Chapter 338

Seeing a red glow in the middle of the night—and in an ancient era devoid of modern civilization’s neon lights or the light pollution of high-brightness LED screens—if it wasn't a falling meteor, then the most likely cause was a fire. Observing that the glow was not particularly close to their location, Wang Xiujin arched an eyebrow, turned, and went back into the house. Since it was not in the direction of his parents' quarters, whoever’s home had suffered a disaster was none of his concern.

Li Linshen stood at the doorway for a while longer, his eyes reflecting the crimson firelight, though his thoughts remained unreadable. After a long silence, he too turned and headed inside. Neither of them spoke. Earlier, Li Linshen had mentioned that shortly after the establishment of the Investigative Bureau a few years ago, their estate had been under surveillance. Whether it was constant or intermittent, they could not be certain. Furthermore, the origin of the experts within the Investigative Bureau remained a source of great confusion for the Li family. Of course, the Bureau did not target only the Li or Wang families; every official in the capital was under scrutiny, and even members of the royal family were not spared. Beyond the capital, officials of all ranks were rarely beyond their reach.

They exchanged glances, as if attempting to read the other’s eyes, but even with the sky burning red outside, it was still an ancient night; discerning emotions in the dark was nearly impossible. The two climbed into bed; whatever they might have wished to say, they could only suppress.

The night felt interminable. Wang Xiujin expected to toss and turn, yet he drifted into a dreamless sleep until dawn. Opening his eyes and feeling the already cold space beside him, he didn't dwell on it and rose to dress. After paying his respects to his elders and finishing breakfast, he inquired about Li Linshen’s whereabouts. A servant immediately replied, "Young Master Li left before dawn, saying he was going to the military camp to look around."

Arching an eyebrow, Wang Xiujin suspected Li Linshen’s early departure was connected to the previous night’s fire, but he found it difficult to probe further. Who had started the fire, where it had burned, and what the casualties were—all remained questions. Deciding to postpone his own departure, Wang Xiujin thought he might hear more versions of the story later. With his mind made up, he was in no hurry. He had a servant bring him some fruit and began to read, unable to recall the last time he had been able to settle his mind enough to do so.

It was well past noon when Wang Xiujin finally wandered out of the house. He took a carriage to check on his shop, then headed to a teahouse; it was the best place to hear the most versions of any gossip. To his surprise, no one was discussing the previous night’s events, as if nothing had happened at all. Finding this extremely strange, he returned to his shop and pulled the manager into the backyard to ask directly. The manager, who lived in the shop, also claimed to know nothing of the night’s occurrences.

Wang Xiujin raised an eyebrow. Had he not seen the red glow with Li Linshen, he would have assumed it was a hallucination. He decided to stop inquiring; he would know which household had suffered once he saw Li Linshen that evening. He suddenly reminded himself that excessive curiosity was a path to trouble.

After lingering at the shop and visiting a nearby workshop, he prepared to head home. Just as he reached his gate, he was intercepted by an attendant of the Fifth Prince, who had been waiting for him. The Fifth Prince had matters to discuss. Casting a glance at his home, Wang Xiujin had no choice but to turn and follow the attendant.

Upon meeting the Fifth Prince, Wang Xiujin listened as the prince excitedly described the Emperor’s approval of the "Best Storyteller" competition. The Emperor’s suggestions on the format and judging were even more detailed than Wang Xiujin’s. While Wang Xiujin had been thinking about the aftermath of the contest, the Emperor had even devised ways to monetize the initial stages. Remembering the general store the Emperor had single-handedly established, Wang Xiujin sighed at the wisdom and profit-making capability of the ancients; most of what later generations did was merely playing with leftovers.

Wang Xiujin had nothing to add. He wanted to offer a few flattering words but feared saying the wrong thing and ending up in trouble—flattery was a skill in itself, and he had always felt his own proficiency was merely at an introductory level. The Fifth Prince was decent at academics but mediocre at business; however, since his father and the Imperial merchants thought it was a good idea, he was certain it would succeed. He decided to announce it to the world, with a three-month period from announcement to registration, and preliminary rounds in major cities. The participants included Confucian scholars, famous authors of fiction, and teachers from the Xinlou Academy in the capital.

Wang Xiujin did not refuse the role of a judge. Although students from Xinlou did not take the imperial examinations, their academic prowess and other skills absolutely crushed those of other academies. Nowadays, academies in the capital held a unified year-end examination to determine rankings; the grading was anonymous, and the papers were hidden. Year after year, Xinlou Academy swept the top spots, infuriating the teachers of other academies. They could only be grateful that Xinlou did not recruit externally, or else all the good students would be snatched away, forcing their own schools to close.

