In the Imperial Study, Liu Jiu Shao, who had led the Shanglin Park expedition, finished reporting the details of what had transpired, then added: “The Right Guard of the Four Guards, numbering over five thousand men with commanders who are mostly Zhou Jin’s confidants, secretly dispersed and redeployed after Your Majesty left the city that day. This was Zhou Jin’s preparation to force his way into the palace in case the assassination failed. All confessions have been obtained in full. I await Your Majesty’s decision.”
After he finished speaking, he saw the Emperor staring at the candlelight on the desk, his silhouette seemingly frozen, his face slightly tinged with blue. Not daring to look further, Liu Jiu Shao lowered his head.
After a while, he heard the Emperor say: “Your timely deployment and loyal bravery are commendable. Very good. You may leave now. Later, I will have rewards for you.”
Liu Jiu Shao kowtowed in gratitude and withdrew. Outside the hall, he saw Pei You’an quietly waiting and hurried forward, calling out “Lord Pei.”
His admiration for Pei You’an now knew no bounds. If not for Pei You’an’s prior warning to be extra vigilant during this Shanglin Park expedition, given how meticulously planned this assassination and coup attempt had been, it would be hard to imagine what might have happened. Even now, thinking about it still made his heart race.
Pei You’an nodded.
As it was not appropriate to linger outside the hall, Liu Jiu Shao said in a low voice before leaving: “My Lord, rest assured. Although you did not accompany us to Shanglin Park, I would not dare conceal your contribution and have reported everything truthfully to His Majesty.”
Pei You’an smiled slightly.
After Liu Jiu Shao left, Pei You’an stood at the foot of the hall steps, raising his eyes to look at the row of chiwen ridge beasts perched on top of the glazed tile roof of the hall.
The ridge beasts were arranged in neat rows, with fierce faces, bulging eyes, arrogantly looking down on everything below.
A palace servant came out and bowed to him: “Lord Pei, His Majesty summons you.”
Pei You’an withdrew his gaze, stepped forward, entered, and performed a kowtow to Xiao Lie.
Xiao Lie sat behind his desk, the blue tinge not yet completely gone from his face. Looking at Pei You’an kneeling before him, he did not speak for a moment.
Pei You’an did not rise and remained kneeling.
“You’an, Liu Jiu Shao just told me that you had given him a warning before this Shanglin Park expedition?”
“How did you know about the Crown Prince’s assassination plot? And if you had suspicions, why didn’t you inform me earlier?”
“Raise your head and answer me!”
Xiao Lie finally spoke, his voice unusually heavy, seemingly carrying a hint of interrogation.
Pei You’an raised his head, meeting Xiao Lie’s gaze, his expression calm.
“Your Majesty, I could not speak of this before, but today, I must. There is no other reason except that the Crown Prince has always viewed me with disloyalty, so I had to be prepared.”
Silence fell in the Imperial Study. After a moment, Xiao Lie spoke again: “What makes you so certain that the Crown Prince could not tolerate you? I have repeatedly instructed the Crown Prince that you and I share a bond like brothers, and I wish for you two to also…”
His voice gradually became hoarse, then stopped, his gaze desolate.
Pei You’an slowly kowtowed to the ground.
“I am guilty of not fulfilling my duty as a subject, causing the Crown Prince to harbor grudges, thereby disappointing Your Majesty to this extent.”
He said in a low voice.
Xiao Lie remained silent.
Pei You’an straightened up and called a palace servant, ordering them to bring what he had brought earlier. The servant handed it over, and Pei You’an unfolded it to reveal a woman’s undergarment with a dark stain on one sleeve, yellowed with age, appearing to be quite old.
The Emperor was startled: “What is this?”
“Your Majesty, this is the garment my wife wore when she attended the birthday celebration of the Crown Princess’s mother. When my wife returned from the banquet that night, she told me that as the Crown Princess led the toast and instructed palace maids to pour wine for the guests at the table, when it came to my wife’s cup, she noticed something unusual in the way the palace maid held the wine pot. She didn’t dare drink it and quietly poured the wine into her sleeve. After returning, and remembering the Crown Princess’s public outburst, my wife was alarmed and confused, so she told me about it. As Your Majesty knows, I have some medical knowledge and have studied foreign medicines since my youth. Having suspicions, I examined the wine stains on the garment and, after a thorough investigation, discovered it was a Tantric mind-altering drug, which would make the consumer appear drunk and mentally disturbed.”
Xiao Lie’s expression gradually tightened.
