Chapter 32 I Saw Spring Return (Part 9) "Interests."...
The weather today was not particularly bright, the sunlight was rather weak, and a slight, chilly breeze even arose as Yan Chao entered the palace. The emperor was alone in the hall, casually propping his chin on his hand and slowly turning the pages of a record table.
The instant Yan Chao lifted the curtain and entered, she seemed to catch a whiff of a delicate and elegant rouge scent, unlike the strong fragrance of ordinary face powder, which instead soothed her soul. She searched her memory for a moment and quickly realized that Consort Li must have been here.
The emperor heard her enter, but he kept his eyes glued to the case file. After a long while, he said, "This case was solved quite simply. What does the Crown Prince think?"
It was another ambiguous question, carrying three parts interrogation and seven parts probing.
She lowered her head slightly: "Your subject has not fulfilled his duty."
In any case, Cao Fu's death was too unexpected. Even though she understood that it had little to do with her.
"I'm asking about the case, not you," the emperor said, before raising his head to see her reaction.
"With witnesses and physical evidence all present, and the mastermind and accomplices already apprehended, I believe the case regarding Cao Fu's assassination can be closed."
She deliberately left some room for maneuver, but before the emperor could press her for details, she changed the subject and said, "However, if we were to get to the bottom of this, the complex web of interests involved would not be cleared up in just a day or two."
The emperor chuckled and glanced at her sideways: "What? Does this one incident make you think that the court is riddled with factions and the bureaucracy is beyond redemption?"
Yan Chao felt his breath catch in his throat and said, "Your subject had no such intention."
The relationships within the court were already complex and intertwined, but the emperor often used to make things difficult for her in this way, and over time she grew accustomed to it. She had originally intended to test the emperor's attitude towards Xiao Song, but the emperor was ultimately composed, and every word he uttered was subtle and discreet.
She paused, her gaze falling on the emperor as he picked up his brush, seemingly about to write something, but the brief silence made it clear he was waiting for her explanation.
She continued, "The Cao and Meng families are prominent clans in the capital. Regardless of their relationship, it is merely a feud between two families. If it involves human life, it must be dealt with according to the law... But what if a powerful family from the previous dynasty is colluding with the imperial harem?"
As she finished speaking, she saw the emperor put down his pen again, and when he looked up, their eyes met. She thought the emperor would be angry, but he wasn't.
The emperor turned the record to the bottom of the book, looked at the few lines of text, his expression remained unchanged, but his voice was as cold as ice: "The Ministry of Justice has already been notified. The eunuch is Consort Xian's man, but before the investigation is clear, we cannot guarantee that the eunuch is not being used by others to frame someone. Furthermore, you say there is collusion between the two parties, so there must be evidence."
She waited until the very last sentence.
Having made thorough preparations, upon hearing the emperor speak each word, he felt a chill creep through his body, and his teeth chattered slightly.
When it was first discovered that Xiao Jiu had only had contact with Meng Tingke, the emperor was unwilling to listen to her explanation. Before she could even utter the words "framing" or "using" her, Xiao Jiu was arrested and imprisoned without any further explanation.
When Meng Huai was falsely accused of secretly colluding with Han Yu and later died tragically in prison, the emperor's so-called irrefutable evidence was nothing but a fabrication.
She forced herself to endure it. Since she already knew the outcome, all she could do was try her best to proceed cautiously from then on.
Yan Chao loosened the fist that had been clenched in his sleeve without him noticing. His breathing became steady as he looked up at the soft-bristled brush hanging gently on the corner of the imperial desk.
“Father, I have evidence.”
.
Consort Li Xian, who had only been back in the palace for a quarter of an hour, was summoned back again. Unlike the last time when she was confident, this time it was completely unexpected.
Consort Li stayed in the warm pavilion for nearly half an hour. All the palace servants in the hall were dismissed, and no one knew what was happening inside.
Yan Chao had already said what needed to be said before Consort Li entered the palace, and they only briefly met. Afterwards, she went to Yongning Palace. She dared not relax for a moment, but suddenly felt a little tired.
The Ningfei Palace was as quiet as ever. As Yan Chao walked around the screen wall, he saw that the few crabapple trees in front of the steps still had drooping, withered branches, which looked rather bare.
She frowned slightly, then turned her head and saw a white apricot tree by the wall, blooming profusely against the sky. As she approached for a closer look, she saw that the branches and buds leaned against the red wall, the shy, intoxicating red of the buds just beginning to spread from the pistils, and the fully opened petals appearing even more translucent.
Before long, a palace servant went to announce her arrival. She regained her composure and was just stepping onto the steps when she heard that Ning Fei was not the only one speaking in the hall.
“…The Crown Prince has arrived, so I won’t disturb my sister and son’s reunion any longer.” Consort Lin smiled as she rose, instructed the maids to accept the embroidery, and then curtsied to take her leave. As she lifted the curtain to go out, she happened to run into Yan Chao, but only nodded silently before leaving.
Consort Ning continued peeling oranges without stopping. After she was asked to sit down, she didn't even look up and asked, "I heard something happened at Wan'an Palace?"
Yan Chao nodded, but then said, "It's hard to say. Father has always been kind and lenient towards Consort Xian." She sighed, pressed her hand to her brow, and said softly, "Did the news travel so fast?"
