#STOP JUST CALLING IT TONG SUI

[goomeow]

trying to find a recipe for every tong sui i know and it suuucks

[eatprayworm]

rongzhi fic: the red sea of your rage

Relationships: Ding Rong/Wang Zhi

Rating: T

Words: 3.9k

Additional Tags: Whump, references to violence, wang zhi gets hurt and ding rong acts as you would expect, aka he loses his shit

Summary: Canon divergent fic that asks what if Wan Tong did set the brothel on fire? Title and end quote taken from “A Strand of Hair” by José Tolentino Mendonça.

There’s so much straw.

It’s all Ding Rong can think as two guards work on distributing more straw along the perimeter of the brothel. The heat of the sun beats upon them as they add another row, a field of gold. Sweat beads along Ding Rong’s brow. Meanwhile, all is quiet inside.

How long has it been since the thieves first showed-off Wang Zhi on the balcony? Minutes? Hours? Time slips through his fingers like sand. Every failed attempt to negotiate deepens the cracks; he buys Wang Zhi time but he can’t buy him salvation, and soon, he fears, they will have neither.

Darkness swallows the sky.

They’re running out of time.

Tang Fan’s appearance is grating, and he feels himself scowl behind Tang Fan’s back. Ding Rong has stood here for hours, has thrown his body in front of a dozen archers, but it’s Tang Fan, the poisoned scholar, who can freely walk inside. He bites his tongue, reminds himself that the goal is to save Wang Zhi; if Tang Fan can do what Ding Rong cannot, then that is the way it will have to be.

The night grows chillier. There’s still no sound from inside.

And then Wan Tong is lighting the torch.

Ding Rong sucks in a breath, stares at the dancing flames and smug look on the Commander’s face as he prowls forward.

“Wan-daren, don’t!”

Another failed attempt. His words fall uselessly to the ground, trampled beneath the feet of a callous man who wants to watch the world burn.

Commander Wan doesn’t say a word when he lowers the torch to the bundle of straw just outside the brothel doors. The straw catches flame easily, burning slow but steady. That’s fine, Ding Rong thinks; this gives Wang Zhi time to see the smoke and make it outside before the whole place is up in flames. But then Commander Wan is walking, all but dragging the lit torch against the wall of straw, and suddenly the fire’s crackling, growing, wheezing heavy smoke through the door and windows.

There’s a scream inside, followed by guttural yelling - and then all Ding Rong can hear is the roar of the flames, which devour the straw and then turn their destruction to the brothel itself. Ding Rong has no attachment to the brothel, but Wang Zhi does; he’ll hate to see the destruction when he comes out.

(Because it’s when, not if.)

“Seize the kidnappers! Shoot them if you must!” Wan Tong yells. “Don’t let them escape.”

Ding Rong’s jaw tics. He wants to warn the archers against shooting the others (Wang Zhi), but the sight of the fire ties his tongue.

Smoke’s billowing out the open brothel door (how much of the inside has already been burned?) when the first group of people rush out. Courtesans, their bright clothing smudged with ash, covering their mouths and coughing. More and more, and then there’s Madam Cui at the end. She’s hacking hard, eyes squinting as she checks on her girls.

There’s no sign of Wang Zhi.

One kidnapper, two. Arrows pierce their sorry hides, sending them crumpling to the ground. Another roars out, wielding a sword dripping in fresh blood. He too is struck down, but all Ding Rong can think is that none of the women appear injured - whose blood has been shed?

Fists clench at his side, slick with sweat. It’s fine. Wang Zhi will appear any moment. Jia Kui is with him, after all.

Each second feels like a lifetime. The fire climbs the brothel, floor after floor catching alight, and Ding Rong knows that once it reaches the roof, it’s all but over. A flash of movement at the door sends his heart to his throat (Wang Zhi?) but it’s only Sui Zhou, carrying a limp bundle of Tang Fan in his arms. There’s blood dripping from Tang Fan’s lips, but as Sui Zhou carefully lowers Tang Fan to the ground, Ding Rong can’t detect any wound, nor does Sui Zhou make a move to stop any bleeding. And then their doctor swoops in, blocking Ding Rong’s view, and his heart goes cold.

Wang Zhi is -

There’s a crash inside the brothel, a beam succumbing to the flame, and Ding Rong propels himself forward without thought. He’s dimly aware of Commander Wan yelling at him, slightly cognizant of the kidnapper who nearly runs into Ding Rong in his hurry to get out, and then he disappears in the plumes of black smoke.

Tears flood his half-narrowed eyes as he lifts a sleeve to his face, trying to manage his breath as he looks around to the best of his ability. It’s hard to see, even as he ducks down and starts moving as quickly as he can. He nearly stumbles over something soft (a body, but not the one he’s looking for). Smoke and ash, luxury devoured to flame, bodies left to become dust with the building, and Ding Rong will sooner die than allow Wang Zhi to become one of them.

“Ding-daren!”

Voices of soldiers, Wang Zhi’s men, who have followed him in. Ding Rong doesn’t respond, trusts them to follow him in deeper and conduct their own search. They go the opposite way, a path which proves fruitful; they bellow not even a minute later.

“Ding-daren, we’ve found Jia Kui!”

Ding Rong’s heart leaps to his throat then sinks to his stomach in the span of seconds. Not Wang Zhi. He’s tempted to tell the men to leave him; Wang Zhi is the priority. But Jia Kui may be able to provide information on the situation - and he owes Ding Rong an explanation for how this happened. He can’t die yet; Ding Rong will not allow it.

“Get him and get out!” Ding Rong barks, though it ends in a coughing fit.

The footsteps fall back just as quickly as they arrived, and he is alone again.

He wants to scream, wants to call Wang Zhi’s name until his lungs give out, but he cannot risk inhaling more smoke than he already is, and so he only coughs, trudging forward further. There’s so many bodies.

He nearly misses him.

Ding Rong is debating climbing the stairs and calculating his survival odds when he hazards a glance to the left, and there, there - beside a burning beam, a familiar form in once-pale robes, curled up face-down.

He doesn’t remember the next few seconds. There’s smoldering debris in his way, blocking the body, and he rips it away with his hands, ignoring the smell of burned flesh as his heart pounds because Wang Zhi.  

Wang Zhi’s back is a mess of fiery robe, burnt skin, and crusted blood, and Ding Rong doesn’t even know if he’s alive, just knows he has to get him out. He lifts his Commander in his arms (Wang Zhi feels so much lighter), adrenaline soothing over his own burns as he steadies Wang Zhi and turns toward the door.

It’s growing harder to see, and not just because of the smoke. The world blurs, tears and dizziness, and Ding Rong nearly topples over at one point. But adrenaline keeps him upright, loyalty drives him to the entrance, until he bursts from the brothel and gulps for air like a drowning man.

*

It’s a blur from there on out. Later, Ding Rong will recall screaming for assistance as he desperately searches for a sign of life in his Commander. He will remember the force of relief when he finds Wang Zhi’s pulse, soft but undeniable, and the way his arms and legs shake when he gets them both in the carriage. He’ll remember touching Wang Zhi’s face with his burnt fingers, murmuring his name like a prayer, bidding him to wake up.

The depot. The rush of imperial doctors who cart Wang Zhi away, and the one who nearly hauls Ding Rong to his own recovery room to be treated. Ding Rong barely remembers this: the cleaning of his burns, the bandages wrapped around each hand. His mind replays a single fear, a plea of but what if I lose him for good this time, now that he’s out of my sight?

*

He ignores the doctor’s advice to rest, shrugs off the cups of water the depot servants offer him. The audacity of these men, thinking Ding Rong will rest when Wang Zhi is a few rooms down, in an unknown condition.

There’s other work to be done, of course. Reports to write. Interrogations to be had. But the administrative logistics that Ding Rong mastered over the years don’t feel so important now, the instinctive efficiency washed away by something frightening.

Frightening. Yes, Ding Rong thinks, the realization startling. He is afraid.

He pushes past the servants who implore him to wait, because waiting is the only thing he’s done this whole damn day and it’s yielded him nothing. He finds Wang Zhi’s room guarded, the trio’s faces stony and impassive, and Ding Rong nearly commands them to move aside.

It’s the urgent murmuring of the doctors that keeps him still.

