suspicion
The news of the Prince of Pingnan's death shocked the entire court. With the crown prince's ascension to the throne, factional shifts occurred, and some secretly pledged allegiance to the new ruler.
“The Prince of Pingnan is unpredictable and ruthless, but his son is a complete incompetent fool. Even if he inherits the title of prince, I'm afraid few people under him will respect him.”
Yan Li will never see the splendor of spring in Chang'an. In his previous life, he died in the ranks of those "loyal to the king," loyal to his country and dying for his sovereign... but this "sovereign" refers to the new emperor, Yan Ji.
In the contest between the uncle and nephew, Yan Ji finally prevailed. Despite his benevolent heart and his clear ambition to usurp the throne, he still managed to leave Yan Li with a good reputation after his death.
Xie Lingxi chuckled lightly: "Those who were supposed to go mad have gone mad. Yan Ji's death is not far off."
The death of the Prince of Pingnan that day was not something she had expected.
The atmosphere in the mourning hall was eerie. The Prince of Pingnan, sword in hand, looked menacing. She had only intended to fabricate a few words to disturb his peace of mind, hoping to prevent anyone from being injured or losing their lives. But who knew… the workings of fate were truly unpredictable.
A renowned general died in the nightmare he himself had woven.
Since the mystery they had been searching for was solved and the instigator died tragically, Xie Lingxi didn't say it, but Liu Xu felt that his wife had a burning madness hidden beneath her calm demeanor, which might one day burn her to ashes.
Xie Lingxi often said that he was like a willow in spring, drooping on the water, soft but unyielding. He also wanted to pour the Qujiang River water all over Xie Lingxi, extinguish the evil fire, and reveal his original crystal clear and beautiful wife.
Thinking of this, he gently massaged Xie Lingxi's head, supporting both sides of it. "Lingxi, have you made up your mind?"
"No."
Xie Lingxi didn't hide anything. She lay back on Liu Xu's lap, grabbed a sliver of light with her outstretched hand, and said, "To be honest, I'm very confused. Ah Xu, tell me, the Prince of Pingnan is dead. Should I cry or laugh?"
She has always been self-aware.
Having lived for three years, she felt much more at peace with herself, like a smooth pebble. However, the hatred in her heart did not fade with the passage of time and the loss of power of the tigers and wolves; instead, it was hidden in a deeper shadow.
The struggle for power is a life-or-death struggle. Now everything is clearly as she wished, but where does the sorrow and grief in her heart come from?
“Kill Yan Ji, establish a new emperor, protect the Xie family… everything is moving in a good direction, but I always feel that I won’t live to see that day.”
...Won't we live to see that day?
Liu Xu paused for a moment, his trembling subsiding, and asked, "Why do you think that?"
Xie Lingxi didn't speak, but simply closed her eyes.
Outside the window, willows sway gently and peach blossoms bloom brightly. The bleak atmosphere of last winter has finally disappeared, replaced by new grass and newly arrived swallows.
This bustling scene contrasted sharply with the desolation in her heart. After a long while, she slowly opened her lips and said, "It's just a habitual lament about spring and autumn. Don't take it to heart."
“No, my wife is listless all day long. How can I, as her husband, live well?” Liu Xu said firmly.
He tapped the person on his body on the forehead, a gesture that seemed to soothe her. Then, with a sip of tea, he put two large pills into her mouth.
Caught off guard, Xie Lingxi was doused with water on her neck, instantly extinguishing the rage in her heart. Then, she took a bite of a hard bean, swallowed it, and belatedly realized, "What did you give me to eat?"
Liu Xu: "Aphrodisiac."
"ah?"
"No," half the tea had spilled into her clothes, dripping onto her chest. Xie Lingxi felt she had never been so out of control. She knew a little about so-called "aphrodisiacs," but she wasn't completely ignorant either. Now she truly felt her heart burning fiercely. Grabbing a strand of her husband's hair, she cried out, "Liu Chengzhi, what have you done..."
Liu Xu was not ashamed at all: "Naturally, we should do what ordinary couples do. There is so much to learn about the pleasures of the bedroom, my wife."
Is that correct?
Is this person in front of me Liu Xu? Has Liu Xu become so arrogant now?
Xie Lingxi's mind was hazy, and she completely forgot about her previous failed attempts at flirting with Liu Xu. Indeed, a series of things had piled up during this period, leaving her no time to talk about love with Liu Xu.
She abruptly moved her head off her husband's lap, straightened up, turned her back to him, and opened her clothes to wipe the tea that had dripped onto her fair skin.
