Chapter 21: If Fated, We Shall Meet Again

On the fourth day of the tenth lunar month, the muffled evening drum echoed across the dense gray tiles of Suzhou city.

Deep within the bluestone alley, the grand gates were bolted shut.

Inside the room, copper lamps were lit. Xu Qi unfolded the letter on her desk; her father’s handwriting remained as sharp as a blade. The contents were the same as before, urging her to "report every detail, no matter how trivial, with haste to the capital."

The candle wick popped, and the flame danced in her calm eyes before she suppressed it. With her maid present, she stifled the urge to cast the letter into the charcoal brazier and instead sealed it away.

"Miss, the beginning of winter is just a few days away. The manor has already started brewing the winter wine. It feels like only yesterday you returned to the ancestral home, yet a year has passed already. How time flies," the maid chatted cheerfully while replenishing the charcoal. "Doctor Qiao specifically instructed that you must drink more mutton soup around the start of winter to ward off the cold. Please, don't pour it out behind our backs again."

Xu Qi, who found the scent of mutton offensive, offered a perfunctory "Very well," her mind still preoccupied with the letter.

A gust of wind stirred outside the window, and her peripheral vision caught what looked like a dark shadow flitting by! "Who’s there?"

The maid, startled, hurried to the window to check. Finding nothing, she stepped outside to inspect the grounds, only to return and report that no one was there.

"Miss, are you still shaken from before? Shall I ask Doctor Qiao to come to the manor again?"

Faced with the maid’s concern, Xu Qi concluded that she was merely seeing phantoms. After all, she could still feel the shockwave of that explosion whenever she closed her eyes, and even in her fitful sleep, she would wake with a sudden, violent jolt.

She knew this could not go on.

Rather than suffer in torment, it was better to face the difficulty head-on. Besides, she could not simply ignore the urgent letters from her father. Given the dangers involved, determining whether her father was embroiled in this—and which side he stood on—had become a puzzle she had to solve.

Even if she and her father were estranged due to her mother, she did not wish to see him fall into an abyss from which there was no return. She secretly reassured herself: her father was a brilliant man; he should not, and would not, miscalculate this situation.

But with her father far away in the capital, how was she to... Suddenly, a thought struck her.

***

In the records office to the left of the Zhenhai Thousand-Household Garrison, the air smelled of low-grade tea leaves and fine ink.

Wen Suzhi, dressed in a green round-collared robe, ushered in a beautiful woman.

The woman’s jacket and skirt were elegant and understated, yet the fine, flowing cloud patterns revealed exquisite craftsmanship. Her gait was poised and dignified; one could tell at a glance she was born into a prestigious family.

Wen Suzhi’s expression held a mix of confusion and pleasant surprise, with the remainder lost in nostalgia—even though the girl had grown into a woman, in his eyes, she remained the bright, spirited child he had first met.

"It has been over four years since we last parted in the capital, has it not?"

"I apologize for my long silence, Uncle," Xu Qi said, setting down two high-quality inkstones.

Wen Suzhi stroked his beard and gestured for her to sit. "Nonsense. I am overjoyed just to see you. How is your family?"

"Thanks to your good wishes, they are well."

The two exchanged pleasantries about their families. When the conversation turned to Wen Suzhi’s demotion, Xu Qi looked regretful. "Your memorial on the 'Sources of Malpractice in the Horse Administration' was intended to purge the corrupt officials who encroached on public pastures and to share the burden for the late Emperor. Alas, although the late Emperor’s wisdom shone across the world, he was ultimately blinded by the whispers of villains..."

"Hush," Wen Suzhi raised a hand to stop her, smiling. "Better not to speak of it. Being a minor record-keeper here in the beautiful lands of Jiangnan, far from the halls of power, is not such a bad thing after all."

"You possess the heart of a statesman, yet you are trapped in this small records office. It is a waste of your talents."

"You child, your tongue is still as sweet as ever. Tell me, what do you need from me?"

Xu Qi knew she could not deceive him, so she spoke plainly. "I wish to inquire about someone."

Wen Suzhi studied her for a moment, then guessed the name himself. "Are you asking about Wang Cheng, a centurion in this garrison?"

"Your insight is as sharp as ever, Uncle."

"The sinking of the grain ship on the canal was indeed bizarre, but why would a lady of your status be curious about him?" Wen Suzhi lowered his voice cautiously. "Is it because of your father..."

"No," Xu Qi smiled, deliberately emphasizing, "This matter has nothing to do with my father."

The more she insisted, the more convinced Wen Suzhi seemed to be of the opposite, assuming she was constrained by some secret. This was exactly what Xu Qi had expected.

"Well, in that case... I have dealt with Wang Cheng a few times. He is reticent and stern, not easy to approach. On the few occasions I saw him drinking with others... it was clear they were merely fair-weather acquaintances."

Xu Qi sensed the contradiction Wen Suzhi was highlighting. Those who refused to open their hearts always maintained a distance, no matter how close they appeared.

"Does he have any family?"

"I have never heard him mention any."

Xu Qi felt a wave of disappointment. If this lead went cold, was there really nowhere else to turn?

"Oh, but there is another centurion in the garrison who served with him on the Liaodong frontier. They were brothers-in-arms; perhaps he knows something." Wen Suzhi’s words reignited the flickering candle of hope in her heart.

"That man is called..." Before he could finish, a soldier entered and reported, "The Censor-in-Chief has arrived! He demands to examine the records of the grain transport case!"

Xu Qi’s hand, holding her teacup, paused. She looked toward the door.

***

Indeed, a man in a simple pleated robe strode in through the autumn chill.

Before he had even stepped inside, their eyes met. A flicker of faint surprise crossed the man’s gaze, only to vanish into calm a moment later.

"Record-keeper Wen, I am here to examine the files regarding the grain ship that sank near Wangting Station on the third day of the tenth lunar month." Tan Jiuding dismissed Wen Suzhi’s salute and walked straight to the main seat, getting straight to the point.

Wen Suzhi bowed, casting a glance toward Xu Qi, his eyes filled with surprise.

The air in the office grew heavy. Xu Qi smiled and nodded at Wen Suzhi. "Uncle, I shall not disturb your official duties." She brushed past Tan Jiuding, her skirt moving in silence, though her heartstrings played a melody.

Outside the garrison gate, the setting sun was like blood. Tan Jiuding’s shadow was stretched long as he stepped over the frost on the bricks, stopping beside the woman.

He had not expected her to wait for him, but upon reflection, it was exactly what she would do.

"The centurion who was a brother-in-arms to Wang Cheng..."

"His name is Huang Zhang. He had already set out for Huai'an to oversee the transport when the incident occurred."

They completed the exchange in an instant.

Xu Qi added the crucial detail: "Wang Cheng was also supposed to take Zhiwei to Huai'an."

Tan Jiuding looked toward the estuary, reddened by the setting sun, and swung onto his horse, the saddle creaking softly. "It seems this trip is unavoidable. Did you come by carriage? I shall see you back to your manor..."

"I am going too." The wind carried away some of the sound.

"Hmm?"

Xu Qi gripped his horse’s reins—not with great force, but with a resolve that seemed unbreakable. "Huai'an. I am going with you."

Tan Jiuding raised an eyebrow, staring down at her ears, which were reddened by the wind, for a long moment before he scoffed. "Ha. If I make this trip, I won't be able to return to Suzhou, will I?"

"Yes."

"And I might end up going all the way to the capital?"

"...Yes."

Hearing her response, the man laughed heartily.

As dusk settled, the faint, deep, and lingering sound of a boat horn drifted from the direction of the canal.