Chapter 16.

Recognizing Xue Shu as a dangerous character, the old priest quickly abandoned his usual bluster and deceit, settling into uneasy compliance.

Although his arrogance faded, he continued playing the fool. “Gentlemen, I’m just a poor priest scraping by. Sure, I’ve done some harmless tricks to scare folks into buying talismans, but that’s it. If any of your friends or family bought charms from me, tell me how much, and I’ll return every penny.”

Yin Chengyu wasn’t interested in his nonsense. Pulling out the salt certificate retrieved from Wangchen Taoist’s belongings, he held it up before the old priest. “Recognize this?”

The priest’s eyes locked onto the certificate, and his bravado instantly vanished. He froze like a duck caught mid-quack, his face drained of color. After a long, trembling silence, he stammered, “Th-this? I don’t know what that is.”

His words denied it, but his terrified expression betrayed the truth.

“Wangchen Taoists was your apprentice, wasn’t he?” Yin Chengyu pressed on, his tone unyielding. “He’s dead. Silenced, and his corpse left to rot in the paupers’ graveyard.”

The priest’s guilty, fearful demeanor confirmed he knew far more than he let on. Tossing the certificate to Xue Xu, Yin Chengyu turned and headed toward the carriage. “He’s all yours.”

Xue Xu bowed in acknowledgment and, once the carriage disappeared down the road, dragged the trembling priest into the remote Daoist temple.

The temple, secluded and far from prying eyes—including Wan Youliang’s spies—was the perfect place for interrogation.

Inside the temple’s main hall, Xue Shu wasted no time. Without asking a single question, he began by shattering the priest’s kneecaps.

No one expected such brutal efficiency. All the tricks he had in his mind to deal with it disappeared under this torture. He was shocked, frightened and in pain.

The priest, despite his fifty-some years of life and self-proclaimed resilience, was reduced to a sniveling, terrified wreck. His carefully rehearsed lies melted under the sheer agony, leaving him sobbing and begging for mercy.

“I’ll talk! I’ll tell you everything!” he wailed.

But Xue Shu wasn’t in a rush. He casually tossed aside the bloodied dagger, took a cloth from one of his men, and wiped his hands meticulously. “Do you know why I shattered your knees?”

Before the priest could respond, Xue Shu answered his own question, his tone cold and merciless: “Disrespecting His Royal Highness warrants death.”

His shadowy eyes and chilling voice carried an air of unholy menace, as though he were a vengeful specter. Even the statue of the Three Purities behind him seemed to exude a sinister aura, its once-serene smile now unnervingly twisted.

The oppressive atmosphere left everyone present shivering. The guards, hardened soldiers from the Four Guards Battalion, averted their gazes, shrinking into themselves as though they could disappear into the walls.

Unbothered by their fear, Xue Shu finished cleaning his hands and ordered paper, ink, and a brush to be brought over. He turned back to the priest, his tone as sharp as a blade. “Start talking. Every detail. Leave anything out, and I’ll carve another piece of you.” He glanced at the bloodied remains of the priest’s kneecaps, his voice calm and factual. “For every question I have to repeat, I’ll take another bone.”

Knowing Xue Shu wasn’t bluffing, the priest confessed everything in excruciating detail, his words spilling out in a desperate flood.

By the time he finished, the confession filled an entire sheet of paper. Xue Shu had him sign and seal it before storing it away.

Initially, Xue Shu planned to have the priest executed, but recalling how His Highness had been displeased by his last killings, he reconsidered. “Lock him up. Keep him breathing—for now.”

With the priest dealt with, Xue Shu ordered his men to dig beneath the Three Purities statue. According to the confession, Wan Youliang’s forged Ministry of Revenue seals, counterfeit documents, incriminating correspondence, and a stash of gold were buried there.

It turned out the priest had orchestrated everything behind the scenes, using Wangchen Taoist as his puppet. Though the younger man played the frontman, the priest had always known the risks and prepared a fallback plan.

