The carved wooden door creaked open, and sunlight poured into the hall through the open doorway and tall latticed windows. Wispy incense smoke rose lazily from the Boshan censer, drifting leisurely through the air.
Princess Qi Zhu, dressed in an elaborate dark blue palace gown, stepped into the small Buddhist chapel set up in her mother's quarters.
Her hair was piled high in an elaborate coiffure adorned with jeweled hairpins, her upturned eyes alluring yet faintly arrogant. Her crimson lips were striking, and a pale blue gauze shawl draped gracefully around her slender waist and arms. Every movement she made exuded charm and elegance.
The most opulent peony of Great Yin, she truly lived up to the title of "a beauty that puts flowers to shame."
At the center of the chapel stood a foot-tall white jade Guanyin statue. Judging by its warm, lustrous sheen, it had been meticulously carved from a single piece of premium mutton-fat jade—undoubtedly priceless.
Qi Zhu gazed at the beautiful woman kneeling on a cushion with her back turned, clad in sandalwood-colored monastic robes, and spoke haughtily, "Mother summoned me. For what purpose?"
An Taifei continued silently reciting Buddhist scriptures, her fingers moving over the prayer beads strung alternately with white jade and jadeite, offering no reply.
The chapel was filled with the heavy, ancient scent of Great Treasury Incense—a fragrance Qi Zhu disliked.
Seeing that her mother had called her here only to leave her standing idly by, Qi Zhu frowned. Usually, her mother treated her this way only when she had done something wrong.
Thinking of the matter she had recently been investigating at Gongsun Yin's request, her clasped hands tightened slightly. But her pride as a princess quickly masked that flicker of unease.
An Taifei finally finished reciting the scripture, rose, and lit a stick of incense before the Guanyin statue before speaking unhurriedly, "What have you been occupied with lately?"
Qi Zhu maintained her composure. "Learning the qin under Qin Shangyi of the Directorate of Music. In my spare time, I’ve also copied some Buddhist scriptures for you."
An Taifei settled onto a reclining chair, the circle of alternating jade and white jade beads in her hand. She lifted her eyelids slightly, her gaze sweeping over her daughter. "Is that all?"
Mother and daughter shared about half their features in common, but their alluring eyes were identical—though time had etched fine wrinkles at the corners of An Taifei's.
Qi Zhu had been spoiled since childhood and had always been strong-willed. She met her mother's gaze. "If you don’t believe me, Mother, why bother asking?"
Hearing her daughter's fiery retort, An Taifei's brow furrowed slightly, and she shook her head with a faint sigh.
She asked, "Why have people from your palace been frequently visiting the Cold Palace lately?"
Qi Zhu's eyelashes fluttered nervously—a telltale sign of guilt—but she stubbornly insisted, "I—I have dozens of maids and eunuchs in my palace. How could I possibly know what they do in private?"
An Taifei's expression darkened completely. "Zhu'er!" she called sharply.
Even the willful Qi Zhu felt a pang of fear when her mother was truly angry. Yet she dared not confess her collaboration with Xie Zheng.
An Taifei was aware that the emperor had arranged a marriage between her and Xie Zheng. But Xie Zheng hadn’t even allowed the decree to be read—he had sliced off one of the eunuch's ears in defiance. Such arrogance was beyond measure.
Though few knew of the incident, Xie Zheng's refusal to obey the imperial decree and his contempt for imperial authority had not only humiliated Qi Sheng but also Qi Zhu herself. An Taifei harbored strong disapproval of Xie Zheng.
Secretly, Qi Zhu was delighted. She had been the one to discreetly pass the news to Xie Zheng in the first place. But fearing her mother's reprimand for meddling in court affairs, she had kept silent.Facing An Taifei, who was visibly suppressing her anger, Qi Zhu carefully weighed her words before speaking: "Someone from my palace happened to discover a former palace maid from Jia Guitaifei's quarters in the Cold Palace. Taking pity on her madness, they offered assistance once or twice, only to hear an astonishing revelation from that deranged woman."
An Taifei's fingers, which had been moving her prayer beads, froze at the mention of a surviving maid from Jia Guitaifei's palace in the Cold Palace, her expression shifting unnaturally.
Qi Zhu cautiously observed her mother's reaction before continuing: "That madwoman claimed that Chancellor Wei Yan once... once defiled the imperial harem, engaging in illicit relations with imperial consorts..."
