Fifty-seven
The phrase "Empress Dowager De" from Granny Qian stirred ripples in Zhan Zhao's heart like a pebble thrown into an ancient well. He remained outwardly calm, only speaking gently to Granny Qian: "I will remember what you said today. The Kaifeng Prefecture will do its best to handle Cui'er's matter and ensure her brother's safety. Please keep this a secret for now and do not alert the enemy."
Seeing Zhan Zhao's solemn expression, Granny Qian knew he wasn't lying. She nodded repeatedly in agreement, then hunched over and hurried away, her figure quickly disappearing into the shadows of the palace walls.
Zhan Zhao stood there, dusk settling in, palace lanterns lighting up one by one, their dim light illuminating his serene profile. Consort De… a concubine highly respected by the late Emperor in his later years, mother of a princess. Though not Zhao Zhen's biological mother, she held deep roots in the palace and died of illness shortly after the late Emperor's passing. If she truly had connections to the Prince of An's household, and even participated in the conspiracy to frame Consort Jing and cover up the truth, then although she was gone, the network of influence she left behind was likely still operating in the shadows, perhaps even infiltrating the current palace.
The clues seemed to point to a long-buried past deep within the palace. Zhan Zhao recalled his mother's gentle yet sorrowful eyes in the portrait at Jing'an Palace, and the hesitant words the Eighth Prince uttered when mentioning the Pearl of the East Sea. His resolve to uncover the truth grew even stronger. He had to investigate, not only to clarify the origins of his own bloodline, but also to root out the lurking spies within the palace and prevent future troubles.
He did not return directly to Kaifeng Prefecture, but instead went to the residence of the Eighth Prince. Perhaps this uncle, who was deeply trusted by the late emperor and knew much about the past, knew more about the secrets of the palace.
Upon hearing of Zhan Zhao's visit, the Eighth Prince dismissed his attendants and received him in his study. After Zhan Zhao relayed Granny Qian's words and mentioned that the Dowager Consort De might be involved in the old case of the Prince of An's mansion, the Eighth Prince stroked his beard and pondered for a long time. In the candlelight, his face appeared particularly solemn.
“The Dowager Consort De…” the Eighth Prince began slowly, his voice heavy with reminiscence, “She was the cousin of the Princess Consort of An County.”
Zhan Zhao's pupils contracted slightly. This kinship was enough to explain many things.
"When the Prince of An's rebellion broke out, it implicated many people. Although Consort De did not openly plead for Prince An in the palace, she secretly... The late Emperor was kind and, considering that she had given birth to a princess and there was no concrete evidence to prove her involvement in the rebellion, he did not investigate further, but only secretly reduced some of her power as a warning." The Eighth Prince sighed, "Consort Jing... She was deeply favored by the late Emperor and was pregnant with the imperial heir, so she inevitably became a thorn in the side of some people. Those pearls from the East Sea, according to the investigation, were originally tribute items, but the records of their entry into the warehouse were vague. Later, some of the pearls mysteriously appeared among the stolen goods in Prince An's mansion, becoming one of the so-called pieces of evidence used to frame Consort Jing and her family for 'colluding with a prince and having treacherous intentions.' Although the late Emperor did not believe that Consort Jing would do such a heinous thing, the court was in turmoil at the time, and the remnants of Prince An's faction had not been eliminated. In order to protect Consort Jing and the child in her womb, he had no choice but to..."
"So, you had no choice but to tacitly allow Consort Jing to fake her death and leave the palace?" Zhan Zhao replied, his voice low.
The Eighth Prince looked at Zhan Zhao, his eyes filled with complex emotions, and nodded: "Yes. That was the only way the late Emperor could think of to protect you and your child amidst the covetous eyes of various forces. The fake death medicine was provided by a reliable person, and the route out of the palace was also secretly arranged by the late Emperor, escorted by several absolutely loyal guards. To avoid leaks and attracting the pursuit of the remnants of Prince An or other people who were detrimental to Consort Jing, all operations were carried out in top secrecy. After leaving the palace, all contact was cut off. The late Emperor... it wasn't that he didn't care, but as the ruler of a country, he also had many unavoidable circumstances. He believed that keeping you away from the palace and living in anonymity was the best protection for you."
