Chapter 55: The Cunning Fox Reveals the True Lackey

The newly appointed magistrate of Chang’an County, Ji Wen, stood with a somber face, gazing at the corpse before him.

Someone had already identified the deceased through the belongings on the body, and messengers had been dispatched to notify the Prince Consort’s residence. All that remained was for someone from the Consort’s household to arrive and claim the body.

Regardless of who this person was within the Consort’s estate, his death was of no benefit to Ji Wen. Ji Wen had only just been transferred to serve as magistrate in Chang’an County, thanks to a recent assignment that greatly pleased the current Prime Minister, Li Linfu, who now intended to promote and favor him.

Yet Ji Wen understood clearly: if he hoped for further advancement, he had to demonstrate his abilities and prove his usefulness to Li Linfu.

“The relationship between Prime Minister Li and the Princess Xianyi’s residence is the key to this case!”

Ji Wen stroked his beard, his face expressionless as he pondered. He stood beside the fly-covered corpse, seemingly oblivious to the stench, his gaze focused and intent, as if searching for clues to solve the crime. This composure garnered admiration from the clerks and bailiffs who accompanied him: the new magistrate was indeed a remarkable figure.

“Two arrows shot from behind—one pierced the lung, the other the heart. The heart-shot was the fatal blow.”

The coroner withdrew his hand from the opened corpse, reporting carefully, while another recorded his findings.

“The arrows are crucial,” someone whispered.

Indeed, the arrows were crucial. Both were finely crafted, not the short-range hunting arrows commonly used by hunters, but long arrows suited for powerful bows. They were similar to the regulation arrows used by Tang dynasty soldiers, but the fletching was distinctive. Ji Wen, an expert, could tell that these arrows were of the type wielded by warriors among the northern nomads.

For a nomad to kill the steward of Princess Xianyi’s residence within Chang’an County’s jurisdiction—such an act inevitably suggested conspiracy.

“They’re here, the steward from the Princess’s residence has arrived!”

After a lengthy wait, Ji Wen saw someone approaching on horseback; someone recognized the rider and called out. Moments later, the man, his expression grim, appeared before Ji Wen, offering a slight bow. “Magistrate, I am Yang Jian, steward of the Princess’s residence.”

“Steward Yang, do you recognize this man?” Ji Wen nodded toward the corpse.

“Yang Fu, also a steward of the Princess’s residence,” Yang Jian replied after a glance. “Two days ago, he left the city with someone, claiming they were visiting an estate outside the walls. After that, he vanished.”

“With someone… Who was it?”

“The man claimed to be a scholar from Yangzhou, traveling to the capital for the imperial exam. His name is Wang Qinian, courtesy name Xin Zhi.”

“Wang Qinian…”

The name was so common that Ji Wen felt it familiar, as though he had encountered it in countless places, appearing everywhere.

“If Yang Fu is a steward at your residence, how did he come to befriend a scholar from Yangzhou, and why would he go out of the city with him to inspect an estate?”

Ji Wen asked almost reflexively. Yang Jian’s face darkened—this county magistrate had no sense of propriety, as if he could question him at will. But recalling the Prince Consort’s instruction before his arrival, Yang Jian restrained his anger. “Wang Qinian rented Yang Fu’s private house. The Prince Consort sent someone to check on Yang Fu’s residence, but the man was gone.”

Ji Wen cursed under his breath. Clearly, a gang of swindlers had lured Yang Fu out of Chang’an and then murdered him. The next step was to uncover how these swindlers were connected to the northern nomads. He glanced at the bailiffs beside him, their nervous, shrinking demeanors irritating him.

After a few more questions yielded no useful clues, Ji Wen decided to return to the city for further investigation.

The group entered Chang’an through Yanping Gate. As the city gates came into view, Ji Wen noticed a crowd of men kicking a football in the wild field by the roadside, shouting and hollering. He frowned. Just then, someone in the group called out, “Hao Qi, you’re on duty today?”

Hao Qi was the coroner; his work was so grisly that he rarely socialized. Hearing the shout, Hao Qi raised his head and croaked, “When there’s a case, duty calls. Cat, when did you switch from bird fights to football?”

