Chapter 83

Chapter 83

In Chong'an Palace, Kang Yuande prepared the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, then assisted Emperor Chengwu to the imperial desk.

Emperor Chengwu took up the brush and personally wrote the decree of succession.

Kang Yuande lowered his head and stood quietly by the side, his face showing no emotion, but his heart was filled with shock.

According to protocol, the Emperor should leave a will before his death, designating the heir to the throne. But the Emperor had only vomited blood once, so why was he already writing a will?

At some point, he, the Chief Eunuch, had quietly lost favor. Many times when the Emperor wanted to speak, he would be asked to leave. Earlier, he had been too far to hear the imperial physicians' diagnosis, so he didn't know the true state of the Emperor's health. Could it be that the Emperor's end was near?

Thinking that the Emperor, whom he had served for decades, might soon pass away, Kang Yuande felt a deep sorrow, and tears filled his eyes. He quickly raised his sleeve to wipe them away.

Emperor Chengwu noticed him secretly crying out of the corner of his eye and snorted coldly, scolding, "I'm not dying that soon. Stop crying."

Kang Yuande hurriedly put down his sleeve and pretended to be at ease, saying, "Your Majesty must be mistaken. This servant's eyes were just watering. I wasn't crying."

Emperor Chengwu didn't bother to expose him and continued writing. Soon, the decree was completed. He carefully read it twice, found no errors, and then put down the brush. He sat back in his chair and heaved a long sigh.

After a moment of silence, Emperor Chengwu instructed Kang Yuande, "Go summon the Crown Prince, the Grand Secretaries, and the Ministers of the Six Ministries. Tell them I have important matters to announce."

Kang Yuande acknowledged the order and went out to instruct the eunuchs to find the officials. He then turned back and returned to the Emperor's side, saying, "Your Majesty, it will take a while for everyone to gather. Would you like to rest in bed first?"

Emperor Chengwu shook his head, "For such an important matter, it wouldn't be proper to look disheveled. Assist me in changing into proper attire."

Kang Yuande acknowledged and quickly fetched the dragon robe, assisting the Emperor in dressing properly. Afterward, Emperor Chengwu sat in his chair, closed his eyes, and rested, quietly waiting for everyone to arrive.

On the surface, Emperor Chengwu appeared calm, but deep down, he could not find peace.

Now that the decree was finished, he felt unexpectedly relieved, as if the so-called imperial power was nothing special.

But why had he once regarded the throne as more important than anything else, desperately holding onto it, afraid that someone might take it away?

For this, he had even harmed his wife, children, and grandchildren, turning a once harmonious family into a shattered one.

Thinking of the shocking scenes from the original plot, he felt a heaviness in his chest and raised his hand to pound heavily on his heart.

Kang Yuande, recalling that the Emperor had just vomited blood earlier, turned pale in fear and rushed over, "Your Majesty, are you alright? Shall I summon the imperial physicians?"

Without waiting for the Emperor's reply, he turned and ran outside, his voice filled with panic, "Physicians! Someone, quickly summon the physicians!"

Emperor Chengwu opened his eyes and sighed, "Come back."

Hearing that the Emperor's voice still carried strength, Kang Yuande felt a weight lift from his heart. He turned and ran back, his voice already choked with tears, "Your Majesty, you frightened this old servant to death."

Emperor Chengwu said, "I'm just tired. It's nothing."

Kang Yuande wiped his tears and urged, "Your Majesty, you must look after yourself. This old servant still hopes to accompany you for a long life."

Everyone told him to take care, and he also wanted to, but he didn't know if there was still time. Emperor Chengwu sighed inwardly, "Alright, I'll take care."

As they spoke, the Crown Prince arrived with the four Grand Secretaries and the six Ministers of the Six Ministries.

The group entered and paid their respects to Emperor Chengwu, who nodded and said, "Rise, all of you. Be seated."

Everyone stood up and took their seats in order.

Seeing that Emperor Chengwu looked weary and unwell, the Crown Prince said with concern, "Father, if there is anything you need, just command your son to handle it. Why trouble yourself like this?"

Emperor Chengwu smiled and said, "This matter is beyond your capability; it must be handled by me personally, the Emperor."

