Chapter 816: Wang Tianyi

This case was led by Grand Secretary Zhao, so all suspects were imprisoned in the Grand Court of Justice's jail.

After ensuring the prisoners were safely locked up, Grand Secretary Zhao and the others entered the palace to report to the Emperor.

The Emperor listened to their report without expression, dismissed Grand Secretary Zhao and Grand Secretary Fang, and kept Yun Yan behind.

As soon as they left, Yun Yan knelt on the ground to report.

The Emperor: "Is it true or false that Sun Xin accused Prince Lu of colluding with Japanese pirates?"

Yun Yan bowed his head and replied: "It is true."

"What about collusion with the Northern Hu?"

"Also true," Yun Yan paused before adding: "This matter was uncovered by me through Wang Zhangyin—over the past few years, Prince Lu has severed ties with the Northern Hu, yet the palace's connection with them has never been broken."

"You mean Mr. Wang?"

Yun Yan's heart pounded violently; he bowed his head: "I dare not speculate. I only confirmed that the Northern Hu maintained contact with the palace, but I do not know who lies behind it."

The Emperor sneered: "How is the investigation into the Jingyuan Bo Mansion progressing?"

Yun Yan said: "Sun Xin spoke with certainty. I personally interrogated Sun Chao, and he confirmed he directly dealt with Wang Tianyi, the clan nephew entrusted by Wang Ji to manage family affairs."

"I asked whether Wang Ji knew," the Emperor asked coldly: "Is he like Prince Lu—knowingly defying me—or like the Huichang Bo, unaware of it all?"

Yun Yan: "Only by interrogating Wang Tianyi and Wang Ji can we know the truth. I beg Your Majesty to permit the Northern Garrison Command to interrogate Wang Ji and Wang Tianyi."

The Emperor fell silent, then after a long while said: "Since there is doubt, go ask Wang Tianyi."

This meant he had no intention of touching Wang Ji.

Yun Yan frowned in confusion, but Wang Zhen, who was not in the hall, had already guessed the Emperor would not act against Wang Ji.

"Deng Maoqi's rebellion in Fujian still rages; the Luchuan campaign was only quelled a year ago; Si Jifa has seized Meng Yang and allied with various Burmese factions, showing clear intent to return with full force. Now is precisely when Your Majesty relies heavily on General Wang. Tell General Wang to rest easy—His Majesty will not pursue this deeply."

The young eunuch bowed and withdrew. After he left, Li De asked in confusion: "Master Zhangyin, has the Wang family been completely cleared?"

Wang Zhen sneered: "To be fully cleared? Dream on! Our Emperor has grown up; his balancing tactics are already bearing fruit. With such damning evidence handed to him, he won't let it go unused. Just wait and see—he may raise his hand and spare Wang Ji, but he will surely shake the mountain to frighten the tiger."

"According to our spies in the Fujian navy, the maritime ambush of the envoy mission was indeed unknown to the Huichang Bo and Wang Ji."

Wang Zhen: "Who cares if they knew or not? Since the offenders bear the surnames Wang and Sun, and used the names of the Jingyuan Bo and Huichang Bo mansions, it is as if they themselves committed the crime."

"If they are ruthless enough to abandon the man…"

Wang Zhen smiled lightly: "You underestimate scholars. If death could erase debts, why speak of family lineage? Why speak of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust?"

Li De suddenly understood and laughed: "Of course—they're not like us rootless eunuchs. For us, death is death. They have descendants, family ties to protect."

Wang Zhen's smile faded slightly; his expression turned grim.

Li De sensed the tension and felt a twinge of shame. Master Zhangyin always regarded himself as a scholar, proud of his Licentiate status, yet he didn't realize scholars looked down on a eunuch who failed even the provincial exam and rose only by self-castration to seize power.

Li De thought silently: Just as Cao Jixiang said—he may be a eunuch like us, but he still looks down on us from within.

At the Jingyuan Bo Mansion, Wang Ji received the palace's reply. He crumpled the note and sat motionless, expressionless.

