Shu Ke puede recuperar una fortuna perdida

Capítulo 41

Hao merely nodded slightly, paying her no further attention.

The princess said to her calmly, "Xiaowu, this is the young mistress of the Wang family."

Na Xiaowu glanced at Pang Di, then simply smiled and nodded without bowing. She turned back to the princess and asked, "Princess, was the song 'Ren Yue Yuan' that I sang just now beautiful? It was the lyrics Jinqing wrote for me last night."

Hao and Pang Di were both surprised and greatly displeased upon hearing this: as a concubine, she not only showed disrespect to the mistress but even openly provoked and challenged her. To dare act like this in front of guests suggested she was habitually arrogant.

The princess, however, seemed unperturbed and replied, "Indeed, he wrote the lyrics well, and you sang well too."

Xiaowu chuckled twice, her gaze slowly drifting to the brocade box beside the princess. Curious, she picked it up and opened it, examining the jade seal closely before exclaiming with delight, "Yesterday, Jinqing said he would give me a piece of jade. Is this it? Did Jinqing ask the princess to bring it back first?"

Seeing the princess remain silent, Hao told her from the side, "You've misunderstood. This isn't something your brother-in-law gave you; it's something I brought from Xijing for your sister."

"Oh." Xiaowu was greatly disappointed. She slammed the box shut and then casually tossed it back onto the table with a "thud."

Hao Wei looked slightly angry and was about to speak when the princess shook her head to stop him. Then she said to Xiao Wu, "If you like it, then take it."

Xiaowu was overjoyed and quickly said, "Thank you so much, Princess." She then reached out and picked up the brocade box.

"No!" Hao interrupted, "This is a gift I carefully selected for my sister; you can't take it."

Xiaowu glanced at him sideways and said, "Is a mere jade seal that valuable? Why is His Highness Prince Qi so concerned about it?"

Hao coldly replied, "That's right, I mind it very much."

“Hehe,” Xiaowu said with a cold laugh, “Everyone says that Prince Qi is gentle and kind, and does not contend with the world. I never thought that today he would compete with a little woman like me for a trivial plaything.”

"If it were for my own sake, I would absolutely not bother competing with you," Hao told her, his tone calm but with an air of authority. "However, for my sister's sake, I must fight to the end. This jade is a gift from me to her; please do not touch it."

Xiaowu was speechless for a moment, unsure how to answer, and wondered whether she should put the box she had picked up back.

"Hao, you've already given me this jade seal, haven't you?" the princess suddenly asked.

Seeing Hao nod, she continued, "Then, since it already belongs to me, I should be able to do with it as I see fit. Xiaowu, I'm giving it to you."

Xiaowu smiled and said, "Thank you for the gift, Princess. Xiaowu is going back to her room." She gave Hao a smug look before leaving with the seal, completely satisfied.

"Sister, why do you indulge her so much?" Hao sighed. He felt no anger now, only sorrow for the princess.

"We don't need to bother with her. She's just a plaything, and we don't need any more. Let's just give it to her, so she won't complain to Jinqing when he comes back and cause a ruckus," the princess replied calmly.

“But I don’t want the gift I specially chose for my sister to fall into the hands of a woman like that,” Hao said.

The princess looked at him apologetically and advised, "The jade seal is still in this mansion, and everything in this mansion still belongs to me and my husband."

Seeing this, Pang Di shook his head and sighed. But seeing Hao's displeasure, he advised him, "Your Highness, don't be fooled by Xiaowu's arrogance. It's merely a manifestation of her extreme inferiority complex. Born of humble origins, she cannot compare to the princess, so she seeks psychological satisfaction and comfort by using the prince consort's favor and competing for these material possessions. The princess probably pities her, hence her not competing with her. Besides, although a Jieyu is close to the emperor, she is still ultimately a concubine. The princess, being so noble, has no need to possess the Jieyu seal; bestowing it upon that concubine as a sign of favor would be quite fitting." Moreover, whether it was Zhao Feiyan, Zhao Hede, or Lady Gouyi, none of them met a good end; possessing their belongings would be unlucky. This thought flashed through his mind, but Pang Di felt it was too harsh, so he remained silent.

The princess nodded slightly. Hao fell silent and said nothing more.

