Chapter 123: A Mother and Son's Conversation, The Magistrate's Incantation (Part II)

But once an arrow is loosed from the bow, can it ever return?

Neither Ming Chongyan nor Li Wei had an answer.

His mother had come to negotiate, but why? Primarily because of the momentum Li Wei had built. If that momentum were to fade, his mother might backtrack. Moreover, she had never promised to spare Yang Min.

Li Wei had called upon the ministers for assistance, and to his surprise, they had all agreed. Of course, this was ostensibly for the sake of the nation and the state, and with factors like Xu Jingzong involved, the ministers were willing to submit a memorial. However, if Li Wei had asked them to help topple Li Zhi, they would undoubtedly have refused. Yet, having retreated halfway, Li Wei wondered how the ministers would perceive him, and whether they would agree to help him again in the future. He had no choice.

To fire this sharp arrow, he needed sorcery; after all, many ministers still believed in Ming Chongyan’s occult powers.

***

High-proof alcohol was distilled quickly. There was no fear of waste, and only a small amount was needed. The next day, when the officials finished their duties, the eunuch Jin awaited them at Tianjin Bridge. As they emerged, he announced, "His Highness invites you. Shangguan Wan'er is performing a ritual; you are all requested to come and watch."

The crowd understood the implication.

Shangguan Wan'er—who didn't know her? The granddaughter of Shangguan Yi, only eight years old. What sorcery could she possibly know? Thinking of the Crown Prince’s indulgent behavior the day before, and now having an eight-year-old girl perform a ritual, they saw it as a pure farce.

Eunuch Jin remained anxious. If the Crown Prince’s "ritual" failed, or if he were humiliated at Ming Chongyan’s residence, the situation would only worsen.

The officials followed Jin to the front of Ming Chongyan’s residence with great interest. Ming Chongyan looked pitiful, guarded by two guards with swords pressed against his neck. Li Wei spoke coldly, "Stand still, you charlatan. Move, and I shall execute you for the grave crime of treason against me. There are other highly skilled doctors in the world; even if you die, your masters will not seek justice for you."

It was a naked, chilling threat. While Li Wei might not actually kill a fifth-rank official while his father, Li Zhi, was "recovering," the threat served its purpose. But would Ming Chongyan dare to gamble on that?

Some Luoyang bailiffs arrived at the scene, understood the situation, and immediately fled, pretending they saw nothing.

Once most of the officials had arrived, Li Wei signaled, and Shangguan Wan'er stood up, beaming with excitement. The girl had a natural flair for the grand stage, becoming more energetic the more people watched her. Only such a person could achieve greatness.

She bowed, surveyed the crowd, and mimicked the tone Li Wei used when telling stories: "Honored guests, our nation has enjoyed peace for long, yet why have disasters plagued us these past few years? It is because a demon has emerged. His Highness has spent these nights observing the heavens and divining the truth, and he has found this monster. Consider this: if he were not a demon, how could a mortal command ghosts and spirits to move melons? Can he be a god? Whether god or demon, watch as I reveal the truth and break the heavenly cycle."

The nonsense left the crowd bewildered and amused.

"What is a demon? Anything contrary to nature is demonic. This man is the reincarnation of a fire demon, which is why the drought in the Tang Dynasty is so severe. Proof? Look at this large silk cloth in my hands."

She held up a large cloth, had the guards hold it taut, and ordered water to be poured onto it. Despite several pounds of water being poured, not a single drop leaked through. The crowd surged forward in astonishment. Fortunately, Li Wei had brought enough guards to form a human wall.

Bie'er, standing to the side, prompted her, "Wan'er, this is strange. How can this cloth hold water? What is the reason?"

"Because this man is a fire demon reincarnated, harming our Great Tang’s mountains, rivers, and people. His inner fire is so intense that it holds the water within the cloth! Or perhaps you say this is just the heat of this place and has nothing to do with Ming Chongyan? Then let this be proof: guards, strip the clothes off this demon, Ming Chongyan."

Ming Chongyan, finally losing his composure, shouted in shame and anger, "Your Highness, I am a Zhengjian Dafu, an official of the imperial court! How dare you humiliate me before so many people?"

Li Wei dismissed him with a glance, and Shangguan Wan'er answered for him, "If a minister works day and night for the country and the people, His Highness would be the first to show respect. Among you, are there not imperial officials? Has His Highness not always treated you with respect?"

The seasoned ministers remained silent. But many younger officials, who admired the Crown Prince for his talent and virtue, shouted out, "Indeed! His Highness is well-versed in the classics; he would never act against propriety. He has always treated us with great respect."

After speaking, they realized that while he was well-versed in the classics, today’s actions were a blatant violation of ritual, and they broke into laughter.

Shangguan Wan'er bowed and said, "I thank you all. One must observe ritual and respect for officials. But for a demon who brings ruin to the country, I ask you—must one observe such formalities? Or should we look on as he destroys the nation and treat him as an honored guest?"

"Lady Shangguan speaks the truth! Such a monster must be eradicated!" Even the commoners joined in the clamor.

Shangguan Wan'er signaled, "Strip him."

The guards hesitated before beginning. They couldn't desecrate the official robes, so they stripped him down to his undergarments. Ming Chongyan wished a hole would open in the ground for him to crawl into.

The officials began to understand: the Crown Prince might be benevolent, but he was not weak. Though this would surely anger the Emperor and Empress, after such a public humiliation, how could Ming Chongyan continue to perform his "rituals" in the palace? He had lost all face, which meant Yang Min was safe for the moment.

The crowd erupted as the performance continued. By using a clever trick involving flammable substances and the illusion of "yin fire," Wan'er convinced the onlookers that Ming Chongyan was indeed a fire demon. When the clothes finally burned to ash, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy.

Even the skeptical ministers like Hao Chujun were left speechless. The "demon" had been unmasked, and the path was cleared to deal with him. Ming Chongyan, trapped by his own game of sorcery, could find no way to defend himself without exposing his own fraud.

Seeing the effect, Shangguan Wan'er concluded the performance, declaring that she had wounded the monster and weakened its demonic aura. The crowd, now fully convinced, began to pelt the "demon" with stones. As the officials watched, they realized the tide had turned—the Crown Prince had successfully used the demon's own weapons against him.