Nightfall

Upon hearing the word, the expression on Cao Youning’s face suddenly changed.

It would naturally appear weird if he carried a desk back to the mansion of Grand Secretary, no matter how delicate it was packed. After all, it was unique in the world. However, a book of rubbings… could be copied without any limitation, if ink and paper were provided. If he really took the book of rubbings to the mansion, how could he explain to his brother-in-law?

Looking at the uninvited handmaiden with a slightly-black face, he sullenly said, “Who are you?”

Having a glance at him and knowing his intention, Dewdrop reluctantly but smilingly said, “The desk you want to buy belongs to that…Master Yan Se, but the writing was Ning Que’s original works. The girl was Ning Que’s handmaiden, whose voice, to be honest, matters a lot. If you really want to take something valuable home, I advise you to be more polite.”

Cao Youning was shocked and quickly accepted Dewdrop’s suggestion. Politely greeting a bow with hands folded in front to Sangsang, he honestly said, “Though the book of rubbings must be valuable in the future, yet now I just want to purchase something unique.”

Sangsang thought that the man should be treated well since he was the first customer after Ning Que became famous. With a short thinking, she peacefully said, “I stamp a seal for you. If you are still unsatisfied with it, my young master will ask Master Yan Se to make a signature on this book of rubbings.”

After finishing the word, she fished out a seal from her clothes.

Cao Youning looked at the seal in her hand in excitement and asked, “This is…the private seal of Mister Ning?”

Sangsang slightly frowned because she felt very strange that her young master was named Mister Ning, as it was very similar to the name of Mistress Jian.

After a short silence, Cao Youning made his condition, “Could you promise that mine is the only one with a private seal?”

Sangsang nodded her head.

Raising his head and looking at Sangsang’s eyes, Cao Youning said, “Please make an offer.”

Sangsang said, “Three hundred taels of silver.”

…

…

After exchanging a piece of paper and a red seal with three notes, Cao Youning left the house in excitement and disappointment. Until seeing his back disappear outside the door, Dewdrop and Sangsang retracted their eyes and looked at each other.

Xiaocao happily hugged Dewdrop’s plump arm. She shook Dewdrop’s arm and said, “Sister Dewdrop, earn three hundred taels of silver only at the cost of some ink and cloth. Now you can make a big fortune.”

Dewdrop smilingly said, “Only the first piece could worth this price. Besides, it was mainly due to Ning Que’s private seal.”

“But it could be copied easily!” Xiaocao counted with her fingers and said, “This business is much more cost-effective than dancing and singing.”

Dewdrop just smiled and didn’t reply more. After taking a cup of tea and having a gentle sip, she kept looking at Sangsang.

During the period, Sangsang did nothing but just looked at Dewdrop in silence.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became a little weird.

Dewdrop slowly put down the cup. She raised her head and smilingly said to Sangsang, “Seven-Three. You get seventy percent and I take Thirty percent.”

Sangsang rushed to House of Red Sleeves today because Ning Que asked her to find that Chicken Soup Calligraphy. However, it was too late. The original calligraphy had been taken by that Master Yan Se. In addition, the chirography trace left on the desk, also had already been a fortune maker of Dewdrop.

Previously, she just kept looking at Dewdrop quietly, because she wanted to know how Dewdrop would deal with it. Now listening to the suggestion, Sangsang felt very satisfied and smilingly nodded to Dewdrop.

Raising her sleeves in front of her laughing mouth, Dewdrop said in a low voice, “With the old desk, I can easily overtake Lu Xue. You can bring Ning Que here when you are free. I want to make him comfortable and happy, even if at the risk of being punished by Mistress Jian.”

Sangsang just laughed and didn’t catch the topic. She walked to the desk and watched it in curiosity.

When she entered the room just now, she just took a quick glance. It was her first time to witness the original works of Chicken Soup Calligraphy. The words of the calligraphy, which was appreciated by a Divine Talisman Master and caused sensation in the whole Chang’an City, were the following.

“Sangsang, your young master, I, am drunk today and won’t come back to sleep, so you must remember to drink the stewed chicken soup left in the pot.”

