Chapter 72 A Narrow Escape
With two official swords at her neck, Yanru was unable to move. She stared at the face intently, trying to find a trace of pity and compassion in it so that she could take advantage of the situation and steal a glimmer of hope.
It was as if the scar on her forehead was truly a coiled snake demon, devouring all desires. Even a lump of iron in a pile of ice and snow felt warmer than Zheng Sirui's cold face and heart. Facing Xue Jia and Yan Ru, there seemed to be no deep hatred or ten years of friendship. She simply gave the order lightly: "Search."
The army obeyed the general's orders, and dozens of soldiers dispersed, diving into the rooms, large and small, with loud cries of clamor, vowing to turn the Piyou Pavilion upside down and expose the hidden filth and dirt under the sun. The major general, perhaps trying to please Zheng Sirui, refused to stand, allowing Yanru and Xue Jia to remain entangled, forced to the ground by the sharp blade and power in full view of the crowd.
Yanru was so focused on escaping that she ignored the humiliation and begged, "General, Sir! Si Rui, Lord Zheng! I'm innocent. I have nothing to do with the Xue family anymore! The divorce letter is right next to us! Look! Take it and have a look!"
The major general gave a look, and the leading soldier swiftly picked up the crumpled paper from the ground and presented it to his superior. The major general carefully read it and presented it to Zheng Sirui. "Sir Zheng, it is indeed a divorce letter. The deadline is from last year. It's signed, but not sealed."
"Last year's deadline had a signature but no seal. It's a bit ambiguous, it could be considered effective but also ineffective." Zheng Sirui pondered, "I can't make the decision. I'll put it away first and send it to the Ministry of Justice along with the other documents."
The leading soldier responded, put away the letter of divorce, and said nothing more. The soldiers who had been searching the house made a noise and came back to report:
"Your Excellency, there are four or five jade screens in the east and west wings, and the rest are furniture, mostly made of huanghuali wood and red sandalwood. There are no secret rooms or compartments in the rooms."
"Your Excellency, I've checked this room. It's filled with out-of-print, hardcover books and periodicals, all new, with no inserts or markings. There are no hidden rooms or compartments in the room."
"Sir, I checked the basin of ashes held by the two maids outside. There are three or two pieces of unburned ashes in it. They should be the account books of Qixian Pawnshop from a few years ago."
The soldier who was inspecting the annex came and reported to the two nobles, "My Lords, there are only some ordinary clothes and bedding in the annex. The dressing box is mostly filled with silverware, silk ribbons, powder, and flower oils. But there is a locked box."
The soldier presented the box, and Zheng Sirui said, "Chop it open."
With a swift movement of the knife, the lock broke, and out poured everything. There was no gold, silver, or jewelry, no banknotes or land deeds, only a large stack of uniformly sized papers, a small booklet with pictures of figurines and dresses, and a small pebble with a tassel and carved patterns. The soldier sieved and sifted the contents, then said, "My Lord, these are all pawn tickets. Almost all the pawn tickets from every pawnshop in the capital are here."
"Pawn tickets? Pawn things?" The major general was both amused and annoyed. "Doesn't their family run a pawnshop? Why would they pawn things at someone else's shop?"
Her face ached, and Yanru was in a trance. She wondered if she had been slapped several times in public. She was lying down, but her heart was hanging above her head, then fell to her feet, and then was lifted up again. She gritted her teeth, lived in frustration, and deceived herself. She barely wove the illusion of being a "ladies with bells and drums" that she had just created. But it was brutally torn apart and shattered by a group of vulgar soldiers wielding knives. The dream that supported her sanity and pursued turned into a bubble and shattered. She went crazy and gave up. She was no longer afraid of the sword and rolled under Zheng Sirui's legs, grabbing her official uniform: "Sirui! Save me! I have nothing to do with the Xue family! Save me!"
Caught off guard, Zheng Sirui stumbled and fell off a nearby chair. The well-trained soldiers around her swiftly peeled Yanru from her body. Her face remained expressionless, impassive. She ordered, "Everyone and everything, be taken back to the Ministry of Justice," and walked out of the Piyou Pavilion, leaving Dai Garden and boarding a carriage. She parted the curtains, and the noise of the soldiers' search startled the birds in the garden, which circled over the pavilions and towers, daring not to land for a long time.
The ice on her face finally melted, a ripple of emotion forming. Zheng Sirui realized that Yanru had moved into Daiyuan for several years and often hosted guests there. But she, Yanru's apparent close friend, was here for the first time.
It turned out that Yanru and she parted ways earlier than she had imagined.
Zheng Sirui sat up straight, supporting her head with her arms. Her physical injuries had healed, but she was still weak inside. She had a quick breakfast and had been busy until now, not even drinking tea. She was truly exhausted. She leaned against the wall of the car and closed her eyes to rest.
