Chapter 63: A Turn of Events

Chapter 63 A Twist of Fate

Those seemingly disconnected events of her past life were now being linked together one by one.

First, there was the death of that eunuch at last year’s banquet in the imperial garden.

Was he silenced because he overheard the conversation between Consort Shu’s maid Xiao Tao and someone else, just as Rong Jieer had drowned in a well in her past life?

At that banquet, the Meng family had also attended. Perhaps it was during this opportunity that a servant arranged by Grand Academician Meng had passed a message to Consort Shu—secrets that must never be revealed, such as those concerning the illicit affair between Consort Shu and Grand Academician Meng.

And what about the sudden death of Madam Meng? Had she truly died of illness, or was there another reason?

When Consort Shu heard the news and fell ill, was it out of grief or fear?

Pei Yun had no way of knowing. She could only guess that perhaps, in her past life, the Crown Prince had known the entire truth but had completely concealed it from her.

Her legs gave way, and she quickly steadied herself by gripping the back of a nearby chair.

So, he also knew that their Chen'er had not died of an unfortunate illness but had been murdered.

After seeing to Chen'er's hasty burial, he had left—not to deal with the spreading epidemic in the capital or to capture Meng Yi, who had attempted to rescue someone under the guise of the chaos.

The Meng family’s crime had never been about examination fraud but had everything to do with Meng Yi alone.

The lingchi death (death by a thousand cuts) he suffered was not just for his illicit affair with Consort Shu, defiling the palace precincts, nor merely for his vicious illegitimate son taking the lives of dozens of innocent people in Yuezhou—it was also because he had killed the Crown Prince’s second son, the Third Imperial Grandson.

Each cut of the blade was the Crown Prince avenging Chen'er.

Whenever she spoke of Chen'er’s fate in her past life, Pei Yun had always called the Crown Prince heartless. But now, thinking back, how must he have felt, bearing so many secrets alone, knowing his child had been murdered by someone else?

Could it have been the same as her—filled with self-blame, regret, and hatred for his momentary negligence that had failed to protect their child?

That night, the Crown Prince arrived very late. Though he hadn’t sent word ahead, Pei Yun seemed to know he would come.

She lay awake—sleep wouldn't come.

The chamber stood dark, yet the Crown Prince could tell from her breathing that she was awake. "Are you troubled, or did I wake you?"

Pei Yun pushed herself upright, her ink-black hair spilling like silk over her chest. She silently studied the Crown Prince for a moment before speaking. "If Your Highness bears any burden of sorrow or suffering, you may confide in me. After all, we are husband and wife..."

Li Zhangye stood transfixed for a long time, as if doubting his own ears. Similar words had been spoken by him to her many times—insisting they were as one, that she could voice any grievance to him, and he would surely stand by her.

Never once had he imagined that one day, his wife would ask him to lay bare his heart and be honest with her.

She spoke truth. Perhaps what they had always lacked was understanding—not just his of her, but hers of him as well...

Yet, even as Pei Yun said this, Li Zhangye’s lips parted slightly, and for a moment, he found himself tongue-tied, unsure where to begin.

Seeing his furrowed brow and troubled expression, Pei Yun decided to speak first. "If words fail Your Highness, then let me begin."

She pressed her lips together. "Actually... ever since recovering from my illness, I’ve puzzled over how I might have inexplicably contracted the epidemic. No matter how I think about it, my thoughts keep returning to Consort Shu. Tang Er visits often, so I don’t suspect her, but Consort Shu is an uncommon visitor. And shortly after her visit, I fell ill. I know I shouldn’t accuse Consort Shu without evidence, but I cannot shake the thought. Yet, I can’t understand why Consort Shu would want to harm me..."

Li Zhangye watched Pei Yun’s conflicted expression and marveled privately at her keen perception. "Perhaps... you’re not wrong to suspect."

He sighed softly. "Do you remember when I told you that someone wanted to harm the mastermind behind the Yuezhou case? Not harm was intended—but rescue..."

Pei Yun let the Crown Prince drape a light quilt over her shoulders as he laid out the whole story from start to finish.

The more she heard, the more chilled she grew, realizing that her suspicions aligned perfectly with the truth.

After Li Zhangye finished speaking, seeing Pei Yun still visibly shaken, he knew she was frightened. He pulled her into his embrace and reassured her, "Don’t be afraid. It's all over now. Those who sought to harm you will pay the price."

"She wasn’t after me," Pei Yun chuckled softly. "Her real target was our Chen'er..."

This time, because she’d kept her guard up against the Noble Consort, Chen'er had escaped disaster. But what if it had been like the previous life? After all her painstaking efforts, she would’ve lost her mind upon ending up with Chen'er's cold corpse.

