Upon hearing this from inside, Zhao He drew his sword and led his apprentices out to confront the soldiers led by Tong Qisheng. Seeing that it was Tong Qisheng who was leading them, he cupped his hands and asked, "Young Master Tong, what is the meaning of this? Have you brought men to vandalize our shop?"
Tong Qisheng raised his hand and said, "Tie up this shopkeeper and this master, and take the apprentices with you."
Seeing the soldiers surrounding him, Zhao He took his sword and stepped back, asking, "Young Master Tong, I wonder which department you are currently serving in? But it seems inappropriate to come and arrest ordinary people in broad daylight."
Tong Qisheng said, "A few days ago, Song Zhenshu personally stabbed the newly appointed Jinshi, Zhang Rui, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, more than a hundred times to death. Because his relatives reported it to the government, my minister was furious and ordered me to severely punish the murderer. That is why I came to your door. As for you, Mr. Zhao, colluding with the Tartars to exchange information is the biggest mistake you have ever made."
He raised his hand and said, "Tie them all up and take them away."
Zhen Shu asked loudly, "Even if I killed someone, it should be the Yingtian Prefecture that arrests me. How can your Ministry of Justice handle such matters?"
Tong Qisheng laughed and said, "If it were just one case, the Yingtian Prefecture would naturally handle it. But now that the two cases are combined, it's a crime of colluding with foreign countries, which the Ministry of Justice can handle. Take him away!"
Seeing that Tong Qisheng's men had tied up Zhao He and several apprentices, Zhenshu slipped away to the back courtyard while they weren't looking, grabbed Wang Mama, and said, "Quickly go upstairs and tell Fourth Miss to go to the Yu residence to find Yu Yichen..."
Before she could finish speaking, the guards had already bound her hands behind her back with iron chains. Wang Mama was so frightened her legs went weak, and she ran upstairs, wriggling her legs. Tong Qisheng went out and got into his official sedan chair. Lifting the curtain, he saw Zhenshu also with her hands behind her back, walking along the steps of the sedan chair. A large crowd had gathered in two rows along the east market, watching them. He wanted to display his official power in the sedan chair, but he also wanted to get down and show everyone that he was the one Zhenshu had humiliated that day, and now he wanted revenge. So he kept lifting the curtain and glancing sideways at Zhenshu.
Zhenshu turned around with difficulty and saw Zhenyi's little feet hopping forward as she squeezed through the crowd. Afraid that Tong Qisheng would see her and grab Zhenyi too, she wanted to distract him, and was genuinely worried about Zhenxiu. She asked, "Where has Zhenxiu been living for the past year or so?"
Tong Qisheng said, "How would I know she's there?"
Zhenshu said, "Didn't she become your mistress?"
Tong Qisheng laughed and said, "What a joke! I, Tong, am a second-class Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) who was successful in my youth. Although my appearance is not as good as those castrated men, I am still considered outstanding among men. Many young ladies in the capital want to be my concubines, but I don't want any of them. Who is she that I can take as my second wife?"
Zhen Shu said, "Stop pretending. Don't think we don't know who paid money to run errands for you, this doctor. I won't ask where she is now. Just tell her to hide well. If the people looking for her catch her, she'll be skinned alive."
In the blink of an eye, they reached the gates of the Ministry of Justice. The guards escorted the framed shop staff into the police station, leaving Zhenshu locked up in a separate room. Unaware of what was happening outside, and feeling dark, cold, and hungry, Zhenshu huddled on a long bench in the corner, wondering if Zhenyi had arrived at the Yu residence yet. Perhaps Yu Yichen was still in the palace, and it would take a while for Sun Yuan to report to the palace. With this in mind, she could only continue to wait anxiously.
She didn't know how long she waited before falling into a deep sleep again, when a sudden rattling of the iron chain startled her awake. Zhenshu looked up and saw Tong Qisheng standing with his hands behind his back, looking down at her. She stood up and asked, "Are you not going to keep me locked up for long?"
