Nightwatcher

# 429. Fuxiang's Small Tale

Mei'er presented the small cloth bundle with both hands, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Young Master Xu, then… this servant will take her leave."

"Wait!"

Xu Qi’an took the bundle without opening it, looked at the delicate maid, and asked, "Where is your home?"

"This servant's home is in Jiaoshi County," Mei'er replied in a small voice.

Jiaoshi County was within the jurisdiction of the capital, to the northeast. Departing from the northern gate and hiring a carriage, one could reach it within two days.

Mei'er was not the daughter of a criminal; she had been sold into the Jiaofangsi by her family.

For maidservants like her, sold to the pleasure houses of the capital, they typically came from impoverished households in or around the city. No one would travel thousands of miles just to sell their daughter. If they had the means to make such a journey, they wouldn't need to sell her in the first place.

As for her parents, when they sold her into the Jiaofangsi, it was purely out of desperation. That year, a great famine struck, and the entire family could barely afford porridge. Selling her off was at least a way for her to survive.

Noting her plain attire, Xu Qi’an pondered briefly, then reached into his robes, tapped the mirror lightly, and retrieved a banknote worth fifty taels, handing it to her.

"Young Master Xu, I can’t." Mei'er shook her head repeatedly.

"You and Fuxiang served as master and servant. This is just my small way of honouring that," Xu Qi’an said with a gentle smile.

Tears welled up in Mei'er’s eyes. Choking up, she said, "When Fuxiang was gravely ill, I hated you. I hated you for being heartless. But I was wrong. You are truly a man of honour. Fuxiang was unfortunate… she was not blessed enough to have more."

Xu Qi’an felt a bit awkward. He had long known about Fuxiang’s illness; he had just not known how to face her.

As for her identity, ever since Zhong Li had pointed out that her soul was incomplete, his instincts as an old investigator had immediately connected the dots to many past suspicions.

For example, how did the yao race know he was entwined with fortune?

For example, why had the yao secretly hidden Shenshu’s severed hand in his home?

Normally, a person with a fragmented soul wouldn’t remain in good health. They would either be mentally impaired or in a vegetative state.

After sending Mei'er off, Xu Qi’an sat in the outer hall and opened the bundle.

Inside were two letters, a book, and a yellow jade bracelet.

One letter was written during his journey through Qingzhou on the way to Yunzhou. The other was written in Huangyou County, Jiangzhou, on the way to Chuzhou for his investigation.

Just as Xu Qi’an was about to put the bracelet and letters down, he noticed an unusual texture. He opened the Qingzhou letter and poured out a dried, wrinkled lotus petal.

At that moment, the sorrow that had only lightly touched him before now constricted his chest with suffocating weight.

*So, in the end, all I ever gave you was just this…*

He unfolded the letter and read it silently. The bitterness in his heart lingered for a long time as he recalled his past with the oiran.

He remembered once seeing a discussion online: True grief isn't about breaking down in tears. It’s about opening the fridge and finding that half-empty carton of milk, the potted plant on the windowsill swaying in the breeze, the neatly folded blanket on the bed, or the rhythmic hum of the washing machine on a quiet afternoon.

Taking a deep breath, he carefully stored the letters and bracelet before turning his attention to the book.

It had a blue cover without a title. When he opened it, he found that it contained Fuxiang’s personal writings, a collection of elegant, delicate handwriting recording strange little stories.

One story described a towering cliff where an old eagle lived with six children. One day, one of the young eagles was bullied and returned home crying to the old eagle.

The old eagle did nothing, only standing silently on the cliff, watching the ground below.

So, the young eagle flew away and never returned.

Below the cliff was a dangerous forest where a tiger, too sick to hunt, had its subordinate, the fox, lure small animals into its cave to satisfy its hunger.

The fox, believing itself indispensable to the tiger, grew arrogant. It conspired with the wolves and devoured a noble little white rabbit.

When the tiger learned of this, it chose to turn a blind eye and shielded the fox.

A wise monkey king in the forest sensed something was amiss and sent its underlings to investigate the fox. To prevent the fox’s crimes from being exposed, the tiger whispered to a python:

"Go find the great black bear and tell him that his cub was eaten by the fox."

The black bear, furious upon hearing this, stormed into the fox’s home and killed it.

"What does this mean?"

Xu Qi’an furrowed his brows, pondering the story for a long time but unable to decipher its deeper meaning.

There was a sense of familiarity about it, but he couldn’t quite place it.

