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circumference-pie · 4 months ago

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琅琊榜 | Langya List, Published Ch. 68

The published version of Chapter 68 in the novel added a confrontation between Mei Changsu and Xiao Xuan that's reminiscent of the one in the drama but is absent in the web version (Chapters 172 to 173 on the web). Below is a complete translation of the published Chapter 68, with text unique to new version in blue.

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Black text: same as the webnovel, translated by Dawn at langyanirvana.wordpress.com. Blue text: unique to published version, translation mine.

In the split second after the Crown Prince made his stand clear, it was as if the wind blew through a field of wheat. The rest of the court officials who had decided to wait and see immediately bowed down one after another in succession, clamoring the two words, “I second”. After a while, even the timidly cowering Prince Xu and Prince Huai ventured to mumble something very softly as they joined those assembled in protest at the steps.By now, the entire hall was assembled in protest, except the one guest official, who observed all these proceedings with eyes that were clear and cold as ice.

If it had been just an assembly of court officials causing a commotion, the Liang Emperor was confident of suppressing them, but confronted in that moment with Xiao Jingyan’s fiercely intense gaze, he began to feel a little flustered.

Because he understood this son’s feelings towards Prince Qi and the Lin clan. Back then, although he was severely disadvantaged, he totally disregarded the consequences and argued fiercely for them. Now that irrefutable evidence had emerged, Xiao Jingyan would naturally not let it go.

If he didn’t restrain this son, he wouldn’t be able to keep the presently tumultuous situation in court under control. But after some consideration, he suddenly realized that he no longer had any real power in his hands now, to control and suppress a Crown Prince who had been supervising the country with outstanding achievements.

It's not that the emperor wasn't moved by the facts Princess Liyang just revealed. He was also shaken, he was also stunned, but his mean, chilly nature and ruler's instincts quickly rose up. He started to realize the damage overturning the case would do to his reputation and authority, and with horror he also started to realize that Xiao Jingyan's power had already grown out of his control. The Crown Prince who he had personally raised up -- his unyielding attitude at this moment, coupled with the support the court officials gave him -- these caused the emperor to feel shocked and unable to accept the situation. So he gritted his teeth and let his eyes roam over the hall, trying to find some support.

Old court officials, new court officials, the imperial family, the harem…he couldn’t find what he was looking for in any one of their faces. Not even the gentle and sweet-tempered Consort Jing, whose eyes were presently so bright he couldn’t bear to look at them.

In all his decades as the supreme ruler and absolute monarch, the Liang Emperor had never felt truly alone and helpless until that moment. What’s even more important, he could no longer override all objections with force and cruelty as he did back then.

"According to this letter, the main conspirators were Xie Yu and Xia Jiang and no one else. Now one is dead and the other on the run. What can we hope to achieve with the perpetrators absent? Why don't we wait until Xia Jiang is captured, and then we'll see…" The Liang emperor had thought for a long while, and now he argued this last excuse in a soft, humble voice. But almost as soon as he finished speaking, Cai Quan tore this last resort to pieces in his uncommonly piercing voice.

"I wish to inform Your Majesty…Xia Jiang has already been returned. The summary I presented to Your Majesty yesterday reported this. Surely Your Majesty hasn't forgotten?"

It wasn't that the emperor had forgotten; it was that he hadn't looked at all. Upon suddenly hearing this news, his whole face immediately took on a greenish tinge.

After a period of uproar, the hall gradually quietened, but the quiet carried with it a sort of silent power that made the Emperor feel even more pressured compared to the earlier chaos. Because all present were no longer behaving impulsively or simply following the crowd, but were now calm-headed. They all continued to stand in place, showing no sign of retreating.

The Liang Emperor knew that now that matters have come to this, it didn’t matter how long they remained in stalemate, there could only be one outcome.

“I….allow the ministers to present a memorial….”

The old Emperor spat these few words out weakly. Xiao Jingyan suddenly felt his heart surge, but he immediately suppressed it and didn’t reveal anything. Instead, he gave Cai Quan a quick glance.

“Since Your Majesty has approved the reinvestigation of the Chiyan case, would Your Majesty also like to appoint someone to preside over the reinvestigation?” asked the shangshu of the Ministry of Justice as he bowed respectfully.

