Chapter 60: Boy or Girl

The few of them were still arguing among themselves.

Those who noticed the commotion here perhaps sensed that something was amiss, but since it had nothing to do with them—or rather, nobody was willing to stick their neck out for an old man dressed in coarse cloth—no one stepped forward to uphold justice.

A wave of despair washed over old man Xue. Could it be that he was going to fall here today?

It was all his own fault for giving in to greed; after earning that first sum of money, he never should have come back.

It finally dawned on him that these people were not arresting him because a family-inherited secret recipe had been stolen. If it were truly a family heirloom, even for the sake of profit, they would not have let something as rare as white sugar remain obscure, let alone resort to abducting someone in broad daylight.

It was clearly because they saw he possessed the craft of sugar-making and wanted to forcibly seize it from him.

He had always known that none of these wealthy and powerful aristocratic families were any good.

The commotion of the scuffle caught the attention of Pei Zhou, who had come to the East Market to make some purchases.

His brows lowered, and a slight frown formed on his face.

He was all too familiar with the hypocritical and filthy conduct of certain aristocratic families who maintained a facade of innocence in public while engaging in dirty deeds behind the scenes.

At the mere sight of this scene, he immediately understood what they were doing.

"Stop right there!" he rebuked.

Hearing someone tell them to stop, the group did not halt their actions at all. Only one person turned around, intending to warn this meddler not to mind other people's business.

The moment he turned around and saw the newcomer, however, he froze in place.

The approaching man was dressed in a black official robe embroidered with subtle hawk patterns, wore a cross-footed turban, and had a fish-shaped tally hanging from his waist, alongside a pinned sword.

He possessed striking sword-like eyebrows, deep-set eyes, a high and straight nose bridge, and an upright posture. He strode forward with bold, powerful steps, radiating an unforced dignity that made people too cowed to look him directly in the eye.

Any description of extraordinary elegance and a dragon-like bearing would not seem out of place when applied to him. At this moment, his expression was solemn, and his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, stared intently at the group of men.

The leader of the gang hurriedly stopped what he was doing, cursing his bad luck inwardly. Why did this god of plague have to show up of all times? This man never cared for the unwritten rules among the powerful and elite; whenever he encountered lawbreaking, he dealt with it with a single, ruthless stroke.

If he insisted on interfering, what would become of the task entrusted to him by the young master?

The leader cursed foully in his heart, yet plastered a respectful expression on his face as he raised his hand to salute Pei Zhou. "General Pei, I am acting under the orders of the Marquis of Ningyuan to apprehend a thief."

He brought up the identity of the Marquis of Ningyuan, hoping that Pei Zhou would mind his own business.

Pei Zhou remained as steady as a rock, his expression unchanged even upon hearing the title of the Marquis of Ningyuan. "Since you claim he is a thief, you must produce evidence. With only empty accusations like this, how can I condone you taking the law into your own hands?"

Anger flared higher in the chests of the men. Such matters were understood by everyone tacitly; where was any evidence to be found? He was clearly making things difficult for them on purpose.

The leader forced a laugh. "As for evidence, naturally it exists, but it is not currently in our hands. After all, precious treasures like that are not something people of our status can touch. You might as well go and inquire with the Marquis himself; the rest of us are merely following orders, and we hope General Pei will not make things difficult for us."

"Since he is a thief, why didn't you report the matter to the Magistrate of Jingzhao so he could judge the case? Could it be that you intended to resort to private punishment behind closed doors? Furthermore, I can hardly be accused of making things difficult. The security of the capital is under my purview, and this matter falls squarely within my duties. Of course I cannot sit by and ignore it," Pei Zhou replied without yielding an inch.

Serving in the Left Jinwu Guard, the security of Chang'an City was indeed within his jurisdiction. Moreover, he had always despised aristocrats who relied on their power to commit outrages; once someone fell into his hands, they need not dream of escaping unscathed.

Seeing that someone had finally stepped up to back him up—and this general appeared reasonable and unafraid of any so-called Marquis of Ningyuan—old man Xue felt a flicker of hope reignite in his heart.

"General, good General, this old man is not a thief! That white sugar was made according to the method written in a book. It doesn't belong to me, but it doesn't belong to them either! They are simply framing me."

Pei Zhou did not know what white sugar was, but making a brief association based on the literal meaning, he roughly understood what kind of item it must be. Connecting this to the recent incident where the imperial court sent General Wang to Tianzhu to obtain the recipe for stone honey, only for him to meet with foul play, a thought stirred in his heart.