Looking at the first two words of the scratchy handwriting, which was her name, Sangsang kept silent for a long time. Then she burst into laughter, with her slightly-black face full of pride and happiness.

After Sangsang left the courtyard in the company of Xiaocao, Dewdrop’s maidservant came in and, with her eyes rolling, said, “My girl, the memo was indeed written by Ning Que, but the desk belongs to us. Besides, it is this place where Master Yan Se stayed at night and made the writing back then. It is appropriate to share profits with Ning Que and his maidservant, but the Seven-Three proportion is really unfavorable for us.”

Smilingly and gently poking at the center between eyebrows of the loyal maidservant, Dewdrop said, “Look at you. How shallow you are when analyzing some problem. First of all, the first two words of the handwriting is the name of Sangsang. What’s more, if I take the bigger part now and one high official asks for it someday, how can I refuse? But now, Ning Que and his maidservant get the bigger part, so I am just an agent for them. If some people dare demand the desk forcibly one day, they have to get Ning Que’s agreement first before targeting at me.”

The maidservant was a little confused at first and then realized what she meant. Gently biting her lower lip, she said, “But Dewdrop…the relationship between you and young master Ning Que is quite good, and you two sometimes call each other in the name of elder sister and younger brother in private. This time, you push him to the frontline, is it a little…”

Watching her maidservant who wanted to say something but suddenly stopped, Dewdrop laughed and said, “You think I am mean and unkind to him? I am wondering whether you are my maidservant or Ning Que’s. He hasn’t been here for several months, but you still miss him very much. There is no need to worry the thing this time. At present, Ning Que is appreciated by his Majesty and become the successor of a Divine Talisman Master. Even if he can’t capriciously bully others in Chang’an City, but at least no one dares to bully him at random.”

…

…

Several types of fresh snacks and two pots of fruit wine lay on the desk beside the window of the second-floor private room in House of Red Sleeves. A woman sat beside the window and looked at Sangsang who was accompanied by Xiaocao. The woman smilingly said to that middle-aged customer beside her, “Look at that girl. She was the little handmaiden of young master Ning Que. We all think that she must be Ning Que’s woman in the future. If she doesn’t have the identity, why would the maidservant of Mistress Jian be so close with her?”

The middle-aged man, with slightly-white eyebrows and iron-like complexion, looked a little old and experienced. He looked out of the window to where the woman pointed, and then curiously asked after a short silence, “The young guy named Ning Que unexpectedly became well-known in Chang’an within a day. I just feel confused that why all of you call him young master Ning Que in such a merited and smooth way, given that he wasn’t so famous as now some days ago?”

The woman laughed with her sleeves covering her mouth and then explained in a low voice, “Young master Ning Que isn’t an average person…though the women here didn’t know his specialty before. However, there must be something distinctive in this young lad, because he can let Dewdrop lovingly call him ‘younger brother, younger brother’ and let Lu Xue specially come back to dance for him in her vacation.”

The middle-aged man slightly raised his eyebrows and asked in surprise, “Why?”

After a little thought, the woman found that it was very difficult to conclude why Ning Que was so popular and liked by the women here, though they truly quite liked him. Then she just shook her head and smilingly said, “Since he entered here for the first time, Mistress Jian has found something special in him. Maybe Dewdrop knows more specialties about him? Anyway, he deserves our calling him young master, given Mistress Jian’s attitude towards him.”

The middle-aged man just laughed and stopped talking about the matter. After drinking some fruit wine and having some chats with the woman, he left away.

After leaving House of Red Sleeves, the middle-aged man went on a carriage. He ordered the cart driver to travel around Chang’an City at random, and then the carriage stopped at the North City. After paying the carter for the fee and walking across two alleys, he reached behind a building group which was solemn and surrounded by green tress. With a knock on the back door, he entered into the mansion.

Inside the study room of Chang’an Local Government

Looking at the middle-aged man in front of him, Shangguan Yangyu coldly asked, “It takes three months to narrow the number of suspects to seven. However, among the seven names, why Ning Que would appear at the last place? Why would you doubt him? Do you have any evidence?”

The middle-aged man was Tie Ying, a group leader of the Ministry of Penalty in Chang’an Local Government. He had worked for the Ministry of Penalty for more than ten years, so he was very experienced in investigating cases. Right now, upon hearing the question of his superior, he answered after short hesitation, “Ning Que was in House of Red Sleeves when Zhang Yiqi died.”

