TPATTHU Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Shen Zhejiang, Please Respond to Me

Shen Zhejiang was brought to the interrogation room, and the person interrogating him happened to be Han Zitang.

At that moment, Han Zitang was sitting across the interrogation table, properly dressed in his official robes, seemingly lost in thought.

Just as the jailers were about to chain Shen Zhejiang to the rack, Han Zitang finally snapped out of his daze and waved his hand, signaling them, “All of you, step back. His Majesty has ordered that I, and I alone, will handle this case.”

The jailers didn’t dare to say much and filed out of the prison cell.

Seeing them all leave, Shen Zhejiang cut straight to the chase, “What does the Emperor want?”

Han Zitang didn’t hide anything. He pulled out a pre-prepared confession from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Zhejiang, saying, “He wants you dead.”

Each word was enunciated clearly.

Shen Zhejiang unfolded the document and read it through.

It was written in black and white that Shen Zhejiang and Minister of War Wang Shouchi were plotting a rebellion, colluding to harm the Emperor. The evidence was conclusive, and the sentence was immediate execution by beheading.

“Heh, utter nonsense.”

Shen Zhejiang lightly placed the paper down, sneering.

To condemn someone, one can always fabricate a charge.

He hadn’t done any of the things listed, so naturally, he couldn’t confess to them. The Emperor was clearly trying to block any chance of survival for him.

Silence filled the prison cell for a moment.

“The Emperor originally wanted to kill two birds with one stone, both weakening Wang Shouchi’s military power and sending you off to Wu Xizhou, but the problem lies with the arrows,” Han Zitang picked up the two arrows from the table; these were the two arrows from that day, “Can you see anything different?”

Shen Zhejiang took them and compared them carefully. At first glance, they seemed identical, but upon closer inspection, he noticed strange symbols engraved on the tip of one of the arrows.

His fingers traced the cold arrowhead as he said, “These are characters from letters my father exchanged with Xiao Jing, used to confirm their identities.”

Han Zitang nodded approvingly. “That’s right, this case is definitely linked to Xiao Jing.”

“Xiao Jing wants to kill the Emperor?” Shen Zhejiang muttered to himself. A scene from that day flashed through his mind, and he gripped the arrow shaft tightly. “No, the person Xiao Jing wanted to kill was me.”

Han Zitang asked, “What makes you say that?”

That day, he had been standing slightly in front and to the side of Wu Kun Emperor. The arrow with the marking was clearly aimed at him, but it had been blocked by the Wang family’s arrow.

Shen Zhejiang was struck by a chilling realization. Could it be that his fall into the lake was also related to Xiao Jing?

If so, what was Xiao Jing’s motive for hunting him down?

Shen Zhejiang shook his head. “I’m just guessing.”

“……”

Han Zitang didn’t press him. Shen Zhejiang didn’t want to implicate him further. No matter how much he asked, it was useless. Shen Zhejiang wouldn’t speak.

“Leave the capital,” Han Zitang said.

“I can’t leave. This time, the Emperor wants me dead,” Shen Zhejiang said calmly. “My life should have ended ten years ago. Now, I’m just a broken shell, unable to restore my family’s name.”

Two months later, it was supposed to be the height of summer in June, but on the eve of Shen Zhejiang’s execution, a sudden cold wind swept through, bringing with it a flurry of distinct snowflakes.

The people exclaimed in shock.

The capital was covered in a layer of silver frost and white snow overnight, like a silent burial.

At daybreak, Shen Zhejiang was Bet onto the prison cart. He sat cross-legged, the biting cold seeping into him, making him unbearably cold.

The wheels left two crooked tracks in the snow, all the way to the execution ground.

—

Xiao Zhinian returned to Yanqing Palace.

The first person he thought of when he saw the snow was Shen Zhejiang.

He was afraid of the cold.

“Bring me the cloak that the palace maids of the Shangzhi Bureau made. Teacher can’t stand the cold. With such heavy snow, he might not be able to bear it.”

Xiao Zhinian stood in front of the bronze mirror, arms outstretched, allowing the palace servants to layer clothes on him.

After waiting for a long time without hearing Liu Bao respond, he turned his head and saw that Liu Bao was staring blankly at his toes, seemingly not paying attention to his words.

Xiao Zhinian coughed lightly in dissatisfaction.

“Cough cough!”

Liu Bao was still lost in thought, standing stiffly like a lifeless wooden statue.

Xiao Zhinian clicked his tongue and grabbed a silver comb from the nearby table, throwing it at Liu Bao with some force, hitting him squarely on the forehead.

Liu Bao finally woke up, clutching his throbbing forehead. “Ouch!”

“What were you thinking about while I was talking to you?”

The silver comb was discarded by Xiao Zhinian and could no longer be used. A palace servant quickly brought a new one to comb Xiao Zhinian’s dark hair neatly.

A jade crown was presented and placed on top of Xiao Zhinian’s head, finally making him look presentable.

Liu Bao said, trembling, “Ah… This servant deserves to die for being disrespectful in front of you! What are your orders, Your Highness? This servant will carry them out immediately!”

Xiao Zhinian looked at his unrestrained and spirited figure in the mirror and nodded in satisfaction.

