Before entering the palace, Lu Lingcong did exactly three things.
First, he sent a messenger to the Star-Plucking Tower to request Xiao Yao to dispatch men from the Imperial Study to lie in ambush around Prince Zhao’s Mansion to protect Lu Shuqing and Lu Shuning.
Second, he ordered Uncle Zhou and Yin Chou to take all of the mansion’s account books, land registries, and title deeds and head immediately to the Wu residence. With the help of his maternal uncle, Wu Qin, they were to spend the night separating the portion of assets belonging to Xie Jing. Every “tangible” gift he had given Xie Jing over the years; including farmlands, exchange houses, trading firms, suburban villas, and gardens as far away as Jiangnan, was to be transferred into the names of the two children.
Third, he wrote a personal letter to Li Qi, ordering him to mobilize the three thousand Tiger Troops that had been secretly raised in Huaibei over the past year. They were to march to a position one hundred *li* outside Jinling and station themselves there, awaiting further orders at any moment.
Finally, he stepped down from the carriage of the Prince’s Mansion and headed straight toward Shenlong Hall.
Zhong Zhao was standing guard before the doors of the sleeping quarters. He did not seem surprised to see Lu Lingcong, appearing as though he were neither the one who had stolen the sword casket containing the seal during the chaos nor the one who had dispatched the messenger to tip off the mansion.
Lu Lingcong likewise did not utter a single word. A moment before stepping into the inner chamber, he turned back and gave Zhong Zhao a long, deep look.
The hour for the emperor’s rest had long since passed, but the shadows of lamps flickered within the inner room; he had clearly been waiting for this visitor since the beginning. Lu Lingcong smoothed his robes and knelt by the couch before getting straight to the point:
“That day, Emperor Father entrusted the Lantian jade Heirloom Seal to Prince Zhao’s Mansion for safekeeping. However, the Princess Consort, taking advantage of his status as Qing’er’s biological mother, sought to seize power and profit for the Xie family. He went so far as to secretly hide the seal at Wuyi Lane. His rebellious intent is as clear as day; it is truly an act of unpardonable treason!”
The curtains were drawn back slowly. Half of the emperor’s face remained hidden in shadow, his expression impossible to read, as he asked only, “Was it truly your Princess Consort who did this?”
Lu Lingcong understood the subtext beneath those words—Abandon the Princess Consort and the Xie family to save Prince Zhao’s Mansion; is this the choice you make for the throne?
He raised his head, forcing his gaze to meet the emperor’s, locking his eyes: “If Emperor Father permits, Erchen can immediately issue a decree to depose the Princess Consort. As for all the charges, Erchen will leave them to Emperor Father’s judgment.”
The rmperor called out, “Zhong Zhao, bring the brush and ink.”
The hall doors swung open instantly. Zhong Zhao entered silently with the writing materials e fore spreading them out respectfully behind Lu Lingcong. The emperor said with equanimity, “Leave it to Zhen’s judgment? With the Iron Certificate of Immunity in place, Zhen will not punish him.”
The tip of Lu Lingcong’s brush faltered slightly. “… Emperor Father will not convict him?”
The look the rmperor gave him was almost a “scrutiny” as if he could dissect a person from the inside out, leaving them nowhere to hide. After a long silence, he said tonelessly, “Whatever his myriad faults may be, he still has the merit of giving birth to the heir. After all, you have been husband and wife for ten years, and you have doted on him excessively; it is only natural that you would want to leave him a path to survival. Zhen has no reason to forbid it.”
Hearing the weight of these words, Lu Lingcong realized the emperor had no intention of even concealing the nature of the “framing.” He simply did not care whether Lu Lingcong was sincere in discarding Xie Jing or not.
“But as for the Xie family… you can no longer interfere. Zhen has assigned Wang Chu to handle it. The Prime Minister’s Mansion is an outsider to this; they will have a sense of proportion in their judgment. To avoid suspicion and show the world you are not being partial, you must be prepared.”
Lu Lingcong remained silent as he set his brush to paper, his mind racing: why had the Prime Minister’s Mansion become an “outsider”? This matter involved the struggle for succession; the Prime Minister had always been at the heart of the storm. Unless… unless this struggle was nearing its end, and the emperor had already made his decision that the Prime Minister was out of running.
Being out of the running meant they were no longer a party of interest. More importantly, they no longer possessed the power to stir up trouble as a candidate’s backer. Thus, the emperor could afford to let the Prime Minister act as an “impartial” judge.
Then, Lu Lingcong thought of that phrase: “Be prepared.” What was he to prepare for? And why was the emperor telling him to do so?
