Chapter 38 Just a coward. Before you go to Jian'an, I will definitely make peace...
"What!" Yu Nie and the others were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out those two words.
Rong Dajia then recounted the news he had heard from his old friend that morning in detail: "It's absolutely true! Just as dawn was breaking, a black lacquered coffin was lying across the gate of the government office. The prefect's wife was holding the coffin and crying her heart out. She was wearing a white mourning cloth on her head and dressed in hemp clothing. She kept muttering the words 'husband.' Everyone who came and went saw it."
The three of them originally thought they would hear the news of He Renzhi's execution first, but unexpectedly, it was Zhao Shuhuai who lost his life first.
Yu Nie lowered his eyes in deep thought. The scene of encountering Zhao Shuhuai and his group yesterday was still vivid in his mind. In just one night, they had become separated by life and death.
She wasn't afraid, but a sense of melancholy about the impermanence of life inevitably welled up in her heart.
"Zhao Shuhuai's death is not necessarily a bad thing for Huaiyuan." After listening to Rong Dajia's story, Langxi sat up straight, placed one hand on the table, and said solemnly, "Huaiyuan has been oppressed by him and He Renzhi for a long time. His death can be considered a fitting end."
Rong Dajia nodded repeatedly in agreement: "He's dead, so I believe He Renzhi won't live much longer either. Our Huaiyuan is finally seeing the light of day."
After he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
Even though the man was dead, Yu Nie still found it hard to believe that someone like Zhao Shuhuai, a descendant of royalty, would be executed so easily. Yesterday, Xie Cheng had clearly mentioned that he had been brought to Huaiyuan for trial.
Normally, it takes at least two or three days from trial to conviction. To say that the defendant was brought to justice seems far too swift.
She thought this through, without a doubt about the entire trial process.
The presiding official was Zi Jing, someone she trusted implicitly. To her, how could there be anything fishy going on?
Rong Dajia seemed to have thought of something important again and said, "However, Zhao Shuhuai's life was also destined to end. I heard that the imperial court issued an edict to send him to Jian'an Prison for trial. The edict arrived, but he was gone."
Rong Dajia spoke with a hint of satisfaction in his voice.
Upon hearing that the imperial court had sent people, Yu Nie thought of Zhao Shuhuai's current predicament and couldn't help but feel extremely fortunate.
Anyone with eyes can see the tricks of the trade. If Zhao Shuhuai were to return to Jian'an, with his noble family background, he could easily smooth things over. What he did in Huaiyuan would be all bark and no bite, and he would at most be exiled. He probably wouldn't die.
Fortunately, the imperial edict arrived too late.
Langxi said, "Accumulated good deeds will surely bring abundant blessings, and accumulated evil deeds will surely bring abundant calamities. Heaven has eyes, and good and evil will be rewarded accordingly. The evil he sowed can be considered as a backlash against himself."
"As expected of a Taoist, Master Langxi is right."
Madam Rong chimed in, and the others joined in with their praise, making Langxi feel embarrassed.
The three of them sat for about half a cup of tea's time, then Yu Nie, Lang Xi, and A Hui got up to say goodbye, intending to go to the brewery in the west of the city.
There was a long-established winery there, whose intoxicating aroma could be smelled for miles around, making it famous throughout Dingzhou. They planned to buy a few bottles of fine aged wine for Zijing and the others to take with them.
Jian'an boasts a wide variety of delicious foods, and almost all of them are top-notch, but the wine from Jian'an may not be able to rival that of this place.
Ah Hui led the little red horse on the far left, Lang Xi was in the middle, and Yu Nie was on the far right.
Muttering to himself what Rong Da Jia had just said, Yu Nie expressed his doubts: "Governor Zhao died so quickly. Judging from the case-handling procedures, isn't it more like he committed suicide out of fear of punishment?"
Langxi understood the hidden meaning in her words. She pondered for a moment and said, "It does seem very similar, but... given his character, he shouldn't do such a thing."
Suicide out of fear of punishment indicates guilt or fear, but Zhao Shuhuai, a prince who was used to disregarding discipline and acting arrogantly, clearly did not meet this condition.
Lang Xi said, "In the eyes of these nobles and powerful families, there is nothing in this world that cannot be settled by power. Zhao Shuhuai is of noble status. Once he returns to Jian'an, He Renzhi's case is not without their manipulation if they want to. It's only because he encountered Commandant Huan and his men that this case could be settled without even waiting to return to Jian'an."
“What Junior Sister says is true,” Yu Nie said thoughtfully, “but I wonder… how are Zi Jing and the others doing now? The court sent people here, which clearly means they want Zhao Shuhuai to return to Jian’an alive. Now that a prince’s son is dead, how is he going to explain this to everyone?”
What she worried about, Langxi and the others were also deeply troubled by.
After a moment's thought, Yu Nie said, "Why don't we quickly buy the goods and go to the county government to find out what's going on?"
As soon as the suggestion was made, Ahui and Langxi exchanged a glance, both nodding in approval and readily agreeing.
The three quickened their pace as they walked through the city, heading straight for the various shops.
*
The western part of the city is lined with shops, and all kinds of stalls are set up along the street, saving them the trouble of running around.
In just over an hour, the three of them had prepared all the gifts they wanted to give.
Ah Hui held in her arms a package of candied fruits sealed in red oil paper. The candied fruits were made from longan, a fruit unique to Huaiyuan, along with mulberries and sweet apricots. Although these two kinds of fruits could be found outside Huaiyuan City, the taste was completely different and could not be found in the local flavor at all.
Langxi carried two jars of the finest Zui Piaomiao wine, made from green grapes grown at the foot of Lianshan Mountain. It has a sweet taste without bitterness and an endless aftertaste, and it cannot be bought anywhere else.
