Upon inspection of the body on the table, Minister Hao couldn’t help but feel pity. The man looked fairly young – at most in his late 20s. Seeing young people lose their lives so early reminded him of the times before the Xiafeng dynasty when the insurrection was wiping out a generation of talented cultivators and bureaucrats.

Zi Siwei was standing guard at the entrance to Dawa’s chambers, his eyes never leaving the young Dawa as she positioned the dead body for the minister to scrutinise. Minister Hao looked thoughtfully at Zi Siwei and gave a small smile.

Dawa didn’t notice the man’s quiet stare, she was engrossed in the body like a child inspecting a new toy.

Minister Hao couldn’t help but smile a little wider, his long facial hair moving subtly. Dawa was quite the crafty individual but once interested in something, she was like a horse with blinders. She becomes completely unaware of her surroundings. This is why the astute minister was able to track her movements through the Restaurant Quarter without being detected.

Eat the shaobing from the stall outside the Restaurant Quarter. It’s flakier and the fillings are sweeter.

The minister didn’t even eat shaobing and wasn’t even sure the two of them knew they were being followed. His gamble paid off and he got the two to admit an assassination attempt.

And so here they were, inside a potential concubine’s chambers looking at a dead body of a young assassin.

“Young, quite fit.” Minister Hao began, glancing at the face.

“I found a few needles and short swords but I don’t see a sword,” Dawa observed.

“You’ve already looked through his clothes?” Zi Siwei asked from his position at the door.

Dawa, “Ah, was I not supposed to? When I was doing burial rites for assassins at home, we always removed any weapons from the bodies.”

Zi Siwei, “No, it was alright. I thought you were familiar with body inspection techniques but I didn’t know your tribe valued human life that much to bury those that harm you.”

Dawa looked a little nostalgic, “We are a nomadic tribe, we hardly see other people besides the ones we already know. Life is very sacred to us. Even if we have to kill to defend ourselves, we wish them the best. Doing prayers as I do ensures they have a horse and an eagle to guide them to Yir.”

“Yir?”

Dawa, “You would probably call it the ‘afterlife’ of something similar.” Dawa turned to Minister Hao, “Minister, I think this man wasn’t supposed to engage in combat, considering that he has no sword.”

Minister Hao nodded, “Indeed. He was probably sent to scare you; to test you. However, that might not be possible cause he will be at least armed with a sword…”

Zi Siwei, “Maybe they didn’t know enough about Young Maiden Dawa?”

Minister Hao, “All the more reason to arm himself with a sword. If you didn’t know who you are facing, will you not be prepared?”

“If he was sent to face General Zi, he will also be armed since he comes from a prominent cultivation family plus his rank.” Dawa mussed.

Minister Hao and Zi Siwei were silent for a few moments, staring at Dawa in surprise: She had changed her addressing of Zi Siwei and knew a little about his family background.

However, they had more things to take care of.

Minister Hao, “On the first touch, his clothes are made of silk.”

“Silk?” A voice called out.

Minister Hao and Dawa turned to the direction of the voice and saw Zi Siwei hold up a piece of cloth.

“I was tailed on the way back from my family estate. I managed to get this piece from his clothing.” Zi Siwei explained and tossed the piece towards the pair.

Minister Hao caught it easily and spread it out between his hands.

He turned to face Zi Siwei, “if you managed to get this, I assumed you managed to get a look at his face?”

Zi Siwei nodded. In the alley when he threw his sword at his pursuer, there was a sliver of light that reflected off his sword. A reflection of the man’s face could be seen as a result.

“The man who was tailing me was no doubt Yu Chengfu.”

Minister Hao was astonished, “Yu Chengfu?! He’s a non-cultivator. He wouldn’t be able to keep up with you.”

Zi Siwei looked grave, “Indeed he is not but he’s always been the secretive kind so I wouldn’t put it past him to be able to utilise spiritual energy.”

Minister Hao sharply looked at his former student, “Are you insinuating something Zi Siwei?”

“Not at all.”

Dawa looked at the piece of cloth in Minister Hao’s hands, “Looks like silk does it not?”

Minister Hao put the silk down on the table near the body, “Mm. This rules out the common and scholarly families. We must focus on the nobles of both cultivators and non-cultivators.”

Zi Siwei, “There’s a lot of families regardless. We need to narrow it down more.”

Minister Hao, “Indeed we shall. But my men and the Huayi servants will come back, we have to take this up another day.”

He looked at Dawa, “You have to get ready for the Emperor’s arrival. Have you got your belongings sorted?”

