Jinyi Spring

The loyalist cried out, "Mother, your son is unfilial! I didn't even get to see you one last time. You left so suddenly, without even leaving me a proper burial!"

He cried so hard his whole body trembled, his forehead pressed against the package, tears dripping onto the blood-stained monk's hat, spreading a small dark patch.

Xiao Henian staggered forward, glanced at it once, then lost his balance and knelt down beside him with a thud.

His lips trembled several times before he let out a hoarse cry, "Little sister! How could you leave like this? You were gentle and virtuous, with a compassionate heart, and you suffered so much, yet you died like this. Doesn't God have eyes?"

Those mournful cries tore through the winter forest, shaking the snow off the branches, and the howling north wind seemed to be weeping for them.

The soldiers around him all lowered their heads, deeply saddened.

A hint of glee flashed in Xue Jicheng's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, replacing it with a sorrowful expression. He stepped forward and offered words of comfort, "Your Highness, please accept my condolences. Lord Xiao, please take care..."

Ming Shanyue and Commander Jin also advised, "The search in the mountains is still ongoing; perhaps there's still a chance..."

Everyone knew that there was no way things could turn around.

Xue Jicheng said, "Lord Ming and Lord Jin, continue the search. I will escort you to the palace to report to the Emperor."

Ming Shanyue would not stay. "I will also report to the Emperor in person."

Upon arriving at the bridge, they happened to meet Commander Xie and his entourage.

Commander Xie sighed upon hearing the weeping from the carriage and learning what had been found. A woman, once an empress, had died such a tragic death.

Commander Xie, Xue Jicheng, and Ming Shanyue rode swiftly and entered the palace ahead of everyone else.

The atmosphere in the Imperial Study was heavy.

Emperor Jianzhang sat alone behind his dragon desk, motionless, his face full of gloom.

He stared blankly ahead, his gaze unfocused, lost in thought.

Ten high-ranking officials, including Chief Minister Zhang, Minister Xue, and the Duke of Ming, stood on either side, all with their heads bowed and silent. Occasionally, someone would secretly raise their eyes, only to quickly lower them again.

Xue Jicheng's voice was not loud as he recounted the details of the mountain search. Towards the end, his voice carried a barely perceptible hint of unease:

"...Although we have left men to continue the search, it seems that Qingxin Fagu... has truly met with misfortune. When we found her in the mountains, her remains had already been scattered by wild beasts. It was the dead of winter, and the wolves in the mountains were starving and often came down the mountain in groups to hunt for food... Alas."

After saying that, he presented the evidence he had found one by one—two broken bones with teeth marks, a monk's hat covered in mud and blood, and several pieces of clothing torn to shreds.

He knelt down again to plead guilty, saying, "Your Majesty, I have failed in my duty to manage my subordinates and have not protected the nun Qingxin. Please punish me."

The eunuch took the items and gently placed them on the imperial desk.

Emperor Jianzhang's gaze lingered on the two broken bones for a long time, his eyes gradually welling up with tears. Then, he reached out and picked up the monk's hat.

The bloodstains on the hat had dried and turned black, and dirt was embedded in the fabric. There were several bite holes at the corners. He gently rubbed the damaged areas with his fingertips, his movements very light, as if brushing away something unseen.

After a long pause, he suddenly spoke, his voice very low, as if he were talking to himself.

"You've become a monk... why are you still restless?"

After a moment, he slowly added, "Wouldn't it be better to just stay put? I sent you there to temper your temper. But you, you still want to cause trouble..."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was heavy and oppressive; in the end, he choked up and couldn't continue.

The Imperial Study was deathly silent.

Minister Xue took a deep breath, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, his voice earnest, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

Several others stepped forward and echoed in unison, "Your Majesty, please accept our condolences."

Commander Xie stepped forward, lifted his robe, and knelt down. "I have failed in my duties of managing my subordinates and in guarding them properly, which has led to the unfortunate death of the nun Qingxin. I beg Your Majesty to punish me."

