Chapter 17: Released from Prison

After a round of discussion in the hall, Song Quan stepped outside and called, "Third Brother!"

Before long, a man whose features bore some resemblance to his hurried over. It was Song Yanqing's father, Song Shu.

After entering the hall and receiving a set of instructions, Song Shu quickly left again.

He returned to his own courtyard within the residence. The moment he entered, he told the old servant who came to greet him, "Have Yanqing come see me."

The old servant looked troubled. "Young Master isn't home. He went out to meet friends." In truth, he had no idea where Song Yanqing had gone to fool around, though it was probably one of the usual pleasure establishments.

"Find him and bring him back to me immediately!" Song Shu ordered, leaving no room for argument.

The old servant could only obey. He bowed and withdrew.

Standing before a shaded candle, Song Shu stared into the flame and fell silent. Light and shadow shifted across his face, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

A full two hours passed before hurried footsteps outside broke his reverie. Song Shu turned his head and saw Song Yanqing rushing in to salute him.

"Father, you wanted to see me?"

Ever since Tang Yi married, the Shangqing Sect had lost all attraction for Song Yanqing. He had not remained there much longer before returning to the capital.

Song Shu looked him up and down. There were still traces of rouge and powder on his cheek that he had failed to wipe clean. Anger immediately surged up.

"All you know is how to spend your days fooling around in brothels and pleasure houses! Fang'er comes running to me every few days, crying and complaining. If you put that time into cultivating properly, wouldn't that be better than anything else?"

The "Fang'er" he referred to was Song Yanqing's wife. Not long after Song Yanqing returned to the capital, the Song clan had arranged his marriage.

Song Yanqing lowered his head and muttered, "She's ugly as hell. I told you from the beginning I didn't want to marry her, but all of you insisted on forcing me."

"What's so ugly about her? She's just a little plump!" Song Shu glared and pointed at his son's nose. "I'm warning you. Her father commands tens of thousands of elite troops in the capital region, and there's a cultivation sect backing him besides. At the very least, show her some courtesy. If you really make your grandfather furious, you know perfectly well what the consequences will be!"

"Yes, yes, I know." Song Yanqing gave a rather helpless, bitter laugh. "Father, let's talk about the real matter. Why did you call me back?"

Song Shu forced down his temper and said gravely, "Pack your things at once. Return to the Shangqing Sect as soon as possible..."

"What?" Song Yanqing's head jerked up. Rejection was written all over his face. "I'm not going! That broken-down place is so cold and deserted a man could turn stupid from staying there. Father, forgive me for speaking plainly, but the Shangqing Sect is useless now. Getting mixed up with them only invites trouble. I still can't understand why you ran off to become a Shangqing Sect disciple in the first place. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?"

Song Shu was silent for a moment before slowly answering, "Things have already come this far, so there is no harm in making some matters clear to you. Back then, Prince Ning Shang Jianbo won every battle and conquered wherever he marched. His armies were unstoppable, and his prestige shook the surrounding states. He was a minister without equal in the State of Yan and already had the bearing of a Crown Prince. When the State of Yan was founded, the Founding Patriarch of the Shangqing Sect rendered extraordinary service and was appointed National Preceptor. The Shangqing Sect has therefore always had ties with the imperial house of Yan, and Shang Jianbo's relations with the Shangqing Sect were consistently good. It was precisely for this reason that your grandfather sent me to the Shangqing Sect, so the Song clan would have another road left open to us. Who could have predicted the whims of Heaven? The late emperor suddenly fell gravely ill and died, and his final edict unexpectedly passed the throne to the present emperor. Shang Jianbo's fortunes reversed overnight, and that is how matters ended up as they are today."

Understanding dawned on Song Yanqing. He muttered to himself, "Grandfather really is sinister. He started straddling both sides long ago..."

Song Shu flew into a rage. "What did you say?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Song Yanqing hurriedly waved both hands. "I was saying, shouldn't we be keeping an appropriate distance from the Shangqing Sect now? Why are you sending me back?"

