“Did Minister Liu not hear clearly?” Zhu Zhaowei looked at Liu Chaoming with a gloomy expression. “Thirteen murdered the Crown Prince. This official has naturally already ordered his arrest and escort to the Ministry of Justice.”
As he spoke, he looked at Fang Huai. “What is it? As Vice Minister of Justice, was Minister Fang so busy tonight attending to Minister Liu’s every need, rushing in and out, that he was unaware the Ministry of Justice had received a distinguished guest?”
Before Fang Huai could speak, Liu Chaoming said, “If that is so, Left General, immediately lead the Jinwu Guard to the Ministry of Justice.”
“Yes.”
“Wait a moment.” Zhu Zhaowei raised his hand to block him. “What does Minister Liu mean by this? Thirteen’s crime of murdering the Crown Prince is heinous. Does Minister intend to welcome him back to the palace?”
Liu Chaoming said, “At the founding of His Majesty’s reign, a state policy was established: the position of heir apparent should go to the legitimate son if there is one, or to the eldest if there is none. Now that the Eldest Prince has died, Thirteenth Prince, as the second legitimate imperial son, should rightfully inherit the position of Eastern Palace and succeed as heir apparent. Seventh Prince is merely a vassal prince. Even if you hold evidence accusing Thirteenth Prince, without our Three Judicial Offices investigating and clarifying cause and effect, you have no authority to try, detain, or escort Thirteenth Prince, much less imprison him in the Ministry of Justice.”
After hearing him finish, Zhu Zhaowei suddenly curved his lips into a smile. “So the Left Censor-in-Chief means to conduct the trial tonight? Good.” He nodded. “There’s no need for the Left General to fetch anyone. Twelve, immediately command the Yingyang Guard to rush to the Ministry of Justice on fast horses and bring Thirteen out from the prison.”
Zhu Qiyue acknowledged with a “yes” and immediately gave the order.
The night deepened. From outside the imperial city came three distant sounds of the night watchman’s clappers. Most of the lanterns at Chengtian Gate tower were extinguished in response, with only those outside Fengtian Hall still lit. The firelight was quenched with bloody sword shadows, showing a dimly dark red.
Shortly after, a crude horse cart stopped outside Fengtian Gate.
Zhu Nanxian lay supine inside the cart. When the curtain was lifted, his eyes were seared by the blood-soaked firelight.
He instinctively raised the back of his hand to shield his eyes, yet his five viscera and six bowels felt as if they were burning and being refined. Though his vision darkened, the towering blood-red color rose from his heart.
Someone tried to help him down from the cart, but they had barely touched his sleeve when he knocked their hand away with a wave.
Zhu Nanxian lay back down again.
He was waiting—waiting for that group of guards to come up and drag him down from the cart, just as they had previously dragged him along the mountain path with near brutality.
After all, in their eyes, he was someone who deserved to die.
But Zhu Nanxian waited for a long time. Outside, apart from the “whoosh whoosh” of the roaring flames, there was not a single other sound.
Only then did he slowly move his hand from his eyes, as if contending with the strong light, and propped open his eyelids to look.
Outside the cart, a palace servant was bending to hold up the curtain. Thousands of guards, seemingly afraid to disturb him, had already knelt in a rustling mass all over the ground. Zuo Qian had come before the cart to wait, and seeing him open his eyes, softly called out, “Your Highness.”
So he had actually returned to the palace.
He had thought that group of bold creatures were going to drag him to some desolate wilderness to kill and bury him hastily.
Zuo Qian reached out to help him again, only then discovering that Zhu Nanxian’s left hand was firmly gripping something, his entire left arm already stiff and rigid from exerting force. Zuo Qian looked down and could barely make out that what he held in his hand was a jade pendant.
The jade pendant had a hollow center carved with a character—the character for “rain.”
Zhu Nanxian’s robes were all damaged, and his back showed bloodstains. Even with Zuo Qian’s help, after taking two steps, his steps were weak and powerless. The palace servants on both sides saw this and wanted to help him, but he shook his head and pushed away even Zuo Qian’s hand.
Ahead, the lights blazed brilliantly. Zhu Nanxian vaguely saw someone walking toward him. He paused, slowly took the jade pendant into his bosom and carefully put it away. The deep creases in his palm were almost bleeding, probably because he had gripped it tightly all along the way as if holding onto his will to live.
