QYT - 11

The deep palace corridor was narrow and long, especially at night, where the darkness ahead seemed endless.

Dunzi held a lantern, leading the way, his voice very low: “This way, miss.”

The East Wing courtyard was quiet. Cao Kunda’s figure was etched on the window paper, hunched and motionless.

Dunzi stepped forward and knocked on the door, “Eunuch, the young lady has arrived.”

After a long while, a deep, slow voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Dunzi acknowledged, pushed open the door, bowed, and retreated.

The room was filled with a lingering fragrance. Cao Kunda sat sideways, a thin bamboo pipe still clutched between his fingers. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath from the opium pipe on the table, drawing the last wisp of smokeless powder into his lungs. Then, slowly emerging from his trance, he opened his eyes. “You’re here?”

Qing Wei knelt on one knee: “Qing Wei failed in her task, falling short at the last moment. Please punish your godson.”

Cao Kunda put the thin bamboo pipe into a box, his voice and movements equally leisurely: “This old one has heard about the matter. It’s not your fault. The Black Eagle Division was too pressing. Wei Jue and Zhang Luzhi didn’t even attend their master’s banquet; they were just staring at Shifang Pavilion.”

He glanced at Qing Wei, “But you were indeed careless. At the very last moment, how did you let Xue Changxing walk right into a trap?”

Qing Wei said, “It was only because Xue Changxing claimed he had an old acquaintance at Shifang Pavilion and feared this parting might be a final one. I thought, it’s just a common courtesan; even a visit shouldn’t cause much trouble. I didn’t expect it to expose our whereabouts.”

She paused as she spoke. Cao Kunda was always well-informed. If he had already investigated the matter, he shouldn’t be asking this. So, his mention of Shifang Pavilion was because—

“Godfather, did something happen at Shifang Pavilion?”

“It was sealed by the Black Eagle Division, and everyone inside was taken away,” Cao Kunda said, still unhurried. “The Black Eagle Division couldn’t find Xue Changxing, so they’re holding everyone from Shifang Pavilion in the copper vault, interrogating them one by one.”

“They’re very cautious!” He slammed the nanmu box on the table shut, his voice suddenly sharp. “No one is allowed in except their trusted subordinates. I wonder what they’ve found out!”

Qing Wei lowered her eyes: “Perhaps they learned their lesson from the incident with Yuan Wenguang last time, fearing information leaks, and so they’ve become more vigilant.”

Cao Kunda shifted his gaze to her. After a moment, the coldness in his eyes gradually faded, and his tone softened again, “Logically speaking, that Xue Changxing shouldn’t have escaped. There are only so many roads in the Ningzhou mountains, and the horse was found, but the person disappeared. What kind of logic is that? Furthermore, this old one’s men are still waiting at the teahouse at Changhua Pass. All roads in and out were blocked, but where is he?” He stared at Qing Wei, “You wouldn’t have deliberately let Xue Changxing escape and played a trick on this old one, would you?”

Qing Wei bowed low: “Godfather, please be clear. When we reached the Ningzhou mountains, Xue Changxing claimed he was familiar with the area and could meet your people himself. The Black Eagle Division was right behind us, so I had no choice but to take the main road first to draw away the pursuers. I don’t know why he disappeared without a trace into the mountains. Perhaps... perhaps the Black Eagle Division has already found Xue Changxing but is temporarily not disclosing it to the outside.”

At that time, Xue Changxing took the mountain path, but indeed, his horse returned to the official road. Judging solely from the hoofprints, there shouldn’t have been any major clues.

Moreover, Cao Kunda was confined to the deep palace, unable to reach many affairs. Even if he harbored doubts and wanted to cause trouble, he temporarily couldn’t find a point of attack.

After a long while, Cao Kunda smiled: “Well, you’ve done your best in this matter. This old one naturally believes you. Xue Changxing is a cunning fellow, like a slippery fish. He’s gone, and no one can find him. That’s fine too. This matter is over. This old one has another important task for you now.”

“Godfather, please instruct.”

