Chapter 6: Are there no normal young masters in Gongzi Yongdu...?
These words struck a chord with me.
Li Yilian was caught in a dilemma: he had a career ahead of him and old friends behind him. No matter which side he chose or abandoned, he would inevitably end up pleasing neither side.
Qiu Shiyan was no longer as calm and arrogant as before, and his expression showed some panic.
The crowd stirred again, but Wen Gaoguan shouted in a deep voice, "Quiet down!"
The voices were silenced, leaving only the chirping from inside the hall.
Chen Liangyu repeatedly pressured Li Yilian to expedite the trial, but the latter remained hesitant.
Li Yilian glanced back and saw that the screen was embroidered with the mythical beast Xie Zhi and inscribed with the four characters "Ming Cha Qiu Hao" (meaning "to see clearly even the smallest details"). He sat back down at the desk and said, "Prefect Zhou has always been known for his integrity. Lord Qiu admires his character and transferred him from Xuzhou to Yongdu with the intention of forming a marriage alliance. The matter between Young Master Qiu and Miss Zhou is a misunderstanding."
Zhou Pei glanced at Chen Liangyu, then looked at Li Yilian in a panic. "Your Honor, this has never happened. Please investigate thoroughly and do justice for me."
"Marriage is a major event, and it is decided by parents and matchmakers. The elders of both families have already made arrangements. It is only natural that Young Master Qiu and Miss Zhou met by chance and fell in love."
Qiu Shiyan hurriedly replied, "That's right. Miss Zhou and I were arranged to be together. There was no question of us forcibly taking her away."
Qiu Shiyan was quick-witted. He knew that once they were in court, the gavel would be slammed, and Li Yilian would likely be unable to guarantee his safety. So, he went along with Li Yilian and agreed to the marriage. Although he looked down on the Zhou family because of their low social standing, this was the best solution. He could marry them, put them in a side courtyard, and give them food. He could still live a life of debauchery in Yongdu, which was much more comfortable than being exiled and sent to the army.
They really are trying to distort the truth.
Chen Liangyu asked Qiu Shiyan, "You said you've arranged a marriage. May I ask who acted as matchmaker? When were the birth dates exchanged? Have you asked for names and paid betrothal gifts?"
Li Yilian continued to mediate, saying, "Commander Chen, wouldn't it be a wonderful thing to turn hostility into marriage? Why must it be a fight to the death?" He then earnestly advised Zhou Pei, "Miss Zhou, you wrote a letter in blood and even attempted suicide by hitting your head against a pillar, showing no regard for your reputation and making the matter known to everyone. Marrying into the Qiu family is the best way out for you. Your father works with Lord Qiu in the court, and Young Master Qiu is also a handsome and talented man. Marrying him would not be a disservice to you."
Chen Liangyu was filled with resentment and anger.
A perfectly respectable young woman from an honest family suffered this undeserved misfortune and had nowhere to seek redress.
The court stands high above, looking down upon the world with a sidelong glance.
"Is it not a mistreatment? I heard that Lord Li's second daughter is getting married to the Qiu family. What do you think? Lord Li and Lord Qiu are colleagues in the same court. Marrying your daughter to such a man is not a mistreatment! If Lord Li is willing, my Chen family is willing to act as matchmaker."
Enraged, the Prefect of Yong'an clapped his hands and said, "What are you saying! Commander Chen, why do you insist on making things difficult for me? You are also an unmarried young lady. Why don't you think about it? The mistake has already been made. If we don't compromise, what good family will be willing to marry someone who has lost her chastity? Commander Chen, it's not that I'm being unreasonable, but a woman's life is nothing more than 'chastity.' This way of handling it is good for both sides."
Chen Liangyu was speechless for a moment; few could break free from the shackles of chastity. She asked Zhou Pei, "Miss Zhou, what do you think?"
Zhou Pei said urgently, "I have never been engaged to the Qiu family, nor has my father ever discussed this with them. I beg you, sir, to give me justice. I only ask for justice, and then I will go up the mountain to shave my head and become a nun."
Li Yilian seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, saying, "Miss Zhou, what is justice? Can you see or touch it? What good will it do you to be so stubborn and unreasonable? If you insist on suing Qiu Shiyan, I can certainly accept your case and hold a public trial. However, once in court, evidence is required, and the outcome may not be what you wish for. I am advising you for your own good, to preserve the reputation of both families, and to ensure your father and brothers will have someone to help them in the future. To put it bluntly, without this matter, you would not have been able to marry into such a high social class!"
"Your Excellency!" Chen Liangyu could hardly agree with his assertive words. "You are a public official who upholds justice for the people. Is it appropriate for you to utter the question, 'What is justice?' If you cannot uphold justice, what use is your court?"
