Hongzhi Year 18, Fifth Day of the Second Month. Night.
Zhu Houzhao left for an hour, still not back.
I sat in the Eastern Palace side room, staring at that basin of dying charcoal fire. Wind outside window wailed, like someone crying. Distant watch drum sound, one beat, two beats—muffled.
I counted watch drums, first watch, second watch—
He still not back.
He said go do something. What thing? See who? Where see? He said nothing. He threw me to Qian Ning, went alone, didn't even bring Jiang Bin.
I stood up, then sat down. Sat down, then stood up.
Wrong.
He not that kind of "don't want people follow" person. He brings Jiang Bin, brings Qian Ning, brings me—he never minds too many people. He today not bring people, not don't want to bring, is that person can't let people know.
But go alone, what if something happens?
I pushed door open, cold wind gusted in, froze me shiver. Corridor lantern only one left lit, firelight swaying in wind. I wrapped coat tight, ran to Qian Ning's place.
Qian Ning lived in a small courtyard in east city, not far from palace. When I arrived, he sitting in courtyard drinking tea. Moonlight shining on him, moon-white long gown, holding teacup, unhurried, like waiting for someone.
Seeing me, he not surprised.
"I knew you would come." he said.
"Where is he?"
Qian Ning put down teacup, didn't answer.
"Qian Ning, where is he?"
"What can you do if you go?" He looked at me, gaze carrying something indescribable—not suspicion, but scrutiny. "He go alone, means doesn't want too many people know."
"I not too many people. I am me."
Qian Ning looked at me a while, suddenly smiled. "You, courage not small."
"He said so."
He took a paper from sleeve, handed me. On it drew a simple map, marked a lane, a residence.
"East city, Liu Lane, end. Inside lives a person."
"Who?"
"Xu Pu. Hongzhi era Grand Secretary. Retired回乡 (hui xiang) good few years, recently back to capital." Qian Ning paused. "Li Dongyang sees him, must bow."
I paused. Li Dongyang is Grand Secretariat University Scholar, can make him bow person—
"He go see Xu Pu?"
"Should be." Qian Ning stood up, took a cloth bundle from room, handed me. "Inside is what you want."
I opened to look—several small porcelain bottles, exactly same as I usually use. I pulled stopper one, smelled, new powder. Notoginseng, Bletilla, Honeysuckle, exactly same as mine.
"He asked me prepare. Said pay you back." Qian Ning said. "He said pay double."
I tucked bottles in sleeve. "Who else there?"
"Jiang Bin waiting at lane entrance."
"He know?"
"He know earlier than me." Qian Ning smiled. "He said 'that kid go alone, definitely will have accident'."
I turned and walked. Qian Ning followed behind, fan tucked in waist, pace unhurried.
"You not afraid?" he asked.
"Afraid of what?"
"Xu Pu. Three dynasty elder. Full court officials, half his students."
I thought. "He killed people. No matter how big official, killed people, should investigate."
Qian Ning didn't speak. Walked a stretch, suddenly said: "You and him, quite similar."
"Similar what?"
"Both not afraid death."
I didn't reply. Wind gusted from lane entrance, cold made me shrink neck. But heart had a fire, burning me whole body hot.
East city, Liu Lane. When I found this lane, sky already pitch black. Lane very narrow, both sides high walls, wall roots growing moss, wet, slippery stepping on it. No lanterns, only moonlight leaking from overhead, drawing white lines on ground.
Jiang Bin leaning on lane entrance wall, stick poking ground. Seeing me, he not surprised, just shouldered stick.
"Came?"
"Mm."
"He inside. Went in an hour."
"Door have people?"
"Have. Four." Jiang Bin nodded toward lane end. "Guarding door, not let in."
"Can fight in?"
"Can. But he not let."
I looked at lane end that door. Pitch black, shut tight. Under door lantern stood two figures, motionless, like two stakes.
"Use this." I took small porcelain bottle from sleeve.
Jiang Bin took it, smelled. "Powder?"
"Mm. Sprinkle at wind gap, powder floats in, they will sneeze, tears flow, can't stand steady."
Jiang Bin looked at me, mouth corner twitched up. "Your things, quite useful."
"He smashed one bottle, paid me two."
"Then he lost."
"He willing."
Jiang Bin didn't speak, took bottle toward lane. I followed behind. He walked to lane middle, stopped, pulled stopper, sprinkled powder at wind gap. White powder scattered in moonlight, like snowflakes, or smoke, following wind toward lane end.
Door those two people started sneezing. One, two, three—couldn't stop. They held noses, bent waists, tears snot flowing together, sticks in hands couldn't hold.
