As the sun set in the west, Zhao Ai arrived at Dashifo Temple with Wei Qingxun, accompanied by Yin Qi and a middle-aged woman.
Zhao Ai took Zhenzhen alone into a meditation room and told her: “After arriving in Lin’an, I learned that Yun Yingge moved out of the Eastern Palace a year ago with Princess Zhuangwen to live in the residence His Majesty bestowed upon the Princess. Using the opportunity of delivering mountain delicacies from Ningguo Prefecture to my sister-in-law, I found Yun Yingge and chatted with her, steering the conversation to the gift she once gave you. She seemed completely without reservation, openly saying the gift she gave you was a pearl ornament, then mentioned Big Brother’s passing. She looked very sad, wiping away tears and saying: ‘Who would have thought Prince Zhuangwen and Zhenzhen would be separated by death so quickly? Poor Zhenzhen – who knows where she is now or whether she’s safe.’ I observed carefully, and her concern for you didn’t seem feigned. If she was deliberately acting, her skill would be far too profound.”
“She was always simple-minded. If she had lied back then, she would certainly have blushed and stammered, unable to deceive anyone,” Zhenzhen sighed. “I suspect she truly doesn’t know the secret of that pearl ornament… Did you ask her where she obtained it?”
Zhao Ai replied: “Naturally I asked. She said she bought it at great expense from outside the palace, but when speaking of this, her expression was somewhat unnatural. I wanted to question her further, but Princess Zhuangwen came over then, so I couldn’t continue speaking with her… But it doesn’t matter. Once Yang Zicheng enters the palace and informs His Majesty of this case’s hidden details, His Majesty will naturally summon Yun Yingge for questioning. Today the palace gates have already closed, making it impossible to enter. I’ll first take you back to my prince’s mansion, and tomorrow morning we’ll enter the palace together.”
Zhenzhen asked in surprise: “I’m going too? Won’t I be captured and imprisoned before even approaching the palace gates?”
“Originally I planned to have Yang Zicheng report to His Majesty first before bringing you, but now the situation has changed…” Zhao Ai frowned slightly. “Just now a eunuch from the Eastern Palace came to Prince Wei’s mansion, saying the Crown Princess encountered the County Lady of Xin’an on her return journey, felt an immediate connection, and specially invited you to enter the palace tomorrow to observe the ceremony… Did you really meet her?”
Zhenzhen then told him about the chance encounter with Fengxian, adding: “I wore a veiled hat the entire time, so she didn’t see my face clearly. But we lived together for many years and know each other too well. Although I deliberately changed my accent when speaking with her, she still might have recognized me. Now she’s specifically inviting me – I don’t know if this is fortune or disaster.”
Zhao Ai pondered, then said with a grave expression: “Ling Fengxian is quite suspicious. You once told me that Yun Yingge gave you five pearl ornaments in total. On the day Big Brother died, you only used the one on your brow, leaving the rest in your room. After you were imprisoned, your courtyard was sealed and your belongings confiscated to the treasury. Upon returning this time, I managed to investigate the items confiscated from you that year. I discovered that after Ling Fengxian was betrothed as Crown Princess, she requested the Empress to bestow your remaining jewelry upon her, citing remembrance of sisterly affection and wanting keepsakes. The Empress agreed, and among the jewelry bestowed upon her was this set of pearl ornaments.”
“You’re saying Fengxian might be connected to these pearl ornaments?” This was far beyond Zhenzhen’s expectations. She instinctively refused to associate Fengxian with this matter, yet a cloud of suspicion faintly arose in her heart.
