# 194. Foolish Lin'an Still Has Her Uses
Zhou Min's Widow?
Xu Qi'an's first reaction upon hearing this was: she's lying.
Apart from clerks, officials in Great Feng, from provincial governors to county magistrates, are all from other regions.
As a clerk in the Yunzhou Military Command, Zhou Min wouldn't be an exception. Besides, his official title as a clerk masked his true identity as a Nightwatcher operative.
Would Wei Yuan allow an operative to bring his wife and children along? That would turn them into double agents instantly.
"Zhou Min?" Inspector Zhang frowned. "What grievance does he have?"
He adopted an air of *“Who the hell is Zhou Min, this official has never heard of the man.”*
Yang Yingying lamented, "My husband was originally a clerk in the Yunzhou Military Command."
Inspector Zhang was taken aback, his attitude shifting dramatically as he bent down to help the kneeling Yang Yingying to her feet. “So you're the wife of Clerk Zhou. What happened to him? And why are you traveling all the way to Qingzhou to file a complaint?
"Qingzhou and Yunzhou are of equal rank. Chief Minister Yang may not take on this case. Hmm, I am the Inspector General overseeing Yunzhou, and the three departments here must listen to me. What grievance do you have? Speak freely."
*It turns out that not only women are born actresses, but officials are also top-notch performers...* Xu Qi'an remained silent, watching Zhang's solo performance.
Yang Yingying hesitated, then looked at Inspector Zhang and said, "Sir, may I see your appointment document or official seal?"
At these words, Inspector Zhang and the Nightwatchers all frowned.
The Silver Gongs and Bronze Gongs instinctively placed their hands on their weapon hilts, scrutinising Yang Yingying.
These were not words an ordinary woman could say, even if she were a clerk’s wife.
*She knows her stuff...* Xu Qi'an also gripped his sword hilt, staring seriously at Yang Yingying. The woman showed no signs of qi fluctuation and didn't appear to be a martial artist based on her body fat distribution.
But this only ruled out her being a martial artist; other systems with their myriad techniques could not be dismissed lightly.
Inspector Zhang took two steps back without a change in expression and said, "Gold Gong Jiang, please fetch my documents and seal."
*Coward...* Jiang Lyuzhong shot him a glance, then fetched the documents and seal.
Inspector Zhang did not take them but instead looked at Yang Yingying, "Since you are the wife of Clerk Zhou, we permit you to inspect them."
Jiang Lyuzhong stepped forward, displaying the documents and seal.
Yang Yingying examined them carefully, her eyes searching for the words "Yunzhou" and "Inspector General," and then seeing the bright red seal, she had no more doubts.
Up to this point, the willingness of the other party to engage with her, a mere woman, for so long was in itself a sign of sincerity.
Yang Yingying knelt again and kowtowed, "I am Yang Yingying, formerly a woman of the Jiaofangsi in Yunzhou. Years ago, I fell in love with Master Zhou, left my life of disgrace, and have since been serving him..."
Everyone gave a knowing look of realisation.
*...So she’s a courtesan, no wonder she’s more knowledgeable than ordinary women, even knowing to ask for documents and seals.* Xu Qi'an understood.
In this era, courtesans were the highly educated women among their peers, skilled in various arts and crafts.
Yang Yingying briefly recounted her past with Zhou Min, frankly stating that she was his kept woman, whom he would visit periodically.
"Not long ago, Master Zhou came to me in a hurry, handed me something, and said he might be in danger soon. If something happened to him, I should hide and then find a way to leave Yunzhou to deliver this item to Commissioner Yang in Qingzhou.
"Soon after, I received the news of his death..." Yang Yingying's tears fell as she choked on her words, sobbing, "I was both grieving and frightened, so I hid at a friend's house, asking her to gather information for me.
"After hiding for a while, my friend told me that Zhao's caravan was going to Qingzhou soon. I borrowed twenty taels of silver from her, bought a horse, and left Yunzhou with the caravan..."
The rest of the story, everyone knew.
