Dragnet

The wings of a carrier pigeon pierced the gray-black sky of the capital, bringing news that was enough to shock the world.

One secret letter after another, carrying the damp and cold smell of rust from Mingzhou, was thrown into the study of the mansion with carved beams and painted rafters. When they were unfolded, there was dripping ink and even more dripping blood.

This shocking news was like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, causing a huge explosion in the capital, and the aftermath of the explosion was being carefully fanned by a pair of delicate hands painted with nail polish.

In the flower hall of Duke Rong's Mansion, warm fragrance was floating in the air, but the atmosphere was as heavy as ice.

Ning Lingli sat in the main seat, dressed in luxurious palace attire. The kingfisher feather hairpin in her bun remained motionless, highlighting her solemn expression.

The noble ladies of the royal family and wives of important officials who were sitting in front of her all had expressions of horror and worry on their faces.

"Ah, I'm sure you all know something about the news in Mingzhou." She slowly glanced at the crowd, "It's really unbelievable."

She shook her head slightly, her tone filled with regret and confusion. "At first, she insisted on leaving the capital, saying she understood the people's sentiments. Your Majesty, who loved his daughter dearly, agreed. But now, she has murdered an official in the street, and even Chief Secretary Shen is seriously injured and dying."

"How can this be considered understanding the people's sentiments? This is clearly..." someone continued.

"She's violated the law and lost her sense of propriety." She raised her eyes, a look of just the right amount of worry in them. "My sister is acting so narrow-mindedly and radically, without regard for the consequences. Where does this place the dignity of the court? Where does this place the royal family's decorum?"

Someone nearby responded, "Indeed, when has such a major event ever happened in our Southern Dynasty?"

"If it hadn't stirred up public outrage, why would it have led to retaliation? Shen Changshi, a brilliant talent of his generation, was implicated in this incident, his future ruined. It's truly an unprovoked disaster."

"The royal princess, a princess of golden branches and jade leaves, should be a role model for women all over the world." Ning Lingli's voice gradually took on a hint of severity. As an elder sister, it was natural and reasonable for her to teach her younger sister a lesson.

"But now you've acted so perversely, causing unrest in the region and shocking the government and the people. Wouldn't that make the world think our royal laws are meaningless? And how would Beishuo view me, the Princess of the Southern Dynasty?"

After a few words, the ladies began to talk about it, and the news quickly spread throughout the capital. Ning Lingyi became the most hateful and detestable person in the world.

The whole world was criticizing him and the ministers were outraged.

"A hen crows at dawn, and a witch disrupts government!"

"Killing an imperial official in the street without restraint, he disregarded the law of the land! Even if Liu Mian committed many wrongdoings, he should have been tried by the three courts and sentenced accordingly. What right did Ning Lingyi have to do that?"

"Seizing land and distributing it to the untouchables? This is shaking the foundation of the country. Where is the law of our ancestors? Where is the dignity of the gentry?"

"Once this precedent is set, the world will be in turmoil! Today it's Liu Mian and Chen Wanshan, but who knows if it won't be you and me tomorrow?"

The residence of Li Jing, the Minister of Rites.

"Absurd, so bold! Is Ning Lingyi crazy?" Li Jing slammed the table and stood up. The letter was wrinkled in his hand. The words on it, such as "killing an imperial official in the street and confiscating land and distributing it to the untouchables", were glaring and shocking.

The steward of the mansion whispered back the "inside story" he had heard from the Rongguo Mansion about the princess provoking public anger and leading to the assassination, which added fuel to the fire.

"Once this precedent is set, the country will no longer be a country!" Several colleagues sitting opposite him had equally grim expressions on their faces.

"The princess, relying on His Majesty's favor and the power of the Imperial Concubine, acts so recklessly! Does she still have any regard for the laws of the land? Does she still have any regard for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? She must be impeached at court tomorrow! Please punish her severely, Crown Prince, to serve as a warning to others!"

"Yes! Tomorrow, we will submit a joint memorial! We must not allow this evil woman to cause harm to the local area and shake the foundation of the country again!" There was a fierce glint in the eyes of several people, and they quickly reached a consensus.

Similar scenes were played out in many wealthy mansions in the capital.

The anger of the imperial nobles at the tarnished royal dignity and the fear of the evil woman's chaos in politics fermented like a plague, and finally converged into a turbulent undercurrent, pointing directly to the prince's desk.

The next day, Taiji Hall.

The air was so heavy that it seemed as if water could be squeezed out of it. The impeachment memorials that came like snowflakes formed a high wall on the prince's desk. The hall, which was usually solemn and dignified, was now filled with a suppressed restlessness.

Minister of Rites Li Jing was the first to step forward, his voice grave and deliberate, "Your Highness, what happened in Mingzhou is appalling. They've arbitrarily killed ministers and distributed land to refugees. This is a violation of the law and undermines the foundation! The people are terrified. Summon Princess Mingzhu back to the capital immediately and hand her over to the Imperial Clan Court for deliberation!"

