Broken Jade - Chapter 133

Chapter 133

Wei Heng was forcibly taken away and confined to the Eastern Palace.

The Emperor had apparently never expected Wei Heng to be so resolute in protecting Sheng Zhaoning.

Although Wei Heng was confined to the Eastern Palace, every faction under his command was petitioning on Sheng Zhaoning’s behalf. They even cited precedents from the former dynasty, when women had been permitted to serve as officials, in an attempt to sway public opinion and turn the issue from her crime of deceiving the Emperor into a debate over the system of government appointments.

Since the founding of Great Wei, there had been no precedent for women serving as officials.

Under the former dynasty, however, women could stand in the imperial court alongside men and wield power over the affairs of the realm.

The former dynasty had even produced a Female Chancellor, whose story remained celebrated in the annals of history to this day.

The civil and military officials spent two full days arguing over how Sheng Zhaoning should be dealt with.

The Emperor was deeply troubled as well.

Wei Heng had refused all food and water for two full days since being escorted back to the Eastern Palace, and he was running a high fever. If this dragged on, something terrible was bound to happen.

No matter how furious the Emperor of Wei was, faced with Wei Heng’s determination to share Sheng Zhaoning’s fate, how could he truly harden his heart and stand by while his own son died?

Yet if he pardoned Sheng Zhaoning, it would mean the imperial authority had tacitly accepted women serving as officials. The entire imperial examination system might have to be overturned and rebuilt, and he would be forced to indirectly acknowledge that the former dynasty’s system had been more reasonable.

Was he really expected to pay such an enormous price for one Sheng Zhaoning?

The Emperor of Wei could not accept that.

The debate in court raged without end. The civil officials rolled up their sleeves and traded insults, capable of arguing for three days and three nights without repeating themselves once.

Since the Emperor had yet to state his position, the quarrel should have continued for some time. Unexpectedly, He Wenbo, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet who had always stayed out of disputes among the court officials, stepped forward at that moment.

Just as the court session was about to adjourn, He Wenbo stood in the center of Taihe Hall. Under the gaze of the assembled officials, he calmly declared,

“Your Majesty, our court has always taken the approach of discarding the flaws of former institutions while preserving their merits. The former dynasty lasted fifty-two years and appointed more than a hundred female officials, many of whom distinguished themselves through outstanding achievements.”

The Emperor of Wei had seemingly never expected He Wenbo, who had always maintained a neutral stance, to speak up on this matter.

Already halfway risen from his throne, the Emperor of Wei sat back down and looked at He Wenbo, listening as he continued, “Although Sheng Zhaoning entered officialdom as a woman, she was implicated in deceiving the Emperor. Even so, she attained the distinction of Liuyuan and was personally selected by Your Majesty as the Zhuangyuan. This is proof enough of her extraordinary talent for governing the realm.”

“Such talent should not be cast aside merely because she is a woman. Moreover, during her tenure, Sheng Zhaoning righted wrongful cases and performed her duties with diligence and dedication. Among the common people, she is still widely praised as an ‘Upright Judge.'”

“A government prospers when it follows the will of the people and falls when it defies them.”

“Your Majesty might consider consulting the people’s wishes and, after careful deliberation, decide how she should be dealt with.”

The entire court fell silent at his words.

The dispute in court had ultimately centered on two opposing positions: severely punishing Sheng Zhaoning for deceiving the Emperor, or restoring the old system, pardoning her, and reinstating her to her former post.

He Wenbo’s proposal undoubtedly suppressed both fiercely opposed sides at once.

It appeared impartial, but everyone present could hear that he was protecting Sheng Zhaoning.

Given her reputation among the people, she would have no difficulty securing a path to survival.

Yet no one could find any fault with his proposal.

Whatever the outcome, by acting according to the people’s will, the Emperor would demonstrate his virtue and respect for his subjects’ wishes.

It was an exceptionally tactful solution.

The Emperor was already exhausted by the matter. On one side stood his dignity as Emperor; on the other, his son’s life. Either choice left him trapped.

He Wenbo’s words came like rain after a long drought. The Emperor immediately seized the opportunity and readily agreed to the proposal.

This way, regardless of the final outcome, it would reflect the will of the people.

