A Single Tie Of Long Hair Seals A Lifelong Commitment - Chapter 6

This remark struck a chord.

Li Yilian was trapped, with his career ahead of him and old acquaintances behind him. No matter which side he chose to abandon, he was bound to end up satisfying neither.

Qiu Shiyan was also less composed and arrogant than before, his expression showing a hint of panic.

The surrounding crowd stirred again, but then they heard Gao Guan shout in a thick voice, “Quiet down!”

The noise of the people was suppressed, leaving only the chirping of birds in the hall.

Chen Liangyu repeatedly exerted pressure, wanting to force Li Yilian to open the court and try the case as soon as possible, but the official remained hesitant.

Li Yilian also looked back. The screen was embroidered with a Xiezhi (mythical beast representing justice) and inscribed with the words “Discerning Clarity” . He sat back down behind the official desk and said, “Prefect Zhou has always had a reputation for integrity. Lord Qiu appreciated his character and transferred him from Xuzhou to Yongdu, intending to arrange a marriage with him. The matter between Young Master Qiu and Miss Zhou is purely a misunderstanding.”

Zhou Pei glanced at Chen Liangyu, then nervously looked at Li Yilian, “Reporting to the official, there has never been such a thing. I beg the official to discern clearly and administer justice for this humble woman.”

“A major marriage arrangement follows the command of parents and the words of a matchmaker. The elders of both families were already discussing it. It is reasonable and understandable that Young Master Qiu and Miss Zhou, having met by chance, were unable to restrain their feelings.”

Qiu Shiyan hurriedly said, “That is right. Miss Zhou and I have an established matchmaker; there was no talk of forceful abduction.”

Qiu Shiyan’s mind was still quick. He knew that as long as the case went to court and the gavel was struck, Li Yilian would not be able to protect him completely today. Thus, he followed Li Yilian’s words and acknowledged the marriage. Although he looked down on the Zhou family due to their lower status, this was the most appropriate solution now. He could marry her, toss her into a side courtyard, and give her a living allowance. He could still indulge in wine and women in Yongdu, which was certainly better than being exiled or conscripted.

It truly was a case of twisting right and wrong.

Chen Liangyu opened her mouth and asked Qiu Shiyan, “You say a matchmaker was established. May I ask who the matchmaker was? When were the Geng Tie (birth date exchanges) made? Have the ‘Asking the Name’ and ‘Nazing’ (betrothal gifts) been performed?”

Li Yilian was still mediating, “Commander Chen, wouldn’t turning conflict into marriage be a beautiful thing? Why must you insist on a life-or-death outcome?” Then, with an earnest expression, he advised Zhou Pei: “Miss Zhou, you have written a blood letter and attempted to kill yourself by banging your head against a pillar, completely disregarding your own reputation and making the matter known to everyone. Marrying into the Qiu Residence is already your best way out. Your father and Lord Qiu serve in court together, and Young Master Qiu is also a talented man. Marrying him will not be an injustice to you.”

Chen Liangyu was filled with anger and indignation.

A respectable young woman from an innocent family suffered this unwarranted disaster, yet she had nowhere to appeal for justice.

The court stood high, yet it looked at the world with a squinted, condescending eye.

“It’s not an injustice? I hear that Lord Li’s second daughter is currently being considered for marriage. What do you think of her marrying into the Qiu family? Lord Li and Lord Qiu also serve in court together. Marrying such a person is no injustice to your esteemed daughter! If Lord Li is willing, my Chen family is willing to step forward and act as the matchmaker.”

The Yong’an Prefect became furious and slapped the table, “What kind of talk is that! Commander Chen, why must you deliberately make things difficult for this official? You are also an unmarried young woman. You might consider that since a great mistake has been made, if you don’t concede this step, what good family will be willing to marry a woman who has lost her innocence in the future? Commander Chen, it is not that this official is biased, but a woman’s standing in the world relies on nothing more than ‘chastity’ and ‘integrity.’ Handling it this way is good for both parties.”

Chen Liangyu was somewhat silenced. The shackles of chastity were hard for anyone to break free from. She asked Zhou Pei, “Miss Zhou, what is your intention?”

Zhou Pei anxiously said, “This humble woman has never been betrothed to the Qiu family, nor has my father ever discussed it with them. I beg the official to grant me justice. I only ask for justice, and then I will go up the mountain to shave my head and become a nun.”

Li Yilian seized the opportunity and added fuel to the fire, “Miss Zhou, what is ‘justice’? Is it something you can see and touch? What benefit is there for you to be so stubborn and unreasonable? If you insist on suing Qiu Shiyan, this official can certainly accept your complaint and open the court for a public trial. However, once in court, we must speak of evidence, and the result may not be as the young woman wishes. This official advises you for your own good. It preserves the dignity of both families, and your father and brother will also have someone to help them in the future. To put it bluntly, without this incident, it would be genuinely difficult for you to marry into such a high position!”

