Ink Burns

Chapter 234 Weeping at Parting

In early July, near the Ghost Festival, a hundred ghosts roam the night, exuding an eerie and chilling atmosphere. Leaving aside the treacherous political landscape of Jiangnan, thousands of miles away, even the prosperous and peaceful capital city harbors undercurrents beneath its calm surface.

For example, Xiao Po of the Censorate took the lead in impeaching the Prefect of Jingzhao for dereliction of duty and accepting bribes to release Chang Yusu.

The Prefect of Jingzhao was in a difficult position. They couldn't produce the person, nor could they explain Chang Yusu's whereabouts, and they dared not reveal who had benefited from his release. They could only say that Chang Yusu had fled in the chaos, and the Prefect of Jingzhao was doing his best to apprehend him.

Unfortunately, there was no victim in this case to voice their grievances. No matter how fierce Xiao Po's offensive was, he could only keep his eyes on the Prefect of the Capital, attempting to use the Prefect as a fulcrum to pry open the Chang family's hard shell.

Xiao Po was short, delicate and fair-skinned, and polite, yet ruthless in his actions. He was good at finding unconventional ways, like a cat with sharp claws that swiftly walks along the edge of a wall. In the court, Xue Xiao was called a mad dog, and he was called a short-legged cat—both derogatory terms for weak little beasts.

The Censorate launched a fierce attack, and everyone knew that behind this short-legged cat was that mad dog surnamed Xue. The mad dog was no longer satisfied with its achievements in dragging down the officials in Jiangnan, and instead turned its attention to the powerful families in the capital: This mad dog vowed to make sure that all the participants in the Duzhou dike breach case were executed, and that they would rather kill ten thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free, and that all of them would be buried with their maternal families!
"There are two people keeping watch in the northeast corner, two people at the south side gate, and one person at the north gate."

The short-legged cat Xiao Po pointed out the strangeness outside Xue Nan's residence: "Even at the entrances of the two alleys, there are hidden stakes. The people who come are all martial arts practitioners, tall and big, not like southerners, but like people from the north. I just don't know if they are from the northern frontier or the Central Plains."

People from the northern frontier are acting on the orders of the Cui family; people from the Central Plains are merely lackeys of the Chang family.

Xue Xiao nodded: "What about Tianbao Temple?"

Xiao Po succinctly stated: "There are people keeping watch in the town, but the Taoist temple is well hidden, living in seclusion, and has not yet been discovered. However, everyone is being more cautious. Currently, only three to five people remain to guard the area. Apart from Yao Zaozheng and the first and second-tier personnel of the Prefect of the Capital, all the other personnel imprisoned in the prison have been withdrawn."

Tianbao Temple was a hidden move by Emperor Xu Quyan.

The people of Tianbao Temple were all carefully selected scholars who had failed to win the imperial examinations against the gentry from Jiangnan. Half of them were civil and half were military. Some of them had obtained the title of Shujishi (a junior official in the Hanlin Academy), while others had achieved a lower ranking in the second class. They had real talent and were willing to study hard and make progress. Unfortunately, they came from poor families and no one was willing to help them. This group of people could not be immediately appointed to official positions. According to the rules, they had to wait for an opportunity to be filled before they could enter officialdom. Some of them could only hold onto this dream of officialdom for their entire lives.

This group of people were victims of factional struggles, unsuccessful but wealthy young men, and frustrated middle-aged people who spent their lives chasing dreams of fame and fortune.
The saint rescued these people and handed them all over to him.

This group of people were their trusted confidants, whom they had secretly cultivated over eight years.

For example, Bai Yusi, the current prefect of Songjiang Prefecture, is from the Northwest. He passed the imperial examination in the same year as Xue Xiao and they established Tianbao Temple together. A year later, he was sent to the Northwest frontier as an eighth-rank official. Three years later, he was transferred to the seventh-rank county magistrate position. For the next four years, he cultivated his career in the Northwest. In places unseen by the Jiangnan gentry, he steadily rose through the ranks every two years. Finally, he seized the opportunity to take over Songjiang Prefecture and, with his own strength, severed the natural connection between the people of Jiangnan who shared a common hatred against the enemy.

"Where are our retreating men?" Xue Xiao asked.

“In the Twelfth Alley, in the Censorate’s Dark Tower,” Xiao Po replied.

"Free?"

