Chapter 95: Huai Song drowns himself in the pond, Wu Tianqi is arrested...
Snow fell on earth, and Huai Song's face was swallowed by the cold pond, slowly sinking to the bottom of the Jade Vibration Pool.
Ripples spread across the water's surface. Soon, the floating water plants sparsely gathered back together. The pond returned to its calm state, like a mirror reflecting the figures of people perched high on the bank, their shadows twisting and contorting like ghosts in the gentle ripples.
He Niang lay on the embankment like soft mud, her abdomen throbbing with increasingly intense pain. Two tears streamed down her face, flowing into her mouth, where they tasted a sweet, metallic flavor—probably blood.
"Grandpa...Grandpa..." she gasped, more tears of blood streaming down her face, "Grandpa!"
Liang Ye stood imposingly by the pool, hands clasped behind his back. His black satin crane-feather cloak and fox fur collar accentuated his ruthless and cold-hearted demeanor. He lowered his gaze and looked down at her, devoid of any emotion.
“He Niang,” Liang Ye said in a deep voice, “Actually, I’ve given you many chances.”
There were so many. From He Niang's first attempt to seduce him, to each of her subsequent careful tests and transgressions, he never severely punished her. Even when she cleverly imitated Xue Shanhe, deliberately moving closer and touching him, he only kicked her in the chest, not killing her. Even today, he gave her a chance. It's one thing for a young girl to make a mistake. Besides, she looks so much like Xue Shanhe. If Xue Shanhe were still alive, he would always give her a chance if she made a mistake. That goes without saying.
Ah. Liang Ye sighed deeply, gazing at the vast pond, a sense of unease rising in his heart. How had things come to this? This was the first time he had killed a woman—no, a girl. He Niang wasn't even of marriageable age yet, was she? He couldn't remember. He felt he had embarked on a completely unfamiliar path, shrouded in mist and riddled with obstacles. Perhaps it was a smooth road, perhaps a precipice, but there was no turning back. When had he embarked on this path? Perhaps it began with his first murder. Perhaps even earlier, from the moment he set foot on his official career in the capital.
Liang Ye felt a surge of heat in his eyes. So this was it—once he arrived in the capital, now a close advisor to the emperor, his hands were inevitably stained with blood. Were there truly any completely upright and incorruptible ministers in this world? Perhaps there were, but they would never be Liang Ye again. Once you kill the first person, killing the next becomes much easier. So, could one kill several more, even slaughtering the completely innocent, even children, without batting an eye?
Snowflakes fell into the pool one by one, melting into water and becoming part of the filth.
He Niang could no longer hear his words. She clutched her abdomen, curled up, and cried out in a pitiful voice, "Liang... Liang Ye... it hurts, it hurts so much!" Her face was contorted, and bloody tears streamed down her neck.
Liang Ye's heart skipped a beat.
It hurts! It hurts so much! The fire is burning me!
He felt Shanhe's voice drifting into his ear.
He Niang gasped for breath: "She...didn't die from the fire!"
Liang Ye's pupils constricted sharply, and he blurted out, "What!"
“It’s not fire…” He Niang’s eyes were half-closed, and she was barely breathing.
"Cheng'an! Quick!" Liang Ye immediately knelt down and hugged He Niang's body. "Save her! Save her quickly!"
Cheng An quickly took out a pill from his pocket and put it into He Niang's mouth. He scooped up a handful of pond water and poured it all into He Niang's mouth, helping her swallow it.
He Niang's breathing gradually calmed down. She raised the corners of her mouth and gave him a faint smile before tilting her head and fainting in Liang Ye's arms.
Liang Ye checked and found she still had a faint breath. He immediately picked her up and carried her back to the carriage. He asked Cheng An sternly, "Can she be saved?"
Cheng An jogged after him, saying, "Yes, it's possible! But the poison is very potent, and even if you survive, you won't be a complete person."
"It's alright!" Liang Ye carried He Niang back to the carriage. "Quickly summon the imperial physician! The one who specializes in taking the Empress's pulse, Physician Wang!"
*
Shanhe's portrait gallery reopened on the seventh day of the first lunar month.
With Liang Shao around, she no longer needed to rent a carriage to paint portraits. In the mornings, she would carry her painting supplies to paint portraits of the ladies, and Liang Shao would smile and wave to her, waiting for her outside. At dusk, she would emerge from the hanging flower gate carrying her painting supplies, and Liang Shao would still be there, holding a bowl of steaming plum blossom cakes. The ladies would ask Shanhe who the handsome young man who accompanied her every day was. Shanhe would blush and smile, saying, "He's my husband."
During their time in Jinling, they were almost inseparable, as if trying to make up for the lack of a husband and wife in the previous two years. At night, the red candles burned brightly, and Shanhe lay on the mandarin duck pillow as Liang Shao showered her with kisses, tracing them down her smooth back.
