Chapter 126: The Murmurs of the Multitude

Later that day, Yu Yuan arrived at the estate, where Jiang Lan received him in the main hall.

"Her Majesty never expected that the slave would be so audacious as to offend His Majesty and even attempt to frame you, Young Master. Her Majesty was furious; the imperial physicians have been back and forth to the palace repeatedly."

Thinking of his aunt’s increasingly volatile temper, Jiang Lan broke into a cold sweat for the physicians in the palace.

"Please, Eunuch, urge my aunt to take care of her health. She must prioritize her well-being and not let her emotions harm her body." After a moment’s thought, Jiang Lan added, "If time permits, I shall request an audience to visit her in the palace."

"You are very thoughtful, Young Master. Her Majesty also instructed me to ask about the black magic mentioned by the Master. You must investigate this thoroughly to avoid falling into anyone’s schemes. If you need further assistance, you may consult Master Kongkong again; she has arranged for the Master to stay at the relay station for one more night."

"Please convey my thanks to my aunt. I have kept this in mind and will seek guidance at the relay station once the Master leaves the palace. I will certainly get to the bottom of this."

"Then there is nothing else. I shall return to the palace to report. May you remain in good health, Young Master."

Jiang Lan nodded and glanced at the old steward standing nearby.

"Eunuch Yu, allow me to see you out." The steward followed him, slipping a heavy red envelope into his hand.

"Steward, you are too kind." Yu Yuan weighed it in his palm; it was quite substantial. "Is the Old Duke still in good spirits these days?"

"His Grace is doing well. He spends his days playing chess, tending to his garden, and occasionally, when the mood strikes, he still practices a few martial arts moves. He simply doesn’t care to leave the estate much anymore. It is not easy for Her Majesty in the palace; please tell her not to worry about the Duke’s health, as he is doing quite well. Doctor Liang Wan’s medical skills are superb, and the Duke’s leg pain has rarely flared up lately."

"That is good, that is very good!"

***

Jiang Ke trembled with rage as she stared at the wooden effigy on the table, inscribed with birth dates and pierced all over with silver needles.

"Please, Mother, do not be so angry. Take care of your health. These witchcraft spells are not worth believing. Am I not here, safe and sound, by your side?" Seeing his mother’s emotions gradually stabilize, Chen Qing turned to look at the kneeling group and the standing Master Kongkong.

"Xu Nuo, it is getting late. Escort the Master back to the relay station to rest, and tomorrow morning, send the Master back to White Horse Temple."

Chen Qing’s trusted attendant, Eunuch Xu Nuo, stepped forward to receive the order and gestured toward the steps. "Master, this way, please."

Master Kongkong followed him out of the palace with composure. He paused for a moment, admiring the magnificent palace against the backdrop of the brilliant sunset. By the time he collected his thoughts, the eunuch had already walked quite a distance ahead.

Hearing no footsteps behind him, Xu Nuo looked back. Seeing the Master moving slowly, he advised, "Master, forgive me for not explaining earlier, but in three-quarters of an hour, the inner and outer palace gates will be locked. It will be difficult to leave once that happens."

Upon hearing this, Kongkong became anxious. He still had to visit the "Great Immortal" tonight. After all, he had played his part in the performance today; he certainly expected a reward.

"Amitabha, then I shall hurry."

Xu Nuo watched in astonishment as the Master suddenly overtook him. To think that a man over seventy could move like the wind! No wonder the late Emperor had revered him so deeply and visited the temple three times. He truly possessed the aura of an immortal; his robes did not even flutter as he moved with such speed—a true master indeed!

Xu Nuo hurried to keep up.

They reached the palace gates a quarter of an hour earlier than expected.

When Xu Nuo returned after seeing the guest off, the palace was exceptionally quiet. He returned silently to his place behind Emperor Chen Qing, standing ready to serve.

"My cousin was subjected to an unjust accusation, but now that the truth has been revealed, he is clearly innocent. I plan to reward him with a thousand taels of gold and several pieces of jade and treasure. Mother, what do you think?"

Jiang Ke’s eyes remained fixed on the witchcraft doll. "That is acceptable. Add one more condition: after he completes his studies at the Imperial Academy, he shall be appointed as the Junior Deputy of the Court of Judicial Review."

"That is reasonable." Chen Qing nodded in agreement. There were many relatives of the Empress in office, and her family line had not been prosperous since the accidental death of his uncle. Appointing a powerless young nobleman to a sinecure was not a major issue.

"Place this dead eunuch where the ministers must pass on their way to court tomorrow, and have him whipped one hundred times in accordance with the law."

"Mother, this..." Although Chen Qing was also furious about such filth, he hesitated. "Please, Mother, think twice. Making this public will truly damage the family’s reputation, and furthermore, whipping a corpse outside the Hall of Diligent Governance is against protocol. One cannot know how the history books will record this. Public opinion is a fearful thing."

"Public opinion is fearful? Hah. Emperor, you may fear public opinion, but this old woman has nothing left to fear. Since they have placed their blades against our throats, I have nothing to lose." Seeing the Emperor still trying to dissuade her, the Empress Dowager was resolute. "Tomorrow’s matter is settled. Once Yu Yuan returns, he shall lead the guards to carry out the sentence outside the Hall of Diligent Governance."

"Mother, if doing this fails to intimidate those people, it will only lead to a more violent backlash. If not for my sake, think of the Jiang family, think of my cousin."

"Doing this is precisely for your sake, Emperor."

Jiang Ke stared at the doll lying stiffly on the table, the anger in her heart igniting like a prairie fire in autumn. Scenes from fifteen years ago flooded her mind—that night when the birth dates were written on the doll, the roaring flames had consumed her entire palace. If not for her brother, who had risked his life to charge into the palace to protect her, she might not have survived.

That night, she lost everything she cherished.

For fifteen years, she had tried desperately to forget, yet there were those who were unafraid of death, determined to touch her reverse scale.

If that was the case, why bother with restraint?

The atmosphere in the imperial court grew increasingly tense, and the ministers sensed that a cold winter was about to descend.

Jiang Lan watched as the white tiger, released from its cage, played happily in the sand. He beckoned to it, "I have something for you to eat."

Though the tiger had not yet attained spiritual enlightenment, it was exceptionally clever. Upon hearing the word "eat," it shook the sand from its fur, groomed its whiskers, and bounded toward Jiang Lan.

Its large, fist-sized eyes scanned him up and down, but it found nothing. Under deep suspicion, the tiger sniffed with its nose and once again rejected its own expectations.

Indeed, it had been thoroughly deceived.

Jiang Lan noticed the emotion in the tiger’s eyes and immediately said, "Don't be impatient, I’ll conjure it up for you right now."

Jiang Lan rubbed his hands together vigorously and muttered, "Mami, mami, boom!"

Nao Nao waited with eager anticipation, only to see the man casually reach behind his back, pluck a blade of grass, and speak to him in unintelligible, affectionate tones.

"This is meat. Eat up, it’s delicious."

Though it couldn't understand, the tiger bowed to the Great Immortal’s power and surrendered. The dignity of the King of Beasts lay shattered on the ground.

Qing Li, who had just returned from fetching Jiang Ruoming, witnessed her wise and mighty Great Immortal engaging in such animal-deceiving behavior. It was truly quite a sight.