Perfect Match – CH 085

Chapter 85

In the capital, in the Imperial Palace.

Tang Yong paced back and forth in front of the hall, afraid of disturbing the already agitated Emperor inside, so he walked out from under the corridor. Only after walking ten feet away from the hall did he ask, “Did they find that villain’s private mansion?”

After the Imperial Son-in-Law uncovered some clues, the entire capital was searching for the private mansion that Hong Jin had mentioned. However, whether the mansion would be found, and whether it contained any incriminating evidence, remained unknown.

Eunuch Tang Yong had already questioned Hong Jin five or six times. He could not rest easy until Hong Jin was completely eliminated; he feared Hong Jin might retaliate at any moment.

This time, when he asked around, the eunuchs all shook their heads; there was still no news.

Tang Yong’s heart sank again. Would they ever find it?

Just then, a young eunuch came running up, almost stumbling, and nearly stopped when he saw Tang Yong. “Godfather!”

Tang Yong grabbed him. “You’d better bring me some good news!”

The young eunuch, half-crying and half-laughing, immediately said, “Good news, very good news! Hong Jin’s private mansion has been found, and inside, there is indeed something treacherous!”

Tang Yong turned and quickly went to the palace gate, went around to the entrance, and told the Emperor exactly what the young eunuch had said.

The young Emperor, his expression indifferent, lifted his eyelids and asked.

“What treacherous thing?”

He asked, seeing Tang Yong’s mouth open, but he seemed hesitant to speak.

He frowned. “Just say it.”

Tang Yong knelt directly before the Emperor.

“Your Majesty… it’s the dragon robe!”

*

When this private mansion was found, Teng Yue happened to be nearby with his troops. Hong Jin’s influence was pervasive throughout the court and beyond. After his imprisonment, finding a truly clean and capable replacement proved difficult. Even the commander of the Imperial Guards had knelt at his feet. With no one available in the capital, Huang Xiqing temporarily summoned Teng Yue and several others. The priority was to eliminate Hong Jin completely before considering anything else.

Soldiers found Hong Jin’s private mansion. Teng Yue, who was nearby, immediately led his men there.

Soon, Shen Yanxing and his group arrived as well. They were all incredulous at the sight of the rebellious artifacts that had been seized from the courtyard. Besides the dragon robe and throne, countless gold and silver treasures were piled up like mountains, dazzlingly bright in the torchlight.

Wang Fuxiang asked Teng Yue, “What should we do with all this stuff? Should we get a cart, seal it, and take it to the palace for the Emperor to see?”

Kong Hui tugged at his sleeve, telling him to be quiet; this was the capital, not Ningxia.

Teng Yue replied, “Minister Huang just sent word that the Emperor will be coming in person.”

Wang Fuxiang’s eyes widened. The Emperor himself was coming! Seeing the garden full of gold, silver, jewels, and treasonous items, Hong Jin was surely doomed.

While they were talking, Tang Yong’s men arrived to clear the area. All the soldiers were sent outside the courtyard, leaving only the officials and generals inside.

Having served the Emperor for many years, none of them had ever seen him. Wang Fuxiang squeezed past Kong Hui to Teng Yue’s side, then moved closer to Shen Yanxing, hoping Shen would make way for him so he could see the Emperor first. However, Shen Yanxing noticed a fan among Hong Jin’s personal belongings.

The fan appeared to be a common item, slightly worn, but still exquisitely crafted and dazzling. Shen Yanxing held it in his hand, examining it for a few moments. Wang Fuxiang leaned down and whispered in his ear, “What, trying to sneak it back?”

Shen Yanxing glanced at the man helplessly, then his gaze swept over Teng Yue.

He had no penchant for collecting war spoils…

He placed the fan back on the sandalwood table that had been found during the search.

Just then, a message arrived from outside, followed by approaching footsteps. The Emperor had arrived.

Everyone naturally bowed in greeting, and Wang Fuxiang could not help but take a few more glances at the young Emperor.

