At the beginning of the Chen hour (7-9 AM), the side door of the Meridian Gate slowly opened. An elderly eunuch stepped to the entrance and announced loudly, “Court assembly!”
The chatter immediately ceased. The civil and military officials entered the side door in an orderly manner, with civil officials on the left and military officials on the right, clearly separated.
After entering the Meridian Gate, those of the fourth rank and above entered the hall, those of the fourth rank and below remained at the hall entrance, and those of the sixth rank and below stayed in the square.
The officials entered the great hall and waited for a quarter of an hour before Emperor Yuan Jing arrived leisurely.
All eyes fell on this ruler of the nation, trying to discern any clues from his eyes and expression.
All failed. Emperor Yuan Jing had been on the throne for thirty-seven years. His depth of scheming and wealth of experience meant that very few in the imperial court could match wits with him.
Only Wei Yuan and the Grand Chancellor could.
This court assembly was no different from usual, with the emperor and officials exchanging reports as normal.
“Your Majesty, tens of thousands have frozen to death in Chu Province during this harsh winter. The Provincial Administration Commission has exhausted its funds and grain in relief efforts. We implore Your Majesty to issue an edict for the Ministry of Revenue to allocate funds…”
“The national treasury is empty. For disaster relief, we can seek donations from local gentry…” Emperor Yuan Jing replied.
“Your Majesty, the northern barbarians have repeatedly violated our borders. After spring begins, border conflicts have intensified. We must be prepared.”
“Your Majesty, the Marquis of Beizhen has ignored the barbarians’ plundering of the border, stubbornly defending the border city without dispatching a single soldier. This has led to border residents becoming homeless refugees with heavy casualties. We request Your Majesty to punish him.”
Hearing this, Emperor Yuan Jing looked at Wei Yuan and asked in a voice devoid of emotion, “Minister Wei, what is the situation with the northern barbarians?”
Wei Yuan frowned and said, “At the end of last year, heavy snow fell in the north for months, killing countless livestock. I anticipated then that the barbarians would raid southward.”
Emperor Yuan Jing vaguely remembered this matter and frowned, “What happened next? Why didn’t the night watchmen receive advance notice of the barbarians invading the border?”
“It was this minister’s oversight,” Wei Yuan said.
In fact, he had withdrawn his agents from the north and sent them to the northeast.
Emperor Yuan Jing said flatly, “The northern barbarians have invaded southward, and Wei Yuan has failed in his vigilance. He is hereby relieved of his position as Left Censor-in-Chief. His salary will be withheld for one year.”
The hall fell silent for a moment, with a flurry of question marks floating through the officials’ minds.
Although the night watchmen had the responsibility of gathering intelligence, it was a secondary duty. Moreover, with the northern barbarians invading southward and the Marquis of Beizhen stubbornly defending without engaging, even if they had known in advance about the barbarian invasion, what difference would it have made?
This blame couldn’t possibly be pinned on Wei Yuan, could it?
However, it was rare for Emperor Yuan Jing to turn his fire on Wei Yuan. Although puzzled, the civil officials immediately seized the opportunity to attack Wei Yuan, praising the emperor’s wisdom.
A censor stepped forward, emphasizing, “Your Majesty, the Marquis of Beizhen has stood by indifferently as the people suffer from war. Please punish him.”
Emperor Yuan Jing’s response was just four words: “I am aware of it.”
The censor reluctantly retreated.
As the court assembly drew to a close, after dealing with the accumulated government affairs of this period and the officials ceased their memorials, Emperor Yuan Jing raised his index finger and lightly tapped the table.
The elderly eunuch in python robes stepped forward and looked around at the assembled officials.
Here it comes… the gathered ministers stirred inwardly.
The previous proceedings had been normal reports, and although the removal of Wei Yuan from his position as Left Censor-in-Chief was surprising, Emperor Yuan Jing’s sudden convening of this court assembly was certainly not because of this “minor matter.”
The elderly eunuch unfolded the edict in his hand and read aloud: “We have investigated the details of the Noble Consort Fu case. Empress Shangguan instructed palace maid Huang Xiaorou to murder Noble Consort Fu and frame the Crown Prince…
“After Our repeated questioning, Shangguan has confessed to her crimes without reservation. The Empress has lost her virtue and is unfit for her position. She cannot bear the Mandate of Heaven. Her imperial seal is to be removed, and she is to retire to Changchun Palace.”
