Spreading heretical speech, deluding the people, currying favor, exploiting merit, forming factions, plotting disorder, and presuming to call herself a sage – and that she be executed.
The words from the very first memorial submitted by the newly appointed Imperial Censorate Deputy, Feng Lin, spread through the capital like a gust of wind, instantly causing an uproar.
“Has Feng Lin lost his mind?” Old Master Chen asked in astonishment. “What did Lady Cheng ever do to offend him?”
“‘Heretical speech’ – because she wagered with His Majesty and summoned heavenly thunder, because her qin music is said not to be for mortal ears. ‘Deluding the people’ – because the Maoyuan Mountain wine she brewed became a craze throughout the city. ‘Currying favor’ – because she associated with the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and Duke Jin’an. ‘Exploiting merit’ – because she only presented the Divine Arm Crossbow after her sworn brothers’ grievances were redressed, and claimed she would think of other sacred weapons only when her kin were in need.”
“‘Forming factions…’”
When Chen Shao spoke up to this point, Old Master Chen picked up the thread, pointing a finger at him.
“You?” he said.
Chen Shao gave a wry smile and nodded.
“And what about ‘plotting disorder? What about ‘presuming to call herself a sage’?” Old Master Chen frowned and asked.
“They say her words and deeds hint at disloyal intentions,” Chen Shao replied. “That she claims to have attained mastery without a teacher – some young eunuchs even said she was ‘born with knowledge.’”
“Utter nonsense!” Old Master Chen slammed his teacup down on the table. “Which of these things were done by her own hand? They’re all things said, done, chanted, and spread by others! I used to think this Feng Lin was a clear-headed man – turns out he’s just another fool!”
“His Majesty also thought it was excessive,” Chen Shao said.
Old Master Chen lifted his eyes to look at him.
“And you don’t think it’s excessive?” he asked.
Chen Shao smiled.
“Father, is that even a question?” he said, then shook his head. “I may not be fond of that lady’s way of doing things, but I’m not an ungrateful man – I wouldn’t go so far as to cheer for her misfortune.”
Old Master Chen sighed.
“There’s nothing to be done. Her name grows louder by the day,” he said. “Besides, the way she’s acted lately is indeed… dazzling.”
“It’s been suppressed for now,” Chen Shao continued, “but Feng Lin is a stubborn man – he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. He’ll surely press the authorities to investigate.”
“What he’s saying is pure nonsense!” Old Master Chen said angrily. “All of it is his own wild conjecture, not the truth!”
…
“Not the truth?”
In the court hall, Feng Lin – dressed in his official robes – let out a cold laugh.
“Does His Majesty intend to wait until the truth reveals itself before acting?”
“Has His Majesty forgotten the principle of nipping trouble in the bud?”
“This woman – her conduct has already reached the point where the mountain storm is about to break, the hidden danger about to erupt!”
Chen Shao stepped forward, face stern.
“Censor Feng,” he said sharply, “you’ve accused her again and again of being ominous, rebellious, and bringing calamity – what calamity could she possibly bring?”
“Deceiving the sovereign, luring the common people to follow her, swaying public sentiment, disrupting order, and stirring the masses for her own gain!” Feng Lin shot back without hesitation.
“Nonsense!” Chen Shao barked. “How could she possibly do such things?”
“Minister Chen, can you see the future now?” Feng Lin retorted, his brows raised. “How do you know she won’t?”
Standing behind the others, Attendant Scholar Gao could hardly keep himself from laughing out loud.
After so many years in this court, this was one of the few moments that truly delighted him.
For the first time, he actually found Feng Lin somewhat pleasing to the eye – almost enough to forget that it was this same Feng Lin who had investigated the Taicang Circuit case, nearly enraging his father to death, causing the Gao family to lose half its fortune, and earning their household’s daily vows to tear Feng Lin to pieces.
Neither of those men were any good. It would be best if they tore each other apart and both got thrown out of court.
Looked at this way, that Lady Cheng wasn’t so bad after all. Though she had cost him the Northwest military post, if she could take Feng Lin and Chen Shao down with her – no, even if just one of them fell – that would be enough.
He was a content man; he neither overreached nor asked for too much.
“…She has rendered great service to the realm – your absurd accusations are slander!” Chen Shao’s voice echoed through the court hall.
“If she truly served the nation and the sovereign,” Feng Lin retorted, refusing to back down a single step, “then that Divine Arm Bow should have been presented long ago, not held back until her sworn brothers’ grievances were redressed! If His Majesty continues to indulge this woman in disrupting the order of the state, chaos and calamity will surely follow.”
