Chapter 10: Connections

The door of the guest room creaked open, and Xue Bai slipped inside.

Qinglan quickly shut the door, bolted it, and patted his chest, still shaken.

"Is there any water?"

"There is."

Without another word, Xue Bai picked up the water flask and took a large gulp, then took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down.

Turning his head, he saw Du Wulang shivering under the blanket.

"We just got in. I told the innkeeper that your good friend got drunk at the Green Gate and went berserk."

As he spoke, Qinglan took out a spare jacket and robe from his bundle and handed them to Du Wulang.

Du Wulang shivered violently, put on the clothes, and asked, "Is there anything to eat?"

"There are some cold flatbreads."

Du Wulang took the flatbreads and devoured them, mumbling, "Nim ceng mei zai tai zi na?"

"Slow down, Wulang, don't choke." Qinglan handed him a cup of water.

After drinking the water, Du Wulang finally felt better, as if he had come back to life.

Xue Bai said, "The Crown Prince buried us alive."

"Cough, cough, cough."

Du Wulang was so shocked that he choked on the water.

"What?!"

Xue Bai and Qinglan recounted the events of the past two days. Du Wulang was deeply disappointed and whispered, "Grandpa, Grandma, Big Sister..."

Thinking of his family still suffering in prison, his heart tightened.

The room was dark, with no candles lit. Xue Bai stood by the window, peering out through the cracks.

Footsteps could be heard on the street from time to time, and the light from torches shone through the window paper, illuminating Xue Bai's side face and Du Wulang's tear-streaked face.

A moment later, it was dark again.

"I've been thinking all day," Xue Bai said. "Maybe we were wrong from the beginning."

"Wrong?"

"Focusing on the Crown Prince was a mistake," Xue Bai said. "If we want to protect the Crown Prince, no one knows better than the Crown Prince himself. He buried us alive without hesitation, and we still don't understand why. The key is that we need to protect the Du family, not the Crown Prince."

Du Wulang and Qinglan were silent, seemingly confused.

"How do we protect the Du family? We can't rely on the Crown Prince; he can't even protect himself." Xue Bai said. "Once we separate the Du family from the Crown Prince, I realized that the Du family's case isn't that big. It started as a ridiculous and absurd false accusation."

"But the Jingzhao Prefecture is forcing us, and we have no way to fight back."

"Because we are asking about right and wrong, looking for evidence, while they are using power to suppress us. Li Linfu's foot is on us, and he doesn't care if we are innocent or not. So we were wrong from the beginning. This is a struggle for power, not a criminal investigation."

Qinglan nodded vigorously. "Right, in this Chang'an City, Li Linfu is not the most powerful."

"The Emperor?" Du Wulang exclaimed. "Should I appeal to the Emperor?"

"Do you have such connections? Do you have someone in the palace who can speak for you?"

"Me?" Du Wulang shook his head and whispered, "No."

He thought for a moment and asked, "Xue Bai, do you know Yang Guifei? She could definitely save the Du family, right?"

"I don't know her. But among those who can save the Du family, she is one of them. There are a few others, even Li Linfu. The key is that we need connections to reach them."

"Second Sister can think of a way," Du Wulang said. "It wasn't her who ordered us to be buried alive; she's not that kind of person. We can find Second Sister."

Xue Bai said, "I know. I came here to find her, but I heard she has divorced the Crown Prince."

"Ah? Where is she then?"

"Let's find out tomorrow."

Suddenly, the street was filled with the sound of horses and torches.

Xue Bai quickly looked out the window.

Du Wulang, terrified, crept forward to peek and asked in a low voice, "Are they coming to search for us?"

"Hmm."

"Are we still safe here?"

"He probably won't come here. It's more important for him to search the Crown Prince's residence."

"Then..."

"Shh."

After a while, a tall man in a fur-lined cloak rode up, surrounded by armored soldiers, heading towards the Ten Princes' Residence.

One of them shouted to the guards at the alley entrance, "Right General of the Cavalry, Yang Canjun, has arrived. Clear the way."

"Of course..."

Once the group turned the corner, the street was quiet again.

Xue Bai looked at the alley entrance, deep in thought.

~~

The Crown Prince's residence was brightly lit all night.

But in the end, the Right General of the Cavalry only found a bundle of clothes.

