Chapter 5: An Old Acquaintance from the East (IV)

“The sages said that a gentleman values his attire more than his life. If Father wishes to punish me, there is no need for a bench; this subject will kneel and accept it.”

Luo Wei blinked her eyes, but the scene before her did not disappear.

On this bright spring day, snowflakes were falling from above her head.

The green, red, and purple colors at the foot of Dianhong Terrace merged into a burning blaze, but the ashes turned into pristine snowflakes. Carried by distant winds, they drifted slowly and landed on the shoulders of the fourteen-year-old Crown Prince.

That winter, snow fell in the imperial city, covering all traces of crimson on the steps, leaving only silence.

The emperor walked down step by step without an attendant holding an umbrella, stopping in front of the crown prince who trembled from the cold but never bent his back.

“You only met those few sons of the Ye family once. Beiyōu is thousands of miles away from Bianjing. The battle of Youyun River was so fierce—how can you be so sure that the young general didn’t defect?”

Luo Wei hid behind a pillar, holding a food box, tears streaming down her face as she watched the father and son in the courtyard, too afraid to approach.

Amidst howling wind and snow, she rubbed her frozen red ears, making the distant voices sound muffled.

“Father, the Ye family are all loyal martyrs. Though I only shared a cup of wine with the eldest son, how could his sincere patriotism be concealed? If the young general had intended to defect, how could he have died on the battlefield, his body lost forever? These years, I’ve corresponded with the third son and know about them...”

Luo Wei didn’t hear the rest clearly, but she saw the emperor look up to the sky and sigh deeply.

“Chengming, you are too young, too stubborn.”

After a brief silence, not knowing what the crown prince said next, the emperor’s expression suddenly darkened. He took a step back and shouted, “If you persist, I’ll teach you a lesson! Bring the crown prince to the corridor bench, strip him of his clothes, and administer corporal punishment!”

The crown prince loudly replied, “The sages said that a gentleman values his attire more than his life. If Father wishes to punish me, there’s no need for a bench; this subject will kneel and accept it!”

Luo Wei had heard her father say that removing garments during palace punishments was to facilitate the application of medicine. If the clothes were left on, peeling them off would cause additional pain akin to the wound itself.

Nevertheless, many scholar-officials preferred enduring this excruciating pain rather than undressing in public.

Her father stroked her hair, his tone tinged with nostalgia: “Your grandfather once had a close friend whose reputation was tarnished, often punished within the inner court. But from the time he entered office until he became prime minister, he always knelt to receive punishment while reciting the ‘Book of Rites’ outside the eastern gate.”

Thus, Luo Wei could only watch with tears as the prince knelt on the steps to receive his punishment. By the time it was over, she opened the food box and found the red bean balls inside had gone cold.

It seemed the emperor had likely noticed her presence long ago but chose not to speak. Seeing the punishment completed, he intended to offer some comforting words. However, after glancing at the pillar where Luo Wei hid, he promptly left with his attendants.

Only then did Luo Wei run over in her fluffy skirt: “Second Brother...”

The youth she called “Second Brother” was startled, struggling to turn his face towards her.

His countenance was hazy and surreal amidst the foggy snow, but the uncontrollable smile at the corner of his mouth was dazzlingly bright: “Weiwei—”

Then all sounds faded away.

Realizing Luo Wei’s distraction, Yanluo beside her poured a cup of hot tea, whispering close to her ear: “Your Majesty, the tea is boiling; please be careful.”

Luo Wei’s fingers brushed over the exquisitely crafted porcelain cup, the scorching sensation abruptly pulling her back from her reverie to reality.

These frequent hallucinations had become increasingly severe recently.

She wondered if one day she might not be able to distinguish between illusion and reality.

But now was not the time to ponder such questions. Yu Qiushi, unwilling to let Ye Tingyan off due to his evasiveness, pressed further: “It’s merely asking you to show us. The censor has suspicion of impropriety. Such obstinacy—is it truly out of humiliation, or fear in your heart?”

Ye Tingyan sneered, “Master Tutor speaks rightly. Suspicion like melon under the trellis, slander like coix seed—these must not be forgotten.” [1]

Luo Wei tightened her grip on the teacup, her palm reddening slightly from the heat. Yanluo looked at her worriedly but hadn’t spoken yet when Song Lan suddenly asked, “What does Her Majesty think?”

