PCA Chapter 135

After eating cicadas for three straight days, Qu Ling’er’s face had taken on the same color as the insects. Looking at the large sack in the kitchen that didn’t seem to be diminishing at all, he felt utterly miserable. In desperation, he sought out Su Cen, hoping he could whisper in Li Shi’s ear and plead his case.

 

Su Cen was drinking chilled snow pear soup with rock sugar from a porcelain cup. He glanced up at Qu Ling’er, “How did you offend him?”

 

Qu Ling’er swallowed hard and replied helplessly, “I didn’t! My calves start trembling just seeing him—how would I dare approach him?” He frowned, thinking. “If I did anything, maybe it was when I said you were dead, which made him so angry he coughed blood.”

 

Su Cen suddenly coughed violently, spilling the pear soup over his hand. “Coughed blood?! Is he alright?!”

 

“He’s fine now, isn’t he?” Qu Ling’er pouted innocently. “Anyone who saw you fall off that cliff would have assumed the same. It’s not really my fault.”

 

Su Cen glared at Qu Ling’er, choosing not to argue with him for now, and asked, “What else?”

 

“Well…” Qu Ling’er bit his finger as he thought. “Does it count that I misidentified a corpse back then?”

 

Su Cen was incredulous: “You mistook someone else for me?”

 

“Mainly because I didn’t dare look closely,” Qu Ling’er explained with an awkward smile. “The body was putrid, ugly, and frightening. I was afraid I’d have nightmares if I looked—that you’d come back to haunt me. Later I realized the one I brought back must have been that official who traveled with us. It was truly terrifying—his stomach was swollen like a woman in her tenth month of pregnancy. I guess that scared the Prince.”

 

Qu Ling’er grew more animated as he continued, sitting on the table and swinging his legs: “But that’s not my fault either, right? Anyone could have made that mistake with a body so decomposed. The Prince didn’t recognize it either and had that stinking corpse taken back to Chang’an, saying he wanted to use some ‘Calm Visage Pearl’ to preserve it. What’s the point of preserving it? It was so rotten that even a skeleton would have looked better…”

 

“Ling’er,” Su Cen held Qu Ling’er’s swinging leg, “Are the cicadas not enough for you?”

 

“Huh?” Qu Ling’er looked bewildered.

 

Su Cen smiled with spring-like warmth, “If they’re not enough, I’ll have Huzi and Er Ya catch more for you. Now go back.”

 

Qu Ling’er: “…”

 

After waiting several days without Huang Ting’s arrival, Huang Mian came instead. Su Cen didn’t immediately summon Liang Fang for a confrontation but first brought Huang Mian to his quarters with only Li Shi present, wanting to hear Huang Mian’s account first.

 

Huang Mian knelt before Li Shi and paid his respects, saying, “My father is elderly and has been bedridden for many days since the incident. The journey from Chang’an to Xuzhou is long, especially with the flood disaster. If we waited for my father to come, I fear it would delay Prince’s important matters. Therefore, I’ve come in my father’s place to bear any punishment. Please forgive my father’s disrespect. He has told me everything and instructed me to explain the truth. Afterward, whether Prince wishes to punish or investigate, the Huang family will have no complaints. We only ask for a fair judgment that brings justice to both our family and the people of Xuzhou.”

 

Li Shi raised his hand slightly, gesturing for him to stand, and looked at Su Cen.

 

Su Cen said, “Very well. I’ll ask, and you answer. If there are any incomplete details or contradictions, we may still need to summon Lord Huang. I hope you understand.”

 

Huang Mian bowed to Su Cen, “Lord Su, you’re too formal. I will speak without reservation or concealment, and dare not deceive you.”

 

Su Cen frowned slightly. Huang Mian had always addressed him as a friend before, never as “Lord Su.” In just a few days, the man seemed to have become more composed and reserved.

 

Su Cen glanced at Li Shi, and seeing him nod after taking a seat, he addressed Huang Mian: “Then let me ask, is there any connection between Xuzhou’s river repair funds and your sister’s disappearance?”

 

Huang Mian smiled, though not pleasantly, “Lord Su indeed has remarkable insight. Allow me to explain slowly. The matter actually begins in June of last year.”

 

“In June last year, Xuzhou Governor Liang Fang submitted a memorial requesting funds from the imperial court to repair the Xuzhou embankments. My father, then Deputy Minister of Revenue, was sent to inspect the embankments and concluded that funds should not be allocated.”

 

Su Cen frowned: “Not be allocated?”

 

“My father said the Xuzhou embankments were still usable and hadn’t reached the point where repairs were absolutely necessary. Additionally, the imperial treasury wasn’t abundant after the Empress Dowager had just built Fanglin Garden the year before. There also needed to be funds reserved for matters in Longxi and Huainan, so the plan was to wait a year or two. Who could have anticipated that disaster would strike this year.”

 

Su Cen asked: “So you’re saying the court never allocated those five hundred thousand taels?”

 

“My father did allocate them!” Huang Mian raised his head sharply. “By September, Wan’er suddenly disappeared. Later, our family received a letter demanding that my father allocate funds to Xuzhou. My father spent several sleepless nights in turmoil. He loved Wan’er the most, cherishing her since childhood. When Wan’er disappeared, my father was more anxious than anyone. Eventually, he reasoned: it’s just allocating funds. Most of the year had already passed, and the imperial court probably didn’t have any significant expenses coming up. Once tax revenues arrived, the treasury would be replenished. Since Xuzhou would eventually need those funds anyway, he decided to allocate them that year.”

