44 Ye Cheng Fu

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Ye Cheng Fu

 Chapter 44: 

 

I understood Bai Shaotang's implication. Reflecting on those days, despite the strained relationship between Shen Ye and me due to Gu Qiangsheng's matters, I had genuinely cared for him. Even though I had always resisted and contemplated divorcing him, during those days, I sincerely treated him well. He had shared the story of Phoenix Tower with me, expressing his sincerity and lack of pretense, even detailing events from the Tianqing 19th year coup. I trusted him deeply, despite knowing he could potentially betray me like a venomous snake.

He used to enjoy rubbing my face, teasing me, and then gently asking, “Shu Cheng, is there someone you are worried about?”

Without suspicion, I told him about Aunt Shu Huang. 

“She has a frail constitution, and with her past issues, I’m always afraid that old debts might resurface. Given her condition, even a short stint in prison could send her to the underworld.”

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Thinking back on that conversation, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

Bai Shaotang's expression turned to one of realization, and after a long pause, he suddenly exclaimed, “Shu Cheng, are you a fool? Such an important matter—such a life-and-death issue! Do you not understand what kind of person he is?! You told him so easily…”

“What have you found out?” I interrupted him. “Where is he now?”

“He took Zheng Can away that day,” Bai Shaotang said, regaining some composure. “Afterwards, he disappeared, and no one knows where he is. I later sent people to investigate, and it turns out Zheng Can ended up in the palace.

“Given that you went to the Shangguan residence from him and then went straight to Medicine King Valley without arriving as scheduled, I suspected Shen Ye might have obstructed you. This is one suspicion.”

“Secondly, before leaving, you sent people to mobilize private troops. After dispatching these troops, you and he returned safely, but those 5,000 private troops were ambushed, suffering heavy losses. The survivors reported that Shen Ye led you into a secret passage, and shortly after he left, they were ambushed. This indicates that Shen Ye had prior knowledge of the ambush.

“Thirdly, Zheng Can was the only external physician who examined Shangguan Liulan's corpse. The examinations conducted by the empress' people were very unfavorable to you. Zheng Can was the only one who knew the truth and was willing to testify. After Shen Ye took him away, your mother tried to secretly inform him to hand Zheng Can over to the Shu family, but he did not respond. A few days later, my informants reported that Zheng Can was given to the emperor by Shen Ye, under the empress' supervision. Every piece of evidence points to him. Given these circumstances, I have no choice but to suspect him. Besides him, I cannot think of anyone else who could have devised such a scheme for the empress.”

I was silent, feeling a lump in my chest.

I had known that this day would come, when Shen Ye would betray me and align himself with the empress, becoming a sharp weapon aimed at me, seeking my destruction. I just hadn’t anticipated that this day would come so soon. And now, when it arrived, I felt such sorrow, reluctance, and unwillingness.

Reluctant to part with that person, unwilling to lose his heart.

At this point, I must have been bewitched.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Turning to Bai Shaotang outside the cell, I spoke gently, “You’ve worked hard recently.”

He said nothing at first, then took a step forward and grasped my hand through the cell bars. His hand, still bearing the chill of spring, was warmer than mine. He stroked my hand and, in a hoarse voice, said, “Shu Cheng, once this matter is resolved, come back to Yunzhou with me.”

“What do you think will happen?” I sighed. “The empress is making such a grand move; does he only hope to see the Shu family lose a position in the Supervisory Tribunal?”

“In the past, the Shen family was once prominent, and the empress merely appointed a troublesome person as their head, leading to internal strife and eventually their downfall. Now, with only me left as mother’s daughter, if I am removed from my position as the heir, with Shu Huang’s single daughter, Shu Ran’s three daughters, and seventeen others from collateral branches, if they all vie for power, our Shu family will have no one like Shangguan Liulan. The empress seeks to boil the frog slowly, hoping that by removing me from the position of heir, the Shu family will fall into chaos.”

