Chapter 99
That night, when the darkness was deep, Master Shen brought Wei Luo to the prison.
Looking at the dark and gloomy prison cell, Wei Luo couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. The two of them were finally about to be honest with each other.
Surprisingly, his moral burden did not increase; instead, seeing Xu Xuan's scene made him feel as if a stone had fallen to the ground.
It's a liberating pleasure.
The two men looked at each other across the divide between Confucianism and the formalities of ruler and subject.
They both exuded an air of oppression.
Neither of them was willing to back down or admit defeat.
Seeing the two men standing there like clay statues, Master Shen couldn't help but cough a few times, breaking the silence.
"Xu Xuan, Your Highness, come here. You have not yet paid your respects."
When a subject meets his ruler, he must perform the bowing ceremony; this is the proper order.
What was originally a trivial matter was now being brought up by Master Shen in order to force Xu Xuan to submit.
The prerequisite for writing a divorce agreement is that he willingly submits.
Xu Xuan suddenly clenched his fist.
Wei Luo said, "There's no need for that. I didn't come here either—"
"Your subject, Xu Xuan, Principal of the Ministry of Justice, greets Your Highness."
He bowed slightly and clasped his hands in a gesture of respect.
Wei Luo looked at him silently, and after a moment hummed in agreement.
A little awkward!
He looked to Master Shen for help; at this moment, it was still the petty person who could liven up the atmosphere.
Master Shen pursed his lips, coughed a few times, and stepped forward, gripping the fence with both hands as he said to Xu Xuan, "Your Highness has arrived. Please feel free to ask me any questions you may have."
Xu Xuan asked, "Can I ask any question?"
Mr. Shen glanced at Wei Luo, and seeing that Wei Luo's expression did not change significantly, he nodded and replied, "That's right."
Wei Luo also spoke up, "Go ahead and ask."
"My first question is, Your Highness, when are you with your wife?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Wei Luo's face froze.
"My wife" is a humble way for a man to refer to his wife. However, when the three words "my wife," "your subject," and "your lord" are combined, the sound is particularly jarring.
Wei Luo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then looked up to answer, "Not long after the case of the demonic book broke out."
He answered honestly.
Xu Xuan nodded, not delving into the matter, and instead asked the second question, "I have a heart full of patriotism. Since I have offered my wife for personal gain, may Your Highness guarantee my smooth career advancement?"
Wei Luo took a deep breath. "Of course, this was a promise I made to you beforehand, and it still stands. You can choose any official position in the two capitals and thirteen provinces across the country, except for the capital."
"Besides officials in Beijing?" Xu Xuan's tone rose.
"Yes, it's better for both of us if you leave the capital."
Xu Xuan frowned and sneered, "Your Highness did not say before that I could not be an official in the capital. Moreover, I will not only be an official in the capital, but I will also enter the cabinet and become the Grand Secretary in the future."
Wei Luo stared into his eyes and laughed, "Such a boastful tone, the cabinet, the prime minister?"
"Can't Your Highness do it?"
Xu Xuan lowered his eyes and straightened his sleeves. "When Your Highness becomes His Majesty, my entry into the cabinet will be a matter of a single word from His Majesty. Moreover, I will no longer pose a threat to you then, so—"
He suddenly raised his head, raising an eyebrow: "What is Your Highness afraid of?"
Their gazes clashed again in the air, both eyes filled with coldness and murderous intent.
Xu Xuan spoke again, "I only serve as an official in the capital; that's my bottom line. Otherwise, Your Highness, please return."
His icy gaze swept past Wei Luo and landed squarely on Master Shen as he asked, "What does Governor Shen think?"
Mr. Shen was suddenly called out by the cold, shuddering slightly. He swallowed hard and said, "I think it's negotiable."
He reached out and tugged at Wei Luo's sleeve, urging, "I promised His Majesty that I would obtain the divorce papers as soon as possible. His condition is nothing, so please agree."
Impatient with Master Shen, Wei Luo turned to him and snapped, "Shut up—"
Master Shen's face froze instantly. He curled his lip, snorted coldly, and remained silent.
Xu Xuan smiled dismissively, "I'm not in a hurry. You two might as well go back and discuss it before coming back."
Wei Luo turned and walked away, but after taking two steps, he realized that Master Shen hadn't followed, so he turned back to look at him.
Mr. Shen turned his face away, crossed his arms, and looked to the side, showing no respect whatsoever.
Wei Luo turned pale with anger, gritted her teeth, turned back, glared at him fiercely, and said to Xu Xuan, "Fine, I agree."
Both of them looked at him.
Wei Luo said, “Let’s compromise. You can become an official in the capital, but not now. After you write the divorce papers, you can use your mother’s illness as an excuse to leave the capital and return to your hometown in two or three years.”
Xu Xuan was surprised, "You want me to resign?"
Wei Luo said, "It's just a temporary absence from the capital. Once His Majesty passes away, I will summon you back to the capital to be appointed to an official post."
