Chapter 91 Wei Zhang's journey can be described as a lone battle...
The next day, when Xue Lanyi woke up, the sun was already high in the sky.
The wind was gentle, causing the green gauze curtains to flutter.
As soon as Xue Lanyi opened her eyes, she saw the wedding dress hanging on the clothes rack five steps away through the curtains that were sometimes open and sometimes closed.
The wedding dress was stretched out and draped over a dragon-headed cane, revealing the golden phoenix pattern and the embroidered pendant.
A shower of flower petals drifted in through the window.
Pink petals swirled and danced around the wedding dress, causing the layers of gauze skirt beneath the bridal gown to sway gently, like ripples on water or flames.
The jeweled wedding dress shimmered in the morning light and among the flower petals.
Xue Lanyi was stunned by the sight before her. Her eyes lit up, and she sat up. "Ah Xuan, I'll wear this wedding dress tomorrow..."
Halfway through her sentence, the faint scent of pine resin wafting from outside shattered Xue Lanyi's beautiful dream.
Her words caught in her throat. After a moment of confusion, she realized that this was not Peach Blossom Valley, but Wei Zhang's bedroom.
The flowers floating in mid-air are not peach blossoms for ornamental purposes, but spider lilies for repelling insects.
There is no Ah Xuan, no Xie Qingyun, no Lu Lin, and no grand wedding here.
Only... Wei Zhang.
That gloomy face suddenly appeared in Xue Lanyi's mind, and the smile in her eyes vanished instantly, replaced by alertness.
How did she fall asleep last night? How did she get onto the tatami mat?
Xue Lanyi had no recollection of it. She quickly crossed her arms to make sure her clothes were intact, then peered around quietly through the gaps in the curtains.
The dormitory was empty, and there was no sign of the man.
Xue Lanyi's heart finally relaxed a little. She peeked out from the gap in the curtains, tiptoed onto the bed, and listened carefully to the sounds around her.
Only after confirming that there was no danger around did Xue Lanyi relax her tense back and quietly move towards the wedding dress.
She still doesn't understand why Wei Zhang suddenly showed goodwill last night.
And why would he repair the wedding dress that he loathed so much and tore up himself?
This is very strange.
Fearing he might have ulterior motives, Xue Lanyi carefully examined the wedding dress from top to bottom.
The wedding dress was truly flawless; not only was there no trace of mending, but it had also been ironed, making it look brand new.
Xue Lanyi became even more suspicious. Uncertainly, she searched the chest where her wedding dress was kept again, inside and out, and found that the inner garment that matched the wedding dress was missing.
That was a red inner garment she had specially embroidered for her marriage to Wei Xuan, embroidered with butterflies exploring flowers, symbolizing a beautiful day and a time for them to fly together.
This is a custom of the wedding night, a private and intimate affair between a man and a woman.
She had always kept it hidden at the bottom of the trunk, how could it have disappeared into thin air?
It's highly likely that Wei Zhang discovered it while tidying up the wedding robes.
Did he burn it or shred it?
When Xue Lanyi thought of his face, which flickered in and out of the flames, as he burned his wedding dress yesterday, she felt a chill in her heart and hurriedly left the house.
The inner garment is also part of the wedding dress; she must return.
However, Chong'an Hall was empty.
Wei Zhang was not there, nor were there any guards. Instead, the back alley was bustling with noise and commotion.
Xue Lanyi lifted her skirt and went in the direction of the sound.
As soon as I stepped out of the hanging flower gate, I saw that the crowded back alley was full of young men who looked like scholars.
They were talking excitedly in twos and threes.
Xue Lanyi was not listening. Her gaze swept around and caught sight of Qingyang at the back of the line.
"My wedding dress!"
Qingyang and Wei Zhang were inseparable.
Xue Lanyi quickly went down the steps, squeezed into the queue, and went against the flow to the back of the line.
But she was petite, and it was really difficult for her to walk against the flow among a group of big men.
After walking only a few meters, a man grabbed her arm. "Zhaoyang?"
"Are you Princess Zhaoyang?" The young man's surprised voice came from behind.
Xue Lanyi was getting impatient. She frowned and turned around, only to see a face that looked half-alive.
