Chapter 156: Mo Qingge's Ambition

That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Pan Gouzi, the night watchman, yawned, carrying a hand drum in one hand while closing his front door with the other. He rubbed his eyes in extreme exhaustion and unhooked the drum mallet tucked at his waist.

"Dong," he struck the drum once, then burst into the ritual chant he recited every single night.

Following Grand Capital Road straight west, and then winding from south to north, the Great Capital was quite vast. Making this round took him a considerable amount of time. If not for the decent monthly stipend this watchman's post provided, he would never have agreed to such a night-and-day-reversing job.

Tonight was just like countless nights before.

Pan Gouzi walked along, beating his watch, passing through the West Ward, and turning into the South Market. Glancing at the luxurious residences by the Clear Water Bank in the South Market, he curled his lip in disdain, then wandered on toward the North Market of his own accord.

However, the moment he stepped into the boundaries of the North Market, Pan Gouzi frowned. Over the past few days, many outsiders had arrived in the Great Capital, most of whom settled down in the North Market. Having served as a night watchman for many years, he possessed some discernment and immediately recognized that these people were artisans. Furthermore, the Emperor of Great Yin had recently issued an imperial decree specifically to select tribute ink.

Consequently, even ordinary commoners like him were aware of it.

Pan Gouzi beat his watch absentmindedly while pondering whether he should seize this opportunity to find an apprenticeship for his son. With so many ink-making artisans currently in the Great Capital, perhaps a bit of silver could secure his son a good master. After a few years of study, if he could manage to enter the Ink Merchants' Guild, his food and clothing would be secured for life. Should he encounter another imperial tribute ink selection, he might even rise above the ordinary. That would be much simpler than studying for the imperial examinations to become a top scholar, and possessing a trade meant one could feed a family; no matter how harsh the times, they would never starve.

The more he thought about it, the more feasible the plan seemed, so he focused his attention as he looked around the North Market. He had visited during the day a few times and roughly knew which houses were inhabited by ink-making masters.

Passing through Black Garment Lane, seeing that this round of night-watching was about to finish, Pan Gouzi stepped forward, preparing to turn the corner, when he heard the sound of barking dogs echoing from deep within Black Garment Lane.

A chill struck his heart, and he wanted to turn and leave. Encountering barking dogs in the dead of night was rarely a good sign. Yet, after taking half a step, his stride faltered, and he hesitated. If something genuinely momentous was happening, this might also be a prime opportunity to befriend an ink-making master.

Acting on the thought, he tightened his grip on the drum mallet, stepped into the deep shadows of the alley, and carefully traced the source of the barking.

The North Market was filled with alleys—Willow Alley, Thirty-Seven Alley, Angelica Alley... various kinds of alleys, among which Black Garment Lane was the most famous. Historically, two successive prime ministers had emerged from this very alley, and both of these renowned chancellors had walked out of the alley entrance wearing the plain black garments of scholars, hence the name "Black Garment Lane."

Consequently, Black Garment Lane had become the most prestigious alley in the North Market. The families who lived here possessed a social standing by no means inferior to those in the South Market.

The barking grew closer and closer. Pan Gouzi's nostrils caught a whiff of bloody stench, and his heart gave a hard thud. Suppressing the urge to turn and run, he crouched down, shuffling forward inch by inch.

Through the wide-open courtyard gate, he could see fierce dogs barking wildly, and the foul, fishy stench permeating the night air grew increasingly dense.

Pan Gouzi found a large stone by the doorway and squatted behind it, exposing only half his head to peer inside. The next moment, the sight before him scared him half out of his wits—

Under the dim twilight, pools of blood across the ground reflected points of fluorescent light. Several corpses lay sprawled across the threshold of the main hall, and the entire small courtyard was utterly devoid of any aura of the living.

Pan Gouzi stumbled and fell backward onto the ground, not even daring to draw a full breath. Just as he was about to cry out at the top of his lungs, his sharp eyes caught a flash of cold reflection emerging from the reception hall. The reflection was unmistakably the gleam of a blade's edge.

Pan Gouzi clamped his hands tightly over his mouth and nose, not daring to make the slightest sound.

He swallowed hard, lifted his gaze upward along the edge of the blade, and caught sight of a rare right hand with six fingers. The sixth finger grew beside the thumb and was shorter and smaller than the pinky, yet it was an unforgettable sight.

Pan Gouzi was frightened almost to the point of fainting. It was only after the figure slowly departed and a long time had passed—at least the span of a full hour—that Pan Gouzi finally regained his wits. He struck his hand drum furiously and let out a shrill, piercing scream, "Murder! Murder..."

