Chapter 76#

In truth, Wen Zhuo didn’t need to go to Liangping County himself to apprehend people.

Shen Zheng understood this in his heart but didn’t call it out.

After instructing the constables, Wen Zhuo turned to look at Shen Zheng. “Your Highness, please wait for me at the prefectural office. I’ll go and return shortly.”

Whenever matters involved the old affairs of the Wen family, Wen Zhuo always tried to keep Shen Zheng at a distance. It had been the same when they split forces in Gezhou last time, and now it was the same as they prepared to settle accounts with the Wen family.

Shen Zheng sighed inwardly.

Although they had broken through that hazy barrier and shared many intimate, ambiguous moments, Wen Zhuo still didn’t intend to reveal his deepest secrets to him.

Perhaps it was that the sense of security Shen Zheng provided wasn’t yet enough, or perhaps the defenses in Wen Zhuo’s heart were too strong.

Shen Zheng believed that everyone should have their own space and secrets, but deep down, he longed for Wen Zhuo to hold nothing back.

But thinking about it, they had only been in love for less than a month. This pace was understandable.

After all, it had only been a few months since Wen Zhuo went from being a staunch homophobe who’d fight his brother to developing feelings for him. For an ancient person with conservative thoughts, that was already quite rare.

“Are you sure you don’t need me to come along?” Shen Zheng confirmed again.

“No need. I’m very familiar with Liangping County.” Wen Zhuo’s gaze was resolute.

Their eyes met. Seeing Wen Zhuo’s unwavering certainty, Shen Zheng had no choice but to compromise. “Alright then.”

In front of so many people, a lingering farewell wasn’t appropriate. Wen Zhuo simply lowered his lashes briefly, then lifted them again. His gaze lingered on Shen Zheng for a moment before he turned, took the constables, boarded the carriage left by Lou Changsui, and headed straight for Liangping County.

Shen Zheng saw him off to the gates of the prefectural office and didn’t withdraw his gaze until the sound of the carriage wheels faded into the distance.

He turned and walked back to the study, burying himself once again in the official ledgers, searching for any discrepancies.

Not long after, a constable hurried in to report, “Your Highness, Ambassador Guo is causing a ruckus in the prison, clamoring to submit a memorial impeaching you and the Governor for illegally detaining a court official, which violates the law. Should we teach him a lesson to make him behave?”

“Guo Yanhua?”

That granary ambassador, who had long been an adherent of Prince Xian, had also been taken into custody, though they had yet to interrogate him.

Wen Zhuo had said they only needed to dig out Lou Changsui; this man didn’t need to be tried by them personally.

As for taking down Lou Changsui, it was because he had been negligent in dealing with the locust plague, colluded with perfume merchants, and forcibly seized farmland, causing widespread resentment among the people.

As for Guo Yanhua, he was merely someone Lou Changsui had randomly implicated in hopes of reducing his own sentence. Because it involved Prince Xian, they had detained him temporarily, awaiting a thorough investigation by the Three Judicial Offices.

Wen Zhuo had said that to bring down Prince Xian and avenge the Crown Prince’s old grievances, Luo Mingpu would spare no effort. When that happened, the anger and hatred of Prince Xian’s faction would inevitably be projected onto the old Crown Prince’s faction, saving them a lot of trouble.

“Ignore him.” Shen Zheng didn’t even look up. “Let him shout all he wants. He’ll stop when he’s tired.”

After a while longer, a guard from the Yongning Marquis’s estate silently entered the study and leaned close to Shen Zheng’s ear, lowering his voice. “Your Highness, Lord Liu Kang said he wants to send a letter to the Duke’s residence to report that he’s safe. He says his parents must be heartbroken right now, and being far away in Mianzhou, he feels guilty and uneasy every day.”

Shen Zheng lifted his head slightly, thinking for a moment. “Tell him to keep the wording subtle in the letter, to avoid complications if it gets lost along the way.”

He knew that the Duke of Liu’s family hadn’t met a good end, but it wasn’t at this time—it would be after Prince Xian fell.

As for Liu Yuanqing’s role in supporting Prince Xian, the history books of the Great Qian only mentioned it briefly, without explaining the full context. But Shen Zheng suspected it was inextricably linked to Liu Kang’s death.