Li Yilian was speechless after being refuted. Although she carried the fish tally of the Marquis of Xuanping, she was, after all, a junior and of lower rank than him. He was embarrassed by being refuted like this. "Commander Chen, the Southern Court has no right to interfere with the Yong'an Prefecture's judgment. Disturbing the court, I have the right to ask you to leave."
He lost the argument, so he tried to use his position to intimidate others.
"Lord Li, are you perhaps a little confused? The court is outside, and Lord Li has not opened the court. How can you say that you are disrupting the court?" Chen Liangyu played with the fish tally and said calmly, "You sent my men from the Southern Court to stand in front of the people and take the blame for you, while you hid and acted as matchmakers. If you don't have an explanation today, I will tear down your Yong'an Prefecture!"
The people behind the screen were getting restless.
Gao Guan rushed in, panting heavily. "Commander, the people from the Ministry of Justice have arrived."
Chen Liangyu stood up. “Since Lord Li is determined to bend the law for personal gain, it would be better to hand this case over to another department for trial.”
As they were talking, two officials from the Ministry of Justice entered. Judging from their bitter expressions, it was clear that Chen Linjun had already reprimanded the Ministry of Justice. The two officials, carrying official documents, ordered that Qiu Shiyan be temporarily taken to the Ministry of Justice for detention.
"I'm taking the people from the Southern Office with me. Also, the salaries of the Southern Office are not paid by you, Lord Li. From now on, you will have to rely on your own people to handle the affairs of Yong'an Prefecture. Lord Li, you should take care of yourself." As she spoke, she picked up Zhou Pei from the ground and said to the screen, "Minister Qiu, I take my leave."
The official from the Ministry of Justice said, "Commander Chen, this young lady is a party involved in the case, and we will also take her in for questioning."
Zhou Pei glanced at Chen Liangyu, pursed her lips, and knelt down with a thud, kowtowing. Chen Liangyu quickly helped her up, wanting to say something, but couldn't form a sentence for a long time, only patting her frail shoulder.
Chen Liangyu flung his robes and stepped out of Yong'an Prefecture, his steps restless.
A pair of crows circled overhead, cawing incessantly, making the already noisy people even more annoyed.
The crowd, who had come to witness the spectacle, saw Qiu Shiyan and Zhou Pei being led away by a group of people in official robes. Their initial outbursts turned into quiet whispers. Gao Guan dispersed the crowd, looking utterly dejected, as if his soul had been ripped from his body. Whether from anger or suppressed frustration, his fleshy face was dark red. He busied himself with arranging for the group to return to the South Office.
After crossing a street, where the crowds of people had grown, Chen Liangyu slowed his horse down.
Pedestrians quickly moved to the sides of the road to make way for the officials, but suddenly several people on horseback rushed out from the street ahead. This was a bustling area, and the leader showed no sign of slowing down, knocking over many stalls along the way.
A boy with a topknot was picking up pebbles in the middle of the road when he was startled by a tall horse galloping by. For a moment, he forgot to move and run away.
The leading youth hastily reined in his horse, but it was too late.
The horse's hooves rose high, and the child landed with a thud. A couple in plain clothes rushed out of a tailor shop, holding the unconscious child and wailing.
Chen Liangyu cracked his whip and caught up.
Gao Guan tried to reach out and pull her, stopping her from going forward, "Commander, don't..."
Don't go! You can't afford to offend them! Unfortunately, he was too late; he didn't even manage to touch the hem of their clothes. Now, Gao Guan was so anxious he was about to cry. "Grandma, you can offend anyone! I'm just a nobody trying to survive... I... you... oh dear!"
Run! Take the shortcut and escape!
Despite his mental commands, Gao Guan's limbs disobeyed him, his legs feeling like lead as he walked step by step toward Chen Liangyu. His steps were heavy, as if he were walking on a narrow bridge across the gates of hell, with death beckoning him with every step, and the closer he got, the closer he was to death.
The child was about eleven or twelve years old. Blood was seeping from the corner of his mouth, and he was unconscious. A neighbor ran quickly to fetch a doctor.
The leader of the group riding horses in the street was a man dressed in silk and satin, with accessories jingling all over his body. He looked rather thin, but there was a fierce look in his eyes.
Chen Liangyu didn't have time to pay attention to him. She dismounted and placed her finger on the boy's pulse. The pulse was strong, "He is not in mortal danger." After feeling around for a while, she found something unusual in the chest area and guessed that his ribs were broken.
The tailor couple thanked them repeatedly.
