Chapter 81 The Fierce Bird Will Shoot (Part 1) "You're not the only one in this world who loves me..."

As Li Shih-huai had predicted, after the memorials were kept in the Western Garden, the previous court acted swiftly. Led by Censor Huang Yi, the censors and officials of the Censorate submitted memorials impeaching Grand Secretary Li Shih-huai, and countless impeachments poured into the cabinet like snowflakes.

The Imperial Guards surrounded Li's residence that very day, and all of Li's officials in the court were dismissed and imprisoned. The subsequent deliberation and sentencing took only two days.

The Ministry of Justice presented the memorial, which listed dozens of crimes committed by Li Shihuai, including plotting to murder the crown prince, colluding with bandits, deceiving the emperor, and embezzling public funds. The crimes committed by his clansmen by abusing their power were even more numerous.

However, despite the heinous nature of the crime, the emperor was not particularly enraged and simply handed the case over to the Three Judicial Offices for sentencing.

The Li family were related to the imperial family through marriage, and Prince Xin should have avoided any appearance of impropriety, but he still went to the West Garden.

Lan Huaien privately told Yan Chao, "Prince Xin did mention the Li family. His Majesty didn't immediately agree, but seemed somewhat hesitant. Prince Xin even pleaded for himself, saying he wanted to stay in the capital to observe mourning for Consort Duanmin until the hundredth day, before returning to his old fiefdom."

Yan Chao was not surprised: "His Majesty had not set a date in the first place. Now that he has said so, it will probably be postponed again."

The imperial decree was issued quickly. Li Shihuai and his wife were executed by slow slicing for treason. Their two adult sons were beheaded. The remaining male relatives aged sixteen and above were sent to the frontier to serve in the army, while those under fifteen and female relatives were confiscated as government slaves, and their family property was confiscated by the government.

However, in any case, the rebellion in southern Sichuan and the turmoil involving Li Shihuai's faction have been concluded, and the truth about the Crown Prince's poisoning has finally come to light.

The Li family fell swiftly and decisively. Neither the emperor nor the crown prince seemed to intend to implicate their associates. The cabinet, from top to bottom, did not launch any campaign to eliminate dissidents. This temporarily suppressed a group of restless individuals and calmed the anxieties of many.

Therefore, the court appeared outwardly calm and peaceful.

The Crown Prince continued to live a secluded life, but his tutors from the Eastern Palace would be summoned every two days to answer his questions. Although this was unusual, the Crown Prince's desire to learn despite his illness was understandable.

Chen Xiu had just finished overseeing the funeral of Imperial Noble Consort Duanmin a few days ago, and before he could recover, the Li family's affairs came one after another. After finishing everything, he was so exhausted that he fell ill and took a few days off.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he returned to the cabinet, news came quickly from the Crown Prince's palace, ordering him to go immediately.

On the way, Chen Xiu ran into He Shu, who was stuffing a scroll into his sleeve. Chen Xiu guessed that He Shu was also heading to the East Palace. He had only taken a few steps closer and was about to speak when He Shu bowed and said, "I presume Your Highness has also summoned Grand Secretary Chen? Shall we go together?"

Tea had already been prepared in the Eastern Palace, and this time it seemed the Crown Prince was more eager. Chen Xiu and He Shu were frequent guests, so the atmosphere was not particularly tense or solemn.

After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, He Shu presented the scroll from his sleeve and did not shy away from anything when reporting back: "These are the notes Your Highness requested. The Ministry of Personnel has clear records of the number of officials, but the underlying relationships may not be very clear. After all, it is far away in Liaodong and involves both inner and outer officials, so it is really too complicated."

Yan Chao slowly flipped through the pages, realizing he couldn't finish reading them all at once, and nodded, saying, "This matter is complicated, thank you for your trouble."

He Shu hurriedly said, "Your Highness is too kind to me."

Upon hearing the word "Liaodong," Chen Xiu's heart skipped a beat, and he almost dropped his teacup, asking in surprise, "What?"