"Yeah, I'm free."

The lakeside pavilion by the water is now empty, with only the plaque left by Old Master Xue for Xue Xiao remaining.

“Choose half and scatter them.”

Xue Xiao said in a deep voice, "The more incisive, satirical, and critical of current affairs the civil officials write, the better. Except for naming names, they can write whatever they want: write about powerful officials abusing their power, about thieves crying 'I'm chasing thieves,' about officials protecting each other—let them write out all the resentment they feel for their unfulfilled talents in the first half of their lives. The military officials, on the other hand, should keep watch on the Cui and Chang families. We'll fight back just as others are watching us—the water in the pond is already muddied, so let's make it even muddier. Besides, is our Censorate some kind of unfortunate punching bag? Can we only passively take hits and never take the initiative to fight back?"

Xiao Po frowned: "Wouldn't that expose Tianbao Temple? The Sage's residence—"

"What does this have to do with the sage? From beginning to end, wasn't it our Censorate that impeached the Chang family?"

Xue Xiao calmly raised his eyes: "If this battle is successful, all those who have stepped forward in the Censorate can take up their posts and fill the vacancies left by the fallen gentry of Jiangnan; if it is unsuccessful, I, Xue Xiao, will bear the infamy of abusing power. What does that have to do with Your Majesty?"

This is the true meaning of being a censor and a loyal minister.

Helping the emperor eliminate dissidents, helping the emperor install his own people, helping the emperor bear the infamy, and helping the emperor accumulate merits—a loyal minister, if he dies a good death, will be a shadow in the annals of history; if he does not die a good death, he will be a sinner for all time.

Once you've chosen to sit at the table, there's no turning back, so why be afraid of revealing your hand?

Besides, how could the dealer only have one good card?

Beneath the plaque, Shan Yue sat upright, brewing tea, and presented it to Xiao Po with both hands.

Xiao Po rose with trepidation and accepted the teacup with both hands: "Sister-in-law, you've worked hard."

Shan Yue smiled and said, "After years of dormancy, you gentlemen can finally stand tall and ready to fight. I offer you tea instead of wine to wish you a successful campaign."

Xiao Po held the teacup in one hand, watching the tea surface remain calm and still, before finally tilting his head back and drinking it all in one gulp, slamming it down on the table with a "bang"!
Chang family.

Chang Yusu was ruthless, but the Chang family was hard to bring down. They had been building their power for years and were protected by Jing'an. Even though they had already provoked Zhou Fangniang's murderous intent, it still wasn't enough.

Even if one Chang Lin dies, there are still a hundred or so members of the Chang family waiting to take over.

If you're going to fight, you have to uproot him and eliminate him completely.

Just like how they treated the Su family.

Under the cover of night, a broad-shouldered, strong-waisted man dressed in dark black night clothes rode out of Xue Nan's mansion. The spies watching outside the corridor exchanged glances, then simultaneously bent down and galloped after him. The tall horse weaved back and forth through the alleys, avoiding the light and pedestrians, heading towards secluded places. The more spies followed behind, the more the man remained as slippery as an eel, maintaining a perfect distance from the spies who were scaling walls and rooftops.

"Nobody's here! Nobody's here!"

At the back gate of Xue Nan's residence, a gust of wind lowered its voice as it pushed open the small door and greeted people with its head down.

Three or five people appeared behind the door. The cloak covering their heads completely obscured their clear, bright eyes, mouth, and nose.

Shan Yue reached out and gently tidied her younger sister's hair, lowering her voice as she spoke rapidly, "Entering the palace, though not a good thing, is also an opportunity, your brother-in-law—"

“My brother-in-law~” Shuiguang’s voice rippled like clear, sparkling water: “Hey, he used to be Lord Xue!”

Shan Yue frowned, and Shui Guang immediately backed down.

"Lord Xue has confirmed that one of the eunuchs who went to Qiushui Ferry that day was Eunuch Wu, who served by the Emperor's side. The other's identity is unknown, but he is likely someone the Emperor favors. You must be extremely careful in your words and actions upon entering the palace. Now, no one in the palace has seen you, nor does anyone know you, which is a good thing for you. The Noble Consort has a close relationship with 'Qingfeng.' If we can use this as a basis, it will be convenient for us to coordinate our efforts both inside and outside the palace. However, as your sister has told you, you must always act within your capabilities and not overreach yourself—"

"Do not take risks, do not be reckless or arrogant, and do not be stubborn! If there is danger, it is better not to do it!"

