Compared to Chen Niang, Wang Shiniang’s circumstances were much worse.
A large cell holding over ten people together—the smell was unpleasant, without even dry straw mats for sleeping, they could only lie directly on the ground. These people were Wang family masters, each pampered and spoiled, usually enjoying the best food, clothing, and provisions. How could they endure such an earth-shattering change? So when Mo Zi approached, she saw them shrouded in gloom and misery, grief-stricken—some crying, some sick, some crushed by the blow.
“Shiniang.” She called softly.
Those ten or so people all looked over, wanting to come closer but timid, hesitating and shrinking back.
“Grand Minister’s wife.” Lady Shan’s voice.
Mo Zi watched as she walked into the light supported by Wang Shiniang. Her graceful elegance had been destroyed by this disaster. This middle-aged beauty now looked older than an ordinary commoner woman, her pampered body extremely frail.
“First Madam.” Mo Zi nodded slightly.
“Have you come to mock us?” Though Lady Shan’s complexion was poor, her temper had grown.
Mo Zi didn’t kick someone when they were down. She shook her head calmly. “I want to speak with Shiniang alone for a moment.”
“If not for you, Shiniang would have already married into Prince Jing’s mansion and wouldn’t have been implicated.” Facing catastrophic disaster, Lady Shan was fearless. Since she had married Wang He and was the Wang family’s matriarch, whatever happened, she had no complaints.
“First Madam, what’s the point of saying such things now?” Including Lady Shan, all would be exiled to various places to become official maids. Wang family daughters were more likely to become official courtesans, henceforth fallen into disgrace. Therefore, Mo Zi could understand Lady Shan’s hostility. “I can’t stay long. Please don’t waste precious time, First Madam.”
Lady Shan began coughing violently.
Wang Shiniang comforted her. “First Aunt, things have come to this. There’s no need to redirect anger at others. Please take care of your health—the road ahead is still long.”
Lady Shan shed tears, and immediately two women with beautiful features helped her away.
Seeing Mo Zi look over, Wang Shiniang said, “Those are my eldest and second sisters-in-law. Usually they have small quarrels, but now they support each other. The Wang family has been wealthy and noble too long. After experiencing this calamity, there will probably be more genuine feelings in the future.”
Mo Zi silently admired her composed demeanor. “Do you resent me like your first aunt does?”
“Whether it’s my first and second uncles, or Aunt Empress, though they did disloyal and unrighteous things in the world’s eyes, that’s their own karma. As a junior of the Wang family, I can only atone for their sins. I couldn’t possibly resent you—I’m even glad I didn’t marry in, otherwise I’d bring trouble to my husband’s family and implicate more innocents. If I must resent anything, I’ll resent Heaven.” When prosperity reaches its peak, decline follows. She was just unfortunate to be born too late.
“You don’t resent me?” Mo Zi smiled. “That’s good. I’m selfish and don’t want to invite trouble into my home. There’s one more thing—I want to hear your honest answer. That day on the boat, why did you jump into the water to save Consort Chen?”
Wang Shiniang didn’t expect Mo Zi would pursue that day’s events. After hesitating a moment, “Actually, I knew about Aunt Empress’s plot against you. When Consort Chen fell into the water, I also knew you had already seen through it and countered with a move of your own. I jumped in genuinely to save Consort Chen, but also hoped Aunt Empress wouldn’t be criticized because of this.”
“You can’t have your fish and bear’s paw too. Wanting to help both sides, in the end you help neither.” Mo Zi knew Wang Shiniang spoke the truth.
“I just didn’t want to see people fighting.” Moreover, the Empress was her aunt, and Mo Zi was someone she admired.
“Like you said, each person’s karma. Wanting to have it both ways is forcing the issue. Rather than forcing yourself into a difficult position, better to maintain your stance and have a clear conscience.” Mo Zi understood Wang Shiniang’s inner conflict unusually well. Yet growing up in a great clan like the Wang family, even understanding right from wrong, she couldn’t sever family affection. Not having known about her connection to the Wang family early on meant she had no emotional ties to them. Being able to calmly remain outside events now—wasn’t that also a kind of fortune?