"Han...Han Yu?"
This scholar, Han Yuyuan, was also her classmate at the Imperial Academy, having entered the academy a year later than her.
During the reforms of the seventeenth year of the Changde reign, he was also one of the supporters of the crown prince.
Oh, Xue Lanyi remembers that they also had five or six like-minded friends who joined the Crown Prince's entourage together back then.
Later, the Crown Prince suffered a misfortune and his whereabouts became unknown.
Xue Lanyi was surprised to run into an old friend at the Duke's mansion. Her annoyance turned into a smile. "Han Yu? What are you doing here? Your friend Sima, Sima..."
The words were on the tip of her tongue, but Xue Lanyi couldn't recall her friend's name.
After all, Mu Qinghong was incredibly successful back then, and countless students flocked to study under the Crown Prince, so Xue Lanyi couldn't possibly remember everyone.
To be honest, apart from Han Yu being rather eccentric, Xue Lanyi couldn't even remember what the others looked like, let alone their names.
Xue Lanyi was somewhat embarrassed.
"You mean Tan Tu, Cai Zhong, Yuan Ye, and Sima Yuan?" Han Yu didn't seem to care, calling out a string of his friends' names. "They're all here! They're all here! Today is the big day of the Crown Prince's exoneration. How could such an important occasion be complete without those talkative, stubborn guys?"
Han Yu looked around mysteriously, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he nudged Xue Lanyi's arm, signaling her to come closer.
Xue Lanyi, not understanding why, took a step towards him.
Han Yu opened the bundle slung over her shoulder a crack.
In the dark and cramped space, the five golden characters "Spirit of Sima Yuan" appeared conspicuously.
Caught off guard, Xue Lanyi stumbled halfway down the road in fright.
If she wasn't mistaken, there were four memorial tablets in the bundle.
Han Yu's friends who loved to join in the fun... are all dead.
Xue Lanyi's pupils dilated as she stared at Han Yu in horror.
In that brief glance, she clearly saw that the memorial tablet read: "Sima Yuan died in the seventeenth year of Changde, at the age of seventeen."
Clearly, these young people died because of the Crown Prince's reforms.
The impact of the four memorial tablets was too great. It took Xue Lanyi a while to recover her senses. "I'm sorry."
"There's nothing to apologize for."
Han Yu carefully covered the bundle and patted it lightly. "They'll be five or six years old when they're reborn as humans now, which is good. At least they can see the light of day."
Han Yu chuckled lightly, but Xue Lanyi sensed a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Back then, the Crown Prince's reforms were in full swing, and the Crown Prince's faction enjoyed increasing prestige in the court and among the people.
Veteran officials of the previous dynasty, such as Prince Qi, saw that the reforms threatened them but were powerless to stop them. Therefore, they came up with a radical solution: to slander the Crown Prince's faction for plotting to usurp the throne.
Since the Crown Prince was a rebel, his disciples were no exception; even if they died, they could not be buried in the ancestral tomb, let alone receive offerings.
Han Yu risked his life to hide his friends' memorial tablets.
How can such a friendship be forgiven as he claims?
Han Yu sniffed and glanced at the front of the line. "Oh, let's not talk about that! Today is a good day. As long as the Crown Prince and the Duke of Wei have a smooth time in court, Sima Yuan and the others will be able to see the light of day. I'm thinking of taking them with me to witness this moment!"
Xue Lanyi then noticed that at the front of the long procession, the man in black robes was perched high on his horse.
Looking up from Xue Lanyi's perspective, he stood tall and unapproachable, seemingly rising above the red sun on the horizon.
The gold-threaded dragon pattern on the sleeves shimmered with golden light as the horse moved.
He is indeed a person above the clouds now, capable of turning the world upside down.
But are the hundred or so scholars in the alley who rely on him to exonerate the princelings really reliable?
"Did Wei Zhang send you here?" Xue Lanyi was somewhat worried, fearing that Wei Zhang had devised a plan to capture them all.
Han Yu waved his hand, "No, it's not that. We were thinking that when the Duke of Wei debates with the Confucian scholars later, we'd like to help in any way we can."
