Chapter 49 Clouds in Full Bloom (Part 3) "Your Highness has drawn a eunuch..."

After compiling several confessions, they were presented to the Eastern Palace. The Crown Prince read them, carefully considered and revised a few inconsequential statements, and then ordered them to be reported to the Emperor.

When Lan Huaien received it, he casually unfolded it and glanced at it. When he saw the sentence "Weixian is dead, and there is no way to investigate," his eyes darkened.

He usually served the emperor, yet there were times when he went blind. He knew that Ji Weixian was colluding with the Li family. However, he was unaware that the emperor had secretly ordered Qiu Cong to investigate Ji Weixian.

He was close to Ji Weixian on a daily basis and should have been more familiar with his daily life, but the emperor bypassed him.

That night, when the emperor ordered Ji Weixian's execution, everyone in the hall knew it wasn't truly because of that one incident. Qiu Cong and the crown prince both seemed to know, but only he, filled with suspicion, was certain that the emperor knew about Ji Weixian's secret dealings with the Li family, which led him to decide to kill him.

He seemed to have forgotten that he was not present during the Crown Prince's several audiences with the Emperor. Furthermore, regarding the Cui Wenzao incident, it seemed the Emperor had relented because of him.

She couldn't help but think deeper, wondering if the emperor's subtle attitude towards her might also be related to her.

The memorial in his hand, which Yan Chao deliberately mentioned about Ji Weixian, seemed like a helpless act, but in reality, it was a trap set for the emperor. Suspecting a dead man is futile; it is the vibrant, living person behind the dead who causes constant anxiety.

Lan Huaien stood before the steps, his gaze as deep as a still pool. He rubbed his clasped hands together, frowned, and raised his head. The weather was gloomy today; the sun had only peeked out at midday, leaving only a weak, pale sliver on the gray horizon, which was not particularly glaring.

He didn't rush to report back to the emperor, but instead went back to his post at the Directorate of Ceremonial.

It just so happened that Sun Shan was on duty at that moment. When he saw Lan Huaien come in, he hurriedly got up to greet him. He was old and a bit overweight, and his chin became even rounder when he smiled, making him look extremely kind.

"The Grand Eunuch is back."

"Um."

Lan Huaien gave a casual reply, but couldn't help glancing at him again. She thought to herself, no wonder she had never suspected him before. Sun Shan's personality was such that he got along well with everyone and would occasionally flatter others. He seemed like a shrewd and opportunistic person.

It's impossible to connect this to the Crown Prince.

After Ji Weixian's death, a position of chief scribe became vacant. The emperor asked for his opinion, and he mentioned Sun Shan. Before the emperor could speak, Sun Shan, who was present, was already flustered and declined, and ultimately gave up the idea.

Lan Huaien walked into the side room with a serious expression, reaching into the antique shelf, seemingly looking for something. Only Sun Shan and the other two eunuchs in the main hall tactfully did not follow.

After leaving the duty room, he instructed the eunuch beside him, "Go back and tell Sun Shan that he doesn't need to be on duty tonight. I will switch with him."

The eunuch responded with a "yes," but was somewhat puzzled. The Grand Eunuch had clearly just come out from inside, so why didn't he speak directly to Eunuch Sun?

.

After reading the memorial, the emperor showed little reaction, casually tossing it aside and saying in a low voice, "Tell the Crown Prince to handle it as he sees fit."

Lan Huaien bowed and stood aside, replying "Yes." Just as he reached out to take back the memorial, the emperor stopped him again, saying, "Wait."

He withdrew his hand, and heard the emperor sigh, "...Ji Weixian was killed too early."

Lan Huaien chimed in, "Anyone who dares to plot against the Crown Prince should be exterminated along with their entire family."

The emperor snorted coldly: "How dare a mere eunuch lay a hand on the crown prince?"

