Today His Majesty had gone to Zhaojue Temple to pray for blessings, inviting the Crown Prince and Crown Princess to join him for a vegetarian meal. Zhu Minda had long since gone to wait outside the West Xianchi Gate. Shen Jing had originally been waiting with Zhu Lin at the Front Palace Hall, but now they were nowhere to be seen.
When Zhu Nanxian rushed to the Palace Front Garden, the physician had already arrived. He strode forward and saw little Zhu Lin curled up on the daybed. The physician had applied needles at acupuncture points including his philtrum, Hegu point, and Yongquan point. Zhu Lin’s condition seemed to have eased somewhat, but his cheeks were pale and bluish.
As soon as Zhu Nanxian arrived, the eunuchs and palace maids inside and outside the hall knelt everywhere. The physician was also about to pay respects to him, but he raised his hand to stop him and asked: “How did he suddenly become possessed?”
The physician said: “In response to Thirteenth Prince, Imperial Grandson’s condition is acute infantile convulsions. Fortunately it is not very serious. This humble subject has already ordered someone to brew medicinal soup to regulate his qi and stop the convulsions. After taking it, if he wakes before the hour of Zi, there should be no serious problems.”
Zhu Nanxian was slightly relieved and asked again: “Why would he have acute infantile convulsions?”
The physician said: “In response to Your Highness, if acute infantile convulsions are accompanied by heat symptoms, they are usually caused by illness. However, Imperial Grandson shows no signs of fever, so there are three possible causes: external invasion by the six excesses, epidemic toxins invading the body—especially wind evil, summer heat evil, and damp-heat epidemic qi—or occasionally caused by sudden fright.”
Zhu Nanxian was stunned for a long while: “What in the world?”
The physician said: “The so-called six excesses are wind, cold, summer heat, dampness, dryness, and fire. And the so-called epidemic toxins, as mentioned in the ‘Acupuncture Methods Discussion’ Qia Feng Yu Lian Tian – Chapter of the ‘Plain Questions’…”
“What he means is that the young prince’s acute infantile convulsions were caused by either cold or dampness exposure, poisoning, or fright.”
Su Jin stood outside the hall. Hearing the physician rambling on endlessly, she couldn’t help but interrupt.
Zhu Nanxian glanced at her and said to the Feathered Forest Guards at the door: “It’s cold outside. Let Censor Su enter the hall.”
Then he thought for a moment and summoned the head steward of the Front Palace Hall, instructing: “All objects the young prince touched must not be moved. Order the Court of Imperial Clan to present the roster of all eunuchs and palace maids who traveled from the Eastern Palace to the Palace Front Garden today. Send orders to the Imperial Medical Bureau to examine all remnants of Lin’er’s meals today and the utensils used.”
Everyone acknowledged the orders and withdrew.
Zhu Nanxian then summoned a palace maid standing nearby and asked: “Where is Imperial Sister-in-law?”
This palace maid was called Shuxiang and was the Crown Princess’s personal attendant. She said: “In response to Thirteenth Prince, the Crown Princess was just urgently summoned away by Imperial Noble Consort. Since the young prince had already fallen asleep, she ordered this servant and others to remain here to care for him.”
Zhu Nanxian asked again: “Besides you, who else?”
A matronly woman on the other side answered: “In response to Thirteenth Prince, there is also this servant.”
Zhu Nanxian’s sword-like eyebrows furrowed slightly as he clicked his tongue. This person was Zhu Lin’s wet nurse. Like Shuxiang, she cared for the young prince daily and would not ordinarily make mistakes.
His gaze swept over Su Jin. Seeing she seemed to want to speak but hesitated, he said gently: “If you have something to say, speak freely. No need to hold back.”
Su Jin thought for a moment and asked the wet nurse: “Since it’s convulsive syndrome, why did you say he was possessed when you went to inform Thirteenth Prince earlier?”
Infantile convulsions were also called epileptic seizures. Though similar to possession syndrome, possession syndrome occurred during sleep and dreams, while acute infantile convulsions, as the physician said, were mostly caused by external evil invading the body or fright.
