Chapter 58 Drinking Xiao Yinshi said, "He can't go anywhere."...
Feng Tan walked into the cell, lowered his eyes to look at Gao Yu, and said, "What goes around comes around, even the judge has his turn to be judged. Gao Yu, you've lost."
The candlelight was dim, illuminating the dark flames burning in Gao Yu's eyes. He sneered and said sarcastically, "Feng Tan, I underestimated you. Your 'Three Mountains Offering the Cauldron' scheme was truly brilliant! You subtly shifted the conflict between us into a conflict between imperial power and the law. Since you couldn't suppress me, you used the entire court of officials to do so!"
“The summary is not comprehensive enough. Lord Gao is actually a disciple of the Prince of Chu,” Feng Tan said calmly, and when he saw Gao Yu’s surprised and suspicious expression, he curled his lips and said, “I revealed this to the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which is why His Majesty abandoned you without hesitation.”
On the day Gao Zhizhen was tried at the Dali Temple, Feng Tan had a frank conversation with the Prince of Chu under the awning. When she analyzed the situation for the Prince of Chu, she said that Gao Yu was a disciple of the Prince of Jing. This was because she did not dare to reveal this to the Prince of Chu, after all, Gao Yu was his most capable pawn.
Gao Yu was a man who skillfully navigated social situations, a two-faced man who appeared to serve only the emperor while secretly colluding with Prince Jing, actually plotting for Prince Chu. He concealed this for so many years without ever revealing his true intentions. If it weren't for Ren Pingsheng's spies finding a letter in Liang Baoquan's residence with handwriting identical to Gao Yu's, she would never have suspected that Gao Yu's true master was Prince Chu.
This is also the fundamental reason why, when Gao Yu sent assassins to launch a sneak attack that night, and Feng Tan planted an assassin belonging to the Jiao Si tribe among the assassins, which was discovered by the King of Chu, the King of Chu wanted to kill him as soon as possible.
The King of Chu did not want to lose Gao Yu as an arm. The Ministry of Justice was in charge of the criminal law of the country. With the officials of the Ministry of Justice eliminating dissidents for him, everything would be easy to accomplish.
Gao Yu, who came from a humble background, entered officialdom and saw that the King of Chu wanted to seize power. So he came up with a plan to build an island of evil spirits in the sea around Dahuang and use girls to make a fortune.
Upon hearing this, Gao Yu trembled all over, overwhelmed by immense anger. If His Majesty had investigated and found out about his allegiance to the King of Chu, that would have been one thing, but it was this man who did it on purpose!
His eyes widened in fury, veins bulging on his forehead. He leaned forward, but the chains forced him backward, preventing him from getting any closer to Feng Tan. "Feng Tan, you falsely accused me of colluding with the Japanese to steal silver and plotting against the country. You even went so far as to tell His Majesty that I am actually a disciple of the Prince of Chu. Are you not morally corrupt?!"
Feng Tan's smile grew even more sarcastic. She walked up to Gao Yu, leaned down to look into his hate-filled eyes, and said, word by word, "Gao Yu, I told you to be lenient when you can, otherwise one day, the axe hanging over Wan Niang's head will chop you up and leave you bleeding. And that axe has already come down."
Gao Yu's lips trembled, unable to speak. He stared deeply into the boy's eyes, which remained clear and bright, revealing no trace of conspiracy. Who would have thought that such a seemingly ethereal and upright boy had laid down such a massive web of conspiracy!
"Failed at the last minute... failed at the last minute..." Gao Yu's voice was low and eerie, like a ghost. He stared intently at the person in front of him and said, "Feng Tan, there's something I just can't understand. I only killed a prostitute. Was it really worth taking such a big risk for a prostitute and hurting me to this extent?"
How could the execution of Wan Niang have provoked such a hysterical backlash? Gao Yu couldn't understand why he would seek revenge so recklessly.
A sweltering summer breeze blew in through the small prison window, causing Feng Tan's official robes to flutter slightly. He lowered his head and said to Gao Yu, "It's not just for her."