Liu Xu had teased her enough, finally clearing Xie Lingxi's chaotic thoughts. Seeing this, Xie Lingxi's ears turned a deep red.
His wife's nape and a small section of her bare back were laid bare before him, like a vibrant flower melting into the lush spring, transforming into a breathtakingly beautiful face. He, Liu Chengzhi, was a gentleman, but upon seeing this, he feared he wouldn't remain so for long.
"Alright," he coughed lightly, "how could it be an aphrodisiac?"
The next moment, Xie Lingxi turned around, raised her eyebrows slightly, and revealed a sly smile, as clear as melting snow in a clear stream, "I know."
"Only the magistrate is allowed to set fires, but this young lady isn't allowed to light a lamp?"
Liu Xu was taken aback, then chuckled, "Ah."
"This is the antidote sent by the princess."
Xie Lingxi let out a long sigh: "Finally."
She sat motionless on the couch, her husband leaning against her hair beside her. A gentle breeze and light rain mingled with the rosy glow of her hair. A traditional Chinese ink painting hung by the window, reflecting the fleeting sunlight.
The soft light spilled into the bedroom, and outside, children exclaimed in surprise, "Look! There's a rainbow!"
……rainbow?
Xie Lingxi leaned on the windowsill and looked up. Sure enough, a rainbow hung in the blue sky. Looking down, she saw the vivid colors of the Qujiang River and the sea breeze.
On one side, there's a light mist and drizzle; on the other, there's the glow of the setting sun.
All of them are beautiful landscapes.
...
His Majesty's birthday celebration will be held in three days.
Because of the death of a high-ranking official or relative of the emperor, in order to avoid the suspicion of banquets and celebrations, there were no banquets or singing and dancing, only a ceremony of "officials paying homage" was held.
After the Prince of Jin lost the hearts of the people due to his defeat, the previously unknown princess suddenly gained power. Within a few days, the son of a key minister and a regional prince who was guarding the area died one after another. The person in the Mingguang Palace who was originally terminally ill woke up from a dream with a dull pain in his chest. After spitting out a mouthful of blood, he was able to see and speak clearly again.
As dawn broke, several prime ministers were summoned to the palace.
Emperor Yongxu wore a black and gold court robe, exuding an undeniable air of majesty. Although his face was haggard, every word he uttered resounded with conviction.
He looked at Cui Wenying, who also had a sorrowful expression, and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Minister Cui, please accept my condolences."
Cui Wenying sighed, then suddenly bowed deeply, her voice resolute: "My son is dead, there's nothing I can do. But the murderer remains at large. Every time I close my eyes, I'm filled with grief, remembering the horrific scene of my son's death—"
He bowed again, saying, “The Cui family has served as ministers for three generations, devoting themselves to the Great Yan and Your Majesty until their dying breath. I dare to beg Your Majesty to uphold justice for my son and severely punish the murderer. I will never forget your great kindness and virtue.”
"oh?"
There was an underlying meaning in those words. Emperor Yongxu glanced at him shrewdly, "My dear minister, do you already know who that villain is?"
"nature--"
Cui Wenying pointed, her eyes cold and sharp, "It's him!"
"Xie Yuan! Do you know your crime?!"
Xie Yuan was still half asleep, his eyes glazed over. Suddenly called out, he snapped out of his daze and realized the meaning behind Cui Wenying's words. He was furious: "Brother Cui, what are you saying? What does your son's death have to do with me? My son is alive and well, and he doesn't cause trouble all the time. I'm perfectly happy. Why would I bother killing your son?"
The words may be rough, but the principle is sound.
Cui Jue's reputation as a playboy was known throughout Chang'an.
But as He said, these were just children's petty squabbles with Liu Xu, not worthy of bloodshed, let alone any grudges.
There were also grudges, such as those involving the bullying of children. For example, the Vice Minister Lü Gaonian in front of us had his daughter killed by Cui Jue's ruthless methods.
Xie Yuan was kind and refined, but Cui Wenying, like his son, had a reputation as a dissolute.
After thinking it over, Lü Gaonian bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Xie is right. Lord Cui's accusations are baseless."
Cui Wenying: "Who said I have no evidence?"
This sound startled everyone, and they looked at Xie Yuan with suspicion.
The latter remained unmoved. "Physical evidence and witness testimony? Then please present them for examination."
The two sides were on the verge of exploding, and the atmosphere had reached a fever pitch. Cui Wenying's eyes sharpened, and he was about to raise his hand to call for help when he heard the eunuch beside him cough softly. Above, Emperor Yongxu said solemnly, "Alright, Minister Cui, Minister Xie's character is known throughout the world. This matter must be a misunderstanding."
