Placid Chang’an

 Chapter 10: Hidden Weapons

In early April, the Ministry of Personnel announced the appointment list for the current examination candidates.

On that day, Su Cen didn't show up, so the position of the Zhongshu Sheren was taken advantage of by Cui Hao. Zheng Yang became a Hanlin attendant in the Hanlin Academy, in charge of reviewing and responding to memorials and documents from all directions, precisely the same job as Cui Hao's Zhongshu Sheren. However, the Hanlin attendant dealt with internal affairs related to national defense and major issues, while the Zhongshu Sheren handled the appointment and routine notifications of officials. Since their first encounter, the two of them had been at odds, and now their conflicts had escalated both overtly and covertly.

Su Cen, on the other hand, successfully entered the Dali Hall, but on his first day of work, he berated Li Shi from head to toe.

When Li Shi told him to join the Dali Hall, he didn't specify the position he would hold. It was only after he joined the Dali Hall that he found out he was serving as the Dali Hall's chief registrar, a seventh-rank official responsible for seals, account records, sentence examinations, and rectifying errors. In short, he was just in charge of logistics. After the cases in the front court were reviewed, he had to transcribe and submit them for examination by the Ministry of Justice. He also had to review cases from all over the country. On ordinary days, he buried himself in the back hall of the Dali Hall. Not to mention major and important cases, he rarely even saw a few people after several days.

It was obvious that Li Shi was deliberately making things difficult for him. Cui Hao and Zheng Yang, who were of the same year, had both risen to positions in the central government, wielding the most power in the capital. In contrast, Su Cen was instructed by the deputy chief on his first day of work to organize and sort all the criminal cases since the Wude era. 

Many of the case files were not properly stored and had become moldy, with blurry handwriting and two or three pages stuck together. There were also cases with unclear evidence that needed to be cross-referenced and verified from multiple sources. He spent several days buried in piles of case files, without seeing the light of day, and he even had a moldy smell on his body. He worried every day about growing mushrooms on himself.

When the day of rest finally arrived, Su Cen instructed Ah Fu to move all the books in his room outside to be aired, and he also sun-dried the bed sheets and bedding. Finally, he lay down on a lounge chair in the sunlight. He couldn't stand the smell of mold anymore. At the slightest hint, he felt nauseous. He didn't get up until he had thoroughly sun-dried his body, only to find himself facing someone's resentful gaze.

This uninvited guest who came to his house seemed to really think of himself as the master. Early in the morning, Su Cen heard Qu Linger ordering Ah Fu to buy crab meat pastries in the East Market. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it. After Ah Fu left, Su Cen turned over and was about to continue sleeping when he heard the creaking sound of Qu Linger's room door opening.

The person's injuries hadn't healed properly yet, and Ah Fu had been taking care of all their eating, drinking, and daily needs. According to Ah Fu's report, Qu Linger hadn't left the house for the past few days and had been very obedient.

After enduring for so many days, Su Cen couldn't hold back any longer today.

Immediately, Su Cen sat up from the bed and followed quietly.

He saw Qu Ling’er holding his waist and going to the backyard, arriving at the spot where he had fallen down on that day. He rummaged around with his feet because of the injury on his waist. After a while, he smiled lightly and found what he was looking for. But when he turned around, he froze in place.

Su Cen raised an eyebrow. "Master Qu, do you think my place is too shabby, so you want to spend a few days in the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice?"

"You, you, you..." Qu Linger was as if she had seen a ghost, her face turned pale. "Didn't you go to the Dali Hall?"

Su Cen was economical with words and didn't want to waste time with idle talk. He lifted his chin to indicate that he should hand over the items.

After staying at Su's residence for a few days, Qu Linger had come to understand that the master of this house had a face as serene as the third month of spring but had the temper of the harshest winter. Once his temper flared up, he could make you wish for death in a hundred and ten different ways. After hesitating for a while, Qu Linger obediently handed over the items in his hand.

There was a set of sleeve arrows and a belt. Su Cen took them and examined them as he walked back. The sleeve arrows were probably the hidden mechanism that Qu Ling’er had concealed in his sleeves on that day, and the belt was made of leather, connected in the middle by an animal-shaped buckle. It didn't look suspicious on the outside, but there was more to it on the inside. Su Cen took them out one by one to examine them, while Qu Ling’er followed behind with his head down, sullen.

"What is this?" Su Cen turned around, and Qu Ling’er almost bumped into him.

After taking a clear look, he replied, "It's a swallowtail dart."

"A hidden weapon?"

"It has four blades and three points, strong concealment, easy control, and convenient to carry. This one is lighter but more powerful than a regular dart."

"Oh," Su Cen nodded and casually threw it into the corner of the wall, then picked up another item. "And this?"

