Before long, the Palace Front Bureau’s guards brought the two maidservants from Mingyin Temple before them.

Cheng Chang asked, “According to what you two have said, the late Crown Prince’s sudden death from illness was caused by his having learned that Prince Yun had privately diverted grain stores meant for the northern frontier — is that correct?”

Many attendants from the Eastern Palace had been imprisoned at Mingyin Temple back then, and most had either died or gone mad. That these two had remained clear-headed after years of confinement showed they were exceptionally sharp-witted.

The Crown Prince Cheng Yang had clearly been poisoned by Prince Yun back then, yet the Third Young Master’s questioning deliberately omitted any mention of the poisoning — a sign that he had no wish to expose the imperial family’s darkest secret before the throne, nor to embarrass Emperor Zhaoyuan. The two women immediately grasped Cheng Chang’s intent, and likewise omitted the matter of the poisoning, saying only, “Reporting to Your Majesty, reporting to the Third Young Master — before the late Crown Prince passed away, we two were attending him. At the time, His Highness Prince Yun came to deliver medicine to the late Crown Prince, and we withdrew outside the hall. We did indeed hear the late Crown Prince angrily rebuke Prince Yun over his diversion of the Marquis Zhongyong’s stockpiled grain.”

At these words, the whole hall erupted into an uproar.

Prince Yun said urgently, “Father, these—these two must be in league with Mingying, conspiring together to frame me—”

The Vice Minister of Personnel, who had earlier spoken in Prince Yun’s defense, added, “Your Majesty, though these two once served at the late Crown Prince’s side, they’ve been imprisoned for years. Who’s to say they aren’t simply saying whatever it takes to secure their release? The Third Young Master met with them privately just yesterday — who can prove there was no collusion between them?”

Cheng Chang said, “Your Majesty, I was not the only one who saw these two maidservants yesterday. When I questioned them, Lord Wei of the Imperial City Bureau and Commandant Yun of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household were both present, and both can confirm that what these two have said is true. They are both waiting in the side hall at this moment — Your Majesty may summon them to the throne room to confront these witnesses directly.”

Emperor Zhaoyuan gave a nod.

Before long, Wei Jie and Yun Xi were led into the hall by palace attendants.

Though Wei Jie held a fairly senior rank, he, like Xuan Zhi, served as a commander of the imperial guard, and aside from handling private matters for Emperor Zhaoyuan, his duties were mainly to guard the palace. A court session like this one was more than enough even once a month, as far as he was concerned.

Wei Jie had been thoroughly unwilling to get dragged into this whole affair, but having already been thoroughly used by Cheng Chang this time, when Emperor Zhaoyuan questioned him, he had no choice but to answer honestly alongside Yun Xi.

The Vice Minister of Personnel, listening to this, found he had no way to refute it. Having failed with one tactic, he tried another, saying mockingly, “Very well — even supposing these two maidservants speak the truth, when Prince Yun went to Huaibei for disaster relief, the government grain he requisitioned may have accidentally become mixed up with stockpiled grain. Commandant Yun, as the Marquis Zhongyong’s own daughter, surely you must have had doubts about your father’s death after his passing. Six years ago, when the entire court questioned whether the Marquis had ‘recklessly overreached for glory,’ you never once came forward to plead his innocence. Now, six years later, you suddenly step forward claiming your father the Marquis was wronged — how can you expect anyone, let alone His Majesty, to believe you?”

This was, in truth, something of a desperate last resort on his part. Unable to out-argue the Third Young Master in the face of hard evidence, and seeing that Yun Xi was but a lone woman, he assumed she’d be an easy target. The injustice the Third Young Master had described concerned the Marquis Zhongyong — if Yun Xi, the Marquis’s own daughter, faltered before the throne and backed down first, then this whole troublesome case could be quietly put to rest.

The moment the Vice Minister of Personnel said this, several officials in the hall grew indignant and spoke up in Yun Xi’s defense. “Lord Yue, that’s absurd. When the Marquis Zhongyong died in battle, Commandant Yun was nothing but a young girl. Expecting a young girl to march into the imperial palace and plead her father’s innocence is asking far too much!”

“Exactly — and besides, General Xuanwei was still alive at the time. The head of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household was not Commandant Yun!”

Yun Xi said, “Lord Yue insists again and again that I never sought justice for my father back then. But does he know that after my father’s death, my brother Yun Luo and I submitted several petitions requesting a thorough investigation into the cause of his death? Yet the moment those petitions reached the Privy Council and the Court of Judicial Review, they simply vanished without a trace.”

“The Privy Council later gave an explanation, claiming my father had sent an urgent request for reinforcements and grain, but the courier was delayed en route, leading my father to act rashly and deploy troops prematurely. As for exactly when my father requested the grain, how long the courier was delayed, and where the grain ultimately ended up — every one of these details remained vague and unclear.”

