Chapter 058 Water Dragon Song (Part 3)
The personal officers of the Night Police quickly came to clean up the dead bodies on the Yong'an Lake. Zhou Ting took Ni Su back to the Nanhuai Street Clinic and heard from his subordinates, "Master Xiao Zhou, we have examined them all. They all have sword wounds."
How could Ni Su, a weak woman with no martial arts foundation, use a sword? But Zhou Ting remembered that he had seen a figure in the dark rain, but for some reason, when he rode closer, he only saw Ni Su.
The wound under the collar burst open, and the blood stuck to the fabric, feeling an uncomfortable stickiness. Zhou Ting remained calm and turned around to look at the young woman wrapped in a cloak, lighting the lamp in the room.
Her legs seemed a little weak, her steps were very slow, and she seemed a little dazed. She turned on the lamp and sat at the table, with her head down, not moving.
Zhou Ting walked in, poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of her, then took two steps back, leaned forward and clasped his fists: "Miss Ni, I'm sorry, I have implicated you in this matter."
Ni Su came back to his senses and recalled what the assassins had said at Yong'an Lake. "Master Xiao Zhou, I don't understand why they thought that by arresting me, they could lure you into the trap?"
Zhou Ting was silent for a moment, and then he said, "My mother came to your place today, and Wu Dai deliberately spread rumors about you and me before, so they thought that you and I..."
As soon as the word "affectionate" came out of his mouth, Zhou Ting looked up at the woman in front of him with wet hair and pale lips. His hand holding the hilt of the knife tightened for no reason, and he suddenly remembered the questions his mother Lan asked him.
When Ni Su heard the first half of his sentence, she immediately thought of the woman who came to her house today. It turned out that she was Lord Zhou's mother.
"But why did your mother come to me?"
Zhou Ting paused, but still concealed his mother's plan, saying, "She has heard about you and has always wanted to see you, Miss Ni. This is an unprovoked disaster for you. From today on, I will send someone to protect you. If you have any problems, please feel free to ask me. As long as it is not against the law, I will definitely help you."
"No need, Master Xiao Zhou."
Ni Su shook her head. If the people from the Night Watch came to guard again, how could she go out with Xu Ziling, light a lamp for him and lead the way for him?
Zhou Ting did not expect her to refuse. He was startled for a moment, then said, "If not, I'm worried that they will repeat their old tricks. I'm a step late today, but I don't know who saved the girl."
Just a silhouette in the night rain, Zhou Ting is always on his mind.
"have no idea."
Ni Su brought the tea bowl but didn't drink. "I didn't even see him clearly."
But she didn't know whether Zhou Ting believed it or not. Ni Su waited for a while before hearing him say, "In that case, let me investigate this matter. Please rest assured, young lady, I will not let these people go."
She said she didn't know, so Zhou Ting didn't ask any more. After all, this matter was caused by him, and he would not demand an accurate answer from the woman in front of him like he would when interrogating a criminal in the night court.
Before leaving, Zhou Ting saw that Ni Su had not changed her wet clothes yet, and reminded her: "Miss Ni, be careful not to catch a cold. Also, this is the medicine that the palace gave to the Night Guard for use."
He took out a porcelain bottle from his bosom. There was some blood on it. He wiped it with his fingertips and placed the porcelain bottle on the table. He lowered his eyes and saw the bloody cut on her palm. "If it's inconvenient for you, I..."
"I can do it myself, thank you Master Xiao Zhou."
Ni Su raised her eyes and looked at him.
The lights in the room flickered, reflecting in her clear eyes. Zhou Ting looked at her, then immediately looked away, "Okay."
With such a deep cut, her eyes were only slightly red, but no tears were seen, just like when Zhou Ting first saw her in the Night Palace. She was not a woman without fear in her heart, but her fear had never made her weak.
After Zhou Ting left, Ni Su changed into clean clothes, sprinkled medicine powder on the wound, and simply wrapped it with a piece of fine cloth. After doing all this, she did not leave the room.
This is Xu Ziling's living room. On the desk are several books he often read. His pens, ink, paper and inkstone are all neatly arranged. There is a faint fragrance in the room, which is a soothing smell.
Ni Su took off her shoes and wrapped herself in his quilt, staring at the flickering candle flame. As the night rain fell, she called out, "Xu Ziling."
The mist floated, but it could never take on his shape.
