Chapter 1407: Audience with His Majesty

The Azure Stone Palace, situated in the northeast corner of the entire Qi Imperial Palace,was like a solitary island in a sea of humanity, a festering sore upon this great city.Time flowed with exceptional clarity here.Sparrows perched on the high walls, pecking at them regardless of the season,sharpening their pointed beaks, like a swordsman honing his blade.A spider on the eaves slowly lowered itself on a silken thread.No insects had been caught in its web for a long time; it hung there in lonely emptiness.A powerful male eagle spread its wings and soared across the sky,passing over the empty Everlasting Life Palace, then circling back outside the Splendid Flower Palace.Inside the palace, Jiang Wuyou, double blades in hand, circled the courtyard,their flashes of light resembling a downpour."This is his own matter, let us see how he chooses."The white-haired old woman, holding a halberd, stood by the side of the courtyard,uttering no word.Through how many years of wind and rain, she had watched this prince grow step by step,each stride confident and resolute.Sabres, spears, swords, halberds, axes, hooks, forks…the eighteen kinds of weapons, all obeyed his command as if an extension of his limbs.He trod the path of martial arts with a heart embracing the world.The eagle's cry drew near, then faded afar.The master of the Nurturing Heart Palace was, unusually, at home today,reclining on a soft couch, supporting his cheek with one hand.His silk robe was draped open, revealing the muscular contours of his chest.With one hand, he lifted the chin of the beautiful woman before him, laughing,"They watch the play, I behold the beauty.After all, how few truly grasp the deer, yet know not that they dream of being fish all day!"The eagle's feathers, like blades, sliced through the vast sky without leaving a trace,circling the Outer Palace, flying outside the Everlasting Joy Palace,then soaring upwards, suddenly shedding its feathers and claws, transforming into a plump, fleshy worm,drilling into the clouds.Looking closely, that cloud actually resembled a white lantern.Inside the Everlasting Joy Palace.The Crown Prince, who was trimming flower branches, suddenly stopped, and let out a long sigh:"This solitary one shall now undergo Divine Manifestation!"He placed the scissors casually on the wooden tray held by a eunuch.Thereupon, blood flowed like a rushing river, and his physical body shone with golden light…Turning around, he had already undergone Divine Manifestation.As the largest main street in the North City, Xuanwu Avenue was exceedingly wide and long,and had always been teeming with pedestrians.But Jiang Wang, in his green robe with sword by his side, walked with large strides,as if navigating a small, solitary boat in a sea of people.Elegant and composed.From time to time, people stopped and lingered, watching him depart.Not many truly knew what he was going to do,but his proud and imposing presence was enough to capture the hearts of others –This is the Heavenly Pride of Great Qi!The Qi Imperial Palace is located in the center of Linzi, with three layers, inner and outer.The outermost layer, the Outer Palace, covers the largest area.The Purple Extreme Hall where court was held, the Everlasting Joy Palace where the Crown Prince resided,the Splendid Flower Palace where the Third Princess resided...and even the Azure Stone Palace where the deposed Crown Prince was imprisoned, were all within this area.And when Jiang Wang reached the gate of the Outer Palace, this solitary journey reached its end.From the Northern Yamen to the Imperial Palace, the journey was smooth and uneventful,not even a startled horse... as if Linzi had always been this peaceful.Jiang Wang stopped calmly before the crossed ceremonial swords, and bowed to the palace guards:"Jiang Wang, Son of Azure Sheep Town, Third Rank Golden Gourd Warrior,requests an audience with the Son of Heaven. Please convey my request!"The leader of the palace guards stood still as a stone statue,and ordered his subordinates to hurry away.The sky was high, the clouds were still, and there were ten thousand palace halls.The Qi Palace was majestic and silent.At this moment, everything seemed to be as still as the palace itself.Those magnificent and epic stories were all silent in time.The Empress or the Da Ze Tian clan.They dared to kill Gongsun Yu in Biyang County, and dared to kill Uriel overseas.Killing Yang Jing, who had no official position, should not be a major issue.If pushed too far, they might even be capable of killing Lin Youxie.But they dared not touch him, Jiang Qingyang, in Linzi!No matter how afraid, no matter how terrified, they would not dare to do