After Rescuing The Sickly White Moonlight - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Liang Jin was shocked: “What? How is he dead?”

The Empress also sat up, eyes bleary with sleep. Wang Fu lowered his voice and said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, he was discovered by the jailers during the night patrol. It appears to be suicide.”

Liang Jin was incredibly frustrated. This brother of his had tried to rebel against him; before Liang Jin had even decided whether to execute him, the man had gone and killed himself.

The Empress comforted him softly: “Your Majesty, please calm your anger. Perhaps the Prince of Yin felt a moment of overwhelming guilt and took the wrong path.”

Liang Jin waved his hand, dismissing Wang Fu. He took the Empress’s hand, the two of them facing each other: “Huan’er, I am not angry that he rebelled. I am angry that he did the deed but lacked the courage to face the consequences. Hmph, with that kind of mettle, he actually coveted the dragon throne beneath me…”

The Empress chuckled softly: “Your Majesty is benevolent and wise; naturally, such a petty person would never succeed. However, the deceased is gone. Your Majesty need not trouble yourself further. Let the Ministry of Rites handle it as per protocol. There is an early court session tomorrow; Your Majesty should rest early.”

As they lay back down, Liang Jin sighed: “With a virtuous helpmate like you, Huan’er, I am truly at ease. By the way, An’er is no longer young. Does he have a lady he favors? I recall that when I was his age, I was nearly ready to marry you.”

The Empress’s body stiffened slightly, but Liang Jin didn’t notice, lost in his reminiscence: “In the blink of an eye, An’er has grown so much.”

She forced a smile: “An’er is grown now; he doesn’t tell me everything. However, the Hundred Flowers Banquet is in a few days. Most of the noble young ladies will attend. Why don’t Your Majesty come then and see which good girl is a fit for our An’er?”

Liang Jin pondered: “Then I shall take a look as well and play matchmaker for once.”

The topic shifted: “Imperial Concubine Zhang mentioned a few days ago that Nan’er had caught a cold. I haven’t asked lately—is he recovered?”

The Empress leaned into Liang Jin’s embrace: “Sister Concubine came yesterday to say he is well and is preparing to bring Nan’er to pay respects to Your Majesty.”

Liang Jin muttered a few more words before sleep finally claimed him. The Empress turned her head cautiously. Seeing him asleep, she rubbed her temples. Thinking of her son, a fire of frustration rose in her heart. She thought of how Liang Yi’an ran to the Zheng Manor every other day, which made her even more uneasy. She only hoped that a suitable lady would catch his eye at the banquet.

Lin Yu woke up early the next day. Seeing Zheng Qingyun still asleep, he climbed out of bed quietly. Outside, Zheng Zhili was practicing with a red-tasseled spear, the weapon whistling through the air.

Lin Yu greeted Zheng Zhili, who asked, “Is Qingyun not up yet?”

Lin Yu nodded: “Let him sleep a bit longer. He went to bed late last night.”

Zheng Zhili gave an “oh” and tossed him a spear, looking eager: “Come, spar with your Second Brother. I haven’t practiced properly in so long, I feel rusty.”

By the time Zheng Qingyun woke up and looked out the window, he saw the two of them trading blows, evenly matched. The morning sun was beautiful, spilling into the room. Zheng Qingyun pulled back the covers and threw on a cloak. Seeing a figure at the door, Lin Yu took a retreating step; Zheng Zhili’s sweep missed, and he tumbled to the ground.

Lin Yu hurried to help Zheng Zhili up, then ran to Zheng Qingyun’s side. Remembering he was sweaty, he pulled out a handkerchief.

Zheng Zhili brushed off the dust and called for Guan Yi and Guan Yue to fetch hot water: “Lin Yu, I don’t know what to say about you. Anyone watching would think you’re Qingyun’s biological brother.”

Lin Yu smiled: “Well, Qingyun calls me ‘Brother’ too, doesn’t he?”

Zheng Qingyun gave him a fleeting look, speaking with a hint of feigned disgust: “So much sweat.”