She gave him everything. Every part of herself to him, leaving nothing behind. As if to completely cover up the marks Liang Ye had left on her.
On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, the second day of the Lantern Festival, Liang Shao had no choice but to leave.
“I promised General Pei that I would personally escort his wife and children to Beichuan to reunite with him after the Lantern Festival. This was agreed upon beforehand.” Liang Shao paused. “Shanshan, after I send the General’s family there, I will immediately resign from my military post and come back to be with you.”
Shanhe sat on the edge of the bed helping him pack his luggage, smiling gently: "I know. You've said it so many times, I believe you."
Liang Shao slung his bundle over his shoulder, hoisted his red-tasseled spear and green-frost sword, and said in a somewhat anxious tone, "I'll be back in three months at most, so please wait for me."
"If I don't wait for you, who will I wait for?" Shanhe raised her face and smiled at him.
He added, "If you're not comfortable here, go back to the Xue residence."
"Um."
"Remember to write a letter."
"The same to you."
Liang Shao felt a little relieved, gripped the reins, and led his horse away, glancing back every few steps. Once he was out of the alley and could no longer see Shanhe, he slowly mounted his horse. He had only gone a few steps when a clear voice called out "Ah Shao!" behind him. He immediately turned around. Xue Shanhe stood at the alley entrance, holding Liu Liu. She held Liu Liu's little hand and waved to Liang Shao from afar. Shanhe smiled at him, and Liu Liu smiled back. Liang Shao's eyes welled up with tears, and he smiled back.
A layer of tears welled up in Shanhe's eyes, and her voice choked with emotion: "You must come back soon, Liu Liu is waiting for you too."
"I know." He nodded, flicked his whip, and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
Life returned to its usual routine. Shanhe spent her days drawing portraits for others, and on her days off, she painted portraits of Wu Tianqi at home. She finished the first draft of her first book, but Wu Tianqi hadn't returned for a long time. She remembered the promise Wu Tianqi had made to her before the New Year; he had promised to come to Jinling around the Lantern Festival to review the first draft. But ten days had passed, and Wu Tianqi still hadn't made a move, not even a letter. Shanhe had a vague premonition of something bad.
In mid-February, someone finally knocked on the courtyard gate. Mi Xiaoxiao stood at the door, carrying two packets of pastries wrapped in mulberry paper, still emitting a sweet and soft aroma. A carriage was parked behind him, but Wu Tianqi was nowhere to be seen.
Shanhe's heart sank, and she hurriedly asked, "Where is Master Wu?"
Seeing Shanhe's concerned expression, Mi Xiaoxiao smiled and said, "You don't need to worry. She's pregnant, and during the New Year, her pregnancy was unstable. She couldn't eat or sleep well. I didn't want her to come to Jinling, but she insisted on coming herself. I begged her, but she still wouldn't listen. So it wasn't until early February, when her pregnancy was more stable, that we set off. We only arrived in Jinling this morning, and Tianqi has just fallen asleep. Madam Xue, I came here to take your first draft back with me. When she wakes up, I'll let her read it at the inn, so she won't have to go through all that trouble. I'm afraid she'll get tired."
Shanhe hurriedly welcomed Mi Xiaoxiao into the house and then called Qingyue to serve tea. After Mi Xiaoxiao removed her hat and sat down, Shanhe eagerly asked, "How many months has it been? No wonder I hadn't received any news. It turns out it's such good news."
Mi Xiaoxiao chuckled and sighed, "To be honest, it's been five months! Last time we came to Jinling, she was already three months pregnant, but she didn't have any symptoms then. She already had some irregular periods, so we didn't notice. It wasn't until we got back from Jinling that she started feeling unwell. At first, we thought it was just a change in environment and got some calming medicine, but it didn't work. Instead, she became even more sleepy and lethargic. That's when we realized something was wrong." He clapped his hands and laughed, "You know, she's already given birth twice, but this time it's like her first pregnancy!"
Mi Xiaoxiao's eyes were full of smiles as she spoke, clearly showing how happy she was.
Shanhe also learned to be contagious in this way, and hurriedly asked about Wu Tianqi's recent health condition. After Mi Xiaoxiao answered her questions one by one, she felt even more relieved. Miao'er brought Shanhe's first draft, and Mi Xiaoxiao glanced through it a few times and nodded: "It's pretty good. Take it back and show it to Tianqi. She knows more than I do. If there are any changes, you can discuss them in detail later."
"How about tomorrow?" Shanhe said with a smile. "I'll go visit the shop owner then."
Mi Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and said, "That would be even better. Tomorrow I'm going to inspect the shops. You can go with her, chat with her, and make her happy."