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

I smiled. Bai Shaotang blinked, then said, “That’s why I want to take you with me. The Bai family's iron cavalry may number only twenty thousand, but they have been forged in bloody battles. Any ruler with ambition would want to wield such a blade. If I take you back to Yunzhou, we will only pledge allegiance to the ruler there. No matter how the court situation changes, it will be none of our concern. I will protect you,” he said, gripping my hand tightly, “in life and death, we will be together.”

His vow was so heavy that I found myself at a loss for words. The person making this promise was the one I had planned to spend my life with. But I knew deep down that I did not love him. I planned to devote my life to him, to accompany him, to care for him, and to give him everything, but I could not love him as he loved me.

I felt a pang of guilt, opening my mouth but finding no words. He held my hand tightly, his voice rough, “Your life is not just yours, but also mine. So, Shu Cheng… let me beg you, love yourself a little, protect yourself better, and do not trust Shen Ye anymore.”

I didn’t respond. He stood before me, his figure now taller than mine, yet he seemed like the child who used to follow me. My prolonged silence made him uneasy, and he slightly shook his arm. I sighed and finally squeezed his hand back, closing my eyes slowly, and said, “Alright.”

He suddenly looked up, eyes full of disbelief, repeating only, “I thought… I thought…”

I lowered my eyes and said nothing more. He didn’t finish his thought, instead shifting the topic. He told me that my mother was clashing with the Shangguan family in court, with the Shangguan family accusing three of my distant cousins, while our family had targeted five lower-ranked officials from the Shangguan family. He also mentioned that Aunt Shu Huang, upon hearing that I had taken the blame, fainted from the shock and was now being kept alive by ginseng, in a critical condition waiting for Aunt Shu Ran to return to Chu capital. Furthermore, he said that my father was at home wailing and arguing with my mother, demanding to report Aunt Shu Huang, and was consequently imprisoned by my mother.

He spoke a lot, yet never mentioned Shen Ye. I listened carefully and didn’t bring up his name even after he left.

After he was gone, I couldn’t help but let that name linger on my tongue, turning it over and over in my mind.

I had thought I would hate or despise him, but for some reason, perhaps due to prior preparation or the depth of my feelings, I wasn’t particularly angry at this moment. I was only filled with confusion, wanting to call him here and ask him a few questions.

Shen Ye, do you have a heart?

If you have a heart, how could you be so cruel? If you don’t, how could you have been so hypocritical all this time?

Thinking about this, I couldn’t help but laugh, sitting on the stone bed with my hands covering my face. After a long time, I realized that despite being grown, my palms were still wet.

My heart ached, as if I were a rag being squeezed and twisted. But there was some solace in it—when my heart hurt so badly, the physical pain didn’t feel as sharp. Just last year, I was tortured by the Crown Princess, injuring my shoulder, and my bones hadn’t fully healed. This year, I was tortured again by Wei Xiu. At this rate, I felt that I wouldn’t need the Empress to intervene; I might end up disabled myself. The Shu family had had disabled heads of the family before; as long as one wasn’t completely unable to get up, being the head of the family mainly relied on intellect. So, thinking about possibly becoming disabled, I wasn’t overly worried. Blinking, I gazed out of the cell window at the stars and found myself watching them the whole night.

By noon the next day, Qin Yang came again.

She had just come from court, still dressed in her official robes, with palace physicians accompanying her. She had me brought out and instructed the physician to carefully remove the iron restraints from my shoulder.

The iron locks hadn't seemed too painful while on my body, but when someone pulled them, it was excruciating. I couldn’t help but gasp in pain, and Qin Yang, sitting nearby, had tea served to her and said languidly, “You noble ladies have quite the colorful lives. I’ve only ever seen you being brought in and out of prison every few days. It’s clear you have the Empress' favor—such frequent punishments must be an honor.”

Hearing this, I grimaced in pain, gritting my teeth as the physician slowly extracted the restraints. My voice trembled as I replied, “I can’t compare to you, Lord Qin. I have no skills, only a high official position. Since the Empress is displeased with me, it’s only natural to be punished frequently. If I had your talent, holding the position of Grand Inspector would be justified.”

