Two kingfishers perched on the eaves, where the frost clung in a thin, dark layer. The late spring wind blew erratically, subsiding with the sunset and rising again with the moon. On this windy night, with thin clouds and a hazy mist, the great bell of Yongning Temple, west of the imperial road, tolled sonorously, its sound carrying for miles. Zhang Duo sat and flipped through the "Four Styles of Calligraphy," a censer of fragrant smoke beside him. Petals fell with a rustling sound, casting dappled shadows on the window screen. He held the book up to the light, taking up a brush pen and copying Wei Dan's cursive script on a peach-wood-made mat. His wrist pressed down, his fingers moved, the brushstrokes as fluid and vibrant as a wriggling dragon.
A lamp was lit in the courtyard, illuminating half of the statue of Guanyin.
"Master, a messenger from the inner palace, Sir Song, has come to invite you," a voice called from outside.
Zhang Duo lowered his book. A silhouette was cast on the window in front of him. Her clothes flapped in the wind, as if her bones were about to be scattered by the wind. "Who is it?"
The silhouette trembled but did not respond. After a moment, Jiang Ling replied, "It's Miss Xi Yin."
"Let her in."
The door creaked open, and a lonely tinkling of bells filled the air. Xi Yin entered sideways. She was coughing slightly, her emotions were turbulent, and her stomach felt very uncomfortable. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were a little blurry. Her hands were still bound, and when she looked up and saw Zhang Duo sitting at the desk, she felt a mixture of shame and anger, not knowing where to stand.
Zhang Duo stood up and casually took a short sword from the sword rack. He grabbed her hand as she tried to pull back and skillfully cut through the ropes. At the same time, he asked the person outside, "What's going on in the inner palace?"
"The Middle Military Commander has captured several female fugitives from outside the city. They are going to be interrogated secretly tonight."
Xi Yin looked down at Zhang Duo. He was slightly bent over, and had already cut half of the rope. With a blank expression, he continued to ask, "Did the Sima go?"
"Yes, the Simal is the chief judge. Sir Liu from, the court attendant is also supervising. The people who came said that the women have already been tortured."
When Jiang Ling said this, Xi Yin's heart ached, her throat tightened, and she coughed violently. Her arm trembled suddenly, causing the blade to flip, and the sharp edge was about to cut into her palm. Zhang Duo steadied the hilt of the knife and pressed down on her wrist. The blade grazed her palm, but fortunately, it didn't draw blood.
"Afraid?" he asked.
She didn't say anything.
"They were your scapegoats."
His words brought tears to her eyes.
She looked at her wrist and didn't dare to move.
Zhang Duo glanced at her and said, "Why weren't you afraid when you were killing?"
"I didn't want to kill anyone..."
He ignored her and squeezed her arm hard. "Raise your hand," he ordered.
She dared not disobey and quickly raised her hand, enduring the pain. She couldn't help but cough a few times.
"What are you coughing for? Stop it," he snapped, his voice harsh and intimidating. Frightened, she quickly responded, "I won't."
With a flick of his wrist, he cut through the remaining ropes.
Before she could catch her breath, he said, "If you had been more decisive and killed that person then, you wouldn't be in this mess now."
For some reason, his words sounded like an untimely reproach.
Xi Yin raised her head, her cough subsiding. She saw him wiping the blade of the knife under the lamplight. With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed the knife and turned to Jiang Ling outside, asking, "only a few women? What have they confessed?"
"I heard they also summoned the Middle Military Commander who had his eyes gouged out that day, but he was so scared that he only said he had seen the master on Tongtuo Street, and nothing else. But the women couldn't withstand the torture, and they confessed everything the Sima asked. They said a lot of bad things about the master. Fortunately, Sir Liu had seen the woman who attempted the assassination that night and didn't believe everything, so he sent someone to invite Master to come and listen to the interrogation."
"Where is it?"
"In the Imperial Prison."
"Where is Zhao Qian?"
"General Zhao heard about this and has already rushed over."
"Nonsense, bring him back to me."
Jiang Ling hesitated and replied with folded hands, "General Zhao only listens to the master. Usually, it's he who binds us, not the other way around. And it's not appropriate for us to act recklessly in the Imperial Prison."
Zhang Duo was silent for a moment, then impatiently brushed aside the book on the couch. After a while, he said, "Prepare the horse."
Jiang Ling responded, then glanced at the thin figure in the room. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "That man has been taken to the torture chamber, master..."
Zhang Duo hummed in response.
"Whether I'm there or not makes no difference. Keep him alive, but you can do whatever else you want. Just ask him one question."
As he spoke, he paused suddenly. A dark shadow, like a finger of the Guanyin statue, fell across his nose. Xi Yin looked up and saw that it cast a grotesque shadow on his face, like an old, scabbed wound.
Jiang Ling had been waiting for his follow-up question but didn't get one. After standing there for a while, he finally asked tentatively, "What do you want to ask him?"
Zhang Duo turned around, lowered his head, and reached for the hilt of the knife. "Just ask him if he is an old friend from Dongjun."
