No harmful objects whatsoever.
This answer was like a basin of ice water poured over his head. Emperor Taixiang felt chilled to the bone, cold air emanating from within.
That arrow—he could feel its temperature whenever he closed his eyes.
That arrow had brushed past him, its cold air piercing, then vanished like fireworks after their brief brilliance.
What kind of arrow was it? What kind of person had shot that arrow?
Unable to find answers, Emperor Taixiang was horrified to discover that he alone had noticed that arrow, just as he alone had noticed those eyes.
It was as if that arrow had never existed, and the murderer who killed the Grand Empress Dowager didn’t exist either.
The cause of the Grand Empress Dowager’s death was publicly attributed to catching a cold after viewing the lanterns. Internally, the imperial physicians were summoned for consultation. Though they discovered bruising on Empress Dowager Yang’s head, they dared not speak openly since even the Jinlin Guards and other departments had found no murder weapon.
Moreover, even if there were conclusive evidence of the Grand Empress Dowager being assassinated while viewing lanterns on the Lantern Festival, and the murderer was caught, it would still be kept secret. Otherwise, if it inspired imitation throughout the realm, that would be most unfortunate.
The Grand Empress Dowager’s funeral proceeded in an orderly fashion under the coordination of the Imperial Clan Court and the Ministry of Rites, but the imperial palace was shrouded in gloom.
Emperor Taixiang was thoroughly frightened. Whenever he closed his eyes, that arrow with its cold, gleaming edge shot toward his face, followed by those ice-cold eyes.
“The Marquis Guanjun! Summon the Marquis Guanjun to the palace!” Emperor Taixiang, drenched in sweat, shouted hoarsely.
Soon, the imperial edict summoning the Marquis Guanjun to the palace was delivered to the Marquis Guanjun’s residence.
Shao Mingyuan temporarily had the eunuch delivering the edict wait in the flower hall and comforted Qiao Zhao: “Don’t worry about me. I’ll go and return quickly.”
Qiao Zhao grasped Shao Mingyuan’s sleeve, feeling somewhat uneasy: “Tingquan, could it be that the palace has detected some clues?”
She had confidence in Shao Mingyuan’s ability to resolve troubles, but hadn’t expected him to directly move against the Grand Empress Dowager.
Moreover, before this, Shao Mingyuan hadn’t told her about assassinating the Grand Empress Dowager, only confessing to her after the deed was done.
It had to be said, this man was too bold.
“No.” Shao Mingyuan chuckled softly, intimately stroking Qiao Zhao’s cheek. “Wait peacefully for my return.”
“Mm.” Qiao Zhao nodded. His confident attitude relaxed her mood.
Since he said he would return safely, she believed him.
Shao Mingyuan patted Qiao Zhao’s hand once more, then turned and walked out.
The eunuch waiting in the flower hall immediately stood up: “Lord Marquis, let’s go.”
Outside, snowflakes continued to fall, and the north wind was bone-chillingly cold.
Shao Mingyuan exhaled a small puff of white breath and followed the eunuch toward the imperial palace.
“Your Majesty, the Marquis Guanjun has arrived.”
Emperor Taixiang, who had been sitting in a daze, suddenly snapped to attention and said urgently: “Summon the Marquis Guanjun in!”
Soon, Shao Mingyuan entered and bowed: “This minister greets Your Majesty.”
Emperor Taixiang stared directly at Shao Mingyuan for a long time before speaking: “Wei Wuxie, bring a chair for the Marquis Guanjun.”
“Thank you for the seat, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Taixiang gazed blankly at the calm-faced young man for a long time without speaking.
Shao Mingyuan sat upright like a green pine.
After a long while, Emperor Taixiang spoke: “Lord Marquis, last night… last night I was very frightened…”
He looked pitifully at the young man before him, hoping to gain some comfort from him.
The man opposite raised his eyes as he wished and smiled slightly.
