Chapter 6: Confinement

On the day Shen Zechuan entered the Temple of Revealed Wrongs, Qudu was blessed with an uncommonly clear sky. Snow blanketed the palace roofs, while red walls contrasted against green plum blossoms. Sunlight filtered through the eaves, casting a diagonal line of light and shadow before his feet.

He had recently recovered from a severe illness and was now alarmingly thin. The memories of his fifteen-year-old self felt like ashes, swept away by the biting northern winds upon opening his eyes.

Ge Qingqing descended the steps first, turning to look at him and saying, "It's not early anymore."

Shen Zechuan leaned on the pillar and descended the steps slowly. Exposed to the sunlight, he was neither accustomed nor afraid. The innocence of his youth seemed crushed beneath his pallor, leaving only a sense of fragility.

Ji Lei waited for them at the entrance of the Temple of Revealed Wrongs, accompanied by Xiao Fuzi. Xiao Fuzi gazed up at the ancient temple, marveling, "What an imposing and peculiar temple. It doesn't seem like a place to imprison people at all."

"You don't know its history," Ji Lei replied. "The Temple of Revealed Wrongs was originally where the royal family came to burn incense. It once housed the handwritten edict of Emperor Guangcheng. At its peak, it was a gathering place for the most respected monks from across the land, where profound conversations were held and became a popular trend."

"Why haven't I heard His Majesty mention it in recent years?" Xiao Fuzi observed the temple gates. "It looks rather dilapidated. Hasn't it been renovated for a long time?"

Ji Lei paused for a moment before continuing, "Twenty years have passed. The prince who committed the crime was once confined here after inciting rebellion with the eight major divisions of Qudu. After his defeat, he retreated here like a trapped beast, fighting until he ultimately bled out in front of a Buddha statue and took his own life. From then on, the previous emperor never set foot in this place again, removing the temple's name and renaming it the Temple of Revealed Wrongs."

"Twenty years," Xiao Fuzi exclaimed in surprise, adjusting his voice. "I wasn't even born yet! And Lord Ji must have just joined the Imperial Guard, right?"

Ji Lei made no response to this, instead turning to address his retinue. "Why haven't we arrived yet?"

Xiao Fuzi was still circling the 'Villainous Acts' stone monument, eventually asking Ji Lei, "I've never heard of anyone being imprisoned in there before. Who could they have been?"

Seemingly annoyed, Ji Lei replied, "They were all officials implicated in the Crime Prince scandal. Both scholars and military officers had their nine clans exterminated. Very few remained. It's been twenty years— who would still remember?"

As the prison carriage approached, Ge Qingqing saluted Ji Lei. "Your Excellency, the prisoner has been brought."

"Send him in," Ji Lei told Shen Zechuan. "After today, it's likely we won't meet again. Be grateful for the Emperor's boundless grace for the rest of your life."

Unperturbed, Shen Zechuan entered the Accusation Temple, causing the dilapidated vermilion gate to thunderously swing open. He stood within, gazing at Ji Lei. The latter, discomforted by the stare, was about to lash out when he saw a smile emerge on Shen Zechuan's freshly cleansed face.

Mad, Ji Lei thought instinctively. Yet, he heard Shen Zechuan speak calmly.

"Inspector Ji," he said, "we'll meet again another day."

The red gate slammed shut with a resounding "bang," stirring up clouds of dust. Xiao Fuzi covered his nose and coughed, stepping back repeatedly. In contrast, Ji Lei stood rooted to the ground, motionless.

Ji Lei was called a few times before he snapped back to reality. He mounted his horse quickly, the sun shining down on his back as he said, "Pah, what bad luck!"

* * *

Xiao Chiye rode his horse across the street and collided with Ji Lei head-on. He reined in his horse, laughing loudly. "Old Ji, aren't you on duty at the imperial court?"

Ji Lei looked at Xiao Chiye's warhorse with great envy. "I'm escorting that remnant into the temple right now. Heading for the palace. Second Young Master, what a fine steed! I heard you tamed it yourself?"

"I have nothing better to do," Xiao Chiye cracked his whip, and the sea eagle above swooped down onto his shoulder. He said, "Hunting eagles and riding horses are the only things I'm good at."

"You'll be busy once you start your official duties after the New Year," Ji Lei said. "A new elite of Qidu! I won't be on duty tomorrow. Want to go drinking together?"

Xiao Chiye replied, "The wine isn't good, so I won't go."

Ji Lei chuckled. "It'll definitely be good wine! Who would dare invite Second Young Master if it wasn't? I'll pay you a visit later. Will the Prince have time to join us for some fun?"