Yu Nie carried a bamboo gift box, inside which were neatly arranged delicate tea snacks such as marrow cakes, sesame candy, and Lianghua cakes, all of which were unique to Dingzhou.
Each of the three men carried something in their hands and led their horses to the government office.
When they arrived at the government office, they saw two rows of yamen runners standing solemnly on either side, dressed in armor. The coffin that Rong Dajia had mentioned earlier was nowhere to be seen.
Yu Nie spotted Zi Jing standing at the bottom of the stone steps immediately. He looked calm and composed, and was talking quietly with a eunuch dressed in light blue trousers.
The eunuch was about thirty years old, with a sallow complexion. He would occasionally wipe away tears with his wide sleeves, and it was unclear what he was crying about.
Before long, the eunuch shakily stepped onto the saddle using a stool, followed closely by three guards with swords. The sound of hooves faded into the distance, raising a fine cloud of dust.
Watching the eunuch's entourage disappear down the long street, Zi Jing turned around, and in that instant, his gloomy gaze met hers.
While she remained uncertain, the young man had already adopted a bright and cheerful expression.
“Young lady…” His brows relaxed, his sleeves fluttered in the wind, and he called out to her with youthful vigor, “Now that we’re at the yamen, why are you still standing there like an idiot?”
Thinking he had misread it, Yu Nie smiled and walked towards the entrance of the government office, replying, "I just saw that the junior officer was busy and it was inconvenient for me to go up and disturb him."
Langxi and Ahui followed behind her and came to Zijing together.
After exchanging greetings, Xie Cheng, who was standing behind Zi Jing, noticed the large and small packages in the hands of the three men and asked curiously, "What are those three Taoist priests carrying?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Nie lifted the bamboo gift box in his hand higher: "Oh, this is a parting gift specially chosen for the captain, the guards, and Attendant Lu when they leave Huaiyuan."
She explained, "My junior sister, junior brother, Aunt Liu, and I discussed it. We've known each other for a while, and we can't let you leave empty-handed, so we bought these snacks."
Lang Xi handed over two jars of Zui Piaomiao: "These are just local delicacies, nothing special, but I hope you won't find them offensive."
Zi Jing's gaze swept over the carefully prepared gifts, a faint smile playing on his lips. He put on no airs whatsoever: "What talk of disdain? We are overjoyed that you all have such thoughtfulness. I am Xie, the bodyguard, and Lu, the attendant, and I thank you in advance."
As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced sideways behind him: "What are you still standing there for, Attendant Lu? Why don't you step forward and accept it quickly? Do you expect the Taoist priests to keep fawning over you?"
"Yes, sir." Attendant Lu stepped forward and took the items from their hands one by one. He couldn't carry them all by himself, so Xie Cheng stepped forward to lend a hand.
After receiving the items, Zijing invited Yu Nie and the others inside to talk.
Yu Nie followed his steps and walked towards the backyard.
She moved through the government office without leaving a trace. The government office was exactly the same as when she came yesterday.
After passing through the main gate, the ceremonial gate, and the courtroom where prisoners were usually interrogated, she inadvertently glanced at the stone inscription in the front courtyard and saw several guards and maids sweeping the courtyard below the stone steps. A basin of water was spilled on the ground and instantly turned into red blood.
Yu Nie was startled and stopped in his tracks.
Noticing that she had slowed down, Zijing followed her gaze.
She stammered, "That...that's...whose blood?"
Seeing that she was frightened, Zijing explained as if to comfort her: "Young lady, don't be afraid. This is the blood of Prefect Zhao Shuhuai, who died here yesterday."
Upon hearing that Zhao Shuhuai had died here, she instinctively hid behind Lang Xi, clinging tightly to his arm.
She wasn't afraid of any vengeful spirits; she just disliked places where people had died—she was simply timid.
Rong Dajia's words still echoed in their ears; they had always had doubts about Zhao Shuhuai's suicide.
She couldn't help but ask, "My lord, did Zhao Shuhuai really take his own life here?"
After she finished asking, Zijing smiled and asked, "Is that what people are saying?"
Before she could answer, he denied the rumor and said again, "I killed him."
"You killed him?" Yu Nie and Lang Xi asked in unison.
Zi Jing nodded slightly and repeated his words to the imperial envoy yesterday, saying, "The imperial envoy has now returned to the palace to report that Zhao Shuhuai has been sentenced to death for his crimes, and the evidence against He Renzhi and others is conclusive. They will be executed at noon tomorrow, and this case will be closed."
He paused for a moment: "Until the new officials appointed by the court arrive, all affairs in Huaiyuan will be temporarily handled by Guard Xie. As for the prefectures and counties, Governor Han will take care of them."
Such a big case was handled so quickly and decisively that Yu Nie was somewhat bewildered when it came to an end.
He had clearly arranged everything. Pulling her thoughts back, Yu Nie asked him with a worried expression, "Young Master killed the prince's son. Although Zhao Shuhuai deserves to die, you are going to take up a post in the court. Won't the people of the Prince of Yan's mansion... target you because of this?"
Everyone present felt that his concerns were not unfounded, but Zi Jing seemed not to care at all: "If the Prince of Yan likes to play this kind of game, I will certainly play along to the end."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Nie felt a sensation she had never experienced before. She sensed that the person before her... didn't seem afraid of death at all; he even seemed eager to take on such a life-or-death challenge, with an almost irrepressible excitement.
A gentle breeze swept through the courtyard and windows, flowing past the two doors, lifting the hems of their jade-white robes and white gauze gowns. In this draft, their garments tangled together, intentionally or unintentionally.
Noticing her gaze fixed on him, he raised his eyes, his gaze as clear and bright as a sunny day: "However, my lady, rest assured, I will be safe and sound and waiting for you before you go to Jian'an."
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