Bo Qinghuan

Chapter 2

Consort Bi straightened her appearance, gave a cold snort, and followed them out. After passing through a long corridor and stepping through an iron gate, she found herself surrounded by a large crowd. The crowd included young and old, men and women, all pointing and whispering about her; a few words of conversation drifted to her ears—

"Is that her? She's quite pretty. These days, assassins are getting prettier and prettier..."

"An assassin? Isn't she a thief? Actually, I think it's only natural that the city lord's family, who are so rich, would have some things stolen from them..."

"Actually, with her looks, if she just asked, the city lord would definitely be eager to give her away..."

Hearing these inexplicable words, Bi Feixian felt ashamed, angry, and annoyed. Her face flushed red. She had never been so embarrassed in her life.

The constable led her into the main hall, where four constables stood on each side, all with swollen eyes and listless expressions. One of them nudged another's arm and said, "Continue tonight? I'll change my surname to yours if I don't kill you without leaving a single survivor!"

"Please, we share the same surname, Sun."

Another person chimed in, "What's so fun about playing chess? Let's go play mahjong at Master Huo's place tonight. Let's get three more people and have three tables..."

Suddenly, the gavel rang out, and a middle-aged man who looked like a clerk announced loudly, "Court is now in session!"

The constables responded reflexively, "Majesty!"

Amidst the majestic shouts, a man hurriedly ran out from the inner hall. His hat was askew, his clothes were not fully buttoned, and he tripped on the steps, falling to the ground with a thud.

The onlookers outside commented, "The lord slept in again." "This is his ninety-ninth fall; next time we might see the hundredth." "Honestly, I think our Hantian City's official robes are actually quite nice; only the lord could make them look so awful..."

Amidst the murmurs of the crowd, the man got up and sat in the official chair, squinting as he said, "You're that... that... what's-him?"

The advisor whispered a reminder from the side: "Breaking into the city lord's mansion at night."

"Oh right! What are you doing at the city lord's house in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"If I said I was going to pay respects to the old city lord, would you believe me, sir?" Bi Feixian looked down on him from the bottom of her heart, so she deliberately made things difficult for him.

Unexpectedly, the person nodded earnestly and said, "I see. I didn't expect you to have such kind intentions..."

Before he could finish speaking, the clerk interrupted him again: "Sir, there's no need to sneak around in the middle of the night to pay respects to the old city lord."

"Oh right! Why don't you just leave your invitation through the main gate and go in to pay your respects properly?"

"It's late at night, and I'm sorry to disturb too many people. It's easier for me to go in by myself."

Seeing that the muddle-headed official was about to nod again, the clerk hurriedly said, "Then why did you go to the new city lord's room instead of the mourning hall?"

Bi Feixian thought for a moment and said, "I have long admired the new city lord, so I'm going to see if he lives up to his reputation."

"Thud!" The adult slid off the chair.

The onlookers outside also sighed in dismay.

After a long while, the official finally got up and asked in great surprise, "You—admire—him?"

Bi Feixian raised an eyebrow. "Is that not allowed?"

The official looked her up and down, and was about to speak when a person rushed in from outside the hall and whispered a few words in his ear. His expression changed drastically, and he stood up from his chair.

The onlookers dispersed, making way for a sedan chair. A sedan chair was parked by the roadside, and as the curtain was lifted, a man in white robes stepped out gracefully.

Huai Su!

Although she had never met Huai Su, she recognized him at first glance—this man was Huai Su, known as the number one strategist and the number one advisor in Hantian City! Only Huai Su could possess such a handsome and refined appearance, and such a gentle and elegant demeanor.

Sure enough! The corrupt official and his advisor hurriedly went to greet him, saying, "What brings you here, Master Steward? Please, have a seat."

Huai Su turned her gaze and it landed on Bi Feixian.

"Ah, Steward, this is the one who broke in last night..."

Huai Su waved to stop the two from making noise, walked up to Bi Feixian and smiled, "Huai Su is late in welcoming you, please forgive me, young lady."

