Empress Shi remained silent for a moment before saying, “I understand Father-in-law’s love for his grandson. Please come with me.” She then led the Imperial Father-in-law to the Crown Prince’s quarters.
Inside, the young Crown Prince was playing with several maids. Upon seeing his mother, he leaped up, extending his arms and giggling as he bounced towards Empress Shi. The sight of the lively and adorable prince finally brought a smile to her face. She stepped forward, crouched down, and embraced the prince as he jumped into her arms, kissing his rosy cheeks several times. Standing up while holding the prince’s hand, she pointed to the Imperial Father-in-law and said, “Hong’er, your grandfather has come to the palace especially to see you today.”
The little prince, upon seeing his grandfather, pouted and hid behind Empress Shi, reluctant to come out. Although Imperial Father-in-law Shi frequently visited the palace and the young prince had seen him several times before – even receiving small toys from him – the child remained wary.
Imperial Father-in-law Shi was dissatisfied with Empress Shi, which extended to his feelings towards her son. Moreover, with the impending arrival of dragon sons from other Shi family daughters in the palace, he harbored different thoughts. His interactions with the little prince were often perfunctory, lacking the warmth of a loving elder despite his outward respect and flattery.
Children are incredibly perceptive; they can sense who truly cares for them and who doesn’t. Consequently, the prince was never particularly happy to see his grandfather.
Laughing awkwardly, Imperial Father-in-law Shi said, “I visit too infrequently, so the Crown Prince is still unfamiliar with me. I should come to see him more often in the future.” Inwardly, he cursed, “Ungrateful little brat, just like your mother.”
He took a wooden box from a nearby attendant, opened the lid to reveal several toys inside, and addressed the young prince, “Your Highness, these are some toys I’ve brought for you.”
The prince, being a child after all, became excited at the sight of new toys. He ran out from behind Empress Shi, craning his neck to look into the box. Inside were a rocking wooden horse, a Huarong Road puzzle, a Nine Linked Rings puzzle, and a small deer figurine made of crystal clay.
The Huarong Road and Nine Linked Ring puzzles were nothing new, so the little prince immediately picked up the clay deer.
As he watched the prince play excitedly with the toy, a slight smile crossed Imperial Father-in-law Shi’s face. The mother Gu was sealed within the crystal clay, and children inevitably got it on their hands while playing. He had made sure of this. Empress Shi emphasized filial piety and etiquette for the Crown Prince, requiring him to pay respects to the Emperor twice daily.
Although the Emperor’s chambers were now under surveillance, the Crown Prince could enter and exit freely. The mother Gu could survive for three hours after dehydration. As long as the prince’s hands were contaminated with the mother Gu and he approached Liu Yu, the Emperor would surely die!
Empress Shi slowly picked up a cup of tea and said to the prince, “Go on, offer your grandfather a cup of tea. He hasn’t had the pleasure of receiving tea from you yet!”
Hearing this, the little prince obediently picked up the teacup and presented it to his grandfather.
Imperial Father-in-law Shi repeatedly said he didn’t dare accept such an honor.
Empress Shi smiled slightly and said, “Although there’s a distinction between ruler and subject, you are still his grandfather. Even when he becomes Emperor in the future, he should still offer you this cup of tea. As children, we must always understand the importance of filial piety and respect for our parents and elders…”
After Imperial Father-in-law Shi left, his spy in the palace kept an eye on the Crown Prince’s movements. In half an hour, it would be time for the prince to pay his respects.
Usually, at this time, Liu Yu would receive another dose of medicine, typically administered by Empress Shi. Therefore, she would always bring the Crown Prince along.
Upon hearing that the Crown Prince had entered the palace with the Empress, Imperial Father-in-law Shi felt slightly relieved. He anxiously awaited news of the Emperor’s stroke and subsequent demise.
Once the Emperor died, his widowed daughter would have no one to rely on except her natal family’s power to support her young son’s ascension to the throne.
At that point, even if Cui Xingzhou had irrefutable evidence, he wouldn’t be able to touch Shi Yikuan.
With this in mind, Imperial Father-in-law Shi began to calmly await the news of tragedy from the palace.
