Sikong Minghua laughed to his heart’s content, then looked Yan Tongshu up and down. His eyes gleamed with wickedness and mockery. “Is she worthy?”
The moment the words left his mouth, the long sword in Meng Zheng’s hand flew from its sheath and shot straight toward Sikong Minghua’s face.
Sikong Minghua dodged awkwardly. The blade grazed his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood.
The smile on his face instantly froze, his features twitching violently with rage.
“Meng Zheng!” he roared. “How dare you injure me?”
“The Divine Guard is responsible for assisting the Kaifeng Prefecture in protecting the capital.” Meng Zheng drew the second sword at his waist, its tip pointing directly at Sikong Minghua’s throat. “Sikong Minghua, I don’t care who ordered you or what scheme you’re plotting. I will never allow you to show the slightest disrespect to Lord Yan!”
Sikong Minghua cursed under his breath before snarling, “I am acting under the orders of the Ministry of Justice and on Prince Ming’s command to arrest Yan Tongshu, a criminal who has deceived the emperor and defied the law.”
Li Fulin responded calmly, “General Sikong, Lord Yan is a Grand Academician of the Longwen Pavilion and Acting Prefect of Kaifeng, a third-rank official. Setting aside Lord Yan’s character—which I trust completely, as I do not believe she could ever deceive the emperor—even if she had committed an offense unintentionally, the matter would still have to be reported to His Majesty. Only after His Majesty personally issued an edict would anyone have the authority to make an arrest. The Ministry of Justice has no right to overstep its bounds!”
“An offense committed unintentionally?” Sikong Minghua wiped the blood from his face with his fingertip and cast a provocative glance at Yan Tongshu. “Our upright, incorruptible, utterly righteous Lord Yan—tell me, was it really unintentional?”
Yan Tongshu had more or less guessed what Sikong Minghua was referring to, but until the very end, she could not be certain whether they were bluffing.
So she asked calmly, “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Looks like you won’t admit it until you see the coffin.” Sikong Minghua raised his chin and spoke louder. “Everyone, the woman standing before me is the famous, universally acknowledged, upright—indeed, exceptionally upright—Lord Yan. Yet her very existence is one colossal lie from beginning to end!”
Yan Tongshu’s heart sank.
Sure enough, her secret had been exposed.
She pulled Pearl’s hand from her sleeve and lowered her voice. “Go hide in the back. In a moment, take Jinbao with you. Don’t come out.”
“But…”
Pearl gritted her teeth. She knew this was no time to act on impulse, so she quietly retreated, taking hold of Jinbao, who had been eager to charge forward.
Jinbao looked at Pearl in confusion. She shook her head, telling him not to ask.
Sikong Minghua had whetted everyone’s curiosity, but he deliberately refused to reveal the truth. Instead, he raised his brows at Yan Tongshu. “Lord Yan, why don’t you take off your clothes? No—your trousers, perhaps, and prove your—”
Meng Zheng’s sword immediately pointed at Sikong Minghua’s throat. “If you don’t want to die, show some respect.”
Forcing a third-rank imperial official to remove her trousers in public—what utter humiliation that would be.
Sikong Minghua raised a hand and casually pushed the sword tip aside.
Only then did the Minister of Justice speak, unhurriedly. “General Sikong and I have already investigated the matter. Yan Tongshu, despite being a woman, disguised herself as a man and sat for the imperial examinations. She has served as an official for years. This is a crime of deceiving the emperor. She must be imprisoned immediately.”
His words struck everyone like a thunderbolt.
Every person present stared wide-eyed, mouths hanging open.
Even the Divine Might Army soldiers concealed in the shadows to protect Yan Tongshu were stunned.
One soldier asked, “Chief, should we report this to His Majesty?”
The ‘chief’ spat out the piece of grass he had been chewing. “Take care of what’s in front of us first.”
“Yes.”
Li Fulin was the first to recover. “Outrageous! Lord Chu, this is the Kaifeng Prefecture. Even as Minister of Justice, you have no authority to spout such nonsense here.”
