Chapter 79 Snowstorm: The orchid grower, renowned for his integrity for half his life, froze to death in the wind…
When Li Yujing woke up by the river, she was lying on a patch of grass that was both green and yellow. A campfire pit next to her was burning dry firewood, and stones were piled up around the pit to form a wall to keep out sparks.
A man was adding more firewood to the campfire to dry his half-wet trouser leg.
"You're awake."
Li Yujing only saw the person's face clearly after she turned around. She was beautiful, but she couldn't remember her features in the blink of an eye. She felt a little itchy on her face, so she scratched it and grabbed some crushed herbs on her fingertips.
The woman sat with her back to her, facing the campfire.
“I won’t ask why you took your own life, but if it’s something as trivial as your appearance, I can heal the wounds on your face.”
Li Yujing sensed that this person should understand medical principles, but didn't seem like a female doctor dedicated to saving lives. Although she spoke words of concern, her tone was cold and indifferent. Li Yujing even had a strong feeling that if she chose to drown herself in the river again, this person would not stop her, nor would she offer to help her again.
There is a huge reef not far from the shore.
Li Yujing figured she must have been swept here by the rapids. Luckily, the woman was nearby, so she waded a few steps and pulled her out of the water.
She tried to get up to thank them, but as soon as she sat up, she realized that her torn clothes had been taken off and placed aside, and she had been dressed in a gray-white cloth robe. There was also an outer robe under her.
An empty bundle lay at the feet of the woman beside the campfire pit.
They must have piled all the spare clothes from the bundle onto her.
As soon as Li Yujing spoke, she realized her voice was hoarse. "Thank you for saving my life." She touched her face, which was numb and insensitive from being soaked in cold water for so long. "Can you really heal my face, young lady?"
She thought she heard the woman laugh.
"My surname is Ye, and I am temporarily residing in Jinshu Lane."
She gave her address, left a medicine bottle, and instructed, "Take this every half hour; it will temporarily save your life. Saving you is a doctor's instinct; there's no need to thank me. I don't care about your future; farewell."
A carriage was parked not far away, and the coachman was grooming the horse's mane. The woman walked over, and the coachman addressed her as "Miss".
The driver's trousers were also half wet.
Li Yujing couldn't remember her appearance, even though she had seen her face just moments before. But what was most striking about this person wasn't her looks; she seemed like a hermit living in the mountains, untouched by worldly affairs.
It feels like I've been given charity.
Li Yujing felt her cheeks were a little dry.
This woman's act of saving the man was as casual as seeing a beaten dog on the roadside, tossing it some medicine and a bone to fill its belly, and then walking away. It conveyed a sense of indifference, as if saying, "Just don't let it die in front of me."
You could say she was cold-hearted, yet she left behind medicine and clothes.
As she said, it was only out of the doctor's conscience.
The wind was strong by the riverbank, and as it blew her robes, Li Yujing noticed that the woman's body was mutilated.
It looks like his waist and abdomen are crippled.
She looked around and saw that there seemed to be a dock on the opposite bank of the river in the distance, with many boats moored and many more leaving the shore.
Li Yujing dared not go to crowded places.
She is the daughter of a disgraced official, stripped of her social status and registered as a lowly person. The government has a record of this, and right now, many people are racking their brains trying to find her. If she cannot be found, many people will be implicated.
If you die, it will end everything; but if you don't die, you have no choice but to go back.
Back at Yifeng Pavilion, the golden cage that had imprisoned her.
She walked a short distance alone before collapsing again by the roadside. In her unconscious state, she seemed to dream of someone's carriage passing by, bumping along and taking her to a secluded mansion.
When I woke up again, it was several days later, at dusk.
The first thing I saw when I woke up was a corner of a deep purple brocade robe, with gold peonies embroidered on the hem.
She was taken aback.
Sure enough, the old woman sitting by the couch had a deep purple silk ribbon tied around her waist, and her silver hair was held up with a jewel-green hairpin.
This is in Dongfu.
"The old princess."
Li Yujing hurriedly got up from the couch and kowtowed.
“Yu’er,” the old princess said, tears streaming down her face, as she embraced the person kneeling on the ground. “Good child, you have suffered so much.”
Perhaps out of deep sympathy for the girl's plight, the old princess hugged her very tightly.
Li Yujing, however, did not feel the tightness. With this embrace, the sorrow in her heart could no longer be contained, and she buried her face in the old princess's shoulder and wept bitterly.