Xiao Chiye rubbed his bone ring. "My older brother doesn't like these sorts of things. So, does my presence alone not make up the numbers?"

Ji Lei hurriedly said, "I didn't say that! It's settled then, Second Young Master."

Xiao Chiye agreed and urged his horse forward. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered something and asked, "How did that remnant look? Could he walk?"

"Indeed, he can walk," Ji Lei said, "but it doesn't seem very convenient. Very few survive a beating with the rod without any lasting injuries. The fact that he can still walk is already his good fortune."

Xiao Chiye didn't say much more and simply rode off.

* * *

Later in the evening, a menial from the Zhaoze Temple brought food. Shen Zechuan lit an oil lamp but did not touch the meal. Carrying the lamp, he walked around the small corridor beside the main hall.

Dust had accumulated here for a long time, and some of the annex rooms were dilapidated, with broken doors and windows. Shen Zechuan saw several skeletons that would collapse at the slightest gust of wind. Since he found no signs of life, he returned to the main hall.

The Buddha statue was already in ruins, and the incense table was old but sturdy. It was just the right size, so Shen Zechuan hung a tattered cloth over it and lay down underneath, fully clothed. His legs ached from the cold, but he endured the pain and closed his eyes, counting the hours.

In the depth of the night, a fresh layer of fine snow fell as Shen Zechuan heard two owls hoot. He sat up, lifting the cloth covering him, and saw Ji Gang stepping inside the door.

"Once you've had your meal," Ji Gang unfolded his bundle, "we'll practice martial arts. It's too cold at night with the wind blowing, and Master is afraid you might fall ill if you sleep."

Shen Zechuan looked at the roasted chicken wrapped in oil paper and said, "Illnesses worsen with rich foods, Master. You should eat it."

Ji Gang tore off a piece of the roasted chicken for him and replied, "Nonsense! This is when you need to fill your stomach. Master likes chicken buttocks; I enjoy them very much at home. Save them for me."

Shen Zechuan said, "Wherever you go, I will follow, and whatever you eat, I will eat."

Ji Gang gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled. "Rascal."

The master and disciple divided the roasted chicken. Ji Gang seemed to have iron teeth, chewing even the bones to bits. He passed the gourd flask to Shen Zechuan and said, "If you really can't bear the cold, drink some wine. But don't overdo it, sip it like your brother does, with moderation."

They hadn't mentioned Zhongbo, Duanzhou, or the Tea Stone Sinkhole these days. The master's wife and Ji Mu were like unspoken wounds between the two of them. They both thought they were hiding them secretly, unaware that the blood was already flowing and the pain was shared.

Shen Zechuan took a sip and offered the flask to Ji Gang.

Ji Gang didn't take it. "I've given up alcohol. Master won't be drinking anymore."

Silence fell upon the chamber. With no door to shield them, fine snowflakes landed before their eyes, becoming the sole scenery in the endless night.

Ji Gang asked, "What are you staring at?"

Shen Zechuan replied, "Master."

"Speak if you have something to say."

"I'm sorry."

Ji Gang fell silent for a moment before he said, "It's not your fault."

Shen Zechuan's fingers intertwined tightly as he gazed at the snow, as if a tear would fall if he blinked. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Did you go to Tea Stone to look for us?"

Ji Gang leaned against the incense case, his body hidden in the shadows. He seemed to be searching for his own voice, and after a long while, he replied, "Yes, I went and found them."

Found them.

Ji Gang had discovered his son, Ji Mu, buried under layers of snow, pierced with arrows. He jumped into the pit, stepped over the thick layer of corpses, and pulled out Ji Mu's body.

Ji Mu was only twenty-three years old, recently promoted to a minor flag officer of the defense army in Duanzhou. His armor was new, and on the day he wore it, Hua Pingting had hung an amulet for safety on him. When Ji Gang found him, he was frozen blue, entwined with his comrades.

Shen Zechuan lifted his head slightly and said, "Master, I'm sorry."

Ji Gang was already old. Rubbing his white hair, he said, "He was the elder brother, so it was his duty. It wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault."

The snow continued to fall for a while.

Ji Gang curled up his limbs and said, "Who could have known that the Border Sand Nomad would come. He was a soldier, rushing to the front lines – it was inevitable. I taught him martial arts, and he had that temperament. If you let him run, it would be the same as killing him. He couldn't bear to see others suffer, so how, how could he have run away?"

