Chapter 142 I'm Here
The sun was shining brightly, and a white horse was galloping through the newly covered green. The sound of its hooves crossed the vast plains like a battle-piece.
Ming Huazhang rushed to Huxian yesterday and met Song Yanbai's parents. After asking about the whole story of Song Yanbai's case, he refused Song's father and mother's attempts to keep him and set off overnight for Chang'an.
Today is the last day to solve the case. Ming Huazhang has a vague guess in his mind, but it still needs more verification. He wishes he could grow wings and return to Chang'an to collect evidence immediately.
Ming Huazhang calculated the time on the way and thought that if he rushed to Chang'an at this speed, he would be able to catch the city gates opening. For this reason, Ming Huazhang did not sleep all night and did not dare to slack off. When he arrived, he was actually a little earlier than expected.
Ming Huazhang dismounted and did not use his privilege as the Shao Yin of Jingzhao Prefecture, but stood in line obediently. He had no intention of eavesdropping on other people's conversations, but while waiting, he could not avoid hearing other people's conversations.
"Have you heard? Yesterday, the Saint beat the King of Shao and the Prince of Wei with a stick in front of the Danfeng Gate. It is said that blood was all over the ground."
"Alas, Prince Shao is 19 years old, and the Crown Prince of Wei is only 18. I heard that the Crown Prince of Wei's wife, Princess Yongtai, is just pregnant. If something goes wrong during the fight, how will Princess Yongtai live the rest of her life?"
"Do you think the princesses and princesses in the royal family are commoners and have to remain widowed when their husbands die? Just remarry. Princess Yongtai has remarried once anyway. At most, she can just pick another husband from the Wu family."
"Ah, Princess Yongtai was married? When did it happen?"
"Hush, keep your voice down. Princess Yongtai was exiled in Fangzhou for so many years, how could she not have been married? But the husband Princess Yongtai married in Fangzhou might not be of high status, so the Saint didn't like him. When he came back, he made Princess Yongtai and Princess Anning marry into the Wu family. I told you these secrets because we are so compatible, so don't tell anyone else."
The obedient people patted their chests and agreed. Their voices gradually turned to royal gossip, no longer caring about the experiences of Li Chongrun and Wu Yanji. Only Ming Huazhang was stunned for a long time, and turned back in disbelief: "What are you talking about?"
The guards at the city gates were leisurely checking the pass, occasionally chatting with their colleagues. Ming Huazhang could not wait for them to finish their inspection, and immediately rode his horse past the city tower and toward the East Palace. But his horse had only run two steps when it was stopped by a man.
Xie Jichuan crossed his horse and blocked Ming Huazhang's way, saying, "If you want to inquire about the safety of Prince Shao, then don't go. Prince Shao was not saved and died yesterday at midnight. Wu Yanji was sent back to Prince Wei's mansion. Prince Wei invited the best doctor to save him. As for whether he can survive, it depends on fate."
Ming Huazhang had just heard people talking about how the Queen beat King Shao to death at Danfeng Gate to vent her anger on the two Zhang brothers, and he thought he was dreaming. Ming Huazhang thought such a ridiculous thing would only happen when Xia Jie and Shang Zhou were destroyed, and he never thought that he would live in such an era.
How could the empress be so foolish and arbitrary? There were so many wise men in the court, both civil and military, but not one of them tried to advise her?
This realization was a huge shock to Ming Huazhang. When he heard the news of his cousin's death from someone he knew, he was no longer moved. Ming Huazhang said, "Get out of the way. I'm going to the East Palace to see him off for the last time."
Xie Jichuan remained silent: "What status are you going with? Princess Taiping and Prince Xiang are both watching. If you, a minister, go to the East Palace to pay your respects and anger the Empress, all your years of preparation will be in vain."
