The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 9 The Man Behind the Scenes Finally Finds Out

Two major events were simultaneously circulating widely in the capital.

First, Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice, had just entered the palace when his home was raided. The imperial edict stated that he harbored treacherous intentions, was influenced by the customs of the Yuan dynasty, and intended to corrupt the Ming dynasty. He was imprisoned and executed by slow slicing.

Secondly, Li Qi, the son of Li Shanchang, the Duke of Han, entered the palace and was subsequently given important positions. The emperor ordered him to thoroughly investigate officials and students who were influenced by the old customs of the Mongol Yuan dynasty.

Clan Chief Li Qi's reputation +50, current reputation 51.

[Li Family Reputation +20, Current Reputation -50.]

The death of the Minister of Justice was somewhat baffling. He was the first high-ranking official in the history of the Ming Dynasty to die because of his association with the tyrannical customs of the Yuan Dynasty.

At the same time, Li Qi was appointed to thoroughly investigate the matter, which made many people realize that this was not the emperor arbitrarily finding a reason to execute Yang Jing, but rather that he truly valued it highly.

But what exactly constitutes being influenced by the old customs of the Mongol Yuan dynasty?
How this imperial son-in-law, who was ordered to investigate, would conduct the investigation and make the judgment was a matter of great concern to officials and scholars in the capital.

The fact that the imperial edict mentioned those government offices indicates that it was primarily aimed at scholars.

All eyes in the capital were on Princess Lin'an's residence, but Li Qi himself was not in a hurry.

Princess Lin'an's residence had been uninhabited for a long time, but fortunately, the palace had already sent people to take care of it in advance, and there were also maids sent by Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

The environment here is far superior to that of Jiangpu Agricultural College and Li Family Villa.

Only now did the brothers Li Fang and Li Mao begin to feel a sense that the former Han State government still existed.

When Li officially returned to the capital, it was customary to hold a banquet to celebrate with relatives and friends.

However, Zhu Yuanzhang explicitly forbade Li Qi from forming alliances with meritorious officials and relatives.

Therefore, after returning to the capital, he had no contact with Princess Huaiqing or Lin'an at all, except for the gifts sent to her.

Since he took the initiative to avoid suspicion, others naturally wouldn't be so foolish as to come knocking on his door.

Princess Lin'an sighed, "This huge princess residence is so desolate."

Li Qi disagreed, laughing, "It's just because the offspring haven't multiplied yet. When the clan is flourishing a hundred years from now, and the mansion is bustling with activity, they might miss this peaceful time."

Upon hearing the word "children," Princess Lin'an gently stroked her already prominent belly; after ten months of pregnancy, she was about to give birth.

"Your Highness, will the child in your womb be a son?"

"Yes, and he will be a prodigy who can inherit the family business."

Li Qi gently stroked the child, knowing that after the child was born, he would directly use the Earth-rank item, Half-Saint Form, to transform the child.

He was really looking forward to the results.

……

The next day.

Li Qi went to the Imperial Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, where Yang Jing, the Minister of Justice, was imprisoned.

[Consume 100 achievement points to exchange for the Yellow-Tier item, Hallucinogenic Incense: Light this incense, and those with weak willpower will be slightly bewitched for 10 minutes.]

[Current remaining achievement points: 0]

If not counting his memories, this was the second time Li Qi had seen Yang Jing. The first time was in front of the palace gates, where Yang Jing, dressed in the scarlet robes of a second-rank official, was imposing and awe-inspiring. The second time was now, in prison garb, confined in jail. A look of despair spread across Yang Jing's eyes as he stared intently at Li Qi, his voice hoarse, "I underestimated the methods of the Imperial Son-in-Law."

He ascended the emperor's gate in the morning and destroyed the homes of high officials and nobles by evening.

I am ashamed to admit my inferiority. The Imperial Son-in-Law has won this round. Did he come here to mock me?

Li Qi took a deep breath, and the [Psychedelic Incense] was lit. To ordinary people, it was colorless and odorless, but Li Qi saw the wisps of sandalwood incense glowing and filling the space around them.

