Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Cao Fangzheng was the late Empress Cao's youngest brother.

Emperor Shunyuan had outlived two empresses: one was Liu Shi, the mother of Prince Xian, and the other was this Empress Cao.

About seven years ago, Empress Cao was made empress for her gentle, elegant, quiet, and virtuous nature. Not even a month later, Emperor Shunyuan suddenly decided to travel incognito to Mianzhou, Wen Zuo's hometown. Only the imperial guards accompanied him, and no one knew its purpose.

It was only heard that after returning, Emperor Shunyuan was overcome with grief, and Empress Cao tended to him diligently by his side.

But who could have known that Emperor Shunyuan unfortunately came down with smallpox during the journey? Because he was already in low spirits, he suddenly fell ill upon returning to the palace, and Empress Cao, after spending several nights comforting him, was also unfortunately infected.

After a harrowing course of treatment, Emperor Shunyuan eventually pulled through, but Empress Cao had died.

Emperor Shunyuan was consumed by guilt and immediately enfeoffed Empress Cao's son, Shen Zhen, who was then the Second Prince, as Crown Prince. To shut down the gossip, before the court officials knew what was happening, he directly enfeoffed the Eldest Prince Shen Bi as Prince Xian, dashing his hopes of contending for the throne.

Little did he know that this act of passing over the eldest for a younger son instead got more princes thinking they had a shot, who figured they were just as deserving—among them was Shen Chen.

Empress Cao's mother's family also benefited from this. Her good-for-nothing brothers were all granted official positions, and because of the Crown Prince's influence, they threw their weight around with impunity for a time.

Not only Shen Zheng, but even princes like Shen Chen, who had no powerful backers, were constantly sneered at by the Cao clan. That is why Shen Chen held such a deep hatred for his maternal relatives and, upon ascending the throne, was bent on wiping them out.

This Cao Fangzheng didn't get to stay in the capital as an official and was instead shipped off to the relatively impoverished Qianzhou. Emperor Shunyuan had originally had high hopes for him, but unfortunately, over the years, he hadn't accomplished much and gradually faded from the emperor's memory.

In his lifetime, Emperor Shunyuan never got over his first love, Imperial Consort Chen. Whatever guilt he felt toward Empress Cao had long since faded. Thus, Cao Fangzheng's several requests to be transferred back to the capital were all rejected by Emperor Shunyuan, saying there were no openings, so he remained in Qianzhou for six years.

His chance to return to the capital came because of the Spring Terrace Chess Association.

This major national event became an opportunity for many local officials to apply for entry into the capital. Emperor Shunyuan was in a good mood and, barring any issues, would generally allow them to come see the excitement and personally pay their respects to the Son of Heaven.

Local officials entering the capital usually stayed at the official guesthouse. For a royal relative like Cao Fangzheng, the treatment was even a notch higher. To show off this privilege, he did not return to stay at the Cao residence.

At this moment, Cao Fangzheng was holding court. He wore a pair of large beast-patterned woven gold brocade boots. Having just drunk wine, his nose was bright and shiny red. A round, protruding belly strained against his belt, and his thick, square lips were animatedly speaking: "You all might not know this."

He held a horsewhip in his hand, using it to arrogantly flip open Liu Qiying's collar, revealing a circular dark red mark on her upper chest.

"This woman is a *rouge bandit* who escaped from Qianzhou!"

"What is a rouge bandit?" The officials from various regions staying at the guesthouse were baffled and gathered around Cao Fangzheng. Whether out of curiosity or to suck up to him didn't matter—Cao Fangzheng got the audience he was craving.

"Back then, a group of female bandits appeared at the Lianghe Ferry in my Qianzhou. They actively solicited wealthy merchants and officials traveling by boat. Those merchants and officials, somehow bewitched, followed them back to their village. Who would have thought that after just one night, they would be robbed of their belongings and dumped back onto the main road?"

Someone gasped: "Such a strange thing happened?"

Cao Fangzheng: "Upon hearing of this, I was furious. How could I allow a group of female bandits to run rampant under my governance? So I led troops to suppress them, only to find that these bandits disguised themselves as ordinary civilians, blending into the common people, making them difficult to distinguish."

