Chapter 107 Prince An has gone mad, and the palace has exploded! ...
"Li Tai, the second son of Emperor Taizong of Tang, whose nickname was Qingque, was described in historical records as 'exceptionally intelligent and favored among all princes'."
Yan Yi stood in front of the desk, picked up her brush and sketched a round, plump bird, then smiled at Shen Lingyue and said, "Doesn't this description sound familiar?"
Shen Lingyue nodded: "Prince An is the late emperor's youngest son, and he was also greatly favored."
Following Yan Yi's train of thought, she guessed, "The white python swallows Chang'an... Does the python refer to the python robe? Only members of the royal family at the level of princes and dukes, as well as important officials who have made contributions to the country and are specially granted by His Majesty, are qualified to wear python robes. In short, they are important figures of noble status and high position."
But what does it mean when the swallows return at sunset?
Yan Yi smiled and wrote the characters "Yan" and "Yan" on the paper.
"In classical Chinese, these two characters are often used interchangeably, both meaning a peaceful and joyful feast. This sentence is actually a word puzzle: 'Returning from the sunset feast—'"
Shen Lingyue suddenly realized: "Sunset... the character for banquet without the character for sun is the character for peace."
She slapped her forehead and exclaimed, "I never knew there were so many metaphors behind a single prophecy! You're truly amazing!"
Yan Yan composed these prophecies in just half a night, cleverly incorporating the name and identity of Prince An, implying his rebellious intentions.
Throughout history, anyone associated with the word "treason" has never had a good end; it is an absolute taboo subject for emperors.
"By the way, what does '玄甲裂坤元' mean? Is it also a hidden word riddle?"
Yan Yi was stumped by her question, her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she were embarrassed to explain: "I made this up for the sake of rhyming... Anyway, it's a prophecy, so not every line will necessarily match."
"Yes, yes, we're the kind of people who take a shot even if there's no chance."
Shen Lingyue stroked her chin and muttered to herself, "As long as the old emperor becomes suspicious of Prince An, I don't believe the Embroidered Uniform Guard won't find any clues."
"Madam, the eldest young master has returned," Si Xiang reminded him from outside the door.
Ever since Pei Jingyi entered the palace, Yan Yi's heart had been constantly on edge. Upon hearing that he had returned, she hurried to the door with a hint of anxiety, only to bump right into Pei Jingyi.
She gripped his arm, scrutinizing him nervously. "How was your trip to the palace?"
After saying that, she felt that her words seemed a bit superfluous. If something really happened, would Pei Jingyi still be able to stand in front of her unharmed?
The most dangerous part of the plan that she and Xiaoyue hurriedly devised actually fell on Pei Jingyi.
He could only enter the palace alone and face Emperor Qingxi's scrutiny alone.
"Don't be afraid, madam, I'm perfectly fine."
Pei Jingyi grasped her slightly cool fingertips in return, his tone meaningful: "His Majesty was furious after reading those prophetic words and has already sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard out of the city in secret, intending to first take control of Prince An and then slowly search for him."
Yan Yi breathed a sigh of relief; it seemed things were developing as they had anticipated.
She then asked, "His Majesty has no suspicion of you?"
Pei Jingyi shook his head. "The Pei family has always been loyal to His Majesty, and I am his nephew. It is only right that I report such an important prophecy to the palace immediately."
Moreover, they had discovered the Xiaowangzhuang mine first, so Emperor Qingxi shouldn't suspect him of having any ulterior motives.
What Pei Jingyi didn't tell Yan Yi was that before he took his leave of the palace, Emperor Qingxi looked at him strangely and said something that was hard to understand:
"Yunzhao, if I hadn't watched you grow up and known that your excellent skills in both literature and martial arts were all acquired through your own hard work, I would have thought you were... Never mind, you can go back now."
On the way back, Pei Jingyi thought about it all the way, but still couldn't figure out how much deeper meaning Emperor Qingxi's hesitant words contained.