He saw that the Emperor’s face had turned slightly pale upon seeing the treasonous artifacts scattered throughout the courtyard. Hong Jin had served him since childhood, and he trusted that eunuch immensely, always thinking that eunuchs were at most greedy for money and power. He never imagined that such a favored person would actually covet his throne.

His gaze lingered on the dragon throne and robes for a few moments. His tightly pursed lips and pale face gave Wang Fuxiang a strange sense of satisfaction, though this satisfaction was not quite enough to truly delight him.

Just then, the Emperor turned and saw the fan that Shen Yanxing had been examining closely. For some reason, he stared at the fan for a few moments, then reached out to pick it up.

Unexpectedly, just as the Emperor reached out, Shen Yanxing suddenly spoke.

“Your Majesty, do not touch this fan.”

No one in the courtyard dared to speak. His words drew everyone’s attention.

Wang Fuxiang had always thought Shen Yanxing was too gentle; he had not expected him to dare to stop the Emperor.

Wang Fuxiang blinked a few times rapidly, but the Emperor did not react, only frowning and asking, “Why?”

He continued, “Hong Jin often uses this fan to cool me down in the summer.”

The sound of cicadas chirping in the distance, along with the summer breeze, made the Emperor’s words sound strangely desolate.

But Shen Yanxing personally picked up the fan.

The fan appeared unremarkable except for its exquisite design, but Shen Yanxing slightly adjusted a raised carving on the handle.

He slightly rotated it and gently pressed it.

Something sprang out from the bottom of the fan; under the torchlight, it was exceptionally sharp.

It was a dagger!

As soon as the dagger appeared, the guards behind the Emperor immediately drew their swords. Shen Yanxing promptly put the fan, with its concealed dagger, back on the table.

He said softly.

“Not only this fan, but many other frequently used items here also conceal hidden mechanisms.”

But the Emperor no longer needed to examine the other items one by one.

He only looked at this fan, the one Hong Jin often used to cool him, and slowly closed his eyes.

No one dared to make a sound in the courtyard; even the late summer night breeze could not penetrate.

After a long while, when the young Emperor opened his eyes again, he uttered a few words through clenched teeth.

“Hong Jin, slice him three thousand times alive.”

… …

At the dowry courtyard of Zhang Zhenhui’s mother.

Suddenly, Madam Yang appeared before her niece’s face, and Zhang Zhenhui staggered.

She did not answer but instead retorted to Madam Yang.

“What does Aunt mean by this? Does she suspect I harmed my eldest cousin? But what good would it do me to harm her? Aunt cannot just shift the blame onto me to shirk responsibility for blindly helping Old Madam Lin, can she?”

She denied it, instead questioning Madam Yang.

At this moment, the sounds of chaos outside grew louder, as if the entire capital’s streets and alleys were flooded with a deafening roar, pouring into every tightly closed doorway.

Messengers arrived frequently.

“The Emperor has ordered the live execution of the eunuch Hong Jin and the arrest of all his associates. Right now, the streets are teeming with soldiers arresting people!”

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Zhenhui’s face turned deathly pale.

The Yongchang Marquis’s family was the most closely connected to the powerful eunuch Hong Jin. Her uncle had only regained his noble status and risen steadily to high-ranking military positions thanks to Hong Jin. The entire Yongchang Marquis’s household would likely face arrest and imprisonment tonight.

And she, the Yongchang Marquis’s niece, would have no chance of escape.

But it was not entirely impossible!

Zhang Zhenhui, disregarding her panic and her earlier questioning of her aunt, gripped Madam Yang’s arm tightly.

“Aunt, Aunt, it’s all my fault. I did not serve you well. But the Zhang family is ruined. You, Grandmother, and my uncles cannot just watch me go to jail, can you?!”

Once imprisoned, her innocence would be jeopardized, and if she was not released, she would face the brothel…

Zhang Zhenhui simply could not imagine it. Just a few days ago, she had been steadily planning her marriage to a respectable and wealthy family, to a promising young man.

But now, she could only desperately cling to Madam Yang’s arm.