The next day, the murder in Black Garment Lane became the talk of the entire Great Capital.

Gu Fei woke up early and heard Mother Ku discussing the matter. Mother Ku instructed You Er and Bailog to bolt the courtyard gates tightly as soon as dusk fell, refusing to open them no matter who knocked, and to take turns keeping watch through the night.

As she ate breakfast, she listened to Mother Ku's detailed report. When it was finished, she picked up a handkerchief to dab at the corner of her lips, her brow slightly furrowed. "So you're saying the victim was an ink-making master who came to the Great Capital to participate in the tribute ink selection?"

"Yes," Mother Ku hurriedly brought a bowl of fresh water for Gu Fei to rinse her mouth. "He was an ink master from the Hanzhou Ink Merchants' Guild. A few days ago, he even attended an ink gathering alongside you, Miss."

Gu Fei's heart tightened. "Is it that master in his fifties? The one whose ink I suggested adding an extra portion of cork-tree bark powder and pounding an extra eight hundred times?"

Mother Ku nodded, signaling Nightingale to clear away the bowls and chopsticks from the table.

Gu Fei tapped her fingers rhythmically against the armrest. "That master possessed fine craftsmanship. In this tribute ink selection, even if he ultimately failed to enter the Imperial Household Department, he would at least have been top-tier in the Ink Department..."

She paused mid-sentence, her gaze instantly turning cold and sharp. "So, this murder case—is someone eliminating rivals? And specifically targeting the ink-making masters who have performed brilliantly in recent days?"

Mother Ku wore a worried expression. "I'm afraid so. Will Miss still be going out to attend the ink gatherings in the coming days?"

Gu Fei gave a light laugh and glanced at Mother Ku. "What is there to worry about? With you, You Er, and Bailog around, it's hard to say who would end up killing whom."

Mother Ku sighed, the nasolabial folds on either side of her nose deepening. "This old servant quietly went to look at the corpses. All of them died from multiple stab wounds. The assailant may not necessarily be exceptionally skilled in martial arts; the crucial point is that the victims showed no signs of struggle, as if they were murdered while fast asleep. Therefore, this old servant believes the killer was either someone familiar to the deceased or employed some other unorthodox method."

Gu Fei listened and let the matter pass, suddenly asking, "Who discovered the bodies first?"

"A night watchman," Mother Ku replied.

Gu Fei asked further, "Did the watchman say he discovered anything else?"

At this, Mother Ku thought for a moment and shook her head. "I haven't heard of anything else. They only said he heard dogs barking, went over to investigate, was frightened into a faint, and started shouting about murder only after he woke up."

Gu Fei pondered for a good while before saying, "In a few days, after this matter calms down, see if we can invite that watchman here to be questioned. Make sure not to cause him any trouble, and give him some silver or the like."

Mother Ku nodded, indicating she had memorized the instruction, then asked with a puzzled look, "Does Miss think the watchman knows something he didn't tell the prefectural government?"

Gu Fei smiled without answering, merely instructing Mother Ku to handle the task.

That very day, Gu Fei went to attend an ink gathering entirely unaffected. To her surprise, at this gathering, very few people actually looked at the ink; the majority spent their time gossiping about the murder in Black Garment Lane. Finding it thoroughly tedious, Gu Fei left the gathering on her own and wandered around the ink pellet shops in the Great Capital.

Just as she was engrossed in examining some colored ink at a shop, she spotted Zuo Shengsi and several literary scholars clad in long robes descending from the second floor.

This was only the second time in several days that Gu Fei had laid eyes on Zuo Shengsi. Seeming somewhat surprised that Gu Fei was also there, Zuo Shengsi paused for a moment before stepping forward to cup his hands in greeting. "Zuo greets Miss Gu."

Gu Fei withdrew her gaze from the colored ink, her expression cold and indifferent. "Hmm."

With a rudeness bordering on deliberate insult, she didn't even return the greeting. There was not a trace left of the soft and innocent aura she had displayed that day.

Zuo Shengsi raised an eyebrow, though he did not mind her attitude. "Why did Miss leave without a word that day? It caused me quite some trouble searching for you."

Gu Fei curled the corner of her lips, a clear and glaring mockery sparkling within her black-and-white eyes. "Oh? So it turns out it was my fault after all, for causing Young Master Zuo such trouble."

Zuo Shengsi chuckled. Just as he was about to speak, one of the young gentlemen lagging a few steps behind him, displeased by Gu Fei's aloof demeanor, cut in ahead of him, "Zuo, my friend, who is this young lady?"