Jiang Ling was startled and said softly, "Master... what do you want to hear from him?"
"It doesn't matter. Just torture him."
With that, he brushed aside a curtain and walked straight out.
Jiang Ling dared not ask any more questions. He watched as the woman behind him looked devastated.
He didn't know if Zhang Duo was deliberately avoiding mentioning Cen Zhao's name to spare her feelings. But she clearly understood the implication, and seeing Zhang Duo about to leave, she quickly grabbed his sleeve, almost causing him to stumble.
"Who are you going to torture?"
Zhang Duo turned around without looking at her and asked, "There are four torture chambers in the Imperial Prison, and several people die every day from the torture. Which one are you asking about?"
She was stunned by his question. Although she had heard such cruel jokes in the past, she didn't expect him to be so explict.
"Let go of my sleeve," he ordered.
She was still dazed and held on tighter.
He didn't scold her, but simply grabbed her wrist and pulled her back. "I'll be taking a bath when I return. Can you help me?"
"Yes..." she replied.
Ignoring her distress, he strode out.
Xi Yin chased after him to the door.
She saw Zhang Duo stop under a small plum tree and call Jiang Qin over. She didn't hear what he said.
The deep shadows of the catalpa trees stretched across Tongtuo Road in the thick of night.
Zhang Duo abandoned his carriage and rode on horseback, whipping the horse till lost in her sight. The hooves of his snow-white steed trampled on the fallen plum blossoms, filling the air with a cold fragrance.
Having passed Yongning Temple, he caught up with Zhao Qian.
Under the moonlight, Zhao Qian reined in his horse and said angrily, "Does the Sima really want to have you beheaded? He knows the emperor is about to launch a war to the east. At this time, he's linking you and Liu Bi to these women, saying you're too powerful, isn't he? You're his son! Don't go. Even if I have to smash that Imperial Prison tonight, I won't let any false testimony be sent to the palace."
Zhang Duo chuckled. "The Sima sees things clearly."
"Ha! But Liu Bi is a real idiot. With a weak army and insufficient horses, he thought he could find a soft knife among the music women, but it turned out to be a mere cat playing with a mouse! Not only did he get himself into trouble, but he also dragged you into it."
His anger grew, and his shoulders trembled.
Zhang Duo rode closer, "You're too impulsive. Calm down. The emperor will suspect, but he won't believe it."
"Even suspicion is fatal. You're the best at using divisive tactics. Why did the Chen family end up in prison? Only troop of 500 who couldn't even make it to the Palace Gate, caused suspicion of the emperor.
"Zhang Xi is just imitating, what are you afraid of?"
He directly mentioned the Sima's name. Zhao Qian was stunned for a moment, then calmed down slightly.
"I'm afraid you'd got hurt. Look at all the scars on your back."
The rider on the horse sneered coldly, "You're so sentimental. You're thinking too much."
"Sentimental? Zhang Tuishan!"
"Enough! I don't tell you everything because I don't want to get you into trouble. You've also led troops into battle. You should know how to be discreet and not leave any clues. Don't disrupt my plan."
With that, he urged his horse forward.
Zhao Qian quickly caught up with him, "Hey, explain yourself. What are you going to do?"
Zhang Duo didn't answer, but whipped his horse harder. Zhao Qian said, "At least tell me where you're going."
The rider turned around, "Sir Song wants to do me a favor, so I can't refuse his request. I'm going to listen to the interrogation at the Imperial Prison. You don't have to come. Go back to camp."
"No, isn't there someone being held in the inner prison? When are you going to question him?"
"I don't want to see it. I'll leave it to Jiang Ling. You shouldn't go either. This kind of thing isn't suitable for you."
Before Zhao Qian could say anything else, the other man was already far away.
He could only rein in his horse and watch as Zhang Duo rode into the dense shade of the elm trees.
One of Zhang Duo's subordinates finally caught up and said out of breath, "General, we finally found you... Our master..."
Zhao Qian cleared the dust off his hands and pointed at the front angrily.
"He went to the Imperial Prison."
"Oh, thank you, General."
He was about to chase after Zhang Duo.
"Come back," Zhao Qian called.
"Yes."
"Did your master deal with anyone this morning?"
"Ah? Who?"
"Tsk! Your master keeps you all in the dark. It's a pain."
The subordinates apologized awkwardly, "We didn't know much about what was happening inside the mansion. Jiang Qin knew more than us. When I came out, I met him, and I don't know what happened, but he seemed to have been sent for a doctor. We were also puzzled. If our master was sick, he would have seen the court physician. We don't know who Jiang invited."
Zhao Qian hadn't expected to hear this and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The subordinate who had answered him was stunned.
Zhao Qian wiped his face and said, "It's nothing, nothing. You guys go ahead."
The subordinates were confused but didn't dare ask any more questions, and hurriedly followed their master.
A few wisps of fine grass flew in the wind. Zhao Qian spat out a few times and said to himself, "Zhang Tuishan, you're just trying to annoy me, aren't you? I wonder if you'll be embarrassed when you, an old tree, finally blooms."