TDFM Chapter 120

Complications 

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and palace servants brought word that the Emperor wanted to summon Cheng Suiyan for an audience.

From the timing of the summons, it seemed very likely that the Emperor intended to keep him in the palace for a meal.

Upon learning this news, Fu Xue couldn’t help but feel somewhat jealous. “Clearly my senior sister had contributed the most merit, so why did the Emperor only want to see you? Really, letting you go eat the imperial feast alone – I’m not convinced!”

Cheng Suiyan laughed and said, “It’s precisely because Yun Qing had contributed greatly that Imperial Preceptor Xu was jealous of her and would certainly obstruct His Majesty from seeing her. If you want to taste the imperial feast, at worst I’ll bring some back for you to try.”

Yun Qing asked curiously, “Can imperial feasts be taken out?”

“Generally not, but I’ll tell His Majesty that my father wanted to taste it, and he’ll definitely allow it.”

****

That day, both Prime Minister Cheng and his wife were at home. In the afternoon, a palace eunuch urgently delivered news from the palace, and upon hearing it, the couple turned pale with shock.

The message said that Cheng Suiyan had behaved improperly after drinking, which had greatly angered the Emperor. His Majesty had ordered his immediate arrest and imprisonment in the Ministry of Justice’s prison!

The Emperor’s exact words were, “Let him calm down!”

What kind of improper drunken behavior could have made His Majesty so angry?

Madam Song immediately became so anxious that she fainted from distress. The maids pressed her philtrum for quite a while before she regained consciousness, then they called for the imperial physician and brought her ginseng soup to replenish her qi, but she couldn’t drink it at all.

Madam Song pushed away the ginseng soup and immediately sent people to bribe the Ministry of Justice prison guards, spending generously to ensure her beloved son would suffer less, while also seeking out Prime Minister Cheng to ask:

“What exactly happened? I know my son – from childhood to now, he has never gotten drunk and wild, so how could he possibly behave ‘improperly after drinking’ in front of His Majesty? Someone must have schemed against him! Who dared to scheme against my son? I’ll fight that villain to the death!”

“Calm down first. I’ve already sent people to investigate. The latest news says it’s related to Princess Anping, but strangely, they won’t say exactly what happened.”

Prime Minister Cheng had planned to write a memorial of apology to submit, but since he couldn’t determine exactly what crime his son had committed, he hadn’t yet put brush to paper.

Madam Song suspected, “Could it be that Helan Sheng was behind this?”

“It’s not clear yet. Don’t panic – first send people to bribe the prison guards, and if possible, get word to that rebellious son.”

“You don’t need to tell me that. There’s another matter – should we tell Yun Qing and the others? I think these young people are quite reliable, and perhaps they have a way to contact Suiyan.”

Prime Minister Cheng stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, “Don’t tell them yet. The eunuchs who passed us this information are also taking risks. If word spreads widely, it could put them in danger. The urgent matter now is to first find out exactly what happened.”

Madam Song calmed down somewhat and nodded, saying, “Very well.”

Just then, a maid entered and whispered a few words in Madam Song’s ear.

Madam Song looked puzzled, “They’ve come.”

Prime Minister Cheng was startled, “Who’d come?”

“Yun Qing and the others. The maid just came to tell me they suspect something has happened to Suiyan.”

Prime Minister Cheng narrowed his eyes, looking alert, “They know? Who told them?”

……

The couple invited the four of them to the main hall.

Jiang Baiyu carried Cheng Suiyan’s Beihai sword. Originally, weapons weren’t allowed when entering the palace for an imperial audience, so Cheng Suiyan had left the Beihai sword at home.

At this moment, all four wore grave expressions. Jiang Baiyu placed the Beihai sword on the table, and Yun Qing said, “Prime Minister, Madam, I hope you have been well. We have urgent news to report.”

Prime Minister Cheng stroked his beard with an expressionless face and asked, “What news?”

Yun Qing pointed to the Beihai sword and said, “Today Suiyan went to the palace for the feast and hasn’t returned for a long time. I used his sword for divination and determined he might face imprisonment.”

Prime Minister Cheng and Madam Song widened their eyes and looked at each other. Madam Song exclaimed, “Amazing, amazing!”

“Madam, what exactly happened?”

Madam Song was about to speak when suddenly a maid rushed in urgently, “Madam, Princess Anping has arrived!”

As soon as she finished speaking, Princess Anping’s anxious voice came from outside the door. “Aunt, I’m Anping. I want to see the Immortal Lady Yun. Please have her save Brother Suiyan – it’s extremely urgent!”

Everyone in the room changed expression.

Princess Anping burst through the door with a bang, stumbling as she ran in, followed by two palace maids.