Those eyes were very beautiful, like the finest gems without any impurities, yet they were ice-cold without a trace of warmth.
Emperor Taixiang suddenly shuddered, his face instantly turning deathly pale. In his panic, he knocked over the teacup beside him.
Wei Wuxie silently cleaned up the porcelain fragments on the floor, suppressing his confusion.
Emperor Taixiang stood up, staring at Shao Mingyuan with wide, terrified eyes.
Shao Mingyuan’s expression remained calm. Following Emperor Taixiang’s movement, he also stood up and comforted him with a smile: “Your Majesty, please don’t panic. This minister will do everything possible to protect you.”
Emperor Taixiang, as if pulled from water, was already dripping with cold sweat on his forehead. He said weakly: “With, with Lord Marquis’s words, I can rest assured…”
Facing the handsome man with a smile at the corners of his mouth, Emperor Taixiang felt dizzy spells before his eyes and had no strength to say more. He hastily dismissed the man, then collapsed back into his chair in exhaustion.
Wei Wuxie brought a warm, soft cloth to wipe Emperor Taixiang’s forehead: “Your Majesty, let this servant help you lie down.”
Emperor Taixiang shook his head, burying his entire body in the wide dragon throne, his gaze vacant.
Wei Wuxie couldn’t fathom Emperor Taixiang’s emotional changes and could only serve him with great care.
After suffocating silence, Emperor Taixiang glanced at Wei Wuxie and asked: “Wei Wuxie, what kind of person do you think the Marquis Guanjun is?”
The Marquis Guanjun?
Hearing His Majesty ask about Shao Mingyuan, Wei Wuxie immediately became fully alert.
He, the Marquis Guanjun, and Master Zhang shared a common secret—this question required careful answering.
“This servant has little contact with the Marquis Guanjun, but feels he is a person of great perseverance. The peace of our Great Liang’s northern territories cannot do without him.”
“Great perseverance?” Emperor Taixiang murmured these words, his face growing even paler.
Great perseverance—did this mean that once offended, he would use extraordinary perseverance to seek revenge?
Thinking of those eyes, calm as stars, Emperor Taixiang’s back turned cold, as if all strength had been drained from his body.
Qiao Zhao waited in the flower hall until a servant reported “the General has returned,” then breathed a sigh of relief and rose to greet him.
“Why are you waiting outside?” Shao Mingyuan strode over, taking Qiao Zhao’s hand and walking inside.
“What did His Majesty want to discuss with you?”
Shao Mingyuan recalled Emperor Taixiang’s appearance and couldn’t help but smile: “Probably feeling afraid after the fact, so seeking reassurance from me. After all, my martial arts are formidable.”
“Be serious.” Shao Mingyuan’s relaxed mood infected Qiao Zhao, and she laughingly hit him.
“This is serious. His Majesty did discuss these things with me.”
As for the strange behavior Emperor Taixiang displayed later, Shao Mingyuan felt it unnecessary to mention.
He wasn’t afraid of Emperor Taixiang having suspicions about the Grand Empress Dowager’s death. At the moment he assassinated the Grand Empress Dowager, he had intentionally left an impression on His Majesty.
Emperor Taixiang was different from other emperors. Though he inherited the throne, he had never been cultivated as heir apparent and had barely even seen the late emperor a few times. He was naturally cowardly.
Such a person, having experienced life and death several times, feared death far more than ordinary people. When he discovered a threat was too formidable, his choice was more often to avoid and compromise.
He hoped to use the Grand Empress Dowager’s death to force that emperor to abandon his murderous intent toward his wife. If this action still couldn’t protect his wife’s safety, then he wouldn’t hesitate to go further.
Of course, unless necessary, he was unwilling to walk that path.
Regardless of rise or fall, once war began, it was always the common people who suffered.
The Grand Empress Dowager’s funeral was conducted with great ceremony, but Emperor Taixiang fell ill during this time. By the time spring warmed and flowers bloomed, he was already bedridden.