Chapter 37 The Mystery of Her Origins Chu Yueyuan suddenly felt that she... was just like...
Upon hearing this, the council ministers hiding behind their long shields began to peek out. Some looked shocked, some looked suspicious, and some hesitated.
Prince Chen took in the expressions of these people, and couldn't help but smile.
Soon, a woman who looked to be around forty years old was brought into the Hall of Diligent Governance.
The woman had never seen such a grand spectacle before. Her face was pale as she knelt on the ground, trembling as she said, "This servant worked in Chonghua Palace many years ago and was once Consort Pei's personal maid."
After revealing her identity, the woman recounted what she had seen and heard back then: "This servant remembers clearly that Consort Pei entered the palace and was made a consort in May of the thirty-seventh year of Chongwu, not in January as recorded in the list of palace attendants in the Inner Palace Department. On the winter solstice of the same year, Consort Pei gave birth to the ninth prince."
"When Consort Pei gave birth to the Ninth Prince, she pleaded with Emperor Wu to allow the child in her womb to take her surname. Emperor Wu argued with Consort Pei about this, and I overheard everything clearly outside the bedroom. Consort Pei admitted that the Ninth Prince was not Emperor Wu's biological son, and that Emperor Wu knew this before he brought her into the palace, so why should she deceive herself..."
Prince Chen's preparations were meticulous. He not only found a palace maid who had served Consort Pei closely in Chonghua Palace as a key witness, but also obtained Emperor Wu's daily records and the unaltered list of concubines from the National History Museum. These pieces of evidence corroborated each other, proving that Consort Pei was already pregnant before entering the palace.
Hearing the ministers around her whispering about the regent's background, Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly. She summoned Xiao Yanzi and asked him to bring Xu Mama over.
Granny Xu had also worked in Chonghua Palace, and she wanted to see if Granny Xu could recognize this woman.
Pei Muwei sat calmly on his horse, his armor bathed in light. Beneath his phoenix-winged helmet, his eyes were clear and cold, devoid of joy or sorrow. When the horse snorted impatiently, he simply leaned down and patted its neck lightly, as indifferent as if the surrounding disturbances were none of his concern.
Prince Chen, having waited in vain for the man's reaction after being exposed, feigned a smile:
"Since Ninth Brother has no blood relation with Emperor Wu and is not a descendant of the Xiao family, yet he now holds the empire built by the Xiao family's ancestors, isn't that inappropriate?"
Prince Chen's words undoubtedly struck a chord with the ministers present.
The ministers of the second rank and above all came from prestigious families with high-ranking official titles and privileges, and they all had blood ties with the Xiao clan to varying degrees.
They rise and fall together; if the Xiao imperial family is destroyed, what future can they hope to gain under a new emperor who has no Xiao bloodline?
Pei Muwei lifted his eyelids, his dark eyes unfathomable, and said in a calm tone, "The laws of the Great Qi are vast. I wonder which one explicitly prohibits a prince of a different surname from assisting in government?"
Prince Chen stared blankly for a moment, then said sullenly, "Although there is no such law, you have taken advantage of the Emperor's youth to wield absolute power in the court, support your faction, and attempt to overthrow the dynasty."
Pei Muwei's thin lips curled into a cold smile, his gaze looking down at him:
"When the Emperor was in trouble, the princes raised troops to rescue him, which was a meritorious act. Now the Empress Dowager and the Emperor are safe and sound in the palace and have not issued an edict for help. Prince Chen led troops into the palace without an order, detained the current prime minister, and threatened the Empress Dowager with weapons. All of these are crimes of treason. Yet you turn around and accuse me of usurping the throne and seizing power. No wonder the Empress Dowager rewarded you with a piece of calligraphy and asked the prince to go to the teahouse to write a story."
"you...."
Prince Chen was speechless after being refuted, his face turning from red to green. It wasn't until a trusted confidant reminded him that the most important thing at hand was to reveal to the officials that the other party was not Emperor Wu's son.
Just as he was about to steer the conversation back on track, Liang Wang, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up: "Third brother, where did you come from to find this woman who talks such nonsense, and instruct her to frame Ninth Brother?"
