Xie Yu and others rushed into the cellar, where a steward was lighting a brazier to burn account books. Upon seeing them, he panicked, attempting to tear the books into pieces and swallow them.
Unfortunately for him, Xie Yu and his men arrived too quickly. Only a few pages were burned, while most remained intact.
The account books were recorded in cipher language, filled with terms like “Master Huang,” “Uncle Zhu,” “live sheep,” “white rice,” and “blue bricks.” At first glance, they appeared to be ordinary trading records. However, if they were truly unimportant, the steward wouldn’t have been so frightened.
Though the cipher remained unsolved for now, judging from the volume and thickness of the books, it was easy to imagine the extensive involvement they indicated.
Besides the account books, the cellar also contained a vast amount of wealth that dazzled the eyes. Torchlight revealed gold and silver, yellow and white treasures, so dazzling they caused dizziness.
A coral tree over a foot tall, a Guanyin statue carved from a single piece of jade, Western glassware, Persian wool carpets, and strings of pearls from the South China Sea—all rare treasures rarely seen outside, piled up like little hills.
Ma Bing noticed an exquisitely crafted box that stood out distinctly from the other trunks, suspecting it must contain important items. She smashed the lock directly.
Inside the box were various small boxes and cases of different sizes, scrolls, painting scrolls, and the like. Upon opening them, she found nothing but jade pendants, folding fans, and prayer beads—not the legendary treasures she had imagined.
Ma Bing randomly picked up a double-fish pendant and a Western cloisonné enamel gold pocket watch, examining them repeatedly without finding anything unusual. She turned to Xie Yu and called out, “Minister Xie!”
Xie Yu responded while continuing to tally the loot, handing the task over to Yuanpei before walking over. “What’s wrong?”
Ma Bing frowned. “These items are valuable, but they don’t seem more valuable than the pearls and treasures outside. Why would they be stored separately like this? Take a look—could there be something special about them?”
Xie Yu glanced at them and also felt puzzled.
He opened two long boxes. One contained a sandalwood fan with gold-painted ivory ribs, depicting a beauty on its front—an authentic piece by the contemporary master painter Sui, worth a thousand gold pieces. It was indeed a fine item.
However, as Ma Bing had said, although it was good, it wasn’t so exceptional as to warrant such special treatment. Moreover, there were slight signs of use.
And… he stared at the ivory folding fan for a while, feeling it was somehow familiar.
Also, was that string of lotus-shaped sandalwood prayer beads carved with eighteen golden threads seen somewhere before?
With these doubts, Xie Yu set aside the fan and picked up a small scroll.
About a foot long, when unrolled, it revealed a small square painting on rice paper, featuring a bold and fluidly written ink character “Good” (好).
Xie Yu turned sideways to Ma Bing as he unrolled the scroll, and Ma Bing could only see half of his profile. From the moment he picked it up, she noticed his expression change visibly.
After seeing the content, his face turned as cold as if it had been through the icy winter.
“What’s wrong?” she asked softly, sensing something amiss.
Xie Yu pressed his thin lips tightly, silently rolled up the scroll, and placed it back as it was.
Since the lock was broken, he even had someone fetch a larger box on the spot, placing all these strange items along with the small box inside, locking it and sealing it right there.
After completing all this, Xie Yu slowly exhaled and whispered, “Imperial handwriting.”
Ma Bing was stunned, her mind buzzing as she instantly understood.
This was the insurance and lock that Prince Su had set up for himself!
They had indeed seized account books, but account books were easily forged. With today’s exposure, participants could easily deny everything.
Even if the emperor and court officials suspected, without solid evidence, it wouldn’t hold up.
Prince Su had anticipated this possibility early on, so he had previously requested tokens, mostly personal belongings of the victims, and even some items bestowed by the emperor himself, which could not be denied.
This way, everyone was tied together like grasshoppers on a string—no one could escape.
If not for this, there wouldn’t have been such great resistance during the previous investigation of Prince Su. Without the emperor’s explicit support and the direct order for a joint trial by the three judicial departments, the investigation would have failed halfway.
Xie Yu looked at the box again, unable to help muttering a curse under his breath, “Damn it!”
When his fingers touched the scroll, he recognized from a small edge mark that it was imperial paper used exclusively in the palace. Upon unrolling it, sure enough, there was an imperial seal in the lower right corner of the square painting!
