Chapter Ninety-Six: If He Dies, I’ll Take the Blame

“Then yes,” Di Ying replied.

He answered briefly, stepped forward, gathered the petitions into his arms, bowed slightly, and withdrew.

After watching Di Ying leave and the door still quivering faintly in its frame, Wu Yongchang stroked his beard and frowned.

Everyone said Di Ying was reckless, stubborn, and headstrong, forever stumbling from one calamity into the next.

Wu Yongchang had witnessed Di Ying’s conduct with his own eyes at court and had formed the same impression of him.

And yet, face to face today, what was this?

Could Di Ying actually be so obedient and so meek?

The thought left Wu Yongchang feeling as though something were lodged in his chest.

He understood perfectly well why His Majesty had shoved Di Ying into his hands. That evening he had prepared all manner of lines and tactics, from expressions to gestures to methods, all meant to make Di Ying more sensible and easier to handle.

Who would have thought he would not even get the chance to use a single one of them?

Wu Yongchang rubbed his chest, rose, and went out to find someone to play chess with.

He had lived sixty years already. Wu Yongchang knew how to keep his composure.

He was certain that there would be many chances later.

He did not believe Di Ying could be well-behaved once and remain well-behaved for a lifetime.

And Di Ying, carrying the petitions back to his own office, likewise did not believe he would have many chances to remain obedient and let others arrange his fate.

If Wu Yongchang wanted him idle, then idle he would be, for now.

Idle enough to stroll, to feed birds.

Otherwise, Di Ying had no doubt Wu Yongchang would set him standing guard at the gates for the officials of the court every day, or make him serve as a hound’s tail, trailing and spying on certain ministers.

Was that not what censors were for?

After a moment’s thought, Di Ying stuffed the petitions into his bundle, slung it over his back, and went home.

Home...

What sort of place had it become?

He would have to look carefully.

But by the time he reached the gate and had not yet climbed the few stone steps, he nearly collided with Di Hui, who came rushing out from inside.

Di Ying caught Di Hui without asking a word.

Yet his expression turned grave, and his heart grew heavier still. He knew something had happened at home, and it was serious.

Sure enough, as soon as Di Hui steadied himself, he cried out, “Second Brother? Second Brother! Miao has been abducted.”

Di Ying: “...”

He seized Di Hui at once and pulled him behind the stone lions by the entrance, then continued to regard him with calm, steady eyes.

Di Hui understood and hurried on. “Miao went out early this morning to the market, saying she wanted to find a living creature with a keen sense of smell for you.

“It’s already past noon and she still hasn’t returned. Just now we received word from someone: more than an hour ago, Miao was forced onto a carriage by kidnappers.

“That man followed the carriage in secret, but once they were out of the city he lost them. He came here to report.

“He said the carriage left through the East City Gate. There were four kidnappers, all with black cloth over their faces. There were no clan marks or emblems on the carriage.

“The two guards who were protecting Miao were wounded by the kidnappers’ blades and dumped in a rubbish heap outside the live-animal market. Eldest Brother has already sent people to look for them.

“I was about to go find you when you came back. Second Brother, think of some way to save her!”

Once a woman is kidnapped, whatever the outcome, if outsiders learn of it, her reputation is ruined.

And Di Miao was Di Ying’s own younger sister.

Lord Di already had a formidable reputation for judging cases with uncanny skill. If word spread that even his own sister had been abducted and not yet rescued...

Then the people would no longer trust Di Ying’s abilities so readily.

It was truly the sort of thing that could set off a chain reaction.

Thinking of those consequences, especially imagining how the villains might harm Di Miao, Di Hui broke out in a cold sweat.

As for Peng Liang, the moment he heard “East City Gate,” he sprang onto a rooftop and headed straight there.

He did not take a horse.

Riding at speed was forbidden on the streets.

With the situation urgent, Peng Liang chose the direct route, leaping from roof to roof.

Zhao San and the others also wanted to race over like Peng Liang, but their lightness skills were not nearly good enough. They could only hold their breath, stare at their lord’s mouth, and wait for the order that would send them into action at once.

But his mouth did not move.

Di Ying was thinking.

What were the kidnappers after?

Did they mean to torment Di Miao in order to strike at him? Was that not too childish?

Did they mean to kill Di Miao? Then why bother with all this trouble at all? They could have simply done it.

Did they mean to kidnap Di Miao to draw his attention away elsewhere?

Then who in the capital was about to be in trouble?

Or were they trying to bring disaster down on his entire family?

No. Impossible.

He was already a third-rank official. If his entire household were slaughtered, no matter who had done it, His Majesty would never tolerate it.

That had nothing to do with whether the emperor favored Di Ying.

Di Ying let that line of thought fall away and pushed onward.

If the villains were merely trying to divert his attention, then they must be certain that their next move would inevitably draw his notice.

In other words, the person they meant to target was someone he would certainly obstruct or rescue.

Then who could it be?

What sort of affair was it?

He had more than a few enemies in this capital.

Wu Qiongsi, Wu Chengsi, even, one might say, every member of the Wu clan who had ever done evil, or was still doing evil.

There was also Lai Wangcai, Xue Huaiyi;

perhaps even Tao Changling, who had failed to assassinate him and was now rallying old disciples and former connections to deal with him.

But this kind of scheme...

It should be Xue Huaiyi.

If Lai Wangcai wanted to deal with him, Di Ying, he would not need any pretext at all. He could simply bring men, seize him, and then torment him however he pleased.

That left only Xue Huaiyi.

Ha.

Once Di Ying had the matter sorted out, he gave a cold laugh.

So it really was such a petty, unsightly creature.

“Zhao San, take three men and head for White Horse Temple. Search quietly for any place in the temple where someone might be held captive. Pay attention to any unusual sounds. Di Miao will not sit still and wait to be killed.

“Xu Si, take four men and wait along the road one must take after leaving the city and returning to White Horse Temple. If you run into Xue Huaiyi, cut him off. Use any method, any means. If you kill him, that will be on me.

“Di Hui, stay home and watch the house.

“Chang Jiu, you come with me.”

At once, the guards sprang into action.

They all lifted their shoulders almost imperceptibly, feeling the skin across their backs tighten.

Their lord was murderous now. This was... anger.

Di Ying was angry.

He had never thought much of a thing like Xue Huaiyi in the first place and had not wasted time dealing with him first. Who would have thought the man would jump out on his own?

Very well. Then go and die properly.

...

As for Di Miao, whom the villains had abducted, she was now in a hidden underground chamber.

The chamber was very small, as though it had been hastily carved out from the side of a passageway.

Two wooden doors stood on either side of the corridor, and oil lamps burned quietly on the wall.

In the extra space beyond, there was only a wooden plank bed.

Di Miao lay on her side upon it, her hands and feet bound behind her with rope.