The rebellious poem was slightly incoherent in rhythm. However, the audacious spirit within it stirred Scholar Su deeply.
"I will take this poem with me."
"Mr. Xu, for the grace of a meal... Su Che remembers."
Before leaving, Scholar Su stared intently at Xu Xing and said this.
「Outside the Sky Prison.」
Drums and pipes were playing, the joyous, festive melody continuous. Zhao Yunniang, who had come to deliver food to the Sky Prison, was filled with envy.
"Princess Anren's dowry is regarded as 'a stunning sight to behold in a ten-mile radius.' Tongji Street in Liren Alley is crowded with Princess Anren's dowry. The rouge from Shenghe Tower, the Flying Immortal Embroidery from Jiangnan, the fur clothes from the Northern Frontier, and many more—all of these are worth a fortune, but His Majesty is delivering them to Princess Anren by the cartload..."
"The people playing the drums and pipes on the street are officials from the Taile Department, with the music composed by Taile Cheng Wang Mojie himself."
"There is also the verse written by Scholar Su for Princess Anren."
"Elders who have lived long enough all say that even the Emperor's grand wedding didn't have such grandeur."
Xu Xing asked her about the grandeur of Princess Anren's wedding, and she described it truthfully. Her words painted a vivid picture of the grand scene of the Princess's wedding.
"Don't get too excited."
"You're pregnant with Zhang'er, be careful."
Xu Xing gently patted Zhao Yunniang's delicate hand, speaking softly.
Over a month had passed. With the help of Musk Dragon Powder, Zhao Yunniang had "as hoped" conceived a child. Two days prior, the physician had confirmed Zhao Yunniang's "joyful pulse."
"Yes, Husband."
"I understand."
Zhao Yunniang carefully sat down on the Grand Master Chair, her eyes filled with affection as she looked at Xu Xing.
If only it could always be this way, she thought.
"Lord Han sent me this time... to urge you to tell him the detailed steps for making glazed glass."
"If I haven't guessed wrongly, his attempt to make glazed glass has failed again."
After a few more words, Zhao Yunniang brought up the real matter.
"Producing glazed glass, which is worth more than gold, isn't as easy as one might think."
"The craftsmanship required to make glazed glass, at the very least, demands an artisan who has been immersed in the craft for many years."
"Lord Han is being too hasty."
Xu Xing shook his head.
His words were half-true, half-false. Once one mastered the detailed crafting process, a few more attempts would suffice to produce acceptable glazed products. Han Sui kept failing to make satisfactory glazed glass because there were slight deviations in the steps Xu Xing had provided him. These minor deviations allowed Han Sui to produce glass, just not satisfactory glass. The chance to be released from prison couldn't be left to a single gamble. Plan A, Plan B... all had to be attempted. Human hearts were complicated. Although he had served under Han Sui for two years, he still couldn't fathom Han Sui's thoughts. As the time of his execution drew nearer, he was betting that Han Sui, for the enormous profits from glazed glass, might secretly transport him out of the Sky Prison to personally manufacture it. Of course, if this plan failed, he would try another. He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.
...
「Shenjing, Han Mansion.」
「Inside the study.」
"Did he really say that?"
He does possess some cunning...
The middle-aged man with graying hair in his bun looked deeply at the kneeling woman in plain clothes. He chuckled lightly, then gestured for her to leave.
"My Lord."
"Since Mr. Xu refuses to reveal the key to making glazed glass, I still believe it would be best to kill him sooner rather than later, to prevent future complications."
The woman in plain clothes did not leave. She lifted her delicate chin and said.
If Xu Xing had been there, he would surely have recognized the woman in plain clothes as Zhao Yunniang. And the person Zhao Yunniang addressed as "My Lord" was none other than Taipu Han Sui.
"Kill him?"
"That's not for you to worry about."
Han Sui's face turned stern. "Leave!" he reprimanded sharply.
"Yes."
"My Lord."
Hearing this, Zhao Yunniang's delicate body trembled, and she slowly exited the study.
Once the study was empty and only Han Sui remained, he shook his head and muttered to himself, "I originally favored Xu Xing because he was always respectful towards me, so I thought of letting Yunniang bear his child. Who would have thought... he still possesses such a secret technique."
"Indeed, he is an unparalleled talent."
"The mathematics booklet he wrote also received much praise from the Director at the Qintian Observatory."
"Given time, he might well have taken my position, or even advanced further."
As his superior, he had always valued Xu Xing. Unfortunately, Xu Xing was unlucky and had no backers, making him the perfect scapegoat. Han Sui had thus pushed him forward to shoulder the blame for the corruption at the Taipu Temple.
As for Zhao Yunniang...
He walked to the bamboo rocking chair, sat down, and drummed his fingers on the tea table.
She's changed her heart!
Han Sui sighed softly.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
"My Lord, Commander Liu is here to visit," the servant whispered.
Commander Liu? What business could Commander Liu have at my residence? Han Sui was puzzled. However, this was not the time for speculation. The Command Envoy of the Night Patrol Department was second only to one person yet stood above tens of thousands, holding sway over the weaknesses of all Civil & Military Officers. Even Han Sui himself didn't know how many of his own dark secrets had been recorded by the Night Patrol Department's Tiqi in their Book of Impermanence.
He hurried to the living room, only to see Commander Liu seated nonchalantly in the host's seat. A flicker of displeasure crossed Han Sui's eyes, but by the time he reached Commander Liu, his face was wreathed in smiles.
"Commander, to what do I owe the honor of your visit... May I ask what brings you here?" Han Sui said, cupping his hands.
In terms of rank, he, as Taipu, was one of the Nine Ministers. Yet now, he had to be deferential.
"Lord Han, regarding the shortfall of warhorses at the Taipu Temple, I've heard that Xu Xing was not the only one involved. There were others..." Commander Liu said, a smile playing on his lips that didn't reach his eyes. He picked an orange from the fruit plate, peeled it, took a segment, and began to chew it slowly, showing no intention of continuing.
Han Sui felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. He wasn't worried about Commander Liu knowing the truth of the Taipu Temple's corruption case. Even Emperor Chongming was aware of this matter; the shortage of three hundred warhorses wasn't solely the fault of the Taipu Temple... What he truly feared was that Commander Liu might have discovered the secret technique for making glazed glass.
The secret was out! The Taipu Temple corruption case was merely a pretext for Commander Liu to make his move.
"I implore the Commander to speak plainly," Han Sui said, clenching his teeth and cupping his hands.
"Very well." Commander Liu put down the orange. He pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve. On it was the rebellious poem Xu Xing had written earlier that day.
"Xu Xing curses you corrupt officials... Heh, I also can't stand the sight of you lot."
"Glazed glass is worth more than gold. Lord Han, you and your associates can't possibly swallow all of that yourselves, can you?" He chuckled.
He hadn't learned of Han Sui's secret technique for making glazed glass from Xu Xing, but from other officials at the Imperial Court. The Night Patrol Department's Tiqi had cast their nets wide, covering the residences of all Imperial Court officials. Han Sui had shared the profits with these officials not out of generosity, but because Xu Xing's early death suited the interests of most officials implicated in the corruption case. Now that Xu Xing was still alive, they would naturally hold Han Sui accountable. The Taipu Temple... wasn't a department with true power. Although Han Sui was a high-ranking official, in this corruption case, he was merely a prominent figure, not the one truly pulling all the strings.