Shanhe went the next afternoon because Mi Xiaoshuo said that Wu Tianqi is now a heavy sleeper and doesn't get up until the sun is high in the sky.
Qingyue stayed home to watch the house, while Shanhe and Miao'er first went to the east bank of the Qinhuai River to buy some unique pastries before heading to the inn where Wu Tianqi was staying.
In mid-February, Nanjing was still a bit chilly. Although some sunflowers were out, their rays didn't feel warm. Halfway through the journey, the sun hid behind dark clouds, and a light drizzle began to fall. This rain was fresh and clean, unlike the bleakness of winter; it carried the vitality of tender green buds and smelled invigorating.
Miao'er smiled: "I know, good rain knows its season, and falls when spring arrives. Spring is truly approaching."
Spring is finally approaching. Everything is renewed, and everything starts anew. This is a sign of things looking good.
The two alighted from the carriage, each holding a dark porcelain-colored oil-paper umbrella, and strolled into the inn.
The waiter eagerly led them inside, but upon hearing the name Wu Tianqi, his face paled. He explained that a lady surnamed Wu had just been taken away by a group of yamen runners from the Jinling government that afternoon. She had just left, less than half an incense stick's time had passed.
Shanhe's pupils contracted sharply, and she hurriedly asked him what was wrong. The waiter stammered and couldn't give a clear answer, saying something about violating official regulations, but she didn't know the details. Miao'er was so anxious that she was about to cry. Shanhe comforted her while instructing the waiter to help rent a carriage, and they immediately headed to the Jinling government office.
A crowd had gathered in front of the yamen, discussing the newly arrived official from the capital, praising his youth, talent, and grand entourage. Shanhe and Miao'er, anxious and impatient, paid no attention and went straight to the gatekeeper. Shanhe pulled a tael of silver from her purse and said with a forced smile, "Please, sir, be lenient and allow me to see the man who was just brought in."
The gatekeeper frowned: "Several people have just been brought in. I don't know which one you're talking about."
Shanhe took out another tael of silver and stuffed it into his hand: "The owner of the Danxia Painting Studio in Mizhou is a woman who is pregnant."
The gatekeeper took it, weighed it in his hand, and his expression softened slightly: "She is a serious criminal that the capital wants to deal with. Even the military advisor in our yamen might not be able to see her."
Shanhe gasped, "What's so serious that it involves the capital?"
Just as the gatekeeper was about to speak, a young yamen runner suddenly ran out from behind the vermilion gate and whispered a few words in the gatekeeper's ear. Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper quickly put on a smile and said to Shanhe, "It's Wu Tianqi, isn't it? Her crime was minor. If you want to see her, just follow this young man."
The young yamen runner led Shanhe and Miao'er toward the west wing. Just as they passed the ceremonial gate, a shout came from the side, announcing the arrival of the Imperial Envoy. The young yamen runner hurriedly told Shanhe, "Quickly kneel down and kowtow to pay your respects!" After saying this, he retreated to the corner of the wall and bowed his head in greeting. A few other yamen runners scattered around did the same.
Shanhe and Miao'er dared not be negligent and immediately knelt down to pay their respects, not daring to raise their heads.
The horses trotted along, approaching from afar. They stopped abruptly in front of Shanhe and his group. The first man dismounted, pointed his whip at the minor official, and demanded sharply, "Why are there women here?"
The young constable hurriedly smiled obsequiously and said, "Replying to your question, sir, we've come to visit you in prison."
"Visiting in prison? Visiting whose prison?"
"That prisoner named Wu Tianqi."
The man's voice grew even more stern: "Wu Tianqi is a wanted criminal of the Imperial Envoy. How can he be visited at will? Did you report to the Imperial Envoy? Did he grant permission? Furthermore, who is visiting him? What is their identity? Could they be accomplices?"
The young yamen runner dared not speak.
Shanhe was so nervous that sweat beaded on his forehead.
A rustling sound came from above, as if someone was speaking in a low voice, but because they were on horseback, they couldn't hear clearly. After a while, the sound stopped, and the person spoke again, this time in a more stern tone: "Whoever dares to visit Wu in prison might be her accomplice! Take these two ladies to the interrogation room in the back hall; the master will interrogate them personally later!"
Shanhe's back stiffened with fright. She looked up and saw that the five brown horses had already gone far away, flanked by more than ten guards with swords, standing at attention. On the central horse sat a man, wearing a winged turban, a scarlet official robe, and a black satin cloak that stretched all the way down to the horse's rump—a truly imposing figure. She thought to herself, this must be the imperial envoy from the capital.
Shanhe frowned, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. Just as she was about to look again, the young yamen runner blocked her view with a distressed expression: "Madam, let's go!"
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