However, as he waited, no one came to knock on the gates of the Shi residence.
Even if the Emperor had passed away and Empress Shi decided to keep it secret temporarily, some senior officials would need to be consulted to make decisions. How could everything remain so quiet?
Growing restless, Imperial Father-in-law Shi sent someone to inquire about the situation in the palace. However, the person he sent didn’t return even by nightfall – vanished without a trace!
Now truly unsettled, he could only send someone to find Cui Xingdi. After some time, Cui Xingdi sent a message requesting Imperial Father-in-law Shi to meet him at a long pavilion outside the city.
Under normal circumstances, Shi Yikuan would never have risked going to an unfamiliar place for such a secret meeting.
However, now that he had attempted to harm the Emperor without knowing the outcome, his family’s wealth and honor hung in the balance. He needed to consult with someone capable.
After weighing his options, Shi Yikuan couldn’t think of a better plan. He hurriedly boarded his carriage and headed for the meeting at the long pavilion.
As the carriage left the capital and crossed a wooden bridge in the countryside under cover of darkness, it reached the middle of the bridge when a sudden crack was heard. The bridge collapsed into two sections. Amidst the screams of people and whinnying of horses, Imperial Father-in-law Shi and his carriage plunged into the deep river below…
The next morning, when passersby discovered the tragic scene, five or six bodies were floating on the water’s surface, a gruesome sight…
When news spread throughout the court that Imperial Father-in-law Shi had died in an accidental bridge collapse during a night journey, the officials were shocked. Many privately discussed whether there might be more to this “accident” than met the eye.
Empress Shi was inconsolable at the loss of her father. The Emperor issued an imperial edict severely reprimanding local county officials for failing to ensure the safety of bridges in their jurisdiction, leading to this tragedy. He also ordered a lavish burial for the Imperial Father-in-law, posthumously granting him land and titles, and providing for his widow, as a show of the Emperor’s grief for his father-in-law.
However, Cui Xingdi, residing in a large mansion in the suburbs, couldn’t relax.
In truth, he was reluctant to hear that his second plan had also failed. But when Shi Yikuan’s men were captured at the palace gates, he guessed that the Imperial Father-in-law had been exposed.
Therefore, he immediately devised a plan to silence Shi Yikuan, making his death appear accidental by cutting off the trail leading to the mother-child Gu. His spies had brought news from Zhenzhou that Cui Xingzhou had already boarded a ship to the capital with Liu Miantang. By his calculations, even if they traveled day and night, it would take them ten days to reach the capital.
These ten days would be enough for him to destroy evidence and tidy up the aftermath.
However, this meant he had lost a powerful ally against Cui Xingzhou. But he wasn’t worried; the court was full of restless officials, and power struggles never ceased. Even without the Soothing King and Shi Yikuan, nothing fundamental had changed.
He could always find suitable people to use. After all, he had endured for so many years; another decade wouldn’t matter.
“Commander! The Emperor has summoned you to the palace!” At that moment, a subordinate suddenly came to deliver the message.
Cui Xingdi’s face darkened. The Emperor… had indeed awakened.
The Hidden Dragon Guard entered the palace not through the main gates, but through a secret passage leading directly to the Emperor’s study. This was how he always secretly met with the Emperor.
When Cui Xingdi arrived in his wheelchair, Liu Yu was sitting behind his dragon desk, reviewing memorials. For someone who had been unconscious for over a month, the Emperor looked remarkably well, showing no signs of weakness typical of someone who had just awakened from a long illness.
As Cui Xingdi entered, Liu Yu slowly raised his head and looked him up and down, saying, “The Cui family has been loyal for generations, yet always distrusted by the imperial family. Who would have thought that choosing you, a helpless cripple, as the Hidden Dragon Guard would result in nurturing such a disloyal and unrighteous person…”
Cui Xingdi’s heart sank as he listened. He slowly replied, “If I have done wrong, I ask Your Majesty to punish me severely. However, I truly don’t understand Your Majesty’s words…”
Just then, a figure emerged from behind a bookshelf in the study: “Fifth Brother, is there anything you don’t understand that requires my explanation?”