With a sharp snap, the prayer beads in An Taifei's hands broke apart, scattering pale jade beads across the floor.
"Who else knows of this?"
An Taifei stood abruptly, her voice sharp as she interrogated Qi Zhu, her face twisted with unprecedented severity.
Startled by her mother's rare outburst, Qi Zhu quickly calculated her response: "The matter is far too grave. That maid might simply be spouting nonsense in her madness, and she didn't specify which of Father's consorts was involved with Chancellor Wei. How could I dare speak of this recklessly to others?"
Only then did An Taifei sink back into her chaise lounge, exhaustion evident as she said, "Let this matter rest. Do not pursue it further, and pretend you never heard those mad ramblings."
Qi Zhu found her mother's reaction peculiar and pressed further: "Why? If Wei Yan truly dared commit such treason, this crime alone would warrant exterminating his entire clan and reclaiming imperial power from his grasp."
Though the Great Yin dynasty still bore the Qi surname—making her forever its most noble princess—this nobility depended entirely on the strength of imperial authority.
Under Qi Sheng's reign, with imperial power hollowed out by Wei Yan, the entire royal family had been forced to live at the chancellor's mercy.
An Taifei responded to her daughter's words with a bitter laugh: "Exterminate Wei Yan's clan? If that were possible, the steps of Taiqian Palace wouldn't have run red with blood seventeen years ago."
Taiqian Palace had always served as the imperial bedchamber.
Qi Zhu's alluring eyes widened suddenly: "Wei Yan attempted a coup?"
A chill ran through her limbs: "Then Father... didn't die of illness?"
An Taifei offered no answer, instead kneeling before a Guanyin statue with pressed palms, murmuring: "Ask no more, investigate no further. It was by shutting my palace gates and turning a blind eye that I became the only survivor among the four consorts."
Royal pride stirred within Qi Zhu as she coldly challenged: "Wei Yan has humiliated our house to this extent! Even if my brother proves incompetent, rumors persist that Crown Prince Chengde's line survives. With the Li family, the militarily powerful Wu'an Marquis, and Grandfather's faction—I refuse to believe we cannot overthrow Wei Yan!"
An Taifei lifted her eyelids: "Do you think Jia Guitaifei's family lacked influence? That Jia Min maintained imperial favor into middle age without powerful connections? The Sixteenth Prince nearly contested the throne itself. Yet look at the court today—can you find a single Jia clansman holding office above the fifth rank?"
A shiver crawled down Qi Zhu's spine as she whispered tremulously: "If Wei Yan's power stretches so far... why did he install my brother as emperor?"
Her expression shifted ominously: "Unless my brother is..."An Taifei interrupted her: "Don't speculate wildly. Wei Yan is nothing but a rabid dog—who knows what schemes he's plotting? You're my only daughter. Stay away from the court's intrigues. As long as our mother-daughter pair and the An family remain uninvolved, we'll be safe."
But Qi Zhu looked at An Taifei and asked, "Mother, do you know which imperial consort had an affair with Wei Yan back then?"
Taiqian Palace.
Qi Sheng observed the trembling palace maid kneeling below the steps. Leaning his chin on one hand from the dragon throne, he asked with amusement, "What did the person who came to see you in the Cold Palace ask about?"
The maid was disheveled, her filthy palace attire stained with large patches of blood—clearly tortured by the eunuchs before being brought here. She no longer dared to feign madness now.
Trembling like a leaf under the gaze of the dragon-robed emperor, she stammered, "N-nothing, Your Majesty... They just took pity on this lowly one and gave me some food..."
Qi Sheng sneered. "You've been acting mad in the Cold Palace for over a decade. Why aren't you mad now?"
The maid shook even more violently, unable to form a reply.
The chief eunuch beside Qi Sheng immediately barked, "You wretched slave! One more lie to His Majesty, and you'll be dragged to the Meridian Gate for execution!"
Terrified, the maid paled and begged, "Spare me, Your Majesty! I... I only did this to survive."
Sobbing and shaking, she confessed, "All the servants who served in Jia Guitaifei's palace died back then. I'd made a mistake earlier and was punished with laundry duty—that's how I escaped. Afraid someone would discover I was the only survivor from her palace, I pretended to be mad and was sent to the Cold Palace to rot."
Though her account sounded sincere, Qi Sheng lounged carelessly in his throne as if uninterested. He ordered the chief eunuch, "Gag her. Another round of torture."
