Chapter 49: Imminent Disaster
Reaching the doorway, a piercing pain surged through me. I clutched my abdomen, gasping for breath.
Xiao Yin rushed over, cried out in alarm, and supported me as she shouted, “Help! Someone, quickly! The Second Young Mistress is bleeding!”
A servant boy ran to fetch a doctor, stumbled, got up, and continued running.
The manor was instantly in an uproar.
The Old Madam hurried to the East Courtyard, muttering anxiously as she walked, “Buddha, please protect the child. I am willing to endure the torments of the underworld, the oil pots and knife mountains, just to ensure Sang Yu and her child’s safety…”
The doctor arrived.
Servants bustled in and out of the room, some fetching water, others preparing medicine.
Lying on the couch, I pointed towards the South Garden and said to the Old Madam, “Mother, Wang… Wang Yuzhen, the fish soup…”
The Third Young Miss knelt by the bedside, weeping sorrowfully, “Second Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law—”
Blood clots began to pass from my lower body, gradually turning into a torrent.
Even breathing became difficult.
My vision went black.
Just before I lost consciousness, I heard the Old Madam weeping with all her heart, ordering the Steward, “Tie up Wang Yuzhen for me!”
My body seemed to float into the clouds thousands of feet high, then plummet, rise, and fall repeatedly.
A hand pulled me back from my wandering thoughts.
I opened my eyes. Cheng Huaishi was sitting by the bed, holding my hand, tears streaming down his face, unable to speak.
A smile bloomed on my lips. I said, “Second Master, where have you been?”
“Last night, upon hearing that Minister Zhang was confined, I secretly visited all the residences of his close disciples and former colleagues, begging them to unite and protect Minister Zhang…”
His shoes were worn through, stained with blood.
I nodded. “You should. Second Master, please go and attend to your business. I am fine. The child is also fine.”
Hearing this, he burst into tears.
“Mother has already dealt with Wang Yuzhen according to family law, beating her sixty times. She ordered Eldest Brother to write a divorce letter and notify her family to come and take her away. Madam, I am sorry, the Cheng family has wronged you…”
I sat up and reached out, wiping the tears from his eyes. “Second Master, what nonsense are you speaking? The child is perfectly fine. Our child is blessed with great fortune, able to withstand bee venom, so nothing will happen.”
He hugged me tightly. “Madam, wake up, the child is gone, gone.”
I looked blankly at my now-flat abdomen and frantically searched the bed. “Where is the child’s undergarment? The one I was halfway through embroidering? The child is due next spring, I need to embroider more undergarments, with golden carp, green lotus leaves, and plump babies…”
Cheng Huaishi held me very, very tightly.
I leaned my head on his shoulder and murmured, “Second Master, our family will be alright. I am not going anywhere, I will stay here and watch over things.”
A servant boy entered from outside and reported, “Second Young Mistress, our shopkeeper from Yangzhou, Wu Bi, and the accountant, Mister Lu Gui, have come to the Capital to settle accounts. They have been dealing with you directly lately, and I fear only you can understand the accounts.”
As if waking from a dream, I said, “Please invite them in quickly.”
Then, I turned to Cheng Huaishi and said, “Go and invite Mother and Third Sister. I have something very important to discuss.”
Cheng Huaishi nodded.
A short while later, the room was filled with people.
Everyone wore a somber expression.
I looked at Lu Gui. Months had passed, and he had become even more seasoned.
Earlier, Wu Bi had mentioned in a letter that he had managed the business exceptionally well, even better than when I was in Yangzhou. This man was sharp-witted, thoughtful, knew when to advance and retreat, was meticulous, yet bold—a genius in business.
“Mister Lu, you come here.”
He walked to the bedside and stood with his hands clasped.
“Qing Shi, you come here too.”
The Third Young Miss walked over and stood beside him. Her eyes were red from crying. Her usual vivacity was gone, replaced by deep worry. This innocent and cheerful young lady, who had grown up in gentle breezes, could also sense the ominous atmosphere in the household.
I said to the Old Madam, “Mother, Third Sister’s marriage should be decided by the elders, not by me, her sister-in-law. However, given the current situation, I cannot help but offer my opinion—”
The Old Madam said tearfully, “Sang Yu, speak.”
I tried to use a light tone as I slowly said, “Mother, last night I went to the Zhang Manor and happened to encounter people from the Eastern Depot. There is a case in the Imperial Court that involves Minister Zhang. Second Master holds an official position in the Ministry of Revenue, so he might be implicated to some extent. However, you need not worry. There is a saying, ‘The boat will reach its destination when it arrives at the bridge.’ Mother, you have weathered many storms and surely understand matters better than I. Ups and downs in officialdom are quite normal. Second Master is a civil official, not a military general. Even if His Majesty were to blame him, at most it would be dismissal and confiscation of property. It is not treason, which would lead to the ruin of the entire family. The business in Yangzhou is the foundation of our family. If Eldest Brother and Second Master cannot extricate themselves from this situation in the Capital, the family needs someone to uphold its standing.”