Song Shu said in a heavy voice, "Shang Chaozong will be released from prison tomorrow!"

Song Yanqing looked puzzled. "I've heard about that. What does it have to do with me going to the Shangqing Sect?"

"The court has just made its decision," Song Shu said. "Shang Chaozong is to be driven out of the capital and sent to his fief. Judging by the route, he will probably pass through the region near the Shangqing Sect. Once you arrive, you must warn the Shangqing Sect under no circumstances to provide him with retainer cultivators!"

Song Yanqing laughed. "That's all? Is it worth making me travel that far? Just send the Shangqing Sect a message. Besides, the Shangqing Sect can barely protect itself these days. Even without warning them, I doubt they'd dare send anyone to him."

Song Shu glared. "You don't understand a damned thing! Ever since the founding of the State of Yan, the Shangqing Sect has had countless ties to the imperial house. There was probably far more between Shang Jianbo and the Shangqing Sect than just Dong Guo Haoran. Tang Mu's sudden change of course on his deathbed, passing the leadership to Dong Guo Haoran, is proof enough. I suspect the waters beneath the Shangqing Sect are not nearly as clean as they look. There may still be things hidden below the surface. Under the present circumstances, the other sects will not dare send anyone to protect Shang Chaozong. The Shangqing Sect is the most likely exception. I'm not sending you merely to warn them not to provide Shang Chaozong with men. I also want you watching the Shangqing Sect. Once news spreads that Shang Chaozong has been released and is leaving the capital, some old sediment may start floating back to the surface. After you reach the Shangqing Sect, pay close attention to any unusual movements. If you discover anything, report it immediately. This is your grandfather's intention."

Song Yanqing pulled a bitter face. "Why go to so much trouble? The Shangqing Sect is a fallen phoenix now, worse than a chicken. Even if they do send someone to Shang Chaozong, what waves can they possibly stir up? Shang Chaozong doesn't have military authority in his hands anymore. Grandfather is worrying too much. If you ask me, we should just have someone wipe out the Shangqing Sect and be done with it."

Song Shu said coldly, "A centipede may die, yet it does not topple at once, much less Prince Ning, who once held the military power of Yan in his hands! Your grandfather has his own reasons for doing this. It is not something you need to worry about. I am warning you: this is not child's play. If something goes wrong, your grandfather will not spare you!"

A chill ran down Song Yanqing's back. He was genuinely afraid of that grandfather of his. Normally, he barely dared breathe too loudly in his presence...

The eastern sky had only just begun to pale.

Outside the imperial prison stood a carriage, its driver waiting quietly at the front.

A refined-looking middle-aged man paced beside it. He wore a short goatee, a long green robe with a blue vest over it, and carried a certain scholarly elegance. His deep-set eyes repeatedly turned toward the prison gates.

Only when dawn fully broke and the first brilliant golden light appeared in the sky did movement finally come from within the prison. Iron chains clattered and dragged across the ground.

The driver and the middle-aged man both turned sharply.

A moment later, the prison gates swung open with a crash. A group of men shoved out a tall young man who had become gaunt to the point of skin and bones. His clothes were in tatters. Shackles bound his wrists, chains dragged from his ankles, and he walked barefoot.

He looked miserable, but his eyes were bright and piercing. His back remained perfectly straight, giving the impression that he would break before he ever bent.

This was Shang Chaozong, youngest son of the late Grand Marshal of the State of Yan, Prince Ning Shang Jianbo.

The driver and middle-aged man hurried forward, only to be stopped by the guards. All they could do was stare anxiously.

The guards ordered Shang Chaozong to stop. Someone came forward and removed the shackles from his hands and feet. Then another person approached with a document and a pad of seal paste.

Only after Shang Chaozong pressed his fingerprint onto the document and signed his acknowledgment did the jailer cup his hands and smile. "Congratulations, Your Highness. You have finally regained your freedom."

