Chapter Six: Imprisoned in Shadows, Fury Unleashed (Part Two)

The rain in Suzhou was always lingering. Xiao Yan stood on the dock outside the Changmen Gate, watching the black-awning boats shuttle through the misty rain, while the moss on the bluestone path gleamed after being soaked. He had changed into a lake-blue long robe, and the jade pendant at his waist was now an ordinary white jade; at a glance, he looked no different from a wealthy southern merchant.

"Master, Li Xiu's cloth shop is just ahead on the next street," Scarface said as he approached, holding an oiled-paper umbrella. He was now disguised as Xiao Yan's attendant, his facial scar mostly concealed by ointment. "I've learned that this so-called 'Splendid Manor' sells cloth on the surface, but is in fact the headquarters of the southern salt merchants."

Xiao Yan looked in the direction indicated. On the lintel of a two-story building hung a gilded signboard, and two sturdy men stood watch at the door, their eyes sweeping the passersby with vigilance. Rain tapped at the signboard, making the words "Splendid Manor" all the more glaring.

"Let's go in and have a look."

They had barely reached the entrance when they were stopped. "Gentlemen, what brings you here?"

"I want to buy silk in bulk for a northern trading house," Xiao Yan replied, handing over a finely crafted jade pendant—one confiscated from the Zhou family mansion, rumored to have once been a royal gift.

The man's eyes lit up, and his demeanor changed instantly. "Please come in, our manager is just inside."

The shop was filled with the scent of camphorwood and silk. Behind the counter sat a middle-aged man, pale and beardless, with a large jade ring on his finger. Upon seeing Xiao Yan, he hurriedly rose and bowed. "My name is Qian Tong. May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"

"My surname is Xiao. I deal in furs." Xiao Yan deliberately let a bit of sable fur show from his cuff. "I hear Manager Qian can procure goods from the south?"

A shrewd glint flashed in Qian Tong's eyes. "What is it that Mr. Xiao desires?"

"Salt permits," Xiao Yan said in a low voice. "As many as possible."

Qian Tong's smile stiffened and his hand shook as he poured tea. "Surely you jest, sir. Salt permits are strictly regulated by the court. I wouldn't dare touch such things."

"Is that so?" Xiao Yan toyed with the jade pendant. "But I heard that Lord Li Xiu is here and doing quite a thriving business."

Qian Tong shot to his feet, his face turning ashen. "Who are you really?"

At that moment, footsteps sounded from the back hall. A man in a brocaded robe stepped out, bearing a striking resemblance to Li Mo, though his features were softer and more sinister—this was Li Xiu.

"Lord Xiao of the Capital Prefecture, what an honor for my humble shop," Li Xiu said with a mocking smile. "May I ask, have you come to Suzhou on official business, or is this a personal visit?"

Xiao Yan met his eyes. "Official business, of course. I am here to investigate your collusion with the princes and the illegal sale of salt permits."

Li Xiu clapped his hands. A dozen or so house guards surged from both sides, blocking the exit with clubs. "Perhaps Lord Xiao has forgotten—this is Suzhou, not Chang'an."

Xiao Yan slowly drew his dagger, and Scarface gripped the iron ruler at his waist. The rain continued to beat against the shop windows, its urgent rhythm like a prelude to the coming fight.

The struggle lasted no more than the time it took a stick of incense to burn. Xiao Yan's dagger deftly knocked the account book from Qian Tong's hands, while Scarface overturned an oil barrel in the corner, sending the guards slipping to the floor.

"Retreat!" Sensing the tide turning, Li Xiu turned and fled into the back hall.

Xiao Yan gave chase, running through storerooms piled with silks, finally reaching a rear door by the water. Li Xiu leapt onto a black-awning boat, and with a push of the oar, vanished into the mist.

"After him!" Xiao Yan jumped onto another boat. Scarface rowed with all his might, the wooden vessel slicing through the water and sending ripples across the surface.

Whitewashed walls and black-tiled roofs on either bank slid past in the rain and fog. Xiao Yan suddenly noticed Li Xiu's boat make a sharp turn beneath a stone bridge, then disappear. He signaled Scarface to stop and carefully examined the bridge—on either side of the arch, strange symbols were carved, seemingly some sort of code.

