The thirty-second year of the Zun'an reign.
Mid-November.
In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day since Boss Zheng's imprisonment.
The sun shone brightly, and the chirping of birds flying south filled the air.
A dreary autumn wind blew, sweeping fallen leaves into the sky.
Scarface Liu had been in an excellent mood lately. First, he went home and bought his eighty-year-old mother the latest seasonal clothes from Zheng's Cloth Shop.
The moment he stepped into the City God Temple Street branch of Zheng's Cloth Shop,
a clerk recognized him by the scar at the corner of his eye.
The clerk said the Shopkeeper had given orders: the handsome, sturdy master with the scar by his eye was an honored guest.
If Scarface Liu came by, any custom-made clothes, no matter the quantity, were to be free of charge.
The Shopkeeper and clerks of Zheng's Cloth Shop bustled about, waiting on Scarface Liu until he was completely at ease.
Afterward, Scarface Liu bought his brothers new leather whips, shackles, candles, and other torture implements.
They'd all gotten a major upgrade.
The rich really can do whatever they want.
It was the first time Scarface Liu had ever experienced the joy of being a rich man.
'Only with money can you be a filial son. Only with money can you be a proper big brother.'
Of course, that wasn't the only reason for Scarface Liu's good mood.
Humming a tuneless little song, he returned to the Prison Camp. Just as he was walking down the steps, he heard a crisp, pleasant DING-DONG sound coming from the corridor.
DING DING DONG DONG DING DING DONG DONG.
"A pipa?"
Scarface Liu froze.
A flurry of notes rushed out like a sudden downpour, like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate.
Amidst the sound of the pipa,
a woman's voice, like the song of an oriole, sang:
"Who is it playing 'East Wind Breaks' on the pipa,"
"The years peel off the walls,"
"I see my childhood,"
"I still remember that year, we were so very young, oh~"
"And now the zither's sound drifts on…"
…
Scarface Liu's expression hardened as he listened.
He saw two Prison Guards with their legs propped up on a table, eyes closed and faces full of bliss, listening intently.
"Who took it upon themselves to let Master Zheng's family in?"
Scarface Liu asked coldly.
One of them said weakly, "This subordinate told Master Zheng it was on your orders, Sixth Brother."
"Oh ho?" Upon hearing this, Scarface Liu's anger turned into a grin. He gave the junior a thumbs-up. "Nicely done! There'll be a reward for you next time!"
"Yes, sir!"
In the corridor, the other prisoners all wore expressions of envy and hatred.
Scarface Liu tossed a few warnings at them as he passed. When he reached Room A, he was greeted by an outrageous sight.
At some point, a Grandmaster's Chair had been moved into Room A. In front of it, a desk faced the cell door. The golden silk vine had been moved onto the desk, where a fruit basket also sat.
In the corner of the cell, someone had used layers of bedding to create a luxurious, knee-high soft bed.
A young woman was sitting on the bed, warming it for the Master while playing the pipa. It was none other than Miss Zizi, who had visited before.
Two other young women sat on either side of the Grandmaster's Chair.
One was singing softly, while the other was picking up grapes and carefully peeling them for the Master.
At that moment, Master Zheng was lying back in the Grandmaster's Chair, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Zizi was a skilled musician. Legend had it her exquisite hands were as smooth as congealed fat and as lustrous as fine jade. It was rumored that if a knife fell on her hands, it would slide right off those Skillful Hands.
Lily was a talented singer. Her voice rose and fell in beautiful turns, with a captivating cadence. Legend told of a marvelous sight where white birds would circle above her as she practiced her singing.
The other woman, whom Scarface Liu had also seen before, was named Pingping. He didn't know what she was skilled at, but she was meticulously peeling grapes and popping them one by one into Master Zheng's mouth.
Scarface Liu could swear to Heaven he had never seen such an audacious scene.
"Morning, Master Zheng!"
Only after the song was finished did Scarface Liu step forward to greet him.
Zheng Xiu held the peeled grape in his mouth; it was juicy and sweet. After swallowing, Zheng Xiu stood up to welcome him. "Sixth Brother, I have been impolite."
"Not at all! Not at all!"
Scarface Liu waved his hands dismissively, then brought up his reason for coming, leaning in conspiratorially. "Younger Brother Zheng, even though things are just barely starting to take shape, I, Old Liu, just couldn't hold it in. I had to rush over and give you the good news."
"Good news?" Zheng Xiu frowned.
Scarface Liu pointed upward. "I heard from the higher-ups that the Ministry of Revenue still hasn't found any concrete evidence of you bending the law for personal gain or hiding taxes, Younger Brother Zheng. They might be letting you out soon! Your hard days are almost over!"
Zheng Xiu fell silent for a long moment upon hearing this.
Then he said, "Huh?"
…
"Then Marquis Zhonglie's good days are almost over."
Deep within the Imperial Palace.
Jinghe Courtyard.
Autumn was already well underway. The once-lush trees in the courtyard now looked sparse, and yellowing leaves drifted down with the wind, carpeting the ground in desolation.
In the center of the courtyard was a stone table, upon which sat a game board.
Two people were playing a game of Go.
One of them was a man of about thirty, handsome as jade, with a gentle expression and clear eyes.
His opponent was dressed as a high-ranking official, his hair and beard white, appearing ancient and frail.