Changchun Palace was the Cold Palace.
Inside and outside the hall, dead silence reigned.
From the highest-ranking officials to those outside the hall, all who heard the content of the edict were stunned.
Amidst the silence, a deep voice sounded:
“Your Majesty, this cannot be done.”
Emperor Yuan Jing narrowed his eyes and looked expressionlessly at the figure in green robes who had stepped forward.
Wei Yuan, his temples graying, his eyes reflecting the vicissitudes of time, stared directly at Emperor Yuan Jing.
After an unknown period, the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review stepped forward simultaneously, loudly saying, “Your Majesty, the Noble Consort Fu case has not been reviewed by the Three Judicial Offices. We cannot rush to judgment.”
Emperor Yuan Jing said word by word, “This is My family matter.”
The newly appointed Minister of Rites rushed forward, bowing and saying loudly, “Your Majesty, deposing the Empress is also a major state affair and cannot be done hastily. We implore Your Majesty to hand the Noble Consort Fu case to the Three Judicial Offices for review before making a decision.”
Although the edict stated that the Empress had confessed to her crimes, the deposition of an empress was a matter of great importance. Without knowing the details, the ministers would not agree to Emperor Yuan Jing deposing the Empress.
“Very well!”
…
Early morning, Xu Xin Nian finished washing up and headed to the back hall for breakfast. From afar, he saw Xu Ling Yin sitting on the steps outside the hall in her little dress, her cheeks puffed up in anger.
The small figure looked lonely and pitiful.
“Ling Yin, why are you sitting here?” Xu Xin Nian asked.
Xu Ling Yin looked up briefly but didn’t respond.
“Second Brother is asking you a question,” Xu Xin Nian frowned.
“Mother chased me out and hit me,” Xu Ling Yin complained. “Second Brother, can you scold Mother for me?”
Xu Xin Nian shook his head.
The little one wore an expression of “I knew it,” wrinkling her nose and saying, “If Big Brother were home, it would be better. Big Brother likes to bully Mother the most.”
Xu Xin Nian entered the hall and sat in his familiar spot. After Lü’e served him a bowl of porridge, he ate while saying, “Mother, did Ling Yin make you angry again?”
“No, it was your Big Brother who made me angry,” Aunt said coldly.
“But Big Brother hasn’t even come home…”
Aunt sneered, “This is your Big Brother’s ability. He’s not here, yet he can still anger me to death.”
Xu Xin Nian looked at his sister and father, who were lowering their heads to drink porridge, and asked, “What happened?”
Xu Ling Yue said softly, “Ling Yin was eating buns today. She’d take a bite and spit it out, saying this way she could eat forever.”
“…Did Big Brother teach her that?” Xu Xin Nian’s mouth twitched.
Xu Ling Yue nodded.
Second Uncle Xu added, “After Ling Yin spat it out, she felt it was a waste and wanted to pick it up to eat again. Your mother beat her for that.”
Xu Xin Nian: …
He looked down under the table and indeed saw quite a few chewed bun crumbs.
“Big Brother didn’t come home again today,” Xu Ling Yue said gloomily.
Xu Er Lang and Xu Ping Zhi said in unison, “He must be at the brothel.”
…
Xu Qi An woke up in the back courtyard room of the yamen. The vast courtyard was quiet, with only an old clerk bent over, sweeping the yard.
“How long has it been since these blankets were washed? They smell strange. Public dormitories are just trash.”
He disgustedly threw off the blanket and got out of bed with unsteady steps, opening the window to let the sunlight in.
This was the public dormitory of the night watchman’s office, for clerks and night watchmen on night duty to rest. Except for the Golden Gongs who had their own rooms, all other rooms were shared.
The sanitary conditions were poor, and who knew how many generations of people’s descendants were buried in those thick cotton quilts.
Thanks to the spiritual medicine from the Bureau of Astronomy and his own strong physique, the penetrating wound on his left shoulder had already scabbed over and would heal completely in two more days.
However, the energy depleted by the Heaven and Earth Slash had not yet recovered. He felt as tired as if he had been hollowed out.
Xu Qi An rinsed his mouth with a cup of tea, then went to the courtyard and drew a bucket of cold, clear well water to wash his face before heading to Spring Wind Hall.
