Jinyi Spring

Chapter 128 Parting Ways
When Xiao Wan's childhood name was mentioned, a hint of embarrassment flashed across the Duke of Ming's face, but the light in his eyes softened even more.

He seemed to see a pretty little girl with two tiny pigtails, wearing a pale yellow jacket embroidered with lotus patterns, her chubby little legs chasing after a slightly taller little boy, calling out in a clear, crisp voice:

"Brother Changqing, Brother Changqing, wait for Xiaowan'er..."

The innocent call still lingered in my ears, but the scene before me had changed again.

A little boy, about five or six years old, shouted with a smile, "Big bowl for soup—slurp slurp, small bowl for pigs—slurp slurp..."

While shouting, he puffed out his cheeks and waved his hands by his ears, making himself look like an ugly little fat pig.

The little girl burst into tears, twisting her chubby body and shouting, "Xiao Wan'er isn't a fat pig, Xiao Wan'er isn't a fat pig..."

When the young father saw this, he stepped forward and patted Changqing's bottom a few times, saying, "How did you raise your little sister? You made her cry."

The little girl cried even harder, shouting, "Don't hit Brother Changqing, Brother Changqing's bottom hurts!"

The people around laughed.

The little boy covered his bottom with both hands, looking at the little girl with embarrassment...

The Duke of Ming was stunned for a long while before he awoke from his distant dream. The past was like smoke, hazy yet vivid.

He spoke again, his voice as distant as if it came from the depths of time.

"When we were young, we all called her 'Xiao Wan'er.' The four of us grew up together and had a deep friendship. Xiao Wan'er was quite chubby when she was little, and she loved to cling to Chang Qing and act spoiled towards him, but Chang Qing couldn't do anything about it..."

"As we grew older, the elders tacitly approved of our childhood sweetheart relationship. Xuanxuan and I were a few years older than each other, and we got engaged and married smoothly. I went to the front lines with my parents to fight, while Xuanxuan stayed at home to take care of her younger siblings."

"By then, the third brother, Changli, had already been born, and Achan had been taken home to be raised. Changqing could have stayed at home and been cared for by his eldest sister-in-law, but he insisted on moving to the Xiao residence, stating that he wanted to learn literary and martial arts from Uncle Xiao..."

Duke Ming chuckled softly.

"As she grew up, Xiao Wan became tall and beautiful, gentle and kind, well-versed in poetry and literature, and also played the zither with exquisite skill. Whenever she played the zither, Chang Qing would accompany her with the xiao (a type of vertical flute)... Her rendition of 'The Phoenix Seeks Its Mate' was truly like the cry of a phoenix and the melody of a luan bird."

At the time, my mother often said that both Xuanxuan and Xiaowan were exceptionally beautiful, but because Xiaowan's piano skills were unmatched, she was given the title of "the most beautiful woman in the capital".

The Duke of Ming's eyes dimmed, as if covered with a layer of dust that could not be wiped away, and he sighed heavily.

"That spring, Changqing was sixteen and Xiaowan was fourteen. The family had prepared the betrothal gifts and arranged for a matchmaker; they were to come to propose marriage in three days. Who would have thought... that incident would happen."

The Duke of Ming's voice suddenly turned somber, each word chilling.

"A banquet was suddenly held in the palace, inviting young men and women of marriageable age from all over the capital. The floating wine cups on a winding stream were an elegant affair. Midway through the banquet, as was customary, there was an archery ceremony to add to the festivities. Suddenly, the Crown Prince stood up and specifically asked to compete with Changqing."

"You know Changqing's archery skills; he is rarely matched. In that round, he hit the bullseye with three consecutive arrows, drawing cheers from the audience. The Crown Prince... also hit the bullseye with his first two arrows, but unfortunately, he 'accidentally' dropped the last one."

The Duke of Ming raised his eyes, his gaze filled with icy coldness.

"The out-of-control arrow grazed Xiao Wan'er's temple and shattered the jade hairpin in her hair. Her black hair was suddenly scattered, and she staggered in panic, almost falling into the winding stream. Just as Chang Qing was about to step forward, the Crown Prince, who was closer, took the lead and pulled her into his arms in front of everyone."

"The next day, the imperial decree of marriage arrived at the Xiao residence. The reason was high-sounding: the Crown Prince had acted rashly and damaged the reputation of the Xiao family's daughter. The royal family was willing to offer her the position of principal wife as compensation, so as to save face for both families."

"An 'accident,' a 'beautiful story.' No one dared to ask why the arrow was aimed at the women's quarters, and no one dared to question why the Crown Prince reacted so swiftly."

Duke Mingguo slowly leaned back in his chair, his eyes filled with only coldness and helplessness.

"The Xiao family received the imperial decree. Changqing was nearly driven mad. If it weren't for your grandmother risking the lives of the whole family to persuade him and forcefully suppress him... the consequences would have been unimaginable. He rode out of the capital that very night and returned several days later, emaciated and as if he had been through another world."

He let out another long, heavy sigh.

"Xiao Wan also attempted suicide, but was forced to live by Old Madam Xiao's threat of death. In the end, the two of them missed each other."

