Chapter 106: Backlash, The Final Outcome

The golden rays of the setting sun bathed the magnificent Imperial City in a brilliance so intense it was nearly blinding. The aged Empress stared at the scene, almost as if punishing herself. Her eyes welled with tears, and her heart felt as though it were being pierced by countless needles, a sharp and pervasive agony.

Di Ying’s words echoed relentlessly in her ears, needles of truth and piercing light from which she had nowhere to hide. Was she truly wrong? But she was the Sovereign—how could she be wrong? If there was fault, it lay with those beneath her, with their incompetence. Hmph!

With this thought, the Empress stood up, wiped her face with her sleeve, and swept into the inner palace. No sooner had she sat down and lifted her teacup than a report came: Qin Tiezhong requested an audience. She gave permission, her mood lifting. She reasoned that Di Ying must have finally admitted his errors. That slippery young man could not possibly endure the tortures of the prison. If he were willing to repent sincerely, she, a magnanimous ruler, would grant him a path to survival.

But what she heard instead was: "Your Majesty, Lai Wangcai has been conspiring day and night with his cronies to eliminate Ministers Qiong Si and Cheng Si, that he might take their places."

The Empress fell silent. She waved her hand, calmly signaling for Qin Tiezhong to withdraw. When the hall fell quiet once more, Su Hong spoke at the opportune moment. "Your Majesty, not everyone knows how to keep their place. Sometimes, a blade, if used too long, will turn and bite its master."

The Empress heard him, yet she remained lost in thought. It was not that she was ignorant of Lai Wangcai’s wolfish ambition; human hearts were ever greedy. She was wondering: did Di Ying act early to warn her of Lai Wangcai’s greed? Otherwise, why kill the others in the Investigation Bureau but spare Lai Wangcai and Wang Hongbin? Having already killed so many, a few more would have made no difference to Di Ying’s fate. Why let them live? Was it precisely so she would hear their conspiracy and realize the blade was turning against her?

Was Di Ying truly in the wrong? Every person in the Investigation Bureau had the blood of innocent victims on their hands; the mere suspicion of a general had led to the execution of entire families. And was she, the Empress, not more aware than anyone of Xue Huaiyi’s atrocities? As an officer of the law, what could Di Ying do when she herself shielded those villains? By bypassing her to deal with them, was he not, in a sense, saving her dignity? After all, those men were her own creatures; had she punished them herself, it would have been a slap to her own face. Was Di Ying helping her? Bearing this burden in silence, taking it all upon himself?

Had her own harsh reprimands pushed him to this extremity? If Emperor Taizong could tolerate blunt remonstrance, why could she not? Did she not open the channels of speech specifically to hear genuine counsel?

As these thoughts coalesced, the Empress suddenly understood. With a flick of her finger, she commanded, "Go, arrest Lai Wangcai, Wang Hongbin, Qin Tiezhong, and the rest of their party. Tomorrow at noon, drag them to the Meridian Gate and execute them! Draft an edict: Di Ying, Di Huaijie, was framed by the Investigation Bureau and suffered wrongful imprisonment; he is hereby acquitted. However, his reckless disregard for the law and incitement of the public to execute prisoners privately was unwise. In consideration of his suffering, I grant him clemency and appoint him as the Junior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue."

Su Hong listened, glanced at the ink staining the brush washer, and sighed inwardly. Regardless of his private thoughts, he moved quickly to deliver the decree, bringing along the Imperial Guards and the Chief Imperial Physician to attend to Di Ying.

Di Ying was at his limit. After three days and nights, he looked as if he had been fished out of a pool of blood; there was scarcely an inch of intact skin left on his body. Even the veteran Eunuch Su, accustomed to the storms of the palace, felt his eyes grow hot at the sight. Yet, when the Chief Physician finally revived him, the first thing Eunuch Su saw was Di Ying smiling at him.

Struggling, Di Ying managed to say, "There are still many ministers and their families imprisoned in the dungeons. Could they be released?"

Tears streamed down Su Hong's face. He wiped his eyes, nodded, and ordered the Imperial Guards to carry out Magistrate Di’s wishes immediately. When the wrongly imprisoned, once released, gathered to thank Su Hong, he declined the credit. Avoiding their bows, he said gently, "It was Magistrate Di Ying who risked his life to save you. He is recovering; you should leave and not disturb him."

The people departed in silence, but in their hearts, they engraved that name: Di Ying.

In contrast, the commoners of the Great Capital cheered, beating drums and setting off firecrackers to celebrate the miserable end of Lai Wangcai and his cohorts. The men of the Investigation Bureau suffered a brutal death, their screams echoing for three days and nights until their final breaths, accompanied by the jubilant cheers of the masses. Not even a scrap of their remains was left, devoured entirely by wild dogs. The era of the cruel official had finally come to an end. From that day forward, many dogs in the city were given the name: Wangcai.

...

Throughout these days, the Di family remained remarkably steady. Upon hearing of Di Ying’s arrest, they were initially panicked, but a single word from Grandmother Di restored their calm. "The path Pang-Pang chose is destined to be dangerous. All we can do is secure his rear. Do not cause trouble now. Just trust him."

Thus, the Di family continued their lives as usual, burying their anxiety and fear deep within. Only in the dead of night, hidden under their quilts, did they weep in secret. When they heard the Empress’s edict, they rejoiced in Di Ying’s acquittal, though the cold scorn they felt for the throne was buried even deeper. They hurried toward the Investigation Bureau to collect their grandson, brother, and uncle. They took no carriages and rode no horses, but walked through the streets together, supporting and carrying one another. It was a sight that moved onlookers to pity, yet stirred a profound sense of respect deep within their hearts. Such were the Di family.

When they saw Di Ying being carried out, looking like a mass of blood, Grandmother Di immediately warned, "Do not cry. He is alive; as long as he is alive, it is enough." Each family member stepped forward and touched him—gently, but with warmth. They let him know: your family is here.

Di Ying smiled, like a fool. Little Di Yihao, who could barely walk steadily, climbed onto the bed beside him. Resting his chubby, lotus-root-like arms on the edge, he asked in his milky voice, "Second Uncle, does it hurt?"

Di Ying, too pained to speak, simply shook his head. Little Yihao believed him. He nodded his small head and said firmly, "Great-Grandmother said you were hurt because you were fighting bad people. Second Uncle, are the bad people all gone?"

Seeing his uncle shake his head again, the boy scrambled up onto the bed, careful not to touch his wounds. He knelt by the bedside, his little bottom poked out, and puffed up his cheeks, blowing softly on the injuries. "Second Uncle, Hao’er is blowing on it for you. Once I blow, the pain will fly away, and you will get better so you can go fight the bad people again."