The Emperor of Wei did not want anything terrible to happen to Wei Heng because of Sheng Zhaoning.

In truth, his attitude had already begun to soften when Wei Heng knelt outside his sleeping quarters on that rainy night and refused to leave.

He Wenbo’s words provided her with the perfect excuse to back down. What happened afterward would depend on whether Sheng Zhaoning could seize this glimmer of hope.

A single word rang out from the dragon throne in Taihe Hall: “Approved.”

That very day, the various factions began to take action one after another.

The opposition came mostly from a handful of stubborn old ministers who clung rigidly to ritual and tradition, with officials holding the title of Censor in the Censorate making up the majority.

Once these remonstrating officials dug in their heels, not even ten oxen could drag them back. If pushed too far, they would even dare to dash their heads against the floor of the great hall and die there.

Yet even the voice of the entire Censorate amounted to little more than the faint buzz of a mosquito when cast against the court and the populace.

The Eastern Palace’s support needed no explanation; they threw themselves into persuading every faction they could reach.

When Sheng Zhaoning had served in the Court of Judicial Review, she had reopened old cases and cleared countless wrongful convictions. Those people, Shen Tongshu among them, began submitting petitions on their own initiative. Letter after letter was delivered to the Court of Judicial Review.

Most astonishing of all were the countless students at the women’s academy, led by He Sui.

Women in this world were restricted at every turn.

Even when they possessed a wealth of learning and had knowledge and vision no lesser than any man’s, they could only conceal their talents and remain confined to the inner quarters, unable to put them to use.

There had long been talk of restoring the former dynasty’s system of female officials, but no opportunity had ever presented itself.

Now that this matter had arisen, the students of the women’s academy naturally gave it everything they had. They were not merely fighting to secure a path to survival for Sheng Zhaoning, but also struggling to win a future for themselves after years of diligent study.

The Capital City remained engulfed in turmoil for more than ten days. Every day, people gathered outside the Court of Judicial Review and knelt there without rising. Across the court and among the people, support for Sheng Zhaoning was almost completely unanimous.

At last, the emperor yielded.

The people’s hearts were set. Their will was clear.

Even the emperor could not defy them.

A decree was issued by the Cabinet.

The entire Great Wei was thrown into an uproar.

This day would be recorded in the annals of Great Wei: the day imperial authority finally bowed to the will of the people, and an enlightened ruler dared to restore the old system and once again permit women to enter court service.

The Cabinet, the Ministry of Personnel, and the Ministry of Rites began working to reform and complete the imperial examinations, though the system would not be restored exactly as it had been in the former dynasty.

Under the new regulations, women who wished to enter court service would have to place in the First Class.

Even so, this represented Great Wei’s recognition of women’s right to study.

In time, the imperial court would surely have a place for countless women.

…

The inkstone was smashed onto the floor.

Ink splattered in every direction.

Xuanniao flapped its wings and flew away, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Han Xu stood to one side. Facing that terrifying, sinister gaze, he tightened his grip on his blade and silently lowered his head.

“She isn’t coming back, is she?” Wei Yi asked with red-rimmed eyes. It sounded like a question, yet also like a self-mocking murmur.

Xuanniao circled above the Court of Judicial Review almost every day.

Sheng Zhaoning knew how to summon Xuanniao.

Trapped in prison, all she had to do was ask him for protection, and he would have acted without hesitation, taking her back to Liangzhou.

But she had not.

Even while imprisoned and facing a fate of utter ruin, she had stubbornly pushed him away, refusing to seek his aid.

Wei Yi had thought that after destroying everything she had, she would obediently return to him-to his side.

But he had forgotten that there was still someone behind her who was willing to defy the entire world and exhaust every last ounce of strength to shelter her beneath his wings.

Sheng Zhaoning would not be coming back.

She would never turn back again.

A trace of obsession slowly crept into Wei Yi’s eyes.

He suddenly laughed. The corners of his eyes were scarlet, glittering with a dark, vicious light.

“Don’t even think about leaving.”

His grip on the carving knife was so tight that the blade cut into his hand. Blood flowed down, covering his palm.

He gathered a smear of crimson onto his fingertip and pressed it onto the wooden carving, which had finally taken shape. The petals glowed with an almost demonic beauty.

The Apricot Blossom Woodcarving was now lifelike.