From the very beginning, the emperor’s target for this framing was not Xie Jing but the Xie clan of Chen Commandery. When it came down to it, punishing Xie Jing alone was useless; the rmperor actually disdained punishing him, knowing all too well that Xie Jing held no real power, he was nothing more than an embroidered pillow stuffed with straw. To completely sever the connection between Lu Shuqing and the Xie Clan of Chen Commandery and to nip the growth of the imperial in-laws in the bud—that was the emperor’s fundamental goal in moving against the Xie family.
Lu Lingcong faintly sensed that the answer to the question that had tormented and shackled him since birth was finally within reach, ready to be revealed.
In the cricket jar, the victor had been decided. The emperor was pruning every obstacle for Prince Zhao’s Mansion—or more accurately, for Lu Shuqing’s path to the throne. But this was only the beginning, Lu Lingcong thought. The master was always equally cruel to both crickets in the jar. The emperor had not handed the power of judgment over the Xie family to the Prime Minister on a whim; he had further moved planned. He intended to use this opportunity to purge the Wang Clan of Langya as well by using the guise of a feud between the two clans.
No one was going to escape.
Lu Lingcong snapped his head up, a chill creeping down his spine as he stared at the dmperor beneath the dim, yellow lamplight. Was this truly a dying man, a patient on the brink of his grave?
Meanwhile, Xie Jing hurriedly threw on a cloak and was galloping toward the Xie’s Mansion. As he drew closer, the clamor and noise of the night became increasingly distinct. At this hour, even the songs and flutes along the Qinhuai River had ceased; an eerie silence spread from the water’s surface into the streets and markets. Households stayed shut behind bolted doors, hiding in the darkness with ears straining, silently witnessing the turmoil unfolding within the prestigious enclave of Wuyi Lane.
The weather in Jinling is about to change, everyone thought.
At the entrance of Wuyi Lane, Yulin Guards stood with unsheathed swords. The area had long since been cleared of bystanders. When Xie Jing reined in his horse, he was met only by the cold glint of weaponry and the temperatureless stares piercing through the slits of the helmets.
The commander locked eyes with him for a moment before speaking first, “The Princess Consort has arrived.”
Xie Jing said in a low, heavy voice, “Let me go home.”
The commander offered a perfunctory salute. “The Xie family is suspected of concealing the National Seal. This involves the foundation of the state and is a matter of utmost gravity. We follow His Majesty’s imperial decree to search the entire residence thoroughly, and no one is permitted entry.”
“Then let me see my father and brother. I can meet them right here.”
The commander gave a cold sneer. “The two Lords Xie have already been taken to the Imperial Prison, where they await interrogation.”
Xie Jing recoiled in shock. “How dare you detain court officials without authorization!”
“His Majesty has decreed that Prime Minister Wang shall have full authority over this case,” the commander said, pointing a finger toward the lane. “The Lantian jade Heirloom Seal, which His Majesty entrusted to Prince Zhao for safekeeping, was discovered within your residence. Furthermore, the undocumented Lantian jade materials found in the Xie family storehouses serve as concrete evidence.”
Xie Jing remained silent for a brief moment before dismounting his horse. “This was my doing alone. No one else in the Xie family had any knowledge of it. If His Majesty is to assign blame, I alone should bear it.”
“Oh?” The commander gave a playful, mocking smile. “Perhaps you all ought to coordinate your stories first? Your father and brother have already confessed to the crimes without reservation. They claim they plotted for the throne and tricked you into handing over the seal; stating that you were the one who knew nothing!”
“False charges!” Xie Jing shouted. “As Princess Consort Zhao, even if I were to face execution, the punishment should not implicate my entire clan either. If Prime Minister Wang insists on victimizing the innocent, does he intend to discard the reputation for integrity and fair judgment held by the Wang Clan of Langya for over a century? Or does he plan to storm the palace and throw His Majesty into the Imperial Prison as well?”
With that, he stepped forward, intending to force his way through. The swords of the Yulin Guards on either side immediately cleared their scabbards. Just as the commander was about to order his men to restrain him by force, a voice rang out from nearby, “Wait a minute!”
The newcomer reined in his horse behind Xie Jing. When Xie Jing turned to look, he saw it was Wang Chu’s eldest son, Wang Qi, holding a scroll in his hand. “This official has just come from the palace. I am under orders to deliver a decree on behalf of Prince Zhao. Is Princess Consort willing to listen?”
