Hao Yue smiled faintly.
The Emperor glanced at her. “What are you smiling at? The fact that a woman managed to accomplish so much — even if I have no particular fondness for her, that deserves recognition.”
“This consort would never disagree with what Your Majesty has said.” Hao Yue lifted her cup and stirred idly at the lid in slow circles. “This consort simply wonders whether this matter might not be so simple. Think about it, Your Majesty — the moment it happened, everyone, including yourself, immediately found the princes suspect. ‘Suspect’ is even putting it kindly; some have already made up their minds. If it truly was one of the princes who ordered the attack, would he not have anticipated this outcome?” Hao Yue paused. “This consort finds the whole business rather suspicious.”
A contemplative look crossed the Emperor’s face. After a moment he asked, “You think this could be a scheme of Hua Zhi’s — a performance staged to eliminate obstacles for Sixth Prince?”
“Does Your Majesty think it entirely impossible?”
The Emperor gave a slight shake of his head. “Were she in good health, such reasoning might hold. But her body can no longer withstand these things. Imperial Physician Liu said that if she does not recuperate properly, it will shorten her years. No one disregards their own life — even to aid Sixth Prince, she would not stake her life on it. She must stay alive for her contributions to be remembered.”
Seeing this avenue blocked, Hao Yue promptly conceded, “Your Majesty is right. This consort was being short-sighted.”
“Your suspicion had its logic, though you are confined to the palace and unaware of the inner workings — that is understandable.” The Emperor rose and began to pace. “The implication is too obvious — which makes it look like a fabrication.”
“Is there talk outside that the mastermind is the Fourth Prince?”
“You’ve heard about that as well?”
Hao Yue curved her lips. “This consort guessed. The Empress’s position remains vacant, and the highest-ranking consort in the harem is Noble Consort Xu. In some people’s eyes, the Fourth Prince is the most favorably positioned candidate — making him the most obvious target for blame.”
The Emperor looked over at her. “You think it isn’t him?”
“This consort would not dare speak so carelessly — can’t this consort at least venture a guess?”
The Emperor pointed a finger lazily in her direction, then turned and headed out.
“This consort respectfully sees His Majesty off.”
The chamber fell silent. Hao Yue’s smile slowly faded. She sat thinking about the effect her words might have. Sometimes being the obvious target was useful — was there not a saying that the most dangerous place is also the safest? Everyone says it’s him, yet it may not be; once everyone starts to doubt it’s him, it may truly be him after all.
Leaving the Ruilan Chamber, the Emperor gave his order: “Look into the movements of the Third, the Fourth, and the Fifth.”
“Yes.”
The rumors spread further and wider. When Hua Zhi received word that the Fourth Prince had been nearly universally condemned as the culprit, she knew trouble had come. The ones muddying the waters were not only her — there were others doing the same.
“It is your servant’s failure.” Chen Qing came in and dropped to his knees at once.
“I am not Yanxi — you need not kneel to me. Rise.” Hua Zhi did not look up at him, wiping the blade of her dagger stroke by stroke. “Has the first expendable pawn been caught?”
“Yes, he has been apprehended.”
“The second — are you locked onto him?”
“Yes.”
“Very good. Release the information — say the perpetrator has confessed, and expose the first pawn to the public.”
Chen Qing acknowledged the order, then hesitated before asking, “Shall we direct suspicion toward the Fourth Prince?”
“No need. We know well enough what actually happened — and so does the Fourth Prince. We have people in our hands. Even if the entire world declared the Fourth Prince innocent, he would know he is not. One hour from now, regardless of whether the Fourth Prince has made any move, release word that the assailant has named the Third Prince as the mastermind.”
“You wish to drag the Third Prince into this muddy water as well?”
Hua Zhi gazed at the dagger — plain and unassuming, showing not a hint of its edge — and said calmly, “I am no more than a commoner. Princes ought to fight with princes. The Third Prince may not be entirely innocent in this matter.”
“Yes — your servant understands what to do.”
Hua Zhi’s energy was not strong. Even though the injury itself was not severe, she had lost considerable blood, and drowsiness would come over her from time to time. She slept through most of the day.
At the back of the household, she did not know how her grandmother had managed to settle things — apart from her mother and Fourth Aunt, who had come by once, everyone else was going about their business as calmly as ever. She suspected her grandmother had not disclosed the full extent of her injury to the others.
This was for the best. It was not that she looked down on them — it was simply that in this era, women’s most formidable weapon was their tears. The mere thought of being surrounded by a room full of weeping women made her break out in a cold sweat.
Turning this and that over in her mind, Hua Zhi drifted off to sleep again.
The capital had grown warmer over the past two days, and the rumors rose in temperature alongside it. People gathered in groups of three and five, discussing the latest developments with barely concealed excitement.
Imperial family affairs had always been lofty and remote. Though it was no secret that the princes were at odds, they had never been exposed so openly before — not like this, with the Third and Fourth Princes so conspicuously on display.
“Latest news — those two have already brought their quarrel before the throne.” A man strode quickly into the Yunlai Tavern and found his companions’ table, sitting down without paying attention to how many heads had turned at his words.
“Truly? Is your information reliable?”
“Of course. There was a full court assembly today, and the two princes’ dispute brought His Majesty to great fury. By all accounts, both of them were punished. Just wait — it’ll spread soon enough.”
“Now that really is something. I wonder which side His Majesty favors.”
“…”
In a private room on the second floor, Shen Qi shut the door. Having lived through so much, his youthful face now carried a seasoned composure that had not been there before.
Jiang Huanran could not resist needling him. “If you want to know how the young miss is doing, just send a calling card and pay a visit — how many of these rumors are actually reliable anyway?”
Shen Qi paid him no mind and said composedly, “I will be sitting for the Locked Hall Examination this April.”
Besides Jiang Huanran, there were four others in the private room. Their families stood on comparable ground to the Shen family and shared close ties with the Shens — even the Jiang family among them. Previously, Jiang Huanran and Shen Qi had not been particularly close; as eldest grandson versus youngest son, the paths they walked were simply different. It was only later, when both had set their hearts on the same young woman, that they found themselves drawing strangely near to each other.
Even so, hearing his decision now left them startled. After all, he had barely reached adulthood.
The others exchanged glances. The young lord from the Chu family asked, “Isn’t it a bit early?”
“The young miss is barely sixteen, and both the Salt Administration and the Transport Bureau came from her hands. We are already several years her senior — what do we have to show for it?” Shen Qi drank a sip of tea. “This is a decision I have made with careful deliberation.”
“Who wants to compete with her.” The young lord from the Zheng family muttered in resignation, then dragged his stool closer to Shen Qi. “Were you inspired by her?”
Shen Qi was silent for a moment. “Some days ago I accompanied my grandfather in a game of chess. He spoke of the current state of affairs at court, and what left the deepest impression was what he said about a dearth of talent. The military is afflicted with it; the civil administration likewise.”
“It’s not as though any position stands vacant right now…”
“Would you please hold your tongue.” Young Lord Chu cut him off. “What Shen Qi means is people who can actually accomplish things.”
Shen Qi smiled faintly. “Military men who cannot fight, civil officials who cannot govern — is that not what a dearth of talent looks like? Since I have ambitions in public life, if I don’t enter the current to be tempered early, by the time capable people are needed, I too will be among the incapable.”
He was the eldest grandson whom his grandfather had placed great hope in — the disciple his teacher had cultivated with care. He could not even afford the luxury of mediocrity. And besides — if he were capable enough, perhaps when the young miss needed to accomplish something in the future, he would be in a position to help.