"But this did not stump me. I ordered a team of officers and soldiers to disguise themselves as wealthy merchants and arrive at the ferry by boat. Sure enough, they were targeted. Just as the bandits attempted to strike, the long-ambushed officers and soldiers rushed out and captured them all. Only then did we discover that the entire village, young and old, consisted entirely of female bandits!"

Someone took the lead in praising: "Lord Cao is truly wise and mighty, eliminating harm for the people!"

"Lord Cao is resourceful and astute; I am ashamed of my own inadequacy."

"The people of Qianzhou are fortunate."

"Who would have thought a group of female bandits could occupy an entire village? It's simply unbelievable."

Someone expressed surprise: "Did all the men of that village go to repair the embankments? Why didn't some stay in the village to discipline these lawless women?"

The person beside them replied: "Ah, colleague, you may not know. Seven years ago, Qianzhou suffered a great flood. Several villages were washed away, and the people were displaced. The court even allocated a considerable amount of silver for disaster relief. So the embankments had to be repaired, and the work had to be accelerated."

"So that's how it was."

Cao Fangzheng sneered: "Exactly. The court showed such compassion for the disaster victims, yet they showed no gratitude. Instead, they turned to banditry. After capturing them, I initially intended to execute them all. But considering that Da Qian has always had a sparse population, I showed mercy. I branded a special mark on their chests, named them 'rouge bandits,' and sold them to music houses or manors as slaves, also reminding their masters to be cautious upon seeing the mark."

"But how could a rouge bandit appear in the capital?"

"Indeed. Looking at her, her attire doesn't seem like that of an ordinary family. Just this set of clothes she's wearing is from Cuiyu Xuan, isn't it?"

Cao Fangzheng narrowed his puffy eyes and also noticed that Liu Qiying's clothing was of fine quality. Although she might not be a young lady from some prominent family, it was clear she lived comfortably.

He suddenly raised his whip and lashed out fiercely, tearing the lotus-root-colored gauze on Liu Qiying's chest, leaving a long bloody welt.

If she were an ordinary woman, being held by officers, disheveled, and subjected to such harsh treatment, she would surely be mortified, weeping uncontrollably, wishing she could dash herself to death to preserve her dignity.

But Liu Qiying not only did not utter a sound, she also showed no concern for the gazes of the officials in the hall—whether astonished, contemptuous, or probing. She knelt upright, as if those gazes were merely stale, tasteless overnight tea, turbid and bland, unable to stir a single ripple.

Her clothes were torn open, and the whip mark was oozing blood, yet there was not a trace of tears in her eyes. Instead, they shone frighteningly bright, as if a fierce blade were about to shoot from those eyes burning with intense hatred, slicing Cao Fangzheng into a thousand pieces.

Several officials nearby secretly felt a chill, so shaken by her gaze that they lowered their eyes, turned their heads away, feeling as if the air had grown colder.

"Look at the look in her eyes! This is no look a woman should have!" Relying on the presence of officers and soldiers, Cao Fangzheng showed no fear. He continued, "When escorting this batch of rouge bandits back then, there was a sixteen-year-old girl. Taking advantage of the night, she used a sharpened tree branch as a blade, stabbed the guarding officer, and led a group of eighteen female bandits, escaping to the borders of Bozhou."

"Bozhou? Wasn't that back then..." someone started but hesitated.

Bozhou was under Wen Zuo's jurisdiction back then. In recent years, this Minister Wen had risen meteorically, becoming the emperor's foremost favorite.

Although he did not form factions or alliances, appearing dissolute and indifferent to power, he was a veritable powerful minister.

Because whatever he said, Emperor Shunyuan would ultimately agree.

This was not only due to Wen Zuo's profound knowledge and substantive arguments but also inseparable from the emperor's extraordinary reliance on him.

In short, he was a special existence. Seeing that Cao Fangzheng was about to involve Wen Zuo, several local officials subtly wanted to slip away, fearing they would be tainted.

But Cao Fangzheng hadn't thought that deeply. Firstly, Wen Zuo had already left Bozhou four years ago. Secondly, dealing with a mere rouge bandit shouldn't alarm the Hanlin Academy Director.

