Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Eight:
Time Slips Away

Changqiu Palace was like a crystal fortress deeply embedded in a reef at the bottom of the sea, silently observing the changing tides around it while remaining serenely peaceful. Seeing Shaoshang so exhausted and wounded, the Empress did not ask any questions. She calmly summoned the imperial physicians and instructed Old Lady Zhai to arrange a bath and a change of clothing.

After the wounds on her shoulder and back were dressed, Shaoshang lay down without eating anything. It felt as if her body and consciousness were submerged in water at a comfortable temperature, with vague and indistinct scenes flickering in her mind, making her dizzy. It was as though she had dreamed of something important, yet also as if nothing had happened at all.

It was already past noon when she woke up again.

The Empress still did not ask any questions, but she was concerned about Shaoshang’s diet and encouraged her to eat more porridge.

Shaoshang took a bite without tasting anything. She glanced at the Empress, lowered her head, and took another bite.

The Empress’s heart seemed to lighten as she gently said, “Don’t worry, Zisheng has already been rescued. He has injuries, but none of them are life-threatening and he will recover. As for you, you’ve lost weight in just a few days. A plump figure is preferable for women. Otherwise, how can you bear children? In the future, you and Zisheng…”

Shaoshang suddenly lifted her head. Her eyes were filled with tears and her expression was resolute.

The Empress was taken aback, clearly sensing something amiss. “You…you and Zisheng…”

Looking at the Empress’s kind face, Shaoshang felt deeply ashamed. “Your Majesty, he secretly mobilized troops, which gravely harmed His Highness the Crown Prince! But I still defended him in front of His Majesty…”

The Empress slowly waved her hand and didn’t allow her to continue. “I’ve tasted the bitterness of being controlled since I was young. They demanded I be docile, and I had to oblige. They forced me to marry a man who was already married, and I had no choice. No one ever asked for my consent. Those men acted as they pleased. How could they be swayed by women? I know your pain, Shaoshang.”

Shaoshang’s eyes were moist. She silently lowered her head to sip the porridge.

“There’s something you don’t know yet,” the Empress continued. “Last night… actually it was dawn this morning. The Third Prince forcibly broke into the courtyard of Prince Ruyang’s Mansion and arrested Madam Chunyu and her son. The old princess was so angry that she proclaimed she wanted to report this to the court…”

Shaoshang let out a gasp.

“…but that wasn’t the end. Two hours later, the Third Prince uncovered ironclad evidence of Ling Yi’s collusion with the enemy and treason from sixteen years ago,” the Empress added.

“So quickly!” Shaoshang almost dropped the spoon in her hand – she thought it would take coercion and threats over at least ten days or even half a month.

Her first reaction was, “Did His Highness resort to torture?”

The Empress smiled. “No one was tortured.”

Shaoshang felt a sudden rush of admiration. “Wow, I really didn’t realize His Highness could be so convincing.”

“Old Third didn’t mince words with Madam Chunyu,” the Empress smiled slightly.

Although the Third Prince was quick-tempered, he was far from careless. He was sharp and insightful – when Shaoshang pointed him in the direction of Madam Chunyu, he took action swiftly.

First, he unexpectedly asked Madam Chunyu if she had any evidence of Ling Yi’s crime. The sudden change in Madam Chunyu’s expression gave the Third Prince a feeling of certainty. He handed over Madam Chunyu to his trusted advisors for interrogation, while he personally began searching for evidence himself.

The search seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack, yet there were leads to follow. Madam Chunyu was tight-lipped, but her servants might not be. The Third Prince sent his men to separately interrogate the servants.

Within an hour, Madam Chunyu’s true nature and behavior were revealed – except for the sensational divorce case many years ago, she was just an ordinary noblewoman in every respect. Ling Yi had not given her a lot of money, nor had he given her many servants under her command. Therefore, she couldn’t extend her influence as widely as Madam Xiao.

Although there were several women she could befriend, due to their humble background and relationship with Madam Huo, Madam Chunyu was not particularly close to them. For over a decade, the only one truly close to Madam Chunyu was Old Princess Ruyang.