"As for the Noble Consort, what do you want to do with her?" Li Zhangye knew she loathed the Noble Consort deeply. Now that she knew the truth, he left the opportunity for revenge in her hands.

Pei Yun looked surprised. "Does His Majesty know about this? What did he say?"

Given the gravity of the Noble Consort’s actions, Emperor Qingzhen should have been furious. Why would the decision be left to her?

"His Majesty..." Li Zhangye recalled Emperor Qingzhen's unexpectedly calm reaction upon learning the truth and replied, "His Majesty said this matter is entirely under my authority."

Pei Yun thought for a moment. "Then I have just one request—let the Noble Consort meet Meng Yuqing once..."

By the end of the third month, the Meng family's case continued to escalate. Hard evidence piled up at the Dali Temple like stacks of paper, while numerous petitions for leniency were presented before the Emperor. Several members of the Meng family in court were suspended, imprisoned, and interrogated.

By early April, the Noble Consort took a sudden turn for the worse. That same night, Meng Yi caved and signed a full confession in prison.

Five days later, the Noble Consort passed away from illness. Just as in the previous life, the Fifth Prince spent the whole night on his knees outside the imperial study, begging Emperor Qingzhen to allow the Noble Consort to be buried in her hometown, Rujun.

Meanwhile, the entire Meng family was exiled to the northern frontier, and Meng Yi was sentenced to Lingchi (death by a thousand cuts).

And just like that, the case came to a quiet close.

Only a small, barely noticed side story occurred during this—Cen Zhong, the Chief Clerk of the Dali Temple, was demoted to the southwest for attempting to shield Meng Yi during the investigation.

His replacement was none other than Du Hangzhou, the county captain of Zhanggu County, who had promptly discovered and managed the epidemic in Yuezhou, earning merit for his efforts.

When Shu Yan, now recovered and back at her side, recounted the Meng family's downfall, Pei Yun watched Chen'er plucking flowers in the distance.

Chen'er crouched down, plucked a peony, and then toddled over to her, lifting the flower with his tiny hands and babbling, "Fwower, Mama..."

Pei Yun grinned and scooped him up, lowering her head so Chen'er could tuck the flower into her hairpin himself. Softly, she asked, "Do I look pretty?"

"Pwetty, Mama, pwetty." His big, dark eyes twinkled sweetly, melting Pei Yun's heart.

There were few mothers in this world who did not love their children.

Even the Noble Consort was no different.

However, when Pei Yun had asked the Crown Prince to arrange a meeting between the Noble Consort and Meng Yuqing, it wasn’t out of kindness—so the Noble Consort could see her long-lost son one last time before death.

Pei Yun simply wanted her to witness firsthand how much this child despised her, making her feel the pain of a broken heart.

What transpired between the Noble Consort and Meng Yuqing was later relayed to her by the Crown Prince. At first, Meng Yuqing refused to acknowledge the Noble Consort. He glared at her and spat, "I have no parents—I’m just a bastard."

His mocking smile pierced the Noble Consort's heart. She broke down sobbing, saying he was the person she had wronged most in this life.

Meng Yuqing remained cold throughout. Only after a long silence did he suddenly say he should never have been born—either dying in the womb or being strangled at birth would have been better than living like a rat in the gutter.

He told the Noble Consort that initially, he had not sought revenge. But after Madam Meng's death, he snuck in to pay his respects and spotted the Fifth Prince in the crowd.

Faced with a face so eerily similar to his own—yet living in the sun, dressed in finery, worshipped by everyone—the bitterness in his heart festered and grew uncontrollably.

Why should his younger brother, born from the same womb as him, live with such abandon while he had to endure a half-life, neither human nor ghost? Since it had come to this, he would destroy it all—no one would get to live happily.

Consort Shu watched as Meng Yuqing’s eyes turned red with madness, his frenzied appearance causing her to collapse to the ground in agony. What drove her further to despair was that after speaking, Meng Yuqing suddenly snatched a blade from the guard beside him and drew it across his throat without hesitation.

Consort Shu screamed and rushed forward, pressing her hands against his gushing wound. But Meng Yuqing, blood spilling from his lips, stared at her with a smile of grim satisfaction and uttered his final words: "This bastard spawn of a whore and her lover is finally free."

Consort Shu died by poison—a slow-acting one that wracked her body for days before her end. Emperor Qingzhen remained indifferent to her death, never once deigning to look upon her.

The Crown Prince did visit once. Before her death, he asked her only the question he’d never dared ask.

When the Crown Prince recounted this to Pei Yun, before he could even reveal what he had asked, she already guessed.

