Chapter 16: An Unexpected Turn

Shi Shouxin was already an official, though his position as a *Duguan Congshi* (Assistant to the Office of Justice) was merely a minor post of one hundred *shi*, amounting to only a slight promotion.

Yang Xiu, on the other hand, was a staffer in the General-in-Chief’s office; in terms of official rank, he was nothing at all, yet he was one of Sima Zhao’s "own people."

The two of them had come to the Imperial Guard camp under the guise of official business, but in reality, it was merely to familiarize themselves with the environment. After all, neither of them had any prior military experience and were not even familiar with the army’s watchwords. If they did not get accustomed to things beforehand, they would be a laughingstock at best when the army set out on campaign, or worse, cause a major disaster.

Shi Shouxin enjoyed the treatment of a "Heavenly Dragon"—a member of the elite—for whom military law and the like were as fleeting as clouds. As long as he did not go too far, the management within the camp was quite lax before the army deployed. Yang Xiu returned to Luoyang to live the very next day; when Wei Guan did not give him face, he retorted with a sour expression, embodying the impulsive nature of youth.

Shi Shouxin was not nearly as arrogant; he kept his tail tucked. His time in the camp consisted only of eating, sleeping, and reciting military regulations. He was so disciplined it made one want to cry, and he never even mentioned going home to spend time with his wife.

So much so that even Wei Guan found it unbearable and insisted on giving him a day off. Only then did he go home to rest for a day before returning to the camp to continue studying military law.

Wei Guan recalled a letter from his younger brother, Wei Shi. In it, Wei Shi mentioned that their family had made up for the grain debt and recounted Shi Shouxin’s conduct in the matter, praising him highly.

That is how the "Heavenly Dragons" are: if you are weak and easily bullied, they will climb all over you. Conversely, if you can demonstrate superior ability, they will look at you with new respect and even show goodwill.

They are the type who remember the taste of the food but forget the sting of the blow.

Wei Shi was a classic example. After the Wei family was given a lesson by Shi Shouxin in Hedong, they not only held no grudge but felt that Shi Shouxin was a man of vision and means who was worth winning over.

It was precisely because of this that Wei Guan complied with almost every request Shi Shouxin made in the camp, never stinting in his guidance. One thing led to another, and although they did not become confidants, they got along exceptionally well, maintaining a "sincere cooperation" on the surface.

One day, while Shi Shouxin was reading military law in his tent, someone arrived uninvited.

It was none other than Zhong Hui, who had recently been appointed by Sima Zhao as General of the West and Commander of Military Affairs in Guanzhong!

"I wonder what brings Commander Zhong to pay me a visit?" Wei Guan asked with a calm expression, lacking any sign of humility. In the military, it was common for the overseer and the commanding general to be at odds. If Wei Guan had been fawning over Zhong Hui, Sima Zhao would likely have punished him instead.

"Shi Shouxin, the *Duguan Congshi*—are you the man himself?" Zhong Hui pointed at Shi Shouxin and uttered a nonsensical question that left everyone baffled.

"This subordinate greets the Grand Commander." Shi Shouxin quickly rose, placed the bamboo slips of military law on the desk, and stepped forward to bow.

"Take him back to the office for questioning. And mind you, he is not a prisoner, so do not mistreat him," Zhong Hui instructed his personal guards.

"Wait." Wei Guan reached out to stop Zhong Hui. Looking at him with a half-smile, he asked, "I hold the concurrent title of *Tingwei* (Minister of Justice); why am I unaware of any order to arrest this man?"

Zhong Hui was rendered speechless.

Since Sima Zhao had ordered the arrest, he could hardly say that the order from the General-in-Chief’s office carried more weight than the Minister of Justice.

That is not how one goes about slapping someone in the face!