After a short while, the princess suddenly called out to her younger brother, "Hao..." Her expression was hesitant, as if she had something to ask of him.

Hao smiled calmly and said, "Does Sister want me to keep quiet about what happened today again?"

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bud

The princess was slightly embarrassed, but still said, "You know the reasoning behind this. If Xu finds out about this, given his temper, he might at least get rid of Xiaowu, or at worst demote Jinqing, or even turn this entire Prince Consort's mansion upside down. However, getting rid of Xiaowu would hurt Jinqing, and demoting him would hurt him even more severely. And if Jinqing is hurt, I will be hurt too. Hurting Jinqing is the same as hurting me. You are my own brothers, how can you use this to hurt me?"

“Sister,” Hao said earnestly, “you really can’t keep enduring this. If you’re afraid that the Emperor will hurt your brother-in-law if he finds out, I can keep it from him for now. But you have to be strong and find a way to resolve this. I don’t want to see you become more and more sad and depressed, living your days in the rage of that rebellious concubine.”

"Some things, you can just endure and they'll pass." The princess looked at her younger brother and said softly, "Hao, didn't you always endure things like this before?"

Hao was taken aback and was speechless for a moment. After a long silence, he finally said, "That's different."

The princess laughed and said, "My brother and I are quite similar. We both get indignant and fight for what the other does, but when it happens to us, we don't bother to care."

Hao smiled helplessly and said, "Our personalities seem somewhat out of place in this world."

Seeing that the siblings' conversation was increasingly turning to private and family matters, and considering that she was an outsider and it was inappropriate for her to interrupt and offer her opinion, Pang Di got up to take her leave. The princess could not persuade her to stay, so she had her servants prepare a sedan chair to send her and her maid home.

Hao and the princess walked to the door and watched her go. When Pang Di reached the peach tree in the courtyard, Hao suddenly called out "Sister-in-law" and then walked quickly towards her.

Pang Di stopped, turned around, and waited for him to approach. "Is there anything else, Your Highness?" she asked. Before he could answer, she remembered something and said apologetically, "Your Highness wants to talk about the hairpin, doesn't she? After returning to the capital last time, my husband was still ill, so I didn't ask him to ask Your Highness to redeem the hairpin. Later, he had that misunderstanding with us, and I was afraid that telling him now would deepen his misunderstanding, so..."

“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to worry about this. I don’t have the hairpin with me right now. I’ll return it to you when we meet again. As for the ransom, you can return it when it’s convenient for you.” Hao chuckled, not expecting her to think he wanted her to redeem the hairpin: “That’s not what I wanted to talk about.”

Who knows when we'll meet again? Pang Di sighed inwardly, then asked, "What is Your Highness trying to say?"

Hao looked at her, and a pure smile rose from the bottom of his heart: "I just wanted to tell you that the exquisite lotus I cultivated according to the method you taught me last time has sprouted buds, and it may bloom soon."

Pang Di smiled happily and said, "Really? That's great."

They smiled at each other, standing beneath the peach tree laden with pink buds. The princess leaned against the door, gazing at the scene, finding it infinitely beautiful: two such lovely people standing together, as if the world had suddenly brightened. The sky, which had been overcast, was now bathed in sunlight, and their warm smiles brought a touch of warmth to the air around them.

After seeing her out, Hao returned to the hall. The princess asked him with a smile, "You've always seemed reserved and silent in front of girls since you were little, how come you can chat and laugh with her like that?"

Hao said, "I don't know why either. I just feel that chatting with her is a very relaxing and pleasant thing. There are many things that I didn't dare to ask Wanji before, but I can say them naturally in front of her."

The princess nodded knowingly, then, recalling Pang Di's haggard appearance, sighed, "But she seems very unhappy now."

Hao said sadly, "I know."

"Hao," the princess looked at him and suddenly asked seriously, "Have you ever thought that if you had listened to your mother and married her, things would be different?"

Pang Di returned to Wenxing Tower and saw Wang Pang sitting upright in the room as soon as he entered.

Back in Bianjing, everyone naturally moved back into their old rooms, and no one felt that the young mistress should move back to the young master's room. All her belongings were simply moved to Wenxing Tower, so she naturally continued to live in her Qin Tower. Wang Pang hadn't visited her upstairs in the past few days, spending his days out and his nights in his study, not allowing anyone to enter casually. Therefore, their opportunities to meet were much fewer than in Jiangning.