Then, the Third Prince made a definitive statement – without her mother’s family or any personal influence, where would such a woman hide her secrets? It must be within reach! But it couldn’t have been hidden in the Ling family since Ling Yi was too meticulous and would eventually find it.

Therefore, everyone turned their focus to the old princess who met with Madam Chunyu ten times a month. The Prince Ruyang’s Mansion was vast, however, with additional courtyards, estates, and Taoist temples. It would take a couple of months to conduct a thorough search.

“How was it found so quickly?” Shaoshang was confused and curious. “Where did they find it?”

“The evidence was found hidden inside a statue of Nüwa in the old princess’s chamber,” the Empress said.
[Nüwa (女娲) is a prominent figure in Chinese mythology, often being referred to as the “Mother Goddess” or the “Creator Goddess” in Chinese folklore. She molded humans from yellow clay and breathed life into them.]

Once again, the Third Prince demonstrated his insight into human nature, as everyone was at a loss.

Despite the vastness of Prince Ruyang’s Mansion, Madam Chunyu wouldn’t have carelessly hidden it. What if the mansion’s servants misplaced it? Therefore, the evidence must have been purposefully placed where the old princess could easily find it. And it couldn’t have been a simple, ingratiating gift. What if the old princess disregarded it and gave it away to someone else?

Among the multitude of gifts that Madam Chunyu sent to the Prince Ruyang’s Mansion over the years, the Third Prince’s gaze fell upon the statue of Nüwa, the Mother Goddess.

Firstly, this was a statue that Madam Chunyu had acquired from a temple, a gift for the old princess when she was deathly ill over a decade ago. Upon the old princess’s recovery, she treated this Nüwa statue as a sacred relic, offering incense and bowing before it every day, never parting from it. And thirdly, Madam Chunyu’s maternal grandfather was a bricklayer, and their family even ran a ceramics kiln…

Ignoring the old princess’s anguished cries and struggles, the Third Prince snatched the one-foot-tall clay Nüwa statue and smashed it to the ground. A thick roll of silk letters spilled out – the ironclad evidence of Ling Yi’s collusion with the enemy!

“Good thing they found the evidence. If the statue had been empty, the old princess would have fought tooth and nail against the Third Prince!” Shaoshang exclaimed, shaking her head in disbelief.

“There is no such thing as absolute certainty,” the Empress said. “A true leader, whether commanding troops, strategizing, or understanding the human heart, if they never dare to take a risk, won’t they be overly cautious and mocked?”

Shaoshang noticed that the Empress had some underlying meaning and looked up at her. “Your Majesty, Master Zisheng is not loyal to the Crown Prince. Had you sensed that?”

The Empress gazed at the empty space before her, speaking softly, “I wouldn’t say I realized it, but I have witnessed much in my life. It’s said that a phoenix must perch on a phoenix tree. Zisheng is a phoenix, but the Crown Prince is not a suitable tree. The Second Prince is even less qualified… The Third Prince… he may be…”
[To say that someone is not a phoenix tree means that the person is not worthy or suitable to be a leader. It suggests they lack the qualities necessary to support and nurture a phoenix.]

Shaoshang felt disheartened. She spoke about the incident at Dongbai Cemetery and said, “Actually, Master Zisheng became acquainted with the Third Prince long before, which is why he’s so loyal to him…”

“I see,” the Empress said, recalling the past. “I had my doubts at that time. If he truly fell into the water accidentally, why did Zisheng only have a light coat on? The Crown Prince claimed Zisheng was young and reckless, and went into the water himself. But I knew that even at a young age, Zisheng was level-headed and wouldn’t court danger unnecessarily. Even if he couldn’t swim, he would have had someone keeping watch or tied a safety line. Ah, the Crown Prince is like this. When it comes to discernment and decisiveness, he is far from being Old Third.”

“Your Majesty, please don’t speak of the Crown Prince that way,” Shaoshang said gently. “He is kind and benevolent, it’s just…”

“For a ruler, what matters most is not kindness and benevolence, but the ability to administer justice,” the Empress stated resolutely. “What is the way of the ruler and subject? It means the subject lays down their life for their ruler without hesitation. And the ruler places their trust, values them, and protects and rewards them.”

