Upon learning that the Iron Deed of Redemption was missing, Hu Xiaotian instantly lost all desire to sleep. If this matter could not be resolved, his good days here would probably come to an end. After receiving his orders, Hu An immediately readied a horse and set off for the Eastern Capital.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiaotian took Liang Dazhuang and the other household servants back to the Elegant Gathering Pavilion to search the ruins carefully once more. They turned over almost every corner, but found no trace of the Iron Deed of Redemption.
With the last thread of hope in his heart severed, Hu Xiaotian bathed and changed that afternoon, then took Liang Dazhuang and the other servants to the Capital Prefecture. He had intended to call on Capital Prefect Hong Baiqi, but upon arriving, he learned that Hong Baiqi had gone to inspect the capital's waterworks after yesterday's sudden rainfall. The record-keeping adjutant and the officials of the six departments were present, but Hu Xiaotian knew none of them, so he asked a clerk where he could find Murong Feiyan.
Murong Feiyan had not had a proper rest since last night either. After bringing the two shackled burglars back from the Minister's Residence and locking them in the Capital Prefecture's jail, she had immediately questioned them. But both burglars were tight-lipped, insisting that they had only gone to the Minister's Residence to steal and had nothing to do with the arson. Since both had already suffered multiple injuries when they were captured, Murong Feiyan had not subjected them to torture. Seeing that their wounds were considerable and fearing they might bleed to death in their cells, she had specifically summoned a physician to treat them.
After dealing with all this, Murong Feiyan had intended to go home and rest. She was not made of iron, after all; no one could work without sleep or respite. But just as she was about to leave the Capital Prefecture, word came that someone from the Minister's Residence had arrived.
Murong Feiyan could only set aside her plans to go home for the moment. She had just changed out of her uniform and was wearing a Moonlight Brocade Robe with Su Embroidery and a Crescent Phoenix-Tail Gauze Skirt. Her glossy black hair was swept up into a Fallen-Horse Bun, lending her an added touch of maidenly softness. This hairstyle was common in the present era, named for its resemblance to someone tumbling from a horse. Paired with her lovely, finely drawn features, it made her all the more enchanting.
Watching Murong Feiyan approach, Hu Xiaotian could not help blinking. He was accustomed to her valiant, capable, dashing appearance, and the sudden sight of her dressed in feminine attire was rather hard to adjust to. Yet her bright eyes, pearly teeth, and graceful bearing-her figure and her looks-truly made his heart skip a beat. Faced with such beauty, Hu Xiaotian almost forgot his main reason for coming.
At the sight of a beautiful woman, Hu Xiaotian's trademark smile naturally appeared on his face. Murong Feiyan, however, showed him no warmth. There was not the slightest smile on her pretty face as she asked coolly, "What have you come to see me for?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "Chief Constable Murong, this humble scholar has come specifically to ask about the progress of the case!"
Murong Feiyan actually knew why he had come. Looking him up and down, she said, "It hasn't even been half a day since last night's incident. Aren't you being rather impatient, Young Master Hu?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "Anyone this happened to would be anxious. I hope you can understand my difficulties, Chief Constable Murong."
Murong Feiyan asked, "Did you lose something valuable, Young Master Hu?"
Hu Xiaotian said, "Nothing important. I simply want to find those burglars' accomplices as soon as possible. You know, every day they remain at large is another day my safety is threatened. Only when the whole lot of them are caught in one net can I rest easy."
Murong Feiyan said meaningfully, "I thought there was nothing under heaven that frightened Young Master Hu."
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "I'm not afraid of gentlemen. I'm afraid of petty men..." The rascal paused, then added, "Only petty men and women are difficult to deal with!" His implication was that women were troublesome too.
Murong Feiyan naturally understood what he meant. She sighed softly and said, "Young Master Hu, from what I've learned so far, they only said they sneaked into your residence to kidnap you and ransom you for money. With your delicate person and precious flesh, you must be worth quite a bit of silver."
Hu Xiaotian said, "My life is worth nothing. If I really were put up for sale, I might not even fetch as much as you, Chief Constable Murong!"
His words made Murong Feiyan's pretty face flush with anger. "You..."
Hu Xiaotian gave a wicked smile. "Don't misunderstand, Chief Constable Murong. I certainly didn't mean to defile you."
Murong Feiyan bit her cherry-red lip. Faced with this shameless wastrel, she truly had no way to deal with him. "You should go home for now," she said coldly. "Once we have a lead, I'll contact you myself."
Hu Xiaotian sighed inwardly. It seemed Murong Feiyan had not gotten anything out of the two burglars either. He could not help regretting how casually he had handed them over to her yesterday. Getting them back now was probably impossible. Although he knew there was little chance, he still tried asking, "Chief Constable Murong, could you arrange for me to see those two burglars?"
Murong Feiyan shook her head and refused flatly. "No! The Capital Prefecture has its rules. They are major suspects, not people just anyone can casually visit."
Hu Xiaotian said, "Don't forget, Chief Constable Murong, I personally handed those two men over to you."