“A few days ago, Wei Jue purged his subordinates, removing many of this old one’s planted informants. Now, the Black Eagle Division is like an iron barrel; no one can get in. Fortunately, His Majesty has appointed Jiang Cizhou as the head of the Black Eagle Division, and Cui Hongyi’s young daughter is about to marry Jiang Cizhou. This old one hopes you can seize this opportunity to go to the Jiang family as part of the bridal retinue.”

Upon hearing this, Qing Wei’s brow suddenly furrowed.

She remained silent for a moment, then said, “This matter... Qing Wei respectfully cannot obey.”

“It’s not that Qing Wei is unwilling to work for godfather. The Black Eagle Division has already set their sights on me; it’s only a matter of time before they discover I’m the robber. Furthermore, someone in the Gao family has also noticed my movements. The capital is no longer a place for me to stay for long. Even if I go to the Jiang family, I will eventually be arrested by the Black Eagle Division and thrown into the copper vault, unable to gather any more information for godfather. As for now... I can only leave the capital first.”

The room was quiet. The night was too dim; there was not a single sound of wind outside. The lamp oil was about to run out, but no one came to refill it. The faint light did not illuminate the gloomy room. At first glance, it seemed that this cluster of light was out of place.

“Alright, you’ve grown up too.” After a long while, Cao Kunda said, “This is your matter; you can decide for yourself.”

The prisoner had escaped outside the city, and the Black Eagle Guards surrounding the Gao residence had temporarily withdrawn.

Qing Wei scaled the wall into the abandoned courtyard. She paused briefly in the courtyard, glanced at the side room, then hurried back to her own small house.

The ash in front of her door had been disturbed again. The Gao residence was no longer a place to stay long. Moreover, the Black Eagle Division was watching her, and Cao Kunda no longer fully trusted her. His talk of her master’s whereabouts was probably a pretext to lure her to the capital. She had to leave as soon as possible and lie low.

Qing Wei quickly washed up, packed her belongings before going to bed, and lay down fully clothed.

She stared at the rafters in the darkness.

Over the years, she had come and gone, constantly on the move, but even when dependent on others, she at least had a place to stay. Now that she was leaving, she didn’t know where to go.

Xiao Ye...

Qing Wei was in a daze, hearing an old acquaintance call her by that name.

She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.

This time, she wasn’t in her old home in Chenyang.

The mountain vegetation was lush. In the courtyard enclosed by a fence, a patch of green bamboo grew. She sat in the middle, holding a heavy sword, silently splitting a piece of wood in half.

“If your maternal grandfather knew you were wasting resources like this, using a heavy black iron sword to chop firewood, his coffin lid would be unable to stay down.” A voice with a smile came from behind her. Yue Qiqi walked over, holding the bamboo flute he had just carved. “You’re angry with your father and ran away from home, and now you’ve come here to throw your weight around?”

Qing Wei said nothing, picked up a new log, and raised her sword again.

Qiqi pressed the bamboo flute downwards, batting away her wrist, taking the sword with an effortless deflection. He said gently, “Xiao Ye, you can’t get over this hurdle with your mother, but do you think Wen Qian can? When you throw a tantrum like this, he’s actually hurting.”

Qing Wei lowered her head: “I didn’t see him hurting much.”

“He’s not like you, little girl. Is it that when he’s sad, he has to show it to people? He hides it in his heart. Besides, if you’re unhappy and run to me, I’m at this age and haven’t married yet. If some girl comes and sees a girl like you, thinking I have such a big daughter, and gets scared away, what do you think I should do? Aren’t you ruining my chances?”

Qing Wei paused, then stood up to go back to her room to pack her things: “Then I’ll just leave.”

“Hey, I was just teasing you, how did you take it seriously?” Qiqi quickly stopped Qing Wei. “Don’t you want to learn my Soft Jade Sword? How about I teach you the secret today? The so-called Soft Jade Sword, don’t look at the ‘sword’ part, the key is in the ‘soft’ word. Its greatest use is as a rope. Don’t disbelieve me, with it, even if you fall from a height, you won’t get hurt...”

...