He had asked whether the Fifth Prince was truly Emperor Qingzhen’s child.

Of course, Consort Shu claimed he was. But whether it was true, no one could know. Consort Shu left a final wish for the Fifth Prince—to be buried in Rujun. Perhaps she didn’t truly wish to rest there, but she knew that even if she didn’t say it, Emperor Qingzhen would ensure she, a criminal, could never be buried in the imperial mausoleum. This way, she kept the Fifth Prince from doubting.

But did the Fifth Prince truly know nothing?

On the day he left the capital, the Crown Prince, Prince Yu, Prince Cheng, and Li Shutang came to see him off. The boy who’d once been so vibrant seemed to have aged overnight, his demeanor now somber and mature.

He bowed to his elder brothers and sister, uttering only, "We’ll meet again."

Looking back now, perhaps the Fifth Prince realized the moment he left the capital that he would never return.

The title they gave him was merely an excuse to imprison him there forever.

On the twenty-second of April, Du Hangzhou arrived in the capital with Dr. Zhu to receive their rewards and appointments.

Both had contributed greatly to combating the plague, especially Dr. Zhu, who not only devised the remedy but also distributed medicine free of charge to the afflicted, saving countless lives. Emperor Qingzhen intended to appoint him as a royal physician, but Dr. Zhu declined, stating he only wished to continue running his clinic, upholding his ancestors’ legacy of healing.

Emperor Qingzhen instead bestowed gold, silver, and fine silks upon him, and personally inscribed the words "Compassionate Aid Hall" in his own hand, ordering officials to deliver it to the clinic’s entrance in celebration of its reopening.

The rival clinic, which had once relied on powerful backers to act with impunity, all but vanished overnight upon hearing the news—after all, no matter how influential their patrons were, none could compare to the one who sits on the throne.

On the day of the reopening, firecrackers crackled outside Compassionate Aid Hall, the scene bustling with excitement. Dr. Zhu’s young son clung to his leg, whining, "Father, I want candy."

Dr. Zhu, beaming, scooped the child into his arms. "Of course! I’ll buy you all the candy you can eat."

Pei Yun peered out from her carriage with a faint smile, lifting the curtain.

Once the firecrackers ceased and the crowd thinned, Pei Yun pulled on her veil and stepped out, supported by Shu Yan.

Dr. Zhu, greeting guests at the door, went stock-still when he saw her.

He stumbled forward, overcome with excitement, calling out, "Madam!"

She had once told him his clinic would become the finest in all Great Zhao—he hadn’t dared believe it, yet here it was, come true.

And all thanks to her.

As he moved to bow, Pei Yun raised a hand to stop him. "I’ve come today to offer my congratulations."

"The crowd outside is noisy—please, come inside," Dr. Zhu urged, bowing inward.

His wife, Madam Yao, assisting in the clinic, furrowed her brow as he led their guest in with such reverence.

"Madam is here—quick, brew the best tea we have!" he instructed.

Upon hearing Dr. Zhu’s words, Yao Shi suddenly realized it was her benefactor and employer who had arrived, and she hurriedly agreed before rushing off to prepare tea.

Dr. Zhu led Pei Yun into the clinic’s backyard and earnestly thanked her, saying, "If not for you, Madam, where would I be today? Your kindness is something I will never forget."

"What did I do to deserve this?" Pei Yun smiled. "It was you, Dr. Zhu, who developed the prescription and saved the people of Yuezhou. You earned this. Now that the clinic has been revived, what are your plans for the future?"

"Madam," Dr. Zhu hesitated before continuing, "Even if you hadn’t come today, I was going to have Madam Jiang pass along a message to you. While in Yuezhou, I happened to meet a physician—a Doctor Sun—who is exceptionally skilled in treating injuries and mending fractures. He once traveled extensively but has now returned to the capital with me and expressed interest in staying to practice at Renjitang. I didn’t want to decide this on my own, so I wanted to ask for your opinion..."

"These are minor matters. You may decide for yourself, Dr. Zhu."

Pei Yun took a sip of tea but suddenly paused, raising her head to ask, "Even if the leg injury is over a decade old, can Doctor Sun still treat it?"

"Well... it would depend on the specifics of the injury." Dr. Zhu hesitated to make a definitive claim. "However, back in Yuezhou, I personally witnessed Doctor Sun use his unique techniques to treat a man who had been paralyzed in bed for years due to disabled legs. By the time we left Yuezhou, the man could already walk with crutches."

Pei Yun’s eyes lit up—this was an unexpected delight.

If Doctor Sun’s medical skills were truly this remarkable, then perhaps Prince Yong’s leg injury still had a chance of being treated.

If Prince Yong’s leg healed, her brother might too...