28. Brocade Robes

The emperor had returned to the capital just half an hour before Shi Nian and Nie Cheng entered the city. It was often said that Zhu Houzhao was an eccentric; when he left the capital, he had slipped away in secret. For over a month, the entire Ming Dynasty had operated under the assumption that the Emperor was simply idling in the Leopard House, merely refusing to hold court. Now, however, he had returned from Zhending Prefecture with grand fanfare—a full imperial procession, guards clearing the way, and a retinue stretching for hundreds of meters. With all civil and military officials kneeling to welcome him outside the city walls, his display was so ostentatious it might as well have been a banner declaring: "That's right, I played you all for fools!"

This was clearly the headline news of the day in Beijing. The patrons in the tavern couldn't help but chime in, "How could it not be? I heard that this time, His Majesty risked his own life to suppress the bandits at Hidden Dragon Fortress!"

"Suppressing bandits? I doubt it. Given his temperament, it’s more likely he went to become a bandit himself..."

The remark was quite disrespectful to the throne, yet the others in the shop seemed to resonate with it deeply. It appeared everyone was well-acquainted with Zhu Houzhao’s erratic style.

Shi Nian rested her chin in her hands, gazing at the sky outside. *So, he’s back too.* She hoped this man would behave himself from now on; after all, her own life was now tied to his.

"I also heard that Eunuch Liu personally went to receive His Majesty."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the tavern shifted instantly. Everyone exchanged glances, burying their faces in their tea or food as if they had heard nothing. The waiter hurriedly added, "Let's not discuss state affairs, let's not discuss state affairs! Everyone, please enjoy your meal, just call me if you need anything!"

It was strange—they had been bold enough to gossip about the Emperor moments ago, yet the mere mention of a eunuch had rendered them as silent as cicadas in winter. Shi Nian looked at Nie Cheng in surprise, but he didn't seem shocked at all. Suddenly, she realized why.

Liu Jin.

The current Director of the Directorate of Ceremonial and head of the Eastern Depot. Having served Zhu Houzhao since childhood, he enjoyed the Emperor's absolute favor. Because Zhu Houzhao had no interest in administrative duties, Liu Jin had seized the opportunity to usurp power, form cliques, and build a massive network of influence. Countless loyal officials had died at his hands. There was a saying going around: while Zhu Houzhao was the "sitting emperor," the eunuch Liu Jin was the "standing emperor."

So, that was why they were too terrified to even mention him.

Once Nie Cheng finished ordering and the waiter left, Shi Nian whispered, "You were the one who sent the anonymous letter to him, right?"

Nie Cheng nodded. Shi Nian muttered, "Why couldn't you have chosen someone else?" By letting him claim the credit for rescuing the Emperor, Zhu Houzhao would surely trust him even more.

"What, do you dislike him?"

"Don't you? A Ming Dynasty eunuch who runs the Eastern Depot—forgive me, but the image I have in my head is far from pleasant."

Thanks to countless films and television dramas, Ming Dynasty eunuchs were a notorious presence for Shi Nian. It was almost laughable; whether it was old Hong Kong films or modern dramas, if the setting was the Ming Dynasty, the plot was almost always about fighting eunuchs. She wondered if this Liu Jin was the archetype for all those famous characters.

Shi Nian remarked, "I once thought that in your Ming Dynasty, there was nothing but eunuchs."

Nie Cheng’s lips curled into a faint smile, but Shi Nian immediately corrected herself, "No, no, there's one other thing that gets filmed a lot."

"What is that?"

Before she could answer, a commotion erupted in the tavern. They looked toward the entrance to see two men walk in. Both appeared to be in their twenties, tall and sturdy, with handsome features so similar they were clearly brothers. However, that was not what drew everyone’s attention. Both men carried long sabers, and they were dressed in *yesa* robes made of cloud brocade, embroidered with strange, ancient patterns of dragon heads, fish bodies, and wings in crimson gold thread. Shi Nian knew this fictional motif was called a "flying fish," and the garment itself had a professional name: the Flying Fish Robe.

Clad in Flying Fish Robes and armed with Embroidered Spring Blades, their identity was self-evident. Aside from eunuchs, they were the other group favored by modern period dramas—the Jinyiwei, the Imperial Guards.

Unlike Shi Nian's curious scrutiny, the other guests in the tavern were visibly nervous, with some even rushing to pay their bills and leave. Shi Nian thought to herself: *Right, the Jinyiwei were quite terrifying in this era, weren't they?* They were involved in everything from raiding homes to political assassinations. The common people of the Ming Dynasty truly lived in dire straits.

It was no wonder people were afraid; the two Jinyiwei wore sullen, forbidding expressions. They walked over and sat down, radiating a "do not approach" aura. The waiter mustered the courage to ask for their order, only to hear one say, "We are waiting for someone. We'll order later."

The waiter retreated. Because they were sitting nearby, Shi Nian heard the younger-looking man say after a brief silence, "What should we do when we see her?"

"What else can we do? We’ve caused such a catastrophe; we have no face to see the Sister-in-law. She asked to meet us, so whether she wants to scold us, beat us, or kill us, we have to endure it."

The younger man clenched his fists. "Now that His Majesty has returned to the capital and Commander Qian is back, we should beg him for help. There must be a way. Are we just going to let... let that eunuch cur bully the Jinyiwei like this?!"

His voice was a bit loud, and his brother immediately warned him, "Have you learned nothing? Have you forgotten how our eldest brother was captured? If you keep spouting nonsense, get out of here right now!"

*Eunuch cur*—did that refer to Liu Jin? And Commander Qian... that would be Qian Ning, right? It sounded like their eldest brother had offended Liu Jin and been arrested.