"Did you hear that? The man himself said it doesn't belong to him, nor does it belong to you. Can you produce any evidence to prove otherwise? Release him at once!"

Seeing that he remained firm and completely disregarded the Marquis of Ningyuan, and knowing they truly lacked concrete evidence to prove the old man was a thief, the group had no choice but to let him go.

They could have ignored anyone else, but General Pei's notoriously iron-fisted refusal to bend the law for anyone was renowned. If they tried to drag the old man away, he might actually summon that pack of madmen from the Left Jinwu Guard to arrest them all.

He had heard that even the Grand Princess Huaiqing, the mother of Pei Zhou, had once been locked up in prison for two days by him for riding horses recklessly in the streets.

As they left, they cursed Pei Zhou a million times in their hearts and vowed to report him to the Marquis of Ningyuan upon their return. He might not fear mere foot soldiers like them, but could he remain entirely unfazed by the Marquis of Ningyuan?

They refused to believe there was no one who could deal with him.

Seeing that the group had finally departed, all the strength drained from old man Xue's body, and he collapsed heavily onto the ground. Only now did he realize that he was drenched in cold sweat, soaking right through his clothes.

Pei Zhou hurried forward to help him up. "Is the old gentleman alright?"

Possessing immense strength, Pei Zhou hoisted old man Xue up in a single motion.

Overwhelmed with terror and gratitude, the old man dropped back to his knees, kowtowing in thanks. "Thank you, General, for upholding justice, otherwise this old man's life would surely have been forfeit. The General's profound kindness is something this old man will never forget."

"There is no need for such formalities, old gentleman; I merely fulfilled my duty. Might I take a look at the white sugar you mentioned earlier?" Pei Zhou helped him up once more.

"Of course, General, please have a look." Old man Xue was still carrying the white sugar in a jar. He removed the lid to show it to him.

It truly was white sugar, distinct and granular, looking far superior to stone honey, Pei Zhou mused to himself.

"The old gentleman mentioned just now that the method for making white sugar came from a book. Might I ask which book it is?" Pei Zhou asked with lingering confusion, wondering what kind of person could be so generous as to make such a precious recipe public.

"It is—" Old man Xue felt somewhat reluctant to speak the name of the book aloud, but since his benefactor was asking, he dared not conceal it. "《After Being Cast Out by the Family, I Gained Immense Wealth》. It is sold at the Shanhai Bookstore; the young master can go and take a look. The author of the book is called Yue Ming. That person is truly a great benefactor, putting so many recipes into it. Even my old woman's cooking has become much better than before."

Pei Zhou had indeed heard of this book. It had been all the rage in Chang'an for quite some time before cooling down recently, superseded by the popularity of another title.

He had little interest in such frivolous books, which he viewed as mere gimmicks of cleverness and vice. With that kind of time, he would rather read more travelogues, miscellaneous notes, or classical poetry and literature, which could at least broaden one's knowledge.

He had never expected that the method for making white sugar would be written inside a book. Was this person named Yue Ming truly so selfless?

Yet, remembering that the book had previously been a massive hit and must have been read by countless people, he could not help but wonder: why did no one else know how to make white sugar?

Pondering this, he posed the question to the old man.

Old man Xue had also considered this point. The reason, most likely, was that the process was quite difficult and involved numerous meticulous details. Many people probably tried it once or twice without success and simply gave up; only he had persisted to the end.

Hearing old man Xue's answer, a sense of respect stirred within Pei Zhou, and he praised the old man for his perseverance.

The recipe for white sugar would be immensely useful to the imperial court. Motivated to make a recommendation, Pei Zhou said, "Would the old gentleman be willing to accompany me to the imperial city and have an audience with the Sage?"

"Where? Have an audience with whom?" Old man Xue suspected his ears were failing him and that he had misheard, otherwise how could he possibly be hearing the words "imperial city" and "Sage"?

"It is like this: the recipe for white sugar is extremely precious. Since the old gentleman is able to make it, you surely possess abilities that surpass ordinary people. If you can present this to the Sage so that it may be widely promoted and distributed, it will benefit the entire realm. Naturally, the rewards bestowed upon you will not be meager either," Pei Zhou said sincerely.

In truth, there was another reason: with a recipe this precious, an old man holding onto it was like a child carrying heavy gold through a bustling marketplace; a single misstep could cost him and his entire family their lives.

