Bai Qingyan had deliberately added Sima Ruodan at the end of the imperial edict, as a way to test both Sima Yan and Xue Renyi.
If Xue Renyi cared about his fiancée, seeing the name Sima Ruodan would surely make him think, since Sima Ruodan… was not a common name.
If Xue Renyi felt that it didn’t matter who his wife was, that would be fine too. She had also noticed that A’Qi seemed to take special care of this Sima Ruodan.
Regardless, those involved should know the truth.
Moreover, Bai Qingyan had already investigated the wrongful case involving Sima Ruodan’s mother’s maternal family from years ago. It was similar to the case of Censor Jian Congwen – they had simply blocked Consort Tong’s path and were eliminated for it.
So, regardless of whether A’Qi and Sima Ruodan would end up together, just based on the merit Sima Ruodan had established in capturing Yecheng Pass, it was enough for Bai Qingyan to restore her mother’s innocence and clear Sima Ruodan’s reputation.
Once Bai Qingyan issued this edict, quite a few people came to congratulate Sima Yan. Everyone knew that Sima Yan had taken in an adopted daughter named Sima Ruodan, and previously, during morning court, Bai Qingyan had even inquired about the marriage between Sima Yan’s adopted daughter and the newly appointed top scholar Xue Renyi. Then she issued an edict enfeoffing Sima Ruodan as Princess Xiangxie. The uninformed court officials all assumed… that this Princess Xiangxie Sima Ruodan was Sima Yan’s adopted daughter Sima Ruodan.
However, many were curious about how Sima Yan’s adopted daughter, who was clearly in the capital city, had managed to assist the Great Zhou army in capturing Yecheng Pass, achieving first merit and earning the title of princess.
Sima Yan, who had been anxious these past few days, nearly choked when he learned that the Emperor had enfeoffed Sima Ruodan as Princess Xiangxie. He forced himself to socialize and see off his colleagues, vaguely saying it might be someone with the same name, and that Princess Xiangxie was not their family’s adopted daughter.
After his colleagues left, Sima Yan’s face turned pale as he gripped the armrest of his chair and tremblingly sat down. What wasn’t clear to him now?
When Sima Yan’s wife in the back courtyard received the news, she was so shocked she collapsed onto the soft couch. Without a word, she immediately had her maids help her to the front courtyard. Seeing her husband’s grim expression as he sat in the chair, she didn’t show panic, which somewhat steadied her heart. She waved away the maids beside her and lifted her skirt to step through the main door threshold: “Husband, what exactly is going on?”
“Mother has caused a great disaster this time!” Sima Yan managed to keep his composure as he looked up at his wife. “His Majesty has ordered a reinvestigation of the case involving Sima Ruodan’s mother, Lady Cai’s family, from years ago. Tell me… who is this Princess Xiangxie?”
Sima Yan’s wife’s throat constricted as she recalled that day when her husband returned, saying that His Majesty had inquired about Xue Renyi’s marriage to their adopted daughter during court. Originally, Sima Yan’s wife had thought it was just His Majesty showing concern for the new top scholar, but now it seemed it wasn’t concern for the new top scholar at all – His Majesty had been testing them.
Sima Yan’s wife also gripped the armrest and sat down, her voice trembling slightly: “No wonder… no wonder His Majesty inquired about Xue Renyi’s marriage that day! His Majesty… knows everything! Husband, what should we do?”
Sima Yan closed his eyes and angrily smashed the cup beside him: “Since I entered the Censorate and worked my way up to Vice Censor-in-Chief, I’ve never made a single mistake, always investigating others. Now look, this time I’ll be investigating myself!”
He should never have softened his heart because of his mother’s threats of suicide and allowed this matter to proceed…
In any endeavor, either don’t do it at all! If you’re going to do it… make sure it’s foolproof – this was a principle he’d known since childhood.
But his mother had said that Sima Ruodan had been eliminated by people she sent, and he believed her. Yet this Sima Ruodan had suddenly appeared at Yecheng Pass and become the person with the first merit in helping the Great Zhou army capture the pass.
Sima Yan composed himself, knowing this wasn’t the time for anger but for finding solutions.
First, he needed to go to His Majesty to confess his crimes – this was urgent. Second, he also needed to account to Xue Renyi. Although Xue Renyi hadn’t been assigned an official position yet, he was genuinely talented; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been selected as this year’s top scholar. Young people like Xue Renyi would all be heavily relied upon by His Majesty in the future. This could be seen from the “Great Zhou Official Assessment Guidelines” written by Dong Tingzhen, who had been appointed as Chuanlu. His Majesty’s next step would involve boldly promoting young people.
Thinking of this, Sima Yan didn’t dare delay. He informed his wife, then changed into official robes to enter the palace and seek audience with Bai Qingyan to confess his crimes.
Sima Yan’s wife, Lady Li, wasn’t as composed as Sima Yan. She was already furious with Sima Yan’s foolish old mother in her heart. After seeing off Sima Yan, she headed toward Old Madam Sima’s courtyard.
Lady Li recounted the entire situation to Old Madam Sima. The Sima family’s old matriarch was so shocked her face turned pale, and she collapsed onto the soft couch, looking at Lady Li in disbelief, her voice uncontrollably rising: “You’re saying… that Sima Ruodan didn’t die! And she became a great hero who broke through Yecheng Pass and was enfeoffed as a princess?! Are you certain it’s that Sima Ruodan?”
Lady Li sat on an embroidered stool, hands folded over her lower abdomen, maintaining her usual respectful demeanor toward her mother-in-law as she spoke: “Exactly. His Majesty also issued an edict to reinvestigate the case of Sima Ruodan’s mother, Lady Cai’s maternal family, from back then. Mother, think carefully… this is meant to clear Sima Ruodan’s background and restore her innocence.”
Old Madam Sima nearly fainted. She forced herself to sit steady and asked again: “Where is Ayan?”
“Reporting to Mother, my husband has already changed into official robes and gone to the palace to confess his crimes.” Lady Li gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, “But if he, as Vice Censor-in-Chief, admits to doing such a thing, he’ll lose his position. Whether he can even survive after attempting to murder someone is still questionable…”
Lady Li looked up, her gaze filled with resentment as she looked at Old Madam Sima: “Mother, for the sake of a concubine’s daughter in the family, ignoring the advice of both my husband and your daughter-in-law, insisting on this marriage substitution scheme. Now… family destruction and death are imminent. Are you satisfied, Mother?”
The daughter-in-law who had always been respectful to her suddenly speaking this way surprised Old Madam Sima, though she also understood her daughter-in-law’s anger.
Old Madam Sima, who had always been strict with her daughter-in-law, this time uncharacteristically sat there silently, thinking about how to make amends.
“I heard that the concubine’s daughter just left the house, telling the household staff that her fiancé had arranged to meet her. Why Xue Renyi would arrange to meet her at this time, Mother should understand!” Lady Li finished speaking and stood up, bowing to her mother-in-law. “My husband is Mother’s only son and my children’s father. I understand him! He will take full responsibility for Mother’s actions before His Majesty. Losing his official position is minor – losing his life is what matters! Whether my husband can be saved depends entirely on Mother!”