Chapter 89 Green...
The farce ended in the emperor's rage. He remained in the Leopard Chamber, far from the Great Palace, took elixirs of immortality, and associated with sycophants, yet he refused to yield a single word.
The successive demotions of several officials had already caused widespread panic among the court officials. Lan Huai'en, who should have been guilty of heinous crimes, was only charged with assaulting a court official for misconduct. The emperor reprimanded him and sentenced him to the lightest of the five punishments: flogging. That was the end of his sentence.
After leaving the emperor's residence, Yan Chao made a detour halfway to supervise the executions.
The whip lashed through the air with a thunderous sound. Then came a series of rhythmic cracking sounds as Lan Huai'en lay motionless on the torture bench, not even bothering to groan.
Yan Chao was puzzled, wondering if he had fainted, and softly called out to him, "Chief Clerk?"
The man turned around, saw it was her, and paused for a moment. Then he smiled at her, and suddenly cried out "Ouch!" and began to wail in pain. Even the eunuch who was carrying out the execution was startled and almost dropped the thorny branch in his hand.
Yan Chao observed his expression and knew that he was mostly faking it, so he ignored him and coldly uttered two words: "Serves you right."
When he frowned, the displeasure in his eyes was quite obvious.
She had always remained indifferent to the emperor's actions; as for the court officials, she was always pondering how to balance her influence. Only towards Lan Huaien did she want to do something for him, yet she was powerless to do so.
Looking at the affected and pretentious eunuch in front of her, she suddenly felt a mix of emotions.
What possessed her to believe he would turn over a new leaf? What was she hoping for? Did she expect him to change his nature for her sake?
So, what exactly is she to him?
Was she a ruler, a master, someone he clung to, or someone he indulged in for pleasure? Or perhaps he truly cared for her, and she was willing to accept him, yet dared not admit it.
She gave a bitter laugh to herself, the words "unrequited love" lingering in her mind. Suddenly, she felt inexplicably irritated.
After being tortured, Lan Huaien finally lost his fierce and menacing demeanor, and lay weakly gasping for breath.
A eunuch went to help him up, but he waved him away, barely managing to sit up. He looked up at Yan Chao and said, "In today's matter, Your Highness should be on the side of the court officials, right?"
Yan Chao lowered his eyes: "You expect me to stand with you?"
Lan Huaien paused, his gaze gradually unfocusing as he looked at the person before him, but the emotions weighing on his heart grew complex. He lowered his head heavily, the cold wind biting at his wounds through his robes like a series of sharp blades.
“That’s not what I meant,” he said softly, his eyes closed and his hands hanging limply at his sides. “Your Majesty just wants to hear something agreeable.”
“In that case, having the Grand Eunuch by His Majesty’s side is enough. I have never been His Majesty’s preferred heir, nor am I good at sweet talk.” Yan Chao sighed softly, opened his mouth, stood there for a long time without saying anything, and finally turned and left.
How could she not understand?
Yan Li has always been like this, so how could she not understand?
Yan Chao hadn't gone far when she suddenly stopped. She turned around, but Lan Huaien was nowhere to be seen. After standing still for a moment, she instructed Liang Lu, "Which officials were injured today? Go to the Imperial Hospital and get some wound medicine, then personally deliver it to them."
Before Liang Lu could respond, she continued, "And the one who was given a caning in the West Garden today."
Liang Lu stiffened slightly, then looked up in astonishment: "...Your Highness?" Isn't this blatantly going against the Emperor?
Yan Chao pursed his lips and sighed indifferently, "Things have come to this point, His Majesty has no time to concern himself with these matters. You may leave."
Things have escalated to this point, and the Emperor must be extremely frustrated. If no one mediates, there will surely be unrest in the future. Now that she has intervened, she will not stand idly by. It is a simple matter, and it will benefit both the Emperor and herself.
Even if things don't go well... it's not like the emperor has disliked her for just a day or two.
.
After finishing his urgent tasks, Yan Chao rubbed his sore shoulders and gazed out the window. It was still early, but the midday sun was already hidden by clouds, and everything around him appeared pale.
She tucked a porcelain bottle from the corner of the table into her sleeve, then stood up and walked out: "To the Directorate of Ceremonial."
Xiao Jiu was taken aback, hurriedly grabbed her cloak, and quickly followed. Before she could even ask, Yan Chao raised his hand, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more. Xiao Jiu had no choice but to suppress her worries and reply, "Yes."