“…To execute such a deceitful and treacherous witch would still be a remedy – an act to warn the world and cleanse the people’s minds. Otherwise, she will soon grow beyond control, and it will be too late for regret!”
On the throne, the Emperor’s expression grew darker and darker; he raised a hand to press against his forehead.
From below, Attendant Scholar Gao caught sight of it and allowed himself a faint smile.
“Who is this Feng Lin, anyway?”
Later, after court, back home and changed into a loose robe, he lounged lazily against the armrest, watching the household courtesans dance and sing while speaking to his aides.
“He’s the kind who brings his coffin with him when he takes office – the kind who’ll bite off a piece of your flesh even if it kills him. That one’s a snapping turtle: once he clamps down, he never lets go.”
The aides burst out laughing.
“Never thought his first target in the capital would be that Lady Cheng,” they said. “Heaven truly has eyes!”
Attendant Scholar Gao gave a derisive laugh, tapping his thigh in rhythm with the music and dance before him.
“Heaven?” he said. “Heaven doesn’t open its eyes all that often.” As he spoke, he tossed a letter across the table. “Take a look at Su Jingwen’s letter.”
The aides quickly opened it, and upon reading, all broke into laughter.
“So that’s how it is,” they said. “So the seed was planted long ago – no wonder Feng Lin went mad the moment he entered the capital, sinking his teeth straight into that Lady Cheng.”
“My lord is truly perceptive,” one of them said with a flattering smile.
Another lifted his wine cup.
“It’s just as they say – Heaven’s plan is never as clever as man’s. Only when men scheme does Heaven finally open its eyes!” he laughed, waving for the others. “Come, come, a toast to my lord!”
Everyone raised their cups, and Attendant Scholar Gao laughed as he lifted his own, downing it in one go.
“But my lord,” one of the aides suddenly said, as a thought struck him, “that Feng Lin keeps insisting Lady Cheng will bring disaster – but what if she produces something like the Divine Arm Bow again? Wouldn’t that be another great merit? Would he still dare demand her death then?”
That… was a point.
The laughter in the hall briefly quieted.
Attendant Scholar Gao held up his wine cup and smiled.
“And why would she offer another weapon now? Has she found herself another sworn brother? Or does she still have kin in need of help?” he said. “The Zhou family’s young master has already been granted office, the Zhous have been rewarded, and her own parents, the Chengs, have been ennobled and summoned to the capital. Tell me – what relatives does she still have left to plead for?”
“Don’t forget – it was she herself who set the rule, and she herself who spoke those words.”
“She could stand before the Empress Dowager and declare, righteously, that she would never play her qin except in a purified dwelling – so what now? Faced with danger, will she go back on her own principle and bring out yet another divine weapon?”
“If she dares do that,” Attendant Scholar Gao said with a cold smile, “Feng Lin will only see to it that she dies all the faster.”
The aides caught on, and laughter broke out once more. The mood in the hall grew merry again.
“This time we don’t need to lift a finger,” someone chuckled. “We can just sit back and watch the show.”
The room filled with laughter, mingling with women’s playful voices; their songs grew all the more languid, and even the tightly shut doors and windows could not contain the indulgent air within.
Meanwhile, the Zhou household was tense.
Master Zhou walked into the room and saw the maids and servants hurriedly packing bundles.
“What are you doing?” he snapped.
“Master, we’re packing up – we’re leaving for Shan-zhou at once,” Madam Zhou said, tugging at him. “We really can’t stay in the capital.”
“Nonsense!” Master Zhou barked. “Those shameless Chengs are coming to the capital – if we leave, how will our Jiao Jiao manage on her own?”
“Don’t talk about Jiao Jiao – before the Chengs even have a chance to bully her, that Feng Lin will have her head chopped off!” Madam Zhou said. “Master, let’s not keep entangling ourselves with her. There won’t be a single day of peace as long as we’re mixed up with her.”
Master Zhou gave a snort and shook her hand off.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Has our Jiao Jiao not weathered enough storms to get where she is today? Every time she’s come through safely – and gained merit and reputation besides,” he said, his tone laced with disdain. “These people, these so-called tempests, are nothing but stepping stones for her.”
Madam Zhou looked at him, half doubtful.
“But, Master… this time it’s Feng Lin,” she said softly. “Feng Lin, who has so many lives under his hand.”
“That’s exactly why there’s nothing to fear,” Master Zhou said with calm confidence and a hint of pride.
Madam Zhou quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him into the inner room.
