Chapter 60: Jade pendant

The instant that figure landed, five or six more figures followed along from within the originally-dispersed crowd. Some of the thugs refused to accept defeat, struggling to their feet, even cursing.

"Hurry up and get the hell out, stop meddling in others' business!"

"Do you know who had us come? If you heard it, you'd be scared to death!"

"You've really forgotten your place—you even dare mess with this old lady's matters!"

Jiang Changbai didn't pay them any mind at all, simply coming forward to help the proprietor up. The imperial bodyguards who'd emerged along with Jiang Changbai had knocked the ruffians down in a few moments. Even if they'd yelled more furiously, they were still merely some street thugs, and the so-called fiends had merely relied on having more people. Now, even if they were even less willing to accept defeat, they'd still have to accept it; by the time the people crowded around came to their senses, those thugs had already been trussed up and pressed against the ground.

Jiang Changbai, hardening her expression, ordered, "Take them to the Yingtian manor."

With these happenings, how could the proprietor still be unable to guess that Jiang Changbai's identity wasn't ordinary? She struggled hurriedly to her feet, repeating endless thanks. "No need," Jiang Changbai said, waving her hand, and then looked behind her. "What ought to be done was done; don't you all crowd around here."

So, the citizenry that had been gathered watching dispersed, only Song Juguang unhurriedly pacing to Jiang Changbai's side.

It wasn't that Song Juguang hadn't seen that something was happening in the shop, but she had thought that Jiang Changbai was still at her side, and it was best to avoid unnecessary trouble, and so hadn't wanted to get involved. Who could have guessed that it was actually the person she'd intended to protect who'd rush in before she could, and in a few beats, resolve the commotion. Only by the time Song Juguang had turned her head and thought to come over to Jiang Changbai's side did she realise that the two of them had long since been separated quite a distance by passersby and imperial guards. It was almost like the distance between their two hearts.

Even if, recently, they'd been practising martial arts together every night, Song Juguang still truly hadn't known that Jiang Changbai's skills were so advanced. Though the thugs from just before couldn't be said to be highly skilled, they'd had the advantage of numbers; to be able to fell them in a few beats really wasn't capable with the strength that Jiang Changbai showed ordinarily.

Having thought of this, Song Juguang tilted her head towards Jiang Changbai, and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Your skills aren't bad, are they?"

Jiang Changbai, hearing this, startled first, and then smiled at her, replying in an equally low voice, "My teacher taught me well."

The proprietor watched the two of them whisper to each other in somewhat of a daze, and couldn't help but think of what the thugs had said on first coming to her shop, and assumed the two of them were disdaining her for this thorny issue and regretted getting involved. Desolation flashed in her eyes, but she still said, "Many thanks to these valued customers for taking action to help me, but the person behind them is equally exceptional—"

Jiang Changbai hadn't been thinking of walking away to avoid the issue in the slightest, nor had she thought of all these difficulties; she couldn't pay them all mind even if she'd wanted to. Everyone in the Great Li's territory were her people, and as Emperor each day, she'd have to attend to a day's worth of the citizenry's matters. As a result, she'd rushed back without even thinking, and only once her body had relied on muscle memory to knock those ruffians down did she grow aware what she'd revealed. Just then, she'd been thinking of that, and so she'd looked somewhat hesitant. But now, hearing the proprietor's words, she unexpectedly felt that, no matter what, she had to pay this matter mind.

So what if the backer's identity were even more lofty—in the Great Li's boundaries, was there someone whose identity could be any more lofty than hers?

So, she cleared her throat. "Don't worry—even if there really is an injustice, We will act as your guarantor. Could I trouble you to speak in private?"

At first, the proprietor froze, an uninhibited shock showing in her gaze. The next moment, she was about to fall to her knees, but Jiang Changbai held her upright. "We'll talk inside."

Once they had come inside, the proprietor was no longer as shocked, having come back to herself. She stared at Jiang Changbai for a long while, and only then stammered, "Your, your majesty?"

Jiang Changbai nodded; this time, she didn't stop the proprietor from kneeling. Only after finding a chair to sit down in did Jiang Changbai say, "Where did those people come from? If they dare to run about in the capital like that, their backer must not be someone of low status, must they?"