With his facial expression suddenly changing, Shangguan Yangyu rebuked, “There were over one hundred persons in House of Red Sleeves right then, and they all should be suspected?”

Tie Ying, lowering his head and holding his fists, said in a low and deep voice, ” But I feel there is something wrong in this guy.”

Shangguan Yangyu slightly frowned and unhappily said, “How could we investigate cases by feeling?

“Zhang Yiqi died outside the sidedoor of House of Red Sleeves, and at that time the case wasn’t treated as a murder case. Thus, it is very difficult to find evidence, given that the spot hadn’t been examined and no one in the house was been interrogated at that time.”

Tie Ying quickly continued, “But if my lord trusts my instinct to this case, please allow me to keep chasing it. I have been dealing with murder cases for the whole career, and I can smell that there must be something wrong in this case.”

Shangguan Yangyu seemed very interested in it and asked with his hand catching beard, “What problem have you smelt?”

“In the past, Ning Que’s economic situation wasn’t decent, even a little poor. How could such a lad enjoy entertainment in House of Red Sleeves? Why would Mistress Jian appreciate him and other girls like him? What on earth did he aim to do in House of Red Sleeves? I think the problem lies in his relation established with House of Red Sleeves, when he shouldn’t have any relations with it.”

Looking at the indifferent expression on the prefectural magistrate’s face, Tie Ying became serious and then began stating another thing he was investigating, “Soon after Censor Zhang Yiqi died, Huiyuantong Bank exchanged several notes totally worth two thousand and two hundred taels of silver.”

“The signature on the notes was Sangsang, Ning Que’s handmaiden. How could he get so much money when he was noteless and his handwriting works were cheap at that time? Who gave him these money? And why? What things did he order Ning Que to do?”

Listening to the information, Shangguan Yangyu frowned a lot. After a long silence, he said, “Leave other clues alone and just look into the note. Only if it is really illegal, you are allowed to go deeper.”

…

…

The dusk color shined into Chang’an Local Government.

Standing beside the green tree in the courtyard, Shangguan Yangyu, whose face was supposed to be red under afterglow, looked steel-blue, which was very inharmonious with the surroundings. He looked at Tie Ying in front of him like looking at his enemy who had killed his father. His cold voice was uttered from his teeth, adding more coldness to the solemn atmosphere, “The note was deposited by Fish-dragon Gang to Huiyuantong Bank. That is, the two thousand and two hundred taels of silver was given to Ning Que from Chao Xiaoshu. As to the reason, I suppose you can figure it out, if you haven’t forgotten the bodies covering in the street beside Spring Breeze Pavilion at that night.”

“I won’t forget that night,” Shangguan Yangyu said coldly, “I could take the position of prefectural magistrate of Chang’an City because many high officials were knocked down at that night. As to the identity of Chao Xiaoshu, I think there is no need for me to remind you. Ning Que took the two thousand and two hundred taels of silver, which meant that he worked for the court. In such case, you still want to keep investigating it?”

Tie Ying forcibly suppressed his shock and said, “My lord, there are many doubtful points in this case. At Spring Breeze Pavilion that night, there was indeed a masked man beside Chao Xiaoshu, but I heard that he was a young master from Yuelun Kingdom. Whether the large amount of money comes from the rewards to it or from other sources, I think it should be carefully examined more.”

Shangguan Yangyu angrily roared, “What else do you want to check? Do you know who Ning Que is? Even if you didn’t know him in the past, but at present and in the future, who in Chang’an City doesn’t know this figure? Evidence! If you have evidence, I will investigate deeper for his Majesty, imperial court and the common, even though it may sacrifice my official position. However, you don’t have any proofs. What you own is just the hell instinct and the sense of dog-like smell. If you insist it, don’t blame me for dismissing you today!”

After being scolded by the lord’s rebuke, Tie Ying lowered his head and kept silent.

Shangguan Yangyu, calming down a little, looked at him and dryly asked, “Did you inform the Military Ministry of this case?”

