Chapter 45: Attacking the Heart

Chen Renzhong clearly had no desire to deal with Xu Xianchun.

Xu Xianchun did not mind. On his grim, hawkish face he forcibly squeezed out a smile even uglier than a grimace.

Seeing that Chen Renzhong still kept silent, Xu Xianchun picked up an object from the table before him. When he shook it open, it was unmistakably the calligraphy-and-painting scroll that Zhou Yanru had ordered delivered to Chen Renzhong.

Xu Xianchun laughed. "Imperial Physician Chen, this painting originally belonged to Grand Secretary Zhou, Zhou Yanru, did it not? How did it come into your hands? Did you truly take us of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for idle loafers?

Of course, this in itself is nothing. You scholars are always so particular about courtesy demanding reciprocity, are you not?"

Waving the scroll in front of Chen Renzhong, Xu Xianchun continued, "Imperial Physician Chen and Chen Yizhong, Chancellor Chen of the fallen Song, are of the same clan, are you not? Were you thinking of following Chancellor Chen's example, healing both men and the state?"

As he spoke, Xu Xianchun let out a "Pfft" of laughter himself and said, "Chancellor Chen in the end was loyal to the fallen Song, and was after all a renowned minister of his generation.

But you, Imperial Physician Chen, have greatly blackened your esteemed clansman's name — you actually plotted to murder the Son of Heaven."

This remark stabbed straight into Chen Renzhong's heart. Chen Renzhong immediately raged, "Silence!

Chongzhen favors the Depot and the Guard, is brutal and harms the people!

Even a Grand Secretary like His Excellency Huang Liji, who toiled for the state for so many years, could be flayed and stuffed with straw, wantonly exterminating nine degrees of kinship, delighting in building skull-pyramids — he will surely go down as a tyrant like Jie and Zhou!

My act was to plead on behalf of the people! To restore a bright and clear sky to the Great Ming!

You, Xu Xianchun, will also surely come to a bad end one day!"

Hearing this, Xu Xianchun laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, and said to Chen Renzhong, "Is that so? Toiled for the Great Ming for many years? Toiled from a mere scholar to a Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, and toiled for his family to amass over six million taels of silver in assets?

Do you know how many people in this Honorable Grand Secretary Huang's hometown lost their land because of him?

Let me tell you: a full three hundred and more households! Among them, over fifty families were driven to total extermination!

You didn't know. Of course you wouldn't care either. You only think of sitting high in the temple halls assisting the sovereign — how could you ever care whether those mud-legged peasants live or die?

But no matter. You don't care, but the late Tianqi Emperor cared, and the reigning Son of Heaven cares!

I, Xu Xianchun, am certainly no good thing. I am merely the Son of Heaven's dog. Whoever the Son of Heaven bids me bite, I must bite.

Now that the Son of Heaven values the common people, then I, Xu Xianchun, must bite people like you. Otherwise, a dog with no use gets thrown into the pot."

Seeing Chen Renzhong shut his eyes in silence, reverting to that look of single-minded death-seeking, Xu Xianchun sighed and said, "Imperial Physician Chen, you've studied yourself stupid — that's one thing. But do you truly not consider your aged mother, your wife, and your children?"

Chen Renzhong raised his head, looked at Xu Xianchun, and said, "Sir Xu, I do not flatter myself that I have ever offended you. I only beg you to grant my family a swift end. I sought benevolence and attained it; I trust they can also understand me."

Xu Xianchun, however, shook his head and said, "I fear I must disappoint Imperial Physician Chen. If you spoke freely, I could take it upon myself to grant them a swift end at the execution ground, and they would suffer no torment here in the Imperial Prison.

But as long as you refuse to speak, what can I do?

The tortures of this Imperial Prison — you have not seen them. The instruments just now were all meant for men; of course you do not fear them. But as for the women? Allow me to describe them to you.

Punishments like the wooden donkey ride — your family will not be subjected to those, since they are neither the principal conspirators nor aware of the plot. But the finger-press torture — that they will not escape.

I hope that when Imperial Physician Chen goes below, he can take his time healing their fingers?