Zuo Shengsi's brow furrowed slightly, but it smoothed out almost immediately. He turned slightly and gestured toward Gu Fei as he introduced her, "This is Miss Gu, a master ink-maker from Yizhou."

Yet, Zuo Shengsi did not introduce the identities of those companions to Gu Fei.

Gu Fei cast a casual glance at the group, reading the unconcealed contempt on their faces with crystal clarity.

She knew that Zuo Shengsi's father, Zuo Qing, was the current Censor-in-Chief, and the young gentlemen moving in his circle naturally possessed comparable family backgrounds. Therefore, she had no intention of cultivating ties with this group; at best, she would calculate against them later if necessary. Hence, just as they disdained her, she paid them no mind whatsoever.

"So it's a master ink-maker. My apologies for the disrespect," the gentleman who had previously provoked her stepped forward. His brow bone was higher than average, with a prominent bridge of the nose and thick lips. Though he looked honest and wholesome on the surface, his pettiness was no wider than the eye of a needle. "I originally thought that among the ink-making masters, Mo Qingge from the Mo family was already a genius worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with men. I never expected that seeing Miss Gu today—being the same age as Mo Qingge—she is also a master. Her skills must surely be no less impressive."

This blatantly provocative remark caused the faint smile at the corner of Gu Fei's lips to grow unfathomable. She glanced at Zuo Shengsi, and seeing that he remained silent, she gained a rough measure of the situation. "You flatter me, Young Master."

Everyone present listened intently, eager to hear what Gu Fei would say next. Yet she simply uttered those five breezy words and nothing more, leaving the gentleman feeling as though he had thrown a punch at a cushion—not only unable to exert any force, but also leaving himself suffocated with churning blood and qi.

Zuo Shengsi knew his friends' personalities all too well. Before the man could flare up in anger, Zuo Shengsi stepped in to smooth things over. "Whether it's flattery or not, I've been hearing wonderful evaluations and tales regarding Miss Gu every day lately. Truly most fascinating."

Finally, he turned to the other young gentlemen and said, "Didn't you all mention having a poetry gathering to attend? I won't be joining you."

Since these men frequently ran in Zuo Shengsi's circle, how could they fail to catch the underlying meaning of his words? Grabbing the still-fuming gentleman, they bade the two of them farewell.

Gu Fei also wished to leave. Zuo Shengsi was accustomed to calculating in everything he did. While she was fond of calculation herself, it did not mean she was willing to play the fool and let others manipulate her. Therefore, whenever unnecessary, she had not the slightest desire to be entangled with him.

"Miss, please stay." Zuo Shengsi shifted his stance to block Gu Fei's path, smiling as he said, "I have a matter I wish to discuss with Miss. I wonder if you might spare a moment?"

Gu Fei looked at Zuo Shengsi, attempting to read his expressions, before finally replying after a long pause, "Lead the way."

It wasn't that she hadn't considered refusing. But firstly, she had just arrived in the Great Capital; although her recent notoriety seemed high, it consisted mostly of unfavorable reputations, and the impact she could achieve alone fell far short of her goals. If there was leverage to be borrowed, she was naturally willing to use it.

Zuo Shengsi led Gu Fei to the second floor of the colored ink shop, securing a secluded private room. Once he saw there were no outsiders present, he weighed his words and began, "When Zuo first met Miss that day, I indeed intended to test your depth and see if you truly possessed genuine skill."

Gu Fei twirled the teacup before her, asking indifferently, "And the result?"

Recalling the events of that day, Zuo Shengsi gave a wry smile. "We hadn't gotten around to it yet. I intended to seek Miss out later, but by the time I looked back, your tracks had already vanished into thin air."

Gu Fei took a sip of the tea. The tea was dark in color, and the moment the taste hit her palate, she felt a wave of dislike. "Young Master, wasn't that the day you went to welcome Mo Qingge, the number one beauty of Great Yin? Ah Fei figured that with such a beauty keeping you company, it was impossible to extricate yourself anytime soon, so after looking over the ink pellets, I simply took my leave."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Shengsi's expression darkened instantly, though it was unclear which of Gu Fei's words had displeased him.

After a long silence, he gave a cold laugh. "Keeping company with a beauty? Hmph, that's an honor I cannot afford to accept."

There was profound meaning hidden in those words. Gu Fei raised an eyebrow, having assumed that any man in the world would relish the title of the number one beauty.

"Oh? Could it be that the number one beauty is not alluring enough to overthrow cities and nations?"

Zuo Shengsi cast a peculiar look at Gu Fei, somewhat baffled by her current expression—it was a mixture of schadenfreude and feigned curiosity, her large black-and-white eyes blinking in a manner that made one want to obediently answer her questions.

