Chapter 156 A Thousand Beauties Rejoice (2) "I came to find you..."
The enactment of the new law was a major event. It was not enough for the three judicial departments to agree; it needed to be written into the "Dahuang Penal Code" and approved by the emperor in vermilion ink and stamped with the imperial seal.
The three judicial officials reluctantly stamped their seals, leaving only the national seal unstamped in the lower right corner of the pale yellow silk.
Jiang Lili, the eunuch sent by the Directorate of Ceremonial, returned to the palace with a bitter and resentful expression. After discussing with her godfather Sheng Honghai, she presented the silk to the emperor. Emperor Chongming glanced at it, placed the imperial seal on the upper left of the desk, and hesitated to affix the seal.
As soon as the garrison sign was put up, the bronze crane lamps in the corner of the Taiji Hall burned with a faint light. Beside Emperor Chongming, the sea of clouds churned, and his shadow fell on the golden brick floor, gradually becoming blurred by another shadow.
Feng Tan walked lightly, and when he reached Emperor Chongming, the emperor seemed to sense something and raised his head. His voice, which had not been uttered for a long time, suddenly sounded withered and aged as he spoke, “Yongle.”
Emperor Chongming looked at Feng Tan, the little princess he had cherished since childhood. She used to sweetly call him "Father," but now she was as cold as ice and had not called him that in the past twenty years.
“Your Majesty,” Feng Tan’s gaze fell on the new law that had not yet been stamped with his seal, his voice sounding even colder in the April night, “What concerns do you have?”
Emperor Chongming's fragile emotions were only revealed for a moment, and he quickly reverted to his majestic and awe-inspiring imperial demeanor, saying, "I'm waiting for you."
Emperor Chongming valued health and wellness, and in the past he would have already retired by this time. Today, however, he sat in meditation for a long time in front of the new law, which indeed showed that Feng Tan would enter the palace quietly without imperial decree.
Emperor Chongming said, "You are a little later than I expected."
Feng Tan said, "It's a little later because someone was killed."
After Feng Tan finished speaking, Meng Henaboll appeared, holding a human head in his hand. He then released the golden ring from the head's hair as ordered.
The human head rolled around on the spotless floor of the Taiji Hall until it came to a stop at Emperor Chongming's feet. Emperor Chongming's gaze shifted downwards, and he was suddenly confronted by the unclosed eyes of Prince Jing.
The cut on Prince Jing's neck was clean, and after being rolled over, beads of blood began to seep out from the cut, winding their way to Emperor Chongming's dragon boots.
Emperor Chongming glanced at the severed head. Though he had long held a high position, his heart was filled with turmoil, but his face remained calm and his tone was as indifferent as before. "I had thought about how you would deal with him in this conspiracy, but I never expected you to kill him directly."
The light from the gilded palace lantern fell on Feng Tan's sharply defined jawline, and his voice, clear as the sound of a halberd, rang out, "He has hindered me for too long; in the end, a conspiracy is no match for a legitimate one."
There is no solution to the open scheme.
Assassinating Prince Jing without leaving any evidence, even if the whole world suspects and condemns him, will ultimately only remain in the realm of words and writing.
Emperor Chongming's voice took on a hoarseness he himself was unaware of. He picked up the bright yellow silk scroll inscribed with the new laws, and as he lifted one end, the scroll naturally draped down, revealing the clear ink marks once more. "Yongle, for your so-called fairness, you now intend to rebel and kill me?"
Feng Tan knelt down, his forehead pressed against the cold ground, his posture devout, and uttered the rebellious words, "Your subject begs... Father Emperor to abdicate!"
"Your subject..." Emperor Chongming's pupils trembled, and after a moment he said with a mocking and cold tone, "Now you're willing to admit that you are of royal blood... Princess Yongle."
Feng Tan stood up, took two steps forward, and looked up to meet Emperor Chongming's gaze without the slightest hesitation. "I have never denied the flesh and blood you gave me."
Emperor Chongming's eyes were sharp as a hawk's. "Ten years to forge a sword... You left the palace at the age of eight, and now twenty years have passed. You have spent two decades forging this sword, and you yourself have become the sword that shakes the entire Dahuang Dynasty. Twenty years... You have spent a full twenty years to make women stand on top of men."
