PEI JINGZHE STOOD in the doorway and contemplated his life. He had a clear memory of helping Feng Xiao to his room. He'd personally checked his pulse. It'd been weak and irregular, an unmistakable sign of poisoning and serious internal injury. Was Feng Xiao experiencing a final burst of strength before death? Pei Jingzhe's eyes prickled with tears.
Feng Xiao glanced up to find him standing there with his face turning from green to white and back again. Confused, he asked, "Did someone seal your acupoints?"
Before Pei Jingzhe could answer, a middle-aged man in dark blue robes rushed in, gasping out Feng Xiao's courtesy name: "Yuntian, these are the nine transformation pills of our sect. When someone is gravely injured or near death, it can put them in a suspended state…" Third Chief Ming Yue lapsed into silence. Both he and Pei Jingzhe stared blankly at Feng Xiao, who was suddenly bursting with vitality.
Ming Yue was first to return to his senses. "It was an act?"
"By using the Turtle Breathing technique while sealing the meridians, one can make oneself appear convincingly close to death. I'm probably the only person in the world who's thought of combining the two," Feng Xiao said gleefully.
The Turtle Breathing technique was used to fake death as a means of escape, while sealing the meridians could slow the spread of poison. But both were emergency measures, used only in a desperate situation. Who would think to use them for fun?
Ming Yue's lips twitched. "In other words, only your palm was injured. Did you really need to go so far to make someone owe you a life debt?"
Feng Xiao arched a brow. "But see here, not only did I cheat death, I also learned a valuable secret. Don't you think it was worth it?"
Ming Yue had no idea what he was getting at. "You want the Zuoyue Bureau to owe you a favor?"
Feng Xiao smiled. "What value does the Zuoyue Bureau have? Without Cui Buqu, it's akin to a person with their heart cut out."
The longer Ming Yue listened, the more confused he became. Feng Xiao waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. In three days, I'll be embarking on a lengthy trip to Boling-Anping with Cui Buqu. Lao-San,5 I leave the Jiejian Bureau in your care."
Ming Yue—bright moon. A poetic and sentimental name. From the meaning of the characters, most would imagine a tender woman, as gentle as the moon's light on water. Alas, reality was a cruel thing. Not only was Ming Yue a man, he was a simple and honest one, with a plain and unremarkable face. He rose earlier than the cock's crow and went to bed later than the dogs. At the Jiejian Bureau, the chief was a leader in name only, and the deputy chief was always running hither and thither. The third chief Ming Yue skipped countless meals and forwent hours of precious sleep, toiling away to keep the bureau running day to day. He was the linchpin of the whole organization.
Thus when he heard Feng Xiao's instructions, he simply nodded. "Not a problem. Please rest assured, all will be taken care of here."
Pei Jingzhe at last shook himself out of his stupor. "May I accompany you, my lord?"
Feng Xiao sneered. "Last time you came with me, I cut your salary for the entire year down to nothing. I fear that if you come along, you'll lose next year's salary as well!"
"This subordinate has made great progress!" Pei Jingzhe protested, deeply aggrieved.
Feng Xiao raised two fingers. "I'll give you these choices. One: You follow me. For every mistake you make, I'll deduct a month's salary, with no limit to how many months can be lost. Two: You can run an errand for me. If you succeed, not only will I return your docked salary, I'll double it."
Pei Jingzhe didn't think twice. "I choose the second!"
Nodding in satisfaction, Feng Xiao gave his assent. At the thought of recovering his lost wages, Pei Jingzhe's mood soared. He excused himself, delighted.
Ming Yue watched Pei Jingzhe leave looking like he was walking on air. He smiled. "You wanted him to pick the second option from the start."
"There's no way he'll complete that errand," said Feng Xiao. "At most, he'll manage half of what I ask him. If we tally all the deductions and bonuses, we can simply return him the salary that was cut. No need to give him more than that."
Ming Yue was rather at a loss. "Deputy Chief, I think you might be mistaken about your background. Maybe you should send someone to investigate."
Feng Xiao shot him a quizzical look. "Investigate what?"
"Investigate if there's a family in the Northern dynasty with the surname Cheap, who lost a son named Skate over twenty years ago."
Unfortunately, Feng Xiao had been thick-skinned from birth. Not only was he unembarrassed, he proudly explained his reasons. "That fool Pei Jingzhe never uses his brain. Today he gifted flowers to the young lady next door. Tomorrow he'll go help young maiden Song sell her pastries. Does he really think I don't know? He's undisciplined; an unhewn jade cannot be made useful. Young people like him don't need such high salaries, they merely need enough to make ends meet. Any more than that, and he'll squander it on wine and women!"
The position of most handsome man in the Jiejian Bureau naturally belonged to Feng Xiao. There were likely precious few people in the Sui dynasty who could match him for good looks.
