Chapter 7 — Leaving the Capital, Zhaowei

The official's expression shifted subtly.

"Top Scholar Shen, unseemly behavior before the imperial presence is strictly forbidden."

Shen Qingyan remained prostrate on the cold stone floor, unmoving.

"A vile wrongdoer seized the imperial spring examinations as an opportunity to abduct my lawful wife, fabricating a cruel illusion that she had perished within a raging sea of fire."

"This subject is of humble origin and feeble strength, with nowhere to seek redress. Today, I desperately dare to kowtow and beg Your Majesty to bestow mercy, dispatching men to thoroughly investigate this grave injustice and save my wife's life."

With those words, his forehead struck the hard pavement with a resounding thud.

"This subject is willing to stake his entire career and reputation as a pledge; should there be a single word of falsehood, I gladly await the supreme punishment for deceiving the sovereign."

After a long, breathless silence, the deep, resonant voice of the Son of Heaven descended from the lofty dragon throne.

"Summon the Imperial Guard of the Golden Wu. Immediately depart the palace and follow Top Scholar Shen's words to thoroughly investigate this matter."

"I, too, wish to witness just who possesses the audacity to abduct the family of an imperial official right beneath the very feet of the Son of Heaven."

When the blazing torches illuminated the whitewashed courtyard walls, the Imperial Guard of the Golden Wu had already surrounded the small residence with impenetrable density. The heavy, overlapping sounds of steel armor echoed ominously through the night air. Seated within the bridal chamber, I heard the frantic, shrill cries of the elderly matron:

"This is disastrous! The outside is entirely swarming with the Imperial Guard!"

The door was violently flung open. Pei Yanzhuo strode inside, his brows and eyes chilled to a terrifying degree.

"Zhaowei, come with me."

My wrist was seized in a crushing grip, dragging me in a stumbling rush toward the inner bedchamber. The heavy wooden bed was shoved aside, unexpectedly revealing a concealed trapdoor beneath. A damp, frigid draft rose from the subterranean passage. Pei Yanzhuo pulled me relentlessly into the darkness.

"Once we escape the city gates, we shall head straight for the Northern Frontier."

"In that distant place, no one will ever recognize who we had once been."

"Zhaowei, we can finally live as a true, upright husband and wife in the light of day."

A sudden, bitter laugh escaped my lips.

"Pei Yanzhuo, do you truly believe you can escape our fate?"

His footsteps abruptly halted. In the very next instant, I unfastened the sachet hidden within my sleeve and hurled its contents fiercely forward. A cloud of fine sleeping powder diffused into the narrow confines of the damp tunnel. Recognizing the mortal danger, Pei Yanzhuo instinctively raised his sleeve to shield his nose and mouth. But it was already too late. His tall frame swayed precariously, forcing him to lean heavily against the cold stone wall for support.

"You... where did you obtain this sleeping potion?"

His vision began to cloud, the light in his eyes dimming.

"Was it given to you by the legal mother?"

Indeed. This very sachet had been delivered alongside the bridal robes on the morning of our wedding. It had been carefully concealed within the innermost lining of the sleeve, accompanied by a final message from the legal mother. She had promised to convey word to Shen Qingyan on my behalf. Yet, should the opportunity arise for me to secure my own freedom, she asked only that I spare Pei Yanzhuo's life. I had agreed. A low, sorrowful chuckle escaped Pei Yanzhuo.

"In the end, that woman still chose to protect you."

The potency of the drug coursed rapidly through his veins. His knees buckled, and his entire body collapsed onto the chilled stone path. Clinging to the fading fragments of his consciousness, his lips trembled slightly.

"Zhaowei..."

I offered no reply. Reaching out, I gently pressed my hand over his eyes. His long eyelashes fluttered faintly against my palm. Bending close, I whispered softly beside his ear:

"Elder brother, sleep now."

Retracing my steps along the familiar path, I crawled back into the inner chamber and dragged the heavy trapdoor shut. Summoning the last remnants of my failing strength, I pushed the massive bed back into its original position. Outside, chaos reigned supreme. The Imperial Guard had already breached the courtyard. The matron wept and wailed aloud, while the maidservants dropped to their knees, begging for mercy. Someone demanded in a stern, booming voice:

"Where is Lady Shen?"

Stumbling unsteadily, I pushed open the door. As the heavy panels swung wide, the bitter night wind rushed violently into my chest. The glaring sea of torches forced me to narrow my eyes against the stinging light. Before I could clearly distinguish the figures standing before me, I collided directly into a familiar embrace. The man was draped in the deep crimson robes of a Top Scholar. Raising my gaze, I beheld Shen Qingyan; his features had grown hollow and gaunt, and the rims of his eyes were raw and red. He pulled me fiercely into his arms. My lips parted to speak, but my limbs turned completely weightless, and I lost consciousness entirely. The potent sleeping potion prepared by the legal mother was exceedingly strong; even though I had held my breath at once, I had still inhaled a portion of the dust.

When I finally regained consciousness, investigators from the Ministry of Punishments had arrived to question me. I maintained that all the masked kidnappers had concealed their faces, and after dragging me to the secluded courtyard on the outskirts of the capital, they had vanished without a trace. As for the deliberate arson meant to fake my death, it was presumed to be a malicious plot to shatter Shen Qingyan's concentration and ruin his prospects in the spring examinations. The maidservants and matrons within the estate stubbornly feigned total ignorance regarding the identity of their true master, claiming only to have been hired temporarily through a matchmaking go-between. Consequently, the case was hastily closed under the charge of bandits abducting an official's family and disrupting the imperial examinations. No one dared to pursue the matter further. Not long afterward, Shen Qingyan petitioned the throne for an official appointment in remote Yunzhou, citing that the chaotic rumors within the capital had left his wife frail with terror, necessitating a quiet relocation to recuperate. The Emperor graciously granted his request. On the day of our departure, the legal mother came to bid us farewell beyond the city gates. Threads of silver had overtaken her temples, aging her significantly over the span of a few brief days. I said nothing more, descending to the earth to perform three solemn kowtows before her. The secondary mother had already been rescued by the legal mother on the day of my abduction, having traveled ahead to Yunzhou several days prior.

"I will never forget your kindness, Mother."

The corners of the legal mother's eyes grew faintly moist, and she spoke in a low, tender murmur:

"The winds of Yunzhou are fierce; remember to dress warmly."

It was only much later that I truly understood. With the Son of Heaven seated high upon the golden throne and his secret agents and informants spread across every corner of the realm, how could any secret truly remain hidden? It was the legal mother herself who had entered the deep palace, trading the accumulated merits and loyalty of the Marquis's estate over the years to ensure the investigation ended precisely there. Following our departure, Pei Yanzhuo formally submitted a memorial confessing his guilt and condemning himself for a grave failure of virtue and a betrayal of the imperial grace.