"My Lord is a Stone"《我家君王是石头》Chapter 12

Zhao Chang Chun hugged Zhao Jin Yu, emotionally moved.

His originally thick and broad chest, was now only skin and bones, as if it would smash with only the lightest push, but this person, had a compassionate father’s chest, making Zhao Jin Yu greedily draw warmth from it, crying increasingly uncontrollably.

Night slowly descended, there were no candles inside the prison cell, only the small narrow window lent moonlight for them to look at one another, Zhao Chang Chun smiled and said, “Jin girl, you’re so big already but still a cry-baby.” Having spoken he wanted to help her wipe her tears, but in the end he saw his clothes were dirty, his hand was even more filthy, he slowly lowered the hand he had softly raised, his heart filled with a feeling of uselessness.

Zhao Jin Yu eyes were swollen like walnuts, but she still had good eyesight to see her adoptive father’s sense of loss, with not thoughts or hesitation she moved her face closer, rubbing against his apparent filth because of living in a prison for a long time and not being able to change clothes and wash, moreover his clothes emitted a mouldy smell.

“Daddy’s dirty.” Zhao Jin Yu acted like a young daughter, heart even more aggrieved, the tears he held back finally fell down, he was afraid this time there were no positive signs, since he entered this prison cell he had prepared himself to meet death, until he had no extravagant hope, his wife was the Xu family of Jinling’s first wife’s daughter, her older brother was also the newly appointed clan leader, naturally he wouldn’t treat her unfairly, as for his son Zhao Jing Chuan he was a boy, even if he had the label of being the son of a criminal official, at the very least he could still continue with his life, all except this adopted daughter, all alone by herself, stubborn and honest nature, to curry favour by showing obedience, also too frank nature…, what’s to be her future? The more he thought about it the more he felt distressed, unable to part with it.

The father and daughter cried for a while holding each other now it quietened down, especially Zhao Chang Chun, after all he wasn’t an ordinary person, at a young age he had been a fifth ranked official, if he had not been linked with the Yan high official corruption case, he would have had boundless prospects.

“Jin girl, the food you make is tastier than your mother’s.” Zhao Chang Chun changed into new cotton-padded clothes, he allowed Zhao Jin Yu to brush his hair, showing a bit of his former cultured and handsome manners, now with a content expression he ate the rice balls made by Zhao Jin Yu.

Xu Shi was a woman of a prestigious family, leading a pampered life from childhood, when she had married Zhao Chang Chun she almost broke off relations with her family, when she was first with Zhao Chang Chun, she could only learn to cook herself, sew clothes, if the feminine arts would not work then she can improvise, after all she had learned from childhood, all except cooking, this past ten years, she still hadn’t made any progress.

Zhao Jin Yu recalled, Zhao Chang Chun thought money and power will help you in any occupation, occasionally he would go in and out of Yayuan pleasure house or social interactions, even though he never messed around he would however carry some smell of cosmetics on his body, Xu Shi would make a bowl of white fungus congee for Zhao Chang Chun to drink without batting an eyelid, watching Zhao Chang Chun’s face as he drank it down, her expression would only then faintly relax.

Thinking up to here, the tears she had just stopped again started falling again.

Nine years went by in a flash, how can her originally serene and happy life be broken like this so suddenly?

After speaking Zhao Chang Chun obviously also thought of his wife Xu Shi…, and seeing Zhao Jin Yu’s tearful outer corner of her eyes, he sighed, saying, “Jin girl, don’t blame your mother.” Even though he didn’t ask Zhao Jin Yu what happened, but based on being husband and wife for so many years, he obviously already caught a glimpse of the whole sequence of events, “You will soon understand, your mother seems harsh, but in fact she’s acting in your best interest.”

Zhao Jin Yu hung her head not speaking, the dim moonlight shone on her face, making her look even more pale and frail.

Zhao Chang Chun heart ached, almost immediately he was determined, saying, “Jin girl, come to your dad.” Having spoken he looked all around vigilantly, seeing it was extremely quiet, the prisoners in the prison cell next door were just fighting over a black steamed bun, the prisoner opposite had his head down sleeping in the pitch-dark, then did he speak with a profound gaze, “daddy has hidden a letter inside the house, deliver that letter to…”

The more Zhao Jin Yu listened, the more serious her expression.