Tie Ying raised his head and nervously explained, “My lord has ordered me to investigate in a secret way, so I certainly don’t dare to reveal it. I can promise that no one knows Chang’an Local Government has ever doubted Ning Que except my lord and me.”

“All right,” Shangguan Yangyu gently rubbed his lower beard and said, “Erase the name of Ning Que and investigate another six suspects first.”

Tie Ying accepted the instructions and then left. After returning to his house and having supper, Shangguan Yangyu blankly sat in front of an oil lamp. Suddenly, he frowned and stared at the oil lamp and then unhappily asked, “Why another three lamps are lit? Turn them off immediately!”

The wife of prefectural magistrate was tying shoes with strings on the other side of the room. When she heard her husband scolding, she confusedly raised her head and asked, “My lord, you are a high official in the government now. Why are you in such a bad mood? Is there any trouble in your work today?”

Shangguan Yangyu wasn’t attractive in appearance, even looked a little ugly. As for temperament, he was very insidious and mean. However, he received a lot of praise in dealing with his domestic affairs. He married his wife, who was also unattractive in appearance, when he was an average person. After he got quick and high promotion, he treated his wife as usual and never thought of marrying a concubine. They closely got along with each other, and even shared many private and secret things.

After telling his wife the daytime thing, Shangguan Yangyu frowned and said to himself, “When I took the position in Chang’an Local Government back then, what I did first was summon Tie Ying to my staff from the Ministry of Penalty, because I know he is very experienced. As he says, he has a strong instinct to murder cases. If…Ning Que is really relative with the death of Zhang Yiqi, I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Mrs. Shangguan slightly frowned and stopped her needlework. She poured a cup of hot tea for Shangguan Yangyu and then gently said, “Since my lord governs the safety of Chang’an City and gets salary from the court, some cases still need to be investigated if necessary.”

“But there isn’t any evidence, and…”

Shangguan Yangyu looked at his wife and sentimentally said with a sigh, “I really don’t dare to investigate. His Majesty appreciates him, and I heard that he has been admitted as a student of the Second floor of the Academy and a successor of a Divine Talisman Master. If there is no agreement from the court, how dare I investigate such a powerful figure?”

Mrs. Shangguan was shocked and said in confusion, “How would such kind of figure be involved a murder case?”

Upon listening to the words, two bright light suddenly flashed across Shangguan Yangyu’s ugly eyes. He gently patted the writing desk and said in a deep voice, “Madam, you do make a point. How would such kind of figure do something like this?”

“It’s inappropriate to adopt what a woman like me blindly suggests when my lord analyzes cases.”

Shocked by his reaction, Mrs. Shangguan quickly added, “What if he was the murder?”

Looking at the hot tea in front of him, Shangguan Yangyu said in an unswerving expression, “There will be no ‘if’, and it must be other people. Even if he is really the one…he isn’t the right one, either.”

…

…

Seaweed mixed with golden sauce, four small dishes in a plate, shii-take added with marinade, drunk shrimp decorated with flowers and chicken soup simmered with tonic medicine…listening to the dish names announced by an eunuch and looking at the extremely delicate dishes in the plates, Ning Que couldn’t help raising his head to have a look at the pattern-carved pillars. Not until being flashed by the bright light of the bronze pillars, did he realize where he was and what he was doing.

Previously in the imperial study, his Majesty asked for some of Ning Que’s handwritings for appreciating, but was refused by Ning Que who said the works were written for business. Ning Que thought it probably would infuriate his Majesty and made him punished. However, it was surprising that his Majesty didn’t expel him though his Majesty was indeed a little angry. Instead, his Majesty led him to outside the imperial study and showed him around the garden. Finally, they arrived at a huge and quiet room and were served with substantial and delicate dishes.

What a proud experience for Ning Que to have supper with his Majesty of Tang in the palace! Later, that gentle and elegant Her Majesty even filled a bowl of soup for him in person, which was another great glory. Even though Ning Que had long been accustomed to the life and death and other terrible dangers, he couldn’t helping becoming excited and nervous.

After taking a piece of iced bamboo shoot into his Majesty’s mouth, her Majesty smilingly said, “Since we are having a meal, I advise you not to keep mentioning how many times you have appreciated and admired the handwriting works of Bloom in the Opposite World. Otherwise, Ning Que needs to thank you and be modest, so how could he quietly enjoy the dishes?”