“Lord Yue says I never sought justice — then I ask you, how was I supposed to seek it? My father, a third-rank Marquis, spent his entire life defending our nation, and in the end died wrongfully on the frontier. Yet the court not only refused to clear his name, it wouldn’t even accept our petition, wouldn’t even open a formal case. I ask you, was there any path to justice open to me at all?”

Yun Xi looked at the Vice Minister of Personnel and took a step forward. “Perhaps Lord Yue can tell me — when a general dies wrongfully on the frontier, and the Court of Judicial Review and the Privy Council, fearing the consequences to themselves, shield one another from blame, where exactly was I supposed to go to seek justice?”

Though the Court of Judicial Review had its own chief minister, it was currently under Prince Yun’s oversight, and the head of the Privy Council was none other than Yao Hangshan.

What Yun Xi was saying, without question, was that Prince Yun and Yao Hangshan had colluded for their own gain.

“Your Majesty—” Yao Hangshan fell to his knees, weeping. “This old servant has devoted his entire life to the nation, working tirelessly without a shred of self-interest! Commandant Yun and the Third Young Master are slandering this old servant!”

“Your Majesty.” Yun Xi cupped her hands and bowed to Emperor Zhaoyuan.

In the small courtyard at the foot of Mingyin Temple, Cheng Chang had once asked her, “A’Ting, do you trust me?”

He had said, “I won’t let Prince Yun become Crown Prince.”

“Whatever injustice has been done to the Marquis Zhongyong’s household, I will win it back for you.”

At the time, she had wanted to tell him — yes, she trusted him completely.

Even knowing that to win back her father’s good name, she would have to stand directly against an emperor’s favoritism toward his own son, that she would have to defy the full weight of imperial authority — he had told her that heroes who gave their lives for their country deserved monuments raised in their honor, deserved to be remembered by generations to come.

Yes — that was exactly how it should be. What did she have to fear?

With his words behind her, she had found her footing. Even if this hall held nothing but mountains of blades and seas of fire, she would not be afraid to walk through it.

Yun Xi steadied her breath. “Your Majesty, after my father the Marquis Zhongyong died, my brother Yun Luo and I submitted petitions to both the Privy Council and the Court of Judicial Review. I still have those petitions to this day, and I still have the Privy Council’s reply as well. If Your Majesty does not believe what I say, I can return home this instant and bring them before the throne, so Your Majesty may see for yourself just how carelessly the Privy Council handled the matter back then.”

“In the northern frontier campaign, over ten thousand soldiers died in battle — but not all of them. Now that my father’s former troops are returning to the capital, we need only ask one of them when my father requested the grain reinforcements, and why. If one witness isn’t enough, then find three, find ten. Or, if it comes to it, I will personally travel to the northern frontier — I would even bring the very enemy tribesmen from that campaign before this throne to testify, if that is what it takes.”

“My father defended our nation, spent his life far from home, and died for his country. My brother Yun Luo also gave his life fighting the enemy. I ask for no wealth, no favor, no special consideration from this court. I ask only that the Yun family’s good name, clean and unblemished for a hundred years, true to the very meaning of loyalty and valor, be restored. I beg Your Majesty, give the Yun family, give the Marquis Zhongyong’s household, the justice it is owed!”

Yun Xi’s words rang out with unmistakable conviction. When she finished speaking, every official in the hall was moved, and one by one they lifted their robes and knelt, calling out in unison, “We beg Your Majesty, give the Yun family, give the Marquis Zhongyong’s household, justice—”

“Father, back then I—”

“What more do you have to say?! Kneel!” Ever since Cheng Chang had brought the two witnesses from Mingyin Temple before the throne, Emperor Zhaoyuan had already read the sentiment of his officials clearly. Throughout his life, he had valued his reputation above all else. What had happened back then had, in truth, been Fang’er’s own wrongdoing — and now that matters had come to this, there was nothing to do but let things run their course.

Prince Yun knelt as instructed, bowing his head to the ground once, and said sorrowfully, “Father, even if the grain I gathered for disaster relief truly did become mixed with stockpiled grain meant for the northern frontier, I swear I knew nothing of it. I oversaw the relief efforts strictly according to protocol, and there were no irregularities during that time. Or perhaps, perhaps…”

He thought for a moment, and hit upon a scheme, determined to shift the blame elsewhere. “Perhaps one of my subordinates mishandled something, secretly diverting the Marquis Zhongyong’s stockpiled grain without my knowledge, concealing it from me entirely. As Mingying himself pointed out, the government grain used for disaster relief and the stockpiled grain sent to the frontier should have been recorded as separate figures in the Ministry of Finance’s registers. And it was Third Brother who oversaw the Ministry of Finance that year. Third Brother’s intelligence and insight far exceed my own — if even he failed to catch the discrepancy, how could I possibly have known?”

