Chai Yingluo found Sun Simiao deeply engrossed in pharmaceutical research at the Nanshan Louguan observatory and forcibly dragged him to the Great Peace Palace to examine the Supreme Emperor. After the white-haired Taoist master conducted his diagnosis through observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking, he concluded: "The Supreme Emperor's condition isn't some rare disease—it's simply the frailty of old age. The imperial physicians' prescriptions and treatments aren't wrong." Before he could finish, Chai Yingluo was summoned by a palace matron sent by the Empress and taken directly to the Hall of Established Governance.
The Son of Heaven was still absent from the inner chambers. By Empress Zhangsun's seated couch stood two women—one tall and pale, the exhausted Crown Princess Su Shi; the other small... the Seventeenth Princess.
"Has Seventeenth Sister returned to the Empress's side?" Li Yuangui asked eagerly, joy and anxiety flooding his heart simultaneously. "How does she look? Is she injured? Was she terribly frightened?"
Chai Yingluo shook her head, replying that while the young princess appeared physically unharmed, she remained listless and silent, refusing to answer anyone's questions—much to the Empress's concern. Before Chai could finish her theatrical prostration of apology, the Empress told her niece to "stop wasting time and check on your Seventeenth Aunt first." Thus, the Taoist priestess approached to examine the girl, taking her pulse, inspecting her tongue, and asking questions—all to no avail, as the child remained unresponsive.
Suddenly recalling something, Chai Yingluo informed the Empress and requested someone fetch a nursemaid surnamed Liu from Prince Wu's residence at the Seventeenth Prince's Residence in Great Peace Palace. The strategy worked—the moment Nurse Liu entered the Hall of Established Governance, before she could even kneel before the Empress, the Seventeenth Princess's eyes lit up. She dashed forward and threw herself into her nursemaid's arms, finally bursting into tears.
As the nursemaid embraced the twelve-year-old girl, the two wept together. Empress Zhangsun watched with reddened eyes, sighing before ordering attendants to take them to the princess's old quarters in the rear courtyard for rest, with instructions for proper care. At her gesture, palace maids brought two bamboo-woven stools near the heated kang bed for Chai Yingluo and Su Lingyu to sit.
Without needing much prompting, Chai Yingluo honestly recounted everything—from how Li Yuangui's investigation led them to Kang Su-mi, to the four of them conspiring with various foreign allies to plan the nighttime assault on Great Peace Palace.
"You confessed everything?" Yang Xinzhi exclaimed in shock. Chai Yingluo remained calm: "Yes. Why?"
Yang Xinzhi and Wei Shufen both looked at Li Yuangui. After brief consideration, the Tang prince who'd masterminded the operation nodded:
"It was proper. I'd have done the same."
Chai Yingluo gave him a penetrating look. Wei Shufen asked from beside her: "What did the Empress say after hearing everything?"
"The Empress remained silent for a long time. Finally, she said: 'This is Chengqian wronging his Fourteenth Uncle and Seventeenth Aunt.'"
Yang Xinzhi and Wei Shufen both exhaled in relief, their faces brightening, but Chai Yingluo and Li Yuangui showed no such optimism. They understood palace intrigues and familial politics too well to believe matters could be resolved so simply.
"I believe Empress Zhangsun will distinguish right from wrong—this disaster clearly originated from the Crown Prince," Wei Shufen continued. Chai Yingluo smiled at her, the expression tinged with pity and affection:
"Of course, the Empress understands reason perfectly. But understanding reason and assigning accountability are two different matters..."
"Naturally," Li Yuangui muttered gloomily. "The Crown Prince is the foundation of the state—how can that foundation be shaken? If responsibility must be assigned to set an example, I'm the most suitable candidate to bear the punishment. Now that Seventeenth Sister is safe, I've no further concerns. Tomorrow I'll return to the palace and surrender to conclude this affair."Wei Shufen's startled gasp was sharp and loud, but Chai Yingluo didn't let her speak, cutting in first:
"Fourteenth Uncle, before entering the palace, I cast a divination with you as the focus. Guess what the omen was?"
"What?" Why bring up divination at such a critical moment?
"Small losses precede great gains; after extreme adversity comes prosperity." The female Taoist smiled. "Your fortune has turned. The Empress has changed her mind—she wants to thoroughly reinvestigate Princess Linfen's murder case and uncover all the fine deeds our Crown Prince has been up to."
Amidst the delicate warmth of incense rising from the Hall of Established Governance's burners, Empress Zhangsun extended a slender, fragile hand toward Crown Princess Su:
"Did you bring it?"
"Yes." The Crown Princess retrieved a silk-wrapped bundle from the leather pouch at her waist, unfolding it to reveal the blood jade thumb ring inside.
The Empress picked up the jade ring, holding it up to examine closely, a faint, elusive smile playing at her lips:
"You're both clever girls—you've probably guessed already. This object... originally belonged to Chengqian..."