“That’s right! I heard that the Duke of Wei has already submitted a memorial impeaching Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng for their crimes of slandering loyal officials! We are all victims, so let’s be witnesses!” A scholar chimed in from the side.
Lu Zhibai, Qi Sheng, and Prince Qi were the masterminds who slandered the Crown Prince for treason and were also the main force that initially eliminated and purged the Crown Prince's faction.
They took advantage of the late emperor's serious illness and senility to offer him slanderous advice.
Furthermore, without any conclusive evidence, he swiftly dealt with over a hundred of the Crown Prince's disciples as a warning to others.
The scholars standing there had all been persecuted or had their mouths covered by Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng.
Now that Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng have retired to their hometowns and are enjoying their old age, and Wei Zhang is in power in the court, the scholars naturally dare to stand up and denounce these two.
Xue Lanyi shook her head, "Even if you all help Wei Zhang eliminate his political opponents today, and even support the Crown Prince's ascension to the throne, what do you think..."
Xue Lanyi glanced at the head of the group with great interest.
Mu Qinghong was also at the head of the team, but he could only stand to the right rear of Wei Zhang.
Even if he succeeds to the throne, won't he just be another young emperor?
Wei Zhang only wanted to find a new puppet because the young emperor was no longer under his control. How could he genuinely want to help the crown prince?
The surrounding scholars all fell silent.
They weren't blind to the situation, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Han Yu was optimistic, waving his hand, "Isn't this path one step at a time? At least now the Crown Prince has returned safely and is about to inherit the throne. As for what comes next..."
"Think about it, everyone," Han Yu said in a low voice, "Throughout history, how many ministers who rose to power by supporting others have had a good ending? Which one didn't end up with broken families and no place to rest in peace?" He looked around with interest, including at Xue Lanyi.
"Today the Crown Prince relies on him to ascend the throne, and one day the Crown Prince will be able to rule in his own right. Isn't it only a matter of time before he is overthrown?"
This statement is both historical fact and a way to comfort people.
Han Yu noticed that Xue Lanyi was the most worried, so he couldn't help but comfort her, saying, "People always have to move forward to know where the road is. If you stay in one place, you're completely beyond help."
Xue Lanyi nodded instinctively.
I must say, he's absolutely right.
For Mu Qinghong, being able to return from being a refugee to being the crown prince was a great achievement.
For the prince's disciples, there was no longer a need to sneak around at night.
Isn't that taking a step forward?
After Han Yu finished speaking, the group really did begin to move forward slowly.
Wei Zhang rode ahead on horseback, with the rest of the group following closely behind.
Xue Lanyi was pushed along for a distance before she remembered what she had come for. She stopped and turned back to look at Qingyang.
"Princess Zhaoyang, come on, what are you looking for?"
Xue Lanyi was the Crown Prince's closest sister, and Han Yu subconsciously assumed that Xue Lanyi, like them, accompanied the Crown Prince to court.
Seeing Xue Lanyi's dazed expression, he asked in surprise, "Isn't the princess with us?"
Xue Lanyi's lips moved, the word "no" stuck on her lips.
At present, the Crown Prince's disciples are gathering together like sparks.
They were all unknown, and even Mu Qinghong probably couldn't remember their faces, but now they have become the main force in clearing the Crown Prince's family of their crimes.
She, who once walked at the forefront with Wei Xuan and Xie Qingyun, was the center of attention and admired by thousands, is now troubled by finding a small piece of clothing.
Faced with the vast torrent, she couldn't say such a thing, and felt guilty.
Now, there are six people in the bamboo forest. Even Wei Zhang, who has broken with them, is busy with the Crown Prince's faction. But what is she doing?
Getting caught in a whirlpool of emotions.
Xue Lanyi curled her lips, then changed the subject, "I'm going too, I'll go with you!"
Yes.
People should keep moving forward to find out where the road is.
Xue Lanyi stopped looking back and followed the flow of people.
The vermilion gates of the Duke's mansion opened, and the intense sunlight burst into Xue Lanyi's eyes.
Wei Zhang leisurely rode his horse across the threshold and stepped into the bright daylight.
The people behind him also gradually approached the dawn.