“Curse your bird fights! Grandpa here now kicks your football.” The bald man, known as Cat, laughed heartily.

“What sort of people are they?” Ji Wen inquired.

“There’s a merchant in the city offering five hundred strings of cash to organize a football league, with each ward fielding a team. Many idlers now see this as a livelihood. The one speaking is Jia Cat, formerly a runner at the Chang’an County office, now retired and playing football—he’s nearly forty, lives with his elderly mother, and still hasn’t married, yet he’s taken up this profession.”

A sycophantic bailiff whispered Jia Cat’s background, adding that Jia Cat was related to Jia Chang, the famed cockfighting prodigy. This news eased Ji Wen’s stern expression, and he even managed a smile for Jia Cat, who was casting glances his way.

“You’re nearly forty and still jumping around—getting kicked by the ball might suit you better,” Hao Qi remarked.

“Forty’s too old to play, but I can coach. I’m good at football, and I know cockfighting—football and cockfighting share similar principles.”

“Why aren’t you in the West Market playing? Why come outside the city?” Hao Qi’s question was casual, but Ji Wen’s pupils contracted sharply.

Indeed, why weren’t these idlers playing football in the West Market or other open spaces within the city? Why come all the way out here?

“It’s too hot in the city. Out here, if we get hot, we just bathe in the Qu River.”

Their playing field was indeed close to the Qu River, and the western mountains blocked the afternoon sun, making it cooler. But Ji Wen was not so easily convinced. He quietly ordered, “Have someone who’s seen Wang Xin Zhi come identify whether any of these football players are his associates.”

His trusted bailiff slipped away discreetly. Ji Wen, not in a hurry to return, pretended to watch the game and lingered nearby. Soon, someone caught his attention. “Hmm!”

Ye Chang smiled at him from afar, bowing politely, while Shan Zhi, at Ye Chang’s side, glared at Ji Wen with barely suppressed anger.

The sight of these two here sent Ji Wen’s suspicions soaring. He had previously handled an assignment for Li Linfu, verifying whether Mount Hua truly contained a gold mine. Upon completing the task, Li Linfu transferred him to serve as magistrate of Chang’an County. Moving from Xin Feng to Chang’an magistrate appeared a lateral or even downward shift, but in truth, it meant transitioning from an outsider to a capital official, right under Li Linfu’s eye, making promotion much easier.

Their chance encounter before had led Ji Wen to suspect Shan Zhi as the murderer of his clerk, but then Lady Chen, from Lady Gongsun’s retinue, confessed under Lady Gongsun’s guarantee, and Ji Wen was forced to send Chen north to confess. This was because he had pressing matters and wished to avoid complications. Even then, he had found Ye Chang and Shan Zhi disagreeable.

“Ye Chang… Ye Chang… So he’s the famed ‘Sunset Infinite Beauty,’ Eleventh Master Ye.”

Ji Wen approached, smiling with pursed lips, making his hawk-like nose more prominent. His brooding, sharp eyes gleamed like a vulture spotting prey.

Ye Chang had not expected to encounter Ji Wen here.

Ji Wen was Li Linfu’s right-hand man, a notorious hardliner of the Tang. Being targeted by him was most unpleasant.

He and Jia Cat had been playing football here for days, to facilitate easy movement in and out of Chang’an, and after their affairs were settled, they remained to avoid suspicion and observe the government’s actions. Yet Ye Chang, for all his imagination, never anticipated that his acquaintance Ji Wen would be the county magistrate tasked with investigating Yang Fu’s murder.

“How does Master Ji find leisure?” Despite his inner misgivings, Ye Chang greeted Ji Wen politely. “Would Master Ji care to join us for a game?”

“I’ll pass on the football. But… Master Ye, would you care to take a walk with me?”

Ye Chang’s heart suddenly tightened. He took a towel from the monk to wipe his sweat, using the gesture to conceal his unease.

Did Ji Wen suspect him?

“What instructions does Master Ji have?” Ye Chang’s mind raced as he walked beside Ji Wen, circling the field.

“I know my temperament is vulture-like, repelling others. On the road to Chang’an, I even clashed with you… People everywhere avoid me, but you, Master Ye, bear no grudges and greet me openly.”