“I won’t discuss matters of the court now,” declined the Liang Emperor softly, “….the presiding judge will be decided another day.”

“Your Majesty, this is a serious matter and should not be delayed. Since matters have already come to a head, why postpone it?” said the Zhongshu Ling Liu Cheng in response, “This old minister thought it over. Selecting the presiding judge is no small matter. He must be a person of good moral standing and reputation, loyal, upright and impartial. He must also be astute and meticulous. I’m afraid it would be difficult to find all these qualities in one person, so perhaps it would be best to appoint a few presiding judges to conduct a joint reinvestigation.”

“Liu daren is right,” said Shen Zhui immediately. “Your servant proposes Prince Ji.”

“Your servant proposes Marquis Yan!” said Mu Qing loudly as before.

Faced with all these proposals, the Liang Emperor squeezed his eyes shut. Actually, it no longer mattered who would be presiding judge. As long as Xiao Jingyan remained, the outcome of the reinvestigation of the Chiyan case was clear. Even if he himself was the imperial throne, he no longer had the power to prevent this. Prince Ji, Marquis Yan and the Senior Official of the Imperial Court of Justice, Ye Shizhen received the most votes for the role of presiding judge. Feeling the fatigue suddenly surge in his heart, the Liang Emperor gave in and approved all of their requests. When the three men appointed to bear that great responsibility bowed to receive the imperial decree, Xiao Jingyan, who had been doing all he could to hold it in, suddenly felt a burning sensation in his throat and involuntarily turned to look at Mei Changsu.

Mei Changsu remained as silent as before. Although beneath the surface, he was like a pot of water brought to a rolling boil, he was so quiet it didn’t seem like he was there at all. But anyone observing carefully would notice the deep anger in his dark, bottomless eyes as he stared with scorching eyes at the old emperor seated on the throne, as if he wanted to pierce through that decaying and weak exterior to stab at his fierce, vicious and self-centred past self…..

But the Liang Emperor did not perceive this guest official’s gaze. He got up to get away from the hall where he could no longer breathe, his entire body swaying, his white hair and beard trembling in disarray. As before, the Crown Prince and all present still proceeded to kowtow deferentially as he took his leave. Looking down at them in that moment, however, what he felt in his heart was already entirely different from what it used to feel like in the past. This difference was in the bones, so deep that no words could describe it.

Consort Jing got up to accompany the Liang Emperor as she had always done, but just as she extended her hands to support him, the Liang Emperor pushed her away, leaning only against Gao Zhan’s shoulders for support to board the Dragon Carriage alone. His refusal did not bother Consort Jing. She bore it with equanimity, her lips lifted faintly in a calm smile as she took another palanquin back to the inner palace.

On the small table in the Emperor’s bedroom, that morning’s unfinished game of chess was still laid out, untouched. It was the first thing the Emperor saw when he stumbled in. In a sudden fit of anger, he overturned the chessboard, scattering the black and white jade chess pieces. Some of them hit his face, causing a stinging pain on his skin.

Father and son were supposed to resume their game after the birthday ceremony….but after what happened today, was there any point to the game? Regardless of its outcome, he had already been forced against his will to capitulate to the Crown Prince and all the ministers during the earlier uprising, so he had already conceded defeat.

The Chiyan case was the greatest knot between father and son. This was something the Liang Emperor had long since been aware of. However, he didn’t expect that there would be so many facts tied to the case that he wasn’t even aware of, and that they would suddenly surface again after thirteen whole years, as if the resentment of all the dead souls refused to be pacified.

The Liang Emperor suddenly began to shiver all over. He was just about to summon Consort Jing but stopped himself.

He didn’t know why but the old emperor suddenly recalled the commotion that happened in the outer corridor this morning. Slapping his palm on the top of the table, he called out loudly, “Men! Summon Concubine Yue! Quickly summon Concubine Yue for an audience!” The Emperor was still the emperor after all, and his orders were quickly executed, and before a quarter of an hour had passed, Concubine Yue was led into the hall. She had lost the elegance she once had, and looked like a haggard old woman now, though the contours of her eyes were still graceful and elegant, and they flashed occasionally with a cold gleam. As soon as she saw the Liang Emperor, she immediately rushed forward, repeating the same words over and over, “Your Majesty, your servant has a secret report*.….a secret report.….” *literal translation

“Concubine Fei,” The Liang Emperor held her chin between his fingers and raised her face up, “What secret report do you have? Was it about Liyang’s sudden revolt in Wuying Hall today?”

