Tipping

The Empress Dowager sighed and shook her head. "Go back and think about it again. Xiling is far more peaceful than you imagine." Tang Feng took the medicine from Zizhu's hand, scooped a spoonful, and fed it to the Empress Dowager. "I know you care about me, but I can't leave yet." Hearing this, the Empress Dowager knew that Tang Feng was determined not to leave Xiling, so she had no choice but to give in. "Little Feng, is Ziliang treating you well?" Tang Feng nodded, his cheeks slightly flushed. "Very well. He has never mistreated me."

"That's how it should be. Only when husband and wife are of one mind and heart can their relationship last," the Empress Dowager murmured with her eyes closed. "I made many mistakes in the past, but looking back now, they weren't really mistakes." Tang Feng didn't quite understand what the Empress Dowager meant, so he could only follow her lead and say, "Grandmother, no one is perfect, how can we be without fault? You don't need to worry about it." Seeing that the Empress Dowager had finished her medicine, Tang Feng didn't want to disturb her any further, so he stood up and bowed. "Grandmother, I'll come to see you again in a few days."

Seeing Tang Feng about to leave, the Empress Dowager quickly called out to him, "Little Feng, you often go to the Ninth Prince's place to teach and come into contact with many princes, but it's best not to get too close. It will only do you harm."

Tang Feng left the Empress Dowager's palace and walked out with Zi Zhu. "Grand Tutor, please don't be offended. The Empress Dowager has been thinking of you for a long time. She was very worried when she heard you were ill, so she kept you company for a while." Hearing Zi Zhu's explanation, Tang Feng smiled. "No need to explain, Miss. The Empress Dowager has been very good to me, and I naturally respect her. I'm also happy to be able to keep her company." Tang Feng and Zi Zhu walked out, towards the deepest part of the palace where the Empress Dowager's palace was located. To get back, they had to pass through many palaces. "Why is this place so messy?" Tang Feng stopped at the entrance of a palace. Zi Zhu looked up and said, "Grand Tutor, this is the residence of Xiao Wan'er, the birth mother of the Third Prince. Because she has fallen out of favor, no eunuchs come here to clean." Tang Feng hadn't expected this to be Xiao Wan'er's residence. He was momentarily stunned. Seeing that the lock on the door was rusty and had fallen to the ground, Tang Feng asked, "Why is no one guarding this place?"

Normally, others would avoid discussing Tang Feng's words, but Zi Zhu, being someone close to the Empress Dowager, lowered her voice and told Tang Feng, "Initially, there were people guarding the gate. The Crown Prince arranged for guards to stand watch, but after the Crown Prince passed away, and His Majesty ignored Lady Xiao, eventually, no one guarded the gate anymore." Tang Feng couldn't help but sigh at the tragic fate of women in the deep palace. However, remembering what Li Yunye had told him that day, he looked at Zi Zhu and said, "Miss, please see me off here. I can walk the rest of the way myself. You don't need to see me off any further." Zi Zhu didn't refuse. The Empress Dowager didn't need her to take care of her. She bowed to Tang Feng and went back. Tang Feng looked up at the plaque hanging high above, which was covered in moss, and couldn't help but sigh. He stepped forward and gently pushed open the palace gate. Tang Feng shouldn't have been allowed to go in, but he still wanted to ask Xiao Wan'er, whose son was already in the eye of the storm and about to be killed. Did she not care? A single wrong decision back then cost countless lives. Tang Feng had barely entered when he saw thick dust and fallen leaves on the stone steps, and withered trees filling the front yard. He shook his head, walked to the palace door, and knocked, but no one answered. "Empress Xiao... Empress Xiao..." Before Tang Feng could push the door open, it opened by itself, releasing a stench that made him wrinkle his nose and cover his nose. Seeing unrecognizable food scraps on the table, he continued inside. Then, Tang Feng's eyes widened...

