After the court deliberation, Ah’man was confined in the Dali Temple prison. Though she wasn’t sent back to Lingnan, Emperor Longxing had no intention of granting her an audience, seemingly still weighing how to handle this case.
Cui Xun understood that Emperor Longxing was unwilling to punish his cousin because of Sheng Yunting. To the Emperor, Sheng Yunting was merely an insignificant figure; how could he compare to Shen Que, who shared the Emperor’s bloodline?
Besides Emperor Longxing, the Empress Dowager also hadn’t summoned Ah’man. Presumably, she still had fond memories of Duchess Shen and, like the Emperor, was reluctant to punish Shen Que.
If both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor were unwilling to punish Shen Que, how could this situation be resolved?
Upon returning to his residence, Cui Xun remained deep in thought with furrowed brows. He was so preoccupied that he didn’t even notice when Li Ying placed a bowl of ginger and licorice soup before him.
Li Ying coughed lightly: “Take your medicine.”
Only then did Cui Xun come to his senses. He picked up the white porcelain medicine bowl and absentmindedly scooped a spoonful with the silver spoon, taking a sip.
Li Ying asked: “Still thinking about Ah’man’s situation?”
Cui Xun nodded: “Ah’man fled back alone from Lingnan to accuse Shen Que. She must have obtained some evidence, but she hasn’t had the chance to speak.”
Li Ying, recalling Ah’man’s long journey, began to sincerely admire her. From Lingnan to Chang’an was a full 1,700 li. For a pregnant woman like Ah’man to make such a journey while evading pursuers must have been incredibly arduous. But despite this, she hadn’t given up. She had risked her life to come to Chang’an and fearlessly struck the petition drum, facing eighty strokes of the bamboo and two years of hard labor, all to seek justice for her brother.
Li Ying sighed: “Ah’man truly is worthy of being Sheng Yunting’s sister.”
Cui Xun stirred the ginger and licorice soup in the celadon bowl with his silver spoon, his mind heavy with concerns. He said: “The Investigation Department’s spies have discovered that after Shen Que went to Lingnan, his wife died due to illness caused by the harsh environment. It was Ah’man who cared for him attentively. Shen Que was both physically and mentally devastated at that time. He had never suffered like that before, and suddenly, having someone by his side showing concern touched him. He no longer treated Ah’man as poorly as he had in Chang’an; in fact, he became increasingly good to her. He even prepared to petition the Emperor to elevate Ah’man to the position of the legitimate wife of Duke Shen’s household.”
For a fallen entertainer from the pleasure quarters to become the wife of a duke would be an immense blessing for an ordinary woman. Shen Que must have thought so too.
But Ah’man was no ordinary woman.
Li Ying said to Cui Xun: “When Shen Que was exiled, you asked my mother for a favor to allow Ah’man to divorce Shen Que so she wouldn’t have to follow him to Lingnan. But Ah’man refused and said many hurtful things to you. Looking back now, she must have already intended to find evidence. With her fiery temperament, she couldn’t submit to a man who had taken her innocence.”
Cui Xun nodded, his expression somewhat gloomy. He placed the celadon medicine bowl on the purple sandalwood table, forgetting to scoop another spoonful of the medicine. He said, “At that time, I misjudged her.”
Li Ying noticed that the medicine was no longer steaming. She sighed softly, then stood up and sat beside Cui Xun, saying: “This bowl of medicine is almost cold. Are you going to drink it or not?”
Cui Xun finally lowered his gaze to look at the dark medicine in the celadon bowl. He had always disliked taking medicine, and the one sip he had taken earlier was already difficult to swallow. He said reluctantly: “I don’t want to drink it…”
It was early summer, and most men outside were wearing light, thin robes. Only Cui Xun was still wrapped in a white fox fur, with bright red charcoal burning in the room. The mute servant who entered would break into a sweat from the heat, yet Cui Xun’s face remained snow-white. Li Ying was somewhat annoyed and said, “The cold has penetrated your bones. If you don’t treat it, you won’t be able to help anyone.”
