Chapter 78 The Wind Fills the East Tower (Part 4) "The Crown Prince is not to be mentioned again..."
The incident happened suddenly, leaving no room for hesitation. Yan Chao steadied himself and got into the sedan chair. Just as they were about to set off, a eunuch from the rear palace of the Eastern Palace came to report: "Your Highness, Consort Xu of Zhaojian Palace is suffering from severe abdominal pain and wishes to request Your Highness's decree to summon the imperial physician for treatment."
Yan Chao instructed, "Go and invite the imperial physician Feng Jingmo over." His gaze swept over Xiao Jiu beside him, and he casually added, "Xiao Jiu, stay here and take good care of the Eastern Palace." Xiao Jiu quickly agreed.
It was nearing mid-autumn, and the morning chill was penetrating to the bone. The carriage sped along the palace road, and Liang Lu, who was attending to the emperor, was also extremely anxious, worrying about Consort Ning and the Crown Prince at the same time. He almost tripped and fell.
Hearing the commotion, Yan Chao assumed he was exhausted and instructed him, "You don't need to follow. Go to Yongning Palace and Wan'an Palace to keep watch and prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos."
Liang Lu was slightly embarrassed, but knowing that this was not the time to say anything more, he had no choice but to obey and leave.
When the Crown Prince and his entourage arrived at Renshou Palace, Consort Ning had already been brought before the Emperor. The palace was silent, the palace doors were tightly closed, and even the Emperor's personal eunuchs were all waiting in the corridor outside the sleeping quarters.
Yan Chao's gaze sharpened slightly: "Interrogation?"
Lan Huaien shook her head and coughed lightly: "It was a royal visit. That's why none of us dared to go in..."
Before the words were finished, several low, muffled breaths came from inside the hall, mixed with the emperor's indistinct mutterings. Yan Chao's face stiffened, and she subconsciously took a few steps back. Lan Huai'en supported her and first invited her to wait in the side room.
No sooner had they sat down than the Emperor was already calling for people in the hall. Lan Huaien rushed to serve him, not caring about anything else, and only reminded Yan Chao: "Regarding the Wan'an Palace matter, Consort Ning has personally confessed her guilt."
About fifteen minutes later, an imperial eunuch came to summon her. When she entered the hall, the emperor was sitting on a soft couch, looking somewhat listless, his slightly swollen face still flushed. Consort Ning knelt before the couch with her head bowed, her expression unreadable, only her thin and lonely back visible.
When the emperor saw the crown prince enter, he asked without even raising his eyelids, "Are you cured?"
Yan Chao bowed and replied, "Thank you for your concern, Father Emperor. I am now out of danger."
"I presume you've come for Consort Ning, so there's no need to plead for her." The Emperor was direct, his tone crisp and indifferent: "She has already confessed that she set fire to the palace to burn Li to death."
"Yes, I had a long-standing grudge against Li. Seeing her sickly, I wanted to humiliate her. In the midst of the argument, I was filled with jealousy and hatred, so I personally set the curtain on fire and watched her burn to death."
Consort Ning's voice was somewhat hoarse, but her tone was cold and calm. With that one word, she had blocked all avenues of retreat.
"You reap what you sow. I always thought you were gentle, kind, and of noble character, but I never imagined you were so treacherous and vicious. You have even deceived me for many years!"
Consort Ning kowtowed: "I was taught by Empress Wenhui, but I repaid kindness with enmity, causing the death of Her Majesty the Empress and implicating the Crown Prince. My sins are grave, and even death would be too lenient for me!"
"What?"
Yan Chao looked at her with surprise and suspicion. It was only then that he noticed the red marks on her cheeks and neck, some deep and some shallow, clearly from being slapped or pinched. When she met Consort Ning's lifeless eyes, her heart sank to the bottom.
The emperor sneered, "Hasn't the Crown Prince been investigating the cause of Empress Wenhui's death? It was your foster mother, Consort Ning, who did it."
Consort Ning didn't give Yan Chao a chance to speak, quickly continuing, "The Crown Prince has been estranged from me all these years, isn't it because he suspects that Empress Wenhui's death is related to me? Yes, it was me. When Empress Wenhui miscarried, I was by her side, secretly putting medicine in her food and serving it to her myself. I raised you, yet you still coveted the Empress's position. Unfortunately, Heaven has eyes, and I will finally get my retribution."
