Miao Chu

Chapter 48 Official Mission
Seeing that he was a legitimate government official, Song Miao replied, "My surname is Song, and I live in Suanzao Lane near Zhuque Gate. I heard that someone went missing here during the Lantern Festival, and since I was passing by, I thought it was unusual and decided to take a look."

The reason was straightforward and seemingly reasonable, yet it was also strangely inexplicable. The official holding the waist token became even more suspicious and asked, "I've seen you come and go several times, just because you find it rare?"

She replied, "Yes."

The person opposite then raised the lantern in their hand, using its light to look Song Miao up and down before saying, "It's already dark. You know someone just got lost here. Don't linger outside, hurry home!"

He paused for a moment, then added, "I'll see you out from behind."

Song Miao was slightly taken aback. She realized that the word "send" used by the person opposite her was quite warning. It was more like escorting than protecting.

She reacted immediately.

As dusk fell, I walked back and forth to the scene of the crime several times, most likely because the other party mistook me for someone involved in the case.

Before she could answer, the person opposite her hesitated again, then turned to the person beside her and said, “Brother Han, it’s dark and late at night. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go alone to deliver it—I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to come with me.”

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Fortunately, Suanzao Lane is not far from the Imperial Academy. After this matter is settled, I will go back with you and explain to the Imperial Academy's tutor—I didn't expect to be delayed like this today, making your return time too late."

The man next to him, addressed as Brother Han, nodded in agreement, saying, "It's my duty, no need to say more."

Upon hearing the words "Imperial Academy" and then the words "academic director," Song Miao used the lantern's candlelight to look at the person on the left. Sure enough, the style of the robe looked very familiar, and she immediately recognized the person's identity.

—So you're a student from the Imperial Academy.

They're all students now, so even if there's some misunderstanding tonight, they won't have to worry about not finding someone to help bridge the gap and explain things in the future.

Then you're practically one of us.

Since they are our own people, it doesn't count as escorting them; it can be considered as protecting them.

Song Miao immediately changed her mind and felt relieved. The slight unease she felt at being "given" to him quickly dissipated. Without saying much, she simply said, "In that case, I'll trouble you, sir."

As he spoke, he bowed and then leisurely took the lead.

Then, the man in the brocade robe never expected that Song Miao would leave so suddenly, without the tension that an ordinary person would feel when being treated sternly by government officials. He was both puzzled and awkward, but he hurriedly raised his lantern and followed her, not getting too close, just trailing her at a distance, while talking to the person next to him.

"Brother Han, this woman's behavior is suspicious, and her reasons are quite far-fetched. Could she be involved in this case?"

The student in the long gown shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, but she must have come on a whim."

If Cheng Zijian were here, he would recognize at a glance that this Brother Han is none other than Han Li, whom he feeds with breakfast and good food every day, hoping to fatten him up as soon as possible.

Upon hearing Han Li's words, the man in the brocade robe asked in surprise, "What do you mean by that? I didn't see it coming."

"We saw this woman come over with our own eyes. It was already late at that time, and she didn't carry any light with her. If she weren't very familiar with this place and lived nearby, how could she have moved around so easily?"

“But she claimed to live in Suanzao Lane, and she seemed quite unfamiliar with the route just now, so it didn’t seem like she had planned it beforehand.”

The man in the brocade robe quickly asked, "Didn't she have a basket? Perhaps it contained something for lighting?"

Han Li turned and glanced at him, his expression unreadable, which made the other man feel a little uneasy.

"Qin Zong, have you been to the blacksmith's shop?"

The man in the brocade robe named Qin Zong was taken aback: "This... I haven't been there before..."

"Well, I can't blame you for that—I bet what's in her basket isn't lighting; most likely it's a weapon. Whether it is or not, we'll find out soon enough by asking her."

As they were talking, the two of them had already walked onto the main road of Zhouqiao Bridge.

Qin Zong was startled and lowered his voice considerably as he hurriedly asked, "Carrying a sharp weapon on her person, doesn't that make her even more suspicious?!"

