The sounds of ransacking came from behind tightly closed windows. Everyone had small secrets they didn’t want others to see, so hearing the sounds made them all uneasy. The first to speak up was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old young eunuch with a shrill voice.

Each time Prince Lu came to Zhongcui Palace to pay his respects, he brought a fixed number of attendants. This person was Prince Lu’s personal servant and had some standing.

Hu Shanwei asked, “What is your name?”

The attendant replied, “Dansha.”

Prince Lu favored the Wei-Jin style. During the Wei-Jin period, alchemy flourished and people consumed Five-Stone Powder. Most of Prince Lu’s attendants were named after alchemical ingredients.

Hu Shanwei said, “Dansha, you tell me—what case are we investigating today?”

Dansha choked up, “Director Hu is making such a big show of locking doors, closing gates, entering rooms to search and confiscate things—isn’t this investigating a case? There are rules in the palace: from minor verbal disputes to major murder cases, all are handled by the Palace Justice Department for investigation, conviction, and sentencing. Has Director Hu forgotten palace regulations after being away for a year?”

As soon as Dansha spoke, many echoed his words:

“Director Hu used to work at the Palace Justice Department—how could she not know the rules?”

“What do you know? She just got her position back and probably wants to use us to establish her authority.”

The East and West Five Quarters housed imperial princes, and most people serving here would eventually follow their prince masters to establish residences outside the palace. Since their young master Prince Lu was already fourteen, they wouldn’t remain in the palace much longer, so they dared to defy Hu Shanwei.

Hu Shanwei deliberately remained silent, waiting for this flock of troublemakers to finish speaking while secretly memorizing their faces. Seeing that she didn’t argue back, they thought she was backing down, and their voices grew louder.

Hu Shanwei silently sighed that Consort Guo Ning had failed to properly educate her son. What kind of master produces what kind of servants—they influenced each other and became increasingly unruly. No wonder Prince Lu, at only fourteen, dared to brazenly pursue Shen Qionglian, who was qualified to teach at the Grand Study Hall.

It was ignorance that gave him courage.

He thought that having the powerful Guo family as his maternal relatives and having Consort Ning managing the harem made him different from other princes.

After letting them complain enough, Hu Shanwei spoke slowly as if lacking confidence: “You’re overthinking this. Today Consort Ning is disciplining her own son—this has nothing to do with the Palace Justice Department. The Palace Justice Department only manages palace servants; it can’t interfere with imperial family matters.”

Seeing her seemingly accommodating manner, the crowd became even more arrogant.

Dansha said, “Prince Lu is practicing archery and horsemanship at the training ground. Director Hu has come to the wrong place. Even if you dig three feet deep, you won’t find Prince Lu. Please return, Director Hu.”

Everyone joined in the commotion. Hu Shanwei picked up a brush and wrote down the names of over ten troublemakers, handing the list to Haitang. “Start searching these people’s rooms.”

Weren’t they already searching rooms?

Haitang took the list and went out. The crowd saw several palace servants in the courtyard banging stools around, creating the sounds of ransacking to deceive them.

It had all been an act. Closing doors and windows was to confuse and mislead. Pretending weakness was to identify the troublemakers. Prince Lu’s sleeping quarters in East Fifth Quarter had many servants, and Hu Shanwei had limited personnel. It was impossible to search everyone in a short time—she needed to find a breakthrough first, catch someone with evidence, then continue like splitting bamboo by first creating a crack.

Seeing the situation turning bad, the troublemakers tried to rush out in a crowd to find Prince Lu for support, nearly knocking over Haitang.

Outside, Ji Gang was waiting for them. With a wave of his jade hand, the Embroidered Uniform Guards formed pairs—one to grab people, one to put sacks over heads—capturing all the troublemakers and separating them for detention.

Ji Gang whistled to signal that all the birds had been caged.

Those acting acted, those capturing captured, those searching searched—everything proceeded without chaos. The mastermind Hu Shanwei sat in her chair throughout, gentle and serene, showing no obvious authority.

The doors closed again. Inside remained a group of silent majority who, having learned from others’ mistakes, no longer argued with Hu Shanwei.

Actually, Hu Shanwei was bluffing. She didn’t know what to look for—she was only judging based on her understanding of the mastermind’s interlocking methods that this person should have extended their reach to Prince Lu:

Consort Guo Ning had invited her back to the palace to take charge and was obedient to her suggestions. The palace was temporarily peaceful, and Consort Ning hadn’t dug her own grave as hoped. With one plan failing, the opponent couldn’t wait for Consort Ning to stabilize her position before acting again—they would surely devise another plan. Prince Lu was a big target, and the opponent’s next move should involve scheming around Prince Lu.

It was like playing chess—when a player places a piece, they must predict the opponent’s next move.

Hu Shanwei believed that such a major scandal involving Prince Lu, which forced Shen Qionglian to deliberately shine at the Mid-Autumn Festival to secure her position teaching at the Grand Study Hall for self-protection, would definitely be noticed by the opponent, who wouldn’t let it pass.