Wang Shiniang lowered her eyes for a long while. When she raised her head, she discovered Mo Zi had already left. Sitting back beside Lady Shan, when Lady Shan asked what Mo Zi had said, she only said it was nothing. Because she completely didn’t understand Mo Zi’s purpose in coming.
Qiu Sanniang waited for Mo Zi outside the prison. “Does this count as killing two birds with one stone or what?”
“So clever—you knew I came over here.” Mo Zi linked arms with Qiu Sanniang.
“I just asked around.” But Qiu Sanniang didn’t know who Mo Zi went to see among the Wang family women. “Things are settled with Chen Niang. You quickly have your man petition the Emperor. I’ll talk to Sanlang about it.”
Mo Zi raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. She thought Chen Niang would persist to the end, so today’s sisterly meeting had the meaning of strength in numbers, but also the meaning of a farewell.
“How did you persuade her?” She really wanted to know.
“Simple. I told her, if you go into exile with Wang Ting together, both of you are criminals, both must suffer, and then you’ll burden him too. If you’re a free person, it’s different. The exile location has small towns—she can settle in a small home, regularly send clothes and food to Wang Ting, truly care for him, make the difficult days easier. If she manages things well, Wang Ting might even serve his labor in town, and the two can live like an ordinary couple. Whatever’s lacking or urgently needed, it’s easier for us to help too.” Qiu Sanniang gave the general idea.
Mo Zi gave a thumbs up. “In any case, persuading her to completely sever ties—Chen Niang’s personality would never agree. Putting it this way, though she’ll really move there, it’s still better than suffering miserably with Wang Ting.”
“With her temperament, once she’s fallen for someone, can she easily change? Only for Wang Ting’s sake would she listen. Seeing her like this makes me especially worried about my daughter. In the future, she mustn’t be like her—throwing everything away for a man.” Qiu Sanniang also displayed a mother’s concerns.
Mo Zi laughed. “You’re thinking too far ahead.”
After bidding farewell to Sister Xiu and the others outside the Court of Judicial Review, Mo Zi returned to the Yuan mansion and asked Yuan Cheng to petition the Emperor for Chen Niang’s special pardon.
Two days later, the decree dealing with the Wang family was issued. Wang Shiniang was demoted to a maid cleaning the official stables. Though the work was dirty and tiring, the place was at least proper. The minor official in charge was a distant relative of Jiang Tao’s, easy to deal with.
Chen Niang immediately set out, following Wang Ting all the way north. Later she wrote to inform them she’d bought a small house only five li from the ranch where Wang Ting was exiled. After some more time, Wang Ting performed well, and with Chen Niang’s arrangements, he truly transferred to the town. The two married in the middle of the second year and settled down there.
After Yuan Cheng arranged all these matters for Mo Zi, he petitioned the Emperor for leave.
The Emperor tried repeatedly to keep him to no avail and could only let him go. Using his exposure of the Empress’s conspiracy as justification, he bestowed large amounts of gold and silver, and formally signed a treaty of friendship and alliance between the Great Zhou and the Song territories.
After the ship left port, Mo Zi watched the Emperor’s carriage remain motionless for a long time and said to Yuan Cheng, “Back when the Emperor was still Crown Prince, he must have greatly admired your father, which is why he still loves all related to him today.”
Yuan Cheng smiled faintly. “Perhaps.”
“Though the Emperor can’t bear to part with you, I’m very happy to go home.” If Qiu Sanniang heard this, she might say she was heartless, but the Song territories had her son, her younger sister, grandfather and grandmother, a whole family of cousins, and comrades who’d fought battles together. From Daqiu to Yuling, then to the Great Zhou—in the Song territories she’d found the feeling of home. Her parents’ home was there, the Min clan’s roots were there, and she wanted to settle there too.
