Luo Jin explained, "During the war with the Great Chu, there were two other great generals in the Yantian military besides Marshal Chu De. One was Lin Chengwu, the General of Resounding Might, and the other was Liu Tielin, the General of National Protection. Both died on the battlefield, so the late Emperor bestowed many rewards upon their families. Although Madam Changping originally came from a pleasure house, her status rose with her husband’s glory, and she was titled a Second-Rank Madam. She currently lives in seclusion at a manor by the Sishui River in Dai County."
I asked, puzzled, "With a background like that, there shouldn't be any need for her to engage in human trafficking. Are we certain she’s involved?"
Luo Jin replied troubledly, "The human broker who went to Li Xiu’s house to buy her is a woman named Zhang Li-shi. According to her confession, after she purchased girls at low prices under the guise of hiring maidservants, she would take them to several fixed locations to hand them over to a man named Fei Mao. This Fei Mao’s true identity is the second steward of Madam Changping’s manor."
I nodded, a realization dawning on me.
Luo Jin continued, "In the last two years, there have been signs of Great Chu stirring again. The court is focused on the situation on the eastern front and is particularly generous with pensions and care for the families of fallen soldiers. It’s said that this Madam is quite eloquent and has found great favor with the Empress Dowager. If we were to barge in and question her without cause, the Emperor himself might take issue with us. Without concrete evidence, we cannot touch her people."
I lowered my head in thought. "Then we’ll stick to the shadows. Let me find a way to infiltrate Sishui Manor."
Luo Jin hesitated. I remembered the case at Hongyan House, which had been cut short because it led to the Emperor’s younger brother, the Second Prince. Now, we were stalling again because the suspect was a prominent widow. Although I couldn't say it aloud, I was genuinely annoyed. Being too cautious meant lacking boldness; no wonder he hadn't been promoted in all these years.
Luo Jin finally nodded. "That is indeed an option. However, to get you into Sishui Manor, we’ll have to rely on Zhang Li-shi. Let me make the arrangements." He suddenly remembered something and glared at me. "Aren't you supposed to be on patrol? Why did you run back here without permission?"
I curled my lip. Honestly, what could I say about this man?
"Get back to it," he shooed me out. "Tonight, take the depositions of Li Xiu and the others home and study them carefully."
I gave a quick word of agreement and hurried back to catch up with Chen Zhan. Knowing there was a major case waiting for me, the task of patrolling the streets suddenly didn't seem so tedious.
*Love You Ten Thousand Years* seemed to sense my change in mood. He swished his tail and trotted proudly into the crowd, his old habit of getting irritable in large groups seemingly much improved. I rubbed his ears and quietly fed him two pieces of osmanthus sugar. When I left this morning, my mother had seen me carrying a pocketful of the treats and thought I was bringing them to bond with my new colleagues; she never imagined they were for my precious horse.
With my mood lifted, the weather felt wonderful and the people on the street seemed lovely, each one beaming at me. These were the citizens under my protection, after all—the realization filled me with a sudden burst of pride.
I rode gallantly along the route Chen Zhan had specified, passing through three streets before I finally spotted him. He was standing with his hands down before a very grand carriage. The curtains were open, revealing two hazy figures inside who looked vaguely familiar.
"Xi Xia!" a familiar voice called from the carriage. It sounded like Ming Rui.
"What a beautiful horse! Is this the one you tamed on the grasslands?" Ming Rui hopped down from the carriage, approaching with a grin. Despite the heat, he was dressed in impeccable robes, groomed to perfection.
I dismounted and performed a salute. "Young Master Ming Rui."
Ming Rui looked at me with bright, smiling eyes. "I’ve never seen a girl look so majestic. I heard you just caught a thief?"
I gave a modest smile. "It was nothing, really. Not worth mentioning."
Ming Rui burst into laughter, which prompted another young gentleman in the carriage to poke his head out. This person seemed younger than Ming Rui, with features quite similar to his, though his expression was gentler and he appeared more delicate. Seeing my curious gaze, Ming Rui took the initiative to introduce him. "This is my younger brother, Ming Di."