"What Changqing found even more unbearable was that the Emperor had forced her into marriage, yet he didn't cherish her. It's said that the Emperor's favor towards Empress Xiao was far less than that towards Consort Xue and Consort Liu, and in the end, he even used the birth of 'Red Rabbit' as a pretext to demote her to commoner status and send her to a nunnery..."

"Alas, your grandparents painstakingly arranged for Changqing to be stationed at the border. Firstly, to keep him away from the place of his sorrow, and secondly... because they were afraid that if he stayed in the capital, his words and actions might bring great disaster upon the family."

"Over the years, he turned down all the marriages his family had arranged for him, and even suffered a beating in court for defying the imperial decree to refuse marriage. He poured all his resentment and unwillingness into the battlefield and training grounds."

"From then on, the Ming family and the governor's mansion gradually distanced themselves from the Xiao family, deliberately keeping their distance. The Xiao family had never had many members. The old master Xiao forbade Xiao Henian from engaging in martial arts, and after being stripped of his title, the Xiao family gradually declined."

After he finished speaking, those distant memories seemed to still carry the dust and blood of those years, echoing softly in the quiet study.

Ming Shanyue recalled her second uncle's perpetually cold and stern face, which seemed to never show a smile, and suddenly understood. Beneath that icy exterior lay buried a past relationship severed by the Emperor himself. What else could she do but bury it deep in her heart?

There was also Qingxin Fagu, whose figure was withered and thin, described as "like withered grass in late autumn," but she was once a plump and cheerful little girl.

A bright young man, once a harmonious companion with the sound of his flute; a beautiful young woman, her music unparalleled in the capital. Their story should have been one of childhood sweethearts, their strings and flutes harmonizing in perfect harmony… but in the end, one was sent to a distant frontier, his heart as hard as stone; the other secluded in an ancient hermitage, his form withered like a dead tree.

A surge of resentment welled up in Ming Shanyue's chest as she asked, "Grandmother and the Empress Dowager have always been close. She knew about the relationship between Second Uncle and Qing... and Empress Xiao, so why didn't she try to stop them back then?"

The Duke of Ming sighed deeply: "The Empress Dowager privately told your grandmother, 'The Crown Prince is young and passionate,' and 'Since a mistake has been made, we can only try our best to make amends'... We believe that one reason the Crown Prince forced his marriage might be that he didn't want to see our three families becoming too close. Your grandmother was such a strong-willed person; she must have shed countless tears for Changqing."

Ming Shanyue thought that her grandmother still maintained a "close relationship" with the Empress Dowager. This was not only a rational decision to consider the overall situation, but also a shield that she had done her best to protect for her children and grandchildren.

All the "closeness" may have long since become detached from personal relationships.

It was impossible for Xiao Shi to give birth to Red Hare; this was not only my grandfather's belief, but also my grandmother's. She simply didn't say it herself, letting my stubborn and upright grandfather bring it up from time to time.

They were both sending a warning to the Xue family and planting a seed of doubt in some people's minds, so that if things really changed one day, someone would remember this incident. Thinking of the Xiao family, when the patriarch of the Xiao family suddenly heard that his beloved daughter had been falsely accused of "giving birth to Red Hare" and then forced to become a nun, he immediately coughed up blood. Xiao Wan was the daughter he had cherished for over a decade, yet she had been treated so cruelly by the royal family.

Driven by sheer courage, he stormed into the imperial study and roared angrily at the emperor, "Your Majesty, I have spent half my life on the battlefield, loyal to the country. But today, Your Majesty listens to slander, fails to distinguish right from wrong, and allows treacherous people to frame my daughter, causing her to suffer an injustice and be forced into a nunnery! Is this Your Majesty's 'enlightened rule'? Is this the 'fair way' that an emperor should have?"
"If Your Majesty insists on believing the monster's claims, this old minister will risk his life today to find out whether Your Majesty is simply unable to see clearly, or unwilling to see clearly at all?"

The emperor was furious and immediately stripped him of his title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, removed him from his post as Vice Commander-in-Chief, and had him flogged eighty times.

Old Master Xiao first coughed up blood, then suffered severe injuries that were difficult to heal, and died in less than a month.

Overwhelmed with grief, Madam Xiao also passed away half a month later.

The once illustrious Xiao family fell into decline and quickly declined.

The fact that the elderly couple died of anger was something Qingxin dared not tell her at the time. It was only many years later that she learned they had both died from serious illnesses. Otherwise, Qingxin probably wouldn't be alive today.

The Shangguan family, too, has concealed its brilliance and remained dormant until now.

Only the Ming family, with the grandfather holding the rank of Grand Tutor of the First Rank, the father being a military officer of the Second Rank, and the second uncle repeatedly defying imperial orders yet still being given important positions, could be considered close ministers of the emperor. This was not only due to the special status of Princess Changning in the Great Yan Dynasty, but also inseparable from the painstaking planning and management of her grandparents.

But now, to thoroughly investigate this old case, we can no longer let my grandfather speak too quickly and alert the perpetrators...

