"That's because he loves you!" Duan Duo pressed closer to Wen Taojun step by step. "Sister-in-law, twenty-six years ago, you lived with the Wen family. They treated you well, and you remembered it your whole life. The men of the Wen family loved you, and you've been grateful for it to this day. Then what about my eldest brother? What does his love for you count for? He loved you his entire life. He married you. He was faithful to you his whole life. You even have Zheng'er together. My eldest brother may have wronged the Wen family, but when did he ever wrong you? Yet you—you cornered him during the court trial, using a broken jade pendant to force him. If it hadn't been for you, if the person facing him hadn't been you, he would never have confessed on his own. He is your husband. He gave you far more than the Wen family ever did, yet you showed not a shred of old affection. You used his love for you to coerce him. How could you? In what way was he inferior to the Wen family in how he treated you? My eldest brother was good to you, loyal to the state—yet you think nothing of him, and nothing of Zheng'er either. If you had considered either of them even a little, you should have asked him privately and kept the matter concealed..."
"Conceal what?"
Wu Yao pulled Wen Taojun aside and coldly demanded of Duan Duo: "Go on, say it! Say it in front of me and Old Wen—what is there to conceal!"
Wu Yao was shorter than Duan Duo, but at this moment, she was like a charging spear, its sharp tip driving straight at Duan Duo: "I'm asking you, what is there to conceal! My son, Wen Qian—twenty-six years ago, he was only twenty-one, just promoted to Commander of the Garrison. Our Wen family has guarded Yanzhou for generations in that bitter, frozen land, standing against invading enemies for the court and His Majesty! To defend the border, my father-in-law, my own father, my grandfather—all of them died in battle. My husband, Wen Shouan, bears seventy-eight scars on his body. My eldest son-in-law lost a leg covering the cavalry's retreat. And my son, Wen Qian!"
Wu Yao's face was streaming with tears: "My son, Wen Qian, rode out of the city alone to face the enemy to save the people of Yanzhou. He lay in bed for half a month, nearly losing his life. What did he do wrong? In what way did he fail the court? And in what way did he fail the Meng family? The Meng family spilled their blood on the battlefield, defending the nation, earning countless merits—didn't our Wen family do the same? Didn't my son?"
Wu Yao demanded: "Conceal it? And then what? Let my beloved niece continue to be his wife? Let us accept the murderer of our own son as our son-in-law? That Meng Yi was good to Xiao Jun—did the Wen family ever mistreat her? The Wen family always treated Meng Yi with courtesy, even admired his learning and ability, and repeatedly submitted memorials praising him. And what did we get in return? He has power and influence—so are we Wen people simply supposed to die?"
"That's not what I meant." Duan Duo was at a loss for words but tried to defend himself: "But what's done is done. The dead are dead. You have to think about the living. What good does forcing my eldest brother to his death do you? Look at my sister-in-law—don't you treat her like a daughter? Can you bear to see her widowed? Look at Zheng'er—what do you want him to do? Since things have already come to this, why can't you just take a step back? Let my eldest brother make amends to you—isn't that good? Even if my sister-in-law had been willing to take a step back and pretend to know nothing, couldn't everyone have gone on living happily? Why did you have to force him! He was drunk at the time—it was only because he loved my sister-in-law too much that he lost his head for a moment!"
Wu Yao stared at Duan Duo with contempt: "We don't need it!"
Wu Yao said through grief and fury: "Let Meng Yi pay with his life. Let my poor, dead son rest in peace. That, to us, is the greatest good."
“Zheng’er! Say something for your father, save him!”
Duan Duo glared at Meng Zheng, who had been standing silently to the side.
Meng Zheng stepped forward and faced Wen Taojun, calling out, “Mother.”
When he spoke, he realized his voice was just as hoarse and rough.
Wen Taojun looked away. “Don’t blame your mother.”
Duan Duo tugged at Meng Zheng. “Talk to your mother and your grand-uncle and grand-aunt—they dote on you, they’ll soften. If they’re willing to forgive, the sentence can be reduced.”
Meng Zheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, easing the dry ache in his throat. He turned to Duan Duo, his gaze clearing from haze to sharp focus.
He extended his hand. “Uncle Duan, this is a matter between the Meng and Wen families. Please leave the Meng estate.”
“You—” Duan Duo’s face flushed dark with rage.
Meng Zheng stood tall like a mountain. “Uncle Duan, please.”