“Ah, that feels good…”
After finishing the feast brought by the clerk, Xu Qi An patted his bulging belly with satisfaction, lying contentedly in Li Yu Chun’s chair with his feet on the desk.
It was only now that he had time to think about last night’s assassination attempt.
“Usually, I leave the palace at the beginning of the Shen hour (3-5 PM) on the dot. Yesterday, because I was checking the list of people entering and leaving the Imperial Pharmacy, I left the palace after the You hour (5-7 PM).
“It’s not strange that the assassins who ambushed me knew my route home, as I take that road every day. But how did they time it so precisely?
“Night watchmen often keep lookout on the rooftops, so the three assassins couldn’t have been lying on the roofs waiting for me, or they would have been discovered by the night patrol long ago.
“Obviously, they knew exactly when I left the palace… The mastermind behind this is very likely someone from the palace, otherwise this point can’t be explained.
“Is it the Empress? I had just uncovered unfavorable evidence against her yesterday, and she immediately sent someone to assassinate me… Does she not want me to investigate further?
“If it really was the Empress who did it, then Huai Qing and I will have to divorce.”
Xu Qi An pinched the bridge of his nose.
At this moment, a black-robed clerk entered Spring Wind Hall. Seeing Xu Qi An inside, he immediately relaxed, “I just went to the back courtyard looking for Lord Xu but couldn’t find you. I thought you had left the yamen.”
Xu Qi An still had his legs on the desk, his eyes half-closed, “I’m not going to the palace to investigate today. Let’s wait until my injuries are healed.”
The clerk nodded and said, “Lord Wei is looking for you. You should go to Haoqi Tower first.”
Hah, it seems Wei Yuan has learned about my assassination attempt yesterday. He must be stunned by my achievements… Xu Qi An put down his legs and got up from the chair, “Lead the way.”
Following the clerk to Haoqi Tower, he went up to the seventh floor with familiarity. Unexpectedly, besides Wei Yuan, there were two unexpected guests in the tea room.
The Imperial Princess Huai Qing, as elegant and noble as a snow lotus; and the handsome and reserved legitimate son of Emperor Yuan Jing — the Fourth Prince.
As Huai Qing’s full brother, the Fourth Prince’s features were not similar to his sister’s, but rather resembled Emperor Yuan Jing somewhat.
Huai Qing, on the other hand, bore some resemblance to the Empress, though the vast difference in temperament between mother and daughter made even that slight similarity hard to discern.
All three had extremely grim expressions. Wei Yuan held a teacup, lowering his head without speaking, as if he hadn’t noticed Xu Qi An’s arrival. The Fourth Prince looked up at the sound, giving him a slight nod.
Huai Qing didn’t look at Xu Qi An either, frowning in contemplation.
“Duke Wei,” Xu Qi An cupped his hands in greeting.
Wei Yuan finally raised his head, pointing to the seat beside Huai Qing, and said gently, “Please, sit.”
Xu Qi An took his seat.
“You were attacked last night?” Wei Yuan pushed the teapot towards Xu Qi An, gesturing for him to pour his own tea.
Having just finished a satisfying meal, Xu Qi An poured a cup of tea but didn’t drink it. He nodded and said, “The mastermind behind the attack is related to the Consort Fu case and is within the palace.”
“You suspect it’s the Empress?”
Wei Yuan’s words were so blunt that Xu Qi An didn’t know how to respond for a moment. He cautiously glanced at Huai Qing.
Huai Qing still wasn’t looking at him, appearing lost in thought.
The Princess looks just like a woman facing divorce papers right now… Xu Qi An mused to himself.
“Today, His Majesty proposed to depose the Empress during the court assembly, citing that she was the true culprit behind the Consort Fu case,” Wei Yuan said.
“???”
Xu Qi An stared at him blankly, his first thought being: How long have I been asleep?
How could things have changed so much after just one nap? It felt as if he had slept for a century.
He had personally investigated the Consort Fu case, meticulously examining every step and clue. Even he wasn’t certain that the Empress was the culprit, so how could Emperor Yuan Jing be so sure?
Did the Emperor think he was Conan or Di Renjie?
But Princess Huai Qing’s next words left Xu Qi An even more bewildered.
“Mother has confessed.”
What are you saying?
Xu Qi An waved his hand, “Pardon me, I need a moment to process this…”
After thinking for a while, he tentatively asked, “His Majesty wants to depose the Empress because she’s the true culprit behind the Consort Fu case, and the Empress actually confessed?”