“Aunt, please! I am just a motherless child, and I may have done things poorly, but I’ve always considered you my mother!”

She said that Madam Yang was her mother. “My older and younger cousins ​​are all your daughters!”

She dared not contradict Madam Yang any further; the only one who could save her from the humiliation was her aunt.

But as soon as she said this, Old Madam Lin turned and glanced at her.

Madam Yang seemed to sense something and turned to ask her cousin, “You did not also hear her say that she considers you her own mother, did you?”

Unfortunately, Old Madam Lin had indeed heard it.

She looked at Zhang Zhenhui, shook her head, and sighed deeply.

“You, young lady, have far too many thoughts.”

Layer upon layer, circle upon circle, until she and her cousin, two seasoned women of the inner quarters, were completely ensnared and bound.

Old Madam Lin sighed, her words implying certainty of Madam Yang’s question. Her eyes glared at Old Madam Lin, almost as if she wanted to tear her apart.

But she could not care less about that, clinging tightly to Madam Yang’s arm.

“Aunt, Aunt, if you leave me to die, Grandmother and Uncle will not let you off the hook when we get back to Xi’an…”

Her attempts at appeasement failed, so she resorted to threats.

Madam Yang wanted nothing more than to throw her down, but what she said was not entirely unreasonable. After all, in her husband’s family, ever since her youngest daughter’s hysterical outburst, she had lost all dignity.

However, in the chaos of the night, someone rushed over.

The person who arrived was one of her and Old Madam Lin’s men, there to escort them back early. Their trip to Zhang Zhenhui’s courtyard had not been safe to begin with, and with the chaos of the night, the servants had arrived ahead of time.

However, Madam Yang immediately spotted the person she had previously assigned to investigate where Zhu Tingguang had obtained the information from among her servants.

Madam Yang immediately pointed the person out. “Did you find out who it was that told Zhu Tingguang the information, almost killing the eldest young lady?!”

Unfortunately, her subordinate could not find out the specific person, but the man’s eyes darted around, finally settling on Zhang Zhenhui’s face.

“I only learned that Consort Qian sent someone to the capital to inquire about the details immediately after our Yang family’s flower banquet. It’s clear that the person who told her the information saw Consort Qian at our banquet.”

Who else could have seen Consort Qian at the Yang family’s flower banquet and brought her the latest news from the capital?!

Madam Yang’s eyes nearly bled. She abruptly shook off her niece, who was clinging to her arm.

“You still say it was not you… You heartless, wretched girl! You even said you’d treat me like your mother! Did you want to kill your cousin so I could be your mother?!”

Zhang Zhenhui, enraged, was thrown to the ground. Before Nanny Dong could help her up, another person stepped forward from among the people who had come to assist.

Nanny Dong looked up and trembled when she saw Nanny Wei.

Nanny Wei immediately questioned the mistress and servants, “That clinic in Henan was clearly a fraud, a charlatan posing as the Imperial Physician’s brother. Rumors about this circulated in the capital two years ago. Why did you still deceive me? My Xia’er was poisoned for a year, the poison seeped into her body, and she kept vomiting blood… Why?!”

Madam Yang asked, and Nanny Wei asked as well.

The questions piled up, the answer already self-evident.

Zhang Zhenhui fell to the ground, listening to the increasingly loud shouts of arrest and capture outside, watching the torchlight illuminating the streets and alleys of the capital, and then looking at the people who were questioning her.

She knew that these people would never again bow down to her, never again be subservient to her noblewomanly status.

They only wanted to see her fall into ruin.

Her eyes trembled, and suddenly she burst into maniacal laughter.

“Fine, you all come to ask me! You all spare no expense, no trouble, no fear of death for your own children, but who has ever done this for me? Who has ever done this for me?!”

She said she was an orphan: “My mother died early, my father took concubines and mistresses, and even used my mother’s dowry. My aunt hates my mother, and she hates me even more. My uncle’s family is a hundred and eight thousand miles away. Who has ever done this for me? Who has ever loved me?! I’ve been careful with my money, even if it’s a bit excessive, so what?”

