After the imperial edict was drafted, the Emperor handed it to Zhang Zhibei to be proclaimed in the Wende Hall. Having learned of this news earlier, the Chief of Wardrobe had already sent someone to retrieve the long-unused Palace Commandant's Crown and Robes from the Inner Treasury and requested Zhenzhen to change into them.
Zhenzhen washed away her makeup, donned the purple official robes, wore the lacquered gauze headgear, put on black leather boots, and fastened a golden belt around her waist. She received her appointment in the hall and expressed her gratitude. When she stepped out of the Wende Hall, the Chief of Palace Surveillance, Chief of Ceremonies, Chief of Wardrobe, Chief of Bedchamber, Chief of Works, and Qin Sishan, who had been promoted to Director of Palace Food, were already waiting on both sides below the vermilion steps. Leading the female officials of the Six Bureaus, they bowed in unison and said, "We congratulate the Palace Commandant. May the Palace Commandant's career flourish and ascend to greater heights, stepping high on the path of success."
Zhenzhen hurriedly returned the bow with a deep salute. Raising her head, she noticed that although the female officials of the Six Bureaus offered their congratulations, most wore expressionless faces, likely harboring resentment. Only Qin Shangshi met her gaze and offered a faint, encouraging smile.
Zhang Zhibei soon emerged and asked if she now needed a palace carriage prepared to take her to Cifu Palace. Zhenzhen shook her head. "Not yet," she said, then asked, "Does Consort Liu know about the Fourth Prince's poisoning?"
"Not yet," Zhang Zhibei replied. "When the Fourth Prince and the Crown Princess fainted one after the other, I knew the matter was grave. I ordered the Eastern Palace sealed off and prohibited unauthorized passage. It is unlikely anyone has sent word to Furong Pavilion."
"Please send someone quickly to Furong Pavilion to inform Consort Liu that the Fourth Prince sucked on the Crown Princess's pearl diadem and is now hanging by a thread, in critical condition," Zhenzhen calmly told Zhang Zhibei. "Going to Cifu Palace now would not yield the antidote anytime soon. We might as well try this method; perhaps we can obtain it more quickly."
Zhang Zhibei immediately dispatched a eunuch to Furong Pavilion to inform Liu Luowei of the matter. Liu Luowei had been lying listlessly in bed, but upon hearing the news relayed by her maid, she immediately rose. Before the maid could even fasten the robe draped over her, she rushed out to question the eunuch: "Are you saying the Fourth Prince was poisoned after sucking on the Crown Princess's pearl diadem?"
The eunuch replied, "The Fourth Prince was fine before, but shortly after sucking on the pearl diadem, he vomited and fainted. The Crown Princess did the same. It must be that the breath-activated adhesive on the pearl diadem is poisonous."
Liu Luowei's face turned deathly pale. She turned and dashed back into her room, rummaging through cabinets and chests for a moment before finally pulling out a small porcelain bottle. She was about to rush out when Madam Yu grabbed her and held her back.
"You must not go!" Madam Yu hissed in a low voice. "This is suspicious. It's likely a trap set by Ling Fengxian or someone else to force you to produce the antidote. If you reveal the antidote, you'll fall into their trap, and our involvement will be exposed."
"But my child is dying!" Liu Luowei glared with reddened eyes, her voice trembling with anger and tears. "This snake venom is so potent—it killed Crown Prince Zhuang Wen in an instant back then. The Fourth Prince is so young; if we delay any longer, he won't survive!"
Madam Yu continued to restrain her, struggling to hold her back. "Without the antidote, with so many imperial physicians present, the Fourth Prince might still survive. But if you give the antidote, you'll confirm your involvement in the poisoning, and we could all die!"