“Fine! Even a son can’t be relied on.” Duan Duo pointed at Meng Zheng, at all these “ingrates” before him. “My elder brother can’t count on you lot—fine! I’ll do it myself! I will not let my brother die! If Yan Tongshu dares to take my brother’s life, I swear I will chop off her head with my own hands and avenge him!”
With that, Duan Duo glared with those tiger-like eyes and turned to leave.
Meng Zheng escorted the elderly Wen couple and Wen Taojun to the dungeon but did not enter.
His heart was heavy, bitter, yet he felt like a headless fly, not knowing what to do.
On one side stood his father. On the other, her mother.
And then there were conscience and the law.
He stood at the dungeon entrance, listening to the hysterical accusations and roars from inside, listening as Meng Yi’s tearful apologies gradually fell into silence.
He walked out of the dungeon.
The winter sun hung high overhead.
But in such weather, the sun gave off nowhere near enough warmth. It was very, very cold.
He wandered in the courtyard and, without realizing it, came to the inner court of the Kaifeng Prefecture.
Yan Tongshu had just returned, Pearl beside her, and Pearl’s tray was piled high with thick official documents.
He quickened his pace, walking faster and faster, until he stood before Yan Tongshu, head lowered, staring at her without blinking.
Yan Tongshu spoke with concern: “Are you still…”
Her shoulder grew heavy as Meng Zheng pulled her into his embrace, burying his face in the crook of her neck. Tears soaked the red official robe she wore.
Pearl startled and moved to stop him, but Yan Tongshu made a halting gesture, telling her to leave first.
But… a man and a woman touching so intimately…
Pearl’s lips parted as if to speak, but in the end she hurried away with the tray.
Yan Tongshu waited quietly until Meng Zheng’s emotions settled and he released her.
“Forgive me,” Meng Zheng said.
Yan Tongshu pointed to the brazier in the room. “It’s cold outside. Would you like to warm up by the fire?”
Meng Zheng nodded.
The two went back inside. Yan Tongshu used an iron poker to pull out a roasted sweet potato, set it on a thick cloth to dull the heat, tore open a small slit to let the extra steam escape, and handed it to Meng Zheng.
Meng Zheng took it, and Yan Tongshu fished out another for herself.
They ate in mutual, silent understanding.
Halfway through the sweet potato, Meng Zheng suddenly looked at Yan Tongshu. He wanted to ask: It’s really not possible?
Spare his life, even exile—wouldn’t that work? But he couldn’t bring himself to ask. Conscience, morality, and family loyalty were gnawing at each other, tearing him apart.
Yan Tongshu pressed her lips together. “Meng Zheng, did you know? Xinniang took her own life.”
When Wen Taojun had come forward to expose Meng Yi, it had all been too hasty, too shocking, too overwhelming. And what Meng Yi had confessed was too bewildering, too convoluted, too fraught with twists and turns. She hadn't had the chance to publicly explain Xinniang's cause of death, and so had to let Zhang Jiu announce it.
Yan Tongshu lowered her eyes. "Meng Zheng, we investigated this together, so you know that Xinniang was a very timid person. Someone that timid kept that jade pendant for twenty-six years. Xinniang was also someone who was very afraid of pain. She had never killed anyone, she didn't know how to kill. So she stabbed herself three times with a blade before she finally managed to end her own life. Someone who feared pain so much—she killed herself with three self-inflicted wounds. Someone who feared pain so much—she would rather grip the wooden planks of the boat so hard that she snapped two fingernails off, without making a single sound."
Yan Tongshu paused for a moment. "She devised this scheme because she didn't dare risk it. A jade pendant means nothing. As long as Meng Yi refused to admit anything, flat out denied it, there would be no way to bring him to justice. So she didn't dare gamble on whether Lady Meng would truly make Meng Yi tell the truth, and she didn't dare gamble on whether Lady Meng would confront her husband for the sake of the eldest brother from twenty-six years ago.
"And so she could only use her own insignificant life to scheme against fate itself. To bet that even if the injustice of twenty-six years ago could never be brought into the light, even if she couldn't make Meng Yi pay with his life, she would still make him carry that infamy."
Yan Tongshu said, "Meng Yi is your father. You share a deep bond with him; you can't bear to lose him. But Xinniang was the daughter of someone, someone's kin, someone's friend. And Wen Qian, who died twenty-six years ago—he too was all those things. All lives are equal.
