Chapter 33: Misfortune Befalls the Gu Estate

Three days is neither a long nor a short period, yet it passed in the blink of an eye. Before many had even regained their senses, the thousands-word impeachment memorial presented in the imperial court three days ago finally reached its conclusion.

The outcome was nothing short of brutal. It was a mutual destruction with no winners.

Cao Heyong was stripped of his position as Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and demoted to prefectural judge of Deng Prefecture. His nephew, Cao Ne, was beaten to death, while Wang Wenyue and Wang Yuanheng were sentenced to be flogged and exiled to Shamen Island. Wen Qixiong, the nephew of Duke Wen, was sentenced to be beheaded after the autumn assizes. Qian Weiyong was forced to resign under the weight of his own disgrace.

The most tragic outcome of all, however, was that of Grand Preceptor Gu Qingzhi.

Gu Qingzhi was stripped of his title, and he and his family were taken into custody by the Imperial Guards. The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Rites were ordered to jointly search his estate and conduct a thorough investigation, with further sentencing pending the outcome of the inquiry.

When this verdict was announced, the court was in an uproar. Anyone with eyes could see that Gu Qingzhi had brought this catastrophe upon himself by submitting a memorial demanding that Empress Dowager Wen return governing power to the Emperor. This was not merely anger; it was a settling of scores! Or rather, it was immediate retaliation for a grudge.

Courtiers loyal to the Grand Preceptor, along with his students and old acquaintances, were furious but dared not speak. Empress Dowager Wen was simply too formidable; she was willing to sacrifice two of her own key confidants—Cao Heyong and Qian Weiyong—and watch her own kinsman, Wen Qixiong, face death just to eradicate Gu Qingzhi, the leader of the literati. At this moment, anyone who dared to speak up for Gu Qingzhi would find themselves thrown into the same prison.

Once the imperial decree was issued, the Imperial Guards surrounded the Gu estate. Because of the blood he had vomited in the court three days prior, Gu Qingzhi remained bedridden. At over sixty years of age, the shock of being subjected to such baseless accusations while his heart remained filled with unwavering loyalty was truly fatal.

The house was filled with the sounds of weeping. Gu Qingzhi lay on his bed, gasping for air; it seemed that in a single night, he had turned into a flickering candle in the wind, destined to be extinguished with the slightest gust. His clouded gaze swept over his kin kneeling before the bed. As disaster struck, these people, who had not yet had the chance to scatter, suddenly lost their freedom, their futures, and perhaps even their lives.

News of the Gu family’s downfall spread from the court to the common people, causing a massive stir. Countless citizens rushed to the outskirts of the Gu estate to watch.

They watched helplessly as the Imperial Guards carried Gu Qingzhi out, followed by his family members, who were being marched out with their hands bound by long ropes. These people, once full of spirit and prestige, now looked numb and disheveled, their hair matted and their bodies stripped of all precious ornaments, which had long since been looted.

"How pitiful. They were all such noble people, and overnight they’ve become prisoners."
"Master Gu is a good man, a good official. He must have been framed!"
"Whether he was framed is for the imperial authorities to say, not us."
"Do you think Master Gu will be beheaded?"
"That is hard to say."

Song Shiyu had heard the news about the Gu family early in the morning and had run out of her home like a madwoman, her hair disheveled. Regardless of the danger, she squeezed into the crowd just in time to see Gu Qingzhi being carried out, followed by a long line of people she recognized.

Her mind collapsed. Gone was her usual calm and rationality. She desperately pushed through the crowd, and just as she shrieked the syllable "Mo—" (Mother), a hand suddenly clamped over her mouth, stifling the rest of her words.

"Are you insane? Do you have a death wish?" Li Xubai dragged her away from the crowd, pulling her into a secluded, quiet spot.

"Let go of me! Let go! I have to save them!" Song Shiyu struggled wildly to break free from Li Xubai’s grip, trying to charge back toward the scene.

"Shut up!" Li Xubai slapped her across the face. "If you rush out there now, you aren't saving anyone—you're throwing your life away, and mine, and Sanlang’s, and Yunnuan’s, and Wulang’s!" His eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Go on then! Go! I’ve lived long enough anyway! Let’s all die together! Everyone die!"

The tension that Li Xubai had been holding onto since he arrived in this world finally snapped. He shoved Song Shiyu hard. "Go if you want to. Die early and be reincarnated. In the next life, I’m definitely choosing the easy mode!"

Song Shiyu was stunned by the slap, her entire body stiffening. Even as Li Xubai pushed her, she did not move. Finally, the tears she had held back for so long came pouring down.

Li Xubai was dumbfounded. Song Shiyu, who had always maintained an image of being cold, heartless, and unreasonable, was now sobbing uncontrollably. Li Xubai was at a loss. After a moment, he tentatively raised his hand and placed it on her shoulder.

Song Shiyu seemed not to notice; she rested her head against his shoulder and wailed. After a few cries, she let out a hitching sob and went silent. Li Xubai felt his heart drop. He let go of her and looked down.

"Good grief, she’s cried herself into a faint." He hoisted Song Shiyu onto his shoulder and carried her to the nearest medical clinic.

"Second Brother, what happened to Sister-in-law?" Seeing Song Shiyu rush off in a frenzy and then seeing Li Xubai carry her back, Li Yunnuan asked in a panic.

Li Xubai had recently developed a habit of ruffling the two knots of hair on Li Yunnuan’s head. As he did so, he said in a low voice, "Sister-in-law is just overcome with grief; she will be fine after some rest. It’s nothing."

"Overcome with grief?" Li Xuzhang asked in surprise. "Why is she so sad? When her marriage was ruined and Eldest Brother passed away, she was sad, but why this time?"

Li Xubai had also been trying to figure out why Song Shiyu cared so much about the Gu family. He had a faint suspicion, though it was unconfirmed, and he himself felt it was too shocking to be true. He glanced at Song Shiyu. He feared that this time, her grief was a hundred times greater than when she had mourned her husband.

Li Xubai decided to explain it to the two children, as they were not ordinary children and were more precocious than most. "It’s nothing. A very close friend of hers has fallen into great misfortune, and the whole family has been imprisoned. That’s why she is so sad."

"Oh."

The two children understood, in a way. They understood that if a close friend was imprisoned and likely never to be seen again, one would naturally be sad. What they didn't understand was why she would be just as sad as she was when Eldest Brother passed away.

While they were speaking, Song Shiyu let out a small sob and slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes were swollen and red, making it hard for her to see, but she could vaguely make out the three people sitting by the bed—the ones closest to her in this life.

She opened her mouth to speak, only to find her throat burning and dry, unable to produce a sound. Li Xubai quickly poured a cup of water and handed it to her. "You wailed so hard you lost your voice. Is it really worth it for just a close friend?" As he spoke, he winked at her.

Song Shiyu understood instantly. She downed two cups of water, and her throat eased enough for her to catch her breath.

"Sister-in-law, don't be sad. We have money now. If you really want to see her, we can pay for a prison visit," Li Yunnuan comforted her.

Song Shiyu gave a bitter smile and nodded.

Li Xubai said, "Alright, now that Sister-in-law is awake, Yunnuan, go make some food. Sanlang, go look after Wulang. I need to discuss the prison visit with Sister-in-law."