“This humble servant thinks—”

Luo Wei glanced at Ye Tingyan, who kept his eyelids lowered indifferently, hesitating for a moment. This time, however, he did not lift his head to meet her gaze.

She withdrew her gaze and instructed, “Yanluo, you and Eunuch Liu temporarily withdraw. Send someone from the Golden Sky Guard to bring a folding screen. Lord Ye is a gentleman; how can he be humiliated in public?”

With the emperor’s consent, Yanluo dismissed the serving eunuchs behind them, leaving only two of the emperor’s personal guards to help move a four-panel screen.

After the guard captain set up the screen, he stood beside Ye Tingyan and whispered, “My lord, please proceed.”

Ye Tingyan smiled bitterly, “This humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace.”

Luo Wei calmly replied, “No need to thank me.”

For the familiar phrase he had uttered earlier, she had handed him the solution. It was up to him to understand it.

Behind the screen, only the emperor, empress, and prime minister remained, flanked by two Golden Sky Guards.

Below the terrace, murmurs arose over this unusual act, but Ye Tingyan, a low-ranking official dressed in green, had only a few more people to greet, so it wasn’t delaying matters.

The ministers sat solemnly, unaware of what transpired before the emperor, empress, and prime minister, nor dared to discuss it openly. They sat upright, though undercurrents surged beneath the surface. Though silent, everyone closely monitored the movements on Dianhong Terrace.

Ye Tingyan leisurely undid a pale glass bead from his neck, lowering his face as if unable to bear the immense humiliation. Luo Wei partially covered her face with a fan embroidered with hawthorn flowers, watching him slowly remove his deep green robe through the translucent silk.

The fan depicted pink-white petals and light green leaves, elegant and refined. She slowly moved the fan away from her eyes just in time to see Ye Tingyan take off his white undergarment, revealing his right shoulder.

Less than half an inch below his collarbone was a clearly visible old brand mark.

The character “slave,” written in seal script, unmistakably revealed past pain and present shame.

Song Lan nodded slightly to comfort Ye Tingyan, who then emotionlessly pulled his robe back on. Before he finished dressing, they heard Yu Qiushi’s slightly mocking voice: “As for the Battle of Youyun River back then, the capital knows nothing. We only thought the eldest son led poorly. What a pity. Despite verifying identity, showing this slave mark today reveals past events. Lord Third, you possess great talent but are destined for hardship. Your Majesty should carefully...”

Before he finished, Ye Tingyan, kneeling behind the screen, suddenly seized the short sword from the waist of the nearby Golden Sky Guard captain. The captain was greatly alarmed and only managed to shout, “How dare you! Protect the emperor!”

The numerous Golden Sky Guards lurking around Dianhong Terrace rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

However, after seizing the short sword, Ye Tingyan swiftly stabbed his own right shoulder.

Both Song Lan and Luo Wei rose from their seats. Even Yu Qiushi was startled by this sudden action.

While everyone was still motionless, Ye Tingyan, with disheveled clothing, swiftly and decisively cut out the slave mark from his shoulder!

Blood gushed from his wound, quickly soaking his white undergarment red. A few drops splattered onto the screen behind him.

Those drops of blood spread like ink in clear water, forming a grotesque and eerie shape.

Song Lan raised his hand to stop the Golden Sky Guards, only allowing the captain to retrieve the short sword. He hurriedly approached, concerned, “Tingyan, are you alright?”

Ye Tingyan struggled to reply, “This... humble servant thanks Your Majesty for your concern.”

His face was deathly pale, twisted in pain from his right shoulder. Cold sweat soaked his usually neat hair, dripping down his cheeks onto the wound, mixing with the blood and disappearing.

He wielded his blade with precision, only removing the top layer of skin.

Standing behind Song Lan, Luo Wei keenly caught the fleeting smile in Ye Tingyan’s eyes as they passed over her.

The smile vanished quickly. Clutching his shoulder wound, Ye Tingyan struggled to support himself and looked at the stunned Yu Qiushi: “I cannot definitively claim what happened during the Battle of Youyun River... However, Master Tutor speaks correctly. Whether severing ties with my surname or apologizing for my elder brother, enduring this pain of cutting out the mark today is what I deserve! Your Majesty should not employ someone of questionable identity or someone attempting to cover up. Today, I thank Master Tutor for removing future rumors. Respectfully, I bow again!”