Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Inside the teahouse, which was bustling, Shen Chen suddenly went limp and collapsed backward.

His constant suspicion and emotional turmoil had finally overloaded his system, making him faint.

It wasn't an act; he was genuinely unconscious.

Xie Langyang acted quickly, catching him before he fell. Not daring to delay, he hurried out of the teahouse and sped back to the palace at full gallop.

By the time he emerged from the Shunyang Gate, his entire body ached all over, his robes drenched with sweat.

He stumbled dazedly back to his residence, and had just stepped out of his sedan chair when the steward hurriedly approached, reporting that Miss Liu had come by but found no one home.

Liu Qiying... had come looking for *him*?

Xie Langyang instantly forgot his exhaustion. A faint flicker of hope rose in his heart, like a trembling flame in the depths of winter.

Clutching this fragile spark, he urgently grasped the steward's arms, his words almost trembling. "Speak quickly!"

He even forgot his usual composure and dignity.

The steward hastily replied, "Miss Liu said she was entrusted by Master Wen to retrieve something from you. When I asked what it was, she wouldn't say. My lord, if there really is such an item, I will find it and deliver it immediately."

The color drained from Xie Langyang's face.

He knew what it was.

Back when Wen Zuo was serving as an official in Bozhou, Xie Langyang, with no prior knowledge, had been notified that the Xie family from Nanzhou had sent betrothal gifts from a thousand miles away. Gong Zhiyuan had forcefully decided to marry Gong Yuwen to him.

He was in no position to refuse.

Only after the marriage did he learn that several of Gong Yuwen's maids were Gong Zhiyuan's spies. His mentor wanted to ensure he would be of use to the Gong family and never betray them.

He dared not keep any of Wen Zuo's things.

The books annotated by Wen Zuo were painfully donated to the academy. The money pouch, hair crown, and tassels gifted by Wen Zuo were reluctantly taken to the pawnshop, exchanged for grain to distribute to the people, merely earning him an empty reputation for virtue.

Only one piece, the *Evening Mountain Rhapsody*, he truly couldn't bear to part with, and had secretly tucked it away within his desk.

In those past days, every detail, every blade of grass and tree, held meaning only they understood. He treasured it deeply.

It wasn't until the joint trial by the Three Judicial Offices that he was forced to hand over the *Evening Mountain Rhapsody*.

In truth, Wen Zuo's original charges were already numerous enough to fill books. But Gong Zhiyuan insisted on extracting further fabricated confessions to glorify his own achievements.

He ordered Wen Zuo to be forced onto the punishment bench, his hands and feet bound. Two heavy court rods stood beside the bench, their chilling aura making Wen Zuo shiver from a distance.

The rough handling by the guards reopened Wen Zuo's old wounds, causing the scabs on his ten fingers to bleed anew.

Gong Zhiyuan said, "The rods will strike. Confess to one charge, and I'll grant you half a moment's rest."

On the tenth strike, Wen Zuo felt a sharp pain, and his left leg went numb. Unable to endure such brutal torture, he could only confess as they wished.

He admitted to molesting a singer and tarnishing her virtue, to suppressing a Hanlin Academy compiler and driving him to suicide, and to attempting to lure Xie Langyang into collusion, harboring resentment after being rejected...

Each item aligned with his notorious reputation, yet it was all utter nonsense.

Oral confessions alone weren't enough for them; they demanded ironclad evidence. Thus, this *Evening Mountain Rhapsody* became the perfect proof.

When Gong Zhiyuan came for it, Xie Langyang was dumbfounded. He couldn't believe Wen Zuo would confess to this piece.

With trembling hands, he handed over the letter, preserved perfectly without a single crease.

Gong Zhiyuan took one look, and his face darkened as if covered by a storm cloud.

Who would treat a gift from someone they despised with such care?

But the die was cast. Gong Zhiyuan didn't ask further. Instead, in the courtroom, he used the harshest, most venomous words, heaping humiliation upon Wen Zuo, as if wishing to flay the skin from his face.

