Chapter 197: The Imperial Carriage

Hearing the Emperor call him, Xiao Jing hastily leaned forward with a bow. His body tilted slightly, his posture one of eager attention.

“Your Majesty, what is your command?”

Emperor Hongzhi’s bright eyes lifted slightly to glance at Xiao Jing. He smiled as he spoke.

“This report from the Brocade Guard… is quite intriguing…”

Xiao Jing quickly offered a flattering smile, echoing the Emperor’s words.

“Indeed, your servant also heard news from the Eastern Depot and intended to report it to Your Majesty.”

The astonishment hadn’t faded from Emperor Hongzhi’s face.

Because… this report clearly stated that the Imperial Criminal had been captured.

His shock didn’t stem from the criminal’s capture itself.

In truth, if they hadn’t managed to catch him after all this time, then Emperor Hongzhi would have been astonished. After all, he himself had been so focused on it. The Eastern Depot, the Brocade Guard, all fully mobilized for over half a month! The imperial court supported so many Imperial Guards; so many resources, so much manpower spent. Saying they had turned the city upside down wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Yet the reason for his utterly bewildered expression was that the report claimed the one who captured the criminals was… Fang Jifan.

Fang Jifan, instead of tending dutifully to his farmland, had taken his Tuntian Captains and run off to catch criminals.

Not only that, they’d succeeded in one go. Just yesterday he’d said he was going to capture them, and today, both the Imperial Criminal and a dozen accomplices had been rounded up.

This… Such efficiency!

This efficiency filled Emperor Hongzhi with great surprise; he could barely believe it.

A hundred or so Tuntian Captains, more effective than tens of thousands of specialized depot guards and Imperial Guards?

Emperor Hongzhi’s first reaction was: had the report gotten mixed up?

His second reaction was caught by the phrase: assured with their heads.

He well knew Fang Jifan was someone who assured with their character. That fellow was too slippery! Where would he dare to risk his head?

But now…

Now he was full of doubts. Was the captured Imperial Criminal real? Was Fang Jifan fabricating an achievement?

Secondly, perhaps Fang Jifan wasn’t fabricating an achievement but had caught the wrong person.

Thirdly, if he hadn’t caught the wrong person and wasn’t fabricating an achievement… that was terrifyingly effective! But then, why hadn’t he transferred the criminal to the Imperial Prison? Why haul him off to the Tuntian Hundred-Household Office? Why say he needed to give his disciples a lesson? What… was going on?

With these thoughts running through his mind, Emperor Hongzhi grew even more astonished. His bright eyes filled with confusion. His gaze settled on Xiao Jing, and he asked very seriously.

“Companion Xiao, what do you think?”

Xiao Jing was clever. He offered a smile to the Emperor, choosing his words carefully.

“Since Fang Jifan dares say this, he must have his reasons, I suppose. Your servant has always held Newly Established Count in high regard. After all, he has rendered meritorious service to the state… So, your servant considers, since he’s assured it with his head, he surely wouldn’t dare deceive Your Majesty.”

“Oh? You think highly of him?” Emperor Hongzhi regarded Xiao Jing suspiciously. Even I find him unreliable; how can you value him?

Xiao Jing responded unhurriedly, “Your servant does indeed value him.”

Emperor Hongzhi rested his hand on the Imperial Desk. His fingertips began to rap rhythmically against it.

Tap-tap…

With the rhythmic tapping, Emperor Hongzhi’s brow furrowed. He sank deep into thought.

“Ahh…” Emperor Hongzhi let out a knowing laugh. “You… You’re simply too kind-hearted. You don’t know how many tricks Fang Jifan has up his sleeve. People… one shouldn’t be quite that honest.”

Xiao Jing quickly responded, “Your servant only strives to serve Your Majesty well. There’s no need for sly tricks in that.”

Emperor Hongzhi smiled. Then, seeming to remember something, he fixed a very serious gaze on Xiao Jing.

“But after all, you are the Seal-keeper of the Eastern Depot. With your years of experience in that role, does this seem possible?”

“Impossible,” Xiao Jing stated.

Emperor Hongzhi’s gaze on Xiao Jing filled with perplexity. His expression became one of speechless exasperation.

“But you just said it was possible!”

Xiao Jing gave a knowing smile. “This matter sounds like utter fantasy, Your Majesty. Your servant considers it impossible. Yet, your servant also deeply believes in Fang Jifan’s integrity. Did the Newly Established Count not say… assured with his head?”

Assured with his head…

“…”

Emperor Hongzhi was even more exasperated. He stared blankly for a moment, then couldn’t help but chuckle. “How valuable is his head anyway? That rascal’s just stirring up trouble again. Ignore him.”

Having said that, he set down the memorial.

Xiao Jing was still too straightforward, unwilling to speak ill of others behind their backs. Yet the sentiment he implied was crystal clear.

Since it looked unreliable, naturally, one couldn’t count on Fang Jifan.

He would just play himself out and obediently go back to Military Farming for His Majesty. The fellow had only just earned merit; tolerate his nonsense for once.

Therefore, Emperor Hongzhi declared, “The depot guards and the Imperial Guard must speed things up. If they can’t catch him, what dignity does the imperial court have left? The leader of some Beggar Sect giving us this much trouble? In My view, it’s not that the Imperial Criminal is difficult. It’s that you have not been diligent enough!”

Xiao Jing prostrated himself. “Your servant deserves death ten thousand times.”

…

For now, Emperor Hongzhi set this matter aside in his mind.

But that was just his nature. Once something lodged itself in his thoughts, even if he decided not to inquire further, he couldn’t quite let it go.