Behind him, a suppressed voice of agreement arose.

"Minister Li is absolutely right." The Vice Minister of Justice stepped out of the group and spoke in a resounding voice, "The laws of our country are clear and unwavering. How can we allow them to be trampled upon? The princess has set a terrible precedent for arbitrary executions and has undermined the discipline of the Three Departments! If she is not severely punished, how can the officials live in peace? Where can the dignity of the court be preserved? She has even caused important officials to be seriously injured and on the verge of death. If she is not severely punished, how can the officials live in peace? Where can the dignity of the court be preserved? The royal family's dignity has been completely destroyed!"

The Minister of Revenue also stepped forward tremblingly: "Your Highness! Confiscating land is tantamount to digging up the roots of the imperial court's tax revenue. The fertile lands of the southeast are a major source of national revenue. If this precedent is set, the land across the country will be in turmoil, and the national treasury will be empty next year. How will we support the army? How will we provide disaster relief? How will we maintain national security, Your Highness!"

Several more officials spoke out, some were indignant, some were worried, and they had only one request: severely punish the princess!

Inside the Taiji Hall, the voices calling for recall, confinement and severe punishment grew louder and louder, almost overwhelming and suffocating.

Just as this almost one-sided voice reached its peak, it seemed as if the princess's guilt had been finalized.

"Minister Li is worried about the foundation of the country, but I wonder whose foundation he is worried about?" A cold voice pierced the dullness, coming from the young censor Zhou Mian at the end of the censors' team.

He stood straight, his gaze piercing. "Liu Mian embezzled disaster relief grain and nearly provoked a popular uprising. The princess, under the order of the Emperor, decisively executed this pest, upholding the dignity of the imperial court's laws! Dividing land among the hungry people provides them with a livelihood, strengthening the local foundation. How can there be any talk of instability? As for the assassination, it was clearly the remnants of corrupt officials desperately seeking revenge! How could they confuse right and wrong and accuse the princess of inciting public outrage?"

Minister of Rites Li Jing acted as if his tail had been stepped on. He took a sudden step forward, his face flushing red. "Zhou Mian! Stop your sweet talk! Where is the law? Not to mention that Liu Mian's crime has yet to be determined, if she dares to kill him today, she could kill you and me tomorrow. Social order is crumbling, and every official is in danger. Who would still be willing to defend the court and herd the people?"

The saliva almost sprayed onto Zhou Mian's face.

"Ahem..." The old prince from the Zongzheng Temple came out tremblingly to smooth things over, but his words were full of sarcasm. "Minister Li, please calm down. The princess is a royal family member, and her actions are indeed a bit inappropriate. Young people are bound to be instigated by the treacherous people around them. Your Highness should recall her as soon as possible to avoid making a big mistake and damaging the reputation of the royal family..."

Crown Prince Ning Yanqing sat upright on the throne, slowly scanning the angry courtiers below, faces some familiar and some unfamiliar. Supporters? Those shouting the loudest at the moment were mostly representatives of the gentry attached to the Eastern Palace.

He is the crown prince and the representative of orthodoxy. If this matter is not dealt with, he will lose the support of the people and the foundation of the Eastern Palace will be shaken.

Disposable?

The image of Concubine Yu flashed before his eyes, and he remembered the loving kindness his father showed towards his younger sister.

Recall her and put her under house arrest? This would be like pushing her into the abyss with his own hands and breaking off a rift with Imperial Concubine Yu. He could almost imagine what Imperial Concubine Yu would say to his father.

Cold sweat soaked the lining of the prince's shirt, making it sticky and cold. He felt like he was sitting on a red-hot iron, stuck in a dilemma.

"Silence!" Seeing the prince's pale face, Chen Zhanshi raised his voice and shouted. However, his voice was instantly drowned out by an even more turbulent wave of condemnation.

In the corner, Prince Yong Ning Yanli lowered his eyes, his fingertips leisurely stroking the warm mutton-fat jade ring on his thumb, with a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Mr. Zhou died in Mingzhou, and he was heartbroken. But at this moment, looking at the prince's face that was trying to be calm and gradually losing its color under the siege of the ministers, the pain turned into a twisted pleasure.

Last night in the palace, the counselor who stood like a shadow said only two words:

"Your Highness, the time has come. The prince is trapped."

"If he touches the pearl, he will lose his father's favor, the imperial concubine; if he does not, he will lose the favor of the gentry and officials. Your Highness will only need to add more fuel to the fire."

So, Prince Yong raised his head at the right moment, and spoke in a low voice, clearly overcoming the noise in the hall: "What the gentlemen have said..."

He paused, his voice filled with just the right amount of worry, "Every word makes sense, every word comes from the heart."

He turned his gaze towards the Crown Prince behind the throne, "Your Highness, what Imperial Sister Mingzhu has done this time is indeed too reckless and too heartbreaking."

