Han Suwen found a hamster, pricked its mouth and tongue, and lured it to lick the breath-activated adhesive on the back of the pearl diadem. As Zhenzhen had predicted, it wasn't long before the hamster convulsed and collapsed, showing symptoms of snake venom poisoning.
Zhenzhen immediately went to the prefectural office and found Zhao Ai. When they were alone in a room, she told Zhao Ai without reservation about the results of the hamster test and the incident of the Crown Prince tasting the breath-activated adhesive on the night of his death. She said to him, "Now it can be determined that Crown Prince Zhuang Wen was murdered. This breath-activated adhesive would not poison someone if it only touched the skin. The murderer must have known that Crown Prince Zhuang Wen loved eating oranges, so they mixed snake venom and honey into the breath-activated adhesive with orange peel balm, anticipating that when the Crown Prince grew close to me and smelled the fragrance, he wouldn't be able to resist tasting it... If I knew this but did not pursue the true culprit to avenge the Crown Prince, and instead only cared about my own marriage, hiding behind you and muddling along, how could I ever find peace in the rest of my life? How could I face Crown Prince Zhuang Wen in the afterlife?"
After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Ai nodded and said, "I understand how you feel. Our wedding can be postponed. But right now, you can hardly protect yourself. As soon as you show your face in Lin'an, you'll be arrested. How will you have the chance to pursue the true culprit? Even if you reveal that the breath-activated adhesive was poisoned, without knowing who the real culprit is, you won't be able to clear yourself of suspicion of poisoning."
Zhenzhen knew he was right and had no good plan for the moment, so she lowered her eyes sadly and remained silent.
Zhao Ai continued, "In a few days, Third Brother will hold the ceremony to formally marry Ling Fengxian. Father is also urging me to return to attend the ceremony. Why don't I go back to Lin'an first, secretly investigate the origin of that pearl diadem, and once we have some clues about the true culprit, I'll report it to The Emperor and ask him to allow you to return to the palace to testify."
Zhenzhen said, "That pearl diadem was given to me by Yun Yinge. She said she bought it as a congratulatory gift for me... She has always been gentle and kind, and she was grateful for my help. We got along very well in private, and she was also very loyal to Crown Prince Zhuang Wen. There's no reason for her to harm us so viciously."
Zhao Ai asked, "Could it be that she was in love with Eldest Brother but couldn't have him, so she resorted to this?"
Zhenzhen shook her head. "After being hurt by a faithless man once, she no longer easily developed feelings for men. Although she served Crown Prince Zhuang Wen diligently, she never showed any special affection for him."
"It's also possible that the culprit used her to pass the pearl diadem to you..." Zhao Ai speculated, then added, "In any case, let me return to Lin'an and find her first. Even if it wasn't her, we should be able to find important clues."
Zhenzhen wanted to disguise herself and return to Lin'an with him, but Zhao Ai firmly refused, saying, "If we travel together, we'll inevitably have close contact, and no matter how we disguise ourselves, it will be easy to expose you. You absolutely must not take such a risk."
Zhenzhen had no choice but to give up the idea. Zhao Ai comforted her for a while and then expressed his feelings to her: "This time, our wedding is only temporarily postponed, not canceled. I already consider you my future wife. Once the truth is clarified, I will still give you a grand wedding."
Zhenzhen smiled self-deprecatingly. "I must be under some kind of curse. Every time I'm about to marry someone, something always goes wrong... Sometimes I can't help but wonder if I should completely give up the idea of marriage to live a peaceful life.""Don't let your thoughts run wild, silly girl." Zhao Ai smiled and gently embraced her shoulders, saying, "The cancellations of those previous marriages were the will of heaven. Heaven knew they weren't the right ones for you, and that I am your destined match."
Leaning into his embrace, Zhenzhen rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she softly asked, "Now that you know everything about Crown Prince Zhuang Wen and me, does it bother you?"
"Naturally, there is some discomfort..." Zhao Ai replied slowly, then quickly shifted his tone, "But that discomfort only makes me realize how precious our present is, and I will cherish it all the more."