"I immediately contacted the Bozhou authorities, and Bozhou fully cooperated in the capture. Unfortunately, this woman is inherently ruthless and cunning. She did not venture deep into Bozhou but instead led that group of female bandits over the mountains and fled elsewhere. Who would have thought that today she would latch onto some hostage prince and brazenly come to the capital? It's just her misfortune to have run into me, which is how she was brought to justice!"

"Excellent! Lord Cao truly has discerning eyes!"

"Discerning eyes? I'd say he's blind." A voice both disdainful and arrogant came from behind the crowd. The Fifth Prince, who had vanished without a trace earlier, swaggered out again. He pushed through the crowd, walked straight between Cao Fangzheng and Liu Qiying, and then unceremoniously pulled Liu Qiying to her feet.

In the guesthouse, the officers naturally held the lowest status. No matter how awkward Shen Zheng's position was, he was still a prince. How dare they stop him?

Liu Qiying's legs were somewhat numb from kneeling. Standing up, she nearly stumbled, but fortunately, Shen Zheng steadied her, and she quickly regained her footing.

She looked at Shen Zheng with some surprise.

When the incident occurred and Shen Zheng slipped away, she hadn't complained, as it was understandable.

Their status was lowly, and they had no real friendship with Shen Zheng. Moreover, Shen Zheng had just been slapped and driven out of the Wen residence by Wen Zuo. It would be surprising if he weren't resentful; why would he stand up for them?

So from the start, she hadn't placed her hopes on Shen Zheng. Instead, she told Jiang Mannv to run quickly and find Wen Zuo for a solution.

But even when pressed to her knees by the officers, when her collar was torn open, when she was whipped, she hadn't rashly mentioned Wen Zuo's name. She feared that speaking out of turn might interfere with Wen Zuo's plans.

Unexpectedly, it was Shen Zheng who appeared first now.

Wen Zuo and Jiang Mannv also arrived by carriage at this moment. Wen Zuo alighted from the carriage. The wind brushed his robes and swept across his strikingly handsome face. The guards at the entrance couldn't help but hold their breath upon seeing him, their minds momentarily captivated.

Even for a man, his beauty was shockingly breathtaking.

Wen Zuo indifferently displayed his official badge. At a glance, the guards broke into a cold sweat and knelt in unison: "Master of the Academy!"

Without uttering a word, Wen Zuo stepped through the gate of the official guesthouse.

Upon entering, he found a tense standoff inside. Jiang Mannv was about to charge into the crowd but was stopped by Wen Zuo's raised hand.

Wen Zuo remained expressionless, standing behind the crowd, quietly watching Shen Zheng help Liu Qiying to her feet.

Cao Fangzheng sized him up, puzzled by how this young man had suddenly found his courage. Swinging his horsewhip, he chuckled, "I thought Your Highness the royal hostage had fled home when things turned sour. Oh, I forgot—Your Highness hasn't been summoned by His Majesty yet, so you can't return home, can you? Should I put in a good word for you before His Majesty, so the Emperor, burdened with myriad affairs, might remember you?"

He laughed heartily at his own remark. A few men hoping to ingratiate themselves with the Crown Prince managed a couple of obsequious chuckles, while others watched cautiously, unwilling to offend anyone.

Shen Zheng also smiled, but only briefly before his expression turned serious. With his hands behind his back, he deliberately looked down his nose at Cao Fangzheng, leveraging his height advantage. "Thanks to a fool like you, I'll soon have an audience with His Majesty."

Cao Fangzheng could not tolerate such humiliation. Though his status was inferior to that of a prince, his sister had died for the Emperor, and his nephew was the current Crown Prince. Offending him meant offending the entire Cao family. Even if Shen Zheng were merely a fool despised by Emperor Shunyuan, what could even Prince Xian do about it!

"Your Highness should watch your tongue, lest you invite calamity. For the sake of a fugitive Rouge Bandit, Your Highness dares to oppose me and the Crown Prince. Could it be that the Directorate of Astronomy's prophecy is true—that Your Highness is inherently deficient and lacks spiritual insight?"