...
Commander Lu Sheng was sent out of the capital by Emperor Qingxi to carry out other missions. Upon receiving the secret decree, Lu Xilou immediately selected a team of trusted men to leave the city.
In order to avoid alerting Prince An and to strike decisively, he had informed Pei Jingyi in advance that he would use the Marquis's residence, Yuquan Manor, to rest and regroup his troops before taking action at midnight.
Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue had already returned to the manor, leaving Pei Jinghuai to meet his good brother.
"Hey, I need your help."
Pei Jinghuai pulled Lu Xilou to a secluded corner and said, "Get me a set of Jinyiwei uniforms. Let me work with you tonight."
Lu Xilou looked at him in surprise: "When did you become interested in confiscating property? Or have you finally come to your senses and decided to join us?"
Pei Jinghuai kept Yan Yi's instructions firmly in mind and remained silent, only resorting to unreasonable arguments, "...I've disliked Prince An for a long time, okay? Anyway, just take me with you, maybe I can help you find some useful clues?"
"That's easy. Let me find you some clean clothes."
Lu Xilou waved his hand and walked away nonchalantly.
Pei Jinghuai secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although he felt a little guilty for lying to his friend, the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
The only thing he couldn't understand was how his sister-in-law and A-Yue deduced that Prince An had rebellious intentions from a poisoned maid.
...
At midnight, the Prince An's villa was very quiet, peaceful and serene.
Unlike the simple and empty Prince An's Mansion in the capital, this small villa hidden in the mountains is a hidden paradise, magnificent and splendid.
Inside the main room, the priceless incense of ambergris burned, and layers of gauze curtains hung from the ceiling, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. On the large, carved sandalwood bed in the center, Prince An held Consort Wang and whispered sweet nothings to her.
"Don't be afraid. I will take care of Consort Gao. As long as she doesn't make things difficult for you, with your looks and demeanor, you will soon gain the Emperor's favor."
He pinched the beauty's smooth, snow-white skin, reluctant to let go, "Don't blame me for being ruthless. Who told you to resemble the former Consort Gao by five points? Men always talk a good game, talking about being devoted and exclusive, but nothing compares to the younger one."
Once Lady Wang has established herself in the harem and taken away Consort Gao's favor, many things will be easier to plan.
Wang Meiren nestled obediently in his arms and said softly, "The entire Wang family has long since chosen to pledge allegiance to you. As long as it benefits the great cause, I am willing to do anything."
"The Celestial Master said that your birth chart is of great benefit to my offspring. As long as you can give me a son, I will certainly not treat you badly in the future."
Upon hearing Prince An's promise, Consort Wang's heart burned with excitement.
It is common knowledge that Prince An has difficulty conceiving. If she can give birth to his only son, she will be the crown prince's mother when Prince An ascends the throne.
All other princesses, like Princess An, have to step aside; she wants to be the most honored woman in the palace.
The two were deeply in love when Prince An's hands began to wander again. Suddenly, with a loud bang, the door was forced open, and a group of fearsome flying fish robes rushed in.
Prince An's pupils constricted, and he immediately tucked Consort Wang under the covers, pretending to have just woken up. "Who dares to break into my private residence at night?"
“Your Highness, I apologize.” Lu Xilou shuffled forward, his lazy tone revealing no trace of apology. “His Majesty has issued an edict ordering Your Highness to enter the palace immediately.”
Prince An's heart sank.
He's been keeping a very low profile lately, even hiding in a villa outside the city. Why is his elder brother suddenly attacking him?
He tried his best to control his emotions, and even managed to smile at Lu Xilou, speaking in a friendly tone: "Xilou, could you do me a favor? What exactly happened in the palace? Why is my brother in such a hurry to see me?"
Lu Xilou shrugged. "This humble official is acting under orders. Your Highness, please don't make things difficult for me. Would you like to put on your clothes yourself, or would you like my men to help you?"