Bi Feixian pursed her lips and said, "I did indeed trespass into the Dai residence yesterday, and I did go to Dai Kejian's room. I wonder what kind of punishment I should receive for such an act according to the laws of Hantian City?"

Huai Su smiled gently as always, "Even an ordinary person might not know how to handle this, let alone a young lady. You are a distinguished guest of Hantian City and the young master's new teacher. Is there any place in Hantian City that you cannot go?"

The official and his advisor behind her were so shocked their eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. They never expected that this young girl would have such a powerful background. But Bi Feixian showed no joy at all. Instead, she said coldly, "How could a prisoner like me be qualified to be the teacher of your city lord?"

Huai Su untied the blue handkerchief tied to her left wrist, coughed softly a few times to cover her mouth, and then said, "It was our oversight that we detained you by mistake, please forgive us."

Bi Feixian gazed at him intently, from the roots of his hair to the tips of his fingers, and slowly said, "You... have been poisoned?"

Huai Su's eyes lit up. "It seems that you have inherited the true teachings of the Divine Strategist Pavilion Master. You recognized it at a glance."

Bi Feixian took his pulse with her other hand, a look of doubt creeping onto her face: judging from his pulse, he had not only been poisoned by some strange poison, but had also been poisoned for a long time, at least five years. An ordinary person would have died long ago, but he was still alive.

However, as the Grand Steward of Hantian City, who would dare to poison him? And why has there been no such rumor outside?

Huai Su noticed her doubts and seized the opportunity to say, "This place is not suitable for us to stay any longer. Miss, you should come back to the manor with me."

Bi Feixian was just putting on airs, but now her curiosity about his poisoning outweighed her previous grievances. She glanced at the onlookers—it was indeed not the place to talk—and nodded.

Huai Su invited her to get into the sedan chair, and she didn't stand on ceremony. She sat down gracefully, and the four sedan chair bearers carried the chair. The ride was extremely smooth, without any bumps, which showed that they were quite skilled in martial arts.

Hantian City is really strange, completely different from what she imagined. On the one hand, it is lax in its defenses, its officials are incompetent and undisciplined; but on the other hand, it is surprisingly tolerant of its people. Take the court hearing just now, for example. Where else would anyone dare to joke about their local officials like that? Moreover, even the sedan chair bearers have such good martial arts skills. No wonder Hantian City was recognized as the number one city by the martial arts world when the old city lord Dai Maozi was alive.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the sedan chair came to a smooth stop. Huai Su personally lifted the curtain and helped Consort Bi into the Dai residence in a dignified manner. Upon arriving at the council hall, several people were already waiting there. Huai Su introduced them one by one; they were all high-ranking and powerful figures in the city, but Dai Kejian was nowhere to be seen.

Huai Su explained, "The city lord has gone out for a spring outing and will not return until 7 PM."

Bi Feixian snorted inwardly. That good-for-nothing son of hers only knew how to do nothing productive. She brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and said, "I have something to say."

"Please, young lady."

Bi Feixian glanced at everyone, her expression serious, and said, “I know I am an outsider to Hantian City, but since the late City Lord Dai entrusted my master with this matter in his dying letter, and my master has sent me here, from today onwards, everything in Hantian City is related to me. I will do my best to assist the new master. However, I have three conditions: First, no one may interfere in my private affairs; I must be given absolute freedom. Second, I will not participate in management, but you must grant me the power to restrain the City Lord; in other words, I want the real power that a teacher should have. Third, this appointment will last until I get married. Do you have any objections?”

After exchanging glances for a while, Huai Su finally made the decision, smiling and saying, "These three conditions are all reasonable, no problem."

"That's wonderful. I hope your city lord will be just as agreeable." Bi Feixian curled her lips, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. There are too many things in this place that need to be changed.

It's not just about Dai Kejian.

