Chapter 27 The Abandoned Infant Tower: Xiao Yinshi, that iron-willed devil, must peel off a layer from her...
In the desolate wilderness, amidst howling winds and snow, the eerie cries of a newborn baby echoed from an abandoned tower. The well-trained guards, amidst their speculations, gripped their weapons tightly.
Xiao Yinshi was a demon living among men, treading on flesh and bones. His deep, brooding face showed no ripples. He raised his eyes slightly and instructed Zhu Qi, "Go up there and take a look."
Zhu Qi accepted the task and led two squads of soldiers to investigate. They returned shortly afterward and reported, "Sir, there is a peasant woman on the tower, holding a baby in her arms. The crying just now was made by this baby."
After saying that, Zhu Qi shouted, "Hurry up and come over to pay your respects to the lord!"
Zhu Qi's voice was very loud. The peasant woman, who was still standing on the stairs, was so frightened by the sound that she trembled all over, and the baby in her arms started crying again.
She clutched the baby tightly, trembling as she descended the stairs. Reaching Xiao Yinshi, she knelt down with a thud, stammering, "My lord..."
She was so frightened by the scene that she stammered and couldn't speak, her already pale face now completely drained of color.
Xiao Yinshi lost his patience and turned his gaze to Feng Tan, signaling Feng Tan to come and interrogate her.
Feng Tan said "Yes", walked up to the peasant woman and stood there. He said gently, "Sister, don't be afraid. The wind and snow were too heavy tonight, so we rested here. We only went up to check when we heard the child's voice. We have disturbed you. I apologize to you."
After speaking, Feng Tan bowed and glanced at the baby in the peasant woman's arms, then asked, "Why are you here, elder sister?"
Seeing the kind face of the young man with rosy lips and white teeth, the peasant woman felt a little relieved, as he didn't seem like a wicked person. "I'm from Gejia Village on Wuxian Island. My husband's family didn't want my baby, so they abandoned him in this baby-abandoning tower. I don't have long to live, so I came to stay with my baby! I didn't know who you were, so I kept the baby's mouth covered. I was too tired just now and accidentally fell asleep, which is why I disturbed you."
Upon hearing this, Feng Tan frowned. So this tower was called the Abandoned Infant Tower. She pondered for a moment and then asked, "Why doesn't your husband want this child?"
A wave of grievance washed over the peasant woman, and she rubbed her reddened eyes with embarrassment. "My child is a girl. My husband said that if she were to be sent to the Island of Evil Spirits in the future, it would be better to just abandon her in this baby-abandoning tower... Actually, I know that he is lying to me. Girls are a money-losing commodity. He just doesn't want to raise a girl."
Evil Spirit Island...
The book "Dahuang Geographical Tales" records that when a spirit medium passes through an evil gate, evil spirits appear in the world and are cast onto an island to comfort the female Taoist priests.
The location they were looking for happened to be Evil Island.
When Feng Tan subconsciously looked at Xiao Yin, she met the man's dark and cold eyes. Her throat tightened slightly, and after calming herself, she asked, "Elder sister, why must the girls we give birth to go through evil paths and to Evil Spirit Island?"
"Alas, young master, you're not from the island, are you? The people on the island rely on the blessings of the heavens for their livelihood. As long as the sea god isn't angry, the weather will be favorable for the year! A hundred years ago, the sea god was extremely angry. That year, a plague swept across the island, and the fishermen couldn't catch anything. The people of the sea god's cult spread the word that it was because an evil spirit had been born there. They told the islanders of the surrounding islands to hand over their children to them to be sent to the evil gate. Once they passed through the evil gate, they would check whether the child was human or an evil spirit. If the child was an evil spirit, they would be sent to Evil Spirit Island!"
The peasant woman began to sob softly, “Children sent to Evil Spirit Island can never leave the island... At first, there were both boys and girls sent to Evil Spirit Island, but gradually it became only girls. When the girls turned eight, the Sea God Cult would send people to take them to the Evil Gate to verify their true nature. We never knew where Evil Spirit Island was, we only knew that if they couldn’t pass the Evil Gate, they would never come back... My mother-in-law and husband thought the baby was beautiful and would definitely be taken to Evil Spirit Island, so they simply... just... abandoned her!”
