Chapter 67: The Tables Have Turned
Fang Jian stormed out of the Gao residence. Back home, the more she thought about it, the more furious she became, pacing around her study in a rage. She wanted to smash something, but couldn't bear to part with anything. The atmosphere should have been somber and sorrowful, but Xiuzhu, watching from the side, couldn't help but feel an urge to laugh. Fang Jian noticed her and promptly began to enumerate Gao Yunqu's faults.
Xiuzhu listened with a placid expression. When Fang Jian had tired herself out from cursing, she said, "If you have the nerve, you should go and say this to Lord Gao's face."
Fang Jian was taken aback by her words and shot her a resentful look. Fortunately, having vented her anger, her mind had cleared somewhat.
Seeing that she had calmed down, Xiuzhu asked, "What are your plans now?"
Fang Jian was no longer ruled by her anger. She replied calmly, "It doesn't matter how she treats me. The most urgent task is to stop her from going to Chuzhou."
"Lord Gao must have her own plans. Why are you against it?"
"She hasn't the slightest regard for herself," Fang Jian said, grinding her teeth again at the thought. "Over the years, from the Merit Evaluation System to the law of avoidance, and then the recent conflict over the New Policies, she has offended nearly every civil and military official at court. If she goes to take charge of the New Policies now, what path of retreat will she have left?"
"But if Her Majesty intends for her to go, she can't refuse, can she?" Xiuzhu frowned.
Fang Jian didn't reply, but looked at Xiuzhu with a serious expression. "I'm afraid I'm truly about to do something I shouldn't. Xiuzhu, will you stand with me?"
Xiuzhu's expression grew solemn. She replied with gravity, "When Lord Gao sent me over, she had already given instructions. I belong only to you."
Fang Jian couldn't help but feel a little emotional upon hearing this, but her resolve hardened in an instant. "Good. Give everyone in the residence a stern warning. From this day forward, not a single piece of information is to be passed to that side."
"Yes."
Wei Qi chose a day to announce that Chuzhou would be a pilot location, with Vice Minister of Works Gao Yunqu appointed as imperial commissioner to depart for Chuzhou as soon as possible to oversee the New Policies. But the court was still frantically assailing Gao Yunqu, attempting to change this outcome. The memorials of impeachment filled a large chest, all of which Wei Qi set aside without action.
Watching A'zheng organize the memorials, Wei Qi sighed, "Doesn't this scene feel somewhat familiar?"
A'zheng also felt a touch of emotion. "Lord Gao has truly always been walking on the cusp of the storm."
Wei Qi fell silent. She was not a cold and ruthless person; to this day, she still remembered the bright, determined look in Gao Yunqu's eyes that year when she had extended a hand to her. But this supreme position always devoured her warmth and innocence. She was the incarnation of this throne, the incarnation of this imperial seal, not Wei Qi the person. Wei Qi could look out for Gao Yunqu, but the sovereign could not. The sovereign's sole reason for existence was to secure the realm. If she could not, even death would be insufficient to atone for her crime.
"There is no one else I can use," Wei Qi sighed. In the end, she still chose to place this heavy pressure on Gao Yunqu, calculating that she would bestow more rewards upon her return.
However, things never went as smoothly as she wished. At the grand court assembly on the fifteenth day of the third month, Ministry of Rites Attendant Xiao Xian impeached Gao Yunqu for engaging in pleasure during her mourning period, accusing her of being deficient in virtue, disloyal and unfilial, and unworthily occupying a high position. As soon as these words were spoken, the silent hall of state suddenly erupted, buzzing with incessant noise.
"Silence!" Fan Ying stepped forward, shouting a sharp halt. Her gaze fell coldly on Xiao Xian. "Attendant Xiao, you cannot speak recklessly. Vice Minister Gao's mourning period was many years ago. How could you possibly know of this?"
Xiao Xian took a step forward and said confidently, "This subject has evidence. This is a letter between Lord Gao and a friend, in which she mentions the matter of her own indulgence. This subject took the liberty of checking, and it is indeed Lord Gao's handwriting."
The Head Eunuch personally walked down to receive his memorial and evidence, presenting them to Her Majesty. Gao Yunqu felt a wave of dizziness. The phrase "engaging in pleasure during her mourning period" had sent a cold sweat breaking out across her body—after all, she knew perfectly well what she had done. But Xiao Xian's confident assertion that he had a letter in her own hand as proof left her completely baffled. To whom would she ever write about such a thing?
Wei Qi read the letter, trembling with rage. She naturally recognized Gao Yunqu's handwriting; though it hadn't been verified, it was at least seventy or eighty percent similar. She couldn't help but curse Gao Yunqu in her heart. The indulgence itself was one thing, but how could she have left behind such incriminating evidence?
