FENG XIAO WAS certainly an excellent collaborator, but he was also a potential threat. Cui Buqu could never relax around him.
They'd traversed fire and flood together, but only because they'd had a common goal and shared in each other's successes and failures. Now that they'd returned to the capital, with all the threats behind them, they'd reverted to their previous dynamic.
The emperor and empress were a loving couple, but even they competed with each other. Likewise, the scope of the two bureaus' duties and interests were so strongly interconnected that an amicable relationship between them was impossible. Just as Feng Xiao often tried unsuccessfully to figure out what made Cui Buqu tick, Cui Buqu found it hard to guess what Feng Xiao was thinking.
Sometimes they acted like enemies, sometimes friends, and sometimes neither. Time and time again they went up to the line, only to take a step further when they found the other person could tolerate a little more. This was especially true of Feng Xiao, who found the whole thing greatly entertaining and never tired of probing his opponent.
The location of the Zuoyue Bureau was a secret known to very few. If Feng Xiao really did call a group of thugs there to make a scene, it really would be quite the headache.
Feng Xiao flicked his fan open and smiled. Seeing Cui Buqu's look of vexation, he leaned in and whispered, "You never attend these banquets. You wouldn't even accept the Prince of Jin's invitation, and there's even less reason for you to attend Duchess Yuwen's birthday celebration. Be honest: Why are you here? What evil schemes are you concocting in that brain of yours?"
Cui Buqu sneered. "No matter how many evil schemes I concoct, they're all useless when it comes to you; your skin is thicker than the Great Wall!"
Grabbing Cui Buqu's shoulder, Feng Xiao held him tightly in place and ignored his struggles. He wore a warm, friendly expression as he said, "See here. Together, you and I braved sandstorms at the border and stayed at a haunted inn, our lives bound together as we crawled out of the jaws of death. Try to downplay it if you like, but we were fast friends who were ready to give our lives for each other out there. Yet now you're hiding something so insignificant from me? How could you?"
Cui Buqu felt like there was a fly buzzing incessantly in his ear. He glared at Feng Xiao. The man was gorgeous; his sole imperfection was his ability to speak. If only Cui Buqu could sew his mouth shut, he thought, then he'd be able to appreciate his face in peace, and everything would be perfect.
"I came to arrest someone." Cui Buqu had finally revealed a shred of information, but his expression remained bland. He sat cross-legged with his elbow propped on the table, leaning slightly to one side. Half of him was bathed in the light of the lanterns, the other half lost in the dappled shadows of a tree. The cloak of night softened his silhouette, imparting to him a certain gentleness—but the moment these words left his mouth, that softness morphed into sharp bloodlust.
Feng Xiao hadn't been privy to Yan Yun and Gao Ying's thoughts earlier, but now his thoughts followed a similar path. It wasn't about this man's appearance, but his aura.
"To arrest whom?"
Cui Buqu slanted him a glance. "The Zuoyue and Jiejian Bureaus each have their own separate purview. We are like a well and a river, our waters never mingling. Deputy Chief Feng oughtn't pry."
Feng Xiao clicked his tongue. "When I'm useful, you cling and coo at me. When I'm not, you turn a cold shoulder. What a heartless, ungrateful man! I fear all young maidens must flee from you on sight!"
By this time, Yan Yun had mustered her courage and approached, tugging Gao Ying along with her. She arrived just in time to overhear Feng Xiao's words and froze.
Gao Ying coughed softly. "Good evening, sirs."
Cui Buqu nodded.
Feng Xiao arched a brow but said nothing. He'd seen plenty of women try to throw themselves into his arms. Wherever he went, young ladies flocked to him. If not for his exceptional qinggong allowing him to outrun them, the story of Pan An's admirers throwing fruit at the object of their affection might have indeed repeated itself in this dynasty.
Young maidens often came to greet him during banquets and other social functions. It had been novel the first few times, but when it'd happened again and again, he'd grown numb to it. He waited for the girls to say the words he expected, but they remained silent. Impatient, he rapped the table with his fan. "I'm catching up with an old friend of mine. Is there something I can help you with?"
Gao Ying shoved Yan Yun forward. The maiden took two steps, her cheeks coloring prettily, and addressed Cui Buqu. "Cui-langjun, may I speak with you privately?"
Feng Xiao's brows climbed toward his hairline. He smiled. "To meet such a beautiful maiden on such a beautiful evening, of course Cui-xiong wouldn't refuse."
Faced with the girl's sparkling eyes and Feng Xiao at his side fanning the flames, Cui Buqu remained unmoved. "Not right now."
Yan Yun blinked in surprise. In three short words, Cui Buqu had ground this young maiden's eager heart to dust.
Duchess Yuwen had watched the entire scene from the sidelines. Unable to bear it, she'd started toward them in hopes of putting in a good word for Yan Yun when Cui Buqu stopped her with a single glance.