He shook his head and said, "What am I mocking you for? Am I mocking you for being too clever by half, yet still ending up like the Duke's family, with your entire family executed?"
You have lost, but I am not a winner. I have never heard of a winner before. The result is the execution of the entire family and the guilt of the descendants.

You lost, and I lost too.

Yang Jing was taken aback by Li Qi's calm demeanor. Hungry, exhausted, and mentally drained, coupled with the hallucinogenic incense, he was momentarily stunned. "Then what are you doing here?"

He was a smart man after all, and he quickly figured out Li Qi's purpose. "You want to know who conspired with me to harm the Duke of Han's family? But we are enemies, and the Yang family was wiped out. Why do you think I would tell you?"

Li Qi sighed, waved for the others to leave, and sat down on the ground, saying, "When I was exiled to Jiangpu County, I happened to hear a Taoist priest singing, and I couldn't help but burst into tears. Today, you and I are in the same boat, so I'll let you listen to his song."

Yang Jing felt as if Li Qi's voice was coming from a distant, ethereal place.

Li Qi sang a song about the bloody history of family destruction written by Cao Xueqin. Every word was filled with tears, and every note was filled with sobs. Only those who have experienced the destruction of their family can truly understand the blood and tears in Cao Xueqin's lyrics, and even those who can understand it cannot bear such grief.

Yang Jing didn't notice anything unusual at first, but then scenes of collapsing buildings flashed before his eyes. He no longer wanted to listen, tears streaming down his face, and he sobbed.

With the blessing of Cao Xueqin's words, coupled with Yang Jing's already fragile mind and body, the effect of the Whiteboard Hallucinogenic Incense could even reach the level of the Profound Rank Hallucinogenic Incense!

Seeing that the situation had come to this, Li Qi sighed and said, "My family's mansion was once magnificent, but today it is in ruins. Your Yang family once controlled the administration of justice, but now it has been wiped out. It's truly a case of one act ending and another beginning. I just wonder who we two will be the ones to benefit from."

Yang Jing suddenly raised his head, his face streaked with tears, and uttered two names: "Li Yuanming, the former Minister of Rites, and Zhan Hui, the current Minister of Personnel. There are others, but they are not with us, so I don't know who they are."

Become!

It was worth spending his last hundred achievement points; now the enemy is in the open while he is in the dark!

With three ministers of the second rank joining forces, along with other unknown high-ranking officials and nobles, the death of the Han family was truly not unjust.

Li Qi stood up from the ground, dusted himself off, and said, "I understand. I have good news for you: the entire Yang family will be executed, but children under the age of eight will not be killed."

After saying that, he was about to leave when Yang Jing came to his senses. He didn't know why he had blurted it out, but the lyrics from the song still echoed in his mind. He didn't regret it. Clinging to the cell, he shouted, "Li Qi, what will you do?"

Even though he knew without being asked, he still wanted to hear it with his own ears.

Li Qi paused, his expression a mixture of laughter and tears, and said, "My family is gone, and so is yours. It would be better if every family perished; if my family cries, yours will cry too. It would be better if every family cried."

His voice was calm, but Yang Jing felt a chill run down his spine. Li Qi in front of him seemed like a demon that had returned from hell, calmly devouring everything.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The humble room and empty hall, once filled with officials' tablets; withered grass and dry willows, once a stage for song and dance; spider webs now cover the carved beams, and green gauze is now pasted on the thatched windows.

What talk of rich rouge and fragrant powder, how have my temples turned to frost? Yesterday, white bones were laid to rest on the yellow earth mound, tonight, mandarin ducks lie beneath the red silk curtains.

Chests full of gold, chests full of silver, in the blink of an eye a beggar, reviled by all; lamenting the short lives of others, little did they know their own demise would come. Even with proper upbringing, one can't guarantee they won't become a bandit. Choosing a wealthy and powerful spouse, who would have thought they'd end up in a brothel!

Because he disliked the small official hat, he ended up carrying shackles; yesterday he pitied the tattered coat for its cold, today he complains the purple robe is too long. In this chaotic scene, one act ends and another begins, mistaking a foreign land for home. How absurd! In the end, all is for someone else's benefit! —Annotation to "The Song of Enlightenment"

(End of this chapter)