Tong Qisheng smiled slightly: "You look just as adorable when you're asleep, just like you were back at Caijia Temple."
Zhenshu said, “First, I did not kill anyone. Second, we did not collude with foreign barbarians. If you still do not release me, someone will come looking for me. Although you do not care about this official position that you paid money to obtain, I do care about Zhenxiu’s hard work.”
Tong Qisheng was still smiling. He used one hand to block Zhenshu in the corner and said, "You were so cute when you were innocent and carefree back then. But look at you now. You are so worldly and vulgar. Your behavior is dissolute and frivolous. You are ugly. Back in Caijia Temple, I deeply regretted not persuading you to bind your feet. As a result, you have been running around all day and have become a courtesan."
Zhen Shu slapped him across the face and said, "Even if I were a courtesan, I wouldn't look down on you."
☆、114|Monthly Letter
Tong Qisheng grabbed her hand and pressed it down below his stomach, asking, "Do you know what this is? Does Yu Yichen have it? You're hanging out with a eunuch; you're not even as good as a courtesan."
Zhen Shu was about to kick him, but Tong Qisheng, already prepared, retaliated with a knee strike, causing Zhen Shu to cramp in her stomach and fall to the ground. Tong Qisheng squatted down and laughed, "You still expect Yu Yichen to save you? The Privy Councilor's eldest daughter is the Empress, and the only prince in the palace is her son. Even Du Wu has to show him respect now. How dare Yu Yichen, a eunuch, provoke us?"
Zhenshu stood up, clutching her stomach, and smiled bitterly: "You've probably been waiting a long time for this day."
Tong Qisheng tore off Zhen Shu's outer garment and loosened his official robes: "Yes, I have indeed waited arduously. You could easily give yourself to Du Yu in the Five Mausoleums Mountains, and let a eunuch take advantage of you, so why do you pretend to be chaste in front of me? I've been your childhood sweetheart since we were little, countless times under the flowers and moon, I've pampered you and indulged you, not daring to touch you even to avoid giving anyone cause for gossip, obediently waiting to get married. You easily gave away what I cherished so much. Du Yu is one thing, he's a rogue and scoundrel, I can understand that you were deceived by him. But what's so good about Yu Yichen? You were willing to be with a eunuch, and even humiliated me in front of many people in the East Market, how could I not remember this humiliation?"
"If I had known you were so dissolute, I should have taken you back at Caijia Temple and never let you come to the capital. Even if you were burned to death there, at least you would still be chaste. It's better than living such a shameful life, bringing disgrace upon me."
He grew angrier as he spoke, throwing her long gown on the ground and then trying to strip off her lining jacket. Zhenshu retreated to the corner of the wall, kicking her legs and cursing, "If you have any shame, you should think about Zhenxiu. If it weren't for her giving you money to help you get promoted, how would you have met the daughter of the Privy Councilor?"
Seeing that she was constantly talking and doing things, even though it was all fancy footwork, Tong Qisheng knew he was just a scholar and couldn't control her. Hearing her start this verbal battle, he sneered, "Who told me I'm so lucky to meet people who are all rich and willing to give me money? Maybe they all owed me money in their past lives."
Zhenshu continued to struggle as she retreated to the other side of the wall, pulling over the only table in the room to block her in front of herself, saying, "Not to mention Yu Yichen, wouldn't Du Yu come looking for me? I advise you to release me immediately. For Zhenxiu's sake, I'll pretend nothing happened."
Tong Qisheng sneered again: "Du Yu? Not to mention that even his father is now afraid of the Privy Councilor. If he himself knew that you personally killed his servant when you were having an affair with me at Caijia Temple, do you think he would still want you?"
Zhen Shu angrily retorted, "You're spouting nonsense!"
She suddenly realized: "You didn't save him, you killed him."
Tong Qisheng said, "Yes, I killed him. If I hadn't killed him, I wouldn't have known that you were nothing more than a prostitute who was bought and sold with money."
