Yan Qi failed to pry open Wan Xi's mouth, leaving him utterly defeated. With Zhu Yucheng already dead, Yan Qi couldn't afford to push Wan Xi to his death at this point. After exhausting all torture methods that wouldn't prove fatal, Wan Xi stubbornly insisted that his relationship with Zhu Yucheng was merely that of a sworn father and son. Yan Qi had no choice but to give up.
Wan Xi, with his limbs broken and barely clinging to life, was carried back to Kunning Palace.
The palace teemed with eunuchs, forming a strictly hierarchical world of their own. Influential senior eunuchs commonly adopted godchildren, took apprentices, or formed partnerships. To their masters, palace servants weren't even considered fully human, so the masters disdained to interfere in these matters. Consequently, such practices flourished in various forms. Wan Xi's statement held no loopholes, and Yan Qi dared not overstep further, forcing him to abandon the pursuit.
Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun witnessed the entire torturous process. Though both had considerable experience interrogating prisoners, they were still shocked by Yan Qi's extreme methods. Li Muyun felt contempt in his heart, while Zheng Baishi grew more resolute in his loyalty to the Crown Prince. Only after Yan Qi stormed off in a rage did the two depart together.
Zheng Baishi sighed, "Brother Li, what are we to do now? We're caught in a dilemma. Judging by Prince Cheng's demeanor, if there's no progress soon, he'll dump this mess on us."
Li Muyun also sighed, "It's a pity we're both bound as officials. If it truly comes to that, even resigning won't be an option."
Zheng Baishi smiled bitterly, "Resigning... I've never really considered it."
Li Muyun looked at Zheng Baishi, "Brother Zheng has great ambitions, and the Crown Prince values you highly. Unlike me, a solitary man with no attachments—if the court truly loses all appeal one day, I'd simply walk away without looking back."
Zheng Baishi regarded Li Muyun with hesitation. After last year's incident, the former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Shen Yi was executed, and Li Muyun took over. At the time, the entire court believed Li Muyun to be a scheming opportunist seeking prominence. Yet over the past year, he had genuinely acted as an upright official. He never showed leniency in carrying out the Crown Prince's orders, but his loyalty to the Crown Prince seemed slightly lacking.
As for whom he truly revered, it was undoubtedly the Emperor.
Considering this, Zheng Baishi's expression turned grave, "Actually, Brother Li, you've seen Prince Cheng's temperament. If he were to... would the court maintain its current disciplined atmosphere? In comparison, the Crown Prince is much more steady, quite reminiscent of His Majesty in his youth..."
Yan Huai was the late emperor's eldest son and the first to be enfeoffed as a prince. Though he and Prince Gong were only a year apart and both were born of the empress, the eldest son naturally carried himself with more innate nobility. Yet despite his talents, he remained unassuming and exceptionally composed—a quality that most reassured the late emperor about Yan Huai. In contrast, Prince Gong appeared far too ostentatious.
Zheng Baishi recalled when he first entered court service. Yan Huai had just ascended the throne, and they still heard discussions about Prince Gong—how he constantly compared himself to the Emperor yet always fell slightly short. Combined with his impulsive and irritable nature, what happened later came as no surprise to many.
As for the current Crown Prince Yan Che, his composure was indeed rare among the young. Though Zheng Baishi sometimes felt the Crown Prince lacked bright, spirited ambition, no one in this world is perfect. In comparison, he truly feared Prince Cheng ascending the throne and bringing chaos to the Great Zhou.These thoughts Zheng Baishi could only entertain privately, finding them difficult to voice aloud. He glanced at Li Muyun and noticed the man appeared utterly composed, seemingly deep in contemplation of the matter. Suddenly, Li Muyun spoke, "His Highness the Crown Prince... is naturally excellent. However... the Crown Prince's lineage is entirely composed of aristocratic families. I..."
Zheng Baishi blurted out, "Have you forgotten Lord Shen—"
The moment the words left his mouth, Zheng Baishi realized his misstep. After all, it was Li Muyun who had submitted the evidence of Shen Yi's crimes. Because of this, an unspoken agreement had formed among them to avoid mentioning Shen Yi in Li Muyun's presence. Yet he had...
Feeling somewhat awkward, Zheng Baishi coughed lightly, "Ahem, what I meant was that Lord Shen came from a humble background. Moreover, the Crown Prince previously intended to marry Lord Shen's daughter as his princess consort, which demonstrates His Highness's determination to align with common scholars. It's just a pity—"
Li Muyun showed no trace of embarrassment upon hearing Zheng Baishi's words. After a brief moment of surprise, he nodded and smiled, "That is indeed true. However, the aristocratic families disapprove of common scholars, leaving the Crown Prince caught in a difficult position. If Brother Zheng is willing, I hope you might find an opportunity to put in a good word for me before His Highness the Crown Prince."
