The truth in prison

Tang Feng seemed stunned by the punishment. Supported by Zhang Mobai, he didn't speak until he saw Lan Chi about to leave. Then he shook off Zhang Mobai's hand and hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "Lord Lan! Lord Lan! Lord Lan, please wait!" Lan Chi didn't say anything when Tang Feng chased after him, but stopped and waited for Tang Feng to speak. "Lord Lan! He has someone above him who ordered him. You can't kill him like this." Lan Chi also found it strange. He raised the hand that was holding Xu Fengyan's rope and tapped Tang Feng's chest. "Lord Tang, did I hear that right? You're pleading for him?" According to what Lan Chi knew, Tang Feng should hate Xu Fengyan to the core. It was already quite generous of him not to kill him on the spot. But suddenly, he was pleading for him. Tang Feng looked at Xu Fengyan and said, "Yes, I am pleading for him. I, Tang Feng, have always been fair in my rewards and punishments and clear in my hatred. I know he is not the final murderer, so I beg Lord Lan to be lenient." "Grand Tutor, just because you say he's not, does that mean he isn't? Besides, he's one of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. How we deal with him is not for you to decide." Lan Chi finished speaking and was about to leave with Xu Fengyan, but Tang Feng grabbed his arm. "Lord Lan, I don't care how you handle things, but I need to know who the mastermind is. I have the right to know. If you execute him so rashly, and I find out the real culprit later, if he's truly innocent, it will be difficult for you to regain the support of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan." Lan Chi wasn't completely deaf to reason. He turned to look at Tang Feng and after a while said, "Grand Tutor, I have my own business, and you have yours. I won't delay in dealing with Xu Fengyan. However, if you can really get him to reveal the mastermind within two days before his execution, I can be lenient in my punishment. But if he doesn't speak within two days, don't blame me for being impolite."

Seeing Lan Chi leave, Tang Feng said to Zhang Mobai, "Mobai, you don't need to stay with me. Go back, it's getting late." But Zhang Mobai was worried about Tang Feng like this and wanted to help him into the house. Just as he was about to move, Tang Feng waved his hand, "Let me calm down by myself. You go back, don't worry, Ziliang should be back soon." Knowing he couldn't help much, Zhang Mobai said softly, "Little brother, I'll go first then. Go back early and don't catch a cold." After Zhang Mobai left, Tang Feng slowly walked to the stone table and sat down. The mouthful of blood in his chest couldn't be swallowed, it kept churning upwards. Tang Feng lay on the table, his mind filled with the torture Lan Chi had described. Thinking of that bloody scene, Tang Feng felt even more nauseous.

Zhou Ziliang returned late at night. After dismounting, he saw the old steward come out and help him hold Hongdou's hand. "Young Master, please go check on the young master! Lord Zhang brought a man in today. Lord Zhang told me not to tell Master and Madam. I just saw that man kidnap someone, and Lord Zhang left shortly after." Hearing that only Tang Feng was left in the room, Zhou Ziliang knew something was wrong. He handed the riding crop to the old steward and went straight into the house. Zhou Ziliang went into the backyard and frowned at the open wooden door of the study and the papers scattered everywhere. Just as he was about to enter, he saw Tang Feng slumped over the stone table. He quickly went over and gently patted Tang Feng's back. "Xiao Feng? Xiao Feng, get up quickly, it's cold here, let's go back inside and lie down." Tang Feng didn't move, only shook his head. Afraid that he would vomit blood if he opened his mouth, causing Zhou Ziliang more worry, Tang Feng was even more anxious when he saw the cold sweat on Tang Feng's temples. He forcefully helped Tang Feng up, but Tang Feng couldn't hold back any longer and pushed Zhou Ziliang away, vomiting a mouthful of blood. Although Tang Feng had coughed up blood before, the amount was usually small, just enough to leave small stains on a handkerchief. But this time, Zhou Ziliang was clearly terrified when he saw the pool of blood on the ground. He picked up Tang Feng and rushed into the house, shouting, "Someone! Quickly call a doctor!" By the time Wu Hezou arrived, Zhou Ziliang had just covered Tang Feng with a blanket. Wu Hezou glared at Zhou Ziliang, then glanced at the still unconscious Tang Feng. "I knew it! With him acting like this, he won't get better!" "No medicine worked!" He finished speaking angrily and took Tang Feng's pulse. "It's nothing, just that his emotions were too volatile just now, and the blood was stuck in his chest, of course he felt uncomfortable. He'll feel better now that he's vomited it out. Tell him to get a good night's sleep, and have some light food and porridge tomorrow morning." Wu Hezou quickly wrote down the prescription and handed it to Zhou Ziliang. "You... sigh, never mind. Tell your young master that if he continues like this, he should find someone else." Zhou Ziliang didn't think too much about it, assuming it was just Wu Hezou's morning grumpiness from being woken up in the middle of the night. He sat down by Tang Feng's bedside, dampened a handkerchief, and placed it on Tang Feng's forehead. Because the handkerchief was a little cold, it made Tang Feng shiver. "Ziliang?" Zhou Ziliang saw that Tang Feng was awake and quickly asked, "How are you? Where does it hurt?" "Chest pain, stomach... also..." "I'm not feeling well." Tang Feng knew it was probably Lan Chi's words that caused his physical discomfort, coupled with Xu Fengyan's capture. Tang Feng struggled to get up but Zhou Ziliang pressed him back down. "Don't move, lie down and let me rub your stomach." Zhou Ziliang rubbed his hands together until they were warm before slowly placing them on Tang Feng's stomach and gently massaging it. "Xiao Feng, what happened today? Tell me." Tang Feng knew Zhou Ziliang would definitely ask, and he couldn't escape it. He covered his eyes with his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "Han Jiuhua... no, Xu Fengyan came to assassinate me." Feeling the hand on his stomach press harder, Tang Feng quickly patted Zhou Ziliang's arm to comfort him. "It's nothing, he didn't succeed, and he was still taken away."

