Chapter 34

 

“Do you even know what you’re saying?” Lu Han glared at Xunfeng, who was kneeling on the ground, his face dark with fury. “If you dare to slander the Crown Prince, being expelled from the Duhu Mansion will be the least of your punishments!”

“I am not slandering anyone! I really know the truth!” Xunfeng hurriedly crawled forward on her knees toward Lu Han, pleading earnestly. “I personally overheard Li Zhi’s elder brother, Li Jinzhi, threatening her in private! He used this matter to blackmail Li Zhi, forcing her to steal treasures from the estate. If she didn’t comply, he said he would report it to the Commander and His Highness the Imperial Grandson! If there’s even a single lie in my words, I am willing to be struck by lightning and die a miserable death! The master can summon Li Jinzhi to confront me if you don’t believe me!”

“Li Zhi, is what she said true?” Lu Han turned to Li Zhi, half-doubtful and half-inquiring.

Li Zhi knelt down respectfully and kowtowed solemnly.

“I have never sent a secret letter to anyone. I beg the Commander to investigate clearly,” she said.

The matter had now gone beyond the accusation of stealing valuables from the estate. Lu Han’s face darkened further, and he waved his hand decisively. “Return to the estate! Bring Li Jinzhi here as well!”

Several servants grabbed Li Zhi, pulling her up from the ground and pushing her roughly toward the exit.

As she passed by Xie Lanxu, who was seated in his wheelchair, their shoulders almost brushed.

He kept his eyes lowered, deep in thought, and did not look at her.

After settling matters in the courtyard and silencing everyone present, Lu Han returned to the Duhu Mansion. Li Zhi, Xunfeng, and several others were brought to the main hall of Xie Lanxu’s Bamboo Courtyard.

Not long after, Li Jinzhi, looking panicked and flustered, was also dragged in.

Still unaware of what had happened, Li Jinzhi glanced around nervously with his shifty eyes as he was forced to kneel.

“Are you Li Jinzhi?” Lu Han asked with a frown.

“Yes… yes, I am Li Jinzhi,” he stammered, squeezing out a fawning smile. “I don’t know why the master has summoned me…”

Li Jinzhi had already prepared himself for the worst. If the theft of valuables from the estate had been exposed, he planned to deny any involvement and pin all the blame on Li Zhi.

What he didn’t expect, however, was that Lu Han had summoned him for an entirely different reason.

“You said Li Zhi once sent a secret letter?”

Li Jinzhi immediately looked toward Li Zhi, who was kneeling submissively beside him, her head lowered in a meek posture.

Unable to make eye contact with her and uncertain of the situation, Li Jinzhi hesitated for only a moment before deciding that there was no harm in throwing her under the bus.

“Reporting to the master… yes, that is true…”

“His Highness is also present here,” Lu Han said, pointing to Xie Lanxu seated in the master’s chair, his gaze cold. “You will explain this matter in full detail. If there is even the slightest falsehood in your words, don’t expect to leave from here alive!”

Xie Lanxu sat silently, watching the two kneeling figures with an impassive expression.

“This…” Li Jinzhi glanced again at Li Zhi, hesitated for effect, and then clasped his hands in mock apology. “Sister, forgive me for this.”

Li Zhi kept her head bowed, not even sparing him a glance.

“Reporting to the master, this is what happened,” Li Jinzhi began. “It was shortly after our exile group had just left the capital. One night, I happened to be resting near Li Zhi. That night, I couldn’t sleep—the ground was cold and hard, and I was tossing and turning. While I was awake, I heard her talking in her sleep.”

“At first, I didn’t think much of it—talking in one’s sleep isn’t unusual. But as I listened more closely, I was terrified! My sister… she was saying things like, ‘I didn’t mean to harm the Crown Prince’s family,’ and ‘I only wanted to report my father’s wrongdoing.’”

Li Jinzhi looked around dramatically, continuing, “When I thought it over carefully, I understood. My foolish sister must have been possessed by some evil to try and expose our own father! And in doing so, she implicated the Crown Prince!”

“Is what he’s saying true?” Lu Han turned to Li Zhi, half-believing, half-doubting. “Did you really report your own father?”

Li Jinzhi’s eyes lit up with excitement. He was eagerly anticipating Li Zhi’s confession. Once she admitted to it, he was sure he would be credited for exposing her and earn a position in the Duhu Mansion. With his cunning and wit, climbing the ranks to become an advisor under Lu Han wouldn’t be difficult at all!

But to his shock, Li Zhi finally raised her head.

Her slender shoulders and delicate waist, dressed in plain clothes, gave her an appearance of fragility and innocence. She looked nothing like someone who would betray her own father.

Yet her resolute and calm gaze swept past Lu Han and landed directly on Xie Lanxu’s impassive face.

“I do not admit to what my brother has claimed,” she said slowly and firmly, enunciating every word.

Li Jinzhi’s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn’t fathom how she still dared to refute him.