Chapter Two

Bright sunlight streamed through the window into the flower hall. After taking Huai Su's pulse, Bi Feixian released his hand, frowning and remaining silent.

Huai Su smiled and said, "Please speak frankly, young lady."

"Several toxins have accumulated in your body. These toxins are intertwined, mutually stimulating and suppressing each other. The strangest thing is that they didn't all appear at the same time. The symptoms of poisoning are diverse, you couldn't possibly not know that. Have you been taking poison on and off for the past five years?"

Huai Su stood up with his hands behind his back, looked at the scenery outside the window, and remained silent for a long time before saying, "You guessed right."

Bi Feixian was surprised, "Did you really poison yourself? Why would you do that?"

"When you came to Hantian City, didn't the Old Man of Divine Strategist say anything to you?"

Huai Su's bright eyes seemed to see through everything. Bi Feixian turned her face away awkwardly, and suddenly understood what he meant.

Throughout history, the most taboo thing for a subject is someone whose achievements overshadow the ruler. With Dai Maozi dead and Dai Kejian insignificant, countless eyes were secretly watching Huai Su, hoping he would cause some trouble for everyone to enjoy. This reveals the baseness of human nature. Huai Su was indeed a clever man; he understood early on to use illness to protect himself, but—

Bi Feixian gave him a complicated look, thinking, "Is it necessary to make myself suffer like this? Poison is harmful to the body and might shorten my lifespan."

At this moment, a maidservant came to report: "Grand Steward, Miss Bi's room is ready."

“Alright.” Huai Su turned her head and smiled. “You must be tired after all this morning. Han Yan, take Miss Bi to her room. If you need anything, just tell Han Yan.”

The maid named Hanyan bowed to Bi Feixian. She had delicate features and a pretty face.

Bi Feixian followed her out of the flower hall, and looked back at Huai Su one last time. She saw him still standing by the window with deep eyes. What was this man, who was so talented and brilliant in the eyes of outsiders, thinking in his complicated and secretive heart?

Walking along the gravel path through the back garden, bathed in sunlight and adorned with blooming flowers, it was even more beautiful than at night. It was here yesterday that she had encountered that disheveled boy, but she didn't know his name or where he was now.

As she traveled north, the scenery became increasingly familiar. Finally, she arrived at the bamboo hut where the young man had led her the night before. Looking up, she could clearly see the four characters "Seize the day" on it.

Han Yan opened the door to the leftmost room and said respectfully, "In order to make it easier for you to supervise the city lord, I have specially arranged for you to stay here. The city lord's study is right next door."

"A study?" Bi Feixian thought for a moment, then walked over and pushed open the door to the middle room. The room was still filled with fragrance, but the scents of jade lilac and drunken east wind were gone. She hadn't been able to see very clearly in the darkness last night, but now, upon closer inspection, she saw that the bamboo curtain was half-rolled up, and many books were piled on a vermilion carved table. Beside it was a white jade vase, more than half a person's height, containing some scrolls. Although the number of antiques and rare treasures on the shelves on both sides was not large, each piece was exquisite and unique... It was indeed a study.

Why use geranium and bitter orange blossom incense in the study?

Han Yan replied, "Because the city lord said it helps with sleep. The city lord... gets sleepy as soon as he starts reading, and once he's sleepy, he doesn't want to move, so he just sleeps here."

So the slovenly boy hadn't lied to her after all; this place could indeed be considered Dai Kejian's residence. With that thought in mind, Bi Feixian said calmly, "There's nothing for you here. Go downstairs now. I'll call you if I need anything."

"Yes." Han Yan bowed and withdrew.

Bi Feixian walked to the desk and, unexpectedly, found the books to be quite old, likely having been read many times. She picked one up and opened it; it was the "Lie Yukou" chapter of the Zhuangzi: "Zhu Ping casually learned to slay dragons from Zhili Yi, and with a family holding a thousand gold pieces, he mastered the skill in three years, yet had no use for it."

