Chapter 18#

Clues. Pei Ziqiu Seeks Employment.#

The one-time bodyguard turned into a short-term bodyguard, and since the bodyguard himself had come proactively, the corresponding remuneration naturally changed. Party A and Party B, based on discussions, verbally signed an employment agreement. During the term, Party A was to cover Party B’s food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and pay fifty taels per month. Party B, in turn, was to protect Party A, this “delicate flower,” with utmost diligence and care.

With a good-looking, highly skilled bodyguard in tow, Pei Xiting went to bed early that night and slept a full six hours straight. When he woke up the next morning, the sky was gray and hazy, with residual lamps flickering under the eaves. Two lazy apprentices were yawning as they swept the courtyard.

Pei Xiting tied up his hair, wore only a plain white inner garment, and started his morning exercises in the yard. The servants, who had gone from wondering “What the hell is Third Young Master doing?” on the first day to “Third Young Master is on fire!” now found it unremarkable, and some even joined in to practice Ba Duan Jin halfway through.

Half an hour later, the servant in charge of boiling water precisely filled the bathtub with hot water. Pei Xiting washed up, changed clothes, ate two zongzi, and then retreated into the study to paint.

Yuan Fang sat cross-legged on the footstool not far away, peeling an Ai-xiang zongzi. “I’ve heard that quite a few dignitaries have been asking you to paint for them lately. Why don’t you take their commissions, instead of selling your paintings at the gallery? The gallery takes a thirty percent cut—it’s really not worth it.”

“Most of those people ask me to paint because of Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. ‘If the superior likes something, the inferiors will go even further’—that’s roughly the principle.” Pei Xiting was painting a Dragon Boat Festival scene, working from a draft without lifting his head. “But if I accepted their commissions, whose should I take first?”

Yuan Fang’s cheeks were stuffed with zongzi. He chewed and swallowed before replying, “Whoever has the highest official rank?”

“And if two are equally high-ranking, how do you decide the order? If I take A’s commission first, wouldn’t B think I’m playing favorites?” Pei Xiting shook his head. “So many tricky entanglements. It’s much simpler to finish the painting anonymously and sell it at the gallery. I paint what I want, buyers buy what they truly want, and disputes are avoided.”

“You’ve got a point.” Yuan Fang peeled a second zongzi. “But I feel like you’re not that eager to make money either, otherwise you wouldn’t worry so much about this and that.”

Pei Xiting said, “Nothing is more important than my own will.”

Yuan Fang glanced at him and said, “Few people can think like that, and even fewer dare to act on it—especially those from established families like yours, with so many rules. Not like us Jianghu folk. Sure, we may not have bright futures or lavish riches, and many of us live on the edge, but at least we have a bit more freedom and joy.”

With that, he bit off half the zongzi and let out a satisfied “mmm.”

Pei Xiting was about to respond when the window was tapped. A servant called from outside, “Third Young Master, Master You from the Cage Crane Department has arrived in the courtyard!”

The tone was panicked, as if the King of Hell had come knocking!

Pei Xiting put down his brush and glanced at the person munching on zongzi, thoughtfully saying, “Maybe our chance to move out has come.”

Then, under the encouraging “You’ve got to seize this opportunity!” gaze, he left the study.

You Zong stood at the courtyard gate in his official robe, hands clasped behind his back, tall and erect, with a bone-deep gravitas and an icy demeanor. Behind him was the butler leading the way. The butler had his hands tucked in his sleeves, his back slightly hunched, his face a mix of obvious fear and tension while he tried to maintain an air of dignity and grace—after all, the visitor was the fearsome deity of the Cage Crane Department.

Pei Xiting hurried forward and cupped his hands. “Master You.”

You Zong nodded and said, “I’ve come on official business. I didn’t want to trouble Lady Pei and Third Young Master Pei to come all the way to the main hall, so I came directly to Wangchun Courtyard. I hope Third Young Master won’t fault me for being rude.”

“I should thank you for your consideration, sir. Please, have a seat in the hall.” Pei Xiting gestured for the butler to withdraw and invited You Zong to the front hall for a talk.

“…” The butler stared at Third Young Master’s extraordinarily calm, elegant, composed, and… in short, thoroughly unfamiliar back, then turned around dumbfoundedly and scurried off.

