Demoness, where are you Fleeing to?
Chapter 461 - 370: The Person Who Tied the Bell Must Untie It_1

Chapter 461: Chapter 370: The Person Who Tied the Bell Must Untie It_1

Under the command of the Crown Prince Yu Jianshen, his subordinates worked at an exceptionally fast pace. In less than two quarters of an hour, a grass hut had already been constructed in front of Chengtian Gate in the Forbidden City.

Initially, under the instruction of his teacher Shang Hong, he was supposed to build the hut at Wu Gate, but Yu Jianshen chose to place it at Chengtian Gate instead.

Yu Jianshen understood his teacher’s intention. Wu Gate was located in front of the imperial palace, and the only people who would notice it would be the court officials above the rank of Servant and others who have the privilege to enter the palace, as well as the Jishizhong of the Six Departments standing guard at Wu Gate.

The number of people who would pay attention wouldn’t be too great, it wouldn’t seem too deliberate, and it would still allow him to save some face.

However, Yu Jianshen considered Chengtian Gate to be the entrance to the imperial city, located beyond both Wu Gate and Duan Gate. Chang’an Street, which was frequented by a multitude of commoners, lay before the gate. Opposite Chang’an Street were the Six Yamens and the Dudu’s mansion with numerous officials coming and going.

He thought that given the situation he was in, how much value could saving face possibly hold? Whether his actions came across as deliberate or otherwise did not matter. What was important was letting as many people as possible see his regret and introspection, letting them recognize that he, Yu Jianshen, was a humble, virtuous gentleman.

Therefore, no sooner had the construction of the grass hut completed than Yu Jianshen changed into a simple cotton robe and with a solemn expression, entered the drafty shelter to begin reading aloud.

His voice was sonorous, heartfelt and filled with vigor. This caused many officials passing by to shift their attention towards him.

Yu Jianshen noticed that many silently withdrew their denounces from their sleeves.

This brought a flicker of joy to Yu Jianshen’s heart, and his voice grew more vigorous, filled with sincerity and conviction.

At this moment, however, there was a sudden commotion on Jīnshui Bridge.

Many officials, who were originally standing around the grass hut, watching the prince read, couldn’t help but look towards the disturbance. Subsequently, they walked briskly towards Jīnshui Bridge, causing a collective buzz.

Yu Jianshen also couldn’t help but cast a puzzled glance in that direction, his face turned pale and a trace of anger flashed in his eyes.

He saw the jade Qilin that had dismantled the Hanyuan Pavilion, now walking dejectedly onto Jīnshui Bridge.

After a few steps, it lay down in the middle of the bridge and let out a mournful cry.

The pure celestial light emitted from its body, shining as lustrously as purple crystal, outshone even Yu Jianshen. Its unspoken sadness and sorrow deeply resonated with everyone present, even without uttering a word.

The onlookers were stirred by the scene.

"Such a pure and holy light, such a pure, celestial aura. It really is a Jade Qilin-"

"Indeed, it’s a Jade Qilin! I thought it was just a rumor meant to smear the prince and the dowager."

"But why would this holy creature appear here?"

"Its cry is full of anger and anguish. Has it been wronged? Or is there some unspoken injustice?"

"The Qilin wouldn’t just kneel in front of Chengtian Gate for no reason?"

"Damn it! Who caused this disaster? How will our generation be judged in future historical records of the Jingtai rule?"

"The appearance of the Qilin, crying and wailing at the Goldwater Gate, it’s absurd. Is this because of the treacherous in the court?"

"Could it be related to the crown prince, or the empress dowager? It is said that the Inspectorate was previously invaded and its gates were broken. Those imperial censors of the Inspectorate, who always claim to be upright, may not necessarily be so."

The Prince’s face inside the grass hut twitched involuntarily. He forcibly turned his gaze away from the Qilin and fully concentrated on reciting the scriptures in hand.

"—The Master said, ’To live among human beings and to cultivate oneself, how could one do wrong?’"

This quote was from "Li Ren," the fourth Chapter of "The Analects of Confucius." The entire Chapter was focused on morality and ethics, values and benefits, it was deliberately chosen by Yu Jianshen.

However, just as Yu Jianshen finished reciting this line, the Jade Qilin let out another mournful cry. The anguish and sorrow hidden in its cry was filled with anger and mockery.

On Jīnshui Bridge, the Jade Qilin had already lifted its head, glaring angrily in the direction of the hut.

The creature was deeply upset. It had been driven to such extents by the prince that it had not received any shrimp to eat for a full day. Yet, it was still commanded by him to perform various tasks.

"—The Master said, ’The unkind cannot be said to survive for long, and cannot be said to enjoy for long. The kind are at peace with kindness. The wise profit from kindness.’"

"Roar!"

— You are unkind!

"The Master said, ’Only the kind can love others, and hate others.’"

"Roar!"

— You are terrible!

"The Master said, ’If you have a will to be kind, you will not be evil.’"

"Roar!"

— You denied me shrimp to eat!

Every time the prince read a sentence, the Jade Qilin responded with a mournful cry, clearly transmitting its thoughts and feelings to the surrounding spectators, sometimes clearly and sometimes vaguely.

By now, almost everyone had realized something was amiss, their glances shifting suspiciously between the prince and the Jade Qilin.

Although they didn’t know the reason, almost everyone realized that the Jade Kylin’s lament, anger, and even ridicule, were all directed at the Crown Prince.

Presumably, the Crown Prince had done something unforgivable to infuriate the Jade Kylin.

