You’ve Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post vol. 3 by Blackegg: review

5/5 stars on Goodreads

You've Got Mail: The Perils of Pigeon Post by Blackegg

Volume 3 sees Wu Xingzi leave Guan Shanjin so that the latter can be happy with Mr. Lu, and head to the nation’s capital. He’s helped on his journey by Hei-er, who’s acting as Wu Xingzi’s bodyguard on Guan Shanjin’s orders—not that Wu Xingzi knows about it—and Mr. Rancui, the proprietor of the local peng society. He’s eager for Wu Xingzi to forget Guan Shanjin and so he introduces him to Ping Yifan, a successful merchant. The man is almost perfect down to his pengornis and scent that is very much like Guan Shanjin’s. It doesn’t take long for Wu Xingzi to decide that he’s going to spend the rest of his life with Ping Yifan.

But Wu Xingzi can’t entirely escape seeing Guan Shanjin in the capital, often in the company of Mr. Lu. Guan Shanjin is very busy with unravelling the origins of the treasonous plot that he took care of at the Horse Face city. It turns out the perpetrator is no other than Wu Xingzi’s long lost love, Yan Wenxin, now an important minister. And it appears Yan Wenxin knows of Wu Xingzi’s connection with Guan Shanjin, because he seeks Wu Xingzi out, ostensibly to reminisce, but obviously to influence him.

Wu Xingzi, usually very placid and forgiving person, isn’t that easy to persuade though. He’s very loyal to Guan Shanjin and knows him very well. So well, that he’s seen through Guan Shanjin’s ruse: he’s in fact Ping Yifan in disguise. The two clear the air between them. They just can’t be together until the plot against the emperor has been solved. It’s not going well for Guan Shanjin though, and the emperor has him arrested. But Wu Xingzi won’t sit idle and do nothing to help. The book ends before we learn how his plan will work.

This was somewhat different from the earlier two books. The plot is stronger and dominates the narrative, with the romance at the back. It does have some very good moments though, even if it relies on the excellence of some very odd masks. The sex scenes are fewer and less over the top. Guan Shanjin comes out better here as well. He shows in deeds, if not in words, that he cares about Wu Xingzi very much, as himself and as Ping Yifan. And Wu Xingzi shows that he’s not quite so helpless as he appears. We also learn that his father used to be an important person in the capital.

There were some side plots that were hinted at and then discarded, like what is happening with Mr. Lu, what is going on between Rancui and Hei-er, and who is the mysterious person behind the  peng society. There’s also a long extra story about Man Yue, Guan Shanjin’s longsuffering vice general, and Su Yang who owns a restaurant in Wu Xingzi’s hometown, which will be interesting to follow as well. Nevertheless, this was maybe the best book so far.