Running towards the Drum Tower, her feet hurried, sweat soaking her body. Bailiff Bai lived in Shajing Hutong, and his home was a two-courtyard siheyuan just around the corner. Dingyi knocked on the door, and after a long while, she heard coughing and spitting inside. Soon, someone came to open the door. Bailiff Bai looked up and exclaimed, "Oh, Xiaoshu! Come to visit us?"
Bailiff Bai was a man of merit, not overly bureaucratic, easy to talk to, and righteous. She burst into tears as soon as she entered, "Bailiff, please save my shixiong."
After recounting the whole story, Bailiff Bai frowned deeply. "How could they do such a thing? Working for the yamen yet stealing dogs outside—and of all people, the Seventh Prince’s! What can I even say? The magistrate mustn’t find out, or you’ll lose your jobs." Stroking his beard, he continued, "I do have some connections at Prince Xian's Residence, but servants are still servants. You’ve seen the Seventh Prince’s temper—he’d kill at the drop of a hat. You’ve harmed his dog—won’t he chop you up for soup? This is tricky; I’ll need to think carefully..." He gestured inside, "Come, come in and talk."
Bailiff Bai’s wife was also very polite. Seeing her, she greeted, "Xiaoshu’s here?" and called a maid to cut some melon for her.
Her heart was burning with anxiety. She stood up and bowed slightly, "Thank you, but how could I eat now? My shixiong has been caught."
Madam Bai fanned herself with a round fan and said, "Xiazhi has always been reckless. Today’s trouble isn’t entirely unexpected. Trying to find a way out now will be difficult. The Seventh Prince’s beloved dog—its ears clipped, tail chopped—it’s not a pet anymore, it’s a badger dog. How could he possibly accept that?"
Bailiff Bai nodded. "Exactly. The Seventh Prince isn’t easy to deal with. If you go to beg him, offering money—you don’t have any. If he demands you replace his dog, would you do it? No matter what we try outside, it’ll still come down to him in the end. Without his direct order, who would dare release anyone?" After a moment of thought, he asked, "Last time you escaped danger, it was the Twelfth Prince who saved you, wasn’t it? That means there’s some connection. Why not go beg him again? Prince Chun is a kind man. If he’s willing to help, the matter will be halfway resolved."
Dingyi recalled that impassive face and had never imagined she’d have to interact with him again. For some reason, she was terrified. Wringing her hands, she said, "I already owe him from last time. Going to beg again feels like I’m taking advantage of him."
"Don’t you want to save your shixiong’s life? The Seventh Prince is capable of anything. If you’re late, you’ll be preparing a coffin. Forget about pride now—what’s pride worth? Getting him out is what matters."
"What about the gate fee? How much is appropriate?" Dingyi asked miserably. "Without a gate fee, they won’t even let you in. Isn’t that how princely residences are?"
Bailiff Bai said, "That’s not a concern. The Twelfth Prince runs a strict household. The eunuchs have been reprimanded—whoever dares take a gate fee will be kicked out. While it’s still early, hurry over. Look for someone named Guan Zhaojing there—he’s the estate steward. Mention me, and he won’t give you trouble. Ask him to pass on your message and try to see the Prince first. I’ll go scout around Prince Xian's Residence and see if I can gather any news. If Xiazhi is lucky, he’ll only suffer some bruises—nothing serious."Dingyi quickly agreed, "I'll trouble you then. Once my senior brother is out, I'll have him thank you properly."
Bai the clerk shook his head, "That's for later. Since we cross paths often and you came to me, I couldn't possibly refuse to help when someone's in danger."
The two headed out in the same direction. The Seventh Prince's residence was on Deshengmen Inner Street, while Prince Chun's mansion was along the northern shore of Houhai—not too far apart. When they reached the area near Di'anmen, they went separate ways. Dingyi continued alone north along Shichahai, her heart pounding with every step. She wasn't sure if she'd even get to see Prince Chun by showing up unannounced. What if he retired early and was already asleep by the time she arrived? What would she do then? And what about Xiazhi—how would he make it through the night? Well, with disaster looming, she had to try everything, even if it meant grasping at straws! The hardest part would be explaining the dog theft—asking a prince to plead for a thief. She might get thrown out before she could even finish speaking.
It was humiliating, but she had no other choice. Up ahead, the grand mansion loomed not far away, its eaves adorned with large red lanterns and its steps flanked by two massive stone lions. The main gate of a prince's residence was usually kept closed, only opened for weddings or funerals. Normally, people entered and exited through the side gates, so the six vermilion-lacquered doors with their nine vertical and seven horizontal rows of brass studs appeared especially imposing and solemn.
She hesitated. Showing up empty-handed when asking for a favor—shouldn't she at least bring a box of pastries or something? Then again, this was a prince—what hadn't he seen before? Bringing food might be even more embarrassing than coming with nothing. Steeling herself, she approached. Fortunately, the side gate was still open, and inside, she could see people moving about—the household hadn't yet settled for the night. She breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a gatekeeper emerged and eyed her up and down before barking, "Hey! What are you creeping around for? This isn't a place for gawking!"
Dingyi forced a smile. "Excuse me, I'm here to see someone. Bai the clerk from Shuntian Prefecture sent me. I'm looking for Chief Steward Guan Zhaojing."
Hearing she had a referral, the gatekeeper's expression softened slightly, but he still looked down on her, muttering, "What's with the girly air about you... Wait here. I'll send word inside, but if he's busy, he won't come."
