A Pawn's Passage

A flash of anger and embarrassment crossed the man’s face, but his good upbringing kept him from lashing out on the spot. Instead, he extended his arms and let the two Daoist nuns, who had already covered their intimate areas, help him dress.

This kind of haughty behavior, even in the face of crisis, was not something ordinary people could imitate. It was in his core, indicating that the man’s origins were anything but humble.

As the man was getting dressed, Qi Xuansu asked, “May I ask for your name, sir? I hope you won’t mind sharing it.”

The man replied, “Qin Hengde.”

Qi Xuansu nodded in understanding. “So, you’re from the imperial clan. I am an eight-generation Daoist disciple. By that reckoning, we are of the same generation.”

Qin Hengde responded with a dry chuckle.

He had heard of Qi Xuansu and knew more of the inside story than the average person.

Qi Xuansu hailed from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace and had once roamed as a wild Daoist. He later joined the Tiangang Hall, where he caught the attention of Zhang Yuelu, thus beginning his meteoric rise. The internal conflicts within the Daoist Order were turbulent and hard for outsiders to grasp. But he knew that Qi Xuansu was close to Pei Xiaolou, and through that connection, Qi Xuansu became Pei Xuanzhi’s subordinate, thereby transferring into the Quanzhen Sect and becoming a classmate of the Daoist prodigy Yao Pei.

Within the major factions of the Quanzhen Sect, although Qi Xuansu bore the surname Qi, his ties with the Qi family were strained. Instead, he had close relations with the Yao and Pei families and some connections with members of the Ning and Ji families as well.

Given time, Superintendent Qi would most likely become a major figure within the Quanzhen Sect. His stint in the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion was just a way to gild his résumé. Since he did not intend to put down roots here but still needed results, he was not afraid to offend people. Like a rabid dog, he latched on and would not let go without tearing off a chunk of flesh. As such, anyone who crossed paths with him was bound to suffer.

Qin Hengde had not believed a wild Daoist who had only risen to prominence a year ago could be capable of much. But the aftermath of the Gao Mingyin incident had stunned him, especially the death of Monk Yan Xiu. Even as a bystander, he could not help but feel a chill down his spine.

Yan Xiu was a Buddhist prodigy, but he died just like that. It was clearly a counterstrike by Superintendent Qi and his backers—an eye for an eye. If they could have Gao Mingyin quietly killed in the dungeon, then they could certainly ensure Monk Yan Xiu died without a trace in the Sycamore Villa.

This proved that Qi Xuansu had already entered the inner circle of the Quanzhen Sect, so his reinstatement afterward was both expected and logical.

Now that this harbinger of doom had shown up at his door, Qin Hengde knew it was unlikely things would end peacefully.

Qi Xuansu remained seated on the lavishly gold-plated and silver-inlaid chair. Su Li stood beside him, having reverted to her true appearance, though her cloak’s hood still veiled her face and revealed only a delicate chin and tightly pressed lips.

“I need an explanation.” Qi Xuansu’s gaze swept over the two Daoist nuns. “A legitimate and legal brothel business is something our Daoist Order neither promotes nor opposes. But as for all kinds of moral degeneracy that fall outside the law, the Daoist Order has always struck hard and without compromise, which I won’t elaborate on. So, Young Master Qin, tell me—are these women truly Daoist nuns? Or did you have prostitutes dress as nuns to profane the Daoist Order? Did these nuns willingly fall to temptation? Or perhaps someone coerced or lured them into these degrading acts?”

All three were crimes. It was only a matter of severity.

For Qin Hengde and Oriental Autumn Villa, the third charge was undoubtedly the most severe, and the second charge was the lightest. If the women had willingly fallen, then most of the blame would rest on the Daoist nuns. Of course, they would still bear some responsibility, but it would be far less.

For the Daoist nuns, it was the reverse. The third charge was the least severe because they would be seen as victims and would not be held accountable. At most, they would only suffer a tarnished reputation. The second charge was the most damning, a fall beyond redemption.

As for the first charge, though it seemed like the safest mutually beneficial option, the truth would be revealed the moment Qi Xuansu brought them back to the Yuhuang Palace for examination. So they could only choose between the second and third charges.

Thus, the Daoist nuns and Oriental Autumn Villa would be fully divided. Each would turn on the other to save themselves. The brothel would claim the nuns fell for money, while the nuns would insist they were coerced.

With both sides biting at each other, the truth would soon come to light.

Sure enough, one of the Daoist nuns reacted quickly. In such a moment, she could not care less about their fleeting affection or her exposed body. She tumbled off the bed and knelt on the floor, sobbing. “Superintendent Qi, please give us justice! We were all coerced. We beg you to stand up for us!”

Her voice was piercing, full of grief and sincerity.

Had Qi Xuansu not just witnessed the free performance of her thoroughly indulging in the act, he might actually have believed her.

Though she had not named names, there was no one else here. Qin Hengde instantly flew into a rage. “You wretch! Don’t you dare slander me with lies!”

The Daoist nun ignored Qin Hengde and continued weeping, begging Superintendent Qi to bring justice to the poor victims.

Su Li could not help but sneak a glance at Qi Xuansu. She had not expected this superintendent to possess not only formidable strength but also such cunning. It was no wonder he had earned the favor of Sage Donghua and risen through the ranks so swiftly.

Qi Xuansu said, “It’s hard to sort out the truth in just a few words. So why don’t we all head back to Yuhuang Palace and have a long chat? Once you explain everything clearly, you’ll be released if there’s no major issue.”

