Chapter 74
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three strikes of a gong echoed through the streets. A plainly dressed man, whose identity was unclear, walked while holding a gong. After each strike, he shouted, "By the order of Her Majesty the Empress, all copies of The Tale of Love and Revenge of the Empress must be burned. Please cooperate and hand over your books."
"Clang! Clang! Clang! By the decree of Her Majesty the Empress, The Tale of Love and Revenge of the Empress is a heretical book. It concerns royal secrets and must not be spread. Please cooperate and hand over the books in your possession to be burned."
"Clang! Clang! Clang! By the order of Her Majesty the Empress…"
The clanging of the gong reverberated through every street and alley of Shengjing, each announcement followed by the words "Her Majesty the Empress." Soon, everyone knew that the order to burn the books had come from the Empress herself.
At first, groups of armored men wielding long swords suddenly appeared in the streets. The common people didn’t recognize who they were, but their imposing appearance made it clear they were not to be trifled with.
These were the imperial guards dispatched by the Empress, arranged by Qiuxi to carry out her orders. They were newly selected after the Second Prince’s rebellion. For these people who could only be ordinary soldiers all their lives, being selected as a guard was like a step to heaven.
When the Empress gave them a small task, they naturally carried it out with utmost dedication.
This small squad of imperial guards first smashed the bookstores selling The Tale of Love and Revenge of the Empress. Then, they began snatching the books from the hands of the common people. Anyone caught holding the book had it seized, thrown to the ground, and stomped on. Once enough books were collected, they were burned right in the streets.
If they overheard people discussing the contents of the book, they beat them mercilessly. Those who dared to resist were beaten half to death, followed by threats. Their arrogance and brutality left the common people terrified, fearing they might be the next to suffer.
The effect was immediate. The people were frightened, and no one dared to read or discuss the book in public. Storytellers in teahouses and taverns packed up early and went home. The only downside was that very few books were actually burned, which was far from the Empress’s demand to eliminate every copy.
The man with the gong appeared just as they were growing frustrated. While they dared to act tyrannically in the streets, forcibly seizing books and beating people, entering private homes to search for books was a different matter entirely, they didn’t dare to do that.
The gong striker’s repeated announcements of "Her Majesty the Empress’s orders" were a great help. Many common people, hearing it was the Empress’s command, willingly handed over their books to be burned.
At the time, none of them realized the problem with this approach, until the next day, when the imperial guards returned to the streets to burn books and overheard people saying that the Empress’s order to burn the books was proof of her guilt.
Many people were saying it, whether on the streets or in teahouses and taverns. Even though the versions varied, the meaning was the same: the Empress had indeed been involved with General Wei Su. But, driven by ambition, she abandoned him to climb the social ladder and become the Empress. However, she still harbored feelings for General Wei Su, therefore after becoming Empress she tried to rekindle their relationship in secret. When General Wei Su refused, her love turned to hatred, and she had him killed.
The contents of the book were true. The Empress was burning the books out of guilt, afraid people would discover she had tried to cuckold the Emperor.
No one dared to discuss Emperor Changde, but the Empress’s actions of burning books, beating people, and smashing bookstores had sparked widespread resentment among the common people. How could someone who abused their power to cover up their misdeeds be fit to be Empress and serve as a motherly example to the world?
[母仪天下 (mǔ yí tiān xià): lit. Motherly example to the world, describes the role of the Empress as a moral and virtuous figure for the nation]
In just one night, public opinion shifted. People stopped discussing the book’s contents and instead focused on the Empress.
If anyone dared to beat people today, they no longer endured it silently like the day before. Now, they cried out as they were beaten, shouting, "The Empress is treating human life as grass!"
This made the imperial guards hesitate to act, fearing that causing deaths would escalate the situation further.
Moreover, some common people pointed at them and called them "running dogs". The shift from yesterday’s fear to today’s bold accusations made it clear something was wrong. Finally, someone realized the problem and shouted, "Damn it, we’ve been tricked by that gong-striking bastard!"
The leader of the imperial guards turned pale with anger. "Search! Find that bastard! If we catch him, I’ll take his dog’s life!"
"Search! Even if we have to dig three feet underground, we’ll find that scoundrel!"
The imperial guards scattered, rushing through the streets to find the man. However, the common people who were already dissatisfied with their actions from the previous day, were less cooperative. If the guards bumped into someone or knocked over a stall, they were held up by arguments, significantly slowing their search.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lin had arranged to meet Zhou Chengwang and Du Yuling at a teahouse early in the morning. Sitting on the second floor, the three had a clear view of the scene below.
Zhou Chengwang and Du Yuling looked at Jiang Lin with admiration. Zhou Chengwang praised, "Lin’er, you’re truly a master at causing trouble. You’ve completely ruined the Empress’s reputation this time."
Jiang Lin sipped his tea leisurely and asked, "Was her reputation ever good to begin with?"
Unlike Emperor Changde, who carefully cultivated his image as a wise ruler, the Empress had little presence in the hearts of the common people. Previously, she was seen as a distant, lofty figure. But now, with her scandalous past exposed, her reputation was in tatters.
Those who knew the Empress well understood that she had never been a kind or virtuous person.
Zhou Chengwang, being one of those who knew the Empress, instinctively shook his head.
Jiang Lin smiled meaningfully. "So, how can this be my fault? Her reputation was already bad to begin with."
"But by doing this, you might push the Empress to desperate measures," Du Yuling expressed his concern. After all, the Empress was still the Empress, and she was different from anyone Jiang Lin had dealt with before.
"Even if I didn’t do this, she would still resort to desperate measures. She’s never intended to let us go, has she?" Jiang Lin remained calm, unfazed by whatever the Empress might do.
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