Zhu Nanxian said nothing.
Concubine Yu was after all Zhu Jingyuan’s consort. He could bring himself to strike down members of Zhu Zhaowei’s faction without hesitation, but to act against an innocent person—his heart couldn’t bear it.
Liu Chaoming continued, “Does Prince not remember the two guards who jumped into Yunji River with you back when Su Shiyu fell into the water?”
Zhu Nanxian’s gaze completely darkened. “Qin Sang, do it.”
“Yes.” Qin Sang responded.
Back then, acting on a moment of mercy, he had sent those two guards who might have known Su Jin was a woman to the northwest. Who knew that one of them was captured halfway by Zhu Zhaowei, his body rotting in the wilderness for half a year before being found.
Qin Sang gripped Concubine Yu’s arms to drag her out of Gardenia Hall.
At this moment, the door to the adjacent room opened.
Concubine Yu recognized that the person emerging from the adjacent room was Vice Minister Su, who held the power over criminal punishments. In her shock, she somehow summoned a burst of strength, broke free from Qin Sang’s grip, crawled over on her knees, and fell at Su Jin’s feet, crying out, “Lord Su, I beg Lord Su to save this humble concubine. Please, I beg you to speak to Crown Prince, to Lord Liu. This humble concubine truly doesn’t know who A’Yu is, who the Xie family is, truly doesn’t know…”
Hearing these words, Su Jin froze.
This meant—Zhu Zhaowei already knew about her matter?
Concubine Yu wept inconsolably, but Su Jin looked at Zhu Nanxian and Liu Chaoming. For a moment, she didn’t speak up for the innocent woman at her feet.
It wasn’t that she lacked compassion.
The struggle for imperial power was like a bloodthirsty whirlpool, with waves within like knives. Between them and Zhu Zhaowei, it was already a fight to the death. If innocent people were drawn in, they could only be crushed.
“Qin Sang.” Zhu Nanxian called out coldly again.
Qin Sang cupped his hands, took three steps as if they were two, came forward, and simply hoisted Concubine Yu over his shoulder and carried her out.
Not long after the hall door closed, the sound of a sharp sword piercing flesh came from outside. The three people inside the hall said nothing. After a while, Qin Sang came in to report, “Prince, Concubine Yu has passed away.”
Zhu Nanxian said, “Mm, order the Court of Imperial Clan to elevate her rank and give her a grand burial.”
Qin Sang assented, then continued, “However, when your humble subject was carrying Concubine Yu out just now, Minister Luo of the Ministry of Rites who was kneeling outside suddenly fainted. I don’t know how much he saw. Does Prince want your humble subject to give the Ministry of Rites a word?”
“No need.” Zhu Nanxian said. “He chose to faint at this moment—what more could he have seen?”
Liu Chaoming glanced at Su Jin standing to the side, still in a daze, and asked, “Have you finished writing the case summary?”
Su Jin’s eyes were still dull and lifeless. She was quiet for a long while before replying, “I’ve finished writing it. Does Prince and Lord wish to review it right now?”
Zhu Nanxian thought briefly about Zhu Zhaowei’s purpose in sending Concubine Yu here and said, “No need. You return to the Ministry of Justice first. Censor Liu and I still have matters to discuss. I’ll look at your memorial later.”
Actually, Su Jin knew what Zhu Nanxian needed to discuss with Liu Chaoming.
Now in Zhu Zhaowei’s hands, the only, most deadly leverage was her background.
How lamentable that she had originally entered the Censorate with the aspiration to speak for the people, yet now an innocent person had died unjustly because of her.
If her presence as a woman in court was inherently heretical, then was her current situation running contrary to her original intention, or was this her necessary path?
Su Jin responded, “All right.” She slowly set down the memorial and case files in her hands but didn’t immediately leave.
She wasn’t particularly self-reproaching or sorrowful, just somewhat lost.
Liu Chaoming and Zhu Nanxian looked sideways at her, seeming to want to say something, but neither spoke first.
At this moment, a Golden Guard came to report from outside, “Reporting to Crown Prince, Seventeenth Prince heard that Consort Qi was to undergo induced labor and has taken people to Yanhe Palace!”
After Zhu Nanxian succeeded as heir apparent and returned to the palace, he gave the position of Left Director of the Court of Imperial Clan to Zhu Min’er, having him assist in managing palace affairs. Two days ago, when Shen Xi had time to come to the Eastern Palace to discuss the matter of Zhu Zhaowei and Consort Qi, since Seventeenth Prince Zhu assisted in palace management, they hadn’t avoided him.