Now that Liu Kang had survived against all odds, if he could get a message to the Duke in time, it might prevent some irreversible tragedy.

The guard acknowledged the order and turned to deliver the message to Liu’s residence.

Shen Zheng had just flipped through two pages of the ledger when he heard heavy footsteps like drumbeats outside the courtyard. Jiang Mannü, leading Six Monkey, stormed in with great urgency. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the study, she shouted, “My lord! My lord! I have something to report!”

Shen Zheng propped his chin on his hand and slowly looked up. “Stop shouting. Your lord has gone on a short errand.”

“Huh?” Jiang Mannü stood frozen in place. Though she didn’t quite understand what a “short errand” meant, she gathered that Wen Zhuo wasn’t in the residence.

But somehow, at some point, she had come to feel that reporting to the lord and reporting to His Highness made little difference. So she said, “Then I’ll tell Your Highness instead! The children in the cave dwelling have all been treated by the doctor one by one.”

Her voice dropped a few notes as she sighed. “Six of the children were in terrible pain. Their bellies were already hard as rocks. The doctor said there was nothing he could do. They held on for two days, but in the end, they didn’t make it… Fortunately, the rest of the children have been saved for now.”

Six Monkey, being impatient, cut in before Jiang Mannü could finish. “Your Highness! Those bastard servants of the Wen family couldn’t take a beating. As soon as I confronted them, they confessed everything! They ground seven kinds of spices into powder, mixed it with some sticky stuff from a certain tree, and boiled it into a paste to feed us! That sticky stuff, once eaten, couldn’t be expelled. It just grew slowly in our bellies. They privately called it ‘raising fragrance beads’!”

He clenched his fists, his voice brimming with hatred. “The rounder, more fragrant, and harder the bead, the more valuable it was. Especially beads raised from the bellies of young children—the price tripled. They said it was like absorbing our life force into the bead, for those masters to use.”

Shen Zheng’s brow furrowed tightly at these words. What nonsense about absorbing life force and transferring it—pure fallacy!

That sticky stuff from the tree was most likely clear resin. Mixed with spices and ingested, it caused an obstruction in the body. Over time, it would become encased in layers of bodily secretions.

If someone ate Tongu Xiang directly, they’d probably end up in the same state as these children within days.

Throughout history, the depths of human evil were immeasurable. People always possessed such unimaginable creativity when it came to tormenting their own kind.

“The most troublesome part now is that the Wen family servants don’t remember which families these children belong to or what their names are. They only marked the ages on the children’s clothes. The older children are fine—they can find their way home by memory. But those little ones, three or four years old, only know how to cry for their parents.” Jiang Mannü looked at Shen Zheng, scratching her head in agitation. “Your Highness, what should we do with these children? We can’t just leave them waiting in that cave dwelling forever.”

This matter was indeed tricky.

The parents of many of these children might have already perished at sea. What should be done with these orphans?

Send them to relatives?

Shen Zheng didn’t dare underestimate the distortion of human nature under extreme circumstances. Right now, every household was struggling just to survive. Even raising their own flesh and blood was difficult. If a child who didn’t belong to them suddenly showed up, what would happen to them?

Would they be abandoned as burdens, mistreated and bullied, or even traded for food as “vegetable people”?

In the early years of the Great Qian dynasty, there were institutions like the Relief Institute, specifically for taking in the widowed, orphaned, lonely, and those unable to support themselves.

But by the time of Emperor Shunyuan, financial support was insufficient, and management was lax and perfunctory. As a result, in most regions, the Relief Institutes had become mere shells to satisfy local officials’ performance evaluations.

Even if these children were lucky enough to enter a Relief Institute, they would only be prolonging their suffering, eventually becoming refugees begging on the streets.

Yu Xi Du Jia

“This is really difficult.” Shen Zheng slowly uttered four words.

Jiang Mannü immediately nodded like a pecking hen, her face wearing an expression of “finally, someone gets me.” “Right? It’s driving me crazy!”

“Ah—” Six Monkey let out a long, heavy sigh, dragging out the tone, his heart filled with nothing but disappointment.

Because he felt the same. He couldn’t find his mother either, and he had wandered alone for a long time.

Shen Zheng’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Let’s go find your lord and let him decide!”