The Crown Prince guessed it might concern other princes and acknowledged with a nod, then sat quietly without another word.

The ministers exchanged puzzled glances, all wondering. Recently, the Emperor had handed all state affairs to the Crown Prince and had not even attended court. They wondered what significant event had occurred today that required summoning everyone.

Emperor Chengwu glanced around and then pointed to the edict on the imperial desk: "Kang Yuande, you read it."

Kang Yuande acknowledged and walked to the imperial desk, picked up the edict sealed with the imperial jade seal, stood before the crowd, and began to read aloud: "By the decree of the Emperor, ordained by Heaven to rule the realm... Crown Prince Shen Xu, of noble character..."

---

Fengyi Palace,

The Empress returned from Chong'an Palace, reclined on the couch for a short nap, woke soon after but stayed reclined, gently waving a round fan.

Nanny Fang asked, "Your Majesty, are we still visiting Consort Zhao Yi's palace today?"

The Empress replied, "Another day, I'm tired today."

She had originally planned to visit Consort Zhao Yi's palace to inquire about the third prince, but the Old Emperor's episode of spitting blood had dampened her mood.

Nanny Fang, thinking the Empress was worried about Emperor Chengwu, took the fan and slowly fanned, comforting her: "The Emperor is the true dragon, blessed with great fortune. Your Majesty should not worry too much, lest it harm your health."

The Empress nodded, "Rest assured, I am fine."

Then she asked, "How are your grandchildren?"

Mentioning her grandchildren, Nanny Fang couldn't help but smile, "Thank you for asking, Your Majesty, they're all doing well."

The Empress also smiled, "That's good. You should visit home more often, spend time with them while they're young, or you might regret it later."

Touched but maintaining formality, Nanny Fang said, "This old servant has no regrets; those little rascals are like monkeys. Your Majesty wouldn't believe how mischievous they can be."

Nanny Fang then deliberately shared some amusing stories of the children's mischief, making the Empress laugh heartily.

As they spoke, the children came running, calling 'Grandmother' and 'Grandmother Empress' before even entering, their chatter filling Fengyi Palace with life.

The Empress feigned annoyance, pointing at the door, and said to Nanny Fang, 'Look, these are the real monkeys.' Both burst into laughter.

Nuo Er entered and saw the Empress laughing. She ran over, leaned by the couch, tilted her little head to look at the Empress, "Grandmother Empress, why are you laughing?"

The Empress reached out to pick up the chubby little girl, touched her small hands, and patted her little bottom, "Grandmother Empress is happy just seeing you, Nuo Er."

"Nuo Er is happy to see you too, Grandmother Empress!" Nuo Er giggled, pressed her face against the Empress's, and asked, "Grandmother Empress, are you still going to Consort Zhao Yi's palace to play?"

When Nuo Er left Chong'an Palace after seeing the Old Emperor, she had thought of going herself, but then reconsidered. That Consort Zhao Yi seemed quite unpleasant, always scowling, her eyelids drooping, giving off an eerie vibe.

She thought if they showed up unannounced, Consort Zhao Yi might hide, so she came to Fengyi Palace to ask, hoping to go with the Empress.

The Empress knew what the little girl wanted, but she really didn't feel like moving at the moment, so she smiled and patted the little girl's head, "Another day, Grandmother Empress is tired."

The Empress, being over fifty, tired easily. Nuo Er obediently nodded, "Alright, then when Grandmother Empress goes another day, you must call Nuo Er, Nuo Er wants to go play."

The Empress smiled and agreed.

"Then Nuo Er will go play elsewhere." Nuo Er got down from the Empress's arms, took the Little General waiting aside by the hand, called her brothers, sisters, and little aunt, and the group of children swept away like a gust of wind.

Seeing the chubby little figure running quite fast, the Empress couldn't help but laugh for a while.

With the children's commotion, the Empress felt a bit better and a little hungry, so she called for someone to come in.

Cai E answered and entered. After listening to the Empress's words, she thought for a moment and said, "The small kitchen is simmering black rice, red bean, and lotus seed soup, and there's also chicken soup stewed with astragalus and angelica. One is sweet, and the other is savory. Should I bring a bowl of each?"