Shang Chaozong gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing. Barefoot, he walked forward at an unhurried pace.

The moment he passed beyond the guarded area, the middle-aged man and the driver came forward together and saluted him. Both were so emotional they could barely speak.

Shang Chaozong nodded to the driver, then smiled at the middle-aged man. "I've troubled Mr. Lan to come receive me in person."

The middle-aged man was Lan Ruoting. Strictly speaking, he was even related to Shang Chaozong: he was a younger male cousin of Shang Chaozong's mother. Gifted with unusual intelligence, Lan Ruoting had caught the eye of a strategist serving Prince Ning and had been accepted as his student, kept at his side and taught the arts of strategy. Five years earlier, his teacher had perished together with Prince Ning and the others, after which Lan Ruoting had more or less taken his teacher's place in the Prince's household.

Whatever Lan Ruoting had meant to say died in his throat. His gaze had fallen on Shang Chaozong's wrists and ankles. The flesh at both places had been rubbed raw and festered from years in shackles. A foul stench hung around him. Combined with his skeletal appearance, it was obvious how much suffering he had endured over the years.

Was this treatment fit for a prince?

Lan Ruoting's lips trembled. He turned his head and said, "Quickly, help His Highness into the carriage."

The driver hurried over, and the two moved to support Shang Chaozong from either side.

"I won't fall. I can walk!" Shang Chaozong pushed both of them away. He walked to the carriage himself and climbed inside.

Lan Ruoting followed him in.

As soon as the carriage departed, a carrier pigeon flew up from inside the imperial prison and winged into the sky.

The carriage trotted at an easy pace through the streets of the capital. Inside, Lan Ruoting inspected Shang Chaozong's injuries before withdrawing his hands.

"Once we find a quiet place, I'll have Your Highness bathed and your wounds treated."

"No matter. I've endured all these years. A little more time makes no difference." As he spoke, Shang Chaozong lifted the curtain and glanced outside. He immediately noticed they were not taking the road back to the Prince's residence.

Lan Ruoting explained, "His Majesty has issued an edict. Your Highness is not permitted to remain in the capital. You are to proceed immediately to your fief in Canglu County."

"I know. The edict was read to me in prison." Shang Chaozong lowered the curtain and looked back at him. "Have you discovered how Father died?"

Lan Ruoting shook his head. "The matter is extremely strange. To this day, there isn't a single clue. We suspect the man in the palace, but we have no evidence whatsoever."

Shang Chaozong fell silent for a while before asking, "How is Qing'er? Father repeatedly told us brothers before he died that we had to protect Qing'er."

Qing'er was Shang Shuqing, his younger sister and Shang Jianbo's only daughter.

Shang Chaozong had originally had two elder brothers. The eldest died on the battlefield. The second perished together with their parents several years ago. Now only Shang Chaozong and his sister remained of their immediate family.

Three years earlier, Shang Chaozong had caught someone molesting a respectable woman and stepped in to stop it. In a moment of carelessness, he beat the man to death. The incident immediately exploded. Accusations that inverted black and white came pouring in like a tide. Only after he was thrown into prison in chains did he realize he had been deliberately framed.

The hereditary right attached to the princely title he had inherited was revoked, every office he held was stripped away, and his rank was reduced from Prince to Commandery Prince. He had remained imprisoned until today, with no visitors permitted.

"Your Highness can rest assured," Lan Ruoting said soothingly. "The Commandery Princess is hidden somewhere safe. You'll be able to see her soon."

Shang Chaozong nodded faintly, seeming to relax.

Then his brow furrowed again. "There is one matter I cannot understand. While I was in prison, people kept interrogating me, demanding that I confess the whereabouts of the hundred thousand 'Crow Generals' Father supposedly possessed. I had no idea what they were talking about. Mr. Lan, do you know what this is about?"

Lan Ruoting sighed. "That was my doing. I caused Your Highness to suffer."

[End of Chapter 17]