Zhong Hui coughed lightly and defended himself: "The matter is of great importance. Requesting his presence at the Ministry of Justice is merely to act as a witness, not as a criminal. Though Supervisor Wei holds the concurrent post of *Tingwei*, you are not responsible for daily affairs, so it is normal that you would be unaware. If you truly wish to understand, Supervisor Wei may inquire at the General-in-Chief’s office; I have nothing more to say."

Hearing this, Shi Shouxin quickly bowed to Wei Guan.

Having been slighted by Zhong Hui, Wei Guan was displeased, but he still lifted his hand slightly, allowing Zhong Hui to take Shi Shouxin away.

Wei Guan pondered in his heart, turning the matter over and over, yet he could not see Shi Shouxin as a troublemaker. He had no idea what great event could necessitate removing this man from the Imperial Guard camp.

Along the way, Shi Shouxin also had many questions he wanted to ask, but try as he might, he could not figure out what great crisis he had encountered.

Zhong Hui, however, acted as if he had been struck dumb, closing his eyes in the carriage to preserve his energy and saying nothing.

With a heart full of trepidation, Shi Shouxin was brought to the Ministry of Justice. As soon as he stepped into the main hall, he saw a man kneeling on the floor, his buttocks already beaten to a pulp—it was Lu An, the former husband of Xu Ying.

Standing beside him was a handsome man in wide robes, his posture neither humble nor haughty. It was Ji Kang!

Shi Shouxin did not recognize the official presiding over the case, but the man held the post of *Zuo Ping*, in charge of the imperial prison. When Ji Kang saw Zhong Hui arrive, his eyes were filled with disdain.

"Shi Shouxin, Lu An has accused you of seducing his former wife and coercing him into writing a letter of divorce. Is this true?" the *Zuo Ping*, Chen Tan, asked in a calm tone.

Zhong Hui chimed in from the side: "Shi Shouxin, you must answer truthfully."

"The matter is as follows." Shi Shouxin recounted the story of rescuing Xu Ying during his time in Hedong from start to finish. Lu An pointed at him and cursed excitedly: "A pack of lies! If you hadn't drugged and raped my wife, how could she have left with you?"

"Shi Shouxin, what do you say to this? Take your time, don't be in a hurry. The court will handle the case impartially," Chen Tan asked gently, his bias already quite apparent.

Ji Kang, standing to the side, frowned slightly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

"The Lu family are ungrateful wretches; the older brother is despicable and the younger brother is foolish. Madam Xu is safe now and is not with this subordinate. The Ministry of Justice may send men to search my home to verify this. Obtaining testimony from Madam Xu will not be difficult. The truth will out; I have nothing more to say."

"The matter is of great importance. Perhaps it would be best to hold them in separate detention and review the case after the evidence is clarified," Zhong Hui suggested to Chen Tan.

He should not have been here, nor should he have had the authority to comment on the case. But given that this was not a complete feudal dynasty, people often mattered more than official titles.

Zhong Hui represented Sima Zhao; that identity was a trump card.

"Guards, take them away and keep them in separate detention. See that they are not mistreated," Chen Tan ordered, then rose and left the hall as if it were a routine matter.

Shi Shouxin frowned slightly, unable to grasp what game was being played. Sima Zhao knew the truth of this matter perfectly well. Shi Shouxin did not believe the General-in-Chief would trouble himself to deal with a small fry like him.

It simply wasn't worth it.

As for his affair with Yang Huiyu... it couldn't have leaked out, could it? It had only been a few days!

If such a major event had truly come to light, Shi Shouxin figured he would have been secretly dealt with and buried in the wilderness. He would never have been brought to the Ministry of Justice so openly!

Could it be that this was not aimed at him after all?

Shi Shouxin looked at the calm-faced Ji Kang and seemed to understand something!

Sure enough, he was taken to the "Heavenly Dragon Cell" within the imperial prison, which was equipped with dry blankets, a sleeping couch, and torches for illumination; the floor was spotless. There were even bamboo slips for reading on the desk.

This was clearly not the treatment he deserved unless... this conspiracy was not targeted at him.