Prince Chen stood frozen in astonishment, as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. His eyes widened in fear as he stared at Prince Liang, and he could barely speak.
"Big...Big brother, are you out of your mind! Why are you speaking up for this bastard!"
Under the warm sunlight, the scar at the corner of King Liang's eye resembled the smile lines of a wise man, appearing surprisingly serene.
“Third brother, I think you are the one who is obsessed. Before Father passed away, he personally acknowledged Ninth Brother’s true identity and warned us brothers not to kill each other in the future. We must assist Second Brother and his offspring to ensure that the Great Qi will always prosper.”
"You said that Ninth Brother imprisoned the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the palace, and tricked me into going into the palace with you to rescue them. Third Brother, you have been plotting to harm Ninth Brother, and you have lost your mind for the throne. Have you completely forgotten Father's instructions?"
King Liang's words caused the situation to suddenly reverse.
The ministers were stunned, and Chu Yueyuan also looked astonished, extremely surprised that the Prince of Liang, who had always been at odds with the Regent, had actually switched sides at this crucial moment.
Prince Chen was so angry he almost vomited blood. Only now did he realize that Prince Liang and Pei Muwei had long been in cahoots. The things Prince Liang had said to him earlier were nothing more than an attempt to trick him and Prince Runan into revealing their scheme so that he could capture them both in one fell swoop.
His eyes were bloodshot as he stared at King Liang, still unwilling to give up, and asked, "The 50,000 Liangzhou soldiers you sent out did not stop the Futu Army, did they?"
Pei Muwei took out a scroll from his waist and threw the freshly delivered victory report at Prince Chen's feet. Between the man's cold brows was a calm and composed demeanor that showed he was in control of the whole situation.
"The eldest son of the King of Liang, Xiao Chun, led 150,000 troops across the Huai River, dealt a heavy blow to the rebel army in Runan, and captured the bandit leader. The young master Xiao has made great contributions. I will report to His Majesty and reward him accordingly."
Prince Chen was dealt a heavy blow, and he completely gave up hope.
He staggered back a few steps, pointed at the King of Liang, and burst into laughter, laughing until his face turned purple and tears streamed down his face.
"Brother, you were once the most favored eldest son of the Emperor, and your maternal family was the renowned Li family of Zhao County. Have you forgotten how the Li family, which had lasted for centuries, fell from grace? And how you lost the crown prince position that you were certain to obtain? It was all because of that vixen concubine and that bastard Pei Muwei!"
"Hahaha... No wonder Consort Li said you were a piece of useless mud that couldn't be plastered on a wall. I have been cautious and prudent for many years, enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, thinking back and forth, but I never expected you to help this bastard. How laughable, how truly laughable, hahahaha!"
Despite being ridiculed by Prince Chen, the King of Liang remained remarkably calm, simply saying:
"Power blinds people. In the past, my mother relied on the power of the Li family to act recklessly in the harem, killing concubines and plotting against princes. There has long been a rift between my father and my mother. The matter of the ninth prince is just an excuse for my father to eliminate the Li family."
"Third brother, Ninth brother has promised me that he will not take your and Fifth brother's lives, nor will he harm your wives and children. He will only strip you of your fiefdoms, take back your lands and military power, but retain your princely stipends and send you to Yanzhou to live out your remaining years in peace."
"Bah! I am a dignified Prince of the Great Qi. Even if I lose, it is not my place to exile that bastard!"
Prince Chen abruptly raised his head, glaring fiercely at the aloof man on horseback. His bloodshot eyes, brimming with intense hatred, seemed to bulge out.
"Pei Muwei, your true origins are known only to Heaven, Earth, you, and me! I will never be reincarnated after my death. I want to watch as you destroy the Great Qi Empire with your own hands, and make my father regret how foolish he was to leave behind such a bastard like you!"
With that, Prince Chen drew his sword and slashed it towards his own neck...
———
The first year of Xingfeng, the beginning of autumn.
Prince Chen and Prince Runan colluded to rebel, with their forces besieging the palace and taking Empress Dowager Chu hostage in the Hall of Diligent Governance. In this critical moment, the Regent Prince led his troops into the capital to quell the rebellion and defeated the two princes in one fell swoop.