Cao Fangzheng thought his sarcasm was sharp and effective, feeling quite pleased with himself. Just as he was about to burst into laughter again, Shen Zheng swiftly raised his leg and kicked him squarely in the chest.

Caught off guard, Cao Fangzheng was struck hard. He felt a sudden tightness in his chest, his vision went dark, and he stumbled backward.

Fortunately, he was portly and well-padded, and someone behind him caught him, preventing serious injury.

However, a clear, comical footprint now adorned his brocade robe.

Seeing this, Shen Zheng sighed regretfully and muttered to himself, "This body is too weak. I've got some training to do."

Liu Qiying was stunned by his actions.

Even if Wen Zuo himself were here, he wouldn't casually kick Cao Fangzheng, would he?

Liu Qiying's thoughts raced. Could it be that Shen Zheng's ten years as a hostage had drastically changed his temperament, making him timid at times and reckless at others? Timid enough to hide under tables, yet reckless enough to touch Wen Zuo's face and kick the Crown Prince's uncle?

Or was it because the Marquis of Yongning's lingering influence and Jun Dingyuan's triumphant return gave Shen Zheng confidence, making him believe he could resolve this matter?

"Master, is this the Fifth Prince?" Jiang Mannv asked, wide-eyed.

Wen Zuo's face showed no expression, but his heart tightened abruptly.

He had thought he could control the situation upon returning, but an unexpected Shen Zheng had upset all his calculations.

Did Shen Zheng even realize that offending Cao Fangzheng meant offending the Cao family and the Crown Prince?

This reckless kick, without considering the consequences, could pit the Marquis of Yongning's estate against the Cao family. Even the newly prominent Jun Dingyuan might become a thorn in the Crown Prince's side.

Wen Zuo's expression darkened.

Acting on impulse without thinking—such behavior seemed unlikely to achieve great things and only added trouble for him.

As Wen Zuo pondered his next move, Cao Fangzheng shoved aside the officials behind him and pointed at Shen Zheng, shouting, "You all saw it! The Fifth Prince publicly obstructed my arrest of a criminal and even assaulted a Court Official!"

Shen Zheng snatched the horsewhip from Cao Fangzheng's hand and pointed it back at him, mimicking his gesture. "I said you were blind, and you truly are! That's no Rouge Bandit mark—it's clearly a birthmark!"

Liu Qiying widened her eyes in disbelief. She couldn't believe Shen Zheng would spout such nonsense so boldly.

Somehow, Cao Fangzheng felt a blur before his eyes, and the whip was inexplicably taken from him. But he had no time to worry about the whip and immediately retorted loudly, "Nonsense! That's clearly a brand! The brand resembles a scorpion's hook, symbolizing a heart as venomous as a snake!"

The brand on Liu Qiying's chest had faded and wrinkled into a reddish scar over the years, but the scorpion-hook shape was still faintly discernible, a testament to the cruelty of the person who designed it.

"How do you know no one has a birthmark shaped like that?" Shen Zheng's dark eyes gleamed with amusement as he pressed forward step by step. "Maybe you have such a birthmark on your chest too. Why not rip your shirt open and let everyone see?"

As he spoke, Shen Zheng raised the whip as if to strike and tear open Cao Fangzheng's robe.

The whip handle was made of sandalwood, with seven fine hemp threads bound at the tip—flexible yet sharp. Even a spirited horse would rear and neigh in pain if struck; on human skin, the pain would be unbearable.

Cao Fangzheng, known for his fiery temper, refused to suffer such humiliation. Emboldened by alcohol, he imitated Shen Zheng and kicked out.

Shen Zheng took the blow squarely on his chest, his slender frame staggering back several steps and nearly colliding with Liu Qiying.

Liu Qiying caught him with a complex expression.

Moreover, even if he offended the Marquis of Yongning, he had no fear. No matter how powerful the Marquis was, could he surpass his father, Minister Cao? Even with military achievements, could Jun Dingyuan overshadow the Crown Prince?

Wen Zuo could no longer stand by. Did Shen Zheng really think that by stubbornly calling it a birthmark, everything would be resolved peacefully?

