CH 14

When the report is finally submitted, Su Shiyu mentions nothing about Chu Mingyun, nor the suspicious Prince of Huainan.

The Prince of Huainan is an incredibly powerful person among feudal lords. Jiangnan is a prosperous place, and the extravagance he so plentifully indulges within the feudal state is not inferior to that of the royal family. He’s haughty and proud with excellent soldiers under his command. No matter if Tan Jing’s accusations were true or false, it is impossible to take down the prince by Tan Jing’s words alone. And so, rather than alerting the enemy, why not slowly reveal the entire picture first?

Yet Li Yanzhen summons Su Shiyu to the Imperial Study.

When he arrives, Chu Mingyun is also present. He had just offered a copy of a map, then smiled upon seeing him. Su Shiyu calmly meets his gaze and nods as a greeting.

“I’ve read the report. Isn’t the punishment on Tan Jing a little too severe?” Li Yanzhen says.

“According to the law, aside from beheading and having one’s property confiscated, all their relatives would also be demoted to common citizens and forbidden to serve the court for three generations. This humble subject has already taken the circumstances into consideration,” Su Shiyu answers unperturbed.

“I have also heard of the events revolving around Tan Jing and his wife these days. Since their love is so deep, why not demote their ranks and banish them instead? Retaining their lives,” Li Yanzhen says.

“Tan Jing is guilty of severe crimes. How could one instill authority if such matters were carelessly taken care of?” Su Shiyu looks up at him.

“In the end, he’s just a pitiful person.” Li Yanzhen sighed.

“Are not the common people who died by Tan Jing’s hand also pitiful people?” Su Shiyu calmly says, “Regardless of how moving the story is, it’s wrong. The Censorate has judged countless criminals and they all have their own stories and reasons. If everyone was pitiful, where would be the authority? And how could one grant peace to the country?”

“……Beloved Subject Su is still so stubborn, I see,” Li Yanzhen helplessly says.

“Your Majesty,” Su Shiyu says. “Are you begging for mercy on behalf of criminals?”

“……This is the only part of you I cannot stand.” Li Yanzhen hesitates to respond. He turns his head to look away from Su Shiyu, his eyes falling upon Chu Mingyun, standing at the side with a face saying ‘this is none of my business’. “Right, Beloved Subject Chu, what is your opinion?”

Chu Mingyun takes his time bowing, paying no attention to Li Yanzhen’s gaze as he says, “This humble subject agrees to what His Excellency Su said.”

Su Shiyu glances at him in surprise.

Chu Mingyun casually continues: “The strictness of the law depends on how it is executed.”

And so Tan Jing’s case is decided. The next day, he is paraded to the West Market and to be executed in public.

Tan Jing kneels in the execution compound, raising his eyes to all around him. The streams of light are just right, everything is flourishing. He scans the angry faces of the common people below the stage and suddenly feels his heart is at peace. The rumbling, indistinct voices all around him, curses flying past him carried by the wind, but he hears nothing. When he started down this road of no return, he had already anticipated this moment.

He lowers his head and thinks back to ten years ago when he was still in poverty. He thinks about the time when he finally puts on his official robes, the times when he chats and converses with friends as they indulge in wine. He thinks of himself, who was brimming with ambition, he thinks of…… the woman by the lotus pond who looks at him fondly with a gaze of beauty.

“A-Xiu.” He didn’t realize he’d balled his fists, muttering in a voice that had long been hoarse, “……Don’t be afraid.”

You are the only one who will live, don’t be afraid.

With your current mental state, it won’t take you a day before you forget me.

Don’t be afraid.

In the manor, the maidservant guides Tan Jing’s wife, who had been unconscious  the last two days. A rich meal is on the table. The maidservant fetches a bowl of soup to place in front of her. “Madam, it’s time to eat.”

A-Xiu stares at the empty seat opposite her. She turns around to look at the maidservant. “A-Jing?”

“Didn’t I tell you before? His Excellency won’t come home anymore. Madam, enjoy your meal alone,” the maidservant says.

“A-Jing……” A-Xiu looks at that empty seat in a trance.

The maidservant pushes the bowl of soup towards her, glances at her and says, “If Madam wants to see His Excellency, then quickly drink this.”

She doesn’t seem to hear her, mumbling ‘A-Jing’ repetitively.

The maidservant looks at the sky outside and calculates the time in her heart. She can’t help feeling a little bit on edge. She turns to look at the dullard who still stubbornly refuses to move, then quickly presses her hand onto her shoulder, raising the bowl with one hand.

“A-Jing, A-Jing……” The dullard turns around to look at her and suddenly grabs her clothes. The maidservant catches sight of the sorrow in her eyes and is momentarily stunned. A-Xiu lets her go, then grabs her own chest, inhaling two breaths of fresh air nervously before once again raising her head to let clear tears fall down her face. “A-Jing……”

“……A-Jing, A-jing!” She lets out spasmodic sobs, again and again as she calls Tan Jing’s name. Her emotions become more and more unstable.

The maidservant feels a little impatient, but she still grits her teeth to speak gently: “Does Madam want to see His Excellency?”