This passage originally tells the story of a wealthy young man named Zhu Pingman who squandered his fortune to learn a useless dragon-slaying skill, implying that his knowledge was futile. However, a comment in tiny print appeared beside the story: "Pah! As the saying goes, a skill is never a burden. A hero without a place to use his skills is still a hero, better than someone who regrets not having enough knowledge when the time comes. Besides, you are all short-sighted; can you be sure there really aren't dragons in the world? What if a dragon really does appear one day? Wouldn't he be able to step forward then?"

Bi Feixian found it interesting and couldn't help but read on. Beside the chapter "Supreme Happiness" in the *Zhuangzi*, a book review read: "Zhuangzi believed that life and death are a natural cycle, therefore when his wife died, he didn't cry but sang. To say he was carefree was actually extremely affected! Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? How could he not be heartbroken at the loss of his beloved?" It was followed by a sentence: "Beautiful ladies, please don't marry this kind of man who doesn't know how to cherish women!"

How interesting! I wonder who wrote these comments; they are so vivid and lively, taking a unique approach that is different from what everyone else would have thought.

She was engrossed in reading and sat down at the table. Just as she was getting into it, she heard a soft creak as the window on the west side was lifted up from the outside.

A voice called out, "Young Master—"

Another voice quickly shushed them, whispering, "Keep your voice down, do you want everyone to see us like this?"

As they were talking, a head popped in through the window, then jumped in after it. Just as she stood still, someone lightly patted her shoulder twice. The person turned around, saw Bi Feixian, and exclaimed, "Ah!"

The person outside the window hurriedly asked, "What's wrong? What's wrong?" He poked his head out, then froze.

When Bi Feixian saw the person outside the window, she was also taken aback: wasn't he the disheveled boy from last night? Looking at the person inside the room, he was a boy of seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features, red lips and white teeth. He was originally wearing a finely made silk shirt, but now it was hanging on his body like a rag, mixed with yellow mud, bloodstains and oil stains. He looked as disheveled as could be.

As she glanced at the two of them, the disheveled boy outside the window grinned and said, "Oh ho ho ho, what a coincidence, heroine, we meet again."

The boy in the silk robe frowned and said sternly, "Who are you? Who gave you permission to come in here without permission?"

Without further ado, Bi Feixian showed him a token. The young man in the silk robe stared wide-eyed at the token and stammered, "So you are—"

Before he could finish speaking, the disheveled boy leaped into the room and exclaimed, "So you're the young master's new teacher! Young master, you're in luck, you have a beautiful teacher!"

"Wh-what?"

The boy in the silk robe opened his eyes wide and was about to speak when the disheveled boy patted his shoulder and said, "What? Hurry up and become my disciple. Heroine, let me introduce you. This is the person you wanted to see last night but didn't get to see, our young master Dai Kejian. I am the young master's personal servant, Xiaochi. Please take good care of me in the future."

The boy in the silk robe cried out urgently, "No..."

“If you don’t mind,” the slovenly boy interrupted again, “please allow me to help the young master wash and change before we perform the formal apprenticeship ceremony.” With that, he grabbed the boy in the silk robe and pulled him outside.

Unexpectedly, a white figure flashed, and Bi Feixian was already blocking the doorway, raising her eyebrows and asking, "Why did you make such a mess of things?"

"Well... ah, young master, you can explain it to the lady yourself. I'll take my leave now." The disheveled boy pushed the boy in the silk robe towards her and turned to run away. But just as he reached the window, a sword was already at his neck.

The boy in the silk robe gasped and covered his eyes.

Bi Feiqian, holding the hilt of her sword, said coldly, "Dai Kejian, have you had enough? Don't really think I'm a fool."

The disheveled young man slowly turned around and said with a wry smile, "You're so clever, heroine, you recognized me so quickly."

The young man in the silk robe dared to lower his hand, and looking at the scene before him, he said in a trembling voice, "Um... Miss Bi, it's wrong of you to point your sword at the young master like that..."