There must be a reason for today's unusual behavior, but Consort Ning was clearly determined to die. Yan Chao roughly guessed what was going on, his heart turned cold, he staggered a few steps, and tried his best to suppress his trembling voice as he asked, "The Empress Dowager has been so kind to you, why did you take advantage of her vulnerability to put her to death?"
"Her greed is insatiable! Even though I dislike Wen Hui, she is still the Empress and the Crown Prince's birth mother. Every single thing Su Shi has done is a capital offense. Does the Crown Prince still want to plead for her?"
Yan Chao no longer looked at Consort Ning, but bowed to the Emperor, his heart aching and choked with sobs: "Your subject dares not, and will not, plead for her. May I ask, Father, what do you intend to do with her?"
The Emperor said, “Of course it is a capital offense. Otherwise, we would be letting down those who were killed by her, and we would not be able to give an explanation to Prince Xin. However, your mother has been dead for a long time, and making it public would damage the face of the royal family. Since Su has confessed, there is no need to reopen the old case.”
Yan Chao lowered his head, his words tinged with difficulty: "In any case, the Su family raised me for many years, and I am indebted to them. I wish to ask Father to give her some dignity, which would also preserve the dignity of the royal family."
"Giving her a whole corpse would be too lenient a gift."
"My mother died unjustly many years ago. Now that the murderer has been brought to justice, I wish to go to the Jiyan Hall to pay my respects and comfort her spirit in heaven. Lady Su should also repent before the shrine of my mother and atone for her sins with her death."
"Go if you want. But she is not worthy to enter the banquet hall." Seeing the Crown Prince's distraught state, the Emperor relented and agreed. He called for the eunuch Sun Shan to come in and instructed him to accompany the Crown Prince and take care of the funeral arrangements.
Yan Chao thanked the emperor and took his leave, rising to depart. He hadn't glanced at Consort Ning once throughout, lost in his own thoughts.
Sun Shan helped Yan Chao out of the palace gate, when Consort Ning suddenly stumbled out and stuffed an earring into her hand. "This is your mother's keepsake. Now, it should be returned to its rightful owner."
The eunuch behind her pulled Consort Ning up and led her out.
The hall finally quieted down. The emperor, who was about to lie down, frowned and sat up again. He felt tired and inexplicably irritable, so he closed his eyes and recited a sutra on calming the mind. Lan Huai'en served tea and presented the golden elixir offered by the Celestial Master, serving the emperor as he took it.
The emperor felt his energy had returned and his spirits were slightly better. He muttered to himself, "It's because Consort Ning is useless." He paused, then added, "She deserves to die."
Lan Huaien replied in a low voice, "Yes. She deceived the emperor and murdered the empress; her crime is unforgivable."
The emperor asked, "Have all the palace staff in Wan'an Palace and Yongning Palace been purged? Especially those close confidants who know the inside story."
"Your Majesty, rest assured, everything has been taken care of."
The emperor nodded: "Keep an eye on things, and make sure there's no gossip."
"yes."
"Lan Huaien, do you think the Crown Prince might also know something?"
A chill ran down Lan Huaien's spine. He cautiously said, "In my opinion, that's unlikely. Few people know about the past anymore, and the Crown Prince hasn't found anything over the years. Otherwise, why would he only suspect Consort Ning?"
The emperor scoffed, "You also think the Crown Prince is cold and heartless?"
Lan Huaien knelt down with a thud: "Your subject has spoken ill of the Crown Prince, which is a capital offense."
"Judging from his expression just now, he seemed hesitant and resentful. He probably wanted to kill Consort Ning on the spot, but he was afraid I would scold him for being unfilial, so he pretended to beg for mercy."
Lan Huaien lowered his head, secretly thinking: Regardless of Yan Chao's true intentions, his outward appearance alone is likely to mislead the emperor. The emperor dislikes the crown prince so much, yet he has no choice but to awkwardly accept the crown prince's existence.
Lan Huaien didn't dare to respond, only to hear the emperor mutter, "I hardly remember what Empress Wenhui looked like anymore. Occasionally, I feel that the Crown Prince has a familiar shadow. Whether he is cold and ruthless or pretends to be pitiful in front of me, it is only that hesitant look that is most disgusting."
