Crowned Consort in Golden Age-Chapter 283 - 281. Tan Jizhi gets arrested and is visited in jail
281. Tan Jizhi Captured, A Prison Visit
Although most of the forces from Prince Ding’s Mansion had left the Capital City for some time, it was still quite easy for Mo Xiuyao to find someone when he truly wanted to. After all, Prince Ding’s Mansion had been operating in the Capital of Great Chu not for a mere ten or so years, but for nearly two hundred years. The depth of its foundation was absolutely beyond the understanding of a down-and-out royal heir of the former dynasty like Tan Jizhi, who could hardly venture out in broad daylight. So, when Tan Jizhi was politely but irrefusably ’invited’ to Prince Ding’s Mansion by its people, he could hardly conceal his shock.
In the hall, Mo Xiuyao, seated in the main seat, gazed at the middle-aged man in the hall with an ambiguous smile and said indifferently, "Young Master Tan... how should this Prince deal with you this time? Or... do you have anything else to exchange for your life with this Prince?"
Upon hearing this, Tan Jizhi truly did not want to offer more excuses. Once a person like Mo Xiuyao has made up their mind, no matter how much you argue, it’s meaningless. However, he had to strive for his own life; after all, he wasn’t tired of living yet. With a helpless, wry smile, he said, "Truly, the foundation of Prince Ding’s Mansion is profound. I have nothing to say, having fallen into Your Highness’s hands. But... I wonder what I did to anger Your Highness?"
Mo Xiuyao looked at Tan Jizhi with interest, lifted his brows, and laughed, "Can it be that Young Master Tan thinks this Prince invited you here just to have tea?"
Tan Jizhi sighed. Of course, he knew why Mo Xiuyao had asked him to come; he just hadn’t thought he would be found so quickly. With another sigh, Tan Jizhi said plainly, "I genuinely have no power to do anything about the matter Your Highness is referring to. Although the idea was mine, I now have no influence over the court of Great Chu. So... Third Young Master Feng, I beg your forgiveness." After saying this, Tan Jizhi cupped his hands in apology towards Feng Zhiyao, whose expression had remained grim ever since Tan Jizhi appeared.
Feng Zhiyao let out a cold laugh and ignored him, but Tan Jizhi didn’t seem to care and calmly sipped his tea.
Mo Xiuyao leaned back against his chair, leisurely watching Tan Jizhi. Though Tan Jizhi appeared calm on the surface, his heart was strung taut. Mo Xiuyao’s gaze, though seemingly casual, pressed down on him with the weight of a drawn sword. He knew that, having fallen into Mo Xiuyao’s hands, his life or death now likely depended entirely on Mo Xiuyao’s mood.
After a while, Mo Xiuyao seemed to have had enough of looking and slowly withdrew his gaze, a deriding smile creeping to his lips. "Young Master Tan, are you wasting time with this Prince while waiting for someone to save you?"
Tan Jizhi hesitated, the smile on his face turning increasingly bitter. "Since I have fallen into Your Highness’s hands, I dare not harbor such thoughts." He genuinely didn’t have much hope for those people. Tan Jizhi had always prided himself on his judgment; compared to Mo Xiuyao and those scheming individuals currently in the Capital of Great Chu, he was still far behind. He hadn’t truly lost by falling into Mo Xiuyao’s hands; after all, he had helped Mo Jingqi plot against Mo Xiuyao considerably in the past. He had even once come close to completely destroying Prince Ding’s Mansion. He was just unreconciled to it. He had harbored grand ambitions his entire life, yet now, nearing forty, he had achieved nothing. Falling into Mo Xiuyao’s hands now, his chances of survival were slim...
Mo Xiuyao saw the unreconciled feelings in Tan Jizhi’s eyes and said with a smile, "Young Master Tan, are you upset that all your hard work over the years has been for nothing?"
