Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The sky lanterns burned in the sky, and the assembled officials in the courtyard stared at the broken dragon lantern, their gazes turning to the central lamp stand. The Emperor’s gaze darkened when he saw the incomplete dragon.

The dragon lantern flared up and vanished, its embers scattering through the air, the lingering smoke traced the dragon’s outline.

Qi Hanzhou suddenly stood up. With a wave of his hand, Ye Xuanjiu immediately sealed off all exits of Wangyue Court. “Don’t let any palace attendants leave.”

On New Year’s Eve, the lantern-lighting ceremony was meant to offer prayers for blessings. The National Preceptor and the Directorate of Astronomy had prepared for months. Yet now, the pattern formed by the sky lanterns was incomplete and abnormal. Many eyes turned toward the spot beneath the broken dragon lantern, where the Sixth Prince stood, seemingly utterly unaware of the situation.

The lantern-lighting ceremony had always proceeded without issue in the past.

Now, with this sudden mishap, the officials exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions shifting.

At that moment, officials from the Directorate of Astronomy and the Ministry of Rites rushed to the lamp stand where the problem had occurred. The craftsmen who set up the ceremonial platform began checking for problems. Ying Fusheng lowered his gaze and stepped back two paces. When he looked up, he caught sight of his father’s expression in the distance.

The Emperor’s voice was laced with suppressed anger: “Directorate of Astronomy!”

“Your Majesty, the ceremonial lamp stands are all fine. The fuses are normal…” A craftsman knelt and hastily explained.

The Empress Dowager rose, intending to walk over, but before she could speak—

An official from the Directorate of Astronomy, his face pale, muttered in shock: “An omen! This is an omen of calamity!”

The courtyard erupted in murmurs. As the Emperor’s gaze swept over him, Ying Fusheng dropped to his knees, hitting the ground.

The cold seeped in. As he knelt, the snow and water soaked through his clothes, the chill penetrating to his bones. Whether from the cold or the tension, his whole body was tense. In a daze, he seemed to hear voices drifting toward him—

*‘That’s the mad prince!’*

*‘Tampering with military accounts—that’s an act of treason!’*

The voices from the past faded. Ying Fusheng looked up to meet his father’s gaze. Without offering any excuse, he said directly: “Your son is guilty. I failed to light the lantern properly.”

The Emperor said nothing. The Eighth Prince tried to step forward but was stopped by the attendants beside him. The First and Second Princes exchanged glances, their eyes dark and unreadable. The Third Prince, standing closer to Ying Fusheng, frowned as he saw the younger prince shivering. In such snowy weather, with no shelter in the open courtyard, kneeling like this with his frail health would surely lead to trouble.

Qi Hanzhou had sealed off all entrances to Wangyue Court, allowing no one in or out. When he returned, he saw this scene: Ying Fusheng kneeling in the courtyard, surrounded by murmurs. The snow beneath him had already soaked the hem of his robes, the dampness clearly visible. Yet he knelt upright, offering no explanation or defense.

Both men understood clearly: this was a blatant attack aimed at Ying Fusheng, and the intent was deeply malicious. Their earlier moves—first the Ministry of Rites, then the Three Judicial Offices—had already stepped on many toes. But they had been on guard against the court and the public, never expecting that the hidden hand would strike through the Directorate of Astronomy.

The ceremonial platform, the lanterns, the fuses—all were fine. Yet when the Sixth Prince lit the lantern, the flame went awry.

It was made to look like the work of Heaven—a sign that the lantern lit was an ill omen! But how could it be the Sixth Prince? He had served the people and the state, accomplished so much. Without his forthright counsel, how could the Dayuan Dynasty’s treasury have been so well stocked!?

The official who had spoken of the omen was dragged out of the courtyard. Qi Hanzhou swept a cold look across the crowd, halting the spread of rumors.

Ying Fusheng slowly raised his head, his eyes scanning the shocked and suspicious faces around him, finally settling on Qi Hanzhou’s stern face—a look that held no doubt, only seriousness.

He gave a slight shake of his head, signaling Qi Hanzhou not to act rashly.

At this moment, he had to kneel to appease the Emperor’s anger. Even if this was an “accident,” he was the one who had handled it.

Qi Hanzhou’s expression grew heavy. The palace banquet was coming to an end.

Suddenly, an urgent report came from outside the court: “A rare snow disaster in Jiangnan has crushed three prefectures’ granaries. Prince Jin’s estate has sent an urgent message: the waterways are frozen, and relief grain is stuck at Lin’an dock!”