"But I can't remain indifferent." Ming Huazhang said coldly, "When Prince Anle died, I was still young and could do nothing; when the crown prince was exiled and imprisoned, I had no power and could only watch and wait, praying for a miracle to happen; now Prince Shao was beaten to death in public at Danfeng Gate, and she forced Princess Yongtai to remarry, but then executed her husband. If I still watch it with my eyes open, that's not called lurking, that's called cowardice!"
Ming Huazhang was about to beat his horse, but Xie Jichuan stepped forward and grabbed his reins tightly: "You are crazy! Li Chongrun is from the line of three kings. If he dies, the prince will have no legitimate heir, which is a good thing for you. The prince is crying and whimpering and dares not stand out. Why are you so angry for them?"
Xie Jichuan's words were like a basin of ice water, sharp and cold, to the point of piercing. However, Ming Huazhang was also very calm. He was not blinded by anger. On the contrary, he was very clear-headed. The more cold water Xie Jichuan poured on him, the more he became clear about his anger.
Ming Huazhang and Xie Jichuan have known each other for more than ten years. They know many things, but they both try to avoid touching upon them. Today is the first time they have openly discussed, or rather, argued.
Ming Huazhang knew that Xie Jichuan didn't like him, and sometimes even hated him. If it weren't for him, Xie Jichuan's father Xie Shen wouldn't have left the court so early, with all his talent and ambitions but no place to use them, and the Xie family wouldn't have been walking on thin ice and trembling with fear.
But Xie Jichuan had to make friends with him, because only in this way would Xie Shen's gamble, which involved the lives of his entire family and his good reputation without the Xie family's consent, be meaningful.
If the bet was won, Ming Huazhang would inherit the throne from Prince Zhanghuai, and the Xie family would be regarded as loyal subjects who followed the emperor. If the bet was lost, the family would be destroyed and the entire clan would be wiped out.
But for the Xie family, who in their heyday had wiped out the million-strong army of the Former Qin Dynasty with a smile, and shared the world with the king of the Southern Dynasty, dying a glorious death was better than being forgotten by the world in silence.
Xie Shen once thought that their opponents were the third and fourth princes. With their qualifications, Xie Shen was confident that he could defeat them. But no one expected that their opponent was an ambitious and ruthless woman.
That woman became the emperor and massacred all the Li family members. The Xie family had to withdraw from the court and wait for the right time. This wait lasted for 17 years. It was a long time before the title of Crown Prince Zhang Huai was restored. Li Xian's legacy was no longer a political asset, but a hot potato.
But now, the Xie family no longer has a choice. Xie Jichuan has waited for so many years, and finally waited until the empress was on the verge of death and the throne was about to return to the Li family again. How could he allow a business trip to go wrong at this time?
Xie Jichuan is just like his father. In this life, he only accepts the choice of soaring to the sky or being torn into pieces. He does not consider the situation in between. Xie Jichuan will make the Xie family win at all costs.
What does a mere human life count for? Political struggles are always bloody. Even if the queen doesn't kill Li Chongrun, Ming Huazhang will have to kill him in the future if he seizes the throne. The current situation may not be a bad thing for Ming Huazhang.
Xie Jichuan looked into Ming Huazhang's eyes. Both of them were calm and crazy, restrained and tough. Xie Jichuan once again realized that Ming Huazhang and he were not the same kind of people. Neither of them would change their path for the other, and neither of them agreed with the other's way of doing things, but fate had tied them together.
They are friends and enemies. They have recognized each other and guarded against each other over the years.
Ming Huazhang held Xie Jichuan's hand, and calmly but firmly pried his fingers apart, and took the reins back into his own hand: "Jichuan, I am very grateful to you and the Xie family over the years. However, they are not my enemies, but my relatives. I cannot and will not turn a blind eye to them."
Xie Jichuan laughed, as if he was mocking Ming Huazhang's stupidity, and also as if he was mocking his own wishful thinking. He said, "The King of Wei is still suspicious of you. Don't you know that? If you run to send the King of Shao away now, you will be walking into a trap."
