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Nearing the time of the third night watch (11pm-1am), there was a sudden sound of footsteps passing by and taking off on the eaves. It was especially clear in the quiet autumn night, but it went away in a different direction without pausing for even a moment.
Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu looked at each other, opened the door and made to chase.
They had only made a few steps before they heard some noise in another courtyard; dropping down and looking around, they found that it was Su Xing’s residence. The guards in the courtyard had gone off somewhere, and looking through the window, one could vaguely see a mess in the house, looking like the aftermath of a fight.
Chu Mingyun patted Su Shiyu, “Over there.”
Sure enough, a person’s figure flashed past the corner and headed towards a remote corner of the residence. They gave chase, and a half-open iron gate appeared in their field of sight in the dark of the night, it was the residence’s water prison. Zheng Wan, the previous Right Fufeng, had a kind heart and had abandoned and left it unused and locked for many years. But now the iron chain of the water prison was broken and draped on the ground. Cold wind blew from the darkness within the door, chilling the face where it met skin.
They couldn’t help but pause, and in this instant Su Xing’s muffled voice came from within. Su Shiyu frowned slightly, grabbed Chu Mingyun’s wrist, and walked down the stone steps inside the door.
Chu Mingyun looked at Su Shiyu’s hand in surprise, and only after a good while he belatedly remembered what he said casually at the entrance of the Eternal Joy Casino, but he didn’t expect that Su Shiyu would still remember it. But he didn’t know what to say at the moment, so he smiled silently. The man’s palm was still warm.
Su Shiyu seemed to be quite familiar with this water jail, and was able to follow the sounds without much trouble even without being able to see anything before him.
The fierce sounds of fighting was a bit ethereal and weird by the echo of the aisle, and it seemed to be near, and in the darkness sparks of gold where metal met metal and stone constantly flashed.
”Uncle?” Su Shiyu raised his voice slightly.
There was sharp screeching of blades in the distance, and someone raised their voice to snarl something. But it broke off before one could hear it. The sound of the weapon falling heavily to the ground resounded over, and immediately there was a dead silence in the prison.
After a while, a fire suddenly lit up in the dungeon, and the flame of the oil lamp gradually stabilized, illuminating this space. Su Xing leaned against the wall panting, and a black-clothed masked man lay not far away from his feet, and although he no longer drew breath, he was still glaring at Su Xing hard as if his eyelids would rip.
Chu Mingyun approached and squatted down and tore off his mask. They had seen that face many times in the past few days, and it was the official Registrar. His mouth was open wide as if exhausting all his effort to say something, but unfortunately his throat had been cut open and he couldn’t make the slightest sound, only succeeding in making his face a bit hideous. (T/N: This must be Chu Mingyun’s POV)
Su Xing lay wounded in disarray, coughed hard, and cursed: “This b*stard, it’s no wonder that he suddenly said that he caught the murderer. Turned out that he was the one who killed, and now he even wants to kill me!”
Chu Mingyun smiled uncomprehendingly, did not answer his words, stood up and was about to walk over, but was suddenly stopped by Su Shiyu’s hand. Chu Mingyun looked at him suspiciously, and saw that Su Shiyu looked at Su Xing fixedly, with a strange calm expression.
Su Xing beckoned to him in wonder, “Yu’er, you come, come and help your uncle up.”
Su Shiyu stood still, “Uncle,” after a moment of silence, he suddenly said, “When you asked me that day, and I kept something from you. Actually there was something Zheng Wan’s wife said.”
”What?”
”Since they’re someone familiar with us, then how could they do an act so vicious.”
Su Xing smiled, looking at the official Registrar lying on the ground and said: ” And isn’t that true. Who would have thought that after following Zheng Wan for so long, he would viciously murder him.”
Su Shiyu still looked at him and repeated: ” Since they’re someone familiar with us, then how could they do an act so vicious.” His voice was gentle and his words were clear.
Su Xing was stunned, his complexion changed slightly, “…what do you mean?”
Su Shiyu said lightly: “Zheng Wan has known you for many years, and the official Registrar is under your command. Uncle, why bother doing something this vicious .” Chu Mingyun had a profound meaning . His gaze hovered over the two of them, copying his hands and consciously leaning against a wall to watch them coldly.
Su Xing’s expression was completely ugly, “Yu’er, what do you mean? You’re suspicious of me?!”
”After hearing the confession before, it was still suspicion,” his eyes were deep, “But tonight it’s confirmed.”
” Confirmed what?! Confirmed it was me who killed him?” Su Xing couldn’t believe it, “I am your uncle, you and I are blood relatives! When you were a kid I even held you, and took you out for outings, don’t you remember?”
