When Wanye was arrested and locked up by the imperial guards from the official residence, he was completely bewildered, having no idea that a catastrophic disaster was looming over him.
At first, he even shouted sharply to demand an explanation and struggled with all his might, but one man could not fight off so many opponents in the end. He was kicked to the ground by an imperial guard, then tied up so tightly he could barely move.
Wanye strained his neck and roared, "I demand to see the Emperor of Daqian!"
But outside the hall, armored soldiers stood in dense ranks, and no one paid any heed to his raving. All fifty-odd people in the Tatar entourage were arrested and thrown into prison.
Wen Zhuo knew full well that there must be no room left for Wanye to delay or argue his case, so he secretly threw a meaningful glance at Xue Chongnian.
Even if Xue Chongnian was as naive as he could be, he understood at this moment that what Wen Zhuo meant was exactly what Shen Zheng meant, and now the Crown Prince's will outweighed everything else in the realm.
He acted with the full force of his resolve right away, drafting the charges overnight, and sentenced Wanye and his entire entourage to the crime of secretly colluding with Nanping and plotting to overthrow Daqian.
The plot to overthrow Daqian was real, but the accusation of colluding with Nanping was entirely unjustified.
The split second before the blade fell, Wanye was still howling in rage, "Let me go! Do you have any idea who I am? I am the son of Tatar Khan Aluchi! If you dare kill me, the Tatar cavalry will surely ride out and trample you all to the ground!"
Squelch!
Blood splattered, and his head rolled to the ground. His huge, bulky body thudded down with a heavy thud, and there was no more movement from it.
When Consort Zhen received the news that Wanye had been executed, tears welled up and streamed down her face at once.
That very afternoon, she personally took Zhaoyue by the hand, prepared lavish gifts, and went to the Eastern Palace in person to express her gratitude.
Inside the Wenhua Hall, Shen Zheng and Wen Zhuo were sitting together, reading a scroll side by side.
Consort Zhen pulled Zhaoyue forward, her face solemn and utterly earnest as she said, "Zhaoyue, kneel down."
Zhaoyue immediately dropped to her knees, raising a pair of pitch-black, clear apricot-shaped eyes to look at Shen Zheng.
"I, Li Rouzhen, have always been a woman of clear love and hate," Consort Zhen said, her voice trembling slightly. "Your Highness the Crown Prince has saved Zhaoyue, and this great kindness will never be forgotten by my daughter and me for as long as we live. Zhaoyue, kowtow to your Crown Prince brother and thank him for saving your life."
"Thank you, Crown Prince brother!" Zhaoyue placed her hands on the ground, ready to lean forward and bow her head.
Shen Zheng quickly stepped forward, catching her forearm in his hand and gently lifting her back to her feet.
"All of this was made possible by Director Wen's careful planning and strategy," Shen Zheng said. "I merely carried out what he had devised."
Consort Zhen was taken aback for a moment, then turned to face Wen Zhuo. Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she bowed deeply to him in formal courtesy. "I have never had any dealings with the Director before, yet today you have gone to such great lengths to help me and save my daughter from a fatal predicament. I cannot express how deeply grateful I am."
Wen Zhuo could not bear to receive such a grand bow from an imperial consort, so he quickly stepped aside to avoid it. "Your Majesty, you are far too kind. This is simply my duty as an official. It is not worth mentioning at all."
Shen Zheng raised his hand and ruffled Zhaoyue's hair gently, then bent down slightly to meet the little girl's eyes at her level. "Zhaoyue, I know that Daqian's ancestral rules are strict, and there are many constraints on the marriages of princesses. I promise you that from now on, I will never let you be bound by the rigid customs of the palace, or forced to marry someone you do not love, wasting your whole life away."
Zhaoyue was still young, and could not fully grasp the profound meaning behind his words.
But Consort Zhen, who heard every word clearly, burst into tears, the tears rolling down her cheeks nonstop.