“I remember being drenched in cold sweat at the time. I can hardly imagine the consequences had my wife drunk that drugged wine that night. From that night on, I had to be on guard. After the incident with the Crown Princess, Zhou Jin, and Empress Zhou successively estranged themselves from Your Majesty. Despite Your Majesty’s earnest fatherly love, evident, the Crown Prince inevitably became implicated. I presumed the Crown Prince might have felt endangered. As for Your Majesty’s visit to Shanglin Park, the clue began at White Crane Temple. When I was treating Chi Hen Zhen, her words were evasive, and her illness fluctuated. The night before the trip, she became critically ill to the point of unconsciousness, forcing me to request leave. Knowing Chi Hen Zhen had prior connections with the Crown Princess, and finding her illness suspicious, especially as it worsened just as Your Majesty was to leave the palace, I grew suspicious. Fearing for Your Majesty’s safety, I reminded Commander Liu to be thorough and extra vigilant.”
Pei You’an raised his eyes to gaze at the Emperor opposite him.
“Valleys can be filled, but greed knows no satiation. Humans are born with spirit, yet often unknowingly driven by ambition and desire—this too is suffering. Your Majesty, before the incident at Shanglin Park, everything was merely my presumption about human nature. I couldn’t believe the Crown Prince would commit such an act of betrayal against the imperial ancestors, nor would I dare come before Your Majesty to openly disrupt the feelings between father and son of the imperial family.”
“This is the complete truth, with nothing concealed. I am guilty of placing my self-preservation before Your Majesty’s safety.”
Having finished, Pei You’an again kowtowed to the ground.
Xiao Lie seemed lost in thought, sitting with his eyes closed and not speaking. After a long while, he rose, his steps somewhat heavy, and slowly walked to Pei You’an, who remained prostrate without raising his head. Bending down, he used both hands to help him up from the ground.
“You’an, what guilt could you possibly bear! I do not blame you. I too must reflect. Over the years, my virtue has been lacking, my vigilance insufficient. I failed to notice the Crown Prince’s growing estrangement, to the point where he attempted to kill his father—such madness, heart-wrenching, shocking to hear. Though you were not present at Shanglin Park this time, your merit is no less than Liu Jiu Shao’s.”
“To think that I, ruling over all under heaven, would have no one by my side…”
He suddenly tightened his fingers, gripping Pei You’an’s arms firmly, his voice abruptly trembling. Before finishing his sentence, he stopped, staring fixedly at Pei You’an. After a moment, seeming to realize his lack of composure, he released his grip on Pei You’an’s hands, turned away briefly, then sat back behind his desk.
“You’an, from the time you came to my side at sixteen, I have trusted you. From now on, you and I shall work with one heart and mind.”
“Though the realm is mine, I will never shortchange you in the future. Remember that, will you?”
Xiao Lie stared at Pei You’an, emphasizing each word.
Pei You’an hesitated, then knelt again and kowtowed in gratitude.
Xiao Lie told him to rise: “I know the Crown Prince is cold by nature. I had thought the Crown Princess virtuous and kind, which is why I betrothed her to the Crown Prince, hoping she would assist him. Unexpectedly, she conspired with him, truly disappointing me. Originally, I planned to send her with him, imprisoned for life, but yesterday, someone from the Eastern Palace reported she is with a child. So I will grant her some time until after she gives birth, then make further arrangements. She harmed Zhen, but with this arrangement, you won’t think I’m showing favoritism, will you?”
Pei You’an replied: “Your Majesty’s arrangement is appropriate. My wife, upon learning of it, would surely respect Your decision.”
Xiao Lie nodded: “I am somewhat tired. You may retire as well.”
As Pei You’an withdrew, Xiao Lie gazed at his figure. When he reached the entrance of the hall, the Emperor suddenly called out to him.
“Does Your Majesty have further instructions?” Pei You’an paused.
“With the Dowager’s passing, as her heir, I should allow you to properly observe mourning. However, state affairs outweigh family matters. The Dowager was deeply principled in life, and if her spirit was aware in heaven, she would not blame me. Recently, memorials from the Jing-Xiang region have been pouring in like snowflakes, causing continuous disturbances. The matter of returning refugees is incredibly complex. Despite your previously established plans, local officials lack the capability, and implementation has been weak, with conflicts arising with the populace. I fear this will incite public resentment and, if disturbances ensue, it will be a grave matter. Since you led this initiative and the local people trust you, I recalled you to the capital to restore your official position, intending to send you back to the Southwest, to implement policies for the people’s welfare on my behalf, both benefiting the region and preventing future troubles. What do you think?”
Xiao Lie’s tone suggested he was seeking Pei You’an’s opinion.
Pei You’an’s figure stilled for a moment, then he said: “Your servant obeys the imperial decree.”