"It's not your fault; it's Master who's at fault. I indulged in alcohol excessively. Your master's wife scolded me for so long, but I didn't quit. When the cavalry came, I couldn't even throw a proper punch. At my age, I'm old and useless."

Holding the drenched gourd, Shen Zechuan remained silent.

"Old and useless," a voice chuckled from behind the Buddha statue. "Old and useless!"

Like a leopard, Ji Gang leaped up and bellowed, "Who is it?"

The person, with disheveled hair and a dirty face, gradually revealed themselves, mimicking Ji Gang, "Who? Who is it?"

Upon recognizing the voice, Ji Gang pressed down on Shen Zechuan, stunned. "…Vice-Chancellor Qi!"

The person suddenly retreated, kicking the Buddha statue and yelling loudly, "No! Not the Vice-Chancellor!"

Ji Gang rushed to the back of the Buddha statue in a few strides. Seeing that he was trying to escape through a hole, Ji Gang instinctively grabbed the man's ankle. The man let out a scream like a slaughtered pig, shouting, "Your Highness! Your Highness, run away!"

Shen Zechuan covered the man's mouth, and together with Ji Gang, they dragged him back.

"Who is this person?" Shen Zechuan asked.

"You're young, so you wouldn't have heard," Ji Gang's voice trembled as he held the man down. "Prime Minister Qi, how wonderful! You're still alive! Is Lord Zhou here too? Is Lord Zhou also with us?"

Prime Minister Qi, thin and small, couldn't push back, so he glared with wide eyes and whispered, "Dead, dead! I'm dead, Your Highness is dead, everyone's dead!"

Ji Gang spoke in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, it's me, Ji Gang! Ji Gang, the Deputy Commander of the Jin Yiwei!"

Prime Minister Qi, still in shock, hesitantly tilted his neck to look at Ji Gang's face. "You're not Ji Gang, you're an evil spirit!"

Ji Gang said sorrowfully, "Prime Minister! In Yongyi's twenty-third year, I escorted you to the capital, and Crown Prince was here to greet us. Have you forgotten that?"

Prime Minister Qi's gaze flickered as he rambled, "They killed the Crown Prince... Your Highness!" He wept softly, "Ji Gang, Lord Ji! Take His Highness away! The Eastern Palace has become the target of all, why should His Highness suffer this?"

Ji Gang released his grip dejectedly. "Prime Minister... In the twenty-ninth year, Ji Lei acknowledged a traitor as his father, and I was expelled from Qidu. For two decades, I became a fugitive in the pugilist world, marrying and having children in Zhongbo Duanzhou."

Prime Minister Qi stared blankly at him, saying, "...His Highness has just left, but the royal grandson is still here! Take him away, you, you take him away!"

Unable to bear it, Ji Gang closed his eyes and said, "In Yongyi's thirtieth year, the Crown Prince took his own life here. No one from the Eastern Palace survived."

Prime Minister Qi leaned back and muttered, "Yes, yes..." He cried like a child, unable to control his sobs. "How did it come to this?"

Ji Gang was exhausted that night. He said, "After parting like fleeting clouds, a decade has passed like flowing water. Who could have foreseen that our reunion in this life would be under such circumstances?"

Qi Taifu turned over and covered his face, saying, "Are you also imprisoned? Imprison him! Let them slaughter all the scholars in the world."

Ji Gang replied, "My disciple is taking the blame for his father."

Qi Taifu responded, "Taking the blame for his father... Very well, who is his father that he could anger the Emperor?"

Ji Gang sighed and said, "Last year, Shen Wei suffered a military defeat..."

But upon hearing the name 'Shen Wei,' Qi Taifu abruptly turned his head and crawled towards Shen Zechuan with limbs trembling. He asked, "Is this Shen Wei's son?"

Realizing the situation was turning dire, Ji Gang was about to intervene, but Qi Taifu lunged forward first. His bony fingers reached out towards Shen Zechuan as he growled, "Shen Wei! Shen Wei killed His Highness!"

Shen Zechuan was quick to react, grabbing Qi Taifu's wrist. Ji Gang promptly restrained Qi Taifu, saying, "Taifu! You know why the imperial grandson died. Do you want my disciple to die for the same reason today? No matter what wrongs Shen Wei has committed, how does it concern my disciple?"

Qi Taifu panted roughly and stammered, "He is Shen Wei's son, Shen Wei's son..."

"He was Shen Wei's son when he was born," Ji Gang said, holding Qi Taifu down and forcefully bowing his head. "But later on, he became my son, Ji Gang. If I am lying, may I not die a peaceful death! Taifu, do you intend to kill my son?"