The Minister of Justice gave a disdainful laugh. “Whether Yan Tongshu is a woman or not—can’t we simply have someone examine her? Or perhaps…” He cast a sidelong glance at Yan Tongshu and drew out the final words meaningfully. “Lord Yan, are you afraid?”
Meng Zheng turned around in shock and stared at Yan Tongshu, his eyes filled with astonishment and questions.
Li Fulin and the others reacted the same way.
Yan Tongshu stood tall, her back straight as a pine, her expression cool and composed.
Sikong Minghua taunted her, “Lord Yan, it’s your turn to answer. Are you a woman?”
Yan Tongshu raised her chin slightly, her gaze flickering. “I…”
“Lord Yan!” Meng Zheng suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of panic. “If you are a man, then I—I, Meng Zheng, swear I will protect you with my life. I will never allow anyone to touch you or humiliate you.”
Yan Tongshu froze and looked at him in astonishment.
Li Fulin also stepped forward and said resolutely, “Lord Yan, I feel the same.”
Then he turned toward the two sides locked in a tense standoff and called out, “Regardless of whether there is any question regarding Lord Yan’s identity, she remains a third-rank Grand Academician of the Longwen Pavilion and Acting Prefect of Kaifeng! Neither the Ministry of Justice nor the Divine Might Army has the authority to lay a finger on her!”
Before he had even finished speaking, a long arrow shot out from among the Divine Might Army behind Sikong Minghua, flying straight toward Li Fulin.
The squad captain was quicker, cutting the arrow down with his blade.
Sikong Minghua shouted coldly, “Li Fulin, who do you think you are? Who gave you the courage to shield a criminal who has deceived the emperor and defied the law, and to obstruct the Ministry of Justice’s investigation?”
The Minister of Justice stepped forward as well and fixed Yan Tongshu with a cold stare. “Yan Tongshu, say it yourself. Are you a man or a woman?”
Yan Tongshu did not move.
“If you dare not answer, then you admit it.” Sikong Minghua immediately gave the order. “Men, seize Yan Tongshu!”
“Yes!”
The Divine Might Army soldiers advanced on the Kaifeng Prefecture with spears in hand, marching in unison and shouting as they came:
“Arrest her! Arrest her! Arrest her!”
Meng Zheng immediately issued an order. “Divine Guard, protect the Kaifeng Prefecture!”
“Yes!”
The Divine Guard also advanced. Neither side would yield. Their gazes were icy and fierce, and the confrontation was on the verge of erupting into violence.
“Meng Zheng.”
Just as a battle seemed inevitable, Duan Duo rode over and ordered in a deep voice, “Stand down. The Ministry of Justice is handling this case. The Divine Guard has no right to interfere.”
Meng Zheng ignored him completely. “General Duan, the Divine Guard protects the Kaifeng Prefecture—and more importantly, the dignity of the Kaifeng Prefecture.”
“I think you’ve been bewitched by that Yan Tongshu!” Duan Duo was so furious his liver ached. “You’re bent on helping your own father’s murderer. What kind of bewitching potion did Yan Tongshu give you?”
Duan Duo ordered coldly, “All Divine Guard soldiers, sheathe your swords!”
Meng Zheng’s gaze was as sharp as a torch. He stared only at Sikong Minghua, who was itching to make a move, and did not budge.
The Divine Guard behind him did the same.
Duan Duo’s face darkened.
The military was like this. Rank alone was not enough to command obedience.
The Divine Guard Meng Zheng had brought with him were all his trusted men.
Among the Divine Might Army hidden in the shadows, the soldier asked again, “Chief, should we go out?”
The chief looked around. “Nothing’s going to happen yet. Let’s keep watching.”
“Yes.”
As neither side would give way and a clash truly seemed imminent, Yan Tongshu spoke up and broke the deadlock. She looked toward Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice.
“And then?”
Sikong Minghua arrogantly lifted his chin.