Cui Xingdi looked closely and saw that it was Cui Xingzhou, who should have still been in Zhenzhou, now appearing in the capital.
Cui Xingdi silently regarded Cui Xingzhou before slowly smiling and saying, “Your Majesty, I received a sacred duty that was meant to be kept secret. Why has Your Majesty revealed my identity to the Prince of Huaiyang?”
Emperor Liu Yu’s face darkened as he replied, “You still remember your sacred duty? If so, why did you harbor evil intentions, not only leaking cannon blueprints to the Japanese but also repeatedly using Miao sorcery to harm your stepmother and me?”
Cui Xingdi’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “I don’t understand what Your Majesty is saying.”
Cui Xingzhou stared intently at his half-brother, who had been operating in secret for years, and said in a deep voice, “Fifth Brother, there’s no use in denying it. You thought you had silenced everyone cleanly without leaving a trace, but in fact, you left behind the biggest clue.”
Raising an eyebrow, Cui Xingdi asked, “Although I don’t know what you’re talking about, it sounds interesting. Please, do tell.”
Seeing that his brother wouldn’t admit defeat until faced with irrefutable evidence, Cui Xingzhou spoke directly, “You brought a pair of mother-child Gu from Miao territory and needed to breed them into multiple pairs. You didn’t delegate these secret tasks but performed them yourself. Unfortunately, while you learned how to cultivate and use the Gu, you didn’t know about its power to rebound on the user.
Prolonged Gu cultivation causes blood spots to appear on the fingernails, resembling tiny black dots. If I’m not mistaken, your wife also helped you cultivate those Gu, didn’t she? When she visited my residence to pay respects, Miantang noticed some barely visible black spots on her fingernails during their casual conversation, which aroused suspicion about you and your wife.
When your wife inquired about my whereabouts, Zhao Quan and I were already on our way to the capital. We managed to cure His Majesty’s Gu poisoning before you and Shi Yikuan could act, exposing your treacherous plot! You claim innocence, but do you dare extend your hand so we can examine your fingernails?”
Cui Xingdi knew that his fingernails indeed had a few barely visible bruise-like spots. He hadn’t paid attention to them before, nor had he closely examined his wife Lian Shilan’s fingernails.
What he hadn’t anticipated was that the mystic the Marquis of Zhennan had befriended in Beihai was truly a Gu master. This mystic had shared all his knowledge with Zhao Jiayü, who had saved his life.
So while the Marquis of Zhennan had never used Gu to harm others, he was very familiar with its principles and had informed the Prince and Princess in detail about how to identify secret Gu cultivators.
Miantang’s keen eyesight, which had once discerned the intricacies hidden in a bug’s eye in a painting, naturally noticed the tell-tale signs on Lian Shilan’s fingers.
Thus, Cui Xingdi’s carefully planned scheme of many years was exposed due to this tiny flaw in his fingernails.
When Miantang sent a pigeon message to inform Cui Xingzhou of her discovery, he was shocked.
However, upon reflection, he realized that during the power struggle among the Cui family’s children years ago, this seemingly frail fifth brother must have played a significant role in addition to his machinations.
Following this lead, uncovering Cui Xingdi’s secrets became relatively simple.
After having Zhao Quan cure the Emperor’s Gu poisoning, Cui Xingzhou also mentioned the leak of the Artillery Ministry’s cannon blueprints to the Japanese. Emperor Liu Yu, aware of the Hidden Dragon Guard’s identity, naturally suspected Cui Xingdi.
Cui Xingzhou also learned of his fifth brother’s other identity from the Emperor’s mouth.
Thinking carefully, he realized that Cui Xingdi still possessed the typical pride of Cui family men. He had spent half his life in hiding, using the character “Wei” as his pseudonym for painting.
“Wei” – the ghost of the Cui family. Perhaps this was Cui Xingdi’s self-mockery of his identity.
At this point, Cui Xingdi probably knew he had been exposed. No longer arguing, his face, similar to Cui Xingzhou’s, showed a sneer. Suddenly, he let out a desolate laugh.
