The Red Mansion

Chapter 222 Jiang Nian is imprisoned, and Daiyu is worried.

Emperor Jingning, who had fainted, was quickly revived after being treated by the imperial physicians.

Upon waking, Emperor Jingning immediately left the Tang residence and personally went to the Shen residence.

Prince Zhongshun, Yuan Xi, Jiang Nian, Lin Ruhai, Dai Quan, Wei Geng, and others followed.

The state of the Shen residence was appalling.

The house was littered with hundreds of corpses, including those of Yuan Li, Li Ji, Zhang Qian, members of the Shen family such as Shen Chuan'en and Yu Zhaoying, as well as government soldiers and suicide bombers.

Emperor Jingning, supported by Yuan Xi, stepped down from the imperial carriage, his steps unsteady.

The gate of the Shen residence was stained with scarlet, and more than ten corpses lay scattered on the steps. Some were assassins, others were government soldiers. On the ground was a conspicuous severed hand, still tightly gripping a steel knife, its five fingers stiff as hooks.

Upon entering the house, one finds corpses strewn everywhere.

Behind the artificial hill, corpses lay strewn about; blood stained the floor of the corridor; a maidservant lay across the moon gate, clutching a blood-stained handkerchief; floating corpses drifted on the pond, attracting fish to nibble at them…

Emperor Jingning, his face ashen, was surrounded by a crowd as he passed through the "path of corpses" and arrived at the small courtyard where Yu Zhaoying lived.

The inner room door was wide open, and Yuan Li lay on his back. Upon closer inspection, a crossbow bolt pierced his body, along with two knife wounds, both in his heart. It was clear that they had added the fatal blows to ensure he wasn't dead. His eyes, which had once been bright and spirited, were now wide open, reflecting the sunlight streaming through the window, seemingly filled with boundless resentment.

Beside the bed lay Yu Zhaoying's corpse, her clothes completely naked at the chest. Beside the bed also lay a gold-inlaid jade hairpin, its pearls stained with blood, like tears of blood. She stretched out one hand, her fingertips two or three inches from the hem of Yuan Li's robe, unable to touch him.

Emperor Jingning swayed, but Yuan Xi quickly supported him. His aged face instantly turned even more ashen, and his withered fingers gripped his clothes tightly. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out the words through clenched teeth: "This is treason! This is an unforgivable crime!"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly recalled the fortune-telling he had done three days earlier at Tianning Temple. The fortune slip Yuan Li had drawn at that time immediately came to mind: "At midnight, the shadows of crows are scattered among the withered locust trees, and the autumn wind and swords startle my dreams. I advise you not to stand against the dangerous wall, for blood stains your brocade robes and the sun will not shine again."

At the time, Jicheng, the abbot of Tianning Temple, even argued that it was an auspicious omen.

At this moment, Emperor Jingning realized that this was indeed a very bad omen that had come true!

"Autumn winds and swords, a nightmare that terrifies"—this foreshadows today's calamity; "I advise you not to stand by a crumbling wall"—doesn't this refer to the Shen residence? The most terrifying line is "Blood stains brocade robes, yet the sun refuses to shine"—isn't this blood-stained brocade robe right before our eyes?

Even the line "the shadows of crows are chaotic under the withered locust tree at midnight" seems to echo the Huai'an Kingdom in "The Dream of Nanke". Today, as "The Dream of Nanke" is being performed at the Tang residence, the news of Yuan Li's assassination has been heard, causing chaos like the shadows of crows. Yuan Li, the extremely wealthy crown prince, had a short life that was just like a dream.

Thinking of this, Emperor Jingning trembled all over and swayed again. Everyone hurriedly helped him up, but he pushed them away and, with only Yuan Xi's support, walked to Yuan Li's body. He then squatted down, carefully examined Yuan Li, and personally closed his beloved grandson's eyes.

At this moment, Jiang Nian was also examining Yuan Li's corpse. Although her face showed grief, her heart was surging like the Qiantang River tide, and her eyes were as deep as a cold pool.

He had many thoughts and feelings, but they could be simply summarized in four words: "Luck was on my side!"