Feng Tan slowly recounted the facts he had gleaned from the case file of the "Women's Calamity" case over the past few days: "On the 21st day of the third month of the eighth year of Chongming, Lord Gao, who was then serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, received an imperial edict to interrogate the 652 women arrested in the "Women's Calamity" case. Among them, Feng Youming, due to his special status, was imprisoned in the Imperial Prison, and another 130 women, because they were key figures in the case, were sentenced to be executed in the autumn. Apart from these, there were 521 women left... Gao Yu, do you remember what you did to those 521 women?"
According to the case file of the "Women's Calamity Case," Gao Yu beheaded over a hundred women involved in the rebellion overnight, and hung their heads on the execution ground to dry for three days. Their families were forbidden from collecting their bodies after death. A confession, bearing the fingerprints of 521 individuals, revealed that Chen Mingfeng's claim of women's rights was a pretense; his true intention was to seize the throne. According to the laws of the Dahuang Code, their crimes were capital offenses, and all should have been executed by slow slicing. However, the emperor, in his mercy, sentenced them to beheading, sparing them physical suffering.
According to Zhen Yongming, on the night before the execution, the candles in the Futu Prison were brightly lit, and cries of agony filled the air.
Gao Yu's eyes widened in surprise and doubt, his pupils trembling. He didn't understand what Feng Tan meant by bringing up the female calamity case, and guessed, "Are you... a close relative of one of the prisoners in the female calamity case?"
Looking at Feng Tan's cold and unchanging face, he knew he had guessed correctly. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, his voice filled with pleasure. "You want to know what I did? Hahahaha, I can tell you. His Majesty ordered me to deliver within a month, but those people are incredibly stubborn. But so what!"
Gao Yu's face contorted in rage as he recalled the pleasure of that night, becoming increasingly intoxicated. "The Floating Pagoda Prison has eighteen levels. I tortured them layer by layer, from the first to the eighteenth, and they still wouldn't confess. Their skin was so greasy it was unrecognizable, yet they still refused to accuse Feng Youming of plotting a rebellion. Damn it, they deserve to die! Weren't they supposed to be virtuous women? Hahaha... What did Wan Niang suffer? What did they suffer that night? They were driven to hysteria by the pear blossoms, their three orifices opened by men, and they still wouldn't confess? I cut off my fingers and made them press their fingerprints one by one. I rose from a third-rank official to a second-rank official, all thanks to their contributions!"
"Snap!" Feng Tan's chest heaved, his eyes bloodshot.
Gao Yu was slapped, but he laughed wildly. Seeing the boy's appearance, his pleasure surged even more. He gritted his teeth and said, "Feng Tan, who are your family members?"
Feng Tan suppressed his urge to kill him, slowly spread out a sheet of Xuan paper on the table, and prepared a brush and ink, saying, "Write down the facts of the false testimony in the interrogation of the female calamity case, and affix your seal."
"What's the point of writing all this now? There's only one survivor in the female calamity case... Ah, I see, you're from the Feng family?" Gao Yu sneered, waving the Xuan paper aside, and said recklessly, "I can't write this. If you want me dead, I won't let you get away with it either."
Feng Tan's expression was solemn, and her words were like sharp blades piercing Gao Yu's heart and defenses: "You have seven daughters and one son. I can cripple your son, and I can cripple your seven daughters as well. I will repay you in kind. The girls in the female calamity case died the same way your daughters will die."
Gao Yu said, "You...you...you're threatening me?"
Feng Tan replied, "Yes, if you write it down truthfully, I will not implicate the innocent in your evil deeds. If you don't write it down, don't expect me to have any moral bottom line. What you did, I can do too, and I can even do it more disgustingly and despicably than you."
Silence fell between the two. Gao Yu's lips were tightly pressed together. After his expression changed several times, he closed his eyes and said, "You've done things to frame and wrong me. How can I believe you? I'll write a confession. You won't lay a hand on my children."
Feng Tan said, "Of all the cases I've handled, this is the only one that has been wronged."
Gao Yu said: "No case has ever been wronged in my hands."
Feng Tan said: Of all the cases that have passed through my hands, this is the only one that has been wronged.
Two words make all the difference.
It's not entirely unfair that a person who engages in shady dealings died by the blade of shady dealings.
The only sound in the cell was Gao Yu writing. After a long while, Feng Tan took out the inkpad, and Gao Yu signed his name.