For the first time ever, the Crown Prince's sedan chair stopped outside the Directorate of Ceremonial. The eunuchs, who hadn't been informed beforehand, were now hastily preparing to greet him. As the leading eunuchs were still flustered, the Crown Prince cut to the chase, asking only, "Where is Lan Huai'en?"
One of them answered and led the prince away.
Those who remained felt a great sense of relief. Since the people from the Eastern Palace were still in the hall, they dared not make any rash comments and dispersed in silence.
Yan Chao pushed open the door and entered, dismissing all the irrelevant people, and quietly went into the inner room. As soon as he saw the person, he met a pair of astonished eyes.
She vaguely recalled that last winter, when she confined Lan Huaien to the backyard of the East Palace, it seemed to be a similar scene when she went to see him one day.
"Your Highness? What brings you here? Cheng Tai just said Your Highness had arrived, but I didn't quite believe it..." Lan Huaien stared blankly as she approached, shifting his body and pretending to bow.
"No need," Yan Chao took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and then sat down on his own, slowly looking at him. "Is the injury serious? You seem to be in good spirits."
Lan Huaien couldn't help but hiss and twitch his lips. Knowing the Crown Prince was coming, he naturally had to be on his guard. However, when Yan Chao spoke these words, they carried a hint of something else beyond coldness.
He nodded against his will: "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I am not seriously ill."
He paused slightly, then lowered his voice, sounding quite aggrieved: "If I cry out in pain, Your Highness will say I deserve it; if I don't cry out in pain, Your Highness won't feel relieved."
Yan Chao ignored his sarcastic tone for the time being, lowered his eyes and asked again, "Has the medicine been applied?"
"Your Majesty personally issued the decree to punish me. Without Your Majesty's decree, I would not have dared to make such a decision on my own."
Having served the emperor for many years, he knew the emperor's thoughts all too well. Punishing him now was merely a way to give that official an explanation and make a statement. He could distinguish between the importance of his personal servants and the court officials, and Lan Huai'en was clearly easier to manipulate.
The emperor was unwilling to return, so he quietly took a step back.
Yan Chao, holding the porcelain bottle, sat down next to him, tilted his head slightly to look at him, his expression indifferent: "Turn over, take off your clothes, let me see."
"Ah? No, no, no..." Lan Huaien instinctively flinched, almost jumping up, but the sudden movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince in pain and gasp for breath as he declined, "Your Highness is of noble birth, how can I trouble you to do these things? Thank you for the medicine, Your Highness, I will do it myself later, or perhaps Cheng Tai will..."
Yan Chao raised an eyebrow: "I personally delivered this wound medicine to you, and you had someone else apply it for you? Stop talking nonsense, I'm very busy."
"Also, after the heart exam last time, it's time for the physical exam this time."
Lan Huaien shuddered, afraid of angering her by saying too much, so he silently turned away and shakily took off his inner garment. Yan Chao looked at his scarlet wound, paused, and turned to say softly, "Bear with it, it will hurt."
.
After applying the medicine, Lan Huaien was covered in sweat. He loosened his grip on the blanket, his palms feeling sticky with sweat. As he calmed his breathing and looked up, a handkerchief was stretched out in front of him, gently wiping the sweat from his face.
His lips were pale, but he turned back and smiled, "I heard that Your Highness also gave medicine to the officials who were injured today. I am truly fortunate to have been personally cared for by you."
Yan Chao ignored him, stuffed the handkerchief into his hand, and looked down at him: "If you do this again, I won't take care of you anymore."
"No matter what?" She didn't say it explicitly, but Lan Huaien knew perfectly well. He remained silent, wiping his hands with his head down. He had suffered so many injuries before, but none of them were as painful as the whip marks on his back now, which burned deep into his bones, through his chest, and all the way to his heart.
He moved his lips, wanting to ask if he could even hope to stand by her side. He was still bothered by Yan Chao's words, even though he knew it was just a matter of fact and that she was angry, he still couldn't let it go.
He just remembers feeling suddenly very sad at that moment.
After a long silence, he gave a vague "Yes." It was unclear whether he meant he would not do it again or simply let things fend for themselves.