"I’m afraid it’s not that it was for nothing, but rather that I’ve been toiling for others’ benefit." Tan Jizhi glanced at Ye Li, who had been silent beside Mo Xiuyao, and said somewhat regretfully, "It seems that ever since the Prince married the Princess Consort, the fortunes of Prince Ding’s Mansion have turned. Rather than saying Mo Jingqi’s machinations were meant to give Prince Ding’s Mansion a hard time, it’s more accurate to say he allowed Prince Ding’s Mansion to openly and legitimately sever its ties with Great Chu." Mo Xiuyao raised his eyebrows slightly, turned his head towards Ye Li with a gentle smile, then looked back regretfully at Tan Jizhi. "If it weren’t for past events, this Prince would truly wish for someone like Young Master Tan to remain with Prince Ding’s Mansion. Actually, Young Master Tan, you needn’t feel regret. Even if your original plan had succeeded, the one to have the last laugh wouldn’t have been you. Because... you took the wrong path from the very beginning. Look at Ren Qining. Don’t you yet understand the gap between you and him?"
Tan Jizhi’s face changed. If there was anything in this world that could be a sore spot for a man like him, Ren Qining was undoubtedly one. Ever since Ren Qining had appeared, claiming to be a descendant of the previous dynasty and adopting the identity of Lin Yuan, Tan Jizhi had felt deeply unsettled. There was only one Lin Yuan. If Ren Qining was the lost heir of the former dynasty, then who was he, Tan Jizhi? If he wasn’t a descendant of the previous royal line, then what had all his efforts for the past half of his life been for? Tan Jizhi hadn’t gone to see Ren Qining, nor had he inquired with Doctor Lin, because he vaguely sensed that the answer was likely one he was unwilling to face.
"This matter, it seems, does not require Your Highness’s concern," Tan Jizhi said, his expression turning sour.
Mo Xiuyao raised an eyebrow. "Indeed, it has nothing to do with this Prince. Neither you nor Ren Qining have ever been of any consequence in my eyes."
"Your Highness is perhaps a little too confident. Don’t forget how miserably Prince Ding’s Mansion once fell," Tan Jizhi retorted. Rationally, he knew he absolutely shouldn’t be talking back to Mo Xiuyao right now. But seeing Mo Xiuyao’s casual and dismissive indifference, the anger in his heart couldn’t help but surge. The most infuriating thing isn’t being unable to defeat your enemy; it’s when your enemy has never even considered you a worthy opponent from beginning to end.
"So, Young Master Tan and Mo Jingqi evidently did a foolish thing. Did you really think that if Prince Ding’s Mansion hadn’t been a subject of Great Chu, Mo Jingqi’s pathetic little schemes could have harmed my elder brother?" Mo Xiuyao asked mockingly. Although Mo Xiuwen, the heir to Prince Ding’s Mansion, didn’t possess the dazzling fame his younger brother achieved at a young age, he was one of the few people Mo Xiuyao genuinely respected. Such respect couldn’t have been earned merely by virtue of being an elder brother. "And now... in this world, who can stop me?"
Tan Jizhi scoffed, a look of disbelief in his eyes. Yet, that expression seemed somewhat deliberate and strained. Mo Xiuyao paid it no mind and waved his hand for his men to take Tan Jizhi away. Tan Jizhi still had some use for now, so he wouldn’t be killed yet, but Mo Xiuyao would absolutely not let him escape his grasp a second time.
Feng Zhiyao roughly took away Tan Jizhi, whose martial skills had been sealed, leaving Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao sitting opposite each other in the main hall. Ye Li gracefully replaced the cooled tea with a fresh, hot cup. Smiling at the white-haired man across from her, she asked, "Prince, do you have any plans? That Tan Jizhi..." Tan Jizhi himself wasn’t a major concern. Having fallen into the hands of Prince Ding’s Mansion and with his martial skills neutralized, as long as he remained in the mansion, he couldn’t escape, let alone stir up any trouble or send out messages. However, Ye Li thought of Doctor Lin, who was still in the Northwest. The last time she returned, she hadn’t asked Doctor Lin about Tan Jizhi. After so many years of acquaintance, and considering the life-saving grace and guidance he had shown her, Ye Li truly regarded the old man as family. She didn’t want to cause him too much sorrow.