The emperor issued an edict stripping the two princes of their titles, reducing them to commoners, and imprisoning them in Yanzhou for life.
This event is historically known as the "Seqiu Incident".
Prince Chen couldn't bring himself to sever the neck with his final sword strike. He symbolically spilled some blood to save face before being escorted to the imperial prison by the Imperial Guards.
The palace coup ended in just one hour, but the process of purging the rebels and their followers was extremely lengthy.
The illness lasted so long that officials in the court were filled with anxiety and even dreamed about their performance during the regent's illness.
Those officials who had attended the banquet at Prince Chen's residence wrote their confessions overnight before the Censorate could take any action. Before dawn, they lined up outside the government office, and some officials even abandoned their colleagues' friendship and fought each other over who would be ranked first.
For a time, the court was filled with fear and unease, and all the civil and military officials seemed to have forgotten Prince Chen's remarks questioning the Regent's bloodline on the day of the palace coup.
Chu Yueyuan, however, remembered.
That day, Xu Mama was secretly brought over by Xiao Yanzi. Through rows and rows of rebel soldiers, Xu Mama recognized the woman brought by Prince Chen at a glance.
"This woman is named Su Yue. She is very skillful and her hair is famously exquisite in the palace. In the past, Consort Pei would have her do her hair and makeup every day. Later, she was caught stealing the Empress's jade bracelet and was punished with a beating and sent to the Imperial Prison. Consort Pei was kind and compassionate. She not only pleaded with the Grand Eunuch but also gave Su Yue a sum of money to leave the palace."
After receiving confirmation from Granny Xu, Chu Yueyuan's feelings were complicated.
On the day of the palace coup, Prince Chen removed his mask of hypocrisy, and Chu Yueyuan frowned as she heard his harsh words about the bastard child.
She silently watched the aloof man in the crowd. His background had been suddenly revealed to the public by Prince Chen, yet he remained indifferent, his deep eyes like a still pool, untouched by any wind that might stir a ripple.
They originally thought that only a bloody massacre could completely silence the dissent of the officials present.
Fortunately, the Prince of Liang switched sides in time and turned against the Prince of Shangchen, thus averting the crisis.
But why would the Prince of Liang lie? Su Yue was clearly once a maid of Consort Pei. How much of what she said about the Regent's background was true and how much was false?
Afterwards, Chu Yueyuan was puzzled. She asked Xiao Yan to secretly investigate the dungeon and learned that Su Yue had hanged herself in the heavily guarded dungeon. Zhao, the chief clerk of the Dali Temple who was in charge of the case, accidentally fell into the Jinshui River after drinking and went to recuperate.
The regent's background is truly a taboo subject that should not be touched.
"This servant thinks that this jade fan hairpin matches your moon-white silk dress with colorful clouds and phoenixes better. What do you think, Your Highness?"
Jin Tong held several hairpins in her hand and placed them one by one on Chu Yueyuan's temples to compare them.
The woman in the jade mirror had snow-white skin, eyebrows like distant mountains, cherry lips and a delicate nose. What was most captivating was her pair of peach blossom eyes, brimming with moisture, set beneath a pair of soft, beautiful eyebrows. As the water rippled, they were as lively as a bubbling spring.
Chu Yueyuan noticed that her eyebrows looked different from usual. She leaned closer to take a look and asked curiously, "Your eyebrows look different today?"
Jin Tong smiled smugly: "Your Majesty, this is the popular 'water-curve eyebrow' style in the capital. When I went out of the palace with Xiao Yanzi to buy things, I learned it from a young lady in a powder shop. She said that all the noble ladies in the capital are wearing it."
"It's strangely beautiful..."
Chu Yueyuan examined herself in the mirror for a while, then gently shook her head. "But I am a widow. If I were to draw the eyebrows that are popular in the inner chambers, it would seem undignified. I should just go back to my old crescent eyebrows."
"Yes, ma'am."
Looking at the woman's bright and beautiful face, Jin Tong sighed inwardly: "Your Highness clearly has an amazing appearance, but at every palace banquet, you have to show yourself with a calm and plain makeup. It's like a gem being covered in dust!"
