In the capital, the street before the Great General’s Mansion was packed with a seemingly endless line of carriages. Guests swarmed like clouds, and the air was thick with the clamor of celebration.
Large red lanterns hung high at the main entrance. The four gilded characters of the "Great General’s Mansion" shimmered in the sunlight, signed by the current Emperor himself—a mark of glory and favor rarely seen in the world.
Every guest stopped to admire it, their expressions a mix of awe and undisguised envy.
The Ning family of the Great General’s Mansion was among the first group of generals to follow the founding emperor. For their outstanding military service, they were granted the title of Duke of Wei, with the rank guaranteed for three generations. Although the title had lapsed in the current generation for certain reasons, they were instead granted the status of the Great General’s Mansion, placing them at the head of all military officers.
The Ning family had guarded the Northwest for generations, protecting the borders and the nation. Countless sons of the Ning family had died on the battlefield, their bodies returned wrapped in horsehides, and their names as heroic martyrs were known throughout the land.
The current Emperor held the Ning family in the highest trust and regard, constantly bestowing rewards upon the Ning women who remained in the capital. For Lady Ning’s seventieth birthday, the palace had sent birthday gifts early, sparking the envy of many noble houses.
Lady Ning wore a gold-wire phoenix crown inlaid with kingfisher feathers, a red high-collared jacket, and a satin skirt of pure gold embroidered with scattered flowers. The skirt featured a hundred variations of the character for "blessing," hand-stitched by the women of the Ning family to add to the matriarch's longevity and fortune.
She looked elegant and dignified, with kind eyes and a warm smile, surrounded by her many descendants.
A circle of noblewomen gathered around Lady Ning, showering her with flatteries. They praised the filial piety and competence of the Ning children, coaxing Lady Ning into a beaming smile. The atmosphere was exceptionally joyous.
"Lady Ning, your blessings and longevity are as vast as the heavens. With a loving husband and a house full of children and grandchildren, you truly make everyone envious."
"Lady Ning, please let us broaden our horizons by showing us the gifts sent from the border. I heard this year’s Eastern Pearls are even finer."
Lady Ning’s smile stiffened for a moment, but she quickly changed the subject with a composed expression. While others noticed nothing amiss, only the family members knew the truth.
Sixth Miss Ning took advantage of a moment when no one was looking to whisper to her sisters, "Why hasn't the gift from the border arrived yet? Could something have happened?"
The previous letters had stated that the gifts would certainly arrive before the birthday, and many other arrangements had been mentioned as well.
Yet, now that the birthday celebration was underway, the gift was still nowhere to be seen. It was becoming a joke.
Fourth Miss Ning glanced around and lowered her voice. "The escort must be unreliable. How could they think of letting that person bring it back? Father is truly something else. He clearly knows Grandmother can’t stand that person, yet he insisted on sending her back to the capital."
That person's name was a taboo in the household, one they never dared to mention lightly. Everyone knew she existed, yet none had ever seen her.
Sixth Miss Ning gave a cold chuckle. "She’s not young anymore; it’s time she was married off. One can’t find a decent family for her out at the border."
Fourth Miss Ning’s face twisted in disdain. "She grew up wild at the border and has no upbringing. What family would want her?"
Eldest Miss Ning’s voice rang out from behind them. "All of you, shut up."
Little Sixth Ning was the youngest daughter of the house and the most spoiled, possessing a willful and arrogant temperament. "I won't acknowledge her. Hmph. Even if she’s entered into the Ning family genealogy, she’s not a true member of the Ning family."
"Don't talk nonsense," Eldest Miss Ning couldn't help but chide. Regardless of the circumstances, Ning Zhiwei bore the surname Ning. They shared in each other's honor and would fall together in disgrace.
Little Sixth Ning was not afraid of her eldest sister. She stomped her foot. "Eldest Sister, I just don't like her. No one likes her. If not for her, how could our Ning family… Eh? Why is it so noisy outside? What's going on?"
At that moment, the head steward came crawling and stumbling toward them, his face pale with terror as if the sky had collapsed. "Lady Ning, the Jinyiwei are here!"
Boom. The lively atmosphere froze instantly. The guests looked at one another, trembling with fear.