Lan Huaien's heart skipped a beat. He recalled how the emperor had angrily ordered him yesterday to investigate who had leaked the news of the Prince of Xin's fiefdom, but this morning the emperor said there was no need to investigate. He wasn't sure if this change in attitude was a good thing for Yan Chao.
The Crown Prince and the deposed Consort Su entered the banquet hall, and all the palace servants were dismissed. No one knew what they said.
About half an hour later, the palace doors opened, and the Crown Prince came out first. Sun Shan and two eunuchs entered the palace and took Su Shi away. Su Shi neither cried nor made a fuss; her face was ashen, and her lifeless eyes stared blankly into the void, like a walking corpse.
Liang Lu went up to them, his face somewhat grim, and whispered a report about the situation at Yongning Palace and Wan'an Palace.
The Crown Prince remained silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Let's return to the Eastern Palace."
However, even the Eastern Palace was not peaceful. Feng Jingmo had not left yet, and only went to report after the Crown Prince returned to the palace: Consort Xu's stomachache was not ordinary, but poisoning.
But who could Xu, a mere concubine, possibly offend?
One problem after another arose. Yan Chao pinched the bridge of his nose, countless thoughts racing through his mind in an instant, before asking Feng Jingmo, "What kind of poison?"
"Arsenic. Fortunately, it wasn't too serious, and with timely treatment, her life is no longer in danger." After a while, when the Crown Prince didn't ask any further questions, Feng Jingmo took it upon himself to say, "Eunuch Jiu has arranged for people to investigate thoroughly. I examined the concubines' meals, and the poison was found in a pot of Xueya tea brewed last night."
Yan Chao then gave the order, still commanding Xiao Jiu to investigate.
As for the affairs of the Eastern Palace, Feng Jingmo should no longer interfere. He took the Crown Prince's pulse and then silently took his leave. Just as he was about to leave the palace gate, he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him, but no one was heard.
Feng Jingmo turned around and saw that it was a female official from the Crown Prince's side, so he gave a slight bow.
The west wind howled through the palace gates, and the clanging of iron saddles on the eaves could be heard. A few yellow leaves swirled silently, rising and falling many times before finally drifting into a bright window. The window closed, and the light and shadow suddenly dimmed.
Liang Lu lit a lamp, and the candlelight flickered, illuminating Yan Chao's inscrutable face. Liang Lu knew he shouldn't ask anything at this moment, but the oppressive silence in the room compelled him to speak.
"No." The silence was broken. Even Yan Chao herself didn't realize that she had silently breathed a sigh of relief. She found Liang Lu's question somewhat amusing. Yan Chao shook her head and said, "She won't say. I understand why she won't say. Whatever His Majesty asks her to do, would she dare disobey?"
Just like today, whether it's to silence her or to frame her, if the emperor is determined, he will have countless reasons to kill her.
Did the emperor really care that much about that scandal? He actually thought it was a scandal. But when he decisively punished Su Shi, his face was full of anger, as if he had truly been deceived and knew nothing.
As for Lady Su, despite her own grievances, the truth could never be revealed to the world. She knew the murderer but was powerless to do anything, forced to confess to the crime day after day. If anyone needed to atone for Empress Wenhui's sins, then that person could only be her.
Yan Chao lowered her head, brushed aside the warm yellow leaves in her palm, and traced their veins with her eyes again and again. She remained focused for a long time before her mind gradually calmed down.
"There's no need to investigate further. Tell your subordinates that the Crown Prince is not allowed to mention Consort Ning again, and even less to discuss her in private."
"Yes." Liang Lu replied, knowing that she intended to let the matter drop, which reassured him somewhat.
Yan Chao quickly sorted out the current situation in his mind and soon connected the matter of Wan'an Palace with Li Shihai, but he didn't know how Li Shihai would plan for Prince Xin.
Clearly, Li Shihuai would not allow Prince Xin to leave the capital. Prince Xin would soon be rushing back to the capital for the funeral, and perhaps they would use this opportunity to do something else.
"I'll tell you a few things, remember them well."
Liang Lu perked up and said, "Yes."