"But you don't seem happy," Tang Feng sneered after hearing this. "I don't know what to say. Xu Fengyan deserves half the credit for how we got to where we are today, but my benefactor actually killed my brother. He didn't even bother to lie to me. I want to know who his superior is and why he was able to do this." Zhou Ziliang didn't reply. He knew that although Tang Feng didn't say it, he was holding back his anger and must be feeling terrible. The next morning, after tidying up, Zhou Ziliang brought a bowl of porridge from the kitchen. Tang Feng looked much better than the night before, leaning against the bed with his eyes closed, resting. Zhou Ziliang brought the porridge to the bedside and stirred it with a spoon. "Xiao Feng, eat some food. You need to take your medicine later." Tang Feng took the bowl from Zhou Ziliang, but didn't drink immediately. Instead, he said, "Ziliang, I want to see Lin Siwen." Hearing this, Zhou Ziliang knew that Tang Feng still couldn't let go of this matter, so he could only sigh and nod in agreement. "Okay, I understand. I'll send someone to look for her later. You eat first." Tang Feng ate bite by bite. Before he finished eating, he saw Zhou Ziliang stand up, straighten his collar and sleeves, and say, "I'm leaving now. Don't be temperamental tonight. If you're not feeling well, have Uncle Jia come to the military camp to find me. If you keep enduring it yourself, what will I do if something really happens?" Tang Feng smiled at Zhou Ziliang. "Go quickly, you're so nagging."