Pang Di was naturally pleased to see Wang Pang. After unbuttoning his cloak and handing it to Lüxiu, he walked to Wang Pang's side and asked with a smile, "Aren't you busy today? Why did you come upstairs?"

Wang Pang smiled and said, "It's been a long time since I've seen my wife. I've missed you dearly." He pulled her to sit down beside him, then waved for Green Sleeve to leave. The maid immediately understood, closed the door, and went downstairs.

This scene was just like one they often saw when they were deeply in love. Pang Di blushed slightly and lowered her head shyly.

Wang Pang put his arm around her slender waist and asked with a leisurely smile, "Where did you go today?"

Pang Di replied, "I went to the Daxiangguo Temple to offer incense."

Wang Pang, still smiling, asked again, "Why did it take you so long?"

Pang Di said, "I met Princess Shu, and she invited me to her residence for a chat."

"Oh?" Wang Pang asked again, "Could it be that the princess is hosting a banquet today? Is there anyone else besides you?"

Pang Di was about to reply that the Prince of Qi had also gone, but then he thought again that Wang Pang was very wary of the Prince of Qi, and there had been a misunderstanding last time, so it was best not to mention that he had met the Prince of Qi today. So he said to him, "No, it was just the princess and me. I talked for a while and then came back."

Wang Pang gently lifted her chin, examined her for a long time, and then stared into her eyes. His smile turned cold: "Is that so? But I heard that the Prince of Qi's carriage was parked in front of the Princess's residence."

Pang Di only then realized his meaning: he clearly knew she had met with the Prince of Qi all along, but he deliberately questioned her like this to test her. "You sent someone to follow me?" she asked incredulously, her brows furrowed.

“I’ve arranged for someone to protect you,” he said calmly.

“If you’re going to protect me, why don’t you let them follow me openly and honestly, instead of sneaking around and investigating my whereabouts?” Pang Di retorted.

"Don't change the subject," Wang Pang said coldly. "Please explain why you used the pretext of offering incense to secretly meet your lover at the princess's residence."

"What do you mean by 'secretly meeting a lover'? How can you put it so harshly?" Pang Di was both angry and heartbroken. "Do you distrust me that much? I really did meet the princess by chance at the temple. When she invited me to her residence, we had no idea that Prince Qi would suddenly return from Xijing to visit the princess. We only chatted for a few words before I took my leave and went home. I did not have any private relations with him at all."

Wang Pang sneered and said, "If that's the case, what are you feeling guilty about? Why did you say that only you and the princess were there when I asked you earlier?"

“Because I know that if I told you that Prince Qi was here, you would get upset for no reason,” Pang Di said. “Look, you’re angry about him now. Pang, why are you so suspicious of me and so jealous of him? You even worry about me going out alone and have people follow me. Aren’t we living a peaceful and harmonious life in Jiangning? Why have you become like this as soon as we return to Bianjing?”

“I sent someone to follow you because I knew your purpose in going out was to see him.” Wang Pang’s face turned pale with anger again. “That’s understandable. You two haven’t seen each other for so long. You must be suffering from lovesickness. If you hadn’t developed feelings for him, why would you lie to your husband about seeing him?”

"You are utterly unreasonable!" Pang Di retorted angrily, "You are judging a gentleman by your own petty standards! His Highness Prince Qi is open-minded and upright; how could he possibly do something sordid with another man's wife? Aren't you ashamed of your narrow-mindedness compared to him?"

Wang Pang grabbed a teacup from the table and hurled it against the wall. With a crisp sound, shards flew everywhere, tea splashed, and a piece of broken porcelain bounced back and pierced his forehead, cutting a small wound. A drop of blood seeped out and slowly slid down, winding a shocking crimson path across his pale face.

Pang Di let out a soft cry and tried to reach out to wipe it away, but he brushed her hand away. Then he grabbed her neck with one hand, his bloodshot eyes wide open, and said fiercely to her as she struggled and was about to suffocate, "Listen carefully: as long as I am alive, you are my wife. Don't even think about having an affair with someone else, or I really can't guarantee I won't kill you both. From now on, you are not allowed to step out of the Prime Minister's residence without my permission!"