“Your concubine wants to secretly report Prince Jing….Prince Jing is plotting some wrongdoing….”

“You’ve been in the palace. How would you know what Jingyan is doing?”

“Zuo Zhongcheng, the Eastern Lord mentioned it….” said Concubine Yue eagerly, her speech a little incoherent. “His niece entered the palace….told your servant…that the Eastern Lord is loyal to the Crown Prince….loyalty to the Crown Prince makes him loyal to Your Majesty….”

The Liang Emperor frowned. It took him a while before he realized that the Crown Prince she was referring to was the abolished Xiao Jingxuan, and his face immediately darkened.

“Prince Jing has been summoning the court officials non-stop, and many of them….the Eastern Lord heard of this….but Your Majesty hasn’t been attending court, so he couldn’t tell Your Majesty, and could only think of your concubine. After so long, he was the only one who still remembers your servant….as long as Prince Jing falls, the Crown Prince can return….the Eastern Lord is a faithful official. The Crown Prince will not treat him unfairly. Your Majesty will also not treat us unfairly. We are the first to report this. It’s the highest merit. You must be sure to break Prince Jing into a million pieces and bring the Crown Prince back….Xuan’er is the true Crown Prince. By preventing Prince Jing’s conspiracy, your concubine is rendering great merit. The Eastern Lord also supports Xuan’er. Your Majesty, please restore the Crown Prince, restore the Crown Prince!”

As she spoke, Concubine Yue’s previously gloomy expression changed. She became more emotional, her voice shrill and she even began foaming at the mouth, greatly alarming the Emperor. Perhaps he hadn’t seen Concubine Yue in a long time, but he never thought that this once magnificent imperial consort would become like this, her shrewdness and eloquence completely gone, leaving behind only paranoia and delirium. Even though what she said was true, she was clearly mad. Realizing this, the Liang Emperor began to shake off the hands that clung him, but the more he shook her off, the more she clung on, her fingernails gouging into his flesh, the pain causing him to cry out loudly, “Men! Take her away! Quickly, take her away!”

“Your Majesty….Prince Jing is planning a rebellion. For this servant’s meritorious deed in reporting it, please restore the Crown Prince….”, screamed Concubine Yue as she was being dragged away. The Liang Emperor’s hands and feet felt cold, his eyes flickering, and he unconsciously slumped forward, his eyes squeezed shut as he gasped for breath. Gao Zhan rushed forward with calming tea, patting the Emperor softly on his chest and stroking his back as he drank it up.

The Liang Emperor felt a pain in his chest, like he couldn’t catch his breath, and all his limbs were numb. Thinking about what Concubine Yue had said, he felt angry and helpless at the same time. As matters stand now, what difference did such knowledge make? He didn’t even have the energy and mental strength to pull himself together…..

“Your Majesty, shall I summon the imperial physician?” asked Gao Zhan.

“Summon….go summon….” No matter what, staying alive was the most important. The more he struggled to breathe, the more anxious the Liang Emperor felt. Fortunately, after the imperial physicians quickly rushed over to examine him, they concluded that it was due to irregular flow of qi and blood caused by disharmony in the viscera* with no major symptoms. They prescribed a dose of herbal medicine and quickly steeped it. After drinking it, the Emperor was a little more calm. Then he had his bath, after which he went to bed. *approximate translation for TCM medical diagnosis. High likelihood of an inaccurate translation

Whether it was the effect of the medicine, or because the Liang Emperor was too old to endure such turmoil, it wasn’t long before he fell asleep. Gao Zhan kept watch by the foot of the bed for a while, and when he was sure that the Emperor was sound asleep, he silently got up, looked at the bed for a while, then quietly retreated backwards in a crouch, one step at a time until he reached the side door where he slipped out without a sound.