The baby seemed to be affected by the mother's emotions and started crying loudly again in her arms.
The farmer's wife quickly rocked and coaxed the child, "Baby, baby, go to sleep. You won't be hungry when you're asleep."
The peasant woman knelt on the ground, and Feng Tan squatted down to look at the baby in her arms. Seeing that the baby was crying incessantly, he gestured to Meng Henabuer to bring the goat milk that had been simmering on the stove.
The baby stopped crying after drinking the milk. The peasant woman looked at the child in her arms, struggling to survive, and couldn't help but cry out, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have brought you into this world to suffer like this!"
She was emotionally distraught. She had given birth yesterday and had been bleeding continuously since then. Now, the blood from her lower body was gushing out, staining the dusty ground red.
A woman's yin blood is considered unclean, so the guards carrying torches involuntarily stepped back.
Feng Tan stepped forward and embraced the peasant woman's weak and powerless upper body, urgently calling out, "Uncle Meng, come and take a look!"
“I wasn’t going to survive. Before I gave birth, the doctor said it was a boy, and my husband and mother-in-law were overjoyed. They fed me all sorts of delicious food during my pregnancy—I’ve never eaten so much good food in my life. I’ve eaten chicken and drunk fish soup… On the day I was going to give birth, I couldn’t deliver, so my mother-in-law called for an oxcart and put me on the ox’s back, saying it was a traditional method to shake the baby out… Luckily, the baby was born. I knew I wasn’t going to survive, but they thought I gave birth to a girl and insisted on giving her away…”
Menghenabul placed his finger on the peasant woman's pulse and shook his head at Feng Tan.
"I wouldn't have survived being thrown from the cow's back," the peasant woman said desperately, holding the baby with her remaining strength. "It's just so hard on my little one..."
"Young master, could you... help me...?"
Just when everyone thought the peasant woman would say "take care of her," she slowly closed her eyes, her weak voice fading into the snowy night, "Strangle her."
Feng Tan's pupils widened in shock.
Many causes and effects that she was unwilling to delve into instantly froze her in place.
For years, she chose to remain uninvolved, refusing to investigate the motives behind her husband's various actions over the years, turning her back on him with all her might, only saying that her husband was acting out of a sense of righteousness.
My only thought was to rescue her.
Feng Youming is a god who wanders the world. With the body she has cultivated for two lifetimes, she shouts for justice in an era that does not belong to her, but no one in this era is willing to listen.
Feng Tan took the baby, who was already full and fast asleep, from the peasant woman's arms, turned around and handed it to Meng Henaboul before going upstairs alone.
This layer of bones, with its tiny skulls and torsos, clearly indicates that they belong to infants. Before abandoning them, their families had attached iron tags to their bodies with their chosen names written on them.
Jiang Lingyue, Xie Lihua, Ji Feifei, Yang Dexin...
It really is...
"No skirts are worn in the school, no baby boys are kept in the abandoned infant tower," Feng Tan murmured.
Looking at Feng Tan's distraught appearance, Xiao Yinshi's deep eyes held a hint of inquiry. "These words came from Feng Youming, who also said them here."
Only the two of them remained on this floor; Xiao Yinshi's guards hadn't come along, and Meng Henabul was busy caring for the baby and hadn't followed either. This was the first time the two had met since they parted ways in the carriage that day, after traveling for over half a month.
Feng Tan walked past the pile of bones, stood under the arched passageway, and looked at the silent snowy night with his hands behind his back. "What a coincidence."
With her back to Xiao Yinshi, she stood alone amidst the dense snow. Xiao Yinshi keenly sensed the turmoil in Feng Tan's emotions and the subtle flaws she inadvertently revealed.
The wind has its own destiny.