Xu Xuan was stunned.
Master Shen glanced at the two of them, then slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "This is a good idea! Xu Xuan, His Highness has already conceded a step; you should be content."
Wei Luo glanced at Master Shen, silently rolled his eyes, then focused his gaze on Xu Xuan and asked, "Master Xu, have you made up your mind?"
"...Okay, I agree."
After a moment of hesitation, he finally responded in a low voice.
Master Shen was overjoyed. Seeing that the two had reached an agreement, he quickly had Xu Xuan write a divorce agreement, fearing that the other party might go back on their word.
After this struggle, Xu Xuan had no reason or will to delay, so he readily wrote three divorce papers, signed and sealed them, and Mr. Shen followed suit by pressing his fingerprint on them.
This is now a complete divorce.
Wei Luo picked up the divorce papers, looked at them, and after confirming that they were correct, asked Xu Xuan to write a letter of resignation and deliver it to the emperor on his behalf.
After finishing writing, Xu Xuan put down his pen and asked, "When will I be released from prison?"
Wei Luo said, "Once your resignation is approved, I will send the Eastern Palace Guards to escort you back to Hangzhou."
Xu Xuan scoffed, cupped his hands, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, I thank you for your great kindness. I will dedicate myself to your service and repay your kindness even unto death!"
Wei Luo pondered his words and chuckled, "No need for such formalities, Steward Xu. Have a safe journey."
After saying that, he turned and left, his figure disappearing into the darkness.
Stepping out of the prison, the wind was a bit chilly.
Wei Luo pulled his cloak tighter around himself, wrapped himself up, and crawled into the warm carriage.
Shen Yao was waiting for him inside, and had almost fallen asleep while lying down. When she heard the sound, she opened her eyes and saw Wei Luo come in. Her face lit up instantly, and she asked, "Are you done?"
Wei Luo said, "Alright."
He then took out the divorce papers and handed them to her.
Shen Yao praised, "Your Highness is indeed very efficient." Then she asked, "Where is Father?"
Wei Luo joked, "He's still inside. I bet he's giving Xu Xuan some psychological counseling right now. Let's not wait for him, let's go back first."
"ah--"
At a command, the carriage started moving.
Shen Yao hurriedly asked, "Father, what should we do?"
Wei Luo said, "Don't worry, your father is very capable, he won't be unable to get home."
Seeing that she seemed hesitant, he pulled back the carriage curtain and pointed, saying, "There's another car over there."
Seeing him from afar, Shen Yao finally felt relieved. She then beckoned to him with her finger, and Wei Luo asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Shen Yao looked miserable and said dejectedly, "I'm hungry."
Wei Luo was startled.
She grabbed his arm and shook it, "Let's go get something to eat."
Wei Luo frowned. "Didn't you eat quite a lot tonight? Why are you hungry again?"
"Well, I have a good appetite and good digestion, so how can you blame me? I'm just hungry, I'm going to starve to death if I don't eat something soon. Ah, I'm so hungry..."
Wei Luo said, "...I won't starve. I'll go back and get some sleep later, and have breakfast early tomorrow morning."
He told the driver to hurry up.
Shen Yao began to wail, "No, I'll really starve to death. Your Highness, aren't you hungry at all? Otherwise, let's go get some wontons or fried dough sticks. Whatever you like, we'll eat it..."
She kept rambling on and on.
Wei Luo was having a real headache.
In the palace, meals were always served at fixed times and in fixed quantities, and the eating habits that had been formed over a long period of time were already established. It was something I had never done before to eat in the middle of the night.
He said, "Just bear with it, it'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
"..."
The two found a wonton restaurant.
Shen Yao pressed Wei Luo down on the stool and shouted, "Two bowls, no, three bowls of wontons."
Wei Luo said "Hey," and refused, "I absolutely refuse to eat it; it's a rule in the palace."
Shen Yao chuckled, “But this is outside the palace. The rules of the palace don’t apply here. As the saying goes, a general in the field may not obey orders.”
"That makes sense."
Master Shen strode over, sat down at the table, and said breathlessly, "Why did you two run so fast? I came out and you disappeared. So you came here to enjoy a good meal."
Wei Luo glanced at him and snorted, "Isn't it because Governor Shen's family didn't put enough oil in their cooking? Otherwise, why would your daughter be saying she's hungry right after eating?"
Master Shen was caught off guard. He glanced at Shen Yao, who was smiling with her lips pursed, and said, "Then the oil in my house was confiscated by His Highness this afternoon."
Wei Luo: "..."
*
Two days later, the emperor granted Xu Xuan's request to return home.
With the matter now completely settled, Wei Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He ordered Liu Heng to appoint a few guards to escort Xu Xuan back to Hangzhou. Unexpectedly, Liu Heng said, "Xu Xuan is a proud and unyielding man. Although he wrote a letter of divorce, it was only out of fear of power. He may very well retaliate in the future."
"so what?"