His gaze was colder than the chill night wind. Yet in the next beat, he smiled and held out the peeled mandarin in his hand. "Would you like a mandarin, Your Grace?"
Duchess Yuwen took a silent step back.
Watching this, Feng Xiao found it odd. Cui Buqu was a ruthless person, but there was no need to intimidate a young lady he didn't know. And considering Yuwen Eying's status, it was unlikely they shared any connection—indeed, there was no sign of familiarity in their interaction.
But her behavior raised many questions, in the same way as the Prince of Jin's attempt to play up to Cui Buqu earlier. Feng Xiao was terribly curious. Cui Buqu was an eternal enigma. Feng Xiao had peeled away layer after layer, but always found more secrets hidden underneath.
Before he could solve this particular riddle, Princess Lanling's personal maid arrived on the scene, casting about as if looking for someone. When she caught sight of Feng Xiao, her eyes lit up and she ran over. "Feng-langjun, my lady the princess invites you over!"
Feng Xiao smiled. "Apologies, I'm catching up with a good friend of mine. I'm afraid I can't tear myself away."
The exalted Princess Lanling, daughter of the emperor himself and lovelier than an orchid, couldn't even move a single man. Had the winds in the capital truly changed so much in a few short years? Had refined gentlemen fallen out of fashion in favor of cold men with hearts of iron? Yan Yun forgot her own disappointment and gaped at Feng Xiao.
Had any other man been so disrespectful, the maid would have flown into a rage. But Feng Xiao was right in front of her, so she could only reveal some mild indignation. "Feng-langjun, my princess is in poor health today. Can you not go see her just once?"
"Please convey to your princess on my behalf…" Feng Xiao considered what to say. "That she should drink plenty of hot water and take the utmost care with her health."
The maid was speechless. She glared at Feng Xiao with loathing, then turned on her heel and hurried off.
Duchess Yuwen couldn't hold her tongue. "Deputy Chief Feng, though my fifth aunt is the emperor's daughter, she is not at all arrogant. She's a kind and gentle soul, and so lovely even flowers would blush in shame. Your lordship is an official; marrying a princess would be a great honor!"
Feng Xiao saw little point in arguing with a half-grown girl. He looked at Cui Buqu's freshly peeled mandarin on the table, then split it in two and popped half into his mouth.
Cui Buqu frowned and took back the remaining half to offer it again to Duchess Yuwen. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some mandarins, Your Grace? They're very sweet."
Duchess Yuwen looked at the mandarin half in Cui Buqu's hand and forced a smile. "I'm fine."
She too turned and left.
Gao Ying and Yan Yun looked at each other awkwardly. They hastily said their farewells and drifted away.
"Well now, there's another one," said Feng Xiao. "You can explain away the Prince of Jin flattering you as him trying to recruit talented men or hoping to use the Zuoyue Bureau for his own purposes. But what about Duchess Yuwen? I'd say she was about three parts caution, three parts displeasure, and four parts fear. Why?"
"Guess," said Cui Buqu.
Feng Xiao smiled. "All right. Are you Princess Leping's lover?"
The words Are you an idiot? were practically written on Cui Buqu's face. "If I were Princess Leping's lover, why would I go to such trouble dealing with Linlang Pavilion rather than just speaking to her?"
Feng Xiao shut his fan with a snap, tapping it against his palm. "That's true. So you must be Empress Dugu's lover instead?"
"Why not just accuse me of having an affair with the emperor," snapped Cui Buqu.
"Impossible." Feng Xiao's expression was perfectly serious. "If the emperor preferred men, there would be plenty of rumors flying about."
Cui Buqu split the remaining mandarin half into segments and placed them on the table to toy with. "Perhaps," he said, calm in the face of Feng Xiao's brazen nonsense. "Maybe I'm the emperor's illegitimate child, left out in the cold."
"Knowing what the empress is like? She'd have sent you to reincarnate long before you grew up!"
During their absurd back and forth, the rest of the guests had arrived in the garden, and it was now tightly packed. Princess Leping accompanied the crown prince, the Prince of Jin, the Prince of Qin, as well as Princess Lanling and the rest of her siblings as she took a seat.
To celebrate their niece's birthday, every one of her aunts and uncles—all children of the ruling couple—were in attendance. Their presence was an extraordinary honor. Princess Leping, the eldest princess, had personally invited them for her daughter's sake; the girl was the apple of her eye, her beloved treasure. Despite Duchess Yuwen's complicated circumstances, Princess Leping was like any other mother and did all she could to uphold her daughter's dignity.
It was rare for young men and women to gather together en masse, and many noble families were taking advantage of the occasion to look for a potential match for their children. All the young people sat together, chatting happily as they shared toasts and discussed common interests.
