TIGR Chapter 88

The Imperial Guard’s Revenge

Chapter 88 Getting Into Character

The next afternoon, Lu Heng returned home early from South Fusi and picked up Wang Yanqing for their secret investigation.

The spy stationed in the Wuding Marquis Mansion saw a certain scholar handing a stack of manuscripts to Guo Xun with his own eyes. Then using their intelligence network, Lu Heng quickly found the scholar’s name and where he lived. The operation needed to be conducted discreetly, so Lu Heng couldn’t reveal his identity as an Imperial Guard and instead he brought along his secret weapon, Wang Yanqing. When Wang Yanqing was around, interrogations often yielded miraculous results.

They needed to disguise themselves as ordinary people and not stand out. So, Lu Heng did not ride a horse, but got in the carriage and accompanied Wang Yanqing. They planned to take the carriage to a nearby area, and get off a street before, and then walk to their destination.

Inside the carriage, Lu Heng asked: “Do you remember all the information from the profile yesterday?”

A person’s first reaction was the most valuable and no question could be wasted, so it was very important to do background checks in advance. Wang Yanqing let out a soft hum and said discontentedly: “I wanted see it too.”

Lu Heng thought about what happened yesterday and admitted it was his mistake: “It’s my fault. Which page were you looking at, I’ll tell you the rest.”

Wang Yanqing recited the key points she could remember, and Lu Heng recited the following details smoothly without hesitation.

The target of their mission this time was Ji Huan, a native of the Qingzhou Prefecture. He moved to the capital with his family in the third year of Jiajing. In the sixth year of Jiajing, he passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, but he failed in the subsequent examinations. Later, Ji Huan gave up continuing to take the imperial examinations and made a living by copying letters and ghostwriting written pieces in the capital. After he was introduced to the Wuding Marquis Mansion, he then solely concentrated on writing and editing books for the Marquis of Wuding.

Ji Huan was twenty-five years old this year and his wife was Chang Tinglan. Chang Tinglan was from Shuntian Prefecture. Her parents ran a small shop, printing narrative books and reselling scientific research materials. Although their business was not large, they made enough to live.

When Ji Huan was preparing for the exam in his early years, he often went to the Chang family bookstall to buy books. Master Chang took a liking to this young man and provided him with financial support in many ways. Later, when Ji Huan passed the exam and became a scholar, in order to repay Master Chang for his kindness, Ji Huan married Chang Tinglan. Afterward, Ji Huan was able to enter the sights of the Wuding Marquis Mansion, largely thanks to the matchmaking efforts of his father-in-law’s family.

The Chang family were small booksellers, but with Ji Huan under the protection of the Wuding Marquis Mansion, their family lived quite comfortably. At the beginning of this year, Ji Huan helped a fellow villager named Han Wenyan. Han Wenyan was also from the Qingzhou Prefecture and seemed to be good friends with Ji Huan. Ji Huan helped Han Wenyan find a job and a house right next door. The two families became neighbors and shared a bond from their common hometown, leading to a harmonious relationship and frequent interactions.

Wang Yanqing took note of the information one by one, and an image of a scholar emerged in her mind. The carriage soon arrived, and Jian’an Lane where Ji Huan lived was just ahead. The coachman stopped the carriage in a secluded place. Lu Heng emerged first, then turned around and helped Wang Yanqing out of the carriage. Afterwards, Lu Heng instructed the coachman to hide their carriage so no one would notice it, then he and Wang Yanqing walked into the streets like a commoner couple.

Additionally, Lu Heng arranged a fake identity for himself on this trip, an unsuccessful scholar that failed to gain an official title. Wang Yanqing was his cousin whom he had been engaged to since childhood but had not yet married. Still some distance away from Ji Huan’s house, Wang Yanqing couldn’t help but blurt out: “Brother, do you really want to use this identity?”

“What’s wrong, Cousin?”

Wang Yanqing rolled her eyes secretly. He was really dedicated and in the blink of an eye he had immersed himself in his role. Wang Yanqing said quietly: “Nothing. It’s just that you don’t look like an unsuccessful scholar. It would be more believable to say that you are the examiner traveling undercover for an evaluation.”