Ji Wen spoke slowly, his face again breaking into a smile, but Ye Chang’s heart sank.

He realized his flaw.

Ji Wen was not the sort of man anyone would approach willingly. Shan Zhi’s fierce glare was more typical. Ye Chang’s smiles and bows were, in truth, abnormal.

Abnormality breeds suspicion!

“Others might pay respects merely because I am an official and they are commoners, obliged to show courtesy for peace of mind. But you, Master Ye, are famous throughout Chang’an. Even I, a newcomer, have heard of your duel with Yuan Zai, your five poems that moved Princess Yuzhen, and your football feats captivating the city. With Princess Yuzhen, Prince Li, and He Zhizhang supporting you, why would you need to curry favor with a mere county magistrate?”

Ji Wen’s smile twisted into a sneer. “Master Ye, Ye Chang! I said before—you are surely a criminal. Now I say again: you, criminal, shall one day fall into my hands!”

Ye Chang’s mind churned: he had not expected that such a trivial matter would give Ji Wen so much to work with!

He had indeed grown careless. After striking Yuan Zai and Lu Qi, initiating the football tournament, and avenging his brother, he had become overconfident, underestimating the heroes of the time.

Yuan Zai and Lu Qi, though later famous, were still inexperienced and had not yet reached the heights they would in history. But Ji Wen had already endured many years, with a deep and terrifying cunning, far surpassing the straightforwardness of He Zhizhang or Zhang Xu!

His heart pounded. His first thought was to have the monk eliminate Ji Wen, but this was no wilderness—it was a busy thoroughfare outside Chang’an, crowded with people.

The second thought was to run. The monk would surely help cover his escape, and Ji Wen’s men would not catch up at once. But Ye Chang quickly realized: the world was vast, but where could he truly flee?

“Master Ji, I don’t quite understand your words…”

He could not simply remain silent, so Ye Chang spoke as his mind raced. As he did, he watched Ji Wen, noting that whenever their eyes met, Ji Wen turned away, seemingly avoiding his gaze.

“Why does he avoid me? Ah, it’s because everything he said is speculation—he has no real evidence, and likely hasn’t connected Yang Fu’s death with me. He’s just bluffing!”

“As he said, I am something of a celebrity in Chang’an. Besides He Zhizhang and Zhang Xu, even Princess Yuzhen and the imperial family know my name. The city's nobles are preparing football teams, many hoping to enlist my help. If he had real evidence, he would have ordered my arrest already. It’s only because he lacks proof that he tries to trick me!”

Having guessed Ji Wen’s intentions, Ye Chang forced a bitter smile. “Master Ji, you overestimate me. Our past conflict was a misunderstanding—you serve the court, and though I am unworthy, I am not one to let petty grievances override justice.”

His words made Ji Wen’s face twitch. He knew that after Ye Chang recited ‘Sunset Infinite Beauty’ atop the Qinglong Temple pagoda, He Zhizhang, who had always supported him, began feigning illness to avoid court.

“What’s more, while I am known in the capital and fortunate to be favored by the nobles, it is not due to any true ability, merely their mistaken kindness. If I were to act arrogantly and neglect Master Ji, not only would I disappoint them, but I might also bring disaster upon myself. Master Ji… is hardly a gentle elder.”

Ji Wen was not angered by this, but instead laughed heartily. “No wonder Princess Yuzhen calls you a marvel—indeed, you are a marvel!”

As his words ended, he wiped the smile from his face, returning to his cold, vulture-like demeanor. He lowered his voice, whispering in Ye Chang’s ear, “One day, I will bring you to justice!”

His suspicion toward Ye Chang had not diminished; in fact, it had deepened. He was certain Ye Chang was a criminal—if not today, then someday, destined to be a great villain!

With that, he turned to leave, giving a signal to his trusted aide, who stayed behind, feigning interest in football, while the others followed Ji Wen back toward Chang’an.

Ye Chang watched Ji Wen’s retreating figure, brow furrowed. It seemed… he could not remain in Chang’an much longer.

As long as he stayed, he would be forced to deal with Ji Wen. To be stalked by such a venomous snake was far from pleasant.

He had to leave Chang’an as soon as possible!