Without dwelling on it further, he returned to the inner courtyard to refine his sabre intent and train his One Blade from Heaven and Earth technique.

After lunch, he rode his beloved mare to the Goulan. There, he disguised himself and changed his outfit before leaving on foot. Soon, he arrived at the designated private residence and boarded Lin’an’s carriage.

From there, he rode in the royal princess’s carriage, the wheels rolling steadily as they entered the imperial city.

As they neared the area where the imperial clan resided, a luxurious sandalwood carriage approached from the opposite direction.

"Stop!"

A cold voice came from inside the approaching carriage.

Both carriages halted.

Huaiqing opened the carriage window and leaned slightly out, revealing her exquisite and refined face. She asked, "Lin’an, didn’t you say you were feeling unwell these past few days? Where exactly have you been?"

*Shit…* Inside the carriage, Xu Qi’an’s face froze.

Sneaking off to meet the younger sister, only to be caught halfway by the elder sister.

Huaiqing frowned slightly. "Why aren’t you answering?"

*I asked for Master Luo’s Guide to Time Management, not Master Luo’s Guide to Getting Caught Cheating…* Xu Qi’an’s mind was filled with expletives. He pinched his throat and let out a series of deliberate coughs. Then, without answering Huaiqing, he simply gave a cool command to the driver:

"Move on."

After reaching the fifth rank, he had gained perfect control over his body, including his voice. Temporarily mimicking a high-pitched female voice wasn’t difficult. As for whether it sounded convincing, the coughing fit served as a pretext, Lin’an’s voice might naturally sound different if she was unwell.

*I just hope Huaiqing doesn’t suspect anything…*

The entire afternoon was spent idling with Lin’an, chatting, playing chess, drinking tea. There were occasional moments of physical contact, and their interactions grew increasingly natural and intimate.

Just past four, he left Lin’an Manor. Riding in Lin’an’s carriage, he exited the imperial city. Just as they passed through the city gates, he heard that all-too-familiar, icy voice again:

"Stop!"

_Motherfu…_ Xu Qi’an nearly lost control of his expression. Before Huaiqing could speak, he pinched his throat and coughed forcefully…

Then, he coughed Huaiqing inside.

Dressed in a plain palace gown, as elegant as a painting, as refined as a flower, the eldest princess pushed open the carriage door, climbed inside, and coldly stared at him. Her clear eyes, like a deep autumn pool, carried both mockery and anger.

"Huai—Huaiqing, Your Highness..."

Xu Qi’an forced a smile. Though he had no mirror, he knew his expression could be described in four words—awkward, yet maintaining courtesy.

"Quite the skill, Young Master Xu. Sneaking into the imperial city, having secret rendezvous with a princess, are you afraid His Majesty won’t have enough reason to chop your head off?" Huaiqing’s voice was icy, her delicate face shrouded in frost.

"I am always careful."

He pointed at his face — it was his little brother, Xu Erlang’s, face.

He and Lin’an had agreed that if anything went wrong, she would claim she was seeking a tutor to explain the classics to her—studying, in other words. As for whether there had been any "private lessons.avi" in the process, well, they had dismissed all the palace maids, so no one would know.

Huaiqing sneered. "When you meet Lin’an, do you always dismiss the maids and guards?"

"Of course."

"Every time?"

"Yes."

Huaiqing’s clear autumn-water eyes remained calm as she gazed at him and said indifferently:

"Lin’an is not like me. Among her palace maids and guards, she likely doesn’t even know who belongs to Consort Chen. A princess summoning a scholar for a lecture is not improper, but if you dismiss all attendants every time, I can guarantee that Consort Chen already knows and is merely observing for now.

"You already offended Consort Chen beyond redemption during the Consort Fu case. If she gets hold of evidence and reports it to His Majesty, are you the one who wants to die, or will you push Xu Cijiu out to take the blame?"

*I literally just said today that I should reduce the frequency of these meetings…* Xu Qi’an nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Your Highness."

Huaiqing nodded in satisfaction. "From now on, you are not allowed to meet Lin’an anymore."

… Xu Qi’an looked at her in shock.

Huaiqing explained with a straight face, "I already told you, she is not like me. She doesn’t even know how many spies are around her. Meeting her privately is too risky.

"If there is anything urgent, you can have me relay the message. If you must meet, do it at my residence—I will arrange for Lin’an to come out."

*That way, everything happens under your watchful eyes. How am I supposed to hold her little hand now…* Xu Qi’an grumbled internally and said:

"Does Your Highness not have spies lurking in your estate?"

