Chapter 33: A Gentleman’s Word, and Tongues Unleashed

The Imperial Academy.

An Ziyu paced back and forth inside the duty room, while Ning Yayun remained serenely seated, gently stroking her zither. An Ziyu fingered the fire striker hidden in her sleeve, thinking that one day she would set the ancient zither ablaze, bringing peace to her ears.

“What should we do?” An Ziyu roared, the ruler spinning rapidly between her fingers, stirring a breeze in the room.

Ning Yayun replied, “I will seek someone to mediate…”

An Ziyu was furious, wishing she could fling the ruler across the room. “Seek whom? The Ministry of Revenue has acted openly and officially; even the Left Chancellor cannot intervene. The Wang family does have a way: they simply offer money. But would the Imperial Academy shamelessly accept it? Now the only way is to prove the Academy’s worth.” She suddenly sat down, resting her chin on one hand, and asked, “Dean, has the Imperial Academy been useful these past decades?”

Ning Yayun coughed, “It was useful in earlier times.”

Knock, knock, knock!

Someone was at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Yang Xuan smiled inside, “Dean, Vice Dean, good news…”

“What news?” An Ziyu’s anger had not abated; with a flick of her hand, the ruler soared and danced in the air, intimidating all.

Yang Xuan smiled sincerely, “Dean, Vice Dean, the magistrate of Wannian County has arrested a criminal; this criminal may be colluding with spies from Southern Zhou, but torture yielded nothing…”

Wasn’t this a ready-made merit? Ning Yayun’s eyes brightened, “Send Zhong Hui, quickly!”

Zhong Hui, who had been conversing with Huang Jingyu, was summoned and felt somewhat displeased.

“Do it well; if anything goes wrong…” An Ziyu’s gaze was fierce.

Zhong Hui and Yang Xuan then departed for Wannian County.

Professors from the Imperial Academy arrived, and Tang Xiaonian and others hurried to greet them.

Zhong Hui, with the air of an immortal, flicked his dust brush, “Where is the man?”

“He’s inside.”

They entered the interrogation room. Wang Erlang looked up, laughing bitterly, “I’m innocent!”

Zhong Hui covered his nose, “Too foul.”

Tang Xiaonian glanced at Yang Xuan, who felt ever more hopeless about the Imperial Academy. “Professor, the secret interrogation technique should work swiftly, right?”

Everyone nodded, thinking it was just a matter of a few quick gestures.

“Ah!” Zhong Hui frowned, “Fine, bring tea.”

What an attitude.

Tea was served.

Zhong Hui picked up his dust brush and cleared his throat.

Yang Xuan signaled with his eyes, hinting that such secret techniques should be performed discreetly, lest others learn by watching.

But Zhong Hui ignored this.

Wen Xinshu brought paper and brush, offering Yang Xuan an apologetic smile.

For the sake of the secret technique, even a savior must wait.

Even Zhao Guolin was similarly eager.

Everyone watched, eyes wide, waiting to see how a free-spirited professor would interrogate the criminal with flair.

Zhong Hui placed one hand behind his back, dust brush pointed at Wang Erlang, and began:

“The sky is high, so high it cannot be reached…”

Everyone bowed their heads, recording, then glanced at each other, secretly delighted.

This must surely be a profound method in metaphysics.

Learning it would be a lifelong benefit.

Zhong Hui’s expression was calm. “Between heaven and earth is the realm of man. A man should be grateful for life… Two meals a day is best; three is a bit much…”

Wen Xinshu, who was recording, looked up, sensing something was off.

Zhong Hui continued, “Look at you, so disheveled, seemingly pitiful, yet all things have cause and effect. What is cause and effect? Plant melons, harvest melons; plant beans, harvest beans. Planting melons is easiest; simply tend the vines carefully for a while…”

Everyone looked up in disbelief at Zhong Hui.

He spoke for half an hour, occasionally sipping tea. When the pot was empty, he coughed, “More tea!”

Everyone thought, How can you still have the mood for tea?

Peng Jun, who had been sitting on the ground, suddenly raised his hands, chains clanking, and cried out in pain, “Please, stop talking! I’ll confess!”

Outside, a little clerk from the Academy exclaimed admiringly, “This is the secret metaphysical technique: a gentleman’s words open the tongue.”

Zhong Hui strode away with panache.

Yang Xuan escorted him out. Zhong Hui patted his shoulder appreciatively, “You remembered to help the Academy seek merit, good! Good! Good!”

Tang Xiaonian hurried after him, “Professor, will it need repeating?”

Zhong Hui did not turn back, flicking his dust brush elegantly, “Just keep asking.”

Watching him depart, Tang Xiaonian patted Yang Xuan’s shoulder, “Luckily you managed to invite an expert from the Academy; otherwise, we’d be derelict in duty, unable to escape blame. Good! Good! Good!”

He went in to continue questioning. Yang Xuan stood there, dazed.

“This is… killing two birds with one stone, making the most of both sides.” Many thoughts flashed through Yang Xuan’s mind; he suddenly felt enlightened, as if he’d grasped something valuable.

He whispered to Vermilion Bird.

Vermilion Bird said, “When humans think, the gods laugh.”

“What does that mean?” Yang Xuan felt it was a good saying.

Vermilion Bird replied, “The gods get their amusement from watching humans make fools of themselves.”

Yang Xuan, “Isn’t that what dogs do?”

After further questioning, Wang Erlang confessed everything, even admitting to peeping at a woman bathing last year.

“They gave me two thousand coins, told me to leave the door open at night, and not interfere with their digging…”

Tang Xiaonian pressed, “Did you recognize any of them?”