Hearing this, Zheng Baishi's expression brightened considerably, and he immediately agreed wholeheartedly.
By the time Qin Guan arrived at the Longevity and Health Palace, she had already learned about the Imperial Punishment Office affair. Although the eunuch from Kunning Palace hadn't revealed much, the thick fog before Qin Guan's eyes had begun to clear layer by layer.
Yan Qi wouldn't take the lead in investigating this case without reason. Clearly, his targets were the Empress and the Eastern Palace.
This suggested that Yan Qi himself was at least detached from the matter, while the Empress and the Eastern Palace were likely the masterminds behind Prince Jin's case. Thinking of the lofty Empress and the inscrutable Yan Che, Qin Guan's gaze turned slightly colder.
Entering the Longevity and Health Palace, she was met with profound silence and emptiness. Qin Guan felt a flicker of surprise. When she reached the main hall, she discovered the Empress Dowager speaking with Mammy Chen in the Warm Chamber of the left wing.
"They said they encountered him at the relay station. It seems others had known in advance that Prince Rui would be staying there and had disguised themselves accordingly. Prince Rui, caught off guard, was shot to death by arrows. The guards accompanying him also perished from arrow wounds."
"Ah, there must have been spies infiltrating the Northwest Frontier Army. And then there's the previous case of the military provisions. I heard from the Emperor's people that many individuals have recently been implicated, and investigations are ongoing. Now, with the Northwest Frontier Army lacking a commander, everyone is in a state of panic. Although Minister Lin's dispatch represents the Emperor, he still can't fully stabilize the situation there. Actually, the best solution would be to send His Highness Chi..."
Mammy Chen spoke while massaging the Empress Dowager's shoulders. The Empress Dowager lay with her eyes closed, listless, appearing to listen yet seemingly asleep. Mammy Chen had been the Empress Dowager's personal maid since her youth, serving her for many years. Her insight far surpassed that of an ordinary momma, and she discussed court affairs with ease. The Empress Dowager not only refrained from reprimanding her but was quite indulgent, indicating this was a common occurrence.
The Empress Dowager sighed, "Yan Chi cannot go."
After a pause, she added, "What about Yan Lin's guards?"
"Those guards couldn't be returned intact—it's such a long journey, and by the time they returned, they were... Great effort was required to preserve Prince Rui's body properly. So, after investigation, the guards were buried locally. The Ministry of War has provided ample compensation to their families these past days. Your Majesty need not worry."The Empress Dowager made a sound of acknowledgment. "The departed are gone, but the living must carry on. The Northwest Frontier Army is a massive undertaking—with Yan Lin gone, it won't be easy to manage. No one can take over immediately."
"Indeed, the court is still discussing restructuring the Northwest Frontier Army by splitting it in two."
"Nonsense! If the Northwest Frontier Army is divided, what will we have to fear the northern invaders?" The Empress Dowager's tone was displeased. "Let's see how the Emperor handles this. The Northwest Frontier Army is even more critical than the Northern Garrison Army—he wouldn't dare be careless—"
"Your Highness, Yongci County Princess has arrived."
At the announcement, the Empress Dowager immediately opened her eyes and smiled. "Come here quickly, Wan Yatou."
Qin Guan entered the Warm Chamber, her gentle smile warm and comforting. "How is Your Highness feeling today?"
The Empress Dowager sighed. "The coughing has stopped, but I still feel weak. Why have you come to the palace?"
Qin Guan replied, "Prince Cheng asked for my assistance in investigating a case, but upon arriving, I learned he hasn't made much progress in the interrogation. So I came to pay my respects to you..."
The Empress Dowager's expression shifted slightly. "The eunuch from Kunning Palace?"
Qin Guan nodded, and the Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.
"It's not surprising that nothing was uncovered from someone in Kunning Palace."
Turning to Mammy Chen, she asked, "Didn't Zhu Yucheng take on many apprentices and adopted sons during his lifetime?"
Mammy Chen smiled gently. "Yes, quite a few. Eunuch Zhu was a senior figure—even I had to show him respect back when the Imperial Consort was alive. It wasn't just among the eunuchs that he took adopted sons; even the imperial guards curried favor with him."
The Empress Dowager scoffed lightly. "Zhu Yucheng was clever in his youth, but he grew more foolish with age."
Zhao Shuhua had been chosen for the Emperor by Consort Zhao back then—even the Empress Dowager, as the birth mother, had no say in the matter. These were old grievances. Though the Empress Dowager held no particular grudge against Zhao Shuhua, a lingering discomfort remained in her heart. She instructed Mammy Chen, "Identify those involved among the imperial guards to smooth Wan Yatou's investigation. I won't be managing palace affairs much longer. While I can still speak, we must clarify these matters—I wouldn't want my eldest grandson blaming me in the afterlife."
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