Chapter Twenty-Three: Eradicating the Root

On the second day, the Emperor keenly noticed that his beloved Minister Luo was absent from court and had not submitted a leave request in advance.

When the Emperor inquired, Qin Jinghao hesitated repeatedly before finally stepping forward. His reason told him to remain silent, but his heart could not bear to see Luo Yunyao punished.

Qin Jinghao reported Luo Yunyao’s injuries to the Emperor. He claimed that after drinking with Cang Shu and returning home late that day, he had accidentally saved Minister Luo. He alleged that, being heavily intoxicated, he had killed the assassin on the spot and expressed regret for not leaving a live witness, but fortunately, he had retrieved an object from the assassin’s body, which he now presented to His Majesty.

Qin Jinghao’s performance was masterful. By implying he was a man addicted to wine and debauchery who neglected state affairs, he eased the Emperor’s suspicions. While he had failed to capture a live witness, he had provided concrete evidence. Furthermore, he subtly projected the image of a man reluctant to involve himself in court politics, despite being forced into the fray by circumstances beyond his control.

The Emperor offered a perfunctory show of concern for Luo Yunyao and immediately declared his intention to see justice served.

However, when Qin Jinghao presented the object, the ministers present exchanged knowing glances. Ignoring the Emperor’s darkening complexion, they began to whisper among themselves.

The Emperor stared at the item for a long time without speaking, his bulging temple veins visible to all. Everyone knew too well that this object belonged exclusively to the Marquis of the Prime Ministry, a piece personally bestowed upon him by the Emperor years ago.

Prime Minister Lu stepped forward to play the "good cop," defending the Marquis: "Your Majesty, there must be some misunderstanding. If the Marquis intended to assassinate Minister Luo, would he truly be foolish enough to provide the assassin with an item that would expose his identity? Assassinating a court official is a grave matter—the penalty is immediate execution, or at worst... the extermination of one’s entire clan!"

Though framed as a defense, his words laid out the severity of the crime with chilling clarity. Such was the depth of Prime Minister Lu’s eloquence.

The Minister of Justice immediately stepped forward, righteous and stern: "Your Majesty, I believe the facts are before us and require no further doubt. Looking across the entire realm, the person most at odds with Minister Luo is the Marquis of the Prime Ministry. This is his motive, the first point. We have heard that Minister Luo is incorruptible, and his handling of the Marquis’s case has been widely praised by all. Everyone knows that whenever the Marquis possessed wealth that did not belong to him, Minister Luo had already redistributed it to the people of Nanjiang. It is entirely possible the Marquis was so impoverished that he had to sell this precious imperial gift to pay for an assassin’s life. Moreover, Minister Luo’s reputation is at its peak; his life cannot be bought at a simple price. This is the second point."

The Minister of Revenue chimed in with an approving expression, bowing respectfully: "The Minister of Justice is indeed insightful, and his analysis is impeccable. I second his motion. I ask Your Majesty to grant justice to Minister Luo, who speaks for the people."

Prime Minister Lu was a veteran of the court and understood the Emperor’s personality perfectly. He would not leave the Emperor any room to harbor hope for Consort Liu, nor would he allow the Emperor to speak in the Marquis’s defense. Both the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice were under Lu’s influence; with these few words, the three of them had made the stakes crystal clear. There was no room to delay this matter.

With this "good cop, bad cop" routine played out, the hundred officials felt it was time to take their stand: "We second the motion. We ask Your Majesty to grant Minister Luo justice."

Most of the court were now Lu’s men. The Marquis’s faction was already under investigation, and even those who weren't were lucky not to be implicated; no one dared to speak. As for the neutral officials, Luo Yunyao was a neutral party himself, and given his brilliance, they naturally sided with him.

A crowd of court officials knelt on the ground, waiting—or rather, forcing—the Emperor to provide an answer.

***

Qin Jinghao, who had orchestrated this drama, had already returned to his place in line, watching them quietly. His indifferent demeanor made him look like the same idle general who ignored politics, as if the result of the discussion had nothing to do with him and he was merely waiting for the morning court to end. Only the occasional twitch of his eyelashes revealed his inner thoughts.

A debt of blood must be paid in blood; and that was only the beginning.

Before the Emperor’s decree to detain the Marquis could reach the Marquis’s residence, it was turned back by reports that the Marquis had rebelled. The Marquis, once the Emperor’s most favored, had now colluded with the King of Beixi and launched a coup.

The Emperor was so enraged he vomited blood on the spot. Gasping for air, he ordered, "Waist-chop him! Waist-chop him!" before collapsing into unconsciousness.

Historical records later noted a remark the Emperor made to Consort Liu, which roughly translated to: "You ungrateful wretch! You are all nothing but a pack of wolves I raised in vain. Ever since the disaster in Nanjiang broke out, which of your father’s actions was not a capital offense? I protected him for so long because you shielded him, ignoring the eyes of the court and the people. And what did he give me in return? Rebellion? Has he grown a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall? I pampered him for too long, didn't I? He’s forgotten his place! Waist-chopping is too merciful! If I had my way, killing him nine times wouldn't be enough! I haven't even desecrated his corpse yet, so why are you crying..."

