Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 801 One Post Breaks Two Dilemmas
"So he's an astrologer," Kong Chengdong mused. "He observes the stars and divines, and might even be able to refine elixirs. No wonder he was able to meet the Emperor."

“That’s why I dare not offend him too much.” Ren Gui’an frowned and sighed. “If he really is an astrologer who can be rewarded by the emperor, who knows how high he might rise in the future. Not to mention, even if he uses this as an excuse to get on Magistrate Zhou’s good side, he can crush me like an ant.”

"Hmm," Kong Chengdong nodded slightly, the teasing look in his eyes gradually fading. Just as he was about to reply, a muffled kicking sound suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, abruptly interrupting his thoughts.

"Mom, open the door, I'm back!" The hoarse voice was followed by two more kicks.

"I heard you, I heard you!" Kong's wife wiped her hands and walked out of the kitchen. "You brat, keep it down! You're going to tear the door down!"

As soon as the door opened, Kong San'er's dark yet youthful smiling face appeared.

Kong San'er carried a bamboo basket in his left hand, containing a bundle of edamame and several jars of pickles, while in his right hand he held a package of desserts wrapped in oil paper—something he had bought for himself under the guise of official business. Kong San'er rushed in excitedly, shoved the snacks into his mother's hands, and ran into the inner room.

But Kong's wife grabbed him and said, "Stop! Your father is back and is inside talking to your Uncle Ren about important matters. Don't get in the way."

"Huh? Oh, hehe." Kong San'er immediately wilted when he heard that his father was back. He stopped dejectedly, scratched his head, and said, "I'd better go help you."

Inside the main room, Kong Chengdong looked out the window at Kong San'er's figure and shook his head helplessly: "That brat, he's always making a fuss and has no manners. Even if we hire a tutor and he gets into school, he won't amount to anything. He's really a headache."

"Hehehe, didn't I learn that from you?" Ren Guian leaned back in his chair and teased with a smile, "When you were young, didn't you also spend all your time chasing chickens and dogs in the village?"

"Fourth Brother, speak with your hand on your heart!" Kong Chengdong's eyes widened. "Who was it that led me to chase chickens and dogs back then, and even insisted on taking me to peep at Widow Li bathing?"

"Who is it that would do such a scandalous thing?" Ren Gui'an looked around, striking a righteous and indignant pose. "Tell me, and I'll arrest him right now."

"Tch," Kong Chengdong waved his hand and shook his head. His expression turned serious again, and he leaned forward: "Fourth Brother, you came here today because you want me to help you find out more about that Tibetan monk, right?"

“That’s right.” Ren Gui’an’s smile also faded. “As long as I can prove that he’s not the one who slipped through the net in that case, then I can go back to Baodi and report back.”

Kong Chengdong nodded and stroked his chin: "But how do we investigate this?"

"First, ask around to see if there's such an office as the Yelu Division," Ren Gui'an said. "If there is, then his suspicion will be greatly reduced. As for the rest, we'll talk about it later."

“That’s certainly a solution,” Kong Chengdong said thoughtfully. “But where am I supposed to ask?”

“The Ministry of Revenue,” Ren Gui’an said. “If such an office were really added under the Ministry of Rites, someone in the Ministry of Revenue would definitely know about it.”

“Indeed.” Kong Chengdong nodded, then shook his head: “But this matter is probably not easy to handle.”

“What’s so difficult about that? Just ask a good acquaintance,” Ren Gui’an said. “If you need money for socializing, I can provide it.”

"What are you saying, Fourth Brother!" Kong Chengdong lightly slapped the table in front of him. "It's not about money, it's that I no longer have any close acquaintances in the Ministry of Personnel."

"How could this be?" Ren Gui'an was taken aback at first, then shocked: "That case implicated your acquaintances too?"

"Not just my acquaintances, but everyone!"

"Everyone!?"

“Our coastal defense battalion didn’t really get involved in those things. They were all either laid off or dismissed, let alone the Ministry of Revenue.” Kong Chengdong nodded and said in a deep voice, “After Vice Minister Li was dismissed, the Ministry of Revenue was practically ‘purged’. All the guilty were arrested, and the innocent were transferred or driven away. The few clerks and secretaries I could get close to are all gone now, replaced by outsiders. It’s really impossible to find anyone to build connections with these days.”

