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After the passing of Bailu, the swan-geese flew south1, the weather turned cooler, the skies were gradually overtaken by the desolate atmosphere of autumn, while a murderous air was filling the world. Over the past few days, the sky has been gray and gloomy, hovering over people’s heads, and simultaneously pressing on people’s hearts.
There was panic in the hearts of everyone in both inner and outer Chang’an City.
After Zheng Wan of Right Fufeng was killed in his home, within a few months, four more officials in several counties of Jingji died violently, shaking the entire political scene. After investigation and comparisons between the scenes-of-crime, it was found that similar tactics were used in these five crimes, but the locations were far apart. This was basically evidence that it was organized murder. As soon as this conclusion was deduced, Li Yanzhen could no longer sit still.
The killing of officials in itself was an act belittling the Emperor’s authority, and yet these had even happened successively in counties neighboring the capital. This was a clear threat to Chang’an, challenging the imperial power.
The (regulation of) entry and exit checkpoints of Chang’an City was made even stricter, while patrols within the city by the defense army stepped up. The teahouse was rife with rumours and discussion, and malicious speculations were cast on almost every important figure there was2. There were even nosy people secretly placing bets and guessing who would die next.
The case was transferred to the Censorate through the Ministry of Justice, and Emperor Li Yanzhen ordered that the Grand Secretary personally investigate the case. All parties were to assist and cooperate with no allowance for error.
The lights in the Censorate stayed on all night, and suspects and evidence were constantly seized from places and brought in. Within the Censorate both major and minor officials were so busy that they could not step away, and after a few days there was finally a development that they quickly reported to the Grand Secretary.
The person bearing the imperial decree, Su Shiyu, took a rough look at the report, smiled gently at them and said: “All of your honored selves have been working hard these few days. This investigation cannot be done hastily, tomorrow happens to be a break day4, I request your honored selves to return to your residences and rest well.”
All of the Censorate officials were immediately dumbfounded, and looked at each other not knowing what to do. From the officials of court and the members of the gentry, to the cotton-clothed commoners; at the present moment all parties’ eyes were on the Censorate. This was obviously a matter of grave urgency3, let alone with the imperial decree involved, who dares to leave?
Then they found out that their Grand Secretary had really left.
Su Shiyu was playing (a chess game) against himself in the study. He tapped chess piece leisurely, staring at the black and white grid5 of the chess board intently.
”Young master!” Su Bai hurriedly pushed the door and entered.
Su Shiyu glanced at him distractedly, and said, “You forgot to knock the door again.”
”Hehe, I remembered to ask this time, my father isn’t around.” Su Bai stepped forward and said, “Young master, you’re really not going to the Censorate today? It’s not even been a while, and already several officials have sent people here.”
” What did they send people to say?”
”It’s probably all asking if you’re in, and then saying that the case is urgent, even if you’re not going because it’s a break day, at least give them some opinion, otherwise the Censorate won’t know how to proceed with the investigation.”
Su Shiyu’s gaze remained on the chessboard, holding a crystal-bright and smooth white piece between his fingers, deep in thought and not uttering a word.
”…Young Master?” Su Bai raised his voice tentatively.
”I heard you.” Su Shiyu finally spoke, not looking up even after placing the piece. He took another black piece and examined the board. “I have seen their statements and exhibits (evidence), the existing leads all point to the Grand Marshall. If I wanted to investigate it would be settled in just a matter of two or three days. It isn’t that they are oblivious of how to proceed, but that they dare not act rashly without my permission, so why be anxious?”
”Then why is young master not declaring the order!” Su Bai unconsciously made two steps forward in excitement, “It’s rare that Grand Marshall Chu showed such a big slip-up!”
”It’s not him.” Su Shiyu said blandly .
”Ah?” Su Bai was stunned.
”You be a bit more quiet, all this noise made me forget where I just placed (the weiqi piece).” Su Shiyu raised his head and gave Su Bai a look.
Su Bai shut his mouth immediately and reached out to point at the chessboard.
Su Shiyu also placed the black piece down, and then continued: “You’re also aware that, since the time of the first emperor of our Daxia (the name of the current dynasty), there has been a prevalent emphasis placed on civil office and undercutting of the military office. After experiencing two uprisings by the Huns, the military strength is already impaired, and there were frequent floods and famines since His Majesty’s ascension, common folk have been displaced, there have been few people with outstanding martial talents, not to mention those of rare military talent such as Grand Marshall Chu. Back then that High Official Chen Xuanwen highly appreciated and praised him, and after (Chu Mingyun’s) father passed away, there was no longer a general in court who could compare with him. Over the past three years his position has become more and more stable, up to the present where he has taken the post of Grand Marshall. He is currently in his prime so Jingji officials mostly want to cling to him. His current situation is good, why would he spend the effort to kill people? Even if you didn’t consider the mass hysteria created, it would be easily draw consequences back to himself. There is really a lack of motive, and even less merit to be gained.”
