The Empress Dowager was immediately shocked. The court physician was barely recognizable as human – beneath his tattered outer robes, rotting flesh revealing white bone was visible, traces of having been ravaged by severe torture. Blood continuously seeped from his entire body, drop by drop falling onto the mirror-bright jade floor of Qianming Hall, gradually forming a pool of stench that even the finest incense could not mask.
The Empress Dowager quickly covered her nose with a handkerchief, glancing sideways at Princess Ankang: “This court physician merely spoke a few truths, and your son deserved his punishment. Why would the Princess be so cruel as to torture him into this state!” She then turned to Zhao Yan with righteous indignation: “Your Majesty, though the Princess is your aunt, you cannot allow her to seek such private revenge and harm the loyal and good.”
But when she looked, she discovered that Zhao Yan’s face was pale as death, wearing a dazed and confused expression. The Empress Dowager’s heart suddenly lurched, immediately sensing an extremely ominous premonition. At this moment, Princess Ankang slowly began to speak: “Dare I ask the Empress Dowager – when Yang’er was tried that day, you personally testified that this court physician and the deceased Director Qin Feng had jointly treated the late emperor’s illness, spending almost every day with you guarding the late emperor’s bedchamber. Only then could they witness my husband and me forcing the late emperor to issue an edict pardoning Yang’er’s crimes. Were all these words true?”
The Empress Dowager’s suspicious gaze shifted back and forth between the Princess and Zhao Yan. Seeing that Zhao Yan had no intention of speaking to help her, and unable to discern what the Princess intended to say, she responded faintly: “Mm.”
A mocking expression that was neither smile nor sneer appeared on the Princess’s face as she coldly addressed the court physician kneeling on the ground: “Tell the Empress Dowager again what you just said.”
The court physician knelt on the ground trembling, as if he might collapse at any moment from blood loss and injuries. But he still spoke with a hoarse, choked voice: “Your servant… deserves death ten thousand times. Back then, your servant was merely an ordinary imperial physician who was favored by Director Qin and accompanied him to treat the late emperor. Later, your servant discovered that the prescription might have problems, but your servant… dared not speak! Your servant feared that if he said one wrong word, not only would his life be lost, but it might also implicate his family…”
“Wait!” The Empress Dowager finally heard something amiss and demanded: “What do you mean the prescription had problems! Explain clearly to this humble one!”
The court physician struggled to raise his head to glance at the Empress Dowager, then tremblingly prostrated himself again: “Back then, your servant accidentally witnessed the Empress Dowager personally copying out a prescription for Director Qin, instructing him to prepare medicine according to this formula. Afterwards, whether brewing or administering the medicine, you personally attended to the late emperor taking it. Your servant saw that the late emperor’s condition worsened rather than improved, and wondered if the medicine was inappropriate for his symptoms. I tried to persuade Director Qin to change several medicinal ingredients, but was rejected each time. Later…” Fear appeared in his eyes, as if he used tremendous effort to speak: “Later, I carefully examined that prescription again and discovered that if the aconite and pinellia in it were taken together, their medicinal properties would conflict. Used for a long time… they would be no different from poison!”
He practically roared out these last few words with his remaining strength, then collapsed on the ground weeping. The hall immediately fell into an unsettling silence. Neither the Princess nor Zhao Yan spoke immediately, maintaining a tacit understanding. The Empress Dowager felt her mind spinning. After a long moment, she finally reacted, stood up pointing at the court physician and shrieked in a shrill voice: “You’re lying! Who instructed you to frame this humble one? Was it her? Did she instruct you?” She viciously pointed at Princess Ankang, who had been listening to the court physician’s testimony with a cold smile. Then she glared with wide eyes, quickly walked several steps to the court physician’s side, raised her foot and kicked him hard: “Even if what you say is true, you were merely a lowly imperial physician back then. How could you be qualified to witness such palace secrets? Even if Director Qin and I had some plan, how could you possibly have seen it!”
“The Empress Dowager speaks incorrectly!” Princess Ankang suddenly spoke coldly, also standing and walking to the Empress Dowager’s side to face her directly: “But you yourself admitted in public that this court physician was Director Qin’s trusted aide, and back then accompanied Director Qin in treating the late emperor’s illness, spending almost every day guarding the late emperor’s bedside. How can it not count now, making him an insignificant minor character? In this princess’s view, Empress Dowager, you’re probably guilty with a troubled conscience…” She bit out the last few words heavily and harshly, as if making the entire palace hall buzz and resonate.
The Empress Dowager was stunned by her words, then showed a terrified expression, turning to look at Zhao Yan: “All of this was planned?” She suddenly turned to point at Princess Ankang, crying out mournfully: “It’s her! She used a vicious scheme to harm your mother! Yan’er, you must stand up for your mother! Heaven and earth as witness – your mother could never have harmed your father!”