Feng Tan's gaze pierced straight into his eyes, and she said in a cold voice, "Your Majesty still doesn't understand that what we want is not for women to rule men, but simply for them to stand on equal footing with men."
The Chongming Emperor's voice sounded weary. "Do you know how history will record things if you force me to abdicate? How much infamy will you bear?"
Feng Tan said, "I don't care."
"I don't care." Emperor Chongming repeated in a low voice, then turned around and brought the imperial seal to Feng Tan, saying, "I won the battle for the throne back then. You are my child. I am pleased that you killed your two uncles. But do you think it's too simple to ascend the throne without fighting?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Imperial Guards suddenly appeared, surrounding the entire hall like an iron barrel. Wei Shengxian walked into the hall, his expression as eccentric as ever. "This humble servant is late in rescuing Your Majesty. Please forgive me."
The chilling aura emanating from the armor and weapons in the Taiji Hall did not deter Feng Tan's sharp eyes; on the contrary, they shone even brighter. "Your Majesty, I have never dared to underestimate you."
Xiao Changgeng walked out from the shadows in the corner of the hall, his posture as upright as a cypress tree on a mountain peak, his lips thin as a knife, his words full of sternness, "Your Majesty, the Taiji Hall is surrounded by snipers. As soon as the sound of fighting is heard in the hall, they will appear immediately."
Emperor Chongming knew the immense power of Feng Tan's new weapon; even a skilled marksman could take a life from a great distance with every shot, even if they were well-trained Imperial Guards.
In fact, Feng Tan inherited part of her stubbornness from Emperor Chongming. She was a stubborn person, and so was Emperor Chongming. He was currently in a weak position, and the anger of being forced to abdicate by his own daughter burned through his heart and lungs. "Even if I don't obey, what can you do about it?!"
Feng Tan's eyes gradually darkened, her fingers tightened around the sniper rifle, and she slowly raised her arm, pointing at Emperor Chongming, "Your Majesty, please abdicate."
Emperor Chongming stepped forward, the muzzle of his gun deeply embedded in the head of the five-clawed golden dragon on his imperial robe, his attitude clear.
Feng Tan looked into Emperor Chongming's eyes, her fingers gradually tightening, the blood fading from her fingertips and turning bluish-white.
Emperor Chongming refused to back down an inch.
As the two were locked in a stalemate in the main hall, Sheng Honghai rushed over. The usually composed and dignified Grand Master of Ceremonial was panting heavily, his voice barely audible in the quiet hall, "Lord Feng, wait!"
Sheng Honghai reached out and grabbed Feng Tan's gun barrel, moving it away from Chongming Emperor's chest. He then stepped between Feng Tan and Chongming Emperor, blocking their line of sight, and said to Feng Tan, "Even if His Majesty has made a thousand mistakes, he has never been wrong in being the princess's father."
Feng Tan said: "...Daban."
Hearing this long-unheard address, Sheng Honghai felt a little warmer in his heart, and said, "A new dragon cannot kill an old dragon; that would be usurpation. In the future, there will be many ways to suppress the rebellions in the court and among the people. Why should the princess confront His Majesty head-on?"
Jiang Lili carried a red table to Sheng Honghai, and when she lifted the red cloth, a bright yellow imperial edict was revealed.
Emperor Chongming's pupils constricted slightly as he shouted, "Sheng Honghai!"
Sheng Honghai said, “Your Majesty, when the battle for the throne began, you instructed your servants that whoever won the last imperial edict would have their name on it. The imperial seal has already been affixed, and now only one name is missing. Why do you need to fight with the princess again? Besides, you have long wanted to step down from this throne, so why do you have to fight with the princess for this honor?”
Emperor Chongming was furious. As he flicked his sleeves, a gust of wind rose up, and his voice boomed like a bell: "A woman ruling the country is an omen of misfortune!"
Sheng Honghai said, "Do you truly favor Prince Jing? Are you afraid that you will be ashamed before your ancestors when you die? Your Majesty, you should know that under Princess Yongle's rule, Dahuang is no worse than you."
