Chapter 108: Fury

Chapter 108: Wrath

Qi Yan hesitated for a moment, standing still.

Sharing a bed with his master was far too improper. Not only would he be branded a sycophant, but Xiao Shao would also be slandered for impropriety.

Yet Xiao Shao’s complexion was truly ashen. Since descending from Qinglong Mountain, blood had been trickling from his lips without pause. His face was deathly pale, his breathing shallow—a once-elegant noble reduced to this state.

Qi Yan could hardly bear to see it. He thought to himself, *Since I’ve already become a eunuch, what does it matter if I’m cursed a few more times? Besides, the Second Prince is investigating the Silver Case partly for my sake. Even if he goes too far, I have no right to complain.* So he truly sat on the edge of the bed, making a show of warming Xiao Shao’s bed.

But as a proper scholar and gentleman, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do such a thing. His limbs stiffened, his movements awkward and rigid, as he prepared to lie down.

Xiao Shao chuckled under his breath.

His chest trembled as he suppressed his laughter, but Xiao Tanhu’s expression was too amusing. Covering his lips with a cough, Xiao Shao’s eyes crinkled with amusement.

Qi Yan froze in place.

He had already dutifully removed his outer robe and lay stiff as a board beside Xiao Shao, hands folded over his abdomen, staring fixedly at the ceiling.

Hearing the laughter, he first turned to look at Xiao Shao, gazing at him in confusion before realization dawned. His face flushed crimson, his earlobes burning red.

Qi Yan kicked off the covers, scrambled off the bed, and swiftly dressed himself. His lips parted as if to say something to Xiao Shao, but he quickly closed them again, lowering his head to tie his sash.

Xiao Shao: “What were you just about to say?”

Qi Yan muttered, “Nothing.”

Xiao Shao, amused: “Go on, I pardon you. Speak freely.”

“...”

“Really, I pardon you. I won’t be angry.” Xiao Shao propped himself up slightly. “What did you want to say?”

Qi Yan bit his lip. In that moment, he forgot all about master-servant decorum and palace rules. Tightening his sash with force, he gritted his teeth and spat, “You frivolous rake!”

For an instant, it was as if the proud, newly appointed Tanhu from the imperial examinations had returned—just like when Xiao Shao had first teased him.

Qi Yan burst out of the room.

Xiao Shao burst into laughter.

Half-sitting up in bed, he raised his voice: “Xiao Tanhu, it’s late and the dew’s thick—where are you going?”

Qi Yan didn’t answer. He stalked around the courtyard twice, letting the night breeze cool the flush on his face. Only after standing in silence for a long while did he return to the room.

This was the residence of the garrison eunuch Yao Jin, who had allocated a courtyard to Xiao Shao. Xiao Shao had ordered a screen to be placed in the bedroom, dividing it in two. Behind the screen was a daybed for Qi Yan to rest.

When Qi Yan returned, Xiao Shao had already put out the lights.

Though the Second Prince had acted unconcerned, playing it off as a joke to tease Qi Yan, the strong medicine he had taken and the blood he had coughed up had left him exhausted. He had long since closed his eyes and fallen asleep, curled under the blankets.

Qi Yan hesitated behind the screen for a moment.

Slipping quietly around to Xiao Shao’s bedside, he bent down quietly, slipping his fingers beneath the covers to check his temperature. Then he withdrew his hand and furtively touched Xiao Shao’s calf before quickly pulling back.

The blankets were warm, the skin of his arm was warm, and his calf was warm too. The Second Prince burrowed into his pillow, face serene, lost in sweet dreams.

Qi Yan withdrew his hand, clenching his molars in secret.

...He wasn’t the slightest bit cold!

Xiao Shao had no idea what Xiao Tanhu had done. He slept soundly through the night and departed for the capital the next day.

Yao Jin dispatched a team to accompany him the entire way, while Eunuch He remained in Hedong to investigate the prince’s poisoning in full.

Back in the capital and just entering his princely estate, Emperor Jianning arrived.

Eunuch He's memorial had arrived before Xiao Shao, so Emperor Jianning already knew his precious son had been injured in Hedong. He personally appointed five or six imperial physicians to treat Xiao Shao.

Xiao Shao, fearing his "suffering act" wasn't convincing enough, took another fingernail-sized pill, swallowing it with water.

Thus, when Emperor Jianning stepped into the room, he just caught sight of Xiao Shao spitting blood.

The noble second prince, frail as a whisper, clutched his father's sleeve, his eyes rimmed red from discomfort, coughing intermittently and spitting out small amounts of blood.

A masterful act.

Xiao Shao was Emperor Jianning's late-born son, pampered since infancy. Seeing him like this broke the emperor’s heart. He pulled Xiao Shao into his arms, soothing his back: "My boy, tell me—what happened? You went to manage the floods—how did it come to this?"