“These days, Old Third has been tirelessly working, speaking with court officers, reviewing soldiers, defying protocol to enter the royal mansion, confronting his uncle, and even speaking for Zisheng brazenly in front of the emperor. There’s bound to be rumors swirling around, saying that Old Third has long been conspiring with Zisheng… But I know that in the eyes of the discerning, such a sovereign is the best one. If it were me, I would also be willing to lay down my life for a ruler like Old Third.”

“Just like the situation with Prince Qian’an’s Mansion back then, my uncle’s reputation and influence far surpassed that of His Majesty. However, many officials considered His Majesty to be the legitimate ruler worthy of their service. Otherwise, when my uncle rebelled, half of his advisors and generals wouldn’t have abandoned him.”

Shaoshang knew that the Empress was speaking the truth, and she became even more disheartened.

The early spring chill lingered, and the sun set early. They had only spoken for a short time when darkness descended once more. Just then, Cen Anzhi personally arrived with a message from the Emperor, summoning the Empress.

Seeing the confusion on Shaoshang’s face, the Empress said, “I told the Emperor that I would come once Zisheng regained consciousness. You should come too.”

Shaoshang did not want to go and hesitated, “Master Ling…”

“He now bears the surname Huo. His Majesty originally wanted him to revert to his birth name, Wu Shang, but Zisheng insisted on keeping the name Buyi, saying it was to honor the late Madam Huo and the poor child who sacrificed their life for him,” the Empress explained.

Shaoshang was momentarily lost in thought. A’Li had taken A’Zheng’s name, which saved A’Zheng from death and allowed him to continue living in this world under A’Li’s name. She collected her thoughts and softly said, “Won’t His Highness the Crown Prince be going?”

“I asked him to stay in the Eastern Palace for the next few days and not interfere with anything,” the Empress sighed. “He can’t get involved either.”

Shaoshang sat with the Empress in the imperial sedan chair, where numerous lights and shadows danced in the darkness. She felt as if in a dream, and the scene was as bizarre as imagined. The palace tonight seemed particularly solemn and quiet, with palace maids and eunuchs shuttling back and forth silently, expressionless and silent.

The Emperor’s chambers were heavy with the scent of medicine, and a large group of attendants waited in the outer hall, ready to be summoned at any moment.

The Empress didn’t enter through the main gate, but was led by a young eunuch to take a detour through the side hall. After walking for about ten minutes, they arrived at an exquisitely peaceful inner room, where a thick velvet carpet muffled their footsteps.

A large, floor-length curtain hung directly opposite the entrance of this inner chamber. Layers of thick brocade, embroidered with intricate and elaborate patterns of fierce beasts, separated the inside from the outside.

The Empress sat on a low stool beside the brocade curtain and waved Shaoshang over. Shaoshang followed the Empress’s finger with her eyes. There was a gap between the thick curtains which allowed them to peek out.

Shaoshang stared through the gap and saw two people kneeling, one being the Third Prince and the other… A wave of dizziness swept over her, and she almost couldn’t stay seated. Earlier, the Empress had expressed that she had lost weight. She hadn’t looked in a mirror to see how much thinner she had gotten, but now she knew.

The Third Prince was speaking, and Huo Buyi had his body turned slightly to listen.

He wore a white silk undergarment, a thick, dark-black velvet robe draped over his shoulders. The neckline was open, revealing his chest, smooth as jade, and wrapped with blood-stained bandages. His long, raven-black hair was tied back with a simple jade hairpin without any decoration. His gaunt, pale face, with its tinge of a blueish-green hue near his temples, gave him an air of cold severity.

“…Ji Zun had more than a dozen experts compare the handwriting. Ling Yi, who wasn’t a scholar, didn’t know how to write different styles of calligraphy. It was easy to compare – it was Ling Yi’s handwriting!” the Third Prince said disdainfully. “What else do those blind people have to say now? Hmph, they were the ones who promised to support Ling Yi, but now it’s them who have shrunk out of sight!”