After the finger-press, there are still the male prisoners in this Imperial Prison. They are all ocean-spanning bandits, utterly vicious and evil men whom ordinary jails outside cannot hold.

Many prisoners have now been locked in the Imperial Prison for a long time. Your venerable elderly mother, plus your wife, and that delicate, flower-like young concubine — I imagine they would be most delighted, would they not?

If they can endure that, there is more to follow. There is also the matter of an ice pillar as thick as a child's arm, forcibly thrust into the birth canal — the sensation of that, tsk tsk."

The more Chen Renzhong listened, the angrier he grew, yet he dared not burst out cursing, fearing he would truly enrage Xu Xianchun. He immediately pleaded, "Sir Xu, show mercy!

This matter was entirely my doing alone, and has nothing to do with my family. I beg Sir Xu to spare them, to grant them a swift end.

I am willing to surrender all my family assets, and in my next life to repay your benevolence, Sir Xu, by toiling as an ox or a horse!"

Xu Xianchun, however, laughed and said, "Look, look, what sort of talk is this? Have you lost your wits?

What would I want your family assets for? Though I am no model of incorruptible purity, your case has reached the heavens.

If I dared stretch out a hand, I fear His Majesty would flay this fine hide of mine.

You, sir, just speak freely. You and your family all get a swift end — how fine would that be?"

Seeing that Chen Renzhong still would not speak, Xu Xianchun laughed and said, "You need not keep holding out. In truth, whether you speak or not makes no difference.

Those Imperial Academy students will certainly not endure; sooner or later they will talk. I can still obtain what His Majesty wants.

Besides, even without evidence, with this painting alone, I can fabricate the evidence. In the end, none of you people will avoid a trip to the the the Caishikou execution ground execution ground execution ground."

Seeing that Xu Xianchun had even directly spoken such shameless words as fabricating evidence himself, Chen Renzhong held no further illusions in his heart. He then pleaded, "Sir Xu, if I confess, will what Sir Xu promised earlier hold true?"

Xu Xianchun, seeing that he had finally pried open Chen Renzhong's mouth, smiled and said, "Imperial Physician Chen, rest assured. I keep my word.

Your family members are certainly doomed to die; unless His Majesty extends mercy beyond the law, no one can save them. But I swear to Heaven: before they die, no one will abuse or torture them."

Chen Renzhong gave a bleak laugh and said, "Then I thank Sir Xu. Even in death, I will remember Sir Xu's benevolence. I am willing to confess. Whatever you wish to ask, please ask freely."

Xu Xianchun was overjoyed at these words, but his face revealed nothing. He merely asked coolly, "Imperial Physician Chen, your poisoning of His Majesty's medicine — was it at someone's instigation, or did you act on your own?"

Chen Renzhong said, "It was Grand Secretary Zhou. Grand Secretary Zhou sent word to me, lamenting that the reigning Son of Heaven's brutality rivals that of Jie and Zhou, and also sent this painting, asking whether I was willing to rid the people of a scourge.

He said that if it were done as with the late Emperor, presumably no one would discover it."

Xu Xianchun, hearing this, was secretly alarmed. The late Emperor's death indeed had something suspicious about it. Steadying his mind, Xu Xianchun continued, "The matter of the late Emperor — was that also at Grand Secretary Zhou's instigation?"

Chen Renzhong, however, said, "It was not. The matter of the late Emperor had nothing to do with Grand Secretary Zhou.

It was the Minister of War, Huo Weihua, who told me that he was temporarily clinging to the eunuch faction only to eliminate this great scourge, and obtained the Spirit Dew Drink from me, saying he would present it to the eunuch Wei.

Only later, somehow, it was presented to the late Tianqi Emperor instead."

You win. A reader counted them up: according to the bonus chapter rules the author set, I currently owe four chapters. Just now there was another 2000-coin reward, and I instantly felt like vomiting blood. One more chapter added....

Also, congratulations to reader "Xiamo Yimo Lei" and reader "Bu Huijia De Ren" on being promoted to Disciples of this book. Many thanks.

Just now I fell another two chapters behind....

(End of Chapter)