Just like today—it was only fortunate that he happened to cross paths with them.

Old man Xue mulled over these words for a long time before his lips finally quivered as he replied, "This old man is willing."

That was the Sage! Which ordinary commoner would not wish for an audience, though none ever had the chance.

Without delay, Pei Zhou brought old man Xue to the gates of the imperial city. After showing his fish tally to the guards for inspection, he led the old man inside.

They headed straight for the Daming Palace, passing through yet another checkpoint guarded by the imperial guards.

Taking back the fish tally respectfully returned by the guard, Pei Zhou led old man Xue into this political center of the Great Tang.

With trembling legs and eyes fixed strictly ahead, old man Xue could only marvel at the towering and majestic city walls, the harmoniously distributed palaces, and the intricately structured architecture.

A spectacle like this hardly seemed to belong to the mortal realm. The mere thought of having an audience with the Sage moments later made tension grip old man Xue's heart all over again.

The Xuanzheng Hall was where the Sage routinely handled state affairs and received court ministers.

Arriving before the Xuanzheng Hall, Pei Zhou instructed the gate-keeping eunuch to announce their arrival.

The eunuch hurried inside to report, emerging a short while later. "General Pei may enter."

Pei Zhou led the old man into the hall. Standing firmly in place, he cupped his hands and saluted. "Pei Zhou pays his respects to the Sage."

Old man Xue was so nervous he could barely breathe, and he dropped straight to the floor, performing a full prostration to pay his grand respects.

Instead, a woman's voice came from the dais above: "No need for such formalities, rise."

How could it be a woman?

Old man Xue even impressed himself that, amidst his heart beating like rolling thunder, he was still able to spare a sliver of thought to ponder this question.

Ah, right—it was Her Majesty the Dowager Empress.

A lingering sense of disappointment washed over him at not getting to see the true Son of Heaven, but being able to see the Dowager Empress was already a tremendous blessing; exalted figures were not for them to pick and choose.

Strictly speaking, he hadn't even seen her, as old man Xue did not dare to raise his head in the slightest.

"General Pei, what is your purpose in bringing this old gentleman here?" the Dowager Empress asked.

Pei Zhou recounted everything he had seen and heard with his own eyes and ears.

"...Therefore, your subject believes that if the production method of white sugar can be mass-produced, it will benefit the people of the Great Tang, and we will no longer need to spend vast amounts of wealth every year purchasing stone honey from Tianzhu."

"Ah, truly sending a pillow just as one dozes off! I was just fretting over this matter, and you bring the solution right before my eyes. General Pei has rendered a great service this time," the Dowager Empress said with great delight.

"The Sage flatters me; your subject is unworthy of such praise. The true credit belongs to Yue Ming and this old gentleman," Pei Zhou modestly declined.

The Dowager Empress was merely speaking casually; if he were to take the credit for himself, he would be guilty of wishful thinking.

The Dowager Empress then proceeded to ask old man Xue several questions regarding white sugar.

Old man Xue answered everything he knew without holding anything back.

However, due to his nervousness and the fact that he was not entirely fluent in the official court dialect, his speech came out stammering and halting.

Fortunately, the Dowager Empress was magnanimous and listened to him with immense patience.

Concluding that old man Xue possessed a certain talent for craftsmanship, and acknowledging his meritorious service in producing white sugar, she arranged for him to work as an artisan in the Ministry of Works, while bestowing upon him a generous amount of wealth and silk as a reward.

As for Yue Ming, the author of the white sugar production method, his—or her—contribution went without saying.

The Dowager Empress harbored a degree of curiosity toward this person as well. What was their background, why did they know the method for making white sugar, and why did they even make it public?

Was it out of arrogant confidence that no one else could possibly replicate it, or were they truly a completely selfless person unconcerned with personal gain, seeking solely to benefit the masses?

"Where is Yue Ming currently located?" the Dowager Empress inquired.

She wished to summon this person for an audience.

"Your subject previously heard that he was in Luoyang. If the Sage wishes to summon him, it may take some time."

"No matter, it happens that I do indeed wish to see what kind of extraordinary figure this person is."

She had read the storybooks written by this author; they were indeed delightfully witty, and the characters within them were all deeply engaging, each possessing distinct traits.

Whether writing about court struggles or bickering village matrons, the author depicted them with such vivid realism that it felt as though they had witnessed the events firsthand. The Dowager Empress could not fathom what kind of background could grant someone such profound insight.