Just outside the side door was the long and winding Yunding corridor. Consort Jing was still waiting patiently along the corridor, the sleeves of her robes fluttering, her gown billowing in the wind. Her gaze was clear and calm, and bore no particular expression. Gao Zhan stopped about ten zhang* away from where she stood, gazing attentively at this imperial consort who had risen steadily to the top without getting embroiled in a fight for the crown. This steward of the inner palace had always kept his gaze downcast and vaguely submissive, but for the first time now, his face revealed an expression, an expression of secret determination. *ten x 3.3m (1 zhang is 10 Chinese feet i.e. 3.3m)

Gao Zhan knew that it was finally time for him to take a stand.

“Reporting to niang niang, it was Zuo Zhongcheng, the Eastern Lord….” Approaching Consort Jing, he simply said these few words, after which he curled forward and waited unmovingly for a response.

Consort Jing’s pupils shifted faintly, and she merely gave a quiet “Ng”, but the tension in Gao Zhan’s face relaxed visibly. After bowing deeply at the waist in salutation, he retraced his steps back to the Emperor’s bedroom.

The Liang Emperor remained in the same position as before on the bed, but his breathing had become increasingly irregular, and after a short while, he began to stir agitatedly, his head tossing side to side on the pillow, his forehead breaking out in cold sweat, his hands stretched out, grasping the air, his mouth muttering incoherently.

“Wake His Majesty up. He’s having another nightmare,” Consort Jing gently instructed, seeming to have suddenly appeared.

Gao Zhan hurriedly responded. Getting up, he leaned over the bed and gently shook the Liang Emperor’s arm.

“Your Majesty….Your Majesty!!” After calling out to the Liang Emperor a few times, he suddenly sat up as if something had jolted him awake, staring dully ahead, his head dripping with perspiration. “What did Your Majesty dream about?” Consort Jing wiped away the old Emperor’s perspiration with a plain handkerchief and said softly, “It’s probably not only Concubine Chen. Was there anyone else?”

Trembling all over, the Liang Emperor shook her hand away, saying angrily, “You still have the audacity to appear before me? All my generosity towards you mother and son has been in vain, for you to harbour such evil intentions and deliberately scheme to overturn the Chiyan case! I have been really blind, to have trusted such disloyal and unfilial persons!”

“Even if we had deliberately schemed,” said Consort Jing calmly, “There is something Your Majesty must understand. In addition to long-standing feelings and long-standing planning, there is another more important reason for overturning the Chiyan case.”

“What, what other reason?”

“The truth. The truth of the matter.” Consort Jing’s gaze pierced right into the heart of the Liang Emperor. “Your Majesty is the Honorable Son of Heaven. As long as you refuse to admit to the facts revealed today, of course nobody could force you to. But even though you are the Son of Heaven, there are some things you cannot do, for example influencing the conscience and convictions of the people, modifying the opinions of future generations, nor can you prevent the people of the past from appearing in your dreams…..”

"Stop talking!" The Liang Emperor’s face was pallid and he was shaking all over, both his hands clasping his forehead as he fell backward with a loud cry, convulsing and gasping for breath against the pillow, but he didn't dare close his eyes. "Why did you come to me, this is all Xia Jiang, it's all because of Xia Jiang and Xie Yu…"

"Next time they appear in your dreams, perhaps Your Majesty can ask them." Consort Jing's voice was still warm and gentle, as if she were talking about nothing of import. "But your concubine believes that even for someone as monstrous as Xia Jiang, there should be one or two people who make him afraid of dreaming."

The emperor turned around and stared at her for a long time, then muttered, "Xia Jiang betrayed me too…but some things he said were true…he said Jingyan hadn't let go of the Chiyan case, and…" When he got to this point, his whole expression suddenly hardened, and he gripped the teacup on the table, spitting toward Consort Jing, "He said that Su Zhe was once Prince Qi's man. Am I right?"

Consort Jing lifted the zisha* teapot to refill the cup, and said mildly, "True or not, what does it matter? Xia Jiang's betrayal isn't a lie, and the injustice to the Chiyan Army isn't a lie. As long as Your Majesty is clear about these two matters, the rights and the wrongs are plain. What other doubts are there to harbor?" *Yixing clay teapot, also called a Zisha or purple clay teapot, used to brew a traditional style of tea.

