Chapter 21: Emperor Jingping

Eating a soft and sweet white sugar cake, Qiu Heng thought to herself: It should be time for the Earl of Yongqing to return.

The Earl of Yongqing returned in the afternoon. His heart was filled with a conflict he had never experienced before—the trepidation of having offended Han Wu, the Commander of the Palace Guards, mixed with the excitement of having gained the favor of the Grand Eunuch, Xue Quan.

"You punished Heng'er by making her kneel in the ancestral hall?" The Earl's expression shifted instantly upon learning of the Old Madam's disciplinary action toward Qiu Heng.

Seeing the Earl's grim face, the Old Madam asked hesitantly, "Do you find the punishment too light, My Lord?"

After all, she was a young lady; there was no need for the whip, was there?

"Light or heavy—what does that matter? Why on earth did you punish Heng'er out of the blue?"

The Old Madam froze. "Should the sixth girl not be punished?"

She had gone behind the family's back to report the son of Commander Han, making an enemy of the Earl's estate!

"She was seeking justice for her foster father. She is a good child."

The Old Madam:?

The Earl must have been possessed.

"Send someone to the ancestral hall to bring Heng'er out. Never mind, I'll send Jiang Xiang." Ignoring the Old Madam's incredulous gaze, the Earl emphasized, "From now on, regarding anything related to Heng'er, the Madam must consult me before acting."

"I have a question right now." The Old Madam took a deep breath. "Why do you place such importance on Heng'er?"

In the past, the Earl had never interfered in how the five granddaughters were raised; he only stepped in for major matters, such as sending the eldest daughter into the palace.

Why was the sixth girl different?

"I already told you, Heng'er catches my eye." The Earl of Yongqing was not yet prepared to explain the tacit exchange of interests between himself and Qiu Heng to the Old Madam.

"As long as you understand that everything I do is for the good of the Earl's estate, that is enough. The world outside is complicated; a woman like you wouldn't understand."

"I understand."

Outside the ancestral hall, two elderly servant women were chatting idly when they saw Jiang Xiang approaching.

"Why has Sister Jiang Xiang come?" Not daring to be negligent toward the head maid serving the Earl, the two women immediately plastered smiles on their faces.

"The Earl instructed me to escort the Sixth Young Lady back to Cold Fragrance Cottage."

The two servant women opened the doors to the ancestral hall, their faces filled with shock.

The kneeling young girl turned her head.

"Sixth Young Lady, this servant will escort you back to your room." Jiang Xiang politely helped Qiu Heng up.

"Thank you, Sister Jiang Xiang."

As she passed the two servant women, Qiu Heng gave a slight smile. "I have troubled you both today, Matrons."

Long after the two had left, the servant women were still in a daze.

"The Sixth Young Lady was only in the ancestral hall for half a day before being let out?"

"And it was Jiang Xiang, who serves by the Earl's side, who came to fetch her. Doesn't that mean—"

The two women exchanged looks, frantically searching their memories to see if they had said anything offensive to the Sixth Young Lady.

Fortunately, the Sixth Young Lady hadn't paid them any mind after entering the hall.

The news that Jiang Xiang, the head maid of the Earl of Yongqing, had personally gone to the ancestral hall to fetch the Sixth Young Lady spread through the estate like wildfire.

Upon hearing this, the Fourth Young Lady, Qiu Fu, was so angry she pounded her pillow.

She shouldn't have bothered sending that bag of white sugar cakes.

What a waste of worry!

While Qiu Heng had returned to her quarters, Han Ziheng was unable to go home; instead, he had been moved into a cell in the Jing Tian Prefecture Prison.

Though called a cell, it was kept clean, furnished with new mats and bedding.

His charges were yet to be determined, but the fact that he had killed someone while riding a horse was indisputable, making his temporary detention unavoidable.

At that moment, several young men were visiting him.

"Ziheng, how did you suddenly end up eating prison food?"

Han Ziheng's face was ashen. "It's all because of that mess in the south!"

His playmates knew that Han Ziheng had accompanied his mother to Suiyun County a few days ago to celebrate his grandmother's birthday.

