Chapter 72 We Cannot Back Down

Xie Yan withdrew his gaze, turned around, and faced away from her.

An indescribable bitterness welled up in my chest, and my fists on my knees trembled slightly.

*

A hundred miles outside Luoyang, in a town, there is an elegant courtyard.

Xie Yan sat at the head of the hall, her crimson sleeves gently lifted, her slender, fair fingers pinching the cuffs, and she brought a sip of tea to her thin lips, leaving a glistening drop.

An elderly man, with white hair and beard, was dressed in a fine dark blue robe.

He stood hunched over below Xie Yan, his expression respectful and humble.

There was no one else in the hall, only the tassels on the curtains swaying, bringing the fragrance of jujube blossoms from outside.

Xie Yan put down his teacup, and the slight sound of it hitting the table made the old man standing below the hall sway slightly.

"Your Highness, this old servant truly did not know. Please forgive me."

As he spoke, the old man knelt on the ground, his forehead pressed against the bluestone bricks, his attitude devout.

Xie Yan rested his elbows on the edge of the table, his fingers gently stroking beneath his crimson sleeves.

His deep eyes held an unfathomable gaze.

"Yeah?"

His voice rose slightly at the end, making it clear he didn't believe it.

The old man lay on the ground with both hands, his wrinkled and somewhat translucent fingers gripping the ground, his knuckles straining so hard that his fingertips turned white.

"Your Highness!"

The old man's voice was pleading, as if saying, "Your Highness, please spare this old servant!"

"Attendant Qin, you've served the Emperor for decades, what is there that you don't know!" Xie Yan said with a cold smile.

"Your Highness, the matter you asked about is completely fabricated, and this old servant cannot make it up for you!"

Qin Changshi's voice was filled with sorrow, carrying endless grievances.

"Yeah?"

Each time Xie Yan asked this question, Qin Changshi's body trembled slightly.

"Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for this old servant. I have been retired to my hometown for several years now, and besides, how could I possibly remember what happened eight or nine years ago?"

"I have already given you three chances, but you insisted on making a scene."

Xie Yan's coldness vanished, and she took out a letter from her sleeve and tossed it in front of him.

Qin Changshi felt a cool sensation on his scalp as his hair was lifted.

He cautiously raised his head slightly, and when he saw the white letter with gold trim, unease welled up in his cloudy eyes.

I didn't even dare to touch the letter with my fingers.

"Don't dare to look?" Xie Yan asked.

Qin Changshi picked up the letter with trembling hands, but hesitated to open it, with large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.

"If you dare not look, then let me simply repeat it."

Xie Yan looked at him, calmly tapping her fingers.

"You entered the palace at the age of ten, served the young emperor at the age of twenty, went to your fiefdom with the emperor at the age of forty, and officially became the emperor's personal attendant at the age of forty-five!"

"Your status as a palace servant will also be transformed at this moment, making you the most promising person in the Qin family."

“Every time you leave the palace to visit your relatives, you are the most glamorous person in the entire town.”

"You have brought honor to your family in public, simply because you are someone close to the Emperor!"

"It's a pity you're a eunuch. The biggest regret for a eunuch is not having children."

"So, your eldest brother gave you his best son as an adoption."

"After that, you had a son, and you began to plan for his future."

"That meager salary is no longer enough to satisfy your desires; once you become greedy, you can't control yourself."

"In the first year of Deyuan, General Cheng died in Cangjue, and you greedily profited five thousand taels."

"In the fifth year of Deyuan, you greedily took 8,000 taels of silver for disaster relief, five boxes of treasures, and three boxes of calligraphy and paintings."

"In the sixth year of Deyuan, Imperial Censor Ye's family was raided. You embezzled 18,000 taels of silver and two chests of treasures."

"The seventh year of Deyuan..."

"Your Highness..." Attendant Qin prostrated himself forward, clutching Xie Yan's black boots, his voice trembling as he pleaded:

"Please stop reading, shall I say it myself?"

Xie Yan looked at the person at his feet without a trace of pity on his face; his expression was as cold as ice.

"You should have said so sooner. Before, you were just a pitiful old man, but now you're a huge corrupt official."

"If the Emperor knew that you had done so many tricks right under his nose, what do you think he would do?"

Qin Changshi's face turned pale, and his voice was full of regret, "Your Highness, this old servant will definitely tell you everything I know."

"Let go!" Xie Yan looked at the wrinkled hem of his clothes with disgust.

Qin Changshi quickly took two steps back and smoothed out Xie Yan's clothes.

"Tell me in detail about my marriage that year." Xie Yan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and felt a slight bitterness spread between his lips and teeth.

Qin Changshi knelt up and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

After letting go of her sleeves, her initial fear turned into a calm acceptance.

His cloudy eyes gradually went blank, as if he were reminiscing about the past.

After a moment, he spoke, “Your Highness, back then, when you asked the Emperor for your marriage, you specifically requested to marry Miss Xue, the granddaughter of Grand Tutor Xue.”

"His Majesty granted your request, but after he went to see the Empress, he changed his mind upon his return."

