MFURCC -Chapter 87 The Grand Finale

Liuzheng’s willow-like brows knit together, and a sharp killing intent suddenly flashed through her eyes.

But in the blink of an eye, it turned into calm indifference.

“Abbot, I also have something to say to you. If you have not endured another’s suffering, do not urge them to be virtuous,” Liuzheng said.

The abbot pressed his palms together and murmured, “Amitabha.”

“Patroness, please go slowly.”

Liuzheng paid him no further attention and turned to leave.

Yes, she should already have been dead.

The heavens had let her live—not so she could return and forgive the people of the Ruan family.

Liuzheng soon returned to the Mahavira Hall and knelt once more beside her grandmother.

Her grandmother glanced at her, wanting to ask something, but since the senior monk was still lecturing on the scriptures, she swallowed her words.

Only when the sun began to set did the sermon finally end.

The senior monk came before the Old Madam.

“Patrons, in half an hour, you may proceed to He Fang Zhai for the vegetarian meal.”

The Old Madam nodded. After offering incense with Liuzheng and the others, they returned to the rear courtyard rooms prepared for guests.

“What did your father want with you?” the Old Madam asked.

Liuzheng did not hide anything and told her truthfully.

The Old Madam’s face darkened.

“He grows more improper with age! It seems I must visit in person another day to apologize.”

“Madam Pei has a straightforward and sincere temperament. She likely won’t take it to heart.”

“Your father… I truly don’t know what to say about him! Sometimes I don’t even know who he takes after! Your second uncle is the same. Only your third uncle resembles me.”

Liuzheng smiled but did not respond.

Soon it was time for the meal.

The Old Madam made an exception and allowed Ruan Yunzheng and the Second Madam to join them.

The two quarreled again at the table.

The Old Madam’s face turned dark as water, and she sent them back to their courtyard.

“Not the slightest improvement! It seems their time reflecting in the temple has gone straight into a dog’s belly!”

The Old Madam was furious. Liuzheng stayed by her side, coaxing and consoling her until she finally calmed down a little.

Liuzheng remained with her until drowsiness overtook the Old Madam, then withdrew and returned to her own room.

“Miss, shall we wait, or retire first?” Yuliu asked softly.

“Let’s sleep. Lest we arouse suspicion.”

“Yes.”

Yuliu responded and called Bao Qin to assist with washing up.

Hairpins were removed one by one, garments slipped off layer by layer, and Liuzheng lay down on the couch.

Night deepened. All was silent.

Then, suddenly, the sound of a gong rang out.

“Fire! There’s a fire!”

Chaos erupted outside.

Liuzheng had not fallen asleep. She had remained awake all along.

Someone pounded on the door.

It was Nanny Shu from the Old Madam’s side, along with Liuzheng’s wet nurse.

They rushed inside together.

“Miss, there’s a fire at the back! The flames are fierce and may spread this way. The Old Madam asked me to tell you to dress quickly and retreat to the front.”

Liuzheng rubbed her eyes, feigning grogginess.

“Where is it burning?”

“It appears to be the courtyard where the Second Madam and Third Miss reside.”

“What? Have the two of them escaped?”

“This servant came first at the Old Madam’s command to call you. I know nothing else.”

Liuzheng nodded. “All right, I understand.”

Nanny Shu left to report back. Bao Qin and Nanny Jiang quickly helped Liuzheng dress. There wasn’t even time to arrange her hair; she fled with her long hair loose over her shoulders.

By the time Liuzheng reached the open space before the Mahavira Hall, the Old Madam was already there.

Seeing Liuzheng arrive, she let out a long sigh of relief and murmured, “Amitabha.”

“Are you hurt?” the Old Madam asked anxiously.

Liuzheng shook her head. “Nanny Shu arrived in time. None of us were injured. We all made it out.”

Then she asked, “Where are Father, Mother, and Third Aunt?”

No sooner had she spoken than the Third Madam and the Eldest Master emerged safely.

Only the First Madam was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is your mother?” the Eldest Master demanded at once.

Liuzheng shook her head. “Your daughter does not know…”

The Eldest Master immediately frowned darkly. “Your mother’s life and death are unknown, and you can still stand here at ease?!”

Liuzheng countered, “Your daughter lives far away, so naturally I did not know Mother had not escaped. Father and Mother share the same quarters—when you evacuated, why did you not bring her along?”

The Eldest Master’s face turned black.

“What do you mean by that? Are you saying I only cared to save myself and not your mother’s life?”

“That is not what your daughter meant.”

