Turning clouds and rain
The night was as dark as ink, and all was silent.
The Ming Prince's mansion, now under house arrest, has lost its former brilliance and resembles a huge, silent, trapped beast lurking deep within the bustling capital.
Inside and outside the high walls, the footsteps of the Imperial Guards patrolled rhythmically and heavily, like the tolling of an invisible death knell.
A shadowy figure, almost blending into the night, moved silently like a ghost, bypassing all the visible and hidden sentries, and stealthily entered the deepest part of the mansion, Zongzheng Mingchen's study.
Only a dim oil lamp was lit in the study. Zongzheng Mingchen was not asleep. He sat in the shadows, dressed neatly, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table. His eyes were filled with the humiliation and resentment of being imprisoned and a trace of anxious waiting.
When the dark figure appeared before him as if seeping out of the wall, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.
The newcomer was dressed in black, not very tall, but moved as nimbly as a cat. His face was covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes that gleamed with a hidden glint of cunning and loyalty.
He knelt on one knee and lowered his voice: "Your Highness, I am Ying Sha, the deputy leader of the Night Hawk Pavilion!"
"Where is the stuff?" Zongzheng Mingchen asked without uttering a single unnecessary word, his voice hoarse and urgent.
Ying Sha took out a long, narrow iron box wrapped tightly in oilcloth from his bosom and presented it with both hands: "I have fulfilled my mission! All the original letters, account books, and seals in the pavilion that could prove Your Highness's connection with Night Hawk Pavilion and Northern Di have been destroyed or replaced. This is the 'truth' that was carefully prepared according to Your Highness's previous instructions."
Zongzheng Mingchen grabbed the iron box, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement. He quickly opened it, revealing a thick stack of documents. Under the dim light, he rapidly flipped through them.
Ying Sha explained in a low voice, speaking quickly and clearly: "Your Highness, please look at this document. It is a clarification document from the Ashina tribe of the Northern Di. It bears the genuine wolf-head gold seal of their tribe. It was secretly copied and reproduced by us in a transaction many years ago, and it is indistinguishable from the real thing."
Ying Sha continued, "This is a written statement that all the so-called 'secret letters' exchanged with His Highness were forged by strategists under the Ninth Prince Heng, who imitated His Highness's handwriting and stole His Highness's seal in an attempt to frame him! They express their strong indignation at such acts of sowing discord within the Great Shang royal family and damaging diplomatic relations."
"This document contains the last letters and blood oaths of some of the Night Hawk Pavilion leaders who were tortured to death by Prince Heng. They accuse Prince Heng of using the lives of their families to force them to give false testimony and implicate His Highness in order to solidify His Highness's crimes. Unable to bear the humiliation, they sacrificed their lives to expose Prince Heng's atrocities!"
“These,” Ying Sha pointed to a stack of ledgers and receipts, “are forged in the handwriting of the stewards in His Highness’s residence. They clearly show that all of His Highness’s money transactions were used for the daily expenses of the Prince’s residence, to provide relief to the families of his generals, and… to secretly subsidize the border troops with provisions. Several low-ranking generals who have received favors from His Highness can testify to this.”
"This is completely inconsistent with the flow of the huge sums of money allegedly used to fund the Night Hawk Pavilion and bribe the Northern Barbarians. On the contrary, there are several records here of generals under the Heng King receiving military funds from unknown sources recently. Although vague, they are enough to arouse suspicion."
“The most important thing is this…” Ying Sha picked up the bottom, seemingly old letter.
"This is an imitation of the handwriting of the late General Zhenbei, who had a falling out with Prince Heng and wrote a letter to his former subordinates. The letter subtly mentions his concerns about Prince Heng's reliance on his military power and his ruthless methods."
"It also implies that Prince Heng may have the intention of 'nurturing bandits to enhance his own power,' or even using this opportunity to eliminate dissidents. The timing is exactly before the Battle of Lin'an."
Zongzheng Mingchen turned the pages one by one, his eyes growing brighter and brighter, the gloom on his face gradually being replaced by an almost fanatical excitement.
