"I had everything arranged quite well and was almost successful," the female Taoist's tone was unexpectedly full of regret as she looked up at Wei Shufen and Li Yuangui. "Who would have thought you two would suddenly interfere and throw everything into chaos... I was prepared for Fourteenth Uncle to get involved in the investigation, given Yi Niang's condition resembled that of Beauty Zhang's death. As for you, A Fen... I originally thought I could use you as a shield to divert others' attention, but who knew... sigh."
"A Fen fled her wedding and accidentally entered the Temple of Common Vocation, dragging Wei Xuancheng into the case as well," Li Yuangui suddenly interjected. "You felt uneasy and volunteered to join the investigation, aiming to steer our thoughts elsewhere. Then came my seventeenth sister's incident, my imperial order to search for the Tuyuhun prince, and even the revival of the decade-old Eastern Palace Poison Wine Case—everything became increasingly tangled. For a while, you tried to lead us to believe Consort Yang was the real culprit. But after some effort, you realized she was under protection due to her pregnancy and grew powerless and fearful. In the end, you wanted to withdraw, clearly not as proactive as before... I thought..."
He couldn't continue, tears welling up in his eyes again. Chai Yingluo also sighed:
"I have a clear conscience regarding Seventeenth Aunt. As for you two, I never harbored any ill intentions."
"Sister Ying has shown me immense kindness—I can't even count how many times she's saved me," Wei Shufen said mournfully. "The most dangerous time was on the watchtower at Great Peace Palace. I thought I was done for, if not for—"
She suddenly stopped, a vivid scene from that night flashing before her eyes, chilling her to the bone:
"Consort Yin... she wasn't thrown off the watchtower by the Tuyuhun assassin. That was your doing too!"
The image of Consort Yin's robes and sashes fluttering through the night air before disappearing over the watchtower railing, leaving behind a long, piercing scream—this was what Wei Shufen had witnessed that night. She hadn’t actually seen who threw Consort Yin off. At the time, Chai Yingluo had shouted, "What are you doing?" and grappled with the black-clad man who had just climbed onto the tower. Naturally, Wei Shufen assumed the man had thrown Consort Yin off before attacking Chai Yingluo.
But later, she learned the assassin hadn’t even drawn his waist knife, only carrying a crossbow. If he had truly intended to execute the female hostages, the simplest method would have been to shoot them, not waste effort tossing them off the tower... Chai Yingluo had explained it as "he underestimated us women’s combat ability," but was that underestimation too far-fetched?
The female Taoist smiled at Wei Shufen:
"Finally figured it out, huh... I underestimated you too. I always thought you took after your father—loyal and straightforward but lacking cleverness. But A Fen, you’re just a bit slow to connect the dots, not stupid at all."
That night, sitting at the top of the watchtower on Cuiyun Peak, she had intermittently overheard Consort Yin and Li Yuangui’s conversation below. When Consort Yin claimed to know "who killed Yi Niang," Chai Yingluo was terrified. Yin Shi might have just been taunting Li Yuangui, but Chai Yingluo knew that during the WuDe Era, Consort Yin had been intimately involved with Fourth Uncle Yuan-ji. Li Yuan-ji, reckless and indulgent, might have carelessly revealed something to her, allowing the cunning woman to deduce the truth.That night in the Crown Prince's Palace, after Chai Yingluo successfully poisoned her second uncle Shimin, she secretly passed the double-heart pot concealed in her wide sleeves to her fourth uncle Yuan-ji according to their rehearsed plan, then slipped out of the palace with Prince Qi's attendants. At the time, she didn't know Li Yuan-ji had taken advantage of the chaos to throw the golden pot into the well of Xiande Hall's courtyard, framing his eldest brother Crown Prince Jiancheng. Later when uncle and niece met again, Chai Yingluo asked about the golden pot's whereabouts. Li Yuan-ji only said, "I melted it in a furnace," and repeatedly assured her he'd never revealed this matter to anyone—"not even your aunt knows." Now it appeared this too was a lie, as Yang Bu-yao at least knew the exact location of that double-heart golden pot.