Su Shiyu laughed very lightly, “Nephew naturally remembers. More than that, I still remember that my uncle supervised the construction of this dungeon when he served as Right Fufeng. You brought me here and told me about the mechanisms you hid,” he raised his eyes and looked at Su Xing, “…the one who has forgotten, I am afraid it is you.”
Su Xing’s pupils shrank suddenly, and then his whole body trembled in anger, “So what if there are mechanisms? Don’t tell me you think I will harm you?”
Su Shiyu looked down and said after a long silence: “Do you remember the aunt’s retelling when I came by my uncle?”
——I saw it when I passed by Jinling this time. Your aunt, she said that your mourning period is almost a year past, and since Du Yue is in Chang’an, if you delay any further, she will personally take care of it for you, and she can see her son along the way.
——She said that your mourning period is almost a year past.
”My parents died in July, Zheng Wan was assassinated in August, and then you were ordered to take up the post of Right Fufeng. My aunt has a rigorous personality, and she will never remember the memorial date by mistake, and it doesn’t seem to be a slip of the tongue…. That means you came to Chang’an before July, but didn’t ever show your face then, why is that?”
Came to Chang’an, hid in Fufeng County and secretly plotted this series of murders. After they arrived, [he] arranged for a fake murderer to confirm Chu Mingyun as culprit. Within two days, used the onlookers to spread the rumors of the conspiracy of the Grand Marshall committing murder, and then killed the official Registrar who was doing the work for him, then there was no one who could identify [him as the mastermind]. At the same time, they were led to the water prison, as long as [he] could use the mechanisms to kill them, the end result others would naturally draw is that the Grand Marshall took the opportunity to attack the Grand Secretary but wasn’t entirely successful, and both met their demise. Anyway, there is no living soul to bear witness, what would it have to do with Right Fufeng, who just took office?
The plan was meticulous, and there shouldn’t have been even the slightest bit off.
But Su Shiyu saw it clearly, and his guess wasn’t even the slightest bit off.
Su Xing was stunned for a long time, lowered his head, and his shoulders trembled slowly. He was actually laughing. The laughter grew louder and reverberated on the walls of the water prison. When he raised his head again, his expression had already grown cold and he stared at Su Shiyu. “You had actually started suspecting me since then?”
Su Shiyu said quietly: “I came here on orders, for the purpose of investigating the case.”
”Heh, Su Shiyu!” Su Xing sneered, “You’re truly the good son taught by Su Jue, exactly the same as your father. …No, your father isn’t even comparable to you!”
”Don’t tell me that back then, Uncle was also banished from the capital for this reason?”
”Back then I hadn’t done anything wrong, Su Jue just used one phrase that I had ‘impure ambitions’ and threw me out! Expelled his own brother out of the capital, a thousand miles out! “
Since he had already torn face1 with them, Su Xing had no more scruples, “So what if I had impure ambitions, can Li Yanzhen that brat wet behind his ears, be regarded as a monarch? I don’t share your interest in coaxing children.”
”…So my uncle has decided to perch on a different branch2 now?”
”Or what, to be just like you father-and-son? Head full of maintaining the rites between subject and monarch, and not knowing to open my eyes and look at what has become of the world! A few years of riots, unending natural disasters, in the end these are actually man-made disasters. After a short period of tranquility, do you really think that it is starting to be peaceful? Wake up a little, it’s destined that you can’t raise up Li Yanzhen, that mediocre and incompetent person!”
”Uncle should speak primly.” Su Shiyu frowned slightly.
”Don’t call me uncle anymore,” Su Xing sneered, “I understand, yes, blame me for forgetting what kind of person you are. Back then your father wanted to kill you with a sword I shouldn’t have stopped him, otherwise I would be spared regrets now! I have long heard people say the Grand Secretary is this and that, and now I want to say they are really right.” He raised his hand and pointed directly at Su Shiyu, “Heartless and desire-less, incapable of shedding blood and tears! You just go on like this, and you should have lifelong loneliness!”
They were blood relatives, yet how could he curse at him so bitterly.
This bout of cursing was so vivid that Chu Mingyun couldn’t help taking a look at Su Shiyu. Su Shiyu’s expression was bland, calm as if no waves rocked the boat, but you couldn’t tell if this person was exactly as he seemed, to have a heart this cold and unfeeling, not moved in the slightest.
It wasn’t until Su Xing ran out of breath and stopped speaking that Su Shiyu spoke up calmly: “This nephew has heard your teachings. It’s just that Uncle claims to care about the people, and chose another master, but he committed a murder harming the loyal officials of the court.” He watched. Su Xing, “Zheng Fufeng (Zheng Wan as addressed by his official title) was diligent and honest and cared for the people, what crime exactly did he commit against the people, why did he have this sort of ending?”
Su Xing went speechless and did not answer.
Su Shiyu sighed, “May Uncle plead guilty.”