Dawa, “Not yet. I’ll finish sorting them out now.” Dawa looked at the body, “What about the dead man?”

“Ah, don’t worry about him, I have a way to transport him to the chamber below. That’s where we keep the bodies for investigations.” Minister Hao reassured.

Dawa nodded, satisfied with Minister Hao’s answer before leaving the main sitting area to get her belonging ready for transportation to the imperial harem.

Once Dawa was out of sight, Minister Hao scooted up to Zi Siwei and quietly spoke, “I’ll look into the Yu-family. You need not do a thing.”

Zi Siwei looked at the minister in surprise, “How did you know I was –”

Minister Hao, “I’ve taught you for ten years. I know that you will secretly investigate things that bother you. You are not curious like the young lady here but I don’t doubt that you want answers as much as she does.”

Zi Siwei shifted his eyes slightly.

Minister Hao continued, “You know as well as I do that generals are not allowed to investigate these matters. As your former teacher, I do not wish for you to face punishment for just finding out more about a certain family.”

Zi Siwei looked a little conflicted.

Minister Hao sighed, “If you are so concerned about this matter, I will update you on the progress of the investigation. For your safety and her reputation, do not interfere.”

Zi Siwei looked at the doorway where Dawa walked through, “Alright Minister, I will do as you ask.”

Minister Hao nodded, “As long as you understand.” He looked at the body, “Now, please create a transportation array to move this body to the body holding chamber.”

Zi Siwei furrowed his brows.

“Something the matter?”

Zi Siwei shook his head, “I was just checking that no one is still around. All is good. I will start with the array.”

He took out a piece of burnt wood from his sleeves. The burnt part allowed the wood on the floor to be stained without ruining the integrity of the material.

He then drew a set of trigrams around the table and took out a talisman. Bright blue light enveloped the body before slowly disappearing into the floor.

With the transportation done, Zi Siwei put the burnt piece of wood back inside his sleeves.

“Something is going on in the capital. I assume you already know?” Zi Siwei asked.

Minister Hao nodded, folding his arms behind his back, “There’s been a couple of disturbances by a mysterious group that keeps meeting in places in the city.”

Zi Siwei, “Have they hurt any civilians?”

Minister Hao, “No. But the Emperor is very concerned about them. They only meet but he’s really on edge when it comes to them.”

Zi Siwei was confused, “That doesn’t sound like him…”

“Mm. It’s concerning that a group that only meets is causing His Majesty a lot of headaches. There must be more to them then we think. Maybe it’s connected to the attempted assassination or your tailing.” Minister Hao walked to the window of the sitting area and looked outside. The sky had become dark.

Zi Siwei looked down and mumbled, “Zi Renshu, what is going on…”

Minister Hao turned around at the sound of the Emperor’s name.

Zi Siwei…you still think of the Emperor as your beloved cousin. Despite your open admission that Zi Renshu is no longer your friend, you still think of him as one huh?

Minister Hao, “In any case, you have a job to do. Try not to concern yourself with the affairs of the Emperor…or the Princess.”

Zi Siwei was perplexed, “Princess? Do you mean Young Maiden Dawa? Why would I be concerned with her affairs?”

Minister Hao looked thoughtfully at the young man, “Why indeed?”.

He walked towards Zi Siwei, “My men and the servants are coming back, we’d better leave this room. Best not to be seen. Princess Dawa needs to prepare for the Emperor’s arrival.”

Zi Siwei, “This late at night?”

Minister Hao, “The Emperor arrives when he wants, we just have to be prepared.”

Both men left Dawa’s chambers and walked back to Minister Hao’s study.

“Zi Siwei, do not tell anymore about the discovery we made today. Not even Bai Haoxia.” Minister Hao warned.

Zi Siwei glanced ahead in surprise and nodded.

Minister Hao, “You told him.”

Zi Siwei, “Not about the assassination attempt.”

“Mm, I suppose that is better.” Minister Hao mused.

“Why shouldn’t I tell him about the rest?” Zi Siwei asked.

“Just a precaution.” Minister Hao replied cryptically.

Both men reached a fork in the corridor. Zi Siwei took the left corridor to meet Bai Haoxia while Minister Hao took the right one. They said nothing to each other when they separated.

In his study, Minister Hao walked to the window and folded his arms behind his back.

The plum trees look lovely tonight. I wonder how long we can see such splendour.

His reverie was suddenly broken by a servant’s voice, “Minister, the Emperor has arrived.”

It’s time. Princess, I hope you are ready for the politics that is the imperial harem.