This New Year had not gone well at all. Thinking about it, two years in a row now, something had happened on New Year's Eve. She was afraid she'd develop a lifelong fear of the holiday.
She couldn't stop crying, and Sha Tong was anxious too. Holding an umbrella, he said, "Don't take it so hard, my lady. This was bound to happen sooner or later—try to accept it! Listen to me, it's cold outside, let's go inside. The Twelfth Master should be eating dumplings by now. Once the banquet at Changchun Garden ends, he'll return immediately. I've sent someone to wait at the main palace gate—as soon as he gets the message, he'll come straight here. Once he arrives, we'll have someone to rely on, alright?"
Dingyi remained dazed, her heart in turmoil. The northwest wind cut like knives against her face, yet she felt no pain. After standing frozen for so long, her mind grew numb from the cold. Turning back, she asked, "Did the Seventh Lord also go to the garden?"
Sha Tong confirmed, "Yes. No matter how unreliable that lord may be, he's still the Emperor Emeritus's own son—he must fulfill his filial duties before the old master."
"Then who can I turn to?" She paced frantically. "Let's find Yimian—isn't he from the Ministry of Justice? Since the Infantry Command is transferring the case there, he should have heard the news by now." Having made up her mind, she called into the house, "Saddle a horse for me!"
Daiqin exchanged a troubled glance with Sha Tong, who quickly interjected, "At this critical moment, you must keep calm, my lady. If you go looking for someone, how can you know their true intentions? Officials say one thing to your face and another behind your back—you'll only be given empty promises. It's better to wait patiently for the master to return! If you go out now and the master comes back to find you gone, you'll just end up chasing each other in circles all night. My dear Princess Consort, I know you're worried about your brother being taken away, but anxiety won't bring him back. We must plan carefully. He was taken by the Commander of the Nine Gates—this man is the father of Guard Lou, who is close to our Princess Gulun, and the princess is dear to the Twelfth Master... At the very least, there's some goodwill there. Your brother won't be harmed, so please set your mind at ease."
That might be true, but how could she rest easy? Her father had been murdered in prison—if they repeated the same trick, Rujian would be finished. He was the only family she had left. If anything happened to him, she'd never forgive herself before her deceased parents and brothers.
"Then I'll wait here until the Twelfth Master returns." She waved them off. "All of you, go inside. Let me be alone for a while."
Everyone knew her stubbornness well. With no other choice, they dispersed, though they didn't go far, keeping watch over her nearby.
The snow had lightened, but the wind grew stronger, swaying the lanterns above the gate. She stared blankly toward the alley entrance—he still hadn't returned, and every passing moment was agony. Earlier, she'd heard that Commander Lou claimed to be acting on orders. As a high-ranking official of the first grade, his orders could only have come from the Emperor. If the Ministry of Justice handled each case strictly by the book, and Rujian hadn't been able to appeal his injustice—if he was arrested as a fugitive and punished accordingly—then the implications would be far more complicated.
The round of New Year firecrackers had passed, and the capital gradually quieted. The air was thick with the smell of sulfur, occasionally punctuated by an isolated pop or two—not like a determined protest, but more like half-hearted participation, distant and sparse.Faintly hearing the sound of horse hooves, her frozen mind suddenly sprang to life. She watched eagerly as the sound drew nearer, and through the dim lamplight, she saw someone galloping toward her, the red velvet on his official hat like a flickering flame in the darkness. Covering her mouth, she burst into tears. Seeing him, all her fear and grievances became impossible to hide. He dismounted and embraced her, and she sobbed, "Rujian has been taken away! You must find a way to get him back!"
Hongce had considered that Hongzan might abduct the siblings or even silence them permanently, but he hadn’t anticipated the opposite—Hongzan had instead taken Rujian into his grasp first. Upon receiving the news, Hongce had made inquiries everywhere. Hongzan had reported Rujian’s unauthorized escape to the Emperor, and as far as the Emperor was concerned, arresting or punishing anyone held no personal stakes for him. His only concerns were cracking down on corruption and restoring order in the court. As for the infighting among his subordinates—who won or lost—it was all a matter of fate. In other words, Rujian’s arrest had the Emperor’s tacit approval, making any immediate rescue impossible for now.
"Don’t panic. Let’s discuss this inside," he said, touching her hand—cold as ice—before turning to scold, "Where the hell is everyone? How could you leave the Princess Consort standing outside?"
Sha Tong replied with a pained expression, "We tried to persuade her, but Her Highness was too anxious and insisted on waiting for your return..."
Ignoring him, Hongce unfastened his cape and wrapped it around her, then carried her into the main chamber.
