Chapter 64: Show Some Respect When Questioning
Feng Tan's pupils contracted sharply, but she dared not show any more emotion. Xiao Yinshi was terrifyingly perceptive. From the moment they first met until now, he had taken in every tiny flaw she had revealed. If he were to make a move, the situation would be extremely difficult.
Xiao Yinshi's cool fingers gently caressed the boy's prominent Adam's apple. Behind him, on the carved wall, was a mural of Shakyamuni Buddha subduing a poisonous dragon. As he flicked his cigarette, the scene slowly changed. The poisonous dragon turned on the Buddha, splattering blood all over the ground before breaking free from the mural and lurking beside the man in front of him, waiting for his command to tear her to shreds.
A cold sweat broke out on Feng Tan's back. Her neck stiffened and she dared not move. She could not afford to make such a big mistake when she was trying to overturn the case. However, her mind went blank. Under Xiao Yinshi's unrestrained and threatening interrogation, she could hardly breathe.
The white candle on the table dripped wax, the thick, cloudy liquid slowly running down its body. The man's gaze shifted back to the boy's fair and smooth neck, his eyes deepening imperceptibly. He moved his thin lips to Feng Tan's ear and said in a low, husky voice, "So long silent, is it because you can't answer or... can't find an excuse to argue?"
Feng Tan took a deep breath, suddenly grabbed Xiao Yinshi's collar, pulled him so that his upper body leaned against hers, and then bit down on his Adam's apple.
As their lips brushed against Feng Tan's right ear, Feng Tan trembled and bit down harder. Judging from the shadows cast on the palace floor, it looked as if they were entwined, their bodies intertwined, creating an atmosphere of ambiguity.
The boy's teeth were strong, and when he spoke, the tip of his tongue seemed to accidentally glide across the broken skin on the front of his throat, causing Xiao Yinshi to tremble all over. He unconsciously loosened his grip on Feng Tan's neck and instead pressed her back even tighter.
Feng Tan lifted her eyes from Xiao Yinshi's embrace, meeting the man's dark eyes filled with lust. Her eyes were also misty with tears. Their gazes locked together, which stirred Xiao Yinshi's deep-rooted feelings even more. He leaned down and kissed Feng Tan's lips.
Feng Tan quickly turned her head away, and the man's kiss missed, his lips landing on the boy's hair.
A low, chilling chuckle sounded, and Feng Tan's heart raced. Her mind cleared amidst the crisp woody scent. Despite being pressed against Xiao Yinshi's chest, she spoke with neither servility nor arrogance, curving her lips into a smile as she said, "Your Adam's apple is bruised but not bleeding. Didn't you manage that, my lord?"
Feng Tan's bite force was just right. Moreover, she was afraid of bleeding, so she licked it with the tip of her tongue, and even if there was a little blood, it was cleaned up.
Lust clouded his judgment, and Xiao Yinshi succumbed to desire once again. Whenever the boy made any physical contact with him, he would become inexplicably aroused. After that seductive lick, his spine went numb. Now, watching the boy's composed debating manner, reason once again prevailed... No matter how you look at it, Feng Tan was a sharp-tongued wolf cub.
Feng Tan said, “My lord, suspicion and lust can both breed evil. What you're doing isn't just being suspicious, it's being lustful. Your desires drive you to always imagine me as a woman, but you've touched me, you've tested me. I'm a man through and through, and I have absolutely no interest in men in bed. The last time I asked you if you'd ever been with a woman, I was trying to tell you that if you've tasted a woman's pleasure, you won't be tormented by lust anymore. There are eight brothels in the capital. If you want to try something new, if you want to have fun, there are plenty of girls for you to choose from. Why be fixated on a man who doesn't like men?”
Seeing his increasingly cold and brooding eyes, Feng Tan paused for a moment, then said, "As you said, the only ones in this world who can truly care about women are women themselves. But I have also told you that everything I have done is to save Feng Youming. Feng Youming stands up for women's rights. To save her, I must prove that she is right. Therefore, I must protect the girls who were violated in the female calamity case back then."
"Feng Tan, you've seen through me? You really have?" He leaned closer, his arms binding Feng Tan, leaving her only able to move her neck exposed to the air. His mocking smile was both fierce and ruthless. "Whether you're a man or a woman, I can penetrate you. It's just that in my heart, I'd rather you were a woman."