"Yes," Lan Huaien lowered his eyelids, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, his tone containing a hint of bitterness and grievance, "You were the one who fanned the flames when you slandered me, Shi Jiweixian. If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince's discerning eye, I would have been unjustly killed by now."

The Emperor scoffed at this, "If the Crown Prince were truly so discerning, he wouldn't have taken so long to arrive at a conclusion. Besides, with the Eastern Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard all involved, this is the answer I get in the end?"

His tone remained calm, but his words carried a hint of reproach. Lan Huaien knelt down and prostrated himself, pleading guilty: "It is my incompetence."

The emperor remained silent. He paused, then continued, "Ji Weixian is intentionally protecting Cheng An. If I could have apprehended him sooner, it would have been..."

"How much do you know about Ji Weixian's collusion with the previous dynasty?" The emperor, too lazy to listen to his nonsense, cut him off directly and asked abruptly.

"Your Majesty, I have informed you that he has been in private contact with Grand Secretary Li, but Your Majesty has instructed me not to make it public for the time being..."

"And then? Did you not investigate further?" The emperor looked up and frowned when he saw the man's trembling appearance. "I didn't hire the Eastern Depot to be a useless force."

"Your Majesty, spare me... Since the incident with Grand Tutor Meng last year, I have really dared not act on my own initiative, nor have I dared to be so hasty," he kowtowed, then took out a letter from his bosom and presented it to the emperor, replying in a low voice, "This letter was found in Ji Weixian's room this morning. Please take a look at it first, Your Majesty."

Seeing the emperor take the letter and open it, Lan Huaien added, "I had someone compare it, and it is indeed Ji Weixian's handwriting. But I dare not make a conclusion about the authenticity of the contents of the letter."

.

Wenhua Hall.

Shen Wei closed the book, tidying up the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table while secretly glancing at Yan Chao, who was still writing. She wrote very slowly, as if she were meticulously painting, and looked extremely serious.

He tidied his things, quietly took a few steps closer, and glanced at the scene from afar: sure enough, he wasn't writing anything; there were only a few lines, but it was impossible to make out anything.

"Is something on your mind, Your Highness?" Shen Wei withdrew his gaze, moved his lips, and asked.

Yan Chao paused, his fingers holding the pen, his thoughts drifting back to the present. A slightly dazed look flashed across his face before he lowered his eyelashes and shook his head slightly: "It's nothing."

Shen Wei sighed inwardly.

She seemed to have become wary of him. Ever since he had confessed to her that time, he had felt somewhat guilty and ashamed, and he had even asked to see her less often than before, sending other people to report things to her most of the time.

Yan Chao, perhaps, also harbored some resentment.

He pursed his lips, hesitating to speak. After a long silence, he spoke first: "Your Highness."

"Tanze, you speak."

Yan Chao nodded, put down his pen, and then looked up at him calmly.

"Your Highness, is the matter at Funing Temple truly over? Although Ji Weixian is dead after Cheng An's confession, the truth remains unclear..."

"Yes, let's stop here for now. Cheng An has confessed to the mastermind, who has already been executed and deserved his punishment." Yan Chao's tone was certain and his attitude clear.

Shen Wei frowned, feeling resentful. He was about to speak when he saw Yan Chao raise his head, gesturing for him to sit. This was clearly meant to shut him up. He had no choice but to swallow his words, bow in gratitude, and sit down.

"What else do you think? His Majesty has long since lost patience to waste any more time on this matter."

She sat upright at the table, her shoulders relaxed and her back straight. The edges of her round-necked robe were neatly trimmed, and her long black hair was tied up with a jade crown. Her demeanor was dignified and meticulous.

The light streaming in from the window was cold and desolate, and the dark patterns on the sandalwood chair were edged with a faint silver.

She stood alone, the light in her eyes hidden deep within her calm, undisturbed gaze.

Shen Wei was momentarily lost in thought. This was the most familiar and most common way he saw her.

It's nothing special.

