Chapter 115: Heaven Is Supreme—He’s Nothing but a Fart

While chaos erupted at the entrance of the Fengle Restaurant, Zhao Ji finally seized the opportunity to slip away. He looked up to orient himself, then hurried off alone toward the Prince’s Mansion in a fluster.

He had only wanted to soothe his gloomy mood by listening to a few tunes at the restaurant. He hadn't done anything wrong—was all this really necessary? As he hurried along with his head down, Zhao Ji fretted over the failed outing, wondering what had become of Li Sanjian.

Zhao Ji appreciated Li Sanjian’s paintings and had taken him on as a house guest merely to keep him close, hoping to have him paint a few pieces whenever the mood struck. As for the claims Zhao Xu had made—that Li Sanjian might one day become a pillar of the state—Zhao Ji had not believed a word of it until now.

Yet, Zhao Ji had never expected that this refined, scholarly youth, who usually seemed so gentle, would show such unwavering loyalty at a critical moment, risking himself for his sake. The thought filled Zhao Ji with deep emotion.

He chuckled to himself, remembering how Li Sanjian had struck Master Hong, leaving his face a blooming mess. It was absurdly funny; who would have thought Li Sanjian was capable of such violence? Truly, one should never judge a book by its cover.

As he walked, Zhao Ji noticed a carriage parked at the mouth of an alley. It was draped in curtains, obscuring the identity of those inside.

"Your Highness, get in quickly!" Just as Zhao Ji was about to walk past, the carriage door opened, and a man leaped out to address him.

"You... Cai You?" Zhao Ji recognized him. Wasn't this Cai You, the eldest son of the Secretariat Drafter Cai Jing, who held the post of Supervisor at the Bureau of Textiles thanks to his family's prestige?

Cai You’s route to the Bureau of Textiles naturally crossed the path of officials heading to and from court. He would "accidentally" encounter Zhao Ji, dismount, smooth his robes, and stand in respectful attendance. Eventually, these "accidental" meetings became routine. Cai You was unfailingly respectful, rain or shine, waiting for Zhao Ji like a devoted wife awaiting her husband’s return.

Over time, Zhao Ji had become familiar with him and developed a favorable impression, which was why he recognized him instantly. More importantly, although Cai Jing had not yet reached the rank of Chancellor, he was a high-ranking official, and the Cai family was an illustrious clan. With relatives like Cai Que and Cai Bian holding high office, Zhao Ji treated Cai You with appropriate courtesy.

"Your Highness, this is no place to talk. Please, get in the carriage and leave this area. Once we are inside, I shall explain the details," Cai You said decisively. Knowing what Zhao Ji wanted to ask, he hurried to help him into the carriage.

Zhao Ji nodded. He had barely settled into his seat when footsteps echoed from the alley entrance. Another figure came running up.

"Your Highness! Wait for me! I’m back!" Zhao Ji leaned out of the carriage window and saw his servant, Gao Er, panting as he ran toward them.

Gao Er’s clothes were shredded into strips, he was covered in bruises, his face was swollen, and he had lost one of his boots in the rush, completely unaware.

Zhao Ji was overjoyed to see him. Ignoring his disheveled state, he asked urgently, "Where is Sanlang? Do you have news of him?"

"Answering Your Highness," Gao Er wheezed, "Sanlang... he... he has been taken away by the Inspection Bureau."

Zhao Ji fell into a long silence before saying, "Let’s go."

The coachman cracked his whip, and the carriage sped toward the Prince Duan Mansion.

"Your Highness, who is this Sanlang?" Cai You asked from inside the carriage.

"A guest in my household, Li Sanjian from Lingnan," Zhao Ji replied.

Li Sanjian? Cai You was secretly startled. He wondered if his ears were playing tricks on him. Wasn't this the same Li Sanjian who had caused a scene at the Cai family gates? How could he be a guest of Prince Duan? And judging by the Prince’s concern, he seemed to hold this man in high regard. What was going on? Cai You was deeply puzzled.

When Li Sanjian’s mother had come to propose a marriage that was rejected, and the family had been humiliated by the Cai household, Cai You had felt a sense of relief upon hearing that Li Sanjian had failed the imperial examinations. How could such a failure aspire to the Cai family’s gates?

Now, learning that Li Sanjian was a guest of Prince Duan, Cai You’s thoughts shifted. This man was not as simple as he seemed.

***

Chai Shixing was a descendant of the Chai clan.

When Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, seized the throne from the orphan-emperor of the Chai family during the Chenqiao Mutiny, he felt a twinge of guilt—or perhaps, more importantly, he wished to project the image of a benevolent ruler. Thus, he treated the Chai descendants with great generosity.

