It was from this point that Shen Xihe became increasingly convinced that he was the person she had long suspected.
Although she was eighty percent certain that Xiao Huayong was that person, Shen Xihe still held onto twenty percent hope. Mo Yuan had been investigating the events from eleven years ago for some time, and after Shen Xihe’s renewed serious instructions, he pursued the investigation with even greater vigor.
One night, Mo Yuan brought someone with him. She wore a hooded cloak that covered her face, and one could only tell she was a slender young woman. When she pulled back her hood to reveal her beautiful features, Shen Xihe was quite surprised: “Ze Xiang, why have you come?”
“Your Highness.” Gu Ze Xiang curtsied.
Shen Xihe helped her up: “How did you leave the palace?”
Gu Ze Xiang was a descendant of criminals in the Yeting Palace and was not allowed to leave. If discovered, it would be a capital offense.
“Your Highness, thanks to your care, Ze Xiang was fortunate enough to enter the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau and become a clothing official. Today I was lucky to accompany Chief Cui outside the palace on an errand, and came specially to thank Your Highness for your grace.” Gu Ze Xiang stepped back two paces and performed a formal bow.
“Your entry into the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau was due to your skill in making clothes,” Shen Xihe held her arm. “At least you’re no longer marked as a criminal.”
“The palace is full of talented people, and everyone in Yeting Palace comes from official families – who doesn’t have some skills? But having skills alone isn’t enough to enter the Six Bureaus and Twenty-four Departments. Without Your Highness, Ze Xiang would have had no way out.”
Gu Ze Xiang spoke earnestly: “Today I only have the time of one incense stick, but Your Highness wishes to know about the events from eleven years ago, and Ze Xiang knows a little.”
“Tell me.” Only then did Shen Xihe understand Gu Ze Xiang’s purpose in coming.
It turned out that not long after entering Yeting Palace, she had met someone who knew some details about what happened at Mingzheng Hall back then.
The Crown Prince was eight years old at the time. He was intelligent and stood above all other princes. His reputation as a child prodigy is probably still remembered today, but back then he was unrivaled, treasured by His Majesty, and especially doted on by the Empress Dowager.
That day, the Crown Prince entered Mingzheng Hall while His Majesty was discussing matters with court officials. He was alone in the side hall, as was usual, and His Majesty would often test the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince ate a bowl of candied cherries and suddenly began vomiting blood, his face turning purple.
“Poison?” Shen Xihe was startled.
“Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince didn’t fall ill with some strange disease – he was poisoned. The Imperial Hospital was helpless, and it was the Empress Dowager who invited a Taoist priest to come, barely saving the Crown Prince’s life. The Crown Prince was bedridden for nearly a year because of this, and when he next appeared before the palace servants, he was as thin as a skeleton.”
Gu Ze Xiang repeated word for word what she had heard to Shen Xihe: “Afterwards, the Imperial Hospital physicians noticed that the Crown Prince’s pulse didn’t seem like that of a living person. His Highness frequently bled from his ears and nose, and fainting was a common occurrence. The Taoist priest had no way to neutralize the poison, only saying that if His Highness followed him to the Taoist temple, he could provide constant care and might be able to keep His Highness alive for two cycles.”
So this was the origin of the rumor that Xiao Huayong wouldn’t live past two cycles.
“Those candied cherries…”
“This is even more strange.” Gu Ze Xiang seemed somewhat hesitant to speak of it. “According to investigations, His Majesty hadn’t ordered anyone to make candied cherries that day. When the Crown Prince arrived at Mingzheng Hall and saw the candied cherries sitting there uneaten, such a delicate item must surely have belonged to His Majesty, so he felt safe eating them…”
Before His Majesty could order an investigation, two Food Service Officials and two Food Supervisors from the Imperial Kitchen all committed suicide by poison, cutting off all leads. The remaining two Food Supervisors and the Chief and Deputy Food Officials were first confined to Yeting Palace, then died one by one from sudden illness.
