WK Chapter 71

In the tribute items transported from the south from Baojiang District, the son of the Vice Minister of Revenue’s corpse was hidden.

 

Inside the corpse was hidden a document with a few words: “Superintendent Ren, and… I have arrived.”

 

Once the news spread, it immediately caused a sensation throughout the court and society.

 

Superintendent Ren was immediately placed under supervision, the North Gate Inspection and Transport Office was sealed off, and all related items were taken into custody.

 

The son of the Vice Minister of Revenue had died from a heavy blow to the head, dying instantly. There were no other struggle wounds on his body, making it impossible to determine the initial location of death.

 

According to a servant, Young Master Shu had gone to the Crown Prince’s Residence to attend the banquet, but the box containing the corpse was transported directly from the river to the imperial city.

 

Various twists and turns, impossible to explain.

 

And Superintendent Ren, the only person openly connected to this matter, was found to have committed suicide in his room on the evening he was placed under supervision, before interrogation even began.

 

He left behind a confession letter.

 

The general meaning was that Young Master Shu had approached him to buy tribute seafood from Baojiang District. He refused but informed him of the transport route for the tribute items.

 

Unexpectedly, Young Master Shu went directly to steal the tribute items, and due to some unknown accident, tragically died in the box. He expressed deep regret and, consumed by guilt, could not sleep at night.

 

Therefore, he took his own life.

 

–

 

Zichen Palace.

 

Emperor Chongzhao sneered: “This confession letter is complete nonsense.”

 

“Who would believe it?”

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Whether it’s believable or not isn’t important, Your Majesty. What’s most important is that this matter needs an explanation.”

 

And Superintendent Ren was the explanation given to the Vice Minister of Revenue’s household, as well as to the future Crown Princess Consort.

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “It hasn’t been long since the marriage was bestowed, and only a few days since the Crown Prince held his banquet, yet his future brother-in-law is already gone. Yu Decai, who do you think did this?”

 

“Is it those officials secretly taking sides, or one of my sons? The Second Prince, the Third Prince? They’ve only just started attending court.”

 

Head Eunuch Yu wiped his cold sweat, “Perhaps it was just an accident.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “An accident that ended up frozen, is that it?”

 

He slowly folded the confession letter, and as he paced, his fingers lightly tapped the pages.

 

“However, I have another doubt. If the goal was to disrupt the marriage I bestowed on the Crown Prince, the corpse should have been sent directly to the Crown Prince’s Residence. Why did it appear at the Inspection and Transport Office?”

 

Head Eunuch Yu didn’t respond. Emperor Chongzhao pondered, “Perhaps something went wrong in the middle, or perhaps I’m overthinking…”

 

“Your Majesty, what about Vice Minister Shu?”

 

Emperor Chongzhao handed him the confession letter, “Cut off the head of the ‘explanation,’ and along with the corpse, have the Crown Prince deliver them to the Vice Minister’s residence.”

 

“Let Young Master Shu be properly buried. Tell him that the marriage between the Shu family and the Crown Prince will not change, and I will dispatch the Eastern Depot to investigate this matter thoroughly.”

 

As for how long the investigation would take and whether anything would be found, that was uncertain.

 

If they truly discovered which prince was responsible, it would be fine if they only told His Majesty. But if it were made public, it might be the Eastern Depot that would lose their heads instead.

 

Head Eunuch Yu: “Yes.”

 

Emperor Chongzhao: “However, if the intention was to damage the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Vice Minister of Revenue’s household, this time it might backfire.”

 

–

 

The Crown Prince brought two corpses to the Vice Minister’s residence.

 

The residence was already hung with white cloth and mourning couplets.

 

Shu Wenxin, dressed in mourning clothes, stood in the courtyard, her face streaked with tears as she watched her elder brother’s coffin enter the mourning hall.