You’ll only be in the way.

And so he clenches his jaw and paces, paces, paces.

*

Wang Zhi’s scream rattles the walls, and something in Ding Rong shatters.

*

It’s the middle of the night when the guards finally part, allowing the doctors to leave. Ding Rong is in front of them in the blink of an eye. One of the doctors exhales a heavy breath, the wrinkles near his eyes deepening. Ding Rong swallows hard and it feels like knives.

The doctors deliver facts with the kind of efficiency Ding Rong has lost. Each word hits him like a punch.

Resting. Minor stab wound to the shoulder, bruises to his face. Back burned; it will scar.

Ding Rong’s blood has started heating up when the doctor finishes, “He has a long road ahead of him.”

Ding Rong can read between the lines. Wang Zhi may need weeks, maybe months of recovery. And even then, he’ll never fully heal.

There’s another question Ding Rong wants to ask. Maybe the doctors can see it in his eyes, because one finally speaks up, “You may see him, but he’s heavily sedated and should stay that way for a while.”

His brow furrows a fraction; there’s something they aren’t telling him.

Again, the doctors are one step ahead of him. They look at Ding Rong with something close to pity.

“He woke up in the middle of treatment and thought he was still burning in the brothel.”

The world in front of him blurs, colors melding together as he struggles to stay on his feet.

Wang Zhi was panicking and Ding Rong wasn’t there for him.

He’s barely aware of thanking the doctors, who bow and take their leave, and he is once again alone.

He takes a deep breath, braces himself, and walks into the room.

There’s a low, desolate moan; it takes Ding Rong a second before he realizes it’s coming from his own throat.

Wang Zhi is lying on his side, facing away from Ding Rong - leaving Ding Rong with the perfect view of his bruised, bandaged back. Ding Rong draws closer, barely cognizant of his own actions; he dimly registers pain in his knees as he all but collapses at Wang Zhi’s side. Now that he’s closer, he can see the extent of the damage: the scratches, the already purpling bruises, the gnarled flesh that peeks out from the confines of the bandages’ edes. The sedative must be working, Ding Rong notes, because Wang Zhi’s breathing is steady and even as he sleeps.

The relief Ding Rong first felt when learning Wang Zhi was alive has dwindled, overshadowed by a burning, gnawing anger. As a habit, Ding Rong doesn’t humor the idea of regrets; living in the past impedes the efficiency of the present. But here, curled up beside the small, injured body of his Commander, Ding Rong permits himself remorse for this transgression. Such an utter abysmal failure in duty, such an unacceptable, avoidable cost. If he could transfer those injuries to his own body, he would do so without hesitation.

But such are the fantasies of the fortunate and the foolish. Ding Rong compartmentalizes the regret just as quickly as it initially sparked, a stone to drown himself with later when Wang Zhi is on the mend.

He refocuses on Wang Zhi, watches the rise and fall of his side as he sleeps, just to anchor himself, remind himself Wang Zhi is alive. He’d stay here all night if he could, keeping watch the way he could not before.

Mostly, he wishes he could touch him.

“Wang Zhi,” Ding Rong murmurs, calling his name like an apology, like a prayer, more emotion than syllable.

The Commander doesn’t stir. Ding Rong knew he wouldn’t, but still feels the sting of disappointment.

Ding Rong’s not sure how long he sits before he finally pulls himself to his feet. He brings his burned, bandaged hands together and bows, back bent in both contrition and purpose.

(He may have failed Wang Zhi at the brothel, but he won’t fail him now.)

Ding Rong straightens, and after a final long look, briskly takes his leave.

He has work to do.

*

The next morning, Ding Rong visits Jia Kui.

The man looks worse for the wear, sitting on a bed with his arm in a splint and breaths tinted with a wheeze. Ding Rong strides up to his bedside with no preamble, no pleasantries.

“What happened?” he barks.

Jia Kui gives Ding Rong a look, one that initially seems affronted by the clipped tone, but then quickly softens to something more complicated.

“Tang Fan was succeeding in de-escalating the situation. But once the fire lit and spread,” Jia Kui says, pausing to cough, “they attacked.”

Ding Rong’s jaw tightens as he sends a silent curse to Wan Tong. “Where were you?”

“In the shadows. Wang-daren directed me to stay hidden,” Jia Kui explains. “I did, until they attacked. Managed to kill two of them and get Wang-daren before they could hurt him. By then the room filled with smoke and the thieves were trying to kill as many as they could on their way out.”

“Surely you were not outclassed by a few rogue men,” Ding Rong says with a sneer.

Jia Kui’s laugh is gritty and hollow, followed by another cough.

“Have you ever fought in pure smoke, Ding-daren?” Jia Kui’s slight smile is unpleasant and humorless. “In a burning building, tripping over bodies, all while trying to protect someone?”

Ding Rong wants to snap, to scream that it doesn’t matter, he was supposed to protect Wang Zhi at all cost.  He shoves the irrationality down and reminds himself he’s here for information, not simply to vent his anger.

“So they attacked you,” Ding Rong continues, more a statement than a question.

Jia Kui nods, and he heaves a long, regretful breath. “Wang-daren and I were separated. I was knocked unconscious. Next thing I knew, I woke up here.”

Silence fills the space between them as Ding Rong digests this story. Wang Zhi was unharmed when Jia Kui rescued him, so any damages must have come when Wang Zhi was alone, disoriented in smoke.

Cowards, Ding Rong seethes. He clenches his hands, ignores the agonizing ache of his own injuries. Their deaths came far too swiftly.

Ding Rong turns without so much as a goodbye. He’s taken five steps forward when he hears Jia Kui say, “Ding-daren, there’s something else you should know.”

He pauses, sends a glance over his shoulder to the wounded guard. Jia Kui’s expression is born of shadows.

“One of them is still alive.”

*

The days go by. Ding Rong maintains order at the Western Depot, managing daily operations and fending off the presence of Shang Ming, whose questions about Wang Zhi’s conditions are far from innocent.

Every night after work, he visits Wang Zhi.

The doctors assure Ding Rong that Wang Zhi is doing as well as one could expect, given the severity of the injuries. They’ve been successful in staving off infection so far, which will be crucial for his healing going forward.

Sometimes Ding Rong recaps the day to Wang Zhi’s sleeping form, complaining about the nuisance of Shang Ming and commending the diligence of some of the workers. Other days, he sits beside him in silence, content just to be at his side.

Please wake up.

*

Days later, Wang Zhi does just that.

Ding Rong is sitting in a chair at his side, mind wandering, when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye. Wang Zhi’s face scrunches, his head lifting up as he stirs from his slumber. Ding Rong all but leaps forward, the chair tipping backward, forgotten, as he crouches at the bedside. His heart pounds, vision blurring - and when Wang Zhi opens his eyes and meets Ding Rong’s gaze, Ding Rong huffs a short, choppy breath in disbelief and hope.

“Du-gong?” he asks, soft and tentative in a way he would be ashamed of in any other circumstance.

Wang Zhi groans, runs his tongue along his dry, cracked lips.

“Rong’er,” Wang Zhi croaks, and something in Ding Rong that’s been dammed up bursts forward, flooding his entire being, body and soul.

Before he can drown in it, Wang Zhi’s expression shifts, as if he remembers where he is and what happened. Ding Rong aches to see fear replace confusion; he has never seen him look so small.

“You weren’t there,” Wang Zhi whispers, voice trembling.

Three little words, three little knives that go straight to Ding Rong’s heart. He isn’t sure which of them makes a mournful little sound as he shuffles closer, murmurs urgently, “I’m here now, Wang du-dong.”

Wang Zhi snuffles against the pillow, face softening, appeased. Ding Rong direly wishes to be struck down for ever instilling this fear in his Commander.

Ding Rong bows low, forehead touching the floor. He keeps his breathing steady as he confesses, “I failed you and deserve to die for it.”

From somewhere above him, Wang Zhi makes a displeased, tired sound. “No, you don’t.”

Ding Rong remains motionless, eyes shut tight. It’s not true, of course, and Ding Rong is halfway convinced Wang Zhi is simply saying this because he’s still under the effects of the sedatives. He won’t fight Wang Zhi about this, however - not with words, anyway. His body posture conveys the only rebuttal he needs.