The Duke of Ming waved his hand, as if to brush away these heavy memories, "Let's not talk about these old things anymore, they're too painful."

His gaze returned to his son's face. "Let's talk about you. The mole under your eye was changed because of Miss Feng. She is undoubtedly your destined one."

Ming Shanyue shook her head. "She is the one who suppressed me and changed my fate, but she may not be the one destined for me. I have to keep two steps away from her to be safe. How can two people like that be husband and wife?"

The Duke of Dingguo glanced at his son and said, “You are caught up in the situation and are blinded by it. ‘A dot of cinnabar can calm the whole Yang’. Since it says ‘a dot,’ how can you separate suppression and destiny into two separate things? Perhaps there is another way to resolve your current situation.”

Ming Shanyue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and a faint blush unconsciously rose to her cheeks. Could it be that in this life... she would not only have a wife, but that person would also be her?

He still refused to admit defeat, saying, "This is just Father's guess. Perhaps the suppression is done by one person, while destiny is determined by another?"

Even the Duke of Dingguo could tell how insincere these words were.

The Duke of Dingguo couldn't help but chuckle. His son clearly cared about that child.

Let alone the possibility that Miss Feng might be of noble birth, even if she were just an ordinary female doctor, if she were truly the one destined for us, the Ming family would still welcome her into their home with dignity.

He said slowly, “I heard that Master Yuhui will return to Jokhang Temple this year. We will go and consult him then to see if there is a way to resolve this. If that child is truly your destined one, then for both public and private reasons, we should protect her even more thoroughly.”

If Miss Feng is truly my destined one... how fortunate I am in this life.

Ming Shanyue pursed her lips, still arguing, "If she really is a princess, how can we decide her marriage?"

Ming Guogong said, "Since it is fate, she can only choose you. Besides, our Ming family is worthy of the princess... Your grandmother's health has improved significantly. This matter is of great importance and must be explained to her and your grandfather."

"Did not your grandmother and mother go to the palace?"

"A-Chan persuaded the old lady, saying that for the sake of Yan's reputation, they couldn't make a scene at the Empress Dowager's place."

Ming Shanyue thought about the "marriage" and began to speculate.

She scoffed, "My aunt's reasons might not be entirely based on that. Perhaps they're more concerned about avoiding offending the Xue family. Kong Xiyan has always been on good terms with Xue Yan'er, and my aunt is also close to the two ladies of the Xue family. When I got engaged to Xue Yan'er, my aunt really put in a lot of effort..."

Duke Ming looked at his son, then thought about some things his wife had said, and nodded thoughtfully.

After finishing their lunch, the two went to Fu Rong Tang.

The elderly couple had already gone to bed to prepare for their afternoon rest when they heard that their son and grandson had important business to attend to. They quickly got dressed and went to the side room together.

After dismissing the servants, Ming Shanyue went to the window to look around. Apart from a young maidservant guarding the main room door and rolling up the curtains, and a rough-working old woman tending to the flowers and plants in the distance, there was no one else around.

He sat down next to the elderly couple, lowered his voice, and began to recount the whole story, starting with Wen Qian's death.

The old Duke and his wife stood there frozen in place, stunned. Seeing this, Ming Shanyue quickly stepped forward to pat her grandmother's back and soothe her.

The old woman's voice trembled, "Is this really true?"

The old Duke slapped his thigh and roared, "I knew it! How could Lady Xiao possibly give birth to Red Hare?" Realizing he had raised his voice, he quickly lowered it, "It really was that poisonous woman, Consort Xue, who was behind this!"

The old lady took a few deep breaths and said in a low voice, "My husband is making a fuss again. Is it okay to make such a fuss about this?"

She gripped Ming Shanyue's hand tightly, tears glistening in her eyes. "Good child, it's all thanks to you going to that awful place, the Flying Eagle Guard, and seeing Wen Qian one last time. Otherwise, this enormous injustice would probably have been lost forever."

Her tone grew increasingly serious. "Investigate! We must investigate thoroughly. Consort Xue and the Xue family are truly despicable. In order to help the Second Prince ascend the throne, they actually used such underhanded means to frame the Xiao family... This great country, we fought so hard to build it up, how can we allow the Xue family to squander it like this?"

Her tears welled up in her eyes, but eventually fell.

"Poor Xiao Shi, she became a nun at the tender age of twenty, while the eldest prince walked on thin ice in the palace. And that child, born into a noble family, almost suffered a terrible fate and grew up in hardship in the countryside, making a living by treating patients."

The old Duke slammed his fist on the table in anger, gritting his teeth and cursing under his breath, "That wicked woman, disrupting the palace and persecuting the imperial bloodline, is truly despicable... We can't let them continue to be so rampant."

Ming Shanyue said, "It's just a coincidence that Miss Feng allowed Wen Qian to live a little longer, which allowed him to tell me the truth."

Mentioning Feng Chuchen, the old Duke's expression softened slightly, and a smile appeared in his eyes, "That child, in terms of temperament and appearance, really does bear a resemblance to Rong'er back then..."