Even before Huo Liuxing returned, Shen Lingzhen had guessed that the situation was already beyond salvaging. Huo Liuxing’s conclusion now merely extinguished the last thread of hope in her heart.
Regarding tonight’s assassination case, the truth was actually not the most crucial thing.
The Emperor did indeed harbor suspicions about the Xue family, but having sat on the dragon throne for so many years and witnessed so many open and covert struggles, he could naturally also think of another possibility—that Xiqiang was sowing discord from within.
However, this possibility could not make the Emperor let Xue Ce off. Because Weiming He had truly and certainly died, and truly and certainly died at Xue Ce’s hands.
Even if the Emperor sealed off the news, at most he could only conceal it temporarily. If Xue Ce could not produce evidence that he had been framed, once the news spread, from the perspective of outsiders not involved in the situation, who would believe this was Xiqiang’s own ruthless doing? People would naturally still be more inclined toward “even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs,” believing Xiqiang to be the victim.
If the Emperor insisted on not punishing Xue Ce, it would be equivalent to announcing to the world: The Xue family are my loyal subjects, and Xue Ce killing the Xiqiang prince was at my instigation. Or: What are you, Xiqiang? Even if the Xue family committed an error, I will shield them to the end.
Faced with such “outrageous” conduct, Xiqiang would then truly be able to destroy the surrender document without any scruples.
Therefore, the Emperor had no choice but to immediately detain Xue Ce. This way, when Xiqiang came seeking accountability in the future, at least he could still push out the Xue family as a shield to give an explanation to the outside world.
This frame-up by Xiqiang was, plainly speaking, an open conspiracy.
If the Emperor protected the Xue family, Daqi would be deeply mired in unrighteousness. But if the Emperor sacrificed the Xue family, Daqi would lose the Xue family as an arm, and might even shake military morale, making the military officials at court feel the threat of mutual destruction.
Shen Lingzhen collapsed onto the bed, staring blankly at the tips of her boots in a daze.
Huo Liuxing patted her shoulder: “Though the Xue family cannot be saved, judging by the current situation, this matter may not necessarily implicate the lives of the Xue family members. For His Majesty, he may not truly need to execute the entire Xue family, but only needs to let the world know that he executed the entire Xue family. Do you understand?”
Shen Lingzhen suddenly understood.
Actually, the Emperor was also in a difficult position. Moving against the Xue family was easy, but once he did, the soldiers under the Xue family’s command might become a hidden danger for the court. So the best way to break this open conspiracy was to punish the Xue family on the surface while secretly letting the family members go, allowing them to change their names and live in hiding from then on.
“After the Winter Sacrifice ends and His Majesty’s anger subsides somewhat, ask the Grand Princess to come forward and drop a hint to him—give it a try.” Huo Liuxing said, “As long as the green mountains remain, there will be no lack of firewood. As long as their lives are preserved, once our side has secured the overall situation, Xue Ce can continue being his general, and Xue Jie can also inherit his father’s official rank as before.”
Huo Liuxing was making a promise that after the Emperor fell, he and Meng Qufei would be willing to let the Xue family return to court.
Shen Lingzhen nodded, circled his waist, and leaned against him: “Husband, thank you.”
Huo Liuxing gave a low hum and gently pinched her cheek: “Will you still say I’m sarcastic and unreasonable?”
Shen Lingzhen shook her head like a rattle-drum: “Husband is a very good person. I like Husband the most.”
—
Though the storm had not passed, the Winter Sacrifice grand ceremony the next day still had to be held as usual. Everyone pretended as if nothing had happened the previous night, accompanying the mentally and physically exhausted yet maintaining a dignified smile Emperor through the heaven worship ceremony.
When they returned to Bianjing at dusk, Shen Lingzhen did not immediately go back to the Huo Mansion with Huo Liuxing, but instead detoured to board the carriage of Duke Yingguo’s mansion.
Huo Liuxing said his status was sensitive and it was inappropriate for him to plead for the Xue family, but Duke Yingguo’s mansion had kinship ties with the Xue family, making the Grand Princess’s position just right. So Shen Lingzhen planned to enter the palace for an audience together with Mother before the great disaster was fully brewed.
