After Rescuing The Sickly White Moonlight - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The case of the Imperial Examination fraud carried heavy implications. The Zheng family was trapped in a predicament; even if the Emperor intended to protect them, his hands were tied. Consequently, he granted Zheng Heng a few days of leave to return home and seek some peace.

As soon as Zheng Heng arrived home, he heard of Zheng Yanzhang’s illness and rushed to visit. The room was so packed with people that Zheng Heng could barely find a place to stand.

Seeing his father, Zheng Yanzhang spoke with a slight weakness but in good spirits: “Father, do not worry. Your son is fine.”

Zheng Heng hesitated to speak. Lin Yu gave Guanqi’s sleeve a tug; understanding the hint, Guanqi led all non-essential personnel out of the room.

Zheng Heng spoke with deep concern: “Yanzhang, you need not take the civilian rumors to heart. They are groundless words with no credibility.”

Lin Yu soaked a towel in a basin of water, wrung it out, and placed it on Zheng Yanzhang’s forehead. “Uncle, we all know in our hearts that the First Young Master’s title of Huiyuan (top scorer of the provincial exam) is well-deserved. But others do not. They only think Master Lu deliberately leaked the questions. We went to visit the Lu Manor, only to be told that Master Lu has closed his doors to all guests. Rather than sitting still and waiting for death, it is better to take the initiative.”

Lin Yu’s words rang out with resolve: “Let us make a bet. Before the Palace Examination, we shall uncover the truth and restore the First Young Master’s innocence.”

Zheng Heng looked at Zheng Yanzhang. Though the youth’s face was pale, his eyes were bright with spirit. Zheng Yanzhang pleaded, “Father, Xiao Yu is right.”

Zheng Heng made up his mind: “Very well. I shall go and request an audience with His Majesty.”

Before Zheng Heng could even request to enter the palace, the Crown Prince sent word.

The messenger was dressed very inconspicuously. He intercepted Zheng Heng as he was about to leave the manor, revealed a token from the Eastern Palace, and handed over a small slip of paper.

“Baiwei.”

Lin Yu stared at that thin piece of paper as if he wanted to burn a hole through it.

He remembered now.

In his previous life, the Crown Prince’s medicine had been swapped by Consort Zhang. Her goal was to create a rift between the Emperor and the Prince during the Great Hunt, subsequently eroding the Prince’s reputation to push Liang Yinan forward. To ensure total success, she had even ordered someone to place Cnidium seeds under the Prince’s saddle.

The Imperial Examination fraud had been orchestrated by Suo Lou. He used the incident to smear the Zheng family’s name, causing them to lose the favor of the scholars and ruining Zheng Yanzhang’s official career.

In that past life, while Zheng Yanzhang was mired in the fraud scandal, his mentor Lu An was found days later having hanged himself in his home. He left behind a blood-written note: “The questions came from Zheng.”

Four words that sealed Zheng Yanzhang’s guilt.

Snapping back to reality, Lin Yu shouted to Zheng Heng: “Uncle, quick! Go to Master Lu’s manor! No matter what, you must guard him—Master Lu is in danger!”

Seeing the absolute certainty on his face, Zheng Heng didn’t ask for reasons. He immediately ordered Zheng Zhili to take several skilled servants to the Lu Manor with instructions to protect Lu An and bring him back to the Zheng Manor under the cover of night.

Zheng Yanzhang struggled to sit up, grabbing Lin Yu’s hand. “Xiao Yu, what is it? Why would Master Lu be in danger?”

Lin Yu pursed his lips, looking at the three people before him, hesitating on how to explain.

Anxious, Zheng Yanzhang broke into a fit of coughing. Zheng Heng hurried to pat his back to help his breathing.

Lin Yu’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat, his palms turning icy.

“Brother, this matter is clearly aimed at you. No matter the outcome, the world will only remember that your title is in doubt. If your mentor is found to have met an ‘accident’ now and leaves something behind…”

“They will only believe Master Lu committed suicide out of guilt,” Zheng Yanzhang murmured.

“Then the stain on Brother’s name will never be washed away,” Zheng Qingyun added.

Seeing their anger, Lin Yu quickly tried to comfort them: “This is merely my speculation. It might not turn out that way.”

Zheng Heng suddenly remembered something: “Since Suo Lou sent a secret message, it means he will act soon. Yanzhang, your priority is to recover. I will enter the palace immediately to present our case. We will deliberate further once Zhili returns.”

Zheng Yanzhang agreed. Lin Yu watched him with worry, failing to notice the complex look Zheng Qingyun cast in his direction.

Liang Jin looked with utter helplessness at Zheng Heng, who was kneeling below him with a determined stance.

“Dezhong, I know you are anxious. You should logically recuse yourself from this matter. I have already ordered the Ministry of Justice to investigate. Do not worry; innocence will be restored to Yanzhang.”

