Chapter 93 Bloodstained Scales, Abyssal Poison Appears
Li Xiang's untimely death came unexpectedly, and carried a chilling eeriness.
It was just an ordinary autumn afternoon. Li Xiang woke up from his nap looking somewhat listless. Wu Meiniang assumed it was just the changing season and the child was unwell, so she summoned the imperial physician, who also said it was a slight cold and prescribed some mild remedies. However, that night, Li Xiang suddenly developed a high fever, his body burning hot, convulsing uncontrollably, and dark blood seeping from his mouth and nose! All the imperial physicians on duty at the Eastern Palace were urgently summoned, and even the head of the Imperial Medical Academy was called to the palace that very night, but all their efforts to save him seemed futile in the face of his rapidly deteriorating condition. In less than two hours, this young, healthy, and lively eldest son, on whom the Crown Prince had placed high hopes, breathed his last before Wu Meiniang's heart-wrenching cries and Li Chengqian's ashen, stiff figure.
The cause of death was suspicious, far from a common cold or acute illness. The most experienced imperial physician, after a careful examination, reported in a trembling voice: "Your Highness... the eldest prince's illness... seems to be caused by a rare and potent poison, something... unlike anything commonly seen..."
A rare poison? The Eastern Palace is heavily guarded, and the eldest prince is surrounded by trusted confidants personally selected by Wu Zetian. Their food and medicine are thoroughly inspected. How could he have been poisoned by such a rare and unusual poison?
Li Chengqian did not display the same "rage" he had shown when he lost the princes from those aristocratic families; he didn't even utter a sound. He simply stood there, motionless, like a stone statue whose life had been instantly drained away. Only his eyes, bloodshot as if about to drip blood, were fixed on the small, already cold body on the bed, and on Wu Meiniang, who was nearly unconscious, lying on top of the corpse.
Li Xiang…his eldest son. Not one of those "tools" born with political motives, branded with the marks of aristocratic families, but his first child, born to him and Wu Zetian (who, to some extent, was also a substitute for a shadow in his subconscious), a healthy, intelligent child, personally educated and guided by him, a child to whom he poured countless genuine paternal love and expectations. In his blueprint, this child was to inherit the throne and continue the true bloodline and will of Li Chengqian.
Now, it's gone.
He died so inexplicably, right under the core protection of the Eastern Palace, from a strange poison that even the imperial physicians couldn't identify.
This is not only the harm done to his offspring, but also the torment of his feelings as a father, the most naked contempt and trampling of his authority as crown prince, and even more so... the complete destruction of that secret hope deep in his heart!
A surge of rage and excruciating pain, enough to extinguish reason, exploded and surged within his chest like magma, threatening to burst through the top of his head. But he gritted his teeth, suppressing all his roars and madness in his throat, his body trembling slightly uncontrollably.
Li Tai... Li Tai absolutely does not have such abilities! He knows the defenses of the Eastern Palace well, and there is absolutely no way that Li Tai's remaining forces could extend their reach so far and use such a bizarre and difficult-to-defend poison!
In a flash, several details that Li Chengqian had previously overlooked, or rather, had not investigated due to Li Tai's "incompetent" performance, suddenly flashed through his mind: Before his death, the retired Emperor Li Yuan had secretly summoned Li Tai several times. Although each meeting was brief, and Li Tai later claimed that he had only listened to his grandfather's teachings and chatted casually, it was a turbulent time with the Empress seriously ill and rumors rampant. Li Chengqian and the court's attention were drawn elsewhere, and they had not investigated these meetings in depth. After Li Yuan's death, Li Tai's performance remained mediocre, even somewhat incompetent, which further lulled people into a false sense of security.
But now that I think about it, Li Yuan hated his father and Wang Zhenren to the core. Would he be willing to die quietly like this? Before his death, he frequently summoned his grandson Li Tai, who was most likely to be an enemy of the Crown Prince. Was it really just "casual conversation"?
A terrifying hypothesis quickly took shape in Li Chengqian's mind: Li Yuan, before his death, might have entrusted Li Tai with his final and most insidious means—perhaps a rare poison, perhaps a few deeply hidden assassins, or perhaps a secret channel that could bypass regular surveillance! The original purpose might have been to target Wang Zhenren or his father, the Emperor. But with Li Yuan dead, Li Tai had acquired this "card," and how and when to use it became his own business. In his desperate situation—hopeless in his bid for the throne and facing imminent danger himself—Li Tai chose to use it to inflict the most fatal and painful revenge on Li Chengqian—not by killing the princes from powerful families (that would only enrage them), but by killing Li Chengqian's eldest son, Li Xiang, whom he truly cared about!
And who else could provide such a rare and potent poison, or train assassins capable of breaching the Crown Prince's tight defenses... besides those aristocratic families with millennia-old lineages and unfathomable depths?! Although Li Yuan was imprisoned, his years as emperor meant that his intricate connections with these aristocratic families had never truly been severed! It was entirely possible that he could obtain or cultivate such a deadly weapon from a family skilled in medicine or extraordinary techniques through some clandestine channels!
“The aristocratic families…” Li Chengqian squeezed out the two words through clenched teeth, his voice hoarse as if grinding sand. The calculation and cold-bloodedness he had shown when using the aristocratic families had now been replaced by a more primal and violent hatred. He finally realized that the aristocratic families he had always regarded as pawns, tools, and even potential threats possessed fangs and venom far sharper and more deadly than he had imagined! They could not only elevate him to the top, but they could also deliver the most devastating blow when he was most vulnerable!