Just as she was about to take a damp cloth to wipe herself, she heard a child's voice coming from outside the door, growing louder as it approached.
"Mother! Mother..."
In the vast palace, the only person who would dare to disregard etiquette and make a loud noise in the Phoenix Perch Hall was the young emperor.
A bright yellow figure flashed in, and Xiao Yun, like a spinning golden top, rushed into Chu Yueyuan's arms.
"Is Your Majesty finished dressing? I heard from Eunuch Wang that there will be a folk acrobatic troupe performing at the palace banquet tonight. These people can not only swallow knives and breathe fire, but also break huge rocks on their chests and do somersaults on ropes as thick as fingers. I can't wait, Your Majesty, please take me there, please, please..."
Upon hearing about the acrobatic performance, Xiao Yun's eyes lit up, and he tugged at Chu Yueyuan's sleeve with his chubby little hands, wanting to leave.
Chu Yueyuan smiled helplessly, telling him to wait patiently while she redrew her eyebrows and then took him there.
Xiao Yun's bottom slid so low it was almost touching the gilded floor tiles. He pouted, "Even without drawing your eyebrows, Mother, you're still prettier than any fairy in heaven. I won't change it anymore, Mother, please come with me..."
With the young emperor causing trouble beside her, Chu Yueyuan couldn't change her eyebrows, so she had no choice but to lead Xiao Yun toward the imperial carriage waiting outside the palace.
The victory banquet held tonight in Yaohua Palace is a commendation set up by the Ministry of Revenue to reward the ministers who loyally protected the emperor during the Seqiu Incident.
As for who the "ruler" was, whom all the officials wholeheartedly supported, they knew perfectly well.
At a critical moment, the Prince of Liang distinguished right from wrong and made outstanding contributions. His seat was second only to the Regent, and the Princess of Liang was also seated below the Empress Dowager.
Chu Yueyuan led Xiao Yun to the central dragon throne. She first greeted the Prince and Princess of Liang, and finally raised her wine cup to the Regent beside her.
“Minister Pei is very thoughtful. Arrange for a folk acrobatic troupe to perform in the palace for His Majesty.”
The banquet program that the Ministry of Personnel had previously presented to her consisted entirely of singing, dancing, and poetry recitation. Chu Yueyuan was worried that Xiao Yun would, like last time, slump on the dragon throne and fall asleep, drooling all over the place. She was afraid that she would be impeached by the remonstrance officials for not disciplining the emperor properly.
Therefore, she suggested to the Ministry of Rites that a few acrobatic performances be added.
The Minister of Rites looked troubled, saying that the folk acrobatic troupes were a mixed bag, and the Imperial City Guard would have to spend a lot of effort just to screen these people. If a thief infiltrated and got into trouble, even ten heads wouldn't be enough for the Regent to chop off.
Chu Yueyuan felt that the Minister of Rites' words made sense, so she did not interfere further.
But a few days later, the Minister of Rites took the initiative to present her with a revised procedure booklet, which contained elegant songs, dances, poems, and down-to-earth acrobatics and operas.
Chu Yueyuan didn't need to think too much to guess who was speaking up for her behind the scenes.
Pei Muwei's eyes were calm as he watched the acrobatics on stage. When he heard the young empress dowager express her gratitude in a soft voice, he only raised his eyes slightly.
Tonight, the young empress dowager wore a moon-white silk embroidered dress with colorful clouds and phoenixes. The dress was made of dark blue fabric and featured nine phoenixes with outstretched wings woven with silver threads. The embroidery was exquisite, with distinct layers and elegant color matching. The skirt hem was woven with phoenix tail waves, exuding a sense of elegance and freedom amidst its magnificence.
The woman had fair skin, bright eyes, and white teeth; she looked like a radiant moon rising over the sea at midnight.
Pei Muwei's gaze lingered on the woman's brow for a fleeting moment, then quickly passed over her. He picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and spoke in a calm tone:
"Arranging the palace banquet is the Ministry of Rites' job; the Empress Dowager has thanked the wrong person."