The handkerchief Lin Yu was about to use on himself suddenly changed direction, swiping across Zheng Qingyun’s face before its owner sprinted away, leaving Zheng Qingyun standing in the breeze, slightly disheveled.

After a quick wash, Uncle Zhang led them to pay respects to the Old Madam. She woke early as a habit, preferring to chant sutras in the prayer room before breakfast. When the three arrived, she had just finished. They paid their respects, Uncle Zhang set the table, and Zheng Mingtang joined them.

The Old Madam was delighted. She pulled Zheng Zhili aside to chat, turned to fuss over Zheng Qingyun, urged Lin Yu to eat quickly, and found a moment to ask Zheng Mingtang how her mother was doing. The house hadn’t been this lively in a long time; Uncle Zhang watched from the side with a satisfied smile.

After the meal, the Old Madam claimed she needed to copy sutras and shooed them out. Zheng Zhili and Uncle Zhang took some men to buy medicinal herbs, while Zheng Mingtang, Zheng Qingyun, and Lin Yu returned to the stone table from the previous night.

The night before had been too dark; even with lanterns, the nameplate was hard to see clearly. Zheng Qingyun brought it out again, and the three sat together. Lin Yu held the plate up to the sun, turning it this way and that. As the light passed through it, Zheng Qingyun suddenly called out: “Brother Yu, stop! Move it back to that position.”

Lin Yu turned it slightly to the right. A spot on the plate allowed light to pass through, thinner than the rest. Zheng Qingyun took it, staring intently at the spot. There appeared to be writing. He called for a brush and paper and traced it out.

When he finished, Lin Yu blurted out: “The script of Chiying!”

Zheng Qingyun turned sharply, staring at Lin Yu in shock: “How do you know that?”

Lin Yu paused, then replied: “My father showed it to me once, so I recognize a bit.” He felt a slight sweat on his back and came up with a plausible excuse.

Whether Zheng Qingyun believed him or not, he asked: “So what does it say?”

Lin Yu said in a low voice: “Purple Qi Comes from the East.”

Zheng Mingtang was puzzled: “‘Purple Qi Comes from the East’? What does engraving that mean?”

Lin Yu shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. Zheng Qingyun then took out the paper packet, and Lin Yu inspected it closely. A faint trace of red was visible at the edge.

Lin Yu: “Cinnabar again.”

Zheng Mingtang looked at Zheng Qingyun, who explained: “The Crown Prince and Lord Cheng were ordered to investigate the plague in Shichuan, but they discovered it wasn’t a plague. The workers were poisoned from long-term exposure to cinnabar ore.”

Lin Yu placed the paper on the stone table, pointing at the red smudge: “This is also cinnabar. If I’m not mistaken, it’s highly likely that Miss Mingtang’s father discovered something and was silenced for it.”

Zheng Mingtang’s body trembled. She lost her footing and sank onto the stone stool: “So… Father knew he would die? That’s why… why he told me those things…” She buried her face in her hands, weeping softly against the table.

Zheng Qingyun and Lin Yu remained silent. After a few sobs, Zheng Mingtang stood up, her voice choked: “When Second Cousin returns, I will take you to my father’s house to look around.”

Lin Yu pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to her, saying softly: “Miss, please restrain your grief. Wipe your tears.” He continued: “It’s not that we are unwilling to go, but with our current abilities, we might not see anything there. Eldest Brother sent a letter saying he’ll be back soon. Why don’t we wait for him and go together?”

Zheng Qingyun agreed. Zheng Mingtang found the logic sound, took the handkerchief, and wiped her eyes.

Zheng Qingyun looked at Lin Yu, puzzled: “Why do you carry so many handkerchiefs on you?”

Lin Yu gave a dry laugh: “Just a habit. See? It came in handy, didn’t it?”

In his mind, he thought: If there were tissues, why would I carry all these cloths? Do I look like I’m ready to patch a hole in my clothes at any moment? Carrying these is exhausting, okay?

Servants brought tea. Lin Yu checked the temperature and poured a cup for everyone. They chatted idly, waiting for Zheng Zhili.