“Then what do you—”

“Enough!” the Old Madam cut him off sternly. “Yaoyao lives in the western courtyard. You and your wife live in the eastern courtyard. Why are you blaming Yaoyao? Instead of wasting time assigning blame, send people to search at once!”

The Eldest Master still feared the Old Madam. Hearing this, he said no more and quickly ordered people to look for the First Madam.

The Old Madam sighed and patted Liuzheng’s hand.

“Yaoyao, don’t blame your father. He’s simply flustered.”

“Yes, Granddaughter understands.”

The flames burned fiercer and fiercer. The monks of Changlong Temple, along with the Ruan family’s servants, all rushed to fight the fire, but it would not be extinguished, as if it meant to burn a hole through the sky itself.

The abbot led the Old Madam and Liuzheng’s group to a small courtyard on the southern side of Changlong Temple.

It was a separate compound, beyond the reach of the flames.

They drank tea to steady their nerves.

Yet the people sent to search for the First Madam had not returned.

At that moment, someone asked about Ruan Yunzheng and the Second Madam.

“Why haven’t the Second Madam and Third Miss arrived either?”

The Third Madam raised her head, glanced at the firelight outside, and said, “It seems the eastern courtyard where they lived is what’s burning…”

Hearing this, the Old Madam pressed her palms together and chanted, “Amitabha… Bodhisattva, please protect them. Let them return safely.”

Liuzheng comforted her from the side.

“They are blessed; heaven will surely keep them safe. I’ve already sent Pan Hong to rescue them. He is highly skilled and will certainly bring them out.”

Upon hearing the words “highly skilled,” the Eldest Master suddenly spoke.

“Liuzheng, since you are skilled as well, instead of sitting idle here, why not go help fight the fire? Don’t let your abilities go to waste!”

Liuzheng smiled. “Your daughter would like to help rescue people, but these clothes are truly inconvenient. Perhaps Father could find me a set of men’s clothing. Once I change, it will be easier to help.”

“Everything has burned! Where am I supposed to find men’s clothing for you?!”

“That’s enough! All of you, be quiet!” The Old Madam was exasperated by the Eldest Master’s booming voice.

She said, “Yaoyao is of noble status, and the fire is so fierce. What if she were injured? Her martial skills are meant for the battlefield, not for firefighting. If you’re so anxious, you go put out the fire! I see you’re in robust health most days.”

“…” The Eldest Master had no intention of going.

Several servants had already been burned while fighting the fire. What if he were injured as well?

He closed his eyes as though he hadn’t heard the Old Madam and instead knelt before the Bodhisattva painting on the wall.

“Bodhisattva, please protect them. Let them all come back safely.”

A trace of cold mockery leaked from Liuzheng’s eyes.

When she looked up, she saw the abbot watching her.

She immediately concealed her expression and gave him a respectful smile.

The abbot averted his gaze and knelt before the Bodhisattva painting as well, chanting scriptures.

Time ticked by little by little. Finally, at dawn, news came from outside.

The First Madam and the Third Madam had both died in the fire.

Their bodies were burned black as charcoal.

“What did you say?!” the Eldest Master’s voice rose sharply. “How could this happen?!”

The First Madam was already old and faded in beauty. Though he had long grown weary of her, the family’s expenses depended entirely on her natal family.

With her dead, his financial lifeline was severed. Naturally, he did not wish for her death.

A servant reported, “The First Madam could originally have escaped, but she worried about the Third Miss and rushed back into the fire. She herself never came out…”

Liuzheng asked, “What about Sister Yun?”

The servant shook his head. “The Third Miss is nowhere to be found.”

“What do you mean by nowhere to be found?”

“We couldn’t locate her, nor did we find her body… However, her maid Su Luo was burned to death in the room.”

Liuzheng frowned.

“That is strange. If Third Sister is unharmed, why would she not come to us, but instead hide?”

The single word “hide” immediately stirred suspicion in the Eldest Master.

He grabbed the servant by the collar. “How did this fire start? Was it a natural disaster, or human action?”

The servant did not know how to answer.

At that moment, a monk from Changlong Temple hurried in.

He claimed that several fire-starting stones had been found in Ruan Yunzheng’s residence.

The Eldest Master’s face turned dark, veins bulging with fury.

“It was her! It must have been her! She resented being punished and sent to Changlong Temple, so she seized the chance to take revenge! Now she must have fled in fear of punishment!”

The Old Madam ground her teeth in hatred as well.

“Our Ruan family raised her, and yet she could be so vicious?”

Just then, Pan Hong returned.

Liuzheng asked, “Did you find Third Sister?”

Pan Hong replied, “In the night, I saw a figure that strongly resembled the Third Miss and pursued it all the way. But the person ran toward the back mountain. The forest there is dense. I searched all night without success, so I returned first to report.”

