Chapter 29

Chapter 29

"Maternal Grandfather." The Crown Prince hurriedly bowed.

Grand Secretary Xu waved his hand slightly, his gaze falling on the ink stain on the paper before shifting to the Crown Prince. His eyes were somewhat cloudy, but when they looked over, they carried an extraordinary sharpness. The Crown Prince felt seen through in an instant and wanted to avoid it, but the old man saw right through him.

"Your Highness, your mind is unsettled," Grand Secretary Xu said.

The Crown Prince snapped back to attention, wanting to defend himself: "I..."

"Your first mistake was at the palace banquet, your second at the martial training ground." Grand Secretary Xu looked at him. "In the past, Your Highness never behaved this way toward the First Prince."

The Crown Prince had always performed well. Though young, he already knew restraint and how to present himself.

When the First Prince had asserted himself in the past, he had kept his composure.

But he made mistakes on these two occasions. Grand Secretary Xu watched him: "Your Highness has something on your mind."

"I dislike him," the Crown Prince said, suppressing the panic in his heart. "But he is my younger brother."

"He will not become an obstacle for Your Highness. The Ning family won't be able to make any waves after this." Grand Secretary Xu paused in his steps. He gestured, and an unfinished chess game appeared before them. The Crown Prince instantly recognized the losing position. "The black stones, at a disadvantage, represent the Shen family's situation."

The Crown Prince was slightly flustered: "There's no way to turn this around."

"Yes, but Your Highness couldn't resist increasing your own stakes, so you made a move against Shen Yunfei," Grand Secretary Xu said.

"Grandfather, I was at fault." The Crown Prince feared facing this grandfather the most. Before him, he felt there was nowhere to hide. "I only wanted to injure Shen Yunfei's horse so he couldn't participate in the selection. I never expected such a disaster to follow."

Grand Secretary Xu looked at him quietly, casually adjusting a piece on the board. The black stones suddenly gained breathing room, while the white ones fell behind. "If Your Highness had not acted, the white stones could have waited and watched. But because you acted, you became part of the game."

The Crown Prince now understood what Grand Secretary Xu was teaching him.

"Your Highness is still young. Remember: do not let jealousy take root, and do not let yourself become unsettled." With that, Grand Secretary Xu dismissed him with a slight wave. "Your Highness, finish copying the Heart-Calming Sutra for today."

After Grand Secretary Xu left, the Crown Prince stood before the chessboard for a long time. His expression slowly turned cold. The suppressed thoughts turned into the image of Consort Ning being dragged away from the warm pavilion in the imperial garden that day. Chaos turned to panic in an instant, but he quickly calmed down, suppressing the trembling of his hand on the brush.

Consort Ning's gaze as she was dragged away was still vivid in his mind. The Crown Prince forced calmness, telling himself: It's fine. Some people have gone mad. As long as others don't know, the secret can be suppressed.

The adjoining room fell quiet. Empress Xu stood outside watching as the Crown Prince settled into his writing. The worry on her face slightly eased. She looked at Grand Secretary Xu: "Father."

Grand Secretary Xu said: "The Crown Prince's temperament is too harsh; it still needs correction."

Empress Xu's gaze paused: "I will teach him in the future."

"Father deployed the secret move against the Ning family."

Grand Secretary Xu looked at her: "The Empress does not usually pay attention to such matters."

Previously, they had deliberately brought up the matter of the Minister of Rites, indeed with the intention of promoting Vice Minister Ning. Recently, the court had been unsettled. Promoting Vice Minister Ning would allow them to watch and wait. The Minister of Rites was deeply guilty of corruption and abuse of power, and Vice Minister Ning, serving under him for years, was by no means clean.

But originally, they hadn't planned to move against the Ning family so soon.

"His Majesty has his eyes on the Ministry of Rites. We hid this move too long; we'll bring trouble on ourselves."

Grand Secretary Xu said: "Better to make full use of it. Let the fire in the Ministry of Rites burn brighter and probe the true situation of the Ning family."

Empress Xu frowned and said nothing.

"Your nature is too lenient. Don't spoil him in some matters; you need to guide him," Grand Secretary Xu said.

Hearing this, Empress Xu's expression shifted slightly. "Back then, he almost didn't survive... I protect him. How is that spoiling?"

"You do everything for him, but you don't tell him the reasons. Children of the imperial family mature early; he may not understand you." Grand Secretary Xu continued: "The court is not peaceful. His Majesty is making moves. Keep a close eye on matters in the harem."

