They stood in the thin sunlight. The candles had burned out one after another, leaving no trace of light, making their faces appear blurred. Before anyone could ask questions, the golden bells and jade chimes rang out in the hall – the Emperor had arrived for court.

Although separated by the distant vermillion steps and wafting incense, when the officials below saw the Emperor’s face, they were all shocked. Three days of praying for blessings had brought him no benefit; instead, his face was ashen, his steps faltering. He could barely move forward while leaning on Xu Fenghan’s support. His trembling figure left everyone at a loss.

After the court rituals were completed and the cries of “Long live the Emperor” had ended, the Grand Academician in the hall reported what had just happened before the throne. The hall fell silent, and the Emperor’s already unsightly complexion grew even worse.

After a long while, the Emperor’s voice could finally be heard, so weak that only Xu Fenghan, who stood close by, could hear it. He listened carefully, then announced in a clear voice: “His Majesty’s meaning is this: the dead are gone, the living should take good care of themselves. Prince E has passed away; His Majesty cannot bear to hear of his transgressions. Let this matter be put to rest.”

The court officials below immediately erupted in discussion, not expecting such a major incident to be dismissed so lightly, without investigation.

Even if Prince E’s transgressions were not to be discussed, what about Prince Kui’s grievance – could that simply be forgotten?

While everyone was still speculating, Xu Fenghan heard another imperial edict and relayed it: “His Majesty’s decree: These three days of continuous prayer have left him without proper rest or food, thus depleting his strength. The ministers need not worry. Today, the Buddha’s relic will be escorted from the palace and transmitted through the capital’s temples for blessings, bathing in Buddha’s light to pray for the prosperity of the state and eternal peace for the Great Tang. By imperial decree: Li Jian shall serve as the transmission envoy and ascend to receive the Buddha’s relic.”

As Li Shu Bai had received the Buddha’s relic into the palace, now when palace servants brought out the reliquary stupa, it was natural for him to rise and escort it out of the hall.

The reliquary stupa was extremely heavy, made of chased silver, measuring about one chi-square. Through the precious flower patterns carved in the silver box, one could faintly see the jewel-inlaid golden casket inside, within which was a jade coffin, and only inside were the Buddha’s bone relics.

All officials knelt on the ground, respectfully sending off the Buddha’s relic.

As with receiving the Buddha’s relic three days ago, Li Shu Bai still held a willow branch, dipping it in pure water, his left hand gently supporting the reliquary stupa while his right hand lightly waved nine times.

Huang Zihua knelt at the back of the crowd, intently watching the sweet dew from the willow branch being sprinkled on the reliquary stupa.

Then, Li Shu Bai took the reliquary stupa from the palace servants’ hands and, under everyone’s watchful gaze, descended the steps from the hall entrance to approach Li Jian.

Li Jian prostrated himself deeply on the ground, performed the three kneelings and nine kowtows, and then rose to receive the reliquary stupa.

Just as the reliquary stupa was moved away and Li Shu Bai was about to lower his hands, the palace servants standing nearby all gasped in shock.

It turned out that on Li Shu Bai’s hands, there were visible bloodstains, quite horrifying to behold.

Amidst the crowd’s exclamations, Li Jian raised the reliquary stupa to look at its bottom, where there appeared to be two bloody handprints matching exactly where Li Shu Bai had held the stupa.

He was shocked and at a loss. While the officials were still discussing in confusion, someone had already risen and rushed to the throne, prostrating himself: “Your Majesty! Although Prince Kui has proven that Prince E’s deathbed accusations were false, Prince E still died at his hands in Xiangji Temple! He must have harbored hatred after Prince E exposed the truth, and thus killed his brother in a rage – truly a person devoid of conscience. How could Your Majesty be so deceived by him as to let him touch the Buddha’s relic? Now… now the Buddha’s relic has shown its divine power, Prince Kui’s hands are stained with blood – this is surely Heaven and Earth showing their anger!”

This person was Tian Lingzi, who was closest to Crown Prince Li Xun. The Crown Prince listened to him the most and immediately knelt with him before the throne. Seeing this situation, many others suddenly realized and hurried to crowd before the throne, each adding their agreement: “Heaven and Earth show their anger, the Buddha’s relic displays its power – this is calling for Your Majesty to punish this unforgivable crime without delay!”

Li Shu Bai frowned as he looked at his own hands, then turned to look at the palace servant who had handed him the reliquary stupa.

It was Chang Ling, the female official attending the Empress. As soon as she saw Li Shu Bai looking at her, she immediately knelt and said in terror: “Your Highness, spare me! When this servant handed the object to Your Highness, it was completely clean! If you don’t believe me, look at my hands…”

She tremblingly presented her hands before everyone – they were dry and fair, without any trace of blood.

With such an uproar before the throne, plus the accusations from the Crown Prince and others, the Emperor had already commanded Xu Fenghan to come out and question them. Seeing this situation, Xu Fenghan quickly had everyone return to the hall.

Li Jian hurried into the hall carrying the reliquary stupa. Chang Ling, still terrified, followed behind him. Li Shu Bai walked up the steps, and as he passed by Huang Zihua, he gestured to her, and she quickly followed.

