“I dare not deceive you, Young Master Gao.”
In a small tearoom, Chun Ling entered and knelt on the floor, bowing respectfully to Young Master Gao, who had also taken a seat.
“Have you seen her summon lightning to strike a straw man?” Young Master Gao sneered as he asked.
“No,” Chun Ling quickly looked up, her tone shifting. “Young Master Gao, please listen to my accent.”
Accent?
Young Master Gao paused briefly before suddenly understanding.
“Jiang-zhou!” he exclaimed.
Chun Ling nodded and responded in the Jiang-zhou accent, confirming his guess.
So, it stood to reason – how could a maid serving a courtesan in the capital have possibly witnessed Lady Cheng summoning lightning to kill a person?
“Are you saying she had already killed someone back in Jiang-zhou?” asked Young Master Gao, visibly surprised.
The young lady was only around eighteen or nineteen now. If this had happened a few years earlier, she would have been even younger, yet she had already taken a life.
“Yes,” Chun Ling nodded, switching back to the capital accent to ensure Young Master Gao could understand clearly. “I was originally a maid in a family-run Taoist temple of the Cheng household in Jiang-zhou. Later, when Lady Cheng was sent there by her family, some kind of dispute arose with the temple’s abbess. Then, on a rainy night, she and her maid summoned lightning and struck the abbess dead. After that, they sent me and my sister to a distant temple, intending to silence us for good. Luckily, my sister and I managed to escape, but unfortunately, my sister caught a cold along the way and died in a broken-down temple.”
As she spoke, Chun Ling covered her face and wept.
“So that’s how it was,” murmured Young Master Gao, thoughtfully tapping the low table with his fingers.
“So that’s how it was,” he repeated slowly, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the young maid. “But even with a witness like you, it’s no longer enough.”
Chun Ling appeared taken aback, lifting her head with a mix of fear and indignation.
“My lord, not even someone of your standing can handle this? I’ve never dared breathe a word to anyone, living each day in trembling fear. Now that she’s even harmed Prince Ping, I’m utterly terrified – too afraid to come forward myself. Today, I risked my life to seek you out…” she sobbed through tears. “Could it be that even you, Young Master Gao, are powerless against her?”
“It’s not that I’m powerless,” replied Young Master Gao. “It’s just that this matter has already been concluded. Bringing it up again now would be pointless – no one will listen.”
“But I can prove it! I am willing to testify!” Chun Ling insisted, eyes wide with earnest urgency.
“One person alone cannot sway the judgment of the world,” Young Master Gao said firmly.
Defeated, Chun Ling sank back down, her spirit crushed, and buried her face in her hands as she wept.
“It must have been difficult for you to hide all this time,” Young Master Gao suddenly remarked. “The last incident 0 it was actually your doing, wasn’t it?”
Chun Ling shuddered, her sobs fading as she slowly raised her head.
“Have mercy on me, Young Master! Please spare my life!” she pleaded, kowtowing frantically. “I… I was just…”
“You thought I was powerful enough to take on Lady Cheng, didn’t you?” Young Master Gao pressed.
Chun Ling bent forward, trembling and weeping, too afraid to speak.
“But in this matter, you overestimated me. I can’t help you now – I’m about to be driven out of the capital by Lady Cheng myself.” Young Master Gao stretched his arms and rose to his feet.
Panicked, Chun Ling scrambled toward him on her knees and, daring greatly, clutched at the hem of his robe.
“Please, Young Master, save me!” she begged, tears streaming down her face.
Young Master Gao let out a hearty laugh and reached out to pinch Chun Ling’s delicate chin.
“Alright, I’ll take you with me before I leave. We’ll flee together,” he said with a smile, then turned and swayed off as he walked away.
“Young Master, that little wretch is so cunning. Even if she witnessed the lightning summoning, it’s useless now. Are you just going to let her off like this?” his attendant couldn’t help but follow and ask in a low voice, glancing back at the tearoom.
Young Master Gao chuckled lightly.