The sky was about to brighten, the clouds had dispersed and the rain had stopped. Ni Su was sleeping soundly on the bed. A damp and cold wind blew in from outside the lattice window that had not been closed last night, and the last remaining candle in the room was blown out.
The light mist condensed into a faint silhouette. His pale knuckles closed the window lattice, and the light blue curtains in the room stopped shaking.
He walked to the bed. The girl on the bed had messy black hair, a few strands sticking to her fair cheeks, and half of her face was pressed on the edge of the quilt. After a night of sleep, the pillow was in her arms.
She stretched out a hand from the quilt. The fine cloth wrapped on it was very loose, revealing the wound on the palm with a bright red scab.
Xu Hexue turned around and saw the porcelain bottle on the table. His soul and body were fragile and he was under punishment. He walked very slowly from getting the medicine to sitting back in front of the bed.
He sprinkled the powder on her palm, found a clean piece of cloth, and carefully wrapped her wound. He was very gentle throughout the whole process.
Listening to her shallow breathing, Xu Hexue finished doing these things and then put his hands on his knees, but couldn't help looking at her face.
Her brows suddenly frowned.
Xu Hexue heard her mumbling in a dream, her lips moving slightly, her voice vague. He could not help but lean over and get closer. Her warm breath brushed against his, and she murmured, "Xu Ziling..."
Xu Hexue's back stiffened and it took him a while to sit up straight.
The sunlight gradually became brighter, shining obliquely through the lattice window. He sat quietly in this light, his brows as cold , but in his heart he was thinking about her dream.
The dream she was having at this moment was about him.
Xu Hexue suddenly heard the sound of clothes rubbing. He raised his eyes and saw that Ni Su, who had been asleep just now, had opened her eyes. She was holding up her re-bandaged hand and looking.
"I dreamed about you."
Ni Su's voice was a little hoarse, as if she had not yet fully woken up.
Xu Hexue's Adam's apple slid, "Hmm."
"Why don't you ask me what I dreamed about you?" Ni Su looked at him. His figure was still a little pale, and the sunlight shining on him was dim and cold.
"What?" he asked.
"I dreamed about what happened at Yong'an Lake last night. The only difference was that you turned into mist and disappeared," Ni Su hugged his pillow, "Luckily, I saw you when I woke up."
The dripping water remaining in the cracks of the eaves gently tapped Xu Hexue's mind. After a while, he said, "If that day comes, I will not leave without saying goodbye."
His voice was controlled and calm.
Ni Su was silent for a long time, instinctively avoiding the word "farewell". She looked at the closed window and said, "It seems that it is not raining anymore."
But the kite is not ready yet.
The sky cleared up. Xu Hexue's soul was weak and he could barely maintain his human form. He used the time he could make kites or look at the account books. He memorized the promotions and changes of the official positions of the dozen officials he got from the Jiang Mansion over the past fifteen years. The only connection between these dozen names was the route between Daizhou and Yongzhou fifteen years ago.
Fifteen years ago, they were all officials along the road from Daizhou to Yongzhou.
It is not difficult to figure this out, but the difficult part is that although these officials have been promoted in the past fifteen years, they are not in Beijing. If we want to investigate, we can only go to Daizhou.
"Neither you nor I need to go to Daizhou. Among these dozen people, there was one who was demoted to Fengzhou two years ago. His name is Qian Weiyin. He was my classmate and we exchanged letters during the holidays. But last year, he suddenly disappeared from his post and his whereabouts are unknown. But last night, I received a letter from him saying that he was here and asked me to come over. He said he had something to tell me."
Jiang Xianming stood in front of a dilapidated house, talking in a low voice to the young man and woman around him.
The old housekeeper was holding a lantern for him, while Ni Su and Xu Hexue each held a glass lantern. From under the veils, their eyes were fixed on the crooked courtyard gate that seemed to be about to close.
"I don't have anyone around me who is good at martial arts, so I asked you to come here." After the last assassination, Jiang Xianming has become much more cautious.
Xu Hexue said nothing and used the scabbard of his sword to push open the gate. It was pitch dark inside. Only after they walked in did the courtyard become a little brighter.
This is a dilapidated courtyard that has been neglected for many years, with weeds growing in the cracks between the bricks and thick dust.
"Old Qian, I'm Jiang Xianming, where are you?"
Jiang Xianming looked around but saw no one, so he simply raised his voice.
But after waiting for a long while, Ni Su didn't hear any movement. The light illuminated the spider webs under the eaves, swaying in the night breeze.