Zhao Jin Yu was seen off by the jailor Feng Er, Feng Er had once been shown kindness by Zhao Chang Chun, therefore he always showed some consideration towards them, this was also the reason why the previous jailor did not make things difficult for Zhao Jin Yu.

“Young lady, wait a moment, I’ll call for my wife, take you home together.”

The night had darken, and the outside was also bitterly cold, Zhao Chang Chun could not be at ease with Zhao Jin Yu walk at night alone, so he entrusted Feng Er to take his daughter home, Feng Er was after all a man, so he called for his own wife to go with them, otherwise if people saw a man and woman alone it would ruin Zhao Jin Yu’s reputation.

Zhao Jin Yu’s brain was in a muddle, because of Zhao Chang Chun’s words just now, half a beat slow she then said, “Thank you uncle Feng.”

Hearing Zhao Jin Yu call him like this, Feng Er, the seven chi[1] man somewhat bashfully scratched his head, saying, “It’s fine for the young lady to call me Feng Er, I’m just a very minor jailer how can I be addressed like this by you.”

Feng Er’s wife Zhang Shi had a suntanned complexion, a sturdy and tall woman, when she came she pulled along a mule cart, saying, “Why are you not smart? The young lady is a sweet fair daughter of an official, how can she be like our family’s Hong Er such a wild girl, who can walk home by herself?”

“I didn’t think about it, wife you still think of everything.” Feng Er with an extremely good temperament laughed, “no wonder they say my life is good, marrying such a clever wife, truly blessed with a woman of pure heart and spirit.”

Hearing this Zhang Shi looked at Zhao Jin Yu worried, turning to look at him and scold, “Be serious, carefully take the young lady back.” Immediately she apologised to Zhao Jin Yu saying, “Young lady, don’t be angry, my husband is an uneducated person, he speaks crudely.”

Zhao Jin Yu couldn’t help smile at this scene, the anxiety in her heart also faded quite a lot, they say people in ancient times had many wives and many concubines, but apart from those influential families with extravagant lifestyles, the ordinary people were monogamous, honestly and genuinely live their lives, amongst those there were also not a lack of henpecked males like Qian Feng Er.

Originally she had thought she would return home very quickly, who knew having just come out of the alleyway in front their path was blocked, an Embroidered Uniform Guard wearing feiyu attire leading ordinary soldiers coldly and ruthlessly berated, “What is your status? Don’t you know there is a nigh curfew not allowed to go out?”

Feng Er explained for quite a while with a good manner but still couldn’t make the other person accommodate them, and almost caused them to be arrested, if it wasn’t for the fact Feng Er was a jailer, showing the name badge around his waist it really would have been difficult to settle the matter, finally Zhao Jin Yu under the invitation of the husband and wife, temporarily stayed at the Zhang house.

Zhao Jin Yu was taken to the main house, bringing over the house’s best bedding, Zhang Shi pulled on Zhao Jin Yu’s lily-white hands, stopping all her protests, that suntanned face held a solemn seriousness, “Young lady, you mustn’t treat us as outsiders, if it wasn’t for Lord Zhao rescuing my nearly frozen husband at that time, I would be a widow now, not only did Lord Wang arrange for my husband to work here? Your Zhao family gave our family a new lease of life, me and my husband, and our child, even if we worked like an ox in our next life we still wouldn’t be able to repay your kindness!” Speaking up to here she sighed, glancing at her thin clothes, Zhao Jin Yu’s thin and pallid expression, her heart both took pity on her, and was furious, her tone unconsciously became a few octaves higher, “Lord Zhao is a good person! Many people say him and high official Yan together got hundred thousands of silver from corruption, but my husband knows, this time he entered prison, the fact is he couldn’t even raise the money to make things better…”

Zhao Jin Yu also believe Zhao Chang Chun wasn’t that kind of person, but this was actually the first time she heard such a bright favouring statement, the rim of her eyes couldn’t help but water, saying, 

“Many came when we were blessed with double the good fortune, not many provided help in our hour of need, I thank you on my father’s behalf.”

