A Tangled Mystery

"Who was that scholar just now? How dare he speak to Zhao Pi like that!"

"What's most impressive is that Zhao Pi was completely speechless."

"These past few days they've been rounding up scholars all over town. Those Confucian scholars, facing weapons, aren't they all trembling with fear? But this guy, well, he's gone straight for it!"

"By the way, are those laws true or false? I never knew that arrests and arrests were subject to different authorities, and there's this so-called Penal Code Department. Could they all be true?"

"Judging from Zhao Pi's reaction, it's probably true. That's what a learned person is like. Even when faced with weapons, he can still argue his case. Look at those scholars earlier, they hadn't even opened their mouths to arrest people before their legs went weak."

"By the way, what was that scholar's name again?"

"His name seems to be Qiu Yan. He must have come to Xuankou Town for study. I wonder which route he came from."

"I know that. This man is the top scholar of Jiannan Circuit. His servant introduced himself."

"So it was a top scholar in the imperial examinations; no wonder he's so extraordinary."

Not long after Gongyang Yi and his companion arrived, they left with Qiu Yan and the others, and General Zhao also sounded the retreat.

Their departure left the place deserted, which piqued the interest of the pedestrians and diners who were hiding nearby. Recalling the previous events, they couldn't help but become curious. They vividly remembered Qiu Yan's fearless and eloquent speech in front of the soldiers, and they couldn't help but discuss it among themselves.

The "Zhao Pi" they were referring to was none other than General Zhao, who led the troops. After this incident, this person became Qiu Yan's stepping stone in everyone's eyes, highlighting Qiu Yan's reputation for being fearless of the powerful and outspoken, which was something that had not been expected beforehand.

North of the town, near the checkpoint, stands a rather large mansion.

At this moment, Qiu Yan and his two companions were being led inside by Gongyang Yi.

Although General Zhao was forced to retreat, the matter still needed to be resolved. If Qiu Yan had truly angered a prince, even if he could get through this Xuankou Pass, he would inevitably face endless troubles in the future.

Moreover, this matter was quite strange, Qiu Yan had doubts, which is why she accepted Gongyang Yi's invitation.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Although this mansion is one of the most luxurious in Xuankou Town, it is still smaller than the Zhang Residence in Yuan Ning. However, Qiu Yan could feel a sense of nobility and Great Qi inside, which the Zhang Residence lacked.

This air of nobility and Great Qi did not come out of thin air, nor was it something Qiu Yan sensed in the Unseen. Rather, he sensed it from the guards at the gate of the mansion and from the School of Names along the way.

These servants were dressed no differently from the servants of the Zhang Residence, but each of them was tall, strong, and vigorous, full of energy and spirit, and each of their faces contained a hint of pride.

"These servants are full of energy and have prominent Heavenly Court. Many of them have a gleam in their eyes, and their muscles are taut. Judging from their faces, they exude a sense of unity. If they were on the battlefield, they would be top-notch soldiers, no less than the guards I have seen at the Wuxin Military Governor's Residence. They are truly remarkable! This also shows that the Prince Yan's power is extraordinary."

As Qiu Yan walked, he looked around and gradually gained a better understanding of the situation.

The princes and dukes of Great Rui were honorary titles and did not receive fiefs, but they were qualified to establish their own government offices and recruit staff and guards. Many of the servants of the Prince Yan were no less skilled than the guards, but due to the laws of the court, they could not exceed the established system and thus became servants.

Gongyang Yi walked ahead, introducing the place as he went. "This mansion was purchased by the Prince from a merchant. For the past two weeks, the Prince has been working tirelessly to deal with the rebels, personally overseeing the situation from the most dangerous places."

At this point, he smiled and said, "The Prince's presence here is with the consent of several former prime ministers from the Eastern Capital. They have already jointly submitted a memorial to Prosperity Capital explaining the matter, so it is not overstepping any bounds. Young Master Qiu can rest assured about this."

"Oh? I see," Qiu Yan nodded, then said, "However, since they are not in positions of power, they should not concern themselves with politics. Should the old prime ministers, who are enjoying their retirement in the Eastern Capital, not overwork themselves? When Chancellor Ma Yang was temporarily residing in Qingchang, although he was concerned about the affairs of the court, he did not interfere arbitrarily."

His words were anything but polite, as if he had no fear of offending the Eastern Capital. His words were reasonable, and although Gongyang Yi was taken aback, he had no choice but to say that Qiu Yan was dissatisfied with Zhao Pi's previous rudeness and had fallen into the trap of scholarly arrogance.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Gongyang Yi simply said, "There were many misunderstandings before, please don't take them to heart, young master. General Zhang meant well but things went wrong. His Highness is probably reprimanding him right now."

"What a great carrot and stick strategy!" Qiu Yan sneered inwardly as he looked at Gongyang Yi in front of him. "First, General Zhao takes the lead with a hard line, then Gongyang Yi tries to appease him. And there's a prince standing behind him. If it were any other powerless scholar, after being hit with this combination of punches, they would probably be moved to tears and have the idea of submitting immediately."

