Chapter 73#
All idle personnel were driven out of the inner courtyard of Suhe Compound. The vermilion gate slammed shut with a bang, leaving only Shen Zheng, Wen Zhuo, and the ashen-faced Lou Changsui on the vast empty ground.
The colonel clasped his hands in a salute toward the two: “Fifth Prince, Minister Wen, I am burdened with an imperial edict and cannot perform a full formal bow.”
Shen Zheng nodded slightly. “Colonel, there’s no need for excessive courtesy.”
The colonel nodded, took out the bright yellow imperial edict from the pack on his back, and unfurled it, standing tall as he announced in a clear voice: “Lou Changsui, receive the edict!”
Just hearing these words made Lou Changsui’s legs tremble. “Your… your servant receives the edict!”
The colonel read aloud: “Liu Kangren, with traitorous ambition and audacity beyond measure, secretly stole official grain supplies, leading to a shortage of relief materials and widespread popular resentment. The Mianzhou Prefecture is hereby ordered to immediately bind him and take him to the marketplace for execution by decapitation, as a warning to others. By imperial decree!”
The stone had finally dropped, crashing down and leaving Lou Changsui dizzy and disoriented.
Although he had anticipated it, hearing the content of the edict with his own ears still made his blood surge uncontrollably.
The Emperor had never intended to pardon Liu Kangren from start to finish. He had been completely fooled!
But before he could collect himself, Wen Zhuo had already widened his eyes in feigned surprise: “His Majesty wants an immediate beheading?”
The colonel nodded. “Exactly.”
Wen Zhuo hurriedly said: “Colonel, could you grant a little leeway? I have just arrived in Mianzhou and still have many doubts that need to be clarified with Liu Kangren.”
The colonel frowned slightly but was understanding: “Please be quick, Director. Is this perhaps related to the unusual movements you mentioned earlier?”
“Indeed it is.” Wen Zhuo turned his head to look at Lou Changsui and instructed: “Director Lou, take me to see Liu Kangren at once.”
Lou Changsui raised his puffy, bloodshot eyes, staring straight at Wen Zhuo with a gaze full of venom and resentment.
It’s all you! All you! And you still pretend!
Meeting his eyes, a barely perceptible smile curled at the corner of Wen Zhuo’s lips, but it vanished in an instant as he tightened his expression and stressed his tone: “Director Lou!”
The colonel looked down at Lou Changsui, who remained motionless, and pressed in a deep voice: “Director Lou, why have you not yet received the edict and carried out the order?”
Lou Changsui’s cold sweat dripped down profusely. He lowered his head, braced himself, prostrated on the ground, and wailed: “Your Majesty! Your servant deserves ten thousand deaths! That traitor committed suicide in his cell out of guilt a day ago. Now there is only a corpse left!”
He was gambling, betting that Wen Zhuo would not dare to produce the real Liu Kangren!
As long as he survived Liu Kangren’s hurdle, he had plenty of ways to cover up the rest. Mianzhou’s five-percent disaster relief was already within regulations, the land survey had not been verified, and the concealment of population by the people was a common practice. Which prefecture in the Great Qian Empire didn’t just make up numbers based on old census registers?
“Liu Kangren is dead?!” The colonel was astonished at the news.
Although the edict had ordered immediate beheading, Liu Kangren dying prematurely was an entirely different matter.
However, he was only responsible for proclaiming the edict, not for investigating the case. At most, he could only report this matter back to the court, and the Emperor would then send another official to thoroughly investigate whether Lou Changsui had been derelict in his duty.
It was precisely this time lag that Lou Changsui wanted!
Mianzhou was far from the capital, and the journey was fraught with difficulties. By the time it reached the Duke’s mansion, ‘Liu Kangren’ would likely have already decomposed and deformed, leaving no trace to be found.
“That’s right! It’s all my negligence!” Lou Changsui beat his chest and stomped his feet, tears and snot streaming down his face as he blurted out his prepared story. “I took pity on the suffering of the displaced people, so a few days ago I personally went to the prison to reprimand him. I told him the imperial edict would soon arrive and that his life and death, fortune and misfortune, were entirely up to His Majesty’s decision. I suppose my words frightened him, and feeling ashamed of His Majesty’s grace, he slammed his head against the wall that very night, smashing it bloody and mangled, and eventually died from excessive blood loss! I deserve ten thousand deaths! I failed to strictly supervise the jailers. They were sound asleep that night and no one noticed this!”
