The subordinates under Commander Nan Yushu were all esteemed individuals, but even among the thousand households, they were divided into ranks. Those left behind by Lan Jing usually handled routine errands, but now that Su Xinghe had taken charge, she couldn’t continue assigning them such menial tasks. With just a light remark from her, Commander Nan Yushu’s men had to take action after all, she was the deputy commander, and anyone who dared to show defiance would face severe punishment from her.
Commander Nan Yushu remained silent, and most of the thousand households looked at each other, unsure whether to step forward and accept the task. Zuo Zhaoyi, the leader among the thousand households, understood the situation. With tensions brewing between the primary and deputy commanders, stirring up conflict would not bode well for Commander Nan Yushu.
He cupped his hands in salute, his armor clinking softly, and said, “I will take care of it.”
Su Xinghe watched him walk out the door and into the snowstorm before lazily shifting her gaze. Adjusting her collar, she said, “When it comes time for the interrogation, I won’t interfere. I’ll listen in from the sidelines. After all, with my few years of experience, how could I possibly compete with a seasoned official like Fang Youlin?”
Commander Nan Yushu agreed, fiddling with a bronze Pixie in his hand. Clenching it tightly, he said, “Several of the Fang family’s unruly servants are still locked up in the prison. When the time comes, we may have to resort to severe punishment. If Su Xinghe finds it distasteful, you can step aside temporarily.”
She wasn’t unfamiliar with such punishments; if someone couldn’t tolerate the smell of blood, they had no business working in the Ministry of Military Control. She agreed, and with a wave from Commander Nan Yushu, she stood up and handed the enameled hand warmer adorned with floral patterns to Zuo Zhaoyi. Smiling faintly, she said, “Commander Zuo Zhaoyi, the hand warmer has cooled and added some more charcoal for me.”
With a female superior in charge, the atmosphere in the office took on a softer, more delicate tone. Zuo Zhaoyi, one of the eight commanders under her, quickly took the hand warmer, bowed his head, and replied, “The prison is cold and damp. I’ll have someone light the charcoal brazier first. My lord, please take your time walking.”
The usually efficient and straightforward government office had taken on a more effeminate atmosphere ever since a woman had joined. The thousand-household had become overly delicate in their mannerisms, which Commander Nan Yushu found distasteful. However, he couldn’t openly criticize them, so he turned his gaze away in disgust and took the lead.
The Bureau of Military Affairs’ interrogation chambers differed from typical prisons. At the ground level, a row of rooms separated by fences for holding prisoners. Below the surface, however, lay a true hell room filled with torture devices. Anyone who came here and still refused to cooperate would typically leave lying down, having entered standing up.
Years of being shrouded in darkness, with the constant cleansing of blood and flesh, They made the air in this place foul and stifling. Those who frequented the area had become accustomed to the smell but anyone used to the scent of perfumes and flowers.
Commander Nan Yushu, several thousand households, descended the wooden steps first. Glancing back, he saw that, as expected, the Jinyi Right Guard had covered her nose with a handkerchief. He chuckled with a hint of mockery, “It’s been a while since Lord Su last visited the dungeon? How are you holding up?”
Su Xinghe raised her free hand and replied, “Don’t mind me, my lord. Just carry on with your case.”
This place was never without occupants. After passing through a long corridor, they reached a large torture chamber. For someone unacquainted with this environment, the sight of the ruthless torturers might have been terrifying. When Su Xinghe entered, the executioners were busy organizing their instruments, the heavy iron hooks clanging loudly against the wooden racks. In an adjacent torture room, a commander was interrogating a treasury guard caught smuggling silver. Furious, the commander cursed loudly, “You damn thief! You’ve been stealing my salary for a year! Bring me a silver ingot and shove it up his ass! Keep going until it reaches his throat!”
Then came the screams, along with the overwhelming stench of excrement and urine. Su Xinghe furrowed her brow, but Commander Nan Yushu and the other officers merely laughed. The Ministry of Military Control had no shortage of brutal punishments whatever one could imagine, they could carry out.
“Last year, Su Xinghe handled a case as well. I remember you used the rod punishment and heavy shackles. Honestly, those were just minor affairs.”Commander Nan Yushu seemed to come alive, his face lit up with excitement, as he spoke of punishments. “This time, there will likely be something new. I wonder if Su Xinghe dares to take a look?”