Shuiguang, having mastered the art of answering quickly, pouted and said, "Sis, I can recite them all!"

Shan Yue's brows furrowed slightly with anxiety. She lowered her hand and let out a long breath: "Not only must you remember, but you must also do it."

Shui Guang's round face scrunched up as she shrugged at Xue Xiao, who had been promoted to "your brother-in-law," and said, "Your wife really has a big mouth."

Xue Xiao, without showing any emotion, took a step closer to Shan Yue with his head down: "Is that so? Are you sure it's not because the brat is being difficult that the old Taoist keeps chanting scriptures?"

Shuiguang: ?
It seems like you two are getting along really well lately!
Following Xue Xiao was Cheng Xingyu, who has been living a secluded life recently.

Three to five meters away, under the red lanterns, Cheng Xingyu looked much better than before, his eyes gazing intently at the water.

Shui Guang laughed and jumped over in two steps.

Cheng Xingyu turned his back, his wide robes blocking everyone's view. They could only vaguely see Cheng Xingyu raising his hand, and the two of them saying something.

Xue Xiao lowered his head, cleared his throat, his sharply defined brows furrowing slightly, and said in a low voice, "This sickly person—"

We can't call Cheng Xingyu a sickly child.

Last time, when Shan Yue called Cheng Xingyu a sickly fellow, her eyes were like two knives, and she almost killed him.

"What's wrong with Doctor Cheng? Luo Feng just lured the scout away. The scout could realize at any moment that he's been tricked and turn back to escort his sister-in-law out of the mansion. The sooner the better, since he's acting discreetly. But instead, he's whispering to her."

Xue Xiao spoke in a low voice, rambling on and on.

Shan Yue frowned: What? Has her mother-in-law started gossiping about Xue Xiao?
"They were master and apprentice halfway through their relationship. Shui Guang's acupuncture skills were passed down to her by Xing Yu. Once a teacher, always a teacher. It's normal for a master and apprentice to have things to say when they part ways."

As Shan Yue spoke, she looked at the porch—the carriages of the Six Offices were already waiting at the alley entrance.

Xue Xiao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but saw Shan Yue's eyes flash back sharply.

Xue Xiao immediately shut up, his mouth full of glue: "Hmph, others may be immature, but he is! He and his wife are on the same wavelength; he knows from just a glance that she wants him to shut up!"
Five meters away on the veranda, Cheng Xingyu turned around, but Shui Guang did not turn around for a long time.

"Ru Chun," Cheng Xingyu whispered in a low, somber voice.

Shui Guangfang froze abruptly, then turned around.

Cheng Xingyu straightened his back, reached out and lifted the cloak behind Shui Guang, gently lowering the half-closed veil so that Shui Guang's face was completely hidden behind the black veil.

"This is the only thing I can teach you now."

Cheng Xingyu's voice was as gentle as ever, like a warm poem, without ornate language, only a heart full of deep affection, carrying a tender compassion and a profound empathy for all living beings: "You must remember firmly that a doctor must be benevolent, benevolent to others, benevolent to oneself, benevolent to things, to the wind, to the scenery, to all living beings, only then can one achieve lasting success. You must remember what I just said, and you must often comfort your sister—do you remember?"

Shui Guang shrugged, but did not answer immediately.

"Do you remember?" Cheng Xing coughed in frustration, his stubbornness rarely seen in him.

"I remember... I remember." Behind the curtain, Shui Guang's voice was choked with unbearable sobs.

A strange doubt suddenly arose in Shan Yue's heart, and her gaze shifted back and forth between Shui Guang and Cheng Xingyu, the master and disciple.

She was about to ask a question when she heard the clatter of horses' hooves outside the alley—the Six Offices were urging her on.

"Get on the carriage—"

The urgent urging and the anxiety of separation dispelled the doubts in my heart.

Shan Yue spread her arms and embraced her younger sister. In the bright moonlight, she held her sister close and, with tears in her eyes, gently stroked the veil covering her younger sister's face: "Shui Guang, wait for your sister to take you out of the palace."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shui Guang looked up and cried out loudly, though it was unclear what she was crying about.

They must be crying at parting.

Separation in two senses.

(End of this chapter)