After thinking for a moment, he explained to her, "I have always served Your Majesty by offering slanderous advice, and it is common for me to be at odds with court officials. I fought with that official because he insulted me. Since they wanted to make a big deal out of it, then let them make it bigger. Besides, if Your Majesty were to return to the Qianqing Palace, it would be more detrimental than beneficial to Your Highness."
"You don't need to tell me these things. I understand, and I can distinguish right from wrong." She paused, then sighed softly. She thought to herself that if she truly understood right and wrong, she shouldn't have come.
Lan Huaien understood the meaning behind her words, and the corners of his lips curled up almost imperceptibly. He turned to the side and reached out to tentatively hook the fingers hidden in her sleeve.
He clearly felt her fingertips tremble suddenly, instinctively trying to pull away, but then calming down. A thought struck him, and he took advantage of the situation to hold her hand.
"Your Highness has entered the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs so openly and brazenly. Have you considered how to explain this?"
Yan Chao glanced at her, silently withdrew his hand, and stood up, saying, "Master Lan assaulted a court official and received flogging without showing any remorse. I have come to the Directorate of Ceremonial to reprimand you personally. Do you know your crime?"
Lan Huaien smiled brightly: "Your subject Lan Huaien will obey the Crown Prince's instructions. Even if I were to be whipped fifty more times, I would not dare to complain."
A sharp sound of shattering porcelain came from the side room, followed by the Crown Prince storming out. Everyone, realizing they had guessed most of what was going on, held their breath and knelt down in a flurry, fearing that the Crown Prince's anger would implicate them.
As for the Western Garden, just as Yan Chao had predicted, the emperor ignored Lan Huaien's "complaints" and turned a blind eye to them.
.
The Minor Snow solar term had just passed when a thin layer of snow briefly fell over the capital, landing like white frost and melting away in an instant. This perfectly reflected the word "minor"—the cold was not yet deep, and the snow was not heavy.
The atmosphere in the Eastern Palace has been quite pleasant lately. The Crown Prince's birthday is approaching, and this year she will be twenty years old, which, according to ancient rites, is the time for her to come of age. Although she followed royal customs and had already undergone her coming-of-age ceremony when she was formally appointed Crown Prince, it was rather hasty back then.
Therefore, the officials of the Crown Prince's Palace had already discussed it and intended to give him a special birthday celebration this year.
But at this moment, news suddenly arrived from the Western Garden that the Emperor was unwell. This caused turmoil and much discussion within the court.
The emperor's health has been poor in recent years, and he inevitably catches a cold every winter. Last year, the cold triggered a long-standing illness, causing several diseases to flare up at once, leaving him bedridden for months.
Judging from the situation this year, it seems to be even more serious than last year. The court officials are worried about the emperor. In addition to submitting daily memorials to inquire about his well-being, they still attribute this to the remoteness and coldness of the Western Garden and persistently request the emperor to move to the inner palace.
The emperor was extremely troubled, so he simply used the excuse of recuperating to leave the court to the crown prince and the cabinet.
After Lan Huaien finished reading the imperial decree, he glanced at the composed and dignified Crown Prince and couldn't help but sigh: it was remarkably similar to the situation in the twenty-third year of Xuan Ning.
This year has been thrilling. Fortunately, she shouldn't have to suffer such great injustice as last year.
With no favored princes hindering him internally, and with many ministers loyal to him externally, the Crown Prince was increasingly adept at governing, and the court was in perfect order.
The Crown Prince's prestige rose considerably in an instant, and even the usually arrogant eunuch of the Eastern Depot tucked his tail between his legs and dared not disobey her anymore.
Although the emperor's attitude towards the crown prince was not as harsh as it had been towards Yan Li at the time, he was no longer as difficult or demanding as before. However, Yan Chao had long since lost any sentimentality towards his father.
She was cautious in everything she did, always keeping things in check. She went to the West Garden almost every day, still reporting important matters to the Emperor, and occasionally taking time to personally attend to his illness.
It's a scene that everyone is happy to see.
.
In the middle of winter, the emperor tripped and fell while going out, immediately fainting. His health was already poor and he could not withstand much movement, so this fall was particularly dangerous. When the emperor awoke, he seemed to have collapsed, and his mental state was erratic, sometimes good and sometimes bad.
All the palace servants involved that day have been dealt with. Lan Huaien took the opportunity to replace almost all the palace servants in front of the emperor, clearly intending to eliminate dissidents. Some people privately resented his autocracy, but dared not speak out. Some eunuchs even secretly went to the East Palace to complain.
