The next morning, Qu Ling’er was woken up by the sound of iron chains scraping. Squinting his eyes open, he saw that the morning guards had arrived and were busy pulling up the large iron cage.
Qi Lin was already awake, standing nearby. His clothes, which had been soaked through the night before, were now dry, and he still had Qi Lin’s outer robe draped over him.
Qu Ling’er stood up, stretched, returned the robe to Qi Lin, and tried to get close by saying, “Good morning, Brother Qi. Did you sleep well last night?”
Qi Lin draped the robe over his arm and signaled to his men, “Lock him up.”
Qu Ling’er was taken aback. “What?”
It wasn’t until two men grabbed his arms and started dragging him toward the dungeon that Qu Ling’er finally understood. “Hey, no… Let go of me! Didn’t we agree last night? You can’t just act like you don’t know me after putting on clothes!”
This remark had a rather profound implication, and the two guards noticeably froze for a moment. Then, under Qi Lin’s icy gaze, they shivered and quickly lowered their heads, pretending to be deaf, afraid of hearing anything they shouldn’t.
Qu Ling’er lost his composure, kicking and cursing all the way. Even after leaving the dungeon, his shouts could still be heard echoing inside.
“Qi Lin, you son of a b****! If you have the guts, let me out and we’ll fight again! You sneaky scoundrel, backstabber! Wolf cub, little bastard, from now on we are strangers! If I ever talk to you again, I’ll call you grandpa!”
When everything finally quieted down, Qu Ling’er stopped cursing and suddenly smirked. He pulled a silver needle from his waistband and fiddled with the lock for a moment. After a soft click, the bronze lock opened with a snap.
Though he wasn’t skilled in other areas, he had a good grasp of basic skills like picking locks and trickery.
After coming out and looking around, he was about to make his escape when he heard a faint, eerie laugh coming from the cell next door.
Qu Ling’er furrowed his brows, took two steps back, and was stunned by what he saw inside the cell.
A man with severed tendons in his hands and feet was hanging from the ceiling by his pierced collarbones. His black clothes were soaked and stuck to his body with filthy blood. When he saw Qu Ling’er, he even pulled out a smile.
“Vice Commander Qu… we meet again.”
The voice was hoarse from damaged vocal cords, and the smile was filled with a chilling malice. Qu Ling’er frowned deeply—it was the man in black from that day.
Before he could respond, the man in black continued, “Sect Master Han asked me to send his regards to Vice Commander Qu. How is your stolen life going?”
Su Cen had been living quite comfortably in Xingqing Palace. He had his clothes put on and his meals served. Later, when it seemed like he wouldn’t run away, Qi Lin even withdrew the two Turkic guards, allowing him to roam freely within Xingqing Palace, though he still couldn’t leave through the main gate.
Su Cen’s daily routine consisted of three things: drinking, eating meat, and playing the zither in the middle of the night. However, the wine had to be aged for more than twenty years. When he wandered around Prince Ning’s private wine cellar, he would always choose the most expensive jar. The meat had to be prepared exactly to his liking, with the right amount of salt and vinegar; any deviation meant it had to be redone. Eventually, the chefs in the kitchen would flee at the sight of his menu, complaining that even their own prince wasn’t this hard to serve. As for playing the zither, he never played during the day, only after midnight, and always played powerful pieces like “Battle Song” or “Ambush on All Sides,” keeping everyone awake.
He didn’t escape; he waited for someone to kick him out.
However, Prince Ning was surprisingly patient at this time. He didn’t inquire or intervene, and since Su Cen had been confined, he has not seen even half of his shadow.
One day, after unearthing a jar of Fengxiang Xifeng wine1Fengxiang Xifeng wine is a well-known traditional Chinese liquor (baijiu) produced in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province. It has a rich history dating back over a thousand years and is recognized for its distinct flavor, which falls under the Fengxiang aroma category, one of the main styles of baijiu. from a corner of the wine cellar, Su Cen drank to his heart’s content with a dish of their Suzhou-style sea bass and water chestnut soup and crab powder tofu. Tipsy and drowsy, he was thinking of taking a nap before getting up at midnight to cause some mischief again. In a daze, he suddenly sensed a faint sandalwood fragrance. Before he could turn around, he felt his body lighten as someone scooped him up and held him in their arms.
“You’re here?” His voice carried a thick nasal tone, unexpectedly laced with a hint of grievance.
Li Shi gently carried him back to the bed, tucked his disheveled hair behind his ear, and watched him for a moment. Just as he was about to get up, he felt a slight tug on his sleeve.
The man was lying on his side on the bed, his face flushed with a peachy hue, his eyes clouded with a misty allure. He tugged on Li Shi’s sleeve again, “Don’t go.”
Li Shi gazed at him for a moment, then raised his hand to dismiss the others. He sat down on the bedside, pinched that sharp chin, and asked, “What do you want?”
Su Cen felt he must have drunk too much. Otherwise, he would never have lightly opened his lips to gently lick the hand that held his chin.
Even Li Shi was momentarily stunned and then he saw that the person did not stop, pulled his hand, put it to his lips, kissing the pronounced knuckles, the calluses on the palm, and the slightly cool ring on his finger. Then, pulling him up by the sleeve, he kissed his sharp brows, his deep eyes, and finally gave a gentle peck on his lips. He paused slightly, as if seeking approval, and stared at him.
Li Shi smiled and reached out to ruffle his hair. “What does Zixu want?”
“How do you know…” Su Cen was momentarily surprised. Zixu was his courtesy name, used only by his parents, elder brother, Old Man Lin, and a few close friends in Suzhou. He had never heard anyone in Chang’an call him that.
Then he smiled self-deprecatingly, “What is there that you don’t know?”