"He’s just a contemptible clown," Mo Xiuyao said indifferently. "Don’t worry, Ah-Li, I will handle the matter concerning Tan Jizhi and Doctor Lin appropriately."
Ye Li nodded. Mo Xiuyao’s promises had always been very reliable. After a moment’s consideration, she put the matter aside. She then said to Mo Xiuyao, "There isn’t much left to do in the Capital City. Let’s return to the Northwest soon." She feared that if they delayed much longer, her elder brother would genuinely become angry.
Mo Xiuyao nodded, his smile pleasant. "Once we’ve dealt with the Feng Family’s affairs this time, and the new emperor’s ascension is settled, we’ll return to the Northwest." Although he often schemed to offload most matters onto Xu Qingchen, Mo Xiuyao was well aware of the principle that too much is as bad as too little. If he pushed Xu Qingchen too hard and made him throw up his hands and leave, the losses would indeed outweigh the gains.
The Feng Family had been exceptionally unlucky recently. Although merchants were traditionally considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy—scholars, farmers, artisans, then merchants—a merchant family like the Fengs definitely lived a far more splendid life than most. As one of the four wealthiest families in Great Chu, based in the Capital City and possessing some connections with the imperial family, the Feng Family was usually treated with considerable respect. However, since the emperor’s demise, the sons of the Feng Family had split into several factions, squabbling endlessly over whom to support. Before they could reach any conclusion, the family’s assets were swiftly and thoroughly confiscated. They didn’t even understand why their property was seized; the entire household, numbering over a hundred, was imprisoned in the cells of the Ministry of Criminal Justice in the Capital City. As the saying goes, when a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. With the Feng Family so suddenly and completely ensnared, everyone from the highest to the lowest thrown into prison, those who were once friendly acquaintances naturally avoided them like the plague. As for those eagerly waiting to profit from the Feng Family’s misfortune, they certainly wouldn’t lift a finger to help them. The madams, young masters, and young misses, once pampered and accustomed to a life of luxury and fine food, were abruptly cast into filthy, dark prison cells, where they naturally wailed and cried incessantly.
Feng Huaiting, the Family Head of the Feng Family and Feng Zhiyao’s biological father, was confined in a separate cell. Compared to the incessant crying and wailing of his wives, children, and other Feng Family members in the adjacent cells, he was far more composed. He sat quietly in a corner of the cell, his back against the wall, ignoring even the calls of Madam Feng from a nearby cell.
As soon as Feng Zhiyao entered the Ministry of Criminal Justice, he was stopped. According to orders from above, Feng Zhiyao, though estranged from the Feng Family, was still a concubine’s son of the Feng Family and was supposed to be imprisoned as well. However, Feng Zhiyao also held another identity: a trusted confidant of Prince Ding and the Vice General of the Mo Family Army. The men sent to arrest him had reconsidered and hadn’t dared to go to Prince Ding’s Mansion to apprehend him. They had reported back, and the matter was ultimately dropped by the higher-ups. Nevertheless, for Third Young Master Feng to now wish to enter the Ministry of Criminal Justice to visit the Feng Family members was entirely out of the question.
Feng Zhiyao stared with a gloomy expression at the Ministry of Criminal Justice official blocking his path. The Feng Family had been thrown into jail, and he had been occupied with capturing Tan Jizhi. Only after completing the Prince’s orders did he finally have time to visit, yet he was now being barred at the entrance. Considering Feng Zhiyao hadn’t slept for two days, one could only imagine how foul his mood was.
"Get out of my way," Feng Zhiyao said coldly, his usually charming and suave smile now tinged with a harshness that made the official blocking his path involuntarily shiver.
