Chapter 97
The night was as dark as ink, splashing on the glazed tiles of the capital. The vermilion lacquered gate of the Prime Minister's Mansion was glowing with a gloomy light under the dim palace lanterns.
Sun Xing rode his horse to the front of the mansion. The night dew on the soles of his boots had not yet dried, so he hurriedly lifted the door curtain and rushed in. The halo of the lanterns in the corridor made his shadow longer and shorter, startling the birds sleeping on the eaves.
Silver charcoal had already been burning in the study, and the warm smoke wrapped in sandalwood filled the air.
The prime minister, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, was sitting on a rosewood chair by the window, playing with a Hetian jade ring in his hand, stroking the delicate cloud patterns on it with his fingertips.
Xu Jiang leaned against the eight-immortals table, his dark suit making him look even taller. His hands with distinct knuckles were pressed against the edge of the table, his fingertips tapping unconsciously, making a slight sound.
As soon as Sun Xing stepped over the threshold, he didn't bother to brush off the dust on his clothes, nor did he bow. He walked straight to the table, grabbed the teapot, poured a cup of cold tea, and drank it down in one gulp.
Tea flowed down the corners of his mouth and soaked the front of his shirt, but he was completely unaware. He just wiped his face with his hands and breathed heavily.
The prime minister raised his eyes and glanced at him, his eyes calm. He slowly put the jade ring back into the brocade box and said, "Why are you panicking? Take a breath first. Look carefully. The person you saw outside the palace gate that day was the one in the portrait?" After that, he raised his hand and motioned Xu Jiang to hand over the portrait on the table.
Xu Jiang stepped forward and placed the piece of rice paper with the woman's face painted on it in front of Sun Xing.
Sun Xing leaned over to take a closer look, his fingertips lightly stroking the portrait. His eyes gradually became firm, and he slapped the table and said, "That's right! It's her!
Today I went to the palace to report on official business. When I left the palace, I saw two people hiding from each other. One of them looked familiar from the side, but before I could approach them, they disappeared around the corner.
I thought carefully and remembered that her eyebrows, eyes, and nose were exactly the same as those of Hong Jingxiu's daughter on the wanted poster! I immediately sent my men to the palace to report the news, and I quietly followed them all the way to the vicinity of the East Palace. I only dared to return after seeing them enter the side gate of the East Palace.
"How daring!" Xu Jiang slammed the table, causing the teacup to buzz and a few drops of tea to splash onto the rice paper, creating a small smudge of ink. "The capital is full of notices hunting down Hong Jingxiu's remaining followers, and she actually dared to brave the storm and barge into the palace. Could it be that she's trying to use the influence of the Eastern Palace to escape disaster?"
The Prime Minister picked up the celadon teacup on the table and took a sip of hot tea. The mist blurred his expression, but his tone was full of unquestionable majesty: "No matter what she is planning, she must be captured before Hong Jingxiu is executed."
Upon hearing this, Sun Xing's face lit up with a smug smile. He straightened his back, cupped his hands, and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister! The imperial guards in the palace are all ours now. We've added officers to check every gate, so not even a fly can escape. As long as she's still in the palace, I'll capture her and bring her to you within three days!"
The Prime Minister put down his teacup, tapped his knuckles lightly on the table, and looked deeply at the dark night sky outside the window. A meaningful arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he whispered, "I'm very curious about what kind of expression Li Yin will have when we bring her to Hong Jingxiu and let them reunite as father and daughter.
Hasn't he always boasted of being kind and protective of the East Palace? Then, I'll see if he can still hold on to the throne of Crown Prince."
Xu Jiang and Sun Xing exchanged a glance, a hint of viciousness flashing in their eyes. The sandalwood in the study seemed to become stronger, wrapped in an indescribable weirdness, and slowly dissipated in the night.
——
Mr. Shang stood with his hands behind his back by the carved window, the hem of his black brocade robe hanging down, swaying slightly in the evening breeze, like a dormant butterfly in the dark night.
He looked at the dark shadows of the trees outside the yard, his knuckles unconsciously rubbing the window sill, which had become warm and patinated from years of contact.
There were light footsteps behind him. Weidao, dressed in shorts, stood quietly about ten feet away, with his head lowered, waiting for orders.
Suddenly, Lord Shang turned around, the rustling sound of fabric being particularly clear in the silence. His eyes reflected the faint light of the candle, and he said in a deep voice, "Tomorrow at noon, take advantage of the guards' shift change to take Hong Jingxiu out of the prison. You only need to send him to the dilapidated temple west of the city. I will take care of the rest."
Upon hearing this, Wei Dao nodded in agreement, then raised his eyes to look at Shang Gong with a hint of hesitation between his brows: "Sir, may I ask how many people are involved in this prison break?"
Shang Gong paused, remaining silent for a moment. He turned and looked out the window at the dense night. He lowered his voice to a whisper, "Including you, there are ten of us in total."