Shen Zheng couldn’t help but glance at Wen Zhuo, who was frowning in thought, as if he were genuinely pondering the matter of Liu Kangren’s suicide out of guilt.
Shen Zheng laughed inwardly. Good acting.
But Lou Changsui’s trick was exactly as Wen Zhuo had predicted, utterly unoriginal.
The colonel said: “Since he’s dead, then take me to examine the corpse!”
“Of course, of course!” Lou Changsui accepted the imperial edict, patted his knees, and started to stand on one leg.
Shen Zheng suddenly spoke slowly: “Colonel, don’t worry. I’ve heard my grandfather say that when Liu Kangren fought against Fan Wan of Nanping in the past, his left knee was once cut, leaving a crescent-shaped scar. When we inspect the body later, a glance will tell us.”
Lou Changsui’s body went limp, and he “plopped” back down to the ground.
There’s another scar?!
The colonel’s eyes lit up: “That’s perfect, thanks to Your Highness. Eh, Director Lou, why haven’t you gotten up yet?”
Taking advantage of wiping his sweat, Lou Changsui stealthily glanced sideways at Shen Zheng, his face showing hesitation.
A man cannot fall into the same ditch twice!
Was this brat Shen Zheng bluffing him?
If Liu Kangren had no scar, and he fabricated one, he would be exposing his own lie. If Liu Kangren did have a scar, and he didn’t fabricate it, he’d also be finished.
But having muddled through officialdom for decades, how could he be stumped by a mere young fellow?
Lou Changsui’s eyes darted around. A plan formed in his mind. He finally propped himself up and climbed to his feet, wiped the cold sweat from his face, forced a smile, and said: “Liu Kangren’s corpse is temporarily stored in the morgue of the charity burial ground. That place is filthy and dirty, which might sully the eyes of Your Highness and the Director. How about if I ask Your Highness, Director Wen, and the Colonel to first return to the prefectural office for a rest? I will immediately order someone to bring the corpse here.”
The colonel was about to insist on going to the morgue immediately to examine the body, but upon hearing this, he frowned.
However, Shen Zheng nodded and said: “Director Lou makes sense. Director Wen, let’s go to the prefectural office and wait.”
Wen Zhuo glanced sideways at him, and Shen Zheng returned a smile.
Seeing that Shen Zheng agreed so readily, Lou Changsui sneered inwardly. There must be a trick!
But did he really think he had no solution?
When Shen Zheng and Wen Zhuo arrived at the prefectural office, they finally had their first good cup of tea in days.
Shen Zheng was in no hurry at all. Sipping his tea, he even cheerfully instructed Lou Changsui: “Bring some sweet snacks unique to Mianzhou. I’d like to try the local flavor.”
Wen Zhuo’s eyelashes suddenly lifted. A glint of light flickered in his eyes, then he quickly and nonchalantly lowered them again, his expression still indifferent.
Soon, a servant brought up a plate of ‘Lion Head Sweet Cake’, accompanied by three bowls of ‘Summer Plum Soup’.
Wen Zhuo’s gaze involuntarily followed the sweet cakes, finally fixing firmly on the tabletop. His fingertips curled slightly.
Shen Zheng urged: “Director Wen, you’ve been traveling hard. Have something to fill your stomach.”
Wen Zhuo took a sip of his tea. “Thank you, Your Highness, but I’m fine.”
Shen Zheng urged again: “This is a sweet treat from your hometown, Director. It’s sure to suit your taste. Do eat some.”
Wen Zhuo’s Adam’s apple bobbed gently. “…Sweet cake is indeed good.”
Suppressing a smile, Shen Zheng directly picked up a piece of the golden yellow sweet cake and handed it over: “Director Lou has already brought it. It would be a pity not to eat it. The people of Mianzhou can barely get a mouthful of rice porridge these days. We can’t waste food.”
“Then I suppose I have no choice but to accept.” Wen Zhuo took the sweet cake, raised his hand to cover his face with his sleeve, his expression still calm and composed, but his fingers quickly stuffed the cake into his mouth, his chewing movements a bit hasty.
Beside him, the colonel, who was gulping down the Summer Plum Soup, couldn’t help but remark: “Director Wen is truly a refined scholar. Even when eating, he’s so elegant, not like me, all rough and crude.”