Feng Tan had been investigating matters concerning the Imperial Prison. Last time, while she was in the prison, she casually asked about it, and on the day the convoy departed, she inquired again about the defenses of Zhu Qi's Imperial Prison, repeatedly mentioning the people imprisoned inside.
Feng Tan was even willing to risk his life for Feng Youming's daughter.
Feng Tan is not one to speak without purpose; her constant exploration of the inner workings of the Imperial Prison must have a specific purpose.
When Xiao Yinshi served as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he tried many cases, but he never showed any curiosity during the trials. Now, however, he was unusually curious about Feng Tan.
“The infamous female calamity case that shocked the world eight years ago was orchestrated by Feng Youming,” Xiao Yinshi walked to Feng Tan’s side, looking down at the young man’s face. “Two years from now is the date His Majesty has set for the massacre. Feng Tan, your handwriting is seven parts similar to hers. Why is that?”
Upon hearing this, Feng Tan turned to look at Xiao Yinshi and said with a smile, "Sir, we are working on a case together, not you interrogating me."
“I remember telling you, sir, that I was saved by Lin Wanzhou when I was young, and stayed at the Feng residence for a while,” Feng Tan said. He did not intend to avoid the question, otherwise, given Xiao Yinshi’s suspicious nature, it would be troublesome if he really investigated the events of ten years ago. “At that time, I was fortunate enough to learn to read and write with the help of Miss Lin. Miss Lin’s handwriting was taught by Feng Youming, so it is not surprising that my handwriting is somewhat similar to hers.”
Xiao Yinshi didn't care whether the young man's words were true or false, and stroked the ring on his finger, saying, "Her calligraphy has her character, but what about the person herself?"
Feng Tan was unwilling to speak ill of Feng Youming at any time, and frankly said, "No one is even one ten-thousandth as good as Feng Youming."
Xiao Yinshi said, "All the officials of the Dahuang court know that Feng Youming has committed heinous crimes. Feng Tan, you are praising Feng Youming in front of the Left Censor-in-Chief. Do you have a death wish?"
"The Censorate is responsible for investigating all officials, and you, sir, are the head of the Censorate. If I were to lie, would you believe me?" Feng Tan retorted sarcastically.
"Tell me," Xiao Yinshi said, softening his tone and adding a touch of persuasive enticement, "your thoughts."
Feng Tan said, “At that time, the Heavenly Venerable of Salvation from Suffering pervaded the ten directions, and constantly used his divine power to save all sentient beings from their delusions. Sentient beings were unaware of this, like blind people seeing the sun and moon.”
“Like a blind man seeing the sun and moon…” Xiao Yinshi chewed on these words, then suddenly laughed deeply, his dark pupils seizing Feng Tan, “His Majesty is blind, the officials are blind, the world is blind… You dare to say that.”
Feng Tan neither confirmed nor denied it; that was her opinion.
Xiao Yinshi abandoned his condescending attitude, turned his head to look at the bleak snowy night, and suddenly remembered that it was this same young man who had been carrying a female corpse alone through the snow that day.
The young man may seem lecherous, but he is actually trying his best to protect every woman he encounters.
Xiao Yinshi narrowed his eyes slightly. Feng Tan... in some ways, he and Feng Youming were of the same mind.
The snowy night was chilling, and Feng Tan, wanting to understand the thoughts of powerful male officials like Xiao Yinshi regarding the case of the woman who caused the disaster, said, "It is often said that when a country is well-governed, it will not change its ways; when a country is not well-governed, it will remain unchanged until death. Admittedly, in my heart, I do not believe that Feng Youming has done anything wrong. It is because the country is not well-governed, not because she rebelled. So, what are your thoughts on the case of the woman who caused the disaster, my lord?"
At the time of the female calamity incident, Gao Yu, who was then serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, was in charge of arresting and interrogating the key criminals. Xiao Yinshi, who was then serving as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was responsible for the final imprisonment.
During the years that Mr. [Name] was imprisoned, Xiao Yinshi must have had the most contact with her.