Consort Ning handed her the orange segments, carefully wiping her hands with a handkerchief as she said, "There are a lot of people in the harem who keep an eye on Consort Xian every day. With something like this happening, they're all eager to find out what's going on. And when they spread the news, they all embellish it, so I don't think most of it is credible. That's why I'm asking you."
She paused, then looked at Yan Chaoshi with a hint of hesitation: "Chao'er, was it really you who did it?"
Yan Chao swallowed the petal, feeling a sour and cool sensation between her lips and teeth. She nodded: "Yes. There are people from the Consort Xian in the Cao family case, she can't escape responsibility."
"But she was in the inner palace..."
"Therefore, we need people outside the palace to cooperate from the inside and outside. I found out about her correspondence with the Li family. There are some things in it that are not to be seen by others. Once those family letters are presented to her, she will have no way to deny it."
That night, she was waiting for someone from the Li family, whether it was Consort Xian or Li Shih-huai; she had her own way of bringing both sides together.
Consort Ning was startled, and after thinking for a long time, she still felt puzzled: "But the Li family and the Cao family don't seem to have any deep-seated hatred..."
Yan Chao shook his head slightly: "The eunuch beside Consort Xian did not intend to kill Cao Fu. He appeared at the scene several times, seemingly to verify something. The case is closed, but someone wants to use Xiao Jiu to slander the Crown Prince. He is also covered in injuries, so I have to retaliate."
Consort Ning was stunned, seemingly understanding but not quite. She didn't know the details, but she figured out a little: "Chao'er, how could such a family letter be found so easily? You must have started planning this a long time ago, and now you're just waiting for the right opportunity."
"Your Majesty is wise."
Consort Ning looked at the smile on her face, lowered her eyelashes and smiled faintly, but for some reason she couldn't feel happy.
"Today, Lan Huaien is also investigating Consort Xian, causing quite a stir. All the concubines are hiding in the palace waiting to see what happens. I had a feeling something was going to happen, and sure enough, it did. I was thinking that Consort Xian has actually been quite cautious over the years. The matter with that eunuch surnamed Song doesn't seem like something she would do so openly."
“But now Xiao Song is no longer important,” Yan Chao said, picking up the teapot and pouring tea for Consort Ning. “Let’s wait and see what the imperial decree says. The Li family’s foundation is still there because of Li Shih-huai and his disciples, but the harem is much weaker. If necessary, His Majesty will still be able to see things clearly.”
Consort Ning then asked, "What if Prince Xin pleads for leniency?"
"Let him be. Last time he caused a stir in the Ministry of Revenue, which displeased the entire court. This time, his plea for mercy will not only alienate His Majesty but also further increase the court's resentment towards him..."
Yan Chao pursed her lips, knowing she shouldn't have such confidence. Because the Emperor's favor towards Prince Xin always exceeded her expectations.
Consort Ning did not respond. She used to find the power struggles among the princes cruel, and she still couldn't bear to watch, but she felt extremely sorry for Chao'er's hardships.
The hall was quiet when suddenly a palace servant came to see him, saying that someone from the West Flower Room had sent a newly blooming magnolia tree to replace the withered crabapple tree.
Consort Ning responded and then ignored them. Suddenly remembering something, she turned to Yan Chao and said, “I have always been poorly favored in the harem. It seems that it started a few days ago that I no longer need to ask for things three or five times. The monthly allowance that Li Ke had deducted in the past has also been made up. At first, I was puzzled. Later, I sent someone to ask them quietly, but they only gave me some high-sounding words.”
In terms of rank within the harem, apart from Consort Xian, there was no one above Consort Ning. She was uneasy nonetheless.
Yan Chao pondered for a moment, his gaze deepened, and a clear image of a person appeared in his mind.
"...Your Majesty has always been kind and gentle; perhaps it is because someone is grateful for your kindness."
Consort Ning picked up her teacup, took a small sip, glanced at her sideways, and chuckled lightly: "See, you're talking to me about this too... Chao'er, do you even know who he is?"
"I'm guessing, but I'm not sure. If you're worried, I'll check it out secretly."
Consort Ning paused for a moment, then tilted her head tentatively: "...Lan Huai'en?"
This time it was Yan Chao's turn to be surprised: "How did you guess that?"
Consort Ning shook her head: "Besides him, I can't think of anyone else for the time being. You said last time that you two had some interaction."
She couldn't help but feel worried; although the man was a eunuch, she couldn't afford to offend him. Yan Chao, however, said that there was actually a conflict of interest between them, which was far too dangerous.
Yan Chao had a general idea of what was going on, and simply comforted her by telling her to relax.
She had been sitting in Yongning Palace for a while when she suddenly received an imperial edict from the emperor just before she was about to leave.
Consort Li colluded with her relatives and caused chaos in the palace. However, considering that she had children, she was demoted to the rank of Jieyu and confined to her quarters for a year.
Yan Chaocai stopped abruptly as he descended the steps, letting out a cold laugh: "He is indeed His Majesty." In the end, he still felt pity for Lady Li.
However, upon leaving the palace, he learned that Li Shihuai had been reprimanded and given forty strokes of the cane, and the matter was closed. The emperor had not summoned Prince Xin, and he himself had never shown up.
She sat in the sedan chair, closing her eyes to rest. The outcome wasn't too unexpected, but she knew the impact would go far beyond that.
Let's wait and see; there's no need to rush.
Author's Note: Lan: You must plan ahead; you need to latch onto your mother-in-law's coattails early on...
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