The Passerby Hidden Guard Picked Up the Villain [Transmigration] - Chapter 22

He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin ducked behind a corner, peeking out to observe the scene unfolding nearby.

They watched as the Master of Records tossed the previous dossiers into a fire pit. Most of them appeared to be burned through, leaving only a few damp pages that struggled to catch flame, emitting a foul, scorched odor.

He Yanzhi remained silent, waiting for the official to finish the task and depart before stepping out from the shadows. Xiao Hongyin approached the brazier and saw that the records had been reduced to ash. He turned to look at He Yanzhi.

“Those were the records of Shen Hai’s embezzlement. Now that someone has gone to the trouble of destroying them, it will be nearly impossible to overturn the case in the future,” He Yanzhi whispered, voicing his suspicion.

Xiao Hongyin stared at the ashes and remained silent.

In the original story, Shen Hai was merely a pawn in He Yu’s grand design, a sacrificial piece used to weaken the Crown Prince’s influence. He Yanzhi had not paid much attention to him before, but the current situation made him feel that Shen Hai was deeply connected to the recent events.

“Let us head back first,” He Yanzhi said.

Xiao Hongyin nodded, finally pulling his gaze away from the pile of gray soot. He looked at He Yanzhi and asked casually, “I have always been curious, Yanzhi. How is it that you know so much?”

He Yanzhi froze for a split second, then feigned nonchalance. “I have stayed in the yamen for a long time; naturally, one picks things up.”

Xiao Hongyin did not react further to the answer, merely smiling. “I see. What do you want to eat tonight?”

He Yanzhi looked at him, his expression dazed for a moment before he unconsciously curled his lips into a smile. “Tofu. It is easy on the stomach.”

The two were arranged to stay in an inn near the Court of Judicial Review. Since the formal handover of duties would take some time, they were not required to report for work every day. Consequently, over the next three days, He Yanzhi and Xiao Hongyin scoured the capital, buying every delicacy they could find.

On the fourth day, as the two were stopped at a blacksmith’s shop, attracted by the weaponry, the distant sound of galloping hooves reached their ears.

The wind kicked up a cloud of dust. He Yanzhi moved away in distaste. Zhao Ji pulled the reins and dismounted, approaching them. “My Lords, all arrangements have been finalized. Please follow this official back to the Court of Judicial Review.”

“Why such a rush?”

Normally, a handover of duties could take anywhere from a few months to half a year. For it to be settled in just three days suggested something urgent was afoot.

The three hurried back to the Court of Judicial Review. Upon entering their study, He Yanzhi saw three massive stacks of documents piled high on the desk.

“What are these?”

“Reporting to the Lord, these are the evidences submitted by the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhou.”

He Yanzhi picked up a volume at random. Inside were numerous detailed counts of criminal charges. “Whom is he accusing?”

“The Minister of Rites, Lord Sun.”

“On what charge?”

“The attempted assassination of a court official.”

He Yanzhi picked up the formal complaint on top and skimmed the description. He let out a cold laugh. “Sun Ruilin attempting to assassinate Zhou Xie? Ridiculous.”

Sun Ruilin, the Minister of Rites, had served as an official for over thirty years and was well over sixty. He had even resigned months ago to retire to his hometown. Meanwhile, Zhou Xie was only in his forties. The claim that an elderly retiree tried to kill a man in his prime was hardly convincing.

Xiao Hongyin also examined several documents. The accusations were a mix of truth and lies, clearly designed to crush the man.

“When did this happen?” He Yanzhi asked.

“About half a month ago.” Zhao Ji was clearly informed but seemed hesitant to speak.

He Yanzhi urged him to continue. Zhao Ji explained, “When the incident occurred, Lord Sun was preparing to leave the city for his hometown. However, for reasons unknown, he encountered Lord Zhou at the Crane Pavilion. The two were inspired to play a game of Go.”

“According to the servants’ testimonies, the two Lords dismissed their attendants and played for half an hour. Near the end of the game, Lord Zhou suddenly lunged at Lord Sun and wrestled him down, allegedly discovering a dagger hidden in Lord Sun’s sleeve. He then reported the matter and had Lord Sun taken into custody.”

He Yanzhi looked up. “Taken into custody privately?”

Zhao Ji nodded. “The Ministry of Justice has requested his release multiple times to no avail. They were only told that Lord Sun is being held within the capital, but nothing more.”

He Yanzhi understood the situation immediately. Zhou Xie’s goal was simply to detain the man. The assassination charge was a mere pretext; he wanted to pry information out of Sun Ruilin.

He Yanzhi’s memory of this specific plot point was hazy, but he knew Sun Ruilin was a loyalist to the Crown Prince, whereas Zhou Xie had been pulled into He Yu’s camp. He looked at Xiao Hongyin, who was staring at the evidence in deep thought.

“What are you thinking?” He Yanzhi asked.

Xiao Hongyin shook his head and asked Zhao Ji, “Has the Ministry of Justice sent anyone to look for him?”

“The Zhou family is currently at the height of their power. The Ministry of Justice does not dare to act forcefully. They only sent people to secretly check Lord Zhou’s various estates in the capital, but Lord Sun was not found.” Zhao Ji handed over a list of those addresses. Xiao Hongyin glanced at it and set it aside.

Zhao Ji continued, “Lord Zhao hopes that you two can rescue Lord Sun as soon as possible. That is why you were recalled so urgently. Should you need anything during this time, please let me handle it.”

He Yanzhi nodded and dismissed him. Once the door was closed, He Yanzhi approached Xiao Hongyin and picked up the paper with the addresses.