A glimmer of cold light flashed in the depths of the Liang Emperor's eyes, and his whole body slowly tautened. Raising his voice, he shouted, "Men!"

"This old servant is here…" Gao Zhan hurried to say.

"Go…summon that Su Zhe here! I want to see him!"

Consort Jing really had not predicted the emperor would give such an order. She was slightly startled, and though her shapely eyebrows rose, she slowly lowered her eyelids again, and sat down peacefully without saying anything.

The door to the hall opened about an hour later, and Mei Changsu entered, his gait even, still in his plain robes, crow-black hair encircled by a jade ornament. He stopped before the emperor's couch and offered his respects without a word. After bending for a while, there was still no response at all from the emperor, so he just stood up of his own volition. The Liang emperor wrinkled his brow, but didn't use this as an excuse to give him trouble. Instead, he looked at Mei Changsu coldly for a long time, then asked, "Su Zhe, how many times have we met so far?"

"This should be the fourth time," Mei Changsu replied, after thinking about it a little.

"Do you remember when I asked you why you came to the capital, and you said…Jingxuan and Jinghuan both wanted to recruit you at the same time, so you didn't have any choice but to enter the capital, am I right?"

"That was true." Mei Changsu smiled slightly. "Everything was in Your Majesty's palm at that time, so would I dare to not tell the truth?"

"That's right. I verified it, and you really did tell the truth. At the time I wouldn't have minded one or the other of those two having another strategist." The Liang emperor narrowed his eyes, his tone of voice becoming colder and colder. "Although what I missed then is that it wasn't that simple, you're not just a strategist. And…you didn't tell me the whole truth."

Mei Changsu still wore his little smile. He said, "Like I just said, at that time Your Majesty held everything in the palm of your hand. How could I say the whole truth?"

"Then what about now? I am in the depths of old age, and can't even hold a teacup steady. Can you tell the truth now?"

"Your Majesty is still Your Majesty," Mei Changsu said gently, "The people still anxiously await Your Majesty's enlightened justice."

"So if I overturn the Chiyan case, this will be 'enlightened justice'? Is that it?" A glimmer of viciousness appeared in the emperor's expression. "Jingyan controls the whole court in the palm of his hand. I can't do anything to him anymore. Tell me, why couldn't he wait until I was dead to overturn this case?"

"Because it wouldn't be the same."

"What about it wouldn't be the same?"

Mei Changsu looked deeply and directly into the old emperor's muddled eyes, and enunciated, "To Prince Qi, it wouldn't be the same."

"Prince Qi?" It was as if the emperor had been pierced by a sharp needle. His lower lip trembled violently. "Prince Qi…You -- you are one of Prince Qi's people…tell me, tell us…who were you in Prince Qi's household?"

"Is that all Your Majesty wishes to ask?" Mei Changsu's tone was even and frozen, as if he was holding a piece of ice with his teeth. "Consort Chen, Prince Qi, General Lin, Grand Princess Jinyang…and Lin Shu…which one of these departed wasn't once dear to Your Majesty? But as soon as people raise their voices to cry injustice for them, where did Your Majesty's thoughts go? To calculate how much power the Crown Prince has now! To doubt the positions and motivations of the court! To question the identity of a strategist! It has been many hours since Grand Princess Liyang so simply spoke those lines in the great hall, but Your Majesty, haven't you even thought to glance at the letter Xie Yu wrote? Is it that to Your Majesty, the truth of the past is really so small a matter? How your eldest son, your flesh and blood, came step by step to death? Do you really care so little?"

The Liang Emperor had only just gotten control of his feelings with difficulty, but Mei Changsu threw them into disorder again. A flush covering his whole face, his lip turning purple, he hissed loudly in anger, "You…insolence! Insolence!"

"I've already read this letter of Xie Yu's, and it's very detailed. How General Lin was killed, how Prince Qi was shattered like a piece of jade, one occurrence after another, nothing left out. I have the copy I made here, would Your Majesty like to see it?" Mei Changsu tilted his head up, the white jade of his face like ice. "Or…I can read it out loud to Your Majesty?"