“Whether she’s connected, we’ll know tomorrow when we question Yun Yingge,” Zhao Ai continued. “Since the Crown Princess has issued an invitation, not going would be tantamount to great disrespect – you can’t avoid it. So I went to find Yin Qi. The Imperial City Bureau’s patrol soldiers often need to disguise themselves while gathering intelligence in the city, with specialists responsible for disguises and appearance changes. I asked Yin Qi to find one – that woman outside. Shortly she’ll apply makeup to you and Yang Zicheng so no one can recognize your true faces. Tomorrow you’ll enter the palace with me. The seats for princes’ concubines are far from the imperial throne, so no one should recognize you immediately. The Zhedong Circuit Commissioner has presented His Majesty with a batch of mountain and sea delicacies to be delivered to the imperial kitchen tomorrow morning. To prevent Yang Zicheng from being recognized and assassinated, before entering the imperial city, I’ll have Yin Qi arrange for him to disguise as a clerk transporting goods and blend into the crowd entering the imperial kitchen. After the wedding ceremony ends and the banquet is about to begin, His Majesty, the Empress, and the Crown Prince couple will each return to their chambers to change clothes. Then I’ll bring Yang Zicheng to Funing Hall to see His Majesty.”
The woman Yin Qi brought was indeed skilled in disguise techniques. After applying cosmetics, rouge, and ink on Zhenzhen’s face, when Zhenzhen looked in the mirror, she felt she was facing a stranger. The observers also exclaimed in amazement, all saying they couldn’t recognize her at all.
Last year His Majesty bestowed a mansion outside the palace upon Zhao Ai. Tonight Zhao Ai brought Zhenzhen back to the prince’s mansion, while entrusting Yang Zicheng to Yin Qi, instructing him to ensure Yang’s safety and escort him into the imperial kitchen tomorrow after applying disguise.
At the fourth watch, the woman came again to apply Zhenzhen’s makeup and help her dress in the County Lady’s ceremonial robes. Then Zhao Ai brought Zhenzhen through the palace gates according to plan. Zhenzhen stood in the queue of inner and outer noble ladies according to rank, waiting for the Crown Princess to enter the imperial city.
After dawn, Zhao Hao, who had gone out to personally escort the Crown Princess, returned to the imperial city with Fengxian in a golden carriage drawn by six red horses. The golden carriage stood over eighteen feet high, shaped like a square house, decorated with gold-plated silver, with 154 drivers before and behind, proceeding majestically through Lizheng Gate. The Crown Prince couple alighted from the golden carriage and, guided by palace supervisors and ceremonial officials, walked one after the other toward Daqing Hall.
The inner and outer noble ladies lined up on both sides, bowing to welcome the Crown Princess, with Zhenzhen among them. When Fengxian passed before Zhenzhen, Zhenzhen slightly raised her head to look at her, seeing Fengxian wearing yuji robes with eighteen large and small flowers on her phoenix crown, with elaborate side hair ornaments, eyes looking straight ahead as she walked gracefully forward. Her slightly upturned chin made her appear quite arrogant, completely lacking any trace of the humble demeanor she’d shown as a palace lady.
In that glance, Zhenzhen also noticed Fengxian wore pearl ornaments on her face – on her brow, both temples, and beside her lips, five in total. The shape and color of these ornaments looked almost identical to her own set from years past.
Could she be using the ones I left behind? This thought flashed through her mind, but Zhenzhen quickly dismissed it: How solemn was the Crown Princess’s wedding – how could she use pearl ornaments left by a palace woman awaiting punishment? This set was perhaps only similar.
The Emperor wore the penetrating heaven crown and crimson gauze robes, presiding over Wende Hall as ceremonial officials read the Crown Princess’s investiture decree. The Crown Prince couple thanked His Majesty, and the wedding proceeded smoothly according to protocol. After the ceremony ended, the Emperor returned to Funing Hall while the Crown Prince couple returned to the Eastern Palace to change ceremonial robes in preparation for the subsequent grand banquet. Zhao Ai immediately had someone bring Zhenzhen to wait outside Funing Hall for summons, while he found Yang Zicheng and personally brought him into the hall to request audience with His Majesty.
