Chapter 100: News of Death
Her voice was filled with fear.
In the darkness, I held her, gently patting her back, comforting her, “Cherry, don’t be afraid, Cherry, don’t be afraid…”
Her small body trembled, and she kept murmuring, “Godfather, please don’t hurt Dou Ya Uncle, don’t hurt Dou Ya Uncle, don’t…”
My heart felt as if it were filled with icy water, chilling me to the bone.
Why would Cherry say such things in her sleep?
Ever since I brought her from Shenju Mountain to the Qin Manor, her relationship with Qin Mingxu had been harmonious. Qin Mingxu doted on her, and she was very dependent on him. Why would she be so terrified in her sleep, mentioning “Godfather”?
I struck the flint and relit the lamp.
Tears streamed down Cherry’s tender face.
She suddenly opened her eyes, sat up, wiped her tears with her sleeve, and threw herself into my arms, shouting, “Yuniang—”
I held her tightly and asked, “Cherry, did you have a nightmare?”
“Mm,” she nodded.
“Tell Yuniang, what kind of nightmare did you have?” I said gently.
In the candlelight, she pursed her lips and remained silent.
She was a precocious child, carrying many things in her heart, and I often didn’t know what she was thinking.
I stroked her hair and said, “Cherry, your nightmare is related to your Godfather and Dou Ya Uncle, isn’t it? Why would you have such a dream for no reason?”
“No, Yuniang, it’s not for no reason, not…” she shook her head violently.
“Yuniang, do you love Godfather?” Her eyes seemed to burn like two small lanterns.
I draped the bedding over her and asked, “Why do you ask so suddenly?”
“Tell me, do you love Godfather?” she asked earnestly, as if she absolutely had to get an answer.
I nodded and said, “Yes. Your Godfather and I are husband and wife, so of course I love him.”
“Then, compared to Dou Ya Uncle?”
I reached out and tapped her nose, “How can you compare them like that? They are different. Your Godfather and I have the bond of husband and wife, while Dou Ya Uncle and I have the affection of siblings. They are both very important to me.”
She lowered her head thoughtfully.
“Yuniang, Dou Ya Uncle is the most pitiful. No matter what, I don’t want Dou Ya Uncle to be hurt.”
“No one can hurt Dou Ya Uncle,” I asked, “Cherry, did you hear some gossip somewhere?”
She didn’t answer, leaned over, blew out the lamp, and burrowed into the covers, saying, “No, Yuniang, it was just a dream, how can it be taken seriously? Let’s sleep.”
She dared not look me in the eye again.
She was vague about her dream.
She must be hiding something from me.
After all, she was just a child. No matter how well she hid it, there would still be some traces.
I lay down, my mind filled with questions, and fell asleep.
What exactly happened between Qin Mingxu and Feng Gao?
Why would Cherry say so confidently that Godfather had killed someone…
This winter, Yangzhou was colder than in previous years. It had snowed four times, each time heavier than the last. The courtyard outside was completely white. In my daze, I heard the sound of hurried footsteps, panicked knocking, and shouting. I woke up, but there was nothing.
The Qin Manor was unusually quiet.
Within the quiet, there seemed to be an undercurrent of impending crisis.
I caressed my swollen belly and prayed to the Bodhisattva for peace.
Peace.
Peace.
All I desired in this life was these two words.
On Laba Festival.
Xiao Yin cooked a large pot of Laba porridge, and a warm aroma filled the room.
I ordered a servant boy to call Hua Lian and Zhu Xifeng over, so the family could celebrate the festival together.
The servant boy was gone for a long time and did not return.
I stood under the eaves with Cherry, waiting.
Occasionally, a snowflake would blow onto my eyelashes. The chaotic footsteps from my dream approached, becoming reality. I did not wait for Hua Lian and Zhu Xifeng, but instead, a troop of government soldiers rushed in.
The constable at the front took out an official document and said sternly, “Who is Zhu Sangyu?”
Cherry clung to my leg.
I tried my best to remain calm and said, “I am. What business do you gentlemen have with me?”
The constable sneered, “Ha, you dare ask us what business we have? You’ve caused a huge mess! You’ll know when you get to the yamen!”
Holding Cherry, I said to the constable, “I can go with you, but please allow me to settle my daughter first.”
The constable sneered, “Settle her? Where will you settle her? Your maternal family’s Zhu Residence was sealed by the government half an hour ago! All personnel have been imprisoned. Your husband’s Qin Manor will also be sealed! Not a single one will escape. In all the annals of history, only the Great Ming Dynasty has had a precedent of exterminating ten generations of a family, not just nine. What? Boss Zhu, did you dare to commit such a heinous crime without considering this outcome?”
He waved his hand.
The government soldiers began posting seals and apprehending people.
The manor immediately descended into chaos.
Upon arriving at the government office, I learned that something had happened with the tribute wine from the Zhu Family Wine Shop.
This matter was grave, involving Consort Zheng of Cheng Qian Palace and the newborn prince.
The Prefect dared not elaborate on the details, merely ordering me to be locked in a prison cell and heavily guarded.
I sat alone in the damp, cramped prison cell, worrying about Cherry, Hua Lian, and Zhu Xifeng. They had all been imprisoned, but not in the same cell as me.
When Qin Mingxu returns from collecting debts, he will surely be arrested too. Where is Dou Ya? Has he been implicated?
How can I save myself from such a disaster?
I didn’t know that at this moment, a disaster was occurring at the Dong’an Post Station, which connected Jizhou and the Capital City.
A sudden avalanche.
Dozens of people were buried.
Among them was a group from the Eastern Depot returning to the capital to report.
The sole survivor was a guard who happened to be relieving himself at the time of the incident.
The local government urgently reported the matter to the Imperial Court.
The surviving guard painstakingly dug out a black robe from the snowdrift, a “Director of the Great Ming Eastern Depot” black robe bestowed by imperial decree. The unfortunate victims were reduced to dust. The guard, holding the black robe, frantically mounted his horse and rode towards the Capital City.
An avalanche is a natural disaster; even immortals could not predict it, and it certainly could not be faked.
The official document from the Dong’an government, the report from the guard, and Feng Gao’s black robe… all of this corroborated that Feng Gao had perished in Dong’an.
This news exploded in the Imperial Palace like a muffled drum.
Who would have thought that Feng Gao, with his rosy complexion and heart of a viper, would die like this.
Truly, man’s plans are no match for heaven’s.
Feng Gao had served Your Majesty for a long time without error and had earned his favor. Therefore, Your Majesty bestowed upon him the honorary title of “Duke Zhongyi” and ordered his robes and cap to be buried with honors, granting him posthumous glory.
The Eastern Depot, the Brocade Guards, and the Imperial Palace’s internal affairs yamen held a grand funeral.
The news of his death reached Yangzhou three days later…