Wang Yun raised his hand and grabbed her sleeve. Huang Zihua turned back hurriedly and saw his dark, despairing expression.

He said: “Huang Zihua, if you leave now, I can still help you.”

Huang Zihua slowly shook her head and pulled her sleeve from his grasp.

As her clothes rustled, the gold bracelet on her wrist moved, and the two red beans on it separated for a moment in the air, then immediately slid back together along their destined path, gently touching each other.

She lowered her eyes to look at these two red beans pressed tightly together on her wrist and said softly: “Thank you, but… I must go.”

The vast hall, which had just been empty, was now once again crowded with people.

Below the vermillion steps, closest to the Emperor, were Li Shu Bai, Li Jian, and Chang Ling. Li Jian anxiously raised the reliquary stupa for the Emperor to see, saying: “Your Majesty, it was like this when I received it, I don’t know… don’t know what happened!”

The Emperor’s gaze swept over him, and he waved his hand. Xu Fenghan quickly brought a cloth to Li Jian, who wiped clean the blood stains from the bottom of the reliquary stupa and then returned the cloth to Xu Fenghan.

Xu Fenghan naturally felt the cloth stained with blood was somewhat stiff and was wondering whether to take it back, when Huang Zihua, standing behind Li Jian, asked him: “Eunuch Xu, may this servant look at these bloodstains?”

Xu Fenghan was startled, and when he recognized who she was, he hesitated again. Just as he was turning to look at the Emperor, he noticed that the Emperor’s gaze was still fixed on space, clearly slow to react and not yet aware of this development.

Before he could request the Emperor’s permission, Huang Zihua had already taken the cloth from Li Jian’s hands. Looking at the crimson bloodstains, when she noticed the faint yellow color in the dry areas, she carefully smelled the cloth.

Xu Fenghan quickly walked to the Emperor’s side and whispered in his ear.

The Emperor’s voice came weakly, but loud enough for the few people in front to hear: “Fourth Imperial Brother, I know you were bewitched into killing Fourth Brother… However, I still wanted you to receive this Buddha’s relic for me, intending… not wanting you to sink deeper, hoping the Buddha’s relic would cleanse your mind, but… but…”

His strength failed him, and he couldn’t continue.

Tian Lingzi immediately shouted: “Your Majesty is wise! Prince Kui has the heart of a wolf, though he may deceive the world, the gods and Buddha have long known! Now that the reliquary stupa he held seeps blood, it is the Buddha’s relic warning us. For someone whose hands are stained with his kinsman’s blood, Your Majesty, why still speak of brotherly affection or consider the imperial family’s dignity?”

Li Shu Bai turned his face and gave him a cold, disdainful look.

Tian Lingzi immediately shuddered in fear, trembling as he knelt there, not daring to make another sound. Even Crown Prince Li Xun beside him tightly held Tian Lingzi’s arm, too frightened to raise his head.

The Emperor paused for a moment, then slightly raised his hand, moving it inch by inch. Just as it was about to fall, Huang Zihua had already stepped forward and knelt before the steps, saying clearly: “Your Majesty, these bloodstains are someone’s attempt to frame Prince Kui. Please investigate thoroughly!”

The Emperor’s hand paused, slowly lowered, and he asked: “Who is this?”

Xu Fenghan immediately leaned to his ear and whispered: “Yang Chonggu’s… Huang Zihua.”

The Emperor’s expression immediately changed, his throat making a clicking sound, the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitching to reveal an expression that looked both hateful and sneering. Before Xu Fenghan could comprehend his meaning, Huang Zihua had already kowtowed to the Emperor, then rose and held up the cloth in her hand, showing it to everyone: “On this cloth, besides the bright red bloodstains, there are also faint traces of yellow powder. I just smelled it and can confirm it is turmeric.”

“Turmeric?” While people were still puzzling over this, Huang Zihua had already taken out another white silk handkerchief, holding it under the reliquary stupa with her hand, then raised her hand and patted the stupa several times.

Li Jian, holding the reliquary stupa, immediately turned pale and cried out: “Eunuch, this… this is the Buddha’s relic!”

Huang Zihua ignored him and walked directly to the palace servant holding the pure water, took the willow branch resting on top, dipped it in the pure water, and sprinkled it several times on her handkerchief, then held it up to show everyone.

Amidst the crowd’s terrified exclamations, they saw that her handkerchief, which had just been snow-white, was now covered in spots of blood, completely red.

“This is not pure water, but alkaline water,” Huang Zihua pointed at the pure water held by the palace servant and said loudly, “And in the openwork patterns of the reliquary stupa, extremely fine turmeric powder was hidden. This is a common trick used by street charlatans and fortune-tellers – when turmeric meets alkaline water, it turns blood-red, looking just like flowing blood. So, after Prince Kui sprinkled the ‘pure water,’ when he held the reliquary stupa, his hands became covered in these red ‘bloodstains’!”

A soft buzzing of discussion arose in the hall, and amidst the crowd’s deliberations, Huang Zihua bowed to the Emperor seated above and said loudly: “Your Majesty, please examine this – there must be some villain interfering, attempting to deceive Your Majesty right here in the palace, under your very nose, plotting to harm Prince Kui! I beg Your Majesty to investigate this matter thoroughly!”

