CH 18

Chapter 18: Send Him To My Bedchamber. I’ll Interrogate Him Myself.

Qi Ci stared at the letter with intensity, as if he was trying to see through the paper.

‘Who’s this person? Why did he ask me to go to the West courtyard? What’s his purpose? What does he mean by not implicating others….?’

Others….

‘Is he referring to Bian Zhonghua?’

‘Could it be that the person who wrote the letter was, in fact, Xu Run? Has he already found out that I’m in the residence?!’

‘But, why Youshi hour?’

Qi Ci raised his eyes to look at the darkening sky, with his mouth involuntarily tensed into a tight line.

In just a few moments, it’ll be Youshi hour!

Qi Ci sat restless for a while, until his head began to ache a bit. When he looked at the words ‘implicate others’, his hands clenched into fists that were shaking faintly.

When the moon positioned on top of the willow, Qi Ci suddenly took a deep breath and smashed his fist on the table. Then he put away the letter, picked up a dagger, and hid it in his body. Finally, he walked out of the accounting room and walked towards the East wall at the West courtyard.

…

It was getting dark, but because the Prince’s residence was in a hurry to finish work, the long-term working carpenters were still working hard. When Qi Ci walked out of the accounting room, he was greeted by a few familiar craftsmen along the way.

Qi Ci greeted them back vaguely and kept walking non-stop towards the West courtyard. The further he went towards the West courtyard, the fewer people there were. When he saw through a small courtyard that the West courtyard was close, he realized that no one was around.

Qi Ci’s steps slowed down, as a burst of uneasiness surged into his heart.

It was too sudden, too quiet, too desolate.

As soon as the cool breeze blew in the evening, Qi Ci calmed down a bit. He was determined to not risk his own life, so he decided to let that person in suspense. Qi Ci didn’t believe that he wouldn’t be able to force that person to make a mistake.

Qi Ci took a deep breath and turned around with the intention of going back. Unexpectedly, when he turned his head, he froze in place.

Qi Ci didn’t know when he arrived, but there was a Secret Servant standing behind him. That Secret Servant was dressed in black clothes, especially designed for the night, and he had a long sword, as tall as a person, behind his back. His hands were around his chest, and as he looked at Qi Ci cautiously, he said with a low tone of voice: “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

It was clear that this wasn’t the Western courtyard, so why would a Secret Servant be here, blocking his way?

Qi Ci felt as if all his blood was flowing to his head. After forcing himself to calm down, he smiled gently and said: “Mister, I’m the accountant of the Prince’s residence. I came out looking for someone but it seems that I took the wrong path. I’ll leave right away.”

“Leave?” The Secret Servant, whose name was A1-Jia, sneered. “You think that you can just come and go as you please? Behind you, is the place where the Prince resides.”

It was quite obvious that they were separated by a courtyard! Besides, this place doesn’t forbid outsiders from entering and leaving, it was just close to the Western courtyard!

Qi Ci understood that he had been set up by someone, but he was clever enough to calm down and ask without changing the expression on his face: “Mister, is it said somewhere that outsiders can’t step in this place?”

“If I say that you can’t, then you can’t!” The Secret Servant A-Jia snorted coldly as he slowly pulled out his sword from his back with a murderous gaze. “Do you know why my sword can’t be easily withdrawn once I take it out of its scabbard?”

Right after saying that, A-Jia was really unable to take the sword out.

Because it was stuck.

The sword was too long, so he had to carry it on his back. As the Secret Servant’s hand wrapped around the sword’s hilt, he tried to pull it above his head. However, he failed to pull the sword out of its scabbard.

Secret Servant: “…..”

Qi Ci: “….”

Qi Ci: “Is it because it’s too difficult to put it back in?”

Secret Servant: “….. Ohh! How could you know that?!”

Qi Ci: “….. I can see it.”

As soon as Qi Ci said that, someone wrapped an arm around Qi Ci’s neck, pressing him down. Then, a laughing voice was heard: “Xiao-xiongdi2, forgive us for ridiculing you. My Xiongdi3 here has a little brain.”

Qi Ci turned his head, and the person who arrived just now turned out to be another Secret Servant who was also wearing black clothes. He was slightly thin and had a hand resting on his waist, showing a rebellious appearance.

“Who has a little brain? See how I’ll chop you to death!!” A-Jia roared in anger as his veins burst up when he violently struggled to pull out his sword.