Although the emperor’s calligraphy was plentiful, it never flowed out casually. Any pieces outside the palace were definitely bestowed by imperial decree.
Whoever received any calligraphy or painting was recorded in the palace, leaving no room for falsification.
To have received imperial handwriting meant being favored by the emperor in some way. Now, the owner had sent it here, practically an act of treason!
After several days of dual operations, it was finally time for the harvest.
As for Xie Yu, there was no need to elaborate further. General Sun also captured a ship of internal conflict loot, plus twelve frightened young girls.
The youngest among the girls was only nine years old, and the oldest just fourteen.
Originally, seeing the large amount of food purchased on the ship, General Sun estimated there would be many people on board, preparing for a tough battle. However, as soon as they stormed in, Liu Ge and others surrendered obediently, even claiming they had already subdued the steward Song.
“Turning from darkness to light, turning from darkness to light…” Liu Ge, with a bloody nose from being tackled, flattered with a grin, “Redeeming oneself through merit, redeeming oneself through merit…”
General Sun: “….”
Thanks a lot, damn it!
These people were fine, seemingly eager to fully disclose the inside story. However, those girls were somewhat of a headache.
General Sun observed coldly; several of them had already been severely tormented. After the effects of the drugs wore off, they cried and screamed, no longer appearing normal.
They had to find a reliable doctor nearby first, to prescribe some calming medicine and stabilize them before transporting them back safely on a large ship.
Otherwise, if they cried and screamed along the way, outsiders might mistake them for human traffickers.
The remaining girls, although cooperative, were also very weak. Upon hearing they were rescued, some fainted on the spot, causing another round of chaos.
The following month, naturally caused a stir in the imperial court.
After Xie Yu submitted the physical evidence, he did not participate in the trial. Due to the wide-ranging implications, officials involved in the joint trial were not allowed to return home, and Xie Xian was temporarily unable to leave the palace, leaving no way to inquire about news.
The girls, however, had limited knowledge. After being questioned once, they were released. Ma Bing, Wang Heng, and young doctors from the Imperial Medical Bureau helped treat them for over half a month.
Hearing that more than ten girls were rescued, Qiu Tian came in autumn to ask anxiously, “Miss, is there a girl named Xu Guizhi?”
Ma Bing shook her head. “None of the girls rescued are named Xu Guizhi.”
No one was named Xu Guizhi, nor did anyone recognize Zhaodi.
Qiu Tian’s eyes dimmed slightly, but she still forced a smile. “Ah, then maybe she ran away, or perhaps her parents really redeemed her…”
Ma Bing looked at her, watching her eyes gradually redden, large eyes welling with tears, unable to continue speaking.
Qiu Tian was a very clever girl.
She had personally experienced the tragedy of Prince Su’s mansion, fully aware that in such a hell, a ten-year-old girl had no chance of escaping.
Since Xu Guizhi was not among the rescued girls, the only possibility was…
According to the few girls who were conscious, the number of surviving companions was far fewer than those who died.
Some were tortured to death by customers, while others committed suicide unable to endure.
That black ship was like a large coffin, and the girls sent there were like flowers cut from branches, their blooming period tragically short.
Sometimes they had just arrived, and upon opening their eyes, the next day there was a new cry from the neighbor.
Ma Bing sighed, gently hugging the little girl. “Go ahead and cry.”
After a brief silence, Qiu Tian sobbed loudly in her arms.
She cried so sadly and forcefully that eventually her whole body convulsed, nearly fainting.
Ma Bing understood Qiu Tian’s feelings a little.
Her family had abandoned her early on, and it was Xu Guizhi who gave her brief warmth and companionship.
Now, Qiu Tian was not only crying for her former friend but also for those unbearable past memories, crying for this cursed world.
It was the grief of facing the truth, the outpouring of bidding farewell to the past.
When the edicts announcing the eldest prince’s demotion to commoner status and the third prince’s adoption as the deceased Prince Shun’s son were proclaimed to the world, it was the first snowfall of winter.
Compared to the outside regions, winter in Kaifeng was excessively mild, like a gentle scholar.
Ma Bing wore only a thin fur coat, her sleeves folded, sitting by the table, watching Qiu Tian and Xiao Huang practice writing.
Xiao Huang officially followed Xie Yu.
