Chapter 40: Disguising as Ugly

"Is Magistrate Chen leaving tomorrow? We've been quite happy having you here. Couldn't you stay a few more days?"

"Indeed! If milord finds it dull, you may visit the room on the left side of the courtyard tonight.

Xia Yiyi is my daughter. She is of marriageable age, but to avoid unwanted attention, she usually disguises herself as plain.

When you are reading by lamplight at night, she washes her face thoroughly.

She sits by the window all evening, watching the glow of your lamp."

"Yes, and this younger sister of mine is quiet; milord could go and teach her how to speak more!"

The village chief's nephew wore a rather unsightly expression as he said these words.

"There is no need. My wife is still waiting for me to return to the tavern.

I must finish my business quickly and go back to be reunited with them."

"Well then, Milord, I have already told a few of the young men who frequently travel to the neighboring villages to pack their bags.

They admire you to the point of complete devotion; they will obey your every word without me even having to ask!

They will definitely help milord persuade all the villages to cooperate with the autumn harvest!"

"My thanks to the village chief. You have put a great deal of thought into this.

If there is an opportunity during the year-end temple fair, you must come to the county seat to see it!"

"That goes without saying! Magistrate Chen, you must also come back to visit the village whenever you have the chance."

"And another thing, there is—there is—"

"Does your nephew have a request to make?"

"Ah! Magistrate Chen, this nephew of mine is adopted; I have raised him by my side since he was a child.

His name is Xia Yuying! He and my granddaughter are childhood sweethearts!"

"Ah! A fine name, a fine name!

When I arrange the marriage registrations, I will group them together directly."

Xia Yuying immediately dropped to his knees, kowtowing three times in succession.

"Thank you, Magistrate Chen! Thank you, Magistrate Chen! Thank you, Magistrate Chen!"

Chen Fan quickly pulled him to his feet and patted his shoulder.

"Treat her well, and do not bully her!

Bring me your household registration documents and hers, and I can process them for you right now!"

"Good! Good! Good! Wait for me, Milord!"

With that, he dashed back into the house to rummage through his things for the household records.

"Milord is truly a fine official! Of all the officials and all the men this old fellow has ever seen,

you are the most outstanding. Magistrate Chen is destined for great achievements.

For Magistrate Chen to be born in the Great Zhou is the great fortune of the Great Zhou!"

"Ha! Ha! Chief, don't praise me so highly! My head might swell! This is merely the duty of an official!"

"Magistrate Chen need not be modest. You are a man of great talent and virtue, and you will undoubtedly accomplish great things!

This old man has a very discerning eye!"

Li Xing walked up to them and looked at Chen Fan.

"Where are we going for our next village?"

"Li Xing, you must stay behind in the village!"

"Why? Wouldn't it suffice to leave the other constables behind? Why must it be me?"

Chen Fan pulled Li Xing aside to a secluded spot and explained to him.

"We still have a wager with the villagers; to win that bet, you must stay. You are the only one I trust."

"Is that all? If there are other matters, give your instructions all at once!"

"Stay in the village and gather more details. You must thoroughly understand the entire sequence of how these crimes were committed.

This is the birthplace of the missing women; you must investigate it thoroughly.

Take some time tonight to read the book in my room. I wrote a blue-bound volume especially for you.

It contains some notes and thoughts I transcribed; they should prove useful to you!

Read this book through. I will travel about and shall certainly return in thirty days!"

"Very well, Brother Chen. I promise I will not step foot outside the village before you return!"

Hearing this, Chen Fan gave Li Xing's shoulder a firm pat.

They were of similar height, around one meter eighty-one.

In the society of this era, they undoubtedly stood out like cranes among chickens.

Moreover, both men possessed an imposing bearing and were exceptionally handsome.

However, prior to becoming an official, Chen Fan had lived in poverty, eating poorly and remaining a picky eater.

Thus, even after nearly a month of better care, he still retained a sallow and lean complexion,

failing to fully display his inherent good looks.

The gaze they exchanged was filled with mutual admiration.

"By the way! Li Xing, do you have a wife?"

"No."

"Ah? Doesn't the Great Zhou distribute wives? At your age, you don't want a wife?

How can you sleep at night? Do you realize you're breaking the law!"

"Well! I forged a marriage certificate, so the authorities believe I have five wives."

"Not bad at all! You rascal! How did you pull that off?"

"I asked an old classmate for a favor!"

"Is there someone you hold in your heart, seeing that you refuse to marry?"

"Uh! Yes! But there is no way for us to be together yet!"

"Why? Is she married?"

"No! She is a princess!"

"What! No way! Absolutely no way! How on earth did you meet her?

Imperial marriages are personally decreed by the Emperor! That is somewhat unrealistic."

"I met her at the Shexia Academy.

She was disguised as a page boy at the time and studied alongside me for many days.

However, she is the daughter of a disgraced concubine, holding no status within the imperial family, and her life is not her own.

Later, she disappeared without a trace. Hearing that she had come to Chu Commandery, I hurried here hoping to find her!"

"It seems Brother Chen—ah, Brother Li is a man of deep sentiment. Rest assured, if she is anywhere in Chu Commandery, you will surely find her.

Do you know her name?"

"Her surname is Sun! Her given name is Sun Lixi!"

"Isn't the surname of the Great Zhou imperial family Li?

Why is her surname not Li?"

"She is the daughter of a disgraced concubine. She cannot share her father's surname, cannot enter the imperial genealogy, and cannot enter the ancestral temple."

"Doesn't that make her no different from a commoner? The moment you find her, isn't she your wife then?

Brother Li, you are truly fortunate! I am dying of envy; what a romantic tale this is!"

"No, no, no! She still carries the blood of the imperial family; strictly speaking, she cannot marry a commoner."

"What is difficult about that? Who would care about a princess with neither title nor registry?

When the time comes, you can pull some strings, and she will still be your wife!

I will certainly help you win her over!"

"Thank you, Brother Chen, but for some reason, there is an emptiness in my heart.

Only when I practice my saber does that emptiness fade.

Every day, I practice the Chasing Wind Saber technique dozens of times.

Every single day, I execute the Iai-slash one hundred and twenty-five times!"

"Oh! Is that a special secret to mastering this saber technique?"

"No. That is her birthday."

"Good lord, pure love warriors have existed since ancient times!"

"You must miss her terribly."

"Whenever I miss her, I take out this little red booklet. She gave it to me.

When I open it and gently touch its texture, it feels as though I am touching her fingerprints.

The pages of this book have always carried a faint floral fragrance that never fades, just like the scent of her hair.

I dare not inhale too deeply, for fear of scattering her scent."

"Good lord, the champion of pure love has existed since ancient times!"

"I don't know—I don't know where she is now! I only want to see her!

I want to read books with her, practice martial arts with her, copy texts with her, and take punishment from the master together.

As long as it is with her, I am willing to do anything."

With these words, Li Xing sat down flat on the ground.

Chen Fan sat down beside him.

If this were the modern age, Li Xing would undoubtedly have lit up a cigarette at a time like this.

Chen Fan never smoked.

Yet he remembered when his college roommate suffered a broken heart,

the entire dormitory—smokers and non-smokers alike—had accompanied that brother by holding a cigarette.

"Brother Li, if you miss her, there is no need to despair. Just look up at the moon in the sky.

Miss Sun is bathing in that exact same bright moonlight.

Li Xing looked up at the moon. In the commandery governor's estate, Sun Lixi was also looking up at the moon.