The crowd dispersed to make way for him. Wang Qi rode up to Xie Jing and slowly unfurled the scroll. “By decree of the Prince of Zhao: The Princess Consort of the Xie clan is arrogant and unruly, given to extreme extravagance; moreover, he has used his children to wield influence and harbors ambitions toward the heir-apparent’s position. He is unfit to set an example within the inner court or to guide and educate his children. Let his seal and sash be surrendered; he is hereby expelled from the mansion, and all bonds of grace and duty are severed.”
Wang Qi sat high atop his horse while looking down at Xie Jing with a cold gaze. “Lord Xie is no longer an imperial relative. As for whether these crimes implicate the rest of your clan, that is something that must be very carefully reconsidered.”
Even though he had instructed Lu Lingcong to make a clean break and avoid indecision if necessary, Xie Jing still couldn’t help but lose his focus for a moment upon hearing the words “expelled from the mansion” with his own ears.
Thousands of days and nights spent side-by-side could be wiped clean with just dozens of words. The marriage bonds of the Imperial family were truly like the gold threads woven into a dragon robe—fragile and easily broken at a single touch. How could they ever compare to the steadfast, unwavering strands of hair bound in a commoner’s marriage?
Xie Jing met his gaze head-on, eyes cold, and said icily, “The Xie family holds a vermilion-edict Iron Certificate bestowed by Emperor Taizong. Even if Wang Chu truly intends to implicate us, he must still have ancestral law to justify it. Can the Prime Minister’s Mansion bear the charge of disrespecting the ancestors and abusing authority? When the rabbit is dead, the hounds are boiled; by driving the Xie family to a dead end today, is the Prime Minister not afraid that His Majesty will use this very charge to deal with the Wang family tomorrow? When the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole will always lie behind. Those who truly profit is still waiting in the shadows!”
Wang Qi merely shook his head and said with deep meaning, “Who says the Prime Minister’s Mansion isn’t afraid? Who says we don’t respect the Iron Certificate? This gold medal of exemption has been enshrined by the Xie family generation after generation; everyone in the capital knows of it. Naturally, we must allow your esteemed mansion to make the best use of it. As for how it will be used—keep your eyes open and just wait and see.”
Having finished, he turned to address the leader: “Since Lord Xie wishes to see his kin, let him.”
The main gates of the Xie’s Mansion swung wide. The Yulin Guards stood in grim formation on both sides, while the one leading the domestic servants in the hall, confronting them, was none other than Madam Xie, who was dressed in impeccable attire.
Xie Jing was practically dragged into Wuyi Lane. Someone struck the back of his knees with a sword hilt before shoving him down until he fell to his knees outside the threshold.
When Madam Xie saw him, her originally stoic expression finally fractured into a sliver of fury: “He is the Princess Consort Zhao! How dare you lay a finger on him?!”
Xie Jing searched the area intently but saw no sign of Lady Yao or Xie Jun. It wasn’t until he heard shouting from a corner that he discovered Xie Jun tied to a pillar under the corridor. It seemed that when the incident broke out, he had rushed to protect his grandmother and mother but was ultimately outnumbered and restrained. Meanwhile, his sister-in-law was surrounded by several Yulin Guards soldiers with unsheathed blades, blocking her from reaching Xie Jun.
“My father and elder brother are already in prison, and I can come with you at once. If the Prime Minister’s Mansion continues to harass these women, children, and innocent servants, is it your intention to wipe us all out?”
Xie Jing struggled to stand but was pinned down by two soldiers. Wang Qi stood behind him and said eerily, “Lord Xie still doesn’t understand. Is it truly the Prime Minister’s Mansion that wants to make things difficult for the Xie family from the bottom of its heart? His Majesty wishes to kill with a borrowed knife; the Wang family is merely taking the opportunity to polish and temper ourselves into a fine blade, making it easier for His Majesty to wield.”
The leader beside him took the opening to say, “I am carrying out His Majesty’s imperial decree and performing official business. I have no intention of making things difficult. I ask that Madam prioritize the bigger picture. If the Young Lady and the Young Master come with the Yulin Guards, this case can be settled sooner, and the innocence of your esteemed mansion can also be restored.”
He deliberately emphasized the latter half of his sentence, but Madam Xie suddenly spat in disdain, rebuking him: “You rotten-hearted creature! Do petty rats like you truly think you are fit to speak of the innocence of the Xie Clan of Chen Commandery?”
She swept her gaze across the gathered soldiers. That sharp look felt tangible, making hearts tremble with unease and a chilling dread. “If I walk out of this door, the false becomes true and the nothing becomes something. It would confirm the Xie family’s alleged treachery, wouldn’t that play right into your hands? For things never done, for baseless charges; even if you distort right and wrong, even if you extract confessions through torture, even if my husband and my son both admit to them, I will never admit to them!”
