Chapter 40: A Poisonous Scheme

Chapter 40: A Poisonous Scheme

News of Princess Yi Yang's pregnancy swiftly reached the capital, stirring joy throughout the imperial court. Yuan Zixu was overjoyed and rewarded the eunuchs who had conveyed the happy tidings generously. He then issued numerous rewards, not only for those within the palace but also to those outside, including the deceased Empress Shen's family members, Marquis Cheng'en, Shen Hou. Shen Anlin, as the commander by the prince's side, was promoted to a higher honorary title. Naturally, the East Palace also received its share of rewards. Lately, Yuan Zixu had been bestowing favors upon the prince, and his kind words towards him were evident to all the officials.

This made Empress Luo feel deeply uneasy. Unfortunately, during these days, Prince Yuan Zhen, the second prince, had been assigned to the Ministry of Rites, handling tasks that were neither urgent nor significant – tasks that could neither bring about accomplishments nor cause trouble. They ranged from rituals and book revisions to inspections at the National Academy – mere trifles.

Unable to contain her anxiety any longer, Empress Luo summoned her brother, Luo Shiming, into the palace.

Luo Shiming observed his sister's restlessness with a tinge of frustration. "I've told you before, the Emperor won't delegate power. He will maintain a tight grip on the administration. With a prince already in line, how can he tolerate another young son surpassing him in excellence? He would never wish to witness another Yuan Jun."

Empress Luo declared, "But if this persists, the court officials won't dare to support the prince. As long as Princess Yi Yang stands firm with Prince Jingbei, they will never side with us again. Without aid or guidance, how can Yuan Zhen possibly handle affairs independently? Just look at that old dog, Lu Yongquan, the headmaster of the National Academy! He refuses even for his daughter, a twice-widowed woman from an influential family! Does he not disdain Second Prince's lack of prospects? These fickle, status-seeking individuals are all too calculative!"

A fierce expression crossed Empress Luo's face.

It was Luo Shiming who had personally approached Headmaster Lu to propose the marriage, only to be rebuffed. Although Lu had politely cited his daughter's frailty and inability to serve the prince due to her widowhood, it was a clear refusal, without sparing any consideration for Empress Luo or their Luo family. Luo Shiming's voice turned cold as he recalled this. "Let's see how long their arrogance lasts. As soon as the crown prince makes a mistake, they'll switch sides. They're all opportunists, Your Majesty need not take them seriously."

Empress Luo placed her teacup on the table. "The crown prince is now confined in the Han Palace, tending to vegetables, writing, and reading every day. What kind of mistake could he make? The emperor is more than content! He lavishes rewards daily, and I, overseeing the six palaces, dare not neglect anything sent to the Han Palace!"

"The grand tutors still come daily to instruct the crown prince, ensuring his studies remain uninterrupted. The emperor even personally reviews his lessons! Because of the emperor's attitude, the court officials still cling to hope for the crown prince. Today, a cabinet minister hinted to the emperor, mentioning that Dragon Boat Festival and the emperor's birthday are approaching. Should the crown prince be allowed to pray for the emperor's well-being during the dragon boat race? Though the emperor didn't give a direct answer, his demeanor was amiable, unlike before when he would angrily reprimand officials for meddling in family affairs. It seems his stance may be softening."

"As long as Princess Yi Yang gives birth to an heir in Jingbei, with the support of the Jingbei King, will we still have a foothold?"

Luo Shiming scoffed coldly. "That depends on whether she can actually give birth."

Empress Luo was taken aback. "Has brother arranged someone to be by her side? It's a shame I went through so much trouble to place a wet nurse with her, only for it to be in vain. Now, it's beyond our reach."

Luo Shiming replied, "Why would I need to make arrangements? The Jingbei King won't allow this child to be born."

Empress Luo gasped. "The Jingbei King doesn't want this child? Could it be that he has rebellious intentions?"

Luo Shiming shook his head. "Not for that reason. It's no secret that Prince Jingbei has ambitions; his rebellious intentions didn't just arise now. However, it's not due to this, but because Princess Yi Yang's pregnancy isn't from him. How could such a formidable man like Prince Jingbei allow a woman to toy with him?"

Empress Luo was overwhelmed by the revelation. "How did it come to this? Although Yi Yang is known for her flirtatious ways, she wouldn't dare play such games in front of Prince Jingbei, would she? Besides, I believe most of her past scandals were fabricated. Yi Yang might have created those rumors, true and false, to protect her younger brother and win over Duke Song."

Luo Shiming explained, "I only learned of this recently. Before Princess Yi Yang's marriage, I dispatched many people to keep an eye on her, anticipating future developments. I received news of her pregnancy earlier than the court. Along with that, I heard that Prince Jingbei is deeply displeased with Princess Yi Yang, and they now live separately. She openly moves about with her handsome guards, making no effort to hide. Although Prince Jingbei tolerates it without action, he refuses to discuss the matter of the child."

Empress Luo murmured, "Yuan Yiqing dared to deceive Prince Jingbei so? This doesn't prove…"

Luo Shiming corrected her, "No, precisely because the rumors are swirling, it's the perfect time to uncover the truth. My people secretly uncovered a top-secret piece of information: Prince Jingbei, Guo Shu, has been poisoned and is unable to father children."

Empress Luo was startled and stood up abruptly, "Is this news reliable?"

Luo Shiming replied, "I didn't believe it at first, but the human evidence we found confirms it. The previous queen of Jingbei King was surnamed Su. It was said that she was deeply in love with Jingbei King, but they had no children. They claimed publicly that the Su Queen was frail due to illness. Later, the Su Queen suddenly passed away, causing Jingbei King immense grief to the point of vomiting blood and being bedridden for a long time. Not long after, Su's father, who was originally quite healthy, also suddenly died. The Su Queen's legitimate brother, still in mourning, accidentally fell from his horse and broke his neck, resulting in his death. Eventually, the headship of the Su family was inherited by a cadet branch – all too coincidental."