“Master, do you know something?” she whispered. “Is our Jiao Jiao safe this time?”
Master Zhou stroked his beard and chuckled.
“What need is there for inside knowledge? Isn’t it obvious?” he said. “Have you forgotten what Feng Lin is?”
“The Imperial Censorate Deputy,” Madam Zhou answered blankly.
Master Zhou clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“I mean his nickname,” he prompted.
“The Ghost Judge,” Madam Zhou said.
Master Zhou clapped his hands.
“Exactly,” he said. “He’s a ghost – and our Jiao Jiao is a celestial being. How could a ghost ever frighten a goddess?”
Madam Zhou stared at him, speechless. Moments later, her scream rang out from the courtyard:
“Someone come quickly! Call a doctor! The master’s gone mad!”
But it wasn’t only Master Zhou who’d gone mad.
Such talk had, indeed, already spread all through the capital.
The common folk paid little attention to the officials’ debates in court – what they cared about was the two main figures of this affair.
One was nicknamed the Ghost Judge, the other was said to be the true disciple of True Master Li himself – one ghost, one immortal.
People always said that mortals mustn’t offend ghosts or gods; that was why Lady Cheng had always triumphed, turning every danger into fortune, everything to her favor.
But between ghost and god – who could overpower whom? Who was stronger? Now this would be a show worth watching!
“…Of course the immortal will win!”
“…Not necessarily – even immortals can be tricked by little ghosts… besides, this immortal’s just a young woman…”
“…They say the Grand Court of Revision has already gone to arrest her for trial…”
“…Is that true or not?…”
Hearing that, the young servant could no longer sit still. He threw a few coins for the tea and rushed out of the teahouse, galloping all the way out of the city until he reached a large estate.
“Shi Shu, where have you been off playing again?”
Another servant from the household called out to him.
“Playing? Who can play at a time like this?” the servant called Shi Shu said anxiously. “Lady Cheng is in trouble again!”
The other servant was startled.
“Again? It’s been less than a day since the last time!” he said.
“I know, I was shocked too,” Shi Shu replied, glancing toward the mansion not far ahead. “I’m going to tell the young master.”
He turned to run, but the other servant grabbed him by the arm.
“Shi Shu, don’t rush in yelling. Yesterday you barged in shouting that the Empress Dowager was going to make it so Lady Cheng couldn’t get married – didn’t the young master laugh at you for that?” the servant said. “He even said what the Empress Dowager did was actually a blessing for Lady Cheng, something to celebrate! He told us not to bother him with small matters.”
“But this time it’s not a small matter!” Shi Shu said urgently.
“What, is it life and death then? Didn’t the young master say only life-and-death matters are worth reporting to him?” the servant snorted. But when he saw Shi Shu nodding heavily, his expression changed.
“It is a life-and-death matter this time!”
“Beheaded?”
Qin Shi’san-lang set down the scroll in his hand, frowning.
“Who wants to behead her?”
“Feng Lin,” Shi Shu said quickly. “The Ghost Judge – Feng Lin.”
“Feng Lin?” Qin Shi’san-lang frowned deeper. “Where did he come from?”
“Feng Lin’s the one who investigated the Taicang Circuit Fiscal Commissioner’s Office case – His Majesty promoted him to Imperial Censorate Deputy…” Shi Shu hurried to explain.
Before he could finish, Qin Shi’san-lang cut him off.
“I know who Feng Lin is. I’m asking why he wants to cut off her head!” he said sharply.
“Oh, that,” Shi Shu said at once. “The people at the teahouse said the Ghost Judge passed Lady Cheng on the road, and just from that one glance he sensed demonic energy on her – so he memorialized the Emperor to have her executed…”
He didn’t get to finish before Qin Shi’san-lang kicked him to the ground.
“People at the teahouse said?” He barked, his brows flaring. “Have you no brain – or no legs? Can’t you go ask our own people first?”
It’s not that I didn’t know you’d be worried, Young Master – it’s because you said that any news about Lady Cheng must be reported to you right away! I was afraid you’d be anxious, so I came rushing to tell you…
Shi Shu spoke in a tone of grievance as he scrambled up from the floor.
“I’ll go right now!” he said quickly.
But before he could even stand, Qin Shi’san-lang was already on his feet, striding toward the door.
“No need. I’ll go ask myself,” he said.
Go ask her himself?
Well – something this serious, he should go ask in person.
Shi Shu hurriedly jumped up and, spotting the robe hanging by the side, snatched it up and ran after him.
“Young Master! You haven’t put on your coat!”