Feng Tan was pressed against the desk by Xiao Yinshi's strong body, their bodies pressed tightly together. Xiao Yinshi's eyes were as dark as ink, and she saw the undisguised desire within them. This time, he held her head, and his thin lips slowly touched hers again.
Xiao Yinshi's desire to devour people was too obvious; the lust in his eyes was almost tangible. Feng Tan hurriedly said, "Xiao Yinshi, you fucking let go..."
"Show some respect..." The unspoken words were swallowed by the man's lips. Xiao Yinshi had improved rapidly, and his tongue, which had invaded the boy's lips, could now conquer and plunder with considerable skill. The significant improvement in his technique caused Feng Tan to unconsciously let out a tight moan. His strong arms tightened their grip, and his malicious plundering left Feng Tan with no room to retreat. It was too domineering; she could hardly even breathe.
Feng Tan's cheeks were tinged with rouge. In the depths of her lust, Xiao Yinshi's dark eyes were filled with gloom as he watched her struggle like a fish out of water in a black net. This intensified his desire to destroy her. His tongue penetrated deeper and deeper into the boy's mouth, and their breaths and lips intertwined.
As time passed, after a long while, Xiao Yinshi slowly loosened his grip on Feng Tan. Noticing that his desire for her had not diminished but rather increased, he helplessly licked his lips.
"Slap!" A crisp slap rang out, Feng Tan's chest heaved, she used all her strength, and her hand that slapped Xiao Yinshi was slightly numb.
Xiao Yinshi pressed his tongue against his cheek, looking at the boy whose lips were red and tender from the kiss. His gaze shifted to the boy's raised hand, and a playful smile appeared on his lips. "Feng Tan, I've already been very restrained. Don't provoke me."
Feng Tan understood that this was a warning. She slowly closed her outstretched fingers, reminding herself that discretion is the better part of valor, and that success comes first, so she shouldn't argue with him. "Xiao Yinshi, you're fucking insane."
When it comes to lust at first sight, to the point of disregarding both men and women, who can be more insane than him?
Xiao Yinshi took in her changes, and chuckled lightly when he heard the scolding. However, his cold eyes were as sharp as knives, and his words seemed to be comforting himself, "It's good that you're a man. He's tough and can handle it."
Xiao Yinshi placed his index finger between her lips, playing with her lip beads, "Shh... I'll let you slap me to vent your anger, but if you say another word, I'll really do it."
Having gained no advantage whatsoever, Feng Tan's face was covered with a thin layer of ferocity as she said, "Holding a torch against the wind will only lead to being consumed by fire sooner or later."
"You've already been engulfed in flames, haven't you?" Xiao Yinshi's words were unclear, and the look in his eyes on Feng Tan's face was ambiguous.
Nine lifetimes of reincarnation, one after another, no one intruded into his karma, only Feng Tan, who recklessly seduced him, mocked him, and used him, and in the end even wanted to get away unscathed. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Feng Tan said, "Xiao Yinshi, you came here so late at night. Besides trying to determine my gender, is there something else you need?"
Xiao Yinshi said, "As a person who receives a salary and governs the local area, I have come to personally interrogate you by order of His Majesty."
Feng Tan said sarcastically, "That official's judgment is truly shameless. What else do you want to ask me?"
As the candle burned out, Xiao Yinshi slowly lit another one, strolled over to the presiding judge's seat, sat down, and flipped through the case file, asking, "You defended Feng Youming, what is your relationship with her? This is an interrogation, there can be no vague statements."
He was admonishing her about her change in status. Feng Tan was silent for a moment, then said, "I am her student. Back then, Feng Youming founded a girls' school in Linzhou. My family was poor and I couldn't afford to go to school. The girls' school didn't charge money, and the teachers were daughters of famous local families. Sometimes Feng Youming would come to teach me personally. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have been able to study so much, nor would I have had the opportunity to enter officialdom."
Whether Xiao Yinshi believed him or not, he immediately asked another question: "You say Gao Yu's complaint is fake, do you have any evidence?"
The two vice censors have already asked this question today, Feng Tan said: "It's written in the record, and I've already answered it."
Xiao Yinshi leaned back in his chair and said, "Now it's a retrial, so answer again."
Feng Tan pursed her lips and said, "Before Gao Yu died, he wrote a lawsuit."
Xiao Yinshi asked, "Where is the complaint?"
Feng Tan said, "It's in my hands."
Looking at the young man's calm face, Xiao Yinshi said, "Bring it here."
