The Kingdom That Never Sleeps CH 119 Wang Zifeng’s Beauty
Tang Shen arrived at the Ministry of Justice and went directly to the official on duty that night.
The official was a Court Registrar, a sixth-rank official. Upon seeing Tang Shen, he immediately greeted him and called for a subordinate to fetch the prisoner, Cui Xiao, the cavalry officer from Jinling who had been imprisoned a few days prior. The subordinate quickly went to the prison but returned shortly, reporting, “Daren, Cui Xiao committed suicide in the cell a few days ago by ramming into the wall.”
The Court Registrar was momentarily stunned. “Now that you mention it, I do recall—it was indeed Cui Xiao who died the other day.” Turning to Tang Shen, he added apologetically, “Daren, you’ve come at an unfortunate time. Cui Xiao is already dead. You may not know, but though prisoner suicides in the Ministry of Justice’s cells are not frequent, they do happen. Many of these officials lived lives of luxury outside, and once thrown into prison, they cannot endure the suffering, so occasionally, some choose to end their lives.”
Though waves of shock surged in Tang Shen’s heart, he remained outwardly calm. He responded indifferently, “I see. Since Cui Xiao is already dead, there’s no need for me to concern myself with him further. No need to see me out, Zhao daren. I shall take my leave.”
“Very well.”
The Court Registrar personally escorted Tang Shen to the gate of the Ministry of Justice. Once inside the sedan and after the curtains were lowered, Tang Shen pursed his lips, his fingers trembling slightly.
Cui Xiao was dead.
Cui Xiao was actually dead!
Ten days ago, Tang Shen had personally sent him to the Ministry of Justice’s prison. Yet, in less than half a month, he had perished in the cell. While it was possible that some officials committed suicide because they couldn’t bear the hardships of imprisonment, how could this coincidence be so convenient?
Tang Shen had always known that the mouths of the dead are the most reliable. Many people knew that Tang Shen had once been a student of Liang Song, possibly even Emperor Zhao Fu himself. However, how much Cui Xiao knew was something Tang Shen couldn’t control. Not trusting Cui Xiao, he had sent him to the prison to eliminate him from the equation. He had indeed considered secretly killing Cui Xiao, but there were two obstacles: first, his influence in the Ministry of Justice was limited, making it difficult to arrange; second, he hadn’t been willing to take that step himself.
Cui Xiao’s corruption case had already been tried by the Court of Judicial Review and returned to the Ministry of Justice for sentencing.
His crime wasn’t punishable by death.
And yet now, he was dead.
Under the cover of night, a dark sedan slowly passed through the main street and headed toward the eastern part of the city. When the carriage reached Sufang Bridge, a low voice issued from within, “To the residence of the Minister of Revenue.”
The sedan bearers paused briefly before replying, “Yes, daren.”
Fortunately, the Minister Residence wasn’t far and was along the way. The bearers changed course and proceeded toward the manor. However, after traveling less than half a mile, Tang Shen lifted the sedan curtain again and said, “Go to Guanzhi House on Qianmen Street instead.”
The bearers could only alter their course once more.
After emerging from Guanzhi House, Tang Shen finally directed them to the Minister Residence.
The steward of the Minister’s household hadn’t expected Tang Shen to visit that night, but since Tang Shen often came to see Wang Zhen, the steward wasn’t surprised. He personally escorted Tang Shen inside, saying, “You’ve come at a good time, Tang gongzi. Gongzi is at home and currently having dinner.” The steward’s gaze lingered briefly on the wooden box Tang Shen was carrying.
Wang Zhen had already been informed of Tang Shen’s arrival by a servant. He put down his chopsticks and waited with a smile.
Noticing the box Tang Shen had brought, Wang Zhen raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, “Little Junior Brother, what’s in the box?”
Tang Shen handed the wooden box to the steward. “Why don’t you take a guess, Senior Brother?” He then instructed the steward, “Please keep this safe for me for now.”
