Chapter 684: The Living
Madam Xue did not fall to the ground in fright, nor did she grow angry. She looked at that Criminal Ministry Secretary and said softly, “There is no such clause in the Great Zhou Code.”
Seeing that she refused to retreat and remained so calm, the Criminal Ministry Secretary became even more enraged. He signaled his subordinates to drive her away, cursing, “You old hag, if you don’t get lost and keep obstructing my official duties, don’t blame me for being rude to you. When the time comes, don’t you dare complain about the pain!”
This was a naked threat.
No matter how resolute Madam Xue’s temperament was, she could not get past the long spears in the soldiers’ hands. With a dejected expression, she prepared to leave, but suddenly felt that the words she had just heard sounded familiar.
She looked again at that Criminal Ministry Secretary, found him somewhat familiar, and asked uncertainly, “Have I… seen you somewhere before?”
The Criminal Ministry Secretary’s face immediately turned ugly. He barked sharply, “Get this person out of here!”
The City Gate soldiers stepped forward, ready to drive Madam Xue away.
Madam Xue suddenly remembered. She looked at the man with a slightly strange expression and said, “You are Tianhai Sheng?”
The Criminal Ministry Secretary’s face paled slightly, and his voice grew even shriller as he shouted at the crowd, “What are you useless fools waiting for!”
Hearing this, the City Gate soldiers dared not delay any longer. They raised their weapons and made as if to strike at Madam Xue, trying to scare her off.
But Madam Xue acted as if she hadn’t seen these cold, gleaming blades. She just stared at the Criminal Ministry Secretary beyond the crowd, a sneer on her face, along with a trace of deep pain.
She had indeed seen this man before, right in her own mansion.
This man was a distant relative of the Tianhai clan. Relying on his connections with the Tianhai family, he had shamelessly found a way to their residence, treating Xue Xingchuan and her with utmost respect and presenting extremely heavy gifts, all to secure a position.
Xue Xingchuan never accepted gifts, and neither did she. Still, in the end, they helped him get the job, since it wasn’t a major matter.
Several years had passed, and it seemed this man had managed quite well in the ministry, even becoming a Secretary. He had not been implicated in any way and was still entrusted with important duties by the court.
Thinking of this man’s fawning face back then, and then looking at his current arrogant demeanor, Madam Xue found it bitterly ironic.
In the purge that had swept through the capital these past few days, the most vehement and ruthless people were not the old ministers who had opposed Tianhai for years, nor even the princes of the Chen clan. Instead, they were those courtiers who had once seemed most loyal to the Tianhai court, those subordinates of the Tianhai family who had once been the most arrogant.
This was somewhat insane, beyond belief, but throughout countless years of history, it had always been this way.
After a great event, the ones who acted the most crazily, often doing the most unbelievable things, were the betrayers. It seemed only through this near-hysterical display could they prove that their current loyalty was different from their past loyalty, and convince themselves that they need not fear being abandoned by the new powers, thereby gaining freedom from fear.
This Criminal Ministry Secretary was like this, the City Gate Office was like this, certain eunuchs in the palace were like this, the Tianhai family’s retainers were like this, and Zhou Tong was also like this.
It was said that early that morning, Zhou Tong had received Holy Light healing. Barely recovered from his severe injuries, he had immediately reassembled his subordinates in the Purification Department and begun handling affairs, safeguarding the new dynasty.
Thinking of these rumors, looking at that Criminal Ministry Secretary, the sneer in Madam Xue’s smile grew stronger and more piercing.
The Criminal Ministry Secretary felt as if his eyes were being stabbed. Malice surged within him. Instead of ordering her driven away, he shouted, “Arrest her!”
…
…
The Detached Palace.
Mao Qiuyu looked at the His Holiness the Pope, who was watering the green leaves, and said, “The Ancestral Temple has finished its inventory. All the students have returned. As for the Detached Palace’s affiliated academy… two students were sent to the Zhou Prison. Si Yuan will personally go to retrieve them later. Over at Qing Yao, it’s relatively quiet. All the gates of the Heavenly Academy have been closed, no students can get out. But the National Teaching Academy hasn’t responded.”
The green leaves in the basin were only one fewer than before, yet they seemed to be missing a great deal, giving an empty feeling.
The Pope did not turn around. He said, “Since these matters are settled, go and see off General Xue.”
Mao Qiuyu acknowledged the order, turned, and walked toward the hall’s exit. After a moment, he turned back and said, “Someone has gone.”
The Pope’s body paused slightly. He asked, “Who went?”
Mao Qiuyu said, “That one.”
The Pope was somewhat puzzled. He said, “That child has a kind heart, but his temperament isn’t usually so direct.”