Between coughs, Xiao Shao stammered out the same story.

He never brought up the Silver Case or his discoveries at Qinglong Mountain, only saying Song Lvyang had targeted him at every turn, leaving him utterly wronged. He then spoke of going out for an evening walk, picking bamboo shoots on the mountain, and encountering a sudden wildfire that spread instantly, leaving no escape.

His words dropped hints throughout, never directly referencing the Silver Case yet subtly alluding to it at every turn. Emperor Jianning slowly patted his back, his expression growing stormy.

Finally, Xiao Shao rasped, putting on a pitiful act: "Father, set things right for me."

Emperor Jianning nodded, softly instructing him to rest well and assigning two more imperial physicians to oversee his recovery before leaving.

For the next half-month, Xiao Shao played up his illness, remaining secluded at home.

Crown Prince Xiao Yi repeatedly visited with gifts, but Xiao Shao, unwilling to entertain him, claimed exhaustion or unconsciousness to avoid meeting.

He timed his pill intake precisely—just as his condition showed signs of improvement, he'd take another, prolonging his bedridden state. The five imperial physicians were baffled, tugging at their beards helplessly.

Emperor Jianning and the empress visited multiple times. The empress, seeing Xiao Shao's state, often wiped away tears. Whatever she said to the emperor afterward triggered a massive outburst in court, casting a pall over the imperial court. Everyone treaded carefully, afraid to make the slightest misstep.

Under this imperial fury, the Eastern Depot, Imperial Guards, and Ministry of Justice mobilized swiftly. Yao and He worked day and night until one morning, an urgent missive sped toward the palace.

That day, Emperor Jianning suspended court for three days.

The assembled officials had already reached the Golden Water Bridge when the edict was announced, plunging the court into panic. No one knew what had happened—only that the crown prince was detained for private questioning.

By noon, another decree summoned Xiao Shao to the palace.

When the news reached the second prince's residence, Xiao Shao took his time dressing in court attire and rode a palanquin to the palace.

Entering the imperial study, before he could step forward, he saw Emperor Jianning hurl a seal at the crown prince. The bowl-sized stone struck Xiao Yi's shoulder, but he dared not dodge, grunting as he took the blow.

The empress stood nearby, dabbing her tears. Spotting Xiao Shao, she forced a smile: "Shao'er is here."

Supported by eunuchs, Xiao Shao moved forward, lifting his robes to kneel. But he was so unsteady on his feet, his face deathly pale, that Emperor Jianning couldn't bear to see him kneel. Waving a hand, he had a chair brought for Xiao Shao.

Xiao Shao sat with difficulty, weakly asking, "Father, why have you summoned me?" Then, noticing the crown prince, he pretended to be shocked: "Brother, why are you kneeling?"

This only stoked Emperor Jianning's fury. He kicked Xiao Yi's knee: "You beast! Explain to your brother why you're kneeling here!"

In all honesty, Emperor Jianning was a good father, treating both Xiao Shao and Xiao Yi well. For him to resort to striking someone, it was clear he was truly furious.

Xiao Yi trembled. "I..."

He lowered his head, stammering 'I... I...' repeatedly, yet unable to utter a word.

Emperor Jianning pointed at his nose, eyes burning with fury, his fingers trembling. "Good! Good! Very good! Now you can't speak, is that it?"

He repeated "good" several times. "If you can't say it, fine—I'll say it for you! You embezzled the treasury silver from Hedong, built factions for your own benefit, and harmed imperial envoys. When I sent your brother to manage the floods, you, with a guilty conscience, conspired with Song Lvyang to harm your own brother—isn't that right?!"

By the end, his rage had peaked. He raised his arm and struck the Crown Prince across the face. Xiao Yi's head snapped to the side, a bright red handprint forming on his cheek.

The blow knocked the crown from Xiao Yi's head, leaving his hair disheveled. His eyes reddened, and two tears fell. He crawled forward on his knees, clutching Emperor Jianning's leg, sobbing, "Father! Father! I admit to everything you said before, but harming Shao'er... Shao'er and I grew up together—how could I...?"

His voice choked with sobs. Seeing this, the Empress slid from her chair, weeping, "Your Majesty, they're both your sons!"

Amid the chaos, Xiao Shao managed to whisper, "Father... I don’t blame my brother..."

As he spoke, his breathing grew labored, his chest heaving violently as if he might faint at any moment.

His words only stoked Emperor Jianning's fury. The Emperor turned to look at him, and Xiao Shao forced a smile, his deathly pale face the very image of pitiful submission. "Father, I don’t blame him... He’s always been so good to me... He wouldn’t harm me... There must be... some misunderstanding..."