"I saw a report from Liaodong a few days ago, which mentioned that there seemed to be something unusual on the border. Mr. Chen had also mentioned before that there was discord among the officials in Liaodong, so he asked He Zhanshi to compile a list of relationships. Although we cannot grasp the whole picture, we can get a general understanding."

“I understand what Mr. Chen means. It is I who did not explain clearly, and you may have misunderstood.” Yan Chao smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over He Shu. Seeing that He Shu’s expression was normal, he reached out and took the envelopes from the side, calling to the two of them, “You should also take a look at these letters.”

The two men stepped forward, and after only a few glances, the words were enough to shock them. The capital city, Liaodong—the headings and signatures even included Mongolian script.

Yan Chao said, "It was intercepted by spies from the Prince Xin's residence. However, news of the theft of these letters should be exposed soon."

He Shuzheng was sorting through the letters one by one when he said, "Yang He, the governor of Liaodong, was originally a protégé of Grand Secretary Cao. Later, it seems that due to some kind of grudge, he gradually became close to the Li family. Now that the Li family has fallen and Prince Xin's power is gone, he still dares to have the intention to rebel!"

“As long as His Majesty is willing to protect Prince Xin, he will naturally have a chance. The previous posthumous conferment of the title of Imperial Noble Consort was an example, and now the conviction of the Li family is another.”

The three fell silent, understanding each other implicitly. The Li family was being punished for treason, the most heinous of the ten crimes, but their relatives had been given a lighter sentence, perhaps out of consideration for past favors. Naturally, word would only praise the emperor's benevolence.

Yan Chao asked, "Some time ago it was said that the residence of the Prince of Da Ning was under renovation. I wonder how it is progressing now?"

Chen Xiu said, "The original Ning Prince's Mansion was well-preserved and repairs wouldn't take much time, but the Emperor intends to expand it further, so the date is hard to say."

"It's both Da Ning and the Doyan Guard again. Li Shih-huai has some interesting plans for him. However, he may have the ambition of Emperor Taizong, but not necessarily the ability," Yan Chao chuckled.

Chen Xiu also said, "Times have changed. Military affairs in Liaodong are no longer decided by the governor alone. The Doyan people have been stubbornly resistant to change for many years. Prince Xin is ambitious and intends to collude with the outside world, but he will eventually bring trouble upon himself."

He Shu said, "That's true, but involving the military is always a major hidden danger. Yang He has a high reputation in Liaodong and is secretly colluding with the Duoyan tribe, so he can't be easily touched."

Yan Chao remained noncommittal, tilting his head slightly as he said, "With the strength of Liaodong, it is neither enough to establish a separatist regime nor can it easily cross the border. When Li Shihuai was plotting for Prince Xin, he was probably trying to pave a way out for him, but with the fall of the Li family, Prince Xin had nowhere to retreat and had no choice but to fight to the death. Prince Xin's ambition is obvious in these letters, but Yang He's attitude is still unclear. We need to take precautions in Liaodong, but in my opinion, we should not publicly accuse him for the time being. These letters should not be made public either."

"Is Your Highness afraid of causing unrest in Liaodong?"

"Yes. Firstly, Yang He needs to be handled with caution, and the three tribes of Duoyan must be guarded against; secondly, if a war really breaks out, it will be costly in terms of resources and manpower, and now that it is near the end of the year, the Ministry of Revenue may not be able to come up with enough military funds in a short time. There is also the fact that Prince Xin is getting impatient. When a bird is desperate, it will peck at itself. He is unwilling to leave the capital, and I am afraid that he will make some moves in the capital."

Chen Xiu nodded solemnly: "Your Highness's considerations are correct."

Yan Chao put away the letters and documents. Everyone took their seats, slowly sipped their tea, and then continued their conversation. Seeing that the Crown Prince remained silent for a moment, Chen Xiu looked up at He Shu opposite him and asked, "I wonder who is currently in charge of the Ministry of Revenue?"

He Shuzheng put down his tea and replied, "The position of Minister is vacant, and Vice Minister Tao Wenrong will temporarily act as Minister."