Yan Tongshu asked calmly, “I’m asking you—what then? You arrest me, and then what? What exactly do you intend to do? Whether I am a man or a woman, I am still a third-rank imperial official. Without His Majesty’s order, no one has the authority to torture me. So what happens after you arrest me? You throw me in prison, and then what?”
Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice were left speechless.
“Could it be…” Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes, her gaze suddenly turning razor-sharp. “You intend to throw me in prison first, then secretly torture me until you can force a confession? Lord Sikong, Lord Chu, you had better think this through carefully. I am not only a third-rank official of the imperial court—I also come from an aristocratic clan. Even if I were to shed this official robe, I would still represent the dignity of the aristocracy and the character of every scholar. If you imprison me and privately subject me to torture, disregarding the pride of the aristocratic clans, are you trying to make enemies of every scholar under Heaven?”
Having been exposed without mercy by Yan Tongshu, the deliberately stern expression on the Minister of Justice’s face began to crack.
He snapped, “That is a malicious conjecture.”
“Then I hope that is all it is.” Yan Tongshu advanced step by step while the two sides faced each other in tense confrontation.
Sikong Minghua sat on horseback, while Yan Tongshu stood below.
There was some distance between them.
Yet their gazes clashed like drawn blades, and neither gained the upper hand.
“Lord Sikong, I will ask one more question. What then?”
Anyone who wished to rise to the highest positions needed the aristocratic clans throughout the realm to support them.
Yan Tongshu was certain they did not dare offend the aristocracy, and so she pressed them at every step. “You take me into custody—and then what?”
Seeing that Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice merely pressed their lips together and had nothing to say, Yan Tongshu smiled faintly. “Since neither of you can answer, allow me to answer for you. You have determined that I disguised myself as a man, thereby committing the crime of deceiving the emperor. Naturally, you will arrest me and keep me under strict guard to prevent my escape. Then, at tomorrow morning’s court session, you will report the matter to His Majesty before everyone, so that no one can show favoritism or cover for me, and request that the emperor punish me severely.”
Yan Tongshu’s sharp gaze swept over their faces. “If that is the case, where I stay makes no difference, does it?”
Sikong Minghua asked, “What do you mean?”
“I mean this.” Yan Tongshu made her position clear. “I will not go with you, nor will I leave the Kaifeng Prefecture Office. Do whatever you please. At tomorrow’s court session, I will appear before His Majesty myself and submit to his judgment.”
Sikong Minghua pressed his lips together. “Why should we believe you?”
“You do not need to believe me. Simply station men at every exit of the Kaifeng Prefecture Office and see whether I try to flee.” Having said that, Yan Tongshu did not wait for either of them to respond. She turned and walked straight back into the prefectural office. With her back to the crowd, she ordered, “All yamen runners, return inside. Close the gates. Lord Meng, see our guests out.”
Everyone answered, “Yes, my lord.”
Under the watchful eyes of the Divine Guard soldiers, the main gates of the Kaifeng Prefecture Office slowly closed.
Duan Duo glared hatefully at Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice.
Those two had actually allowed Yan Tongshu to lead them around by the nose so easily.
A perfectly advantageous situation had been turned into a laughingstock.
Useless fools!
He tugged on the reins and rode away without another word.
Meng Zheng extended a hand in a gesture of dismissal. “General Sikong, Lord Chu, this way, please.”
Sikong Minghua exchanged a glance with the Minister of Justice before saying, “At dawn tomorrow, I will personally come and escort Lord Yan to court.”
With that, he left a contingent of men behind to watch every exit of the Kaifeng Prefecture Office, then turned and departed.
After he left, the Minister of Justice, terrified by the Divine Guard soldiers glaring at him, hurried away as well.
Meng Zheng also left part of his men behind to protect the prefectural office. Only then did he dismount and enter.
In the shadows, the “Chief” smiled. “I knew Lord Yan was too clever for anything to happen to her. Come on, let’s go report to His Majesty.”
The soldier replied, “Yes.”
