Chapter 154 The Cage and the Cry (4) He never seemed to hide his inner...
Chapter 154 The Cage and the Cry (4)
The heavy, black iron gates of the imperial prison resembled the silent maw of a giant beast, dividing the outside world from the inside. At the stone steps before the gates, a dispute had been raging for nearly half an hour.
Arslan, dressed in a tight-fitting indigo blue narrow-sleeved outfit with a wide leather belt inlaid with silver and copper buckles around his waist, which accentuated his tall and slender figure, argued with the two stubborn guards for a while. His clear voice took on a rough texture honed by the wind and sand of the grasslands, "I say, you two, why are you so inflexible? Let me go in and visit the Vice Minister first, and then I'll go and ask for the imperial decree. Isn't that the same?"
The prison guard, dressed in a dark red imperial guard uniform, stood with his hand on his embroidered spring knife, his face expressionless, his voice flat and without a ripple, "This is a heavily guarded prison; unauthorized personnel are not permitted to enter."
Arslan's breath hitched slightly. His amber eyes met the two enormous, rusty beast-head door knockers behind the guard. They glared at him menacingly, and the gap between the door knockers was a bottomless darkness that seemed capable of swallowing all light and sound.
The Celestial Empire's Great Hall is different from Sotaha; its strict system is rigid and dogmatic. Even Arslan, with his good temper, became impatient after being repeatedly refused entry. He threatened in a harsh voice, "If you don't open the door for me, believe me, I'll skin you alive when you get off duty!"
The two guards remained unmoved.
Arslan ground his back teeth. He heard footsteps behind him and looked back. He saw a figure walking out of the night and narrowed his eyes.
Xiao Changgeng was tall and slender with broad, straight shoulders. He walked with a steady gait. He walked to Arslan's side, showed his waist token to the guard, and then entered the imperial prison.
Arslan lifted his foot to follow, but the guard stopped him again. He drew his gold-inlaid sword from his waist and asked, "Why can he go in but I can't?"
The guard said, "His Majesty has ordered the three judicial departments to jointly try this case. He is an official sent by the Minister of Justice and has the right to enter."
Arslan called out to Xiao Changgeng, "Take me inside."
Xiao Changgeng turned to look at Arslan, his face showing none of the gentleness he had shown in front of Feng Tan. His jawline was taut and hard, his nose was high and straight, and his dark eyes were unfathomable. He only glanced at him and did not say anything more.
Arslan watched him turn and leave, and couldn't help but curse out loud.
Xiao Changgeng entered the second gate, where the Imperial Guards guarding the gate came again to verify his token.
Wei Shengxian had probably just finished interrogating someone; his dark red brocade robe was stained with blood. He looked at the man standing in the shadows and asked, "Sent by the Ministry of Justice?"
Xiao Changgeng nodded slightly.
As he got closer, Wei Shengxian finally saw the person in front of him clearly. He stared at those dark eyes and was momentarily stunned.
"I have been ordered by the Minister of Justice to inquire about the details of Lord Feng's murder case," Xiao Changgeng said in a calm and even voice. "Please lead the way, Lord Weisheng."
Wei Shengxian subconsciously narrowed his eyes. This person's demeanor was so much like that of the infamous Yama, whose reputation resounded throughout the capital. His deep-seated indifference and ruthlessness could even make the gloomy imperial prison lose some of its arrogance.
But his appearance was completely different from that person's.
Wei Shengxian composed himself, secretly laughing at his increasingly suspicious nature. He extended his left arm towards Xiao Changgeng, making a "please" gesture.
A passageway, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side, stretched out before them, like the open, dark esophagus of a giant beast, with no end in sight.
Wei Shengxian led the way, walking a little faster, and asked, "How does the Imperial Prison compare to the Buddhist Prison of your Ministry of Justice?"
The stone steps beneath his feet were uneven, with dried mud and bits of grass stuck in the cracks. The path wound its way down to the lower ground. Xiao Changgeng stepped into the dark lower level, his voice low and deep, “The Floating Prison is shaped like an ancient temple and can be seen in the light, while the Imperial Prison is sunken underground and resembles the eighteen levels of the Yama's Palace. Each has its own merits.”
Wei Shengxian let out a soft snort from his nose and said, "A half-hearted answer won't pass muster. Lord Xiao is a man of exceptional talent, the top scholar of this year's imperial examination. A shallow talk is not as good as a profound insight."
The lamplight flickered on both sides, and Xiao Changgeng's features were hidden in the dim light. His dark eyes, covered by long eyelashes, turned slightly to look at Wei Shengxian beside him. His thin lips moved slightly, "The brutal punishment under the law cannot withstand the violence of selfish desires."