It turned out that back at Caijia Temple, when Zhenshu saw Tong Qisheng carrying Tengsheng away, she genuinely thought he was taking Tengsheng to find a doctor. However, Tong Qisheng only carried him to the other side of the Wei River before abandoning him and intending to leave. Tengsheng, who wasn't dead yet, recovered after a short while and slowly crawled forward. Seeing that Zhenshu wasn't around, Tong Qisheng, wanting to get to the bottom of what happened in Wuling Mountain, picked up a stone, went over, and pinned Tengsheng's hands to the ground, asking, "Who are you? Who is this 'prince' you speak of? Did he and that girl really consummate their relationship?"
Teng Sheng said, "Of course, they've already paid their respects to heaven and earth and gotten married. Miss Song was very willing to enter the bridal chamber, and I was listening outside. How could it be false?"
Enraged, Tong Qi threw a stone at Teng Sheng and said, "I don't believe you, you're lying."
Fujiki was still a child, and he was so dizzy from being hit that he threatened angrily, "My young master will still be back after this period of time. I will remember the stones you hit me today, and I will tell him to come and hit you properly when the time comes."
Tong Qisheng hadn't intended to kill Tengsheng before, but now, angered by Zhenshu and fearing that his young master would actually pursue the matter, he decided to kill Tengsheng. He smiled and coaxed Tengsheng, saying, "Miss Song is my betrothed. I only hit you because I was extremely angry. I won't hit you anymore. Tell me properly, when will your young master come?"
Teng Sheng thought he had fooled Tong Qisheng with his boast and wanted to dissuade him, so he said, "It will probably only take ten days to half a month. As for Miss Song, don't even think about it. My young master asked me to bring some money to her parents. If the amount is appropriate, we will leave together when he arrives. You should marry someone else."
Hearing that Teng Sheng was carrying silver, Tong Qisheng smashed a stone into him, nearly killing him. He then smashed him to death with several more stones before turning him over and searching his body, finding a large stack of silver notes. Tong Qisheng was an orphan, with only a scholar grandfather. Ordinary people's gifts were usually just dried fish and meat; he had rarely seen silver, let alone silver notes. He held the silver notes for a long time, feeling both joy and fear. He then threw Teng Sheng into the river and left. The next morning, under the pretext of taking the exam, he left Caijia Temple and traveled all the way to the capital. Therefore, the silver he spent when he first arrived in the capital was all betrothal money that Du Yu had entrusted to Teng Sheng to give to Zhen Shu's parents as part of his marriage proposal.
Zhen Shu was also furious and pointed at Tong Qisheng, saying, "You are a beast! How could you do that to a child who is only half a child?"
Tong Qisheng seized the opportunity to reach out and grab Zhenshu, but slowly shook his head and said, "No, I didn't kill her. You were there too. It was the two of us who killed her. You killed her to prove your innocence to me. Have you forgotten?"
He had been in the Ministry of Justice for a year, but while he lacked the ability to handle cases, he had become quite adept at framing criminals.
Suddenly, Tong Qisheng grabbed Zhenshu's high bun and yanked it hard. Zhenshu screamed in excruciating pain as he forced her onto the table. Tong Qisheng, with one hand holding her hair and the other making a gap in the table, squeezed in himself, pressed Zhenshu down onto the table, and began to pull down his own pants.
Zhenshu then realized he was serious and turned around in fright, shouting, "Help! Is anyone there? Help!"
He had already torn off her skirt, and the thing was rubbing around her pants. Zhenshu had never felt such disgust and revulsion; she trembled and cried out as if pricked by needles.
Suddenly, the door was kicked open from the outside, and Yu Yichen rushed in and slammed the door shut behind him. Tong Qisheng had only recently entered the court, and his planning for this matter was too hasty and superficial. Seeing Yu Yichen walking towards him step by step, he stood up, cupped his hands, and said, "Eunuch Yu, I am here to hear the case. No one else may enter without my permission."