He watched as the boy put away his confession and left the cell, then said solemnly behind him, "What I am today is what you will be tomorrow. Feng Tan, there is no good end to opposing the people of the world. I am waiting for you to come to hell and die with me."
......
The night was soft and hazy. Feng Tan walked out of the prison courtyard, brushing past the Imperial Guards who had brought poisoned wine. She looked up at the bright moon against the deep blue sky, and in the haze, she seemed to see Wan Niang, and all the girls who had suffered so much. Feng Tan suddenly felt as if she herself was also rotting away with a conscious awareness, so she raised her hand to shield her eyes from the moonlight.
Someone gently pulled her wrist down, and when she looked up, she met Yu Ruxi's round smile. "Lord Feng, you've eliminated corrupt officials and wicked bureaucrats, so why are you still frowning?"
Yu Ruxi reached out and tapped her forehead with her finger, a gesture meant to dispel her worries. "Come on, let's go have some drinks!"
Xingyue Tower is the finest restaurant in the capital. Its high pavilions are connected by flying bridges, forming a well-arranged layout. The surrounding mountains are lush and green, and two tall and straight ginkgo trees have stood in front of the gate for over a thousand years. The interior is extremely luxurious, with beaded curtains and embroidered lintels, and dazzling lights. High-ranking officials and nobles come and go in an endless stream.
Yu Ruxi handed a large ingot of silver to the welcoming servant with practiced ease, raising her eyebrows and saying, "Give this lady the best private room and the most handsome male prostitute!"
The servant glanced at Feng Tan, completely baffled. Was the Yu family's daughter bringing her sweetheart to patronize a man?
He chuckled and said, "Miss Yu, your brother has already instructed us not to take your business. If we do, he will bring the Yu family army to demolish this building!"
Yu Ruxi didn't care what he said, and drew half of her longsword. "Demolishing the building will have to wait until I'm done having my fun. What, do you want me to do it?"
The half-sword's edge shone brightly under the glass lamp, and the servant's heart skipped a beat. He gritted his teeth and said, "Please follow me!"
Feng Tan smiled at Yu Ruxi and asked, "What did you do here before? Why is your brother so strict with you?"
Yu Ruxi blushed and stammered, "I didn't do anything. My brother is so stubborn; he always has to meddle in everything!"
Feng Tan followed the servant upstairs and said, "You lost your mother at a young age, and your father was busy with war. Your brother had to act as both mother and brother, which was also difficult for him."
Yu Ruxi snorted, settled down in the private room, and said, "The most famous wine in this restaurant is called 'Soul-Hooking Immortal Wine.' A-Tan, how's your alcohol tolerance?"
Feng Tan always took an anti-alcohol pill before social engagements, so she didn't know exactly how effective it was. She habitually took out a pill from her pouch and put it in her mouth, but Yu Ruxi stopped her and asked, "What is this?"
"The Alcohol-Avoiding Pill: As long as you drink it, you won't get drunk from any alcohol."
Yu Ruxi's eyebrows shot up. "What's the point then? This Soul-Hooking Immortal Drink is all about that dizzy, floating, dreamlike, wonderful feeling!"
After a pause, Yu Ruxi continued, "Ah Tan, you've been so disciplined and conscientious for so many years, why don't you let loose just this once tonight? Just keep me company!"
Feng Tan knew that Yu Ruxi was feeling down because she knew her case was about to be overturned, so she wanted to help her relieve the pressure. Since the case was closed and there was nothing else to do tonight, she said, "Okay, let's play the games we used to play when we were kids: playing cards and rolling dice. Whoever loses has to drink a big cup of wine!"
As the two were talking, a servant led in several handsome young male prostitutes. Yu Ruxi asked them to sit down and said, "It's more fun with more people!"
So they were looking for male prostitutes to play games with! The servant inwardly groaned, wishing he hadn't sent anyone to General Yu's house! He smiled sheepishly, "Have fun, everyone!"
Yu Ruxi waved her hand, signaling him to leave. The few male prostitutes sat down, initially a little reserved, but seeing that the two guests had a friendly demeanor, they became less restrained. They drank one cup after another, and soon they were all tipsy.