Xu Qi'an watched coldly, observing Yang Yingying's micro-expressions. This time, her eyes did not waver, her voice was mournful, full of genuine emotion.
No signs of deception could be seen.
Thus Xu Qi'an searched for clues in Yang Yingying's words—Zhou Min never exposed his identity as a Nightwatcher operative, not even to someone he could fully trust. This indicated that Zhou Min was a competent operative.
If he had easily revealed his identity, it would have been suspicious.
As for why he wanted to go to Qingzhou to find Ziyang Jushi instead of another neighboring province, Xu Qi'an surmised that Zhou Min didn't trust anyone else and only trusted this great scholar from the Cloud Deer Academy.
Firstly, compared to ordinary scholars, great scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy were more trustworthy due to their cultivation system. After all, scoundrels couldn't follow the Confucian path.
Secondly, there was a doctrinal dispute between scholars from the Cloud Deer Academy and those from the Imperial Academy. Following the principle that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, seeking out Ziyang Jushi was the right choice.
Inspector Zhang frowned, "You suspect Zhou Min was murdered."
Yang Yingying nodded vigorously, "It's quite obvious, isn't it? Please seek justice for my husband."
"This..." Inspector Zhang pondered for a moment, "Very well, we agree. Now, hand over what Clerk Zhou left you."
Yang Yingying immediately kowtowed, "Thank you, sir."
Xu Qi'an couldn't help but view Inspector Zhang differently. His cunning was admirable; no wonder he was a seasoned official under Wei Yuan.
Yang Yingying straightened up, reached into her bosom, and pulled out half of a jade pendant, presenting it with both hands, "This is what Master Zhou gave me that night."
All eyes focused on the jade pendant.
It was a semi-circular piece of jade, entirely a stunning shade of translucent green. It should have been a round piece, but it had been cut in half by a sharp instrument.
Jiang Lyuzhong took the jade pendant and handed it to Inspector Zhang, who rubbed it between his fingers, lost in thought.
"This looks like a token?" Jiang Lyuzhong whispered, then looked at Xu Qi'an for his opinion.
Inspector Zhang also looked over.
*Why are you looking at me? I can investigate a case, but I'm not a fortune-teller... Your attitude of treating me as a tool is quite blatant...* Xu Qi'an pondered, "Let's head to Yunzhou first. Guessing is pointless."
Inspector Zhang put away the jade pendant and instructed the soldiers, "Continue on, to Yunzhou."
They buried the corpses on the spot, collected the surviving merchants and their goods, and continued their journey along the official road towards Yunzhou.
....
The sun shone brightly, bringing a gentle warmth. On this rare fine morning, Princess Huaiqing had finished her sword practice and was about to call for a maid to prepare hot water, when she turned and saw two maids playing go in the pavilion.
Huaiqing frowned, not because the maids were playing go, but because they wouldn't understand the game in the first place.
She silently approached the pavilion and watched the maids play.
The pretty little maids were engrossed in their game, oblivious to their mistress's presence.
They played without strategy, ignorant of positioning or securing advantageous spots, placing their pieces rapidly, almost without thinking.
Huaiqing's frown deepened. This childish way of playing was excruciating for her, a go master. But after watching for a while, she understood.
The game was simple: whoever lined up five pieces first, whether vertically, horizontally, or diagonally, would win.
Unable to resist, she asked, "What game is this?"
The two maids jumped in fright, hurriedly standing up and softly replied, "It's Five-in-a-row."
*Five-in-a-row? What's that?*
The well-read Huaiqing was puzzled.
One maid explained, "It's a game that came from Princess Lin'an. It's spread throughout the palace now, and everyone is playing it."
By "everyone," she meant the eunuchs and maids in the palace.
"Even Concubine Chen said it was interesting," added the other maid.
*Lin'an? She's just a silly girl...* Huaiqing nodded, "I want to take a bath. No need to prepare lunch."
Emperor Yuanjing was hosting a family banquet this morning, and the princes and princesses would dine in Qianqing Palace.