After saying that, he let go of her and threw her to the ground, then flicked his sleeves, opened the door, and left.

Pang Di leaned against the edge of the bed, coughing for a long time before she could catch her breath, and then tears streamed down her face.

Literary Inquisition

Wang Shen's self-funded printing and publication of Su Shi's poetry collection "Qiantang Collection" was indeed very popular among the literati in the capital. Within a few days, nearly a thousand copies were sold out. Wang Shen was overjoyed and immediately wrote to Su Shi to tell him the good news. He also prepared sample copies and payment to personally deliver them to him on a chosen day.

Princess Shu also brought several copies of "Qiantang Collection" to the palace and presented them to Emperor Zhao Xu, the Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress Dowager. After reading them, the two empress dowagers praised Su Shi's talent and the patriotic sentiments revealed in his poems. They also commended Wang Shen, believing that he had a keen eye for talent and that publishing Su Shi's book was a great act of kindness. The princess was very pleased to hear this, and her haggard and worried face regained a rare radiance.

These past few nights, Zhao Xu has been reciting the "Qiantang Collection" every night, deeply impressed by Su Shi's brilliant literary talent and unrestrained, magnificent poetic style. When he reads something wonderful, he often exclaims with admiration: "Master Zizhan is truly a genius, worthy of being the leader of the literary world today!" Many of Su Shi's poems express his unfulfilled ideals and ambitions during his years of frustration and setbacks, hinting at his hopes for the emperor, and even expressing dissatisfaction with the current state of the world, with a hint of grumbling. Zhao Xu could certainly see this, but he mostly just laughed it off and didn't delve into it.

One evening, Lü Huiqing entered the palace to discuss matters with the emperor in the Miying Pavilion. He noticed a copy of "Qiantang Collection" on the desk and asked, "Is Your Majesty also reading Su Shi's new poetry collection?"

Zhao Xu smiled and said, "Yes. I've heard that this collection of poems has spread throughout Bianjing, and all who have read it praise Su Shi's talent. I haven't seen such fine poems in a long time; they are worth reading carefully. Has Minister Lü read them?"

Lü Huiqing replied, “I bought this book on the day it was first published and read it at home. That was five days ago. On my way home, I saw the Imperial Son-in-Law, Commander Wang, personally recommending this book to the court officials and scholars. His attitude was extremely enthusiastic. I dared not neglect him and immediately bought a copy to support the Imperial Son-in-Law…”

"Five days ago?" Zhao Xu suddenly frowned and interrupted him: "You mean five days ago Wang Shen personally came to the bookstore to promote this book?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes," Lü Huiqing replied. "It is said that Commandant Wang stayed in the bookstore all day and did not return to his residence until late at night. This shows how deep his affection for Su Shi is. People say that they are very close and that they still have close contact after Su Shi was transferred to a post outside the capital. I did not believe it before, but now I know that the rumors are true."

Five days ago, Xu thought that it was the birthday of his nephew Yanbi. He personally ordered a religious ceremony to be held for Yanbi at the Daxiangguo Temple. His sister went to pray for him, but Wang Shen did not accompany her. Instead, he spent his time in the bookstore selling books for his friends.

This is outrageous! He was furious, and his face darkened.

Lü Huiqing knew why the Emperor was displeased; the mention of "five days ago" was actually something he had deliberately brought up, aiming for the exact effect he wanted. Fine, the Emperor was unhappy, so he could now say what he wanted to say. Su Shi, who openly refused to implement the "hand-based reforms" in Mizhou, was about to reap the bitter fruits of his actions. Furthermore, Su Shi's faction, including Wang Shen, was a key force dissatisfied with his rule, and it was time for them all to be demoted as well.

“Su Shi’s literary talent is indeed excellent, but…” Lü Huiqing hesitated, then stammered, “I have some questions about the matters referred to in a few of his poems, and I wonder if I should address them…”

Zhao Xu waved his sleeve and said, "Speak."