"Third Young Master Feng, it is already an act of grace from the court not to make things difficult for you, out of consideration for Prince Ding. Do not fail to appreciate this kindness!" Perhaps realizing he had been so easily intimidated by a junior, the old official before him hastily tried to recover his lost dignity, speaking in a stern and righteous tone. Feng Zhiyao sneered dismissively. "If you have the guts, then imprison me as well. I’ve yet to hear that the Ministry of Criminal Justice forbids all prison visits." Indeed, the Ministry of Criminal Justice didn’t typically allow casual visits, but certain unwritten rules always existed within officialdom. As long as one had money, there was hardly any place, aside from the Imperial Palace itself, that was inaccessible. However, Feng Zhiyao had no intention of offering a bribe. Looking at the stern-faced old man with a smirk, he threatened, "Does Lord Wang require this young master to inform the Office of the Imperial Censor about the ’benefits’ you’ve accumulated during your seven years of service at the Ministry of Criminal Justice?"
Lord Wang’s expression changed. He glanced at his subordinates, who kept their heads bowed, pretending to have heard nothing. He stared at Feng Zhiyao for a long moment before coughing dryly. "Since Third Young Master Feng is from Prince Ding’s Mansion, this official naturally cannot obstruct you. Men, allow him to pass. Third Young Master Feng, please make your visit brief and come out quickly."
Feng Zhiyao let out a cold snort. "This young master’s visit here has nothing to do with Prince Ding’s Mansion." Disregarding Lord Wang’s expression, he flicked his sleeve and strode into the prison.
The moment he stepped into the prison, a dank, putrid odor assailed his nostrils. From both sides of the corridor, pairs of filthy, blackened hands reached out, attempting to grab at anyone passing by. Feng Zhiyao sneered, his sharp gaze sweeping to either side. The inmates who had been about to clutch at him immediately recoiled. Those incarcerated for long periods develop an instinct for self-preservation. Though Feng Zhiyao appeared to be a handsome and elegant young master from a noble family, the murderous aura he had accumulated over a decade on the battlefield was not something these prisoners could withstand.
The Feng Family members were incarcerated in the deepest part of the prison. Even before stepping into that section, Feng Zhiyao could detect a peculiar, foul stench emanating from within, causing him to frown, a cold glint flashing in his half-lowered eyes.
He entered the area where the Feng Family members were confined and gazed with a complicated expression at the man meditating in the separate cell at the very end. Feng Huaiting, nearly sixty, looked much younger than his actual age. Even sitting on the floor in such a dark and squalid cell, he appeared far neater than the wailing, clamorous Feng Family members in the adjacent cells. Feng Zhiyao noticed, however, that his father had significantly more grey hairs at his temples than when he had left the Capital City years ago. Six years prior, when Feng Zhiyao had returned to the Capital City, he had ultimately ignored Xu Hongyan’s advice to visit him. Counting the years, it had been a full seven or eight years since father and son had last seen each other. Feng Zhiyao closed his eyes briefly, concealing the unwanted emotions that welled within them.
Feng Zhiyao’s sudden appearance silenced the clamoring Feng Family members. Standing in the corridor, the man in luxurious red robes, whose handsome and distinguished features would stand out anywhere, seemed to instantly brighten the dim prison. Most of the Feng Family members were not familiar with Feng Zhiyao. Since he was eight or nine years old, he had spent far more time at Prince Ding’s Mansion and elsewhere than at home. Gazing at the elegant figure in red, someone finally recalled that, many years ago, there had been a Feng Family member who was invariably dressed in red. A voice suddenly cried out, "Feng Zhiyao!"
"Eldest Brother, Second Brother, it’s been a long time. I trust you’ve been well?" Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow, a faintly malicious, false smile directed at the two middle-aged men not far off.