Zheng Heng replied: “Thank you, Your Majesty. However, this matter is of great consequence, and Yanzhang is bedridden. I am truly worried.”

Just then, a eunuch entered to announce: “Your Majesty, the Crown Prince requests an audience.”

Liang Jin knew full well why Liang Yi’an had come. He sighed at the youth’s sincerity and allowed him in.

As soon as Liang Yi’an entered, he knelt to the front-left of Zheng Heng, his words earnest: “Father, I beg you to allow me to personally investigate this matter.”

Liang Jin waved for Zheng Heng to leave, keeping Liang Yi’an behind. Liang Yi’an gave Zheng Heng a reassuring look, indicating he had a plan. Ultimately, after their discussion, Liang Jin granted the Prince’s request.

Once Liang Yi’an left, Liang Jin’s expression darkened. He took a secret note from a hidden compartment on a shelf.

“The Purple Star stands beside him; it is the seat of Destiny.”

This was given to Liang Jin by the late Emperor on his deathbed. Twenty years ago, the Supervisor of the Observatory had made a prophecy, but the late Emperor had only shared these few words. Later, the Supervisor passed away and the late Emperor abolished the Observatory; the full prophecy was known to no one else.

Night fell, and shadows flickered in the Zheng Manor.

Zheng Yanzhang’s fever had broken, though his body still felt light. Lu An sat nearby, still shaken and stained with blood. Liang Yi’an helped Zheng Yanzhang sit up, draping a fox-fur cloak over his shoulders.

Lin Yu held a blood-stained paper, noticing crumbs on the edges. He touched them carefully; they didn’t feel like mere dust.

Meanwhile, Lu An was recounting his ordeal to the newly returned Zheng Heng.

Lu An had heard the rumors of the past two days in the capital. He held them in utter contempt; in his eyes, Zheng Yanzhang’s talent was unmatched by anyone in the last twenty years—if he wasn’t the top scorer, who else could be?

Who could have known this fire would burn its way to him? His wife had passed away long ago, leaving behind a son who had returned to his grandparents’ home a few days prior. Lu An lived alone and, preferring peace, had given his servants a few days off.

To avoid suspicion during the scandal, he had stayed behind closed doors. This afternoon, as he went to the garden to clear his head, he was nearly struck by an assassin out of nowhere. Relying on the garden’s complex terrain, he managed to lose one, but he was struck unconscious from behind by a hidden second assailant.

In his hazy state, he felt someone looping something around his neck—a rope. He tried to wake up, but he was hoisted up as the sensation of suffocation slowly surrounded him.

With a thud, the door was kicked open, followed by the sound of fighting.

Zheng Zhili had scaled the wall into the Lu Manor only to find it eerily empty. Sensing something was wrong, he rushed to Lu An’s quarters. He arrived just as several masked men in black were hoisting Lu An toward a beam. Lu An’s struggles were becoming faint.

The two groups clashed. The assassins did not linger for a long fight and fled after a few exchanges. Zheng Zhili told his men not to pursue and hurried to get Lu An down. Lu An’s face had turned a deep purple; a moment later and he would have been gone.

They stayed at the Lu Manor until sunset before returning to the Zheng Manor and calling for a physician.

Lin Yu’s attention, however, was fixed on the “suicide note” found on Lu An. In his previous life, this very note had been the final nail in the coffin for Zheng Yanzhang. The Emperor had punished the other students but allowed Zheng Yanzhang to keep his qualification for the Palace Exam, which only incited further public outrage. Naturally, his ranking was poor, and he was eventually granted only a very low-ranking official post.

But in his previous life, while Lin Yu was investigating an old case, he discovered that the leaked examination question bags contained half a drop of mermaid glue and some shavings of golden-thread phoebe wood—materials strictly reserved for the Imperial Family.

Seeing Lin Yu so engrossed in the paper, Zheng Qingyun leaned in to observe as well. He, too, noticed the unusual crumbs. He first thought it was some kind of crystal, but closer inspection revealed wood grain.

“Fetch the Water-Ripple paper!” he commanded Guanyi.

The moment the Xuan paper was pressed against the bloodstains, several unique golden thread-like grain structures appeared.

“It is golden-thread phoebe,” Zheng Qingyun said.

Liang Yi’an clenched his fist. “Only the Imperial Family may use golden-thread phoebe. The paper is ordinary; it must have been left there accidentally.”

The candlelight made the wood grain even clearer.

“But how could this be mixed into a blood-written note?” Lin Yu suddenly rose, taking out the secret note from Liang Yi’an. “Your Highness, who gave you this secret message?”

Liang Yi’an answered matter-of-factly: “Intercepted it from Suo Lou. He was sending it to someone else.”

Zheng Qingyun muttered to himself: “Baiwei… Bai… Thousand! Qianhua Alley! There are abandoned imperial kilns from the former dynasty there!”