"That little girl from the Earl of Yongqing's estate truly has no idea how high the heavens are. Don't worry, Ziheng, I'll find an opportunity to teach her a lesson."

"Don't bother," Han Ziheng refused immediately, his teeth clenched. "At least not until the case is settled. Once this passes, I will make her wish she were dead!"

After the visit, one of the youths couldn't contain his curiosity. "What does the Sixth Young Lady of Qiu look like? Is she some kind of freak with three eyes and eight guts?"

If the noble sons of the capital were ranked, Han Ziheng was top-tier.

Another young man laughed. "I caught a glimpse of her when she came out of the yamen the other day. Tsk, she's a rare beauty."

"A beauty, eh... When Ziheng makes her life a living hell, we'll join in the fun."

The group of playboys laughed and headed toward their usual tavern.

As for whether Han Ziheng could get out of prison, no one was worried.

How could anything happen? Ziheng's father was Commander Han.

The "Commander Han" they spoke of, Han Wu, had actually gone into the palace to plead for mercy.

"Your servant has failed to discipline his son and has brought shame upon Your Majesty."

Emperor Jingping was in his forties, with a lean build. Perhaps due to years of immersion in rare flowers, stones, calligraphy, and incense, he looked more like an elegant scholar at first glance.

His tone was gentle. "What are you saying, Minister Han?"

"My son accompanied his mother to celebrate a birthday a few days ago. He went hunting in the mountains out of playfulness, and on his way back, he felt unwell. In his haste to seek medical help, he rode too fast and struck someone..."

As Emperor Jingping listened, he glanced at the Grand Eunuch, Xue Quan, standing beside him.

He had already heard about this from Xue Quan, but the key detail was different.

Was it a collision caused by reckless riding, or a collision caused by an emergency?

Emperor Jingping leaned toward the latter.

"Your servant comes from a humble background, and all I have today is due to Your Majesty's grace. There will surely be censors impeaching my son. I have brought shame upon Your Majesty, and I humbly request to be stripped of my position as Commander of the Palace Guards..."

As Han Wu spoke, he began to kowtow, each strike hitting the cold, hard gold bricks with heavy force.

Although Xue Quan was at odds with Han Wu, he would not speak out at a time like this.

At their level of status, one did not easily tear off the mask of civility.

Watching the minister kowtow so forcefully, Emperor Jingping's slight dissatisfaction regarding the man's failure to discipline his son quietly dissipated.

Han Ziheng was Han Wu's only son; what father doesn't dote on his child?

For over twenty years, Han Wu's conduct had been satisfactory to him; he could not afford to alienate an old official.

"That is enough," Emperor Jingping called a halt. His tone was indifferent, but his words brought great joy to Han Wu's heart. "Then obtain the physician's testimony as soon as possible and give that young lady an explanation."

Xue Quan showed no reaction to these words, but he sighed inwardly.

He had underestimated Han Wu's weight in the Emperor's heart. Regardless, he had never intended to bring Han Wu down with such a minor incident; leaving a mark in the Emperor's mind was enough.

Later, Xue Quan summoned Xue Han.

"We need not interfere in Han Ziheng's case."

Xue Han remained silent for a moment before asking, "Is this the Emperor's intention?"

"You know the answer, yet you still ask?" Xue Quan glanced at his foster son. "Why do I feel you are being overly invested in this case?"

He knew the child he had raised. Having grown up as a beggar and experienced the full spectrum of human cruelty, the boy had always been indifferent and casual about everything.

This was somewhat unusual.

Xue Quan harbored doubts but showed nothing on his face.

Xue Han's expression remained calm. "I simply feel it is a pity."

Xue Quan sneered. "A pity for what? Han Wu and I have been at odds for years; I am not concerned with this. Enough, go about your own business. Remember to rein in your impulsive nature; do not cause trouble for me."

From beginning to end, not a single word was mentioned regarding the young girl who had lost her foster father.

She was merely a blade to be used against Han Wu; how the blade fared was, of course, unimportant.