Chapter 197: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 197: Severed Arm for Survival
2023-05-23
"Be careful, Mother."
Dressed in official robes, Ming Luo retracted his hand and reminded her.
"Ming Luo..." Chang Shi came to her senses. "You've returned today as well?"
Hearing the sounds of crashing and shouting from the bridal hall behind them, Chang Shi furrowed her brow. "The actions of the Feng family really..."
"I heard about it on the way." Ming Luo interrupted her gently. "I heard the news as I was leaving the Grand Court. That's why I returned home to take a look."
Chang Shi calmed herself. "Your father is currently very angry. If you want to see him, you should wait a while until he has calmed down."
Ming Luo did not give a definite response. "Thank you for your advice, Mother."
Her stepmother, it seemed, was genuinely trying to care for her now. Ming Luo could tell she was making a real effort to please her.
This stepmother, who had once ruthlessly managed the back rooms of the Ming family, was decisive and vicious in her actions—never lingering on matters. But now, she had been dragged into such a situation by her foolish and useless son, to the point where she had to humble herself and try to flatter everyone she could... Ming Luo couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for her.
But more than sympathy, Ming Luo felt a sense of reflection.
Sometimes, Heaven seemed to open its eyes. There was fairness, even if it was rare.
The sky was darkening, cold winds blowing, just like Chang Shi’s mood and the chaotic, noisy atmosphere of the Ming family at that moment.
"The outside wind is chilly..." Chang Shi, recalling Ming Luo's earlier mention of coming from the Grand Court, suggested, "Why don't we sit in the warm hall for a while?"
"That wretched woman... How dare she play tricks on me! I will find her and tear her apart!"
Ming Jin was dragged out from the bridal hall by several attendants, still shouting curses.
Chang Shi's face darkened. "Hurry up and bring the Young Master back!"
Ming Luo glanced at her furious, twisted-faced brother, whose appearance was becoming increasingly sinister due to his emaciation. She raised an eyebrow slightly.
Her brother, it seemed, had gone completely mad.
It was no surprise—someone so lecherous, arrogant, and proud, who fancied himself more distinguished than the sons of the Li family, how could he accept the reality of his humiliation and the dramatic downfall of his life?
Ming Luo turned her gaze away and gave Chang Shi a slight nod. "That works."
The two of them headed for the warm hall together.
"Did you say you were at the Grand Court just now?" Chang Shi asked, then quickly covered, "Public matters are important, but don't overwork yourself. You should take care of your health."
"Thank you, Mother, but I was following the holy Emperor’s orders to investigate the case of the Changsun Seventh Lady. It’s essential not to slack off," Ming Luo replied.
Chang Shi sighed. "Speaking of the Changsun Seventh Lady, what a pity... I wonder how the case is progressing."
"That day, Miss Chang publicly claimed outside the Grand Court that the murderer was someone else, causing quite a stir. The Emperor also suspected there might be some trickery in the case... so investigations are still ongoing in secret," Ming Luo explained. "It won’t be concluded easily anytime soon."
Chang Shi, already uneasy, grew more tense. "But... didn't we already have physical evidence?"
Ming Luo answered softly, "There is evidence, but the witness, Prince Rong, has yet to make an appearance. However, I hear he is improving, so he should be able to testify soon."
Chang Shi nodded, trying to keep her composure.
Ming Luo continued, "Moreover, General Chang is leading troops outside. If his son is wrongfully killed, it would not be in our favor for the war."
Chang Shi tightened her grip on the teacup. "But... what about the Changsun family? They won’t allow this case to drag on."
"Indeed, the Changsun family has been applying pressure," Ming Luo responded. "But after the preliminary trial, the Chang family’s son did not confess. He claimed that Prince Rong could vouch for him, and Miss Chang spoke passionately in defense of her brother. In the court, there were already people vouching for him—first, the Chancellor of Xuanzhe Mansion and the Sima, then Grand Tutor Zhu, and even Head Master Qiao repeatedly petitioned on his behalf. These are the ones speaking publicly; privately, Steward Yu and Minister Wei have also spoken in favor of him near the holy Emperor."
Chang Shi felt a sinking sensation in her chest.
The Chancellor of Xuanzhe Mansion and the Sima... both were officials under Cui Jing, and they held significant power in the court.
Grand Tutor Zhu she could dismiss, but what was the aging Minister Wei doing meddling in this matter?
"With all these people supporting him, we cannot simply rely on the Changsun family's word," Ming Luo said. "And as for whether the Chang family’s son is guilty or not, everything must be decided based on the truth."
At this point, Chang Shi’s anxiety reached its peak.
She knew that the longer this dragged on, the more troublesome it would become!