"Miss Xue was betrothed to the Second Prince, and you..."

Qin Changshi turned pale and hesitated to speak.

"Speak!" Xie Yan's voice was deep and authoritative.

Qin Changshi could only wipe away his sweat and said again, "And your marriage partner is a young lady from the Zhao family."

"That is Zhao Ji, who later entered the Second Prince's residence."

Xie Yan pressed his thumb against his finger bone, which made a series of crisp cracking sounds.

Sure enough, what Xie Yao didn't want was what he got!

Why was it Shen Nanzi who was chosen later?

Attendant Qin: "It was Shen Minghan who sought it through his merits back then. He could have been appointed to the position of one of the Three Dukes a few years earlier. Even I felt it was a pity back then."

"Where is the Emperor?" Xie Yan asked through gritted teeth.

"His Majesty was naturally pleased to see this happen. At that time, Shen Minghan was just a Yellow Gate Attendant, not a threat. He just never expected that Shen Minghan would rise to his current position."

Qin Changshi realized he had broken his promise and quickly shut up.

"Hmph!" Xie Yan sneered.

Qin Changshi sensed the disdain and sorrow in his voice and immediately prostrated himself on the ground. "Your Highness, is there anything else you don't understand? This old servant will do as you wish."

Xie Yan gritted his teeth, "What did my mother say to the Emperor in the Shengming Palace back then?"

Sweat beaded on Qin Changshi's forehead again. "Your Highness, please spare this old servant before I dare to speak."

Xie Yan revealed a cold smile, "You still dare to negotiate with me?"

"Your Highness, this old servant is over seventy years old and doesn't have many days left. Your Highness, please have mercy and let this old servant save some face in front of the Emperor."

Qin Changshi pleaded.

Xie Yan: "Speak!"

Qin Changshi knew that this meant approval, and quickly said, "Back then, when Madam Cheng came to Shengming Hall to see the Emperor, it was this old servant on duty."

Inside the Shengming Hall, the charcoal fire was warm.

Before burying the case, the emperor reviewed the memorials.

Lady Cheng stood before the Emperor for a long time, so long that even Attendant Qin felt sorry for her.

Back then, this Madam Cheng was a beauty unparalleled in the world, but now she is haggard and her beauty has long since succumbed to the ravages of time.

Her clothes were relatively clean, barely maintaining a semblance of dignity, but her once black hair was now mostly white.

Compared to the empress of the same age, she was at least ten years younger.

There was still dirt between her fingers that couldn't be washed off.

It is said that emperors are ruthless, and this was perfectly exemplified in the case of this guilty lady.

Back then, the emperor himself requested it, and the loving scene still seems like it was just yesterday. But things are different now, and everything is completely different.

The emperor wouldn't even look at her, leaving her hanging and embarrassing her—this was the emperor's favorite punishment.

Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy!

After reviewing the memorials, the Emperor calmly drank a cup of tea and ate a plate of snacks.

Only when he was completely satisfied did he casually speak to Madam Cheng.

"What business do you have with me?"

Madam Cheng remained composed and calm, her voice as even as water, as if the hardships of the past years had already calmed the resentment in her heart.

"I have come to request Your Majesty to withdraw the bestowed marriage."

Madam Cheng's performance did not seem to meet the Emperor's expectations, which displeased him.

He scoffed, "What gives you the audacity to make such a request to me?"

"Do you still think I'm the same person I was back then, able to change any decision at your will?"

Madam Cheng's expression remained calm, but her pale lips parted, revealing a hint of hatred in her eyes. "Yes! You asked for something back then..."

The Emperor stopped him: "Shut up! Don't bring up what happened back then again, or your Yan'er will forget about this marriage."

Madam Cheng's calm demeanor was shattered, replaced by a surge of emotion. "Your Majesty!"

"I have stated many times that Yan'er is unaware of that matter, so you need not worry."

"Shut up!" A stiff memorial slammed into Madam Cheng's chest.

Mrs. Cheng accepted it reluctantly and endured it without uttering a sound.

Fine beads of sweat immediately appeared on her forehead, and her breathing became slightly unsteady.

Shengming Hall fell silent again.

After a long silence, Madam Cheng asked, "Xie Yuan, what do you want to do to get a new marriage decree?"

"If you die, I will withdraw!" The emperor said with a gloomy expression.

"If I die, will Your Majesty grant them their wish?" A glimmer of hope appeared in Madam Cheng's eyes, like a flame that had not burned for a long time.

The look in her eyes seemed to enrage the emperor, who shouted, "You die first!"

The flames in Madam Cheng's eyes burned even brighter, and a hint of a smile appeared on her calm face.

"Your Majesty must keep your word. I have no other wish than to have a good man by my side."

The emperor remained silent.

"Your Majesty, I bid you farewell."

Madam Cheng bowed in greeting and then withdrew.

When the door to Shengming Hall was closed, the emperor irritably swept all the memorials on the table to the ground.

Half an hour later, news came that Madam Cheng had committed suicide by swallowing gold.

