Chapter Eighty-Eight: A Hopeless Divide

Li Jing and the others might detest Wei Zheng, but they did not believe he would falsify an imperial decree. So when Wei Zheng began to speak, the three judges dropped to their knees without the slightest hesitation.

“I have succeeded to the Mandate of Heaven. Yet Chang’an is in turmoil, and the people are thrown into fear. Under the very light of day, the criminal has dared to commit murder, defying Heaven’s will. I now command the three judicial offices to conduct a joint review, to proclaim the matter to all beneath the heavens, and thereby strengthen the foundations of the realm. Yet I have heard from the daughter of the Prince of Hejian that the accused has suffered injustice, and that she once owed him a life-saving debt. This weighs heavily upon my heart. Let the three offices examine the case with utmost care, and if he has rendered meritorious service, let his offense be forgiven, so that my mind may be at peace.”

The decree was swiftly read to its end. No one knew when Wei Zheng had obtained the imperial order, but no one present dared ask. After Li Jing took the decree, he merely glanced at the great seal upon it, then closed it again in trembling dismay and led the other two in kowtowing thanks.

“How can this be? His Majesty has personally granted a decree of pardon to this brat? My master... could he have miscalculated?”

Wei Tunyun was stunned. The look he cast upon Wei Zheng and the others changed in an instant from fury to confusion. No one had expected the matter to turn out this way. Not only Wei Tunyun, but Liu Zhi and the other sham witnesses from the Temple of Divine Spirits all froze where they stood. When they finally came to themselves, their eyes upon Lu Xin were filled with venom.

“Hahaha... Our emperor of Tang is indeed wise and enlightened. Brother Xin, your name is finally cleared. The Emperor himself has pardoned all your offenses. So what if you once broke into the Ministry of Revenue’s estate or the Duke’s mansion? You two, hurry up and release him already!”

Some rejoiced while others despaired. Naturally, Moon Is Not Black and the rest had heard the imperial decree that Wei Zheng read aloud. The scholar was overjoyed and hurried to the prison cart, pushing aside the two constables. Lu Xin still seemed trapped in the memories of a moment before, his expression somewhat vacant. But when the scholar lunged at him in a fierce embrace, a trace of a smile finally appeared at the corner of his lips.

“First the Dali Temple dungeon, then the joint tribunal—it nearly scared me to death. Brother Xin, you owe me a grand feast.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll owe you one. With all of you here, I’m not going to die, Lu Xin!”

After greeting the scholar, Moon Is Not Black, and the sisters of the Yang family one by one, the light slowly returned to Lu Xin’s eyes. He suddenly realized that he was not alone after all. These companions who would stake life and death for one another surpassed everything else.

“Three lords, I have delivered His Majesty’s decree. As for how this case should be judged, I ask that you give your answer as swiftly as possible. Of course, the written judgment would be best submitted to His Majesty by the Censor-in-Chief.”

“Humph. Why must Lord Wei add insult to injury? Since the Emperor has issued his command, this man is naturally to be released as innocent. Take him away. We shall sort through the entire interrogation record of this case and present it to His Majesty for his review.”

After rising, Li Jing gave a cold snort and swept his sleeve aside. He no longer even looked beyond the government office, and went straight into the inner hall. The other two judicial ministers departed in succession. The vast Yong Prefecture office was instantly quiet.

Lu Xin exchanged a few words with Moon Is Not Black and the others, then stepped forward to the front of Wei Zheng and Qian Hai to bow and give thanks.

“Brother Lu, did I not say I would restore your innocence? Did I not keep my word? Hahaha...”

“Many thanks to Brother Wei for all your trouble on my behalf. I will never forget this kindness.”

“Heh heh, too solemn, too solemn. No need to remember it forever. Treat me to a good meal and that will do.”

As for Wei Qing, though they had only met by chance, the two were alike in temperament and admired each other deeply; it was a gentleman’s friendship. Lu Xin did not say many words of thanks, for all his gratitude was contained in the look they shared. But that Wei Zheng, the current Director of the Imperial Secretariat, was at any rate a minister of the third rank. To have personally intervened on his behalf and even secured an imperial pardon from the Emperor was truly astonishing. Yet from this alone, one could also tell that the relationship between Qian Hai and Wei Zheng was likely far more than an ordinary friendship.

“Lord Wei Zheng, Sir Qian, Lu Xin has troubled both of our elders.”

“It is nothing. I have long heard from Qing’er that you are a righteous man with a heart for the state. Seeing you today, you truly are a young hero. Moreover, in private, I and Brother Qian are close friends; what he entrusts to me, I will naturally spare no effort to accomplish. In public, as an official of the court, I am bound to uphold the fairness of the law and the Emperor’s virtue. If the joint tribunal were to produce an unjust case, it would not merely shame the court, it would also cause the Emperor to be condemned by all under Heaven. If that were truly to happen, it would be the fault of us ministers.”

“Lord Wei speaks rightly. Little Xin, clearing your name is something we cannot shirk. You need not take it to heart. It is I who was entrusted to care for you by Brother Xu, yet I allowed you to suffer slander and humiliation in Chang’an. I truly have no face to meet my old friend!”

Qian Hai let out a long sigh, his face filled with remorse. Lu Xin hurried to comfort him with a few words. After a while, Wei Zheng said he must return to the palace to report. The younger ones naturally would not stop him, and after seeing him off with full ceremony, they did not withdraw their gaze until Wei Zheng and Qian Hai had left the government office.

“Master Lu, I cannot repay the kindness of having saved my life. This daughter will kowtow to you.”

Suddenly, Li Lingyu stepped forward before Lu Xin and, while speaking, was about to kneel. This startled not only Lu Xin but even Wei Qing, and the two rushed forward together to support her.

