◎The Beginning◎

When ordinary people beat the Dengwen Drum to file a complaint, they must receive thirty strikes of the rod. But official family members of third rank or above are exempt.

As Yu Qingwu held the position of Court of Imperial Stud Minister, precisely at the third rank from the top, Lan Shanjun was ushered inside completely unharmed after beating the drum.

She held in her hands the blood letter written by old Duke Zhenguo yesterday, knelt in the hall below, and recounted in detail the tragic events of the twenty-ninth year of Yuanshao.

Except she changed the person embezzling military funds to Prince Qi.

Nor did she mention the embezzlement of fifty thousand empty rations, only stating five thousand elderly, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers.

“This is just the situation in Shangyong alone. As for other places that didn’t use reinforcement troops, we don’t know if the same situation occurred.”

Magistrate Sun held the gavel in his hand, picking at it—truly shocking and inhumane.

Even someone like him who regarded common people as mere grass and weeds felt thoroughly uncomfortable hearing this.

Which showed he was still a corrupt official with conscience and bottom lines.

He felt deeply pleased with his conscience and bottom lines, then quickly invited Lan Shanjun to rise. He cleared away the common people watching the excitement outside, and finally prepared to enter the palace to present the blood letter to the Emperor.

He asked Lan Shanjun amiably, “I wonder if old Duke Zhenguo might come?”

Lan Shanjun shook her head. “Yesterday grandfather fell critically ill, so we went to see him. He believed his days were numbered and wrote this blood letter. But grandfather has been cultivating himself in seclusion for many years and cannot easily leave the Daoist temple. We should wait for His Majesty’s command.”

Magistrate Sun smiled and agreed. He sighed emotionally: “Old Duke Zhenguo momentarily fell into Shu Province’s trap and has carried this stain for twenty years. It truly breaks one’s heart.”

Having finished sighing, with everything properly attended to, right in front of Lan Shanjun he had his subordinates take her to the cleanest prison cell.

Lan Shanjun thanked him for his kindness without refusing.

Following regulations, she was fitted with hand chains and leg chains. With difficulty walking, she followed the jailer step by step toward the damp, cold, gloomy depths.

The outside light grew less and less, while the candlelight inside remained dim and unclear. The jailer was also someone who knew how to handle situations. Last time when Lan Shanjun came, he had noticed Eunuch Liu from the palace sending her a lamp. He quickly asked: “Shall I also bring you a lamp, Madam?”

Lan Shanjun paused, then looked around before shaking her head. “Thank you, but I’m no longer afraid of the dark.”

The jailer’s flattery missed its mark, leaving him somewhat embarrassed: “If Madam needs anything, just call this humble one.”

Lan Shanjun: “Thank you, sir.”

The jailer didn’t dare accept the title of sir. But he still went out proudly to tell his colleague: “Let’s watch carefully and not let Madam Yu suffer any hardship.”

His colleague’s eyes flashed as he asked: “She really filed a complaint against Prince Qi?”

The jailer: “How could it be false? The magistrate has already entered the palace.”

The colleague echoed in agreement, “Truly unprecedented.”

The jailer: “Indeed. Even the lives of us little people are lives.”

He said: “Old Zhao, you watch here. I’ll go outside to buy some clean food.”

Old Zhao nodded. “Fine, you go.”

After the person left, he stared at Lan Shanjun inside, lost in thought, his heart unsettled and anxious.

Not long ago, he had connected with a steward from Prince Qi’s household as a relative—he had married his eldest daughter to the steward as a concubine.

Now he deeply regretted it. Sacrificing one daughter wasn’t frightening, but what was frightening was being implicated in Prince Qi’s household affairs in the end.

…

Nanny Qian was chopping vegetables again.

Today she found Yu Qingwu particularly disagreeable, but seeing him feeding firewood into the stove while wiping away tears, she became speechless.

She could only sigh and make him a bowl of wonton noodles to bring over. “Eat, eat. How can you endure without eating!”

“You still have a hard battle ahead.”

Yu Qingwu wiped away more tears, thinking of what Shanjun said to him when they parted today, which made him want to cry.

Nanny Qian asked, “What did she say?”

Yu Qingwu: “She told me to stop eating eggs.”

Nanny Qian found it amusing. “This is worth crying over?”

Yu Qingwu bit into the noodles, trembling while crying and chewing simultaneously. “How is it not worth crying over? This shows she cares about me.”

Nanny Qian was helpless. She took a radish from the side and gave it to him. “Then eat this. Eating this is the same as eating eggs.”

Yu Qingwu took it with anticipation. “Is there some significance?”

Nanny Qian: “Radish, white radish, white—white, you see.”

Having some education, Yu Qingwu recited phrases like “truth will out,” “vindicate a wrong,” “distinguish black from white,” and “leave innocence in the world,” then took a fierce bite and said: “Then I’ll eat more.”

Nanny Qian: “Don’t eat too much. Eating too much of this also causes flatulence.”

Just as she finished speaking, someone outside came to report that people had arrived from the palace.

Yu Qingwu hurried out to greet them. It wasn’t Liu Guan, but Liu Guan’s godson Liu Zhi.

Liu Zhi said in a low voice: “Lord Yu, His Majesty flew into a great rage. Oh my, this slave’s godfather was also serving inside. Even he couldn’t escape being blamed. Here—”

He pointed to his shoulder. “Here, he was struck.”

He looked at Yu Qingwu and sighed: “It had just healed, and now he’ll probably need to recuperate for another period.”

