Chapter 275: A Friend’s Gift
The entire Zhuque Street suddenly grew cold.
A group of officials’ faces froze, turning to astonishment.
Li Zhao reined in his horse, the Wuzhui Horse rearing up with a long neigh.
He looked down from his high perch, his icy gaze fixed on the “beggar” being held to the ground, still struggling and roaring, remaining silent.
“How dare you! Who dares to cause such a disturbance and alarm the imperial procession? Slandering a high-ranking court official!” From the front of the procession, an official from the Ministry of Culture, clad in crimson robes, shouted sternly, veins bulging on his forehead.
“Take him away! Do not dare to offend the procession!”
The “beggar,” as if risking his life, was pressed face-down to the ground, yet he still struggled to lift his head, staring intently at Li Zhao, who was mounted high above. He repeated hoarsely, his accusations like blood and tears.
“Your Highness! Guo Zhaohuai, the eldest son of the Duke of Zheng’s main household, has used his authority to collude with corrupt merchants and traffic military supplies… During the snow disaster at Black Wind Pass, soldiers on the front lines froze and starved to death, and epidemics raged… Those life-saving grain and fodder… the cotton clothes and medicinal materials for warmth… were all pocketed by these scourges… exchanged for mountains of gold and silver…”
Bloodstains appeared where his forehead rubbed against the ground.
During the struggle, he pulled out a bloodstained ledger and a secret letter from his bosom, and with all his might, ran towards Li Zhao’s horse.
“This commoner has the personal confession of Guo Zhaoxuan, the fourth son of the Guo family, and the Guo family’s ledger for embezzling military supplies! I beg Your Highness the Crown Prince to examine them.”
“The evidence is here, it cannot be denied—I beg Your Highness to see clearly! To seek justice for the fallen soldiers…”
“Whoosh—”
The crowd completely erupted!
“Heartless! Beasts! Beasts who drink the soldiers’ blood!”
The roar of voices rose to the heavens. The silence of moments before was replaced by an even more surging wave of sound.
The ledger and secret letter lay on the blue stone slabs before Li Zhao’s horse.
A bound booklet, its pages yellowed, with curled edges.
Silence descended all around.
All eyes were focused on the Crown Prince on horseback.
At this moment, Guo Pi finally seemed to awaken from a dream, shouting hysterically in anger.
“Seize him! Quickly seize this madman who slanders a court official and disturbs the imperial procession!”
Several soldiers, like wolves and tigers, immediately pounced, pinning down the still struggling and shouting “beggar,” covering his mouth, and stifling his remaining words in his throat.
Two other soldiers quickly stepped forward, about to pick up the ledger from the ground.
“Wait!”
A deep, commanding voice rang out.
Li Zhao slowly raised his hand.
His palm, clad in a black iron bracer, was as cold and hard as ice in the sunlight.
His movement was devoid of any ostentation.
“Guan Ya.”
“Your subordinate is here!”
“Bring it here.”
The man who had been following closely behind Li Zhao’s horse, his long saber hanging at his waist, responded with a deep voice, cupped his fists in acknowledgment, dismounted, bent down, lifted the ledger high, and respectfully presented it.
Li Zhao lowered his gaze and began to flip through it, his knuckles turning white from the force.
“Duke of Zheng, do you have anything to say?”
Before Guo Pi could retort, Guo Zhaohuai’s expression changed.
However, he felt he had a handle on the situation, straightened his back, and remained relatively calm.
“Reporting to Your Highness the Crown Prince, this matter is purely a slander. Since the beginning of the war in the Western Frontier, some have colluded with traitors to frame us maliciously, intending to destroy my Guo family and destabilize the court. The ledger is fake. The so-called secret letter must also be forged.”
“Whether it is fake or not will be known after verification.”
Li Zhao’s voice was indifferent, without any fluctuation.
“Yuan Cang.”
“Your subordinate is here!” Yuan Cang immediately stepped forward.
“Summon the Director of the Ministry of Justice, the Adjudicator of the Supreme Court, and the Clerks skilled in documents and finances to come here. Compare them with the archives of the Ministry of War and the files of the military supplies case, examine the handwriting and figures, and verify each item.” Li Zhao’s voice was clear and sharp.
“As you command!” Yuan Cang took the order and left.
Not long after, several officials in civil attire hurried forward.
