Forty-two
Ever since the Eighth Prince saw Zhan Zhao's jade pendant in Kaifeng that day, a huge weight had been pressing on his heart. The patterns on the pendant, the faint character "Jing" (静), and the resemblance between Zhan Zhao's features and those of the person in his memory—all these kept swirling in his mind, refusing to leave. He was almost certain that Zhan Zhao was the child that Consort Jing had conceived years ago. But did the Emperor know? If not, as a subject, he had a responsibility to remind him; if he did know… why didn't the Emperor acknowledge him? And why did he treat Zhan Zhao so specially?
After much deliberation, the Eighth Prince finally decided to enter the palace to meet the Emperor. This matter concerned the royal bloodline, and even more so, Zhan Zhao himself; he had to get to the bottom of it.
Night had fallen, but the imperial study remained brightly lit. Zhao Zhen was bent over his desk, reviewing memorials, a hint of weariness in his eyes. When the eunuch announced that the Eighth Prince requested an audience, he was somewhat surprised, but still allowed him in.
"Eighth Imperial Uncle, is there something important that you have to do in the palace so late at night?" Zhao Zhen put down his vermilion brush and rubbed his temples.
The Eighth Prince dismissed his attendants, leaving only the uncle and nephew in the imperial study. He did not speak immediately, but walked to Zhao Zhen's desk, calmly looking at the young emperor, and slowly asked, "Your Majesty, I have come today only to ask one thing." He paused, lowering his voice, but each word was clear, "Zhan Zhao... is he the son of Consort Jing?"
Zhao Zhen's hand, holding the brush, paused slightly, a drop of vermilion ink nearly falling onto the memorial. He raised his eyes to look at the Eighth Prince, his deep eyes showing little surprise, but rather a complex mix of understanding and emotion. He did not answer immediately, and silence filled the imperial study, broken only by the crackling of the candlelight.
After a long while, Zhao Zhen gently put down his pen, leaned back on the dragon throne, and gazed into the distant past as if his eyes pierced through the layers of palace walls. He sighed softly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "Uncle, you've seen through me."
These five simple words struck the Eighth Prince like a thunderclap. The Emperor did indeed know!
"When did His Majesty find out?" the Eighth Prince pressed, his heart filled with turmoil.
Zhao Zhen's gaze remained distant, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the dragon desk: "I knew about it the year I ascended the throne." His voice was soft, carrying a hint of wistful recollection, "Consort Jing... she was already pregnant when she left the palace. Father... perhaps he didn't know, perhaps... he tacitly approved. She went to Jiangnan and gave birth to Zhan Zhao."
The Eighth Prince was deeply shocked. Could the late Emperor have known all along? What were the twists and turns involved…?
Zhao Zhen continued, his tone calm to the point of indifference: "After I ascended the throne, I cleaned up some of the secret guards left behind by my father, and only then did I piece together the truth from some fragmented records. I... watched him countless times from the shadows, watching him grow from a young swordsman in Jiangnan into a renowned hero of the South, and then watching him... enter Kaifeng and become the Imperial Cat." In his voice, there was a trace of pride and complex emotions that belonged to an elder brother, which were extremely difficult to detect.
"Since Your Majesty already knows, why...why not acknowledge him?" The Eighth Prince was puzzled, even somewhat agitated. "He is your brother! He is of royal blood!"
"Recognize him?" Zhao Zhen withdrew his gaze, looked at the Eighth Prince, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips. "What's the point of recognizing him? To drag him into this endless court intrigue and palace power struggle? To make him a tool for some people to attack me? Or to lock this free-spirited eagle in this golden cage?"
His tone gradually became agitated, but he quickly regained his composure as an emperor: "Uncle, look at Zhan Zhao now. How is he living? He is chivalrous, protecting Bianjing, has a superior like Bao Qing, friends like Bai Yutang, and now... he even has a wife like Tianyi. He lives an upright and honorable life. But if he were to return to his ancestral lineage, he would no longer be Zhan Zhao. He would be the prince the late emperor had abandoned among the common people, my 'Imperial Brother.' At that time, countless eyes would be on him, and countless open and hidden attacks would be aimed at him. Could he still act as he pleases, upholding justice and protecting the fairness in his heart as he does now?"
Zhao Zhen stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the deep night outside. His back looked somewhat lonely: "Let him be Zhan Zhao, rather than a prince with an awkward status who is always in trouble. This is the only thing I can do for him."