“Huh?” Jiang Mannü’s mind went blank, and she asked blankly, “Aren’t we waiting for the lord to come back?”

“This is too important. I can’t wait.” Shen Zheng was decisive, his robes billowing as he walked. “Jiang Mannü, saddle the horses immediately. Bring whatever we need and come with me!”

“Yes!” Though somewhat bewildered, Jiang Mannü quickly chased after him.

When Wen Zhuo arrived in Liangping County, it was already noon.

The sun hung high overhead, casting a golden light that poured down, bringing a very comfortable warmth to anyone it touched.

It had been many years, yet there hadn’t been much change here.

He lifted the carriage curtain, gazing at the warmly lit scene before him. In his mind, old, faded memories flashed simultaneously. The two images overlapped, and the distant pain connected, threading through every nerve.

Wen Zhuo steadied himself. His gaze swept past the yellow earth and fixed directly on the distant Wangtian Ditch.

The black water in the ditch flowed slowly, with withered grass and rotten leaves floating on the surface. Beside the ditch stood a crooked old tree, its branches bare, reaching toward the water like a withered hand.

The villagers by the roadside wore thin, tattered clothes, patches upon patches, unable to cover their bony chests. They hunched their backs, either basking in the warmth by the wall or squatting on the ground picking at something. When they saw a group of officials escorting a carriage, they all stopped what they were doing, their eyes filled with fear.

The carriage continued forward, passing a row of layered mud huts. Beyond the mud huts were small courtyards where yellow mud was mixed with wood—clearly indicating that the families here were slightly better off.

As the carriage drew closer to the direction of the Wen family mansion, the surrounding houses became sturdier and more imposing. Even the walls were built from coral stone and shell lime, strong enough to withstand water and wind.

Wen Zhuo couldn’t help but curl his lips into a cold smile.

In the past decade, the Wen family had made a fortune by exploiting tenant farmers. Even distant relatives from other counties who had nothing to do with them had managed to bask in their glory. But what about the people of Liangping County? They seemed even worse off than they were ten years ago.

He had finally returned.

Only this time, he was no longer that vulnerable child at anyone’s mercy. He was a judge holding the power of life and death, capable of easily deciding the Wen family’s fate!

He couldn’t quite describe the beauty of the moment. As he watched the Wen family’s roof ridge glint harshly in the sunlight, his blood seemed to ignite.

This was who he was—vindictive. Even after a decade of swallowing his pride, he had never forgotten the humiliation and pain of those years.

Wen Zhuo slowly raised his hand. His official robe billowed in the breeze, the deep fiery red flowing like lava spreading along the cracks in the earth.

“Bring out the Wen family members. All of them.”

“Yes!”

The officials swarmed the Wen residence, surrounding it completely. Two of them stepped forward and began pounding on the red-lacquered gate, which radiated arrogance, with reckless force.

“Open up! Open up now!”

“Who is it? How dare you cause trouble at the Wen family’s door!”

A very rude voice came from inside, clearly accustomed to throwing their master’s weight around, brimming with arrogance in their speech.

Creak—

The moment the door cracked open, the officials charged in like tigers descending a mountain, shoving the gate wide open and barging in without explanation.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing? Insurrection! This is the Wen family’s ancestral home!” The servant screamed as he tried to block them, only to be shoved to the ground by an official, landing flat on his back.

“Official business! Arresting the entire Wen family!” The leading official flashed the prefectural office’s plaque, instantly turning the servant’s face pale.

“Do you know who our master is? He’s the clan head of Mianzhou’s Wen family! How dare you act so insolently!” Another loyal servant, emboldened, shouted out. A slap landed on his face, leaving him dizzy.

“Get lost!” the official barked.

“Master! Madam! First Young Master! Second Young Master! The authorities are here to confiscate the house!”

The courtyard immediately erupted into chaos. The sound of tables and chairs crashing, women wailing, and officials shouting intermingled, spreading far and wide with the wind.

Hearing the words “confiscate the house,” the commoners gathered from afar, forming a loose circle. Their faces were full of shock and confusion.

“Let go of my father and mother! We can walk on our own!” Wen Ze, his arms held by two officials, struggled, his face red, but he was still putting on a brave front. “Father, say something! He has no regard for the law!”