Seeing this guest of the court feel out some folded papers from his sleeve, the Liang Emperor clenched his jaw, his head covered in cold sweat. He said forcefully, "Shut up! We…We don't want to hear it…"

"Is it that Your Majesty doesn't want to hear it, or that Your Majesty is afraid to hear it?" The corner of Mei Changsu's mouth formed a cold smile as he looked directly at the Son of Heaven. "It is said that when Prince Qi was about to die all those years ago, he still ordered the officer who bore the news of Your Majesty's edict to him to repeat it three times, and after he was done listening he only said one thing: 'The father doesn't know the son, and the son doesn't know the father.' And then he drank the poisoned wine without even blinking…Your Majesty, do you know what he meant by this?"

The Liang emperor was trembling all over. He lifted a hand to cover his eyes, but all of a sudden felt that his arm weighed a thousand pounds, and only raised it halfway before it came heavily down again, thumping dully on the royal table.

There was no expression on Mei Changsu's face as he continued, "If Your Majesty had understood Prince Qi, you wouldn't have suspected him of rebellious intentions. And if Prince Qi had understood Your Majesty, he would not have refused to believe that you would kill him, up to the very end…If I may be so bold as to ask, now that you've learned that Prince Qi and General Lin were wronged, do you feel any remorse in your heart?"

"Shut up! Shut up! I order you to shut up!" The emperor exploded in anger, forced to the point of frenzy, seemingly forgetting his own lofty identity. He pushed back in a loud voice, "What do you know? Lin Xie was consolidating military power for himself -- that's a fact! The people that I sent were pushed to the side without an exception, but you know what he did do? He used Prince Qi's people instead. Every time, every time he went out on campaign he would always say, 'When a commander is on the battlefield, he can't always follow his lord's orders completely.' How could I let that slide?

"And Prince Qi…winning over people's hearts in court, throwing around mad ideas with the nobility at home, always attempting to change my established way of doing things. In the end, when even the court high ministers presented reports, they'd say, 'According to Prince Qi's idea' -- How was I supposed to tolerate that?

"He was both my subject and son, but he kept insolently challenging me in court, always saying, "The country, the country." Tell me, in the end was this country mine, or Xiao Jingyu's?"

"This country belongs to the people," Mei Changsu said, his voice as freezing as the Arctic glaciers, "Without the common people, what is the Son of Heaven? Without the state, what is its lord? Commanders and soldiers fight ahead in blood-soaked battlefields -- but you* are issuing edicts from the faraway capital, and if there is any violation, it will be secret jealousy, hidden suspicion, and the merciless butcher's knife! Unfortunately, perhaps in Your Majesty's heart, there is only room for the lofty authority of the throne. When did it ever hold the country? * Mei Changsu has switched to the casual "you" for this, where before he was using "Your Majesty" and occasionally the respectful "you."

"Prince Qi's reputation of sincerely handling the court and government for the good of the kingdom, of being hardworking, virtuous, and wise -- it was built true achievement by true achievement. His views on politics differed from those of Your Majesty, but those were all plainly spoken in front of all the court, directly to Your Majesty, with not even a shred of inappropriateness. But of all this brilliant loyalty and forthrightness, the only thing Your Majesty saw was 'insolently challenging'…When Prince Qi drank down the poison wine all those years ago, how dismal and despairing he must have felt in his heart, how completely the pain must have pierced, to the bottom of it. Unfortunately Your Majesty will never know this from experience.

"Even if it's only for the past affection between father and son, for that heart of Prince Qi's that would rather die than rebel, I just ask for Your Majesty to genuinely and sincerely verify his innocence, and in this way comfort his soul in the heavens, which has been bitterly miserable these thirteen years.

"Is it really that hard? Can you really not do it?"

When the emperor first started listening to Mei Changsu, his face was still white with rage, but at this last sentence he suddenly felt as if a knife had sliced into his heart. His imperial air fled completely. He slumped against the back of the cushioned couch, covering his face with both thin, gnarled hands. Under his chin seeped the traces of water.

Prince Qi, Jingyu…once they were intimately close as father and son, even if instance after instance of conflicts they couldn't resolve caused them to grow distant. But no matter how ruthless a person was, no matter how vicious, could it really not hurt? If it really didn't hurt, why keep people from even touching on this imperial offense these thirteen years? Why be unafraid to erect a memorial tablet to Consort Chen, but not dare to exchange even one sentence about his eldest son?