Qing Wei suddenly opened her eyes.

Outside, the sky was already lightening. She quickly sat up, her forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.

Back then, when her mother passed away, her master said the Soft Jade Sword could be used as a rope, naturally to cheer her up, but, but...

Yesterday, by the cliff, Xue Changxing had asked her a cryptic question—

“Little girl, you are so capable, and you carry the soft jade sword Yu Qi left for you. If you jump from here, you should be fine, right?”

Qing Wei seemed to understand something. She got up, wrapped herself in her cloak, poured a bowl of cold water, drank it down, and pulled open the door, ready to leave. When she looked out, she saw Cui Zhiyue pacing in the small courtyard.

She seemed to have arrived before dawn, with deep dark circles under her eyes, which were red and swollen, indicating she had probably cried all night. Looking closely, one could even discern traces of dried tears.

The day before yesterday, Qing Wei had asked her to find Gao Ziyu to clarify the situation, and she had most likely done so.

As soon as Cui Zhiyue saw Qing Wei, she came forward, sobbing, “Sister, cousin, he, he...”

Qing Wei was truly anxious. After a slight hesitation, she interrupted, “Forgive me, Zhiyun, I have an urgent matter. Wait for me for half a day, and we’ll talk when I return.”

Qing Wei hired a horse at the post station and galloped all the way, following the official road, quickly arriving at yesterday’s cliff.

The Black Eagle Division must have searched this place already; there were horse tracks and footprints everywhere. It was not yet noon, and the autumn light was clear, illuminating everything. The deep mist below the cliff had also dispersed. Looking down, the cliff face was crisscrossed with horizontal wood, and the bottom of the cliff was vaguely visible.

Yesterday, Xue Changxing was carrying the evidence he had painstakingly gathered. He was at his wit’s end and decided to gamble his life by jumping off the cliff, but he might gamble his own life, but he would never gamble the evidence in his hands.

So why, in that critical situation, did he not hand over the evidence to her? Did he not believe she could evade the Black Eagle Division’s pursuit? Or did he not trust Cao Kunda behind her?

It should be neither.

Qing Wei looked down the cliff.

As soon as Xue Changxing arrived here, he said to Qing Wei, “I’ve been to every single one of these mountains around the capital, and I’ve explored all the terrain.”

“Little girl, if you jump from here, you should be fine, right?”

Qing Wei retreated a few steps, holding her left wrist, and released the soft jade sword coiled within the cloth pouch.

The soft sword, a green glimmer like a snake, flicked its tongue in the mountain mist.

A long wind surged in her gaze. Qing Wei closed her eyes, listening to the wind brush past her, and in her ears, Xue Changxing’s urgent questions seemed to echo again—

“Wen Xiaoye, I ask you, when Xijintai collapsed back then, the court repeatedly said it was due to your father’s poor supervision, do you believe that?!”

“Such a monumental case concluded so hastily, have you ever truly accepted it in your heart?!”

“Right now, wolves and tigers run rampant in the court. Trying to uncover the truth is like striking a stone with an egg. You are the daughter of Wen Qian, a descendant of the Yue clan. Are you also willing to carve out a clear path in this chaotic, thorny situation?”

Do I believe it?

Am I willing?

Am I willing?

Her father was the great architect Wen Qian, and her mother was Yue Hongying of the Yue clan. Back then, river waters washed robes white, and bones were buried on the battlefield. She was too young to even understand what had happened.

It wasn’t until she grew a little older, with no relatives and wandering alone, that she felt those matters were too heavy and too old, and she desperately ran, daring not to touch them.

But if a path loops endlessly, where is the end? Wandering in this world, where should one go?

Better to take a gamble.

She had the bones of the Yue clan, and the blood of the Wen family flowed in her veins.

She had grown up. She was willing.

Qing Wei opened her eyes again, her gaze now calm.

A green light shot out from her hand, quickly wrapping around a horizontal piece of wood on the cliff face. Qing Wei plunged down the cliff, using her toes to gain leverage on the cliff face, then retracted the jade sword, wrapped it around the next vine, and grabbed onto the uneven surfaces of the cliff, descending rapidly amidst the violent wind.