Chu Yueyuan was slightly taken aback, and the dimples at the corners of her lips faded. As she drank the wine, she noticed that the sandalwood prayer beads on the man's wrist were gone.
She said nothing more and immediately straightened her posture to watch the acrobatics on stage.
The emperor and his minister were an arm's length apart, yet their eyes never met, making them seem as if they were separated by thousands of mountains and rivers.
The celebration banquet was attended by many relatives and children of officials of the time.
The young women, in the prime of their youth, sat together, their keen eyes observing the Regent and the Empress Dowager's every move on the golden steps.
"The relationship between the Regent and the Empress Dowager doesn't seem to be as rumored..."
The daughter of a Ministry of Revenue official, attending a palace banquet for the first time, asked curiously, "Sisters, what are the rumors like?"
The daughter of the Minister of Personnel covered her mouth with a round fan, her eyebrows slightly raised, and said in a low voice, "It is rumored that the Regent Prince dotes on the Empress Dowager to the extreme. The eunuchs have to send all the treasures that are presented as tribute from various prefectures and counties to the Phoenix Palace."
"Rumors can't be taken seriously. Didn't you see the Empress Dowager smiling and toasting the Regent just now? The Prince's response was incredibly cold. I felt embarrassed for the Empress Dowager..."
"Tsk, the Empress Dowager even drew her eyebrows tonight. Does she still think of herself as an unmarried young lady? Who is she trying to impress with this makeup...?"
Chu Yueyuan sat on the high golden palace. She could not hear the sarcastic remarks of the women below, but she could clearly feel the cold indifference of the man beside her.
Since the palace coup, the regent's attitude towards her suddenly turned cold.
A few days ago, the two were handling government affairs in the Hall of Diligent Governance. As usual, Chu Yueyuan walked around the screen and gently placed a plate of delicate pastries on the table. The man, who was engrossed in the documents, did not raise his eyebrows and only said very lightly, "Thank you for your trouble, Empress Dowager."
Chu Yueyuan assumed that the regent had just returned to court and had many official duties to attend to, so she did not take the man's indifferent attitude to heart.
She fell asleep on the desk, and when she woke up, the regent on the other side of the peony embroidered screen had already left.
A dark, python-patterned cloak, devoid of sandalwood scent, draped over her shoulders, and Chu Yueyuan, who had just woken up, couldn't help but feel cold.
Before leaving the study that day, she couldn't help but look back at the long sandalwood table with dragon patterns.
The twilight deepened outside the carved window, and the sandalwood and gold-embroidered gauze curtains swayed gently in the breeze. The lotus seed cakes neatly arranged on the blue and white porcelain tray remained untouched.
Chu Yueyuan suddenly felt that she... could not see through him as always.
On the stage, the actor who was going to perform last showed off his best skills. With his nimble fingers flying, he quickly folded a lifelike paper dragon, then lit it with a tinderbox and stuffed it into his mouth to the astonishment of the guests.
The actor exhaled through his pursed lips, and a plume of black smoke suddenly emerged from his mouth. As he continued to fan his ears with a folding fan, more and more black smoke appeared from his mouth, and in the blink of an eye, sporadic flames began to emerge intermittently.
"When the fire dragon appears in the world, the year will be bountiful and the harvest abundant!"
The actor let out a loud shout, then tilted his head back and exhaled, and a fire dragon immediately rose from his mouth.
"well!"
This incredible performance drew thunderous applause and endless praise from the guests in the hall.
"Mother, look! That person breathed out a fire dragon! I want to learn the skill of breathing fire too. When it gets cold, I'll breathe fire at the charcoal brazier in your palace..."
Xiao Yun, sitting on the dragon throne, watched with great delight, waving his two dragon claws and bestowing gold and silver treasures upon his subjects.
Xiao Yun's nonsensical childish remarks made Chu Yueyuan smile. She glanced at the jade table beside her out of the corner of her eye, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.
The regent left his seat at some point, missing the spectacular performance.
Looking down, I noticed that the seat of the Prince of Liang was also empty. I guessed that the two brothers, who were just casual acquaintances, had left Yaohua Palace to make up for their fraternal ties.
Chu Yueyuan frowned slightly, her expression thoughtful.
