Zhang Zhibei knew that over the years, Cheng Yuan had been controlling a group of martial-trained eunuchs, ostensibly to guard Cifu Palace but mostly for his own purposes. Fearing that Cheng Yuan might use these men to put up a desperate resistance, Zhang Zhibei gathered several Imperial Guards from the Palace Command and the Imperial City Department to escort them and prepare to arrest Cheng Yuan when they went to Shi'an Garden with Zhenzhen.
Upon arriving at the gate of Shi'an Garden, they indeed saw many eunuchs stationed both inside and outside the entrance, standing guard. However, instead of blocking them, the eunuchs uniformly bowed and guided them inside.
At this time, the garden was filled with red leaves and chrysanthemums of various colors, creating a dazzling and splendid scene. Everywhere the eye could see was a tapestry of beauty, with not a trace of hostility in sight. The eunuch leading the way invited Zhenzhen, Zhang Zhibei, and the others to walk around the rockery, pass through the bamboo grove, and arrive before a spacious building with movable lattice windows on all sides. The eunuch opened the door and bowed, inviting them to enter.
Zhenzhen stepped into the building first and instantly widened her eyes: the ground on both sides of the room was slightly lower, each planted with a patch of golden lantern flowers in full, blazing bloom. A small bridge was erected in the center, leading to the rear corridor.
It was already late autumn, and by all accounts, the golden lantern flowers should have passed their blooming season. However, Cheng Yuan had cultivated them indoors, with the surrounding windows and doors covered in white cotton paper on the lattice frames. This allowed light to penetrate while blocking the cold, and when it was warm, the lattice windows could be moved to ventilate and let sunlight in, thus extending the flowering period to this day.
Zhenzhen recalled the scene beneath the bridge in her dream after Crown Prince Zhuang Wen’s passing, when she bid him farewell forever. The flowers now seemed even more vivid, crimson as blood, eerily enchanting and unsettling.
She blinked, raised her head, and looked forward, ignoring the golden lantern flowers. She crossed the bridge and continued onward.
After passing through several winding corridors, they arrived at another building. As soon as the eunuch opened the door this time, a foul, fishy wind rushed toward them, nauseating to the senses.
Zhenzhen focused her gaze and saw a deep pit not far ahead. The pit was covered with an iron-barred net over its opening, but through the gaps, one could see inside. The pit was over two zhang deep, containing rocks, tree trunks, and branches, but more densely packed were snakes of various patterns and colors, slithering and entwining everywhere, sending chills down the spine.
Outside the deep pit, there were tables, chairs, and desks. Cheng Yuan was currently seated in a chair. Seeing Zhenzhen and the others enter, he leisurely stood up and bowed to them in greeting.
Zhang Zhibei returned the courtesy and asked gently, "Does Mr. Cheng know the purpose of our visit?"
Cheng Yuan smiled and replied, "I do."
Seeing that he could command so many eunuchs, Zhenzhen realized he had many informants. It was likely someone had already informed him of the events in the two palaces.
Zhang Zhibei also smiled at this point and praised Cheng Yuan, saying, "Since you already know, yet remain so composed, you truly possess admirable grace."
Cheng Yuan said, "Since you have been able to come here, it is clear that the Empress Dowager has abandoned me. Given the circumstances, why resist? It is better to open the door and invite you in. I will answer any questions frankly, making it easier for both of you to carry out your duties and return to the palace to report sooner."
Zhang Zhibei politely expressed his thanks, while Zhenzhen directly asked Cheng Yuan, "Where is Madam Ju?"
"No hurry, let us talk first," Cheng Yuan said gently. "Later, I will take you to see her."
He invited the two to sit down, leisurely lit a stick of incense, and then sat to prepare tea. Zhang Zhibei asked him several times about his involvement in the poisoning of Crown Prince Zhuang Wen, the Fourth Prince, and the Crown Princess, and whether he had an antidote. Cheng Yuan replied each time, "If I am not mistaken, Consort Liu or Madam Yu will come forward to testify. It would be better to wait for them to arrive so we can clarify everything together."After a short while, the Imperial Guards escorted Madam Yu to the location. Only then did Cheng Yuan slowly rise, cupping his hands toward Madam Yu and saying, "Lady Chunrong, Cheng Yuan pays his respects."
Madam Yu stared at him in astonishment, visibly surprised that he had called out her maiden name, which she had never revealed to anyone in the palace.