A few seconds pass, and Wang Zhi exhales a breathy little sound. “C’mere. Ding Rong.”

Ding Rong rises to his knees and then to his feet, keeping his eyes downcast as he shuffles closer. He kneels again, this time at Wang Zhi’s side.

“Ding Rong,” Wang Zhi repeats, a note of surprise coloring his name. Ding Rong lifts his gaze to meet Wang Zhi’s wounded one, and it’s only then does he notice the tears dribbling down his cheeks. He’d feel embarrassed if he didn’t feel so raw.

Wang Zhi extends a hand until it’s dangling off the bedside, reaching for Ding Rong - who can only clasp that small hand in one of his own, careful to keep his grip loose enough not to hurt, but tight enough to channel everything he wants to say into it. Wang Zhi’s lips twitch in a smile for a brief second. I’m glad I can still see your smile.

The smile quickly fades, and Wang Zhi releases his hand. Ding Rong mourns its absence already.

“You’re hurt,” Wang Zhi says, sounding accusatory, annoyed that Ding Rong didn’t tell him sooner.

Ding Rong shakes his head, both in disagreement and disbelief that Wang Zhi could find these wounds comparable to what he’s sustained. He takes Wang Zhi’s hand, ignores the pain, and holds on tight.

“It’s nothing.”

Wang Zhi doesn’t seem to buy it, his gaze skeptical, but his need for comfort must outweigh the annoyance. He doesn’t let go of his hand this time.

“It all happened so fast,” Wang Zhi mumbles.

Ding Rong gently squeezes Wang Zhi’s hand. “You don’t have to talk about it, du-gong.”

Wang Zhi hums, a tired, dazed sound like he didn’t hear Ding Rong. “I don’t remember some of it. The smoke. Jia Kui grabbing me.”

“Jia Kui,” Ding Rong spits, allowing venom to seep in his tone so Wang Zhi can know just what he presently thinks of the guard.

There’s a flash of Wang Zhi’s smile again, though it appears sadder than before, worn at the edges.

“It wasn’t Jia Kui’s fault,” Wang Zhi murmurs, running his fingers against Ding Rong’s hand as if Ding Rong is the one in need of soothing and reassurance. “If it weren’t for him, I’d be dead.”

Ding Rong pauses at that, surprised at the leniency. Had this happened a few months ago, Wang Zhi would’ve had Jia Kui executed immediately. But, he supposes, Wang Zhi isn’t the same person he was a few months ago; maybe neither of them are.

“Sir,” he murmurs in acknowledgement of Wang Zhi’s decision.

Wang Zhi shuffles, trying to get more comfortable. He hisses, bares his teeth in pain from moving. Ding Rong is about to fetch the doctors to apply more medicine when Wang Zhi’s expression yet again drops, painted in hues of fear and apprehension, as if the memories hit him with physical force.

“I couldn’t see them when they snatched me from Jia Kui. They took me and I think they stabbed me and then I -”

Wang Zhi cuts off there, an unpleasant shiver racking down his spine, which makes him groan again. Ding Rong gently hushes him, trying to soothe him. “It’s alright, du-gong. It’s over now.”

Through the pain and anxiety, curiosity shines like a light in Wang Zhi’s eyes.

He opens the prison chamber room and shuts the door behind him. The thief is already tied up to the post, and he eyes Ding Rong warily as he approaches the side table. Ding Rong says nothing, doesn’t even look at the scum. He takes out a pouch, and unrolls the fabric to reveal knives and other jagged tools.

The sound of the thief’s sharp inhale makes Ding Rong smile in sadistic satisfaction.

The apprehension on Wang Zhi’s face lingers, like he doesn’t quite believe it. Ding Rong squeezes Wang Zhi’s hand, gentle and reassuring.

“You’re - you’re Ding-daren, right? Look, I already told your assistants what happened! My brother, the one who hurt Wang-daren - he’s dead! They’re all dead. I didn’t touch him, Ding-daren, I swear -”

Ding Rong holds up a knife, inspects the way the torch’s flame gleams in the silver.

Knife in hand, he turns to the thief in one slow, fluid motion.

“I took care of it,” Ding Rong says.

“I don’t care.”

Another tiny smile twists the corners of Wang Zhi’s lips, soft and dreamy. Ding Rong finds himself mirroring the expression.

(The screams echoed down the halls. It took hours for his assistants to clean up all the blood and flesh.)

Assured, Wang Zhi falls back asleep, still clutching Ding Rong’s hand.

Ding Rong lifts their joined hands, presses his lips to the back of Wang Zhi’s fingers.

Later, he will clean his knives and tools, one by one, and think of the fire.

You set fire to cities

you drowned armies

in the red sea of your rage

you mortgaged precious lands

to be at my side

[minmotl]

Chapter 55: Tang Fan Gets Promoted, Tells Sui Zhou that He Loves His Cooking More Than Anything Else

Context: Sui Zhou begins his days as deputy chief of the Northern Administrative Court and overcomes the challenges as mentioned in the previous chapter in his new role. Tang Fan gets promoted, and he heads over to find Sui Zhou, but who knew he would get stopped at the door, his relationship with Sui Zhou subject to doubt and scrutiny?

Featuring half-naked Sui Zhou glistening in the sun as Tang Fan stares!!!!!

Introduction Post | Masterpost

—

Highlights under the cut

After Sui Zhou took over the Northern Administrative Court, the first thing he needed to change was the culture, and so he implemented a compulsory rule - starting from the beginning of each month, every three days during yin shi (between 3 to 5am), except for those on duty and those on external trips, it is a must for everyone to gather in the exercise yard and train for two hours. The standards of training is comparable to that of the camp in Jing city, and Sui Zhou even added on extra training items.

For a majority of the men, who have already gotten used to not doing their jobs, sleeping until the sun has risen, and spending their nights trawling through brothels and gambling dens, all of them cried out in suffering. They even headed over to Yuan Bin’s to complain, saying that this Sui-qianhu does not really have a high rank, but the authority he’s wielding is not small. Just to exercise his power, Sui Zhou is disregarding everyone’s lives, torturing his subordinates and is entirely inhumane.

Originally, a complaint of this scale Yuan Bin would not have been able to ignore, but no one knew that Sui Zhou had already notified Yuan Bin.

Before training, Sui Zhou already went to find Yuan Bin and informed him of his plans, clearly stating his intentions and the motivations behind them. It was just as well, as Yuan Bin could not stand to see the Embroidered Uniform Guards being debased to this extent at the hands of Wan Tong. This is the reason why Yuan Bin refused to take action despite so many running to him to lodge complaints.

In all things, it is prudent to earn the understanding and empathy of one’s superior, and once Sui Zhou knows that what he is doing is right, his subordinate’s views are no longer that important. Making any changes to the status quo will always be met with opposition, but if he does not take action because he’s afraid, Sui Zhou can only wait for others to step over him…

Seeing that their complaints have fallen onto deaf ears, everyone can only obey Sui Zhou’s orders and head to the exercise yard for training without a choice.

The first time, when nearly half of the men failed to turn up a minute past yin shi, all these men were all dragged for 10 strokes each with the heavy stick, and after that, they still had to continue training. If they were found to be late the next time, the penalty would increase by 10 strokes and accordingly thereafter.

Once realising that Sui Zhou is being serious, the next time, no one dared to turn up late.

However, these men still protested against Sui Zhou’s listed training strategy. This includes putting a bowl of water on their heads and staying in a squat position under the blazing son for an hour, while holding onto 10kg weights on each hand. If the water spills, this is considered going against the rules and they would have to extend their training time for half an hour. They said this is too hard and tiring, and these already spoiled guards all said they could not do it, much less complete the task within two hours.

Without another word, Sui Zhou personally demonstrated it. Everyone saw with their own eyes how after half an hour, not only did the bowl refrain from dropping, but not even a drop of water spilled from inside the bowl, and it was only then that everyone conceded, now convinced.

Xue Ling and the rest did not need any convincing as they have always followed in Sui Zhou’s footsteps. Whatever Sui Zhou asked them to do, they did without a second word. And once the others realised that their new boss’ working style was strict, determined and efficient, meaning every word he says and that complaints are useless, they could only give up and start training exactly.