When Lin Siwen arrived, Tang Feng had already taken his medicine and fallen asleep. The old butler led Lin Siwen to the backyard, looking apologetic. "Lord Lin, I'm sorry, my young master just fell asleep. Would you please wait a moment?" Lin Siwen tilted his head and pondered for a moment, then pulled the old butler aside and whispered, "Grandpa, may I ask you something... Did a lot happen yesterday?" "Yes, the young master vomited blood yesterday, which scared him so much that he called a doctor overnight." Lin Siwen felt a pang of regret. He didn't know if telling Zhang Mobai about this was the right thing to do, but he was genuinely worried about Tang Feng's safety. He had been away on business for half a day, and now... The Empress, completely oblivious to the fact that Tang Feng was asleep, pushed open the door and saw Tang Feng lying on the bed. Realizing her mistake, she stood there, unsure what to do. She wanted to go back, but the floorboards creaked loudly. Lin Siwen stood at the door for almost an hour before a voice came from inside, "What are you doing standing there?" Lin Siwen scratched her head, hesitant to approach. "I... I saw the Grand Tutor was still sleeping, so..." "I'm awake now, come in." Seeing Lin Siwen still motionless, Tang Feng sat up and asked through the gauze curtain, "I won't eat you, what are you afraid of?" "I..." Lin... Siwen stepped forward, saying apologetically, "Actually, I was the one who told Lord Zhang that you would be assassinated last night before he went to get reinforcements. I know you wanted to handle it alone, but... he is, after all, an assassin, very dangerous." Tang Feng pulled back the curtain, and Lin Siwen finally saw him. Seeing no anger on his face, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she heard Tang Feng say, "I don't blame you. You were very thoughtful. I underestimated him. If it weren't for Mo Bai, I probably would have been dead last night. I'm not here to interrogate you this time; I want to ask you for a favor." Tang Feng's voice was weary. Lin Siwen knelt down by the bedside, listening intently. After Tang Feng finished speaking, Lin Siwen shuddered and looked at him with a wronged expression. "Why are we going to a brothel again? Grand Tutor... can we go somewhere else? Otherwise, I won't be able to go home today." Tang Feng tapped Lin Siwen's head and scolded her, "You're complaining to me now? Can you change something that's already a done deal? You only found out it's a girl after the baby was born. Can you put it back in and turn it into a boy? Besides, aren't you sleeping comfortably in my study? No one wakes you up in the morning." "Yes... but..." Lin Siwen thought for a moment, then finally stood up and said, "Then don't worry, save me a room in the study today, otherwise I really won't have anywhere to go."

Lin Siwen walked through the streets and alleys, asking at many different places, and finally returned to the Tang residence in the evening. Tang Feng was having dinner at the time. When he saw Lin Siwen arrive, he told the old steward to bring him another set of chopsticks and a bowl. Lin Siwen stood to the side, wanting to speak but not daring to say it, "Grand Tutor... do you really want to kill Xu Fengyan?"

Tang Feng stopped eating upon hearing this. The old steward placed a bowl opposite Tang Feng. "Young Master, please finish eating. There will be medicine later; I'll have someone bring it to you." Tang Feng nodded. "Thank you for your trouble." He then looked at Lin Siwen. "I didn't say I wanted to kill him. What did you hear today?" "I did find out quite a bit; the things are somewhat unbelievable, but... I think it's best if you don't know." "Tell me. You can't hide forever. What you need to know will eventually come to light." Seeing Tang Feng agree, Lin Siwen spoke. "Xu Fengyan... his mother was a courtesan in a brothel in Wanchun Lane. It's said that she had Xu Fengyan after a one-night stand with Prime Minister Xu. Later, his mother died, and he went to the Xu family to try and be registered in the imperial clan, but was arrested and imprisoned. Several months later, covered in wounds, he came to the brothel to retrieve his belongings and never came out again." Lin Siwen felt sorry for Xu Fengyan, but Tang Feng knew his background might not be so simple. "Are you sure this information is accurate?"

"Of course! I spent five hundred taels of silver to get it out of that person." Tang Feng pondered carefully after hearing this. That day at the imperial mausoleum, the Empress Dowager knew it was Rong Ji who did it, but since Consort Rong was the fourth prince's birth mother, the Empress Dowager didn't make things difficult for her in the end. She just used a gofer as a warning to others. The Xu family had always worked for Li Yunheng, so it was understandable that Xu Fengyan would help them. The problem was... Lin Siwen said that the Xu family had captured him, so he probably wasn't well taken care of. Otherwise, why would the second young master of the Xu family become a courtesan in a brothel, join the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan, and take on such a dangerous mission as assassinating him? Everyone in the Xu family had to be mindful of the Prime Minister's mood... The Prime Minister wasn't good to him... So why was he still working so hard? For his mother? "Oh, right, there's another rumor, they're also vague about it. I heard that Xu Fengyan has always greatly admired his brother."

Why do you say that?

"I'm not too sure either. I just heard that after he was taken away by the Xu family, he came back to get his things and looked very happy. He kept praising his brother." Then Lin Siwen tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I really don't know what's so good about his brother..."