”This kind of brazen killing is obviously intended to attract the attention of the court, and the evidence leads indicating Marshall Chu’s involvement are too conspicuous. It isn’t a mistake he would make, but it rather seems like someone is deliberately guiding us.” He paused. “What’s more, I have known him for many years, and I have never seen him use wording as normal as in the letter submitted as evidence.”
”Young master means that there is a mastermind behind the scenes planting it to frame him?” As soon as he said that Su Bai couldn’t help but say doubtfully, “That’s not right ah, now the power in capital is divided in two, and (the one who did) it isn’t us. Could it possibly be an internal conflict of the Chu faction?”
”There are only two factions in Beijing, but there are so many hungry wolves watching with hostile intent outside Chang’an, how would you know if there hasn’t been someone who entered to interfere?” Su Shiyu raised his face, gave Su Bai a smile, and then retracted his gaze again, “It’s just that I still can’t understand why that party has suddenly targeted Grand Marshall Chu.”
”Perhaps it’s because that Grand Marshall Chu’s character is really too awful.” Su Bai speculated.
Su Shiyu halted his hands playing qi and said softly: “Saving people in distress, repaying debts of gratitude, it’s not considered too awful.”
Su Bai couldn’t hear clearly: “Young master, what did you say?”
But Su Shiyu continued from where he left off earlier, saying: “There are many suspicious points in this case, so I plan to personally investigate it from the startpoint. After all, Grand Marshall Chu has commanded the army for many years, who knows how many soldiers can still tell whether their surname is Li or Chu6. If he is rashly executed, I am afraid it will throw the army’s loyalty into turmoil. Besides, there are few people remaining in court capable of being a general except him. If the bordering countries took this opportunity…” His speech suddenly stopped, and a smile suddenly surfaced from the corner of his lips, and he repeated the word as if to savor it,
“……the border.”
Su Bai was still at a loss, only for Su Shiyu to stand up and face him, instructing: “Keep all the existing evidence at the Censorate, no one is to move them without my permission. Tell assistant officials in the Censorate that they are do things as usual, they don’t need to do anything about this case for now.”
”Yes,” Su Bai nodded repeatedly, “Anything else?”
”Prepare the carriage.” Su Shiyu moved the chessboard aside, adjusted his sleeves and walked out. “I’m making a trip to the Grand Marshall’s residence. Although I don’t like that person much, I would still rather he stay than those fellows at the border.”
Su Shiyu’s sudden visit surprised Chu Mingyun, and when he received the document from the other party, his expression instead evened into placidity.
Su Shiyu waited for him to read the contents of the letter, then asked, “Is there anything Master Chu wishes to say?”
Chu Mingyun examined it attentively: “These words are unimpactful, and lacks spirit. It’s far less beautiful than my own writing.”
”…… is there no other opinions you have?”
”If you don’t believe me, shall I write a letter of appointment for you to see? “Chu Mingyun said seriously.
”…From how I see it, Master Chu is planning to write a plea letter7 for my appreciation.” Su Shiyu said, “Aren’t you going to offer something as explanation?”
”Why do something unnecessary,” Chu Mingyun smiled, and put the letter on the small desk to the side, “Since Master Su brought all the exhibits to show me, do I still need to work harder to excuse myself?”
Su Shiyu smiled, “Master Chu is indeed a wise man. Since these murder cases were not your doing, the Censorate also naturally can’t malign a pillar of the country…”
”Master Su,” Chu Mingyun interjected coolly, “calling me a pillar of the country, don’t you feel a little disingenuous?”
Su Shiyu swept his gaze over the realistically self-aware Chu Mingyun, and continued with an unmoved expression: “My plan is for you to go with me to the places where the crime occurred for detailed investigation, and see if there was anything omitted, so as to help clear the suspicion on you. If Master Chu has no objection, I will soon enter the palace and ask His Majesty for permission.”
”You can arrange it.” Chu Mingyun said indifferently, “It’s just that for Master Su to work so hard for my sake, how should I repay you?” He paused, and looked to Su Shiyu with a smile all over his face, “Do you want me to repay you with my body?”
”I can’t accept that generosity8.” Su Shiyu smiled blandly, paused for a moment and said, “But if Master Chu is truly grateful, please use less banter9 from now on.”
”Oh–?”Chu Mingyun slightly lifted his brows, as if modestly seeking advice, “How do I not remember any banter said, can you say some of it to me as an example?”