However, Sui Zhou did not only make strict demands, as at every end of the month, he would treat everyone to a meal and those who have performed exceedingly well are provided with extra rewards. Of course, this money comes from official funds, but previously when Wan Tong and his men were in charge of both the Southern and Northern Administrative Courts, this fund was often misused for personal gains, taken to be blindly spent. Others in the lower ranks could only dream of getting access to these funds, and since all of them had no benefits, they naturally began taking money from those in even lower ranks than them.

After Sui Zhou assumed his new role, he ordered someone to redo the accounts. Every transaction going out is recorded clearly and from there, there was an extra portion of funds that could be taken and used to reassure the men, and this is a cause for joy.

They spent three months like this and once everyone got used to this torturous training, the complaints lessened. The culture at the Northern Administrative Courts has definitely changed from before, even if it cannot be said that it has gone through a full overhaul. This change is of course good, and even just looking at the way they handle investigations, their efficiency has increased considerably.

A supervisor that lives by the rules he sets and who rewards and punishes accordingly and fairly is naturally much better than one who only knows how to eat, drink, sleep with prostitutes and gamble, then pushing actual tasks to the subordinates under him. Although Sui Zhou is much stricter than the one before him, there are advantages to that. At the very least, those men who had a good relationship with the previous boss can no longer avoid work, while those men who tried to pander to the boss but was unable to, no longer have to worry about being stuck at the bottom any longer.

Unconsciously, Sui Zhou is sitting increasingly firm in his seat as he makes a mark that belongs only to him on these men.

On this day, Tang Fan walks out from the Ministry of Personnel all reinvigorated with good news. His footsteps have become lighter, and seeing that it is still early, he changes direction - he does not head home, but goes in the direction of the Northern Administrative Court.

Tang Fan has not visited since Sui Zhou was promoted, and the previously lax visitor rules have now become even stricter. The guard on duty does not recognise him, and seeing a Rank Six civil official turn up, he finds it strange and stops him. After hearing that Tang Fan wants to see Sui Zhou, he finds him even more peculiar.

“Who are you? What’s your purpose for seeing him?” the guard asks, his attitude unfriendly.

If not for Tang Fan wearing his official’s robes, he would suspect that the man is here for fun. And it is no wonder that he thinks that way because civil officials care about their reputations and those who turn up here are usually “invited” over against their will. Very rarely do they get officials like Tang Fan who voluntarily visit.

Tang Fan says, “I am Tang Fan, and I’m a friend of your zhenfushi’s, I’ll have to trouble you to inform him. If he is off the clock, could you get him to come out?”

Strictly speaking, Sui Zhou cannot be called zhenfushi officially because he is merely a temporary deputy, but it is common to push someone’s status upwards. For example, a fu-qianhu, others would directly address him as a qianhu, taking out the -fu, and it is also easier on the ears of the listener.

The guard on duty shoots him a suspicious look, firmly believing that it is impossible for someone like their newly instated leader to have friends. Moreover, this person’s rank is low, and they wonder if this man is deliberately saying that in a bid to curry favours with their zhenfushi?

Tang Fan sees through their concerns and smiles, “Can I trouble this brother to inform him, and if he refuses to see me, I will return the way I came from and head home.”

It is not that the guards want to make things difficult for Tang Fan on purpose, it is just that regulations have tightened a lot recently. If they go in and bother Sui Zhou, but this person’s relationship to him is not as important as Tang Fan claims, then they are at risk of incurring penalties.

And so that person says, his face stoic, “Zhenfushi-daren has some important tasks at hand, you can come back next time!”

Tang Fan goes ‘oh’, and asks, “I will just ask one thing, is he still inside, or has he headed home already?”

“He’s still inside.”

“Then I will wait for him here, “ Tang Fan nods.

With that said, he picks up his robes and sits on the steps at the side, taking out a book from his hold and starts to read.

The guard on duty glares, “This is the doors of the Northern Administrative Court, how can you do as you like?”

What a joke, the doors of the Northern Administrative Court, reputed for being cold and heartless, sitting a man reading a book? How would others be fearful of them in the future?

Tang Fan slowly looks back at him, “I asked you to inform him but you won’t, so I’m sitting here and reading a book instead. Surely I’m not creating trouble, and also I’m not blocking the way to the door, I’m just sitting my arse down on the side!”

The guard is now speechless, and he is about to reply when another colleague also guarding the door glares at him and says softly, “Are you a fool, what would happen if you went in to inform him? If he’s really zhenfushi’s friend, we would be offending him, and if not, we can chase him out!”

The first guard rolls his eyes, “You really know how to talk, then why aren’t you doing that?”

The other guard laughs, “I’ll go. If I am praised by the zhenfushi later, you better not envy me!”

In disbelief, he sees his colleague head inside to do just that.

After a while, he sees him scurrying out and with a face full of smiles, the colleague says to Tang Fan, “Da-ren, zhenfushi is still busy right now, but he asks that you head inside to wait for him!”

His mouth dropping open, the guard watches as his colleague brings Tang Fan inside and comes back only after a long while. Quickly, he asks, “Who’s that?”

“Zhenfushi’s good friend, don’t you recognise him? He also said earlier that his name is Tang Fan, and I heard that he is temporarily staying at zhenfushi’s home.”

The first guard sucks in a sharp breath, “Their relationships is that good?”

“Of course!”

“Then why didn’t you say so earlier?”

“You can only blame it on your terrible eyesight. I already reminded you and you still refused to inform him. If zhenfushi really is to punish someone later for this, I can’t be implicated and be scolded, can I?” his colleague mocks.

The man sulks, speechless, thinking that he has once again lost an opportunity to show his face in front of the boss.

Aside from what those two guards think at this moment, Tang Fan has arrived at the exercise courtyard under the lead of the guard on duty. Even before he sees anyone, he hears the sound of shouting and fighting from a distance away, and once he nears, he realises that there is a match going on there.

The two figures in the center of the yard occasionally jump and land, their blades clashing with each other’s. This is no performance of beautiful, dazzling tricks, but one exchange of merciless, deadly thrusts and parries. On a closer look, isn’t one of them Sui Zhou?

He is battling another person in the field, and they are surrounded by others, egging them on in unison.

Tang Fan’s eyes briefly survey across the circle of men and finds Xue Ling amongst the crowd. He walks over and unceremoniously pats him on the shoulder.

Xue Ling, startled, is about to rage, but seeing who it is, his anger morphs into joy, “Why are you here?”

Tang Fan laughs sheepishly, “I didn’t have anything to do on my own and decided to wander about. Are you guys competing? Why is the whole of the Northern Administrative Court here?”

“Previously, da-ge set a rule that we must host a competition at the end of every month. Participants can challenge anyone, and the person who wins will be rewarded heavily. A lot of them were taught a lesson by da-ge before and with pent-up frustration and anger, they challenged him, but each one of the were defeated by da-ge. Hehehe, these people don’t know how good da-ge is, and I, Xue Ling, will not offer myself to be beaten up like this!”

In the span of their conversation, the winner of the round has emerged. Sui Zhou’s opponent thought he had his eye on Sui Zhou’s weakness and was about to carry out a sneak attack, his xiuchun blade sweeping across from the back, but who knew that as if Sui Zhou has grown a pair of eyes on his back, the man leaps into the air and flips, then kicks out at his opponent.

Just as his body is about to slam against the ground, Sui Zhou uses the force by which he lands to turn and steadily stand on his two feet.

The entire process is smooth as flowing water and extremely clean, yet filled with the beauty of power. The spectators cheer for him, loud and raucous.

Sui Zhou, who’s standing in the field, is only wearing a pair of long pants and his torso is entirely naked. Sweat drips from his forehead, neck and other parts down his body, and his whole body is wet. His prominent muscles shine under the sunlight and one can see that this strong, sculpted body was earned through days of strict and hard training, and just because he is now in a higher position does not mean that he has procrastinated on training.

He stares at the opponent he has kicked to the ground and turns his hand over to embed his xiuchun blade into the ground. Coldly, he says, “If you’re unconvinced, try again.”

At this point, Sui Zhou is already fully immersed in the fight. To him, there is no difference between a practice match and a battle. Since he is already on the battlefield, he will do his best and treat the battle seriously. This is respect he gives himself, and also to his opponents.

