Chapter 299 Destroy

Chapter 299: Destruction

Xue Quan listened with his eyes wide open in shock.

That clay dog, which had been completely cleared of suspicion, was being dragged back into the matter by this crafty Taoist?

He had to admit, if he hadn't known beforehand that the so-called elixir was problematic, even he would have been tempted to believe it.

And Emperor Jingping believed it outright, asking in a deep voice, "What resentment does the late empress bear?"

Master Miaoqing cast a glance devoid of joy or sorrow toward the Eastern Palace, his voice flat and emotionless: "The Crown Prince has been acting as regent for several months, accumulating the dragon aura, which the late empress perceived from the underworld. Since then, His Highness has been reprimanded and confined by Your Majesty, thus stirring resentment in the late empress. Coincidentally, an old item given to the Crown Prince was buried under the osmanthus tree she planted herself, allowing that resentment to gain the power to harm..."

Power to harm? Wasn't it himself who was harmed?

"So you're saying that my sudden discomfort is still because of that clay dog!"

When the late empress was alive, he had treated her with great respect, even appointing the Crown Prince when he was still young. And now, just because he confined the Crown Prince, she bore such great resentment against him and wanted to harm him!

"Your Majesty, the clay dog itself is not an evil object. His Highness the Crown Prince was merely missing the late empress and did not act with intent..." Master Miaoqing stopped criticizing the Crown Prince and instead spoke in his defense.

Xue Quan shook his head silently.

This crafty Taoist truly knew how to manipulate people. By retreating to advance like this, he would only make the Emperor resent the Crown Prince even more.

Sure enough, Emperor Jingping grew angrier: "True Man, you need not make excuses for that unfilial son! Why could the late empress's resentment harm me? It's clearly because that unfilial son harbors discontent toward me, and the late empress is protecting her son! Issue my decree: immediately cut down the osmanthus tree in the Eastern Palace's inner garden, smash that clay dog—no, smash all the gifts the late empress gave the Crown Prince. As for the Crown Prince—"

He paused briefly, then sneered: "The Crown Prince shall fast for three days starting today, to accumulate blessings for the late empress. Xue Quan, you will handle these matters personally!"

Meeting Emperor Jingping's icy gaze, Xue Quan quickly bowed and accepted: "I receive your imperial decree."

In the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince returned to his bedchamber and stared quietly out the window. Sunlight streamed through and fell upon him, a comfortable warmth, yet his heart was stone-cold.

Xue Han's secret letter, smuggled in, had turned out to be true.

When he first learned that an eunuch of the Eastern Palace had secretly buried an effigy under the osmanthus tree, he had found it hard to believe. Only today did the Emperor arrive in fury, and after listening to Master Miaoqing's remarks, went straight to the inner garden's osmanthus tree.

Fear surged over him like a tidal wave, drowning him completely.

If not for Xue Han's warning, and if the Emperor had personally seen the effigy dug up, what would have become of him as Crown Prince?

Not to mention the position of Crown Prince, even taking his life would be lenient. The most likely outcome was a tragedy like those in history, with countless deaths.

Hasty footsteps approached, and the Crown Prince's heart slammed against his ribs, a sense of foreboding rose within him.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has sent people again!" The eunuch delivering the message, though still unclear what the group led by Xue Quan had come for, trembled like a frightened bird, his voice shaking badly.

The Crown Prince stood abruptly, closed his eyes to steady himself, and walked out with a composed face.

Xue Quan stood in the courtyard. When the Crown Prince approached, he conveyed Emperor Jingping's oral decree.

After listening, the Crown Prince's face turned pale: "Please, Eunuch Xue, help me. I wish to see my imperial father."

Xue Quan refused without hesitation: "His Majesty is currently discussing alchemical arts with Master Miaoqing. Your Highness should wait for His Majesty to summon you."

The Crown Prince's lips quivered: "Eunuch Xue—"

Xue Quan sighed inwardly and stepped forward, lowering his voice: "Your Highness, these are all material possessions. Keep them in your heart is enough."

Going to His Majesty over things destined for destruction would only make him more displeased, to no avail.

The Crown Prince trembled all over, opening his mouth but unable to utter a sound.

Material possessions? But those were tokens of his mother's love, the keepsakes she left him.

Silently, the Crown Prince watched as the eunuchs brought by Xue Quan swung axes, chopping at the osmanthus tree—each blow falling on his heart.

The osmanthus tree had not yet bloomed, so the familiar fragrance did not drift through the inner garden. The lush branches and leaves shook violently with each cut, until the tree crashed to the ground with the final blow.

The Crown Prince bit his lip hard, his heart bleeding.

But it wasn't over yet.

The simple, honest clay dog, the rattle-drum that had lost its striker, the kite made by the late empress herself, the clothes she sewed, the sachets... one by one, the treasures he held dear were taken from the wooden chest and piled together.

The eunuch in charge looked at Xue Quan.

Xue Quan nodded.

The hammer was raised and smashed heavily into those items.

"No... don't..." The Crown Prince's eyes reddened as he murmured.

Time seemed to slow down, as if letting him relive his childhood.

That rattle-drum, he had heard, was made by his mother, but he was too young to remember. The clay dog was a gift from his mother when he was six, saying it would protect him from disaster and illness. The sachet was given when he moved to the Eastern Palace alone at ten, filled with mosquito-repelling herbs. And the jade thumb ring that was smashed to powder was prepared by his mother when he learned horseback riding and archery...

From childhood to adolescence, he had owned so many things. Then his mother left, and those two large wooden chests never saw new additions.

He no longer had a mother. No one would ever give him these trinkets, worthless in ordinary eyes, again.

And now, today, the old things he had treasured—those that could be smashed were reduced to powder, those that couldn't were burned to ashes. Finally, there was nothing left.

A tear fell, landing on the Crown Prince's hand.

How had it come to this? Not long ago, he was acting as regent, fumbling at first then gradually getting the hang of it—exhausting, but steady, full of hope for the future.

The Crown Prince stared blankly at the mess, his shoulders trembling, fists clenched tightly, suppressing the overwhelming pain.

"Your Highness, take care of yourself." Xue Quan, given his position, could only say this much before leading his men away from the Eastern Palace.

The Crown Prince rushed to the pile of debris and ashes, reached out to scoop up the unrecognizable powder, but it sifted through his fingers and fell, like the fleeting years of his youth that could not be grasped.

Xue Quan, walking out of the Eastern Palace, glanced back once, then returned to the Hall of Eternal Life with a heavy heart to report.

Emperor Jingping waved his hand dismissively, not caring about the Crown Prince at all. His entire mind was focused on a batch of elixirs that Master Miaoqing was preparing.

Assisting Master Miaoqing, besides his longtime acolytes, was Ling Yun.

Seeing Ling Yun's look of reverence, Xue Quan shook his head silently.

Insane. Every last one of them.

The sudden encirclement of the Eastern Palace by the imperial guard could not be concealed. Many rumors circulated that day. But the guards came and went quickly, so what exactly happened was unclear.

Xue Quan went to see Xue Han and recounted in detail the two visits to the Eastern Palace.

"Master Miaoqing deludes the mind, and His Majesty does everything he says. The Crown Prince may be—"

"Father must also be careful."

Hearing his adopted son's concern, Xue Quan felt gratified: "Don't worry about me. His Majesty even rewarded me with the elixir. Though the Crown Prince has escaped this disaster, his situation is perilous. You should be prepared."