He paused, then looked up and said, "Your Majesty, I have interrogated the nuns of Zixia Nunnery and the soldiers guarding Qingxin Fagu. According to their confessions, a fire suddenly broke out in the nunnery last night. Everyone was in a hurry to put out the fire and neglected their guard, allowing Qingxin Fagu to escape in the chaos. When they discovered her and chased her to the bridge, they saw a pack of wolves leap out of the forest. Qingxin Fagu fainted from fright and was dragged away by the wolves..."

A hint of difficulty flashed across his face, but he still said, "In addition, I found two items in the room of the nun Qingxin." He held up a piece of white silk with both hands, on which a white silk undergarment was neatly folded, and on the garment was a jade pendant.

All eyes turned to his hands.

The eunuch took it and bowed again before presenting it to the emperor's desk.

Emperor Jianzhang first picked up the jade pendant and examined it for a moment, then put it down and unfolded his undergarment. The garment was loose, typical of a man's clothing. His brows gradually furrowed, a flicker of fire seemed to dance in his eyes, and his hand gripping the hem trembled slightly.

The Imperial Study was so quiet that only the occasional crackling of the charcoal brazier could be heard.

He stared at the clothes and jade pendant for a long time before looking up at Commander Xie and asking, "Whose clothes are these?"

Commander Xie said, "Your Majesty, I have questioned the nuns who served Qingxin Fagu, and they all claim to know nothing. Empress Dowager Cixi will arrive shortly, and the rest of the relevant individuals have been taken to the Imperial Prison for further questioning."

As they were talking, Prince Qin and Xiao Henian were helped in, with Empress Dowager Cixi being supported behind them.

The group knelt down in unison.

The Prince Qin raised his head, his eyes so red and swollen he could barely open them, his voice choked and broken, "Father, Mother...she..."

He cried so hard he couldn't speak anymore, and collapsed to the ground, his shoulders trembling violently.

Xiao Henian burst into tears and kowtowed repeatedly, crying out, "Your Majesty! My sister... she's dead! Her body is torn to pieces!"

Emperor Jianzhang looked at them, his expression unreadable.

The gaze then shifted to Empress Dowager Cixi—the palace maid who was once in the prime of her life, now dressed in black robes, her black hair gone, kneeling on the ground trembling like a leaf.

Commander Xie stood up and walked to Cixi, looking down at her from his superior position.

“Ci'an, you must tell the truth in front of His Majesty. Whose clothes and jade pendant are they? And who gave them to Abbess Qingxin?”

Cixi lay prostrate on the ground, trembling violently, her forehead repeatedly hitting the gold bricks with a loud thud.

"Your Majesty, please understand! This humble nun truly knew nothing! If this humble nun had known, how could she dare not speak out..."

Commander Xie snorted coldly, interrupting her, "Still dare to talk back. Guards!"

He turned his head and gave the order, his voice light and airy, yet it sent chills down one's spine, "Drag her into the dungeon. Pull out her teeth, one by one. Chop off her fingers, one by one. Stop when she tells the truth."

Empress Dowager Ci'an knew that there was a prison in the palace, and those who went in suffered a fate worse than death.

She suddenly raised her head, her face ashen white. "No! No..."

Xue Jicheng stepped forward and said gently, "Don't be afraid. As long as you tell the truth, I will spare your life. But if you still dare to be stubborn... you heard what I just said, and you will suffer the consequences."

This is an implication that she should say those things.

Cixi understood immediately, threw herself on the ground, and burst into tears.

“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! This humble nun truly doesn’t know whose those things are, nor who gave them to the nun. This humble nun dares not conceal the truth; I truly do not know. It’s just…”

She paused, then looked up, her face streaked with snot and tears, and continued sobbing, "But after the first month of the year before last, I often saw Aunt Fa holding these two things, sitting alone by the window, lost in thought. Sometimes she would gaze at the western horizon for half a day, and she would even shed tears... When I asked her, she wouldn't say anything. Later, she asked me to go out and inquire about General Ming's whereabouts..."

As she said this, she trembled even more violently, and her voice lowered, "I privately guess that thing... probably belongs to General Ming."

These words shocked everyone in the room.

"Nonsense!"

"What nonsense!"

Two voices exploded almost simultaneously. (End of Chapter)