Miss, Please Respect Yourself - Chapter 12

Sensing her unsteady steps, Yang Jin quickly stopped.

“Is your leg injured?”

Wen Qian lifted the hem of her clothes, revealing a hint of bright red, bloodstains soaking through. The sharp, searing pain surged up her leg.

She was undoubtedly injured, but how serious, she wasn’t sure. Given the current situation, there was no time for further contemplation. Yang Jin swiftly squatten down, pulling off her silk socks to carefully inspect the wound.

“Fortunately, it’s just a superficial wound, no damage to the tendons or bones,” he reassured, tearing a strip of cloth from his garment to give her a simple bandage.

Gunpowder contains sulfur and saltpeter residues. Though the injury wasn’t serious, if not properly cleaned, it could lead to complications during healing. Wen Qian, now limping on one foot, complained worriedly, “My leg is precious. Can you afford to compensate me if it’s ruined?”

Yang Jin didn’t respond immediately, focusing instead on wrapping the cloth around her ankle. Only when he tied the knot did he speak, “As long as you don’t get any ideas about the Tang family’s broken scrap metal, I can afford any compensation.”

With these words, he tied a knot with force, eliciting a sharp hiss from Wen Qian. She didn’t expect him to still remember the matter about the key.

“Let’s go.”

With the injury still fresh, her foot couldn’t bear much pressure for fear of worsening it. She had no choice but to lean on Yang Jin as they slowly hobbled forward.

Fortunately, Tang Shi hadn’t yet noticed their escape. He was still ordering his men to fire at the iron door, showing no intention of checking inside.

Behind this stone cave was yet another cave, though its seeming depth was just an illusion. Aside from a slightly higher ceiling, there wasn’t much difference. The surroundings were damp, and the ground was littered with dry leaves that crunched beneath their feet.

The cave wasn’t deep. After walking less than twenty zhang[1], they were blocked by another solid stone wall.

Looking around, Wen Qian felt no air movement and concluded, “It’s a dead end.”

But Lord Yang didn’t seem like someone who would give up easily. He had an odd obsession with finding hidden mechanisms. “Rest here for a while,” he said, before once again searching the walls for a possible way out.

However, not every stone wall could be drilled into a hole, and at this rate, who knew how long it would take to break through.

Wen Qian grew bored from waiting. She thought about leaning against the wall for a bit but feared snakes or insects crawling up along the wall. In the end, she abandoned the idea.

“Why do you think the Tang family has such a secret dungeon?” She crossed her arms as she surveyed the area, asking, “What is it used for?”

“I’m not sure,” Yang Jin replied, sounding a bit absent-minded.

“Could it be hiding treasure?” She started to fantasize.

“…I’m not sure.”

“Maybe there are dead bodies buried here?”

“…”

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Wen Qian decided to play a little trick.

“Lord Yang, have you ever read any strange tales?”

“Not many.”

“Then let me tell you one, how about that?” she said, trying to engage him in conversation.

Yang Jin, focused on their surroundings, didn’t respond.

Wen Qian simply talked to herself, “Once upon a time, there was an Embroidered Uniform Guard officer. One day, he took a beautiful girl to investigate a wealthy family’s residence. The two of them accidentally got trapped in the dungeon. The officer searched for a way out in front, while the girl waited behind him. And then, out of nowhere, a hand covered her mouth in the darkness…”

Yang Jin paused for a moment.

Wen Qian continued, “The officer was so absorbed in finding an exit that he didn’t even turn around. He only heard someone behind him say they wanted to tell him a story…”

He finally turned around.

Wen Qian, as if inspired, continued, “So the officer turned around, only to see the girl still standing there, smiling at him…”

Before she could finish, Yang Jin looked at her and interrupted, “Wen Qian, there seems to be someone behind you.”

Startled, Wen Qian shuddered. In her rush to move away, she forgot about her injured foot, and the sudden movement sent pain shooting through her leg, causing her to gasp in pain.

A faint chuckle echoed by her ear. Wen Qian bit her lip and glared at him in annoyance.

“Yang Jin, you!…”

Half amused, half helpless, he walked over. “Alright, enough playing around.”

As he said that, he bent down to check her wound again and reminded her, “Be careful, don’t move around too much. Your wound is about to tear open.”

“Well, it’s your fault!” Wen Qian grumbled, rubbing her leg.

As they spoke, thick smoke started to seep into the cave from the entrance.

The sounds of gunfire gradually subsided, though the fire continued to rage outside. The entrance was already blocked, and it seemed only a matter of time before the chamber filled with smoke. Perhaps they should even admire Governor Tang for his persistence and perseverance.

With the air becoming increasingly suffocating, Yang Jin began to feel the strain.

Wen Qian, lifting her skirt to check her wound, noticed something odd on the ground. Her gaze stopped, and she froze.

Throughout their journey, they had been walking on a carpet of fallen maple leaves, and these leaves looked relatively fresh.

She bent down, picked up a leaf, and a vivid image flashed through her mind. In an instant, the map of the Tang Mansion unfolded before her eyes.

