PCA Chapter 176

Su Cen frowned, uncertain whether Feng Yiming’s words came from the heart or were yet another deception. If true, and Li Shi was involved, why would he allow Su Cen to investigate? If false, why could Su Cen feel Feng Yiming’s pain so deeply in his core?

 

Finding no way to comfort him, Su Cen felt that anything he might say would sound like the gloating of a victorious villain. He could only return to the case, asking directly: “What relationship did Tian Pingzhi have with the Prince?”

 

“At this point, you still naively think Tian Pingzhi’s case is as simple as one life?” Feng Yiming laughed coldly. “Liu Cheng, the former emperor, the Secret Door—the implications are so widespread that even Lord Chen couldn’t make progress. What makes you think you can solve this case?”

 

“What relationship did Tian Pingzhi have with the Prince?” Su Cen frowned and repeated word by word. “When Tian Pingzhi died, the Prince was still at the border, busy with the Battle of Surrender City. How could he possibly have any connection with a scholar thousands of miles away who hadn’t even passed the imperial examinations yet?”

 

“Believe it or not,” Feng Yiming smiled helplessly, “you’ll end up harming him.”

 

The stars shifted, the crescent moon disappeared, and daylight approached. After a moment of silence, when Su Cen raised his head again, his eyes were clear. “You should go.”

 

“What?” Feng Yiming was momentarily stunned, then looked at Su Cen in disbelief, suddenly unable to understand what he meant.

 

“Whether there’s a connection or not, I’ll go ask him directly,” Su Cen walked past Feng Yiming, heading back. “You should go, return to your Yangzhou. This matter no longer concerns you.”

 

Feng Yiming frowned as he watched the straight figure ahead, asking: “You’re not arresting me?”

 

“You’re more useful in Yangzhou than in prison.” Without looking back, Su Cen continued forward, disappearing into the heavy dusk.

 

Feng Yiming stared at where Su Cen had vanished, his eyes showing an almost maddening jealousy. They say water has no feeling while fallen flowers have intention. Though they were both like those presumptuous fallen flowers, why could Su Cen so calmly say he would “go ask him directly”?

 

Upon further reflection, Feng Yiming smiled self-mockingly. So, they were truly different after all.

 

When Su Cen left the examination hall, it was still dark. The morning drums of Chang’an had just sounded, marking the time when the city gates opened, while most people were still sound asleep. Su Cen walked alone on the cold, empty streets, with no one around, passing through the wards under the curious gaze of the gate guards and heading straight for Xingqing Palace.

 

When he arrived, Li Shi had just gotten up. The sandalwood scent still lingered in the room. Li Shi casually draped an outer robe over himself, his chest slightly exposed, and said: “You’re back.”

 

It was “You’re back,” not “You’ve come.”

 

Su Cen thought to himself that discussing with Qi Lin had indeed been like asking the tiger for its skin. If Qi Lin knew, it was equivalent to Li Shi knowing.

 

But since Li Shi neither stopped him nor concealed anything, he must have tacitly approved of Su Cen going.

 

“Was it Feng Yiming?”

 

Su Cen nodded slightly, then heard Li Shi continue: “How did you handle it?”

 

“I told him to return to Yangzhou.” Su Cen said, then frowned slightly, “Or did you have other arrangements?”

 

Li Shi sat down, letting his attendants arrange his hair. His stern face reflected in the bronze mirror showed a touch of tenderness, and he seemed to raise an eyebrow and smile, “I already said, it’s your case, your decision.”

 

Su Cen seemed drawn to those deep eyes and bewitched by that low voice. He stepped forward, without ceremony, and sat on the floor, leaning his head against Li Shi’s knee like a somewhat confused child.

 

Li Shi raised his hand to lift that slightly gaunt chin, asking: “What’s wrong?”

 

Su Cen looked up, gazing directly into Li Shi’s eyes that could drown someone, and suddenly didn’t know how to begin.

 

But in the end, rationality triumphed over personal feelings, and he asked Li Shi: “Did you know Tian Pingzhi?”

 

Li Shi moved his hand to Su Cen’s back, gently stroking along his spine, “Wasn’t he a scholar coming to the capital for the imperial examinations, the son of the Tian store owner?”

 

“And before that? When he was still alive, did you know him?”

 

Li Shi frowned as if thinking for a moment, then shook his head, “No, I didn’t.”

 

A weight lifted from Su Cen’s heart, and he let out a long sigh of relief. Since knowing Li Shi, he had asked many questions—casual, questioning, enticing, forceful ones. When faced with questions he didn’t want to answer, Li Shi would avoid them, but he had never lied to Su Cen.

 

So, Feng Yiming had deceived him. Li Shi truly didn’t know Tian Pingzhi, and this matter had nothing to do with Li Shi.

 

Su Cen laid his head on Li Shi’s knee, suddenly feeling extremely at ease. Perhaps it was the lingering sandalwood incense taking effect, or perhaps it was the resolution of a worry, but as his mind finally relaxed, sleepiness overcame him, and in that moment, Su Cen almost lost all resistance.

 

Li Shi raised his hand, signaling the waiting maid to withdraw, then picked Su Cen up by the waist and carried him back to the bed.

 

Before leaving, he gazed at that peaceful, serene face for a while. His index finger curled around a lock of hair that had fallen beside Su Cen’s face, but when he released it slightly, it slipped away from his fingertips. The sleeping person remained unaware, as peaceful as before.

 

Li Shi rose, closed the door as he left, and instructed Qi Lin to report Su Cen’s absence to the Dali Temple.