The Emperor rose in shock, and the officials in the courtyard erupted in murmurs.

The Emperor immediately waved his hand and departed. Eunuch Rong announced that the banquet was over.

In the distance, the Emperor had already left, and the other officials began to disperse.

Eunuch Rong hurried over to help Ying Fusheng to his feet. “Your Highness, His Majesty tells you to get up.”

Ying Fusheng nodded slightly. As he stood up, he swayed.

Qi Hanzhou, standing nearby, quickly reached out to steady him. But Ying Fusheng could no longer stay upright; he collapsed unconscious. Qi Hanzhou’s expression changed abruptly. Eunuch Rong shouted: “Get the imperial physician!”

As the departing officials saw this, Hu Buyu’s gaze paused briefly. Xiao Yan turned slightly, subtly signaling to the Vice Minister of the Grand Court of Revision beside him not to act rashly. He lowered his voice and advised: “If you rush forward now, the Grand Court of Revision will be seen by the Emperor as the Sixth Prince’s faction.”

The Vice Minister was startled, not expecting that it would be Censor Xiao who stopped him.

Xiao Yan spoke as if casually, then turned and walked away with the other officials, just like everyone else.

The Three Judicial Offices stood independent of the bureaucracy. Once they lost their authority, they would completely lose the Emperor’s trust.

The Sixth Prince was favored now, precisely because he had no backing. If he formed a faction, the situation would change.

The Sixth Prince’s wings were not yet fully fledged. And this underhanded move… came too conveniently.

The New Year’s Eve prayer ceremony went wrong, followed immediately by the urgent report of the Jiangnan snow disaster. In recent years, the winters had been cold, with frequent snow disasters, even in Jiangnan. Last year, a snow disaster had caused grain prices to soar in the region, and heavy snow had even collapsed many civilian homes. This year, after the treasury was replenished, the Emperor had allocated silver there.

Under normal circumstances, this would have been unremarkable. But it coincided with the mishap of the sky lanterns.

Within just two days, rumors spread that the Sixth Prince was an omen of calamity, that the Emperor’s favor had triggered this disaster, angering Heaven. When these words reached the court, many great scholars defended the Sixth Prince, arguing that the treasury’s current abundance was due to his efforts—how could one faulty flame determine the will of Heaven?

But soon, opposing arguments emerged. They claimed that the Sixth Prince had been seen as a star of fortune, yet this fortune had brought calamity. Since he had gained favor, Consort Ning’s madness had flared up, the Empress Dowager’s old ailments had recurred… and now, the dragon was missing a corner, hinting at the Emperor’s own health being threatened!

Even if the Emperor cherished the Sixth Prince, as such talk grew, he could not help but feel uneasy.

Some whispers even reached the vicinity of Cining Palace. The Empress Dowager ordered the news suppressed, but soon after, word spread that the confined Consort Ning had suddenly fallen gravely ill, claiming that something the Sixth Prince had sent had made her unwell. The imperial physicians made several visits, as if to confirm the so-called omen of calamity.

The Sixth Prince himself also fell seriously ill, unable to leave his bed for days.

When the Emperor heard this, his gaze darkened slightly.

Though wary of the court’s gossip, he still said: “His health is poor. Have the physicians attend to him carefully.”

“Yes!”

When Qi Hanzhou arrived at Cining Palace under the pretext of conducting an investigation, the palace attendants conveyed the Empress Dowager’s words: “Commander Qi, Her Majesty says the Sixth Prince is unwell. Please do not take too long.”

When he entered the bedchamber, he saw Ying Fusheng sitting there, sipping his medicine in small mouthfuls.

The young prince looked no different from how he had at the New Year’s Eve banquet. Even though he had been slandered to this extent, with voices of dissent rising outside, in his eyes, it seemed no more important than the bowl of medicine before him.

“Your Highness does not seem worried,” Qi Hanzhou said, after the palace attendants had withdrawn.

“You came here, which can only mean it was my father’s order,” Ying Fusheng coughed. “That means my kneeling was still useful.”

Qi Hanzhou frowned. “Your Highness should take better care of your health.”

“I won’t die.” Ying Fusheng held the medicine bowl, not getting out of bed. He sat wrapped in his blanket. And this was nothing—the words spoken about him in his past life had been far harsher. Back then, he was the mad prince, and he had heard far worse. “This is a good chance to rest quietly and recover. At least I won’t have to go to the Imperial Academy and be scolded by the teachers.”