Mao Qiuyu shook his head and said, “Apparently, he happened to be passing by.”
…
…
Chen Changsheng had been sitting in meditation in the Scripture Storage for three days, then received three visitors: Grand Eunuch Lin, Prince of Chenliu, and His Holiness the Pope.
He only knew about what had happened that night, not about the events in the capital over these past few days.
At that time, he and Su Moyu had been wandering idly through the capital.
The reason they had gone out for a stroll was that the situation in the capital had gradually calmed down. He had been sitting in the Scripture Storage for too long, and both his body and mind had grown stagnant. More importantly, he knew that while it was difficult for him to leave the capital, that didn’t mean he couldn’t leave the National Teaching Academy. Most importantly, he wanted to find out where Zheshou was.
Leaves fell into the Luo River, gently swaying. He was like those leaves, wandering aimlessly.
Perhaps because he was following his innermost thoughts, walking like this, he and Su Moyu ended up going out through the city gate.
This was also because the capital had no real city walls to begin with, and the gates were too inconspicuous.
The willow trees on both sides of the official road stretched before his eyes into two straight green lines, quite pleasant in the bleak autumn.
If not for the cries and clamor, if not for the blood and the stench.
Chen Changsheng saw the bloodstains on the official road, and the flies in the fields beyond.
In such a cold autumn, there were still swarms of flies—truly annoying, just like those murderous City Gate soldiers and those officials.
Many citizens of the capital were present.
Through the people’s respectful discussions and shameless low curses, Chen Changsheng and Su Moyu quickly understood the whole story.
He walked forward and saw, at the front of the crowd, that weary, haggard, frail, yet resolute, composed, and brave woman.
So it was Xue Xingchuan’s wife.
Then, he saw those soldiers, covered in blood, severely wounded, yet with eyes that showed no regret, only anger and unwillingness—resolute and brave soldiers.
So they were Xue Xingchuan’s men.
…
…
Just moments earlier, when that Criminal Ministry Secretary had ordered his subordinates to lay hands on Madam Xue, more than a dozen soldiers had suddenly rushed out from the city gate.
These soldiers were from the Congzhou Military Prefecture, returning to the capital for autumn leave after receiving commendations.
The Congzhou Military Prefecture was where Xue Xingchuan had first risen to prominence and where he had earned the most military merits fighting against the demons.
Xue Xingchuan had been back in the capital for many years, so naturally he wouldn’t know these ordinary soldiers. But these soldiers had not forgotten their general.
They had been waiting in secret, looking for an opportunity to steal away Xue Xingchuan’s remains for burial. It was only when Madam Xue was in danger that they could no longer hide.
The chaos ended quickly. Madam Xue was startled but unharmed. The soldiers from the Congzhou Military Prefecture, however, suffered heavy casualties, a gruesome sight.
A deputy general from the City Gate Office, looking at those wounded Congzhou soldiers, barked, “Xue He, the River God General, has already been captured. In a few days, he will be escorted back to the capital for trial. You muddled little soldiers dare to defy orders and injure people? Are you plotting rebellion?”
Madam Xue’s voice trembled slightly, but she still maintained her decorum as she said, “General, we only wanted to collect the body, not rebel.”
The deputy general looked at her, was silent for a moment, then said, “Madam, anyone who dares to collect your husband’s body is rebelling.”
That Criminal Ministry Secretary gave Madam Xue a faint, sneering smile, filled with deep malice.
This was something everyone understood, but only now had someone said it aloud.
Heavenly Empress Tianhai was dead. Xue Xingchuan was dead. Xue He would die in a few days too. The once-renowned second divine general of the Great Zhou was now nothing.
His remains had no place to be buried, becoming a display of the court’s power and a kind of warning against the murderer who had poisoned him.
His widow would be subjected to endless humiliation, eventually either drowning herself, hanging herself, or living in misery until she died of old age.
His surviving troops would enjoy no glory, left only with unforgettable memories and pain.
…
…
“I’ll handle this after nightfall.”
Su Moyu stopped Chen Changsheng, speaking with an unquestionable tone.
Xue Xingchuan’s tragic fate was a touchstone for the new dynasty, or perhaps the wooden post before the city gate.
Su Moyu knew that since Chen Changsheng had seen this, he would definitely intervene. But Chen Changsheng’s identity was too sensitive. If he acted, it could easily cause major trouble. So he decided to handle it himself.
From any angle, this was a courageous and relatively safe arrangement, but Chen Changsheng didn’t think so.
It had already been four days. How could they wait another day?
He walked out of the crowd, came before Madam Xue, and said, “Greetings.”