"If death comes, so be it! If my child cannot live, I'd rather not live either!" Liu Luowei desperately pushed Madam Yu's arm aside and tried to charge out. In her panic, Madam Yu grabbed her with one hand and raised the other, instinctively about to slap her. This time, however, Liu Luowei reacted faster. She swiftly withdrew her hand and, before Madam Yu could strike, slapped Madam Yu hard across the face."You have no heart, but I do! You don't treat your own child as human, but I cannot!" She held back a pool of hot tears, glaring hatefully at Madam Yu. Under Madam Yu's stunned gaze, she retreated two steps, then clutching the small porcelain bottle, rushed to the outer chamber. Moving too quickly, she slipped on the smooth floor and fell forward.
The eunuch waiting in the hall hurried forward to help her. Before even getting up, she shoved the bottle into his hand and urged, "Quickly, take this medicine to the Fourth Prince and make him take it, hurry!"
The eunuch assented and immediately left, rushing toward the Eastern Palace. Liu Luowei then stood up, limping a few steps after his retreating figure, raising her voice to instruct, "Give the Fourth Prince three pills, three pills!"
Liu Luowei watched the eunuch depart, her spirit broken, then silently returned to the bedroom. She dressed herself and combed her hair before the mirror.
Madam Yu walked up behind her, looking at her reflection in the mirror and said, "At this point, a great disaster is unavoidable. You should escape through the secret passage. I will stay behind and act according to circumstances. If there is still room for maneuver, I will come find you through the passage later. If you wait at the other end until dark and still don't see me, then leave. Go as far as you can and don't come back."
When the eunuch arrived at the Eastern Palace with the medicine bottle, Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhibei were already waiting in the bedchamber where Fengxian and Zhao Jiao lay. The eunuch handed the bottle to Guo Siqi, relaying Liu Luowei's dosage instructions: "Consort Liu said to give the Fourth Prince three pills."
Guo Siqi pulled out the stopper and poured out the pills, seeing only seven pills the size of mung beans. He was still pondering how to distribute them between the Fourth Prince and the Crown Princess when Zhao Hao suddenly rushed over, forcibly snatching six pills from his hand. Zhao Hao turned and strode quickly to Fengxian's sickbed, bending down to stuff all six pills into her mouth.
Guo Siqi stared dumbfounded as Zhao Hao helped Fengxian sit up and personally fed her water to swallow the pills, then stammered, "Your Highness, with only one pill left, I'm afraid the Fourth Prince's dosage won't be sufficient..."
"Give him whatever is left," Zhao Hao said coldly.
Guo Siqi understood that upon hearing Zhao Jiao needed three pills, Zhao Hao had calculated that Fengxian would need at least double that to be effective. Seeing the antidote was insufficient, he had seized the initiative to save his wife's life first, unable to spare concern for his brother. Since things had come to this, Guo Siqi could do nothing but mix the remaining pill with water and have Zhao Jiao drink it. After a while, Zhao Jiao remained with eyes tightly shut, breathing faintly, while Fengxian opened her eyes and began to breathe steadily.
Zhao Hao was overjoyed, calling her name repeatedly. Fengxian nodded, then looked around. At this moment, Zhenzhen stepped forward and softly asked her, "Sister Fengxian, who gave you this pearl diadem?"
Fengxian appeared confused, taking a moment before answering, "It was Consort Liu... the pearl diadem... was given to me by Consort Liu..."
Zhenzhen showed no surprise, turning to Zhang Zhibei and saying, "Please inform His Majesty that Consort Liu is suspected of poisoning. I hope His Majesty will dispatch Palace Command Imperial Guards to quickly seal off Furong Pavilion."
Soon after, Furong Pavilion was heavily surrounded by Imperial Guards. When Zhenzhen and Zhang Zhibei entered, several eunuchs had already searched inside and reported that Consort Liu was nowhere to be found. Zhenzhen asked, "Where is Granny Yu?"
"I am here," Madam Yu said, emerging from the backyard with a gloomy expression, carrying the scent of smoke and fire. Recognizing Zhenzhen's face and attire, she first froze, then a cold smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.Zhenzhen asked Madam Yu where Consort Liu was, but Madam Yu claimed she did not know. Zhenzhen then asked if she had any antidote to save the Fourth Prince, to which Madam Yu replied she had none and did not know the formula. Zhenzhen pressed further, "Then where did Consort Liu obtain the antidote?"
