35: Chapter 35 The Truth Revealed, Secrets Connected to the Imperial Court

Morning light filtered through the eaves, spilling onto the bluestone slabs in the courtyard. Chen Xuan stood at the doorway, holding a cloth bundle containing the account books and that old letter.

He glanced back into the room. Liu Ruyan was adjusting her cuffs, her head bowed, her fingers trembling slightly, yet she no longer avoided anyone's gaze.

"Let's go. What needs to be brought to light can't stay hidden any longer."

Zhao Hongling sprang to her feet, brushing the dust from her bottom. "Should've done this ages ago! I was stewing all night, practically burning up with it."

She casually grabbed the bundle from the corner. Opening it, she saw only two of the fire-thunder pellets remained. "Tsk, had too much fun blowing things up yesterday, forgot to save some excitement for today."

Leng Shuang approached from the corner of the yard. She slid her palms along the rim of the well, a thin layer of frost spreading down the stone wall in their wake.

She withdrew her hands, fingertips pale, her breathing a little steadier.

"The cold Qi is suppressed. It should hold until we finish this business."

Dugu Xue leaned against the doorframe, gazing in the direction of the street entrance. She didn't speak, only gave a slight nod. The mud stains on her shoulders had been wiped clean, and her sword sheath was tightly fastened once more.

The five of them left the small courtyard and stepped onto the street.

The morning market was just setting up. Vendors were raising their awnings, the fragrant steam of hot buns drifting through the air.

Chen Xuan didn't head straight for the bustling market. Instead, he turned into a narrow alley first, pasting up handbills at the bases of several walls.

The papers weren't large, the handwriting neat and orderly. They read: Chunhe Ward, No. 37, annual income eighty thousand taels, private accounts of the Purple-Robed Guest. Descendant of the loyal Liu Clan, punished for remonstrance, daughter fallen into the dust. Should be swiftly removed.

Zhao Hongling muttered as she pasted them up, "Can a few scraps of paper like these really topple a high official?"

"It's not the paper that's powerful," Chen Xuan wiped the tip of his nose. "It's that there are those who can't bear to see the truth come to light."

Before his words faded, the sound of hoofbeats came from the distance. An official's carriage raced past and halted before a teahouse in the city center.

Several clerks in blue robes jumped down, carrying stacks of identical handbills and began distributing them. The crowd gradually gathered, murmurs rising.

"The Liu Clan? Which Liu Clan?"

"Eighty thousand taels? How much revenue does the Ministry of Revenue even collect in a year!"

"Purple robes... only those of the third rank or higher can wear those!"

Chen Xuan stood at the street corner, watching the surging crowd, a slight curve touching the corner of his mouth. He knew the fire had already been lit.

Half an hour later, commoners gathered before the gates of the Censorate. Someone held up a handbill and shouted:

"We demand a thorough investigation into the Chunhe Ward embezzlement case!" The guards on duty exchanged uneasy glances, not daring to stop them.

At the same time, several residences of upright officials received anonymously delivered letters in succession, containing copies of the account books and rubbings of the fragmented letter.

Just past noon, three censors jointly submitted a memorial, requesting the case be officially investigated.

Zhao Hongling planted her hands on her hips, triumphant. "Even my father's old students are moving now. Let's see where he can hide this time!"

Leng Shuang said calmly, "What they fear isn't the memorials. It's the irrefutable evidence."

In the late afternoon, news came from outside the imperial city: the implicated official had been temporarily detained, his residence sealed, and his assets frozen.

The streets and alleys buzzed with astonishment. By evening, the court officially announced: the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Zhou Yuande, had colluded with local magnates, embezzled tax silver from Chunhe Ward, falsified accounts, framed the loyal and good, and was hereby dismissed from his post for investigation. The illicit funds were to be recovered, and over a dozen of his associates were imprisoned as well.

The moment the news spread, Liu Ruyan was sitting in a small noodle shop, drinking soup. Hearing the people at the next table discussing it, the chopsticks in her hand slowly stilled.

"That girl who was forced into the life... they say she's the daughter of the loyal minister Liu Zhengyan?"

"Exactly! Back then, he submitted a memorial impeaching the salt administration's abuses, but was instead accused of slandering the court. His whole family was stripped of rank. His wife and children disappeared. Who would have thought she'd end up in a brothel..."

Liu Ruyan lowered her head. The hot soup reflected her face; her eyes stung a little.

Zhao Hongling reached out and slapped the table. "Hear that? The whole world knows whose daughter you are now! Who dares call you a woman of the dust anymore? Your father was an upright official who stood tall between heaven and earth!"

Liu Ruyan didn't speak. She just slowly set down her bowl and raised a hand to touch the corner of her eye.

At night, the five returned to the temporary small courtyard in the eastern part of the city. An old locust tree stood in the yard, its branches lush, moonlight filtering through and dappling the ground.

Chen Xuan took out the account books and the letter, placing them on the table.

"We still need to keep these safe. Even though the man is caught, this isn't over."

"It's enough already."

Liu Ruyan said softly, "My mother hid for a lifetime, just waiting for this day. Now everyone knows the truth. She... can rest in peace."

Leng Shuang walked over and stood beside her. The two stood shoulder to shoulder, neither looking at the other, but their shoulders were close.

Zhao Hongling yawned. "I say, shouldn't we have a proper meal next? Busy for so many days, haven't even had a decent bite."

"If you want to eat, there will be plenty of chances," Chen Xuan shook his head with a smile. "But for now, we need to think about what to do next."

"Next?"

Zhao Hongling glared, "What else? Keep going, of course! Who's next? Which corrupt official is still pretending to be noble? Name him and I'll give him a beating!"

Dugu Xue finally spoke. "The court won't be pushed along by us forever. If you truly want to change something, you have to stand up there."

Her words weren't fully explicit, but everyone understood.

Chen Xuan nodded. "We can't spend our whole lives secretly posting handbills and escaping through tunnels. Since we've already torn open a gap, we shouldn't let it close."

Liu Ruyan suddenly stepped forward, moving to Chen Xuan's side. She didn't speak, only gently grasped his arm. The motion was light, as if afraid to disturb something.

Chen Xuan turned his head to look at her.

She lifted her head. Tears still glistened in her eyes, yet her expression was resolute. "I don't want to hide anymore."

"Before, I feared implicating you all. I feared my lowly status was unworthy of this friendship."

"But now I know. I'm not rootless duckweed. I am Liu Zhengyan's daughter."

"I have the right to stand among you. And I have the right... to walk forward with you."

Zhao Hongling grinned broadly, sprang up, and threw an arm around her shoulders. "Now that's more like it! I was wondering how long you were going to keep hiding!"

Leng Shuang also gave a slight nod, the corner of her mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.

Dugu Xue turned and walked toward the courtyard gate. Her hand rested on the door ring as she looked back. "Before dawn, a courier will bring news of the northern frontier military situation. I think someone will come seeking cooperation very soon."

Chen Xuan laughed. "It seems our little 'band' is officially opening for business."

He carefully folded his mother's last letter, placed it into a brocade box, and tucked the box into the deepest layer of his pack. Then he shouldered the bundle and patted off the dust.

"Let's go. Rest for the night. There's still work to do tomorrow."

Liu Ruyan remained standing beside him, her hand not letting go.

In the courtyard, the wind rustled the leaves. Moonlight fell at their feet, their shadows close together.

Chen Xuan took the first step, and she followed him out.