Hu Shanwei surveyed the room again, still amiable as if nothing had happened. She waved her sleeve: “Everyone stop standing—find stools to sit down. Let’s chat about Prince Lu. Don’t tell me Prince Lu is perfect in every way—that kind of empty flattery. Consort Ning has heard enough of that, or she wouldn’t have sent me to East Fifth Quarter to investigate the truth.”

Everyone looked at each other, not daring to sit or speak.

Then Haitang entered again, carrying a red lacquered box containing unknown contents. After Hu Shanwei opened it and looked inside, her expression changed: “Seal it with strips—keep it as evidence.”

“Yes.” Haitang carried the box out.

Hu Shanwei said, “Today we close the door to speak privately about Consort Ning and Prince Lu’s mother-son affairs—this won’t be spread outside. Everything you say here will be kept confidential. Whatever secrets you reveal, I can guarantee you won’t die. But once you leave this room, you’re at fate’s mercy.”

Looking at the familiar lacquer patterns on the red box, someone’s expression immediately changed.

The contents inside were, to put it elegantly, folk art paintings; more crudely speaking, erotic illustrations. They used scholarly books as covers, appearing flawless from the outside, thus passing undetected into Prince Lu’s bedroom.

This was just the beginning—who knew what other unseemly items would be discovered later.

Hu Shanwei inverted the water clock: “I’ll give you a quarter-hour. You can remain silent here with me. When time’s up, I’ll call Palace Justice Department personnel. Who brought this item into the palace, why it appeared in Prince Lu’s bedroom, and what else there is—I’m sure after spending a night in the Palace Justice Department’s interrogation room, everything will come to light.”

The fine sand in the water clock fell silently, yet struck like heavy blows against their hearts.

When half the sand had fallen, the first person stepped forward. Hu Shanwei gave a look, and that person was taken away by her subordinates to a separate room for questioning.

The second, the third…

When the sand ran out, eight people had left.

Hu Shanwei said to those remaining: “You’d better be completely clean. If anything is found or someone reports you, I can only send you to the Palace Justice Department for interrogation.”

At the training ground, a young eunuch hurriedly ran to Prince Lu, who was practicing archery, and whispered something in his ear. Prince Lu’s face turned pale, and he immediately asked leave from his archery instructor and rushed toward the Eastern Six Palaces.

At a crossroads on East Long Street, Consort Guo Ning had been waiting on the necessary path to East Fifth Quarter, lying in wait for her son: “Why are you running? What’s the rush—what are you planning to do?”

“Mother Consort.” Prince Lu felt guilty. “Mother Consort, don’t listen to slander—your son hasn’t done anything.”

Being his birth mother, Consort Guo Ning could tell from her son’s expression that Hu Shanwei’s words were true. Yes, he hadn’t done anything yet, but if he actually committed such shameful acts, he might face the same fate as the former Prince Qin—stripped of his title and confined to the old home in Fengyang to farm as punishment.

“Come back to Zhongcui Palace with me.” Consort Guo Ning led away her troublesome child. She also instructed palace servants: “Did you see clearly who went to the training ground to tip him off? Send them to Director Hu.”

Zhongcui Palace.

Consort Guo Ning dismissed everyone and grabbed Prince Lu’s ear: “You’re grown now and have developed romantic interests—that’s not wrong. But of all the people you could fancy, how dare you pursue a female official? If it were an ordinary female official, that would be one thing. After you marry, I could request a favor to have her bestowed in marriage to you as a concubine—that would fulfill your wish and be considered a good story. But Teacher Shen is a proper instructor at the Grand Study Hall, a legitimate teacher. How can a student harbor romantic thoughts toward his teacher?”

If Shen Qionglian hadn’t gone to the Grand Study Hall to teach the “Wu Yi” chapter of the Book of Documents, this matter might still be negotiable. Shen Qionglian’s ancestor was Shen Wanshan, but her father and brothers were all scholars with acceptable family backgrounds—insufficient for a prince consort but more than adequate for a concubine.

Going to teach at the Grand Study Hall changed everything. A student marrying his teacher—even the imperial family, which didn’t strictly observe hierarchies, wouldn’t permit such a marriage that violated teacher-student ethics. Even in the lawless martial world, Yang Guo’s union with his master Xiao Longnü was a major scandal not recognized by orthodox society.

Prince Lu covered his ear, screeching in his changing voice: “My feelings are sincere! Teacher Shen and I grew up together as childhood sweethearts. I love her talent, her proud and free spirit—she has Wei-Jin character, unrestrained and unique. I’ll marry no one but her.”

Consort Guo Ning twisted harder: “She’s a court poet—composing poetry is her job, not to please you specifically. Stop being so presumptuous. Childhood sweethearts? She entered the palace when you were only ten, so she wasn’t guarded against you. If she knew your improper intentions, she wouldn’t pay attention to you.”

Prince Lu knelt down: “Mother Consort, you now manage the harem like a deputy empress. Please fulfill your son’s wish—I’ll be eternally grateful.”

Consort Guo Ning was so angry she slapped her precious son: “If I fulfill your shameless request, I’d have to abdicate and give the deputy empress position to someone else. Do I alone have the final say in the harem? Palace rules and moral principles constrain everything above. I live cautiously with my tail between my legs every day, and you’re still causing trouble outside.”