These fabricated testimonies were extremely sophisticated, blending truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, with each corroborating the other, making it almost impossible to find any flaws!
Especially that letter from the old general of Zhenbei, the timing and content were too tricky and vicious, directly hitting the emperor's most sensitive nerve!
"Good! Good! Good!" Zongzheng Mingchen said three times, his voice distorted with suppressed excitement. "Shadow Shaman, you did a great job! Night Hawk Pavilion has never disappointed me!"
"I would gladly die to serve Your Highness!" Ying Sha said, bowing her head.
"The Pavilion Master has ordered that all the Pavilion's forces have gone underground, awaiting Your Highness's instructions. We will do everything in our power to help Your Highness clear your name, regain your freedom, and restore your glory!"
Zongzheng Mingchen gripped the iron box tightly, as if he held his own destiny by the throat, a ferocious yet confident smile spreading across his face: "With these, let's see who can convict me in court tomorrow!"
"Zongzheng Hengyu... Ha! I'll let you taste what it's like to have your own arrow bounce back and pierce your heart!"
He could almost see himself in the imperial court, using these "ironclad pieces of evidence" to drag Prince Heng into the quagmire of framing his brother and deceiving the emperor!
…………
The following day, at the Chaozheng Hall.
An unusual tension permeated the solemn and dignified atmosphere.
Today is not a grand court assembly, but important officials and nobles have all been summoned.
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, his face calm and expressionless. Zongzheng Hengyu and Zongzheng Zhaoran stood at the head of the civil and military ranks, one as aloof as ever, the other as gentle as ever.
Just as the court meeting was halfway through, discussing the aftermath of the border conflict, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the hall.
"Your Majesty! I have a memorial to present! I wish to accuse the Ninth Prince, Prince Heng, Zongzheng Hengyu, of framing loyal officials and deceiving the emperor!" A censor suddenly stepped forward, his voice shrill, and held up his memorial.
Everyone was shocked, their eyes turning to the censor, then looking with suspicion at Zongzheng Hengyu, who remained motionless.
The emperor frowned slightly: "Why do you say that, my dear minister? Prince Heng has just performed a great service..."
“Your Majesty! Merit is merit, and fault is fault!” Another official stepped forward.
"We have recently received numerous complaints of injustice, and we have conclusive evidence showing that the charges against the Second Prince, His Highness Prince Ming, were all meticulously fabricated! The purpose was to eliminate dissidents and deceive His Majesty!"
"I second that proposal!"
"I also have a memorial to present! The evidence is here!"
In an instant, seven or eight officials stepped forward one after another, speaking vehemently and pointing their fingers directly at Prince Heng!
They presented their so-called "evidence," which was precisely the false evidence that Ying Sha had sent to the Ming Prince's mansion last night!
Zongzheng Hengyu finally moved. He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over the indignant officials like an icy blade, before finally landing on the throne.
His voice was calm and unwavering: "Father, I have never done such a thing. I request to confront the person making these baseless accusations in court and ask Father to thoroughly investigate the source of the so-called evidence."
Zongzheng Zhaoran also stepped forward at the opportune moment, his face filled with worry: "Father, this matter is of great importance, involving the reputation of the two princes, and even more so the fairness of the court's laws. It is indeed necessary to investigate carefully, so as not to let the loyal and good people be wronged, nor to let... villains succeed."
His words, though seemingly fair, subtly equated framing with being wronged.
Soon, the "evidence" was taken by the eunuchs and presented to the emperor. At the emperor's instruction, several Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet examined it on the spot.
An eerie silence fell over the hall, broken only by the rustling of papers and the suppressed breathing of the officials.
Many military officers who favored Prince Heng showed anger, but dared not lash out before the evidence was clear.
Meanwhile, those officials who were either in cahoots with the Ming King or were wary of the Heng King's power exchanged glances in secret.
The scholars examined it for a long time, their brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
These "evidence" pieces are so realistic!
The handwriting was imitated flawlessly, the seal was almost indistinguishable from the real thing, and the logical chain seemed complete!