Wang Zhen ordered someone to bring an extra pair of chopsticks for Tang Shen and relayed orders to the kitchen, “Add a dish of West Lake vinegar fish and a plate of vegetable dumplings.” Only then did he turn back to Tang Shen and say, “Since we aren’t opening it now, it’s clearly not food. From what I recall, I never waste effort on aimless guesses or pointless things. Little Junior Brother, if I guess correctly, is there a reward?”
Tang Shen: "..."
You even want a reward for this?
As if hearing Tang Shen’s internal complaint, Wang Zhen chuckled lightly. “Do I seem like someone who can be casually manipulated into making promises or guesses?”
Tang Shen sighed helplessly. “What reward do you want, Senior Brother?”
This time, it was Wang Zhen’s turn to hesitate. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Let’s just leave that reward on hold for now.” He paused, then added, “You’ve carried this item all the way here and only handed it over after sitting down for dinner, so it must be something valuable and fragile.”
Hearing this, the steward became even more cautious in handling the box.
Wang Zhen smiled. “When you visited yesterday, you didn’t mention anything about this. Did you acquire it today?”
Initially, Tang Shen had only intended to respond with a casual remark, but now he became curious to see whether Wang Zhen could actually guess correctly. He put down his chopsticks and decided to play along. “Yes, I got it today.”
Suddenly, Wang Zhen asked, “Is the item inside something you owe me?”
Tang Shen was stunned, contemplating for a while before replying, “Perhaps you could say that, though not entirely.”
Wang Zhen let out a long breath. “You once painted a piece for me, but at the time, you said it wasn’t good enough and promised to make another one if given the chance.”
Tang Shen was astonished.
Wang Zhen lifted his chopsticks and pointed toward a wooden box nearby. An ordinary person might have seemed casual or flippant doing so, but for him, the gesture was effortless and carried an air of quiet elegance. With a slight smile, he asked, “Does this box contain tools for painting?”
Tang Shen gaped in astonishment, blurting out, “Senior Brother, are you a celestial being?”
Wang Zhen teased, “A celestial being? Perhaps not. But I do frequent Guanzhi House. As they say, ‘Brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, unparalleled in splendor.’ The supplies from Guanzhi House are the finest in Shengjing. For my little junior brother to go out of his way to buy materials from there to paint for me—I am truly moved beyond words.” He sighed sincerely, “My dear little junior brother treats me so well!”
Tang Shen: “...”
Tang Shen was speechless. After rising and checking the box, he discovered that, sure enough, the words “Guanzhi House” were carved in a discreet corner, barely noticeable unless closely examined. He muttered to himself, Wang Zifeng, you knew it was from Guanzhi House all along, and yet you still bet with me to guess?
Truly, not a single word from him can be trusted!
After their meal, the two took the box to Wang Zhen’s study. Wang Zhen sighed with slight regret, “Little Junior Brother, if you wanted to paint for me, it would’ve been better to choose daytime. The night is dim, and the flickering candlelight makes it hard to see clearly.”
Tang Shen deliberately quipped, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. Your beauty is etched in my mind.”
At the words “your beauty,” Wang Zhen’s brow twitched slightly. He gave a silent, amused smile, closing his folding fan to conceal his expression.
Before long, Wang Zhen, dressed in white, leaned against the window while Tang Shen alternated between glancing up and down, diligently painting his portrait.
It was late August, and the cool evening breeze stirred Wang Zhen’s long hair. The moonlight gently cascaded down, and the rich fragrance of flowers filled the courtyard. As Tang Shen glanced up, he caught Wang Zhen’s lowered gaze and faint smile directed at him, making him freeze in place. A fleeting thought crossed his mind—This might truly be beauty like a flower beneath the moon. But Tang Shen had come to the Minister Residence with a hidden agenda, not for idle flirtation, so he pushed the thought aside.