"I sensed something amiss, so I instructed my people to discreetly investigate and befriend the servants of the Su family. As expected, we gradually discovered that the Su Queen's sudden death was followed by a hasty burial with a simple ceremony. It was claimed that the royal family kept it simple. Even the Su family patriarch and her brother were buried hastily without proper funeral rites. Afterward, the King never mentioned the queen again, and the royal household virtually ceased all support for the Su family. Within a few years, the Su family's trusted officials serving in Jingbei were either dismissed, punished, or exiled. A prominent clan was reduced to selling off their servants one after another within a few years."

"I had my people investigate thoroughly, and finally, we found a young maid who had served the Su Queen. She was too young at the time and fell ill, so her family redeemed her, saving her from the tragedy. When she grew older and became more aware, she dared not speak of it. We paid a large sum to her, and she secretly revealed that the Su Queen had secretly been poisoning Jingbei King for years. The poison was extremely malicious – it was a slow-acting cottonseed oil toxin specifically formulated by someone. Colorless and odorless, it was mixed with incense, food, and bedding to take effect over time. Its main purpose was to prevent conception."

"Thus, the Su Queen and her father were secretly executed, as were her brothers later on, whose necks were directly broken by the royal household, claiming they fell from their horses – all to keep this secret under wraps."

"The Jingtbei Wang lineage has been completely extirpated, but this cannot be publicly disclosed under any circumstances. Should it become known, it would inevitably lead to the disunity of our military commanders."

Empress Luo wore a mix of surprise and delight on her face. She rose to her feet and paced around the room, her emotions stirring and unable to find peace. "With Prince Jingbei's character, Yi Yang's pregnancy news is equivalent to publicly humiliating him with a green hat. He was already victimized by the previous princess consort; how could he possibly tolerate another princess consort playing tricks and deceiving him?"

Luo Shiming replied, "This matter is of utmost secrecy, so Yi Yang likely has no knowledge of it. The prince should still be capable of intimate relations, but unable to bear children. Princess Yi Yang's impatience must stem from her anxiety to swiftly rescue the crown prince from his predicament. Thus, she likely planted a child on Prince Jingbei as a means to secure her position, perhaps believing her cunning could deceive him. She has always been one to take bold risks. Unfortunately, Prince Jingbei is well aware of his infertility and might suspect that the poisoning was an assassination attempt ordered by the royal family. Now, with the court deliberately marrying off a princess and introducing an unknown child into the equation, aiming to seize his princely title and military power, how could he not be enraged? His restraint is probably a strategic move, waiting for the right moment to strike and confuse the court."

"Yet, they lacked the disposition to put on an appearance of harmony. Consequently, it was common knowledge in Jingtai's capital, Guangping City, that the Jingbei King and his queen were not on good terms."

Empress Luo laughed heartily, saying, "What a shame! Unfortunately, we cannot make a show of it just yet!"

Luo Shiming, however, said, "I suspect His Majesty is aware of this as well. Despite his generous rewards to the court and the public, he has been reinforcing our borders and the military defenses near Jingbei lately. It's clear that he's on high alert, anticipating a sudden turn against him from the Jingbei Prince. A battle between the court and Jingbei is inevitable – I believe the poison was likely administered by His Majesty's order."

The Empress thought for a moment and shuddered in fear. "His Majesty knew the Jingbei Prince couldn't father children, yet he still married the princess to him. If it had been Yixue..."

Luo Shiming replied, "That's the mind of an emperor. The founding emperor was controlled by his mother but endured silently. When the empress secretly had a child with another man and raised it in the palace, the founding emperor said nothing. Only after gaining absolute power did he eliminate all of the empress's illegitimate offspring. That's what emperors do. The Jingbei Prince is clearly a formidable figure; how could he tolerate such humiliation indefinitely? Once Jingbei declares war on us officially, the princess and that child of unknown origins will undoubtedly be used as sacrifices."

The Empress chuckled coldly. "She brought this upon herself with her cunning and recklessness. Had she just behaved properly..." She didn't finish her sentence, realizing that even if the princess had acted demurely, the prince might not have spared her. After all, the poison causing infertility was likely ordered by the emperor. The Jingbei Prince, having fallen into a trap, would surely harbor immense hatred towards the court. Yet, the emperor still sent his beloved daughter there, thinking she was cherished. Now it seems she was merely a tool to stabilize the court, a sacrifice to appease and torment the Jingbei Prince.

Everything was for that so-called imperial ambition. The thought left her feeling disheartened.

Luo Shiming whispered, "We can exploit this situation by revealing it to the Crown Prince."

The Empress had been in a state of shock and sorrow until now. Suddenly, she grasped his meaning. "You mean to lure the Crown Prince into making a mistake?"

Luo Shiming confirmed, "Indeed. If the Crown Prince learns of the peril Princess Yi Yang faces, wouldn't he feel both fear and anger? Remember, he refused to rise from his knees when she was merely betrothed. Knowing this... If he confronts the emperor about it, the rift between father and son, ruler and subject, will become irreparable. The emperor may tolerate his son's resentment for his sister, but he won't tolerate his son exposing a conspiracy and hating him. Resentment and hatred are two different matters."

The Empress almost slammed her hand on the table in delight, her eyes sparkling. "Exactly! They have a deep bond as siblings; this is precisely what should happen! This plan is brilliant!"