Yet, while the world seemed to assume the author was a man, the Dowager Empress held a different opinion. If the author were male, why would every single protagonist in the books be a woman, and exceptional ones at that? By contrast, the men in the stories—aside from the protagonists' romantic partners—were basically flawed and mediocre creatures.

Far away in Luoyang, Xu Chenggyue had no inkling that a massive fortune was about to descend upon her. Her current situation, however, could hardly be described as auspicious, for she had been reported to the authorities.

At that moment, Xu Chenggyue was sitting in her courtyard writing her manuscript, occasionally glancing up at the sky, slacking off, and eating pastries. She hadn't written many words, but she had certainly eaten her fill of snacks.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the courtyard gate. "Lady Xu, are you at home?"

Recognizing the voice of Lü Hongzhuo, Xu Chenggyue was slightly surprised.

Aside from his initial visit when she first moved into the courtyard, Lü Hongzhuo had never returned, all to avoid giving rise to gossip.

If there was an important matter, he would typically dispatch a maidservant, or else send Xue Zhenrui.

Xiahe moved quickly, already running over to open the gate.

Standing outside the gate was not only Lü Hongzhuo, but also two government bailiffs with stern, unsmiling faces.

Xiahe felt the situation looked ominous, though she had no idea what had happened. She cast a probing glance at the people on both sides. "Young Master Lü, what is the meaning of this?"

Lü Hongzhuo offered an awkward smile. "A bit of a misunderstanding may have occurred here. Once it's cleared up, everything will be fine. Where is your mistress?"

This explanation explained nothing at all, leaving Xiahe with no choice but to open the gate wider and invite them in. "Please enter, three guests."

Xu Chenggyue had already prepared the main hall for hosting visitors.

Having cleared away all unrelated items, she had had Qiulu bring out a pot of hot tea.

Upon seeing Xu Chenggyue, both bailiffs showed a change in expression, revealing looks of profound astonishment.

Lü Hongzhuo said righteously, "I told you she was a young lady, but the two of you refused to believe me. Now you see for yourselves."

Xu Chenggyue was baffled. What on earth was going on? So what if she was a young lady? What business brought these two men to her residence?

"Might we inspect Lady Xu's personal seal?" the two men asked, unwilling to give up without verifying her identity.

Xu Chenggyue handed them her commonly used seal.

Upon inspecting it, the two men saw that the characters "Yue Ming" were indeed engraved upon it, and the corners retained traces of red seal paste, indicating regular use.

The two bailiffs were placed in a difficult position. Exchanging glances, they hesitated and pushed the responsibility back and forth until finally, one of them stepped forward and cupped his fists. "Lady Xu, the reason for our visit today is that someone has lodged a complaint at the yamen, accusing you of seducing a respectable woman and engaging in an illicit affair with her."

Xu Chenggyue nearly choked on her own saliva, pointing at herself in sheer disbelief. "Accusing me? Of having an illicit affair with a woman? Are you out of your minds?"

The two bailiffs also felt the whole affair was utterly absurd, and they nodded hesitantly.

"I told you she was a woman, so such a thing is completely impossible, but you refused to listen," Lü Hongzhuo said with grievance.

Truth be told, he was just as baffled. At the time, the two bailiffs had stormed aggressively into his bookstore, announcing their intent to arrest Yue Ming because someone had accused "him" of illicit relations with a respectable woman.

Shocked, he had also found the notion thoroughly ridiculous and absurd. Putting aside the fact that Yue Ming was a woman, given her character, even if she were a man she would never commit such an act.

He had tried to explain to the two bailiffs that Yue Ming was actually a young lady, but they refused to believe him, assuming he was merely lying to shield Yue Ming from responsibility.

With no other choice, he had offered to bring Yue Ming to them so they could see for themselves.

The two bailiffs had rejected that as well, suspecting he would send someone to tip off Lady Xu and help "him" escape.

Left with no alternative, Lü Hongzhuo had to personally escort them to Lady Xu's residence.

"Since the matter has been clarified, let us be on our way," Lü Hongzhuo said.

It was inappropriate for several men to linger too long in Lady Xu's residence, as it easily bred idle gossip.

"If you please, wait a moment," one of the bailiffs said with an apologetic expression. "We must ask Lady Xu to accompany us to the yamen. The magistrate instructed us to bring the person in, and we dare not return empty-handed."