Cui Xun hesitantly looked at the bowl of medicine. Li Ying then said, “If you don’t drink it, I’ll feed it to you.”
After saying this, she did reach for the celadon medicine bowl. Cui Xun was startled and quickly grabbed it, saying: “That won’t be necessary.”
Li Ying’s eyes were clear and transparent, filled with a gentle smile as she looked at him. Cui Xun’s face reddened slightly. He scooped up a spoonful of the medicine and brought it to his mouth: “I’ll drink it myself.”
Cui Xun sipped the medicine spoonful by spoonful, frowning. Throughout this, Li Ying kept watching him with a smile. Finally, when the medicine bowl was empty, he put it down and said, “I finished it.”
Li Ying smiled teasingly: “Are you expecting me to say ‘well done’?”
Cui Xun’s face turned bright red: “N-no.”
Li Ying just kept smiling at him. Seeing that Cui Xun was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to do with his hands and feet, she finally let him off and lay down on his lap.
This moment of teasing him was perhaps her most carefree time recently. Her gloomy mood seemed to have mostly dissipated. Lying on his lap, she idly played with his fingers. Cui Xun asked helplessly: “What’s so interesting about my fingers?”
Li Ying said seriously, “Your fingers are beautiful.”
She was telling the truth. Cui Xun’s fingers were long, clean, with distinct knuckles, and as white as jade—extremely handsome. But this honest comment still made Cui Xun’s ears turn red. He unconsciously coughed lightly: “Stop teasing.”
But Li Ying continued playing with his fingers without letting go. Cui Xun had no choice but to let her be. After playing for a while, Li Ying suddenly thought of something: “By the way, Ah’man is confined in the Dali Temple, neither questioned nor released. I’ve thought of a way to help her.”
“Oh?”
“Aren’t they most skilled at using public opinion? This time, why don’t we use their tactics against them?”
By “they,” Li Ying naturally meant Lu Yumin’s faction. Since leaving the Lotus Pond, she had often walked through the marketplaces, listening to the common people’s talk, and she deeply understood that while the common people were simple, they were also easily influenced. Cui Xun’s reputation had been destroyed beyond recognition under Lu’s faction’s manipulation, causing even He Shisan and other Tianwei Army families to hate him bitterly. Many mouths could melt metal. Now, it was time to let them taste their own medicine.
Cui Xun pondered for a moment: “You’re right. Let’s use their tactics against them.”
The next day, the news spread through every street and alley: the woman who had struck the petition drum at Xuanwu Gate yesterday was Duke Shen Que’s concubine. She had struck the drum because Shen Que had killed her brother, and she wanted revenge.
Moreover, this woman named Sheng Ah’man was pregnant. She had given up the chance to be a duke’s legitimate wife and fled thousands of li, begging her way from Lingnan to Chang’an. She didn’t care for wealth and honor, nor did she fear physical punishment. Through 1,700 li, every step filled with blood and tears, all because the revenge for her brother’s murder could not be shared under the same sky. She wanted justice for her brother.
People couldn’t help but admire Ah’man’s fierce spirit. Storytellers in teahouses began to tell the story of the righteous Sheng sister, and catchy ballads were composed and widely sung throughout Chang’an city. However, because the person she accused was the Emperor’s cousin, the Empress Dowager’s nephew, and a current duke, even after striking the petition drum, she still couldn’t get the justice she sought. Instead, despite her pregnancy, she was imprisoned in the Dali Temple, her fate unknown.
The common people were outraged. The ballads reached the Imperial Academy, where the students became even more indignant. Full of youthful passion, hundreds of students spontaneously staged a sit-in outside the Danfeng Gate, demanding that the Emperor release Sheng Ah’man from the Dali Temple and personally investigate the case against Shen Que.
