Chapter 91: “This is the truth.”

Chapter 91: "This is the truth."

In truth, when writing to Huo Shiming, Huo Ling couldn't be certain whether Prince Duan would use Zhou Jiamu as his trump card.

But she had to prepare for this contingency.

Over the years, a precarious balance had existed between Zhou Jiamu and Huo Shiming.

On the surface, Huo Shiming appeared to have the upper hand.

In several confrontations, it was always Zhou Jiamu's men who came out worse.

But that was only because Zhou Jiamu wasn't looking for a fight—he willingly stepped back in the face of conflict.

Nonetheless, Zhou Jiamu remained the nominal commander of Xingtang Pass, with an entrenched power base in western Great Yan far beyond anything Huo Shiming possessed.

Maintaining this balance was difficult, but breaking it was easy.

That's why Prince Duan, in his letter to Zhou Jiamu, demanded he kill Huo Shiming first before marching troops to the capital.

Likewise, in her letter to Huo Shiming, Huo Ling instructed him to neutralize Zhou Jiamu before deploying forces to the capital.

Otherwise, if one side marched away with their army while the other remained stationed in western Great Yan, chaos might erupt—no one could predict what might happen.

Since both sides were now locked in a life-or-death struggle, any danger had to be eliminated at the outset.

Only by taking Zhou Jiamu and his entire officer corps could they ensure stability in western Great Yan.

For this journey to the capital, Huo Shiming would take only 30,000 soldiers from the Swallow Feather Army, leaving the rest to hold western Great Yan.

Although the wholesale removal of so many mid- to high-ranking officers might cause some disruption to the command structure, the imperial decree had already named Huo Shiming as the new commander of Xingtang Pass. With this legitimacy, his officers could assume control of military affairs in western Great Yan.

Still, as a precaution, Huo Ling not only wrote to Huo Shiming but also reached out to Li Yichun.

First, the two shared a long-standing friendship; second, through Great Yan’s calculated maneuvers, tensions between Great Yan and the Qiang Rong had cooled considerably.

Huo Ling couldn’t entrust the safety of Xingtang Pass to Li Yichun, nor could she allow him to interfere in Great Yan’s internal strife.

But writing to spell out the consequences and persuade Li Yichun to remain neutral was still possible.

...

This shadow war, fought behind the scenes, was far more perilous than battlefield combat.

One misstep, and the entire game was lost.

At this moment, Zhou Jiamu, having been outmaneuvered, found himself completely surrounded by Huo Shiming’s men.

Zhou Jiamu put up no futile resistance. He was simply grateful that he had burned the letter immediately after reading it.

But the seal symbolizing his princely status would likely be discovered—

As Zhou Jiamu thought this, Huo Shiming indeed sent someone to search him.

Zhou Jiamu closed his eyes and breathed a silent sigh, powerless to do anything.

"General, there's something about this seal."

The royal guard, upon finding the seal, quickly handed it over to Huo Shiming.

Huo Shiming took it and glanced at it; his expression changed instantly.

For any official, their official seal is something they’d never let out of their sight.

Yet Prince Duan’s seal had appeared on Zhou Jiamu—what did that mean?

Huo Shiming snapped, “Keep searching him.”

The guards found nothing else suspicious besides the seal.

However, while inspecting the brazier, they noticed ashes of burned paper inside.

Huo Shiming’s mind raced. In an instant, he pieced together many things.

He looked at Zhou Jiamu, his gaze sharp:

“If I had arrived just a little later, the one with a blade to my throat would be you instead.”

Zhou Jiamu gave a faint smile but said nothing.

Huo Shiming took his silence as agreement and breathed an inward sigh of relief.

Thankfully, A Ling’s letter had come in time—otherwise, this time, he might not have made it out alive.

Fifteen minutes later, the officers who’d just left Zhou Jiamu’s tent were brought back too.

With them came Sun Yucheng.

Sun Yucheng leaned close to Huo Shiming’s ear and whispered, “Surrounding General Zhou’s tent drew too much attention. There are crowds outside asking questions.”

Huo Shiming nodded. “I’ll handle calming those people down.”

“You take my orders straight to the camp and assemble the Swallow Feather Army immediately. At the latest, we leave by dusk.”

Sun Yucheng stiffened. “That soon?”

Leaving at dusk meant marching through the night.

“We can’t afford to delay.”

Huo Shiming’s face was cold as ice. He turned slightly, his gaze sharp enough to pierce the tent, as if staring toward the direction of the capital.

“The sooner we arrive, the sooner we can help the Empress Dowager Regent and His Majesty stabilize the situation in the capital.”

...

Thirty thousand troops on the move leaving Xingtang Pass was impossible to hide.

Li Yichun was staying in the Qiang Rong royal tent. By the time he received the news, the Swallow Feather Army had already had a day’s head start.