"Now the evidence is conclusive! You possess the form of a man, yet your essence is that of a base eunuch! You imitated the acts of a female beast, attempting to seduce Vice Minister Xie and ruin his pristine reputation!"

Xie Langyang stood just outside the door at that moment, feeling a pain worse than having his heart carved out.

He heard Wen Zuo's flat, emotionless reply from inside the hall: "If you say so, then so be it."

These words spread faster than the wind. Soon, even the prison guards in the Dali Temple jail insulted him in the same manner.

The flicker of hope that had just ignited was abruptly extinguished.

Only a slow, prolonged ache remained, drilling deep into his bones, stroke by stroke.

"Xie Lang, why have you only just returned? Is everything alright with the Sixth Prince?" Gong Yuwen came out from the residence to greet him, dressed in a purple gown without a trace of makeup.

She started helping him off with his outer robe, then turned to instruct the steward nearby, "Steward Xu, please go to the kitchen and prepare some light congee and side dishes, nothing greasy. He's been up all night."

As the daughter of the Chief Grand Secretary, Gong Yuwen possessed not a hint of arrogance or willfulness. Instead, she was reasonable, understanding, reserved, and obedient.

Xie Langyang looked at her expression of perfectly measured concern and said nothing.

Towards Gong Yuwen, he had always felt guilty. Not only because she was forced into this marriage, left to guard an empty chamber, but also because he had broken their initial agreement to abstain from intimacy during a drunken lapse.

When Shen Chen moved to settle accounts with Wen Zuo, Gong Yuwen happened to discover she was pregnant.

Xie Langyang would rather have died than impeach Wen Zuo. However, Shen Chen informed him that if he shielded Wen Zuo, the Xie family would also be held accountable. Then the Gong family, Gong Yuwen, and the child in her womb would all be implicated.

During those days, Xie Langyang felt as if he were being torn apart. He wished he could end his life on the spot rather than make such an agonizing choice.

But that night, Gong Yuwen came to him on her own, urging him to follow his heart.

"How could His Majesty cause you such pain? You mustn't worry about us, mother and child. You must protect Master Wen. Since I married you, whatever the outcome, I accept it willingly."

Xie Langyang could no longer hold back. He collapsed into her arms, weeping bitterly.

After a sleepless night, he finally made his decision.

Neither he nor Wen Zuo could wrong Gong Yuwen any further, especially now that she was not alone but carried an innocent child within her.

He ensured the safety of everyone—his parents, his mentor, the new emperor, his wife—all except Wen Zuo.

He would rather fall into eternal hell, offering penance to Wen Zuo life after life.

When Wen Zuo was taken away by the Imperial Guards, he dared not look back, dared not meet his eyes, dared not hear his voice.

He was crushed beneath the immense weight of imperial authority, left breathless and utterly exhausted.

Until the day of the execution, he believed it was an unavoidable tragedy.

Yet, in the Qingliang Hall, Wen Zuo's question stopped him: How did Shen Chen know Wen Zuo liked men? Yes, how *did* Shen Chen know?

In his previous life, when Shen Chen spoke recklessly before Emperor Shunyuan, he had been completely unaware. Later, Wen Zuo helped Shen Chen up and began assisting him, and only then did he later come to accept this turn of events.

Now he understood that it was simply a cleverly orchestrated self-injury ruse. So, who exactly leaked this secret?

"Xie Lang?" Gong Yuwen noticed Xie Langyang looking exhausted, his eyes bloodshot, yet he kept staring at her, which gave her the creeps.

"Yuwen, do you often meet with your sister?" Xie Langyang suddenly asked seriously.

If the maids or spies in the mansion had discovered it, they would have informed Gong Zhiyuan. In that case, Gong Zhiyuan wouldn’t have had that expression when he saw "Evening Mountain Rhapsody."

So, he had actually hidden it well, arousing no one’s suspicion. The only person he let his guard down around was Gong Yuwen, whom he considered one of his own.