Beside him, Wen Xu had lost all his nerve. Being pressed forward by the officials with his neck twisted, he winced in pain, tears and snot almost mingling as he whined incessantly, “Ow, easy does it! That hurts! Do you know who I am? Ow, ow! My arm!”

The two were shoved to their knees. One stiffened his neck in silence; the other collapsed on the ground, whimpering.

In about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, over a hundred people from the Wen household—upstairs and downstairs—were herded out like livestock by the officials, all kneeling before Wen Zhuo.

At the very front, naturally, was Wen Yingjing.

His Daoist robe was disheveled, his usually immaculate hair now falling loose over his forehead, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to have deepened by several more rows in just a few days.

Wen Yingjing suppressed his fury and asked bluntly, “Director Wen, what is the meaning of surrounding my residence with officials and arresting my family today?”

As he spoke, he tried to puff out his chest, attempting to project some of his elder’s authority. But as soon as he moved, the official behind him twisted his arms further and forced his head down.

“Stay still!” the official barked.

Wen Yingjing grunted in pain, his face instantly flushing red. When he looked at Wen Zhuo again, the calm in his eyes had completely shattered, leaving only humiliation and venom.

Wen Zhuo looked down at him, slowly rolling up his sleeves, revealing a pale, slender wrist. Then he loosened his fingers, and a thick stack of ledgers slammed down in front of Wen Yingjing with a “smack.”

“This is the account of the disaster relief expenditures in recent days. To this day, seven counties haven’t received a single grain of relief food, and the treasury is already running low. Wen Yingjing, I ask you: have you truly done your utmost?”

“Of course I’ve done everything I could! Could it be that Director Wen, having failed in disaster relief, wants to pin the blame on me?” Wen Yingjing, forced to kneel by the constables, felt the posture to be a great humiliation. He struggled and roared, “Has Director Wen forgotten that I am a local squire and your stepfather? According to ritual, you should respect and honor me! By acting like this, are you not defiling filial piety and inviting the world’s scorn?”

Wen Zhuo, upon hearing this, leaned slightly forward and gave him a contemptuous smile. Then, abruptly, he straightened up, his expression shifting to one of deep thought and grave concern.

He turned to face the gathered crowd. “I have personally come to Liangping and witnessed that within the Wen residence, there are many servants and maids, and the carved beams and painted rafters still exude luxury. My father and brothers wear fine silks, surrounded by wives and concubines, indulging in pleasure! Seeing this, I am deeply ashamed. I feel I have failed the promises I made and betrayed the trust of the people. I cannot even bear the weight of the words ‘I have done my utmost’!”

“You!” Wen Yingjing trembled with rage, his beard quivering. Wen Zhuo was clearly using the guise of disaster relief to portray himself as an honest official who cared for the people, merely to win their support.

How could those ignorant tenant farmers know that Wen Zhuo was simply using public office to settle a private vendetta, taking revenge on the Wen family?

Exactly as he had expected, the onlooking commoners were deeply moved.

These good people, who usually felt grateful for even the smallest kindness, had now forgotten their reverence for the Wen family. With tears in their eyes, they bowed to Wen Zhuo. “We commoners thank Director Wen!”

An old man, skin and bones, leaning on a cane, sobbed, “This… this is a truly good official who sees the people as his children! For us common folk, he doesn’t even show favoritism to his own father and brother. Rare! So rare!”

Wen Zhuo’s eyes reddened, and he quickly reached out as if to help them rise. “Everyone, please rise. There’s no need to bow to me!”

After comforting the crowd, he turned his head and swept his gaze over Wen Yingjing’s ashen face. With a cold smile, he said, “I may not know exactly how dishonest you’ve been, but there’s one place you certainly can’t hide.”

As Wen Yingjing looked on in confusion, Wen Zhuo gave his orders: “Men! Dismiss all the Wen family servants and send them home. As for the Wen ancestral hall—the gold bricks laid there, the gold powder applied, and the wooden carvings and ritual vessels within are all of considerable value. Immediately chisel off the gold bricks, scrape off the gold powder, collect the ritual objects, and have them all turned over for disaster relief!”

Wen Yingjing had never expected Wen Zhuo to have such a devastating move up his sleeve.