Zhan Zhao listened silently, his heart churning with emotion. It turned out that his mother's departure from the palace wasn't simply a matter of being implicated, but rather a carefully orchestrated escape by the late emperor under duress. That jade pendant was not only a token of his mother's love, but also likely a promise left by the late emperor for their future recognition.
"As for the specific role that Consort De played in all of this..." the Eighth Prince continued, "Did she take advantage of her position in charge of some palace affairs to tamper with the East Sea Pearl matter and frame Consort Jing? Did she continue to secretly investigate Consort Jing's whereabouts after her 'death'? These things... are difficult to find due to the passage of time. She has been gone for many years, and many secrets have been buried with her. But if what Granny Qian said is true, and her old acquaintances are still active, and even have some connection with the remnants of Prince An, then this matter is far from over."
"Does Your Highness mean that although Consort De is dead, the spies she planted back then may still be in the palace, or even still serving certain purposes?" Zhan Zhao keenly grasped the key point.
“Very likely.” The Eighth Prince nodded. “The fact that the remnants of Prince An’s faction have been able to remain hidden until now shows that their influence is deeply entrenched. It’s hard to imagine that they wouldn’t have been able to do this without an inside agent in the palace. The Dowager Consort De’s connection may be the key to that core inside agent. Zhan Zhao, you must be very careful in this investigation. The other party has been operating in the palace for many years and has many eyes and ears. If you are not careful, you may not only alert them but also endanger yourself.”
"Zhan Zhao understands." Zhan Zhao stood up and bowed deeply to the Eighth Prince. "Thank you for telling me these past events, Your Highness."
It was late at night when Zhan Zhao left the Eighth Prince's residence. He went directly to Kaifeng Prefecture. He needed to immediately inform Bao Zheng about the clue of the Dowager Consort De, and to re-examine all the files related to the East China Sea Pearl case and the remnants of Prince An, looking for any overlooked clues related to the Dowager Consort De or her former palace associates.
Bao Zheng also attached great importance to the news brought back by Zhan Zhao. The two of them worked late into the night in the study, together with Gongsun Ce who had rushed over upon hearing the news, as they sifted through the mountain of old files.
"My lord, look here." Zhan Zhao pulled out a yellowed copy of the account book and pointed to one of the records. "This is the record of the Eastern Sea Pearl being put into the treasury by the Imperial Treasury. The handwriting at the signature of the person in charge... is seven parts similar to the handwriting of a certain pseudonym that we saw in the secret letter from the Duke of Rong's mansion."
Gongsun Ce leaned closer to examine it carefully, then took out a copy of the secret letter that had been confiscated earlier for comparison. He stroked his beard and pondered, "They are indeed similar. It seems that the person who tampered with the records of the inner treasury back then was likely an inside agent planted in the palace by Prince An or Consort De. This person had access to the core accounts of the inner treasury, so he must have a high position."
"Furthermore," Zhan Zhao pulled out another old list of palace servants, pointing to the section on the palace where Consort De resided, "After Consort De passed away, most of the old servants in her palace were dismissed, but the whereabouts of several close maids and eunuchs... are vaguely recorded, some saying they died of illness, others saying they returned to their hometowns, but their specific places of origin and times are all unclear."
Bao Zheng's gaze sharpened: "These people are very likely the spies left behind by the Dowager Consort De, disguised and infiltrated in other locations within the palace. The purchasing eunuch who contacted Cui'er might be one of them!"
The clues are gradually becoming clearer. A network originating from the late Consort De, through her former associates in the palace, and maintaining contact with the remnants of Prince An outside the palace, is beginning to emerge, facilitating intelligence sharing, financial transfers, and even the carrying out of conspiracies.
"The most urgent task is to find the source of that purchasing eunuch, as well as the other spies left behind by Consort De," Bao Zheng said in a deep voice. "Guard Zhan, this matter still needs to be carried out in secret. In conjunction with the Imperial City Guard, you must root out these traitors!"
"Yes!" Zhan Zhao accepted the order.