A sudden warmth rose in his throat. He looked away from her beautiful face, clenched his fingers, and called out softly, "Your Highness."

"What's wrong?"

His heart suddenly calmed down. His thoughts gradually cleared, and he returned to normal, whispering, "Are you trying to use His Majesty to get rid of Ji Weixian?"

Yan Chao noticed the intense gaze he had given him for a moment, so he turned his head slightly to avoid it, and then nodded and said, "Yes. But the doubts about Ji Weixian that have not yet been clarified are left for Your Majesty to guess."

Shen Wei could roughly guess her intentions, so he didn't ask any more questions.

"I have heard that it was Your Highness who pleaded for Cui Wenzao's life?"

"I suppose so," she shook her head, then nodded, and then chuckled lightly. "He wouldn't let a surname jeopardize his career and cause scholars to misunderstand the court as so tyrannical."

She spoke lightly. Shen Wei knew perfectly well that everyone understood this principle, but since even the Grand Secretary Yang Ren had a falling out with the Emperor over it, the situation in Yan Chao's case was certainly not so simple.

Yan Chao glanced at him, picked up his pen again, his gaze lingering on the tip of the pen, and smiled gently: "Of course I know that the outcome of this matter was already decided long ago. But what do you think His Majesty is being stubborn about? I didn't intend to get involved at first, but I later realized that even if I didn't speak up, someone would try to drag me into it, so I might as well go along with His Majesty's wishes."

Silent and unassuming.

He never understood why the emperor would repeatedly make things difficult for her for no apparent reason.

If the fear is directed at the Eastern Palace, then the former Crown Prince Zhaohuai was not like that; if it is merely a dislike for Yan Chao, then he is, after all, the emperor's own flesh and blood.

He suddenly remembered that several years ago, a series of major events occurred: the death of Crown Prince Zhaohuai, the passing of Empress Wenhui, and the rebellion of Prince Yanping. Those years were also filled with disasters, with cries and death everywhere.

Yan Chao, on the other hand, faced pressure from the entire court and the emperor. The emperor wavered and reluctantly made Yan Chao his heir.

He rarely had the chance to see Yan Chao, so he grabbed her wrist and seized the opportunity to say, "With your status, if you were found out that you've ascended to the position of Crown Prince, you'd be doomed! Come with me, and I'll protect you for the rest of my life..."

At that time, Yan Chao was not yet able to keep his emotions in check. With a slight raise of his delicate eyebrows, his gradually developing features were refined and aloof, already bearing some resemblance to Empress Wenhui.

She was born with the aloofness of a noblewoman, and spoke to him without any politeness for the first time: "Why should I? My mother sent me out of the palace so that I could live, and my father wants me to return to the palace, which is to return my position to me. A gentleman acts according to his position, and acts in accordance with wealth and honor. Since I am the legitimate daughter of the Empress, I am qualified to sit in that position."

From then on, he stayed by her side, watching her struggle yet remain steadfast. She changed a lot, gradually becoming so unfamiliar that she was unrecognizable, but he was still willing to follow her.

Shen Wei's eyes stung slightly as she pulled her thoughts away from her memories. Looking up, she saw that Yan Chao was no longer paying attention to her, quietly drawing by himself, and it was clear that he was alone now.

He didn't approach, nor did he intend to spy on him. He was just about to subconsciously look away when a fleeting dark shadow startled him.

He hesitated for a moment, then asked casually, "Is Your Highness painting... a eunuch?"

Yan Chao lowered his head and looked at the outline on the paper, falling silent.

The official hat worn by the person in the painting is perfectly formed, with distinct edges and corners. His face is flamboyant, unlike that of a eunuch, with handsome eyebrows and bright eyes, charming and beautiful, and the corners of his lips are raised, just like a spring breeze.

After staring at it for a while, a chill inexplicably crept down my spine.

Yan Chao put down his brush, casually tossed the painting aside, and frowned as he said softly, "Lan Huaien's recent actions are rather unpredictable."