Unfortunately, the boy was still not very skilled in writing. With the year-end approaching, Xie Yu was as busy as a spinning top, having no time to teach. Thus, he arranged for the boy to spend half a day with Ma Bing for reading and writing lessons, and the other half on martial arts.
After two months of hard work, Qiu Tian had learned over a hundred characters, though her talent was somewhat lacking. She always wore a bitter and resentful expression while sitting at the desk.
Xiao Huang was a few years older and smarter. Sometimes seeing her struggle, he secretly helped teach her.
As time went by, he remembered even more firmly.
At this moment, Qiu Tian was just starting on the “Hundred Surnames,” while Xiao Huang had already moved on to the “Thousand Character Classic,” clearly widening the gap.
Seeing them both writing intently, Ma Bing got up and went outside to sit under the corridor, where a brazier was squatting, simmering a pot of goose.
The pot had already boiled, large bubbles rolling and lifting the heavy wooden lid with a clattering sound. Milky white steam squeezed through the gaps, emitting a subtle hissing whistle, diagonally dispersing into the cold air.
The unique fragrance of goose permeated every corner of the herbal garden, even the plum tree in the corner releasing its subtle fragrance, seemingly infused with the scent of worldly life.
Ma Bing exhaled a puff of white mist, took the iron skewer leaning against the wall, and stirred the glowing red brazier. A rich aroma of roasted chestnuts wafted out.
She bent down to pour the chestnuts into a small bamboo tray, shook it a few times, blew off the floating ash, and golden chestnut flesh emerged from the cracks.
The aroma grew stronger.
She wondered how Zhang Baoyue and Puc, no, Zhao Siya and Huchun were doing, whether they had settled down.
Kaifeng was already this cold; perhaps the outside regions had already reached freezing temperatures where even water droplets turned to ice…
“Hey, it smells so good, how can one concentrate on preparing medicine!”
The window diagonally opposite was pushed open from inside, revealing Wang Heng’s familiar face.
Ma Bing chuckled, waving the tray at him. “Take a break!”
She also gave some to Qiu Tian and Xiao Huang inside, letting them rest their hands and eyes for a while, while she and Wang Heng and his two apprentices peeled the remaining chestnuts, and then added washed yams into the brazier.
Roasted chestnuts were delicious, and roasted yams were also sweet and fragrant.
The yams were all small ones, chosen for easier cooking.
Later, when roasted, holding one corner and gently pulling down would reveal smooth, delicate flesh inside the rough, fuzzy skin—sticky, fragrant, and sweet.
One bite, soft and smooth, like melted butter and fat.
If it wasn’t fragrant or sweet enough, a little white sugar could be added, making the heart feel warm and content.
“Miss.” Xiao Huang and Qiu Tian peeled a bowl of chestnut meat from inside, not eating it themselves, but eagerly bringing it out for her.
Ma Bing chuckled. “You eat it. It’s tastier when you do it yourself.”
The two exchanged glances, then shyly and happily returned to eat.
So delicious!
Xie Yu returned in the evening, carrying a smoked rabbit.
The chef used fruit wood for smoking, giving it a unique flavor.
Wang Heng took a deep breath, hurried back inside to fetch his homemade orange wine. The three of them each had a small drink, enjoying the warm fire, very pleasant.
As they drank more, somehow Xiao Huang and Qiu Tian also got half a cup, eventually both eating with red cheeks, wide eyes, and silly smiles.
Perhaps due to old age and intolerance to alcohol, or finally having the sense to pretend to be drunk, in any case, Old Wang ate a smoked rabbit leg viciously, accompanied by a bowl of braised goose with pan-fried flatbread, then burped loudly and went back to rest.
Xiao Huang and Qiu Tian also went to sleep, and soon the courtyard was left only with Ma Bing and Xie Yu, plus a small brazier bubbling with a kettle.
The snow fell even harder, the descending flakes entwining with each other. When they landed, they formed clumps almost the size of half an adult man’s palm.
The ground, rooftops, and treetops soon turned pure white.
Xie Yu was extremely hungry, eating two large bowls without feeling full. Ma Bing tore all the meat from the smoked rabbit, placing it into his bowl as she tore.
Although he ate a lot and quickly, his demeanor remained graceful, not making a sound.
Ma Bing washed her hands and quietly sat watching him, suddenly recalling the scene of their first meeting.