Lady Wang brought him a bowl of tea. Seeing his solemn face, she still said: "Tianyi has come again—this time, your third brother's wife came with him. Seeing her, old as she is, standing in the cold wind, I had her taken to the guest chamber to rest." Wang Ji clenched his lips, displeased, but remembered his third brother's wife was over sixty, so he said nothing.

Yet after forty years of marriage, how could Lady Wang not know what he was thinking?

She pushed the tea bowl toward him and asked softly: "Is there no room for compromise?"

"Ambushing the imperial envoy is tantamount to rebellion—a crime punishable by extermination of three clans. Even if I were to try, I might not save myself, let alone Wang Tianyi," Wang Ji said grimly: "I won't say anything more unpleasant. The deed is done; no amount of resentment helps. Tell your third sister-in-law: while the Embroidered Uniform Guard hasn't arrived, have Tianyi's young son and his wife divorce—perhaps that will preserve a single bloodline."

Lady Wang ceased pleading and rose to leave.

As she stepped outside, she saw Wang Tianyi kneeling in the freezing wind.

These past days, Jingcheng had suffered a late spring chill; the icy cold seeped into every bone crevice.

Wang Tianyi knelt with his head bowed. Hearing the door open, he straightened instantly, his face filled with hopeful expectation as he looked at Lady Wang.

Lady Wang walked past him with a solemn face. Just as she was about to leave the courtyard, she stopped, turned back, and said: "Tianyi, your uncle passed the imperial examination in Yongle Fourth Year, served four emperors, and never dared show the slightest negligence toward His Majesty. Yet you—how bold of you to order the killing of the Emperor's envoy! Are you truly so powerful, or are you merely riding on your uncle's prestige?"

Wang Tianyi's body stiffened.

Lady Wang sneered: "It's laughable—your uncle must tread carefully in court, yet you, who ride on his shadow, are arrogant and reckless. Now our entire family's lives rest on you."

Wang Tianyi stood rigid until the footsteps faded. Only then did his shoulders slump. He knelt for a long while before pushing himself up, swaying as he left.

As he passed the front courtyard, he suddenly heard his mother's piercing wails coming from the guest pavilion.

His face turned ashen; he clenched his fists involuntarily.

When they need him, he's the good nephew. When they don't, they want to kick him out.

Do they think it's that easy?

He had merely made one mistake—due to time constraints, he hadn't consulted Wang Ji. He thought: if he had consulted Wang Ji, his uncle would have agreed.

Every year, the profits from maritime trade he managed support over a hundred members of the Wang clan. Without him, could Wang Ji have fought so smoothly on the battlefield?

If the Huichang Bo can save Sun Chao, why can't Wang Ji save him?

It's not that he can't—he simply doesn't want to.

Wang Tianyi did not approach his mother; he walked away directly.

He went to the finest restaurant in Jingcheng, ordered the most exquisite meal, drank the finest wine. When he was nearly drunk, he held onto his last shred of reason, staggered to the top of the restaurant, and laughed foolishly: "I hate you—I want to drag all of you into hell—but… I cannot do it."

Wang Tianyi climbed shakily to the top of the restaurant, pushed open the window…

At that moment, Pan Yun and her group stood beneath the Taotie Restaurant, gazing up at the brilliantly lit tower, exclaiming: "How beautiful!"

Pan Yu, who led them, said proudly: "See? I told you it was good. These lanterns were hung for the Lantern Festival; after the festival ended, Taotie Restaurant never took them down—they stay lit every day, reportedly until the second day of the second lunar month, when the Dragon Raises Its Head."

Pan Yun sniffed the fragrant air drifting through the night, her mouth watering: "Second brother, which floor is our private room on?"

"No, our private room is in that building," Pan Yu twisted Pan Yun's neck to make her look at the two-story building beside Taotie Restaurant.

Pan Yun's smile froze: "What? Aren't we eating at Taotie Restaurant?"

"Do I look like someone who can dine at Taotie Restaurant?" Pan Yu glanced at his father and said: "Father might have the chance—if he were greedy enough."

Pan Yun: "..."