The Eighth Prince listened intently, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He understood Zhao Zhen's good intentions. In this deep palace, amidst the treacherous court, a suddenly appearing prince would indeed disrupt the existing balance and become a target of public criticism. Zhao Zhen was protecting his younger brother, who had been living among the common people, in his own way.
“But…Your Majesty, is this fair to Zhan Zhao? He has the right to know about his origins,” the Eighth Prince sighed.
"What good would knowing do?" Zhao Zhen turned around, his gaze sharp. "Would you rather he bear this heavy identity and face unknown risks? Or would you rather he spend the rest of his life harboring resentment towards Father Emperor, Consort Jing, and even me? Uncle, some truths are better left unknown." He paused, his tone softening. "Besides, I haven't done nothing. Placing him in Kaifeng Prefecture, by Bao Qing's side, gave him a position where he could best realize his ambitions while also enjoying relative stability. Watching him achieve great things, watching him marry and have children, is enough for me."
Silence fell once more in the imperial study. The Eighth Prince looked at Zhao Zhen, a young emperor whose face possessed a composure and forbearance beyond his years. He buried his brotherly affection deep within his heart, silently protecting Zhan Zhao in the manner befitting an emperor.
"Your Majesty's intentions are truly admirable. I will keep this matter to myself." The Eighth Prince bowed deeply.
Zhao Zhen nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble, Imperial Uncle." He walked back to the desk, picked up the vermilion brush again, as if the heart-touching conversation had never happened. "The border situation is urgent. The Liao people are restless. I need Imperial Uncle and Minister Bao to put in more effort."
"Your subject obeys the decree." The Eighth Prince knew the conversation was over. He bowed and left the imperial study, walking along the quiet palace path. The night breeze brought a slight chill, but it couldn't dispel the heaviness in his heart. He glanced back at the still-lit imperial study and sighed inwardly: Zhen'er, you bear far too much.
At this moment, Zhan Zhao was completely unaware of all this. He was in the study of Xiaoyou Villa with Xuanyuan Tianyi, carefully analyzing the intelligence that An Yu had just sent.
"We've found the owner of HSBC Pawnshop." Xuan Yuantian pointed to a piece of paper. "It's Duke Rong, Zhao Yunbi."
"The Duke of Rong?" Zhan Zhao frowned. The Duke of Rong was from a collateral branch of the imperial family. Although he held no real power, he was highly respected and had close ties with the palace. "How did he get involved in the matter of the Pearl of the East Sea?"
“The Duke of Rongguo is fond of antiques, especially jade. The quality of those East Sea pearls is rare, so it’s not impossible that he obtained some through Wang Jin,” Xuan Yuantian analyzed. “The key question is whether he knew that the origin of these pearls was questionable and whether they were connected to the Liao people.”
“The things Liu Mingyuan raised through Moxianzhai ultimately ended up at HSBC.” Zhan Zhao pointed to another intelligence report. “Although Boss Wu is missing, we found that several batches of ‘calligraphy and paintings’ that came out of Moxianzhai were sent to HSBC’s warehouse and never left again.”
"It seems that HSBC is not only a place for selling stolen goods, but also a warehouse for storing contraband." Xuan Yuantian's eyes turned cold. "Duke Rong, Zhao Yunbi... does he have the guts to secretly collude with the Liao Kingdom?"
Zhan Zhao pondered, "The Duke of Rong is a cautious man, not the type to commit such a treasonous act. Perhaps he's just being used? Or is there something else going on within HSBC?"
"Whether there's more to it than meets the eye, we'll find out soon enough." Xuan Yuantian's tone was calm, yet resolute.
Zhan Zhao nodded: "I'll arrange for men to spy on the HSBC ship at night."
“There’s no need to arrange for anyone.” Xuan Yuantian stood up. “I will go with you. The Rongguo Duke’s mansion is heavily guarded, and the HSBC is his private property, so there must be experts protecting it. The more people there are, the more certain we will be.”
Zhan Zhao looked at her and did not object. He knew Xuan Yuan Tianyi's strength; with her there, things would indeed be safer. "Alright."
At three-quarters past midnight, two dark figures swept across the rooftops of Bianjing City like ghosts, silently landing outside the high wall of the HSBC pawnshop's backyard. They were Zhan Zhao and Xuan Yuan Tianyi.
Both were dressed in night clothes, their faces veiled with black scarves. Zhan Zhao carried the Juque sword on his back, his aura restrained. Xuan Yuan Tianyi was still dressed smartly, but now he wore a black cloak, concealing the striking red.