At the bottom of the cliff was a sparsely vegetated area, a low-lying spot between two mountains. To the south was a dead end, only a towering mountain wall. To the north was the only exit.

There were bloodstains in the grass, likely left by Xue Changxing when he was injured yesterday, but he himself was nowhere to be seen.

There were also signs of the Black Eagle Division’s search here, probably a hurried sweep, as they left quickly after not finding anyone.

Qing Wei looked around. This place was neither big nor small, making it difficult to find anything. If Xue Changxing had buried the wooden box containing the evidence in the ground, she certainly couldn’t just lift up all the turf to look.

He must have reminded her beforehand.

Qing Wei carefully recalled what Xue Changxing had said yesterday—

Cliff. Dead end.

She picked up a stone from the ground, walked across the grass, and stood before the mountain wall at the southern end. She tapped the wall inch by inch. Most of the large rock face had been tapped, when suddenly, near the bottom left, close to the grass, she heard a hollow sound.

Qing Wei immediately bent down to look. This rock seemed to be embedded in the mountain wall, with tiny cracks around it.

She took out her dagger, pried open the rock, and reached inside. Sure enough, there was the wooden box Xue Changxing had retrieved from Shifang Pavilion.

The wooden box wasn’t heavy, so it probably didn’t contain too many things.

The moment Qing Wei got the wooden box, she suddenly understood why Xue Changxing hadn’t directly handed it to her yesterday.

He wanted her to make her own choice.

How perilous the road ahead was. If one was not truly willing, how could one carve a path through a thorny wilderness?

Qing Wei gazed at the unadorned wooden box in her hand and opened it.

Inside, besides a few blueprints of Xijintai, there was also a brocade pouch. Qing Wei picked up the pouch; the contents felt somewhat lumpy against her hand. Just as she was about to take them out, she suddenly heard footsteps.

Someone else had actually found this place.

The mountain wall to the south was a dead end, and climbing the cliff now was too late. Qing Wei looked around, the only place to hide her figure was among a few old elm trees nearby.

Qing Wei swiftly leaped onto the treetop, using the branches and leaves to conceal herself for the moment. Peering through the gaps in the leaves, she saw a tall figure in a moon-white satin robe, his face covered by half a mask.

It was actually Jiang Cizhou.

Jiang Cizhou was accompanied by two others: one dressed as a servant, with fair and delicate features, and the other with flat brows and narrow eyes, whose light footsteps suggested he was skilled in martial arts.

“Have you searched here too?” Jiang Cizhou asked.

“We searched this morning,” the servant replied. “The bloodstains are still there, but the person is gone. Nothing was left behind.”

Hearing this, Qing Wei couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

Jiang Cizhou was the Marshal of the Black Eagle Division. Even if he came to search on his own, he should be looking for Xue Changxing himself. But judging by the servant’s tone, they seemed to be looking for something?

How would he know Xue Changxing had left something behind?

Qing Wei’s gaze fell on the wooden box in her hand. After a brief thought, she hid the wooden box inside her cloak.

She felt slightly uneasy and was about to figure out a way to leave when Jiang Cizhou seemed to sense something. He glanced towards where she was hiding, then began walking in that direction.

The large tree canopy could conceal Qing Wei from a distance, but it couldn’t withstand a close search. Jiang Cizhou’s steps were unhurried, getting closer and closer. Qing Wei held her breath, slowly gripping her wrist, the soft jade sword on her wrist ready to strike.

However, at that moment, Jiang Cizhou stopped in front of an old elm tree ahead of her.

He reached out and picked a leaf from a drooping branch.

The edges of the leaf were already yellow, with only a hint of green remaining along the central veins.

The retinue and servant behind him caught up: “My lord, this leaf?”

“...The forests are fully colored; late autumn is approaching,” Jiang Cizhou said.

His thumb and forefinger loosened slightly, and the leaf slowly slipped from his slender fingers. “Never mind.” He turned back. “No findings, let’s go.”