“Prefect!” Chen Liangyu strongly disagreed with his categorical statement. “You are a magistrate who is supposed to administer justice for the people. Are the words ‘What is justice?’ something that should come out of your mouth? If you cannot administer justice, what is the use of this court?”

Li Yilian was left speechless by the rebuttal. Although she carried the military token of the Marquis of Xuanping, she was still a junior, and her position was lower than his. Being so blatantly contradicted, he lost face, “Commander Chen, the Southern Barracks (Nanya) has no right to interfere with the judgments of the Yong’an Prefecture. Disrupting the court, this official has the right to ask you to leave.”

Having lost the argument, he resorted to using his official authority to pressure her.

“Is Lord Li perhaps a little confused? The court is outside; Lord Li has not opened the trial, so how can there be talk of disrupting the court?” Chen Liangyu toyed with the military token and said calmly, “You summoned my Southern Barracks men to stand in front of the common people, taking the blame and enduring the curses for you, while you hide and act as a major matchmaker. If you don’t give an explanation today, I will overturn this Yong’an Prefecture!”

The person behind the screen could no longer sit still.

Gao Guan ran in, panting, “Commander, people from the Ministry of Punishment (Xingbu) are here.”

Chen Liangyu stood up, “Since Lord Li is determined to bend the law for personal gain, it is better to hand this case over to another department for separate trial.”

As she spoke, two officials from the Ministry of Punishment had already entered. Judging by their bitter expressions, it was clear that Chen Linjun had already reprimanded the Ministry of Punishment. The two officials, clutching a formal document, ordered men to temporarily take Qiu Shiyan into custody at the Ministry of Punishment.

“I will take my Southern Barracks men now. Furthermore, the salaries for the Southern Barracks are not issued by you, Lord Li. In the future, please bother your own people for tasks in the Yong’an Prefecture. Lord Li, take care of yourself.” As she spoke, she picked up Zhou Pei from the ground and looked towards the back of the screen, saying, “Assistant Minister Qiu, I take my leave.”

The Ministry of Punishment official said, “Commander Chen, this young woman is the party involved in the case; we must also take her for questioning.”

Zhou Pei looked at Chen Liangyu, pursed her lips, and then knelt down with a ‘thump’ and kowtowed. Chen Liangyu quickly helped her up, wanted to say something, but couldn’t form words for a long time, only patting her frail shoulder.

Chen Liangyu exited the Yong’an Prefecture with a swing of her robe, her steps agitated.

A pair of old crows circled overhead, cawing e’wa, e’wa, irritating her already troubled heart.

The crowd of onlookers, seeing Qiu Shiyan and Zhou Pei being led away by a group of officials, their excited voices turned into hushed discussions. Gao Guan dispersed the crowd, his entire being dispirited as if his soul had been sucked out. Unsure if he was angry or repressed, his fleshy face was black and red as he busied himself with gathering the troops to return to the Southern Barracks.

Crossing a street, the pedestrians became bustling, and Chen Liangyu slowed down her horse.

Pedestrians, upon seeing the officials, quickly moved to the sides of the road to make way. However, a few people suddenly rushed out from the street corner ahead, driving their horses at full speed. This area was a busy marketplace, but the leader showed no intention of slowing down. The horses and riders knocked over several small stalls along the way.

A boy with a tied-up bun was playing with pebbles in the middle of the road. Startled by the fast-approaching tall horse, he momentarily forgot to move out of the way to escape.

The young man in the lead hastily reined in his horse, but it was already too late.

The horse’s hooves lifted high, accompanied by the sound of the child hitting the ground with a “bang.” A couple dressed in plain cloth quickly ran out of a tailor shop, holding the unconscious child and wailing loudly.

Chen Liangyu shook her whip and urged her horse forward.

Gao Guan tried to reach out and pull her, stopping her from going forward, “Commander, don’t…”

Don’t go! You can’t afford to provoke them! Unfortunately, he was a step too late; he didn’t even touch the edge of her robe. Gao Guan was so anxious he was about to cry, “Oh, my ancestor, you can afford to offend anyone, but I am just a nobody crawling to survive! I… this… you… oh dear!”

Run! Take a shortcut and slip away!

Gao Guan’s mind told him to do this, but his body wouldn’t obey. His legs felt like they were filled with lead, slowly walking towards Chen Liangyu. He walked heavily, feeling as if he were treading a log bridge into the gates of hell. Each step was a wave from the God of Death, and the closer he got, the closer he was to death.

The child was about eleven or twelve years old, with blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, already unconscious. Neighbors quickly ran off to summon a doctor.

The leader of the group that was riding recklessly was a man wrapped in silk and satin. Accessories jangled all over him, and he looked quite thin, but there was a fierce look in his eyes.

