Chapter 205: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 205: How Deep is the Friendship? (Supplementary Update)
2023-05-31
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?” Chang Suining asked.
“Of course.” The woman frowned, her tone unfriendly. “Last time, Miss Chang almost had me buried alive.”
Chang Suining looked at the woman, who had removed her veil and now wore an angry expression. “You’re still angry after all this time?”
The woman, who had been forced to sit on the straw heap, raised her bound hands and retorted, “Why does Miss Chang think I’m angry?”
She had saved the woman out of goodwill, yet the woman invited her here and then had her hands and feet bound!
“Sorry, I was indeed impolite,” Chang Suining apologized. “I wasn’t sure of your intentions and didn’t know if you had companions—whether they were friends or foes couldn’t be determined from just that one arrow. I usually don’t act this way, but with my brother’s life hanging in the balance, I couldn’t afford any risks. Once I’m sure you’re not an enemy, I will make amends.”
Upon hearing the apology, the woman’s expression softened. “It’s good to be cautious and not trust people too easily.”
“I truly came to help,” the woman said, accepting the situation of being bound as she spoke earnestly. “I’ve been in the capital recently, and after hearing about your brother’s trouble, Her Highness, the Princess of Xuan’an, sent a pigeon to the capital, instructing us to assist you in every way possible.”
Her words were somewhat vague, but it was the best she could do.
Even so, Chang Suining seemed puzzled. “Why would Her Highness, the Princess of Xuan’an, help our family?”
“Our princess and General Chang have been old friends for many years,” the woman explained. “However, to avoid suspicion, she hasn’t publicly acknowledged this.”
Chang Suining was skeptical.
She couldn’t help but recall the strange attitude her father had when mentioning her aunt.
“Do you have any proof that my father and the Princess of Xuan’an are close?”
After asking, Chang Suining realized it might be an unreasonable demand, but without evidence, she couldn’t fully trust the woman.
Unexpectedly, the maid immediately responded, “Of course!”
“I’ve been entrusted by Her Highness to frequently deliver letters to General Chang in secret, and I’ve also delivered medicine to relieve his leg pain. The last time I delivered the medicine, I nearly got caught by Miss Chang... I remember you and your brother were offering paper money during the ceremony, Miss Chang—do you remember?”
Chang Suining recalled the incident. “So it was you.”
“That was me!”
Putting together the earlier clues, Chang Suining had already begun to trust her, but seeing the maid’s unusual attitude, she decided to press a little further. “But that only proves you’ve been to my family’s house... Do you have anything else?”
The maid became a little anxious, deciding to give a decisive proof to make Chang Suining fully believe her.
“I also know that your brother has a cloud-shaped birthmark on the left side of his buttocks!”
Chang Suining: “…?”
The maid continued, “This is something General Chang told Her Highness personally!”
The maid looked at Chang Suining’s reaction, then hesitated before asking, “...Miss Chang didn’t know about this birthmark?”
Of course not! She was a girl and also adopted—she would have avoided any appearance of suspicion. How could she have seen her brother’s backside?
The maid had been careless.
As she considered how to provide another proof, she saw the young woman nod. “I know.”
When Chang Sui'an was still an infant, she had indeed had the chance to see it.
However, it was already strange that Old Chang had told the Princess of Xuan’an about this matter—how could this maid casually mention it? Could it be that the entire Princess's residence knew what her brother’s birthmark looked like?
Chang Suining’s suspicions began to grow bolder.
She gestured for Chang Ren to untie the maid.
“I apologize for the earlier offense.”
“It’s no problem. You can call me Yao Jin.” Having gained Chang Suining’s trust, the maid eagerly began discussing the rescue plan. “What are your plans, Miss Chang? If you have no way to rescue him, I have a suggestion…”
Chang Suining raised an eyebrow. “Another prison break?”
Yao Jin was stunned. “You’re planning the same thing?”
“No, many have suggested it.” Chang Suining responded. “But I think there’s a better way.”
“Could Miss Chang share it?” Yao Jin asked. “Our princess has people in the capital who might be able to help.”
Given the current situation, any "better way" would inevitably involve great risk, so any extra help would be appreciated.
Yao Jin spoke, lifting her hands toward Chang Suining. “If you still don’t trust me and are worried I might leak the plan, feel free to tie me up again.”
She even proposed, “Or, if you gave that poison to the man in black earlier, you can give me a dose of the same as well.”
“...No need, I only brought one.” Chang Suining, with a hint of testing in her tone, directly asked, “I wonder if the Princess of Xuan’an has anyone useful in the Marquis of Ying’s residence?”
She asked this because she understood her aunt’s personality and methods.
Her aunt was not as the rumors suggested—greedy for pleasures and obsessed with men. If the Princess of Xuan’an had placed any spies in the Ming family, they would be extremely useful, and she wouldn’t need to risk meeting Meng Lie at this time.
Furthermore, the Princess of Xuan’an, with her own power in the rich and prosperous Xuanzhou, was different from the courtiers under the holy Emperor’s reign. If she could draw such a force deeply into their plans, even if the plan failed, it would provide an additional escape route and support.
After all, Xuanzhou was quite close to Yangzhou, and the holy Emperor would certainly be more wary of it.
No matter how one weighed the options, this was a very good potential ally.
Moreover, through this, she could further test the Princess of Xuan’an and her subordinates' attitudes toward her brother.
After a moment, the maid, Yao Jin, nodded without hesitation: “There is one.”
Chang Suining immediately asked, “Are we killing or capturing someone?”
“No,” she replied. “That won’t prove your brother’s innocence.”
