After coming out of Yue Jingming’s room, Wang Dian’s face was hit by cold wind and rain. Someone from the west wing leaned out to close the windows, appearing not to recognize them, just nodded politely, then closed the windows tight.
“Someone Master brought back.” Liang Ye opened an oil paper umbrella to shield him from the rain, eagerly suggesting, “Want to go for a walk?”
“Let’s go back to the room, the rain is too heavy.” Wang Dian held his hand.
After closing the door, darkness surrounded them.
Liang Ye found a candle from somewhere and lit it, placed it on the table, then leaned against the table watching his serious expression, and couldn’t help but smile. “Are you that worried about Zhen?”
Wang Dian stood in front of him, raised his hand to remove the mask on his face, and tilted his head slightly.
Liang Ye almost uncontrollably touched his face. The fair skin had turned slightly red from being covered by the mask for too long, as if reflecting a crystal-clear mirror.
“I’m not afraid of dying with you,” Wang Dian said calmly. “But if possible, I’d rather live with you.”
Liang Ye laughed while leaning on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, Zhen is very healthy, won’t die easily.”
Wang Dian reached out to touch the back of his neck. These ghostly supernatural and ethereal things, like his abrupt transmigration, made him feel powerless, he could barely find a point to focus his thoughts.
Perhaps because his depression had not yet subsided, his mind was in an extremely excited and manic state.
“Look at me, Wang Dian.” Liang Ye’s palm covered the back of his neck, seriously gazing into his eyes,
“Zhen has never had any interest in cultivating immortality, and doesn’t care about those strange things they forced me to drink. Zhen wants to be the emperor of Great Liang, wants the common people to have enough food and no longer wander homeless, wants to kill Bian Cang to save the ministers, it’s that simple, remember?”
Wang Dian’s floating heart finally found an anchor point.
“I remember,” he slowly exhaled a breath, “The people of Anhan County are still waiting for disaster relief grain, kill Bian Cang.”
Liang Ye grinned.
****
In the pouring rain, several fast horses charged into the rain.
At the northwest corner gate of the imperial palace.
The guards on duty vigilantly watched the approaching fast horses and asked while holding their swords. “Halt! The palace gates are closed!”
“Bian Daren’s personal seal! Urgent meeting with the Empress Dowager!” The person on horseback took out a private seal, which was indeed Bian Cang’s personal seal. The guard examined the seal back and forth, seeming hesitant. The person on horseback sternly said, “The personal seal is here, hurry up and let us through! Can you take responsibility if important matters are delayed!?”
“Yes!” The guard raised his hand, and the locked palace gates were slowly opened. Five or six fast horses galloped past.
Half an hour later, another fast horse arrived, shouting loudly, “Bian Daren’s private seal has been stolen, kill anyone carrying the private seal without mercy!”
The gate guards were instantly shocked, “Not good!”
However, it was too late.
In the Empress Dowager’s palace chambers in the imperial harem, Bian Yunxin was suddenly awakened from her sleep by a cold dagger pressed against her neck amid thunder.
Lightning tore through the sky, revealing Liang Ye’s cold eyes.
Bian Yunxin’s scream was muffled into her mouth.
Liang Ye raised his hand, a string of keys jangling as they fell open, and he asked in a deep voice, “Do you recognize these keys?”
Bian Yunxin froze for a moment, then shook her head desperately.
Liang Ye smiled grimly and terrifyingly, “Then there’s no use keeping you alive.”
Bian Yunxin felt the sharp pain on her neck, grabbed his wrist and nodded frantically, making several whimpering sounds.
“Make a sound and I’ll kill you.” Liang Ye tugged at the corner of his mouth and released his hand.
Bian Yunxin covered her mouth and shrank fearfully into the corner, whispering, “I- I’ll take you there.”
“These were left by Wang Xusui.” In the heavy rain, Liang Ye held an umbrella as he walked along the long palace path, smiling: “Bian Yunxin, are you familiar with this name?”
Bian Yunxin was pale from the heavy rain, her lips trembling as she opened her mouth, “N-not familiar.”
“She dressed as a man to go to the battlefield, why did you have to expose her identity as a woman?” Liang Ye’s voice sounded somewhat distant.
Bian Yunxin’s entire body shook like a sieve, “I- I didn’t want to, it was Bian Daren- it was Bian Cang who forced me to do it! Ye’er, I really didn’t want to harm her, but she was too clever, Bian Cang couldn’t tolerate her, I would have died if I didn’t do it! Ye’er, for the sake of raising you all these years, please spare me!”
“Let me ask you one more thing.” Liang Ye turned to look at her with a smile, “When Zhen was eight years old, someone forced me to drink an entire bottle of Crane’s Crown Poison, does the Empress remember who did it?”
Bian Yunxin’s knees gave way, and she collapsed straight to the ground.
Liang Ye held the umbrella and looked down at her, each word as cold and sticky as a snake’s tongue, smiling as he asked, “Don’t remember? Or is there something you can’t say?”
Bian Yunxin shook her head in terror, “You- you remember everything?”
Liang Ye’s eyebrows twitched slightly, “Yes, I remember everything.”
He held the umbrella and bent down slightly, shrouding Bian Yunxin completely in darkness, whispering softly, “You were the one who forced me to drink it….Empress Dowager?”
Bian Yunxin shook her head desperately, “I was forced by him, he would have killed me if I didn’t do it… it wasn’t me, I didn’t mean to, Ye’er…I raised you for all these years, I didn’t want to either…”
Liang Ye standing before her had nothing but mockery in his eyes, “Everything was forced by others, you’re stupid so you’re innocent, is that it? You could do such a thing to an eight-year-old child, you really are too innocent.”