The maid kowtowed desperately, wailing, "Your Majesty, I swear it's the truth! Mmmph—"
Her pleas were cut short as burly eunuchs gagged her and pinned her limbs.
To avoid staining the palace floors, they opted for needles—inserting them under her fingernails.
The agony of ten fingers connected to the heart was unimaginable to those who'd never endured it.
In the palace, this method often proved more effective than flogging.
The first needle made her convulse violently, thrashing against the eunuchs' iron grip. A cotton gag muffled her screams, though she bit through it, blood soaking the cloth.
Qi Sheng gave no reprieve. The needles continued—second, third...
By the end, the maid lay limp, drenched in cold sweat, her needled fingers twitching reflexively. Only faint blood spots dotted the floor. Half-conscious, her lips matched her ashen face.
The chief eunuch fawned, "Your Majesty, the punishment is complete."Qi Min observed the entire interrogation process. Unlike his earlier disinterest, he now seemed considerably more pleased. "Now answer Us—why were you feigning madness in the Cold Palace?"
The steel needles remained embedded between her fingernails. Under such excruciating pain, the palace maid couldn't think clearly and could only answer instinctively: "To... to protect myself."
Confirming she wasn't lying, Qi Sheng's eyes suddenly gleamed with an unsettling excitement: "Who possessed such capability to silence everyone in Jia Guitaifei's palace?"
Even after enduring pain akin to death, the maid trembled violently at this question, as if touching upon some forbidden truth. With extreme terror, she uttered the name: "It... it was Wei Yan."
The chief eunuch beside them was stunned. After a brief pause, a shadow crossed Qi Sheng's eyes as he pressed further: "Why would Wei Yan kill those in Jia Guitaifei's palace?"
The maid's voice shook uncontrollably: "Not just Jia Guitaifei's palace... everyone who knew about Wei Yan's... defilement of the imperial harem was killed by him."
This revelation struck like a thunderbolt, causing cold sweat to break out on the chief eunuch's forehead. He never imagined such an earth-shattering secret lay hidden within.
Qi Sheng's expression darkened. "You're saying Wei Yan defiled the imperial harem?"
The maid nodded fearfully.
Qi Sheng returned to his dragon throne, his face grim. "Continue the torture."
Having already used the steel needles, the chief eunuch ordered his subordinates to apply finger presses to the maid's hands and feet. Thin rods clamped down on each finger as two burly eunuchs pulled the ropes tight, crushing and even breaking the bones.
Held down by several eunuchs, the maid had no means to struggle. Her tears had long dried up, her teeth biting into the gag cloth had gone numb, and her mouth was filled with the taste of blood.
After this round of torture, the maid collapsed to the ground, unable to kneel any longer, only muttering weakly: "Spare this servant... I've told the truth..."
Qi Sheng remained silent, and the chief eunuch dared not speak without permission, cautiously observing the emperor's expression.
After the deaths of both the Chengde Crown Prince and the Sixteenth Prince at the hands of the Northern Turks, the Late Emperor fell ill and passed away. Wei Yan then seized control of the court, placing the powerless Qi Sheng on the throne.
Combined with the maid's claim that Wei Yan had defiled the imperial harem...
The chief eunuch didn't dare dwell on it further, fearing his own head might not remain on his shoulders after today.
Qi Sheng began unconsciously scratching the golden dragon carvings on the armrests with his nails, his bulging eyes appearing particularly sinister: "Who was the one who committed adultery with Wei Yan?"
The maid, her face deathly pale, confessed: "It... it was Shu Fei."
Qi Sheng suddenly exhaled in relief. Shu Fei was one of the four consorts. According to imperial records, like Jia Guitaifei, she had followed the Late Emperor in death after his passing.
His eyes once again gleamed with an indescribable excitement: "So Wei Yan killed Shu Fei to cover up his disgraceful deeds?"
"This servant doesn't know... Back then, Shu Fei was diagnosed with pregnancy, but the fetus's age didn't match the records in the Chamber of Palace Affairs... The Late Emperor was furious. He had the palace maids in Shu Fei's quarters beaten to death and imprisoned Shu Fei for questioning. One night, Qingyuan Palace suddenly caught fire—the flames consumed everything, and Shu Fei perished in the blaze. That night, the Golden Guard on patrol... saw Wei Yan."Qi Sheng sneered coldly, "What a thorough job of destroying both witnesses and evidence. Wei Yan truly is ruthless and cruel."