Feng Tan stood still, not moving. This lawsuit was to be presented in front of everyone. If it was only presented to Xiao Yinshi... would he destroy it?
The young man stood straight in front of the hall. Xiao Yinshi knew what he was thinking; it was nothing more than distrust. "It doesn't matter if you don't let me see it. You can take it yourself when you go to court tomorrow."
Attending court? Shouldn't it be a joint trial by the three judicial departments?
Moreover, Emperor Chongming has not attended court for nine years. Is he going to reopen the case of the female calamity in the court?
Xiao Yinshi saw through Feng Tan's thoughts and explained simply, "Lord Feng is renowned for his eloquence. His Majesty fears that the Three Departments cannot subdue you, so he ordered the Grand Secretariat and the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers to write a defense overnight. Tomorrow, each of them will take turns debating with you... Why are your eyes so wide open? Are you flattered?"
Feng Tan's hopes sank somewhat. She knew that Emperor Chongming would not easily spread rumors that he had been summoned, but such a massive display of power was indeed beyond her expectations. "Everything must be done in accordance with the Dahuang Code. Since the code has already been changed because of the princess's death, changing it back so easily will only make the people of the world think that the law is no longer lawful."
A glint of light flashed across Xiao Yinshi's cold eyes as he spoke without any warmth: "The devil is always one step ahead of the saint. You have orchestrated your schemes with great skill, pulling the entire court into your grasp one scheme after another in order to save one person. Don't you know that being too rigid can lead to breaking? You are trying to shake the very foundation of the Dahuang Dynasty. How can Emperor Chongming allow you to exonerate the woman who caused the disaster?"
"Don't say too much, or it will lose its meaning," Xiao Yinshi said, looking at Feng Tan's indifferent face. He smiled and asked, "Are you afraid?"
Feng Tan met those fierce eyes and said, "I'm afraid."
They were back to the time when they first met. Xiao Yinshi changed the scene and asked again, "You're so scared, why do you still want to save me?"
Back then he asked Lin Wanzhou; today he asks Feng Youming. Back then, Feng Tan replied: "You wouldn't understand, there are always people willing to risk everything to save those they want to protect."
The candlelight clearly illuminated the boy's aloof demeanor. Feng Tan replied, "If I have done my utmost but still could not achieve it, I can have no regrets."①
Xiao Yinshi suddenly understood why he was attracted to this person again and again. He had an indomitable tenacity. Even knowing that there was not much to be gained, he was willing to take a gamble. He deserved the title of a lone warrior.
A lonely crescent moon hung in the sky, illuminating the gloomy courtyard of the Censorate. Xiao Yinshi walked out of the interrogation room. Feng Tan stood at the door, watching his departing figure, and raised her voice slightly, "Xiao Yinshi, will you stop me in court tomorrow?"
Xiao Yinshi turned around and looked at Feng Tan's solitary figure under the cold light of the crescent moon, and said, "I will not stop you, nor will I help you anymore."
Since chains cannot bind wolf cubs, and power cannot suppress a free spirit, let us simply walk to the end where there is nowhere left to go.
I just want to see you sink into the mire, and see if you'll beg me then.
......
As the night deepened, the residence of Zheng Guanhe, Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary, was also brightly lit.
Outside the window, the bamboo shadows sway gently, creating dappled and elegant light and shadow through the window lattice. Pine resin burns on the table, intertwining with the scent of ink to create a refined atmosphere.
Zheng Guanhe stroked the letter that Grand Tutor Feng had given him, closing his eyes in deep thought by candlelight.
Zheng Qingru pushed open the door and entered, bowing respectfully. He said, "Grandson heard that Grandfather has not yet gone to bed. Is there something troubling you?"
“The Qing scholar has arrived,” Zheng Guanhe opened his eyes, picked up the thin-walled blue and white porcelain cup with auspicious symbols of fortune, prosperity, and longevity from the table, took a sip, and sighed, “There is a difficult matter to solve.”
“Grandfather might as well tell his grandson about it.” Zheng Qingru closed the study door, sat down in the lacquered wooden chair below Zheng Guanhe, and guessed, “It should be about the court debate tomorrow.”
Tonight, His Majesty orders all officials in the capital to write a defense petition, and the heads of each department will select the best ones to present to the Directorate of Ceremonial. Tomorrow, in the court, officials from the Six Ministries and Nine Ministers will all submit a petition against Feng Tan.