so.If one were to ask, what did Jiang Wang gain from his desperate struggles in Qi these two years?This is the answer.Before long, the palace guard who delivered the message returned in a hurry,bringing with him a eunuch who served as a secretary.It was not the Qiuji whom Jiang Wang was familiar with,but a tall, stern-faced eunuch.He did not announce his name, but simply said to Jiang Wang:"The Son of Heaven summons you. Please come this way."He then led the way on his own.Jiang Wang did not try to get close to him, and simply followed behind.Beyond the palace gate, there was a high platform, named the "Weapon Disarming Platform".On the platform were several rows of ancient weapon racks,exuding a heavy and solemn aura.Those entering the palace for an audience were required to disarm here.The aura of weapons was dense, but it was all suppressed within this platform.Jiang Wang walked past with his head held high and his sword unsheathed;the palace guards before the Weapon Disarming Platform did not stop him,nor did the leading eunuch say anything.In the past, upon winning the first place in the Yellow River Examination,the Son of Heaven had allowed him to attend court with his sword!The place of audience was the Deer Catching Palace,where the Son of Heaven often cultivated after court was dismissed.Summoning Jiang Wang here could also be seen as a gesture of closeness.When Jiang Wang stepped into the hall, the Son of Heaven was sitting cross-legged on a golden stone platform.There were nine coiled dragon pillars, standing around the platform on three sides,like three high walls, guarding the Son of Heaven.The coiled dragons held precious pearls in their mouths, and from within the pearls, jade smoke arose.The smoke transformed continuously, sometimes depicting mountains and seas,sometimes the common people.Before the stone platform, only Han Ling stood alone.When one did not pay attention, he seemed not to exist.But when one looked for him, he was never out of sight.Such ability was beyond the reach of ordinary people.The leading eunuch had already departed outside the hall.Jiang Wang bowed, intending to prostrate himself.The Son of Heaven waved a hand: "No need for the full ceremony except during grand rituals."At this moment, the Son of Heaven, dressed in a loose robe and casual clothes,seemed to have shed some of his sternness and gained a bit of casualness.With a sweep of his wide sleeve, he overlooked Jiang Wang from the stone platform:"For what purpose does the Son of Azure Sheep come?"Jiang Wang stood upright, not daring to look directly at the Son of Heaven,but his voice was loud and clear: "For the case of Feng Gu, Supervisor Eunuch of the Everlasting Life Palace!""I remember you were supervising the handling of this case..." The Son of Heaven's voice descended,gentle yet authoritative: "Could it be that there was something improper or unjustin the process of investigating the case?"Jiang Wang said: "This subject supervised the handling of the case, and has gained some insight into the matter.This matter is of great importance, and I dare not conceal it from the Son of Heaven,hence I have come for an audience. Although I have exceeded my duties,it is out of sincere loyalty to the ruler."The Son of Heaven said: "Since this matter is of great importance,why not submit it publicly to the Political Affairs Hall, but instead seek a private audience?"Upon hearing this question, Jiang Wang's heart tightened!Upon meeting, the Son of Heaven had immediately pointed out his role in this case,ostensibly asking him if there were any issues in the investigation process carried out by Zheng Shangming and Lin Youxie,but implicitly asking him if it was overstepping his bounds to enter the palace alone for an audience on account of this case.He replied with "This matter is of great importance, and out of sincere loyalty to the ruler."The Son of Heaven then immediately asked him why he did not submit it publicly to the Political Affairs Hall...This was already expressing dissatisfaction.It must be honestly said, the reason Jiang Wang made a scene in front of the Lin family's gate,and sent all those monitoring the Lin family to the North Yamen prison, was intentionally to cause a stir.He walked from the Capital City Inspection Office, all the way, without avoiding or concealing,directly to the Imperial Palace.Who did not know that he was having an audience with the Son of Heaven of Qi today?By seeking a private audience with the Son of Heaven in fact, he had achieved a partial effect of a public memorial.To a certain extent, he was putting the Son of Heaven on the spot.If the court and the populace all believed that Jiang Wang had come to see the Son of