Prince Lu was in his rebellious phase—the more he was beaten, the more stubborn he became: “Now that Mother Consort has discovered my feelings, I have nothing to hide. In this life, I’ll marry none but Teacher Shen.”

Consort Guo Ning, after all from a military family, gave her son a thorough beating, but Prince Lu gritted his teeth and refused to change his words.

At this moment, Nanny Guo came to persuade: “Your Highness, if you injure the young prince, who will you depend on in the future? You only have this one son.”

Hearing this, Consort Guo Ning stopped, seeing blood at her son’s lip corner. Both furious and heartbroken, she changed tactics to gentler methods, holding Prince Lu and crying:

“I’ve been proud and arrogant since childhood, yet my father sacrificed me to His Majesty as a concubine for the family’s greater good and my two brothers’ careers. These years in the harem, I’ve lived a wealthy, luxurious life but haven’t been happy. Empress Xiaoci and His Majesty were childhood sweethearts who shared hardships for many years—I have nothing to say and dare not covet the empress position. But now that Empress Xiaoci is gone, who in this palace is more qualified than me to be the successor empress?”

Prince Lu’s mouth was swollen like a sausage as he said: “No one. Mother Consort has no rivals. The Guo family is full of loyal martyrs, and both uncles were ennobled through real ability. Mother Consort’s bitter days are ending.”

At least he wasn’t completely stupid. Consort Guo Ning continued her tears campaign: “Son, you must understand—as long as I’m not elevated to empress, you’re no different from the princes in the East and West Five Quarters. You’re all concubine-born. Your uncles’ prowess is useless.”

Consort Guo Ning stroked Prince Lu’s swollen face: “Only when I’m elevated as successor empress will you be the only legitimate prince in the imperial family. Elevation is my lifelong dream and would greatly benefit your future. Then wouldn’t wanting a woman be simple? When I rule as empress, everything about Teacher Shen will be in my hands. I’ll find ways to make her become your woman legitimately.”

Consort Guo Ning painted a grand vision for Prince Lu. Her son was only fourteen, Shen Qionglian seventeen—the future stretched long ahead. In three years, Shen Qionglian would be twenty, past her prime, while her son would have outgrown his rebellious infatuation phase, married and had children. Men always prefer young, beautiful women—this matter would likely fizzle out.

First, she needed to pacify her son.

Consort Guo Ning wept bitterly. Prince Lu responded better to gentleness than force and felt his mother’s words made sense: “Is this truly possible?”

Consort Guo Ning bowed: “You’re my only son. Just be patient for a while. When I enter Kunning Palace as empress, I’ll definitely find ways to convince Teacher Shen to leave the palace. Once she’s out, you’ll no longer have a teacher-student relationship. Then, when you seek marriage as a prince, she’ll have to agree whether she wants to or not—the Shen family made their fortune in commerce. Though wealthy, their foundation is shallow. They’d be delighted to connect with a Ming prince—this great support. If Shen Qionglian bears you a son, that would be a commandery prince. With a commandery prince grandson, why wouldn’t the Shen family be pleased?”

Prince Lu thought about it and said: “Teacher Shen has a proud spirit—Mother Consort, don’t force her. I want to focus on studying poetry. If she appreciates my poems, she can appreciate me as a person.”

Who knew what gave Prince Lu such confidence—he was like a large piece of ginger in braised chicken rice. No matter how it was cooked or disguised, it still couldn’t become meat and would be discarded by Shen Qionglian into the trash.

Just then Hu Shanwei returned to report—the “harvest was abundant”: erotic paintings and novels disguised as scholarly books, supposedly ancient Dan formulas from the Wei-Jin period, ready-made elixirs that attendants had obtained from outside the palace to curry favor. According to Dansha’s confession, Prince Lu had been secretly consuming these elixirs for over half a year…

Hearing this, Consort Guo Ning felt both heartbroken and furious. Forgetting that she had just reconciled with her son, she slapped him again: “Foolish! If eating these things could make one immortal, those Wei-Jin celebrities would have ascended long ago instead of being buried in the ground. Elixirs are all poison. At your young age, consuming these will damage your foundation—tell me, how much have you eaten?”

Prince Lu covered his face and cried: “I don’t eat them often—only when I can’t write poetry and my inspiration runs dry. I take one elixir pill, feel ethereal like a poetry immortal possessing me, and write with divine inspiration.”

“Who gave them to you?” Consort Guo Ning, having slapped his left cheek, now struck his right, asking three questions in succession: “Just because someone gave them to you, you ate them? Are you an idiot?”

Hu Shanwei hadn’t expected Prince Lu to be enticed into consuming “immortality pills.” She found his toad-wanting-swan-meat attitude disgusting, yet felt Prince Lu was also unfortunate—when he was still a child at thirteen, someone had already targeted him, drawing him into palace intrigue and gradually leading him astray.

The mastermind was truly vicious, not sparing even children, having long planned to use Prince Lu to set a trap for Consort Guo Ning.