Chapter 58: The Madman

Chapter 58: Madman

Chen Ming was stunned. He hadn’t expected this investigation to uncover such an absurd scandal.

Li Zhangye frowned, his gaze fixed on the maidservant before him as he said gravely, "Shuangwan, do you realize the severity of accusing a concubine of disgracing the imperial harem?"

"Shuangwan would never dare to speak falsely. Last year, when my mistress learned that the old madam was ill, she returned to the Yaozhou estate to care for her. It was there that she accidentally discovered the intimate garments of Consort Shu, hidden away by my master."

Though Shuangwan did not elaborate, Li Zhangye could guess the implications.

Consort Shu and Madam Meng were full sisters, and intimate garments were often embroidered by the women themselves. Presumably, Madam Meng had recognized Consort Shu’s handiwork or some distinctive mark belonging to her.

"My mistress had long noticed that the eldest young master bore an uncanny resemblance to Consort Shu, which aroused her suspicions. She ordered an investigation and discovered that the eldest young master was actually the secret son of my master and Consort Shu..."

Chen Ming was already shocked by the revelation of the affair between Consort Shu and Meng Yi, but hearing this, he was utterly horrified.

No wonder he had thought, upon first seeing the eldest young master of the Meng family, that he bore a striking resemblance to the Fifth Prince. In truth, he resembled not the Fifth Prince but Consort Shu.

He was the love child of Consort Shu and Lord Meng Yi.

Chen Ming had met both Consort Shu and Madam Meng. Though they were sisters, they looked nothing alike, so it was no wonder Madam Meng had grown suspicious.

That day in the prison, Meng Yuqing had ranted deliriously, calling himself a parentless bastard. It hadn’t been madness—it was the truth.

A child born of adultery was no different from a bastard.

He stole a glance at the Crown Prince, only to find His Highness far calmer than he had expected. Could he have already suspected as much?

Yet Chen Ming still had doubts. "But to the outside world, wasn’t the eldest young master your mistress’s child?"

How had they managed to deceive everyone without arousing suspicion?

Shuangwan replied, "That was merely a lie told to outsiders. About eighteen years ago, shortly after my mistress married my master, she returned to the Yaozhou estate to care for the old madam. Then one day, my master suddenly arrived in Yaozhou, bringing with him a child two or three months old. He claimed the child was his own flesh and blood, and that the mother had died in childbirth. He begged my mistress to acknowledge the child as her own, promising to fulfill any of her demands in return."

"After their marriage, my master had always treated my mistress with distant and cold indifference. She sensed that his heart belonged to another but dared not confront him. When this child suddenly appeared, and she heard the woman had died, my mistress took pity and accepted the child. She took him in and brought him back to the capital, so no one in the capital knew the eldest young master wasn’t her own."

As she spoke, tears streamed down Shuangwan’s face like broken pearls, as if grieving for her mistress’s suffering. "Perhaps word got out about my mistress’s private investigation into my master’s affairs. Fearing exposure, my master resorted to slow poison. By the time my mistress realized something was wrong with her health, it was already too late. She wept, reviling my master’s cruelty, and cursed the sister she had once believed to be the kindest—Consort Shu, who had deceived her the most. Knowing he would not spare us servants, my mistress ordered me and another maidservant, Xueqing, to flee overnight. But Xueqing didn’t escape in time, and I was pursued relentlessly until I was forced to throw myself off a cliff..."

At this point, Shuangwan couldn’t help but touch her disfigured face. After falling, her clothes had caught on a tree growing from the cliffside, slowing her descent and sparing her life. She was later rescued by passing farmers and slowly recovered.

But having served her mistress for many years, and having been treated with great kindness, she could not forget this injustice. She worked odd jobs while making her way to the capital.

She knew her master held immense power in the capital. Even if she reported to the authorities, it would be futile—she would only lose her life. With no other options, she sought out a nobleman whom her mistress had once helped, hoping to appeal to the Emperor.

By sheer luck, that nobleman still remembered her mistress’s kindness and immediately offered assistance, bringing her to the Dali Temple [the High Court], where she unexpectedly met the Crown Prince.

Li Zhangye asked, "Shuangwan, do you have any evidence of Lord Meng’s adultery or poisoning?"

Shuangwan shook her head helplessly. "No. My master is a cautious man. Once he realized there were flaws, he would have destroyed all evidence."

Fearing the Crown Prince might not believe her, Shuangwan knelt again and kowtowed [bowed deeply], swearing, "But Your Highness, every word I’ve spoken is true. If I lie, may I be struck by lightning! I beg Your Highness to avenge my mistress!"