”Plead guilty?” Su Xing smiled, “Stay in jail, then wait for you to torture me before being executed?”
He took a step forward unsteadily, “I don’t need you to do it!” He suddenly slapped the wall beside him, the mechanism indent sank with a “click”, the whole stone slab that capped the wall crashed down, falling a few feet in front of Su Shiyu like thunder, shocking both one’s heart and ears.
Su Shiyu’s figure did not move at all, and was silent for a while.
”Master Su?” Chu Mingyun called tentatively.
Su Shiyu lowered his eyes in silence, and saw the blood slowly flowing out from the cracks in the stone wall, winding and snaking around the edges of his boots.
”…Master Su?” Chu Mingyun straightened up and walked a few steps closer.
Su Shiyu turned around, “Let’s go, order someone to clean up here, and then search and gather up his accomplices as soon as possible.”
Chu Mingyun followed him and thought for a while and said, ” Master Su and your honored Father… It sounds like your relationship was tense?” He had a rare instance of using his words euphemistically.
”Don’t think too much, my father’s personality is just a bit harsh.” He said in an light and serene tone.
”Hey—I’ll say,” Chu Mingyun looked at his back profile, “There are some restaurants here that don’t close at night. If you feel unhappy, I can go accompany you for a drink or two.”
Su Shiyu seemed to chuckle slightly. The voice, “The murder case is solved, you and I finally fulfilled the royal decree, why would my heart be unhappy?” “Okay, let’s go have two glasses to celebrate the removal of my suspicion?” After blurting out the voice, Chu Mingyun couldn’t help but pause. Very rarely, I feel a little bit awkward.
Unexpectedly, Su Shiyu paused, looked back at him, and smiled: “Master Chu has the mood to celebrate?”
”…Still okay.”
”Let’s go.”
Although he agreed to speak a little more casually, Chu Mingyun looked at General Su Shiyu. They quickly gave orders to carry out the search, and then he really came out with him.
After all, Fufeng County is a prosperous place. Even though it is late at night, the restaurant was still completely lit and there are two or three idling customers.
They found a secluded area upstairs and sat down relatively, the wine in the glass exuding warmth and a mellow aroma. Chu Mingyun was not in a hurry to drink, holding the porcelain cup and slowly warming his hands, carefully studying Su Shiyu’s expression.
Su Shiyu took a sip of wine and asked without
raising his eyes: “Is there anything on my face?” Chu Mingyun said seriously: “There is a flower.”
”…” Su Shiyu looked up at him and said with a smile. “I didn’t expect Master Chu to be drunk so soon.” Chu Mingyun smiled in a low voice, paused, and suddenly thought of something, “By the way, since Su Xing is the mastermind, Boss Mu from Eternal Joy Casino said you should call you elder brother (xiongzhang), then he should be Su Xing’s son?”
Su Shiyu shook his head slightly, “Uncle has no son, only two daughters. I have seen them several times at my aunt’s place. The eldest daughter is already married to a merchant, and the younger daughter is still small, they have nothing to do with that Boss Mu. And according to my Uncle’s personality, the things he does, are likely to be kept completely secret from his family.”
”Then who on earth is the person who should be calling you elder brother?”
”Frankly, I also have no clue.” Su Shiyu said, “The Su family has several generations of officials, most of the people in the ruling and opposition parties have some association with my family, and among the brothers of the same generation, I am the eldest, so there are countless people who should call me elder brother.”
Chu Mingyun nodded as if he didn’t really care either way, “I seem to remember I am a few months older than you?”
Su Shiyu glanced at him calmly and did not answer.
Sure enough, Chu Mingyun continued: “Then how’bout you call me Gege once?”
Su Shiyu looked down at the porcelain cup in his hand, as if he hadn’t heard what he said.
Chu Mingyun reached out and gripped his wine glass, rubbed his fingertips over his wrist, leaning forward slightly and saying with a smile in his eyes, “Call me Gege, and I’ll treat you to a few more pots of good wine, how does that sound?”
”……”
”Che,” Chu Mingyun wrinkled his brow slightly, “How come you’re ignoring me.”
…… So you are also able to tell when others are ignoring you.
Su Shiyu couldn’t help but laugh softly, and pulled his hand away, “According to the law, officials with more than two thousand stones3 are not allowed to meet in private and seek profit by claiming sworn brothership or marriage ties.”
Being the Grand Secretary is such an advantageous position, he could find such good reasons at any point.
Chu Mingyun took a disinterested sip of his wine and said casually: “You said that Su Xing’s family didn’t know what happened. Now that he died like this, wouldn’t his wife and children hate you to death?”
Su Shiyu’s fingertips He paused, squeezed the cup tightly, and then relaxed again, “Perhaps,” he said again, “But Uncle committed a grave crime, and according to the law all nine clans of kin4 will also be held accountable. Whether they have a chance to hate me is yet to be known.” Chu Mingyun froze slightly, “You’re going report the whole truth like this?”