"Cry, child." The old princess stroked her back and instructed a steward-like man, "Go and ask the head of Yifeng Pavilion to approve a document saying that there is a happy event in the East Mansion recently, and that the courtesan will be allowed to stay at the mansion for a while. Yu'er, stay in the East Mansion. I want to see who dares to come to the East Mansion and say a word against you."
Li Yujing sobbed, saying, "Your Highness, I am of lowly birth and dare not linger here and defile your noble place. There are still unmarried sisters in the East Mansion, and their reputations cannot be tarnished because of me alone."
The old princess helped her up, and the two sat facing each other on the couch. "You used to come to the East Mansion often when you were young, why are you being so distant now? Your sisters are all remarkable people, they even entered the Imperial Academy and studied the classics. If you don't even understand this basic principle, and you judge people by their social status, then you are not worthy of being daughters of the East Mansion." The old princess suddenly raised her voice towards the door, "You've studied the classics in vain."
This shout startled several girls with their hair in double buns, who came running in chattering, calling out "Grandmother!" to each other. The old princess covered her head with her hands, saying, "Grandmother heard it, she heard it."
The eldest of the girls bowed slightly to Li Yujing and greeted her, "Miss Qin." After she finished speaking, she said, "Grandmother, the Emperor has ordered that we are not allowed to go to the Imperial Academy, and Lingjiu Academy has also dismissed its students. Even Headmaster Gu has been imprisoned. Will we still be able to study in the future?"
Li Yujing's expression changed. "A-Xie is in prison? Old Princess..." She knew in her heart that Gu Xie was not imprisoned because of Lingjiu Academy. "Is it Mr. Qi Xiu?"
The old princess nodded, patted her hand, and comforted her, "Princess Jiangning returned to the palace this morning. Gu Shan is highly regarded by the princess, and the princess will definitely ensure her and Lingjiu Academy are safe and sound."
But the Imperial Academy... that's hard to say.
To everyone's surprise, Xie Wenjun's detention of students of the Imperial Academy and his months-long standoff with officials and factions in the court who opposed the academy have left the matter unresolved.
Even Chen Liangyu, the Grand General who was far away in the northern border, was summoned back to the palace and reprimanded. Although the official reason was "undisciplined behavior and keeping male favorites," everyone knew that the real reason was that Chen Liangyu had always been a supporter and implementer of Xie Wenjun's cause of promoting girls' education.
The turning point came in late autumn of that year, shortly after Chen Liangyu was summoned back to the palace.
After Lin Yin followed Chen Liangyu back to Yongdu, she went home alone to visit her relatives. The residents of Bogong Village had all been relocated to the foot of the mountain by the government and were living a stable life, but she wanted to go back to the village to take one last look.
Upon arriving, they discovered that many people were pushing carts in and out of a hole.
She didn't remember there being a cave there.
Ore. Most likely iron ore.
After joining the army, she became highly sensitive to matters such as weapons smelting. A medium-sized iron mine could produce enough iron to support an entire army. So she immediately went down the mountain and returned to Yongdu to tell Chen Liangyu about it.
Before dawn, the banks of the Jinshui Bridge were already filled with court officials, waiting for the eunuchs to lead the way with lanterns. As Zhao Xingli alighted from his sedan chair, Chen Liangyu happened to walk by and caught a glimpse of the two large mud stains on his chair.
Someone actually threw mud at him!
Chen Liangyu couldn't help but chuckle, and it took him a while to move his facial muscles and suppress his smile. "Imperial Censor Zhao, have you offended someone again?"
Given her consistent behavior, Zhao Xingli naturally didn't give her a friendly look. However, since Chen Liangyu's rank was higher than his, he couldn't be impolite, so Zhao Xingli still bowed to Chen Liangyu with a cold expression.
He ignored Chen Liangyu, but Chen Liangyu, having been impeached by him several times, was not about to let go of the opportunity to ridicule him.
Chen Liangyu was heartbroken and sincere, saying, "This is such a big matter! Quickly submit a memorial to the Emperor, don't delay."
Zhao Xingli flung his sleeves and stormed off in anger.
The civil officials in court were all eager and ready for another fierce debate. However, Chen Liangyu acted out of character this morning, taking the initiative to request the emperor to send an imperial inspector to investigate the use of funds in various regions, and expressed his willingness to start the investigation from the three northern prefectures.