Under his gaze, his opponent feels as if a feral beast has locked its attention on him, and he shudders involuntarily. No longer able to muster any fighting spirit, he quickly keeps his blade and puts his hands forward, “I won’t, I won’t! Da-ren is strong and skilled, your subordinate admits defeat!”

Everyone bursts into laughter. This person has defeated everyone in the Northern Administrative Court for two consecutive months, and he probably felt confident enough to raise a challenge to Sui Zhou. Many others were defeated by Sui Zhou previously, and he thought he would be the exception, but who knew that in the end, the battle finished in his defeat. The whole situation is a little pitiful.

Once the other admits defeat, the sharp and cold aura around Sui Zhou gentles. He walks over and personally picks the man up, then pats him on the shoulder, 

“You are already doing quite well. Yuan-daren is intending for us to have practice matches with the Jing city camp to boost the troops’ morales, when that time comes, we’ll have to count on you to earn the glory of triumph for the Northern Administrative Court!”

The subordinate was actually still feeling a little embarrassed, but once he hears that, he feels encouraged again. Excitedly, he says, “Da-ren, be rest assured that I will do my best, and I will not cause the Northern Administrative Court to lose face!”

The rest of them cannot help but be convinced by Sui Zhou’s strategy of first defeating and then praising others.

Tang Fan, with his hands behind his back, smiles as he looks on. He does not eagerly rush up, and waits for Sui Zhou to motivate his subordinates and announce the end of the session. Once everyone has dispersed, he walks over steadily, “Zhenfushi acted with so much aplomb, it looks like there is much to look forward to in your career!”

It’s not that Sui Zhou did not notice Tang Fan, but it was not convenient for him to speak previously. Now that everyone has gone, leaving only Tang Fan to stare at him with a smile on his face, a subtle troubled look flashes across Sui Zhou’s face as he thinks about his state of undress before Tang Fan.

“Why did you find your way here? If it’s nothing urgent, wait for me to shower and change clothes.”

“Go ahead, I’m not in a rush, I wanted to treat you to a meal at Xian Ke Lou, do you want to go?”

Sui Zhou was walking in the direction of the house where his clothes are placed when he pauses. Hearing hat, he raises his brows, “With money from where?”

Tang-daren no longer has any financial freedom. He spends half of his salary every month and has Sui Zhou manage the other half precisely to prevent Tang Fan from being a spendthrift. If he finishes spending the money he has on his end, it is impossible to take some out from the portion that Sui Zhou has kept for him.

Tang Fan laughs, “It dropped from the sky!”

Seeing that Tang Fan is deliberately being obtuse, Sui Zhou is not anxious either. He proceeds to shower and change. and then finds Tang Fan in his office.

“Go go go, let’s go have a meal!” Tang Fan says as he gets to his feet once he sees Sui Zhou.

Sui Zhou shakes his head, and then asks, “Were you promoted?”

Tang Fan already guessed that Sui Zhou would figure it out and is thus not surprised. He nods, “Yes!”

“What position?”

“With the Ministry of Justice, as the overseeing langzhong in Henan’s Qing Li Si. I’m Rank Five now, and I’ve been given an extra 100 silvers.”

The three items above can be considered the late rewards for Tang Fan’s exemplary performance in the East Palace and also children smuggling cases.

Sui Zhou’s brows move as they relax, and the ends of his lips curve up slightly, “This is indeed good news, and worthy of a celebration!”

Tang Fan laughs, “Although I do not have my eyes on a prominent position and riches, but since I worked hard and earned the rewards I deserved, this is considered a happy affair. You won’t refuse my treat now, would you?”

Sui Zhou nods, then says, “We shouldn’t eat outside, we should get Ah Dong to buy some ingredients tomorrow and I’ll cook at home then.”

At the sound of that, Tang Fan’s eyes shine immediately, and Sui Zhou can confirm that he absolutely sees the sparkles emitted from those eyes. He cannot help but laugh, “You like my cooking more than Xian Ke Lou’s?”

Tang Fan laughs again, his usual learned and sophisticated demeanour nowhere in sight, “Of course! Sui Guang Chuan’s personal cooking, how can it be worser than Xian Ke Lou’s dishes?”

At his generous compliments, the curve of Sui Zhou’s lips widens.

===

Notes:

*河南清吏司郎中 he nan qing li zi lang zhong

This is a full official rank. It is a little hard to find an English equivalent to this on my end so I’ve left it as that. 河南 (he nan) is a city all on its own in today’s map, and in this case it means Tang Fan is heads this particular court located in he nan. I’m not really familiar on the geography of it as well, it could just be a name for the neighbourhood or sector he’s in as well.

*镇抚使 zhen fu shi

Another official rank, where 镇抚 (zhen fu) is the Administrative Court, and 使 (shi) on its own means ambassador. In this case, it can be interpreted as chief, or some equivalent. He is not a commander yet in this case, which is a position reserved for Yuan Bin, and previously Wan Tong.

*千户 qian hu

There are four ranks within the Embroidered Uniform Guards - 千户 (qian hu)、百户 (bai hu)、总旗 (zong qi)、小旗 (xiao qi) arranged highest to smallest rank, aside from the Commander 统领官 (zong ling guan).

*副千户 fu qianhu

Qianhu is the rank that Sui Zhou officially bore before his promotion, while fu 副 means vice.

*仙客楼 xian ke lou

This is the very expensive restaurant that Wang Zhi brought Tang Fan to in previous chapters.

*绣春刀 xiu chun dao

A special blade that only Embroidered Uniform Guards are given.

[the50-person]

HONG KONG UPDATE 27 NOV 2019

Day 12 of Siege of PolyU

Related post: https://the50-person.tumblr.com/post/189956646368/hong-kong-update-27-nov-2019

0500: PolyU. Cross Harbour Tunnel reopened. Citizens blocked it for 3 days. Police blocked it for 8 days.

Posted 0841: PolyU. Uni mgmt search teams are back in campus for a second day. Gov and police say they are ready to send ‘negotiation’ team into campus after PolyU finishes its searches. PolyU mgmt carried out the search with 100 ppl in 9 teams and found no one. They had found 1 after 6 hours yesterday. Police have still not accounted for hundreds of arrests at PolyU and Yau Tsim Mong on 17-18 Nov.

Stand With HK: “Chief Executive Carrie Lam to set up a committee to look at the causes of violence plaguing the streets of HK? HKers formed a non-violent, pro-democracy movement. The violence has come from Beijing and the HK police.” Headline in question: Carrie Lam to follow ‘Tottenham riots’ example. HKers: “We have a report, no need to wait for Carrie Lam.” HKers: *throws out a thick report named Report on Statutory Powers and Monitoring of the Hong Kong Police Force. hkpfreport.org

PLA is exposed by independent media to have increased installations of surveillance cameras at PLA base near campuses.

Renowned academics around the world including Steven Pinker, Judith Butler, Noam Chomsky, Slavoj Zizek, Robert P. George, Ioannis Georgiou "Yanis" Varoufakis have signed a petition condemning “use of disproportionate force by HKPF against students”.

1300: Kwun Tong. Lunchtime protests. Ppl begin marching through the streets, blocking traffic as they move in direction of Ngau Tau Kok.

1440: Central, Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay. Lunchtime protests. Police warn some citizens that they could be prosecuted for chanting “untrue and unfounded” slogans. Apparently ppl accused police of being r*apists and m*urderers. LOL. You gotta prove it that it’s untrue and unfounded then.  The burden of proof is always on the person who brings a claim in a dispute i.e. the police and gov in this case. What? Just because you say it is doesn’t mean it is. Except that proper evidence stands against the police instead. Countless cases of r*ape, disappearances and “sui*cides” have been occurring on a large scale and almost daily basis. Also, is this why the HK police had to stop using their own slogan “we serve with pride and care” and change it to “Serving Hong Kong with Honour, Duty and Loyalty”, which is a slogan that is directly link to an infamous triad? 

Posted 1457: Police to allow doxxed officers to use Police Welfare Fund to cover cost of changing vehicle registraton plates. Cost will be HK$560 in handling fees and up to HK$300 to buy a new plate.

1514: PolyU. PolyU says it has halted the search for protesters who may still be trapped on campus. It has urged the police to lift its cordon. 