Cheng Yuan gave a slight smile and sat back down, beginning to explain to Zhenzhen and the others: "After Madam Ju and I became husband and wife, we gradually spoke more with each other. I mentioned to her that Consort Liu could also perform the Liangzhou Dance, and that several of her movements were identical to those Madam Ju had performed in the past—movements I had never seen anyone else do. Madam Ju then asked me which movements they were. After I described them, she told me that those movements were choreographed by herself, and that she had only taught them to one female disciple back then, so only that disciple should know them. Considering Consort Liu’s age, I thought she couldn’t possibly be that disciple, so I asked Madam Ju if the disciple’s surname was Yu. She said no, it was either Yu or Qi."
Upon hearing this, Zhenzhen turned to look at Madam Yu, whose breathing grew increasingly rapid and her emotions began to stir.
"She then told me about that Yu woman’s background," Cheng Yuan continued. "Back then, Grand Preceptor Qi feared his wife, so he secretly took a concubine outside but dared not bring her into his residence, keeping her hidden away. This concubine’s surname was Yu, and she later bore Grand Preceptor Qi a daughter, named Chunrong. However, Chunrong never dared to publicly acknowledge Grand Preceptor Qi as her father and instead went by the surname Yu. When Chunrong reached seventeen or eighteen, Grand Preceptor Qi, seeing her exceptional beauty and that she had been trained in dance since childhood, decided to cultivate her with the intention of sending her to the late Emperor as a consort. Noticing the late Emperor’s fondness for Madam Ju, he repeatedly invited Madam Ju to his private residence under the pretext of having her teach the dancers in his household, asking her to instruct Chunrong in dance. Madam Ju saw through Grand Preceptor Qi’s intentions at once, but since the late Emperor had asked her to go, she complied. She had the confidence to believe that this girl posed no threat to her. Chunrong studied diligently, practicing day and night, and in the eyes of most, she danced quite well. But both Madam Ju and Chunrong herself knew that no matter how hard she tried, she could never reach the level Madam Ju had achieved. Once, while practicing the extremely difficult movements of the Liangzhou Dance, Chunrong injured her waist. Madam Ju then bluntly told her that with dedication, anyone could master a skill to a high degree, but to reach the pinnacle—a level unattainable by ordinary people—required innate talent. And Chunrong, she lacked that talent."
Hearing this, Madam Yu couldn’t help but let out a cold sneer.
Cheng Yuan glanced at her and asked, "Since dance didn’t work out, Grand Preceptor Qi later had you learn culinary arts, didn’t he?"
"Indeed, he had Official Liu teach me. I still poured all my effort into it, and the dishes I made looked almost identical to Official Liu’s. But after tasting them, my father said they were just a little off—that little difference was the soul of the entire dish." Madam Yu smiled bitterly, a flash of resentment flickering in her eyes. "Disappointed in me, my father mercilessly scolded and mocked me, saying my looks and dance skills were inferior to Madam Ju’s, and my culinary skills couldn’t match Official Liu’s. How could I possibly catch the Emperor’s eye? He accused me of not trying hard enough, of being lazy, and said that was why I could never master anything to perfection. To him, I was utterly useless. But I knew I had truly given my all. Failing to meet his expectations might indeed have been due to a lack of that innate talent..."Zhenzhen, who had been listening from the side, now thought of a question: "Since you are Qi Xun's daughter, how did you later become Qi Xi's concubine and call him your husband?"
Zhang Zhibei explained first: "Qi Xi is Qi Xun's adopted son. Qi Xun's wife, Madam Wang, was unable to bear children, so she adopted the son of her brother-in-law and his mistress, renaming him Qi Xi. Therefore, although Qi Xi and Madam Yu were nominally siblings, they were not blood relatives."
Cheng Yuan added, "It is said that Qi Xi, following Qi Xun's orders, secretly took care of Qi Xun's mistress behind Madam Wang's back. Perhaps that is why he frequently interacted with Madam Yu, and over time, affection grew between them."
Hearing them mention Qi Xi, Madam Yu grew sorrowful. After a moment of silence, she slowly said, "When I was practicing culinary skills day after day without any progress and constantly criticized by my father, it was my brother who often visited, encouraged me, and comforted me. He loved every dish I made for him, saying they were all delicious... In short, unlike my father, in his eyes, I was beautiful, skilled in dance, talented in cooking—everything about me was perfect... At that time, we were both young, and we secretly fell in love. Later, when my father found out, he was furious, saying I was no longer a virgin and had completely lost any hope of entering the palace, so what use was I... He wanted me dead but wouldn't do it himself. Instead, he revealed the whereabouts of my mother and me to his lawful wife. As a result, Madam Wang sent a group of people who beat my mother to death. I was also severely beaten and would not have survived if Qi Xi hadn't rushed over to stop the attackers... Later, to escape Madam Wang's persecution, I fled Lin'an and went to Ningguo Prefecture, where I settled in a tavern. I lived peacefully for a while and recovered from my injuries."
