Chapter 211: Hello Chang’an
Chapter 211: She Too Can Force Her Way Out
Inside the cell where Chang Sui’an was being held, the prison door now stood wide open. Several jailers crowded around the unconscious youth, one of them holding a pair of sharp scissors that gleamed coldly.
Ah Dian’s expression changed at once. He rushed into the cell, grabbed a jailer by the collar and flung him aside, planting himself in front of Sui’an with fury:
“You’re still bullying him!”
The two jailers hastily explained:
“Never, absolutely not!”
“We were only trying to change the young master’s clothes and treat his wounds!”
It was just that the boy’s body bore too many wounds, bleeding heavily. His prison clothes had stuck fast to the scabs, impossible to remove. They could only try to cut them away little by little with scissors.
Chang Suining stepped forward and knelt at her brother’s side. She called softly, “Ah Xiong,” but got no response. She then reached out to check his breathing and pulse, finally finding a trace of relief.
“…Is the young master of the Chang family still alive?” Wei Shuyi asked, his voice tight as he looked upon the youth’s battered form, scarcely able to bring out the words.
“He still has one breath left.”
The girl’s tone held no anger, only an icy coldness.
Wei Shuyi turned toward the jailers.
The young minister, who usually carried a gentle air like a spring breeze, now showed none of that warmth. The pressure in his gaze was enough to crush.
The jailers dropped to their knees at once.
Wei Shuyi’s voice rang stern:
“This official asks you—who authorized you to use such heavy torture upon the Chang family’s young master? That confession—was it forced out by beating?”
By now, news of the Temple incident had already reached the Ministry of Justice. The Changsun clan had delivered the co-conspirator in person. Chang Shi and her son had been dragged in for trial. And the order to release Sui’an had been decreed by the Holy Emperor himself…
The tide had turned suddenly and completely. The jailers no longer dared to hold any hope of escape. Trembling, they confessed:
“We only acted under orders from Vice Minister Han!”
“That’s right… that confession was forced while the young master was unconscious. Vice Minister Han ordered us to press his finger onto the paper for the seal!”
Suining did not listen further. She had no interest in what names or titles the blame eventually fell upon. Whoever they were, they were nothing more than names, ranks—knives.
And knives are wielded or discarded as fate decides.
Ah Dian had already carefully hoisted Sui’an onto his back and carried him out of the cell.
Wei Shuyi ordered the jailers confined, then followed after Suining:
“The young master’s wounds…”
“We’ll treat them at home,” Suining said.
The damp, rat-infested dungeon was no place to peel away blood-soaked clothes and treat open wounds—it would only expose him to greater danger.
“…Very well.” Wei Shuyi followed her out. He had thought to say he would see everything properly handled, but at the last moment he felt the words were meaningless. This was his duty. And besides, they both knew the truth of things. Such polite assurances were unnecessary.
“Lord Wei still has duties,” Suining said. “You need not escort us.”
“There is no more uncertainty about how this case will be handled,” Wei Shuyi replied. “And besides, ensuring the young master leaves the Ministry of Justice safely—that too is my duty.”
He raised a hand, indicating a side passage:
“Lady Chang, will you not come out this way with me?”
Suining looked in that direction, then shook her head.
“No.”
Wei Shuyi watched her.
The girl’s tone was not harsh, but left no room for doubt:
“When my brother was brought to the Ministry of Justice, it was on the road to the Xuanzhe Bureau. Before countless eyes, he was dragged here as a murderer. Therefore, now I too must take him out through the main gate—openly, before all.”
Justice must be complete. Thorough. Returned to her brother in full.
Of course she knew that letting her brother be seen in such a state would cause an uproar and endless gossip. But she needed that uproar. She needed the Emperor’s guilt and public restitution—so that she and her brother could have breathing room in the days ahead.
“If Lord Wei feels this puts you in a difficult position—” she added gently, “—then you may try to stop me.”
Wei Shuyi gave a helpless laugh.
“To court a beating for nothing… well, Wei cannot say it is impossible.”
“Side door or main gate,” he added, lifting his hand, “Wei will escort Lady Chang either way.”
Not far away, a jailer lingered in the shadows, watching the group depart. He looked down at the heavy food box in his hands and felt an odd pang of regret.
So the young master was leaving. Then who would eat the porridge he had worked so hard to cook?