He sighed, as if filled with deep disappointment. "To kill an official appointed by the imperial court without authorization is to show disrespect for the emperor and his father, and to flout the laws of the land. To seize land and exempt taxes is to shake the foundation of our Great Yin nation, the pillar of our country. If this trend continues, where will the laws of the imperial court stand? Where will the nobles and officials of the imperial court stand? Where will the dignity and prestige of our royal family, which has lasted for a hundred years, stand?"

His tone suddenly changed, becoming sharp. "Those who know said that the imperial sister was young and impetuous, deceived, and confused for a moment. Those who don't know..."

He glanced around at the ministers, his tone drawn out with profound meaning, "Did you think that the imperial power and majesty of our Great Southern Dynasty could be trampled upon by a princess at will, taken and taken away at will? Where does this put your dignity, Your Highness the Crown Prince? Where does this put the legal system of our royal family?"

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like pouring oil on a hot pot, and the whole hall was filled with noise.

"Your Highness Prince Yong is absolutely right. I request Your Highness the Crown Prince to recall the princess and confine her in the clan house until the wedding day, when she will be married off to Beishuo!" the Minister of Rites said immediately.

"The laws of the court cannot be easily abolished. We implore His Royal Highness the Crown Prince..."

Voice after voice, word after word came, and Prince Ning Yanqing only felt a buzzing in his ears.

Prince Yong's hypocritical face, the greedy and fearful eyes of his ministers, Concubine Yu's calm gaze, and the emperor's sickly breathing...

Countless images tore through his mind.

His throat rolled several times, but in the end, it turned into a tired voice: "We can discuss this matter later. I am dismissing the court!"

He almost fled from the suffocating hall.

Behind him was the smug afterglow of Prince Yong, the dissatisfied whispers of his ministers, and the dead silence that suggested a storm was about to come.

Retreat from the court? Where can we retreat to?

The storm has formed, waiting for the return of the one who created it.

The clamor for the court to be dismissed had not yet died down, but cold gazes had already pierced Zhou Mian's back like thorns. His colleagues around him also tacitly distanced themselves from him, leaving him alone in the middle of the solemn palace road.

Standing between the high vermilion walls, the cold wind blew the dead leaves and brushed against the corners of his robe. He lowered his eyes slightly and walked slowly. The palace road was long and only his footsteps echoed.

Suddenly, a low-ranking official in a green robe who passed by him nodded to him in the moment of passing by, then returned to normal and hurriedly disappeared into the crowd.

Not far behind him, two colleagues from humble backgrounds, also wearing low-ranking official uniforms, were originally talking in low voices. When they saw him approaching, they both fell silent, turned sideways and focused on adjusting the belts of their official robes, just making a space for him.

Zhou Mian's footsteps did not stop at all. He continued walking alone, but his back straightened slightly imperceptibly, facing the biting wind.

Prince Yong's Mansion, warm room.

The charcoal fire was burning brightly, dispelling the chill of early winter. A mutton-fat jade ring was turning slowly between the fingers of Ning Yanli, Prince Yong. Li Jing, the Minister of Rites, Chen Yuan, the Vice Minister of Personnel, and two representatives of nobles who usually kept a low profile sat on both sides.

"Your Highness the Crown Prince showed his cowardice when he said he would discuss it later in the court today." Someone spoke first, with a barely perceptible contempt in his tone.

"Hmph, he's like being roasted on a fire, caught between a rock and a hard place!" The Minister of Rites stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming. "Withdrawing from court? That's just like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. The storm is already brewing, how can he just retreat if he wants to?"

Prince Yong had an unfathomable smile on his face, and the ring on his finger paused for a moment. "Thank you all for your hard work. The fire is almost ready. But to make it burn even more vigorously, so that he has no escape, you will need to add a few more pieces of wood."

"Your Highness, please give your orders." Several people said in unison.

Prince Yong glanced at the nobles and said, "You two, let the rumor spread among the people that the princess is in Mingzhou, buying people's hearts and minds with evil intentions. Let it spread like wildfire and make the crown prince restless."

He paused, his tone turning cold, "Make arrangements with the clan affairs office in advance. Once the princess is recalled and imprisoned, I will make sure she can't escape even if she has wings."

"Don't worry, Your Highness!" Several people responded in unison.

The charcoal fire crackled in the warm room, but there was wind and snow on the official road.

An unremarkable carriage with a green curtain rolled over the dry, early winter earth, speeding through the flying dust. Occasionally, a corner of the curtain was lifted by the wind, revealing Ning Lingyi's calm profile. She gazed out the window at the rapidly receding northern plains, her eyes deep, and it was unknown what she was thinking.

Pan Hao rode his horse to protect the carriage, looking around vigilantly, his hand always on the hilt of the sword at his waist. The road back to Beijing was destined to be bumpy.

The curtains of the carriage fell, blocking out the wind and sand outside, and temporarily blocking out the bloody mouth of the towering city ahead that was opening wide for her.

She didn't know exactly what happened, but she could guess.

The wheels rolled over the frozen soil, heading towards the center of the storm, without looking back.