"Investigate!" Li Chengqian finally moved. He turned around abruptly, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over the kneeling imperial physicians, guards, and palace servants. The madness and murderous intent in his eyes sent chills down everyone's spine. "Investigate thoroughly! Everyone inside and outside the Eastern Palace who has had contact with the Crown Prince, leave no one out! Especially those who have recently had any connection with the Prince of Wei's residence, or even... with the deceased Da'an Palace! If you can't find them, bring your heads to me!"
He paused, then almost roared from the depths of his soul: "And... keep a close watch on the Five Clans and Seven Noble Families, keep a close watch on all the aristocratic families that have had private dealings with Li Tai and the Emperor Emeritus! Report to me any clues, however slight!"
At this moment, all notions of balance, checks and balances, and long-term planning were overwhelmed by the grief of losing his son and the shock and rage at the insidious methods of the powerful families. Li Chengqian was consumed by a single thought: revenge! He would make everyone involved pay a thousandfold price! Li Tai must die! And those venomous snakes hidden behind the scenes must be dragged out and eradicated!
Almost simultaneously, Li Shimin, having received the devastating news, also rushed to the Eastern Palace. Seeing the cold body of his beloved grandson, seeing his son's crazed eyes that seemed to want to devour anyone, and seeing Wu Meiniang's tragic appearance, this emperor, who had just experienced the pain of losing his wife, was once again stabbed in the heart.
When Li Chengqian hoarsely voiced his speculation—the lingering poison of Li Yuan, the machinations of powerful clans—Li Shimin's face instantly turned ashen.
Li Yuan! It really was you! Even in death, you still cause trouble!
A powerful family! What a powerful family! They are truly omnipresent and will stop at nothing to gain influence!
As an emperor, Li Shimin understood the power and methods of aristocratic families better than Li Chengqian. The fact that Li Yuan was able to obtain such a thing and give it to Li Tai must have been due to the involvement of an aristocratic family, most likely the oldest, most secretive, and most skilled in this area.
"Your Majesty!" Li Chengqian knelt down before Li Shimin with a thud, his forehead hitting the ground heavily. His voice was filled with a tearful hatred and determination, "Li Tai's cruelty towards the imperial heir is unforgivable! The powerful families behind him are insidious and treacherous, daring to use such methods to wreak havoc in the palace and harm the imperial bloodline! Your son begs Your Majesty to severely punish the villains and thoroughly investigate the mastermind! This trend must not be allowed to continue, and this hatred... must be avenged!"
Li Shimin helped his son up, and seeing the burning hatred in his eyes, he felt a mixture of shock, anger, and profound sorrow. This fratricidal struggle had ultimately reached its most unbearable and bloody point, even revealing the lingering influence of the retired emperor and the machinations of powerful clans. The imperial dignity was utterly destroyed, and the bonds between father and son, brothers, were completely shattered.
He closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he was met with an aura of imperial chill.
"Granted." Li Shimin's voice was not loud, but it carried the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm. "Prince Wei, Li Tai, has harmed the imperial heir. The evidence is conclusive. Effective immediately, he is stripped of his title and placed under strict guard in the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, awaiting further judgment. The Ministry of Justice, the Court of Judicial Review, and the Hundred Cavalry Division are hereby ordered to work with the Crown Prince to thoroughly investigate this case! Anyone implicated, regardless of their status, shall be severely punished without exception!"
He didn't directly mention aristocratic families, but the phrase "regardless of status" was enough to make his stance clear. This time, whether it was to give an explanation to his deceased grandson, to uphold the last vestiges of the royal family's dignity, or to crack down on those increasingly unscrupulous powerful clans, he had to adopt a clear and firm attitude.
The eldest prince died young, the Prince of Wei was deposed, the emperor was furious, the crown prince went mad… The news swept through Chang'an like a violent storm. The court and the public were shaken, and fear gripped the nation. Especially the aristocratic families, whether involved or not, felt a chill run down their spines. The crown prince had lost his most beloved eldest son, the emperor had lost his eldest grandson, and this bloodshed sparked by internal strife within the royal family was rapidly evolving into a potential purge that could engulf the entire upper class.
Wu Zetian fainted from extreme grief. When she awoke, her eyes were vacant, as if half of her soul had died with her. She had lost her child, and it seemed as if she could see her already scheming and uneasy future shrouded in an even deeper crimson hue.
Li Chengqian locked himself in his study, refusing to eat or drink, only the flame of hatred in his eyes burning ever brighter. He waited, awaiting the results of the investigation, while frantically plotting revenge in his mind. Li Tai must die, and those venomous snakes of powerful families lurking beneath the surface must pay the price!
When Li Tai learned in the cold cell of the Imperial Clan Court that Li Xiang had indeed died from poisoning, he let out a wild and joyful laugh. The laughter echoed in the empty cell like the howl of a vengeful ghost.
"Li Chengqian... does it hurt? Hahahaha... that's right! If I can't have you, you won't have it either! As for those aristocratic families... hehe, do you think you can escape? Just wait... we'll all be finished!"
The final poison left by Li Yuan proved fatal. It not only killed a young imperial grandson but also thoroughly corrupted the already fragile and hypocritical "cooperative relationship" between Li Chengqian and the aristocratic families, igniting the deepest and most violent murderous intent in Li Chengqian's heart. A storm targeting the aristocratic families, far more brutal and thorough than any previous struggle, was quietly brewing amidst the bloody grief of losing his son.
Autumn in Chang'an has never been so bleak.
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