Li Pan had encountered assassins before, but never expected to be caught off guard in the palace—on his own territory. His eyes widened as he snapped the duster in two.
Yet Qun Qing’s expression was exceptionally calm in the night. One hand forcefully gripped his neck, her entire palm trembling, while between the fingers of her other hand appeared a needle. She pierced Li Pan’s temple. As his eyeballs turned fearfully toward his temple, she delivered a hand chop, striking him unconscious.
Qun Qing had used too much force. Li Pan lost his center of gravity and toppled from the pavilion, rolling down the small hill. Ruo Chan’s cry of alarm nearly escaped her lips. “This—this is Prince Zhao. What should we do?”
The fingertips in Qun Qing’s sleeve trembled slightly. “He’s fine. I needled his acupoint. When he wakes, he’ll forget what happened before losing consciousness. Let’s go quickly.”
Thinking of how Father had died at this man’s hands filled her with loathing—she couldn’t restrain herself.
Ruo Chan looked at her calm profile in amazement and suddenly said, “Sister, someone below saw us. What do we do…”
Qun Qing also saw Wen Su on the official road, similarly dressed as a female Taoist. She pulled Ruo Chan down from the pavilion. “It doesn’t matter. We still have business—let’s go quickly.”
Ruo Chan looked back at Wen Su, who merely stood in place without pursuing them. Wen Su said somewhat awkwardly in a small voice, “Chief Administrator, Miss Qing doesn’t seem to need us. She resolved everything herself.”
Moments later, Lu Huating emerged through parted flowers and brushed leaves. Without a word, he crouched down, grabbed the unconscious Li Pan by the back of his collar, dragged him out, and patted his face. “Your Highness, what just happened? Do you remember?”
Li Pan opened his eyes. In the night, Lu Huating’s face was pale with red lips, as if mocking. Li Pan recalled the pain in his body and grabbed Lu Huating’s collar, glaring at him furiously.
Wen Su hurried forward to help. Seeing the female Taoist, Li Pan’s face contorted.
Not until Eunuch Zheng’s shadow fell across Li Pan’s face with a cough did Li Pan’s expression change abruptly.
Eunuch Zheng was a grand eunuch at the Emperor’s side, attending Emperor Chenming. Emperor Chenming followed afterward. Seeing Li Pan on the ground, he said angrily, “A few days ago at the palace banquet, you claimed illness and didn’t come. When you do come, this is how you are. I see you’re not ill—you just need discipline!”
Li Pan dared not act rashly. Though angry, he didn’t dare speak, drooping his eyes before Emperor Chenming. This submissive, pitiful expression made his face extremely resemble Empress Yuan.
Emperor Chenming’s anger slightly subsided as he looked at the lowered head of Wen Su. Lu Huating said, “This is a female Taoist from Virtuous Consort Chen’s place. She was blocked by Second Prince and hasn’t been able to go on duty.”
Li Pan looked threateningly at Lu Huating. “Chief Administrator Lu, don’t slander!”
Emperor Chenming had already roughly guessed what had just happened, but only looked coldly at Li Pan. The investiture ceremony matter had overlooked Virtuous Consort Chen, and now this incident occurred. He said to Eunuch Zheng, “Virtuous Consort Chen—I haven’t visited her in a long time. Let’s go see her.”
With that, he strode toward Virtuous Consort Chen’s hall.
Li Pan’s expression stiffened. Lu Huating inconspicuously glanced toward the bushes. Zhu Su received the command and left.
—
Virtuous Consort Chen’s side hall was not large. The statue of Taiyi Heavenly Venerable Who Saves from Suffering stood compassionate and dignified. Below were the female Taoists’ chanting and striking of singing bowls.
Qun Qing raised her eyes to look at Virtuous Consort Chen kneeling on the prayer cushion. She was about forty years old with a thin face, wearing only a simple bun.
With closed eyes, one could see her elegant face from youth. Not speaking, she truly didn’t seem like a madwoman.
While striking the bowl, Qun Qing asked Ruo Chan, “What does this mean?”
Her brother Shi Yu Ming had once served as a guard at Qingjing Temple. She occasionally visited him and could hear the temple Taoists striking singing bowls. Shi Yu Ming had explained it to her. In her memory, different prayer ceremonies in Chu had different bowl-striking patterns.
Ruo Chan said, “Sister, just strike along with everyone else. One strike at a time—don’t get the rhythm wrong.”
A female Taoist beside them stopped their conversation. “Don’t let your mind wander. This is a prayer for Fourth Prince. Virtuous Consort Chen cares very much about this. If she sees you whispering later, she’ll scold you.”
“Is Virtuous Consort Chen so strict about prayers?”
That female Taoist helplessly whispered, “Virtuous Consort Chen doesn’t understand Taoist cultivation, but all parents share the same heart. When it involves Fourth Prince, she inevitably nitpicks.”
Qun Qing said nothing more, somewhat surprised in her heart. So this prayer wasn’t for the Virtuous Consort—it was actually for Fourth Prince.