Wang Qi, however, was not at all intimidated. “Madam has fine integrity; you truly live up to your title as a First-Rank Lady who has managed this household for decades. But while you wish to preserve your family’s reputation, you ought to think of the domestic staff and servants behind you. Lord Xie put it well just now, what guilt do they bear that they must remain trapped here in Wuyi Lane to be buried with you?”
Madam Xie’s gaze sharpened. “This grievance does not involve those of other surnames. If you still care for the reputation of the Wang Clan of Langya, let them leave!”
Wang Qi simply said at a leisurely pace, “How can there be so many beautiful things in this world that satisfy both loyalty and filial piety? By His Majesty’s oral command, no one is permitted to enter or leave the Xie’s Mansion without a decree. The Imperial Prison cannot hold every young and old member of your family; they must all remain here and obediently await their sentence. Prime Minister Wang only specifically requested the three of you—grandmother, daughter-in-law, and grandson. Even our deposed Princess Consort Zhao,” he glanced at Xie Jing, “has been granted a special grace and need not be imprisoned.”
Beside them, Lady Yao laughed out of sheer rage, her voice mocking. “Special grace? Who does Prime Minister Wang think he is? Even if the Second Prince ascends the throne in the future, the Wang clan will only ever be imperial in-laws! Do you think we don’t know? That Lantian jade Imperial Seal was a fake to begin with. Never mind that the Son of Heaven purportedly placed it in Prince Zhao’s Mansion; even if it truly fell into the hands of the Xie family, could the hundred-year foundation of the Great Qi be so easily shaken by a mere piece of jade? Is the Prime Minister’s Mansion showing contempt for Heaven’s majesty, or are you simply framing the innocent? The Lantian jade materials in the Xie family storeroom were sent by He Gao, the Prefect of Yongzhou, on New Year’s Eve last year. They were properly recorded upon entry, everything is documented in black and white. Why are you not thoroughly investigating their origins? What exactly are you trying to cover up?”
Wang Qi’s expression shifted slightly. He likely hadn’t expected her to bring the matter into the light in front of so many people. He said gloomily, “Lady Yao, watch your words. Even if you no longer value your own life, you should also think of your son’s predicament as well.”
Hearing this, Xie Jun disregarded the blade the Yulin Guards held to the back of his head and shouted, “Don’t you dream of using me to blackmail my mother! No one in the Xie family is afraid to die; we only fear dying without honor or dying for nothing!”
“Words, nothing but words,” Wang Qi said, his gaze sweeping over each of them in turn. “It’s one thing to involve the Prime Minister’s Mansion, but if the Young Master and the two Ladies continue speaking this way—impugning the Son of Heaven and directing grievances at the Dragon Throne, with hundreds of people present to hear it clearly, then that treachery and guilt will be nailed shut. You won’t be able to gloss it over as ‘baseless’ anymore!”
Madam Xie remained entirely unmoved while sneering, “What do we have to fear from speaking of the Son of Heaven? Now that the jade has been seized and that Imperial Seal, which appeared out of thin air, has been ‘discovered,’ there is nothing left in Wuyi Lane but our mortal flesh to repay His Majesty for his years of ‘appreciation and promotion’! If the Son of Heaven still wants something, then let him take it!”
Pinned to the spot and unable to move, Xie Jing could only shout, “Mother, please leave some room to maneuver! Even if you go to prison first, I can still find a way to resolve this! Would the Wang clan truly not care how they are recorded in the annals of history?” He looked up and glared at Wang Qi. “Surely the Prime Minister’s Mansion does not wish to be spurned by the masses and condemned by every brush in the land, right!”
Madam Xie’s expression bore the calm of someone who had already seen the end of her fate. “Do you think there is any difference between tearing off the mask with them here in Wuyi Lane and being trapped in the Imperial Prison as a turtle in a jar for a few more days?”
Xie Jing had no choice but to turn to Lady Yao: “Sister-in-law! Take Jun’er and Mother and go first. Forget the Xie family’s reputation and integrity—nothing is more important than your lives!”
There was a faint, sorrowful pity in Lady Yao’s eyes, and she likewise did not move a single step. “If they truly respected the Iron Certificate, today’s disaster would never have happened. Since things have come to this, there are only two possible outcomes left: ‘a false alarm’ or ‘certain death.’ Zhiwu, which one do you think it will be?”