She wore an elaborate, beautiful dress, and when stepping over the threshold, she accidentally stepped on her hem and nearly fell to the ground. Fu Xue, who was standing closest to the door, helped steady her.

Seeing everyone in the room, Princess Anping breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted her skirts, walked before Yun Qing, and suddenly knelt down.

Yun Qing folded her arms and watched her coldly.

Madam Song was startled to see Yun Qing calmly accept the princess’s kowtow. Even as a first-rank official’s wife, she wouldn’t dare accept a princess’s bow, yet this child Yun Qing was so bold!

Madam Song quickly said, “Princess, you are of noble blood – how can you kneel? Cui He, Cui Lian, quickly help your princess up!”

The two palace maids stepped forward to help Princess Anping, but she shrugged them off and said, “All of you, leave.”

Madam Song gave a meaningful look, and her own serving maids withdrew along with Cui Lian and Cui He, gently closing the door tight.

Yun Qing shifted her body, and Madam Song thought she was going to help Princess Anping up, but instead she circled around the kneeling princess, looking thoughtful.

Madam Song finally sensed something unusual and called out questioningly, “Yun Qing?”

Yun Qing said coolly, “We’ve experienced Princess Anping’s arrogance and haughtiness before. For her to kneel immediately upon entering can only mean one thing.”

“What?”

“She’s feeling ashamed, or guilty.”

Princess Anping’s face reddened and she shrank back, clearly confirming Yun Qing’s assessment.

Yun Qing said, “Speak. What exactly happened?”

Princess Anping kept her head down and spoke somewhat stutteringly, “Today Brother Suiyan dined with Father Emperor. He had some wine and then… then… he molested me. When Father Emperor found out…”

Madam Song’s expression changed. Forgetting propriety, she frowned and interrupted, “Impossible. My son isn’t someone who becomes unruly after drinking. There must be some misunderstanding here.”

Prime Minister Cheng said nothing, but clearly agreed with his wife. Though he often called his son a “rebellious child,” the boy wouldn’t rebel to that extent.

Fu Xue said to Yun Qing, “Senior sister, don’t waste words with her. Let’s use the Incantation of Truth.”

Yun Qing nodded, and Fu Xue formed the lotus seal, casting the Incantation of Truth on Princess Anping in one smooth motion, then asked, “What exactly happened?”

Princess Anping answered rapidly, “It was me, I was the one who harmed Brother Suiyan! I shouted for help in my room to trick him into entering, then I deliberately disheveled my clothes and embraced him!

Later others reported it to Father Emperor. In his anger, Father Emperor had him thrown into prison!”

These words shocked everyone, and after the shock came anger. Even Prime Minister Cheng, who normally kept his emotions hidden, turned red with fury, pointing at Princess Anping with a trembling finger, “You, you…!”

Madam Song’s chest heaved violently with rage as she demanded, “Princess, has our entire family ever offended you? Why would you frame my son like this? Haven’t you always been infatuated with him?”

Princess Anping felt both embarrassed and ashamed, her face flushed red with tears streaming down, “It’s precisely because I love him that I want to marry him! I thought this way Brother Suiyan would have to marry me – I didn’t know Father Emperor would be so angry!”

Everyone who heard this felt darkness before their eyes. How could someone do such a foolish thing!

Fu Xue said, “If you wanted to form an alliance, not create enmity, even if you got him this way, he wouldn’t give you a kind face after marriage! You’re so stupid! Ah, you’re making me furious!”

Princess Anping covered her face and wailed, crying as she spoke, “I only became stupid because you used that spell on me!”

Yun Qing rubbed her forehead. She really hadn’t expected the side effects of the Spirit Awakening Incantation to catch up with them here.

At this moment, Prime Minister Cheng finally understood why he had been unable to discover exactly what crime his son had committed – because it involved the princess’s reputation, and the eunuchs, being shrewd, only wanted to curry favor with high officials for profit, not to die.

Prime Minister Cheng paced back and forth, one hand behind his back, the other rapidly stroking his beard. After a moment, his emotions somewhat calmed, he said:

“This matter could be major or minor – the key lies in His Majesty’s attitude. Princess, for the sake of my old face, please go back and tell His Majesty the truth.”

“Too late, the palace gates are already closed.”

“Then speak tomorrow.”

“There’s no time left, wuwuwu,” Princess Anping shook her head frantically, tears flying out, “They want to kill Brother Suiyan!”

“Ah?!” Upon hearing this, Madam Song’s eyes rolled back and she nearly fainted again. Since cultivators generally understood medicine, Yun Qing quickly supported her, pressing her index and middle fingers to the Jiquan acupoint and channeling a bit of cultivation to steady her.