Wang Erlang shook his head, “They gave money, told me to send my wife and children to her parents, and after dinner I was forbidden to leave. When morning came, I looked and found no new soil. I didn’t know what they dug till you unearthed the valuables.”

Zhao Guolin said gravely, “Spies from Southern Zhou naturally possess such methods.”

Tang Xiaonian squinted, “You’re a tough man; why do such things?”

Wang Erlang laughed bitterly, “My life was ordinary, and I was dissatisfied, but after marriage and children, the urge to stir trouble calmed. Yet as my child grew… I just didn’t want him to live as I did. For that, death means nothing!”

The group fell silent, then exited.

“Who were those people?” Wen Xinshu felt his very soul was asking, and after seeing Tang Xiaonian scratch his head, regretted it.

Zhao Guolin, seeing Yang Xuan deep in thought, said, “What’s needed here is sharp intuition, which we lack. Only through accumulated experience can we search old cases for clues.”

Yang Xuan smiled.

“Those people spoke Tang dialect fluently,” Zhao Guolin pointed out.

Wen Xinshu shook his head, “Southern Zhou spies all speak Tang dialect, indistinguishable from locals. That year…”

This fellow talks too much… Yang Xuan said, “Speaking Tang dialect is no issue, but they knew Wang Erlang was fearless, and that for his child’s sake, he’d gladly die… They must be very familiar with him?”

Tang Xiaonian slapped Wen Xinshu aside, eyes shining, “Makes sense!”

Zhao Guolin stood, “Let’s go!”

They filed out.

After a bit, Yang Xuan asked, “Where’s Commander Tang?”

Bang! Bang!

The sound of doors being repeatedly pushed and pulled echoed behind them. The group looked up, speechless.

Thud!

A plank hit the floor.

Someone shouted from the duty room, “Commander Tang’s door is broken again.”

Tang Xiaonian, covered in dust, came over, “Let’s go!”

Wen Xinshu asked cautiously, “Commander Tang, now you have no door. Aren’t you afraid of being robbed?”

Yes, with no door at all.

Smack!

Wen Xinshu shrank after a slap, muttering, “With no door, why am I not afraid anymore?”

The four then visited Wang Erlang’s neighbors.

The matron welcomed them warmly, calling, “Husband, fetch some cold water!”

Seeing the four’s throats moving in unison, she wondered, “Are you terribly thirsty? Then fetch a few more ladles.”

“Water, no need,” Tang Xiaonian smiled, “What kind of person is Wang Erlang?”

From the matron, they learned Wang Erlang had once mixed with ruffians. His parents, seeing trouble brewing, quickly arranged a marriage, and indeed, after marrying he settled down.

Nothing of value.

Tang Xiaonian asked, “Did those ruffians stay in contact with him?”

The matron pondered, “Perhaps occasionally…”

Zhao Guolin shook his head, indicating no value.

Who has time to monitor every neighbor’s visitors?

“Not drinking water?”

The husband came over with a tray of glasses, beads of water clinging to the outside.

Slurp!

“No, thank you.”

The four went on to question the neighborhood officer and patrols.

Nothing.

“Troublesome.”

Back in Wannian County, Tang Xiaonian was summoned, returning with a grave expression.

“Commander Tang, what’s the matter?”

Tang Xiaonian sat, seemingly calm, “Constable Qiu said his superior is unhappy that Wannian County hasn’t solved the case. He was scolded today, and tomorrow the magistrate must explain.”

Yang Xuan thought of a phrase: pressure transmission.

Wen Xinshu cursed, “Why didn’t the Golden Guard come and take over?”

Zhao Guolin hugged his spear, eyes vacant, “People seek benefit and avoid harm. Who wants to take this on? If you can’t solve it, you’ll suffer.”

“Think of something!” Tang Xiaonian scratched his head; Yang Xuan glanced up and noticed Tang’s thinning hair at the crown.

On the way back, Yang Xuan asked Vermilion Bird, “What’s the name for a hairstyle with a bald spot in the middle and hair on both sides?”

Vermilion Bird answered, “The Mediterranean.”

At home, dinner was ready. Cao Ying paced in the courtyard, face solemn.

“Greetings, sir.”

Yang Xuan nodded, “Thank you for your efforts.”

Just a polite remark, but Cao Ying replied seriously, “It’s nothing. Sir, I spent the day with Yiniang gathering information. It seems a strong wind is blowing toward the Left Chancellor, and those on either side, the Wang family and Imperial Academy, may suffer as well.”

“I know. It’s not our concern.” Yang Xuan felt like a small fish, unable to meddle in matters of gods and titans.

Cao Ying paused, “Sir, the Left Chancellor once served as the Emperor’s loyal attendant. His daughter was the Crown Princess when the Emperor was still the Crown Prince, and later, both drank poisoned wine together…”

Yang Xuan was puzzled, “What does that have to do with me?”

“The Emperor and four great families harbor ulterior motives. The Left Chancellor struggles. Sir, he was once on good terms with your father. When you become an official, simply revealing your identity will be a great advantage!”

A clever calculation.

Yan City’s shadow flashed in his mind; Yang Xuan, intending to refuse, entered silently.

“What does Sir mean?” Yiniang abandoned her dishes, running over.

Cao Ying stroked his beard, smiling, “Sir is growing so quickly… it fills me with anticipation!”

“Speak plainly!” Yiniang touched the soft sword at her waist.

Cao Ying whispered, “In the past, Sir would never agree to such alliances, but today he simply remained silent. What does that mean?”

“He’s improved! I’m clearly more suitable for serving Sir than that old dog Yang Lue.” Yiniang’s eyes curved with delight. “Tonight, we’ll have a feast and fine wine!”

Inside, Yang Xuan’s brows slowly relaxed.

“I’ve got it!”