That night, Li Wan brought fine wine and food to the prison to visit Shi Shouxin.

Upon meeting, Li Wan sighed and said, "My husband is truly far-sighted. It is fortunate you did not take Xu Ying as a concubine. If you had, there would be no way to explain the situation, no matter how much reason you had."

"I was reading military law in the camp when I was suddenly dragged here to the prison and placed in such a fine cell. It is utterly baffling," Shi Shouxin said, taking the food box from his beloved wife and chatting with her from across the bars, his face full of confusion.

Li Wan looked around, and finding that Shi Shouxin was the only one there and the other cells were empty, she leaned in and whispered, "Husband, when Ji Kang learned that Lu An had been imprisoned, he rushed from Shanyang County to Luoyang to lodge a complaint for Lu An, claiming the court’s trial was unfair. And then... as you see, you were imprisoned, and Ji Kang was imprisoned as well."

"Oh no, this is the General-in-Chief wanting to kill Ji Kang!" Shi Shouxin was shocked. He finally understood the cause and effect, and why Zhong Hui was so active in this matter.

Ji Kang had offended Zhong Hui deeply by repeatedly refusing his invitations to enter government service. The latter was not a man of magnanimous spirit and had long been looking for revenge. There were even rumors that Zhong Hui’s feelings toward Ji Kang were a case of love turning to hate!

This trap was set specifically for Ji Kang. It just so happened that Ji Kang had spoken up for his friend Lu An. Without this, there would certainly have been some other pretext.

In fact, the Ministry of Justice had long finished investigating Lu An's case. Xu Ying was busy working by Yang Huiyu's side, and Sima Zhao was not blind—how could he not know the rights and wrongs of the situation?

He knew, yet he did not clarify it, simply waiting for Ji Kang to take the bait so he could be dealt with along with Lu An!

What a vicious scheme!

Shi Shouxin finally understood how dark and calculating the world of the "Heavenly Dragons" could be. He thought of Yang Huiyu, who had been so passionately kissed in his arms, and sighed to himself that this Lady Yu was truly not a bad person. If she had really been malicious, he didn't know what kind of upheaval she could have caused; he feared even Li Wan would have been caught in her web.

"Husband, I have something to say, though I do not know if I should," Li Wan whispered, her tone carrying a hint of pleading.

"My lady, please speak. Is there anything between us that cannot be said?" Shi Shouxin sighed softly, having already guessed what she would say.

"Ji Kang came to our wedding and even gave us a kitchen knife. By rights, this favor cannot go unreturned. But I believe this matter is far too dangerous; to rashly involve yourself could lead to mortal peril. You are a man of justice who would leap to help anyone in trouble... could you not just hold back this time? Even if you were to take a concubine or mess around with other women, I would not say a word and would let you play as you please. I only ask that you stay quietly in this cell and not stir up trouble, can you?" Li Wan pleaded, wiping away tears as she spoke.

She admired her husband's character, which was precisely why she was so worried. If Shi Shouxin were truly a petty villain, she would not be worried at all.

Even Li Wan could feel the intense murderous intent in this affair!

Never mind that Ji Kang was only implicated for standing up for a friend; she suspected that even if he had stepped on a cat in the street, Sima Zhao would have had him arrested and interrogated.

When they want to condemn you, they will find a way. They had wrapped a whole basin of dumplings just for the sake of this one dish of vinegar—Ji Kang!

At this point, talking about justice, righteousness, or right and wrong was useless—especially since Ji Kang was not even in the right!

Hearing Li Wan's words, Shi Shouxin felt a deep melancholy. This time, he had truly become an accomplice in the killing of Ji Kang.

Over the years, he had built friendships with many officials in the court; for instance, he had saved the life of Du Yu and was both teacher and friend to Yang Hu. These men knew he had been falsely accused by Lu An and would certainly help stir the pot.