Jiang Bin walked over, one each, tapped back neck. Two people softly collapsed, no sound.
He pushed door open, turned back to look at me.
"Go."
Courtyard still two people. One sitting on corridor dozing, one pacing in courtyard. Jiang Bin same method, powder sprinkled over, two people started sneezing. He walked over, one each, clean and agile.
Courtyard quiet.
Study door shut, inside lit. I stood at door, heart beating fast. Jiang Bin looked at me, used stick to gently push door open.
Zhu Houzhao standing inside.
He standing before desk, back to door. Sword already out of sheath, placed on desk, tip facing desk opposite. Desk opposite sitting an old man.
Old man very old. Hair all white, face wrinkles like knife carved, one by one, deep. Wearing a gray-blue long gown, washed faded, collar buttoned neat. Hand side a cup of tea, already cold.
He saw me, not surprised. Just looked once, then looked back at Zhu Houzhao.
"Gongzi, this girl, courage not small."
Zhu Houzhao turned around, saw me, paused. "How you come?"
I stood at door, panting. "Come save you."
"I not have accident."
"You come alone, is accident precursor."
He looked at me, mouth corner twitched up. Not smile, but that "I knew you would come" expression.
"How you find here?"
"Qian Ning said."
"He say what else?"
"Said here lives a person, Li Dongyang sees him must bow."
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak. Old man put down teacup, looked at me.
His gaze lingered on me, then fell on door. Jiang Bin leaning on door frame, stick poking ground, face no expression. Qian Ning standing beside him, fan tucked in sleeve, mouth corner carrying smile, but eyes not smiling.
Old man looked at them, then looked back at me.
"You that bone-setting girl?" he asked.
"Is."
"Gongzi's arm, you treated?"
"Is."
Old man nodded. He looked at me, gaze not heavy not light, like a scale, weighing me how many catties.
"You name?"
"Jiang Li."
"Jiang Li," he repeated. "You know who I am?"
"Xu Pu. Hongzhi era Grand Secretary."
He mouth corner moved. "Qian Ning tell you?"
"Mm."
"He say what else?"
"Said full court officials, half your students."
Xu Pu smiled. Very light, like wind blowing lake surface. He looked at Zhu Houzhao, then at me, then at door those two people.
"Gongzi," he said. "These two people, trustworthy?"
Zhu Houzhao didn't turn back. "Trustworthy."
Xu Pu nodded. He stood up, walked to window, pushed open window sash. Moonlight shone in, fell on him, made his white hair snow bright.
"Gongzi," he said. "You know why old man called you come?"
"Don't know."
"Because old man want see, how far you can investigate."
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak.
"You investigated Liu An, investigated Wang De, investigated Wang Chang, investigated Zheng Hong, investigated Li Dongyang." Xu Pu turned around, looked at him. "You still want investigate who?"
"Investigate to end."
"End is who?"
"Liu Jian."
Study quiet. Quiet enough to hear candle flower popping sound, hear outside window old locust tree branch breaking sound.
Door, Jiang Bin's stick poked ground, didn't move. Qian Ning's fan tucked in sleeve, also didn't move. But I saw Qian Ning's eyebrow moved—very light, like wind blew water surface.
Xu Pu looked at Zhu Houzhao, long time.
"Gongzi," he said. "You know who Liu Jian is?"
"Know. Hongzhi era Grand Secretariat Chief Grand Secretary. Li Dongyang's teacher."
"Then you know, why he do these things?"
"Don't know."
Xu Pu silent a while. He walked back to desk, took a letter from drawer, handed Zhu Houzhao.
"This is old man wrote this morning. Please Emperor issue decree, thoroughly investigate Jingying Camp fake medicine case. From top to bottom, investigate to end."
Zhu Houzhao took it, opened. Inside wrote fake medicine ins and outs, from Henghe Hall to Liu An, from Liu An to Wang De, from Wang De to Wang Chang, from Wang Chang to Zheng Hong, from Zheng Hong to Li Dongyang, from Li Dongyang to—
He stopped.
I standing beside, saw his fingers clenched paper. Knuckles white.
"Who this?" he asked.
"You not know?"
Zhu Houzhao didn't speak. I looked at that paper, last name, wrote two characters: Liu Jian.
"Liu Jian," Xu Pu said. "Hongzhi era Grand Secretariat Chief Grand Secretary. Full court officials, half his students. Li Dongyang his student, Wang Chang his mentee, Zheng Hong his fellow villager."
He paused.
"This batch fake medicine, from border to capital, from capital to camp, walked three years. Three years, not no one know. Is knew, dare not say."
"Why dare not say?" Zhu Houzhao's voice very flat, but I saw his hand trembling.