Zhao Ai soon departed for Lin'an, leaving Zhenzhen in Ningguo Prefecture to await good news. Zhenzhen returned to Luming Tower, where she continued to assist Wei Qingxun in managing the restaurant while waiting.
One afternoon, the tea master at Luming Tower reported to Zhenzhen that a guest had ordered compressed tea but refused to drink it when prepared by the tea master, insisting instead that Lady Song come and brew it for him.
Assuming it was someone with ill intentions, Zhenzhen initially wanted to avoid meeting him. However, the guest sent a message through the tea master: "The compressed tea is too strong and too cooling for an old man like me to drink."
These words startled Zhenzhen, reminding her of Crown Prince Zhuang Wen's tea-drinking habits. She immediately hurried to meet the guest.
The man appeared gaunt and was dressed as a scholar, but he wore a bamboo hat typically used by fishermen and woodcutters. The brim was pulled low, obscuring most of his face.
"Sir, do you not enjoy whisked tea?" Zhenzhen tentatively asked.
"I do enjoy it," the man replied, "but my stomach is weak, so I must trouble you, madam, to brew the tea before I can drink it."
Before he even lifted his head or removed his hat, Zhenzhen's eyes reddened upon hearing his voice. She motioned for the tea master to leave and closed the door of the private room. Overwhelmed with emotion, she curtsied tearfully to the elderly gentleman. "Master Yang, I finally see you again..."
Yang Zicheng quickly stood up and bowed in return. "Palace Attendant Wu, after the Crown Prince passed away, I was pursued by assassins and had no choice but to flee far away. I regret not being able to clear your name in time!"
The two sat down to talk, and Yang Zicheng recounted the past events. Shortly after the Crown Prince's death, masked assassins attempted to kill Yang Zicheng. He fought his way out of the Eastern Palace and temporarily escaped the assassins on horseback, but every time he approached the palace gates, someone would appear to pursue him again. Hiding in the capital, he sensed that more and more people were hunting him, making it impossible for him to re-enter the imperial city. To save his life, he fled the city, with assassins persistently tracking him along the way. He traveled southward, only feeling completely free from his pursuers after reaching Lingnan.
"Do you know who wanted to kill you?" Zhenzhen asked."Once, I hid in the shadows and overheard the assassins speaking. I could tell they were eunuchs," Yang Zicheng said. "So at the time, I suspected Cheng Yuan was behind it, because under the pretext of guarding Cifu Palace, he controlled a large number of martial-trained eunuchs and had carried out some acts of eliminating dissidents in the capital. Moreover, Crown Prince Zhuang Wen had asked me to investigate Madam Ju's case. It was highly likely that Madam Ju was being held captive by Cheng Yuan. Fearing this would be exposed, Cheng Yuan also had a motive to kill me... I hid in Lingnan, not daring to return for the time being, living under an assumed name. Later, by chance, I joined an academy in Guangzhou and secured a position as a lecturer. Among the academy's teachers was one named Chen Leshan, who shared my interests, and we became close friends. Once, while drinking with him, I slipped up and told him I came from Lin'an. He was also quite drunk and, pretending to be mysterious, asked if I knew about Consort Liu. I said, who doesn't know? Consort Liu is the beloved lady of the current emperor. He then told me that Consort Liu had once been his female student. I was astonished and pressed him for details. He told me that while in Yazhou, he had been hired by Liu Kun to tutor his daughter, who was just over five years old at the time. Two years later, Liu Kun took in a wandering mother and daughter. The young girl was the same age as Liu's daughter, so Liu Kun had her serve as a study companion. When the two girls were eight years old, a plague ravaged Yazhou. Unfortunately, Liu's daughter fell ill and died. The mother of the companion, Madam Yu, seeing Madam Liu overwhelmed with grief, knelt and offered her own daughter to Madam Liu as a daughter. Before Madam Liu could respond, both she and her husband fell ill and soon passed away one after another. The Liu family servants either died or scattered. Remembering Liu Kun's past kindness, Chen Leshan stayed behind to handle the aftermath. Madam Yu then discussed with him, proposing that her daughter assume the identity of the Liu family daughter to conduct the funeral rites for Liu Kun and his wife. Chen Leshan thought that since the Liu family had no remaining descendants, Madam Yu likely intended to claim the Liu family's property. However, out of pity for his former student, he did not object and allowed the girl to assume the identity of the Liu family daughter to bury Liu Kun and his wife. Once this matter was settled, Chen Leshan left Yazhou, eventually making his way to Guangzhou and losing contact with Madam Yu and her daughter. Many years later, he happened to hear that Liu Kun's daughter had entered the palace and been enfeoffed as a Consort. He knew she must be that wandering girl from years past, but out of consideration for Consort Liu's current status, he never mentioned it to anyone else."