After her bath, Princess Huaiqing left her garden and headed towards Qianqing Palace.
In the luxurious hall, she met her siblings. In her absence, the talkative Lin'an, who loved to wear red dresses and elaborate jewelry, was the center of attention.
Today was a bit different. Her brothers and sisters merely nodded in greeting to Huaiqing and then resumed their conversation.
"Lin'an has created a new game. The rules of Five-in-a-row are simple and easy to understand. Even the attendants in my palace have picked it up quickly and are enjoying it."
"Our Princess Lin'an's name will become widely known."
The round-faced, charming Lin'an enjoyed the praise from her siblings, her smile sweet, yet she tried to remain modest.
She looked like a proud little hen trying hard not to show off.
Seeing Huaiqing enter, she raised her chin slightly, displaying a proud demeanor.
*Be jealous of me, be jealous of me...* Lin'an chanted in her heart, glancing at Huaiqing out of the corner of her eye.
But the aloof Huaiqing simply sat down, sipped some tea, and ignored her foolish sister.
*Hmph... Huaiqing is definitely jealous of me.* Lin'an consoled herself inwardly.
Princess Huaiqing was not a sociable royal daughter. It wasn't just her pride; her interests were too different from her siblings'. While the princesses discussed beautiful clothes and cosmetics, she was interested in the Four Books and the Five Classics.
When the princes discussed politics and grand strategies, she would ask: How to solve the disasters of water? How to manage the officials?
The princes would feel uncomfortable; *who knows? We're discussing grand strategies and macro issues, and you're nit-picking.*
Near noon, eunuchs from Emperor Yuanjing's palace came to invite the princes and princesses over.
Lin'an trotted behind her elder brother, the crown prince, her skirt fluttering. Suddenly, she heard Huaiqing's voice behind her, "Lin'an."
Lin'an couldn't help but smile, her expression uncontrollable with pride, "What?"
Once the other princes had walked far enough, Huaiqing said indifferently, "Who taught you Five-in-a-row?"
"I invented it myself." Lin'an was conflicted. Xu Qi'an had taught her, and she shouldn't claim it as her own, but the compliments were too tempting, and ultimately she couldn’t resist.
*I'll tell them Xu Ningyan taught me later...* she thought.
"When Father asks later, you should say the same thing." Huaiqing walked away, her cool, pleasant voice carrying a warning:
"Father doesn't like that guy. Be mindful when you speak."
After a small pause, she added, "If you have a brain."
Lin'an swallowed the words "Why" and, like a feisty little lion, chased after Huaiqing claws flailing, angrily shouting:
"You're the one without a brain! You're the one without a brain!"
"I'm prettier and smarter than you. See, Xu Ningyan is willing to work for me, but not for you."
Huaiqing suddenly stopped, glaring sternly.
Lin'an, like an agile cat, jumped back, then felt she was too cowardly and stubbornly glared back with her peach blossom eyes.
Princess Huaiqing raised her hand.
"Brother Crown Prince, Huaiqing is going to hit me!" Lin'an screamed as she ran away.
At the banquet, Emperor Yuanjing did indeed ask about it.
*How did Huaiqing know Father would ask...* Lin'an was shocked, glancing at her annoying sister. Huaiqing's beautiful face remained expressionless as she ate.
Lin'an's eyes rolled back, as she sweetly said, "Because Lin'an is Father's daughter, and Father is the smartest person in the world."
Emperor Yuanjing laughed heartily.
*Father has always been watching what's happening in the palace, just as he silently oversees the court...* Huaiqing continued eating without any change in expression.
She hadn't cultivated her own confidants in the palace and never actively sought out palace gossip. She didn't even know about the recently popular Five-in-a-row.
It wasn't that Huaiqing didn't know; she didn't want to know.
Princess Huaiqing had to admit, though Lin'an was extremely foolish, even a useless person could be of use, depending on how you used them.
At least when it came to pleasing Father, no one in the palace could surpass Lin'an, including those concubines who were either out of favour or had been favoured.