After saying this, he unfolded the edict of accession in front of Emperor Chongming. Jiang Lili handed him the imperial brush and said, "Your Majesty, sign it. You are getting old. Wouldn't it be nice to be an emperor emeritus? Let the younger generation govern the turbulent court."
Sheng Honghai had been by Chongming Emperor's side since he was a child, serving as his chief companion, and later as Princess Yongle's chief companion as well. He was very familiar with the nature of both father and daughter, who were easily swayed by gentle persuasion but not by force.
They were both easily swayed by gentle persuasion but resistant to force, yet they frequently clashed head-on in the court. Emperor Chongming disagreed with Feng Tan's actions, so he used Prince Jing as a puppet to obstruct her at every turn; Feng Tan was constantly restrained, but she endured until she finally beheaded him, and now she was forcing the emperor to abdicate.
Therefore, even at the risk of committing a grave offense, Sheng Honghai had to mediate.
Emperor Chongming turned his head to look at the sea of clouds outside the palace.
The sea of clouds stretches for thousands of miles, like white waves rolling over dark green mountains. As the sun rises, it is gilded with gold, and the outline of the vast land is hidden between the layers.
A brand new and magnificent scene will emerge without bloodshed.
The vermilion imperial brushstrokes spread their last sharp edge across the paper, the three characters "Emperor Yongle" written with powerful strokes like cast iron, the strokes seemingly carrying the sound of clashing metal. Emperor Chongming raised his head from his desk, and Xiao Changgeng received the imperial edict, kneeling on the ground, his deep, cold voice resounding throughout the hall, "Your subject congratulates Your Majesty on your ascension to the throne."
Feng Tan took the imperial edict from his hand, her fingers lightly touching his knuckles as he held up the bright yellow brocade.
In this human arena, amidst scheming and plotting to overturn the situation, Xiao Changgeng spares no effort in pushing her to the throne.
Feng Tan suddenly grabbed Xiao Changgeng's collar, forcing him to tilt his head back slightly and stare intently at the handsome face of the man before him, saying, "Such a deep and cunning mind, what exactly do you want?"
Xiao Changgeng looked back, his dark eyes seemingly unchanged, "To be granted the title of king and prime minister, a powerful minister without equal."
***
After the top-down reforms that began with the domestic violence case, Emperor Yongle issued several edicts upon ascending the throne, allowing women to continuously enter the political and economic spheres that had long been monopolized by men.
For example, new decrees were issued declaring that women would have equal land rights with men and encouraging women to engage in handicrafts and commerce. With the implementation of these new policies, the status of Daegu women gradually improved in all areas of society, and they began to step out of their homes and showcase their talents.
The concept of male superiority and female inferiority was transformed into gender equality over time and through the power of authority, but it gradually became deeply ingrained. Women's right to education led to a decrease in the birth rate of babies in the Daeko Dynasty, but the Daeko Dynasty had a strong military to protect it, and the population decline did not shake the vast dynasty.
In the fifty-second year of the Yongle reign, just after dawn, the morning dew still clung to the bluestone slabs of Baihua Street, and the sound of students reciting their lessons could already be heard from Yunzhi Hall.
Yunzhi Hall was built on the site of the former Hongxiu Pavilion. Lin Wanzhou stood in the hall holding a scroll. More than fifty years had passed, and her black hair had turned white. She asked the children who were reciting the text with a gentle voice, "You have all memorized the Record of the Empress's New Policies. Today, let's put aside our studies and talk about Her Majesty in your eyes."
The boy in blue at the front row, playing with the nine-square wooden blocks that had become popular in the palace, spoke first: "Your Majesty is a golden phoenix from heaven, and knows many novel things!"
Lin Wanzhou smiled and nodded, then asked, "Anything else?"
The children chattered on and on, but the girl in the corner, dressed in pink with her hair in two buns, remained silent. Lin Wanzhou walked to her side and said softly, "Feng Ling, you tell us what you want to say."
“Sir,” Feng Ling said, tilting her head with a hint of worry, “His Majesty is a very powerful person.”
This was a strange explanation. Lin Wanzhou stopped and asked, "What's the explanation?"