The situation was already unfavorable, with Prince Rong about to make an appearance, and now Feng Min had run away. If she said anything, it would make things worse and even harder to clean up!
After days of stress, and the repeated failures to progress matters, Chang Shi’s exhaustion was now so apparent that no amount of makeup could cover it. Her composure was on the verge of breaking.
She wasn’t afraid of the Chang family, nor of those who supported them. What truly frightened her was the holy Emperor’s determination to get to the bottom of the matter!
That was the biggest difference between this incident and previous ones...
Should she regret choosing to have Chang Sui’an take the blame?
But it was too late for regret now... and it was meaningless.
Chang Shi could only press on, asking, "Then, has the holy Emperor found any other suspicious individuals?"
Ming Luo looked up at her with calm eyes.
"This is why I’m here, speaking with you now," she said.
Chang Shi's body suddenly tensed: "What do you mean by that, Luo'er?"
Ming Luo merely replied, "Yesterday, the holy Emperor casually mentioned an old matter... When Mother once sought a marriage proposal for Ah Shen with the Changsun Seventh Lady, after being rejected, Ah Shen had several conflicts with the Changsun family’s children."
Chang Shi’s heart skipped a beat: "That is true..."
"Ah Shen has always been impulsive, and he still harbors resentment over that rejection. He also has never looked kindly upon the sons of the Li family. When the matter of the Changsun Seventh Lady becoming the Crown Princess became well known, it’s clear he would not be happy with it..." Ming Luo looked at Chang Shi. "So, the holy Emperor has repeatedly reminded and instructed Father to restrain Ah Shen. I wonder if Ah Shen has listened to those words?"
Chang Shi didn’t know what expression to make: "Ah Shen... he..."
"That’s why the holy Emperor sent me to probe Ah Shen," Ming Luo smiled faintly. "But after thinking it through, since this is a family matter, I’d rather speak frankly with you, Mother. You are wise, and you know better than anyone how Ah Shen acts, so I’m sure you must have already figured out his true intentions."
Meeting Ming Luo’s slightly smiling eyes and thinking of the emperor behind them, Chang Shi’s fingers, still gripping the teacup, turned icy cold.
She forced herself to speak calmly: "Does the holy Emperor... suspect that Ah Shen is involved in this?"
"Mother is a clever person, so you must know that there is no need for further probing," Ming Luo said. "The Emperor is the holy Emperor, and how could he allow himself to be deceived by his own family?"
"..."
Chang Shi was speechless, her palm drenched in cold sweat, to the point that she could barely hold onto the teacup anymore.
"The Emperor, as the ruler of the nation, must not only observe the truth but also consider the advantages and disadvantages of any situation," Ming Luo said, her gaze dark. "If someone is too clever for their own good and lets others catch hold of a flaw, catching everyone off guard and throwing the holy Emperor and the Ming family into a passive position..."
"Mother, do you know what kind of disaster that would cause? In the end, what would become of that clever person and their associates?"
Chang Shi struggled to hold onto the teacup, but it slipped from her sweaty palms and fell to the ground with a sharp crash. The porcelain shattered, and tea splashed everywhere.
What kind of end...?
If this matter truly reached that point, bringing disaster to the Ming family and trouble to the holy Emperor... then not only would the position of heir be lost, but the title of Marquis's wife would also be out of the question. Even her maternal family, the Chang family, would suffer as a result!
She and that ungrateful son, along with the Chang family, would likely end up just like the shattered teacup—broken into pieces.
But this was clearly the Ming family’s fault! That bastard was named Ming, not Chang!
Yet, the holy Emperor’s wrath... how could it fall on their own family?
Ming Luo’s "reminder" had been very clear.
Unease, fear, anger, unwillingness, and helplessness—all these emotions tore at Chang Shi.
Ming Luo glanced at the shattered teacup and slowly stood up, sighing. "Mother is too tired. Perhaps it would be better to rest for a while."
Nanny Liao, pale-faced, moved forward to clean up the scattered porcelain.
"If Ah Shen is innocent, then that would be the best outcome," Ming Luo said softly. "But if he truly has made a mistake... there may still be a chance to turn things around. As for what matters most, Mother must think it through carefully."
As the figure dressed in female official attire walked out of the warm hall, Chang Shi’s icy fingertips trembled slightly.
Nanny Liao’s voice also shook: "Madam, the holy Emperor..."
Chang Shi repeatedly analyzed the current situation in her mind, but no matter how many times she thought about it, she knew that the chances of success were lost.
The case of convicting Chang Sui’an was too tangled up with too many others, and it was beyond her power to handle... especially after Feng Min had disappeared last night!