The Empress nodded, "Proceed."

Cai E acknowledged and turned to depart. Soon, she emerged from the small kitchen with a tray holding two soup bowls, moving carefully.

Afraid the soup might spill, she kept her eyes on the bowls. As she turned the corner from the small kitchen wall, she didn't notice someone suddenly walking in from the courtyard entrance.

The person was walking briskly and in a hurry. Cai E couldn't stop her feet or her hands in time, and the tray directly collided with the person. She fumbled, trying to save the situation, but both soup bowls spilled.

The freshly served hot chicken soup splashed onto her hands and spilled onto the ground. The black rice, red bean, and lotus seed soup poured directly onto the newcomer, staining his silver-white brocade robe.

Cai E, ignoring the burning pain on her hands, quickly looked up and met the icy gaze of the Eleventh Prince.

She turned pale, dropped the tray, and knelt to beg for mercy, "Your servant is guilty, please spare my life, Eleventh Prince."

The Eleventh Prince looked at the clumps of black rice soup stuck to his brocade robe, his brow twitching. He pressed his fingers to his brow and said calmly, "Get up."

Cai E, filled with fear, didn't hear the Eleventh Prince clearly and kept kowtowing for mercy.

The Eleventh Prince grabbed Cai E's arms and pulled her up. Under her bewildered gaze, he pointed to his robe, "First, clean this up for me, then go to the Nine Abyss Guard office and fetch me a change of clothes."

Seeing that the Eleventh Prince wasn't angry, Cai E quickly acknowledged and pointed to the side hall, "Your Highness, please wait here. I'll deliver the soup to the Empress first, then return."

The Eleventh Prince walked expressionlessly to the side hall, his voice calm but firm, "Let someone else deliver it. You clean this mess for me."

Cai E didn't dare to refuse and acknowledged. She then told Yin Die, watching her with concern, to deliver the soup to the Empress. Yin Die nodded and headed to the small kitchen.

Cai E followed the Eleventh Prince to the side hall. They entered one after the other, and once inside, the Eleventh Prince stood still and looked at Cai E.

Cai E didn't dare to delay. She quickly fetched water, wet a cloth, knelt before the Eleventh Prince, and began cleaning the black rice soup from his robe.

---

Nine Abyss Guard's morgue.

Hearing Cheng Yuan mention her cousin, the Ninth Princess was momentarily confused, "My cousin? Which one are you talking about?"

Cheng Yuan continued his work without stopping, "The youngest son of your second uncle's family. We accidentally met him a year ago when we were staying in Yuezhou. We even had a meal together at that time."

The Ninth Princess, "Are you talking about my little cousin Shen Cang?"

Cheng Yuan, "Yes, I think the little monk looks quite like him."

The Ninth Princess found it hard to believe, "You're not saying that the little monk named Jing Yun is my little cousin's son, are you?"

Cheng Yuan spoke cautiously, "Without evidence, I dare not make assumptions. I just think there's a slight resemblance in appearance."

The Ninth Princess immediately denied, "That's impossible. A Yuan, don't you remember? I asked him if he was married and if I could meet his wife. He said he was used to being alone and had never married."

Cheng Yuan pointed out sharply, "He said he had never married, but he didn't say he had never fathered a child."

The Ninth Princess was stunned, "Is that possible?"

Then, recalling the unbelievable things she had seen and heard over the years, she quickly changed her tone, "But what you said could be possible."

"Wait, let me calculate. My little cousin and my third brother were born in the same year. My third brother is thirty-two this year, so my little cousin Shen Cang is also thirty-two. How old is the little monk Jing Yun?"

Cheng Yuan, "He said he's twelve. Judging by his bone structure, he's telling the truth."

The Ninth Princess extended her fingers and calculated carefully, "My little cousin is thirty-two, and the little monk Jing Yun is twelve. There's a twenty-year difference between them. When my little cousin left the capital to travel the mountains and rivers, he hadn't even reached adulthood yet."

After doing the math, the Ninth Princess nodded repeatedly: "Whether it's based on age or how long my cousin has been missing, he could have quietly had a child as old as that little monk."