The Emperor was naturally shocked beyond measure upon suddenly seeing Yang Zicheng, repeatedly asking what had happened and why he had disappeared. Yang Zicheng prostrated himself on the ground with tears streaming down his aged face, begging His Majesty to dismiss all idle personnel. Only then, starting from Prince Zhuangwen having him investigate Zhenzhen’s background, did he recount everything that occurred before the Prince’s death, continuing to his own pursuit and assassination after the Prince’s death, forcing him to flee Lin’an. But he temporarily didn’t mention Liu Jieyu’s matter.
He wept as he spoke, and these matters were complex and confusing. The Emperor listened in bewilderment, addressing only one point first: “You’re saying Wu Zhenzhen is very likely the daughter of Zhang Yunqiao and Liu Mengchu, later adopted by Lady Ju and raised in Pujiang?”
Yang Zicheng confirmed this, adding: “When Prince Zhuangwen had me deliver documents and evidence regarding Wu Zhenzhen’s background to Secretary Meng for copying, Secretary Meng should still have them preserved there. Your Majesty might retrieve them for examination.”
The Emperor sighed: “After Wu Zhenzhen disappeared in West Lake, I sent people to search inside and outside Lin’an. Meng Yunsou came to beg me to spare Zhenzhen and presented those documents for me to see. So I stopped having people pursue Zhenzhen, thinking that if she was Zhang Yunqiao’s daughter, this was probably heaven’s will, letting me spare her life.”
Yang Zicheng said: “Before Prince Zhuangwen’s death, Wu Zhenzhen and he were already devoted to each other, deeply in love. Prince Zhuangwen trusted me, never hiding their affairs from me. I also witnessed Wu Zhenzhen’s anxious concern when Prince Zhuangwen was poisoned by mushrooms, how she ran about everywhere for him. So I understand Wu Zhenzhen’s feelings for Prince Zhuangwen – she couldn’t possibly have intended to harm the Prince. Moreover, Prince Zhuangwen was the heir apparent; in the future Wu Zhenzhen could become his consort with unlimited prospects. Emotionally and logically, she had no reason to harm her own husband. After Prince Zhuangwen’s death, people quickly came to assassinate me, and I knew that must have been sent by the real killer.”
“Then do you know who the killer is?” the Emperor pressed.
Yang Zicheng replied: “I only have some speculation and dare not speak directly. Wu Zhenzhen is already waiting outside the hall. There are more important matters – perhaps let her inform Your Majesty.”
The Emperor stared in amazement: “Wu Zhenzhen has returned to the palace?”
At this point Zhao Ai called out to the eunuchs outside: “Summon the County Lady of Xin’an into the hall.”
Hearing this, Zhenzhen slowly entered the hall and performed grand obeisance to the Emperor.
The Emperor understood: “You are the concubine Second Brother took – Song Taozheng is your assumed name.”
“I am Wu Zhenzhen,” Zhenzhen replied calmly. “When I was submerged by floodwater that year, I was fortunately rescued and left Lin’an to go to Ningguo Prefecture where I had lived as a child. Later I met Prince Wei, and we have always conducted ourselves with propriety. This time entering the palace under the name County Lady of Xin’an was an expedient measure – Prince Wei and I have not married.”
The Emperor regarded her coldly, not pursuing this matter further, only commanding: “Tell me everything you know about what happened then.”
Zhenzhen began by describing how Prince Zhuangwen helped her investigate her background, mentioning the Prince’s suspicions and surveillance of Cheng Yuan, then detailed the incident of witnessing Liu Jieyu and Lady Yu worshipping the moon. When the Emperor heard this, he immediately frowned.
At this point Yang Zicheng interjected: “Prince Zhuangwen subsequently commanded me to investigate Liu Jieyu’s father’s birthday. I discovered that day was not Liu Kun’s death anniversary, but rather… Qi Xi’s…”
The Emperor was tremendously shocked, striking the table heavily: “Do you know what you’re saying?”
Yang Zicheng immediately prostrated himself, earnestly saying: “I absolutely dare not lie. This matter is grave – if I speak even one false word, I’m willing to suffer the punishment of being torn apart by chariots.”