Zhan Zhao made a gesture, and the two of them simultaneously leaped onto the high wall, lying in the shadows to observe. The courtyard was indeed heavily guarded, with sentries both visible and hidden, and the patrolling guards all had bulging temples, clearly skilled fighters.
"Two in the left corridor, one behind the artificial hill on the right, and two more on the roof of the warehouse." Zhan Zhao lowered his voice and quickly determined the location of the guards.
Xuanyuan Tian nodded, his gaze falling on the largest building in the backyard—the HSBC warehouse. "The warehouse is the key point."
The two tacitly chose the most secluded route, using the shadows and pillars as cover, and like two wisps of smoke, silently avoided all the guards and sneaked to a vent on the side of the warehouse.
Zhan Zhao carefully inspected the window frame and found no hidden mechanisms, so he gently pried open the latch with his dagger. The two of them then climbed inside.
The warehouse was pitch black, filled with dust and the smell of old, worn-out items. By the faint moonlight filtering through the transom window, one could see it was filled with chests and shelves of all sizes, displaying a dazzling array of goods, from antique paintings and calligraphy to gold and silver utensils.
"Let's split up and search," Xuan Yuantian said in a low voice.
The two immediately sprang into action. Zhan Zhao was responsible for inspecting the chests near the door, which mostly contained ordinary pawned items. Xuan Yuan Tian, on the other hand, headed deeper into the storeroom.
Suddenly, Xuan Yuan Tianyi stopped in front of a row of tall antique shelves. She reached out and tapped the shelves a few times, producing a hollow echo.
“There’s a hidden compartment here,” she said definitively.
Zhan Zhao immediately came over, and the two carefully searched the bottom of the display shelf, finally discovering an extremely well-hidden mechanism. Xuan Yuan Tianyi signaled Zhan Zhao to be on guard, while he himself carefully pulled the trigger.
With a soft "click," the display shelf silently slid open to the side, revealing a hidden door behind it, just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Behind the hidden door is a downward stone staircase, with faint light shining through.
The two exchanged a glance, and Zhan Zhao took the lead, sword in hand, and descended the stone steps, with Xuan Yuan Tianyi following closely behind.
The stone steps were short, leading down to a small basement. Several lamps were constantly lit inside, illuminating the space as bright as day. The sight within, however, caused even the well-traveled Zhan Zhao to gasp in astonishment!
In one corner of the basement, several open chests were piled up, containing exquisitely crafted crossbows and arrows! The quantity was enough to equip a small army! In another corner, ingots of official silver were neatly stacked, bearing clear official seals! And on the innermost shelf, several brocade boxes were placed.
Xuanyuan Tianyi stepped forward and opened a brocade box, inside which was the dazzling East Sea Pearl! In another brocade box was a stack of letters.
Zhan Zhao picked up the letters and quickly flipped through them, his face growing increasingly grim with each reading. Some letters were from Yelü Zongzhen to his "collaborators," mentioning subsequent plans and rewards; others were progress reports from the "collaborators," detailing the use of their positions to leak border defense information and the secret transport of supplies via the Grand Canal. Although the signature used an alias, the information conveyed between the lines, and the familiar handwriting…
"It's Zhang Hong's handwriting!" Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice. These letters were clearly copies of the correspondence between Zhang Hong and Yelü Zongzhen! And that "collaborator" was undoubtedly the mastermind behind Zhang Hong!
“It seems this is their true lair,” Xuan Yuantian said coldly. “The Duke of Rong… he can’t escape.”
Just then, a very slight sound of a mechanism turning came from above!
"Oh no! We've been discovered!" Zhan Zhao reacted quickly, grabbing Xuan Yuan Tianyi and rushing towards the stone steps!
However, it was still too late!
With a loud "Boom!", a thick iron plate slammed down from the hidden door they had come down through, completely sealing the exit! At the same time, several fist-sized holes suddenly opened in the four walls of the basement, and a strong, pungent smell of kerosene instantly filled the air!
"They want to burn us alive!" Zhan Zhao's expression changed, and his Giant Sword was instantly drawn, its sword energy crisscrossing as he attempted to cut through the iron plate. But the iron plate was made of some unknown material, exceptionally hard, and the sword energy only left a few white marks on it!
Oil was being continuously poured into the hole, and soon a thin layer accumulated on the basement floor.