Wei Shengxian said with a forced smile, "That's quite accurate and apt. We've arrived, please."
Before him stood a thick ebony inlaid with iron, its seams covered with a layer of white frost. Xiao Changgeng, who had interrogated many people in the Dahuang Imperial Prison, immediately recognized where he was. He squinted and said, "Lord Weisheng, His Majesty has not permitted you to torture her."
Wei Shengxian waved his hand, looking indifferent. "How could I dare to torture Lord Feng? It's just that the prison is full lately. The princess is of noble birth, so she should have a private room, shouldn't she?"
His answer was naturally an excuse. Wei Shengxian had been ordered by Emperor Chongming to protect the princess for many years. During this time, he was demoted from commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to deputy commander due to dereliction of duty. He harbored deep resentment towards Feng Tan. Now that he had finally gotten his revenge on her in the line of duty, given his scheming and mean nature, he would naturally take as much revenge as he could.
Wei Shengxian dared not torture Feng Tan, so he simply locked her in the Ice Chamber.
Xiao Changgeng pushed open the Xuan Tie Ice Gate, and a white mist carrying a chill rushed towards him, blurring his vision completely.
The lingering chill condensed into clusters of icicles on the ceiling of the prison cell, like inverted sharp blades, swaying gently with the airflow as the door opened.
The dim light of the oil lamp cast a chilling white glow. Xiao Changgeng's robe swept across the ice shards on the ground, making a soft sound, and in an instant, he locked onto Feng Tan, who was curled up in a ball on the ice.
Her hands were bound by iron chains, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow. Hearing the voice of someone approaching, her eyelashes trembled slightly as ice crystals fell from her head. When she opened her eyes, they met Xiao Changgeng's unfathomable gaze.
Feng Tan made a move to stand up, her black hair cascading over her pure white prison uniform, the chains rattling slightly with her movements, her cheeks appearing even redder against the icy snow.
The man's long, slender fingers landed on Feng Tan's forehead. "Lord Feng, you have a fever."
Xiao Changgeng withdrew immediately, maintaining his gentlemanly demeanor. Feng Tan, having no other intentions, replied in a somewhat weak voice, "I took a pill before going into the prison, so I won't die."
Menghe Nabul insisted that Feng Tan carry various medicines with her at all times. Feng Tan initially found it troublesome, but now she was fortunate to have the pills. When changing into prison clothes after entering the imperial prison, Feng Tan took the opportunity to feed herself one.
Seven days have passed, and even the strongest medicine will have worn off.
Xiao Changgeng took out a small, snow-white porcelain bottle from his bosom and handed it to Feng Tan, saying, "Take two of these, and your fever will go down."
He was repeating Menghenabul's tone. Feng Tan thanked him, took out two dark brown pills and swallowed them. After the bitter taste subsided, he asked, "How is the situation outside?"
Xiao Changgeng said, "Just as you predicted, the story of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has stirred up a frenzy of public opinion in the capital. Women are gentle by nature, and the women among the elite and nobles were inspired and took the lead in raising the battle flag for this cause."
Things were going smoothly, and Feng Tan was relieved. Xiao Changgeng looked at her eyelashes, which were now covered in white frost. Having seen so much of her sharp edge, he now felt a rare pity for her, and a desire to ravage her slowly crept into his heart.
Feng Tan propped herself up with her wrists. There were no windows in the ice cell, so she didn't know if it was day or night outside. Her body was feverish, and the medicine hadn't taken effect yet. She leaned against the ice wall to cool down. "I've been thinking about a question these past few days."
Xiao Changgeng said, "Please speak, sir."
Feng Tan said, “The obstacles I encountered in the implementation of the reform of the laws and rites of Dahuang came from the open or covert pressure from the Neo-Confucian scholars in the court, which caused the reform process to stagnate and become difficult to carry out. It also triggered increasingly violent conflicts, which brought things back to the problems we encountered at the beginning of the reform... All of this made the reform a vicious cycle from beginning to end.”
When faced with problems, Feng Tan does not run away, but summarizes and reflects on them, and tries to find ways to solve them. She always puts her knowledge into practice.
She is now trapped in a cycle, thinking about how to find a way out.
Xiao Changgeng saw that even though she was wearing prison clothes, her imposing aura was not diminished at all, and her upright and honest spirit grew from the inside out from her spine.
His love and hate were always intertwined. The more he loved her, the more he wanted to tear her apart and swallow her whole, their flesh and blood intertwined.
