Chapter Ninety-Three: A Foster Son Misled

The words almost made Di Ying laugh with rage.

He said no more nonsense to the man, but lifted his hand and brought it down at once.

Several guards stepped forward, pinned Tao Qing in place, and then—

Amid Tao Qing’s shrieking, wolf-like howls of agony, Di Ying’s gaze drifted toward the side room on the right of the court.

In truth, Di Ying did not like to make use of torture instruments.

But for a prisoner whose guilt was already clear and who still resisted to the death, if there was a chance to use them, he would not pass it up.

For a man like Tao Qing, pain never truly existed until it had been felt with his own body; only then did he understand such torment.

So then, let him taste it.

Tao Qing truly did.

The pain made stars burst before his eyes and left him dizzy and reeling, as though even his soul were trembling and convulsing within him.

So there really was pain in this world so terrible that one could not live, nor die.

Little by little, he no longer even had the strength to scream.

In fact, from the very beginning, once the pain struck, he had wanted to confess.

Alas, no one gave him the chance.

When he screamed, no one paid him any mind; but the moment he tried to speak, his jaw would be dislocated.

He truly broke down, so completely that he wanted to ask the man named Di Ying just what, exactly, he intended to do.

He was willing to confess—who would save him? Grandfather, Grandfather, where are you? Your grandson is dying; why have you still not come?

He came.

Just as Tao Qing fainted for the third time from the pain and was revived for the third time by a splash of ice-cold water, a staggering figure at last burst out from the right side room.

Tao Changling had been acupressed into stillness and had been forced to endure the entire interrogation from beginning to end.

Only now, with his acupoint released, did he lurch outside and rush to gather Tao Qing into his arms.

"My boy, hold on. Grandfather is here. Grandfather has come to save you."

"Tao—"

He fainted again.

Tao Changling’s heart ached so violently as he held the boy tight, sorrow and tenderness and fury mixing together until his old eyes were instantly threaded with crimson.

He glared at Di Ying and roared, "Di Ying, you have eaten the heart of a bear and the gall of a leopard to dare treat my grandson thus! I swear I will take your life in payment!"

At this, Di Ying actually clasped his hands and gave this aged pillar of the realm a formal bow.

Then he reminded him, "Lord Tao, you have lived a life of noble character and great renown. Are you certain that at your age you still wish to cast aside your good name and break the law in order to shield your grandson and harm another?"

Those words made Tao Changling freeze.

Scholars and men of letters prized their feathers and treasured their reputation above all else. He had spent his whole life building his name, earning prestige, rising all the way to Grand Tutor—how arduous had that been?

Was he truly, truly going to destroy it all in a single day?

If this were spread abroad, how would his disciples, old friends, and former associates regard him? They had once been so proud of him; afterward, they would loathe and spit upon him with equal fervor.

Thinking of these consequences, Tao Changling unconsciously loosened his grip.

But as Tao Qing slipped from his hold, Tao Changling snatched him back up and shouted at Di Ying, "Even if Tao Qing has killed someone, there was no deliberate intent on his part.

"Subjectively, he only wanted to conduct a test and never considered the consequences.

"Moreover, he bore no grudge against that man. Therefore, with the subjective and objective elements not aligned, at most you can convict Tao Qing of manslaughter by negligence.

"For mere negligent homicide, you abuse him with cruel punishment—you are already guilty!

"And you have also had me seized without cause and forcibly detained. Di Ying, you will not live!"

"Ha."

On hearing this, Di Ying could not help but answer with a sneering laugh.

"You arrived earlier than Tao Qing did, Lord Tao. Do you need this official to remind you? Did you hear clearly what those servants and attendants said?

"They said that ever since the Fifth Young Master accidentally dropped a book from the second floor and struck the cat dozing below unconscious, he began obsessively studying the height from which objects fell, their size, and the force with which they would injure living creatures beneath them.

"From then on, your Tao household purchased many living things every day. Your Fifth Young Master progressed from the second floor to ladders, to high buildings, to the mountains, until he discovered that sheer cliff.

"And he moved on from cats, dogs, sheep, and cattle to people.

"You say he did not know what consequences it would produce? Then should you not go to the underworld and ask those living beings whether they died in vain or not?

"Yes, Han Lixing had never met him before, but merely because Han Lixing herded sheep there every day, merely because in your eyes Han Lixing was only an insignificant commoner, Tao Qing could so casually choose him as a test subject.

"You say Tao Qing did not consider the consequences?

"He did. The only consequence he considered was whether the death of his test subject would bring trouble to Tao Qing himself.

"You want to call it negligent homicide?

"That may be a claim fit for a retired elder of the dynasty to make, but I, Di Ying, cannot do it!"

"You—"

Tao Changling was shaking all over with rage. Trembling, he said, "You cannot wash away the charges against this old man. You will die as well!"

"Oh?"

Di Ying raised his brows at that and spread his hands in an unconcerned gesture.

"The upper beam is crooked, and the lower beam is crooked too. If the son is not taught, it is the father’s fault.

"Do not tell me you know nothing of Tao Qing’s conduct;

"and do not tell me Tao Qing’s upbringing was all handled by his father.

"If you truly dare to say that, then fine.

"I will go and arrest Tao Qing’s father right now and convict him of failing to discipline his adopted son and allowing his son to commit violence.

"That would stand, would it not? If it stands, then he can be taken. Since that is so, following the same reasoning, arresting you and convicting you of failing to discipline your adopted grandson and allowing him to pervert the law should pose no problem either, should it?

"Even if you are an elder of the old order, what of it? In my presence, do not think you can trample the law of the realm beneath your feet!"

Having said that, Di Ying still could not quite bear it, and looked at him with a touch of sympathy, as though at some aged and decrepit thing.

He smiled and said, "Still, since you are advanced in years and have made contributions to the realm, I can reduce the penalty.

"Law must not be divorced from human feeling. I do understand the proprieties toward the old. By rights, you should receive thirty strokes of the cane and a year in prison.

"I will show mercy and amend it: ten strokes of the cane, and then you may return home, shut the gates, and reflect in seclusion for a year. How does that sound?"

"Guh—guh—guh..."

Di Ying’s words left Tao Changling unable to spit out even a single complete word. His eyes rolled white as he gasped in reverse hiccups.

Seeing that he was about to be angered to death, Di Ying quickly drew a gold needle case from his sleeve, plucked out a needle, and with a flick of the wrist, drove it into the old man’s philtrum.

Tao Changling: "..."

The moment he caught his breath, he let out an "Ah!" and, eyes blazing red, threw decorum to the winds as he lunged straight at Di Ying.

He meant to bite Di Ying to death.

Alas, he lunged into empty air.

Still, he did not fall; someone steadied him.

Di Ying, meanwhile, had already shifted aside to evade Tao Changling’s pounce.

Before Tao Changling could recover, Di Ying issued the order at once:

"Tao Qing: he has ignored the law, disregarded human life, and murdered Han Lixing, causing Han Lixing’s wife to die as well. Therefore, this official sentences Tao Qing to death by beheading, to be carried out immediately!"

Tao Changling, not yet steady on his feet, heard this and was instantly struck with terror, as though his soul had fled his body. He shouted in fury, "How dare you, you wretch!"