“I also miss Yuan Bao a little.” Yuan Cheng said.
Mo Zi immediately showed a skeptical expression. “Really?”
“Really. Do you think Xiami will eventually squash him flat?” He missed that image.
Mo Zi was both annoyed and amused. She never learned—she’d almost believed him. “What kind of father are you, competing with a son not even a year old?”
“I’m afraid if he grows up too smoothly, he’ll be useless in the future.” So he set himself as the greatest obstacle.
Not knowing if this was true or false, Mo Zi stopped caring.
The ship returned by the original route, passing through Yunzhou into Yangcheng. Before their feet even touched land, Li Yan came running aboard in a hurry.
Zhang Zhen joked, “Elder Li, did you miss us so much you couldn’t wait to welcome us home?”
But Li Yan didn’t smile. He handed Yuan Cheng a document. “Sir, you’ve returned at just the right time. I just received an urgent report from Hengcheng—this is in Marquis Anming’s own hand.”
Without a word, Yuan Cheng took it and read.
“Elder Li, what’s the urgent report about?” Seeing Li Yan’s grave expression, Mo Zi’s heart immediately filled with unease. Hengcheng Prefect Teng Guo managed all affairs large and small—why would Jin Yin be there?
“The Daqiu army launched a surprise attack with seven hundred thousand troops in full force. Pingju’s two cities have already fallen.” Li Yan sighed deeply.
Mo Zi was shocked. “Seven hundred thousand? Wasn’t it three hundred thousand?”
Daqiu’s entire military strength was pressed on the northern border to prevent the Great Zhou’s main forces from crossing the river. Duan Geshou had guarded Pingcheng for over a year—originally five hundred thousand troops, but the King of Daqiu had secretly transferred away half. This military intelligence had shown no change even when she departed for the Great Zhou.
“Clearly the King of Daqiu had soldiers disguise themselves as commoners, infiltrating the two provinces in small groups, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, acting as farmers for quite some time.” Yuan Cheng handed the letter to Mo Zi. “What remarkable patience. The King of Daqiu knows his country is vulnerable. Even if he could win one or two victories, he can’t sustain long battle lines and prolonged standoffs, so he must concentrate on a single-line offensive. He’s already occupied half of Yuling’s territory, and it’s an island position—once secured, they can easily defend while we struggle to attack. In the Great Zhou, Prince Su and Empress Wang both failed in their rebellions. Without inside support, he can’t bite into it for now. But the Song territories have new governance, everything still recovering. From Hengcheng to Pingcheng, the former two Yuling provinces are separated from the main territory by a great river—inevitably beyond easy reach. No matter how you look at it, swallowing the former Yuling again is the King of Daqiu’s first choice.”
“Disguising as farmers to add four hundred thousand troops?” A method Mo Zi never imagined, yet suddenly it made sense. “He never left the palace gates, making a mysterious show—actually using harem conflicts to cover his true motives, secretly deploying troops. Yuan Cheng, he knew the Song territories sent spies to Daqiu. I’m afraid he used them.”
Yuan Cheng nodded. The situation taking this direction was completely unexpected. “The peace talks were also his scheme. Our request to change the location to the capital was exactly what he wanted. On one hand, Empress Wang set traps to frame you and me, severing relations with the Great Zhou—ideally changing emperors. On the other hand, it was a diversion. Regardless of whether Empress Wang succeeded, he was already prepared to launch a surprise attack. Mo Zi, you were right. The King of Daqiu has the capability to unify the realm.”
“When he left the capital the night Empress Wang seized the palace, I felt something was wrong. But at the time I thought, Duan Geshou has three hundred thousand, Jin Yin also has three hundred thousand, and Hengcheng still has Teng Guo’s hundred thousand troops—how could we fear his declaration of war?” Information transmission was ultimately too slow.
When the wind direction changed, it would blow the flames of war back home.