But the thought had barely formed before he smacked himself on the forehead.
What was he thinking? For the young master to leave this place alive was a blessing!
At home he would have all the fine food and porridge he could want. For such a steadfast young lord, surely great things awaited in his future—why should he be stuck here eating this prison gruel?
The jailer wiped at his eyes, grinning through tears, and hurried away with the food box.
In the front court, because Feng Min had just exposed her grandmother Madam Xie as an accomplice, Ministry of Justice runners had been sent to arrest her. The case was far from over. Crowds of onlookers only grew larger.
So when Chang Sui’an appeared, it was only natural he drew every eye.
And then came the uproar, the gasps of shock.
The boy carried out on someone’s back was nearly unrecognizable, his face pale, his eyes closed, his life hanging by a thread. To call it a horrifying sight was no exaggeration.
At least he was still alive. But in such a condition—had it been delayed another few days, he might not have survived.
A fine youth, the son of a great family, had suffered wrongful imprisonment, all because of the Ming family’s slander…
The only blessing in misfortune was that this youth had a sister—a girl who dared to do the impossible—who never gave up clearing his name.
As for that sister, though she had not been thrown into prison, she too stood before them looking as if she had survived death itself.
Seeing this pair of siblings, even the hardest hearts could not help but be moved with pity.
Suining knew she looked pitiful. But since she was already pitiful, she might as well make full use of it. Otherwise, what a waste.
The crowd, of course, believed it was real. Their sympathy and sorrow were heartfelt.
Even Song Xian and the others who had followed to witness the case.
Grand Tutor Zhu and Grand Master Qiao had stayed behind at the Confucius Temple to clean up the unfinished rites, but many students and scholars had flocked here to the Ministry of Justice, determined to witness justice with their own eyes.
Qiao Yubai’s eyes reddened. He had never seen anyone as wretched as Chang Sui’an. He clenched his fists and turned away, unable to bear the sight.
Suddenly, loud sobbing rang out.
It was not Qiao Yubai—but Cui Lang.
“ brother Sui’an! How have you become like this?”
“brother Sui’an, answer me!”
He staggered forward, hands trembling as he reached out, but dared not touch the broken youth. His sobs grew more anguished:
“To think you, a son of a general’s house, a young hero, should now… should now…”
He could not finish. His cries drowned the rest.
Hu Yi and Xi Zhiyuan quickly rushed to steady him.
Suining watched in silence, a glimmer of approval in her eyes.
Cui Lang’s wailing might have been a touch exaggerated, but at this moment it carried powerful effect. Many of the softer-hearted onlookers were soon wiping tears.
Others were ashamed of having once repeated rumors against the Chang family, near to slapping themselves.
Through this performance, the sympathy and guilt poured onto Chang Sui’an was overwhelming. Were such compassion turned into silver, it would have made him richer than kingdoms.
An imperial attendant, sent by the Emperor to observe, watched with complicated feelings. Seeing the young master carried into a carriage, he muttered:
“How could Lord Wei have allowed them to leave by the main gate?”
Wei Shuyi replied calmly:
“This official did not permit it. But Lady Chang said… she could fight her way out if she must. Tell me, eunuch—what choice would you have made?”
The attendant was speechless.
Better to let things be than make trouble.
The carriage rolled out of sight. At the far end of the street, it was briefly halted by the crowd.
Suining lifted the curtain. Amidst the noise, she saw Ministry of Justice runners escorting a prisoner.
It was Madam Xie.
She must have struggled, for her hair was disheveled, lips pressed tight. Facing the stares and whispers, she forced herself to remain outwardly calm.
But when she turned her head, she met Suining’s steady, indifferent gaze.
Madam Xie’s face twisted instantly, her eyes sharp as blades, filled with hatred and unwillingness. She seemed to want to speak—but the curtain dropped before her.
“Go!”
The guards gave her no chance to pause, dragging her on to meet her fate, to bear the punishment she could never escape.
At the Chang residence, Madam Qiao and Qiao Yumi were waiting anxiously when a servant rushed in with news: the young master had returned.
But before they saw Sui’an, they first heard Cui Lang’s sobbing.
He had ridden back on horseback, crying all the way.
The sound made Qiao Yumi’s heart lurch. Could it be that her brother Sui’an…?!
She stumbled forward in panic.