But when he set down his empty bowl and reached for a sweet cake to try, he found the plate already empty, with only a few crumbs left.
The colonel: “…”
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the steward walked in front, pinching his nose, followed by four servants each carrying one corner of a corpse stretcher. A piece of canvas covered the stretcher, barely maintaining the dignity of the corpse.
Fortunately, the person had only been dead for a day, so there was no foul odor yet.
The colonel immediately stood up and strode over quickly. He yanked off the canvas, and when his eyes fell on the corpse’s face, he couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath of cold air.
The person’s face was smashed beyond recognition: the nose bridge was collapsed, facial bones were shattered, and the lips were turned outward. Even after wiping away the bloodstains, it was impossible to tell who it was.
The colonel’s face turned cold. He glanced at Lou Changsui, who was standing by with lowered eyes, looking unconcerned, and then reached out to pull up the corpse’s left trouser leg.
But he saw that the skin on the corpse’s left knee had been rubbed off, revealing the lifeless flesh underneath. There was no trace of a scar at all.
The colonel’s fingers suddenly clenched, a hint of gloom deepening in his eyes.
Shen Zheng had expected this and said with a light laugh: “Lou Changsui, how is it that the moment I said Liu Kangren had a scar on his left knee, his left knee happens to be destroyed?”
Lou Changsui knew he would ask this and replied unhurriedly: “Your Highness, please hear my explanation. This Liu Kangren had previously put up stubborn resistance. After several rounds of harsh interrogation, he was subjected to long periods of kneeling as punishment. He also clashed with other prisoners in the cell, and in the kicking and shoving, his knees were injured like this. If Your Highness doesn’t believe me, please look at his right knee.”
The colonel hurriedly pulled up the other trouser leg of the corpse and indeed saw a similar abrasion on the right knee.
Lou Changsui put on an air of ‘a dead pig is not afraid of scalding water’, letting himself be examined.
Wen Zhuo swept a glance over the two wounds and said lightly: “Lou Changsui, when a person is injured while alive, the blood flows in a streaming pattern and penetrates deeper into the flesh. For post-mortem wounds, the blood only floats on the surface, and the subcutaneous tissue is pale and colorless. Do you think I can’t find a coroner to examine it?”
Lou Changsui was momentarily stunned, then quickly rushed to the corpse, pretending to examine it closely, his face assuming an expression of shock: “This… this wasn’t caused by torture!” he exclaimed.
While acting, he laughed inwardly. How convenient. This move was also within his expectations.
Sure enough, one of the servants who had carried the corpse suddenly “thumped” to the ground, trembling. “Your servant is guilty of a capital offense! Just now, while carrying the corpse, I tripped over a stone and accidentally dropped Liu Kangren, causing these later injuries!”
The steward also knelt down: “I can vouch for him. This scoundrel was so careless! He not only damaged the knee, but there are several other scrapes on Liu Kangren’s body, all from the fall!”
The newly found clue was instantly cut off. Even though the colonel knew full well that there was some trickery involved, he had no solid evidence.
He could not rashly accuse a court official. He could only suppress his anger for now and wait until he returned to the capital to decide.
Wen Zhuo swept his gaze over Lou Changsui’s fat face, which held a hint of smugness.
“Director Lou, you are truly ‘meticulous’ in your work. First, the jailers were negligent, allowing Liu Kangren to commit suicide out of guilt. Then, the servant carrying the corpse managed to leave it bruised and battered all over.”
“Just an accident, just an accident! My supervision was lax, I am deeply ashamed!” Lou Changsui bowed repeatedly.
“Ah, no need to be ashamed.” Shen Zheng walked over with his hands behind his back, stood beside the corpse, glanced down at it, and said leisurely, “Who said Liu Kangren only had that one scar on his body?”
These words were like a heavy hammer, smashing loudly into Lou Changsui’s heart. His head buzzed, and he immediately fell into a daze.
He stared at Shen Zheng in disbelief, as if he needed a long time to comprehend the meaning of those words.
Not, just, one, scar?!
