Chapter 238 Framing
In the evening, Vice Minister Yin returned home after his shift. When he arrived at the backyard, he saw a group of people gathered around. He walked behind Xi Mei and took a closer look. In the center of the crowd, the brothers Du Li and Du Min were sawing brambles.
"What are you doing?" asked Minister Yin.
"My brother-in-law is going to apologize to Prime Minister Zheng the day after tomorrow," Yin Erlang replied excitedly.
Vice Minister Yin looked astonished. "What did Prime Minister Zheng say when you went to see him today?"
“Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter, so I couldn’t go in.” Du Min wiped his sweat and waved his hand, saying, “Everyone, step back a little, the wind is blocked.”
Wang Chuan immediately separated from Wang Zhou by two inches, allowing the wind to seep in through the gap.
Minister Yin looked at the bundle of thorns that had been cut up to the side. The thorns on it were long and numerous. How ruthless must he have been?
"Is it really necessary? Is it really necessary to do this?" Minister Yin asked. "Aren't we going to think of other solutions?"
"Father, don't stop me, my mind is made up." Du Min didn't even want to reveal his plans to his father-in-law.
"Alright, I won't stop you. I'll see what's going on." Vice Minister Yin didn't see much remorse from his son-in-law; this act of carrying thorns to apologize was probably just a performance.
*
On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival, at the end of the Chen hour (7-9 AM), the racing songs for dragon boats resounded along the banks of the Luo River.
In the bustling city, children wearing longevity threads ran around with their friends, while groups of ordinary people carrying stools headed to the riverbank. Porters carrying loads of rice dumplings and duck eggs weaved through the crowd, calling out their wares.
"Come and see the excitement—" A loud shout rose from the ground, "An official is carrying a bundle of thorns and heading towards Tianjin Bridge."
"What happened?" someone asked, puzzled.
Guests sitting idly in teahouses and taverns heard the commotion and sent people to inquire about the situation.
In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the news that Du Min, the prefect of Huai Prefecture, was going to apologize to Prime Minister Zheng with a bundle of thorns on his back spread like wildfire.
The busybodies in the teahouses and taverns settled their bills and headed straight for Tianjin Bridge.
The Yin family mansion was located in Daodefang on the south bank of the Luo River, while Prime Minister Zheng's residence was in Quanshanfang on the north bank. The Tianjin Bridge spanned the two banks of the river. Today happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Tianjin Bridge was teeming with tourists. One moment, people at both ends of the bridge were staring at the dragon boats on the river, and the next moment, they were drawn away by the commotion on the bridge.
What is that?
"Who is this? Her skin is so white, it's a pity her chest is covered by paper."
"Is he carrying thorns? Is he offering a apology with thorns on his back? What's written on the paper...? Last February, Prefect Du Min of Huai Prefecture misunderstood Prime Minister Zheng during a land survey and uttered many slanderous words, damaging the Prime Minister's reputation. Today, he specially offers a apology to His Excellency the Prime Minister with thorns on his back..."
"Excuse me, please make way." Du Li led the servants of the Yin family to clear the way.
The crowded people spontaneously parted to make way for Du Min, who, shirtless and carrying a large cardboard sign, weaved through the throng. Today, he wore a purple official robe, but the upper half of the robe was removed, the sleeves tucked into his waist, revealing a bare back draped with a bundle of thorns. The thorns on the thorns were sharp and pointed, and as he walked, the thorns moved up and down, the sharp thorns piercing his skin, drawing bright red blood from droplets to trickles, the bloodstains growing longer and longer until they disappeared at his waist. In their place, dark marks on the purple official robes seeped in and out.
Meng Qing and Yin's parents, along with several children, followed behind, listening to the whispers in the crowd, as they crossed the long bridge.
"Halt! What are you doing?" The Imperial City is just two miles away after crossing the Tianjin Bridge, guarded by the Imperial Guards.
Du Min stepped forward, covered in sweat. The other people's expressions changed when they saw his official robes and attire.
"I am Du Min, the Prefect of Huai Prefecture, and I am on my way to the Prime Minister's residence in Quanshanfang." Enduring the stinging pain from his sweat-soaked wounds, Du Min turned to face the many faces on the bridge and solemnly explained, "Last year, Prime Minister Zheng and I had a dispute over the investigation of land ownership. I misunderstood him as a scheming and despicable person and went so far as to publicly slander him, damaging his reputation. This misunderstanding persisted until this year. Two months ago, he overcame public opinion and issued another decree, recovering 65,000 hectares of land from court officials and local powerful families and returning it to the people. I misunderstood Prime Minister Zheng; he is a truly righteous and public-spirited person. Despite his noble birth, he has a compassionate heart for the common people. All my previous suspicions were due to my petty mind. Today, before millions of people, I offer my apologies, firstly to express my remorse to him, and secondly to clear Prime Minister Zheng's name."
The crowd stirred. The common people, who only knew the government's decree but not its consequences, were now shocked by the figure of 65,000 hectares. They eagerly relayed the news of "Prime Minister Zheng" and "65,000 hectares of land" to their neighbors who hadn't heard clearly. Among them, the scholars and students, upon hearing this, looked on with admiration and praise, and were filled with ambition, their faces showing longing for the power to secure the country and comfort the people.
The young nobles hidden among them all looked strange, and they followed in the direction Du Min had left.
The neighborhoods on the north bank of the Luo River were where high-ranking officials and nobles lived. The gates of these neighborhoods were strictly guarded, and ordinary people were not allowed to enter. When Du Min and his group entered the Quanshan neighborhood, the common people who had been following behind to watch the spectacle were forced to stop. Instead, the heads of various mansions stood in front of their gates to observe.
Du Min remained expressionless, completely ignoring all the stares, and arrived at Prime Minister Zheng's residence with bloodstains covering his back, but the gates were tightly shut.