“The reason I met her had nothing to do with that so-called lightning-killing witness,” he explained with a smile. “That sly little wretch tricked both me and that Cheng girl once. Who’s to say she can’t do it again? Keeping her around might still prove useful.”
Inside the tearoom, Chun Ling sat up straight and wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve. With a relaxed air, she shook her hand as if fanning herself.
She had sought him out not to bear witness about the lightning either, but simply to make sure Young Master Gao knew that a person like her existed – someone who might still prove useful to him someday.
At this point, she no longer had to worry about the Gao family and Lady Cheng reconciling and joining hands, only to turn her into a scapegoat to be dealt with.
Meanwhile, inside the palace of the Empress Dowager, Gao Lingjun was bidding her farewell.
The Empress Dowager could not help but shed tears.
“To prevent the imperial lineage from falling into the wrong hands, what does it matter if I never see Your Majesty again?” said Gao Lingjun. “If Your Majesty does not meet with the Gao family, the Empress will also be unable to meet with the Song family. In doing so, Your Majesty will gain a reputation for virtue and wisdom – truly, it is a win-win.”
“But what a grievance it is to earn such a reputation for virtue and wisdom,” sighed the Empress Dowager as she wiped away her tears.
“Now Your Majesty understands the hardships His Majesty once endured,” Gao Lingjun remarked with a smile, taking a sip of wine.
Today was his farewell visit to the Empress Dowager, and she had granted a farewell feast. The court officials had no grounds to oppose such an arrangement.
The Empress Dowager sighed, her thoughts turning to the Emperor, which instantly cast a shadow of sorrow over her face.
“To truly entrust Prince Qing to the court officials – deep in my heart, I still cannot feel at ease,” she said.
Gao Lingjun set down his wine cup.
“With Chen Shao in the court, and my own people also present, no one would dare harbor disloyalty toward Prince Qing,” he replied, then paused briefly. “If there is anyone Your Majesty should worry about, it is this one person.”
The Empress Dowager was startled and immediately straightened up.
“Who?” she asked urgently.
“Duke Jin’an,” Gao Lingjun said.
“That’s impossible,” the Empress Dowager shook her head firmly. “That matter was entirely orchestrated by the Empress. Wei-lang would never do such a thing. He cherishes Prince Qing more than his own heart – how could he ever harbor such treasonous thoughts?”
“Your Majesty, people change,” Gao Lingjun said, looking directly at the Empress Dowager. “You have attended court three times now, and these past days, state affairs have been delivered to you as well. How do you find… the situation?”
The Empress Dowager was taken aback.
“How does it feel? It is anything but pleasant – exhausting and tedious,” she replied.
“Still, the sense of holding power over the realm must also carry its own appeal, don’t you think?” Gao Lingjun asked with a slight smile.
The Empress Dowager’s expression shifted momentarily.
“That is merely the thinking of you men,” she said. “What appeal is there in that?”
Gao Lingjun chuckled softly.
“Your Majesty, Duke Jin’an is a man,” he remarked. “His Majesty once entrusted him with great responsibilities, and he has handled court affairs alongside Prince Ping in the past…”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes flickered with uncertainty.
“If there was still Prince Ping before, he might not have harbored any such ambitions. But now the situation has changed. The Empress has proposed adoption, and there are even supportive voices among scholars and court officials,” Gao Lingjun said, watching the Empress Dowager closely. “Your Majesty, history has seen no shortage of instances where imperial relatives meddled in governance and plotted against the throne.”
The Empress Dowager fell into thoughtful silence.
Gao Lingjun said nothing more, reaching into his sleeve to retrieve a small paper packet, which he gently slid toward her.
At the sight of it, the Empress Dowager shuddered as if burned by fire, shrinking back instinctively.
“What… what are you doing?” she whispered sharply, a mixture of shock and panic in her voice.
Gao Lingjun looked at her with a grave expression, but his hand pushing the paper packet forward did not withdraw.
“Your Majesty, indecision now will only bring chaos later,” he said. “As you grow older, the prince grows stronger. We must guard against what may come.”
