Chapter 38

Outside, the rain grew heavier; under the repeated roar of thunder, the entire world seemed veiled by a curtain of rain. Yet the crowd gathered in front of the palace gate only swelled further. The female dependents of the Xiao family were drenched by the downpour and chilled to a bluish pallor, but not one of them withdrew.

Su Jinyuan’s legs trembled, but she stood upright behind Old Madam Xiao. Xie Yunyan felt a chill creeping inch by inch down her back and couldn’t help but turn his head to nuzzle the back of her neck as if to warm her.

Noticing a slight movement on her back, Su Jinyuan’s lips parted ever so slightly, and she whispered, “Don’t be afraid, Xie Yunyan.”

A tender, bittersweet sensation fluttered within him—it was the first time anyone had ever told him not to fear—and that gentle mix wrapped around his heart. He murmured quietly, “I’m not afraid.”

When Bo Ying and Lord Jian’an hurried to the palace gate, they saw Old Madam Xiao—her entire body streaked with blood—standing before the gate with Xiao Jin’s remains carried behind her.

Even amid the torrential rain, from a distance, one could see Xiao Jin’s head drooping on her shoulder and his neck nearly severed; behind Old Madam Xiao, other female members of the Xiao family bore additional remains, and behind them, a dense, dark mass of people surged.

A pool of blood had spread before the gate, its red-stained raindrops blending on the ground, its source unknown.

When the palace gate opened, the assembled crowd outside erupted in a momentary clamor.

“The palace gate is open!”
“Someone has arrived!”
“We beg Your Majesty to vindicate the Xiao family!”

Amid the cries, Lord Jian’an clenched his fists, strode forward, and announced loudly, “By order of the Emperor, the members of the Xiao family are permitted to enter the palace for a personal hearing of their case!”

Old Madam Xiao wavered slightly while Wei Wanyun and the others lost strength in their legs and collapsed to the ground.

The grand ladies of the Xiao family clutching the remains wailed loudly, and the local citizens knelt in unison.

As Lord Jian’an helped lift Old Madam Xiao, his eyes glistened with unshed tears as he said, “Old Madam, by order of Your Majesty, you and Xie Yunyan are to go inside and confront the accusers as Your Majesty personally reviews the Xiao case. All other members of the Xiao family are to return to their residence and await further news.”

Stained with blood and a pale, resolute expression, Old Madam Xiao nodded and said, “I thank Your Majesty for His great favor.”

As she turned to leave, she paused and looked toward Su Jinyuan, who had not yet spoken. “I’ll go with my grandmother!” Su Jinyuan declared.

Old Madam Xiao hesitated for a moment, and, seeing the determined brightness in the young woman’s eyes, she turned to Second Madam and said, “You, take the others back to the residence first.”

“Mother…”

Old Madam Xiao shook her head at her, her voice loud and resolute, “I believe Your Majesty will undoubtedly restore justice to the Xiao family, and I trust that the officials in court can distinguish right from wrong. Our Xiao family has never done anything unworthy, and we are not afraid to stand up to anyone.”

After speaking, she turned to Lord Jian’an and said, “I beg you, Lord, have someone carry my grandson’s remains into the palace. I want them to see how Your Majesty clears their name.”

Lord Jian’an’s expression softened as he replied, “Very well.”

Feng Huan, who was standing nearby, suddenly had a change in expression, “Lord, Your Majesty only permits the female dependents of the Xiao family and Xie Yunyan to enter the palace…?”

“But the innocent Xiao family has been wronged—can’t we also let General Xiao see his vindication with his own eyes?”

Lord Jian’an’s eyes turned cold.

If Your Majesty and the other ministers are not allowed to see with their own eyes the remains of Xiao Jin and the others, how can they comprehend the perils of the battlefield or grasp the heartrending determination with which Xiao Jin and his comrades fought to the death? Nor can they recall the glory and wealth they once enjoyed—the sumptuous beds, the soft pillows—that were secured at the cost of these men’s lives.

“There is no need for further words. Should Your Majesty hold me accountable, I will bear full responsibility.”

“Men, bring the bodies of the young general and his companions into the palace!”

