Chapter 153: The Morning Sun

Putting aside what the bug was called to do in the dark cell by Chang Daizi’s sound transmission after it left, let us focus on the break of dawn, when Su He bid farewell to everyone and went to see the Brave King.

Inside Rui Jin Palace, the Brave King sat upon the high seat, stifling a yawn. One cannot entirely blame him for such a lack of decorum; truly, as long as the matter of Little Zhou Village remained unresolved day after day, peace of mind eluded him.

The myriad trivial affairs across the realm were simply too numerous, and the royal city did not rely solely on Little Zhou Village for his attention; far too many matters required his personal oversight.

After suppressing a yawn that betrayed his exhaustion, the Brave King looked toward Su He, hastily instructed servants to serve tea, and then asked, "Why has the Young Master arrived so early? Could it be that you have found new clues?"

Hardly had his voice faded when a maidservant presented a cup of hot tea.

The Brave King hurriedly took a sip to revive his spirits. Stimulated by the rich aroma of the tea, he finally felt his head clear somewhat from its grogginess.

Su He accepted the tea, thanked the maidservant, and then said with a self-reproachful tone, "No, it is rather that I had hoped to find clues here with Your Highness so that the case might be concluded sooner."

Hearing this, the Brave King paused with his teacup, praising admiringly, "Such ardent dedication from the Young Master is something even I cannot match."

"You flatter me." Su He set his teacup down and demurred, "I wonder how Lady Yi is faring here?"

The Brave King put down his cup and smiled. "Rest assured, Young Master, Tower Master Yi is a distinguished guest of mine; how could I possibly treat her with discourtesy?"

With that, his tone shifted. "However, yesterday I had Zhou Yi select a few small trinkets to send to Tower Master Yi, yet she seemed not to care for them and had Zhou Yi return every single one. Would the Young Master know if I somehow erred?"

Su He replied, "Your Highness jests. Knowing Lady Yi as I do, she certainly harbored no malice. Having Guard Zhou return them is merely a reflection of her pure and lofty character, akin to pristine spring snow. She could only decline Your Highness’s kind intentions with polite refusal."

These words neither slighted the Brave King's dignity nor failed to cast Yi Qingchen in a favorable light.

Understanding the intent behind the words, the Brave King did not dwell further on the matter and steered the conversation elsewhere. The two exchanged pleasantries back and forth, laughing and chatting in a harmonious and agreeable atmosphere.

Suddenly, the Brave King’s gaze narrowed slightly. Lifting the lid of his cup, he said leisurely, "Did the Young Master hear any rumors in the wind last night?"

Su He picked up his tea, took a small sip, and answered, "I did not. I am eager to hear Your Highness clear up the mystery."

When his probing failed, the Brave King chuckled and diverted the topic. "That hardly counts as clearing up a mystery; I merely fear that the crude conditions of the inn have treated the Young Master poorly."

Realizing that no useful information could be squeezed from this direction, Su He pondered for a moment before rising to take his leave. "I wish to ask a favor of Your Highness. What do you say?"

"What is it?"

"I wish to visit Examiner Chen once more. Might I be granted this accommodation?"

"Is that all? A simple matter." With that, the Brave King unhooked the jade pendant from his belt and handed it to Su He. "Seeing this pendant is equivalent to my personal presence. The Young Master may go whenever he pleases."

Su He accepted the jade pendant, cupped his hands in a bow, and said, "My thanks! I have intruded for too long, Baili takes his leave."

The Brave King stood up and said, "I shall see the Young Master off."

Upon reaching the doorway, Su He offered repeated thanks, urging the Brave King to go no further, and then departed Rui Jin Palace.

The Brave King initially intended to visit Plum Lodge, but unexpectedly, Yang Yun arrived early in the morning to summon him, stating that His Majesty wished to consult with him on an urgent matter. Consequently, he followed Yang Yun toward Baode Hall instead.

Meanwhile, after leaving the royal palace and stepping onto the street, Su He looked up at the morning sun, momentarily uncertain of where to go first.

After a brief thought, he decided to visit the Nine Luminaries Tower first.

The morning knock startled the young attendant inside. Just as the servant was about to curse—wondering who was banging away like they wanted to die—he opened the door and recognized the young master who had previously been hosted by Miss Wangyou. Instantly, the curses hovering on his lips were swallowed hard, replaced by a ingratiating expression. He smiled and said, "Ah, it is you, Young Master! Have you come because you miss our Miss Wangyou?"