But atop the watchtower of Great Peace Palace, Chai Yingluo remained unaware of her fourth aunt's involvement, believing Consort Yin to be the last person who might know of her crimes, and murderous intent arose instantly. Seizing the moment when Wei Shufen turned to look downstairs, when the black-clad assassin had just ascended without grasping the situation, and when Consort Yin—bound and helpless—couldn't resist, she first grabbed and threw Consort Yin off the tower. Simultaneously screaming, she lunged at the assassin to grapple with him, using her hidden dagger to stab him to death when he was off guard—otherwise, as a delicate woman, killing a strong man wouldn't have been so easy.
"What cleverness, what courage." This praise came from Empress Zhangsun, yet her tone held no joy or sarcasm—only sorrow and regret in a heavy sigh.
Chai Yingluo stared steadily at her second aunt, her expression calmer still. Her hands bore the lives of Li Wanxi and Consort Yin, the grave crime of attempting to poison her second uncle a decade prior, an illicit affair with the Crown Prince, and intent to falsely implicate the Empress and Crown Prince. By any measure, she was wicked beyond redemption.
Yet in this chamber, not a single man or woman showed her hatred or revulsion. Even Su Lingyu, the Crown Princess who stood only as her "rival in love," gazed at her with pity and couldn't help turning to plead with her mother-in-law:
"High Truth Master has always treated the Fourteenth Uncle's siblings, A Fen, and Yang Dalang well—she isn't cruel by nature or intent on harming the weak. Had it not been for the Crown Prince's poisoned wine incident, had Princess Linfen safely married into Prince Consort Chai's household, High Truth Master would surely have cared for her tenderly too... It was that grave mistake from her youthful folly ten years ago that forced her step by step onto this wrong path with no return. With the Supreme Emperor's body not yet cold and still en route, and both her parents having rendered great service to the state, could the Empress show mercy..."
As she spoke, Su Lingyu slipped from her seat to kneel in supplication. Empress Zhangsun looked at her daughter-in-law and sighed:
"By your reasoning, how should such capital crimes be dealt with?"
"The legal code has the 'Eight Considerations' principle. If Their Majesties could commute her death sentence—exiling her three thousand li away, or having her take monastic vows to guard the Supreme Emperor's tomb at Xianling—it would... still uphold justice while punishing wrongdoing..."
The Crown Princess's voice grew quieter, increasingly uncertain, likely realizing the consequences even as she spoke. The Empress looked at her, then glanced at her own eldest son, smiling faintly:
"Your kindness does you credit—your husband truly ought to be grateful to you."If Chai Yingluo remained alive, it would be Su Lingyu leaving a future trouble for herself—even Wei Shufen had come to understand this reasoning. Empress Zhangsun's illness was visibly worsening, and no one knew how much longer she could hold on. Once she passed away, the Emperor would pay little attention to his son's inner court affairs. If Li Chengqian still couldn't sever his attachment to his cousin, then no matter where Chai Yingluo was exiled or what condition she was in, he would find a way to bring her back to rekindle their past romance.
"Do you know why, in the early years of Zhenguan, I refused to comply with His Majesty's wish to have Chengqian betrothed to Yingniang as his consort?" the Empress asked. "The most crucial reason, of course, was her fate... No matter how little I believe in the supernatural, after three consecutive occurrences, how could I not feel some apprehension? Secondly, their ages were mismatched. Chengqian was still a child who understood nothing of worldly affairs, while Yingniang had already blossomed into a graceful and captivating young woman. I thought it most fitting for her to marry a good husband within a year or two, bear children, manage a household, and live a stable, happy life. That way, I could also honor my third sister's memory."
The Empress spoke with her usual elegance and precision, but Wei Shufen, who had come to understand her somewhat, could faintly discern the unspoken implication: the sixteen-year-old Chai Yingluo had already developed into a mature and alluring woman. Married to a nine-year-old husband, she might struggle to endure the loneliness of an empty chamber. Moreover, with her outgoing, unrestrained, and rule-defying personality, the Empress was unwilling to face the possibility of being forced to embrace a grandchild of non-royal bloodline in a few years, all while unable to voice her grievances.
This judgment... it must be said, wasn't entirely unfair to Chai Yingluo.
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