In particular, the letter from the "Old General of Zhenbei" was so sensitive that it made several veteran officials break out in a cold sweat.
"Your Majesty," the Grand Secretary rose shakily, his face grave, "judging from the paper, ink, and seals alone, it is difficult to determine the authenticity of these documents. Especially those concerning the Northern Barbarian documents and old military matters, require a specialist to examine them carefully. But their contents are truly... appalling."
That's the brilliance of false evidence. It doesn't need to completely fool the top experts; it only needs to create enough doubts to make things "unclear," and that's enough!
At this moment, another official stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty! Since the existing evidence is unfavorable to His Highness Prince Heng and cannot be immediately disproven, in order to show impartiality, I believe that His Highness Prince Heng should be temporarily relieved of his title of Prince of Nine Pearls and placed under investigation! A decision will be made after the truth is revealed!"
"Absurd!" an old general in military uniform couldn't help but shout angrily. "Is it time to discard someone after they've served their purpose? Without His Highness Prince Heng, Lin'an would have fallen long ago!"
“It is precisely because of your merits that you should cherish your reputation and avoid suspicion by conducting self-examination!” another civil official immediately retorted.
"And what about His Highness the King of Light? Are we just going to let him be imprisoned while the real culprit goes unpunished?" The official who supported the King of Light immediately retorted.
The imperial court was instantly thrown into chaos. Civil and military officials were at odds, factions were clearly defined, and they attacked each other fiercely.
The once solemn and majestic hall has been transformed into a noisy battlefield resembling a marketplace.
The emperor's face grew increasingly grim, his fingers gripping the armrests of the dragon throne tightly.
He glanced at the silent and cold-eyed Prince Heng, then at the ministers arguing heatedly below the stage, and then at the documents that seemed to be "ironclad evidence."
How could he not know that there must be something fishy going on? King Ming was by no means innocent, but was King Heng really completely clean?
The speculation that he was "raising bandits to enhance his own importance" was like a poisonous thorn, piercing into the deepest, most hidden worries of his heart as an emperor.
Most importantly, the current situation is that Lin'an has just stabilized, and although the Northern Di have retreated, their residual influence remains.
The imperial court cannot withstand another violent upheaval and internal strife!
If we insist on severely punishing Prince Heng, his faction and the remnants of Prince Ming's forces will inevitably fight to the death, plunging the entire court into division and chaos!
Weighing... The most important thing for an emperor is to weigh the pros and cons!
Amidst the clamor, the emperor slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes held a weary yet resolute imperial look.
"Silence!" His deep voice, carrying an undeniable authority, instantly silenced all the noise.
The hall immediately fell silent, and all eyes were focused on the dragon throne.
The emperor's gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke slowly, each word heavy with weight: "This matter is fraught with doubt, with both sides sticking to their own versions of events, and the authenticity of the evidence cannot be determined overnight. However, the affairs of the state are of utmost importance, and with the borders newly pacified, the court should prioritize stability."
He paused, glancing at Zongzheng Hengyu with a complicated look, then at the void, as if he could see the imprisoned Prince Ming: "Issue my decree. The Second Prince, Prince Ming, Zongzheng Mingchen, has been found to have suspicious points in his case. His princely status shall be temporarily restored, but he shall remain imprisoned in his residence and shall not leave without an imperial edict. He shall continue to cooperate with the subsequent investigation."
"The Ninth Prince Heng, and Zongzheng Hengyu," the Emperor's voice grew louder, "the matters under their control must also be thoroughly investigated. In the meantime, the military power of the Ninth Prince is temporarily returned to my hands, while the Ninth Prince Heng continues to receive the salary of the Ninth Prince and is to remain in his residence to reflect quietly. He is not allowed to leave the capital without an imperial edict."
"This matter shall be handed over to the Three Departments, the Grand Secretariat, and the Imperial Clan Court for a thorough investigation! The truth must be revealed and justice served for all! In the meantime, anyone in the court who dares to discuss this matter or stir up trouble will be punished for disrupting the order of the court!"
The imperial decree caused a stir throughout the court!