Unsuccessful scholar – other than the characteristic “person” none of these descriptors really fit Lu Heng.

Sometimes, even the word “person” couldn’t describe Lu Heng.

Lu Heng sighed slightly and said very sadly: “Cousin, I am hurt when you say that.”

The two chatted and laughed and soon arrived at Jian’an Lane. There were many bookshops around Jian’an Lane, and most people living here were scholars and booksellers. The sudden arrival of Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, two new faces with outstanding looks, immediately attracted a lot of attention. Wang Yanqing pretended to be timid and slightly hid behind Lu Heng, then asked in a low voice: “How do you plan to ‘get to know’ Ji Huan?”

Lu Heng lowered his head to comfort Wang Yanqing, his lips moving slightly beside her ear: “How much courage can a weak scholar have? We just need to shake things up.”

Wang Yanqing understood as soon as she heard this. Lu Heng had brought the Imperial Guards. She didn’t know where they were hiding, but it was obvious that the Ji family would encounter an accident soon. Wang Yanqing mentally lit an incense stick for Ji Huan. It was unlucky for him to be noticed by Lu Heng.

As the two of them talked and walked toward the Ji residence, a door ahead suddenly opened. A lady dressed in a blue robe and skirt came out and, upon seeing people at the entrance, paused for a moment. Then she lowered her head and said to the woman behind her: “Sister Sun, thank you for accompanying me. Travel safely.”

The woman who was speaking was in her early twenties, dressed in cloth, but she had a scholarly air and spoke in a very refined manner. The woman addressed as “Sister Sun” appeared to be in her thirties with a strong build. She was holding a sewing basket in one hand and casually waved with the other as she said: “Oh, it’s nothing. I’m idle all day anyway. If you need anything, just call down the alley. I’ll come as soon as I can free my hands.”

The young lady responded by thanking her politely. Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng were standing close by when Sister Sun came out and when she saw the two of them, she couldn’t help but sneak glances at them.

These two people, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, with their exceptional demeanor, looked like celestial beings from a play. Sister Sun, who had lived for many years, had never seen such striking figures before. Seeing two unfamiliar faces at the doorstep, she naturally had to inquire. Sister Sun asked: “I haven’t seen you here before. Are you looking for someone?”

“We heard that there is a vacant house here, so we came to inquire about the details.”

Sister Sun exclaimed in realization: “Oh, so you’re here about the Ji family residence? You’ve arrived late. It was rented out at the beginning of the year.”

Lu Heng was surprised and said in disbelief: “It’s rented out?”

“Yes.” Sister Sun pointed behind her and said, “It’s this house here. It’s already been rented to Madam Jian’s family.”

It turns out that the woman speaking earlier was surnamed Jian. Madam Jian, upon hearing her name, gave a slight nod to Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, her expression somewhat reserved. Lu Heng displayed a subtle mix of surprise and regret, sighing: “We arrived a step too late. Cousin, if I had known, I would have listened to you and not hesitated over the rent. What are we going to do now?”

Wang Yanqing silently watched as Lu Heng put on an act, and to her surprise, the performance even involved her. She quickly composed her expression, shaking her head with a gentle demeanor, and said: “I don’t know either.”

Wang Yanqing unceremoniously kicked the responsibility back to Lu Heng. If he wanted to put on an act, she wasn’t going to take the fall for it. Lu Heng sighed in regret and asked: “Where can I find the landlord of the Ji residence? There are some questions I’d like to ask them in person.”

Sister Sun looked embarrassed. There were already people living in the house, yet they wanted to meet the landlord. One would be afraid this is not a good idea, right? Unexpectedly, it was Madam Jian who offered them directions, saying: “Brother Ji lives next door. He has just returned, so you can go inside and ask him.”

Lu Heng thanked her and walked to the house next door. When they knocked on the door, Madam Jian bid farewell to Sister Sun and closed her door. The house on Jian’an Lane wasn’t very large. Standing in the alley, one could clearly hear the sounds of cooking, children being scolded, and couples bickering from both sides of the street. After they knocked on the door and waited for a while, footsteps were heard from inside.