Moments later, however, a series of rapid bowl strikes rang out, sounding quite jarring.
The female Taoists striking bowls with closed eyes were stunned, all falling into disorder as they looked around, their gazes turning to Qun Qing in shock.
Her wrist swung rapidly. The ethereal bowl sounds came like continuous urgent rain, carrying a mournful quality. The group of female Taoists exclaimed in alarm, their faces paling, because in Great Chen, prayers were for the living. Such bowl-striking was “ritual for the dead,” meant to comfort departed spirits.
Many pairs of eyes looked at Qun Qing, yet she remained oblivious, staring directly at Virtuous Consort Chen. Virtuous Consort Chen’s eyes suddenly opened. Amid cries of alarm, she actually crawled toward the female Taoists, grabbing Qun Qing’s wrist to stop her from continuing.
Qun Qing saw Virtuous Consort Chen glaring at her viciously, eyes full of bloodshot veins. “You struck it wrong! Strike it again properly!”
The other female Taoists were all frightened pale. Yet Qun Qing’s expression remained calm as she recklessly said to Virtuous Consort Chen, “I think it’s correct. Fourth Prince has been missing so long. Second Prince and the others all say privately that Fourth Prince must be gone. If Your Ladyship continues like this, you’ll only trap his soul and prevent his reincarnation.”
Ruo Chan frantically tugged at Qun Qing’s hem. “Sister…”
Qun Qing held her breath, her gaze shifting slightly to see her own reflection in Virtuous Consort Chen’s eyes. The Consort’s pupils contracted, her breathing trembled, hatred causing her to nearly grind her teeth to powder.
Just then, a crossbow bolt crashed through the window lattice, humming as it embedded in a pillar.
Wind rushed in. Qun Qing instinctively pressed against Virtuous Consort Chen’s back, holding this skeletal consort in her arms, shielding her with her body. Short hidden weapons shot in like flowers scattered by a celestial maiden. Qun Qing deflected two with the wooden mallet.
The female Taoists who had come to pray screamed in fright.
Virtuous Consort Chen’s head pressed tightly against Qun Qing’s soft abdomen. Her eyeballs moved slightly, her expression somewhat bewildered.
Before long, Eunuch Zheng announced the Emperor’s arrival. Virtuous Consort Chen only felt herself hastily released as Emperor Chenming strode in with Li Pan, looking at the hidden weapons embedded in the wall, then at the emaciated Virtuous Consort Chen. His heart was uncomfortable. “Nan Chu spies still haven’t all been captured?”
Eunuch Zheng said, “Chief Administrator Lu says his people went in pursuit. It’s just that there are no guards protecting the outside of Virtuous Consort Chen’s side hall…”
“So shabby—what if something happened?” Emperor Chenming said, “I’ll decide today—tomorrow the Virtuous Consort will move back to Changqing Palace.”
Virtuous Consort Chen quietly looked toward the empty space beside her. Taking advantage of the female Taoists’ kowtowing, Qun Qing had already jumped out the window and left. Li Pan’s gaze was cold as he bowed to Virtuous Consort Chen.
Virtuous Consort Chen shrank back. As Emperor Chenming embraced her, two streams of tears flowed down.
—
Having just jumped out the window, Qun Qing was dusting off her garments when she turned her head to find Lu Huating standing beside her.
“The Chief Administrator follows quite closely.” Thinking of how the earlier hidden weapons had no intent to harm and were probably shot by Zhu Su and the others as warning, her tone softened somewhat. “Where did the Nan Chu hidden weapons come from?”
Lu Huating said, “Confiscated from your fiancé.”
Qun Qing said nothing more.
Lu Huating continued, “What was the point of this performance? Could there be a breakthrough with Virtuous Consort Chen?”
Qun Qing said, “Just now I tested her with Fourth Prince. Virtuous Consort Chen reacted intensely. Only the living need prayers for blessings. If Fourth Prince were already dead, she shouldn’t be so particular about whether it’s a life bowl or death bowl, should she?”
“Does the lady think Meng Guangshen and Li Pan haven’t tried this?” Lu Huating said, “They turned the palace upside down and still didn’t find Li Miao.”
“Even if Fourth Prince is already dead, if the Virtuous Consort could recover her wits, she could still explain clearly what grievances she suffered back then and why she was pursued to extinction by Prince Zhao and the Meng family.” Qun Qing listened to the sounds within the window for a while. “The Virtuous Consort didn’t dare speak before, probably because she was weak and alone. Since I’m serving within the inner palace, I must make His Majesty remember her, remember past events. Only then can those who committed misdeeds surface.”
“If the Chief Administrator thought Virtuous Consort Chen completely useless, why lead His Majesty here today?”
Lu Huating said, “Seeing you eager for revenge and unwilling to cooperate, I simply helped you.”
Qun Qing suddenly extended both hands before him.
Lu Huating looked at her.
“Disguised as a female Taoist today, I wiped away the torture marks.” Qun Qing’s upturned eyes gazed at him coolly. “Please help me draw them again, Chief Administrator.”