Over on the side, Fan Ying was still asking, "Attendant Xiao, and where did you obtain this letter?"
"It was naturally handed to this subordinate official by someone. However, fearing retaliation, that person has already gone into hiding. This subject also does not know their whereabouts."
"Minister Gao, what do you have to say?" Wei Qi looked at Gao Yunqu.
Gao Yunqu composed herself, stepped out from the ranks, and replied, "This subject has never done such a thing. This is slander."
Wei Qi said, her voice laced with anger, "The Court of Judicial Review is ordered to investigate this thoroughly!" The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review stepped out from the ranks to receive the command.
Just as Wei Qi was about to rise and leave, Lu Songnian stepped out from the ranks to report, "Your Majesty, this matter is of grave importance. Should we not ask Vice Minister Gao to be suspended from her duties to prepare her defense, according to procedure?"
Wei Qi stared at her with a grim expression. After a long moment, she said, "Approved." Then, unable to contain her fury, she rose and departed. Once outside the great hall, she said in a low voice to the Head Eunuch, "Go and bring Gao Yunqu to Us!"
Wei Qi went into an inner hall and changed into plain clothes. By the time she returned, Gao Yunqu had already removed her official hat and was kneeling in the middle of the main hall.
She picked up the memorial from the desk, tossed it into Gao Yunqu's arms, and jutted her chin at her. "Explain."
Gao Yunqu opened the memorial and read it carefully, then examined the so-called evidence. On it was written her dissatisfaction with her father, and it claimed she had deliberately engaged in pleasure during the mourning period to insult her deceased father.
"It is not this subject's handwriting; the letter is a forgery." After she finished reading, Gao Yunqu figured out the whole situation in a moment. "I'm afraid someone does not want this subject to go to Chuzhou."
"Not your handwriting?" Wei Qi, who had been filled with rage, was stunned to hear this. "Who could possibly imitate your handwriting so perfectly?"
"Your Majesty, that is not important. This subject is no master calligrapher; with enough effort, it can always be imitated." Gao Yunqu straightened the memorial and placed it carefully on the floor in front of her. "Your Majesty is aware of the old matters between this subject and my father. Although I held a grudge against him, I would not need to gamble with my own official career."
"We know," Wei Qi said, seething inwardly. "To happen at this exact moment."
"Your Majesty, this is precisely the time it had to happen. This subject is suspended to prepare my defense, and the investigation by the Court of Judicial Review will drag on for more than a month. Naturally, I will miss the trip to Chuzhou."
Wei Qi slammed her hand on the desk, utterly enraged. "Head Eunuch! Have the Imperial City Guard investigate as well!"
Gao Yunqu prostrated herself. "Your Majesty, I fear they will not be able to find anything. But as long as it can be proven that it is not this subject's handwriting, the evidence will be invalid. The only problem now is... time."
"We know, We know. You may return for now."
Gao Yunqu performed her salutations and withdrew, striding swiftly out of the palace gates where Gao Yuan was already waiting with her horse.
"My lord, what took you so long?"
Gao Yunqu swung herself onto the horse, her expression grim. "At court this morning, someone impeached me for engaging in pleasure during my mourning period."
Gao Yuan turned pale with shock. "This... this... How could word of this possibly get out? Everyone in the residence who knows is a trusted old servant..."
Gao Yunqu spurred her horse onward, her voice dark. "There is one other person who knows it all far more clearly than any of you."
"You mean..." Gao Yuan's eyes widened, so shocked she was at a loss for words.
Gao Yunqu galloped home. She dismounted nimbly at the entrance, tossed the reins to a young servant, and strode into the residence.
Gao Ying came forward to take the horsewhip from her hand and said, "My lord, the young mistress has arrived. She is waiting for you in the study."
"Perfect timing!" Gao Yunqu forcefully suppressed her rage, snatched the horsewhip back from Gao Ying's hand, and turned to Gao Yuan. "A'yuan, tell everyone to stay far away. No one is to come near."
Seeing her lord's fury boiling over, Gao Yuan tried to block her but failed, nearly getting struck by the whip herself. She could only do as she was told.
Gao Yunqu entered the courtyard where the study was located by herself. The moment she stepped through the gate, she saw Fang Jian, who had removed her official robes and was wearing only her inner tunic, kneeling in the middle of the courtyard.
She walked closer with a cold sneer. "You do have some self-awareness, I see."
Fang Jian prostrated herself. "Jian knows she has failed you, my lord, and has come especially to ask for punishment."
"Tell me why you did this." Gao Yunqu looked at her, feeling as if she were a complete stranger.
Fang Jian straightened up and said calmly, "My lord would not listen to me, so I acted according to my own methods."