"So you are your father's son, and you are fully justified in setting aside any sense of guilt and putting every ounce of your effort into saving him. No one would blame you for that. By the same token, I am the magistrate of Kaifeng prefecture, and the opportunity Xinniang bought with her own life is one I have to fight for with everything I have."
Meng Zheng turned to the side, quietly studying Yan Tongshu. "Do you know what this means?"
They both knew.
Once different choices were made, they would be enemies.
Yan Tongshu said nothing. She didn't want to lose Meng Zheng as a friend, but she also didn't want him to tear himself apart struggling between loyalty and principle, between right and wrong, between a sense of justice and the love for his own family. So she untangled the moral dilemma for him.
Meng Zheng seemed to have come to some kind of decision. He took Yan Tongshu's hand and placed the remaining half of the roasted sweet potato into her palm. "I understand."
With that, he rose and left.
The charcoal fire glowed like molten lava.
The room was warm.
But that was only in comparison to the outside.
Yan Tongshu looked out at the gray, overcast sky. When Yu Ping left, he had said, at least—dawn is coming soon.
But this winter... it was so very long.
The next day, Yan Tongshu was reviewing official documents when Zhang Jiu walked in.
Yan Tongshu asked, "Something the matter?"
Zhang Jiu offered up Xinniang's final letter. "Just now, Xinniang's roommate and sister, Liao Zhu, came by and handed me this. It is Xinniang's suicide letter. In it, she recounts in detail the past between her and General Meng, and she states clearly that she took her own life—that General Meng bears no responsibility."
Pearl took the letter and placed it on Yan Tongshu's desk.
Yan Tongshu unsealed the letter and read it carefully.
Everything from the past now became clear.
Xinniang had always kept the jade pendant. She had never learned to read, only barely recognizing a few characters. After hearing that the Prefect of Kaifeng had ordered the execution of the imperial son-in-law, Xinniang felt that perhaps the Prefecture could be trusted. So she brought a drawing of the jade pendant's pattern and came to the Prefecture to file a report. As she hesitated, she was called back to the brothel for a performance, and on the way, she ran into Cao Jian.
The drawing slipped from Xinniang's person. Cao Jian saw it and interrogated her. Ning Yuan saved her, and what followed was a long period of testing and probing over trust.
Xinniang gritted her teeth and never revealed where the jade pendant was hidden, but she did divulge some matters concerning Meng Yi, confirming her own value.
After that, Xinniang did not write in detail. She only said that she later came to understand that a jade pendant alone could not prove anything. To bring the truth to light and clear her benefactor's family of injustice, one had to resort to extraordinary means and extraordinary deeds.
She had even specially studied how to use a blade to take her own life without leaving any signs of suspicion—the direction, the position—and had practiced on chickens and ducks.
Yan Tongshu thought that Xinniang must have only realized how terribly painful it was when the blade entered her body, but she must have endured it.
Xinniang did not do it for Wen Qian. She did it for the kindness the Wen family had shown her, to repay the help she had received during the hardest days of her life.
She used her own life to repay that debt of gratitude, to fulfill a sense of righteousness, and to complete her own understanding of what gratitude and duty meant. She was a good and loyal young woman.
Yan Tongshu returned the letter to Zhang Jiu: "Aren't you going to write Xinniang's story? This letter is the best story of all. But, Zhang Jiu..."
Zhang Jiu: "Hmm?"
Yan Tongshu pressed his lips together: "Don't end the story like this. It should encourage people to keep living."
Zhang Jiu's pupils flickered slightly: "Yes, I understand."
With that, Zhang Jiu stepped forward and handed over a letter. On the envelope were two characters: Resignation.
Yan Tongshu picked up the letter and asked in confusion: "What's this for?"
Zhang Jiu retreated to his original position, bowed with folded hands, and said: "Lord Yan, should General Meng receive a special pardon, I share your sentiments."
Yan Tongshu: "Isn't it uncertain whether he'll be pardoned?"
Zhang Jiu raised his head and quietly looked at Yan Tongshu: "If pardoning isn't certain, then why did you write your resignation early? Isn't it because you know that General Meng will certainly be pardoned? The Meng family is too powerful, with great prestige in the military. The Emperor needs the Meng family's support to eliminate Prince Ming. Moreover, Meng Yi once saved the Emperor's life. On all counts—reason, sentiment, and self-interest—the Emperor will grant the pardon. But this is not how things ought to be."