Kinda surreal. Funny even, if it isn’t so deplorable and pathetic. Police are besieging a university with no one in it. This is how hellbent the gov and police are on eradicating all dissent. Or maybe they don’t believe that there is really no one left since there are indications that there are ppl who are successfully avoiding the searches.

Instead of ending the siege, police will enter next day 28 Nov to “collect evidence and dispose of dangerous substances”. Police say they will encourage any found persons to seek medical treatment and take their details, and will return campus to the university after that.

1600: PolyU. PolyU issues another statement reiterating its plea that police end their siege and not enter. Police threaten back that if uni doesn’t cooperate, they will get a court warrant and enter regardless of uni’s wishes. T*error*ists.

Parents presscon. “It is ridiculous that a 8yo boy has to carry a gas mask with him, not toys.” A group of parents call on gov to release details of chem composition of teargas. In 4 days, they have collected around 1,200 complaints regarding children being affected by the gas. Youngest victim only 2 months old. Complaints from all across Hong Kong.

Gov says it is looking into making civil servants take an oath of allegiance, but needs to consider things like what to do with those who refuse or what the consequences shld be for breaching it. Oath of allegiance involves pledging allegiance to the HKSAR and to vow to uphold the Basic Law. (Ironically, asking for self-determination is not violation of Basic Law, contrary to what Chinese and HK gov claim.) Pro-Beijing Eunice Yung says that there are concerns about how loyal the civil servants are to the gov. Civic Party legislator Kwok Ka-ki says making civil servants take oath of allegiance would amount to ‘white terror’ and every word they ever say or write on social media would be scrutinised. (Well...see the Cathay Pacific saga. It literally is Cultural Revolution 2.0.) Kwok adds that the Basic Law clearly states that only politically appointed officials, LegCo members and judges need to take an oath. Kwok: “Does it mean that all civil servants in the future will be politically appointed? It doesn’t make any sense at all. So...don’t bring these stupid ideas again.” HKers: “Shld civil servants be loyal to the country and its ppl i.e. HK and HKers who are their paymasters, OR shld they be loyal to the Chief Exec and his/her admin? In US, there’s been great debate if officials shld be loyal to Trump or US.” “If gov officials intentionally adopt a policy or act which court finds to contravene Basic Law, does that mean they have broken their oath and need to be sanctioned?” “I don’t buy this. Don’t all HK police need to take the oath that ‘I will execute the powers and duties of my office honestly, faithfully and diligently without fear of or favour to any person and with malice or ill-will toward none’?” “Does criticising mean disloyalty?” “Is this cultural revolution? Gov said civil servants have to adhere to Basic Law, while Basic Law grants HK citizens freedom of speech. Does the gov also contravene Basic Law?” “Being loyal to the gov doesn’t mean that civil servants shld not voice out when the gov does wrong. To show loyalty, pointing out wrongdoings for improvement is also one of the ways. The gov serves HK ppl, so civil servants are serving HKers, not the gov.” Yknow what, gov is denying dual universal suffrage, self-determination, and right to protest, which are promised in Sino-British Joint Declaration and Basic Law. If anything, it’s the gov that’s breaking up the order.

Posted 1720: In LegCo today, Security Minister John Lee said as of 21 Nov, 5,800 arrested, 923 charged. That means 84% arrests are either unnecessary or straight up unlawful. FREAKING 84%. 1 in every 1,300 HKer has been arrested during the protests. Which also means: 1 in every school. 1 in every residential building. 3 in every packed MTR train. Reality has shown that there is way more than one in every school. Some 900 protests since 9 Jun 2019, with 2,600 injured, 470 being police. Police have fired some 10,000 rounds of teargas. 10,000.

Kwun Tong constituency: At J1001 polling station (located in Kowloon heartlands), a voting slip from Eastern C14 constituency (located in HK Island in the far south) that already had a stamp on it was found. The two candidates for the J1001 constituency said that the polling station chief officer explained it as “printing error”, but the chief officer had also shared at the same time that after eliminating this voting slip from HK Island, the no. of votes belonging to the station originally and the submitted number of votes match.

1855: Police confirm they will enter PolyU on 28 Nov morning.

2031: Tsuen Wan. Mall singalong protest at Tsuen Wan Plaza.

2030: Wong Tai Sin. Singalong protest.

2037: Shatin. Mall singalong protest in New Town Plaza.

2044: Tseung Kwan O. Mall singalong protest.

2044: Tin Shui Wai. Singalong protest.

2045: Tai Koo. Singalong protest.

2308: PolyU. A citizen Ah Bong trapped in PolyU is meeting press. He says that if police enter campus tomorrow, there will be “further protests” by “1 to 3 protesters” but did not specify details. He says an estimate of under 20 are still inside but no way to tell the exact number. He says they heard some suspicious individuals, allegedly triad members, claim to be first aiders and sweep rooms, including breaking locks on campus in midnight, which frightened the besieged citizens and made them hide away from university staff and lawmakers.

[dramaclover]

Drama Ending Rant: Of Greed And Ants

This drama started off so so soooo good. But it started getting draggy and confusing. It was so bad that the only thing worth watching for was the villains.

Let’s talk about the unlikeable characters!

1) Sui Man Jing. Jing Jing you started off so strong. With good morale and a kindness mixed with innocence. Oh how you’ve changed. And all that for a MAN. You did something illegal and covered up for this man. But ignoring that fact, believe it or not she did even worser things. She used Wing Cheung as a rebound since Gordon dumped you. Girl, you know how much Wing Chun liked you. You owe it to him AND YOURSELF to not jump into a new relationship. You played him so hard. Moving on from that SHE WITHHELD EVIDENCE that would put Gordon in jail to protect him! But that’s okay! As long as her exboyfriend is safe. Well what about Wing Kit? Aka your new boyfriends little innocent brother? Well he’s gonna be going to jail instead since you decided to NOT HAND IN THE EVIDENCE! What is going on? So you’d rather have an innocent guy that you knew way before Gordon rot in jail instead of your exboyfriend that did do illegal things? Okay. How can a woman that has such a high sense of justice change overnight for some guy? I’m glad she died.

2) Chin Wing Kit. He started off dumb and ended off dumb. I don’t even get how he became a cop. From beginning to end he was always easily tricked. He almost went to jail cause of his own stupidity. He knew Gordon was doing something illegal - he had the evidence to prove it. What did he do? He decided to put it off handing it to the authorities cause he “needed time” to think. Dude. You’re a cop. You see something wrong you, right that wrong. Once you realized that Gordon duped you and you were gonna face jail time... what did you do? You call Gordon to ask him to return the evidence? Are you serious? He went through all that to steal it & you think a phone call is gonna cause him to return it? Oh and then he commits suicide like a coward cause he didn’t want to go to jail. This is the most screentime this character has gotten throughout the drama too.

3) Hugo Chung. I never liked this character. He was always lying. And a huge scaredy cat. He was only “human” when he’s with Ting Ting, but even then it didn’t last long. He’s best friends with Wing Cheung but it didn’t seem like it. He never really helped him. And when Wing Cheung badly needed his help, he ran away to save himself. He did all these bad things but he didn’t really care. He only did it for his own selfish reasons. His best friends brother almost died cause of his boss. And he still wouldn’t come out and be a witness. It took him believing that Gordon sent assassins to kill him to finally have the “courage” to stand in court. “Courage” more like “I’ll die if I don’t say anything, so might as well drag him down with me”. I’m glad he got jail time and not some stupid probation.

4) Chin Wing Cheung. Lol the two brothers are equally as dumb. This guys gets manipulated by Gordon every single time. His emotions get played by Jing Jing over and over again. He only figures out Gordon is evil cause Jing Jing went through mad depression due to getting dumped. Wing Cheung is a character full of justice and because of that... I always thought he’d be a smarter character. Like instead of outing Gordon as someone evil how about going undercover & finding evidence instead. He’s the definition of “all talk, no action”. Cause he really didn’t do anything. He would just badmouth Gordon every chance he gets. Argues with Gordon every time he sees him... and that’s it. I guess at the very end he stopped Gordon from leaving.. so I guess he helped in the end? But man, I really expected more from him. How could both brothers be so useless?

