Broken Jade - Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Wei Heng saw the resolve in her eyes and knew this was what she wanted to do.

Documents lay piled high across the desk. Once Sheng Zhaoning immersed herself in work, she found it difficult to pay attention to anything else.

Wei Heng did not disturb her. He merely sat quietly beside her for a while, occasionally grinding ink or passing her tea.

The afternoon sunlight was tranquil and warm. It was not until Li Ji returned that Wei Heng rose and headed back to Wenhua Hall.

He still had official business of his own to handle.

Over the next few days, he would finish everything on his plate. Once he had time to spare, he could go to the Court of Judicial Review with peace of mind and help her reexamine the old cases.

Before they knew it, spring had deepened into April.

The Emperor was planning a spring hunt. It would be the first imperial hunt held in two years, since the end of the war, so every court office was taking it quite seriously.

Although the Court of Judicial Review was not responsible for organizing the spring hunt, it still had to send representatives.

Tao Song specifically named Sheng Zhaoning and Li Ji, insisting that they attend.

After spending more than two months reexamining old cases and redressing countless miscarriages of justice, Sheng Zhaoning and Li Ji had risen to fame.

At some point, the common people’s nickname for Sheng Zhaoning had changed from “Jade-Faced Yama” to “Jade-Faced Upright Judge.” Li Ji, meanwhile, was simply called “Upright Judge.”

Li Ji found this deeply unfair.

He might not possess an otherworldly elegance, but he was at least clean-cut and handsome. Before Sheng Zhaoning arrived, he had ranked among the best-looking of all the rough men at the Court of Judicial Review.

He brooded over this for quite some time and gradually became anxious about his appearance.

Tao Song had no idea that Li Ji had recently grown so self-conscious he did not want to be seen. He had long regarded the pair as his finest disciples, so naturally, he wanted to bring them wherever he went.

Part of it was to show them off, but he also wanted them to meet more people and pave the way for their future careers.

Sheng Zhaoning sorted through the documents from the old cases and took them to Tao Song.

The spring breeze had grown warmer, carrying only the faintest trace of chill.

When she arrived at the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review’s study, he was pacing inside with a deep frown.

At the sight of her, Tao Song gave a slight nod. “Come in.”

Sheng Zhaoning entered with the documents in her arms and set them on the desk.

“What is troubling you, Teacher?”

When no one else was present, both Sheng Zhaoning and Li Ji habitually addressed Tao Song as Teacher.

At her question, Tao Song let out a silent sigh.

“Prince Zhenbei is returning to Liangzhou.”

Sheng Zhaoning stiffened, her hands clenching unconsciously.

It had been half a year since Wei Chengjun returned triumphantly to the Capital with the army. By rights, he should have been allowed to return to his fief long ago.

However, the Emperor had always been wary of Liangzhou’s power. Naturally, he wanted to keep Wei Chengjun detained in the Capital for as long as possible.

“When will he leave?” Sheng Zhaoning asked.

Now that the war was over, there was nothing left on the frontier to keep him in check. If he was allowed to return to Liangzhou just like that, another storm of bloodshed would likely erupt before long.

“After the spring hunt.”

Prince Zhenbei would also be taking part in the hunt.

Sheng Zhaoning could more or less guess what worried Tao Song. Like her, he feared that once the tiger was released back into the mountains, Wei Chengjun might strike back at the Capital at any time.

Tao Song had long been wary of him and had been secretly investigating his activities.

He had no intention of hiding the matter from Sheng Zhaoning. He regarded her as one of his finest disciples, so there were certain things he naturally needed to explain to her clearly.

“Prince Zhenbei has coveted the Capital for years. All this time, I have secretly investigated which court officials have dealings with him. Unfortunately, they have hidden their tracks too well, leaving me with no leads to follow.

“Then, five years ago, someone in Liangzhou contacted me and offered to provide me with a list. I waited anxiously for days, only to receive news of his death.”

Tao Song closed his eyes, his voice thick with fury. “Prince Zhenbei sent men to kill him. His wife, children, and servants-none of them were spared.”