“Emperor Jingyuan has actually passed away?”

Li Yichun went rigid, then did the math.

If he remembered correctly, Huo Ling’s son was barely three years old.

Along with the news came a letter in her own hand.

After reading it, Li Yichun said under his breath, “Empress Dowager Regent…”

"Sending me a letter at this delicate moment, I take it things aren't going well for you in the capital."

Li Yichun stretched with deliberate casualness and rose from his tiger-skin seat.

Truth be told, even if Huo Ling hadn’t written him this letter, Li Yichun wouldn’t have considered betrayal.

When Huo Ling’s power was still growing, he had never abandoned their alliance. Now that she had just become the Empress Dowager Regent of Great Yan, what would he stand to gain by stabbing her in the back?

Besides, only the Swallow Feather Army had been withdrawn—the rest of the troops remained. As long as the soldiers held the city, Xingtang Pass couldn’t be taken quickly.

Still, since Huo Ling had personally written to him, Li Yichun couldn’t exactly sit on his hands.

Where there’s a forest, there’s all types of birds—and among the Qiang Rong, there were always hotheads looking for trouble.

Those who had long harbored hostility toward Great Yan might indeed make their move upon hearing of the empire’s situation.

He would crack down on them personally—call it a show of good faith to the Empress Dowager Regent of Great Yan.

Rain had plagued the capital recently.

***

The incessant drizzle and unrelenting gray skies made the already sparse streets even more deserted.

Liu Qiao sent out ever more search parties to track Prince Duan’s whereabouts.

Had she not clung to a shred of rationality, knowing she couldn’t cause too much commotion, she would have marched straight to the Capital Magistrate’s office and the Ministry of Justice—or even forced her way into the palace to confront Huo Ling.

But even as she fought to keep up appearances and avoid drawing attention, it was futile.

Prince Duan’s position was far too sensitive. His absence from the palace for several consecutive days had already raised eyebrows among the court’s watchful factions.

Especially that morning, when Huo Ling guided Ji Xianshan by hand into the mourning hall.

Ji Xianshan was swaddled in layers and, at Huo Ling’s prompting, obediently took his seat on the cushion before him.

Huo Ling stood beside him, her gaze cutting through the crowd to land squarely on Liu Qiao not far away.

Their eyes met, and Liu Qiao instinctively clenched the handkerchief in her hand, a cold dread pooling in her stomach.

"Princess Consort of Duan."

Huo Ling slightly raised her voice, singling out Liu Qiao.

The mourning hall was no place to raise one’s voice, let alone the hall of the late emperor, where everyone maintained absolute solemnity.

Huo Ling’s sudden words reached even the officials and noblewomen at the outermost edges.

Liu Qiao had no choice but to rise and curtsey. "What does Her Majesty command?"

Huo Ling glanced at the empty cushion beside Liu Qiao. "Is Prince Duan absent from court yet again today?"

Liu Qiao pressed her lips together and repeated the excuse of illness. "His Highness has turned a corner today, but the physician insists he must continue resting in bed."

Huo Ling: "What illness could it be, to make Prince Duan miss even the seventh-day rites of the late emperor?"

Liu Qiao almost let out a mirthless laugh.

Though she had no direct evidence, by now she was almost certain—Prince Duan’s disappearance was undeniably connected to Huo Ling.

Yet Huo Ling could effortlessly put on an unaffected act, even using it as a pretext to press her.

Despite her anger, Liu Qiao still had to feign obedience: "Once the Prince fully recovers, he will personally go to the palace to seek pardon from His Majesty and Her Majesty."

Huo Ling: "Perhaps we should send imperial physicians to Prince Duan’s estate for an examination."

"A few days ago, when Duke Liu fell ill and couldn't attend the mourning rites, I sent physicians. Prince Duan is of such high standing that he must not be treated lightly."

Liu Qiao’s heart clenched—where would she find the words to refuse? She scrambled for excuses.

Hearing Liu Qiao's evasions, Huo Ling’s tone hardened, taking on an accusatory edge. "As the son of Emperor Gaozong and a prince personally granted his title by the late emperor, he should serve as an example to the royal family and officials alike at this moment."

"You deny physicians entry into Prince Duan’s residence—are you saying he isn’t truly ill, but pretending? Is he displeased with the two final edicts left by the late emperor, or does he fancy himself too important to respect His Majesty and me?"

Liu Qiao stood firm: "Your Majesty must believe us—Prince Duan’s household would never dare entertain such ideas."

Huo Ling replied coolly, "Then that’s just as well."

"Otherwise, first Duke Liu claimed illness to avoid the mourning hall, and now Prince Duan does the same. Even if His Majesty and I believe in their loyalty, what will the people think if this gets out?"