Tang Feng suddenly remembered the words Xu Fengyan had sent him to Daze years ago. If Xu Fengyan saw him as an assassination target and not a friend, then the saying he left behind, "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for ye may pluck bare branches when ye are gone," was probably not written for his own sake, but rather as a venting of his own unrequited feelings and frustrations after countless attempts to befriend him had failed. Tang Feng picked up his chopsticks, hesitated for a moment, then put them down. "Fine, I'm going to the dungeon tomorrow. Will you come with me?" Whether it was Li Yunheng, Rong Ji, or even Xu Chang'an, it didn't matter. As long as he mentioned a name, even if it had a hint of sarcasm, he would plead for him with Lan Chi. What he feared most was that Xu Fengyan was determined to die and beyond help. "What are you going there for? The prison is damp. You're not in good health. Wouldn't you just suffer there?"

"If I don't go, who will save him?" Seeing Lin Siwen's shocked expression, Tang Feng smiled wryly. "Don't you think I'm ridiculous? You were tortured half to death by him, yet you still want to go through the trouble of saving him?" Lin Siwen shook her head. "Grand Tutor, it's hard to say. Everyone has two sides. When you saved me back then, didn't you also not know if I would come back to help you? He chased you for so long without succeeding, probably because he still had some kindness in him and couldn't bring himself to do it. So I don't think you did anything wrong." After hearing this, Tang Feng suddenly smiled with relief and patted Lin Siwen's head. "Thank you."

Tang Feng saw Xu Fengyan again the next day at noon. Tang Feng asked Lin Siwen to buy some food on the street and bring it into the dungeon. The dungeon was indeed as Lin Siwen said, dark and damp. However, Tang Feng had been in the Qiang and Hu tribes before, so he was not surprised. Since Li Yunyu gained favor with Emperor Yun, others' opinions of him changed, and many more people flocked to curry favor with him, including Tang Feng. The jailer bowed and scraped before Tang Feng, then said, "Grand Tutor Tang, it's dark here. You're not well. Who do you want to see? I'll bring that prisoner over for you." Tang Feng waved his hand. "The person I want to see is not someone you have the right to touch. I'll go myself." Tang Feng turned to Lin Siwen. "You wait for me here." "But..." Lin Siwen wanted to follow, but Tang Feng stopped her. "Nobody wants to be seen being kicked when they're down, not anyone. Stay here." Xu Fengyan was locked in the last cell of the dungeon. The floor was covered with damp straw. He leaned against the wall, his hands and feet cuffed, bloodstains on his lips, and crisscrossing wounds on his body, clearly from torture. "Why did you come here? What else do you want to know?"

"You alone couldn't have assassinated me for so long. Since someone instructed you, tell me their name, and I'll go to Lan Chi for leniency." Xu Fengyan slowly raised his head to look at Tang Feng, coldly snorting, "I have nothing more to say to you. Why did you go to such lengths, Grand Tutor?" Tang Feng knew Xu Fengyan wouldn't speak, so he sat down and took some food from the food box, placing it in front of Xu Fengyan. "Is he that important to you?" Seeing Xu Fengyan remain silent, Tang Feng sighed and continued, "Xu Fengyan, I know your true intentions are..." "He's bad, that's why he hasn't killed me yet. You'd better think it over now and tell me his name in exchange for your life. That's a good deal." Xu Fengyan laughed, tilting his head back, and looked at Tang Feng nonchalantly. "Haven't killed you? Not a bad person at heart? Do you know how many times I've lost sleep because I didn't kill you? Every failure has filled me with regret. You think you're alive now because I have pity on you? It's only because Zhou Ziliang is highly skilled in martial arts. If your brother hadn't gone to get your wedding dress, do you think you'd still be alive to see me?"

"I don't care if you want to kill me or not. I'm asking you now, who exactly is the person behind you!" Tang Feng had just recovered from a serious illness and was not fully recovered. His patience had long been worn down by Xu Fengyan, and his tone was somewhat forceful. Xu Fengyan was playing with the dry grass in his hand, completely ignoring Tang Feng's words. "Whoever the Grand Tutor thinks is whoever he is, why waste your time on me?"

"You really don't want to tell him?" Tang Feng's lips trembled with anger, and his chest heaved even more violently. "Xu Fengyan... you once told me, 'Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, for ye may ye have no flowers left to pluck.' Well then, today, I'll return the favor with you: 'The exquisite dice are inlaid with red beans, yet the depth of my longing remains unknown to you.'"

"So what? He got to this point because of his cold-bloodedness and ruthlessness." Xu Fengyan leaned against the wall, arms crossed, and told Tang Feng, word by word, "As long as I'm alive, you'll never get his name out of my mouth."