“I know where we are.”

Yang Jin turned toward her upon hearing her words. “Where?”

The only place within the mansion that had maple leaves, she had seen it from a distance during the day.

Wen Qian took a few steps back, guiding Yang Jin to look up. “Look up there.”

The long, dark tunnel stretched endlessly ahead, as if there were no end. “This is a dry well.”

“We should be at the bottom of the well now.”

It was probably late into the night by now, but there was no sign of moonlight or stars. The well was likely sealed.

Yang Jin kept his gaze fixed upward. Wen Qian glanced sideways at him, noticing the slight furrow in his brow.

Those starry eyes inadvertently met hers.

Wen Qian blinked, “My foot is injured.”

Yang Jin pursed his lips. “…So?”

She smiled sweetly. “So, of course, you’ll have to carry me.”

“…”

※

Tang Shi set fire to the iron door from outside, stoking the flames until the door glowed a fiery red. For nearly two hours, he had been relentlessly burning the door, yet he still didn’t dare to check the situation inside the stone chamber.

Two of his household servants, drenched in sweat, kept adding firewood to the flames, while a third stood nearby, fanning the smoke. All three of them were panting with exhaustion.

“Don’t let the fire stop.” Tang Shi ordered, “and wait until tomorrow morning before putting it out.”

The underlings could only groan in misery at his words.

It was nearing midnight, and Tang Shi paced anxiously outside. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t shake his unease. Finally, he called for his attendants.

“Gather some men, and bring shovels to wait in my courtyard.”

Tonight, the moon was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds. Legend said such skies often foreshadow injustice, where truth remains hidden in darkness. Some even say it’s a sign of restless spirits who refused to rest in peace, bringing chaos upon the mortal realm.

A gentle breeze swayed the branches overhead, rustling the leaves.

In the dead of night, only the sound of shovels scraping against the ground could be heard.

Though they were in his own residence, Tang Shi had only ordered a single dim lantern to light the work, a clear sign of his guilty conscience.

The freshly dug soil piled into small hills on either side. Tang Shi folded his arms, carefully scrutinizing every detail, fearing any small clue might be overlooked.

As the hole grew deeper, even someone as slow-witted as Tang Shi began to sense that something was amiss.

Sure enough, as if to confirm his suspicions, one of the servants raised his shovel and called out from the pit.

“Master, there’s nothing here.”

“Nothing?!” He took several hurried steps forward. “How could there be nothing?”

The back courtyard had been dug down several feet, but the pit lay clear as day—completely empty!

Almost at the same time, a sudden gust of wind swept across the sky, covering the sky with clouds so thick they concealed even the faintest glimmer of stars.

The distant sounds of dogs barking and roosters crowing from the streets making the atmosphere all the more terrifying.

Tang Shi felt a chill run down his spine.

Suddenly, he heard light footsteps approaching from behind.

“Lord Tang, could it be that you’re looking for this?”

Before he could come to his senses, something wrapped in white cloth was tossed at his feet. Instinctively, he stepped back and focused his gaze. Beneath the cloth was none other than Liu Wenyuan, who had been dead for several days, his eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at Tang Shi’s feet.

The corpse must have already begun to rot. The foul stench it emitted pierced through the air.

Tang Shi’s face went pale in shock.

“Isn’t it a little too late to be thinking about moving the corpse now?”

The speaker’s voice was deep and slow.

Frantically looking around, he realized that at some point, his courtyard had been completely surrounded by figures cloaked in darkness, silent as ghosts.

A few torches illuminated the attire of those figures, dark blue long coat armor—they were the Embroidered Uniform Guard!

Amidst the flickering light of the torches, a man in a plain blue robe stepped forward. His voice carried hostility, but his appearance was clean and strikingly handsome.

Though it’s customary to catch a thief with stolen goods, Wen Qian had never before witnessed such a crude approach of exhuming corpses and digging up graves. It was the first time that Wen Qian followed Yang Jin and learned a lot. It seemed that only these Embroidered Uniform Guard officers could pull off something so audacious as tossing a corpse in someone’s face.

Sometimes she couldn’t help but marvel at how a man like Yang Jin, who seemed so upright and righteous, could be so ruthless when he decided to act. It was truly terrifying. One could not afford to offend him lightly.

“You… it’s you?” After seeing Yang Jin’s appearance clearly, Tang Shi was clearly shocked.

For a moment, he couldn’t fathom how Yang Jin had managed to escape from the situation earlier.

Yang Jin, however, had no interest in explaining. “Murdering a court official, destroying corpses to erase evidence, and secretly hoarding military equipment… Lord Tang, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.”

Although Liu Wenyuan had been a suspect, he had not yet been officially stripped of his title and was still an official of the court. This meant Tang Shi’s crimes were even more severe. Even if he didn’t face execution, he would certainly face extreme punishment.

Shi Baichuan stepped forward with his sword in hand. “Lord Tang, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of the rules of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, right?”

Tang Shi’s gaze swept over the figures before him. After a moment of silence, he suddenly burst into maniacal laughter.