Yu Yichen picked up the skirt, knelt down to tie it for Zhenshu, and then took the long sash with the feathers to help her put it on. Seeing that her long hair was loose, he used his fingers to comb it and tuck it into her back.
Tong Qisheng fastened his pants, and seeing that Yu Yichen ignored him, he opened the door and tried to escape. But as soon as he stepped outside, several gleaming long knives pointed at him, forcing him back into the house.
Yu Yichen helped Zhenshu sit on the bench and said without turning his head, "Doctor Tong, close the door."
Tong Qisheng awkwardly closed the door, turned around and smiled, "Eunuch Yu, it's all a misunderstanding. Zhenshu and I have been childhood sweethearts, and we couldn't help ourselves just now..."
Suddenly, a cold slap landed on his face. Tong Qisheng raised his hand to cover his face, and another slap landed on the other side. Yu Yifa moved with lightning speed, without saying a word. After slapping him, he switched to his fist, aiming specifically at Tong Qisheng's temple and delivering one dull blow after another. Tong Qisheng was overwhelmed by the rain of punches, unable to even utter a word of begging for mercy.
After an unknown amount of time, Tong Qisheng finally collapsed to the ground, unable to continue. Yu Yichen stopped throwing punches and silently kicked him again and again. Zhenshu didn't try to stop him; for the first time, she felt a sense of pride, a pride that Yu Yichen, being a bad person, was the only one who could truly punish this shameless man.
Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen and broke out in a cold sweat. Zhenshu cried out as she lay on the bench, "Yu Yichen, my stomach hurts."
Yu Yichen then stopped and came over to ask, "Where does it hurt?"
Zhenshu pointed to her belly and said, "Take me home quickly."
Yu Yichen picked up Zhenshu and got up. He went out and instructed Mei Xun, "Go to the Minister of Justice and tell him my order to release all the people in the mounting shop. Wait until the one inside wakes up, then beat him until he dies."
After saying that, he pointed to another person and said, "Go to the palace and summon all the imperial physicians who are not on duty today to the Jade Mansion."
Zhenshu hurriedly waved her hand and said, "I don't want to go to your place. Let's go back to my home. It's faster to get there from here."
She was in so much pain she couldn't bear it anymore; her stomach ached and hurt, and it was better to lie down on her own small bed. Only then did Yu Yichen change his mind and say, "Call them all to the mounting shop in the East Market."
Zhenshu nestled in his arms for an unknown amount of time, but as the carriage jolted and her stomach ached more and more, she couldn't help but ask, "How much longer?"
Yu Yichen said, "Soon, we'll be there soon."
Zhenshu gritted her teeth and endured it, then asked after a long while, "Why haven't they arrived yet?"
Yu Yichen asked, "Aren't you comfortable in my arms?"
Zhenshu said, "I feel uncomfortable, I'm in pain. When I'm in pain, I have to lie on my little bed to bear it."
She endured two months of excruciating pain, coughing incessantly day and night in a windowless room behind the framing shop, spitting out mouthfuls of blood. Every night, he could hear her heart-wrenching coughs from downstairs. After each consultation, the doctor would bring the imperial physician to discuss her condition with him, and then adjust the prescription accordingly. Her father had kicked her, injuring her heart and lungs; though it seemed harmless at the time, it gradually worsened over time.
Apart from Yu Yichen, no one knew that she had almost died in that windowless little house. For countless nights, he stood downstairs anxiously listening, his heart pounding with worry at the sound of her cough, and fearing she was dead when he couldn't hear her. He endured this torment for two whole months. When she finally came downstairs, he felt as if he had just emerged from a long and terrifying nightmare, but thankfully, he had survived it.
The carriage arrived at the back gate, and Yu Yichen carried Zhenshu up to the small building. The stairs dazzled Zhenshu's eyes, while Madam Su, mouth agape and handkerchief in hand, thought: Finally, we're back.