Seeing his wife was alright, Prime Minister Cheng continued questioning Princess Anping, “What’s the reasoning behind this? Why would His Majesty want to kill my son?!”

“It’s not Father Emperor…”

Fu Xue put her hands on her hips and said, “Hey, can’t you just say everything at once?”

“I can, I can say it all.” Princess Anping then rapidly explained the whole sequence of events.

After Cheng Suiyan was taken away, Princess Anping went to plead with her father, but the Emperor said she was worthless and told her to go rest properly as he wanted to meditate.

The father and daughter parted on bad terms. Princess Anping had no mind to return to her quarters to rest, and in her agitated wandering, she accidentally overheard the Imperial Preceptor instructing his disciple to pass a message to Helan Sheng.

The Imperial Preceptor told his disciple to inform Helan Sheng that tonight was a good opportunity – have Sun Zhengxun conduct a night interrogation of Cheng Suiyan, and be sure to force from him charges of colluding with demons and bringing chaos to the realm. Make him confess that Yun Qing’s purpose was to gather followers and create another Yellow Turban Rebellion!

(TL: 黃巾 (Huángjīn) refers to the Yellow Turban Rebellion in late Eastern Han history (184 CE), when peasants, led by Zhang Jue and his brothers, rose in revolt wearing yellow headscarves as their symbol.)

Princess Anping was terrified and quickly returned to find Father Emperor to report this matter, but he had already begun meditation and would sleep after finishing – he wouldn’t see her!

With no other choice, she could only slip out before the palace gates closed.

“Uncle Prime Minister, you surely understand the methods of torture and forced confession used in prisons better than I do. I’m truly afraid Brother Suiyan won’t be able to endure the torment! If the charges are confirmed, not only Brother Suiyan, but all of you will die!”

Prime Minister Cheng’s expression grew increasingly dark. Madam Song raged, “That demon-path Imperial Preceptor Xu! And Helan Sheng – they dare harm my son, I’ll fight them to the death!”

Princess Anping finally looked toward Yun Qing, pleading earnestly, “Immortal Lady Yun, I was rude to you all before – that was my mistake. I kowtow to apologize to you.

But Brother Suiyan is also your friend. I know you have great supernatural powers and surely have a way to rescue him. Please save him!”

Yun Qing was about to speak when Prime Minister Cheng suddenly said, “Something’s not right. Imperial Preceptor Xu fears and resents Yun Qing and wants to sow discord – that makes sense. But though Helan Sheng and I have some conflicts, we’re far from a fight to the death.

Fabricating false charges to frame an Imperial Preceptor carries enormous risk – if there’s even the slightest error, he’d forfeit his own life and property. I don’t believe he’d be so brainless.

Furthermore, for the Imperial Preceptor to discuss such an important matter directly with his disciple, and for the princess to just happen to overhear it – I find it all too unlikely. Everything is too coincidental, coincidental like a clumsy conspiracy.

Perhaps this is the Imperial Preceptor’s real purpose – he and Helan Sheng dug a trap together, just waiting for us to panic and jump in. If we hastily break Suiyan out, wouldn’t he become a fugitive?”

Madam Song said, “But what if – what if Helan Sheng lost his reason over his grandson? He seems to have only that one grandson, doesn’t he?”

Prime Minister Cheng paused. Putting himself in those shoes, if someone killed Suiyan without cause, he might also risk mutual destruction to avenge his son.

He then said, “Even if he wanted to do it, now that we know, he can’t succeed. 

The Ministry of Justice isn’t Sun Zhengxun’s private court. I’ll write several letters right now. Rest assured, I’ll ensure your precious son walks out of the Ministry of Justice prison completely unharmed.” Saying this, he bowed to the others and left.

Though Prime Minister Cheng spoke with confidence, Madam Song still couldn’t help feeling anxious. She suddenly started to kneel before Yun Qing as well.

Yun Qing was startled and quickly supported her, “Madam, please don’t humble me so.”

Madam Song asked, “Yun Qing, you cultivators – do you know wall-passing and earth-burrowing techniques?”

Yun Qing asked, “Madam, are you hoping we’ll explore the Ministry of Justice prison at night?”

Madam Song’s eyes held tears as she said, “To be honest, I’ve already sent people to visit him, but given the current situation, I fear Sun Zhengxun will be on guard, preventing my servants from seeing him. If they truly can’t see him…”

Madam Song also felt her request was somewhat excessive and suddenly shook her head, “Never mind.”

“Madam need not worry – it so happens we also need to see him. Though we don’t have wall-passing and earth-burrowing abilities, infiltrating a prison shouldn’t be a problem.”

“That’s good, that’s good…”