Outside the room, the moonlight cast clear, slanting shadows. Dinian leaned against a tree trunk, playing with the sword in his hand. From time to time, he glanced at Shen Zhili, yet remained silent until Ying Gua came out from the room. Only then did he straighten up and say, “Your Highness.”
Ying Gua swept a glance at Shen Zhili, then looked at Dinian. As he walked out, he asked, “How did you happen to encounter this incident so coincidentally and rescue her?”
Dinian followed, snorting lightly, “Your Highness should think more carefully. How could this be a coincidence? I hadn’t gone far from the palace when I encountered Left Remonstrator Cao Jing from the Chancellery. It was Cao Jing who said Magistrate Meng might be in danger, which prompted me to turn back and check the path toward the female officials’ quarters—”
Ying Gua’s footsteps faltered as he frowned and interrupted, “Where is Cao Jing now?”
Dinian returned the sword to him. “I didn’t have time to ask much earlier, but sensing that this matter must not be simple, I had the Imperial City Guards detain Cao Jing.”
Ying Gua suddenly raised his eyebrows, his expression startled: “You have such audacity to casually have the Imperial City Guards detain an official from the Chancellery!”
Dinian lowered his head. “Your Highness didn’t see Magistrate Meng’s condition at that time. I truly couldn’t suppress my anger. Since Cao Jing knew about the situation, he must be somehow connected to the incident. So I simply had him detained first, planning to question him further after reporting to Your Highness.”
Ying Gua gripped the sword, saying coldly: “If you could detain Cao Jing, why didn’t you detain any of the assailants?”
Dinian kicked a stone on the ground, saying with annoyance: “When I arrived, those men had not yet succeeded, but upon seeing someone coming, they scattered like birds and beasts, moving with extreme efficiency. It was a premeditated plan. Seeing Magistrate Meng unconscious on the ground, I panicked momentarily and was only concerned with finding someone with Cao Jing to bring Magistrate Meng here. I simply had no time to chase after those men.”
Several servants from the Shen residence walked by, all with lowered heads, not daring to look.
Ying Gua suppressed his anger. After passing through the front hall, he spoke again: “You’ve certainly caused trouble for the Grand Tutor’s residence tonight—the Grand Tutor has rarely involved himself in political affairs these past few years. Having taken the title of Minister of the Secretariat, he’s just waiting to retire. By bringing Meng Tinghui to the Shen residence, you’ll make the court officials think that Meng Tinghui has close connections with you and the Shen family. And what will the Grand Tutor become in the eyes of those Eastern Faction elders?”
Dinian looked up at the night sky, muttering: “I am just a military official and don’t understand these complicated court matters. But even I know that the Crown Prince favors Magistrate Meng in his heart, otherwise those officials from the Eastern Bureau wouldn’t have made such a commotion.”
Ying Gua stood still at the entrance of the Shen residence, his voice growing colder: “I have never favored her.” Then he turned his head and cautioned: “It remains unclear who planned this incident. You must not speak nonsense about the Eastern Faction being responsible.”
Dinian waved his hand, sending someone to bring their horses, before responding: “Does this matter still need investigation? If not for Minister Gu’s overwhelming power currently, how would those Eastern Bureau officials dare to be so unrestrained…” His words suddenly halted, his expression becoming unnatural, his gaze flickering as he whispered behind him: “Why—why did you come out too?”
A few steps inside the threshold, Shen Zhili stood straight, staring steadily at the two of them.
As soon as Dinian finished speaking, he immediately averted his eyes, his gaze drifting uncertainly toward the distance.
Shen Zhili lifted her skirt and slowly walked to the two men’s side, saying softly: “Your Highness, Minister Gu would never order anyone to do such despicable things.”
She didn’t address Dinian, but her words made him flush with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but look at her again, quickly saying: “That’s not what I meant.”
Shen Zhili slowly lowered her head. “Your Highness, Minister Gu would not be disloyal to you in his heart, and Your Highness must understand this. Why would you still…” She choked, seemingly unable to continue.
Ying Gua turned his palm, hanging the sword at his waist without answering Shen Zhili. Seeing the Shen residence servant leading the horses over, he stepped forward and leaped onto his horse’s back. Gripping the reins and cracking the whip, he pulled the reins in a half-circle before finally looking down at her, saying: “I am not a muddle-headed person either. There is no need for you to remind me of this.”
Shen Zhili kept her eyes downcast, her hands placed before her body trembling slightly: “Your Highness is wise.”
Ying Gua looked toward Dinian, seeing him staring somewhat helplessly at Shen Zhili. His lips twitched, but ultimately he said nothing more. He raised his arm, cracked the whip hard, and galloped away.