"Are you really not going to tell me his name?"

"You have your pride, and I have my beliefs! Besides, Tang Feng, you definitely wouldn't be able to guess his identity just because I didn't tell you, would you?"

Thinking of what Lin Siwen had found out last night, Tang Feng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He didn't know what Xu Fengyan had gone through, nor what benefits Xu Chang'an had given him to make him so loyal. Hearing Xu Fengyan's words, Tang Feng felt as if his heart had been crushed, unable to breathe, and asked in a trembling voice, "Then what am I in this life? Giving without asking for anything in return?"

"Then what do you mean by this life? Tang Feng, when Zhou Ziliang abandoned you a few years ago, didn't you still stand by him without hesitation? So, what made you not give up? Did you know in advance that he would change his mind in the future? Or were you after Zhou Ziliang's prestigious family background? Or were you so humble that you would accept whatever Zhou Ziliang did, and now you've finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel? Tang Feng, don't use your life to measure others. I am not you, and he is not Zhou Ziliang. And I'll say it again, I don't need your pity!"

"You! Xu Fengyan, do you know I'm saving you!" Tang Feng was so angry his eyes were black, but he still wanted to try to persuade him. At this moment, Lan Chi entered with two guards. Seeing Xu Fengyan and Tang Feng sitting on the ground, he knew that Tang Feng hadn't gotten any information out of him. He ordered the two guards to take Xu Fengyan away, and then looked at Tang Feng. "Grand Tutor Tang, just give up. Xu Fengyan is one of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan. Our men here are all trained, and their mouths are tight." Tang Feng stood up, wanting to chase after the already subdued Xu Fengyan, but Lan Chi stopped him. "Grand Tutor Tang, the execution ground is bloody. With your health, you should just give up." But Tang Feng didn't give up. He pushed Lan Chi aside and chased after him. Lin Siwen, who was standing at the door, saw Tang Feng walking out and quickly followed, asking, "Where are you going?" But Tang Feng didn't answer him. Instead, he followed closely behind. At the execution ground, the two attendants gave Xu Fengyan a black cloth to blindfold him. Xu Fengyan was about to put it on when he paused, turned to Tang Feng, and smiled faintly, his eyes lowered. "Tang Feng," he said, "back in Daze, those words were said to me, and also written to you. But thankfully, you're not as cowardly as I am; you're very brave." He then turned and put on the blindfold. Tang Feng tried to rush forward to stop the guards about to carry out the execution, but was stopped. Lin Siwen pressed Tang Feng down, "Grand Tutor, you can't go. The horses ahead are all wild. Besides, we can't interfere with the matter of the Sixteen Riders of Yanshan." Tang Feng looked at Lin Siwen, his eyes filled with helplessness and despair. Then, looking at Xu Fengyan, whose hands were bound with rope, he cried out in anguish, "Xu Fengyan! Don't lose your life for something you can't have! Xu Fengyan! You bastard..." Tang Feng knew Xu Fengyan wouldn't survive. His strength gradually waned, and he looked helplessly at Xu Fengyan.

Hearing Tang Feng's words, Xu Fengyan's lips curled into a smile. Just as he was about to speak, a whip cracked, and Xu Fengyan was dragged away by the horse. Tang Feng stared wide-eyed as the horse ran around the execution ground ten times before stopping. Then they dismounted and untied him, and Xu Fengyan was left on the execution ground. Tang Feng walked to Xu Fengyan's side, slowly squatted down, and looked at his torn lower body, at his prison clothes soaked in blood. Xu Fengyan looked at the sky, his bloodied hand clutching Tang Feng's hem, and whispered, "I know you want... to save me, but it's come to this, there's no other choice... Can you... not tell him... I'm dead?" Blood gushed from Xu Fengyan's mouth, soaking Tang Feng's clothes. "Fine, I will give you a proper burial, and I won't tell him."

Xu Fengyan finally felt at ease. He lay on the sand of the execution ground, staring straight at the sky, and murmured, "Tang Feng, it's such a pity. You never brought Zhou Ziliang to hear me play the tune until the very end..."

Before Tang Feng could reply, Xu Fengyan breathed his last. Tang Feng, his hands trembling, closed Xu Fengyan's eyes, choking back tears, "You said you let go, but why did you die with your eyes open?"