CH 80

The footsteps got closer, and stopped at the entrance of the stairs.

Du Jiu turned to look, Master Count was standing there quietly. There was no revulsion on his face, and no disgust either. It was a very complicated expression in his eyes that Du Jiu was unable to discern. Du Jiu had been with his Master since young but he had never seen such strange expression.

Ban Hua did not notice Rong Xia’s arrival or perhaps her attention was not currently on him. Her voice was as cold as ice when she asked the assassin who was crying in pain, “The one who ordered you, how did he look?”

The assassin shook his head, “That person looks ordinary, the clothing was also ordinary. I..…. I really can’t say.”

“Can’t say?” Ban Hua pulled a guard’s knife, pointed at the assassin’s lower body, “If you can’t say, I’ll let you sent to the Imperial Tomb as a criminal slave.”

Criminal slave did not only have their faces marked, but also their function as a man removed. The assassin trembled in fear and repeatedly begged in mercy, he screamed in terror when the tip of the sharp blade broke into the leg of his trousers.

“Your gut was big when harming people, how come you are this scared now?” Ban Hua laughed coldly, the blade advanced a few inches, “You don’t fear death, but afraid of losing a few liangs of flesh?”

Du Jiu had the urged to kneel down to Ban Hua. This great aunt was able to use a man’s two liangs of flesh to intimidate without any embarrassment on her face, while he as a man was already quite embarrassed. Seeing his master approaching from behind, Du Jiu whispered, “Master, Junzhu is just upset……”

Ban Hua was not his ideal choice for the Countess, but to see her, a woman, tossed everything out in order to protect her family, he was in awe.

Not many men dared to like valiant women such as this one, but admiring such a person was admiring the person’s character, nothing to do with gender.

Rong Xia didn’t respond, he stepped up to Ban Hua, took hold of her wrist that was holding the knife, “Hua Hua, don’t rush, give it to me.”

Ban Hua looked at him, “How come you are here?”

“Yamen people found the building’s shopkeeper and attendant, they have been sent to medical clinic.” Rong Xia took over the knife on Ban Hua’s hand and handed it to the guard besides him, “Prepare paper and brush.”

Ban family guard glanced at her, lowered his head and ran down the stairs. He soon returned with paper and brush.

Rong Xia spread the paper on the table, dipped the brush into the not-very-well-ground ink. He turned to whisper to Ban Hua, “Don’t dirty your eyes for this kind of people.”

Ban Hua pursed her lips without speaking.

Rong Xia smiled and straightened his robe, it was as if he had been standing in a study thick with scent of ink instead of a place with assassins on the floor.

“How tall is that person?”

“What kind of hair style, what kind of hair pin?”

“What clothing he wore, what colour, and what material?”

One question after another, and Rong Xia kept scribbling with Ban Hua sitting on his side. The picture of a middle-age man appeared on the paper.

“Is it this man?” Rong Xia put the brush down. When the ink dried, he held up the paper in front of the assassin.

The assassin’s eyes widened in shock, how come it was so similar?

Had he met that man before?

The assassin’s reaction had answered Rong Xia’s question, he handed the paper to Ban Hua, “Do you know this person?”

Ban Hua shook her head, “Don’t know.”

“It is fine if you don’t know. I’ll give it to Dalisi so their painters could make a few copies, they should be able to find the person.”

Ban Hua did not speak.

Rong Xia reached out to grab her wrist through a piece of cloth, “Don’t worry, we can figure out everything together.”

Ban Hua’s eyelids slightly trembled, she raised her head to look at him. After some time she bit her lips, “Thank you.”

At that moment she looked like a young child whose candies were robbed away, aggrieved and helpless, waiting for someone to come and take her hand, to tell her not to be afraid because there was still plenty of candies for her that she could never finish.

Ban Hua tugged on Rong Xia’s sleeve, her heart gradually calmed down. Taking a look at the room she had wrecked, she told the guards, “Tell the shop owner to calculate the damage, then pay them double.”

“Yes.”

Du Jiu looked at the assassin lying on his feet, not sure if he was dead or alive. He said in a lowered voice, “Junzhu, Master, Dalisi Vice Director Liu Qingfeng asks to meet.”

T/N – (Refresher) Liu Qingfeng = Liu Banshan from a few chapters ago. Banshan is the courtesy name.

Rong Xia saw Ban Hua did not reject, he nodded, “Let him in.”

Swish.

Ban Hua pulled a sword of it’s sheath, she slashed down on the assassin who was still begging for mercy.

“Aw!” The assassin wailed loudly as he rolled on the ground holding his thigh, the ground was smeared with bright red blood stains.

Ban Hua had severed his leg muscle.

Du Jiu’s eyes lit up, Fule Junzhu’s strike was practised.

“Before we go back, remember to add more money for the floor.” Ban Hua gave the sword to a guard, “We Ban family never let innocent people suffer losses, but neither do we spare anyone who grieves us.”

