Fish Meat – Chapter 242
by Little PandaThe Ninth Year of Shunde
Like Snapping Dried Twigs and Pulling Up Rotten Wood (9)
When Yao Maolin was locked into the Imperial Prison, Yao Lin had already received the indictment warrant1 summoning him to the capital for trial. Yao Zhaoyi, finding it inconvenient to stay long in the capital, had already returned to Nanya. Hearing of this matter, she wasn’t too surprised; it seemed she had anticipated it long ago.
Ge Sheng said, “If not rebel now, then when!”
Yao Lin threw the indictment warrant onto the ground and shouted, “Good! We were just worrying about lacking a pretext for mobilizing troops2. Now that our Yao family has been pushed to this point, what more is there to say!”
The other few legitimate sons in the hall shouted together in agreement. The Yao family’s morale soared. Yao Lin quickly had people take stock of the Yao family’s troops3 and granaries—200,000 soldiers and 100,000 iron cavalry could all be assembled within ten days!
The Yao residence was brightly lit all night. They opened the Heavenly Soldier Divine Box that they had secretly retrieved from Runing and planned the route to attack Runing.
Inside the Imperial Prison, Yao Maolin tried to slit her throat with a hidden blade she had smuggled in, but she was discovered by a jailer. Fortunately, the cut wasn’t deep enough, and she was quickly saved.
“Why didn’t you let me die…” After Yao Maolin’s neck wound was crudely treated, her hands and feet were bound in iron shackles, preventing free movement. She didn’t even have the right to end her own life.
“Who do you think you are, to live just because you want to live, and die just because you want to die?” That jailer moved a chair into the cell, drinking wine and eating meat, watching her closely around the clock, absolutely forbidding her from taking her own life.
Yao Maolin wondered, why wouldn’t they let her die? What value did she still have alive?
And who was it that wouldn’t let her die? Was it Wei Tingxu? Was Wei Tingxu doing this just so General Zhen could personally send her to the execution ground?
Just for this little bit of nonsensical amusement?
“Attempted suicide and was saved?”
A secret guard entered Wei Tingxu’s study to report Yao Maolin’s failed suicide attempt, which slightly surprised Wei Tingxu.
She hadn’t intended for Yao Maolin to live. Using her as bait to draw out the entire Yao family was her plan. She had anticipated that Yao Maolin might commit suicide in prison; if she did, so be it—Wei Tingxu had little interest in torturing people. If she didn’t die, it would just be going through the motions; Yao Maolin would soon be executed. Yao Lin couldn’t possibly come to the capital for trial; the Yao family would definitely rebel.
Even if the Yao family didn’t rebel, some other power would certainly rebel within three years. Whoever rebelled first would lose the moral high ground. Why not push the Yao family to be the bird that sticks its head out4?
And as soon as the Yao family made a move, the Li Clan Prince, the remnants of the Geng Clan, and the regional commanderies that had been holding back for a long time would all rise up together. That would be the time for the Central Plains to be reshuffled once again.
The new policies and new laws were indeed still fragile. Wei Tingxu had originally wanted to give the Central Bureau a bit more time, but yesterday Ah Cang and others had actually managed to attempt an assassination on her at the Forbidden Garden gathering. Tomorrow, someone might come directly to the Zhuo Jun Manor to kill her. Continuing to wait would only put herself in an increasingly dangerous situation.
The Wei and Zhangsun clans had long been prepared. Now, Zhen Wenjun was also bound to her by deep affection5. This was the best opportunity she had been waiting for for many years.
News of the Yao clan taking up arms hadn’t arrived yet, but the strange news of Yao Maolin being saved did.
Wei Tingxu was talking with the secret guard when a knock came from outside the study door.
“Zizhuo, are you in?”
The secret guard recognized Zhen Wenjun’s voice and was about to leave through the back window but was called back by Wei Tingxu.
“You don’t need to go.”
The secret guard stood in the corner. Zhen Wenjun entered carrying the crab sashimi6 and quail with eggplant that she had spent most of yesterday researching in the kitchen7, suitable for summer. She placed the wooden tray holding the food in front of Wei Tingxu and smiled at the secret guard:
“You try some too.”
The secret guard, dressed entirely in night-travel clothes, just wanted to be a shadow in the corner. Zhen Wenjun suddenly speaking to him made the situation a bit awkward. He shook his head and said, “No need, thank you, Gener—… thank you, Madam.”
Wei Tingxu saw that the snacks on the tray were things she had casually mentioned a few days ago. She hadn’t expected Zhen Wenjun to keep it in mind and actually make them so presentably. She was both delighted and surprised. She picked up a sliver of crab sashimi and put it in her mouth; it was incredibly fresh and sweet.
Zhen Wenjun didn’t ask anything, just focused on watching Wei Tingxu finish the snacks. After she finished, Wei Tingxu herself told her about Yao Maolin attempting suicide in prison but being saved.