Although he did not personally murder Yuan Li, he believed that the matter was closely related to him.

If he hadn't come to Yangzhou and swiftly reformed the salt administration, and if he hadn't rejected Yu Zhaoying on the Lantern Festival, Shen Chuan'en and Yu Zhaoying wouldn't have had this "fate" with Yuan Li.

If Yuan Li hadn't fallen for Yu Zhaoying's beauty, he wouldn't have come to the precarious Shen residence, and those who plotted to kill him wouldn't have had such a good opportunity to assassinate him.

Yuan Li was a descendant of the emperor, deeply loved by the two emperors, Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun, and had already been secretly designated as the crown prince.

Originally, even if Jiang Nian were to be recognized as a legitimate prince and become a righteous and upright one, with Yuan Li around, his chances of seizing the throne would still be pitifully small.

As Yuan Li grows older, he becomes more mature and his cunning deepens.

Once Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun pass away and Yuan Li ascends the throne as Emperor Qianlong, Jiang Nian will most likely not have a good ending. Yuan Li will most likely not tolerate his so-called brother, who is exceptionally talented and has made extraordinary contributions.

In Jiang Nian's previous life in the Qing Dynasty, there was very little information left about Hongshi, and there was not even a record of him being granted a title; Hongzhou, the fifth brother who was very close to Hongli, had to pretend to be crazy; there was also the case of Hongxi, the son of the deposed crown prince who was once deeply loved by Kangxi and cared for by Yongzheng, who died suddenly without a posthumous title.

In this world, Yuan Li was assassinated so early!

Jiang Nian knew that even though Yuan Li was now dead, and even though he could become a prince of the Mingtang lineage, under the imperial clan system of Daqing, his chances of seizing the throne as a prince who had fallen into the common people and was now recognizing his ancestors were still small. But at least it was much better than if Yuan Li were still alive.

Now, Jiang Nian feels confused about the situation ahead.

Yuan Li died.

What will happen next?
Which of Emperor Taishun's two sons, Yuan Shi and Yuan Zhou, will succeed him as crown prince?
Or is Emperor Jingning trying to forcefully promote his eldest grandson Yuan Xi as the crown prince?

Emperor Taishun's brothers, especially the Eighth Prince's faction, will probably be even less likely to stay quiet from now on.
……

……

Emperor Jingning was, after all, a ruler who reigned for sixty-one years and then served as the retired emperor for two years.

When he personally closed Yuan Li's eyes, his withered fingers lingered on his beloved grandson's eyelids for a moment before his sorrowful expression vanished and he calmed down.

Then, he strolled from the inner room to the main room, sat down, and immediately regained his majestic demeanor. Although his face was deeply lined with wrinkles and he was only dressed in casual clothes today, his overall authority was as imposing as Mount Tai.

Only Prince Zhongshun, Yuan Xi, Jiang Nian, Lin Ruhai, Dai Quan, Fu Qi, Lei Xiaochen, and others remained on his left and right.

Fu Qi was a Grand Secretary and a member of the Southern Study, and was a trusted civil official of Emperor Jingning.

Lei Xiaochen was the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard and a trusted military general of Emperor Jingning.

"What do you think should be done about this?"

Emperor Jingning's voice was calm and unhurried, yet it struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

The room fell silent; everyone looked at each other, not daring to utter a sound.

After a moment of silence, Fu Qi, a senior minister in his seventies, was the first to break the silence. He stepped forward shakily and said, "This old minister dares to be bold. The matter has come to this point, and there is no turning back. The deceased is gone, and Your Majesty should take care of your health! There are two urgent matters: first, to thoroughly investigate the true culprit; and second, to strictly conceal the matter of the Fourth Prince's assassination." As he spoke, he glanced at Emperor Jingning's expression, "If this were to spread, it might tarnish Your Majesty's virtue, and besides, the historian's pen is as firm as iron."

Emperor Jingning nodded slightly, agreeing with Fu Qi's assessment.