“First of all,” Li Zhi continued methodically, “I have never had the habit of talking in my sleep. This can be corroborated by the maids who served in the Li household.”

“Secondly, I have never sent any secret letters to accuse my father.”

“And lastly, I am merely an insignificant, unloved daughter born of a concubine. Would my father ever confide in me about his plans for rebellion? Even if I wanted to report him, what could I possibly report?”

She paused, then added with a faint hint of sorrow, “I only agreed to assist my elder brother because I couldn’t bear to turn a blind eye to our shared sibling bond. But the master has shown me great kindness, and the lords and ladies of this estate have always treated me generously. I could never betray them. That’s why I decided to sell my hair instead.”

Turning to her stunned brother, she said calmly, “Our bodies, hair, and skin are gifts from our parents, and I dare not harm them. This is the beginning of filial piety. But since both my parents are gone, only my elder brother remains as my family. I was willing to act unfilially in order to show my loyalty, but it seems my brother has never seen me as family.”

“You!” Li Jinzhi pointed at her, his face flushing red with anger. “You didn’t say that before! You—”

“I can testify! She didn’t say this before!” Xunfeng interjected, panicking as she realized Lu Han might believe Li Zhi.

“You dare speak again?” Lu Congruan glared at Xunfeng, silencing her immediately.

“Enough!” Lu Han slammed his palm on the table, interrupting the commotion. “You claim she sent a secret letter. Do you know where it was sent and what it reported?”

“…This…”

“I’ll ask you again. What kind of deep grudge does Li Zhi have against her father that would make her turn against her kin for the greater good and send a secret letter to report her own father?”

Li Jinzhi’s eyes darted evasively, not daring to answer.

“If there’s no deep hatred, how could there possibly be a child in this world who would report their own biological father?” Lu Han said firmly and decisively.

“But… my lord, my lord, please believe me! Li Zhi has always hated our father because she thinks he was the one who caused her twin sister’s death! She had a reason to report my father!” Li Jinzhi shouted.

“Even now, at the critical moment, you’re still lying to my face!” Lu Han angrily cut him off. “Since you won’t give up, I might as well tell you! The case of the Crown Prince’s treason—I’ve been secretly investigating it all along. The parties involved and the depth of its implications make it absolutely impossible for this matter to have anything to do with a young girl who’s been confined to the inner chambers of her home!”

“My lord, you don’t know, she—”

Li Jinzhi still tried to argue, but Lu Han slammed the table and roared:

“Stirring up trouble, using despicable means, and losing all sense of morality—she sees you as her brother, yet you try to bite her like a snake to advance yourself!”

“My lord, that’s not how it is! Don’t believe her nonsense!”

“I think it’s you who’s spouting nonsense!” Lu Han said. “Drag him out! Give him fifty heavy strikes with the paddle!”

“My lord! Have mercy, my lord!”

Terrified, Li Jinzhi was dragged out, screaming for mercy, leaving behind Xunfeng, who now had no one to rely on and looked like a frightened bird with its bowstring cut.

“Father, regarding the people in my courtyard, I request that you leave the decision to me,” Lu Congruan said, clasping his hands in a formal gesture.

Lu Han wearily waved his hand.

“Xunfeng is a vile servant who stirs up trouble and shows no remorse! Drag her out, give her twenty heavy strikes with the paddle, and expel her entire family from the Duhu Mansion!”

Before Lu Congruan had even finished speaking, Xunfeng had already begun crying and begging for mercy.

“Young Master, I was wrong! I really know I was wrong…”

With a look of disgust on his face, Lu Congruan turned his head aside, not even glancing at her.

“Li Zhi, my dear sister!” Xunfeng turned to Li Zhi instead, throwing herself at her feet and crying pitifully. “I really know I was wrong! Please, sister, plead with the Young Master on my behalf and ask him to forgive me just this once!”

Li Zhi remained kneeling in a proper and composed manner, letting Xunfeng shake and tug at her, without sparing her a single glance.

As early as the moment Xunfeng had slapped Jia Sui across the face, she should have understood—her fate could only end in one way.

Li Zhi could forgive others for hurting her.

To achieve her goals, she did not hesitate to turn herself into a pawn on the gambling table, using herself without limits, even to the point of harming herself.

Her body and soul were worth nothing—only her name, her reputation, mattered more than anything.

But Jia Sui and the others were different.

Jia Sui, Jia He, and the siblings Li Xiangsheng and Li Cien… after everything was over, they could still start fresh.

Two burly household guards came in and dragged Xunfeng away. She struggled to resist, but it was futile. Even after leaving Bamboo Courtyard, her shrill cries for mercy still echoed faintly in the air.

“Your Highness, what do you think…”

Lu Han clasped his hands and bowed to Xie Lanxu, seeking his opinion on how Li Zhi should be dealt with.

“Since this is merely a farce, let it be handled as a farce,” Xie Lanxu said calmly. “This matter ends here.”