“Then let’s go with the coastal defense battalion,” Ren Gui’an’s expression darkened slightly. “I think even if others don’t know about the Yelu Division, Li Youji and his men should know. Could you think of a way to ask Li Youji for advice?”

“That’s certainly possible, but…” Kong Chengdong’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I have an even better idea.”

"What method? Tell me quickly!" Ren Guian immediately leaned forward.

"Send a formal letter of introduction." Kong Chengdong snapped his fingers. "Send a formal letter of introduction to the Ministry of Finance."

"Huh? Who the hell would I send a visiting card to?" Ren Gui'an chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Who would want to see a lowly ninth-rank official like me? Wouldn't that just be asking for trouble?"

"Who told you to throw?" Kong Chengdong patted his arm with a smile. "I told that Tibetan monk to throw."

"Let him vote?" Ren Guian was even more bewildered.

"Yes, that's right. We'll have him submit it," Kong Chengdong explained. "Think about it, if he really is an astrologer who has met the Emperor and received rewards, he must think he's someone important. If he dares to submit his visiting card, regardless of whether Vice Minister Bi wants to see him or not, it at least shows that he probably has nothing to hide. But if he doesn't dare to submit it and makes excuses to avoid it, then his identity as an 'astrologer' is most likely fake. Moreover, someone like him should have some reputation in the capital. After Vice Minister Bi receives the visiting card, he might even meet with him."

"That makes sense," Ren Gui'an nodded, but two new questions quickly came to mind: "But what if Vice Minister Bi doesn't know? Or what if he does know but doesn't want to see him?"

“Don’t worry about that,” Kong Chengdong said, beaming. “Just have him write down everything he said, including how they cleared their names and were summoned by the Emperor. If Vice Minister Bi doesn’t know about these things, he’ll definitely be curious and suspicious, and seek confirmation. If Vice Minister Bi knows about it but doesn’t want to see him, he should still give a reply. And this reply itself will not only indirectly clear his name, just as you thought, but also completely absolve you of any responsibility!”

"Absolve me of all responsibility?"

"Yes. As long as you can hold onto this reply, even if he really was a fugitive, and you did release him in the end, you can use that to show that you've been diligently maintaining a high level of vigilance, and that it was the Ministry of Revenue's negligence that led to your misjudgment." Kong Chengdong was not only animated but also gesturing wildly. "When the court investigates, Magistrate Zhou will be implicated, Vice Minister Bi will be implicated, but your patrol office will be completely unscathed!"

"Fuck." Ren Guian stared at him as if he were a stranger. "That's a clever move."

--------

The aroma of meat in the dining room gradually dissipated, and the wine jar on the table was empty. The window paper, which had just been tinged with orange, was now stained a monotonous black by the night.

Kong Chengdong stood up, picked up an old lantern from the corner of the wall, and then walked back to the table. Using the flickering flame of the oil lamp, he first lit a thin stick to start the fire. After the sparks crackled, he carefully brought the flame to the candle inside the lantern.

The lanterns lit up, and the orange light spread out, casting a second shadow of him and Ren Guian on the wall.

"Fourth Brother, it's already dark. Why don't you stay here for the night?" Seeing the lamplight, Kong's wife quickly put her youngest son, whom she had just put to sleep, into the cradle and came out from the inner room. Kong San'er followed behind her, still clutching a piece of unfinished sweet cake in his hand.

"No, no," Ren Guian shook his head, then bent down and patted Kong San'er's head. "I'm too naive, and those two guys are always causing trouble. If I stay here overnight, I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep all night."

Ren Guian walked to the courtyard wall by the gate, patted the horse that was eating feed, then took the reins and tugged at it towards the gate.

The horse neighed in dissatisfaction, but eventually obeyed and started walking towards the courtyard gate, following Ren Gui'an's lead.

As soon as Ren Guian stepped out, Kong Chengdong, carrying a lantern, walked up to him and reached out to the horse's reins.

"What are you doing?" Ren Guian pulled his hand back.

"I'll take you to the post station," Kong Chengdong said matter-of-factly.

"Give me a damn thing. You still have to train tomorrow. All this running around will just waste your rest." Ren Gui'an held out his hand. "Just lend me the lantern."

"No. This is Beitang, not yours."

"What's wrong with Beitang? It's not like I don't know the way." Ren Guian stretched out his hand again. "Hurry up and stop talking nonsense."