Dingyi had to bow and thank him. She was used to such cold treatment, though it still stung sometimes. But when you lived under others' roofs, that was just the way things were for common folk. Without powerful backing, and without even a fraction of wealth to your name, who would take you seriously? As for her, what made people look down on her even more than poverty was her appearance. She was supposed to be a man, but her slender arms and legs made her seem unconvincing. If people thought she was a woman, her flat chest—whether viewed straight on or from the side—ruined that illusion too. So the conclusion was always the same: neither man nor woman, just some freak. Sometimes she secretly cursed them for being blind. Once she saved enough money to leave Beijing, if her brothers were still alive, she'd find them, change into women's clothes, and never pretend to be a man again.
As she waited and brooded, she suddenly heard footsteps. She started to step forward but then thought better of it and stayed where she was.
From the eastern side gate emerged a man dressed as a eunuch, wearing a blue silk robe with upturned horse-hoof cuffs. Bowing slightly, he guided someone behind him, saying, "...The princess sent someone this morning to ask whether His Majesty had approved our prince's request to go to Ningguta. I understand Her Highness's concern—she was worried the Thirteenth Master would have no one by his side in Chahar. But when she learned that Master Lou would still be accompanying him, she finally set her mind at ease."The lantern light illuminated the face of the man behind—a strikingly young and handsome countenance, his lips curling into a faint smile. He didn’t respond to the other’s words, only saying, “I’ve already reported back to the Prince. The Leopard Tail Squad will resubmit the roster. Whether to keep or dismiss them will be entirely up to the Prince’s discretion.”
The eunuch hastily assented, adjusting the mounting block for him. Once the man was on horseback, the eunuch clasped his hands and kowtowed, “Farewell, Master Lou.”
Master Lou rode off with his guards, the sound of hooves fading into the distance along the street. Dingyi was still mulling over their earlier conversation. Prince Chun was heading to Ningguta via Shengjing, and Changbai Mountain was the only route to Ningguta… Her mind buzzed as if she had been trudging a long journey and suddenly spotted a ride—the sheer delight was beyond words. If she could cozy up and blend into the entourage, at least the thousands of miles ahead would have some support. But for now, saving Xiazhi was the priority. That troublemaker had been dragged into the Seventh Prince’s residence and might already have lost a few layers of skin by now.
“Hey, snap out of it. This is the one you’re looking for,” the gatekeeper called to her, pointing at the eunuch who had seen off Master Lou. “This is the chief steward.”
The Prince’s residence operated much like the imperial palace, with separate management for the inner and outer courtyards. The outer courtyard was overseen by the Prince’s officials—even the lowest-ranking among them held a fifth or sixth rank. The inner courtyard, however, was the domain of the chief eunuch, who commanded a hierarchy of attendants, messengers, and even minor functionaries, each with their own duties. The eunuchs who attended to daily life, many having served since childhood, were closer to the Prince than the officials. Thus, the chief eunuch effectively managed all affairs of the residence, second only to the Prince himself.
Such a man could certainly be reasoned with. Dingyi hurried forward and kowtowed, “Greetings, Chief Steward.”
Eunuch Guan, in his thirties, had a broad forehead and a bulbous nose, exuding shrewdness and slickness. He knew how to flatter his superiors and command respect from his subordinates. Glancing at her, he asked, “Did Master Bai send you to find me? What’s the matter?”
Though the words were hard to utter, she clenched her teeth and spoke. She bowed again, “Chief Steward… there is indeed a matter. I’ve come today to request an audience with the Prince. I beg your leniency to relay my plea… It’s a matter of life and death. If you’d be so kind, I’d remember your goodness and erect a spirit tablet in your honor, offering incense three times a day…”
Guan Zhaojing was baffled by her words and raised a hand to stop her. “Wait… wait. Seeing the Prince isn’t so simple. Who are you? What’s your business? There must be a proper explanation. You can’t just waltz in and demand an audience—where’s the protocol? If I let you in, I’m responsible for ensuring you’re not an assassin.”
She had been too frantic to remember. Quickly, she explained, “This humble one is Mu Xiaoshu, employed at the Shuntian Prefecture. Wu Changgeng of the penal department is my master. I once crossed paths with the Prince at the execution grounds, where I offended the Seventh Lord. It was the Twelfth Master who pleaded for me and spared my life.”
Guan Zhaojing nodded. “Ah, I’ve heard of that. So today you’ve come to express gratitude?”
She hesitated. “Gratitude is one reason… but there’s another. My senior brother… offended the Seventh Lord’s dog and fell into the Seventh Prince’s hands. With nowhere else to turn, I’ve come to beg the Twelfth Master for mercy.”As the saying goes, once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern. Saving someone once leads to them seeking you out again—what kind of logic is that! Guan Zhaojing patted the back of his neck and said, "Whether the Prince nods or not is hard to say, but for my part, I’ll consider the master’s face if not the monk’s. After all, it was Master Bai who sent you here, and I owe him that much. Here’s what we’ll do: you wait at the second gate. The Prince just finished his meal and is feeding the fish in the West Garden. I’ll go in and announce you. Whether he’s willing to see you or not will depend on your luck."
No matter what, it was still an opportunity. She remained quite optimistic and said with a smile, "The Prince is a good man. He’ll surely see me."
Guan Zhaojing tilted his head and went inside, while Dingyi waited patiently outside the threshold. As time passed with no sign of him returning, her spirits gradually sank. Leaning against the wall, she sighed and looked up at the moon, which seemed dim and lackluster. She thought to herself that her rudeness must have surely deterred the Prince from acknowledging her.
Just as she was lamenting, a young eunuch suddenly came running over and waved at her from a distance. "Don’t just stand there gawking—the Prince says you may enter!"
Dingyi’s mood lifted instantly. She quickly responded with an eager "Aye!" and stepped into the magnificently carved and painted halls of Prince Chun’s residence.
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