However, upon hearing this, the Crown Prince merely frowned and asked, "Is that so?" He remained unmoved.
She couldn't worry about Lan Huaien for the time being; she just wanted him not to go too far.
As the Emperor's condition worsened, the Imperial Medical Academy became extremely vigilant, with all the physicians taking turns to stand guard before him for twelve hours a day, not daring to relax for a moment.
When Yan Chao went to the West Garden in the evening, the emperor had just thrown a tantrum and was in low spirits, refusing even to eat dinner. The palace servants knelt on the ground, trembling with fear, carrying their trays.
She bowed before the emperor's bedside, and after a long while, she heard the emperor's weak voice, which was accusatory: "I heard that you want to kill the Taoist priest in Qingfu Palace."
"Yes. The Golden Elixir harms the body, and the evil Taoist has repeatedly slandered you, persuading you to take the elixir. Your Majesty, I can no longer tolerate him harming your sacred body. He is now imprisoned and awaiting judgment."
The emperor leaned back on the bed and coughed heavily: "Awaiting judgment? You're already planning to kill them, so who's going to decide their fate?"
"Your Majesty, I have ordered an interrogation. Master Wu and the Hermit of Kongshi Mountain have confessed to the crime of harming the Emperor's body. I beg Your Majesty to issue an edict to execute the evil Taoists." She paused, feeling the atmosphere in the room freeze for a moment, and mentally prepared herself to face the Emperor's wrath.
She presented the confession she carried with her. The emperor only glanced at it briefly before tossing it to the eunuch beside him. After a long silence, he scoffed, "Much better than last year."
Yan Chao was slightly taken aback, and for a moment he didn't react. He couldn't quite tell whether the emperor's tone was sarcastic or something else.
"Rise," the emperor said, closing his eyes briefly before turning to look at her. "The Wu family and their disciples will be executed along with their entire clan. The rest of the Taoist priests will be killed. I am very tired. Go and carry out the orders."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."
She stood up, secretly relieved, and turned to signal the palace servants to bring the meal. At the same time, she advised the emperor, "Father is still ill. The imperial physician said that the diet should be light. Please eat some for dinner. Your Majesty is unwell, and your ministers are very worried. They have sent memorials to inquire about your health every day. You should take care of your health."
Yan Chao picked up the bowl of porridge, his fingertips touching the bottom to check the temperature. He frowned and said in a low voice, "It's getting a little cold. Take it away and replace it."
The palace servant apologized and quickly withdrew.
The room was warm from the burning charcoal fire. Feeling stuffy, the emperor sat up, his gaze fixed on Yan Chao, taking in her every move. Finally, he spoke slowly, "The Crown Prince is truly not good with words."
Yan Chao bowed respectfully and said, "Father, please forgive me."
"But when I saw you talking back to me, you were quite eloquent," he said, though his words were sharp, there was not a trace of fierceness in them. He raised his hand to signal Yan Chao not to panic, and then said with a sigh, "My sons are attending to my illness. Crown Prince Zhaohuai is respectful and gentle, and he personally handles all matters, big and small. Yan Ping weeps bitterly, even more so than I am. Yan Li tries every means to make me feel better. Only you can't utter a single word for half a day, and you have to use the court officials to advise me on the ways of being a ruler. Fei'er can even recite poems with me to make me happy. You are not even as good as him."
Yan Chao looked slightly embarrassed and stammered, "Your subject..."
“You are the Crown Prince, and also my son. There’s no need for such formality between father and son in private. When you drank that cup of tea for me last time, you didn’t say a word. If I had been a little slower to react, you would have had to suffer that scolding.”
The emperor stared at her for a long time, and seeing that she remained silent, he assumed she was just shy and finally sighed.
.
When we left Xiyuan, it was already pitch black outside, and the north wind was biting cold.
Yan Chao refused the warm sedan chair and had Lan Huaien hold the lantern. The two walked on the corridor, surrounded by layers of palace walls, with cold blue bricks under their feet.
"Has His Majesty made things difficult for you?" Lan Huaien, who had been watching her expression closely, couldn't help but ask.
"No, I'm fine," Yan Chao said, shaking his head as he came to his senses. But then he stopped abruptly and asked in a low voice, "Lan Huaien, you serve the Emperor regularly, so do you know how His Majesty is?"