Lu Han sighed and stood up from his chair.

“To have this farce disturb Your Highness was a mistake on my part.”

“You’re being too formal, my lord,” Xie Lanxu replied.

Lu Han saluted and prepared to leave with everyone else. Just as they were about to exit, Xie Lanxu spoke softly, “Let Li Zhi stay behind.”

Lu Han paused in surprise, then glanced at her briefly before signaling with his eyes for the others to follow him out of the hall.

Lu Congruan clearly didn’t want Li Zhi to remain behind alone, and just as he was about to voice his dissatisfaction, his father forcefully dragged him out of Bamboo Courtyard by the arm.

When only Li Zhi and Xie Lanxu were left in the room, the silence became especially heavy.

The oppressive atmosphere seemed to weigh on both of their chests.

Li Zhi knew that her explanation might deceive others, but it could never deceive Xie Lanxu.

“Banban.”

The young man called her name, his gaze cold, his voice soft yet lingering.

“I told you, don’t lie to me.”

Li Zhi knelt deeply and bowed her head to the ground.

“Now that things have come to this, I must confess to Your Highness—indeed, in October of the eighth year of He Ping, I did write a secret letter reporting my father’s crimes.”

Even without looking up, she could feel Xie Lanxu’s icy gaze piercing her back.

“In the letter, I accused Li Qiaonian of occupying farmland that belonged to the people, embezzling funds, and accepting bribes. I also listed several officials who had given him gifts under the guise of celebrating his birthday,” Li Zhi explained. “At the time, the Prefect of Jingzhao, Zhang Ke, was my father’s ally. Together, they acted in collusion, sheltering one another. In the end, the secret letter sank like a stone in the sea and came to nothing.”

“I don’t know how Li Jinzhi found out about this matter, but he did use it to threaten me, demanding that I either recommend him to the Duhu Mansion or steal treasures from the estate.”

“I knew that if I gave in to his unreasonable demands, his greed would only grow, and it would bring endless trouble in the future.” Li Zhi lifted her head and looked directly at Xie Lanxu, who was seated in the chair. “I didn’t want to trouble Your Highness, so I came up with this plan to save myself.”

“…Was it truly because you didn’t want to trouble me, or was it because you feared I would find out about this matter?” Xie Lanxu asked softly.

Li Zhi fell silent for a long moment before answering hoarsely:

“In the letter, I only reported Li Qiaonian and mentioned a few officials who had bribed him. None of them were part of the Crown Prince’s faction…”

“Politics is a delicate matter—tugging on one string can set off a chain reaction. Did you ever consider that the Crown Prince’s case of treason might have originated from a secret letter accusing Li Qiaonian of occupying farmland and accepting bribes?”

Li Zhi didn’t answer. Her eyelashes trembled, and she lowered them powerlessly.

“…In fact, you’ve thought about it too,” Xie Lanxu concluded. “Because one month later, the Crown Prince and Li Qiaonian were executed at the West Market’s vegetable stalls. Among those who were executed, every name you mentioned in your letter was included.”

He stared into Li Zhi’s eyes, but she avoided his gaze.

There was no one else in the room. Xie Lanxu stood up directly from his chair and walked step by step toward Li Zhi.

He lifted Li Zhi’s chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

His eyes were as lifeless as stagnant water, devoid of ripples, but hers were like a springtime lake, sparkling with light.

Occasionally, he thought about crushing that small chin, digging into that warm chest, to see whether her heart was as alive as it felt when he touched it.

He wanted to strip open her veins, slice through her flesh, and see where her soul was hiding—to figure out what kind of lies it had told him.

He was certain that she had lied to him. But he couldn’t figure out what exactly the lie was.

“…Yes, I’ve thought about it too.”

Beneath her slender willow-leaf brows, her bright eyes shimmered with fragile ripples.

Li Zhi looked up at him from the palm of his hand.

Her tears fell onto Xie Lanxu’s hand, and suddenly, he trembled. Reflexively, he let go of her, as if burned by the hottest of flames.

“I risked everything for Your Highness… only because I feel guilt in my heart.”

“Li Zhi awaits Your Highness’s judgment.” Li Zhi bowed deeply to the ground. “Even if Your Highness wants me to die, Li Zhi will not utter a single word of protest.”

“Good—”

Xie Lanxu looked into her eyes and said slowly,

“Then atone with your death.”

Li Zhi bowed again.

“If there is a next life…” Li Zhi lifted her tear-filled eyes and smiled at Xie Lanxu, who had been staring intently at her. “I hope Your Highness will still call me Banban.”

Xie Lanxu remained silent.

She rose to her feet after apologizing, grabbed a teacup from the table, and hurled it into the corner.

The teacup shattered into countless fragments on the ground. Li Zhi picked up the largest triangular shard—

—And, without hesitation, slashed it toward her neck.

And this concludes Li Zhi’s Ending.

Translator’s Note: Bye see you next week !! Enjoy your weekend