"So Consort Liu is not Liu Kun's biological daughter..." Zhenzhen suddenly recalled the incident when she and the Crown Prince had seen Consort Liu offering sacrifices to the moon, and doubts arose in her mind. She recounted the event to Yang Zicheng and asked, "So, that night, was she paying respects to her father Liu Kun or her biological father?"
"So that's how it is, that's how it is... So that's how His Highness found out..." Yang Zicheng seemed to finally piece everything together, murmuring to himself, tears streaming down his aged face. After a moment, he wiped away his tears and continued, "I believe Consort Liu was paying respects to her biological father... After that day, His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to check Liu Kun's birthday, and it turned out it wasn't that day. Later, His Highness asked me to investigate the birthdays of deceased officials of the fifth rank or higher over the past twenty-six years, to see if anyone's birth or death anniversary fell on that day... I found it and reported it to His Highness. He intended to go to the Hall of Blessing and Tranquility to inform The Emperor immediately, but unfortunately, Lin Hong, the Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service, suddenly visited, so His Highness didn't go."All the information came together like pieces of a puzzle, finally nearing the complete truth. Zhenzhen blinked, bit her lip, and struggled to suppress the trembling brought on by surging emotions before pressing Yang Zicheng further: "Who is the person you discovered, sir?"
"Qi Xi," Yang Zicheng answered immediately. "Qi Xun's son, Qi Xi."
In inexplicable shock, Zhenzhen found herself speechless, then a wave of intense anger and sorrow welled up in her heart, and two lines of tears fell bitterly.
Yang Zicheng let out a long sigh. "After learning about Consort Liu from Chen Leshan, I recalled the birth anniversary His Highness the Crown Prince had me investigate and realized Consort Liu's background was suspicious—she was likely a member of the Qi family. If she found out I was investigating her father's birth anniversary, then her harming the Crown Prince and pursuing me would make sense... I wanted to return to Lin'an to warn the Emperor of Consort Liu's sinister intentions, but I am now alone and vulnerable. I feared I might be killed before even reaching the palace gates. After much thought, I decided to detour to Ningguo Prefecture to find the Second Great King and ask him to take me back to inform His Majesty. Unfortunately, I arrived too late. The officials said the Second Great King had already returned to the imperial city for the ceremony... Hearing I was an old acquaintance of the Prince of Wei, they told me to come to Luming Tower to find Lady Song, saying she had been enfeoffed as the Lady of Xinan Commandery and that any matters to discuss with the Prince of Wei could be told to her. So I came looking for Lady Song, saw you outside, recognized you, and used tea as an excuse to invite you over."
After this, Zhenzhen could no longer wait calmly for news from Zhao Ai. She was determined to take Yang Zicheng to Lin'an as soon as possible to tell the Emperor the truth, so she bid farewell to Wei Qingxun, stating she needed to return to the palace to clarify matters regarding Crown Prince Zhuang Wen. Wei Qingxun asked if she wasn't afraid her identity would be exposed and she would be arrested and punished first. Zhenzhen replied, "I have the imperial edict where the Emperor enfeoffed me as a commandery lady. With this status, I can enter the city, conceal my face along the way, and have Commander Yang disguise himself as my attendant. Few should question us. Once we find the Second Great King, we can make further plans."
Wei Qingxun said, "I'll accompany you. With my status as a relative of the imperial family, I can help you navigate any inquiries or inspections more easily."
Zhenzhen was immensely grateful. That evening, the two women returned to Zhanle Tower together. Knowing that returning to the imperial city this time was fraught with uncertainty, Zhenzhen bowed to Grandma Song and bid her a solemn farewell. Grandma Song helped her up with both hands and, seeing her sorrow, understood somewhat. She asked directly, "Are you planning to return to the palace to see the Emperor and prove your innocence?"