These foolish men perhaps their way to soothe their fragile egos was through their reckless bravado. Su Xinghe saw them exchange knowing smiles and felt a surge of disdain. “Whatever skills Commander Nan Yushu has feel free to use them. As I’ve said, the priority is carrying out our duties. There’s no need to consider my presence.”
Her fearless response seemed to further emboldened, Commander Nan Yushu. The Ministry of Military Control had special privileges; even members of the imperial family and nobility in the capital could be arrested and interrogated at will. A few household servants were nothing in comparison!
The executioners grinned like wolves, their faces twisted with cruelty. The guards from the Fang Family were tied to wooden stakes as Commander Nan Yushu questioned them. Meanwhile, the executioners scraped small, sharp knives across the prisoners’ skin.
Su Xinghe sat in a chair, her feet resting on a heater. Warm air rose from the neat rows of holes in the brass cover, making the soles of her feet cozy. All around her, she could hear the relentless questioning. “Who tipped you off?” The members of the Fang family shifted blame onto one another, but eventually, the trail went cold. What had started as an investigation into Fang Youlin’s embezzlement case had devolved into Commander Nan Yushu’s vendetta.
But the results were unsatisfactory. Su Xinghe turned her head and quietly stifled a yawn. Commander Nan Yushu, frustrated and embarrassed, slammed his hand on the table. “Give them a good scrubbing, loosen up their bones.”
The executioners were nearly ecstatic. To them, human lives were toys, and they relished the act of torture. With the order given, they enthusiastically shouted, “Understood!” and hurriedly lifted the prisoners onto the torture bed.
The copper torture bed was just wide enough for one person, with two channels on the sides specifically designed to drain blood. It had been used so many times that it gleamed, polished to the point where it reflected light. Su Xinghe watched as the prisoners’ hands and feet were bound tightly. One of the Fang Family guards began to plead for mercy, but before he could finish, a bucket of scalding water was poured onto his legs.
The enclosed space was immediately filled with a foul odor. Su Xinghe had never realized that human flesh had a distinct smell. The executioners pressed an iron brush against the prisoner’s half-cooked calf and dragged it across with a single stroke. The skin split open instantly. At first, the flesh underneath was pale, as though it hadn’t quite reacted, but in just a moment, bright red blood streamed out in thin lines, soaking the lower half of the torture bed in crimson.
The commander and several of the thousand households coldly observed the scene before turning to her and asking, “Well, Su Xinghe, if you can’t handle it, you can head back to the front office.”
Su Xinghe frowned slightly but smiled. “I’m fine. But now that you’ve used such severe punishment and the person has passed out without revealing anything, hasn’t it all been a waste of effort?”
With a single remark, she struck right at their pride, leaving the member of Commander Nan Yushu’s faction somewhat embarrassed. She raised her hand to tuck back a stray lock of hair that had fallen from her crown. Just then, Su Xinghai came in and report that General Lou of the Jinyi Right Guard had arrived with his troops. No sooner had he finished speaking than Lou Yueting appeared at the door of the torture chamber. Taking in the gruesome scene inside, he frowned deeply. “The Ministry of Military Control certainly lives up to its reputation.” He cupped his hands toward Commander Nan Yushu and said, “I can’t bear the stench here. Commander Nan Yushu, since you’re busy, how about asking Su Xinghe to handle things for you? I have much to do and can’t stay long. With nightfall approaching, I must return to arrange the night patrols.”
Su Xinghe stood up. “I’ll assist in your place, my lord. I’ll handle the records for the guards, but don’t forget, the interrogation of Fang Youlin remains our top priority.” With that, she gestured to Lou Yueting, and the group exited the Bureau’s torture chamber.
Snow was still falling from the sky. Emerging from the underground dungeon felt like coming back to life. Su Xinghe walked with her hands behind her back, her thoughts drifting to an old friend she hadn’t seen in years. She glanced up at him, feeling a sense of warmth and solidity.
Lou Yueting was just as she remembered him. Although, he had aged and seemed more composed before some things never changed like his pure smile and steady gaze.
They had grown up together, seeing each other almost daily. Su Xinghe often mooched food and drink from him, and they had been as close as can be. But after a ten-year separation, their reunion felt a bit awkward, perhaps because they had grown up. They walked through the office, bound by official duties, she lingered a little, hoping to extend their conversation.