“Yang Jian, oh Yang Jian! You’ve gone to such lengths just to arrest me and bring me to the capital. You don’t even have the courage to conduct a proper investigation. How laughable for a senior grand secretary like you to be so timid and indecisive! What a disgrace you are to the world!”

His words were laced with a touch of madness.

Senior Official Yang had always been adept at pleasing everyone around him and getting along with everyone. This is a fact well known among officials. Though he had earned himself a good reputation, many felt that he somewhat lacked decisive action.

Yang Jin frowned slightly as he listened. “The covert investigation was my decision. It has nothing to do with my father.”

Standing nearby, Wen Qian couldn’t help but curl her lips slightly.

How filial of him, she thought. Even though the other side is just flaunting empty words, he still stands up to explain.

Tang Shi, being a former censor known for his sharp tongue, scoffed, “And what of it? If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam is bound to be crooked as well. If the old one is useless, the young one is no better.”

Yang Jin, who had only been mildly irritated up until this point, suddenly changed his expression when Tang Shi uttered the sentence ‘If the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam is bound to be crooked as well’.

“What did you say?!” Shi Baichuan couldn’t contain his anger and nearly drew his sword to strike, only to be held back by the Embroidered Uniform Guard standing on both sides of him.

At that moment, an unexpected chuckle came from behind them, followed by a soft voice.

“Lord Tang, don’t you feel ashamed saying such things?”

Wen Qian stood with her arms crossed, her expression full of disdain and contempt. “You were so terrified after accidentally killing Liu Wenyuan. First, you drugged us then resorted to smoke, and even with a firearm in hand, you only dared to shoot from the shadows. You call Lord Yang timid and indecisive, but what does that make you? A cowardly turtle hiding in its shell?”

“Do you feel powerful bullying a weak woman?”

For some reason, seeing Yang Jin rendered speechless by this tongue-lashing made Wen Qian want to say a few more words.

With her injured leg still unhealed, Wen Qian hobbled toward the two men, one step deep, one shallow. She shot Tang Shi a glance before turning to Yang Jin. “Why bother talking so much with him? Isn’t it troublesome? You’ve caught him red-handed. Just arrest him and throw him in jail already.”

Yang Jin gazed at her with a complicated expression before softly responding, “Alright.”

Ever since Wen Qian spoke up, the expression on Tang Shi’s face gradually grew more restrained. His gaze quietly fixed upon her.

“Miss Wen, if you hadn’t gotten involved with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I would never have laid a hand on you today. I truly admire your singing and dancing. That was no empty compliment.”

As he spoke, two Embroidered Uniform Guard officers stepped forward to restrain his arms, but he seemed unbothered. He continued, “It’s clear that you and I, Miss Wen, are of the same kind.”

His eyes sparkled with a faint smile as he was escorted forward.

Wen Qian’s lips retained a hint of a curve, but the teasing in her gaze slowly faded. She stared at him indifferently. “Lord Tang, you should change your habit of spouting nonsense.”

She said coldly, “How long have we even known each other? How much do you know about me? What gives you the right to assume you know what kind of person I am?”

Knowing that he was about to be imprisoned, Tang Shi merely smiled at her words, saying nothing more. When he passed Yang Jin, he suddenly stopped.

“Lord Yang.” He glanced sideways, “Someone will come to protect me.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, the Embroidered Uniform Guard officers pushed and kicked him, shoving him forward.

Wen Qian twirled a lock of hair around her finger, snorting as she watched Tang Shi’s retreating figure. “What a bluff.”

Shi Baichuan, standing beside her, agreed. “Indeed.”

It was a rare moment of agreement between the two.

Yang Jin’s expression softened. Though he could see that Wen Qian was in relatively good spirits, he still asked, “How is your injury?”

Wen Qian tugged at the hem of her skirt and said casually, “It’s fine now. It’s not bleeding anymore, so it should be healing.”

“Well, good then.” He nodded in relief, then without warning, extended his hand toward her. “So, where’s the key?”

Wen Qian had to admire his persistence. Even she had almost forgotten about the key.

After rummaging through her clothes for a while, she shrugged. “I lost it.”

“Lost it?”

“Maybe it fell in the stone chamber. You could send someone to look for it.”

Yang Jin merely nodded and didn’t press the issue further. It was hard to tell whether he believed her or not.

“It’s getting late. I’ll have someone escort you back to rest.”

“Alright.”

This night at Tang Mansion was bound to be anything but peaceful.

Perhaps as a gesture of thanks, Yang Jin had hired a carriage to wait at the gate for her. Wen Qian, still limping, was helped into the carriage.

As the carriage started to move, she peeked out the window, catching glimpses of the busy figures moving around the brightly lit courtyard.

She let the curtain fall, reached into her lapels, and felt the cold metal of the key, gently tapping it twice with her fingers.

Footnotes:

[1] Zhang (丈) is a Chinese measure of length, equals to 3.3 meters. Twenty zhang is about 66.7 meters.