Qin Yang didn’t respond immediately. She took a sip of her tea, looked at me with a calm expression, revealing no emotion.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

Once the physician had removed the bloody restraints, applied medicine, and bandaged my shoulder, Qin Yang waved her hand, signaling for everyone to leave. The room was soon left with just the two of us. Qin Yang’s expression turned serious as she said coldly, “I haven’t been able to find Shen Ye recently.”

I hadn’t expected her to mention Shen Ye right away, and my anger flared up. However, I suppressed it; after all, I was in her domain and had to keep my composure. I replied sullenly, “I don’t know.”

“I know you don’t,” she said, tapping the armrest in frustration. “The court has been in turmoil because of your case. The Upheld Royalists and your family are at each other’s throats, and it’s become a life-or-death struggle.”

“Isn’t the Royalist faction the group you lead?” I muttered, somewhat displeased with her show of indignation. She shot me a sharp glare and snapped, “Don’t talk nonsense if you don’t know anything! I am not a Royalist nor one of your noble families; I stand with the common people!”

I fell silent, inwardly tallying up her actions over the years. To rise from humble origins to the second-highest rank in the court, only a step away from the prime minister's position, such a person must have a black heart and a thick skin.

However, I couldn't call her out or insincerely praise her, so I remained silent, waiting for her to continue explaining the current situation.

“The Su family is now entirely under Su Gong’s control. Although she is temporarily acting as the head of the Su family, Su Liuqing has yet to appear. She is likely in serious trouble. The collateral branches of the Su family don’t understand the intricacies of this situation and believe that you killed Su Liuqing, feeling that the Shu family has trampled on the Su family’s dignity and demanding your life in return. Although the Shu family is the most prominent noble family in the Great Chu, the alliance between the Su family and the Royalists means your family might not fare well.”

“What about you?” I looked up at her. “What side are you really on?”

Her attitude was too strange.

The Empress must have sent her because she was her person, someone who followed her orders. Yet now she was seemingly defending me, which made me wary.

Qin Yang lowered her gaze, tapping the armrest as she spoke softly, “In the grand scheme, I will still follow the Empress' will. After all, she is the sovereign and I am the subject; I cannot defy her. But I will do what I can within my means. The rest will depend on your abilities.

“Su Gong has now taken over Liulan’s position. Starting next month, she will temporarily hold the positions of Minister of Justice and Grand Justice of the Supreme Court. I can no longer act as I have been. The Empress expects me to perform my duties openly and properly. You need to take good care of your health, or I fear you may die in this prison before next month.”

“What does the Empress expect from you?” I asked, staring at her. 

She smiled slightly, “When the Empress assigned me this case, she summoned me to the palace and instructed: ‘A ruler may be guilty, but they must not die, nor be freed.’”

Understanding dawned on me.

The Empress indeed did not intend for me to die but planned to ruin my life completely with this case.

“So it’s true...” I murmured quietly. Qin Yang shifted in her seat, leaning back as she continued, “Your testimony from yesterday had many contradictions. I have organized it and will present it piece by piece to the Empress, making her believe I’ve been thoroughly interrogating you. By next month, when Su Gong takes office, I will force you to sign the prepared testimony, which will be presented to the Empress along with the full set of evidence prepared by the Liulan's family. The verdict will be passed within seven days. You need to seize this month to escape; otherwise, don’t blame me, Qin Yang.”

“Though I may not be very smart,” I said solemnly, “I can still distinguish right from wrong. I appreciate your efforts in this matter.”

Qin Yang said nothing, merely scoffing before standing up. She called someone in and ordered the jailer, “Take good care of her. If she loses even a single hair, bring your entire family here to be held accountable!”

The officers immediately fell to their knees in fear. The servants came to clean up the chairs and carried a medicine chest back to my cell. Once I was locked in, the servant placed the medicine chest beside the cell and said quietly, “This is the intention of Lord Qin. May you recover soon, Lord Shu.”

After the servant left, I opened the medicine chest and found it filled with high-quality healing supplies. Holding the medicine bottles, I pondered deeply. What could Qin Yang, who had always been my adversary, mean by this gesture?

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

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