Chapter 104: Repaying the Debt of Swapped Children
This prison cell became a broken cliff.
Qin Mingxu and I stood on opposite sides, the ground shaking violently.
He was clearly holding me tightly, yet I felt as if I could smell the scent of farewell.
Sang Yu, I love you. Truly.
These seven words were filled with lingering affection, profound sorrow, and an ominous premonition.
I looked at him through tear-blurred eyes.
It was as if we were separated by a torrential downpour.
He stumbled in the rain, struggling, in pain.
Yet I knew nothing.
I didn’t know why he was struggling, why he was in pain.
“Mingxu, is Dou Ya really alright? Are you lying to me?” This was the only guess I could make.
He shook his head: “No, Sang Yu, I’m not lying to you. Director Feng is truly fine. You’ll understand when you see him with your own eyes. No matter what, I never want you to be this distressed.”
“That’s good, that’s good,” I said, my heart still pounding.
“Sang Yu, as long as Director Feng is well, you’re happy, aren’t you?” he asked earnestly.
I nodded blankly.
I had thought Dou Ya was gone and was utterly despairing. Hearing him say Dou Ya was alive and well naturally made me happy. Safety was more important than anything.
“Yes, as long as Director Feng is well, you’re happy. That’s good. That’s good.”
He smiled, faintly reminiscent of the dashing and carefree demeanor he had when we first met, as we fled on a boat.
“Sang Yu, I will make you happy. Forever happy.” He seemed to have made a decision.
The child in my womb stirred again. The two babies tumbled together, their tiny fists knocking. I reached out and stroked the small bulge on my belly; the children seemed to sense it and instantly quieted down.
Qin Mingxu’s eyes softened as he watched this.
I tried to say something to alleviate the immense sadness of the prison.
“Mingxu, in three days, can you come to pick me up?”
“Yes.”
“Can Cherry, West Peak, Hua Lian, and everyone from the Qin and Zhu Residences be released from prison?”
“Yes. Everyone.” He patted my cheek gently, reassuringly.
It was as if, in his eyes, I was a child who had just survived a terrible shock, and he was an elder who could handle everything behind the scenes.
“The Zheng family went to such great lengths to set this up, why did they suddenly agree to let go?” I asked. In the days I spent in prison, I had considered many paths and many outcomes, but I never imagined it would be so easy.
The easier it was, the more suspicious it felt.
“Director Feng helped us. Director Feng is always so capable, isn’t he?” he said casually.
“Didn’t Dou Ya get into trouble in an avalanche? He never made it back to the Capital City. How could he have helped?” I pressed.
“On the first day of the twelfth lunar month, during the Crown Prince’s case, Empress Zheng failed in her attempt to harm the Crown Prince. Director Feng kept the evidence. He used that evidence to exchange for your safety with the Zheng family.” he said slowly.
I stared intently into his eyes. What he said didn’t sound like a lie.
Dou Ya was in the Eastern Depot, which handled cases for His Majesty. It made sense that Dou Ya would possess such crucial evidence.
I gradually relaxed.
“The avalanche was an accident. But Director Feng took advantage of that accident to escape. Originally, the Empress Dowager and Empress Zheng were locked in a fierce struggle over the succession, and he was caught in the middle, making things very difficult. Now, everyone in the Imperial Court and the palace believes he is dead, which is a good thing. He can stay with you and take care of you from now on. Sang Yu, are you happy?”
His voice was softer and dimmer than candlelight.
I was simply lost in the beautiful future he described.
“Happy. He lives a life on the edge of a knife, full of danger and peril. I always worry he won’t have a good end. It’s wonderful that he can withdraw safely. Mingxu, you might see Dou Ya as tall and serious sometimes, but he’s just a child. He can never manage accounts properly. When he was little, he used the copper coins he painstakingly earned to buy steamed buns, only to be cheated by the vendor. Can you believe it?”
I murmured with a smile, “He doesn’t know about the cold or heat, always a step behind. It’s only when winter starts that he knows to add a padded jacket. It’s only when summer solstice arrives that he knows to wear thin clothes. I’ll have to take good care of him from now on. And Mother. It’s so good that he can be reunited with Mother. Dou Ya can finally live a peaceful life…”
The prison guards outside urged me on, interrupting my rambling.
“Boss Qin, it’s time to go! Don’t make it difficult for us!”
Qin Mingxu slowly got up, facing me, and backed away towards the door.
He turned back reluctantly.
He tried hard to imprint my image into his eyes.
It felt as if each glance was one less he would have.
“Sang Yu, I wish you happiness, always happiness.”
I seemed to remember something and hurried a few steps forward, saying, “Mingxu, I have some incredibly good news, I almost forgot to tell you. The midwife in Guangfu said the babies in my womb are twins. She’s very sure.”