 

Huang Mian took out several pages from his robe and presented them to Su Cen, who passed them to Li Shi. Both men examined the documents together.

 

Huang Mian continued: “This is the withdrawal certificate for the five hundred thousand taels, and below is the Xuzhou transfer document. Everything followed proper procedures. The funds were definitely allocated and certainly sent to Xuzhou. Why Xuzhou didn’t receive them, we truly don’t know.”

 

Li Shi nodded, “These are indeed Ministry of Revenue documents.”

 

“So Song Fan kidnapped Huang Wan’er to force Huang Ting to allocate funds?” Su Cen looked at Li Shi. “Could he really be that benevolent?”

 

Li Shi replied: “If he were that benevolent, those five hundred thousand taels wouldn’t have disappeared.”

 

Su Cen tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, “Song Fan kidnapped Huang Wan’er and imprisoned her in Caotang Temple. No wonder Abbot Huikong left such a message. He must have been deceived by Song Fan. He thought by confining Huang Wan’er, he could make the imperial court allocate funds to repair Xuzhou’s embankments. His so-called ‘common people’ referred to the citizens of Xuzhou. When he learned the plot was exposed, he chose suicide rather than reveal the person behind it all. But he never imagined that the person he wanted to protect actually wanted his life!”

 

Li Shi pondered for a moment and then nodded, “It should be so.”

 

“The reason my father didn’t report the case initially was that he feared these matters would be revealed. Although it was a normal allocation of funds, Wan’er was involved after all. My father actually knew that this money wasn’t going through normal channels, and he was afraid of implicating our family.”

 

Li Shi frowned and said: “Foolish.”

 

If this matter had been thoroughly investigated earlier, the five hundred thousand taels wouldn’t have disappeared, Xuzhou wouldn’t have experienced a breach, and even Huang Wan’er wouldn’t have been imprisoned at the bottom of a well for half a year before being rescued.

 

Huang Mian hurriedly knelt down: “Prince, please forgive our offense.”

 

After a moment, Li Shi slightly raised his eyebrows, “Stand up for now.”

 

Only then did Huang Mian stand up trembling.

 

Su Cen said: “The current problem is where did those five hundred thousand taels go after entering Xuzhou? And who was responsible for the handover? Where did they get the official seal? As the governor of Xuzhou, Liang Fang would naturally keep the official seal with him. Could it really be that he colluded with Song Fan…”

 

“Oh, right,” Huang Mian said, “I found one of the yamen runners who escorted the official silver. I was thinking of bringing him as a witness, as he should have seen the person who received the handover.”

 

Su Cen was delighted: “Where is he?”

 

“He came with me and is just outside the temporary palace.”

 

Su Cen went with Huang Mian to find the person, asking as they walked: “How is your father’s illness?”

 

“Thank you for your concern, Brother Su,” Huang Mian gave a bitter smile and sighed: “My father actually anticipated this day long ago. One mistake leads to another, and he has become ill with worry. The Huang family has served as officials for generations, and he bears the weight of our ancestors. He feared disgracing them, but now he has indeed tied himself in knots and tasted the bitterness of it.”

 

Su Cen consoled him: “This matter can’t be entirely blamed on your father. They schemed first, and your father merely fell into their trap. I believe the Prince will handle it fairly.”

 

Huang Mian smiled: “Thank you, Brother Su.”

 

For a moment, there was silence. Huang Mian looked travel-worn and weary, so Su Cen thought he would let him rest after they met the witness. Just as he was about to turn his thoughts back to the case, Huang Mian said: “Wan’er asked me to send her regards and to tell you to be careful here.”

 

“Oh?” The coldness in Su Cen’s expression gradually softened. He knew that Huang Wan’er had slowly recovered after returning home, and now it seemed she had fully recovered. She was no longer that little girl who followed behind him, grabbing him painfully.

 

“Actually, at first, my father didn’t approve of me coming here. It was Wan’er who told me to come. She said she trusted her Brother Su, but she’s never said she trusted me.” Huang Mian rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly. “But indeed, I haven’t done much to earn her trust.”

 

Su Cen returned a smile: “Since she was comfortable with you coming alone, she naturally trusts you as well.”

 

Huang Mian smiled, relieved of his worry.

 

Upon reaching the outside of the temporary palace, they saw that the horses were still there, but the person was nowhere to be seen. When they asked nearby refugees, they were told he had gone to the forest to relieve himself.

 

Su Cen and Huang Mian stood waiting outside, and after a good while without his return, they began to sense something was amiss.

 

The two entered the forest together, and Huang Mian called out several times but received no response. As they walked further in, the weeds grew taller. Just as Huang Mian was about to go search, Su Cen suddenly said: “No need.”

 

A drop of fresh blood hung on a fresh leaf. Huang Mian looked up and saw a person hanging upside down from a tree branch, staring at him. Fresh blood was slowly flowing from the seven orifices of the face, indicating a recent death.

 

Su Cen frowned: “The murderer is among us.”

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