Yao Jin paused. “...Is your brother truly innocent?”
Chang Suining looked at the maid.
The attitude of the maid was worth pondering.
So, the Princess of Xuan’an didn’t know that her brother was wronged, but still rushed to help without caring for the truth. Such unreserved and unprincipled support—was it really just because of her old friendship with Old Chang? If so, how deep must that friendship be?
...
After the assassination attempt was discovered, because of the clues Chang Suining had deliberately left behind and the officers having visited the Chang residence to confirm it, the government quickly determined that the person who had been attacked was indeed a Young Miss Chang.
The officers guarding outside the Chang residence were alarmed.
The Young Miss Chang had sneaked out of their sight... and after leaving, something happened to her!
The authorities did not make this public, but with so many eyes on the Chang family’s movements, the news of Chang Suining’s predicament hadn’t spread widely, yet those who needed to know were already aware.
The news reached the palace, where Ming Luo said, “Your Majesty need not worry. Since we didn’t find Miss Chang at the scene, it seems the attackers must have other plans, and for now, her life should not be in danger.”
“I wonder who could be behind this...” the holy Emperor’s expression darkened, filled with many speculations, but he first instructed Ming Luo, “Go to the Ming family and see Chang Shi.”
Ming Luo nodded in understanding and immediately left.
As he exited Ganlu Hall, Ming Luo raised the corner of her mouth slightly.
Had that madman succeeded?
It seemed so.
Once she saw Chang Shi, she should get the answer.
However, she didn’t see Chang Shi.
Suddenly feeling uncertain, Ming Luo didn’t dare to delay and immediately returned to the palace to report to the holy Emperor, “...The servants say they don’t know when my mother left the house, and she hasn’t returned yet.”
For safety, Chang Shi had been placed under house arrest by the holy Emperor.
the holy Emperor laughed coldly in anger upon hearing this. “She really will stop at nothing to make foolish mistakes... She better hope she hasn’t made a huge one.”
That foolish woman really thought she could deal with a military general’s adopted daughter as she pleased!
Soon, under the holy Emperor’s orders, search efforts were underway both within and outside the capital to locate Chang Shi and Chang Suining.
The news of Chang Suining’s assassination attempt and her disappearance also spread to the Yao family, the Marquis of Zheng’s residence, the Changsun family, and various other parties.
At this moment, there were no fewer than ten young women, including Yao Xia and Wei Miaoqing, who were so worried they couldn’t eat or sleep.
Duan Shi also repeatedly urged her son to inquire and search for her.
Unbeknownst to Duan Shi, Wei Shuyi had already arranged for a search as soon as he heard the news.
That night, many stayed awake.
The sky darkened and then brightened again. The rain had long stopped, but the weather never cleared up. Ministry of Justice’s dungeon had become increasingly damp and cold.
“...I heard that the Young Miss Chang was assassinated and is now missing!”
“Yes, many people died at the scene, and the whole river was stained red!”
“I wonder who did this?”
Chang Sui'an, who had just been dragged off the torture rack, heard the guards talking and suddenly opened his swollen, injured eyes. “What are you saying? What happened to my sister?!”
"Yo, you're speaking pretty loudly now, but as soon as you're tortured, you act dead?"
"...You guys won't even spare my sister!" The young man's eyes suddenly filled with tears of extreme anger and sorrow. "What did our Chang family do wrong? Why? What right do they have?"
He still didn't know who framed him, but he refused to admit guilt because he didn't want to tarnish his father's reputation or let his sister be wronged in the process... But now his sister had gotten into trouble!
Covered in bloodstains from his prison clothes, fresh blood continually oozed from his wounds. His hands and feet were shackled in iron chains, and tears ran down his filthy face, leaving two pale gray streaks.
Since being brought into this dungeon, whether wronged or tortured, the young man had never resisted. But now, he suddenly broke free from the two guards.
He was going to save Ning Ning!
"Stop him!"
"Quick, there's a major criminal trying to escape the prison!"
Soon, a group of guards with knives surrounded him and blocked his way. One of them held a long blade and stabbed it into Chang Sui'an’s already-wounded shoulder.
The young man, covered in injuries, collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his mouth. Under the immense emotional strain, his already weak body couldn't hold up anymore, and he fainted.
At this moment, the official overseeing the case, Han Shaoqing, arrived.
The young man was thrown back into his cell, lying on a pile of straw, pale and unconscious, his life uncertain.
Han Shaoqing asked, "Still refusing to confess?"
"Reporting to Lord Han, we’ve used all the methods available in the torture chamber, but he still refuses to confess."
Thinking of the deadline given from above, Han Shaoqing frowned. "We cannot delay any longer."
The guards hesitated for a moment but then answered, "Yes, sir."
After a short while, someone entered the cell and pressed the fainted young man’s right hand onto a pre-prepared confession document.
"Lord Han... the prisoner’s condition is critical. Should we send for a Physician to treat his injuries?"
Han Shaoqing, holding the confession document, replied, "The criminal, Chang Sui'an, has confessed. After it is verified by the three offices, we will choose a day for execution."
Seeing Han Shaoqing leave, the two guards exchanged looks and understood immediately—this meant no medical treatment would be provided.
Since he had already "confessed," dying before the execution wouldn't matter.
Having military generals on the outside made executing their sons problematic for various reasons, so if he died in prison, it would make future explanations a bit easier.
As night fell, someone arrived outside the Minister of Justice’s dungeon, claiming to see Chang Sui'an.
This chapter, over three thousand words long, has been updated as promised (following through as always (づ￣3￣)づ╭).
As for the case, it will become clearer tomorrow.
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