Gong Yuwen was stunned by his question. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times before she hesitantly replied, "Occasionally... You know, I get quite bored in the mansion, and my sister feels sorry for me."

"Did you tell her about Master Wen and me?" Xie Langyang took a step closer, suddenly grabbing her wrist.

Gong Yuwen winced in pain, dropping her outer robe. In her shock and fear, she shook her head frantically, as if deeply wronged, and raised three fingers to swear, "No, how could I tell her? She would inform Father, and Father would reprimand you!"

Seeing her tearful, anxious expression, Xie Langyang began to doubt again.

Perhaps the issue lay with the Wen residence. Liu Qiying and Jiang Mannv also knew about it. Jiang Mannv was simple-minded and rash, and could easily have leaked the secret.

He shouldn’t have lost his temper and taken it out on Gong Yuwen in his agitation.

"I’m just tired. Please don’t mind what I said earlier." Xie Langyang released her hand and bowed in apology.

"Ah, no need!" Gong Yuwen quickly stepped back, avoiding the gesture. She wiped her tears with her sleeve and smiled at Xie Langyang without holding a grudge.

Xie Langyang forced a smile in return.

-

At the Wen residence.

Wen Zuo changed into a jade-white robe, hoisted a hoe, and uprooted the white camellias planted in the flower field.

He had reluctantly planted this patch because Xie Langyang said he resembled these flowers—refined and pure.

Now, there was no reason to keep them.

Wen Zuo was not one to look back, nor was this the first time he had been abandoned. If he were fragile and easily broken, he would have died before reaching adolescence.

But he was a vindictive man. Every detail from his previous life was etched clearly in his memory. He would step by step ruin them utterly!

Gritting his teeth with fierce resolve, he exerted all his strength, his dark hair caught in his mouth, but after just a few swings of the hoe, he grew too tired to continue.

He threw down the hoe and called for someone.

No one answered. Both of them had gone to see off that scoundrel, which surprised Wen Zuo.

Was Shen Zheng that likable?

He didn’t think so.

It seemed they were short-handed.

Wen Zuo considered hiring a few more servants and raising a team of shadow guards for assassination, revenge, and dealing with political rivals.

But suddenly, he snapped back to reality, realizing he was no longer the treacherous minister who had amassed a fortune rivaling the state's.

He brushed the strands of hair from his lips, accidentally touching the spot Shen Zheng had caressed earlier. His eyelashes fluttered again as the scene replayed in his mind.

If Shen Zheng was truly reborn, could he escape this calamity of the Spring Terrace Chess Association?

This conspiracy appeared to be an external threat but was actually an internal one, rooted in the Da Qian court.

The rivalry among the Eight Schools had a long history and was now coming to a head.

The three youths sent by Nanping were skilled Go players, but it was a pipe dream to think they could defeat all of Da Qian.

However, Nanping exploited the infighting among the Eight Schools, effortlessly infiltrating Da Qian like a sieve.

To gain an advantage for their own school, disciples of the Eight Veins went to great lengths to steal the strategies and techniques of other schools, leaking them to Nanping players. They hoped the other schools would lose to Nanping, bringing shame and public condemnation upon them.

With everyone playing this game, it inevitably backfired. Not a single Da Qian player emerged victorious, and the top three spots were all taken by Nanping.

What was meant to be a grand Go event for Da Qian ended up boosting Nanping’s prestige and filling its coffers.

Emperor Shunyuan was so enraged he fell ill for three days, leaving all court officials in a state of panic.

The officials who were disciples of the Eight Veins knew exactly what had happened, but none dared speak up. They could only offer hollow words of comfort to the emperor.

Someone had to take responsibility, especially the Xie School, Shi School, and Helian School, which had lost in the final rounds.

But the key figures of these three schools had aligned themselves with the Crown Prince, Prince Xian, and the Third Prince, respectively.

After much deliberation, there was only one solution: find a scapegoat.

That scapegoat was Shen Zheng.