 

The coffin wasn’t opened. After being frozen, bodies decay very quickly[mfn]This appears to be either a misunderstanding by the author or perhaps a cultural belief being expressed in the story. In the context of the story, it would be more accurate to say that once the frozen body thawed in the hot weather, decomposition proceeded rapidly, but not that freezing itself caused faster decay.[/mfn]. In the hot weather, the corpse was already severely decomposed and foul-smelling.

 

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then walked to her side.

 

“Um, don’t cry too hard.”

 

Shu Wenxin raised her hand to wipe her tears: “I’ve heard everything from my father. This matter can only end like this, it can’t be investigated clearly. Your Highness, tell me, do you know something?”

 

Her voice trembled, almost inaudible.

 

“Is it the Second Prince…? The Third Prince…?”

 

She was to marry the Crown Prince, and her brother immediately met with an accident, precisely on the day of the Crown Prince’s banquet. Only the Second Prince and Third Prince, or the court officials behind them, had motives to disrupt the Crown Prince’s banquet.

 

Crown Prince: “I don’t know about this matter either.”

 

He said irritably: “But it’s certainly dangerous. If you don’t want to marry me, I will speak plainly with Father Emperor. You won’t be involved anymore.”

 

“No, our marriage agreement will remain unchanged, just as His Majesty said.”

 

Shu Wenxin took a deep breath, her eyes red.

 

Shu’s father also came over. In just a few days, he had aged considerably. He cupped his hands and bowed deeply to the Crown Prince.

 

“From now on, my Shu family and the Crown Prince are in the same boat.”

 

Shu Wenxin: “I only ask that in the future, we can find the murderer and exact revenge.”

 

The Crown Prince stared at her for a moment, then nodded vigorously and helped Shu’s father up.

 

“Please rise, please rise. That’s natural.”

 

–

 

The matter of the Vice Minister of Revenue’s son’s death was temporarily settled.

 

When news came that Wen Xiaochun had been promoted to Chief Inspection Officer of the North Gate Inspection and Transport Office, Qu Dubian knew that this matter had nothing to do with his people anymore.

 

He breathed a huge sigh of relief. Involving a death, neither Xiaochun nor Ye Banban were willing to tell him the details, fearing he would have nightmares.

 

After the big stone had been lifted, what followed was admiration.

 

Xiaochun truly deserved his three years of tempering outside, handling matters so efficiently.

 

He didn’t pay attention to subsequent events.

 

He gave the more than two thousand taels that the Crown Prince had used to bribe him to Xia Fuyang, for promoting “Even in Death, the Fragrance of Chivalry Remains,” recruiting artists, and drawing character portraits.

 

He wondered how it was going now.

 

Qu Dubian sat cross-legged on the roof, his chin resting on both hands.

 

Hopefully it hadn’t been messed up?

 

Perhaps he should go out and see.

 

Thinking of this, Qu Dubian climbed down the ladder—he still couldn’t jump down very gracefully, though he felt it would only be a matter of a few years.

 

He would definitely become a master who could fly around.

 

Even Da Hei didn’t say it was impossible.

 

–

 

Capital City.

 

Scholars and literati, wealthy and romantic.

 

Young nobles competing for favors, countless red tassels in a single tune.

 

A courtesan’s smile, difficult to obtain even with a thousand gold.

 

But in the past half month, the most popular wasn’t the competing courtesans, nor the cold rabbit lords of the entertainment districts, but the storytellers in Ruyi Tower, Fugui Tile, and Tiandi Yijian Pavilion—

 

Hey, these aging storytellers had never been so patronized before. Every day, their storytelling stirred up passionate excitement!

 

With a slam of the wooden block, the audience below responded with “Wow!” and “Amazing!”

 

In the elegant rooms upstairs, there were sons of officials and wealthy families, young ladies from good families, and even courtesans and entertainers. The copper coins they threw down as rewards occasionally hit people.

 

It was now early evening, and even more lively.