Heavenwith evidence of the assassination case of Consort Lei back then,then the Son of Heaven should naturally give an explanation to the world.So the Son of Heaven asked him, why didn't you just hand over the evidence to the Political Affairs Hall?Since you want to make it public, then make it even more public.If you want to cause a stir, then make a bigger stir.But can your small body, Jiang Qingyang, bear the consequences of making a big stir?Jiang Wang lowered his head and said: "Because this subject does not have key evidencethat can convince the various officials, thus it cannot be submitted publicly."Even though the Son of Heaven of Great Qi usually hid his emotions like the deep sea and rarely showed them,he let out a cold laugh at this moment: "Then what do you use to see me?Do you use your sincere loyalty to the ruler?"The Son of Heaven, at times, was also quite humorous.But the fact that the words "loyalty to the ruler" could be used humorously,in a sense, was precisely because it was not reliable.This was a very dangerous signal.Jiang Wang showed no fear, but earnestly said: "This subject's audience with the Son of Heavenis to tell the Son of Heaven a story."The Son of Heaven did not speak.Jiang Wang then stood in the great hall, slightly composed his emotions, and began to narrate:"This subject once traveled beyond the heavens and occasionally saw a strange tale.Beyond the heavens, there is a floating land, where a hundred clans contend, and beacon fires never cease.Within this land, there is a kingdom, mighty among its neighbors.The ruler is a man of great vision and strategy, whose civil administration and military achievementsare unparalleled in history...One year, a border official raised an army and rebelled, and the ruler personally led an expedition.In that year, the former Crown Prince was imprisoned, and the new Crown Prince had just been established,the succession was unstable.The ruler's beloved consort was pregnant and desired to contend for the position of empress,thus she employed assassins to commit acts of violence in the palace,seeking to harm herself to frame the Empress...The Empress perceived this, and secretly ordered an external officialto subtly apply a strange poison to the assassin's blade,causing the ruler's beloved consort to die upon seeing blood.The consort died, and the dragon son in her womb was born by c-section.The ruler pitied him and loved him dearly.This child was born with deficiencies, and while still in his mother's womb,had already been poisoned to the bone.However, he was born with great vision and strategy, and his talent was unparalleled at the time.He moved forward with a sickly body, and dedicated himself to the hearts of the common people.Later, he had someone secretly investigate the events of that year, and finally learned the truth...But he spoke not a word of it."Jiang Wang, having spoken this far, bowed to the Son of Heaven with cupped hands:"Dare I ask Your Majesty, do you know why this prince did not avenge his mother,nor dispel his own hatred?"Above the golden stone platform, the Son of Heaven was silent for a long time,before finally saying: "What do you wish to say?"Jiang Wang did not take this opportunity to gloss over it,but instead pressed on: "On the floating land, there were many who debated.Some said, 'This prince has the world in his heart and cannot bear the turmoil of the court,thus he endures his hatred and remains silent.'Others said, 'Perhaps the enemy is too powerful to contend with directly,and must be slowly planned against'... Your Majesty, which opinion do you think is correct?""What do you think?" the Son of Heaven asked. His voice showed neither joy nor sorrow."This subject believes..." Jiang Wang said respectfully:"The ruler pitied him and loved him. He loved and respected the ruler.The reason he spoke not a word was merely that, it is not so complicated.He was simply a child who grew up alone, and did not want to lose his father's love.""Jiang Qingyang..." The Son of Heaven's voice was high and majestic:"Is it the duty of a subject to make assumptions?"Whether the Son of Heaven was moved or not, it was impossible to tell from his voice alone.And the phrase "make assumptions" was truly perilous.But having said this much, Jiang Wang could only brace himself and continue."This subject investigated the case of Feng Gu in the Everlasting Life Palace,and was fortunate to see a mural in the palace, which was hand-painted by His Eleventh Highness.This subject loves it dearly. I privately believe that the Son of Heaven should not miss it...On the screen wall of the palace garden, the painting is titled 'Faces of the Common People'.In the painting, there is a solitary