She had never expected that Shen Zheng would have even taken this matter into consideration. She had struggled in the imperial harem for more than ten years, and all she had ever wished for was that after Shen He ascended the throne, he would treat Zhaoyue with a little more kindness, and protect her for the rest of her life.
But Shen He had always been weak and cowardly, long since reduced to a mere appendage of the old rules and traditions.
Yet Shen Zheng, who had never received the slightest favor from her, had seen straight through Zhaoyue's predicament without her ever saying a word.
"Your Highness... do you truly mean what you say?" Consort Zhen covered her face with her hands, and the heavy worry that had hung over her heart for more than a decade finally lifted completely at that moment.
"Of course I do," Shen Zheng said, then paused before shifting his tone. "But Zhaoyue, there is one favor I need you to do for me in return."
Zhaoyue tilted her head in confusion.
"In this world, there are countless women just like you, who have no say in their own marriages, are forced to rely on others their entire lives, and meet a tragic fate far too young. The rules of the three obediences and four virtues, the rigid moral codes and conventions, press down on them like a huge mountain, leaving them no room to breathe. To topple this mountain, someone must step forward bravely, take a completely different path, set an example for all women in the realm, pick up armor and a sword, and take control of their own destiny."
"I want you to be that person. Use the span of a single generation to change the prevailing customs, and break the chains that bind all women across the realm."
The moment those words left his mouth, not only was Consort Zhen staring at him in stunned disbelief, even Wen Zhuo looked up abruptly, his eyes wide with shock as he gazed at Shen Zheng.
Once before, Shen Zheng had laid his innermost thoughts bare to him, saying he would "overturn his old systems and abolish his old laws and regulations".
At the time, Wen Zhuo had taken those words as the most tender, beautiful confession he had ever heard, but he had known in his heart that such a feat was as difficult as scaling the sky, and had long since prepared himself for the possibility that things might never turn out as perfectly as they hoped.
But at this moment, he finally understood that Shen Zheng had spoken with the utmost seriousness, and that his ambitions were never merely to please him.
What Shen Zheng wanted to overturn went far beyond the shackles that discriminated against the love between men. The injustices he cared about, the changes he wanted to bring about, were far broader and more far-reaching than Wen Zhuo had ever imagined.
A flood of complex emotions welled up in Wen Zhuo's heart.
Only a person who could feel the suffering of all beings could truly feel the suffering of one single person like him. Only a man who dared to fight against injustice for the whole world would be willing to fight against that same injustice for just one person.
Zhaoyue, young as she was, could tell how much weight those words carried. She clenched her fists tightly, her voice clear and firm as she said, "I am a princess of Daqian. It is only right that I set an example for all women in the realm. Rest assured, brother. Zhaoyue will do her utmost, and never fail to live up to the trust you have placed in me."
When news of Wanye's death reached the border outside the pass, the border generals armed their troops and prepared for battle, certain that the Tatars would march in full force to invade. But to their surprise, the lands beyond the pass remained completely silent. Aluchi made no move to raise an army at all.
Spies who ventured deep into the desert to investigate soon found out that civil strife had broken out among the Tatars. Aluchi had been wounded, and had led his remaining followers to flee deep into the vast desert, too busy fighting for his own survival to care about anything else.
In the late spring of June, the heat of the weather seemed to grow too strong. Emperor Shunyuan's appetite gradually faded, and he grew listless and weary. Eventually, he handed over all the trivial day-to-day affairs of the imperial court to Shen Zheng to handle and decide on.
Huang Ting, on the recommendation of Shen Zheng, was slated to be appointed as a principal official of the Ministry of Personnel. Emperor Shunyuan was too lazy to bother with the minor details of administration these days. He only listened to the report from the Director of the Ceremonial Office, then casually approved the official appointment proposal.
It was at this very time that the first batch of government grain transported to the capital via the Tianjin Maritime Route arrived at the granaries.
This trial voyage of maritime transport had gone extremely smoothly. The loss of grain during the journey was negligible, and the total volume of grain transported had already reached one-fifth of the amount that the old canal transport used to carry.