Thinking of this, Qiu Yan already felt no goodwill towards the Prince Yan, whom he had not yet met.

What happened earlier cannot be simply dismissed with the word "offense." If those soldiers had arrested him without distinguishing right from wrong, his reputation would have been ruined. Even if he was released afterward, it would still be a stain on his life, having an invisible impact on his Imperial Examinations and official career.

This is no small matter. Qiu Yan is not naive and easily swayed by others' kindness and respect, so he doesn't become complacent and lower his guard.

His barbed words just now were not intended to challenge the Eastern Capital, but rather to test the waters and find out what Prince Yan was really planning.

"The first Wang Su, after stopping me, though he didn't say anything false, could still be considered to be doing his duty. But what happened next was interesting. Before even verifying my identity, he made a big fuss about arresting me. When he realized things weren't going well, he immediately changed his tune. These changes suggest he was arrogant at first and obsequious at second. It seems that the prince, after learning my name, intentionally lured me here..."

Connecting his experiences with those before and after, Qiu Yan gradually began to make a guess.

"Could it be because of the factional strife New and Old Parties? I have a past connection with Ma Yang, and this prince is a member of the New Party? Otherwise, a mere scholar like me, even if I were the Eastern Capital scholar in the provincial examination, wouldn't deserve such attention from a prince. But that doesn't make sense either. I've heard that the elders of the Eastern Capital have all written criticisms of Chancellor Wang, which shows that they all lean towards the Old Party, or are themselves pillars of the Old Party. It's impossible for Prince Yan to have any connection with the New Party to gain their approval. What could be the reason...?"

As Qiu Yan walked, he pondered and deduced in his mind, listing various possibilities, then rejecting them one by one. In the end, he came to the conclusion that it was still related to the struggle between the Old Party, which was quite puzzling.

"As a mere scholar who has passed the imperial examinations, even if I have written a couple of decent articles, I have no way of getting involved in court intrigues. I am well aware of that."

On the other side, the scholar-official with a folding fan kept staring at Qiu Yan with curiosity in his eyes.

After walking a few steps, they reached the main hall. Gongyang Yi suddenly stopped, turned to look at Hu Qi and Dai Guo behind Qiu Yan, and said with a smile, "Young Master Qiu, the Prince is waiting for you inside, but he only instructed that you be brought in alone, this..."

"Mr. Gongyang, there's no need to make things difficult for you." Qiu Yan nodded, then turned to Hu Qi and Dai Guo and gave them a few instructions. The two nodded and left with School of Names.

But the next moment, Qiu Yan heard Hu Qi's voice, which had focused into a single line and transmitted directly to him—

"Young master, the prince may not do anything to you, but I'm afraid he might forcibly detain us."

Hu Qi and Dai Guo were not worried about Qiu Yan's safety. In terms of cultivation and skills alone, Qiu Yan was far superior to the two of them. What had just happened had also shown them the knowledge Qiu Yan possessed, not to mention his official rank.

Although the prince wields considerable power, in Great Rui, even a prince cannot punish scholars without the approval of the government. However, finding a pretext to detain Qiu Yan for a few days would suffice, thus delaying their journey.

Qiu Yan replied telepathically, "Don't worry, I've put on a show in town, and soon someone with ulterior motives will find out and come to the Prince's Mansion to pick me up. You and Dai Guo can rest assured." These words also resonated with a single thread.

Hu Qi was taken aback upon hearing this.

"Judging from your words, young master, did he have some other purpose in his actions at the tavern just now?"

After Hu Qi and the other man left, Gongyang Yi cupped his hands to Qiu Yan and said, "In that case, please come in, Young Master Qiu. We will take our leave now." With that, he led the young man in Confucian robes away.

Watching the two figures hurry away, Qiu Yan grew increasingly puzzled.

"Very well, let me go and see what this prince is planning and what kind of mystery he's up to."

With this in mind, Qiu Yan strode into the main hall.

However, upon entering the house, they found it completely empty, furnished only with chairs and a coffee table. On one of the coffee tables were cups and saucers, the tea warm and steaming.

"Hmm? What's going on?" Seeing this, Qiu Yan's doubts deepened. He narrowed his eyes and released his senses.

At the same time, Hu Qi and Dai Guo, led by Ding Yin, were taken to a side room and sat down. Maids served tea, and servants brought fruit and snacks. The place was bustling with people.

This scene left Hu Qi and Dai Guo feeling flattered and overwhelmed. They had never been treated like this before, having endured hardship and sleeping in the open. Moreover, it was in the prince's mansion.

Dai Guo chuckled, picked up an apple, took a bite, and then praised it.

Hu Qi whispered, "Second brother, don't get carried away. We're only doing this because of the young master."

He had barely finished speaking when a voice came from outside the door—

"No, no, my two valiant warriors, I have come here on your behalf. Qiu Yan is but a mere amateur; how could he possibly compare to two masters like you?"

As they were talking, a handsome young man walked in from outside the door, a smile on his face, exuding an imposing aura, his every move graceful and composed.

All around, maids and servants bowed and greeted in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness..."