” …… Master Chu. “
”I’m here. “
” Goodbye.”
”I’ll see you off ah.” Chu Mingyun got up and followed, smiling.
The two returned outside through the corridor. Leaves fell silently from the Chinese Parasol trees lining the corridor, neither of them spoke for a long while. The smile on Chu Mingyun’s face gradually faded, and his eyes lifted up and down several times, and he suddenly looked sideways at Su Shiyu and said, “Although it is a major murder case, you don’t actually need to go there in person to get a detailed understanding of the situation, right?”
”Indeed, but in the end, I still want to confirm it myself.” Su Shiyu said.
”I heard that people who are so hands-on10, are that way because they actually can’t fully trust others,” Chu Mingyun laughed. “Master Su’s heart is guarded to this extent. Might there have been some painful experience in the past?”
There was hardly any disturbance to Su Shiyu’s expression, and he calmly said: “What is Master Chu asking this for?”
Chu Mingyun turned his head to look at him: “I’m just casually asking, if I made you recall something sad, wouldn’t I be just in time to take advantage of it and curry your favour?”
Su Shiyu smiled lightly, “Troubled you with concern,” he lowered his eyes, “I’m very well.”
After sending Su Shiyu off, and returning to the study, he instantly saw Qin Zhao seriously studying that letter submitted as evidence. Chu Mingyun folded his arms and leaned on the bookshelf, asking: “Is there anything you can see? ”
” Someone’s framed you, “Qin Zhao raised his head and looked over at him, “which force is behind it this time? “
Chu Mingyun turned back and took several booklets off the shelf, and as he threw each booklet onto the side-table read:” Right Fufeng’s Zheng Wan, Duyang County Magistrate Chen Mu, Hedong County ‘s Senior Provincial Officer Jiang Zheng…”
The booklets were spread out messily on the table, and all the five officials killed were listed on it. (T/N: These are the booklets he took from the secret vault in the previous chapter, each representing one person.)
Chu Mingyun laughed grimly: “If Su Shiyu came to conduct a search just now, I’m afraid I would have been jailed by now, and these would be the evidence.”
”So these were deliberately left for us?” Qin Zhao asked.
”I took the bronze seal by force. How would he have the ability to predict this.” Chu Mingyun sneered. “I don’t know if that Boss Mu is still alive because his luck is great, or if there is someone else behind him. Rather than say they foresaw this, it’s better to say they didn’t want the information to be used by us after that incident happened, so they pre-emptively cleaned it out by killing, and then pinned the blame on me in passing, turning the disadvantage to seize a general from me11. But too bad ah—-” He sighed lazily, leaned to grab a booklet, and tore it in half, “That this time even Su Shiyu is here to help me.”
However, Su Shiyu must have his own intentions. Seeking justice to preserve a loyal official’s innocence, that sort of thing isn’t suited to the two of them. What’s more, how could Chu Mingyun be considered some loyal subject, just listening to it is good for a laugh. Although he doesn’t know why Su Shiyu didn’t take the opportunity to get rid of him, but the situation was ultimately beneficial to him, so Chu Mingyun didn’t bother to delve into it.
It’s just that there’s someone who can’t help but delve into it.
In the Xuanshi Hall12, after hearing Su Shiyu’s report, Li Yanzhen gave him a complicated look for a long time, and said honestly: “I (Zhen) don’t understand.”
(T/N: I will use We/Us/Our to translate 朕 (Zhen) from now on, it’s just too funny not to use it here.)
”Your Majesty can be at ease. Although this subject believes this case is not the doing of Grand Marshall Chu, but he is ultimately a suspect. It is just as a precaution that this subject has asked him to go and investigate this time, and there is no other intention.”
“Beloved Subject is overthinking it, We are not suspicious of you, but am really puzzled. Beloved Subject Su has clearly reminded Us to be wary of Beloved Subject Chu, saying that his thinking is impure, and may pose a threat to my rule. But now there’s this great opportunity, why is Beloved Subject Su letting it go?”
“This subject did say those words before,” Su Shiyu said, “but a fight between the snipe and clam13, letting the fisherman profit, would truly be unwise.”
Li Yanzhen is even more confused: “I understand what Beloved Subject says about the turmoil at the border, but if you look at it from this perspective, Beloved Subject Chu cannot be touched (offended), so how should I deal with him?”
”As of present my Daxia has few strong generals, Grand Marshall Chu is indispensable, and can only be suppressed for the time being, we can only wait for the day that this country cultivates a capable general, and then he can be be speedily removed.”