They said she was missing, but the person who took Feng Min must have been from the Chang family... there could be no other possibility!
She didn’t want to admit it, but at this point, the situation was completely out of control, and it was nothing like what she had imagined at the beginning!
The Chang family, the court, the holy Emperor...
Her abilities had always been effective within the inner chambers, but now, at this moment, she suddenly realized... to think she could manipulate matters involving the court’s power with her domestic skills was nothing but a foolish dream.
Chang Shi’s lips trembled into a bitter smile.
Severing an arm to survive meant cutting off what needed to be severed.
She was not someone who would cry only when facing a coffin.
After a moment, Chang Shi spoke.
"Let the County Princess wait."
Nanny Liao was startled: "Madam..."
Chang Shi needed to support herself on the chair to stand steadily.
"Bring me my lady's attire. I will change..."
"I will go with the Princess... to the palace and face the holy Emperor."
...
"Lady."
In the outer study of the Chang family, Chang Ren was reporting the information gathered by the spies to Chang Suining, including this news: "...Half an hour ago, the Marquise Ying and that lady Ming entered the palace together."
Chang Suining was silent for a moment before saying, "It was only a matter of time."
At this moment, Chang Shi’s rush to enter the palace certainly wasn’t about a mere side consort losing her chance to bring joy to the family.
Since she was going with Ming Luo, it was more likely that it was time for her to confess, cutting off the issue to save herself.
From the recent attitudes of various parties and the note from Wei Shuyi, it was clear that the holy Emperor had not been aware of the situation beforehand.
But sooner or later, he would know.
However, it would come sooner than she had expected.
Chang Shi's entry into the palace now was because she had realized that she had no strength to oppose the forces in this matter.
Chang Shi didn’t have that strength, but the holy Emperor certainly did—and once the holy Emperor intervened, it wouldn’t be just about countering the forces, but about taking control.
But since Feng Min had not yet woken up, she had no solid evidence to bring the true culprit to justice, nor did she have the advantage of disrupting the situation.
But this didn’t mean that she would give up or compromise.
On the contrary, the moment she began to suspect Ming Jin, she realized that the real difficulty of this matter wasn’t in uncovering the truth, but in the fact that she would eventually be on the opposite side of the holy Emperor, the rational and logical ruler, battling against the cold, imperial power from her position.
It was as difficult as ascending to the heavens, but her elder brother was innocent.
Chang Suining stood up and instructed Xi’er, "Go back with me to change."
The most urgent matter was to take the initiative and figure out the situation and all the parties involved, so as to avoid being passive.
First, she needed to meet the witness her brother had mentioned.
Half an hour ago, a messenger from the Prince Rong’s household had arrived, informing her that the Prince Rong’s heir had woken up and, upon hearing about her recent visits with gifts, had instructed his servants to come to the Chang family to thank her.
For Chang Suining, this wasn’t a thank-you; it was an invitation.
Now, she was going to keep her appointment.
Chang Suining didn’t change into a new dress for the meeting but instead wore a practical round-neck robe that was easier to move in. Her hair was loosely tied into a ponytail, without any extra effort to make it more elaborate.
She didn’t use the main gate when heading to the Prince Rong’s residence.
Instead, she silently jumped over the back wall and entered the Prince Rong’s residence.
She had visited the Prince Rong’s residence many times before. Though it had been renovated over the years, the overall layout hadn’t changed much.
She moved stealthily, avoiding detection, and smoothly reached the courtyard where the heir of Prince Rong lived.
“The heir has just taken his medicine, so he should not be disturbed by reading...” a female servant advised softly beside him.
Prince Rong’s heir was always one to listen to advice, and at this moment, he put down the book in his hands, his voice weak as he said, “Alright, I’ll rest. You may all leave.”
"Yes, Your Highness. If you need anything, just call us as usual."
The heir of Prince Rong was particularly fond of peace and quiet, but because of his breathing condition, he often couldn’t call out when his illness flared up. There were several golden bells in the room, placed in convenient spots, and whenever the servants heard the bell, they would immediately enter.
Li Lu, who was lying by the bed, nodded and closed his eyes to rest.
The female servants tiptoed out and gently closed the door, staying outside in the corridor.
The room became quiet again, until after a moment, there was a slight sound of movement. A hand parted the beaded curtain, and a figure entered.
Li Lu opened his eyes in surprise and instinctively sat up straighter.
As the curtain fell, a young woman dressed in a pale robe and with her dark hair tied up walked toward him, asking, "Are you surprised to see a guest?"
Li Lu’s weak face showed a curious smile. “What surprises me is not that a guest has come, but that I didn’t know when the guest would arrive.”
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