I couldn't help but be surprised. "Just how many brothers does your family have?"
Ming Rui gave another hearty laugh. "Ming Shao and Ming Di are biological brothers. My father is in Bingzhou; I’m only staying at the Prince of Jing’s estate temporarily."
Bingzhou? I seemed to have heard of it. That was the fief of Prince Xian, the Emperor’s youngest brother, who reportedly wasn't very close with His Majesty. Before I could process this, Ming Rui had already pulled me toward the carriage, saying loudly, "Ming Di, come and meet this extraordinary woman, a rarity in this world."
I was about to offer some humble words when Ming Di stepped down from the carriage. He had a smile almost identical to Ming Shao’s, which caused me to lose myself for a moment.
A faint smile played on Ming Di’s lips. "Though this is my first time meeting Miss Xi Xia, I have long admired her from afar. Even my teacher was full of praise for that parting poem you wrote years ago."
His words stunned me. He knew my true identity as well?
Seeing my expression shift, Ming Rui asked Ming Di curiously, "What parting poem?"
I didn't want the whole world knowing that Xi Xia was the third miss of the Ji household, so I quickly shot Ming Di a meaningful look. He seemed to catch my drift. While pulling Ming Rui back toward the carriage, he said with a smile, "Get in, and I’ll recite it for you. These two constables have official business to attend to, and we must hurry to the palace. Let us part here."
The last sentence was directed at Chen Zhan and me.
As I watched the two wealthy young masters depart, I started to feel a headache coming on. If even Ming Di knew Xi Xia’s identity, there was no way Ming Shao didn't know. Why hadn't he made a move? What was he playing at?
Regardless of his intentions, I decided I needed to stay far away from them. I had a feeling that getting close to these noble sons would only bring trouble.
***
Night had fallen. The faint chirping of insects drifted in from outside. The jade butterfly flowers beneath the window emitted a sweet fragrance that seemed even more intense and intoxicating in the deep of night than during the day.
A thin veil of clouds drifted across the clear night sky. The night was as gentle as could be.
How much evil did such a gentle night conceal?
I propped up my head and stared out the window, quietly organizing my thoughts.
From the depositions, the case of Li Xiu’s abduction seemed quite straightforward.
On the day she was taken, Zhang Li-shi had brought her directly to Xiangfu House, the largest brothel in the county seat. A few days later, she and several other girls were loaded onto a carriage by Fei Mao. According to Li Xiu, they traveled the entire night, arriving at a large manor before dawn. Her departure from that manor also took place at night, so she couldn't be certain if it was indeed Madam Changping’s Sishui Manor.
If it was, there was a discrepancy: the distance from the Dai County seat to the Sishui River was at most a two-hour journey, yet Li Xiu was certain they had traveled all night.
Zhang Li-shi was a well-known human broker in Dai County. According to her, Fei Mao had approached her last year, telling her he would take as many suitable young women as she could find. Following the customs of her trade, Zhang Li-shi hadn't questioned his motives. She didn't know where he took the girls. In over a year, she had completed six transactions with him. However, she hadn't seen Fei Mao recently.
There was also a report on the investigation of missing persons in Dai County and its neighboring commanderies over the past two years; a total of four girls had vanished.
It seemed that if Fei Mao was indeed dealing in human trafficking, it was being done covertly under the guise of purchasing maidservants. According to the laws of Yantian, private transactions for servants were legal as long as both parties consented and a local village head acted as a guarantor.
From Li Xiu’s case, the "purchase price" for these "goods" was very cheap. But what was the selling price? Most importantly, where were they being sent?
To the north of Yantian lay the Gobi, and further north was the Iron Dragon Desert, inhabited by nomadic tribes collectively known as the Iron Dragon people. To the west was the Linxi Grasslands, and beyond that, the desolate Linxi Mountains. Were they being sold to mountain dwellers or the Iron Dragon tribes?