"Those are the private soldier marks of Prince Jing," Scarface said abruptly. "I saw them at the frontier—he's one of Prince Jing's men."

A chill settled in Xiao Yan's heart. Prince Jing, the Emperor's own brother, governed the south and had always harbored seditious intentions. If Li Xiu was truly in league with him, matters would be far more complicated.

Back at the cloth shop, Qian Tong had already been subdued by Wang Yong. Xiao Yan opened the account book, which detailed monthly shipments to Prince Jing's mansion—salt permits, ironware, and large quantities of sulfur.

"Who are these for?"

Qian Tong trembled. "For... for Prince Jing's personal guard, to forge weapons. Li Xiu said, when the time is right, they will..."

"They will what?"

"They will force the Emperor's hand."

Xiao Yan snapped the account book shut. Rain splattered in through the window, smudging the ink. Suddenly, he understood: Li Mo, Assistant Minister Zhang, Zhou Tai—all were mere pawns in a greater game. The true player was far away in the south: Prince Jing.

"Wang Yong, take Qian Tong back to the inn and keep watch," Xiao Yan instructed Scarface. "You, find out what's happening at Prince Jing's residence. I will see the Prefect of Suzhou."

The Suzhou Prefect was an old fox. When he heard Xiao Yan was investigating Prince Jing, he waved his hands in terror. "Lord Xiao, Prince Jing is of imperial blood. I dare not..."

"You dare not?" Xiao Yan slapped the account book onto the table. "If Prince Jing succeeds in rebellion, do you think you will survive?"

Sweat poured from the prefect's brow as he read the records. "Then... what should I do?"

"Mobilize three hundred officers for me and surround Li Xiu's estate," Xiao Yan commanded. "Also, prepare a dispatch—send it at top speed to the capital. Inform His Majesty that trouble is brewing in the south."

Night fell, and the rain had yet to cease. Xiao Yan, Scarface, and a dozen sturdy officers quietly approached Li Xiu's mansion. Built beside the river, its high walls were topped with watchtowers at each corner—a clear sign of careful fortification.

"The southeast corner is least guarded," Scarface pointed out a shadowy spot. "There's an old pagoda tree there. We can climb in."

Xiao Yan nodded, leaving the officers outside as backup, and together with Scarface, scaled the tree and slipped over the wall. The courtyard was eerily quiet, only the footsteps of patrolling guards echoing through the rainy night.

Using the rockery and flowerbeds for cover, they crept to the window of the main hall. Inside, Li Xiu's voice could be heard: "Rest assured, Your Highness. The weapons are ready. As soon as the Emperor comes south, we will..."

The rest was drowned out by the rain. Xiao Yan strained to hear more when movement behind caught his attention. Turning, he saw a dozen black-clad archers leveling crossbows at them.

"Seize them!" Li Xiu's voice rang out from within.

Xiao Yan grabbed Scarface and ran, crossbow bolts whistling past, thudding into the wet earth. They burst into a side room, locking the door behind them, only to find it filled with coffins—all empty, with hidden compartments in their bases packed with gleaming new armor.

"So this is where they've hidden the weapons," Scarface muttered, drawing his iron ruler. "Sir, we fight!"

"Wait," Xiao Yan said, eyeing the coffins as an idea struck. "Put on the armor."

They donned the armor and, opening the door, found Li Xiu and his men surging toward them. Xiao Yan lowered his voice. "By order of His Highness, take these two to the dungeon."

The guards failed to recognize them and let them pass. Xiao Yan and Scarface, escorting each other as "prisoners," slipped across the courtyard to the dungeon entrance.

The dungeon was dank and heavy with the smell of blood. By torchlight, Xiao Yan spotted an old man bound in the corner—the Deputy Prefect of Suzhou, missing for three days.

"Deputy Prefect!"

The old man was overcome at the sight of him. "Lord... Lord Xiao, they have hidden..."

An arrow thudded into his chest before he could finish. Xiao Yan spun to see Li Xiu, crossbow in hand, grinning wickedly at the door.

"Xiao Yan, you never expected this, did you?" Li Xiu advanced step by step. "This dungeon will be your grave."

Xiao Yan shoved Scarface toward the tunnel entrance. "Go!" He himself drew his dagger and faced Li Xiu.