Pei Jintang intercepted him halfway and asked, “What’s going on?”

The butler quickly explained that Master You from the Cage Crane Department had gone straight to Wangchun Courtyard, and said frantically, “The Cage Crane Department’s visit is unexpected. Should we inform the master immediately?”

“No need. Master You came alone and went directly to Xiting, so it must be to question him about something.” Pei Jintang sighed in relief, turned, and went back to his own courtyard.

The butler quickly followed, asking in confusion, “Second Young Master, don’t you think Third Young Master seems like a different person?”

“What’s so strange about that? Good people can turn bad, bad people can turn good, so why can’t Xiting change his temperament?” Pei Jintang yawned, thinking about going back to catch up on sleep, but the butler stopped him and whispered, “Have you studied today, Second Young Master?”

“…”

“Oh my, Second Young Master, the exams are in August!” the butler said urgently.

“I won’t pass anyway.” Pei Jintang grumbled, “Don’t say this year; even if you make me take it for another three years, or even a dozen three-year cycles, I still won’t pass.”

“Whether you pass or not is one thing, but the real issue is that you don’t want to take the exams at all!” The butler sighed, his face bitter. “If you don’t pass this year, the madam will still make you take them three years later. That’s just another three years of torment. Why not work hard this time and pass in one go?”

“If I pass in one go, then I’ll have to prepare for next year’s spring examination. If I pass that, I’ll have to take the palace examination. And if I become an official midway and get sent to some remote post, I’ll have to claw my way back to Yejing. In between, I’ll have to marry, have kids, and hold grandchildren—right?” Pei Jintang sneered. “It won’t end in one go; it’ll be a lifetime of torment! Besides, what’s the point of me passing? If even I could pass, the Great Ye dynasty would be finished!”

Before the butler could persuade him further, Pei Jintang turned and left, fetched his saber from his courtyard, and happily went out to play the hero and right wrongs.

“I came today to ask Third Young Master Pei one thing. If possible, I’d also like to ask for your help,” You Zong said. “On the day at Pishan, before you lined up to enter the hunting grounds, did a woman bump into you?”

Pei Xiting, sitting across from him, nodded. “It was a woman disguised as a man.”

You Zong rubbed his teacup. “You noticed it at the time?”

“In spring and summer, clothes are light, and riding gear is form-fitting. So even if they bound their chests to hide it, their body curves were still visible. Besides, deliberately lowered voices and darkened skin were also giveaways.” Pei Xiting revealed a trace of hesitation after speaking. “I noticed, but I didn’t think too much of it at the time.”

You Zong shook his head to indicate he shouldn’t worry. “Your eyesight is indeed sharp. But, ‘they’?”

“Wasn’t the one playfully roughhousing with that woman also a woman?” Pei Xiting showed just the right amount of surprise, then said sheepishly, “I must have been mistaken.”

“You weren’t mistaken. The young lady who bumped into you is the precious daughter of Marquis Shangguan and the younger sister of the minor marquis. The other person was the third daughter of the Wang family on Xigeng Avenue,” You Zong said.

There was more than one Wang family on Xigeng Avenue, but “the Wang family on Xigeng Avenue” defaulted to the Wang family of the empress’s clan. However, Empress Wang had died early, and her elder brother, former Censor-in-Chief Wang Wei, had been dismissed for crimes three years ago. The once-prosperous eldest branch of the family had since declined, leaving only the third branch with a Director of the Ministry of Justice—that is, Wang Yelai’s father.

Pei Xiting said “oh,” but seemed a bit puzzled. “But I heard that Lady Wang was a Buddhist devotee, and later, because she suffered from frequent headaches, she went to a Buddhist temple to live as a lay disciple for peace and recuperation even before Wang Wei’s downfall. Wasn’t the third Miss Wang accompanying her mother and hadn’t returned to the capital?”

“That’s correct. That’s why Miss Shangguan was delighted to receive a letter from an old friend and went out of the city to welcome her. The next day, she took Miss Wang with her to Pishan,” You Zong said. “Miss Wang had sneaked back secretly. Miss Shangguan simply had her disguise as a man to enter the hunting grounds—first for convenience, second to cover for Miss Wang. To that end, they even bribed the guards. The guards, seeing their identities were legitimate and thinking it was nothing serious, agreed to cover for them and let them pass. But that let trouble slip through.”