…
When Gao Lingjun returned home, Young Master Gao greeted him with some anxiety.
“Father?” he asked nervously.
Gao Lingjun nodded.
“Have you packed everything?” he asked with a hint of ease. “Your mother and the others have already left ahead.”
Young Master Gao answered cheerfully that he had, then followed Gao Lingjun into the study.
The scholars in the study had been waiting for a long time.
“The Empress Dowager understands what it means to prioritize the greater good, and she also knows who her true kin are,” Gao Lingjun said calmly.
Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a surge of joy.
“And the timing is perfect,” one of the scholars remarked. “On one side, there are the scholars and court officials jointly petitioning for Duke Jin’an to be sent out to his fiefdom, while on the other, the Empress Dowager summons him for persuasion. After that, Duke Jin’an returns to the palace and drinks poisoned wine to end his own life.”
“What an exemplary and noble Prince Yanyi he will be,” another scholar sighed with admiration.
Everyone exchanged glances and erupted into hearty laughter.
“By then, we must unite with court officials to grant Duke Jin’an the most honorable posthumous title and name.”
“He must be enfeoffed as a king, without a doubt.”
“With Duke Jin’an setting such a precedent – sacrificing himself to prove his purity – let’s see which imperial relative would dare to harbor improper ambitions again.”
“When Zhang Jiangzhou brings up the issue of adopting from the imperial clan again, the first to oppose him fiercely will be the imperial relatives themselves. He will have backed them into a corner, leaving them no way out.”
Amidst the lively chatter and banter in the room, the atmosphere was as relaxed and carefree as it had been in a long while.
“Wait,” Young Master Gao suddenly stopped laughing, remembering something. “Father, this matter may not be so certain.”
Everyone paused their chatter and turned their attention to him.
“Young Master, rest assured – the drug is infallible,” one of the scholars said.
“Even if the Empress Dowager hesitates, the people in her palace have been instructed as well,” added another.
Young Master Gao shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.
“No, no, it’s not that,” he said, looking at Gao Lingjun. “Father, have you forgotten that there is someone now who can bring the dead back to life?”
Everyone in the room was taken aback.
That Lady Cheng! But then they all shook their heads.
“She isn’t that miraculous either. It’s just ordinary people spreading rumors. From what we’ve seen so far, whether it’s summoning lightning or curing illnesses, none of it comes as effortlessly as claimed,” one of the scholars commented.
Gao Lingjun raised his hand to stop them.
“That’s right. We must consider all possibilities and not rely on luck,” he said. “We’ve already suffered far too much from acting on wishful thinking.”
“In that case, let’s take care of that girl first,” Young Master Gao said indignantly. “I should have killed her long ago – I shouldn’t have hesitated that time at Desheng Pavilion.”
Gao Lingjun shook his head.
“That girl is not without protection, and she has always been cautious. According to our scouts, she rarely leaves her residence, and even when she does, her carriage is hard to identify,” he said. “Moreover, she is capable of creating powerful weapons like the Divine Arm Bow and stone bullets. Who knows what other formidable means of self-defense she might have? Acting directly would only startle the snake in the grass, cause too great a disturbance, and yield more losses than gains.”
Everyone present nodded in agreement.
“So, what should we do?” someone asked.
“Our goal is simply to prevent her from treating Duke Jin’an. We must not get distracted by trying to take her life along the way. Our sole aim should be to stop her from providing treatment,” Gao Lingjun explained with a faint smile. “Looking at it this way, the task becomes much simpler. Moreover, it can add to the narrative of Duke Jin’an’s fate.”
The others looked puzzled.
“Not only will we not kill her, but we will also make her say herself that she will not treat Duke Jin’an,” Gao Lingjun said with a knowing smile.
Make her say it herself that she will not treat him?
“But this girl is in league with the Empress and Zhang Jiangzhou to push Duke Jin’an to the throne. How could she willingly watch him die without treatment?” Young Master Gao exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. “It’s impossible!”
Gao Lingjun laughed heartily.
“Impossible? There is no such thing as impossible in this world – only choices and compromises.”