Xiao Wan'er lay face down on the bed, her face unrecognizable. Maggots gnawed at her flesh, her upper body already reduced to bones. The stench attracted flies, and the fluids from her corpse seeped into the sheets, emitting a foul odor. Tang Feng stumbled back two steps, trying to escape, but his legs felt like lead, and his stomach churned violently. He covered his mouth and dry heaved, tears blurring his vision. His mother, whom Li Yunye had relied on for emotional support, had died in the palace years ago. When had she died? Probably not long after Li Yunrui's death. Tang Feng stumbled and ran... He went outside, but could no longer hold back the churning in his stomach and vomited violently. Tang Feng vomited until he couldn't even vomit bile anymore, then he slid down to the ground, leaning against the wall, panting heavily. Tears streamed uncontrollably down his face. He couldn't find a reason to kill Li Yunye, but according to Shen Qinghang's plan, he had to die. Tang Feng sat at the gate of Xiao Wan'er's palace for the entire afternoon until sunset, when Eunuch Feng finally saw him. "Oh, my Grand Tutor! I've been looking for you for so long! The young marquis was so worried. What are you doing here?"

Seeing Tang Feng's pale face and noticing him sitting opposite Xiao Wan'er's bedchamber, Eunuch Feng knew what had happened. He sighed and said, "You shouldn't have gone in. If His Majesty finds out, he'll be furious." Tang Feng looked at Eunuch Feng and said in a hoarse voice, "Could you help me up? I can't stand up." Eunuch Feng helped Tang Feng up and headed towards the palace gate. "Luckily, I came this way. Otherwise, once the palace is under curfew, no one would come this way. If you had to freeze here all night, what would have happened?"

Tang Feng had no mind to respond to Eunuch Feng's words. His mind was in turmoil, as if everything Li Yunye had done—framing the Crown Prince and plotting against the Princess—had become a complete joke. Only when he reached the palace gates and saw Zhou Ziliang waiting for him outside did all the fear of the day surge into his heart. Seeing this, Eunuch Feng, ever astute, bowed to Zhou Ziliang and left. Tang Feng threw himself into Zhou Ziliang's arms and began to sob softly.

Zhou Ziliang had intended to tease Tang Feng for not going home so late, but seeing Tang Feng's condition, he was at a loss for what had happened. He could only hug him and gently pat his back to comfort him, "What's wrong? Tell me, okay? Did you see something? Why are you trembling all over?"

Tang Feng held Zhou Ziliang, occasionally letting out sobs, which made Zhou Ziliang panic. He helped Tang Feng up, looked down at him, whose eyes were red and swollen, glistening with tears. "Xiao Feng?" "I went to see... Li Yunye's mother, Madam Xiao."

"Xiao Feng? Xiao Feng!" Zhou Ziliang's wrist suddenly felt heavy, and he realized that Tang Feng had fainted in his arms. It was already late at night, so Zhou Ziliang had no choice but to carry Tang Feng to the carriage and head straight for the Marquis's mansion.

This wasn't the first time Wu Hezou had been summoned late at night to the Marquis's residence to examine Tang Feng. This time, he didn't say much, simply taking Tang Feng's hand to feel his pulse. "It's due to excessive fright," Wu Hezou said, tucking Tang Feng's hand under the covers and shaking his head. "Just let him rest. His spirits are declining day by day. It's best to avoid excessive worry and mental strain. This medicine is for calming the nerves, and also, light some calming incense occasionally."

After seeing Wu Hezou off, Zhou Ziliang sat down beside Tang Feng, feeling a lingering sense of fear. The Marquis's mansion had found countless doctors for Tang Feng, and the family was constantly brewing medicine, yet Tang Feng's health seemed like a bottomless pit, no matter how much they tried to improve it, it only seemed to be deteriorating. Just then, Tang Feng coughed twice and woke up. Zhou Ziliang didn't want to ask about that matter right now, fearing it would remind Tang Feng of unpleasant memories, so he got up, poured a glass of water, and helped Tang Feng sit up, feeding him spoonful by spoonful.

