Chapter 114
They overthrew the King of Wei, but they had no idea that this was just pulling out a carrot, leaving a trail of dirt behind. Behind the King of Wei was the Queen and the well-established Duke of Wei's mansion. This was no longer just a fight between princes, but involved the royal family and relatives.
"I understand." Shen Yanzhi waved his hand and ordered the guards to withdraw. "Please prepare a copy of the interrogation file and send it to me secretly. Remember, this matter must not be spread outside."
"Yes, sir."
After the man left, the study fell into silence.
"It seems that the Queen Mother's illness is not just a self-torture ploy for Father to see, but also a delaying tactic to buy time." Song Qingyuan spoke slowly, breaking the silence. "She is afraid that we will seize the opportunity to pursue the case and directly trace it back to the Duke of Wei's Mansion. As long as she is ill and Father has sympathy, we dare not do anything too drastic."
"She does understand me." Shen Yanzhi laughed self-deprecatingly, "She also understands my father. My father values filial piety the most, and he also fears political unrest. If a major case involving the royal family interfering in politics were to be brought up at this time, shaking both the imperial court and the harem, he would indeed be wary of any consequences."
"So what should we do now?" Song Qingyuan asked, "Should we stop here, or..."
Shen Yanzhi walked to the window, looked at the shadows of the trees in the courtyard shrouded in the night, and was silent for a long time.
"The Duke of Wei's Mansion is a mighty tree, with tangled roots and luxuriant branches. It won't be shaken in a moment. A head-on confrontation will only embarrass Father and might even cause him to resent us, thinking we're being unreasonable and overly ruthless." His voice was especially clear in the night. "But if we let it go, we'd be nurturing a tiger to cause trouble."
He turned, his gaze landing on Song Qingyuan's face, a sharp glint in his eyes. "So, there's no need to rush. Since the Empress is ill, we, as her son and daughter-in-law, should visit her. This is not only a way to fulfill filial piety, but also to show our father and the entire court. We are not aggressive victors; we are the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, who are concerned about the overall situation."
Song Qingyuan immediately understood what he meant, and his eyes lit up. "You mean... first courtesy, then force?"
"No." Shen Yanzhi shook his head, walked up to her, and gently held her hand. "We are going... to visit the patient. We are sincerely here to share our mother's worries."
The corners of his mouth curled up into a meaningful smile, and that smile made Song Qingyuan's heart move. She knew that this seemingly gentle prince had a new plan in mind.
This illness in Kunning Palace is not the end, but the beginning of another silent confrontation.
Inside Kunning Palace, the mingled scent of medicinal herbs and incense created a dull, oppressive atmosphere. Bright yellow curtains hung low, partially obscuring the dragon bed, revealing only the faint glimpse of the empress's haggard profile. Emperor Jingming sat on an embroidered cushion beside the bed, holding the empress's bony hand, his brow furrowed.
"Zi Tong, why are you doing this?" His voice was filled with helplessness and fatigue. "Things have already come to this. What's the point of abusing yourself? Cong'er has committed the crime of treason. I have only imprisoned him, which is already a mercy outside the law."
The queen slowly opened her eyes. Those phoenix eyes, which usually held a majestic and radiant light, were now filled with tears, making her appear unusually vulnerable. She said nothing, only silently weeping, tears sliding down her cheeks and disappearing into the silver hair at her temples.
"Your Majesty..." She finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "I know that Cong'er's crime is unforgivable. I don't ask Your Majesty to forgive him, I just... I just feel bad. He is also a piece of flesh that fell from my body after ten months of pregnancy. He has been so competitive since he was a child, and he wanted to compete with the Crown Prince in everything. It was he who went astray and got stuck in a dead end. But he... he is your son after all, the Crown Prince's biological brother!"
These words were tearful and heartbreaking. She didn't offer a single word in Shen Yancong's defense. Instead, she acknowledged her son's guilt, then shifted the subject, blaming everything on the brothers' "competitiveness" and "going astray." She trivialized the heinous crimes of murdering the crown prince and slaughtering innocent people into a childish dispute of egos.
Emperor Jingming felt a pang of pain in his heart. He understood this truth, but when he thought of the seven-year-old child trembling with fear in the imperial study, and Shen Yancong's face without any regret, the anger that he had suppressed with great difficulty surged up again.