Li Zhangye closed his eyes, his expression inscrutable. "Rise. For now, Minister Chen will arrange lodging for you. If what you say is true, I will ensure justice is served for your mistress."

Only then did Shuangwan smile. "Thank you, Your Highness."

Chen Ming called for guards to escort Shuangwan out before voicing his concerns. "Your Highness, though we now have a witness, without concrete evidence, we cannot prosecute Lord Meng. Even if we arrest and interrogate him, unless he confesses, we cannot bring him to justice."

Li Zhangye was well aware. Whether it was Meng Yuqing’s crimes in Yuezhou or Meng Yi’s affair with Consort Shu, Meng Yi would never admit to either—either crime would mean destruction for the Meng family.

So, even though Meng Yuqing is now imprisoned and awaiting execution, Meng Yi has taken no action on his end.

As a father, could he truly be so heartless as to let Meng Yuqing die, allowing the matters of Yuezhou and the secret dealings to vanish without a trace?

He pressed his fingers to his temples in thought, then turned to Chen Ming: "Investigate further. Though I was young at the time, I vaguely recall that the child of Noble Consort Shu who did not survive was born in a manor outside Xu Family City. The net of justice is wide—I refuse to believe there is absolutely no evidence left."

"What about Lord Meng's side...?" Chen Ming asked.

"Have men keep watch, but remain inactive for now. The spring examinations approach. If the chief examiner were to be implicated, rumors would spread unchecked, throwing the examinees into disarray and destabilizing the court."

Chen Ming acknowledged. "Understood, Your Highness."

Two days later, on the ninth day of the second month, the spring examinations commenced. Examination candidates from across Great Zhao gathered in the capital, vying to pluck the cassia branch and bring honor to their families.

This was a grand spectacle that captivated the entire capital every three years. When the newly appointed principal graduate later paraded through the streets on horseback, the crowds would be even more immense.

Yet few knew that beneath this prosperity lay dozens of individuals afflicted with pestilence on the outskirts of the capital, clinging to life while physicians stood helpless. Beneath the court's veneer of stability, undercurrents of tension surged, and the three major noble clans seized the occasion of the examinations to jockey for advantage, unwilling to let their younger generation fall behind.

On the fifteenth day of the second month, an unexpected development occurred in the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Princess, Pei Shi, had been taken ill with chills and coughed incessantly. To avoid infecting others, she secluded herself.

By the time Li Zhangye received the news in the afternoon, he dropped everything and hurried to the Hall of Brilliance.

Shu Yan attended to the Crown Princess inside, while Shu Mo stood guard outside and respectfully stopped Li Zhangye. "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is unwell and has requested solitude... including from Your Highness..."

Li Zhangye's brows furrowed slightly. "What did the imperial physician say?"

"The physician said it was merely a chill and prescribed medicine, predicting a swift recovery. But the Crown Princess is deeply worried, fearing she may have contracted the pestilence..." Shu Mo's voice grew quieter as she spoke, her eyes darting cautiously around to ensure no one overheard.

The pestilence...

To Li Zhangye's knowledge, news of it should not yet have spread within the capital. His voice grew stern. "Who informed the Crown Princess?"

"It was... the Second Princess," Shu Mo replied. "The Second Princess heard of it in the Empress Dowager's palace and later told the Crown Princess. After the Second Princess and Noble Consort Shu left that day, the Crown Princess grew increasingly uneasy."

Li Zhangye's expression shifted abruptly. "Who did you say? Why was Noble Consort Shu in the Eastern Palace?"

Shu Mo was puzzled by his intensity. After a pause, she answered, "Noble Consort Shu brought a fabric tiger as a gift for the Third Imperial Grandson."

"Where is the fabric tiger now?"

Li Zhangye's voice rose slightly, his usual composure giving way to urgency.

"The fabric tiger..." Shu Mo hesitated. "Shortly after Noble Consort Shu left, the Crown Princess was so fond of it that she held it in her hands, but it accidentally fell into the brazier and was consumed by the flames..."

Li Zhangye exhaled in relief. Steadying himself, he asked, "And the Third Imperial Grandson—does he show any symptoms of a chill or cough?"

Shu Mo shook her head and explained how Pei Shi, exercising caution, had ordered the nursemaids to keep the Third Imperial Grandson confined to the side chambers.

Li Zhangye nodded. His gaze lingered on the silent Hall of Brilliance, lips pursed in contemplation. Moments later, he turned and strode away.