Zhang Jiu lowered his eyelids, deep disappointment in his eyes: "Old Master Yu came to the Prefecture last time and spoke with you, didn't he?"
Yan Tongshu asked softly: "Your fiancée, Song Zhi?"
Zhang Jiu nodded: "Old Master Yu must have said something, but certainly not the whole truth."
Yan Tongshu: "He said that at the instigation of the late Emperor, the account books were switched, and the Song family was wiped out."
"Actually, Song Zhi did not die." As Zhang Jiu said this, he seemed to sink into memory. He paused for a long while, then continued: "Back then, Song Zhi was sentenced to decapitation. Old Master Yu and my father tried everything—they bribed the jailers in the dungeon and used a death-row criminal to swap Song Zhi out, rescuing her from the imperial prison. The executioner was a close friend of my father's; he turned a blind eye and pretended not to notice that the person on the execution grounds that day had been exchanged. After the execution, he quickly disposed of the body to avoid any discovery.
Song Zhi's father, Song Shen, was rescued from a prison in Jiangnan by Song Zhi's lover, Xia Quedong. Though I was betrothed to Song Zhi, it was only arranged by our elders, and after Uncle Song moved to Jiangnan, the engagement became nominal. Later, Song Zhi and Xia Quedong fell for each other, and had the Song family's misfortune not occurred, she and I would have long since gone our separate ways to find our own matches. After Uncle Song and Song Zhi were rescued, they lived in seclusion with Xia Quedong's family under assumed identities somewhere in the south until a year later, when Uncle Song passed away from illness.
Things seemed picture-perfect at that point. Prefect Li knew the full truth as well. After that affair, he often said that being flexible and diplomatic could get things done, and one didn't necessarily have to be unyieldingly upright or stubbornly confrontational. Elder Mr. Yu also advised, saying that the late emperor was old, and it was normal for him to be muddled. The day would come when the sky would clear; they just needed to wait a little longer. But it shouldn't have been like this. I've thought it over countless times—it shouldn't have been like this. Magistrate Yan, I believe that even if everyone in the world fails to understand what I'm saying, you will, won't you?
Yan Tongshu nodded.
In Zhang Jiu's heart, justice and fairness should be like a beautiful, lustrous gemstone.
Such a gemstone should lie on a sun-soaked beach, refracting brilliant and captivating fire in the light.
It should not be tossed into the mud, covered in thick layers of rotting dead leaves and weeds.
And then be told: Look, the gemstone is still intact. As long as it doesn't appear on the beach, as long as it doesn't come into the sunlight, it still exists.
That way of thinking is pure, idealistic, and easily dismissed as naive, delusional, and impractical. In contrast, Prefect Li and Elder Mr. Yu are more pragmatic—they are willing to do what they can within the bounds of reality. But in the end, they too grow weary, drained of heart and spirit.
Just like the state Elder Mr. Yu was in when he left the capital—that exhaustion and agedness of a man who had been battered senseless by reality.
After Zhang Jiu left, Pearl tugged at Yan Tongshu's sleeve: "Young master, that... the emperor, will he really grant a special pardon to General Meng?"
"Probably," Yan Tongshu said, setting aside Zhang Jiu's resignation letter. "Before this, the Meng family stood loyal through and through. When the late emperor reigned, they were loyal to the late emperor; later under the crown prince, loyal to the crown prince; and then when the current emperor was chosen as heir, they were loyal to him. No matter how many people tried to court them or what benefits they were offered, they never wavered.
The Meng family also controls the Imperial Guard. Old General Meng has promoted no fewer than fifty, and at least twenty-odd, military officers in his lifetime, all of whom now hold critical positions. He still guards the border these days, and no longer leads troops into battle himself, but as long as he is there, he can keep those young commanders in check.
As long as he stands, the emperor can smoothly and seamlessly mobilize his hundred-thousand-strong army and hold back Prince Ming's forces. If the emperor were to kill his own son now, how would Old General Meng feel? How would those officers feel? How would the Imperial Guard feel?"
Pearl: "But, but—last time, with the Divine Strategy Army, that Xiao Jun and General Meng held the same rank, didn't they?"