Madam Yu said, "The Lingnan region is full of snakes and insects. Since we came from there, what is so strange about carrying some antidotes for snake venom?"
"We only told you that the Fourth Prince was poisoned, but we never specified what kind of poison it was," Zhenzhen sneered. "How did you know it was snake venom?"
Madam Yu fell silent, snorted coldly, and turned her head away.
Zhang Zhibei ordered the eunuchs to continue searching the pavilion for evidence related to the poisoning. After a while, the eunuchs reported that they had not found any obvious evidence. Glancing at Madam Yu's indifferent expression, Zhenzhen commanded, "Search under the bed in Madam Yu's room."
Madam Yu's face instantly changed, her gaze toward Zhenzhen filled with both anger and fear.
Madam Yu's room was filled with the smell of firewood smoke. The eunuchs moved her bed aside and found several floorboards with obvious gaps beneath. Lifting the floorboards, they discovered a square iron cover. When they opened it, thick smoke billowed out. After the smoke cleared, a downward staircase was revealed.
The staircase led to a small, square chamber about ten feet wide. Inside was a small altar table with an incense burner and a perpetual lamp. In front of the table was a small brazier containing two burning wooden plaques, shaped like spirit tablets used to honor ancestors.
The eunuchs extinguished the fire and retrieved the partially burned spirit tablets, presenting them to Zhang Zhibei and Zhenzhen for inspection. They saw that one had already turned into charcoal, its characters nearly illegible. The other, likely the last to be burned, was not completely destroyed because Madam Yu had sealed the exit when she left, cutting off ventilation and slowing the fire. Its characters were still discernible, and upon closer examination, they read, "Spirit Tablet of My Late Husband, Qi Jun Hui Xi."
Zhenzhen threw the spirit tablet at Madam Yu's feet. Madam Yu immediately picked it up and clutched it to her chest, glaring at Zhenzhen with eyes that seemed to spit fire.
"You were Qi Xi's concubine, weren't you? The burned spirit tablet was probably Qi Xun's?" Zhenzhen said bluntly. "Years ago, Crown Prince Zhuang Wen and I caught you and Consort Liu worshiping the moon and honoring Qi Xi. Crown Prince Zhuang Wen later ordered an investigation into the matter. Fearing exposure, you mixed snake venom into the pearl diadem's breath-activated adhesive, passed it through several hands, and ultimately killed Crown Prince Zhuang Wen."
Madam Yu cackled, "Why don't you mention how Crown Prince Zhuang Wen ingested it in the end? Can you really absolve yourself of responsibility? Over these three years, has that night become an inescapable nightmare for you? You wretch, you are Zhang Yunqiao's daughter—this is your retribution!"
Zhenzhen glanced at the attendants and said, "Slap her face." Immediately, a eunuch stepped forward and struck Madam Yu's cheeks.
The eunuch used both hands, swiftly slapping Madam Yu until her face was swollen and red. Madam Yu continued to curse angrily, so the eunuch clenched his fist and punched her, knocking out two of her front teeth.
Zhenzhen remained unprovoked, calmly addressing Madam Yu, "If we speak of retribution, the Fourth Prince is your retribution. The pearl diadem you used to poison Crown Prince Zhuang Wen eventually found its way into his mouth, making this innocent child bear the consequences of your heinous crimes. Come to think of it, he is your grandson, isn't he? Now his life hangs by a thread. How can you bear to stand by and refuse to provide the antidote?""I have no antidote. Didn't my lady give you all the antidotes? Why come asking me again?" Madam Yu said indignantly. "If it's still not enough, go ask Cheng Yuan for it. All the snake venom and antidotes are his. If you have the ability, go ask him for it..." At this point, she couldn't help but reveal a cold smile. "That is, if you can persuade the Empress Dowager to step aside."
Zhenzhen went to Cifu Palace and, in her capacity as the newly appointed Palace Commandant, performed a grand salute to the Empress Dowager by raising her hands to her forehead. She then immediately requested to see Cheng Yuan.