The hundreds of scholars were actually quite small in the vast Duke's mansion; viewed from above, they appeared as thin as streams flowing gently through the alleys of the mansion.
The trees in the mansion intertwine, on the shady side.
Beyond the mansion, separated by a vermilion gate, lies the wide Vermilion Bird Street, bathed in bright sunlight.
The crowd stepped out of the gate one by one, like a stream flowing from the shady side to the sunny side.
Xue Lanyi thought they were making a desperate gamble, but as they walked out of the Duke's mansion and onto the streets in the early morning, more and more passersby gathered around them.
There were elderly storytellers, and also down-on-their-luck peddlers and laborers...
From the Duke's Mansion to Xuanwu Gate, hundreds of people gathered into thousands, like a stream flowing into the sea.
Xue Lanyi looked around at the bustling crowd. She didn't recognize any of the people around her, but she knew that they were more or less related to the Crown Prince.
They might be their children or friends, or they themselves might be branded as traitors and rebels, forced to hide their identities in the shadows and eke out a living.
Today, they finally stand in the sunlight.
The one who could accomplish this was not Mu Qinghong, but Wei Zhang.
It was that treacherous, cunning, and ruthless minister, Wei Zhang, who betrayed his friends.
As Mu Qinghong said, this is reality.
Whoever holds power holds the life, death, honor, and disgrace of the Crown Prince's family in their hands.
Xue Lanyi suddenly remembered that Xie Qingyun had told Mu Qinghong before his death that no matter what means he used to ascend the throne, as long as he was diligent in governing and loved the people, he could be called a virtuous ruler.
Clearly, Xie Qingyun knew at that time that Mu Qinghong and Wei Zhang had colluded to expose their whereabouts.
But Xie Qingyun died without harboring any hatred; he had let go of his resentment.
Because what he wanted was the final result: the crown prince ascending the throne, restoring order, and bringing peace and prosperity to the land.
He neither hated Mu Qinghong nor Wei Zhang; he had already set aside his personal grudges and only wished for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne so that everything could return to the right path.
The only one still caught up in personal grudges is Xue Lanyi.
Xue Lanyi sighed inwardly.
The group suddenly stopped.
The group had already passed through the Meridian Gate and arrived at the square outside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
Further ahead was the Taihe Gate and the Taihe Hall, but only Wei Zhang and Mu Qinghong rode their horses inside.
Ordinary people can't even get close to the main hall, let alone prove their innocence.
They could only stand in the square, gazing at each other from afar, waiting for the outcome.
In front of the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony, the wide white marble steps were deserted.
The man in black lifted his robe and ascended the steps alone, a splash of ink as he gracefully entered the Hall of Supreme Harmony.
The vermilion door was closed, leaving only a crack.
Xue Lanyi, far away in the square, could no longer see what was happening inside, but she could imagine that countless pairs of malicious eyes were staring at Wei Zhang.
Although Wei Zhang now holds great power, reopening the old case of the crown prince involves tens of thousands of people. If the court officials count back three generations, who among them is completely uninvolved in the crown prince's case?
No one is necessarily innocent, and naturally few people are willing to dredge up old stories.
Wei Zhang's journey can be described as a lone battle.
Life is unpredictable, and Xue Lanyi never imagined that one day Wei Zhang would be the one to shoulder the honor and disgrace of the Crown Prince's faction.
She was filled with mixed emotions.
Those who remained where they were, unable to see what was happening inside the vermilion door, began to speculate amongst themselves.
A storyteller raised his arm and waved his hand to calm everyone down, "Don't panic, everyone. When I came from Longhu Street just now, I saw Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng's carriage rushing back to the palace from their hometown in Quzhou. If it weren't for the Duke of Wei having solid evidence to bring them down, how could they, in their crippled state, have come out of their comfortable nest?"
"Yes, when I was working odd jobs at the teahouse, I heard two gentlemen from the Ministry of Justice say that the Duke of Wei had long ago ordered them to thoroughly investigate the evidence of Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng selling official positions and forcing good people into lowly positions. The evidence is conclusive, and those two old scoundrels, Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng, cannot escape!"