As the sun dipped westward, casting golden rays, dusk gradually enveloped the Hall of Brilliance. Candles flickered to life in the main chamber, where Pei Shi, having eaten little at supper, returned to bed in discomfort.

She coughed softly, watching as Shu Yan lowered the bed curtains before dismissing her to rest.

It was true that she had caught a chill—but she had deliberately instructed Shu Mo to spread word of her seclusion, intending to use the circumstance strategically.

If her suspicions were correct, Noble Consort Shu's aim had been to infect Chen'er with illness. As for why, Pei Shi could not fathom.

But whether it was Chen'er falling ill or herself, what difference did it make in the end?

She naturally had to fulfill Consort Shu’s scheme and see what act she would put on next.

Pei Yun felt lightheaded and disoriented. She had originally intended to pretend to be sick but worried she wouldn’t fool the imperial physician. Unexpectedly, just a few days after Consort Shu’s visit, she truly began coming down with something and actually fell ill.

The misery of illness was unbearable. Even swallowing sent knife-like pain through her throat, bringing tears to her eyes.

After tossing and turning in bed for a long while, Pei Yun barely managed to drift off. Yet, she was soon jolted awake by the dry, searing pain in her throat. She tried to push herself up to pour some water when suddenly, someone lifted her back and half-supported her.

Pei Yun lifted her eyes drowsily, but the figure before her was not Shu Yan. She quickly recognized the person.

"Your Highness!"

Li Changye responded with a low hum. "Do you need water?"

Pei Yun didn’t answer, only frowning slightly. "This consort clearly instructed Shu Mo to allow no one inside. How did Your Highness enter?"

Hearing the irritation in her tone, Li Changye lowered his lashes, his gaze inscrutable. Silently, he adjusted the support pillow behind her to help her sit up before turning to pour tea.

Shu Yan, perhaps anticipating Pei Yun’s thirst, had moved a round-backed chair beside the bed with a pot of hot tea placed atop it. Though it had cooled considerably, the nearby charcoal heater ensured the tea remained warm.

Li Changye handed the cup to Pei Yun, but she made no move to take it, still frowning. "This consort is ill. Your Highness should not be here. What if the contagion passes to you?"

Pei Yun was, after all, pretending to be sick for Consort Shu’s benefit—ideally making her believe she had truly contracted the plague. But if the Crown Prince came and went freely, unharmed, wouldn’t that give the game away?

Unaware of her thoughts, Li Changye only saw and heard her obvious distaste. Did she truly dislike seeing him so much?

He smirked self-mockingly. "It’s fine. If I fall ill too, I’ll stay here to care for you."

Pei Yun glanced at him in surprise. "Your Highness has a mountain of responsibilities—the exams, the outbreak, and the Yuezhou case. How could you waste time here with this consort?"

She genuinely believed this.

When their own child had died, the Crown Prince had turned away without hesitation to deal with the plague. In his heart, weren’t the people of the realm far more important?

Her words were so considerate that the Li Changye of the past would have been moved, believing his wife to be the most generous and understanding woman in the world. But now, her generosity felt like a hidden dagger stabbing straight into his heart.

Because it was merely a pretext—she didn’t want him here.

Yet he was determined to stay!

Seeing the Crown Prince remain silent for a long while, his gaze fixed on her face, Pei Yun assumed he was displeased and decided against pressing him further.

She had been too hasty earlier. Now calmer, she reasoned that since he had come this once, he likely wouldn’t return again.

Leaning forward, she reached for the cup in his hand, intending to quench her thirst first. But before her fingers could even brush it, the back of her neck was suddenly seized.

The moment warmth pressed against her lips, her eyes widened, and she raised her hands to push him away—only for her wrists to be caught faster.

The overwhelming masculine presence invaded her senses, domineering as if claiming everything of hers. Pei Yun, who had never experienced such intensity, was utterly defenseless. By the time he pulled away, her lips were red and swollen, her eyes shimmering with tears, dazed and watery.

She glared accusingly at the man before her, only to find him smirking faintly.

"Now I’m surely infected too. So I’ll stay and keep my Crown Princess company..."

"You lunatic!"

So incensed by his sudden actions, she blurted out the thought before she could stop herself.

Realizing it too late to cover her mouth, she couldn’t recall the last time—aside from after her rebirth—she had been so disrespectful to the Crown Prince.

She cautiously peeked at him, only to find that, after a moment of stunned silence, the corners of his lips lifted in smug satisfaction.

"I’m honored by my consort’s praise."