Throughout the night, torrential rain poured down. Some low-lying palace courtyards within the imperial precincts were flooded. By daybreak, when the rain finally ceased, low-ranking palace maids and eunuchs in the inner court scrambled to move trunks and cases, taking advantage of the morning sun—already somewhat scorching—to dry out soaked clothing, scrolls, and other items.
Zhang Ping and Jiang Huo had not rested well during the night either. Early in the morning, they went about inspecting various areas. Fortunately, the main palace halls stood on high ground, and the Chaoyang Canal outside the palace walls drained smoothly. The daily routines of His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the various consorts and noble ladies remained unaffected.
Zhang Ping and Jiang Huo served as Director and Deputy Director of the Palace Attendants Bureau, yet they had not been summoned by Yang Yuanpu even once in the past month or two. Finding it difficult to request retirement, they could only ensure the palace’s routine affairs were properly arranged without any mishaps.
Today it was Li Xiu’s turn to lead his unit on duty at the palace walls. Li Xiu also arrived early to join Chen De, Commander of the Imperial Guard Army Command and nominal supreme commander of all Imperial Guard battalions. Together with Zhang Ping and Jiang Huo, they ensured the orderly changing of troops without disruption from last night’s heavy rain.
Seeing nothing amiss, Li Xiu thought to pay his respects at Chongwen Hall, but spotted Huang Lü and Guo Liang being led in through Chongyang Gate by two attendant officials.
Huang Lü served as Commander of the Left Wuxiang Army and was Li Xiu’s direct superior. Apart from commanding the Wuxiang Army camp, he also rotated duties with Chen De at the Imperial Guard Army Command offices, though he did not directly lead troops on night duty within the palace precincts.
Today, the ones on duty outside the palace walls but within the imperial city were part of Guo Liang’s Left Wuyi Army.
Of course, the actual guard duties were handled by military supervisors under Guo Liang’s command. Like Huang Lü, Guo Liang’s responsibilities primarily involved overall management of the Left Wuyi Army affairs and specific palace guard rotations and city defense arrangements.
Seeing Huang Lü and Guo Liang enter the palace so early in the morning, Li Xiu, Zhang Ping, and Jiang Huo assumed some particularly urgent matter had occurred. But when they approached to exchange pleasantries, Huang Lü and Guo Liang were equally unclear why His Majesty had summoned them to the palace at such an early hour.
“His Majesty has gone to Cishou Palace to pay respects to the Empress Dowager. You should wait at Chongwen Hall for a moment,” Zhang Ping told Huang Lü and Guo Liang. He thought to himself that when His Majesty paid respects to the Empress Dowager, it was usually just a brief moment before he should return to Chongwen Hall to handle government affairs. Over these past few years, aside from specific ceremonies and celebrations, he had never seen the mother and son sit together for more than half an hour.
……
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To demonstrate filial piety, Empress Huang E came daily like clockwork, leading the various consorts to Changshou Palace to pay morning respects. Yang Yuanpu would also come every few days to exchange a few words, though without any fixed schedule.
Of course, when Yang Yuanqing arrived today accompanied by Chen Ruyi and several eunuchs, none of the consorts paying respects in the great hall of Cishou Palace found it unusual. They assumed some urgent state matter required discussion.
Qing Yang had not slept soundly yesterday, but she had no inkling there would be any issues at Chongwen Hall today. She intended to take Crown Prince Yang Bin back to Changxin Palace.
“Let Bin’er stay a while longer for conversation,” Yang Yuanpu said, taking his eldest son’s hand and keeping him there.
Hearing Yang Yuanpu say this, Qing Yang could not leave. Huang E, Han Shuhui, and the other consorts also remained seated alongside.
“Why has Your Majesty come to this widow’s quarters so early today? Is something troubling you?” Wang Chan’er asked, holding Second Prince Yang Lin’s hand. Looking at Yang Yuanpu sitting across from her, she felt his expression seemed odd and his gaze kept shifting between Yang Bin and Yang Lin. But she did not think deeply about it, assuming he had encountered some matter that caused such behavior.
Crown Prince Yang Bin was only seven years old, while Yang Lin was two years younger. Their faces had not yet fully formed, and being somewhat overfed, they had round faces with little obvious difference. But if one paid attention, or rather became suspicious, one could still discern some clues from distinctive features like the bridge of the nose, the eyes, and eyebrows.
Yang Yuanpu did not know Han Jun very well, but back in Yueyang, when ministers advocated establishing a special personal guard office for Wang Chan’er to show respect, both Li Chong and Han Jun had served considerable time on protective duty by her side. No matter how seldom Yang Yuanpu saw him, he had encountered Han Jun dozens of times.
After becoming attentive, the more Yang Yuanpu looked at Yang Lin’s nose bridge, eyes and eyebrows, and especially those prominent protruding ears, the more the child resembled Han Jun.