Zhao Meilan had not involved herself in political affairs for many years. This rare appearance, in principle, should mean that even if the Emperor had not yet cooled down, he would not refuse her this courtesy.
But the mother and daughter waited in Chuigong Hall for nearly an hour. By the time the palace gates were about to be locked, they still had not seen the Emperor. Eunuch Yang came twice in the interim—the first time saying His Majesty temporarily had important matters to handle and asking them to wait here, the second time simply saying His Majesty probably could not spare the time for now and requesting they return home.
Shen Lingzhen was pondering whether the Emperor had guessed their purpose and was deliberately giving them the cold shoulder when she suddenly saw Mother’s face darken as she asked: “Eunuch Yang, tell me honestly—has something gone wrong at the Court of Judicial Review?”
At present, the most pressing matter was to resolve last night’s trouble. There should not be a second matter worthy of the Emperor being so distracted.
Unless the so-called “important matter” was precisely Xue Ce’s matter.
Eunuch Yang’s face showed difficulty: “Grand Princess, this humble servant’s mouth only has words that should be spoken and words that should not be spoken. Where are there any honest words versus false words? Please don’t put this humble servant in a difficult position…”
“I won’t make things difficult for you,” Zhao Meilan looked at him with a stern face. “Go relay a message to His Majesty—tell him I have already guessed that a major incident has occurred at the Court of Judicial Review, and I will wait here for him until the palace gates are locked.”
Eunuch Yang’s repertoire of evading and deflecting worked on ordinary people, but before Zhao Meilan it was somewhat insufficient.
After all, everyone knew that His Majesty was able to sit on the throne back then entirely thanks to this legitimate younger sister. To speak presumptuously, even though Grand Princess Zhengguo had withdrawn to her private chambers for many years, she still symbolized Daqi’s second heaven.
Eunuch Yang bowed his head: “Ah, this humble servant will immediately go relay the message to His Majesty. Please, Grand Princess, be patient a little longer.”
Two incense sticks’ worth of time later, the Emperor indeed appeared, but his expression was quite exhausted. After entering, he did not sit on the dragon throne but instead staggered over to Zhao Meilan.
Zhao Meilan and Shen Lingzhen immediately rose to pay their respects.
The Emperor’s face was full of grief and desolation as he pointed in the direction of the Court of Judicial Review: “Meilan… tell me, who insists on forcing me like this?”
Zhao Meilan’s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed him: “What does Your Majesty mean…?”
The Emperor sat crookedly on the dragon throne, staring below with empty eyes as if talking to himself: “Xue Ce is ‘gone.’ It happened after he entered the Court of Judicial Review. The jailers say he committed suicide out of fear of punishment. Meilan, do you believe it? Tell me, can I believe it?”
Shen Lingzhen stood rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.
Zhao Meilan fell silent. And the Emperor clearly did not need her answer—the first words he said upon entering had already proven his conclusion.
Whether or not Xue Ce had truly colluded with the enemy, there was no reason for him to commit suicide out of fear immediately upon entering the Court of Judicial Review. This matter was certainly man-made.
The purpose of the person pulling strings behind the scenes was to force the Emperor to eliminate the Xue family.
If Xue Ce were alive, the Emperor could have tried Zhao Meilan’s suggestion—punishing the Xue family in appearance but truly letting them go. But now that Xue Ce was dead, even if the Emperor had the heart to spare the Xue family members’ lives, what could he use to appease Xue Ce’s wife and son, and what could he use to appease the soldiers under Xue Ce’s command?
“Meilan, give me some advice.”
Zhao Meilan rose and kowtowed to the Emperor: “Your Majesty, this subject will say only one thing—your primary enemy will forever be foreign nations. If Daqi one day invites invasion from foreign nations, there will naturally be court officials to charge into battle for you. But if one day you lose your court officials, there will be no one left to fight for you.”
As she spoke, she bowed down again, deeply kowtowing toward the dragon throne.
The Emperor looked at her, but his gaze seemed to pass through her to see another person: “Before his death, the Crown Prince also spoke to me this way…”
—
As the mother and daughter were leaving, they received the Emperor’s instruction to absolutely keep silent about Xue Ce’s matter.
Shen Lingzhen had no choice but to comply. After all, apart from the Emperor’s trusted confidants, the only ones who knew the inside story were she and her mother. Once the news leaked, the Emperor would certainly hold them accountable for their error.