Prince Ling, who had been standing silently to the lower right the entire time, was startled by this. He cupped his hands toward Emperor Zhaoyuan and explained, “Father, that year I had only just taken over the Ministry of Finance. Huaibei was suffering a severe drought, and the northern frontier campaign dragged on without end — every side needed funds and grain. The Ministry’s accounts did show some discrepancy from previous years, but since the gap wasn’t especially large, I judged it reasonable at the time and didn’t carefully compare it against past records. This was my own oversight. After today’s session, I will follow the method Mingying proposed and carefully compare the figures, calculating the average output from each region, so as to give Fourth Brother, and the Marquis Zhongyong’s household, the truth they deserve.”

Emperor Zhaoyuan gave a cold laugh. “It’s precisely because of your negligence back then that such a disaster occurred in the first place. Only now, after all this time, do you think to make amends — far too late!”

Prince Ling bowed his head. “This son was at fault. I beg Father’s forgiveness.”

Emperor Zhaoyuan ignored him and turned instead to Cheng Chang. “Chang’er, I am placing this case entirely in your hands to investigate thoroughly.”

The very reason Cheng Chang had brought this entire matter before the throne today was to obtain Emperor Zhaoyuan’s explicit order for a full investigation into the Marquis Zhongyong’s wrongful conviction. Now that Emperor Zhaoyuan had granted it, he naturally accepted at once.

Emperor Zhaoyuan understood perfectly well what had truly happened with the Huaibei relief effort back then.

Fang’er had merely sent men to hunt down and kill Chang’er a few times, that was all — and judging by how Chang’er looked now, he hadn’t even come away with so much as a scratch. And yet here he was, holding a grudge so fiercely that he’d not only made it impossible for Fang’er to become Crown Prince now, but had also used the Marquis Zhongyong’s case to turn the hearts of the entire court against him, making it exceedingly unlikely he’d ever have another shot at the crown prince’s seat in the future.

He wondered — when exactly had this nephew of his grown so formidable?

Surely it wasn’t simply because Fang’er had pushed him too far? He didn’t believe that for a moment.

Emperor Zhaoyuan studied Cheng Chang intently, as though seeing him truly for the first time. Then, suddenly, he smiled and said, “Chang’er has changed a great deal this past year. He’s grown up, become more sensible, and is willing to share my burdens now. Ministry of Rites.”

The Minister of Rites stepped forward. “Present, Your Majesty.”

“Go back and begin preparations. In three days’ time, Chang’er will be formally elevated to Heir Apparent of the princedom.”

“This official receives the decree.” The Minister of Rites bowed toward the throne, then cupped his hands toward Cheng Chang. “Congratulations, Your Highness.”

Emperor Zhaoyuan continued, “Now that he’s been named Heir Apparent, a suitable match for his princess consort must also be settled soon.” He paused, then said suddenly, “At your great-grandmother’s birthday banquet last time, she asked me to arrange a match for you — to have me announce the betrothal before the entire court, here in this very hall. Wasn’t it… the Yu family of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices?”

“Your Majesty.” The moment Cheng Chang heard this, he immediately cupped his hands and said, “This matter I already addressed at Great-Grandmother’s birthday banquet. I am unwilling—”

“Mingying!” Before he could finish, Prince Cong cut him off sharply. “You must not speak back to your imperial uncle!”

He was about to apologize to Emperor Zhaoyuan on Cheng Chang’s behalf, but the Emperor waved a hand and said mildly, “Court has only just resumed, and there’s a great deal of state business to attend to. Bringing up the matter of his betrothal today was somewhat premature. Ministry of Rites.”

“Present.”

“The two of you may prepare together at a later time. Once the second month arrives, choose an auspicious day, and I will draft the decree then.”

“Understood.”

Emperor Zhaoyuan’s gaze then settled on Yun Xi, who stood lost in thought. He called out, “Commandant Yun.”

Yun Xi came back to herself and cupped her hands. “Present, Your Majesty.”

“Over these past several months, you have achieved one extraordinary feat after another, and on several occasions saved Chang’er from mortal danger. I have long wished to reward you properly. However, it has been too short a time since your promotion to Commandant for another promotion so soon to seem anything but hasty. As it happens, the new year has just begun, and there is unrest in the Lingnan region. I recall your brother Yun Luo once helped quell disturbances in that very area. Very well then — Privy Council, Ministry of War.”

The Minister of War and the head of the Privy Council stepped forward. “Your Majesty.”

“I hereby promote the Yun family’s daughter of the Marquis Zhongyong’s household to the fifth rank of Garrison Commander. The moment the Marquis Zhongyong’s former troops arrive in Jinling, she is to proceed at once to Lingnan to suppress the unrest there.”

He asked, “General Yun, when will the Marquis Zhongyong’s former troops arrive?”

Yun Xi said, “Reporting to Your Majesty, at the start of the second month.”

“The second month, then.” Emperor Zhaoyuan considered the date briefly. “Very well. Once you’ve assembled sufficient troops, you shall set out in the second month.”