grave, with an inscription of only four characters.Please, Your Majesty, behold it."Jiang Wang at this moment was still lowering his head and bowing slightly,able to see only his boots and the golden stone steps in front of him.Of course, even if he raised his head, he could not look directly at the Son of Heaven,and did not know if the Son of Heaven was looking, or by what means he was looking.But he could faintly feel that on the golden stone platform before him,a great power... was emanating.He could only detect the edges of that fluctuation, yet was already awestruck by its vastness and might.After a long time, the Son of Heaven's voice descended:"Have you come here merely to tell me a story?"Jiang Wang said: "Your Majesty personally appointed this humble subject to supervise the case.This humble subject naturally came for the truth of the case.""I have finished listening to the story you told..."Jiang Wang could fully feel that he was being observed by the gaze of this mighty ruler of the world.Although the Son of Heaven did not exert any pressure, nor even mix in a hint of emotion,his mere identity and power were enough to press down like a high mountain in the heart of the observer.And that magnificent voice, resonating as if with the entire palace,slowly descended: "Now speak of your case."Jiang Wang straightened his back and stood tall, his eyes slightly lowered:"This subject has brought three cases today to see the Son of Heaven!"The Son of Heaven neither agreed nor disagreed.Han Ling, who was standing in front of the stone platform, twitched his eyelid.There are actually three cases?This Jiang Qingyang is truly somewhat spoiled by favor and does not know the limits... What a pity.Thinking "what a pity" in his heart, his face remained completely expressionless.And Jiang Wang said in a clear voice: "The first is the case of the death of Feng Gu,Supervisor Eunuch of the Everlasting Life Palace."Han Ling held his breath, and then heard—"As supervised by this subject, and personally inspected by Deputy Patrol Commissioner Lin Youxie,it is confirmed that Feng Gu committed suicide without a doubt.He hanged himself in the mourning hall, leaving no last words. It is likely... that he died in loyalty to his master."Feng Gu's suicide, while said to be in loyalty to his master, could not be said to be wrong.His hatred and accusations against the Empress, anyone with a deep understanding of the case would know.There was no need to state it explicitly.Only the Son of Heaven's voice was heard saying: "Since it is suicide in loyalty to his master,let him be buried with honors and not be abandoned. What of the second case?"His voice was unperturbed, like clouds moving and rain falling, the natural cycle of things."The second is the case of the murder of Gongsun Yu, an official of the former Everlasting Life Palace."Jiang Wang said loudly: "He lived in seclusion in Biyang County, confined to his home, reading books.In his early years, he was prone to verbal disputes, so he cut off his tongue.Having thus avoided the world and living in isolation, without contention,he was recently murdered by wicked individuals.This subject requests Your Majesty to issue an order to thoroughly investigate this case,to bring peace to the soul of His Eleventh Highness in heaven!"The Son of Heaven was clearly surprised that the second case Jiang Wang was going to mention was this one.Especially since Jiang Wang almost explicitly stated that Gongsun Yu cut off his tongue and lived in seclusion to keep a secret.Despite being so loyal to Jiang Wuqi, he was still easily killed after Jiang Wuqi's death.If that Eleventh Highness's soul was in heaven, how could he be at peace?After a moment of silence, the Son of Heaven's voice was heard:"This matter indeed deserves an explanation."This sentence meant that the person who directly killed Gongsun Yu would be revealed in some form.Of course, it would not involve deeper levels behind the scenes.This case still remained within appropriate bounds.In this vast Deer Catching Palace, including Jiang Wang, there were only three people at this moment.All three knew that the third case, which had not yet been spoken, was the main point of this visit.So even Han Ling, who was always like a sculpture, could not help but look up at Jiang Wang.Looking at this young man who was directly facing the Son of Heaven of Great Qi.And Jiang Wang said in a loud voice: "The third case I wish to report is the suicide caseof Lin Kuang, a renowned constable of the previous generation, seventeen years ago!"Han Ling breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, and for some inexplicable reason, sighed.

ps: "畢竟幾人真得鹿，不知終日夢為魚！" — Huang Tingjian, 《雜詩七首其一》