Chen Xiu grunted and pondered, "I wonder when the court will recommend a new Minister of Revenue. The cabinet is also short one person, and I don't know if there will be any changes to the cabinet members."

Yan Chao continued, "I met with Grand Secretary Yang a couple of days ago. His words revealed that His Majesty does not seem to intend to add any more people to the cabinet."

"I have also heard some rumors these past two days that there is an intention to appoint Grand Secretary Chen to concurrently serve as Minister of Revenue."

.

The winds of the previous dynasty blew into the Western Garden, where only the emperor could command the wind and rain. Now, the emperor yearned for immortality and spent his days meditating and consuming elixirs. In his delirious state of consciousness, he truly felt as if he were riding the clouds.

The court officials' advice was to no avail, and the imperial eunuchs were even less able to offer any advice. The emperor was willing to see the imperial physicians, but the physicians dared not say much and simply prescribed a few foolproof health maintenance formulas.

The emperor felt well, but his mental state fluctuated. Although he was more taciturn than before, his temper became even more unpredictable. The eunuchs serving him changed batch after batch, and even the most astute eunuchs, skilled at discerning the emperor's intentions, had to serve him with trepidation and caution, fearing punishment.

Lan Huaien is usually reliable, but he can't help but occasionally make a mistake.

"Come here." The emperor had opened his eyes at some point and beckoned Lan Huaien to come closer.

A hand emerged from the wide Taoist robe, holding a small, plain white porcelain box. Lan Huaien was very familiar with that object, took it with both hands, and said in a low voice, "Your subject will go to fetch water to serve Your Majesty the elixir."

The emperor gave a muffled thud, and Lan Huaien immediately froze, awaiting instructions.

The emperor opened the porcelain box, glanced at it, and said, "The Crown Prince has been ill for a long time, probably because the lingering poison is hard to clear. He is also weak and frail, so ordinary medicine is too slow to take effect. This is the elixir I take every day. Take today's dose and give it to the Crown Prince."

"Go." A hint of kindness appeared in the emperor's eyes, and a thin smile appeared on his lips. He then turned his back and lay down, and a soft, gentle breathing sound was heard.

When the imperial decree was delivered to the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was chatting with a eunuch in the corridor. The round-faced eunuch had a simple and honest look on his face, and his eyes narrowed into slits when he smiled. The Crown Prince listened to him indifferently, but when he glanced at Lan Huai'en as he entered, he chuckled softly, whether he was listening to something funny or for some other reason.

Lan Huaien rarely saw her so relaxed and at ease, and stood there for a moment, not wanting to bother her with those "serious" instructions.

After the imperial edict was delivered, Lan Huaien presented the porcelain container containing the elixir to Yan Chao. Before he could say anything more, Yan Chao opened the container and ordered water to be fetched.

"Your Highness!"

Lan Huaien looked up in surprise, his heart beating even faster than when he was in front of the emperor.

Even Liang Lu hadn't expected the Crown Prince to immediately swallow the pill in front of him. He almost instinctively reached out to snatch it, but his hand froze in mid-air, so he simply caught the empty teacup instead. He then considered whether to summon the imperial physician, glanced at the Crown Prince, and still didn't move.

Yan Chao remained expressionless and looked calmly at Lan Huaien: "If the Grand Eunuch has anything else to say, let's talk in the study."

Lan Huaien bowed slightly and followed. Liang Lu snapped out of his daze and quickly followed as well.

Once inside the study, everyone was family. Yan Chao sat down and, seeing the worried expressions on both men's faces, frowned slightly, about to speak, when Liang Lu knelt down abruptly and said urgently:

"Your Highness, this servant secretly went to fetch Physician Feng, saying that Consort Xu is feeling unwell..."

Lan Huaien stepped forward, frowned, and said in a low voice, "Your Highness need not actually eat it. I will not say anything to His Majesty."

"I know." Yan Chao closed his eyes, looking indifferent. "It's a pill, not poison. One won't kill you. Don't you watch over it every day before the Emperor?"