Having been a hostage for ten years, it was far more believable that Shen Zheng had colluded with Nanping than anyone else. Perhaps the three youths had even met Shen Zheng in Nanping.

As a prince, it wouldn’t be difficult for Shen Zheng to obtain the strategies and techniques of each school. No one would suspect him.

Shen Zheng was dull-witted. With carefully crafted questions during interrogation, he could easily trap himself.

Most importantly, Shen Zheng was the maternal grandson of the Marquis of Yongning. If he wasn't brought down, how could the Marquis of Yongning’s household wholeheartedly support Shen Chen?

The foundation of all this was Emperor Shunyuan’s unwillingness to admit Da Qian’s defeat. Blaming it on a traitor rather than lack of skill, while also smearing Nanping’s reputation, suited his intentions perfectly. He would never bother to reopen the case.

This was the first scheme Wen Zuo devised for Shen Chen.

So now, although Shen Zheng was useful, he was also dangerous. Once the old incident was exposed, he would be mired in trouble.

In truth, Wen Zuo hadn’t intended to kill Shen Zheng. Given his service as a hostage for ten years, his crime didn’t warrant death.

Fengyang Terrace was a place specifically for confining members of the imperial family. There, food, clothing, and daily necessities were never a concern—no different from Shen Zheng holing up in the residence all day without stepping outside.

With Wen Zuo’s planning, Shen Chen would eventually ascend the throne, and then Shen Zheng could be released to live out his days in peace.

But Shen Zheng fell to his death from Fengyang Terrace.

At the time, Shen Chen wanted to move against Duke Liu, and Jun Dingyuan strongly opposed it, nearly causing a rift with the Sixth Prince’s faction. So, Xie Langyang always suspected that Wen Zuo had someone push Shen Zheng off the building to cut off the Yongning Marquis household's last thread of hope.

Wen Zuo didn’t do it. Even he didn’t know whether Shen Zheng’s death was an accident or murder.

But later, under severe torture by the Three Judicial Offices, he was forced to confess.

If Shen Zheng escaped this calamity and reviewed the variables, would he guess Wen Zuo’s hand in his previous life?

As Wen Zuo pondered this, he suddenly heard a light clatter on the green tiles of the outer wall. Before he could identify the sound, a figure leaped over and landed with a thud on the disturbed soil. It was Jiang Mannv.

Jiang Mannv was drenched in sweat, her steps unsteady, her wide, bell-like eyes filled with anxiety, and her lips so dry they had cracked and peeled.

As soon as she opened her mouth, she cried out, "My lord, A Liu is in trouble!"

Wen Zuo's expression instantly turned icy as he ordered, "Get to the point."

Jiang Mannv had clearly sprinted back; she struggled to catch her breath, using her not-so-bright mind to summarize the key points.

"We were escorting the Fifth Prince back to the residence when we ran into Official Cao, who had come from Qianzhou, right at the gate. He knew full well it was a prince, yet he blocked the entrance and refused to yield, saying something about when Da Qian ever had such a shabby fifth prince. A Liu couldn't stand it and muttered a sarcastic jab, saying his eyes were in his backside, recognizing only fine clothes, not people."

"But it turns out Official Cao is actually imperial kin! He ordered his men to arrest us. We couldn't fight with the officers, so we just pushed and shoved. Who would have thought during the scuffle they spotted the mark on A Liu's chest! And that Fifth Prince is utterly useless—when we were surrounded, he vanished in the blink of an eye. Now A Liu is being held at the residence, and I had to force my way out to find you, my lord!"

"Cao Fangzheng, the Crown Prince's maternal uncle?"

After hearing this, a shadow of darkness tinged Wen Zuo's clear, glass-like eyes.

A mere third-rank provincial surveillance commissioner, acting as if he could run wild in the capital.

He brushed the dust from his palms and straightened his rolled-up sleeves. "No need to panic. Prepare the carriage. I'd like to see who has grown tired of living and dares to touch my people."