The Rebirth of Han Yuxi

Chapter 0775 Captured

Zhou Jing ascended the throne four days after the death of Emperor Taichang. Exceptional times called for exceptional measures. Everything about Zhou Jing's enthronement ceremony was kept as simple as possible.

The first Imperial Edict issued by Zhou Jing after he became Emperor was to confer upon Yan Wushuang the title of Rui Wang. His second was to appoint him as Chief Grand Secretary.

Second Master Lu was somewhat surprised when he heard the news. "I thought Yan Wushuang would become regent. I never expected him to become Chief Grand Secretary instead. Who knows what medicine Yan Wushuang is selling inside his gourd?" Even the position of chancellor, however, was still a considerable step below that of regent.

Old Master Lu frowned. "Yan Wushuang would never lower himself to accept the position of chancellor. He must have some other hidden objective!"

Second Master Lu said, "Yan Wushuang has k!lled quite a number of people over the past two days. Although he claims that everyone he k!lled was involved in the Tong City Incident, many of them were clearly innocent. Yan Wushuang is using the incident as an opportunity to eliminate his political opponents." Over the past two days, Yan Wushuang had already exterminated more than a dozen families and killed several hundred people. Everyone in the capital was left anxious and panic-stricken.

Old Master Lu responded, "Isn't that perfectly normal?" No matter who rose to power, the first thing they would do was eliminate their political opponents.

Second Master Lu pointed out, "Dad, Yan Wushuang may be intelligent and capable, but he acts extremely." Yan Wushuang had no moral boundaries, which made it extremely unsafe to serve under him.

Old Master Lu advised, "Just let matters take their natural course. As for everything else, do not concern yourself with matters that are none of your concern. As long as Gang-er and the others remain safe in Shu, nothing will happen to our family."

Second Master Lu said nothing more.

After returning to the rear courtyard, Second Madam Lu quietly told Second Master Lu, "A letter has arrived from Xiu-er." As she spoke, she took the letter out of her sleeve and handed it to him.

Now that the Imperial Court had conferred a wang title upon Yun Qing, his position had been formally legitimised. Yun Qing was no longer considered a disorderly minister and thieving son. Consequently, the Northwest began to communicate and exchange with the surrounding prefectures and counties, although inspections remained extremely strict.

Second Master Lu hurriedly accepted the letter and read it at a glance, taking in ten lines at once. After finishing it, he breathed a sigh of relief. "As long as he reaches Yu City safely, that is all that matters." In truth, Second Master Lu had taken an enormous risk by sending his grandson, Lu Han, to the Northwest. After all, Lu Han was the son of Lu Gang, who belonged to a faction that was hostile to Yun Qing. If the two armies were to confront each other on the battlefield, Yun Qing might capture Lu Han and use him to threaten Lu Gang. Lu Gang would then be on the downwind side.

Second Madam Lu commented, "I finally understand why Han Jianming took his entire family, old and young alike, to the Northwest." Back then, Han Jianming had abandoned his property, relinquished his ducal title, and taken his family to the Northwest to seek refuge with Yuxi. No outsider had been able to understand his decision. However, looking at the current situation in the capital, Second Madam Lu now felt that Han Jianming had possessed remarkable foresight.  People were dying everywhere in the capital. One day, a family might appear to be doing well, only to be completely wiped out the next. Everyone spent each day extremely frightened and anxious, terrified that the butcher's knife might fall upon their own head at any moment.

Remembering what Lu Xiu had written about conditions in the Northwest, Second Master Lu fell unusually silent. In the Northwest, a hundred abandoned undertakings awaited revival, while no one knew when the turmoil in the capital would end. Speaking of it, he also admired Han Jianming in this respect. Han Jianming had been able to abandon his property and title, taking his family to the Northwest to start again. Not everyone possessed that kind of courage and decisiveness.

Second Madam Lu gently nudged Second Master Lu. "Write to Gang-er and tell him, for Han-er's sake, not to enter into conflict with Yun Qing and the others. He only needs to obey the Imperial Court's orders enough to maintain outward appearances. Tell him not to take everything so seriously." Second Madam Lu said all this for the sake of her grandson. Yun Qing and Han Yuxi had not yet harmed Lu Han, but if Lu Gang offended them too severely, there was no guarantee that they would not do so in future.