Ji Yuanwan couldn’t just watch as his mother was interrogated, nor could he allow Prince Duan’s house to bear charges of disrespecting the throne. He quickly rose.

"May it please Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, my father has indeed been unwell, though under medical care he has improved. My mother must care for him while also tending to my brothers and me, leaving her stretched thin."

"Having received great kindness from my late uncle, the emperor, I vow to transcribe a volume of scripture daily to pray for his blessings."

Huo Ling looked at Ji Yuanwan calmly. "Good. The heir shows such filial devotion. It proves the late emperor’s efforts in raising you within the palace were not wasted."

Ji Yuanwan’s lips thinned slightly as he lowered his head further, posture perfectly obedient.

From where Huo Ling sat, all she could see was the back of his head.

Her point made, Huo Ling studied Ji Yuanwan a moment longer before silently returning to sit beside Ji Xianshan.

Ji Xianshan had been staring up at Huo Ling the entire time. As she sat, he tugged gently at her sleeve and whispered in a childish voice, "Don’t be mad, Mother."

Huo Ling’s expression softened. "It’s alright now."

Not far away, Liu Qiao pulled Ji Yuanwan back to his knees, weariness settling deep in her bones—but she forced herself to stay strong. She knew many more challenges awaited.

Sure enough, during the midday meal break, several noblewomen discreetly approached her, while some young men quietly took seats near Ji Yuanwan, fishing for details about Prince Duan’s condition.

By evening, even Duke Liu had callers.

The men Duke Liu had secretly rallied grilled him relentlessly—was Prince Duan really sick, or was he pretending?

The backbone of Prince Duan’s faction rested on both him and Duke Liu.

But at this crucial moment, both had taken ill. No wonder their allies were on edge.

Duke Liu doubled down, insisting Prince Duan was only pretending to be ill so their plans could proceed smoothly.

His unshakable, no-nonsense tone put them at ease—for now.

But Duke Liu knew—he could keep doubts at bay only so long. If Prince Duan remained hidden, those doubts would grow into outright distrust.

And then, things would become far worse.

Liu Qiao was so furious she nearly ground her teeth to dust: "Huo Ling deliberately called me out in front of everyone today."

Liu Cheng said, "Looks like the prince is really in her clutches now."

Previously, it had only been speculation, but now they could be certain.

Ji Yuanwan pursed his lips. "...Is the Empress Dowager using Father as a hostage?"

Liu Cheng nodded. "Probably to keep us in check—make us think twice before acting."

The Duke of Liu listened quietly to their discussion before suddenly asking, "When will Zhou Jiamu arrive in the capital?"

Liu Qiao had already calculated. "If everything goes smoothly, he'll arrive the day before the enthronement ceremony."

The Duke pressed further: "Can we ensure everything goes smoothly on Zhou Jiamu's end?"

Liu Qiao fell silent, a shadow of doubt crossing her face.

Could she guarantee it?

If Prince Duan hadn't disappeared, she might still have some confidence.

But ever since his disappearance, they'd been backed into a corner.

Liu Qiao could no longer—and dared not—make any promises.

Seeing her expression, the Duke finally let out a heavy sigh.

This granddaughter of his had always been a born fighter with grit in her veins. It was a pity he hadn’t seen it sooner, or thought to groom her for leadership.

Now, though she had enough ruthlessness and decisiveness, she still came up short on strategy.

"It’s fine if you can’t guarantee it."

The Duke's expression gradually turned icy, his voice dripping with icy menace.

"We can’t pin all our hopes on Zhou Jiamu. We need a backup plan."

At this point, there was no turning back.

Only by grabbing the palace by the throat and securing the Empress Dowager and the Young Emperor could the Liu clan scrape by with their lives.

***

Ding Jinghuan hadn't appeared in the mourning hall these past few days.

He was small fry—nobody important. With Huo Ling’s people covering for him and having squared things with Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Haoyan beforehand, nobody gave two thoughts about where he was.

These days, rather than investigating evidence of Prince Duan and the Duke of Liu poisoning the late emperor, Ding Jinghuan was actually digging into the real cause of the emperor’s death.

Prince Duan and the Duke held special status, and their families were top dogs at court.

With Huo Ling’s side unable to totally crush the opposition, fake evidence needed to hold up under scrutiny.

Thus, when it came to evidence, the lies had to be thirty percent fiction, seventy percent fact.

Accompanied by Li Man and Cui Hongyi, aside from the women's quarters, Ding Jinghuan could go anywhere in the palace and get his hands on any document he wanted.

He could even grill anyone he suspected without first checking with Huo Ling.

The Royal Physicians' Office had also been playing ball completely with Ding Jinghuan’s investigation.

Ever since Emperor Jingyuan fell ill, all members of the Imperial Medical Bureau had been confined to the palace grounds, with all outside communication cut off.