“Your Highness, please don’t say any more,” Huo Buyi said softly, with a hint of hoarseness in his voice.

“Even after Father confirmed Zisheng’s identity last night, those scoundrels were still chattering away outside, discussing ‘how to break through a huge city with only a few people in Ling Yi’s hand and destroy the family.’ Nonsense! The so-called thousand-mile embankment was destroyed in an instant. There are many ways to do it when you’re scheming but the other person is unprepared,” the Third Prince sneered.

It seemed that the Emperor had aged several years overnight and had a sorrowful expression. “A’Zheng, did your father say anything before he died? Was he immediately killed? You… you have to speak carefully.”

Huo Buyi’s heart was already numb with pain, and the scene of his towering father collapsing suddenly flashed before his eyes. In a short moment, his childhood of loving his father, mother, and harmonious siblings came to an end.

“We had been besieged for a long time, and the city was running out of supplies – food, shelter, everything. Fortunately, Xunyang Mountain was behind us, and the city’s water supply was still intact. That day at noon, A’Li brought two apricots to show off and said he wanted to change into my clothes and go out to play because my aunt kept him locked up. I hadn’t eaten fresh fruit in a long time, so I agreed,” Huo Buyi’s voice became lower and lower as he spoke.

The Emperor felt a dull ache in his chest.

The Huo family of Feng County was once renowned for its wealth. No matter how many natural disasters or human calamities struck the outside world, the Huo family always had everything they needed. Yet, Huo Chong’s young son craved a simple apricot. That alone spoke volumes about the hardship they faced during the siege.

In a daze, the Emperor remembered what Huo Chong had asked him before he left.

“Your Majesty is going to confront the Cang Hu Army. How long will I need to hold off the barbarians in the rear?”

“One month to get there, one month to return, and half a month for deploying troops. Three months in total should be enough!”

“The Cang Hu Army is mainly composed of bandits forced into rebellion. Moreover, their leaders lack unity, so I believe Your Majesty should not resort to brute force but instead weaken them while simultaneously trying to win them over secretly. If you can bring the three hundred thousand valiant Cang Hu soldiers into your fold, Your Majesty’s foundation for ruling the world will be complete!”

“… That would mean at least six months.”

“Then I will guard for six months!”

The Emperor clutched his aching chest, his tiger eyes brimming with tears. He wished he could turn back time, willing to delay the pacification of the world by twenty years to avoid losing his sworn brother.

“I looked similar to A’Li,” Huo Buyi continued. “He was wearing my clothes, strutting around the training grounds. I ate the apricot and, remembering what my mother had said about my father loving apricots, I didn’t eat the second one. I snuck into my father’s study and placed the apricot on his desk. But as soon as I put it down, I heard voices outside. I became frightened and hid in the secret room behind the bookcase.”

“It was my father and Ling Yi. I learned that Father had been injured on the city wall the previous day. Father said it was a minor injury, but in fact, the injury was serious. However, in order to avoid shaking the military’s morale and worrying my mother, he didn’t tell anyone. Uncle Li knew a bit about medicine, so he volunteered to treat my father when he learned about the injury.”

“Father was very impatient with Ling Yi and asked him to quickly take people to the city and not hide. Ling Yi agreed. I watched him stand behind Father, stitching his wounds…” Huo Buyi looked like he was in pain. “Then Ling Yi pulled out a dagger and slit Father’s throat before he could shout. Father could only hold his throat and stare at Ling Yi, then fell into a pool of blood.”

The Emperor let out a mournful cry, covering his face.

“Ling Yi didn’t immediately leave after. He searched Father’s study for a while, then cut off his head, hid it in his arms and ran away. Before leaving, he also set fire to the study. I hid in the secret room and thought I was going to be burned to death. Fortunately, it was cloudy and rainy those days, and Ling Yi didn’t bring any fuel on his body, so only half the study burned.”

“The secret room was made of blue bricks and had an air vent in the back, but I was still knocked out by the smoke. When I woke up, it was completely dark outside, and the city was filled with fighting and scattered bodies.” Huo Buyi remembered that nightmare of a night.