She shrieked, then slowly rose from the ground, a madness gradually creeping into her eyes.

She accused Nanny Wei of being foolish: “Your daughter’s illness is a congenital condition from when you gave birth to her. Who in the world can cure it? Of course, I had to help you find a physician and even give you the elixir of immortality. Otherwise, how could you speak up for me in front of Old Madam Lin, and how could you help me suppress that betrothed country bumpkin? As for you believing those words, spending money on a swindler, and giving your daughter fake medicine for a year, what does that have to do with me?! It’s your own fault for not being able to distinguish truth from falsehood, for not being able to discern right from wrong!”

After speaking to Nanny Wei, she looked at Madam Yang.

Her former dignified and virtuous demeanor had vanished completely, like a ghost in human clothing, tearing off its fine clothes to reveal its cannibalistic nature.

“And my eldest cousin, do you think I am just doing this for no reason? I have to work for my uncle, so naturally I have to help him out. It’s just a matter of a few words to get the Prince of Yanshan’s Mansion to do things for me; why would I not say so?”

“As for my eldest cousin herself, she’s the Yang family’s beloved eldest young lady. Her mother dotes on her, and the family arranged a good marriage for her early on. Her fiancé is her childhood sweetheart, and even after the engagement was broken off, he cannot forget her.”

“So many people love her, but it’s because she’s stupid and incompetent that she cannot win over her mother-in-law or her husband after marrying into the Prince’s Mansion. A few words from me could put her in a deadly situation. Instead of criticizing her for being stupid, you all blame me for being ruthless?”

She looked at Nanny Wei and then at Madam Yang. “Why? Why? Just because I am a child without parents to protect me?! ;

She went mad, and neither Nanny Wei nor Madam Yang could get a word in edgewise. Only Nanny Dong continued to hold her and weep.

“My poor girl…”

But whether she was pitiful or not was no longer important, because none of these people would truly pity her. They only loved their own children, never her, and she had long understood this.

As she spoke, she finally looked at Old Madam Lin.

“And you, I really thought you were a good mother-in-law, good at interpersonal relationships, shrewd in business, loving towards your children, and would treat me well. But what happened? When I asked you to drive away your contracted wife from the countryside, you hesitated. Only after trouble arose did you remember me, and now, with the Chief Eunuch showing the slightest sign of trouble, you want to break our agreement? You want to kick me to the curb, do you not?!

Old Madam Lin was taken aback by her words, not expecting that she was seen this way from this Fourth Young Lady Zhang’s perspective.

But she also asked a question: “There are indeed many wrong things… But Fourth Young Lady, you knew I was desperate to rescue my Teng Yue. You accepted my generous gifts and even wanted the money I offered, yet you did not mention Teng Yue to your uncle at all. But then you told me that the Marquis had already agreed. What do you have to say about this?”

When Old Madam Lin went to the capital, she brought almost all the valuable gifts and money she could carry—almost half of her life savings accumulated over many years. Zhang Zhenhui had almost swallowed it all.

Now, when Old Madam Lin asked this, Zhang Zhenhui’s expression changed, and she gritted her teeth.

“I’ve already said I am an orphan without parents. What’s wrong with you people with children, families, and households giving me some money? Should I not save some money for myself?” She did not want to say anything more to Old Madam Lin, only saying, “It’s pointless for me to say anything more, because you’ve betrayed your promise and deserve to die!”

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly pulled out the gold hairpin from her hair and plunged it straight into Old Madam Lin’s heart.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Madam Yang screamed, Old Madam Lin froze on the spot, and the servants were still quite a distance away.

Zhang Zhenhui pulled out the gold hairpin and stabbed her; a dull thud was heard as her hairpin pierced into flesh.

Nanny Wei, her face contorted in pain, threw herself on top of Old Madam Lin.

“Madam, this old servant should not have betrayed her mistress; please, please forgive me…”

Old Madam Lin took a deep breath and quickly hugged Nanny Wei, seeing that Zhang Zhenhui’s gold hairpin was completely embedded in Nanny Wei’s back.