However, just as the Emperor called for someone to bind him, Cui Xingdi suddenly pulled out twin blades from his wheelchair. With a powerful push of his legs, he sprang from the wheelchair, leaped onto a beam, punctured the roof, and escaped through the hole.
Having schemed for years, he had naturally prepared for various contingencies. The wheelchair was equipped with a spring-loaded mechanism for jumping and hidden blades – truly unpredictable.
Guards outside rushed in, calling for ladders to chase after Cui Xingdi.
But when Cui Xingzhou turned to look at Liu Yu, he found the Emperor’s face calm, showing no signs of panic or surprise.
After a moment’s thought, Cui Xingzhou immediately knelt and said, “Your Majesty, my family has been unfortunate to produce such a treacherous official. Please punish me severely for failing to manage my household properly.”
Liu Yu stood up and personally helped Cui Xingzhou to his feet. “What crime have you committed, beloved minister Cui? You traveled day and night to bring me the antidote, your loyalty as clear as the sun and moon. Moreover, your recent pacification of Beihai is another great achievement. What crime is there to speak of?”
Cui Xingzhou then asked, “Should we seal off the capital to capture this traitor?”
Liu Yu shook his head. “The Hidden Dragon Guard was established by the previous emperor as a secret organization, with the expectation that all members would be utterly loyal to the royal family. However, the previous emperor, aware of the unpredictability of human nature, naturally set up safeguards… These Hidden Dragon Guards were selected as children, and a hidden poison was implanted in their bodies. If they remain loyal for life, they can die peacefully of old age. But if they harbor ill intentions or disrespect the royal family, their death will be unbearably painful and miserable…”
As he spoke, the young emperor’s face displayed an icy coldness.
Cui Xingzhou remained silent, standing respectfully to the side. However, his mind recalled what Zhao Quan had said after returning from curing the Emperor: “His Majesty wasn’t poisoned at all. Why did he pretend to be poisoned and lie in bed for over a month?”
When the Prince of Huaiyang heard this news, he asked Zhao Quan if he had revealed this fact. Zhao Quan, wiping cold sweat from his brow, replied, “Do you think I’m that stupid? Even if His Majesty said he had diarrhea, I’d have to pretend I smelled it. Of course, I didn’t reveal anything. I just followed the procedure, prepared the antidote, and gave it to the Emperor… Old Nine, do you think His Majesty… might kill me to silence me?” By the end, Zhao Quan’s voice was trembling.
At the time, Cui Xingzhou couldn’t be sure of Zhao Quan’s fate. But now, upon his return, he could reassure his friend.
Their young Emperor had experienced a palace coup in his youth and had subsequently allied himself with various factions, constantly feigning weakness and goodwill to eventually ascend to the throne.
Unfortunately, after taking the throne, he found himself constrained by various forces, unable to fully implement his ambitions. The Emperor, who had relied on nepotism, likely possessed even greater patience than Cui Xingzhou’s fleeing fifth brother.
However, those who can endure tend to be more suspicious. If Cui Xingzhou’s guess was correct, the Emperor had likely discovered Cui Xingdi’s plot early on but chose to keep silent, even cooperating by pretending to be “poisoned by Gu.”
This was the Emperor’s test – testing the Shi family, perhaps the Empress, and even Cui Xingzhou himself.
If Cui Xingzhou had arrived in the capital too late or withheld the antidote, he would have failed the Emperor’s final examination.
The consequences of failing this imperial test, as seen with Imperial Father-in-law Shi and Cui Xingdi, meant no chance of redemption.
For an emperor, being suspicious should be considered a virtue. If this Emperor of Great Yan remained healthy, he should be able to maintain a stable reign.
Ten days later, Miantang finally arrived in the capital. While in Zhenzhou, she had chosen someone with a similar build to Cui Xingzhou. Although he wore a wide-brimmed hat and rarely left the cabin, Miantang frequently showed herself, deceiving Cui Xingdi’s spies.
However, she hadn’t anticipated the earth-shattering changes that had occurred in the capital during their journey.
Upon her arrival in Beijing, Empress Shi, immersed in the grief of losing her father, summoned Miantang to the palace for an audience.