Chapter 272: Chapter 267: Courtesy and Rituals
Fengyu stayed awake all night. After her unpleasant parting with Xie Xun, her mood was somber. She was prone to nightmares, and her troubled thoughts made rest even more elusive. The wind in Salt City carried a faint salty taste; leaning on the windowsill under the moonlight, Fengyu pondered her future. What should she do?
Sister, if it were you, what would you do?
The rumors were rife in the Capital City.
The news of the new emperor imprisoning the wife of a rebel in Yongning Palace spread like wildfire, known by all from court to common folk. There were even clandestine rumors accusing the new emperor of killing his father and sovereign, destroying the Marquis Mansion, all for the sake of stealing a court official’s wife—rumors woven into ballads, spreading across every corner of the Capital overnight.
Emperor Yuan Hui, the usurper, slayer of the Marquis Mansion, taker of a courtier’s wife.
In the deep chambers of Yongning Palace, the widowed beauty weeps for her lost spouse, while distant cries echo from broken hearts—where is home?
Street children and beggars all sang these ballads. The Jinyi Guard captured a few beggars who sang these tunes, executing them at the marketplace to set an example, but the rumors in the Capital only intensified. The more they suppressed, the faster the whispers spread.
Enraged, Emperor Yuan Hui ordered the Jinyi Guard to investigate and uncover the mastermind. Chen Mo sent his men to probe deeper, layer by layer, but all they could ascertain was that a tall, youthful man had given silver to the beggars to propagate the songs. Yet, his face remained indescribable.
In the palace, Emperor Yuan Hui paced furiously, "Is it Xie Jue and Xie Xun? Are they still in the Capital? It must be them—audaciously dreaming of rescuing Feng Shu!"
Chen Mo replied, "Your Majesty, Xie Jue and Xie Xun have already gone to Salt City; they are no longer in the Capital."
"Then who? Who started this? Is it Fang Chuning? He dared collude with Xie Jue, defying my orders in the Jinluan Palace. He blatantly disrespected me! It must be him! Investigate what he’s been doing lately and with whom he consorts!" Emperor Yuan Hui raged.
Lin Cheng and Chen Mo exchanged worried glances.
His state was far worse now than during his time as Crown Prince. Back then, though prone to fits of anger, he was neither brash nor unreasonable. Unless provoked, he maintained emotional composure.
But since ascending the throne, his mood had deteriorated daily. According to Mr. Li, the eunuch who had served him since childhood, the emperor had been sleepless and had lost his appetite. Nightmares startled him awake, often muttering incoherently as if on the verge of madness. Palace maids and eunuchs serving in the Qiankun Palace had been replaced three times, each group living in constant fear of execution for offending the new emperor.
It was as if the Marchioness’s words had come true, leaving him sleepless and disturbed.
"Your Majesty, Fang Chuning defied commands in the Jinluan Palace and was punished by Marshal Fang with forty lashes of the military cane. He has been housebound nursing his injuries and is unlikely to be the culprit," Lin Cheng advised. "Your Majesty, suppression will only fuel the fire. Now that rumors abound, consider resolving the matter concerning Miss Feng in a way that might quell public discontent."
Lin Cheng, now promoted to Left Governor and head of the Forbidden Army, had become Emperor Yuan Hui’s trusted confidant. In addition to overseeing the Jinyi Guard, the entire Capital was under his dominion, granting him unparalleled power.
None dared call Feng Shu "Lady Xie," and some even ingratiated themselves with Emperor Yuan Hui by addressing Feng Shu as "Noble Consort," only to be overheard by Lin Helin during a palace visit to see Lin Yushu.
Lin Helin questioned, "When did the Emperor confer the title of Noble Consort, and on whom?"
The palace attendants knelt in apology, and Lin Helin stormed off. The next day, the aristocratic families collectively feigned poverty, resisting the new policies, demanding the reinstatement of pre-reform tax rates, and six major aristocratic families withdrew their ministers from office.
From then on, no one dared utter the words "Noble Consort" in the palace again.
Though Emperor Yuan Hui rejected the aristocrats’ request for resignation, several senior ministers made it evident they lacked the energy to continue, hinting at retirement. "A new dynasty replaces its courtiers," leading to a cabinet reshuffle plagued by instability.
With Lin Helin quietly strategizing among the literati and Fang Chuning fiercely opposing in the military ranks, Emperor Yuan Hui felt his court hollowed and struggled with difficult decisions, cornered from all sides.