Chen Ruyi quietly tugged at his sleeve from behind. Yang Yuanpu snapped back to awareness and said:
“This son heard from the palace attendants below that Mother Empress’s health is poor. It must be that Lin’er is too mischievous. This son was thinking whether to place Lin’er under Noble Consort Shu’s care, or perhaps have him return to his mother’s side—”
“Absolutely not!” Hearing Yang Yuanpu say this, Wang Chan’er reacted as if her tail had been stepped on, her voice involuntarily turning shrill. Others might not be able to discern the Second Prince’s true identity, but Wang Chan’er would not dare—not with a thousand times the courage—allow Yang Lin to return to his “birth” mother Li Yao’s side.
Instinctively, she pulled Yang Lin into her embrace, terrified that Yang Yuanpu would snatch him away.
“The Empress Dowager has worked hard caring for the Second Prince, but after caring for him all this time, her love is extreme—fearing he’ll fall if held in her hands, fearing he’ll melt if held in her mouth. Consort Li now frequently suffers attacks of brain illness, her mind clouded daily. If Noble Consort Han cares for him, there might be neglect. How could the Empress Dowager bear to have the Second Prince move out of Cishou Palace? Your Majesty truly puts the Empress Dowager in a difficult position today,” Lü Qingxia said lightly at this moment.
Qing Yang looked suspiciously at everything in the great hall. Slow as she might be, she could sense the abnormal atmosphere, though she could not yet understand how everything in the hall today related to what Chen Ruyi had said yesterday—or rather, to that message conveyed by Viscount Liyang Yang En.
“Since Mother Empress does not shirk the labor and does not mind Lin’er’s mischief, then this son will trouble Mother Empress to continue caring for Lin’er,” Yang Yuanpu said, staring at his mother’s hand tightly gripping Yang Lin’s arm. The corners of his mouth twitched twice involuntarily. Forcibly suppressing the surging rage and hatred in his chest, he spoke through gritted teeth, then stood and walked straight out of the great hall.
Qing Yang hurriedly paid respects to Wang Chan’er in her fluster, quickly took Bin’er’s hand, and followed Yang Yuanpu out of the great hall. The consorts, understanding nothing, also took their leave one after another.
“…” Wang Chan’er’s face darkened ominously as she sat on the brocade couch, watching everyone’s figures depart through the palace gates of Cishou Palace.
After a long while, she remained anxiously uncertain, as if at any moment armored soldiers might burst in to snatch Lin’er from her arms. Only after quite some time did she dismiss the irrelevant eunuchs and palace maids, then asked Lü Qingxia with furrowed brows:
“Does Pu’er know something?”
“He shouldn’t know…” Lü Qingxia said, her brows slightly furrowed, though her tone held hesitation.
“There have been no abnormalities at Chongwen Hall these past two days,” Yao Xishui said quite confidently.
The words of Lü Qingxia and Yao Xishui could not set Wang Chan’er’s mind at ease. She sat distracted in the shaded area of the great hall all morning. Near noon, she heard that Yang Yuanpu had gone to Noble Lady Zhao’s quarters and sat there for quite a while, which made her even more uneasy.
Noble Lady Zhao was a woman Lü Qingxia had arranged to enter the palace. After Duke Changguo Li Pu had his title stripped and was reduced to commoner status, and after Li Yao was deposed as empress and confined to the cold palace, Second Prince Yang Lin was initially raised by Noble Lady Zhao.
Yang Yuanpu’s many abnormalities during morning respects and his visit to Noble Lady Zhao’s quarters now—how could this set Wang Chan’er’s mind at ease without fearing that the substitution scheme or even her illicit affair with Han Jun that produced a child might be exposed?
She waited anxiously and restlessly until afternoon, when Chen Ruyi arrived with two young eunuchs carrying a tray bearing a jade bowl, saying: “The heat is oppressive. His Majesty worries that the Second Prince is young and weak, unable to withstand heat toxins. He especially had Noble Consort Wang prepare a bowl of Coptis Heat-Relieving Decoction and bestows it upon the Second Prince to drink.”
Wang Chan’er’s face turned somewhat pale. The veins on her hand gripping the couch’s armrest bulged. Her almond eyes stared fixedly at the jade bowl held by the young eunuch behind Chen Ruyi. Her voice trembled slightly as she said: “This widow understands. You may leave the decoction. When Lin’er is free, this widow will have him drink it, then go thank his father emperor.”
“His Majesty instructed this servant to watch the Second Prince drink it, fearing the Second Prince is naturally mischievous and the Empress Dowager overly indulges him…” Chen Ruyi insisted quite stubbornly.