Du Min knelt down before the lowest step and loudly proclaimed, "Du Min has come to apologize to His Excellency the Prime Minister."
There was no movement behind the door.
"At the end of February last year, I, Du, petitioned the Emperor, vowing to solve the plight of farmers who had little or no land. This led to the decree of levying taxes per mu and allowing merchants to redeem land for the people. After the decree was issued, I went to Prime Minister Zheng to ask for his protection, but was refused. I mistakenly thought he was cowardly and repeatedly slandered him with the excuse that we were not on the same page. I hereby publicly admit my mistake and sincerely apologize to Prime Minister Zheng." Du Min explained the whole story in a cryptic manner, rambling on and on: "I once boasted to Prime Minister Zheng that I would definitely practice the Great Way to prove to him that he was a hypocrite. But two months ago, I realized that I was a shallow person. The equal-field system and poll tax that I had vowed to reform were impractical, and Prime Minister Zheng disregarded past grievances and took on the responsibility of protecting the equal-field system, thus bringing an end to my rash actions."
More and more onlookers gathered in front of the Prime Minister's residence, and their expressions changed drastically upon hearing the last sentence.
"You mean Prime Minister Zheng petitioned the Emperor to clean up your mess?" Wang's people asked.
“Impossible,” a member of the Zheng clan retorted. “Don’t listen to his nonsense. Prime Minister Zheng’s every word and action is for the sake of our Zheng family.”
Those present recalled the case of the Zheng family of Xingyang being implicated in the disappearance of the county magistrate, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Before their hearts could settle down, they heard a woman's voice say, "Regardless of Prime Minister Zheng's original intention, Du Min has benefited, and the common people have also benefited."
"It's her! Prime Minister Zheng met with her before he requested the appointment! They conspired together to do all of this!" a young man exclaimed angrily.
Meng Qing glanced at it and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Impossible." The first member of the Zheng clan didn't believe it. Someone stepped forward and knocked on the door, "Quickly invite Prime Minister Zheng out."
The door opened from the inside, and Prime Minister Zheng walked out with a somber face. He ignored everyone else, walked straight down the steps, and stood in front of Du Min.
When Vice Minister Yin saw the fierce look in Prime Minister Zheng's eyes, he felt a pang of worry for Du Min.
Du Min raised his head and looked at the face above him. "Prime Minister, I have come to apologize to you."
Prime Minister Zheng clenched his fist behind his back. Had he offended a plague god?
Du Min's neck ached from looking up, so he lowered his head and prepared to get up, since he had already achieved his goal.
“I don’t expect your forgiveness. What I did today was only to show my sincerity and to clear your name, so that no one will attack you because of our dispute in the future,” Du Min said shamelessly. He tried to get up, but the thorns on his back made him afraid to move.
As he endured the pain, a hand was placed on his back. He looked up and saw Prime Minister Zheng helping him untie the bundle of thorns. His face immediately lit up with joy.
Without a word, Prime Minister Zheng took the bundle of brambles. When a servant came to take it, he refused, saying, "Come in with me to apply some medicine."
"Thank you for your magnanimity." Du Min jumped up and strode inside.
Du Li and Meng Qing exchanged a glance, both sensing something amiss in each other's eyes. Du Li decided to follow, but was stopped before even entering the door.
"Our master will be attending a banquet at the palace after the incense stick has burned for a while, and will not have time to entertain guests. Please wait outside the mansion," the servant said.
Du Li felt increasingly uneasy. "I'll go help my third brother apply the medicine."
"There is a doctor in the manor." The servant saw Zheng's family members enter and also tried to stop them: "The Prime Minister is in a hurry to go to the palace for a banquet. If you have something to do, please come another day."
The officials outside the mansion remembered that there was a banquet in the palace at noon, and it was getting late, so they had to leave.
Having lost track of the voices outside the mansion, Prime Minister Zheng stopped. He dropped the bundle of thorns, pulled one out, and examined it closely. "Du Min, I have no grudge against you, so why go to such lengths to harm me?"
"I don't think I'm harming you, but helping you. Look, you've already done it, why are you still hiding it? Why take the blame instead of seeking praise? You are indifferent to fame and fortune, so I'll do it for you this time. After today, in the marketplace, everyone will be vying to praise you, and in the academies, scholars will bow down to you. Articles praising you will be found all over Luoyang." Du Min was still trying to argue.
Prime Minister Zheng sneered and raised the thorny branch, waving it at Du Min.
Du Min frowned. He struggled for a few moments, then chose to remain still and endure the blow of the thorn.
Thorns from the brambles pierced the flesh, and with each pull and tug, blood and flesh flew everywhere.
Du Min's face turned pale, and he cried out in pain, but quickly gritted his teeth and endured it.
Prime Minister Zheng threw down the thorny branch, stared at Du Min's expression, and remarked, "Quite courageous."
Du Min was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. After a few moments, he looked up at Prime Minister Zheng and said sarcastically, "What I did today was all because you pretended to be confused. You really shouldn't be prime minister. You're too indecisive, which not only harms yourself but also your family. You've already gone into the water, and you still want to avoid offending either side? You're like the boys and girls who were sacrificed to the river god. Even if you manage to escape and get ashore, do you think the people on the shore will believe you and spare you? They'll set you on fire."
Prime Minister Zheng was furious. He was framing someone and yet had the nerve to spout such righteous indignation. He rebuked him, saying, "You have overstepped your bounds and are far too arrogant. I do not need your guidance."
"Then don't try anything with me," Du Min retorted, putting on his official robe and walking out. "You can handle your own affairs."
Prime Minister Zheng did not stop him; he simply said, "We'll see."
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Author's Note: There will be one more update tonight.
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