Yan Chao chuckled lightly and beckoned to him: "Come here."

Lan Huaien blinked in surprise, then held his breath and approached, silently circling behind her. Just as he reached out to massage her shoulders, his fingertips touched the dark silver cloud pattern on her shoulder, and his hand slid away from her shoulder.

Yan Chao turned slightly to the side, opened her clear eyes and looked at him, but did not speak.

"Your Highness, do you have any orders?" Lan Huaien felt he should meet this gaze with enthusiasm and boldness, but he still instinctively lowered his eyes, unlike when he was serving the emperor with composure.

“Oh,” Yan Chao paused, then said, “If you’re not in a hurry to leave, could you give me a shoulder massage?”

"Yes." Lan Huaien was skilled in these kinds of hand techniques and quickly realized that Yan Chao had not actually relaxed. He secretly glanced at her face and saw that although her eyes were closed, her brows were furrowed.

"Your Highness."

"Um."

"I know you have many worries, but for now, could you please put them aside?"

"Hmm. I've put it down."

Quiet, empty times always seem to drag on endlessly. Lan Huaien moved slowly, glancing at Yan Chao every now and then, his gaze fleeting, never daring to look directly at him. He even thought Yan Chao had fallen asleep, but the moment his hands paused, he heard Yan Chao suddenly ask, "How long have you been following His Majesty?"

Lan Huaien was slightly taken aback, then lowered his head to do some calculations and replied, "It has been six or seven years since the sixteenth year of Xuan Ning, and I have been demoted several times in between."

"The winter of the twentieth year?" Yan Chao raised an eyebrow.

Whether those words were against his conscience or not, only he himself knew. Yan Chao was too lazy to tease him about his sentiments, and silently pulled his sleeves together.

If she had habitually turned around at the sound, she would have seen Lan Huaien's neck, which was inexplicably red with annoyance. But she didn't turn around. She took a deep breath and said, "Go inside from the curio cabinet. The gauze cabinet separates the inner room from the curio cabinet."

Lan Huaien followed her directions, took a few steps closer, and looked inside. After a moment, she heard her continue, "There's a small couch in the inner room. Carry me in."

Lan Huaien turned around in surprise and saw her leaning quietly against the chair. He blurted out, "Is Your Highness feeling unwell? I will go and fetch the imperial physician."

"It's alright. I'm just tired," Yan Chao looked up at him. "Don't you want to?"

"No, no." Lan Huaien then carefully stepped forward, straightened her robes slightly, reached down with one hand to support her waist, and put his other arm around her shoulder. He gathered his strength and carefully lifted her up.

Yan Chao remained silent, only leaning her head against his chest, hearing his excitedly pounding heart. She breathed through her slightly open mouth, feeling a strange restlessness within herself.

It was only a few steps away. When Lan Huaien was about to put her down, she suddenly wanted to call out to him, but for some reason, she burst out laughing.

Lan Huaien's throat suddenly tightened, and his movements froze in mid-air. Just as he was about to ask, she spoke first: "Put me down."

He carefully laid the person in his arms down, then pulled a blanket from the side to cover her. Only then did Lan Huaien bend down and lean close to her to ask, "What is Your Highness laughing at?"

Yan Chao didn't answer, but changed the subject and asked him instead, "Will there be any other reactions after taking that pill?"

Lan Huaien immediately sobered up and said, "Your Majesty will feel feverish after eating it, but you will feel more energetic after the fever subsides."

Yan Chao said "Oh," and then turned away from him. "No wonder it's a bit hot. It must be because of the pills." She yawned slightly and turned her back to him.

"If the medicine takes effect, Your Highness should not sleep at all; sleeping will only make you feel worse."

Lan Huaien nudged her gently, then tentatively reached out to touch her forehead. He was puzzled: even the emperor needed at least an incense stick's worth of time to experience the effects of the elixir, and she seemed perfectly fine. However, she was still ill with lingering poison, and there was no guarantee that nothing unexpected might happen…

My forehead wasn't hot.

