With a nosebleed, Qin Weixi followed his gaze and saw...
September, late autumn.
Because Liang Shuwen personally went to the Dali Temple to confess the truth on behalf of his son, Liang Xu was able to be released from prison.
Even tigers don't eat their cubs. Liang Shuwen's second son was secretly murdered in Penglai many years ago. According to folk sayings, the youngest son and the youngest grandson are both the most important and difficult to part with. Liang Shuwen had already lost one son, but many years later, he never abused his power to protect him. Instead, he personally exposed his youngest son's crimes, staging a great act of righteousness by sacrificing his own family.
The Cao family, including the beloved son of Minister Cao, who had left the capital, also returned at this time. Compared to the snuff bottle evidence found in Hualixuan, Liang Shuwen's personal identification, and Liang Xu's risky actions to plan for his younger brother.
It seems rather vague for Minister Cao, now in his seventies, to conclude that Liang Xu was the one who conspired with the Prince of Jing, based solely on the fact that his grandson went missing in the marketplace and was rescued by Liang Xu.
As a result, Emperor Kangxi ordered that the son of Prince Jing, who was involved in the imperial examination fraud case, be removed from the imperial genealogy and demoted to a commoner; his grandson, Sun Zheng, be exiled to a malarial region to serve in the army; and the three sons of the Liang family, who were also involved in the case, were escorted out of the capital seven days later to serve six years of corvée labor.
Liang Shuwen was seriously ill and bedridden for many days and did not attend court. Liang Xu was detained in the ancestral hall for many days for neglecting his duty in taking care of his younger brother.
Cao Mo, the Minister of Rites at the time, was granted the additional post of Right Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial by Emperor Kangxi to appease his ministers. His son was promoted to Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial.
After failing to find a husband, Lady Qian went to great lengths to seek help, but was repeatedly shunned by the noble families she had previously been on good terms with. In her grief and indignation, she had no choice but to go to the palace to see Empress Tao. At the same time, the students from Qianzhou, escorted to the capital by the personal guards of the Marquis of Jingning, arrived in the capital five days earlier.
As usual, Crown Prince Jiang Yuanjun carried several jars of sake and a box full of pastries to the Luo residence to have a small gathering with his old friends, just like when he was young.
This is what Emperor Kang Le was happy to see.
The group set up tables and chairs in the small garden outside Tingyu Pavilion, and Tao Qingyun roasted mutton and pheasant stuffed with spices on a lit fire.
"So Liang Gou'er just took the blame for his brother like that? Did he get kicked in the head by a donkey?"
Looking at the burning flames and the sizzling, oily roasted meat in front of him, Qin Weixi chuckled softly: "Not necessarily."
Tao Qingyun frowned upon hearing this.
Jiang Yuanjun took a cup of tea from Luo Ling and asked Chu Yening, who was leisurely reclining in a rattan chair, "Is the scholar from Qianzhou settled in? And is the assassin who tried to kill him also in the same place?"
"It's with Uncle Zhang."
Tao Qingyun suddenly laughed: "What was Prince Jing thinking when he only sent a trusted confidant? Did he not take this weak scholar seriously at all? But how could he have thought about the people's hearts? This scholar often taught those students in the village who couldn't afford tuition to read. Not to mention how much the villagers respected this young teacher."
Jiang Yuanjun continued, "Before I left the palace, spies followed me all the way. I suppose they were sent by my father because he was afraid we would cause trouble because of Liang Xu."
Mentioning the palace, Tao Qingyun realized that it had been quite some time since he had visited his aunt. But recalling the matter of Yingtian Prefecture that his aunt had mentioned that day, his face fell.
Anyone who wants to go to Yingtian Prefecture can go, but he's not going.
The dark clouds came quickly and dispersed just as fast. In the blink of an eye, he smiled and picked up a piece of freshly roasted mutton, skewered it on a bamboo stick, and first offered it to the little girl in front of him, dressed in a snow-white silk dress, who was looking up at the sky, her soul seemingly elsewhere.
The fragrance quickly filled the courtyard.
He said smugly, "I told you your brother's grilling skills are unparalleled, didn't I?"
He glanced up and saw the little girl already smiling and eating the roasted meat with gusto, while the others were already drinking strong liquor. He quickly walked over, snatched the cup that Chu Yening was about to put into her mouth, and drank it all in one gulp.
One cup down, and it's truly delightful.
Tao Qingyun said, "I said that even if we go to all this trouble, that Liang thief might not be able to do anything." She then craned her neck and asked Chu Yening, "That stubborn old man Cao Mo really listened to you and cooperated with you in this play? Hey, what kind of temperament does Liang Xu have? What kind of temperament does Liang Lang have? Is this imperial uncle confused too?"