The Empress Dowager had already heard rumors about what happened in the Eastern Palace and flatly refused: "The Palace Commandant only has authority over female officials and palace attendants. Cheng Yuan is a eunuch and oversees Cifu Palace. It is not within the Palace Commandant's jurisdiction to manage him. If you wish to see him, please send someone to request an audience two days in advance. Whether he agrees or not is entirely up to him."
Zhenzhen replied, "I naturally cannot oversee eunuchs as well. However, I am acting under orders from The Emperor to investigate the disappearance of Ju An, a palace attendant from the late emperor's court. Cheng Yuan is implicated in this matter. I boldly request that Cheng Yuan appear to answer questions, and I hope the Empress Dowager will understand."
"Ju An?" The Empress Dowager's expression changed.
"Yes, that is, Madam Ju," Zhenzhen said. "There are witnesses and evidence indicating that Cheng Yuan imprisoned Madam Ju in Shi'an Garden and even... married her."
The Empress Dowager fell silent, then sneered. "Ju An is a palace attendant from the Northern Inner Palace. As long as I am alive, it is my responsibility to manage her. Who gave you the authority to reach into the Northern Inner Palace and interfere with matters concerning my attendants?"
"The one who granted me this authority is the current supreme ruler," Zhenzhen calmly replied. "The Palace Commandant has jurisdiction over palace attendants in both the Northern and Southern Inner Palaces. Surely the Empress Dowager is aware of this? Or perhaps you wish to amend the palace regulations to exempt Northern Inner Palace attendants from the Palace Commandant's authority?"
The Empress Dowager did not answer immediately, but her chest rose and fell noticeably, her anger barely contained.
"If the Empress Dowager wishes to amend the palace regulations, I'm afraid that is not possible," Zhenzhen continued coolly. "After all, everyone knows that the power of the realm lies in the hands of the Emperor, not the Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager was utterly astonished. Pointing at Zhenzhen, she was so enraged she could hardly speak coherently: "You... you... how dare you..."
"His Majesty has always been filial to the Empress Dowager, which is why he previously did not establish the position of Palace Commandant. However, today he appointed me as Palace Commandant. With your wisdom, Empress Dowager, you surely understand his intentions." Zhenzhen spoke frankly to the Empress Dowager. "Last time, when Crown Prince Zhuang Wen was poisoned by mushrooms, the perpetrator was a eunuch. No eunuchs were missing from the Southern Inner Palace, so the investigation should have focused on the Northern Inner Palace eunuchs. Yet the Empress Dowager adamantly refused to allow any investigation, forcefully covering up the matter. The court and the public are abuzz with criticism. How could the Empress Dowager be unaware? Out of respect for you, His Majesty had no choice but to drop the matter, but he could not help harboring resentment. If such incidents continue to occur, His Majesty may not remain tolerant indefinitely. The consequences that might follow would be difficult to predict."The Empress Dowager glared at Zhenzhen, yet could not find suitable words to refute her. Zhenzhen continued to persuade, "In truth, His Majesty understands perfectly well that you and he now live in harmony, with motherly kindness and filial piety. There is simply no need for you to contemplate such a grave act of treason. However, forgive my bluntness, the world knows that in the past, Your Highness once supported another member of the imperial clan. If someone from Cifu Palace were to commit a serious crime, people would inevitably speculate that Your Highness is involved. This is also why you have been so determined not to allow any wrongdoing by those in Cifu Palace to be uncovered. But now, what Cheng Yuan has done is no ordinary matter—it involves the case of Crown Prince Zhuang Wen and the recent poisoning of the princes and the Crown Princess. There is already substantial evidence, both testimonial and material. His Majesty can no longer tolerate this and will undoubtedly pursue the investigation to the end. With your wisdom, you naturally know that what must be done now is to cease sheltering those suspected of treason and first distance yourself from them."
The Empress Dowager lowered her eyelids, her gaze no longer as aggressive as before, and her anger subsided considerably, as if she were pondering Zhenzhen's words.