“Insolent! How dare you speak to the Empress Dowager this way?” Lü Qingxia glared at Chen Ruyi, signaling the female guards on both sides to close the hall doors. She walked to Chen Ruyi’s side, picked up the medicine bowl, brought it to her nose to sniff lightly, then stared into Chen Ruyi’s eyes and asked: “His Majesty had you supervise the Second Prince drinking this decoction—is there something wrong with it?”
“Palace Director Lü, His Majesty cares for the Second Prince. How could there be anything wrong with this decoction? Noble Consort Wang prepared it and specifically had someone taste it first,” Chen Ruyi said with an awkward, bitter smile.
“…” Lü Qingxia gave a look, and Yao Xishui brought over a tabby cat.
The tabby cat, smelling the bitter medicine, refused to open its mouth.
Lü Qingxia pried open the cat’s mouth and force-fed it half the bowl of decoction.
After a brief moment, the tabby cat began wailing miserably. Lü Qingxia grabbed it by the scruff, and its paws twitched and clawed wildly. Before long, it stiffened and died.
Yao Xishui and Ye Qingying behind her struck simultaneously. Two short swords flashing with cold light flew out. Before Chen Ruyi’s two young eunuchs could flee, the blades pierced their chests. With muffled cries, their bodies toppled over as dark red blood slowly seeped from their chests.
“…” Chen Ruyi collapsed to his knees, kowtowing to Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er: “This servant absolutely did not know there was anything wrong with this decoction! This servant absolutely did not know! His Majesty had Noble Consort Wang prepare the medicine and ordered this servant to bring it over. This servant truly did not know! Please, Empress Dowager, investigate clearly! Please investigate clearly!”
Wang Chan’er’s face turned deathly pale as she stared fixedly at the now-stiffened tabby cat in Lü Qingxia’s hand. White foam was now seeping from the corners of its mouth.
“Chen Ruyi, though Zhang Ping taught you all your skills, when you were wandering the streets years ago, about to starve to death, it was this palace director who took you in. Without this palace director and the Empress Dowager, would you have achieved today’s success?” Lü Qingxia threw the dead cat and the two young eunuchs’ corpses in a heap, then crouched before Chen Ruyi and asked.
“Ruyi absolutely meant no harm to the Empress Dowager or Palace Director. Ruyi is innocent!” Chen Ruyi kowtowed and cried out.
“Then tell this palace director—what abnormalities have His Majesty and Noble Consort Wang shown these past two days?” Lü Qingxia asked.
“Yesterday when His Majesty visited Changxin Palace, Noble Consort Wang casually mentioned that the Second Prince’s eyebrows and nose don’t resemble the Crown Prince’s. She also mentioned the old rumor about a Changchun Palace maid who secretly bore a child with a guard and was beaten to death by the Empress Dowager. She also said she had witnessed Palace Director Yao speaking with Noble Lady Zhao in secret several times…” Chen Ruyi stammered.
“I thought this lowborn wretch had behaved herself these recent years, but she turns out to be as vicious as her dead wretch of a mother!” Lü Qingxia cursed bitterly, then turned to Wang Chan’er sitting on the brocade couch, trembling slightly, and said: “His Majesty ultimately could not bring himself to act against you. Our only option now may be to have the Second Prince drink this Coptis Heat-Relieving Decoction…”
“No! Absolutely not! Lü Qingxia, you promised to protect Lin’er’s safety for life. You cannot go back on your word!” Wang Chan’er shrieked convulsively.
“His Majesty’s mind is made up. Who can persuade him to pretend this never happened?” Lü Qingxia stepped forward and asked.
“Exchange the real Second Prince back and send Lin’er out of the palace. As long as this matter never leaks out again, Pu’er will not insist on taking a five-year-old child’s life,” Wang Chan’er cried out.
“After the substitution, the Second Prince supposedly contracted typhoid fever outside and died without treatment. If we tell this story, His Majesty will absolutely not believe us,” Lü Qingxia said. “Moreover, the two young eunuchs’ deaths don’t matter—we can say they offended the Empress Dowager and were beaten to death, throw their corpses out of the palace, and no one will investigate. But Chen Ruyi is one of His Majesty’s people. We cannot detain him for long…”
“No, I am not His Majesty’s person. From this day forward, I know only to serve the Empress Dowager and Palace Director Lü loyally,” Chen Ruyi said frantically. “Chen Shang and Huang Er were clumsy and spilled the decoction bestowed upon the Second Prince. The Empress Dowager was furious and ordered them beaten to death—Ruyi knows only this much and will report only this to His Majesty!”
“Once you leave this great hall, I’m afraid you’ll tell His Majesty a completely different story,” Lü Qingxia said, turning to look at Chen Ruyi with a cold laugh.
“Seize him for now. Let me think for a while,” Wang Chan’er said weakly, feeling her mind in complete chaos…