Xie Jing froze, his mouth hanging open as he struggled to speak. He looked blankly at the courtyard full of the domestic staff of the Xie’s Mansion. Most of those faces were familiar to him; he recognized them, and many had even lived in this residence longer than he had. He murmured a pleading cry: “You… you all, leave…”
But no one moved a step.
“Leave!”
After a long silence, someone; it was unclear who, said, “Second Young Master, we cannot leave.”
Xie Jing realized with a start that everyone presents except for him seemed to understand perfectly: in this upheaval, there was no buffer, no room for negotiation. All those face-saving compromises and temporary expedients simply did not exist in the face of a political struggle.
Either nothing would happen, or they would die.
What awaited them? Everyone knew, and they had known it from the start. Once the three generations of the Xie family were imprisoned, they would be exterminated immediately afterward. If they fled through these gates, they would be defying an imperial decree and branded as rebels; there was no sense in hoping for a way out. Since the outcome was the same, dying within these gates at least spared them from carrying the name of infamy born of a power struggle. At the very least, they would be worthy of the protection the Xie Clan of Chen Commandery had provided to their families and hometowns over the years, and they would not betray the grace and loyalty of their service.
Just as Xie Jun had said: to die with integrity, to die for a cause.
Wang Qi had grown impatient with the continued waste of time. He paced back and forth before the gate while glancing into the Xie’s Mansion from time to time as if weighing the gravity of the situation. After a long while, he spoke to the servants with an unreadable tone, “So, you have all made up your mind to willingly follow your masters to the grave?”
No one gave him an answer.
Wang Qi turned his gaze back to Lady Yao and Xie Jun. “And you, mother and son?”
The two simply ignored him.
Finally, he fixed his eyes back on Madam Xie. “Madam, you still will not leave?”
Madam Xie said composedly, “Even if I were before the Son of Heaven himself, my answer would remain the same: do not dream of forcing me to take a single step out of these gates. Today, if anyone wishes to forcibly enter the Xie’s Mansion, they must first step over my corpse!”
Wang Qi hesitated no longer. Almost the instant her voice fell, he raised his hand. The commander immediately gave the order, and the Yulin Guards, who had been waiting outside for a long time, instantly drew their bows. Xie Jing’s heart jolted in terror, and a roar escaped him, “Mother—!”
However, Wang Qi’s hand had already swept down. Scores of arrows were released simultaneously, their heads aimed together at the foremost figure beneath the gateway—the one who had never once bent.
From that moment on, the world in Xie Jing’s ears fell into a desolate silence. His eyes widened as if to tear, and he even forgot how to blink, staring fixedly as the arrowheads sank into his mother’s fragile, defenseless chest. He could not count exactly how many arrows there were because the blood spread across Madam Xie’s brocade clothes so glaringly and so swiftly; it was branded forever into the depths of Xie Jing’s eyes even before he was forced to witness her falling backward.
He felt as though he must be screaming at the top of his lungs, but he could hear nothing, leaving him unable to tell if he had lost his hearing or his voice.
Wang Qi gazed steadily at Madam Xie as she fell at the foot of the steps, motionless. “As Madam wished.”
The conflict ignited in that heartbeat. Xie Jing saw the domestic servants charging forward against the rain of arrows and spears. Even though they could hardly withstand the Yulin Guards, they still moved as one to surround Madam Xie’s remains and shield her in the center.
He saw the unarmed Lady Yao forcibly seize a longsword from a Yulin Guard and hack through the ropes binding Xie Jun. Like a demon or a buddha in her path, she fought to send him escaping out of the front hall, then turned back to press her back against the side door by using her body as a lock until a pursuer’s blade severed her neck.
He saw the bright red glow of flames rising from the inner courtyard—this was the place that truly needed to burn on this winter night in the seventeenth year of Zhenyou. He saw the thick clouds pressing against the eaves as dawn approached, and in an instant, a torrential rain poured down. But why could it not extinguish the soaring fire?
The fire and the rain fell in silence, and those drawing their last breaths made no sound.
Xie Jing was pinned there without mercy; his body was unable to break free, his eyes unable even to close. From that day on, the catastrophe of Wuyi Lane was etched into every single day and night of the remainder of his life.
Finally, he tilted his face up to meet the rain, and his vision was instantly blurred. The central courtyard was a mess of carnage; the ceremonial vases and mirrors on the offering table were smashed to pieces, turning into dust beneath his feet. Yet, the four characters “A Hundred Acts of Forbearance Define the Family’s Reputation” hung firmly and high before the hall, solid to the point of cruelty.
The “knife” held over the head of the character for “Forbearance” had spanned over a hundred years of magnificence and glory; and finally, at this moment, it came crashing down with grand finality.