The situation escalated, and the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the Daming Palace could no longer ignore it. Neither could the Lu and Cui factions disregard the surging public opinion. Thus, after being detained for seven days, Ah’man finally got the opportunity to have an imperial audience.
Ah’man was released from the Dali Temple. Although she was disheveled, her eyes were still full of stubbornness and defiance. As she was escorted to the Zichen Hall by the imperial guards, she encountered Cui Xun on the way.
Cui Xun had deliberately waited for her outside the Zichen Hall. He said to the imperial guards, “I would like to speak with Lady Sheng for a few words. Please be so kind as to accommodate this request.”
Though he called it a request, his tone was so cold it sounded like a command. The imperial guards exchanged glances. Cui Xun had just handled Jin Ni’s case, even forcing the Minister of War, Pei Guanyue, out of court. And it was said that when Jin Ni, who had falsely accused him, was taken to the execution ground, there wasn’t a single patch of intact skin on his body due to torture. Cui Xun was at the height of his arrogance and power now; it would be best not to offend him.
So the imperial guards gave Cui Xun a salute and retreated to one side.
Ah’man was still wearing the clothes Cui Xun had bought for her. She said calmly, “I just heard them say that my story has spread throughout Chang’an city. This must be your doing. Thank you.”
She paused slightly, then continued: “Also, regarding the Governor of Guizhou, Zhang Hongyi, you previously wrote to him, asking him to take care of me. He said he disliked you very much, but since you begged so humbly in your letter, he felt satisfied and agreed. While in Guizhou, he indeed took good care of me. Governor Zhang is a good man. When I fled Guizhou, I told him about my brother’s unjust death. Under his protection, I safely left Guizhou, though beyond Guizhou, his influence couldn’t reach. Even so, I’m very grateful to him. This, too, is thanks to you. I must express my gratitude.”
After saying this, she suddenly mocked: “Besides these two expressions of thanks, the rest of what I might say wouldn’t be pleasant, so I’ll refrain.”
Cui Xun’s thin lips pressed tightly together. He didn’t react to Ah’man’s mockery but said: “Once you enter the Zichen Hall, you’ll have only one chance.”
Ah’man was slightly taken aback. Cui Xun continued: “Shen Que is the Empress Dowager’s nephew and the Emperor’s cousin. Neither the Empress Dowager nor the Emperor wants to punish him. It’s only because of the overwhelming public opinion that they’ve been forced to grant you an audience. But in the Zichen Hall, besides the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, there will be officials of the fifth rank and above, as well as ten Imperial Academy students observing. You have only one chance to convince them.”
Ah’man looked at him, a flash of surprise in her eyes: “You came to see me just to tell me this?”
Cui Xun nodded. Ah’man was even more puzzled: “If both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor don’t want to punish Shen Que, why are you risking helping me?”
Cui Xun’s eyes were as black as a deep pool, showing no emotion: “You’re seeking justice for Yunting. I cannot ignore this.”
Hearing him mention her brother’s name, Ah’man gritted her teeth and suddenly asked: “Since you betrayed my brother and the others, why are you now working so hard for his case?”
Cui Xun didn’t respond but simply said: “Go with the imperial guards.” After a pause, he added: “Don’t be afraid.”
Ah’man’s expression was extremely complex. She looked at Cui Xun, her mind constantly recalling her taunts and insults toward him over the past three years. Each time she thought he wouldn’t tolerate it, he surprisingly did. Wasn’t he the cruel and vicious official everyone spoke of? Why could he tolerate her to such an extent? He had betrayed the Tianwei Army, choosing to be a treacherous official who clung to life, so why was he willing to offend the Empress Dowager and the Emperor to speak up for her dead brother?
Wasn’t he afraid that the Empress Dowager, in a fit of anger, would take his life?
So, was he that afraid of death?
Had he chosen to cling to life ignominiously?
Had he betrayed her brother and the Tianwei Army?
For the first time, Ah’man began to doubt what she had firmly believed in.