He was well aware of this. It was common knowledge throughout the court and the public that Yuan Li had secretly designated Yuan Li as his heir. To announce to the world that Yuan Li had been assassinated would not only damage the imperial family's prestige but could even trigger political turmoil. Moreover, he was already certain that someone within the imperial family was coveting the throne…

While he was deep in thought, Prince Zhongshun suddenly said in a deep voice, "Your subject believes that Imperial Envoy and Imperial Guard Jiang Nian is in charge of the reception of the Emperor in Yangzhou. Now that such a mistake has occurred, he cannot escape the blame!"

He glanced sideways at Jiang Nian as he spoke.

Prince Zhongshun was a vengeful man, and Jiang Nian had investigated and punished more than one of his officials.

When Jiang Nian saw Prince Zhongshun suddenly questioning him, he calmly glanced at the prince, then knelt down and said, "Your subject is indeed guilty of dereliction of duty."

Prince Zhongshun did not wrong Jiang Nian in this matter. If investigated strictly, Jiang Nian, the imperial envoy and bodyguard in charge of the reception of the emperor in Yangzhou, was indeed responsible.

Upon seeing this, Lin Ruhai also knelt down to plead guilty: "Your subject, in assisting with the reception of the Emperor, is also guilty of dereliction of duty!"

His main purpose in doing this was to protect Jiang Nian. Even he had apologized; was he really going to hold all the officials in Yangzhou accountable?

Emperor Jingning's gaze was like a knife, scraping back and forth across Jiang Nian and Lin Ruhai several times before finally saying indifferently, "Get up."

For the time being, neither a conviction nor a pardon will be imposed.

Emperor Jingning turned to Lei Xiaochen, the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, and asked, "What are your thoughts?" Upon seeing this, the veteran general Lei Xiaochen hurriedly replied, "I agree with what Minister Fu said."

That was all he said.

Dai Quan stood in the corner, unconsciously twisting and loosening the whisk in his hand.

He originally intended to implicate Wei Geng, but it was Wei Geng who arranged for Shen Chuan'en and Yu Zhaoying to meet Emperor Jingning, and he was certain that Wei Geng must have received a lot of money from Shen Chuan'en as a result.

But then he thought again that Prince Zhongshun had also pleaded for Shen Chuan'en. If he were to make trouble now, wouldn't he offend even Prince Zhongshun, who was known for holding grudges?

Furthermore, it was inappropriate for a eunuch like him to interrupt in public on such an important matter.

He planned to privately complain about Wei Geng to Emperor Jingning again.

After a few more words of discussion, Emperor Jingning immediately ordered, "Fu Qi and Lei Xiaochen, you two will jointly lead a thorough investigation!"

Fu Qi inwardly groaned, knowing this was no easy task, as it involved internal strife within the royal family. He hesitated, but then saw Lei Xiaochen kneel down to receive the order: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

Fu Qi had no choice but to kneel down and accept the order: "Your subject obeys!"

Emperor Jingning then issued other related orders.

After giving the order, Emperor Jingning went into the inner chamber and stared at Yuan Li's corpse for a long time. In the sunlight shining through the window, Yuan Li's face looked as if he were asleep, but he would never wake up again to call out "Grandfather".

Emperor Jingning sighed deeply, his withered fingers gently stroking his beloved grandson's cold cheek before turning and leaving.

……

……

Emperor Jingning returned to the West Garden Palace of Tianning Temple, accompanied by Jiang Nian and Lin Ruhai.

At this moment, only Jiang Nian and Lin Ruhai were in one of the rooms of the palace.

Jiang Nian frowned deeply, while Lin Ruhai stroked his beard incessantly, his eyes filled with worry.

Suddenly, a commotion of footsteps was heard outside, and Grand Secretary Fu Qi led more than ten armed guards into the room.

Fu Qi's hair and beard were all white, and his face was as cold and stern as iron.

"Guard Jiang, please forgive me." Fu Qi bowed. "By order of the Emperor Emeritus, I am to interrogate you!"

Jiang Nian remained calm and composed, returning Fu Qi's greeting with a cupped-hand salute: "It is only right, thank you for your trouble, Minister Fu!"

Fu Qi nodded, secretly praising the boy's good attitude.