Hearing these words, Zhu Nanxian frowned. “Under what pretext did he go?”
“Replying to Prince.” The reporting Golden Guard hesitated somewhat. “The crime of defiling the palace quarters and transgressing ethical norms.”
“Where are the accusation document and testimony?” Zhu Nanxian glanced at Liu Chaoming and Su Jin. With such a grave charge, how could Zhu Min’er presume to prosecute without presenting evidence to the Censorate or Ministry of Justice?
“Imperial Physician An went to Yanhe Palace after the Hour of the Goat. At that time, Seventeenth Prince was originally together with Seventh Prince at the Court of Imperial Clan. After learning of this matter, not knowing what Seventh Prince said to him, he suddenly wrote a testimony and had someone deliver it to the Censorate, claiming he would request censors to come interrogate Seventh Prince and Consort Qi. As Prince knows, Lord Liu came to Weiyang Palace at the Hour of the Goat, so Lord Liu hasn’t seen that testimony yet. Seventeenth Prince said he feared delays would breed complications. Unable to wait for the Censorate’s authorization, he has already personally taken people and forced his way into Consort Qi’s palace.”
“He feared delays would breed complications, but wasn’t he afraid of alerting the enemy?” Zhu Nanxian said.
Zhu Zhaowei was deeply calculating. Since he dared to send Concubine Yu to deliver a message, it meant he already had countermeasures for the matter of himself and Consort Qi.
Zhu Nanxian and Liu Chaoming had originally planned to carefully devise a method to simultaneously eliminate the leverage Zhu Zhaowei held regarding Su Jin. Who knew that Seventeenth Prince Zhu would fall for Zhu Zhaowei’s provocation at this critical juncture.
At this moment, a palace attendant came running from outside in a panic. Before even entering the hall, he fell to his knees at the threshold. “Reporting to Crown Prince, Consort Qi, she… During childbirth, because Seventeenth Prince brought people barging into the hall, she was frightened. Blood flowed from below, the pain was unbearable. The young prince… was born dead. Consort Qi’s life hangs by a thread. Right now, Seventh Prince is taking people to hold Seventeenth Prince accountable.”
Hearing these words, Zhu Nanxian could no longer think further and immediately said, “Censor Liu.”
Liu Chaoming nodded, and the two prepared to go to the rear palace together.
Su Jin followed the two of them for a few steps, but didn’t know whether she should go along.
She knew in her heart that after Zhu Zhaowei lost power, the reason he could still cause so much chaos was all related to him holding her secret. Her heart truly couldn’t get past this.
Zhu Nanxian and Liu Chaoming walked to outside the hall. Their steps paused, and they turned back. Liu Chaoming thought for a moment and said, “If you’re not at ease, come along.”
Zhu Nanxian nodded. “Come along and see.”
Today the guards around Yanhe Palace were from the Capital Guard. Zhu Min’er had originally brought several Golden Guards to force his way into Consort Qi’s bedchamber. Who knew that as soon as Consort Qi saw him, her face, which had little color to begin with, turned three shades paler. Blood seeped profusely from beneath her raised legs, and her piercing screams were simply soul-shaking. Even after Seventeenth Prince Zhu dazedly led his people out, he was still in shock and panic.
He had overestimated himself. Earlier, when Zhu Zhaowei told him that the young prince in Consort Qi’s belly was his, Zhu Zhaowei’s, and asked if he wanted to avenge his imperial brother and sister-in-law, Zhu Min’er thought he could decisively lead people to dispose of this illegitimate child, interrogate Consort Qi, and then execute Zhu Zhaowei.
But as soon as he saw Consort Qi and the fragile life in her belly, he retreated.
He couldn’t do it. In his life, he had seen too little blood.
Looking at Zhu Zhaowei before him, as calm as a light breeze, Zhu Min’er finally understood. “You did it deliberately, deliberately said those words to me, lured me here.”
Zhu Zhaowei said, “What, with your two Crown Prince imperial brothers protecting you from above, are you still afraid you can’t bear the crime of harming an imperial heir and want to pin it on this prince?”
“It was clearly you—” Zhu Min’er was furious. “Moreover, what’s in her belly is not some imperial heir at all, but an illegitimate child with you!”
Zhu Zhaowei laughed. “Is that what you just said to frighten Consort Qi, causing her to be shocked during labor, making our Nineteenth Brother lose his life at birth?”
As he spoke, his expression suddenly darkened. “Imperial Father is still here. Don’t think that having Zhu Nanxian backing you means you can act as you please. Guards.”