"If he still remembered that the prince was his brother, he would not have done such a heartless thing as poisoning and framing him!" Emperor Jingming's voice became a little colder.
The Queen, as if stung by his cold words, shuddered slightly, her tears streaming even more fiercely. "Yes, it's all my fault. I wasn't a good parent. But Your Majesty, the Crown Prince... The Crown Prince isn't entirely without fault... He isn't..." She choked, unable to continue. She covered her face with her handkerchief, her shoulders trembling violently.
Words left unsaid are far more damaging than words left unsaid.
Emperor Jingming's frown deepened. "How is the Crown Prince?"
The Queen simply shook her head, sobbing uncontrollably. "I dare not say anything. The Crown Prince is the heir apparent. Now that the King of Wei has fallen, the Eastern Palace is in power. Who would dare to say anything against the Crown Prince? I'm afraid... I'm afraid that in the future, the history books will say that the Crown Prince of our Great Zhou Dynasty forced his own brother to death to secure his position, earning him a reputation for being unkind and unjust. Your Majesty, you are a wise and enlightened monarch, but public opinion is the hardest to guard against!"
These words, like a venomous sting, struck home to the heart of Emperor Jingming. As an emperor, he valued his reputation and the stability of his court above all else. Deposing a grown prince was a devastating act, a devastating event for the nation. If he were then accused of being "coerced by his brother and unkind to his father," how would he face his ancestors a hundred years from now?
He looked at his wife, her face utterly miserable, on her deathbed, then thought of his eldest son's always overly calm face. The scales in his heart involuntarily began to tilt. His anger towards Shen Yancong remained, but his newly burgeoning joy and admiration for Shen Yanzhi and his wife had been quietly overshadowed. Had they gone too far? For the sake of self-preservation, had they cast aside their brotherly love and the royal family's dignity?
Just as he was feeling distraught, a eunuch tiptoed in from outside the palace and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are requesting an audience. They heard the Empress was ill, so they came to pay their respects."
Emperor Jingming was stunned and subconsciously looked at the queen.
The Queen paused in her sobbing, then spoke in a barely audible voice, "Your Majesty, I... I really don't want to see anyone in my current state. Especially... if I see them, I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself and lose my composure."
Her retreat-to-advance attitude made Emperor Jingming feel that the Crown Prince's visit was a show of force. His face darkened, and he was about to say "I won't see you" when the Empress added softly, "Never mind. They are the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess. How can I refuse such filial piety? Let them in, and avoid people saying that I, as a mother, can't even tolerate my son's filial piety."
Listen, how aggrieved and considerate of the overall situation these words are. The unhappiness in Emperor Jingming's heart suddenly intensified. He waved his hand and said in a deep voice: "Announce."
After a while, Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan walked slowly into the hall, one in front and one behind.
The two of them first paid their respects to Emperor Jingming and the empress on her sickbed in a proper manner.
"Your son (your daughter-in-law) pays respects to the Emperor, Father, and the Empress. I heard that the Empress was unwell, and I was extremely anxious, so I came to visit her." Shen Yanzhi's voice was as steady as ever, without any emotion.
Song Qingyuan held a food box, his face showing just the right amount of worry and concern. "Mother, this is bird's nest porridge that your son and daughter-in-law personally cooked. It's infused with calming and nourishing herbs, making it incredibly nourishing. You should take some to help you get better faster."
Emperor Jingming looked at them, especially Song Qingyuan's face, which showed no sign of satisfaction but only admiration, and his displeasure subsided slightly. No matter what, they were considerate in terms of etiquette.
The empress, supported by a palace maid, managed to sit up and lean against the pillow. Her face was sallow, her lips chapped, and she looked frail, having just recovered from a serious illness. She didn't look at Shen Yanzhi, but only at Song Qingyuan. Her eyes were complex and difficult to decipher: scrutiny, sadness, and, deeper within, a hint of cold hatred.
"It's amazing that you still have this heart." Her voice was still hoarse. "Please sit down. State affairs are busy, and there's no need for you to waste time here. Qingyuan, please stay and talk with me."
This means I will have to face Song Qingyuan alone.
Shen Yanzhi looked at Song Qingyuan with a questioning look. Song Qingyuan gave him a reassuring look and replied softly, "Yes, mother."
Seeing this, Emperor Jingming also felt that it was indeed awkward for the mother and son to face each other, so he went with the flow and said, "Yanzhi, come with me. Tell me in detail what progress has been made in the three-court trial."