You know it’s sad when the villains of the show didn’t even make the list above. Which means Gordon Wing, Tong Hau Fung and Shum Ngok Tai was more likeable then those dummies. And that is because at least their actions were at least logical - well illegal but they made things happen.

The ending

It didn’t feel much like an ending... It seemed to be more of the end of the episode. That is because only two things got resolved. And that was Gordon and Hugo going to jail. The other two villains - Hau Fung and Shum Ngok Tai got away scot free. Ah Fung fled with his bags of money with his location unknown. Ngok Tai left with his wife and with his privileged status still intact. Gordon’s ending wasn’t that bad - yes, he’s wheelchair bound but honestly he can just start over.. he has the brains for it. Obviously he can’t enter the stock market but he can be an advisor or something.

Sui Man Jing - dies, thank goodness! All she did was mope around and trying to convince herself that she’s over Gordon. I will never get over the fact that she basically allowed someone innocent to go to jail over someone that’s not. She needs to get her priority straight. It’s a good thing she died or else she’ll just get manipulated by Gordon and kill everyone else around her.

Sui Man Ting - Umm I don’t know.. she is on a break from Hugo since he’s in jail. She said she’ll go down the “right” path cause that’s what her sister wanted. And that’s it...? I don’t even know if she’s still in the entertainment industry.

Chin Wing Cheung - I also don’t know what he’s doing? Like did he go back to being a journalist like what he wanted to be in the first place? It just ends with him confronting a now out of jail Gordon asking him if he regretted anything. And of course Gordon replies no and walks away. It ends with him staring off into the sunset. That’s it.

Chin Wing Kit- Well he didn’t go to jail... I’m sure he’s still a cop? One thing I didn’t like was his last appearance was basically with Ting Ting. And he was talking to her about how he’ll always be there for her & that they’ll always be best friends... umm the heck? They aren’t even friends! Let alone best friends. They’re more like acquaintances that say hi! That conversation didn’t even make sense to me.

Hugo Chung- I don’t know. Last we saw he got sentenced to jail and is in good terms with Ting Ting. That’s it. No epilogue from him either..

That is it. That’s what we know... see what I mean when I say it felt like more of an end of an episode than a drama? We don’t even know what these characters are doing now. Is it that hard to show an epilogue of what truly happened to the characters we spent the past months watching? I get it. They’re gunning for a sequel. That would explain the open ending. Too bad this drama isn’t gonna get one either. What is with these writers and always leaving such a vague ending? Do they want to write a sequel that badly? Well here’s a tip, how about writing a nice fulfilling ending where the audience wished for more hence them demanding a sequel?

Well here’s my rendition of what the epilogue SHOULD’VE BEEN!

Jing Jing is still dead (she doesn’t deserve to live). Wing Cheung goes back to his dream job - being a journalist where he uncovers all things illegal/corruption and ACTUALLY MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE with his actions. Ting Ting leaves the entertainment industry and successfully becomes an accountant - a job her sister Jing Jing always aimed to be but never managed to get. Wing Kit is still a cop cause he’s learned from his past mistakes and becomes a better policeman through it. After being freed from jail, Hugo will spend his days working a dead end job while taking care of his grandma. Tong Hau Fung loses the money he stole and ends up living on the streets, all alone for the rest of his life. Shum Ngok Tai finally gets dumped by his rich wife due to his cheating ways & gets sentenced to jail from some illegal stuff he chose to do again. Gordon is still disabled but also gets deported back to Thailand. I say this cause he spent a good part of his life trying to leave Thailand. So to have him back where he started is a good punishment for him. Back to the place he desperately wanted to leave but he is now forever trapped there.

And that’s about it. Since the ending left me basically no answers, I just imagined this is what happened. And I think it’s fitting. Might not be realistic since the real world isn’t fair. Justice does not always prevail sadly. This drama started off so good. So I’ll forever be disappointed how they decided to go down the manipulative love route. Jing Jing was too stupid for me to sympathize. Her depression over a man was too over the top. Gordon didn’t cheat on her. As soon as his first love came back he told her straight up. So it’s not like he hid from her and she tragically found out he was two timing or something. Matthew Ho has such a small part in this, that I’m struggling to figure out why he was even casted. They could’ve gotten some random actor. Matthew is considered a rising fan dan so he was definitely wasted in this. I think in total he got like 39% of screentime. I will never rewatch this show. It’s a pass for me.

[minmotl]

Chapter 7: Tang Fan is Attacked and Saved by Sui Zhou

Context: Tang Fan is investigating the death of Zheng Qi, and has just started working together with a Sui Zhou who thinks Tang Fan is a good-for-nothing official and refuses to cooperate with him.

Introduction Post | Masterpost

—

Highlights under the cut

It is difficult to explain a person’s sixth sense and intuition as it is oftentimes indescribable. Just earlier, Tang Fan’s entire body felt a little uncomfortable and immediately after, his sixth sense was proven accurate. Danger befalls him, and from the strength used around his neck, his assailant clearly wants him dead!

His eyes widen, and all he can see before him is a white blur shadow. Even though his assailant is so close to him, Tang Fan cannot even see what the person looks like because a white mask has been worn over it.

Along with the intense pain around his neck, melancholic, ghostly and resenting wails sound next to his ears. It stops for a moment, then continues again, as if someone is calling out for spirits, but the noise is muffled and unclear and all he can vaguely hear are words such as “wronged, vengeful spirit” and “fox deity”.

Tang Fan grew up reading books written by extraordinary and noble academics and has great respect for both spirits and the gods, but in his situation at present, the thought that surfaces in his mind is that this is a ruse!

Regardless if his assailant is a real spirit or a fake one, the person came prepared and is using an immense amount of strength. Tang Fan, on the other hand, was ambushed without warning and had no time to protect himself, so it does not take long for him to be choked until he can barely breathe.

In the span of a few breaths and futile struggles, Tang Fan seems to be on the verge of passing out.

Right at this moment, the sound of a blade being unsheathed cuts through the air!

The pressure on Tang Fan’s neck loosens and with one hand, he reaches out to support himself on the surface of a wall, and the other touches at the injured area where he was choked. He cannot help but fall into an intense coughing fit.

The white shadow seems to float unrealistically before him, but then it begins to fight with another black shadow.

Someone grabs at Tang Fan’s arm, pulling him up.

“Tang-daren is so quick-witted and speaks so glibly, but how are your physical skills so inadequate?”

Tang Fan raises his eyes and upon closer look, oh, this is someone he knows! Isn’t this the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the Northern Administrative Court he met two days ago at Hui Chun Tang, Sui Zhou?

Sui Zhou’s tone is just like his personality, icy cold and void of emotions, but Tang Fan still manages to hear an undercurrent of mockery from this cold question, and cannot help but laugh bitterly.

Sui Zhou does not think much of him, and Tang Fan knows it’s not just because of the case with Marquis Wu. The Embroidered Uniform Guards have never seen eye to eye with Shun Tian Prefecture, and this history can be traced back to the guards’ profession and abilities. In any case, the grudge was sown a long time ago and is a long story to delve into, so there’s no need to elaborate on it either.

Tang Fan coughs a few more times and doesn’t have any time to refute the man. With a hoarse voice, he asks, “Who is he, and why did he attack me? Why did Sui-daren turn up here as well?”

Sui Zhou coldly responds, “These are just the remains of the ‘Demonic Fox Case’, just some people trying to deceive others.”

As he’s talking, the person in white is caught and restrained by one of the guards under Sui Zhou, and he picks off the assailant’s mask as well, revealing a normal but panicked face. Illuminated by the lantern, Tang Fan notices that on the white mask, a faint lotus has been drawn in the position between the brows.

“The White Lotus Sect?” he freezes, then connecting what Sui Zhou just said, he quickly reacts again, “Don’t tell me that the ‘Demonic Fox Case’ from two years ago is connected to the White Lotus Sect?”

“Tang-daren has seen the crest of the White Lotus Sect?”

“Yes, when I was younger and travelling as I studied, I passed by Qin Zhou, and chanced upon a court arrest for a disciple of the White Lotus Sect. He had this crest of his body that matches the one this mask exactly. But why would a White Lotus Sect disciple want to attack me?”