Mei Changsu lowered his eyelids over eyes that had already frozen over like a winter pond. He knew that the thoroughly defeated old emperor in front of him would raise no more obstacles to overturning the case, but for some reason he was unable to feel any relief, only a melancholy rage, so strong that he couldn't stand to look at the emperor one second longer.

"I will withdraw." With these simple words, Mei Changsu bowed slightly at Consort Jing, then turned and walked out of Qin Hall. The Liang emperor felt that his whole body was soft and weak, his head empty in bursts, and couldn't spare any strength for Mei Changsu at all. He lay fallen on the couch, his mass of gray hair in disarray.

Consort Jing extended a cool hand and gently massaged the area between his eyebrows, saying softly, “Your Majesty, if you speak of loyalty and filial piety, one can’t say that Commander Lin was disloyal, or that Prince Qi was unfilial. They had always been Jingyan’s role models. What they did not do, neither would Jingyan. Your Majesty, please don’t worry yourself unnecessarily.”

The Liang Emperor slowly relaxed the hands covering his face and looked fixedly at Consort Jing, “Can you guarantee it?”

“If Your Majesty truly understood Jingyan, you wouldn’t ask your consort to guarantee it.” Consort Jing kept the corners of her lips lifted in a slight smile, but her eyelashes hung low, concealing the expression in her eyes. “What Jingyan is requesting is for nothing more than truth and justice. If Your Majesty is able to give him this, then why harbour other suspicions?”

The Liang Emperor was expressionless as he contemplated, his gaze pinned fixedly on Consort Jing’s gentle face for a long while before he finally heaved a long sigh and murmured, “….things have already reached this point….just do as you will….I’ll not say more….”

The day after the Emperor’s birthday, the Inner Court Division issued a formal decree, ordering Prince Ji, Yan Que and Ye Shizhen to be the presiding officials to reinvestigate the Chiyan rebellion case. Regarding this case, that had once greatly shaken the entire Da Liang, there were many who were sympathetic and harboured doubts back then, but due to the threat of power and intense pressure, they were suppressed for all these thirteen years. In the wake of Xia Jiang’s confession and in-depth review of the case, the details of the massacre at Meiling were revealed bit by bit. The grief and indignation of all levels of society and all the common folk grew and intensified to a boiling point.

Nie Feng, Nie Duo and Wei Zheng were taken away by Xiao Jingyan to provide their witness testimonies and to reinstate their identities. Finding the most opportune moment and natural way for them to reappear wasn’t a simple matter. As was habitual for him, Mei Changsu naturally wanted to put his mind to planning this, but this time, Lin Chen and Xiao Jingyan happened to share the same mind on this. One issued an order as his doctor, while the other interfered as a friend, so the matter was ultimately drawn out in full detail by the strategists amidst the Crown Prince’s trusted aides, not allowing Mei Changsu to intervene, merely keeping him updated daily on its progress. As far as possible, they sheltered him from the disturbances that were raging through the outside world in order for him to wait for the final outcome with a calm mind.

By the middle of the 9th month, the reinvestigation process was concluded, but because this case had far reaching implications, it wasn’t just a matter of amending the judgment, so it dragged on for more than half a month as the details of the amendment, as well as those of compensation for survivors and financial support for their families, and other such matters were worked out.

On the 4th day of the 10th month, the Crown Prince led the three presiding officials to the palace to meet the Emperor, remaining there from early morning till nightfall. Two days later, the Inner Court Division issued three imperial decrees. The first, exonerating Prince Qi, Lin Xie and thirty-two other implicated civil and military officials from the criminal charge of plotting a great rebellion, declaring the facts of this injustice far and wide. The second, to order that the remains of Consort Chen, Prince Qi and all his direct line of descent be moved to the imperial tomb, and to rebuild the ancestral hall of the Lin clan in order to reinstate the ritual sacrifice to the departed for both families; to restore all survivors to their original positions and reward them; to order the Ministry of Rites to discuss a manifold, generous compensation to support the families of the deceased who had suffered injustice. A grand ceremony was scheduled on the 20th day of the 10th month, when a spiritual altar would be set up in the temple of the imperial household, and the Emperor would lead hundreds of officials to personally offer sacrifice to appease the souls of the deceased. The third, the leading conspirators, Xia Jiang, Xie Yu and their accomplices were convicted of the capital crime of rebellion, and were sentenced to death by a thousand cuts. Since Xie Yu was dead and it was not possible to execute him, after some consideration, all nine of his clan branches were implicated and wiped out except for Grand Princess Liyang and her three children who earned merit by reporting it first.