Naturally, it was Qin Jinghao who led the campaign against the Marquis. Rumor had it that Qin Jinghao used five thousand elite troops to easily defeat the Marquis’s fifty thousand. Rumor also claimed that the Marquis resisted so fiercely that he refused to be taken back and committed suicide by setting himself on fire.

Luo Yunyao, listening to her maids gossip about the event, leaned against her pillows with a look of someone enjoying a story: "Did the Marquis really commit suicide?"

Qin Jinghao gave her a look, telling her to figure it out for herself. Luo Yunyao happily interpreted the look as a rhetorical, "Do you think that’s possible?"

She immediately played along: "Of course not. I dare say you couldn't find anyone in this world more afraid of death than the Marquis. If he could commit suicide... well, I’d sooner believe a sow could climb a tree."

Qin Jinghao glanced at her. Luo Yunyao pretended not to notice and continued, "General Qin, your lying skills are lacking."

Qin Jinghao was not to be outdone: "Indeed, I am not as skilled at lying as you."

Luo Yunyao laughed and tried to comfort him, pretending his sarcasm was a compliment: "It’s okay, let me give you some ideas next time you need to lie. I’m not boasting, but I think I could fool most people."

Qin Jinghao was caught between laughter and tears at her pride in such dishonest traits, but he could only indulge her, saying, "Mm."

***

Luo Yunyao arched her eyebrows triumphantly and leaned toward Qin Jinghao, taking the herbal medicine from him for the first time with docility. The bitterness made her frown, her small face scrunching up completely.

Qin Jinghao, accustomed to the routine, fed her a candied fruit. Previously, whenever he fed her medicine, she would look at the bowl as if it were a ravenous beast, retreating into the corner of the wall as if wishing to bury herself so he could never find her. While she was cute when she did that, the hassle meant the medicine would grow cold and become even harder to drink, not to mention the potential impact on its efficacy.

Qin Jinghao narrowed his eyes slightly, watching her smack her lips as she chewed the candy, recalling how she had just obediently taken the medicine. He formed a gentle, albeit somewhat mischievous, smile.

Luo Yunyao, who had lived in the modern world, had grown up taking Western medicine, which was swallowed before she could taste anything. She had always been terrified of bitterness. Even though she had been in this world for a long time, she still couldn't get used to traditional Chinese medicine.

Part of the reason she had been willing to take the medicine just now was because she had scolded the General for his poor lying skills and feared he was upset with her. Another part was that she felt guilty seeing him try to coax her every time, and her heart ached for him. Of course, those reasons weren't enough to trigger a surge of conscience; the most important thing was that she had a favor to ask of him.

"So, how did the Marquis actually die?"

Qin Jinghao watched as she snuggled closer, her large, curious eyes filled with nothing but him. His voice was soft and slow, as if telling a story to a child: "Much like the rumors, he was burned to death. Though, he did suffer some tortures beforehand."

He said it lightly, but Luo Yunyao knew the Marquis must have suffered greatly before his death. She thought of the "Ten Great Tortures" she had once read about and tried to imagine them all applied to the Marquis. A sudden chill ran through her.

Qin Jinghao reached out and pulled her into his arms. Sensing her fear, he patted her shoulder gently: "Don't think about it." He paused, then asked, "Yunyao, do you dislike me being like this? Next time I will..."

Luo Yunyao leaned against his shoulder, taking the opportunity to snuggle up to him. As her fear faded and her reason returned, she said, "No, I’m the same way. I’m no saint, and I don't return evil with good." She worried that most men preferred women like 'white lotuses'—pure and kind—and that exposing her true nature like this was... She looked up at him cautiously, wanting to defend herself: "I’m actually not that bad... well, okay, at least I’m not kind. Would you..." Would you still like me if I’m not kind? She didn't dare ask that question. What if he said no? She couldn't even bear to think about it. She searched for a quote to bolster her argument: "We have a saying in Biluo: 'If people do not offend me, I will not offend them. If they offend me, I will return the favor with a needle. If they persist, I will cut the weeds and pull out the roots.' As the Eldest Princess of Biluo, I think I’ve executed that philosophy quite well."

"'If people do not offend me, I will not offend them. If they offend me, I will return the favor with a needle. If they persist, I will cut the weeds and pull out the roots'?" Qin Jinghao repeated the words thoughtfully, his tone tinged with amusement.

Luo Yunyao listened to him repeat the words in his pleasant voice and suddenly felt ashamed of her earlier self-righteousness. She buried her face in his chest, silently regretting her loose tongue; she should have just shaken her head. Now, her "white lotus" image was ruined—how could she continue to trick him and "devour" him?

She heard Qin Jinghao add, "That is an interesting saying."