Cheng Yuan: "Your Highness has a point."

The Ninth Princess frowned: "A Yuan, if that Jing Yun is really my cousin's child, why would he become a monk and kill Monk Liaoxin?"

Cheng Yuan put down the knife, wiped his hands with a towel, took out a silver needle from his toolbox, and inserted it into the opened abdominal cavity of the corpse: "I don't know. We'll need to check if there's any bad blood between your families."

The Ninth Princess habitually leaned against her husband's broad back, frowning in thought: "Bad blood?"

Cheng Yuan felt his wife's soft body pressing against his back, and his body stiffened slightly, making it hard to concentrate.

He smiled and glanced back, his tone somewhat helpless: "The smell isn't great, Princess. Maybe wait outside?"

The Ninth Princess, however, didn't mind: "I'll keep you company."

Cheng Yuan coaxed gently: "I'll be fast. You're too distracting."

Understanding his implication, the Ninth Princess's cheeks flushed slightly as she straightened up: "Oh, alright, I'll go out then."

As she walked out, she kept muttering 'feud' under her breath. At the doorway, she caught her foot on the threshold, yelping as she stumbled. She hopped out on one foot, continuing to hop a few steps outside before finally walking normally.

Cheng Yuan shook his head, smiling fondly, then turned back to continue the autopsy.

The Ninth Princess sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, mentally reviewing the history of both families. After some time, she suddenly jumped up from the bench, her tone excited: "A Yuan, I think I've got it!"

Her outburst startled the busy Nine Abyss Guards in the courtyard, who marveled at how unique the Ninth Princess was. They couldn't help but glance over, thinking how unusual it was for her to marry a coroner and even frequently assist him with autopsies.

The Ninth Princess paid no attention to the curious looks from the Nine Abyss Guards. She quickly walked to the door of the morgue: "A Yuan, are you finished? I've got something important to tell you."

Cheng Yuan had just finished the autopsy and was washing his hands. Hearing her, he quickly washed and dried his hands before stepping out: "What is it? What did you find?"

The Ninth Princess grabbed his hand and pulled him outside of the Nine Abyss Guard's office to a secluded spot, then whispered: "Do you recall how my second uncle passed away?"

Cheng Yuan thought for a moment: "Wasn't it from a drunken fall into a lake?"

The incident had caused a huge uproar back then, and everyone in the capital knew about it. Although he was just an ordinary citizen at the time, the emperor's brother was a prominent figure, and the manner of his death, being publicly fished out of the lake, had been the talk of the town for a while, so he had heard about it.

The Ninth Princess: "That's just the official story."

After saying this, she glanced around and beckoned Cheng Yuan closer: "Bend down a little."

Seeing his wife acting so mysteriously, Cheng Yuan grew curious and complied, leaning in: "Is there more to this than meets the eye?"

The Ninth Princess tilted her head slightly, whispering into Cheng Yuan's ear: "I was young back then, so I don't know the specifics, but once I overheard my second and third brothers talking. They hinted that the old man might have had a hand in my second uncle's death."

The identity of "the old man" was self-evident.

This matter involved royal secrets, and Cheng Yuan knew little about it. As a coroner, he was used to relying on evidence, so he asked: "Did they have any evidence for saying that?"

The Ninth Princess, feeling she had uncovered a huge secret, was initially excited but felt a cold splash of water when asked for evidence. She slapped Cheng Yuan's arm in annoyance and glared at him: "Do you think this is some kind of autopsy case? What kind of evidence do you expect for something like this?"

Realizing he had dampened her enthusiasm, Cheng Yuan quickly set aside his coroner's mindset and said: "Princess, don't be angry. I meant that if Second Prince and Third Prince said so, they must have noticed some clues or had some reason."

The Ninth Princess, realizing that Cheng Yuan, coming from a common background, might not be familiar with royal affairs, said: "I don't think I've ever told you about my second uncle. Should I tell you now?"

Cheng Yuan clasped his hands: "I'm all ears."

The Ninth Princess began enthusiastically: "Back when my father was establishing the empire, my second and third uncles both made great contributions by his side. Later, my third uncle died in battle, leaving only my second uncle. You probably know this much, right?"