Shen Zheng’s expression turned stern: “Ten years ago, in the Battle of Rang River, Fan Wan pretended to be defeated in retreat. Liu Kangren pursued the victory, but when he crossed the river by boat, he was ambushed and hit by an arrow through the shoulder. He narrowly escaped death. Every soldier who participated in the southern campaign knows this. At that time, Liu Kangren’s life hung in the balance, and the battle situation was critical. An army cannot be without a commander for a day. An urgent report was immediately sent to my father’s desk. Do you think that was why the Great Qian Empire was defeated back then? There was a traitor in the army who leaked the news of Liu Kangren’s coma to Fan Wan. Fan Wan launched a night raid, and tens of thousands of our soldiers died in one night! This matter was too shameful, and it was later covered up by the court. Naturally, it never reached a place like Mianzhou.”
Ten years had passed. Shen Zheng himself hadn’t known about it either. It was Liu Kangren who had told him in advance.
The colonel ripped open the dead man’s collar, revealing both shoulders. He saw that the skin on the shoulders was completely intact, with no trace of an old arrow wound.
The colonel turned around abruptly, his eyes wide with fury: “Lou Changsui! How dare you! You swapped the corpse and hid Liu Kangren!”
Lou Changsui finally realized he was on a dead end. In panic, he flushed red and pointed at Wen Zhuo, roaring hysterically: “It was him! He was the one who kidnapped Liu Kangren!”
Wen Zhuo’s eyes were utterly calm. He pretended to be surprised and said: “Lou Changsui, I don’t understand what you’re saying. You mean I sent people to break into the prison and snatch him away? Do you have proof? Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“I—”
“I suppose the jailers on duty must have fought a fierce battle with the assassins I sent. How many casualties were there?”
“This—”
“As for the other prisoners, they must have witnessed the event. Since you’re so certain, let’s go to the prison and check, question everyone one by one.”
Lou Changsui trembled with rage and roared: “Director Wen, you truly have a silver tongue! Liu Kangren was clearly kidnapped by you on Yang Shi Zi Street! And you even sent a guard to deceive me!”
Wen Zhuo sneered, took a step forward, and stared at Lou Changsui’s crumbling face: “How strange. Liu Kangren was clearly locked up in the prison. How could he appear on Yang Shi Zi Street? How exactly did the guard I sent deceive you? Did he make you release Liu Kangren, and you simply agreed?”
Lou Changsui’s brain felt like it was about to explode. His body twitched uncontrollably due to extreme anger: “You… you!”
He absolutely could not admit it. He was afraid that Liu Kangren would reveal the truth that the Mianzhou official granaries were empty, which was why he had so readily ordered the killing.
And Wen Zhuo had calculated all of this. At this point, he was completely unable to talk his way out of it!
Wen Zhuo’s expression suddenly turned icy cold. He barked harshly: “Lou Changsui! Even now you dare to speak with a silver tongue and slander me! Men, seize him and throw him into the main prison, pending a strict interrogation!”
The officers had already been intimidated by Wen Zhuo earlier. Now, hardly daring to breathe, they immediately lowered their heads, rushed quickly into the prefectural office, and pinned Lou Changsui to the ground.
Lou Changsui’s fat body struggled futilely on the floor. The veins on his neck bulged as he shouted curses: “Wen Zhuo! You will get your retribution! You will die a miserable death!”
Although it was just a venting curse, Shen Zheng felt an inexplicable chill in his heart upon hearing it. History was like a cold, damp stone, occasionally pressing against his chest.
He glanced sideways at Wen Zhuo, but saw that his expression was indifferent, with not a trace of anger in his eyes, as if he never believed in gods or ghosts, nor believed that he himself would meet a bad end.
“Annoying.” Wen Zhuo raised his eyebrows. “And these servants who conspired with Lou Changsui to deceive their superiors and fabricate evidence—lock them up separately in different cells. I will interrogate them one by one. If anyone’s confession differs by half a word, behead them immediately without pardon.”
“Mercy! Lord Wen, mercy!” The servants were scared out of their wits, kowtowing repeatedly. “Lou Changsui forced us! We didn’t dare to disobey!”
Wen Zhuo waved his hand expressionlessly. The men were dragged away, wailing and crying.
That same day, Lou Changsui’s family members were also placed under strict surveillance. The prefectural office was heavily guarded inside and out; even a fly could not escape.
Wen Zhuo and Shen Zheng temporarily moved into the inner courtyard of the prefectural office. Wen Zhuo had a simple meal of plain congee and some vegetables, then had hot water heated to wash away his fatigue. When he came out draped in his nightgown, Shen Zheng had already fetched a soft cloth.