As he asked the question, he looked up at the screen.

At that very moment, Song Miao also turned around to look.

There were many shops here, and the lights were very bright, but she was standing in the shadows, so her face was not visible, only her movements were visible—her right hand was clearly still resting on the soft basket on her left.

Qin Zong's heart skipped a beat, and he stopped in his tracks, instinctively reaching for the short blade protecting his lower back.

However, Han Li, watching his actions, could only ask helplessly, "Brother Qin said that you are ambitious and do not seek officialdom, but only want to do something practical. You have been working in the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices for three months and are very diligent. What have you been studying in your spare time?"

Qin Zong could easily tell the difference between good and bad in those words.

His hand was still on the short blade, unsure whether to retract it or not. However, relying on his thick skin, he wasn't embarrassed at all and simply said, "I helped arrest quite a few people in the military patrol office, watched them handle several cases, organized about ten files, and got to know everyone in the yamen well—wouldn't that count as learning something?"

As he spoke, his voice grew weak, clearly realizing that he wasn't quite up to par. He quickly added, "Brother Han, wouldn't you say we're old acquaintances? If Fourth Brother asks you to select people when you come to the yamen tomorrow, you shouldn't overlook me out of consideration for our past friendship, should you?"

“Everyone in the Left and Right Military Patrol Offices is a shrewd person. Although Fourth Brother is a judge, he has only been in office for a short time, and he is not yet fully familiar with the people under him. He is not as useful as a blank sheet of paper as I am, who can draw whatever he wants on me!”

"He instructed me early on to follow your orders, which means he specifically designated me to communicate with you—you know that, right? You have to give him that much face, don't you?"

Han Li did not answer.

Qin Zong felt even more uneasy and hurriedly asked, "I heard from Fourth Brother that our teacher recently accidentally broke a brush washer? Do I have any good ones...?"

Han Li sighed, raised his chin in a gesture, and urged, "Let's go."

Qin Zong then came to his senses and hurriedly turned around to look ahead, only to see that the woman had also stopped and was standing to the side.

She was slender and well-proportioned, standing gracefully with an air of elegance that blended perfectly with the surrounding bustling atmosphere, making her stand out even more and drawing the attention of passersby.

However, Qin Zong was unsure whether it was his imagination or not, but he seemed to see the other person sighing, looking in his direction as he sighed, and then looking at the road ahead.

For some reason, he felt that the feeling of this sigh was very similar.

—It felt as if I had just been sighed over, and now I was being sighed over again, as if I was being urged on.

Is it because everyone thinks he's keeping up too slowly?
Qin Zong quickly took a few steps to catch up.

Song Miaozheng turned her head to the side.

A signpost blocked the view of the student "Brother Han," but the official standing behind him was clearly visible in the candlelight.

He was a young man in his early twenties.

He had an ordinary appearance, but his attire was very elaborate. The color of his brocade robe was different from the common black or dark blue, but a lighter shade of blue. He used a wooden crown to tie his head, but the crown was decorated with openwork carvings on both sides, which was very elegant.

As for the jade pendant at the waist, it looks very much like Hetian jade, with excellent luster and oiliness.

Where did such a wealthy official come from?
After standing still for a few moments, seeing that the people behind her were quickly catching up, Song Miao then continued on her way.

She timed it perfectly and even rushed to the market to pick up the meat and vegetables she had ordered in advance.

After walking for quite a while, we finally returned to Suanzao Lane.

With two people escorting her, one of whom she knew a little about, she felt much more relaxed and at ease than going home alone. Once she reached the end of the alley, she opened the door and lit the candles.

Just then, Qin Zong, who had followed into the alley, was about to move forward when Han Li reached out and stopped him.

He was taken aback, turned his head and asked, "Brother Han?"

"Let's go."

Qin Zong was quite confused and quickly asked, "Shouldn't we ask them a few questions? Didn't you say earlier that you didn't know if this woman was involved..."

