Rebuilding the mansion was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly, but if it made Ji Bozhai happy, Da Si considered it worthwhile. Moreover, Ji Bozhai was someone who knew how to repay kindness and immediately became indignant on his behalf: "This minister will go demand an explanation from Bo Yuankui tomorrow. However, the weak security in the Minister Superior's palace is also deserving of punishment."
Da Si nodded. "Your words are reasonable, my dear minister. But the patrol captain of the inner courtyard, Meng Xin, has some imperial connections, making it difficult for me to dismiss him lightly..."
What imperial connections? He was merely an arrogant distant relative of the former Empress.
Ji Bozhai picked up where he left off: "Star Yearn City is in a period of revival. If we punish the subordinates but not the superiors, it will inevitably unsettle the people. The Minister Superior need only handle this according to protocol. If he dares complain, this minister will personally intervene on your behalf."
Da Si loved this attitude of his—a reckless warrior charging into battle for him, inspiring both reassurance and confidence.
So he smiled and said, "Good."
In his eyes, Meng Xin was just an insignificant figure. Handing him over to Ji Bozhai was no big deal. What he didn’t know was that as soon as he returned to the inner courtyard, Ji Bozhai had Meng Xin tied up and dragged into the half-burned Cyan Tile Courtyard.
The dignified patrol captain of the inner courtyard, barely dressed, was thrown onto the dusty bluestone floor and immediately began cursing: "Which blind bastard dares tie up your grandfather? Do you even know who I am?"
Granny Xun struck his head with her cane. "Who else could you be? A filthy wretch!"
Meng Xin winced in pain and turned to look at her, finding her familiar but unable to recall where he’d seen her. Just as he tried to retaliate, a surge of Essence Power knocked him back to the ground, his limbs bound and immobile.
"Lord Meng is truly impressive, strutting through the inner courtyard palaces as if they were his own, harming his master without batting an eye," Buxiu said emotionlessly, carrying a tray as he walked over and sat beside him.
"Who the hell are you?" Meng Xin panicked as he saw the knife in Buxiu’s hand. "We’ve never had any grudges—what’s the meaning of this?"
"Your memory is lacking, my lord," Granny Xun shook her head and struck him hard with her cane again. "Buxiu, go ahead. Help him remember."
Buxiu nodded, pulled down Meng Xin’s pants, and pressed the sharp blade against his manhood.
Sweat poured down Meng Xin’s forehead as realization struck. "I remember now, I remember! It was my fault, I wronged her!"
"Good that you remember," Buxiu smiled, then raised the knife and brought it down.
...
The white cloth covering the ancestral tablet fluttered slightly in the wind. Ji Bozhai stood in the room, glanced at it, and gently smoothed it back into place.
Outside, it was already late spring, bordering on summer. The brilliant sunlight streamed through the latticed windows, making him squint slightly.
Another summer had arrived. It had been years since he last saw that person twirling in her sheer silver gauze dress, asking him whether she or the lotus flowers in the pond were more enchanting.
Flower Full Tower was filled with countless gauze-clad girls, flitting between wealthy patrons with coy laughter.
Someone had paid a high price to gather ten girls in one private room to serve a single patient.
The madam, hearing the sum, eagerly assured, "No matter what kind of patient he is, my girls will make sure he rises to the occasion."
When the patient was carried in, his face was deathly pale, unconscious. The men carrying him stood solemnly at the entrance and announced, "This is Lord Meng Xin, patrol captain of the inner courtyard. Tonight, if any of you can revive him, the Meng household will reward each of you with five thousand Shell Coins. However, we ask for your discretion—do not speak of our lord’s condition to outsiders."Upstairs, many dignitaries burst into laughter upon hearing the name. Meng Xin had always been a libertine—how had he fallen to such a state?
The girls were thrilled and immediately ushered him into a private room.
However, it wasn’t long before complaints erupted from inside, followed by the madam’s curses: “How is this supposed to revive? Not even the heavens could fix this! What rotten luck!”
“Madam, the payment is too generous. Should we call more sisters to try?”
“Fine, let’s try! I’ll even have Peony take a look!”
The madam thought it over—if they couldn’t earn the big reward, at least they could collect the smaller fees. After all, the client had promised a thousand Shell Coins for every girl who came to take a look.
She immediately put on a flattering smile and went around borrowing girls from other rooms, just for a short while, in exchange for waiving their table’s drinks bill.
Thus, in less than half an hour, every girl in Flower Full Tower knew: Meng Xin was impotent, beyond cure.
So when his body was found in the backyard well the next day, none of the girls were surprised. By the time Minister Superior Da Si issued the dismissal order, the situation had collapsed like a tree with its monkeys scattering. No one cared about the Meng family’s demands anymore, and the girls spoke freely: “Lord Meng took his own life because he truly couldn’t recover.”
This explanation quickly spread among the nobility. When Minister Superior inquired, Adjudicator Zhao Si Pan casually confirmed: “He took his own life.”
Da Si nodded indifferently, then glanced at him. “You’re about to retire to your hometown. I’ll truly miss you.”
“This old servant is too advanced in years to continue serving Minister Superior. Fortunately, young Situ Ling is exceptionally bright despite his youth. Minister Superior can rely on him.”
Standing behind, Situ Ling had already donned the Adjudicator’s official robes, his features sharp and handsome, lips red and teeth white.
Da Si smiled approvingly. “I’ve seen his competence—he’s dependable.”
After all, he was the strategist meant to keep Ji Bozhai in check.
With his duty fulfilled, Zhao Si Pan retired gracefully, leisurely leaving the city with his wife for the countryside.
Situ Ling stood atop the city wall, watching the carriage disappear, slightly puzzled. “Ji Bozhai actually let him go? He was one of those who impeached the former Empress.”
Even someone like Meng Xin, who occasionally slighted the former Empress, hadn’t been spared. Why let Zhao Si Pan off?
Fu Yue shook his head, equally baffled. “That man’s thoughts are always strange.”
“I wanted to predict the next victim, but I guessed wrong.” Situ Ling turned away, perplexed. “How can there be someone in this world I can’t figure out?”
Fu Yue looked ahead. “My lord, even you aren’t truly omniscient.”
“Hmph, before meeting him, my calculations were flawless.” Situ Ling lifted his chin. “Care to make another bet? Will Ji Bozhai come to my residence of his own accord?”
“He’s too proud. Even if he regrets it, he’d only send someone to fetch Ming Guniang—he wouldn’t come himself.”
Situ Ling grinned again, hopping onto the carriage and shaking his head. “Ah, you—you understand Ji Bozhai so well, yet you haven’t paid enough attention to the one in our residence.”
Fu Yue didn’t understand but didn’t press further.
As the carriage passed the end of Erjiu Street, workers were already clearing the ruins to rebuild the estate.
Ji Bozhai rubbed his temples, staring at the reconstruction blueprints. “Can’t you handle these trivial matters yourselves?”
“My lord, your estate’s layout was already leaked once—we can’t risk it happening again.” Buxiu said sternly. “You must review it personally and burn it afterward. That’s the safest way.”Thinking of this, Ji Bozhai still felt irritated: "Troubling me is worse than killing her. Who else would have the audacity to betray me besides her?"
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