Dingyi sat on the edge of the kang, weeping uncontrollably. She had weathered storms before and thought herself strong enough, yet now, aside from shedding tears, she felt utterly powerless. The only one who could save Rujian was the Twelfth Master. She leaned forward, clutching at him desperately. "The Commander of the Nine Gates said they’ll hand him over to the Ministry of Justice—which you oversee. You must find a way for me!"
Her terrified expression pained him, and he quickly reassured her, "I’ve already sent word to the Ministry. Don’t cry—you’ll ruin your eyes. The infantry must have acted on orders from above; otherwise, no one could have mobilized them. This is a high-profile case, with too many eyes watching. No one dares act rashly. I suspect that once Rujian is detained, your father’s case will be reopened. Eventually, the two cases will merge, and they’ll land in my hands."
This only agitated her further. "So you’re not the one interrogating him now?"
He frowned. "The Ministry of Justice will preside, with Prince Zhuang overseeing."
Dingyi was horrified. "Why Prince Zhuang? The Ministry and the Censorate are under your supervision!"
She didn’t understand the intricacies of officialdom. Each official had their own duties. While supervision placed him above both ministries, his role was merely to oversee cases. The Ministry of Justice had its own procedures—cases were tried by the Minister and Vice Ministers before being reported to him. Unless it was a specially assigned case like Wen Lu’s, he had no authority to personally preside over trials.
"Hongzan holds significant power. He’s led the Grand Council since the Emperor’s ascension. Since he reported this case to the Emperor, it’s only natural he’d take charge."
Did that mean they could only wait helplessly? She leaned against the kang table, swallowing her sobs. "This is my fault. I never agreed to him going to the Ministry to sound the drum. If I’d let him do it when we first returned to the capital, the case would be in your hands by now, and we wouldn’t have to worry about him being framed."She couldn't bear to see Rujian suffer those fifty lashes either. Originally, she had planned to have him come forward only after Jilantai confessed, but who would have thought that by delaying, they'd given Hongzan an opening. He could only keep comforting her, "Alright, my dear, I won't stand by and do nothing. At first light tomorrow, I'll go out to make inquiries. This time, I won't worry about face or appearances. As long as Rujian accuses Hongzan, I'll bring the case together. You just rest easy."
She looked at him with tearful, swollen eyes, "Really? You'll do your best to help Rujian and make sure he isn't harmed, won't you?"
He wiped her tears and nodded, "You only have one brother left, and he's my only brother-in-law. My heart is the same as yours. Since you're with me, you should be happy every day. Seeing you like this, do you think I feel good? Your sibling bond is deep, that's true, but you must also take care of yourself. I reckon it won't be easy to wrap up this case quickly—there's a tug-of-war ahead."
She understood what he meant. Cases like this couldn't be rushed; they could only wait and take things step by step.
The night passed uneasily. She lay in her clothes until the fifth watch. When the sky lightened at dawn, he got up to wash, gave a few hurried instructions, and went out.
On the first day of the New Year, many government offices were closed. It was unclear whether the case would be heard today. Dingyi sat at home on pins and needles. Now that she couldn't easily show her face outside, unlike before when she could investigate freely, she could only wait for his news.
She craned her neck in anticipation, but it wasn't a messenger who arrived—it was Hailan.
As soon as she entered, she curtsied, wiping tears before she even spoke, clearly having already heard the news. Dingyi quickly helped her sit on the kang. Seeing her, Dingyi suddenly felt deeply ashamed. Rujian had wronged her so much, and before they could make amends, she was now burdened with worry. She dabbed Hailan's tears and forced herself to ask, "Sister-in-law, why have you come?"
Hailan sobbed, "This morning, someone came to pay New Year's respects—a man serving in the Infantry Commander's Office. He mentioned arresting someone on Wine and Vinegar Bureau Alley on New Year's Eve, and I knew it was bad. Later, I sent a servant to inquire, and sure enough, it was him. I rushed over immediately. Coming empty-handed on the first day of the New Year is really..." She stepped down from the kang and curtsied again. "Let me wish the Princess Consort a happy New Year!"
Dingyi quickly stopped her. "That's absolutely unnecessary! Even if I were married, I'd still be your younger sister-in-law. By family rites, there's no reason for a sister-in-law to bow to her younger sister-in-law. Please sit, so we can talk properly."
Hailan murmured assent, then asked tearfully, "Where is Rujian now? I heard he wasn't at the Infantry Commander's Office—was he sent to the Ministry of Justice prison?"