As for other competitions, the teachers of other academies did not care; in their view, only literary talent mattered. This mindset left Wang Xiujin helpless, yet he could change nothing. Over the years, many had tried to pull strings or use their connections to the royal family to get students enrolled, but Wang Xiujin had ignored them all, pushing the Fourth and Fifth Princes to the forefront, even using the Emperor as a shield. He sometimes wondered if the number of people he had offended, directly or indirectly, could circle the globe.

Finally leaving the event venue, Wang Xiujin breathed a massive sigh of relief; he truly could not understand what the Fifth Prince was so excited about. Upon returning home, he was surprised not to find Li Linshen. Could the previous night’s fire have been related to the military camp? That direction did indeed seem to align with the camp. At this thought, his heart tightened.

He waited and waited, but Li Linshen did not return. Wang Xiujin grew increasingly anxious, though he reasoned that if something truly major had happened, the Fifth Prince would not have been so relaxed earlier. Then again, the Prince had little interest in military affairs and rarely spoke of them. When in a state of uncertainty, one’s mind tends to wander; Wang Xiujin knew that if the military camp had truly suffered, the Li family would not be this calm, yet he could not stop his imagination from running wild.

It was late at night when Li Linshen finally returned. Seeing the light in the room, his pace quickened. A servant who had not yet gone to sleep quickly fetched hot water. Li Linshen washed up, during which time Wang Xiujin remained silent; regardless of whether there were others lingering in the rafters, as long as servants were present, he would not speak freely. No matter how loyal a servant might be, one must be cautious; who could guarantee they wouldn't sell out their master if captured?

While Li Linshen washed, a servant brought in porridge and side dishes that had been kept warm. Once the food was set down, Wang Xiujin dismissed the servants, telling them they were no longer needed. Only after they had retreated did he watch Li Linshen eat, feeling a sense of relief wash over him.

"Why are you back so late?" Wang Xiujin asked, pouring a cup of water and sitting by the table.

"There was an incident at the military camp," Li Linshen replied, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes as he noticed Wang Xiujin’s concern.

"As long as you are safe." Wang Xiujin toyed with his cup, wanting to ask more but fearing ears behind the walls.

"Last night, the residence of Minister Liu caught fire. Over a hundred people perished, not a single one survived," Li Linshen said calmly. "Today, while clearing the ruins, they unearthed thirteen chests of gold ingots and sixty-two chests of silver from his basement."

"Good heavens!" Wang Xiujin’s eyes widened. Even without knowing the size of the chests, he knew they wouldn't contain merely one ingot each; this Minister Liu was incredibly wealthy.

"The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Minister Liu served under two reigns and had many protégés. The Emperor has not yet issued instructions on how to handle the aftermath. Today, he announced in court that he would suspend official business for three days due to his grief." Li Linshen had not attended the morning court, but he was well-informed.

The Emperor shouldn't have suspended court for such a reason; there must be another cause. Wang Xiujin hesitated to ask.

"That silver was likely privately minted. The Emperor is likely furious, not grieving," Li Linshen explained.

Privately minted silver? What was Minister Liu planning? The immediate reaction was... treason. Who was rebelling? Minister Liu? Or someone else? What had the Great Liang done to wrong these people? The country was becoming increasingly prosperous, the Emperor was not foolish, and the common folk were not starving. If they truly rebelled, would anyone even respond? Wang Xiujin thought anyone who wanted to rebel must be insane—did they really think that position was easy to hold? "Having committed such a heinous crime, dying like that is what he deserved. He should be grateful for such a death; otherwise, it would likely have implicated his entire clan." Wang Xiujin felt no sympathy for such a person.

Li Linshen glanced at Wang Xiujin but said nothing, finishing the porridge in his bowl. He set it down, took the cup from Wang Xiujin’s hand, and drank it in one gulp. "It is late. Rest early; tomorrow will be an early day as well. The capital will likely be unstable for a while, so be careful."

Wang Xiujin nodded. If it was a rebellion, it certainly wasn't the work of one man; there was no way the capital could remain peaceful. "The seafood that Big Brother sent has arrived. I've had the kitchen clean it; we'll have seafood tomorrow."

Hearing about the seafood, Li Linshen’s expression turned even more serious. He didn't know why Wang Xiujin was so fond of it. Although the seafood was transported to the capital and Wang Xiujin no longer suffered from it, he still remembered how ill Wang Xiujin had been back in Fengcheng.