Cui Lang, ever observant of her, rushed to catch her before she could fall.
“Careful, Miss Qiao!”
“Sixth Young Master Cui?” Her eyes rimmed red, she asked in fear:
“My brother Sui’an—?”
Having cried for so long, Cui Lang’s voice was hoarse:
“brother Sui’an is unconscious. He must be seen by physicians at once.”
At this, Qiao Yumi’s heart eased somewhat. At least he was alive.
As she came back to herself, she realized she was still gripping Cui Lang’s hand. Startled, she pulled away, blurting awkwardly:
“…Sixth Young Master Cui, your hand is so cold.”
Cui Lang coughed lightly.
“It’s nothing. brother Qiao felt cold, so I lent him my cloak.”
“Didn’t my brother bring his cloak?” she asked, puzzled as they walked on.
“He gave it to your honored father.”
“And Father’s?”
“Given to Grand Tutor Zhu.”
“…And the Grand Tutor’s?”
“He gave it to my teacher.”
“…??”
Was this some kind of passing-the-parcel game?
Still, she thought, Sixth Young Master Cui was really quite decent.
He froze himself for Ning Ning, then cried himself hoarse for Sui’an.
Sui’an was settled back into his quarters. To avoid disturbing the physicians, everyone waited outside.
Servants hurried back and forth, too busy to mind courtesy. Qiao Yumi quietly instructed her maid to bring Cui Lang a hot cup of tea to warm his throat.
Cui Lang sipped slowly, savoring it like honey.
Inside, two imperial physicians worked tirelessly, assisted by Chang family servants. They toiled until nightfall to peel away his blood-soaked clothes and clean his wounds.
After being washed and treated, he looked slightly better, though he had yet to awaken.
The palace had sent abundant tonics and medicines—enough to fill two entire carriages. Yu Zeng even arrived in person with eunuchs to oversee matters, showing the utmost seriousness.
He and the Qiao family watched over Sui’an’s bedside for a long time. Though he had survived, their hearts were still heavy.
“…And Suining?” Yu Zeng asked at last. “How are her injuries?”
“Her arm was wounded badly as well…” Wang Shi sighed. “But she has taken medicine, and I saw her finish a bowl of hot porridge. After much persuasion, she finally went to rest.”
“These days Ning Ning has borne the hardest burden,” Qiao Yumi whispered, her eyes swollen from weeping. “She plotted and fought alone, and was hurt herself… Now let her rest in peace, Uncle Yu. Please don’t scold her.”
Everyone knew Yu Zeng’s temper.
After a long silence, he said quietly, voice unreadable:
“…She accomplished something I would not have dared to dream of. What fault could I find with her?”
But Chang Suining had not gone to rest.
In the study, she penned a letter and sent it to Shen Sanmao at the family’s estate outside the city.
Now that her brother was home, it was time to prepare the final steps.
After sending off the letter, she summoned Steward Bai.
“You plan to leave the capital, my lady?” he asked, startled.
It wasn’t leaving the city itself that shocked him, but that she had ordered an accounting of the family’s movable wealth and which estates could be sold. That meant…
“Yes,” Suining said calmly. “To retreat at the right moment is wisdom. This must be done quickly.”
“Though my brother’s name is cleared, and the Holy Emperor, out of guilt, will surely treat the Chang family well—such favor is shallow, and temporary. The truth is, I stirred public anger, forced the Holy Emperor’s hand against the Ming family heir, touched the Emperor’s interests, and meddled in the factional struggles of court. That is the reality.”
She would not gamble on how long the Emperor would care about appearances. The imperial heart was fickle, the court unpredictable. The sooner she withdrew, the better. When danger fell upon them in the future, it would be too late to resist.
And with this precedent, the Emperor would never give them a second chance.
This retreat had been in her mind from the very moment she chose to strike back.
Looking into her sharp, sober eyes, Steward Bai straightened and said solemnly:
“Very well. All shall be as my lady commands.”
For aside from the general’s parting instructions before leaving the capital, the one who had saved the young master this time was none other than Suining. For that reason alone, he could not—would not—question her decision.
The next morning, guests came to the Chang household.
With the Emperor having led the way, it was inevitable that many would arrive to pay respects.
But the very first visitor—was the frailest of all, the Heir of Prince Rong.
✨ End of Chapter 211
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