The Temple of Compassion and Harmony was not large, and the secluded residence where Yang Bu-yao and her daughter lived consisted of only two small houses. The narrow backyard couldn't even accommodate a single tree, with just a large bamboo bed placed in the center for cooling off, and pots of jasmine and morning glories lining the walls and steps. In the height of summer, these unassuming flowers bloomed vibrantly, their jasmine fragrance wafting over in waves, making Wei Shufen feel somewhat uncomfortable.
The high walls and small courtyard had one advantage—they blocked direct sunlight, providing cool shade. After sitting indoors chatting with Wei Shufen for a while, Yang Bu-yao complained of "aching back and wanting to stretch her legs." Her belly had grown so large that movement was difficult, so Wei Shufen had to support her as they slowly paced around the small courtyard.
"I can't remember how many years ago it was, but one day, Yi Niang and I were strolling and chatting in the Temple of Common Vocation just like this, with her nurse HeBa following nearby," the beautiful Yang reminisced. "Since the temple housed only the families of convicts, our conversations inevitably turned to memories of the former palace and grievances against the present. I won't hide this from you, Wei Niangzi, and I'm sure you understand. I can't recall what exactly we were discussing, but at some point, HeBa told us a true story, which Yi Niang also heard.
"HeBa spoke of an incident around the seventh or eighth year of the WuDe Era, when the Son of Heaven summoned his grandsons to the palace for family time. She accompanied the eldest granddaughter, Yi Niang, into the palace, where they joined a noisy group of seven- or eight-year-olds, including Chengqian, Prince Qin's heir. That day, Chengqian had gotten a new toy and was proudly showing it off, saying his mother had just given it to him—some royal archery thumb ring used by kings of the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The imperial grandsons passed it around to play with before moving on. HeBa privately scoffed, thinking the Prince Qin's consort was overly indulgent and extravagant to let a child handle such a fragile, valuable item. Back at the Crown Prince's Palace, she gossiped about it among the servants until Crown Princess Zheng Niangzi overheard and called her in for details. Coincidentally, the former Crown Prince also returned to the hall just then and listened to her recount the scene.
"The former Crown Prince had returned half-drunk. After hearing HeBa describe the archery thumb ring in detail, he slapped the table and sighed, saying that very item had been forcibly taken from him by Prince Qin when they were children. Apparently, the late Emperor and Empress Dou had originally given the ring to their eldest son, but Prince Qin threw such a tantrum that he wrested it away from his elder brother. The former Crown Prince, being generous by nature, hadn't held it against his younger brother. This just shows that Prince Qin has been—"
Here, Yang Bu-yao covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled faintly, swallowing the rest of her sentence—something along the lines of "treasonously slandering the present Son of Heaven." As her slightly worn silk handkerchief fluttered, the corner of a small hairpin caught Wei Shufen's eye.
"So the Crown Prince's Palace learned of the jade thumb ring's whereabouts—what happened next?" Wei Shufen pressed. Yang Bu-yao shook her head gently:"There wasn't much of a 'then' to it," HeBa said. "After some discussion in the Crown Prince's Palace, the matter was dropped. Perhaps Zheng Niangzi or the former Crown Prince passed these words to Consort Yin and others in the rear palace, where they were embellished and used to sow discord between His Majesty and Prince Qin. This in itself wasn't particularly unusual. What stood out was that year at the Temple of Common Vocation, Yi Niang heard her nurse recount this incident and became deeply interested, pressing for more details—how her father was magnanimous towards others, how loving he was to his siblings and children, and so on. That's why I remember that day. Ah, poor child, losing her father at eight years old, left alone and helpless, it's no wonder she indulged in fantasies, believing her father to be the greatest hero and most loving father in the world. Had that tragedy not occurred, had her father still been alive, he would surely have doted on his daughter endlessly... Though in my view, that's just wishful thinking."
Had the Xuanwu Gate Incident not happened, had Yi Niang's father Li Jian-cheng still been alive and ascended the throne, she and her sisters would have been princesses, undoubtedly faring much better than they do now. No wonder she yearned for her late father. Wei Shufen pressed further:
"So Yi Niang learned that the jade thumb ring originally belonged to her late father. What happened after that? How did she come to possess it?"
Yang Bu-yao lifted her gaze to the patch of gray-blue sky visible over the courtyard wall, her tone indifferent:
"I can't say for certain, only speculate. Yi Niang's nurse, HeBa—don't underestimate her just because she's a servant. She was once the mistress of a high-ranking official's household, shrewd and decisive, formidable indeed. I'd heard from Da A-sao's people long ago that Yi Niang lost her mother when she was just a few years old and relied entirely on HeBa to protect her, refusing to let anyone bully the little girl. Back then, even in the Crown Prince's Palace, people feared her somewhat."