As Xie Yan listened to Qin Changshi's description, his fingers tightened, and his eyes were filled with coldness, like the coldest icicles in winter.

＊

Xie Yan stood in Shen Nanzi's courtyard, where the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and colorful butterflies fluttered among them.

Under the eaves, another birdcage appeared, with apricot-yellow wings fluttering inside.

A feather flew out of the cage and landed in the air. Xie Yan reached out and caught it.

Everything in my hands is soft.

"Your Highness Prince Jing!" His aunt noticed him and came to pay her respects.

Xie Yan stared at the birdcage, his voice unusually calm, "Where is she?"

The aunt replied respectfully, "The princess took the young prince to the archery range and they probably won't be back until 5 pm."

After a long while, the only sound in the courtyard was the occasional chirping of birds.

"Aunt, I'm sorry!" Xie Yan suddenly spoke, her voice heavy and solemn.

The aunt lowered her head, puzzled, "Your Highness Prince Jing..."

Xie Yan said nothing more, and left the courtyard with the feather in his hand.

＊

Royal Archery Range.

Shen Nanzi wore a red short-sleeved pleated shirt with wide sleeves, and a loose red and white riding and archery uniform underneath.

Her hair was wrapped in brightly colored silk gauze and tied into a bow that fell to her neck.

Holding a riding whip, with bright red lips and a face that was so eye-catching that it made some of the women indignant.

He cursed the vixen in his heart.

They could only curse silently, but dared not utter a single word of slander, for they had all heard about Lin Ruyi's affairs.

Shen Nanzi is eccentric, and Xie Yan also acts somewhat unpredictably.

If I hadn't personally witnessed Shen Nanzi teaching the young prince horsemanship on his own, I wouldn't have...

They really thought that His Highness Prince Jing had changed his mind and was going to treat Shen Nanzi better.

It seems that everything before was an illusion.

She was the only woman in the arena, attracting attention from men in a field full of horse archery.

"Keep an eye on your man, lest a bee pecks at his eyes."

"Some women... will develop other ideas if they don't receive love from their own men for a long time."

"It's truly pathetic to try and attract the attention of your own man by trying to get the attention of other men."

"Be careful what you say! Be careful what you say!"

The women fell silent, turning their gazes to their husbands, with even more attention fixed on Shen Nanzi.

"Mother, is that so?"

On horseback, Xie Chengze asked Shen Nanzi behind him, his little hand holding the child bow, aiming at the target in the field.

Shen Nanzi adjusted Cheng'er's posture. "This will be better. You should practice shooting on horseback to keep your body from falling off."

"Just squeeze your legs together!" a voice suddenly interrupted.

Shen Nanzi and Xie Chengze turned around together and saw a very familiar face.

Both mother and son smiled.

"Sixth Imperial Uncle!"

"Why have you come?"

The mother and son spoke in unison.

Shen Nanzi looked at the newcomer with eyes full of joy.

Xie Yu, dressed in a dark green brocade riding outfit, sat leisurely on his horse.

He fiddled with the leather whip in his hand, pointing at the little boy at the edge of the horse farm, "He's my youngest cousin."

Xie Chengze looked at the little boy squatting on the ground playing in the mud, "Why is Wei's kid outside the arena?"

"He said he was afraid of heights and couldn't complete the mounted archery." Xie Yu shrugged, somewhat helplessly.

"It seems your mother has given you a very difficult task?" Shen Nanzi smiled.

She was already beautiful and charming, but her smile made her even more captivating.

Xie Yu shifted his gaze to his younger cousin.

“If he’s afraid, he shouldn’t ride, but the old man from the Wei family won’t allow it! He insists on forcing the child to come, isn’t that just deepening his fear?”

“This child must have fallen,” Shen Nanzi asserted.

“I asked them too, but they said no.”

"Let's go ask again!"

Xie Yu had no choice but to ride his horse to the edge. "Wei Jizhou, have you ever fallen before?"

"Mother, let's go take a look too!"

Shen Nanzi looked at her son and knew that he wanted to help the Wei family boy, so she did as he wished and rode over.

Wei Jizhou held a small wooden stick in his hand, poking at the soil on the ground, without making a sound.

Xie Chengze looked up at Shen Nanzi, and after receiving an affirmative look, asked the little boy,

"I fell off my horse three times. Young Master Wei, have you fallen as many times as I have?"

The little boy kept his head down and said with little interest, "No matter how many times you fall, you still won't know how to ride a horse."

Xie Chengze: "My bodyguard is named Lie Feng. He always catches me when I need him. Isn't that amazing?"

The little boy did indeed look up, his eyes filled with envy and surprise.

Who is Liefeng?

"He went to become an official because he was very skilled in horsemanship and archery!"

The little boy's eyes darkened. "I can't ride it!"

"My mother is even more powerful than Lie Feng. I'll let you use her."

"And what about you?"

"I rode with the Sixth Imperial Uncle, shall we ride together?"

The little boy looked at Shen Nanzi.

Shen Nanzi stretched out her hand, "Wei family boy, get on your horse!"

As they were talking, Xie Yu had already swiftly carried Xie Chengze away.