As long as the windows between the private rooms at Xingyue Tower are open, you can hear a little bit of what's going on next door. They were playing cards and spinning dice, and the sounds from next door were slowly carried over by the summer breeze.
"Hey? Did you hear? Gao Yu's case is closed!"
"Such a big deal, who in the entire capital doesn't know about it! I heard that a newly promoted fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Justice uncovered Gao Yu's corruption and abuse of power..."
"My lords, there are hundreds of government offices throughout the capital, and every duty room has several fifth-rank officials sitting there. Which one are you talking about?"
"What bad luck!" Yu Ruxi cursed under her breath, then shouted through the open window to the neighbor next door, "That person's name is Feng Tan, Feng Tan, Feng Tan, Feng Tan! Got it?"
The noise from next door had subsided considerably. Zheng Qingru, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, heard a familiar voice apologize and then got up to walk towards the private room where Feng Tan and Yu Ruxi were.
Zheng Qingru pushed open the door and saw the group having a great time. He greeted Feng Tan and said, "I apologize for the intrusion."
Feng Tan waved his hand and said, "It's alright."
Yu Ruxi waved at him and said, "This isn't the officialdom. Don't try to play games with me like an official. If you want to play cards, come in. If not, go back to your power game."
Zheng Qingru pursed his lips, lifted his robe and sat down, but he was not very lucky. He lost five times in a row and drank five large cups.
A blush crept onto the young man's handsome face as he thoughtfully observed Feng Tan's card-playing style. Gradually, he felt that the person before him was becoming more and more like Yongle from his childhood. Suddenly, he grabbed Feng Tan's wrist as he played cards, his eyes filled with surprise and doubt.
Yongle was clearly in the palace, so why did this person give him such a strong sense of familiarity?!
Feng Tan looked at the hand that was holding hers, his eyes also hazy and drunk. She shook her head to clear her mind, and then said, "Zheng Qingru, it's your turn to play."
When Feng Tan uttered those three words, Zheng Qingru was startled. He then slowly shook his head and gulped down several large cups of wine.
Yu Ruxi was already quite drunk. Seeing Zheng Qingru drinking by himself, she laughed and pointed at him, saying, "What a character! You call yourself the best in the capital? I think you're more like the most taciturn person in the capital!"
The wooden door to the private room was suddenly kicked open with great force. Yu Zhenyu's face darkened as he looked at the drunken Yu Ruxi, picked her up, and carried her out the door.
Yu Ruxi struggled incessantly, crying, "Brother! Put me down! Yu Zhenyu!"
Watching her departing figure, Feng Tan tilted her head back and drank a large glass of wine, her tone tinged with envy, saying, "Having family by your side is the happiest thing."
Looking at the boy's flushed cheeks and the deepening drunkenness in his eyes, Zheng Qingru asked, "Does Lord Feng have no relatives?"
“Some are dead, some are imprisoned, and the one still alive…” Feng Tan blinked, suppressing his complex emotions, and said, “Let’s not talk about the one still alive. Come on, let’s drink!”
Zheng Qingru grabbed her wrist again and said, "Don't drink anymore, or you'll get so drunk you won't be able to get home."
As its name suggests, the Soul-Hooking Immortal Wine is invigorating when drunk, leaving one in a dazed and blissful state after a while.
Since entering the capital, Feng Tan has never dared to relax. Tonight is one of her rare moments of indulgence, but this indulgence is mixed with a trace of rationality. She took out a hangover pill from her brocade pouch and put it in her mouth, saying, "It's alright, the medicine will take effect in two hours."
Feng Tan, carrying a wine bottle, staggered to his feet, raised his arm to the bright moon, and said, "This body is but a small boat in this world, where can I not be free... When everything is over, I will stay away from the strife, pick chrysanthemums by the eastern fence, how delightful!"
Fearing Feng Tan might fall, Zheng Qingru stood up, grabbed her arm, and asked, "What's over? Where are we going after this is over?"
“He can’t go anywhere,” Xiao Yinshi said, having stood at the door for an unknown amount of time. His dark, cold eyes fell on Zheng Qingru’s arm, which was holding Feng Tan’s, and then slowly swept over the five bewildered young men in front of the mahjong table. “You all go out.”
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