Han Li pointed to the storefront sign and said, "No need to ask, I know this person."

The room was lit with a lamp, and a crooked stool was placed at the doorway as if to guide the two of them, while Qin Zong also had a lantern in his hand.

With the help of these two lights, you can vaguely make out the words "Song Ji Restaurant" on the signboard.

Actually, as soon as Han Li entered Suanzao Alley, and walked halfway there, he saw the back wall of Nanlu Academy behind him, and he had some guesses in his mind.

Upon seeing the signboard and the cart in the main room, with the words "Song's Green Bean Paste Glutinous Rice" and "Song's Lamb Shumai" hanging next to it, I understood even more.

—So it was this family all along.

It's not that far.

“He’s a skilled chef, quite famous in the neighborhood. Even if something happens, he can’t escape.” He explained to Qin Zong a few more words, “It’s the middle of the night, and there’s only one woman in that house. It’s not appropriate for the two of us to go in.”

He added, "I'll come back and ask again tomorrow morning."

Qin Zong hurriedly said, "How can I trouble Brother Han like this? I'll come with you tomorrow morning to ask."

He then laughed and said, "Speaking of chefs, my family has several chefs, and their skills are all quite outstanding. Since Brother Han has come to the capital government office, there's no need to eat at the government kitchen; just try all the dishes prepared by my family's chefs!"

Seizing the opportunity, he immediately said, "Why don't we try it tomorrow morning? I just hired a chef from the north; his bamboo shoot noodles are quite delicious—Brother Han, are you from Guanzhong?"

Han Li shook his head and said, "I already had something to eat this morning, so there's no need."

Qin Zong was momentarily disappointed, but quickly struck up a conversation with him, saying all sorts of random things. As he spoke, he turned and walked back. After taking only a few steps, he saw Han Li suddenly stop and turn around.

He hurriedly turned around and looked through the gate. He saw the young woman he had been following all the way taking a sharp knife out of the soft basket inside the Song family's restaurant.

The knife wasn't very big, with a pointed tip and a narrow body, and it was quite new.

She took the knife, tested the blade in her hand, washed it a few times with water from the basin, and then placed it on the wooden shelf next to the wall. The shelf already had three or four knives of various sizes inserted on it. From this angle, they looked neat, clean, and shiny, blending perfectly with the stove, creating a harmonious whole.

Qin Zong sighed inwardly, admiring Han's insightful deduction. He turned to praise Han, but Han did not look in the direction of the Song family. Instead, he turned to the other side, looking at another house on the right.

"What's wrong?" He swallowed back the flattery that was already on the tip of his tongue and hurriedly asked.

"Silence."

Qin Zong quickly shut his mouth. After a moment, he heard Han Li ask again, "Did you hear that?"

Qin Zong was taken aback, then listened carefully and took two steps to the right front. Sure enough, he could faintly hear some noise coming from the house on the right.

"There are some sounds." He immediately became alert, grabbed the wall for support, and leaped high to see what was happening inside.

"It was pitch black, there were no lights on, we couldn't see anything," he said.

Han Li glanced at the tightly closed back gate of Nanlu Academy across the street, then at Song's Restaurant beside it, before saying to Qin Zong, "Keep an eye on this house, but don't make a fuss. Investigate it thoroughly tomorrow." Qin Zong had been running around for the past two or three months and had already sensed that something was amiss with this house. He was more excited than anything else, thinking to himself: Could it be that this time I'm really going to uncover something myself? I just want to quickly make a contribution so that Fourth Brother will look at me with new eyes!

As he thought about it, he immediately nodded and said, "Good! Good! Brother Han, I will come to inspect this house tomorrow!"

"tomorrow?"

Han Li raised an eyebrow and asked, "You've been in the Left and Right Military Patrol Institutes for three months, and no one has told you what 'keeping an eye on' means yet?"

Qin Zong's excitement gradually subsided. After a long while, he swallowed and asked, "Brother Han, do you mean... we'll start keeping watch tonight?"