Blood flowed out, staining Zhang Zhenhui’s slender, fair hands.

Seeing that she had failed, she tried to pull out the hairpin to stab again, but was held down by the servants of the Lin and Yang families.

But this was Zhang Zhenhui’s own mansion after all. She shouted to Nanny Dong, “Since I am going to die anyway, let them all die here tonight! ;

Chaos erupted in the courtyard.

Just then, someone burst through the gate.

Teng Yue, with his troops, seized control of the entire Zhang family mansion.

Zhang Zhenhui’s servants were no match for Teng Yue’s soldiers; she was immediately pinned to the ground, bound hand and foot, and even gagged.

Teng Yue did not even glance at her.

Seeing that his mother was unharmed, he did not speak to her, but he noticed that Nanny Wei, who had intercepted the hairpin meant for Old Madam Lin, was quite badly injured.

Teng Yue then ordered someone to take Nanny Wei to the clinic, but Nanny Wei repeatedly shook her head at him.

“Second Master, there’s no need for you to trouble yourself with this old servant.” She said she had committed a grave mistake, betraying the old lady and harming her own daughter. “I also bullied Madam Deng repeatedly, taking advantage of my status as an old servant in the residence to make things difficult for the new lady who had no support…It’s only because the Lady is so discerning that she did not hold it against me, but I was ungrateful, lying to the old lady, causing the Second Master to misunderstand her, and even stirring up trouble with her family, wanting her to stay as far away from the Second Master as possible…”

Teng Yue heard this, closed his eyes, and remained silent, pursing his lips.

At that time, he truly had not suspected Nanny Wei and the servants in the household, nor had he considered that Yunniang was merely a contractual wife who had entered the household under a contract, that he had misunderstood her, scolded her, and even sent her to the country estate, almost causing a major disaster…

Nanny Wei knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

“The bullying of the lady before is my retribution today. Second Master, please do not save me.”

But Teng Yue called for someone, “Take Nanny Wei to the clinic.”

Nanny Wei looked on in surprise, but he only glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Do not die here. Go back to Xi’an alive. When I find Yunniang, you will personally kneel before her, kowtow properly, and apologize, recounting every word of your sins spoken today while kneeling.”

Whether Yunniang would calm down was up to her.

Nanny Wei wept bitterly, “This old servant understands…”

After saying this, Teng Yue immediately ordered a headcount of Zhang’s servants, only glancing at Zhang Zhenhui at this point.

“The Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion has been imprisoned. This young lady from the Zhang family will be sent directly to prison.”

Whether she was exiled, beheaded, or confined to the brothel, she could not escape it.

And everything she had painstakingly planned for her own selfish gain, even at the cost of harming others, had all come to naught.

She immediately went mad and fainted, and was dragged away.

Teng Yue did not say anything more and turned to leave.

Seeing her son about to leave without even glancing at her, Old Madam Lin hurriedly followed him.

“Yu Chuan…”

He did not turn around. “What is it?”

He would not even call her “Mother,” and Old Madam Lin felt a pang of heartache.

“Yunniang, did you send people to look for her? Did they find her?”

Teng Yue had already sent people, but whether they found her or not, he still had no news.

But upon hearing this, he turned around and looked at his mother.

“Mother always said that high-ranking officials and nobles could help me and that someone like Yunniang, from a commoner background, would only be a burden to her son. But among these officials and nobles, how many are truly honest and value talent? How many are merely climbing the social ladder? By driving Yunniang away and seeking refuge with them, how are we any different from the millions of others in this world who crave power and status? How are we any different from the Chief Eunuch and Shi Zeyou? Mother, did you not ever consider that this action would make our Teng family despicable? How can we face Father, who was killed by them? How can we face Eldest Brother, who died young?!”

Old Madam Lin shed tears. She lowered her head, not knowing how she would face her husband and eldest son in the afterlife.