Huaiqing glanced at him, her smile laced with contempt.

"Your Highness is indeed brilliant, far more competent than Lin’an, by a hundredfold, no, a thousandfold," Xu Qi’an immediately flattered.

Huaiqing neither confirmed nor denied his praise and continued, "Three days from now, the Imperial Academy will hold a literary gathering at Reed Lake in the imperial city. It concerns the war in the north and the historical feud between the Great Feng and the Church of the Warlock God. You will accompany me under the identity of Xu Cijiu."

"Alright!"

Xu Qi’an had no choice but to nod.

Huaiqing was pleased. Smiling faintly, she added, "In two weeks, summer will be over, and the court may go to war. During wartime, gentry donating silver and grain is customary. What are your thoughts, Young Master Xu?"

Ever since Emperor Yuanjing began cultivating, he had drained the people’s resources. To fill the empty treasury, he devised ways to squeeze the gentry.

*Huh? What thoughts can I have? I’m not a landowning gentry…* Xu Qi’an had just formed this thought when Huaiqing coldly said:

"You are wealthy. Why not donate some silver as well?"

"How much…?"

"How about eight thousand taels."

Xu Qi’an’s face went blank.

…

*I’m not donating, not in this lifetime…* As dusk fell, Xu Qi’an returned home, exhausted.

After dinner, he lay on his bed and heard the door creak open. It was Zhong Li, returning from her bath.

"Was your afternoon alright? You didn’t get hurt, did you?" Xu Qi’an asked.

"N-no injuries… just almost died." Zhong Li’s voice was small.

"?"

Xu Qi’an immediately sat up. "What happened?"

Zhong Li suddenly looked aggrieved and, on the verge of tears, said, "I was meditating properly in my room, but your damn sabre went berserk for no reason and stabbed straight at me. If it had been one inch closer, I’d have lost my head."

Xu Qi’an reassured her, "That’s fortunate."

"It didn’t end there. Your sabre kept chasing me. If Daoist Li hadn’t arrived to save me, I would have died."

"That’s fortunate."

"It didn’t end there. While subduing it, Daoist Li accidentally used the wrong spell and scattered my soul. It took her the entire afternoon to summon me back."

"That’s fortunate."

"It didn’t end there. After my soul was restored, your brat stuffed a glutinous rice cake into my mouth, and I nearly choked to death."

"It didn’t end there?"

"It ended."

*How do I save you, my Fifth Senior Sister…* Xu Qi’an felt sorrow welling up. He beckoned the Taiping Sabre and scolded, "Why are you bullying her?"

The sabre hummed in response.

*I don’t know why, I just suddenly found her annoying…* Such an impression was transmitted to Xu Qi’an.

*Now I don’t know whether to blame Taiping or you!* Xu Qi’an felt an even greater sense of sorrow. He gently said, "Senior Sister Zhong, you can have my bed tonight, I’ll sleep on the couch."

Zhong Li shook her head repeatedly, curling up on her small couch, feeling safer there.

Just then, a familiar lurch struck him. Xu Qi’an instinctively reached under his pillow, retrieved a fragment of the Earth Book, lit a candle, and checked the messages.

【SIX: The Welfare Hall is under surveillance. Someone wants to deal with this humble monk.】

It was Hengyuan’s transmission.

*Someone wants to harm Master Hengyuan?* He hasn’t offended anyone, has he?

Xu Qi’an hesitated for a few seconds before suddenly realising—the one Hengyuan had offended was none other than Emperor Yuanjing. Whether it was intervening to stop the Imperial Army when Xu Qi’an executed the two dukes, or protecting the lotus seed in Jianzhou, both acts had opposed the emperor.

【TWO: Are you at the Welfare Hall? Are you in danger? I’ll come at once.】

Lady Flying Swallow was always swift to act, ever the righteous helper.

【SIX: This humble monk is not at the Welfare Hall. Today, someone was inquiring about me in the southern city. Some common folk I once helped secretly warned me, so I left and hid in a nearby residence. By dusk, people were lying in wait near the Welfare Hall.】

【FOUR: Ignore them. Find another hiding place.】

Chu Yuanzhen suggested.

【SIX: I fear they may harm the children and elderly at the Welfare Hall.】

【FOUR: Do you know who they are?】

【SIX: No.】

Xu Qi’an used his finger to write, sending a message:

【That’s not hard to guess — it’s our esteemed Majesty’s men.】