A woman half opened the door, looking puzzled when she saw Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing, asking: “You are…”

Lu Heng swept a silent glance past her but held a gentle smile on his face and said: “We heard from Master Chen that there was a vacant house on Jian’an Lane, so we came by to inquire about it.”

Wang Yanqing had no idea who Master Chen was but guessing from Lu Heng’s tone, he was likely a broker involved in selling and renting properties. Wang Yanqing was surprised. Lu Heng was a standard military official of noble descent, he would probably never need to rent a house in his lifetime. However, he was very familiar with all walks of life. Now he was disguised as an ordinary person and easily referred to “Master Chen” without any reluctance. Apart from his exceptionally handsome appearance, he certainly carried the air of a desperate scholar.

No wonder the Imperial Guards were known for knowing everything and being everywhere, they had even infiltrated the lower professions. It was just unclear whether this “Master Chen” was being used by Lu Heng or if he was originally a secret agent of the Imperial Guards.

Upon hearing this, the woman’s expression improved slightly, and she opened the door, saying: “So it was Master Chen who introduced you. Please come in.”

The woman welcomed Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing inside and hurriedly called to someone further inside. Wang Yanqing guessed that this must be Chang Tinglan, Ji Huan’s wife. Ji Huan was summoned by his wife and, upon hearing the purpose of Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing’s visit, awkwardly said: “To be honest, our house was rented out at the beginning of the year. May I ask when you two will need it?”

Lu Heng said: “We are not in a hurry to use it at the moment, as long as it can free up before the end of the year.”

Wang Yanqing was slightly surprised by this and glanced quietly at Lu Heng. Lu Heng’s neck was straight and fair as he calmly looked ahead. From this angle, his jawline was exceptionally handsome. Wang Yanqing withdrew her gaze and slowly pondered the situation.

Chang Tinglan brought over tea and upon hearing Lu Heng’s words, kept casting meaningful glances at her husband. Ji Huan, however, appeared hesitant and said: “You’ve come too late. Our room has already been rented to Brother Han. Brother Han has no family or friends in the capital, and without a place to stay, he will likely have trouble moving. I also can’t just evict someone.”

Chang Tinglan couldn’t stand it any longer when she heard this: “There are so many empty houses in the captial, can’t they just rent another one?”

Wang Yanqing glanced at the two people. It was obvious that the couple did not agree on the rental. The information from the Imperial Guards said that Ji Huan had a close relationship with the people next door, but it seems that wasn’t entirely true.

Lu Heng also frowned slightly and said: “We usually wouldn’t want to impose like this, but I need a quiet place to prepare for the autumn examination next year. I heard that Jian’an Lane is known for its scholars and is both refined and peaceful, making it ideal for studying and researching exam topics. It would be perfect for me and my cousin. May I ask about the occupants of the neighboring house? Perhaps there might be some flexibility?”

Lu Heng portrayed the image of a desperate scholar with remarkable skill, his self-serving tone coming across realistically. Wang Yanqing observed as she watched Lu Heng’s performance silently. Ji Huan also looked troubled and said: “If it were anyone else, it might be different, but the neighbor is someone from my hometown. We’ve known each other for ten years, and we became friends through literature. Brother Han is like a true brother to me. I really couldn’t bring myself to say something like that.”

Lu Heng asked: “When we arrived, we saw a lady seeing off some guests, is that the family?”

Ji Huan nodded and said: “That’s right. You two are similar to Brother Han, he and his wife are also cousins. The person you saw is Brother Han’s wife, Madam Jian.”

Lu Heng nodded and was about to persuade him further when suddenly urgent footsteps were heard outside. Someone frantically pounded on the door of the neighboring house, shouting: “Madam Jian, come quickly! It seems your husband has drowned!”

|| Author’s Note:

Lu Heng: From now on, I am an unsuccessful scholar.

Wang Yanqing: Unsuccessful scholar — which of these words could even describe you?

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