A cold wind swept through the chilly night as Xiao Yinshi walked to Feng Tan's side, his demeanor still relaxed. "It's like a mayfly trying to shake a tree; it has no chance of winning."
“Avoiding the question,” Feng Tan turned to gaze at Xiao Yinshi, then pondered, “Does Your Excellency have some compassion?”
Xiao Yinshi did not discuss the right or wrong of the female calamity case, but only criticized the reasons for Feng Youming's failure.
Xiao Yinshi's handsome face was obscured in the dark night. His smile was cold and indifferent as he looked down at the young man with an ambiguous expression. "Feng Youming's talent and knowledge surpass those of the ancients, and the prosperity of the Great Era has never been seen before. As for 'going against the norm and instigating all women in the world to rise up'... his soaring flames and flying rays support all directions, but they also cause people heartbreak."
Soaring flames and flying rays, supporting and pacifying all directions.
It's hard to imagine that such high praise would come from a core figure in the Taeyang Control Yuan.
Feng Tan looked into his lowered eyes, the light in his deep eyes shimmering in the darkness, like starlight passing through mountains and rivers.
Under such influence, her heart skipped a beat.
The boy's unusually stunned expression amused Xiao Yinshi. He lowered his eyes and smiled for a moment before quickly reaching out to grab Feng Tan's shoulders and pressing her against the railing on the outside of the tower.
Feng Tan groaned in pain as the railing struck her lower back. Hanging halfway from the tower, she gripped the man's clothes tightly with both hands and demanded, "My lord, have you lost your mind?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the masked assassins in black, who had been lying in ambush at the top of the tower, swooped down with their swords and pierced a large hole in the spot where they had just been standing.
Xiao Yinshi released his grip on Feng Tan's fingers, quickly turned around, and used two fingers to deflect the assassin's hidden sword, forcing the assassin to retreat several steps before suddenly releasing his grip and throwing the long sword to Feng Tan behind him.
"Take care of yourselves." After saying this, more and more assassins jumped down from the top of the tower and joined the battle, fighting with Xiao Yinshi. Meanwhile, the guards protecting the tower below were also besieged by the assassins and fought fiercely at the foot of the tower.
Xiao Yinshi was a ninth-rank master, while these dozen or so assassins were all above the fifth rank. Although they couldn't hurt Xiao Yinshi, it would be easy for them to surround him and injure Feng Tan.
Feng Tan's martial arts skills weren't high, but her agility was decent. She wasn't sure about the assassins' abilities, and if escaping made it easier for them to strike, it would be troublesome. She gripped her longsword tightly behind Xiao Yinshi, ready to join the battle at any moment.
With a loud shout from the assassin leader, more than a dozen assassins changed formation and sent out their fiercest warriors to besiege Xiao Yin, while the remaining two drew their swords and attacked Feng Tan.
Feng Tan knew her own limitations; she could not defeat any martial artist of the third rank or above.
However, Feng Tan was not prepared to let the tragedy of "dying before achieving her goal" happen to her. She held a long sword in one hand and secretly took out a grenade that her master had made for her in her early years from her sleeve with the other. She glanced at Xiao Yinshi.
The gentleman once said that although the grenade was not as powerful as military artillery, it would not be a problem to blow up this floor. Moreover, there were five floors between this floor and the ground floor, so it would not harm the people on the ground floor.
However, if she were to make a move, the area where Xiao Yinshi was located would undoubtedly be doomed.
However, this bit of compassion was of little use in rescuing the gentleman.
She had no sense of morality towards Xiao Yin.
Feng Tan made up her mind. As the assassins closed in step by step, she took a deep breath and pulled out the plug. Just then, Xiao Yinshi broke through the encirclement and attacked.
Feng Tan was pulled into a blood-stained embrace, and at the same time, she pulled the grenade apart and threw it with all her might.
"boom!"
A loud explosion was followed by several screams as a large hole was blasted open where the assassins were, and blood and flesh flew everywhere in an instant.