Zhao Yan sighed deeply, showing an extremely pained expression on his face. He slowly picked up the tiger-skin memorial from the dragon desk, saying in a trembling voice: “Your son didn’t want to believe it either, but this prescription was personally copied by you, Mother. Now both witness and evidence are present. Even if your son wanted to protect you, I don’t know how I could!”
Empress Dowager Xia looked at the paper in disbelief, finally remembering that it was the prescription the late emperor had induced her to copy by hand. At that time, she was certain that Director Qin was her person – how could she have imagined there would be problems with the prescription? She could never have imagined that her longtime bedfellow would use such a decisive method to put her to death!
She felt her mind stuffed with countless things, aching as if it would explode. She staggered backward several steps, finally collapsing softly to the ground. In the chaos, she grasped only one final thought: “Where is Big Brother! I want to see Big Brother!”
Zhao Yan had never seen his mother in such a desperate, helpless state. A trace of compassion flashed and vanished in his eyes, then he immediately rushed to the Empress Dowager’s side, supporting her with one arm and showing a pained expression: “Chancellor Xia happened to go outside the city on business today. I fear he cannot return within a day. Mother, do you have some hidden difficulties? If so, just tell your son!”
“Your Majesty,” Princess Ankang coldly observed this scene before her and suddenly spoke: “Empress Dowager Xia conspired with Qin Feng to deliberately poison His Late Majesty while he was gravely ill, causing his death from the untreatable condition. Her heart is terrifying, her crime deserving execution! Though the Empress Dowager is your mother, the one she killed was your father, and moreover the Son of Heaven of Great Mu! At this point, if Your Majesty still wishes to show favoritism and cover for her, this princess will be the first to disagree.”
Zhao Yan’s body stiffened, and the hand supporting the Empress Dowager couldn’t help but tremble. He then hung his head heavily with a pained, unbearable expression, tacitly acknowledging the Grand Princess’s words. The Empress Dowager slowly raised her head, looking through tear-blurred eyes at the two people before her working in concert. Suddenly she understood completely. She felt her entire body plunge into an icy cellar, her nails digging deep into Zhao Yan’s flesh as she said in a weak voice: “All of this was arranged by you, wasn’t it!”
Deliberately inciting Zhou Jihan to impeach Xia Mingyuan, then deliberately making her bring up past events, arranging a chess piece destined for sacrifice, forcing the Princess’s beloved son to death. The Princess had been harmed by her to the point of ruined reputation and near family destruction – how could she not hate her? At this time, if the Princess happened to discover evidence that could destroy her completely, she would naturally settle accounts no matter what. The only person who knew the truth, Qin Feng, had long been dead. That court physician, whom she had personally acknowledged, became the most important witness to past events. This scheme was intricately linked, equivalent to making her force herself into a dead end.
The Empress Dowager looked at this son whom she had always considered weak and obedient, suddenly feeling unprecedented terror. She stared wide-eyed and desperately retreated backward, but Zhao Yan embraced her tightly. To outsiders, his face was full of pained, unbearable tears. But only the Empress Dowager heard Zhao Yan whisper extremely softly in her ear: “I’m sorry, Mother!”
Empress Dowager Xia let out an extremely anguished wail from her throat. She never could have imagined that in the end, the ones forcing her to this dead end would be her own husband and son. She cried hysterically for a long time, finally taking a deep breath, holding back tears to say to Zhao Yan word by word: “You are truly worthy of being his and my son – ruthless enough, cold-blooded enough. You’ve indeed become the most qualified emperor!” Even at the final moment, he wanted to maintain his reputation for gentleness and virtue, absolutely unwilling to bear the evil name of matricide. This was his purpose in involving the Princess in this matter, and he didn’t mind sacrificing the Princess’s most beloved son for it.
Zhao Yan sighed almost inaudibly, saying softly: “This is what you taught me – this is my empire, and I will never allow anyone to covet it.” Then he raised his head and loudly decreed: “The Empress Dowager conspired with the former Director of the Imperial Medical Academy to murder the late emperor. First strip her of her Empress Dowager title and confine her to the Cold Palace to await judgment.”
The Empress Dowager’s eyes revealed despair. She would never enter the Cold Palace. She was a person of the Xia family – even in death, she would die bearing the title of Empress Dowager! So she removed the golden hairpin from her head, about to thrust it into her throat, but Zhao Yan knocked it away with one blow. He embraced her tightly while weeping, yet whispered in her ear: “Mother, you cannot die yet. If you die, the rest of this performance cannot continue!”