"Old Qian?" Jiang Xianming frowned, suspecting that he was being fooled.
But the handwriting on the letter was indeed written by Qian Weiyin himself, so he should not have made a mistake.
Xu Hexue suddenly turned his head and stared at the dark main hall. He keenly heard some subtle noises and then quickly went up the stairs. The warm yellow light spread into the main hall with his footsteps. Ni Su saw him draw his sword, and soon a man stood up from the shadows among the pile of debris.
He was dressed in rags, his hair was disheveled, and his beard almost covered half of his face. He looked disheveled and decadent.
"Jiang Xianming, I took the risk to find you because I trust you, but why did you bring these people here!" The man's neck was stiff and he dared not move, with a hint of anger in his voice.
"You've been missing for a year. How can I not be suspicious when I suddenly receive your letter? Old Qian, they are all trustworthy people. You don't have to be afraid."
Jiang Xianming followed Ni Su into the main hall, holding up his coat. He looked at him first, then said, "Why don't we talk about why you came to see me?"
Xu Hexue sheathed his sword, and Qian Weiyin felt relieved. He looked at Jiang Xianming, who was dressed in fine clothes, and then looked at his own beggar's clothes. He couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Among our old friends, you are the only one who is the most glorious."
"Did you abandon your post and run away because of Du Cong or his superiors?" Jiang Xianming asked directly without beating around the bush.
When Qian Weiyin heard this, a trace of astonishment immediately appeared in his eyes, "You... know what?"
"You should have heard about Du Cong's case. His account book is in my hands. Recently, I checked a secret account book of Manyu Money House." Jiang Xianming was worrying about how to continue investigating the matter, but unexpectedly, someone brought him a pillow when he was sleepy. Qian Weiyin, who had abandoned his post and fled, actually came to him on his own initiative.
"Old Qian, you have given Du Cong a lot of money over the years, but you are the only one among all of you who has been demoted."
Jiang Xianming's words hit Qian Weiyin's sore spot. He looked depressed and sighed, "That's because I really can't afford the money."
"You are a graduate of the imperial examination system, but why don't you know how to respect yourself?" Jiang Xianming felt complicated. When he made friends with this man, he was still a man full of vigor and ambition.
"Self-respect? How can I respect myself?" Qian Weiyin, dressed in dirty and tattered clothes, did not have the manners he had when he was an official. He sat on the ground, "Jingnian, I was in the mire sixteen years ago."
"Sixteen years ago, Du Cong, also known as Du Sancai, was ordered to take military rations from the Daizhou granary and transport them to the Yongzhou border. At that time, you were the magistrate of Daizhou."
Qian Weiyin suddenly heard the voice of the young man in the veiled hat. His expression changed and he turned to look at the man.
"Qian Weiyin, your quagmire was the granary of Daizhou sixteen years ago?"
Xu Hexue stared at him through the veil.
Qian Weiyin was silent.
When Jiang Xianming heard about sixteen years ago, and when he heard Xu Hexue mention Du Cong's transportation of grain and grass sixteen years ago, his heart skipped a beat. He was confused and immediately said, "Old Qian, you want me to come to see you, isn't it to explain the whole thing to me?"
Qian Weiyin looked at the straw sandals on his feet. He recalled his escape from office and his hiding all the way. His throat felt dry. "Yes, my descent into the mire began in the Daizhou granary sixteen years ago."
"At that time, General Yujie was fighting against the Danqiu Hu people at the border . The emperor issued an imperial decree, ordering the nearby Daizhou to open its warehouses to supply military rations to the border for emergency response. However, in that year, Daizhou had no food..."
"How could there be no grain?" Jiang Xianming couldn't believe it. "I've read the reports from Daizhou in the past. The prefect of Daizhou that year clearly said that there was plenty of grain in stock, so the government issued an order to Daizhou to release grain for emergency relief."
Qian Weiyin nodded, "The report was correct. The stored grain was sufficient, but the emperor's birthday was approaching and Daizhou was repairing a Taoist temple. The money allocated by the court was not enough. The prefect was worried about missing the deadline, so he came up with a solution - open the warehouse and sell grain to temporarily solve the urgent problem. If the emperor hadn't suddenly issued an imperial decree ordering Daizhou to open the warehouse and take grain, we would have had a chance to cover this up."
"You dare to sell the imperial court's grain?!"
Jiang Xianming was shocked and angry.