The man who hit the couple didn't seem to intend to dismount. Hearing that she was out of danger, he breathed a sigh of relief, tore off a money bag and casually threw it at the couple's feet, then set off to leave.
"stop!"
Chen Liangyu spoke up to stop him.
The man in the lead seemed surprised that someone dared to stop him, and looked at her defiantly: "Who are you?"
“From the Southern Court.”
"Oh," the man responded, giving her a cursory glance. "Is there something you need?"
Gao Guan rushed forward and stood between the two men, bowing to the man on horseback. "Young Master Zhang, I am Gao Guan from the Southern Army. This is our newly appointed commander of the Southern Army." He then introduced him to Chen Liangyu: "This is the son of the Right Chancellor, Zhang Jialing."
After saying that, he tried to wink at Chen Liangyu with his eyes, his eyelids were practically twitching from blinking. If it weren't for the fact that men don't easily shed tears in public, he would have burst into tears on the spot.
These two ancestors must not clash, absolutely must not clash, he cannot bear the consequences of either one.
“I know who she is, you don’t need to tell me.” Zhang Jialing cupped his hands and said, “General Chen, my apologies for my rudeness.”
Chen Liangyu did not have a military rank before. The title "Little General" was originally just a joke made by the soldiers in the Northern Border Camp. Later, although she followed her father and brothers to the battlefield and made many military achievements, she did not receive an official title from the court because she was a woman. She had the title but no real name. She just accepted the nickname as a title.
Another rich kid has appeared. She's stirred up a hornet's nest. Are there no normal rich kids in Yongdu? These bullies who prey on men and women, they look human but do nothing.
Seeing that the two were being very polite to each other, Gao Guan finally felt much relieved.
"You hit someone."
"He's the one who blocked my way."
“If you ride your horse recklessly in the middle of the city and injure someone, you shall be punished with ten strokes of the cane according to the law. You shall apologize to the injured party and come with me to the yamen to receive the cane.”
Zhang Jialing raised his chin, gesturing for Chen Liangyu to look at the money bag he had thrown on the ground. "I have already apologized. I can apologize, but I'm afraid these three lowly people cannot accept it."
“My father is the Right Chancellor of the current dynasty and once served as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Even His Highness the Crown Prince has to respectfully address him as ‘Teacher.’ Now, the Marquis of Xuanping’s mansion is the most trusted by His Majesty. You naturally have the right to take me away. But even if I go with you to the Sixteen Guards or Yong’an Prefecture, wouldn’t they still have to serve me respectfully and send me back properly?”
Zhang Jialing's lips curled into a faint sneer, "This little Southern Office is just a sinecure the Emperor casually bestowed upon you out of respect for Marquis Xuanping. Just do your job well and don't overstep your bounds. Even if Marquis Xuanping himself came, he wouldn't be able to touch me!"
Chen Liangyu glanced at the young man; his breath was weak and his face was bloodless. Such a deficiency of both qi and blood was rare. She said coldly, "Prime Minister Zhang is renowned throughout the land, yet his son is a short-lived scoundrel. Truly, a tiger father begets a dog son."
"What did you say?" Zhang Jialing was vaguely angry, and it was unclear which of his words had touched a nerve, but his facial muscles twisted and deformed.
"I told you to apologize!" Chen Liangyu's good temper had been worn down to almost nothing. With a stern shout, "Tie him up and whip him on the spot!"
Gao Guan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.
Gao Guanzheng was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to act or not. Suddenly, Zhang Jialing clutched his chest, arched his back, and coughed up a mouthful of blood. He tumbled off his horse, rolled his eyes back, and collapsed unconscious.
The next day, the sun was high in the sky.
Right Chancellor Zhang Diancheng tearfully presented a petition to the Emperor, demanding that Chen Liangyu pay with her life.
When Zhang Jialing's men brought the man to the clinic, he was already unconscious and barely breathing. The doctor put a piece of ginseng in his mouth to keep him alive, but shook his head and said that there was nothing that could be done. Zhang Diancheng hurriedly sent the man to the Imperial Medical Bureau for treatment, but he still passed away at noon today.
Chen Yuanqing entered the palace upon summons, and Chen Linjun followed closely behind, calling upon his two lieutenants, Jinghe and Jingming, to ride off in another direction.
Chen Liangyu was taken away from the Southern Office and detained in the inner courtyard of the Imperial Palace.
A note from the author:
Chen Liangyu: "Aren't there any normal young masters in Yongdu?"
Jiang Ning: "Even the most ordinary princesses have their moments of normalcy."
Chen Liangyu: "I think you're the one who's acting even more strangely."
Jiang Ning: "You're the only normal one!"
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