When the officials from the Imperial City Guards brought Cao Jing to the entrance hall, it was already past midnight. The horizon showed faint signs of dawn, the cold intense. The chill instantly jolted his entire body, making him considerably more alert.
“Your Highness, the person has been brought,” the official bowed his head and reported softly, then withdrew, closing the door behind him.
The room was quite dark. When Cao Jing looked up, he could only make out a figure standing ahead with hands behind his back. Before he could discern more details, he hurriedly knelt forward, prostrating himself: “Your Highness, please forgive my crime.”
Ying Gua unfastened his sword and placed it on the table nearby. The scabbard struck a stone with a clear ring, causing Cao Jing to tremble again. He lowered his head, not daring to speak.
“No one has yet accused you of any crime. What crime is there to forgive?” he said, his voice neither cold nor warm.
Cao Jing spoke shakily: “Your Highness, please see clearly. This official has absolutely no connection to Magistrate Meng’s incident. As a colleague in the same ministry, I would never harm Magistrate Meng. If I had wanted to harm her, I wouldn’t have stopped Commander Dinian to help rescue her.”
Ying Gua remained silent, only looking at Cao Jing.
Cao Jing felt as if there were thorns at his back, so he summoned his courage and continued: “Yesterday at the Complaint Drum Office, when we received a commoner’s complaint against Wang Qi, the Minister from the Imperial Stables Department, I advised Magistrate Meng not to accept the petition, truly not wanting to offend those senior officials behind Wang Qi. Magistrate Meng openly told Deputy Minister Wei that she would withdraw the petition, but Wei didn’t believe her. After Magistrate Meng left, he pulled me aside for questioning and said that if anything happened to Magistrate Meng, I should immediately go to the Imperial Stables Department to inform him, otherwise he would make me suffer.”
Ying Gua finally spoke: “Yesterday when the Imperial Stables Department learned of Wang Qi’s situation, was it you who leaked the information?”
Cao Jing laughed bitterly, shaking his head: “The Crown Prince issued an order to arrest Wang Qi and put him in the Censorate prison, and commanded a joint investigation by the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. This matter shocked the two main ministries and the central government—how could it be my place to leak such information? Magistrate Meng acted swiftly and discreetly. Even I only learned of this matter when the Yellow-Robed Secretary from Your Highness’s side came to the Remonstrance Hall to convey your decree… I later went to the Imperial Stables Department to find Deputy Minister Wei, merely to clarify that I hadn’t attached a memorial to that petition—I know this seems like trying to seek advantage and avoid harm, but I was truly afraid. When Deputy Minister Wei saw me seeking him out, he thought I was also loyal to him, so he told me—’ I know you understand the situation well, but unfortunately, there’s a Meng Tinghui in the Chancellery who flatters the Crown Prince. If we don’t teach her a lesson, who knows who she’ll harm next’—I became alarmed on the spot, yet dared not say much. When I left, seeing it was already dark, I wanted to warn Magistrate Meng to be careful these days. But on the way, I saw the bookcase she usually carries smashed on the ground. In my moment of uncertainty, I happened to meet Commander Dinian, who had just left the palace, and asked him to accompany me to the female officials’ quarters…”
The events that followed needed no further explanation from Cao Jing, as he already knew them.
Ying Gua pondered silently for a moment, then stepped forward and said: “How do I know you’re not under someone else’s instructions, trying to place this crime on Wei Mingxian?”
Cao Jing knocked his forehead on the ground, his voice trembling: “This official would never dare deceive Your Highness, even at the cost of death a thousand times over.”
Ying Gua turned and picked up his sword, walking toward the door. “At daybreak, have someone escort you out of the palace. Tomorrow you will be transferred to the Censorate. Do you have any objections?”
Cao Jing was stunned, taking a good while to react, then was too shocked to speak.
Ying Gua knocked on the door—three light taps followed by one heavy one. Waiting for the Imperial City Guard official to open the door, he added: “Don’t rejoice too soon. Transferring you to the Censorate serves another purpose. Since you understand the situation well, you should know what to do from now on. As for Meng Tinghui’s matter, until I have investigated it thoroughly, you remain under suspicion.”
Cold sweat covered the back of Cao Jing’s neck. He nodded repeatedly, expressing his gratitude.
As the early morning light first appeared on the horizon, golden rays slanting down, Ying Gua took a diagonal step, standing in the clear breeze of dawn. His voice lowered to almost inaudible: “Your first impeachment memorial after going to the Censorate will accuse Gu Qin of forming a treasonous faction.”