In other words, the forces that would ultimately lead to Lu An being punished for his false accusation were formidable!

If Lu An died, then Ji Kang, who had spoken up for him, would have to die as well. Sima Zhao’s sinister layout was impeccable.

As for Shi Shouxin, he was merely a small figure who had been inadvertently dragged into it.

"Go find Lord Yang and bring him here; I have something to say to him," Shi Shouxin instructed Li Wan.

"Husband, I... can I not go?" Li Wan was reluctant.

She loved her current life dearly; she had married the man she loved, and their days were peaceful and untroubled. If something happened to Shi Shouxin, it would all be destroyed.

Was it worth it for a man like Ji Kang, with whom they had no close ties?

Though she did not know what Shi Shouxin was thinking, Li Wan felt that standing up for Ji Kang was not worth it at all! At this moment, she had selfish thoughts; she wanted to hold onto everything she had and did not want to be plunged into danger because of someone who was not close to them.

"Trust me this once. I will not be reckless. I have you now, and our child; I will not fail you." Shi Shouxin held Li Wan's hand firmly. After a long time, Li Wan wiped the tears from her eyes and sighed: "Very well. If you are gone, I cannot live anyway. Our whole family will go to the underworld together; at least it will be lively."

With that, she rose and left, her pace very decisive.

Shi Shouxin smiled helplessly; his sensible and virtuous wife was truly angry this time.

In Li Wan's heart, even if Shi Shouxin took the Xu woman as a concubine, it wouldn't be a major event, but this involvement in the General-in-Chief’s hunt for Ji Kang chilled her to the bone.

Yet, if Shi Shouxin were not a man of such character, would she still love him?

In truth, Li Wan's own heart was conflicted, but in the end, she yielded. Because she loved Shi Shouxin to the point of madness, and she knew he was holding fast to his principles of justice, she could not refuse such a request.

After a quiet night, the next morning, Yang Hu arrived at the prison.

In fact, Sima Zhao had never intended to do anything to Shi Shouxin, so there was no "ban" on him; friends and family could visit without prior notification.

However, the situation for Ji Kang was entirely different.

Not only were his living conditions abysmal, but all of Ji Kang's friends, such as Shan Tao, were strictly barred from visiting. The bias was clear—they were there to tilt the scales of justice.

Yang Hu entered the cell, looked at the furnishings, and smiled: "Your wife came to ask for my help yesterday, and I was quite worried about you. Seeing you today, I see you are resting peacefully. Set your mind at ease; you will be released in a few days, and the General-in-Chief will surely compensate you."

He was not nervous at all, because just by looking at the state of the cell, he knew Shi Shouxin would be fine. It was an unwritten rule, as everyone understood.

"Not so. This time, I am asking for your help for the sake of Ji Kang," Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice.

Yang Hu looked strange, then sighed: "Ji Kang helped others to falsely accuse you, and yet you still speak for him? You are no good at being a 'nice guy.' I will not help you in this matter."

Sure enough, Yang Hu was a man of clear loves and hates. This time, Ji Kang had been reckless in favoring his friend over the truth; how could he blame others? He flatly refused Shi Shouxin’s request.

Deep down, Yang Hu held Shi Shouxin in high regard, and he was quite repulsed by Ji Kang's false accusation.

"Then... surely you can ask your sister to come here. I wish to beg her to intercede. She still has the ear of the General-in-Chief." Shi Shouxin did not persist but proposed a second plan.

"You really are..." Yang Hu shook his head helplessly, not knowing what to say to Shi Shouxin.

He pondered for a moment and eventually compromised. How to put it? Shi Shouxin was a good man and a trustworthy friend. This bit of impulsive justice was not really a character flaw.

It was better than being a treacherous villain, was it not?

"I will help you this once, but after this, I will not speak a word regarding anything to do with Ji Kang," Yang Hu warned Shi Shouxin.

"Thank you, Shuzi," Shi Shouxin said, gratefully gripping his hands.