The masked assassin leader realized the situation was dire; the disparity in strength was too great, and immediately signaled for everyone to retreat.
As the smoke cleared, Feng Tan, feeling somewhat guilty, raised her head from Xiao Yinshi's embrace. Suddenly meeting Xiao Yinshi's handsome face, a long string of thoughts of traditional Chinese culture flashed through her mind.
How could the grenade have been thrown at exactly the right moment?
What incredibly bad luck!
Xiao Yinshi, that iron-willed devil, will surely skin her alive!
She stepped back two steps from Xiao Yinshi's embrace, creating some distance between them, and bowed respectfully, saying, "This humble official thanks you, sir, for saving my life."
The blood on Xiao Yinshi's blade had not yet dried. He had been stabbed in the arm when he rushed out of the formation, and the blood splattered onto his face, making his already cold face even more desolate.
He walked up to Feng Tan with his sword in hand, the tip of the sword lifting Feng Tan's chin, a cold sneer escaping from between his teeth, "Feng Tan, how do you want to die?"
This time, Feng Tan truly felt Xiao Yinshi's chilling and unambiguous killing intent. The long sword at her chin was sharp and bloodthirsty. She knelt down with a thud. "This humble official is guilty! Please forgive me, my lord! I missed with one strike, and they will definitely come again! I owe you my life, my lord, and I will repay you with all my might! My lord, you are magnanimous, please don't be angry!"
Those who understand the times are wise. Faced with life and death, Feng Tan flattered without hesitation, her posture of bowing and submitting was clean and neat, which made Xiao Yinshi laugh angrily.
He crouched down and used his thumb and forefinger to clamp Feng Tan's chin. With a little force, he lifted Feng Tan's cheek and said, "You are the first person who has spared my life after killing me three times. I am not killing you today because you are useful. After we return to the capital, we will settle these scores one by one."
Rough fingers lightly slid across Feng Tan's soft cheek. Xiao Yinshi's gaze, sweeping up and down Feng Tan's face, was anything but innocent. His thin lips stopped an inch from Feng Tan's cheek, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Ungrateful wretch."
"My lord, you are injured!" Zhu Qi broke free from the fighting at the bottom of the tower and climbed up the stairs in a few quick steps.
Xiao Yinshi slowly straightened up and asked Zhu Qi, "What's the situation down there?"
As the man's aggressive aura receded, Feng Tan's breathing gradually became easier. She stood up and looked down from the railing.
Zhu Qi replied, "In response to your question, sir, they are from the same group as those who attacked us at Yongle Temple last time. However, they were all assassins. Most of them escaped, and those who were captured alive have committed suicide by poison."
“Heh,” Xiao Yinshi sneered, “They’re already impatiently starting assassinations before even reaching the waters off Linzhang.”
Zhu Qi said indignantly, "In my humble opinion, the person who stole the national treasury's silver must have something to hide, and there might be some unspeakable conspiracy behind it, which is why they were in such a hurry to assassinate me! Also, sir, how did you get injured with your martial arts skills? Fortunately, there is a physician among your entourage. I will go and call them to bandage you!"
Feng Tan, the one who started it all, looked apologetic. Xiao Yinshi was injured because of her, and she couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So she took out the wound medicine specially prepared by Menghe Nabul from her pouch and handed it to Xiao Yinshi. "My lord, this medicine works fast. It will stop hurting once you apply it."
Xiao Yinshi pursed his lips, his profile appearing particularly cold in the darkness. He decided to ignore this ingrate and turned to go downstairs.
Sensing that her master was in a bad mood, Zhu Qi smiled heartily at Feng Tan, "That's just my master's personality... I'll accept this medicine on your behalf, Master Feng! We didn't get much rest after all the ups and downs of the night. Oh, I'm so sleepy. I need to catch up on some sleep now. Master Feng, you should go and get some sleep too!"
*
Thousands of miles away, in the imperial capital, at the Great Palace.