The corpses and blood were everywhere, the maidservants disheveled, the servants missing limbs. The beautiful maids who embroidered his clothing were stripped naked, their limbs severed. The little guard who always wanted to enter the military camp was missing half his head, his intestines spilled across the ground… And his mother, three sisters, and two older brothers. They were heroes and they would never surrender.

He didn’t know how long he had been running, but little A’Zheng heard the sound of fighting coming from across the way. He turned around and saw Huo Junhua frantically searching for her son under the protection of a group of guards. She shouted loudly, “Ali, where are you? My A’Li…”

Then Huo Junhua saw her nephew wearing A’Li’s clothes, and he saw his aunt who was not very friendly. The two of them stared at each other in a daze. A guard who was resisting the approaching enemy shouted, “Madam, the young master has found you!”

Little Huo Buyi was about to shout out, “Uncle killed Father!” Suddenly, Huo Junhua let out a loud cry, rushed up and hugged him tightly.

“A’Li,” she cried, her voice a mix of laughter and tears. “Mother has finally found you. Let’s go quickly, the city has already been taken!”

At that time, he was stunned. Even if the whole world would mistake him and A’Li, his aunt would never! He didn’t know why, but he understood that he couldn’t shout out at this moment, so he let Huo Junhua carry him away.

“Ling Yi, that scoundrel, wasn’t good at fighting. But he’s clever with his tricks,” the Third Prince sneered. “Those who opened their eyes and looked at Ling Yi’s silk letters should be asked to learn what ‘calculating helplessness’ means!”

To plot against a strongly defended city, how many men and how much power would you need? Many people get it wrong. All you need is to exploit a lack of vigilance, and then you just need to pour a bit of poison into the crucial spots.

From Huo Buyi and the Third Prince’s separate accounts, Shaoshang gradually pieced together the truth of that time.

Huo Chong had originally brought only his army, but the city, recently wrested from the enemy, was still unsettled. He had no choice but to bring his entire family, young and old, into the city to show his resolve to live and die with them. After two months of reorganizing the city, purging spies, taking stock of the population and supplies, and demoting corrupt merchants, everyone in the city respected Huo Chong’s character and abilities.

As the six-month deadline loomed, there was still no sign of reinforcements. The troops in the city were exhausted, demoralized, and riddled with injuries and sickness. The two hundred thousand barbarian soldiers outside the city had also lost over half of their numbers. Both sides were now fighting with a ferocity born of desperation. Everyone knew that the day the city fell would be the day of its massacre. That’s when Ling Yi hatched his plot.

The city had four gates, each guarded by one of Huo Chong’s four most trusted generals. One of them, Vice-General Li, was still recovering from a recent injury. Huo Chong had hinted that Ling Yi would be taking his place. After assassinating Huo Chong, Ling Yi took Huo Chong’s token and went to take over the gate. The original guards, without any suspicion, stepped aside.

At this time, the Huo family retainers had just extinguished the fire in the study, only to discover a headless body. The body was so badly burned that it was difficult to recognize the clothes or flesh. The soldiers couldn’t even imagine that their valiant and invincible commander had been assassinated, so they went to ask Madam Huo for her decision.

While everyone in the Huo family was focused on the study, Ling Yi, seizing the moment, opened the gates and let the enemy in. He set fires in many places in the city, screaming, “Huo Chong has abandoned the city and fled!” The barbarian soldiers, already outnumbering the city’s defenders, poured into the city like wolves unleashed upon a flock of sheep.

As the defenders gradually regained their composure and deployed their troops to fight back, Ling Yi, in a final, cruel act, had the barbarian soldiers hang Huo Chong’s head high above the city gate. With their leader gone, the soldiers’ morale shattered. The barbarian soldiers, now unstoppable, stormed through the city, and the entire Huo family was slaughtered.

“My aunt took me and hid in the Xunyang Mountains,” Huo Buyi whispered. “When we escaped the city, I saw my father’s head displayed on the city wall, beside A’Li, who was wearing my clothes. My aunt broke down after seeing it, and then told everyone that I was traumatized and weak and couldn’t see anyone. While Ling Yi and General Wu were fighting outside the city, she took me and escaped in the chaos.”