"I know." Ming Huazhang said quietly, "But there are some things in this world that you have to do even if you know they are wrong."
Ming Huazhang rode forward after he finished speaking. Xie Jichuan did not stop him. When he passed by, Xie Jichuan said lightly, "Then you don't care about her either?"
His voice was very soft, drowned in the sound of horse hooves, and could hardly be heard without paying attention. But Ming Huazhang immediately pulled the reins and turned around suddenly: "What happened to her?"
Xie Jichuan chuckled and said sarcastically, "I didn't even tell you who she was, and you stopped. So many lives depend on you, and yet you're not as good as a woman?"
"What happened to her?"
"Dead." Xie Jichuan saw Ming Huazhang's face change with his own eyes before he finished the second half of the sentence, "But she was lucky. The other party mistook the maid for her, and someone died for her. However, her condition is not very good. She fainted when she saw the corpse yesterday. She was still unconscious when I sent her back to the mansion. I don't know if she is better now."
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Zhenguogong Mansion.
A doctor came out of the house carrying a medicine box and said, "Madam, you worry too much, and your heart is burning with anger, and you fainted from excitement. There is nothing wrong with her body, and she will take some recuperation medicine later. Please relax, worry less, and recover slowly.
Duke Zhenguo followed the doctor and thanked him sincerely. He paused and asked carefully, "Doctor, since she is not seriously ill, why is she still not awake?"
The doctor sighed and said, "She was depressed and worried too much. She saw a dead body yesterday and was probably frightened. The Duke asked the maids to be quiet and not scare the lady. She should be able to recover slowly."
Duke Zhenguo thanked him repeatedly and asked the doctor to be sent out politely. Old Madam Ming had been holding back her anger, and after the outsiders left, she scolded, "It's all your fault. You kept her company and let her run around all day. Now she's unconscious and neither alive nor dead. What should we do?"
Duke Zhenguo hurriedly grabbed his old mother and said, "Mom, please keep your voice down. The doctor said you need to be quiet."
Madam Ming was furious, but she lowered her voice and said in a suppressed anger, "If you had listened to me earlier, you wouldn't have ended up like this. When Yulan had a hemorrhage, I told her many times that giving birth is like stepping into the gates of hell. Even if you were with her, she might not be able to give birth smoothly. It's better to look forward and find a continuation to take care of the two children. You refused to listen and insisted on raising them yourself. Well, if you want to raise them, you should raise them well. As a result, you raised your son to be reckless and your daughter to be reckless. I told you to find a noble government office for Huazhang, but you insisted on listening to the child's ideas and sent him to Jingzhao Prefecture. Later, you also sent Er Niang there. Is Jingzhao Prefecture a good place? If Er Niang hadn't been going in and out of that place every day, would she have been targeted by the murderer and almost died?"
Madam Ming was so angry that she scolded him. Duke Zheng did not say a word in defense and let his mother vent her anger. They were talking outside when suddenly a maid's surprised voice came from the room: "The lady is awake! Go and invite the Duke and the old lady."
Upon hearing this, Duke Zhenguo and Madam Ming immediately turned around and walked into the house. The smell of medicine filled the air, and with curtains hanging down, a young girl could be vaguely seen leaning against the bed. Her lips were chapped, her face was pale, and beads of sweat hung on her forehead. Her eyes were dark but lifeless, and she stared at the bed curtains motionlessly.
The maid was a little scared and called out carefully, "Madam?"
Ming Huashang had been burning all night, and her mind was in a fuzzy mess. Her memory was a mess, and she couldn't remember what year it was or what she was doing. She heard the sound and turned around to see several nervous and worried faces beside the couch.
It was a familiar face. Ming Huashang slowly remembered that this was her father, grandmother, and the maid who had been with her the longest. Their names were Jinbao, Jixiang, Ruyi...
Ming Huachang suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and tears fell uncontrollably. Jinbao is here, but where is Zhaocai?