Wei Luo rested her chin on her hand and looked at him.
"So it's better to kill him."
Liu Heng said casually.
Wei Luo disagreed, saying, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond. Since I have already promised him wealth and honor, I will not betray him after I have served my purpose."
He looked up at Liu Heng, his expression serious, and said, "You are not allowed to do it either. This is the bottom line."
After a moment, Liu Heng sighed, "Yes, Your Highness."
Wei Luo hummed in agreement and then asked about the sesame seeds.
Mentioning sesame seeds, Liu Heng instantly became excited. He first played a riddle with Wei Luo, "Your Highness, guess what? He has an enemy, perhaps Your Highness knows him?"
Wei Luo thought for a while, then shook his head.
Liu Heng laughed and said, "It's Zhao Xian from Li Village. During the time of the demonic book, Your Highness and Miss Shen were staying at his house, do you remember?"
Memories flashed back, and Wei Luo thought of the old woman's daughter, exclaiming in disbelief, "The enemy is actually him! Right, the old woman said she was from the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs, I had completely forgotten about that."
Liu Heng continued, "Yes, Your Highness, do you know that Zhao Xian is currently in Yikun Palace?"
Wei Luo was surprised again.
Liu Heng said, "It was Miss Shen who helped. Zhao Xian is now the Imperial Concubine's favorite maid and is trusted by her completely."
Wei Luo asked curiously, "Now that he's entered the palace, why doesn't he seek revenge on Hu Mazi?"
"The palace is heavily guarded; it's probably not a good place to make a move."
Wei Luo nodded, "That's true, revenge isn't that easy. But speaking of which, Hu Mazi has harmed many people, so he must have quite a few enemies."
“I have visited four or five families and they have all written statements.”
Liu Heng showed the confession to Wei Luo and sighed, "He's worse than an animal."
Wei Luo rarely heard Liu Heng curse like that, so he asked, "Is he really that sinful?"
"Yes, Your Highness will know at a glance."
Wei Luo held it in his hand and looked at it. The more he looked, the more his brows furrowed. By the time he got to the last page of the confession, his eyebrows were so furrowed they could have trapped a mosquito.
He immediately threw the petition to the ground in anger, stood up, put his hands on his hips, and cursed: "They are worse than pigs and dogs! How can such people openly act in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs? It's outrageous!"
Liu Heng bent down to pick up the confession, smoothed it out, folded it neatly, and placed it on the table. He then sighed, "I had only heard of his cruelty before, but I never knew he was this cruel. Abuse and torture... those poor young girls, only 10 years old..."
He then raised his face and looked at Wei Luo, asking, "Does Your Highness know that there are two tigers in the capital?"
"What tiger?"
Liu Heng explained, "The so-called tiger eats people. The two tigers refer to two extremely ferocious people. One of the tigers is Hu Mazi, and the other tiger is also familiar to Your Highness, the Duke of Xin."
Wei Luo was surprised.
"These two are both capable of causing harm, but one is a powerful official in the court and the other is the emperor's favorite maid. Both are extremely powerful, and ordinary people have no way to file a complaint."
Wei Luo exclaimed in disbelief, "There are actually such people and such things happening right under the emperor's nose? Could it be that the officials of the Censorate—"
"The officials in charge of the censors actually did their best."
Wei Luo was speechless for a moment.
"The censor of the Ministry of Justice who impeached Deng Yan previously submitted several memorials to impeach the Duke of Xin, but all of them came to nothing. As for Hu Mazi, with Chen Zhenzuo vouching for him, he became even more unscrupulous."
“Your Highness,” Liu Heng immediately knelt down before Wei Luo, “Although I am a eunuch, I come from the common people and know best the suffering of the common people.”
Wei Luo looked down at him, "What do you want to say?"
"This servant would like to ask Your Highness to temporarily set aside personal feelings and, as the Crown Prince, eliminate these two powerful figures and quell the people's grievances."
He banged his head on the ground, making several loud thuds.
Wei Luo was greatly shocked and quickly bent down to help him up, but Liu Heng refused to get up.
Wei Luo said, "Your pleading for the people is well-intentioned, but the court is deeply entrenched in power, and I am only the crown prince. My abilities are limited, and I am afraid it will be difficult to shake it."
"With this servant here, I swear to serve Your Highness, even unto death. As long as Your Highness has this intention, that's enough."
Wei Luo fell silent, his gaze fixed on the window.
The sun was shining brightly outside, and a gentle breeze brought warmth.
He muttered, "Such a beautiful day, perfect for drinking and having fun, you're such a spoilsport."
After speaking, he lifted his foot to leave.
Liu Heng quickly grabbed Wei Luo's leg.
Wei Luo tried to kick it, but couldn't get it away, so he lowered his head and said, "Liu Heng, let go."
Liu Heng shook his head.
After a moment, Wei Luo suddenly smiled and said in a low voice, "Get up. The Crown Prince is impartial. I have remembered your request."
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