“Could it be the Son of Heaven’s doing?” Zhen Wenjun said. “Back when Yao Maolin entered service, didn’t someone already single her out before you could? Her being selected for the Central Bureau must have been greatly useful to the Son of Heaven. Not letting her die for now is probably intended to use her crime to drag all the female officials in the Central Bureau through the mud.”
“Easier said than done,” Wei Tingxu said. “Currently, one out of ten people in the Central Bureau is female. Wanting to use such a small matter to disadvantage female officials is likely just wishful thinking8.”
“What if the assassination attempt at the elegant gathering is added to it?”
Zhen Wenjun’s question made Wei Tingxu pause for a moment.
“Since the Son of Heaven would make this move, he must have already thought through the follow-up,” Zhen Wenjun said. “He certainly won’t target us first. I suspect he will start with the Imperial Academy, using the excuse that the female official who carried out the assassination at the gathering came from the Imperial Academy, to expel the female students from there. It’s logical and reasonable. Once the Son of Heaven takes the lead like this, the forces cultivated by Liu Shao in the court, as well as our enemies, will surely echo him. Regardless of whether the Imperial Academy is thoroughly investigated in the end, this direct conflict will definitely damage the foundation of female officials. The biggest beneficiary then will be the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven wanting to seize power and turn against us is inevitable. Even if it doesn’t happen today, as he grows older, this day will always come. As long as the Son of Heaven makes a move, it will certainly stir up forces that have long been watching covetously. For us, it might be a very troublesome matter.”
What Zhen Wenjun said was reasonable; the secret guard standing aside couldn’t help but nod.
Zhen Wenjun continued, “Yao Maolin is a pawn for him to suppress female officials. The assassination by Ah Cang and the others might also be a ploy by him and Liu Shao. Whether it is or not, the current situation is extremely advantageous for the Son of Heaven. If Yao Maolin dies in prison so quickly, it might lead to gossip9, saying she was wronged. But if she lives, a fake confession could be produced, making her implicate anyone they want, even turning around to bite us.”
Wei Tingxu followed her train of thought: “Moreover, if the Yao family rebels, they aren’t rebelling against the Son of Heaven, but against us. After using this as a pretext to suppress female officials, the Son of Heaven could even send Yao Maolin back to the Yao family, granting them a huge favor to win over the Yao clan and unite forces with them. That would be a big problem for us.”
Zhen Wenjun saw the troubled look on Wei Tingxu’s face, and her own mind felt tangled with complexities10 that needed time to sort out. Unexpectedly, before worry could settle in her heart, Wei Tingxu suddenly smiled sweetly. She pressed a finger on Zhen Wenjun’s brow, smoothing the frown lines that had naturally formed:
“Look at your worried face. Just a small act of rebellion from the Son of Heaven has made you so troubled? What’s there to fear? As long as your mother is still in the Zhuo Jun Manor, the Zhuo Jun Manor has a golden light protecting it; the Son of Heaven wouldn’t bear to harm her. Besides, by the time the Yao family can connect with the Son of Heaven, the Central Plains will likely already be in chaos. At that point, the Son of Heaven will probably have more than just our faction to deal with. As for the matter of female officials… it’s best to kill Yao Maolin sooner rather than later. The Yao family will definitely rebel, but when they will rebel is unknown. If they drag their feet for a year or half a year without making a move, that would be most advantageous for the Son of Heaven.”
“Zizhuo, do you already have a plan?”
Wei Tingxu handed her the empty plate: “Get me another serving of crab sashimi, and I’ll tell you.”
In the sweltering summer heat, Yao Maolin suffered a living hell11 in the stuffy prison. Her wound became inflamed and festered, and she was still shackled, unable to move. Every day, she dazedly watched the jailer eat and drink in front of her; she couldn’t even get a sip of water. To prevent her from biting her tongue to commit suicide, even her mouth was tightly gagged.
No food, no rest; all that belonged to her was torn flesh and the endless agony of wanting death but being unable to attain it.
In this state, even if someone entered the cell and killed the jailer, she wouldn’t have the energy to lift her head and see who the visitor was.
It wasn’t until an assassin paused before her for a moment, cut the iron shackles, and laid her flat on the ground that she realized something major had happened. And her life was likely about to end here.
Yao Maolin was emaciated beyond recognition, her hair a mess, her face covered in dried blood—completely different from the high-spirited Compiler Official at the Guilan Banquet. She coughed twice and laboriously lifted her eyelids, seeing the black-clothed person before her.
The black-clothed person wore night-travel clothes covering them from head to toe, revealing only a pair of eyes.
Yao Maolin grabbed her sleeve abruptly: “General Zhen!”
The black-clothed person she grabbed glanced at her coolly and pulled her hand away.
Only then did Yao Maolin realize that this person in black clothes was indeed a woman, with quite heroic features in her eyes and brows, but she was not Zhen Wenjun.
How could it be General Zhen?
A black cloth bag was pulled over Yao Maolin’s head.