***

Su He thought to himself how quickly that expression had changed. Suppressing his reaction, he maintained a cultured and courteous demeanor. "Might I be disturbing anything?"

The attendant hurriedly swung the door wider, ushered Su He inside, and quickly shut the door behind them. "Generally speaking, yes, it would be inconvenient. After all, at this hour, the ladies of the tower are still resting. However, since you are a distinguished guest of Miss Wangyou, you are naturally a distinguished guest of this establishment, and thus exempt from the rule."

With that, he guided Su He upstairs while leading the way.

Resting his hand on the ban railing, Su He quietly surveyed his surroundings. The tower was indeed remarkably quiet by day, completely reversing its nocturnal nature.

He asked, "Should I not wait downstairs for a moment? What if..." your lady has a visitor, and my barging straight in would ruin the mood?

The attendant was quite the clever fox; catching even the slightest hint of Su He's meaning, he smiled and said, "Rest assured, honored guest, we servants know best which lady's room is entertaining visitors and which is not. Miss Wangyou received a guest surnamed Guo last night, but she claimed to be tired, and any visitors who came looking for her afterward were directed to other ladies' rooms. You must have great fortune, honored guest, to have arrived at precisely the right time."

Hearing mention of a guest surnamed Guo, Su He filed the detail away and deliberately made small talk with the attendant. "Is this guest surnamed Guo a regular of Miss Wangyou's?"

Noticing the inquiry, the attendant assumed Su He had also fallen for Wangyou's charms and joined the ranks of her admirers. Immediately wearing a knowing expression that men share among themselves, he lowered his voice and told Su He, "Regular or not, that fellow is rarely seen more than once every ten days or half a month. He’s hardly a match for someone of your esteemed status, Young Master."

Su He's pace faltered slightly, and he feigned surprise. "Little brother, you know this person?"

The attendant was greatly pleased by Su He's reaction, instantly patting his chest. "I know him, how could I not? That fellow originally had a few relatives, but after they passed away, he started hanging around with that scoundrel Wang Quan. The two of them always drank their wine together and shared their meat. Even when it came to women, they made no distinction between yours and mine. That he managed to become Miss Wangyou's guest was entirely thanks to Wang Quan; otherwise, that blockhead would never have had a chance."

"And who might this Wang Quan be? Is he also a regular of the lady's?" Su He silently committed the name Wang Quan to memory, wondering if he could uncover anything about him later.

Assuming Su He was merely consumed by jealousy between rival patrons—something they witnessed all too often, especially with gentlemen who appeared refined and courteous on the surface yet behaved no differently once their clothes came off—the attendant paid little heed. The differences were likely only anatomical, but that was unimportant. What mattered was that these men invariably put on one face in public and another in private. Therefore, he cared little and answered candidly, "That fellow started coming around about the same time as Guo Lin, though he hasn't visited many more times, save for being slightly more diligent than Guo Lin."

Before long, they arrived at Wangyou's doorway. Su He nodded, feigning complete understanding, and discreetly slipped something into the attendant's hand.

Without even looking, the attendant tucked the object straight into his sleeve and stepped forward to knock. "Miss Wangyou, a guest has arrived."

After waiting the space of a few breaths, a lazy, charming cry drifted from within: "Coming."

The door swung open to reveal Wangyou with her cloud-like hair uncombed, dressed only in her undergarments with her long dark tresses falling loose. Her just-awakened state was laid entirely bare before Su He.

Su He froze for a fraction of a second. A blush instantly rushed up Wangyou's cheeks, and she hastily spun around, pressing a hand to her bosom as she lowered her head in shy embarrassment. "Bai... Young Master Baili, please... please enter."

The attendant's dark, darting eyes flicked back and forth between the two with immense delight before quietly retreating. As he passed Su He, he winked and said, "Good fortune to you, Young Master."

Descending to a secluded corner downstairs, the attendant finally pulled the item from his sleeve to inspect it. He had expected Su He to give him pearls or some such trinket, but to his absolute shock, it was a medicinal pill. Judging by its luster and quality, it undoubtedly originated from Weiye Valley. Glancing around to ensure no one was watching, he immediately swallowed it.

Instantly, a surge of warmth coursed through his meridians, and even a bottleneck that had remained stubbornly unmoved for years showed faint signs of breaking through. Hurrying back to the servants' quarters, he found someone to cover his shift and rushed off to properly absorb the medicinal energy.