Zhang Shi’s heart ached when she saw tears fill Zhao Jin Yu’s eyelashes, comfortingly saying, “Young lady don’t be too broken-hearted, there will be one day Lord Zhao’s name will be cleared, the whole truth will be revealed, the truth will come to light.”

Zhao Jin Yu knew most of Zhang Shi’s words were to comfort her, and did not say much else, waiting until she got into bed, blowing out the candle, but she couldn’t sleep.

Yesterday she had also heard from next door’s Zhang Zhi Shi say, there were a lot of implications with this case, even Ningguo princess’s son had been taken away by the Embroidered Uniform Guards…, and suggested to her, this case seems like a corruption case, but was actually different, there were other hidden motives.

Thinking up to here, Zhao Jin Yu again unconsciously worried about the thing her adoptive father Zhao Chang Chun’s careful and insistent instructions, what exactly was written inside that letter? Why would there be such importance attached to it? So much so that even mother Xu Shi wasn’t told?

With these chaotic train of thoughts, Zhao Jin Yu slowly joined the land of dreams.

In the middle of the night, Zhao Jin Yu woke up to the sound of a sharp weeping noise, it was brightly lit outside, “My Lord, my daughter is to marry tomorrow, she hasn’t done anything, how can you just arrest her like that?” The usually straightforward Zhang Shi, her voice held a bit of rare panic.

Very quickly the cold and ruthless voice of a man could be heard, “Is your daughter’s name Zhang Hong?”

“She is called that…”

“Is the head of your household’s surname Feng, why is your daughter’s surname Zhang?”

Very soon Feng Er’s eager explanation could be heard, “I’m the son-in-law that married into the family, my daughter therefore follows my wife’s surname.”

“Oh, so it’s like that.”

“My Lord, this is to show a little bit of my respect…”

“Get lost, only two silvers? Do you take me as a destitute beggar to be made to leave? Tell me does your family have a first-rate jade pendant? Hehehe, that also won’t do!” The man’s voice ceased resolutely, even more indifferent like ice, “this is our commander’s order, not a single person can be let off! Come, arrest them.”

“Dad, mother…, wuwu…”

“This is my family’s jade pendant passed on from generation to generation, reportedly it’s worth quite a few tens of silver, my Lord is this fine with you, just turn a blind eye!”

It was quiet inside the courtyard for a while, but very quickly an even more piercing wail was heard, “It’s not that I don’t want to let your daughter off, if you need to blame something blame that your daughter has such a name, I won’t hide from you, today so long as a girl has this name, they will be arrested!”

A quiver worked itself up Zhao Jin Yu, with quick steps she reached the window, for some reason she didn’t hear the other words clearly, however the two words Zhang Hong was like a thorn, suddenly stabbing her heart.

What was this all about?

She had just told the stone yesterday of this name, today early morning the Embroidered Uniform Guards started interrogating the whole city!

On the other side Feng Er because his daughter was taken away, was covered in a gloomy cloud, a depressing mood, and Zhao Jin Yu’s house was also not peaceful, after the emperor opened his eyes 

he discovered, the house was completely empty without a single person, bouncing around in circles for half the day, and very haughtily threatening Zhao Jin Yu if she dared to hide then she will…, who would have imagined that girl would disappear!

The weather after snowing was very cold, the underfloor heating in the house was not lit, and there was no wood charcoal, the bone piercing winter night wind was like a knife stabbing into a person’s body, thinking about it when he was in the palace, he didn’t feel the eerie coldness of the palace hall was difficult to bear, since changing into a stone he couldn’t even stand the slightest chilliness.

The anger in his heart surged forth, hard to control, the emperor gritted his teeth saying, “We will make life living hell!” His stomach hungry rumbled incessantly, the emperor thought of that dish which looked alike by the imperial kitchen, but eating the potato stewed with meat it was not to his liking at all, he felt more and more angry.

Two hours passed.

Four hours passed.

Six hours passed.

The emperor’s fierce expression lost its intensity, it somewhat wilted, in low spirits he returned to bed, covering himself with the handkerchief Zhao Jin Yu had given him as a quilt, sticking out half his body, absent-mindedly he looked outside.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he was too…hungry.

---

[1] A Chinese foot, one-third of a meter.