Teng Yue did not want to ask any more questions. He simply said…

“Your son does have a benefactor, but they only helped me because I am young and have made meritorious contributions, and I have a bright future. In the end, it’s my own ability that matters, not so-called family connections. Actually, we are no different from Yunniang; we are all people who rely on ourselves to get by in this world. It’s just that Yunniang has had a more difficult and helpless life, but precisely because of this, we should not have bullied her or driven her away.”

Teng Yue’s voice trailed off.

Old Madam Lin paused, wiping away her tears.

“Mother knows everything. Mother also wants to go back quickly and find Yunniang. The world is so chaotic; we do not want her to be lost somewhere.”

Teng Yue wished he could fly back to Xi’an immediately.

“But even if I find her, I do not know if Yunniang will still want me.”

His expression was downcast, his eyes drooping. He turned and left with his men.

*

In less than three days, all of Hong Jin’s henchmen in the city had been arrested, leaving only a few on the run.

The Emperor ordered the execution of the Chief Eunuch Hong Jin by lingchi^{(slow slicing)}, to be scraped alive with three thousand cuts.

The people gathered near the execution ground, and as the slices were scraped away, Hong Jin screamed in agony, nearly fainting. He endured until the next day but finally succumbed. Before the three thousand cuts were finished, he was dead.

The flesh scraped from his body was snatched up by the people, who frantically devoured it, finally venting their hatred.

The sky above the capital suddenly cleared. An autumn wind swept south, clearing away the city’s sweltering heat and pollution, revealing a clear blue sky.

Huang Xiqing had originally intended to invite Teng Yue and the others to a gathering for a drink after this ordeal. There was also an important matter: after Teng Yue was exonerated, he should be properly commended for his great merit in suppressing the rebellion.

With Teng Yue’s achievements in first quelling the rebellion of Prince Enhua and then finding evidence of the Chief Eunuch’s crimes, a title of nobility and generalship was within reach! However, Kong Hui said he had urgent business and had returned home first.

Minister Huang was surprised, while Wang Fuxiang bluntly stated, “My sister-in-law left to save him; how could he dare linger in the capital? Yesterday morning, before dawn, he rode back to Xi’an at top speed.”

*

In the capital, at the Mansion of the Grand Princess Ningfeng.

The Imperial Son-in-Law Bai had rendered great service in the rigorous investigation of the corrupt officials, and the court was in dire need of capable men. Many strongly recommended his promotion and appointment to a post in the capital.

However, the Imperial Son-in-Law still wanted to gauge the Princess’s opinion.

He found his princess wife under the artificial hill pavilion in the courtyard and explained the matter of his promotion and appointment to remain in the capital.

“…Your Highness always says I do not understand the intricacies of the court and am not suitable to stay in the capital. Now that half the people in the capital have been purged, I wonder if I can stay?”

He asked, and the Grand Princess looked over.

The Imperial Son-in-Law Bai allowed his wife to scrutinize him, awaiting her response.

She said nothing more, only silently turned and left the pavilion.

Bai Chunfu and his two elder brothers approached from the other side.

Seeing the Princess leave, they all asked their father.

“Did Her Highness agree?”

The Prince Consort Bai said Her Highness had not responded.

“The ice of winter does not melt in a day, but Her Highness’s lack of response means she has no further obstruction.”

He looked at his three sons. “I believe this is always a good start.”

The father and his three elder brothers all looked in the direction the Princess had left.

Bai Chunfu, however, stood on the artificial hill, gazing far to the west, a thousand miles away.

His vision stretched endlessly, with only the autumn leaves gently fluttering before his face.

That person had already come out, and the news should have been relayed back long ago; Yunniang should no longer need to worry.

He had also heard that the person was in a hurry to leave the capital and return to Shaanxi; he wondered if he would find the person soon.

But inexplicably, he harbored some selfish motives.

“…Perhaps it would not be so easy.”

*

Author’s Note:
This section was based on and adapted from the events of the fifth year of the Zhengde reign in the Ming Dynasty, which saw the downfall of the powerful eunuch Liu Jin due to the rebellion of the Prince of Anhua.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liu_Jin