The Imperial Guardsmen by his side stepped forward solemnly, silently accepting the fragmented remains that the members of the Xiao family were carrying.

Old Madam Xiao still slung Xiao Jin’s bones over her shoulder, while Xie Yunyan was personally carried by Lord Jian’an as they proceeded step by step toward the palace. Meanwhile, the madams of the Xiao family watched Old Madam Xiao and her group enter, and as they saw the palace gate close once more, they were filled with anxious trepidation.

No one had foreseen that the Xiao family would bring in the remains of Xiao Jin and the others along with them. When, in the great hall, they saw those dismembered, mutilated remains—bodies so scarred that their original features were nearly unrecognizable—many faces went pale.

Even Emperor Qing’s eyes trembled slightly.

“Today, in honor of the Lingchuan campaign, Xiao Jin will be returned to his residence…”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but that will not do.”

Kneeling in the hall, Old Madam Xiao declared, “General Jin’er and his father, as military commanders, were destined to defend the nation and to die with honor. I have never grieved for that fate, yet what they now long for more than anything is a declaration clearing their name. Let them witness it here.”

She added, “Watch those treacherous sycophants entangle themselves and see their achievements proclaimed to the world!”

Emperor Qing’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he said no more. Those around him fell into a respectful silence.

Old Madam Xiao continued, “The Xiao family’s intrusion into the palace today was born of sheer desperation. The defeat at Lingchuan was not the fault of the Xiao family, and our family has never colluded with the enemy, committed treason, or conspired against the state. We have been quietly waiting in our residence for Your Majesty to ascertain the truth. Yet the garrison troops smashed my son’s coffin and desecrated his remains. I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly and restore justice to the Xiao family.”

Emperor Qing took a deep breath. “Feng Huan, bring the person in!”

When someone was led in from outside the hall, they carried a blood-soaked Luo Yu. At his side, Cai Chuan—bound and with a deathly pallor—was dragged in.

Luo Yu had previously had both his legs broken by Old Madam Xiao, his hand tendons torn, and later, when he collided with the coffin, his spine was grievously injured. Now, lying on the ground, he convulsed in agony. When he saw Madam Xiao and Su Jinyuan, his expression turned agitated and ferocious.

“Bastard… All these bastards!!”

“Luo Yu, do you know what you’re guilty of?”

“Your Majesty, I’ve been wronged—the Xiao family is the one that harmed me. They are the ones responsible for my misfortune…”

Emperor Qing frowned, “The Xiao family harmed you?”

Luo Yu, gritting his teeth against the pain, shrieked in a high-pitched voice, “It was they—colluding with Cai Chuan—that deceived me into storming the Xiao residence. They deliberately orchestrated today’s events to force Your Majesty to release Xie Yunyan and stop pursuing accusations of treason against the Xiao family…”

“And Yang Hong! Yang Hong was in on it with them—they all conspired together against me…”

Yang Hong? The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Justice?

At first, Liang Deqiu didn’t care; as the Minister of the Central Secretariat, his rank might not be high, but his authority was considerable, and he always kept his distance from others’ affairs. He bore no enmity toward the Xiao family—whether they were condemned or later exonerated had nothing to do with him. But suddenly, he heard Luo Yu drag his own son-in-law into the fray, and his face darkened instantly. “Commander Luo, you’d better not spout such nonsense. You were the one who led the troops in recklessly storming the Xiao residence—and you were the one who smashed their coffins.”

“You’re now rambling, claiming you were deceived. Could it be that the Xiao family forced you to break into their manor today, that they compelled you to smash the coffins of your own people and desecrate their remains to frame you? Or did someone hold a knife to your neck and force you to unilaterally mobilize the garrison?”

Luo Yu shrieked, “No, I was deceived by them!”

“Your Majesty—please trust your humble servant; everything I say is true. It was they who schemed against me…”

At that moment, Su Jinyuan suddenly sneered from the side, “If you want to falsely implicate the Xiao family, at least come up with a better excuse!”

“The entire Xiao family has been confined to the General’s mansion, with heavy troops guarding its exterior. Everyone knows who has been coming in and out of the residence during this period—are you really suggesting that even members of the Imperial Guard have been bribed by the Xiao family?”