“We must find her!” the Eldest Master declared. “Take men with you—everyone—and search for her!”

“Yes!” Pan Hong clasped his fists and led the uninjured servants to search for Ruan Yunzheng.

After discussing it, the Eldest Master and the Old Madam unanimously decided to report the matter to the authorities.

And they would announce to the outside world that Ruan Yunzheng was merely a cousin staying with their family—so that when her reputation collapsed, it would not implicate Liuzheng and the other women of the household.

The matter at Changlong Temple also had to be reported to the authorities.

The temple had been burned too severely. Aside from the Main Hall, not a single side hall was spared—everything had been reduced to ashes.

If the fire had truly been set by human hands, justice had to be sought.

Just then, someone came to report that two more bodies had been found in Second Madam’s room.

However, the fire damage was so extensive that their identities were completely unrecognizable.

The Old Madam immediately asked, “What about the servants who attended Second Madam? Who is missing?”

A servant replied, “Aside from one maid on night duty who suffered burns, no one else was injured. They are all accounted for.”

“Then who were the two people in her room?” the Old Madam asked.

But no one could answer her.

The only option was to have the temple investigate further—perhaps two monks had entered to fight the fire and perished inside.

With two deaths and countless matters to handle, the Old Madam ordered a carriage prepared and made ready to descend the mountain.

They needed to report to the authorities and prepare the funerals. There was much to do.

Before they left, the Abbot spoke thoughtfully to Liuzheng:

“Benefactress, if you find yourself unable to sleep peacefully after returning home, you may still consider what I suggested.”

He was referring to his proposal that she take refuge in Buddhism.

Liuzheng smiled.

“Thank you, Abbot, but I will not consider it. I came from the mortal world, and I will return to the mortal world. The Buddhist path is too serene for me—I can only come sit quietly once in a while. I appreciate your kindness.”

With that, she flicked her sleeve and leapt neatly into the carriage.

The First Madam and the Second Madam were dead. Half of her great vengeance had been fulfilled.

…

Liuzheng shared a carriage with the Old Madam and the Third Madam.

The household servants had already ridden ahead at full speed to report the deaths. The Eldest Master had also returned first to arrange for the bodies of the First Madam and Second Madam to be brought back.

When Liuzheng escorted the Old Madam home, the elderly woman, shaken by the great fire and exhausted from travel, seemed on the verge of collapse.

Liuzheng summoned Physician Chen to stay by the Old Madam’s side and prescribe medicine, while she herself busied herself with funeral arrangements.

Ruan Baizheng was still confined at home. She was the last to learn of the Second Madam’s death—and immediately erupted in chaos.

She smashed everything breakable in her room. The servants could not restrain her and had no choice but to seek the Eldest Master.

But he was busy sending word to the First Madam’s natal family and pushed the matter onto Liuzheng.

Liuzheng went to see Ruan Baizheng.

She was concise.

“If you don’t behave, you’ll be the next to die.”

“You dare threaten me?”

Liuzheng gave a faint laugh. “Threaten you? Since you’ve said it, I might as well truly threaten you once. A few years ago, when Jia’er suddenly developed a high fever, you and Ming’er blocked the physician from treating him, didn’t you?”

Ruan Baizheng’s eyes darted away. “What nonsense! You weren’t even home then! Don’t you dare slander me in broad daylight!”

Liuzheng smiled lightly.

“Whether it’s nonsense or not can be determined with one question. That physician is now in Winter City. I’ve already sent someone to find him. Just wait.”

“…”

It was as if her lifeline had been seized. After that, Ruan Baizheng caused no more trouble, retreating into her room and refusing to come out.

White mourning banners were hung throughout the Ruan residence.

Prince Su sent investigators to question Liuzheng. She recounted everything truthfully, without concealment.

The Second Madam had been burned to death by her.

The First Madam had been knocked unconscious by her and thrown into Ruan Yunzheng’s room.

“That fire was originally meant to be set in my courtyard by Ruan Yunzheng. The physical evidence is genuine.”

She had merely turned the plan against them, using the flames to burn both the First Madam and the Second Madam.

Ruan Yunzheng believed that Su Luo had bungled the job and accidentally set the fire behind the Second Madam’s quarters.

Sensing disaster, she fled.

Originally, she had not planned to escape the temple—only to cry thief and catch the thief.

But when Pan Hong appeared and tried to kill her, she fled for her life.

As the sun set, the bodies of the First Madam and Second Madam were brought back and placed in the front courtyard.

Since neither of their natal families was in the capital and would need at least a week to arrive, the formal funerals were held ten days later.