I pointed at Lu Gui and said, “Mister Lu has been working at our counter for some time. I have observed him closely. He is learned, of good character, presentable, and most importantly, he holds genuine affection for Third Sister. Mother, you once said that you would only feel at ease with your only daughter, Third Sister, by your side. I thought, why not take Mister Lu as our son-in-law, to marry into the Cheng family? Firstly, Third Sister would gain a good husband; secondly, the Cheng family’s business would have someone of our own to manage it, ensuring the family’s future security.”
The Old Madam began to sob. “Sang Yu, my child, you think so thoughtfully for the Cheng family, how could I possibly refuse? It is just that, in the past, I was hesitant due to considerations of social standing and did not make a decision. Now, with our family in trouble, Mister Lu he…”
Upon hearing this, Lu Gui knelt on both knees and said, “I, Lu Gui, have no parents or family, no relatives. I am alone. Old Madam and Second Young Mistress trust me so much, I will certainly do my utmost.”
He looked up at the Third Young Miss standing beside him. “On the Lantern Festival, we met under the moon. My heart is like the full moon, neither waxing nor waning. Lu Gui vows to never fail Miss, nor the lamplight of that night.”
The Third Young Miss lowered her head and helped him up.
A perfect couple.
It was meant to be.
The Old Madam nodded repeatedly. “Good, good, this matter is settled.”
“Mother, it would be best for you and Third Sister to return to the old residence in Yangzhou.”
I solemnly said to Mister Lu Gui and Wu Bi, “You two must take good care of the Old Madam and Third Young Miss on your journey. Everything at the old residence in Yangzhou will remain as it was.”
They both replied in unison, “We will not fail Second Young Mistress’s trust.”
The Old Madam looked up and said, “Sang Yu, has it truly come to… this point?”
I smiled. “No, no, I was just thinking that the Capital is full of storms, while Yangzhou is peaceful. Second Master and I will be enough here.”
Cheng Huaishi, standing nearby, said, “Madam, you should go with them.”
I shook my head, firmly stating, “I am Second Master’s wife, and I must stay to accompany him.”
I urged the Steward, “There is no need to bring any of the vessels. We have plenty at the old residence in Yangzhou. Pack some clothes and personal belongings, and depart as soon as possible.”
The words spoken by Feng Gao’s subordinate echoed in my mind.
Feng Gao knew the Emperor’s intentions best, so it could not be false. The reason he had urgently instructed his subordinate to take me away must be that the Cheng family was about to face disaster, and there was no time to lose. The sooner the Old Madam left, the better. She was advanced in age; how could she endure such a blow?
The Old Madam stood up, her eyes sharp, looking at me, then at Cheng Huaishi. Her face, etched with wrinkles, bore the weight of half a century of the Cheng family’s journey.
After a long pause, she made her decision.
“We will do as Sang Yu says. We will leave.”
I let out a long sigh of relief.
An hour later.
Noon.
The sun was directly overhead.
The autumn sun was clear and bright, like an innocent child, neither hoarding joy nor hiding sorrow.
As soon as the Old Madam and her party departed, people from Dali Temple stormed into the Cheng Residence.
“By imperial decree, Cheng Huaishi, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, has acted deceitfully, created false pretexts, imposed harsh taxes on the populace, and deceived His Majesty. He is to be apprehended and sent to Dali Temple for trial by the three judicial departments!”
“Bang!”
A thunderclap on a clear day.
Everyone was startled.
It took a while for things to calm down.
Cheng Huaishi’s eyes were like an unfathomable sea.
He and I gazed at each other.
Butterflies cannot fly over the vast sea.
Neither he nor I could do anything about this sudden disaster.
Fortunately, the Old Madam had already left. She would not have to witness this heartbreaking scene.
Cheng Huaishi slipped something into He Ming’s hand and whispered a few words in his ear.
Afterward, as if finally at ease, he stepped forward and bowed to the officials from Dali Temple, “This subject receives the decree.”
I stumbled forward and hung the Ruyi knot given to me by Minister Zhang on his waist.
“Second Master, take care.”
He reached out and brushed the sweat-dampened hair from my forehead, his voice filled with pain. “Madam, you should have left, you should have left…”
Two soldiers seized him and led him away.
I leaned heavily on the doorframe, watching him get into the prisoner’s cart and depart.
Leaves fell, and geese flew south.
The gates of the Cheng Residence were sealed.
A once-brilliant prosperity, like the leaves of late autumn, withered and fell.
Madam Qin supported me as we returned to the East Courtyard.
I knew I could not collapse.
I could not collapse.
What I did not know was that, just half an hour before Cheng Huaishi was taken to Dali Temple, a human tragedy had befallen the Zhang Residence.
His Majesty did not wish to bear the infamy of killing his teacher.
Since Minister Zhang’s confinement, many parties had raised objections.
In the Golden Imperial Hall, there was a great clamor.
Officials from across the Nine Provinces were in a state of indecision.
The arrow was on the string, ready to be loosed.
The meticulously laid net needed a final, decisive knot.
His Majesty issued a secret decree to Feng Gao: Prime Minister Zhang was to “die of illness” today.
Feng Gao received the decree and headed to the Zhang Residence—