"Not the same," Yan Tongshu explained. "Xiao Jun was the commanding officer of the Divine Strategy Army. He had official rank, authority, and battlefield accomplishments, but he lacked military prestige and deep roots. What's more, in the mountain bandit case, all his trusted men within the Divine Strategy Army were wiped out in one swoop. Changing a commanding officer there caused no upheaval at all. The emperor's pardon is a great favor to the Meng family—the entire household, including Old General Meng's former subordinates and protégés, will be grateful and even more loyal. That will cement the emperor's grip on the throne."
Pearl pouted, "But what about Xinniang and that young General Wen? Do they just die for nothing? Master, I feel terrible. The way you put it, I can sort of understand why the emperor granted the amnesty, but at the same time I feel like we can't just let Xinniang and the young Master Wen die in vain. It just doesn't feel like things should have turned out this way."
Yan Tongshu smiled slightly, "Because I led you into a trap."
Pearl blinked, utterly confused, "What trap? Master, what trap did you lead me into?"
Yan Tongshu replied, "It's because I first told you that the amnesty could consolidate the emperor's power. I gave you that premise. But who can guarantee it's one hundred percent certain? If the emperor pardons the Meng family, perhaps the Mengs will be more loyal—or perhaps not. Even if the Mengs do become loyal, and the emperor wins over their hearts, what about everyone else? In the capital, there are over a hundred and thirty regular court officials qualified to attend the imperial court sessions. There are thousands of other officials, big and small, and what about the local officials? Where might the hearts hidden in all their chests lean?
Not to mention, take Zhang Jiu's resignation letter. The emperor wins over the Meng family, but in doing so he loses Zhang Jiu's loyalty. And beyond Zhang Jiu, how many more are there? If you only look at short-term gains, of course you'd think this is the best way to consolidate imperial power. But hearts gathered by profit will also scatter for profit."
Of course, she—just like Zhang Jiu—had never trusted this new emperor from start to finish.
Yan Tongshu left it at that.
Pearl tilted her head, thinking, "Then... can we persuade the emperor?"
That, now...
Yan Tongshu shook his head, "Depends on heaven."
...
In the Chui Gong Hall.
Qin Yi set down the vermilion brush in his hand and looked out at the hall.
Today, an unusually large number of people were waiting to be summoned—especially those with deep ties to the Meng family. Even more came to plead for Meng Yi.
Meng Yi's military accomplishments, the loyalty of the Meng family—he could certainly remember all that.
But...
Was someone missing?
Qin Yi spoke slowly, "Where is Yan Tongshu?"
Why hasn't she come to seek an audience?
Lu Xi quickly bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, there is a memorial submitted by Secretary Yan."
Lu Xi pulled Yan Tongshu's memorial out from the pile of those awaiting review and carefully placed it before Qin Yi.
Qin Yi opened the memorial and let out a light scoff from his throat, "Well now, (she) certainly knows how to act first and report afterward."
Qin Yi read through the opening summary of the case, then turned to the next page.
That's it?
He froze, flipped through more pages. That's it?
Qin Yi looked at Lu Xi, "Just this one?"
Lu Xi, afraid he might have missed something, instinctively scanned the pile with his eyes before replying, "Your Majesty, Secretary Yan indeed submitted only this single memorial."
Ha.
Qin Yi let out a laugh of frustration.
Just one. A case summary, and nothing else.
No confession of guilt. No further petition. Nothing.
Just a cold, bare dossier and that was it.
Qin Yi set the memorial aside and continued writing his approvals.
After a long while, he picked up Yan Tongshu's memorial again and examined it closely. He looked at it sideways, up and down—truly not so much as a single extra word or phrase.
"Ha!"
Qin Yi tossed the memorial aside with a slap. Every official in the court—whether in the capital or beyond—when it came to the Meng Yi matter, either submitted a memorial demanding severe punishment or one pleading for mercy. Not one of them had been idle. But she? She finishes handling the case, and that's that. Not a single expression of opinion.
Qin Yi felt a fire smoldering in his chest. He gave an order: "Instruct the guards at the palace gates to turn away anyone from the Kaifeng Prefecture who tries to enter."
Lu Xi replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
With that, he shuffled away in quick little steps and passed down the order through the eunuchs, layer by layer.
After a moment, a young eunuch hurried in and whispered a few words to Lu Xi. Lu Xi said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, Wen Shouan, the Military Governor of Yinzhou, and his wife Wu Yao, request an audience."
Qin Yi's writing brush paused mid-stroke.