Reaching Zhu Nanxian, Liu Chaoming first clasped his hands and bowed to him, then ordered, “Left General, immediately escort Thirteenth Prince back to the Eastern Palace and summon the imperial physician to treat His Highness.”
Zhu Zhaowei was quite surprised by these words and said with a laugh, “What’s this? Minister Liu welcomed Thirteen back to the palace only to send him back to the Eastern Palace? What about the bloody case of murdering the Crown Prince? Will Minister not investigate?”
Vice Minister of Justice Fang Huai picked up the thread. “Reporting to Seventh Prince, although the joint trial of the Three Judicial Offices is administered by the Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the Court of Judicial Review, without His Majesty’s decree, we cannot proceed. Setting aside that His Majesty is gravely ill and has not recovered, even according to the edict just now, we must convene the Seven Ministers for deliberation before beginning the interrogation.”
Zhu Zhaowei still smiled mockingly. “Is this Minister Liu’s meaning?”
Liu Chaoming said coolly, “If Seventh Prince wishes to pursue accountability through the night, that is not impossible. But this official has already said what needed to be said. This matter is of great importance. Before our Three Judicial Offices investigate and clarify cause and effect, all predetermined charges are nothing but frameups and false accusations. In severe cases, they shall be dealt with as treason.”
Hearing these words, the smile on Zhu Zhaowei’s face suddenly vanished. “Let’s go.” He then flicked his sleeves, clasped his hands behind his back, and strode away with Zhu Qiyue and Zhu Yiheng.
The three thousand Yingyang Guards assembled on the courtyard silently dispersed like a tide after Zhu Qiyue left. In a moment, the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Feathered Forest Guard also withdrew in succession.
The courtyard that had just been tense with drawn weapons completely quieted down. Zuo Qian stepped forward two paces to lead the way for Zhu Nanxian. “Your Highness, this subordinate will escort you back to the Eastern Palace.”
Just as Zhu Nanxian was about to leave, a faint sound of a fine horse’s whinny suddenly came from outside the palace gate, as if someone was dismounting outside Zhengwu Gate.
As if sensing something, he somehow turned his head to look toward Zhengwu Gate. Unfortunately, separated by vast towers and buildings, under the dim lanterns of the gate tower, he could only make out a shadowy figure.
Zhu Nanxian watched quietly, then lowered his eyes and left without a sound.
Only after seeing him walk far away did Liu Chaoming give an order: “Go see who is there.”
A palace servant responded and went. A moment later, he returned and said, “Reporting to Minister Liu, it is Minister Su from the Censorate who has come. Originally she said she had brought back several witnesses, but after asking this slave about tonight’s situation, she suddenly said never mind.”
Liu Chaoming was silent for a moment and only asked, “Has she already left?”
“Yes, Minister Su left together with the witnesses.”
Liu Chaoming lowered his eyes, made a sound of acknowledgment, and turned to head toward the Censorate.
Seeing the Left Censor-in-Chief about to leave, all the court officials bowed in unison. A small fire-tender hurriedly rushed forward with a wind lantern to lead the way for him obediently. At the same time, someone behind called out loudly, “Respectfully seeing off Minister Censor.”
So this was holding supreme power?
Liu Chaoming looked at the firelight in the wind lantern that only illuminated a few feet ahead, unable to stir even a ripple in his heart.
Actually, he didn’t need to think to know why Su Jin had brought all these witnesses to the palace.
Today Zhu Nanxian went to deliver a letter, which delayed his journey back to Nanchang. Therefore, someone at the Office of Transmission must have seen him. Even if Zhu Zhaowei sent people to silence everyone at the Office of Transmission and kill all the personal guards following Zhu Nanxian, there were still the common people and guards at the city gate who had seen the Thirteenth Prince and his troops.
Zhu Zhaowei’s false accusation that Zhu Nanxian murdered the Crown Prince could ultimately not stand.
Su Jin had rushed about until deep into the night to return to the palace. She must have been racing against Zhu Zhaowei, gathering witnesses from various places, wanting to place them in the Censorate to ensure their safety, waiting for the day to clear Zhu Nanxian’s name.
But in the end, she took them away.
Did she no longer trust the Censorate, no longer trust him?
Thinking of this, Liu Chaoming suddenly felt it was understandable. After all, the day before he was so ill he couldn’t get up, and the next day he launched a political upheaval and seized great power. How could such a person be trusted?