 

Qu Dubian, dressed as an ordinary young master from a wealthy family, waving a fan, strode grandly through the main entrance of Ruyi Tower.

 

—If one ignored the anti-loss rope that Ye Xiaoyuan had tied to his wrist, he looked quite dashing.

 

Ye Xiaoyuan: “Young Master, it’s not safe at night. Why don’t we come tomorrow? If we return late, the old madam will worry.”

 

“It’s fine, Liuliu is still here.”

 

Though he said this, Ye Xiaoyuan looked at the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd around them and felt the nervous sense that the child might be stolen.

 

“Se… Young Master! Seven Young Master!” From the second floor, Xia Fuyang’s sharp eyes spotted him in the crowd and quickly waved, “Come up!”

 

The bouncer guarding the stairs, who prevented outsiders from going up to the elegant rooms, immediately invited Qu Dubian up.

 

Successfully squeezing through the crowd below and avoiding the copper coins being thrown down from above, when he stood on the upper floor, Qu Dubian took a big breath.

 

He fanned himself with his hand and exclaimed: “Your promotional effect… is this powerful?”

 

Xia Fuyang invited him into the elegant room.

 

The door closed, but the storyteller’s rich voice still penetrated through the open windows, clearly audible, obviously very skilled.

 

Xia Fuyang chuckled: “Your storybooks are high quality, and you gave me so much money for promotion. Combined, the effect is naturally good.”

 

“Actually, there weren’t so many people at the beginning. It was the courtesan Jin Yue from Chunfeng House who heard the story, cried like rain, and actively promoted it. She really likes the character Master Duan in the story.”

 

Master Duan, with his cold personality, had been poisoned and didn’t age. He had five disciples under him.

 

His teaching methods were cold and strict, yet his disciples still respected and loved him. Later, when bandits attacked the mountain gate, the five disciples defended it, one severely injured and four lightly wounded.

 

Master Duan rushed back at the critical moment, slaughtered the bandits to avenge his disciples, and ultimately succumbed to his poison.

 

Before dying, he only said: “In the past, others protected me. Today, I protect you.”

 

An old friend arrived and told the disciples.

 

Master Duan’s mountain gate in the past had also been attacked by bandits. He was the youngest one. His master and senior disciples, in order to defend the mountain gate and protect those who hadn’t grown up yet, perished together with the enemy.

 

Qu Dubian: “This person has quite a bit of trendiness, it’s not surprising that people like him.”

 

Xia Fuyang: “Trendiness?”

 

“It means, um, charisma… the key is that he’s handsome.”

 

If he weren’t handsome, he’d just be an unfortunate old man who died.

 

“I understand,” Xia Fuyang nodded, “Originally, I wanted to hire storytellers in all four markets—east, south, west, and north—but I was worried we couldn’t print enough books in time.”

 

Qu Dubian: “Take it slow.”

 

If it became too popular at once, just one small bookstore would collapse directly.

 

Xia Fuyang closed the window, “Tomorrow we’ll stop the storytelling at a cliffhanger and announce that there will be no more storytelling, directing everyone to our bookstore.”

 

Qu Dubian: “Good. I’ll be staying at the marquis’s residence these few days. Come find me if anything comes up.”

 

Xia Fuyang looked at him and lowered his voice: “You’re the first prince I’ve ever seen who can freely move between the imperial palace and a marquis’s residence. Impressive.”

 

But this involved countless twists and turns, power concessions, and compromises.

 

Qu Dubian said to himself, while smiling on the surface: “Indeed.”

 

Xia Fuyang: “And how should I put it, being with you feels more comfortable than with other princes.”

 

“We all have one nose and one mouth,” Qu Dubian said: “Stop chattering. Bring the food box. Did you prepare what my grandmother likes?”

 

Xia Fuyang brought up a food box.

 

“Here.”

 

Qu Dubian: “Then I’ll be off.”

 

Xia Fuyang escorted him out, stopping only when they were just one street away from the marquis’s residence.