The Emperor closed his eyes, his chest heaving constantly. After quite a while his expression somewhat softened, and he said to Zhenzhen: “What happened next? Continue.”
Zhenzhen lowered her eyes dejectedly, struggling to compose herself. After a long time, she slowly recounted that night when she and Prince Zhuangwen were intimate and the Prince took the pearl ornament to taste the glue, then mentioned discovering in Ningguo Prefecture that snake venom might be related, finally describing Han Suwen’s verification with the hamster.
Zhao Ai summoned Han Suwen, who had been waiting outside the hall, to show the Emperor the pearl ornament still bearing poison. Zhao Ai then bowed deeply to the Emperor: “Father, snake venom has been listed as a prohibited drug by the Hanlin Medical Academy, making it extremely difficult for palace people to obtain. Later I had people investigate and found that Cheng Yuan has been using snake venom to treat headaches for years, privately hiring several snake catchers to provide him with venomous snakes long-term.”
“So you’re saying Liu Jieyu or Cheng Yuan harmed Prince Zhuangwen?” the Emperor asked.
“Who is involved in this matter depends on the origin of the pearl ornament,” Zhenzhen said. “My pearl ornament was given to me by palace lady Yun Yingge. Summon her for questioning and we can learn where the ornament came from.”
That day Yun Yingge had also been brought into the palace by Princess Zhuangwen and was currently in the Empress’s hall. The Emperor immediately commanded Zhang Zhibei to send someone to bring her to Funing Hall.
Yun Yingge didn’t yet know what had happened. Upon entering the hall and seeing everyone’s cold, solemn expressions, she was immediately frightened into kneeling on the ground. Zhao Ai then questioned her about the pearl ornament’s origin. At this point she dared not hide anything, shedding tears as she told the truth: “It was Fengxian… oh no, the current Crown Princess who gave it to me. She said she wanted to thank me for my care and guidance, giving me this set of pearl ornaments. I saw the ornaments were valuable, and Zhenzhen’s happy occasion was approaching, so I gave them to Zhenzhen instead.”
“The Crown Princess?” the Emperor frowned and asked, “Where did she obtain them? Did she know you intended to give them to Zhenzhen?”
“She knew. I told her I planned to give them to Zhenzhen, and she didn’t object, saying once given to me they were mine to dispose of,” Yun Yingge wept. “But I don’t know where she obtained them.”
The Emperor called to the eunuchs outside, about to command them to summon the Crown Princess, when an Eastern Palace eunuch rushed in frantically, fell to his knees before the Emperor, and reported: “Just now Fourth Prince and the Crown Princess suddenly vomited and fainted in the Eastern Palace. They’re now unconscious, and the imperial physicians say they seem to have been poisoned.”
Fourth Prince was the young prince Zhao Jiao born to Liu Jieyu. Today Liu Jieyu claimed to have caught a cold and remained bedridden in her quarters, not attending the ceremony, but allowed the wet nurse to bring Zhao Jiao and Princess Ruying to the Eastern Palace to see the wedding festivities.
Upon hearing that Zhao Jiao might be poisoned, the Emperor became both anxious and angry, immediately rising to furiously demand the reason from the eunuch, but the eunuch said the imperial physicians didn’t yet know the cause of poisoning. Zhenzhen immediately thought of the pearl ornaments Fengxian had worn earlier, mentioning this suspicion to the Emperor. The Emperor immediately shouted: “Go! Follow me to the Eastern Palace.”
Upon reaching the Eastern Palace, they found chaos inside, with many palace ladies gathered in the Crown Princess’s bedchamber, calling and weeping over the unconscious Fengxian and Zhao Jiao. Several imperial physicians frowned deeply, constantly discussing or arguing, while some eunuchs ran about everywhere, appearing anxious and busy though unclear what they were doing. Princess Ruying cried continuously in her wet nurse’s arms, while Zhao Hao sat dejectedly beside Fengxian’s couch with red eyes, as if he too had been weeping.