Zhenzhen had found the name "Chunrong" familiar from the start but couldn't recall where she had heard it. When Madam Yu mentioned Ningguo Prefecture and the tavern, it suddenly dawned on her: "So you are the Chunrong that Grandma Song spoke of!"
"You know her?" Madam Yu frowned in response.
"She is now my grandmother," Zhenzhen said. "And her real granddaughter was the one you abducted, wasn't she?"
Madam Yu did not answer directly but instead chuckled softly. After a moment, she said, "I learned culinary skills from San Niang. Unlike Official Liu, she wasn't subtle in her words. When she saw I wasn't learning well, she spoke bluntly, even scolding me, much like Madam Ju, saying I had no talent... Talent—that word has haunted me like a curse all my life and ruined my life... San Niang often asked me to help take care of her granddaughter, Taosheng. I saw that little girl, as delicate and beautiful as carved jade, and very clever too. Whenever she heard music, she would sway and dance, dancing more beautifully than many older children who had been formally trained... One day, I watched her for a long time and suddenly thought, this must be what they call talent. And since she was San Niang's granddaughter, she must also have talent in culinary arts."
"Is that why you abducted Taosheng?" Zhenzhen rebuked her. "Do you know that your momentary lapse in judgment caused Grandma Song's family to fall apart and left her living in agony day after day?"
"Agony? Who doesn't suffer? Everyone has their own pain, their own fate. It's just that her fate happened to be me," Madam Yu said indifferently. "That granddaughter of hers, if she had stayed by her side, would have grown up to be nothing more than an ordinary village girl. But I brought Taosheng to the capital, nurtured her to become outstanding and perfect, and sent her into the palace to enjoy half a lifetime of glory and wealth. I think I did right by her.""The little girl you took away was Consort Liu, wasn't it?" Zhang Zhibei now understood as well. "Since you are Qi Xun's daughter, and you went to such lengths to send Consort Liu into the palace, your goal must not have been as simple as pursuing wealth and glory."
"I wanted her to accomplish what I failed to achieve," Madam Yu said. "I took her back to Lin'an, knelt before my father, and begged for his forgiveness. I told him that although I had no hope of entering the palace myself, I was confident I could nurture this girl well and send her into the palace in the future. Although my father said he had long given up on this matter and no longer placed any hope in me, he did spare me and ordered Qi Xi to take good care of me, ensuring that the Wang family would no longer bully me. Qi Xi had Taosheng call him 'Father' and treated her as his own daughter. Taosheng soon forgot her past and accepted us as her parents. I lived with Taosheng in Qi Xi's villa for several good years, until my father was framed and killed by Zhang Yunqiao, Lin Yu, and the current Emperor. Qi Xi was forced into retirement and soon died of grief and anger. Before his death, he instructed his family to avenge him and his father. When he passed away, I felt as if the sky had collapsed, but after weeping, I pulled myself together and decided to seek revenge for them."
Zhenzhen asked, "How did you know someone plotted your father's death?"
Madam Yu sneered, "With my father's intelligence, how could he not have planted his own people around the prince? Although the prince succeeded in his scheme, he became complacent afterward and inevitably let slip some information. Those around him learned of it and told us."
"That person was Wang Muze, wasn't it?" Zhang Zhibei interjected.
Madam Yu did not answer, but her expression suggested she was tacitly agreeing. Zhenzhen recalled that after Wang Muze was exposed for spreading rumors and framing Consort Li, he fled to Phoenix Mountain and hanged himself. Now it seemed that the direction he fled was close to Furong Pavilion, and it was likely that before his death, he had sent word to Madam Yu and Consort Liu.
Zhenzhen had now pieced together all the cause and effect and said to Madam Yu, "Later, to conceal your identity and send Consort Liu into the palace, you needed a safe background. The relatives of the Emperor's allies were the most suitable."