He was hopeless.

Just as Wen Zuo was about to step through the crowd and take control of the situation, he saw that Shen Zheng showed no trace of embarrassment after being kicked. Instead, he let out a low, deliberate chuckle, devoid of anger and filled only with mockery.

Before Cao Fangzheng could revel in his momentary victory, Shen Zheng's eyes turned sharp, his face cold as iron, and he suddenly roared, "Cao Fangzheng, how dare you!"

The voice rang out like clashing metal, firm and powerful. The official guesthouse fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Shen Zheng's handsome face, with its thick brows and deep-set eyes, now carried an inexplicable, intimidating fury that sent shivers down spines and chilled the air.

For a moment, Cao Fangzheng was dazed and involuntarily took half a step back.

Wen Zuo narrowed his eyes and halted his movement in time.

It was no exaggeration—Shen Zheng's outburst truly carried an imperial aura.

Coming back to his senses, Cao Fangzheng began to plead his case. "Everyone saw it! The Fifth Prince attacked me first! I was merely defending myself! Even before His Majesty, with so many witnesses, as long as I explain the reason, His Majesty will not let you off lightly!"

"His Majesty need not let me off lightly, because the one guilty of grave disrespect is you!" Shen Zheng raised his right hand, opened his moon-white robe halfway, and retrieved a short, gold-patterned letter from where Cao Fangzheng had kicked him.

With a light flick of his fingers, he held up the letter for all to see. The ink strokes were faintly visible, and a vermilion imperial seal was stamped in the lower right corner.

"On my journey back to the capital, I often missed my father, so I kept this handwritten letter of grace from His Majesty close to my heart, always by my side. Where I am, this letter is; where this letter is, His Majesty is. Cao Fangzheng, when you kicked me, were you kicking me, or were you kicking His Majesty the Emperor?"

Cao Fangzheng's face drained of color almost instantly.

If not seen with one's own eyes, it would be hard to believe that a person's aura of death and despair could be so palpable.

The local officials quickly averted their eyes from the spot, as if already witnessing a beheading and bloodshed.

Cao Fangzheng didn't even kneel—his legs gave way, and he collapsed, trembling like a sieve. His throat seemed locked shut, and for a long moment, he couldn't utter a word.

Only then did Liu Qiying understand: Shen Zheng had slipped away earlier to retrieve the letter from his room and hide it in his robe.

Everything he said and did afterward was meant to provoke Cao Fangzheng into attacking him.

Regardless of Cao Fangzheng's reasons, disrespecting the Emperor's handwritten letter was an undeniable crime, a fate he could not escape.

The Fifth Prince had devised this plan in such a short time—decisive, swift, and lethal.

But was it worth it to implicate a member of the imperial family for the sake of a maidservant suspected of belonging to the 'Rouge Bandit' gang?

At this thought, Liu Qiying suddenly realized she had asked Wen Zuo a similar question many years ago.

Shen Zheng couldn’t be bothered to spare Cao Fangzheng another glance. Instead, he swept his gaze over the stunned officials and asked, “Gentlemen, do you agree with me that he is a fool who can't see?”

“Yes, yes, yes…” Who would dare say Cao Fangzheng wasn’t blind after he dared to kick the Emperor’s handwritten letter?

“And do you believe the words of such a blind man, claiming that mark belongs to a rouge bandit?” Shen Zheng pressed further.

“No… no, we don’t believe it!”

“It’s a birthmark, it must be a birthmark!”

Satisfied, Shen Zheng calmly tucked the short letter back into his robe, as if he truly couldn’t bear to be parted from his father for even a moment.

“Then the matter is clear. Cao Fangzheng provoked trouble, disrupted social order, breached the public peace, verbally insulted a prince, and kicked a document from the Emperor. According to Article N, Volume N of the *Great Qian Code*, the penalty is death, to be carried out forthwith.”

His eyebrows arched high as he spouted this stream of fabricated nonsense, yet his words flowed smoothly and with absolute conviction, as if all the light in the room should revolve around him.

Wen Zuo let his sleeves fall back as he clasped his hands behind him, and allowed the faintest hint of a smile to touch the corner of his lips.