In the days that followed, Zhan Zhao became increasingly busy. Taking advantage of his access to the palace, he worked closely with the Imperial City Guard to conduct even more rigorous surveillance and interrogation of the purchasing eunuch. Following the clues, he indeed found two former associates of the Empress Dowager De who were lurking in the Imperial Wardrobe and the Imperial Kitchen. These people were extremely cautious, communicating with each other through single lines of communication; without seizing the purchasing eunuch as a breakthrough, they would have been extremely difficult to discover.
Through secret interrogations and evidence gathering, more of the truth was revealed. It was confirmed that Consort De had indeed abused her power, colluding with Prince An to tamper with the Donghai Pearl's storage, intending to raise funds for Prince An's rebellion. After Prince An's rebellion failed, he used this to frame the then-powerful Consort Jing, killing two birds with one stone. After Consort Jing's "death," Consort De did not give up the investigation, suspecting she had faked her death to escape, and repeatedly sent people to secretly search for her. Even after her own death, this line of inquiry was not completely severed, secretly maintained by her trusted confidants, maintaining a delicate balance with the remaining forces of Prince An outside the palace. It was only when Zhao Zongji and his group returned that this line was reactivated, used for intelligence transmission and coordinated operations within the palace, including the previous attempt to poison Princess Fukang.
With the capture of the last remaining fugitive, a trusted eunuch of Consort De, in an abandoned manor outside Bianjing by the Imperial City Guard, who confessed to all his crimes, the Donghai Pearl case, which had plagued the palace for many years, along with the network of influence of Prince An—Consort De—that was involved behind it, was completely eradicated.
On the day the dust settled, Zhao Zhen sat alone in the imperial study for a long time. Before him lay the final case file presented by Bao Zheng, which detailed the crimes of Consort De and her former associates, as well as the helpless choice the late emperor had made to protect Consort Jing and her son.
He recalled Consort Jing, who always had a gentle smile and would secretly slip him snacks when he was a child; he remembered his father, the Emperor, occasionally gazing absently out of the palace walls in his later years; and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. His father's forbearance and helplessness, Consort Jing's wandering and death, Zhan Zhao's years of solitary wandering... all of this stemmed from the power struggles and conspiracies within the court and the harem.
Now that the truth has come to light and the culprit has been brought to justice, his younger brother, who had been living in exile for many years, can finally face the truth about his origins.
"Prepare the carriage," Zhao Zhen stood up and said to the eunuch beside him, "to Xiaoyou Villa."
The Xiaoyou Villa was exceptionally quiet under the cover of night. On the stone table in the courtyard, several delicate dishes and a pot of warm wine were already laid out. Xuanyuan Tianyi was not present, seemingly having anticipated that the two brothers would need their own space.
Zhan Zhao changed out of his official robes and into an ordinary blue long gown, standing in the courtyard waiting. When he saw Zhao Zhen arrive in plain clothes, he stepped forward to bow, but Zhao Zhen raised his hand to stop him.
“Here, there are no rulers and subjects, only brothers.” Zhao Zhen looked at him, his gaze gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible emotion.
The two sat down at the stone table. Zhao Zhen personally poured two cups of wine and pushed one of them towards Zhan Zhao.
"The cases... are all closed." Zhao Zhen picked up his wine cup, his voice calm. "The old faction of Consort De has been completely purged. Consort Jing's grievances have also been redressed."
Zhan Zhao's fingers tightened slightly around the wine cup, causing the clear liquid inside to swirl. He remained silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Your Majesty... knows everything."
Zhao Zhen looked at him, his eyes filled with complex emotions: "You've suffered these past years."
Zhan Zhao shook his head, looked up at Zhao Zhen, his gaze clear and firm: "Zhan Zhao has never felt wronged. The water towns of Jiangnan nurtured me, the chivalry of the Jianghu tempered me, and Kaifeng Prefecture and... the Emperor's trust gave me a place to settle down and realize my ambitions. In this life, Zhan Zhao has no regrets."
Hearing this, Zhao Zhen was moved. He downed the wine in his cup in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, bringing a slight warmth and bolstering his courage. He put down his cup and looked intently at Zhan Zhao:
"The matter is now clear, and you... still won't call me 'Royal Brother'?"