I shook my head inwardly. It was said that the nomads had their own distinct languages and customs and placed great importance on the purity of their bloodlines. Why would they actively take in outsiders?
It was a real brain-teaser.
Logically, Li Xiu’s rescue should have been an absolute fluke, and the fact that she was being hidden at the Ministry of Justice shouldn't have leaked out. Fei Mao’s failure to appear might just be a coincidence, or perhaps he felt the heat and was lying low. Regardless, this man was the key to the case.
***
Zhang Li-shi was a plump woman in her forties. Having been locked in a cell for half a month, her face looked somewhat pale. Noticing me watching her again, she shifted her heavy body uneasily in her seat.
"Don't be nervous," I comforted her. "Once we reach Dai County, as long as you sell me to Fei Mao, your part is done. If you stay law-abiding from now on, we won't come looking for trouble."
Zhang Li-shi nodded quickly with a fawning smile.
We were sitting opposite each other in an ordinary carriage. Through the window, I could see endless fields of wheat. By sunset, we would reach Dai County.
"Are you a native of Dai County?" I continued to probe her, pretending it was just idle chatter.
She nodded. "This humble woman is from Zhao Commandery. I married into Dai County at sixteen. My husband passed when I was twenty-eight, and I did small business after that. As I got to know more people, I slowly started in this trade..." At this point, she stole a glance at me. "I never dared to use trickery or abduction. That Fei Mao is a wealthy local man; I always thought these poor girls would have a better life being sold into a rich household..."
I didn't call her out on her lies. Seeing no reaction from me, she continued, "Fei Mao has several properties in Dai County. He even owns the largest brothel there..."
When she mentioned the "brothel," something clicked in my mind. Could these girls have been sold into brothels? Mountain dwellers and nomads didn't have the habit of buying concubines or servants, but wherever merchant caravans passed, there were brothels. The more I thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Hadn't Li Xiu mentioned it? While they were locked up together, someone taught them how to play instruments and sing...
"Who is Chen Liu-shi?" I suddenly remembered the name written on Li Xiu’s deed of sale.
Zhang Li-shi frowned in thought. "I think I once heard the madam of Xiangfu House refer to herself as Chen Liu-shi to a guest, but I don't know if I heard it wrong."
It seemed that to clarify Chen Liu-shi’s identity, the key still lay with Fei Mao. I decided to fish for more information. "Do you know who Fei Mao really is? Where he lives? How long he’s been in Dai County?"
Zhang Li-shi tilted her head and pondered for a while, but eventually shook her head. "He seems to live in that grand estate by the Sishui River. He calls the owner of that house 'Master.' As for which year he arrived, I couldn't say. That estate has been there since I married into Dai County."
I turned my gaze out the window. At the edge of the plains, the dark silhouette of a town had begun to appear.
There were four commanderies surrounding the capital, Zhongjing: Dai County, Zhao Commandery, Mengcheng, and Fanyang. Of these, Dai County was the closest. Besides the Sishui River on its eastern outskirts, it also had a branch of the Yuyang River to the west, known as the Lao River. The Lao River was the most important canal in Yantian; silk and fruits from the south flowed continuously to the northern commanderies through this great waterway. Consequently, it was the most bustling and prosperous of the four. Many high-ranking officials from the capital loved the beautiful scenery here and built villas. Among those I knew of, besides the Emperor’s traveling palace, there was the Prince of Jing’s villa, the Falling Star Spring Ranch.
Of course, these places were far from the county seat. I wondered if I’d have the chance to see them.
Thinking of the Lao River, I suddenly wondered why Fei Mao didn't utilize the convenient water transport for his human trafficking. From Dai County, one could reach Guazhou, the most prosperous commercial hub in the south, by water...
"Is the water transport strictly managed?" I couldn't help but ask Zhang Li-shi.
She thought seriously and said, "This humble woman wouldn't know about such things. But I heard that a few years ago, someone used ships to sell girls to the island nation of Nanwan. Because of that, the government specifically dispatched soldiers from Marshal Chu De’s army to guard the docks. I haven't heard of anything like that happening in the last two years."