At this moment, the proprietor's emotional state suddenly crumbled a bit, and, kneeling before Jiang Changbai, she kowtowed without pause. "Your majesty, please act as my guarantor."

Though it carried a watery tone, the proprietor still spoke the story in its entirety.

As it turned out, the proprietor's daughter was that executioner who had beheaded Lian Zhigao that day at the execution grounds. Since that day, from time to time, people would come to the shop and cause trouble. The past few days, there'd been even more people who'd gone from door to door to collect some sort of protection fee, and to speak bluntly, they'd said it was because her family had angered someone who ought not be angered. As a result, the other merchants on the street had avoided her, and just then, when those people had come to cause trouble, there wasn't a single person who'd come out to help.

Someone who ought not be angered, Jiang Changbai sneered to herself. Lian Zhigao's head had been separated from his body; naturally, he didn't have the ability to cause trouble anymore. But one didn't need to think on it to think of who had some relation with Lian Zhigao and had the courage and the might to stir havoc in the capital.

But thinking it over carefully, Jiang Changbai felt it was somewhat strange. After all, Wu Dongmu couldn't possibly be unaware that the letters had been intercepted, and during the height of the fierce waves and wind, still dare to "settle accounts" with the executioner who'd carried out the sentence; even if he detested his life, he wouldn't do so. She feared that this matter hadn't necessarily come from Wu Dongmu's hand, but it had to be connected to him in countless ways.

But at this moment, Jiang Changbai couldn't say these words to the proprietor. So, thinking it over, she said, "Those ruffians won't come again after today, so be at ease."

Though the proprietor nodded in reply, her gaze still held doubt. Jiang Changbai, seeing it, called for someone to bring paper and a brush, and, thinking it over for a moment, wrote a few lines. Finally, at its end, she stamped it with her personal seal, and only then did she pass it to the proprietor. "If, in the future, there's anyone who comes looking to give you trouble for this, take this letter and go to the Xie residence's Xie-daren, Xie Qianbing, and she'll support you."

The proprietor hurriedly reached out to take it, and then kowtowed repeatedly once more, mumbling something about thanking her majesty. But Jiang Changbai didn't have the inclination to listen any further, and without waiting for Xun Zhu to help her up, she left the shop.

Song Juguang followed after, puzzled. "This really is just a small-scale scuffle between the common people—personally writing an imperial letter because of it, isn't that a bit—"

Jiang Changbai shot her a glance. "Making a big fuss over a minor matter?"

Song Juguang had been thinking of how to make the words a bit more tactful, but unexpectedly, Jiang Changbai pointed it out herself first. Not concealing any further, she merely nodded.

Jiang Changbai laughed quietly. "It wasn't the executioner who'd wanted to execute him; doing it both explicitly and implicitly, it's not necessarily embarrassing anyone. If I hadn't run into them, then it wouldn't be a problem, but since I did, naturally I had to handle matters to the last. And, even if there weren't these twists and turns, if I were to come across some injustice, I'd naturally have to deal with it."

Song Juguang followed at about a step behind Jiang Chanbgai, still thinking of speaking, but was cut off. She heard Jiang Changbai turn her head to look at her, and ask with a smile, "Since we've met outside in such a rare occasion, should we go sit at Honghailou?"

There wasn't a reason to refuse; they walked unhurriedly along the street. It was fast approaching midday, and there were more people along the street than before. Xun Zhu and the other imperial guards had hidden themselves among the bright, chaotic passersby, and only the two of them remained. But before they could turn onto the street Honghailou was on, they caught sight of a sumptuous carriage advancing alone. There were regulations for the carriages driven by each grade and level of official in the court, and the only ones entitled to using this style now was Prince Yu's manor. Jiang Changbai couldn't help but grow a bit suspicious. From the time Prince Yu had passed away, Yang Zhuofei had used the image of reclusion and simplicity, and almost never left Prince Yu's manor. After Jiang Mingyou passed away after Prince Yu, she'd received an even greater shock, and it was said that she spent the entire day in the Buddhist shrine, fasting and praying.

