Mausoleum
After the war in Jiangnan was quelled, Su Jing returned to Yanjing with Shen Ji and his daughter, along with Su Zhi.
On the day he entered the city, he ordered Shen Ji and 131 of his cronies to be imprisoned in the imperial prison. Three days later, they were executed at the Meridian Gate on ten major charges, including "forming cliques for personal gain, embezzling public funds, and plotting rebellion." Blood splattered on the execution ground, and six imperial edicts were issued to proclaim the crime to the entire nation. Shen Ji's crimes were nailed to the pillar of shame, and the court and the public were shocked.
The seventh imperial edict that followed shocked the entire court even more—Su Jing exonerated the Chu family, revoked the previous accusation of "demon teacher," posthumously conferred upon Chu Yiran the title of "General Who Guards the Nation," bestowed upon him the posthumous title of "Loyal and Valiant," and had his achievements engraved on the Stele of Heroes in the Imperial Ancestral Temple for future generations to admire.
"What I owe A-Ran, what I owe the Chu family, I must repay one by one." Su Jing stood in front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, looking at Chu Yiran's memorial tablet, his voice low and firm.
He never buried Chu Yiran's body. Even after months of suppressing the rebellion in Jiangnan, he always ordered the ice chamber to be reinforced and the body preserved with North Sea ice marrow and rare preservatives. But time eventually took its toll. When he stepped into the ice chamber again, the person on the cold jade bed still had the same face, but the fingertips had turned bluish-black and faintly smelled of decay.
Su Jing didn't care at all. She took off her shoes and socks and lay down next to Chu Yiran, gently holding his cold hand as she had done countless times before.
The chill of the ice chamber seeped into his robes, turning his fingertips purple, but he seemed oblivious. He stared at Chu Yiran's lifeless face, his voice choked with emotion: "Aran, I don't know if what I've done can even slightly make up for what I've done..."
"I'm going to have to say goodbye to you soon, I'm really going to miss you." He buried his face in Chu Yiran's neck, inhaling the familiar scent that had long since faded, his voice filled with a stubborn tenderness, "But don't worry, I'll be with you soon... Then you can scold me slowly, okay?"
Chu Yiran's "soul" was hanging by a thread. Upon hearing these words, his heart sank and he panicked instantly.
What does "I'll be with you soon" mean? He wanted to rush over and question Su Jing, to yell at him not to do anything stupid, but his body passed right through Su Jing's body, unable to make a sound.
The following day, white banners adorned the entire city of Yanjing. Su Jing decreed that the entire nation observe a three-year mourning period for the Imperial Preceptor, Chu Yiran. He, as the emperor, personally carried Chu Yiran's coffin, leading the entire court of officials out of the city for the funeral procession. An emperor carrying a coffin—a privilege unprecedented in history, except for members of the royal family—astonished and moved the people who knelt in the streets in homage.
The mausoleum was chosen to be located on Wan'an Mountain in the suburbs of Beijing, and it was commissioned by Su Jing as early as when he was keeping vigil in the Ice Chamber. The burial chamber was built from a single piece of white marble and was separated from Su Jing's mausoleum by only one wall.
As the coffin was slowly lowered into the tomb, Su Jing stood by the tomb door for a long time, looking lost and forlorn.
"Ah Ran, this is the tomb I built for you and me. Are you satisfied?" He murmured softly, his tone carrying a hint of flattery and a touch of helplessness. "You're probably going to blame me for being so domineering, for not discussing anything with you..."
“But blame me if you want.” He raised his hand, gently stroking the cold tomb door, his eyes filled with a stubborn determination. “After I die, I will definitely be buried with you… In the underworld, you can curse me all you want, hit me if you want, as long as you're willing to see me…”
Seeing Su Jing's reddened eyes, Chu Yiran felt a pang of sadness.
——
The funeral procession slowly departed, and Chu Yiran's "soul" followed Su Jing back to the palace. It was thought that with the suppression of the rebellion in Jiangnan and the exoneration of the Chu family, everything had settled, and Su Jing should finally have a moment's rest. However, Su Jing did not return to the Qianqing Palace, but instead led a troop of imperial guards directly to the Jiaotai Hall, where Su Yan resided.
Since Su Jing ascended the throne, this palace had become the most deserted corner deep within the imperial city. Su Jing had never set foot here before, and now, with his sudden arrival, the palace servants outside the palace were instantly thrown into chaos, their voices trembling as they announced, "His Majesty...His Majesty has arrived—"
The heavy palace doors were pushed open by the imperial guards, and Su Jing strode in, his robes sweeping across the embroidered carpet and stirring up a gust of cold wind. The scene inside made his eyes darken—Su Yan was lying on the bed with a palace maid, their clothes disheveled, with brocade quilts scattered on the floor beside them, and an atmosphere of extravagance permeating the air.