Chu Yening smiled and said, "The case of the Duke of Dingguo has resurfaced. Is there anyone who hates that Liang traitor even more than him? Can't Cao Mo tell which is more important?"
Jiang Yuanjun continued, "The Lantern Festival incident caused quite a stir in the city back then, and everyone still remembers Liang Shuwen's youngest son's arrogance. In the end, the cheating in the imperial examination did not actually happen, and the people did not have many complaints. Liang Shuwen has been an official in the court for many years, and the only son that the emperor could protect was his son, whom he turned a blind eye to."
Tao Qingyun sat casually on the long stone bench under the tree, one elbow resting on her bent knee, and sneered at him: "Old blockhead, what about you? If we do something bad in the future, will you turn a blind eye?"
"Liang Shuwen wants to protect his good son, but he also has to see if he can."
Qin Weixi then looked at the group and said, "So we want to make him suffer more than he is dead. He is not afraid of death, he is afraid of losing his official position."
Tao Qingyun suddenly realized: "Let the Liang family lose power? Start with the youngest, and once the youngest is dead, then deal with the old one? So this matter can't be settled for now? That Liang Gou'er can't really be so desperate as to die in prison, can he?"
Chu Yening sneered: "Liang Sanzi admitted it, and it was his own father who denounced him. The only physical evidence between him and Jiang Zhao is that snuff bottle. So what if he doesn't commit? Does that mean that scoundrel Liang Shuwen wanted his son dead by exchanging his own son for his son's?"
Jiang Yuanjun smiled, her face unusually cheerful: "My uncle has been stripped of his title by the Emperor and lost a leg in the process. Liang Xu's hopes have been dashed, and he must be living a life worse than death. But little did he know that this matter was not yet over."
Tao Qingyun laughed heartily upon hearing this: "Don't let your fourth great-uncle's usual smiling demeanor fool you; he can be ruthless when it comes to doing things. He actually broke his beloved son's leg." As he spoke, he skewered the freshly roasted meat and handed it to the group, then turned to Jiang Yuanjun and said, "Didn't I say that if you don't become the crown prince, who can secure this position?"
"Old blockhead, just sit there and relax. We'll be there for you in the future!"
Luo Ling, who had remained silent, shook her head and chuckled: "Are we heavenly soldiers and generals?"
Tao Qingyun raised her chin: "Anyone who dares to stop me, I'll kill them all!"
Qin Weixi suddenly stuffed a large mouthful of meat into his mouth and laughed heartily, "Third Brother, you're drunk so quickly?"
Chu Yening then got up from the rattan chair. There was no one around the flames now. Just now, she had seen Chu Yening eating the roasted meat with relish, and then she quietly went to get some raw meat to roast again.
The flames crackled and popped in front of him, and some stray sparks bounced onto his newly made bamboo-green long robe. His lips twitched slightly; this used to be Old Zhong's job.
He then looked down at the green bamboo-patterned robe covering him. Alas! That little girl always worried he was cold. He used to always prefer black robes and cloaks, but now, at first glance, the dark color did indeed seem rather chilly. So he quickly ordered several new sets of clothes to be made, just to soothe the little girl's heart.
He sighed inwardly, but his face remained gentle, as if he were smiling silently.
As I was lost in thought, a faint fragrance suddenly wafted into my nose—jasmine.
That was the jasmine-scented dew that Qin Weixi had given her last night during her bath. Adding a few drops to the water while bathing would leave her with a pleasant fragrance.
Chu Yening turned her head slowly as she smelled the faint fragrance. She saw that the girl who had just been lost in her memories was now facing away from her, with her hands seemingly unintentionally behind her back, holding a piece of roasted mutton skewered on a bamboo stick.
Was it specially left for him?
He raised his eyebrows slightly, and the smile on his lips deepened.
Just as Chu Yening was about to take it, that faint, alluring fragrance once again filled his nostrils. Gazing at the sizzling, fragrant roasted meat, he inexplicably recalled those soft, sweet lips under the starry sky that day. Touched like lychees, red as cherries.
It's as if a seven-stringed zither is plucking its strings silently in my heart, untouched by anyone.
One string moves, two strings move...
With a "snap," the string broke, and the music stopped abruptly.
He jumped up, hurriedly taking the roasted meat, then walked to the wooden table, picked up a jug of strong liquor, and drank it down in one gulp.
Qin Weixi was startled by his actions, and the others who were chatting and eating and drinking heartily also noticed Chu Yening's strange behavior and cast puzzled glances at him.
Tao Qingyun's eyes suddenly flashed: "Huh?"
Qin Weixi followed his gaze and was also momentarily stunned. She slowly said, "Fourth Brother, you have a nosebleed..."