However, he was still unable to do so…

The Secret Servant who just arrived, whose name was A-Yi, glanced at him with disgust: “Can’t you take your sword off your back first at least?” After saying that, he turned his head to look at Qi Ci: “Xiao-xiongdi, don’t be afraid. This isn’t a forbidden area. You can go back.”

Qi Ci thanked him. However, just when he turned around to leave, he suddenly felt a light touch on his body as his shoulder was held down again.

The Secret Servant A-Yi was playing with the dagger he took from Qi Ci’s bossom, and as he laughed, he said: “There’s nothing wrong with coming here, but Xiao-xiongdi, you’re still a suspicious man walking around the Western courtyard with a hidden dagger. Come on, come with us. Don’t panic, we won’t wrongly accuse innocent people.”

After taking a pause, the Secret Servant A-Yi revealed a cold smile: “But, I also won’t let go of anyone who has bad intentions.”

…

Qi Ci was escorted into the Western courtyard by the two Secret Servants, one on his left and the other on his right. They were also arguing back and forth along the way.

“Xiongdi, next time you want to draw a sword, wouldn’t it be best to take it off your back first?”

“I won’t!”

“Why?”

“It wouldn’t look cool!”

“Alright, alright. I get it.”

Qi Ci: “…..”

Qi Ci’s nervous mind was completely missed by the two men who were discussing with each other. After he rubbed his temples, Qi Ci found that the two men were actually leading him towards the East wall of the Western courtyard!

This was the location mentioned in the letter.

Qi Ci was immediately shocked. As a chilling sensation leapt up his back, he stopped walking and secretly clenched his fists. But, the two Secret Servants didn’t give him time to delay.

“Why are you stopping? Let’s go!” The Secret Servant A-Jia fiercely pushed Qi Ci, causing him to stagger a few steps and forcing him to walk forward.

When Qi Ci looked up, he saw a dense old acacia tree standing on the East wall. Since the moonlight couldn’t penetrate through the leaves, it casted a huge shadow on the ground. Under the shadow, stood a man.

After hearing a noise nearby, the man turned around slowly, and then approached him with a smile. Qi Ci couldn’t do anything else than to hold his breath.

As Bian Zhonghua bent his eyes and looked at the three men, he smiled: “Is this the assassin that you two just caught?”

Secret Servant A-Yi clasped his fists: “Lord Bian, we still have to find out if this person is an assassin. However, he was indeed sneaking around with a dagger in his bosom.”

“Oh?” Bian Zhonghua rubbed his chin, looked at Qi Ci, and smiled: “Sneaking around?”

“I….” Qi Ci, who was about to speak, was suddenly interrupted by Secret Servant A-Jia.

“Did I tell you that you could speak?!”

Secret Servant A-Yi said: “Lord Bian, what do you think should be done?”

Bian Zhonghua unhurriedly tied up his clothes and said lightly: “Since his whereabouts were suspicious, it’s only natural to interrogate him.”

“Then let’s escort him to the Hall of Punishment.”

Right when the two Secret Servants were about to twist Qi Ci’s arm, who didn’t have the intention to struggle and obediently let himself be restrained, Bian Zhonghua’s voice was suddenly heard: “No.”

The two Secret Servants stopped mid-way, looking at Bian Zhonghua for a moment.

Bian Zhonghua still had that indifferent appearance, but as his mouth bent slightly, and his eyes shone with laughter, he said: “Send him to my bedchamber.”

Qi Ci: “……”

The two Secret Servants: “???”

Secret Servant A-Jia thought that he had heard wrong, so he asked: “Huh? Wh-what? Lord Bian, did you just say to send this man to your bedchamber?”

Bian Zhonghua looked at Qi Ci and smiled: “Yes, I’ll interrogate him myself.”

After saying that, Bian Zhonghua leaned close to Qi Ci, pinched his chin, and gently raised it, forcing Qi Ci to look at him. Then, with a teasing tone, he said word by word: “Be prepared, I can be quite impatient. I will pry out every word from your mouth.”

Qi Ci: “….. There’s no need to pry anything. What do you want to know? I’ll tell you the whole story. What happened was that a maid-….”

Bian Zhonghua covered his ears with his hands and laughed: “I don’t want to hear it yet.”

Qi Ci: “…..”

The two Secret Servants: “…..”

The two Secret Servants were a little disturbed with their own Sect Master’s attitude.

‘You’re supposed to interrogate him! Why don’t you want to listen?!’

Bian Zhonghua made a final decision: “Send him to my bedchamber. Only then will I listen to what he wants to say.”