Su Jin originally didn’t know this principle, but she had recently been investigating the Petition Drum case and learned that the last woman who died had been poisoned by strychnine. Since this poison manifested with convulsive symptoms after onset, she had looked through medical texts.
The wet nurse said: “In response to Censor, this servant thought possession was the same as convulsive syndrome.”
Su Jin pressed on: “After the Crown Princess left, did the young prince wake up?”
The wet nurse and Shuxiang exchanged glances, looking somewhat uncomfortable: “Not long after the Crown Princess left, the young prince woke up. He probably wanted to find the Crown Princess and kept running outside. Shuxiang and I followed. When we reached the covered corridor, somehow in the time it took us to speak, the young prince fell ill.”
Su Jin asked again: “Did you have people search the area thoroughly?”
Shuxiang said: “The Feathered Forest Guards have already searched everywhere, but the covered corridor is surrounded by the flower garden. In winter everything is visible at a glance—we really couldn’t see anything suspicious.”
Su Jin looked toward Zhu Nanxian. Zhu Nanxian nodded slightly and instructed: “Take me to see.”
The section of covered corridor where Zhu Lin fell ill was arched and elevated. Looking around, indeed everything was visible at a glance.
The sky had already turned completely dark. Guards behind them held torches. Su Jin seemed to think of something and suddenly crouched down, looking outward through the railing.
Seeing this, Zhu Nanxian understood. That’s right—Zhu Lin was only a two-year-old child. What he saw might not be the same as what they saw.
He took a torch from a guard nearby and crouched down together with Su Jin. Directly in their line of sight was a row of side rooms, one of which had its window door slightly ajar, as if intentionally opened by someone.
Zhu Nanxian and Su Jin looked at each other. Both rose simultaneously and walked toward that side room.
Upon reaching the door of the side room, Zhu Nanxian handed the torch to the Feathered Forest Guard and stepped forward to push open the door with one hand.
The night wind suddenly surged in with the opened door. The room was empty, but suddenly there came a “bang” as if some heavy object had struck the door. Zhu Nanxian looked up and saw a disheveled woman lunging toward him through the air, her appearance fierce and terrifying.
Without hesitation, Zhu Nanxian stepped aside. The woman swayed back and forth a few times before hanging motionless in place.
It was actually a female corpse suspended in midair.
Some timid palace maids around them screamed at this sight.
Zhu Nanxian turned to glance at Su Jin. Seeing she was relatively composed, he raised the torch higher to look at the female corpse. Her tongue protruded, her cheeks were purple and cyanotic, her eyes rolled back and filled with bloodshot veins—it was undoubtedly death by hanging.
Because this female corpse hung from the beam nearest to the door, when Zhu Nanxian had just pushed open the door, she was carried to behind it by the door, then pulled back by the rope hanging from the beam, creating the illusion that she was lunging through the air.
Zhu Nanxian ordered the Feathered Forest Guards to lower the female corpse and asked the head steward of the Front Palace Hall: “Is this a palace maid from your garden?”
Head Steward Eunuch Zhang hesitated, stretched his neck to look, and was greatly shocked: “Your… Your Highness, this woman seems to be, seems to be… Beauty Li from Yanhe Palace!”
At these words, everyone around gasped.
Yanhe Palace had formerly been the residence of Consort Cen, who was the birth mother of the Seventh Prince Zhu Zhaowei.
Several years ago, Consort Cen had died tragically, her body hanging from the beam of Yanhe Palace for five days before Zhu Zhaowei discovered it. Therefore, in the years after Consort Cen’s passing, Yanhe Palace had never had another consort move in.
It was only last year that the palace received one mistress and one servant—precisely Beauty Li and her maid.
Tomorrow was Consort Cen’s memorial day, and today, Beauty Li from Yanhe Palace had inexplicably hanged herself in the Palace Front Garden. Such a coincidence was like some unclean thing causing mischief, making one’s hair stand on end.
Zhu Nanxian frowned slightly. According to protocol, someone of Beauty Li’s rank should not ordinarily come to the front palace. Why would she appear here?
Eunuch Zhang asked: “Your Highness, presumably the Crown Prince and Imperial Noble Consort are already on their way. Seeing such a serious incident has occurred, should we also send someone to inform His Majesty?”