Steel flashed in the torchlight, rainwater seeping through cracks and mingling with the blood on the floor. Xiao Yan soon bore several wounds, but the fire in his eyes only burned brighter. He thought of the innocent souls in prison, the border soldiers killed by Zhou Tai, the look in the Deputy Prefect's eyes before death—none of them could die in vain!

In the thick of battle, Xiao Yan kicked over the torch, plunging the dungeon into darkness. Guided by sound, he hurled his dagger. A shriek echoed in the blackness—Li Xiu collapsed.

Groping for the torch, Xiao Yan relit it. He found Li Xiu, dagger embedded in his chest, barely alive. Li Xiu pointed deeper into the tunnel, trying to speak, but died before he could finish.

Xiao Yan pressed on through the tunnel, which widened enough for two to walk abreast. Oil lamps were set at intervals along the wall, illuminating the way. After about half an hour, they reached an iron door.

"This must be the secret passage to Prince Jing's mansion," Scarface said, pushing at the door. It didn't budge—it was tightly locked.

Examining the lock, Xiao Yan saw it was a specially designed mechanism requiring a unique key. As he searched for something to pry it open, footsteps sounded from the other side.

"Who goes there?" rumbled a low voice.

Thinking quickly, Xiao Yan mimicked Li Xiu's voice. "It's me, Li Xiu."

There was a pause, then the lock clicked open. A burly guard peered out. Xiao Yan knocked him out with a single punch, and he and Scarface rushed inside.

They found themselves in Prince Jing's armory, filled with weapons of every kind, as well as several new cannons. A craftsman was polishing one of the cannons; upon seeing them, he dropped to his knees in terror.

"Who are these cannons for?" Xiao Yan demanded.

"For... for His Highness's navy. To ambush the Emperor's fleet during the southern tour."

Xiao Yan's heart pounded. The Emperor was indeed planning a southern tour! He instructed Scarface to take the craftsman back through the tunnel and inform the prefect to call out the troops, while he pressed further inside to gather more evidence.

Behind the armory lay a secret chamber with a huge map marked in cinnabar, charting the route from the south to the capital, with every key checkpoint circled in red. Nearby lay a letter from Prince Jing to the chief of a northern tribe—an agreement to attack from both north and south and divide the realm.

"A wolfish ambition indeed!" Xiao Yan pocketed the map and the letter, preparing to leave, when Prince Jing's voice sounded outside. "Where is Li Xiu? Bring him to me."

Xiao Yan quickly hid behind a bookshelf. Prince Jing entered, clad in a dragon-patterned robe, his features resembling the Emperor's but with a more sinister glint.

"Your Highness, Li Xiu is missing. Only a corpse was found in the dungeon—looks like he was killed," a guard reported.

Prince Jing's face darkened. "Damn! There's a traitor! Seal off the mansion. Search everywhere!"

Xiao Yan knew he could delay no longer. While the guards were distracted, he slipped out the back window and plunged into the icy river. The rain still fell, the river was pitch-black, only distant fishing lamps flickering in the wind.

He swam for the far shore, but soon heard pursuit behind—Prince Jing's men were after him. Xiao Yan took a deep breath, dove beneath the water, and let the current sweep him away.

He didn't know how long he drifted before being cast onto a shallow bank. Crawling ashore, soaked and aching, he looked back to see Prince Jing's mansion ablaze with light, the search still ongoing.

Just then, a small boat approached. An old fisherman at the bow stared in surprise. "Sir, are you all right?"

Xiao Yan recognized him from the dock that morning and, weakly, said, "I... I'm an official sent by the court, hunted by Prince Jing. Please, save me."

The old fisherman hesitated, then pulled him aboard. "Come, I'll take you somewhere safe."

The small boat slipped away into the rainy night. Xiao Yan lay in the cabin, listening to the rain and the lap of water, and finally lost consciousness.

When Xiao Yan awoke, he was in a humble fisherman's hut. The old fisherman was tending his wounds, and Scarface sat nearby, worry etched on his face.

"Sir, you're awake!" Scarface exclaimed. "The prefect has surrounded Prince Jing's mansion with troops, but they say without an imperial edict, they dare not attack."

Xiao Yan struggled to sit up. "What about the dispatch? Has it reached the capital?"