The Emperor first went to check on Zhao Jiao’s condition, while Zhenzhen came to Fengxian’s side, bending down to examine her and discovering the pearl ornaments had been removed from her face.
“Where are the Crown Princess’s pearl ornaments?” Zhenzhen asked the attendant beside Fengxian’s couch.
The attendant replied: “When the Crown Princess returned to the Eastern Palace, she first removed the pearl ornaments. Later Fourth Prince played with them for a while.”
“Did he put the pearl ornaments in his mouth?” Zhenzhen asked again.
“Ah, yes, yes!” Before the attendant could answer, Zhao Jiao’s wet nurse suddenly awakened as if from a dream, coming over to answer Zhenzhen’s question: “When the Crown Princess was removing her makeup, Fourth Prince and the Princess were chasing and playing in the hall. Later Fourth Prince suddenly fell and cut his lip, bleeding a little and crying loudly in pain. The Crown Princess beckoned him over, held him in her arms, and showed him the jewelry she’d removed to comfort him. Fourth Prince really liked the pearl ornaments the Crown Princess wore by her temples, picked them up to play with, and gradually put them in his mouth. The Crown Princess hurriedly told him to spit them out, but Fourth Prince refused. Instead, he picked up another one and held it to the Crown Princess’s mouth, saying it was sweet and wanting her to taste it. The Crown Princess didn’t want to taste it, but Fourth Prince, with a child’s nature, insisted on putting the ornament in her mouth. The Crown Princess had no choice but to taste it, also saying it was sweet, before Fourth Prince allowed her to spit it out. They talked for a while longer, then Fourth Prince began vomiting. The Crown Princess hurriedly arranged for imperial physicians, but soon after she also began vomiting, then both she and Fourth Prince fell unconscious…”
Zhenzhen had the attendant quickly search for all the pearl ornaments Fengxian had removed, then parted Fengxian’s lips to examine her mouth. She saw Fengxian’s gums were red and swollen with signs of bleeding, so she asked the attendant if the Crown Princess had been suffering from internal heat recently. The attendant replied: “Yes. The Crown Princess traveled a long distance back to Lin’an and didn’t rest well at night, so she developed some internal heat and has had toothache for several days.”
Zhenzhen immediately found Imperial Physician Guo Siqi, asking him to treat Fourth Prince and the Crown Princess with snake venom antidotes. Guo Siqi complied, preparing medicinal decoctions for both to take. After a moment, Fengxian’s eyelids fluttered and she began moaning, while Zhao Jiao remained unresponsive. The Emperor grew increasingly anxious, repeatedly asking Guo Siqi if the medicine was correct. Guo Siqi bowed and said: “Your Majesty, we must use the right medicine for the condition to ensure effectiveness. Now we only know this poison might be snake venom, but we don’t know what kind of snake’s venom or how much was used. We can only treat conservatively. If we could determine this, we would know how to better provide antidotes.”
“Cheng Yuan!” the Emperor suddenly thought of Cheng Yuan mentioned earlier by Zhenzhen and the others, shouting: “Quickly arrest Cheng Yuan!”
“Your Majesty, absolutely not!” Zhang Zhibei, who had followed him, knelt and advised: “Cheng Yuan is currently serving the Empress Dowager in Cifu Palace. If we arrest him over this matter, it would be equivalent to announcing to the world that the Empress Dowager is involved in harming the imperial prince. First, the Empress Dowager might not allow us to enter Cifu Palace to arrest him. Second, even if Cheng Yuan were captured, to preserve his life and protect the Empress Dowager, he would insist he’s unrelated to this matter and wouldn’t reveal how to provide antidotes.”
Yang Zicheng also agreed: “Director Zhang speaks reasonably. At this moment it’s indeed inappropriate to arrest Cheng Yuan from Cifu Palace under the pretense of investigating the imperial prince’s poisoning.”
“Then what do you suggest?” the Emperor roared.