Early the next morning, Emperor Hongzhi arrived at the Warm Pavilion as usual, preparing to summon his ministers. No sooner had he taken his seat than the depot guards delivered the day’s reports to his desk.

He picked them up. The depot guards’ report was, as expected, disappointing. Still… no news of the Imperial Criminal.

Emperor Hongzhi frowned. After a moment of contemplative silence, he remembered Fang Jifan’s claim of having captured the criminal yesterday.

Abruptly, Emperor Hongzhi lifted his head and addressed a eunuch beside him, “Summon Companion Xiao.”

Xiao Jing wasn’t yet on duty for the day. Hearing the Emperor’s summons, he dared not delay. He hurried over. As he entered the Warm Pavilion, slightly out of breath, he asked, “Your Majesty, what is your command?”

Emperor Hongzhi tapped the report on the desk and raised an eyebrow slightly.

“The Eastern Depot still has no word?”

Xiao Jing felt the pressure. “There will likely be news soon.”

“That means there isn’t any yet!” Emperor Hongzhi’s expression soured somewhat. This was already the seventeenth day.

Seventeen days passed. The Capital had been turned upside down multiple times. Still, nothing.

“What about news regarding the Imperial Criminal Fang Jifan claimed to have captured?” Emperor Hongzhi stared intently at Xiao Jing.

Xiao Jing’s confidence instantly vanished. He could only report truthfully.

“Your Majesty, he stated that today he would be holding a lecture in the Western Hills, teaching some sort of principle. Presumably, the Imperial Criminal he mentioned cannot be delivered to the Imperial Prison until tomorrow at the earliest. Only then will the truth—whether that ‘criminal’ is man or ghost—be revealed.”

Emperor Hongzhi nodded, but then seized on a crucial point and pressed immediately.

“What connection is there between capturing the Imperial Criminal and giving this lecture?”

“I… do not know.”

For a man, the worst thing to admit is that you cannot!

Xiao Jing was not a man, so this concept held no weight for him.

But as the Seal-keeper of the Eastern Depot, uttering “I do not know” was profoundly shameful. The Eastern Depot’s duty was precisely to gather all intelligence. Yet, when the Emperor inquires, he says “I do not know”…

Emperor Hongzhi suddenly stood up. He spoke quietly. “Prepare the Imperial Carriage. We go to the Western Hills. I wish to see exactly what lesson he intends to teach. Isn’t he reputed to be such an excellent Mentor?”

“…”

Xiao Jing was momentarily stunned. Anxiously, he sought to dissuade the Emperor.

“Your Majesty, proceeding to the Western Hills with such fanfare at this time…”

Emperor Hongzhi was restlessly intrigued. These past two days, Fang Jifan’s actions had been utterly baffling. Crammed full of questions he couldn’t answer, he felt profoundly unsettled.

Emperor Hongzhi pressed his hand down slightly towards Xiao Jing, signaling him to say no more.

“It will be worthwhile to see. Furthermore, send an Imperial Decree: have the Crown Prince attend as well. Let the Crown Prince witness just how Fang Jifan instructs his disciples.”

“Send another decree to the Grand Secretariat: the ministers need not attend court at the Warm Pavilion today.”

“Go! Make the arrangements!”

A flurry of decrees was issued.

Xiao Jing knew he couldn’t obstruct the Emperor. He kowtowed. “Your servant obeys your command.”

…

The Western Hills had already transformed into something unrecognizable.

Rows upon rows of greenhouses stretched as far as the eye could see.

Below the mines, clusters of hamlet-like buildings sprawled along the foothills.

Miners mining coal, Captains from the Tuntian Hundred-Household Office, and the many refugees drawn here had all been settled. Not far from the villages stood a glass workshop, where chimneys rose skyward, black smoke billowing upwards.

Next to the glass workshop was another manual workshop – a large work shed. Selected artisans crafted eyeglasses here.

Since the Grand Empress Dowager’s grand gift, glass mirrors had become a rarity. Furthermore, many in the Capital suffered from eye ailments. Upon hearing that wearing eyeglasses could restore clarity to one’s vision, everyone who was nearsighted, farsighted, or could afford a pair clamored to obtain one.

The Western Hills were bustling. The artisans and refugees drawn here numbered well over four thousand.

Even so, Wang Jinyuan felt there weren’t enough hands. He couldn’t help but sigh. He used to think human labor was cheap; now he understood how precious it truly was. Though it wasn’t winter, demand for coal remained high, meaning miners were still in short supply. Once winter arrived, the manpower shortage would become severe.

Within the villages, there was also a dedicated school for the children of artisans and laborers. In a large compound, over a dozen elderly teachers instructed more than three hundred students. Early each morning, the pupils’ singsong recitations echoed forth.

The moment their chanting began, the working villagers, miners, and artisans felt their spirits lift. To their ears, this chorus of learning was more invigorating than a foreman’s whistle. Those children represented their future hope. Only by studying could the children gain wisdom; only with wisdom could they escape the life of trading their physical strength for meager wages.

Every dawn, this vast settlement came alive. Amidst the clear voices of young scholars, the people began their daily labor.

Meanwhile, security at the Western Hills Tuntian Hundred-Household Office tightened considerably. Zhang Xin temporarily abandoned his beloved farming to personally lead the guard detail stationed there.

Held within was the Imperial Criminal who held the attention of the entire Capital – a matter of grave importance.

At the same time, shrouded in the haze of the morning mist, Wang Shouren, Tang Yin, and the others gathered together for their journey. Today, their Mentor was, for once, holding a lecture. Rumor had it he intended to teach them principles of governing and conduct. They dared not slack off.