In other words, the people of the world are all listening attentively to tomorrow's court debate.
Zheng Guanhe carefully placed the letter left by Grand Tutor Feng back to his chest, keeping it close to his body. He pressed his fingers against his brow, his head throbbing slightly, and said, "As the Grand Secretary and a member of the official ranks, I should uphold justice and correct the corrupt practices of the court. However, I have been entrusted by my most respected relative, the old gentleman, to protect Feng Tan. Moreover, Feng Tan saved the old gentleman's daughter, Feng Youming... I am caught in a dilemma, utterly helpless..."
In officialdom, Zheng Guanhe was adept at rectifying officialdom, and he established himself in the court as a person of integrity by assessing the situation. Moreover, he had an unassuming personality and was able to keep the officials in the capital in check. He was quite skilled at adapting to circumstances. The fact that he had been pondering for a long time tonight shows that he had really encountered a thorny problem.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Qingru frowned deeply. Grand Tutor Feng and Feng Tan were not related, so why did he insist on protecting Feng Tan before his death? The two had only met once, so how could they have such a deep bond? In a flash, Zheng Qingru felt as if he was about to see through something, but the fog of uncertainty remained shrouded in the situation, and he could not see clearly.
A flash of lightning outside the study foreshadowed an impending downpour. Zheng Qingru's eyelids twitched, and he said to Zheng Guanhe, "The duties of a subject and a teacher cannot coexist. One should only seek to be free from guilt. Grandfather, perhaps we should wait and see from the sidelines. If something happens to Feng Tan, we can ultimately save her life."
The letter on Zheng Guanhe's chest felt as if it were burning hot against his heart. He waved his hand, coughed heavily, and said, "I have lived an upright life and would never be a traitor. What if Your Majesty's request for me to fulfill the duties of a subject is wrong?"
Zheng Qingru's eyes narrowed and his back stiffened. He said, "What do you mean, Grandfather? Do you also think that women can participate in politics? Since ancient times, women have been taught to obey the three obediences and four virtues. Women are naturally driven by emotions. Whether they pursue literature or martial arts, they are not considered men. If they have the right to participate in politics, Dahuang will be in great danger."
A thunderclap boomed, and a downpour began. The study was filled with a damp, humid atmosphere, which eased Zheng Guanhe's suffocating chest slightly. "Confucianism has always been like this... However, the recent turmoil in the court and the widespread impact of the princess's death, along with several uprisings by women from all over the country in front of the Three Judicial Offices, have made me start to wonder if the Great Khan is too harsh on women... What the Grand Tutor's daughter did back then was nothing more than trying to secure a place for them... Alas, after sitting in the position of Grand Secretary for so many years, I've become increasingly indecisive."
Zheng Qingru voiced his doubts, saying, "Grandfather is kind, and what you say makes sense. I understand what you mean; you secretly want to help Feng Tan. I've met him, and he is indeed a good official. While not a loyal minister, he is certainly a virtuous one. He always puts the people first. Whether in the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Criminal Law, his colleagues and the people he interacts with all speak highly of him. Is there a reason why he is so devoted to the Feng family?"
Zheng Guanhe thought to himself that the answer was probably in the letter left by the Grand Tutor, but the Grand Tutor had instructed that it should not be presented to His Majesty unless Feng Tan's life was in danger. "I don't know either... but that day I saw Feng Tan off with Grand Tutor Feng. The Grand Tutor was quite worried about him. Apart from Feng Youming's lineage and Princess Yongle, I have never heard of any other important relatives of the Grand Tutor still alive."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Qingru pondered for a moment, then spoke in a clear and resonant voice, "If Grandfather wishes to help Feng Tan, will he need my assistance in court tomorrow?"
Zheng Guanhe shook his head and said in denial: "The officials of the capital who will attend court tomorrow, once they sit in these positions, are all like oil lamps without wicks. Each of them has a lot of ideas. If we, grandfather and grandson, were to argue for the same person, we might displease His Majesty. Let's save his life. In the end, let's just save his life."
“The case of the female calamity is a malignant tumor in His Majesty’s heart. Feng Tan is determined to save Feng Youming, but even saving his life is probably as difficult as climbing to heaven,” Zheng Qingru said.
The rain poured down, pounding against the roof. Zheng Guanhe sighed again and said, "Let's wait and see."
My dears, since school has started recently (painful mask) and working people have to go to work, I will be updating around 11 pm every night!
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