Qi Hanzhou looked at him. The new year had begun, and soon he would be twelve.

His features had grown slightly more defined since they first met, showing some resemblance to the Emperor. But his frail constitution had never improved. The talk of an omen of calamity was a serious matter for a prince; one misstep could lead to complete disfavor from the Emperor. Yet he showed no emotional fluctuation… It was not indifference, but more like a habit born of long familiarity.

Over the past two days, Qi Hanzhou had thoroughly investigated the prayer lamp stand. The craftsmen had indeed said it was fine, but the fuses had been tampered with. The strange smell he and Ying Fusheng had detected at the time was indeed suspicious: “The fuses and the incense candles were both tampered with. Before you lit that sky lantern, it had already been burning from within.”

So that was why Qi Hanzhou smelled something unusual at the time—the lamp had already been lit initially, and with insufficient fuel afterward, the accident occurred when it rose into the sky.

"Is the Imperial Observatory involved?" Ying Fusheng asked.

Qi Hanzhou shook his head. "The Imperial Observatory only handles the auspicious timing for the ceremony. The ritual was carried out by the Ministry of Rites, and the lamp and fireworks came from the Ministry of Works."

The Ministry of Rites had just undergone a major purge and couldn't be implicated. The Imperial Observatory had no hand in it, leaving the Ministry of Works as the only possibility. But when these items were completed, they were inspected and approved by the Ministry of Works. When the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigated, the Ministry of Works craftsmen were present the whole time, along with censors from the Censorate, who verified everything was perfect when it left the ministry.

It was nearly perfect, which was why dissent arose at court. In the emperor's eyes, such a coincidence could only be an accident.

And an accident, by its very nature, was heaven's will.

If this underhanded scheme wasn't uncovered, once word got out to the people across the land, Ying Fusheng's reputation as a bringer of fortune would clash with the signs of calamity. With a series of coincidences piling up, he would lose all public support.

"But there's still a place where tampering could have occurred," Ying Fusheng said, looking at him. "What did you find?"

"The sky lantern is supposed to absorb misfortune within the palace before being lit." Qi Hanzhou was impressed by his perceptiveness and continued, "The lamp you lit was placed outside the Cining Palace. On normal days, only people from the Cining Palace pass by it... aside from the palace maids responsible for cleaning before New Year's Eve."

Each palace was heavily guarded on normal days, especially the Cining Palace.

Only in the days leading up to New Year's Eve were other palace staff allowed free access.

Hearing this, Ying Fusheng paused as he drank his medicine, his thoughts drifting far away.

The Kunning Palace... was it her?

Bang—the wind and snow struck the window, making an odd sound.

Drawn by the noise, Ying Fusheng's thoughts abruptly halted.

Qi Hanzhou noticed the silence of the person on the bed after finishing his report.

He looked over and saw Ying Fusheng sitting there, staring at the medicine bowl for a long time. Suddenly, he sensed something was wrong.

"Sixth Prince!"

Ying Fusheng snapped back to reality, realizing that Qi Hanzhou was tightly gripping his wrist. The half-bowl of medicine in his hand nearly tipped over. The hand on his wrist was warm but not forceful. When Ying Fusheng lowered his eyes, he could see the heavy calluses on the fingers, worn by years of service. Aware of his lapse, he said, "I was distracted for a moment. My hand lost its strength."

Before he finished speaking, Qi Hanzhou took the medicine bowl from him, glanced at the remaining half, and recalled how he had been sipping it slowly, unable to finish even after talking for so long.

In winter, medicine cools quickly.

Qi Hanzhou paused briefly, then stopped by the bedside. "Forgive my presumption, Your Highness."

Ying Fusheng was momentarily stunned as the rim of the bowl approached his lips. He instinctively opened his mouth.

The medicine flowed slowly down his throat. What he hadn't been able to finish in half a day was now entirely consumed under Qi Hanzhou's care. After he finished, Qi Hanzhou set the bowl down, turned, and closed the window that had been left slightly ajar to let in the draft.

When the young man stood up, his stature wasn't as tall as in his past life, but as he passed by, he blocked the cold wind entering the hall. In a fleeting moment, Ying Fusheng seemed to see the Qi Hanzhou of his previous life. A flash of memory made his consciousness waver slightly—which time was it?