A Jinyiwei getting captured by the head of the Eastern Depot—this was a classic drama trope! Shi Nian was instantly intrigued. Just as she leaned in to listen, the two men sensed her presence. The older man’s gaze turned icy, and he flicked a chopstick; it whistled through the air, grazed her cheek, and embedded itself deep into the table with a sharp *thud*.

Shi Nian’s hair stood on end. The wind from the chopstick as it brushed her skin left a chilling sensation that lingered. "What do you think you're doing?!"

The younger man had thrown it. He said coldly, "Keep your ears to yourself. Don't listen to things you shouldn't."

*What is this!* Shi Nian was furious. They were the ones talking about secrets in a public place, yet they blamed her for eavesdropping! And throwing chopsticks? Did they think they were in a martial arts movie?

Even so, she didn't dare say more. They were, after all, Jinyiwei, and she and Nie Cheng had a mission; she couldn't afford to stir up trouble. Just as she was about to swallow her anger, Nie Cheng calmly gripped the chopstick. The man had used immense force—it was buried half an inch into the wood—but Nie Cheng pulled it out with a flick of his wrist. In the next instant, to the astonishment of the two Jinyiwei, he casually flicked his wrist again, and the wooden chopstick buried itself deep into their table like a steel needle.

Nie Cheng said indifferently, "Returning it to its owner."

The younger man slammed the table and stood up. Their exchange had already drawn the attention of everyone in the tavern, and his sudden movement caused the entire room to freeze, everyone terrified that a brawl was about to break out.

The two sides remained in a standoff for a moment until the older brother tapped his arm. "Third brother, sit down."

The man didn't move, but a single glare from his brother seemed to remind him of something, and he finally sat down, albeit reluctantly. The older man then turned to them. "My friend, please forgive the offense."

Nie Cheng replied, "You offended my friend, not me."

The man turned to Shi Nian and said politely, "Miss, my brother was reckless. I apologize on his behalf. I hope you can overlook this."

Shi Nian hadn't expected things to escalate this far, so she said awkwardly, "It's fine, it's fine. I forgive you."

The man smiled and turned away, ignoring them.

With the conflict settled, everyone went back to their own business. Shi Nian held her teacup, turning it in her hands, sneaking a glance at Nie Cheng, then another.

"What is it?"

Shi Nian jumped. "Nothing, just... I thought the way you threw that chopstick was quite cool."

Nie Cheng didn't comment. Shi Nian hesitated, then leaned closer. "I couldn't tell, Captain Nie, you're actually quite protective of your own. Helping a teammate vent—this 'Captain' title wasn't wasted on you."

Nie Cheng interrupted her, "Once we're done eating, we'll go find Su Geng and Xiao Lu."

"Oh, right. Do you know where they are?"

"No."

Shi Nian was surprised. "You don't know? Then how are we going to contact—"

As she spoke, she realized she had always been curious about this. In a strange dynasty, if they were separated, how were they supposed to regroup? "Are we supposed to use WeChat? Do phones have a signal in the Ming Dynasty?"

Nie Cheng: "..."

He asked with feigned humility, "May I ask how you thought I found you before?"

Shi Nian looked blank. The expression was truly foolish, and a hint of amusement flashed in Nie Cheng's eyes. He took her hand. "Close your eyes."

Shi Nian didn't understand, but she obeyed. Nie Cheng said, "Focus. Can you feel anything?"

Feel... anything?

Her vision was plunged into darkness. She felt as if she were standing in the middle of a vast ocean at night, the starry sky above and nothing but void around her. But suddenly, a streak of white light shot across the horizon like a meteor, illuminating the boundless water for a split second.

She opened her eyes abruptly and looked toward the direction of the light, meeting Nie Cheng's dark, steady gaze.

He said, "It seems you felt it."

Shi Nian swallowed. "What was that?"

"You can think of it as the strings that connect us. Because of our unique physiology, our team members can sense one another, just like we can sense the strings of time and space."

The experience was fresh and exhilarating. Shi Nian excitedly grabbed his hand. "Try again, do it again!"

Nie Cheng didn't refuse, letting her hold his hand. Shi Nian tried for a long time, but the light refused to appear. She began to grow anxious, even feeling a flash of temper, when she suddenly sensed a white light streaking across the other side of the 'ocean' like a meteor with a tail of light.

She whipped her head around and saw a slender young woman enter the tavern. She wore a snow-white fur cloak, with delicate features and a calm, serene temperament that made one forget the common world.

"Su Geng!"

"Sister-in-law!"

The two Jinyiwei spoke at the exact same time as Shi Nian. All three of them froze. The younger man looked at them hesitantly. "Sister-in-law, do you know these two?"

Su Geng looked equally surprised. Her gaze shifted between Shi Nian and Nie Cheng before she replied, "Yes, they are my... friends. I didn't expect them to come to the capital. Why are you here?"

The last sentence was directed at Shi Nian. With outsiders present, Shi Nian replied vaguely, "It's a long story. Things went wrong back there, and we were worried about you, so we came to check."

Nie Cheng added, "Yes, we’re here to provide support."

Before Su Geng could answer, the younger Jinyiwei spoke up again, his tone filled with shock, "Sister-in-law, did these two come for our eldest brother? Are they here to rescue him?"

Shi Nian was stunned. Their eldest brother? Was he the Jinyiwei who had been captured? Wait, if they called Su Geng "Sister-in-law," who was her husband?

A sense of foreboding washed over her. She looked around, and sure enough, the other person was missing. "Where is Lu Zhiyao?"

Su Geng shook her head. Shi Nian's heart sank, and then she heard her say, "Xiao Lu... he was captured by Liu Jin."