Zhu Nanxian said: “You arrange it.” Then as if remembering something, he coughed and said: “Since this is a matter of the inner palace, it’s inappropriate for Censor Su to remain here any longer. You may withdraw.”
Su Jin understood the meaning of his words. After pondering for a moment, she said: “Earlier, Your Highness asked this subject about matters concerning the external reports from Nanchang Prefecture. This subject just remembered an urgent matter I forgot to mention to Your Highness.”
Zhu Nanxian nodded slightly, ordered everyone to remain in place awaiting orders, and led Su Jin to the other side of the flower garden.
The winter night was deep. Su Jin’s eyes seemed like fire as she said directly: “Your Highness, this is not right.”
Zhu Nanxian said: “I know. Since Imperial Sister-in-law left Lin’er here, the Feathered Forest Guards must have been strictly guarding inside and out. For something like this to happen, there must be a problem with either the Eastern Palace’s people or the Feathered Forest Guards themselves.”
Su Jin said: “Yes, this subject doesn’t believe in coincidences. Beauty Li’s death may be due to a lapse in security, but the young prince’s acute infantile convulsions may not necessarily be caused by fright. The young prince is only two years old. Even if he saw someone hanging from afar and the sight was terrifying, being frightened into convulsions is rather far-fetched. Your Highness must have people investigate carefully, because this subject feels this matter…” She paused. “Is not simply a mysterious case. There are too many flaws—rather, it’s more like a setup, full of loopholes inviting one into a trap.”
It was even somewhat similar to that incident at the Seventh Prince’s Buma Prefecture last year.
But even more confusing.
At least then she could see through it—she was the bait, Zhu Nanxian was the fish. But today’s setup was more like a game of chess. She was a piece, Zhu Nanxian was also a piece. Who was moving the pieces? What was the purpose?
Between Su Jin’s brows gradually appeared deep worry, like a vast and boundless cold rain.
Since their reunion after parting, it had been a long time since Zhu Nanxian had seen such desolation between her brows.
Su Jin hesitated again: “Your Highness, I’m worried…”
Before she could finish, Zhu Nanxian suddenly reached out and brushed the strand of hair that had fallen from her hairpin behind her ear.
The warmth of his fingertips swept past her cheek, as if igniting a trail of fire.
Then he withdrew his hand, pausing slightly in midair. Seeming somewhat awkward, his Adam’s apple bobbed before he said: “Don’t overthink anything. Just remember—you know nothing about this matter.”
He paused again and said softly: “Leave quickly. When my eldest brother and Father Emperor arrive, they will inevitably search everywhere and implicate people. It will be difficult to extricate yourself then. Don’t worry—nothing will happen to me.”
Su Jin couldn’t help but look up at him. Under the night scene of the palace pavilions, Zhu Nanxian’s features were deeply shadowed. He smiled at her, then turned back and instructed in a deep voice: “Feathered Forest Guards, guard all palace gates. Do not allow anyone else to enter or exit the Palace Front Garden.”
Su Jin turned and slowly walked toward Chengtian Gate.
This was the way out of the palace. With every step, the palace halls and towers in the night became more distant, yet Su Jin became increasingly alarmed.
So she stopped and looked up at the night sky.
The moon and stars had disappeared. Dark clouds covered the firmament, thick like a hand stirring wind and clouds.
And she was perhaps just a chess piece in that hand.
Su Jin remembered that the Third Prince was building a traveling palace in Shanxi—this was inadvertently revealed to her by the Ninth Prince. So coincidentally, the person building the traveling palace for the Third Prince was precisely Sun Yinde, who had once been her enemy.
And today, just as she was still puzzled about how the woman who struck the Petition Drum had so coincidentally died from poison onset at the drum, someone had already demonstrated it for her.
It was like throwing a brick to attract jade.
Like presenting peaches and plums to her, seeking precious jade in return.
But who was this person? The Eastern Palace? The Seventh Prince? Or the Fourteenth? Or perhaps everyone was involved, and there might even be others she couldn’t see, hiding in the darkness.