He burst out laughing: “Good, Sang Yu, you always bring me unexpected joys. Our two children, regardless of gender, one will be named An, and the other…”
“Boss Qin, the agreed-upon fifteen minutes have long passed!” the guard exclaimed, slamming the door shut.
I didn’t get to hear the name he chose for the other child.
The Bodhisattva sprinkles disaster and joy upon the human world, with mysteries hidden everywhere.
Half a bowl of Lily and Lotus Seed Soup on our wedding night.
The words he half-spoke in prison, interrupted.
Our tragic fate was long sealed.
The names he chose for the two children were Qin An and Qin Hao, meaning “safe and sound.” However, after the turmoil, I only had safety, not soundness. I repeatedly told myself that this was the best outcome in misfortune. Yet, every time I thought of Qin Hao, I felt an immense regret.
Water gleams, a clear and beautiful day; mountain colors are misty, and rain is also wondrous.
My remaining life may hold many bright and beautiful days, but I will never have Qin Hao again.
After Qin Mingxu left, I felt as if a weight had been lifted, and I sat calmly on the straw in the prison cell.
I carefully picked up the stale steamed buns from the ground and tried to eat them.
The road ahead was good. Everything was good.
I gathered my strength, left the prison cell, and reunited with Dou Ya, Mingxu, Hua Lian, and West Peak.
I no longer cared much about the business of the wine shop and Tiansheng Tower. Wealth is external. Qin Mingxu and I are both skilled in business; like wild grass, we can regrow after being burned, and like spring breezes, we can flourish again. As long as we are alive, everything will be there.
I thought that even with the evidence exchange, the Zheng family might not let go so easily. I had initially thought it would only be a financial loss. But I had forgotten, how could those in high positions tolerate having leverage in others’ hands?
How could Empress Zheng, who was invincible in the imperial court’s power struggles, let Dou Ya go so easily?
When Dou Ya presented the evidence from the Crown Prince’s case, in Empress Zheng’s mind, only Dou Ya’s death would be the safest. Not to mention, after the conspiracy surrounding Princess Pingning’s marriage was exposed, Dou Ya had helped the Empress Dowager trick her once, and she held a grudge, firmly believing Dou Ya was part of the Crown Prince’s faction.
Their confrontation, face to face, was imminent.
I didn’t realize the change in Qin Mingxu during the short time in prison.
After leaving prison, Qin Mingxu had made up his mind. In the scheme he had arranged with the Zheng Residence, he would swap identities with Feng Gao.
He planned to have Feng Gao ride in the horse carriage and for himself to ride a horse to meet the trap in three days.
The incessant tears in prison flowed into his heart.
This swap was his way of completely repaying the debt from his father’s child-swapping over twenty years ago.
His life back to him, his wife back to him, his mother back to him.
All of it back to him.
The seals on the Qin Manor had not yet been removed. He could not go back.
He found a temporary inn on the outskirts of the city to stay.
He bought a pot of wine and sat in his room drinking.
The wine tasted bland. Not as good as the brew from the Zhu Family Wine Shop.
He had tasted thousands of kinds of wine, but his heart was set on only one.
He had seen thousands of women in their prime, but his heart was set on only one.
In prison, he had really wanted to ask, “Do you love me?”
But he didn’t.
He dared not.
Many things in this world cannot withstand scrutiny.
It was enough for him to simply declare his love.
Under the window of the guest room, he heard a commotion of footsteps.
Qin Mingxu opened a crack in the window and saw a group of people chasing something. The one in the lead had a fair complexion, no beard, and a high-pitched, thin voice that sounded somewhat familiar. After a moment, he vaguely recalled that this person seemed to be Feng Gao’s attendant eunuch, named Zhang, whom Feng Gao had taken to the Qin Manor once.
The person being chased vaulted over walls and ran into a narrow alley.
The fleeting face was that of the former Great Chieftain of Shenju Mountain, the One-Eyed Dragon.
The One-Eyed Dragon had been fighting on the Yunnan border for months and returned to court victorious, accumulating considerable fame and prestige. He heard His Majesty had rewarded him handsomely, so why was he now in an alley in Yangzhou?
The little eunuch named Zhang led his men away.
As Qin Mingxu was about to close the window, a figure suddenly leaped in through it.
“It’s me,” the newcomer said urgently.
Qin Mingxu recognized the voice as Feng Gao’s.
“How did you know I was here?” Qin Mingxu asked.
Feng Gao gently curved his lips and smiled, “I know much more than Boss Qin imagines. Much, much more.”
Qin Mingxu said, “I was just about to come find you to tell you about the plan for three days from now.”
Feng Gao asked concisely, “Who rides the horse?”
“I ride the horse,” Qin Mingxu stated decisively.
After saying it, he felt something was wrong. He hadn’t even revealed his plan, so how did Feng Gao know about the horse riding?
Feng Gao said meaningfully, “Boss Qin’s intentions are understood by this humble one. However, I will never let anyone that Elder Sister wishes to protect die.”