The palace, having learned of the Ruan family’s misfortune, sent condolence gifts.

Liuzheng personally accompanied Chief Eunuch Liu Yi, explaining the matter over tea.

“This fire was likely not a natural disaster but man-made. However, since the culprit has not yet been caught, it is not appropriate to reach a final conclusion. Once the person is apprehended, I will personally report to His Majesty.”

Liu Yi nodded, offered words of consolation, and departed.

That very night, however, a major incident occurred.

A band of mountain brigands stormed into the capital, looting and burning.

The targets were residences of officials unaffiliated with the Crown Prince’s faction—members of the upright scholarly faction—as well as those aligned with Prince Su.

Witnesses testified that one of the brigands’ attire resembled that of someone from the Crown Prince’s Eastern Palace.

The matter was reported to court. His Majesty flew into a rage and immediately summoned the Crown Prince for interrogation.

The Crown Prince denied everything—but further evidence was uncovered.

It clearly indicated that the men disguised as brigands were indeed the Crown Prince’s people.

The Crown Prince was deposed and demoted to commoner status.

The Empress was also implicated and confined to her palace.

That year’s Qiqiao Festival was canceled due to the Crown Prince’s deposition.

Soon, the funerals of the First Madam and Second Madam were concluded. The two bodies found in Second Madam’s room were finally identified.

They were Ruan Mingzheng and the maid Lianxin—the pair who had eloped.

The Second Master had only that one son. Grief-stricken, he fell bedridden.

Not long after, Liuzheng assumed her official post.

With Prince Su’s assistance, she thrived in the Ministry of War.

The following year, she was promoted to Second-Rank General.

Four more years passed. Emperor Jinyuan died, and the Third Prince, Su Changyin, ascended the throne.

However, he was too mediocre. After mishandling several major state affairs, he abdicated voluntarily one year later in favor of Prince Su, Su Heng.

Su Heng ascended the throne as Emperor Jiazuo. The reign title was Taiping.

After the enthronement ceremony, Liuzheng rubbed her sore neck and prepared to return home to rest. But Chief Eunuch Liu Yi stopped her.

“General Ruan, please wait. His Majesty requests your presence.”

Liuzheng was now even more composed, exuding steady restraint.

“Why does His Majesty seek me?”

Liu Yi smiled. “You’ll know when you go. I can only say—it is not a bad thing.”

Filled with confusion, Liuzheng followed him to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

She stepped inside. Liu Yi did not follow, instead ordering the doors shut.

An inexplicable unease stirred in her heart.

The vast hall seemed empty.

“Your Majesty?” she called tentatively.

Footsteps sounded from behind a coiling dragon screen.

Instinctively, Liuzheng was about to kneel—when she saw Prince Su dressed in coarse cloth garments, holding a sword, walking toward her.

In that instant, her eyes widened in shock.

That was… Xiao Hengzi?

Those clothes. That worn sword. They were Xiao Hengzi’s.

She quickly came to her senses and knelt.

“Your subject, Liuzheng, greets Your Majesty!”

Su Heng walked leisurely to stand before her.

“Seeing me dressed like this, why do you still call me ‘Your Majesty’? You should call me Xiao Hengzi, Commander.”

Commander—that was how Xiao Hengzi used to address her.

Countless emotions flickered across Liuzheng’s face.

But she had always been clear-minded and swiftly grasped the implications.

“Your Majesty… why did you go to the frontier back then?”

“Rise and speak.” Su Heng reached out to help her up, but she subtly sidestepped, avoiding his touch.

His hand hung briefly in the air. His smile stiffened.

“You blame me for deceiving you?”

Liuzheng shook her head. “You are alive. That makes me happy.”

“But your face does not show happiness.”

“Your Majesty is mistaken.”

“Then why are you so distant?”

“Ruler and subject are distinct.”

Su Heng’s expression tightened briefly, then returned to a smile.

“If I make you my Empress, would there still be a distinction between ruler and subject? Then we would be husband and wife.”

Liuzheng was startled.

“Your Majesty, please do not jest.”

“I am not joking. I have always loved you.”

He deliberately avoided referring to himself as “We.”

“At the time, circumstances forced my hand. My journey to the frontier had unspeakable reasons. If you are willing, I can explain everything slowly.”

“There is no need for Your Majesty to explain anything to this subject. Whatever you do is right.”

“…”

Su Heng sighed softly.

The Minister of Justice had been correct—he regretted it.

He regretted hiding the truth from her for six years.

It seemed his road to winning back his wife would be a long one.

But it did not matter.

They still had plenty of time.

The End.