—

“Daren.” The yamen official saw the man lying at the other corner of the stair, he pulled out his blade and told Liu Banshan “Please be careful.”

“No problem, this one has fainted, have someone take him out.” Liu Banshan glanced at the man on the floor and walked straight upstair. His face was unmoved, even at the sounds of screams, his steps only halted a little.

The yamen official was awestruck, as expected of the Vice Director of Dalisi, having seen all kinds of distressing crimes, heard all kinds of wretched screams, little things like this would not stir him.

The group reached the top of the stairs. They saw the completely wrecked room and a man rolling and wailing on the floor, they were blown away, was this the works of Ban family guards?

“Xiaguan meets Fule Junzhu, Count Cheng’an.” Liu Banshan straightened his robe, walked up to Ban Hua and Rong Xia to salute.

Ban Hua saw his feet, he was standing on blood but didn’t evade even half a step and his face remained respectful. She eased up lightly, “Liu-daren, no need to be too courteous.”

Ban family guard gave Liu Banshan the rundown of what happened.

“These assassins….” Liu Banshan’s impassive face finally showed some cracks.

“I did it.” Ban Hua said blandly, “They resisted fiercely and tried to escape, I could only do that.”

Liu Banshan stole a glance at Rong Xia from the corner of his eyes, but Rong Xia was sitting calmly next to her. Liu Banshan bowed, “Many thanks Junzhu helping us catching the perpetrators, otherwise it wouldn’t be easy to investigate.”

“If this was someone else I would need to say a few more words, but since this is Liu-daren, I will be direct.” Ban Hua handed the picture to Liu Banshan, “I hope Dalisi can help arresting this person as soon as possible.”

Liu Banshan saw the picture was very lifelike, he abruptly turned to Rong Xia.

Rong Xia looked up, there was a slight chill in his pair of peach blossom eyes. “Does Liu-daren have more questions? This person speaks in Capital accent, someone must know him. Liu-daren’s first priority now is arresting him, what do you say?”

“Yes!” Liu Banshan gave Rong Xia a deep salute, “Xiaguan will send people to do it now.”

This sort of case should have been with Yamen, but due to Duke Jingting’s status, plus him being a royal relative, it naturally fell to Dalisi.

On his signal, the guards following him started to drag the assassins outside. The wailing one had a piece of cloth stuffed into the mouth first.

The waiting crowd outside the building saw every assassin was brought out in a miserable condition, everyone’s mind conjured up a big fight scene between the officials and the assassins and they started to busily exchange their opinions.

Rong Xia and Ban Hua came out in the end, the audience was startled in amazement.

With a pair of handsome man and a beautiful woman around, everyone else had turned into ‘crooked melons and cracked dates’.

Someone knew this was an engaged couple and everyone sighed at once. Right, it would be an injustice if such a matching pair was not together.

Commoners in the Capital were simple and straightforward people.

—

Ban Hua saw her younger brother with her father, he must have rushed over at the news.

“Sis,” Ban Heng approached her, “Are you alright?”

“What can happen to me. You and Father go back to the residence first, I still have something to do.” Ban Hua’s face was still unhappy, “Increase the security at the residence. Before this is investigated clearly, you and Father should go out less.”

“I……”

“This is not a choice. Either I break your legs and leave you in bed, or you obediently stay at home.” Ban Hua’s sunk face made Ban Heng felt the awe as if it had been his mother he was facing, things he was about to say were swallowed back.

“Then where are you going to?” Ban Heng was afraid that Ban Hua would go make trouble at Yamen or Dalisi, it would be a good show.

“We have been wronged, so of course we are going to the Palace to find the Emperor.” Ban Hua whispered, “Father is very shocked, he is sick.”

Ban Heng turned to see the father who was not showing any sign of being much shocked, he nodded, “Sis, don’t worry. I’ll take Father home.”

After seeing her father and brother off, Ban Hua got on her horse. She saw Rong Xia was still in the same place. “You better be careful too. I don’t know if they are targeting my father or Ban family. As you are engaged to me, I am worried you will be dragged into this.”

“I am not afraid of being implicated.” Rong Xia approached her horse, “Be careful in the Palace.”

“En.” Ban Hua nodded, gave the horse a pat and it galloped away.

Rong Xia stood motionless, silently watched her leaving figure.

“Master?”

“Go to the Dalisi.” Rong Xia’s voice was quite chill, “This matter has to be investigated thoroughly.”

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—

Dalisi was busy everyday, but today it was particularly busier. The investigators combed through the list of parties who Ban family had grudges with, they found it was not a short list, ranging from the Second Prince of high status to the hoodlums harassing women on the street at the lowest.

Ban family loved provoking people for fun, the long list made them wonder how all these years the Bans had not been cleaned up by others, either their backing was strong or their luck was good.

“Liu-daren, Count Cheng’an asks to meet.”

“Invite him in quickly.” Liu Banshan could guess the reason of Rong Xia’s visit. He put down the brush, stopping halfway from copying a picture.

A few moments later, a slightly cold-faced Rong Xia walked in.