But the injuries on those two servants were quite serious, which serves as an ironclad evidence, besides, it’s difficult to guarantee that Yuwen Yin’s clothes wasn’t a diversionary tactic. In this case, although beating of servants wasn’t anything of a big deal, but deceiving the elders and looking down on the emperor was a serious crime. With this in mind, the Empress Dowager’s demeanor suddenly turned majestic and solemn. She slammed the teacup she held onto the table with a bang, then immediately asked whether Yuwen Yin was aware of his mistake.
But Yuwen Yin unexpectedly looked at her with reddened eyes, with an obvious and genuine feeling of admiration in those eyes. The shape of his eyes and brows also bore an unspeakable resemblance to the early years of the late Emperor. That couldn’t help but make the Empress Dowager be slightly emotional when observing this, and made her inexplicably desist from saying the accusatory words she initially thought of.
But her expression remained tranquil without the slightest ripple, without exposing the slightest bit of her feeling. Xu momo, who stood beside her, was comparable to a roundworm* in the Empress Dowager’s belly, and since she also had quite the seniority, that even Qi w.a.n.gye** would also have to treat her with a bit of respect. So, she actively asked in behalf of the Empress Dowager: “Is there something wrong, Ershizi?”
*Euphemistic way of saying of a person who knows someone very well that they could determine the other’s thought.
**instead of prince
Yuwen Yin abruptly knelt down and knocked his head on the floor, “This grandson is at fault, beseeching Imperial grandmother for punishment.”
Even when kneeling on the ground, his back still remained as straight as before. He then spoke seriously with a slightly hoa.r.s.e voice distinctive to a young man: “The first fault is being unfilial. This grandson is able to grow well until now is all thanks to the grace of Imperial grandmother. Yet, not only have I failed to accompany you around to show filial piety, but had also been unable to come forward and pay respect in time before, and had even made Imperial grandmother worry instead. Imperial grandmother is so benevolent, just like a living Bodhisattva, for not taking offense of this grandson. Nonetheless, this grandson is aware of his fault and beseeches Imperial grandmother for punishment.”
After hearing this, the Empress Dowager’s heart had been slightly shaken once more, –She didn’t expect that this other grandson, who was labeled as narrow-minded, vicious and incompetent by others would be able to speak out such appropriate words. Had someone else spoke of this kind of words in normal times, the Empress Dowager’s impression on Yuwen Yin would have completely fallen, but she felt a little more at ease because of it’s unexpectedness at this time. A child who can speak of filial piety over and over shouldn’t be able to do anything bad. That being the case, not only was Yuwen Ying able to block Qi w.a.n.gye, who wanted to straightforwardly interrupt and Qi w.a.n.gfei*, who tried to interrupt, but he had also calmed the Empress Dowager and made her willing to carefully listen to his words.
*instead of princess
“The second fault is greediness.” Yuwen Yin knocked his head again, and continued to say word for word: “Grandson knows that the food eaten and clothes worn in the mansion are all from the works of the ancestors, and to always be thankful as well as be humble as a member of the mansion, and shouldn’t think of reaping benefits from it. What’s more, when Heaven is about to place a great responsibility on a great man, it will always frustrate his spirit and will first. But this grandson who’s borne with great blessing doesn’t know the blessings, and always dreams of eating a full meal with meat and vegetables like the two servants around me, and extravagantly hopes to be able to have a thick quilt and winter clothes due to the fear of the cold. So beseeching Imperial grandmother for the punishment for being greedy and insatiable.”
This paragraph was in fact very problematic. –Regardless of all things, Yuwen Yin is still a w.a.n.gye’s son, but for him to actually be unable to eat a full meal, and not have cotton-padded clothes to pa.s.s through winter, wouldn’t everyone laugh at them once this matter gets pa.s.sed out? The Empress Dowager’s complexion suddenly became a hundred times more grim than when she heard of Yuwen Yin beating the servants. But the totally unaware Yuwen Yin knocked his head on the ground again, and continued to confess his faults.
“The third fault is being ill-fated. This grandson will catch a cold after merely having washed a few buckets of clothes with cold water, and is really useless. But is still capable of chopping firewood, sweeping the floor, carrying water and doing manual work even when ill, although not as much work as other days. Furthermore, this grandson’s illness always happens to chance upon the times when Imperial grandmother visits w.a.n.gye’s mansion, this must certainly be due to being ill-fated and borne with a weak Chi energy. Beseeching Imperial grandmother for punishment.”
This paragraph actually brought things a notch higher, and can be considered as alarming, — Chopping firewood, sweeping the floor and other such things were all the responsibilities of servants, and even those with the lowest status will do. But for Yuwen Yin to be able to speak of this so calmly as a master, clearly shows that he already regards these heavy manual work as a part of his daily life. What’s more, his age is at the stage when his self-esteem is the strongest. If he really isn’t used to doing heavy manual work, then there’s no way he’d be able to frankly speak of this kind of things in the presence of so many people. Furthermore, that phrase of ‘illness always happens to chance upon the times when Imperial grandmother visited w.a.n.gye’s mansion’. –How could there be so many coincidences in this world?
The more such coincidence happens, the more suspicious it would become, especially since she has seen too many filthy things deep in the palace through Xu momo. So these words already contained a different meaning when falling into her ears.
Yuwen Yin’s three faults and three knocks of his head, were asking for punishment on the surface, but were in fact shocking revelations, that even the Empress Dowager went still for a long time after hearing this. But he still continued to say: “The fourth fault is dereliction of duty. Dimu* a.s.signed two servants to accompany this grandson. But this grandson failed to properly take care of them, and didn’t have silver coins to cover their debts for playing cards and drinking. Last night, when they fought each other due to intoxication, this grandson didn’t dare to dissuade them for fear of being scolded. So beseeching Imperial grandmother for punishment for being weak and incompetent.”
*address for father’s wife by children of concubines
The master, in turn, serves the servants and was even fearful of being scolded by his servants. It’s estimated that such a matter cannot be found in the entire Dayu Dynasty for the second time. Now, Yuwen Yin was the only person left with a calm expression in the hall, even Qi w.a.n.gfei’s hands were slightly shaking.
–Yuwen Yin wasn’t lying in bed due to the poison as antic.i.p.ated, which had already thrown her in confusion. But even more importantly, she never imagined that this little b.a.s.t.a.r.d wouldn’t even leave a bit of leeway. He didn’t speak of evidences, disregarded logic as well as whatever logic, and completely didn’t play the cards by routine, but directly tore the face away completely without hesitation.
Yuwen Yin didn’t leave himself a way out.
Because he knows too well, that in order to deal with such crafty and evil people that has many and various methods, he had to take a desperate att.i.tude and directly push the person to a dead end.