The Fourth Prince nodded.
“Could she have been forced?” Xu Qi An speculated.
“No,” Wei Yuan shook his head, his eyes filled with wisdom as he looked at Xu Qi An and said solemnly:
“You personally investigated the Consort Fu case. No one knows the clues and details better than you. Think carefully, were there any suspicious or illogical aspects? The two Royal Highnesses came to the ministry today not only to discuss the matter of deposing the Empress but also with the intention of seeking your help.
“His Majesty hasn’t revoked your golden token yet, and the ministers need time to confirm this matter. You still have time to investigate this case.”
Huai Qing and the Fourth Prince both looked at Xu Qi An.
The Fourth Prince bowed with clasped hands, “We trouble you with this task, Lord Xu.”
Xu Qi An ignored him and turned his gaze to Huai Qing.
The Princess, as elegant and pure as a lotus, examined him carefully with her autumn-water-like eyes. “How are your injuries?”
She didn’t mention the case but inquired about Xu Qi An’s injuries instead.
Considering your sincere apology, I won’t divorce you after all… Xu Qi An grunted in acknowledgment, “Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I’m fine.”
After a pause, he continued, “In the Consort Fu case, the Empress did indeed have sufficient motive and reason to frame the Crown Prince. And according to the clues I uncovered yesterday, the true culprit does indeed point to the Empress.”
The Fourth Prince interrupted excitedly, “Impossible, Mother would never do such a thing.”
“Please don’t be hasty, Your Highness. I haven’t finished,” Xu Qi An looked at Huai Qing and asked, “Does His Majesty have any evidence?”
Huai Qing shook her head, “No, Mother confessed on her own.”
Xu Qi An frowned, “That’s strange. If His Majesty had no evidence, why would the Empress confess? And if the Empress had already confessed, why would she still send someone to assassinate me?”
This created a paradox.
The Fourth Prince sighed, “It’s precisely because we don’t know that we’ve come to you. Lord Xu, you’ve solved many mysterious cases. If there’s anyone in the capital who can uncover the truth and clear Mother’s name in a short time, it’s you.”
Xu Qi An took his first sip of tea since sitting down and slowly said, “When I first took on the case, I thought there were only two possibilities for the Consort Fu case: One, the Crown Prince truly acted improperly while drunk and caused Consort Fu’s death. Two, someone framed the Crown Prince to usurp the position of Crown Prince.
“After examining Consort Fu’s Qingfeng Palace, I could determine that the Crown Prince was indeed wrongly accused. So this case falls under the second possibility – someone trying to frame the Crown Prince.
“Following this line of thought, every clue pointed to the Empress. To be frank with Your Highnesses, just moments ago, I also suspected the Empress and thought she might have sent the assassins after me.
“But upon learning that the Empress confessed to being the true culprit, I suddenly became suspicious of this case. If so, the mastermind’s goal wasn’t simply to frame the Crown Prince, but to kill two birds with one stone.
“However, I have a question. The Empress lives a secluded life, and the Fourth Prince isn’t the Crown Prince. Why would the mastermind point the finger at the Empress? What’s their goal? It can’t be for the position of the head of the harem, can it?”
With an Emperor who has been abstinent for over a decade, what significance does the position of head of the harem hold?
Wei Yuan put down his teacup and sighed, “First, whether the Fourth Prince is the Crown Prince or not, he is still His Majesty’s eldest legitimate son. Second, the mastermind is targeting me.”
“???” Xu Qi An looked at him in confusion.
Wei Yuan was silent for a moment before explaining, “The Wei family and the Shangguan family have been close for generations. The Empress’s full surname is Shangguan.”
I see, so Wei Yuan and the Empress are political allies, with Wei Yuan being the Empress’s “in-law”… No wonder Princess Huai Qing is half a disciple of Wei Yuan… So the Consort Fu case, while seemingly framing the Crown Prince, was actually targeting Wei Yuan?
Wei Yuan undoubtedly belongs to the Fourth Prince’s faction… One Consort Fu case to take down both the Crown Prince’s faction and the Fourth Prince’s faction, impressive… Xu Qi An marveled inwardly.
“Father removed Duke Wei from his position as Left Censor-in-chief during today’s court assembly,” Princess Huai Qing said.
Hmm, that doesn’t make sense… Even if the mastermind wanted to weaken Wei Yuan by bringing down the Empress, that would only indirectly weaken his “ally” and his influence.
