CH 87.2

The next day, the Great Moon Palace.

The Director of Dalisi made a grand salute to Emperor Yunqing.

“Your Majesty, Miss Shi has confessed.”

“What did she say?”

Dalisi Director presented the statement of confession on his both hands, replied with a bow, “Miss Shi confessed she had hired assassins to murder Duke Jingting because of jealousy, it was to prevent Fule Junzhu’s marriage to Count Cheng’an. The Prime Minister house is strict and will not allow such great unrighteousness, therefore Miss Shi had to secretly find a few bold ruffians to kill Fule Junzhu. It happened that after some time they still had not found an opportunity, so the target was changed to Duke Jingting. If it was successful, Fule Junzhu would have to observe a three-year mourning and would be unable to marry Count Cheng’an during the period.”

“Oh?” Emperor Yunqing put down the memorial in his hand, his face deep in thought, “She hasn’t said how she got in contact with Hui Wangfu people.”

“Miss Shi said she had no idea they were from Hui Wangfu, she assumed they were just middlemen who could introduce killers.”

Actually the Director also thought this was a bit far-fetched, it was obvious that Miss Shi was trying to put the whole blame on herself without dragging Shi family down.

He thought His Majesty would not believe such a clumsy explanation, but unexpectedly His Majesty did not reject it. He was let go after handing over the statement.

Leaving the Great Moon Palace, he could not help but thinking that the reason His Majesty did not pursue the matter further must be because he wanted to protect the Crown Prince.

—

In a few days, the conclusion of Duke Jingting case came to light, it was said that the cause of the attack was a woman’s jealousy. After the incident, Count Cheng’an Rong Junpo’s reputation had spread wide and far. A person who had made a boudouir girl jealous to the extend of committing murder must be extremely charming and accomplished to the maximum.

In an instant, Rong Xia’s popularity in the Capital rose without end. If it was not because he was already engaged, probably he would have been buried under the mountain of flowers, handkerchiefs, candied fruits and so on.

It was said that after knowing about what his daughter had done, Shi Chonghai went to ‘cry tears of blood begging for punishment’ in front of His Majesty. Not stopping there, he also went to Ban family residence to ‘confess his own sins like carrying brambles on his back’. This attitude bravely admitting his fault instead of shielding his daughter had won some scholars’ praises.

That was not all, Shi Chonghai had even tried to resign for the reason of failing to educate his daughter, making him ashamed to hold the position of a Prime Minister. The Emperor was said to be moved by his sincerity, he openly stated that a  daughter’s crime should not be blamed on the father, that the saying was ‘a father’s debt is for the son to repay’ and not ‘a son’s debt is for the father to repay’. It concluded with Shi Chonghai being punished with a fine of 5,000 liang silver, half year of suspended pay, and that he was to personally host a banquet to apologise to Duke Jingting.

Shi Chonghai had no objection to this, he hosted that apology banquet the next day. Not only Ban Huai was invited as the honoured guest, many other prestigious guests were also there.

This instantly won him even more praises.

—

When Ban Huai arrived with his pair of son and daughter, there were already many people in the restaurant. The banquet was to be held on the first floor, but many people stayed in the main hall at the ground floor waiting for the show, wanting to see Ban family’s reaction.

Seeing the excited faces of the scholars downstairs, Ban Hua gave out a light humph and averted her eyes.

When he saw the wolf-like eyes of those people staring at his sister, Ban Heng squeezed up the stairs to block their vision.

“Duke Jingting!” Shi Chonghai saw Ban Huai. His eyes reddened, and even before saying anything more, he had bowed deeply to Ban Huai, “Zaixia was lax in teaching the daughter. Truly, truly ashamed, zaixia has no face meeting you.”

Ban Huai’s eyes swept over the expecting eyes of the guests surrounding them. He avoided Shi Chonghai’s bow and lightly said, “It doesn’t matter. Aren’t we meeting now? Still, even if your daughter isn’t taught well, my luck is good enough to keep me alive.”

After speaking, he panted and sat down on a chair next to him, somewhat embarrasedly said, “I have made a joke for everyone to see. I am a coward, this incident has scared me so much that I fell sick. Actually I didn’t feel like going out today, but if I didn’t, I am afraid Minister Shi would think too much, so I forced myself to come. It’s just that my spirit is a bit low, if I am impolite in any way, please everyone forgives.”

The crowd busily expressed concerns for his health, it was so noisy when a bunch of people talked at the same time.

Shi Chonghai stayed on his side with a smile plastered on the face, then he also said some more words of apologies. Many people busily tried to ingratiate to Ban Huai that for a moment noone paid attention to Shi Chonghai.

Ban Hua had no interest at this absurd scene. She turned around and found Shi Jin’s pair of eyes were on her. Their eyes met, but Ban Hua kept her silence. Shi Jin hesitated for a while, then he walked up to stand about two steps away from Ban Hua. “Junzhu, have you been well lately?”

“My father is unwell. As his daughter, how can I be well.” Ban Hua’s tone was flat, “Shi-daren has any matter?”

Shi Jin gave her a salute, he was silent too.

Ban Hua turned at his father who was sitting in the honoured seat, “Shi-daren, is Miss Shi doing well?”

“My sister has committed a serious crime, she has been sentenced to serve for 15 years.” Shi Jin fell silent, there was nothing more he and Ban Hua could talk about.

“Where is she serving?”

After a moment passed, Shi Jin heard Ban Hua asking this. He raised his head in surprise, there was not much anger on her face, he replied, “The Western.”

T/N – Xizhou = Western area. I wondered whether Shi Jin was referring to ‘the general area in the western’, or Xizhou as the name of a specific place, like Xuezhou. We’ll change it later if needed.