This seemingly impartial punishment was actually incredibly subtle! Prince Ming was restored to his princely status, while Prince Heng was effectively stripped of his military power and placed under house arrest as well!
The generals sent by King Heng looked resentful, but dared not say anything more.
Zongzheng Zhaoran lowered his eyes, concealing the complex glint that flashed within them. The officials who had stepped forward to make the accusations secretly breathed a sigh of relief, some even revealing a hint of smugness.
Zongzheng Hengyu remained expressionless throughout. Upon hearing the decree, he simply knelt down slowly, his voice still steady: "Your subject obeys the decree."
No one could see into the depths of his lowered eyes, beneath that icy exterior, what turbulent undercurrents lay.
A violent storm seemed to have been forcibly suppressed by the emperor, but everyone in the hall knew that beneath this temporary calm lay a more dangerous undercurrent.
…………
Compared to the turbulent events unfolding in the imperial court, the scene inside the Wanzhi Pavilion of the Prime Minister's residence was quite different.
Sunlight streamed in through the carved window lattice, making it feel warm and cozy.
Jiang Wanzhi was absentmindedly flipping through a storybook, but her mind was still on the bits and pieces of information she had just heard from her father about the confrontation in the imperial court.
When Prime Minister Jiang returned, his face was extremely grim, but he did not explain the situation to Jiang Wanzhi in detail.
The two maids, Chuntao and Qiuju, were very excited. They chattered excitedly while doing their needlework, their little faces flushed with admiration.
"Oh dear, have you heard? His Highness Prince Zhao charged down Luoyan Slope, leading his cavalry like heavenly warriors! I heard he's in silver armor and riding a white horse, invincible, and the Di soldiers all fled at the mere sight of him!"
Chun Tao's eyes sparkled, and she could barely hold the embroidery hoop in her hands.
Qiuju immediately chimed in, her tone even more exaggerated: "More than that! I heard that His Highness Prince Heng was even more formidable! He was surrounded by so many Di soldiers, covered in blood, his spear was even chipped and worn down, yet he didn't retreat an inch! Like...like a black-armored war god! If he hadn't been at the forefront, how could His Highness Prince Zhao have so easily rushed in to rescue people?"
As she spoke, she subconsciously touched her arm, as if she could feel the horror of the ordeal.
"Both princes are amazing! They are great heroes!" Chun Tao concluded, her face full of longing. "I heard that on the day they returned to the capital in triumph, all the girls in the city went crazy, throwing sachets and handkerchiefs like it was raining!"
"Yes, yes! It's a pity that Miss caught a cold those few days and didn't get to see that scene..."
Qiuju sighed regretfully, then perked up again, "But Master said that Lin'an City has been saved! Many people have been saved! If it weren't for the two princes, who knows how many more would have died..."
The two young maids were engrossed in the heroic narrative, chattering excitedly, their faces beaming with admiration, completely like idol worship.
Jiang Wanzhi put down her storybook and listened to their conversation, a slight smile unconsciously appearing on her lips.
Although she hadn't witnessed it firsthand, she could imagine the ferocity and crucial nature of the battle just from the descriptions.
Although it was a fictional world, she was genuinely happy that Lin'an City was preserved and countless people were spared the fate of losing their homes and families.
It seems... these two paper dolls can be relied on in crucial moments!
She thought to herself, especially about that big iceberg. Was he really that fierce? Wasn't this quite a departure from the gloomy and twisted tyrant image he had in the later part of the book?
She couldn't help but recall everything that had happened since she transmigrated into the book: Zongzheng Hengyu had a cold face, his words could freeze people to death, and he looked at her as if she were an object, but he really... had never hurt her.
He hit her and had to pay a huge sum of money; when he was assassinated, he shielded her with his body; even though he was poisoned and almost died, he still remembered to go to Meixiang Courtyard to help her out; and when Prime Minister Jiang was implicated by Prince Ming in court, he didn't drag her father into it...
She realized that her feelings toward Zongzheng Hengyu had subtly changed without her even noticing.
At least in this battle of Lin'an, she could not deny that Zongzheng Hengyu made the right choice, and could even be called a hero.
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