Grand Secretary Xu left. As he departed, Empress Xu still stood outside the pavilion watching. Inside, the Crown Prince was practicing calligraphy.

Grand Secretary Xu sighed softly.

The matter of Suihongzi was truly baffling. He had heard that Empress Xu ordered a thorough investigation of Weiyang Palace. Years ago, the Empress had nearly lost the Crown Prince, and that had always been a knot in her heart. Her protection of her child meant preparing everything for him, from congratulatory gifts to prayers outside the palace. She handled every matter well, only praying for his safety, which also made her prone to poor judgment when it came to the Crown Prince.

It was also understandable that Empress Xu investigated Weiyang Palace. The disgraced Consort Ning had given birth on the same day as her.

Back then, after the Empress nearly failed to keep the fetus, the Xu family thoroughly investigated all the midwives and imperial physicians on that day. The final conclusion was that an accident during labor had endangered both mother and child. It was not uncommon for women to go through such a dangerous ordeal in childbirth.

The matter passed, and the Xu family did not investigate further, nor did they suspect the Ning family.

But after the Suihongzi and Consort Ning's matters were exposed, given her doting nature towards the Crown Prince, it was impossible for her not to look into this.

The Empress suspected that the near loss back then was caused by someone.

If the Crown Prince had not been saved that night, and the Empress's body had been damaged such that she could have no more children...

"On the Suihongzi side, has anything been found out? Why did Consort Ning have items from the previous dynasty?" Grand Secretary Xu asked.

The palace maid shook her head: "I couldn't get anything out of the people from Weiyang Palace. All I know is that those items were prepared by Bi Zhu, who was by Consort Ning's side."

"And what about her?"

"She couldn't be interrogated. She went mad. She insists that Consort Ning had her find someone to buy them, and the intermediary was a eunuch in the palace who died last winter night."

"I see."

Grand Secretary Xu frowned, his gaze falling on the distant palace walls.

First the Huguo Temple, then the upheaval in the palace.

Grand Secretary Xu sank into deep thought. Though seemingly unrelated, all were closely connected to the Ning family.

He had a strange feeling. Clearly they had achieved their goal, yet there was a strange, otherworldly unease. The Ning family... He thought of that figure in Wenhua Hall. Having met him once, he felt that child was hiding something. He was not the weak, overly filial prince begging for mercy that rumors portrayed.

Was it an illusion?

-*

The Ning family lost everything, but the Sixth Prince walked away clean, becoming the Emperor's favorite. In the end, the Ministry of Rites affair resulted in the Emperor dismissing the Minister of Rites, fining Vice Minister Ning and ordering him to reflect at home, and promoting an official from outside the capital to serve as the new Minister of Rites.

In just a few months, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites suffered successive incidents, causing unrest at court.

While the court was in a state of alarm, Cining Palace remained peaceful. The imperial physician came daily to check his pulse. Every day, Ying Fusheng saw the physician's worried face. Suihongzi was an item from the previous dynasty, and the only way to counteract its poison was through ancient texts. In his previous life, when Ying Fusheng was terminally ill, there was no cure. In this life, the poison was detected early, leaving room for treatment.

Ying Fusheng was unconcerned. He knew his own body best. In his previous life, even with such poor health, he had lasted until his twenties. He wouldn't die anytime soon. Only Chu Taiyi sighed every day at the sight of him, and even Song An was worried about Chu Taiyi's hair.

Two more guards appeared in the side-hall quarters of Cining Palace. They were guards the Emperor had Ying Fusheng choose.

The guards were chosen from the palace's imperial guard and had not yet sworn loyalty. Ying Fusheng picked two faces he didn't recognize well. That same day, the insignias to command them were given to him. Eunuch Rong said: "From now on, the two of them are at Your Highness's disposal."

The imperial guards trained by the palace were highly skilled and fiercely loyal. Handing over their tokens to a new master meant they would henceforth be loyal only to him.

Such an honor was extremely rare.

Ying Fusheng had no immediate use for them, so he left them to guard the residence.

He’s not used to having anyone else attend to him except Song An.

"Master Shen sent something over. I put it here for you, Your Highness."

Ying Fusheng hasn't left the palace lately, nor has he visited the Wenhua Hall. Every time class ends there, Shen Yunfei sends someone with a little something. Today's delivery is a lot—it's piling up in the corner.

"This is from Lady Shen," Song An said.