Then, he suddenly turned his head and coughed up blood, coughing violently as if his lungs would tear.

The Empress, beside herself with worry, abandoned her pleas for Xiao Yi and rushed to Xiao Shao’s side, cradling his face. "Shao'er? Don't frighten me like this—what's wrong? What's wrong?"

She burst into sobs again.

The Empress and Emperor Jianning had been deeply in love since their youth. After becoming Empress, she had remained the favored consort, never suffering any grievances. Now, faced with this crisis between her sons, she was utterly distraught.

Her youngest son lay gravely ill, her husband was consumed by rage, and the sounds of Xiao Shao’s coughing and the Empress’s weeping filled the room. Emperor Jianning’s fury flared anew. He kicked Xiao Yi again. "You—get out! Return to your residence and reflect on your sins!"

The Crown Prince dared not protest. He scrambled to his feet and staggered out. Emperor Jianning took two steps back and sank heavily into his chair, his gaze vacant, as if he had aged a decade in an instant.

The Empress wept, "Yi'er, Yi'er..."

Emperor Jianning closed his eyes, drained of all strength, murmuring, "A wolf's heart in human form, ruthless and cruel."

If Xiao Yi could do this to his brother while he was still on the throne, what would happen to Xiao Shao once he was gone?

Would they meet again in the afterlife the very day he passed?

Or worse—would Xiao Yi dare to move against Xiao Shao even before his death, while he was still alive but weakened?

...And what if his ambitions extended beyond just Xiao Shao?

Forming factions and corruption were the greatest taboos for any Emperor—even when the culprit was his own son.

At Emperor Jianning’s age, there were always days each year when illness left him bedridden, unable to govern. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince was in the prime of life. According to secret reports from Hedong, he had used the embezzled silver to bribe court officials. Now, he had substantial support at court.

If Xiao Yi was ruthless enough to harm his own brother for power, what would stop him from seizing the throne the next time Emperor Jianning fell ill? Would he follow in Emperor Taizong’s footsteps, forcing his father into retirement at Daxing Palace?

Emperor Jianning tightened his grip on the secret report.

At this point, he had no choice but to reconsider the succession.

With this thought, his voice softened. "Shao'er, you should return to your residence as well. Rest and recover. Once you’re better, come to the study and assist me."

Xiao Shao bowed. "Yes, Father."

Emperor Jianning waved his hand wearily, letting him leave. Throughout, he never brought up the Silver Case again, nor did he speak a word of exoneration.

Xiao Shao adjusted his cloak and picked up the confidential memorial from the ground, asking casually, "Father Emperor, what is this Silver Case mentioned in the memorial?"

Emperor Jianning merely shook his head. "It's not something you need to worry about."

Xiao Shao said nothing, bowed, and took his leave.

*

When he returned home, Qi Yan was preparing ink in the study.

Xiao Tanhu took his cloak and passed him a hand warmer.

Xiao Shao said, "The Hedong matter is settled. The Crown Prince and his faction won't escape punishment. Song Luyang will soon be imprisoned, and he'll face trial before the three judicial offices."

Qi Yan nodded.

Xiao Shao hesitated. "Won't you ask me about the Silver Case?"

Qi Yan continued preparing ink, his head bowed so low that his expression was hidden, hearing only his calm voice. "I know."

He knew—there could be no exoneration.

Back then, it was Emperor Jianning who ordered the Qi family imprisoned, who decreed Qi Chen’s execution, and who sentenced Qi Yan to punishment and entry into palace service.

Exoneration would mean making Emperor Jianning lose face.

The imperial family's honor came before everything. As the Son of Heaven, Emperor Jianning ruled over all beneath the sky. The death of one Qi Chen meant nothing—there were countless others like him in the capital. Losing one Qi Yan meant nothing—new Tanhu scholars appeared every year, nothing special. What was the Qi family compared to the emperor’s pride?

The agony and despair of a family’s destruction paled in Emperor Jianning’s eyes next to the Crown Prince’s defiance.

As for the innocence and reputation of that family—what did they matter?

These things, Qi Yan understood.

Not wanting to upset Xiao Shao, he didn’t ask. Instead, he advised, "Your Highness need not bring this up before His Majesty. Do not lose sight of the greater picture and risk his favor."

His voice was steady, his gaze lowered, yet Xiao Shao found it inexplicably bitter.

He reached out, tilting Qi Yan’s chin up, and sighed. "Stop smiling. It looks worse than crying."

"...My apologies."

Xiao Shao brushed his fingertip against the mole near Qi Yan’s eye—a feature he particularly adored. "There’s nothing to apologize for. Don’t worry, Xiao Tanhu. I’ll clear your name someday."

The Crown Prince was effectively deposed. By his calculations, that day wouldn’t be long now.