Bian Yunxin was so drenched by the rain she could barely open her eyes, then she was suddenly yanked up from the ground, “Who gave you the medicine? Tell me!”
“I don’t know, I really don’t know!” Bian Yunxin shook her head frantically, “He caught me…my shameful act, he…he threatened me, if I didn’t do it neither you nor I would survive! Don’t you understand!? I just wanted to live, what did I do wrong!? You’re fine now anyway, aren’t you!?”
The hand gripping her was so strong it almost crushed her wrist. Liang Ye laughed in extreme anger, “Such nerve.”
Bian Yunxin was timid, and by now she was almost frightened out of her mind, “He- he had a red birthmark between his eyebrows… Ye’er! He had a red birthmark between his eyebrows!”
Liang Ye laughed like a demon in the rainy night, pressing the cold dagger against Bian Yunxin’s face, “Although I can’t remember many things, just thinking about it makes me sick…However you tortured Liang Ye to make him beg Cui Yuxian, it should all be paid back the same way.”
Bian Yunxin shrank her neck in terror.
In the Suixue Garden, the flower branches had already been battered beyond recognition by the heavy rain.
Liang Ye stood in that pavilion, watching as Bian Yunxin took out one of the keys and handed it to him tremblingly, “Th-this leads to an abandoned secret passage, Wang Xusui used to often take us through here–Die!”
A sharp hairpin flashed with cold light, stabbing straight toward Liang Ye’s neck, but before it could touch him, her wrist was seized violently.
Liang Ye smiled coldly, “Stupid and oblivious of it, just like your son.”
****
In the council hall, candlelight flickered.
Half were court officials wearing shackles, kneeling on the ground in prisoner’s garb, while the other half were officials in formal robes. Bian Cang stood on the jade steps, looking down at his colleagues filling the great hall, silent.
Thunder rumbled outside continuously.
“What time is it?” Bian Cang asked.
Xun Yang, wearing crimson official robes, stepped forward and said, “In reply to Daren, it’s the Hour of Zi.” (TL: 11 PM-1 AM)
“I thought His Majesty would come to save people in time, but he’s still as willful as ever.” Bian Cang sighed, raising his hand slightly, “My apologies to all the officials, I wonder which daren should go first?”
“Bian Cang!” Chu Geng, kneeling on the ground, shouted angrily. “How dare you slaughter court officials so indiscriminately, aren’t you afraid of His Majesty’s punishment!?”
“How dare you!” Xun Yang shouted sternly. “You dare speak so rudely to Daren!”
“Xun Yang! I only thought myself narrow-minded and unappreciated, thinking you were someone who cared for the world, you kept saying you wanted to serve the country and the people, but you’re helping a tiger harm people! Is this your aspiration!?” Chu Geng questioned him loudly.
“Shuzhuo! Don’t let momentary power blind your eyes!” Liu Binbai also raised his head, “Have you forgotten the teachings of Changlin Academy!? Have you forgotten Baili Daren’s expectations of you!? It’s not too late to turn back from the wrong path!”
After these words, several young officials spoke up, criticizing Xun Yang until he had nowhere to hide.
Xun Yang’s face turned red as he looked toward Bian Cang, but seeing that Bian Cang had no intention of speaking up, he decisively fought back, “Enough! Can’t you all see? Liang Ye is just a madman! Look what has become of Great Liang in his hands! He kills court officials at will, changes the ancestors’ rules as he pleases! And Wang Dian! The two of them collude and are in cahoots, implementing cabinet reforms, massacring noble families and loyal ministers! You are the ones who are obstinate!”
“Enough, stop arguing.” Feng Qing stepped forward and said, “Bian Daren, it’s time to act.”
Bian Cang looked down at the high-ranking officials kneeling on the ground with lowered eyes, “Which daren would like to go first?”
Chu Geng stood up angrily, “A gentleman does not fear death, you treacherous traitors won’t live much longer!”
Because he stood up indignantly, many court officials gradually stood up as well. They had been imprisoned for many days and were full of resentment. Many were young officials who had just entered government service, at the age when blood runs hot.
“Now that’s more like scholars.” Bian Cang smiled approvingly. His raised hand was about to fall when suddenly an elderly voice rang out from the front.
“Bian Daren, why get angry with the young people.” Yan Ze struggled to stand up from the ground and said to Bian Cang standing on the jade steps. “Why not start with me?”
“Yan Daren?” Bian Cang was somewhat surprised, “Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”
“We’ve worked together for most of our lives. If Wen Zong hadn’t saved me, I would have died at the birthday banquet long ago. I don’t want to owe that old fellow any more favors.” Yan Ze smiled and said, “His Majesty finally showed some qualities of a ruler, what a pity.”
Cui Yun also stood up wearing shackles and said coldly, “I will go with Yan Daren.”
The kneeling officials gradually stood up, straightening their backs, “I shall go too!”
They were all unyielding officials. Anyone who could be persuaded had already changed into formal robes and stood on the other side. The deafening voices echoed in the main hall, making those who had surrendered tremble slightly in their hearts.
“A madman, and he’s worth your loyalty.” Bian Cang sneered, “Such foolishness. Since you’re so eager to die, then-”
“Then there’s no need to trouble Bian Daren.”
A cold voice came from behind him, boots stepping clearly on the floor, bringing some damp rain air.
The young man wearing black dragon robes lazily sat on the dragon throne, looking down casually with contempt, revealing a playful yet cold smile.
“My beloved ministers, long time no see.”
Thunder rumbled and rain poured, weapons clashed, and inside the main hall, shouts of “Long live!” rang out loudly.