Xiao Lie looked at him: “In that case, tomorrow I will order the Ministry of Personnel to issue the document. You can choose a day to depart…”
He hesitated, then said: “You’an, I know that over these years, you have exhausted yourself for me, rushing east and west, without a moment’s rest. I’ve seen it all. After this matter is settled, I will certainly let you have a good rest for a while. You have not had it easy.”
“Your Majesty’s words are too kind. I have merely done my duty. I take my leave.”
Xiao Lie smiled and called for Li Yuan Gui to escort him.
“Lord Pei, please,” Li Yuan Gui said respectfully.
Pei You’an bowed to the Emperor, lowered his head, turned, and left the study. After walking a few steps, he saw Cui Yin Shui hurrying in from the opposite direction, looking somewhat alarmed. Seeing Li Yuan Gui stop and frown, Cui quickly approached and said in a low voice: “Godfather, something has happened at the Northern Garden! The Empress wishes to see His Majesty. When the palace servants wouldn’t relay her message, she set herself on fire. Fortunately, it was discovered early and extinguished in time, preventing a major incident…”
Li Yuan Gui stopped in his tracks.
Pei You’an smiled: “Eunuch Li, please stay. I can find my way out of the palace.” With that, he turned and left.
He walked out of the hall, descended the steps, the smile gradually disappearing from his face. His eyes fixed ahead, and he proceeded along the palace path, gradually quickening his pace.
……
In a palace within the Northern Garden, Empress Zhou, her face pale and her gaze restless, paced back and forth in the hall, her palace shoes tapping on the floor.
In the empty hall, her hollow and hurried footsteps echoed continuously. Suddenly, she saw a tall figure walking from the darkness of the entrance where the candlelight couldn’t reach, casting a long black shadow on the ground.
That man finally stood there, coldly looking at her, his gaze detached, devoid of any emotion, as if even disgust no longer existed.
Zhou rushed toward him but didn’t dare approach too closely. She knelt on the ground several steps away, tears flowing, and kowtowed: “Your Majesty, I received your reprimand and am truly frightened. Though Yin Tang has committed a terrible crime, if not for Zhou Jin’s instigation, my son would never have done such a thing! He was momentarily confused. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. I beg Your Majesty, for the sake of our twenty years of marriage, to spare him this time!”
She kept kowtowing, her forehead hitting the ground with audible thuds.
Xiao Lie coldly said: “You risked death to see me, and I thought you had a heart of repentance. Considering our twenty years as husband and wife, I came. Unexpectedly, instead of reflecting on your failure in upbringing, you still push the blame onto others. Lambs kneel to receive milk, and crows feed their parents in return. What has your son done? After ascending the throne, I made him Crown Prince. What grievance could he have? Now he attempts to kill his father and seize the throne. I have already spared his life. After Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter gives birth, regardless of whether it’s a boy or girl, the child will be raised as an imperial descendant. For twenty years, I believe I have not shortchanged you mother and son. You should take care. I am leaving.”
With that, he turned and strode away.
Zhou opened her bloodshot eyes wide, staring fixedly at the Emperor’s retreating figure, then suddenly cried out sharply: “Your Majesty, you say you haven’t mistreated me and Yin Tang. Do you think I don’t know where you secretly went during those six months in Yunnan? You sneaked into the capital to Ci’en Temple to be with Pei Wenjing, didn’t you? All these years, you’ve only had eyes for that son Pei Wenjing bore you. When have you ever spared a glance for Yin Tang? He is your rightful son, the heir to the throne! With such bias, Yin Tang’s missteps today are partly your responsibility! What virtue or capability do you have? Do you think that precious bastard son of yours has no ulterior motives? If one day he learns of your disgrace, do you think he would still acknowledge you as his father?”
Zhou’s shrill voice echoed in the vast hall, seeming to reverberate repeatedly.
Xiao Lie suddenly stopped, slowly turning his head.
The candlelight flickered, illuminating his face. His complexion was ashen, facial muscles twitching slightly, his expression ferocious, like a beast suddenly enraged.
“What did you just say?”
He gritted his teeth, approaching Zhou step by step, his gaze extremely sinister.
Zhou shrank back, fear flashing in her eyes. Suddenly, as if coming to her senses, she fell at his feet and clutched his legs: “Your Majesty, I deserve death for my offense. I spoke nonsense just now. I beg Your Majesty, spare Yin Tang, give him another chance…”
She wept bitterly, “I have only this one son. Such a punishment is no different from taking his life.”
Xiao Lie looked down at the woman clinging to his legs and weeping in anguish. After a while, he coldly smiled: “What is rightful? How many rightful things are there in this world? My throne was not rightfully obtained either, so why must it be passed to your son? An insatiable heart estranges itself from heaven.”
Xiao Lie pulled away and left without looking back.