In his memory, wind and snow swirled. It seemed to be the first time he had fallen ill in front of Qi Hanzhou. In a daze, he had knocked over the medicine that Song An had painstakingly brewed, unable to eat for days. That time, Qi Hanzhou had returned from the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, the smell of blood still clinging to him, yet he took the half-bowl of medicine from Song An, restrained the delirious Ying Fusheng, and fed him for the first time.

Footsteps sounded, and Ying Fusheng reached up to wipe the remnants of medicine from his lips, silently averting his gaze.

Qi Hanzhou walked back and saw him turn away. Just as he was about to speak, Ying Fusheng said, "The Kunning Palace."

Palace affairs were well-established in the inner court, all previously managed by the Empress Dowager. Moreover, the lamp in question had come from the Cining Palace. Even if the palace duties had been handed over to Empress Xu, tampering with the lamp would require someone with the skill of a craftsman—no one in the palace fit that description.

Except for one anomaly: the Kunning Palace had taken in new staff, a false palace maid who had recently entered the palace using a stolen identity.

A craftsman could easily disguise themselves and carry out the deed.

"You think it's Empress Xu?"

The mastermind behind this had disguised it flawlessly, making even the Embroidered Uniform Guard see it as an accident. The reason Qi Hanzhou had noticed the personnel changes in the Kunning Palace was because Ying Fusheng had previously asked him to investigate the deaf-mute matron. Without that, they would have struggled to find this potential breakthrough. But why had Ying Fusheng been paying attention to the Kunning Palace beforehand?

At the mention of Empress Xu, Ying Fusheng's expression paused briefly. After a long silence, he said, "I hope it's not her."

But then he shifted his tone: "However, the schemer is in the Kunning Palace—that much is certain."

The assassination at the Cining Palace, the Empress Dowager's poisoning, Consort Ning's Suihongzi, the fake medical apprentice... Few in the palace could accomplish such things. If not a consort, the only possibilities were high-ranking eunuchs or female officials.

Either Empress Xu or someone close to her.

"The Junior General has many capable warriors under his command. I'd like to borrow a few from him," Ying Fusheng said, his expression returning to normal, the earlier lapse gone. "Men who can travel through snow and ride swiftly to Jiangnan."

Qi Hanzhou's expression sharpened. "What do you plan to do?"

"Since our opponent has set up such a grand scheme,"

Ying Fusheng said softly, "it would be a shame not to make use of it."

...

Inside the Kunning Palace, the scent of sandalwood lingered. Empress Xu walked into the Buddhist shrine, where her female attendant had prepared cleansing items for her. She focused on washing, and as she cleaned her hands, she asked, "How has the Crown Prince been these past few days?"

The small shrine was quiet. The attendant leaned in, carefully drying Empress Xu's hands. "His Highness said he wants to gain experience at the Ministry of Works and won't be able to join you for meals for a while."

Empress Xu paused briefly. "That's as it should be."

Seeing her expression, the attendant reminded her, "You've rarely sent anyone to the Eastern Palace lately."

She had heard about the court affairs. The Xu family's messages also urged her to pave the way for the Crown Prince.

Her child had barely survived a brush with death—a gift from heaven. She had raised him with utmost care, keeping him safe. She rarely involved herself in the affairs of the harem, but for this child, she gave her all, believing that keeping him under her protection ensured his safety. Yet several times, she had nearly caused him to make mistakes, fostering an unsteady temperament. Her father was right—sometimes, doing everything for him wasn't as good as teaching him how to do things himself.

Empress Xu lowered her eyes. "Have you looked into the lamp incident?"

"I have, Your Highness. It was an accident," the attendant said carefully. "It seems the lamp was damp, and coincidentally, the Sixth Prince's lamp didn't ignite."

Empress Xu frowned. This answer only deepened her unease.

Suihongzi, the assassination, the Empress Dowager... too many things had happened to that child. Some occurrences, when piled together, were no longer coincidences. She suppressed her thoughts, but the sense of unease grew heavier.

Seeing her expression, the attendant ventured, "Your Highness?"

"Have someone keep an eye on this. If it can happen to the Sixth Prince, it could be used against the Crown Prince," Empress Xu said, snapping back to reality. She gave orders: "Handle matters these few days. I'll go to Huguo Temple to pray for Jiangnan."

Having served Empress Xu for years, the attendant was like a sister to her, deeply trusted.

The attendant's expression softened, and she said softly, "I will see to it, Your Highness."