"When Du Cong arrived, there was no food left. We were sentenced to death. He was delayed on the road for some time, which was also a death sentence. But he told us that there was someone who could guarantee our safety."
"who?"
Qian Weiyin shook his head. "I still don't know who he is. The grain cart that Du Cong transported to Yongzhou was empty. We are the only ones who know this. He escaped the death penalty, and so did we. Because of this incident, we are tied to Du Cong from now on. Those who are obedient will be promoted, and those who are disobedient and dare to go to the capital will die on the way."
"Then how dare you run to Yunjing without caring about your life?" Jiang Xianming said coldly.
"One of them climbed higher than me and took my daughter away," Qian Weiyin's eyes moistened and he clenched his hands. "She died two years ago."
"Jingnian, I don't want my life anymore. I just want to ask you, do you dare to intervene in this matter?"
Do you dare?
Jiang Xianming was speechless for a moment, and then he said, "You go with me first."
Ni Su didn't say anything, but she was listening to what Qian Weiyin and Jiang Xianming were saying. When Jiang Xianming drove back with his men, she and Xu Hexue walked on the road with lanterns and found that he was unusually quiet.
"With Qian Weiyin as a witness, why did Censor Jiang hesitate?"
Ni Su broke the silence between the two.
Xu Hexue came back to his senses, "Even if Jiang Xianming dared to report it, the government would most likely ignore it, or even punish him."
"Why..." Ni Su's voice stopped abruptly. She suddenly realized that after the grain in the Daizhou granary was resold, all the money was used to build the Daizhou Road Palace for the government. More than a dozen officials were tied up to death in the Daizhou granary, and no one dared to mention this matter because they all knew the root cause of the matter.
To bring up the Daizhou granary again is tantamount to suing the emperor and his father.
If Jiang Xianming dares to bring it up, will the government dare to acknowledge it?
"Then your business, isn't it..." Ni Su felt indescribable.
If even Jiang Xianming doesn't dare, who else in this world would dare?
Xu Hexue did not say anything. Today, he finally figured out the truth about the grain bill. The silence of more than a dozen officials caused the 30,000 Jing'an troops to run out of food and grass, and they had no choice but to go into battle hungry.
"General, my young scholar! Just listen to me and eat this half of the Hu pancake! I've given all yours to the subordinates, so what are you going to do?"
In his memory, someone stuffed half a piece of hard Hu pancake that had been stored for a long time into his hand.
"This is disgusting, Xue Huai,"
He threw the Hu Bing back into his arms and said, "I only eat the Hu Bing from the Pang family shop in Yongzhou City."
"Come on, General, don't think I don't know that you just want me to eat it." Xue Huai said this with a hearty laugh.
In the end, he broke the half piece of Hu pancake into two halves.
Xu Hexue no longer remembers what the Hu Bing tasted like. He only remembers that it tasted really bad.
Enduring hunger before going into battle was not actually the reason why the Jing'an Army was massacred at Mushen Mountain. Xu Hexue used war to support the war and used the food of the Hu people to feed his soldiers. It was only difficult at the beginning, but later, the closer they were to the Hu people's territory, the less they had to endure hunger.
However, Xu Hexue believed that the people above Du Cong behind the grain bill were definitely involved in the serious crime of treason imposed on him and the Jing'an Army.
"Xu Ziling."
Suddenly, Xu Hexue heard someone calling him. He raised his eyes and saw Ni Su stopped. Her eyes were looking at him seriously. He felt that he was still dressed, but there was no place for some things to hide.
"When you were alive, your teacher expected you to be a civil official. When you said you failed him, did you mean that you became a military official in Yongzhou?"
If not for this, Ni Su couldn't understand why he hated Du Cong so much, and what relationship did the grain tax plan concealed by a dozen officials have with him.
Xu Hexue once didn't know how to mention his identity to her, but since the incident with Jiang Xianming, he no longer avoided talking to Ni Su.
She is a smart woman. How could she not think of this after hearing what happened tonight?
Afterwards, she would know that he was not just a military officer, but also the General Yujie as Qian Weiyin mentioned.
The night wind blew Xu Hexue's clothes. His white shadow and her dark shadow were clearly distinguished between the lights. "Will you believe me?"
"Believe you what?"
"I……"
Xu Hexue's Adam's apple moved slightly. No matter how much slander or misunderstanding people had, he didn't really care. But the person in front of him, Ni Su, made him feel worried and anxious.
He said: "Ni Su, I really, really want your trust."