In two days it will be Lunar New Year's Eve. At this time of year, all twenty-four government offices in the palace are extremely busy. What's more, today is a special day, as His Majesty's legitimate princess, Princess Yongle, who was lost for eight years, has returned to the capital.
A few days ago, the eunuch Jiang Lili, who was in charge of writing, received orders from his godfather to personally clean and arrange the palace where the princess had lived in her childhood. After a day of tidying up, the eunuchs in red robes wearing sable coats were so tired that they could hardly straighten their backs. Before they could rest for a while, they heard orderly footsteps coming from outside the palace.
The Grand Eunuch Sheng Honghai entered Yongle Palace surrounded by dozens of noblemen. Jiang Lili winked at the exhausted eunuchs on both sides, signaling them to perk up. She then patted her clothes with an air of importance, put on a smile, and stepped forward, saying, "Godfather, we haven't finished cleaning yet. Why did you come in person?"
The gates of Yongle Palace opened again after eight years. Standing there, Sheng Honghai felt as if many years had passed, yet the past was still vivid in his mind. He composed himself and said, "Today His Majesty welcomed the princess and celebrated all day. The princess should be returning from the banquet soon. How is the cleaning going?"
Each of the twenty-four departments of the Imperial Household Department has its own responsibilities. In order to welcome the princess back to the capital, the various departments have been in a state of chaos in the past few days. Although Jiang Lili is the chief scribe, he is thorough in his work and is a person that Sheng Honghai can trust. Only when Sheng Honghai entrusts the work to him can he feel at ease.
Jiang Lili wiped the already shiny thin-walled blue and white porcelain cup with the symbols of fortune, prosperity, and longevity for Sheng Honghai to see, and said with a smile, "Godfather, don't worry, I clean it every day, and I guarantee there won't be a speck of dust in any corner!"
Sheng Honghai inspected the hall and pointed to the charcoal fire, saying, "Make the charcoal fire burn even brighter. The princess is afraid of the cold, so we need to ensure that the hall is warm as spring."
Jiang Lili bowed and said, "Godfather remembers clearly. When I entered the palace, I was not fortunate enough to meet the princess and do not know her preferences. Godfather, please take another look and see if there is anything else that needs to be arranged?"
Sheng Honghai said, "You did a good job. I estimate His Majesty will be here soon. Let them withdraw."
"Yes." Jiang Lili made a gesture, and the eunuchs under her command filed out, leaving only the two of them, the godfather and son, in the Yongle Palace in the blink of an eye.
Looking at her composed godfather, Jiang Lili no longer hesitated to ask the question that had been on her mind: "Godfather, since the ceremony to welcome the princess this morning, we have been exhausted. We have held countless grand ceremonies before, but none of them have been as tiring as today. I would like to ask, why is the procession for our Princess Yongle even more grand than the banquet for all the officials?"
Sheng Honghai glanced at Jiang Lili without any expression. Jiang Lili felt a chill and said, "I entered the palace late and only got this position because of my godfather's promotion. I know very little about the affairs of the harem. Knowing more will help me know what to do in the future, won't it?"
Having served Emperor Chongming for many years, Sheng Honghai knew the emperor's temperament intimately: selfish, ruthless, and cold-hearted, adept at manipulating people and even more skilled at disguising himself; the smile on his face was always fake. Only after the princess was born did he begin to show some true feelings—a simple affection for his daughter. Sheng Honghai didn't know if his feelings for the princess were a case of loving the princess because of her, or simply paternal love.
Now, it's a little clearer.
Perhaps only towards the princess would Emperor Chongming reveal his rare moments of true nature; otherwise, he wouldn't have relentlessly sent the Imperial Guards to search for her for eight years.
Jiang Lili said, "In that case, it seems that Princess Daijie is about to fall out of favor."
"Out of favor?" Sheng Honghai smiled slightly.
The plot is transitioning; soon we'll have a huge amount of screen time with the male and female leads! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2024-07-20 20:42:22 and 2024-07-21 21:15:20!
Thank you to the little angels who threw landmines: 65604327 and 2 nettles;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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