“Present!” The Capital Guards nearby obeyed the order. They had witnessed Seventeenth Prince Zhu barging into Consort Qi’s bedchamber with their own eyes.
“Take my Seventeenth Brother back to the Court of Imperial Clan. This prince will personally interrogate him and write a testimony for him.”
“Yes.”
The Capital Guards stationed outside Yanhe Hall were about to seize him when suddenly from outside the palace courtyard came a voice: “We pay respects to Crown Prince, Lord Liu, Lord Su.”
The several people standing outside Yanhe Hall all looked toward the palace gate. It turned out that Zhu Nanxian had arrived with Liu Chaoming and Su Jin.
Seeing Zhu Min’er’s arms being gripped by two Capital Guards, Zhu Nanxian’s brow furrowed and he said, “Release him.”
The two Capital Guards quickly responded and knelt together to apologize to him.
Only then did Zhu Nanxian’s gaze sweep slowly. Outside Yanhe’s bedchamber, besides Zhu Zhaowei and Zhu Min’er, Zhu Qiyue was also present.
Additionally, four palace maids stood around, several Capital Guards, and five Golden Guards who had been restrained by the Capital Guards for having forced their way into Consort Qi’s bedchamber.
Zhu Zhaowei paid him no mind. His gaze fell on Su Jin behind Zhu Nanxian, and he laughed. “Oh, for Vice Minister Su to come to this rear palace hall of inner quarters is considerably more appropriate than for other officials.”
Hearing these words, Zhu Nanxian was silent for a moment before saying, “Capital Guards, Golden Guards.”
“Present.”
“Withdraw and guard outside the palace.”
“Yes.”
Zhu Min’er was still filled with indignation. Seeing his imperial brother dismiss all the military guards outside, he said in confusion, “Imperial Brother, he already admitted to me earlier that the child in Consort Qi’s belly is indeed his, and he’s also the one who killed Eldest Imperial Brother and Imperial Sister-in-law. You… why won’t you execute him?!”
“Why?” Zhu Zhaowei smiled. “Because your imperial brother is afraid someone will be buried with this prince, so he doesn’t dare act.”
Hearing these words, Zhu Min’er was beside himself with rage. “You’re covered in sins, your hands stained with blood. Who would be willing to be buried with someone like you?” As he spoke, he suddenly touched the sword hilt at his waist, reached to draw it, and said, “If Imperial Brother won’t kill you, I’ll kill you!”
The long sword rang out from its sheath, but Zhu Min’er ultimately wasn’t skilled in martial arts. Before the blade could reach Zhu Zhaowei, another sword—jet black throughout, inlaid with gilded dark patterns—was already pressed against his neck.
It was Zhu Qiyue’s Qingya.
“Try touching Seventh Brother?”
Though Zhu Qiyue’s sword hadn’t left its sheath, with his ability, drawing and slashing would only take an instant.
The four palace maids standing around were so frightened they bowed and knelt.
Zhu Nanxian glanced at Zhu Qiyue, then suddenly raised his hand to grip Seventeen’s sword-holding hand. Lifting the sword, he was about to stab toward Zhu Qiyue. Zhu Qiyue withdrew his sword to parry, deflecting Seventeen’s sword away. The next moment, Zhu Nanxian brought his blade to block Qingya and returned the words: “Try touching Seventeen?”
Seeing this opportunity, Su Jin stepped forward, grasped Zhu Min’er’s wrist, and pulled the completely stunned him back one step, away from the weapons before them.
However, Zhu Min’er’s wrist was trembling slightly.
This was the first time in his life someone had held a weapon to his neck. When Zhu Qiyue had drawn his sword, the sharp blade had been less than an inch from his face.
So Su Jin turned to look at him and gently shook her head, wanting to tell him he must not show weakness.
Actually, Zhu Nanxian had taught him this many times—when facing a great enemy, remember not to show weakness.
Zhu Min’er bit his teeth and gripped Su Jin’s wrist tightly in return, trying to make himself less afraid.
Who knew that at this moment, Zhu Zhaowei would laugh aloud. “Seventeen, gripping Vice Minister Su’s wrist like this—aren’t you afraid your imperial brother will be angry?”
Zhu Min’er was stunned for a moment, then said angrily, “Stop sowing discord between my imperial brother and me.”
But Zhu Zhaowei seemed surprised and said “Ah” in astonishment. “You don’t know yet? This Vice Minister Su beside you is actually a woman, and moreover, she’s the descendant of the infamous deposed Prime Minister Xie Xu.”