 

Qu Dubian waved to him, and he smiled and waved back. Only when the person was out of sight did he leisurely turn around, hands behind his back, humming a nameless little tune.

 

He couldn’t quite explain why he got along so well with the Seventh Prince, despite their four or five-year age difference.

 

Perhaps when talking to the Seventh Prince, he subconsciously ignored that he was a child, or perhaps it was because the Seventh Prince’s eyes lacked the uncomfortable condescension found in the eyes of the capital’s nobility.

 

The Seventh Prince was close to Ye Xiaoyuan, affectionate with the old Marchioness, and treated him and ordinary common people with a sense of equality.

 

He saw people as people, not as objects.

 

–

 

The next day.

 

The storyteller abruptly stopped at an exciting point and wouldn’t continue.

 

He said if they wanted to know what happened next, they should go to Cangwen Bookstore to buy the book.

 

At first, everyone cursed, but while cursing, they rushed toward Cangwen Bookstore, until they saw the hanging scroll outside the bookstore with vivid paintings of the characters from the book.

 

The shopkeeper greeted them: “Come and see, come and look! The sequel to ‘Even in Death, the Fragrance of Chivalry Remains’ is here! Buy the complete edition for a chance to get a colored character painting. Limited supply, first come, first served!”

 

“For anyone buying books, if you also buy brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones in the store, everything within three sheets of paper is 20% off!”

 

“Don’t miss it as you pass by! The owner is bleeding money. Buying now is a bargain!”

 

Instantly, the small bookstore was packed with people.

 

Within two days, the storybooks began to run out.

 

Xia Fuyang was running around frantically, urgently paying for additional printing.

 

Qu Dubian was only responsible for providing ideas. He was accompanying his grandmother at the marquis’s residence.

 

On the pillar outside the bedroom in the marquis’s residence, he had drawn many marks, all traces of his growth in height.

 

He and his grandmother lay side by side on the grand chairs sunbathing, with a small table between them holding fruits and snacks.

 

Qu Dubian: “Grandmother, in Third Uncle Grandfather’s family, do I have an uncle? Why haven’t I ever met him?”

 

Wu Siwan gently swayed while fanning him with a fan, smiling: “Perhaps it’s just not the right time yet.”

 

–

 

Xia Fuyang’s bookstore became popular, completely draining the customer flow from the bookstore across the street.

 

The owner of the opposite bookstore couldn’t sit still anymore.

 

That afternoon, he rushed out.

 

Arriving at his destination, Xue Letian shouted loudly: “Ahhh, you need to do something about this! If this continues, the bookstore will go bankrupt!!”

 

Dressed in purple robes, he walked with vigor, the four characters “Heaven’s Mandate, Romantic Flair” on his fan almost blurring as he waved it, heading straight for the bamboo garden.

 

In the pavilion of the bamboo garden, there was a figure in blue playing Go alone.

 

“Xu Tingfeng! Xu Tingfeng!”

 

“Sigh…” Xu Tingfeng sighed, placing a white stone, “Sit down first. What’s the matter? Why so flustered?”

 

Xue Letian picked up the teapot from the table and gulped it down.

 

“It’s our bookstore. All the customers have been stolen.”

 

He explained what had happened over the past few days, “I don’t know where the people across the street found such an expert, publishing a book called something like ‘Chivalry Fragrance,’ and using so many strange tactics to entice people to spend money. If this continues, we’ll definitely lose money!”

 

Xu Tingfeng raised an eyebrow: “Interesting. Do you know who’s behind Cangwen Bookstore?”

 

Xue Letian: “I’m not quite sure. It seems to be a shop set up by some lady. What should we do?”

 

“What to do?” Xu Tingfeng smiled, “If they can steal customers, we can steal them back.”

 

The business world is like a battlefield; there’s no reason for anyone to yield to anyone else.

 

---

 

(advanced chapters available on kofi)