"Beautiful she certainly is; calling her capable of toppling cities and states is no exaggeration. It's just a pity..." Zuo Shengsi dragged out the ending note, "The favor of the River Goddess does not lie with me."

"Oh?" Gu Fei smiled brightly, currently wishing Zuo Shengsi would say a bit more.

Zuo Shengsi shook his head, swirling the tea in his cup as he gazed at Gu Fei with deep thought in his eyes. "I wonder if Miss would dare to contend for supremacy against this number one beauty?"

Gu Fei was slightly startled. Her thoughts raced at lightning speed; in a single instant, numerous considerations flashed through her mind. Outwardly, however, she showed not a flicker of emotion, letting out a soft scoff instead. "Young Master Zuo, you must be toying with this humble woman. You yourself said Mo Qingge is the number one beauty of Great Yin; how could Ah Fei possibly compete with her? That would be nothing short of courting humiliation."

"No," Zuo Shengsi explained. "Mo Qingge not only holds the title of the number one beauty of Great Yin, but she also hails from the century-old ink-making Mo family. She is hailed as the most dazzling genius of recent years, and her innate talent for ink-making is the envy of all. What I want Miss Gu to contend with Mo Qingge in is—"

"Ink-making!"

Inwardly, Gu Fei sneered repeatedly. As for Zuo Shengsi's description of Mo Qingge, the common people were foolish and always assumed Mo Qingge was truly a favored child of heaven, little knowing that everything she possessed had long been meticulously plotted and arranged by Old Madame Mo.

What dazzling genius of the age? What extraordinary talent for ink-making?

Everything was merely using the strengths of others to mask her own shortcomings.

During that decade in the past, wasn't it precisely her own talent that had been stolen to patch up Mo Qingge? No one knew better than she that for those ten years, every single ink pellet she crafted eventually bore Mo Qingge's name, while the world's praises and accolades all fell upon Mo Qingge.

She had spent a full ten years making wedding garments for someone else!

"Miss Gu?" Zuo Shengsi called out several times.

Gu Fei snapped back to reality with a start. She abruptly relaxed her grip on the teacup, curving the corners of her mouth into a smile. "So, Young Master wishes for Ah Fei to engage in an ink duel with Mo Qingge?"

Zuo Shengsi nodded. "If there were any other way, I would not resort to such drastic measures."

"Is that so..." Gu Fei lowered her gaze slightly, the shadow at the corner of her lips deepening instantly, resembling undercurrents surging beneath clear waters. "May I ask Young Master, why you wish to find someone to duel Mo Qingge?"

Seeming not to expect Gu Fei to ask this, Zuo Shengsi considered for a moment before moving his lips to reply, "I won't keep it from Miss. Mo Qingge has consistently tried to pressure me into marrying her seventh sister, Mo Jingxiu, and naturally, I am unwilling. Her seventh sister is clearly of concubine birth, yet Mo Qingge claims that as long as I am willing to marry her, she will grant Mo Jingxiu the status of a legitimate first-born daughter."

"Hmph, her ambitions run truly vast." By the end, Zuo Shengsi sounded deeply indignant.

Gu Fei's almond eyes narrowed as Mo Jingxiu's plain, unremarkable face surfaced in her mind. If not for having met this Mo Jingxiu a few times in the past, she would have had no impression of her whatsoever.

Mo Jingxiu was the seventh-ranked child of the Mo family. Her mother had been a personal maid to Mo Qingge's mother, Lady Yue, and was later elevated to a concubine. Both Mo Jingxiu and her mother had always shown absolute obedience and reverence toward Lady Yue.

Thus, it made complete sense for Mo Qingge to use Mo Jingxiu as a pawn to plant her influence within the inner quarters of the Censor-in-Chief's estate.

After all, they were trusted insiders. Furthermore, if this scheme succeeded, Mo Qingge would bestow upon Mo Jingxiu the status of a legitimate daughter and marry her off to Zuo Qing's most favored youngest son. Whichever way one looked at it, the Mo family would reap a massive profit.

It was hardly surprising that Zuo Shengsi was displeased.

With this thought, Gu Fei said, "Young Master Zuo, as for this matter... it is not entirely impossible for Ah Fei to assist you. However..."

"However what?" Zuo Shengsi's brow furrowed.

"However, if Ah Fei defeats Mo Qingge, what benefits can Young Master offer Ah Fei in return?" She never engaged in a losing trade. Reciprocity was the foundation of longevity, and when dealing with Zuo Shengsi, she would yield not an inch, determined to extract sufficient profit from the arrangement.