Amid the hall’s confusion, the Emperor moved his lips toward Xu Fenghan. Understanding his meaning, Xu Fenghan immediately announced to those below: “His Majesty decrees that the escort of the Buddha’s relic cannot be delayed; the reliquary stupa shall be sent out as planned. Prince Kui and the palace servants are to remain in the hall, as His Majesty will thoroughly investigate this matter. All others may disperse—”

After the court officials kowtowed and withdrew in succession, the Phoenix Carriage arrived, and Empress Wang entered the hall surrounded by many palace maids and eunuchs in her entourage.

Accompanying her entrance were Wang Yun and Wang Zongshi. Empress Wang approached the Emperor, her gaze falling thoughtfully on Huang Zihua as it passed over her.

After paying respects to the Emperor, he beckoned slightly to her, and she sat down beside him, half-supporting and half-leaning against him, asking: “May I know why Your Majesty has asked Prince Kui to stay behind?”

The Emperor pointed at Chang Ling, saying: “The Empress’s lady-in-waiting… is suspected of framing Prince Kui.”

Empress Wang looked at Chang Ling with an uncertain expression, asking: “What exactly happened?”

Chang Ling repeatedly kowtowed, crying: “This servant doesn’t know how turmeric was hidden in the reliquary stupa, nor how the pure water was replaced with alkaline water, causing this strange occurrence—Your Highness, please understand, this servant would never dare do such a thing!”

Empress Wang’s gaze fell again on Huang Zihua, knowing it must have been she who solved this puzzle and said to Prince Kui: “I must speak plainly about this matter. Chang Ling has been my lady-in-waiting for many years, always careful, never making mistakes. This time she only wished to touch the reliquary stupa herself, which is why she asked my permission to deliver it from the inner palace to Your Highness. She holds the Buddha’s relic in utmost reverence—how could she dare tamper with it, playing tricks with turmeric and alkaline water to frame Your Highness?”

Li Shu Bai replied coolly: “Your Highness speaks reasonably. I also know that this matter could not have been undertaken by a mere lady-in-waiting.”

Chang Ling finally seemed to come back to life, her breathing becoming steady again. She quickly kowtowed to the Emperor, Empress, and Prince Kui, then hastily withdrew.

Wang Zongshi raised his head, keeping his hands tucked in his sleeves, remaining silent throughout.

The Emperor, leaning against the Empress, gradually recovered from his state of weakness and decline. Though his voice was still low and labored, he could manage to speak without requiring Xu Fenghan to relay his words: “Fourth Brother, I have something to ask you.”

Li Shu Bai cupped his hands and bowed: “Please instruct me, Your Majesty.”

“Previously, regarding Seventh Brother’s matter, I had you confined in the Clan Court. For the sake of the imperial family’s face, I never handed you over to the proper authorities for investigation…” After saying these few sentences, he leaned against Empress Wang, breathing heavily, and had to stop. Only after the Empress helped him massage his chest and regulate his breathing for a while did he slowly continue, “Now I ask you, regarding Seventh Brother’s matter, have you thought about how to explain to me, to the court, to the world?”

Li Shu Bai lowered his hands, standing before them, and said: “Your subject brother already told Your Majesty while in the Clan Court that this matter has suspicious aspects that warrant further investigation. Judging from today’s events, someone at court is trying to frame your subject brother, stopping at nothing. I request Your Majesty to order the Three Judicial Offices to investigate this case—your subject brother will cooperate fully.”

“What if I refuse?” the Emperor interrupted, his voice too sharp, followed by another bout of heavy breathing. Empress Wang stroked the Emperor’s back and looked at Li Shu Bai: “This matter, after all, concerns the imperial family’s dignity. Prince E has already passed away—why should Prince Kui invite further criminal proceedings and needlessly bring shame?”

Li Shu Bai gazed at the imperial couple on the vermillion steps and slowly asked: “So Your Majesty’s meaning is that this matter should be concluded without investigation?”

The Emperor didn’t speak, only closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Li Shu Bai’s lips couldn’t help but show a trace of a smile, though it was cold and mocking, without any joy: “Then, how do you plan to deal with your subject brother?”

“The state has its laws, the family has its rules. But nowhere can accommodate a murderer who slaughters his brothers and kin,” Empress Wang sighed, turned to look at the Emperor, saw him nod slightly, then turned back to Li Shu Bai and said, “But the court’s face must be preserved. His Majesty has prepared something for Prince Kui—please help yourself.”

A eunuch behind her immediately brought forward a wine cup that had been prepared and walked to Li Shu Bai’s front, presenting it to him.

Li Shu Bai glanced at the cup of wine, noticed the one or two red fish eggs floating on top, as fine as dust, and merely smiled slightly, saying: “Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace. Originally, your subject brother should not speak more when faced with Your Majesty’s command, but as I am about to bid Your Majesty eternal farewell, your subject brother only wishes to know how Your Majesty will explain my situation to others?”

Empress Wang spoke slowly: “His Majesty is merciful—Prince Kui accidentally harmed Prince E and went mad with guilt.”