He admitted that the salt certificate, discovered before his capture, had been part of this scheme. While the certificate itself was fake, the official seal of the Salt Administration Bureau on it was real—stolen during a moment of carelessness by Wan Youliang. Wangchen Taoist had stamped it as a safeguard, but it ultimately sealed their downfall.

The old Taoist made it damn clear—it was a life-saving talisman, no question about it. He'd tasked Taoist Wangchen with holding onto it. Sure, the salt permit was a fake, but the official Salt Administration seal on it? That was the real deal. Wangchen saw his chance, played Wan Youliang like a fool, and swiped the official seal to stamp it in secret.

The counterfeit salt pass bore a genuine official seal, enough to control Wan Youliang.

But he probably never imagined that he’d die before putting it to use, only to leave it as someone else’s gain.

Xue Shu ordered the unearthed gold and silver transported away and returned with the forged documents and seals to report to Yin Chengyu.

Yin Chengyu examined the counterfeit seal, then scrutinized the forged salt pass. Finally, he spotted subtle differences in the ink. Tucking the items away, he sighed, “That old Taoist was a genius."

No wonder, in the last life, even his forged letters were flawless.

“Keep the man alive for now. Once this matter is settled, deal with him.”

He then recalled Zheng Duobao's earlier report and added, “Wan Youliang sent an invitation. When you were out, Zheng Duobao told the messengers you were being punished and confined to the woodshed. Stick to that story.”

Xue Shu nodded but kept his gaze on Yin Chengyu, his eyes filled with a quiet hope.

After a moment of silence, Yin Chengyu relented, acknowledging Xue Shu’s notable contribution. He summoned Zheng Duobao. “Take him to the storeroom. Let him pick a few items.” Then, turning to Xue Shu, he added, “The gifts here are trivial offerings from subordinates. When we return to the capital, we’ll properly reward you.”

“I don’t want those,” Xue Shu shook his head.

“Then what do you want?” Yin Chengyu, in a rare good mood, asked indulgently.

After some hesitation, Xue Shu finally said, “I’d like some of the incense Your Highness uses.”

He had always liked the faint plum blossom scent that lingered on Yin Chengyu, but the fragrance on the handkerchief he’d kept had faded.

Yin Chengyu was surprised. To his knowledge, Xue Shu had never shown interest in incense or anything of the sort. Still, he wasn’t stingy. “Zheng Duobao, give him two boxes of Snow Ridge Plum incense.”

Content with his reward, Xue Shu followed Zheng Duobao to collect it.

Later, he retrieved Wan Youliang’s invitation from Zhao Lin before returning to his room.

By now, the evening sky was dimming, and shadows began to stretch across the land.

Xue Shu briefly reviewed the invitation, noted the time and place, and tossed it aside. Then, he carefully placed the two boxes of Snow Ridge Plum incense on his desk.

For a long time, he sat there, staring at them, before abruptly standing and heading to the bathhouse. The incense had a delicate fragrance, and after a day of travel, he felt the grime of the road might taint it.

After washing, Xue Shu lit the incense with the small incense burner Zheng Duobao had given him. As the scent began to unfurl, it started strong but soon softened, blending seamlessly with the crisp night air. The faint, elusive fragrance lingered, teasing his senses.

He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, searching for the familiar scent of Yin Chengyu.

Moments later, his brows furrowed. Something was off—it wasn’t quite the same.

Reaching under his pillow, he retrieved the handkerchief, its faint scent barely discernible. After a moment’s hesitation, he held it above the burner, letting the fragrance permeate it again. Bringing it to his nose, he finally smiled in satisfaction.

The crisp plum scent, now intertwined with a subtle sweetness, was perfect.

That night, Xue Shu slept soundly. The next morning, he was full of energy as he headed to the banquet.

Wan Youliang had invited him to South River Pavilion for drinks for the fifth time. But this time, there were no performers. Instead, the formidable General Guan Haishan joined the table.

