Volume One: Hidden Dragon, Scaled Shadows

Chapter One: Acting Without Orders

"Today, let me tell you all about the Heir of Prince Su, Edward Clark, and his deeds of bullying men and women, forcing good women into marriage..."

On the Winter Solstice of the tenth year of Zhaohong in the Great Yue, Chang'an City welcomed a light snowfall. Near the corner tower of the market, gambling dens and brothels lined the streets, while loafers and idlers gathered around a tea stall, warming their feet by a brazier.

The storyteller spoke eloquently, recounting a rare event that had taken place on the frontier:

"As I said last time, the legitimate eldest son of Prince Su, Edward Clark, rode alone into the northern desert with only a horse and a spear, beheaded over a hundred enemies and returned unscathed. The border generals called him 'Little Yama.' Guess, how old was Heir Clark that year?"

"How would us commoners know about the prince's affairs..."

"Come on, tell us, tell us..."

The crowd urged impatiently, clearly waiting for the juicy part about 'bullying men and women.'

The storyteller kept them in suspense, then finally spoke with great enthusiasm:

"On the day Heir Clark returned alone with the enemy general's head, he had just turned sixteen!"

"Sixteen?"

"How is that possible!"

The crowd erupted in disbelief.

In the dead of winter, the storyteller fanned himself leisurely and said:

"This matter shook the court at the time, even the Emperor was alarmed. All the officials called Heir Clark a tiger born of a general's family, surpassing his predecessors. Given time, his achievements would be no less than Prince Su, William Clark..."

"General Clark is already a prince of a different surname. If Heir Clark is even more impressive, what title should he be given?"

"One rank above a prince, naturally that would be..."

The storyteller's face stiffened, and he quickly raised his hand to hush the noise: "Don't talk nonsense, do you want to die?... As the saying goes, 'A tree that stands out in the forest is sure to be blown down by the wind'..."

The storyteller spoke with eloquence, and the tea drinkers listened with relish. Such scenes were common in the bustling streets of Chang'an.

Just as everyone was getting into the story, a commotion suddenly erupted from the street:

"If you won't drink the toast, you'll drink the penalty..."

"Beat them for me!"

The customers at the tea stall looked over and saw a female constable with a wild goose-feathered saber being chased and beaten by more than a dozen ruffians wielding clubs.

Though Chang'an was a mix of all sorts, it was rare to see officials being beaten in public, drawing many onlookers.

Soon, three Imperial Guards ran over, led by a junior commander, who shouted from afar:

"Fighting is strictly forbidden in the capital. Who dares to be so brazen here?"

The female constable, disheveled, said, "Sir, they dare to assault an officer in broad daylight. There must be something suspicious in this restaurant..."

The commander did not question the thugs, but instead looked coldly at the female constable: "This is not your jurisdiction. If you keep causing trouble, don't blame me for being harsh."

Classic favoritism. The onlookers shook their heads—every gambling den and brothel in Daye Ward had powerful backers. This junior constable was clearly new.

The female constable looked shocked: "You turn a blind eye to an officer being assaulted, and knowing there's something suspicious in the restaurant, you won't even check at the door. Could it be you have dealings with the restaurant owner?"

The commander's face darkened: "Arrest her and have her superior come fetch her."

"Yes, sir!"

With just a few words, the Imperial Guards moved in with shackles to arrest her.

The female constable's face turned livid with anger: "How dare you! I'm with the Investigation Division. On what grounds are you arresting me?"

As she spoke, she drew her saber and took a defensive stance.

The crowd sensed trouble. As the saying goes, 'A higher official can crush you.' This constable was clearly a fledgling, and drawing a weapon on someone else's turf was asking for trouble.

Sure enough, when the commander saw her resist, he shouted angrily: "How dare you! Not only do you disobey orders, you point your blade at a superior. Arrest her!"

Two Imperial Guards closed in, striking the back of her knee with the flat of their blades, forcing her to kneel. Another threw a lasso over her and yanked her back.

The female constable's face flushed, her eyes bloodshot, and she cursed: "You dog official! Colluding with merchants and twisting the law—I will report this to the Investigation Division!"

"Shut your damn mouth."

The commander's eyes were cold as he strode forward and slapped at her face. With such force, if it landed, she would surely lose a few teeth.

The onlookers frowned, but with officials handling the matter, they had no right to interfere.

But the slap never landed on the female constable's face.

Everyone looked again and saw that, at some point, a the white-robed young man had appeared in front of her. Instead of a jade pendant, a wine gourd hung at his waist. He held a long sword in his right hand and had grabbed the commander's wrist with his left, not budging an inch.

The the white-robed young man had brows like ink, and his peach blossom eyes carried a natural air of nobility. On closer look, he was quite captivating, as if he had stepped out of a painting—he looked like a chivalrous wanderer meddling in others' affairs.

The commander frowned at the sudden interference and shouted angrily:

"Official business! Bystanders, stay out of the way."

The the white-robed young man replied calmly, "We all serve the government. Why draw blades against your own colleagues?"

The commander tried to pull his hand free, but couldn't, so he shouted:

"Insolent criminal! How dare you brandish a weapon and assault an officer in public..."

As he spoke, he drew his saber with his left hand and slashed at the the white-robed young man.

The two Imperial Guards released the rope and closed in at the same time.