That night six months ago was too horrific for her, and her body instinctively erased the memory. The only thing she could recall was finding herself lying in a room filled with the scent of herbs after regaining consciousness. She could hear the crackling of dry wood burning and the gurgling of thick liquid, which made her sniff. The noise attracted the people at the door. She glanced at the long shadows on the wall, and saw a young man in his twenties appear in her sight. He approached, wanting to raise a warm handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead. The unfamiliar smell and face filled Zheng Sirui with extreme fear, and she subconsciously shrank back. Every time she moved, every bone and joint seemed to be shattered, spread out on the bed, making her moan and cry out in pain. She opened her mouth, and the wound on her face was affected, causing another wave of excruciating pain.
The man spoke softly, "Don't be afraid, Master Zheng. I'm a doctor. If the sweat on your face runs onto the wound, it will hurt more and the scar will be harder to heal."
Zheng Sirui couldn't move, nor did she dare to. She let him carefully and restrainedly wipe away the stickiness on her face with a handkerchief and said, "Doctor, do you know me?"
"On the day Lord Zheng returned home in glory, he rode his horse through the streets of Jinling. As a humble commoner making a living selling food, I naturally witnessed your elegance." Like the sound of chimes, the man's voice was steady and clear. "Don't be afraid, sir. We're in a village outside the city, safe. The aunt next door will be here soon after she finishes taking care of her daughter-in-law. We have some goods urgently needed in Jinling. Xiao Ning went back a while ago and should be halfway to the capital now."
"Xiao Ning?" Zheng Sirui suddenly realized and was surprised. "Oh, Xiao Ning? That's the name Yi Bin gave himself?! You...you are Liang Qiang?"
His wife's name fell from her mouth, falling on Liang Qiang's face. A smile splashed from his dimples and dripped into his eyes, causing gentle ripples. "It's me. Before Xiao Ning left, she said that you seemed to have some work to do recently. She was worried that you would be alone in the capital and helpless if something happened, so she asked me to stay in the capital to take care of the goods while she returned to Jinling. She really was as good as she could be. Four days ago, in the middle of the night, the woman next door had a fright and her due date was early. I was missing one of the herbs I had prepared. In the middle of the night, the city gates were closed, and I couldn't go in to find a herbalist. I remembered that there used to be a lot of them growing at the bottom of the cliff behind the temple, so I had to go in the rain to look for them. As a result, while picking herbs, I saw a woman hanging from a tree. I rescued her and saw that it was you, my lord."
Zheng Sirui thanked him profusely and couldn't help but tease him, "Other couples have the husband working away from home while the wife stays at the shop to take care of things. You two are actually doing it the other way around?"
"She's very capable. She manages our medicinal herbs, account books, and shipping between the capital and Jinling. I want to help, but she thinks I'm clumsy. She's really domineering. The day we first met, she couldn't even tell the difference between star anise and wild grass. It was I who taught her to identify the toxicity and uses of herbs." Liang Qiang smiled and lit a few more candles in the room. "Sometimes I can't tell whether she ran away from home for me, or stayed with me because she ran away from home."
Zheng Sirui said, "Don't ask about the cause, just look at the result. Doctor Liang has no regrets, and she has no regrets either, so it was worth it."
"No regrets. She was the most talented businessman and the most beautiful woman in the world. The calamity I suffered for betraying Buddhism is nothing compared to her." Liang Qiang shook her head and laughed. "It's funny, I've felt so ashamed all these years, I can't even face the gods or Buddhas. If it weren't for that life-threatening situation, I would never have dared to go to the Bodhisattva to look for medicine. But she never cared. She said she was a disciple of Confucius and didn't believe in such things. I was able to marry such a woman, without any suspicion between us. Sometimes I think back, what a wonderful fate we had."
Zheng Sirui said, "I too was taught by Confucius. I don't know the true nature of Buddhism, but I do know that saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. Doctor Liang braved the rain late at night to collect herbs to save a woman in labor, saving my life. If the spirits of Bodhisattvas and Buddhas were to witness Doctor Liang's good deeds, the past would be wiped out."
"Perhaps," Liang Qiang said, "Buddha teaches about cause and effect. All things are created or destroyed according to the principle of cause and effect. Cause is the agent of creation, and effect is what is created. Moreover, every cause must have an effect, and every effect must have a cause. Cause gives rise to effect, and cause and effect are clearly evident. Lord Zheng said that I was saved. In fact, this may be the result of the good deeds Lord Zheng planted back then. It was because of your willingness to rescue Xiao Ning and help her break free from her shackles that she and I are here today, able to travel between the capital and Nanjing, and that I was able to go down the mountain and bring you back that day."
Zheng Sirui lay there smiling, not commenting.
The medicine was ready, and Liang Qiang brought it to the bedside, saying, "Xiao Ning should have mentioned to you, sir, that the Guanyin statue across the cliff is Puci Guanyin, the incarnation of Mahadeva, one of the thirty-three incarnations. The bodhisattva has compassion for all sentient beings, wishing to free them from suffering and establish them in the position of Buddha. When Puci Guanyin sits down, mortals often wish for everything to go smoothly when they first take office. I don't know the exact reason for your distress, sir, but perhaps your safety is truly due to Puci Guanyin's blessing? If so, your distress may not be over, but only the beginning. Perhaps if you wait a little longer, things will turn around, and you, sir, will be able to turn the tide."