“However, your subject brother has already written a personal statement. As soon as anything happens to me, it will be spread throughout the world, revealing the inside story. When everyone under heaven knows your subject brother was wronged and the real murderer was someone else—I’m afraid Your Majesty’s explanation won’t hold up.”

Empress Wang was immediately stunned and turned back to look at the Emperor. She saw that his expression had also changed angrily. He propped himself up and asked in a lowered voice: “Personal statement?”

“It’s not exactly that—it’s just a romance novel, with the names slightly obscured, but the content matches reality exactly—it involves numerous strange and mysterious events over more than ten years, starting with the talismans and small redfish around your subject brother, all the way to exposing the true culprit behind everything, with sound reasoning and evidence. Anyone with insight will immediately see through who all the characters represent.”

The Emperor’s face turned ashen gray as he stared at him intently, his voice hoarse: “Then, who is this true culprit you’re referring to?”

Li Shu Bai turned his head to look at Huang Zihua.

Huang Zihua nodded and opened the chest beside her, saying: “Please allow this servant to explain in detail.”

Wang Zongshi, who had been standing quietly to the side, fixed his gaze on Huang Zihua and finally spoke: “I advise you both to consider the gravity of this. In this world, perhaps every matter has its truth, but not every truth can be spoken.”

“Please forgive my ignorance, Sir Wang. I only know that heaven’s principles are clear, good and evil have their rewards, whether one is in a high position or low status, what has been done can never be covered up,” Huang Zihua’s gaze was firm and clear, looking at him without wavering, facing him frankly, “The falsehoods of this world, even if they deceive most people, even if they blind them temporarily, floating clouds can never permanently hide the sun, and jade deeply buried in mud will eventually have its day to be washed clean.”

“Why should Sir Wang worry? I am merely stating the possibilities we’ve surmised for discussion. As for whether things are right or wrong, those who have done everything are here in the hall now, and naturally know how to judge and explain.” Li Shu Bai spoke as casually as a passing cloud and breeze, not even looking at the pale-faced crowd. After a moment’s thought, he said to Huang Zihua, “Then let’s start with Prince E’s death.”

“Yes,” Huang Zihua bowed to everyone and said, “Earlier, taking advantage of the breaking dawn’s darkness, I reenacted the scene of Prince E’s disappearance. How he vanished before everyone’s eyes is no longer in question. Now we face another problem: knowing that this action would forever distance him from the throne, and possibly force him to live in anonymity for life, never revealing his true identity, why would Prince E act so extremely, slandering Prince Kui in front of everyone?”

“Prince E sacrificed everything for the ancestral temples, the state, and the common people, just to expose Prince Kui’s wolfish ambitions,” Empress Wang said coldly.

“Is that so? Before Prince E’s disappearance, when Prince Kui last met with him, I was present. At that time, Prince E still asked Prince Kui to investigate the cause of his mother’s madness. After that, he shut himself away, and during this time only received two items falsely sent from Prince Kui’s residence. How could he develop such hatred for Prince Kui in these short months of seclusion?”

“Naturally, it was the items he received that caused his change of heart,” Wang Zongshi said, hands in his sleeves.

“Exactly. I questioned the people in Prince E’s residence and learned of the items he received at that time, and in the incense burner before Prince E’s mother Consort Chen’s spirit tablet, I found these three destroyed items.”

Huang Zihua took out the broken dagger, burned silk thread, and shattered jade bracelet from the chest and placed them on the ground.

“A dagger, a lover’s knot, and a jade bracelet,” Huang Zihua said slowly, “I repeatedly searched for connections between them but found no clues. One day I heard a storyteller on the street telling of Emperor Yang of Sui giving Lady Xuanhua a lover’s knot, and finally understood the relationship between the three—Empress Wu’s dagger, the lover’s knot received by Lady Xuanhua, they represent these two women. And their common point is…”

At this point, she bit her lower lip and said no more.

But everyone in the hall already understood her meaning. Empress Wu, who had been Emperor Taizong’s consort, ultimately became Emperor Gaozong’s empress; and Emperor Wen of Sui’s Lady Xuanhua, who after Wen’s death, accepted the lover’s knot sent by Emperor Yang.

A deathly silence enveloped the great hall. The Emperor’s face was ashen, the Empress uncertain and fearful, Wang Zongshi and Wang Yun too shocked to speak, and even the usually calm Li Shu Bai took a deep breath to steady himself.

Only Huang Zihua paused briefly before continuing slowly: “Just as after one and three, the connected number should be five, and after hundred and thousand must come ten thousand. Prince E’s mother’s jade bracelet naturally carried this same significance—otherwise, how could Prince E, in his anger, have shattered his mother’s favorite jade bracelet and discarded it in the incense burner along with these two items? What suggestion had he received at this time, what had he been led to believe?”

By this point, even Xu Fenghan’s back was covered in sweat, and all the eunuchs and palace maids in the hall were trembling, understanding that the secrets they heard today would cost them their lives.

Empress Wang looked at Xu Fenghan and said softly: “You all withdraw first.”

“Yes!” Xu Fenghan felt as if granted amnesty and quickly bowed down the steps, leading all the palace servants out of the hall and closing all the doors.