Lou Yueting, noticing her official robe, sighed softly. “That place is filthy, and the people are treacherous. I fear staying there will only ruin you.”
In truth, Su Xinghe didn’t feel the need to explain herself. When navigating danger and treacherous she wasn’t far behind anyone else. Perhaps she was born with a restless spirit, always believing that whatever a man could do, she could do just as well.
“There’s nothing to ruin. Working in the government office, no matter how tough is better than being stuck in the palace as a handmaid. You know me I’ve never been one for embroidery. My mother once tried to make me embroider a rabbit, and it took her three whole months to chase me down. I ended up entering, the palace after that, and that embroidery project is still that unfinished in my room.” She smiled, her eyes curving into bright crescents, as brilliant as stars despite the snow swirling around them. “But enough about my work. How are you? How are Uncle Lou and Auntie?”
Lou Yueting responded warmly, “They’re doing well. Everything at home is the same as ever. That jujube tree you planted before entering the palace bore quite a few dates this year…”
His voice carried a gentle warmth, each word laced with deep affection. Su Xinghe discreetly observed his profile, remembering how, as a child, she had admired him so much, thinking he was the most handsome man in the world even more so than her brother. Now that she was older and had seen more of the world, her impression of him remained unchanged.
With a hint of girlish curiosity, she subtly probes, “Yingxiu must be nineteen by now, right? Has she married? It must feel quite at home if she’s left… But you, surely will be welcoming, new additions to the family soon.”
Yingxiu was his younger sister, three years younger than Su Xinghe. Back when Su Xinghe and Lou Yueting roamed carefree, little Yingxiu would follow behind them, her nose running, looking up at them longingly because she was too young to join in their fun.
A shy smile crossed his face. “Yingxiu hasn’t been promised to anyone yet, and as for me… no new additions to my household either.”
Su Xinghe was surprised, but then her surprise turned into a subtle smile. “Oh, no… that’s good.” All the unpleasantness she had encountered in the office seemed to dissipate like smoke, and even the bone-chilling winter snow became somehow endearing.
That simple phrase, “That’s good,” perhaps carried a different meaning for Lou Yueting. He hesitated briefly before explaining, “I’ve been extremely busy with work. Over the years, I’ve been stationed in the military and guarded the border. A couple of years ago, I was transferred back to the capital. At this age, it’s the prime time to focus on a career. As for personal matters, there’s no rush. When the right moment comes, it’ll happen naturally.”
Indeed, for people like them, marriage wasn’t a necessity. Her brother hadn’t married until he was thirty, and this year he had a son, which finally gave their parents some peace of mind. They continued chatting casually, carefully avoiding any mention of the incident involving the sudden appearance of the patrol guards. At the time, Su Xinghai had been tasked with handling it, privately meeting with Su Xinghai. In the world of officialdom, such small exchanges were hardly noteworthy, just a matter of nodding heads. So, it was “coincidental” that the patrol guards arrived at that location and “happened” to clash with the Bureau of Military Affairs. Even when the case was reopened, it followed the same pattern new information emerged.
Lou Yueting was more concerned about the case involving Princess Xialing’s residence. “Brother Su Xinghai asked me to pass along a message: when dealing with matters involving the royal family, you must be extraordinarily careful. Even the slightest mistake could have fatal consequences.”
She nodded in understanding. “Tell my brother not to worry. I have my plans.”
Lou Yueting hesitated again, glancing at her before saying, “Are you busy with work before the New Year? I have a day off tomorrow. If you’re going to the princess’s residence to investigate I could go with you.”
Su Xinghe laughed at this. “Why would you need to accompany me? I know my way around the princess’s residence.”
Beneath the helmet, his face seemed to flush slightly. He said, “That princess might be difficult to deal with. If she gave you trouble, having one more person with you might help.”
After all, when Princess Xialing caused trouble, she didn’t care about anyone’s status or reputation.
Su Xinghe lowered her head and let out a long sigh, feeling a sense of resolution settle in her heart. Since childhood, whenever, she got into trouble, he would always help smooth things over. During the ten years they lost contact, she had been forced to forge an iron will and shoulder responsibilities on her own. She had long thought she no longer needed anyone to watch out for her, but seeing how he didn’t shy away from danger this time filled her with a deep and overwhelming sense of gratitude.