She had a very long dream, in which there was the Wei River, Teng Sheng, and Tong Qisheng. The image of Teng Sheng calling out to his mistress and Tong Qisheng smashing him with stones were both very clear. She cried out in desperation, begging Tong Qisheng to stop, but the stone in his hand continued to fall relentlessly. Suddenly, in a flash, the stone transformed into Yu Yichen's fist, striking Tong Qisheng's face repeatedly.
Madam Su watched for a long time, but the eunuch in the royal blue round-necked robe remained motionless. She clasped her hands in her pockets and asked Zhenyi, "What should we do? Should we inform Du Yu?"
Zhenyi said, "Mother, just let them handle it themselves. I don't know when Xiuer and the others will be released."
Was it Teng Sheng who died, or Tong Qi who died?
Zhen Shu suddenly woke up, opened her eyes and saw Yu Yichen holding her hand. She pursed her lips and said, "I want to drink water."
Yu Yichen took a pillow to cushion her and helped her sit up, then brought her water and fed her spoonful by spoonful.
Zhenshu asked, "How is Tong Qisheng? He is the son-in-law of the Privy Councilor. I heard that the Privy Councilor's family has a daughter who is the Empress in the palace. Don't let him beat you to death and cause trouble for yourself."
Yu Yichen sneered, "The Empress is merely the Privy Councilor's niece, not his biological daughter."
When Zhenshu saw that he had finished feeding her water and brought her a bowl of porridge with some meat floss in it, she shook her head and said, "I don't want to eat this greasy stuff."
Yu Yichen said, "We must eat it, for the sake of the child."
Zhenshu was taken aback and asked, "What child?"
Yu Yichen scooped up a spoonful of porridge and fed it to her. After she swallowed it, he said, "Your child, didn't you know you were pregnant?"
Zhenshu instinctively clutched her stomach and shook her head, saying, "Impossible, how could I be pregnant?"
Su hurriedly came over from outside the door and said, "It was that time, that time."
Seeing Yu Yichen's piercing gaze fixed on her, she sheepishly shrank back. Zhenshu pushed the bowl away and said, "Impossible, I had my period last month."
She suddenly realized that since Yu Yichen knew she was pregnant, he must also know that the child must be Du Yu's. She panicked and waved her hands wildly, saying, "They tricked me into going there. I thought I was drugged and there was no cure, so... But I still had my period last month."
Yu Yichen said, "In the early stages of pregnancy, vigorous activity can also cause bleeding. Many people don't understand this and think it's menstruation."
☆、115|Killing Intent
Zhenshu was stunned and speechless. After a long while, she said bitterly, "The doctors must have made a mistake. I can't be pregnant and I won't get pregnant."
Madam Su leaned out of the doorway and said, "You just believe it? Seven or eight imperial physicians took each of their pulses just now, and there was no mistake."
Seeing that Yu Yichen was still stirring the porridge, Zhen Shu suddenly realized that this was a rift that could not be explained or repaired by any words. She felt extremely ashamed and reached out to cover her stomach, saying, "In the end, it was I who let you down again."
Yu Yichen brought the porridge to her lips and said, "Drink the porridge first, we can talk about other things later."
After feeding him a bowl of porridge, he put it down and said, "Since you didn't miscarry after all that commotion today, it proves that this child is destined for you. You should focus on your pregnancy and not think about anything else. Once you've calmed down, go and discuss the child with Du Yu. After all, a child needs both a father and a mother to be born into this world; it's not something one person can bear alone."
She's too fiery; if she were truly forced into it, she probably wouldn't easily back down.
Seeing that Yu Yichen wouldn't even look her in the eye, Zhenshu reached out and grabbed his sleeve, asking, "So, you don't want me anymore?"
Yu Yichen reached out and pried her hands away, smiling gently, "You should be like other women, get married, have children, and live a peaceful life."
Zhenshu subconsciously shook her head and said, "I don't want to."
She suddenly covered her mouth and cried, "I know I'm shameless and brazen, but I still want to marry you."