He was in a good mood today and didn’t bother to argue with Liu Bao. He repeated, “Go and fetch the cloak that I ordered the Shangzhi Bureau to make last month. The weather is cold, it’s perfect for Teacher to have a new garment.”

Without waiting for Liu Bao to reply, Xiao Zhinian draped a cloak embroidered with a golden python pattern over himself and eagerly prepared to go out and find Shen Zhejiang.

Before leaving, he asked again.

“Where is Teacher?”

Liu Bao followed behind him, stammering, “Uh… Shen Taifu, he…”

Xiao Zhinian stopped in his tracks, his eyes turning sharply towards him.

“Speak.”

“Shen Taifu is dead.”

After saying that, Liu Bao knelt on the ground with a thud, trembling.

All the servants in the hall knelt on the ground, prostrating themselves, not daring to move.

Xiao Zhinian clutched his collar, his fingers falling to his side, his expression still relatively calm. “Say it again.”

Liu Bao shivered, his body shaking like a sieve, without uttering a word.

“I told you to say it again!”

Xiao Zhinian swept a vase off the table, the shattering sound echoing loudly, and fragments flew everywhere, Liu Bao couldn’t avoid it and was cut with a bloody scratch.

Liu Bao didn’t dare to breathe loudly, his voice trembling like falling snowflakes, “Your Highness, Shen Taifu is gone.”

“I’m going to find Teacher right now. If you dare to utter half a lie, I will hold you accountable!”

His shoes stepped over the broken porcelain on the ground.

Xiao Zhinian pursed his lips, the black python robe embroidered with gold thread billowing as he strode towards the hall door.

Liu Bao hurried to catch up with him, shouting, “Your Highness, don’t go! Shen Taifu’s remains have already been cremated. It’s useless to go. Besides, His Majesty has already ordered the Shen family to be sealed off. Where are you going to find him!”

Xiao Zhinian didn’t believe it. He only believed in himself. Shen Zhejiang couldn’t possibly be dead.

The biting cold wind mixed with snow blew onto his face, like a knife scraping against him, both cold and painful.

“Your Highness, please wait.”

Hai Sanqing walked towards him, not holding an umbrella, appearing in front of Xiao Zhinian in the snow.

Xiao Zhinian was in a hurry to find someone and glared at the old eunuch blocking his way, his tone inevitably harsh. “Get out of the way!”

Pushing past Hai Sanqing, Xiao Zhinian took two quick steps, but Hai Sanqing’s voice reached him.

“The person Your Highness is looking for, this old servant has brought to you.”

Xiao Zhinian paused, not turning his head, stunned.

Hai Sanqing walked up to him and presented the wooden box he was holding in both hands to Xiao Zhinian. The lid of the box was covered with a layer of snow, making it impossible to see its original appearance.

Xiao Zhinian vaguely guessed what was inside, but he refused to accept it, shaking his head and murmuring again and again, “What this Prince wants is Shen Zhejiang, not some messy thing…”

Hai Sanqing handed the wooden box to Xiao Zhinian.

There was no weight to it, just like Shen Zhejiang.

Xiao Zhinian lowered his head, and all that was reflected in his wet eyes was white, dazzlingly bright.

“This is Shen Taifu,” Hai Sanqing sighed. “The Emperor sends his decree: From today onwards, Your Highness will reflect on yourself in Yanqing Palace, studying classics and assisting with government affairs. Please return, Your Highness.”

“Impossible! I don’t believe it!” Xiao Zhinian slammed the wooden box on the snowy ground, closed his eyes, and then opened them, filled with shimmering tears. “Shen Zhejiang…”

Fortunately, the wooden box was locked, it rolled twice and landed intact under a tree.

Xiao Zhinian couldn’t say anything more, his throat choked up, his eyes red.

Shen Zhejiang…

What could he do?

What could he do if he didn’t believe it?

Xiao Zhinian wiped his face and realized that there was white frost on his eyelashes, indistinguishable from snow or the tears that had frozen on his face.

The cold seeped all the way to his heart.

He walked quickly outwards, faster and faster, and when he reached the door of the hall, he suddenly stopped, his shoulders trembling.

After a long while, he turned around and ran towards the wooden box.

The snow was too slippery, he stumbled as he ran, almost falling several times, looking very disheveled.

Although the distance was so short, it seemed like he had run for half his life. Finally, he hugged the wooden box tightly in his arms like a madman and slumped onto the snow—

He burst into loud sobs.

Liu Bao looked worried and wanted to step forward.

Hai Sanqing shook his head at him. “Let His Highness cry for a while. Go back and burn charcoal, and brew a bowl of ginger tea later.”

“Yes.”

Liu Bao stood aside with his head bowed.

Xiao Zhinian’s face was covered in tears. He frantically brushed away the snow from the box, repeating incoherently, “Teacher, are you cold? This Prince will wipe away the snow for you, and you won’t be cold anymore. You’re not well, how could this Prince forget? Here, wear this Prince’s clothes…”

He took off his cloak and carefully covered the wooden box with it.

“Is it warm enough? You’re too thin, you can even wear this Prince’s clothes…”

In the end.

“Shen Zhejiang, please respond to me…”

One broken cry after another.