Wen Zhuo did not refuse. He went straight to Shen Zheng and rested his head on his lap, allowing Shen Zheng to wipe his hair dry.
For the past ten days, from scheming and planning to the final resolution, Wen Zhuo’s nerves had been constantly tense. Now that he finally had a soft bed, he quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Zheng carefully dried every strand of damp hair. Looking down at Wen Zhuo’s sleeping face under the red glow of the setting sun, he saw Wen Zhuo’s long, slightly curled eyelashes closed, like a defenseless kitten, so gentle that one couldn’t bear to disturb him.
Utterly enamored, Shen Zheng leaned down, and through a thin layer of air, gave a light, airy kiss near his delicate cheek.
The sky grew completely dark. Wen Zhuo woke up, used a damp soft cloth to wipe his face, and turned to see Shen Zheng, who had served as his pillow all afternoon, struggling to prop himself up.
Wen Zhuo took the cloth, washed it again, wrung it until half dry, and handed it over: “Your Highness, wipe your face too.”
Shen Zheng closed his eyes, his arms propping him up on the bed, his brows still carrying lingering weariness, his posture lazy and casual: “Wanshan, do it for me.”
Wen Zhuo’s eyelids gave a slight twitch.
Was this… the legendary ‘asking for a favor’?
He pressed the cloth onto Shen Zheng’s face, about to start wiping, when Shen Zheng suddenly freed one hand, grabbed his wrist, and pulled.
Wen Zhuo didn’t resist much. Following the momentum, he leaned forward and fell onto Shen Zheng’s body, his chin naturally resting on his shoulder, his nose catching the faint scent of soap on him.
“Your Highness,” Wen Zhuo murmured.
“Sleepy. Help me wake up.”
One hand supporting the weight of both of them, Shen Zheng wrapped his other arm around Wen Zhuo’s waist, his palm casually rubbing his back.
Wen Zhuo tilted his head slightly, his eyes falling on the clear lines of Shen Zheng’s throat. On a whim, he opened his mouth and bit lightly on the warm skin.
A tingling, numbing sensation instantly spread from the spot covered by his breath. Shen Zheng’s body stiffened, and his eyes snapped open.
“Is Your Highness awake now?” Wen Zhuo straightened up and glanced casually at the spot he had bitten. The red mark was not deep. “If you’re awake, come with me to interrogate Lou Changsui.”
“Sigh, a workaholic indeed.” Shen Zhen murmured helplessly.
He never thought he would one day describe someone that way.
Wen Zhuo didn’t understand. He took the cloth and quickly wiped Shen Zhen’s face a few times, asking, “What’s a ‘workaholic’?”
“A term used to describe the excellent quality of always thinking about work and never stopping for a moment.” Shen Zhen finally shook off all his drowsiness and perked up.
“That word is no good. How can ordinary people be casually called a ‘king’?” Wen Zhuo frowned critically, smoothed out the creases in his robe, and headed out.
“Tch, it’s not what you think. I was often called that before.” Shen Zhen quickly caught up with him.
Wen Zhuo suddenly stopped in his tracks. Shen Zhen almost collided with him and instinctively halted, stunned for a moment.
He saw Wen Zhuo turn around, his expression abruptly turning serious, his gaze fixed on Shen Zhen: “Your Highness cannot be called a ‘king’ either. I want Your Highness to become an emperor.”
Shen Zhen gave a low laugh. He raised his hand to touch the spot on his neck where the tingle still lingered, and his tone softened: “Alright, no more ‘king’. Otherwise, the teacher will bite hard.”
The tips of Wen Zhuo’s ears flushed slightly, and he quickened his pace.
The main hall of the prefectural office was brightly lit with candles. When Lou Changsui was brought out from the main prison by the officers, he looked completely worn out.
He knelt on the ground, his hair disheveled, his robe stained with dust, but he still stubbornly straightened his back, his puffy fish eyes wide open. He looked like a toad driven into a corner, ready to jump up and fight back at any moment.
But Wen Zhuo did not use the same sharp words as during the day, piercing his heart and driving him to hysteria.
Wen Zhuo broke from his usual behavior. He pulled over a chair and simply sat there, quietly scrutinizing Lou Changsui.