Shi Feixian’s punishment was doing corvee labour for 15 years.

“Western Area is far away, and it’s bitterly cold with strong winds and sands, how will your sister stand the climate?” Ban Hua lowered her eyelids, her tone softened a little, “Can’t it be changed to a place with better weather?”

“A crime has to be punished, our Shi family dared not object.” Shi Jin’s head was hung, he avoided Ban Hua’s eyes.

“Naturally you have nothing to object to.” Ban Hua was a bit disgusted of Shi family. She and Shi Feixian had their grudges, but if Shi Feixian really was innocent in the attack on her father, Ban Hua had no intention to see the enemy dead.

Apparently Shi family was more ‘open-minded’ that herself, this outsider, thus she should not waste her time talking nonsense, lest people found her annoying.

T/N – I think this ‘open-minded’ is used sarcastically, Ban Hua was annoyed that Shi family throw away their daughter like that.

On that banquet, Shi Chonghai offered Ban Huai a cup of tea as an apology, Ban Huai calmly took it and drank without expression. But just as the banquet was about to formally start, Ban Huai suddenly turned pale and fell down fainting. Everyone was shocked and a doctor was called, it turned out that his body was still weak and he should not get tired.

The banquet was therefore called off and everyone sent Ban Huai home. As they walked out of Ban family gates, they thought back and wondered, so did this mean Ban Huai had accepted Shi Chonghai’s apology, or had he not?

—

Whether the apology was accepted or not, this was the end of the incident. On the surface, Shi Chonghai and Yan Hui were still both prime ministers, their positions in the Court was still the same. However, both families were no longer in their former glory. Not only the magnificence was gone, they were both living on thin ice day by day.

Since then, there was no longer Shi party or Yan party. But for all that, it was only calm on the surface, beneath the surface a dark undercurrent was hiding, waiting to be uncovered, waiting to turn heaven and earth upside down.

—

Three days after Shi Chonghai gave Ban Huai the apology banquet, the shackled Shi Feixian got on a wooden carriage heading to the Western along with a group of other female prisoners.

The cramped and dilapidated wooden carriage reeked of bad smell. The other female prisoners were genuinely confused, what major crime had this delicate woman done that she was sent to such a harsh place?

The oldest woman there was only in her early 30’s but she looked nearing 40. She had killed the husband and mother-in-law who tortured her everyday, but because she once saved the daughter of an official when she was young, her punishment was reduced from death sentence to an exile.

She could not resist asking, “Miss, what have you committed?”

“Me?” Shi Feixian stared at the well-weathered face of that woman. After a long time she replied, “Born in the wrong womb, done the wrong thing.”

The wooden carriage was covered tightly, only a few small holes were left for the passengers to get some fresh air. Shi Feixian could hear the clamouring noise outside, she dazedly thought this should be the last time in her life to hear the bustling noise of the prosperous Capital.

The Western, the place of strong wind and sandstorm. It rained scarcely, and the scorching sunlight would burn through her skin. She wondered if she would be able to make it through.

Outside the city, on both sides of the road, families of the prisoners had been waiting, some cried, some kowtowing. The yamen bailiffs escorting this carriage had been bribed to turn a blind eye.

All the female prisoners in the carriage including the one who had asked Shi Feixian, were given things by their families.

Shi Feixian sat hunched in the narrow cart, she was numbly watching the scenes of separation for life outside.

“Miss Shi.” A guard on a horse came galloping out of the city with a considerably large bundle in his hand.

Shi Feixian’s eyes lit up, but it soon died when she saw that guard’s face. He couldn’t be Shi family’s guard, she had never seen this face.

“My family’s master said: The mountains are high and the roads are long. From hereon the distance is in between, the past is bygone, please take care.” The guard pushed the bundle into Shi Feixian’s hands, saying flatly, “Please Miss take it.”

“Wait.” Shi Feixian squeezed a corner of the bundle, looked up at the plain face of the guard’s, “Who is your master?”

The guard saluted, “Please forgive zaixia for not being able to answer this. Farewell!”

Shi Feixian held onto the large bundle, watched the guard’s back as he left on the horse. The other female prisoners were soon brought back to the carriage, they started to open their own bundles, eager to see what their families had packed for them. Only Shi Feixian clutching hers without moving.

She had no idea what was in the bundle, and had no much interest to find out. It could be something to insult her, could even be a dead rat or cockroaches.

She had always known that the young ladies of the Capital were jealous of her, and was also very clear that due to her father and elder sister, they dared not reveal even a shred of that jealousy, they even had to go to a great length to please her.

The men who said they adored her had long avoided her miles away. Her own family was not willing to be implicated, let alone these men.

“Girl, your bundle is of a very good material,” A female prisoner said, “It can last for many years.”

Under their expectant eyes, Shi Feixian gritted her teeth and began to open the bundle.

She wondered who at this point still dared to send her something. If even Shi family didn’t dare to, this person’s gut was quite big.

The bundle was open, but no dead rat or cockroach inside. Inside was a water pouch, a few sets of modest clothing for every seasons, a pack of dried food, and a small purse. Feeling the purse, it was likely some copper coins and broken silvers.

Other female prisoners looked with envy, the package was well-prepared. The clothings were of good material including some underwears and a few sets of things that women needed every month. It could be seen that the person preparing the bundle had put a lot of thoughts in it.

The distance is in between, the past is bygone.

Those who had past grudges with her, how many would have this courage to send her things?

Things that would never have entered her eyes in the past, were now her only possessions. Her family, her friends, the men who adored her, have all stayed away as if she had been a snake or a scorpion. Only this person, daring to do something they would not do.

A moment later, her eyes blurred. The tears sliding down her cheeks landed on the bundle.