The past few days, she'd heard said that Prince Yu's manor had received quite a few guests, one after another, and so Jiang Changbai had thought that there was something off. Now, running into this carriage by chance, almost without thinking, she waved her hand to summon the imperial guards hidden within the crowd. "Pick someone with an unfamiliar face to go take a look."

Though Jiang Changbai's voice was low, she barely seemed to pause her footsteps for the imperial guards. It was as if they weren't acquainted in the slightest, only strangers bumping shoulders as they passed by.

But what Jiang Changbai didn't know was that, when she and Song Juguang had entered a private room, the coachman who had just been driving Prince Yu's carriage brought another, unadorned and plain carriage, to a stop before Honghailou.

Chen Xun was sitting in the private room upstairs, drinking tea; lately, she'd been quite at ease. The inn across the street had opened, Qin Anhe's work at the Board of Astronomy was going smoothly, and Honghailou's business was growing more and more prosperous by the day. Even the branch in Luyuan, which hadn't been able to remain open because of Lian Zhigao's harsh taxes, was preparing to open once more.

But these days couldn't last forever.

There was a sudden knock on the door, and A Ling, after opening it, came back deeply worried. "Zhangguide, there's someone downstairs asking for you."

"I won't see them," Chen Xun refused simply. "Whatever dispute, you go and handle it."

Though Honghailou's business was prosperous, there wasn't anyone in the capital who'd met the proprietor before. Chen Xun was happy to maintain this sense of mystery as well, and even if there was a dispute, she preferred to send a subordinate to deal with it.

A Ling let out a sound of agreement, and went downstairs along with a male servant, but less than an incense's time later, she returned once more. "Zhangguide, the customer asked to meet you by name, and said…" A Ling was somewhat hesitant, not daring to speak.

At this moment, Chen Xun realised that the customer A Ling was speaking of was someone who wasn't to be offended, or else, with A Ling's abilities, it was unlikely that she would come back to ask her for instructions. So, she set the teacup down, and her gaze on A Ling grew a degree more sincere. "Say it openly, you don't have anything to fear with me."

Only after Chen Xun spoke did A Ling dare to speak. "The customer says that she can pay to meet you—however much you say, she'll pay it."

Hearing this, Chen Xun's expression grew displeased. In the past few years, Honghailou had consistently been the most prosperous restaurant in the capital city; even during the chaos of war, they'd only halted business for two days. Those who came and went were all influential officials and wealthy merchants, and they'd long since earned quite a lot of money, and didn't lack any to spend. This person who wanted to "buy" her, she feared had come with ill intent, and had come to quarrel.

"Have her leave," Chen Xun said, scoffing coldly. "What sort of place does she take us for, lacking her trifles. If she really wants to use money, then fine; she can bring a million liang of gold to the door, and I'll go see her."

A Ling couldn't stand still, seeming to be waiting for Chen Xun's next words. Only seeing that she didn't have the intent to say any more did she turn her head, about to take a couple steps, when she was brought to a halt by Chen Xun. "Go to the kitchens and have a dicing cook go with you—don't let her take advantage of you."

In a flash, A Ling guessed at Chen Xun's meaning. "Zhangguide, the customer came by herself. She looks like a noble wife, and she probably…couldn't do anything."

Chen Xun laughed softly. "You've met Anhe before—if she weren't wearing a Daoist robe, how could you guess at her strength? I told you to take someone with you, so take someone with you."

Yet once the door to the private room was closed, Chen Xun's previously relaxed expression changed, and she stared fixedly at that door. Intuition told her that the insistent customer downstairs wasn't a simple figure, and who knew if A Ling would come back upstairs again.

Just as expected, there was another knock on the door. A Ling carried a jade pendant, and carefully passed it to Chen Xun. "Zhangguide, that customer said she doesn't have a million liang of gold—but she said that this jade pendant couldn't be bought even with ten million liang of gold."

The wind blew aside the gauze on the window, and the sunlight spilled across the jade pendant. Amidst the refined carving and fine cut, Chen Xun could faintly see a still crack laying within.

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