Seeing that only the six of them remained in the tightly closed hall, Empress Wang slowly asked: “Huang Zihua, are you suggesting that someone framed Prince Kui, accusing him of having an improper relationship with Consort Chen?”

“Yes. Prince E and Prince Kui had always been the closest of brothers, making it difficult to sow discord between them. But because of this, if used well, it would be a fatal blow to Prince Kui, causing the greatest damage. The culprit plotted meticulously, knowing Prince E was sensitive and fragile, most attached to his mother, and didn’t hesitate to insult the departed Consort Chen, ultimately causing Prince E to make his desperate decision to take revenge on Prince Kui!” At this point, Huang Zihua also showed some agitation, her voice trembling slightly, “When Prince E jumped from Xiangluan Tower, in his testimony accusing Prince Kui, he used the phrase ‘defiling court principles.’ I only found it slightly strange at the time, but now thinking back… everything can be traced.”

“Absurd…” the Emperor’s voice was hoarse and dry, seeming dark and eerie due to his exhaustion, “In this world, who would dare insult an Imperial Consort? And who would dare… to do this to my Seventh Brother? Seventh Brother… has been intelligent and calm since childhood, always thinking thrice before acting, how could he be so deceived by others’ instigation?”

“Yes, Prince E loved his mother most dearly, and besides Your Majesty, he probably respected Prince Kui the most. As for why he would doubt the two people most important to him, I think it’s because of this,” Huang Zihua opened the porcelain box she had brought and presented it for everyone to see, “This thing, Sir Wang must be most familiar with.”

Inside the porcelain box were two half-rotted small fish, as thin as mosquitoes, extremely horrifying.

Looking at the fish corpses in the porcelain box, Wang Zongshi’s previously pale face now showed a tinge of resignation, finally displaying some vivid emotion: “Huang Zihua, I truly can’t help but admire you—even something this tiny, you managed to find it.”

“I discovered these in the mortuary after thoroughly washing the internal organs while dissecting the bodies of Zhang Xingying and his father, finally finding them in the glottis,” Huang Zihua said calmly. “Identical small fish, identical location, identical circumstances—before death, all victims underwent dramatic personality changes. Previously gentle and quiet people became extremely radical. Zhang Xingying pointed at me before his death, accusing me of being an accomplice to tyranny, claiming he needed to eliminate me for the world’s sake. After his son’s death, Zhang’s father climbed the city tower, spreading rumors to the capital’s citizens about Prince Kui’s treasonous plans. These circumstances—aren’t they identical to Prince E’s case?”

Empress Wang could hardly believe it. Though struggling to maintain composure, the ornaments in her hair trembled uncontrollably: “You mean Prince E was also like this, someone put a small fish inside his body?”

“Correct. It was because of the Agashne that Prince E, in his moment of madness, took his own life, yet before dying slandered everyone by claiming Prince Kui was responsible!”

Empress Wang coldly snorted and swept her sleeve: “Absurd! Prince E died by Prince Kui’s hand—everyone knows this. Before his death, Prince E personally declared Prince Kui killed him. Sir Wang and hundreds of Divine Strategy Army soldiers heard and saw it themselves. Now you claim he died by suicide—who would believe that?”

“This servant isn’t trying to overturn the case with mere words—I have evidence in my hands.” Huang Zihua took out an autopsy report from the chest, holding it up as she said, “After Prince E’s death, the Court of Judicial Review and Clan Court requested Zhou Ziqin to perform an autopsy. The case file has now been signed and archived with conclusive evidence. What I hold is a copy, which clearly states that Prince E’s chest wound angled down to the right—that is, from the examiner’s perspective, it angled down to the left. This means that if Prince E didn’t commit suicide, the killer could only have been left-handed.”

Empress Wang’s expression grew increasingly unsightly, and she remained silent.

“However, everyone at court knows that Prince Kui was ambushed several years ago while suppressing Pang Xun’s rebellion. His left hand can now only perform basic daily tasks—his dominant hand is his right. For something requiring full strength and precise angle like killing someone, how could his current left hand possibly accomplish that?”

Empress Wang was at a loss for words, could only sweep her sleeve in annoyance and sit down angrily, refusing to look at her.

Huang Zihua looked at Wang Zongshi and said: “As for the Agashne situation, Sir Wang is the true expert, and it was you who informed me of its secrets. I am untalented and inexperienced—please, Sir Wang, explain this matter to us in detail.”

Wang Zongshi gave a cold, indifferent laugh, initially intending to keep his mouth shut, but then heard Li Shu Bai say: “Please speak, Sir Wang.”

After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke reluctantly: “Miss Huang’s words are slightly inaccurate. Agashne eggs are as fine as dust; once swallowed, they attach to the throat and begin hatching. After hatching, the fish are extremely small and can enter the glottis to feed on blood, but they don’t live long, dying and decomposing inside the body. However, the young fish carry toxins, and after death, their mild poison can enter the brain through the bloodstream. The host then falls into a state of obsessive thoughts—if they already harbor doubts, these become all-consuming, leading to fanatical and extreme behavior until death.”