"Alright." Seeing his insistence, Kong Chengdong stopped pressuring him and instead placed the lantern handle in his hand: "Then be careful on your journey. Come over often when you have time, and we'll have a good drink together next time."

"Alright! I'll come chat with you once I'm done with this busy period." Ren Gui'an took the lantern, mounted his horse, and, sitting on his back, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Kong Chengdong's family: "Ninth Brother, Sister-in-law, and Third Brother, I'm leaving now. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Uncle Ren!" Kong San'er waved, still with that hoarse voice.

"Fourth Brother!" Kong Chengdong waved his hand, "Be careful on the road! Don't fall."

"I know, stop nagging." Ren Guian turned his head and gently spurred the horse's flanks.

The horse trotted along, slowly trudging across the half-dry dirt road with a muffled "thump-thump." Ren Gui'an gripped the reins in one hand and carried a lantern in the other; its orange light swayed further and further into the night, like a moving star.

Kong Chengdong stood by the door, gazing into the distance until the flickering light disappeared completely into the night around the street corner. Only then did he turn back into the house with his wife and son, feeling dejected.

Ren Gui'an rode his horse slowly down the street. The light from the lanterns swayed with the rise and fall of the horse's hooves, flickering across the rows of low houses along the roadside, occasionally illuminating a stranger's cough or a child's cry.

After walking for about 15 minutes, a somewhat familiar wooden sign appeared in front of Ren Gui'an. By the light of the lantern, he could vaguely see the four large characters "Yi Hai Ting Feng" (Listening to the Wind by the Sea) carved on it. This was the inn where he had asked the two officials to take Luo Ya Gu to stay.

The sky was pitch black, and the inn's door was already closed, with two faded door god paintings pasted on the door panel. Ren Gui'an dismounted, took the reins, walked to the door, and knocked: "Is anyone home?"

A moment later, the door creaked open a crack, and an oil lamp peeked out. The man holding the lamp was in his forties, dressed in a grey cloth long gown, with a small mustache on his chin; he was the innkeeper. He sized up Ren Gui'an by the lamplight, his eyes lighting up: "You must be Inspector Ren from Qilihai?"

“It’s me,” Ren Guian nodded.

"We've been waiting for you!" The shopkeeper quickly opened the door and stepped aside to let him in. "I thought you weren't coming tonight. Please come in, please come in."

"Thank you for your trouble." Ren Gui'an handed over the reins. "Could you please lead my horse to the backyard and feed it some night grass?"

"Alright, alright!" The shopkeeper took the reins and turned to call into the house, "Old Fang! Old Fang!"

Beside a long table in the corner of the inner room, a man in his forties, looking weary, suddenly raised his head. "Manager, what's wrong?"

"Tsk, what else can we do?" The shopkeeper waved his hand repeatedly. "Quickly take this horse to the stable, feed it some night hay, and give it some bean feed."

"Okay, good," Old Fang walked over quickly and yawned heavily as he took the reins.

"Manager," Ren Gui'an said as he entered the inn, looking at the manager. "Where are my two subordinates staying?"

"The two constables are staying in the room on the second floor near the staircase," the innkeeper said, pointing to the wooden staircase leading to the second floor. "Master Jiang and Mr. Luo from the West are staying in the room at the end of the corridor; the three junior bodyguards are staying in the dormitory in the backyard with two coachmen from out of town."

"Okay, sure." Ren Gui'an nodded, his gaze following the stairs upwards, noticing a sliver of light faintly shining from a window at the end of the second-floor corridor. "And what about my room?"

"It's also on the second floor, right between the rooms of the two officers and Mr. Luo." The innkeeper said boastfully, "There was originally a merchant staying there, but I specifically discussed with him and asked him to move to another room, just to make room for you and make it easier for you to take care of him."

"Thank you." The shopkeeper was so attentive that Ren Gui'an couldn't help but respond with a thank you.

"You're too kind." The shopkeeper closed the door, and then caught up with Ren Gui'an before he stepped onto the stairs. "Inspector Ren, have you eaten yet? If not, I'll have the kitchen light a fire right away. Please let me know what you'd like to eat."

"Thank you for your kindness. I've already eaten." Ren Guian shook his head and pointed to his room. "Just bring me some hot water."

"Alright, please wait a moment. I'll go to the backyard and get someone to fetch you some water!" The shopkeeper agreed with a smile, then turned and hurried downstairs.

(End of this chapter)