As the sun climbed high, Zheng Zhili returned with a carriage full of herbs. Hearing they were for Zheng Qingyun’s recovery, Uncle Zhang had also bought many supplements. Zheng Zhili couldn’t stop him, so he joined in, even ordering fruit from the manor. He remembered Lin Yu could make fruit taste delicious and wanted the grandmother to try some.

Lin Yu and Zheng Zhili moved the herbs and equipment for the detoxification to a spare room. The shelves were packed. Zheng Qingyun watched from the side and let out a hiss, as if his teeth ached.

Lin Yu didn’t look back, teasing: “Scared of the bitterness?”

Zheng Qingyun nodded, then realized Lin Yu couldn’t see him, so he said, “Of course.” Throughout the journey, Lin Yu had strictly followed the doctor’s orders—dietary therapy and medicinal soups without fail. Even with Lin Yu’s exclusive “bitterness-erasing” snacks, Zheng Qingyun felt his mouth turn bitter at the sight of Chinese medicine.

Lin Yu laughed: “This time you don’t have to drink it. You just need to soak in a bath.”

Zheng Qingyun pouted: “Then won’t I become a medicinal stew?”

Zheng Zhili set the last items by the wooden tub and clapped his hands: “If it makes you better, you can turn into a pill for all I care. Shouldn’t you be happy you don’t have to drink it?”

Lin Yu opened the windows for ventilation. He moved the bathtub Zheng Qingyun often used when staying here and prepared to scrub it. Zheng Zhili pulled Zheng Qingyun outside to keep him from breathing in the dust.

In Suo Lou’s manor, a man dressed in black knelt on the ground reporting: “My Lord, the task is finished.”

Suo Lou nodded, praising him: “Well done.”

The subordinate continued: “As per your orders, we withdrew completely. Nothing can be traced back to you. One more thing—the men at Yanjiang say the Zheng boy didn’t go to Chiying but returned to the ancestral home. Should we tell them to just…” He made a slicing motion across his throat.

Suo Lou chuckled: “What’s the harm in giving him a few more years of life? He’ll die sooner or later anyway. However, keep an eye on that Lin Yu. Find him some trouble now and then. He keeps ruining my plans; it’s hard for me to give an account to the others…”

“Understood.”

“Go call Qi Jiu. Send word south to prepare for the hand-off. Don’t let there be any mistakes this time, or our cooperation ends. Also, tell them people from the North have arrived; tell them to be careful,” Suo Lou ordered.

Once the man left, Suo Lou sat in his chair, eyes closed. After a long time, he turned the prayer beads on his wrist—the beads were lustrous, clearly handled often. He wrote a few words on a piece of paper, studied them for a moment, then tossed it into the incense burner.

The flames consumed the paper, leaving behind fragments of ink: “Mars Lingers over Zheng.”

Suo Lou sneered: “Senior Brother, let’s see whose skill is superior.”

The sunlight hit the floor, but Suo Lou’s face remained buried in the shadows, radiating a faint, eerie fanaticism.

In the palace, the Empress paced slowly. Liang Jin had gone to Imperial Concubine Zhang’s palace for a meal after court. The Empress was waiting for Liang Yi’an.

The moment Liang Yi’an stepped through the door, it was closed behind him. Only the Empress and he were in the room. After bowing, he asked, “Mother, why did you summon me so urgently? Is something wrong?”

The Empress looked at him, hesitant: “An’er, you are sixteen this year, are you not?”

Liang Yi’an was confused: “Yes, Mother.”

The Empress forced a smile: “Is there a girl you favor? Don’t be shy with your Mother, now.”

Liang Yi’an froze, his heart racing. His voice trembled slightly: “Mother, I haven’t…”

“Do you like men?” The Empress interrupted him. Her voice was hoarse but kept low, a sharp interrogation.

Boom! Liang Yi’an felt a ringing in his ears. He felt the Empress’s trembling hands grip his arms, her eyes red: “My child… do you… like that child from the Zheng family?”