Xiao Changgeng's eyes grew calmer as he said in a low voice, "The reason why game after game has been repeatedly started is because you are too indecisive."
Feng Tan narrowed his eyes, walked up to Xiao Changgeng, and said, "Your evaluation is so sharp, what are your insights?"
Xiao Changgeng said, "My lord is being controlled by others. In every round, there is the obstruction of Prince Jing. But if you think about it carefully, is it really because of Prince Jing?"
"Why has the Embroidered Uniform Guard been protecting you all this time, yet now they've imprisoned you? Is it because of Gao Zhizhen?" He looked down at Feng Tan, his voice unhurried, a hint of mockery playing on his lips, "He's far from qualified."
Feng Tan said, "It is Emperor Chongming."
It was she who suddenly appeared. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was the emperor's henchman, representing the emperor's will. Now she was imprisoned in the imperial prison, seemingly for the murder of Gao Zhizhen, but in reality, Emperor Chongming had stepped out from behind the scenes and made his move against Feng Tan.
Emperor Chongming was not sitting idly by and watching the two tigers fight; on the contrary, Prince Jing was his puppet, and he was the real mastermind behind the scenes.
Seeing that she understood immediately, Xiao Changgeng guided her with his words, each one like a pearl, "When an emperor and a powerful minister are locked in a power struggle, the moment the emperor personally intervenes, it means that his power has already waned. Therefore, why don't you turn the spear that Prince Jing is thrust at and point it at Emperor Chongming instead?"
Feng Tan remained silent for a moment before saying, "Treason?"
Xiao Changgeng said, "If we ask him to step down and you become the true ruler of the empire, the reform process will be much smoother, and women will be able to enter all areas of the Great Empire fairly and be on the same level as men."
Feng Tan countered, "If it were a rebellion, why don't I launch a large-scale military campaign as soon as I return to the capital and catch the capital off guard?"
“The timing is not right.” Xiao Changgeng replied fluently. “Without a suitable opportunity, the Dahuang court will not tolerate it, nor will the people. Now, more than half of the court officials are under your command, and you have won the support of most women among the people. You act like a ruthless minister, but your considerations are mostly for the benefit of the people. They are convinced by you.”
Feng Tan scrutinized the man once more. He seemed to make no attempt to conceal the darkness within him. "What benefits do you want from turning me against you?"
Xiao Changgeng replied flawlessly, "My ambition is no less than yours, sir. I will naturally be ennobled and appointed prime minister, enjoying a lifetime of glory."
Feng Tan spoke sharply, saying, "You don't seem like it."
Xiao Changgeng curled his lips and said, "What's not quite right?"
Feng Tan couldn't quite put his finger on it. If you said this person was power-hungry, he certainly was. He was skilled in the art of political maneuvering, and he was exceptionally gifted in this area. Every strategist he devised was perfectly aligned with the intended purpose.
But he gives the impression that he's not just after power.
Feng Tan dismissed his jumbled thoughts, a fog of confusion rising in his mind. He stopped studying him and asked, "If Emperor Chongming is to step down, how can I rightfully ascend the throne?"
Seeing that Feng Tan's eyes were no longer clear and bright, Xiao Changgeng said, "Let's wait for another opportunity."
Feng Tan felt his mind becoming increasingly unclear and asked, "What time?"
Her body went limp, and the medicine bottle in her hand tumbled to the icy ground. Xiao Changgeng caught her waist, looked at her face as she fell into a deep sleep, turned Feng Tan's face to face, and lowered his head to cover her lips.
He drank poison to quench his thirst, kissing Feng Tan forcefully, pressing his lips harder against hers. He gripped her chin tightly, forcing her lips open, and then invaded her, sucking with a bloodthirsty intensity.
The two pills I just gave Feng Tan were one to reduce fever and one to induce unconsciousness.
Xiao Yinshi was truly skilled at disguise; no matter how wary someone was, they couldn't escape his underhanded tactics.
Having not tasted these lips for a long time, Xiao Yinshi plundered them with all his might in the icy prison. His hungry desire broke free from its restraints, and he kissed Feng Tan until she was swollen and engorged in the icy prison.
After a long while, when he finally left Feng Tan's lips, he lowered his head and pressed his forehead against hers.
Holding Feng Tan's cheek with his palm, Xiao Yinshi calmed his breathing, his unclear gaze gradually fading, and answered the question Feng Tan had asked before she fainted, "The best time will be when the domestic violence case ends and the new law is implemented nationwide."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
