Miraculous Doctor Yu hurried over carrying his medicine chest, his robes still stained with medicinal residue. After giving a hasty bow, he immediately went to examine the patient.
Gu Yanxi turned to Lai Fu, "Take good care of him."
"Yes."
The Emperor felt somewhat troubled and waved him off, "Very well, attend to your duties."
Members of the Seven Constellation Bureau were already waiting outside to report. Gu Yanxi strode out, but just as he reached the doorway, Gu Cheng'an suddenly called out a name from behind, "Yiqiu!"
Gu Yanxi immediately turned back.
"Yiqiu, it might be her!" Gu Cheng'an scrambled to his feet. "That's right, it's her. I remember now—when my subordinates were reporting about Yinshan Pass, Yiqiu happened to be there. Let me think, let me think."
Gu Cheng'an paced back and forth several times. "Yes, she mentioned she had a sable fur coat that was both beautiful and warm, sourced from that region. But she had grown taller and it was already a bit short on her, so she asked me to find her another one. I agreed without giving it much thought. Later, when I had people look into it, I found out how expensive those things were."
Gu Yanxi had already walked back and did not interrupt him.
"Not long after, she came to me and said she had learned sable fur was both expensive and hard to come by, so she told me not to bother. She said she would have someone buy it beyond the pass. I asked her about the price outside the pass then. Yes, that was when I first learned how much profit could be made selling goods from beyond the pass to the Central Plains. Afterward, I had people investigate and discovered there was a black market at Yinshan Pass specifically trading goods from inside and outside the pass. That was when I started having those ideas. Yes, it all began from that time!"
Third Princess Gu Yiqiu!
The Emperor laughed in anger, "Good, very good. First, it was my consort, and now it's my princess. Should I start wondering if this daughter is even of my bloodline?"
Gu Yanxi turned and ordered, "Investigate whether the Emperor has ever gifted a sable fur coat to the Third Princess."
"Yes."
Movements within the palace could not be hidden from those who paid attention, and Gu Yanxi had no intention of concealing them now. "I request Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering everyone in the palace to return to their posts and refrain from moving about."
"Granted."
Gu Yanxi summoned Chen Qing, "Close the palace gates and secure the Third Princess's Moonlight Palace. Lai Fu, have your subordinates cooperate with the Seven Constellation Bureau to investigate the personnel of every palace. Determine the whereabouts of anyone missing or unaccounted for."
"Yes."
"Order the Three Constellations to interrogate Tong Yi rigorously. Do not let her die."
"Yes."
Gu Yanxi lifted the hem of his robe and knelt before the Emperor. "Your subject wishes to reopen the case of the Crown Prince. I seek Your Majesty's permission."
The Emperor's expression was unreadable. "Are you suggesting that the Chao Li Tribe was also behind the Crown Prince's affair?"
"I cannot be certain without investigation."
The Emperor gritted his teeth as he uttered, "Granted." He dared not imagine how many years the Chao Li Tribe had been scheming, gradually replacing his officials and encroaching upon his inner circle. Would it only take three to five more years for everyone around him to be replaced by the Chao Li Tribe?
No, it wouldn't even take that long. Perhaps in just another year or two, the empire would change its name and dynasty.
Gu Yanxi went to the Palace of Blessings and Longevity. Yu Xiang hurriedly dismissed everyone and personally guarded the entrance.
Removing his mask, Gu Yanxi knelt and bowed deeply. "Your grandson pays respects to his grandmother."
The Empress Dowager sighed softly and personally helped him up. Seeing him travel-worn and weary, her heart ached with helplessness. The most arduous tasks in the entire realm fell upon this grandson of hers, yet among the imperial family, there was no one who could assist him. Not only was there no help, but they even added to his troubles.
"You must take care of yourself."Gu Yanxi helped the elderly woman sit down, offering a faint smile but unable to speak. The physical exhaustion paled in comparison to the weariness in his heart.
The Empress Dowager patted his cheek affectionately, just as she had when he was a child. "What does this old woman need to do for you?"
Gu Yanxi shook his head. "I just came here to catch my breath."
"This old woman can't be bothered to inquire about what they've been up to, but you can't avoid it even if you want to." The Empress Dowager shook her head with resignation. The Emperor even distrusted an old woman like her, so she couldn't be bothered to worry about such matters. Her only concern was whether this uncle and nephew could maintain their bond until the end.
"Please don't go anywhere. Only keep Yu Xiang by your side—don't allow anyone else near you. I've stationed several guards in secret to protect you. No matter what happens outside, pay it no mind."
The Empress Dowager immediately furrowed her brow. "Has someone grown impatient and plans to rebel?"
"There are people from the Chao Li Tribe who have infiltrated the palace."
Meeting his grandmother's suddenly widened eyes, Gu Yanxi smiled bitterly. It had been so many years since his grandmother had last shown such loss of composure.
"The recently favored Tong Yi is from the Chao Li Tribe. Now Yi Qiu is also under suspicion. We don't yet know about others around them. I need to thoroughly investigate the people in your Palace of Blessings and Longevity. For now, only trust wet nurse Yu Xiang."
"This old woman understands." The Empress Dowager took a deep breath. "Go attend to your duties with peace of mind. I won't cause you any trouble."
With numerous matters outside requiring his decisions, Gu Yanxi couldn't stay long. Still, he personally inspected every corner of the Palace of Blessings and Longevity before departing.
"There's never a moment of peace." Supported by Yu Xiang, the Empress Dowager walked to the palace entrance and looked up at the rolling dark clouds. "Before I die, I must leave a final wish—don't bury me with the late Emperor. Bury me anywhere else."
"The Heir would be so sad to hear you say that."
"He would be sad, but he would grant my wish. I can't remember how long it's been since I last left the palace gates. Day after day looking at this patch of sky above, I've almost started to believe the world is only this big." The Empress Dowager stepped over the threshold and stood beneath the corridor. A gust of wind blew, making her robes flutter. In that hazy moment, she seemed to see her younger self with twin buns, happily going out for a spring outing during the Cold Food Festival.
So many years had passed!
Wan Niang, who was younger than her, had already died, while she remained in this confined space, living a tasteless existence.
"Your Majesty, the wind is picking up."
"Yes, the wind is picking up." But when had the wind ever truly stopped? It was merely the difference between strong winds and gentle breezes.
Gu Yanxi went to the Moon Palace. Along the way, imperial guards were visible everywhere. The magnificence of carved balustrades and jade inlays couldn't conceal the tense and fearful atmosphere.
Chen Qing hurriedly caught up from behind. "Chief, the Emperor never gifted the third princess with a sable cloak. I investigated the third princess's mother, Consort Zheng. Her background checks out—there are records documenting everything from her pregnancy with the third princess to the birth. She's undoubtedly of royal bloodline."
Gu Yanxi wasn't surprised. Consort Zheng enjoyed moderate favor in the rear palace and only had one princess to rely on. Her maternal family, the Zhengs, had always been well-behaved, far from possessing the ambition of the Tong family. With no internal secrets or external motives, there was no reason for her to commit acts that would bring about the destruction of her clan.
As for the third princess, she was a princess of the nation—how noble her status was. If the Chao Li Tribe were to replace the Gu family as rulers of the central plains, she would be among the first to suffer. Moreover, she was to be married by year's end to a talented young man, with a bright future ahead of her. What could she possibly gain from such actions?"Has the personnel of Mingyue Hall been vetted?"
"They're already investigating."
Gu Yanxi nodded, glanced up at the prominently hung plaque, and stepped inside.
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