Back then, the acts of Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng in selling official positions and forcing good people into lowly status were almost common knowledge.
At that time, they were very powerful, and no one dared to investigate or speak out.
Later, the Crown Prince implemented reforms, stripping noble titles and abolishing the status of commoners, which directly affected their ability to amass wealth. This led them to devise a vicious scheme to incite the late emperor to suspect the Crown Prince of having ulterior motives.
If Wei Zhang were to publicly expose the evidence of these two men's crimes of selling official positions and forcing good people into lowly status, it would be tantamount to cutting off their supply lines and striking at their heart.
Once the evidence is conclusive, the truth about what happened back then will come to light.
Xue Lanyi didn't know what evidence Wei Zhang had obtained, but she knew that Wei Zhang was not the kind of person who would take risks.
He must have solid evidence to have been able to accuse Lu Zhibai and Qi Sheng today; he's 90% certain.
Wei Zhang is shrewd and experienced; there's nothing to worry about.
But this matter concerned the life and death of the Crown Prince's family, so Xue Lanyi's heart was pounding, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, were clenched tightly and sweating.
At that moment, a scholar who had been scouting ahead suddenly stumbled back, his face ashen. "It's over! It's over! Lu Zhibai has committed suicide by running into a wall!"
"What?!" everyone exclaimed.
The man, panting, said, "Lu Zhibai insists that he did not slander the Crown Prince's faction, and even accused the Duke of Wei of being an accomplice of the Crown Prince, trying to distort the truth and slander him!"
"To prove his innocence, Lu Zhibai struck a pillar in the imperial court and died!"
...
The messenger's voice grew louder with each sentence.
The scholars held their breath, looking at each other in bewilderment.
The truth is that Lu Zhibai and others falsely accused the Crown Prince of plotting a rebellion.
Lu Zhibai refused to admit it and even accused the Crown Prince and Wei Zhang of conspiring to take revenge on him.
Originally, the outcome of the duel between the two sides was uncertain.
But Lu Zhibai died.
A veteran of three reigns and a founding hero risked his life in the imperial court to prove his innocence.
Since the dead are always respected, the people will definitely lean more towards Lu Zhibai.
They would definitely believe that the Crown Prince's rebellion was real, and that Lu Zhibai was not afraid of Wei Zhang's power and dared to challenge the Crown Prince's faction and Wei Zhang.
Lu Zhibo was a loyal minister with integrity.
If this story spreads among the common people, it will only become more difficult for the Crown Prince's family to clear their name.
If Wei Zhang continues to be aggressive in the court at this moment and forces another veteran minister, Qi Sheng, to his death, then both of the previous cabinet ministers will die at Wei Zhang's hands.
The common people would also think that Wei Zhang was slandering loyal officials and eliminating dissidents, and that the so-called exoneration of the crown prince was just a gimmick.
Then, the situation of the princelings will become even worse.
However, if they back down now, it would prove that Lu Zhibai is indeed innocent, and then the Crown Prince's family would have no way to appeal their grievances.
The current situation is like an arrow on a bowstring, neither daring to fire nor daring to hold back.
Things took a more complicated turn than anyone expected.
The situation took a sharp turn for the worse. The joy on everyone's faces faded, and hundreds of eyes turned to the high platform.
Of course, this also includes Xue Lanyi's gaze.
Never before had Xue Lanyi's gaze been so unwavering, fixed solely on Wei Zhang.
Her clear, watery eyes shone with a gentle yet resolute light, carrying a hint of worry. She swiftly pierced through the crowd, passed the Taihe Gate, and crossed the floating dragon steps in front of the hall, directly confronting the man standing imposingly to the left of the couch.
On the steps, Wei Zhang was casually gazing at the blood droplets that had splattered onto his fingertips when he suddenly sensed something. He lifted his eyes slightly and looked out of the hall.
The door was half-open, and he couldn't see anything.
What can he possibly see?
She's not here again.
Even if she were there, she... might not even look at him.
She even cursed him in her dream last night.
Wei Zhang was slightly distracted, and shook his head with an embarrassed smile.
This inexplicable laughter filled the prince and his ministers with trepidation. They exchanged bewildered glances and lowered their heads.
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