Cheng Yuan nodded. "I understand."

The Ninth Princess continued, "After my father ascended the throne, he bestowed upon my second uncle the title of prince, excusing him from kneeling in the emperor's presence and allowing him to carry a sword into the court—a position of great honor."

"But my second uncle, I don't know how to describe him. During the southern campaigns, he accompanied my father through life and death many times, enduring countless hardships and sufferings."

"However, after the wars ended and the empire was stabilized, when it was time to enjoy wealth and live a good life, he began to overstep his bounds."

Cheng Yuan asked, "How did he overstep his bounds?"

The Ninth Princess explained, "My second uncle had a drinking problem. In his leisure time, he often drank heavily, and whenever he was drunk, he would spout off disrespectful comments, showing disdain for my father in his speech."

"Not only did he criticize my father's decrees in the court, but he also often contradicted my father in front of the entire court, mocking my father's humble beginnings as a mountain villager."

Cheng Yuan frowned upon hearing this. "Whether it's between brothers or father and son, such behavior is highly disrespectful to the emperor, and any emperor would be displeased."

The Ninth Princess nodded. "Exactly."

"But these were not the worst. The most egregious act was that during drinking sessions, my second uncle boasted that my father only ascended the throne because he was older. And he didn't just say this once; many people heard him say it themselves."

Cheng Yuan, unfamiliar with these past incidents, asked curiously, "How did His Majesty react to this?"

The Ninth Princess replied, "Because my second uncle had indeed contributed greatly to the Shen family's empire, my father was extremely indulgent towards him. Many ministers filed petitions to impeach my second uncle, but my father dismissed them with a laugh and took no further action."

Cheng Yuan guessed, "Let me guess, after being impeached, your second uncle still failed to curb his behavior?"

The Ninth Princess confirmed, "Exactly, not only did he not restrain himself, but he grew even more reckless and insolent."

"But not long after that, it seemed less than half a year, my second uncle became intoxicated, rode his horse into a lake, and drowned."

Cheng Yuan concluded, "Given this, it's no wonder the two imperial brothers spoke as they did."

The Ninth Princess agreed. "Yes, I think so too. But back then, while everyone harbored suspicions, no one dared to voice them openly; they only whispered behind closed doors."

"Besides, my second uncle was truly unlikable, so when he died, none of us were particularly concerned."

Hearing the dislike in his wife's words, Cheng Yuan pressed further. "What made him so unlikable?"

The Ninth Princess explained, "Several times when he came to the palace and saw us sisters, he would casually refer to us as 'girls' and say that if it weren't for him helping my father conquer the empire, we would still be tending to chickens and harvesting vegetables in the mountains. He also said that if my father hadn't become emperor, there wouldn't be so many concubines, and perhaps we wouldn't even exist."

Cheng Yuan didn't like hearing this and frowned. "This man truly had a vile tongue." He truly deserved to die.

The Ninth Princess said, "Yes, so none of us liked him."

Then she changed the subject. "A Yuan, if my father truly did kill my second uncle, would that count as a grudge?"

Cheng Yuan replied, "Of course it would."

The Ninth Princess frowned. "If it counts as a grudge, then if the little monk is my little cousin's child, would they seek vengeance against our family?"

Cheng Yuan said, "If they are indeed father and son, then it's possible."

The Ninth Princess looked serious. "Then I must tell my father." With that, she was about to leave in a hurry.

Cheng Yuan grabbed his wife. "What are you going to say? Our conjecture is predicated on the assumption that His Majesty was responsible for your second uncle's death, but the question is, did His Majesty really kill him? Even if he did, would His Majesty admit it?"

The Ninth Princess was anxious. "Then what should I do? I can't just say nothing."

Cheng Yuan suggested, "Why not tell the Crown Prince, or even the Eleventh Imperial Brother, since the Nine Abyss Guard is now handling this case."

The Ninth Princess nodded. "Alright then, I'll go find my eldest brother and sister-in-law, and you go find the Eleventh Imperial Brother."

Cheng Yuan agreed, and the couple each took action.