Sui Zhou does not speak, but the guard standing next to him who’s holding the lantern replies, “Since the end of the ‘Demonic Fox Case’, Li Zi Long’s followers who believe in his teachings have been creating trouble everywhere. Recently, they’ve been targeting scholars and scheming to spread rumours and create chaos with the help of prophecies, following int Li Zi Long’s footsteps. Last month, a scholar who did not succeed at the imperial examinations was returning home late at night after getting drunk and was almost killed by this bunch of people. It is likely Tang-daren became a target of theirs because you are not wearing your court robes today. In the future, it is best not to come out so late at night.”

Tang Fan smiled at him, “Thank you for informing…”

Although he was not choked for a long period of time, due to the excessive force the assailant used on him, Tang Fan’s throat is currently hurting and even speaking is a challenge for him.

Seeing that he is alright, Sui Zhou gestures to his subordinate to bring the White Lotus Sect disciple along. He turns around to leave.

Uncaring of the pain in his throat, Tang Fan quickly calls him, “Sui-zongqi please wait a moment!”

Sui Zhou turns back coldly and asks, “Tang-daren should go back and rest, what else do you want?”

“Marquis Wu’s case, I will have to ask Sui-zongqi to reconsider. The both of us working together can only bring double the benefits!”

Sui Zhou remains unmoved, “What benefits are there?”

Tang Fan coughs, “The Northern Administrative Court has Zheng Cheng’s body, and I know what went wrong with the medicinal pills that Zheng Cheng ate before he died!”

Sui Zhou finally turns around fully.

With his hoarse voice, Tang Fan continues, “The ingredients used to create the pill is indeed based on the list of ingredients for the aphrodisiac, and I found an expert who managed to recreate the pill with all of its ingredients. There is something strange about this, and if Sui-zongqi is willing to cooperate, I am willing to reveal everything I know.”

Sui Zhou stares at him for a moment, before finally saying, “I will find you tomorrow.”

Seeing that there is hope for cooperation, Tang Fan heaves a sigh of relief.”

“It is a rest day tomorrow, you should just come straight to my house. Cheng Bei Ding Fu street, the first house inside Liu Ye Hu Tong.”

Sui Zhou nods his head slightly, turning around to leave. He really treasures words like he would gold, unwilling to say even more than is required.

Watching as these figures meld into the darkness, Tang Fan shakes his head and touching his throat, he laughs wistfully and wonders if it is even possible for him to speak tomorrow?

As if to prove his concerns correct, when he wakes the next day, Tang Fan’s throat hurts even worse than it did the night before. Looking at his own reflection in the bronze mirror, he can still see the green and purple choking marks on his neck and each press of his fingers make it hurt.

As he made an appointment with Sui Zhou, Tang Fan does not leave the house to buy medicine. Instead, he cooks himself some porridge and eats it together with pickled vegetables, the meal fresh and delicious.

Since Tang Fan became an official in Jing city, he rented this little house enough for one person and with a single door on Ding Fu street. This house was originally next to the Li family’s, but a Li ancestor was a servant to the royal family and managed to buy this large house in Liu Ye Hu Tong. In the end, word has it that in one of the smaller parts of the house, a Li family concubine hung herself and the master of the house felt that it was inauspicious, and so he built up more walls to separate the house and this smaller part of the house alone was set for rent. Because it is an ‘inauspicious house’ and doesn’t feature much space, the price was cheap, so Tang Fan ended up renting it.

It is well known that living in Jing city is difficult, and even on Ding Fu street, a majority of the people living here are high-ranking officials, so the houses here become even more expensive. If it wasn’t for the history of the house, Tang Fan might never have been able to afford the rent.

***

Tang Fan smiles, and gestures to welcome Sui Zhou.

Sui Zhou steps into the house.

“If Tang-daren truly has any clues on hand, please do let me know directly. If it is of use, I will naturally reconsider cooperating,” Sui Zhou gets to the point directly and skipping past all pleasantries, settling on a stone seat in the courtyard.

Tang Fan sets aside the basket of fresh fruits brought over by Ah Xia, filled with yellow pears. If placed together with sugar cubes and steamed slowly, it gets rid of heatiness in the body and moisturizes his throat, which would be perfect for his current condition.

“After shopkeeper Liu and the other two people from Hui Chun Tang were taken to the North Administrative Court, did they say anything?” Tang Fan’s voice is almost gone and he has to pause after he says each word, the speed of his speech slow.

Sui Zhou does not hide it from him and says, “After interrogation, we found that they have nothing to do with the case and have since been released.”

Tang Fan takes out a piece of paper and places it on the stone table, “The aphrodisiac that Zheng Chen consumed before his death, I have looked through some old records and finally found the source of the prescription.”

Sui Zhou picks up the paper and sees two listed lines of medicinal herbs, with many repeated names. He doesn’t understand what he’s seeing and lifts his eyes from the paper to look at Tang Fan.

Tang Fan explains, “The line at the top, is the prescription for the aphrodisiac and is the same as the one that Zheng Cheng’s male servant passed to me. And the line underneath, those are the herbs that I asked someone to analyse from the pill. Sui-zongqi please look, what is the difference between both?”

Sui Zhou recalls what Tang Fan said earlier, and even though there is no prescription for it, there are plenty of skilled doctors in the world who can trace the origins of a pill just by smell and other factors, finding all the herbs used. Upon closer look, he realizes that the line below has one additional herb that the top line does not have.

“Bupleurum chinense?”

===

Notes:

*圣贤 sheng xian

According to Confucian teachings, the realm of the living is split into the saints 圣人 (sheng ren), the nobles/sages 贤人 (xian ren), the gentlemen 君子 (jun zi), the scholars 士人 (shi ren), and the commoners 庸人 (yong ren). When they use 圣贤 (sheng xian) together they mean that this person is a noble person of morals, who is highly intelligent. According to Baidu Encyclopedia, people who are referred to as this are “considered to have contributed to the history and society of Confucian life values”. 

*装神弄鬼 zhuang shen nong gui

Literally this means to ‘play god and conjure ghosts’, and used to describe someone intentionally playing tricks to deceive someone else.

*身手 shen shou

Literally it means body and hand and is used to describe physical skills, especially martial arts. If you say someone has good (hao) shen shou, it means they are fairly skilled in fighting.

*北镇抚司 bei zhen fu si - Northern Administrative Court

This is the organization that the Embroidered Uniform Guards 锦衣卫 (jing yi wei) belong to, and they are primarily in charge of the imperial prison. They are authorized to make arrests, interrogate, torture and execute suspects, and they don’t have to go through the usual process that other departments have to. They’re known for having a variety of torture methods and in cases where there is a big investigative case, it is possible for the cases to bypass the legal and law enforcement department 刑部 (xing bu) and go straight to the Northern Administrative Court. During the Cheng Hua years, the Northern Administrative Court reported directly to the emperor, and not even the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Commander could interfere in this process.

Translated as Northern Administrative Court as per iQiyi’s English subtitles.

*总旗 zong qi

There are four ranks within the Embroidered Uniform Guards - 千户 (qian hu)、百户 (bai hu)、总旗 (zong qi)、小旗 (xiao qi) arranged highest to smallest rank, aside from the Commander 统领官 (zong ling guan).

*谶言 chen yan

Prophecies or signs that are usually interpreted by shamans or alchemist.

*富阳春 fu yang chun

A well-known aphrodisiac in those times. Fu means rich or abundant, yang means positive energy and in feng shui, yin and yang - yin is usually used to represent female energy while yang for male energy, and lastly, chun means youth.

*唐大人 tang da ren

Tang is Tang Fan’s surname, followed by da ren as in Lord. It literally translates to ‘big person’ but it’s general term that most officials use regardless of their ranks i.e. for most civilians, when they see Tang Fan (who’s a sixth rank official in the beginning and then a third rank official later in the novel) or Sui Zhou (who gets promoted up to qian hu and then vice-commander later) it’s alright for civilians especially to simply address them as da ren rather than their formal titles/ranks.

*回春堂 hui chun tang

The name of the medicine hall involved in the first case. Hui Chun in general means to ‘return to spring or youth’ and Tang means hall.

*京城 jing cheng

Cheng means city, and in this case jing cheng is actually today’s Beijing, and is noted as China’s capital city where the Emperor and most royals reside in.

*柴胡 chai hu

A fennel-like plant. You can see how it looks like on wikipedia here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bupleurum_chinense