Old Madam Du forced herself to hold the situation together, but as soon as she turned to go back, she collapsed. It was said that she developed a high fever—at her advanced age, being frightened like this nearly cost her half her life. The Empress herself personally dispatched imperial physicians to examine her. At this time, they couldn’t neglect the other injured young ladies either—this incident had blown up far too much. Almost everyone who had gone to the hunting grounds had not escaped unscathed. Truth be told, those black-clothed men hadn’t actually killed many people, but those who had tripped over their own skirts and fallen, or been trampled by those behind them, were too numerous to count. The Empress maintained a solemn expression as she worked through the night, ordering all the imperial physicians they had brought to examine the injured young ladies, while instructing Xie Siyi to personally lead people out to inquire and distribute medicine.
After finishing this flurry of activity, she finally felt she could no longer hold on—her eyes were dry and painful, extremely uncomfortable. But now was not the time to rest. She had just gathered herself to ask once more about the number of injured when she heard someone outside announce the Emperor’s arrival.
Emperor Jianzhang hurried in, clearly having just rushed over from the Sizhi Study after finishing his council meeting and hearing the news. Before the Empress could perform her salute, he quickly supported her, looking at the deep dark circles under her eyes while asking, “I heard that Weizhao was also there at the time. Is he unharmed?”
Zhou Weizhao being present at the scene changed the nature of this incident entirely. Emperor Jianzhang naturally elevated this matter to the level of an attempt on the imperial heir’s life. He had just flown into a terrible rage at the Sizhi Study, ordering Prince Zhennan and Prince Consort Ye Jingkuan to investigate this matter thoroughly with all their resources.
Someone was trying to intimidate him—he had just dealt with the corruption case in Yangzhou, and now someone on this end couldn’t contain themselves. If something had truly happened to those noble young ladies participating in the hunt today, he wouldn’t need to continue being Emperor, nor would he have the face to continue—the female family members of the important officials and meritorious nobles he valued had nearly all perished. Wouldn’t future history books make him a laughingstock for all eternity?!
The Empress’s eyes reddened, her heart filled with fear, and her palms even began to sweat. Speaking of this incident, she too was terrified in hindsight. At the time, she had only thought that Weizhao’s age was indeed about right, and having been sent to Longhu Mountain for seven or eight years, he knew nothing at all about matters between men and women. She should let him interact more with young ladies, which was why she had conceived of organizing this equestrian competition. Who could have known it would nearly cost him his life?
She hadn’t shown this expression in many years. For a moment, Emperor Jianzhang was transported back to when he first saw her in the Jiangnan gardens—she had been so embarrassed upon seeing strangers that she jumped directly down from the swing, trembling slightly with fear.
He squeezed Empress Lu’s hand, his eyes gradually filling with murderous intent. “Rest assured, I will make those people pay the price!”
Prince Zhennan and Ye Jingkuan moved very quickly. To take action at the hunting grounds would have made it impossible not to leave traces, not to mention that all the people had come down from the mountains inside—this narrowed the scope even further and made investigation more convenient.
The Sizhi Study’s lamps burned all night long. It wasn’t that Emperor Jianzhang truly spent the entire night listening to Ye Jingkuan and Prince Zhennan’s reports—he sat alone through the latter half of the night. He still remembered when he was a prince, with the late Empress’s legitimate son above him, how everyone had lived walking on thin ice under that former Crown Prince’s suppression. Later, when Consort Rong, who had raised him, rose to position and became the new Empress, and the Crown Prince was deposed for harming his brothers, life didn’t improve—it actually got worse. Before, when there was nothing to compete for, he and Prince Tai and Prince Zhuang had been harmonious brothers. Later, when life improved, there were more things to fight over.
He had originally not wanted his sons to repeat the same mistakes and suffer what he had suffered, which was why he had established the Crown Prince early and early on enfeoffed his sons as regional princes.
Among them, he felt particularly guilty toward Prince Duan—this child had been taciturn since youth. When other sons made a fuss about their fiefs not being prosperous, he showed no reaction at all, obediently packing his things and going to Zhangzhou.
Zhangzhou had suffered continuous raids by Japanese pirates. He had always felt he owed him, and therefore was especially indulgent with him. Even when he requested to add guards and asked for increased military funding, he had granted it all. Now looking back, Prince Duan’s appetite and ambition had been indulged until they grew larger and larger, and he himself was the instigator.
The facts were laid bare—this incident was obviously connected to Prince Duan. Chen Xiang taking action was equivalent to Prince Duan taking action, wasn’t it? To say Prince Duan knew nothing of it, Emperor Jianzhang absolutely wouldn’t believe it. Even if he wanted to believe it, those below wouldn’t believe it, and those female family members of important officials who had nearly been completely annihilated certainly wouldn’t believe it.
He looked at the desk full of confessions sent from the capital, sitting in silence for a long time.
Before dawn the next day, all the Imperial Guards who had been on duty at the hunting grounds the previous day were arrested. The charge was dereliction of duty leading to a great disaster. Even Chen Xiang bore responsibility. His Majesty flew into a towering rage, and it was said he smashed a cup on his head on the spot.
Prince Zhennan and Ye Jingkuan also quickly captured the attackers. It was said they were all Japanese ronin who had previously mixed in with the Japanese envoy delegation to infiltrate. Seeing that the Japanese envoys had all been arrested, they thought to perish together and pull off one big job.
The clever ones understood in their hearts that this explanation was the official story—who was Chen Xiang? He commanded the Imperial Guards, and that group had always had sharp eyes. If they couldn’t even guard against these infiltrating Japanese ronin, how could they make people tremble with fear at their reputation?
But knowing it in their hearts was one thing—no one said what shouldn’t be said. Everyone tacitly seemed to share the same mouth, not asking a single extra word. Everyone kept their own mental accounts, knowing what should be said and what shouldn’t be said.
The old injury on Song Chuyi’s elbow hadn’t healed yet when a new injury was added, wrapped in a thick circle of bandages. Hearing this news, she only smiled—Emperor Jianzhang could never publicize the ugly deed his son had done in collusion with the Imperial Guards, so he had to find a reason that would appease public anger while remaining dignified.
But Emperor Jianzhang had still punished Chen Xiang, putting on him the hat of mishandling affairs and dereliction of duty, showing he had reached the limits of his patience. Chen Xiang and Prince Duan could never make trouble again.
At the latest when they returned to the capital, Emperor Jianzhang would find a reasonable excuse to have them opportunely fall ill or die.
In fact, the day she wished for came even faster than she had imagined. The capital was extraordinarily quick in trying this case—forget dragging it out three to five months, they didn’t even make Emperor Jianzhang wait ten days. Just as Emperor Jianzhang finished suppressing the hunting grounds incident, a memorial was delivered.
Chen Xiang didn’t even get the chance to make it back to the capital—he was bound up by Lai Chenglong, who had been temporarily transferred, and locked up together with those Japanese envoys and “ronin.”