"Because say, is oppose whole court. Liu Jian's students遍布 (bian bu) Six Ministries Nine Courts, move Liu Jian, is move half court."
Zhu Houzhao folded letter, tucked in sleeve.
"You call me come, just give me this letter?" he asked.
"Not only." Xu Pu looked at him. "Old man call you come, want tell you—in investigate, good for no one. For you, even less good."
"I know."
"Then you still investigate?"
"Investigate."
Xu Pu looked at him. Long time. Then he smiled. Not polite smile, nor mocking smile—another kind, like person standing cliff edge half lifetime, finally saw someone refuse jump down.
"Gongzi," he said. "Old man old. Old man stood in this court forty years, learned one thing—fear. Fear Emperor, fear world, fear chaos. But old man forgot, some things, shouldn't fear."
He bent down, deeply bowed.
"Gongzi, you investigate. Old man help you."
Zhu Houzhao looked at him, didn't speak. He turned around, walked to door, stopped.
"Grand Secretary Xu."
"Here."
"You said Liu Jian your classmate?"
"Is. Forty year classmate."
"Then why you help me investigate him?"
Xu Pu silent a while.
"Because forty years, he changed. Old man not changed."
Zhu Houzhao nodded, pushed door out. I followed behind. Jiang Bin already waiting at door, stick on shoulder, mouth chewing something.
"Left?" he asked.
"Left."
We walked out of lane. Moonlight stretched four people's shadows very long, overlapping, indistinguishable whose whose.
Zhu Houzhao walked front, pace neither fast nor slow. I trotted two steps catch up.
"You just said, come save me."
"Mm."
"How you know I have accident?"
"I don't know. But I don't want wait."
He stopped, looked at me. Moonlight on his face, his eyes very bright.
"You not afraid?" he asked.
"Afraid of what?"
"Liu Jian. Grand Secretariat Chief Grand Secretary. Three dynasty elder. Full court officials, half his students."
I thought. "Afraid. But he killed people. No matter how big official, killed people, should investigate."
He looked at me, suddenly laughed. Not that mouth corner twitch light laugh, but real laugh, tiger teeth showing.
"You," he said. "Much better than those people in court."
"Those people who?"
"Full court officials."
I didn't reply. He turned around, continued walking. Walked few steps, stopped again.
"Right, what powder you just use?"
"New. Qian Ning gave me, said you pay double."
He took two small porcelain bottles from sleeve, handed me.
"Pay you."
I took them, opened smelled. Notoginseng, Bletilla, Honeysuckle—exactly same as mine.
"When you mix?"
"Yesterday. You said pay double, I mixed two portions."
"Didn't you say熬 (熬) ed till late, eyes became rabbit?"
"Rabbit is rabbit." He tucked hand back in sleeve, continued walking. "Anyway you also said I am rabbit."
I followed behind, couldn't help laughing.
Walked few steps, I turned back looked. Jiang Bin and Qian Ning walking behind, distance ten-plus steps. Moonlight, two people's shadows one long one short, one like stick, one like fan.
Jiang Bin mouth still chewing. Qian Ning's fan fanning again.
They heard. Heard Xu Pu call "Gongzi". Heard he say "Liu Jian is Li Dongyang's teacher". Heard he say "Full court officials, half his students".
But they asked nothing.
I turned back, looked at Zhu Houzhao's back. Moonlight stretched his shadow very long, stretched to my feet. I stepped on it, stepped again.
He didn't notice.
"They heard." I whispered.
"Heard what?"
"Liu Jian. Li Dongyang. Those things."
"Mm."
"They not ask."
His steps didn't stop. "Ask what?"
"Ask who you are. Why Xu Pu see you. Why you dare investigate Liu Jian."
He didn't answer. Walked few steps, suddenly turned back shouted.
"Jiang Bin."
"Here."
"Tomorrow come again?"
Jiang Bin swallowed mouth thing. "Come."
Zhu Houzhao shouted again: "Qian Ning."
"Here."
"You?"
Qian Ning fan fanned twice. "Wages up then come."
Zhu Houzhao took a peanut from sleeve, threw back. Qian Ning caught, looked, stuffed in mouth.
"Fine." he said.
Zhu Houzhao turned back, continued walking. Pace lighter than before.
I held sleeve those two small bottles, followed behind.
They asked nothing. Don't know who Zhu Shou is, don't know why he can see Xu Pu, don't know why he dare investigate Liu Jian. But they still came.
I turned back looked. Moonlight, Jiang Bin's stick on shoulder, Qian Ning's fan in hand. Two people walking behind, unhurried, like nothing happened.
Same as before.
(End of Chapter 24)