man's face went pale. "Ma Ye—"
"I said don't open it anymore." Voice not high, but the thin-faced man's shoulders shrank, didn't dare speak again.
Jiang Bin turned to look at Zhu Houzhao. "You investigating this?"
"Mm."
"Ministry of War?"
"Mm."
Jiang Bin was silent for a moment, shouldered the stick.
"Count me in."
Zhu Houzhao looked at him. "Why?"
"Nothing to do anyway." Jiang Bin's mouth corner twitched up. "Besides, you are interesting."
Zhu Houzhao didn't answer, only looked at him, like weighing something.
"Fine." he said.
Jiang Bin laughed. This time a real laugh, not that back-chilling laugh from before, but like a child getting a new toy, eyes and eyebrows all relaxed.
I stood to the side, looking at these two people.
One Crown Prince, one Jianghu martial man. One in gray cloth short jacket, one holding a wooden stick. One with eyes clean as a blade, one with a scar on his face.
But when they stood together, there was an indescribable tacit understanding. Like two wolves, sniffed each other, then recognized the other as the same kind.
"Go." Zhu Houzhao said.
"Where to?" Jiang Bin asked.
"Investigate."
Jiang Bin shouldered the stick, followed.
I walked behind, watching their backs. One step steady, one step flamboyant. One like a knife, one like a stick.
I sighed in my heart.
The days to come,怕是 (fear) won't be peaceful.
(End of Chapter 16)