~~

Ji Wen stayed at the Jingzhao Prefecture all night, only sleeping for two hours before being woken by Xin Shier.

"Sir, Yang Canjun has arrived."

"Yang Zhao?"

Ji Wen sat up on the small bed, rubbing his head. He already knew why and sighed.

He and Yang Zhao both served the Right Chancellor, and they had a good relationship. He put on his clothes and said, "Please have him come in."

As he spoke, footsteps could be heard in the courtyard.

"Yang Canjun, please wait a moment..."

"Get out of the way!"

Yang Zhao, not bothering with formalities, burst into the office and shouted, "You damn fool, you messed up this task and kept me busy all night!"

He called Ji Wen "chicken tongue" because Ji Wen had bad breath and often held cloves in his mouth, which are also known as chicken tongues.

Ji Wen wasn't angry. The saying "officials hold chicken tongues in their mouths, their breath is fragrant" made him think Yang Zhao was calling him an official.

In return, he didn't dare call Yang Zhao "spittoon."

"Yang Canjun, don't blame me."

"How can I not blame you?!"

With a kick, Yang Zhao overturned a chair and stood in front of Ji Wen.

Yang Zhao came from a branch of the Hongnong Yang clan. His mother was the sister of the handsome man Zhang Yizhi from the Wu Zhou dynasty, and the whole family was known for their good looks. He was tall and handsome.

He was in his forties, wearing a fur-lined cloak, a round-collar robe left unbuttoned, a jade belt, and high-soled black boots. He looked imposing and elegant at first glance.

But once he spoke, his rude and uneducated nature was evident.

"Search the Crown Prince's residence, and all we found was this trash. Take it and report to the Right Chancellor!"

He threw a bundle of clothes at Ji Wen.

Ji Wen, knowing the result, smiled. "Yang Canjun, don't worry. The task isn't completely ruined. Think about it, the people must have entered the Crown Prince's residence, so why can't we find them? There must be a secret passage..."

"Secret passage my ass!" Yang Zhao was furious, grabbing Ji Wen and shouting, "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. You want to frame me? Make the Right Chancellor blame me for not finding the secret passage?"

"Not at all, not at all," Ji Wen hurriedly said. "The Crown Prince must have moved the people and filled the secret passage, so we can't find it."

Yang Zhao was hit by a wave of bad breath and almost vomited. He threw Ji Wen to the ground, feeling dizzy for a moment, almost forgetting why he was there.

Ji Wen quickly picked up a clove and put it in his mouth, smiling apologetically. "This way, we can frame the Crown Prince with an unshakable crime and report to the Right Chancellor."

Yang Zhao calmed down and said, "We both know the people never entered the Crown Prince's residence. Your subordinates let them escape on the way."

"In front of the Right Chancellor, we can only say the Crown Prince hid them."

Yang Zhao, impatient, said, "Why should I clean up your mess?!"

"Help each other a bit," Ji Wen said, bowing and smiling. "The other day, someone sent me three carts of fine red silk. I'll send them to your residence today. How about that?"

Yang Zhao couldn't help but smile. "Remember, I'm getting scolded by the Right Chancellor because of you."

"Thank you, Yang Canjun."

"Sure." Yang Zhao picked up the bundle of clothes and left.

Leaving the Jingzhao Prefecture, he mounted his horse and headed to the Right Chancellor's residence in Pingkang Fang.

~~

Although Pingkang Fang was known for its entertainment, the brothels and taverns were mainly concentrated in the three alleys in the north, known as "North Three Alleys," which only took up one-sixteenth of the entire fang.

The residence of the current Right Chancellor, Li Linfu, alone occupied nearly one-quarter of the entire fang.

The southeast quadrant of Pingkang Fang, except for a Bodhi Temple, was entirely the Right Chancellor's residence.

Yang Zhao dismounted from his horse from a distance and tied the reins to a post.

Next to him, a fine horse was already tied, and two servants were waiting with a donkey, indicating that an official was visiting the Right Chancellor.

Yang Zhao put away his arrogant expression, bent over, and went to the side door, asking the gatekeeper, "Is the Right Chancellor here?"

As he spoke, he slipped a few coins into the gatekeeper's hand.