How come as soon as the Empress is in trouble, Emperor Yuan Jing immediately dismisses Wei Yuan from an important position? It’s as if the mastermind is Emperor Yuan Jing himself… Wait a minute, assuming the Empress is the mastermind behind framing the Crown Prince, intending to support the Fourth Prince as the new Crown Prince.
After learning about this, Emperor Yuan Jing immediately weakens and warns Wei Yuan… What does this indicate?
It shows that Emperor Yuan Jing is very wary of Wei Yuan.
Xu Qi An suddenly understood why Emperor Yuan Jing chose to establish a prince born of a concubine as the Crown Prince, rather than the Fourth Prince born of the Empress.
The Empress and Wei Yuan are political allies. If the Fourth Prince were made Crown Prince, I too would be uneasy in Emperor Yuan Jing’s position.
Pulling back his scattered thoughts, Xu Qi An refocused on the case, mentally reviewing the Consort Fu case once more.
As Xu Qi An fell into deep thought, the tea room fell silent, with only the soft breathing of the four people audible.
“The Crown Prince drank with Noble Consort Chen, and on his way back, he encountered Huang Xiaorou and was invited to Consort Fu’s Qingfeng Palace… The Crown Prince did indeed have improper thoughts about his father’s woman at that time.
“Subsequently, Consort Fu fell to her death, and the Crown Prince became the suspect, detained in the Court of Judicature and Revision.
“After I discovered that Consort Fu was murdered and the Crown Prince was framed, the next day, Huang Xiaorou’s body was found in the Crab Pavilion… It’s too coincidental, far too coincidental.
“No wonder I felt something was off at the time. Huang Xiaorou was silenced, not suicide, so why did the killer choose the Crab Pavilion?
“If it was just about silencing her, secretly burying the body would have been better than dumping it in a well. Even if we consider that within the inner palace, there are dozens, if not hundreds of wells, why choose a crowded place like the Crab Pavilion where the body would easily be discovered?
“This was deliberate, intentionally letting us discover the connection between Huang Xiaorou and the Empress.
“Was my initial guess wrong? Huang Xiaorou wasn’t the one who killed Consort Fu, she was just a tool, a tool to make us suspect the Empress?
“No, that’s not right. It was indeed Huang Xiaorou who tricked the Crown Prince into going to Qingfeng Palace. The Crown Prince might lie, but his guards wouldn’t. That’s too easy to verify. Moreover, only a close personal maid would be able to set up the scene, secretly damage the railing, and know Consort Fu’s habits, knowing she would want to be intimate with her ‘fake husband’.
“If the Empress didn’t do all this, why would she confess? Perhaps there’s some reason forcing her to confess.
“What is the Empress afraid of? It must be related to this case. The three main people involved in the case are Consort Fu, the Crown Prince, and the palace maid Huang Xiaorou.
“And among the three, the only one connected to the Empress is Huang Xiaorou…”
Huang Xiaorou?!
Various chaotic thoughts and speculations flashed through his mind as Xu Qi An pieced together the case step by step, combining it with the clues he had obtained.
At this point, Xu Qi An suddenly realized something and pulled out a piece of dull yellow silk from his pocket.
On it was embroidered a bright red lotus flower and a line of text: Spring of the 31st year of Yuan Jing’s reign.
Princess Huai Qing stared at the yellow silk and said, “This belonged to the palace maid Huang Xiaorou.”
“Exactly!” Xu Qi An nodded, looking at the three of them, finally resting his gaze on Huai Qing. He said solemnly, “Your Highness, we only know that the Empress saved Huang Xiaorou, but there are two questionable points. I wonder if you’ve noticed them.”
Huai Qing shook her head.
“First, why did the Empress save Huang Xiaorou?”
“Mother has always been kind-hearted. It’s not unusual for her to use precious medicines to save a palace maid,” Huai Qing said.
The Empress might be a good person, but that’s not the point… Xu Qi An shook his head and said, “Then why did the Empress pay attention to a palace maid? And even send He’er from Fengqi Palace to keep an eye on her?”
“I asked Mother, but she wouldn’t say,” Huai Qing frowned.
“Second, why did the palace maid Huang Xiaorou try to commit suicide?” Xu Qi An pointed at the yellow silk and said gravely, “The answer lies right here.”