Regarding the emperor's health, the entire Imperial Medical Academy worked together, using the same story year after year. Over time, she began to suspect that something was being concealed.
Lan Huaien raised his eyes and said softly, "His Majesty's body has long been depleted. Colds, elixirs, and beautiful women—any one of them can be fatal. He is still conscious and seems to be doing well, but his chronic illness, accumulated over the years, is extremely difficult to cure. With each episode of this, he might not wake up again."
He lowered his head, took Yan Chao's hand, and wrote a word in her palm.
"If Your Highness has any plans, you should make arrangements as soon as possible," he added.
Yan Chao remained silent, suddenly realizing that even his thick, warm cloak couldn't ward off the chill of the winter night, and the cold air he inhaled froze into his heart.
She nodded almost imperceptibly, then asked him, "I've always trusted you with interrogating those Taoist priests. However, Liang Lu told me earlier that the Hermit of Kongshi Mountain had committed suicide, which you must know. Do you have any leads?"
If those people hadn't been imprisoned, she truly wouldn't have expected that the Hermit of Kongshi Mountain was actually Huaiqing of Funing Temple. Before she could investigate the details, he suddenly committed suicide.
"Under severe torture, Kong Shi, like Wu Tianshi, insisted from beginning to end that he only confessed that he offered the golden elixir for fame and fortune, and refused to confess anything else." Lan Huaien was also puzzled. The Eastern Depot was always skilled in torture and could pry things out of the dead, but this time it was stumped by two living people.
If he is not truly of an unusual temperament, then he must be genuinely innocent. But why was he able to fabricate false confessions before, yet now he can't get the truth out of him?
"If someone is behind this, do you have anyone you suspect?"
Lan Huaien pursed his lips and smiled, "Your Highness and I are thinking of the same person."
There's no need to spell it out.
Yan Chao looked up at the boundless night sky. Tonight, there were no stars or moon; the vast sky was like an endless abyss, and if one stared at it for too long, it seemed as if it would swallow one whole. Nearby, the dark tiles on the walls and the stone beasts in the corners gleamed faintly, like frost falling from the sky.
“There is one more thing,” Yan Chao said, his eyes deep and his lips pursed, “In the north, the Tatars have invaded the Great Wall around Yutai Ridge. You have not reported this military matter to His Majesty?”
"When His Majesty is lucid, he is usually irritable and unwilling to listen."
.
In the early part of the tenth month of the twenty-fourth year of the Xuan Ning era, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau reported that a strange star, as large as a bullet, bluish-black in color, appeared in the east. It moved westward, swept through the inner steps, entered the Ziwei Palace, and was about to encroach upon the Emperor's throne.
The emperor, delirious with illness, casually asked, "Could offending the throne... be related to my illness?"
"Your Majesty, this guest star is exceptionally dangerous, directly approaching the Purple Palace and threatening your health." The Imperial Observatory's voice was deep and powerful, each word striking the emperor's ears like thunder.
For some reason, the emperor felt a sudden jolt in his heart, as he suddenly remembered the serious illness he had suffered decades ago. He broke out in a cold sweat, abruptly opened his eyes, gasped for breath, and asked in a hoarse voice, "How can this be cured?"
"If they cannot avoid it, then kill them." After saying this, the Imperial Astronomical Observatory official was sweating profusely, clearly extremely nervous.
Lan Huaien supported the emperor, his eyes fixed on the Imperial Observatory, and he felt a chill run down his spine.
This is almost exactly the same as it was twenty years ago.
In winter, the Tatars invaded from the south, the emperor fell seriously ill, and unusual celestial phenomena occurred.
When a royal heir is born, the fetus is female and associated with evil.
The crown prince resides in the Eastern Palace, which is associated with the color blue, and his birthday is approaching.
The emperor's vision went black, and he fainted. Lan Huaien's cold gaze shot towards the Imperial Observatory, and he shouted, "The Imperial Observatory's improper presentation before the emperor, which harmed His Majesty's body, is a grave offense of disrespect. Seize them!"
Author's note: Long time no see, thank you for still being here~
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2021-11-20 02:15:58 and 2021-12-02 23:56:22!
Thank you to the little angels who threw the grenades: Wind Knows the Mountain (2);
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: lianghebust 1;
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: 49 bottles of Star Wine;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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