Zhaocai died because she was stabbed to death in a dark alley.
She has no mother, her grandmother is too high up in her heart, and she is not close to her aunt, mother, and cousin. The most important female figures in her life are actually the maids around her.
They were called master and servant, but they were actually as close as sisters. Especially Zhaocai, who was with her the longest and understood her best. Zhaocai always complained about her laziness and carelessness, and she dared to scold her even when other maids dared not to.
However, how could she leave first when Ming Huashang had not corrected the shortcomings she had been complaining about for so many years? Yesterday was actually the last time they saw each other. In order to find someone, Ming Huashang pushed his mission to her and ran away without even saying goodbye.
Jinbao and his companions were shocked to see Ming Huashang burst into tears without saying a word, and hurriedly asked, "Madam, what's wrong with you?"
Duke Zhenguo came in and felt very distressed when he saw Ming Huashang. He quickly said, "Shangshang, it's okay. You're home now. No one will hurt you again."
Ming Huachang burst into tears but could not speak. Old Madam Ming frowned when she saw Ming Huachang like this and said, "Why is she not talking? Could she be so frightened that she has become mute? Go and ask the doctor to come back."
Some maids were carrying medicine, some were pouring water, and some were running out to get the doctor, bumping into each other. In the midst of the chaos, a series of rapid and powerful footsteps stepped through the cold morning light and suddenly pushed open the door: "Shang Shang."
The pearl curtains collided, making a cold and fragile sound of jade shattering. Ming Huashang turned around in a daze and saw a young man in black standing at the door, with morning frost on his body.
It was Ming Huazhang. He must have traveled a long way before finally appearing here.
Ming Huazhang saw Ming Huachang's frail and panicked eyes, curled up in the corner of the bed and shedding tears, and his heart ached. He didn't care about greeting the elders, maintaining a gentlemanly demeanor in front of the servants, or the rules and etiquette of this world. At this moment, he could only see Ming Huachang in his eyes, and he only wanted to be by her side.
He passed through the Duke of Zhenguo and Madam Ming, strode to the bedside, and hugged Ming Huashang tightly. Ming Huashang was only wearing a middle shirt, and her back was so thin that it seemed that it would break if bent. Ming Huazhang felt the bones under the clothes, and his heart was more and more regretful.
If he had been there yesterday, would all this have never happened? He swore to let her grow up happily, but he broke his promise again.
Ming Huazhang's chest was filled with guilt, heartache and hatred. He hated himself for being incompetent, hated himself for always being a step late, for not being able to save his brother thirteen years ago, for not being able to save his cousin thirteen years later, and even for not being able to save her maid.
Several intense emotions surged in his body, and purple veins bulged out on Ming Huazhang's arms, but he held her in a restrained and gentle manner. He wrapped his arms tightly around her back, as if he wanted to merge her into his bones and blood, helpless but strong.
"Shangshang, I'm back. Sorry, I'm late."
Ming Huashang felt a strong arm behind her, like being grabbed by a hand while drowning. She finally burst into tears and grabbed Ming Huazhang's clothes tightly, crying so hard that her whole body trembled: "Zhaocai is dead, I killed her. He wanted to kill me, why didn't he come to find me, why did he kill her?"
Ming Huazhang listened to her broken cry, his heart aching. He reached out to protect the back of her head, pressed it against his neck, and slowly tightened his hands: "It's not your fault, neither you nor Zhaocai deserves to die. I promise you, no one will die again in the future."
Ming Huashang leaned on Ming Huazhang's shoulder and cried. Ming Huazhang also hugged her without hesitation and comforted her silently. The two of them formed a world of their own, and the other people in the room suddenly became redundant.
The maids were at a loss, feeling that it was not proper but not daring to pull Er Lang away. Duke Zhenguo and Madam Ming were standing just one step away, and when they saw this scene, they both looked gloomy, feeling a strange feeling that was definitely not a family honor.