I nodded. I wondered if Fei Mao had taken inspiration from that incident to start his own human trafficking business.
Zhang Li-shi added, "It’s getting late. If the official doesn't mind my humble shack, you can stay the night, and I’ll go look for Fei Mao first thing tomorrow morning."
I quickly waved my hand. "Don't call me 'official' anymore. Just call me Xiao Qing. And don't be so nervous; your nerves will only arouse suspicion."
Zhang Li-shi nodded repeatedly in agreement.
***
Zhang Li-shi’s house was in a quiet alley on the far west side of the county seat. It consisted of three or four large rooms and a small garden in the middle. Aside from her, the only other resident was a young girl about my age named Xiao Hong. She was a distant relative of Zhang Li-shi and was responsible for cooking, cleaning, and other chores. She was a quiet person and seemed to have some understanding of what Zhang Li-shi usually did. Perhaps because she was used to it, she showed no great surprise when Zhang Li-shi brought me back.
After dinner, Zhang Li-shi personally escorted me to my room and told Xiao Hong to heat water for my bath.
Though the room wasn't large, it was clean and comfortable. Behind a green gauze screen stood a large red bath bucket, with various toiletries for women arranged on a nearby cabinet.
I helped Xiao Hong pour the hot water into the bucket; after all, I was stronger than her. Once the water was ready, she stood by and said softly, "My old aunt instructed me to serve the lady during her bath."
I shook my head. "You’ve had a long day too. Go get some rest. I’ll clean up myself when I’m done."
She did look exhausted, but she hesitated, not daring to leave.
I comforted her, "It’s fine. If your aunt asks, just say I kicked you out."
She looked at me gratefully, looking as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
"What is it?" I asked, curious.
Xiao Hong shook her head and withdrew, closing the door behind her.
Was she trying to warn me? But in the end, she said nothing. Perhaps she felt that since I had already fallen into Zhang Li-shi’s hands, a warning wouldn't make much difference.
***
Several days passed quickly. I was anxious, and Zhang Li-shi, having to face a "jinx" like me every day, was equally anxious.
It wasn't until the evening of the sixth day, while I was in Xiao Hong’s room watching her embroider, that Zhang Li-shi came rushing in. For someone of her weight, she moved surprisingly fast.
"Miss Xiao Qing, Miss Xiao Qing!" she panted, calling out from a distance. "Tomorrow morning, I’m taking you to see the buyer!"
I stood up abruptly, my heart thumping wildly.
Xiao Hong let out a sharp "Ah!"
I looked down and saw that she had pricked her finger with the embroidery needle. A drop of bright red blood was slowly trickling down her finger.
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
---|---|---
扬威将军 | General of Resounding Might | A military title.
护国将军 | General of National Protection | A military title.
昌平夫人 | Madam Changping | The primary suspect in the trafficking case.
姒水河 | Sishui River | A river in Dai County.
戴县 | Dai County | A prosperous county near the capital.
飞毛 | Fei Mao | A steward and middleman for the trafficking ring.
牙婆 | Human Broker | A woman who trades in servants/concubines (often used for traffickers).
兆郡 | Zhao Commandery | A neighboring region.
并洲 | Bingzhou | A province/fiefdom.
显亲王 | Prince Xian | The Emperor's youngest brother.
明笛 | Ming Di | Ming Rui's younger brother.
香福居 | Xiangfu House | A prominent brothel in Dai County.
陈刘氏 | Chen Liu-shi | A name found on a deed of sale; likely the madam of Xiangfu House.
余阳江 | Yuyang River | A major river.
烙江 | Lao River | A branch of the Yuyang River; a vital canal.
落星泉 | Falling Star Spring | The name of the Prince of Jing's villa.
南丸 | Nanwan | An overseas island nation.
小青 | Xiao Qing | The protagonist's undercover alias.
小红 | Xiao Hong | Zhang Li-shi's relative and servant.