Zhenzhen was very surprised. She had never told Grandma Song about her past identity or matters in the palace and didn't know how she had guessed.
Grandma Song said, "When I saw the Prince of Wei interacting with you before, your conversations seemed quite familiar and natural, as if you had known each other for a long time, so I guessed you came from the palace. But you two have also kept a certain distance all along, as if something stood between you. I recalled you once said your in-laws blamed you for your husband's death and drove you out. There were also rumors about Crown Prince Zhuang Wen's incident being related to a palace attendant, so I speculated it might be you. If it were you, then your situation with the Prince of Wei would be easy to understand."
Seeing that Grandma Song had guessed most of it, and having lived with her for years and grown as close as family, Zhenzhen poured out all her hidden circumstances and told her everything.After hearing this, Grandma Song said, "I'll go back to Lin'an with you. It's good to have someone to look out for each other on the journey. Besides, I do have some reputation in Lin'an. If anyone dares question your identity along the way, I'll tell them you're my own granddaughter, Song Taosheng. The Emperor once tasted the fish soup I made. If I'm fortunate enough to see His Majesty this time, perhaps I can even put in a good word for you."
Though Zhenzhen had her concerns, Grandma Song insisted on accompanying her. Zhenzhen guessed that Grandma Song might be worried she would never return, and they would not even have a chance for a final farewell. Her heart ached at the thought, so she agreed.
Wei Qingxun helped Zhenzhen pack her luggage. Seeing her lost in thought under the lamplight, unconsciously rubbing the silver sachet hanging at her waist, he asked, "You've been carrying this silver sachet close to you all these years, and you always hold it when you're anxious. It must have been given to you by someone very important, right?"
Zhenzhen nodded. "It was given to me by my mother." After a moment's thought, she opened the sachet and showed Wei Qingxun the seed inside, which resembled a red bean. "Since you're familiar with plants, could you help me identify what kind of flower or tree this seed belongs to?"
Wei Qingxun took it and examined it carefully. After a while, he said, "It's a seed of the qionghua flower. This flower is rare. Years ago, my mother sent someone with a large sum of money to Yangzhou to purchase one, but she only managed to obtain a single seed, and it didn't survive after planting. How did your mother get it? Did she also go to Yangzhou?"
Zhenzhen shook her head. "After she left Pujiang, she stayed in Lin'an."
Wei Qingxun understood. "Perhaps she obtained it from Shi'an Garden. The Emperor once transplanted qionghua flowers from Yangzhou to the palace in Lin'an and gifted them to Consort Liu. It's said that Consort Liu later gave them to Cheng Yuan, who planted the qionghua in his garden, Shi'an Garden."
"Did Cheng Yuan like flowers and plants?" Zhenzhen asked.
"He did. His garden was filled with many rare and exotic flowers," Wei Qingxun replied. "But in recent years, I've heard he's not just cultivating flowers anymore. He indulges in music and revelry day and night, buying many musicians and even marrying a dancer as his wife."
"He married a dancer?" Zhenzhen repeated blankly, sensing a faint unease.
"Yes, a dancer skilled in the Liangzhou dance. He even wrote a marriage contract and married her formally," Wei Qingxun continued. "There are whispers among the nobility that Cheng Yuan married a peerless beauty, but he keeps her locked away in Shi'an Garden, where no outsiders can see her."
Zhenzhen suddenly stood up, feeling as if her mind had exploded. One hand pressed against the table, while the other clutched the silver sachet even tighter. Overwhelmed with indignation and anxiety, her vision darkened, and she swayed unsteadily.
Wei Qingxun immediately reached out to steady her and asked what was wrong. Zhenzhen struggled to regulate her breathing. After a long while, she gently freed herself from his support, walked to the window, and closed her eyes, facing the patch of golden lantern flowers in the backyard that had already passed their bloom. After a moment, she opened her eyes again, turned to look at Wei Qingxun, and said, "There's one more thing I'd like to ask you to help me with."
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