Prince An slowly picked up the outer robe hanging on the screen, putting it on while quickly thinking of a solution.
However, after he got out of bed, the bulge of bedding in the bed seemed even more out of place.
If you look closely, the edges of the blanket are still trembling slightly.
Lu Xilou strode forward and forcefully ripped off the quilt. A woman screamed, followed by Prince An's furious shout: "Lu Xilou, you won't even spare my concubines?"
"Keeping a beauty in a golden house, Your Highness is in high spirits." Lu Xilou grabbed the woman's wrist forcefully and pulled off her hands that were covering her face.
"You are... Wang Hai Ruo, the daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"
Upon seeing the beautiful, tear-streaked face of the woman, Lu Xilou blurted out, "Weren't you supposed to enter the palace next month? How come you were in Prince An's bed?"
"You, you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm Wang Hairuo's twin sister..."
Consort Wang offered a rambling explanation while pleadingly looking at Prince An.
Lu Xilou sneered, "The Wang family has five sons and six daughters in total, and I have never heard of any of them being twins."
He turned to look at Prince An and said meaningfully, "Your Highness, Miss Wang is about to enter the palace as a concubine of the Emperor."
Prince An's face turned ashen; he never expected the Embroidered Uniform Guard to raid his door tonight, ruining his plans.
He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "Hai Ruo and I have long harbored feelings for each other. Once I enter the palace to inform my elder brother, he will surely grant our wish, considering my difficulty in having an heir."
That's right, it's just a woman. My elder brother always presents himself as someone who cherishes and trusts his younger brother, so he wouldn't get angry over something so trivial.
Prince An kept reassuring himself.
However, the next second, he saw a member of the Imperial Guard walk up to the multi-treasure pavilion on the east wall and reach out to take a jade incense burner placed on the second floor.
"Don't move!"
Without thinking, he shouted to stop him, but it was too late.
Pei Jinghuai grasped the incense burner, recalling Yan Yi's hint, and twisted it three times to the left.
Rumble...
Suddenly, a hidden door appeared in the wall, leading darkly underground.
Everyone present was stunned for a moment by this sudden turn of events, and fell into complete silence.
Lu Xilou was the first to react, raising an eyebrow and shouting sharply, "Take down Prince An!"
...
"Heavenly spirits, earthly spirits, Goddess Xuan Nu, please protect us! The secret passage in Prince An's room must contain evidence of his treason!"
Shen Lingyue knelt on the bed and kept bowing.
Pei Jinghuai was not home, so Yan Yi came to Danyue Pavilion to keep her company tonight. Seeing her muttering to herself, she couldn't help but advise, "Judging by the time, your second brother has already gone to Prince An's villa with Lu Xilou. He's sure to have some gains."
—The night before, just as Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue sneaked into the room where the maid's body was kept, intending to use her to create the strange phenomenon of "a lingering vengeful spirit" to expose the affair between Prince An and Consort Wang, they "saw" the scene after Prince An ordered the execution of the maid.
Yan Yi saw Prince An walk to the front of the Treasure Pavilion, grasp the jade incense burner and turn it three times to the left, after which a hidden door appeared on the wall.
Prince An hurriedly descended the steps, the hidden door quickly closed, and the illusion vanished.
She concluded that the maid's death might not have been solely due to her discovering the relationship between Prince An and Consort Wang; Prince An was concealing an even greater secret.
So she and Xiaoyue changed their plans on the spot, fabricated four prophetic lines to imply that Prince An had rebellious intentions, and then had Pei Jingyi go to the palace to report it. Pei Jinghuai infiltrated the Embroidered Uniform Guard and acted according to the situation, exposing the secret of the secret door to the public.
Whether the Embroidered Uniform Guard can obtain clues from behind the hidden door depends on whether Prince An is truly as innocent as he usually appears.
...