A-Xiu’s body can’t help shaking. She glares at the maidservant. The maidservant pushes the bowl into her hands. “Drink this. Drink this down, then you can see him again.”

A-Xiu slowly lets her gaze fall onto the bowl of soup in her hands. Splitter-splatter. Her tears fall  into the soup.

“It’s noon!” The officer overseeing the execution bellows “Carry out the execution!”

With a wave of his hand, the order is thrown onto the ground signalling for the execution.The gleaming execution blade falls  and the corpse slumps heavily to the ground. Crimson red slowly spreads across the brown-coloured wooden board, dripping down into the dust and soil

Su Shiyu withdraws the gaze he’d kept on the sky, turning to watch Du Yue running towards him.

Du Yue stops abruptly in front of him. Panting, he says, “Cousin Brother…… You were looking for me?”

“En,” Su Shiyu says, sweeping open the curtains in the horse carriage. After Du Yue burrows his way in, Su Shiyu continues: “There is a patient who requires you. Today, follow me to Tan Jing’s manor to take a look at the situation, then we will head over to my manor and take a look at her condition.”

“Tan Jing?” Du Yue thinks about it arduously. “The one who’s supposed to be executed today?”

“Yes.”

“Cousin Brother, you’re even confiscating property in person?” Du Yue looks at him with respect. “It’s no wonder Qin Zhao said you were always busy, refusing to let me play with you.”

“I just happen to be free today.” Su Shiyu thinks about it for a moment, then says, “On usual days, I’m not too busy either. You can come whenever you like; there is no need to listen to him.”

Not long afterwards, the horse carriage arrives. The officials and soldiers already have them surrounded. Su Shiyu gets out of the carriage and the officials in charge of confiscating Tan Jing’s properties all rush over to welcome him.

“What happened?”

“Ah……” The officials wipe sweat off their foreheads. “Tan Jing’s wife is dead.”

The manor is empty. A woman is on the table, bloody foam bubbling up from the corner of her lips. Her corpse has gone cold.

Su Shiyu’s expression freezes. Silently, he studies the room. The officials all try to explain themselves, saying that everything happened before they arrived.

Du Yue walks in a circle as he pinches his brow. His gaze finally falls onto the empty bowl next to A-Xiu’s hand. He walks forward to dip his fingertips into the leftover soup and smell it. Suddenly, his eyes brighten and just as he wants to call for Su Shiyu, his sight catches A-Xiu’s face and he pauses.Du Yue leans in and examines closely.

Her face is green and pale and withered, looking vaguely ashen. Her hand on the table is skinny and bony.

“Cousin Brother.” Du Yue leans closer.

“She was poisoned to death?” Su Shiyu asks.

Du Yue nods his head and says, “Cousin Brother, could you ask for where her regular medicines were placed? I want to take a look.”

The servants in the manor lead them to the medicinal cabinet filled with ceramic bottles, yet all of them are empty. Du Yue opens and examines each bottle before he finally finds some black powder in one bottle in the corner.He examines it seriously for a while, his face slowly turns solemn.

“Something amiss with the medicine?” Su Shiyu asks.

Du Yue seems to be harbouring internal conflicts before giving him a look. Su Shiyu turns around to order the people to take their leave, then continues: “Speak, be it any truths that you know.”

“This thing…… is considered medicine, but if this is what the entire bottle is filled with, then the portion would make it toxic.”

“……” Su Shiyu tries to understand what he meant.

“Well, this is actually opium. We don’t have much of this here. Even for me, I’ve only seen it a few times at Master’s. I heard it’s especially expensive!” Du Yue says, “It’s a bit similar to Five Minerals Powder1. Ingesting too much would make one feel volatile or even addicted. If they were denied it, they would even lose control and descend into madness. From what you’ve described of Madam’s condition to me, I think it’s not an illness. It’s because of this.”

Su Shiyu’s gaze slowly darkens and he  says, “What you mean is….. She’s not ill. It’s someone who made use of her madness to persuade Tan Jing that this poison is medicine in order to manipulate him?”

“Ah?” Du Yue shakes his head. “I haven’t thought so much. But if Cousin Brother puts it in this way, it’s more or less the truth.”

“This opium you speak of, could it grow in the regions of Huainan?” Su Shiyu asks.

“There are many poisonous things in the Southern Regions. This thing came from that place to begin with.”

As Su Shiyu listens to this, he recalls the way Tan Jing looked when he mentioned his wife in the prison. Suddenly, he gives out a quiet laugh, then a light little sigh:

“Idiocy at its peak.”

[1] 五石散 a poisonous psychoactive drug popular during the Six Dynasties and Tang Dynasty periods of China.

Author’s Notes:

You guys might want to say something at the appearance of opium…. But actually, since the Qin Dynasty, opium already existed. It has a long history as a toxin (wei, Five Mineral Powder was more popular during the Wei and Jin Periods. All the literary people were in love with it. It’s quite similar to Methamphetamine.

………Sorry I’m so dumb I forgot the time QAQ no wonder it didn’t come!