Han Li nodded naturally and said, "Since you feel something is wrong and you want to keep an eye on things, then you should keep an eye on things. If you have manpower, you can guard them from the front and back. If you don't have manpower, you can guard them yourself. But this is just something I said casually. I'm not forcing you. If you can't keep an eye on things, then go home."

Qin Zong felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly said, "Then...then I'll take Brother Han back first?"

"I still have the transfer order from the Kyoto Prefectural Government, which is enough to deal with the school director. I can go back whenever I want; you don't need to see me off."

Han Li easily dismissed him and then said, "If you don't know how to keep an eye on things, since there's a skilled cook, prepare a proper midnight snack and breakfast. Be respectful and ask an old Taoist inspector to take you along. That will save you a lot of effort. You've always been quick-witted and know how to conduct yourself without needing anyone to teach you."

This compliment immediately cheered Qin Zong up, but seeing Han Li walking forward like this, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Brother Han... what's your plan?"

Han Li glanced back at him and said, "I am just a student of the Imperial Academy, temporarily transferred to the Kyoto government office to lend a hand. My reporting date is effective tomorrow, so naturally I must return to the Imperial Academy."

"I have never worked in the Left or Right Military Patrol Offices, never followed any cases in the capital, never handled any files, never arrested anyone, and certainly don't know how to monitor anyone."

Han Li paused for a moment, seemingly in a good mood: "I'll be going now. If I get back late, I'm afraid I'll disturb my roommates' rest."

After speaking, he bowed slightly, smiled, and strode away.

Qin Zong was left standing there alone, feeling a chill in his heart. He felt a gust of wind make him feel weak all over.

He came from a wealthy family, and although he was supposed to come to the Kyoto government office to do "real work," he was just running around, eating and drinking, and getting acquainted with people. He didn't dare to entrust other people with his affairs completely.

Qin Zong wasn't stupid; he knew exactly what everyone was thinking.

He said he was going to do something, but he had no idea what to do or how to do it. He had never suffered any hardship since childhood. Now that he was left standing there, he stared blankly for a while. He didn't know where the energy came from, but he turned around and glanced at the dark house on the right. He gritted his teeth and hurriedly left the Suanzao Alley.

Arriving at a bustling area, Qin Zong found a tavern with a view of the entrance to Suanzao Alley and sat down at a table near the entrance.

He ordered a few side dishes, then took out a handful of money and handed it to the waiter.

"Find me a quick-footed and discreet man to go to the Qin residence in the alleys of Junyi Bridge and send two men to find me here. Also, tell the family to prepare some late-night snacks and breakfast, the best of everything."

The waiter readily agreed and hurried to the door to call for help.

***
Qin Zong sat alone at the doorway, doing his job for the first time, unsure of what to do or whether it would be of any use.

He sat for a long time and dared not drink alcohol, so he drank tea instead. But after drinking too much, he needed to urinate. He was afraid of missing someone, and he was not sure how to keep an eye on them. He felt like he was getting bored waiting, but no one came. He was extremely annoyed.

Meanwhile, Diao Zi, who had escaped Suanzao Alley with a few brothers the night before, was even more agitated.

"That young lady really went to inspect the shops?! Did the other students go?" Upon hearing his subordinate's reply, he couldn't even sit still and stood up abruptly to ask.

The subordinate hurriedly said, "Officer Ma didn't say much. Most of the students didn't go. He only told a young woman in Suanzao Lane to report that someone broke into a house yesterday and injured several students. He also described the perpetrator's appearance and accent clearly."

"As soon as he heard the description, he knew it was us. He quickly sent someone to tell us to think of a way to settle the matter and not make a big fuss."

"Brother Diao...should we tell Boss Liao?" The subordinate was also a bit unsure.

"Don't talk nonsense! Yesterday, the boss gave us a few hundred coins for drinks and praised us for handling things well. Go and slap him in the face today—if you're going to die, die on your own, don't drag me down with you!"