Qu Linger's mouth twitched in anguish, and under Su Cen's oppressive aura, he didn't dare to pick it up. He could only continue to follow him and explain, "It's a willow leaf knife, famous for its shape resembling a willow leaf. The blade is thin and curved, capable of taking a person's life from ten zhang away."

Su Cen threw it away with a disgusted expression, rummaged a bit, and pulled out a cylindrical object.

Qu Ling’er glanced at it and was immediately shocked. He quickly stepped forward and snatched it away. "Little brat, calm down for a moment. This is the Peacock Feather. It contains 108 silver needles. If you trigger the mechanism, both of us will meet our end right here today."

Su Cen had lingering fears and didn't dare to rummage through it recklessly. He returned to his room, threw the items on the table, and looked at Qu Linger.

He had only been in the Dali Hall for a few days, but he had already mastered the airs of an official. Qu Linger evaded his gaze. In the end, he realized that he couldn't fool him anymore and could only admit, "I brought these with me that day because I was afraid you wouldn't take me in if you saw them. So I hid them in the grass beforehand."

"You knew I wouldn't take you in if I saw them, yet you still dared to pick them up?"

"These are my life and livelihood," Qu Linger was about to reach for his sleeve arrows, but after being glared at by Su Cen, he sullenly picked up a pen from the table and deftly twirled it between his slender fingers. "Don't underestimate these little things. I have modified all of my hidden weapons. Even the Tang Clan, renowned for their expertise in hidden weapons, can't make a tube this small that can hold 108 needles."

The more Qu Linger spoke, the more excited he became. His peach blossom eyes curved with a smile as he deftly twirled the pen between his fingertips. He had practiced hidden weapons since he was young, and his hands had become incredibly nimble. Normally, he could make a silver needle spin on his fingertips. Now that he couldn't use them, his hands grew itchier, so he picked up Su Cen's pen to relieve his boredom.

When everyone finished speaking with excitement, Su Cen nodded. "Anything else?"

"Um... I think that's it?"

"How old are you?"

"Tw-twenty-six..."

Su Cen slapped the table with his palm, making a loud thud. Qu Ling’er was startled, and the pen dropped with a clatter. He quickly changed her answer, "Eighteen, eighteen!"

"You, not even at the age of adulthood, carrying a trade that can kill people, what exactly did you intend to do by sneaking into my yard?!"

When Su Cen remained calm, he looked as cold as frost. But once he became angry, his gaze could kill, leaving Qu Linger stunned and at a loss.

After a while, Qu Linger finally whispered, "I understand."

He picked up the pen from the ground and put it back on the pen holder. Qu Ling’er took his own belongings from the table, slid the sleeve arrows onto his arm and fastened the belt around his waist. 

He said to Su Cen, "Thank you for sheltering me these days. I remember your kindness. If I survive, I will definitely repay you in the future."

"But I'm afraid you don't really need me to repay you," Qu Ling’er let out a grin  tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Everyone in this world has their own way of living. You are the privileged young master, never worrying about food and clothing, but I need to eat. These are the tools of my trade, and I can't afford to lose them."

As Su Cen gazed at him with a calm expression, unaffected by his words, Qu Linger smiled at him one last time. He draped the blood-stained clothes he wore that day over his body and turned to leave the room.

He first went to the backyard to retrieve his swallowtail dart and willow leaf knife. These items might not have been particularly valuable before, but now that he was on the run and couldn't obtain supplies, each one of them could potentially save her life.

When he circled around to the front yard and glanced back at the room, he saw Su Cen still sitting in the same posture at the table. Sighing, he silently turned and walked away.

There was no reason to feel disappointed. In fact, it was his own excessive expectation. Su Cen was right—anyone else would have thrown him out to die when he intruded into their yard without any connection. Being able to live peacefully for these past few days was already a gift from heaven. He shouldn't have entertained any unreasonable thoughts.

Just as he opened the gate, she ran into Ah Fu, who had returned with crab-filled pastries. He looked slightly surprised as he glanced at him and handed him the paper package in his hand. "Here, I stood in a long queue to get these. I won't go again next time. My young master is not as difficult to serve as you."

"No next time," Qu Linger smiled at him and accepted the package.

As he walked out of the gate, he suddenly heard a cold voice from behind, "If you want to stay, you can, but those things have to be handed over to me for safekeeping."

Qu Ling’er turned around in surprise and saw the person leaning against the ebony doorframe. His eyes held the same faint impatience as before, his words lacking warmth, yet they inexplicably warmed his heart.

"Qu Ling’er, remember this. Anything that happens in Chang'an City during this period will be attributed to you. Take care of yourself," he said.