And his saving Zhu Nanxian was merely to borrow his influence, to incite conflict between him and Zhu Zhaowei, hoping they would both suffer defeat—that would be best.
So he had never had good intentions, never had good intentions all along.
He deserved Su Shiyu’s unwillingness to trust him anymore.
When Liu Chaoming returned to the Censorate, Palace Servant Wu Chang was already waiting in the central courtyard. Yan Xiu, who had been left to guard the compound, saw him return, silently bowed, and withdrew into the night.
Only then did Wu Chang clasp his hands together and bow deeply, presenting a broken jade piece. “This old slave, following His Highness’s command, thanks Minister for saving the situation at a critical time.”
This was the third piece of broken jade.
Liu Chaoming looked down at this jade stone of antique color. After a moment, he shook his head. “This crisis was originally caused by my rash actions driven by selfish motives. One wrong thought nearly led to a grave error. Tonight’s actions were merely mending the fold after the sheep were lost. There is no reason to claim this broken jade from His Highness.”
Wu Chang said, “His Highness knew Minister would say this and had this old slave bring a message to Minister—’People are not grass or trees; how can they be without feelings?'”
“His Highness also said that Minister’s mistake today was really not wrong at all. The fault lies in his strategic miscalculation—he accounted for human hearts but not for human emotions. Yet it fell to Minister alone to turn the tide with his own strength. This broken jade piece—Minister deserves it without shame.”
Liu Chaoming was silent for a moment, then took the broken jade from Wu Chang’s hands.
Wu Chang continued, “His Highness has only the last piece of broken jade remaining. Therefore, His Highness also had this old slave ask: the token His Highness gave Minister back then—has Minister kept it safe?”
The jade stone felt heavy and familiar to the touch. Liu Chaoming ran his fingertips over it, unable to help recalling what that person had said when the jade circlet broke all those years ago.
—Between you and me is a gentleman’s promise. Though it relies on a token, in the end, it depends on nothing more than the word “guard” and the word “trust.”
Liu Yun, this prince knows you are noble and proud. Making you submit would instead break your spirit. Therefore, I ask only this: are you willing to gamble with this prince on a game where imperial power, flesh and blood, even your very self are all wagered, to devote yourself wholeheartedly, to shatter yourself to pieces, sparing nothing?
Liu Chaoming gripped the broken jade in his hand. “The token His Highness gave is invaluable. When the great enterprise is first achieved one day, I, Liu Yun, will certainly return the jade intact.”
Zhu Zhaowei rode his horse all the way back to the Seventh Prince’s Manor, his expression growing darker and darker. He paid no heed to the concubines kneeling all over the ground outside the manor to greet him, and strode directly into the main hall. He took the damp cloth handed by a maid to wash his face, then with hands clasped behind his back, paced back and forth in the main hall several times.
From time to time, young servants came to serve tea and water. Seeing Zhu Zhaowei’s demeanor, they dared not approach. It was Zhu Yiheng who poured a cup and handed it over, saying gently, “Seventh Brother, don’t be hasty to anger. Have some tea first.”
Zhu Zhaowei stopped and glanced at him, then with a wave of his hand knocked the teacup to the ground. “Do you take this prince for a fool?”
Scalding tea splashed onto the hem of Zhu Zhaowei’s robe. Zhu Yiheng looked at the shattered teacup on the ground with some shock, then raised his head to look at Zhu Zhaowei. “What does Seventh Brother mean by this?”
Zhu Zhaowei laughed coldly, his eyes full of murderous intent. “At Zhaojue Temple, this prince wanted to kill Zhu Nanxian, but it was you who persuaded this prince to return to the palace to keep up appearances before killing him. Who knew that Liu Chaoming would force the palace and usurp power, intercepting Thirteen? Do you think this prince can’t see that you have long since allied with Liu Yun to preserve Zhu Nanxian and have us fight, waiting until both sides suffer defeat before he elevates you to the throne as emperor? This prince’s lifetime of painstaking effort—so I’ve been making wedding clothes for you two, is that it!”
What flowed through Zhu Yiheng’s amber eyes was first shock, then gradually transforming into threads of sadness. His handsome mouth corners slightly drooped, pressed into an arc of forbearing dejection.
After a moment, he said with some disappointment, “Why does Seventh Brother not trust Tenth Brother again?”