“Everyone in the court is an old fox. Why would they hide a person in such an obvious place?” He Yanzhi shook his head and tossed the paper back. “Still, finding someone is truly no easy task.”

Xiao Hongyin was not particularly worried because he knew exactly where Zhou Xie had hidden Sun Ruilin. However, he could not simply reveal that knowledge.

“Why do we not pay a visit to Lord Zhou first? Whether he is a wolf or a tiger, we should see for ourselves,” Xiao Hongyin suggested.

His idea coincided perfectly with He Yanzhi’s. “What excuse should we use?”

The two locked eyes.

“The urban refugees.”

They shared a knowing smile and began to inquire about Zhou Xie’s current interests.

Zhou Xie was a man who loved hosting banquets. It happened that his son, Zhou Yun, had recently passed the imperial examinations. He was throwing a massive feast to celebrate his son’s success and to scout for a suitable daughter of a high ranking official to marry his son, thereby consolidating his power.

He named this event the Fragrance Seeking Banquet.

He Yanzhi sent a formal request to attend. Zhou Xie was intrigued by this Minister He whom he had never met and sent a polite reply.

The banquet was set for the seventh day of the seventh month. Zhou Xie had a taste for the novel; his activities were different every time he hosted. For this banquet, it was said the Zhou family had purchased hundreds of pounds of colored silk rope and silver bells, though no one knew their purpose.

On the day of the event, He Yanzhi wore a moon-white brocade robe with cloud patterns. He replaced his cloth hair tie with a simple wooden hairpin. Looking in the mirror, his elegant aura made him look like a noble prince.

In contrast, Xiao Hongyin wore a set of jet black robes that made his pale face stand out. He followed He Yanzhi with a cold, do not approach expression, playing the part of a ruthless bodyguard to perfection.

He Yanzhi joked, “It seems my nickname of Evil God should be given to you instead.”

Xiao Hongyin hopped onto the carriage first and reached out a hand. Without thinking, He Yanzhi took it. Once they were settled, the carriage began its journey to the Zhou estate.

A crowd of guests had gathered at the entrance. He Yanzhi had the driver stop a short distance away, waiting for the crowd to thin before approaching.

As they stepped down, Zhou Yun, the son of Zhou Xie, came forward to greet them. “May I ask if you are Minister He?” Zhou Yun was a handsome man who stood out easily in a crowd.

“Indeed,” He Yanzhi replied, handing over his invitation. The driver stayed behind to help the Zhou servants unload the gifts.

Zhou Yun had not expected the Minister to be such a refined and graceful gentleman and could not help but shower him with praise. He Yanzhi returned the polite pleasantries before being invited inside.

Xiao Hongyin followed behind, scanning the surroundings with his peripheral vision, silently memorizing the layout of the Zhou estate.

After passing through the main gates and a corridor, they reached a spacious backyard. He Yanzhi noticed there were no arranged seats for the banquet.

“Lord He, please do not be surprised. This was my father’s idea,” Zhou Yun explained as he led them toward the front hall.

“Usually, officials are confined to their tables, never leaving their seats except to recite poetry or drink. My father found this dull, so he ordered the food and wine to be moved indoors. Once guests have had their fill, they may wander the courtyard at their leisure to play games, enjoy the moon, or listen to music.”

While others might have found this novel, He Yanzhi understood the implication before it was even fully explained.

“Minister He is truly brilliant. I am most impressed.”

The way Zhou Yun looked at He Yanzhi was full of admiration; he managed to slip a compliment into nearly every other sentence. He Yanzhi’s ears were practically growing calluses from listening to it.

“Young Master Zhou, your flattery is excessive.”

He Yanzhi suggested that Zhou Yun attend to other guests. Zhou Yun nodded in agreement but showed no sign of leaving. Instead, as he spoke, he began to lean closer to He Yanzhi.

“Lord, be careful.”

Seeing this, Xiao Hongyin immediately stepped between them, bending down to pick up a wine cup that had rolled to He Yanzhi’s feet.

Noticing that a few drops of wine had splashed onto the hem of his robe, He Yanzhi cupped his hands toward Zhou Yun. “Young Master Zhou, I am afraid I must excuse myself for a moment.”

Zhou Yun insisted it was no trouble and even offered to help him clean it. After He Yanzhi declined, the young man stood there looking somewhat dejected.

He Yanzhi led Xiao Hongyin away from the front hall, wandering casually through the courtyard.

“A-Yin, did you notice anything about that lotus pond we passed on the way in?” He Yanzhi asked in a low whisper, pretending to be distracted by a game of pitch-pot. He threw an arrow, but it fell short of the jar and hit the ground.

“A-Yin?” He called again when there was no response.

He threw five arrows in a row, hitting only once. The servant in charge smiled and offered a rehearsed blessing about good fortune arriving. He Yanzhi could not help but look back.

“Why are you dazing off?” He Yanzhi found Xiao Hongyin standing with his arms crossed, his face set in a stony silence as if someone had stolen something from him. It was almost funny.

Others might not have noticed the change in his expression, but He Yanzhi could see that the corners of Xiao Hongyin’s lips were turned up slightly, a sign that he was feeling deeply aggrieved.

“Let us go.”

Xiao Hongyin spat out those two words and walked away on his own, leaving the abandoned Minister standing there with an arrow in his hand, unsure whether to keep playing or put it down.

He Yanzhi exhaled a helpless sigh, returned the arrow to the servant, and strode after him.