Chai Shixing had benefited from this ancestral grace, securing the position of Chief Inspector of the Eastern Route of the Kaifeng Prefecture Inspection Bureau.

The Inspection Bureau was responsible for catching thieves and suppressing bandits, handling everything from street brawls to major crimes. Larger cases were sent to the Prefecture, while minor ones were usually settled with fines or floggings according to Song law.

Kaifeng was the capital, right under the Emperor’s feet. It was the hardest place to be an official; a single misstep could lead to crossing the path of imperial relatives or powerful nobles. If handled poorly, one might lose their post or even be exiled. The position of Prefect of Kaifeng was notoriously volatile and subject to frequent turnover.

The same applied to the Chief Inspector. Chai Shixing was exceedingly cautious. He pushed major cases upward and took bribes to release people involved in petty squabbles. He strove to offend no one—who knew what powerful figures might be backing a seemingly lowly thief?

"Caution catches the cicada of a thousand autumns; care steers the boat for ten thousand years." Avoiding trouble was the lesson Chai Shixing had learned over his years in office.

But this morning, despite having been in high spirits after a pleasant night with his concubine, Chai Shixing was plagued by a headache. A brawl from the previous night had left him at a total loss. It was the case of Li Sanjian—a man who had beaten a government official over a dispute in a house of pleasure.

Li Sanjian had been delivered to the Bureau by the Censorate’s own Censor Wu, who had ordered Chai Shixing to interrogate him strictly. In theory, Chai should have complied, forcing a confession out of Li Sanjian.

But within half a day, the Prince Duan Mansion had sent a calling card, stating that Li Sanjian was their guest and must be treated well, demanding his release if no major crime had been committed. Simultaneously, Li Gefei, a Department Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, had also sent a card, asking the Bureau to release the man, arguing that it was merely a romantic dispute and there was no need to harass a poor, failed scholar.

Chai Shixing was caught in the middle. Releasing him would offend Censor Wu, potentially leading to an impeachment. Keeping him would offend Prince Duan and the Ministry of Rites. He could afford to offend neither.

He paced his office, tea kettle in hand, feeling like a donkey turning a millstone—utterly restless.

"Master Chai!" A trusted subordinate scurried in, almost running. "Master, someone has arrived from the palace!"

"The palace?" Chai Shixing jumped up, spilling tea all over himself, oblivious. "Someone from the palace? For what reason?"

"Master, they say it is regarding the Li Sanjian case."

"Li Sanjian?" Chai Shixing was stunned. Just who was this person that he could stir the palace? Good heavens, being an official in Kaifeng was impossible; even a tiny matter like this reached the palace? He could lose his head over this!

He didn't know if the palace visitor was here to order a release or to drag the prisoner off to the secret imperial prison. He didn't have time to think. "Quick! Bring them to the inner hall!"

***

"Chief Inspector Chai Shixing of the Inspection Bureau pays his respects to Official Liang. May you be blessed with peace and prosperity." Inside the inner hall, Chai Shixing bowed respectfully to Liang Shicheng, the palace envoy.

"Forget the formalities," Liang Shicheng said, waving his hand. "I don't visit without a reason. Let’s be blunt. I heard your men arrested a man named Li Sanjian yesterday. Is that true?"

"Yes, Official," Chai Shixing replied deferentially. "That is indeed the case."

"What did he do?"

"My men say he was involved in a dispute and struck a government official."

Liang Shicheng curled his lip in disdain. "Is that all? Is it worth such a grand mobilization? Hmph, making a mountain out of a molehill. The boy is only eighteen, isn't he? Does a youth getting into a fight require the attention of the Inspection Bureau? You must be bored to tears if you have nothing better to do."

"Official, what do you mean?" Chai Shixing asked cautiously. "It was Censor Wu from the Censorate who ordered me to interrogate him strictly, so I..."

"Don't try to scare me with the Censorate," Liang Shicheng said with a cold laugh. He pointed upward toward the roof beams. "Censor Wu? Can Censor Wu be greater than the Heavens?"

"Does that mean...?" Cold sweat broke out on Chai Shixing’s forehead. He asked, stuttering, "Has this reached the Emperor?"

"Release him. Release him immediately. I will personally take him away," Liang Shicheng said sternly.

"Yes, yes! Please wait a moment, Official, I shall arrange it at once!"

Censor Wu was a high official, but compared to the palace, he was nothing. Chai Shixing dared not hold the prisoner a second longer. Not only would he release him, he would treat him like a sacred Buddha and pray to the heavens that Li Sanjian would never return to his bureau again.