The gatekeeper, delighted, said, "Yang Canjun, the Right Chancellor is meeting a guest. Please wait in the side hall."

"Oh?" Yang Zhao smiled and asked, "Who is visiting the Right Chancellor today?"

"Li Wei, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Rites," the gatekeeper, who was also well-informed, smiled and replied, "He said he came to consult about a small matter."

"Is there anything small in the Chancellor's residence?"

As he spoke, he saw a man in a red official robe, wearing a formal headband, and a jade belt with a fish bag, walking out of the main hall. It must be Li Wei, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Rites.

Yang Zhao, new to Chang'an, wanted to flatter everyone, so he hurriedly bowed and smiled, "Undersecretary Li, I am Yang Zhao, a military officer."

Li Wei was walking with a frown, deep in thought. When he looked up and saw Yang Zhao, who was handsome and smiling, he nodded in return.

What was meant to be a passing acquaintance, Yang Zhao asked, "Undersecretary Li, what troubles you? Can Yang Zhao help?"

Li Wei didn't want to say, but Yang Zhao was already looking at him with enthusiasm. He was moved and stroked his beard, saying, "There is indeed something that puzzles me."

"Oh? What troubles Undersecretary Li?"

"Once you meet the Right Chancellor, please advise him. How can a minister refuse an imperial decree?"

Yang Zhao's curiosity grew, waiting for more.

"There is an old courtier in the palace, highly skilled. The Emperor wanted to grant him a promotion, but he refused, saying his son-in-law, Wang Ruci, would take the imperial examination next year and asked the Emperor to grant him a pass. The Emperor agreed and ordered the Ministry of Rites to handle it. But the Secretariat rejected it."

"Rejected?" Yang Zhao asked, puzzled. "Why?"

"I asked the Right Chancellor, and he said, 'The imperial examinations are the way the state selects talent. If it is due to the Emperor's favor, a position can be granted, but granting a pass undermines the selection process.'"

Li Wei's voice became agitated, "This is a mere excuse, utterly absurd. Has there ever been an imperial examination without recommendations or public lists? How can the Right Chancellor reject a talent recommended by the Emperor?"

Yang Zhao quickly comforted him, "Undersecretary Li, don't worry. I will advise the Right Chancellor."

"Ah."

Li Wei sighed again and left.

Yang Zhao, having met a high official, was satisfied and continued on, passing through two gates and a winding path, waiting in the side hall before going to the main hall to meet Li Linfu.

The large residence made him slightly sweaty.

The main hall was warm and fragrant, with luxurious decorations and a soft carpet. A large screen stood in the middle, and behind it, a group of beautiful maids surrounded Li Linfu, shielding him from the cold.

They were called a "real screen" and a "flesh screen."

Yang Zhao bowed and smiled, "Right Chancellor, I met Undersecretary Li in the front courtyard and chatted a bit. We are both foolish and can't understand your intentions."

Behind the screen, Li Linfu said calmly, "You want to ask me why I disobeyed the Emperor's decree?"

"Yang Zhao is worried about the Right Chancellor, both offending the Emperor and making enemies."

"A mere scholar and a rogue can't understand," Li Linfu said. "There is nothing more to it. The Emperor couldn't refuse, so I had to be the bad guy. That's all."

"Ah, I see!" Yang Zhao was enlightened, deeply admiring and exclaimed, "Right Chancellor, you are truly a divine figure! You can read the Emperor's mind so well!"

"It's a small matter," Li Linfu said indifferently.

"How can it be a small matter?" Yang Zhao praised, "The Right Chancellor's skills are something I can never learn in a lifetime!"

"Enough, stop flattering me. Did you find evidence against the Crown Prince?"

Yang Zhao quickly knelt and said, "The Crown Prince must have dug a secret passage in the residence and moved the witnesses..."

He was cut off mid-sentence.

"Such words won't bring him down. Find Li Hen's hidden people within two days. Not just Du Wulang, but also the missing maid and the unknown Xue Bai."

Yang Zhao broke out in a cold sweat.

He had accepted three carts of red silk from Ji Wen, thinking he would only get a scolding, but now this difficult task was on him.

But he couldn't refuse in front of the Right Chancellor, so he immediately said, "Right Chancellor, rest assured. Even if I have to search all of Chang'an, I will find them!"

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