As Tao Song spoke, he failed to notice the flash of shock in Sheng Zhaoning’s eyes.

Five years ago, in Liangzhou…

Sheng Zhaoning’s mind went blank. A chill swept through her entire body, and her thoughts ground to a halt.

“Who was it?”

Her voice was taut as she struggled to suppress its tremor.

Tao Song opened his eyes and said regretfully, “Chen Shao.”

Sheng Zhaoning felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

Scenes from the past flashed through her mind.

Back then, she had pursued Chen Shao on Prince Zhenbei’s orders. After riding without rest for three days, she intercepted and burned the secret letter before it could reach the Capital. Later, on the road to Yanzhou, she was ordered to silence his family.

But Chen Shao had once done Wei Yi a great kindness, and Wei Yi had issued an absolute order forbidding her from harming the Chen Family’s relatives. So Sheng Zhaoning devised a way to let Chen Shao’s wife and children escape.

She had never imagined that the bloodshed she had caused out of loyalty to the Zhenbei Prince’s Mansion would now come back upon her.

With Chen Shao dead, the evidence of Prince Zhenbei’s treason had vanished as well.

So the person in the Capital who had been corresponding with Chen Shao all those years ago was Tao Song.

Sheng Zhaoning could not describe what she felt. No matter how she looked at it, this was retribution.

The blood debt she owed would one day have to be repaid with her life.

“Now that the border has been pacified, Prince Zhenbei will certainly stir up trouble once he returns to Liangzhou. His blade will be pointed straight at the Capital.

“When that time comes, turmoil will engulf the Capital, and every hidden villain will begin making moves. You must remain vigilant. Keep a clear head through the fog, watch every faction closely, and uncover those in the imperial court who are working for Prince Zhenbei as soon as possible.”

Tao Song looked at her and warned her in particular, “Remember, you must investigate everything in secret. Do not expose yourself, or disaster will follow.”

Sheng Zhaoning’s face was ashen. She bowed her head deeply and replied, “Understood.”

After entrusting this matter to her, Tao Song finally felt a weight lift from his heart.

For so many years, he had worked alone in the shadows, like a man groping his way through fog along the edge of a cliff, never knowing when he might plunge into the abyss.

Perhaps one day, Prince Zhenbei would discover that he had been secretly gathering evidence of his treason. Then Tao Song would meet the same fate as Chen Shao, with his entire family slaughtered.

But now, he had someone to whom he could entrust his mission. Even if he died, he would never allow Prince Zhenbei’s ravenous ambition to remain hidden.

After returning to Sheng Mansion, Sheng Zhaoning sat alone beneath the covered corridor.

The spring breeze carried the moonlight down around her, gently stirring her hair. Now and then, a few strands fell across her face, framing her troubled eyes.

She gazed at the clear pond beyond the pavilion, lost in thought.

Sheng Zhaoning had not forgotten why Prince Zhenbei had sent her to the Capital in the first place.

The heart of the imperial court was the one place his influence could not reach.

He might have won over many court officials to serve his interests, but theirs were only temporary alliances driven by profit. They could not be relied upon.

He had therefore been desperate to plant a force in Capital City that belonged wholly and unquestionably to him.

After considering countless candidates, he chose her.

Back then, Sheng Zhaoning had loved Wei Yi with such blind devotion that she endured every manner of torture for his sake. No matter how much she suffered, she gritted her teeth and refused to betray him.

It was precisely this loyalty that Wei Chengjun valued. That was why he trusted her completely and sent her to the Capital.

He believed Sheng Zhaoning would never betray Wei Yi.

What he had not anticipated was Chi Wan’s sudden appearance and intervention. Because of her, Sheng Zhaoning learned the truth: all the torment and agony she had endured had been nothing more than a test of her loyalty.

Wei Yi had known everything from the very beginning. He had even pushed her into the trap with his own hands and delivered her to Ao Chun.

Then, aboard the Luochuan Painted Barge, a single sentence had finally killed every last hope she held.

None of this was something Wei Chengjun could ever have foreseen.