Cui Wenying's eyes flickered slightly, and she fell silent.
Emperor Yongxu nodded slightly, not mentioning the "evidence" that Cui Wenying had mentioned. He said, "I originally summoned you here to understand the current situation in the court, in case there are people who might use this as an excuse to disrupt the order of the court."
“The Prince of Pingnan is dead. I am deeply saddened. I will send the Ministry of Rites to investigate.”
Everyone looked down at their noses and into their hearts, and replied, "Yes."
Emperor Yongxu then said, "I am a little tired and will be dismissed from court tomorrow."
...The officials walked out of the palace gate.
Lu Gaonian glanced at Cui Wenying, then called the Minister of Rites to leave together, leaving Xie and Cui alone. They looked at each other, then their gazes drifted to the vermilion palace walls, and they both snorted.
"snort!"
...
Some people are making a big fuss about this.
The alleys and lanes of Chang'an have always been a battleground for calligraphers. Now, these gentlemen are fabricating stories about the terrifying night rain in the mourning hall that day, and even claiming with certainty that they personally saw Cui Sanlang's spirit float out at midnight, circle around to the south and take away someone.
The south? Isn't that the Prince of Pingnan?
Most of the talk about ghosts and gods is unbelievable. People prefer to believe that someone is secretly setting up a scheme to achieve some purpose—Cui Sanlang, Prince Pingnan…who will die next?
From imperial relatives to bureaucrats and scholars, everyone connected to the court was filled with fear and unease.
Connecting this to the rumors circulating in the streets during the winter months—that the Prince of Jin was the future emperor, favored by all and blessed by the gods—now that the Prince of Jin has fallen and the princess has ascended the throne, this is not a good omen.
The Prince of Pingnan is also dead, but the Cui family still has one son left. All signs point to the throne!
Emperor Yongxu summoned his senior officials for a meeting, wasn't it for this very reason?
"The matter is already clear. If he still can't see it, he should really step down and give way to a more capable person."
Although it is unknown how the Cui family dealt with that past affair, it was a family matter for others, and Xie Yuan had no time to concern himself with it. He simply staged a dramatic scene of "falling out" with Cui Wenying in front of the palace, which also silenced the emperor's desire to pry into the matter.
Xie Yuan said, "With one incident after another occurring in the royal family, and that princess being on good terms with the Empress, the Lu family's momentum is waning. In the end, the king's apprehension will fall on you and me."
Cui Wenying said sternly, "The position of Crown Prince will probably belong to Prince Qin, Yan Sheng."
These deeply rooted and renowned aristocratic families have always been a thorn in Emperor Yongxu's side. His statement today about "disrupting the court" is inevitably suspected of being a deliberate veiled threat.
Emperor Yongxu wanted to break this balance in order to eliminate any worries about the downfall of the imperial power, but the current operation of the court relied on the aristocratic families, so he could neither attack nor scold them.
Yet they insist on putting on an air of supreme dignity.
None of the people present are easy to mess with; they are born proud and unwilling to suffer such indignities. Once this superficial harmony is broken, another bloody storm will ensue.
Xie Yuan glanced at Cui Wenying and said, "Let's see how long he can hold this position."
As Xie Lingxi said, the Prince of Pingnan once used the Xie family's name to recruit accomplices in various states, and when he was colluding with Cui Jue, he taught Cui Jue to recognize him as his godfather.
The reputations of the Xie and Cui families could have been a valuable asset for him, but now that they are dead and their influence has waned, he and the Cui family have taken some of those benefits with a smile.
"If a person doesn't look out for himself, he'll be punished by heaven and earth." The struggle for power has always been arduous.
He had only one question: what he and Cui Wenying had done today was merely to dispel the emperor's doubts and stir up the deep waters of Chang'an into an even more turbulent and chaotic situation...
Yan Sheng, Yan Ji, and the Prince of Pingnan... the three vied for power, the Lu and Pei families lost their power one after another, the Prince of Pingnan died, and there were still several unnamed princes among the imperial heirs, and it was still unknown who would ultimately inherit the throne.
But why, in this case, did someone like Cui Sanlang, who died in public and whose death was known to everyone, have to be included?
Killing Cui Jue would not benefit the situation. Although the murderer has been executed, on the surface, this remains an unsolved case. Even if someone tries to curry favor with Prime Minister Cui through this matter, they will not know where to direct their criticism.
If the Prince of Pingnan wanted to vent his anger, he could have killed the person quietly. Why did he have to make such a big show of it? What was he trying to do?
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