The news of Weiming He’s and Xue Ce’s deaths was thus kept secret under the Emperor’s forceful suppression for several days. But paper cannot wrap fire—ten days later, Xiqiang still flew into an uproar.
Xiqiang had set up this trap with the initial intent of making a big scene. Even if Daqi concealed and covered up, with Weiming He having disappeared for a full ten days, Xiqiang should have guessed the deed was done, and so they began proclaiming Daqi’s crimes to the entire world.
At this step, the Emperor had no choice but to make a public statement, claiming this matter was the sole doing of the traitor surnamed Xue, and that this person had already committed suicide out of fear ten days prior. To show punishment, his wife and son were now being exiled to Qianzhou in the southwest, and without a pardon decree, they would never be permitted to return to the capital.
In the depths of the cold winter, the Xue family that had commanded troops for many years thus withered and declined. The Emperor had already used the ten-day buffer to prepare everything properly. While reclaiming the Xue family’s military authority, he also collectively scattered and reorganized the soldiers under Xue Ce’s command during his lifetime, eliminating any possibility of the Xue family’s resurgence.
And this outcome was already the most merciful concession the Emperor could make after heeding Zhao Meilan’s advice.
On the day Xue Jie departed for Qianzhou with his mother, Shen Lingzhen, accompanied by Huo Liuxing, secretly followed the Xue family’s carriage for a distance.
Arriving at the city gate where they had to part, Shen Lingzhen told Jingmo to drive faster and catch up to the Xue family’s carriage.
Xue Jie should have known all along that she was following behind. Clearly knowing the Huo family’s carriage had caught up to travel alongside his, he consistently avoided sitting in the carriage and never called for the driver to stop.
Probably unwilling to let Shen Lingzhen see his current shabby appearance in plain clothes with a face full of stubble.
Shen Lingzhen could only shout out the carriage window: “Brother A’Jie, I have something to give you—stop for a moment!”
Xue Jie fell silent, then finally called for the carriage to stop and lifted the curtain.
Shen Lingzhen, unable to alight from the carriage, handed a bundle out through the window and placed it in Xue Jie’s hands.
Xue Jie took it and looked—the bundle contained a gleaming suit of golden armor.
His eyes first brightened then dimmed. He looked up at her with a bitter smile: “Yinyin, thank you, but I have no use for this anymore.”
Shen Lingzhen shook her head: “You will use it,” she said, glancing at Huo Liuxing beside her. “Husband, isn’t that right?”
Huo Liuxing gazed at Xue Jie and gently nodded.
Xue Jie seemed to receive some hint from this golden armor and Huo Liuxing’s nod, his gaze stirring slightly.
Shen Lingzhen smiled and waved at him: “Mountains and rivers meet again—Brother A’Jie, please take care of your health.”
Xue Jie gripped the golden armor tightly in his hands, nodded, lowered the curtain, and had the driver move on.
The Huo family’s carriage turned back toward the city. Shen Lingzhen leaned against the carriage wall and sighed.
But Huo Liuxing’s expression became somewhat ugly, as if interrogating a criminal: “What did he just call you?”
Shen Lingzhen was startled: “Yinyin. It’s my informal name—didn’t Husband already know this long ago?”
He had known long ago but had never called her so intimately, never realizing that someone else had gotten there first and called it so smoothly.
Falling behind meant taking a beating—he could not fall behind: “Yinyin.” Huo Liuxing called her name out of nowhere.
Shen Lingzhen turned her head to look at him strangely.
“Why don’t you respond when I call you?” He raised an eyebrow.
It was so sudden and rather cloying. Shen Lingzhen blinked and said “Oh.”
“Your response lacks emotion.” He said with dissatisfaction. “Again. Yinyin.”
“…Mm.”
“No good, again. Yinyin.”
“Ah…”
Shen Lingzhen made an effort to cooperate with him. All the way to the Huo Mansion gate, finally driven nearly to collapse by this incessant chanting, she could not help but plead: “Husband, stop calling—I never want to be called by that name again!”
“Why not? Isn’t it quite pleasant? Yinyin, Yinyin…”
Shen Lingzhen fled from the carriage as if escaping, covering her ears.