"Correct," Madam Yu admitted frankly. "I learned that Lin Yu had a cousin who married and moved to Yazhou, so I took Taosheng to find them, and their family took us in. Originally, I only hoped that Taosheng would win their favor and they would adopt her as their daughter, giving her the identity of a Liu family daughter to enter the palace. Unexpectedly, a plague struck, which actually helped me further... After the Liu couple and their daughter Luo Wei died, I effortlessly found Luo Wei's birth certificate and the Liu family's household register. With these documents, I went to Wuyi Mountain to find Lin Yu's widow and easily stayed with the Lin family. I devoted myself to teaching Taosheng, and she lived up to my expectations, growing into a beauty like a fairy. She danced as well as Madam Ju and cooked as deliciously as Official Liu. It was only natural that she won the Emperor's favor."
At this point, she smiled contentedly, clearly pleased with the smooth execution of her plan.
"Food..." Zhenzhen suddenly remembered Pei Shangshi and asked, "At that time, all the Emperor's food had to be tasted and tested for poison by Pei Shangshi, and the offerings from the imperial consorts also required her approval. Later, when Pei Shangshi's sense of taste deteriorated, and with the Emperor's tacit consent, Consort Liu gained the opportunity to frequently prepare meals for the Emperor, bypassing Pei Shangshi. So, looking back now, Pei Shangshi's loss of taste might not have been solely due to age. You likely had something to do with it, didn't you?"Madam Yu said nonchalantly, "She was getting older, often suffering from headaches, fevers, backaches, and such. She went to see the imperial physician Zhou Zhiqi for medicine to regulate her health, not knowing that Physician Zhou was one of our people. Adding two extra ingredients to her medicine to accelerate the deterioration of her sense of taste wasn’t difficult."
Zhenzhen asked, "After Pei Shangshi took the medicine and her sense of taste declined, didn’t she become suspicious?"
Madam Yu replied, "It was added little by little, slowly. She probably just thought it was a change due to old age. It was hard for her to notice."
Zhang Zhibei interjected, "Later, when Pei Shangshi was implicated in the Crown Prince Zhuang Wen incident, someone anonymously reported that she had lost her sense of taste. Was that also your doing?"
Madam Yu did not deny it: "Actually, the Emperor already knew her sense of taste was failing, but out of consideration for her feelings, he kept her in her position. If we didn’t seize that opportunity to completely remove her, when would we ever?"
Suppressing her rage, Zhenzhen mentally added this crime to Madam Yu’s record, to be settled by the Emperor later. She then asked, "When you speak of revenge, do you mean plotting against the Emperor or the princes?"
"At first, I planned for Taosheng, after gaining favor, to add poison to the Emperor’s meals. But Taosheng said that suddenly poisoning him would be too obvious. Even if we succeeded, if the Emperor died after eating the food we prepared, we wouldn’t survive either. It would be better to first solidify her favor, wait until the Emperor was completely off guard, and then add a little poison each day. That way, when the poison took effect, others would assume he died of illness and wouldn’t suspect us. Later, when the Emperor favored her exclusively, she had every opportunity to slowly poison him, but she refused to do it. She told me that if the Emperor died, she would be sent out of the palace to become a nun, and our later lives would be very difficult. It would be better to wait until she gave birth to a prince, so that after the Emperor’s passing, she could continue a life of luxury with me as the prince’s mother. Later, after she gave birth to both a princess and a prince, I asked her when she would act. She said that since we had a prince, why not first try to support him as the Crown Prince, so that he could inherit the throne in the future? Then the entire empire would be ours... I understood that she was delaying again and again because she couldn’t bring herself to poison the Emperor. Although I was dissatisfied, I thought what she said made some sense. If her child became the Crown Prince and eventually the Emperor, it would mean I held the entire country in my hands—something neither my father nor my husband had ever achieved..."
Zhang Zhibei couldn’t help but slam the table, rebuking, "You two poisonous women, how dare you harbor such treacherous ambitions, dreaming of assassinating the Emperor and stealing the country!"
"The one who wanted to assassinate the Emperor has always been me. Taosheng felt the Emperor treated her very well and inevitably developed feelings for him, so she was unwilling to act," Madam Yu explained calmly. "I hope the Chief Eunuch will convey this to the Emperor. If the Imperial Concubine is found, I hope the Emperor will spare her life out of consideration for her feelings toward him. This is also why I have confessed everything to you today."
Zhang Zhibei gave no indication of agreement. Zhenzhen continued to press, "Since you decided to support the Fourth Prince as the heir, his three older brothers became obstacles you needed to eliminate, so you started with Crown Prince Zhuang Wen. The poisonous mushroom incident was your doing, wasn’t it?"