Feng Ling remained silent. She was always taciturn. When she was five years old, her parents died because Japanese pirates invaded the waters off Linzhang. She was rescued by Yu Ruxi and taken back to the capital. Feng Tan took a liking to her and kept her by his side to teach her.
Two days ago, news came from the front line in the waters off Linzhang that Yu Ruxi had conquered the Japanese territory but had died from serious injuries. Following the death of Menghe Naboul, Feng Tan also fell seriously ill and was unable to teach the child any longer, so she entrusted her to Lin Wanzhou.
After a brief silence, Feng Ling raised her eyelashes again, her eyes glistening with moisture, which looked incredibly cute against her childlike face. "Sir, I secretly went back to see her last night. She had a high fever and wouldn't let it go down."
"Fever doesn't just go down on its own..." Lin Wanzhou chuckled, then paused, her voice becoming urgent, "She's sick again?"
Feng Ling burst into tears, sobbing, "She's very ill."
Feng Tan was in a daze from the fire. Her years of diligent rule on the throne had depleted her physical foundation, and the successive departures of her old friends left her completely alone.
In her hazy sensory experience, she could sense someone holding her in their arms, gently rocking her, and humming a nursery rhyme, "The willows are alive, let's spin the top; the willows are green, let's fly the clock..."
Feng Tan opened her eyes, and Xiao Changgeng said in a hoarse voice, "She's awake."
More than fifty years have passed; she has grown old, and so has Xiao Changgeng. They have always adhered to the proper relationship between ruler and subject; this is the first time Xiao Changgeng has held her in his arms.
Feng Tan's full head of white hair spread across Xiao Changgeng's knees. Before death, a person can clearly sense that life is gradually slipping away, and their breath is becoming weak. "How long have I been asleep?"
“One night and one day,” Xiao Changgeng reached out and touched her wrinkled forehead, “Are you afraid?”
Are you scared?
When did this happen? That person asked her "Are you scared?" in many different situations.
His face has become blurred in the depths of memory with the passage of time, and Feng Tan can no longer remember what he looked like.
Feng Tan murmured, "Xiao Yinshi..."
The hand that was patting her shoulder and back paused. Xiao Changgeng looked down at her, his gaze fixed on her face, a clear undercurrent surging in his eyes. "Whom does Your Majesty call?"
Just now, it seemed like the delirium of someone in pain. Feng Tan asked, "Are you trying to ask me if I'm afraid of dying?"
She paused for a moment, then added, "There are many people waiting for me over there, so don't be afraid."
Xiao Changgeng's eyes turned cold, and he said in a low voice, "So it turns out that there was no one in your life worth Your Majesty's affection."
Feng Tan's relatives and friends have gradually passed away, and she is also separated from her lover by two countries.
When Arslan came to marry into the family, on the eve of Feng Tan's wedding to his beloved, Sotaha Khan Boriged rushed to Dahuang and told him that the eldest and second princes had been mysteriously murdered, and requested that the Heavenly Dynasty allow Arslan to return to the grasslands.
Arslan's departure made Feng Tan even more taciturn. In her life, she had experienced many ups and downs, yet her life was magnificent and she had no regrets.
But in his final moments, no one he knew was by his side.
Feng Tan looked at Xiao Changgeng, her voice tinged with a hint of amusement, "Lord Xiao, for so many years, you haven't married or taken a concubine, and you have so much power yet you have no desire to use it. How is that any different from you being a monk at Yongle Temple?"
Those who seem to have no desires are often the most cunning, and Feng Tan never understood him.
Xiao Changgeng said, "There is no Yongle in Yongle Temple."
His words were ambiguous, and Feng Tan couldn't figure out what he meant. When giving his last instructions, he tried his best to keep a clear head: "Fairness is born from those in power. To consolidate the current system, those who set the rules of rites can no longer be like the Duke of Zhou. Five generations after my death, there must be an entire female emperor."
Xiao Changgeng responded softly.
Mount Bulao is a good place to recuperate, but Feng Tan had a fever and felt too hot, so she opened the window a little before going to sleep. At this moment, outside the window, snowflakes were falling softly on the branches of red plum blossoms, five petals clustered together to form exquisite cups, the snow like fine wine, full of winter poetry.