They were all subordinate officials responsible for judicial and penal matters, document verification, and evidence examination, skilled in criminal law, finance, and document authentication.
Li Huan frowned slightly upon seeing this, stepped forward, and bowed, lowering his voice.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, perhaps it would be better to return to the palace first and then send someone to investigate in detail… there are too many eyes and ears on the Imperial Street, which might disrupt decorum and cause further trouble…”
“We will verify it here, in public.”
Li Zhao’s tone was cold and hard. He looked at the ledger in the subordinate officials’ hands, still saying only one word.
“Verify.”
The subordinate officials dared not delay and immediately gathered around Guan Ya.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince!” Duke of Zheng, Guo Pi, could no longer remain silent.
His hair and beard bristled, he pushed through the crowd, bowed deeply to Li Zhao, his voice trembling with grief and indignation.
“What happened today is clearly a premeditated frame-up by traitors! My Guo family has served with loyalty and integrity for generations, and I myself guarded the Western Frontier for the court for over a decade… When have I ever harbored any intention of colluding with the enemy? I beg Your Highness to investigate clearly! Do not listen to such mad ravings and chill the hearts of loyal ministers and brave generals!”
His words were righteous and indignant, tears streaming down his face, as if he had suffered an immense injustice.
However, before he finished speaking, a more furious, more hoarse roar erupted from the crowd, drowning out his lament:
“What utter nonsense—you old dog Guo! Open your dog eyes and look! What your grandson embezzled was my son’s life-saving grain! It was the money for my brothers who contracted the plague and had no medicine, who coughed up blood until they died… Heaven has eyes… Your Highness the Crown Prince, upon your victorious return to the capital, you must avenge the fallen soldiers…”
The one shouting this was a white-haired old farmer, beating his chest and stamping his feet, having lost his beloved son.
His eyes were bloodshot, and if not for the people holding him back, he would have rushed forward to tear into the Duke of Zheng!
“Yes! Kill them!”
“Avenge the fallen soldiers!”
“Corrupt officials! Give us back our lives, blood debt must be paid with blood!”
The crowd was incensed, and public resentment instantly ignited.
The suppressed anger erupted like a volcano, and the roars of condemnation converged into a monstrous wave. The nobles, who usually held themselves aloof, were now filled with only panic and nervousness.
Commoners storming the imperial procession on the street was unprecedented since the establishment of the dynasty.
These people, though appearing to be spontaneous victims, also seemed to be manipulated.
Choosing such an occasion clearly aimed to force the court to take a stance.
“Duke of Zheng, do not interfere with the subordinate officials’ verification and evidence collection.”
Li Zhao sat upright on his horse, his gaze sweeping coldly across the entire scene, finally settling on the silent figures of the imperial clan and the assembled officials.
After a brief pause, he let out another cold laugh.
“Eastern Palace Right Guard Commander, heed my order: anyone who obstructs the verification or destroys evidence will be treated as an accomplice and investigated.”
“As you command!”
The rustling of turning pages was exceptionally clear and jarring in the dead silence.
The subordinate officials exchanged low whispers, their expressions growing increasingly solemn.
The Director of the Ministry of Justice repeatedly compared the documents and finally nodded slowly, but with utmost certainty, to Li Zhao.
“Reporting to Your Highness: after our thorough comparison, the handwriting in this ledger perfectly matches the personal signatures and annotations in the archives of the Ministry of War, and is undoubtedly written by the same person.”
The clerk then added, “The quantities, dates, and parties involved in the military grain, cotton clothes, and medicinal materials recorded in the ledger, and the deficit amounts verified in the military supplies corruption case files, match at multiple points.”
Ironclad evidence!
No verdict was needed; these words explained everything.
“Thump!”
Guo Zhaohuai, who had been holding on, lost the last trace of color from his face.
His lips trembled, and beads of sweat the size of soybeans rolled down his face.
“It’s impossible, what military supplies ledger? It’s fake. Grandfather, this must be fake.”
Duke of Zheng, Guo Pi, felt his vision darken, and he stumbled a step, only to be supported by a guard beside him, preventing him from falling.
He pointed at his grandson, who had collapsed to the ground, his finger trembling. A blockage formed in his throat, and he fainted on the spot.
“My Lord Duke!”
“Grandfather!”
The crowd immediately became agitated.
Li Zhao watched the chaos before him with indifference.