Their families knew only that they were still alive, but were completely in the dark about their status.

Imperial Physician Hu was well aware that, regardless of the circumstances, he, as the head of the Imperial Medical Bureau, was largely responsible for the emperor’s sudden collapse.

The fact that Empress Dowager Huo had not immediately punished him meant she had given him a chance to atone through meritorious service. If he failed to seize this last opportunity, he would have no choice but to atone with his life.

So these days, Imperial Physician Hu had been leading the members of the Imperial Medical Bureau in pouring over ancient medical texts and cross-referencing Emperor Jingyuan’s past medical records to determine whether he had been poisoned—and if so, by what kind of poison.

Unfortunately, after several days of effort, they were still completely stumped.

None of the known poisons accounted for Emperor Jingyuan’s symptoms.

Ding Jinghuan, after hearing Imperial Physician Hu’s report, remained undeterred.

His voice remained gentle: “Imperial Physician Hu, I was hoping you could shed some light on a few questions.”

Knowing this man was Empress Dowager Huo’s trusted confidant, Imperial Physician Hu wouldn’t dare show him any disrespect: “Please speak, Censor Ding.”

Ding Jinghuan: “I’m not very familiar with how poisoning works, but I’d like to know—if it were a potent poison, would it act fast?”

Imperial Physician Hu, having studied poisons more intensively in recent days than in his entire lifetime, answered without hesitation: “Yes.”

Ding Jinghuan asked again: “Then is there a possibility that the poison remained latent in the system and was suddenly activated by some catalyst?”

Imperial Physician Hu thought for a moment: “That is indeed possible. But we carefully examined everything the late emperor came into contact with during those two days, and nothing stood out as suspicious.”

With both possibilities ruled out, Ding Jinghuan squinted thoughtfully: “Yet I recall, Imperial Physician Hu, you said the late emperor might indeed have been poisoned.”

Imperial Physician Hu nodded, his expression grave: “If it were merely a sudden illness, it’s unlikely he would have vomited black blood.”

Cui Hongyi, who had been standing nearby listening, did not understand medicine well and had originally hesitated to interrupt. But at this point, he spoke up cautiously: “Censor Ding, if I may offer a theory…”

Ding Jinghuan and Imperial Physician Hu both turned to him.

Cui Hongyi collected his thoughts before speaking: “There is a possibility that the late emperor was indeed poisoned, but the dose was small or the poison itself was not highly toxic. Over time, however, it could still damage his body.

“For example, if a person who wasn’t poisoned suddenly suffered a stroke, in severe cases, half their body might be paralyzed, but they could still hang on to life.

“But if a person was already poisoned and then suddenly suffered a stroke, in severe cases, their system might shut down completely…”

Under the gazes of Ding Jinghuan and Imperial Physician Hu, Cui Hongyi trailed off, his voice fading until it was nearly inaudible.

He wasn’t completely sure about his own theory.

But to his surprise, after he finished speaking, both Imperial Physician Hu and Ding Jinghuan looked pensive.

Imperial Physician Hu mused aloud: “That is indeed possible…”

“When we investigated poisons earlier, we focused only on those with acute effects. We missed this angle…”

Ding Jinghuan stroked his chin, repeatedly murmuring: “Why didn’t I think of this… Why didn’t I think of this… This creates multiple possibilities for foul play.”

Afterwards, Ding Jinghuan asked Eunuch Cui to stay behind alone: "Eunuch Cui, please compile a list of gifts presented to His Majesty by Prince Duan’s and the Duke of Liu’s households over the past few years."

"Also, regarding the agents they’ve placed in the palace, I believe the Empress Dowager must have a list."

Of course, this list was certainly incomplete, but he didn’t need a complete one.

With the new perspective provided by Cui Hongyi, Ding Jinghuan’s investigation finally made progress, uncovering many interesting findings.

Time was still too short for him to clarify everything. But based on what Ding Jinghuan had uncovered, he could already confirm one thing—

The Duke of Liu’s household was indeed up to no good.

When the ten-day deadline arrived, Ding Jinghuan brought the incriminating evidence he had gathered to see Huo Ling.

Huo Ling met with Ding Jinghuan privately in the side hall.

After carefully examining the evidence Ding Jinghuan had collected, she looked up and fixed him with a long, silent stare.

Ding Jinghuan grew nervous under her gaze: "Your Majesty, do you find anything amiss?"

Huo Ling said, "I was just wondering—how can we tell what's true and what's false in your findings?"

Even she, who knew the inside story all too well, could find no flaws in these pieces of evidence. For a moment, she even found herself almost convinced.

Ding Jinghuan cupped his hands: "This is the truth."

Huo Ling nodded slightly: "You’re right. This is the truth."