These three orders more or less confirmed the reversal of the case verdict, and the next step was to plan and implement it across the various ministries, departments and local administrations. On the 20th day of the 10th month, the sacrificial ceremony was held as scheduled. As a show of respect, both the Emperor and the Crown Prince wore plain caps made of cloth, personally lit the incense before the spiritual tablets and burnt written prayers, offering them to the heavens. The sky was overcast that day, and the atmosphere was solemn. After the Liang Emperor added his joss stick and candle, he wept before everyone to show repentance for his own guilt. Although Xiao Jingyan never expected the Emperor to pull this off, he wasn’t surprised. He merely said something polite to console him, but did not participate in the tearful performance his father put up in order to arouse sympathy. And it was obviously all hot air. Days after the sacrificial ceremony, he never made any further mention of repenting his guilt.

The day Xia Jiang was sentenced, Lin Chen went with Mei Changsu to the top of a tall building to watch the execution from afar. This director of the Xuanjing Bureau, who had once been unbelievably powerful and well-respected…not a single tear dropped for him as he reached the end of his road. Xia Chun and Xia Qiu had already been sentenced to exile, and although Xia Dong stood in the execution ground with a coffin, waiting to prepare the body for burial, she didn't have any intention of paying respects. Xia Jiang was bound to the execution platform with his hair all loose, without a person to send him off. It was Marquis Yan, who was tasked with supervising the execution, who walked up him and said a few things that could only be guessed at.

"Changsu, hunting down Xia Jiang was the thing you were most worried about, but then, when he was captured, you didn't even go ask him a single question?" Lin Chen asked, looking far off into the distance at the criminal on the execution platform.

"The thing I was most worried about was actually whether or not he would be executed, so after he was caught, what is there to ask?"

"Whether or not, having forged the chain of such cruel events all those years ago, he has one spark of regret?"

With a chilly laugh, Mei Changsu said, "How boring."

"Boring, perhaps…but I heard you had a lot of words with the emperor that day?"

"Those were the words I said in Prince Qi's place." Mei Changsu's gaze darkened. "Prince Qi was both talented and idealistic, and his greatest weakness was that he didn't sufficiently guard against his own father. He thought that disagreeing on politics would only lead to debate; he never thought that it would lead to murder.

"Though I have always felt that, with regards to the emperor's pitiless and heartless decision, he would make the same decision if events occurred over again -- however, Prince Qi's spirit is in the heavens, and he must have hoped that his father could come to some remorse. So there are some words that I had to help him say. As for Xia Jiang….whether or not something like him has regrets, who even cares?"

Lin Chen inclined his head without speaking, and the watchman's rattle was already sounding for half an hour after noon. The executioner, thick-armed and round-waisted, stepped onto the platform and stretched in preparation.

"Not much to see, let's go." Disinterestedly casting out an apathetic look, Mei Changsu turned to leave. Lin Chen was about to follow him down the stairs, but stopped suddenly. Watching the faraway execution platform, he raised his eyebrows.

Mei Changsu followed his gaze and saw only an old, simply-dressed housewife leading a youth to the platform. She placed wine and food in front of Xia Jiang, lit incense, and looked at him silently for a while. Then she left, having not said a single word throughout.

"'To win and to lose.' These few words must be the hardest to comprehend in the world." Lin Chen shook his head and sighed regretfully, his words seemingly apropos of nothing. Mei Changsu nodded, understanding. His eyes followed the old housewife and youth until they disappeared in the crowd, his face briefly betraying a complicated expression that mixed deep respect with disappointment and frustration.

#nirvana in fire #langya list #langya bang #琅琊榜 #mei changsu #xiao xuan #circ translates mandarin #franken-translation #this is actually from 2023 lol #super casual translation

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