 

At the third quarter of the Mao hour, all court officials passed through the Danfeng Gate to attend the court session. The Prince of Ning’s carriage slowly arrived, and the officials stood to the sides, waiting for his carriage to proceed first. The towering Danfeng Gate was like a fierce beast of the abyss, its giant mouth swallowing everything that passed into that golden, magnificent cage. Li Shi suddenly recalled Su Cen’s morning question—how could the open and hidden dangers behind that gate be clearly defined by a simple question of whether one knew someone or not?

 

When Su Cen awoke, it was already past noon. He was immediately informed by Qu Ling’er that Feng Yiming had already left. Su Cen listened calmly without commenting, then instructed the servants to bring him something to eat. After a simple meal, he hurried to the Dali Temple, expecting to be pulled aside by Zhang Jun for a serious lecture, but to his surprise, as soon as he entered the temple gates, he saw Zhang Jun leading a group of people away in a hurry, without even glancing at him.

 

“What happened?” Su Cen grabbed little Sun, who was about to head back after watching the commotion. “Why are there so many people?”

 

“It seems some high official was attacked in his own home,” little Sun turned his head and clicked his tongue. “Looks like being a high-ranking official isn’t all good—you can’t even be safe in your own home.”

 

As Su Cen walked back with little Sun, he asked: “Which official?”

 

Little Sun shook his head, “That I don’t know,” and smiled apologetically at Su Cen. “I just overheard a bit. Master Zhang wouldn’t tell someone like me who just does odd jobs.”

 

After parting with little Sun, Su Cen arrived at his office to find Ning Santong already there. Seeing Su Cen arrive, Ning Santong greeted him and casually sat on Su Cen’s desk, saying: “I heard Brother Feng returned to Yangzhou?”

 

“Your information is quite timely,” Su Cen said while organizing case files on his desk, glancing up at Ning Santong. Feng Yiming had only left in the morning, yet by afternoon Ning Santong had already received the news—remarkably quick.

 

“He came to see me this morning but didn’t say much, just gave me a new box and left,” Ning Santong said puzzledly. “Later, I felt he might have had something to tell me, so I went to find him, but your servants told me he had already left.”

 

Su Cen understood that Feng Yiming’s use of Ning Santong had been reluctant, and his subsequent “sorry” must have been difficult to utter. Such a proud person had left alone, without anyone to see him off. With a sense of regret, Su Cen helped explain: “He had urgent matters in Yangzhou, so he left early.”

 

Ning Santong nodded without any resentment, “No wonder.”

 

Then he asked: “What about Tian Pingzhi’s body you mentioned earlier? Didn’t you say you found it? Aren’t you going to let me take a look?”

 

Su Cen jumped up with a start.

 

He had forgotten that Tian Pingzhi’s body was still buried behind the examination hall!

 

He called Ning Santong and several familiar yamen runners. Taking advantage of Zhang Jun’s absence, the group, led by Su Cen, abandoned their posts together, carrying shovels and hoes to the jujube trees behind the examination hall. They all looked excited, not like people going to exhume a body, but rather like treasure hunters.

 

Su Cen repeatedly emphasized the seriousness of this case, unlike any case he had handled before. When his persuasion failed, he had no choice but to let them enthusiastically dig with their shovels.

 

The holes that Feng Yiming’s people had previously dug helped eliminate some locations, and before long, the entire area was covered in excavations.

 

After digging for about the time it takes to drink several cups of tea, someone suddenly exclaimed: Found it!

 

Su Cen’s eyes lit up, and he immediately dropped his hoe and rushed over to look.

 

Under the soil, a section of white bone had just become visible, located only one step away from the large hole that Feng Yiming and his people had dug earlier.

 

It took some more effort to excavate the entire body, which was then laid out on a flat area nearby. Ning Santong was responsible for arranging the excavated bones in their original positions. As the last piece of bone was unearthed, a complete skeleton was presented before everyone.

 

“Can you tell anything from it?” Su Cen asked, drawing closer.

 

“The deceased was about seven feet three inches tall, male, and judging by the bone age, he was probably not over thirty when he died. As for the cause of death…” Ning Santong frowned and shook his head. “Since the body has decomposed to just bones, I need to take it back for a thorough examination before drawing conclusions, but don’t get your hopes too high. I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to determine anything definitive.”

 

Su Cen nodded, knowing that after more than a decade, the chances of finding evidence from the remains were minimal. But at least they could remove him from this cage that had imprisoned him for over ten years, providing some closure for Old Master Tian.

 

“It’s getting late, let’s take the body back to the temple first.”

 

Someone took out a prepared sack and carefully placed the bones inside. A strong person hoisted the sack onto his back, not minding the bag of bones pressing against his back, and began walking with large strides.

 

After just a few steps, there was a small sound as a bone fell out of the sack. Fortunately, Su Cen and the others were walking at the rear, so it wasn’t left behind.

 

“Who found this sack? It’s leaking,” Su Cen frowned, having the person put down the sack for a careful inspection. They discovered that a hole had been gnawed in one corner by rats, and the bone had fallen through it.

 

Su Cen tied the gap with a straw rope and made sure no more bones would fall out. Just as he was about to put the fallen bone back, Ning Santong grabbed his wrist.

 

Ning Santong stared at the bone in Su Cen’s hand with an almost stubborn gaze, slowly taking it.

 

Everyone stood holding their breath, watching as Ning Santong’s expression changed from puzzlement to gravity, and finally to an inscrutable stillness.

 

“What is it?” Su Cen asked softly.

 

“I know how Tian Pingzhi died,” Ning Santong gripped the bone. “He was still alive when he was buried in the earth.”

 

 

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