His Majesty was indeed in a good mood. He smilingly said as he was chewing the bamboo shoot, “So let’s just enjoy the meal.”

What the emperor said was an imperial edict. Ning Que held the gold-plated bowl with red lacquer and began enjoying food. Right now, however, he didn’t have the mood and time to taste the food flavor. Instead, he just kept thinking of and analyzing what he saw today. Now, he knew that the relationship between his Majesty and her Majesty was, as it was said by many people, deeply attached to each other, but who was the owner of the empty seat in the opposite?

With gentle sound of hitting jades and light fragrance, the Fourth princess of Tang Dynasty Lee Yu, who was dressed a beautiful skirt and accompanied by palace maids and mammies, walked into the room. Ning Que, a little shocked, subconsciously looked at her face. In the past, he just thought the princess had a pair of pretty eyes. However, today he found her very beautiful and elegant with her delicate make-up and gorgeous skirt, thus he unintentionally showed a surprising expression.

Lee Yu felt even more amazed as she saw Ning Que sitting in the palace. She covered her lips with her hand and asked in surprise, “Why are you here?”

Though she had slept for the whole day to refresh herself after returning to the palace from the Academy, she still felt a little tired now. Thus, she neither knew the heated discussion outside the court, nor Ning Que’s visiting the palace.

His Majesty looked at them and asked in confusion, “Little Yu, you knew him before?”

Lee Yu quickly calmed down and smiling explained, “Father, we had already known each other when Ning Que escorted me back to Chang’an from the grassland last year. Last night, I went to watch the competition for the entrance of Second floor in the Academy and he was the winner.”

Lee Yu’s journey from the grassland to Chang’an was really very difficult and dangerous. Her team set off in the Golden tribe, passed City of Wei and then survived in the violent battle at the entrance of North mountain road. His Majesty clearly knew what his daughter had suffered during the journey, but previously he didn’t know that a soldier in border town named Ning Que once saved his daughter’s life.”

Listening to Lee Yu’s concise narration about last year’s journey, his Majesty’s eyes on Ning Que were different from before. It contained not only the pure appreciation, but also more sincere preference.

Lee Yu smilingly asked, “Why father summons Ning Que today? I don’t suppose it is about the Second floor of the Academy.”

“I have told you before that a piece of wonderful handwriting works suddenly appeared in the imperial study,” his Majesty looked at his daughter and happily said, “You know what, the five words ‘Bloom in the Opposite World’ was actually written by Ning Que. Your ability to discover talents is always admired by all people. However, you fail to discover Ning Que’s talent even if you are acquainted with him. From this point of view, their words can’t be trusted all.”

“How could I have such kind of ability? I just want to look for talented people everywhere for father and the court.”

Under the service of maids, Lee Yu slightly pulled her skirt hemline aside and slowly sat by the desk. She looked at Ning Que opposite her and said in a seemingly smiling way, “I know Ning Que has a gift in handwriting, but I truly have no idea he is so excellent in it. However, in my view, what he is good at most is pretend to be weak and deeply hide his actual ability, which can be equivalent to a fake pig eating a tiger. I don’t know where he learns such a boring style.”

There were some deep meanings of Lee Yu’s words, but Ning Que failed to figure out a suitable way to respond. Thus, he just pretended to miss the information and kept enjoying his dishes. Now that he was said to be a fake pig, he certainly would try his best to play the role well. However, he didn’t find the palace banquet dignified and serious at all, when he heard the laughter of his Majesty and her Majesty and saw Lee Yu’s look which made fun of him from time to time. Instead, it was more like a supper in an ordinary family. Of course, there weren’t ordinary leeks and pancakes in this banquet, but the seemingly delicate dishes didn’t satisfy Ning Que’s appetite, even for a pig’s.

Fiddling with the tasteless marinade shii-take with his chopsticks, Ning Que doubted that whether the palace cooks actually got false qualifications for cooking. Later, he began deeply missing the leftovers at the Old Brush Pen Shop in Lin 47th Street, even missing that pot of chicken soup at home which had turned sour.