If this momentum kept up, in just a few years, the maritime grain transport would hopefully replace canal transport entirely, and become the main source of grain supply for the capital.
When Emperor Shunyuan heard this news, he was so overjoyed that he broke his usual habit and ate a full large bowl of white rice.
But that very same night, he threw up so violently that his already weak appetite vanished completely. After that, he did not take a single drop of rice all day, and felt no hunger at all.
His body wasted away visibly, growing thinner and thinner by the day. The imperial physicians took turns diagnosing his condition, and bowl after bowl of herbal tonics meant to boost his vital energy and nourish his spleen and stomach were forced down his throat, but none of them brought any improvement to his condition.
Luckily, aside from the loss of his appetite, there were no other alarming symptoms.
Just as the entire court was consumed with worry over Emperor Shunyuan's health, Liu Kangren returned to the capital, bringing with him the crop seeds he had traded for during his mission to the Western Ocean.
He had endured the dust and fatigue of the long journey on his mission, his face was tanned dark from the sun, his frame was much sturdier than it had been back in Mianzhou, and his eyes held a far more determined, resolute glint.
The moment he arrived in the capital, he did not go straight to the palace to pay his respects to the emperor. Instead, he went directly to the Eastern Palace, and reported every detail of his mission to the Western Ocean to Shen Zheng, from the local customs and landscapes to the trade agreements they had negotiated, leaving no stone unturned.
Shen Zheng asked him in detail about the methods for cultivating the new crops like potatoes and sweet potatoes, then smiled and told him to go home and rest early.
After years of being apart, Liu Yuanqing could not hold back his tears when he saw his son again. He pulled Liu Kangren into a tight embrace. "My son, you have worked so hard! Just coming back safe and sound is all that matters!"
This son he had once thought was nothing out of the ordinary had now grown into a man strong enough to hold up the entire Liu family estate.
Liu Kangren's eyes were also glistening with tears. He lifted his sleeve to wipe the dampness at the corners of his eyes, then spoke with renewed spirit: "During this journey, my son has gone through countless perils, but I have also reaped immense benefits."
He spoke almost with unbridled enthusiasm, "My son has discovered that serving as an imperial envoy and leading troops to war turn out to lead to the same destination by different routes. When I negotiate with other states to seek advantages for our nation, sometimes I have to stand my ground, engage in sharp verbal confrontations and heated debates, while other times I have to make a temporary retreat to advance later, using delaying tactics. All the principles in the military classics can be applied to diplomatic missions. All that my son learned in the past has not gone to waste."
"Good... That's wonderful!" Liu Yuanqing looked at the bright light in his son's eyes, his heart swelling with utter relief and delight.
Several days later, an incident that shook the entire imperial court broke out on the streets of the capital.
Two ragged women blocked the crown prince's carriage, knelt and kowtowed, weeping so bitterly that their voices cracked, accusing Luo Mingpu, the Minister of Justice, of wantonly taking lives in defiance of the law.
According to their tearful account, their husbands were thrown into the Ministry of Justice's prison in the 24th year of Emperor Shunyuan's reign. Before being imprisoned, they were perfectly healthy and free of any illness, yet they suddenly "contracted the plague" and died behind bars.
Later, a fellow inmate who was lucky enough to be released secretly told them that their husbands had been smeared with rat blood around their mouths and noses by the prison guards, which caused them to fall ill and die.
When Shen Zheng heard of this incident, he immediately ordered the Five Wards Military Office to arrest the prison guards involved, and instructed Xue Chongnian, the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, to oversee the trial in person.
Xue Chongnian did not dare to be negligent. He interrogated the suspects through the night, and the few prison guards soon confessed to their crimes one by one.
At the end of June, Luo Mingpu, the Minister of Justice, was arrested and thrown into prison.
Wen Zhuo was resting at home. The summer heat was filtered away by the thick shade of the pear tree in the yard. He leaned lazily against a bamboo chair, tossing a weiqi piece after another, each one landing precisely on the stone table under the pear tree.