Su Shiyu gave him a strange look, “Why not?”
”Don’t you know that you are also included in the nine clans?”
”Of course I know that.” Su Shiyu said lightly.
Chu Mingyun looked at him with a complicated expression, “Then Master Su, this is considered… chopping off your head with your own hand?”
”The law is like this, so I should follow as such.” Su Shiyu filled the two glasses and said, “But as of now, not everything is yet settled, so we have to wait until Uncle’s residence has been searched before we can make a conclusion.”
”After the search, I’m afraid Su Xing’s charges will only increase and not lighten.”
Su Shiyu smiled lightly and didn’t answer.
Chu Mingyun drank all the wine in his glass, and looked at Su Shiyu’s slender hand holding the cup with one hand. The silver-embroidered rolled cuff of his sleeve slightly slipped down, revealing a thin wrist. The eyelids at half-mast occluding the ink-dark pupils of his eyes, elegance in extreme. He suddenly couldn’t help but blurt out: “If you die like this, maybe I will really be quite saddened.”
Su Shiyu thought about it seriously for a bit, but still didn’t understand the intent coloring these words; but looking at Chu Mingyun’s expression, there was no hint of joking, and it didn’t seem to be mockery, so he had to read it as an attempt to comfort him. He chuckled softly, “Thank you for your concern.” Then he changed the subject, “But people like Master Chu are really few in this world.”
”How so?”
”Having this manner of speaking like yours, nine out of ten would be beaten up, so that leaves one with extraordinary martial skills, and naturally there’d be few in this world.” Su Shiyu smiled.
Chu Mingyun who had extraordinary skill, smiled without changing expression, “You too, you too5.”
Su Shiyu didn’t carry on the conversation anymore, and filled himself another glass. After drinking it he suddenly felt that the wine was slightly cold, and the chill of it seemed to seep into his heart the moment it went down his throat.
After a long time of silence, with a very light sigh, a hand suddenly fell on the skin between his eyebrows. Su Shiyu looked up in surprise, only to see Chu Mingyun looking at him with a smile, his expression seemed slightly intoxicated, but his eyes were clear, as if reflected the sky’s light and the clouds’ shadows.
”I already said I invited you to drink in celebration, why do you still keep frowning?”
Su Shiyu looked at him in a daze, forgetting to speak. Chu Mingyun’s fingertips were pressed between his brows, then slowly and meticulously as if he were drawing his eyebrows, carefully smoothed along the arc of his brow bones, and finally stopped at the tips of his brows.
His fingertips were warm and slightly scented with wine, a sandalwood fragrance wrapping around his sleeves, and Su Shiyu felt these sensations clearly. The skin he touched felt slightly itchy, making him slightly anxious; foreign and strange emotions suddenly surging into his heart, but they were fleeting and disappeared before they could be discerned and savoured.
Chu Mingyun looked at him like this, and suddenly turned his head and smiled, “Master Su…” His shoulders couldn’t help but tremble, “That expression really makes me want to pinch your face.”
”…” Su Shiyu silently removed his hand, paused for a moment, looked at Chu Mingyun, who was smiling crookedly, and couldn’t help but laugh.
A chill suddenly fell on the side of his face, and then the sound of rain turning into ripples. Su Shiyu followed Chu Mingyun’s gaze and looked out the window. A curtain of autumn rain fell outside the window, awakening the lamps of thousands of homes.
(T/N: The reason this took so long to come out, is because I lost the previous draft when it didn’t save, so I had to translate half the chapter all over again. I lost patience and ended up reading most of the novel yesterday, and I’m glad I did, because I realised some of the poem references are listed in the author notes for later chapters. The ending was…unexpected, and I have kind of mixed feelings about it tbh. I might take a break after chapter 28 to translate the extras for Luan Shi Wei Wang aka. To rule in a turbulent world. If you like my translation, please leave a comment.)
1.To tear face is to not care about acting civil in front of someone because your relationship has soured.
2. 另择木而栖 – A phrase originating from the idiom ‘even birds pick which tree to perch on. Basically that people of intellect choose good masters or backers to serve.
3. Referring to the ranking of officials by salary.
4. For a heavy crime like treason, anyone within ‘nine degrees of kinship’ with the primary offender are executed along with them. So 1) Parents, 2) Grandparents, 3) Spouses 4) Parents-In-law, 5) Siblings and sibling-in-laws, 6) Aunts and uncles (both blood and married-in) 7) Children 8) Grandchildren and their spouses 9) Cousins. Technically SSY falls under this. Children below a certain age may be spared and sold into slavery instead.
5.彼此彼此 – a phrase one usually uses to return a compliment.