Feng Tan wanted to get up from Xiao Changgeng's embrace to take another look at the Dahuang River and Mountains, but she had no strength left. Xiao Changgeng noticed her intention, pulled Feng Tan up to sit, and let her head rest on his shoulder.
Xiao Changgeng knew she was about to leave, his inscrutable expression shrouded in mist. He whispered in Feng Tan's ear, his voice low and hoarse, "In this life, I'll let you have your way... In the next life, I won't allow you to escape."
The wind and snow intensified, the wind whipping Feng Tan's hair, which became tangled with Xiao Changgeng's long hair. Her senses were blurred, and she couldn't hear what he was saying.
Feng Tan's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and her breath became as faint as a spider's thread. In her daze, she saw Mr. Feng coming towards her and said with relief, "Yongle, you did it."
The ladies, with swords at his waist ready to slay ordinary men, also came over laughing, "Young Master Feng is still as handsome and dashing as ever!"
Yu Ruxi squeezed out from behind them and whispered a scolding, "Why are you in such a hurry to come find me after only two days!"
Menghenabur said coldly, "I don't have any medicine for you right now."
There's also Hu Shu, Shang Chunxiang, Feng Hengdao...
Feng Tan saw that they were all on the other side of the river. The person who came to ferry her across was Feng Sangrou, who was wearing a light blue dress. She smiled at Feng Tan and said, "My little Yongle is quite a capable adult now."
......
The person in his arms had already breathed their last. Xiao Yinshi held Feng Tan's gradually cooling body and sat by the window all night. The next day, he carried her into the imperial mausoleum.
Construction of Emperor Yongle's mausoleum began three years ago, but no one knew that the Grand Secretary of the court had begun planning the construction of the secret mausoleum ten years earlier. Apart from him, no one knew where the secret mausoleum was located.
After the Yongle Emperor's death, his body disappeared without a trace, and at the same time, the Grand Secretary Xiao Changgeng never appeared in front of the world again. This matter became a mystery in the Dahuang Dynasty.
Inside the imperial mausoleum, the emperor in the ice coffin looked serene. Xiao Yinshi stood beside her, while Zhu Qi knelt in the center of the dark hall.
Zhu Qi urged again, "Master, the secret mechanisms of the tomb will be permanently closed in a quarter of an hour. I have never asked you for anything in my life, but this is the only time. Please come with me out of the tomb!"
After saying this, Zhu Qi slammed his forehead into the ground with a loud "thud," demonstrating the force of his blow. Ever since his master brought the Yongle Emperor's body to the Dark Tomb, it had caused a huge uproar in the Dahuang court and among the common people. While the common folk couldn't figure it out, the Khan of Sotaha knew perfectly well. He immediately rode from the border, kicked open the gates of the Prime Minister's residence, only to find it deserted.
Apart from Zhu Qi, Xiao Yinshi's confidant, no one in the world knows where Emperor Yongle was finally buried.
As the time for Guanling approached, Zhu Qi's voice became anxious. She crawled a few steps closer to Xiao Yinshi and said, "Master, you abandoned your country, your family, and your life to fulfill her wishes and plan for her for the rest of your life. Are you really willing to give up your life to die for her?!"
The lush lamplight illuminated Xiao Yinshi's features. In this life, Feng Tan treated him as a chess piece, and he, in setting up the game, also treated himself as a piece, becoming a link in the game. Now the end is set, the play has ended, she has accepted her destiny, and he no longer needs the remaining years of this life.
Xiao Yinshi waved his hand, ordering Zhu Qi to leave.
Zhu Qi kowtowed again and left the dark hall. The last black iron gate slammed shut behind him.
Xiao Yinshi took out a short, sharp knife from his sleeve and precisely slashed open the lifeline of his wrist. Gushing blood flowed down to the ice crystal coffin, like a layer of blood-red soft mat spread out.
He looked down at Feng Tan, who lay in the ice coffin, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as thick ink.
"I've come to find you."
"Feng Tan".
Author's Note: If you want to see A-Tan achieve her wish in the end, this is the end.
The side story is dark and gritty, featuring a male protagonist who forcibly takes advantage of his wife without any limits; it's quite a story.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