The palace suppressed the news, and since His Majesty didn’t carry out a mass execution all at once, it didn’t raise much suspicion.
Even the court officials just thought the Crown Prince had suddenly contracted a strange illness.
“So you’re saying that bowl of mysteriously appearing candied cherries was probably meant for His Majesty.” Shen Xihe’s first reaction wasn’t to suspect Emperor Yuning.
If Emperor Yuning wanted to deal with the Crown Prince, he wouldn’t have waited until he was eight years old. If he had already decided to depose the Crown Prince early on, it would have been easier for an infant to die young.
Moreover, the Crown Prince’s exceptional talent wasn’t only evident at age eight – it could be seen at four or five and was conclusive by six or seven.
Most crucially, Emperor Yuning shouldn’t have chosen to act in Mingzheng Hall. As an emperor, he had many people in the entire back palace under his control. If he wanted to deal with a young child, he could have chosen the Eastern Palace or another location and prepared a scapegoat first.
If she could figure this out, Xiao Huayong certainly could too. His estrangement from Emperor Yuning couldn’t be because of this.
“His Majesty had been on the throne for eight years, and there were rumors that the candied cherries were the work of people left over from the previous emperor’s Precious Consort’s household.” Gu Ze Xiang didn’t know if this was true, but since she had heard it, she told Shen Xihe, leaving her to judge its veracity for herself.
“Your Highness, Ze Xiang must take her leave. If Your Highness has any matters in the future, you can seek out Ze Xiang in the palace.” Having finished speaking, Gu Ze Xiang hurried to leave.
Shen Xihe knew her time was limited and had Bi Yu hand her a bulging purse filled with gold.
“Your Highness, Ze Xiang cannot accept this.” Gu Ze Xiang refused.
“Take it. There are so many people in the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, and who doesn’t want to get some fresh air outside the palace? If the Bureau chose you, it must have been because of proper arrangements.” How could Shen Xihe not understand these social niceties? “Take it, so I can seek you out for information in the future.”
With Shen Xihe putting it this way, Gu Ze Xiang couldn’t refuse. After accepting it, she curtsied and left.
The Chief of the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau was waiting for her not far from the Princess’s residence. The business had already been taken care of, and they returned to the palace together. Back at the Imperial Wardrobe Bureau, in Chief Cui’s chambers, Gu Ze Xiang ventured to ask: “Chief Cui, why did His Highness want me to relay these words to the Princess?”
Chief Cui was over forty, with her black hair piled high, without a single wrinkle at the corners of her eyes. Her gaze was calm: “His Highness has his intentions.”
“Chief, the Princess has shown me great kindness. I absolutely cannot harm her.” Gu Ze Xiang said through gritted teeth.
“His Highness cares for the Princess more than you do.” Chief Cui said, “The words he had you relay were all true, without a single false word. The Princess wants to know about this matter, and besides His Highness, only His Majesty in this palace knows the details – even the Empress Dowager doesn’t know the minor details.
His Highness has avenged your grudge for you. In the future, just serve well in the palace. His Highness orders that you need not be loyal to him, only to the Princess. Today’s words have repaid your debt to His Highness for freeing you from slave status.”
Hearing these words, Gu Ze Xiang was finally at ease.
Seeing this, Chief Cui smiled: “You are fortunate to have met the Princess.”
Having gained the Princess’s protection meant gaining His Highness’s favor, and in this palace… no, in this imperial city, gaining His Highness’s favor meant future blessings were assured.
Back in the Princess’s residence, after digesting the news Gu Ze Xiang had brought, Shen Xihe laughed softly: “What a Crown Prince.”
Gu Ze Xiang had changed. The last time she saw Gu Ze Xiang, there had been an unshakeable gloom in her eyes, but this time they were clear, indicating that her hatred had been released.
How could a criminal’s daughter avenge herself in such a short time? And how could she go from criminal status to slave status?
Someone had helped her.