Huang Zihua nodded: “Making someone swallow the fish is difficult, but eggs as fine as dust are much simpler. Moreover, the fish need time to hatch in the human body, so Prince E must have been infected with the eggs before Prince Kui’s visit. At the same time, the culprit, impersonating the mad Consort Chen, left fingernail marks on her chamber table, implying that Consort Chen’s death was related to Prince Kui’s plot to seize the throne. Then, estimating that Prince E was already driven mad by that message and the Agashne poison, the culprit sent the dagger and lover’s knot. Thus, even though he was in seclusion during that period, they could still time the final suggestion perfectly!”

Empress Wang forced herself to remain calm, withdrawing her gaze from Wang Zongshi. She half-supported the Emperor, seeing his ashen face and increasingly cold body, and asked softly: “How do you feel, Your Majesty? Would you like to rest?”

The Emperor’s gaze was unfocused as he tightly gripped her hand, seeming to want to say something but unable to speak. His lips moved for a long while before he finally whispered: “No… I still want… to hear more.”

Li Shu Bai’s gaze slowly fell on the imperial couple, his voice characteristically cool: “Sir Wang, do you know that on the day the late Emperor passed away, I found an Agashne in the blood he coughed up?”

Wang Zongshi’s lips twitched as if showing a smile, and he deliberately tucked his hands into his sleeves, saying: “Yes, that Agashne remained by Your Highness’s side. But Your Highness’s method of keeping fish was incorrect—this old servant often secretly regretted that.”

Li Shu Bai ignored everything else and simply said: “When the late Emperor passed away, we princes were all kneeling outside, but Sir Wang, as the late Emperor’s close attendant, not only entered the hall but also gathered Buddhist monks and Daoist priests from various regions to the capital, and favored among them Master Shan Mo, who knew soul-capturing techniques, bringing him into the hall to pray for the late Emperor’s blessing, isn’t that right?”

Wang Zongshi nodded—these were the facts, and he didn’t avoid them.

“Zhang Xingying’s father entered the palace to treat the late Emperor, using acupuncture to gain his final moment of clarity. However, after Father Emperor regained consciousness, you didn’t allow any princes to enter for an audience, nor let court officials hear his last words—only you and Master Shan Mo were inside. What exactly happened then, under heaven, now only Sir Wang knows.”

Hearing him speak thus, Wang Zongshi raised the corner of his mouth, revealing a flat smile: “What else could there be? After the late Emperor awoke and learned it was Zhang Weiyi who revived him, he asked for paper and brush. This old servant thought he wanted to leave an imperial edict and brought yellow hemp paper, but who knew His Majesty would only scribble randomly on the paper, leaving three black ink marks before ascending to heaven. This old servant and Consort Chen speculated that the late Emperor wanted to bestow a painting on Zhang Weiyi, so we had it delivered. That painting should still be in Zhang Weiyi’s possession now.”

Listening to this, Huang Zihua spoke up: “Sir, are you certain that what His Majesty left behind was truly just a painting?”

“Three scribbles, incomprehensible—I looked at them then and couldn’t understand their meaning. But His Majesty indeed said to bestow them on Zhang Weiyi. At that time, Consort Chen, who had always attended to His Majesty’s daily needs, was also present, and it was she who ordered it delivered. After that, I never saw the painting again,” Wang Zongshi said coldly.

Huang Zihua looked directly at him and slowly asked: “Sir, do you believe that with white paper and black ink, it’s set in stone, that the truth hidden beneath those scribbles could never possibly resurface? Is that why you’re so certain?”

As she spoke these words, Li Shu Bai suddenly turned his head slightly, looking outside the hall, as if hearing something, but then, seeming uncertain, turned back.

Wang Yun had been ordered to watch him closely, but now, listening to Huang Zihua analyze the case, as the early sunlight filtered through the window lattice onto her, her dark blue clothes and black gauze hat made her skin appear jade-white and translucent in the sunlight. He became momentarily distracted, forgetting about Li Shu Bai, and focusing only on listening to Huang Zihua continue.

They heard Wang Zongshi raise his head indifferently and say: “What do you mean by truth hidden beneath scribbles? The facts are as they are—why should I say more?”

“However, Sir Wang, do you know that in foreign lands there are books that say juice from turnips mixed with opium and datura can peel away ink layer by layer? If this solution is applied to paper, it can remove the surface scribbles to reveal what’s underneath—” Huang Zihua bent down again to take out a scroll from the chest, unrolling it before Wang Zongshi, whose expression suddenly froze.

The characters on the yellow hemp paper were clear, and even the Emperor, who had been weakly leaning against Empress Wang, suddenly widened his eyes, his breathing becoming rapid.

The characters on the yellow hemp paper were divided into three sections, written by someone physically weak, their wrist trembling and drooping, making it somewhat disconnected. But despite the scrawled handwriting and weak strokes, one could still clearly see the three sections of content:

Long have I heard of Heaven’s Mandate, now I must return to it.

Prince Kui, whom I love and keep by my side, has wisdom like Taizong, I now entrust the state to him.

Wang Gui shall assist him long. By Imperial Decree.

Wang Zongshi’s expression changed dramatically, his cold arrogance instantly vanishing as he involuntarily stepped backward. Wang Yun, standing behind him, stared in shock at this old yellow hemp paper. He understood what the characters meant, but was too stunned to react.