Before entering eternal darkness, she thought she would think of Zhen Wenjun, that she would die with General Zhen’s smile in her mind. Unexpectedly, as her consciousness was about to fade, the image that appeared before her eyes was her elder sister, Yao Zhaoyi.
Once, Yao Zhaoyi had held her, comforted her, and no matter how tired, would always take her to the market to buy candy. Her gentleness towards her, indulging her every whim, nurturing her as she grew up. These treasured childhood memories hadn’t surfaced for a very, very long time.
Yao Maolin had come to Runing full of ambition, yet she had done nothing for the Yao family, let alone repaid her sister. She had achieved nothing, and had even implicated the entire Yao family, making them suffer along with her.
What on earth had she been doing?
Yao Zhaoyi sat in a four-wheeled chair, her back to her, sobbing quietly.
Yao Maolin walked up and hugged her. A thousand words wanted to spill out, but in the end, only three came forth.
“I’m sorry.”
When Li Feng received the news that Yao Maolin had died in prison, he was lounging in Zichen Palace, listening to music. Colorfully dressed singing girls took turns performing, one finishing as another began. The warbling tunes entered Li Feng’s ears but not his heart.
He lay on the spacious couch, surrounded by a circle of palace maids attending to him. Fruits, wine, and an endless supply of meat piled high on the low table before him. He absentmindedly took a wine goblet, glanced at a young eunuch kneeling in Zichen Palace with head bowed—seemingly awaiting orders but actually peering who-knows-where—sneered, and downed the wine in one gulp.
Reeking of alcohol, Li Feng steadied himself using a palace maid’s head and finally stood up. He rushed onto the stage, catching people to kiss them. The members of the opera troupe didn’t dare to dodge, nor not dodge; they could only let the Son of Heaven torment them.
Li Feng threw a drunken tantrum, leaving Zichen Palace in utter disarray, then lay down directly on the stage, about to sleep. Suddenly, Liu Shao appeared, standing below the stage and calling him softly.
“Son of Heaven.”
Li Feng let out a drunken hiccup, grinning foolishly as he let his head hang down from the stage to look at Liu Shao, without a shred of the dignity befitting an emperor: “Vice Minister Liu, where did you go? Do you know We12 looked for you for half the day? Such a splendid performance, what a pity you missed it…”
Liu Shao whispered something in his ear. Li Feng’s muddled expression changed instantly. His eyes, originally hazy with drunkenness, clearly flashed with sobriety and sharpness the moment he heard Liu Shao’s words. He flipped over and sat up, about to speak, when he suddenly saw several young eunuchs curiously looking up at them.
Li Feng immediately retracted his gaze, returning to the persona of the drowsy drunkard. He had Liu Shao help him up, mumbling indistinctly, “Vice Minister Liu, come, come, follow me inside. We have something good to show you.”
The two were about to enter the inner room to discuss important matters when another young eunuch rushed in, knelt, and said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, the Lady Protector of the State is outside the palace, requesting an audience with Your Majesty!”
Li Feng hiccuped again, his eyes narrowed to slits, his entire body leaning on Liu Shao: “What Lady Protector of the State?”
“Your Majesty,” Liu Shao reminded him softly in his ear, “Ruan family’s Ah Qiong, General Zhen’s mother, the Lady Protector of the State personally enfeoffed by Your Majesty.”
Hearing the four words ” Ruan family’s Ah Qiong,” Li Feng immediately stood steady, lifted his sleeve to sniff it, confirmed the smell of alcohol wasn’t too overpowering, and only then allowed Ah Qiong to enter.
Footnotes
- 罪符 | zuìfú | An official document summoning someone for trial or punishment.
- 出師無名 | chū shī wú míng | Lit. “to send out troops without a name”; To lack a justifiable reason or cause for military action.
- 兵馬 | bīngmǎ | Lit. “soldiers and horses”; Military forces.
- 出頭鳥 | chū tóu niǎo | Lit. “the bird that sticks its head out”; Refers to someone who takes the lead or stands out, often becoming a target.
- 情比金堅 | qíng bǐ jīn jiān | Lit. “feelings deeper than metal and stone”; Describes a very strong, loyal, and enduring bond or relationship.
- 蟹生 | xièshēng | Raw crab dish, similar to sashimi.
- 庖廚 | páochú | An older or more formal term for kitchen.
- 癡人說夢 | chī rén shuō mèng | Lit. “an idiot talking about dreams”; Foolish nonsense, pipe dream.
- 落人口舌 | luò rén kǒu shé | Lit. “fall into people’s mouths and tongues”; To become the subject of gossip or criticism.
- 盤根錯節 | pán gēn cuò jié | Lit. “twisted roots and gnarled branches”; Describes something complex, intricate, and difficult to deal with.
- 生不如死 | shēng bù rú sǐ | Lit. “living is not as good as dying”; To suffer extreme misery.
- 寡人 | Guǎrén | Lit. “lonely person”; A self-deprecating term used by kings or emperors.
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