Chapter 123

Chapter 123

The Second Prince's voice trailed off and faded away, and no one dared to pick up the letters that had fallen to the floor. Everyone was watching the Emperor's expression, and the hall fell dead silent. Even Prince Yan kept his mouth shut. The Emperor on his throne was quiet for a long beat before finally speaking: "Qi Hanzhou, rise."

Qi Hanzhou swayed slightly, then stood up: "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"The Qi family's military outposts should not be here. You are to investigate this matter fully."

The Emperor's eyes swept over him and Ying Fusheng. "Do you understand?"

Qi Hanzhou said gravely, "Your servant understands."

The Emperor had not fully trusted the Qi family; instead, he authorized Qi Hanzhou to investigate the Qi Family Army of the Northern Frontier.

Beside them, Hu Buyu suddenly realized that there was another layer to Ying Fusheng's plan: using the Emperor to do a thorough probe of the Qi family's internal affairs. If the Secret Faction had targeted so many people and was indeed connected to Youzhou City, then there must have been hidden secrets from back then.

The Qi family might be safe now, but that didn't mean there were no issues behind the scenes.

If the Qi family were to suspect such an investigation into the Qi Family Army's internal affairs, it could easily shake the army's morale. But if it were framed as a conspiracy by the Secret Faction, with the Emperor's permission, and following today's events, the Qi family could dig deep in the open and wipe out all hidden threats.

The Ministers remained silent. Prince Yongjia's gaze lingered on Qi Hanzhou. They all understood the Emperor's stance: letting the Qi family investigate themselves, rather than sending other officials to do so. This proved that the Emperor fully recognized the Qi family's loyalty, and their standing under the imperial power of Dayuan was still rock-solid. Moreover, after today's events, anyone else looking to frame the Qi family would have to think twice, since a single wrong move would mean challenging imperial authority.

Ying Fusheng's nerves finally eased when he heard that. He watched Qi Hanzhou walk away unscathed, and the weight that had been pressing on his heart finally lifted.

The Emperor didn't want to discuss it any further. Meng Jinyuan stepped forward and took his leave.

The other officials followed suit, needing time to process what just happened. The whole Second Prince and Secret Faction thing that came out tonight was way too shocking. If Prince Yan was right in his guess, the Second Prince and his faction had been scheming for years—how old was he even back then? And then what about the Prince of Qin? If they really meant to revolt, there was only one throne up there. The Prince of Qin was already old, while the Second Prince was still young...

Ying Fusheng turned to leave, but then a voice stopped him—

"Prince Yan, stay."

The Emperor dismissed the others, keeping only Ying Fusheng.

Everyone withdrew, and Ying Fusheng remained in his original spot, not moving an inch.

"Am I some kind of man-eating monster?" the Emperor looked at him. "Come here."

Only then did Ying Fusheng approached.

When the Emperor touched Ying Fusheng's hand, he was startled to find it ice-cold and trembling slightly. He knew that before tonight, Ying Fusheng had been unconscious for several days. The Emperor noticed the needle marks on Ying Fusheng's wrists and realized that he was likely forcing himself to show up. He waved for Eunuch Rong to summon the imperial physician. "How is your health?"

"Thank you, Father. I'm feeling a lot better," Ying Fusheng said.

Though offered a seat, he hadn't sat down at all. The Emperor knew that this child was both intelligent and cautious.

"You had a secret alliance with Qi Hanzhou. I know that," the Emperor said, looking into Ying Fusheng's eyes. "You underestimated Qi Shen's loyalty to the royal family. He had already sent a message to the capital when his son dispatched the Light Garment Guard south."

Ying Fusheng was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.

The Emperor pulled a secret letter from his desk and handed it to Ying Fusheng. Ying Fusheng saw that the letter read: "Unrest in the southern border, sending the Light Garment Guard personally," and it was signed by Qi Shen.

The Emperor looked into Ying Fusheng's eyes. If Ying Fusheng had been using the Qi family's affairs for his own benefit today, then the Emperor would not have believed a word of their secret alliance. "To think of the Youzhou City case and give the Qi family a way out—you are very clever."

The Qi family was the Emperor's sword. The Emperor had his own considerations for how to trust and use this sword.

The Secret Faction could not control it, nor could Ying Fusheng.

The Secret Faction was disrupting the court. This Emperor, who had reigned through two dynasties and now held the highest position, likely understood the affairs of the previous dynasty better than Ying Fusheng did. The Youzhou City case and everything today—Ying Fusheng had simply happened to be in the right position. In the span of a few breaths, countless thoughts raced through Ying Fusheng's mind. "Your son has overstepped."

"I wasn't talking about you," the Emperor said, looking at the desk laden with documents. After reviewing several cases, he knew better than anyone how clever this child was. "Years ago, I told you that those who depend on you should be chosen for their merit, and those who use you should be treated as tools. You have mastered that principle and know how to strike a balance. As an imperial prince, this is a good thing."

The imperial physician arrived quickly and carefully took the pulse. Finding Prince Yan's pulse irregular, his hands trembled as he wrote the medical report.