The music of the pipa drifted through the air, but the dancers didn't stay in one spot. Bold and unrestrained, they danced from one end of the garden to the other, trailing ribbons. They were as graceful as celestial maidens, adding another radiant touch to the bustling hall. Princess Leping really had spared no expense for her daughter's birthday. Anyone else would be hard-pressed to throw a grander fete than tonight's thousand-lantern banquet.
Quite a few guests who wished to take this chance to make a name for themselves before the crown prince and other royalty suggested a game of riddles. Duchess Yuwen also joined the game: She pulled a jade hairpin from her hair, and declared that if a woman took first place, she'd gift it to her. If a man won, he'd receive a particular sword from her family's treasury.
The crown prince smiled. "In that case, allow me to ask the first riddle."
A sportive atmosphere overtook the guests, and they rubbed their hands together, ready to meet the challenge.
Unfortunately, before they could begin, someone tactlessly interrupted. "Dare I ask the duchess, is the sword you intend to gift a certain item from the palace of the previous dynasty? If it's the sword I'm guessing, Emperor Xuan once carried it. Upon establishing the new dynasty, His Majesty ordered his men to catalog all the treasures in the palace; not a single one was to be missed. I too was present then and looked at the list, but there was no record of this sword. It was presumed to have gone missing. How is it that our records from the previous dynasty don't list it, yet now it is available for Duchess Yuwen to offer up? Can Her Grace explain?"
Cui Buqu's tone was bland, and he hadn't moved from his seat. Yet the sight of him elicited great loathing in the watchers—most especially Duchess Yuwen and her mother, whose faces turned pitch-black.
All was silent. In just a few words, Cui Buqu had struck a nerve with Princess Leping, publicly dredging up a past she'd prefer never to examine again. She'd been raised to be loyal to her nation, yet she'd been forced to become a traitor—and in a terrible piece of irony, the usurper was her own father.
No one dared speak.
The guests looked at each other. No doubt Cui Buqu had gone mad. If not that, then he must have some deep grudge against Princess Leping. Why else would he say such a thing but to ruin her banquet?
"What are you suggesting?!" Princess Leping's voice was tight with rage. "That I steal swords and hide them? This sword had been lost at the time of the cataloging. Someone discovered it later and gave it to me! Is there some crime in this?"
"Of course there's no crime," said Cui Buqu. "Who gave it to you? May I ask Her Highness to tell us?"
"Cui Buqu, just because you're chief of the Zuoyue Bureau and Mother shows you a little favor, do not imagine that I'm afraid of you. I will tell the emperor about this sword myself at a later time. Tonight, I won't allow anyone to spoil the evening. Guards, take him away!"
Princess Leping had heard about the scene Cui Buqu had made at Linlang Pavilion in Liugong City. She hated him for humiliating her, yet had no choice but to mark down the grudge and bide her time. Yet now Cui Buqu dared to openly make trouble at her banquet. It was unacceptable.
The crown prince shared her fury. "Marquis Cui, you returned from your mission a meritorious servant of our nation, but that doesn't mean you can say whatever you wish. The princess's banquet is a joyful occasion for everyone here tonight; only you have shown such disrespect. I'd advise you to choose your next words wisely!"
"Brother." The Prince of Jin coughed lightly. "Perhaps Marquis Cui has some reasons we're unaware of. Why not see what he has to say?"
But Cui Buqu shook his head. "I have no larger reasons; I was simply curious is all. I apologize for spoiling the princess's mood."
Everyone was dumbfounded. So you really just wanted to make trouble?
Cui Buqu remained where he was. The servants didn't dare grab him, while Princess Leping was about to collapse from sheer rage at his shamelessness.
"Since it was just a misunderstanding, let us continue the feast," said the Prince of Jin, attempting to smooth things over. He smiled. "Come, let us have a toast. What a lovely young lady my niece has become; in the blink of an eye, she's grown so tall. I wonder who her lucky suitor will be!"
Abashed, Duchess Yuwen quickly paid her uncle her respects, and the atmosphere soon became lively again. Princess Leping longed to punish Cui Buqu, but she didn't wish to sour the mood again. She forced herself to calm, vowing to take care of him once the banquet was over.
The game of riddles started anew. Several young men who admired the duchess had been quietly displeased at Cui Buqu's behavior and were raring to avenge her. Only Feng Xiao saw Cui Buqu arranging the mandarin segments on the table into a single word—Kill.
So he really hadn't come simply to attend the banquet, but to ruin it.
It was just as Feng Xiao had thought. This Cui fellow was more bashful than a wealthy family's maiden daughter, cloistered at home day in and day out. Why would he ever want to attend a duchess's banquet?
Feng Xiao moved his fan with ease, settling down to watch the show. His mood had greatly improved. Surely it wouldn't be fair if he was the only one getting set up. Such a gracious gift must be shared with others, no?