In truth, Jiang Nian was genuinely unafraid, because he hadn't personally murdered Yuan Li. And now that Yuan Li was dead, he didn't believe the retired Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun would easily punish him. After all, he was favored by both emperors, and Emperor Taishun currently only had his third son Yuan Shi, fifth son Yuan Zhou, and a young son yet to be formally appointed…

Fu Qi gave a wink to the guards, and two of them immediately stepped forward and grabbed Jiang Nian's arms, one on each side.

Jiang Nian gave Lin Ruhai a reassuring look, then followed Fu Qi out.

As you walk through the corridor, you see ancient cypress trees standing tall in the temple.

Jiang Nian was taken to a meditation room. Looking up, the plaque above the door that read "Enlightenment and Seeing One's Nature" seemed to be gleaming coldly.

Upon entering the room, one finds simple furnishings: a couch, a small table, and a futon.

This meditation room became the temporary prison for Jiang Nian...

……

……

When Lin Ruhai dragged his weary body back to the Salt Institute, it was already dusk.

Lanterns hung high on both sides of the vermilion gate of the Saltworks, their dim yellow light casting a warm glow on the stone steps.

The inner courtyard was brightly lit with candles. Aunt Qiu and Lin Daiyu were waiting for Lin Ruhai in the courtyard, along with the maids Xiao Dan and Zijuan.

As soon as Lin Ruhai arrived outside the hall, Lin Daiyu came forward to greet him: "Father is back."

Her eyes, though glistening with tears, kept glancing behind Lin Ruhai. Unable to see that scoundrel, she couldn't help but whisper, "Where's Brother-in-law Jiang? Didn't he come back with Father?"

Aunt Qiu was also concerned about this matter and looked at Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai sighed and did not respond immediately. Instead, he went into the hall, sat down, and began to eat dinner with the help of the others.

Under the candlelight, Lin Ruhai, who was quietly eating his dinner, looked ashen-faced, with two prominent dark circles under his eyes.

Aunt Qiu couldn't help but ask softly, "Is Master feeling unwell? Or has something troubling you?"

Lin Ruhai stopped eating and said in a deep voice, "Nian-ge'er has been detained and interrogated!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Daiyu was greatly shocked.

Aunt Qiu asked in surprise, "Why...why is this?"

"The Fourth Prince was assassinated today." Lin Ruhai's voice was hoarse. "As the imperial envoy in charge of welcoming the emperor in Yangzhou, Nian-ge'er is naturally implicated."

Upon hearing this, not only Lin Daiyu, but even Aunt Qiu was greatly shocked.

Lin Daiyu's slender fingers gripped the handkerchief tightly, the embroidered water lilies on it crumpled into a ball, but she remained silent with her head down, her long eyelashes trembling, casting two shadows on her jade-like face.

After serving Lin Ruhai his dinner, Lin Daiyu took Zijuan back to the Hibiscus Pavilion in the back garden.

Zijuan led the way, carrying a glass lantern. The lantern's shadow swayed gently, much like Lin Daiyu's state of mind at that moment.

Upon entering the Hibiscus Pavilion, Zijuan couldn't help but mutter, "Although the assassination of the Fourth Prince is a serious matter, it's not worth implicating Lord Jiang. Lord Jiang has been busy preparing for the Emperor's arrival these past few days; how could he possibly plot against the Fourth Prince..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Daiyu had already sat down at the zither table, her slender fingers gently caressing the strings.

"Does the young lady want to play the zither?" Zijuan asked in surprise, "It's already evening..."

Lin Daiyu did not answer, but gently plucked the strings of her zither. A melody, "Singing of Yangzhou in the Misty Rain," flowed out slowly. It was a piece that Jiang Nian had recently composed, which she had quickly learned.

Lin Daiyu played the zither while filled with worry. She worried whether Jiang Nian would be punished, how long she would be imprisoned, and even whether Jiang Nian had eaten dinner that night, and whether she would sleep well in her cell...

As she pondered, the music began to drift off into disarray...

A few clear tears clung to Lin Daiyu's face. Unlike her previous tears shed after being bullied by Jiang Nian, these tears were for her worry about Jiang Nian. The teardrops, reflected in the candlelight, resembled pearls…

(End of this chapter)