At this moment, a sincere voice interrupted her thoughts:
"Your Majesty, I have been looking for an opportunity to apologize to you. Back at Tanzhe Temple, I knew there was danger inside, but I did not tell you, which led to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor being in peril. I deserve to die for this crime."
The spectacular acrobatic performance had just ended, and the guests in the hall were still feeling unsatisfied when they saw Princess Liang suddenly kowtow to the young Empress Dowager to apologize. Everyone's faces showed a look of anticipation.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Chu Yueyuan calmly helped Princess Liang to her feet, her tone gentle:
"This matter has nothing to do with the Princess. It was the treacherous rebels who tried every means to lure me into their trap. Furthermore, Prince Liang helped the Regent quell the palace turmoil, and Prince Xiao personally led troops to suppress the rebels and capture their leader. The father and son made great contributions, and I should be grateful to you."
The Prince of Liang harbored resentment towards Pei Muwei. Although he stood idly by while the rebels were being hidden in Tanzhe Temple, for some reason, he eventually had a change of heart and revealed all of the Prince of Chen and the Prince of Runan's schemes to Pei Muwei, deciding to join forces with him to eliminate the two.
Since the Prince of Liang abandoned the darkness and embraced the light, and contributed his efforts and troops in suppressing the rebellion, the Regent Prince forgave his past mistakes. Naturally, Chu Yueyuan, the puppet Empress Dowager, followed suit.
Princess Liang's eyes were filled with gratitude, and her voice choked with emotion: "Your Majesty, I thank you for your magnanimity."
Chu Yueyuan asked Eunuch Wang to move Princess Liang's jade table closer to her, and then chatted and laughed with her.
Seeing this, the guests suddenly lost interest and turned their attention back to the stage.
Princess Liang felt that the young empress dowager was different today. She looked her over carefully and her eyes lit up as she said, "Your Majesty's painted eyebrows are really beautiful today, making His Highness's eyes look even more bright and lively."
Chu Yueyuan raised her hand and gently pressed the end of her eyebrow, then smiled apologetically.
"The maid in charge of my makeup is a servant who has been with me since childhood. She often neglects the rules of the palace and today she has given me a makeup look that resembles that of a woman who has not yet married. I hope Your Highness will forgive her."
"Your Majesty is still a young girl in her boudoir, and should be dressed up beautifully. If I may be so bold as to presume to say something, Your Highness is about the same age as my daughter. Whenever I see Your Highness, I can't help but think of my little girl in Liangzhou. I love seeing her carefree little girl and always wish that time could slow down so that she could stay by my side a little longer."
When the Princess Consort Liang spoke these words, her eyes shone with the loving light of a mother.
That loving gaze reminded Chu Yueyuan of her mother, Madam Hu. If her mother were still alive, she would surely wish for her to live a carefree and comfortable life.
But life in the palace was never easy; just surviving was considered a stroke of good luck.
Especially for a royal widow like her, who had no maternal clan to rely on and was burdened with a young child.
Her most urgent task was to find the biological father of the "burden." If that person was indeed the Regent, wouldn't Xiao Yun go from being a "burden" to a "tinderbox," and be able to legitimately help the Regent rise from a paper dragon to a fiery dragon?
She could be considered to have rendered meritorious service to the emperor, thus being able to enjoy the rest of her life in peace.
Ever since learning that Chu Wanxi and the Regent had met in Liangzhou, Chu Yueyuan was eager to find out what had happened between them.
Therefore, under the pretext of rewarding the meritorious officials who quelled the rebellion, she ordered Xiao Yanzi to go to the Liang Prince's mansion to bestow titles and rewards.
Xiao Yanzi was pleasing to the eye and quick-witted, and soon became friends with the servants of the Liang Prince's mansion. He learned that the Liang Princess was usually kind and gentle, and rarely harsh on the servants in the mansion. The only time she punished a servant was many years ago, when the Liang Princess accompanied the late Emperor on an incognito tour, and she had killed her personal maid who had served her for many years.
Upon hearing the news brought back by Xiao Yanzi, Chu Yueyuan guessed that Princess Liang might know some hidden secrets.
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