Translator: Iris, Editor: Aruthea
A man stepped into the pavilion.
He was dressed in a deep black robe, with clouds embroidered along the hem. A purple jade pendant dangled from his waist. His hair was tied up in a high bun and kept in place with a pale grey ribbon that trailed to his hip. He was quite good-looking, and had an imposing air of wisdom about him. That pair of eyes were gentle yet proud and drew people in. All in all, he was a dashing and elegant man. However, he did not come in peace.
Wen Shisan entered the pavilion and greeted them. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
Jing Yi replied, “There’s no need to stand on ceremony, Shisan.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Let me introduce you to someone,” Jing Yi raised his hand and gestured towards Ji Yunshu, who sat across from him, “This is the famous Teacher Ji. Not only can he solve cases with ease, he could even create portraits from bare bones. The missing people’s case that had shocked the Imperial Capital was also solved by her. He is also highly valued by His Majesty and Prince Rong as a person with incredible talent and skill.”
Thanks for the compliment!
Wen Shisan greeted her with a bow. “A pleasure to finally meet you, Teacher Ji. I am Wen Shisan. I have long heard of Teacher Ji’s great intelligence. Every case that is undertaken by you would be solved and have its truth be revealed.”
Although he sounded amiable and polite, Ji Yunshu could clearly tell that he did not have kind intentions.
But bound by courtesy, she could only rise from her seat and returned his greeting with a bow. “I do not deserve such praise, Wen-gongzi.” [1] She said in a cold tone.
“I learned that Teacher Ji has now taken on the Lin Capital Case. It would be difficult to identify the over 70 scorched corpses from Imperial Duke’s Manor over fourteen years ago. After all, fourteen years have passed, and they were burned to death. I am really impressed by Teacher Ji. If there is anything I can help you with, or if you encountered any difficulty with the bodies, I would be more than willing to offer my services. Teacher Ji need only say the word.”
What? Ji Yunshu’s eyes widened ever so slightly. She was not shocked but the man in front of her did surprise her.
At the same time, Jing Yi took a sip from his teacup. He stared at the pale green liquid as it swirled in the porcelain vessel before he stood up and looked at Ji Yunshu. “Ah, this prince forgot to mention that Wen Shisan is also rather skilled. He too has solved many cases and I would even say he is as capable as you are. Last year, there was a serial murder case in Jiangzhen involving the extermination of entire families, and Shisan solved it in merely three days. Not only that, the horrifying Case of the Malicious Bones was also solved by him, we would not have caught the real culprit without his help. And…” He paused.
Then he met Ji Yunshu’s ever-cold gaze and said arrogantly, “He too, can create portraits from bare bones.”
Showoff! Turns out Wen Shisan comes from the same line of work as her. But she has never heard of him before. The only person that came to mind was Zhou San, a callous man that parted ways with her 4 years ago.
Ji Yunshu’s brows furrowed and she answered flatly. “Wen-gongzi seems very talented. I am just a simple scholar and am in no way comparable.”
“You needn’t be so humble, Teacher Ji.” Wen Shisan said, “Your reputation has spread far and wide, I had already heard of your name before arriving at the capital. If I have the opportunity to solve a case with you, I could die without any regrets.”
Yeah right, as if you would really just drop dead right away!
Jing Yi continued, “Teacher Ji, this prince wanted to extend an olive branch and let you aid me by working with Shisan to solve this case together. But it appears that you are just like Jing Rong, inflexible and stubborn to the bitter end. He could have stayed at Yufu and spent the rest of his life in peace and leisure, but he had to come back to the capital. And you could have brought back that idiot without a hitch if you would just help me instead. Yet both of you decided to trample on my goodwill. I am very saddened and disappointed.” He put on a distressed expression.
Gross! Ji Yunshu felt her stomach churn. The sight of Jing Yi’s crocodile tears made her sick to her stomach. She raised her chin in defiance. “Didn’t you kidnap Wei Yi to blackmail me and Prince Rong? I’m sorry I can’t cooperate with you.”
Then, she glanced at Wen Shisan and with a light laugh, said, “Besides, Wen-gongzi can solve cases and paint portraits from bare bones. With you helping Prince Yi, I doubt there would be any work left for me.”
Wen Shisan replied, “I cannot compare to your skills, Teacher Ji. His Highness has already expressed his wish for you to aid him, so why turn him down? It is truly a shame that I would not be able to work with you on this case.”
“Don’t be.” She said curtly, “Rather than work with each other, it would be much more interesting if we worked against each other.”
Hm? Against each other? That would mean…
She continued, “I did not plan to take on this Case of the Dried Well. But I changed my mind at this very moment. I will help Prince Rong find the real culprit and do everything to bring him to justice.”
Wen Shisan responded to her declaration, “Very interesting. In that case, I need to do my best and learn a thing or two from you, Teacher Ji.”
Ji Yunshu nodded lightly then turned towards Jing Yi, “I will take my leave now, there are still things I need to do. Thank you for the tea, Your Highness. Farewell.”
“Take care, Teacher Ji,” Jing Yi replied.
She stood up and stepped out from the pavilion. When she passed by Wen Shisan, perhaps it was unintentional, but she tripped on his outstretched foot! She lost her balance and fell forward. She would have fallen face first to the ground had he not grabbed her.
The moment she regained her balance, Ji Yunshu jumped away from him and shot him a hard glare.
“Be careful, Teacher Ji. The roads have become slippery with the rain.”
“Thanks, Wen-gongzi.”
“You’re welcome.”
With that, Ji Yunshu walked into the rain.
Wen Shisan’s eyes darkened as he watched her silhouette vanish in the distance with a curl at the corner of his lips. It had been almost 4 years since they last met. It looked like she didn’t think he would return.
After Ji Yunshu left, Jing Yi asked Wen Shisan with a stern voice, “Are you confident about this case, Shisan?”
“Your Highness has seen my talent. I will help Your Highness find the real culprit.”
“You will be heavily rewarded as long as you can solve it.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
……
Ji Yunshu left the Yi Estate. Shi Zijin had been waiting for her by the gate with two umbrellas. She handed one of them to Ji Yunshu, who took it and opened it immediately.
“Where are we headed to?” She asked.
“The Rong Estate.”
Shi Zijin did not ask further and silently followed Ji Yunshu.
Ji Yunshu walked ahead with an umbrella in hand. After a short distance, she realised that she had been holding something in her closed fist. She opened her hand, it was a tiny roll of paper. It had been stuffed into her hand when Wen Shisan helped her just now. She unfurled the note and saw the following words written in neat handwriting.
Long-time no see, Shifu. [2]
Her face darkened and she gritted her teeth as she crumpled the note into a ball and threw it to the ground, leaving it to soak in the rain.
[1] Gongzi = honorific for gentlemen. We'll be shifting to use more transliterated honorifics now, after hearing some feedback.
[2] Shifu = Teacher/Master