But a face too arresting could also be isolating; people became afraid to get close. Such was the case with the young ladies Feng Xiao had mentioned: they'd initially been dazzled by his appearance but ultimately decided someone fresh-faced and sweet like Pei Jingzhe was a better choice for starting a family. Pei Jingzhe was always coming in and out of the bureau, and had become a favorite with all the young ladies in the neighborhood.
If Cui Buqu had been there, he'd have called Feng Xiao jealous. But Ming Yue was an honest man; he simply rubbed his nose, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"There's one more thing I'd like you to look into," said Feng Xiao.
Ming Yue's ears perked up.
"Investigate Princess Leping and Linlang Pavilion. I want to know anything that might connect them to the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai."
"Surely that's impossible!" Ming Yue's surprise was plain on his face. "Princess Leping is a Yang! Do you truly suspect she's the mastermind behind tonight's plot?" Though Ming Yue hadn't attended the thousand-lantern banquet, he'd already heard the gist of what happened.
"Which do you think is preferable—being a princess, or being the empress dowager?" asked Feng Xiao.
While Ming Yue was momentarily speechless, Feng Xiao continued: "How about being the emperor's daughter, or being the emperor's mother?"
"But the young emperor of the previous dynasty wasn't the princess's son," protested Ming Yue. "And the current emperor actually is her father. There's a difference between a father by blood and a stepson."
Feng Xiao nodded. "That's true in theory, but don't forget: Princess Leping is extraordinarily stubborn. She was full of resentment when the current dynasty was established. She argued with the emperor and empress in public, and even threatened to take her own life. Though she's relented over time, her attitude toward Cui Buqu makes it clear she's never fully let go of the past. She doesn't dare hold a grudge against her parents, so she's directed her resentment toward Cui Buqu instead."
"That's only speculation," said Ming Yue. "What else do you have to base this theory on?"
"Whoever ambushed me from beneath the carriage tonight was a superb martial artist. How could a kept man like Ren Yue have the resources to hire such a formidable expert?"
"You think there's someone behind Ren Yue, and that this person may also be connected to the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai and Princess Leping."
Feng Xiao thought for a moment, then said slowly, "Perhaps Princess Leping herself is the mastermind behind the Thirteen Floors of Yunhai."
Ming Yue was speechless. It was an audacious theory—too audacious—but after hearing Feng Xiao's reasoning, he couldn't dismiss it as wild and unfounded. The realization chilled him. "But Princess Leping really doesn't seem like the scheming type. The previous dynasty is no more. Even if she slaughters her father and brothers, it won't restore the Yuwen clan. Surely she doesn't intend to declare herself ruler?"
Feng Xiao rubbed his chin. "Bold guesses aren't necessarily a bad thing," he said. "I'm sure Cui Buqu's also considered this possibility. In any case, take some men and start investigating first thing tomorrow. Keep it secret, and keep an eye on Princess Leping. With enough digging, I'm certain you'll discover something interesting."
He added with some glee, "This time, the Jiejian Bureau must remain a step ahead of the Zuoyue Bureau. Don't let them steal the show. A defeated Cui Buqu, forced to swallow his dissatisfaction? I can't imagine anything better!"
Ming Yue didn't know what to say. After a moment he observed, "Cui Buqu doesn't know you faked your injury. A man on the verge of death isn't going to be bounding about, ready to head off to Boling, after a mere three days. Do you really think Cui Buqu is so gullible?"
Feng Xiao's smile froze on his face. He rubbed his jaw, now looking solemn. "You're right. Three days isn't enough time. Tomorrow, send someone to tell him my injuries are slow to heal. Ask him to wait another five days while I recuperate."
An idea came to Ming Yue. "Should we tell them the poison's deadly and you might not recover? That way he'll come see you."
"No, you don't understand that Cui fellow. He's like a touchy old mule. You have to soothe him, stroke his fur in the right direction. He's clever and mistrustful; the more someone wishes him to do something, the less willing he is to do it. If we say too much, he'll become suspicious. Keep it brief."
Ming Yue's lips twitched again. "As you wish. I'm going back to bed!"
Feng Xiao lay down and drew the covers over himself. He closed his eyes. "If I'm to play the invalid, I'll do it properly. From now on, I'm a gravely wounded patient, too weak to do anything. Blow out the candle for me before you go."
Once again, Ming Yue was speechless.
Feng Xiao listened until Ming Yue's footsteps faded into the distance. Then he opened his eyes and gazed out the open window. The hazy moonlight upon the window paper brought to mind the starry glow that had earlier gilded the carriage curtains.
The swaying carriage, the soft cushions, and a pale face.
Feng Xiao clicked his tongue. A plain and unremarkable face, not even one-tenth as attractive as his own. What good was such a face? But the moans that had escaped those lips hadn't been grating to the ear.
He touched his own lips. He'd done it partly out of curiosity, and partly because he'd wanted to test something. But the curiosity had yet to fade, and this test seemed to have netted him a quite specific answer.
"I may be in a bit of trouble," he murmured to himself.
If, in the future, there came a brilliant opportunity to set up Cui Buqu…would he take it?