In an instant, all sounds ceased.

Gao Mingyin was the last person who went back to Yuhuang Palace with Qi Xuansu, and he had died under mysterious circumstances. Who would still dare to follow this superintendent anywhere?

Also, Qi Xuansu only promised to release them once they explained everything. But what if they could not explain things clearly? What if the more they talked, the worse it got? Would they still be released?

After a moment, Qin Hengde suddenly declared, “My father is the Commandery Prince of Langya.”

In the Great Xuan Dynasty, Imperial Princes were titled after states, while Commandery Princes took their titles from prefectures. The titles of Dukes, Marquises, and Earls, like those of princesses, used two elegant and auspicious characters, somewhat akin to posthumous titles.

Langya referred to Langya Prefecture in Qizhou. It ranked equally with the Commandery Prince of Jiangling. Although Commandery Prince Qin shared the same last name as the royal family, he did not have imperial blood.

Qi Xuansu was not surprised. “According to Great Xuan law, an Imperial Prince’s heir ranked equal to a Commandery Prince, and the eldest son of a Commandery Prince equaled a Duke. In that case, I shouldn’t call you Young Master Qin. I should address you as Young Commandery Prince or Duke.”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Qin Hengde said humbly, lowering his stance.

Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, “Since the Capital Garrison was split, and the Divine Armory no longer handles defense duties in the capital, and the Divine Central Guards hold sway now. By tradition, the Director of the Divine Central Guards is from the nobility or imperial clan, and the Deputy Director is a civil official. Currently, the Director is Prince Liao. Who holds the Deputy Director post?”

Su Li answered, “Though usually the Deputy Director is a civil official, earlier this year, Great Sage Ziji appointed Commandery Prince Qin Quanlin of Langya to the post. He’s from the imperial clan, Prince Qi’s bloodline, which is not aligned with Prince Liao, and the two can counterbalance each other.”

During the reign of the founding emperor, meritorious officials were richly rewarded. The greatest contributor, Qin Xiang, was awarded the title of Commandery Prince of Jiangling. The founding emperor’s two brothers were awarded the titles of Prince Liao and Prince Qi. If the sons of these princes failed the examinations, the titles would only go to another son of their bloodline, never demoted.

Later, Prince Liao’s lineage was renamed Prince Jin, and the Prince Liao title was absorbed by the royal family for the foremost among the imperial princes. The Prince Qi lineage remained unchanged. The Commandery Prince of Langya was a minor branch of Prince Qi’s lineage.

Prince Liao, Prince Jin, and Prince Qi were the three most powerful among the imperial clan. In the Imperial Clan Court, Prince Liao served as the Director of the Imperial Clan Court, Prince Jin as the Left Chief Examiner, and Prince Qi as the Right Chief Examiner. Two other commandery princes also served as the Right and Left Deputy Examiners, overseeing assessments and rewards or punishments of the imperial clan members.

In recent years, Prince Qi had kept a low profile, seldom appearing in public. Most affairs were handled by other commandery princes of the same clan—Commandery Prince Langya being one of them.

Qi Xuansu quietly observed Su Li, deep in thought.

The reason Li Ruoshui assigned Su Li to his side must have been the result of careful deliberation. Li Ruoshui knew Su Li was a moral zealot who had long been keeping an eye on Oriental Autumn Villa. Having secretly investigated the brothel for quite some time, Su Li might have even reported the matter to Li Ruoshui, requesting a thorough investigation, only to be denied under the pretext that the time was not yet ripe.

This time, it was clear that Li Ruoshui believed it was time, so she sent Su Li to Qi Xuansu’s side. Without even needing to give any explicit instructions, Su Li, driven by her own moral rigidity, would naturally bring Qi Xuansu to investigate Oriental Autumn Villa. That, in turn, would provoke Commandery Prince Langya and make an enemy of Prince Qi’s lineage.

If Qi Xuansu were unwilling to confront Prince Qi’s lineage and tried to gloss things over, then Su Li—whose devotion to the Daoist virtues was both sincere and unyielding—would be the first to object. She would likely escalate the matter to Li Ruoshui, accusing Qi Xuansu of shielding criminals. Then, that would give Li Ruoshui a perfectly legitimate reason to punish him, perhaps even suspend him again. By then, not even Zhang Yuelu or Shi Bingyun would be able to defend him.

After realizing this, Qi Xuansu could not help but sigh. No one who could become a Palace Master would be an easy character. Li Ruoshui truly knew how to use people well.

What Qi Xuansu did not know was that while Li Ruoshui carried out the plan, the one who made the decision was actually Li Changge.

Li Changge knew that Qi Xuansu was not afraid of making enemies. He was not targeting Qi Xuansu personally. In fact, he was not hostile toward Qi Xuansu and even had some admiration for this superintendent. This was not about a petty power struggle. Rather, Li Changge wanted to use Qi Xuansu as a lever to pry the indifferent Prince Qi into action, thereby influencing Sage Donghua’s grand strategy in the Imperial Capital.

Qi Xuansu murmured, “If I recall correctly, Elder Xu held the title of Prince Qi in the previous dynasty.”

“Yes,” Su Li replied, a little worried that Superintendent Qi might be intimidated by Prince Qi’s lineage and allow these immoral people to escape punishment.

But Qi Xuansu’s next words immediately put her mind at ease. “Young Commandery Prince, are you trying to use your influence to suppress justice?”