At this moment Zhenzhen stepped forward, bowing to the Emperor: “I have a method that might resolve this matter. I hope Your Majesty will first return to Funing Hall and allow me to report further.”
The Emperor now had no other options and, seeing Zhenzhen’s determined gaze and confident appearance, could only grant her request.
After returning to Funing Hall, Zhenzhen again solemnly raised her hands to her forehead, kowtowed to the Emperor, then said gravely: “I, Food Manager Wu, recommend myself as Director of Palace Administration to investigate the truth behind the poisoning of Prince Zhuangwen, Fourth Prince, and the Crown Princess, and to purify the palace quarters. I hope Your Majesty will show grace and approve my request.”
The Emperor was utterly astonished: “What did you say? Director of Palace Administration?”
“Yes,” Zhenzhen looked up steadily, meeting the Emperor’s gaze and speaking clearly: “Only the Director of Palace Administration has the authority to control palace women in both the northern and southern palaces, and can legitimately enter Cifu Palace to investigate cases without fearing the Empress Dowager’s opposition.”
“The Director of Palace Administration can only control female officials and palace ladies in both palaces, not eunuchs like Cheng Yuan,” the Emperor questioned.
“Cheng Yuan’s crimes involve more than just poisoning. He’s also suspected of privately imprisoning Lady Ju. Lady Ju was the late emperor’s palace woman, within the Director of Palace Administration’s jurisdiction. I’ll first enter Cifu Palace under the pretext of investigating Lady Ju’s matter, then persuade the Empress Dowager to hand over Cheng Yuan. Then he can be handed to the Censorate, Ministry of Justice for trial, or Your Majesty can decree a special prison – all decided by Your Majesty,” Zhenzhen calmly outlined her plan. Seeing the Emperor remain noncommittal, she added: “Lady Ju’s case not only involves Prince Zhuangwen’s matter but also relates to Imperial Physician Zhang’s whereabouts. If Your Majesty appoints me as Director of Palace Administration, I can solve the mystery of Imperial Physician Zhang’s disappearance and personally bring him before Your Majesty.”
After a moment of silence, the Emperor asked in a deep voice: “Are you truly confident you can investigate all these matters thoroughly?”
“I am confident,” Zhenzhen’s tone was resolute. “I’ve already understood many things – now I only need to question the relevant people for verification. Though I’m involved in these cases and perhaps shouldn’t be the investigator, no one understands the connections better than I do. My investigation can ensure accurate and swift results. I can also swear to Your Majesty now that I guarantee to enforce the law impartially, not concealing or omitting any truth due to personal feelings.”
Seeing the Emperor still remained silent, Zhenzhen bowed again, continuing her request: “I only need one day – to serve as Director of Palace Administration for one day, twelve hours. Within this day I’ll clarify all truths, then resign tomorrow and await punishment on a straw mat, asking Your Majesty to determine guilt and punishment for both my responsibility in Prince Zhuangwen’s case and today’s presumption.”
The Emperor pondered for a moment, then pointed southwest with his arm, saying to Zhenzhen: “Face the direction of Prince Zhuangwen’s tomb and swear to him that if you become Director of Palace Administration, you will investigate cases impartially, not violate national law, not favor personal relationships, and not seek personal gain.”
Zhenzhen immediately turned toward the direction he indicated, solemnly bowed again, and swore word by word: “Your Highness, if Zhenzhen is appointed Director of Palace Administration, I will investigate cases impartially, not violate national law, not favor personal relationships, and not seek personal gain. If I violate this oath, may I suffer the agony of ten thousand snakes and fall into Avici Hell, life after life, never to see Your Highness again.”
Speaking the last sentence, her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes gazing straight ahead misted with tears.
Seeing this, the Emperor sighed inwardly, then called out to Zhang Zhibei waiting outside, instructing: “Go summon the scholar on duty and have him draft an imperial decree: Appoint Food Manager Wu Zhenzhen as Director of Palace Administration, fourth rank, with a term from the seventh hour today for twelve hours.”