When the Jinyiwei appeared, it usually meant nothing good.
The hearts of the Ning family members leapt into their throats, their minds going blank. A great calamity was upon them.
When she saw the young man dressed in the silk brocade uniform appear, the heart Lady Ning had been holding in her throat plummeted. Her vision blurred, and her body swayed. Her worried descendants rushed to support her.
To think that Xiao Linfeng, the Commander of the Jinyiwei, was leading the party himself. Wherever he went, disaster followed.
The young man was tall and straight as jade, but his eyes were shrouded in a frost-like chill. He carried a terrifying aura that made people afraid to look him in the eye. Everyone in the capital wished they could vanish on the spot whenever they saw him.
Blood and slaughter followed in his wake—confiscations, the extermination of clans, and countless heads rolling. Even the high-ranking officials of the court held him in deep dread.
He was the blade in the hands of the current Emperor; wherever the finger pointed, the blade struck.
Meeting the terrified gazes of the Ning women, he spoke with a cold, indifferent expression. "The Ning family has colluded with Beijin, resulting in the loss of the border defenses. Six cities have fallen, and their citizens have been slaughtered to the last soul. The Jinyiwei act on Imperial command to confiscate this house and deliver judgment…"
It was like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky. The Ning family members were in disbelief. "This is impossible!"
Xiao Linfeng recalled a certain letter and gave a faint order. "Be gentle with the women."
"Yes, sir."
The guests were struck with horror, shaking uncontrollably.
Xiao Linfeng looked at the surrounding guests and pointed in one direction. "Those uninvolved, depart immediately."
Upon hearing this, the guests scrambled to leave. Not a single one dared to stay, terrified of being dragged into the mess.
Behold, the brilliant purples and bright reds in full bloom,
Now surrendered to broken wells and crumbling walls.
What is a beautiful morning or a fine evening to the heavens?
In whose courtyard can one truly find joy? (1)
The grand and bustling birthday banquet ended just like that. A family that had been prominent for a century was now adrift in a storm, their existence hanging by a thread.
The Ning estate was confiscated, and the women and young children were sent to the Imperial Prison. Their relatives were scared out of their wits, one after another severing ties to save their own skins.
The imperial court was in an uproar over how to handle the Ning family. The civil and military officials split into two factions. The civil officials were unanimous in demanding a conviction of treason, calling for the entire Ning clan to be executed—men, women, young and old—to serve as a warning to the nation.
The military officers, however, pleaded for the Emperor to show mercy in light of the Ning family's past merits. They asked to spare the lives of the women and young children, suggesting they be exiled to the Southwest, leaving their survival to fate.
The argument lasted for several days, growing so heated that physical brawls nearly broke out. Sitting high upon his dragon throne, the Emperor let out a bored yawn.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of a drum suddenly rang out, echoing for ten miles around and piercing the sky over the entire capital. It immediately stirred up a thousand waves of shock.
The Emperor frowned. "What is that sound?"
The head eunuch’s knees went weak, his face filled with fear. "It is the Dengwen Drum!"
The Emperor stood up abruptly. The expressions of every official in the court changed. Who had struck the Dengwen Drum? Who was it that no longer wished to live?!
The Dengwen Drum's name meant "to be heard immediately." The founding emperor of the current dynasty had specifically hung the drum at the Meridian Gate of the palace, allowing the subjects of the empire to beat the drum to report grievances and petition the Emperor directly.
The founding emperor had issued a clear decree: Should the Dengwen Drum sound, the Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Censorate must hold a public joint trial. It had to be fair and just to provide an accounting to the people of the world.
In the two hundred years since the founding of the dynasty, the Dengwen Drum had only sounded three times. But each time heralded a case of earth-shattering proportions that left rivers of blood. The scent of blood at the execution grounds would not dissipate for months, leaving a heavy mark on the pages of history.
In the fifteen years of Emperor Yuanqi’s reign, the Dengwen Drum had never sounded. However, he had witnessed it during his grandfather's reign. That time, half of the court officials and nobility were caught in the purge, and heads rolled like falling fruit.
"Linfeng, lead the way."
He wanted to see who dared to be so audacious.
Xiao Linfeng, radiating a terrifying and solemn aura, replied, "Yes."