Lü Hongzhuo still wanted to object. Since their innocence had been proven, why should she willingly go along? Being escorted to the yamen by two bailiffs was hardly a flattering spectacle.

"Very well," Xu Chenggyue answered first. She disliked meddling in unnecessary trouble, but since the matter was directed at her, she wanted to get to the bottom of it. If someone was intentionally targeting and framing her, it was better to have a countermeasure prepared early.

"Thank you, Lady Xu."

Worried about letting Xu Chenggyue go to the yamen alone, Lü Hongzhuo accompanied her as well.

Upon arrival, Xu Chenggyue was startled by the bustling, densely packed crowd gathered outside the yamen gates. "Why are there so many people?"

"Because when that man came to lodge his complaint, he made a grand commotion, beating the drum while airing his grievances. Coupled with Lady Xu's reputation, it naturally drew a massive crowd, creating quite a spectacle. It is precisely because of this that the magistrate was forced to handle the matter personally," the bailiff explained.

In truth, these onlookers were merely there for the excitement; trapped on the outer edges, they could not see what was happening inside at all, yet this only fueled their eager curiosity.

When the man had beaten the drum to file his report earlier, he had intentionally caused a massive uproar, so many people already knew what was going on and were now discussing it heatedly.

"Do you think Master Yue Ming really used letters to seduce a respectable woman?"

"I don't believe it for a second! Master Yue Ming is utterly selfless, even willing to share precious recipes with us. How could he possibly be an unprincipled scoundrel?"

"That may be, but appearances can be deceiving. How can you know what kind of person lies behind those writings? The recipes he wrote have earned him plenty of fame and fortune. What if he truly is a greedy person driven solely by profit? Besides, even in the book he is currently serializing, General Su's character isn't that great either!"

"If you think he's driven by greed, why are you reading his books? Get lost! I have no desire to talk to someone who eats from the bowl and then curses the cook!"

"Hey, why are you getting so worked up? I was merely speaking generally, offering a reasonable guess, not saying he definitely is that kind of person."

"You didn't say it outright, but you were thinking it."

The surrounding crowd began to argue, debating whether the accuser's claims were true and whether Yue Ming had indeed seduced a respectable woman.

Standing outside the fringes of the crowd, Xu Chenggyue felt a momentary sense of chaos. This scene reminded her of her past life, when top-tier celebrities suffered scandals and their fandoms engaged in fierce, chaotic standoffs with onlookers.

Could it be that her reputation had grown to such a degree that she had become the top celebrity of Luoyang City?

If she walked in there now, would her true identity be exposed?

The mere thought of people finding out who she was—gawking at her on the streets like a caged monkey and pointing fingers—gave Xu Chenggyue goosebumps. Fortunately, she was wearing a veil.

"Please make way, everyone," the two bailiffs shouted to clear a path.

The common folk of Luoyang City were quite orderly, and seeing officials approaching, they cleared a path.

As Xu Chenggyue walked through, the onlookers resumed their chatter.

"Who was that person who just went inside?"

"Who am I supposed to ask? Probably some official's relative."

Any further voices were drowned out as Xu Chenggyue followed the bailiffs all the way forward into the main hall of the yamen.

At that moment, the man accusing her was kneeling on the floor of the hall, tearfully recounting how miserable he had been, accusing his wife of betrayal, and angrily denouncing Yue Ming for lacking morality and dragging the name of scholars through the mud.

Every detail of the alleged correspondence and trysts was spun so convincingly that if Xu Chenggyue hadn't been the person in question, she might have actually believed it.

Meanwhile, the woman accused of illicitly consorting with her was also kneeling on the ground, her hair disheveled, looking utterly drained of spirit.

At that moment, one of the bailiffs stepped up onto the dais and leaned in to whisper a few words into the magistrate's ear.

Surprised, the magistrate turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Is that true?"

The bailiff nodded.

That made things simple; it was undoubtedly a false accusation by this man.

The magistrate slammed his gavel down. "Bring forth Yue Ming!"

Stepping into the hall as instructed, Xu Chenggyue bowed to the magistrate. "My lord, this humble woman is Yue Ming."

The accuser froze in shock. "Abs-Absurd! Yue Ming is a man! How could it be you?"

"Who told you Yue Ming was a man?" Xu Chenggyue countered calmly. "I wrote the books, and I chose the pen name. Surely I know that much better than anyone else?"