”It can be said as such, but over these years everybody can see that Beloved Subject Chu’s power is growing greater by the day…”
…Can we wait for that day? Li Yanzhen hesitated time and again, swallowing back this question14.
The post of the Grand Marshall is in charge of military affairs, but they would still need to ask the emperor for permission to mobilise the army, and they would have no military power by themselves. But Chu Mingyun joined the court for six years. Not only has his authority become solely recognised by the Ministry of War, even the soldiers are more loyal to him. Li Yanzhen occasionally put aside the distractions of his sculpting, calligraphy and painting, and found that he couldn’t figure out exactly whose hand the military power was in.
Su Shiyu pondered for a moment, and then said: “In fact, your Majesty needn’t be too worried.” His deep colour of his eyes receded15, and he said slowly, “From this subject’s perspective, Grand Marshall Chu’s pride and character of acting inappropriately for his station16 are his key points. Currently, because of this he was spared from several considerations yet could ascend smoothly17, but when he is truly positioned at the cliff peak, this will also surely cause him to fall deep into the abyss.”
The author has something to say:
The amount of information in this chapter, might be somewhat more.
Right Fufeng, Jing18 Zhaoyi, Left Fengyi, known collectively as the Sanfu, are local officials governing the areas within the capital, if you converted the five who died to our modern day context, is probably the concept of two provincial governors and three county magistrates dying off……En……so our two dear officials need to be dispatched.
T/N: Wow, this chapter is really exhausting to translate (just look at the number of footnotes), but Su Shiyu’s cuteness gave me strength…even though he sounds like a villain waiting to push Chu Mingyun when he least expects it ala Shen Qingqiu & Luo Binghe, I expect he’ll also be the one to offer rope if not accompany him on the way down…but this chapter can be boiled down to this:
Su Shiyu: This letter is written too normally to be Chu Mingyun!
Emperor: Yeah, but don’t you want to get rid of him? Or are you really gay for him?
1.Bailu 白露 (literally white dew) – the 15th cycle of the lunar calendar, or the start of the 8th lunar month. It marks the transition into autumn.
2.有头有脸的人物 – literally ‘people who have a head and have a face’, meaning all the who’s whos/anyone of renown in the town.
3. 十万火急刻不容缓 – Literally: an emergency involving ten thousand torches that would not allow for slowing down. Likely an idiom originating from the passing of military news.
4.休沐 – off-day declared for officials every 5 or 10 days depending on the post.
5.黑白丛横 – I translated it literally but I should also state that this is the title of a 2008 novel.
6. Meaning that they seem to recognise Chu Mingyun’s authority more so than the Emperor’s authority.
7. 状书 – the correct term is writ, but basically implying that he needs to plea to the Emperor/ Su Shiyu not to take action based on the current evidence.
8. 愧不敢当 – commonly used to “modestly” reject praise, but here he’s sarcastically saying that Chu Mingyun’s body is a honor that’s too large a reward.
9. 戏谑之语 – cracking jokes. Basically he wants Su Shiyu to repeat the words he used to flirt with him.
10.事必躬亲 – needing to handle matters by oneself.
11. 将我一军 – xiangqi chess-related metaphor originating from using a move to capture the General chesspiece. It means to make use of something or circumstances important to the other party to put them in a dangerous situation.
12. 宣室殿 – Although it has the word for ‘Palace’, this building in the ancient imperial city is actually more like an discussion hall where the Emperor could receive distinguished subjects for private audience (sensitive matters related to the throne or imperial family). It is also mentioned in the Shiji under the 《贾生传》and the Tales of the Sanfu, 《三辅故事》
13. 鹬蚌相争，渔翁得利 – an idiom referring to two parties engaged in a conflict that results in heavy losses on both sides, only for a third party to take advantage of them. The snipe is a bird. This idiom originates from Liu Xiang’s (of The Western Han Dynasty) Strategies of the Warring States《战国策·燕策二》.
14. 疑问咽了回去 – literally swallowing the question back.
15. 眸色深敛 – okay this one stumped me a bit, I translated it as closely as possible but it might be a typo for 眸色极深 which just means that Su Shiyu had really dark eyes.
16. 不矜名节 – usually this phrase means that one does not use demand self-respect from others because of their status, but the way that Su Shiyu puts it here implies that he doesn’t know how to act with self-respect befitting his stature.
17. 青云直上 – to literally ‘rise in a straight line above the clear skies and clouds’.
18. 右扶风, 京兆尹，左冯翊 – the first character indicates a cardinal position relative to the capital, so ‘Jing’ Zhaoyi probably governs the central part of the capital when the Sanfu (三辅) were in power. These are titles, not names. See the previous chapter notes for more details.