…
Back inside the Kaifeng Prefecture Office, Yan Tongshu sat in a chair, her expression grave.
From Chancellor Yelu being held up to Sikong Minghua and the Minister of Justice suddenly coming to make trouble, it was obvious what had happened.
They wanted to use the fact that she had disguised herself as a man to prevent her from examining the corpse.
It was killing two birds with one stone: first, they would bring her down; second, they would provoke a dispute between the two countries.
In particular, Prince Ming had long been in league with senior officials of the Northern Liao Privy Council.
Yan Tongshu said, “Today’s events caused such a commotion that many civilians witnessed them. The news cannot be concealed. Rather than have Mother and my sisters hear about it later and worry themselves sick, it would be better to tell them first and put their minds at ease. Pearl.”
She instructed, “Have Jinbao drive the carriage. You take it and return to the residence as quickly as possible. Tell Mother and my sisters what happened, and tell them that we have not yet reached a dead end, so they need not worry too much.”
“Yes.”
The situation was urgent. Pearl immediately acknowledged the order and was about to leave.
Then she turned her head and saw that Jinbao had been frightened completely senseless. She grabbed him by the arm. “Come on.”
“Oh—oh.” Jinbao finally came back to himself and hurried off with Pearl.
After the two had left, Li Fulin and Meng Zheng returned as well.
The two men stood inside the office in silence.
After a while, Li Fulin finally asked the question weighing on him. “Lord Yan, are you truly… a woman?”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Meng Zheng’s pupils trembled violently.
Li Fulin stood there, stunned.
“I’m sorry for deceiving you for so long.” Yan Tongshu rose and bowed to them. “I apologize.”
Li Fulin hurriedly reached out to help her up, but halfway through lifting his hand, he remembered that Lord Yan was a woman and immediately withdrew it. He said awkwardly, “N-no, it’s all right. Lord Yan, please rise first.”
Yan Tongshu straightened and apologized once more. “I’m sorry.”
Li Fulin opened his mouth, then closed it again. Only after he had completely recovered from the shock did he speak. “Lord Yan, what should we do now?”
This was a crime of deceiving the emperor.
Yan Tongshu fell silent.
A crime of deceiving the emperor was still a crime of deceiving the emperor.
The greatest difficulty lay not even in Qin Yi’s attitude.
If she had never left the Xianlin Academy and remained an obscure official in charge of compiling books, the emperor could have chosen either to kill her or spare her, and it would have made no difference.
But she had left the Xianlin Academy, become Acting Prefect of Kaifeng, and taken up a third-rank official position.
She had offended far too many people.
Prince Ming’s faction genuinely wanted her dead. They would certainly do everything in their power to prevent the court officials from submitting a memorial requesting her execution.
Aaaah!
Yan Tongshu screamed inwardly.
Damn that Prince Ming!
After the little figure in her heart had screamed itself hoarse, Yan Tongshu looked at Li Fulin. “Magistrate Li, I do not know whether I will live or die after this. But the case of Princess Xing’an cannot be delayed.”
No matter how distraught Yan Tongshu was inside, no matter how violently she screamed in her heart, she maintained an outwardly calm expression. Thus, when Li Fulin heard her words, he was moved to tears.
At a moment when her own life and death hung in the balance, Lord Yan was not concerned with her own safety at all. Her thoughts remained fixed on the case. Such loyalty, such dedication—how could anyone not admire her?
Li Fulin called out emotionally, “Lord Yan!”
Yan Tongshu had no idea what turmoil was raging inside Li Fulin. She simply said, “Go and bring Wu Suowei here. She is a woman, so if I do not return, she will be the most suitable person to perform the autopsy on Princess Xing’an under Chancellor Yelu’s supervision.”
She could not sit around waiting for death while Prince Ming dragged things out until the corpse decomposed and the evidence disappeared. Once there was insufficient evidence, the case would truly become an unsolved mystery.