With the father and son of the imperial family sitting there, even a single mistake in the report could bring disaster. Fortunately, the Emperor and Prince Yan said nothing more. Prince Yan cooperated during the examination, and it was only after the report was completed that the Emperor's expression finally softened. "Very well, Prince Yan's residence should be mostly ready. Go back and rest."

Ying Fusheng seemed about to speak but hesitated.

"I only kept you here to tell you this."

Seeing his silence and the few strands of white in his lowered hair, the Emperor sighed. "Allowing you to do certain things is a sign of trust."

Ying Fusheng rose to take his leave. Noticing the Emperor's slight fatigue as he waved his hand, he merely said, "Father, take care of your health."

After Prince Yan left, Ji Wuming emerged from the shadows.

The medical report from Prince Yan's examination lay on the desk. After reading it all, the Emperor pinched the bridge of his nose. Seeing the physician come to take his own pulse, he fixed his gaze on Ji Wuming.

"Dispose of the evidence in the Second Prince's residence," the Emperor said coldly, his eyes on those letters. "The information they revealed was anything but simple. I thought those scoundrels had long since given up hope during the late Emperor's reign, but some have clung to life and even infiltrated the palace."

On the desk, a secret letter from Jiangnan had arrived, sent by the Emperor's spies investigating Consort Xian's background. If not for the link between Consort Ruan and the Jiangnan censor, which revealed that Consort Xian and Consort Ruan shared ties to the south, some things might never have been uncovered so clearly. Ji Wuming's heart pounded. The Emperor hadn't spoken plainly about the affairs of the previous dynasty and the south, but it touched upon the imperial family's secrets.

If Consort Xian was connected to the former dynasty, was the Second Prince truly a son of the Ying clan?

"I will see to it immediately."

...

Outside the Qianqing Hall, all was quiet. When Ying Fusheng emerged, the imperial physician remained inside.

As he descended the steps and left the palace, a eunuch escorting him whispered a few words, relaying the night's events within the palace, including what had happened in the harem. Consort Xian, the Second Prince's birth mother, had been caught trying to flee through the Internal Affairs Bureau. The Emperor discovered it and sent her a white silk sash, ordering her to commit suicide.

Given the influence of the Secret Faction within the palace, Consort Xian's escape should have been easy.

That she was discovered and the letters sent to the Emperor meant only two people in the harem could have done it: the Empress Dowager or Empress Xu.

"I understand."

Ying Fusheng turned his head to look back at the palace walls. After a long moment, he said, "I need to see the corpse."

The eunuch nodded, escorted Ying Fusheng to the palace gates, and quickly turned away.

Outside the palace, the entire imperial street was dark and gloomy. Prince Yan's carriage waited there.

Ying Fusheng walked a few steps, and the shadows before him were thick. He instinctively halted. That familiar feeling he had after waking from his coma returned—the same feeling he had in his previous life when he fell into madness countless times. Some things had come full circle, seemingly aligning once more with the path of his former life.

At first, he couldn't distinguish dreams from reality, and eventually, his consciousness grew confused, until he couldn't tell anything apart and became a madman.

How troublesome. Why now, of all times, when he needed to be sane?

He had to discuss with Chen Xuqiu when he returned. In his previous life, she had concocted a medicine to alleviate the effects of Suihongzi. She should also have a way to alleviate his madness. Ying Fusheng's thoughts wandered, planning the rest of his affairs. The Qi family matter was settled; next was the Western Shu region... He forced himself to walk toward the carriage.

Just as he reached the carriage, his entire body gave way. A hand reached out from inside, catching him before he could collapse. Without looking up, Ying Fusheng said, "The whole city has eyes on me. You shouldn't stay here."

"Then why did you say those words before the Emperor?" Qi Hanzhou's gaze was dark, fixed squarely on the man before him. Everything tonight had happened suddenly—from the Second Prince's trap to the urgent report from the Light Garment Guard. He had only received vague information at the last moment before entering the palace.

Every step in this chain, if one misstep occurred, could cost Ying Fusheng his life. Since he could send the Light Garment Guard south, he had contingency plans for some things. And Ying Fusheng's words before the Emperor today could explain the Qi family's movements perfectly. But what about him? Did he ever think about himself? If he hadn't caught the Second Prince tonight, if the Second Prince's residence had shown any other abnormal movement, this scheme to defend the Qi family might have put him at a disadvantage.

Ying Fusheng felt the other’s hand grip his arm, and he looked up to meet the deep, profound eyes of Qi Hanzhou. "Behind you stands the Qi family, Dayuan's blade."

He admitted there was an element of gambling in some of his actions, but he couldn’t place the Qi family in a position of disloyalty or dishonor. The Qis were loyal ministers, yet this very loyalty would become a weapon for others to attack them as his alliance with Qi Hanzhou deepened.

Ying Fusheng gazed into Qi Hanzhou’s eyes. "I know you have preparations."

Better to gamble now than to let Qi Hanzhou end up in a position of disloyalty or dishonor later.