"The idea was mine, but the poisoning was carried out by Cheng Yuan’s people," Madam Yu said with a cold smile, glancing at Cheng Yuan. "At that time, Cheng Yuan had already realized that Crown Prince Zhuang Wen was investigating him for secretly harboring Madam Ju. He was on pins and needles, filled with anxiety. With a little persuasion from me, he agreed."Zhang Zhibei glanced sideways at Cheng Yuan and sighed softly, "Foolish! Concealing a palace maid is indeed a grave crime, but if you seek the Empress Dowager's understanding, or appeal to The Emperor's sympathy for your long-standing affection for Madam Ju, requesting him to formally bestow the marriage, it is not entirely hopeless."
"Impossible. Since Wu Zhenzhen knows Madam Ju is with me, she will inevitably ask Crown Prince Zhuang Wen to find a way to rescue her. Neither the Empress Dowager nor The Emperor can stop her." Cheng Yuan said calmly, "And Crown Prince Zhuang Wen will certainly do it for her. Madam Ju and I will be separated forever."
He then raised his eyes to look at Zhenzhen, "I'm sorry, I cannot bear to be parted from Ju An."
Zhenzhen was furious, secretly clenching her fists to control her emotions, yet her body trembled uncontrollably, "So, you would rather poison Crown Prince Zhuang Wen!"
Cheng Yuan gave a sorrowful smile, "If only you hadn't been so determined to find your mother. Then Madam Ju and I, you and Crown Prince Zhuang Wen, could have stayed together forever."
In an instant, rage and sorrow surged like a river. Zhenzhen felt dark clouds swirling before her eyes again, nearly fainting. At that moment, Zhang Zhibei slightly bowed toward her and raised his voice slightly, reminding her, "Palace Commandant, the case is not yet fully clear. I hope you will continue the investigation."
Zhenzhen suddenly remembered her current position. As the Palace Commandant, she must uphold justice, remain calm, and not be swayed by emotions. Straightening her posture, she regained her composure and continued questioning Cheng Yuan, "The Pearl Diadem's Breath-Activated Adhesive that Consort Liu gave to the current Crown Princess was coated with snake venom. Did you provide it to her?"
"Yes," Cheng Yuan replied. "Madam Yu came to ask me for snake venom, inquiring in detail about the dosage needed to poison someone. I guessed she intended to use it to harm Crown Prince Zhuang Wen and advised her that such poisoning would be too obvious and difficult to conceal. She said the Consort had a clever plan and would not be discovered... In the end, I gave her the venom, along with the corresponding antidote, telling her that if she regretted poisoning someone, she could use the antidote to save them. Seven doses, enough to save an adult man. Later... clearly, they did not use the antidote."
Zhenzhen turned angrily toward Madam Yu. If her gaze could turn into sharp arrows, Madam Yu would have been pierced countless times. Yet Madam Yu showed no fear and even looked at Zhenzhen with a provocative smile, "You want the antidote, don't you? Now you can ask Cheng Yuan for it."
"I have used up all the antidote, but I know how to prepare it. It's just a bit troublesome..." Cheng Yuan said to Madam Yu. "Would you like to know? I heard Fourth Prince has already been poisoned and fainted. After all, you share some familial bond with him as his grandmother. Why not personally bring him a few doses of the antidote?"
He walked to the center of the iron mesh above the snake pit, where there was a square opening used for feeding, with a lid that could be opened and closed. Cheng Yuan now used his foot to flip open the lid, looked down, and beckoned Madam Yu over, "The antidote consists of several herbs that coexist with the snakes. Look, there are a few plants growing in the pit."
Hearing this, Madam Yu approached to look. Just as she reached the edge of the opening, Cheng Yuan suddenly grabbed her and shoved her into the square hole, releasing his hands. Madam Yu immediately fell into the snake pit.
In an instant, countless snakes converged, wrapping around Madam Yu and biting her. Madam Yu struggled desperately, screaming shrilly, each cry louder than the last, but to no avail. More and more snakes covered her body.Zhang Zhibei and Zhenzhen both paled at the sight, taking two steps toward the snake pit to peer down at the situation. Zhang Zhibei hesitated for a moment, then waved to the Imperial Guards behind him, intending to have them rescue Madam Yu. Seeing this, Cheng Yuan said, "She has already been bitten by so many venomous snakes. Even if we pull her up, she cannot be saved. Why risk the Imperial Guards in such danger?"
Zhang Zhibei then fell silent.