At that time, their first meal together outside was also rabbit.
Xie Yu glanced at her, his eyes gentle.
He felt that this moment was just perfect.
The scene felt like an ordinary family, a wife waiting for her husband returning late from work…
Just thinking this made Xie Yu feel happy.
But…
They exchanged a few words, not mentioning the political situation at all. Finally, seeing the late hour, they parted peacefully.
As usual, Xie Yu returned to his own courtyard. When Heping, who followed him, saw him extinguish the lamp and was about to return to his room, he unexpectedly saw Ma Bing standing under a pine tree.
“Miss Ma?!”
Hoping was startled.
She stood silently under the tree, wearing a white rabbit fur cloak, almost blending into the snowy surroundings, making him nearly miss her.
Ma Bing glanced toward Xie Yu’s courtyard. “What happened in the palace today? Where is his waist token?”
Xie Yu usually carried two waist tokens. One was an imperial guard token representing his official position, allowing him to enter and exit the Kaifeng Prefecture and mobilize his imperial guards in critical moments.
Another one was the court pass, which allowed immediate access to the palace for meetings with the emperor. Xie Yu wore the imperial guards pass every day, but only used the court pass when entering the palace. He had gone to meet the emperor early this morning and, logically, should have returned with both passes. Yet Ma Bing saw neither. Huo Ping opened his mouth in surprise, but after a moment’s thought, it didn’t seem so unexpected. He scratched his head, showing some inner conflict, before honestly stating, “Though I didn’t accompany him to the audience, I heard from afar that the emperor was extremely angry… His position was stripped, and the passes were confiscated.” Ma Bing’s hands beneath her cloak tightened, her fingers digging painfully into her palms.
“Is it about Prince Su?” The emperor had always favored Xie Yu, rarely minding his usual boldness, but today he had gone this far… Was it for my sake? Ma Bing didn’t ask directly; perhaps the answer wouldn’t have come even if she had, but her intuition told her it was indeed the case.
Huo Ping nodded. “It seems so. The adult appeared somewhat dissatisfied with the outcome.” This was putting it very conservatively. Prince Su and Tian Song had never confessed, and the latter had even attempted suicide. However, with Xu Mao’s precedent, the imperial guards were especially vigilant and rescued him in time.
The emperor could not allow his death. Death seemed to possess a magical power, capable of turning white into black or black into white. Even if a person had been extremely wicked in life, upon their death, the saying “the deceased deserves respect” would apply, and past wrongs could be overlooked while even the slightest virtue would be magnified endlessly.
Since Tian Song had not confessed, his suicide at this point could allow his followers to retaliate by claiming the court had forced the death of a loyal minister… As for who exactly “the court” referred to, the initiative would no longer belong to the court itself. Outsiders could blame Xie Yu and his father for targeting Tian Song initially, or even accuse the current rising stars, or even smear the present emperor by accusing him of not respecting the old emperor or his late ministers!
Therefore, at least for now, Tian Song could not die. However, Tian Song’s survival alone could not prevent the collapse of the dynasty.
Previously, Xie Yu had uncovered ledgers and secret codes implicating many powerful and influential figures, including the eldest and third princes. The exact details of what transpired were unknown to all except the three judicial officials who participated in the trial.
However, the final outcome was that the eldest prince was deposed, and the third prince was adopted, specifically by Prince Shun, who had already died, which was almost worse than being deposed.
The birth mothers and siblings of the two princes were also implicated, meeting fates of death or dispersion, leaving a scene of utter desolation.
Many officials in the imperial court also vanished, executed, exiled, or their families confiscated, creating widespread fear and anxiety. The emperor took the opportunity to promote many trusted aides and newcomers.
During court sessions, the hall remained bustling, showing no sign of the many who had recently disappeared. The empire was never short of people; with many people, there would naturally be many talents. As old officials were removed, new ones would naturally take their place.
At this point, the forces left by the previous emperor in the imperial court had almost been completely eliminated. Even several veteran ministers who had not been implicated chose to request retirement, seeking to return to their hometowns.
The emperor approved all their requests.
In recent days, Xie Yu frequently entered the palace, from which he deduced much from the emperor’s subtle hints. Simply put, Prince Su was unwilling to accept the situation, fearing more that after his death, the emperor would disregard the late emperor’s will and seek opportunities to eliminate his descendants. Thus, he turned his attention to the next emperor.