Dingyi nodded. "Don't worry. Our lord has gone to inquire. As long as he can reach him, Third Brother won't be in any danger."Hailan gradually stopped crying, her expression calming as she said in a low voice, "The Twelfth Master is a Prince, such a noble person with official duties from the court. As long as he intervenes, I can rest a little easier. But my heart still aches—those kinds of places always start with a harsh intimidation. After all the hardships he’s endured outside, to come back and still face this... how can anyone bear it? You and the Prince are already at the stage of discussing marriage, so please remind him often. I’m helpless—just a woman with no means to seek help. This morning, I confessed everything to my father, including my relationship with Rujian. At this point, there’s no use hiding anymore. The more people working to resolve this, the more hope we have."
Her resolve earned Dingyi’s admiration. "True feelings are revealed in times of crisis. Sister-in-law, your devotion to Third Brother moves me deeply, and I thank you on his behalf. What did Lord Suo say?"
Hailan looked slightly embarrassed. "Naturally, he scolded me harshly and wanted to lock me up to keep me from getting involved. I shamelessly told him I was already Rujian’s woman. Since I’m his only daughter, he had no choice but to accept it. Now he’s out seeking connections, trying to find out where Rujian is being held so we can act."
Dingyi felt a pang of guilt. "During such a festive time, we’ve troubled Lord Suo..."
"You and the Prince have also suffered—one anxious and the other running around... I believe once we overcome this hurdle, things will get better." Hailan wiped her tears again. "We’ve only just reunited. I don’t want any more setbacks—I just hope for a few peaceful days together, to grow old side by side. When I saw him the other day, I thought about how he’s endured so much hardship outside, yet it never broke him. He’s truly remarkable, and my heart aches for him. When I heard what happened today, I panicked. Though he’d mentioned wanting to clear his father’s name, I never expected it would lead to his sudden arrest."
Dingyi lowered her head with a sigh. "I didn’t expect it either—that they’d strike at this moment. The Twelfth Master wasn’t there at the time, and I could only watch as they took him away. My heart ached beyond words. But now, Sister-in-law, don’t cry. Stay calm. If there’s any news, the Prince will send word."
Hailan nodded, and the two women sat in silence, waiting. Before long, Sha Tong hurried in, bowing deeply. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, His Highness is currently at the Ministry of Justice. They’re preparing to interrogate your brother-in-law. His Highness asks you not to worry—he’ll be present and will argue fiercely to prevent any harm to him. He also insists you eat on time and not wait on an empty stomach. If you refuse to eat, he won’t send any more updates."
Dingyi glanced awkwardly at Hailan. "This man, really..."
Hailan smiled. "The Prince truly cares for you. That’s a good thing."
Dingyi turned to Sha Tong. "Tongzi, keep a close watch for me. Whether the news is good or bad, don’t hide anything from me."
Sha Tong acknowledged with a "Yes" and dashed out.
Another long wait followed. It was nearly dusk when Hongce finally returned. His expression showed no distress as he entered, and Dingyi and Hailan exchanged relieved glances, sensing the situation was under control for now.
He glanced up and gave a small nod. "Ah, this must be Third Sister-in-law?"
Hailan quickly curtsied. "A happy New Year to you, Your Highness. You’ve gone to great trouble for us."He said warmly, "We're family, no need for such formalities. Third Sister-in-law, please have a seat. Dingyi, you sit too. After the Ministry of Justice adjourned, I went to the palace. Tomorrow we'll try Jilantai's case. Third Prince was interrogated today, but neither witnesses nor evidence could be used. The son of a second-rank official became a Guard as soon as he could walk, attended the Imperial Study as a study companion when he was little, and later trained in Manchu Wrestling with the princes. He's too familiar with them—one glance and he'd be recognized. In court, desertion and rebellion are capital offenses, and it nearly came to that. Hongzan was frantic; he advocated execution while I argued for leniency. Fortunately, the Thirteenth Master intervened and took the case to the emperor for a decision. It was a close call. For now, he's been sent back to the Ministry of Justice prison. I've ordered strict surveillance and increased security inside and out, so his life is certainly safe."
The two women listened with bated breath, exhaling in relief only after he finished. As long as he was alive, a little suffering didn't matter much. Seeing how late it was, Hailan rose to take her leave. Servants brought in the meal, and at the table, Hongce seemed preoccupied. Dingyi asked cautiously, "What's troubling you?"
Gritting his teeth, he frowned and said, "Jilantai's lips are sealed tight—he still refuses to implicate Hongzan. Today, I had his entire family detained to tighten the screws on him, to show that even if Hongzan spares them, I won't let him off lightly. Right now, dealing with this kind of person requires underhanded tactics, but whether it'll work... we'll see tomorrow!"
Her expression darkened at his words. She set down her chopsticks, her appetite gone.
OpenNovel