Why bring up HeBa so abruptly? Wei Shufen thought for a moment before asking, "Lady Yang, are you suggesting that the jade thumb ring might have been obtained for Yi Niang by her nurse?"
"Originally, there was no opportunity. But last year, when the Temple of Common Vocation began preparing for Yi Niang's marriage, the High Truth Master and the imperial concubine administrators were in and out frequently. It's possible some of HeBa's old acquaintances were among them... Da A-sao and the others lived in the Crown Prince's Palace for nine years. With HeBa's capabilities and temperament, she must have had a few trusted aides working for her back then. After the palace changed hands twice, not all attendants were replaced. Some of the obscure, low-ranking cleaning servants might still have ties to HeBa. If they managed to reconnect, they could have smuggled items from the current Crown Prince's Palace to her, just to earn the little girl's gratitude and delight."
This speculation... was rather far-fetched.
At the very least, it didn't convince Wei Shufen. What was more amusing was that she sensed Yang Bu-yao didn't fully believe her own words either.
The beautiful woman, tired from pacing, allowed Wei Shufen to assist her as she reclined on the bamboo bed in the courtyard. She smiled faintly at her:
"By now, Wei Niangzi must have some understanding of how things work in the palace. Outsiders see it as an impenetrable fortress, strict and unyielding, but in truth... if you know the tricks, it's not so difficult to maneuver within. You're clever and quick-witted, Wei Niangzi, and deeply favored by Her Majesty. As long as you can provide a plausible explanation to outsiders, one that aligns with reason and sentiment, and the central palace doesn't scrutinize too closely, then it's done."Yang Bu-yao was offering her a way out, Wei Shufen realized. Her ostensible reason for investigating the case was "to clear her own name of false accusations," which required pinning the blame for the murder on someone. HeBa was already dead and had ample motive—her husband, son, and entire family had been slaughtered by the Li-Tang imperial clan. Now, shifting all responsibility onto the deceased nursemaid, claiming she had long plotted revenge by colluding with someone inside the Crown Prince's Palace to steal the Jade Thumb Ring, then seizing the opportunity that night to kill Yi Niang while implicating both the Crown Prince and the Empress with the ring and belt to tarnish the imperial family's reputation—it all seemed perfectly plausible.
As for who the real murderer was, Yang Bu-yao couldn’t care less. Her smile was enchanting yet hollow, tinged with a world-weary languor.
"Has the current Crown Prince ever visited the Temple of Common Vocation? Did he have any dealings with Yi Niang?"
Wei Shufen had no patience for further evasion and cut straight to the point. To her surprise, the beautiful woman on the bamboo bed showed no trace of alarm or wariness, merely offering another faint smile:
"I truly wouldn’t know. A couple of years ago, when the Son of Heaven left the capital and left the Crown Prince to oversee state affairs, I once heard the maids whispering excitedly that a handsome youth in a purple robe and jade belt had been peering into the temple courtyard from the Corner Tower outside the walls. I stepped out to look, and indeed, surrounded by guards, the splendidly dressed young man was dazzling. That was the closest I ever saw the Crown Prince get to the Temple of Common Vocation—he likely never set foot inside. I’ve heard he often hunted and played polo elsewhere in the forbidden garden, but Yi Niang and her sisters couldn’t leave the temple. How could she have had any private dealings with her cousin? And even if she had—so what?"
So what? Did Wei Shufen truly intend to march up to the Emperor and declare, "The murderer is your eldest son"? The imperial couple clearly had no intention of deposing the Crown Prince, at least not for now. Accusing the Crown Prince’s household would only bring disaster upon herself and her loved ones—what else could come of it?
Far better to pin the blame on the dead nursemaid and be done with it.
Besides, HeBa might not have been entirely innocent. Wei Shufen recalled being present when Li Yuangui discovered the Blood Jade Thumb Ring in Princess Linfen’s dressing case. They had immediately asked HeBa to identify it, but the nursemaid had stubbornly insisted it was not Yi Niang’s possession and that she had never seen it before. To protect the dead girl’s chastity and reputation, HeBa had even risked her life by swallowing the ring.
If Yang Bu-yao’s account was true, HeBa should have recognized the object. Her act in Yi Niang’s room had been a pretense—but why?
Had she swallowed the ring to conceal it for Yi Niang’s sake, or to shield someone else?
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