After a long moment, he slowly raised his hand and made a downward gesture.
The surging wave of sound subsided, leaving only suppressed sobs.
The gazes of the common people, one after another, were fixed on the Crown Prince, filled with longing…
“Guo Zhaohuai of the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion—” Li Zhao finally spoke, “As the Assistant Director of the Treasury Department of the Ministry of War, you stole and resold military supplies, embezzled grain and provisions, leading to the freezing, starvation, and death of soldiers on the front lines. The evidence is conclusive, and the crime is unforgivable.”
His voice was not loud, but each word struck like a hammer, as if meant to reach every corner of the Imperial Street.
“Escort him to the Ministry of Justice Prison immediately, keep him under strict guard, and await my audience with the Emperor to determine the sentence!”
Having said this, he looked again at Guo Pi, who was on the verge of fainting.
“Duke of Zheng, Guo Pi, for failing to discipline your grandson and for lax management of your subordinates, you are not without fault! Effective immediately, you are confined to your mansion to reflect on your mistakes. All personnel within the mansion are forbidden to leave without imperial decree! Any violation will be treated as complicity…”
Li Zhao, without seeking the Emperor’s imperial decree, dealt with the high-ranking Duke of Zheng on the street.
This was because he held an Imperial Sword, which Emperor Chong Zhao had personally granted him the authority to “act as he saw fit.” This imperial power was equivalent to an imperial decree, and no one dared to question his decision at that moment.
“Seize him!” Guan Ya repeated sternly, waving his hand. The Imperial Guards, like wolves and tigers, immediately stepped forward and unceremoniously dragged Guo Zhaohuai away like a dead dog.
Guo Zhaohuai’s body went limp, his eyes unfocused and vacant.
He couldn’t understand how he had ended up in such a predicament…
The ledger had long been destroyed, so how did it fall into the hands of a post station runner?
And that scoundrel Guo Zhaoxuan, why would he betray his family and write down the evidence himself?
Doubts swirled in his mind, but he had no way to refute them.
On the street, there was also complete silence, save for the rustling of banners in the wind.
No one had expected the Eastern Palace to mete out punishment on the Imperial Street.
Decisive and swift, with thunderous methods.
Leaving no room for the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion to breathe or maneuver…
“Your Highness the Crown Prince is wise!” After a brief moment of silence, someone started it, and many officials, especially those aligned with the Crown Prince and those with grievances against the Guo family, bowed in agreement.
Li Huan looked at Guo Pi, whose face was ashen, his expression complex and unreadable.
“The Crown Prince sees through everything and acted decisively; we are all in awe.”
“Imperial Brother, you flatter me. I am merely sharing the burden of the sovereign and father, it is nothing worth mentioning.”
After dealing with this earth-shattering turn of events, Li Zhao’s gaze, once again, coldly, turned towards the partially rolled bamboo curtain on the second floor of the tea house.
Behind the curtain, the figure still stood quietly. The veil on her veiled hat fluttered in the breeze, as if she were just an unremarkable spectator among the countless onlookers on the Imperial Street. The storm she had personally ignited, which had almost destroyed a top noble family, had nothing to do with her.
Li Zhao’s eyes grew slightly cold.
Silent, turbulent waves exploded in the void.
The entanglement of Gu poison, the heart-digging of Gu removal, the smoke of the Western Frontier, the undercurrents of the Capital City…
Countless scenes flashed by like fragments, finally settling on each other’s eyes—
One was a revenger, whose heart was as cold as bone under the ancient Buddha’s lamp.
One was a battle-hardened Crown Prince, tempered in a sea of corpses.
Separating them were the clamor of the Imperial Street, the chasm of power, and an abyss that could never be bridged.
Li Zhao looked deeply, then abruptly reined in his horse.
“Giddy up!”
The Wuzhui let out a long neigh and reared its front hooves.
The chaos, cries, discussions, or awe behind him were all left far behind by his black armor-covered back. His cloak fluttered wildly, like a burning banner, resolutely urging him towards the open Chengtian Gate, towards that majestic Imperial City symbolizing supreme power, galloping away…
The little nun in grey clothes and the Crown Prince in black armor completed a silent handover in this Purgatory intertwined with power and hatred.
Xue Sui had handed over the knife of “evidence,” and Li Zhao, with the most ruthless authority, personally cut down her enemy for her…
In this vast mortal world, she had won this round, coolly and perfectly.