Chen Liangyu didn’t have time to bother with him. She dismounted and placed her fingers on the boy’s pulse. His pulse was strong, “There is no danger to his life.” She felt him all over, noting an abnormality in the chest area, estimating that a rib was broken.

The tailor couple thanked her repeatedly.

The man who hit the child didn’t seem to intend to dismount. Hearing her say that the child was out of danger, he breathed a sigh of relief, pulled off a money pouch, and casually tossed it at the feet of the couple, then prepared to leave.

“Stop!”

Chen Liangyu called out to stop him.

The leading man seemed very surprised that someone dared to stop him, and he looked at her provocatively, “Who are you?”

“From the Southern Barracks.”

“Oh,” the man acknowledged lightly and quickly assessed her, “Is there something I can help you with?”

Gao Guan quickly rushed up, standing between the two, bowing to the man on the horse, “Young Master Zhang, I am Gao Guan of the Southern Barracks. This is our new Commander of the Southern Barracks.” Then he introduced to Chen Liangyu, “This is the son of the Right Prime Minister, Young Master Zhang Jialing.”

After speaking, he desperately winked at Chen Liangyu, blinking so hard his eyelids almost twitched with spasms. If it weren’t in broad daylight and a man couldn’t shed tears lightly, he would have burst into a snotty, weeping mess on the spot.

These two ancestors must absolutely not clash. Absolutely not. He couldn’t handle either one.

“I know who she is; you don’t need to tell me.” Zhang Jialing cupped his hand in a salute and said, “Junior General Chen, apologies.”

Chen Liangyu previously held no military rank. The title “Junior General” was originally just a way for the soldiers in the Northern Garrison to poke fun at her. Later, although she followed her father and brother to the battlefield and repeatedly achieved military merit, she did not receive an imperial decree due to being a woman. Thus, it was a title without formal status. When others addressed her as such, she simply accepted it as a nickname.

Another young master. She must have stumbled into a nest of young masters. Are there no normal young masters in Yongdu? Men who bully others and act like beasts in human form.

Gao Guan saw that the two were polite and finally let out a sigh of relief.

“You hit someone.”

“He was blocking my way.”

“Riding a horse recklessly in a busy city and injuring others. According to the law, you should receive ten strikes, apologize to the injured party, and come with me to the yamen for your punishment.”

Zhang Jialing lifted his chin, gesturing for Chen Liangyu to look at the money pouch he had thrown on the ground, “I have already compensated them. I can apologize, but I’m afraid these three lowborn people can’t bear it.”

“My father is the current Right Prime Minister, who once served as the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor. Even the Crown Prince must respectfully call him teacher. Now, the Marquis of Xuanping’s Residence is the most trusted by the Emperor, so you naturally have the authority to arrest me. But even if I went with you to the Sixteen Guards or the Yong’an Prefecture, wouldn’t they still have to serve me respectfully and then send me back properly?”

A subtle sneer hung on Zhang Jialing’s lips, “The Southern Barracks is small; the Emperor only gave you a minor, idle post to show respect for the Marquis of Xuanping. Just do your duty; don’t be stubborn. Let alone you, even if the Marquis of Xuanping himself came, he wouldn’t be able to control me!”

Chen Liangyu scanned the young man. His breathing was weak, and his face was pale. Such a lack of vitality was rare. She said coolly, “Prime Minister Zhang’s reputation is renowned throughout the land, yet his son is such a short-lived and rascal-like person. It is truly a case of ‘a tiger giving birth to a dog.'”

“What did you say?” Zhang Jialing was visibly enraged, as if one of her remarks had struck a sore point, causing his facial muscles to twist.

“I said apologize!” Chen Liangyu’s patience was almost gone. She let out a sharp shout, “Bind him up and whip him on the spot!”

Gao Guan’s hanging heart finally died.

He was caught between taking action and not taking action, completely at a loss. However, Zhang Jialing suddenly clutched his chest, hunching over, followed by a gush of blood. He tumbled off his horse, rolled, and fell to the ground, his eyes rolling back as he fainted.

The next day, past noon.

Right Prime Minister Zhang Diancheng tearfully presented a complaint to the Emperor, demanding that Chen Liangyu pay for his son’s life.

When Zhang Jialing’s subordinates delivered him to the medical clinic, he was already unconscious and his breathing was weak. The doctor placed a slice of ginseng in his mouth to sustain him, shaking his head and saying there was nothing more he could do. Zhang Diancheng quickly sent the man to the Imperial Medical Academy for treatment, but he still passed away at noon today.

Chen Yuanqing was summoned to the palace. Chen Linjun immediately left the house, calling on Vice Generals Jinghe and Jingming, and rode off in a different direction.

Chen Liangyu was taken from the Southern Barracks and detained in the Inner Palace courtyard.