Diao Zi spat on the ground.

They messed up their mission yesterday, and were afraid of actually hurting those imperial students, and even more afraid of the patrolmen coming to their door.

But after waiting all night, there was no movement. It wasn't until the lookout said that the students had already gone back and didn't seem to be seriously injured that they breathed a sigh of relief.

Having made a mess, and still wanting to salvage the situation, he naturally dared not tell his superiors.

To his surprise, as soon as he returned, the accountant gave him money, saying it was a reward from the head of the household and that he would treat the brothers to a drink.

—In that case, it's even more impossible to say.

Just as they were at a loss, another person burst in through the door and hurriedly said, "Brother Diao, you told me to keep an eye on that Song family woman. I've been following her all the way—today she went to the patrol station to report to the authorities, and then she went to the government office to check the deeds to the Song family's house!"

A buzzing sound suddenly went off in Diao Zi's mind.

He felt the matter was serious, but he didn't know exactly how serious it was. However, he felt that he definitely couldn't explain it to his superiors at this time, so he quickly summoned all his subordinates from the previous night, explained the situation, and asked, "Given the current situation, you all need to think of a solution and come up with some ideas. Otherwise, when things come to a head, not only will I be in trouble, but none of you will escape!"

Snakes have snake ways, rats have rat ways.

Sure enough, one of the guys came up with a solution.

“Brother Diao, we’re afraid, but isn’t she? She’s just a young woman, she’s probably too scared to sleep at night! She went to the yamen to put her mind at ease—in that case, why not start with the yamen and drag it out a bit, let her know that reporting to the authorities is useless and will only cause her trouble, and she’ll probably stop causing trouble in the future.”

"This will keep her occupied and prevent her from checking the contract. Let's see how we can quickly find someone to replace it."

Diao Zi thought this made a lot of sense, so he asked, "How can we delay this?"

“That’s easy!” Na Qing slapped his thigh. “We won’t bother either of you. We’ll just spend some money and ask Constable Ma for help. We don’t need him to show his face. We’ll just have a few of his men take that young woman to the patrol station.”

"Isn't she setting up a stall at the entrance of the Imperial Academy? Then ask her to patrol the stall early in the morning. After she has finished making her things, don't let her sell them. Block the entrance and take her away. Take her to the yamen for questioning and release her in the afternoon. By then, the food she made will have spoiled, and she won't have anyone to reason with. This isn't something you reported to the authorities yourself. The constables are doing their job properly, which is why they're following you so closely, right?"

"She's not stupid; she'll know to weigh things up after a few days of messing around and wasting business."

In an instant, the whole room was filled with echoes of agreement.

The cunning man listened and found no fault with his subordinate's actions; he praised him highly. Sure enough, he made a tough decision and secretly gathered money that very night to bribe the constable, Ma.

***
Song Miao was naturally unaware of all the things that had happened behind the scenes.

She packed her things, expecting the person following her to come in and ask questions, and had already prepared tea. However, no one came for half a day, so she went out—only to see two figures leaving one after the other.

What does this mean?
Was he really just taking me home?

She was puzzled, but didn't have time to pay much attention to it. She put the oil lamp back in the house, closed the door tightly, and began to prepare all sorts of materials for her stall tomorrow.

I got home late today and was busy until very late to finish preparing everything.

She slept in the main hall again that night. When she got up, she was busy all morning and finally got everything done. As soon as she opened the door, she was stunned to see several police officers standing outside.

The group seemed to have been waiting for a while. When she opened the door, the one in the lead stepped forward and said, "Are you Miss Song from Song Family Restaurant in Suanzao Alley? Was it you who came to report yesterday that someone had broken into a house the other night?"

They didn't come yesterday, but they came today, and they came very early this morning.

Seeing the situation before her, Song Miao knew that something was wrong.

But she remained calm, smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "That's right."