Her candor made many people unsure of what to do.
His current outburst makes it seem as if he's caught someone red-handed.
Princess Xie Wenjun also approved of her proposal.
Xie Yuan gave the order: "Then investigate for me."
He wanted to build a palace, but everyone advised him against it because the national treasury was empty and it was not advisable to undertake such a large-scale construction project. He also wanted to understand where the court's money was going.
As soon as the government order for self-auditing was issued, many people's attention immediately shifted away from the Gu family.
There was a sizable iron mine at Bogongling, but someone concealed it and attempted to use it as private property.
If this is investigated, it won't just be one company that's panicking.
After the court session, Chen Liangyu handed her horse to the palace eunuch, and Xie Wenjun's carriage was already waiting for her outside the palace. She got into the carriage and giggled for a while, laughing so hard she swayed, and told Xie Wenjun about how Zhao Xingli's sedan chair had indeed been smashed with mud that morning.
"Your Highness, who should we impeach in a memorial about being pelted with mud? Hahaha..." Before he could finish laughing, Chen Liangyu noticed some mud-like dirt under Xie Wenjun's fingernails.
Xie Wenjun wasn't wearing nail guards, and the dirt was very noticeable.
Chen Liangyu asked, "Did you do this?"
Xie Wenjun turned her face away, remaining silent. She did not deny it either.
Chen Liangyu: "Did you really do this?" She laughed even harder, swaying from side to side.
Xie Wenjun finally couldn't stand her anymore, "Is it that funny?"
"That's hilarious." Chen Liangyu laughed, and then gave Xie Wenjun a kiss on the cheek. "It's so funny."
She couldn't imagine what a bizarre scene it would be if Xie Wenjun, such a serious person, held a lump of mud in his hand and threw it at a passing sedan chair.
No wonder Zhao Xingli's face was as long as a donkey's, yet he dared not speak out against it.
Xie Wenjun said, "It is his good fortune that I personally smashed the mud."
Chen Liangyu replied, “Of course, not everyone has the honor of being personally splashed with mud by the Princess. Your Highness, could you please inform me beforehand next time you do something like this? I would like to witness the Princess’s skill in playing with mud.”
She carefully removed the dirt from Xie Wenjun's nails, wiping them again and again with a handkerchief. "Where are we going?"
Xie Wenjun said, "The Dali Temple prison."
"For Gu Xie?"
Xie Wenjun nodded. There was a pot of orchids beside her.
The cells where Gu Xie and Yao Jifeng were imprisoned were two cells with windows. There were tables and chairs, and oil lamps. Many sheets of paper covered with writing and drawings were piled on the tables. Gu Xie and Yao Jifeng sat side by side, separated by wooden bars, each writing something.
He wrote very quickly, as if he were racing against someone to save time.
The head of the Dali Temple was Chen Luan, and he had chosen these two cells. Usually, no one would bother Gu Xie and his wife.
Chen Luan ordered the jailer to unlock the lock, and the sound of the chains being pulled made Gu Xie and his wife look up from their books.
Gu Xie rose to greet them, "Princess, General, Lord Chen."
Yao Jifeng also came from next door to greet her.
Chen Luan placed the orchid on Gu Xie's desk. "Miss, here's the orchid you wanted."
"Thank you, Lord Chen."
Gu Xie moved the potted orchid to Yao Jifeng's side. The delicate leaves grew in clusters, adorned with two small flowers. The flowers were spike-like, resembling chicken-foot flowers, with tiny seeds in the center. The orchid's natural fragrance was quite refreshing, but it was masked by the stench of the prison and the heavy smell of ink.
Chen Liangyu smelled the ink fragrance filling the room and flipped through a couple of pages of the manuscripts.
Gu Xie said, “Your Highness once said that if we want to enlighten the people, we must first address their livelihood. There are thousands of books, but those on agriculture, medicine, astronomy and calendar, civil engineering, and water conservancy are the most widely used. Now that we need to trade with various countries, we need to study the languages of various countries, especially the languages of the steppes. This is a very important matter. My teacher and I have compiled the strengths of various schools of thought into a book for the young ladies to study. Scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, and classics and history are the path to the imperial examinations. If this path is blocked, then we will have the young ladies learn a skill that will allow them to earn a living first.”