His Adam's apple moved slightly, as if he was sighing with emotion, "I never thought this day would come so soon. I used to think rescuing someone from the prison was dangerous enough, but now it seems that doing it on the execution ground is even more difficult than ascending to heaven."
Tailblade clenched his hand quietly at his side, nodded again, and said nothing.
Lord Shang sighed softly, his voice adding a touch of complexity: "Wei Dao, do you still remember Gou Qi? He's the one who died in prison for no apparent reason a few days ago."
"I remember." Weidao's voice was steady, without any emotion.
Mr. Shang turned around, the candlelight casting bright and dark shadows on his face. There was a subtle hint of pity in his tone, "I ordered the action. He's been with me for over a decade, and out of personal affection, I should have protected him. But in the face of greater justice, these personal feelings are ultimately luxuries. At this moment, our thoughts must be completely focused on Mr. Hong, not even a little bit."
Wei Dao lowered his head, his long eyelashes casting a shadow under his eyes. It was unknown what he was thinking. After a long while, he replied in a low voice, "Yes, I understand."
Lord Shang stepped forward and patted Wei Dao's shoulder. The warmth of his palm pierced through the fabric of his clothes, carrying a soothing tone. "Tomorrow, prepare your plainclothes and take Luo He with you. There will be a lot of things to do tomorrow, so the guards will be less vigilant."
"Yes, I obey your order." Weidao still lowered his head and spoke respectfully, but his slightly trembling fingertips revealed that he was not calm at the moment.
The wind outside the window grew stronger, blowing up a few fallen leaves that hit the window paper, making a rustling sound, as if adding a few hidden footnotes to this secret plot.
As the smell of rust, mixed with damp, musty air, crept into her nostrils, Luo Sanrong's boot soles had already crushed three corners of moss. She reached up and brushed aside her drooping hairband. It was the black ribbon commonly used to tie men's clothing, but now it felt like an invisible rope, tightening around her throat.
Hong Jingxiu's back was embedded in the mottled stone wall, his coarse prison uniform was stained with grass debris, his right hand was always pressed on the inside of the lapel, and his knuckles turned white due to the force.
The water droplets seeping from the stone wall rolled down his shoulder line and formed a small puddle on the ground, reflecting the afterimages of the wire mesh and copper bells above. It was a net that even flying birds could hardly escape.
"Is there something wrong?" His voice was colder and harder than the prison walls, but it trembled slightly when he touched something in his arms.
Luo Sanying placed the food box on the low table. The crisp sound of the porcelain bowl hitting the wooden table startled the copper bell.
"The guard is busy, so please let me watch over you."
His fingertips finally touched the stitches on the handkerchief, and Hong Jingxiu slowly turned around.
His eyes were filled with the lingering shadow of years in prison. Only when he mentioned the past did his eyelashes tremble like frightened butterfly wings. "Was it also the guards' request yesterday?" He curled his lips in self-mockery as he finished speaking, his fingertips stroking the faded white camellia on his handkerchief. "Luo Er, I'm sorry."
With a "thump", Luo Sanrong knelt on the cold stone slab. The sound of his knees hitting the ground was particularly harsh in the empty cell.
The veins on her hand that was clutching the black ribbon were exposed, and her crying voice was intermittent as if it was caught in a crack in the stone: "Hasn't you thought about coming to see me all these years? If it weren't for this incident, when would you have met me?" The hairband broke open, and her long hair fell on her shoulders, which made her look more fragile like a girl.
Hong Jingxiu turned away, looked at the ferocious fangs of Bi'an, and shook his head. His Adam's apple rolled for a long time before he spoke: "I don't know. Maybe I have to wait until you can no longer disguise yourself as a man."
"Even if I can't change the world..." Luo Sanrong took half a step forward on his knees, his fingertips almost touching the iron lattice of the prison door, "You can also always stay by my side and be my support as a father." Tears fell on the iron lattice, leaving a small wet mark, which was hotter than the water droplets on the stone wall.
A heavy sigh overflowed from Hong Jingxiu's chest, mixed with the musty smell in the prison.
He raised his hand and pressed his brow, his fingertips touching the moisture of the stone wall: "You need to live in a better world. I don't want you to always think that I have accomplished nothing."
"But as long as I know you're still alive..." Luo Sanrong interrupted him abruptly, her voice suddenly rising and then softening. "Just stay by my side silently, I think I'll be very happy too." She lowered her head, her long hair covering most of her face, and only the faint sound of her breathing swirled around the cell. "I think I've called you 'Father' countless times in my dreams."
Hong Jingxiu's hand on the lapel finally loosened a little, and the edge of the handkerchief was revealed, with the embroidered white camellia faintly visible in the dim light.
He looked at the sky outside the prison that was cut by barbed wire. A fishy-sweet taste rose in his throat, but it only turned into a lighter sigh.
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