"Second Brother is too hasty."
The young man smiled, placing a stone on the "Tianyuan" point.
The high official seemed accustomed to the young man's style. An opening move not on the edges or corners was either showing off or giving a handicap. He said, "Thank you for the half-stone handicap, Your Highness."
Neither man seemed concerned with winning or losing. As they battled on the board, the young man addressed as "Your Highness" inquired about the recent turmoil in the Imperial City over the past three days.
Ever since the Zheng Family had launched a series of "promotional" policies across various industries in the Imperial City, it had kicked up quite a storm.
Many wealthy merchants, hearing of Zheng Xiu's imprisonment and connecting it with other news, privately speculated that Zheng Xiu knew he couldn't get out of this easily and was thus performing good deeds, giving away his wealth to the common people.
Some wealthy merchants thought to themselves that it was impossible. 'If that man Zheng were such a good person, how could he have become the Richest Person?'
But they couldn't see through the situation either.
Other wealthy merchants knew Zheng Xiu had powerful backers. They decided to take a gamble and invest their spare money in Zheng's Bank. They could avoid high storage fees and even earn a profit—why wouldn't they?
The old man finished his eloquent report. The battle on the Go board was nearing its end. In the end, he lost by exactly one stone—a perfect loss.
The old man sighed lightly on the surface, but inwardly he praised himself for such a beautiful loss. He then asked, "Your Highness, why does the Second Prince intend to release Zheng Xiu from prison?"
"Heh heh, Elder Ke, how many years have you held the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue?"
"Replying to Your Highness, it has been exactly ten years, no more, no less."
"What do you think of Marquis Zhonglie?"
"Your Highness, are you saying…"
"Speak freely."
"This subject believes that the Zheng Family has been honest and dutiful these years. Not only have they not hidden half a cent in taxes, they have even voluntarily paid extra taxes to fill the national treasury."
"Do you believe that?"
The old man shook his head. "At first, this subject did not. But after carefully examining the accounts, the Zheng Family… has indeed not evaded taxes."
"You don't believe it, I don't believe it, and the common people believe it even less." The person playing Go with the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was none other than the current Eldest Prince. He chuckled. "The common people of the world all resent the rich; this is human nature. Regardless of whether the Zheng Family truly evaded taxes, now that the rumor is out there, do you think more people believe it or disbelieve it?"
Lord Ke fell silent. He faintly understood the deeper meaning behind Zheng Xiu's series of actions.
'So, it turns out that while Marquis Zhonglie Zheng Xiu appeared to be losing money, he had actually guessed that someone was plotting against him from behind and was using his wealth to buy back the Zheng Family's reputation.'
"If Marquis Zhonglie dies unjustly in prison, no matter who Second Brother pushes out to be the scapegoat in the end, it will be difficult to quell the public outcry."
"Father Emperor is gravely ill, yet he has not named an heir. For Second Brother to jump out so hastily is truly unwise."
"That subordinate of yours, Shi Wentong, died a bizarre death on the streets. To this day, it is still unknown who was behind it."
Ke Bingliang was at a loss for words.
"Have them investigate it thoroughly. We can't let it become a cold case."
"Yes."
"In any case," the Eldest Prince continued, "if Marquis Zhonglie Zheng Xiu is released now, the common people will only believe that the Marquis has once again used his money to settle the matter."
The board was set for a second game, and the storm began to gather again.
"Although this Prince does not know how Second Brother plans to seize the Zheng Clan's fortune, at this critical juncture, what if Marquis Zhonglie Zheng Xiu were to meet a violent end at home? Say, death by hanging. What would the common people think?"
The Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Ke, was suddenly stunned. The Go stone in his hand fell as he exclaimed in shock, "That he committed suicide out of guilt!"
…
Leaving the Imperial Palace, Lord Ke was weighed down by his thoughts.
Far from the Imperial Palace, along the main road, rows of rickshaws were parked—these were all Wandering from the Zheng Clan's "Zheng's Ride-Hailing." The shabbily dressed Wandering wore thin clothes, constantly rubbing their hands together for warmth in the cold wind.
Lord Ke hailed one, and the Wandering rickshaw pullers swarmed over, fighting for his business. Lord Ke casually picked one, sat down in the rickshaw, and silently contemplated.
The Wandering, a man nearing forty, was thrilled to have a big shot as a passenger. He whistled a melodious tune, the notes rising and falling like a song.
Three long, two short. Three short, two long. Two long, one short, two long…
The whistle drifted far into the distance.
The same thing was happening in different corners of the city.
The Wandering's whistles were clear and bright.
…
'Get out of prison?'
As soon as Zheng Xiu heard this, he knew something was fishy. With no time to think it through, he first stated his position to Scarface Liu. "Sixth Brother has taken such good care of me in prison, how could I just up and leave? That would be completely improper! I am someone who values old friendships. The very thought that I will no longer be able to drink and chat with Sixth Brother, to raise our cups to the moon together, makes my heart feel as if it's being cut by a knife! So, I'd rather not leave this prison!"
Seeing Zheng Xiu's resolute tone, Scarface Liu was dumbfounded.
He had been a guard for over a decade.
With an eighty-year-old mother to support and dozens of brothers under him, he was considered something of a figure in the city.
This was the first time he had ever heard such an absurd request.