But his hand was grabbed, then flung away. The force wasn't strong, followed by Yan Chao's deep voice: "Lan Huaien, don't push your luck."

Lan Huaien pouted innocently, "Your Highness won't push your luck or let me carry you in."

He adjusted his robes, sat down on the floor beside the couch, and said in a shameless manner, "I'm not busy right now, so I'll stay here with Your Highness. You mustn't fall asleep right now, otherwise, a lowly person like me might do something even more outrageous."

Two days later, Yan Chao went to the West Garden to pay her respects to the Emperor and express her gratitude for the bestowal of the elixir. She wouldn't have cared about any other reward, but she knew the elixir's importance to the Emperor; she had to at least show some respect.

Now that she had actually taken the medicine, her description of it to the emperor was even more genuine. The emperor was very pleased to see that she was indeed in good spirits: "You are willing to listen, so it was not in vain that I bestowed this miraculous medicine upon you. I naturally feel sorry for you having suffered these days. Don't worry, you will get better soon."

The timing was extremely precarious. The emperor was still grieving the passing of Consort Duanmin, and Prince Xin's actions had further disgusted him. These days, he was unwilling to summon Prince Xin to his side any longer.

As the emperor grew old and frail, and having spent much of his time residing in the Western Garden, he inevitably began to feel lonely. At this time, he thought of his children and grandchildren.

After the Crown Prince took his leave, the Emperor summoned Consort Xie and the Ninth Prince from the inner palace.

Later, an imperial edict was issued ordering Consort Sun of Zhaoyang Palace, Prince Changle, Princess Xin and Prince Xin's heir, as well as several princesses in the capital with their children, to come to the palace to meet the emperor the next day. Clearly, the emperor favored his grandchildren, and this was a rare opportunity for him to enjoy family time.

Yan Chao paid no attention to these things; she only felt that the weather seemed to have gotten colder, and counting the days, there were still two days until Frost's Descent. She remembered clearly that the Shen family's final execution date was that day.

As late autumn arrived, the chilling atmosphere gradually softened, its initial sharpness fading silently into the west wind, sinking into desolation and paleness. The afternoon sky was overcast, and the wind howled fiercely, as if rain were imminent.

During the season of severe punishment, the prison is even more gloomy and bitterly cold than usual. As the number of prisoners dwindles, they know they won't survive the winter, and living in despair is especially agonizing.

Door after door opened, and the deeper one went, the quieter even the cries of distress ceased. The jailer brought food, returning a quarter of an hour later to collect the dishes; some had eaten, others hadn't.

Shen Wei had grown accustomed to cold and spoiled food, so he was somewhat surprised by this suddenly good meal, but a vague guess formed in his mind. He looked in the direction the jailer had left, but his vision was blurred: he wondered how his father was doing.

A moment later, there was another sound of footsteps, followed by the sound of a lock being opened. Shen Wei huddled in the corner, and when he saw someone walking towards him, he rubbed his eyes belatedly and tried to make out who it was, only vaguely sensing that it was someone from the palace.

Is it her?

Shen Wei struggled to move his body slightly, the shackles weighing him down and making it hard to breathe. He opened his mouth tentatively, "Your Highness?"

Lan Huaien clicked his tongue in mockery, not caring about the dirt on the floor, and sat down against the door. He glanced at him and said, "You're half-dead, and you still dare to dream about the Crown Prince?"

Shen Wei was surprised to see him, but he no longer had the strength to struggle. He coldly turned his head away and silently thought: She really won't come.

“Of course she wouldn’t come to a place like this.” Lan Huaien said, idly twirling a dry grass stalk with his toe, and coldly pronounced, “Tomorrow is your death day.”

"oh."

"I've been very busy lately, which is why you've lived an extra month." Lan Huaien felt that this explanation was superfluous and useless.

"oh."

"Old Madam Shen left before you, three days after His Highness the Crown Prince interrogated you."

"Oh." Shen Wei was not surprised. By now, everything that needed to be lost had already been lost.