He fixed his gaze on the palace maid, "Did my imperial father just allow Wei Yan to act so lawlessly?"
The palace maid, her face ashen, replied, "The fire in Consort Shu's palace burned until dawn. By daybreak, Wei Yan led troops to massacre the palace. The late emperor and the noble imperial concubine both fell under Wei Yan's sword..."
Qi Sheng's facial muscles twitched with rage as he said icily, "Excellent. Wei Yan defiled the imperial harem, and when his crimes were exposed, he murdered the emperor to seize power, then slaughtered the palace to silence witnesses. Truly magnificent!"
He made a gesture, and the chief eunuch understood, instructing the junior eunuchs to escort the palace maid out.
When the chief eunuch returned, he cautiously observed Qi Sheng's expression and carefully said, "The Grand Princess is assisting Marquis Wu'an in investigating this matter, likely to overthrow Wei Yan. It's a pity we only have that maid's testimony without concrete evidence."
Qi Sheng suddenly laughed coldly, "I should thank Wei Yan. He's given me a perfect way to control Xie Zheng."
The chief eunuch looked puzzled, but Qi Sheng said no more.
Yet the plan in his heart made his bulging eyes gleam strangely: "The blade forged by Wei Yan will ultimately serve me."
Several days later, Xie Zheng led the triumphant northern expedition army through Zhengyang Gate.
Once again, the entire capital emptied as crowds thronged the main street from the northern city gate to Zhengyang Gate to welcome the victorious troops.
Having received advance notice, Fan Changyu had reserved three private rooms in a street-facing tavern days earlier, wanting to bring Changning and Bao'er to see Xie Zheng's triumphant return.
As for why she booked three rooms—it started when Xie Wu mentioned concerns about eavesdroppers. Fan Changyu reasoned that if someone might listen through a wall, she could simply reserve the adjacent rooms on both sides.
When Xie Wu and Xie Qi heard her solution, they exchanged silent glances but found the logic sound, so they complied.
Though Aunt Zhao and her husband had been out on the streets recently, ordinary days couldn't compare to today's excitement. Looking down from the tavern window, the street below was packed with people.
Changning and Yu Bao'er, being small, couldn't reach the window without standing on stools to see below.
Worried Yu Bao'er might be spotted by the Crown Prince's men, Fan Changyu had prepared painted masks for both children. Finding them amusing, the two kept the masks on the entire time.
Since the army hadn't reached their section yet, only noisy chatter rose from below. After watching for a while and growing bored, Changning and Yu Bao'er sat at the round table to snack on the ordered pastries and dishes.
When deafening cheers erupted outside the window, the two children squeezed back to look. Aunt Zhao and her husband, also eager to see the spectacle, joined them at the window while keeping an eye on the children.
On their way, Changning had bought a basket of flower petals from a vendor.
Leaning out the window, thrilled by the crowd's enthusiastic cheers, she began scattering petals toward the approaching army.
When she clearly saw the handsome young general riding the tall warhorse, her eyes widened in recognition: "Brother-in-law?"
Tugging Yu Bao'er's sleeve excitedly, she cried, "Bao'er, look! That's my brother-in-law!"
Aunt Zhao and her husband, their eyesight weaker with age, squinted for a long moment before Aunt Zhao said, "That does look like Yan Zheng, doesn't it?"Zhao Mu Jiang nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, it's Yan Zheng."
Aunt Zhao turned around joyfully and said to Fan Changyu, "Changyu, come quick and look! Yan Zheng has made something of himself too. See, he's riding at the very front! How impressive! Has he earned himself a high-ranking position?"
Xie Wu and Xie Qi, upon hearing this, struggled to suppress faint smiles.
Thanks to her height advantage, Fan Changyu had a clear view of the entire street from the back.
She had indeed spotted Xie Zheng, clad in Qilin Shoulder Dark Light Armor, riding at the forefront of the army. But in front of Xie Wu and Xie Qi, she found herself at a loss for words in response to Aunt Zhao's question. She merely coughed twice and said, "He has indeed done well."
In all of Great Yin, no one of his generation had achieved more than he had.
As soon as she finished speaking, perhaps sensing the intense gazes from the tavern window, Xie Zheng suddenly looked up.
Meeting his gaze, Fan Changyu's eyelids twitched, and an inexplicable sense of guilt welled up inside her.
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