The two women who had filed the accusation against Luo Mingpu had just left his residence, thanking him profusely after receiving the pension money he had given them.
Looking at the current court power structure now, in the Imperial Cabinet, Wen Zhuo himself, Gu Weizhi, Xue Chongnian, and Mo Shu were all Shen Zheng's trusted confidants.
Liu Chenming, who used to be part of the old deposed crown prince's faction, and Shang Zhiqin, who used to be part of the old Prince Xian's faction, were both very shrewd and had repeatedly pledged their loyalty to Shen Zheng long ago.
At this point, four of the Six Ministries, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Rites, were all under Shen Zheng's control. The Five Wards Military Office and the Three Great Garrisons under the auspices of the southern Liu and northern Jun clans had also secretly pledged allegiance to the crown prince. In the Supervisor of Rites, Liu Quan and Ge Wei were working behind the scenes to assist him. In the imperial harem, Consort Zhen and Noble Consort Liang were of one heart and one mind to support him. Although Shen Zheng held the position of the crown prince, he had already grasped the real power of the entire court, completely breaking free from the constraints of Emperor Shunyuan.
And this man, who had now stood at the peak of power, strode straight into Wen Zhuo's residence without waiting for the servants to announce his arrival. He pulled down the face covering, revealing his deep, striking features, and waved the oil-paper wrapped parcel in his hand at Wen Zhuo.
Wen Zhuo jumped to his feet immediately, heading straight for the date cold cake!
"Your Highness, what took you so long?"
By now, the secret passage between their residences had long become a little pastime for the two of them in their leisure time. Shen Zheng could now openly walk into Wen Zhuo's residence as if it were his own home.
Shen Zheng raised his arm, holding the oil-paper parcel high up, nimbly dodging the hand Wen Zhuo reached out to grab it. There was a teasing glint in his eyes, and he tapped his own lips, his implication completely unmistakeable.
Wen Zhuo glanced quickly left and right, seeing Liu Qiying was bowing his head sweeping the fallen leaves in the yard, and Jiang Mannü was leaning against the pear tree fast asleep with her mouth open. Only then did he lean in quickly, and give Shen Zheng a light peck on the lips.
The soft, fleeting touch made Shen Zheng satisfied, and he then handed over the oil-paper parcel to Wen Zhuo.
He glanced over and saw the black and white weiqi pieces scattered all over the table, not arranged in any proper game, looking as if they had been casually tossed around for fun.
Shen Zheng leaned over, grabbed a handful of weiqi pieces from the stone table, and let them slip through his fingers with a rustling sound: "I've always wanted to ask, sometimes you hold the white pieces, sometimes the black ones. Is there any particular rule behind that?"
Wen Zhuo took a bite of the date cold cake and explained, "They represent different people."
"People?"
Wen Zhuo said, "Cao Fangzheng, the figures from the Eight Veins, the deposed crown prince and their ilk are all domineering and reckless, their evil deeds obvious to all. That's why I use the black pieces. Their existence means that the law is nothing but an empty name, but those in high positions choose to turn a blind eye. Placing one black piece is like cutting away rotten flesh."
"As for Prince Xian, Xie Langyang, Luo Mingpu and their lot, they all put on a facade of benevolence and righteousness, while hiding treachery and evil at heart, using the name of justice to carry out acts that would bring ruin to the country. That's why I use the white pieces. Their existence means that the superiors are muddleheaded, unable to tell the loyal from the treacherous. Getting rid of one such villain is like excising a diseased lesion."
After saying that, he picked up a piece of date cold cake and held it to Shen Zheng's lips: "Your Highness, have a bite too."
Shen Zheng bit down on it instinctively, but in his heart, he kept ruminating on what Wen Zhuo had just said. The more he thought about it, the more he felt every word was a gem of wisdom, with endless profound implications to savor.
Principled Kitty.
Ritual Kitty.