Yu Qingwu’s eyes flashed, then he replied, “I’ve studied medicine. If the shoulder is injured, one must use qianghuo, turmeric, Chinese angelica, white peony root, astragalus, saposhnikovia, corydalis, mulberry twig, cinnamon twig, prepared licorice root, and fresh ginger for treatment.”

Liu Zhi smiled. “Then this slave will return and tell godfather. If it’s useful, we’ll surely have to thank you greatly, my lord.”

The two entered the palace, where people were already kneeling all over the floor. The place was also in complete disarray. Many teacups and vases lay shattered on the floor—apparently they had already argued once before he arrived.

He glanced discreetly at the Grand Prince Imperial, the Court of Judicial Review Minister, the Ministry of Justice Minister, the Luoyang Magistrate, Prince Qi and Prince Qi’s heir, discovering they all bore injuries large and small. Among them, Prince Qi’s forehead was broken most severely.

Yu Qingwu understood. It seemed the Emperor had truly grown weary of Prince Qi.

He hadn’t seen Prince Qi for quite some time. Sweeping his gaze over, he found Prince Qi even more aged than before.

Having been confined for a full year, though his spirit appeared undiminished, the murderous aura around him could no longer be concealed.

Yu Qingwu sneered inwardly—kept in such comfort with good food and drink, yet unable to endure just one year?

He lifted his robe and knelt. Just as he raised his head, the Emperor noticed the plant ash on his face.

He mocked: “What’s this? Planned such a major case, feeling proud of yourself, so you specially reported to the Kitchen God before coming?”

“Unfortunately, today isn’t the third day of the month. The Kitchen God cannot ascend to heaven and cannot inform the Jade Emperor for you.”

Yu Qingwu showed no fear, only kowtowed: “In response to Your Majesty, this ash on your subject’s face came from being forced by Nanny Qian at my residence to tend the fire.”

He said glumly: “The old woman blamed your subject for failing to stop my wife from going to Luoyang Prefecture to file the complaint.”

“Yesterday Zhenguo Duke’s household sent word that old Duke Zhenguo was gravely ill. When we arrived, he had already written a blood letter… Such vivid blood—each drop representing one human life. My wife is but a weak woman who has only ever slaughtered pigs in her life. How could she have seen dead people? Moreover, so many wronged souls—she was immediately filled with righteous indignation and wanted to inform the Grand Prince Imperial and his wife.”

The Emperor laughed coldly. “Then why didn’t you tell the Grand Prince Imperial in the end?”

“Your subject spent all night trying to dissuade her, saying this matter was grave and required careful consideration. The court has its regulations, court ministers have their methods—how could her solitary courage alone accomplish anything? But she’s straightforward. When she sees something, she cannot bear it. Early this morning she left without notice and went to Luoyang Prefecture.”

The Emperor kept looking coldly at the people below.

Of course he didn’t believe a single word.

But… he looked at Prince Qi, who after being confined for one year could no longer endure it and had just shown dissatisfaction when struck with a vase. Then he looked at the Grand Prince Imperial, who gazed at him anxiously, hoping he would condemn Prince Qi. And… Prince Qi’s heir, who remained in a daze, completely failing to grasp the situation.

The Emperor felt his head ache terribly.

These wretched creatures only knew how to dredge up past matters to pressure him!

He stood and called only the Grand Prince Imperial into the rear hall.

Just after entering, he walked over and kicked him in the chest, causing the Grand Prince Imperial to cough up blood.

The Emperor paused. “We didn’t even use much force.”

The Grand Prince Imperial crawled up to kneel, not wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, only saying: “Imperial Grandfather, this grandson fears he won’t live long and may depart before you.”

The Emperor was shocked. “What nonsense are you talking! The imperial physicians reported a healthy pulse for you.”

The Grand Prince Imperial smiled bitterly. “Imperial physicians report good news but not bad. When Yuanniang was poisoned back then, didn’t they also not dare speak?”

He said: “This grandson knows his own body. Yu Qingwu understands medicine. Last time when grandson coughed up blood in his presence, he said if grandson doesn’t recuperate well, then… then time would be uncertain.”

“Yuanniang’s health is also poor… You know this. She has only half a life left.”

“Imperial Grandfather, grandson hasn’t wrongly accused Uncle Prince Qi of a single word—though there is also selfish motive.”

He said: “Grandson’s body is in this state entirely thanks to Uncle Prince Qi’s past benevolence—Yuanniang was also his benevolence—Imperial Grandfather, Uncle Prince Qi possesses such methods. Grandson is afraid, afraid that after death, A’Li and A’Man will be unable to escape the same fate.”

The Emperor’s expression grew heavy.

What he thought of wasn’t how A’Li and A’Man would fare, but rather… Prince Qi now harbored hatred toward him. Today he had clearly sided with the Grand Prince Imperial’s faction, so would Prince Qi take action against him?

The Emperor began to hesitate whether he should truly use this opportunity to eliminate the threat completely.

Seeing his goal achieved, the Grand Prince Imperial threw out another lure: “Imperial Grandfather, regarding A’Li, you know this child—active, talkative, jumping about. But grandson has only this one son. How dare I discipline him, fearing something might happen to him.”

“Grandson wishes… wishes to request that Imperial Grandfather raise and teach him, so he may become more sensible.”

The Emperor’s heart lurched. He narrowed his eyes in thought, then suddenly said: “Summon A’Bai inside.”

A’Bai also had a child.