The smile blossomed into vivid animation across her entire face, her dark eyes gleaming with a sudden youthful vigor that seemed to erase twenty years:
"It's no precious family heirloom, just... In the ninth year of the Daye era of the former Sui dynasty, after His Majesty and I held our wedding ceremony in the Western Capital, we were escorted by Yingniang's parents—your esteemed father and mother—as our entire family journeyed to Zhuojun. We traveled thousands of li to pay respects to the Supreme Emperor and Empress Dowager Dou, who were overseeing military provisions at the frontlines of the Goguryeo campaign. By cruel fate, shortly after arriving at my mother-in-law's side, Empress Dowager Dou passed away. Our family then escorted her coffin back to our ancestral home in Hedong to observe mourning rites... For three years after our marriage, His Majesty and I scarcely exchanged private words. Until the day mourning ended—when he was to accompany the Supreme Emperor to Taiyuan—as I packed his clothes, I found this at the bottom of a chest."
A blush swept across the thirty-something woman's thin cheeks, her gaze tender and sweet as she reminisced:
"Curious, I picked it up. His Majesty approached and asked if I knew what it was. Having seen illustrations in texts, I guessed it was a jade thumb ring for drawing bows. Then he asked how to write the character for 'thumb ring'—said he'd forgotten after years without using it. So I fetched paper and brush to write it for him..."
Her slender fingers rotated the thick blood jade ring as she gazed intently:
"His Majesty told me to keep this thumb ring safe, but soon I forgot—too many major events followed one after another... By the eighth or ninth year of WuDe, when Chengqian reached the age to learn archery... I remember it was at Hongyi Palace, the practice field not far from the main hall. A child's fingers are tender when first learning—blisters and bleeding are inevitable. Chengqian cried and lashed out at his instructor, just as his father happened by."
"Did he get scolded?" Chai Yingluo interjected. Given the emperor's recent interactions with his son, reprimand seemed certain.
The Empress shook her head with a smile: "By chance His Majesty was in good spirits that day, not inclined to scold. He personally adjusted Chengqian's stance, even showed his son the calluses at the base of his palm, saying every archer endures this—to master the bow requires enduring hardship... In that moment, he was the finest father in the world. Seventeen years, and never again has he been so close with Chengqian. And I... wasn't even present."
Tears glimmered in the mother's eyes as both Chai Yingluo and Su Lingyu remained silent."The people around Chengqian came back and told me about it, so I encouraged him a few words, urging him to practice diligently. Both his grandfather and father were renowned archers of their time—as the eldest son of Prince Qin, he must not disgrace their legacy... As I spoke, I suddenly remembered this jade thumb ring. After having the servants rummage through chests to find it, I gave it to Chengqian and explained the purpose of this ancient jade artifact—nothing more than a talisman to ward off evil and pray for blessings. At that time... he clutched it tightly and left, so happy, so delighted..."
The Empress stared blankly at the jade ring in her hand, as if seeing once more the mischievous seven- or eight-year-old boy holding it and skipping away:
"After that, I never saw this object again... until... that day at the Temple of Common Vocation, when Fourteenth Brother presented it to me. Its color had changed somewhat, becoming redder, but I recognized it at a glance... You said it was found in Yi Niang’s dowry box, and the child lost her life because of it... How could this be?"
Closing her fingers together, the Empress clenched her fist, tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and sighed:
"I’ve thought a lot about it. The Supreme Emperor has always loved children, often summoning Chengqian, Yi Niang, and other grandchildren to the palace to play by his side, staying for a while before being sent back... When Chengqian was twelve, His Majesty and I moved out of the Crown Prince’s Palace, leaving him alone in that vast courtyard. He was often ill, sometimes going days without seeing his parents... In recent years, His Majesty has traveled frequently, and I’ve accompanied him every year, bringing Qingque, Lizhi, and the others along. The whole family would stay in the detached palaces to escape the summer heat, leaving only Chengqian in the capital to oversee state affairs... He was young and playful, bold and mischievous, resembling his father in every way, yet no one dared to discipline him strictly. In a moment of recklessness, he crossed the line, and I—"
The pain in her voice surged forth, and Chai Yingluo couldn’t help but lean forward, placing a comforting hand on the Empress’s, whispering:
"This is only human nature, Aunt. You mustn’t blame yourself—after all, a mother’s heart is tied to her child’s... Besides, in these years the Crown Prince has overseen state affairs, and his reputation in court and among the people has been excellent. That is what truly matters. Young people are fickle by nature; frivolous behavior and mistakes are all too common. He can still mend his ways."
"The Crown Prince may not have truly violated any grave moral taboo," Su Lingyu also spoke up to comfort her mother-in-law. "The jade thumb ring being at the Temple of Common Vocation proves nothing. Even if he did give it to Yi Niang, it might have been from their childhood friendship—perhaps he casually gave it away during some game..."
"You don’t understand," the Empress replied with a bitter smile, glancing at the daughter-in-law she had chosen, the future Empress of Tang. "There were signs of Chengqian’s behavior years ago... It’s all my fault for not paying attention. Now, one mistake has led to another."
#####This chapter includes an explanatory note about "the palace maid brought two bamboo stools and placed them beside the heated bed." For images of the bamboo stools, visit the author’s Weibo. Search for the ID "Tang Dynasty Tour Guide Forest Deer" on Sina Weibo. Welcome to engage in discussion.
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