The dust had finally settled.
However, the storm had only just begun.
–
On the second floor of the tea house, the bamboo curtain swayed gently.
Jinshu stepped forward, her voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of breathlessness.
“Young Lady, it’s done. But your injury…”
Xue Sui did not respond.
She slowly raised her left hand, which she had been clenching, and opened her palm.
The prayer beads on her wrist had broken, and the thin string remained.
“It’s just a superficial wound, it’s fine.”
After a long silence, she sighed again, very lightly and faintly.
“Let’s go back.”
She turned, her skirt brushing against a few sandalwood beads that had rolled onto the floor, without pausing.
In the back alley of the tea house, a slightly worn carriage had been waiting for a long time.
The coachman, a simple-looking old man, silently lowered the footstool when he saw them emerge.
Xue Sui stepped onto the footstool and boarded the carriage, followed closely by Jinshu and two others.
The carriage curtain was lowered, shutting out everything from the outside.
The clear sound of the wheels rolled over the blue stone slabs, heading in the direction of Shui Yue Nunnery outside the city.
Ahead, the crowd was slowly dispersing, buzzing with discussion.
The carriage carrying Xue Sui, like a drop of water merging into a river, was unremarkable.
The light inside the carriage was dim, and the atmosphere was heavy.
She removed her veiled hat, revealing a thin, almost transparent face.
“This murky water of the Duke of Zheng’s Mansion has finally been stirred.”
Jinshu responded.
“The Crown Prince’s methods were more decisive than expected.”
Xiao Zhao, unable to discern the subtle meanings in their words, looked anxiously at the wound on Xue Sui’s arm, feeling very dejected.
“It’s all my fault for not reacting properly, I was too busy watching the Crown Prince’s triumphant return… Next time, I will be fully alert and will not let Young Lady get hurt again…”
The corners of Xue Sui’s lips curved slightly, as if smiling, but not quite.
Had she not also lost her focus while watching the spectacle?
However, the assassination attempt targeting her was suspicious. Was it truly Ping Le’s instigation, or was someone deliberately creating a diversion to draw her into the vortex of conflict?
She leaned against the carriage wall, her eyes closed, her long eyelashes casting tired shadows beneath them.
The thrilling scheme and the exchange from afar seemed to have drained her strength.
Jinshu dared not disturb her, only lifting a corner of the carriage curtain to let in the cool breeze carrying the scent of dust after rain.
After leaving the city, the carriage slowed down.
The wheels rolled over the loess, raising fine dust.
In the distance, the outline of the mountains where Shui Yue Nunnery was located was already faintly visible under the clear autumn sky.
The grey-green mountain ridges stood silent and stable.
Just as they were about to turn off the main road…
The carriage jolted violently.
Outside the carriage curtain, the coachman’s tense voice could be heard.
“Young Lady, ahead… someone is blocking the carriage.”
Xue Sui slowly opened her eyes and lifted a corner of the carriage window curtain.
She saw a green-canopied carriage, without any insignia but of respectable quality, stopped on the fork in the road that was shaded by trees.
Sitting on the carriage shaft was Eunuch Lai, the ever-smiling head eunuch by the Crown Prince Li Zhao’s side.
“Greetings, Master Miaozhen.”
Lai Fu saw the carriage curtain lifted and quickly walked to Xue Sui’s carriage window, bowing deeply.
“The Crown Prince has a verbal message: Master was startled by the disturbance on the Imperial Street today. His Highness has prepared some clear tea at You Huang Ju to calm your nerves. We earnestly request Master to step aside for a chat.”
Xue Sui raised her eyes. The faint light outside the carriage window fell on her thin face, her eyes calm and unruffled.
“Please convey to His Highness that this nun is an outsider and it is inconvenient to involve myself in worldly affairs.”
“Master Miaozhen—”
Lai Fu paused, lowered his voice, and smiled so widely that his eyes disappeared.
“His Highness said, ‘The courtesy of an old friend cannot be refused.'”
No room for maneuver, no possibility of refusal.
It was Li Zhao.
The original Li Zhao.
Lai Fu: Alas, why must you make things difficult for someone like me who has been castrated…
Li Zhao: Drag him away and… reward him with a hundred taels.
Lai Fu: I can do it, I can do anything! Please torment me to your heart’s content.