*
The autumn rain is cold and falls softly.
Two prison vans, which had just left the Dali Temple, slowly drove through the Drum Tower Street and then across the alley toward the city gate.
Soldiers stood with swords on both sides of the street to block the throngs of people and to prevent anyone from hijacking the prison van.
The mournful rain pattered on the bluestone pavement, one sound after another. Inside the prison cart, Liang Lang, now dressed in prison clothes, sat expressionless with his eyes downcast.
Sun Zheng, weeping bitterly, shouted from another prison van, "Jiang Zhao is my father..."
The people pointed and gossiped about him.
At the entrance of a small alley behind the crowd, Liang Xu, dressed in coarse linen clothes and disguised as a farmer, held a bow and arrow and aimed it at the prison cart in front of Sun Zheng.
The rain continued to fall, but it was even heavier than the day of his coming-of-age ceremony. Yes, it was the first rain of spring. He thought he had seen the person he wanted to see, and he didn't care much about the rain that he hated.
Liang Lang thought so.
Suddenly, with a "whoosh," an arrow pierced through the crowd and flew straight toward him.
It was obvious that he was the target.
He suddenly raised his head, and before he could take a closer look, he saw another arrow fly past him. The two arrows collided, knocking the earlier arrow to the ground.
Liang Lang opened his eyes wide and saw the person directly in front of him.
It's Luo Jia Xiaoxing's face, but beneath that skin is another person, with a strong and resilient heart.
He suddenly smiled. She really was a "wild woman," someone who wouldn't suffer a loss.
Liang Lang looked in the direction from which the other arrow had come from, and saw it was his elder brother, Liang Xu. He should have thought of this long ago, so that he could eliminate this future threat and have no worries about the future.
But he never expected his brother, with whom he shared such a deep bond, would actually do such a thing. And so would his father, mother, and sister.
He looked up at Liang Xu, who was fleeing in panic, and let out a cold laugh, his eyes revealing extreme coldness. He was already disheartened.
A commotion erupted from the crowd, and the soldiers guarding the prison cart drew their swords, pointing them at both sides of the street. The people, seeing this, cried out in alarm, "Someone's going to die—!"
Liang Lang struggled to his feet, gripping the bars of the prison cart. The soldiers who were evacuating the crowd and searching for the man who had shot the two arrows turned back to look at him, sword in hand.
Liang Lang could barely open his eyes in the rain, but he still tried his best to look at all the onlookers. Then he laughed and said loudly, "My elder brother Liang Xu and the heir of the Duke of Dingguo were classmates. The heir was a kind and virtuous man, but my brother was jealous of his talent. Twelve years ago, during the hunt in Xiangshan, my brother tricked the heir and made him fall off his horse. The heir almost lost a leg."
"Let's go back to that winter month ten years ago. The Duke of Dingguo's family was wronged and hundreds of people died tragically. Before the incident, my elder brother often stayed out all night. Until the Penglai incident happened and the heir died in Penglai, my elder brother took the heir's golden crown and jade pendant to the palace to meet the emperor."
"I, Liang Lang, would like to ask: Was my elder brother plotting to frame the Qin family? And who else was involved in this matter?"
When will the injustice done to the Qin family be redressed?
Will the little girl who never returned be able to return healthy?
"Liang Hanyu, shut up!" A roar came from the crowd. Everyone saw Liang Shuwen, the Grand Secretary of the court, throw away the oil-paper umbrella he was holding and run towards the prison cart.
"Liang Hanyu! He is your brother! Your elder brother! You have a bond of brotherhood, how could you slander your brother like this!"
Meanwhile, a large number of impoverished students and scholars from Qianzhou gathered at the palace gate, holding books and shouting loudly. Among them, several people were pulling a middle-aged man, who was bound hand and foot and covered in dirt, toward the palace gate.
"Those in power and privilege are subject to the same laws as ordinary citizens!"
"We students from poor families have studied hard for ten years, what have we done to offend anyone?"
The student from Qianzhou tore the scroll he was holding to shreds, then raised it to the sky and proclaimed, "I am from Qianzhou, and I study diligently so that I may one day achieve my lofty ambitions through my own efforts!"
"But the Prince Jing's heir, a powerful and wealthy man, attempted to impersonate his son and enter the court as an official. When the plot failed, he sent assassins to kill the villagers, but the villagers helped him escape. The villagers' grandmother, who had passed away, had worked hard and saved every penny to help them complete their studies. What did the grandmother do wrong? What did the villagers do wrong?"
"May I ask Your Majesty, what have the poor scholars who have studied diligently for years just for that one moment of the imperial examination done wrong?"
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