Second Master Lu shook his head. "I am afraid Yan Wushuang will summon Gang-er back to the capital and send one of his own trusted confidants to Shu." 

Second Madam Lu remarked, "Yan Wushuang k!lls without even his blinking eyes. If he summons Gang-er back, he certainly cannot be harbouring any good intentions."

Second Master Lu responded, "If Yan Wushuang issues an order transferring him back, Gang-er will certainly return." The entire Lu family, old and young alike, was in the capital. Once Lu Gang received the order, it would be impossible for him not to return.

Second Madam Lu suggested, "Write to Gang-er and tell him not to return to the capital under any circumstances." Once he returned, his body would not be governed by himself.

Yan Wushuang issued a reward proclamation. Anyone who helped capture Yuchen and Zhou Yan would receive 1,000 taels of gold and be promoted two official ranks. Those not already in office could be appointed to a seventh-rank position. Anyone who provided important information would receive one hundred taels of silver. Yuchen's situation was extremely difficult under such circumstances. However, because she had sufficient food, clothing, and other necessities at her hiding place, she was able to stay there safely for several days. Unfortunately, when someone's luck turned bad, even drinking water could get stuck between their teeth.

They had originally been hiding perfectly well until a thief appeared in the middle of the night. Although he was discovered in time, the thief was very familiar with the terrain and still managed to escape.

Afterwards, the thief immediately went to the authorities to snitch on them. He simply did not know Yuchen's and her companions' identities; otherwise, he would have gone directly to Yan Wangfu to report them.

Yuchen was captured when her guards were moving her to another place. She had disguised herself, but her companions had not. Their identities were therefore exposed very quickly.

Yan Wang had tried every conceivable method to find the Empress. Since the Empress was also a great beauty, many people privately wondered whether Yan Wushuang had become enamoured of her appearance and was therefore devoting so much effort to finding her. Thus, as soon as the Prefect of the Capital confirmed Yuchen's identity, he immediately sent her to Yan Wangfu.

Yuchen had altered her appearance with a disguise. She wore plain grey clothes, her complexion was slightly yellowish, and her eyes revealed fear and unease. Anyone who saw her in this state would have found it impossible to believe that she was the Empress, renowned as the most beautiful woman in the land.

The first thing Yuchen was made to do after arriving at Yan Wangfu was to bathe and change her clothes. Yuchen had considered resisting, but how could she possibly resist two large, powerfully built female guards?

Uncle Tang and Meng Nian were waiting in the main hall. Soon, they heard the sound of disorderly footsteps approaching. Yuchen was brought into the hall by two female guards, who were half supporting her and half holding her under restraint.

Yuchen wore a long, crescent-shaped gown made of pale purple openwork silk and mandarin duck brocade. Her jet-black hair fell loosely down her back. She had exquisitely refined features, and her skin was as fine, smooth, and lustrous as mutton-fat jade. Her waist was slender enough to encircle with one hand. There was not a single imperfection on her body.

As he looked at Yuchen, a phrase appeared in Uncle Tang's mind: 'a beautiful woman who brings disaster like floodwater'.

A poem involuntarily surfaced in Meng Nian's mind: 'In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and standing alone. One glance causes a city to fall. Another glance causes a kingdom to fall '. Meng Nian had actually seen Yuchen before, but he had only glimpsed her from a distance at a banquet, so he had not seen her clearly.

Uncle Tang asked expressionlessly, "Empress Han, where is His Highness the Crown Prince now?" It had already been confirmed that the child who had been with Yuchen was not the Crown Prince.

Yuchen gave Uncle Tang a cold look, her eyes filled with hatred. These were the people who had killed her husband and reduced her to her present circumstances.

Seeing the hatred in Yuchen's eyes, Uncle Tang felt the desire to kill her arise within him. Wangye had endured so much wind and rain. He absolutely could not be allowed to meet his downfall because of a woman.

Seeing that Uncle Tang intended to kill Yuchen, Meng Nian said to the two female guards, "Miss Han is tired. Help her downstairs so that she may rest."

When Uncle Tang heard how Meng Nian had addressed Yuchen, his face turned livid. Han Yuchen was the Empress, a married woman who had even borne a child. For Meng Nian to address her as 'Miss Han' aroused his suspicions.