“Your Highness is of noble blood; such a grand bow must never be made. Back then, not knowing your identity, I was guilty of many offenses. It was truly the fault of a humble commoner. Today, if you had not come forward to bear witness, I fear Lu Xin would already have been thrown into the prison of the Ministry of Punishments. If we are to speak of debt, then you and I are already even; there is no need for this.”

“But...”

Supported by Lu Xin and Wei Qing, Li Lingyu could not possibly kneel. Her expression turned hesitant, and she grew somewhat at a loss. Wei Qing quickly added a few words beside her, and only then did the princess’s face gradually bloom into a smile. After that, the scholar’s lewd laughter reached their ears.

“Brother Xin, enough chatter. Everyone’s been hungry for ages. Let’s find a tavern and eat first; we can dalliance with the beauty later.”

“Humph, all that filthy talk. You’re asking for a beating.”

Lu Xin feigned fury and stormed down from the hall, while the scholar laughed without restraint and ran circles around the government office courtyard. The crowd instantly fell into a cheerful mood, as though they had entirely forgotten that there was another group still inside the office.

At some point, Liu Zhi and the others had moved to stand beside Wei Tunyun. The men of the Temple of Divine Spirits blocked the office gate, staring coldly at the seven young people in the courtyard. Especially Wei Tunyun, whose sneer was utterly unhidden. His boundless mana surged forth and enveloped the whole of Yong Prefecture office.

The sky darkened in an instant. Without anyone noticing, frost formed across the ground. Moon Is Not Black was the first to sense the change in the surroundings; he folded his fan shut and signaled everyone to stop fooling around.

Lu Xin looked toward the gate. Wei Tunyun was staring at him fixedly, his gaze ferocious to the extreme.

“Wei Tunyun, what do you mean by this?”

“What do I mean? Nothing at all. The joint tribunal concerns a public case. Now, we shall settle a private grievance. Although His Majesty has pardoned your crimes, this general manager cannot allow you to roam free. Even if Wang Quanyi was not killed by your hand, you still have the grudge of the severed arm. Now that he is dead, tell me—should not this hatred be settled by me?”

“Chief Wei, His Majesty has already issued an edict pardoning all of Lu Xin’s offenses. Are you trying to defy the imperial command?”

Wei Qing came to his senses, his face stricken with shock. He clearly knew Wei Tunyun, and knew all too well the immense powers of this Temple of Divine Spirits overseer. If the man insisted on acting, Lu Xin and the others would likely be unable to withstand him.

“Humph, Wei Qing, I said this is a private grudge, unrelated to the court, and unrelated to you. You may take the princess and leave. I will not stop you.”

With that, Wei Tunyun’s lips curved. He suddenly stretched out both hands and seized at Wei Qing and Li Lingyu from afar. Before either could react, they were thrown straight out of the government office. Immediately afterward, the great gate slammed shut with a thunderous crash.

At the same time, Moon Is Not Black, the Yang sisters, and Lu Xin all burst forth with mana. The scholar hurriedly fled to a corner, no longer daring to utter a word.

“Hahaha, interesting. You two girls from Miao territory, let this chief see what skills the descendants of your witch clan possess.”

After closing the office gate, Wei Tunyun did not immediately deal with Lu Xin. Instead, he first turned his gaze upon the Yang sisters. Seeing this, Yang Qin, whose temper was already fiery, flashed with golden light and rushed out with a dagger in hand. Yet in the next instant, the dagger in Yang Qin’s hand clattered to the ground. She herself was seized by the throat by Wei Tunyun and left unable to move. Yang Xiu saw this and was both shocked and enraged; she hurriedly drew a bamboo canister from her bosom, twisted off the lid, and murmured two lines of incantation. A mass of black cloud suddenly flew out from the canister, and a strange roar arose over the government office.

The black cloud was formed from countless venomous insects. Once out of the canister, they took on human shape and lunged fiercely at Wei Tunyun. This was the most yin and most poisonous of Miao sorcery: if the body were bitten by even one of those venomous insects, it could turn to pus and blood and die within three breaths. Yet Wei Tunyun seemed utterly untroubled. With one hand he formed a seal and conjured a talisman out of thin air. He flicked it toward the black cloud, and in an instant all the venomous insects froze into ice and fell from the sky.

“Humph, petty trickery. You, too, come here!”

Wei Tunyun reached out and gave a beckoning motion, and Yang Xiu was seized by an irresistible surge of mana, falling into his grasp as well. At the same moment, Lu Xin and Moon Is Not Black both charged toward the gate. But the moment they took a single step, two golden talismans descended from above their heads, like twin mountains of a thousand jun and more, pinning them helplessly in place.

“There are many demons living in Chang’an, but none of them are as arrogant as you little fox. Tell me, if I kill you, would that count as slaying evil and eliminating demons? Hahaha...”

“Wei Tunyun, you openly defy the imperial command. Are you not afraid of having your whole clan executed?”

Lu Xin was furious to the point of madness. Though he knew full well that even the four of them together were no match for Wei Tunyun, he had not expected that neither the Yang sisters nor Moon Is Not Black could withstand even one move from him. Such a gulf in strength was despairing. Yet he still refused to yield. After all they had gone through, after finally escaping their crimes, they were still to fall into the hands of this villain—and even drag their friends down to death with them.

He hated it! Hated his own uselessness, hated his own helplessness!

“Whole clan executed? Hahaha, how naive you are. Do you really think His Majesty would blame me for the sake of a few filthy insects like you?”

A flash of cold light swept through Wei Tunyun’s eyes, and Moon Is Not Black suddenly collapsed to the ground some distance away, convulsing in agony.