Yan Tongshu said to Li Fulin, “Go. Go now, and bring her here. I will teach her everything she needs to know within the day. After that, go to the Duting Post Station and request an audience with Chancellor Yelu. Find out what exactly is holding him up and why he has not yet come to the Kaifeng Prefecture Office.”
“Yes.”
Li Fulin accepted the order and left.
The room fell silent once more. Meng Zheng remained standing where he was, head bowed, lips pressed tightly together. No one knew what was going through his mind.
Yan Tongshu had no time to guess. She immediately sat down and began writing furiously, drawing as detailed a diagram as possible of the dissected chest cavity. She did everything she could to make it accurate, so that Wu Suowei could match it to the body at a glance.
After a moment, Meng Zheng raised his head and took two steps forward.
“Are you really a woman?”
Yan Tongshu continued drawing as she answered, “I am.”
Meng Zheng’s thin lips tightened. He had nearly blurted out, asking whether Yan Tongshu wanted to run.
If she did, he could take her out under cover of night.
With his martial arts skills, he could do it. He truly could.
But he could not.
Yan Tongshu might be able to escape, but the Yan family could not.
The Yan family was not made up of only her mother, elder sister, and younger sister. Within the three clans, there were more than a hundred people tied to them.
Fleeing to evade punishment would only add another charge.
Meng Zheng gritted his teeth, turned around, and strode away. His armor rustled with every step.
After leaving Kaifeng Prefecture, Meng Zheng mounted his horse and rode straight toward the imperial palace. But when he reached the palace gates, he reined in his horse and stopped.
He stared at the towering palace entrance.
It was obvious that Prince Ming was behind today’s affair.
Tomorrow would certainly bring a fierce battle of words among the court officials.
Yan Tongshu was the Emperor’s right-hand woman, his favored minister. Even if she had disguised herself as a man, the Emperor would never wish to cut off one of his own arms and suffer such a severe loss.
So the Emperor certainly did not want her dead.
That meant pleading with him would be useless. To save Yan Tongshu, they had to see what the officials thought and where the people’s support lay.
The people’s support was the most important thing.
Meng Zheng tugged on the reins, turned his horse around, and headed for the Yan residence.
By then, the secret guards had already reported everything that had happened at Kaifeng Prefecture to the Emperor.
Qin Yi’s expression darkened.
What a fine Prince Ming.
Qin Yi’s face twitched violently.
It seemed Prince Ming had grown impatient and intended to confront him openly.
“Go to Kaifeng Prefecture and tell Yan Tongshu that I will not let anything happen to her,” Qin Yi ordered.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the secret guard replied.
As soon as the guard left, Qin Yi said urgently, “Summon Vice Minister Chang Zhengzhang and Chancellor Fang Hongye.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Lu Xi acknowledged the order and hurried off to summon them, his heart already in a state of panic.
At the same time, at the Yan residence—
Pearl and Jinbao raced home to deliver the news.
After hearing what had happened, Lady Yan struggled to keep her trembling hands steady. She immediately sent someone to bring Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu back from the Legal Office.
Then she ordered a carriage to be prepared. She intended to visit every one of her late husband’s former friends.
Even if she had to kneel and beg, she would save Yan Tongshu’s life.
Yan Liangyu and Yan Liangrong arrived at nearly the same time as Meng Zheng.
The three of them entered the reception hall together.
Lady Yan had been waiting for her two daughters. Only after giving them their instructions could she go out and plead with people one by one without worry.
There was no use asking what had happened back then or why Yan Tongshu had disguised herself as a man. Such questions would only create confusion and waste precious time.
Thus, Yan Liangrong and Yan Liangyu asked nothing.
During the journey, the two sisters had already discussed everything in the carriage.
Yan Liangrong said, “Mother, judging from your clothes today and the carriage waiting outside, are you planning to go out and visit Father’s former friends?”
Lady Yan nodded. “I waited for you because I wanted to tell you this: Tongshu did nothing wrong. I was the one at fault. Do not blame her.”