Lü Huiqing said, “There is a poem in the ‘Qiantang Collection’ that says, ‘Winning the children’s sweet voice, spending more than half the year in the city,’ which seems to be a satire of the Green Sprouts Act. ‘If the East Sea knew the Emperor’s idea, it should turn the barren land into mulberry fields,’ which means that the Emperor’s implementation of the farmland irrigation law to turn silted land into fertile soil was wrong. ‘Reading ten thousand volumes but not the law, one will never be able to make the ruler like Yao and Shun,’ which means that the civil service examination system for officials has its flaws and that the examination for poetry and prose should not be abolished. ‘Is it because hearing the music of Shao that one forgets the taste of food? For three months now, I have eaten no salt,’ which is clearly a satire of the salt ban in the market. I have already seen many of these poems that slander the new laws in a cursory reading. I suppose most of the other poems have other meanings. Your Majesty is so wise that you must not be unaware of them.”

Zhao Xu said calmly, "This is just a momentary feeling of frustration, a rant about his political setbacks. There's no need to delve into it."

"No!" Lü Huiqing stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, after the 'celestial upheaval,' the new laws were almost forced to be abolished by the opposition. Fortunately, Your Majesty and your ministers worked together to overcome the difficulties and reinstated the new laws. Now, however, some people are still unwilling to give up, attempting to use poems to complain about the emperor and slander the new laws, hoping to achieve their goal of abolishing them again. Moreover, some people in the court have formed factions with them, working together to compile and publish collections of poems that contain highly disrespectful meanings, distributing them throughout the capital. They want to persuade and incite the court officials and the people to be dissatisfied with and oppose the new laws. This is truly a reactionary current, and Your Majesty must curb it!"

Zhao Xu pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "What you say makes sense."

Therefore, Lü Huiqing quickly instructed his cronies, the censors Li Ding and Shu Dan, to submit memorials. Li Ding called Su Shi "treacherous and wicked," saying that he used his poems to complain about the emperor and his father, and that "if he is not banished to a distant place, he will disrupt the customs; if he is included in politics, he will corrupt the law. I humbly request that he be abolished." He intended to put Su Shi to death. Shu Dan then reported that Wang Shen, the Imperial Son-in-Law and Commandant, had accepted Su Shi's satirical writings on the government and gifts of money from Su Shi. Su Shi harbored resentment and slandered the emperor and father, and Wang Shen was fully aware of this but failed to report it. Instead, he "secretly exchanged bribes and engaged in illicit revelry with Su Shi," and even published a collection of Su Shi's disparaging poems. Shu Dan argued that Wang Shen, "receiving great favor from the state and being a close relative, had associated with such wicked people, and his intentions were so wicked. Given the circumstances, his crimes are truly unforgivable. I beg that he not be pardoned." He also listed a long list of implicated "factions": "Those who accepted Su Shi's satirical writings on the government, besides Wang Shen, Wang Gong, and Li Qingchen, include twenty-two people from Zhang Fangping down to Zhang Fangping. While figures like Sheng Qiao and Zhou Bin are not worth mentioning, those like Zhang Fangping, Sima Guang, Fan Zhen, Qian Zao, Chen Xiang, Zeng Gong, Sun Jue, Li Chang, Liu Ban, and Liu Zhi are particularly noteworthy." He claimed they had disgraced the positions of high-ranking officials and scholars, and their crimes deserved execution.

Thus began the "Wutai Poetry Case," the largest literary inquisition since the founding of the Song Dynasty.

Zhang Fangping and Fan Zhen both submitted memorials pleading for Su Shi's release, but their petitions were rejected. Su Shi was escorted to the capital and imprisoned in the Censorate. Seeing the severity of the case, most court officials, fearing for their own safety, dared not offer advice. Wang Anshi and his son remained silent, neither intervening nor adding fuel to the fire. However, Wang Anshi's younger brother, Wang Anli, stepped forward and advised Emperor Zhao Xu: "Great rulers throughout history have not judged people based on words alone. Su Shi's intention was merely to use his talent to encourage himself through poetry. If Your Majesty punishes him for this, posterity may say Your Majesty cannot tolerate talent. I beg Your Majesty not to imprison him." Emperor Zhao Xu replied: "I do not wish to severely punish him, but it is necessary to establish authority and silence dissenting voices." He then admonished Wang Anli: "Go now, and do not speak further. Su Shi has accumulated deep resentment in court; if you speak too much, Su Shi's misfortune may implicate your family."