Li Shi pushed him back onto the bed. The movement was abrupt, causing Su Cen to squint his eyes and furrow his brows. Still, he held onto half of Li Shi’s sleeve, refusing to let go, afraid that if Li Shi left this time, he would have to continue living like this.
Li Shi chuckled, “Want some sweets again?”
He was being treated like a pampered pet, and Su Cen knew it. But he had also come to terms with it. Following this man, who had power and influence, would save him a lot of trouble and grant him what he desired. It was a fair exchange—he should be grateful that he still had something to trade.
Su Cen pretended he was drunk, reached out, wrapped his arms around that neck, and pulled Li Shi down, offering himself up.
After that, he seemed to have really gotten drunk. All he could remember was that Li Shi was unusually gentle that night, and in the lingering afterglow of his climax, he tasted a hint of sweetness.
He said, “I want to leave.”
Li Shi replied—“Alright.”
He said again, “I want to go back to the Dali Temple.”
Li Shi replied—“Alright.”
He still wanted to say something, but his lips were sealed with a kiss.
In the end, Li Shi said to him, “Don’t touch that case anymore.”
At that moment, Su Cen’s consciousness was already fading. He responded automatically, “Okay.”
After replying, he felt something was off but hadn’t yet processed it when he was pulled into an embrace. The scent of sandalwood lingered, and a hand gently ruffled his damp hair. “Be good, Zixu. Sleep.”
And so, he fell asleep, losing all awareness.
That night, Xingqing Palace was quiet, with no sound of the strings in the middle of the night. Everyone slept peacefully.
The next morning, Su Cen was awakened by the maid knocking on the door. The wine had been good, and the hangover wasn’t too bad. Instead, he woke up feeling refreshed.
As he was about to get up, he looked down at himself and saw quite a scene of blooming reds and purples—like a springtime erotic painting—and the artist was nowhere to be found.
After double-checking to ensure nothing was exposed, he called out, “Come in.” The maid came in with a basin of water and a long towel, smiling at him, “Master Su, please wash up quickly. The carriage is already waiting outside.”
Su Cen was momentarily stunned before realizing that last night’s muddled situation had worked in his favor. He thought to himself that he really was getting better at this—drunk as he was, he still managed to negotiate the terms afterward.
Half a month later, when Su Cen returned to Dali Temple, he noticed people were looking at him differently. At first, he thought it was because he had been gone for too long and they weren’t used to seeing him. Later, he realized their looks were cautious, mixed with jealousy or disdain.
When Zhang Jun, the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple, heard of his return, he specifically came to check on him. Upon seeing him, he said, “Supervisor2寺正 can be literally translated as the “Chief of the Temple” or “Head of the Office.” I will just call it supervisor here Su, have you recovered?”
Although Zhang Jun held the position of Deputy Minister3It was previously junior magistrate, from now on it will be Deputy ministerhis superior, Chief Minister4siqing Xiu Qizheng, was already past his prime and no longer managed affairs, even though he retained the title. Zhang Jun, in his prime, was capable and efficient. Everyone could see that Dali Temple was practically under Zhang Jun’s control, and once Xiu Qizheng retired, Zhang Jun would take over officially.
“I’m fine now, thank you for your concern, Lord Zhang,” Su Cen replied quickly with a bow, then frowned and asked, “Supervisor?”
“You don’t know?” Zhang Jun patted Su Cen on the shoulder and laughed heartily. “You took the lead in the new scholar case, earning the emperor’s favor and getting promoted two ranks. Congratulations!”
Su Cen modestly declined the praise, but inwardly, he knew exactly where this favor had come from. He had only been in the position for less than half a year, yet he was promoted two ranks, skipping over the Assistant Supervisor and directly becoming the Supervisor. Such rapid promotion was unprecedented.
What was Li Shi’s intention? Was this a reward for his performance in bed? Or was it meant to placate him, fearing he might stir up trouble again?
“And what about Lord Song?” Su Cen asked.
“Jiancheng…” Zhang Jun sighed deeply, “He was demoted to Kuizhou to serve as Sima5The title often referred to officials who had responsibilities related to military affairs, such as a military governor or a high-ranking officer overseeing military and administrative functions within a region.. Jiancheng didn’t really do anything wrong, just too eager for quick success. Going down there will serve as a learning experience. You’re a generous man; don’t hold it against him.”
Song Jiancheng was Zhang Jun’s protégé, having risen through the ranks with him. Su Cen understood that they thought he had reported Song Jiancheng behind the scenes, leading to his transfer. They hoped he wouldn’t suppress him deliberately so that Song could be promoted again later.
Su Cen replied, “It was reckless of me that day, and I ended up offending Lord Song. I feel bad that my actions led to his demotion. When Lord Song returns to the capital, I will certainly visit and apologize in person.”
Zhang Jun gave Su Cen a satisfied smile, appreciating his awareness of the situation. “Jiancheng’s study is now vacant. Since you’re here today, move in and start familiarizing yourself with the work. There’s no rush for anything else.”
Su Cen cupped his hands and replied, “Understood.”
Just as Zhang Jun was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and pulled Su Cen aside, whispering, “I heard you’re helping Old Man Tian with the Tian Pingzhi case, is that true…?”
Su Cen narrowed his eyes in thought, then smiled and said, “The clues from that old case from over ten years ago have long gone cold. Besides, Lord Chen has already declared that there’s no issue with the case. At the time, I was only trying to get a confession.”
Zhang Jun laughed heartily, patting Su Cen on the shoulder, finally reassured as he left.
Watching Zhang Jun’s departing figure, Su Cen couldn’t help but frown. There were Li Shi’s spies everywhere in Dali Temple. If he wanted to investigate, he would have to do so discreetly and in secret.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