The words “destroy the ancestral hall to save the people” left Wen Yingjing nearly spitting blood, and even the onlooking commoners gasped in shock.

The Great Qian dynasty revered filial piety, the authority of the father was unfathomable, and the ancestral hall was the resting place of the ancestors, sacred and inviolable. For Wen Zhuo, a blood descendant of the Wen family, to lay hands on the ancestral hall was an act against human morality, deserving of divine punishment!

But to save the people from disaster, he was willing to bear such a stigma. How could the people not be shaken or moved?

Just then, an old man with white hair pushed through the crowd. He bent his back, his beard trembling, and pointed a quivering finger at Wen Zhuo, shouting to stop him. “No! I will never allow it! Wen Zhuo, you are also a member of the Wen family. How dare you utter such words—defying your ancestors, defying heaven and father? Even if I have to risk this old life of mine, I will never let you touch a single ancestor’s tablet!”

This was an elder of the Wen clan, usually held in high esteem, so respected that even Wen Yingjing had to address him as “Grand Uncle.”

Steeped in clan rituals and rules for decades, he naturally believed that any junior of the Wen family, regardless of their official rank, should obey him without question. So he dared to step forward and denounce Wen Zhuo.

Once the elder spoke, the surrounding Wen clan members found their courage. They echoed, “That’s right! Disturbing the ancestors is the ultimate act of defiance! If you want to touch the ancestral hall today, you’ll have to walk over our dead bodies!”

Wen Ze, seeing the clan members rally together, was overjoyed. He leaned close to Wen Yingjing and whispered, “Father! The elders and clansmen have come! Wen Zhuo won’t dare!”

For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Wen Yingjing’s tense face. Wen Zhuo, oh Wen Zhuo, you truly are audacious, daring to set your sights on the ancestral hall. You’re setting yourself against the entire Wen clan and all your ancestors. You will surely lose public support!

But Wen Zhuo calmly swept his gaze over the gathered clan members and suddenly agreed, “Very well, then I will walk over your dead bodies! Anyone who obstructs today is standing in the way of His Majesty’s plan to save the people. If you resist further, you will be considered rebellious. A single act of rebellion means the entire family is to be executed without mercy! To save the people from disaster and protect them in their hour of peril, I am willing to bear the stigma of being unfilial, and I will bear it all alone!”

The Wen clan elder was dumbfounded. The other clan members exchanged looks, never expecting Wen Zhuo to be so ruthless, even pinning the charge of rebellion on them!

They looked around and saw the commoners glaring at them with anger. Not a single voice rose in support.

Under normal circumstances, these commoners, steeped in feudal rites, might have sided with the clan. But now, with the people starving, Wen Zhuo was the one offering them a lifeline.

At this moment, they wished they could join the officials in wiping out these gentry and wealthy families who only cared about their own clan interests and not about the people’s lives!

The officials, receiving their orders, charged toward the Wen ancestral hall like wolves and tigers. The elder, who had been stubbornly blocking the way, was knocked aside by an official at the front, staggering back two steps, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word of reproach.

“This… this… Ancestors, open your eyes! It’s not that we are unfilial, but… we can’t go on living!”

The Wen family wailed and lamented, invoking “filial piety” with every other breath, but not a single one dared to throw themselves onto the officials’ blades and die on the spot.

Wen Ze knelt on the ground, his heart churning as if in boiling water. He stared in the direction of the ancestral hall, his voice trembling. “He dares… he truly dares—”

“Dares what?”

The cold voice suddenly rang out. Wen Zhuo slowly turned around, his sharp, piercing eyes fixed directly on Wen Ze.

Wen Ze felt as if a venomous snake was flicking its tongue at him. All the blood in his body seemed to freeze, and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

“I…”

Seeing his bluster, Wen Zhuo let out a light laugh from his throat.

Wen Ze looked again at that enchanting, jade-like face. There was no trace of the itch he once felt. Instead, fear grew from the edges of his courage, sending chills down his spine.

He knew all too well: when Wen Zhuo smiled, it meant he was about to torment the Wen family again.

Sure enough, Wen Zhuo spoke, his voice merciless. “I have said that for every day you delay, one member of the Wen family must die to atone. This promise is weighty, and it will be kept. Today, let—”

He was only halfway through his words when the clansmen who had come to “show support” earlier scattered like rats fleeing a cat. They lost all the bravado of a great clan, shoving through the onlookers and fleeing in all directions, not daring to look back even once.

