46. The worries of Xie Beiming

Outside Yan found Xie in a small pavilion lit with a few lanterns. "What have you found brother Xie?" Yan asked as Xie poured the wine.

"Rushuang's father was killed. The physician who had declared he had committed suicide, finally told Rushuang he had been pressured to do so. It took us a few days before he admitted this. In the end Luo Xin found the necessary pressure point to get the physician to admit to his actions. Luo Xin was investigating the Huang family. The Huang family is a powerful family in the village, but master Huang isn't liked much. While investigation Luo Xin saw a medal with the mark of Xuan. After this he pushed master Huang more and Mr. Huang freely admitted his appreciation of the old empress Xuan of Beirong. Huang's grandmother was from Beirong and had been forced to marry into a Liang family to strengthen the family business, but she never consented to the marriage. The family has always kept strong connections with Beirong. We heard rumors that there are cells in his house that sometimes would be occupied with people who went against his wishes. He is described as a ruthless man. When Luo Xin had discovered this, he confronted the old physician. As we knew Rushuang's father had no illness we wanted to know why he had thought Rushuang's father had taken it by accident. Rushuang pressed the old physician clearly telling him her father had never been ill and would never willingly take a potion. Luo Xin asked him why the neighbors remembered the evening before the death so well, as we had asked around. The man still kept silent, but then Luo Xin told him that his young child hadn't been heard that night. Yet some old maid of the Huang family had been kept awake by the crying of a child. That's when the coroner broke and told us that his wife and young child had been taken and would only be returned if he pronounced the death of Rushuang's father as suicide. He hadn't had a choice and did what had been asked, but he gave us his real report, which still ruled the death as technically a suicide, but there were marks on his wrists and neck that suggested he'd been held. Luo Xin wrote a report ruling the death was most likely suicide by outside force and therefore murder. The wife couldn't tell us where she had been held, but by the report of the maids. Luo Xin said they were most likely held at the Huang Mansion. Rushuang handed the report to Su." Xie took another sip from his wine, Yan watched him closely. Something seemed to trouble Xie. Yan therefore commented:

"You've discovered much. We'll have to inform Shuomo about this family, perhaps this will help him find the mastermind behind all this."

"There is more." Xie sighed, placing his cup on the table and rising. He stood on the edge of the pavilion, his back to Yan as he continued: "The coroner received the note from the kidnappers late in the evening. He couldn't sleep the rest of the night. He lives close to the Dong family and that night he saw three unknown persons enter the house Dong, but four persons exited the house a while later. At that time Rushuang said she had thought she had heard persons in her house on the night that her father was killed. Rushuang was then called away from our conversation, leaving only me, the coroner and Luo Xin. Then the coroner said the fourth men should have been a ghost, but he wasn't."

"Should have been a ghost?" Yan repeated, in wonder.

"Of course we asked him what he meant. He told us: Dong Ryu left to join the army, but he perished in Honggu. And yet there he was: leaving his family home to go with those men." Yan rose and came to stand next to Xie, looking at him from the side.

"Rushuang has a brother? She never said anything about having siblings. Did you know?"

"I only knew because I had my men look into her family, to see who I would have to ask for permission to marry her. I've tried to get Rushuang to tell me about her family, but she never did. Never beyond her parents that is. She never told me about her brother, but the villagers all told me the same story when I went to check: Dong Ryu had joined the army, some said he had joined with the army of the marquis, and he had perished in Honggu. When we went to Honggu many months before I found Rushuang near a tree with his name carved in it. Why hadn't she told me then? I don't understand. She's my wife, why didn't she feel she could share this with me?" Consolingly Yan placed his hand on Xie's shoulder, he knew how much Xie loved Rushuang and how hard he worked to make her happy. He could understand how Xie felt having discovered his beloved wouldn't share this personal story. Su had also kept something from him earlier in their relationship and it had hurt. But this seemed different, after all Su 's secret had the potential to kill her and her friends. Telling Xie about her brother surely wouldn't put Rushuang in mortal danger? As he considered the facts as Xie had found them Yan started to realize Rushuang might have a very good reason to keep her brother secret. So, carefully selecting his words Yan asked: "Does Rushuang know the coroner saw her brother?"

"I haven't told her, but I think she is looking for her brother."

"Why do you think that she is looking for her brother?"

"When we were traveling here she asked me to take her to the military camp. She has never been interested in the military. Besides that, she had heard the coroner explain he saw four men leave. Her response to that was nervous and evasive, not like I would expect. Why doesn't she ask us to help?"

"I think she might have asked someone else to help her." Yan said, remembering the conversation he and Su had had when she told him about the case of Rushuang's father. Xie remained silent for a while, he always needed a little more time to consider these things. Then he looked at Yan, with surprise on his face: "You mean she asked Su? Surely we would be better able to help her. Especially you, you can quickly get answers from the military." Yan shook his head:

"Think about it. You said her brother was enlisted in the army of the Marquis and he perished at Honggu. The army of the Marquis wasn't fighting in Honggu. So one of those facts is not true. Most likely the fact that he died at Honggu, as we know he didn't. But why would a family tell such a story in their village?" Xie remained silent so Yan continued: "There are two reasons why a family would want others to believe the son died in a battle: he died an unhonorable death or he deserted."

"You think Rushuang's brother is a deserter?" Xie looked shocked and appalled. Yan shook his head:

"We have to figure out the truth first. But your reaction just now could be the reason Rushuang didn't tell you about her brother I just remembered a conversation we had with Rushuang and Su about the army and deserting soldiers. Your disappeared of deserting soldier was clear then. If Rushuang believed you might conclude her brother is a deserter she will also have a good understanding how you would react."

"So should I talk to her? Offer our help to find out the truth?"

"For now let the ladies investigate on their own, we'll make our own inquiries. If we feel the investigation might became dangerous we can step in." Yan patted Xie's shoulder and turned to walk away.

"Wait, there is something else you should know." Xie said, Yan turned back. "It's about the missing soldier from the Honggu reports. The name we believe the solder was called is wrong. That name belonged to a 13 year old boy who died before the Honggu battle. He and his family live three villages to the north of Honggu. The other odd thing is that the soldier signed up just before the battle of Honggu, there are no other soldiers who had signed up in the month before the battle."

"The armies usually won't take new soldiers in the last month before a battle. This soldier would have to have been referred by another army. I'll ask someone from the palace archives to check who referred him. Was that all you've discovered?" Xie answered that he had nothing else to report. "All right, let's rest. This day has been long and tomorrow will not be different." Yan bade Xie goodnight and turned to return to Su, so he could sleep in her arms in a warm bed after several cold nights.