When the third watch bell rang, Zheng Zhili led men to pry open the old kiln deep in Qianhua Alley. It was dark, damp, and smelled of mold, making Zheng Qingyun wrinkle his nose. Lin Yu carefully wrapped a handkerchief around his nose and mouth and pulled out a scented sachet. Only then did Zheng Qingyun feel better.

Liang Yi’an handed a handkerchief to Zheng Yanzhang; a man newly recovered from illness could not handle such dust.

In the darkness, the candlelight swept over a mound of earth. Unlike the surrounding areas abandoned for years, this soil was freshly turned. Zheng Zhili stepped forward and dug through it, picking up a half-burnt fragment of a secret letter from the ashes.

The remaining characters for “Yin” and “Water Transport” caused everyone to gasp—Prince Yin’s fief was exactly at the water transport hub.

“I see,” Zheng Yanzhang coughed, wrapping his cloak tighter. “Suo Lou’s disciples basically control the Ministry of Rites. Prince Yin controls the convenience of water transport, using official ships to smuggle exam questions out of the capital. Master Lu is marginalized in the Ministry of Rites and has close ties with the Zheng Manor. This was the perfect chance to eliminate him and frame it as a suicide out of guilt. A clever plan indeed.”

Liang Yi’an carefully collected the scraps and handed them to a confidant. As they were about to leave, the sound of fighting erupted at the entrance.

They rushed out to find the Zheng Manor’s secret guards clashing with several men in black. One of them had a tattoo revealed on his sleeve. It looked very familiar to Lin Yu.

“Leave one alive!” Liang Yi’an barked, but the men in black were already spitting blood.

Guanqi hurried to pry open a dead man’s jaw. “Your Highness, they have committed suicide with poison.”

This group of men in black was clearly different from the ones encountered at Master Lu’s earlier. Those were like mercenaries for hire; these were clearly suicide agents.

The next day, Liang Yi’an stayed in his study all day, meticulously organizing the evidence. A confidant lurking at the abandoned imperial kiln caught a kiln worker hiding a small wooden box. Without any torture, the worker confessed everything.

On the third day, at the break of dawn, the Crown Prince’s guards escorted the trembling kiln worker to wait outside the Imperial Study. Liang Yi’an presented the gathered evidence to the Emperor. At the bottom of the wooden box was the private seal of Prince Yin.

Liang Jin smashed his teacup to pieces. A flying shard grazed Suo Lou’s neck, leaving a bloody scratch. The Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites knelt on the ground, not daring to utter a word in his defense.

“Your Majesty, have mercy!” Suo Lou threw himself down, his forehead striking the ground hard. “I have failed in my teaching, allowing Prince Yin to bribe the Assistant Minister into such wrongdoing.” Trembling, he presented a list: “I am willing to atone for my crimes with service. I beg Your Majesty’s permission.”

Zheng Heng stared at that list. He suddenly remembered many years ago when Suo Lou had done the same—pushing out a scapegoat in a military grain embezzlement case to clear himself and save his career.

A storm was coming.

Prince Yin’s manor was surrounded by the Black Armor Army like an iron bucket. Prince Yin was thrown into the Imperial Prison. Liang Yi’an searched the manor top to bottom but found no other clues—except for a dragon robe.

Three days later, during the morning court.

Suo Lou apologized before the court, weeping and saying he had failed as a mentor. Seeing this, the Emperor found it difficult to say more; after all, there was no direct evidence linking Suo Lou to the fraud. Suo Lou was charged with negligence, demoted one rank, and fined six months’ salary. The matter was considered closed.

The Imperial Edict was proclaimed to the world. Seven students and officials involved in the fraud were punished; Prince Yin was stripped of his status and made a commoner. The seven students were tied up and thrown into the West Market along with the implicated officials. The executioner’s blade was dulled from use. Though it was said “Spring is for rewards, Autumn for punishments,” they were the exception.

The stain on Zheng Yanzhang’s name was washed clean, and he began to prepare seriously for the upcoming Palace Examination.

Three days later, for some unknown reason, Suo Lou insisted on visiting the Zheng Manor.

Zheng Heng waved his hand: “I will not see him. There is nothing left for us to say to each other.”

However, Suo Lou ignored the gatekeeper’s obstruction and strode forward to grab Zheng Heng’s hand. With tears streaming down his face, he wailed: “Dezhong, my old friend, back then you and I…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by a fit of coughing.

A white handkerchief was stained with spots of blood. Zheng Qingyun looked pale, swaying on his feet. Zheng Heng shook off Suo Lou’s hand and rushed to Zheng Qingyun. Suo Lou stood frozen in place, his hand hanging awkwardly in the air.

A bolt of thunder split the dark clouds, illuminating the purple patterns on his robes.