Pei Jinghuai didn't return until the next morning, looking travel-worn. As soon as he entered the house, he gulped down half a pot of tea, clearly indicating that he hadn't had time to drink water while traveling all night and was extremely thirsty.
Shen Lingyue couldn't wait any longer. As soon as he put down the teapot, he immediately asked, "So, what exactly is hidden in Prince An's villa?"
Pei Jinghuai had a bellyful of gossip to share with her, "Don't even mention it, Prince An actually had an affair with the young lady from the Wang family who is about to enter the palace, and we caught them red-handed!"
Shen Lingyue: ...Oh.
Is that the important point? She already knew that!
She urged him again, "Besides Wang Meiren, is the secret passage that your sister-in-law dreamed about real?"
Pei Jinghuai was dizzy from being shaken by her, and muttered softly, "I really don't know what kind of supernatural powers you and sister-in-law have acquired. Every day it's either vengeful spirits appearing in my dreams or gods appearing in my life... Alright, alright, I'll tell you! The secret passage does exist, and I opened it according to the method taught by sister-in-law."
The moment the secret door appeared, Lu Xilou immediately took control of Prince An, binding him hand and foot and gagging him before sending a few people down with him to investigate.
Pei Jinghuai naturally followed them down, and then they found boxes of armor and ironware, as well as a box of detonators that hadn't been moved away, in a secret room below the passage.
He said to Shen Lingyue, "Do you remember the illegal mine we discovered in Xiaowangzhuang last year? At the time, we all thought it was done by Prince Heng, and he was even confined to his quarters by His Majesty for half a year."
Shen Lingyue realized, "Could it be that the mastermind behind the private mine in Xiaowangzhuang is not Prince Heng, but Prince An?"
Pei Jinghuai nodded affirmatively, but with a hint of lingering fear, "Fortunately, we went down in time. The people that Prince An hid down there didn't have time to destroy the evidence. I recognized it at a glance; it was the same batch of goods I saw in the back mountain of Xiaowangzhuang last year."
If they had been a step slower, or had failed to control Prince An immediately, allowing his men to set off the detonators, most of the villas would probably have been razed to the ground.
Pei Jinghuai said, "Now that Prince An has been imprisoned in the imperial prison, once the Embroidered Uniform Guard finds more clues of treason in his residence, he will be doomed."
“That’s not right…” Shen Lingyue didn’t relax after hearing this; instead, she frowned. “If you only found one box of detonators in the secret passage, where did Prince An put all those other stockpiles he had saved up?”
Pei Jinghuai was stunned for a moment, then stared at Shen Lingyue.
"Yes, what about the other detonators?"
Suddenly, a deafening roar came from outside, and the ground beneath their feet seemed to tremble.
Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai immediately rushed out of the room and saw a thick cloud of black smoke rising in the direction of the palace, obscuring the sky and full of ominous signs.
"My goodness!" Shen Lingyue murmured, "Has Prince An gone mad? He actually blew up the palace?!"
etc……
If "Xuanjia" refers to black gunpowder, and Qian represents heaven and Kun represents earth, then Xuanjia splitting Kunyuan = gunpowder exploding the earth?
It matches perfectly, it matches perfectly!
Shen Lingyue touched her chest and sighed, "Yan Yan truly deserves to be the 'divine messenger' chosen by the Goddess Xuan Nu. This is clearly the power of words!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Prince Heng: [Crying][Crying] I beg Heaven to distinguish between the loyal and the treacherous!
[Let me see][Let me see] I saw the class representative handed in the homework~ But none of you found that word puzzle hhh Actually, I was also shocked when I was looking up the information, there's even knowledge about phonetic loan characters here orz
However, prophecies can be interpreted in many ways, and everyone's creative ideas have given me a lot of new inspiration; they even managed to create acrostic poems! Their imaginations are far richer than mine! [Applause][Applause]
There will be another update tonight! I've recently found that writing in two chapters feels smoother [doge emoji]
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