He added, “Thank you for coming, gentlemen. I have to go set up my stall right now and I’m afraid I don’t have much time to entertain you. May I ask what brings you here today? If it’s convenient, could you come a little later, after I’ve finished my business?”

The police officer in front frowned and said, "We lined up here this morning, and naturally we lined up in other places the rest of the time. If you wait here today, and someone else waits here tomorrow, how are we supposed to keep our orders?"

He added, "After we check the situation inside the house, you can come back to the patrol station with us. There are some questions we need to ask. If you answer quickly, you'll be able to come back quickly."

Song Miao immediately understood the truth.

She stopped pushing the cart and made no excuses to delay or refuse. Instead, she stepped back, opened the door, and invited everyone in.

Several police officers walked around inside and found no trace of the intruder. They all frowned and said, "You've cleaned it up so well that it's impossible to tell if anyone broke in at night. We'll have to rely entirely on statements and witnesses—which will take even longer."

Song Miao agreed, but said, "In that case, I'm afraid we might not be back for an hour or two. The glutinous rice I prepared is fine; we can find a dock to sell it this afternoon. It's just a pity that the mutton and scallion shumai, the pork and scallion shumai, and the shepherd's purse, bamboo shoot, and tofu filling—if these are cooked for too long, the scallions and leaves will turn yellow. It's such a shame. You all must not have had breakfast since you came out to work so early in the morning, right?"

As she spoke, she opened the steamer.

The aroma of the scallion and pork shumai was irresistible even to a young master like He Qi, who was used to fine food. How could a few hungry constables, who had been woken up before dawn to be assigned tasks, possibly resist it?

Several people swallowed hard.

Song Miao took a lotus leaf and asked, "The meat shumai is quite big. Is there anyone who can't finish six? Does anyone not like scallions? Or does anyone not eat shepherd's purse?"

Once you become a police officer, you're exposed to the sun and rain every day, and you might not even be able to get enough to eat for three meals a day. Who has the right to choose whether they like what they eat or not?
"There's also tangerine peel and mung bean drink, which is very cooling, or radish and pork rib soup, which is also very comforting to eat in the morning—please help yourselves, I won't help you."

As Song Miao spoke, she pointed to the steamer next to her.

The patrolman swallowed hard, sensing something was amiss, and said, "Well, we shouldn't linger too long."

Song Miao laughed and said, "So early, even the yamen (government offices) haven't started their duties yet, have they? Even the emperor doesn't starve his soldiers, so can't the police officers have a full meal before they start working?"

These words caused all the police officers behind to turn their eyes toward their leader.

When the hearts of the people are divided, how can the leader possibly utter a word of dissent?

But he managed to keep his composure and asked again, "We are, after all, government officials. We can't just take your food for free. If people find out and report it to their superiors, it will be troublesome—how much are your shumai?"

As soon as the leader finished speaking, all the other police officers breathed a sigh of relief and began asking questions.

"Eat here, eat quickly—you should eat too, young lady, before you go. Questions always take a long time, and you might not be able to come out at noon."

"I love lamb filling. I see this filling is quite generous. Give me eight lamb and scallion shumai first."

"I want savory soup in the morning—which one is for the clear radish and pork rib soup?"

"how much is the total?"

"Didn't you say you also had sticky rice? What's this mung bean paste sticky rice? Can I have a serving of that too?"

So the police officers who came to the door, before they had even finished their duties or taken the person away, were already frantically rummaging through their sleeves, pockets, and purses, eager to pay for shumai and sticky rice, afraid that if they were slow, they would be left behind.

Many thanks to miya爱古言 for the sachet, and to the beautiful rich woman and book friend 20240702125440715 for the amulets! :)
Thank you to Furuanruan from the bookstore for sending me this writing aid! And thank you to my cats, Dandan and Yunyunhai, for each of them a small gift =3=
There will be an extra chapter today, updated three times.

Tomorrow's update might be in the afternoon or evening, it's uncertain. Tomorrow should be a normal update, and there shouldn't be any extra chapters unless something unexpected happens.

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(End of this chapter)