Chapter 26.2

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He seemed about to reply but hesitated, frowning in thought before speaking again. “I’ll station a few of my soldiers nearby in secret. Until we learn more, we won’t withdraw.”

Fan Changyu finally felt reassured and proceeded to lavishly praise the high-ranking officer. Before leaving, he gave her a quick, somewhat complex glance. Once the soldiers were gone, she fetched water from the well at the end of the alley and cleaned away the blood in the courtyard and attic. Yet even then, a faint metallic tang lingered in the air.

She thought about climbing over the wall to get some of the scented sachets her mother had once blended, hoping to mask the smell. But recalling how the officer said they would be leaving soldiers hidden nearby, she hesitated to move around too freely.

Aunt Zhao and Uncle Zhao were too rattled by the night’s events to sleep. They rekindled the fire pit in the main room, sat there with Changning to keep warm, and sighed every now and then. Changning was still young; she had no idea what the adults were so worried about. Now that the danger was gone, she simply wandered off to check on the gyrfalcon kept in the chicken coop. By now, the coop might as well have been the bird’s private roost.

Fan Changyu asked her younger sister, “Ningniang, are you still sleepy?”

Changning shook her head, then pointed at the coop. “Big Sis, Sun-sun is so well-behaved. Can we stop locking it up, please?”

Last time she and her brother-in-law were home, she had playfully opened the coop’s door. Shortly afterward, a group of bandits broke in, and the gyrfalcon caught and killed one of them. Her little mind kept imagining: if the gyrfalcon hadn’t been locked up tonight, maybe it could have scratched another bad guy or two.

“That coop wasn’t locked by Fan Changyu,” Aunt Zhao explained. “A piece of meat hanging over the hearth got pecked off last night. I was worried the gyrfalcon might keep stealing food, so I shut it in before I went to bed.”

Fan Changyu said, “We can have Yan Zheng work with it again later.”

At the mention of Yan Zheng, she couldn’t help recalling his injuries. Turning to Carpenter Zhao, she asked, “Uncle Zhao, how is he doing?”

Carpenter Zhao wanted to say it seemed like nothing more than superficial wounds, yet he worried he might be misdiagnosing Yan Zheng’s condition. Sighing, he said, “You know I used to treat pigs, cattle, sheep, and horses back in the day. Fixing people’s injuries isn’t really my specialty—sometimes it comes down to luck. As far as I can tell, it’s not life-threatening, but to be safe, we should have a proper doctor from the clinic take a look tomorrow.”

Fan Changyu agreed. When she went upstairs to check on Xie Zheng, his face was already cleaned of blood, and he lay on the bed with his eyes closed, appearing to rest. He must have heard her footsteps because, as soon as she entered, he opened his eyes and asked, “How is everything?”

She answered, “These soldiers seem more dependable than the county magistrate. Word is the magistrate wrote a report to the provincial government about rampant banditry here. They deployed troops to handle it, and it just so happened they arrived tonight.”

At the mention of this, Fan Changyu brightened. “Jizhou has suffered from bandits for years. It looks like the authorities are finally cleaning out those strongholds. That officer said they’d investigate both assassination attempts thoroughly and even station soldiers nearby to protect us. So just focus on getting better over the next couple of days. No need to rush off.”

Xie Zheng’s expression was far from pleasant. “Station soldiers for ‘protection’?”

Fan Changyu nodded. “That’s right.”

He nearly lost his composure. After going through so much trouble just to hide from them, now these Jizhou troops were going to watch him right under his own nose? Then again, he couldn’t guess why Jizhou’s government had acted so abruptly. Perhaps the most dangerous place would indeed be the safest place for the time being.

He said, “Let’s bring the gyrfalcon upstairs for the next few days. Don’t let it roam free—its wild nature makes it unpredictable, and if it’s not trained properly, it might hurt someone.”

Fan Changyu laughed. “That explains it. Aunt Zhao said the gyrfalcon stole a chunk of meat from above the hearth last night.”

Xie Zheng fell silent.

Already on her feet, Fan Changyu said, “I’ll go get it right now!”

Xie Zheng offered only a curt “Mn” in response.

By dawn, Zheng Wenchang had already galloped back to Jizhou Prefecture.

Clutching the interrogated assassin’s confession, he strode through serpentine corridors flanked by armored guards. In a courtyard bristling with snow-laden pines, the soldiers recognized him and stepped aside.

Entering the study, Zheng Wenchang halted before the governor’s desk. Whether from exertion or agitation, his voice still unsteady: “As ordered, General, I stationed men early in Lin’an Town. Last night, we captured those responsible for the murders in Qingping County. However…” His hand trembled slightly as he presented the documents. “The confession, sir.”

The man behind the desk—hair and beard streaked silver—seemed unsurprised by the killers’ identities. “Wenchang,” Governor He Jingyuan said mildly, “you were merely apprehending mountain bandits. What is there to fear?”

Zheng Wenchang bowed his head. “This humble officer is ashamed.”

“Enough. Leave the papers.” Governor He set down his brush. Though a military man, his refined features mirrored a scholar’s. He read his lieutenant’s unspoken dread. “Burn what you’ve seen here. Dismissed.”

“By your command.” Zheng Wenchang saluted.

As he turned to leave, the governor’s voice halted him: “Were there casualties in that household?”

Zheng Wenchang paused. “The woman’s live-in husband sustained injuries during the attack.”

Governor He acknowledged with a nod.

Zheng Wenchang ventured cautiously, “Is there… a connection between that family and Your Excellency?”

“Wenchang,” Governor He said mildly, “what did I teach you about surviving as an officer?”

The question alone froze the air. Zheng Wenchang’s back prickled with cold sweat. “This humble officer overstepped.”

“Dismissed.” Governor He retrieved a memorial from his desk, scanning its contents as though the confession held no consequence.

Only after Zheng had withdrawn did the governor’s aged eyes drift to the confession. He hesitated—a breath held too long—before breaking the seal.

The sigh that followed seemed to carry decades.

Rising, he opened a hidden compartment in the bookshelf and withdrew an ornate lacquer box. Without lifting its lid, he addressed the emptiness: “You foresaw this day when you entrusted me with this. Asked me to shield those children…”