Pei Xiting suddenly understood. “Does the incident with Fourth Young Master Zhao have something to do with Miss Wang?”

You Zong nodded. “But I suspect this ‘Wang’ is an impostor.”

Pei Xiting didn’t ask why. He stood up and said, “I understand. I remember what she looked like. I’ll draw it right away. Please wait a moment, sir.”

You Zong nodded. “Good.”

The servant was about to replace his tea with a fresh cup, but You Zong waved it off. He thoughtfully rubbed the untouched teacup, feeling that something was off about Pei Xiting, but this sensation slipped away like a thread of silk, lost as soon as it brushed past.

Soon, Pei Xiting returned to the front hall with a painting.

You Zong picked it up, looked at it, and said, “A full-body portrait?”

“That fake ‘Wang’ wore insoles that day. Her actual height should be around five foot three, give or take half an inch. Also, there’s a small mole on the rim of her left ear.” Pei Xiting smiled apologetically. “It was only a brief encounter, so the clues I can provide you are limited.”

“You’re too modest. Your keen observation is beyond ordinary people.” You Zong rolled up the painting and stood up. “This portrait is very useful. Once I get results, I’ll put in a commendation for you.”

As he said this, You Zong keenly noticed a hesitant and troubled look in Pei Xiting’s eyes—as if he wanted to speak but was conflicted. You Zong said, “Feel free to speak your mind.”

“Alright, I will then.” Pei Xiting cleared his throat, his voice slightly low, as if gathering courage. “Does your office have any vacancies, by any chance?”

You Zong was taken aback. “Do you want to join the Cage Crane Department?”

“I wouldn’t dare aim that high. But every office must have clerks who do desk work, right?” Pei Xiting pointed at the painting in You Zong’s hand. “For example, I can draw wanted portraits like this. And isn’t it quite good?”

Third Young Master Pei stared at him with hopeful eyes. You Zong was not a soft-hearted man by nature, but since the other had just helped him, he couldn’t be too cold. So he tactfully refused, “We do have scribe positions, but they have no rank. If you take the proper civil service exams, you’ll surely have a broader path ahead. Why come to a place like ours?”

“I don’t care about rank. I… I’ll be honest with you—I never planned to be an official at all.” Pei Xiting revealed his true intentions. “But I heard that the Cage Crane Department has dedicated dormitories, right?”

“Because we’re often busy at night, it’s convenient to stay at the office. Some people rent nearby. Also, some come from poor families, and since renting or buying a house in Yejing is expensive, they can only stay at the office.” You Zong paused. “But what are you after?”

“Freedom to come and go, freedom to stay up late, freedom to sleep in, and freedom to fool around however I want.” Pei Xiting clasped his hands in sincere petition. “I know the Cage Crane Department isn’t a place just anyone can enter. What I’m saying may be a bit presumptuous, and might seem ill-intentioned, but this is the only idea I’ve come up with so far, and I have to try my best. Master You, I’ll work for you as a painter for free, no salary. Just accept me and give me a nominal position, that’s enough.”

This young master wanted an excuse to leave home. The Cage Crane Department was far from here; once busy, he could go without coming home for one or two months at a stretch. Outsiders wouldn’t dare pry into the department’s affairs. It was indeed a good place to go.

You Zong neither agreed nor refused. “The Cage Crane Department is different from other offices. It doesn’t answer to the Censorate; everything is decided by His Highness the Crown Prince. Moreover, our office deals with many classified matters. It’s not easy to just come and go as one pleases.”

Hearing this, Pei Xiting pouted. The light in his eyes dimmed instantly, and he wilted like a deflated plant, his eye sockets red, as if he was about to cry. He dropped his head and said in a muffled voice, “Alright.”

Seeing this, You Zong paused, thought for a moment, and then added, “How about this: Let me first report to His Highness and see what he says?”

Pei Xiting’s eyes lit up again. He immediately said, “Thank you, Master You! You’re the greatest good person in the world!”