Shen Yanzhi bowed and accepted the order. Before leaving, he looked at the queen deeply. His gaze was calm, but it made the queen's heart tremble for no reason.
After Emperor Jingming and the Crown Prince left, only the Empress, Song Qingyuan, and a few palace servants remained in the hall. The Empress waved her hand, signaling everyone to leave.
In the huge bedroom, only the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law were left.
"I dare not drink the porridge you made." The Queen looked at Song Qingyuan and finally tore off the veil of tenderness. Her voice was as cold as ice, "Who knows what's in it?"
Song Qingyuan seemed oblivious to the sarcasm in her words. She opened the food box herself, scooped out a bowl of porridge, and stirred it with a silver spoon. Steam rose from the bowl, carrying a sweet aroma. She handed the bowl to the empress and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you're joking. This porridge was cooked by me in the small kitchen, from start to finish, without any help from anyone else. If you don't believe me, I can give you a taste."
As she spoke, she scooped a spoonful and pretended to put it into her mouth.
"That's enough!" the Queen shouted, her chest heaving violently. "Song Qingyuan, put away your hypocritical tricks! Who are you pretending for in front of me?"
Song Qingyuan put down the spoon, the smile on her face fading. She raised her head and looked at the empress quietly, her eyes clear and calm. "Mother, you're joking. I'm truly worried about your health. You are the mistress of the six palaces and the queen mother of the Great Zhou. Your well-being is crucial to the peace of the entire harem. If you continue to be ill, the people below will be in turmoil."
"People are in turmoil? I think the happiest ones are you in the Eastern Palace!" The Queen sneered, "Once Cong'er is overthrown, Yanzhi's position as Crown Prince will be as secure as a rock, and you, the Crown Princess, can finally rest easy. Song Qingyuan, you are so resourceful and scheming! I really underestimated you!"
Song Qingyuan didn't get angry. Instead, she sighed softly and placed the bowl of porridge back on the table. "Mother, you're wrong. Second Brother didn't get to this point because of us; it was his own choice. If we truly wanted to kill him, what we'd have to present to Father wouldn't just be Qian Bao'er, but the Duke of Wei's account books."
These words, like a thunderclap, exploded in the queen's ears.
Her eyes suddenly widened, staring at Song Qingyuan intently. Her frail disguise was shattered in an instant, leaving only horror and disbelief. "You...what did you say?"
"The three courts held a joint trial and uncovered many things." Song Qingyuan's tone remained calm, yet carried an undeniable power. "For example, where did the money come from for the private iron mines and the private soldiers that the Prince of Wei's Palace used to raise?
For example, how much money has been illicitly deposited into the treasury of the Prince of Wei's Mansion over the years? Mother, every single one of these accounts is perfectly clear. His Highness, out of consideration for you and his brotherly love for my second brother, has temporarily suppressed these matters. He doesn't want to embarrass our father, nor does he want to upset you. We only pray for peace and stability in the court, and for us two brothers to live without further quarrels."
She paused, looking at the Queen's pale face, and said word by word, "But Mother, our concession is not to allow you to use self-torture to gain the Emperor's sympathy, nor is it to give you the opportunity to slander His Highness's reputation in front of His Highness. You are His Highness Cong's mother, but don't forget, you are also the mother of His Highness the Crown Prince.
"You are a man of integrity, and you are willing to put your son, who is a pillar of your country, in an unjust position just because of a son who has committed a heinous crime?"
The queen's lips trembled and she couldn't utter a word.
She thought she had done it perfectly, but she hadn't expected the other party to hold such a trump card that could put the Duke of Wei's mansion in mortal danger! They didn't use it, not because they couldn't, but because they didn't want to. This was a warning, but also a kind of... charity.
Song Qingyuan stood up, regained his respectful and submissive appearance, and bowed to her.
"Mother, the porridge should be consumed while it's hot. Please take good care of yourself and don't worry father and us, your children. I, your son and daughter-in-law, will take my leave."
After saying this, she turned around and walked out of the bedroom of Kunning Palace calmly.
Only after her figure disappeared outside the door did the queen seem to have lost all her strength and collapsed on the bed. She looked at the bowl of steaming bird's nest porridge, her eyes filled with fear, humiliation, and overwhelming hatred.
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