Chарtеr 374: Тhе Bronze Sраrrow of Сhang'an Sings 28
Еаrlу this mоrning, snоw bеgan to fаll again, swirling like willow catkins, еnvеloрing all things bеtwееn hеavеn аnd еаrth. Тhe еaves werе аdornеd with flying snow, and еverything wаs drapеd in silvеr. Тhе сrоwd wаtched аs а womаn, hеr hаir and shоulders dustеd with frоst and snow, knеlt аnd crаwled along thе main Vermilion Вird Strееt, heаding toward the dirесtiоn of thе Dаming Раlасe. Тhе snow оn the bluеstone рavеmеnt wаs thick еnоugh tо rеach the bеnd of one’s calvеs, and Zhu Yan’s kneеs dragged twо long trаils in thе snow.
“Whо is that?”
Someone recognized her: “It’s the Zhu family’s Liu Niang. She’s pleading for the White King of Hell’s innocence.”
“Tsk, there are still people pleading for the White King of Hell’s innocence? Aren’t they afraid of the Black Yama King’s retaliation?”
“Keep quiet. She’s quite loyal and righteous, I hear. They say she hasn’t consummated her marriage with the White King of Hell to this day.”
The onlookers were many, and some elders, unable to bear the sight, came forward to persuade Zhu Yan to return home.
“A young lady kneeling and crawling in the snow like this will freeze and ruin her health.”
Zhu Yan thanked them but continued her crawl, and few others tried to persuade her after that.
The news quickly reached Lai Luozhi’s ears. Unable to appear in person, he sent people to “greet” Zhu Yan, intending to kill her right on the street.
Hidden in the crowd, Jing Lin, wearing a bamboo hat, clenched his fists in restraint. He soon sensed danger and scanned the surrounding eaves. The swirling snow made it hard to see clearly, but the presence was there.
Jing Lin took a step forward. With him there, he would not let anything happen to Zhu Yan.
In the blink of an eye, amidst the heavy snowfall, over a dozen people descended from the sky, charging straight toward Zhu Yan. Zhu Yan, bowing her head, didn’t notice. Just as the group was about to land beside her, the Unrighteous Agents who had been hiding in the crowd sprang into action at the whistle of their commander, Xu Xiangren. Each wore a bamboo hat, a face covering with the Unrighteous Agents’ emblem, plain clothes, and a horizontal sword at their waist.
The two sides clashed, and Jing Lin, mingling among them, swiftly positioned himself in front of Zhu Yan, driving back the attackers.
When Zhu Yan looked up, she saw the chaotic battle and froze for a moment before quickly regaining her composure. She continued crawling forward, holding up a petition as she pleaded for justice.
It was only then that Jing Lin saw clearly: the petition in Zhu Yan’s hands was blank.
Since ancient times, those pleading for justice always detailed their grievances. How could there be a blank petition?
Suspicion swirled in Jing Lin’s mind, distracting him. Seizing an opening, one of the attackers hurled a throwing dart straight at Zhu Yan.
Unable to dodge, Zhu Yan closed her eyes, ready to die. But she heard a sharp clang and opened her eyes to see a pair of familiar eyes behind a face covering—it was Yun Que, who had come to her aid.
Feeling guilty, Jing Lin quickly refocused and thanked Yun Que. Yun Que nodded in acknowledgment but said nothing more, joining Jing Lin in escorting Zhu Yan toward the Daming Palace.
Zhu Yan chose to crawl and plead for justice on the main Vermilion Bird Street instead of waiting until she entered the Daming Palace, following Mo Qianzhi’s method. She wanted the common people to know about this to ensure her survival.
The clashing of weapons continued, but Zhu Yan remained focused, crawling and pleading for justice all the way. Her robes were occasionally nicked by weapons, but she managed to reach the outside of the Daming Palace safely.
Being stopped by the guards was within Zhu Yan’s expectations. She took out the palace token the Empress had given her and smoothly entered the Daming Palace.
With this, the Unrighteous Agents’ mission was accomplished. Frustrated that they hadn’t even touched a hair on Zhu Yan’s head, the assassins scattered like birds and beasts at their leader’s command, returning to report to their master.
The Unrighteous Agents remained stationed outside the palace gate, waiting for Zhu Yan to emerge.
By the time Zhu Yan crawled to the front of the Empress’s bedchamber, the fabric at her knees was already worn through. The frost and snow had soaked her clothes and frozen against her skin, as if ice were pressed tightly against her flesh, chilling her to the bone.Her legs were so numb from the cold they no longer felt like her own, yet Zhu Yan seemed unaware. Holding the blank petition high, she knelt upright in the snow, crying out her grievance:
"Your Majesty, treacherous officials have seized power, twisted right and wrong, and wronged Grand Cabinet Leader Shen Du. Shen Du’s loyalty is as clear as the sun and moon. I beg Your Majesty to redress this injustice."
Empress Zhou Zhao had recently claimed illness and ceased holding court. Due to the bitter cold, she had been resting and recuperating in her bedchamber, refusing even Princess Chaoyang’s requests for political counsel, directing her instead to Xu Zhaorong.
Zhu Yan’s voice grew hoarse from shouting, but the palace doors remained tightly shut, offering no response.
By noon, the snowfall grew heavier. The sky pressed down, a leaden gray canopy. Before long, the lower half of Zhu Yan’s body was buried under frost and snow, her entire form resembling a snowman.
Zhang Baohuan glanced from the window, his eyes filled with pity. He turned and approached the Empress’s side, hesitating before finally speaking: "Your Majesty."
The Empress finally opened her eyes, glaring impatiently toward the palace doors. "Ignore her."
With that, she closed her eyes again.
Zhang Baohuan swallowed his words, massaging the Empress’s shoulders while his mind raced.
Outside, Zhu Yan swayed unsteadily, kneeling in the icy wilderness as if about to be swallowed by the vast heavens and earth.
Seeing no movement, no one coming to open the doors, Zhu Yan steeled her heart and began to kowtow.
Zhang Baohuan could bear it no longer. He stepped out, stopping her from kowtowing and taking the blank petition from her hands. He tossed her a bottle of golden wound medicine, gesturing for her to tend to her forehead.
She reached up and touched fresh blood mixed with ice shards. Her frozen face twisted into an ugly smile.
Inside, the Empress glanced at the blank petition, her phoenix eyes blazing with fury. After a moment’s thought, she ordered Zhang Baohuan to prepare the inkstone.
A short while later, Zhang Baohuan emerged from the inner chamber, holding an imperial edict. Looking at her kneeling on the ground, he shook his head slightly.
"Her Majesty refuses to see me?" Zhu Yan’s throat burned, her forehead feverish, clinging stubbornly to a sliver of consciousness.
But Zhang Baohuan ignored her and walked away.
Xu Zhaorong approached from another direction, holding an oil-paper umbrella and medicine. She helped Zhu Yan up from the snow. Zhu Yan stumbled, her frozen legs unsteady as she staggered to her feet.
After a glance at Zhu Yan’s condition, Xu Zhaorong discarded the umbrella and carefully applied medicine to her forehead.
Her eyes held clear concern. Once finished, she pressed the medicine bottle into Zhu Yan’s hands and said helplessly, "Everything follows its own course. Just watch and wait. There’s no need to dwell on this any longer. Go home quickly."
She then handed the oil-paper umbrella to Zhu"At least the White King of Hell was white. Now that everything is under the control of the Black Yama King, won't the days ahead be..."
"Don't say such things, be careful of losing your head."
Zhu Yan was puzzled and exchanged a glance with Jing Lin, who was still wearing a bamboo hat and face covering, equally confused.
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