Seeing her resolve waver, Zhenzhen added, "Over these years, Your Highness has cultivated virtue and shown kindness and care toward His Majesty and the princes. His Majesty remembers this well. No matter what Cheng Yuan has done, His Majesty would never believe it was at your instigation. He is also willing to preserve your reputation and has not ordered Cheng Yuan's arrest on charges of treason. Instead, he has tasked me with approaching him under the pretext of investigating Ju An's case. The mere act of secretly hiding and confining a palace maid from the late emperor's reign is enough to convict him of a serious crime. It is likely that this will be the charge made public in the future, rather than the intricate and suspicion-arousing accusation of treason."
The Empress Dowager concentrated her thoughts, pacing slowly within the hall, remaining silent for a long while. After some consideration, Zhenzhen spoke to her again, "Cheng Yuan has served you for many years, and I imagine you find it difficult to abandon your protection of him. However, though he appears loyal, he may not be as obedient to you as he seems on the surface. To put it plainly, he has betrayed you at least twice."
"Twice?" the Empress Dowager repeated with a frown.
"Yes. Concealing Madam Ju from you and secretly hiding her was the first time..." As she spoke, Zhenzhen removed the silver incense pouch she carried with her, opened it to reveal the qionghua seeds, and presented it to the Empress Dowager. "Accepting Consort Liu's bribe of qionghua seeds and subsequently colluding with her in treason was the second. A servant who pretends to be submissive to his master but secretly pursues personal gain regardless of his master's wishes—what use is such a servant?"
The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, pondered for a moment, and finally made a decision. "Before you arrived, Cheng Yuan had already left Cifu Palace and headed to Shi'an Garden."
Zhenzhen bowed deeply in gratitude to the Empress Dowager. As she was about to take her leave, she suddenly paused and turned to ask, "I have one more question and hope Your Highness will enlighten me."
The Empress Dowager replied expressionlessly, "Speak."
Zhenzhen asked, "Did Your Highness ever issue an edict ordering someone to hunt down Madam Ju?"
The Empress Dowager chuckled softly. "That is a rumor that has circulated in the palace for many years. I did despise Ju An. That wretched woman, thinking she was the center of all favor, often defied me in those days. However, when she left the palace, I needed only a few words to crush her restless heart. After that, she was nothing more than a body drifting in this filthy world. Whether she lived or died—what difference did it make?"
Zhenzhen listened silently but still sought confirmation. "So, the claim of a hunt is merely a rumor? Your Highness never issued such an order?"
The Empress Dowager replied coldly, "There was no need."Zhenzhen left Cifu Palace and requested the Palace Command leader to escort Madam Yu from the Southern Inner Palace to Shi'an Garden to confront Cheng Yuan. Meanwhile, she and Zhang Zhibei headed to Shi'an Garden first.
That day, Grandma Song was unable to enter the palace, but worried about Zhenzhen's safety, she waited outside Hening Gate for news. Zhenzhen traveled in and out in a palace carriage, and Grandma Song did not realize that the person with the Palace Commandant's entourage was actually Zhenzhen. She watched indifferently as the palace carriage passed by. However, when the Imperial Guards escorted Madam Yu out and loaded her into a prison cart outside the palace gate, Grandma Song suddenly became agitated. She chased after the prison cart, looking intently, and finally couldn't help but shout to the person inside, "Chunrong!"
Hearing the voice, Madam Yu turned her head and, recognizing her, gave a sinister smile without saying a word. She then turned forward again, allowing the prison cart to carry her toward an uncertain future.
Grandma Song desperately ran after the prison cart, shouting as she went, "Chunrong, where is my granddaughter? Where is my Taosheng? Where have you taken her?"
Madam Yu still did not answer. Grandma Song ran until she was utterly exhausted, collapsing to her knees on the ground. Amidst the dust stirred up by the prison cart, she wept loudly, pounding the tracks left by the wheels and sobbing, "Taosheng, my Taosheng..."
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