Ying Fusheng's gaze swept over the item sent by Lady Shen—a hand warmer cover. Since the weather's warming up, he often uses a hand warmer, but an overly hot one can hurt his hands. The cover is embroidered with a simple pattern—a bird perched on a branch, with twigs scattered around. A faint smile appears on Ying Fusheng's lips. "Lady Shen's craftsmanship is truly exquisite."

The twigs don't overpower the design—they're just right.

This is Shen Changcun's way of sending him a message through the embroidery—the scattered twigs stand for a net.

Ying Fusheng rubs it a couple of times. "Put this on my hand warmer later."

Song An acknowledged and immediately went to get Ying Fusheng's usual hand warmer.

Ying Fusheng flipped open the book in front of him. In the silence, he seemed to hear the sound of wings fluttering, and his fingertips moved slightly. The eaves outside the window were empty, and he could hear the palace maids in Cining Palace chattering through the half-open door and window.

Song An seemed to notice the noise outside and figured it was just the wind. "Your Highness, let me close the window."

He hurried over, but as he touched the window frame, a gust of wind rushed toward him. Ying Fusheng looked up at the sound, and amidst the wind, he heard the flutter of bird wings. His heart stirred. When he snapped back to his senses, a cold blade pressed against the side of his neck.

"Your Highness, the window..." Song An turned back after closing it, only to freeze in shock. Somehow, a figure had appeared in the hall—a man in black stood beside the Sixth Prince, his sword blade resting against the prince's neck. The exclamation died in Song An's throat. "Your Highness!"

The man in black just held the sword level, neither attacking nor saying a word.

It was late at night, and no one else was in the bedchamber. Ying Fusheng glanced at Song An. "Step out. Don't make a sound."

Song An stared nervously at the sudden intruder, worried about Ying Fusheng's safety. "Your Highness."

"Go on out. I'm fine." Ying Fusheng's eyes flicked down to the blade at his neck. "It's someone I know."

Hearing that, Song An had no choice but to leave.

Once Song An was gone, Ying Fusheng spoke up. "Junior General, you can take the sword away now."

It didn't surprise Qi Hanzhou that Ying Fusheng figured out who he was.

He sheathed his sword without a sound. If the man weren't standing right there, Ying Fusheng would barely have noticed him.

"You assigned those two guards outside the hall," Qi Hanzhou said.

Ying Fusheng smiled faintly. "Even if I hadn't arranged it, with the Junior General's skill, they wouldn't have spotted you."

"But you noticed," Qi Hanzhou said.

After Song An left, it got quiet. No one else in Cining Palace noticed anything unusual.

The hall was silent, so still that only the crackling of charcoal in the brazier could be heard. Since that rainy night, the two of them hadn't met like this. Qi Hanzhou's sharp gaze fixed on Ying Fusheng. The latter stood there, his frail build clearly real—his breathing weaker than a normal person's, a chronic condition from childhood.

Qi Hanzhou had never met anyone like this in the capital before.

Seemingly delicate and weak, yet capable of driving his own mother to madness and sending her to the cold palace without hesitation.

"A folk remedy with a strong dose—when it clashes with her usual meds, the effect backfires sharply." Qi Hanzhou glanced at him. "Imperial doctors rarely use this kind of prescription. You sent calming incense, and you knew her usual belongings too."

Ying Fusheng turned a little to face him. "I don't know what the Junior General is talking about."

"The hidden compartment in Weiyang Palace—ordinary palace maids couldn't find it." Qi Hanzhou said bluntly. As he spoke, Ying Fusheng's expression didn't even flicker. "You knew the Embroidered Uniform Guard would come."

From the Ning family gaining the Emperor's favor to Consort Ning's sudden madness—even the threat that rainy night at Huguo Temple—this man orchestrated it all. Qi Hanzhou looked at him. This man stood there totally unguarded, unarmed, yet showed no fear at all, even with a sword at his throat. He said, "Hu Buyu has boarded the First Prince's ship. Once he opens his mouth, the court will shift, and the Ministry of Rites will be the target."

"You knew the Xu family would act, so you used them, and you used me."

Qi Hanzhou's eyes lowered slightly. The young man before him shifted slightly at his words, and when he looked up, the usual facade of concealment had vanished. Deep in his eyes, a faint ripple seemed to stir. In the silent hall, incense coiled from the burner. A smile curled at the corner of Ying Fusheng's lips, showing a completely different side of him—

"Since the Junior General knows all this, yet you did not kill me."

"Why?"

Author's Note:

7: Not sure yet. Let's see.

6: The Embroidered Uniform Guard is handy. Someone else is handy too. Keep using them.