Being a couple, Huo Junhua had clearly sensed something was wrong. She had originally set out to find her son, but when she went outside and saw the corpses scattered throughout the Huo mansion, she finally understood everything. Under the ‘protection’ of Ling Yi’s guards, she accepted A’Zheng as her son.

However, Ling Yi didn’t know any of this. He stayed hidden, watching the Huo family’s destruction unfold until his heart was finally at ease.

He had no idea that General Wu would arrive just half a day later. The barbarian soldiers were still lost in their bloodlust and plunder, so Ling Yi received the news before they did.

Seizing the opportunity, Ling Yi immediately returned to Xunyang Mountain. Pretending to be cowardly and grief-stricken, he expressed his determination to eliminate the bandits to General Wu, who had just arrived. He then helped General Wu close the three city gates, trapping most of the barbarians within the city…

The Third Prince chuckled wryly. “Father knows how Wu Cheng is. Once he gets bloodthirsty, no one can stop him. Usually, he worries about being accused of being unjust for massacring a city, but this time, he was seeking revenge so he could slaughter without restraint. Even the barbarians who surrendered in the city were killed. The next day, General Wu pursued the remaining barbarians outside the city and achieved a decisive victory.”

The collusion with Ling Yi was a secret known to only a few barbarian leaders. The incident happened so suddenly that there was no time to make other arrangements. It was Ling Yi’s good fortune that General Wu, in his fury, killed everyone he saw and even burned the enemy’s supplies and camp, leaving no witnesses to accuse him.

By then, Ling Yi had learned that his wife and son had been separated in the chaos. Terror gripped him. To avoid the Emperor’s wrath, the Ling brothers devised a plan – they could not let the Huo family be completely destroyed while the Ling family remained unharmed.

Therefore, while General Wu was still fighting at the front, they pushed some of their own people into the chaos, including the family of their uncle who relied on the Ling family, the entire family of the second Ling brother’s wife who had come to seek refuge, and the entire family of the third Ling brother’s sworn brother…

In short, except for the three Ling brothers, the children left behind in Xunyang Mountain, and the third Ling brother’s wife who was safely giving birth in the countryside, the Ling family could be considered ‘completely loyal and heroic.’

“Why didn’t you come to me then?!” the Emperor slammed his hand on the table.

Huo Buyi gave a bitter smile. “Your Majesty, if I wasn’t just five or six years old at the time, I would have gone directly to file a complaint.” If little A’Zheng had the intelligence and bravery that Huo Buyi possessed now, he would have known that there was no need for hesitation; he would have gone directly to report it.

But he wasn’t.

He was only five or six years old at the time, terrified and helpless. Huo Junhua was his only hope.

Huo Junhua believed that neither the Emperor nor General Wu would believe her words. If Ling Yi insisted that A’Zheng was his son, the Emperor would dismiss her as being unreasonable. Once Ling Yi reclaimed his son, wouldn’t A’Zheng fall into the hands of a villain? If Ling Yi wanted to plot against A’Zheng, he would be defenseless.

After entering the palace, Huo Buyi gradually realized that he and Huo Junhua had lost the best opportunity to seek justice.

His appearance had changed, and no one could prove whether he was A’Zheng or A’Li anymore. Those confidants who knew about Ling Yi’s collusion with the enemy gradually disappeared within a couple of years.

He could only endure hardship and secretly search for evidence that Ling Yi had missed.

For sixteen years, Huo Buyi and Ling Yi seemed to be competing. Huo Buyi grew up desperately, year after year strengthening his own power to secretly investigate, while Ling Yi contracted his claws and teeth, year after year filling in gaps and all the mistakes of that year.

In the end, it was actually Huo Buyi who lost.

…

Get ready for even more pain! It hurts so good.

And thanks for everyone’s comments, likes, donations… I know it sounds like a broken record but you guys really are amazing and I am so genuinely appreciative of all of you.

Next Chapter: Burn the Bridges and Start Anew