Empress Wang suddenly stood up, then quickly knelt, half-supporting and half-embracing the Emperor. Her chest heaved violently, but she couldn’t utter a single word.

Huang Zihua walked to the front of the vermillion steps and presented the late Emperor’s handwriting to the Emperor, saying slowly: “Please allow this servant to guess what happened that night when the late Emperor passed away—Sir Wang went to great lengths to ensure Your Majesty’s ascension to the throne, preparing two approaches. One was the small redfish, the other was Master Shan Mo. Sir Wang had already fed the Agashne eggs to the late Emperor through his medicine, and estimating the hatching time, had Zhang Weiyi forcefully use acupuncture to revive the late Emperor who had been unconscious for days, and had Master Shan Mo guide the late Emperor to issue an edict passing the throne to Prince Yun. But unexpectedly, when the late Emperor coughed up blood severely, the small fish was expelled with the fresh blood, failing to take effect. And Master Shan Mo seemed to only be able to control Consort Chen’s mind, who was present at the time, after the edict was written, to prevent the secret from leaking—I wonder if this servant’s guess is correct?”

Within the Hall of Supreme Harmony, above and below the vermillion steps, death-like silence suddenly fell.

Both the Emperor and Wang Zongshi only gritted their teeth in silence, neither admitting nor denying.

Huang Zihua felt a wave of dizziness and weakness surge through her body. Such a momentous secret, now revealed by her words—she could almost see the moment when the executioner’s blade would fall upon her. Yet she took a deep breath and forced herself to continue: “However, the late Emperor’s edict, his last words, and the minister he entrusted with guardianship—in the end, none of them served their purpose. After the late Emperor’s passing, the edict was destroyed, the Imperial Consort who knew his last words was driven mad, the entrusted guardian Wang Guilang was killed, and Prince Kui’s throne was usurped. Now, Your Majesty offers a cup of poison, even seeking to strip Prince Kui of his right to exist in this world!”

The Emperor stared at the late Emperor’s aged handwriting, his facial muscles twitching. His bluish-purple complexion combined with the twitching skin made him appear terrifying. After looking for a long while, he closed his eyes again, leaning back on the couch behind him, letting out a low laugh: “Wang Zongshi, I told you long ago—just tear it up and burn it, who… would dare investigate where the late Emperor’s final writings went? Or set fire to that Zhang family’s house… burn this thing along with it, and be done with it all… but you insisted he might still be useful, refusing to act!”

“I cannot believe this… it’s impossible!” Wang Zongshi hissed in a low voice, “How could there possibly be such a method in this world that could peel apart two layers of ink and restore the writing underneath?!”

“Sir Wang, the world is vast and full of wonders—you placed too much faith in your knowledge,” Huang Zihua said, then sighed lightly. “But Consort Chen was truly pitiful. That night in the hall attending to the late Emperor, she must have learned of this matter, and so was placed under Master Shan Mo’s soul-capturing spell. First, she appeared to present the edict to Zhang Weiyi, then was driven mad, only regaining clarity for a brief moment to leave a warning for Prince E. Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect!”

“She regained consciousness?” Wang Zongshi’s face showed a bitter smile as he asked, “What did she do?”

Huang Zihua took a deep breath and slowly rolled up the yellow hemp paper in her hands, saying: “The Imperial Consort left Prince E a scribble, very similar to the altered edict—presumably, that must have been the deepest image in her mind before descending into madness. Though insane, she still believed Prince Kui would again vie for the throne because of the edict, so she warned Prince E to stay away from Prince Kui, fearing he would be drawn into this political struggle. Unexpectedly, Prince E took these words as his mother’s accusation against Prince Kui, and since he indeed had feelings for an older woman, this further fueled his suspicion and hatred toward Prince Kui. After falling into madness, he became obsessed with this single thought, ignoring all inconsistencies, remaining unenlightened until death.”

The Emperor glared at her, his throat making rasping sounds, but he couldn’t speak. Wang Zongshi gave a cold, indifferent laugh and asked: “At this point, Prince E has already passed away, and everything you’ve said is mere speculation. Now you bring out the late Emperor’s edict from over a decade ago—what do you intend to do? The world today is His Majesty’s world—could Prince Kui possibly think he could create any great waves?”

“Your subject brother has no demands, only that Your Majesty has been too guarded against me,” Li Shu Bai stood straight below the steps, looking up and speaking calmly. “Since your subject brother put down the rebellion in Xuzhou, Your Majesty has wanted to use me to check Sir Wang while fearing I might harbor other intentions, playing numerous strange tricks on me—it was truly unnecessary.”

The Emperor only laughed coldly, supporting himself on Empress Wang as he slowly sat down, leaning against the couch, remaining silent.

“It would have been fine if Your Majesty merely arranged people around your subject brother to monitor my movements, but why did you bestow that strange talisman, making your subject brother live in constant confusion and unease?”

The Emperor only coldly twitched the muscles at the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression that seemed both smiling and hateful: “I heard… that was Pang Xun’s evil spirit, seeking revenge on you?”

Li Shu Bai gazed at him, his voice deep and measured: “Your Majesty plotted meticulously, having people control this talisman around your subject brother—could it be that you intended for this moment, to make your subject brother appear as an evil ghost in everyone’s eyes, and manipulate Prince E’s accusation, to have us brothers kill each other?”