His gaze carried no anger, no contempt. It was more like he was examining a dusty old object, trying to find some trace of the past on that fat, greasy face.
“Lou Changsui, you came from a humble background as a scholar,” Wen Zhuo suddenly spoke after a long while. “In the twelfth year of Shunyuan, you were sent to be the county magistrate of Qiuliang County. At that time, there was a barbaric custom there of women being burned to death to accompany their deceased husbands. You defied the pressure from the stubborn clans and abolished this custom single-handedly. Although you made many enemies, you also saved many lives.”
“Later, you were transferred to Bozhou. That year, during the flood season, the Lehe River embankment burst. You were the first to carry a sandbag and jump into the raging current. When the people saw a government official leading by example, they followed suit. Within just a quarter of an hour, the breach was sealed, saving the fertile farmlands of three counties along the riverbank.” Wen Zhuo’s voice was so calm it was devoid of any fluctuation, yet his eyes remained fixed on Lou Changsui’s face as he continued. “I once chatted with you over tea. You said you craved fame and position, not for selfish reasons, but because you harbored ambitious aspirations: to ‘assist the emperor to surpass Yao and Shun, and to bring back pure social customs.’ You wanted to become a virtuous minister like Fan Zhongyan.”
Lou Changsui shook all over. The surging hostility within him vanished in an instant. He looked up at Wen Zhuo in a daze, as if listening to a story from a distant time that no longer seemed to belong to him.
The colonel was instantly stunned. Shen Zheng was no less surprised.
The history books of the Great Qian Dynasty would never record the life story of such a minor official. So it was hard for Shen Zhen to imagine that a person like this could have had such a completely different life.
After a long time, a cold laugh squeezed out of Lou Changsui’s throat. “Director Wen, people change.”
“I know.” Wen Zhuo remained calm.
Lou Changsui seemed to have heard the greatest joke in the world. He suddenly raised his voice, all his pent-up grievances and resentment exploding: “You are heaven’s favored son! After three years of external posting, you were transferred back to the capital. In four years in the capital, you were promoted four times in a row. Your official career has been smooth sailing, and you have enjoyed unparalleled success! Do you know what it means to be unable to move an inch, to be helpless against circumstances, to have a mountain of accumulated problems?”
Wen Zhuo slowly rose and walked over to stand before him, looking down at him. There was sorrow in his eyes, and also a hint of imperceptible self-mockery. “No one understands better than I do how a person changes, how they step by step walk into utter depravity.”
Perhaps because Wen Zhuo’s eyes were too clear, at that moment, Lou Changsui felt that he truly understood—understood his every step of irreversible sinking.
The candle flame suddenly crackled with a ‘pop’, sending up a spark, briefly breaking the tight rhythm of their breathing.
Shen Zhen glanced sideways at Wen Zhuo, his heart suddenly stirring.
A certain conjecture flashed through his mind, so fast it felt like an illusion.
“Lou Changsui, if you were still working under my command, if you had not been sent to Mianzhou, if you had not been ensnared by the Prince of Xian, would everything have been different?” Wen Zhuo’s voice was very soft, yet it precisely pierced through Lou Changsui’s tightly guarded defenses.
Lou Changsui opened his mouth, as if to say something, but in the end, he just slumped his head in defeat.
He didn’t know if he could have stayed as ’naive’ as he was in his youth, if he could have withstood the various temptations of officialdom, if he could have always kept to the straight path of advancement, even if it was very, very slow.
None of these hypotheticals had any meaning.
After all, the one he had encountered was truly the Prince of Xian.
The interrogation lasted a full three hours. Outside the window, the night gradually faded, and wisps of cool mist rose between the houses and alleys.
In the end, Lou Changsui finally cracked.
He confessed everything: how the Prince of Xian had extorted him under the guise of tribute, how he had been at his wit’s end, how he had colluded with incense merchants to convert grain fields into incense fields, exploited the people, resulting in empty granaries and the inability to provide disaster relief, and ultimately framed Liu Kangren.
He also handed over the tribute ledgers that Mianzhou had delivered to the treasury officials over the years, as well as the letter that Bu Zhangyi had so ‘kindly’ sent to alert him.
By the time Lou Changsui had finished spitting out the last word, the eastern sky was already pale with the light of dawn. The first rays of the new day poured down onto this wounded land.