"Your Majesty, quarreling with civil and military officials over Miss Feng serves no benefit. The best course of action now is to properly arrange matters regarding Miss Feng," Lin Cheng advised. "Your Majesty’s diligence and concern for the people will clear your name of the ’usurper’ stain and unify court and populace. You are the rightful ruler. Even if Xie Jue and Xie Xun were to rise in rebellion, none would follow them—they are the real usurpers, treacherous villains. Miss Feng’s presence in the palace is improper, and with rumors running rampant, releasing her from the palace under strict surveillance could achieve multiple objectives. Firstly, it could lure those who plan to rescue her, possibly even uncovering Xie Xun or Xie Jue. Secondly, Miss Feng, having witnessed Xie Zhang’s death, is emotionally distressed. Her continued imprisonment in Yongning Palace will only cause greater estrangement from Your Majesty. After a year, once the winds settle and rumors die, if Your Majesty still desires her, she could return under a new name and identity, silencing any lingering objections."
Besieged by rumors, Emperor Yuan Hui found himself in a predicament; the only way to end the scorn was to personally execute Feng Shu to quell public discontent.
But to let her return home?
Considering Xie Zhang and Feng Shu’s marriage within the Marquis Mansion’s family circle, what justification did he have for sparing her?
"Your Majesty, it’s simple," Lin Cheng suggested, "declare that the Marquis Mansion committed rebellion and treason. Out of mercy for their contributions, family women will be spared. Alternatively, allow General Feng Changqing to inform the kingdom that the marriage ceremony between Xie Zhang and Feng Shu was never completed, rendering the union void."
Zhang Bolan, greedier and more cunning than Lin Cheng, proposed, "Your Majesty, the Su Family controls the financial power of Yanyang and Jiangnan. You could leverage the Su Family’s Trading House in exchange for Miss Feng’s safety."
Emperor Yuan Hui had certainly considered this; controlling Feng Shu meant controlling Su Yuejiao. Even if Fengyu fled, the Su Family’s business core lay with Feng Shu, not Fengyu. He paid no mind to Fengyu.
Yet Feng Shu would rather die than submit to him.
Would he truly have to let her leave the Capital for a year?
Kunning Palace.
The close attendants reported to the Empress that, under Lin Cheng’s persuasion, the emperor’s attitude had begun to shift. Lin Yushu was overjoyed; Feng Shu’s release from the palace finally seemed possible.
When Lin Helin visited the palace, Lin Yushu withheld the fact that Feng Shu was pregnant but pleaded with him to help arrange her departure. Given Emperor Yuan Hui’s methods, the fortified Yongning Palace ensured no one could remove Feng Shu. Lin Helin cautioned Lin Yushu against directly persuading Emperor Yuan Hui, for it might strain their marital relationship—a relationship already fraught but still worth preserving for Abao’s sake.
Lin Helin advised Lin Yushu to seek Lin Cheng’s counsel.
After becoming Left Governor, Lin Cheng aimed to solidify ties with the Lin Family. Elder Lin publicly declared his death under the guise of illness, though he was essentially driven to his grave by distress. Following this, Lin Helin erased Lin Cheng’s lineage from the family genealogy and ordered Vice Minister Lin, Lin Cheng, and Lin Yu Yan to never again step foot into the Lin Family home or attend any family rituals, forbidding them from participating in worship. Had Lin Hongyuan not intervened, Lin Helin might have had Lin Cheng move his grandfather’s tomb out of the Lin Family Cemetery.
Despite his promotion to Left Governor, Lin Cheng found himself shunned by the Capital’s aristocratic circles. Even Fang Chuning remained resolute in ignoring him, refusing to spare him a glance. Lin Cheng had not anticipated Elder Lin’s demise; hence, he was eager to reconcile with Lin Helin. No matter how high his position, he could not afford to offend Lin Helin. Since Lin Hongyuan had returned to his ancestral home, Lin Helin held the role of Lin Family Patriarch. With a single word, he could unite the court’s civil ministers. Overcoming the initial chaos, the aristocracy, under Lin Helin’s leadership with a few other family heads, reclaimed its influence over political affairs.
With Marshal Fang implicitly condoning the military’s passive stance, Lin Helin’s strategy to establish a faction among civil ministers became inevitable with time. Lin Yushu agreed to mediate for him, and in return, he lent his efforts to Lin Yushu’s plea for Emperor Yuan Hui.
"I will not let you return to the Feng Mansion!" Emperor Yuan Hui stared at Feng Shu with bloodshot eyes. "Shu’er, let Feng Changqing announce to the world that your marriage to Xie Zhang is void, and I will allow you to stay at Xiangguo Temple for a year to reflect. Decide carefully—will you be my Noble Consort, bringing glory to your family, or will the entire Feng Family perish in hell, united with the Xie Family?"