"It's been sent," the old fisherman replied. "It should arrive tomorrow, but Prince Jing has also sent men to intercept it—whether it will get through is uncertain."

Xiao Yan frowned. If the dispatch were intercepted, the Emperor would never learn of the southern crisis, and the imperial procession would walk into a trap. He had to stop Prince Jing.

"Old sir, is there any crossing nearby?"

"There is, but all the ferries are guarded by Prince Jing's men," the old fisherman sighed. "Unless you try 'Ghost Gate Pass.'"

"'Ghost Gate Pass'?"

"It's a stretch of rapids, with treacherous currents and hidden reefs. No one dares cross it."

Xiao Yan's gaze hardened. "I will."

At dawn, the rain finally ceased. Xiao Yan donned the fisherman's clothes, boarded the small boat with Scarface, and headed for Ghost Gate Pass. The river here was wild and turbulent, tossing the craft about, threatening to capsize at any moment.

As they neared the far bank, they spotted Prince Jing's patrol boats on the water. Xiao Yan had the old fisherman hide the boat behind a massive boulder, then he and Scarface swam for shore.

In the woods ashore, an elite force loyal to Prince Jing was preparing for the Emperor's southern tour, sharpening their weapons. Xiao Yan counted—there were at least a thousand men.

"We must delay them," Xiao Yan told Scarface. "Set fire to their supplies. I'll alert the garrison."

Scarface nodded and crept toward the supply camp. Xiao Yan ran in the opposite direction, hoping to find the army's encampment.

After about an hour, he finally saw a familiar flag—it was the vanguard sent by the Commander of the Border Army! The Emperor, having received the prefect's urgent message, had dispatched five thousand troops south, just in time.

"Commander, Prince Jing's men are in those woods, preparing to ambush His Majesty!"

The commander blanched. "Attack at once!"

Five thousand border troops surged into the forest. Caught off guard, Prince Jing's forces quickly collapsed. Xiao Yan stood on a hillside, watching the battle, when the sound of hoofbeats reached him. Turning, he saw the Emperor's southern procession approaching!

"Your Majesty!" Xiao Yan hurried forward.

The Emperor reined in his horse, noting Xiao Yan's injuries with approval. "Xiao, you have worked hard."

"Your Majesty, Prince Jing is still entrenched in his mansion. Please give the order to attack."

The Emperor drew his sword and pointed it toward Prince Jing's residence. "Until the traitor is eliminated, the realm will have no peace. Proclaim my decree: Take Prince Jing and root out all accomplices!"

The siege of Prince Jing's mansion lasted a full day. When Xiao Yan led his troops into the study, Prince Jing sat before a painting of rivers and mountains, lost in thought.

"Prince Jing, surrender," Xiao Yan said.

Prince Jing turned, his face expressionless. "I have lost, but I do not concede. Why should he be Emperor and not I?"

"Because your heart is evil. For power, you colluded with outsiders and harmed the loyal," Xiao Yan replied coldly. "Look at the people of the south—they want peace, not your ambition."

Prince Jing glanced out the window at a magnolia tree he had once planted, now in full white bloom. Suddenly he laughed, the sound bitter and desolate. "Perhaps you are right."

He took off his crown and tossed it to the ground. "Take me away."

After pacifying the south, Xiao Yan remained in Suzhou to handle the aftermath. He confiscated Prince Jing's assets, aided those afflicted by disaster, and rehabilitated wronged officials.

A month later, he finally set out for Chang'an. The scenery along the southern waterways remained beautiful, but Xiao Yan's heart had changed. He had seen too much death and intrigue, and now understood the true meaning of office—not power or wealth, but the duty to protect the people.

When he returned to the Prefecture of the Capital, the sun shone brightly over Chang'an. Zhao Zhong and Wang Yong were waiting at the gate, tears of joy in their eyes.

"Sir, you're finally back!" Zhao Zhong handed him a memorial. "An imperial edict—His Majesty says you are to be promoted to Grand Censor for pacifying the south."

Xiao Yan took the document but did not open it. Standing before the office, he looked up at the plaque reading "Upright Justice," and felt the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.

"Zhao Zhong, Wang Yong," he said, turning with resolve. "There are still many cases in Chang'an. We have much work to do."

The two nodded firmly. Sunlight bathed them, and every corner of the Prefecture, as if heralding a new beginning.