After finishing his water, Tang Feng stared blankly at Zhou Ziliang, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Ziliang, Li Yunye's mother is dead. When I saw her, all that was left was a skeleton."

Zhou Ziliang sighed and lowered his head. "Most women in the palace are like this. Only the Empress Dowager can gain favor and have the last laugh. Xiao Feng, you don't need to worry about this." Tang Feng shook his head, his voice trembling with tears. "I just don't understand why Li Yunye has gone to this point. In the end, what was it all for? His mother died years ago, and no one has taken care of her body. If that's the case, how can I possibly do anything about it?"

Zhou Ziliang knew Tang Feng was upset, but he could only stay quietly by his side until dawn broke and sunlight streamed through the window. Only then did Zhou Ziliang speak, "Xiao Feng, you can't decide anyone's life or death. You reap what you sow. You should know very well that there are many things you can't change the course of someone's life. Stop torturing yourself, okay?"

Tang Feng stared blankly at the ceiling, murmuring, "Ziliang, why do you like me?"

"Because of your kindness, courage, and passionate nature, I fell in love with you when I saw you in your white robes at Lishan Academy, playing the 'Flying Flowers' game with everyone in the rain."

Tang Feng grabbed Zhou Ziliang's hand and forced a bitter smile. "Ziliang, I'm in the midst of this turmoil, scheming and plotting, causing the deaths of so many people. My hands are stained with blood." Tang Feng sat up and looked at Zhou Ziliang, spreading his hands. "This blood will never be washed away. Ziliang, do you still like someone so cunning, heartless, and filthy?"

Zhou Ziliang hugged Tang Feng tightly. "Don't say anymore, Xiao Feng. How did you get your hands covered in blood and your body filthy? If you were truly scheming and heartless, you wouldn't feel guilty or remorseful because of Li Yunye. You're too kind. The struggle for the throne is truly cruel to you." Tang Feng rested his chin on Zhou Ziliang's shoulder, tears streaming down his cheeks. "But I can't regret it, and I can't afford to regret it. If... if I don't do it, once things are exposed, you'll all be implicated." Tang Feng pushed Zhou Ziliang away and said firmly, "I can't implicate you, I can't implicate Mo Bai, I can't implicate the Zhou family. Though there be thousands of people, I am willing to go; though I die nine times, I will not regret it."

Zhou Ziliang knew, of course, that Tang Feng was forcing himself to persevere, gritting his teeth. He sighed and said, "Xiao Feng, I hope you understand that the Marquis's mansion has never been a burden to you; it is your support and your final destination."

At this moment, Shen Qinghang was getting anxious because Li Yunye hadn't come to find him yet. He considered putting pressure on Li Yunye, but was also afraid of something going wrong. After weighing his options, he called his servant over and said, "Go and deliver the letter to the inn ten miles away. Take the main road. If people leaving the city ask you where you're going, you know what to say, right?"

After disguising himself, the servant ran out of the city with the letter. It was curfew, and soldiers searched everyone entering and leaving the city. The servant was detained without exception. The city's general, upon finding the letter, was initially shocked, then sent it to the palace. He then questioned the servant, "Where did you take this letter from?" The servant looked at the general tremblingly, then knelt down with a thud, saying, "I...I don't know anything! My lord only told me to deliver the letter to an inn ten miles away, and said nothing more." The general realized the seriousness of the situation. "Who did you hand it over to?"

"I...I don't know."

Li Yunye's door was knocked on late at night. Shen Qinghang ignored the steward's attempts to stop him and rushed in. Li Yunye looked at Shen Qinghang in bewildered, but before he could speak, Shen Qinghang interrupted him, "Your Highness, where is your letter?"

"What letter?"

"Quickly take out the letter from the Marquis of Annam and burn it!"

Li Yunye was completely bewildered by Shen Qinghang's antics. He calmly found the letter and asked, "What's wrong?"

"My letter to the Marquis of Annam was intercepted by soldiers outside the city and delivered to His Majesty."