A night breeze wafted by, carrying the sweet fragrance of flowers and grass in the courtyard. Moonlight, like water, flowed quietly between the two. Zhan Zhao looked into the undisguised expectation and a touch of clumsy brotherly tenderness in the eyes of the young emperor before him, and the last trace of estrangement caused by the sudden change in their status finally melted away.
He stood up, took a step back, straightened his robes, and then, facing Zhao Zhen, solemnly, clearly, and with unprecedented intimacy and respect, bowed and uttered the title that had been overdue for more than twenty years:
"Royal brother."
That one word, "Your Majesty," seemed to transcend the layers of the palace and the long years, truly and closely connecting the two blood-related individuals.
Zhao Zhen felt his eyes welling up slightly. He suddenly stood up, walked around the stone table, grabbed Zhan Zhao's arm, pulled him up, and patted his shoulder hard, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Good! Good! I... I've been waiting for you to say this for so long!"
The two brothers exchanged a smile, their unspoken emotions swirling within them. Once seated again, the atmosphere became noticeably more relaxed. They no longer discussed court politics or palace intrigue, but instead shared anecdotes from the martial world, the sights and sounds of the frontier, and even reminisced about the comical incidents Zhan Zhao had caused when he first arrived in Kaifeng. As the wine flowed freely, Zhao Zhen looked at Zhan Zhao and suddenly asked:
"What are your plans for the future? Do you want to..."
Zhan Zhao understood Zhao Zhen's unspoken words. He shook his head, his expression calm: "Your Majesty, Zhan Zhao is still Zhan Zhao. My duty in Kaifeng Prefecture is to protect the safety of the people of Bianjing, which is the foundation of my life. As for other things... they are not important. The way things are now, it's good."
Looking into his clear and determined eyes, Zhao Zhen knew that his words came from the bottom of his heart. He felt both gratified and a little bittersweet. His younger brother had ultimately chosen the more difficult path, one that was more in line with his own nature.
“Since this is your choice, Your Majesty… supports you.” Zhao Zhen raised his wine cup. “May we, brothers, work together to protect this Song Dynasty.”
"Your subject will certainly do his utmost!" Zhan Zhao raised his cup in response.
That night, the lights in Xiaoyou Villa stayed on for a long time. When Zhao Zhen set off to return to the palace, slightly tipsy and filled with warmth, the east was already beginning to lighten.
After seeing Zhao Zhen off, Zhan Zhao stood alone in the courtyard for a while. The morning breeze dispelled the effects of the wine, and he felt an unprecedented peace and fulfillment. The mystery of his origins had been solved, the hidden dangers in the palace had been eliminated, and although there were still storms ahead, his resolve grew stronger.
He turned to go back to his room, only to find Xuan Yuan Tianyi already standing on the veranda, quietly watching him. In the soft morning light, she was dressed in red, still languid, but with an indescribable gentleness in her eyes.
"Finished talking?" She walked over slowly, her voice hoarse from the early morning.
"Hmm." Zhan Zhao stepped forward and naturally took her hand. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Xuanyuan Tianyi let him hold his hand, his gaze sweeping over his face, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It seems the knot in your heart has been untied."
Zhan Zhao nodded and held her slightly cool hand even tighter: "Yes. From now on, I am just Zhan Zhao, your husband."
Upon hearing this, Xuan Yuan Tianyi's smile deepened. She raised her hand and gently stroked Zhan Zhao's eyebrows and eyes. Then, she took his hand and gently placed it on her still flat stomach.
Zhan Zhao was slightly taken aback at first, and then, feeling the subtle life rhythm in his palm that was connected to his bloodline, he suddenly looked up and stared at Xuan Yuan Tianyi in disbelief.
Xuanyuan Tianyi met his shocked and ecstatic gaze with a lazy smile, the vermilion mark on his forehead glowing bright red in the morning light:
"It seems that from now on, I will not only be a husband, but also learn to be a father."
Zhan Zhao felt an overwhelming, indescribable sense of happiness instantly engulf him. He suddenly embraced Xuan Yuan Tianyi tightly, his arms trembling slightly with excitement. A thousand words choked in his throat, ultimately turning into a low, joyful sigh that blended into the gradually brightening morning light.
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