Wen Ze wanted to flee too, but the officials’ hands clamped around his arms like iron pincers. He could only watch helplessly as the clansmen disappeared into the distance.

Despair gnawed at his flesh bit by bit. At this moment, every breath Wen Zhuo took, every time he lifted his eyes, felt like the countdown on an execution ground. The agony of waiting to die was unbearable. He had no idea when the executioner’s sign would fall and his blood would spill on the ground.

Suddenly, a stream of warmth trickled down his leg. Wen Ze froze, a chilling wave of humiliation surging to the top of his head. His whole body began to shake uncontrollably.

Wen Zhuo had seen enough of Wen Ze’s pathetic state. He was utterly disgusted. He closed his hand, letting the small piece of ambergris dig into his palm.

He slowly turned to Wen Xu, who stood nearby. He hooked his finger lightly and said in a cold voice, “Bring him out!”

“Me? Me?”

Wen Xu jerked his head up. His broken arm hadn’t even been set yet, his face was dark under the eyes, his cheekbones protruding. At this moment, he didn’t look much better than a ghost.

When he saw Wen Zhuo pointing at him, his mind buzzed, his eyes wide with shock. It took him a moment to react. “You want to kill me? How can you kill me?”

“What makes you any different?” Wen Zhuo sneered. “At the entrance of Qixianju, weren’t you quite arrogant when you beat that man to death? And the Tongu Xiang that old man’s daughter turned into—you’ve had your share of that, haven’t you?”

Wen Xu’s body flushed with fear, and cold sweat soaked his undergarments in an instant. He saw the undisguised murderous intent in Wen Zhuo’s eyes, a complete indifference, as if he were nothing more than an ant to be crushed at will.

Suddenly, he began to roar like a madman, “Mother! He’s going to kill me! Mother! Come save me! I don’t want to die!”

It was at this moment that Shen Zheng arrived.

He reined in his horse, hearing from afar Wen Xu’s hysterical screams, sharp enough to tear eardrums.

In modern society, such desperate fear and despair were almost invisible. Shen Zheng wasn’t entirely comfortable with it, but he knew this man deserved what was coming.

He didn’t rush forward to disturb Wen Zhuo. Instead, he furrowed his brow slightly, standing among the crowd, his gaze fixed deeply on that proud, resolute figure in blazing red.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd. A path opened, and a woman staggered out.

She was dressed in a soft, lined jacket. The ornaments in her hair clinked gently, and her apricot-colored silk skirt was stained with a little dust. Amidst the gasps around her, she threw herself directly in front of Wen Xu.

This woman was no longer young, yet she possessed a beauty that could topple kingdoms. Time seemed to have been especially kind, leaving no wrinkles on her face. Only her tearful eyes, brimming with sorrow that could not be dissolved, told a different story.

Her figure was slender and frail, yet she struggled to shield Wen Xu from the officials. She turned and knelt on the ground, her fingers clutching the hem of Wen Zhuo’s robe. But she didn’t dare look up at him. She only pleaded, her voice mournful, “My lord, I still have half of my wealth. I am willing to give it all. I only ask for your mercy, to spare Wen Xu’s life!”

Wen Zhuo froze instantly. It was as if every bone in his body had rusted, not an inch able to move.

“Mother! You’re finally here!” Wen Xu, seeing her, acted as if he had been granted a reprieve. Most of his fear dissipated. He wiped his tears and snot on his sleeve in a mess, then, like a spoiled little dog emboldened by its owner’s presence, barked at Wen Zhuo, “How dare you make my mother kneel before you! You unfilial wretch! Release me at once!”

“Shut up!” Lin Yingniang’s willow brows drew together slightly, her voice full of helplessness and exhaustion.

Wen Zhuo’s gaze locked firmly on Lin Yingniang, who was shielding Wen Xu. Years had passed… no, to him, it was a whole lifetime.

Lin Yingniang was exactly as he remembered her from his childhood: fragile, pitiful, like a warbler trapped in a net, capable only of a sorrowful song.

But today, she had come to plead for mercy. For Wen Xu.