Utterly enraged, Gao Yunqu strode a few steps to get behind her, swung her arm back, and brought the whip down fiercely across her spine, using every ounce of her strength.
"Ngh..." Fang Jian let out a muffled grunt, sweat beading on her forehead. She clenched her jaw and endured the pain.
"Fang Jian, Fang Linshen, you have disappointed me so deeply!" Gao Yunqu stood behind Fang Jian. Fang Jian could not see her figure and naturally did not know that her eyes had reddened, her entire bearing desolate. "What are you doing? Did I not tell you that power is a public instrument, not to be used for private ends? Who taught you to manipulate power like this?"
Fang Jian gave a low laugh. "My lord, I have always been this kind of person. One who would sell herself to survive, who would scramble upwards desperately with the slightest foothold, who doesn't care how despicable the means are, as long as I can achieve my desire... That is the kind of person I am..."
"You!" Gao Yunqu was rendered speechless by her words. She struck her several more times in succession, and traces of blood seeped out, staining the clean white tunic. "With your intelligence, why must you resort to such self-destructive methods? Are you taking revenge on me?"
Fang Jian did not answer directly, only saying, "My lord, my vital point is in your hands. If you do not trust me, you need only hand it over and let my reputation be ruined and my life disgraced."
Gao Yunqu naturally knew what she was talking about. The deed of sale that Fang Jian had forced her to accept all those years ago had now become a sharp, cold-gleaming blade that Fang Jian herself was handing to her. But how could she possibly bear to use it!
"Do you have any idea what will happen to you if word of this gets out? For me, it will be nothing more than idle gossip, but for you, it will mean being doomed beyond redemption..." she said, her voice hoarse.
"My lord, everything I have was given to me by you. It matters not if I give it all back." Fang Jian smiled again. Her body was trembling from the pain, yet her heart felt more open and honest than ever before. She could finally pour out all the bitterness and sorrow. "But you, my lord... you are the one I stabbed in the back, so why is your first concern for me?"
"..." Gao Yunqu was speechless.
Fang Jian continued, "I have made my move, my lord. How will you receive it?"
"That is no reason for you to abuse your power. I know what kind of person you are; you should not be stained by filth for my sake. If Her Majesty's investigation traces this back to you, do you think you will be left with your life?" Gao Yunqu's roar made Fang Jian feel a little dizzy. She actually felt a sense of contentment. She was not entirely absent from Gao Yunqu's heart.
She pushed a step further. "My lord, in what capacity are you lecturing me now? I am no longer your bird in the palm, nor am I your student. What, exactly, am I to you?"
"You..." Gao Yunqu could not answer. The hand holding the whip trembled slightly.
"My lord, are you clear on it yourself?" Fang Jian asked provocatively, a smile playing on her lips.
Gao Yunqu opened her mouth but could not speak. She had never imagined she would be so thoroughly checkmated by Fang Jian. Flustered, she threw down the whip and roared, "Get... get out!"
Fang Jian moved her knees with difficulty, turned around, and prostrated herself before Gao Yunqu in a deep bow. Then, she slowly pushed herself up and stumbled toward the courtyard exit.
Gao Yuan was waiting personally at the gate. She caught Fang Jian just as she was about to fall, shook out a cloak to cover her injuries, and carried her on her back to stuff her into the carriage. She watched as Xiuzhu drove away, then ordered the servants to keep their mouths shut, warning them repeatedly. Only after handling all of this did she go back to find Gao Yunqu.
Gao Yunqu remained alone in the study, her figure looking lost and helpless.
"A'yuan, look. I've raised a little wolf cub."
Gao Yuan's heart ached for her. "My lord, you both hold each other in your hearts. How did things ever come to this?"
"Perhaps it's because I was greedy."
Meanwhile, Fang Jian was on her way home, whimpering and complaining of the pain the entire way. Xiuzhu, thoroughly exasperated, scolded her from outside the carriage door, "You should save this coquettish act for Lord Gao. What's the point of directing it at me?"
"Would I dare? If I went to her now, she might just beat me to death." Having completely vented the frustrations in her heart, Fang Jian's mood brightened considerably.
"I really don't know what you're trying to gain from all this," Xiuzhu said mockingly. Once they were home, she helped Fang Jian sit down in the bedroom, fetched medicine, and pulled off her clothes. Gao Yunqu had not struck with lethal force; all told, she had only lashed her a few dozen times, but the bloody welts on her back were still a shocking sight.
"My lord really strikes a heavy hand..."
"She knew what she was doing. At least she didn't go for your face."
Xiuzhu rolled her eyes and began to sprinkle medicine on the wounds. "Alright, then. You'll have to bear it."
"Ngh..."
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