"First, there's the Crown Prince. Xiao Jiu is investigating Xu's poisoning. Keep an eye on him and report immediately if anything seems amiss. If necessary, arrest him directly."
"Outside the palace, send someone to Grand Secretary Chen's house to deliver a message for me. You don't need to go yourself; just choose someone you trust."
“Your Highness,” Liang Lu interrupted her, unusually, and hesitated before reminding her, “She has not been in contact with the Crown Prince for a long time. I am worried that she may not be willing to serve Your Highness wholeheartedly given the current situation.”
That chess piece has been buried for too long and too deep; it shouldn't be used lightly unless absolutely necessary. Besides, she was just a commoner who married a prince and gave birth to a royal grandson. If nothing unexpected happened, she would live a life of wealth and honor. Why would she destroy all of that with her own hands? Even if not for herself, she still had her flesh and blood child.
However, Yan Chao had a strange confidence: "She has endured for so many years, if she had any ulterior motives, she would have done so long ago. Just give the order, and it doesn't matter if she really doesn't want to."
"Hmm... there's one more thing. The affairs of the Prefectural Bureau have always been managed by He Shu. Now that there is a vacancy in the position of Junior Grand Tutor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Zhou Shaoyun will fill the position after this matter is settled. Find an opportunity to inform He Shu."
"yes."
Imperial Physician Feng Jingmo was somewhat absent-minded all day. He finally finished his shift and returned home to find out that his daughter was ill. In his panic, he lost his footing and even missed a step while walking normally.
In an instant, people were helping each other up and getting medicine; chaos reigned all around. Feng Jingmo was a doctor himself, knew his own condition, and knew how to treat it, but right now, his ankle was in excruciating pain, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Mrs. Feng quickly regained her composure and calmly directed the servants. While applying medicine to her husband, she chided him, "You can't even manage a fall in your own home! Where has your soul been? Yiren's illness isn't serious. He caught a chill last night and has a slight fever today. He's already taken the medicine; he'll be fully recovered in three days at most. My medical skills may not be as good as yours, but they're not bad either. You personally taught Yiren; don't you trust him?"
Feng Jingmo, tired of these endless nagging words, sighed deeply and forced a smile: "I'm at ease, how could I not be at ease?"
"You seem distracted when you came back today. Has something happened at the Crown Prince's Palace again?"
She didn't mention the palace or the Imperial Hospital, but went straight to the Eastern Palace. Feng Jingmo was slightly taken aback, but remained noncommittal, looking up and saying, "You've reminded me of something. Please go to the front hall and fetch that box from the tall wooden table for me. You must go yourself; it can't be handled by anyone else."
Seeing his serious expression, Feng's wife quickly composed herself and went to fetch it. The room suddenly became quiet. Feng Jingmo was lost in thought until a servant came to report that the young lady knew about the master's matter and had sent someone to inquire.
"Oh, I just twisted my ankle, it's nothing serious. Tell Yiren not to worry, and to rest early after dinner."
Yiren is the couple's only child. Born prematurely, she has been weak since childhood and has been carefully pampered all these years. Now that she has reached marriageable age, the couple loves their daughter and cannot bear to see her marry too early, so they have not yet arranged a marriage for her.
Feng Jingmo specially named his daughter "Yi Ren" for two reasons: firstly, to incorporate the name of a medicinal herb, hoping for her good health, and secondly, to convey the meaning of "a doctor's benevolent heart." Yi Ren was extremely talented in medicine, but due to her status as a woman, she could only secretly treat women in the capital.
When the wooden box was brought out, Feng Jingmo didn't hide it from his wife and opened it in front of her. Besides the reward money, there was a thin partition at the bottom of the box. After taking it out, he found a letter and a note attached.
“Yes, it is indeed being sent to Madam Ying,” Feng Jingmo said, slightly surprised by his wife’s quick thinking. He continued, “Take more people with you on the road, and I will make arrangements for you all.”
"The decision came so suddenly. You didn't tell me anything, how can my daughter and I leave in peace?"
A sudden gust of wind howled past outside. The doors and windows were already tightly closed, yet the wind seemed to have squeezed in from nowhere, causing the candlelight to flicker violently. Feng Jingmo's thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Instinctively, he reached out to protect the lamp, the flame leaping and nearly burning his hand.
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