For so long, they had danced around each other in careful probing, but now the real conversation was about to begin.

The maidservants served the wine and dishes in silence before retreating discreetly.

Only three people remained in the room.

The other two stayed quiet, and Xue Shu made no move to press them, calmly sipping wine and tasting the food at a steady pace.

After a few rounds of drinks, Wan Youliang finally broke the silence. "Inspector Xue, you've been here in Tianjin for over half a month, haven't you?"

"Seventeen days," Xue Shu replied.

Wan Youliang feigned a sigh. "In these past weeks, you must have seen the state of Tianjin. Surely you understand that the Zhao family’s accusations against the censor are baseless slander!"

Xue Shu nodded, waiting for him to continue.

As expected, Wan Youliang pressed on. "This matter has reached the Emperor’s ears. It’s become a thorn in the side of everyone in Tianjin’s administration! Until it’s resolved, none of us can rest easy. We’re all eagerly hoping for His Highness the Crown Prince to return to the capital and clear our names." He paused, then added, "Surely, Inspector Xue would also like to return as soon as possible?"

At the mention of Yin Chengyu, Xue Shu's expression shifted ever so slightly. He set his cup down. "Oh? And why would you say that?"

Seeing him take the bait, Wan Youliang felt reassured. He exchanged a glance with Guan Haishan, who seamlessly took over. "The Crown Prince has been enjoying his time here in Tianjin, showing no intention of returning. Inspector Xue, newly favored by the Emperor, was promptly dispatched here. But if you stay away for too long, there’s always the risk that His Majesty’s favor might shift back to Eunuch Gao."

This, of course, was their angle to rope Xue Shu in.

A eunuch’s power depended entirely on the Emperor’s favor. Though Xue Shu had risen rapidly due to his merits in saving the Emperor, his position was precarious. Without deep roots in the palace and after being away for so long, there was no guarantee the Emperor would still remember him.

On the matter of the Crown Prince’s return to the capital, Xue Shu and their interests aligned.

Xue Shu understood their insinuation and decided to cast his bait. "But the Crown Prince and I aren’t particularly close. I’m afraid I can’t persuade him to leave. If you gentlemen want him to return, you might have better luck approaching Eunuch Zheng."

"Inspector Xue, you’re thinking too narrowly," Wan said, stroking his chin with a cryptic smile. "There’s more than one way to bring the Crown Prince back."

"Exactly," Guan chimed in. "Inspector Xue commands the soldiers of the Four Garrison Camps. The Crown Prince’s safety is entirely in your hands. Imagine if, during one of his outings, he were to encounter pirates or bandits and sustain a minor injury—wouldn’t he have to return to the capital immediately?"

The two men’s voices were friendly, their smiles easy, but their suggestion was dripping with malice.

Xue Shu’s face darkened, and a murderous aura began to seep out, barely restrained.

He stared at Wan Youliang and Guan Haishan for a long, heavy moment. If his gaze could kill, they would have been flayed alive by now.

Yet, a shred of reason kept him in check. Only when the two grew visibly uneasy under his silence did he finally speak, voice slow and deliberate. "It’s a clever idea, but the Crown Prince is far too precious. Even a scratch on him would be blamed squarely on me."

Wan Youliang sensed something off in his tone but was too focused on convincing Xue Shu to dwell on it. "Inspector Xue need not worry. Tianjin borders the sea, and pirates often come ashore to raid. We’re not suggesting treason. The Crown Prince needn’t even be harmed. All it takes is a delay in your rescue when he encounters trouble. A fright would be enough to make him think of returning. Wouldn’t that be a win-win for everyone?"

Xue Shu lowered his gaze, seemingly deep in thought. After a long silence, he finally looked up and smiled at the two. "A fine plan. I’ll follow your lead, gentlemen."

———Author’s note: The watchdog: You dare hit the master’s dog? The watchdog: You’re dead.

———TN: Have you Rate, Vote and Follow?