Zheng Sirui had suffered a serious injury, her mind fuzzy, and she hadn't yet grasped Liang Qiang's profound Buddhist teachings. But her last few words made perfect sense. Shi Jian and his men were determined to kill her. If she went out and revealed her survival, they would surely harm her again. A gentleman doesn't stand under a precarious wall; as long as the mountains remain, there's no need to worry about running out of firewood. She might as well feign death for a while, recuperate, and return to the court when the time is right.
So, Zheng Sirui suppressed her hatred, calmed down her temper, and began a long, unknown wait.
She waited for ten days, until Yi Bin came back; she waited for thirty days, until Liang Qiang rescued Cai Yuan from the human traffickers; she waited for fifty days, until the itchy wound on her face healed; she waited for a hundred days, until she could walk without help... She was waiting, with unyielding spirit and longing for her parents, waiting for the chrysanthemums to die on the branches, waiting for the coming blizzard, waiting for the New Year's Eve with firecrackers blasting, waiting for the Lantern Festival with fireworks blooming, waiting for the winter plum blossoms to fall into the mud and turn into dust, waiting for the long-awaited Spring Examination of the new year to finally come out, waiting for the day when the results were announced, some families were happy and some were sad...
Finally, she, Zheng Sirui, waited for the female number one scholar in Yongzhou, who risked her life to kill her father and exposed the filth and corruption behind the flood to the world in the street; she waited for the emperor to be furious and vow to investigate all matters thoroughly; she waited for Yi Bin and Liang Qiang to bring Lu Zhiling to this small courtyard to see her; she waited for the emperor to learn about her tragic murder from his ministers and secretly ordered to meet her in person.
That day, standing before the door of the Imperial Study, Zheng Sirui waited for her last audience with the Emperor. On the day the clouds parted to reveal the blue sky, the day her injustice was redressed, she imagined she would be filled with joy, relief, and trembling. Yet, deep within, a sense of desolation reigned. She gazed up at the sky, utterly calm, only to see a clear, azure sky, the purest blue stretching from east to west, like a spring flowing between cliffs, crystal clear.
If the way of heaven had always been as clear as it is today, perhaps she would not have to wait until this moment, and the people of the world would not have to wait until this moment.
An order was passed from inside, and the palace gates were wide open. With the bones of a scholar and the spirit of Confucianism attached to her spine, she walked in neither humbly nor arrogantly, stood outside the curtain, knelt down, and paid her respects. With the emperor's permission, she slowly recounted the historian's tax evasion, murder of court officials, collusion with cliques, and corruption and abuse of power.
The pearl curtains swayed and the incense lingered. Zheng Sirui could not tell whether the emperor was angry or annoyed on his face. She only felt as if there was a mountain pressing down on her desk.
The emperor was silent for a long time, then asked, "Qing, are you Lu Tianwen's disciple?"
Zheng Sirui lowered her eyes and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, yes, I am fortunate to be able to study under you, Master."
The Emperor said, "When I was young, he was my teacher for several years. So, you and I are from the same school."
Zheng Sirui knelt down and said, "I am extremely terrified. I dare not."
The Emperor said, "This time, you have suffered in vain."
Zheng Sirui prostrated herself, "Your Majesty, I am merely fulfilling my duty as a minister and a loyal scholar, and I have no complaints. But, Your Majesty, may I be so bold as to ask for the two great wishes of my heart?"
The emperor chuckled twice: "It is indeed Lu Tianwen who taught this. How bold of you to make a wish with me, and you want two more?"
Zheng Sirui lowered her head even more and said, "I acknowledge my guilt, Your Majesty, and I beg for your forgiveness."
The emperor said, "Get up first and talk."
Zheng Sirui knelt on the ground and straightened her back. "Your Majesty, I know I am still young, but I dare to ask Your Majesty to allow me to participate in this case and personally apprehend the corrupt officials who have tarnished the Master's reputation, killed me, and exploited the people's wealth."
The Emperor said, "Approved. You are from one of the six ministries, and the Dali Temple... is not suitable. Starting today, I will transfer you to the Ministry of Justice. What about the other matter?"
"Your Majesty. According to the laws of our dynasty, those who harm the foundation of the country will be executed immediately or sentenced to exile, and the women in their families will be exiled three thousand miles away. However, today, I dare to ask for mercy for one person." Zheng Sirui trembled slightly, mustered up her courage, leaned over, and lay down again, saying sincerely: "I hope Your Majesty will show mercy and exempt Liu Yuyang, the daughter of Liu Zhangling, the female champion of Yongzhou and the censor of Yongzhou. Liu Yuyang's shocking behavior is for the people of the world and for the people of Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will show mercy and only strip her of her official title and official status, and allow her to be free and unofficial. I beg Your Majesty not to let loyal ministers be convicted, and not to let innocent children be punished.
Chilling. "
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