These past few days, many court officials had been pleading for Meng Yi, and there was a subtle sense of them uniting as one force. At this sensitive juncture, Wen Shouan and Wu Yao seeking an audience—what they wanted to say was easy to guess.
Qin Yi pondered briefly, then said, "Summon them."
Lu Xi replied, "Yes."
Soon, Lu Xi ushered Wen Shouan and Wu Yao in.
The two knelt in prostration: "Your servant Wen Shouan (your servant's wife Wu Yao) pays respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years."
Qin Yi raised a hand. "Rise."
The two replied, "Yes."
After standing, Wen Shouan withdrew an object from his bosom—a jade pendant that had been bestowed upon him by the late emperor. Years ago, when the late emperor toured the border and visited the Yinzhou army in consolation, he had heard how Wen Shouan, in bloody combat, had been cut down twenty-three times by the enemy, nearly losing his life, yet still captured the enemy's leading general alive. The late emperor had specially summoned him, and after inquiry, granted him this personal jade pendant.
Wen Shouan presented the pendant with both hands: "Your Majesty, I beg you—in light of my Wen family having guarded Yinzhou for generations, protecting the nation and its people at the border—to grant my son justice."
Lu Xi placed the pendant on the imperial desk. His eyes lowered; with a single glance, he recognized it as indeed an artifact of the late emperor.
The Wen family had guarded the border with merit and toil.
But had the Meng family not done the same?
Qin Yi spoke slowly: "General Wen, do you know that Meng Yi originally had an older brother?"
Qin Yi recalled the past, his tone growing heavy: "In the thirty-third year of Ganfeng, I was established as Crown Prince and sent to Suizhou and Bingzhou to investigate a case of military pay embezzlement. The ringleader gathered local private soldiers and surrounded me from all sides, trapping me at Pinggu Mountain. To save me, Meng Yi abandoned his route to Yunzhou and turned aside to rescue me. His elder brother held Yunzhou steadfastly for fourteen shichen, ultimately dying of exhaustion. It can be said that I owe the Meng family two lives—one for mine, and one for Meng Yi's brother, Meng Jing."
Qin Yi pressed his lips together: "The Wen family has endured the bitter cold of the borderlands, and your loyalty is clear. But General Wen, the Meng family has produced three generations of loyal martyrs. Old General Meng, now over sixty, still guards the frontier. How do you expect me to choose? General Wen, if you were in my place, how would you choose?"
The color drained from Wen Shouan's face.
Qin Yi spoke again: "General Wen, Wen Qian's grace and righteousness toward the nation are held in my heart. I will posthumously honor him as a Third-Rank Martial Spirit General, bestow upon him the title of Protector of the State Marquis, and permit the Wen family to select one descendant to inherit the marquisate."
Wen Shouan pleaded, "Your Majesty, that is not what I seek. I seek justice."
Qin Yi replied, "General Wen, I understand the Wen family. You must also understand me."
Wen Shouan knelt on both knees: "Your Majesty! My son was only twenty-one when he died—only twenty-one! He was also your subject. If he were alive, he would serve you with his life! Your Majesty!"
Wen Shouan bowed his head to the ground in prostration.
Wu Yao also wept and kowtowed.
Qin Yi said calmly, "Then let this time count as him using his life to serve me loyally. You may return."
Wen Shouan: "Your Majesty, I beg you."
Qin Yi closed his eyes, looked away, and steeled himself not to face Wen Shouan and Wu Yao again. "Lu Xi, escort General Wen and Lady Wen back."
Lu Xi bowed. "Yes."
He walked before Wen Shouan and Wu Yao and said in a lowered voice, "General Wen, Lady Wen, please."
Wen Shouan and Wu Yao wept bitterly, their faces streaked with tears: "Your Majesty, we beg you! We beg you."
Lu Xi stepped forward to persuade them: "General Wen, Madam Wen, His Majesty has his own difficulties. You must be understanding. Do not provoke His Majesty's anger."
The terms His Majesty had offered were already generous. If they truly enraged him, they would only end up with nothing—losing both the chicken and the egg.
In the end, Wen Shouan and Wu Yao were escorted out.
Qin Yi looked toward the door. It seemed Heaven had no intention of snowing today.
After today, there would be only three days left until Meng Yi's execution.
It was time for him to issue the imperial decree.
But before he issued the decree, there was one place he still needed to go.
……