Yu Jianshen’s forehead was already drenched in sweat. He held "The Analects of Confucius" in his hands, but he was finding it increasingly difficult to read on as darkness clouded his vision and anger simmered in his chest.

Yu Jianshen regretted why he had chosen to erect his humble dwelling near Chengtian Gate? At least at the Wu Gate, he would not have run into this Jade Kylin.

His voice trembled as he spoke, "——Confucius said: the superior man cherishes virtue, the inferior man cherishes soil; the superior man cherishes punishment, the inferior man cherishes benevolence."

"Roar!"

——You are hypocritical!

A dark cloud fell over Yu Jianshen’s vision, and a crimson drop of blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.

His head was heavy, he wondered what he had done wrong? Where had he offended this divine beast?

※※ ※※

Two hours later, inside a low hut in Renshou Palace, Empress Sun sat on a grand master chair, her face pale and haggard.

Because the evil beast had destroyed nearly all the main halls and side halls in Renshou Palace, she had to demean herself and temporarily reside in here.

But what angered and frustrated Empress Sun the most was not the dismal environment, but the precarious situation at present.

Next to her was Commandery Princess Yunhuang Yu, whose face was stern and she spoke with utter caution, "Xueshi Shang has been working on behalf of the Crown Prince ever since he left the palace, and the other scholars have also been in contact with their students, trying to prevent the situation from deteriorating, and by the afternoon, they had achieved some success. Many people were satisfied with the Crown Prince’s attitude of reflection."

"When the Qingliu scholars in the court heard that you made a vow to spin and weave a thousand garments for the poor students of the Guozi Bureau, they were very moved. But, when the Jade Kylin knelt in front of the Wu Gate in the evening, the situation drastically changed."

"Now, we have heard that there are over three hundred and twenty twigs impeaching the Crown Prince in the Tongzheng Division. The Six Ministries, Nine Departments, and Five Divisions have all filed complains. You could say there’s uproar amongst the officials."

"There are even more impeachments against you, over twelve hundred in total, almost half of the Jin Dynasty’s capital officials. They are claiming that you—"

Yunhuang Yu hesitated for a moment, until she saw Empress Sun’s piercing gaze, she then lowered her voice to say, "They are calling you an enchantress who bewitched the former emperor into deposing the empress, favored Wang Zhen, and even after producing an incapable emperor you have not reflected upon your actions. Now, they say, you are leading the Crown Prince down the wrong path."

Empress Sun felt as though she had been hit on the head with a hammer, and her head throbbed. In a fit of rage, she flung the teacup by her side, creating a ’bang’ noise.

"There must be someone scheming behind the scenes! Who is plotting all this? Is it that bastard Jingtai?"

"It’s likely a combined effort."

Yunhuang Yu furrowed her brow, "According to my knowledge, apart from Dudu Tongzhi Zuo Daoxing, there’s also Wei Zhen, the Official of the Central Government in the Ministry of Personnel, who has been rallying people. He is a famous Confucian scholar from Jiangnan and has a deep relationship with Earl Chengyi. He has always been defending Earl’s mansion in the court."

"How audacious of him!"

Empress Sun’s pupils were wide open and her eyes almost bursting with rage, "Then why is he still around? Have someone impeach him, let Duke Yansheng expel him from Confucianism. I want him to suffer disgrace!"

Yunhuang Yu’s face turned gray, "Your Majesty, almost all of the Imperial Censors in the Inspectorate have already submitted letters of remorse and are reflecting on their actions at home. Duke Yansheng, on the other hand, has been seriously injured by the Jade Kylin and is now bedridden. Moreover—"

She gave a bitter smile, "The influence of Duke Yansheng in Confucianism is now far less than before, at least far less than Li Xuan’s."

She had already heard about what was happening at the Dali Temple’s jail.

The Liudao Venerable had already returned to the Capital City, which meant that their plan to kill Li Xuan never had a chance of success.

Therefore, Li Xuan as the protector of Neo-Confucianism, would continue to exist within Confucianism.

"In addition, many people have begun to link the fire at the Inspectorate and the attack on Li Xuan in Dali Temple with the Jade Kylin’s kneeling at the gate. They suspect that the incident was instigated by you and the Crown Prince, which provoked the Jade Kylin’s fury. I predict that more impeachments will come tomorrow."

"Absurd! That beast belongs to him, Li Xuan."

Empress Sun pounded on the tea table, her beautiful face contorted with rage, "This was the same demonic Kylin as before! He was able to command that beast through the Wenshan Seal. This villain, he is full of wild ambitions."

"The problem is that the officials don’t know."

Yunhuang Yu’s face changed, "Your Majesty, I think this matter, if known by the officials, could have even more disastrous consequences. The pressure on the Crown Prince is already unbearable."

In the past, Confucian saints’ mother Yan Zheng prayed at Niqiu Mountain, met a Kylin, and then gave birth to a saint who, after gaining enlightenment, encountered a Kylin before his death.

Li Xuan, the protector of Neo-Confucianism who was accepted by many predecessors and known as a virtuous gentleman.

Now, the Kylin, which symbolizes disaster, has turned from demonic to sacred just being with him for less than a month.

What would be the consequences if people knew about this?

——Yunhuang Yu didn’t even dare to imagine the outcome.

Empress Sun’s face was alternatively flushed and pale, and she didn’t know how much time had passed before she let out a long sigh: "So what do you think we should do to end this situation?"

"I think the one who needs to untie the bell is the one who tied it in the first place."

Yunhuang Yu carefully watched Empress Sun’s face, "We need to get Li Xuan out of his cell to take back his Kylin."