The day after the bearded constable died.
In front of the yamen, Su Yang stood on a few steps, looking down at the constables below with an inexplicable aura of aloofness and coldness. The county magistrate stood beside her, wiping sweat with his sleeve, filled with trepidation.
The constables had heard of this princess and knew she liked to interfere with the yamen’s affairs, but they didn’t know why she was here today.
They were uneasy.
Su Yang was born and raised in Fengling Town. When she was young, she had visited the capital with her father. By chance, she saved the current Empress Dowager and almost lost her life, leading the emperor to bestow upon her the title of Princess of Fengling.
The emperor initially wanted Su Yang to stay in the capital, but she declined and returned to Fengling Town with Su Ruilin, and she had never left since.
In Fengling Town, she wielded more real power than the county magistrate who held official positions.
The constables went from being uneasy to being impatient with a woman in power because Su Yang had made them stand there for almost two hours without saying a word, as if she was punishing them.
One of the constables couldn’t help but ask why Su Yang was punishing them.
The county magistrate pretended to scold, “Do not be rude!”
Su Yang remained silent and stepped down the stairs.
Two personal guards followed her closely. They looked identical, twins. The older one was stern and unsmiling, while the younger one was more lively. The one who reprimanded Shen Jianhe for being rude last time was the older one.
They had been arranged by Su Ruilin to be by Su Yang’s side since childhood, becoming her personal guards. Her life was their life, her death was their death.
Su Yang walked slowly to the front of the constables and suddenly drew a long sword from one of her guards’ waists, turning to stab a constable in the second row.
A single stroke to the throat.
Quick, precise, ruthless.
The county magistrate hadn’t expected Su Yang to draw a sword and kill her own people and was stunned: “Princess…”
The stabbed constable clutched his throat and fell.
His throat was his fatal wound, and he couldn’t make a sound before he died, only the heavy sound of his body hitting the ground. The other constables were shocked.
A guard took the blood-stained sword from Su Yang.
She looked at the constables one by one and said clearly, “This is the consequence of abusing public power and using the yamen’s name to kill innocents. If there is another offense, there will be no mercy!”
The constable Su Yang killed and the bearded constable had both used the name of the yamen to wantonly harm or kill others.
If you don’t want people to know, don’t do it unless you don’t want anyone to know.
The bearded constable was dead and could no longer be investigated, so this was a warning to the other constables.
The constables, upon hearing Su Yang’s words, knelt down in unison with their swords, their voices thunderous and resolute: “We dare not.”
Su Yang dismissed them, instructing them to patrol the streets.
After making an example of one to warn others, Su Yang intended to return to the Su residence. She had not yet given up on convincing Su Ruilin to agree to take some people to the tomb.
Upon boarding the carriage, Su Yang’s two personal guards, Zhong Huan and Zhong Kong, each sat on one side of the front seat. One drove the horse, while the other remained vigilant of the surroundings.
After the events of the previous night, there were few pedestrians on the streets.
However, some bold shopkeepers still opened their doors for business, believing that since the yamen was involved, Fengling Town would soon return to normal, and there was no need to worry all day and lose business.
Su Yang lifted the curtain.
She saw He Sui’an sitting at a small stall, quietly eating wontons, her cheeks puffed like a squirrel nibbling, her light green dress blending with Qi Buyan’s indigo clothes.
Zhong Kong, with his sharp ears, heard the sound of Su Yang lifting the curtain. He looked up and saw He Sui’an, his normally talkative mouth hanging open. He asked Su Yang if she needed them to continue monitoring their actions.
After a moment of contemplation, Su Yang said, “No, just assign more people to guard the haunted house.”
Zhong Kong clicked his tongue, “Princess, I don’t think they will give up on the tomb.”
Zhong Huan coldly said, “Zhong Kong.”
The implication was that Zhong Kong should not interfere with the princess’s decisions. Such behavior would be breaking the rules. While the princess might not mind, as personal guards, they should know their place and not overstep boundaries.
In his life, Zhong Kong feared nothing more than his elder brother Zhong Huan, who always wore a stern face. The moment he spoke, Zhong Kong instantly settled down.
The carriage gradually moved away.
He Sui’an, unaware that someone had just been watching her, swallowed the last wonton and touched her full belly.
She put away the bowl and spoon and stood up.
“Your task… is to… remember… never to…” He Sui’an suddenly heard some disjointed, emotionless words, as if not spoken by a person.
Her head ached, and she staggered a few steps, quickly grabbing the edge of the table for support.
He Sui’an looked around, trying to find out who was speaking, only to discover that neither Qi Buyan nor the wonton seller seemed to have heard anything.
Was she hallucinating?
Because of the illness she had the previous night, which had not completely healed, there was actually no one speaking? He Sui’an concentrated and listened for a while, but there was silence in her ears; indeed, there was no sound.
The wonton seller enthusiastically pointed them to a path leading to a study.
The study was named “Jingsi” (Quiet Thoughts), with a plaque outside inscribed with these two characters. The calligraphy was elegant, gentle yet powerful, with a smooth and refined brushwork.
One’s handwriting reflects their personality; it is evident that the person who inscribed the characters is a gentle soul.
Today, the study’s main door was closed, not welcoming visitors.
Unable to enter through the main door, Qi Buyan led He Sui’an through a “wall door,” easily leaping over it. She held onto his waist, letting go only after they landed safely, catching a faint scent of ink.
He Sui’an felt like a thief.
The study was large, with the courtyard planted with bamboos, chrysanthemums, and other plants symbolizing noble virtues. Several old books were laid out to dry on the ground.
Qi Buyan walked past the plants and entered a house that was clearly meant for storing books. He Sui’an peeked inside: “Do we really have to come and read today? Maybe the study will open tomorrow.”
With an unchanged expression, he said, “There’s no better time than now; I want to read today.”
Having already entered, He Sui’an didn’t argue further.
Jingsi Study housed many books, and despite the orderly arrangement on the shelves, He Sui’an was overwhelmed.
Qi Buyan’s fingers brushed lightly over the ancient texts on the shelves: “Today, we need to read about the King Yan from a hundred years ago, whether it’s historical records or fictional stories with him as the protagonist.”
“Okay.”
He Sui’an understood.
Even though this was just a study in Fengling Town and might not have books about the King Yan from a century ago, there was always a chance.
It was worth a look.
Just as He Sui’an, standing near the door, was about to take down a book, she heard the creak of the door opening—someone was coming in. She quickly pulled Qi Buyan and hid in an empty bookshelf.
The empty bookshelf was narrow and cramped, barely accommodating two people.
He Sui’an was almost sitting on Qi Buyan, pressing him underneath her. Through the gaps in the shelves, they saw a man and a woman enter, presumably the owners of the study.
The pair quickly began kissing, deeply engrossed in each other.
The man cupped the woman’s face, and she stood on tiptoe, wrapping her arms around his neck, tilting her head back for the kiss.
Inside the bookshelf, Qi Buyan’s breath fell on He Sui’an’s face, carrying a faint, moist fragrance. His slender, pale neck was just below her eyes, the skin so thin it seemed fragile.
It almost invited a tender kiss.