However, the current emperor was deep-minded, and there was no precedent in this dynasty for establishing a crown prince. Prince Su was uncertain which of the princes would eventually inherit the throne, so he cast his net widely.
The ones who finally took the bait were the eldest and third princes.
The second prince had also been approached but declined, believing his abilities were limited and, more importantly, that entangling with Prince Su would not be beneficial.
The remaining princes either avoided involvement, prided themselves on being legitimate sons, looked down on Prince Su, refused to get involved, or remained ambiguous and hovered on the periphery.
Only the eldest and third princes, seeing the current emperor in his prime and his younger brothers sprouting like wheat shoots in a field, calculated roughly that by the time their father abdicated the throne, they might no longer be capable of ruling, which naturally made them anxious…
Behind them followed many ministers.
Some had been prominent during the previous emperor’s reign, others believed themselves talented but had been frustrated and unfulfilled, and still others were restless and eager to establish achievements… Adding to this were the maternal families of these princes, forming a massive force.
Those black ships were arranged by Prince Su.
The pressure of political struggles in the imperial court was unimaginable to ordinary people.
Some individuals had strong wills and could regulate themselves, but others could not.
Alternatively, they might have become addicted to the pleasure of power and control, inevitably developing some unsavory habits.
Prince Su helped them maintain and even encouraged and tempted them, promoting these twisted hobbies.
Moreover, many who had not previously experienced these things were also drawn in, either openly or covertly, leaving compromising evidence.
They regarded those young women as playthings, and abuse was not uncommon.
Even worse, they would select favored women to “release” in remote wilderness areas, then chase after them like hunting prey…
There were too many such instances to list.
The emperor’s mood after hearing this can be easily imagined.
He could tolerate his sons’ struggles and even to some extent tolerate their acceptance of Prince Su’s overtures, viewing it as a test, but such inhumane and unnatural behavior was unworthy of being called human.
Prince Su’s mansion fell, and the Iron Hat Prince title was gone; the Tian family also collapsed…
But Xie Yu felt it was not enough.
Was this how it would end?
Isn’t this absurd? The masterminds and initiators managed to preserve their posthumous reputations.
If so, where is justice, where is righteousness?
If there truly were yin and yang in this world, how would the fallen soldiers who died unjustly feel upon hearing this result from beneath the earth? What about the innocent civilians who were implicated?
Xie Yu asked directly, but the emperor countered by asking him, “What would you do? What can you do?”
The previous emperor was dead, and many matters from those days had already been concluded; to try to relive them now was extremely difficult!
Even if Prince Su and Tian Song had given the slightest hint about those past events, he could follow that trail and unravel everything.
But there was nothing.
Tian Song knew that whether he spoke or not, the Tian family was doomed.
Rather than face disgrace, he might as well keep his mouth shut, at least maintaining a fig leaf for decency.
As for Prince Su, his loyalty to the previous emperor was absolute, and his filial affection was rare among father and son.
Even if he were torn apart by five horses, he would never say a single bad word about the previous emperor.
When questioned about the misuse of military funds and the extravagant construction of the imperial mausoleum, Prince Su took full responsibility.
He took the blame for everything.
It was he who had misled the previous emperor into extravagance, eliminated dissenters, forced famous generals to their deaths, and colluded with both internal and external forces to build his faction…
The previous emperor had merely been deceived.
The previous emperor was innocent.
Even Tian Song indirectly supported his testimony.
Even the emperor himself was unsure whether Tian Song’s actions were meant to preserve the last bit of dignity for the Tian family or simply to deny him comfort.
At this point, it seemed as though the case had concluded, yet it also seemed unresolved.
As the strongest witnesses, both Tian Song and Prince Su held their ground and refused to speak.
Was anyone going to resurrect the previous emperor and have him admit his own faults?
And as the emperor, he could not suddenly accuse the previous emperor of being a tyrant without solid evidence!
One misstep could shake the very foundations of the state.
It was a stalemate.
They could only wait.
Wait for an opportunity to overturn the situation, an opportunity that might never come.
Finally, no one knew exactly what Xie Yu said to the emperor. However, the uncle and nephew rarely argued. As a result, Xie Yu was stripped of all his official positions and ordered to remain at home for self-reflection. During this period, he was prohibited from entering the palace or leaving Kaifeng without permission.
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