Lan Huaien found it extremely boring, so he stretched out his legs and casually said, "I have come to see you today on the orders of the Crown Prince."

Finally, Shen Wei raised her head. That bewildered and surprised look was both incredibly pitiful and ironic.

"His Highness will secretly take care of the Shen family members who have been sentenced to exile." Lan Huaien fabricated the lie without batting an eye, and since no one was verifying it now. As for the Shen family's arrangements, the Crown Prince had of course not told him, but he could guess.

His somber expression finally softened: "Your Highness is benevolent."

The sudden question startled and stunned Shen Wei. His eyes widened and became sore and dry, and tears welled up uncontrollably. He hadn't actually intended to cry.

"There's nothing there. I didn't mean to..."

"But you harbor feelings for her, don't you?"

Shen Wei trembled instantly and managed to argue, "You're just a eunuch, don't talk nonsense and ruin His Highness's reputation!"

"Tsk. As a fellow man, do you think I can't see through your thoughts? There's no need for you to make excuses, because you can no longer stand by her side. You are not worthy of loving her, much less worthy of making things difficult for her."

Lan Huaien looked at him, remembering something from a long time ago.

At that time, Shen Yue was serving as the second-rank Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, overseeing various circuits. Shen Wei had just entered the Ministry of Justice, a mediocre position as a junior official.

At that time, Lan Huaien's position was not yet secure. He made a mistake and was caught red-handed. Shen Yue exposed him in the name of the Censorate and gave the opportunity to his inexperienced son. Shen Wei thus made a name for himself.

Those sixty strokes of the rod nearly killed him. At that moment, Shen Wei stood before him, trembling as he received the blows, and in front of his own stepping stone, he pathetically fainted.

Just as he was deep in thought and suddenly realized what was happening, he felt his robes move. Looking down, he saw that Shen Wei had crawled over at some point, and a thin, bony hand was tightly gripping the hem of his robe.

"I am indeed unworthy of her. But Lan Huai'en, you are a treacherous eunuch, do not even think of deceiving His Highness!"

Lan Huaien sat lazily, watching him struggle to pounce on her before grabbing his wrist: "Deceived? Don't you know her? How can you be so sure she knows nothing about me?"

"Oh, you're a gentleman. All these years you've stayed by her side, knowing there's no future for you, so you dared not express your feelings, only stubbornly following her. You thought you could solve her problems, you weren't afraid to lose your career, you even dared to risk your life for her, you were dashing and unrestrained, handsome and charming, but in the end you're still a complete mess! You think you're ignorant and naive, but in reality you can't do anything."

Lan Huaien shoved him away, squatted down, and said in a low voice, "We all know all too well what she needs most in that position. If her most difficult day comes, I can force her to abdicate and help her ascend the throne. What about you? Can you protect yourself?"

"You're not the only one in this world who loves her. But you've lost."

Lan Huaien stood up, and as he turned around, he suddenly felt a pang of pity. Looking at the dying Shen Wei, he seemed to sigh softly, "She may never know your heart."

Around noon, dark clouds gathered over the capital, stretching across the sky and threatening a storm. Outside the Xi'an Gate, a crowd of onlookers gathered beneath the four archways. The execution ground was imposing; prisoners were bound to the platform, and executioners stood ready.

"The criminal Shen Yue has been identified."

"The criminal is of low status; his identity has been verified."

...

The audience fell silent immediately, and the entire hall was quiet.

"Execute!" The executioner released the execution order, and the head fell to the ground.

A muffled clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and a gale burst forth from the clouds, bringing with it a sudden downpour. Large raindrops shot down like sharp arrows, but in no time the stench of blood from the execution ground dissipated, the glaring red quickly faded, and the people hurriedly dispersed.

After everyone left, it was as if nothing had happened.

Lan Huaien's attention wasn't on the execution platform to begin with. He shook off his men, and as soon as it was over, he grabbed an umbrella and rushed into the crowd, where he indeed spotted her. She was wearing a bamboo hat, but half of her clothes were still wet.

He followed her, held the umbrella for her, and didn't say a word.