Halfway through the painting, Tang Shen spoke casually, as though making conversation, “It’s been five years since I first met Senior Brother. When I first saw you, you were already the Minister of Revenue. At just twenty-four, you held a second-rank position. I imagine that before I knew you, Senior Brother, your path must have been anything but easy.”
Privately, Wang Zhen thought to himself, it was actually rather easy.
Yet, seeing Tang Shen’s serious demeanor, he played along, “Difficult, indeed. Does little Junior Brother understand why?”
“You were the top scorer in the imperial examination at seventeen and became a fifth-rank Chamberlain in the court. Two years later, you were sent to Jinling as the city’s Defense Commissioner. By the time you returned to Shengjing at twenty-one, you entered Qinzheng Hall as a Senior Councilor and the Left Vice Minister of Justice. At twenty-three, you were promoted to Minister of Revenue.” Tang Shen continued painting while sighing in admiration, “I cannot compare to Senior Brother. I often wonder what you were like as Vice Minister of Justice. The Ministry of Justice, like the Court of Judicial Review, handles investigations and arrests. Was Senior Brother back then the same as you are now?”
As Tang Shen spoke, Wang Zhen’s eyes squinted slightly.
Tang Shen appeared to be merely recounting Wang Zhen’s career, without hidden intent. Wang Zhen lightly twirled his folding fan, remaining silent, watching Tang Shen quietly. After waiting a long while without receiving a response, Tang Shen maintained an outward calm, though inwardly, waves of anxiety surged. He raised his head to see what Wang Zhen was doing, only to find himself locking eyes with his senior brother’s deep, enigmatic gaze, leaving him momentarily breathless.
“...Senior Brother?”
Tang Shen put down his brush, staring at Wang Zhen.
Wang Zhen stood by the window, smiling at him. “I never thought that little Junior Brother wasn’t painting for me sincerely tonight.” Though he smiled, his tone carried a trace of disappointment and self-mockery.
Panic rose in Tang Shen’s heart. He hurriedly explained, “Please don’t misunderstand, Senior Brother. I truly wanted to paint for you. Look, I even spent a long time practicing before today to fulfill my promise and paint properly for you.” As he spoke, he lifted the painting to show Wang Zhen.
But before he could present it, Wang Zhen sighed softly, his voice as calm and clear as the moonlit night. “Why did you send someone to Jinling?”
Tang Shen froze in place, slowly raising his head to meet Wang Zhen’s gaze.
After a long pause, he put down the painting and said frankly, “Then I’ll ask directly as well—Senior Brother, do you know Cui Xiao?”
“I don’t,” Wang Zhen replied without hesitation.
Tang Shen let out a breath of relief, only for Wang Zhen to add with a lighthearted chuckle, “Why would I need to know him?”
Tang Shen’s eyes widened in shock.
Seeing his junior brother’s expression of alarm and worry, Wang Zhen initially wanted to tease him further but ultimately couldn’t bear to. A tight, stifling ache filled his chest. He knew Tang Shen was still hiding things from him, still unwilling to fully open up, still pretending and concealing, unwilling to place full trust in him. To ask something so simple, Tang Shen had to approach it with layers of misdirection.
But he couldn’t bring himself to be truly angry.
Because he cared too much.
Because he cared, so he felt pain. And because he cared, he could only turn the sharp edge inward, against himself.
With a soft sigh, Wang Zifeng closed the window and walked over to Tang Shen. Tang Shen stood there, bewildered, unsure of how to react or what to say. A faint clack sounded as Wang Zhen shut his folding fan. He moved his wrist, pressing the tip of the fan against the wall, and with his other hand, gently clasped Tang Shen’s hand holding the brush. His grip was warm and tender. Slowly, he leaned in, his presence overwhelming, cornering Tang Shen against the wall.
His voice remained calm and mellifluous, like a breeze under the moonlight, “So, tell me—why did little Junior Brother send someone to Jinling?”