No matter how many years had passed, Feng Zhiyao still couldn’t bring himself to like these two legitimate elder brothers. In his childhood, they had been figures of envy and fear; in his youth, objects of his aversion and enmity. Now, as a mature man, Feng Zhiyao had long since left them far behind. The bone-deep hatred he thought he had harbored in his youth had now faded to little more than a faint, instinctive dislike.
"Feng Zhiyao?! What are you doing here?!" Feng Zhiyuan, the second son of the Feng Family, stared at his third younger brother, whom he hadn’t seen in many years, his expression sour. Childhood squabbles might stem from youthful ignorance, but adolescent enmities were more often intertwined with benefits. Back then, members of the Feng Family had used Feng Zhiyao’s closeness to Prince Ding’s Mansion as leverage to pressure the Family Head into expelling him from the family. They had even publicly disowned him after he followed Prince Ding to the Northwest. Yet now, Feng Zhiyao was thriving in Prince Ding’s Mansion while they had fallen to such a state; the expressions of the Feng Family’s two legitimate sons were grim.
"Third Brother... Third Brother! Help me get out! This has nothing to do with me! Help me..." a middle-aged woman cried, scrambling and crawling towards the bars, reaching out to clutch Feng Zhiyao’s sleeve. Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow. The Liu Family and Prince Li had indeed been thorough in their preparations, capturing not only members of the Feng Family’s main and collateral branches but even the married-out daughters. It seemed... this wasn’t merely a threat against him and Prince Ding’s Mansion. Recalling Mo Xiuyao’s nonchalant smile before he left, Feng Zhiyao’s eyebrow twitched again.
"What are you here for?" Feng Huaiting had opened his eyes the moment Feng Zhiyuan first called out Feng Zhiyao’s name. He looked at the elegant man in resplendent red robes outside, a fleeting, inexplicable emotion flickering in his eyes before vanishing as quickly as it appeared. He then asked calmly.
The coldness in his voice caused a pang in Feng Zhiyao’s heart, yet the smile on his face grew even more dazzling. "Naturally, I came to see you, Father. You seem to be holding up quite well."
"Meddling," Feng Huaiting retorted coldly. "You are no longer a son of the Feng Family. Whatever happens to the Feng Family is no concern of yours, and I do not need your officious visit. If there’s nothing else, you should leave." Having said his piece, Feng Huaiting closed his eyes again, completely ignoring the sudden shift in Feng Zhiyao’s expression.
"Father, what are you saying?" Fourth Miss Feng interjected, displeased. "Third Brother is Prince Ding’s trusted confidant! He must be here to save us! Third Brother... quickly get me out of here!"
Feng Zhiyao had initially felt a twinge of guilt, but Feng Huaiting’s cold words instantly ignited his anger. He scoffed, pulling his robes free from Fourth Miss Feng’s grasp, then raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Apologies, but just as Old Master Feng said, I am no longer part of the Feng Family. Whatever happens to the Feng Family is no concern of mine. I’m merely here... to watch the show."
Madam Feng, from a nearby cell, suddenly shrieked, "You vile beast! Even if the Feng Family is down and out, it’s not your place to gloat over our misfortune! Perhaps the Feng Family was brought to ruin by an ill-omened creature like you, you son of that low-born woman!"
Upon hearing this, Feng Zhiyao looked at Madam Feng, somewhat surprised. Madam Feng had always prided herself on being the principal wife. Although she had never regarded him, a concubine’s son, with any real respect, she had always maintained a facade of magnanimity and virtue, never doing anything that might attract gossip. Aside from condoning her two sons’ bullying of him and subtly ostracizing him and his mother, she truly wasn’t that bad compared to some of the truly vicious and cruel women of the inner chambers. He hadn’t expected her to lose her composure like this at such a time.
"Shut up!" Feng Huaiting suddenly snapped, his voice cold, "Uttering such foul language! Has being thrown into prison caused all your refinement to be eaten by dogs?"
Madam Feng choked, her mouth agape, but for a long time, she couldn’t utter a word.