“It’s no use, this is made of black iron.” Xuan Yuan Tianyi’s voice remained calm. She walked to the iron plate, placed her palm on it, and closed her eyes to concentrate. After a moment, she opened her eyes. “The mechanism is on the top; it can’t be opened from the inside.”
Thick smoke began to seep in through the holes, accompanied by the crackling sound of burning flames. The people outside had already started a fire!
The temperature rose rapidly, and the air became scorching and thin.
Zhan Zhao shielded Xuan Yuan Tianyi behind him, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings, searching for a possible way out. But apart from the exit sealed by the black iron, the basement was surrounded by solid stone walls, offering no other way out.
"I've dragged you into this mess." Zhan Zhao looked at Xuan Yuan Tianyi, her eyes filled with guilt. If he hadn't insisted on investigating, she wouldn't have ended up in such a desperate situation.
Xuanyuan Tianyi shook his head, showing no fear on his face, but instead revealing a strange smile: "Not necessarily."
As she spoke, she took out a jade bottle no bigger than a thumb from her bosom, uncorked it, and dripped a drop of blood-red liquid onto the kerosene at her feet.
The moment the drop of liquid touched the kerosene, it did not ignite. Instead, it spread rapidly across the surface of the kerosene as if it were alive. Wherever it passed, the pungent smell of kerosene gradually dissipated, replaced by a faint, elegant aroma similar to sandalwood.
"This is..." Zhan Zhao looked at this scene in surprise.
"Qilin blood can ward off all poisons and neutralize the properties of kerosene," Xuan Yuan Tianyi said calmly, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. "It just takes a little time."
Just then, the sounds of fierce fighting and shouts came from above!
"It's the people from Kaifeng Prefecture!" Zhan Zhao's spirits lifted! They must have been waiting outside for a long time without getting a signal, sensed something was wrong, and forced their way in!
The sounds of fighting grew closer, seemingly coming from inside the warehouse.
Suddenly, with a loud "bang," the black iron plate trembled violently, and its edges seemed to loosen slightly!
"Get out of the way!" Xuan Yuantian shouted, pulling Zhan Zhao back a few steps.
Suddenly, the stone wall at the joint of the black iron plate exploded, and amidst the flying debris, a white figure shot in like lightning. With a flash of cold light in his hand, he precisely struck the joint of the mechanism!
"Crack!" The sound of the mechanism breaking was clearly heard.
Immediately afterwards, the heavy black iron plate was suddenly lifted from the outside! Bai Yutang's face, with a mocking smile, appeared at the cave entrance.
"Cat, Tianyi! Are you alright? Did I make it in time?" He had barely finished speaking when he smelled the strange sandalwood scent inside, and then saw the expired kerosene on the ground. He paused for a moment, "Huh? What's going on?"
Behind him, Wang Chao and Ma Han, along with the constables of Kaifeng Prefecture, quickly brought the scene under control, and all the guards of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion inside the warehouse were subdued.
Zhan Zhao and Xuan Yuan Tianyi leaped out of the basement. Zhan Zhao looked at Bai Yutang and breathed a sigh of relief: "Just in time. Any later and I would have turned into a roasted cat."
Bai Yutang laughed heartily, then said seriously, "That old bastard, the Duke of Rongguo, tried to escape, but Zhang Long and Zhao Hu caught him red-handed at the back gate and have already escorted him back to Kaifeng Prefecture!"
Zhan Zhao nodded, his gaze falling on the crossbows, official silver, and letters brought out from the basement, his eyes cold: "Caught red-handed, let's see how he tries to deny it this time!"
He walked to the pile of letters and picked up the one signed with a pseudonym, but with familiar handwriting. This time, he looked at it more carefully. Besides Zhang Hong's handwriting, he seemed to see a very faint emblem in the corner of the letter, as if it had been inadvertently printed there... He felt like he had seen that emblem somewhere before.
Zhan Zhao pondered intently, and a scene suddenly flashed through his mind—it was a mark he had accidentally seen many years ago when he first entered Kaifeng Prefecture and was looking through some old files. It seemed to be related to a long-deceased royal family mansion...
Could it be that the person behind the scenes is not the Duke of Rong, but someone else entirely? Is the Duke of Rong merely a pawn being pushed out?
He raised his head and exchanged a glance with Xuan Yuan Tianyi, both of them seeing the solemnity in each other's eyes.
It seems that exposing the Duke of Rong is not the end, but rather the prelude to a deeper layer of mystery. The real mastermind remains hidden in the shadows.
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