"So what?" Murong Feiyan retorted. Her beautiful eyes were filled with contempt and hostility toward Hu Xiaotian. The men were in her custody now, and the decision rested in her hands.
Knowing that this girl was deeply prejudiced against him, Hu Xiaotian took a step forward.
The sudden closing of the distance made Murong Feiyan feel pressured. She did not want to retreat, yet she had to give ground, shifting a step backward. "What are you trying to do?" she demanded.
Hu Xiaotian smiled. "In broad daylight, inside the Capital Prefecture offices, in front of all these officers-what do you think I'm trying to do, Chief Constable Murong? Even if I wanted to do something, would I have the nerve to act on it?" In truth, even if he had the nerve, he lacked the ability. With her martial arts, dealing with him would be a mere side dish for Murong Feiyan.
When it came to a sharp tongue, Murong Feiyan was no match for Hu Xiaotian. Anger spread a rosy blush across her pretty face, but to him, she looked utterly adorable. He lowered his voice. "Why don't we make a deal? Let me see those two, and I'll tell you what valuable item our household actually lost." Hu Xiaotian had, after all, specifically studied psychology, and his expertise in the field was considerable. Through their few encounters, he had already made a preliminary psychological assessment of Murong Feiyan. She was a career-minded, strong-willed woman who took her work extremely seriously. Upright and uncompromising, she would not tolerate so much as a grain of sand in her eyes. To get her to yield, he would have to make her believe it would benefit her investigation. As long as something helped her work, she would probably consider accommodating it.
Murong Feiyan said, "Young Master Hu, withholding information is a violation of Great Kang Law."
Hu Xiaotian said, "I came today precisely to discuss things with you, Chief Constable Murong. Unfortunately, I've pressed a warm face against a cold backside. You only want to take without giving anything in return. Where under heaven can you get such a bargain?"
Murong Feiyan had experienced this fellow's vulgar words and behavior more than once, yet she still could not stomach the way he spoke. She simply pretended not to hear his thoroughly harassing remarks and asked coolly, "Why should I believe you?"
From those words, Hu Xiaotian could already tell that her resolve had begun to soften. "I handed the two burglars over to you, and it was our household that was robbed," he said. "You want to solve the case and earn credit. I want to recover our property as quickly as possible. Our aims differ, but different roads lead us to the same destination. In the end, we both want the case solved soon. Why not set aside your prejudice and work with me for once, Chief Constable Murong?"
Murong Feiyan had to admire this fellow's reed-like, nimble tongue, and she also had to admit that his words had persuaded her. After pondering for a moment, she said, "I can take you to see them, but your men must stay outside."
"No problem!"
Murong Feiyan led Hu Xiaotian into the sunless jail. This was his first visit to such a place. After only a few steps, a wave of decay and foul stench struck him, and he could not help frowning. The conditions in this prison were truly dreadful. The light was extremely dim as well, and the farther they went, the darker it became, until they needed torches to see.
Noticing his expression, Murong Feiyan said softly, "Do fewer bad deeds, or one day you'll end up here too."
Hu Xiaotian laughed. "Are you cursing me? I don't recall having offended you."
As they spoke, they reached the place where the burglars were being held. A physician was treating their wounds. He was a resident physician from Easy Origin Hall and had accompanied Yuan Shiqing yesterday to treat the old man.
By the time Hu Xiaotian entered the cell, the treatment was nearly finished. The physician stood and said to Murong Feiyan, "Chief Constable Murong, their injuries aren't serious. I've applied Golden Wound-Healing Medicine, and they should recover in a few days. However, this prisoner's throat was punctured by a bamboo tube, so eating will be somewhat difficult for him over the next few days." After speaking, he also smiled at Hu Xiaotian, evidently recognizing him.
Hu Xiaotian asked, "How is that old gentleman?"
The physician said, "We've applied a medicinal plaster. His family found him yesterday and temporarily settled him at the inn beside Easy Origin Hall. My master said that although his injury isn't serious, elderly people recover more slowly. It may take two or three months."
Hu Xiaotian nodded. "Thank you all."
The physician smiled. "We should be thanking you for stepping forward so nobly, Young Master Hu. My master said your techniques for treating bone injuries are highly refined, and he told us to learn more from you."
Hu Xiaotian chuckled inwardly. It had only been a simple first-aid procedure-hardly anything that could be called a highly refined technique. But on second thought, this was an era dominated by traditional medicine, and modern medicine had yet to take shape. Anatomy, physiology, and indeed the entire field of Western medicine were things these physicians had never heard of or seen. If he had the chance to demonstrate the knowledge he possessed, he would probably shock the world. Why not open a hospital? With my skills, wouldn't I make enough money to fill every basin and bowl? The thought flashed through his mind and vanished. His previous life had been too exhausting, to the point that he had developed a profound weariness toward medicine as a profession. If unexpected circumstances had not forced his hand, he probably would never have wanted to use his medical skills again in this lifetime.
Given a second life, why make it so exhausting? What the hell does saving the world and healing people have to do with me? I should just stick to being an official's son, coast comfortably through life, and enjoy myself. That's the proper path.
Before you continue