When Su Yan saw him enter, she was so startled that she sat up instantly and frantically grabbed her outer robe from the side of the bed: "You, why are you here?"
"It seems Father is having a pretty good time as the retired emperor." Su Jing sneered, his gaze sweeping over the trembling palace maid, his tone devoid of any warmth, "No need to cover it up."
Before he could finish speaking, the imperial guards beside him stepped forward, a flash of cold light, and a long sword pierced straight through the palace maid's chest. Blood splattered on the bright yellow bed curtains, a horrifying sight.
"What...what are you going to do?!" Su Yan was so frightened that she scrambled to put on her outer robe and jumped off the bed, her hand trembling as she pointed at Su Jing.
Su Jing ignored his panic and raised his hand to order, "Bring everyone up to me."
Soon, the Imperial Guards escorted a row of palace servants into the hall. They were all pale-faced and trembling like leaves. As soon as they entered, they knelt down with a "thud" and kowtowed repeatedly, begging for mercy.
Upon seeing these people, Su Yan's face turned deathly pale, and he avoided eye contact with Su Jing.
“Father,” Su Jing walked slowly to him, looking down at him with a mocking tone, “I originally thought I would let you eke out a living in this Jiaotai Palace and spend the rest of your life here. I didn’t expect you to remain unchanged, and even dare to join forces with Shen Ji to bribe palace servants to plant spies in the harem?”
He leaned down, pinching Su Yan's chin with his fingertips, forcing him to look up: "What did Shen Ji promise you? To let you regain power? Or to let you ascend the throne again?"
"No! Jing'er, it was all Shen Ji who forced me!" Su Yan was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and grabbed Su Jing's clothes tightly, her voice trembling with tears, "He said he would kill me if I didn't listen to him! How could I dare to rebel? Jing'er, you've been so good to me, how could I betray you..."
"Is that so?" Su Jing scoffed and abruptly shook off his hand. "It seems Father has been quite frightened these past few days. Now that the traitor Shen Ji is dead, I specially prepared ginseng soup to visit Father."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Cheng walked in carrying a tray with a bowl of steaming ginseng soup on it, which had a strong medicinal aroma.
Su Yan looked at the bowl of ginseng soup, her face instantly turning ashen, and she retreated repeatedly, saying, "No, no need! I won't drink it..."
Su Jing took the ginseng soup directly and waved for everyone to leave. The palace doors slowly closed, shutting out all noise. He squatted down, holding the ginseng soup, and looked at Su Yan, who was curled up in the corner. His tone was calm but carried a chilling cruelty: "Does Father want to drink it himself, or do you want me to feed you?"
"I was wrong! Jing'er, I really know I was wrong!" Su Yan begged for forgiveness, crying and crawling on her knees to hug Su Jing's legs. "Please forgive me just one more time, and I'll stay here in Jiaotai Palace from now on and never go anywhere else! Really! I'll never dare to do it again..."
"It's too late." Su Jing's voice was completely calm. "I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it. Don't blame me for being heartless, after all... my days are numbered." He pinched Su Yan's chin, forcing him to open his mouth. "If I really died, how could I bear to leave such a scourge in the world?"
The ginseng soup was forcibly poured down his throat, the bitter taste of the medicine instantly spreading. Su Yan struggled violently, roaring and cursing, "You unfilial and disobedient son! Cough cough... If I had known you were born, I should have strangled you!"
After finishing the bowl of ginseng soup, Su Yan collapsed to the ground, black blood gradually seeping from the corner of his mouth.
He was panting heavily, but his eyes were still filled with resentment: "I heard... I heard that Chu Yiran is dead too? Hahahaha... Su Jing, look at you, you're just a worthless life! You unlucky jinx, no one in this world loves you, never will!"
"I'll be waiting for you in the underworld... You unfilial son, you will surely die a horrible death and be cast into the eighteenth level of hell!"
Su Jing squatted on the ground, quietly watching Su Yan breathe his last, until his body stopped convulsing and his eyes completely lost their light.
Only his heavy breathing could be heard inside the hall. The night wind seeped in through the cracks in the window, blowing his robes, which were icy cold.
After a long while, he slowly stood up, his legs stiff and aching. He looked down at Su Yan's corpse, let out a cold sneer, and said in a voice as soft as a sigh, "Father, I have been in hell since the day I was born."
Chu Yiran stood to the side, watching this tragic scene, his heart turning cold.
Looking at Su Jing's lonely figure and the desolate emptiness in his eyes, he suddenly realized that Su Yan's words might be true—Su Jing had never been loved or felt true warmth since birth.
And she herself, perhaps the only light in his life, was ultimately extinguished by his obsession.
Su Jing didn't look at Su Yan's corpse again, turned around and walked out of the Jiaotai Hall. The pale moonlight outside the hall shone on him, casting his shadow long and thin, like an unhealable scar etched into the cold depths of the imperial city.
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