Yuchen was also deeply horrified, but her face remained an icy, impenetrable mask. No one could discern anything from it.

Once there were only two of them in the room, Uncle Tang asked coldly, "Meng Nian, what did you mean just now by addressing Empress Han as 'Miss Han'?"

Meng Nian answered, "Uncle Tang, you know Wangye's temperament. He has devoted so much effort to finding Han Yuchen that he is clearly interested in her." It was obvious that his Master had taken a fancy to Han Yuchen.

Meng Nian was a man himself, so he could understand. Faced with such an incomparable beauty capable of toppling cities and kingdoms, any man would feel his heart stir. Wangye was a normal man, so it was only natural that he would be attracted to such a beauty.

Uncle Tang's expression changed when he heard this. "You already knew that Wangye was interested in Han Shi! Why didn't you tell me?" Uncle Tang truly had not considered the possibility before. The main reason was that Yan Wushuang was not fond of women, and had not reacted unusually when he had met Han Shi before.

Meng Nian said, "Uncle Tang, what difference would it have made if I had told you? Could you have stopped Wangye?" No one could prevent their Wang from doing something he had decided to do. Anyone capable of stopping him was already gone from this world.

Uncle Tang was furious to the point of death. He ranted, "Do you realise that what you're doing could get Wangye killed? This Han Shi is nothing but a source of calamity."  Wangye was the enemy responsible for Han Yuchen's husband's death. Keeping such a woman beside him would surely endanger his life at any moment.

The corners of Meng Nian's mouth lifted. "Uncle Tang, you underestimate Wangye." With Wangye's abilities, as long as he desired it, how could he possibly fail to handle a single woman?

Uncle Tang shook his head. "No. I cannot allow this woman to remain here." As the saying went, even a hero finds it difficult to pass the trial of a beautiful woman. He did not dare gamble on even the slightest possibility of that happening.

Meng Nian pointed out, "Uncle Tang, you also understand Master's temperament. If you act against Han Shi without his permission, the bond between Master and servant that you have shared for all these years may come to an end."

Uncle Tang was not afraid. He insisted, "I am doing this for Wangye's own good." Uncle Tang had swallowed a steelyard weight and set his heart like iron to send Yuchen to her death. Even if Yan Wushuang came to despise and reject him, Uncle Tang was willing to pay that price.

Meng Nian proclaimed, "Uncle Tang, without Wangye's permission, I will not allow you to harm Miss Han." If Wangye ordered Han Shi's death, Meng Nian would obey without even furrowing his brow, even if he considered it regrettable. For now, however, he certainly could not allow Uncle Tang to have his way.

When Yan Wushuang heard in the Imperial Palace that Yuchen had been captured, his expression did not change. After a while, he found an excuse to return to his residence.

Yan Wangfu was formerly Kang Wangfu. The Kang Wangfu garden was the finest in the capital; even the Jing Wangfu garden could not compare with it.

Seeing that Yan Wushuang appeared calm, Uncle Tang relaxed slightly. The situation was apparently not as serious as he had imagined. "Wangye, the Empress is genuine, but Crown Prince Zhou Yan is an imposter. The child we captured is merely a substitute." The child that Yuchen had brought with her did not resemble Zhou Yan, making it easy to tell them apart.

Yan Wushuang immediately understood what had happened. "Han Shi must have kept that substitute beside her to divert our attention." The real Crown Prince had certainly been hidden well. Despite searching for so many days, Yan Wushuang's men still failed to find him. However, Yan Wushuang was not anxious. As long as the Crown Prince had not left the capital, they would eventually find him.

Uncle Tang considered the matter carefully before saying, "Wangye, Han Shi was Emperor Taichang's Empress. This woman cannot be allowed to live. If you keep her here, you will be in danger, Wangye."

Yan Wushuang glanced at Uncle Tang and laughed softly. "Uncle Tang, what danger could a woman whose hands are too weak even to bind a chicken possibly pose to me?" Seeing that Uncle Tang was about to speak again, Yan Wushuang shook his head. "My decision is final. You need to say no more." After speaking, he walked towards the inner rooms.

The concern in Uncle Tang's eyes intensified further.