And besides, hadn't he already won the bet?

Moreover, in this matter, he knew the Qi family had contingencies in place, just like that secret letter from Qi Shen, Qi Hanzhou might have one too. Because of this, he could neither tacitly accept it nor take it for granted. The more open he was, the more his father would perceive his secret alliance with Qi Hanzhou as being too close.

"Is that what you really think?" Qi Hanzhou asked him.

Ying Fusheng knew the Qi family could protect themselves, yet the moment he awoke from his coma and realized he'd been out for days, seeing assassins surrounding Prince Yan’s residence and the Secret Faction's hand reaching right in front of him, he suddenly recalled how in his past life, the Qi family was branded with the crime of rebellion. If he were the mastermind behind it all, wanting to start a rebellion, the Qi family would be a major threat—he'd stop at nothing to drag them down.

"You’ve seen my condition. Wu Lao and Chen Xuqiu might not be able to cure me," Ying Fusheng said, feeling he still had some clarity, yet sensing this coma was no ordinary occurrence, as if it were a warning from fate. "Qi Hanzhou, I’ve been poisoned for a long time. I might lose my mind any day now."

If he went mad, and the Secret Faction threw dirt on him, leaving his plans unfinished, what would happen to Qi Hanzhou then?

Ying Fusheng wanted to wield Qi Hanzhou as his blade. In the past, he thought going mad would be fine—it would free him from worries. But after two lifetimes of alliance, now that he truly faced the possibility of losing his mind, he was afraid of repeating the same mistakes.

His strength was failing, his schemes were falling short, just like in his past life when he was forced to drink poisoned wine before he could find the mastermind behind the Secret Faction.

The skin beneath Qi Hanzhou’s palm was cold; this man was still ill.

Worry and exhaustion were eating him up. Even while sick, his mind was full of how to set up plans and protect others. In the past, he had always preached equal exchanges, calculating interests more clearly than anyone, knowing that an alliance was a mutual choice... At this moment, Qi Hanzhou wished Ying Fusheng would only see the profit, so that he might think a little more of himself and live a better life.

"Just as you saw, I suddenly lose consciousness and might do things against my own will, without regard for consequences." Ying Fusheng recalled the madness of his previous life, but he couldn’t remember it clearly. Back then, the court was in chaos, and everyone called him a madman—so he must have been completely insane. "When that time comes, I may not remember you, forgetting our alliance. As your ally, I should do right by you—"

Before he could finish, a force yanked Ying Fusheng in.

His weary, drowsy mind hadn’t yet cleared when he was yanked into a warm embrace. Qi Hanzhou held him, his arm around his back firm and strong. For a moment, Ying Fusheng felt as if he were melting into it, the warmth driving away the chill in his bones, and suddenly he found a place to anchor himself.

In a daze, it felt like so many times in his nightmares, there had been such an illusory embrace, as if from a phantom.

"What if you go mad?" Qi Hanzhou asked.

Ying Fusheng found it almost amusing and calmly emphasized, "I won’t remember you."

"Then I will remember you," Qi Hanzhou said.

A voice seemed to ring in his ears, cutting through the misty haze, appearing before him like a double image. Ying Fusheng froze. The carriage was dark, the brazier inside radiating a dry warmth, and a familiar scent was right beside him.

‘I won’t remember you.’

‘Then I will remember you.’

That familiar voice echoed in his ears. It felt as if someone was holding him, gently cradling him, whispering in his ear countless times when he lost his grip on reality. Ying Fusheng felt himself being lifted. The carriage wasn’t spacious, and half his body leaned against Qi Hanzhou as he was carried inside.

"Your Highness, when I placed that secret whistle in your hands, didn’t you understand?" Qi Hanzhou had overstepped many times, but this was the first time he held him so closely while he was conscious. In the palace, when Ying Fusheng had recklessly exposed Youzhou to the emperor, something had already grown wildly in his heart. "I am myself, and the Qi family is the Qi family."

Ying Fusheng murmured, "Isn’t it the same?"

Qi Hanzhou’s voice was close to his ear. "No, it’s not."

"The Qi family is loyal to imperial power. When my father deployed the Light Garment Guard, secret letters would reach the capital. The Qi family has its own way of self-preservation. Since I came to the capital at fourteen to investigate the Youzhou case, it has already been different." In that time, perhaps due to consideration or other reasons, Qi Hanzhou himself didn’t know when this alliance had changed.

Perhaps it was fate—whether in the capital or in Jiangnan, he could no longer tell.

The Qi family is loyal to the Imperial Power and must have no personal allegiances.

Ying Fusheng's heart suddenly beat faster.

He pressed against Qi Hanzhou's neck, as if crossing thousands of mountains and rivers, the double vision before his eyes gradually faded, the surreal feeling slowly dissipated, leaving only the rhythmic beating of the other's chest. At that moment, Ying Fusheng could no longer distinguish whether it was his own heartbeat or Qi Hanzhou's.

Finally, he heard the person holding him whisper softly—

But I have selfish desires.