Cheng Yuan continued, "She poisoned Crown Prince Zhuang Wen and attempted to usurp the throne—she deserved her fate. However, her case involves the Qi family, and The Emperor likely wouldn’t want it publicly tried by the Censorate, the Court of Judicial Review, or the Ministry of Justice. Most likely, a cup of poisoned wine would have ended it. Wouldn’t that have been too lenient for her? This punishment, I imagine, is one The Emperor would also find more fitting for her."
Zhenzhen asked, "Did you personally execute Madam Yu to curry favor with The Emperor, hoping he would show you leniency?"
"No, because I hated her," Cheng Yuan said calmly. "I never truly intended treason... All I ever wanted was Ju An."
When Zhang Zhibei pressed him about whether there was any antidote left, he replied, "There is none. Even if a new antidote were prepared, it would be too late to save Fourth Prince. Moreover, forgive my bluntness, but this child is intricately tied to the Qi family, and his birth mother has committed treason. With no good outcome awaiting him, might he harbor resentment and perpetuate this hatred? Ending it here, repaying his mother’s debt of sin, may not be such a bad thing."
Zhang Zhibei fell silent.
Seeing Zhenzhen speechless, Cheng Yuan smiled faintly at her and said gently, "Come, let me take you to see Ju An."
As Madam Yu’s screams gradually faded, Zhang Zhibei left several Imperial Guards behind, instructing them to later summon a snake handler to retrieve her body. Then, guided by Cheng Yuan, he and Zhenzhen made their way toward the artificial hill piled with rocks outside.
The door to the small pavilion on the hill was open. By now, night had fallen, and several palace candles had been lit inside. Qiu Niang sat serenely within the pool of warm candlelight, quietly awaiting their arrival.
Upon seeing Zhenzhen, Qiu Niang’s eyes lit up with joy. She rose and walked to her daughter, smiling warmly. "Zhenzhen, I’ve finally waited for you."
Zhenzhen, with immense effort, restrained the impulse to embrace her mother and weep together. Instead, she simply smiled through her tears, gazing at her without a word.
Zhang Zhibei stepped forward at the right moment, cupping his hands in salute to Qiu Niang and introducing Zhenzhen: "Madam Ju, this is the Palace Commandant newly appointed by His Majesty today. She has come with me to escort you back to the palace."
Qiu Niang understood instantly. Adjusting the hairpin at her temple, she composedly bowed to Zhenzhen. "This commoner, Ju An, pays respects to the Palace Commandant."
Suppressing the ache in her heart, Zhenzhen gestured slightly to raise her, saying, "You may rise."
Qiu Niang lifted her head, maintaining a faint smile as she and Zhenzhen gazed at each other in silence.
"Take Ju An back with you," Cheng Yuan said from behind Qiu Niang, addressing Zhang Zhibei. "I hope Commander Zhang and the Palace Commandant will allow Ju An to wait briefly at the foot of the hill. I need to gather my belongings from the pavilion before accompanying you back to the palace."
Zhang Zhibei said, "The palace has everything you need, Master Cheng. Why trouble with luggage?"
Cheng Yuan replied, "I am a sentimental person, accustomed to my old things. I wish to pack them and bring them along. I hope Commander Zhang will allow me this small dignity."
After a moment’s consideration, Zhang Zhibei nodded. He and Zhenzhen first escorted Qiu Niang down the hill. As Zhenzhen turned to leave, Cheng Yuan called her back, stepping slightly aside from Zhang Zhibei and Qiu Niang. In a low voice, he said to her, "Your mother married me out of necessity. At the time, to save you, she proposed a deal: if I rescued you from Gathering Scenery Garden and sent you to safety, she would marry me. That’s why, on the night of the storm at Gathering Scenery Garden, I sent a boat to save you."
Zhenzhen stared at him wide-eyed, then glanced sideways at Qiu Niang. Overwhelmed by shock and sorrow, her heart felt as if pierced by a knife. Yet, at this moment, she could only strive to maintain the dignity of the Palace Commandant, strictly forbidding any outward display of emotion."Treat her well," Cheng Yuan instructed. "From now on, only you can protect her... Remember, no matter what she has done, it was all out of love for you."
After Zhenzhen and her companions had gone far away, Cheng Yuan closed the door of the small building alone. He slowly went to find the fine wine hidden within the building, opened a wine jar and took a sip, then splashed the wine all around. He poured the remaining half jar over himself, and finally kicked over the candlestick standing beside him. The several palace candles on the candlestick instantly ignited the wine and the curtains in the building, spreading to Cheng Yuan himself. The raging flames billowed and engulfed him in an instant.
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