“No! I… didn’t want to kill you both.” The Emperor’s voice was dry, like the cracking sound of rotten tree roots being split, “Since childhood, the one I most admired and envied was you. Shu Bai… you were clever, lovable, receiving all of Father Emperor’s affection. I was thrown into the cramped Prince of Yun’s residence at ten, while you… even when you were grown, Father Emperor couldn’t bear to let you leave the palace. Every time I came to the palace and saw you sitting in Father Emperor’s arms after I returned, I would cry bitterly…”

His facial muscles twisted, his body curling up as if he were still a child about to burst into tears. Empress Wang gently stroked his back, calling softly: “Your Majesty, please don’t be too agitated, try to calm yourself…”

“But I finally became Emperor, firstly because I married a woman from the Wang family; secondly… secondly because I appeared weak and incompetent, much easier to control than you… isn’t that right, Sir Wang?” His gaze fixed directly on Wang Zongshi, his voice hoarse.

Wang Zongshi stood motionless, his jaw tight. After a long while, he finally bowed to him and said: “Your Majesty thinks too much.”

“Hmph…” He didn’t care, only mumbling, “Before Father Emperor died, he wanted to pass the throne to you, so after I ascended the throne, I should have killed you immediately… but did I? I didn’t! I just wanted to watch you rot away silently in Prince Kui’s residence for life, let Father Emperor’s spirit in heaven see how this child he had such high hopes for would kneel so pathetically before me, living out his life this way… haha…”

He laughed miserably, his breath failing, until finally, he couldn’t even make a sound, though his throat still made rasping noises.

Huang Zihua silently looked toward Li Shu Bai but saw him only pressing his lips together tightly, his gaze fixed on the Emperor above the steps, saying nothing.

“I still remember, during Pang Xun’s rebellion, when the military governors wouldn’t follow orders, you submitted a memorial requesting to go and coordinate for me. Fine… I wanted to see how you would coordinate those wolves, who end up dying miserably! I thought you would die inexplicably out there, but unexpectedly, you returned… Your days of glory began from then, and the Great Tang’s imperial family also began to show new prospects from that time. Even Wang Zongshi began to fear you, advising me to deal with you quickly… but I refused! I thought I had caught a rare opportunity, could sit back and watch the tigers fight, see you fight to the death, and I could simply observe and rule with folded hands…”

Wang Zongshi coldly looked at Li Shu Bai, remaining silent.

Empress Wang held the Emperor’s trembling arm, saying softly: “Your Majesty, please don’t be too agitated. Let me help you to the rear hall to rest…”

The Emperor tried to shake off her arm, but how could he with his lack of strength? He could only breathe weakly, wheezing and mumbling: “But I didn’t want to kill you… I used that talisman just to make you afraid, to make you fearful, hoping to have something to control you with… Fourth Brother… if you were like others, believing in fate, believing in ghosts and spirits, even seeking my help out of fear, wouldn’t everything have been fine?”

Li Shu Bai looked at the Emperor’s unfocused eyes that were fixed on him, slowly raised his hand in salute, and said: “Please forgive your subject brother, but in this life, I do not believe in ghosts and spirits.”

“You, and that Huang Zihua, you watched prophecy after prophecy come true, yet still wouldn’t believe…” The Emperor’s hand fell limply on the couch, struggling to make a fist but unable to bend his fingers due to exhaustion. He could only stare at them helplessly, his voice barely audible, “Fourth Brother, if you weren’t so stubborn… if you had willingly believed in fate, bowed your head… how would we have come to this point today?”

“Then what about Seventh Brother?” Li Shu Bai asked slowly, “Seventh Brother always showed great respect and love for Your Majesty—how did he interfere with Your Majesty’s plans? To deal with me, Your Majesty was willing to sacrifice even him?”

“I didn’t want to sacrifice him!” His voice trembled, wanting to shout but lacking the strength, only able to squeeze out broken words from his chest one by one, “It was he who repeatedly… begged me to abandon everything, to go to Wang Moxi’s Wheel Creek estate for secluded cultivation… How could I possibly agree? He… was a prince of the realm, even if he wanted to practice cultivation, it had to be… within his prince’s residence…”

“This old servant persuaded His Majesty to grant Prince E’s request,” seeing the Emperor truly had no strength to continue, Wang Zongshi spoke calmly, “At that time, His Majesty was unwell, worrying about how to deal with Prince Kui. Two assassination attempts in Shu failed, even costing the life of Princess Qile. You, Prince Kui, had become quite troublesome for us. So we estimated the time before your return to the capital, fed Prince E the fish eggs, and arranged various schemes, finally succeeding in getting Prince E to agree to expose your crimes before the world. It was truly not easy.”

With these words, everything had been laid bare. Li Shu Bai let out a long breath, watching the sunlight slant through the carved window lattice, creating stark contrasts between the dark and bright areas of the hall.

They stood in the thin sunlight, while the Emperor and Empress sat in the darkest place. In the palace lamps throughout the hall, the candles had burned out one after another, leaving no trace of light upon them, making their faces appear blurred.