Wen Zhuo’s lashes quivered slightly. His Adam’s apple bobbed several times before he managed to force out a voice, looking down at her. “You beg me? On what grounds do you beg me?”

Lin Yingniang shuddered at his words. Tears streamed down, soaking dark patches into her padded jacket.

Her grip became even more stubborn, her knuckles white as she clung to his robe. “…Zhuo’er.”

After that one word, she could say no more. Only an infinite sorrow bent her back.

Wen Zhuo slowly crouched down. He didn’t want to see her kneeling so humbly, hiding her face. He wanted her to look at him, to speak clearly.

“Do you think you can ask anything of me?”

Lin Yingniang lifted her head and looked at Wen Zhuo, who had shed all his childishness. Her eyes were filled with deep pain and guilt.

She shook her head with difficulty. “I do not presume to ask anything of you, my lord. Everything is my fault. I beg you to spare Wen Xu…”

Wen Zhuo let out a light laugh, merciless. “The reason you dare to plead with me is because you think I’ll soften. You think I’ll remember that faint, thin thread of mother-son affection. So you’d rather I break faith with the people than force me to make an exception.”

“No! No… Zhuo’er, back then I… I was just powerless!” Lin Yingniang sobbed, her emotions overwhelming her. She wanted very much to reach out and touch Wen Zhuo’s face. Her fingertips moved cautiously, tentatively, toward him. “Mother has always missed you…”

She truly didn’t want her two flesh-and-blood sons to end up at each other’s throats.

But Wen Zhuo jerked his head away, avoiding her touch.

Powerless. No other choice. As if everyone who had abandoned him in this world had an absolutely compelling reason.

And then he accepted it. And they all put on a mask of deep affection, pouring out their own suffering, while repeatedly dragging his emotions into the abyss.

Lin Yingniang’s fingers froze in midair. The courage that had just flickered to life vanished in an instant. She timidly curled her fingers back.

A strange sense of pleasure rose in Wen Zhuo’s heart. It cut him to the bone, while also making the other party utterly miserable.

But this was how it should be. Having come this far, with his obsessions crumbling, no one would come out unscathed.

A malicious smile curled at the corner of his lips. “What if, precisely because of you, I want him dead no matter what?”

Wen Xu’s face instantly turned ashen. He had never imagined that Wen Zhuo would ignore even his own mother’s plea. He immediately burst into wails, “Mother! I don’t want to die! Say something, please!”

Lin Yingniang could only prostrate herself, begging, “Zhuo’er, he is still your own brother, born of the same mother—”

Wen Zhuo didn’t want to be held back by these hypocritical tears any longer. He grabbed Lin Yingniang by the wrist, shook her off fiercely, then rose abruptly. He turned and drew a blade from the guard beside him. The gleam of the knife flashed, ready to end Wen Xu’s life.

Though he was a frail scholar, at this moment, burning with rage, with old grievances and new hatreds intertwined, his strength far exceeded Lin Yingniang’s.

He flung Lin Yingniang to the ground. Behind her, Wen Xu was suddenly exposed to the blade.

Just as the shining tip was about to cut Wen Xu’s throat, Lin Yingniang closed her eyes and screamed with all her might, “I have an imperial decree issued by His Majesty!”

The blade halted abruptly, stopping just at Wen Xu’s throat.

Wen Zhuo turned stiffly, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if he couldn’t comprehend the meaning of the word “imperial decree.”

Trembling, Lin Yingniang pulled a roll of bright yellow silk from her bosom. On it was inscribed the seal of the imperial decree, stamped with the Emperor’s jade seal.

Wen Zhuo’s heart shook violently. He had had no idea when Emperor Shunyuan had granted Lin Yingniang an imperial decree.

According to the law, a woman with an imperial decree could plead for someone, thereby elevating the case to the Grand Court of Revision for review, preventing it from being arbitrarily adjudicated at the local level.

Wen Xu’s crimes were unforgivable. But because of Lin Yingniang’s decree, at least for now, Wen Zhuo could not kill him.

The blade slipped from Wen Zhuo’s hand, clattering to the ground with a mournful ring.

Among the crowd, Shen Zheng clearly saw Wen Zhuo’s body trembling uncontrollably, like an autumn leaf torn by a fierce wind, lonely and adrift, falling into a bottomless abyss.