“Your Highness, I believe that one day the young ladies will be able to enter officialdom. Life and death are predestined, and I will bear all the blame for the Gu family’s crimes alone. Your Highness, please do not ruin our foundation in the court because of my husband and me. My husband and I are not afraid of death.”
"If I fail at the last moment, then I will pave the way for future generations with my blood and body."
Yao Jifeng, who had been silent all along, finally reacted when Gu Xie said that "she would bear all the sins of the Gu family alone."
He still looked like a scholar, but he had lost the spirit he had when he served as the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy. With his beard hanging down, he looked somewhat dejected.
Yao Jifeng suddenly knelt down and bowed deeply to Xie Wenjun, saying, "I beg the Princess to protect the young lady. This matter arose because of me, and I will bear all the blame."
Yao Jifeng, like everyone else at Hanhong Academy, always called Gu Xie "Miss," and this form of address never changed even after they got married.
Xie Wenjun said, "I will protect the Gu family."
The Gu family naturally includes Gu Xie.
But what about Yao Jifeng?
Gu Xie instantly understood, and a tear fell with a thud, staining the paper.
Yao Jifeng looked at her, a slight smile on his face, and asked, "I am but a crippled man; have I been of any help to you, young lady?"
Gu Xie nodded, tears welling in his eyes, nodding frantically, "Yes."
For a long time after Yao Jifeng was brought back to Hanhong Academy by Gu Changxue, he had little will to live. Only because he had a younger sister, Yao Jiyue, in the palace did he refrain from taking his own life. Gu Xie tried every possible way to make him show some "humanity," but all his efforts were in vain.
Yao Jifeng used to love tending orchids and had a good reputation in the court, also known as the "Gentleman of Orchids." She planted many orchids, but they were delicate and Yao Jifeng never took care of them, so they all withered. Until one day, he discovered that he could only find peace when he was immersed in his study.
On their wedding night, Gu Xie said, "Please help me one more time, sir."
From then on, Yao Jifeng began to collect useful books from all over the country. Books were very precious. Although Hanhong Academy had a large collection, most of them were classics and historical texts for the imperial examinations, and practical books were scarce. Gu Changxue and Gu Heng both disapproved of establishing girls' schools and were mostly unwilling to help. After changing her name, Yao Jifeng's identity became inconvenient. Sometimes, it would take her half a year to find a book on water conservancy.
Fortunately, at the end of his life, all the knowledge he had acquired was not wasted.
"I have ruined your marriage, young lady. In the next life..." Yao Jifeng said, "I only wish that after my death, my body can be properly collected and buried with my wife."
Gu Xie understood that the wife Yao Jifeng was referring to was not her, but his first wife who died in the massacre.
She replied, "Okay."
A smokescreen can only be used once. Once exposed, the only way to prove the strictness of the law is to expose the guilty to the public and punish them severely.
Chen Liangyu stayed in Yongdu for over a month during his duty report period. The last time he saw Yao Jifeng before returning to the northern border was on the widest and busiest street in Yongdu. He was wearing shackles, his eyes closed, swaying as he was paraded through the streets in a prison cart, his head peeking out as he was pelted with stones, cursed, and spat upon by the angry crowd.
He was to be taken on a tour of the city.
Locked in the prison van, they traveled from city to city.
Those who once respectfully addressed him as "sir" are now the ones who scorn him the most, wishing they could utter the most vile words in the world.
When the entire Yao family was executed, he divorced his wife and abandoned his children, accepting the Gu family's offer of marriage to survive. This act was despised by all scholars.
Having literary skills but lacking moral character is a disgrace to civilization.
hypocrite.
What a despicable person.
A disgrace to intellectuals.
...
Yao Jifeng died on the way to a prisoner's carriage.
The prison cart headed north. This year, the north had an early snowfall, and by early winter, the ground was covered with a half-foot layer of snow. He was wearing only a thin prison coat that barely covered his body.
The swirling snowflakes blinded them, obscuring their path and making it impossible to move. The two escorting officials had no choice but to abandon the prison cart and set off in opposite directions, each step sinking into a ditch in the ground in search of a way out.
When they returned, the person in the prison van was huddled in a corner, eyes closed, his body covered in a thick layer of white frost.
The orchid grower, who had enjoyed a distinguished reputation for half his life, froze to death in the snow.
Author's Note: Ye Weiwan: "Remember me? I'm about to make my appearance and stir up some trouble."
Zhao Xingli (being smeared with mud): "Do you want this good fortune?"
Thank you for reading this far!
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