Through this brief interaction, a deep sense of gratitude had been firmly established.

Wangyou waited for quite a while, yet Su He still had not entered the room. Turning back, she realized that to avoid impropriety, he had already turned his body completely away.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard Su He say, "Perhaps the lady should change and freshen up first. I can wait."

"Please wait a moment, Young Master." Blushing fiercely, Wangyou closed the door. After the span of another cup of tea, the door opened once more, and she sidestepped to invite him in. "Forgive me for keeping you so long, please come in."

***

When she turned around, Wangyou was fully and properly dressed. Su He bowed formally and said, "It was my presumptuous visit that startled you, Lady."

"Not at all, it was Wangyou who lacked propriety." After Su He stepped inside, she walked to the door and called down the far end of the corridor, "Xing'er, prepare some tea and pastries for me."

A sweet voice responded from the distance, "Coming, right away!"

A moment later, Xing'er indeed appeared, gracefully gliding over with a tray of tea and pastries.

Catching sight of Wangyou, she offered a bow and said, "Mistress."

Wangyou glanced into the room and motioned for Su He to take a seat, saying, "The cooks are all resting at this hour, so we only have these tea and pastries. Please make do, Young Master."

Su He sat opposite her, and Xing'er poured tea for both of them before quietly retreating with the tray, thoughtfully pulling the door shut behind her.

Wangyou picked up her teacup, inhaled its fragrance, and spoke in a soft, melodic tone, "How is it that the Young Master has the leisure to visit my humble quarters today?"

This coquettish and teasing remark made Su He appear remarkably awkward.

Covering her mouth with a chuckle, she smiled and said, "I was only joking, Young Master, please do not take it to heart. Could it be that you came at this hour... because of that lady?"

As she spoke, her voice seemed to carry an imperceptible hint of lonely melancholy, mingled with a yearning for what could not be attained.

Su He's hand holding the teacup paused slightly. Slowly raising it to his lips, he lowered his gaze and asked, "The lady knows of this?"

If he remembered correctly, the Brave King should have kept the matter strictly under wraps.

Taking a delicate sip of the fragrant tea, Wangyou looked at Su He with teasing amusement. "Has the Young Master forgotten what kind of place this is? What news in this world could possibly slip past here unnoticed?"

"So, the lady has news?" Su He raised his gaze, his eyes shining like a spring that could pierce the abyss. Wangyou met his gaze for a long moment.

Suddenly, she let out a low laugh. "News I have, but I fear it is not what the Young Master is looking for."

Su He also lowered his head and gave a light chuckle. The long-absent, ice-cold clarity flashed through the depths of his eyes—so fleeting that Wangyou failed to catch it, almost making her doubt if she had merely imagined it.

Fearing that Su He might not believe her, a look of genuine sorrow bloomed across her face as she said, "I only overheard guests casually mentioning Tower Master Yi's affair during a banquet. As for specifics, I am truly powerless to help. However, if the Young Master has need of it, Wangyou is willing to intercede with the Mistress."

"There is no need."

"Then Tower Master Yi..."

"She is a witness; under the Brave King's protection, there is no need for immediate worry. I came to see you, Lady, though driven partly by selfish motives, also to fulfill a previous promise."

With that, he picked a piece of chestnut cake from among several plates and placed it before Wangyou, saying, "Since you rose early, you likely haven't eaten breakfast. Why not have a piece of chestnut cake to tide you over, and I shall have the kitchen prepare a proper meal for you shortly."

Delighted, Wangyou set down her fragrant tea and picked up her small plate to catch the chestnut cake. Unable to stop herself from gazing at the pastry over and over, her autumn-pool eyes welled up with unshed tears.

Su He withdrew his chopsticks and glanced sideways at Wangyou, asking, "Why does the lady grieve? Could it be that you dislike what I picked for you?"

To his surprise, Wangyou shook her head as silent tears fell soundlessly. Seeing Su He looking at her in bewilderment, she hurriedly wiped her eyes with a handkerchief and sobbed, "No."

"Then why are you weeping?"

Instead of explaining, Wangyou cried out with a mixture of urgency and joy, "How did the Young Master know that I... love chestnut cakes the most?"

No sooner had the words left her lips than two sharp clatters echoed as the chopsticks slipped from Su He's fingers onto the table.