Yan Liangyu immediately said, “Mother, she is our elder brother—our family. No matter what happens, how could we blame her?”
Yan Liangrong added, “Mother, go without worry. Your daughter knows what must be done. We are family, and Liangyu and I will never lose our heads at a time like this.”
Hearing her two daughters say this, Lady Yan finally felt reassured. She rose at once and set out to seek help from her old friends.
After Lady Yan left, and with Yan Tongshu still away, the affairs of the household fell to Yan Liangrong.
She clenched her fists and fought with all her strength to suppress the panic in her heart.
“This matter concerning Tongshu is far too serious. We do not know the Emperor’s attitude. Father has been dead for many years, and we cannot be certain how many of his old friends will still be willing to do us this favor. But there is one thing we can be certain of.”
She turned to Meng Zheng. “Judging from the haste with which Lord Meng came here today, I imagine you have reached the same conclusion.”
Meng Zheng immediately replied, “Lord Yan has never feared those in power. She has always pleaded for the people. Neither the Emperor nor the court officials can afford to disregard public sentiment.”
Therefore, as long as the people stood on Lord Yan’s side, no one would be able to lay a hand on her.
“That is why we must race against time and mobilize every force available before tomorrow’s morning court session.” Yan Liangrong clenched both hands, her entire body trembling. “Liangyu, go to the Legal Office and seek help from the women there. Find the women we helped in the past and ask them to go to the palace gates tomorrow to plead for Tongshu. Then find Gao Qi. He is quick-witted and resourceful—have him think of a way to gather as many people as possible as quickly as he can. After that, go to the Pei residence and ask the Pei family for help. Also prepare a petition. Go from person to person and ask them to sign it. You take the eastern side, and I will take the western side.”
Yan Liangyu turned and left at once.
“The Meng family can help,” Meng Zheng said.
Yan Liangrong looked at him anxiously. “Will they?”
Meng Yi was the one who had ordered Yan Tongshu’s execution.
Meng Zheng replied with absolute certainty, “I will make the Meng family act.”
No matter what, he would.
When Meng Zheng first came over, he had prepared countless arguments to persuade the Yan family to rally the people. He had never expected the Yan sisters to be so united and so clever. Without needing him to explain or persuade them, they had already joined forces as one.
Meng Zheng left.
Yan Liangrong rose to her feet, but her body swayed. Her maid quickly reached out to support her.
As she walked out, she murmured, “I’m going to Xianlin Academy. Though Xianlin Academy is called a ‘cold palace,’ its scholars are all exceptionally talented, and their calligraphy and paintings are renowned. They command considerable respect among the people. Sometimes, the pens of scholars are even more useful than swords. I will ask them to gather the students and the great families of scholars to plead for Tongshu.”
Though she spoke with determination, Yan Liangrong was terrified—terrified almost to death.
Those were the great scholarly families.
She knew all too well how difficult they could be, how arrogant they were, and how strongly they opposed the establishment of the Legal Office.
Even if the scholars of Xianlin Academy shared a deep friendship with Tongshu, could they persuade the great families?
Could they convince them to set aside their grudges and prejudices?
Would those famously cold-blooded clans be willing to offend Prince Ming for Tongshu’s sake?
As Yan Liangrong sat in the carriage, she thought about the scholarly clans. They relied on learning, the imperial examinations, and the transmission of culture from generation to generation to maintain their status. They represented the educated class.
The policy Yan Tongshu had proposed years ago—requiring everyone seeking office to pass an examination, with examinations held once a year—actually served the interests of the scholarly clans better than anything else.
Yan Liangrong carefully considered the matter and decided to begin there. She would use this point to persuade the great families.
If Yan Tongshu were convicted, there was a strong chance that every proposal and policy she had introduced would be abolished. That included the policy of requiring all officials to pass examinations every year, which would deal a severe blow to the scholarly clans.
Yan Liangrong clenched her hands and silently repeated to herself:
May Heaven protect us. May Heaven protect Tongshu. May Heaven protect the Yan family through this calamity.
…
