Severing the Father-Son Relationship
Early the next morning.
While the people were still bewildered by the truth about the Du Family, another piece of news spread like wildfire.
The young woman in white who had spent days setting up shelters and handing out free porridge throughout the royal city around the Mid-Autumn Festival was none other than Di Qingyu, His Majesty's most favored sixth princess. She had even proposed the free porridge distribution to the emperor herself.
The handsome guard who had stayed by her side was Zhu Wuyang, the young master of the General's residence.
By imperial decree, the porridge distribution was supposed to last three days, but the sixth princess had appeared for only two. The reason was that Du Yutao, son of the minister of punishments, had tried to assassinate her on the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although Young Master Zhu had taken a knife for her, the sixth princess had still been so badly shaken that she had coughed up blood and suffered serious injuries, forcing her to return to the palace for treatment that very night.
People who had been present that night also confirmed that Du Yutao had behaved wantonly and frivolously, even pestering the sixth princess with his words. Yet although Du Yutao had now been locked in prison, he had yet to be sentenced.
Could the Du Family truly act with such utter disregard for the law?
The people had already been terrified by the warning of a natural disaster, afraid they would be caught up in it. They resented Du Chengji but had not dared to speak out and offend him because of his status. Now they gathered around the Du residence once more.
"Lives for lives, Du Clan! The father is a vicious brute, and the son follows his example. You could even attack a kindhearted princess like the sixth princess! What good could possibly come out of your Du Family?"
"That's right! I received the sixth princess's kindness that day. She served us porridge herself and didn't look down on me at all for my lowly status. How dare you try to assassinate such a good princess? Grand General Zhu also rendered outstanding service to Xiling, and Young Master Zhu took a knife, but Du Yutao remains safe and sound. There really is no law anymore!"
"Du Clan villains, retribution never fails! A blood debt must be paid in blood, and gods and ghosts will repay you!"
Panic gripped the Du residence, and no one dared go outside. Du Chengji, however, was perfectly calm.
"My lord, the people outside are causing trouble again. This time it's because of the sixth princess," a subordinate reported.
Du Chengji frowned and drew a sword. "Come with me."
"My lord!"
When the Du Family's long-closed gates opened, Du Chengji, who had remained out of sight all this time, finally appeared before the crowd gathered outside.
The people who had been cursing in indignation froze at the sight of him and abruptly fell silent. After all, he was the duly appointed minister of punishments and the empress dowager's own nephew. They might curse him, but when they saw the man himself, they still felt some fear of someone above their station.
Especially when they saw the sword in his hand!
Du Chengji saw the dense crowd glaring at him with deep hatred. His sinister eyes half closed, he raised the sword and addressed them in a loud, solemn voice.
"I am Du Chengji, minister of punishments. You have surrounded my residence for days, and today we will put everything on the table. If anyone comes to make trouble for my family again, I, the minister of punishments, am not someone to be trifled with!"
With that, he flourished his sword. Cold light flashed in the bright sun, striking fear into the hearts of the people around him.
Du Chengji continued, "Previously, because of the warning of a natural disaster, it was understandable that my family should come under suspicion, since we bear the surname Du. But the river-calming stele clearly said 'Du Clan'; it did not name me, Du Chengji. Yesterday's papers flying all over the city named me outright, and I will not accept it! I, Du Chengji, am innocent. I will never admit to something I did not do. That is why I never appeared to explain myself, but waited for the emperor to uncover the truth, root out whoever was targeting the Du Family, and clear my name!"
As he spoke, Du Chengji swept his icy gaze over the crowd. "As for what you heard today, that my son gravely injured the sixth princess and the young master of the General's residence, that is true. But I will never shield him. On the night it happened, I had already flogged my son before taking him into the palace to plead guilty with me. Afterward, His Majesty imprisoned him to await punishment once everything had been investigated."
At this, tears welled in Du Chengji's eyes, and regret showed on his haggard, desolate face. "As his father, I failed to raise him properly. That was my failure, and my conscience is burdened with guilt. To uphold Xiling's laws and set an example, I choose justice over family. I asked Her Majesty the Empress Dowager not to soften her heart and plead for my son, and to have him executed for attempting to assassinate a member of the imperial family!"
His deep voice trembled, and the sight filled people with sympathy. They felt as though they were cruelly forcing a good, elderly father who loved his son to have him put to death.
Du Chengji trembled slightly, his tear-filled eyes red. "Du Yutao is not my only son. There are also more than a hundred people in this residence who depend on me for their livelihood. I acknowledge the wrong he committed and am willing to make amends, but I do not want the rest of the Du Family dragged down with him."
With that, Du Chengji raised the sword in his hand and swung it.
"Ah!"
The people around him thought he was about to do something drastic and cried out in alarm.
"Everyone here is my witness. From this day forth, I, Du Chengji, swear in blood to sever my father-son relationship with Du Yutao. From now on, he is no longer a member of the Du Family!"
Looking closely, they saw that Du Chengji had already cut a deep gash in his palm with the sword, and blood was streaming straight onto the ground.
"My lord, why must you do this? You haven't eaten or slept for days and nights because of the young master! You've already tormented yourself so much. Why hurt yourself like this?"
The subordinate beside him understood at once: this was a ploy to win sympathy by inflicting injury on himself. He hurried forward, acting distressed and concerned, and moved to tear a strip from his hem to bind the wound.
Du Chengji shook his head and sighed regretfully, tears falling from the corners of his eyes. "You needn't say any more. Yutao has caused such a disaster. As his father, I should repay his debt for him, but he is no longer a young master of the Du Family."
Finally, Du Chengji took a deep breath and looked at the crowd. "Everyone, I know the disaster at the moat hurt many people. To atone for my son, I am willing to give three years of my salary to pay the injured people's medical expenses and repair their homes. With that, I ask you to show mercy and stop believing rumors and making trouble for my family. Thank you."
He bowed deeply, and the guards who had followed him out hurriedly bowed as well.
Seeing what he had done-severing ties with his son and calling for his execution—and knowing the rumors had yet to be investigated, the people causing trouble around him saw that he had even sworn in blood. If they kept this up, they would seem like the villains instead.
Cowed, the crowd no longer dared to make trouble. Without a word of agreement, they drifted away in disappointment.
"Hey, let's all go. I've still got a dog at home I haven't fed."
"Wait for me! I still have firewood to deal with!"
They had hated Du Chengji to the bone, but now they felt that what was written on the papers must be rumors. Would a father who put justice before family and upheld Xiling's laws really do such evil things? Or was someone truly framing the Du Family and using the common people as weapons?
In less than two minutes, the crowd had mostly dispersed.
Seeing this, Du Chengji, whose expression had been sorrowful yet righteous, lowered his eyes slightly, a trace of mocking derision in them. These ignorant people truly believed whatever others told them. They were stupid and pitiful.
He even had to thank the person who had deliberately exposed the matter of Du Yutao, allowing him to win sympathy and get out of a tight spot in one stroke.
"Back inside."
After he went in, some spies hidden in the shadows also returned to make their reports.
On the second floor of a courtyard opposite the Du residence, however, a figure closed a window and turned to look at the person before her, whose eyes were filled with hatred.
"You saw it all. I didn't force Du Chengji to say that."
"Mm." The man nodded resentfully. A white cloth was stuffed in his mouth, preventing him from speaking.
"Take him back." The figure beckoned.
"Yes."